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20 Sep 2009 10:29

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Tech: Whoa. Look at all those basic Amazon-branded cables

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  • We mean, we can understand why Amazon might want to get in the cable market. Or the CD-R market. But Amazon Basics seems like such a … basic … move. As long as they don’t make dozens of made-up brands like Radio Shack, we guess we’re OK with this. source

17 Sep 2009 21:43

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Music, Tech: iTunes should pay for the sam …

  • … ple, too, the music industry says. It doesn’t matter if 30-second samples are promotional AND fair use. The music industry wants Apple to pay performance fees. They say they’re not trying to gouge, though. “People think we’re making a fortune off the Web, but it’s a tiny amount,” says Songwriters’ Guild of America president Rick Carnes. “We need multiple revenue streams or this isn’t going to work.” Critics say that Apple’s getting picked on by these groups, who they accuse of double-dipping. source

21 Aug 2009 10:47

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Tech: Steve Jobs’ attempt to stop employee poaching was “likely illegal”

  • Your proposal that we agree that neither company will hire the other’s employees, regardless of the individual’s desires, is not only wrong, it is likely illegal.
  • Former Palm CEO Ed Colligan • Reportedly in a 2007 message between himself and Apple CEO Steve Jobs, where Jobs was suggesting a deal that would prevent the companies from poaching one another’s talent. At the time, Jobs was likely smarting from the loss of Jon Rubinstein, a former Apple exec who helped create the iPod, left for Palm, helped create the Pre, and then became Palm’s CEO. The exchange is sure to spark the ire of the Department of Justice. • source

29 Jul 2009 10:28

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Tech: Scientists say they’ve invented transparent aluminum. Kickin’ rad!

It was talked about in Star Trek, and now Oxford University geniuses have done it. X-ray lasers were used to create it – though it was fleeting. source

14 Jul 2009 10:21

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Tech: Microsoft might again offer a Windows upgrade companies don’t want

  • 59% of companies don’t plan to upgrade their machines source

27 May 2009 23:09

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Biz, U.S.: Need startup funding? Look no further than, uh, Kalamazoo

  • Silicon Valley’s drying up Despite the bevy of great ideas out there, one area can apparently handle so many great ideas, and venture capital in Silicon Valley is starting to dry up. And we’re in the Internet era, remember. You can be innovative anywhere!
  • Toledo’s giving grants Fortunately for startups willing to move their entire business to the Midwest, municipal governments are offering to give significant financial help. But those purses close if they’re not willing to invest in the community.
  • Rust belt tax breaksYou can guess why cities in Ohio and Michigan are so aggressive about getting tech companies in their cities – two good reasons, in fact, GM and Chrysler. Which is why they want startups to stick around. No fly-by-nights. source

13 May 2009 23:44

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Culture, Tech: Steve Jobs has probably never had a portrait this cool before

Steve Jobs as art
  • Dylan Roscover’s Apple fandom knows no bounds. In this type-driven treatment, using classic Apple typefaces, Roscover looks back on Apple’s “Here’s to the crazy ones” ad campaign. source
 

16 Apr 2009 23:05

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Tech: Well, that’s spiffy: Google is still freakin’ profitable

  • 8.9% increase in 1st-quarter profits for the super-geniuses source

03 Apr 2009 15:49

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Tech: Why we currently have an unhealthy mancrush on Kevin Rose

02 Apr 2009 10:25

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Tech: Yo, back off bosses! Surfing Facebook is really productive!

  • In fact, it’s 9% moreso than not, says a new study. A new study that compares workers who use the Internet for personal reasons and those that don’t finds that those surfing MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and other sites unrelated to the job are actually more productive. We’re so gonna test this today. source