Top Items:
Andy Beal / Andy Beal's Marketing Pilgrim:
Google's Launches Pay-Per-Action; a Threat to Affiliate Networks? — If you're reading this post, then you can expect a flurry of news covering Google's beta launch of its Pay-Per-Action (PPA) product for AdWords. Yep, after years of hinting, Google is finally ready to let us test their platform on a CPA (cost per action) model.
RELATED:
Inside AdWords:
Pay-per-action beta test — Is there a specific action on your site that you want visitors to complete? Do you know how much that action is worth to your business? If so, you may be interested in our pay-per-action beta test. Here's Rob K., Product Manager for Pay-Per-Action, to tell us more:
Inside AdSense:
Now accepting applications for new referrals beta — Many of you already use referrals to direct users to your favorite Google products. Now, with our new referrals beta, you can select products and services from our base of AdWords advertisers. This is good news for those of you who have wanted …
Anne Broache / CNET News.com:
Feds to rehear Webcaster fee dispute — The U.S. Copyright Royalty Board has granted a series of requests for a rehearing on a contentious decision that would elevate royalty fees required of Internet radio services. — In a one-paragraph document issued Tuesday, Chief Copyright Royalty …
RELATED:
Dan Farber / Between the Lines:
Sun working on its listening gene — Last night at a Sun event featuring Tim Bray and Mike Arrington talking about Web 2.0, Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz made a brief appearance. I asked him about how Sun is faring in convincing startup companies and larger firms to adopt Sun products.
RELATED:
Tony Ruscoe / Tony Ruscoe's Blog:
Google Personalized Homepage Easter Eggs — Google announced an update to their personalized homepage today, which allows users to select from six custom themes (or skins). I've seen several blogs report that Marissa Mayer hinted at some "Easter Eggs" hidden in the themes.
RELATED:
USA Today:
PlayStation 3 is down 2-to-1 to Nintendo's Wii — Sony's new PlayStation 3 video game has gone from top dog to underdog in record time. — Despite the buildup and hype around its arrival in November, the PS3 has been outsold so far — at a rate of almost 2-to-1 — by the Nintendo Wii.
Cyrus Farivar / Wired News:
Google's Next-Gen of Sneakernet — How do you get 120 terabytes of data — the equivalent of 123,000 iPod shuffles (roughly 30 million songs) — from A to B? For the most part, the old-fashioned way: via a sneakernet. It's not glamorous, but Google engineers hope to at least end …
Discussion:
Scobleizer
Associated Press:
Oops! Technician's error wipes out data for state fund … JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Perhaps you've experienced that sinking feeling when a single keystroke accidentally destroys hours of work. Now imagine wiping out a disk drive containing an account worth $38 billion.
Discussion:
Boing Boing
Financial Times:
Google searches for European lobbyists — By Andy Bounds in Brussels and Richard Waters in San Francisco — Google is seeking to hire a network of lobbyists in capitals across Europe as it tries to shape debate over pressing internet policy issues, from copyright to online privacy.
Discussion:
Forbes, Ars Technica, WebProNews, Bruce Clay, Inc. Blog, CNET News.com and Tech Confidential Blog
Michael Arrington / TechCrunch:
Facebook's Battle Against Chaos — There's a post on the Facebook blog today announcing a new group called "Facebook Sneak Preview" where they will show upcoming feature additions and changes before they are made live. — My bet is that this is their response to the user backlash and protests …
Ryan Block / Engadget:
Xbox 360 Elite: new, black limited edition Xbox with HDMI and 120GB drive — We've confirmed with trusted sources that the black Xbox 360 is indeed coming (the image above is of the original 360 dev kit, FYI), and will be dubbed the Xbox 360 Elite. Here's what you need to know about it:
Discussion:
PaidContent, Kotaku, Neowin.net, DigitalBattle, Xbox 360 Fanboy, Gizmodo, The Tech Report, Joystiq, Channel 9 and digg
Jacqui Cheng / Ars Technica:
NFL fumbles DMCA takedown battle, could face sanctions — It's no secret that some content owners don't seem to understand how the DMCA works—that, or they simply don't care when sending mass takedown notices. This seems to be the case with the recent saga of legal maneuvers between …
Rob Beschizza / Gadget Lab:
5 Reasons Why Apple TV Rules, 5 Reasons Why it Sucks — Apple TV is finally on sale and on the boat. So, why bother? Here's why Apple TV will change the world, slightly. — 1. It's currently the only easy way to get stuff locked away in iTunes streaming to a TV set. Bam. Simple as that.
Discussion:
The Unofficial Apple Weblog
Vinny Lingham / Vinny Lingham's Blog:
Amatomu.com Launches — South Africa has just received it's first version of Technorati, and it's called Amatomu, powered by Mail & Guardian - one of our more prominent offline news publishers, that have really driven the online industry forward locally. Tyler Reed covers off nicely on Amatomu on his blog.
Unstrung:
Palm Deal in the Final Stretch — A Palm Inc. buyout could be finalized by Thursday this week, demanding $20 or more per share, according to sources close to the situation. Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK - message board) is seen as the leading vendor bidder; while Palm's management is said to prefer a private equity buyer.
Michael Kanellos / CNET News.com:
Using steam to cool computers — You can hold Celsia's new cooling component for about three seconds. Then your fingers start to feel as if they're getting burned. — It's part of a new line of components from the San Jose, Calif.-based company that it says will cool off torrid hotspots inside computers …