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11:45 PM ET, February 24, 2011

Techmeme

 Top Items: 
Danny Sullivan / Search Engine Land:
Google Forecloses On Content Farms With “Farmer” Algorithm Update  —  In January, Google promised that it would take action against content farms that were gaining top listings with “shallow” or “low-quality” content.  Now the company is delivering, announcing a change to its ranking algorithm designed take out such material.
Discussion: @vwadhwa, @fromedome and WebProNews
RELATED:
The Official Google Blog:
Finding more high-quality sites in search  —  Our goal is simple: to give people the most relevant answers to their queries as quickly as possible.  This requires constant tuning of our algorithms, as new content—both good and bad—comes online all the time.
Darrell Etherington / GigaOM:
What Thunderbolt Means for End Users  —  Apple and Intel today took the wrappers off of Thunderbolt, a new wired connection technology that combines data transfer and video output capabilities.  Thunderbolt appears standard in Apple's new MacBook Pro models, replacing the Mini DisplayPort …
RELATED:
Kit Eaton / Fast Company:
Intel's Thunderbolt—The Stealth Effort to Take Over Every Wire on Your Desk  —  Intel's Light Peak data connection tech has evolved, and is now on sale in a real device—Apple's new MacBook Pros.  It's clever, super-fast, and is actually a stealthy trick to replace the rats nest of wires …
Daniel Eran Dilger / AppleInsider:
Intel details Thunderbolt as exclusive to Apple until 2012
Discussion: Electronista and Webomatica
Peter Kafka / MediaMemo:
Myspace Music President Courtney Holt Leaving  —  This one was only a matter of time: Myspace Music head Courtney Holt is stepping down.  —  Sources say Holt doesn't have another post lined up.  But the real news is that he was still at the site, which is a joint venture between Myspace and the major music labels.
RELATED:
Yinka Adegoke / Reuters:   News Corp kicks off Myspace sale process
Wall Street Journal:
Myspace Opens Books to Prospective Buyers
Discussion: Electronista
Seth Weintraub / 9 to 5 Mac:
New MacBook Pros get GeekBenched.  Outrunning last year's Mac Pros  —  Some lucky people out there in Internetland are Geekbenching their new MacBook Pros Quad i7s with average Geekbench scores coming up right around 10,000  —  The 2. GHz Quads coming in a little lower obviously at around 8000 …
Discussion: Electronista and Electricpig.co.uk
RELATED:
Apple:
Apple Updates MacBook Pro with Next Generation Processors, Graphics & Thunderbolt I/O Technology  —  Apple® today updated the industry-leading MacBook® Pro family with next generation processors and graphics, high-speed Thunderbolt I/O technology and a new FaceTime® HD camera.
Joshua Topolsky / Engadget:
Sources: iPad 2 lands in thinner body with spec bump and cameras, SD slot and higher resolution display are out  —  The Apple rumors game can be a volatile thing.  Just as we'd heard about last minute alterations to the Apple TV before it hit the market, we've gotten word from sources …
RELATED:
John Gruber / Daring Fireball:   The Eleventh Hour  —  I like Josh Topolsky, and I like Engadget, but this is a bit much:
Shan Sinha / Docs Blog:
Google Cloud Connect for Microsoft Office available to all  —  Many of you already use Google Docs for editing your documents, but there are still many people that are tied to desktop applications and haven't experienced the numerous benefits cloud applications to bring.
RELATED:
Eric Slivka / MacRumors:
Apple Discontinuing MobileMe Retail Boxes, Preparing for Free Overhauled Version?  [Updated]  —  Apple today notified resellers that it has discontinued the retail box version of MobileMe, shifting entirely to digital sales.  Existing stocks of boxed MobileMe can continue to be sold while their supplies last.
AppleInsider:
Apple releases dev preview of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion with AirDrop, FileVault  —  Apple on Thursday released a developer preview of Mac OS X Lion, which takes some of the best ideas the company has conceived for the iPad and brings them back to the Mac for the eighth major release of the flagship operating system due this summer.
RELATED:
Arn / MacRumors:
Mac OS X Lion Building in Support for Super High Resolution ‘Retina’ Monitors
Anuj Nayar / The PayPal Blog:
PayPal Statement on Courage to Resist Situation  —  While it is generally not our policy to comment publicly on account dealings, we are sharing the following statement to clarify information regarding the Courage To Resist organization's PayPal account and their claim that this is somehow associated …
Discussion: Help Net Security, Thanks:paypal
RELATED:
Edmund Lee / AdAge:
AOL's First Big Change for Huffington Post: Bigger Ads  —  News Aggregation Site Will Get ‘Project Devil’ Ads, but Will Anyone Else?  —  After months of negotiations with advertisers and agencies, AOL is starting to roll out “Project Devil,” a larger ad format it hopes will deliver …
RELATED:
Zach Epstein / BGR:
New evidence of Android apps running on BlackBerry phones emerges  —  Mobile app developer ShopSavvy reports that its Android application has recently been tested on multiple BlackBerry devices.  BGR exclusively reported last month that RIM may be working on a solution that would allow Android apps …
Discussion: Fortune, 901am and Electricpig.co.uk
Ryan Singel / Epicenter:
Google Recipe Search Cooks Up Next Gen of Search  —  Stepping into the kitchen now, Google introduced a recipe search engine Thursday that serves up dishes based not only on the ingredients you may have on hand, but the calories you want to consume and even how much time you have to cook.
MG Siegler / TechCrunch:
Instagram Unveils Realtime API With Foodspotting, Fancy, Momento, Flipboard, About.me And Others  —  It really is kind of amazing that Instagram has shot past two million users in just a few months with only an iPhone app.  No Android app, no website, no real third-party support.
Joseph L. Flatley / Engadget:
Android Market adds e-books; movies and music soon to come?  —  The Android world's been a-buzz this last week over a few new Android Market URLS, including http://market.android.com/music/ and http://market.android.com/movies/.  In case you thought there was nothing to this tip, guess again …
Daniel Eran Dilger / AppleInsider:
Apple reportedly clarifies its cloud strategy to the music labels  —  Apple has reportedly informed music labels that it wants to protect the existing market for paid song downloads, positioning its cloud strategy for iTunes as a form of “insurance.”  —  Apple has consistently pushed …
Discussion: Electronista
Matthias Galica / ShareSquare Blog:
How Microsoft, Mobile Tag, and AT&T are Killing Consumer QR Code Scanning In Utero  —  Sidebar: This post contains rhetoric that is more opinionated than our standard blogs.  However, this is something we at ShareSquare feel strongly about, and we believe the truth needs to be told.
Jaikumar Vijayan / Computerworld:
Anonymous hacks church Web site during live interview  —  Defiant Westboro Baptist Church says Anonymous had to try ‘mightily’ to hack its site  —  Computerworld - The Anonymous hacking collective this morning defaced the Web site of the controversial Westboro Baptist Church in the middle …
Discussion: The Escapist and Naked Security
Casey Chan / Gizmodo:
Tech Start-Up Exclusively Hires People with Asperger's Syndrome for Their Technological Prowess  —  Aspiritech, a Chicago-based tech start up, is a software testing firm that exclusively hires people with Asperger's syndrome.  Why?  Because apparently, people suffering from Asperger's make for the perfect software tester.
Mike Melanson / ReadWriteWeb:
Google Toolbar Explains Toolbar as Identity Tool, Not “Google +1”  —  Last week, a new toolbar began appearing on Google for user and some took it as evidence of the ever-elusive “Google +1” or “Google Me” social network.  Today, Google explained the appearance of this part of the bar …
 
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 More Items: 
Molly McHugh / Business Wire:
Study says Internet makes youth more engaged citizens
Discussion: macfound.org and ReadWriteWeb
Mike Melanson / ReadWriteWeb:
Meet the 13 Companies that Came Out on Top at Launch
Sinead Carew / Reuters:
Huawei calls on U.S. government to investigate it
Ingrid Lunden / mocoNews:
Motorola Gets In On Cloud Services With Catch Media Stake
Gabriel Madway / Reuters:
Apple succession plan proposal got 30 percent support
Bloomberg:
Samsung Said to Be Mulling Google TV Products, Excluding Intel
Juliana Gruenwald / Tech Daily Dose:
Lawmakers Urged To Probe Google Social Security Controversy
Discussion: Inside Google and p2pnet
 Earlier Items: 
Gregory Ferenstein / Fast Company:
Facebook vs. FTC Round 2: Facebook Responds
Discussion: The Huffington Post and Mashable!
Rip Empson / TechCrunch:
Mark Cuban-backed 140Fire Lets You Create Real-time Overlay Ads For Your Video Content
Robin Wauters / TechCrunch:
eMarketer On Social Networking In The US: 57% On Facebook, 11% On Twitter
Discussion: eMarketer, All Facebook and VatorNews
Stephen Chapman / SEO Whistleblower Blog:
Windows 8, Windows Server 8, and Office 15: Tons of new information straight from Microsoft and its employees!
Discussion: The Next Web and GeekSmack
 

 
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”

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

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

 
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