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10:40 PM ET, January 16, 2012

Techmeme

 Top Items: 
Sarah Lacy / PandoDaily:
Why I Started PandoDaily  —  Several months ago I became obsessed with a colony of trees in Utah called Pando Trees.  Measuring 43 hectares and weighing 6,000 tons, they're pretty impressive above ground.  But what really matters is what is happening below.  The interconnected root system is the oldest living organism in the world.
RELATED:
Ryan Tate / Gawker:
Tech Industry Buys Itself a Mouthpiece  —  How did Silicon Valleys bigwigs react when their favorite trade publication adopted strict new conflicts of interest policies?  They banded together to pay someone else to cover them.  —  Former TechCrunch reporter Sarah Lacy today launched PandoDaily …
Michael Arrington / Uncrunched:
Sarah Lacy Launches Pando Daily, Your New Favorite News Site  —  Sarah Lacy's new tech news site Pando Daily launches today.  Right now, actually.  —  I remember the first time I met Sarah Lacy in 2006.  She was writing cover stories for Business Week at the time, hitting sources hard …
Sarah Lacy / PandoDaily:   OK, Gawker, We'll Engage in Your Link Bait for Just One Post
Steven Sinofsky / MSDN Blogs:
Building the next generation file system for Windows: ReFS … In this blog post I'd like to talk about a new file system for Windows.  This file system, which we call ReFS, has been designed from the ground up to meet a broad set of customer requirements, both today's and tomorrow's …
Dan Lyons / The Daily Beast:
Even Woz Thinks the Android Bests the iPhone  —  Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak still loves his iPhone, but says in some ways, Android has leapt ahead.  Wow.  —  Apple CEO Steve Jobs hated the Android smartphone operating system so much that he vowed he would spend his last dying breath …
Matthew Panzarino / The Next Web:
Twitter's Dick Costolo calls Wikipedia's SOPA blackout ‘foolish’  —  We've already reported on Wikipedia's founder Jimmy Wales announcing that the site will be going dark, effectively closing up for business, for 24 hours on Wednesday in protest of SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act).
RELATED:
Tim Bradshaw / Financial Times:
Wikipedia's anti-SOPA blackout will go ahead on Wednesday
Greg Sandoval / CNET:
Google calls Murdoch's piracy allegations ‘nonsense’
Jordan Kahn / 9to5Mac:
Apple working with McGraw-Hill on education announcement slated for Jan.19 at Guggenheim  —  Last week Apple sent out invites for an education focused event set to take place in New York City this Thursday, Jan. 19. at the the Guggenheim museum.  The event will almost certainly be unveiling …
Discussion: Wall Street Journal and MacRumors
RELATED:
Chris Foresman / Ars Technica:
Apple to announce tools, platform to “digitally destroy” textbook publishing
Discussion: The Verge
Ian Paul / PC World:
Log into Gmail on a PC via Your Smartphone  —  Google recently introduced a fun (and more secure) way to log into your Google account from a public terminal without entering your password into the PC, and instead using your smartphone and a QR code.  —  The method is similar to how Google sets …
Stuart Miles / Pocket-lint:
Samsung and Apple looking at new waterproof smartphone tech  —  A new technology that could save your phone from getting water damaged could be included the next wave of smartphones about to be made by Samsung and Apple.  —  Called HZO, the technology creates a nano-scale film barrier …
John P. Mello Jr. / PC World:
Maker of Steve Jobs Action Figure Kills Project  —  The maker of a controversial Steve Jobs action figure is stopping production and sale of the 12-inch doll following threats of legal action by Apple and Jobs' family.  —  “Though we still believe that we have not overstepped any legal boundaries …
David Pierce / The Verge:
Nissan Scratch Shield iPhone case fixes its own scratches and blemishes  —  A few years ago, Nissan developed a type of paint for its cars that can automatically fix scratches — now the company's taking its tech off your car and onto your iPhone 4 or 4S.  The new Nissan Scratch Shield …
Kevin C. Tofel / GigaOM:
Uh-oh, PC: Half of computing device sales are mobile  —  Last week, I pointed out some of the remote access solutions shown at CES that allow you to tap into the power of a full desktop computer from a mobile device.  I said it was another nail in the coffin for traditional personal computers …
Discussion: Appolicious Advisor
Alicia Eler / ReadWriteWeb:
Study: Why Do People Use Facebook?  —  Facebook is an accepted means of communication.  It is a never-ending virtual social gathering filled with adopted puppies, cute LOL kitties, baby announcements, viral articles and videos, events, groups, organizations and fan pages.  But why do people really use it?
Discussion: ScienceDirect.com
Electronista:
91% of business pros use iPads for work, 83% loyal to Apple  —  IDG finds iPad replacing PCs at work  —  Nearly every business pro with an iPad is using it primarily to get work done, IDG determined in a study on Monday.  About 91 percent worldwide who have iPads use it for work first …
Monica Chen / DigiTimes:
Wintel tablet PCs may be priced from US$599-899  —  Wintel-based tablet PCs may see their prices go as high as US$599-899 due to Intel and Microsoft both being unwilling to drop their related hardware and software quotes, and as a result, it could push consumers from wanting to purchase the devices …
Tom Warren / The Verge:
Windows Phone apps: does quantity equal success?  —  There's been a lot of talk about Windows Phone lately, especially around the latest handsets and user interface.  The New York Times highlighted the positive press that Windows Phone has received, stating that the OS is bold.
Katie Marsal / AppleInsider:
Apple jumps 9 spots to become 8th most valuable brand in the world  —  Apple was ranked the eighth most valuable brand of the world in 2011, with an estimated total value of $33.49 billion, making it bigger than Disney, Mercedes-Benz and Budweiser.  —  The 2011 rankings were released on Monday …
Shayndi Raice / Wall Street Journal:
Zynga Chief Talks IPO, Lessons Learned  —  Zynga Inc. Chief Executive Mark Pincus ended 2011 as the face of an overhyped Web initial public offering.  Now he wants to show the hype was justified.  —  Early last year, his San Francisco company, which makes social games such as “FarmVille” …
Charlie Kindel / cek.log:
Fragmentation Is Not The End of Android  —  The fragmentation of Android is very real and very problematic for end users, developers, mobile operators, device manufacturers, and Google.  However fragmentation does not mean Android is going to “die” or “fail” as some seem to think.
Russell Adams / Wall Street Journal:
CBS Opens Sports Site to Fantasy App Makers  —  CBS Corp., in a move aimed at boosting its share of the nearly billion-dollar fantasy-sports business, is opening up its CBS Sports website so outside developers can create apps geared toward fantasy enthusiasts.
Discussion: @jlanzone
Yonhap News Agency:
Pantech in patent talks with Microsoft over smartphone  —  Pantech Co., South Korea's No. 3 handset maker, said Monday it is in talks with Microsoft Corp. over whether to pay royalties to the U.S. firm for its patent for Android smartphones.  —  Microsoft has been requesting Android handset makers …
Steve Clayton / TechNet Blogs:
Surface 2.0 now shipping  —  I spent a lot of time with Surface 2.0 last week and from this morning onwards, other can begin to have the same pleasure - the SUR 40 is now shipping and available through Samsung channel and reseller partners.  Samsung announced the news this morning …
Jacqui Cheng / Ars Technica:
Why the video pros are moving away from Apple  —  Six months after the launch of Final Cut Pro X (FCPX), Apple's major overhaul to its professional video editing software Final Cut Pro, video pros find themselves increasingly looking at other software options.
Discussion: WebProNews
 
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 More Items: 
Zach Epstein / BGR:
America's first Nokia Windows Phone already free on contract
Discussion: Softpedia News
Christian Davenport / Washington Post:
As demand for e-books soars, libraries struggle to stock their virtual shelves
Discussion: TeleRead
Nancy Messieh / The Next Web:
Twitter is adding 11 new accounts per second and could pass 500 million in February, says report
Discussion: The Wall Blog and PSFK
Ernesto / TorrentFreak:
The Pirate Bay Launches Promo Platform For Artists
Discussion: WebProNews, Inquirer and The Next Web
Daniel Edward Rosen / The New York Observer:
Exclusive: foursquare Celebrates New Office Space, Elbow Room
Stephen Shankland / CNET:
Ex-Firefox exec Shaver has plans for Facebook's Android app
 Earlier Items: 
Larry Dignan / Between the Lines Blog:
IBM rolls out new social analytics tools
Discussion: Bits, eWeek and WebProNews
Kara Swisher / AllThingsD:
Is Facebook IPO on Track for Late May?
 

 
From Mediagazer:

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

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

 
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