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8:25 PM ET, December 8, 2008

Techmeme

 Top Items: 
Alexandra Kenin / Google Mobile Blog:
New AdWords options for iPhone and G1  —  Today, the Google mobile ads team is announcing a new campaign-level option that allows those of you who are AdWords advertisers to show your desktop text and image ads on the iPhone, the T-Mobile G1, and other mobile devices with full (HTML) Internet browsers.
Eric Savitz / Tech Trader Daily:
Microsoft: To Unveil Zune/Danger Device At CES Keynote?  —  The Consumer Electronics Show kicks off January 7 with a keynote from Microsoft (MSFT) CEO Steve Ballmer, taking the spot which in past years had been filled by the now semi-retired Bill Gates.  The company always unveils a product …
DealBook:
Tribune Files for Bankruptcy  —  Updated: The Tribune Company filed for bankruptcy protection in a federal court in Delaware on Monday, as the owner of The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Cubs baseball team struggled to cope with mountains of debt and falling ad revenue.
RELATED:
Rafat Ali / paidContent.org:
Tribune's Ch. 11: Its Letter to Advertisers
Discussion: Gawker
Ryan Paul / Ars Technica:
First look: Firefox 3.1 beta 2, now with private browsing  —  Mozilla has announced the official release of the second Firefox 3.1 beta.  This version introduces the new private browsing mode feature and several other noteworthy changes.  —  The 3.1 roadmap began to coalesce after the release of 3.0 earlier this year.
RELATED:
Scott M. Fulton, III / BetaNews:
Mozilla makes Firefox 3.1 Beta 2 available
Discussion: Mozilla Links and jkOnTheRun
Nick Bilton / O'Reilly Radar:
The Twitter Gold Mine & Beating Google to the Semantic Web  —  There's always been jabs at Twitter for not having a viable business model and the chatter has increased in the current economic climate.  In a recent interview Evan Williams, Twitter CEO, said “We had planned to focus on revenue …
Discussion: Twitterrati
Yahoo! Search Blog:
BOSS Reaches a Milestone  —  We launched Yahoo! Search BOSS this past July and we just reached a significant milestone - the BOSS API is currently serving more than 10 million queries per day. 10 million in and of itself isn't particularly significant, but we're sharing it because we believe growing …
Peter Kafka / MediaMemo:
Is Google Ready to Make (Unpleasant) History?  —  I vow to provide some upbeat news here sooner than later.  But until then, here's another downbeat data point, from Citibank's (C) Mark Mahaney: He predicts that search advertising, which has been the one dependable growth business during the econalypse …
The Pulitzer Prizes:
Pulitzer Prizes Broadened to Include Online-Only Publications Primarily Devoted to Original News Reporting … The Pulitzer Prizes in journalism, which honor the work of American newspapers appearing in print, have been expanded to include many text-based newspapers and news organizations …
Charles Arthur / Guardian:
Wikipedia row escalates as internet watchdog considers censoring Amazon US over Scorpions image  —  The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) is reviewing its decision to list as “child pornography” the image on one version of the album “Virgin Killer” by the rock band The Scorpions hosted on Wikipedia …
Om Malik / GigaOM:
Yahoo Plans to Launch a Mail App Platform  —  Yahoo, the beleaguered web giant, is planning to launch a new program that essentially turns its email offering into a platform on which to run applications, much in the same way Facebook does, according to some of my sources.
Discussion: Between the Lines and Changing Way
Arn / MacRumors:
$99 Wal-Mart iPhone Seems Unlikely  —  Last week, Boy Genius Report cited an unconfirmed source that Wal-Mart may begin selling a 4GB iPhone for only $99.  Based on available Wal-Mart training materials and advertising (pictured above) we've received, however, it seems that this rumor is unlikely.
Gmail Blog:
New in Labs: Tasks  —  Posted by Jonathan Terleski, Michael Lancaster, and Brett Lider, Tasks team  —  People use Gmail to get stuff done, so we've added a lightweight way to keep track of what you need to do, right from within Gmail.  —  Take entering a new task: just click in an empty part of your list and start typing.
Kara Swisher / BoomTown:
Yahoo Moves Ahead With Layoffs on Wednesday: The Sad Details  —  While there are layoffs all over now, as evidenced by the dismal jobs reports last week, the long-planned Yahoo (YHOO) layoffs will definitely be taking place Wednesday.  —  The layoff number was announced by its (eventually outgoing) …
Mike Vorhaus / AdAge:
Would You Pay Money to See Your Favorite Site Ad-Free?  —  Mike Vorhaus on Digital Communications  —  Since the early days of the web, consumers have been complaining about banner ads, pop-ups, pop-unders and all sorts of advertising.  We constantly hear from consumers and from those who design websites …
Aidan Malley / AppleInsider:
Rumor: Apple's iTunes going DRM-free starting Tuesday  —  Apple is believed to be on the verge of an end-of-year push that would start by finally offering unprotected iTunes Store music from all major labels and would switch a special post-holiday campaign giving away music and videos to Europeans.
Discussion: Gizmodo and Edible Apple
Business Technology:
Cheap PCs Weigh on Microsoft  —  The growing popularity of low-priced, stripped-down computers, or netbooks, is weighing on Microsoft's revenue growth, just as the software company grapples with weak Vista sales.  —  Netbook sales have gained traction among budget-conscious computer buyers.
Discussion: Computerworld and Electronista
MediaShift:
Dealing with Friend Inflation on Twitter, Digg  —  It happens several times a day now.  Ever since I opened my Twitter account approximately three months ago, the follow alerts have been gradually increasing in frequency to the point that they clutter up my email inbox if I don't clean them out often enough.
Bobbie Johnson / Guardian:
America is losing its position at the centre of the internet, according to a new study by TeleGeography Research  —  America is losing its position at the centre of the internet, according to a new study.  —  The survey by communications analysts TeleGeography Research, based in Washington DC …
AppleInsider:
Steve Jobs key to selecting tunes for Apple ads  —  Ever wonder how those catchy tunes find their way into Apple's iPod commercials?  You'll have to look no further than the ear of chief executive Steve Jobs.  —  In SongFacts an interview with the Asteroids Galaxy Tour …
Rik Myslewski / The Register:
Hackintosh clone surfaces in the Argentine  —  ‘Applications may not function properly’  —  First Psystar, now OpeniMac.  It appears that Apple's lawyers will soon be playing Whac-A-Mole with upstart cloners.  —  Apparently, Psystar's latest legal troubles - the dismissal …
Greg Sandoval / CNET News:
Netflix cuts 50 tech jobs; streaming issues linger  —  Web video-rental store Netflix has laid off 50 technical specialists, the people who typically do most of the trouble-shooting for customers with tech issues, such as struggling to connect the service to their laptop or set-top boxes.
David / TmoNews:
The blurrycam strikes again..  —  Rumors have swirled about an 8 megapixel camera phone headed to T-mobile.  We can confirm its existence and and we've discussed so here.  The alleged big brother to the Samsung Behold is said to sport an 8 megapixel camera along with the same user interface as the Behold, Touchwiz.
Jeremiah Owyang / Web Strategy:
Understanding HP Lab's Twitter Research  —  Left: The famed HP Labs think tank in Palo Alto.  —  A few months ago, I spent an entire day with the HP Labs group in Palo Alto, they're responsible for the R&D and innovation that goes into their thousands of technology products on the market.
Slash Lane / AppleInsider:
Over 100 fixes coming in Mac OS X 10.5.6 Update  —  Apple's Mac OS X 10.5.6 Update is on course to deliver dozens of new bug fixes to users of the company's Leopard operating system, with recently leaked developer notes also offering a status update on software's server counterpart and Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.
Discussion: MacBlogz and MacRumors
Business Technology:
Samsung: It's Ugly Out There  —  Samsung Electronics, South Korea's largest electronics company, is often considered a bellwether for the global electronics manufacturing industry.  If that's the case, things aren't looking so good for the industry.  —  At Samsung's Tech Forum in San Francisco …
Discussion: VentureBeat and Computerworld
Nilay Patel / Engadget:
TiVo Netflix hands-on  —  TiVo was nice enough to hit us with the Netflix-enabling Fall Service Update a little early, and the going's been pretty good — this is probably our favorite Netflix streaming implementation yet.  Although it's not as flashy of an experience as the Xbox 360's Netflix …
Electronista:
HP drops Mini 1000 to $360 with 1GB RAM bump  —  HP on Monday quietly dropped the price of its Mini 1000 netbook down to $360 from its original $400 price tag.  The update puts the system into closer competition with same-size models and is accompanied by a new offer that doubles the RAM to 1GB for free.
Matt McGee / Search Engine Land:
Paging Dr. Google: Will Google Replace Your Doctor?  —  Can a search engine accurately diagnose health problems?  Can it someday replace your doctor?  Questions like this aren't new, but the discussion has gotten a bit louder in recent weeks.  —  Just a couple weeks ago …
Todd Bishop / TechFlash:
New shirts remain true to Microsoft tradition — including delayed release  —  There was lots of buzz over the weekend about the new line of “softwear” retro shirts to be offered by Microsoft in selected retail stores.  The shirts are an extension of Microsoft's work with ad agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky …
 
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 More Items: 
Ashlee Vance / Bits:
Dell Sees Double With Data Center in a Container
Discussion: Microsoft Pri0
Chris Preimesberger / eWeek:
Cloud-Service Provider RightScale Deposits $13 Million in VC Funding
Discussion: TechCrunchIT and VentureBeat
Google Watch:
Is a Google Operating System Built on Android, Gears in the Cards?
Discussion: TechFlash, SlashGear and FierceWireless
Dan Primack / PE Hub Blog:
What Sequoia Capital Was Thinking
Erick Schonfeld / TechCrunch:
Netvibes Adds Slick Magazine Layout Options; Supports OpenSocial
Zach Epstein / Boy Genius Report:
Slide of mysterious touchscreen Nokia device proven authentic
Discussion: IntoMobile and Engadget
Rick Auricchio / MacFixIt:
Unibody (Late-2008) MacBooks have a relatively audible hum
Discussion: O'Grady's PowerPage
Rik Myslewski / The Register:
Apple disables Egyptian iPhone GPS
 Earlier Items: 
Don Reisinger / The Digital Home:
Why Apple should keep its prices high during the recession
Discussion: TUAW
Glenn Fleishman / Infinite Loop:
Boingo releases iPhone app for its worldwide hotspot network
Discussion: Wi-Fi Networking News and TUAW
Paula Rooney / Open Source:
Sun announces GA of mySQL 5.1
Discussion: eWeek
Alex Pell / Times of London:
PlayStation fiends finally get a second life
Discussion: Gizmodo, Kotaku and Joystiq
 

 
From Mediagazer:

New York Times:
Sources detail NPR's struggles with declining audiences, falling sponsorship revenue, internal conflicts over turning things around, and a diversity push

Murray Stassen / Music Business Worldwide:
Warner Music Group sells Uproxx, HipHopDX, and other assets to a new company, Uproxx Studios, formed by Jarret Myer, Rich Antoniello, and will.i.am

Winston Cho / The Hollywood Reporter:
The FTC bans noncompete clauses that restrict job switching, potentially complicating hiring in Hollywood as firms try to protect trade secrets and other info

 
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