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12:50 PM ET, December 28, 2006

Techmeme

 Top Items: 
Marshall Kirkpatrick:
Now Microsoft Wants Its Laptop Back  —  Microsoft and AMD sent out a pile of very expensive (yet trashy looking) laptops to a number of bloggers over the past week.  We were told we could keep them - now after a day of minor outrage by some people they are emailing us back with the following request that we not keep them after all!
RELATED:
Mike / CrunchNotes:
The Microsoft "Scandal"  —  So we received one of the Microsoft computers the other day that everyone's been screaming about.  I don't think this is much of a scandal, because Microsoft is being pretty open about exactly what they are doing - giving away computers loaded with Vista to bloggers …
Discussion: NevilleHobson.com
Joe Wilcox / Microsoft Watch:
How Much Oomph Does Vista Really Need? … System requirements are a hot topic, because so many people are asking.  I recently spoke to solution providers about what they're hearing from customers about Windows Vista.  Top concern: Hardware requirements.  —  Microsoft hasn't exactly stormed out the information, either.
Discussion: Michael Gartenberg
Robert Scoble / Scobleizer:
I think the Microsoft Vista giveaway is an awesome idea  —  Lots of people like BL Ochman are screaming bloody murder about Microsoft giving bloggers and other influentials free laptops loaded with Windows Vista.  I personally don't get it.  —  That is a GREAT idea.
Andy Beal / Andy Beal's Marketing Pilgrim:
Microsoft & Edelman Make Two Mistakes with Free Laptop Fiasco
Discussion: Laughing Squid
Richard Waters / Financial Times:
Apple 'falsified' files on Jobs' options  —  Steve Jobs, chief executive of Apple Computer, was handed 7.5m stock options in 2001 without the required authorisation from the company's board of directors, according to people familiar with the matter.  —  Records that purported to show …
RELATED:
Nancy Weil / Macworld:
Report: Feds looking at Apple stock-option documents
Discussion: O'Grady's PowerPage and MacUser
Robert Scoble / Scobleizer:
Full disclosure...  I am sitting in an airport in Houston.  I see a lot of people are wondering who is paying for the trip.  I wasn't supposed to announce what I was doing until I got to New Orleans, but since news schedules have been moved up (John Edwards announced he's running for President today) I'm sure the campaign won't mind.
RELATED:
Paul Kapustka / NewTeeVee:   John Edwards' YouTube Candidacy
Michael Arrington / TechCrunch:
ProfileLinker Takes Meebo Approach to Social Networking  —  There are clearly too many social networks, and if you belong to one you likely belong to many.  Boston based (soon to be relocated to San Francisco) ProfileLinker's aim is to help you stay organized across those networks.
Discussion: The Next Net and Zoli's Blog
Jim Tharpe / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Busy travelers snap up iPods from Hartsfield vending machines  —  Concourse A machine sold $55,000 worth of electronics in a month  —  Anita Leopold has a little surprise for anyone who thinks vending machines were created to dispense lightly salted snack food and sugar-laced temptations.
Dave Girard / Ars Technica:
The Mac OS X font managers review  —  Introduction  —  Well it was a long time coming, but I've been through the trenches and come up, sucking chest wound and all, with the Ars review of font management programs.  I've also succeeded in not completely losing my mind while the developers updated the apps …
Discussion: MacUser
lasagna.pbwiki.com:
lasagna  —  nyMeetupDec2006 … Note from Sanford Dickert  —  Wollmann Lounge (at Cooper Union Engineering Building, next to Starbucks on corner of 3rd Ave and Astor Place)  —  Subway Map  —  51 Astor Place, 8th Street between Third and Fourth Avenues Official Directions  —  5:30pm til 7pm
Discussion: Scripting News
Xeni Jardin / Boing Boing:
Google "disappears" sex blogs?  UPDATED  —  Xeni Jardin: UPDATE (Dec. 28): Readers have been writing in to say that whatever happened here, the issue appears to be resolved for now — at least for the specific sex blogs cited in this post.  I haven't verified this, but if it's true, great.
Discussion: Valleywag and digg
Michael Arrington / TechCrunch:
PayPerPost In The News Again  —  PayPerPost, the controversial startup that pays bloggers to write about advertisers' products, will be in the news again tomorrow.  They will be announcing the acquisition of blogging tools and services company Performancing (see our earlier coverage of Performancing).
Pete Cashmore / Mashable!:
Mashable's 2007 Predictions  —  It's now only a few days until 2007, and a good time for the yearly prediction posts to start rolling out - including one from Mashable.  To add a more interesting spin, we'll throw in a mini-game of blog tag - a few people "tagged" at the end of this post …
Kotaku:
Games Make You Drive Like an Idiot  —  FoxTrot Cuts Back to Weekly Reaffirms Love of WoW  —  FoxTrot cartoonist and World of Warcraft enthusiast Bill Amend recently announced that he would be cutting back from producing his excellent newspaper strip on a daily basis to a weekly one.
Discussion: GamePolitics.com, Techdirt and digg
John Liu / Bloomberg:
Google to invest in Chinese video Web site  —  Google Inc., owner of the world's most-used Internet search engine, will invest in Shenzhen Xunlei Network Technology Ltd., a Chinese Web site that helps users download videos from the Internet.  —  The investment will probably be disclosed next month …
Chris Howard / Apple Matters:
Apple and Nintendo Should Play Together  —  Hope the festive season has rewarded your hard labors this past year with lots of cool toys.  In the Howard house, Santa left a Nintendo Wii, which was quite appreciated and ha nearly been worn out already.  Well, it's users have, says I flexing aching muscles.
Discussion: digg
 
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 More Items: 
Jeff Diehl / 10 Zen Monkeys:
Has Michael Crook Harassed You?
Discussion: Monkey Bites and Boing Boing
Matthew G. Nelson / ClickZ:
Online Reality Series Draws Major Sponsors
Discussion: AdJab and Lost Remote
Ionut Alex. Chitu / Google Operating System:
Google Myths  —  I've heard many inaccurate things about Google …
techon.nikkeibp.co.jp:
Hitachi Displays Launches 800 x 480 LCD Panel for Mobile Phone
Michael McWhertor / Kotaku:
Contra 3 Headed To Wii VC Soon?
Discussion: Joystiq and digg
Jordan Robertson / Associated Press:
Online shoppers overwhelm iTunes store
Ryan / CyberNet Technology News:
CyberNotes: The Best Bookmarklets for your Browser!
James Barron / New York Times:
To Send a Page, Press #, Then Hope It Still Works
Discussion: Techdirt
 Earlier Items: 
Seth Mydans / International Herald Tribune:
Earthquake knocks Asia back to phone age, and beyond
Discussion: The Tao of Zen
Mark Cuban / Blog Maverick:
Ripping on Gootube.... Again
Techworld.com:
Disabling and degrading  —  Vista is disadvantaging high-end audio …
USA Today:
Experts say Google will be No. 1 in visitors in '07
Thomas Mennecke / Slyck.com File-Sharing News …:
AllofMP3.com Responds to RIAA Lawsuit
Ryan Block / Engadget:
AACS DRM cracked by BackupHDDVD tool?
Discussion: Slashdot
PC World:
The 20 Most Innovative Products of the Year
Ryan Paul / Ars Technica:
Why piracy is still more common than legal video downloads
 

 
From Mediagazer:

Alex Sherman / CNBC:
Analyzing Comcast's spinoff of cable networks, purposefully structured with low debt: the move might be a signal to the industry that it's time to consolidate

Evan Drellich / New York Times:
The MLB is planning national packages for streaming companies to bid on in 2028, when its national TV deals with ESPN, Fox, and Turner expire

Lauren Forristal / TechCrunch:
Tubi launches Scenes, a mobile feature that lets viewers watch 60-to-90-second trailer-style clips from its library to help with content discovery

 
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