San Francisco - Online auctions giant eBay has begun to remove all auctions for virtual items from online games ranging from "World of Warcraft" to "Neopets," Slashdot reported. [more..]

New York - Verizon Wireless, the second-largest U.S. wireless carrier, passed on an offer nearly two years ago to become Apple's exclusive partner in distributing its iPhone -- a deal later accepted by rival and largest U.S. carrier Cingular, USA Today reported. [more..]

London - The BBC reports that YouTube plans within several months to introduce a means of sharing ad revenue with the creators of the thousands of videos it hosts. [more..]

New York - Liberal talk radio network Air America Radio announced on Monday that it has reached a tentative agreement to be acquired by Stephen Green, chairman of New York real estate firm SL Green Realty Corp. [more..]

New York - Fifty-seven percent of U.S. teachers use Internet-based news in the classroom, while only 28% use daily newspapers, according to a survey conducted by the Carnegie-Knight Task Force on the Future of Journalism Education. [more..]

Washington - News Corp.'s MySpace online social network announced on Monday that it will donate technology that allows websites to block convicted sex offenders to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, for use by law enforcement in investigations. [more..]

London - Fueled by broadband penetration, revenues from legitimate movie and TV show download services are expected to grow tenfold to $6.3 billion in 2012, according to a report from market research firm Informa Telecoms and Media. [more..]

New York - ROO Group, a provider of online video distribution services, announced on Monday that it has received a strategic investment from News Corporation, which has taken a 5% stake in the company. [more..]

Palo Alto, Calif. - LinkedIn, an online social network focused on business networking, announced on Monday that it has raised $12.8 million in its third round of venture capital financing, led by Bessemer Venture Partners and European Founders Fund. [more..]

Irvine, Calif. - New Motion, a provider of digital and mobile entertainment content, announced on Monday that it will acquire the mobile messaging assets of Mobliss, a unit of Japan's Index Corp., and launch an Asian-themed mobile entertainment portal in North America with Index Visual & Games. [more..]

Boston - RatePoint, the provider of a new, open system for rating websites and other online content, has raised $1 million in its first round of venture capital, led by Prism VentureWorks and .406 Ventures. [more..]

Fort Myers, Fla. - NeoMedia Technologies, a provider of mobile marketing technology, has agreed to pay $1.6 million in cash and 61 million shares of NeoMedia stock to acquire Gavitec, a Germany-based maker of code readers for mobile marketing, mobile ticketing and mobile coupons. [more..]

Tewksbury, Mass. - Video editing technology firm Avid announced on Monday that its Softimage subsidiary is building 3D game development software in close collaboration with Electronic Arts' Chicago studio. "The demand for High Definition (HD) games for next-generation game consoles that play on today's plasma and LCD widescreen monitors makes 3D game development a much more complex process," Avid said in a press release. EA's Chicago studio, which developed "Fight Night" and "Def Jam: Icon," will use Softimage's XSI software to design high-end characters for an upcoming next-generation title. [more..]

Emeryville, Calif. - Orb Networks on Monday introduced a new TV interface for its service for Nintendo Wii owners that allows them to access the digital entertainment on home PCs from their televisions through the Wii. Emeryville, Calif.-based Orb said that 50,000 gamers have begun using its MyCasting software bridge for the Wii, accessing YouTube videos and listening to their PC music collections. The company announced last week that it developed a similar bridge for Sony's PlayStation 3. [more..]

San Diego - User-generated video community and technology provider VMix announced on Monday that it has partnered with Tribune Interactive, to provide the company's newspaper websites with technology to manage user-generated videos, photos, blogs, ratings and polls. San Diego-based VMix will power user-generated content on websites for Tribune properties including the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and Baltimore Sun. [more..]

Washington - The CTIA, a wireless industry association, said on Monday that former presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton will both speak at its CTIA Wireless 2007 event in Orlando. The former presidents will appear for one hour in a joint keynote session on March 29, which will include individual remarks and a question-and-answer session. Bush and Clinton co-founded of the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund, which has raised and distributed more than $100 million for victims of hurricane disasters. [more..]

Washington - Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between CBS' Showtime Networks and the Smithsonian Institution, said on Monday that its new video-on-demand service will feature a slate of over 60 programs when it makes its debut later this spring. The high-definition programming will include feature documentaries, events, and short subject exploration of the major scientific, cultural, and historical events of the day. Smithsonian Networks also said it entered a co-production deal with the BBC for its "Timewatch" series. [more..]

Redmond, Wash. - NexTune announced on Monday that it has allocated $50,000 in free music to offer consumers who help to build its music recognition database. Redmond, Wash.-based start-up NexTune aims to provide an alternative to song ID systems offered by Gracenote, FreeDB and All Music, which adds additional song information like tempo, style, vocals, moods and instruments used. The company is offering consumers a 10 cent credit for purchases in its online CD store for every song profile they submit to NexTune. [more..]

Redwood City, Calif. - Musiwave, a provider of mobile music delivery services, announced on Monday that it signed an agreement to power a mobile music service for wireless carrier Cricket Communications. Set to launch for Cricket subscribers nationwide later this year, the deployment is Musiwave's first in the U.S. market; the company also powers mobile music services for Vodafone, Telefonica and Orange in Europe; and for Telus in Canada. [more..]

Atlanta - AT&T (Cingular) announced on Monday that it has renewed its wireless agreement with Fox and FremantleMedia for "American Idol." AT&T will now offer mobile entertainment including clips of audition videos, and Bad Audition ringtones to AT&T subscribers. Other features will include mobile chat, trivia and Live Idol Tones. [more..]

Cambridge, Mass. - MediaUnbound, a provider of music recommendation and personalization technology, said on Monday that Napster Japan has licensed its technology for the mobile music service it offers to NTT DoCoMo subscribers in Japan. Massachusetts-based MediaUnbound's recommendations are also used on the PC version of Napster Japan's music service. [more..]

Montreal - Dynasty Gaming, a publisher of online games for an Asian audience, said on Monday that it has signed a deal with Beijing Sohu New Era Information Technology, a unit of Chinese online portal Sohu.com, to distribute and market its online Mahjong game. The Mahjong title and other Asian online games from Montreal-based Dynasty will be offered on Sohu's casual games area. [more..]