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7:50 AM ET, January 8, 2009

Techmeme

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Brandon LeBlanc / The Windows Blog:
Information on Downloading and Installing Windows 7 Beta  —  As of today, I am running the Windows 7 Beta on several different PCs including my laptop, my work PC, and my PC at home, which I upgraded recently to Windows 7 from Windows Vista SP1.  (I'll be outlining the PCs I'm using to test Windows 7 shortly.)
James Niccolai / PC World:
Windows 7 Is Less of a Resource-hog Than Vista  —  Good news: the next version of Microsoft's Windows OS appears to be less of a resource hog than Windows Vista.  —  Microsoft announced Wednesday that a beta version of Windows 7 will be available for the general public to download and try out on Friday.
Discussion: Smalltalk Tidbits …
Ina Fried / Beyond Binary:
Microsoft: Windows 7 not a lock for '09  —  LAS VEGAS—It's not clear whether Microsoft is just trying to be overly cautious, but top Windows executive Bill Veghte said the company is telling PC makers that Windows 7 might or might not be ready in time for this year's holiday season.
Emil Protalinski / One Microsoft Way:
Windows 7 beta arrives on Connect, MSDN, and TechNet
Discussion: Gadget Lab and OSNews
Emil Protalinski / One Microsoft Way:
Windows 7 build 7000 64-bit version hits torrent sites
Matt Buchanan / Gizmodo:
Sony Vaio P Super Don't-Call-It-a-Netbook Hands On  —  The keyboard?  It rocks.  The screen?  Beautiful.  The trackball is just the right amount of gritty, so your finger sticks to it and doesn't slide off onto the keyboard.  The instant-on OS?  Classy.
RELATED:
One Laptop per Child:
Refocusing on our mission  —  It pains me to post this, and we have striven to avoid this over the past few months, but it is unavoidable.  We are streamlining our operations this month, cutting staff and contractors by roughly 50% (from every team) and laying out broad targets for the coming year.
RELATED:
Joshua Topolsky / Engadget:
Live from Steve Ballmer's CES keynote  —  6:43PM “Over the next several years, they'll become more connected.”  “The 2nd major area is how you'll be able to interact with the computer in natural ways.”  —  6:42PM “Technology isn't just about PCs — the phone, TV, and PC are merging.
RELATED:
Wilson Rothman / Gizmodo:   Ballmer's Wacky Text Messages
Ryan Block / gdgt live:
Live CES 2009 keynote coverage
Discussion: Live Search, TechFlash and Gizmodo
BBC:
Hard drive destruction ‘crucial’  —  The only way to stop fraudsters stealing information from old computer hard drives is by destroying them completely, a study has found.  —  Which?  Computing magazine recovered 22,000 “deleted” files from eight computers purchased on eBay.
Discussion: The Register and Negative Approach
Nilay Patel / Engadget:
GiiNii's Movit Mini WiFi Android tablet hands-on  —  We just spent some quality time playing with GiiNii's Movit Mini WiFi Android tablet, which might be one of the best things we've seen at CES so far — think of it as the Android version of the iPod touch and you'll get why we're so stoked.
Jason Kincaid / TechCrunch:
Google's Street View Takes A Byte Out Of Crime  —  Google Street View may get a bad rap from some overzealous privacy watchdogs and conspiracy theorists, but it just helped police save a young girl who had been kidnapped over the weekend.  —  In the case, which involved a woman …
Xavier / Notebooks.com:
New Generation of Netbooks: $199 and $299, Eight Hour Battery & Sexy Design  —  Freescale and Pegatron are ushering a new generation of netbooks that will combine excellent battery life, good looks and low cost.  The two partners are hoping to bring the ARM-based netbook to market within …
Adam Lashinsky / Fortune:
Google news  —  (Fortune Magazine) — You'd think the executives at Google would be chortling over the latest headlines involving newspapers: The Christian Science Monitor eliminates its print edition; Tribune Co. declares bankruptcy; Detroit's two dailies slash home delivery to three days a week.
Panasonic:
PANASONIC INTRODUCES WORLD'S FIRST PORTABLE BLU-RAY PLAYER  —  Innovative Player Features BD Live and VIERA CAST® Internet Accessibility  —  Panasonic, a major developer and contributor to the success of the Blu-ray format, introduced the world's first portable Blu-ray Disc player at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show.
Discussion: PC World, Engadget HD and Gadget Lab
RELATED:
Erik Sherman / BNET Technology:
Is Google Developing a Router?  —  There's an intriguing rumor floating about.  SDTimes.com is reporting that according to multiple sources, “including one at Cisco,” Google is working on developing its own router.  When I contacted Google, the answer was the now-standard …
Rick Turoczy / ReadWriteWeb:
Mr. Microphone 2.0: Microsoft Songsmith Puts Even the Worst Lyrics to Music  —  Like to sing in the shower or in the car?  Want to subject others to your incoherent warblings as if they were a real song?  Microsoft Songsmith may be for you.  And if you're a professional lyricist, musician, or someone with real musical talent?
Discussion: Microsoft Pri0 and Scobleizer
Jon Stokes / Ars Technica:
OQO launches world's smallest Vista PC with OLED screen  —  LAS VEGAS — Ars has been making posts about handheld computer maker OQO since at least 2002, when the company stoked the fires of geek lust with an x86, Windows-based MID well before that term had even been invented.
Dean Takahashi / VentureBeat:
Canesta teams up with Hitachi to create a Wii-like next-generation TV control  —  Canesta is announcing today it has teamed up with Hitachi to create a next-generation user interface for a TV that is similar to the way arm-waving controls the Nintendo Wii video game console.
Discussion: NewTeeVee
Michael Arrington / TechCrunch:
Investment Group Makes Run For Yahoo, Using Microsoft's Money  —  Interest in troubled Internet giant Yahoo has not waned, it just took a break for the holidays.  A group of well known Silicon Valley executives and top investment bankers are putting together a Yahoo takeover deal …
Electronista:
AMD unveils Phenom II architecture  —  AMD marked the start of CES with the formal debut of the Phenom II, its first mainstream 45 nanometer processor.  The upgrade is based on the same core “Shanghai” architecture as recent Opterons and gives a roughly 20 percent speed boost …
Discussion: VentureBeat, eWeek and PC World
CNET News:
Verizon intros on-the-go DVR programming  — LAS VEGAS—Verizon will soon allow some Fios TV customers to remotely access their DVRs online from a computer or via a Verizon Wireless cell phone, the company is expected to announce Thursday at the Consumer Electronics Show that it.
Discussion: Digits and Tech stories
Prince McLean / AppleInsider:
An extensive look at Apple's new iWork.com service  —  Apple's new iWork.com service lifts one of the biggest obstacles facing its iWork office productivity suite by making it easier for iWork users to collaborate with others using Windows PC and Microsoft Office.  Here's a first look at how the service works and what it does.
Discussion: Infinite Loop and Edible Apple
Nate Anderson / Ars Technica:
Students, law prof want RIAA trial live and online  —  Back in October, we covered the case of Joel Tenenbaum, a Boston graduate student accused by the RIAA of sharing copyrighted music as “sublimeguy14” on KaZaA.  Tenenbaum did not go quietly into that dark night; instead, he offered the RIAA a settlement of $500.
Reuters:
Dish Network DVR has Slingbox technology  —  LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Satellite TV provider Dish Network Corp will unveil a new digital video recorder on Thursday that will allow people watch their favorite television shows on any Internet-enabled device.  —  Dish Network, the third-largest U …
Enigmax / TorrentFreak:
Game Developer Confronts iPhone Software Cracker  —  Whack 'em All is a newish game for iPhone and iPod Touch, based on the ‘Whack-a-Mole’ idea.  The creators are married couple Constance and James Bossert, who together form Fairlady Media.  —  James told TorrentFreak …
Stacey Higginbotham / GigaOM:
Cisco Details Consumer Push and Products  —  At a press conference at CES today, Cisco's CEO John Chambers talked about the router maker's push beyond routers and into the home.  As Om has said before, this is a well-worn path trod by Cisco in its need to continue its growth …
Robin Wauters / TechCrunch:
Corkd Gets Hackd  —  If you try to visit the URL for wine review website Corkd, you'll automatically get rerouted to porn site Adult Friend Finder (obviously NSFW).  We're not sure how long this has been the case, but we're not the only ones noticing.  —  What's weird about the redirect …
Discussion: The Drama 2.0 Show
 
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 More Items: 
Ilinca Nita / Unwired View:
Sony Ericsson C510 and Sony Ericsson W508 announced - a Cyber-shot and a Walkman
Discussion: Sony Ericsson and Engadget Mobile
Jason Kincaid / TechCrunch:
JibJab Closes $7.5 Million Series C Round To Keep The Laughs Rolling
Discussion: NewTeeVee and paidContent.org
Brian Krebs / Security Fix:
Caveat Emptor: Watch Out for Phantom Stores
Macworld:
Macworld Expo Best of Show 2009
Discussion: O'Grady's PowerPage
Kevin C. Tofel / jkOnTheRun:
Skype Lite Coming to Android & Java-Enabled Phones
Discussion: TechChuck and Skype Journal
 Earlier Items: 
Dan Frommer / Silicon Alley Insider:
Seven Post-Macworld Questions For Apple (AAPL)
Discussion: Infinite Loop
Larry Dignan / Between the Lines:
EMC cuts 2,400 jobs
Discussion: eWeek and PR Newswire
BBC:
Apple spoils iPhone forgery plans
Discussion: The Register and Profy
Michael Liedtke / Associated Press:
Google cuts temporary workers but murky on details
Glenn Fleishman / Ars Technica:
AT&T moves closer to offering in-home cell base stations
Discussion: greg hughes
Haig Simonian / Financial Times:
Logitech cuts 500 jobs and issues another profit warning
 

 
From Mediagazer:

Alex Sherman / CNBC:
Analyzing Comcast's spinoff of cable networks, purposefully structured with low debt: the move might be a signal to the industry that it's time to consolidate

Lauren Forristal / TechCrunch:
Tubi launches Scenes, a mobile feature that lets viewers watch 60-to-90-second trailer-style clips from its library to help with content discovery

Daniel Thomas / Financial Times:
James Harding says the Tortoise-Observer deal could create a profitable media group and there isn't a guaranteed future for the Observer with the Guardian

 
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