Google has started to add advertisements to its news search engine. According to published reports, the new advertisements only appear when the conditions are right. A search for Apple, for example, received one ad, while Facebook results appeared ad-free. Many within the industry say that the ads, which are nothing more than a small AdWords box on the right hand side of the screen, were a long time in coming. “Google needs more ads,” says tech industry blog Network World. “[A]dding more screen real estate probably seems like a logical way to do that.”

Moving more towards the “social” end of things, Digg is planning to broaden its horizons a bit. The undisputed king of the social news frontier has secretly been working on a toolbar that would bring several different social tools together into one easy-to-use package. In addition to the traditional “Digg it/Bury it” function that users have grown to love, the toolbar allows users to perform StumbleUpon-esque “random moves” with ease. It also shortens each web address to its bare minimum, similar to TinyURL. The actual release date for the Digg toolbar, as well as the reaction of its competition, is unknown at this time.

Elsewhere, Box.net has released something special to go along with its file storage service — a word processor. Called Web Documents, the new web app allows users to create and edit a variety of documents without ever having to leave the comfy confines of Box.net. Thanks to a variety of partnerships and licensing deals, bringing your newly minted files to the likes of Twitter and Picnik is an incredibly simple thing to do. The only real drawback the service has lies within the service itself. Despite its big aspirations, Web Documents seems better suited for “lighter” work, such as note taking or a quick edit job. Still, once you can get past its shortcomings, Web Documents is a nice service to have on hand. The Web Document service is available now for all Box.net users.

As you have probably guessed, there is no new edition of Browser Extension Friday this week. Still, that doesn’t mean that the world of web browsers are taking a holiday from the Free Line. According to a few reliable sources, a secret options menu has been discovered in the beta for Safari 4. The hidden menu activates a ton of interesting options, including the ability to reactivate the famous “status bar in the URL bar,” move the page tabs to the top of the screen, and turn off Google Suggest. Sadly, since these options involve doing a little bit of editing in the Terminal prompt, Windows users are unable to work with these changes at this time.

And to finish out the week, allow us to present you with something a bit different. As most of your know, a big component to success is creativity. With that, we bring in the proverbial “Exhibit A” — Pizzashare. Pizzashare is a new social service that uses Google Maps to show you where the pies in town reside. In addition to its map capabilities, the service allows you to vote for your favorites. Next to the contact number and address sits a share button. If you’re a fan of the parlor in question, hit it. The more votes (“shares”) it gets, the bigger the on-screen bubble gets. An interesting combination of originality, GPS, and pepperoni, Pizzashare is great for the times when all you want is that perfect slice of pizza.

The Authors Guild is still having problems with the Kindle’s new text-to-voice feature. As you may remember, Guild Executive Director Paul Aiken has recently questioned the legality of the feature, saying that it effectively lets a user “steal” an audio book. In an op-ed piece in the New York Times, Guild President Roy Blount, Jr. says that he supports Aiken’s view on the matter, claiming the situation is bigger than most people realize. “[P]eople who want to keep on doing creative things for a living must be duly vigilant about any new means of transmitting their work,” writes Blount. “What the guild is asserting is that authors have a right to a fair share of the value that audio adds to Kindle 2’s version of books.” Blount is quick to point out, however, that the Kindle complaints have nothing to do with non-commercial “live readings” and text-to-speech services for the blind. “For the record: no, the Authors Guild does not expect royalties from anybody doing non-commercial performances of ‘Goodnight Moon.’ If parents want to send their children off to bed with the voice of Kindle 2, however, it’s another matter.”

In other news, Microsoft has announced that it will be rolling out yet another “experimental” search engine in the next few weeks. Seen by many as the successor to URank, the new Viveri system will once again use cutting edge ideas to get the best results possible. Unlike URank, which relied on a variety of social media tricks to attract users, Viveri is focused on how the information is delivered. The engine is built upon Silverlight, Microsoft’s new Flash competitor. Once a search is performed, two columns appear — one with the traditional results, and one with small “previews” of the sites in question. Microsoft hopes to have Viveri up and running by the summer.

Elsewhere, Intel seems to be taking an interest in Facebook. The processor giant has announced that they will be sponsoring a handful of projects in the Developer’s Garage, the “beta center” of the Facebook universe. The deal is just the latest chapter in the Facebook/Intel mutual admiration society. A few months back, the Facebook team announced that they plan on adding a fleet of brand-new Intel servers to their operations. Intel responded by creating a specialized Facebook app that allows employees to give gifts to one an other. The first meeting of the new, Intel-friendly Developer’s Garage will meet March 5th in Ireland.

Moving to the realm of microblogging for a moment, we have Ginx. Ginx is designed to be the “Sunday morning talk show” of the Twitter world, with facts, opinion, and spin flying around with reckless abandon. Each Ginx topic (or “room,” if you will) features a panel of experts that live and breathe the topic at hand. When the user decides to join the group, they immediately gain access to every post those experts have ever written, no matter if it’s on-topic or not. The logic behind this is that it allows the user to view the panel as real people, rather than as a group of one-dimensional know-it-alls. There are currently eleven topics available, ranging from topical (China) to specialized (the state politics of Arizona) to the just plain weird (fly-fishing). Interesting to use and fun to read, Ginx is perfect for all of those who feel that the news of the day can be boiled down to 140 characters. Ginx is available now for those lucky enough to have Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket an invitation code.

And finally: We here at the Free Line present you with the enigma that is Google Shared Stuff. It’s a Google service, but no one has actually heard of it. It’s been open to the public since September 2007, yet it barely registers in search results. When it came time to close the little service, no one mourned the loss … mainly because no one has heard of it. But thanks to our research staff, we have solved the mystery of the lost service. Shared Stuff was designed to be Google’s answer to Delicious — a place where you could share links, pictures, and even YouTube videos. Unfortunately, it was never “officially” launched thanks to a lack of focus, a few ill-timed security flaws, and the dreaded “experimental” tag. It had a few die-hard fans, but other than that, it never really “went” anywhere. Even the usually ignored Google Lively had more of an impact. At press time, Shared Stuff will be completely deactivated March 21st.

According to the world of television and movies, everyone has their very own copy of Photoshop. Need to edit that picture for your website? Use Photoshop. Need to scan an image? Use Photoshop. Need to make it look like a coworker is shaking hands with Barry Bonds? Use Photoshop. Photoshop has become so ingrained in this culture that it has become a widely accepted verb (“to photoshop”). You, however, know that things aren’t really that easy. Despite what the popular culture might be telling you, actually using Photoshop isn’t really the easiest thing to do. After all, like AutoCAD and Flash, Photoshop is meant to be a tool for professionals. Even if you are a pro, getting hold of the program can be rather difficult in its own right. New copies of Photoshop can cost upwards of $1000, and those pirated copies from those sites in Sweden can be less than trustworthy.

So what do you do? You want something a bit more powerful than MS Paint, but you don’t necessarily want to go through everything listed above. This is where we come in. On today’s award winning episode of the Free Line, we take a look at eight free image editors that will give you the power you need without making your wallet cry or your head hurt. Helping us today is Angela Smedley, a freelance graphic designer with considerable Photoshop skills. Each program was tested for ease of use, learning curve, and overall experience. With that said, here we go:

App #1: Artweaver

Type: Download
Site: http://www.artweaver.de/index.php?en_version
Programmer: Boris Eyrich
Plugins: Yes
First Impression: “It’s Photoshop 6!”
Learning Curve: Slightly intimidating at first, but easy to get into.
Ease of Use (Out of 10): 5
Overall Rating (Out of 10): 6. “It’s everything you need, provided that you can figure it out.”
Notes: The overall presentation and layout is said to be “oddly similar” to Photoshop 6. There are apparently several interesting features, but are rather difficult to use. The brushes are interesting, however, and the “help” file is actually helpful.

App #2: Phoenix

Type: Browser-based
Site: http://aviary.com/home
Programmer: Aviary
Plugins: No, but works well with other Aviary products
First Impression: “The pre-loaded image [a cat in a cat costume] is disturbing.”
Learning Curve: Easy to pick up and use.
Ease of Use: 8; Easy to use, but limited.
Overall Rating: 7
Notes: Only JPEG, GIF, and PNG files can be loaded. Very fast; perfect for quick editing. It’s also very straight-forward. The lack of a zoom tool hurts the overall presentation. Works well with Firefox.

App #3: GNU Image Manipulation Program (aka GIMP)

Type: Download
Site: http://gimp.org/
Programmer: The GIMP Team
Plugins: Yes
First Impression: “It’s Mac-like.”
Learning Curve: Easy to use once you get all of the “basics” down.
Ease of Use: 7; Lots of options available, but nearly all of them are easy to figure out.
Overall Rating: 7
Notes: A major improvement over the previous versions. It does nearly everything that the baseline Photoshop CS3 does with ease. A little difficult for those new to image editing, but those with a little bit of experience will have absolutely no problem using the program.

App #4: Photoshop Express

Type: Browser-based (Free registration required)
Site: https://www.photoshop.com/express/landing.html
Programmer: Adobe
Plugins: No, but is designed to work hand-in-hand with Photoshop.com
First Impression: “No sir, I don’t like it.”
Learning Curve: Insanely difficult.
Ease of Use: 2; “Provided that you can get in, of course.”
Overall Rating: 2; “It stinks.”
Notes: Actually getting to the program is a bit of a pain. Existing accounts have to be verified, and website names have to be handed out. Afterward, you are greeted with an error message. Only JPEGs can be uploaded to the program, though Flickr compatibility is available. There really isn’t much that you can do. Good for light work, but not much else.

App #5: Picnik

Type: Browser-based
Site: http://www.picnik.com/
Programmer: Picnik
Plugins: No
First Impression: “Finally… something that takes a variety of file formats.”
Learning Curve: Very small.
Ease of Use: 8
Overall Rating: 6
Notes: Very fast, easy to just pick up and use, and generally straightforward. On the negative side, it doesn’t actually “do” much. It’s made for those who are interested in simple photo manipulation, but not much more. It’s okay, but not even close to something like Photoshop.

App #6: Picasa

Type: Download
Site: http://picasa.google.com/
Programmer: Google
Plugins: Yes
First Impression: “Oh Lord, it’s scanning my hard drive for every picture that I have. This is going to take forever!”
Learning Curve: Fairly easy, once the scanning stopped.
Ease of Use: 6; “The scan didn’t even find every file on the disk.”
Overall Rating: 6
Notes: First time you run the program, it scans your drive for acceptable files … whether you want it to or not. Once the program stopped scanning, a few error messages followed. The desired file was not added to the library, but other “forgotten”files were added. Out of those files, many had the creation date of “1970.” It does everything Picnik does, and not much more. “It’s no GIMP.”

App #7: Pixlr

Type: Browser-based
Site: http://pixlr.com/
Programmer: Pixlr
Plugins: No
First Impression: “Oh… It looks like the new version of Photoshop.”
Learning Curve: Intimidating for beginners, but easy to get used to.
Ease of Use: 7
Overall Rating: 8; “I might actually use that. I didn’t have to install anything, and it didn’t scan my computer.”
Notes: Only three file formats are available, but other than that, it’s really nice. It has all of the features of Photoshop that a “beginner” would use. It runs pretty fast, all things considered. Slightly easier to use than GIMP.

App #8: Sumo Paint

Type: Browser-based
Site: http://www.sumopaint.com/web/
Programmer: Snap Group Ltd.
Plugins: No
First Impression: “It’s Photoshop on a Mac!”
Learning Curve: Somewhere between GIMP and Picnik.
Ease of Use: 7
Overall Rating: 8
Notes: Remarkably similar to Pixlr without being a ripoff. In many ways, it’s easier to use than the other programs listed. It is also the most Photoshop-like. It’ll take a bit of getting used to, but really shouldn’t be to hard to use. Those wanting to perform a few photo touch ups should look elsewhere.

And the Winners Are: Picnik (for simple edits); Sumo Paint (for a more Photoshop-like experience).

Final Thoughts: “While I don’t think I would use any of those permanently, I would give a few of them a shot if I was on another computer. Simply put, the perfect program is the one that fits your needs the best. For someone who just wants to remove red-eye, a program like GIMP is overkill. For someone who wishes to edit several images for a website, apps such as Picasa will be frustrating. If it works for you, go for it.”

Due to a series of unforeseen circumstances, today’s action packed edition of the Free Line will be slightly abbreviated. Rest assured, everything will be right and normal tomorrow. With that said, here we go:

Another day, another horrible virus warning. Yesterday, it was a malware suite that disguises itself as a anti-virus program. Today, it’s Facebook. The “fun” begins the second you log into the service. You are first greeted with an “urgent message” that claims that several of your friends were unable to view your page. To correct the problem, the warning says, all you have to do is install a handy new app called “Error Check System.” When the app is installed, it immediately sends itself to all of your friends. Unlike most pieces of junk, this virus has a backup system. A quick search for “Check Error System” on Google will net you a site that supposedly warns you about the Facebook threat. When clicked, the site brings up a fake virus scan, which attempts to toss two Trojans onto your system. As always, watch what you load and take the proper precautions.

In other news, Microsoft has unveiled the Social Desktop, a system the company hopes will blur the line between the traditional user desktop and the Internet at large. The way that Redmond plans to do this lies within bowels of desktop-based file folders. Normally, these folders can only be shared through a private network or other similar setup. Social Desktop takes away that limitation by assigning each folder its own unique web address. The result is a system that’s closer to a web OS such as Eye OS than Windows Vista. Despite its early promise, it might be awhile before we see the feature on a system near you. According to Microsoft, the Social Desktop is merely a “proof of concept” at this point.

And finally: There’s a new search engine in town, and it’s coming from an unlikely source — The New York Times. Called the NYT Explorer, the new engine only does one thing (that is, search the New York Times), but it does it extraordinarily well. Articles can be searched by keyword, subject, date published, author, and even location. Each search is performed extremely fast and, at least judging by our tests, are extremely accurate. Easy to use and operate, NYT Explorer proves that even the oldest of the “old guard” can embrace change.

The Associated Press, the legendary news organization responsible for thousands of articles worldwide, has filed a lawsuit against digital news site All Headline News for allegedly stealing their headlines and stories. The suit alleges that AHN is guilty of violating the “Hot News Doctrine,” a nearly 90-year old agreement that says breaking news is the property of whichever news organization reports it first. By linking to several of their hot news properties without paying the syndication fee, the AP argues that the AHN is violating the accepted Hot News Doctrine and therefore, guilty of plagiarism. Many reporters are openly questioning the merits of the lawsuit, saying that the hot news standard is, at best, a draconian concept that has outlived its usefulness. Neither the AP nor AHN have issued a statement on the matter.

Elsewhere, Italian outlaws have found a new way to communicate: Skype. According to a new report by the BBC, many criminals have turned to the software-based phone system in order to avoid the well-publicized wiretaps officials have on their landlines. In a wiretapping case in Milan, for example, police overheard a reported cocaine trafficker tell his accomplice to “switch over to Skype” before reporting on his dealings. Many within the government say that Skype, in its refusal to reveal its top-secret encryption technique to the authorities, is essentially helping the underworld commit its crimes. Skype officials have not responded publicly to the controversy at this time.

In the past few months, we have seen malware pushers do everything from manufacture phony .doc files to invade President Barack Obama’s social network in order to spread their brand of virus-laced terror. We can now add “product reviews” to the list of acceptable targets. The fun begins when the user installs Anti-Virus-1, a malware suite designed to look like security software. After everything is installed, the user starts seeing a variety of “errors,” including a screen saver designed to mimic the infamous “Blue Screen of Death.” To take care of the problem, the mark user is advised to buy AntiVirus2010 . He or she is then taken to what appears to be a reputable tech site such as PC World or CNet, where he or she is prompted to buy the program for $30. (The “reviews” found on the sites mentioned are fake, of course. What is actually being displayed is a modified review for Norton Anti-Virus hosted on the AV-1 servers.) After the money is paid and the file is loaded, the problems seemingly stop, In reality, however, the poor end user has just paid $30 for a malware program that does nothing but further infect the host computer. As always, stay away from anything fishy and keep those real anti-virus programs running. After all, the last thing anyone needs is for PC World to sell you on the merits of loading malware.

In other paranoia inducing news, programmers have discovered a flaw in Adobe Acrobat that could allow hackers to take control of your system. According to published reports, many have already worked out ways to simply overtake a “flawed” computer without the user even knowing. Adobe has pledged to take several drastic steps in order to alleviate the problem, and is currently working with various anti-virus manufacturers to make sure that a similar situation never happens again. Unfortunately, the patch will not be ready until the middle of March.

And finally: Those little applications for the iPhone might not be as popular as once thought. According to a new poll conducted by Pinch Media, only 25% of the apps are used the day after it is downloaded. Out of that numbers, only 1% are used on a regular basis. Many within the industry “blame” the poor showing on the iPhone Store, which gives users access to software that was once not available to them. The survey is also considered by some to be a “warning” to programmers, quietly urging them to focus on improving the longevity of their products. True long-term effects on the “load it/ignore it” system are unknown at this time.

Every now and again, even the best of us have to take some time out and work on our sites. On today’s expanded edition of Browser Extension Friday, we take a look at sixteen add-ons that will let you do just that without abandoning the safety and comfort of your browser window.

Firefox:

• Server Switcher – Easily switch between the “live” version of your site and the “experimental” version that is still living on your desktop or development server. Think of it as object-oriented proofreading.
• Firebug – Edit a variety of files, including HTML, XML, and CSS without ever leaving the browser window.
• Pixel Perfect - This handy little add on for both Firefox and Firebug (that’s right, an extension of an extension) allows you to lay one page on top of another. Extremely useful when trying to spot the changes between two pages.
• Font Finder - Find the name and type of any style of font imaginable.
• Thai Line Breaking – This extension allows Firefox to “properly split Thai words.” While this might be considered a niche tool for some, it’s a bonafide lifesaver to others.

Opera:

• Vista Editor HTML – Adds a powerful, full-featured HTML editor to Opera. As the name implies, this widget only works in Windows Vista.
• The Colours of the Rainbow – Pick a colour, any colour. Not only will this widget tell you what that colour is, but it will also give you the CSS code for it as well.
• Site Validatior – Make sure that all of your links are working properly.
• Meta Tag Generator – Get a list of meta tags quickly and easily. While we wouldn’t suggest relying on this widget completely, it does give you a fine place to start.
• Binarizaton – …Because we all need to indulge in a few ones and zeros from time to time.

Safari:

• Dosera – A Javascript debugger that can be used with any program running the WebKit rendering engine. While newer implementations of Safari have a version of Dosera built directly into the browser, users of “legacy” browsers can still load the tool as a separate attachment.
• Safari Tidy – Check to see if your website (or anyone else’s site, for that matter) is both XML and HTML compliant.
• SafariSource – Add colored labels to the Safari source view. Each module, script type, and language has its own color, making it easy to find exactly what you’re looking for.
• SafariStand – A unique little extension that allows you to sort and view content by type. Extremely useful if you just want to study one type of code, such as HTML or Javascript.
• PithHelmet – A high-powered ad blocker that can make everything from Flash videos to midi loops disappear in an instant.

Internet Explorer:

• DebugBar – Instantly transform your average web browser into a web development dynamo. Despite the power of the editor, some in the audience might have some issues with the toolbar’s overly technical, Visual Basic-esque layout.

Despite the questionable state of the economy, there’s one small industry that is still seeing positive growth: domain registration. According to a new poll by VeriSign, roughly 177 million new domain names were registered in 2008, a 16% increase from the previous year. Those close to the situation cite the emergence of markets such as China and India, as well as a general “relaxing” of the domain name rules, as possible reasons for the increase. As in previous years, the veritable “.com” leads the way, with 90.4 million names registered. Other heavy hitters include .cn (China), .de (Germany), .net, .org.

Elsewhere, it seems as if AOL’s MediaGlow line of sites are a bit more popular than once suspected. The sites, which specialize in delivering content to so-called “niche” audiences, received nearly seven billion page hits over the past year. “MediaGlow has started 2009 by reaching its largest audience to date and building core brands that are at scale,”MediaGlow President Bill Wilson told WebProNews. “We are creating valuable brands that are driving engagement and attracting a larger audience.” Wilson says that roughly thirty new sites will be launched in 2009, including several single-sport hubs and a community that caters exclusively to mixed martial arts fans.

Moving to the “viral” end of things, anti-virus firm TrendMicro has discovered a new malware program designed specifically to attack Internet Explorer 7. Disguising itself as a harmless .doc file, the program uses an oddball IE7 bug to download and install a variety of nasty, harmful, and otherwise dangerous things. The computer is then turned into a zombie system, sending screenshots of the victim’s desktop to the attackers’ servers at various predetermined intervals. As always, make sure that both your anti virus software and Windows are up-to-date. Zombies are meant for horror novels, video games, and George Romero films, not your home office.

In much, much happier news, rock band The Presidents of the United States of America have found an interesting way to distribute their music to the masses — create an iPhone application. The new app gives users access to most of the bands recordings, including their hard-to-find demo album and a constantly-updating list of new and unreleased material, all uncut and commercial free. Similar to other streaming apps like Slacker and Pandora, users are unable to create a proper play list, although “by-album” filtering is possible. Each song also features a link to iTunes, making the act of physicially buying tracks quick and painless. The app, which has been described by Presidents lead singer Dave Dereeder as a “Whitman’s Sampler for the ears,” is available now for all iPhone users.

And finally: The Presidents aren’t the only group with an official-sounding name to turn to the Internet for funds. New York governor David Patterson has revealed a plan that would add the state’s 4% sales to all downloads. The tax plan is designed to help the state fight its way out of debt, which is said be in the $15 billion range. Many lawmakers support the bill, with one going as far to say that the tax would help “legitimize” outlets with otherwise “questionable” reputations, such as the porn industry. As many fans of the Free Line know, this isn’t the first time the state of New York has attempted to add a tax to digital downloads. Last December, the state assembly tried to pass a bill that would allow the lawmakers to tax various “discretionary income” items, including downloads, taxi rides, and cable television service. Unlike the first bill, the new proposal will be limited to digital downloads only. At press time, neither side has officially commented on the issue.

Charging corporate users to use Twitter might not be as ridiculous as once thought. According to Abrams Research, 39.6% of business owners interviewed would willingly pay a monthly fee in order to use the microblogging service. Many within the industry see the poll as proof of Twitter’s emerging presence in the corporate world and a testament to its staying power. On the other end of the spectrum, 41.1% say that gaming/social networking hybrid site ImInLikeWithYou.com is the most likely to shut down in the next year. Bebo, the United Kingdom’s favorite networking site, comes in at a very distant second with 12.4% of the vote.

Sticking with Twitter for a moment, ESPN personality Dan Le Batard has a few interesting thoughts concerning the service’s popularity with athletes. Appearing as a guest host on Pardon the Interruption, the newspaper columnist/talk show host sees “technological advances” such as microblogging and text messaging as a way of eliminating the need for sports writers. “We’re fast approaching the day where [professional athletes] don’t need the media at all… They’re not going to need the Sports Illustrated cover. They can create their own connections with the fans without our help.” Le Batard’s comments echo the sediments of NBA all-star Chris Bosh, who says he uses Twitter to get everything from driving directions to restaurant suggestions. Fellow all-star and all-around media maven Shaquille O’Neal is also a fan of the service, saying he currently has “about” 93,000 followers.

In other news, MySpace Mobile is getting a much needed overhaul. The new site is created to replicate its full-featured brother as closely as possible, allowing the user to “drift” between interfaces with ease. In addition to the site, the company also announced support for both Nokia handsets and Palm webOS, making MySpace the only social network with a free standing app on every major mobile platform. Those close to the company say the moves could not have come at a better time. Mobile use of networks, especially MySpace, is projected to top 50% within a year or two.

Elsewhere, it seems as if the new, improved TV.com is getting noticed. Hulu, a one-time partner, has pulled all of its content from the site. A few months ago, owner CBS has turned the once innocuous site into a high-tech, online video powerhouse. As such, it was only a matter of time that the proverbial battle lines were drawn. Despite the pull out, TV.com users still have access to content from a variety of networks, including Showtime, Sony, and, of course, CBS. Hulu fans who don’t feel like visiting the main site can still catch its content on the Comcast-sponsored Fancast and Sling.com.

And finally: As you might have noticed, the top three or four links on the average Google search result page are now YouTube videos. The underlying reason for this is due to the company’s “Universal Search” initiative, which allows all Google-owned properties to be searched at any given moment. This tells us three things:

1. When choosing between a finely tuned website and a YouTube video, Google search is much more likely to choose the video — fifty times more likely, says Forrester Research.
2. The old days of the “viral video” are gone. Search engines, particularly Google, are the future.
3. At this stage of the game, videos need YouTube. Without it, your video is much less likely to be picked up by the main search engine.

So what can you do? That’s where the YouTube Secret Weapon comes in. The YouTube Secret Weapon is a brand new project that will not only show you how to optimize your videos, but why optimization works the way it does. The end result is a list of highly ranked, notable videos sitting on top of good ol’ Mount Google. It’s an easy system to follow, completely cost effective, and most importantly, it works. Simply put, the YouTube Secret Weapon will help your video-powered masterpiece top the charts, without making your wallet sob uncontrollably.

The fallout from the Google Japan blogger scandal continues. Matt Cutts, Google’s anti-spam king, has spoken out on the situation, saying that he was “mortified” by the company’s actions. “There were a lot of disappointed, upset, angry people within Google,” Cutts told tech blog WebProNews in a video interview. “Every so often, you have a day where you just feel like ‘I wish that his hadn’t happened.’ That’s what it was like this week.” Despite the momentary let-down, Cutts makes clear that Google still stands for everything that is right and good with the web. “Our position is unchanged. We still think [paying bloggers] is bad for the web… If somebody’s writing, you want them to be writing because they really believe in it, not because they’re paid to do it.”

Elsewhere: It seems as if a few changes will be coming to Yahoo’s front page. Unlike the current incarnation, which is full of bounding boxes and links, the new page will be centered around the availability and usability of online applications. Like most “social” sites, these apps are designed to bring the user closer to the things he or she can’t live without. The site is also designed to further integrate various Yahoo services into the page. Despite the improvements, the site isn’t exactly ready for mass consumption. “We’ve done a number of things to collect input,” writes Tapan Bhat on the official blog. “Bottom line is we’re getting closer to the final design, but we’re not quite there yet.” Expect to see the new updates in the near future.

Not everything is sunshine and roses in the land of Yahoo, however. Yahoo MyWeb, a bookmarking service with designs to be the next big social media site, is being shut down next month. The staff cites the need to “streamline services” as the primary reason for the move. To help with the closure, Yahoo is giving users the option to move their bookmark collection to either Yahoo Bookmarks (for “private” use) or Delicious. The last day of MyWeb will be March 16th.

In other news, multimedia gurus Adobe Systems have announced that a full-featured version of Flash is finally coming to a non-iPhone mobile device near you. Users who currently want to have a Flash fix on the go are stuck using Flash Lite, a serviceable, if not underpowered “stopgap measure.” Those close to Adobe hope that the announcement will force mobile developers to give the platform a second look. Others, however, site the program’s ridiculous two-year development time as proof of vaporware. If all goes according to plan, expect to see mobile Flash arrive sometime in 2010. No iPhone release is planned at this time.

And to finish things out, we here at the Free Line present you with something “lovely.” Lovely Charts is a new, web-based service designed to make the creation of flow charts a beautiful thing. Aside from the standard array of point-and-click features, users can expect to find a variety of interesting tools at their disposal, including the ability to save their flow charts in both JPEG and PNG image formats. Limited file sharing is also included in the basic package, adding a bit of “social flair” to the proceedings. Easy to set up and use, Lovely Charts can make thought organization a sweet thing indeed.

The never-ending comedy of errors that is Twitter’s attempt to monetize continues in earnest. Citing that he was hit with “an offer [he] couldn’t refuse,” Twitter co-founder Biz Stone announced Friday that two news investors will be joining the team — Benchmark and Institutional Venture Partners (IVP). While no official numbers have been released, those close to all three parties say the deal weighs in at $35 million. At press time, Stone and his team are planning to use the cash to fund and build various “revenue-generating products.” As many fans of the Free Line know, monetizing Twitter has been somewhat of a hot topic as of late. Last week, Stone mentioned in an interview that corporate clients might have to pay to use the microblogging service in the near future. He then quickly rescinded the comment, chalking it up nothing more than a bad case of “thinking out loud.”

In other news, Google Japan has issued an apology for paying bloggers to recommend their products. The practice, which is banned under Google’s own Terms of Service contract, was “unearthed” by two bloggers last week. “At Google, we believe in being open and transparent with our users,” Senior Marketing Manager Koji Baba said in a statement. “We would like to apologize for this episode, and express our gratitude to the community of users and bloggers who brought this to our attention so that we could put a stop to it.” Many users have questioned the sincerity of the apology, saying it was more of a PR move than an admission of guilt. So as punishment for its deeds, Google Japan lowered their PageRank from a nine to a five. Neither the length of the punishment, nor the reaction to it, are known at this time.

The controversial exploits of Google Japan isn’t the only thing that the front office has to worry about. Google Radio Ads, an experimental service that promised to bring the Google way of doing things to traditional radio broadcasts, will be shutting its doors. Those close to the situation cite the questionable economy, combined with a growing interest in online audio advertising, as possible reasons for the move. At press time, Radio Ad’s last day is May 31st.

Not all news coming from One Infinite Loop is bad, however. High profile subsidiary YouTube has signed a new content deal with Sony BMG. Under the terms of the deal, YouTube will make an undisclosed, “upfront” payment to Sony, then split any resulting revenue in half. Aside from saving hundreds of tributes videos from receiving the “silent treatment,” the agreement protects the wealth of rare and interesting clips that call the service home. Among the artists receiving the proverbial “stay of execution” are Billy Joel, Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, and Rick Astley.

And finally: Despite what some might tell you, there’s more to web 2.0 than just business. Every now again, we need something a bit more lighthearted and entertaining. That’s where the Bakumatsu Koshanin Generator comes in to play. The Bakumatsu Koshanin Generator is an interesting new photo service that specializes in giving your cutting edge, 21st century snapshots a quaint, 1940’s makeover. Using the site could not be easier: just choose the photo you want to alter and press the “convert” button. Within seconds, your pictures are transformed into a blurry, black-and-white masterpiece. Simple and interesting, the Bakumatsu Koshanin Generator lets you take a fun little trip to the past while staying firmly rooted in the present.