Top Items:
Yahoo! Search Blog:
News about our Search Alliance with Microsoft — Today we issued a press release announcing that we've received clearance from both the U.S. Department of Justice and the European Commission for our search agreement with Microsoft. Now that we're full steam ahead, I'd like to share what we at Yahoo! …
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Peter Chapman / Bloomberg:
Microsoft, Yahoo Deal Wins European Union Antitrust Approval — Feb. 18 (Bloomberg) — Microsoft Corp. won European Union approval to buy Yahoo! Inc.'s Web-search business to speed up its effort to compete with Google Inc. — The deal won't harm competition in the 27-nation EU …
Cory Doctorow / Boing Boing:
School used student laptop webcams to spy on them at school and home — According to the filings in Blake J Robbins v Lower Merion School District (PA) et al, the laptops issued to high-school students in the well-heeled Philly suburb have webcams that can be covertly activated …
Discussion:
Computerworld, 9 to 5 Mac, Between the Lines, Ars Technica, Techdirt, Philly.com, TG Daily, I4U News, DVICE, Geek.com and The Consumerist
WMPoweruser.com:
Windows Phone 7 development docs leaked — Click for larger versions. — We can always count on XDA-Developers to bring us the news early. In this case it is some snippets of the developer documentation for Windows Phone 7. The above bit confirms the OS is multi-tasking capable, but then we knew this already.
Discussion:
eWeek, Engadget, www.pocketgamer.biz, Fast Company, All about Microsoft, SlashGear, DailyTech, GMSV, ithinkdifferent and msmobiles.com
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Scott Moritz / TheStreet.com:
Microsoft, Asus Team on Phone: Exclusive — NEW YORK (TheStreet) — Apple (AAPL Quote) did it. Google (GOOG Quote) did it. Now it's Microsoft's (MSFT Quote) turn. — The Redmond, Wash., software giant is working with computer hardware manufacturer Asustek to build its own phone.
Ross Miller / Engadget:Windows Mobile 6.5 to be redubbed Windows Phone Classic?
Discussion:
VentureBeat, The Register, PC World, WMPoweruser.com, Electronista, Mashable!, Gadgetell, Erictric and Gearlog
Vladislav Savov / Engadget:
Sony Ericsson CEO: Google asked us to build the Nexus One, we refused — Aw, why don't these CEOs say stuff like this in press conferences? Sony Ericsson's head Bert Nordberg has shared with Swedish publication Sydsvenskan the rather salacious news that his company was asked to build …
Discussion:
VentureBeat, MobileCrunch, Phone Arena, Mashable!, Android Central, Android Phone Fans, AndroidGuys and Erictric
Motoko Rich / New York Times:
Apple's Prices for E-Books May Be Lower Than Expected — Maybe e-book prices won't be rising so much after all. — Since Apple announced plans to sell digital books on its forthcoming iPad, it has been cast as something of a savior of the publishing industry for allowing e-book prices …
Business Wire:
PayPal is Now a Way to Pay for Facebook Ads and Facebook Credits — PALO ALTO, Calif. & SAN JOSE, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Facebook and PayPal today announced a strategic relationship to offer PayPal in key parts of Facebook's advertising and developer systems.
Ryan Tate / Gawker:
What Steve Jobs Said During His Wall Street Journal iPad Demo — We know that Apple's CEO is no fan of Flash, the Web animation software. But it sounds like Steve Jobs really unleashed on the Adobe system to try and convince the Wall Street Journal to ditch it for the iPad.
MG Siegler / TechCrunch:
Pollice Verso: Google Buys Awesome iPhone Email App; Kills It — As you might have heard earlier today, Google made another acquisition — the email search startup reMail. While its topical description may make it seem like an obvious buy, there's another layer that makes this really interesting. reMail …
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Siobhan Gorman / Wall Street Journal:
Broad New Hacking Attack Detected — Global Offensive Snagged Corporate, Personal Data at nearly 2,500 Companies; Operation Is Still Running — Hackers in Europe and China successfully broke into computers at nearly 2,500 companies and government agencies over the last 18 months …
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Jaikumar Vijayan / Computerworld:Over 75,000 systems compromised in cyberattack
Discussion:
NetWitness, PC World, CloudAve, InformationWeek, Softpedia News, DailyTech, eWeek Security Watch, TG Daily and Business Pundit
Philip Elmer-DeWitt / Brainstorm Tech:
Apple conceals iPad freight records - report — Moves to hide ocean shipping data from competitors and prying reporters, according to trade privacy group — In preparation for the scheduled March delivery of Apple's (AAPL) new iPad tablet computer, the company has blocked its bills of lading …
James Temple / SFGate:
Local class action complaint filed over Google Buzz — A class action complaint filed in San Jose federal court alleges that Google Inc. broke the law when its controversial Google Buzz service shared personal data without the consent of users. — The case was filed on Wednesday on behalf of Eva Hibnick …
Stephen Shankland / CNET News:
BlackBerry users get Amazon Kindle app — Continuing its effort to expand its e-book business beyond its own hardware, Amazon on Thursday released a Kindle application for those with BlackBerry phones. — Amazon got its start as an online book seller, expanded to electronics and other retail categories …
Discussion:
internetnews.com, The Register, BetaNews, Between the Lines, Business Wire, eWeek, IntoMobile, Download Squad, Tech Trader Daily, PC World, Engadget, Erictric, Gadget Lab, AppScout, MediaMemo, jkOnTheRun and 901am
Robert Andrews / mocoNews:
UK Newspapers Want BBC Mobile Apps Blocked For ‘Undermining’ Them, BBC Disagrees — I wondered how long it would be before print media pointed at the BBC's new smartphone apps plan as another example of expansion in to their commercial territory. The answer: just 24 hours...
Wall Street Journal:
PC Makers Ready iPad Rivals — Computer makers are developing strategies and devices to challenge Apple Inc.'s iPad, hoping to capitalize on new interest in a category of gadgets that was moribund until recently. — In the next few weeks, executives from Hewlett-Packard Co. will meet …
Discussion:
AppleInsider, eWeek, Digits, ChannelWeb, DVICE, Electronista, Newlaunches.com, DeviceMAG, Tech Eye, 9 to 5 Mac, GottaBeMobile.com, I4U News and Silicon Alley Insider, Thanks:mrinaldesai
Mike Masnick / Techdirt:
Nathan Myhrvold's Intellectual Ventures Using Over 1,000 Shell Companies To Hide Patent Shakedown — It's no secret that we think Nathan Myhrvold's Intellectual Ventures is a dangerous, innovation harming monstrosity. The company used a bait and switch scheme to get a bunch of big tech companies …
Alexander Vaughn / App Advice:
Apple Pushes The App Over 3G Download Limit To 20MB, Prepares For The iPad? — Most likely in preparation for the iPad launch, Apple has just raised the maximum size of apps that can be download over 3G to 20MB. — Until now, the iPhone required a Wi-Fi connection to download apps bigger than 10mb …
tdgresearch.com:
Half of Netflix ‘Watch Instantly’ Users Are Streaming to the TV — New TDG Report Reveals Significant Progress — in Netflix Over-the-Top Efforts, Profiles Early OTT Adopters — According to a newly published study from TDG - the nation's leading new media research consultancy …
Jason Kincaid / TechCrunch:
Clicker Raises Another $11 Million To Become The TV Guide Of Online Video — Clicker, a comprehensive search engine for TV content on the web, has closed an $11 million Series B funding round led by JAFCO Ventures, with existing investors Benchmark Capital and Redpoint Ventures also participating.
Discussion:
VentureBeat, GigaOM, CNET News, MediaMemo, VatorNews, paidContent and Silicon Alley Insider
Walter S. Mossberg / Personal Technology:
magicJack: Cheap, Way Overhyped, But Really Works — When I see a high-tech product that's advertised mainly via frequent hard-sell TV ads, as if it were a diet pill, I tend to assume it can't be very good, especially if its price is absurdly low. So, I haven't paid much attention …
Discussion:
The Toybox
