Google, Yahoo, Mocrosoft Hit for Gambling Ads

All three of these company have agreed to pay a combined $31.5 million to settle federal civil allegations they took ads for illegal gambling, according to the U.S. Attorney for eastern Missouri. They also agreed to stop accepting ads for sports wagering and other online gambling. The investigation conducted by U. S. Attorney Catherine Hanaway's office, along with the Internal Revenue Service and the FBI, dates to 2000. Negotiations have been going on for 12 to 18 months. All three companies said they stopped taking the ads years ago.

Google Pushes Into Mobile Phones

Google has unveiled software it hopes will power a variety of future mobile phones and boost the web on the move. The software could lead to cheaper phones as it is designed to speed up the process of making mobile services. The firm is working with four mobile manufacturers, Samsung, HTC, Motorola and LG, but a Google branded phone was not announced.