Best Buy will begin selling Google Nexus S starting at 8 AM on Thursday, December 16 at all Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores in the USA. The phone will cost $199 with a new two-year T-Mobile contract. The unlocked version costs $529.

The Nexus S, made by Samsung, is the first mobile handset to run Google’s Android 2.3. The important features of Android 2.3 are support for NFC mobile payments, improved user interface and keyboard, and VoIP-based internet calling. It has a 1GHz processor, 5 megapixel camera, 4-inch AMOLED display, 16GB of built-in storage, and Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth radios. [Via].

Opera’s version for Android phones will be having support for HTML 5 video and flash plugins, reports the official Opera Blog.

The Opera browser meant for Android version 1.6 and above will provide support for the flash player installed on your Android mobile. It will also support HTML 5 Video, a technology which offers you to view videos directly the same way as you view images on your browser.

Yahoo Inc. had indicated that it will cut 4 percent of its workforce as a means to adjust its operations and revenue growth. As part of the move, Yahoo will lay off more than 600 employees in the company’s product group. The company had already begun notifying employees on Tuesday, said spokesperson Kim Rubey.

The employee strength in Yahoo at the end of September was at 14,100.Yahoo however noted that it would continue hiring globally to support key priority areas.

According to a proposal put forward in a government-commissioned survey, France could tax internet advertising revenue from online search portals such as Google, MSN and Yahoo. Funds thus collected through taxation will then be diverted towards creative industries in France, which are weakened by the digital revolution.

The proposed levy will be applicable for search engine advert banner clicks made from France. The so called ‘Google Tax’ could be collected even if the search engine operator had its office outside France, reports Dailymail.

UTV Indiagames and Airtel Digital TV has launched a game based on Akshay Kumar’s upcoming film Tees Maar Khan for the latter’s DTH platform. UTV Indiagames have launched the game across multiple platforms – DTH, Mobile, IVR and Web. The DTH version of the game will be available through Airtel Digital TV to over 4.7 million Airtel Digital TV subscribers.

airtel Digital TV subscribers can access the game by pressing on the Games button on their universal remote. In the Tees Maar Khan game, you have to play as TMK himself to rob a series of banks, museums and a train filled with tons of gold. You have to do these avoiding patrolling guards and other high-tech security devices. The movie is scheduled to release on 24^th December 2010.

“Tees Maar Khan is undoubtedly the most eagerly awaited films of the year which will appeal to the masses at large. Adopting the same strategy, we are ensuring an all time access to the movie through a very engaging game. For the 1st time ever a movie based game is witnessing launch across a quad gaming platform simultaneously and we are pleased to associate with airtel digital TV who will take the game experience to a whole new level. With creativity, interactivity and a story oriented game play on all four platforms, we are sure the game will be a blockbuster in itself”, said Samir Bangara, COO, UTV Indiagames.

Google has launched a new website called TeachParentsTech.org for helping people who wants to teach others computer basics. For the purpose, the site hosts more than 50 basic how-to videos for you to send to your mom, dad, roommate, neighbor or anyone else whom you want to learn some  PC basics.

When you send a video from this site, the recipient will receive the message along with the link for the video which you selected. On clicking the link, your recipient will be able to view the video in their PC. You can also preview the message on the site before sending it to the recipient. [via]

Google Instant is a facility which lets you to make web searches faster by displaying predictions and search results as you type in Google.com. Google Instant for mobile was earlier launched as a Beta version for iPhone and Android devices in U.S.

Google Instant for Mobile is now made available in 28 languages and 40 countries worldwide. The facility can be used in Android 2.2+ and iOS4 devices. You can enable Instant search by visiting Google.com on your mobile and tapping on the Google instant link beneath the search box. [via]

India aims to sharply expand its national broadband network as it seeks a “revolution” to bring high-speed Internet to the country’s rural heartland. India is the world’s fastest-growing cellular market with some 700 million people having mobile phone services but Internet penetration has trailed badly.

Currently India has only 10.3 million broadband connections. Most of India’s broadband connections are through landlines but companies are rolling out wireless broadband networks after winning third-generation and wireless broadband spectrum in auctions earlier this year. The regulatory authority has proposed that all villages with populations of at least 500 people be connected to broadband by 2013. [AFP]

Tata Indicom and e-commerce service provider eSSecom has entered into a partnership which allows Tata Indicom postpaid customers in Karnataka to use the CellPay Mobile Payment system. As part of the tie up, Tata Indicom subscribers will get access to a payment gateway service application on their phone.

All Customers who are registered for Mobile banking with any CellPay connected banks can avail the service. Initially the registered customer has to call CellPay IVR for creating a unique PIN, which is required to avail all facilities.

For making payments, Tata Indicom subscribers can send an SMS for payment request using their CellPay virtual number. Once the payment is made, subscriber will get a confirmation SMS. They can also make payments via an application meant for cell phones. This payment mode also sends a confirmation SMS for the user once the payment is made.

The Indian government will set up a one-man committee of a former Supreme Court judge Shivaraj Patil to examine the allocation of telecom licences and spectrum. As you know, the 2g scam is one of the biggest corruption scandals to hit India this year.

The committee would look into the internal operating procedures of the telecoms ministry and the allocation of licenses and spectrum between 2001 and 2009. The committee will examine whether internal procedures were followed or not, if they were deviated from, to what extent, and who was involved in the deviation, if any. The inquiry is expected to be completed in a month. [via Reuters]