CircleUp, Inc., provider of social messaging for online and real world groups, announced that its flagship service is now a deeply integrated Facebook application that can be added to any Facebook user’s profile.

CircleUp is a free Internet messaging service that lets clubs, associations, Greeks, groups and teams ask questions and gather information, decisions, links, photos and feedback to get back a single, aggregated, visual result instead of a blizzard of messages. The CircleUp application for Facebook is designed specifically to enhance Facebook
groups and groups of friends, and it allows users to organize both offline and online activities.

With the addition of Facebook as a messaging and publishing channel, CircleUp is helping to define the new era of Email 2.0 where users can get the messages they need through the channels they want, and can manage the amount of information sent to any one channel to improve personal efficiency and reduce information overload.

CNN Money reports that Facebook CEO and Founder Mark Zuckerberg was seen in Seattle supposedly to meet with Microsoft. The sighting came after the news a few days back that Microsoft is looking at buying a stake in Facebook.

Friendster, Inc. today launched Fan Profiles, a new feature that enables over 40 different entity types (musicians, artists, non-profit organizations, among others) to connect with existing fans and build a fan base within the global community. Fan Profiles come with an extended set of promotional features: mass email capabilities, contact list management, unlimited fan base aggregation, and more. Fan Profiles offer entities immediate access to over 50 million registered Friendster members, and give those seeking online exposure a new, powerful tool.

Firmly believing that Facebook is no longer for college students, a new college-only social network, College.com, is launched. It is a one-stop shop for information and communication between students. College.com stays true to the school by requiring an .edu address.

“Facebook has largely abandoned its core student audience in favor of an open platform for widget aficionados, businesses and soccer moms. College.com is emerging in this vacuum as the collegiate-only social network. We connect students to their social life as well as their course work,” said founder Jon Davidman.

Students can create user profiles and connect online with people in their classes. It also integrates course schedules, professor profiles and rankings, event listings, study aids and other features that combine the academic elements of college with a student’s social life. Students can also access online note cards to organize their workload and study for exams.

If you have been a big fan of romantic movies like Sleepless in Seattle, Love Affair, and An Affair to Remember, here’s your chance to be one of the 14 couples to get married or renew your vows at the infamous Empire State Building this coming Valentine’s Day 2008.

The Empire State Building and Conde Nast Bridal Media’s Brides.com has announced the call for entries to couples around the world to exchange their vows and say, “I do” atop the famed Empire State Building with the exclusive planning, fashion and beauty help of Brides.com. The call for entry begins today and goes until October 31. Couples will be chosen and notified by November 19.

This year marks the first year couples from around the world can officially enter online to be chosen as one of the lucky 14 couples who will be given the wedding of their dreams at the most romantic place on the most romantic day in 2008.

To be selected, couples should visit www.brides.com/esb or www.esbnyc.com to submit their personal love stories, photos and reasons for wanting their special day to be held at the Empire State Building. Winners will be selected based upon the originality and distinctiveness of their submissions and their connections to America’s favorite building.

Stardoll, the world’s largest online entertainment destination devoted to girls interested in fame, fashion and friends, has announced that leading fashion and beauty retailers DKNY and Sephora will be the first internationally recognized brands to set up a virtual shop in Stardoll’s virtual galleria – the “starplaza.”

Similar to a real life shopping experience, each shop will have a unique look and feel that is consistent with each brand. The tables, shelves and wallpaper in the DKNY shop, for example, are inspired by photos taken directly from stores. In addition to multilevel storefronts for DKNY and Sephora, the starplaza features nine dynamic shops for each of Stardoll’s own virtual brands with garments merchandised on shelves, virtual mannequins, tables and hangers.

“The millions of members of the Stardoll community are a group of great relevance to the future of our brands and it is exciting to be able to interact with them in their space. In bringing the exceptional style and offerings of DKNY and Sephora to Stardoll, we hope to further enhance the experience for their members and to gain valuable insight into the virtual world that will benefit our brands and our current and future customers,” said Antonio Belloni, Group Managing Director of LVMH, the parent of Sephora and Donna Karan.

Anastasia Goodstein, author of Totally Wired: What Teens And Tweens Are Really Doing Online, and publisher of Ypulse.com, a blog for youth media and marketing professionals, will speak to parents and educators across the country this fall about how teens are using technology. Beinggirl.com, the P&G web site created by teen girls for teen girls, is the lead sponsor for the tour. Media sponsors include DivineCaroline.com and ParentingTeensOnline.com.

Goodstein will be speaking to parents about blogging, social networking, cyberbullying, technology use at school and at home at conferences, schools and libraries. Her message in two words: “Don’t panic.” Goodstein’s presentation covers the good and the not so good ways teens are using technology to do all the things teens have always done. She offers practical, insightful advice to parents and educators on how to engage with teens and become part of their digital lives.

Microsoft Corp. is releasing an update to Live Search centered on improvements to core search technology and deeper advancements in the vertical search areas of entertainment, shopping, local and health. Collectively, these improvements mark a quality milestone based on the company’s focus on delivering a better search experience for consumers and advertisers.

The majority of Live Search customer feedback has focused on improving overall search relevance to deliver richer and deeper results and investing in differentiated experiences in high-interest consumer areas such as entertainment, shopping, health and local search.

Microsoft’s efforts toward satisfying its Live Search customers can be grouped into a few key areas: Over fourfold increase in index size; Substantial improvements in understanding query intent; Significant enhancements to core algorithms; Increased focus on query refinement; New Web data extraction model; and Expansion of Rich Answers.

Additional improvements to the service include a new, cleaner user interface that makes the results pages easier to read and use; a more robust Answers platform that provides instant access to information from trusted sources while increasing relevancy; and organization of results pages based on the high-interest search verticals of entertainment, shopping, local and health on one page.

Caring.com announced the beta availability of its website. Caring.com will offer original “how to” guides, time saving information, access to experts, helpful information and resources, and a community of people in caring situations, to create an unprecedented support resource for the more than 34 million adults who are caring for an aging relative in the United States today.

Caring.com has original content geared towards the most difficult topics researched and managed by people helping their parents – healthcare, financial, legal, housing, and life issues.

The Caring.com founding team includes Steve Fram, Chief Technology Officer, and Jim Scott, Editor-in-Chief. Jim and Steve spent eight years at BabyCenter building its site into the leading destination for new and expectant moms, now in 11 countries around the world. The Caring.com editorial team includes writers who have written for The Wall Street Journal, Parenting, WebMD, and Health Magazine, and an impressive advisory board, including Dr. Peter Pompei of Stanford, Dr. Andy Scharlach of UC Berkeley, and David Solie, author of ”How To Say It to Seniors: Closing the Communication Gap with Our Elders.”

Caring.com has also announced that it has secured $6M in Series A funding from DCM and Split Rock Partners. The funding will support the further development of the Caring.com site, including new features and functionality. Additionally, the financial support from DCM and Split Rock will support the build out of the Caring.com team, including adding to the world class editorial and development teams.

A new nationwide consumer study by Javelin Strategy & Research shows that online transactions will more than double to reach $355.2 billion over the next five years, sparking a dramatic shift in how Americans pay for all purchases. By 2012, 30% of Americans will turn to online alternative payments, instead of reaching to their wallet for a traditional credit card. The study predicts that online alternative transactions will more than double by 2012 as consumers increasingly view these methods as a vehicle for secure and convenient transactions. Javelin researchers also believe this is not a niche trend. The growth of alternative payment methods will precipitate the evolution of credit cards and decline of cash and checks.

Javelin researchers found that as alternative payment methods win new customers, credit cards will lose some of their dominance online. Traditional brands and methods will endure representing the largest dollar amount and percentage of total online transactions, but that percentage will slip to 44% by 2012, according to the study. Debit card reward programs and promotions continue to lure younger consumers and will help to nearly triple the debit card transaction volume to $93.9 billion by 2012.

The makeup and demographics of online consumers will not significantly change during the next five years, but Javelin researchers found that increased popularity of alternative payments is due to attitudes and concerns. Online consumers will voluntarily embrace alternative payments for their convenience and security features, rather than a lack of access to credit or debit cards.