Top Items:
David Pogue / New York Times:
Kinect Pushes Users Into a Sweaty New Dimension — With the money Microsoft has spent on failed efforts to design hardware, you could finance a trip to Mars. — Its failures make up quite a flop parade: WebTV. Spot Watch. Ultimate TV. Ultra Mobile PC. Tablet PC. Smart Display.
Discussion:
BaltTech, Engadget, Ars Technica, Gizmodo, ZDNet, CNN, Boston Globe, TechFlash, Globe and Mail, msnbc.com, GameLife, Seattle Times and Joystiq
RELATED:
Brendan Sinclair / GameSpot:
Kinect has problems recognizing dark-skinned users? — GameSpot testing suggests facial recognition features of Microsoft's motion-sensing camera system might not work properly for some gamers. — Source: In testing the Kinect, two dark-skinned GameSpot employees had problems getting the system's facial recognition features to work.
Discussion:
Yahoo! News, PC World, Product Reviews Net, CrunchGear, Electronista and Geek.com
Tim Carmody / Gadget Lab:
How Motion Detection Works in Xbox Kinect — The prototype for Microsoft's Kinect camera and microphone famously cost $30,000. At midnight Thursday morning, you'll be able to buy it for $150 as an Xbox 360 peripheral. — Microsoft is projecting that it will sell 5 million units between now and Christmas.
Discussion:
Neowin.net and FM Blog
Troy Wolverton / Mercury News:
Kinect doesn't quite connect for me
Discussion:
ITworld.com, Product Reviews Net, SAI and VG247
Zach Epstein / BGR:
Apple confirms MacBook Air bugs internally — The sleek new MacBook Air models unveiled late last month are the slimmest computers Apple has ever produced — but the manufacturer still managed to find the space to pack in a few troublesome bugs. Early MacBook Air adopters have taken …
Discussion:
CNET News, VentureBeat, Computerworld, Ars Technica, AppleInsider, SAI, SlashGear, MacRumors, 9 to 5 Mac, Product Reviews Net, THINQ.co.uk, Gizmodo, MacStories, RazorianFly and TUAW
Krishna Panicker / The Big Blog:
Introducing the new Skype for Mac, now available in Beta — It was worth the wait - the new Skype 5.0 is now available for Mac today in beta, introducing a revamped look and feel that simplifies navigation and provides a more Mac-like experience. For example, the Skype app has been brought together …
Discussion:
GigaOM, Disruptive Telephony, Download Squad, TechCrunch, ReadWriteWeb, Inquirer, 9 to 5 Mac, Macworld, MacRumors, Erictric, Pocket-lint, Techie Buzz, TUAW, SlashGear, FierceVoIP, Skype Journal, BGR and SiliconANGLE
Pew Internet:
4% of online Americans use location-based services — In its first report on the use of “geosocial” or location-based services, the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life project finds that 4% of online adults use a service such as Foursquare or Gowalla that allows them to share …
RELATED:
Joshua Brustein / Bits:
Location Services Have Not Caught On, Report Says — Checking in at Monique's Chocolates in Palo Alto, Calif. — Tech companies, venture capitalists and retailers have expressed no small amount of enthusiasm for location-based Web services, which allow users to “check into” locations …
Discussion:
eWeek
Rob Jackson / Phandroid:
How Facebook is Pulling an Android... and Why — If you think Facebook's announcements of Single Sign-On, Places API and Deals Platform were a disappointment, you and I disagree, and I'll tell you why. Grab a few Red Bulls, blast some Ronald Jenkees, and turn off your phone - I can't be interrupted and I have some explaining to do.
Discussion:
Product Reviews Net, Phones Review, Scobleizer and Inside Facebook
RELATED:
Sam Diaz / Between the Lines Blog:
Facebook Deals: Bargains are enticing to those who've resisted …
Discussion:
All Facebook, PC World, Fast Company, GMSV, VentureBeat and The Social
MG Siegler / TechCrunch:
Facebook's Android App Sucked Because “Obnoxious” Google Bought The Developer
Discussion:
The Next Web, MacStories and msnbc.com
Brooke Crothers / CNET News:
Intel Light Peak tech coming—will Apple follow? — A technology developed by Intel and backed by Apple is expected to appear earlier than previously thought, paving the way for very-high-speed connections on both PCs and Macs. — Light Peak is now on track to appear in products in the first half of 2011 …
Nick Eaton / The Microsoft Blog:
Finally, someone at Microsoft says tablets are cannibalizing netbooks — I finally got someone at Microsoft to admit that tablets are cannibalizing netbooks, something research and financial firms have been starting to report in recent months. On Monday I spoke to Gavriella Schuster …
Discussion:
9 to 5 Mac, Silicon Republic, PC World, RazorianFly, SlashGear, Electronista, The Next Web and Hardware 2.0 Blog
Chris Emery / Princeton University:
FTC appoints Princeton computer scientist Felten as chief technologist — The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has named Edward Felten, a Princeton professor of computer science and public affairs, as the agency's first chief technologist to help guide government policy in an era …
Discussion:
Federal Trade Commission, Freedom to Tinker and Daring Fireball
Jeremy Kirk / PC World:
Ballmer Calls for Clearer Data Rules From Europe — Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer called on Europe on Thursday to provide clearer rules on privacy and data retention issues as his company pushes into remote computing services. — Ballmer, whose company is investing heavily in data centers …
Discussion:
ReadWriteWeb, The Register, TechEye, The Next Web and Agence France Presse
RELATED:
Erica Swallow / Mashable!:
A Glimpse at the Future of Foursquare — Foursquare CEO and co-founder Dennis Crowley spoke on how the location-based service plans to dominate “what happens after the checkin” at Wednesday's ad:tech conference. Crowley delivered his remarks on the same day Facebook made several major announcements about its Places product.
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, Skeptic Geek, NYConvergence.com, Interactive Marketing and All Points Blog
Ryan Kim / GigaOM:
Windows Phone 7 Attracts Interest As Development Platform — Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 is not out of the gate and yet it's already doing a solid job convincing developers, advertisers and publishers that it has a future, according to a new report from Millennial Media.
Discussion:
Millennial Media, VentureBeat and WPCentral.com
Darren Murph / Engadget:
Samsung Galaxy S first smartphone to be Wi-Fi Direct certified — Samsung has generally been on the cutting edge when it comes to giving its smartphones the latest and greatest in terms of compatibility, with the Omnia being the first DivX certified handset in America this month two years ago.
Discussion:
IntoMobile, Softpedia News, Zatz Not Funny!, SlipperyBrick.com, WIRELESS AND MOBILE NEWS, BGR, pocketnow.com, AfterDawn.com and GigaOM
Joe Stump / stu.mp:
Your city sucks! (And so does mine) — It seems the the latest craze amongst entrepreneurs and, in particular, tech “hubs” is to pull out the ruler and compare penises. As someone who's slept with three of those technology hubs I'm going to tell you that each penis has its own merits and it's own disadvantages.
Nilay Patel / Engadget:
Verizon pricing Droid Pro at $179, Samsung Continuum at $199? — Well, here's some good news — we just received an internal Verizon pricelist confirming that the Droid Pro will sell for $179 when it hits on November 9th, a far sight lower than the $299 we'd originally heard.
Discussion:
Android Central, The Toybox Blog, Droid Life, Android Police, Softpedia News, Android Phone Fans, AndroidGuys, Know Your Cell and pocketnow.com
Miyoung Kim / Reuters:
Samsung sees Galaxy Tab sales above 1 million units this year — (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co, the world's No.2 handset maker, said on Thursday consumer response to its Galaxy Tab tablet had been strong and sales of the handheld device would exceed one million units this year.
Discussion:
Dow Jones Newswires, PC World, Electronista, Android Community, SlashGear, PhoneArena and Digital Trends
Mike Butcher / TechCrunch Europe:
UK government plans East London tech cluster, Startup Visa, review of IP law, £200 million in finance. What? — The British Prime Minister is expected to announce today that the East of London, which in the last three years has seen a 700% growth in tech companies starting up there …
Discussion:
Reuters, Computerworld, BBC, Fast Company, iGeneration Blog, The Next Web, Telegraph, TechEye, Venture Capital Dispatch, Bloomberg and AfterDawn.com, Thanks:sachbalag
Matt Marshall / VentureBeat:
Kik Messenger sees explosive start — a mobile chat better than SMS? — Kik, a new chat application for smartphones that is quicker and more social than SMS, is showing impressive viral uptake. The company says it has registered 450,000 downloads in the first 10 days since going live.
Discussion:
Mobile Entertainment, Techvibes.com and StartupNorth
Erik Sherman / Wired In Blog| BNET:
Apple Tries To Patent Interactive Gaming with Smartphones — Games may have been part of the Mac for years, but Apple (AAPL) never paid genuinely strong attention to the market until the iPhone and iPod touch made the company do so. Suddenly a tolerated software category became a driving force …
Stewart Mitchell / PC Pro:
Microsoft details Windows Phone 7 kill switch — Microsoft has outlined how it might use the little publicised “kill switch” in Windows Phone 7 handsets. — A kill switch is a tool that allows software controllers to remove certain apps or software from handsets if they pose a security or privacy risk …
Discussion:
MobileCrunch, PC World, PhoneArena, Network World, Electricpig.co.uk, InformationWeek, Neowin.net, Softpedia News, The Next Web and WPCentral.com
Microsoft:
LG Owners to Get Free Access to Popular Windows Phone 7 Applications — LG and Microsoft collaborate on developer program for a new mobile platform. — LG Electronics (LG) and Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq “MSFT") announced today that they are teaming up to provide customers with a free selection …
Discussion:
MobileCrunch, The Toybox Blog, Download Squad, GigaOM, Engadget, TechRadar.com, Neowin.net, Computerworld, TechConnect Magazine and The Microsoft Blog
James Joaquin / Xmarks Blog:
Xmarks: Alive and Kicking … I'm pleased to announced that we're in the final stages of completing a sale of Xmarks to a new owner who is 100% committed to keep our great browser sync service running smoothly. — The Xmarks service will evolve to have both a free component and a premium component …
Discussion:
ReadWriteWeb, Liliputing, MacStories and Lifehacker, Thanks:rawmeet
