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5:40 PM ET, September 19, 2011

Techmeme

 Top Items: 
Reed Hastings / The Official Netflix Blog:
An Explanation and Some Reflections  —  I messed up.  I owe everyone an explanation.  —  It is clear from the feedback over the past two months that many members felt we lacked respect and humility in the way we announced the separation of DVD and streaming, and the price changes.
RELATED:
Bill Gurley / abovethecrowd.com:
Understanding Why Netflix Changed Pricing  —  Many journalists have offered their opinion on Netflix's recent changes, its stock price decline, and their even more recent branding changes (Qwikster).  Yet in each article, it appears as if the journalist all agree that the price move …
Discussion: Technologizer and Business Insider
Alexia Tsotsis / TechCrunch:
Uh Oh ... Qwikster Already Has A Lively Twitter Account, But It's Not Owned By Netflix  —  Movie delivery service Netflix has just announced that it is rebranding its DVD-by-mail service as Qwikster and that it will keep calling its streaming service Netflix.
Dan Frommer / SplatF:   10 things to remember about Netflix while scratching your head about Qwikster
Mark Suster / Both Sides of the Table:
Why Reed Hastings Should be Applauded for Netflix Split
Discussion: Fast Company, GigaOM, Epicenter and @gruber, Thanks:msuster
Anthony Taormina / Game Rant:
Netflix Disc-Based Service Becomes Qwikster, Will Offer Video Games
Discussion: VentureBeat and @felixsalmon
Osama Bedier / The Official Google Blog:
Launching Google Wallet on Sprint and working with Visa, American Express and Discover  —  In May we announced Google Wallet—an app that makes your phone your wallet—with Citi, MasterCard, Sprint and First Data.  With Google Wallet, you can tap, pay and save using your phone and near field communication (NFC).
RELATED:
Chris Ziegler / This is my next:
Google Wallet review: photos, videos, and availability  —  After a reveal back in May and the promise of a summer launch in New York and San Francisco, Google and its partners have started rolling out an update to Sprint's Nexus S 4G today that enables Google Wallet — the most ambitious US deployment …
Frederic Lardinois / SiliconFilter:
Google Wallet Goes Live, But You Probably Won't Be Able to Use It Yet  —  As rumored, Google just announced that it is officially launching its cell phone-based mobile payment solution Google Wallet today.  After introducing the service in May and launching a limited trial at the time …
Om Malik / GigaOM:
Google Wallet, Confirmed
Chris Ziegler / This is my next:
Exclusive: unannounced Motorola Android tablet caught on film, possibly a 7-incher  —  We've obtained exclusive footage this morning of a new Motorola tablet (shown above) that looks to be a lot sleeker and thinner than the 10-inch Xoom that launched earlier this year; the slightly angled corners …
Aaron Smith / Pew Internet:
Americans and Text Messaging  —  Some 83% of American adults own cell phones and three-quarters of them (73%) send and receive text messages.  The Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project asked those texters in a survey how they prefer to be contacted on their cell phone and 31% …
Bloomberg:
AT&T Said to Seek Asset Sales to Save Bid for T-Mobile  —  AT&T Inc. (T) is approaching smaller rivals including MetroPCS Communications Inc. (PCS) and Leap Wireless International Inc. (LEAP) to sell spectrum and subscribers as part of an attempt to save its $39 billion takeover of T-Mobile USA Inc. …
Daniel P / PhoneArena:
Alleged next iPhone component shot reveals Apple A5 chip  —  Now we don't know if this is supposed to show the internals of the next iPhone, or the rumored affordable version, dubbed iPhone 4S, and we also can't vouch if this is real at all, but we were sent a link to a snapshot posted on Weibo …
Kevin C. Tofel / GigaOM:
Why Verizon just launched a $99 LTE phone  —  Verizon introduced a new Android smartphone on Monday.  The Pantech Breakout runs on Verizon's fast 4G network but will only cost $99 after rebate when it appears in stores on Thursday.  The low purchase price requires a two-year contract …
RELATED:
PC Magazine:   AT&T vs. Verizon: LTE, Head-to-Head
Mike Shields / Digiday:
Microsoft Pins TV Hopes on Xbox  —  Many in the media industry have wondered whether Microsoft's Xbox gaming console represents a looming threat to the cable industry, given its growing library of video options, including TV and movie rentals and Netflix streaming.  It turns out Xbox might replace the cable box.
Jake Smith / 9to5Mac:
As iCloud and iOS 5 launch nears, Apple plans iCloud backup reset for Sept. 22  —  According to a posting on the Apple Developer boards this afternoon, Apple will be resetting iCloud Backup data on Thursday, September 22nd.  We believe Apple is performing this reset for the release of iOS 5 GM …
Leena Rao / TechCrunch:
Study: Facebook ‘App Economy’ Adds Over 200K Jobs, Contributes More Than $15B To The U.S. Economy  —  Although the U.S. employment and jobs economic outlook is bleak, a new study released today reports that Facebook is creating a thriving economy around its social network.
Gregg Keizer / PC World:
Metro Apps to Be Sold Only From Microsoft's App Store  —  Metro apps for Windows 8 will be available only through Microsoft's own store, the company said at its BUILD Windows conference last week.  —  But although Microsoft went to pains to say that it would not discuss the business end of the app store …
Josh Ong / AppleInsider:
Samsung planning legal offensive against Apple's unreleased iPhone 5  —  Samsung has already planned out an aggressive legal strategy to block sales of Apple's unannounced iPhone 5 when it arrives in Korea, a new report claims.  —  Insiders at the South Korean electronics giant indicated …
RELATED:
John Paczkowski / AllThingsD:   Samsung Slaps Apple With Aussie Countersuit
Matt Brian / The Next Web:
Google buys European Groupon clone, snaps up German website DailyDeal  —  With reports that Google's Groupon competitor Google Offers has gotten off to a slow start, the company has announced another acquisition in the Daily Deals space, snapping up German deal site DailyDeal.
RELATED:
Jay Yarow / Business Insider:
No Barriers To Exit: 33% Of All Groupon Clones Have Been Shut Down Or Sold This Year
Discussion: Wall Street Journal
 
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 More Items: 
Brandon Bailey / Mercury News:
Google's Page and Oracle's Ellison meet for settlement talks
Discussion: Bloomberg and GMSV
Telegraph:
Animal rights group PETA to launch pornography website
Frank Gruber / Tech Cocktail:
Groupon Co-Founders Purchase The Historic Wrigley Building
Discussion: Chicago Sun Times and Bloomberg
Bruce Houghton / hypebot:
MySpace Delays Announcement As Traffic Tumbles
Discussion: Wall Street Journal
Philip Delves Broughton / Financial Times:
Book review: The Lean Startup
Discussion: Bullish on Books Blog
OWNI.eu:
A guide to Libya's surveillance network
 Earlier Items: 
Avril Ormsby / Reuters:
News International to pay $4.7 million to settle hacking case
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Opera Acquires Mobile App Store Handster
Neil Hughes / AppleInsider:
Apple said to release new iPhone 5 alongside China-focused ‘iPhone 4-plus’
Rich Miller / Data Center Knowledge:
Twitter Adding More Data Center Space (Again)
Ina Fried / AllThingsD:
Ahead of Possible iPhone Launch, Sprint Tightens Upgrade and Return Policies
Discussion: VentureBeat and Business Insider
 

 
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”

Mark Sweney / The Guardian:
National World, one of the UK's biggest newspaper groups, gets a £56.2M buyout offer from shareholder Media Concierge, a 40% premium to its Nov. 21 stock price

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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