A round up of news from around the web:

Challenges are mounting to Apple’s iPhone with rival handsets from Google and BlackBerry ready to hit the shops. The Nexus One, dubbed the “Google phone” before its launch, will be available through Vodafone from Friday and will be free on a £35-a-month two-year contract.  The Times

Twitter usage exploded in 2009 with traffic growing from a few million unique monthly visitors early last year to over 20 million by June. However, traffic has since reached a plateau, but other usage metrics continue to show high levels of engagement in early 2010.  Adweek

Google has threatened an Aussie web entrepreneur because it says the name of his project is too close to its own. The name of the website in question is Groggle – grog being slang for alcohol. Founder Cameron Collie says the site is designed to help users find the cheapest price of alcohol — or “grog” — in their suburb.  ZDNet

Four US senators want Facebook to make it easier for its users to protect their privacy as the website develops new outlets to share personal information. The call for simpler privacy controls came in a letter that the senators planned to send to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg – they include Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.; Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo; Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska; and Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn.  Stuff

Hulu’s plans to expand to the United Kingdom appear to have been abandoned, meaning the service will likely remain exclusive to the United States for the immediately foreseeable future.  The Telegraph