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1:40 PM ET, January 18, 2009

Techmeme

 Top Items: 
Michael Arrington / TechCrunch:
Why Google Employees Quit  —  In 2008 Google HR set up a private Google Group to ask former employees why they left the company.  We've been forwarded what appears to be authentic posts to the thread by a number of ex-Googlers, which we reprint below minus identifying information other than their first names.
Discussion: Smalltalk Tidbits … and digg.com
Miguel Helft / New York Times:
At First, Funny Videos.  Now, a Reference Tool.  —  FACED with writing a school report on an Australian animal, Tyler Kennedy began where many students begin these days: by searching the Internet.  But Tyler didn't use Google or Yahoo.  He searched for information about the platypus on YouTube.
Discussion: WatchingTV Online
Brooke Crothers / CNET News:
Bedlam breaks out at Circuit City  —  On Friday, Circuit City said it was liquidating all of its stores.  Then, on Saturday there was a big liquidation sale at my local Circuit City—up to 30 percent off.  The checkout line was almost as long as the lines you encounter on a typical Saturday at Fry's …
Discussion: Spark Minute and Crave
Chauncey Dupree / 9 to 5 Mac:
Woz explains product development at Apple (and why everyone needs to chill)  —  Bonus: Sarah Lacy and Woz wear coordinating outfits in reverence to their subject matter.  (via MacBlogz)  —  Maybe Woz could offer some diet tips as well.
Ben Smith / The Politico:
Obama staff will say cu l8r 2 im  —  Barack Obama may get to keep his Blackberry, but David Axelrod is losing his IM.  —  The lawyers broke the bad news to Obama aides at a briefing Friday morning convened by incoming Deputy White House Counsel Cassandra Butts: Not only are they leaving …
Discussion: Think Progress
Kara Swisher / BoomTown:
The Three Caballeros?  -Bostock, Ballmer and...Bewkes?  —  It wasn't just Yahoo Chairman Roy Bostock and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer meeting in New York last week.  —  According to several sources close to the situation, Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes also rounded out a trio of chit-chatting execs …
Austin Modine / The Register:
Internet to Obama: ‘Pass the joint’  —  Online suggestion box goes to pot  —  President-elect Barack Obama has promised change.  And there's one change that internet-happy Americans want more than another other.  In an age of crippling recession, skyrocketing unemployment …
Bobbie Johnson / Guardian:
Does Wired's drastic weight loss point to ill health?  —  My, my, Wired magazine's looking thin these days.  Only a month or so ago I remember looking at a big fat dollop of paper, all health and bouncy.  Today, however, when I went to get my post my first thought went something along the lines of “Wow, this feels really lightweight”.
Stuart / Music Ally:
MidemNet 2009 Liveblog: Google's David Eun talks music  —  What, you may be wondering, does Google have to say for itself at MidemNet this year?  David Eun is VP of content partnerships at the company, and he's being interviewed on-stage by TAG Strategic's Ted Cohen.
Discussion: paidContent.org
Michael Arrington / TechCrunch:
Lycos To Shutter Lycos Mail, Tripod On February 15  —  Troubled Internet company Lycos is shutting down its email service and website creation and hosting service Tripod, the company is saying via emails to users that begin with “We regret to inform you that our parent company has decided to discontinue all unprofitable activities.”
Samuel Axon / Obsessable:
Seagate offers solution to 7200.11 hard drive failure epidemic  —  A simple firmware update will prevent the failure, but if it's already happened then things get a little more complicated.  —  If you own one of those Seagate hard drives we found out were dropping like flies yesterday, it's possible that you can now relax.
Rob Jackson / Android Phone Fans:
Android Market: Now In Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Netherlands & Poland  —  In an Email from Google's Eric Chu, Developer's learned that they can now target new countries with their applications in the Android Market: … That's not to say that people in these areas necessarily …
Discussion: IntoMobile and Android Central
Asa Dotzler:
competition is good  —  There are a number of folks around the Internets that seem to fundamentally misunderstand the competitive landscape in desktop Web browsers today.  The thinking goes like this: Firefox has more than 20% share of global browser usage so how can you say that Microsoft still has an unfair advantage.
RELATED:
Todd Bishop / TechFlash:
Q&A: Opera CEO on antitrust battle against Internet Explorer
 
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 More Items: 
Tim Johnston / Washington Post:
Vietnamese Authorities Rein In the Country's Vigorous Blogosphere
Robert MacMillan / Reuters:
Mexico's Slim may invest in New York Times: source
Discussion: MediaMemo and paidContent.org
Brian Stelter / New York Times:
Can CNN, the Go-to Site, Get You to Stay?
Discussion: Lost Remote and Facebook Blog
Michelle Meyers / CNET News:
At Sundance, Web pioneers see ‘on-demand revolution’
Steve Rubel / Micro Persuasion:
Bloodbath in the Clouds Continues as RSS Email Service Shutters
Discussion: rizzn's socnets and Mashable!
 Earlier Items: 
Robert Andrews / paidContent:
@ MidemNet: UK ISPs, Music Biz Warn Against Looming Govt Regulation
John Battelle / John Battelle's Searchblog:
Why No Twitter Search from the Big Guys?
Staci D. Kramer / paidContent.org:
Napster Warns Subscribers That Best Buy Will Have Access To All …
Dan Nosowitz / Gizmodo:
iPod Touch 2G Jailbroken by the iPhone Dev Team
Discussion: Mashable!
 

 
From Mediagazer:

Caitlin Huston / The Hollywood Reporter:
Internal memo: Hearst Magazines president announces layoffs as part of a decision to “reallocate resources” to “continue our focus on digital innovation”

Jon Brodkin / Ars Technica:
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced she will leave the agency on January 20; she was the first woman to be confirmed to lead the agency

Lachlan Cartwright / The Ankler:
Sources: MSNBC renewed Rachel Maddow's contract early this fall, but with a pay cut; MSNBC bosses' plan to shake up daytime and weekend programming

 
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