Windows 7 first-week sales figures were much better than Vista's, says market researcher The NPD Group. They point to good supply-chain execution and canny discounting as success factors. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers look at worrying trends behind the numbers. Not to mention the latest excellent cover from Jack and Nataly...
(MSFT)

The rumors were true: Microsoft confirms more layoffs. A futher 800 employees have been told their jobs are redundant. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers wonder who, why, and where. Not to mention laughable comping...
(MSFT)

Now you can jailbreak and unlock your iPhone -- even a 3G or 3GS with OS 3.1.2 or baseband 05.11.07. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers bow down and worship George "Geohot" Hotz. Not to mention really strange black & white photos...
(AAPL)

Has Apple tweaked the new build of Snow Leopard to prevent you running Mac OS X on a netbook? Reports say that it won't run on Intel Atom hackintoshes any longer. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers wonder if it's a deliberate block or just a side-effect of something else. Not to mention movie timelines...
(AAPL) (INTC)

Facebook and MySpace are accused of encouraging game developers to cheat users out of money. Games like Farmville stand accused of employing "unethical" monetization strategies. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers reveal the scams. Not to mention Clean Me...

Breaking news from Korea, folks: as expected, Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers has finally approved the Internationalized Domain Names proposal for country-code top-level domain names. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers W00T for the IDN fast track process. Not to mention another halloween costume...

Looks like Android 2.0 is shaping up to be an attractive proposition. And Motorola has new hardware to match. Yes, Motorola: who knew? In IT Blogwatch, bloggers type the words "killer" and "iPhone" (not necessarily in that order). Not to mention pumpkin cannon...
(VZ) (MOT)

The City of Los Angeles has had it with GroupWise, and will replace it with Google Apps. It's a big win for la GOOG, especially as it beat Microsoft to the deal. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers count how many angels can dance on a cloud.
(GOOG) (MSFT) Not to mention iPhone costumes...

Do you ever wish that Google's search results would be more tailored to your social network? If so, Google's new Social Search experiment might be for you. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers dissect the idea, as if it were some kind of Web 2.0 frog. Not to mention Sleeveface...
(GOOG)

President Barack Obama's White House has chosen Drupal to run the whitehouse.gov Web site. They say George W. Bush's old CMS wasn't cutting it any longer. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers resist equating open source with socialism. Not to mention mugshot shirts...

So you've got your Windows 7 download, but your netbook has no DVD drive. Microsoft to the rescue! Now you can install from a USB flash drive / thumb drive / memory stick / thingamabob. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers would try WUDT if they could. Not to mention a different kind of Windows 7 party...
(MSFT)

ZL Technologies, an archiving vendor, is suing Gartner Group for $1.7 billion. It seems that ZL didn't like its position in Gartner's famous Magic Quadrant. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers mostly ridicule both parties -- and poke fun at anyone who bases IT purchasing decisions on a Magic Quadrant. Not to mention more from Pomplamoose...
(NYSE:IT)

Barnes & Noble has finally launched its much rumored e-book reader device: the curiously named Nook. As e-readers go, it adds some interesting features over its main competition. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers make the obvious comparisons to Amazon's Kindle. Not to mention stupid ER antics...
(BKS) (AMZN) (T) (AAPL)

Psst! Can I interest you in a BlackBerry watch? We're told that the RIM platform might get a Dick Tracy accessory "soon". In IT Blogwatch, bloggers check their wrists. Not to mention a Swedish VW spot...
(RIMM)

Eugene, the eponymous Russian CEO of Kaspersky Labs is promoting Internet passports and Internet police. He argues that anonymity causes security headaches and should be outlawed. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers paraphrase Benjamin Franklin. Not to mention the best ATtN yet...