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:
Personal Computer World, internetnews.com, Gizmodo, Redmond Pie, Gear Live, 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:
greg hughes, Computerworld, Intel Software Network Blogs, jkOnTheRun, Gadgetell and GottaBeMobile.com
Ina Fried / Beyond Binary:Ballmer touts Windows 7 beta, new deals
Discussion:
Webware.com, The Technology Chronicles, All Facebook, Silicon Alley Insider 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, Kit, Electronista, The Technology Chronicles, Gizmodo, Liliputing and Industry Standard
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:
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:
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, GPS Obsessed, Gizmodo, Google LatLong and Google Maps Mania
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:
Negative Approach
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.
Discussion:
Gawker, Silicon Valley Watcher, Watchdog Blog, Digits, Silicon Alley Insider and Susan Mernit's Blog
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.
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 …
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:
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 …
Discussion:
The Technology Chronicles
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 …
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 …
Jason Kincaid / TechCrunch:
JibJab Closes $7.5 Million Series C Round To Keep The Laughs Rolling — JibJab, a site popular for its parody videos and irreverent eGreetings, has closed a $7.5 million Series C funding round with participation from new investors Overbrook Entertainment (a production company co-founded by Will Smith) …
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.
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 …
Dan Frommer / Silicon Alley Insider:
Seven Post-Macworld Questions For Apple (AAPL) — As usual, Apple's (AAPL) Macworld keynote led to more questions than answers. We learned about some of Apple's new products and services — 17-inch MacBook, more DRM-free music at iTunes, new software suites — but missed out on a lot more.
Discussion:
Infinite Loop
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 …
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.
Kevin C. Tofel / jkOnTheRun:
Skype Lite Coming to Android & Java-Enabled Phones — We'll put this in the rumor column now but I suspect we won't have to wait long for official confirmation since Skype has a Press Event tomorrow morning. Piecing together some web sources, anonymous tips, possible leaks and scouring …
PC World:
LG Display on Verge of Launching 15-Inch OLED — LG Display is on the verge of beginning commercial production of a 15-inch OLED (organic light emitting diode) panel that's suitable for use in televisions and laptop computers, the company said Wednesday. — The screen, which is being shown …
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?
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
