Along with the recent speculation over Google Me, a potential fully fledged social networking arm of the search firm, it’s now rumoured that Google wants to sneak its tentacles into the online gaming pie.

According to TechCrunch, the firm has made a stealthy investment in Zynga (the outfit responsible for FarmVille) to the tune of $100 to $200 million, to form the basis of Google Games.

FarmVille is the online game which has proved a big hit on Facebook, where it has helped propel the site to its near half a billion users these days.

TechCrunch has said that multiple sources have confirmed the Google and Zynga deal, which was allegedly closed about a month ago.

The website also pointed to a Google advert for a “Project Management Leader, Games”.

This is still very much speculation, of course, but Google is trying to carve its way into many territories these days, so both the social networking and gaming projects sound like fairly reasonable possibilities to us.

The rest is here:
Google Games to launch with Zynga?

Apple has said that some of its Time Capsule back-up hard disks sold in a five month period in 2008 may be faulty.

The devices may not boot up, or may be temperamental and shut down randomly, Apple was reported as saying at Macworld.

The exact period, Apple states in a support document on its site, is between February 2008 and June 2008.

The affected Time Capsules will have serial numbers between the range: “XX807XXXXXX” and “XX814XXXXXX”.

Not all drives will be hit with this bugbear, as it’s just a potential issue. Affected users should contact an Apple store or authorized service provider to find out whether their drive is eligible for repair or replacement.

Read more:
Faulty Apple Time Capsules recalled

The rumours circulating that Wikileaks is about to be abandoned by its editor aren’t true, a spokesperson for the site has said.

Wikileaks defines itself as a “multi-jurisdictional public service designed to protect whistleblowers, journalists and activists who have sensitive materials to communicate to the public.”

The rumour was started by a posting made by a “Wikileaks insider”, which accused editor Julian Assange of planning to cease updating the website, stating that Assange was set to move to Iceland to open a new site.

The Wikileaks spokesperson told The Next Web: “We just read your story and can basically only make one comment: Do not feed the troll. There is no substance to this posting at all. We will be issuing a press release soon I think in order to address this bulls**t campaign once and for all.”

The press release in question is expected to be released soon.

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Wikileaks site denies closure rumours

Ebay has come up with a new app for the iPhone which allows its users to sell items when they’re away from home.

Vendors will be able to list items for sale in super-swift time, using barcode scanning technology (via the iPhone’s camera), and they’ll be able to manage items, and organise delivery when sold.

The barcode scanning technology sounds particularly cool, as with a simple snap, you can have your item up there with all the relevant details automatically filled in (an album’s track list, for instance).

Of course, you can also put a picture up to illustrate your goods using the iPhone’s camera as well.

Furthermore, the app puts a number of useful tid-bits of information at your fingertips when listing, such as the average price of the item in question.

The Ebay selling app is a free download, and you can grab it as ever from the iTunes store.

See the rest here:
Ebay produces new iPhone app

More news from the Apple grapevine – or should that be Apple tree – this morning, regarding the latest hot topic, the next iPod Touch.

We reported last week on the John Lewis leak, which claimed that Apple was planning a 5 megapixel camera, with a flash and HD video recording capabilities, for the upcoming version of the device.

It seems that this might turn out to be much as it sounded, rather too good to be true, according to sources who have spoken to 9to5 Mac.

These apparently well informed sources say the camera will be a 3.2 megapixel affair, more along the lines of the one to be found nestling in the iPhone 3GS.

It does also make sense that Apple would want to leave its new iPhone 4 with a technological lead over the iPod Touch.

The John Lewis source also claimed the upcoming iPod Touch will have a gyroscope, and second camera plus FaceTime, though there’s no clarification on those points of speculation.

We should find out for sure in September at the latest, when Apple is likely to confirm the relevant tech specs.

More:
iPod Touch will have 3.2 megapixel camera, not 5