Top Items:
John Biggs / CrunchGear:
On Gizmodo's douchery and blogging — I didn't want to weigh in on this because I know all the parties involved, I used to run Gizmodo, and I understand the impetus behind this prank. This is a nasty hack performed by punchy, hungover kids that, as we see, got the CE world's attention.
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Larry Dignan / Between the Lines:
Gizmodogate: Get a sense of humor folks — Gizmodo turns off a bunch of TVs at CES to liven the joint up and you'd think that their scribes lit Bill Gates on fire for the page views. — The angst over Gizmodo's hilarious prank is borderline ridiculous: — Judie Lipsett at Gear Diary calls the prank “total and utter crap.”
Discussion:
Webware.com, Gear Diary, Bloggers Blog, CyberNet, UNEASYsilence, Zoli's Blog, Global Neighbourhoods and deal architect
Josh Quittner / Techland:
Will someone please start a Facebook group to save Scrabulous? — I can't tell if Hasbro (HAS), the maker of Scrabble, is the smartest company in the world or the dumbest. Over 100 million sets of the game have been sold in 121 countries, in 29 different languages, according to everyone's favorite source.
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I, Cringely . The Pulpit | PBS:
End Game — With CES over and the San Francisco Macworld Expo set to begin on Monday, we pundits are turning our attention to Apple, the big technology business success of not only 2007, but of the entire decade. Steve Jobs has his Macworld keynote address coming and will no doubt deliver …
Discussion:
All about Microsoft, IT Project Failures, Between the Lines and Oliver Thylmann's Thoughts
Charles Jade / Infinite Loop:
Macworld.Ars: First banner up at Moscone Center — Appleologists, train your furrowed brows on the first banners up at Macworld 2008. As the work crews set up this morning, Moscone South has the first hint of what is to come. — What could be in the air in 2008? A MacBook Pro so light it floats?
Discussion:
CrunchGear, iLounge, Gadget Lab, MacMegasite, Webomatica, The Unofficial Apple Weblog, Insanely Great Mac and MacUser
Wall Street Journal:
Showdown Looms Over Pirated-Media Directory — Swedish Prosecutors Target Organizers of Pirate Bay, A Huge File-Sharing Guide — One of Hollywood's biggest foes is about to be called on the carpet. After years of steering Web surfers to free entertainment, the organizers of a massive directory …
Discussion:
mathewingram.com/work, NewTeeVee, TeleRead, Techdirt, TechCrunch, Silicon Alley Insider, p2pnet, Valleywag and Mashable!
Business Week:
Steve Jobs' Video Dreams — His magic has not extended to visual entertainment. Hollywood and cable companies aim to keep it that way — At last year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, most of the 140,000 attendees were buzzing about the future of the cell phone—and how Apple Inc. …
Dave Winer / Scripting News:
The debate about the worth of podcasting — There's a mini-debate going on about whether podcasting is a success or worth it, or whatever, I'm not sure exactly what the issue is, but it's framed this way —> if you can't get advertisers to hitch a ride on your podcast then podcasting is not worth much if anything.
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Peter Sayer / InfoWorld:
UK gov't report: Don't upgrade to Vista — San Francisco - British schools should not upgrade to Microsoft's Vista operating system and Office 2007 productivity suite, the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA) said in a report on the software.
Discussion:
Electronista
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Saul Hansell / Bits:
Yahoo's Core Value Is Falling — The market is taking stock of still more rumors that Microsoft is trying to buy Yahoo. (This would be a great deal, if it weren't for management, strategic and cultural differences that would probably sink any combination.)
RELATED:
Joseph Weisenthal / paidContent.org:Yahoo Operations Worth Less Than Its Assets; MSFT Buy Unlikely: Analyst
Discussion:
Mashable!
Henry Blodget / Silicon Alley Insider:
Rumor: Microsoft to Buy Limelight Networks (LLNW/MSFT) — Lots of “Microsoft to buy...” rumors banging around these days, and here's another one: Microsoft is interested in buying content-delivery-network Limelight Networks. A CDN industry insider (not at Limelight) tells us he has heard …
Discussion:
ReadWriteWeb, GigaOM, Data Center Knowledge, Tech Trader Daily, CNET News.com and Mashable!
BBC:
Warning on stealthy Windows virus — Security experts are warning about a stealthy Windows virus that steals login details for online bank accounts. — In the last month, the malicious program has racked up about 5,000 victims - most of whom are in Europe.
Discussion:
PalmAddicts
Tom Krazit / CNET News.com:
Macworld leads tech out of the desert — Apple has the third week of January all to itself this year, and although it probably won't top last year's Macworld, the company will likely make everyone forget about the Consumer Electronics Show. — Trade shows are a necessary evil in the tech industry.
Discussion:
Byte of the Apple, Tech Check with Jim Goldman, The Mac Observer, Gear Diary, Telegraph Blogs and Technology Live
Jemima Kiss / PDA:
Rumour Mill: Google to buy Yell? — The markets are abuzz with the revival of speculation that Google is about buy Yell, which saw its shares drift from 595.50 to 325.75 during 2007. — Back in May, a Google deal worth 650p per share was rumoured, and now that deal is said to be back on the cards …
Larry Dignan / Between the Lines:
Why Google, Yahoo and Microsoft should worry about Countrywide's takeover — Update: Countrywide Financial is being acquired by Bank of America and when the deal closes the second largest Web advertiser will disappear. It's highly unlikely that Bank of America will spend so lavishly on online advertising.
Henry Blodget / Silicon Alley Insider:
When Will Advertising Recession Hit? This Quarter — Most major Wall Street firms are now predicting a recession (or saying we're in one). Financial services firms, retailers, cable companies, and phone companies are hurting. Credit card companies are suddenly seeing a slowdown …
Discussion:
Don Dodge on The Next …
Anne Zelenka / GigaOM:
The Big Switch Is a Good Thing — In his new book “The Big Switch,” blogger and journalist Nick Carr says, “In the YouTube economy, everyone is free to play, but only a few reap the rewards." But the reason so many people play in the new economy is because the many can reap rewards …
