Top Items:
Ryan Block / Engadget:
Installing the Zune... sucked — When it comes to the hardware, we're pretty much set; we all now know the Zune inside and out. But how it interacts with the software, the marketplace, etc. — that's where the magic happens. Or doesn't. We really wanted to give the Zune the benefit of the doubt.
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Dina Bass / Bloomberg:
Microsoft to Add Video Sharing to Zune, Ballmer Says (Update1) — Nov. 13 (Bloomberg) — Microsoft Corp. plans to add a video-sharing feature to its Zune player and will eventually sell a model that combines the device with a phone, Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer said.
James R. Stoup / Apple Matters:
Zune Marketplace's Absurd Pricing Scheme — Lately I have been trying to avoid talking about Microsoft. I figured the whole Zune thing had been covered to death and so my input wasn't really needed. I continued to think this until I read about Microsoft's "Zune Marketplace".
David Berlind / Between the Lines:
The ripple effect of a GPL'd Java will reach far and wide — It's official. Despite some saying it couldn't be done, not only is Sun open sourcing Java, it's doing it under version 2 of the Free Software Foundation's GNU General Public License (GPLv2) using an FSF-endorsed footnote known as the "classpath exception."
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Michael Arrington / TechCrunch:
Dell To Make Announcement In Second Life — This new trend of announcing news in Second Life is generally pissing off journalists, who don't have a lot of time to waste. But Dell is apparently going ahead with plans to host an invite-only press event inside of Second Life on Tuesday morning …
Larry Dignan / Between the Lines:
Sun's Second Life gimmick — Memo to Sun: Stop trying to be so damn trendy. Taking Java open source is a big development, but then you muck it up with having a developer Q&A in Second Life. No parallel Webcast. No conference call dial-in. No alternate means to drop in.
Federal Trade Commission:
Court Shuts Down Media Motor Spyware Operation — Trojan Program Downloaded Spyware, Adware, Porno Pop-Ups to Consumers' Computers — A U.S. district court has shut down an operation that secretly downloaded multiple malevolent software programs, including spyware, onto millions …
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Roy Mark / internetnews.com:
Court Shutters Spyware Operation — ERG Ventures and one of its affiliates were ordered by a U.S. district court today to stop distributing what the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) claims is false and deceptive software. — According to the FTC, the Nevada-based ERG and its affiliate trick consumers …
Discussion:
Techdirt
May Wong / Associated Press:
HOLD FOR RELEASE 12:01 a.m. EST Tuesday. THIS STORY MAY NOT BE POSTED ONLINE, BROADCAST OR PUBLISHED BEFORE 12:01 a.m. EST. — SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - In its ongoing bid to be a central conduit of media, TiVo Inc. plans to broaden its digital video recording service later this year so users …
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Business Week:
Q&A with Amanda Congdon — The video blogger has parlayed her success into deals with ABC and HBO. Here's what she has to say about hitting the big time — Being un-boomed may be one of the best things to happen to Amanda Congdon since the Internet. The former host of Rocketboom …
Nick / Rough Type:
The art of defensive blogging — When it comes to CEO blogs, I've long been a skeptic. For one thing, most CEOs are godawful writers. For another, they don't have much spare time. And for another, a blog, for a top executive, usually just ends up making you a better target.
Discussion:
Smalltalk Tidbits …
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Phil Wolff / Skype Journal:
TalkPlus demo : Call to echo123 from a mobile without a Skype client — I shot this demonstration on Halloween, 31 October 2006, in the offices of TalkPlus in San Mateo, California. The video is uncut, no editing at all, including about five seconds in the beginning of Jeff Black, TalkPlus CEO and founder, warming up.
Jennifer Peltz / Associated Press:
NYC cab service offers social twist — NEW YORK — Manhattan resident seeks companion for ride to airport, maybe more. — In the latest novelty for a mobile city in a networked world, an online service that debuted during the weekend offers to help New Yorkers hook up for cabs …
Valleywag:
Nice guys finish poorer — Evan Williams, maker of Blogger and founder of Odeo, is a popular guy. Entrepreneurs, particularly the veterans with mixed feelings about venture capitalists, love him, because he recently bought out investors in Odeo, and took the company private. I mean, really private.
Joris Evers / CNET News.com:
With IE 7, green means go for legit sites — Starting early next year, the address bar in Internet Explorer 7 will turn green when surfing to a legitimate Web site—but only in some cases, not all. — The colored address bar is designed to be a sign that a specific site can be trusted …
Matt Marshall / VentureBeat:
China rising: Venture investments increase 47 percent in third quarter — The U.S. venture capital industry is seeing a slow and steady recovery. — China, however, is roaring like a dragon. Venture capital investments in mainland China companies rose 47 percent in the quarter …
Discussion:
Net
