Top Items:
Microsoft:
Microsoft's Ballmer Announces Availability of Windows 7 Beta and Windows Live — Company previews simpler, better Windows operating system and highlights connected entertainment offerings at CES. — In a keynote address at the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) …
Discussion:
Signal to Noise, Personal Computer World, Gizmodo, internetnews.com, Redmond Pie, Gear Live, Gadgetreview, All about Microsoft, I4U News and Full of I.T.
RELATED:
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.)
Discussion:
CrunchGear, greg hughes, Computerworld, Intel Software Network Blogs, jkOnTheRun, Gadgetell and GottaBeMobile.com
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:Ballmer touts Windows 7 beta, new deals
Discussion:
Webware.com, The Technology Chronicles, Silicon Alley Insider, All Facebook and Digital Noise
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:
James Kendrick / jkOnTheRun:Sony Vaio P unveiled- smaller than but not a netbook
Discussion:
LAPTOP Mag, L.A. Times Tech Blog, Engadget, Electronista, DisplayBlog, The Technology Chronicles, Gizmodo, Kit and Industry Standard
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:
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.
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.
Discussion:
blogs.ft.com, Beyond Binary, Computerworld, Download Squad, Bits, VentureBeat, Guardian and All about Microsoft
RELATED:
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.
Discussion:
Gizmodo, Android Phone Fans, UMPCPortal, Incremental Blogger, Zatz Not Funny! and Google Android News …
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 …
Discussion:
CNET News, Techdirt, Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Search Engine Journal, Gizmodo, GPS Obsessed and Google LatLong
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.
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?
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.
Discussion:
The Mobile Gadgeteer, Engadget, Gizmodo, GPS Obsessed, GottaBeMobile.com and Electronista
Reuters:
Japan may promote lower mobile phone fees — TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's government will seek to introduce new guidelines on mobile phone connection fees as early as 2010, which may lower rates for consumers, the Asahi newspaper reported on Thursday. — Current law does not specify …
Discussion:
mocoNews.net
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 …
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.
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
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.
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.
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 …
BBC:
Apple spoils iPhone forgery plans — Consumers are being warned to be on the lookout for fake iPhone Nanos, despite the real thing not even being released. — It was rumoured that Apple might be announcing a new, smaller iPhone at this year's Macworld conference.
