Google explained Eric Schmidt's $100 million stock and options bonus in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Google will grant the award Feb. 5, 2014, and will vest over a four-year period beginning in May 2015. The exact number will be calculated by dividing the $100 million grant value by the closing price of Google's Class A common stock on Feb. 4, 2014, and rounding up to the nearest whole share.

Microsoft said Bill Gates, founder, will step down as chairman and become technology advisor. He will devote more time to the company and support the new CEO, Satya Nadella, in shaping technology and product direction. The Telegraph takes a look at Gate's legacy, all the way back to Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems.

Microsoft named Satya Nadella CEO Tuesday. The new CEO, who was born in India and joined Microsoft in 1992, will be tasked with completing Steve Ballmer's strategy changes that began last year -- including the integration of the $7.2 billion Nokia Oyj handset unit and turning Microsoft into a provider of services and hardware, per the L.A. Times.

The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission said Google must move its barge because it didn't obtain the proper permits. The Associated Press reports that the Treasure Island Development Authority, which leased the space to Google for the construction, could also face fines. AP reports that Google continues to review the letter from Larry Goldzband, executive director of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, outlining the commission's concerns about the project.

Search marketers looking to gain the attention of smartphone users should know the types of phones they use. Some 156 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones during the three months ending December, up 3.2% since the prior quarter. Apple ranked No. 1, with 41.8% of U.S. smartphone subscribers' market share -- up 1.2 percentage points from September, per comScore. Samsung ranked No. 2 with 26.1% market share.  

Looking for a little romance? Amazon compiled a list of the most romantic cities based on searches and purchases for love-related topics and products from its Web portal. The cities were determined by compiling sales data of romance novels and relationship books, romantic comedy movies, and a collection of romantic music, including Dean Martin, Barry White, Luther Vandross, Maxwell and Miguel. The stats also combine the sales of sexual wellness products among cities with more than 100,000 residents.

Google has released several "mini" games for Glass that allow the wearer to visually see the game in front of their eyes and interact via voice or with a wave of their hand. The games available to download and play range from Balance or Clay Shooter, to Matcher or Shape Splitter. The games, similar to some of the earliest video games like Pong or Donkey Kong, are activated through a voice menu.

Worldwide business-to-consumer (B2C) ecommerce sales will rise 20.1% to reach $1.500 trillion in 2014, per eMarketer. The analysis firm attributed growth primarily to online and mobile users in emerging markets across Asia-Pacific, where consumers have welcomed mcommerce with open arms, advancing shipping and payment options, and the entrance of major brands into their market.

Marketers that are building links today may want to consider it as part of a direct traffic acquisition strategy, rather than to boost rankings. Duane Forrester explains that once upon a time, link building counted, providing a way for search marketers to gain rank in search engine queries. This is no longer the case. Forrester lists the types of links to use, when to use them, and those that have become a waste of time, energy and resources as technology and search algorithms change.