AOL said today it has signed a five-year search advertising deal with Google renewing its partnership with the search company that dates back to 2002. Under the terms of the deal Google will provide search services to AOLs content network and properties, in exchange for a revenue-sharing arrangement between the two companies which will be expanded to include mobile search and YouTube. Today is another important step in the turnaround of AOL, said Tim Armstrong,

Almost all iPhone or iPod touch users have downloaded a free app, but 82 percent have actually made a music purchase from iTunes, according to a new survey from NPD. More than half )56%( of iTunes buyers purchase music exclusively, and majority of iTunes user search time is focused on looking for music. Sales growth in digital music has been slowing, and some of that decline might be related to the distraction from apps; however,

Office supply retailer Staples said today it will begin selling Amazons Kindle in all of its stores this fall. Staples said it will sell the $139 version of the Kindle, the Kindle 3G )$189( and the Kindle DX )$379(. As part of our efforts to offer customers a wide range of top technology products and services at amazing values, the new Kindle is a natural fit, said Jevin Eagle, executive vice president of merchandising and marketing at Staples .

The New York Times has introduced a Log in With Facebook feature, which allows users to link their NYTimes.com and Facebook accounts and share content with others. Log in With Facebook is an opt-in feature. To view personalized content, users connect their Facebook and NYTimes.com accounts, which allows them to share articles from NYTimes.com with their Facebook friends on the site and on the social network. The NYTimes.

Baskin-Robbins has launched a new campaign for its Facebook fans to get free scoops of ice cream. Baskin-Robbins Facebook fans can sign up for Group Scoop on Facebook and start their own group or joins someone elses. Once the number of people in a Group Scoop reaches 31, the organizer and all 30 other members will receive a coupon for a free 2.5 oz scoop of ice cream or a 3 oz swirl of soft serve.

Social networking use among Internet users ages 50 and older nearly doubled from 22 percent in April 2009 to 42 percent in May 2010, according to a new report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Social networking use among Internet users ages 50-64 grew by 88 percent over the past year, from 25 percent in April 2009 to 47 percent in May of 2010. During the same period, use among those 65 and older grew 100 percent from 13 to 26 percent. By comparison,

Nearly 40 percent )39%( of Facebook users who become fans of a brand do so to show their support of a company to their friends, according to new study by ExactTarget. Consumers use Facebook to interact with friends, be entertained and express themselves through their public affiliation with brands - factors that combine to create a potent viral marketing platform, said Jeff Rohrs, principal, ExactTargets research and education group.

Apple is reportedly in talks with News Corps Fox, CBS, NBC Universal and Walt Disney to allow iTunes users to rent TV shows for 99 cents. Under the deal, according to Bloomberg , episodes would be available to rent 24 hours after they air, would be commercial free and available to iTunes users for 48 hours. The content deals would strengthen Apples position against competitors like Netflix and Amazon.com, which offer their own online video services.

Online retailer Overstock.com has launched a private sales website today called Eziba.com. Eziba offers exclusive deals on home dcor products from a variety of popular brands. Items will be offered in daily sales starting each day at 11 EDT. Each sale will last between 48 and 72 hours. "We are excited to launch Eziba.com ," said Overstock.com President Jonathan Johnson. "Overstock.com has relationships with a large network of suppliers,

Online ad spending is set to grow almost 14 percent, from $45.6 billion, in 2010, to $51.9 billion, in 2011, according to a new forecast from Borrell Associates. By next year, local online advertising should grow by almost 18%, from $13.7 billion, in 2010, to $16.1 billion, in 2011. Targeted display advertising is forecast to grow almost 60 percent in 2011, reaching $10.9 billion for national and local combined.

Satellite TV company Dish Network has launched DishOnline.com, a new video portal that integrates live and recorded TV with more than 150,000 movies, TV shows, clips and trailers. DishOnline allows users to watch live TV, their DVR recordings, and view movies, TV shows, and clips from the Food Network, Discovery Channel, MTV, EPIX, Starz and Encore with a paid subscription. Users can search for content by title, network, actor or genre.

YouTube is inviting Gulf Coast residents to submit videos sharing their reflections on Hurricane Katrina to mark the fifth anniversary of the disaster. The YouTube Blog offers more details. In 9 days we will commemorate the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina with a collection of videos on the YouTube homepage created by New Orleans area residents. In partnership with ABC 26 )WGNO(, a local television station in New Orleans,

Online retail spending in the UK reached $7.8 billion )5 billion( in July the most of any month this year according to IMRG Capegemini e-Retail Sales Index. Brits spent an average of $126 per person online, marking a turning point since the lows of the last two years. The Index has grown by 18% compared to last July, in the biggest annual jump for the month of July since before the recession in 2007. As retailer promotions drew shoppers online,

AT&T has introduced a new redesign of its Yellowpages.com homepage with an emphasis on image-based layout. AT&T is rebranding its homepage as YP.com with tagline "Click Less. Live More." YP.com is focused on helping users "eat, play, and live" locally. "We want to give today's user more access to content that allows them to explore and stay locally connected," said David Krantz, president and CEO at AT&T Interactive.

Consumers in the UK are spending nearly half )45%( of their time watching TV, using mobiles or other communication devices, according to a new survey by government regulator Ofcom. They are now sending four times as many texts per day than in 2004, spending nearly a quarter of their time on social networking site like Facebook and Twitter and spending 3 hours and 45 minutes watching TV per day.

State Farm Insurance said today it will release an Android widget on Monday, August 23, aimed at reducing the problem of distracted driving. The On the Move widget allows Android users to write and preload customized messages that can be sent as automated responses to incoming text messages. The service if free to anyone with an Android smartphone. "It is our hope that this widget will prevent crashes and save lives," said Laurette Stiles,

Cameron Diaz is now the most dangerous celebrity to search for online, replacing Jessica Biel, according to a new report from McAfee. McAfee says searching for the latest Cameron Diaz pictures and downloads leads to a ten percent chance of visiting a website that has threats, such as spyware, adware, spam, phishing, viruses and other malware. "This year, the search results for celebrities are safer than they've been in previous years,

TV Guide has introduced its free TV Guide App for iPad, sponsored by Showtime and featuring social TV listings, entertainment news, and its fall TV preview coverage. The TV Guide App for iPad features share buttons for Facebook and Twitter allowing users to share what TV shows they plan to watch via their social networks. "Our iPad app makes it easier than ever for entertainment fans to share what they're watching - and when it's on - with their friends," said Christy Tanner,

Video sharing site Vimeo, a division of IAC, said today it will release a universal player that allows people to watch embedded videos on mobile devices such as the iPhone or iPad using HTML5. "With the latest generation of browsers and devices, we've had huge demand for an embeddable player that works with HTML5 and on devices like iPad and iPhone," said Andrew Pile, Vice President of Product and Development for Vimeo .

AOL said today it has launched 100 Patch local news sites and has plans to grow that number to 500 by the end of the year. AOL plans to hire 500 journalists to support its Patch expansion and it will likely be the largest hirer of full-time journalists in the U.S. this year. "Today's launch of our 100th site is a significant milestone for us. We began with just three Patch communities in February 2009,