From Future of Television Forum West - What will be the evolutionary path of the digital living room? Will devices drive functionality, or will it happen the other way around, where functionality dictates the design of devices? Speakers at the Future of Television conference disagreed.

Oslo, Norway - Ezmo, a Norway-based developer of online music storage and sharing technology, has been shut down by owners Fast Search and Transfer (FAST), according to a post on the company's blog. The service let users upload their music collections to its servers, and access it from any Internet connection -- as well as share their online music libraries with up to ten friends. Ezmo said on its blog that the revenue model for its free service was to be music sales and promotion, but repeated meetings and contact with the major labels did not result in licensing deals. "Their terms were not compatible with the conditions a small start-up operates under," the company said.

Redmond, Wash. - Microsoft announced on Tuesday that it has offered $1.2 billion to acquire Fast Search & Transfer (FAST), a Norway-based provider of enterprise search technology and services. The offer represents a 42% premium to the closing price of FAST's shares on Jan. 4, and the deal has been approved both by the company's board, and shareholders representing 35% of outstanding shares.

Oslo, Norway - FAST, a Norway-based provider of search technologies, announced this week that it will lay off 148 employees, as part of a restructuring the company says will reduce operating expenses by $12 million per quarter.

Needham, Mass. - Fast Search & Transfer (FAST), a provider of enterprise search technologies, announced that it has acquired AgentArts, a provider of recommendation and personalization software for music, video, games and mobile entertainment.

Oslo, Norway - Fast Search & Transfer, a developer of search technologies, has announced the launch of a private-label contextual advertising service that will allow businesses to serve relevant ads on their own websites without using Google's services.