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12:25 PM ET, March 19, 2009

Techmeme

 Top Items: 
Microsoft:
Microsoft Announces Availability of Internet Explorer 8  —  New browser focuses on top customer needs, including security, ease of use and performance.  —  Today Microsoft Corp. announced the availability of Windows Internet Explorer 8, the new Web browser that offers the best solution for how people use the Web today.
RELATED:
Walter S. Mossberg / Personal Technology:
Microsoft Ups Ante With New Browser  —  The Web browser is arguably the most important piece of software on a computer.  No longer just a tool for perusing or searching for information, it has become, for many people, their principal communications medium, their photo album, their newspaper, social club, bank and shopping mall.
RELATED:
Wall Street Journal:
Sony, Google Challenge Amazon  —  Sony Electronics Inc. is pairing with Google Inc. to battle Amazon.com Inc. in the growing digital books market.  —  In a strike against Amazon's Kindle electronic book reader, Sony and Google plan to launch a partnership Thursday that will give users …
RELATED:
Peter Kafka / MediaMemo:
Live from New York: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer  —  The Microsoft (MSFT) boss is sitting down with BusinessWeek editor Stephen Adler at the McGraw-Hill media conference.  Expect at least some chatter about Yahoo (YHOO) and its new boss Carol Bartz, who just happens to be visiting New York this week as well.
RELATED:
Bloomberg:   Ballmer Says There Are ‘Compelling Economics’ in Yahoo Deal
BBC:
Google's pictures of UK go live  —  Google has launched the UK version of its Street View service, which allows users to browse a selection of pictures taken along city streets.  —  Street scenes in 25 UK cities from Aberdeen to Southampton can be viewed using the service.
Peter Suber / Open Access News:
MIT adopts a university-wide OA mandate  —  This afternoon, the MIT faculty unanimously adopted a university-wide OA mandate.  Here's the resolution the faculty approved (thanks to Hal Abelson, MIT professor of computer science and engineering, who chaired the committee to formulate it):
Discussion: UMBC ebiquity
David Richards / Smarthouse:
NEW Apple OLED Notebook & iPhone Confirmed By LG  —  Apple is set to launch new OLED notebooks and flat panel monitors along with a new OLED iPhone claim sources at LG in Korea.  —  It's also believed that a new iPhone and iPod Touch due later this year will include an OLED screen made by LG …
Ryan Naraine / Zero Day:
Pwn2Own 2009: Safari/MacBook falls in seconds  —  [ UPDATE: IE 8 and Safari also fall ]  —  VANCOUVER, BC — Charlie Miller has done it again.  For the second consecutive year, the security researcher hacked into a fully patched MacBook computer by exploiting a security vulnerability in Apple's Safari browser.
RELATED:
John Markoff / New York Times:
Computer Experts Unite to Hunt Worm  —  An extraordinary behind-the-scenes struggle is taking place between computer security groups around the world and the brazen author of a malicious software program called Conficker.  —  The program grabbed global attention when it began spreading late …
Sascha Segan / PC Magazine:
Analysis: Apple's iPhone Shows How Upgrades Should Be Done  —  Never mind the cut and paste.  Never mind the picture messaging, or all the other stuff that should have been in iPhone 1.0.  Never mind the new payment methods that will shake up the mobile shopping marketplace.
Robin Wauters / TechCrunch:
Twitterville Falls For Premium Accounts Hoax  —  It's mildly funny and very obviously a hoax, but this article on humour site BBspot didn't stop many a Twitter user from thinking it is real.  —  The author of the post mocks Twitter's lack of an apparent business model after 3 years in operation …
Discussion: Screenwerk, BBspot and The Blog Herald
Claire Cain Miller / Bits:
A More Local, Social Citysearch  —  Citysearch is unveiling a new Web site on Thursday that will make the site more social and more local — and, the site hopes, staunch its loss of readers.  —  Citysearch was one of the first Web companies to create an online version of the Yellow Pages when …
Discussion: HipMojo.com and Screenwerk, Thanks:mrinaldesai
Carlo Longino / Techdirt:
Sirius Founder Says The Company Is Screwed  —  from the cracks-in-the-crystal-ball dept  —  It's no secret that Sirius XM's business has been hurting.  Its recent brush with bankruptcy merely highlighted the huge obstacles the company faced from the beginning: massive capital outlay …
Rich Miller / Data Center Knowledge:
Rackable CloudRack Turns Up The Heat  —  The server trays from the CloudRack C2 have no on-board fans or power supplies.  —  Are you ready for the 100-degree data center?  Rackable Systems has introduced a new version of its CloudRack enclosure that it says can operate in environments …
Discussion: GigaOM
Adam Frucci / Gizmodo:
Why iPhone In-App Transactions Could Be a Disaster  —  Apple made a big deal about allowing in-app transactions with the new iPhone 3.0 API.  It's great news if you're a developer looking to make more scratch, but it's potentially terrible news for users.  —  Basically, this is opening …
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 More Items: 
Forbes:
Aussie Internet Blacklist Has Gray Areas
Discussion: The Register and Guardian
Simon Axten / Facebook Blog:
An Update on Facebook Governance
Discussion: All Facebook
Palm WebOS:
Palm WebOS: Subscription Accounting
Discussion: jkOnTheRun and Engadget
Michael Masnick / Techdirt:
Topspin Shows That Premium Offerings Get Sales: People Will Pay …
Michael Masnick / Techdirt:
UK Recording Industry: Investigate Google For Not Giving Us Money
Discussion: Technologizer and Beyond Search, Thanks:atul
Justin Smith / Inside Facebook:
How Do You Treat a Fan Who Owns Your Facebook Page?
One Degree:
adamo.com - The Importance of a Good Domain
Discussion: Domain Name Wire
 Earlier Items: 
Brian Caulfield / Forbes:
IBM: Tech's Cash King
Discussion: Computerworld Blogs
Marin Perez / InformationWeek:
Ericsson May Want Out Of Sony Ericsson
Discussion: TheStreet.com and SlashGear
Nina Shapiro / Seattle Weekly:
Intelius and the Dubious Art of “Post-Transaction Marketing”
Discussion: TechCrunch and TechFlash
Washington Post:
Four D.C. Tech Office Workers Placed on Leave, 23 Consultants …
Discussion: Beyond Search
Kip Kniskern / LiveSide:
The curious case of Kumo: more than just a “test name”?
Leena Rao / TechCrunch:
Y Combinator Demo Day Spring 2009
Discussion: VentureBeat