Internet & Media

Twitter has signed a deal to begin delivering social video ads built around Viacom's most popular TV shows.

In the announcement, put out by Viacom, the two companies said that the campaigns would center around shows aired on networks like MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, VH1, CMT, TV Land, Spike and more. The first ads will appear during the MTV Video Music Awards on August 25. During that show, MTV will tweet a series of the most notable moments, as well as backstage access, interviews, and more, all with integrated advertising.

Bloomberg first reported in April that a deal between … Read more

Facebook unveils its next "big idea" on Thursday, and CNET will bring you all the news with live commentary and photos.

The social network was as mysterious as ever when it snail-mailed printed, coffee-stained invitations to the press last week, inviting journalists to "join us for coffee and learn about a new product." The invite, which was followed by a e-mailed link to an invite-only RSVP splash page, teased, "A small team has been working on something big."

Facebook's event starts at 10 a.m. PT, and you can follow along on CNET'… Read more

Feedly has completed its next wave of Web site upgrades designed to serve as a spiffy, new welcome mat for users of Google Reader, which is shutting down.

Existing users of the Feedly news aggregator and those migrating from Google Reader will now find a refreshed site compatible with all major browsers, Feedly said in a blog post Wednesday. The overhauled site adds support for Internet Explorer and Opera and boasts a new interface that doesn't require plug-ins or browser extensions.

In line with its new cloud, Feedly is no longer shackled to Google. Previously, the site depended on Google Reader's servers for its back-end technology. … Read more

Vdio, the online movie and television service from the makers of Rdio, is now open to anyone in the U.S. and U.K.

Rdio announced the news on its blog Wednesday, saying Vdio is no longer available solely to those people who have Rdio subscriptions.

Rdio launched Vdio in April as a competitor to similar services from Apple and Amazon. The offering lets users buy, rent, and share movies and television shows with others in real time. In addition to Web-based viewing, Vdio lets users access its programming from the iPad through its mobile application.

Vdio is available now … Read more

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- The modest two-story bungalow on State Line Road looks like the typical twenty something, post-college "share house."

The house is old; the decor is very basic. Like most homes to post-college grads, it's furnished with second-hand furniture. Several fake leather recliners line the walls in the living room and a big oversized sectional couch sits in the corner, offering plenty of room for geeks with laptops to comfortably park themselves while writing code. A big white board on the wall displays the email addresses and Twitter handles of the many hackers who have … Read more

Apple TV is getting live sports and "Game of Thrones" beamed straight to its box, as Apple announces Time Warner's HBO Go and Disney's WatchESPN apps are now available.

But confounding would-be cord cutters, most of the content appears limited to people who already subscribe to a pay-TV provider. It was a sticking point Apple had reportedly fought against.

Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of software and services, predicted in a statement that HBO GO and WatchESPN still will be "huge hits on Apple TV," given the two apps are some of … Read more

Windows 8 and RT users can now check out their favorite artists and music videos via the new Vevo app.

Debuting in the Windows Store on Wednesday, Vevo lets you view music videos and watch live concerts from an array of artists. The app offers access to more than 75,000 high-definition music videos, according to Vevo.

Tapping into the Windows 8 Search charm, you can track down your favorite songs by title to find related music videos. You can also hunt for your favorite artists and bands, and in return, Vevo displays links to their music videos, shows you … Read more

The dulcet tones of Apple's Siri and Google Now are getting high marks from most users, but Siri's enticing them to more tasks more often, according to a survey by market research firm Parks Associates.

Adoption rates for voice control are up from last year, climbing to about a fifth of broadband users, and both Apple's Siri technology and Google Now are commonly used for many functions.

But in most cases, save for sending text messages, Siri edges out Google Now in adoption.

Among Siri users, 48 percent turn to the feature for five or more activities … Read more

Fab is now worth a cool $1 billion.

Self-dubbed the world's design store, Fab is an online retailer that sells quirky products, ranging from clothes to jewelry to furniture to food. Its "True Blood" shop, for example, allows fans of the HBO series to buy books, perfume, and even fangs to celebrate the show.

Chinese Internet site Tencent Holdings clearly sees something in Fab. It has kicked in $150 million in financing, earning itself a spot on Fab's board. Fab is now worth more than $1 billion -- not even counting Tencent's investment -- The … Read more