New York - U.S. Internet ad revenues rose 11% in the third quarter from the same period a year ago, and 2% from the second quarter, to nearly $5.9 billion, according to a report from the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers. While double-digital annual growth continues, IAB said, the quarter-to-quarter curve remains relatively flat compared to recent past performance.

New York - With its hopes for a takeover by Microsoft (NASD: MSFT) all but evaporated, Yahoo (NASD: YHOO) continues to talk with media giant Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) about acquiring at least a portion of AOL, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. Citing two people familiar with the situation, the news service reported that executives from both sides continue to negotiate over terms of the potential deal, in which Yahoo would take over AOL's advertising business in exchange for a stake in the combined company.

New York - Internet dating site eHarmony.com said on Wednesday that it has settled a discrimination lawsuit in New Jersey, and will begin accepting personal ads from gays and lesbians for the first time. A New Jersey man sued the eight-year-old company in 2005 after it rejected his personal ad; the company did not previously accept any ads from gay people.

Bellevue, Wash. - In the wake of Yahoo (NASD: YHOO) CEO Jerry Yang's announcement yesterday that he will step down, Microsoft (NASD: MSFT) CEO Steve Ballmer said on Wednesday that his company is still no longer interested in acquiring Yahoo, but remains open to a search partnership, the Associated Press reported. "Let me be clear," Ballmer said at Microsoft's annual shareholder meeting, "We are done with all acquisition discussions with Yahoo."

Last week we reported that the Nintendo Wii Fit video game is currently the most searched for product in the UK. In that post we also identified the Apple iPhone as the third most searched for product, followed by the Nokia N96 in fourth position. As the table below illustrates, during October mobile phones were the most searched for category of consumer electronic products in the UK, receiving over twice the volume of searches as video games, and three times that of computers.

Sunnyvale, Calif. - Following months of ridicule from angry investors, Jerry Yang late Monday announced plans to resign as the CEO of Yahoo (NASD: YHOO). Yang, a co-founder of the company, will return to his previous role of "chief Yahoo," the company said. Chairman Roy Bostock will lead a search for his replacement, which the company said will include both internal and external candidates.

UPDATED. I wish I could say more, but I will have to leave it to this, and let the judicial process do its job.
November 17, 2008
RE: SEC Civil Action in the United States District for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division.
Mark Cuban today responded to a civil complaint filed by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission in the United States District for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division. In its complaint, the Commission charges that Mr. Cuban engaged in violations of the federal securities laws in connection with transactions in the securities of Mamma.com Inc.