Top Items:
Michael Arrington / TechCrunch:
Large Form iPod Touch To Launch in Fall '09 — We've got this from three independent sources close to Apple: expect a large screen iPod touch device to be released in the Fall of '09, with a 7 or 9 inch screen. Prototypes have been seen and handled by one of our sources, and Apple is talking to OEMs in Asia now about mass production.
MG Siegler / VentureBeat:
Local yogurt store tells blogger that Steve Jobs is “in great health” — Amid a flurry of (disputed) reports and rumors about Apple chief executive Steve Jobs' “rapidly declining health,” blogger Robert Scoble did some field work to dig for the truth today.
Discussion:
Tech Central, ParisLemon, iPhone Savior, Ross Mayfield's Weblog and Silicon Alley Insider
RELATED:
Jim Goldman / CNBC.com:
Apple's Jobs is (Still) Fine — You want to know how skittish Apple investors are and how little conviction they have in the company, or trust in its message, look no further than today's Gizmodo rumor fiasco. — The blog reports a serious decline in Steve Jobs' health as the real reason …
Jim Goldman / Tech Check with Jim Goldman:
Jobs', Cancer Rumors and a Whole Lot of ‘Here We Go Again’ — I've gone down this road before, and I'm growing tired from it. Unlike so many of you, however, I don't have a financial horse in this race since my company prevents me from owning any shares in any individual company.
Jesus Diaz / Gizmodo:Steve Jobs' Health Declining Rapidly, Reason for Macworld Cancellation
Discussion:
Macworld, Webomatica, Computerworld, Sevenmac.net, Infinite Loop, Chuqui 3.0, Gawker, 9 to 5 Mac, Mobility Site, VentureBeat, Broadband Developments, Silicon Alley Insider, The Mac Observer, Guardian, HotHardware.com News, iPhone Savior, ChannelWeb, Tech-Ex, AppleInsider, CrunchGear, NEWSFACTOR, Digital Daily, Boy Genius Report, GMSV, Between the Lines, Perez Hilton, SlashGear, Macsimum News, TUAW, Tech Trader Daily and digg.com
Stephanie Clifford / New York Times:
Consumers Union to Buy Gawker Blog Consumerist — Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, planned to announce on Wednesday that it had acquired Consumerist.com, a popular blog formerly owned by Gawker Media. — Consumerist is one of several sites Gawker has sold this year …
Discussion:
Center for Citizen Media, Technologizer, CNET News, Network World, VentureBeat, Consumerist and BuzzMachine
RELATED:
Megan McCarthy / Techmeme News:
Top 10 objectively biggest tech stories of 2008 — Unlike other news sites, our impartial and omniscient news relevance engine enables us to produce a purely objective top story list for the year. Ok, ok, that's not strictly true, in fact manual editing was even phased in recently.
Joey deVilla / Global Nerdy:
The Air Force's Rules of Engagement for Blogging — You've probably seen many articles on companies and organizations saying that they take social media seriously. Here's one such organization that you might not expect: the United States Air Force. Take a look at the Air Force Blog Assessment chart, reproduced below:
Om Malik / GigaOM:
The Sequoia Layoff Scorecard — Back in October, when I broke the news that uber venture fund Sequoia Capital had organized a secret meeting in which it warned its portfolio companies to prepare for the pending financial apocalypse, the revelation was met with some skepticism.
Wall Street Journal:
Dell Shakes Up Management — Dell Inc. is preparing management changes that are expected to shake up an executive team that Chief Executive Michael Dell brought in as part of his turnaround plan for the big computer maker. — As part of the moves, which are expected to be announced soon …
comScore:
Sales during Online Holiday Shopping Season Decline by 3 Percent — Despite Weak Season Apple, Amazon, Wal-Mart and Sears Post Traffic Increases — comScore (NASDAQ : SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today reported its tracking of holiday season retail e-commerce spending …
Discussion:
Silicon Alley Insider, VentureBeat, Tech-Ex, TechCrunch, Digital Daily, CNET News, TechFlash and L.A. Times Tech Blog
Guardian:
Private firm may track all email and calls — The private sector will be asked to manage and run a communications database that will keep track of everyone's calls, emails, texts and internet use under a key option contained in a consultation paper to be published next month by Jacqui Smith, the home secretary.
Ben Robinson / IntoMobile:
Spatial View Introduces New Wazabee 3DeeShell for Vivid Stereoscopic 3D Graphics on the iPhone — Spatial View, a leader in manufacturing products for creating 3D effects, introduces its latest product, Wazabee 3DeeShell, a special protective skin with an integrated removable lens …
Discussion:
iPhone Buzz
NokiaPressServices / Nokia Press Bulletin Board:
The new Nokia 6208c — In an event held today in Nanjing Nokia unveiled the Nokia 6208c, a new pen input device which caters for a number of different customers, specifically those in China. The touch screen on the 6208c is optimized to write Chinese characters and messages in the most natural way, with a pen.
Justin Smith / Inside Facebook:
Why Facebook Opted for Platform Growth Over Platform Monetization in 2008 — When the Facebook Platform launched in May 2007, many speculated on Facebook's various opportunities for revenue generation on Platform. However, while there has been much talk of Facebook's revenues throughout 2008 …
Matt Asay / The Open Road:
Why is OpenOffice “profoundly sick”? — OpenOffice.org developer and Novell employee Michael Meeks calls OpenOffice “profoundly sick” and chides Sun for retaining too much control over the project for its own good. He's right, and here's why. — First, though Meeks thinks it's critical …
Ylan Q. Mui / Washington Post:
A Few Popular Presents Rise Above Recession — The presents have been unwrapped, the tree taken down. And Santa still hasn't brought you that Wii. — Don't worry. You are not alone. — Despite the economic gloom and doom that saddled this Christmas shopping season …
Chris Ziegler / Engadget:
HTC believes Cupcake will come to the T-Mobile G1 — We've already seen it go down unofficially, but we've received word from HTC today that Android's coveted “Cupcake” branch of updates and fixes — or at least a majority of it — will likely be making it to the G1 in the future as a legitimate over-the-air push.
Jacqui Cheng / Ars Technica:
Wikipedia's new plea for donations stirs skepticism — Regular visitors of Wikipedia have become so familiar with the standard fundraising banner at the top of the page that they've practically become blind to it, but Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales has mixed things up by replacing it recently with a personal plea for donations.
Discussion:
digg.com
Emily Steel / Wall Street Journal:
Obama's Digital Campaign Allies Seek to Cash In — Tech-savvy tactics helped give Barack Obama's presidential campaign an edge. Now, several of the ad-technology companies that powered the campaign's digital push are touting their role in its success, hoping to gain an edge over their own competitors.
en.apa.az:
Nokia phones with the portrait of Stalin begins to sell in Moscow — Moscow-APA. Nokia mobile phones with the image of Joseph Stalin appeared in the sale in Moscow shops, APA reports. The cost of such phones, depending on the model ranges from 1000 to 60000 rubles.
Damian Koh / CNET News:
The Storm is a Netbook, says RIM's founder — WATERLOO, Canada—Even as the weather drop to sub-zero temperatures and snow powders Research In Motion's campus in Waterloo, Mike Lazaridis certainly didn't feel it. The company's founder and co-CEO carries into a meeting room a little black box …
Zach Epstein / Boy Genius Report:
Early New Year's gift from BGR: T-Mobile release schedule revealed, BlackBerry Curve 8900 included — Maybe one of our ninjas was feeling inspired by that crazy new Dick Tracy watch LG has in the pipes because he decided to go super-sleuth and dig up the goods on T-Mobile's upcoming release schedule for January and February, 2009.
Discussion:
IntoMobile, CrackBerry.com blogs, BerryReview.com, Unwired View, Obsessable, Gizmodo, Engadget Mobile and BlackBerry Cool
Brad Stone / Bits:
Adobe's Flash and Apple's Safari Fail a Privacy Test — In the new browser war, privacy is a crucial battleground. — Mozilla's Firefox, Google's Chrome, Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Apple's Safari all compete to give users the most control over their online identities and the best protection …
