Techmeme: New MacBook Airs come with Software Reinstall USB drive (Donald Melanson/Engadget)

10:05 PM ET, October 20, 2010

Top Items:

Brian Barrett / Gizmodo:

New MacBook Airs: Faster, Lighter, Instant On, 30 Day Standby Power — It's been two years since the last MacBook Air refresh, but Apple's made up for lost time: the redesigned MacBook Air weighs 2.9 pounds, lasts 30 days on standby power, and rocks complete unibody construction. And a storage secret.

Donald Melanson / Engadget:

New MacBook Airs come with Software Reinstall USB drive — What's a MacBook Air to do in the case of a software emergency without an internal or external optical drive? Well, Apple's thankfully considered that situation, and has included a Software Reinstall USB drive with both the 11-inch and 13-inch models.

Discussion: AppleInsider, Bits, PC World, displayblog and 9 to 5 Mac

Marco Arment / Marco.org:

The new MacBook Air was released today, and it's a hell of an upgrade. It got much better and it's at an extremely compelling price. — It's a great computer, but it's not for everyone. It's like a two-seater car. Read on if you think it might be for you. — The Air's limitations

Discussion: CNET News, Apple, PC World, CrunchGear, TechCrunch Japan, MacStories, The Next Web, ThinkMobile, TidBITS, iPhone Hacks, Daring Fireball, Geek.com, Appletell, AppleInsider and The Apple Core Blog

Joshua Topolsky / Engadget:
MacBook Air (11.6-inch) first hands-on! (update: video!)

Discussion: CNET News, SlashGear, Gizmodo, Digits, Velocity, Macworld, blogs.ft.com, TechCrunch, Gizmodo Australia, Electronista and DailyTech

Walter S. Mossberg / Personal Technology:

Microsoft's New Windows Phone 7: Novel But Lacking — Nearly four years after Apple unveiled the iPhone, and more than two years after Google introduced its first Android smartphone, Microsoft is launching its effort to catch up. On Nov. 8, AT&T and T-Mobile will begin selling …

Discussion: PC Magazine, L.A. Times Tech Blog, The Seattle Times, All about Microsoft Blog, paidContent, Silicon Alley Insider, IntoMobile, VentureBeat, Gizmodo and 9 to 5 Mac

Joshua Topolsky / Engadget:

Windows Phone 7 review — Have you been looking for the definitive review of Windows Phone 7? Well look no further. Microsoft's next (and perhaps final) opportunity to break back into the smartphone race has officially begun, and Engadget has been cranking on a variety …

Discussion: TechCrunch, istartedsomething, WMPoweruser.com, CNET News, Neowin.net and Gizmodo

Jesus Diaz / Gizmodo:

Mac OS X Lion: Sneak Peek Analysis — Mac OS X 10.7 Lion is here. As we predicted, Apple's operating system is going in the same direction as the iPad—and for good reason. Here is a visual guide to the main features unveiled today. Updating live — Mac OS X Lion is another step …

Alexia Tsotsis / TechCrunch:

EA Buys ‘Angry Birds’ Publisher Chillingo For $20 Million, Doesn't Get ‘Angry Birds’ — According to Reuters, Electronic Arts just bought Angry Birds publishers Chillingo for $20 million in cash. Apparently early reports caused some confusion as to who actually owned Angry Birds …

Discussion: Digits, VG247, TUAW and Mobile Entertainment

Reuters:
Electronic Arts to buy Chillingo for $20 mln-source

Nicholas Deleon / CrunchGear:

Say Hello To The Mac App Store: Like The iOS App Store, But For Your Mac — There will be a Mac App Store in Mac OS X Lion. It will be much the same as the current App Store found in iOS devices. It will open in 90 days. — Apple says the various Apps will be managed in something called the Launchpad.

Discussion: Engadget, Bits, InformationWeek, Appletell, TechCrunch, MacRumors, Gizmodo, Download Squad, Fortune, Digital Daily, VentureBeat, mocoNews, All about Microsoft Blog, AppleInsider and TUAW

Louis Gray:
Apple, Google Agree Web is Future of Software Delivery

Discussion: MacStories

Darren Murph / Engadget:

Verizon to sell Galaxy Tab starting November 11th for $599.99 — Well, we finally have a price on this thing! America's largest carrier has announced plans to sell Samsung's Galaxy Tab for... $599.99. The 3G, Android 2.2-based unit (which will be loaded with V CAST apps, of course) …

Kevin C. Tofel / GigaOM:
At $600, Is Verizon's Android Tablet DOA? Maybe Not.

Discussion: L.A. Times Tech Blog, eWeek, dailywireless.org, Liliputing and PhoneNews.com

Kevin Murphy / The Register:

Sex.com sells for $13m — You don't get many of them to the pound, eh — The storied domain name sex.com is set to be sold for $13m, The Register has learned. — Bankrupt Escom LLC sex.com's current owner, has sealed a deal to hand over the domain to a company called Clover Holdings Ltd …

Discussion: Silicon Alley Insider

Joe Hewitt:

Android and Open Source — Yesterday I made some comments on Twitter that were critical of Android's claims of openness. As many have learned the hard way, it can be challenging to discuss a complex subject in 140 character chunks without omitting important parts of your opinions, so I want to clarify some things.

Discussion: Computerworld, Silicon Alley Insider, GMSV and p2pnet

Peter Kafka / MediaMemo:

Netflix Says Streaming-Only Subscriptions Could Come This Year, More International Expansion in 2011 — First look at Netflix earnings: Revenue of $553 million and GAAP earnings of $0.70. Non-GAAP earnings were $.078. Wall Street was looking for $551 million and $0.71 from Reed Hastings's company.

Discussion: Netflix, VentureBeat, CNET News, The Atlantic Online, DSLreports, VideoNuze, NewTeeVee, Between the Lines Blog, paidContent and 24/7 Wall St.

Mary Jo Foley / All about Microsoft Blog:

Office 365: Sorry, folks. This is not Office in the cloud — Microsoft held a 30-minute press conference on October 19 to unveil its strategy for planned upgrades to its Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS), its Live@Edu offering and its Office Live Small Business service.

Discussion: Computerworld

Alexia Tsotsis / TechCrunch:

Google Engineer Builds Facebook Disconnect — Tired of the endless unsolicited entreaties to “Connect via Facebook” as you surf the web? Excited for Y Connect and want to keep a clean palate beforehand? Scared about Facebook not necessarily having your best interests at heart when it comes to privacy?

Discussion: GMSV, ReadWriteWeb and Download Squad

Ashlee Vance / New York Times:

Microsoft and New York in Software Deal — New York City has put the squeeze on Microsoft, negotiating a bulk software purchasing deal that should lower technology costs for the city and give government workers access to more modern applications. — Instead of having dozens …

Discussion: CIOInsight, TechCrunch, eWeek, Electronista and FierceCIO News

Avner Ronen / Boxee Blog:

Boxee Box Ships on Nov 10th, RSVP for the launch event in NYC — We just got final confirmation from D-Link that the Boxee Box will start shipping on Nov 10th. Boxee and D-Link will have a launch event in NYC to celebrate and demo the Boxee Box, complete with Boxee 1.0.

Discussion: Gizmodo, Mashable!, Gadgetell, The Toybox Blog, SlashGear, Gearlog and TechSpot

Lance Whitney / CNET News:

Panda Antivirus debuts for the Mac — Panda Security has launched its latest product, this one geared specifically for Mac users. — The security firm today unveiled Panda Antivirus for the Mac, designed to defend Mac OS and OS X users against viruses, spyware, adware, and other forms of malware.

Discussion: Press Panda Security and Erictric

Joseph Tartakoff / paidContent:

Linden Lab Founder Steps Down As Interim CEO — More management upheaval at Second Life-parent Linden Lab: Founder Philip Rosedale, who took over as interim CEO after Mark Kingdon stepped down in June, says he's leaving the post. Bob Komin, the company's CFO and COO, will take over temporarily …

Discussion: VentureBeat, GigaOM and blogs.secondlife.com

Marshall Kirkpatrick / ReadWriteWeb:

Twitter Adds First Widgets to Its Page — The recent radical redesign of the Twitter homepage integrated media like photos and video into the sidebar of every user's page, and today the company announced that it has partnered with an outside organization to launch the first widget that's usable - and sharable - from inside Twitter.

Discussion: Twitter Blog

Sara Jerome / The Hill:

Yahoo chief: ‘Do I look like a wimp?’ — Yahoo chief executive Carol Bartz addressed commentary that she should be fired in an interview Wednesday with Fox Business. — She sounded undaunted: “Look at what Yahoo is doing. If I am being shown the door, I am coming in the door. Watch what we are doing.

Discussion: TechCrunch

Chris Burns / SlashGear:

Apple FaceTime for the Desktop and Laptop Announced, Beta Available Today — Apple announces FaceTime, the first video calling on mobile devices. 19 million Facetime devices shipped in the first 4 months they've been out. Not only can you use FaceTime on these mobile devices now, you can use them on your laptop or desktop.

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