Top Items:
Peter Parkes / Skype The Big Blog:
Skype downtime today — Earlier today, we noticed that the number of people online on Skype was falling, which wasn't typical or expected, so we began to investigate. Skype isn't a network like a conventional phone or IM network - instead, it relies on millions of individual connections between computers …
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Ina Fried / Mobilized:
Skype Details Problems, Says May Take Hours to Fix — Skype users were sent scrambling for one of the few remaining pay phones on Wednesday as the Internet telephone service experienced a widespread outage. — A page deep in the company's support site confirms the issue, but appears to significantly understate the problem.
Discussion:
Techi.com, Know Your Cell and Electronista
Zee / The Next Web:
Skype Goes Down. — Updating: Updates at the foot of the post. — Skype is currently down for the large majority of its users; its first down time spell since 2007. The enormity of Skype going down is appreciated when you consider that last year it accounted for 12 percent of the world's international calling minutes.
Discussion:
Business Wire, BetaNews, The Digital Home, USA Today, Softpedia News, Mashable!, TechCrunch Europe and The Huffington Post, Thanks:bradtnw
Wall Street Journal:
Microsoft to Reveal New Version of Windows — Microsoft Corp. next month plans to discuss a new version of its widely used Windows operating system that targets low-power devices and adds support for a second strain of chip technology, according to people briefed on Microsoft company's plans.
Discussion:
Computerworld, BetaNews, Examiner, PC World, Gadget Lab, TechFlash, MarketingVOX, Lifehacker, Faster Forward, DailyTech, 24/7 Wall St., Mashable!, Telegraph, eHomeUpgrade, Geek.com, TechSpot, Liliputing, The Huffington Post, SAI, MacDailyNews, The Tech Report, All about Microsoft Blog, Daring Fireball, Shelly Palmer Digital Living, Gizmodo and Electronista
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David Radcliffe / The Official Google Blog:
Investing in New York — Google New York started in a Starbucks on 86th Street with one person in 2000—a scrappy, highly-caffeinated sales “team.” After moving to a larger office in Times Square, in 2006 we relocated to our current home in Chelsea, at 111 Eighth Avenue—a former Port Authority building.
Discussion:
Data Center Knowledge, TechCrunch, New York Post and Gawker
Ryan Tate / Gawker:
Facebook Will Thwart Google, Says Ex Googler — Does Google have any chance at all of competing with arch-rival Facebook? Not really, former Google bigwig Paul Buchheit says. Buchheit tells us his old company will probably find it easier to land on the moon. — It's an important issue.
Discussion:
MediaPost, TechSpot, Paul Buchheit and SAI
Sarah Nahm / Google Chrome Blog:
60 million tabs towards good causes — In 2010, the Chrome community has joined us in moments of fun, invention, exploration, and now, giving. Last week, we invited Chrome's users worldwide to “donate” their opened tabs in Chrome to drive a charitable gift of one million dollars.
Discussion:
Engadget, Softpedia News, Web Browsers and Pocket-lint, Thanks:chrismessina
Latoya Peterson / NPR:
The Worst Ideas Of 2010: Ping — All week we'll be talking about the best and worst ideas in music this year — click here to see all the stories. Write us at therecord@npr.org if anything in the business or culture struck you as particularly effective or shockingly misguided in 2010.
Discussion:
Examiner, everythingiCafe, MacStories, NewsGrange and Macgasm
Om Malik / GigaOM:
Google's Big Problem: It Ain't What You Think — When I first met Larry Page and Sergey Brin back in the 20th century, my first impressions about them included phrases like super-smart, engineer's engineers and minimalists. They argued against the clutter that was AltaVista …
Discussion:
CNET News, MediaPost, Beyond Search and Inquirer
Erick Schonfeld / TechCrunch:
Firefox Mobile's Offline Hack: It Saves Web Pages As PDFs — Mozilla just released the latest version of Firefox 4 Beta for both the Web and mobile phones (Android and Maemo). The desktop version now supports the WebGL 3D graphics standard without the need for a plugin …
Discussion:
Eurodroid and Android Community
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Seth Rosenblatt / CNET News:
Sync and speed in latest Firefox 4 beta
Discussion:
The Register, DailyTech, Neowin.net, Inquirer, Softpedia News and BetaNews
Ryan Singel / Epicenter:
Craigslist Shuts Down International “Adult Services” Sections — Craigslist, the popular online classified ad service, has seemingly shut down its controversial “adult services” section worldwide. — In early September, Craigslist shuttered that section in the U.S., following years …
Discussion:
Ars Technica, L.A. Times Tech Blog, Mashable!, Digital Trends, Associated Press, Softpedia News, CNET News and Online Dating Insider
Zi Wang / Google Mobile Blog:
Android In Spaaaace! — Here at Google, we're all about exploration. It's no surprise that some of our favorite products are built to let you explore the world in ways never before possible. Google Maps lets you find your way all around the world. Google Earth lets you explore the planet in detail, complete with trees and oceans.
Discussion:
TechCrunch, Droid Life, Android Phone Fans and 901am
Matthew Lasar / Ars Technica:
FCC: Yup, we're going to stop “paid prioritization” on the 'Net — The Federal Communications Commission is releasing the details of its new net neutrality Order in stages. Although the FCC's new ban on “unreasonable discrimination” for wired ISPs allows certain kinds of traffic discrimination …
Ben Worthen / Wall Street Journal:
Hurd Wants Accuser's Letter Shielded — Mark Hurd, the former Hewlett-Packard Co. chief executive, is fighting to keep private the letter that led to his resignation from the technology behemoth and has triggered an investigation by federal regulators. — The eight-page letter …
Discussion:
NewEnterprise, SAI, Deal Journal, ITworld.com, Inquirer and GMSV
Andrew Munchbach / BGR:
Verizon Wireless branded Windows Phone 7 apps surface in Marketplace — If you're waiting for a Windows Phone 7 device on Big Red, we have some encouraging news for you. It appears as though Verizon compatible WP7 applications are starting to make their way into the Windows Phone Marketplace.
Discussion:
Know Your Cell, Electronista, WinRumors, SlashGear, Erictric, IntoMobile, Thoughts from the Sidelines, LaptopMemo, Ars Technica, Neowin.net, Inquirer, Softpedia News, Gizmodo and eWeek
Jason Kincaid / TechCrunch:
Judge Sides With Google, Throws Out Android Trademark Suit — Back in April 2009 — before the incredible rise of Android had really picked up steam — Google's mobile operating system faced a challenger that had almost nothing to do with cell phones. Erich Specht, a man who ran …
Discussion:
Android Community, Fortune, IntoMobile, Softpedia News, Geek.com, Engadget, Android Phone Fans, pocketnow.com and Electronista
Lance Whitney / CNET News:
Over half of late-20s crowd own cell phones only — Fifty-one percent of 25- to 29-year-olds live in households that have kicked the landline habit, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. — That is the first time that wireless-only households …
Discussion:
Telecompetitor, Centers for Disease Control, dailywireless.org and Internet2Go
Dean Takahashi / VentureBeat:
Devicescape helps MetroPCS offload data traffic to Wi-Fi networks — Wireless phone provider MetroPCS announced a deal with Devicescape that allows the cell phone service provider to move data traffic from its cellular network to Wi-Fi networks. — In doing so, MetroPCS will be able …
Discussion:
Android Phone Fans and Softpedia News
Greg Miller / Washington Post:
CIA launches task force to assess impact of U.S. cables' exposure by WikiLeaks — The CIA has launched a task force to assess the impact of the exposure of thousands of U.S. diplomatic cables and military files by WikiLeaks. — Officially, the panel is called the WikiLeaks Task Force.
Discussion:
Guardian, L.A. Times Tech Blog, Examiner, Netcraft, Danger Room, Switched, TG Daily, WL Central, Geekosystem, techPresident, THINQ.co.uk, Mediaite and AOL News
Matt Richtel / Bits:
E-Mail's Big Demographic Split — In an article in Tuesday's Times, I wrote about the changing status of e-mail. Once it was cool to merely have an e-mail account (or several), but many young people now think of it as old school, and much prefer the zip of texting, instant messaging and social networks.
Discussion:
MediaPost, ITworld.com, Andy Beal's Marketing Pilgrim, Under the Radar and Shelly Palmer Digital Living
Evan Blass / Pocketnow:
Motorola's Android Tablet Dubbed “Motorola Xoom”? — Motorola looks to be gearing up for the launch of a major product or product line known as Motorola Xoom, with the Illinois-based company having been quietly applying for trademarks on that term all over the world since mid-October.
Discussion:
Engadget, Digital Trends, TechSpot, IntoMobile, Neowin.net, SlashGear, Droid Life, Android Community, SAI, Electronista and Android Phone Fans
Amruta Sabnis / Reuters:
Sony to buy back chip plant from Toshiba: report — (Reuters) - Sony Corp plans to buy back a Nagasaki semiconductor plant from Toshiba Corp for about 50 billion yen ($597.2 million) to double output capacity for image sensors used in smartphones and other devices, the Nikkei business daily reported.
Discussion:
SlashGear and Electronista
Erick Schonfeld / TechCrunch:
Where Is Awarded The “Mother Of All Geofencing Patents” — Just as geo mobile services are taking off, the U.S. Patent Office has awarded an extremely broad patent on “Location-based services” to Where. Patent No. 7,848,765 covers 31 claims ranging from sending an alert to offering a coupon …
Discussion:
Mass High Tech, Xconomy and About Mobility
W.J. Hennigan / L.A. Times Tech Blog:
Hedge fund to track Twitter to gauge stock market, report says — A British hedge fund said it plans to track Twitter to predict moves in the stock market. — According to a report by Bloomberg, “The Derwent Absolute Return Fund Ltd., set to start trading in February with an initial 25 million pounds …
