Caroline McCarthy / CNET News.com:
FCC greenlights text message emergency alert system  —  The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved a plan on Thursday to team up with wireless carriers for emergency text message alerts.  —  Cellular service providers can opt into the new system, called the Commercial Mobile Alert System …

Eric Lempel / PlayStation.Blog:
Firmware (v.2.30) Details and Store Walkthrough  —  Hey Everyone!  We know you’re all patiently waiting for the next PS3 firmware update, ver. 2.30, which includes the revamped PLAYSTATION Store.  The good news is that it’s coming soon, and you can now see how the new user interface will look in this […]

Fred / A VC:
We Need A New Path To Liquidity  —  Watching all these machinations between Microsoft, Yahoo!, Google, AOL, News Corp/MySpace, and their ilk makes me sick.  They are playing around with Internet assets like they are toys.  And meanwhile the services we have come to rely on like Flickr …

Andrew Wallenstein / Hollywood Reporter:
Blockbuster eyes streaming to TVs  —  Apple TV is getting some competition from Blockbuster.  —  The home video giant is developing a set-top device for streaming films directly to TV sets and is expected to announce the offering sometime this month.  —  Blockbuster declined comment …

Duncan Riley / TechCrunch:
YouTube Updates Layout, Now With Tabs And Statistics  —  YouTube has quietly launch a new layout on video pages with a new tab focused layout and video statistics (pic above).  —  The first change in the consolidation of Share, Favorites, Playlists and Flag into a dedicated tab driven box.

Ryan Block / Engadget:
Engadget gets a new look and adds Switched to the family!  —  It’s been well over a year since our last big redesign, which in gadget time means our last design was unveiled circa original Walkman.  So we’re freshening up the whole joint — all seven sites — with a brand […]

Hugh Macleod / gapingvoid:
WHY I DELETED MY TWITTER ACCOUNT  —  It’s no big deal.  I liked Twitter.  But I found it too easy.  —  I think my time would be better spent drawing cartoons and writing books.  —  That’s just how I feel.

Economist:
Start making sense  —  Big and small companies are getting into the business of building an intelligent web of linked data  —  SOME new ideas take wing spontaneously.  Others struggle to be born.  The “semantic web” is definitely in the latter category.  But it may have found its midwife in Reuters, a business-information company.

Michael Arrington / TechCrunch:
Yahoo Goes Scorched Earth  —  What a day.  I can’t say neither side is throwing punches any longer in the epic fight over what’s left of Yahoo.  Microsoft and Yahoo are done, for the most part, with sternly worded letters.  —  Yesterday Yahoo made two announcements/leaks.

Michael Arrington / TechCrunch:
Meebo Can’t Get Their Price, Goes For Fundraising Instead Of Sale  —  Web chat startup Meebo has been working with investment bank Montgomery & Co. for the last few months to either find a buyer or raise a big new round of financing.  The rumor was they were looking for a […]