David Chartier / Ars Technica:
First look: iPhone OS loses beta feel with 2.1 update  —  We’re back after updating to iPhone OS 2.1, and we’re happy to report that the install process went well.  Really well, actually.  Now that we’ve had some time to play with the new features and fixes, we have some […]

Dean Takahashi / VentureBeat:
Microsoft fires game test contractor who talked to VentureBeat  —  Robert Delaware was the only named Microsoft worker (a contract employee) who talked — without permission — to VentureBeat for our story last week on the Xbox 360 defects.  —  Microsoft had him fired on Wednesday.

Stephen Shankland / CNET News:
Yahoo Open: Finally, a real answer to Google  —  SUNNYVALE, Calif.—On Friday, 300 programmers will descend upon Sunnyvale, Calif., to plant the seeds of what Yahoo hopes will be an answer to Google’s Internet might.  —  The event is called Open Hack Day 2008, and at it the coders … […]

Gina Keating / Reuters:
Media Group to Create Digital Video ‘Ecosystem’  —  A group of major media industry companies called the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem that includes Best Buy, Cisco Systems, Comcast and HP will share details of its interoperability and media usage rights plan at the Consumer Electronics Show.

Almerica Blog:
Podcaster rejeceted because it duplicates iTunes functionality  —  Today I finally got a reply from Apple about the status of Podcaster.  —  Apple Rep says: Since Podcaster assists in the distribution of podcasts, it duplicates the functionality of the Podcast section of iTunes.

Frank Caron / Ars Technica:
Amazon temporarily gags Spore critics, deletes and restores all customer reviews  —  Spore may have been a long-awaited title, but publisher EA surely didn’t expect the most talked-about aspect of the game to be its DRM.  Alas, now it seems that all the protest from angry gamers …

Aaron Ricadela / Business Week:
End Runs Around Vista  —  The operating system is turning off users, so HP and others are trying to capitalize on its weakness  —  The ecosystem that Microsoft (MSFT) has built up around its Windows operating system is showing signs of strain.  In one of several recent moves by partners […]

Danny Sullivan / Search Engine Land:
Yahoo: How Open When You Compete With Others?  —  Yahoo had a press day yesterday designed in part to pump up the media about the company’s prospects and progress post the Microsoft-fiasco.  As someone who’s been positive about Yahoo, I oddly found the day leaving me less reassured, not […]

Chris Flores / Windows Vista Team Blog:
What’s up with those ads?  —  As I did previously, I’m posting this on behalf of my colleague David Webster.  —  Since my last post here as a guest blogger a few weeks back was to give you some context on the Mojave Experiment, I figured I should […]

Michael Arrington / TechCrunch:
Bill Gates/Jerry Seinfeld Commercial #2: I Remain Confused  —  I’m starting to feel bad for Microsoft PR, who’ve been tasked with defending these Microsoft ads featuring Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld.  I just didn’t connect with the first ad, which barely mentioned Microsoft and didn’t do much to tell …