Twitter turns entire accounts into ads

Twitter has unveiled another effort to make money from its microblogging service. With its latest advertising programme, “Promoted Accounts”, advertisers can pay the company to promote their Twitter accounts to certain users, reports The Register.

Currently, from a sidebar on the right-hand side of its homepage, Twitter offers a list of accounts users may want to follow based on whom they are already following, and under the new programme, advertisers can pay for a spot among these suggestions.

“We're launching Promoted Accounts as part of 'Suggestions for You', which suggests accounts that people don't currently follow and may find interesting,” the company says in a blog post. “Promoted Accounts helps introduce an even wider variety of accounts people may enjoy.”

Thousands of UK shoppers were unable to pay by credit or debit card on Saturday afternoon, when Barclaycard's processing system crashed and left retailers unable to serve their customers, reports Computing.

Barclaycard said the delay was the result of a “technical issue”. According to the BBC, Sainsbury's said all of its 872 stores were affected for about 20 minutes, during which time no payments by card were possible.

A Barclaycard spokesperson said: “We have conducted a thorough investigation into the issue and have established that it was caused by a systems error, which affected our ability to authorise transactions.”

Google has shed a little more light on Google TV, introducing a preview site ahead of launch events over the next two weeks, notes CNet.

There hadn't been a whole lot more said about Google's plans for the small screen since it first revealed the product in May at Google I/O. However, the site reveals more visual clues as to how Google TV will look and feel when it arrives this month.

Google also used the occasion to announce content partners that have decided to optimise their Web sites for the software, including Turner Broadcasting, NBC Universal, HBO, and the National Basketball Association.

BT is seeking a moratorium on legal applications to obtain details of its customers who are alleged to have illegally shared files online, states BBC.

The firm outlined its stance following a high-profile data breach at London law firm ACS:Law last week. The leak saw thousands of customers' details from various ISPs - including BT-owned PlusNet - published online.

BT said it wanted a temporary halt on all new and existing applications until a "test case" could be heard. It was originally to be heard yesterday, but was adjourned until 11 January 2011, following a hearing at London's High Court.