Announcing Windows Vista SP1 Release Candidate (RC)  —  Today we’re making available the release candidate (RC) of Windows Vista SP1 via Microsoft Connect, and tomorrow subscribers to TechNet and MDSN will have access to those RC bits too.  In addition, the RC will be available to the public next week via Microsoft’s Download Center.

Source:   […]

Thoughts on Beacon  —  About a month ago, we released a new feature called Beacon to try to help people share information with their friends about things they do on the web.  We’ve made a lot of mistakes building this feature, but we’ve made even more with how we’ve handled them.

Source:   Facebook Blog
Author:   […]

Zuckerberg Lives, Is Sorry For Beacon  —  Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has finally come out from hiding after the two-week privacy donnybrook that ensued over the company’s marketing program Beacon.  Zuckerberg posted his response on the Facebook blog.  In short, he’s sorry.

Source:   WebProNews - Breaking eBusiness News
Author:   Jason Lee Miller
Link:   http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2007/12/05…

Blognation Meltdown: Writers Never Paid, Promises Not Kept  —  There’s big trouble over at the UK based BlogNation network today with US editor Oliver Starr resigning.  In a parting shot to network owner Sam Sethi, Starr alleges that he and other BlogNation writers have not been paid.

Source:   TechCrunch
Author:   Duncan Riley
Link:   http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/05/blognation…

Postal Rate Change to Wallop Netflix, Help BBI?  (NFLX)  —  Another reason for Netflix (NFLX) to hurry up and transition to a purely digital model: A potential postal rate change could cut the company’s operating income per subscriber by two-thirds, say Citi analysts Mark Mahaney and Tony Wible.

Source:   Silicon Alley Insider
Author:   Henry Blodget
Link: […]

Gmail messaging boost adds AIM to Google Talk  —  AOL’s instant messenger now plays nicely with Google’s  —  The popular Gmail service from Google is clearly a work in progress - it still carries the ‘beta’ tag after all - but that’s mainly because it keeps getting better, rather than that it isn’t finished.

Source:   […]

Cellphone could be boarding pass, too  —  Continental Airlines passengers in Houston will be able to board flights using just a cellphone or personal-digital assistant instead of a regular boarding pass in a three-month test program launched Tuesday at Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Source:   USA Today
Link:   http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/gear/2007-12-04…

Nielsen to Be Video Cop  —  For years, media and technology companies have been ensnarled in a battle over the rights to video posted online.  Now ratings giant Nielsen wants to be the policeman.  —  Nielsen is rolling out a new service that aims to ensure that video is distributed and viewed …

Source:   Wall […]

Free Universal Music Downloads on New Nokia Phones  —  Nokia, the telecommunications company, and the Universal Music Group, the recording company, said on Tuesday that they would offer unlimited free downloads of Universal songs to buyers of certain Nokia phones as a way to promote cellphones …

Source:   New York Times
Author:   Eric Pfanner
Link:   […]

Marc Orchant Updates and Information  —  This page is dedicated to providing information and updates concerning the status of my good friend and colleague, Marc Orchant.  —  As you know, Marc suffered a massive cardiac infarction on Sunday morning, December 2nd 2007.  My original post is copied below.

Source:   StarrTrek
Link:   http://owstarr.com/marc-orchant-updates-and…