tech.memeorandum

Tech Web, page A1 … for 4:30 AM ET, January 28, 2006
Current Tech Page     Also:   Politics

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.
RELATED ITEMS:
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 …
BBC:
Why Google in China makes sense  —  The latest stage of Google's move into China has proved controversial, but Bill Thompson believes it has made the right decision.  —  So Google has fallen off its pedestal at last.  —  It took a while, but the company's decision to launch …
Discussion: Social Patterns
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.
RELATED ITEM:
Scobleizer / Microsoft Geek Blogger:
More on edge cases
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.
Jessie Seyfer / Mercury News:
Group to seek bids for huge public wireless network  —  Silicon Valley leaders have a bold vision of a public wireless network stretching from East Palo Alto to Santa Cruz.  What they don't have yet: a detailed plan or a way to pay for it.  —  Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network …
RELATED ITEM:
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 …
Joseph Weisenthal / The Stalwart:
Yahoo, Google, and Noise  —  The latest rumor gracing the gossip-rags is that Yahoo! has been in talks buy Digg, a user-generated news-site of sorts.  If true (it's being denied at the moment) it would come on heals of the company buying out del.icio.us, and of course community photo page Flickr.
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.
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 …
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.
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.
BBC:
Microsoft may still face EU fine  —  Microsoft's offer to allow rivals access to its software blueprint may not be enough to prevent European Union action, the EU has warned.  —  The EU has threatened to fine the group 2m euros (£1.4m; $2.4m) a day if it fails to supply adequate information about its server programs.
Discussion: TechSpot
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 …

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Discussion: Engadget, PSP Fanboy and Joystiq
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Discussion: The Game Chair
John Demayo / John DeMayo .com:
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Discussion: analystblog
science.nasa.gov:
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