SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – In the face of increasing government-led crackdowns on social media, Google Inc (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) should not force Internet users to reveal their real names for some services, including its Google+ social network, said Vint Cerf, a senior Google executive known as a “father of the Internet.”

In an interview with Reuters, Cerf acknowledged that the search giant’s sweeping push in the past 18 months to institute real-name authentication for Google+ and other services has sparked intense debate within its Mountain View, California, headquarters. But he argued that current name policy, which allows for some users to display pseudonyms, offers adequate “choice” in how users choose to represent themselves.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Years before becoming a publicly traded internet juggernaut, Facebook (FB.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) tried an unorthodox tactic to expand its influence – giving start-ups money to build Facebook apps.

Now, unlisted internet telephony firm Twilio and its financial backer are attempting to recreate Facebook’s success.

By Gerry Shih

(Reuters) – Salesforce.com Inc on Thursday reported better-than-expected quarterly sales of $835 million, backed by strong sales of its cloud-based services.

Shares gained 4.9 percent after hours to $177.50, after closing up 1.4 percent at $169.22 on the New York Stock Exchange.

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 26 (Reuters) – When Hadi and Ali Partovi
immigrated to America from Iran in 1984, they slept in the same
cramped bedroom as their parents, who exhausted their life
savings on the teenage boys’ education.

Nearly 30 years later, the twin brothers are firmly planted
in the tech industry’s elite circles, after selling companies to
Microsoft and News Corp’s MySpace, and tapping
the rare connections to invest early on in Facebook,
Dropbox and Zappos.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Google Inc transformed the Internet by cataloging the Web’s countless pages. Now it wants to keep better track of the Web’s multitude of users.

The Mountain View, California-based company said Tuesday it would begin encouraging websites and mobile apps to accept log-in credentials via Google+, its social network.

, Feb 24 (Reuters) – One by one, the
entrepreneurs, clad in crisp blue jeans and armed with
PowerPoint presentations, stood before a roomful of investors
and tech bloggers to explain their dreams of changing the world.

For these exuberant times in Silicon Valley, the scene was
familiar; the setting, less so.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Microsoft Corp(MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) is cooler than you might think.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that just under half of 853 respondents between the age of 18 and 29 thought Microsoft is cooler now than it was a year or two ago.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Microsoft Corp is cooler than you might think.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that just under half of 853 respondents between the age of 18 and 29 thought Microsoft is cooler now than it was a year or two ago.

The software maker, often derided in Silicon Valley for failing to dream up products that captivate a new generation of social media and mobile savvy consumers, managed to pip Facebook Inc in the survey – only 42 percent of young adults thought the world’s largest social network is cooler now than in the past. Twitter scored 47 percent, below Microsoft’s 50 percent.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Twitter Inc said on Wednesday it is opening up its platform to third-party advertising management software, taking another step to establish its ad-based business model ahead of an initial public offering.

The ads application programming interface, or API, would allow advertisers to connect their existing ad management software to their Twitter account to automate ads on the micro-messaging platform.

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 12 (Reuters) – The battle between two of
Silicon Valley’s most richly valued private Internet companies
ratcheted up on Tuesday as Dropbox unveiled the first
comprehensive upgrade to its cloud-storage product aimed at
corporate users.

With the move, the $4 billion-valued Dropbox, which has been
a popular sensation in the consumer market, is squarely taking
on Box Inc., a similar file-sharing service that has positioned
itself in recent years as the option for security-conscious
corporate IT departments.