Daily Dispatch: Google announces digital book store; Can Oprah end distracted driving?

Combing through hundreds of blog posts and news articles daily, Dirk Klingner, our technology-trend watcher, sifts through the noise to bring you the tech news most important to consumers. If you have a tip on a story you want to share, leave a comment below.

Google enters digital books war with launch of Editions (BBC)

...With books accessed through Google Editions readable on any web enabled device from a mobile phone to a netbook and from a tablet to a desktop, the implications are clear for e-book stores tied to a single device.

Why Facebook Users Need Protection (Huffington Post)

.....Whether it's your race, religion, or lifestyle, the unintended dissemination of personal information can profoundly affect every aspect of your life. For example, 45% of employers reported in a June 2009 CareerBuilder survey that they use social networking sites to screen potential employees. (More than 2,600 hiring managers participated in the survey.) And a number of cases have come to light in which insurance providers or lawyers have used personal information obtained from a consumer's social network page to discredit them.

Can Oprah Do What Driving-While-Yakking Laws Can't? (techdirt)

...Now, Oprah has jumped into the fray, devoting an entire episode of her show to the issue, and pushing viewers to sign a No Phone Zone pledge that says they won't drive while yakking or texting.

Mapping the Gulf oil spill in Google Earth (Official Google Blog)

...Last week we made imagery from NASA's MODIS available as an overlay for Google Earth, which currently shows the extent of the oil spill through April 29, and we'll continue to add more imagery as it becomes available. We've also made radar images from ESA's ENVISAT available through this KML file.

Leaked release shows Visa plotting NFC iPhone case (The Register)

...It's not the first time we've seen NFC clipped onto an iPhone, but the backing of Visa makes this a bigger deal. Visa announced in February that it would be trialling DeviceFidelity's MicroSD-card implementation, but iPhone owners are exactly the demographic that would enjoy whipping out their handset to pay for coffee, so it makes sense for Visa to ensure they're included.

Lighter side: TomTom offers turn-by-turn to the dark side with Darth Vader download (Telegraph.co.uk)