Analysis: More than just Great Firewall awaits Facebook in China (Reuters)

Reuters - When it comes to China, Facebook should consider itself forewarned. Cracking the world's biggest Internet population might seem an obvious ambition for the social networking giant as it trumpets its global growth before a $5 billion initial public offering, but the chances it will succeed look slim.

Statoil earnings surge on higher oil, gas prices (AP)

AP - Norwegian oil company Statoil ASA on Wednesday said its profits soared in the fourth quarter on higher oil and gas prices and a one-time gain from the sale of a stake in a gas transportation company.

Exclusive: Trafigura deals in disputed Sudanese oil (Reuters)

Reuters - Swiss-based commodities trader Trafigura has bought oil which the South Sudanese government claims was seized by Sudan, its northern neighbor and former civil war foe, industry sources told Reuters, and is now in a legal dispute over ownership.

Oil rises above $99 after US crude supply drop (AP)

AP - Oil prices rose to above $99 a barrel Wednesday in Asia after an unexpected drop in U.S. crude supplies suggested demand is improving.

Facebook launches widescreen photo viewer similar to Google+ (Digital Trends)

Digital Trends - Rolling out gradually to Facebook users, the social network is launching a new version of the photo viewer that allows pictures to be displayed at a significantly larger resolution than previous designs. On a typical 15â³ laptop, pictures display as large as 960 pixels wide and 720 pixels tall. After the user clicks on a photo, the new interface launches and covers the entire screen with the photo as well as a white space on the right side. Users can like, share or comment on the photo on the right side of the screen. In addition, Facebook is rotating out advertisements underneath the comments as well as sponsored stories.

BlackBerry devices rejected by Halliburton in favor of the iPhone (Digital Trends)

Digital Trends - Due in part to its popular native email system and effective security measures, Research In Motionâs BlackBerry mobile phones were once the must-have device for those working in business.

Just Show Me: 3 great and free cooking apps for the iPhone (Yahoo! News)

Yahoo! News - Welcome toÂ Just Show Me onÂ Tecca TV, where we show you tips and tricks for getting the most out of theÂ gadgets in your life. In today's episode we'll show three greatÂ cooking apps for theÂ iPhone. BigOven Epicurious Serving Sizer Take a look …

Transparent Screen app saves you from bodily injury while texting (Yahoo! News)

Yahoo! News - Fond ofÂ texting while walking? Unless you're extremely nimble, you may have bumped into people, objects, or even stumbled. In extreme cases, you may have even bruised yourself or broken a few things. But if you have anÂ Android device, you can …

CalSTRS wants Facebook board to expand, add women (Reuters)

Reuters - The California State Teachers' Retirement System, the second-largest largest pension fund in the United States, wants Facebook Inc to expand its board of directors and diversify a panel that has no women.

Yahoo chairman exits, review drags on (Reuters)

Reuters - Yahoo Inc Chairman Roy Bostock and three other directors will step down as the struggling company ploughs ahead with an internal overhaul, including discussions on dealing with its stakes in China's Alibaba Group and Yahoo Japan.

Chairman, 3 others out in Yahoo board shake-up (AP)

AP - Yahoo Chairman Roy Bostock and three longtime board members are stepping down, submitting to the demands of many frustrated shareholders who blame them for contributing to the follies that have dragged down the Internet company's revenue and stock price.

Social Gaming Apps for Android -- Steam, Xbox Live and More (ContributorNetwork)

ContributorNetwork - For many people, gaming is no longer a solitary experience where you buy a game and bring it back home and play it -- not even on Android-powered smartphones and tablets. Because it's not just that people are buying games from the Android Market, or Gameloft's store, or other online marketplaces. They're making friends, playing online, and earning trophies and achievements through gameplay that their friends can then see on their profiles.

Environmental Group Lists Best, Worst Congressional Voting Records (ContributorNetwork)

ContributorNetwork - According to the Hill, the League of Conservation Voters has announced its yearly rankings of lawmakers with the best and worst voting records in terms of energy and environmental measures. The league analyzed 11 votes in the Senate and 35 in the House of Representatives.

British Cabinet Warns of Possible Internet Outages During Summer Olympics (Mashable)

Mashable - The British Cabinet Office has warned businesses in England that the country may not be able to fully accommodate a surge in Internet use during the 2012 Olympics in London this summer. Businesses have been told that Internet providers may be forced to ration access to the web during certain times of day and service may fall out altogether at other times.

2.1 million viewers live stream Super Bowl online (AP)

AP - The first live stream of the Super Bowl drew 2.1 million unique viewers, NBC said Thursday.

Disney 1Q revenue misses estimates but profits up (AP)

AP - The Walt Disney Co. said Tuesday that its net income rose 12 percent in the final quarter of 2011, as a slimmer movie slate and upbeat theme park results helped the company top earnings forecasts even while revenue gains were less than expected.

Halliburton to abandon BlackBerry, turn to iPhone (Reuters)

Reuters - Oil field services company Halliburton plans to stop issuing BlackBerry smartphones to employees and switch over to Apple's iPhone, which it said was better suited to its needs, marking another setback for Research In Motion.

Michigan Lawmakers Explore Alternatives to Gas Tax Hike (ContributorNetwork)

ContributorNetwork - Michigan's Senate Transportation Committee is hammering out a 30-bill package to address the state's extensive road and bridge repair issues. Included is a proposed gas tax hike to fund the $1.4 billion per year needed for the renovation. As the Detroit Free Press says, that portion is being pushed down the committee's agenda in favor of other measures that are less costly to taxpayers. Here are details about road work and gas tax increases in Michigan.

BP hikes dividend after strong fourth quarter (AP)

AP - BP PLC has raised its quarterly dividend by 14 percent after posting double-digit gains in profit and revenue in the last three months of 2011 despite further big payments to compensate for the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Path iPhone app shown to be uploading iOS address books to its servers (Appolicious)

Appolicious - One of the most popular social networking apps available for iOS and Android devices is in a bit of hot water.

RIM tells European developers it's "ready to compete" (Reuters)

Reuters - Next-generation software for BlackBerry's smartphones is "ready to compete", Research In Motion's new chief executive, Thorsten Heins, told more than 2,000 technical developers on Tuesday, expressing confidence in RIM's long-term future.

Amazon, Viacom close to Web video deal (Reuters)

Reuters - Amazon.com Inc is about to announce a Web video deal with Viacom Inc in what sources said was one of the last steps in a plan to launch a standalone subscription service to compete with Netflix Inc.

Radioactive element found in fish far from Vermont nuclear plant (Reuters)

Reuters - Trace amounts of a radioactive element found in fish near the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant have now been found in bass in an opposite corner of the state, apparently clearing the plant of any tie to the contamination, a state health official said.

Oil prices climb as Iran threatens EU supply cut (AP)

AP - Oil prices climbed above $98 per barrel Tuesday after Iran again threatened to cut off supplies to Europe. Here's how energy prices traded.

Summary Box: Jobs flow from mobile, Facebook apps (AP)

AP - CAREER OPPORTUNITY: All those apps being made for smartphones, computer tablets and Facebook's online social network are helping the U.S. economy lower its unemployment rate. A study released Tuesday by the technology trade group TechNet estimates apps are responsible for creating about 466,000 U.S. jobs since 2007.

Oil prices rise as Iran threatens EU supply cut (AP)

AP - Oil prices climbed above $98 per barrel Tuesday after Iran again threatened to cut off supplies to Europe.

LiveScience.com - It seems the general public just can't make up its mind about the existence of man-made climate change. Rather than steadily increasing or decreasing over the last decade, the U.S. public's concern over our warming planet has jumped up and down, according to Gallup polls. But what exactly is driving this seesawing of opinions on climate change?

Facebook may open source some of its back-end code this year (Digital Trends)

Digital Trends - CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently described Facebook as embracing âthe hacker way,â which is to say that the company has a sort of freedom and interest in constantly innovating, breaking, and creating without boundaries that limit other enterprise businesses. How much that applies to Facebook in practice has long been up for debate, but the company may be edging closer in that direction in the near future.

The World is Crazy Enough Without Scratch-N-Sniff Pants (ContributorNetwork)

ContributorNetwork - COMMENTARY | It goes to show you that some people aren't worried about such weighty issues as the global economy or tensions in the Middle East. They're not even worried, it would appear, about climate change or starving children in countries far, far away. According to The Sideshow, the company Naked and Famous is making a $150 pair of men's jeans that can stand months without washing and smells, when scratched, like raspberry candy.

Green auction expected to raise millions for environment (Reuters)

Reuters - Bidders will be able to buy fine art, a vacation in the Maldives, or an internship with designer Donna Karan and help the planet at the same time in Christie's annual Green Auction, which is expected reap millions for environmental causes.

Exclusive: China buys up Saudi, Russian oil to squeeze Iran (Reuters)

Reuters - China is scouring the world for alternative oil supplies to replace a fall in its imports from Iran, as it seeks to negotiate lower prices from Tehran, and has been drawing heavily on Saudi Arabia.

Average Maine heating oil price rises 1 cent (AP)

AP - The average price for home heating oil in Maine has risen one cent from last week to $3.72 a gallon.

Judge allocates time for start of oil spill trial (AP)

AP - A federal judge has set aside nearly seven hours for opening statements in a trial over the deadly rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico that resulted in the nation's worst offshore oil spill.

BP preparing "vigorously" for oil spill lawsuits (Reuters)

Reuters - BP said it was preparing "vigorously" for lawsuits related to its Gulf of Mexico oil spill, which are due to start later this month, as it unveiled a rise in fourth-quarter earnings boosted by higher oil prices and one-off gains.

BP preparing "vigorously" for oil spill lawsuits (Reuters)

Reuters - BP said it was preparing "vigorously" for lawsuits related to its Gulf of Mexico oil spill, which are due to start later this month, as it unveiled a rise in fourth-quarter earnings boosted by higher oil prices and one-off gains.

Nepal's vulture "restaurants" for endangered birds (Reuters)

Reuters - In the village of Pithauli, surrounded by ripening mustard fields, a woman hauls a cow carcass on a trolley, drops it in an open field, then runs and hides in a nearby hut as dozens of vultures swoop down.

Could the Wind Turbines of Chile Harm Blue Whales? (Time.com)

Time.com - The energy-starved country needs wind power but environmental critics say it will not only mar the landscape but harm the wildlife

Canada's Harper in China visit focused on energy (AP)

AP - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is visiting China to discuss oil sales and other economic ties following U.S. President Barack Obama's rejection of a pipeline carrying Canadian oil across the continental United States.

Commercial Composting a Growth Industry in Austin (ContributorNetwork)

ContributorNetwork - While Austin, like most Texas cities, has a recycling program, the capital of the state is experimenting with commercial composting, using food and other organic waste to create mulch and potter's soil for commercial use, according to the Austin American Statesman.

Organization Warns of EPA 'Regulatory Avalanche' (ContributorNetwork)

ContributorNetwork - The Texas Public Policy Foundation is warning of an "approaching regulatory avalanche" in a report. The foundation says new rules in the works by the Environmental Protection Agency could cost billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of jobs. Here are the details of the report.

After U.S. oil snub, Canada focuses on China (Reuters)

Reuters - Canada will focus on exporting oil and other goods to China and other booming Asian economies even if Washington overturns its decision to block a pipeline that would have sent more Canadian crude to the United States.

Italian industries see cuts in Russian gas (AP)

AP - Italy announced emergency energy measures Monday, cutting gas supplies to some industries to make sure that private homes stayed warm during a severe cold spell.

Nigeria names seven behind Eni pipeline blast (Reuters)

Reuters - Nigeria's military has named seven people it says were behind an attack on an oil pipeline belonging to Italy's Eni on Saturday, and denied a claim that a former separatist militia in the Niger Delta was responsible.

Massachusetts gas prices edge up another 2 cents (AP)

AP - Massachusetts residents are paying two more cents a gallon at the gas pump, the seventh consecutive week of increases.

With oil pipeline attack, Niger Delta rebels announce return (The Christian Science Monitor)

The Christian Science Monitor - With the destruction of a major oil pipeline in Nigeriaâs oil-rich Niger Delta region, Nigeria now has two major internal threats to deal with.

Chevron rig burns off Nigeria as damage hits shore (AP)

AP - As a fire at a Chevron Corp. gas rig off Nigeria's coast continues to burn, locals say they're seeing signs of its effects on the environment and the health of those living nearby.

Explosion rips through main Syrian oil pipeline in Homs (Reuters)

Reuters - An explosion ripped through an oil pipeline feeding a main refinery in the city of Homs on Monday and a plume of smoke was seen rising from the site, residents and activists said.

Report: Iran navy rescues tanker from pirates (AP)

AP - Iran's state TV reports that the country's navy has opened fire on pirates to foil an attack on an Iranian oil tanker near the Gulf of Aden.

China bars its airlines from paying EU carbon tax (AP)

AP - China announced Monday it will prohibit its airlines from paying European Union charges on carbon emissions, ratcheting up a global dispute over the cost of combatting climate change.

Sierra Club Received Millions from Natural Gas Industry (ContributorNetwork)

ContributorNetwork - According to a blog post from Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune, the environmentalist organization accepted millions of donated dollars from the natural gas industry to fight against coal-fired plants nationwide. Here are the details.