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Apple responds to rumors of Aperture's demise, releases update — Apple on Thursday responded to rumors that the company has asked the engineering team for its professional photography workflow application Aperture to leave. The rumors, which started late last week, are completely false, according to Apple.
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More Aperture Dirt — Last week when I wrote "[Aperture Dirt][df1]", regarding Think Secret's scoop regarding the dispersal of the Aperture development team and the future of Aperture, I emphasized that the sources for my own information were second-hand. — Since then, I've heard …


Microsoft's adCenter is Google, Yahoo! rival — Microsoft today is launching its adCenter online advertising system in the U.S., and will now compete directly with Google and Yahoo! in selling ads on the Web. — The official announcement is coming this morning when Chief Executive Steve Ballmer addresses …
Discussion:
TechSpot
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Microsoft takes plunge with AdCenter
Discussion:
AccMan Pro, Search Engine Watch Blog, SearchViews, Incremental Blogger and Search Engine Journal

Spyware Hustler Hit With $4M Penalty — Justice was finally downloaded Thursday on Sanford Wallace, a notorious spammer of the 1990s who moved on to illegal spyware operations that installed adware, spyware and other unsolicited software programs on users' computers.
Discussion:
Techdirt, ClickZ Internet Marketing …, GigaLaw.com Daily News and Datamation IT News Blog

Full-up Google choking on web spam? — Buddy, can you spare a server? — Webmasters have been seething at Google since it introduced its 'Big Daddy' update in January, the biggest revision to the way its search engine operates for years. — Alarm usually accompanies changes to Google's algorithms …

AOL's 'AIM Phoneline' offers free local phone number — DULLES, Va. — AOL is close to unveiling a voice-over-Internet service, based on its AIM instant messenger, that would give any AIM user a local phone number for free. — Dubbed AIM Phoneline, the free number would only allow for incoming calls from any phone.

A Big Question Unanswered by a Tiny PC — ACCORDING to legend, they teach you in journalism school to remember the five W's: who, what, when, where and why. — This week, Microsoft unveiled a new kind of computer called the Ultra Mobile PC — and has good answers to four of those questions.


New referrals for Google Pack and Picasa — We're happy to announce that, in addition to AdSense, AdWords, and Firefox with Google Toolbar, you can now refer your users to Google Pack and Picasa. You'll earn up to $2 for each time a user installs Pack and up to $1 for each Picasa install.

Corel completes destruction of WinZip — Sometime in the past few years, I stopped using WinZip. That's after ten years of enthusiastic use of what used to be an essential utility. It helped that basic support for the non-proprietary and widely used Zip format was built into Windows Me and then Windows XP.
Discussion:
Chris Pirillo, Venture Chronicles, PC World's Techlog, Digital Inspiration and Neowin.net

Google's Mountain View Wi-Fi Network Hits a Snag — There's a chance that Google may miss the June launch date for a wireless network its building in Mountain View, Calif., or make the deadline, but with a network that doesn't have the promised coverage. — Google's begun testing the network and …

Everyone Wants to 'Own' Your PC — When technology serves its owners, it is liberating. When it is designed to serve others, over the owner's objection, it is oppressive. There's a battle raging on your computer right now — one that pits you against worms and viruses, Trojans, spyware …
Discussion:
The Digital Music Weblog


Net censorship spreads worldwide — Technology Correspondent, BBC News website — Repressive regimes are taking full advantage of the net's ability to censor and stifle reform and debate, reveals a report. — Written by the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) pressure group the report highlights …

Pre-E3: MMO roundup [Update 3] — Massively multiplayer online games, known by a series of acronyms beginning with MMO, are a rising trend among developers. With monthly fees meaning regular income, and a player base too addicted to stop, developers trip over themselves to enter this lucrative market.
Discussion:
WOW Insider

abazab Launches to Provide Personal Expression Tools for Social Networking Sites — First Product Lets People Instantly Share Video Snippets of Their Lives Using Mobile Phones — CAMPBELL, Calif., May 4 /PRNewswire/ — abazab, Inc., a provider of personal expression and communication products …

Having fun with Apple's fun new ads — Dave Winer gives his review of Apple's new TV/online ads. He points out that while the ads are clever they aren't all that accurate. Yes, they are a caricature of the market, but as such they earn a little extra slack. — Dave touches on some of the realities though in his post.