Top Items:
Times of London:
Microsoft swoop hands Multimap founder $25m — The deal, understood to be worth about $50 million, expands Microsoft's fast-growing footprint in web and mobile advertising — Microsoft has agreed to buy Multimap, the privately-owned British company that is snapping at the heels of Google's dominance in online mapping services.
RELATED:
PR Newswire:
Microsoft Acquires One of Europe's Top Online Map Services — Acquisition of Multimap will help Microsoft deliver new, expanded services on the Web. — Microsoft Corp. has acquired Multimap, one of the United Kingdom's top 100 technology companies and one of the leading online mapping services in the world.
Michael Arrington / TechCrunch:
Scoble To Leave PodTech, Heading For Fast Company — Famous blogger Robert Scoble will be leaving his current job at PodTech in mid January, he says. He will likely be joining Fast Company to start Fast Company TV. — Scoble was with PodTech for just a year and a half.
Henry Blodget / Silicon Alley Insider:
Yahoo (YHOO) + CNBC Distribution Deal: Cable Screwed? — Yahoo and CNBC have signed a distribution deal in which Yahoo Finance will distribute a handful of CNBC clips each day. This is a smart step for both parties, but it's also only a tiny fraction of what the two companies could and should do together.
RELATED:
Brian Stelter / New York Times:Yahoo Deal Adds Content From CNBC
Discussion:
Silicon Alley Insider, paidContent.org, BloggingStocks, Search Engine Land and WebProNews
Tony Ruscoe / Google Blogoscoped:
Google Toolbar 5 for Internet Explorer Released — A new version of the Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer was recently launched. Some of the new features include: — Google Gadgets support - "With support for live feeds and custom site search, Google Toolbar custom buttons are more than just bookmarks.
RELATED:
Caroline McCarthy / CNET News.com:
Bebo to announce developer platform — SAN FRANCISCO—Right now I'm in a theater at San Francisco's Metreon complex, awaiting the official launch of social-networking site Bebo's "Open Application Platform." The announcement has not yet been made, but from what I gather, this will be exactly what we think it is.
Discussion:
GigaOM, Inside Facebook, TechCrunch, Web Strategy …, VentureBeat, paidContent.org and Webware.com
RELATED:
Caroline McCarthy / CNET News.com:Bebo unveils new application platform, touts Facebook compatibility
Andrew Orlowski / The Register:
Orb opens up iPhone — Exclusive Orb is expected to announce that it's supporting Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch in the next few days. Orb provides access to your playlists and songs on your home PC (as well as photos, videos and TV) from anywhere. It's Sling without the hardware …
MovableType.org:
Movable Type Open Source — As of today, and forever forward, Movable Type is open source. This means you can freely modify, redistribute, and use Movable Type for any purpose you choose. — Just want the details and downloads? Skip to the bottom. But you might like the story of how we got here.
Discussion:
Read/WriteWeb, TechCrunch, Compiler, Podcasting News, The Social Times, VoIP & Gadgets Blog and Mashable!
Vanessa Fox / Search Engine Land:
Mahalo Adds The Social Graph To Search — Everyone's been talking about how the social graph is the next evolution of search. Search 4.0. The next step forward after Search 3.0's blended and personalized search. Today, Mahalo is taking that next step and adding a social layer to their search results.
RELATED:
Dean Takahashi / Tech Talk with Dean Takahashi:Mahalo takes a step forward with human-powered search engine
Discussion:
VentureBeat, TechCrunch, Download Squad, PDA, Mashable!, The Jason Calacanis Weblog and Digg
Maryanne Murray Buechner / Time:
Top 10 Gadgets — #1. Apple iPhone — The iPhone changed the way we think about how mobile media devices should look, feel and perform. The design is exceptional inside and out: It's got a slick glass-and-stainless steel case and an elegant touch screen loaded with eye candy.
Katie Marsal / AppleInsider:
Second-gen iPhone in final phase; Apple TV update planned - report — After meeting with key component suppliers and manufacturers in Asia, researchers for investment bank Goldman Sachs said this week they believe Apple will introduce two revisions to the iPhone in 2008 — one minor …
Andrew Martin / New York Times:
Penthouse Buys Group of Social-Networking Sites — While the influx of free and low-cost video has hurt the sale of pornographic videos, the chief executive of the Penthouse Media Group remains so bullish on the sex-related entertainment industry that he is investing $500 million in a group of social networking sites.
RELATED:
Anne Zelenka / GigaOM:
The Next Social Network: WordPress — Could open-source blogging platform WordPress serve as your next social networking profile? Chris Messina, co-founder of Citizen Agency, thinks so. He's started a project called DiSo, for distributed social networking, that aims to "build a social network with its skin inside out."
Philipp Lenssen / Google Blogoscoped:
Scrollable Google AdSense — Keith Chan found what looks like it might be an experimental form of Google AdSense. As the screenshot by Keith shows, there are two blue arrow icons at the bottom left of the text ad unit. Clicking the down arrow scrolls into view a couple of new ads.
Discussion:
Search Engine Land, gSpy, ProBlogger Blog Tips, BuzzMag, Search Engine Roundtable and The Intuitive Life …
Thomas Ricker / Engadget:
Microsoft rebrands PlaysForSure to Certified For Windows Vista, confuses world — Microsoft's PlaysForSure DRM just took another step closer to the grave with the help of some rebranding. Those of you with players from SanDisk, Nokia, and Creative among others, looking for compatible music from Napster …
Discussion:
Ars Technica
Tom Krazit / CNET News.com:
Why do Apple customers care so much? — The question inevitably comes up when I meet people and they learn I write about Apple for a living: "So, what's that like?" — I usually answer, "It's crazy." There perhaps has never been a more interesting time to write about Apple and its growing impact …
Simon Atkins / Apple:
Apple Announces Hit Television Programming Now Available on the iTunes Store in Canada — Programs from Canada's Top Networks, US Favorites & NHL Now Available on iTunes — Apple® today announced that hit television programming from Canada's top networks, US broadcasters and the National Hockey League …
Discussion:
Epicenter, Engadget, MacDailyNews, Macsimum News, MacUser, 901am, The Unofficial Apple Weblog and Apple Gazette
Matt Hickey / CrunchGear:
Helio's Ocean granted hot new native YouTube app; Downloads and Uploads now both totally mobile — I love YouTube. I mean I love it. I like unhinged videos of Mexican UFOs, crazy Japanese gameshows, and Lohan falling down. It's unlimited entertainment, because there are more hours …
Discussion:
Gizmodo, Silicon Alley Insider, Electronista, Tech Talk with Dean Takahashi, Ubergizmo and localmobilesearch.net
