Morning Xtra: Apple to Stay With AT&T, 'Doonesbury' Lampoons Twitter
Cyber Gang Controls Giant Botnet
IT World is reporting that cybercriminals have built a huge 'botnet' out of nearly 2 million hacked computers around the world -- and that said botnet is being controlled by a gang of just six people. According to security firm Finjan, the botnet, which could be used to attack Web sites and steal information, is being run from a server in the Ukraine, and almost half of the exploited computers are located in the United States. Law enforcement around the globe are working to stop the gang, so stay tuned for updates as this story develops. [From: IT World]
No Plans for iPhone to Leave AT&T
Alongside announcements quelling rumors of an Apple netbook, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that the company has no plans to discontinue AT&T's exclusive U.S. iPhone contract, calling the company the "best wireless provider in the U.S." If you've been waiting for a Verizon or T-Mobile version of the iPhone, then it looks like you may be in for a long haul. Although there has been speculation that AT&T's iPhone contract with Apple will expire in 2010, it looks like those rumors are going the way of the Apple netbook rumors. Going, going, gone, that is. [From: Wired]
'Doonesbury' Creator Lampoons Twitter-Obsessed Journalists
Garry Trudeau has found a new medium for broadcasting his satire of journalism: Twitter. Since March, Trudeau has been tweeting as the fictitious Roland Hedley, the idiotic, self-obsessed Fox News reporter from Trudeau's comic strip 'Doonesbury.' His posts are intended to satirize the professional journalists caught up in the Twitter craze who view Twitter, according to Trudeau, as a "personal broadcast system." Alissa Krinsky of WebNewser sat down with Trudeau to discuss the journalists' Twitter obsession. Check out the full interview here. [From: MediaBistro]
Peugeot's Three-Wheeled, Electric Futurecar
French car manufacturer Peugeot asked participants in its annual design competition to "imagine the Peugeot in the worldwide megalopolis of tomorrow." Colombian engineer Carlos Arturo Torres Tovar's one-seat, electric, spaceship-on-three-wheels prototype was declared the winner. His futuristic design became reality when it was made into a concept car for the Shanghai Motor Show. Scope out more photos and video at Autoblog. [From: Autoblog]
Trade in Your Warner Bros HD-DVDs for Blu-ray Versions
There was once a raging battle for the high-definition-video-disc crown between Blu-ray and HD-DVD. Many early adopters bought into the HD-DVD format, only to watch their expensive hardware and small library of discs turn to junk when Blu-ray was declared the winner. Still, you may be able to squeeze some value out of those HD-DVDs you have lying around; Warner Brothers just announced a trade-in program that allows you to send in the insert from a Warner Bros HD-DVD package (not even the disc itself!), along with $4.95, and receive a shiny, new Blu-Ray disc of the same title. Check out the details at www.red2blu.com. [From: Ain't It Cool News]
Andy Milonakis Twitter Rap
It had to happen. Comedian Andy Milonakis has blessed the world with the best (if not the first) rap about the Twitter life. Our favorite line: (While shopping at Trader Joe's) "Free Mac-N-Cheese samples... hey, let me Twitter that...yo, my baby needs Pampers...hey, let me Twitter that." Get your laugh on this morning and check out the video, here. [From: Buzzfeed]
No Netbooks for Apple
Many Apple enthusiasts have been wondering why the company has failed to introduce a Mac netbook. After all, the ultra-portable notebooks are revolutionizing the PC industry, so why isn't Apple jumping on the bandwagon? Well, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook, it's because netbooks suck. In a conversation with Venture Beat, Cook claimed that the "cracked keyboards, terrible software, junky hardware, [and the] very small screens" found on most netbooks add up to a bad user experience, which, according to Cook, is decidedly un-Apple. Although this pretty much rules out an Apple netbook in the near future, rumors started by a Wall Street Journal report point to a future Apple device that would essentially constitute a cross between an iPhone and a Macbook -- the oft-dreamed-about Apple tablet. We'll have to wait and see. [From: Venture Beat]
Maureen Dowd Grills Twitter Founders
New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd recently sat down with Twitter co-founders Biz Stone and Evan Williams. Obviously, Dowd is not a fan of micro-blogging, and she pops off one zinger after another. Our favorite part? When she asks Biz Stone, "Was there anything in your childhood that led you to want to destroy civilization as we know it?" Ouch! Check out the interview, scathing criticism included, here. [From: The New York Times]
French car manufacturer Peugeot asked participants in its annual design competition to "imagine the Peugeot in the worldwide megalopolis of tomorrow." Colombian engineer Carlos Arturo Torres Tovar's one-seat, electric, spaceship-on-three-wheels prototype was declared the winner. His futuristic design became reality when it was made into a concept car for the Shanghai Motor Show. Scope out more photos and video at Autoblog. [From: Autoblog]
Trade in Your Warner Bros HD-DVDs for Blu-ray Versions
There was once a raging battle for the high-definition-video-disc crown between Blu-ray and HD-DVD. Many early adopters bought into the HD-DVD format, only to watch their expensive hardware and small library of discs turn to junk when Blu-ray was declared the winner. Still, you may be able to squeeze some value out of those HD-DVDs you have lying around; Warner Brothers just announced a trade-in program that allows you to send in the insert from a Warner Bros HD-DVD package (not even the disc itself!), along with $4.95, and receive a shiny, new Blu-Ray disc of the same title. Check out the details at www.red2blu.com. [From: Ain't It Cool News]
Andy Milonakis Twitter Rap
It had to happen. Comedian Andy Milonakis has blessed the world with the best (if not the first) rap about the Twitter life. Our favorite line: (While shopping at Trader Joe's) "Free Mac-N-Cheese samples... hey, let me Twitter that...yo, my baby needs Pampers...hey, let me Twitter that." Get your laugh on this morning and check out the video, here. [From: Buzzfeed]
No Netbooks for Apple
Many Apple enthusiasts have been wondering why the company has failed to introduce a Mac netbook. After all, the ultra-portable notebooks are revolutionizing the PC industry, so why isn't Apple jumping on the bandwagon? Well, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook, it's because netbooks suck. In a conversation with Venture Beat, Cook claimed that the "cracked keyboards, terrible software, junky hardware, [and the] very small screens" found on most netbooks add up to a bad user experience, which, according to Cook, is decidedly un-Apple. Although this pretty much rules out an Apple netbook in the near future, rumors started by a Wall Street Journal report point to a future Apple device that would essentially constitute a cross between an iPhone and a Macbook -- the oft-dreamed-about Apple tablet. We'll have to wait and see. [From: Venture Beat]
Maureen Dowd Grills Twitter Founders
New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd recently sat down with Twitter co-founders Biz Stone and Evan Williams. Obviously, Dowd is not a fan of micro-blogging, and she pops off one zinger after another. Our favorite part? When she asks Biz Stone, "Was there anything in your childhood that led you to want to destroy civilization as we know it?" Ouch! Check out the interview, scathing criticism included, here. [From: The New York Times]
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