Top Items:

How Much Did Microsoft Pay For Danger? — Microsoft is in some of kind of spending mood. First they offered up $45 billion for Yahoo (not enough for some!). And then there was that Danger acquisition. But how much did they spend on the Palo Alto-based company started by Android leader Andy Rubin?
Discussion:
Between the Lines, Todd Bishop's Microsoft Blog, CrunchGear, Tech Trader Daily, Web Worker Daily, Engadget and Danger, Inc.
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Microsoft paid $500 million for Danger, and there's got to be a reason — Software giant Microsoft reportedly spent $500 million to acquire Danger, the company that developed software to power the youngster-popular Sidekick. — The figure, while not officially announced, was dug up in reporting by GigaOm's Om Malik.

Big Yahoo shareholder: There are few alternatives to Microsoft bid — Legg Mason-which owns 80 million shares of Yahoo, or about 6 percent of the company-said in its fourth quarter commentary that Yahoo will be hard-pressed to find alternatives to Microsoft's $44.6 billion bid.
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Apple TV Take 2 out now — Does anyone out there actually own an Apple TV? If you do, today is your lucky day. Apple has just released the software update promised as a part of this year's Macworld Keynote. The update sports a number of significant enhancements, including set-top HD …
Discussion:
The Unofficial Apple Weblog, Apple 2.0, Infinite Loop, MacRumors, Podcasting News and Zatz Not Funny!
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Apple TV (take 2), take two — We got some good time in with Apple's …
Discussion:
Paul Colligan's …


A lost laptop, a $54 million lawsuit — How much compensation does a consumer deserve for the loss of a laptop computer loaded with personal information? Raelyn Campbell figures it's $54 million — if you throw in a little extra for lost time and frustration.

How Google Got Its Colorful Logo — In just a few short years, Google's logo has become as recognizable as Nike's swoosh and NBC's peacock. Ruth Kedar, the graphic designer who developed the now-famous logo, shows the iterations that led to the instantly recognizable primary colors and Catull typeface that define the Google brand.

Twelve New Cities With Google Street View Available — [UPDATE: Ok...according to Google - there are 12 new cities in the collection (they counted the Raleigh area as 3 cities). Originally, I said only six. I've updated the list below.] — Google has not announced it yet …
RELATED:

New Google Maps Street View Cities
Discussion:
Andy Beal's Marketing Pilgrim

Bill Gates Quits Facebook — Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates has stopped using the Web site Facebook, the most damning indictment in a week full of bad press for social-networking technology. — Social-networking Web sites, which help people share and find information about one another …
Discussion:
Download Squad, Web Strategy, Virtual Worlds News, FaceReviews, A Media Circus, Zoli's Blog, CNET News.com, Valleywag, PDA, All Facebook and VoIP Blog
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MySpace To Google: Learn How To Sell Advertising, OMMA Report
Discussion:
WebProNews

Yahoo! Acquires Maven Networks, Inc. — Will Expand Yahoo!'s Video Capabilities; Important Step in Enhancing Yahoo!'s Solutions for Publishers and Advertisers - Making Video Easier to Buy — SUNNYVALE, Calif. & CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO - News) …
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T-Mobile promises 3G by summer; Android phone and Austrian iPhone by end of year — Almost every U.S. T-Mobile customer wants to know when the carrier will be activating its 3G network. After all, it is the only major carrier in the United States not to offer 3G.
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Internet users could be banned over illegal downloads — People who illegally download films and music will be cut off from the internet under new legislative proposals to be unveiled next week. — Internet service providers (ISPs) will be legally required to take action against users …
Discussion:
Digital Daily, GigaOM, Financial Times, TorrentFreak, Good Morning Silicon Valley, Slyck, Telegraph Blogs, mathewingram.com/work, IP Democracy, Teblog, TECH.BLORGE.com, The 463, BBC, Virtual Economics, p2pnet, IP Telephony, VoIP, Broadband, Techdirt, Geek News Central, CrunchGear, MCV, The Globe and Mail and Alice Hill's Real Tech News

Windows Vista SP1 Prerequisites & Non-Security Update coming via Windows Update — Today we have a non-security update scheduled for distribution via Windows Update that you may find of some interest. The non-security update KB947172, a Cumulative Update for Media Center for Windows Vista …
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Yahoo pink slips arrive — As expected, Yahoo lays off more than 1,000, but details are not disclosed. — Senate shields phone companies from spy lawsuits — update Civil liberties groups bash vote as “get-out-of-jail-free card” for AT&T and others accused of illegally opening their networks to the feds.
Discussion:
eWeek

At Harvard, a Proposal to Publish Free on Web — Publish or perish has long been the burden of every aspiring university professor. But the question the Harvard faculty will decide on Tuesday is whether to publish — on the Web, at least — free. — Faculty members are scheduled to vote …


Twittershare Brings File Sharing to Twitter — I love Twitter but even when it's not down it's got its limitations. Enter the API and a world of developers eager to engage with the active community of Twitter users. Twittershare is the newest truly useful development on top of Twitter …
Discussion:
Download Squad


Amazon is the Google of buying stuff — I went into a little corner non-chain convenience store by my house (the “Devonshire Little Store") for some milk and noticed a big plastic tub of Dubble Bubble at the cash register. — Folks I've worked with know that I have a thing for gum.


DVD Rip Automates One-Click DVD Ripping — Windows only: Rip and back up any DVD to your hard drive with DVD Rip, a freeware Windows application that automates the entire DVD-to-hard-drive backup process. All you need to do is insert your DVD, run DVD Rip, and let it take care of the rest. Why?
Discussion:
Download Squad


Exclusive: Will Wright Gives Level Up the Scoop On Why Spore Is Taking So Long to Get Right—And Why It Will Be Worth the Wait, Part I — In 2005, we first sat down with Maxis chief designer Will Wright—creator of SimCity and The Sims—to discuss his evolutionary epic Spore.
Discussion:
Joystiq, ParisLemon, Opposable Thumbs, Slashdot, DS Fanboy, GoNintendo, Destructoid and Blue's News