Google is accusing the Chinese government of obstructing Gmail. "The move follows extensive attempts by the Chinese authorities to crack down on the 'jasmine revolution' -- an online dissident movement inspired by events in the Middle East," the Guardian reports. Over the past month, Google claims that Chinese customers and advertisers have been complaining about their Gmail service. In particular, users have had issues sending messages, and marking messages as unread. What's more, "In the wake of the catastrophic earthquake in Japan, Google set up an application to help people find relatives and friends lost in the disaster," …

Sorry, Rupert. Former CBS Digital President Larry Kramer says he won't pay for "The Daily," but he will subscribe to the digital New York Times. Regarding the former, Kramer said he wanted to love New Corp.'s tablet-ready newspaper, but it's "light years worse than apps created by existing newspapers or new sources." Upon first using The Daily, Kramer was shocked to learn that it "not only didn't advance the effective use of the available technology, it also didn't adapt the journalist experience to the new medium." Regarding The New York Times reintroducing a pay wall, however, Kramer says: …

To reconnect friends and loved one separated by the earthquake and tsunami that hit northeastern Japan, YouTube has built a Person Finder service, which aggregates related video messages. "We're in the process of adding more than 80 video messages shot at the shelters by TBS, a major TV station in Japan, and we'll try to increase the number of videos by adding more more [sic] content from other TV stations and news network in the coming days," Tai Hasegawa, Product Marketing Manager, explains in a blog post. "We're also trying to include videos shot by the individuals impacted …

Signaling a new age in voice communication, Google Voice is being integrated with Sprint and its roughly 50 million customers. "Today, Google and Sprint have started offering an option to let you use your Sprint mobile phone number as your Google Voice number," VentureBeat explains. "In other words, Google Voice no longer requires you to sign up for an extra number in order to use it." "This is the biggest news about Google Voice since the company behind it, previously called Grand Central, was acquired by Google in 2007," writes TechCrunch. Likewise, "While it isn't quite …

A single source tells Business Insider that Yahoo is about to sell bookmarking site Delicious for $1 million to $2 million. "Our source isn't sure what company is buying it, but says it's a 'strategic partner,' something like StumbleUpon." The recommendation recently raised $17 million, so, as Business Insider explains, "it could easily afford Delicious. Late last year, Yahoo announced plans to "sunset" the bookmarking site, but it was later revealed that a sale was not out of the question. Earlier estimates pegged the site's worth at about $5 million. Either way, at these numbers, some have speculated …

Like Google and other tech titans with West Coast origins, Twitter is looking for a more permanent presence on Madison Avenue -- literally. The Observer's Betabeat blog is reporting that the microblogging platform plans to sublease Facebook's former space on Madison Avenue. "Facebook first leased 11,000 square feet on the sixth floor of the glass birthday cake-shaped building, wherein the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency was also housed," Betabeat explains. Facebook later relocated to another Madison Avenue address. Now, "With the world's two most powerful social media companies just blocks from one another, for better or …

Don't get in between Angry Birds and its avid audience. The popular online game is learning that the hard way, according to a report in 9to5mac.com. As part of an update to Angry Birds HD for the on iPad, the game has introduced advertising into the mix. "No, not the unobtrusive types of an AdMob or AdSense variety seen in some apps," writes 9to5's Christian Zibreg. "In Angry Birds HD, a 'news section' -- a nicer word for advertisements -- hits gamers in the face upon reaching the pause screen." The ad apparently pitch "official merchandise," …

Bloomberg Business devotes over 3,000 works to Groupon and its wily young founder and CEO Andrew Mason. After all, the group-buying leader is reportedly eyeing a $25 billion IPO. To merit such an astronomical valuation, Mason plans to turn Groupon into, in Bloomberg Businessweek's words, "a combination Yellow Pages, Valpak coupon packet, and price-conscious concierge for millions of consumers." Not only that, but he thinks he can achieve that feat with four simple works: "I'm Hungry" and "I'm Bored." Combining either declaration with a consumer's geographical location -- along with predetermined preferences and other potential variables -- Mason …

Like Eliot Ness and Jim Mobile busting bootleggers, Microsoft and federal law enforcement agents have seized computer equipment from Web hosting facilities across the U.S. in what The Wall Street Journal calls "a sweeping legal attack designed to cripple the leading source of junk email on the Internet." The raids are part of a civil lawsuit filed in federal court in Seattle in early February against unnamed operators of the Rustock "botnet," which is apparently a vast network of computers around the globe infected with malicious software, which let its creators distribute enormous volumes of spam. "Shutting down …

As it turns out, happier people tend to tweet together, as do people who are less happy, with few tweets linking the disparate groups, reports New Scientist, citing research based on millions of tweets. "As the old adage goes, 'birds of a feather flock together' -- and it seems to be true even when tweeting," the magazine writes. Measuring the emotional content of tweets as reflected by the presence of positive or negative words, scientists assessed the "subjective well-being" of the users through their tweets. The result? "It turns out that Twitter users are preferentially linked to those with …