With broad implications for the future of mobile media and advertising, Apple is finally fessing up to recording consumer locations. "The company explains in an FAQ ... that it is not stalking its iPhone customers, but is instead trying to get more accurate location information," reports CNet. "It also admits that there is a bug in the software that is making the iPhone store too much information." "Facing scrutiny from consumers and lawmakers over the collection of data on its iPhone, [Apple] said it isn't tracking the users' location and plans to reduce the amount of data the …

In an effort to keep its search results relevant and timely, it looks like Google Realtime Search has added results from Quora, Gowalla, and a number of other services. As a Quora user noted this week, "Google Realtime Search is indexing Quora activity, such as asking Questions, adding Answers, upvoting Answers, and submitting Posts." Thanks to Google's data partnership with Twitter, it has been carrying results from the microblogging leader for some time. According to TechCrunch, the additional of Quora is great for emergent question-and-answer site. "But it's equally great for the other services now included in the …

Kevin Rose, of Digg fame, just raised $1.5 million in angel funding for his new mobile development firm Milk. "Many venture capitalists like to say they invest in people, not ideas," writes VentureBeat. "That seems particularly true in the case of Milk." Rose -- who resigned from Digg earlier this year, after the company launched a controversial redesign -- says Milk and its small team are experimenting with different app ideas, hopefully launching four-to-six ambitious apps in a year. According to VentureBeat, investors include Digg backers Mike Maples, Jr. of Floodgate, and David Sze of Greylock Partners, as well …

Businesses using Google Apps will now have to pay up once their accounts exceed 10 users, reports The Next Web. "At the same time, new flexible billing options have been introduced to help small businesses adapt," it writes. Prior to this most recent change, free business accounts were previously limited to 50 users. Of note, schools and non-profits that use Google Apps for Education are not being affected, and can continue to enjoy Google's services free of charge. "To help small businesses adjust, Google has introduced new flexible plans that give companies the option to pay $5 per …

When presented with a mobile ad, do nearly half of consumers respond by making a purchase? Though quite hard to believe, a new Google study -- conducted in partnership with Ipsos OTX at the end of 2010 -- found just that. Nearly as hard to believe, Google found that 42% of consumers respond to mobile ads by clicking on them, while the vast majority -- 82% -- at least notice the ads. The study -- which found that mobile user fall into three categories, including action-oriented searchers, local information seekers, purchase-driven shoppers -- also found that 93% of …

Marking the end of an era, Friendster plans to erase every user profile -- including every picture, comment, and connection -- at the end of May. "On the help forum, Friendster encourages all users to use the 'Friendster Exporter' app to download or export their profile information, friends list, photos, messages, comments, testimonials, shoutouts, blogs and groups," notes TechCrunch. "Options include porting content to Flickr or Multiply." After raising close to $50 million in venture capital, Friendster was acquired by Malaysian payments company MOL Global at the end of 2009 for a reported $40 million. That, of course, …

According to a new report by research group Mobile Youth, consumers between 15 and 24 are increasingly abandoning SMS text messaging in favor of instant messaging apps, with texting expected to drop 20% over the next two years. Who or what could be to blame? BlackBerry Messenger, which now boasts over 39 million users (many of whom, granted, live outside the United States). "In fact, it's in the UK, Indonesia, South Africa, and Brazil -- all popular markets for BBM -- that Mobile Youth expects texting to dwindle the most," notes Engadget. "Apparently, those young'uns just love their …

Similar to comments by Google last year, Twitter now says mobile is job one for the microblogging leader. "Mobile is a huge priority for us," said Michael Abbott at a conference this week, according to Mobilized. "After spending much of the last year working to improve overall reliability, Twitter's vice president of engineering says the company intends to put a lot of effort in the coming months on improving its mobile experience," the All Things Digital blog explains. In particular, Twitter plans to improve native apps for various smartphones, while creating a more unified experience from device to …

Despite the marketing brilliance of Apple, Android-powered smartphones were the most desired devices in March, according to Nielsen. Last month, the research firm said 31.1% of respondents said they wanted their next smartphone to be an Android, while 30% said they wanted an iPhone. "That's not terribly surprising considering the growing momentum behind Android," comments GigaOm. "But it shows that Android's appeal is continuing to grow even despite the broader availability of the iPhone on Verizon." Indeed, the share of consumers planning on buying an Android in the next year increased from 25.5% in July to September, according …

Determined to break into the movie rental business, YouTube is reportedly ready to relaunch its movie-on-demand service with the help of some top studios. New studio partners include Sony Pictures Entertainment, Warner Brothers and Universal, all of whom have licensed their movies for the new service, according to TheWrap. "The new service means a full-bore challenge to Apple's iTunes service -- currently the most powerful player in paid video streaming -- and a welcome new revenue stream for Hollywood as home entertainment revenues continue their steep decline," TheWrap writes. "With the premium movie-on-demand service, film lovers will …