Research firm Nielsen has released its best-of-2011 lists, which include rankings for the top web brands, top social networks and blogs, and top smartphone manufacturers among others. According to the research firm, Google was the "most visited U.S. Web brand", while Facebook "held its lead among social networks and blogs.

A second iPhone 4 'explosion' was reported in Brazil on Wednesday. The iPhone started emitting smoke after it had been plugged to charge overnight. A similar incident with the iPhone was reported earlier in the week, after an iPhone 4 caught fire on an Australian passenger jet. The handsets are being examined to determine the exact cause, however it is believed that faulty batteries may be the reason for the 'explosions'.

The New York Times' share of United States page views for all newspaper websites dropped from 13% in March to 10.6% in April, its lowest share in 12 months, according to ComScore. The big events of March, such as the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, yielded to a quieter period in April. Yahoo News saw page views decline 23.9% and MSNBC.com saw page views slide 21.4%.