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Scientific Conservation scores $15.7 million in funding

Scientific Conservation, a company that specializes in energy consumption forecasting, has received $15.65 million in Series B funding, the start-up announced Tuesday.

The company is just one example of the way traditional IT is now intersecting with green tech.

Scientific Conservation offers software as a service (SaaS) that allows the company to monitor a building's energy consumption in real-time, apply that data to energy management diagnostics and analytics, and then use that created knowledge to predict the building's energy consumption in the future.

The result is a customized energy plan for a building that is always being … Read more

Paul Allen revises patent suit against 11 tech firms

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has refiled a lawsuit against several major technology companies over claims of patent infringement.

In his revised complaint filed yesterday, Allen alleges that 11 tech companies and retailers--Apple, Google, Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, YouTube, eBay, Netflix, OfficeMax, Office Depot, and Staples--are violating patents granted to him when he headed Interval Research, a small R&D firm that he started in 1992 and ran until it went out of business in 2000.

Allen initially filed the suit in August in U.S. District Court in Seattle. At the time, Allen's Interval Licensing company--which holds the patents … Read more

Chatroulette, iPad lead Google's Zeitgeist 2010

Google's annual Zeitgeist, which delivers the top searches of the year, once again provides an interesting look into what the world was thinking about.

According to Google, "Chatroulette" was the "fastest rising" search term around the world in 2010, beating out Apple's iPad and Justin Bieber, which took the second- and third-place spots, respectively. Recording artist Nicki Minaj came on the scene in a big way in 2010, capturing the fourth spot on Google's list. Twitter and Facebook also made a showing in the top 10 list, taking the No. 8 and 10 … Read more

Yet another rumor of AOL split, Yahoo merger

In the entertainment press, reporters love to speculate over whether Brad and Angelina will finally get hitched. In the tech world, it's the decidedly unsexier AOL and Yahoo.

There's been a long parade of rumors suggesting that AOL may be looking to either ditch its not-dead-yet dial-up access business or merge with fellow attempting-a-turnaround tech conglomerate Yahoo; now, a report today from Reuters suggests it's attempting to do both. According to Reuters, AOL is exploring a "complicated series of transactions" in which it would sell off its access business to a prospective buyer and then … Read more

BP oil spill, celebs top 2010 Yahoo, AOL searches

The tragic BP oil spill was on the minds of Yahoo and AOL search users this year.

According to Yahoo, which released its Year In Review blog post today, more users searched for information about the BP oil spill than any other topic in 2010. It was followed by searches for the World Cup, Miley Cyrus, Kim Kardashian, and Lady Gaga, respectively. Apple's iPhone took the sixth spot in Yahoo's list of the top searches, while Megan Fox, Justin Bieber, American Idol, and Britney Spears rounded out the top 10.

When it came to queries through Yahoo's … Read more

Google, Bing see search market share inch up

October saw business as usual in the U.S. search engine market with Google and Bing both grabbing slightly more share and Yahoo losing a bit, according to data out yesterday from ComScore.

Google kept its top perch with a 66.3 percent chunk of all searches, a gain of 0.2 of a percentage point from September. In third place, Microsoft's Bing captured an 11.5 percent share of the market, up 0.3 of a percentage point. And Yahoo saw its share at 15.6 percent, down 0.2 of a percentage point from the prior month. … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1351: I can haz Facebook mail? (podcast)

We're joined today by Cheezburger CEO Ben Huh, who's trying to get Brian Tong to love cats. Also, we dissect Facebook's new attempt at a universal inbox: it's email, but not really email, and there's some stuff you're probably going to want to opt out of. As usual. Also, previewing Apple's "unforgettable" iTunes announcement tomorrow, and why did Netflix delay its Android app? --Molly

You've got mail!

Links from Monday's episode of Loaded:

Facebook gets ready to make an announcement about mail and messaging

AOL unveils its new Webmail client, Project Pheonix

The Sony Dash touch-screen device snags Hulu Plus

Netflix can now stream on Android but only on a select few handsets

Google Earth adds user-contributed panoramic photos

AOL's 'Project Phoenix' e-mail overhaul is here

Once ubiquitous, AOL e-mail has grown into such a punchline that the possession of an active @aol.com address is likely to result in many a playful Luddite joke. But on Sunday, AOL officially unveiled the results of "Project Phoenix," the long-anticipated overhaul of its e-mail system--and they even promise they won't make you use the @aol.com domain.

AOL's been engaging in an ongoing, across-the-board attempt to revive its flagging brand, but the timing of this particular announcement is telling. Facebook is rumored to be launching an expanded messaging service--perhaps as complex as … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1343: BOL loves a parade (podcast)

On today's show, we rush you along so we can go watch the San Francisco Giants ticker-tape parade. But in actual tech news, Silicon Valley fails to take over California politics, Google's really sorry about the whole Buzz thing, but not in a "pay you" kind of way, and if you're a Rangers fan, we now have the technology to erase that painful memory from your brain. --Molly