Top Items:
Michael Arrington / TechCrunch:
Google In Final Negotiations To Acquire Digg For “Around $200 Million” — Google's on and off negotiations with Digg have been back on in a big way for the last six weeks, we've heard from multiple sources inside of Google, and the two companies are close to a deal that will bring Digg under the Google News property.
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Vasanth Sridharan / Silicon Alley Insider:Third Time The Charm? Google Reportedly Buying Digg, Again (GOOG)
Discussion:
The Inquisitr
Robert Scoble / Scobleizer:
Has/How/Why tech blogging has failed you — Oh, what a hoot. I've been taking a break from blogging just to relax and invest my time in other places. Like FriendFeed. Or downloading iPhone apps. — Anyway, I've been thinking a lot about Tech blogging and my role in it. I've increasingly become saddened.
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louisgray.com:
Techmeme and TechCrunch's Detractors Prove It's Hard to be On Top — One downside of being in a visible leadership position is that you often have a bulls-eye on your back. Sometimes it's from your competition. Sometimes it's from people who feel what you offer isn't benefitting themselves personally …
Sarah Lacy:
Maybe Blogging Is Just a Loss-Leader? — I keep thinking about this blogging crossroads and the beauty of small. Then today came Robert Scoble's post about how tech blogging has let you down. It's not hugely applicable to me since I am a business reporter, and he takes pains to separate business blogging from tech blogging.
Discussion:
Alfred Thompson …
Andy Schwerin / Google LatLong:
Pound the pavement — It's summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and when it's not too hot, it feels like a waste of gorgeous weather to get behind the wheel or hop in a cab. Doubly so when you're traveling to a city you'd love to explore, and you're pretty sure that you could walk from your hotel …
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Barry Schwartz / Search Engine Land:
Google Maps Walking Directions Now Live — Earlier this month, I reported that Google Maps was testing walking directions on a small subset of users. This morning, I noticed that Google Maps now is offering walking directions for all Google Maps users. — For example, conduct a search …
Discussion:
Google Blogoscoped, SitePoint Blogs, Lifehacker, CyberNet, Kelsey Group Blogs, /Message, AppScout, UMBC ebiquity, Bloggle, Screenwerk and WebProBlog
MacDailyNews:
RUMOR: Apple's secret product is ‘MacBook touch’ — Get ready for Newton 2.0 MacBook touch?! — So says our source — the same one who tipped us to wireless iTunes Store sales direct to iPod, iPhone a week before Apple debuted it — in staccato fashion: … MacDailyNews Note: This is a rumor.
Discussion:
TeleRead, Boing Boing Gadgets, CrunchGear, GMSV, Simon's Blog, Geekologie, CyberNet, The iPhone Blog, Computerworld Blogs, GottaBeMobile and AppleInsider
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Mark Wilson / Gizmodo:Rumor: MacBook touch Coming in October
Discussion:
Cult of Mac, Coolest Gadgets, PalmAddicts, dailywireless.org, InformationWeek and Ubergizmo
Chad Dickerson:
Leaving Yahoo! — I've thought a lot about how to begin this post, but it's best to get right to the point (especially in light of the speed of Techcrunch). I'm leaving Yahoo! to pursue another very exciting opportunity: joining the Etsy team as CTO. I'll save my thoughts on Etsy for later …
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Arik Hesseldahl / Byte of the Apple:
The Real Issue About Steve's Health — After the earnings call last night I talked with a source who is close to Apple and who who has in the past proven very well informed on the concerns of Apple senior management. This source told me with near-certainty that Jobs' cancer has not returned.
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Stephen Shankland / CNET News.com:
Yahoo earnings decline, miss estimates — Yahoo's earnings for its second quarter came in 1 cent lower than expectations, with net income declining 19 percent and revenue a bit light as well, but the company called the quarter “strong.” — Using generally accepted accounting principles …
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Sam Diaz / Between the Lines:
VMWare looks ahead at Microsoft, year-end financials and morale — updated: VMWare, whose recent headlines have included an ousted CEO and a re-pricing of its employee stock options, reported second-quarter earnings of $92 million, or 23 cents per share, up from $52 million, or 16 cents per share, for the same quarter a year ago.
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Kara Swisher / BoomTown:
Some Facebook Apps Are Actually More Equal Than Others — Tomorrow, when it rolls out its new platform, one of the more interesting pieces of news from Facebook will be its initiative to dub certain of its third-party app developers more special than others.
Kevinu / Gamerscore Blog:
Games fo Windows LIVE is now FREE — I love getting achievements when I play games. I love having the same friends list shared between my PC games and my XBOX 360. And I love not having to pick games from a list of servers, but just having matchmaking that puts me into a game.
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Kenneth Li / Reuters:
MySpace joins shared identity service OpenID — NEW YORK (Reuters) - News Corp's MySpace Internet social network will join the OpenID alliance to begin letting its users take their online identity to other sites and social networks without having to register again.
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Blake Whitman / Vimeo:
New upload rules — New Features — The Vimeo staff has decided that we are no longer going to allow gaming videos on Vimeo. Specifically, we are no longer going to allow game walk-throughs, game strategy videos, depictions of player vs player battles, raids, fraps …
Carl Icahn / The Icahn Report:
How I Spent My Weekend — Proxy fights are very expensive and time-consuming. Unlike political elections, where change is often seen, it is unfortunately extremely difficult to take control of a company. By the end of last week, I realized that although many large shareholders supported …
Karl Bode / DSLreports:
AT&T Hints That Usage-Based Billing Is Coming - New, more specific speed tiers may come with a catch... At the FCC's hearing on broadband yesterday in Pittsburgh, AT&T Senior Federal Regulatory Vice President Robert Quinn said the company would be changing the way way they advertise their broadband tiers …
Ryan Block / Engadget:
Some news from the editor's desk — For most of us here, at some point the sensation of breaking the news takes hold and turns into something else, something much more like an addiction. It really gets into you, keeps you up at night, makes you stay in on weekends.
