Around the Web 9.8.08: Spore reviews, iPod origins, Demo launches

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-- A group of major advertisers complained to antitrust officials that the Google-Yahoo search partnership would hurt competition. AP via LAT

-- Spore reviewer: The game (pictured at right) doesn’t justify the hype. But it sure is interesting. Wired

-- Carpool software, e-book technology and a spin-spotter for news stories are among Rafe Needleman’s 10 presentations to watch for at the Demo conference, which starts today. CNET

-- Also this week is the TechCrunch50, streaming live. TechCrunch

-- The shift to digital cinema is set for a big boost, as two more movie studios -- Universal Pictures and Walt Disney -- are reportedly planning to support the move from film reels to digital projectors. WSJ

-- Seafaring search? Google files for a patent that describes a ‘water-based data center’ -- masses of servers, storage systems and networking gear on ships. NYT

-- On water and in space: Google strikes a deal to get special high-resolution mapping images from a just-launched satellite. Gizmodo

-- Do sports league own the rights to their stats? Not when it comes to fantasy baseball, a court ruled earlier this year. But CBS just filed a preemptive lawsuit against the NFL Players Assn., asking a judge to rule that CBSSports.com has the right to use publicly available stats for its fantasy football leagues without paying licensing fees. PaidContent

-- Investigating the Xbox’s dreaded ‘red rings of death.’ VentureBeat

-- Did Kane Kramer invent the iPod? Daily Mail

-- Los Angeles-based LiveUniverse bought Peerflix, the DVD swapping service. TechCrunch

--They save trees, offer convenience and could pull in more advertising revenue than the Web. Could electronic newspapers rescue the troubled industry? Newsweek

-- The latest e-newspaper, from Plastic Logic, is generating a lot of buzz. NYT

-- Chris Gaither