Yahoo takes big leap with $1.1B deal for Tumblr

SAN FRANCISCO | Yahoo is buying online blogging forum Tumblr for $1.1 billion as CEO Marissa Mayer tries to rejuvenate an Internet pioneer that had fallen behind the times.

Florida is a vacation paradise for dogs

With miles of sandy beaches, endless winter sunshine and a laid-back vibe, there's no reason to leave your four-legged friend behind when you vacation in Florida.

Glasses to fit the wine: Riedel's worldwide legacy

Wine glassware company Riedel says the right glass can make or break your wine. Maybe so, but perfection isn't cheap.

Break the Habit: How families can change their routines for the better

Breaking habits can be tough, but luckily there are many ways to reach your goals.

What's the speed limit? No signs means 30 mph

VALPARAISO | A request to lower the speed limit on Lincolnway to 25 mph through the downtown led to a discussion at Tuesday's meeting of the city's Traffic and Safety Committee of whether the speed limit on all unposted roads should be 25.

Bing to duel Google with Facebook-friendly format

SAN FRANCISCO | Microsoft's Bing search engine is heading in a new direction as it drills deeper into Facebook's social network and Twitter's messaging service to showcase information unlikely to be found on Google.

Merrillville man has dream job: Google's 'altered logo' illustrator

Ryan Germick works for Google on its Google Doodle Team, imagining and inventing the design for the fun Google logos that grace the website "every so often" to celebrate a holiday or pay tribute to a date.

Google this: Merrillville man has dream job as search website's 'altered logo' illustrator

Jan. 7 marked the 100th birthday of the late Charles Addams, creator of "The Addams Family" characters for The New Yorker magazine and later a television series for ABC. Ryan Germick said he felt a definite connection.

Google Leap Year 2012 Logo by Ryan Germick

Ryan Germick's illustration of the Google logo for Feb. 29 included goofy frogs celebrating leap year.

Google Doodler Ryan Germick of Merrillville

Ryan Germick, a 1998 graduate of Merrillville High School, has worked as an illustrator for the Google Doodle Team since 2006.

NWI pols are friending the social media

If there are yard signs and pumpkins on the front lawn, full-color campaign fliers piled in mailboxes and politicians trooping through neighborhoods like overgrown trick-or-treaters, it must be election time -- for dinosaurs.

YOUNG VOICES: Using information is key to Internet age riches

Information is our generation's currency, and Google is filthy rich.

Despite friction in China, Google digs in

BEIJING — Google may appear to be under siege in China, but a sense of normalcy — Google style — pervades the company's headquarters here.

Google

Chances are, if you've used the Internet, you've used software from Google. The multibillion dollar corporation offers dozens of free products from maps and e-mail to photo sharing and shopping results.

GUEST COMMENTARY: Mobile devices will dominate our lifestyles this year

The Great Recession might have delayed the onslaught of mobile devices as a driver of our digital culture, but 2011 will be the year when many aspects of our lifestyles are influenced by mobile communications: