Microsoft is preparing to shut down Encarta, the digital encyclopedia it first launched in 1993 as a direct competitor to old reference standbys like Encyclopedia Britannica. The encyclopedia, which for years was based on optical media and eventually made its way to the web too, grew quickly in the mid to late 90’s as a reference guide that was more convenient than book-based encyclopedias and was available for a tiny fraction of the price. According to its FAQ, Encarta’s web sites will be discontinued on October 31, 2009 (Except for Japan, which has until December 31, 2009). Microsoft will also stop selling the Encarta products by June. (more…)

Disney has agreed to post short-form video content on YouTube, a deal that might come as a bit of a disappointment to those who had hoped to watch full-length ESPN sporting events or episodes of ABC’s “Gray’s Anatomy” on YouTube. (more…)

Google Inc. and major music companies launched a free Internet music download service for China on Monday in a bid to help turn a field dominated by pirates into a profitable, legitimate business. (more…)

PDT with the information provided by BKIS that its free version of BKAV antivirus software can remove the worm from any infected computer.

There’s been a lot of fuss about theConficker worm. However, there is a $250,000 question: the origin of the virus. (more…)

A tenacious computer worm which has wriggled its way onto machines worldwide is set to evolve on April Fool’s Day, becoming harder to exterminate but not expected to wreak havoc. (more…)

When Facebook signed up its 100 millionth member last August, its employees spread out in two parks in Palo Alto, Calif., for a huge barbecue. Sometime this week, this 5-year-old start-up, born in a dorm room at Harvard, expects to register its 200 millionth user. (more…)

verybody’s doing it. Even YouTube has succumbed to Twitter mania. Below every video if you click on the “Share” link you will find three options: MySpace, Facebook, and now Twitter. You can expand the box for even ore sharing options, but those are the main three and Twitter was just recently added. (more…)

Micro-blogging service Twitter says it will soon offer premium paid accounts to businesses. At the same time Twitter is raising its profile to Twitter newcomers with a suggested users list to follow. The moves come as massive speculation as to what’s next for the free micro-blogging site crescendos. (more…)

As of Monday, YouTube is unavailable in China, an unexplained move apparently made in response to the existence of a video of Chinese soldiers beating Tibetan monks, says the BBC.

Leslie Harris, president of the Center for Democracy and Technology, responded that: (more…)

Google is getting some major national exposure for both its AppEngine platform and Google Moderator, a simple tool that helps groups determine which questions should be asked at all hands meetings, conferences, Q&A sessions, etc. The White House is using Moderator, hosted on AppEngine, to determine which questions President Obama should answer at an online Town Hall meeting on Thursday. (more…)