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3:25 PM ET, August 11, 2009

Techmeme

 Top Items: 
Boy Genius Report:
More iTunes 9 details, Apple developing social networking application?  —  Our same source is back at it again and we have some further clarification on the iTunes 9 rumor we posted a couple days ago.  We really have to take this information at face value, but again felt it was worthy enough to be published.
RELATED:
Zach Epstein / Boy Genius Report:
First reported screenshots of iTunes 9 emerge; Facebook, Twitter and Last.fm integration showcased  —  Now before we get into these screen caps our disclaimer must be made explicitly clear: This is superduperultramegaturbo rumor/skeptical status.  Right then.
Neil Hughes / AppleInsider:
Apple again offers matte screen option for 15-inch MacBook Pro  —  Confirming an AppleInsider exclusive tip from less than a month ago, Apple has restored the antiglare upgrade option — at a cost of $50 — for its 15-inch MacBook Pro line.  —  The change is a quiet concession by Apple …
RELATED:
Darren Murph / Engadget:
Apple reinstates matte display option on 15-inch MacBook Pro, charges $50 for it
Discussion: SlashGear, jkOnTheRun and MacRumors
Xbox.com:
Dashboard Updates: Xbox LIVE Update  —  One of the amazing things about the Xbox LIVE experience is that it's always getting better.  The latest Xbox LIVE Update truly cranks it up a notch - with features that improve your entertainment experience and give you new ways to express your individuality and connect with friends.
RELATED:
Darren Murph / Engadget:
Xbox 360 officially the only console to stream Netflix — sorry, PS3 and Wii  —  We actually had to brush the fog off of our spectacles to ensure that hazy conditions weren't clouding our comprehension abilities, but sure enough, that Netflix streaming that Xbox LIVE members have grown to love …
Matt Cutts / Gadgets, Google, and SEO:
More info on the Caffeine Update  —  Google recently opened up a preview of our new Caffeine update, and I wanted to give a little more background on this change.  At the Real-Time CrunchUp a few weeks ago, I joked that the half-life of code at Google is about six months.
RELATED:
Vanessa Fox / Search Engine Land:
Caffeine: Google's New Search Index  —  Google has just unveiled a “secret project” of “next-generation architecture for Google's web search”.  This new architecture appears to include crawling, indexing, and ranking changes.  For the first time, Google isn't simply incorporating these changes …
Matt Buchanan / Gizmodo:
Zune HD Prices Leaked: 16GB for $220, 32GB for $290  —  It feels like we know everything about the Zune HD—except the price.  Well, now we know, if Best Buy's inventory system is right: the 16GB model will go for $220, and the 32GB model will be $290.  —  It also backs up the previously rumored launch date, Sept. 8.
RELATED:
Ben Parr / Mashable!:
Delicious Founder: I Wish I Had Not Sold to Yahoo  —  Back in 2005 (a long time in the social media world), Yahoo acquired Delicious, the popular social bookmarking website.  Both Yahoo and Delicious founder Joshua Schachter had big plans to change the way we share, remember, and discover information on the Internet.
Discussion: Silicon Alley Insider
MG Siegler / TechCrunch:
Delicious Creator Quietly Launches Threaded Twitter Conversations  —  Joshua Schachter is best known as the creator of Delicious.  But a few years after he sold it to Yahoo in 2005, he left the company and joined Google.  Since then, he's been known to speak his mind about Delicious' overall direction …
Sony Corporation:
Sony Launches High-power, Long-life Lithium Ion Secondary Battery Using Olivine-type Lithium Iron Phosphate as the Cathode Material  —  Sony Corporation today announced that it has launched a new type of lithium ion secondary battery that combines high-power and long-life performance …
Discussion: SlashGear and Pocket-lint.com
RELATED:
Christopher MacManus / Sony Insider:
New Sony Rechargeable Battery Has 4X The Lifespan Of Current Lithium Ion Batteries
Discussion: OhGizmo! and Boing Boing Gadgets
Ben Fritz / Los Angeles Times:
Tough times in the porn industry  —  The business, centered in the San Fernando Valley, is being undercut by a growing abundance of free content on the Internet.  —  On a recent Saturday night, Savannah Stern earned $300 to hang out for seven hours at a party in Santa Monica wearing nothing but a feather boa.
Discussion: MediaPost and broadstuff
IEBlog:
Engineering POV: IE6  —  The topic of site support for IE6 has had a lot of discussion on the web recently as a result of a post on the Digg blog.  Why would anyone run an eight-year old browser?  Should sites continue to support it?  What more can anyone do to get IE6 users to upgrade?
Sean Michaels / Guardian:
Major labels preparing new digital album format  —  The four big record companies are to compete with Apple's forthcoming Cocktail project by developing their own format called CMX  —  Forget WAV, MP3 and M4A - major labels have something new in mind, and it's called CMX.
Philip Elmer-DeWitt / Brainstorm Tech:
Snow Leopard vs. Windows 7: The War of the Wallpapers  —  “I would give a lot to have Steve's taste.”  —  Bill Gates said that of Steve Jobs at the D5 conference two years ago, and we knew exactly what he meant.  —  Take, for example, the two images above.
Discussion: The Mac Observer
Akhil Wable / Facebook Blog:
Facebook Search Improved for Everyone  —  Last month, we began testing new versions of Search with a small group of people on Facebook.  Based on the success of those tests, we're rolling out a new version of Search to everyone on the site beginning today.  —  You now will be able to search …
Andrew / TmoNews:
HTC Touch Pro 2 Pricing Revealed  —  As we count down the days to the wondrous release of the Touch Pro 2 there has been much debate surrounding the price.  It just so happens that patience IS rewarded and the pricing has been uncovered, for better or worse.
Henry Blodget / Silicon Alley Insider:
Mahalo 2.0 Is Kicking Ass  —  Jason Calacanis continues to do what he does best: Innovate.  —  When the original concept for Mahalo didn't work as well as he thought it would, he did what all great entrepreneurs do: Try something different.  —  The second version of Mahalo …
Discussion: Softpedia News, Thanks:mrinaldesai
Michael Fitzpatrick / BBC:
Mobile phones get cyborg vision  —  Zoe Kleinman tries out Acrossair's software that uses a phone's camera to tell you where the nearest London Underground station is.  —  It's a gift that was once the preserve of fictional cyborgs.  —  Call it Terminator Vision - a view of the world tagged with rich …
Peter Kafka / MediaMemo:
eBay Bids to Fix a Security Hole  —  See?  You don't just have to be a buzzy social network to suffer through security problems.  You can be a relatively staid Web 1.0 giant, too. eBay (EBAY) is warning developers who build programs that incorporate the online marketplace's engine about a security breach.
Discussion: Computerworld
Serkan Toto / MobileCrunch:
Dell to launch China-only mobile phone after all, calls it “Ophone mini3i” (Updated)  —  We broke the news on Dell launching a China-only cell phone on Sunday, and today major Chinese news portal 163.com reports the device is on its way: What Dell will be offering in China is an Android-powered “Ophone” called the mini3i.
Wang Linyan / CHINAdaily:
Penalties ordered for dirty texting  —  Now mobile phone users should think twice before sending unwanted erotic or insulting text messages.  —  In Henan province, one such message will lead to five days in detention, and three messages could result in 10 days detention and a fine of 500 yuan ($73).
Discussion: The Straits Times and Digits
Stephanie Clifford / New York Times:
Notice Those Ads on Blogs?  Regulators Do, Too  —  BLOGGERS, be warned.  Advertisers, you too.  —  Two of the National Advertising Review Council's investigative units plan to announce Tuesday their first decisions involving blogs.  Their recommendations call for clear disclosure …
Erica Ogg / Crave: The gadget blog:
MLB beefs up Roku's rotation  —  In its bid to put together a roster of compelling content, Roku has just acquired an ace.  —  Starting Tuesday, the set-top box—known to many as “the Netflix box”—will begin streaming Major League Baseball games.  As with the current Netflix arrangement …
Larry Dignan / Between the Lines:
VMware's SpringSource purchase sparks head scratching; Still doesn't solve the Microsoft problem  —  VMware's purchase of SpringSource for $420 million has sparked a fair amount of head scratching among analysts who argue the virtualization software company paid too much and still failed to solve its Microsoft problem.
Washington Post:
Obama Web-Tracking Proposal Raises Privacy Concerns  —  The Obama administration is proposing to scale back a long-standing ban on tracking how people use government Internet sites with “cookies” and other technologies, raising alarms among privacy groups.  —  A two-week public comment …
Discussion: ZDNet Government
Spencer / Siliconera:
Nintendo's Patented Horseback Riding Wii Controller  —  If you thought the Wii Balance Board was off the beaten path wait until you see Nintendo's Wii Horseback Riding Saddle.  We're not kidding about this.  —  The inflatable seat has a pocket for the Wii remote, which is used to sense movement via the accelerometers.
 
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 More Items: 
Meghan Barr / Associated Press:
Neighbors Twitter, blog to keep criminals at bay
Jeremy Kirk / PC World:
Study: Adobe Flash Cookies Pose Vexing Privacy Questions
Discussion: Epicenter
Dan Woods / Forbes:
Reviving SOA  —  The grand vision of reusable services must be pursued in small steps.
Technology Review:
Forensic Analysis Reveals Twitter Attack Details
Matt Wilson / Mercury News:
Cupertino hopes to attract big businesses with more office space
Discussion: 9 to 5 Mac
Rita Chang / AdAge:
How Wedded Are Marketers to the iPhone?
Discussion: Local Mobile Search
 Earlier Items: 
John Schwartz / New York Times:
Tilting at Internet Barrier, a Stalwart Is Upended
Thanks:atul
Yahoo!:
Get Ready Penny-Pinchers, the New Yahoo! Deals is Here!
Discussion: Mashable! and ReadWriteWeb
Mathew Patterson / Campaign Monitor Blog:
Campaign Monitor attacked by hackers, some accounts compromised
Discussion: Softpedia News and The Register
MacGregor Campbell / New Scientist:
Robots to get their own operating system
Discussion: broadstuff
Kim-Mai Cutler / VentureBeat:
Twitter CEO's wife tweets about labor, ongoing birth of first child
 

 
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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