Google Revs App Engine With Availability Focus

With version 1.4 of its cloud-based App Engine, Google is promising to improve the delivery of applications through availability and real-time features.

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WikiLeaks: China Pressured Google on Internet Censorship (PC World)

Google's struggles to operate its search engine in China worsened after a high-ranking Chinese official Googled himself only to find "results critical of him,"...Source : PC WorldExplore : Crises and conflicts, Google, Search Engines, Technology, WikiLeaks

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Tom Steinberg: 'The net can have real impacts, but they aren't necessarily as sexy as we'd like them to be' | Video

Video: Tom Steinberg of mysociety.org talks about doing grassroots politics on the web, and why journalists are so easily seduced by technologyDavid ShariatmadariChristian Bennett

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Merrick Lozano of PRLeap Gives Tips About Press Releases

This is the third time we?re speaking with Merrick Lozano of PRLeap, so let?s dive right in. The last time we talked here was 2007 when we spoke about local search. What?s new in the area of press releases that people should know about? Thank you for having me back Michael. When we last spoke [...]This post originally came from Michael Gray who is an SEO Consultant. Be sure not to miss the Thesis Wordpress Theme review. Merrick Lozano of PRLeap Gives Tips About Press Releases

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Comcast Internet outage affects Minneapolis-St. Paul (StarTribune.com)

It was unclear how many Comcast customers were affected, or when the problem would be fixed.Source : StarTribune.comExplore : Technology

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The Dangers of Having Multiple Website Versions

With the proliferation of smart phones of varying screen sizes, flash compatibility, and most recently apple tv and google tv, many website owners are choosing to solve this problem with multiple sites and domains. While this solution can work, there are plenty of ways it can go wrong. In this post I’ll try to help [...]This post originally came from Michael Gray who is an SEO Consultant. Be sure not to miss the Thesis Wordpress Theme review. The Dangers of Having Multiple Website Versions

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Your iPad Should Be in An Incase Magazine Jacket [GIVEAWAY]

We’ve seen some interesting cases in our ongoing pursuit for perfect iPad protection, but the Incase Convertible Magazine Jacket could be a definite frontrunner. It builds on the Incase Book Jacket by trimming it substantially and adding some…

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Why Categories Matter in a Blog Setup

In this post we’re going to be looking at blog categories, why they matter, and how to use them most effectively as publisher.To be honest, I get asked about date, category, and tag archives fairly regularly. It creates a lot of potential for duplicate content, which is why so many people have things set up [...]This post originally came from Michael Gray who is an SEO Consultant. Be sure not to miss the Thesis Wordpress Theme review. Why Categories Matter in a Blog Setup

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US works to secure networks as hackers advance

(AP) -- It will take several more years for the government to fully install high-tech systems to block computer intrusions, a drawn-out timeline that enables criminals to become more adept at stealing sensitive data, experts say.

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What Are Christmas Seals?

Many organizations offer seals, small stamps that are not valid as postage, to support their cause. These seals are usually issued around a major holiday, such as Easter or Christmas. In 1903, a Danish postmaster named Einar Holboll created the first Christmas Seal as a way to raise money and awareness to help stop the spread of tuberculosis (TB), which was a growing problem during that time. In their...What Are Christmas Seals?

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Top 10 Twitter Trends This Week [CHART]

Brazil takes home the top Twitter trend this past week, though not for its sports upsets, celebrity gossip, or heated political discussions as we’ve seen in the past. This week, news of escalating violence in the city of Rio…

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Governments worldwide censor Web content: study

Where you live in the world largely determines how freely you can access the internet. The level of cyber censorship in different countries around the world is directly related to how authoritarian the governing regime is, according to Barney Warf from University of Kansas. His comprehensive analysis of the geographical nature of Internet censorship is published online in Springer's GeoJournal.

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How Website Owners and Publishers Can Use Foursquare

While some people consider Foursquare to be nothing more than the latest shiny cat toy for social media gurus and badge collectors, I’ve recently found a few uses for both business and pleasure. I recently took a trip to Disney World in Florida. After checking in at the Orlando Airport, I got a pop up [...]This post originally came from Michael Gray who is an SEO Consultant. Be sure not to miss the Thesis Wordpress Theme review. How Website Owners and Publishers Can Use Foursquare

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Google bid to buy Groupon fails: report

Online discount shopping site Groupon has rejected a multi-billion-dollar takeover bid by Internet search giant Google, the Chicago Tribune reported Friday.

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WikiLeaks shutdown calls spark censorship row

France joins calls for WikiLeaks to be taken offline as liberal activists raise comparisons with China's Google censorshipThe US opened new fronts in its fight against WikiLeaks today as civil rights groups accused the authorities of censorship.The whistleblower's website went offline for the third time in a week this morning ? the biggest threat to its online presence so far. The site re-emerged later on a Swiss domain.France joined international calls for WikiLeaks to be closed down, warning that it was "unacceptable" for a "criminal" site to be hosted in the country.The moves came only days after Amazon pulled the WikiLeaks site from its servers after political pressure from Joe Lieberman, chairman of the Senate homeland security committee.Lieberman is not finished with Amazon, and is planning to write to the organisation within the next 24 hours asking for details of its relationship with WikiLeaks. The issue is fast turning into a row over freedom of speech, as Democratic and Republican politicians joined calls for action against WikiLeaks, including emergency legislation for legal challenge.Liberal activists saw echoes of the row involving China and Google earlier this year, censorship the Obama administration decried at the time.The US civil rights group Human Rights First wrote to Amazon saying that its decision to cease hosting WikiLeaks raised serious concerns and asked the book group to consider this before responding to Lieberman's request for more information.Rainey Reitman and Marcia Hofmann, of the Electronic Freedom Foundation, which campaigns for internet freedom, writing on the organisation's site, said it was "unfortunate that Amazon caved in to unofficial government pressure to squelch core political speech. Amazon had an opportunity to stand up for its customer's right to free expression. Instead, Amazon ran away with its tail between its legs".There have been calls on blogsites for a boycott of Amazon.Leslie Phillips, communications director for the Senate homeland security committee, disputed any parallel with China's censorship of the internet. "It is not at all the same," she said. "In China, there is a fiat from above."Lieberman, she said, does not have the authority to shut down Amazon or tell it who its clients should be.She said Lieberman is to write to Amazon asking for basic facts such as when it first realised that WikiLeaks was disseminating classified information.In a blogpost on Thursday night, Amazon denied giving in to political pressure. It said WikiLeaks was violating its terms of service, which included a provision that the content should not be harmful. "It is not credible that the extraordinary volume of 250,000 classified documents that WikiLeaks is publishing could have been carefully redacted in such a way as to ensure that they weren't putting innocent people in jeopardy," Amazon said.Lieberman and other senators are to introduce legislation that they have named the Shield Act that would allow the administration to go after WikiLeaks. But the bill stands little chance of passage as it would probably go not to the homeland security committee but the Senate judiciary committee, which is headed by Patrick Leahy, a Democrat and long-time champion of liberal issues.WikiLeaksCensorshipThe US embassy cablesUnited StatesInternetEwen MacAskillJosh Hallidayguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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Top 10 Twitter Trends This Week [CHART]

Brazil takes home the top Twitter trend this past week, though not for its sports upsets, celebrity gossip, or heated political discussions as we’ve seen in the past. This week, news of escalating violence in the city of Rio…

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3 Ways to Empower Social Media Giving This Holiday Season

Frank Barry, professional services manager at Blackbaud and blogger at NetWits ThinkTank, helps non-profits use the Internet for digital communication, social media and fundraising so they can focus on making an impact and achieving their missions. Find Frank on Twitter…

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Just As Record Labels Resented Apple For Dragging Them Into The Internet Age, Movie Studios Resenting Netflix (Techdirt)

It's been about five years since we posted a story about how the record labels were pissed off at Steve Jobs and Apple for building such a successful online music store in iTunes. The whole thing sounded counterintuitive. Prior to iTunes, the record labels had tried a series of dreadfully awful online music stores with horrible selection, crippling limitations, and ridiculous prices. While iTunes...Source : TechdirtExplore : Business Blogs, iTunes, Steve Jobs, Tech Dirt, Technology

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Google to Unveil Chrome OS December 7?

Google’s Chrome team has sent out invites to a press event in San Francisco, “where we plan to share some exciting news about Chrome,” the invitation reads.The event will be hosted at DogPatch Labs’ San Francisco office…

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Mobile Devices, Apps Will Explode in 2011: IDC

The proliferation of mobile devices and applications and the services they require will usher in the next dominant computing platform in 2011, according to IDC.

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Online Bingo Board Does the Impossible ? Makes Conference Calls Fun

Every business has them: Monotonous, jumbled travesties during which at least one — if not three or four — employees ramble at length in order to stave off the crushing oppression of the remaining workday. Some of us…

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Time Warner Internet service out across much of California (L.A. Times)

Time Warner Cable said Thursday evening that customers across much of California had been left without Internet service.Source : L.A. TimesExplore : Technology

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Flowchart ? How to Make Money on the Internet (Digital Inspiration)

Give it some time and this complex but neat flowchart from Fast Company will make lot of sense. There?s life beyond Google AdSense. This article, titled Flowchart ? How to Make Money on the Internet , was originally published at Digital Inspiration under Infographics , Money , Wide , Internet .Source : Digital InspirationExplore : Technology

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Warning: Your Information Systems May be Holding You Back

Multiple point systems and spreadsheets impede the roll-out of cross-functional go-to-market changes.

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Google user 117217 loved "Internet" on blippr

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andrekakos liked "Internet" on blippr

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SoCal residents without Internet after outage (San Fransisco Chronicle)

(12-02) 19:54 PST Los Angeles, CA (AP) -- Scores of Time Warner Cable customers in Southern California are without Internet service after an outage. Company spokesman Darryl Ryan said in a statement Thursday that...Source : San Fransisco ChronicleExplore : Business, Technology

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The 5 Nominees for ?Most Influential Social Good Champion? Are? [MASHABLE AWARDS]

This post is brought to you by Yahoo!, sponsor of the Mashable Awards’ “Most Influential Social Good Champion” Category. Yahoo! is proud to sponsor this Mashable Award because Yahoo! is focused on connecting individuals to a community of millions so…

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Let The ?Billy Ray Don?t Run Me No More? F*ckery Begins: Miley Cyrus Is Nekkid On The Internet (Bossip)

As we expected, Miley Cyrus turning 18 last month has lead to instant f*ckery! Of course the proof that Miley is the sexy sexter in this blurry, headless image is based on a plaid shirt. But we?re gonna take it. This allegedly happened during her working vacaciones in Espa�a; the very trip during which photogs [...]Source : BossipExplore : Celebrity, Miley Cyrus, Technology

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Create Landing Pages for Expired Information

I’ve discussed what to do when you have products that expire. But what do you do when you have services or information that expires? Is there a way to retain and even monetize that traffic? Let’s say your company used to offer a service like computer security scanning or a real world service like car [...]This post originally came from Michael Gray who is an SEO Consultant. Be sure not to miss the Thesis Wordpress Theme review. Create Landing Pages for Expired Information

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Advertisers: Text Link Ads - New customers can get $100 in free text links.BOTW.org - Get a premier listing in the internet's oldest directory.Ezilon.com Regional Directory - Check to see if your website is listed!Directory Journal - List your website in our growing web directory today.Glass Whiteboards - For a professional durable white board with no ghosting, streaking or marker stains, see my Glass Whiteboard ReviewNeed an SEO Audit for your website, look at my SEO Consulting ServicesKnowEm - Protect your brand, product or company name with a continually growing list of social media sites.Scribe SEO Review find out how to better optimize your wordpress posts.TigerTech - Great Web Hosting service at a great price.

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Boeing Delays First Dreamliner to ANA

Delay due to a fire that erupted during a test flight

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Fate of Spain's Internet/copyright law depends on El Pais releasing relevant Wikileaks cables NOW (Boing Boing)

... law will not be revealed until it is too late. Javier de la Cueva of the Spanish "Derecho de Internet" site is calling for a "Wikileaks leak," asking for someone to release these cables before his government commits itself to a disastrous and extreme course of action. We need urgently those 115 cables tagged KIPR Madrid Embassy (Thanks, Javier!) Spanish activists issue manifesto on the...Source : Boing BoingExplore : Copyright Law, Crises and conflicts, Law, Technology, Technology Blogs

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YouTube Launches Skippable Ads

YouTube has officially launched its new TrueView ad format, allowing site visitors to avoid watching ads they’re not interested in. Users will now be able to look for a countdown button that will let them skip an ad after it…

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Social Media Marketing According to Dwight Schrute

Want to boost your internet presence while improving customer relations at the same time? Look no further than social media. Seems like Dwight, that lovable, neurotic nerd from NBC’s The Office — and Dunder Mifflin Paper Company’s top salesman — has a few thoughts on it, as well. So let’s see what Dwight says about how you can use social media to market your business.
Get Personal, Get Trust

Source
“People tell me things. I guess I have a face you can trust. I think it’s because of my low cheekbones.”
Dwight may be a hard-working, no-nonsense salesperson, but he’s trustworthy, and a listener. Moreover, the relationships that Dunder Mifflinites like Dwight have with their clients is sacred: They pride themselves on direct, personalized interaction, giving them an edge over bigger, perhaps sleeker, corporate enterprises. Social media is the most useful, extensive customer service tool in your company’s inventory — so use it well. Tone down the jargon and learn to speak like a fellow human being with your customers (i.e., no spamming twitter feeds with offers, no mass Facebook messages with thinly-veiled sales agendas). Jump into conversations with your followers and fans on all of your social media accounts and be as genuine as possible. Share personal items with your online community — links to news you’re reading, thoughts you’re having, etc. Be authentic, and the rest will follow.
Be Savvy and Tuned Into Your Market

Source
“I did so well last February that Corporate gave me two plaques in lieu of a pay raise.”
It might seem obvious, but Dwight’s position as the number one salesperson at Dunder Mufflin is a direct result of his business savvy. When “Princess Unicorn” toys were all the rage during Christmas time, Dwight bought out their stock, then sold them all at a higher price (making an insane amount of money in the process) to people he knew would pay big bucks for them: frustrated, tired suburban parents.
It would be similarly wise to be “tuned” into your social media market, and use that knowledge to your company’s advantage — without diminishing your clients’ trust. Follow trends on the internet, and keep up with the latest technological innovations in the news (you never know what new gadget or service might catch your clientele’s interest next.)
Keep Your Enemies Close

Source
“Jim is my enemy. But it turns out that Jim is also his own worst enemy. And the enemy of my enemy is my friend. So Jim, is actually my friend. But, because he is his own worst enemy, the enemy of my friend is my enemy so actually Jim is my enemy. But-”
Dwight’s arch-enemy, prankster and rival Jim Halpert, is also his closest ally at times. The two leveraged their strengths for a highly successful sales call in which Jim used his “nice-guy” talents to engage the customer, while Dwight used more aggressive means. On another occasion, Dwight attacked Jim’s romantic rival Roy with pepper spray after he attempted to punch Jim in the face. Later on, Jim comforted Dwight after his break-up with co-worker Angela Martin. Seems counter-intuitive, but occasionally teaming up with your competitors is a good idea, especially when they might have access to information that your company doesn’t. If a competitor with a similar mission has a promotional campaign that won’t interfere with your sales, then it may make sense to collaborate (and then reap the benefits when they reciprocate the favor.) Of course, always use your best judgment — you don’t want to inadvertently give them a leg up, after all.
Be Loyal

Source
“Michael is like Mozart, and I’m like Butch Cassidy. You mess with Mozart and you’re gonna get a bullet in your head, courtesy of Butch Cassidy.”
Dwight’s loyalty to his boss, Michael Scott, is almost unparalleled in its strength. Perfect example: When Michael’s depression about his relationship with former boss Jan Levinson inexplicably led him to take a “wilderness” trip, he instructed Dwight to drop him off and leave — but Dwight secretly stayed, knowing that Michael did not have the necessary survival skills. After witnessing Michael almost eat poisonous mushrooms, he sprang on top of him, saving him (albeit almost injuring him in the process). Dwight also does as many small tasks around the office as possible, and makes sure to keep the office in order when Michael is out (with varying degrees of success.)
Your loyalty to your followers should be similarly strong. Keep your brand consistent, your content polished, and your product updated and you’ll be amazed at their level of devotion. Remember that people will defend and advocate for your business to the bitter end if you just show them that you value their patronage.
Be Prepared — And Ready for Battle

Source
“When I die I want to be frozen, and if they have to freeze me in pieces, so be it. I will wake up stronger than ever because I will have used that time to figure out exactly why I died and what moves I could have used to defend myself better now that I know what hold he had me in.”

Dwight is always battle-ready, even when it means slightly obsessive over-preparation. He keeps weaponry hidden all around the office — nunchucks, throwing stars, pepper spray, handcuffs, a boomerang, Chinese sword, etc. — just in case an impromptu match occurs (or a grizzly bear walks into the office.) Like Dwight, your company’s social media team should be constantly strategizing. Keep on the offense and you’ll never have to use defense (or at least, you’ll only need to use it rarely.) The best way to do this? Monitor conversations/comments regarding your company. Google alerts will keep you abreast of news and popular blog activity, and google analytics will tell you which sites are sending traffic to your own. Similarly, Backtype is a real-time search engine that indexes online blog conversations — you can monitor keywords, and click on the link to the comments section in which they appear. There. You can manage a PR crisis directly from your computer. It’s just like owning a word. Almost.
Stay Involved In Your Community

Source
“Volunteerism is important. Every weekend I volunteer at the local animal shelter, they need a lot of help down there. Last Sunday I had to put down 150 pets by myself.”
Dwight knows the importance of staying involved in his community; he’s a former Lackawanna County volunteer sheriff, and a senpai at his local dojo. You should value your community, too: Once you exert all that energy into building a fan/client base, don’t forget to follow up, and continually engage. Customers’ wishes and desires change quite frequently, and ignoring trends among your selected demographic could be detrimental to your company. Example: Dwight, along with boss Michael Scott, went out on a sales trip, presented flower baskets to each and every former client, and asked them to return in exchange for improved customer service. That interaction served a useful purpose: the clients told the pair that they would not return to Dunder Mifflin unless the company updated their technology, which they eventually did. So — ask your clients questions periodically. And allow them to give as much feedback as possible, when appropriate — else risk being left behind in competition.
Use Everything You’ve Got

Source
“I believe in hunting, but only if you use the entire animal. For instance, instead of a comb I use the rib cage of a squirrel.”
The Schrutes are farm-folk down to the marrow, and “waste” is a not an operative word in their vocabulary. In other words, if you’ve got the resources, use them! Fire on all cylinders, if you must: that is, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Twitter, Foursquare. Get a multi-platform managing system (like Tweetdeck or Hootsuite) in order to fire off content all at once and avoid content “jams” that might annoy potential new fans/customers. Don’t forget to add “follow me” buttons to your blogs, connect Twitter to your Facebook, and maintain active Flickr and YouTube accounts for more multimedia-centric advertising.
Flowtown: Quickly turn emails into social profilesFlowtown: Quickly turn emails into social profiles

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StumbleUpon Poised to Launch Pro Accounts Early Next Year

At the start of next year, businesses, publications and brands will be able to join StumbleUpon as “Pro” users, curating both their own content and suggested content in order to reach a larger audience.The StumbleUpon team — Founder &…

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Microsoft Looks to Advance Display Interface

The software giant files a patent on a kind of "shape-shifting" technology for displays.

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Top 50 iPad Apps for Online Shoppers

The popularity of Apple's iPad has naturally piqued the interest of developers looking to build the apps that users want and need most heading into the holiday shopping season.

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European Commission Should Leave Internet Search Alone (OpenMarket)

... Before resorting to tired old competition laws, European policy makers should remember that the Internet economy is hardly understood by anybody?including by regulators. We are in terra incognita ; no one knows how information markets will evolve. But one thing is for sure: Online search technology cannot evolve properly if it is improperly regulated. Why make risky investments in...Source : OpenMarketExplore : European Commission, Technology

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George Bush to Mark Zuckerberg: you know what it's like to be a president

The former US leader and the Facebook boss compared notes in an hour-long talk and decided they had much in commonWhat does Mark Zuckerberg, the creator and president of Facebook, have in common with that other president, George Bush? Quite a lot, apparently.At least, Bush seems to thinks so. He spent an hour in discussion with Zuckerberg in a Facebook interview streamed live from Palo Alto on Monday night, comparing his time in the White House with Zuckerberg's leadership of the social networking site.They both, Bush said, had had to make quick and difficult decisions based on common sense. They both shared a passion for education, which Zuckerberg has recently embraced, donating $100m (�64m) to state schools in Newark, New Jersey.And they had both faced harsh criticism. "There's a lot of criticism about. You know what I'm talking about?" Bush said, looking Zuckerberg straight in the face.The Facebook chief executive has been attacked for his policies on privacy and received a less than flattering portrayal in the film Social Networking. "We haven't had criticism on the scale of a president, but we've had some," Zuckerberg said.Bush, dressed in a casual shirt and jacket and minus a tie, got brownie points among the techy audience for saying, after he left the White House, "I became a Blackberry person, and now I'm an iPad person."He also endeared himself by saying that he used Facebook to keep in touch with former administration colleagues, though he rather ruined the effect by calling it "the Facebook", seemingly unaware that Zuckerberg dropped the "the" in 2005.Bush needled Zuckerberg over his failure to complete his computer science course at Harvard. For his part, Zuckerberg heaped praise on his fellow president. "It's one of the things I've always admired about you," he said to Bush. "You've always stuck by your principles and pushed through."Bush also gave an impassioned statement against official leaks during the interview. He said leaks were "very damaging and people who leaked ought to be prosecuted".He added that the latest Wikileaks action would make it hard for the US to keep the trust of foreign leaders. "When you have a conversation with a foreign leader and it ends up in a newspaper they don't like it, and I didn't like it. A lot of these relationships depend on trust."George BushMark ZuckerbergFacebookUnited StatesInternetSocial networkingEd Pilkingtonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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Comcast Starts Killing All-You-Can-Eat Internet Access (Efinditnow)

Link: http://www.businessinsider.com/comcas... Just because Internet video is the future, doesn't mean it's going to be cheap. Read More ?Source : EfinditnowExplore : Technology

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World Cup, Miley Cyrus and BP Are Yahoo?s Top Searches of 2010 [INFOGRAPHIC]

Yahoo has released its annual “Year in Review” report, a dive into the top searches and search trends on the world’s second largest search engine.The report, released every year by the Internet giant, determines what queries topped user interest…

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Novell to Retain Unix Copyrights

Following announcement of its sale to Attachmate and plans to divest much of its intellectual property portfolio, Novell confirms that it will hold onto its Unix copyrights.

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6 Essential Steps for Executing Your Social Media Strategy

The Social Media Marketing Series is supported by Webtrends Facebook Analytics, which provides comprehensive tracking and measurement solutions to help you maximize your ROI. To keep up with Webtrends Social products, follow its blog.It’s easy to plan a squeaky…

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EU to launch Google search investigation

Anti-trust inquiry follows allegations that tech giant abused its dominant position in the search and advertising marketThe European Commission today launched a formal investigation into Google following allegations that the internet giant has abused its dominant position in the search and advertising market.Google is facing an EU anti-trust investigation following complaints from rivals about "unfavourable treatment" of their search services within the search engine giant's "natural" unpaid as well as sponsored listings.Complainants, including Microsoft and UK firm Foundem, which is also involved in a US inquiry into Google, allege the company gives "preferential placement" to its own services. The complainants allege that Google unfairly "lowers the ranking" of unpaid search results of some services, such as price comparison websites, in a bid to "shut out competing services".In addition the probe will look at allegations that Google imposes "exclusivity obligations" on advertising partners preventing them from placing "certain types of competing ads on their web sites"."This initiation of proceedings does not imply that the Commission has proof of any infringements," said the Commission. "It only signifies that the Commission will conduct an in-depth investigation of the case as a matter of priority."Google refuted the accusations but admitted that there is "always going to be room for improvement" and pledged to work with the Commission."Since we started Google we have worked hard to do the right thing by our users and our industry, ensuring that ads are always clearly marked, making it easy for users to take their data with them when they switch services and investing heavily in open source projects," said a Google spokesman."But there's always going to be room for improvement, and so we'll be working with the Commission to address any concerns."In September regulators in Texas launched the first broad anti-trust review of Google's search and advertising practices in the US. While federal regulators in Washington have investigated the impact on competition of Google's business deals in the past, Greg Abbott, Texas attorney general, is the first regulator to look more broadly at its core search business, amid growing concerns about the power the online business wields.Getting the Commission to quiz Google is a victory for firms such as Foundem, which has complained for years that the vagaries of its search algorithm have huge consequences for the number of visitors to its website, which compares the prices of anything from flights to microwave ovens.GoogleInternetSearch enginesAdvertisingDigital mediaMedia businessMicrosoftComputingMark Sweneyguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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'Massive' Windows Phone 7 Update in the Works?

A mobile software developer claims Microsoft is planning a "massive" update to Windows Phone 7 for release early next year.

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U.S. Steel Names New VP for Slovak Republic

Mark Tabler will head Slovakian operations.

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Google user 108072 loved "Internet" on blippr

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WikiLeaks to defy US demands on leaked cables

(AP) -- The online website WikiLeaks says it will go ahead with the release of hundreds of thousands of classified State Department documents in defiance of U.S. demands not to publish the files.

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Google user 108072 loved "Internet" on blippr

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Google?s Secret Social Initiative Delayed Until Spring 2011 [EXCLUSIVE]

Google’s big social initiative, once thought to be a full-fledged social network named “Google Me,” is experiencing delays that have pushed back the launch until spring 2011.Mashable has learned that Google’s big social play could debut in March or…

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Google May Acquire Groupon for $6 Billion, and It Would Be Worth Every Penny

Forget the rumor that Google acquired Groupon for $2.5 billion; the search giant is about to close a deal for the group-buying service for a whopping $5.3 to $6 billion, according to multiple reports.It would be worth every overpriced…

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West End spree worth �250m marks start of Christmas shopping season

Online shoppers expected to add record �8bn to seasonal consumer spendRetailers reported a bumper start to the festive shopping season over the weekend, with about 1.5 million shoppers splashing out more than �250m in London's West End alone.The cold weather and snowfall in parts of the country did not put off shoppers eager to snap up gadgets such as 4G phones, high-definition and 3D TVs, toys and luxury labels.Millions more consumers will start their Christmas shopping on the internet today on the date that has been dubbed Manic Monday. Some �8bn is expected to be spent online this Christmas ? adding up to nearly a quarter of total retail sales.On Saturday, promoted as "Shop West End VIP day", 1 million shoppers descended on the West End in London as Oxford Street and Regent Street were closed to traffic and many stores ran promotions and activities.Retailers enjoyed their strongest trading day in three years, according to the New West End Company, which represents the area's stores."This is the weekend Christmas starts," said spokesman Jace Tyrrell. "Luxury was doing really well, in particular accessories such as handbags. You'll see more promotions over the next four weeks."Other holidays, such as Chanukah, the Jewish festival of lights, on Thursday, have also boosted sales.Big names including Marks & Spencer, Debenhams, Currys, Argos and House of Fraser slashed prices by up to 50%.Official figures recently showed retail sales were picking up momentum ahead of Christmas, and economists expect consumers to bring forward big-ticket purchases before VAT rises from 17.5% to 20% in January.Faced with a cold snap that is set to last several weeks, shoppers stocked up on winter clothing, electric blankets and duvets, John Lewis reported. The partnership took nearly �100m at its department stores across the country last week ? nearly 9% ahead of the same week last year.Nat Wakely, director of selling operations for John Lewis, said: "The whole country saw a good result this week with the north and Scotland defying the snow and Oxford Street in the south recording its best ever November week, no doubt boosted by West End VIP day." Presents for children were also among the chain's most popular products. Fashion sales were up 9% while electronics sales rose 11% as televisions had a stellar week and laptops, digital cameras, iPods, Kindles and iPads rounded off the list of bestsellers.Sales at John Lewis's upmarket grocery chain, Waitrose, reached �103m in the week to 27 November, up 10.6% on the same week last year. A pudding created for the grocer by celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal, containing a whole candied orange, has sold out, with sales four times higher than any of Waitrose's previous premium puddings.Another shopping frenzy is expected today, this time on the internet. Deloitte is predicting that shoppers will spend �8bn online in December, up 15% on last year.UK consumers lead the way in Europe when it comes to doing Christmas shopping online. In a poll of 20,000 consumers, 54% of respondents in the UK said they would buy some of their gifts online, against 33% of consumers across Europe.Ian Geddes, UK head of retail at Deloitte, said: "Online represents less than 10% of the total retail market but will grow more quickly than total retail sales for some time. With the adoption of tablet PCs and smartphones making it easier to shop on the move, we think online sales could account for close to 20% of total retail spend by the end of the next decade."One in 10 British shoppers will do their online Christmas shopping using a smartphone rather than a computer this year, according to Tesco Direct. Nearly half are set to shop online using their phones while watching TV, one in six expect to buy something on their phone while sat on the bus and a quarter will log on to shopping sites through their mobiles during their daily commute.Retail industryJohn LewisConsumer spendingEconomicsChristmasHeston BlumenthalE-commerceInternetJulia Kolleweguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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What Is a Cornucopia?

A cornucopia is a symbol of abundance and wealth. Traditionally, it is represented by a curved goat horn which overflows with grain and fruit. Modern cornucopias are often depicted as horn-shaped baskets filled with food, and this symbol is often associated with the harvest. This decorative device has a long and ancient history, with roots in Greek mythology.

According to legend, the god Zeus was nursed...What Is a Cornucopia?

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The Limits Of Internet Stunts (The Daily Dish)

After checking out Mickey Hess's ?I will blurb any book within 24 hours? literary stunt, Buzz Poole debates whether they work: I suppose people talk more about stunts, but then they are talking more about you and not your writing.Source : The Daily DishExplore : Political Blogs, Politics, Technology

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?Angry Birds? Get the Christmas Spirit

Prepare for “A Very Angry Birds Christmas” this holiday season.Rovio, the company behind the insanely popular Angry Birds franchise, has confirmed via Twitter that Angry Birds Halloween will be receiving a special yuletide-themed update.The update, which…

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US woman @theashes becomes Twitter celebrity

A US woman with the Twitter name @theashes who was bombarded by messages about cricket was offered a free flight to Australia and started selling her own commemorative T-shirt Monday.

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Novell Consents to $2.2B Acquisition Bid

Privately held enterprise software vendor Attachmate agrees to acquire Novell for $2.2 billion, a 9 percent premium, in a deal that's expected to close in the first quarter of 2011.

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MickeyMak loved "Internet" on blippr

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BASF Guarantees 33,000 German Jobs

Will invest $12 billion to safeguard future of main plant

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Massive Comcast Internet Outage Plagues D.C., East Coast (DCist)

Photo by JosephLeonardo . Comcast's internet service went down on Sunday evening. (Of course, not that you'd have known it by looking at the company's " Outage Check " website at any point last night.) Twitter blew up with complaints about the outage, and the service disruption is affecting a large portion of the East Coast . DCist's attempts to call the local Comcast office to obtain...Source : DCistExplore : States, Technology, US, Washington D.C.

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Consumers Spending More on Tech, Less on Travel This Holiday Season

Consumers in a recent study said they plan to spend more on gadgets and electronics during the 2010 holiday season than they did last year. On the flip side, a large percentage of the same consumers also said they’d be…

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Manufacturer of Vehicle Components Announces Expansion Plan

Plan includes addition of aluminum-wheel machining and polishing equipment.

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Thanks to Mashable?s Socially Savvy Supporters

Thanks to this week?s advertisers and partners for enabling us to bring you the latest social media news and resources. Mashable’s sponsors are as social media savvy as our readers! Advertise with us and get noticed.Mashable is seeking site…

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Transparency, Anonymity, and Internet Threats Against Children (PrawfsBlawg)

... children who fear for their safety predominantly as a result of invective and abuse posted on the internet. This decision is noteworthy for a number of reasons (discussed below), not least of which is its discussion of the complicated task of evaluating anonymous threats on the internet. In Doe...Source : PrawfsBlawgExplore : Law, Law Blogs, Technology

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China Internet firms made to apologise over feud

Two of China's leading Internet firms have been forced by the government to issue public apologies over a nasty spat marked by accusations of unfair market practices and privacy infringement.

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Content Strategy Tips For Internet Marketing (Dzineblog)

In the beginning stages of the Internet, say four or five years ago, a company?s online business was pretty simple. All they needed to do was to put up a site with images of their goods, put in ecommerce and simply wait for the orders to start coming in. Things have changed a lot since then, and today an online business needs a clear content strategy based on an ever-increasing popularity...Source : DzineblogExplore : Technology

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Everybody?s Doing It: How Marketers Are Utilizing Social Media In 2010

“Social media is hot. And for businesses it represents a marketing opportunity that transcends the traditional middleman and connects companies directly with customers. This is why nearly every business on the planet – from giants like Starbucks and IBM to the local ice cream shop — are exploring social media marketing initiatives.” That quote, from Michael Stelzner, the founder of SocialMediaExaminer.com, represents the contents of this graphic well. This graphic was created using data from the Social Media Marketing Industry Report for 2010, which provides some great insight into the growth of the social realm and the specific tools marketers are utilizing to spread their voice across the social sector.
Flowtown: Quickly turn emails into social profilesFlowtown: Quickly turn emails into social profiles

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Google agrees to delete Street View data in Britain

Google has agreed to delete private emails and passwords mistakenly picked up from wireless networks in Britain by its Street View cars, the British information commissioner said Friday.

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5 Young Entrepreneurs to Watch [MASHABLE AWARDS]

As part of the ongoing Mashable Awards, we’re taking a closer look at each of the nomination categories. This is “Entrepreneur of the Year.” Be sure to nominate your favorites and join us for the Gala in Las Vegas!Facebook,…

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Apple?s Black Friday Shopping Event Starts in the U.S.

After taking the U.S. online store down for a couple of hours, Apple has lowered the prices on selected items for its special, one-day Black Friday shopping event.We already knew what to expect as the event…

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IDC: Mobile Shoppers Set for Record Spree

IDC's new mobile shopping report predicts big sales for etailers catering to consumers using mobile devices.

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Why You Need an Xbox 360 With Kinect This Holiday Season

This post is part of the Mashable 10, Mashable’s gift guide of the 10 hottest gadgets that that our editors think should be on everyone’s wish lists this holiday season. To view all 10 posts, please visit this link.…

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The Awesome Size Of The Internet (urban cartography)

The Awesome Size Of The InternetSource : urban cartographyExplore : Architecture, Fine Arts, Technology

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ICANN to Permit Registrars, Registries to Merge

With the longstanding policy of separation between the registries that oversee top-level domains and the registrars that issue domain names about to end, where is the industry left?

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MySpace deepens ties with rival Facebook

MySpace on Thursday began letting members tap into entertainment preferences expressed in Facebook profiles in a deepening of ties with the firm that snatched its social networking crown.

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HP Tops Q4 Earnings Projections

Computing giant tops Wall Street's expectations as it turns in its first balance sheet under the tenure of newly minted CEO Leo Apotheker.

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Oneupweb : The Internet Passes Down Memories to Future Generations (straightupsearch)

Our ways of memorializing loved ones has even been altered in ways inconceivable just a few decades ago via the internet. Rating: 0.0/ 5 (0 votes cast)Source : straightupsearchExplore : Technology

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On the Media: After Bill Nye's collapse at USC, the Web speeds a blame-the-Internet pile-on (L.A. Times)

A couple of students were concerned that not enough care was given. Were others too absorbed in tweeting about the incident? Then the Internet enabled commenters to quickly repeat and embellish the news. USC students didn't move to help Bill Nye, the beloved science entertainer who collapsed right in front of them during a speech on campus. They just sat there, too busy texting and...Source : L.A. TimesExplore : Entertainment, Technology

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Google agrees to delete Street View data in Britain

Google has agreed to delete private emails and passwords mistakenly picked up from wireless networks in Britain by its Street View cars, the British information commissioner said Friday.

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Afilias Driving DNSSEC Across TLD Zones

Top-level domain operator Afilias is looking to broaden the spread of DNS Security Extensions across its portfolio of online real estate in an effort to secure core Internet architecture.

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HP Tops Q4 Earnings Projections

Computing giant tops Wall Street's expectations as it turns in its first balance sheet under the tenure of newly minted CEO Leo Apotheker.

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Windows at 25: What Brings the Next Generation?

A quarter century after its launch, Microsoft's Windows remains the dominant computing platform, but the next couple decades promise radical change.

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Richard Branson to Unveil iPad-Only Magazine Next Week

Virgin Group Chairman Richard Branson is set to unveil a new magazine built specifically as an app for the iPad at a press event on Tuesday in New York City.We first caught wind of the magazine in July. AdAge…

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Netflix expects video streaming to drown out DVDs

(AP) -- Netflix is preparing for the day when getting DVDs by mail is as old-fashioned as going to the video store.

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Cloud gaming means sky's the limit for any PC

OnLive and Gaikai at vanguard of latest innovation ? games run on server farms and streamed straight to usersPlayStations, Xboxes, high-spec PCs and computer games such as Call of Duty: Black Ops ? which made �412m in its first five days on sale this month ? will be under many Christmas trees this year.But gaming hardware ? and the selling of games in physical format ? could be made redundant by "cloud gaming", the latest innovation quietly gaining a foothold in the market as higher speed internet connections become standard.Services that allow games to be downloaded are already popular, but cloud gaming takes things further: it works by streaming games without having to buy expensive top-end computers or consoles. The games are run on huge server farms, rather than being rendered on the users' own PCs and so don't need powerful machines with fast graphics cards and quad-core processors that are needed to play sophisticated games offline.In the vanguard are firms such as OnLive, which launched its service in the US in June, giving owners of even the most basic netbooks and ageing computers the chance to play titles such as Batman: Arkham Asylum and Assassin's Creed II.Next month OnLive is launching a "micro-console" for $99 that plugs into a television and an internet connection, allowing users to stream games to their HD TVs rather than a computer.In the UK cloud gaming will be available next year to BT's internet customers after the company signed an exclusive deal with OnLive.Another US start-up, Gaikai is also offering a streaming games service. Its service allows games publishers to create and distribute playable clips of their latest games, making them available via gaming websites, mobile phones and social networking services. At this year's E3 game expo in Los Angeles, Gaikai demonstrated the hugely popular multiplayer game World of Warcraft running through Facebook.Gaikai founder David Perry said: "With one single click you could play Warcraft, which is a 14GB game. I mean, imagine, one minute you're playing FarmVille and the next you're playing Call of Duty."Cloud gaming is still in its infancy. The big console makers are not yet alarmed. Matt Martin, the editor of the games industry news site Gamesindustry.biz, said: "If you talk to the big TV manufacturers like Panasonic, they don't make any money on selling televisions. The margins are peanuts."But everyone else takes advantage of their technology being in the home to make money. So the TV manufacturers are now talking to OnLive and Gaikai about running these services straight through the televisions. This might get PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox sweating a little bit."However, cloud gaming does require a reliable high speed broadband connection. OnLive requires a persistent connection of about 5mb to allow gamers to play without significant lag. Most UK internet services have an average speed below that. Lag means a gap between pushing a button and an action taking place in the game ? no good for shoot 'em up or racing games requiring fast reactions. BT is investing �2.5bn to deliver high speed fibre-optic broadband to two-thirds of the UK by 2015.This timeframe could suit the games industry well. Big publishers such as EA, Activision and Ubisoft are watching the cloud gaming industry with interest but aren't yet ready to get involved."The industry is in a remarkable state of flux right now," said industry insider Rob Crossley. "We don't just have cloud gaming, we have social gaming, indie gaming, we have motion control. There's so much going on that people just aren't ready to think about another disruptive device."GamesCloud computingInternetKeith Stuartguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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Yahoo! Connected TV store to start selling widgets

Yahoo! on Thursday said it will let software makers sell programs known as widgets at a Connected TV store for televisions imbedded with the firm's Internet technology.

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The Google Holiday Update Conspiracy Theory

For the past few years, right before the prime 4th quarter holiday selling period, Google pushes out an update that causes an upheaval in the organic SERP’s. This has lead to talk of there being a Google Holiday Update Conspiracy, with the goals of making SEO look bad to drive up Adwords spending. Is there [...]This post originally came from Michael Gray who is an SEO Consultant. Be sure not to miss the Thesis Wordpress Theme review. The Google Holiday Update Conspiracy Theory

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Amazon lets gift-givers send Kindle books by email

Amazon.com on Friday began letting gift-givers send Kindle electronic books by email as the leading online shop positioned itself to cash in on the year-end holiday season.

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My book cull: a loss of shelf esteem | Stuart Walton

Disposing of my personal library was painful, in more ways than one. But do we really need such a space-consuming resource?Do books furnish a room, as Anthony Powell's Bagshaw insists? Or are they just a massive encumbrance?It's a painful question, but one I found myself pondering while moving house recently. By the time I'd sorted through what I definitely wanted to keep, and then rigorously sorted through again to whittle the pile down further, there were comfortably 2,000 books to be somehow disposed of.The conventional wisdom that charity shops will be glad of them can be laid to rest. Lurching in a loaded car between organisations collecting for everything from cancer to homelessness, we were welcomed about as readily as Typhoid Mary. Charity shops can sell clothes and the odd utensil, but nobody, we learned, really goes there to browse for books. Secondhand bookshops were thin on the ground, and anyway there wasn't time for anyone else to start sorting through them.The books were eventually packed into a battalion of supermarket trolleys outside the warehouse premises of a hospice charity, and even then there was much tutting and shaking of heads and fatalistic hoping that it wasn't going to rain. And really, you can see their point. How much critical theory can a hospice shop hope to sell?This is the first time in my life I've seen books ? my own books ? as unwanted junk. I always felt, as the old blues lyric had it, that I would rather go blind than see them walk away from me. But as we loaded them into the trolleys, some still emitting wisps of dust missed by the hasty wet-wiping, they came to seem like the obsessive-compulsive clutter of an unrepentant hoarder. Moments of stabbing nostalgia alternated with shafts of self-reproach (Scruton's Sexual Desire? What was I thinking?) ? I dithered pitifully for minutes with Finnegans Wake in my hands ? but the overall effect was one of laborious disburdening.What's the point of keeping most books once they've been read? They huddle together on the shelves and then, when shelf space runs out, they stand around in precarious columns on the floor, making fossil impressions on the carpet, doing nothing really more serious than bearing witness to what you've read in the past few decades. Do they speak to your visitors of your capacious literary appetite? Or do they just count as old friends, the rows of Nabokovs and Thomas Manns, standing protectively around you on permanent guard?According to one way of looking at the problem, a personal library is an enormous accumulation of books you don't want to read ? either because you once tried and failed, or because you've already read them and won't ever need to reread them. So what function are they actually serving? In past times, the library of a grand house was a domestic resource that contained a repository of knowledge that couldn't be stored in any other way. It was also somewhere your guests might find something with which to entertain themselves in the quiet times between talking and eating.These days, no such extravagantly space-consuming resource seems necessary. There will always be books to which one wants to refer back again and again, but what of most of the novels, biographies of minor figures, the tidal wave of critical theory? The answer is: they can go. Having served their moment, they can be shown the door. It's a brutally efficient new system ? buy, read, flog on Amazon Marketplace ? but it feels like a mid-life rite of passage. And before anyone says "ebooks", I spend enough time staring at screens already.I'm looking at a picture of interior designer Sallie Trout, who has fitted an awkward stairwell in her home with scattered bookshelves, which she accesses by means of a bosun's chair attached to a chain hoist hanging from the ceiling. She looks like she's dangling from a ski-lift stuck somewhere above Zermatt, gamely whiling the time till rescue by leafing through an illustrated book. The crazed ingenuity of it is at once impressive and preposterous. I'd really rather get rid.BooksellersHomesAmazon.comInternetStuart Waltonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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Solar Manufacturer to Establish Office in Austin, Texas

Expansion will create 450 jobs in the region.

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Chinese woman jailed over Twitter post

A Chinese woman has been sentenced to a year in a labour camp after she retweeted a Twitter post that mocked anti-Japanese protesters, according to human rights groups.

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Job Openings at Mashable and Other Great Companies

If you’re seeking a job in social media, we’d like to help out. For starters, Mashable’s Job Lists section gathers together all of our resource lists, how-tos and expert guides to help you get hired. In particular, you might…

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darkdragon-001 loved "Internet" on blippr

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Online dating scams seducing Americans: agency

The US government consumer protection agency warned Americans on Tuesday to be on the lookout for online dating scams.

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HOW TO: Boost Holiday Sales With Commonly Overlooked Marketing Strategies

Charles Wiedenhoft is the director of business planning and optimization for Red Door Interactive, a San Diego-based Internet presence management firm that manages clients’ online presence by analyzing their unique challenges, advising them on Internet-based solutions and implementing strategies to…

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Apple Takes Wraps Off iOS 4.2

New mobile operating system for iPad, iPhone includes support for AirPrint and AirPlay and more than 100 other new features.

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Acer Unveils 7-Inch and 10.1-Inch Android Tablets and a 4.8-Inch Smartphone [PICS]

Acer is placing its bets behind Android with the announcement of a 7-inch tablet, a 10.1-inch tablet and a 4.8-inch smartphone based off of Google’s mobile OS.The unnamed tablets sport 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity, an eye-popping 1280×800 screen resolution…

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Should I Keep My Maiden Name?

Many women are choosing to keep their maiden name after they get married. There are advantages and disadvantages to both choices, and it is a very personal decision. The more traditional step is when a woman takes her new husband's last name after marriage; however, many couples are making other choices, such as hyphenating the names, or even the man taking his new wife's last name. All...Should I Keep My Maiden Name?

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andrekakos liked "Internet" on blippr

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Satellite Internet Is Set For a Big Leap Forward in 2012 (Live Science)

Faster rates promised from next-generation satellite, making broadband available to more people.Source : Live ScienceExplore : Sciences, Technology

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No holiday e-mail break for Americans: survey

Americans will take a break from the office over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays but most won't stop checking their work emails, according to a survey released on Tuesday.

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Spotify could launch in US without major labels

Universal, Sony, Warner and EMI may not all be on board for American version of the music-streaming serviceSpotify is moving closer to a US launch for its music-streaming service, though it could reportedly be prepared to do so without having the four major record labels on board.People familiar with the company's negotiations with Universal, Sony, Warner and EMI ? it has been in discussions with EMI for more than a year ? told the Financial Times Spotify is considering launching in the US without having all four on board at launch.The company's accounts for 2009, filed only last week, paint a bleak picture with a net loss of �16m on revenues of �11.3m. The company's auditors, Ernst & Young, warned that "material uncertainty" could cast "significant doubt about the group's ability to continue".Spotify has expanded into seven European countries since its 2008 launch, though protracted negotiations with major US record labels have halted its ambition to expand into north America. In October, the music-streaming service said it had around 10 million users ? though only about 500,000 of these are paying for the premium offering.But now the European startup is likely to hasten to a US launch as its board grow impatient at the delay. Daniel Ek, Spotify's co-founder and chief executive, has previously said the service would have a US presence by November.A Spotify spokesman said: "2009 saw us focus on establishing a new and innovative music service and bringing it to millions of people across Europe. The groundwork laid in our launch year has been crucial to the significant achievements made in 2010. Further strengthening and expansion of the service remains our top priority."Spotify has risen to prominence across Europe as a legal alternative to free-at-the-point-of-access music. Users can download the Spotify application for free-to-listen-to music punctuated by occasional advertising, similar to commercial radio. It also offers a premium service where users pay for extra features such as a mobile app and offline streaming.This business model, which the company has said is fundamental to its attraction, lies at the heart of its wrangle with US record labels, which have failed to warm to the idea of free streaming. Spotify converts 5% to 7% of its free customers into subscribers, the Guardian understands.The company's report for 2009 shows it made �6.8m from subscriptions and �4.5m in advertising revenues. But Spotify's cost of goods, which includes licencing fees paid to record labels, reached �18m.Mark Mulligan, a music analyst at Forrester Research, estimated that the best case scenario for Spotify would be to convert 10% of its user base to paying customers. He said the company is "making great progress" but really needed to hit the 10% mark "before they can start patting themselves on the back"."Free music itself is never going to work as a business model while there is such a disparity between ad revenues and license fees. But the freemium model has solid merit," Mulligan added."More promising though is the subsidised model whereby music feels free to the customer but is in fact paid for by someone else, such as an ISP or phone company. That is the mass market way to square the circle of people not wanting to pay for music but record labels needing to be paid."Kieron Donoghue, founder of the Spotify-associated ShareMyPlaylists.com, said that the �4.5m advertising revenue for 2009 was "no mean feat" for a startup. The company's proportion of revenue from subscriptions ? 60% ? was a "huge testimony to the viability of the business model", Donoghue added."By taking their time and making sure they get the US launch right, they have done exactly the right thing. You only get one chance to launch in the US so they must make sure that they have got the right model in place before they do," he said.SpotifyInternetDigital music and audioDigital mediaMusic industryJosh Hallidayguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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Apple Announces Black Friday Sale

Apple has announced a special one-day shopping event on the day after Thanksgiving, also known as Black Friday, which falls on November 26 this year. No deals have been revealed at this point, but Apple promises “dozens of…

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HP Tops Q4 Earnings Projections

Computing giant tops Wall Street's expectations as it turns in its first balance sheet under the tenure of newly minted CEO Leo Apotheker.

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Internet Is Indian Youths? Favourite Pastime (WATblog)

Internet seems to have percolated deep into the mainland India. According to a Business Standard report, if one considers Indians in the age bracket of 12- 18 years, 65 % of them would prefer to choose internet over sports as their favorite pastime. Sports accounts for only 56%. In fact, 34% of them spend almost [...] Looking For A Social Media Agency'? TRY US!Source : WATblogExplore : Technology

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Chris M liked "Internet" on blippr

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iOS 4.2 Now Available, Brings Multitasking to iPad

The latest version of Apple’s mobile platform, iOS 4.2, is now available for the iPad, iPhone & iPod touch.This version is especially important for iPad owners, as it brings over 100 new features from the last three version…

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Amazon lets gift-givers send Kindle books by email

Amazon.com on Friday began letting gift-givers send Kindle electronic books by email as the leading online shop positioned itself to cash in on the year-end holiday season.

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Foursquare Boasts 4.5 Million Users, Opens West Coast Office

Location-based social network Foursquare announced Monday that it has registered more than 4.5 million users. To complement its growth, the startup has also opened an office in San Francisco.The reason? Foursquare is vying for engineer talent in the Bay…

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The New GreenGov Supply Chain Partnership

GSA launches small business greenhouse gas disclosure pilot program.

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The real cost of free: a response

Cory Doctorow and other advocates of giving work away for free as a promotional tool are defeatist about the future for creatorsTwo months ago I wrote a blog on "media gurus" who charge hefty fees for promoting "free" as a business model. The blog drew some pretty angry responses, with Guardian contributor Cory Doctorow posting a response, accusing me of not understanding how giving work away for free works as a promotional tool. I'd like to address some of the points he and other critics made.One argument against my stance was that there's no point in trying to prevent copying, as it's so easy to do ? and is only getting easier. It is so easy to violate the artist's choice, why bother respecting the rules that protect that choice? However, there are many things that are easy to do, yet are not legally or morally right ? for instance, posting anonymous threats saying you'd like to kill someone.Just because an illegal act is easier to commit on the web, in the comfort of an anonymous mob, than in the physical world where there is a greater likelihood of apprehension doesn't mean that our laws and ethics should somehow be suspended. Equally, it doesn't mean I believe in suing individuals for illegally downloading. And, in my experience, neither do the vast majority of record labels.Doctorow pointed out that numerous authors give away their work, while earning good money on the lecture circuit. I don't doubt that this model works for some authors, but there are fundamental differences between books and music.Producing a record ? as opposed to writing most books ? tends to be a team effort involving a producer (sometimes several of them) and songwriters who are not part of the act, studio engineers and a whole host of people who don't earn money from merchandise and touring ? people who no one would pay to make personal appearances.And the number of people involved in making a record is still dwarfed by the hundreds of people involved in making a movie. That's why directors and artists sign away some of their rights in return for investment. Independent label Beggars Group recently told me that they'd so far invested about �200,000 in Mercury prize winners The xx.Of course, record labels and artists have, for decades, chosen to give music away for free, as a marketing tool. But they tend to do it under controlled circumstances. Even Radiohead required fans to register before paying what they wanted for In Rainbows. Meanwhile, I'd question how good peer-to-peer sites are at promoting artists. The artist receives no data on who has downloaded their material, or where they're located (information that can help them plan tours or allocate other resources).Many songwriters and producers I know have been excited about getting their songs recorded, only to see it given away as a free digital download by the artist or label. Though it may help promote the artist it does nothing to promote these writers and producers, as downloads don't display any credits.Another argument used by proponents of the "free" business model is that record labels have mistreated artists for decades and so deserve to go out of business ? so to them I guess two wrongs make a right.I'm not denying that many labels have screwed their artists - I've frequently talked about that in my Behind the Music blogs. But why does that justify screwing the artist twice? There are now artists who are partners with their labels, or other investors, so that their career can be handled in a more transparent way ? often the artists even get to retain the ownership of their creations. Yet, for these investments to be made in recording, marketing and promoting the artist, as well as providing tour support for them, the investor will have to see a return on their investment.I signed my first publishing deal almost 10 years ago with BMG, who ended up being bought by Universal. Sure, I've had my issues with them through the years. Yet I don't regret signing with them as they provided me, an unproven songwriter, with the means to write music full time (I'm sure authors can relate) and develop my craft. They've even agreed to give the songs that haven't yet been covered back to me ? despite not having to, contractually.Doctorow's blog stated:"You know who peddles false hope to naive would-be artists? People who go around implying that but for all those internet pirates, there'd be full creative employment for all of us."I have never met anyone ? and I mean anyone ? who has ever said or implied that.He added that the majority of artists will never make a living from their music ? which is not news. It's a common misconception that artists demand to get paid for work that no one is interested in. They don't. But they do expect to get paid for work that millions are interested in.The average professional songwriter can write 50 songs in a year, of which a handful, possibly, might make it onto a commercial release. Of those, maybe one or two will be so successful that thousands, maybe even tens of thousands, of people will want to listen to them over and over again at their own leisure. They'd be the only songs the songwriter hopes to earn some sort of money from.Many of the "media gurus" mentioned in my previous blog advocate Creative Commons, a not-for-profit body set up, in part, by Lawrence Lessig, and part-sponsored by Google, according to the Creative Commons website. In theory, releasing digital works under a Creative Commons licence allows "non-commercial" sharing, replacing the concept of "all rights reserved" with "some rights reserved". To quote internet guru Tim O'Reilly, they appear to think that "obscurity is a far greater threat to authors and creative artists than piracy".For some creators, this could well be true. However, others would argue that the principle of CC licensing is simply to give creative works away for free in what Lessig calls the "hybrid economy". Giving away the works benefits the owners of the distribution platform, such as Flickr, YouTube or Google, not the individual creators licensing their works under Creative Commons. And there are other issues. For instance: what constitutes "non-commercial"? Selling YouTube for $1.65bn? Selling Flickr for $35m?While I believe licensing music has to become much more fluid, I don't think copyright in itself is the problem. Copyright hasn't been about copying since 1846, when it became much more sophisticated; it's about bringing a bundle of rights to market. All transmission technologies since electricity rely on a performance right of some kind.There are many tech companies that do see value in music and are excited about working in partnership with rights holders ? without requiring them to surrender any of their rights ? many of them run or founded by musicians. These are just some of the companies I've covered in my blogs: AWAL, PureSolo and We7 .I believe a successful future for content creators consists of a combination of solutions, one of them being unlimited ISP music subscriptions bundled in with their broadband access deals.I agree with technologist, musician and internet optimist Jaron Lanier that the concept of Web 2.0 is very pessimistic about human nature.In just a few years, we've seen incredible innovation in terms of delivering content in sophisticated ways, with new technology and rights holders working in partnership, and we've discovered that people are willing to pay for the really good ones ? and this is just the beginning. I believe it's detrimental to suggest that creators should be defeatist and not participate in this evolution ? that what they've created has no value so they may as well give it away.Charging for contentDigital mediaInternetHelienne Lindvallguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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Facebook founder's first website sold at auction

The FaceMash.com Web address that landed Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in trouble as a Harvard University student has sold at auction for slightly more than 30,000 dollars.

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China Probably Didn't Hijack the Internet on Purpose, Researcher Says (PC World)

A rerouting's "scattershot nature" supports an error, not sabotage, an Internet traffic monitoring firm suggests.Source : PC WorldExplore : Technology

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Fucking routers, how do they work? China and Internet scary stories (Poor Mojo Newswire)

China did not hijack 15% of the Net, counters researcher - ComputerworldTalk that China hijacked 15% of the Internet earlier this year is overblown, a researcher said today. "There's been some confusion over routing versus traffic," Craig Labovitz, chief scientist at Arbor Networks, said in an interview today. "While maybe 10% to 15% of the routes to other peers may have been diverted, a...Source : Poor Mojo NewswireExplore : Servers, Technology

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