Top Items:
Times of London:
Gates defends China's internet restrictions — Bill Gates, the billionaire founder of Microsoft, took the rare step of standing up for arch-rival Google today as he argued that state censorship was no reason for technology companies not to do business in China.
Discussion:
The Intuitive Life …, Microsoft News Tracker, Google Blogoscoped, JD on and Sean on Life
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Andrew McLaughlin / Official Google Blog:
Google in China — Google users in China today struggle with a service that, to be blunt, isn't very good. Google.com appears to be down around 10% of the time. Even when users can reach it, the website is slow, and sometimes produces results that when clicked on, stall out the user's browser.
Google Blogoscoped:
Google Removes Its Help Entry on Censorship, More News — Incredible. Google removed their help entry on censorship, as Gary Price discovered. Here's what it used to read: — "Google does not censor results for any search term. The order and content of our results are completely automated …
Gary Price / Search Engine Watch Blog:
Brin Speaks On China & Looking At What's Filtered — Since the news broke late Tuesday that Google China would be censored, lots of press and blog attention has been published. Here's a brief look at some of it. — Google Blogoscoped's Philipp Lenssen has been doing some very impressive work …
Joseph T. Hallinan / Wall Street Journal:
Auto Ads Veer Off Newspaper Pages, Head to Web — Continued Slide in Revenue — From Classified Advertising — Adds to Publishers' Woes — Auto ads, a major source of newspaper-classified advertising, have been slipping steadily for nearly two years. But the slippage may be turning into a landslide.
mamamusings:
edge cases and early adopters — This week was the fourth version of Microsoft' "search champ" program, and the first one where I've been heavily involved in the planning (rather than simply being an attendee). It was a great meeting, with some amazing people providing input into new product development in MSN/WindowsLive.
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Scobleizer / Microsoft Geek Blogger:
More on edge cases — Liz Lawley was the one who said I was an edge case and has more on her blog about why she said that. (I didn't realize until now that it was her, I just heard the voice in the back of the room and didn't know who said it). — She says: "Someone who reads 840 blogs is an edge case."
Gina Keating / Reuters:
LA sues over 'Grand Theft' game — LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The city of Los Angeles has sued Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. (TTWO.O: Quote, Profile, Research) for selling pornographic video games to children with its best-selling game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas," which last year was found to have hidden sex scenes.
Matt Marshall / SiliconBeat:
Kosmix raises cash for a new search engine — to compete with Google — If there's anyone itching to take on Google, it is the two Indian guys who went to Stanford with Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. — Meet Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan, two of the co-founders at Junglee …
Steve Rubel / Micro Persuasion:
Blogger Junkets Rekindle an Old PR Approach — In the pre-Internet era (I know call me a mastodon), press junkets we're huge. Companies would spend oodles of money to fly reporters in for a whirlwind tour of a destination and/or to meet certain high-profile individuals.
Chris Anderson / Wired News:
The New Boom … Be careful what you wish for, all of you with the "Please, God, just one more bubble!" bumper stickers. It's getting wild again in Silicon Valley. In recent months, the breathtaking ascent of Google has lit a fire under its competitors, which include practically everyone in the online world.
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Gary Price / Search Engine Watch Blog:
Predictions and More Speculation on a Google Music Service — Elinor Mills has a brief post reporting that Bear Stearns analyst Robert Peck is predicting that Google will offer a digital music download service in the three to six months. Bear Sterns is using the name the name "Google Tunes" as their "code name" for the service.
Mary Jo Foley / microsoft-watch.com:
Microsoft to Skip Vista Beta 2 — Redmond is planning to rely more on Community Technology Previews for Windows input, and has two new Vista test builds planned for the next two calendar quarters. — Customers and partners who've been holding their breath waiting for Beta 2 of Windows Vista …
Therese Poletti / Mercury News:
Rest in Peace, Sony Aibo — SONY PULLS PLUG ON ROBOTIC DOG — The Aibo lived seven years — or 49 if you count robotic dog years. — On Thursday, Sony pulled the plug on its Aibo robot, the peppy robotic dog with a software-controlled personality — and abilities — that has entertained thousands of faithful owners.
rexblog.com:
Rethinking corporate communications in the Me2 Revolution: This is a link to an essay called "Me2 Revolution" written by Richard Edelman. I am requiring all of my employees to read it. I am encouraging all of my clients to read it. You should read it also.
Cory Doctorow / Boing Boing:
HOWTO build sustainable wireless networks in the developing world — A new free book delivers a complete HOWTO for assembling and maintaining wireless networks in rural towns in developing countries. "Wireless Networking in the Developing World" was co-written by some of the world's leading …
Gina Trapani / Lifehacker:
Geek to Live: Microsoft Search Champs V4 report — We're taking a break from our regular tutorial/time-saving tips feature today for a quick report from my field trip to the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Washington this week. About 50 people - dubbed "Search Champs" - were invited to Microsoft HQ …
Ted Leung on the air:
Search Champs Thoughts — I spent Tuesday night, Wednesday and most of Thursday at MSN's Search Champs V4. The event is a forum for Microsoft to get feedback on various search related initiatives before they come to market. I did not apply to participate in the event …
