Roundup: Dean's game conference, Google's ISP measuring, and more

January 29, 2009 | Eric Eldon

Here’s the latest action:

VentureBeat game guru Dean Takahashi’s announces his new games conference — GamesBeat 09, taking place in March, will bring together a wide range of industry leaders to look at how games are evolving and becoming more central to our lives. Coincidentally, Dean’s alma mater, UC Berkeley, began offering a full-credit course on the computer game Starcraft today.

Google, researchers, release internet connection measurement tool — In a shot across certain internet service providers’ bows, the app specifically shows you if an ISP is throttling your BitTorrent downloads. Check it out here.

New Yahoo chief executive Carol Bartz — A legend in the making?

Facebook’s final CNN inauguration traffic numbers — The most interesting use of Connect to date, Facebook users who went to CNN’s live video stream of the presidential inauguration last week sent more than two million status updates at the final count.

Vladimir Putin discusses the prowess of Russian programmers, talks smack to Michael Dell — Watch this video from the Davos conference for more.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMR1BZ9aYM8&hl=en&fs=1]

House of Representatives rejects TV analog-to-digital switch — more here.

Coupons.com buys iPhone shopping application GroceryIQ — For Coupons.com, this comes fresh off of hiring an Android engineering leader as its new chief technology officer. Apparently, the company is taking a keen interest in mobile these days.

Yahoo to move out of 400,000 square feet in Santa Clara towers — The company will be out by May. Also, it apparently moves away from the the pets-community vertical and startup rival Dogster rejoices.

Google product manager to be Obama’s “director of citizen participation” — It’s not clear what that means, but Peter Kafka gathers “that she plans on using Web tools to let, well, citizens participate in the Obama White House.”