Top Items:
Microsoft:
Microsoft to Acquire Tellme Networks — Combined expertise will bring the power of voice technology to everyday life. — Microsoft Corp. today announced it will acquire Tellme Networks, Inc., a leading provider of voice services for everyday life, including nationwide directory assistance …
Discussion:
Between the Lines, The Next Net, MoCoNews, Tech Beat, Werblog, Collaborative Thinking and SearchViews
RELATED:
Om Malik / GigaOM:
5 Things about Microsoft TellMe deal — Microsoft just sent out a press advisory confirming that it is buying TellMe Networks. More details to follow after the press conference which begins in a few minutes. But here are some nuggets which our sources have sent our way:
Discussion:
Search Engine Watch Blog
Don Dodge / Don Dodge on The Next Big Thing:
Microsoft acquires TellMe - Voice/Mobile search is the target market — Microsoft announced today the acquisition of TellMe, a hosted speech applications company. Tellme uses voice recognition to radically simplify how people use the phone to get the information they need every day.
New York Times:
Viacom Sues Google Over Video Clips on Its Sharing Web Site — Since it bought YouTube last October, Google has been chasing deals that would give it the right to put mainstream video programming on the site. Just a few weeks ago, Google's chief executive, Eric E. Schmidt …
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Mark Cuban / Blog Maverick:
You Go Viacom ! — Not a stretch where I would come out on this, but it never ceases to amaze and amuse me how liltle understanding of the content business, or the business world in general that many in the blogosphere have. — Let me provide a simple scenario for you. — HBO.
Ed Felten / Freedom to Tinker:
Viacom, YouTube, and Privacy — Yesterday's top tech policy story was the copyright lawsuits filed by Viacom, the parent company of Comedy Central, MTV, and Paramount Pictures, against YouTube and its owner Google. Viacom's complaint accuses YouTube of direct, contributory …
Erica Ogg / CNET News.com:
A new wavelength for satellite radio — For a company calling itself Slacker, its business plan is awfully ambitious. — Debuting this week at the South by Southwest multimedia festival in Austin, Texas, Slacker is a distinctive new Web music service and portable music player from the San Diego-based company of the same name.
RELATED:
Eliot Van Buskirk / Listening Post:Broadband Instruments Slacker Offers Satellite, Wi-Fi Connectivity
Microsoft:
Microsoft and Lenovo Connect Customers to Integrated Online Services — Lenovo to be first PC manufacturer to provide customers worldwide with a new seamless, customizable Web experience through Microsoft Live.com and Live Search. — REDMOND, Wash., and RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. …
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Reuters:
Microsoft Toolbar to Go on Lenovo Computers — The Microsoft Corporation reached an agreement on Tuesday with the Lenovo Group to pre-load Lenovo computers with a toolbar of Microsoft's Windows Live online services including Web search, the two companies said.
Discussion:
Screenwerk, Search Engine Land, 24/7 Wall St., Microsoft News Tracker and Clickety Clack
Online Journalism Review:
Eyetracking points the way to effective news article design — OJR's design experts review usability research and offer suggestions on how you can make your online articles better connect with readers. — When one of world's best-known usability experts, Jakob Nielsen …
Mark Shuttleworth:
Pre-installing Linux — There's been a tremendous level of interest in the fact that pre-installed Linux (in the form of Ubuntu | OpenSuSE) is the #1 rated suggestion on Dell's IdeaStorm. On the face of it, there is little question that Linux pre-installation is popular with customers.
Discussion:
Direct2Dell, Adnans Sysadmin/Dev Blog, Neowin.net, TechSpot, CyberNet Technology News, Slashdot and digg
Maija Palmer / Financial Times:
Microsoft suing to evict 'cybersquatters' — Microsoft will on Wednesday launch a series of lawsuits in the US and Europe against "cybersquatters", and will urge other companies to help tackle what it says is a growing problem on the internet. — Cybersquatting is the registration …
Michael Arrington / TechCrunch:
Reckoning Day For Venture Capitalists? — Some venture capitalists are known for making speedy decisions, communicating clearly, treating portfolio companies fairly, and guiding their startups to a win for all stakeholders. — Others, not so much. Some even lob the odd (friendly) jab or two at bloggers.
Brendan / Brendan's Roadmap Updates:
The Open Web and Its Adversaries — A small presentation I gave at SXSW asks what it means to be "Open" in the sense of open standards, open source, and a web whose major content formats are not controlled by a single vendor (I credited Nat Friedman's amusing keynote from last year's Free …
Paul R. La Monica / CNNMoney.com:
The death of the 30-second TV commercial — Devices like the new Apple TV box and digital video recorders from TiVo, Motorola and Cisco could help bring an end to the traditional TV ad. — NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — It has already revolutionized the music business with its iPod device and iTunes music store.
Microsoft:
Microsoft Unites Xbox and PC Gamers With Debut of Games for Windows — LIVE — Xbox LIVE extends to Windows Vista to create single online gaming service starting with "Halo 2" on May 8. — Microsoft Corp. today announced the extension of the Xbox LIVE® games and entertainment network …
Eric Costello / FlickrBlog:
Collections! — Today we launched what's probably the most requested feature over the last few years: a way to categorize and organize your photo sets! In the past this feature has been referred to as "sets of sets" or "subsets". After today, we'll know it as "collections". — What are collections, you ask?
Michael Arrington / TechCrunch:
A Little Perspective On Ajax Home Pages — We've tracked a bunch of customizable, Ajax-rich home pages over the last couple of years. At one point it seemed like a new one was launching every week. — New ones are still launching (here's a promising one in beta), and the youngsters …
