The James Logan Courier

By Paul Walsh
Star Tribune (Minneapolis) (MCT)

MINNEAPOLIS — University of Minnesota researchers say they have discovered educational benefits of social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook.

The study also found that low-income students often are just as technologically savvy as their wealthier counterparts. The university says this contradicts results that previous studies suggested.

The information was collected over six months this year from students, ages 16 to 18, in 13 urban high schools in the Midwest and released last month by the university.

By Verne Gay
Newsday (MCT)

Reason to watch: For some familiar old friends, like Molly Ringwald and Ernie Hudson (the warden in "Oz") and some promising newbies, like Shailene Woodley. It also marks the return of producer-creator Brenda Hampton, who was show-runner for "7th Heaven," the family-friendliest series since "The Waltons.

What it's about: Late one afternoon, Amy (Woodley) returns home from summer band camp, says hi to mom, Anne (Ringwald), and rushes to the bathroom, where she pulls out a pregnancy kit. Does what she has to do, and then — camera pans in close and hard — her petite teen face seems to age a dozen years. Yes, she's ... And so begin Amy's problems. She confides to school pals Lauren and Madison, but matters are further complicated because the guy who got her pregnant, Ricky (Daren Kagasoff), is a braggart with a history of conquests. His hypersexuality is a result of being abused by his father.

By Mike Antonucci
San Jose Mercury News (MCT)

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The online Scrabble wars heated up Monday with an announcement that Electronic Arts will launch a licensed version of the game this month on Facebook, where the unauthorized adaptation called Scrabulous is thriving.

The version from Redwood City, Calif.-based EA, free for users and at least initially without advertisements, will be available "mid-to-later this month," said Chip Lange, general manager for EA Hasbro Games.

Scrabulous, which claims more than 450,000 daily active users, has become a cause celebre among fans worried that the game will be shut down because of opposition from rights holders Hasbro and Mattel.