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5:55 PM ET, March 18, 2009

Techmeme

 Top Items: 
Larry Dignan / CNET News:
Why an IBM purchase of Sun would make sense  —  IBM is reportedly in talks to buy Sun Microsystems for $6.5 billion and the deal is long overdue.  The companies mesh on the open-source software front, Sun is struggling, and IBM can consolidate some server market share.  —  First, the headlines.
RELATED:
Steve Lohr / New York Times:
I.B.M. Said to Be in Talks to Buy Sun for $7 Billion  —  I.B.M. is in talks to buy Sun Microsystems in a proposed deal valued at nearly $7 billion, a person with knowledge of the negotiations said on Wednesday.  —  The merger, if completed, would mark a big consolidation step in the market …
Om Malik / GigaOM:
Why Cisco, Not IBM, Should Buy Sun  —  With IBM rumored to have made a $6.5 billion buyout offer for Sun Microsystems, it appears the company that coined the phrase “The Network is the Computer” is in play.  But no one should allow IBM to walk away with Sun — which is still rich with talent …
Tiernan Ray / Tech Trader Daily:   UBS Skeptical on IBM/Sun Deal; Could Price Go to $11?
The Boy Genius / Boy Genius Report:
AT&T bringin' sexy back, offering iPhone 3G at no-commitment price, no activation  —  Time to clear out some inventory, boys!  AT&T, starting March 26th, is going to start offering the 8GB and 16GB iPhone 3Gs at a no-commitment price.  These prices are $599 and $699 respectively.
Katie Marsal / AppleInsider:
Apple's iPhone 3.0 expands the ‘yawning’ competitive gap  —  While the vast majority of smartphone makers are betting that beefed-up handset hardware alone will attract new feature phone users, Apple demonstrated Tuesday that software stands to be the biggest differentiating factor as the market matures …
RELATED:
Arn / MacRumors:
USB Tethering Seems to be Working in iPhone 3.0  —  One developer was “hacking around” with some carrier bundle files and iPhone 3.0 and somehow managed to activate the tethering preferences.  Not only that, he was also able to actually tether his iPhone 3G to his laptop over USB.
Discussion: 9 to 5 Mac and The iPhone Blog
Adam Frucci / Gizmodo:
Why iPhone In-App Transactions Could Be a Disaster
Discussion: Apple 2.0
Prince McLean / AppleInsider:
iPhone 3.0 to offer MobileMe users “Find My iPhone” feature
Discussion: IntoMobile and MobileCrunch
Henry Blodget / Silicon Alley Insider:
FACEBOOK COULD KILL GOOGLE — Analyst  —  Ross Sandler of RBC has done what every good analyst should do, which is say something interesting.  What Ross has said is that, at its current growth rate, Facebook will surpass Google in size by 2011-2012.  —  (We expect Facebook's growth will slow …
Gavin Clarke / The Register:
Microsoft throws Silverlight 3 beta at Adobe  —  Plugs gaps, and then some  —  Mix 09 Microsoft's opened a new front in its battle with Adobe Systems, releasing beta code for Silverlight 3 that plugs fundamental gaps in its media player and attempts to out flank Flash.
RELATED:
frontech.fujitsu.com:
Fujitsu Begins On-Line Consumer Sales of World's First Color E-Paper Mobile Terminal FLEPia  — Displays up to 260,000 colors; features Bluetooth and high-speed wireless LAN; thin and lightweight -  —  Fujitsu Frontech Limited and Fujitsu Laboratories Limited today announced the start …
RELATED:
DealBook:
All That Twitters May Not Be Gold, Analysts Say  —  Twitter seems to have gone from obscure to mainstream in about the same time it takes to send a “tweet” over the network.  —  Despite the fact that the three-year-old microblogging service doesn't generate revenue — nevermind profits …
Matt Cutts / Gadgets, Google, and SEO:
How to Write a Chrome Extension in Three Easy Steps  —  I just installed a “hello world” Chrome extension from this Chrome Extension HOWTO page.  When you surf to www.google.com, the Google logo is replaced with a Lolcat:  —  Here's how to write your own Google Chrome extension in three steps:
RELATED:
Dan Frommer / Silicon Alley Insider:
NBC Boss Explains Why Boxee Users Can't Have Hulu  —  Why does the TV industry need to keep Web video off your big-screen TV?  Not because it hates technology.  But because it hasn't figured out how to make money off Web video yet — and needs you to keep watching TV on your TV.
Discussion: The Social and Obsessable, Thanks:atul
RELATED:
Edm / Expression Web team blog:
MICROSOFT EXPRESSION WEB SUPERPREVIEW  —  How many times have you had to debug your web pages on virtual or multiple machines running different versions of Internet Explorer?  Or had to wait for a slow web service to return renderings of your pages?  —  You don't have to do that anymore.
Discussion: All about Microsoft and MIX Online
RELATED:
Long Zheng / istartedsomething:
Expression Web SuperPreview makes cross-browser testing like moist delicious cake
Discussion: SitePoint
pavlov.net:
Fennec 1.0 Beta 1  —  I'm super happy to announce the first beta release of Fennec for the Maemo platform.  —  Fennec 1.0 Beta 1 includes lots of great improvements, especially around performance.  Starting with this beta, I'm able to use Fennec as the primary browser on my N810.
RELATED:
Scott M. Fulton, III / BetaNews:   Mozilla's mobile browser experiment finally enters beta
Stuart Miles / Pocket-lint.com:
Psystar launches new Mac clone PC … Psystar might be in a heated court battle with Apple over the use of the Apple Mac OS X operating system, but that hasn't stopped the Mac clone company releasing a new Open Computer model on Tuesday.  —  According to the company the new model, the Open …
Zach Epstein / Boy Genius Report:
Pandora for BlackBerry finally launches  —  BlackBerry users rejoice, Pandora has finally released v1 of it's custom internet radio streaming application this morning and long story short, it's everything we've been waiting for.  It's... About... Time!  We tested the app out on a Bold via …
Tarmo Virki / Reuters:
Nokia to shutter its “Mosh” success story  —  HELSINKI (Reuters) - To spearhead its push into Internet services, Nokia put users in charge when it opened in 2007 the networking site Mosh, which lets people post anything they want.  —  Less than two years later the world's top cellphone maker …
Discussion: All About Symbian and Phone Scoop
Tom Espiner / CNET News:
U.K. to monitor, store all social-network traffic?  —  The U.K. government is considering the mass surveillance and retention of all user communications on social-networking sites, including Facebook, MySpace, and Bebo.  —  Vernon Coaker the U.K. Home Office security minister …
Brier Dudley / Brier Dudley's blog:
Cray's new bargain supercomputer, the Xbox circa 2020?  —  Cheaper computers are the hottest part of the market nowadays, and Cray's not going to miss the trend.  —  The Seattle supercomputer maker today announced a lower priced version of its petascale XT5 mega super duper computer …
Discussion: TechFlash
 
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 More Items: 
Nicholas Carlson / Silicon Alley Insider:
Time Inc. To Start Charging For Online Content (CLIP)
Discussion: Gawker and PSFK, Thanks:nichcarlson
Michael Masnick / Techdirt:
Choruss' Music Tax Plan: Bait-And-Switch
Discussion: p2pnet
Dan Nystedt / Network World:
Acer smartphones to hit markets soon
Ina Fried / Beyond Binary:
Microsoft releases Web translating widget
Michael Masnick / Techdirt:
Google Provides Numbers On Just How Often DMCA Takedown Process Is Abused
Imran Hussain / ithinkdifferrent:
Microsoft Web Platform Installer makes life simple. Download now!
Discussion: Channel 10 and Port 25, Thanks:imhassan
 Earlier Items: 
Todd Spangler / Multichannel News:
Comcast Exec: Internet TV Plans Preserve Cable Model
Discussion: NewTeeVee and Telecompetitor
Avram Piltch / LAPTOP Mag:
More Office Depot Employees Report Lying to Customers, Changing Price Tags
Discussion: Engadget and Switched
Keir Clarke / Google Maps Mania:
New Way to Monetise Google Maps
James Fudge / Crispy Gamer:
Big Huge Games For Sale
Peter Kafka / MediaMemo:
Google Sells Advertising to Advertisers
Eric Savitz / Tech Trader Daily:
Nintendo: Game Over? Time To Sell, Deutsche Bank Says
Discussion: GamesIndustry.biz