Seeking The Next Rovio, Microsoft, Nokia Commit Up To $24 Million Into A New Push To Get Apps On Windows Phone - also the best of the web

I've been warming up for a thorough examination of the most interesting links of the day. We'll be talking about Microsoft, Intel and Facebook.

Microsoft: http://Microsoft.com

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First things first, let's see who's been talking about Microsoft? It was techcrunch.com with their write-up entitled Seeking The Next Rovio, Microsoft, Nokia Commit Up To $24 Million Into A New Push To Get Apps On Windows Phone.

What did they point out about Microsoft? They said:

Now it looks like Microsoft and its biggest partner, Nokia, are taking some steps to make sure that they have better control over how that story develops in the future - on Nokia's home turf, at least. Today the two announced that they are each putting in up to 9 million (around $12 million) into a new mobile apps development program at Finland's Aalto University called AppCampus - aimed specifically at funding new apps for the Windows Phone platform, but also some of the legacy platforms that Nokia still users, such as Symbian and Series 40

and went on to say

The program will start in May 2012, and in addition to the funding from Microsoft and Nokia, "Aalto University will make a significant contribution to the project by providing premises, coaching services, and access to both academic and business networks for budding app developers," they say in a statement

Intel: http://Intel.com

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Next it's a site that's been writing about Intel - Intel Extends Semiconductor Lead Over Samsung: IHS.

They wrote:

Intel saw its share of the worldwide semiconductor market surge in 2011 to its highest level in more than 10 years, a jump propelled by demand for its core PC and server chips and flash memory as well as the revenue gained by its $1.4 billion acquisition of Infineon Technologies mobile chip business, according to numbers released March 26 by IHS iSuppli

... OK ...

Intel grew its market share to 15.6 percent, a 2.5 percent increase, and put at least a temporary stop to the push by Samsung Electronics, which had been chipping away at Intels lead over the past couple of years. Samsungs market share stayed at 9.2 percent, part of an up-and-down showing for manufacturers who use chip designs from ARM Holdings.

Facebook: http://facebook.com

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To finish it's Senators Ask Feds to Probe Requests for Facebook Passwords During Job Interviews from techland.time.com, focussing on Facebook. They had some interesting points to make, particularly

Troubled by reports of the practice, Democratic Sens

and

Chuck Schumer of New York and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said they are calling on the Department of Justice and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to launch investigations. The senators are sending letters to the heads of the agencies

How The Big G 'Handles' SEO: My Beef With Matt Cutts - and my other links of the day

National Collegiate Athletic Association: http://ncaa.com (sports)

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It's the perfect time for another links roundup. We'll be talking about Google, Microsoft and National Collegiate Athletic Association

Google: also known as The Big G

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First things first, who has been writing about Google? It was searchenginewatch.com who wrote an article called How Google 'Handles' SEO: My Beef With Matt Cutts.

What did they point out about Google? Well...:

I'm sure that most of you know or have heard of Matt Cutts at Google

and went on to say

For those who don't, Cutts is the head of the web Spam team at Google. That is to say, Cutts works diligently to ensure that Google's search results are good and he polices efforts by folks who try to (overtly) manipulate Google's results through overly aggressive search engine optimization (SEO) tactics

Microsoft: http://Microsoft.com

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Next up it's a site that's been talking about Microsoft - Seeking The Next Rovio, Microsoft, Nokia Commit Up To $24 Million Into A New Push To Get Apps On Windows Phone.

They said:

Now it looks like Microsoft and its biggest partner, Nokia, are taking some steps to make sure that they have better control over how that story develops in the future - on Nokia's home turf, at least. Today the two announced that they are each putting in up to 9 million (around $12 million) into a new mobile apps development program at Finland's Aalto University called AppCampus - aimed specifically at funding new apps for the Windows Phone platform, but also some of the legacy platforms that Nokia still users, such as Symbian and Series 40

... OK ...

The program will start in May 2012, and in addition to the funding from Microsoft and Nokia, "Aalto University will make a significant contribution to the project by providing premises, coaching services, and access to both academic and business networks for budding app developers," they say in a statement

To finish we have Ohio State Tops Syracuse, 77-70, To Reach Final Four In NCAA Tournament from www.huffingtonpost.com, focussing on NCAA. They made a few good points, particularly

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 24: Jared Sullinger #0 of the Ohio State Buckeyes reacts against the Syracuse Orange during 2012 NCAA East Regional Final.BOSTON - Ohio State coach Thad Matta sized up his team in the middle of the season and had it figured for a first-weekend loss when the NCAA tournament came around

and

The school also revealed this month that it had self-reported possible violations of its internal drug policy by members of previous teams; the NCAA is investigating.

The Big G Says Panda 3.4 Is 'Rolling Out Now' - with links of the day

So, it's time for a look at most significant links of the day. We'll be talking about Google, Facebook and Twitter.

Right, who's been talking about Google? It was searchengineland.com who wrote an article called Google Says Panda 3.4 Is 'Rolling Out Now'.

Google: also known as The Big G

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What did they point out about Google? They said:

Google has announced the latest in its ongoing updates to the Panda algorithm that targets low-quality websites

and went on to say

I'm calling this Panda update 3.4 primarily because we don't know how substantial the update really is beyond the 140 characters that Google tweeted. We may update the headline later to call this 3.5 or possibly 4.0 if we learn more and a renaming is in order.

Facebook: http://facebook.com

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Next up we have a site that's been writing about Facebook - Facebook Pushes Back Against Employers Wanting Passwords.

They wrote:

Facebook,perhaps anxious to avoid public controversy as it prepares for a much-publicizedinitial public offering, is moving to squelch a widely reported practice ofemployers asking job applicants for their Facebook passwords

... right ...

If you are aFacebook user, you should never have to share your password, let anyone accessyour account, or do anything that might jeopardize the security of your accountor violate the privacy of your friends, Erin Egan, Facebooks chief privacyofficer, wrote in a March 23 note. As a user, you shouldnt be forced to shareyour private information and communications just to get a job.

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com

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To finish it's 11 Hilarious 'Mad Men' Parody Twitter Accounts from mashable.com, focussing on Twitter. They made a number of good points, particularly

11 Mad Men Parody Accounts on Twitter View As One Page View As Slideshow The creative director for the Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce (SCDP) advertising agency attends events like SXSW, where he looks for pay phones amidst a sea of smartphones

and

On her Twitter, SCDP copywriter Peggy Olson discourages silly secretaries and office laziness.

Sure Pinterest is Hot, but is it the Next Facebook? - also the best of the web

I've been warming up for a thorough examination of the most significant links of the day. I've found some interesting links on Facebook, National Labor Relations Board and Twitter.

Facebook: http://facebook.com

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So, who has been talking about Facebook? It was www.marketingpilgrim.com who wrote an article called Sure Pinterest is Hot, but is it the Next Facebook?.

What did they say about Facebook? Well...:

But is it powerful enough to become the next Facebook?

and went on to say

Pinterest is the internet version of a box of chocolates. Got that

National Labor Relations Board: http://nlrb.gov

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Next up we have a site that's been writing about National Labor Relations Board - Labor Board Member Shared Insider Secrets, Inspector General Says.

They wrote:

Terence Flynn, President Barack Obama's recess appointee to the National Labor Relations Board, violated ethics rules, the board's inspector general said.WASHINGTON -- An inspector general's investigation has found that a recent appointee to the National Labor Relations Board violated the agency's ethical code by sharing sensitive information with outside lawyers, documents released Friday show

... OK ...

Terence Flynn, now a Republican member of the National Labor Relations Board, passed along "the most confidential of Agency information" while serving as agency counsel last year, the report by the labor board's inspector general said. President Barack Obama named Flynn with a recess appointment in January to the labor board, the agency tasked with enforcing labor law on businesses and unions. Prior to that, he was chief counsel to former Republican board member Brian Hayes.

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com

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Last but not least it's Limbaugh Spokesman Hits Media Matters Over Boycott from www.webpronews.com, focussing on Twitter. They made a few good points, particularly

They distribute target lists of advertiser phone numbers, email addresses, Facebook links and Twitter handles, and then they come out of nowhere, en masse, against selected advertisers in rotation

and

These Media Matters mobs bear a simple message: Renounce our enemies or become one of them. . They barrage small business with threats until they cancel their advertising

Google's Amazon Rainforest Street View Is Ready For You To Explore - with the best links of the day

It's the perfect time for a thorough examination of the most interesting links of the day. I've dug up stuff on Google, Microsoft and Nvidia.

Google: also known as The Big G

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OK, let's see who's been talking about Google? It was techcrunch.com who wrote an article called Google's Amazon Rainforest Street View Is Ready For You To Explore.

What did they point out about Google? They said:

Back in August, Google announced that it was teaming up with nonprofit Foundation for a Sustainable Amazon to map a small section of the massive Rio Negro river (tributary of the Amazon) near Manaus

and went on to say

As expected, it took quite a while, but the results are now available for you to play with

Microsoft: http://Microsoft.com

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Next up we have a site that's been writing about Microsoft - Microsoft's Windows 8 Could Spike PC Market: IDC.

They wrote:

Microsoft mayhave engineered Windows 8 to work on tablets, but it will still need sales ofthe upcoming operating system on traditional PCs if it wants to maintain theWindows divisions profits and margins

... right ...

2012 and 2013will bring significant changes for Microsoft and the PC community, Jay Chou,an analyst with IDC, wrote in a March 20 research note. Windows 8 and Ultrabooksare a definitive step in the right direction to recapturing the relevance of thePC, but its promise of meshing a tablet experience with a PC body will likelyentail a period of trial and error, thus the market will likely see modestgrowth in the near term.

Finally it's NVIDIA Geforce GTX 680 Review Roundup: Faster, Cooler and Quieter from techland.time.com, focussing on Nvidia. They made a few good points, particularly

Let's start with AnandTech, my personal favorite (arguably the most thorough of the deep-dive tech portals)

and

this has ended up being a launch not quite like any other. With GTX 280, GTX 480, and GTX 580 we discussed how thanks to NVIDIA's big die strategy they had superior performance, but also higher power consumption and a higher cost. To that extent this is a very different launch -the GTX 680 is faster, cooler, and quieter than the Radeon HD 7970. NVIDIA has landed the technical trifecta, and to top it off they've priced it comfortably below the competition.

Apple Inc. to Pass Intel as World's Top Processor Company: Report - also the best of the web

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com

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I've been warming up for the next links roundup. I've found some interesting links on Apple Inc. Intel and Twitter.

To kick it off, who's been talking about Apple? It was www.eweek.com with their write-up entitled Apple to Pass Intel as World's Top Processor Company: Report.

What did they point out about Apple? Well...:

Apple is ontrack to overtake Intel as the world's top mobile processor company, researchfirm In-Stat is expected to announce in an upcoming report, according to Infoworld

and went on to say

Apple uses itsproprietary information in building the A4, A5 and A5X processors used in itsiPhones and iPadsor rather, provides the brains to the brawn of Samsung's foundry, atleast in some cases. PCs are now Intel's major domain; but with global PCshipmentsseeing sub-2-percent growth last year, while smartphone salessoar and tablet sales remain on a track to overshoot PC sales, Apple couldhandily beat out Intel.

Intel: http://Intel.com

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Next up it's a site that's been writing about Intel - Tech Advances Could Result In More Open Government.

They wrote:

Writing in the International Journal of Intellectual Property Management, Mohamed Chawki of the Center for Terrorism Law at St. Mary's University, in San Antonio, Texas, argues that current laws regulating transparency in the USA inherently assume that the disclosure of information can inform the public, stymie government operations or create great harm

... OK ...

Legislation is meant to balance the disclosure of information for the public good against putative harmful effects. However, who is to determine what is a good and what is a bad effect?

Finally we have Twitter Says It Has 140 Million Users from mashable.com, focussing on Twitter. They made a number of good points, particularly

Twitter celebrated its sixth birthday on Wednesday by dropping an impressive stat: The network now claims 140 million active users

and

In a blog post feting the event, the company also boasted that its network sees 340 million tweets a day. "That's more than 1 billion every three days," the post reads. "However concisely, it turns out there's plenty to say."

The Big G Signals First Day of Spring With Marimekko Doodles - plus my selection of links for the day

So, it's time for another links roundup. We'll be talking about Google, Sony and Fujitsu.

Google: also known as The Big G

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So, who's been discussing Google? It was www.eweek.com who wrote an article called Google Signals First Day of Spring With Marimekko Doodles.

What did they point out about Google? Well...:

Google is celebrating the change of seasons around the globe today with Marimekko designed First Day of Spring and Fall doodles

and went on to say

Today, March 20, 2012, the vernal equinox in the Northern hemisphere marks the arrival of spring, while in the Southern hemisphere, the equinox welcomes fall. 2012 marks a year, when Marimekko's hometown of Helsinki sits at the forefront of the worldwide design discussion. The logos are the first international Google doodles that are created by a Finnish designer.

Next we have a site that's also been writing about Google - Google Doodle Marks Spring Equinox with Logo by Finnish Fashion House.

They wrote:

Google marked the first day of spring 2012 by transforming their search homepage logo to a colorful animal and floral motif

... sounds interesting ...

The design, by Finnish fashion design house Marimekko, features a pink zebra possibly wearing Wellingtons (as observed by one British user, who shall remain nameless)

Sony: http://Sony.net

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Finally we have Can Sony Win Again? from technorati.com, focussing on Sony. Good stuff from them, particularly

There s a great video report by Reuters on how Sony lost its cool

and

The question is: Can it get it back again?