Erick Schonfeld / TechCrunch:
Google Backers Back Aster Data Systems.  It’s All About The Clusters.  —  Clusters are the way to go.  Google and Yahoo run their Websites on distributed databases spread across vast clusters of servers.  Now Aster Data Systems, a startup that is coming out of stealth mode today …

Jesusdiaz / Gizmodo:
iPhone 3G Launch Date Confirmed  —  We all suspected it, but now it is confirmed: sources close to the 3G iPhone launch have told Gizmodo that Apple will announce their new model at the WWDC Keynote on June 9th.  The second-generation iPhone will be available worldwide right after the launch …

Richard Ford / Times of London:
‘Big Brother’ database for phones and e-mails  —  A massive government database holding details of every phone call, e-mail and time spent on the internet by the public is being planned as part of the fight against crime and terrorism.  Internet service providers (ISPs) …

investor.napster.com:
Napster Launches World’s Largest MP3 Store Featuring 6 Million Tracks  —  Songs Purchased at Napster Now Compatible With iPod and iPhone  —  Napster (Nasdaq:NAPS), the pioneer of digital music, today announced the launch of the world’s largest and most comprehensive MP3 store at www.napster.com/store.

Danny Dumas / Gadget Lab:
Review: Roku Netflix Set Top Box is Just Shy of Totally Amazing  —  Netflix Player by Roku  —  Yeah, yeah, yeah, we’ve heard this all before, right?  For years now, everyone from computer companies like Apple to OS companies like Microsoft to content providers like NBC have been trying … […]

Stephen Shankland / CNET News.com:
Google execs stew over Microsoft response  —  Google’s top brass are meeting Monday to figure out a response to how Microsoft’s new overtures toward Yahoo affect Google’s potential ad deal with Yahoo.  —  Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt, speaking to reporters at a Google Zeitgeist event in the U.K. … […]

Jasmine France / CNET News.com:
Now at Napster: 6 million DRM-free MP3s  —  Probably the biggest piece of digital music news to come out of CES 2008 was that Napster was planning to offer its complete catalog of more than 6 million tracks in the unprotected MP3 format.  —  On Tuesday, with the launch of […]

Jasmine France / CNET News.com:
6 million DRM-free MP3s now at Napster  —  Probably the most exciting piece of digital music news to come out of CES 2008 was that Napster was planning on offering its complete catalog of more than 6 million tracks in the unprotected MP3 format.  Today, with the launch of version […]

Marissa Mayer / Official Google Blog:
A peek into our search factory  —  Today we hosted an informal gathering — a factory tour of sorts — to offer a glimpse into what we think is most exciting about search, and where innovation is most likely to come from.  We also gave an update on Google […]

John P. Falcone / CNET News.com:
Look out, Apple TV: The $100 Netflix Player has arrived  —  The Netflix box is finally a reality.  —  The Netflix Player by Roku is the first product that allows subscribers to have movies and TV shows from the service’s Instant Viewing feature (aka “Watch Now”) to be streamed […]