News roundup: Google, Congoo, RateItAll + MuseStorm, Mashtracker

(Credit: CNET Networks)
• Google rolls out pay-per-action. Google's got a new advertising scheme, and it's set up to help small-time advertisers avoid the dangers of click fraud. Instead of just paying by the click, advertisers can set up predetermined actions the user must go through, such as purchasing an item or browsing a certain section of the site. The new system has sparked controversy in the blogosphere as a potential destroyer of smaller affiliate marketing services.

• Congoo launches News Portals. Premium news content distributor Congoo (previous coverage) has rolled out a customizable single-page-aggregation service that pulls stories from user-selected topics. Users can also create their own newsfeed by using keywords that filter upcoming stories.

• RateItAll and MuseStorm team up to make MySpace list widgets. MuseStorm makes widgets and various ways to track their activity, and RateItAll lets users rate things. The two have teamed up to create sharable widgets for MySpace profiles that let people share interesting lists they find on RateItAll in a scrolling top-10 format. Users can then track widget statistics using MuseStorm. (via SexyWidget)

• Mashable rolls out in-house Techmeme competitor. Dubbed "Mashtracker," the new service combines Megite story aggregation technology with stories on Mashable to provide users with related stories and discussion from around the Internet. It's a neat way to see similar news items, as well as alternate takes from various bloggers and news services. See also Techmeme and Tailrank.