1. There’s a reassuring familiarity to Google search. Launched in 1999, Google today accounts for two-thirds of all searches in the U.S. But behind the scenes, the search product is constantly evolving, determined to stay dominant in an era tilting rapidly toward mobile and social.
2. Physical proximity meets content sharing with viral app Plague. You create a content card, and people close to you become infected with your idea — to the tune of 150K in the two months since the app launched.
3. Wonder how mere mortals manage to scale their web presence for extraordinary traffic events? Paul Ford recounts how Paper braced itself for traffic with its internet-breaking Kardashian issue.
4. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a person in possession of myriad internet-enabled devices must be in want of a way to manage relentless information flow. Here’s one useful productivity tip: Don’t read anything now.
5. NiemanLab interviewed the the team that runs the New York Times’ Twitter accounts, and gleaned some thoughtful insights into what worked and what didn’t.

Weekend fun: Already tired of #Ballghazi chatter? Deflated or elated for the Superbowl next weekend, we can all agree on the integrity of the Puppy Bowl lineup.

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