Top Items:
Michael Arrington / TechCrunch:
Scoble To Leave PodTech, Heading For Fast Company — Famous blogger Robert Scoble will be leaving his current job at PodTech in mid January, he says. He will likely be joining Fast Company to start Fast Company TV. — Scoble was with PodTech for just a year and a half.
Times of London:
Microsoft swoop hands Multimap founder $25m — The deal, understood to be worth about $50 million, expands Microsoft's fast-growing footprint in web and mobile advertising — Microsoft has agreed to buy Multimap, the privately-owned British company that is snapping at the heels of Google's dominance in online mapping services.
Discussion:
Mashable!, paidContent.org, TechCrunch, The Register, Digital Daily, Screenwerk, Reuters, Channel 9 and paidContent
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Katie Marsal / AppleInsider:
Second-gen iPhone in final phase; Apple TV update planned - report — After meeting with key component suppliers and manufacturers in Asia, researchers for investment bank Goldman Sachs said this week they believe Apple will introduce two revisions to the iPhone in 2008 — one minor …
Discussion:
CrunchGear, Brier Dudley's blog, Infinite Loop, Engadget, ParisLemon, Fast Wonder Blog and Ubergizmo
Caroline McCarthy / CNET News.com:
Bebo to announce developer platform — SAN FRANCISCO—Right now I'm in a theater at San Francisco's Metreon complex, awaiting the official launch of social-networking site Bebo's "Open Application Platform." The announcement has not yet been made, but from what I gather, this will be exactly what we think it is.
RELATED:
Justin Smith / Inside Facebook:Breaking: Bebo Launching Platform Tonight, Adopts Facebook Platform …
Larry Dignan / Ryan Naraine's Zero Day:
Adware, shady marketing pays: Penthouse buys AdultFriendFinder and sister sites — Penthouse Media Group has acquired Various Inc., a company that operates a stable of adult-oriented social networking sites such as AdultFriendFinder, Gradfinder and others. — The New York Times reports:
Discussion:
Digital Daily, The Register, Sunbelt Blog, Valleywag, VentureBeat and Online Dating Insider
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Eric Savitz / Tech Trader Daily:
United Online Pulls Classmates IPO; Stock Gets Whacked — United Online (UNTD) this morning announced that it is canceling its planned IPO for its Classmates Media IPO, which operates the Classmates.com social networking site. The company said that "proceeding with the initial public …
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Tom Krazit / CNET News.com:
Why do Apple customers care so much? — The question inevitably comes up when I meet people and they learn I write about Apple for a living: "So, what's that like?" — I usually answer, "It's crazy." There perhaps has never been a more interesting time to write about Apple and its growing impact …
Thomas Ricker / Engadget:
Microsoft rebrands PlaysForSure to Certified For Windows Vista, confuses world — Microsoft's PlaysForSure DRM just took another step closer to the grave with the help of some rebranding. Those of you with players from SanDisk, Nokia, and Creative among others, looking for compatible music from Napster …
Andrew Orlowski / The Register:
Orb opens up iPhone — Exclusive Orb is expected to announce that it's supporting Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch in the next few days. Orb provides access to your playlists and songs on your home PC (as well as photos, videos and TV) from anywhere. It's Sling without the hardware …
MovableType.org:
Movable Type Open Source — As of today, and forever forward, Movable Type is open source. This means you can freely modify, redistribute, and use Movable Type for any purpose you choose. — Just want the details and downloads? Skip to the bottom. But you might like the story of how we got here.
Discussion:
TechCrunch, Compiler, Read/WriteWeb, The Social Times, Mashable!, Podcasting News and VoIP & Gadgets Blog
Henry Blodget / Silicon Alley Insider:
Yahoo (YHOO) + CNBC Distribution Deal: Cable Screwed? — Yahoo and CNBC have signed a distribution deal in which Yahoo Finance will distribute a handful of CNBC clips each day. This is a smart step for both parties, but it's also only a tiny fraction of what the two companies could and should do together.
Simon Atkins / Apple:
Apple Announces Hit Television Programming Now Available on the iTunes Store in Canada — Programs from Canada's Top Networks, US Favorites & NHL Now Available on iTunes — Apple® today announced that hit television programming from Canada's top networks, US broadcasters and the National Hockey League …
Discussion:
Epicenter, Neowin.net, MacDailyNews, Macsimum News, MacUser, Engadget, Valleywag, 901am, The Unofficial Apple Weblog and Apple Gazette
Ed Richards / Ofcom:
Foreword — This is Ofcom's second report on the international communications market. The increasing impact of global issues on the UK commercial and regulatory communications agenda means that it is important to understand how communications markets in the UK compare with those in other countries.
Tony Ruscoe / Google Blogoscoped:
Google Toolbar 5 for Internet Explorer Released — A new version of the Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer was recently launched. Some of the new features include: — Google Gadgets support - "With support for live feeds and custom site search, Google Toolbar custom buttons are more than just bookmarks.
Discussion:
AppScout, Google Operating System, Google Watch, WebProNews, Search Engine Land, CyberNet, Official Google Blog and Mashable!
Mobile Jones:
Sam Sethi Shuts Down Blognation — Sam Sethi has thrown in the towel. There's no place to take Blognation given the reality of zero funding and mounting debt. No bills were paid and the train wreck has run over Sethi. He announced today that he will not continue and steps down from Blognation.
Maryanne Murray Buechner / Time:
Top 10 Gadgets — #1. Apple iPhone — The iPhone changed the way we think about how mobile media devices should look, feel and perform. The design is exceptional inside and out: It's got a slick glass-and-stainless steel case and an elegant touch screen loaded with eye candy.
BBC:
Child's view — What will a child in the UK make of a laptop designed to help children in the developing world? Rory Cellan-Jones brought an XO home to find out. — In late November I returned from Nigeria with a sample of the XO laptop. — The computer, made by the One Laptop per Child charity …
Discussion:
Gizmodo
