It has probably been hard to miss today, but pop music super star Lady Gaga has launched a social media site Little Monsters, named in honor of her moniker for her fans. As noted in various accounts, startup Backplane - which built the site - is the brainchild of Lady Gaga's Manager Troy Carter. Not surprisingly, this is its first attempt to fulfill the grandiose mission to, unite people around interests, affinities and movements.

There is an old saying, first come, first served. In the world of intellectual property law, this happens to be a multi-billion dollar issue. The good news is that eight ordinary citizens in the east Texas town of Tyler today scored one for the home team when it comes to who had first rights on creating the interactive web.

Indonesians are avid tweeters, but the Indonesian minister has declared that tweet will now be censored for deviant content. Pornography, gambling, threats, fraud and blasphemy - all of these are crimes in Indonesia, and the Minister of Communications and Information, Tifatul Sembiering, has warned citizens that they will be prosecuted for these crimes and all efforts to hide behind anonymous Twitter accounts are in vain.

My obsession with Valentine's Day began in the wee years of elementary school, when I realized that chocolate candy and a hearts-adorned card could finally help me profess my irrefutable love to my first-grade crush. Sadly, I don't think my beloved caught on to my romantic gesture, but in the years leading up to what will be my 27th Valentine's Day next week, I never neglected to get in the holiday spirit. From sending out cutesy cards to all my closest friends to perusing chocolate stores I normally wouldn't enter, Valentine's Day has always been my excuse to celebrate how much I simply adore the idea of love.

Recently, I detailed how Google IS the tech news of the day and folks, this search leader is ambitious - more so than Microsoft ever was. In addition to a Dropbox killer and massive Google+ growth that I outlined in this recent post, the company is also getting into the home entertainment business through its Motorola Mobility acquisition. Specifically, Google will release a self-branded line of consumer electronics allowing you to stream music throughout your home.

Many have described Steve Jobs as a visionary who was highly demanding of employees during his reign at Apple. But some details on Steve Jobs' personal life have come out this week following the release of FBI files.

LinkedIn stock increased this week after the company reported increased revenue and net income for the fourth quarter. Shares of the company jumped 11 percent to $84.54 as of 9:38 a.m. on Friday, according to news reports.

In a move that could have been predicted, would-be free broadband provider FreedomPop, which originally had wanted to build its network using LightSquared facilities, now says it is talking to alternate suppliers. This is, at the very least, an indication that FreedomPop thinks LightSquared will not launch, or at any rate will not launch in time to help FreedomPop.

Blogging; what a wonderful world we are in now with the ability to get on the soapbox of our choice and speak about the driving forces behind our passion. I truly enjoy it, and from the vast number of available entries to read on the Web it is apparent that many others do as well. In fact, most individuals or companies first websites are actually blog type sites since there are so many helpful avenues available that require minimal effort to get started.

It's 2012 and one of my main goals is to increase the awareness and resurge the vitality of interacting with people by connecting, collaborating and communicating using conversations. Social media continues to bring new and innovative ways to empower us to bring this possibility even closer to reality but the challenge of maintaining these relationships becomes the real test.

Hasbro Inc., the iconic American toy company, and social game company Zynga Inc. announced they would be joining forces to develop toys and games based on the companies' most popular products.

A recent survey asked U.S. adults who use social networking sites 'how many of their interactions were positive.' The result: Most people are kind on social media. The survey showed that the overall social and emotional climate of social networking sites (SNS) is a very positive one where adult users get personal rewards and satisfactions at far higher levels than when they encounter anti-social people or have negative consequences of encounters.

Facebook and U.K.-based company Bango just signed a deal that Bango says will allow them to provide payment services to Facebook. While neither company is talking about the specifics of the deal, analysts speculate that mobile payments may be coming to Facebook.

Several Minnesota contract manufacturers have been approved to be included in the MFG.com marketplace.

When it comes to corporate mobility management, optimizing expenses is easily a full-time job, especially as wireless costs are growing at a rate of 30 percent or more each year. Although advances in mobile technology have freed professionals to work beyond physical office boundaries, it is a newfound freedom that comes with a cost.

On the heels of its U.S. launch at Macworld this week, cloud desktop company Nivio has secured $21 million in financing.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is accepting audition clips from instrumentalists via YouTube in an effort to find a soloist for performances on November 30 and December 2, 2012. Best of all, audience members will have a say in who gets to perform a solo alongside the orchestra.

According to a recent study completed by Transparency Market Research, tablet and smartphone sales skyrocketed in the last year and will continue to grow quickly as experts expect tablet and smartphone sales to jump to 248.6 million and 1,048 million units respectively, by 2015.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Trade Commission to stop Google's planned privacy changes, according to recent news reports.

Although the popular online coupon site Groupon beat earnings expectations, the company lost money in the 4th quarter of 2011, apparently due to a tax expense, causing its stock to fall.

The ever-increasing demand for faster Internet service is expected to drive global fixed broadband revenue to $191 billion in 2012, according to a new report from ABI Research. On the current pace, global broadband revenue may exceed $217 billion by 2016.

As the controversy currently swirls around Apple, as some are alleging that the company is abusing its workers employed in China supplier factories, Change.org and SumofUs.org are teaming up today to drop off a special gift to the company-250,000 petition signatures from concerned individuals about the reported abuse. According to a press release, today at 10:00 a.m. PT, consumers will be hand delivering the signatures to an Apple store located on 1 Stockton Street in San Francisco, Calif.

It's no secret that the bring-your-own-device trend is creating significant new challenges for enterprises. As a result, everybody and their brother seem to be hawking solutions to help business customers manage the untamed wireless beast. To better appeal to mid-to-large enterprises looking for holistic solutions in this new BYOD world, Symphony Services today announced it is buying Teleca. The value of the deal, which involves two privately owned businesses, was not disclosed.

Frost & Sullivan's recent survey, entitled 2011 EU CXOs' Choice: Mobile Devices, reports that reliability and product quality are the most important features for mobile communications, while Apple is the best brand in Europe. The survey measured preferences regarding mobile communications such as laptop/notebooks, tablet computers, e-readers, and smartphones among C-level executives across various industries in Europe. The study found the importance of products and service features, usage rates, and satisfaction with brands as well as the intention to own brands.

The companies plan to create a comprehensive cloud offering for companies to manage their human resource operations and employee careers, according to a company statement released Feb. 9.

While many dating sites claim to use science to match up potential suitors, a team of psychologists disputes their claims.

In an effort to remain competitive in the smartphone sector, Nokia is letting go some 4,000 workers and scaling back at three factories as part of a money-saving effort. The struggling company will move phone manufacturing to Asia, according to news reports.

Right around this time of the month, most girls - like me - start daydreaming about candlelight dinners, beautiful roses, chocolate hearts and sweet cards that typically go along with Valentine's Day. However, have you ever thought about possible scams that could turn this romantic day into a nightmare? According to ESET researchers in Latin America, cyber criminals are targeting hopeless romantics in order to penetrate their computers and implant malicious codes.

In the Internet world, Google is undoubtedly the major giant, but in the field of social services, Google has failed to grab the social networking market until the recent creation of Google+. Facebook is the forerunner in the field of social networking with more than 750 million active users. Now Google has launched Google+ to compete with Facebook and the race for best social networking has begun.

Airvana Network Solutions has sued Ericsson for over $330 million for allegedly violating its trade secrets and trying to force it out of business, according to news reports.

It's not too often that you hear a service you are using is actually going to cost less than when you first signed up.

Pinterest has become the fastest growing website ever, scoring almost 12 million unique monthly visitors in January. This number was up from 7.5 million in December and from under half a million last May. While users spend only 90 minutes per month on Pinterest, as opposed to seven hours on Facebook, the growth of the startup is still phenomenal.

I am in the middle of the must-read Walter Isaacson biography of the late Steve Jobs. Hence, my radar is finely tuned for all things Apple. Three items this week literally jumped out of my browser (Chrome, BTW), while seemingly unrelated do say a lot about the nature of things:

Verizon Wireless has been promoting some of their most popular apps by offering them in a bundle for customers. For a limited time, customers who sign up for the Smartphone App Pack will be able to subscribe to Mobile Premium, Verizon Video, VZ Navigator, Visual Voicemail, Usage Controls, and Ringback Tones for about $12.99 per month. If customers already have one of the applications, Verizon is offering to complete the bundle with any missing apps for little to no additional cost.

Remember that Tiffany silver heart pendant necklace you got from your ex boo two Valentine's Days ago? Or what about that gift certificate you got last year from your ex-girlfriend for a couples' massage but you never got the chance to use it because she dumped you a few days after that highly anticipated Feb. 14 date?

Yahoo Chairman Roy Bostock is stepping down in response to continued shareholder frustration with his performance, as Yahoo's fortunes have slipped in comparison to those of Google. Many top analysts agreed with the move. It was time for him to leave the scene, said Sameet Sinha, a B.Riley & Co. analyst.

Skype, founded in 2006, is the global online video tool that has forever changed how we communicate with each other. The videoconferencing program has many uses, including artistic inspiration. Some artists have even found Skype to be a creative outlet.

TMC Announces Call-for-Presentations for ITEXPO West Scheduled for October 1-4, 2012 in Austin, Texas

As a mom to a seven month old, there is nothing more frustrating than trying to figure out how to entertain a human whose attention span is that of a goldfish and whose play skills are limited to what's on the floor and what is safe to go in the mouth. Of course, I love technology, so I tend to turn to my devices to help me entertain my kid once in a while.

U.K.-based telecom company O2 has reportedly eliminated Wi-Fi provider The Cloud from its list of Wi-Fi hotspot aggregators it gives its mobile customers free access to.

According to an AP report earlier this week, Univision and Disney are looking into a partnership that would create a 24-hour news channel for Latinos in English. According to two sources, the talks are in preliminary stages and they were not authorized to discuss anything more. Some skeptics have asked if there is a need or room in the crowded television news market for a new English speaking news channel directed at Latinos. According to University of Southern California, Professor of Journalism and Public Policy, Roberto Suro, there is.

I wish to confess. As those of you who regularly read my submissions know, while I have broad interests, I happen to be more than a bit of a policy wonk. You may think I need to get a life, but I actually have bookmarked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) home page. Further, while I find press releases interesting for breaking news, it is the blogs where the true nuggets of interest tend to lie. Today's quick of the official FCC blog is case in point.

HTC has acknowledged that a security flaw exists in a variety of Android handsets that leaves users' Wi-Fi credentials available to any interested hacker.

The increased use of outsourcing, along with mass adoption of the at-home workforce model, has had a profound effect on how security is conducted in today''s contact centers. Sophisticated security solutions are necessary to prevent unauthorized information access and ensure the confidentiality and integrity of all communications. For cloud-based virtual call centers, this means addressing both the network infrastructure and the virtual, home-based employee agents, including their home office work environment. Implementing the following industry best practices for security will reduce risk for organizations seeking to take advantage of the cost-saving and other advantages of utilizing an at-home workforce.

Last year, a group of researchers from Belgium and the Netherlands used a printer in an unheard of way, creating and implanting a 3D-printed lower jaw in the mouth of an 83-year-old woman, according to a story by Jeff Hughes at yahoo.com.

Two Canadian companies, Rogers Communications and BCE, may become partners for Apple iTV, which could be offered sometime later this year.

What a world we live in today. Over 20 million people work in a virtual environment, whether it be from home or on the road. That number grows by two percent a year, and yet while 42 percent of U.S. employers allow their staff to work remotely, they still hold a brick-n-mortar mentality when it comes to efficiency and productivity. But why?

If you are a telephone equipment dealer, wouldn't it be great if you had a list of businesses that were about to relocate and need new phone systems so that you could reach them to tell them about your services before they consulted the Yellow Pages?

In competitive markets, high prices are simply inducements for new competitors to enter the market. So it is that Iliad, which operates under the brand name Free, is challenging other wireless service providers in France on price.

Mark Zuckerberg, one of the founders of Facebook and its current CEO, will become a billionaire thanks to Facebook's upcoming IPO. At the same time, the IRS and the state of California will benefit, too-to the tune of about $2 billion.