Analysis: Wall Street puzzles over Google's new direction (Reuters)

Reuters - Google Inc, which revolutionized Internet searches with an easy-to-use website, has itself become an increasingly tricky business to grasp.

FTC expands Google antitrust probe: source (Reuters)
Reuters - U.S. regulators looking at whether Google manipulates its search results to favor its own products have expanded the probe to include Google+, the search giant's new social networking tool, a source familiar with the probe said on Friday.

Core suppliers savor bigger Apple pie (Reuters)
Reuters - Suppliers basked in the reflection of Apple's glowing results on Wednesday after the company's gold standard iPhones and iPads flew off the shelves over the holiday sales season.

Big earnings could drive Google shares to new high (Reuters)
Reuters - Investors' optimism for Google Inc is running high, setting the stage for another jump in its shares to an all-time peak after the Internet search company reports results Thursday.

China urges tighter Internet security after series of data leaks (Reuters)
Reuters - The Chinese government is working with domestic Internet search engines like Baidu Inc and Sohu.com and financial institutions to prevent phishing attacks on unsuspecting Chinese web users.

Google's 4Q lobbying bill triples to $3.76 million (AP)
AP - Google's U.S. lobbying bill more than tripled to $3.76 million in the fourth quarter as the Internet search leader fought proposed changes to online piracy laws and sought to influence a wide range of other issues that could affect its fortunes.

EU to decide on Google, Motorola Mobility deal Feb 13 (Reuters)
Reuters - EU regulators set on Thursday a new February 13 deadline to decide whether to clear Google's takeover of U.S. handset maker Motorola Mobility after the Internet search engine came forward with new documents to support its case, the EU Commission said.

Microsoft 2Q beats Street despite soft PC market (AP)

AP - Microsoft Corp. battled through a weak PC market to post flat earnings in the final quarter of 2011, boosting sales of servers, Xbox games and its Office productivity software while trimming losses at its Bing search engine.

Microsoft eclipses Yahoo in US search for 1st time (AP)
AP - Microsoft Corp. has finally reached a long-sought and expensive goal — its Bing search engine now ranks second behind Google in the Internet's most lucrative market.