Top Items:
Apple:
Letter from Apple CEO Steve Jobs — For the first time in a decade, I'm getting to spend the holiday season with my family, rather than intensely preparing for a Macworld keynote. — Unfortunately, my decision to have Phil deliver the Macworld keynote set off another flurry of rumors about my health …
Discussion:
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Apple:
Statement by Apple's Board of Directors — It is widely recognized both inside and outside of Apple that Steve Jobs is one of the most talented and effective CEOs in the world. — As we have said before, if there ever comes a day when Steve wants to retire or for other reasons cannot continue …
Nicholas Carlson / Silicon Alley Insider:
Steve Jobs Admits Health Caused Him To Skip Macworld (AAPL) — Apple (AAPL) sources told CNBC's Jim Goldman (over and over) that the reason CEO Steve Jobs would not give his usual keynote at this year's Macworld was for “political” reasons. — Now, in an open letter, Steve admits that's not true …
Charles Cooper / Coop's Corner:
Now Apple's credibility really is in the balance — If you're an Apple shareholder or employee, the good news is that Steve Jobs' health is not in any immediate danger. — Or so we're supposed to surmise from the cryptic note issued by Jobs early Monday on the state of his health …
Discussion:
GigaOM
Michael Arrington / TechCrunch:
Celebrity Twitter Accounts Hacked (Bill O'Reilly, Britney Spears, Rick Sanchez) — My guess is this has nothing to do with the phishing attacks that started on Twitter a couple of days ago. But a few minutes ago the official Fox News Twitter account posted “Breaking: Bill O Riley is gay” …
New York Times:
Blu-ray's Fuzzy Future — The biggest news at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last January was not the birth of a new product but the death of one. — A decision by Warner Brothers to withdraw support for the HD DVD video disc format sent shock waves through the electronics industry …
Discussion:
PC World, Wall Street Journal, Silicon Alley Insider, AppleInsider, Contentinople, Venture Chronicles, Electronista and CrunchGear
Michael Arrington / TechCrunch:
2009: Products I Can't Live Without — At the beginning of each year I traditionally publish a list of my favorite startups and products. This is the fourth year I've done this - previous lists: 2006, 2007, 2008. You guys get to pick the winners of the Crunchies - this list is all mine.
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Peter Kafka / MediaMemo:
For Sale at the New York Times: The Front Page — The New York Times (NYT) is already trying to mortgage its headquarters and unload assets like its stake in the Boston Red Sox. — So what's left to sell? The front page. — Today's edition of the Times features the first display ad the paper has ever sold on its front page.
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Richard Pérez-Peña / New York Times:The Times to Sell Display Ads on the Front Page
Discussion:
Screenwerk
Wall Street Journal:
TV and Web Marry After Long Courtship — After more than a decade of disappointment, the goal of marrying television and the Internet seems finally to be picking up steam. — A key factor in the push are new TV sets that have networking connections built directly into them, requiring no additional set-top boxes for getting online.
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Tom Krazit / CNET News:
Apple's last Macworld beginning of new era — Apple CEO Steve Jobs' absence from Macworld 2009 could be a prelude to a new communications strategy. — (Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks) — Even though CEO Steve Jobs will not be playing his customary role, the last Macworld Expo …
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Claudine Beaumont / Telegraph:Macworld: Analysts expect Apple's evolution not revolution
Discussion:
MacRumors
Tania Branigan / Guardian:
China targets Google and Baidu in crackdown on ‘vulgar’ websites — Chinese officials today launched a crackdown on “vulgar” websites including Google and the country's leading search engine, Baidu. — Officials named 19 sites they said had failed to censor inappropriate content despite warnings …
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Intel:
Intel and Adobe to Extend Flash Platform to TVs — Optimizing Adobe Flash Technology on Intel® Media Processor CE 3100 Will Enable Rich and Seamless Web Content on TV — Adobe® Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) and Intel Corporation today announced plans to collaborate …
Discussion:
NewTeeVee, CNET News, Podcasting News, Digital Daily, DailyTech, Maximum PC all, Obsessable, Engadget, Boy Genius Report, The Register, Electronista and 901am
Leo Lewis / Times of London:
Sony on brink of upheaval as analysts back British chief — Sony, the embattled Japanese electronics group, is on the brink of a corporate upheaval that could see job cuts and sweeping changes to management and manufacturing processes. — Company sources have told The Times that operations across …
Discussion:
Silicon Alley Insider, Coop's Corner, Reuters, Joystiq, GamePolitics News, Destructoid, GamesIndustry.biz, Gizmodo, Kotaku, CrunchGear and I4U News
Larry Dignan / Between the Lines:
Lenovo shows off 16-inch thin laptop; Launches all-in-one PC, dual-screen mobile workstation — Ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show this week, Lenovo unveiled new consumer laptops and a debuted a dual-screen mobile workstation. — Lenovo, which began to target consumers a year ago …
Brian Prince / eWeek:
Twitter Phishing Scam Takes New Turn with Promises of iPhone — Resource Library: — A phishing campaign targeting Twitter has morphed, according to researchers at Sophos. Phishers are now using accounts compromised in the initial campaign launched over the weekend to snare Twitter users lured by the promise of an iPhone.
Matt Buchanan / Gizmodo:
Roku Netflix Box Gets Amazon Video on Demand — Roku's Netflix box is currently a one-trick pony, but it's getting Amazon's Video on Demand later this year, meaning you can soon buy or rent and instantly stream movies and TV shows from Amazon's service. — Amazon's Video on Demand library …
Chris Mellor / The Register:
Iomega aims at TVs with home server — Backs up PCs and plays digital media files — Iomega has announced a home storage and media server that backs up files on connected PCs and plays digital media content to connected output devices. — The Home Media Network Hard Drive (HMNHD) …
Discussion:
Gizmodo
Ken Barnes / USA Today:
Music sales boom, but albums fizzle for '08 — Americans bought more music in 2008 than ever before, but album sales — the music industry's main source of revenue — dropped for a fourth year. — According to the Nielsen Co.'s year-end figures, music purchases — CD, vinyl …
