Wonder what it's like for a third grader to launch a Web browser, type in www.google.com, hit return and see her art project on the top search engine's home page. It probably doesn't get much better than that. Makenzie Melton, a third grader at El Dorado Springs R-2 Schools in El Dorado Springs, MI, won for her design, entitled "Rainforest Habitat." Millions of online votes helped to decide the Doodle 4 Google competition. In the drawing, she expressed her concern about the rainforest. Makenzie's design triumphed more than 33,000 student submissions from across the country.

ABI Research estimates smartphones and connected computing devices will become the primary drivers of data traffic during the next five years, generating more than 87% of total mobile network data traffic for U.S. operators by 2014. The stat is based on a report on U.S. mobile operator network traffic that also suggests connected computing device traffic will grow by 90% through 2014. Apple's iPhone and similar devices such as the Samsung Omnia and Motorola Droid will lead the traffic. These devices invite more customer interactivity, which can lead to extremely high data traffic consumption. Computing devices include laptops, netbooks, …

Not everything can be a cable niche network: Scratch one of just reality shows and now a channel for just soap operas. Disney/ABC Television Group is ending its ten-year old SOAPnet channel's run – which has a sizable 75 million cable subscribers. In its place Disney Junior, which expands the television programming pre-school block, Playhouse Disney that runs on The Disney Channel. Disney Junior will target kids 2-7, launching next year, and will compete head on with another “junior” – Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. pre-school network. Some months ago Nickelodeon rebranded some of its channels, including Noggin, which became …

Four large Web companies -- Yahoo, Facebook, eBay and IAC/Interactive -- are backing Google's YouTube in the copyright infringement lawsuit filed against the service by Viacom. In a friend-of-the-court brief filed Wednesday, the Web companies argue that YouTube is entitled to the safe harbor provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which generally immunize online companies from liability when users upload material that infringes copyright. Viacom sued YouTube in federal district court in New York in 2007, alleging that the site shoud be held responsible for infringing clips uploaded by users. Both sides recently asked for summary judgment. …

On June 4, National Donut Day, each customer who buys a beverage at any Dunkin’ Donuts nationwide will be offered a free donut (offer limited to one per customer). In addition, Dunkin’ will mark the day by announcing the winner of its second annual “Create Dunkin’s Next Donut” contest. A dozen finalists (chosen from among nearly 90,000 online entrants) recently participated in a bake-off competition at Dunkin’ Donuts University (in Braintree, Mass.). The winner chosen from among these finalists will receive a $12,000 grand prize, and his/her winning donut creation will be sold in participating Dunkin’ locations …

Amazon leapt three percentage points to tie Walmart for second place in online music sales last quarter, reports NPD Group, with market leader iTunes strengthening its dominant share. Overall, digital tracks and albums accounted for 40% of the overall music market share in the first quarter, a gain of 5 percentage points from last year’s first quarter. Some 28% of all music purchased online in the U.S. was through iTunes, up four percentage points; with Amazon gaining three points to tie Walmart at 12%.

Now that it has reached an agreement with Sears to sell Craftsman tools, Ace Hardware is pushing the selection of hand and power tools for the DIY Dad. Among the promotional items now on sale at Ace are the Craftsman NEXTEC 12-Volt Lithium-Ion Hammerhead Auto Hammer, the Craftsman Dog Bone 8-in-1 Wrench; the Craftsman 12-Volt NEXTEC Multi-Tool, and Craftsman 104-piece Mechanics Tool Set. Under its agreement with Sears, the Oakbrook, Ill.-based Ace says more Craftsman tools will be available later this summer. Earlier this year, Sears also announced a deal between Craftsman and Major …

Wyndham Worldwide is sponsoring the Wyndham Green Paddle 2010, featuring athlete Tom Jones and his quest to raise public awareness about the risks to the environment and the world’s oceans from improper and excessive use of plastic. From May 16 to Aug. 12, Jones is attempting to create a new world record by paddling from Key West, Fla., to New York City on a stand-up paddleboard. The hotel chain has launched a new program, Wyndham Green, that focuses on social responsibility and the environment as a part of the company's overall green strategy. Wyndham Green has partnered with Jones …

In an interesting experiment Read Write Web is liveblogging the Facebook privacy press conference using Google Wave. RWW might risk mixing its metaphors so the speak, but has the added value of opening the entire Wave up for comments, annotation and conversation when the conference is over. And of course people who can't access Wave are shut out.

First it was Jesus. Then the Runaway Bride. Now something bigger than either of them may appear on toast: Lebron James. Yes, the wizards at the NBA (the front office not the team formerly known as the Bullets) have indeed come up with the ideal target market for their product. And it's, er, people who eat. "A lot of people watching NBA games on TV tend to eat," says Sal LaRocca, head of global merchandising for the NBA told LA Weekly. He must have graduated at the top of his class. In addition to licensing toasters …