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by: Melanie Saxe Google has added new features to its Translator Toolkit, making it easier for users to collaborate on translations through chat. Similar to the features in Gmail, users can now send instant messages to colleagues, friends, family and groups and can even save translation chats in Gmail. Among other features is the ability to display language and set the toolkit tabs to open or close by default. Google has also expanded the dictionary tab to include parts of speech and alternate definitions. "For example, if you're translating the word cancer into Chinese you will find alternate translations for cancer as a disease and cancer as a quickly-spreading danger so you can find just the right word for your translation," said Kartik Singh, software engineer at Google.

Search Engine Watch reports that real-time search engine OneRiot is attempting to unlock the Holy Grail for developers of social media applications – give them a way to make money off of their free apps. One Riot has recently launched RiotWise Trending Ads, a real-time ad network that allows Web and mobile app developers a chance to earn money through ad clicks. The revenue-sharing model sees OneRiot deliver ad content related to topics that users are discussing at any given moment. The theory is that by making the ad content as fresh and topical as possible they could appeal Facebook and Twitter users who otherwise eschew clicking on ads. "RiotWise is grounded on the premise that users of realtime web apps are trying to find out what's going on right now," said Tobias Peggs, General Manger, OneRiot. "Our ads directly match that intent. RiotWise Trending Ads offers another exciting option for developers to monetize their social web applications." - Richard Manfr...

Tech Crunch is reporting that Yelp has walked away from a proposed deal to be acquired by Google — a deal that many people had assumed was all but signed just days earlier. Yelp is a review site currently operating in almost every major metropolitan area of the country that lets the public vote and gives their feedback on a wide range of stores and services within a local area. For example, a person could go to the local Yelp site for Portland and search to find different listings for Indian restaurants. They could find the best-rated sites or the ones within walking distance of their current location, and read reviews posted by various "Yelpers" on the pluses and minuses of each. The report in Tech Crunch states that Yelp and Google had progressed to the point of reaching a price of $550 million plus buyouts for the acquisition and were working through the final details when Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppleman backed away from the deal this past weekend. Tech Crunch is reporting that...

December 2009: Microsoft and Yahoo! Finalize Partnership In December 2009 Microsoft and Yahoo! finalized a partnership deal that had been rumored for several months, with Yahoo! using Microsoft's Bing technology to power its search engine in exchange for providing Microsoft with its online ad sales expertise. The two sides reached an agreement in principle in July and later reached out to European Union regulators for permission to combine forces. Media reports put the deal at ten years, with an expected rollout date for the combined effort in early 2010. According to a joint statement released by the company: "Microsoft and Yahoo! believe that this deal will create a sustainable and more compelling alternative in search that can provide consumers, advertisers and publishers real choice, better value, and more innovation. Yahoo! and Microsoft welcome the broad support the deal has received from key players in the advertising industry and remain hopeful that the closing of t...