Top Items:
Robert Scoble / Scobleizer:
Why Microsoft will buy Facebook and keep it closed — It no longer is about Data Portability or Social Graph Portability, if you will. — I'm hearing these rumors too that John Furrier (my ex-boss) is reporting. That Microsoft will buy Yahoo's search and then buy Facebook for $15 to $20 billion.
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John Furrier / Furrier.org:
Silicon Valley Rumor: Microsoft to Buy Yahoo Search and Then Facebook — My sources say that the Yahoo and Microsoft teams are bunkered down in a Palo Alto hotel hammering out the final stages of a transaction that will have Microsoft picking up the Yahoo search business. Word is that this deal will be done this week.
Discussion:
VentureBeat, Silicon Alley Insider, Download Squad, Between the Lines, Search Engine Journal, STARTUP CHATTER, The Inquisitr, Deal Journal, InformationWeek Weblog, Digital Daily, WebGuild, Geek.com, The 463, Tech Trader Daily, TECH.BLORGE.com, Outside the Lines, Windows Connected, Contentinople, ReadWriteWeb, Searchviews, Microsoft News Tracker, Andy Beal's Marketing Pilgrim, Valleywag, Search Engine Land, I'm Not Actually a Geek, Tech Ticker, BetaNews, DealBook and Electronista
Rajas Moonka / Official Google Blog:
Opening our content network to third parties — Today, we're announcing that Google is accepting third-party advertising tags on the Google content network in North America. This will empower advertisers to work with approved third parties to serve and track display ads, including rich media ads …
Umair Haque:
The Microsoft vs Google Endgame — Today, something really interesting happened. Both Google and Microsoft are making fairly dramatic strategic moves. But the moves they're making are polar, extreme opposites: the contrast between them couldn't be sharper or starker.
Philipp Lenssen / Google Blogoscoped:
Google Factory Tour: Google Health Launched — Today starting at 9:30am Californian time, Google is holding a press event in their Mountain View headquarters lasting until noon (another factory tour was held in 2005). Google announced they will give insights into search, with Google's R.J. Pittman …
Discussion:
Google Operating System, Between the Lines, CNET News.com, Pimm and Silicon Alley Insider
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Daisuke Wakabayashi / eWeek:
Microsoft Braces for Major Customer Shift — Shifting to a business model that may thin profit margins but generate more revenue. — SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp sees tens of millions of corporate e-mail accounts moving to its data centers over the next five years …
Discussion:
Rough Type
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Mary Jo Foley / All about Microsoft:
Microsoft: Half of Exchange inboxes to be Microsoft-hosted in five years
Microsoft: Half of Exchange inboxes to be Microsoft-hosted in five years
Discussion:
Silicon Alley Insider
Josh / Redeye VC:
Facebook's new Fortune 500 Advertiser... While the blogosphere buzzes about Facebook's banning of Google Friend Connect, it appears that Google is not entirely a “persona non grata” at Facebook. It seems that Google, the Internet advertising superpower, is actually purchasing advertising on Facebook's Ad Platform.
Discussion:
Silicon Alley Insider
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Ken Fisher / Ars Technica:
Ars Technica acquired by Condé Nast: the low-down — In less than a month, Ars Technica will be 10 years old. In 10 years time we've accomplished much, but uncovered far more work we want to do. For the past six months, we've been obsessed internally with the question …
Andrew Chen / Futuristic Play:
Social network death spiral: How Metcalfe's Law can work against you — Metcalfe's Law — Does everyone remember Metcalfe's Law? It was formulated by Bob Metcalfe, the inventor of Ethernet and co-founder of 3Com, who stated: … For those that are interested in the math behind it …
Daniel Terdiman / Geek Gestalt:
EA losing its credibility on Take-Two offer extensions — Electronic Arts said Monday that it is once again extending its $2 billion offer for ‘Grand Theft Auto’ publisher Take-Two. Take-Two retorted by rejecting the offer. — “If you don't clean up your room today, you're going to be in trouble,” yells Dad.
Matthew Miller / The Mobile Gadgeteer:
Mobile software Monday: Opera Mobile 9.5 — One of the primary functions I perform on my mobile devices is web browsing, but until now there have always been limitations with these browsers. The iPhone had the best current browser for strictly browsing, but didn't allow you to do much else …
Andrew Krukowski / TVWeek.com:
May Sweeps Sees Record Low Ratings — Strike Seems to Have Altered Viewing Habits — Low ratings during the February sweeps may have been a fluke due to the writers strike, but the May sweeps period is painting a picture of viewers out of sync with broadcast television …
Brian Heater / Gearlog:
JVC Intros “YouTube Camcorder” — JVC launched its entry into the “YouTube camcorder” space this morning. Firmly targeted at the space pioneered by Pure Digital's Flip Ultra video camera, which managed to capture some 17-percent of the digital camcorder marketplace with its low-quality …
Saul Hansell / Bits:
Apple Wants More Mobile Music From Labels — As part of Apple's efforts to improve on the shortcomings of its popular iPhone, the company has approached some of the major music labels to try to expand the variety of ringtones and other musical features available on the device, several label executives said last week.
Philip Elmer-DeWitt / Apple 2.0:
Report: Apple's market share of PCs over $1,000 hits 66% — Here's a new way to slice Apple's growing share of the computer market. — Last March, the NPD Group reported that Apple's retail market share — its cut of the computers sold in brick-and-mortar stores — had climbed to 14% …