Thursday 8am Silicon Valley news report:

Free as in Android -TechCrunchIT

Streaming video servers will become the gas stations of the near future, parking enough bits to finesse the look-ahead of new video as it hits the network, perhaps caching your favorite sites or follows based on your and your affinity cloud’s behavior.

New Web site to amplify debate on Google book deal -AP

If the settlement wins federal court approval this fall, Google will emerge with the right to make digital copies of millions of copyright books no longer in print.

AT&T May Have Swayed ‘Idol’ Results -NYTimes

Representatives of AT&T helped fans of Mr. Allen at the two Arkansas events by providing instructions on how to send 10 or more text messages at the press of a single button, known as power texts. Power texts have an exponentially greater effect on voting than do single text messages or calls to the show’s toll-free phone lines.

Twitter co-founders are mum on revenue plans -AP

...after nearly one hour of questions from journalists Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher and from the audience, the co-founders gave no clear picture of Twitter's business model.

Russian firm invests $200M in Facebook -SFGate

Both Milner and Zuckerberg spoke of Facebook's plans to review the ways that social-networking sites in Digital Sky's portfolio make money from online advertising and selling online gifts, and potentially adopt some of those strategies.

Mobile Data Growth Boosting Backhaul Demand -NYTimes

While data has been a good way for the wireless operators to scoop up easy cash, they’re all facing a future in which they’ll be spending a lot of money on infrastructure.

Intel says EU fine won't lead to dividend cut -Reuters

Intel has for now cornered the fast-growing market for inexpensive netbooks, made for simple functions such as surfing the Web, with its Atom processors. Many fear that that fast market growth may be at the expense of higher-priced laptops.

Iran lifts block on Facebook access -SiliconValley.com

Iran restored access to Facebook on Tuesday, after a block on the social-networking Web site last week generated accusations that the government was trying to muzzle one of the main presidential campaign tools of the reformist opposition.

Autonomy Tool Analyzes Data From Facebook, Social Networks -PCWorld

Companies can look at a dashboard in their content-management system that provides "visual information on the context of the chatter" about a company's product, he said, letting them know if it is positive or negative.

The Woz Says Jobs Sounds ‘Healthy, Energetic’ -WSJ

On the sidelines of the All Things D conference, Mr. Wozniak said Mr. Jobs “doesn’t sound like he’s sick,” nor did he seem to be in a health crisis. Mr. Wozniak said, however, he has never directly asked Mr. Jobs how he is.

Sony Pictures CEO: The Internet Is Still Bad -TechDirt

Markets change. They may cause trouble for dinosaurs unable or unwilling to adapt, but they have not harmed content creation or the content business. And it's not "the internet" that has harmed the "most talented creators of that content

AT&T announces plans to boost 3G network -SFGate

It's not official yet that Apple will be rolling out a new iPhone at the Worldwide Developers Conference next month. But what is official is that AT&T is preparing to boost its 3G network, effectively doubling the theoretical download ceiling.