Microsoft acquires mapmaker MicroMap
The acquisition continues a race by Microsoft and its competitors on the Internet to develop their digital mapping capabilities.

Congressman questions Google on data retention and privacy policies
A House Republican on Wednesday sent a letter to Google Inc. , asking the Internet search company to provide more information about its search practices and targeted advertising.

On the Internet, no one knows if you're 7 years old
Victoria Shannon on how parents can teach safe surfing to youngsters, and how Web sites and Internet service providers can help.

Regulator in Italy nearing Telecom Italia decision
The company, which dominates the Italian retail and wholesale fixed-line markets, is being pushed to give other companies equal access to its network.

Yahoo Finance partners with CNBC to distribute business news
Yahoo Finance, the most popular business news Web site, began distributing content from the business news channel CNBC on Wednesday.

Penthouse Media Group acquires social networking sites
Marc Bell, chief executive of Penthouse, said the company was investing $500 million in Various and its networking subsidiaries, which include adult-oriented sites.

Sony bringing back the 'wow factor'
The chief executive, Howard Stringer, said the company had recovered from its past financial problems after almost three years of restructuring.

Food makers in Europe volunteer to cut ads directed at children
The move is being made as obesity becomes a greater concern in the European Union and follows pressure on the food and beverage industry.

Protests accompany Google's expansion of Street View
The popular feature was introduced in eight new American cities Tuesday, but it has raised privacy concerns.

Le Web 3.0: Silicon Valley comes to Europe
Le Web 3.0 is a place where ideas sprout, companies coalesce, mergers are made and financing is secured. But whether that ecosystem can last beyond the conference is another matter.

Ask.com places a bet on online privacy
The search engine has rolled out a new service, AskEraser, that allows users to make their Internet queries more private. Some critics have said the feature will not be a big selling point, but privacy advocates are hoping other search engines follow suit.

The European Union's law banning fake "free" offers and other misleading advertisements went into effect Wednesday in an initiative to lift consumer confidence entering the holiday season.

The Unfair Commercial Practices law of 2005 calls for the national authorities to shut down and sanction retailers using banned ploys, like offers that have hidden costs.

The measure requires approval by national governments and has yet to be implemented in Germany, France, Britain and 10 other countries in the bloc, the European Commission said.

Companies in Britain spent more on online advertising per capita than in any other country in 2006, Ofcom, the country's telecommunications regulator, said in a report. Companies spent £33, or $66, per person in advertising online, Ofcom said, £2 more than companies in the United States.

Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, the largest Italian book and magazine publisher, said it would begin selling the women's magazine Grazia in Australia and New Zealand next year. Mondadori is controlled by the former Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi.

Sony Ericsson won the backing of the European Commission to sell a 50 percent stake of the software developer UI Holdings to its rival, Motorola. UI Holdings owns UIQ Technology, which licenses open user interface and development platforms to mobile phone vendors.

Amazon in France lost a lawsuit filed by book stores over claims its free delivery option violated a French law regulating book prices. A court on Tuesday ordered Amazon.com to pay the syndicate €100,000, or $147,000, and start charging for books shipped from Amazon France's warehouse in Orléans.

Microsoft filed 52 lawsuits in 13 countries against resellers who allegedly sold counterfeit software over the Internet. Fifteen of the suits involve software traced to a commercial counterfeit-software syndicate broken up this year in China, the company said. Lawsuits were filed in seven European countries, including Britain, France and Germany.