The Next Google Search Challenger: Blekko  —  Rich Skrenta, who created the first computer virus (Elk Cloner), co-founded the Open Directory Project, and co-founded online news site Topix, may have bitten off the biggest challenge of his career - taking on Google.  In search.  —  Skrenta left Topix last June.

Source:   TechCrunch
Author:   Michael Arrington
Link: […]

Netflix Partners with LG to Bring Movies Straight to TV  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Netflix, the DVD-by-mail company with more than seven million customers, has a new strategy that may one day make those red envelopes obsolete.  —  The company wants to strike deals with electronics companies …

Source:   New York Times
Author:   Brad Stone
Link: […]

Plaxo’s For Sale  —  Plaxo, the Sequoia-backed start that transformed itself from a hated spam monster into a mild mannered and interesting business social network, has started a sale process according to a source.  They’ve hired an investment bank, Revolution Partners, who are spearheading the sale effort.

Source:   TechCrunch
Author:   Michael Arrington
Link:   http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/01/02/plaxos-for-sale/

Sears: Come see the softer side of spyware  —  Sears and Kmart are places you might go when you need a new air conditioner filter or a lawnmower; they’re not generally thought of as havens for spyware.  But that’s what the two stores have become, at least online, where their websites were found …

Source:   […]

Jay-Z launching record label with Apple  —  This one’s been floating around like a hot air balloon, but we’ve just about confirmed it.  For those that don’t know, Jay-Z left Def Jam as President last month, and everyone’s been talking about where he’s heading.

Source:   The Boy Genius Report
Author:   The Boy Genius
Link:   http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/01/02/jay-z…

Twitter’s Business Model  —  I woke up this morning and found a twitter message on my phone from chris herbert pointing me to this discussion of twitter’s business model on techmeme  —  That’s the tiny url that chris sent me.  I hope it works.  I’m still limited to my blackberry for internet here on the […]

Wikia Search to offer first peek next week  —  Wikia Search, a community-driven search engine, will get its first public preview on Monday, according to co-founder Jimmy Wales.  —  In an e-mail sent to the Wikia Search mailing list on December 24, Wales wrote that he aims to make the initial version …

Source:   CNET […]

New Apple notebook spotted, we told you so  —  The above photo may be the work of a PS junkie or it may just be the real thing.  In any case, the rumor mill is abuzz surrounding Macworld.  This time around it’s all coming back to the purported multi-touch trackpad we told you about during […]

Web-only album ‘mad’, says Yorke  —  Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke has said releasing latest album In Rainbows solely on the internet would have been “stark raving mad”.  —  Yorke told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that 80% of people still buy physical releases and it was important for the band to have “an object”.

Source:   […]

Cooking.com Takes Out A $7 Million Loan  —  Is it me, or are we seeing a lot more venture finance deals these days?  Web 1.0 holdover Cooking.com is the latest to jump on this bandwagon.  It just took out a $7 million loan from ORIX Venture Finance.  The ten-year-old dotcom …

Source:   TechCrunch
Author:   Erick […]