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Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines....

• Perhaps still despondent over the Courier execution, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has reportedly acknowledged that Apple has "sold certainly more [iPads] than I'd like them to have sold." [From: Engadget]
• Kanye West embarked on an extensive Twitter ramble this week (containing awesomely convoluted references to Kool Aid smiles, goblets, fabricated numbers, J. Press ties and classical compositions), and his prose even rivals the inspirational mutterings of Courtney Love. [From: The Awl]
• Despite Facebook's staggering membership of half a billion people, the site reportedly won't issue an initial public offering until 2012. [From: The Huffington Post]
• Sprint has announced that Froyo will officially land on the Evo 4G Tuesday, although the carrier is allowing early downloads. [From: Engadget]
• At least one nation has cleared Google in the global Street View scandal, as Great Britain reportedly dismissed the data collection because no "meaningful personal details" were disclosed. [From: The Los Angeles Times]
• An employee of an Internet security firm decided to publish the public information of 100 million Facebook members, saying his list provides a "nice format for statistical analysis." While those folks probably should have adjusted their privacy settings, they probably don't consider his actions very "nice." [From: FOX News]

Microsoft and Blue Line Innovations have teamed up to bring another eco-conscious gadget to the marketplace, aiming to help consumers conserve energy and money. The Hohm PowerCost Monitor and WiFi Gateway is being sold for $249, and connects with Microsoft's Hohm service. Hohm tracks energy usage throughout your home, and converts that raw data into real-life dollars and cents. The combined Wi-Fi gateway and power meter provide real-time updates about your power consumption, and display them on an easily deciphered graph, helping you to easily identify power hogs and to estimate the cost of running in-home tech.

This isn't quite the smart grid we've been dreaming of, but a Web-connected power meter could certainly raise consumer awareness about consumption, trimming off a few bucks on electricity in the meantime. The competition is rough, however, from the likes of of Internet powerhouses like Google and even power tool makers like Black & Decker. Microsoft and Blue Line will need to offer something unique, not only to dominate this emerging energy-conscious market, but also just to prevent the PowerCost monitor from becoming another forgotten (and expensive) gadget rotting in a basement. [From: Microsoft, via: CrunchGear]

Microsoft researchers may be looking for a way to best Google Street View, and, we admit, its Street Slide project comes close. Google and Bing utilize what are known as "bubbles," discrete units of perspective that allow you to virtually explore a 360-degree view for a given chunk of space. But, as most seasoned Street View users know, you must click through each "bubble" to advance your perspective in one way or another.

Microsoft's Street Slide combines panoramic views of streets with the 360-degree capabilities of Street View, allowing you to see whole (and even multiple) city blocks at a time. The downside is that you get a very thin panoramic slice when you zoom out too far, for which the researchers have tried to compensate by adding business logos, street numbers and directional information. A pretty interesting development to be sure, but, unless you're a Thomas Pynchon fan or an astronomer, all the talk of parallaxes may put you to sleep. We suggest that non-nerds only listen to the snooze-worthy narration if you're interested in "efficient browsing of building façades." Check out the demo of the project, which is still in the early development phase, after the break. [From: Microsoft]

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Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines....

• Verizon may kill its unlimited data plan within the next few weeks, reportedly because of abusive "bandwidth hogs." Coupled with Ma Bell's similar move, the closure apparently represents the demise of a fleeting, two-year trend. [From: The Huffington Post and Engadget]
• The Microsoft and Apple role-reversal continues, as an increasingly cool Microsoft reportedly plans to bestow its 90,000 employees with complimentary Window Phone 7 devices. [From: Engadget]
• In what could be a significant victory for free speech (and blogging), Web host Burst.net may reinstate the Blogetery service and its 70,000 users. Earlier this month, Burst suddenly and universally eliminated the platform after the FBI accused Blogetery of hosting terrorist information and activity. [From: CNET]
• Skype has officially completed an apparently impressive iOS 4 upgrade, and -- although video chat remains unavailable -- there will not be an extra charge for calls over 3G. [From: Engadget]
• The International Computer Science Institute recently discovered a frightening geotagging, social network security issue. The Institute's researchers actually circumvented privacy controls to glean specific geographic information, including addresses, from user photos and videos hosted on sites like YouTube and Craigslist. [From: PSFK]

Kolkata may be the land of elaborate Durga Pujas, cinematic legend Satyajit Ray and coronary-inducing kati rolls, but the Eastern Indian metropolis is also the land of a virulent phone scam that's been quietly making its way around the world for the past two years.

As the Guardian reports, a group of scam artists based out of the former Indian capital have been calling random households, and posing as Microsoft technicians. The callers typically claim that they've detected a major problem with their victims' PC and say that if the issue isn't remedied, the computer will be rendered unusable. With a heavy Indian accent, the scammers then direct their targets to their computers, where they ask them to open 'Windows Event Viewer,' which displays a long list of technical jargon that, to the layperson, might look worrisome. The "technicians" instruct users how to fix the non-existent problem by directing them to a website and asking them to install "preventative" software (which, of course, costs £185, or about $283). If the user falls for it and installs the malware then, he or she instantly gives the scammers complete access to data on the computer.

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On the Official Google Blog today, the search giant announced that Google Images is getting a makeover. The revamped look, which features larger images and less white space, might appear oddly familiar to some users. We couldn't help but notice that some of these new design features -- like thumbnails that pop-out and reveal hidden text when you hover over them -- are similar to those found on Microsoft's Bing search engine. Of course, don't expect Google to fess up to "borrowing" any ideas from its chief rival. Google claims this more attractive interface is meant "to match the scope and beauty of this fast-growing visual web," not to compete aesthetically with Bing.

Where previous versions forced you to waste precious time searching for an original photo while hunting for kitty pics to overlay with funny text, the revamped version brings your desired image front and center on the screen. Google thankfully dropped the old pagination method, so you'll be able to blast through thousands of images by simply tapping the space bar (or page up and down buttons) over and over. [From: Google]

Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines....

• In what promises to be a highly entertaining (if not uncomfortable) bit of programming, the frequently awkward Mark Zuckerberg will guide Diane Sawyer through Facebook headquarters during an exclusive ABC World News interview tomorrow night. [From: ABC News]
• China and Google have reportedly reached a detente in their contentious censorship battle, as China plans to officially express its satisfaction with Google's recent "compromise" proposal. [From: Engadget]
• The lengthy list of iPhone 4 issues has apparently inspired a downward spike in Apple shares, allowing Microsoft to surge past Jobs & Co. in terms of market worth for the first time since May. [From: The Next Web]
• The U.S. continues to investigate a national broadband plan, but -- according to the FCC -- too many people remain without access because implementation is reportedly not progressing "in a reasonable and timely fashion." [From: Yahoo!]
• Defense contractor Raytheon Company successfully demonstrated the devastating effects of its anti-aircraft Laser Close-In Weapons System this week, and the BBC is providing video of the awesome, incendiary laser action. [From: Neatorama]

Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines....

• Foursquare (whose relative anonymity may soon end) is reportedly engaged in discussions with Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft about implementing a real-time, Twitter-esque service that would generate trending "venues" in search results. [From: The Telegraph]
• Microsoft is silently and unceremoniously dispatching its enormous Kin surplus to an unknown resting place, a fitting end for the rejected and jeered gadget. [From: WM Experts]
• While rummaging through source code for the Droid Does website, a scavenging geek may have unearthed the first official Droid 2 snapshots, and the purported gadget definitely sports a sleek and smooth exterior. [From: Engadget]
• Prosecutors in the iPhone raid case have struck a deal to remove the search warrant executed on Gizmodo's Jason Chen (and to return his confiscated computer) -- as long as Chen willingly and satisfactorily surrenders all pertinent information. [From: Wired]
• Another ill-fated and "doomed" smartphone is officially meeting its premature demise, as Google has announced that -- once the remaining inventory is gone -- the company will halt the U.S. online sale of its Nexus One devices. [From: Engadget]

In a compelling article (PDF) titled 'White Flight in Networked Publics -- How Race and Class Shaped American Teen Engagement with MySpace and Facebook,' Microsoft researcher Danah Boyd argues that race and social class were significant factors in the 2006 teenage exodus from MySpace to Facebook. As Technology Review reports, the author uses statistical and anecdotal evidence to persuasively argue that white and Asian teens from higher socio-economic backgrounds were more likely to flock to Facebook in 2006, when the social network was still restricted to colleges and universities. Their black, latino and working-class counterparts, on the other hand, tended to stick with MySpace, which Boyd dubs the "digital ghetto."

Perhaps the most fascinating part of Boyd's article, though, is her take on the role that mainstream media played in perpetuating the real or perceived myth of a MySpace exodus. In 2009, for example, the New York Times ran a piece titled 'Do You Know Anyone Still On MySpace?' despite the fact that, at the time, both Facebook and MySpace had about the same number of members. "The New York Times staff was on Facebook and assumed their readers were too," she claims. The author goes on to cite a few user comments on the Times article that dovetail perfectly with her argument. "My impression is that MySpace is for the riffraff and Facebook is for the landed gentry," writes one reader. "Compared to Facebook, MySpace just seems like the other side of the tracks -- I'll go there for fun, but I wouldn't want to live there," opines another.

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Microsoft and NASA have teamed up to bring you and your humble desktop PC some of the highest-resolution images of Mars currently available. Using a combination of satellite imagery and elevation models, Microsoft's WorldWide Telescope project has created an impressively detailed 3-D map of the surface of the Red Planet. The interactive tour, which simulates flying through Martian canyons and provides extreme surface detail (provided by the Mars rovers), took three years and over 100 computers to process and assemble. Its information has been stitched together from several different sources, including Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA), the 40-year-old Viking probes and the still-flying Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Those who wish to explore the Martian surface can download the free desktop client (Windows only, of course) or use the Silverlight-powered Web-based version. We had some issues with the Web client on our Linux and Mac machines, so you non-Microsoft fans might be a little disappointed. Still, it's worth checking out if you have even a passing curiosity about our sister planet. [From: NASA, via: Popular Sciencei]

Americans are understandably captivated by the Russian spy scandal that has rocked the already strained post Cold War relations between Washington and the Kremlin. The first ten spies have already been sent back to the motherland in a prisoner swap and the eleventh is still at large, having disappeared from the island nation of Cyprus. But a twelfth spy has been discovered working at the Redmond, WA headquarters of Microsoft and has been sent packing on an immigration violation.

Alexey Karetnikov worked as a software engineer, primarily focusing on bug testing for Microsoft products. Karentnikov was likely expected not only to gather political and security information, but also engage in industrial espionage, stealing intellectual property from Microsoft and identifying potential flaws in its products that could be exploited for nefarious purposes. However, it's believed that the twelfth spy had only just begun operations and no sensitive information had been gathered. Rather than engage in the long and arduous process of arresting and trying Karetnikov as a foreign spy, the government deported the 20-something-year-old on a technicality regarding his immigration status. If you're so inclined, you can check out the now former U.S. resident's Facbeook page, though you'll find most information is kept private. [From: Washington Post and Guardian, via: Mashable]

It may seem like a trivial choice to some, but picking out the perfect wedding ring is actually a pretty major decision. This is the piece of jewelry, after all, that your future spouse will be wearing (in theory) til death do you part, so it probably shouldn't look like a Ring Pop. Even more importantly, this ring could one day serve as an immediate deterrent to any bar flies or hussies trying to grab a slice of the love of your life. So what's the best way to mark your marital territory and fend off the hounds? With an über geeky wedding ring, of course.

Instead of going the traditional route and buying just another soporific wedding band, one future bride decided to go the extra mile, and ordered a ring custom designed to look like a USB key. Her fiancé happened to be Microsoft Game Studios Software Development Engineer Ray Arifianto (read: "Geekzilla"). Though not much of a gamer or techie herself, as Kotaku reports, she has absolutely no problem with wearing a USB key around her finger for all of eternity. Engraved on the inside of the ring is the phrase, "For a lifetime of memories." Though, by judging from the size of the ring, we're guessing that by "lifetime," the future Mrs. Arifianto means "128 GB." [From: Kotaku, via: Mashable]

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Windows XP refuses to die. Nine years after the OS first landed on the scene, an approximate 74-percent of business users are still saddled with it. To make matters worse, the average age of the PC running the outdated software is 4.4-years old, which means a vast majority of users are running already outdated software on hardware that is quickly approaching obsolescence, itself.

Windows 7 is selling faster than any version of Windows before it, but those numbers appear not to be driven by businesses. Instead, large companies have shied away from upgrading, potentially scared off by the costs of buying new hardware or training IT workers. Rather than pushing customers to embrace the new, Microsoft continues to placate the reluctant masses, offering a downgrade option for businesses who buy new PCs loaded with Windows 7. The downgrade will continue to be supported until the next version of Windows drops. That means that some companies could, conceivably, punish employees by sticking them with a 20-year-old operating system, since the Professional edition is currently scheduled to terminate in January of 2020.

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In February, Microsoft announced that its Outlook Social Connect plug-in would be integrating the world's most popular social networks into the office standard e-mail client. When it launched in February, only LinkedIn was compatible with the tool, but today Microsoft has released its Facebook add-on, which will identify the people listed in your Outlook contacts, and compile their info from Facebook.

Now, when a Facebook account is found via an e-mail address, the program will automatically cull the user's photo, status updates, Wall posts and other information from their news feed. For now, though, it's a one-way street. Users cannot update their Facebook status from Outlook, send messages, "like" anything or comment on content. The only actual direct interaction with the service is the ability to send friend requests to new contacts. Microsoft is offering the plug-in for Outlook 2010, 2007 and 2003, shocking most of us who thought this would be a 2010-only offering.

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Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines....

• Last month, Forbes estimated that Microsoft's Xbox Live marketplace earns the company $1 billion a year, and that has now been echoed by Bloomberg. The $1 billion is thanks to the 12.5 million members who drop $50 on annual subscription fees, just so they can pay still more for various virtual goods like costumes and character attributes. [From: Engadget]
• When Microsoft killed its short-lived Kin social networking phones, a certain reviewer exclaimed "good riddance" to the "sissy," useless mobiles. An unnamed Microsoft employee has reportedly echoed those sentiments, saying he was "embarrassed" by Microsoft's "HUGE fail." Even more damaging to the company, another unnamed insider attested that consumers only purchased a humiliatingly paltry total of 503 units. [From: Daring Fireball]
• According to Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto, the Nintendo Mii avatars may soon leave the comfortable confines of their Wii homes to explore new Nintendo territories, including the 3DS. [From: Engadget]
• Despite the obvious dangers inherent to texting while driving and other forms of vehicular cell distractions, a Washington lobbyist group recently formed the Drive Coalition. The Coalition apparently hoped to deflect attention from cellular distractions, and instead focus on activities like eating, but the group has already been dissolved. In typical lobbyist fashion, group spokesman Babak Zafarnia claimed the Coalition was no longer needed, because "the concept has met its goal of expanding dialogue on distracted driving." Even if that dialogue consisted of: "What an incredibly stupid idea?" [From: The New York Times]
• Ford consistently investigates methods of maintaining technological relevance, particularly with its revolutionary Sync program. The company now aims to combat the deadly texting while driving epidemic with a new in-car translation system. The Message Access Profile feature, which Ford is developing with RIM, will first arrive on Blackberry devices, and would conceivably vocalize incoming text messages. Ford's latest Sync upgrades, with MyFord Touch, should appear with 2011 models. [From: Mashable]