Top Items:
Valleywag:
Federated Media: Microsoft pays star writers to recite slogan — The stodgy old media industry has a rule that newspaper reporters, and TV news hosts, shouldn't trade on their public trust to endorse products. It's become redundant: the reading public typically wants journalists to drop …
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Om Malik / GigaOM:
On the Microsoft Ad Campaign — Earlier today Valleywag published a post suggesting that Microsoft paid me (and a number of other bloggers) off to recite their corporate slogan. It is a serious charge, one I take very seriously. — I have been upfront about my ethics and propriety in my reporting …
Mike / CrunchNotes:
I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here! — The title, which is a quote from the movie casablanca, is what came to mind tonight when I read the complete train wreck occuring on TechMeme over advertisements that contain a written message from the publisher.
Neil Chase / FM Blog:
Conversational Marketing Gets a Close Look — ValleyWag today suggests that one of FM's conversational marketing campaigns is hurting the editorial integrity of our authors. It says that Microsoft paid them to write, which is simply not true. They were invited to join a conversation …
Dave Winer / Scripting News:
Did Microsoft pay star writers? — Valleywag has a story that Federated Media is paying "star writers" to recite a Microsoft marketing slogan. — I sent emails to several of the writers and Microsoft PR. I also asked John Battelle, the founder of Federated Media, if this is true.
Charles Cooper / CNET News.com:
Malik, Arrington and Battelle: X-22, come in — What would possess a collection of online publishers and venture capitalists to pimp a Microsoft advertising slogan? — Valleywag today reported about a site tied to a Microsoft ad campaign where the likes of Michael Arrington …
Ashkan Karbasfrooshan / HipMojo.com:
When A-List Became Elitist — Nick Denton's Valleywag reported that his pseudo-competitor John Battelle's Federated Media might have crossed the integrity line when he got Microsoft to pay for a bunch of his roster's so-called elite, A-list bloggers to write something that supported MSFT's "People Ready" campaign.
Joey Seiler / Virtual Worlds News:
Liveblogging the Virtual Goods Summit: Virtual Items - Mainstream or Not? — Moderator Robert Scoble gave the best possible introduction, so I'll leave it with him: "A little while ago I got an interview of the Frank Mueller watch company in Switzerland. And I think it has applicability to this panel.
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Joey Seiler / Virtual Worlds News:
Liveblogging the Virtual Goods Summit: Making Virtual Economies Work — Once you have users, how do you make them want to buy your stuff? Is that even a legitimate questions? And if there weren't enough complications in talking about virtual economies with legitimate users …
Joshua Jaffe / VC Ratings:Virtual goods worth $1.5 billion; success stories speak
Discussion:
CNET News.com
Chris Faylor / Shacknews:
Sony Confirms Full PSP CPU Speed (Updated) — Update: The availability of the PSP's full CPU speed only affects in-development titles, a SCE representative has told Shacknews. Previously released PSP games continue to operate at the speed they were originally programmed for …
Adam / Google Public Policy Blog:
Censorship as trade barrier — Posted by Andrew McLaughlin, Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs — The Associated Press is running a story headlined "Google Asks Government to Fight Censorship." The story highlights some (until now) fairly quiet discussions we've been having …
RELATED:
Christopher S. Rugaber / Associated Press:Google asks gov't to fight censorship
Discussion:
WebProNews
AppleInsider:
World's largest iPhones appear in Apple store windows (photos) — With the anticipation ahead of next week's iPhone launch reaching near epic proportions, staffers for Apple retail spent the better part of Thursday evening rearranging store planograms and erecting massive iPhone replicas inside store windows.
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Financial Times:
Murdoch in search of online deals — By Aline van Duyn in New York and Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson in London — Rupert Murdoch is looking for deals beyond his $5bn offer for Dow Jones, people familiar with his plans said. — He is seeking internet acquisitions or a deal involving …
Discussion:
HipMojo.com
Valleywag:
Clunky: Real life Second Life — Real life Second Life — Video of a real life enactment of what you'd experience if you chose to log in to Linden Lab's virtual world, Second Life... minus the obligatory furries, flying penises, and sex trade. [Via YouTube.] MORE »
Discussion:
PodTech.net
Between the Lines:
Yahoo's search for a social graph — Earlier this week I posted about Yahoo's missing piece, it's lack of a social networking hub at the center of its people-centric approach to providing Web-based applications and services. Yahoo's attempt at a social networking hub, Yahoo 360 …
Discussion:
Business Week
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andrewmager.com:
Experiencing Buzz Out Loud — Today I had the chance to sit in on a live episode of Buzz Out Loud, CNET's podcast of indeterminate length. — I have always been a huge fan of BOL, so today was very exciting for me. I meant to videotape the first five minutes, but my Canon camera didn't save the first video I took.
RELATED:
Tom Merritt / CNET News.com:Buzz Out Loud Show Notes - Big hands, small iPhone
Discussion:
The Technology Chronicles
Janko Roettgers / NewTeeVee:
Hablo P2P: The Impact of Pando on CDNs — Sometimes things just happen by accident. You give your company a name that sounds cool, only to find out later that it actually means something in Spanish. Luckily, in the case of the personal P2P start-up Pando the meaning wasn't too bad …
Discussion:
mathewingram.com/work
Bjoern H. Amland / Associated Press:
Opera Software reshuffles after struggle — OSLO, Norway - Key shareholders in Opera Software ASA have reshuffled the board of directors after a reported power struggle between board members and the company's chief executive and founder, Jon S. von Tetzchner.
