Monday 8am Silicon Valley news report:

The Coming Superbrain -NYTimes

The concept of ultrasmart computers — machines with “greater than human intelligence” — was dubbed “The Singularity” in a 1993 paper by the computer scientist and science fiction writer Vernor Vinge. He argued that the acceleration of technological progress had led to “the edge of change comparable to the rise of human life on Earth.” This thesis has long struck a chord here in Silicon Valley.

Ad Revenue on the Web? No Sure Bet -NYTimes

“This is the ultimate debate: What is the nexus of what users want and what the economics will allow?” Mr. Westergren said. “Certain services offered too much and couldn’t afford it, and others charged too much for features people weren’t willing to pay for. There has to be a middle ground, and we’re still looking for it.”

With ex-Google exec, AOL seeks another fresh start -SFGate

Armstrong's ability to find the right formula could be especially put to the test if Time Warner formally separates itself from AOL by spinning the Internet division off into a standalone business, as the company is exploring.

Intel Adopts an Identity in Software -NYTimes

Intel tries to play down its competition with Microsoft. Since Moblin is open source, anyone can pick it up and use it

Yahoo eyes acquisitions, social media -Reuters

Yahoo's vast number of users give the company an extensive social networking backbone. That means Yahoo can quickly build-out its social infrastructure with "tuck-ins" of interesting products being developed by other companies, Balogh said.

O'Brien: Events provide ray of hope for valley economy -MercuryNews

But based on the purely anecdotal and unscientific survey of my e-mail, it feels like this region is experiencing a frenzy of meetings that I haven't seen since dot-com days. And if you're looking for at least one positive sign about the valley's innovative ecosystem, this may be it.

A Facial-Recognition-Based Playlist? WSJ

It may not work out for the strong silent types, but the premise of the technology is that a cellphone would take a photo of the user’s face, analyze his facial characteristics and tailor a playlist to suit his mood.

Judge Backs Craigslist in South Carolina Case -WSJ

A federal judge on Friday blocked South Carolina's attorney general from making any move to prosecute Craigslist Inc. executives for ads that lead to prostitution arrests while the company pursues a lawsuit against the state.

Online magazine tries to be a lab for media future -AP

"The idea isn't just to write a story and then add a video or an audio piece," explains Flyp senior editor Matthew Schaeffer. "It's to really figure out the best way to conceptualize these stories as multimedia pieces."

Facebook block ahead of Iran vote hampers youth -AP

"We are disappointed to learn of reports that users in Iran may not have access to Facebook, especially at a time when voters are turning to the Internet as a source of information about election candidates and their positions," Elizabeth Linder, a spokeswoman for Facebook, said in an e-mailed statement following questions from The Associated Press.

Recession suddenly humbles high-tech sector -AP

"We thought owning our own place would get us somewhere," he said. "But now we've got to stay. It's either stay, foreclose, or short sell."

Use of online classifieds skyrockets -SFGate

People older than 55 were less likely to use an online ad. But in an interview, Jones said one surprise was that people ages 18 to 24 also were less likely to use them.

Arguments end in case over right to DVD backups -SFGate

Attorneys for the major movie studios tried to slam the door Thursday on a software program aimed at allowing consumers to make backup copies of their DVDs.