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4:05 AM ET, March 18, 2011

Techmeme

 Top Items: 
Jim Dalrymple / The Loop:
Study comparing Android to iPhone Web browsing speed flawed  —  A Canadian software company, Blaze Software, released a report today of what it calls the “largest ever research study of smart phone browser performance.”  The problem is, the study is flawed.
RELATED:
John Gruber / Daring Fireball:
Why the Nitro JavaScript Engine Isn't Available to Apps Outside Mobile Safari in iOS 4.3  —  Along a similar line to today's story about the performance differences between Mobile Safari and the system-wide UIWebView control in iOS 4.3, was Tuesday's mini-brouhaha about web app performance outside Mobile Safari.
Discussion: TiPb and The Loop
Ken Doctor / Nieman Journalism Lab:
The newsonomics of The New York Times' pay fence  —  t's official — and the world still turns.  After 14 months of planning, The New York Times is finally launching its pay system, starting in the U.S. March 28.  It's been a gestation period longer than a manatee's, due to customer-service identification …
RELATED:
Cory Doctorow / Boing Boing:
New York Times paywall: wishful thinking or just crazy?
Elizabeth Woyke / Mobilized:
Source: iPhone 5 May Have NFC Contactless Capability  —  Apple's iPhone 4 doesn't have NFC.  But could the iPhone 5?  —  One of the latest, juiciest rumors about Apple's upcoming iPhone, dubbed iPhone 5, is that the device will not include a wireless technology known as Near Field Communication or NFC.
Business Week:
Are Four Words Worth $25 Billion for Groupon?  —  Inside Andrew Mason's plan to remake Groupon, fend off copycats, and change your spending habits forever  —  On a frigid Chicago morning in early March, Andrew Mason stood on a street corner outside his company's offices to reveal …
Discussion: Mashable! and SAI
RELATED:
Scott Austin / Venture Capital Dispatch:
Groupon Valued At $25B?  That Would Top Google At IPO  —  Bloomberg BusinessWeek reports today that Groupon Inc. is shopping itself to bankers for an initial public offering that could value the company up to $25 billion.  There's a bit of caution here — bankers like to puff up the valuation …
Nick Wingfield / Wall Street Journal:
Microsoft, Feds Pull Plug on Spam Network  —  Microsoft Corp. and federal law enforcement agents seized computer equipment from Internet hosting facilities across the U.S. in a sweeping legal attack designed to cripple the leading source of junk email on the Internet.
MG Siegler / TechCrunch:
Saying “SXSW Is Over” Is Over  —  A lot of the talk surrounding SXSW this year has reminded me of one of my favorite skits from IFC's show Portlandia.  It starts off with a guy peering into the window of a bar and telling the locals inside how much he loves the place.
RELATED:
Caroline McCarthy / The Social:
Deal with it: SXSW has changed
Discussion: TechCrunch
Farhad Manjoo / Fast Company:
Google: The Quest  —  How New CEO Larry Page Will Lead The Company He Cofounded Into The Future — It's not Helen of Troy or the assassination of an archduke, but this spelling-bee-worthy 10-cent word also launched a war, the Great Search Engine War of 2011, between Google and Microsoft.
Ben Horowitz / ben's blog:
Titles and Promotions … Often when I meet with startups, the employees have no job titles.  This makes sense, because everybody is just working to build the company.  Roles needn't be clearly defined and, in fact, can't be, because everyone does a little bit of everything.
Jay Yarow / SAI: Silicon Alley Insider:
Exclusive: Yahoo Is About To Sell Delicious For $1-$2 Million  —  Yahoo is about to close a deal to sell bookmarking site Delicious for $1-$2 million, says a source familiar with the discussions.  —  Our source isn't sure what company is buying it, but says it's a “strategic partner,” something like StumbleUpon.
Discussion: @dannysullivan and The Next Web
Charles Starrett / iLounge:
iPad 2 Wi-Fi, 3G models show microphone differences  —  iLounge has discovered that the microphones in the Wi-Fi and 3G models of the iPad 2 have different sonic qualities.  As noted in our comprehensive review, the microphone hole of the iPad 2 has been moved from its position beside …
Guardian:
Revealed: US spy operation that manipulates social media  —  The US military is developing software that will let it secretly manipulate social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter by using fake online personas to influence internet conversations and spread pro-American propaganda.
Paul Graham:
Subject: Airbnb  —  Yesterday Fred Wilson published a remarkable post about missing Airbnb.  VCs miss good startups all the time, but it's extraordinarily rare for one to talk about it publicly till long afterward.  So that post is further evidence what a rare bird Fred is.  He's probably the nicest VC I know.
Sean H. / Inside BlackBerry:
Facebook for BlackBerry v2.0 Beta: Now with Facebook Chat!  —  I'm excited to announce the beta release of the Facebook® for BlackBerry® smartphones app v2.0 through BlackBerry® Beta Zone starting today.  The Facebook app team here at Research In Motion® (RIM®) …
CNET News:
Criminal probe into iPhone prototype nears end  —  A probe into a prototype iPhone 4 purchased by a gadget blog is nearing its end, with investigators expected to report their findings soon.  —  Stephen Wagstaffe, district attorney for the county of San Mateo, Calif., told CNET today that …
Discussion: Electronista
Christian Zibreg / 9 to 5 Mac:
Fan backlash over adverts injected in Angry Birds HD  —  Last night, an update to Angry Birds HD dropped on iPad with fifteen new levels, a new golden egg and a “feature” that has immediately angered loyal fans - adverts.  No, not the unobtrusive types of an AdMob or AdSense variety seen in some apps.
Discussion: ThinkMobile, SlashGear and App Advice
Rafe Needleman / CNET News:
Gadget review aggregator Retrevo opens own store  —  Retrevo will now sell some items directly.  Instead of linking out to other stores, it will have its own “Buy” buttons.  —  Tech hardware advice site and reviews aggregator Retrevo is opening its own online store.
Discussion: GigaOM and VentureBeat
Andrew Rassweiler / iSuppli:
Japanese Earthquake Poses Potential Supply Problems for iPad 2  —  The aftermath of the Japanese earthquake may cause logistical disruptions and supply shortages in Apple Inc.'s iPad 2, which employs several components manufactured in the disaster-stricken country—including a hard …
Wall Street Journal:
RIM, Carriers Fight Over Digital Wallet  —  BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. is locking horns with wireless carriers over control of mobile-payment data, in an example of the battles erupting as smartphones evolve into electronic wallets.  —  The dispute centers on where key data related …
Discussion: Electronista
Robin Wauters / TechCrunch:
Exclusive: Facebook Co-Founder Eduardo Saverin Leads $6.5M Round For Jumio  —  Jumio is still gearing up for the launch of its online and mobile payments solution, due for release in 6 to 8 weeks, but the company has lined up an investor that is sure to draw even more attention to the stealth startup …
Peter Kafka / MediaMemo:
Kickstarter Fesses Up: The Crowd-Sourced Funding Startup Has Funding Too  —  Kickstarter has all the requisite characteristics for a hot startup: An ah-ha! concept, a growing user base, and great buzz.  —  The one thing it doesn't have are stories about investors clamoring to throw money its way.
Discussion: @pkafka
 
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 More Items: 
Josh Lowensohn / Crave: The gadget blog:
Mac App Store low on freebies, high on games
Discussion: SAI
AppleInsider:
Owners of Apple's new MacBook Pros report issues with iTunes Home Sharing
Discussion: 9 to 5 Mac, MacRumors, TUAW and MacStories
Gautham Nagesh / Hillicon Valley:
Consumer group: Google CEO not good for Commerce post
Stephen Chapman / Between the Lines Blog:
Internal Microsoft video shows plans for next-gen gaming experience
Discussion: WinRumors, GeekWire, The Next Web and Neowin.net, Thanks:manan
 Earlier Items: 
Maggie Shiels / BBC:
Twitter boss on application snub
Discussion: Gartner, IntoMobile and The Next Web
Jason Kincaid / TechCrunch:
Scribd's HTML5-Based Document Viewer Is Now Portable, Retroactively Upgrades 20M+ Embeds
Discussion: VentureBeat and MacStories
Eric Chu / Android Developers Blog:
Application Stats on Android Market
Michael Kleber / Google Code Blog:
Your Web, Half a Second Sooner
Wall Street Journal:
Retailers Push Amazon on Taxes
Robin Davey / hypebot:
Only 10% of Your Friends See Your Facebook Posts, And Only 1% Like It.
Discussion: All Facebook
 

 
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”

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

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

 
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