Google Inc.'s stock price sailed past $600 for the first time Monday, extending a rally that has elevated the Internet search leader's market value by about $25 billion in the past month.

  Internet phone company Vonage Holdings Corp. on Monday took a step back from the brink, saying it has settled for $80 million a patent suit filed by Sprint Nextel Corp.

  U.S. diplomats are revealing their personal sides on the new State Department blog.

  Hackers in Turkey have attacked more than 5,000 Swedish Web sites in the past week, and at least some of the sabotage appears linked to Muslim anger over a Swedish newspaper drawing that depicted the Prophet Muhammad's head on a dog's body.

  MSNBC Interactive News LLC said it acquired Newsvine Inc., a small Seattle startup that lets visitors read and comment on news stories from mainstream media outlets.

  May you live in interesting timesIt had to happen sooner or later. Newsvine has always been a startup company funded by venture capital. That means, very often, the eventual buy-out by a bigger player. To quote myself from earlier this evening:

  Esteemed Members of the Newsvine Community,

  The recent rush by major Internet portals to buy advertising companies and extend their sales networks is a sign that the business of being a one-stop shop for information and entertainment isn't what it used to be.

  Now's the time! What new features would you like to see on Newsvine? What should new buttons do?

  AS I was in the final throes of getting my most recent book into print, an employee at the publishing company sent me an e-mail message that stopped me in my tracks.

  Software developers would like you to believe that with every new version, their products improve substantially, adding slicker interfaces and more powerful features, and making better use of faster processors and more RAM.

  With CD sales tanking, the RIAA now wants radio to pay up, and Rep. Berman has come out in support of their request.

  It's reasonably clear that the RIAA chose to head to trial with a case it knew it would win. Across the board, the RIAA's case was strong.

  Apple's hugely popular digital music player isn't as ubiquitous as most people think, which explains why rivals like Microsoft keep trying to dethrone it, writes Fortune's Richard Siklos.