While you were sleeping, dreaming of the revolting British students, innovation was drinking tea out of a china cup–with its little finger stuck out.
1. First reviews of the iPad killer (if, indeed, death by Q-Tip is a viable way to die) are out and they’re mixed. Gizmodo’s Matt Buchanan calls it a “train wreck,” Pogue describes it as “gorgeous and costly” in the New York Times, and Walter Mossberg calls it the iPad’s first real rival–although he still prefers the Apple offering.
2. Contrary to reports earlier this week, Apple has not bought the wireless
headphone firm responsible for iMuffs. Gary Pundsack, Wi-Gear’s CEO, tells Macworld that the firm is still for sale. Commenting on the rumors, Pundsack said this. “Two words: I wish!” Meanwhile, SAI’s Dan Frommer has a cute theory that Amazon, currently embroiled in a pedophile book row, is keeping Apple TV off its sales rankings. One for the Apple conspiracy theorists, really.
3. Sad news at Google, following the amazing payout it gave its employees earlier this week. The Googler who leaked the news, an engineer, apparently, has been given the boot. Google, unsurprisingly, wouldn’t confirm this. The firm is also under investigation by a watchdog organization probing its White House links, following the closure of the FTC’s privacy inquiry. Andrew McLaughlin, the administration’s Deputy CTO, is a former Google employee.
4. Microsoft is infiltrating China. MSN China and Chinese portal Sina are partnering to give the Web-connected segment of the country’s 420 million people access to MSN and Windows Live services such as instant messaging and blogging. Users of Windows Live Spaces can transfer their blogs to the Sina portal, and updates on Sina’s microblogging service will by synced up to appear on Windows Live Messenger–Twitter is blocked in China.
5. And finally, anyone mourning the demise of ChatRoulette might be heartened to hear of Network Roulette, a site for people who want to find a job. Yes, that’s job, tout court. it works on the same premise as Andrey Ternovskiy’s balls-out creation, and is the brainchild of Brazen Careerist. There’s a launch party tonight, which anyone in Washington can go to in person, plus an online event. Next!
