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3:05 PM ET, October 20, 2009

Techmeme

 Top Items: 
Arik Hesseldahl / BusinessWeek:
Apple Announces Major Consumer PC Upgrades  —  Hot on the heels of its knockout earnings report from last night, Apple is seizing more attention today with a significant upgrade to its consumer PC lines, specifically the entry-level MacBook, the iMac, and the Mac Mini.  —  Here's the rundown:
RELATED:
Janette Barrios / Apple:
Apple Updates MacBook With LED-Backlit Display, Multi-Touch Trackpad & Built-in Seven-Hour Battery  —  Apple® today updated its popular MacBook® with a new, durable polycarbonate unibody design featuring a brilliant LED-backlit display, a glass Multi-Touch™ trackpad …
Jason Snell / Macworld:
Apple overhauls iMac line, with 21.5-, 27-inch models  —  All-in-one line to also add a quad-core processor  —  Apple on Tuesday announced a major update to its iMac line of desktop computers, replacing the old 20- and 24-inch models with new 21.5-inch and 27-inch models featuring …
Arn / MacRumors:
Apple Introduces Magic Mouse - A Multi-Touch Mouse  —  Apple introduced a new multi-touch mouse today called “Magic Mouse”.  The mouse uses the same multi-touch technology found in the iPhone, iPod Touch, and Mac notebook trackpads.  The entire surface of the mouse is a seamless multi-touch surface.
AppleInsider:
Apple quietly unveils new hardware remote  —  Amidst a number of new product launches Tuesday, Apple also released a new aluminum remote that can be used with any Mac or iPod Universal Dock.  —  The new remote eschews the iPod shuffle-like buttons of the previous product.
Discussion: Ars Technica, Macworld, Engadget and TUAW
Jason Snell / Macworld:
Apple updates Mac mini, adding server configuration  —  The new Mac Mini server configuration, which lacks an internal optical drive.  —  PEOPLE WHO READ THIS ALSO READ:  —  Apple on Tuesday announced an update to the Mac mini line of compact desktop Mac systems, adding faster processors …
Discussion: AppleInsider, 9 to 5 Mac, Gizmodo and TUAW
AppleInsider:
Apple updates Time Capsule, AirPort Extreme with speed boost  —  Both the AirPort Extreme wireless networking tool and Time Capsule backup appliance were given speed and performance upgrades by Apple on Tuesday.  —  The minor hardware updates for the AirPort Extrem and Time Capsule include …
Discussion: MacRumors and TUAW
Scott Moritz / TheStreet.com:
Exclusive: Google Plans Its Own Android Phone  —  NEW YORK (TheStreet) — Move over, Apple (AAPL Quote), Research In Motion (RIMM Quote) and Motorola (MOT Quote), Google (GOOG Quote) is jumping into the smartphone market with an Android phone of its own.  —  In what is likely to be seen …
MG Siegler / TechCrunch:
Apple Gets A Little More Serious About Using Twitter  —  While the various forms of social media are becoming increasingly important to brands, Apple is one company that hasn't exactly rushed to get involved.  Sure, they have a few accounts here and there, but they're not exactly Google …
Daniel Roth / Wired News:
The Answer Factory: Fast, Disposable, and Profitable as Hell  —  If Christian Muñoz-Donoso is going to make this job pay, he's got to move quickly.  He has a list of 10 videos to shoot on this warm June morning, for which he'll earn just $200.  To get anything close to his usual rate, he'll have to do it all in two hours.
Discussion: MediaMemo and Media Decoder
Steve / The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs:
Why the Borg's copycat business model no longer works  —  So I had brunch with Larry yesterday and he showed up carrying the Sunday Times and we were talking about the huge and incredibly embarrassing photo (above) of Ballmer that they ran on the front of their business cover.
Vincent Paquet / Google Voice Blog:
About Voicemail and Privacy  —  There have been some conflicting reports yesterday about Google Voice voicemails being searchable online, so we wanted to clarify how Google Voice works.  —  Google Voice lets you access your voicemails online from your inbox.
Thanks:atul
David Sarno / L.A. Times Tech Blog:
City committee declines to recommend Google e-mail contract  —  Budget and Finance Committee Chairman Bernard C. Parks.  —  Credit: David Sarno / Los Angeles Times.  —  The Los Angeles City Council's Budget and Finance Committee agreed Monday evening to abstain from voting on a proposed contract …
Discussion: CNET News and DailyFinance
Long Zheng / istartedsomething:
Windows Mobile 6.5.1, the 6.5 that should have been  —  Windows Mobile 6.5.1 screenshots courtesy Patrick/OSNN.net  —  Most of you probably know by now that Windows Mobile 6.5 is not the be all end all Microsoft mobile operating system.  However, what you might not know is that Microsoft …
Kara Swisher / BoomTown:
Yahoo Sorry About Lap Dancers at Hack Day in Taiwan-So What's the Excuse for Last Year's Go-Go Girls?  —  One word: Shameful.  —  So, no surprise that Yahoo (YHOO), which is trying mightily to burnish its image worldwide, quickly apologized for the presence of women lap dancers onstage at its Open Hack Day in Taiwan last weekend.
RELATED:
Ross Miller / Engadget:
Barnes & Noble ‘Nook’ e-reader with color touchscreen out Tuesday for $259, says WSJ (update: Best Buy connection?)  —  Looks like the cat's out of the bag.  The Wall Street Journal's had a glimpse at what it says is an upcoming ad for Barnes & Noble's impending announcement …
Eric Engleman / TechFlash:
Sears piles onto book price war with Amazon, Wal-Mart, Target  —  This is beginning to look like an ecommerce death match.  As Wal-Mart, Amazon.com and Target engage in a price war over hotly anticipated hardcover books, retailer Sears is trying to get a piece of the action.
BBC:
What, you too?  YouTube to stream live U2 concert  —  U2's concert at the Pasadena Rose Bowl in California on Sunday will be streamed live on video-sharing website YouTube, the band have announced.  —  Manager Paul McGuinness said that, as the gig was already being filmed, it was …
Discussion: AppScout
Tim Karr / savetheinternet.com/blog:
AT&T Boss Asks Employees to Fake It  —  AT&T has “asked' its employees to fake it in the fight against Net Neutrality.  —  The company's top policy officer sent a memo to workers on Monday urging them to hide their company affiliation before posting anti-Net Neutrality comments to the Federal Communication Commission's Web site.
PC World:
AMD Announces First Triple-core Athlon Processors  —  Advanced Micro Devices on Tuesday announced a new range of desktop microprocessors, including its first Athlon triple-core processors.  —  AMD launched four Athlon II X3 triple-core processors as part of a new lineup that slips in between …
Juliet Ye / Digits:
Google Books Settlement: The Chinese Chapter  —  From China Journal:  —  Google's troubles in China seem to have taken a new turn as a result of the company's plan to create a vast digital library of books. … The China Written Works Copyright Society (CWWCS) has called on Chinese writers …
AUO News Center:
AUO Unveils Flexible E-Paper Technology  —  World's largest* E-Paper Module Will Debut in FPD International 2009  —  Dedicated to the development of green innovation, AU Optronics Corp. ("AUO" or the “Company") (TAIEX: 2409; NYSE: AUO) today announced a series of innovative e-paper technology applications …
Live Mesh:
Mac Software, Snow Leopard Support Now Available  —  A new version of the Live Mesh Mac software is available that provides support for both Mac OS X Leopard (10.5) and Snow Leopard (10.6).  Leopard users are not required to install this release.  —  To upgrade to this new release, you will need to reinstall Live Mesh for Mac.
Bill Slawski / SEO by the Sea:
Google Trust Rank Patent Granted  —  If you've ever heard or seen the phrase “Trustrank” before, it's possible that whoever was writing about it, or referring to it was discussing a paper titled Combating Web Spam with TrustRank (pdf).  While the paper was the joint work of researchers …
Thanks:enauzer
Guardian:
Independent musicians set for windfall after YouTube deal  —  Dizzee Rascal, Travis, Speech Debelle and a host of other artists set benefit after group representing 200 smaller labels signs global licensing and marketing deal with online video giant  —  Dizzee Rascal, Travis …
Caroline McCarthy / CNET News:
Teen virtual world Meez sees profit  —  Meez, a start-up that expanded last year from an avatar creation service into a full-out virtual world for teens, is touting some good news: it's been profitable since April and “every month is better than the last month,” CEO John Cahill told CNET News.
Patrick Smith / paidContent:
TownNews.com Signs Up To AP's Online News Microformat  —  Online newspaper publisher TownNews.com has signed up as the first user of a new “microformat” for online news, designed to increase articles' search ratings.  The hNews format is built by AP and the UK-based Media Standards Trust …
Discussion: ReadWriteWeb
 
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 More Items: 
Business Wire:
TomTom Unveils Integrated Navigation Infotainment Solution
Discussion: SlashGear and Engadget
Jim Reilly / IGN:
EA: Core Business Model a ‘Burning Platform’
Discussion: CrunchGear
Om Malik / GigaOM:
With N900, Nokia Still Not Close to the iPhone
Discussion: jkOnTheRun and VoIP Watch
Duncan Graham-Rowe / Technology Review:
Cell Phones to Go 3-D
Discussion: Fast Company
 Earlier Items: 
Matthew Lasar / Ars Technica:
Net neutrality pitting Web giants against state AGs, mayors
Discussion: eWeek
Apm / alarm:clock:
Tweet Ad Network Ad.ly Funded
Discussion: TechCrunch
Jason Kincaid / TechCrunch:
The New Twitter Hole That Probably Isn't
Discussion: L.A. Times Tech Blog and Mashable!
Jonny Evans / 9 to 5 Mac:
Apple execs book flight time for mystery product, ‘not iPhone’, bafflement follows
 

 
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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