Version: 2008
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CNET Special Coverage

Web 2.0 Summit 2008

The Web takes on the world

The San Francisco conference, now in its fifth year, is no longer simply about cutting-edge Web applications. This year it's also about pushing the limits of those applications to address world problems ranging from global warming to struggling financial markets to failing health care systems.

Featured stories | Latest coverage

Featured stories


Zuckerberg: Sometimes Facebook goes through 'painful changes'

Openness is the site's ultimate goal, young CEO says at the Web 2.0 Summit, but he doesn't think it's an ideal starting point.
• Oh, dear, here come the 'Facebook to buy Twitter' rumors
(Posted in The Social by Caroline McCarthy)
November 6, 2008 3:14 PM PST

Jerry Yang: I'm a fighter

The Yahoo CEO, hit hard in recent months by a tepid economy and a failed takeover bid from Microsoft, now has to deal with the dissolution of its hyped (but controversial) search ad deal with Google.
• Yahoo's Jerry Yang runs into a wall
(Posted in The Social by Caroline McCarthy)
November 5, 2008 6:15 PM PST

Web freeloaders can breathe easy

As the Web 2.0 Summit kicks off this week in the midst of a rough economy, the "freemium" model for online services makes more sense than ever.
(Posted in Webware by Rafe Needleman)
November 4, 2008 4:00 AM PDT

Latest coverage


No rest for the Web's election-weary

Having gained mainstream notoriety amid Obama-McCain drama, social-media outlets such as Current TV, Digg, Facebook, and Twitter now look to capitalize on it elsewhere. Read more
Posted by Caroline McCarthy November 10, 2008 4:00 AM PST

Web 2.0 Summit videos: Huffington, Musk, Gore

The Web 2.0 Summit wraps up with conversations about the Internet, politics, renewable energy, and space. Here are videos of onstage talks, courtesy of TechWeb. Read more
Posted by Zoë Slocum November 9, 2008 12:49 PM PST

Gore: Electrifying redemption, thanks to the Web

The politician once ridiculed for an erroneous claim that he "invented the Internet" is welcomed onstage at the Web 2.0 Summit to a standing ovation. Read more
Posted by Caroline McCarthy November 7, 2008 5:48 PM PST

Live blog: Al Gore at the Web 2.0 Summit

Former Vice President and presidential candidate Al Gore talks to attendees of this year's Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco. Read more
Posted by Josh Lowensohn November 7, 2008 4:20 PM PST

Electric cars of the future at the Web 2.0 Summit

Two of today's greatest innovators in transportation and electricity consumption chat at this year's Web 2.0 Summit. Find out what, or if, you'll be driving in 2014. Read more
Posted by Josh Lowensohn November 7, 2008 4:18 PM PST

Live blog: Kevin Rose at Web 2.0 Summit

The founder of Digg is taking the stage for a brief talk at the conference. Read more
Posted by Rafe Needleman November 7, 2008 1:45 PM PST

Google and Microsoft executives trade jabs

Google's Vic Gundotra and Microsoft's David Treadwell have a brief exchange at the Web 2.0 Summit that shows how the two companies feel about each other. Read more
Posted by Dan Farber November 7, 2008 1:17 PM PST

Sad about the economy? Dream about the future

The Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco is an annual gathering of digital thinkers and futurists. But when does talk of changing the world turn into impractical escapism? Read more
Posted by Caroline McCarthy November 7, 2008 12:43 PM PST

The future of the cloud

The cloud is omnipresent at the Web 2.0 Summit as industry executives discuss the migration from the client to millions of virtualized servers as the information pipe. Read more
Posted by Dan Farber November 7, 2008 12:30 PM PST

The Obama presidency: 'It's the network, stupid'

A panel of political wonks attribute Obama's election to Web 2.0 and wax enthusiastic about the next administration. Read more
Posted by Rafe Needleman November 7, 2008 12:19 PM PST

Web 2.0 Summit videos: Zuckerberg, Benioff, de la Vega

Day 2 of the event featured talks from Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg, AT&T's Ralph de la Vega, Salesforce.com's Marc Benioff, and others. Read more
Posted by Jonathan Skillings November 7, 2008 10:13 AM PST

11 Twitter business models: Vote for the best

The microblogging site could easily make money. Here are a raft of suggestions. Read more
Posted by Rafe Needleman November 7, 2008 8:54 AM PST

Warner's Bronfman, MySpace's DeWolfe talk music

They were chatty, but in the Web 2.0 summit panel the two still wouldn't say who's been chosen as the CEO of MySpace Music or even if they see Apple's iTunes as competitive. Read more
Posted by Caroline McCarthy November 6, 2008 7:01 PM PST

New Web apps save the world at Web 2.0 Summit

At Web 2.0 Summit Launch Pad, where Web 2.0 execs pitch their companies as fast as they can, Web sites take on lofty goals. Read more
Posted by Rafe Needleman November 6, 2008 4:23 PM PST

Oh, dear, here come the 'Facebook to buy Twitter' rumors

Web 2.0 conference organizer John Battelle decides to mess with everyone's head by suggesting Twitter is "just a feature" and perhaps Facebook could consider acquiring it. Read more
Posted by Caroline McCarthy November 6, 2008 3:33 PM PST

WattzOn asks: How much power are you using?

Carbon is not the only problem. Read more
Posted by Rafe Needleman November 6, 2008 3:21 PM PST

Zuckerberg: Sometimes Facebook goes through 'painful changes'

Openness is the site's ultimate goal, young CEO says at the Web 2.0 Summit, but he doesn't think it's an ideal starting point. Read more
Posted by Caroline McCarthy November 6, 2008 3:14 PM PST

Live blog: Mark Zuckerberg at Web 2.0 Summit

Facebook founder on the record in real time Thursday afternoon at the annual San Francisco confab. Read more
Posted by Rafe Needleman November 6, 2008 1:00 PM PST

Health care 2.0: Crowd-sourced solutions for tomorrow

What's happening to health care as technology progresses? Three of science and biotech's minds sit down to chat about it. Read more
Posted by Josh Lowensohn November 6, 2008 12:44 PM PST

Twitter's Evan Williams: Making money through corporate accounts?

The newly reminted CEO of the hot microblogging company won't say anything concrete, still, but outlined some general prospects for a business model dependent on companies' eagerness to connect and communicate with the Twittering masses. Read more
Posted by Caroline McCarthy November 6, 2008 11:52 AM PST

Web 2.0 Summit videos: Yang, Doerr, Armstrong

Day 1 of the event features on-stage talks with Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang, venture capitalist John Doerr, and force-of-nature bicyclist Lance Armstrong. Read more
Posted by Jonathan Skillings November 6, 2008 11:04 AM PST

Dex: The business 'poke'

Small-business CRM product Dex tells you when you're letting important relationships wither. Read more
Posted by Rafe Needleman November 6, 2008 11:02 AM PST

Yahoo's Jerry Yang runs into a wall

The Yahoo co-founder and CEO will walk through walls for Yahoo, but he isn't doing a great job of selling the vision inside or outside of the company. Read more
Posted by Dan Farber November 6, 2008 10:52 AM PST

Paul Otellini and his magical mystery gadget

At the Web 2.0 Summit, the Intel president and CEO showed off a number of new internal prototypes and said that regardless of economic climate, a relentless pursuit of innovation is critical to the tech industry. Read more
Posted by Caroline McCarthy November 6, 2008 10:08 AM PST

Jerry Yang: I'm a fighter

The Yahoo CEO, hit hard in recent months by a tepid economy and a failed takeover bid from Microsoft, now has to deal with the dissolution of its hyped (but controversial) search ad deal with Google. Read more
Posted by Caroline McCarthy November 5, 2008 6:15 PM PST

Live blog: Jerry Yang at Web 2.0 Summit

With the Google ad deal now dead, will Yahoo turn back again to Microsoft? Read more
Posted by Rafe Needleman November 5, 2008 4:46 PM PST

John Doerr's advice to Obama: Take Bill Joy

The VC endorses the idea of appointing a CTO for the country who could focus on energy and green tech. Also, some tips for entrepreneurs on surviving the downturn. Read more
Posted by Rafe Needleman November 5, 2008 4:29 PM PST

Web 2.0 Summit: Larry Brilliant on investing in the future

In the spirit of the new era in American history, philanthropy, rather than business models or Facebook, was the first topic of discussion at the annual San Francisco confab. Read more
Posted by Dan Farber November 5, 2008 3:21 PM PST

Live blog schedule for Web 2.0 Summit

Get the lowdown on Web 2.0 from Zuckerberg, Rose, and Gore--live, as it happens. Read more
Posted by Rafe Needleman November 5, 2008 4:01 AM PST

Web freeloaders can breathe easy at Web 2.0 Summit

The freemium model makes more sense than ever in this rough economy. Read more
Posted by Rafe Needleman November 4, 2008 4:00 AM PST


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