Walter S. Mossberg / Personal Technology:
The CLIQ, Storm2 Join Long Parade of iPhone Threats  —  It’s raining smart phones.  No, make that super-smart phones, the type of hand-held computer, like Apple’s iPhone or the models powered by Google’s Android software, that browse the Web well, have sophisticated communication functions …

AppleInsider:
Mac sales grow 11.8% as Apple takes 9.4% U.S. market share  —  Mac sales saw double-digit growth in the third quarter of 2009, maintaining Apple’s position as the fourth-largest U.S. PC manufacturer, according to new data released Wednesday from IDC.  —  Overall, Apple came in fourth for U.S. vendors …

Mark Wilson / Gizmodo:
Walmart Offering $45 Unlimited Cellphone Plan Nationwide  —  Walmart has been beta testing their exclusive Straight Talk no-contract wireless service for months, but now the retailer will offer two low-cost wireless plans nationwide starting October 18th, including an unlimited plan for just $45.

Philip Elmer-DeWitt / Brainstorm Tech:
Is Steve Jobs more popular than Jesus?  —  Apple’s CEO tops two polls in one week.  Will no one rid us of these meddlesome lists?  —  Photo: Apple Inc.  —  Last Thursday, Oct. 8, an Agenda Setters panel named Steve Jobs the most influential individual in the global technology industry […]

Ben Sillis / Electricpig.co.uk:
Acer Android smartphone hands-on!  —  UPDATE: The Acer Android smartphone is the A1, and it comes with Android version 1.6 - AKA Donut.  Acer’s talking about it right now at its London prezzer, so more details to come.  —  UPDATE 2: Acer’s dancing to two different tunes here.

MG Siegler / TechCrunch:
Striving For Four Billion Mobile Users, Twitter Strikes SMS Deal With Largest Indian Carrier  —  In the U.S., many of us use Twitter through its website or through a third-party client that uses its APIs.  But an original key to Twitter, and one that remains very important to reaching the widest […]

Emil Protalinski / Ars Technica:
Sneak peek: Family Guy meets Windows 7  —  Microsoft has teamed up with Fox to deliver a 30-minute Family Guy comedy special on November 8.  Yes, you read that right: Seth MacFarlane and Alex Borstein have been tapped to market Windows 7, and we’ve got the sneak peek.

Robin Wauters / TechCrunch:
Applause For Finland: First Country To Make Broadband Access A Legal Right  —  Kudos to the Finnish government, which has just introduced laws guaranteeing broadband access to every person living in Finland (5.5 million people, give or take).  —  This is reportedly a first worldwide.

Ross Miller / Engadget:
Acer’s 11.6-inch Timeline 1810T gets ceremonious christening, Oct. 22nd launch date  —  We swear we’ve seen this before at least a couple of times, but ask Acer and the 11.6-inch Timeline AS1810TZ is a brand new, LED-backlit and Windows 7-packing ultraportable with a full-sized keyboard …

The Anti LumberJack / Gizmodo:
Barnes and Noble’s E-Reader Like a Kindle/iPhone Chimera: First Photos and Details  —  Barnes and Noble’s late to e-books.  But the company’s new gadget—first seen here—should address the weaknesses of all other readers with multiple screens, each playing to tech strengths.