Google takes on Facebook and Twitter with network site

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Google's Vic Gundotra shows off Buzz on a mobile phone

Google has taken the wraps off its latest social network known as Buzz.

The service - integrated directly with its e-mail service Gmail - allows users to post status updates, share content and read and comment on friends posts.

The site pitches Google directly against rival networks such as Facebook, which has amassed nearly 400 million users since its launch in 2004.

Buzz will try to capitalise on the number of regular Gmail users, which is currently around 170 million people.

BBC News technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones said that the launch appeared to be a "major land grab by Google for the social networking space".

"They've launched Buzz with plenty of interesting new features, particularly for mobile users, but the real question is whether there's enough to entice social networkers away from sites like Facebook and Twitter," he said.

Rival Yahoo already offers a service that allows people to see updates from sites such as Twitter and Flickr from inside their Yahoo Mail page.

Local chatter

The new features are built directly into Google's free e-mail service Gmail.

Users can post private or public status updates - known as a buzz - and share content from other sites such as Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and Picassa.

Facebook has nearly 400 million users

The messages - highlighted with a Buzz symbol - are incorporated directly into a person's Gmail inbox. Private updates are automatically added to a user's profile page, whilst public updates will also be available to search engines.

The site also incorporates elements of Twitter, such as the ability to "follow" people that share updates, and features that appear in Facebook such as the ability to "like" content.

Buzz will also recommend content from people that it thinks you may like to see and incorporate it directly into a users content stream.

Google Buzz product manager Todd Jackson described it as "an entirely new world in Gmail" during a press event at Google headquarters in Mountain View.

The firm has also integrated it with its mapping service and mobile platforms. For example, it has launched a mobile application for phones running its operating system Android.

Status updates sent from phones will record the location of the sender and add it to the message.

Other users can then search public messages from their phone.

"You can see what people in your neighbourhood are saying," said Google's Vic Gundotra.

Public updates will also be added to Google Places, a directory of businesses that include reviews of restaurants and theatres, for example.

The firm has also built the technology into the mobile versions of its maps.

It is not the first time Google has tried to launch a social network.

In 2004, it released Orkut. However, while it has become big in countries such as Brazil and India, it has been overshadowed by sites such as Facebook elsewhere.

The firm also recently launched Google Wave, a tool that mixes e-mail, with instant messaging and the ability for several people to collaborate on documents in real time.

Facebook is currently the most popular social network worldwide.

Last week it rolled out a new site layout and design for parts of the service to make it easier to search messages and chat.

Toyota in new doubts over fault remedies

Toyota's latest woes were the Prius' brakes

A US Congressional committee has cast doubts on Toyota's plans to fix its two acceleration problems.

In a memo to lawmakers it said there was growing evidence neither Toyota nor federal safety officials had identified all the faults.

The memo cited "substantial evidence" of redesigned floormats failing to stop the pedals sticking under the mats.

Earlier, Toyota recalled 436,000 hybrid vehicles worldwide, including its latest Prius, to fix brake problems.

The total includes more than 200,000 Prius cars sold in Japan and 8,500 cars in the UK.

The memo from the US House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee also raised questions about the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The committee had been due on Wednesday to publicly grill Toyota's management, as well as federal regulators, but bad weather means the hearing will now take place later this month.

"There appears to be a growing body of evidence that neither Toyota nor NHTSA have identified all the causes of sudden unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles," said the memo, which was dated 5 February, but released on Tuesday.

"Moreover, there is substantial evidence that remedies such as redesigned floor mats have failed to solve the problem."

The saga began in the US with reports that accelerator pedals were getting caught under the floormats.

The Japanese car giant began taking back vehicles potentially affected by that problem in October last year and Toyota redesigned the mats.

The floormat issue affected a number of vehicles in the US, but not the UK.

Later, separate acceleration problems were found to be caused by the pedal sticking.

This is being fixed by adding a small piece of metal - called a "shim" - in a procedure that Toyota starts at dealerships in the UK on Wednesday.

Company president Akio Toyoda made the latest recall announcement at a news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday.

Afterwards, he told reporters he might go to the US next week to explain details about the recall.

Credit rating agency Moody's said it had put Toyota's credit rating on review for a possible downgrade, following the latest recall.

Slow reaction

Toyota's president has come under criticism in Japan itself from the country's Transport Minister Seiji Maehara for not reacting quickly enough to recall faulty vehicles.

"I wish you had taken measures earlier rather than simply saying it was not a major technical problem," Mr Maehara told Mr Toyoda in a meeting.

There have been complaints in Japan and the US that the brakes momentarily fail when driven on rough or slippery road surfaces.

US federal regulators received 124 reports from drivers about it, including four of crashes.

There have been no reports of any such accidents in the UK.

Before it announced the Prius recall in Japan, Toyota estimated its losses would reach $2bn (£1.23bn) in costs and lost sales.

The Prius recall is expected to send this figure even higher.

Chile's new leader Pinera names cabinet

Mr Pinera said he would focus on economic growth and job creation

Chile's president-elect Sebastian Pinera has named his cabinet, leaving out any figures linked with the former military ruler, Augusto Pinochet.

Instead, he has drawn on business leaders and academics from across the political spectrum.

Mr Pinera, a wealthy businessman, is the first conservative elected president since the country's return to democracy 20 years ago.

There had been concerns faces from the Pinochet era would return to office.

But Mr Pinera has opted for a cabinet packed with independents and technocrats, with no party political affiliation, says the BBC's Gideon Long in Santiago.

Only four ministers come from his own party and he even included one minister from the opposition - Jaime Ravinet, who will head the defence ministry.

Economist Felipe Larrain is to take the finance portfolio; Mr Pinera's campaign chief Rodrigo Hinzpeter is to get the interior ministry; while Alfredo Moreno is to be foreign minister.

In his election campaign, Mr Pinera said he would focus on boosting economic growth and producing jobs while continuing with the outgoing President Michelle Bachelet's social policies.

His election ended 20 years of centre-left rule in Chile.

Mr Pinera, 60, made his fortune introducing credit cards to Chile.

He went on to buy a television channel, a stake in Chile's most successful football club and millions of dollars in other investments.

Sudan and Chad to end hostilities

Despite the smiles, mistrust remains between the two sides, say analsyts

Sudan says it is ready for a full normalisation of relations with neighbouring Chad, raising hopes of an end to the conflict in Darfur.

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir said a visit from Chad's President Idriss Deby had "put an end to all the problems" between the countries.

Mr Deby urged Chad's rebels, based in Sudan, to lay down their arms.

In the past Sudan and Chad have accused each other of sponsoring each other's rebel movements.

After two days of talks, neither side made firm commitments to expel the rebels using their country as a base to attack their neighbour.

'Common battle'

There have been many agreements between Chad and Sudan in recent years.

The BBC correspondent James Copnall in Khartoum says these negotiations between the two presidents give some grounds for optimism, even if there is still much mistrust between the two sides.

President Bashir said: "Deby and I are here to confirm to the Sudanese-Chadian people that we have turned the page of our differences and disputes between the two states.

"From today, our common battle is the realisation of peace, security and stability for the affluence of the people of the two states."

He also announced a joint project to develop Sudan and Chad's common border.

Last month the countries also agreed to joint military patrols in the area either side of the border, and to remove the rebel troops they have influence over from near the frontier.

Ballots, not bullets

For his part, President Deby called on the Chadian rebels to lay down their arms, and guaranteed their safety if they returned to Chad from Sudan.

"I will give you security guarantees so you can return to your country and... rejoin civil society," Mr Deby said.

He invited Mr Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes in Darfur, to visit Chad's capital, N'Djamena, soon.

He urged the armed Chadian opposition groups to take part in elections due this year. Chad will also hold a presidential vote in May 2011.

The US special envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration, told the BBC the commitment by the two presidents was a step in the right direction.

But he added that until the two governments moved to reduce the power of their proxy militias, little progress could be made.

Portsmouth 1 - 1 Sunderland

Dindane's late equaliser was the least Portsmouth deserved

Aruna Dindane equalised in the 96th minute to earn cash-strapped Portsmouth a deserved draw against Sunderland.

Pompey, who face a winding-up order on Wednesday, went behind when Ricardo Rocha saw red for tripping Darren Bent and the striker scored from the spot.

Sunderland had Lee Cattermole and David Meyler sent off, while Matt Kilgallon volleyed against a post.

But Pompey's numerical advantage told and Dindane nodded home a Jamie O'Hara cross at the death to earn a point.

A draw was the very least Portsmouth deserved for an outstanding display on a night when their entire existence was in the balance.

The debt-ridden south coast outfit have a date at the High Court on Wednesday, when they face a winding-up petition relating to an unpaid VAT bill of £7.5m.

They remain in talks with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs over a deal which they hope will lead to action being dropped but if their appeal against the petition fails, they could be placed into liquidation.

In the meantime, Portsmouth may go into administration and incur a 10-point deduction, but that would at least allow the books to be audited and keep alive their hope that a new owner can be found.

And spirits around Fratton Park will be lifted by a performance of great character and persistence from Avram Grant's team.

They remain rooted to the bottom of the Premier League, seven points adrift of safety - but in football terms they are capable of avoiding relegation to the Championship.

Given the off-field turmoil that has surrounded the club, it was hardly surprising that they got off to a nervy and disorganised start.

Portsmouth had won only one of their previous nine league games and it was easy to see why when Papa Bouba Diop failed to clear a long pass forward and Rocha inadvertently clipped Bent's heels as he raced through on goal.

Confusion ensued as referee Kevin Friend wrongly showed Hassan Yebda the red card, but Rocha eventually owned up and was dismissed.

Bent stepped up to beat David James with a low strike that went in off the goalkeeper's right-hand post.

The home fans ensured any sense of dejection was swiftly banished by raising the roof in support of their team and Pompey responded magnificently.

Dindane was denied by the legs of Craig Gordon, Jamie O'Hara almost went through on goal and Diop lashed into the side-netting from an acute angle.

Pompey felt they should have had a penalty just before half-time when Dindane was hauled down by George McCartney and Grant was so incensed that his protestations at the interval led to him being ordered to the stands.

Sunderland came into the game in no form of their own - winless in their previous 11 league games and without an away victory since the opening day - and they were struggling to keep pace with the hosts.

Strikers Dindane and Frederic Piquionne were proving increasingly problematic to the visitors and Pompey appealed for another penalty when McCartney appeared to trip Piquionne as he bore down on goal.

By that stage Cattermole had been given his marching orders for nasty-looking fouls on Dindane and Angelos Basinas but, in a rare attack, Sunderland almost doubled their lead when Kilgallon thundered a left-footed volley against the post.

Jones almost connected with a Bent cross-cum-shot but, otherwise, it was all Portsmouth and they even had a numerical advantage after substitute Meyler was sent off for an elbow on Steve Finnan.

Grant's men skilfully engineered a number of openings late on and Piquionne headed wide from a glorious position.

Finally, however, Pompey's pressure told as the tireless Dindane nodded in at the back post from O'Hara's enticing deep centre.

Brazil star Ronaldinho doubtful for World Cup squad

Brazilian Ronaldinho has played 87 times for his country

Ronaldinho could miss the World Cup after being omitted from Brazil's final warm-up friendly ahead of the summer tournament in South Africa.

He will not face Ireland at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium in London on 2 March.

The AC Milan star, 29, has not played for Brazil since the start of 2009, but his improved recent form has encouraged supporters to call for his return.

But coach Dunga has resisted pressure from the fans and local media in Brazil to recall the ex-Barcelona forward.

The 1994 World Cup winning captain has kept faith with Michel Bastos (Lyon), Juan and Doni (both Roma), Kleberson (Flamengo) and Gilberto (Cruzeiro).

Former Manchester City forward Robinho, who is now on-loan at Santos, has been included in the squad as has Liverpool midfielder Lucas. But there is no place for Manchester United midfielder Anderson.

Ronaldinho won the World Cup in 2002 and famously knocked out England at that tournament after lobbing keeper David Seaman with a second-half free-kick.

Brazil legend Pele was another who called for Ronaldinho to return to the fold.

Ronaldinho has appeared 87 times for his country, scoring 32 times.

He was also twice named World player of the year in 2004 and 2005 and has won the prestigious Ballon d'Or (european player of the year) once.

Nigeria add Giovanni Trapattoni to coaching targets

Trapattoni's Republic of Ireland came close to World Cup qualification

Giovanni Trapattoni has been added to the Nigerian Football Federation's list of preferred candidates to take over as national team coach.

The 70-year-old Italian is currently manager of the Republic of Ireland and is contracted to lead them through to the end of the Euro 2012 qualifiers.

Nigeria fired coach Shaibu Amodu at the weekend and need a new boss for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.

Trapattoni joins a list of five other coaches being targeted by Nigeria.

The others are Egypt coach Hassan Shehata, Guus Hiddink who is currently in charge of Russia, Louis Van Gaal, former Senegal boss Bruno Metsu, ex-Ghana coach Ratomir Dujkovic, and one-time England caretaker manager Peter Taylor.

The NFF has pledged to reach a decision by the end of February.

Trapattoni's Republic drew 1-1 with Nigeria in a friendly match at Fulham's Craven Cottage ground in May 2009.

They missed out on World Cup qualification after a controversial play-off against France in which Thierry Henry's handball allowed his team to level on the night and progress on aggregate.

Trapattoni is also a former coach of the Italian national team, and enjoyed huge success at club level at Juventus, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich and Benfica.

Fulham 3 - 0 Burnley

Swedish striker David Elm scored and set one up for the Cottagers

Fulham extended Burnley's dismal away run in controversial circumstances at Craven Cottage.

Danny Murphy lashed home the opener from eight yards after being teed up by David Elm, who looked clearly offside.

Elm then tapped home a second after Brian Jensen parried a shot from Bobby Zamora, who also appeared offside when he received the ball.

Zamora rounded off the win with a 20-yard free-kick as the Cottagers coasted to victory.

It was a familiar story for Burnley's success-starved travelling support but the visitors will feel aggrieved at two key decisions that went against them in the first half.

For injury-hit Fulham it was a welcome - and ultimately comfortable - win but their two decisive first-half goals could both have been ruled out.

The Cottagers had scored only once in their last five league games but could be encouraged by the visitors' extraordinarily inept away form.

The Clarets arrived in west London with just a solitary point from their previous 12 away matches, while conceding at a rate of about three goals a game.

The clearest opening in the scrappy early exchanges fell to Damien Duff in farcical scenes that would prove ominous for the visitors.

The Irish midfielder found himself in acres of space down the right-hand side but looked almost surprised to be deemed onside - and duly wasted the chance to cross.

The Clarets looked to be matching their lacklustre opponents until another poor decision from the referee's assistant led to Brian Laws' side falling behind.

Nicky Shorey's lofted pass from the left found Elm, who looked a clear foot ahead of the last defender before he headed the ball into the path of the onrushing Murphy.

The Fulham captain deftly controlled with his chest before superbly firing a volley past Jensen.

Steven Fletcher almost levelled instantly when his sizzling left-footed effort flew just past the post, before the Cottagers scored another disputed goal.

This time, Zamora was the man who appeared offside when he raced onto Chris Baird's pass down the line.

Zamora was allowed to cut inside and his shot was parried by Jensen straight to the feet of Elm, who calmly dispatched the ball past the helpless Clarets keeper.

Burnley boss Laws immediately introduced winger Chris Eagles for injured defender Leon Cort as the Clarets attempted to hit back.

The closest they came was from free-kicks, with a 25-yard Tyrone Mears effort grazing the crossbar and Danny Fox hitting a set-piece straight at Mark Schwarzer.

Zamora almost added a third goal after the break when the ball fell kindly to him the area but Jensen got down superbly to palm the striker's low effort around the post.

However, it didn't take long for Fulham's top scorer to get on the scoresheet. After David Edgar felled Zamora on the edge of the area, the striker picked himself up to place a low free-kick past Jensen.

If the keeper felt disappointed not to get a hand on the shot, he partially redeemed himself minutes later by saving well with his legs from substitute Stefano Okaka.

Burnley battled to find a way back into the game and Eagles missed two good chances to add some tension to the closing stages - but Fulham's eighth home win of the season never looked in danger.

Burnley's away record will not look any healthier after another comprehensive defeat on the road, but Laws will be left wondering what might have been if the game's vital decisions had gone his way.

Man City 2 - 0 Bolton

Tevez was fortunate his first-half penalty finished up in the net

Manchester City moved up to fifth place in the Premier League with an uninspired victory over Bolton.

Carlos Tevez struck with a fierce penalty that went in after hitting goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen.

It was awarded after Paul Robinson brought down Adam Johnson, while Bolton should have had a spot-kick after Kolo Toure tangled with Johan Elmander.

Tevez hit the crossbar with a free-kick before Emmanuel Adebayor struck a ferocious volley to secure the points.

The match was a pale imitation of the thrilling 3-3 draw the two teams contested at The Reebok in December, with the tempo often disappointing and clear openings at a premium.

But after losing two of their last three Premier League matches, it was a welcome result for Roberto Mancini's team as they continue their quest for fourth place.

City have not lost at home since April 2009 and Bolton have not won on the road since September so the result is hardly a surprise.

But it nonetheless adds to the precariousness of Bolton's position. Owen Coyle's side were hardly outplayed during what was for the most part an even contest but the result means they remain one place above the relegation zone. Bolton have now lost four out of six since Coyle took charge.

City, who lost at Hull on Saturday, set about the match with vigour and enjoyed plenty of early success down the left-hand side, with Wayne Bridge delivering several crosses.

Patrick Vieira, making his home debut along with Johnson, almost got on the end of a teasing ball from the marauding City full-back after just three minutes.

Mancini sent his side out with Vieira, Nigel de Jong and Gareth Barry in midfield behind a three-pronged attack of Tevez, Adebayor and Johnson.

Adebayor tried his luck with an overhead kick while Barry struck the side netting, but after their bright start the home team started to look short of ideas and Bolton gradually prised their way into the contest.

Apart from a Johan Elmander shot that flew wide, Coyle's side created few openings, but Bolton at least looked comfortable until Robinson stuck his leg out and felled Johnson on the half-hour mark.

The City forward was close to the byeline and going nowhere before Robinson's misjudged tackle gifted the penalty, which Tevez struck straight at Jaaskelainen and was fortunate to see deflect into the goal.

Bolton should have been awarded a spot-kick of their own after Toure brought down Elmander with a crude lunge, but it was the Swede who was penalised by referee Michael Jones.

City came close to doubling their lead when Jaaskelainen inexplicably opted to leave a curling free-kick from Tevez that crashed against his crossbar.

Johnson, only 20-years-old but perhaps the most impressive player on the pitch, then delivered a teasing cross towards Tevez that the Bolton keeper put behind for a corner.

Former Boro winger Johnson was a menace throughout, not just with his crossing ability but also his willingness to cut inside and run at the opposition, and he left to a standing ovation when he was withdrawn late on.

Adebayor struck his spectacular goal with 20 minutes remaining, controlling Vieira's raking pass with his chest before volleying the ball beyond Jaaskelainen with a force that left the Bolton keeper powerless.

Former Arsenal midfielder Vieira was in direct opposition to Jack Wilshere, who made his full Bolton debut after his loan move from the Gunners.

And the Trotters loanee showed enough glimpses of his ability to pass and dribble to suggest he can make a significant impact on the remainder of the season.

Chung-Yong Lee should have pulled a goal back for Bolton in the latter stages but his low strike was saved by Shay Given.

Wigan 1 - 1 Stoke

Tuncay's header was the Turkish striker's fifth goal of the season

Tuncay's well-taken header denied Wigan a much-needed victory and kept up Stoke's unbeaten start to 2010.

Paul Scharner's spectacular first-half header from just inside the box looked to have put Wigan on course for a win.

And Hugo Rodallega went close to extending the lead with an overhead kick which clipped the crossbar.

But Stoke drew level through Tuncay's header from Matthew Etherington's cross before Mamady Sidibe and James Beattie missed chances to win the game.

Stoke manager Tony Pulis will be the happier with a rare away point which stretched his side's unbeaten run to seven games.

Roberto Martinez's Wigan appear destined for a battle to avoid the drop after picking up just seven points from their last 10 games and fans will be disappointed to see the team surrender a lead once again.

Wigan have now lost 16 points from winning positions, which alongside Bolton is the joint worst record in the league.

Pulis dropped Ricardo Fuller to the bench following his arrest over a nightclub incident at the weekend, while Martinez restored Jason Scotland alongside Rodallega.

Despite the Stoke fans making more noise than their counterparts, Wigan made the brighter start, with Rodallega and Charles N'Zogbia stretching the visitors' defence.

The opening goal came courtesy of a free-kick after Etherington's body check on N'Zogbia. The delivery found Scharner, who leapt, and from fully 16 yards, headed the ball past Thomas Sorensen's outstretched left hand.

N'Zogbia continued to look the most skilful player on the pitch, troubling Stoke with several pacy runs.

But Stoke improved as the half wore on and went close when Robert Huth's free kick found its way through to Ryan Shawcross and the centre-half's shot on the turn was blocked by two Wigan defenders.

Moments later Stoke forward Sidibe was granted the time and space to line up a volley on the edge of the area, but he sliced his effort horribly wide.

Stoke had a great chance to equalise early in the second half when a deep free-kick found Robert Huth at the far post. The tall defender headed the ball into Tuncay's path but the Turkish striker failed to make a clean contact four yards out.

Pulis sent on Fuller for Rory Delap as Stoke went in search of an equaliser, while Martinez brought on Jordi Gomez for Scotland in an attempt to shore things up.

Although Wigan seemed content to soak up pressure from the visitors, they went close to doubling their lead on the counter-attack.

Rodallega controlled a long ball superbly and teed himself up for an overhead kick, which clipped the top of the bar.

Shortly afterwards, Sidibe found space in the area but his shot was well saved by Chris Kirkland.

But the Wigan goalkeeper could do nothing to prevent Stoke drawing level in the 74th minute.

Fuller broke clear down the right and his low cross was cleared as far as Etherington. The winger manoeuvred the ball onto his left foot and delivered a cross for an unmarked Tuncay to head in.

Two minutes later, the Potters almost turned the game around as Fuller nodded Etherington's cross back for Sidibe, who saw his header bounce off the crossbar.

And with seconds on the clock, England hopeful Etherington pulled the ball back to Beattie in space on the edge of the box. The former England striker's shot was sweetly struck but Kirkland, at full stretch, managed to push it away.