Daily Archives: February 24, 2010

by | February 24, 2010

Google faces European Union scrutiny after complaints

There is no doubt in my mind that Google manipulates their page ranking with their search algorithm.    I have a page that is very popular and gets loads of hits,  but pages with the same content that are from the liberal perspective yet have the same content get ten times as may hits as mine.

There are times when I break a story locally and its the first up on the internet,  yet when the mainstream media gets hold of it,  I am indexed to the back of the line and my hits from my original story all but disappear.

One day Google will fall from grace.   That day will come the minute someone builds a better search engine.   Bob

European Union antitrust regulators are looking into complaints filed by three online companies against Google (GOOG.O) that may lead to a formal investigation into the search-engine giant’s business practices.

The European Commission, tasked with ensuring that companies do not abuse any dominant position in the 27-country EU, can fine firms up to 10 percent of their revenues for violations.

It has to date imposed billions of euros in fines against Intel (INTC.O) and Microsoft (MSFT.O) for abuse of market dominance.

“The Commission can confirm that it has received three complaints against Google which it is examining. The Commission has not opened a formal investigation for the time being,” the EU executive said in a statement on Wednesday.

It did not identify the companies.

World No.1 search engine Google said earlier that British price comparison site Foundem and French legal search engine ejustice.fr had alleged that its search algorithm demoted their sites in Web search results because they were rivals.

It said Microsoft-owned (MSFT.O) Ciao from Bing had complained about its standard terms and conditions.

Google said it had done nothing wrong and was confident it would not face a formal investigation.

“This is the beginning of an enquiry, in all likelihood it will not go anywhere. The Commission has not expressed any hint of guilt,” Google senior competition counsel Julia Holtz told reporters on a conference call.

Google had 90 percent of the global search market compared with 7.4 percent for a combined Yahoo (YHOO.O) and Bing, according to November data from Web research firm StatCounter. It has drawn increasing regulatory scrutiny as it has grown.

U.S. antitrust authorities have challenged Google’s settlement with book publishers and authors groups to create an online digital archive, and are seeking more information on the competitive impact of its proposed $750 million purchase of mobile advertising company AdMob.

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by | February 24, 2010

Charlie Sheen Goes to Rehab, Takes a Break From ‘Two and a Half Men’

Charlie Sheen DrunkLOS ANGELES (AP) — CBS is temporarily halting production of television’s top-rated comedy, ”Two and a Half Men,” following news from Charlie Sheen’s publicist that the actor is in rehab and is taking a break from the show.

Publicist Stan Rosenfield announced Tuesday that Sheen has entered a rehab facility ”as a preventative measure.” He asked for privacy for Sheen, 44, but did not specify why the embattled actor was seeking treatment.

Sheen’s bosses expressed support for the actor in a statement that said they were temporarily stopping production of the show.

”CBS, Warner Bros. Television and (Executive Producer) Chuck Lorre support Charlie Sheen in his decision today to begin voluntary inpatient care at a treatment center,” the statement said. ”We wish him nothing but the best as he deals with this personal matter.”

The statement offered no timetable for when the show would resume taping.

The decision comes roughly two months after Sheen was arrested after a fight with his wife at his Aspen, Colo., home. Prosecutors later charged the actor with felony menacing and misdemeanor charges of third-degree assault and criminal mischief. The most serious charge carries a maximum three-year prison term.

Sheen has not entered a plea and is due back in court on March 15.

Assistant District Attorney Arnold Mordkin said Tuesday he hadn’t heard that Sheen had entered rehab and couldn’t discuss what bearing it might have on the case.

Sheen’s wife, Brooke, is also in rehab seeking treatment for an undisclosed reason, her attorney Yale Galanter said Monday. She is still asking that the charges be dismissed, he said.

Galanter and Rosenfield confirmed Monday that Los Angeles child protective services workers visited the actor and the couple’s infant sons over the weekend. Galanter and Rosenfield said it was a routine, previously scheduled visit related to the Aspen court case.

Galanter did not immediately return a phone message Tuesday.

Until Tuesday, Charlie Sheen’s legal problems hadn’t disrupted taping of ”Two and a Half Men,” one of CBS’ top shows and TV’s top-rated comedy.

The show was averaging 14.7 million weekly viewers before Charlie Sheen’s arrest. Recent new episodes have drawn nearly 18 million viewers, and 10.6 million people tuned in last week for a rerun, according to ratings released by the Nielsen Co.

”Two and a Half Men,” about the romances and family life of two brothers (Sheen and Jon Cryer), is the anchor of CBS’ Monday comedy lineup, which also includes ”The Big Bang Theory” and ”How I Met Your Mother.”

In early January, CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler said the network was being sensitive to what it considered a ”very personal and private matter for Charlie.’

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