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Among all the profiles on MySpace, the social networking site's users have uploaded almost 4 billion photos. Now through an agreement with Hewlett-Packard Co., MySpace hopes people will increasingly print these images and, eventually, buy photo-embellished merchandise, too.

MySpace and HP said Tuesday that they are starting a business relationship that will put Web-based printing software from HP into the photo sections of MySpace.

This means MySpace pages will display HP-branded click-to-print buttons. The buttons are meant to make it easier for users to print content stored on their MySpace profiles -- like photos and blog postings -- than it would be to do so through their Web browsers.

The buttons are expected to appear in November on MySpace in the U.S., Australia, Western Europe and Canada. And in the following months, people will be able to buy things emblazoned with photos from the site, MySpace Chief Executive Chris DeWolfe said.

For example, bands with MySpace profiles might eventually set up their own online merchandise stores where people could choose photos they like and have them printed onto shirts through HP, he said.

"It's pretty powerful when you think we have over 5 million bands on MySpace," he said.

MySpace, part of News Corp., is not releasing financial details of the agreement.

Such partnerships may be worth trying because it has generally proven difficult for social networking sites to make money from advertising. MySpace does have a variety of large advertisers, but many analysts believe social network sites have barely tapped their potential for revenue, given that they have large audiences that spend lots of time on the sites. Tags: blog, software

Having banned from its App Store an application that turned an iPhone 3G into a wireless modem, is Apple ready to enable just such an application itself?

That's the rumor based on an e-mail response allegedly from Apple CEO Steve Jobs to an inquiring user. The questioner forwarded the response to the Gizmodo blog, which posted the question and Jobs' purported response.

The question: Why, since AT&T offers a plan by which users can pay an extra $30 to tether their laptops to their BlackBerry, don't Apple and AT&T offer a similar plan for iPhone 3G users?

The response: "We agree, and are discussing it with ATT." The message is signed "Steve" and includes the familiar tag, "Sent from my iPhone."

E-Mail Legit?

Gizmodo thinks the response is "legitimate-looking," but concedes "that 'Sent from my iPhone' kicker either makes this e-mail completely legitimate or illegitimate." On the other hand, Wired News engaged in a little grammatical sleuthing, noting that a message, purportedly from Jobs, posted on the MacRumors site contained a similar construction.

"We are working on some bugs which affect around two percent of the iPhones shipped, and hope to have a software update soon," the message read. Wired points out that both messages incorrectly use a comma before the "and." (A comma is appropriate to separate independent clauses; in both cases the phrases after the comma are dependent clauses.)

"I don't mean to draw a conclusion based on this nitpicky observation, but I just thought it'd be interesting to point out," Wired writer Brian Chen pointed out.

AT&T Terms of Service

Any tethering application would require a change to AT&T's terms of service. Those terms state: "Furthermore, plans (unless specifically designated for tethering usage) cannot be used for any applications that tether the device (through use of, including without limitation, connection kits, other phone/PDA-to-computer... Tags: blog, design, mac, software

We’re supposed to find the Maryland angle on things, so here it is: the scientist credited with bringing the famous Hope diamond to the Smithsonian, George S. Switzer, died this week in a MARYLAND assisted living facility.

I saw the Hope diamond once. I didn't think it was so hot.

But there’s a fascinating tale about how unlucky the diamond was for people who came into contact with it. According to the Washington Post obituary on Switzer, the Frenchman who smuggled the original rough stone out of India, died after being attacked by a pack of wild dogs. Princess DeLamballe, an early owner in France, was fatally mauled by a mob and Marie Antoinette, who also wore the diamond, lost her head.

Still, people wanted it. You can read more about it here.

(Photo credit: The Associated Press) 

Tags: blog, science