Top Items:
Matt Richtel / New York Times:
Palm Unveils iPhone Competitor, the Pre — LAS VEGAS — Seeking to revive its sharply fallen fortunes and produce a successor to its aging Treo device, Palm on Thursday unveiled a new smartphone, the Pre, and an exclusive partnership with Sprint to distribute it.
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Nilay Patel / Engadget:
Palm announces webOS platform — Palm just got official with its new webOS platform, running on the new Palm Pre. According to the company, anyone who knows CSS, HTML and XML will be able to develop for the OS without having to learn any new languages — sounds kind of like it's a jacked …
Peter Kafka / MediaMemo:
Palm Unveils Its iPhone Rival: The Pre. Don't Expect to Buy One Cheap. — Palm used to own the smartphone market, but now it's barely hanging on amid competition from Research In Motion's (RIMM) BlackBerry line and Apple's iPhone. Today the company unveils its long-awaited comeback plan …
Steve O'Hear / last100:
Have we just witnessed the second coming of Palm? — Ex-Engadget editor Ryan Block put it best when he said that Palm's much anticipated CES announcement “will either mark the beginning of the company's second coming — or the beginning of the end.” Thankfully, for those like me who were rooting for Palm …
Sam Diaz / Between the Lines:
Reasons to skip Microsoft's Windows 7 Beta download — As many of you know, I'm a hardcore Mac guy - but I wasn't always this way. My experiences with Windows Vista sent me over the edge, prompting me to add the “hardcore” next to my “Mac guy” title. Still, I was excited to hear …
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Robin Wauters / TechCrunch:
Microsoft Releases Tag, Its Second iPhone Application — At CES, Microsoft has introduced its second iPhone app after dipping its toe with the release of Seadragon Mobile last month. The name of the application is Microsoft Tag, and it enables users to instantly access mobile content …
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Long Zheng / istartedsomething:
Microsoft Tag: Microsoft's own 2D barcode — It just wouldn't be right if Microsoft didn't have its own barcode technology too, which is why today Microsoft Tag (Beta) was announced at CES 2009. Much like other 2D barcode technologies including the popular but underwhelming QR Code …
Jason D. O'Grady / The Apple Core:
Four core iPhones and firmware 3.0 — One of the most interesting rumors I've been tracking here at Macworld Expo in San Francisco surrounds the mysterious four-core iPhone. While the current iPhone has (roughly) the processing power of the Sony PSP, an upgraded four core iPhone …
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Jeff Zeleny / New York Times:
Obama Digs In for His BlackBerry — WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama has yet to relent, but he conceded that he might be losing the battle to keep his independent lifeline to the outside world. — “I'm still clinging to my BlackBerry,” Mr. Obama said Wednesday. “They're going to pry it out of my hands.”
Discussion:
Techdirt, Boy Genius Report, Technologizer, Gizmodo, BB Geeks, Associated Press and ZDNet Government
Open:
Announcing the Congress API — On Tuesday, members of the 111th Congress convened in Washington. Over the next two years, the 535 men and women of the House and Senate will introduce, consider and vote on a range of issues, from an economic stimulus package to confirmation of President-elect Barack Obama's cabinet nominees.
Caroline McCarthy / The Social:
Delete 10 Facebook friends, get a free Whopper — Facebook's developer platform has been used for a zillion marketing campaigns so far, but this one is actually dead-on hilarious. — Fast-food chain Burger King has created “Whopper Sacrifice,” a Facebook app that will give you a coupon …
Discussion:
Computerworld, techblog.dallasnews.com, Marc's Voice, kevinbriody.net, Maximum PC all, Gawker and WebProNews
Matt Buchanan / Gizmodo:
Sony Cybershot G3: World's First Camera You Can Surf the Web On — The Cybershot G3 is a camera so special Sony Sir Howard Stringer himself did the honors: It's the world's first Wi-Fi camera with a built-in browser. — GALLERY — END Besides stealing your neighbor's Wi-Fi …
Microsoft:
Microsoft Security Bulletin Advance Notification for January 2009 — Microsoft Security Bulletin Advance Notification issued: January 8, 2009 — Microsoft Security Bulletins to be issued: January 13, 2009 — This is an advance notification of security bulletins that Microsoft is intending to release on January 13, 2009.
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Dawn Kawamoto / CNET News:
Sources: Yahoo's Decker a strong contender for CEO — Despite Wall Street's wrath that ensued following the failed Microsoft buyout bid, people familiar with Yahoo's CEO search say don't count out the company's president, Sue Decker. — The executive has undergone two full rounds …
Discussion:
Gawker
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Miguel Helft / Bits:
Google: 1 Million Advertisers in 2007, More Now — There are a few reasons Google makes so much more money than rivals like Yahoo and Microsoft in search advertising. First, it accounts for a lot more searches. Second, its technology is believed to be better at matching ads to queries.
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Google Watch:
Is Google Scaring Partners Into Microsoft's Arms? — Is Google's hunger for more Internet users biting it in the behind? — That's the question lurking in my mind today as I mull Microsoft's win of Verizon and Dell as new distributors for Live Search, deals Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced …
Dean Takahashi / VentureBeat:
Live blogging CES: Sony CEO Howard Stringer pals with Tom Hanks — Sir Howard did a good job showing off a combination of cool technology and Sony's clout in rounding up celebrities to appear on stage with him for his keynote speech at the CES show in Las Vegas today.
Discussion:
L.A. Times Tech Blog, Tech Beat, Brier Dudley's blog, CNET News, Guardian, Digital Media Wire, Engadget, MediaMemo, Ars Technica and Digits
Michael Masnick / Techdirt:
The Dangerous Trend Of Thinking That Ideas Can Be Owned, Sold Or Stolen — An anonymous reader called our attention to a comment reposting some fantastic thinking on the dangerous trend of believing we can own, sell or steal ideas. The comment was in response to a post on Slashdot …
Erick Schonfeld / TechCrunch:
Product Group ReOrg At AOL: The Memo — Following the departure of Kevin Conroy from AOL, the product group is being reorganized. Ted Cahall is being named the new president of the product group. Cahall will be in charge of Mail, Truveo, Mobile, Toolbar, Safety & Security, Parental Controls …
John Eggerton / Broadcasting & Cable:
Obama Asks Congress to Delay DTV Transition — President-elect Barack Obama has asked Congress to extend the Feb. 17 DTV transition date. — Citing problems with the DTV-to-analog converter box program and “inadequate funding” of government DTV education programs, John Podesta …
Discussion:
Gizmodo
Chaim / About Skype:
Skype Launches on Android Platform and more than 100 Java-Enabled Mobile Phones — Updated Beta version of Skype offered for millions worldwide to load onto their mobile phones — LAS VEGAS (CES BOOTH: HILTON #5121), January 8, 2009 - Skype today announced the release of a lite version of Skype&trade …
Kara Swisher / BoomTown:
The Entire Internal Microsoft Memo on New Dell and Verizon Deal — BoomTown loves a good memo and here's one that two of Microsoft's top online execs, Yusuf Mehdi and Satya Nadella sent out about the deal the tech giant signed with Dell (DELL) and Verizon (VZ) to distribute its search and other products.
Nick Wingfield / Digits:
CES: Ballmer's Pregame Jitters — Steve Ballmer admits he's a little nervous. Not about Google or Apple or the economy, at least not at this very moment. It was a few hours before the Microsoft CEO was to give his first keynote speech Wednesday night at CES, a chore traditionally handled by Bill Gates, and he's a little antsy.
Discussion:
Silicon Alley Insider
Jason Kincaid / TechCrunch:
Revamped SoundPedia May Die Before It Ever Sees The Light Of Day — SoundPedia, a Pandora-like music startup that launched back in 2006, just got a brand new UI that puts its dated interface to shame. It's too bad it may never see the light of day. — The site, which we once described …
