Weekly high-tech hot topics in the blogs: Facebook groups, Google TV, Twitter CEO

Hot topics in the tech blogs for the week ending October 8 include new group, security and export features for Facebook, Google TV, Twitter's CEO change, rumors suggesting the iPhone is destined for Verizon, and the release of Google Goggles for iPhone users.

Facebook gives users "more control" with new features
This week Facebook launched new privacy controls, a data export feature and Facebook Groups. Facebook Groups lets users share information (such as photos) with a select group of their friends, rather than sending them to everyone in their friends list. The new export feature lets users download everything they've posted to the site while new security features let users manage how third-party sites access their information.

Google TV
Logitech unveiled their Google TV set top box and told internet-loving TV-addicts (in the US) the Google TV experience would be in their hands by the end of October for a price of $299. Prices for Sony's forthcoming all-in-one Google TV were leaked and bloggers called the rumored 24-56 inch TVs with prices up to $1,899.99 "exciting, but expensive."

Twitter gets a new CEO
Twitter CEO Evan Williams stepped down as Twitter CEO this week leaving the position to former Twitter COO Dick Costolo. Bloggers called Twitter's CEO switch "a smart business move" saying, "bringing on a chief executive with more leadership business as well as experience in advertising - something the company must look into in order to generate more revenue - seems to be a good fit."

iPhone coming to Verizon rumors
The Wall Street Journal rehashed the iPhone-coming-to-Verizon rumors again this week, and this time some journalists are actually believing it. "[T]oday's Wall Street Journal report about Verizon readying to launch the iPhone in early 2011 has all the makings of a good old Apple-controlled leak once again. And so it may be time to really believe," wrote TechCrunch's MG Siegler. AT&T has been the US's exclusive iPhone carrier since the product was launched. The article also suggested the next version of the iPhone (iPhone 5) would sport a different form factor.

Google Goggles for iPhone
People with Android-powered smartphones have been using Google's image-based search application, Google Goggles, since December 2009, but it's taken until October 5 for the company to add the feature into the Google Mobile App for iPhone. Bloggers were all over the news. "It sounds amazing. And it kinda is, but Google Goggles has big limitations as I found when I tested the application out on my iPhone 4," wrote PC world.