Top Items:
Peter Parkes / The Big Blog:
Skype for iPhone now with video calls — It's as simple as that: our iPhone app now comes with video. Download it now from the App Store, or read on to find out more. — Skype for iPhone lets you make and receive free Skype video calls on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, and works over both WiFi and 3G connections*.
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Chris Ziegler / Engadget:
Skype video calling for iPhone is official, available now (update: hands-on) — All signs have been pointing to this release for a few days now, but we'll admit: we expected Skype to wait until CES next week to pull the covers off what could become its crown jewel service over the coming months.
Discussion:
App Advice, BetaNews, PC World, TechCrunch, Bits, ReadWriteWeb, GigaOM, Fortune, Pocket-lint, Crave, VoIP Watch, 9 to 5 Mac, AppScout, Neowin.net, Mashable!, Voice on the Web, Gadget Lab, Go Rumors, WMPoweruser.com, Bloomberg, BGR, Guardian, Skype Journal, Shoutpedia, Electronista, O'Grady's PowerPage, The Next Web, GottaBeMobile, PhoneArena, AppleInsider, Softpedia News, The Register, Black Web 2.0, Phones Review, MacRumors and TUAW
Mark Gurman / 9 to 5 Mac:
Skype for iPhone gets Video Chat. Works over 3G and with Computers (data usage: 3.4MB per min.) — Skype just updated their Skype application for iOS to include video chat functionality. It works both over WiFi and 3G networks and two-way video calling is supported by the iPhone 4, iPod touch 4, and iPhone 3GS.
Discussion:
SAI, App Advice, Pocket-lint, SlashGear, OS X Daily, Hardware 2.0 Blog, Appletell, MacStories, Insanely Great Mac, L.A. Times Tech Blog, Macgasm, Switched, iThinkDifferent, Download Squad, VentureBeat, IGN Gear, Redmond Pie and Fast Company, Thanks:9to5toys
Peter Burrows / Business Week:
Rethinking the iPhone Threat to AT&T — Apple will soon announce a new version of the iPhone that works on Verizon's network. But it's unclear whether that will leave AT&T, Apple's once exclusive U.S. service provider, in the lurch — Very soon, maybe by Valentine's Day, Apple (AAPL) …
Discussion:
BGR, IBD Click, CNET News, VentureBeat, Gadgetell, SlashPhone, Fortune, Electronista, GottaBeMobile, PhoneDog.com, ITworld.com, PC World, Redmond Pie, O'Grady's PowerPage, 24/7 Wall St., MacRumors, SlashGear, iLounge, OS X Daily, Edible Apple, Mobile Marketing Watch, Erictric, Tech Musings, Go Rumors and Phones Review
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Fred / A VC:
Mobile Economics Will Trend Toward Web Economics — I've been saying for a while now that I think mobile economics will trend toward web economics as the mobile web goes mainstream. In other words, the business models that work best on the web will ultimately work best in mobile.The corrolary …
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Lauren Indvik / Mashable!:
Why iPad Magazine Sales Are Not As Bad As They Seem
Discussion:
GigaOM, SAI, MarketingVOX, Poynter, Podcasting News, ThinkMobile, PadGadget and msnbc.com
Electronista:
Kindle book lending quietly goes live — Amazon today quietly turned on Kindle book lending. The feature promised earlier mimics that of the Nook and lets users share a book once for two full weeks. The original owner's access to the book is temporarily revoked, but the feature works on both the Kindle reader and all apps.
Discussion:
VentureBeat, mediabistro.com, The Next Web, Engadget and New York Observer
Jim Jansen / Pew Internet:
65% of internet users have paid for online content — Nearly two-thirds of internet users - 65% - have paid to download or access some kind of online content from the internet, ranging from music to games to news articles to adult material. Music, software, and apps are the most popular content …
Deborah Gage / Venture Capital Dispatch:
The “War” For Top Talent In Silicon Valley — The unemployment rate in Silicon Valley may be higher than the 9% national average, but that's not making it any easier for some young technology start-ups looking to hire engineers. — Todd McKinnon, the co-founder and chief executive …
Dan Primack / Fortune:
Big sale: Groupon discloses $500 million investment — Just weeks after spurning a takeover offer from Google, online coupon site Groupon is in the money via a giant new investment. So are many of its earliest backers. — Groupon, the online coupon site that recently turned …
Discussion:
SAI, TechCrunch, Mashable! and SecondShares
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Michael Arrington / TechCrunch:
Actually, Groupon Already Closed Half Of That Billion Dollar Round
Discussion:
VatorNews, SAI, DealBook, Google Watch and PE Hub Blog
Experian Hitwise:
Facebook was the top search term in 2010 for second straight year — Social network search term tops list for fifth straight year; Facebook top-visited Website for first year. New York, N.Y., Dec. 29, 2010 - Experian® Hitwise®, a part of Experian Marketing Services …
Discussion:
eWeek, Digital Trends, Pocket-lint, Computerworld, Screenwerk, Post Tech, Mashable!, GMSV, CIOInsight, Search Engine Journal, MarketingVOX, Geek.com, Redmond Pie, Gearlog, The Next Web, Softpedia News, CNET News, The Huffington Post, Download Squad, The Register, Deal Journal, Web Analytics World, Smart Mobs, WebProNews, VentureBeat, MediaPost, SAI, Gizmodo, All Facebook, Search Engine Land and The Atlantic Online
Eric Savitz / Tech Musings:
Research In Motion Denies PlayBook Has Battery Issues — In a statement late Wednesday, Research In Motion (RIMM) attempted to tamp down concerns that the company's new PlayBook tablet computer has a shorter battery life than the Apple (AAPL) iPad and other competitive products.
Discussion:
Digital Daily, BGR, Erictric, Reuters, SAI, Engadget, Gearlog, GottaBeMobile, AppleInsider, PhoneDog.com, SlashGear, The Next Web, Phones Review and MacNN
Erick Schonfeld / TechCrunch:
What The “Great Delicious Exodus” Looked Like For Pin-Sized Competitor Pinboard — When word got out two weeks ago that Yahoo is not 100% committed to Delicious, people who still use the bookmarking service started to panic and look for alternatives. One competing bookmarking site …
Discussion:
Nicke's shared items …
Florin / Unwired View:
About 4 million Nokia N8 smartphones sold until now? — Back in November, when Nokia announced that the N8 “has received the highest amount of consumer pre-orders” in its history, it didn't say how many units it sold (or expects to sell). — Now we're hearing that Nokia may have shipped …
Discussion:
BGR, PhoneDog.com, PhoneArena, MobileWhack.com, SlashPhone and Pocket-lint
Sean Hollister / Engadget:
Hackers obtain PS3 private cryptography key due to epic programming fail? (video) — The 27th annual Chaos Communication Conference already hacked encrypted GSM calls with a $15 cellphone, but there was a second surprise in store this morn — the souls who unlocked the Nintendo Wii's homebrew potential …
Discussion:
Ars Technica, The Register and MyCE
Malcolm Moore / Telegraph:
China makes Skype illegal — China on Thursday announced that it had made illegal the use of Skype, the popular internet telephony service, as the country continues to shut itself off from the rest of the world. — In the latest move dashing Western internet company hopes of breaking into China …
Discussion:
GigaOM, Agence France Presse, Fast Company, Geek.com and The Next Web
Watts Martin / Coyote Tracks:
Nokia and Microsoft, not sitting in a tree — While I'm late to the party commenting on this (holidays, what can you do), you may have seen numerous news reports about Nokia considering Windows Phone 7 as an OS instead of (or in addition to) Symbian and MeeGo.
Discussion:
BetaNews, GigaOM, BGR, SAI, Gadget Lab, IntoMobile, PhoneDog.com and Thoughts from the Sidelines
Tim Bray / ongoing:
Year-end View of the Mobile Market — It's that time of year; looks backward and forward are expected. In point of fact this is a lousy time to be prognosticating about the mobile space, because we're only days from CES and weeks from MWC, both of which will have tons of announcements, some of which might even be game-changers.
