Google (GOOG) is in talks with online gaming companies to develop a competitor to Facebook, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The theory would be that social games have been a big reason for Facebook's success.

Twitter is getting into the online shopping business--or at least pointing to places where deals can be had.

The company's new service, aptly named @earlybird, is an official Twitter account that the company plans to feed with deals at both online and offline retailers, as well as "sneak peeks and events." Users who follow the account will see these entries just like any other tweet in their stream.