That’s one of the implications of a report out Monday by Internet research company Hitwise, which found that Facebook passed Google as the most visited Web site in the U.S. last week. Facebook just squeaked by the search giant, as visits to the social-networking site made up 7.07% of all Web visits compared with 7.03% for Google. But that was enough to knock Google out of the top spot for the first time since the week ending Sept. 15, 2007.

One reason for Facebook’s success is features that make it easy to share information and online content with friends, says Matt Tatham, director of media relations at Hitwise. Google, of course makes it easy to find information on sites that you’ve never heard of and would never think to seek out on your own.

Given how close the numbers are, it’s possible that the two companies could go back in forth for the honor of most visited site, says Mr. Tatham. Current trends favor Facebook, however: Its share of total visits increased 185% from the same week last year, compared with 9% growth for Google.

Of course, cultural trendiness may be what decides this race in the long run. The company that Google unseated in 2007: MySpace.

Authored By Ben Worthen on Febuary 11, 2010 – 9:15am. MARCH 15, 2010, 9:17 PM ET
Permalink at: http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2010/03/15/facebook-tops-google-as-most-visited-site-in-the-us/tab/article/.

This is the manifesto video for New Orleans Will Save Us. Footage is ripped.

Team: Sarah Daily, Melissa Cabral, Kendall Beveridge, Jacob Abernathy, Alyssa Collis and Brad Getty.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski hailed the project, saying that it would “provide an American testbed for the next generation of innovative, high-speed Internet apps, devices and services.”

As a first step, Google has begun soliciting information from local governments and private citizens in a bid to gauge interest.

The company said that it plans to operate an open-access network giving users a choice of multiple service providers.

The goal of the project, Google said, is to “experiment and learn.”

“Network providers are making real progress to expand and improve high-speed Internet access, but there’s still more to be done,” the company wrote on its blog.

“We don’t think we have all the answers — but through our trial, we hope to make a meaningful contribution to the shared goal of delivering faster and better Internet for everyone.”

Authored by Mark Heffinger on Febuary 11, 2010 – 9:15am.

The device will be available with 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of Flash-based storage. For connectivity, it features free AT&T (NYSE: T) Wi-Fi hotspots, Bluetooth and AT&T 3G service, costing $15 for up to 250MB of data per month, to $29 per month for unlimited data.

Pricing for the iPad will depend on amount of memory and whether the version supports 3G; a 16GB version without 3G costs $500, while the 3G version will sell for $630.

Apple said the iPad offers 10 hours of battery life, with over a month of standby life.

On the software front, the iPad will ship with a built-in calendar, address book, Maps application, and iTunes Store.

On stage at the event, Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs said the App Store now counts 140,000 applications, which have been downloaded 3 billion times.

For the iPad, users can access applications as they would appear on the iPhone, or in automated “pixel-doubled” version that makes the apps run “full screen.” The company also said developers will be able to modify their applications to take advantage of the iPad’s larger display.

Jobs showed off the how the device’s size allows it to more properly display newspaper websites, including Time.com and NYTimes.com, and was joined on stage by Martin Nisenholtz, senior vice president of digital operations for The New York Times Company.

A new iBooks application for the iPad will let users download e-books directly from the iTunes Store in the EPUB format. Apple touted support from publishers including Penguin, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan and Hachette.

Several of the bloggers covering the event reiterated a potential concern with regard to watching long-form video on a tablet computer: that a user would have to prop the device up on her lap, or else peer down at it resting on a flat surface — with the alternative being to hold it at an angle for two-plus hours during a movie.

A dock accessory announced appears to serve as a prop for the device; Apple will also a physical keyboard accessory for the iPad, that doubles as a battery charger.

Models without 3G will ship in 60 days, while the 3G models will ship in 90; while pre-orders are not yet available, the company is offering an email notification service.
Authored by Mark Heffinger on January 27, 2010 – 8:15am.