Coalition formed for "Google Phone"

Google today is announcing a new "open phone" coalition, with the goal of developing an operating system for the so-called "Google Phone."

The new operating system, geared specifically for cellphones, will be used to showcase and promote Google's services, much like Microsoft has done for decades with its Windows operating system.

Google's coalition partners, as of Sunday, included Sprint, Motorola, Samsung and Japanese wireless giant NTT DoCoMo, according to people familiar with Google's plans. Notably absent: AT&T and Verizon Wireless.

Google did not respond to e-mails seeking comment.

The new G-system will be based on Linux and overlaid with Java, a popular computer language.

The finished product, expected within months, will unabashedly favor Google applications and services, with a reported spring target date for shipment.

Microsoft

College hoops, ESPN on Xbox Live

Microsoft has added college basketball and other ESPN programming to the growing lineup of video content available for download to its Xbox 360 video-game console.

Microsoft and ESPN said people can buy complete NCAA basketball and football games, the X Games sports competitions and programs like ESPN's "Madden Nation," which chronicles a competition of "Madden NFL" video-game players, from the Xbox Live Web site.

Xbox 360 users can buy commercial-free standard-definition versions of select NCAA games for $3, and high-definition versions for $4.50, within 48 hours of the game's conclusion. ESPN TV shows, like the other TV content on the Xbox Live download site, cost $2 for standard-definition and $3 for high-def versions.

As part of the agreement, ESPN is considering ways to incorporate the Xbox Live online-gaming community into its telecasts. The companies did not disclose financial terms. ESPN already delivers live, streaming sports footage to customers of certain broadband Internet providers.

Ballard Power

Daimler, Ford eye fuel-cell assets

Ballard Power Systems is negotiating with Daimler and Ford Motor to sell its automotive fuel cell assets because of high development costs.

The Vancouver, B.C., company said Sunday it is pursuing strategic alternatives because of the "lengthy project timeline to commercialization" for fuel-cell technology,

Germany's WirtschaftsWoche business magazine reported that Ballard has agreed to sell its auto unit to Daimler. An agreement could be announced as early as this month, the magazine said.

MySpace

More ads to be tailored to profiles

The popular online hangout MySpace is expanding its program for letting advertisers target their pitches using personal details on users' profile pages.

Since July, MySpace has allowed more than 50 leading advertisers, including Procter & Gamble, Ford Motor and Taco Bell, to target any of 10 interest groups, such as movies, travel and auto.

In the program's second phase, launching today, MySpace is adding an 11th category, television, along with hundreds of subcategories, such as horror movies.

Facebook was scheduled to announce its own ad program Tuesday, though officials refused to discuss its nature.

UW Bothell

Professor assigns Wikipedia project

Instead of asking students in her environmental-history course to turn in one big paper at the end of the semester, University of Washington, Bothell, professor Martha Groom is requiring them either to write an original Wikipedia article or to do a major edit on an existing one.

Since the advent of the Web, she said, the quality of sources students cite has deteriorated.

For her students, the Wikipedia experiment was "transformative," and students' writing online proved better than the average undergrad research paper.

Compiled from USA Today, The Associated Press and Bloomberg News