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2:05 PM ET, December 5, 2007

Techmeme

 Top Items: 
Mark Zuckerberg / Facebook Blog:
Thoughts on Beacon  —  About a month ago, we released a new feature called Beacon to try to help people share information with their friends about things they do on the web.  We've made a lot of mistakes building this feature, but we've made even more with how we've handled them.
RELATED:
Jason Lee Miller / WebProNews:
Zuckerberg Lives, Is Sorry For Beacon  —  Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has finally come out from hiding after the two-week privacy donnybrook that ensued over the company's marketing program Beacon.  Zuckerberg posted his response on the Facebook blog.  In short, he's sorry.
Saul Hansell / Bits:
Zuckerberg Apologizes, Allows Facebook Users to Evade Beacon
Discussion: Fast Company Now
Oliver Starr / StarrTrek:
AN OPEN LETTER TO SAM SETHI  —  Please Note: This is an open letter to Sam Sethi, Founder and CEO of Blognation.  I have elected to write this letter after having been one of the principal Blognation authors since August of this year.  In all that time I have not received the pay promised …
RELATED:
Duncan Riley / TechCrunch:
Blognation Meltdown: Writers Never Paid, Promises Not Kept  —  There's big trouble over at the UK based BlogNation network today with US editor Oliver Starr resigning.  In a parting shot to network owner Sam Sethi, Starr alleges that he and other BlogNation writers have not been paid.
Discussion: /Message and Scobleizer
Mobile Jones / mobilejones:
Blognation: The Blogger's Prelude and Tale
Discussion: Global Neighbourhoods
Jemima Kiss / PDA:   Is Blognation falling apart?
Michael Arrington / TechCrunch:
Google Pre-Launches New iPhone Interface  —  We heard a rumor that Google was going to launch a new interface for users accessing the site via an iPhone in the next few days.  But an anonymous tip let us know it actually launched without any warning or announcement this evening.
RELATED:
Larry Dignan / Between the Lines:
Google updates iPhone interface; ties apps together
Discussion: Computerworld
Henry Blodget / Silicon Alley Insider:
Postal Rate Change to Wallop Netflix, Help BBI?  (NFLX)  —  Another reason for Netflix (NFLX) to hurry up and transition to a purely digital model: A potential postal rate change could cut the company's operating income per subscriber by two-thirds, say Citi analysts Mark Mahaney and Tony Wible.
RELATED:
Eric Savitz / Tech Trader Daily:   Netflix: Postal Service Inspector General Proposes Applying Surchage To DVD Mailers
USA Today:
Cellphone could be boarding pass, too  —  Continental Airlines passengers in Houston will be able to board flights using just a cellphone or personal-digital assistant instead of a regular boarding pass in a three-month test program launched Tuesday at Bush Intercontinental Airport.
Stephanie Kang / Wall Street Journal:
Nielsen to Be Video Cop  —  For years, media and technology companies have been ensnarled in a battle over the rights to video posted online.  Now ratings giant Nielsen wants to be the policeman.  —  Nielsen is rolling out a new service that aims to ensure that video is distributed and viewed …
StarrTrek:
Marc Orchant Updates and Information  —  This page is dedicated to providing information and updates concerning the status of my good friend and colleague, Marc Orchant.  —  As you know, Marc suffered a massive cardiac infarction on Sunday morning, December 2nd 2007.  My original post is copied below.
David Chartier / Ars Technica:
Nokia's unlimited "Comes With Music" plan misses the boat due to DRM  —  Universal announced a promising new business model last month that will allow device manufacturers to offer an all-you-can-eat music subscription service with devices.  Called Total Music by Universal …
RELATED:
Joe Stewart / secureworks.com:
Inside the "Ron Paul" Spam Botnet  —  On the weekend of October 27, 2007, the Internet was suddenly bombarded with a rash of spam emails promoting U.S. presidential candidate Ron Paul.  The spam run continued until Tuesday, October 30, when it stopped as suddenly as it began.
Discussion: Jeremy Zawodny's blog
RELATED:
InfoWorld:   Ron Paul spam traced to Ukrainian botnet
Tech.co.uk:
Gmail messaging boost adds AIM to Google Talk  —  AOL's instant messenger now plays nicely with Google's  —  The popular Gmail service from Google is clearly a work in progress - it still carries the 'beta' tag after all - but that's mainly because it keeps getting better, rather than that it isn't finished.
RELATED:
Haroon Malik / Gizmodo:
Google Talk Says Hello to AIM [Instant Messaging]
Discussion: WebProNews, Marketing.fm and rc3.org
Tim Lee / Techdirt:
Apple Wants To Make DRM Extortion Explicit  —  For years, DRM critics have been arguing that the technology isn't so much about stopping piracy as it is about taking away traditional fair use privileges and then selling them back to you.  I've agreed with this for a while …
Discussion: Slashdot
Wilson Rothman / New York Times:
Navigators Everywhere, Especially on Holiday Gift Lists  —  JUDGING from the holiday-season popularity of G.P.S. navigators, there are few gestures more satisfying than telling the person you love, "You have no sense of direction, but don't worry — modern technology can help."
Discussion: Gizmodo
Eric Lin / Phone Scoop:
Sprint XOHM Will Soft Launch "In A Few Days"  —  Sprint Nextel will soft launch its XOHM WiMax network in the next few days according to Bin Shen, VP of Product Management and Partnership Development.  Chicago, Washington DC and Baltimore will all go live at soft launch …
Barry Schwartz / Search Engine Land:
Google AdWords Improves Target By Location Feature With Maps  —  I got a tip from Scott Edwards that Google has quietly improved the "target customers by location" feature in the AdWords console.  You can see old screen captures of the multi-step process at the Search Engine Roundtable, but the new method is much more intuitive.
Discussion: Screenwerk and Scott Edwards Blog
 
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 More Items: 
Allan Leinwand / GigaOM:
The Portable Risk of High Capacity USB Drives
Mary Jo Foley / All about Microsoft:
Windows Server 2008 public test build available
Elizabeth Woyke / Forbes:
Airwaves For Sale!  —  It's deadline time at the Federal Communications Commission.
Discussion: Engadget Mobile
Mike Butcher / TechCrunch UK:
LiveStation demo leaks partners, sign-ups go live
Electronista:
Director: Microsoft fueling HD wars
Discussion: Gizmodo and Slashdot
Digimarc (DMRC):
Nielsen and Digimarc Launch Service to Identify and Manage Internet …
BBC:
20% of French iPhones unlocked
Nokia:
Classically designed and fully featured Nokia 6263 now available at T-Mobile USA
Discussion: Engadget and Phone Scoop
 Earlier Items: 
Declan McCullagh / CNET News.com:
Justice Department sides with RIAA against Jammie Thomas
Jon Fortt / Big Tech:
Will the Holy Grail of marketing revive Dell?
Staci D. Kramer / paidContent.org:
Yahoo Interviews: Jeff Weiner, EVP & Scott Moore; SVP: Super Mass vs. Super Niche
Discussion: Valleywag
Peter Kafka / Silicon Alley Insider:
Comcast (CMCSA): Economy Declining Since Q3
James C. King / Inside PDF:
ISO Ballot for PDF 1.7 Passed!
Discussion: InfoWorld and Slashdot