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Valleywag

On Mumbai tragedy, Twitter proves useful in its uselessness [We Read Twitter So You Don't Have To]November 28

Can't stand CNN? Don't want to keep Googling for news? Pop open a browser window and leave a Twitter search for "mumbai" running. People are posting photo links and group-sulking, rather than the usual sort of "if only they had used Twitter more in Mumbai, none of this would have happened" chatter. You can always go to Poynter for that stuff.

Mahalo motormouth to launch mystery product in December [Jason Calacanis]November 28

I'm taking guesses now. What's "Project A," the seekrit product being talked up by Mahalo founder Jason Calacanis on his private mailing list? A recap of recent events: He launched a human-powered news feed at a time most companies were planning layoffs. After that, he performed a layoff, then trolled for new engineers to hire. Why do I like the often-blustery Calacanis? Because when I briefly worked for him as an Engadget stringer, I saw his approach to running a startup: Operate the business on a shoestring, but splurge on little things to make employees feel spoiled — a second monitor, a killer espresso machine, free dinners at places the staff can't afford. Don't hate him because he's rich. He always picks up the check. Anyway, here's his vague product pre-announcement:

Right now I'm locked down polishing off the details of Project A—a new product which that Mahalo is launching in December. We think we've created the right product for our troubled times, and the progress made over the past month by our tech team has been nothing short of amazing (thanks guys). There are many smart folks with lots of knowledge that are un - or underemployed right now and who are looking to make some extra scratch. Project A

Sometimes atoms are better than bits [Quotable]November 28

"If you've ever tried to download a dildo, it probably didn't take you long to realize the futility of the task." — AVN blogger Tom Johansmeyer, on the resilience of sex toys and strip clubs to piracy.

Icahn buys more Yahoo shares, considers H-P exec for CEO gig [Yahoo]November 28

Jerry Yang's least favorite investor bought nearly seven million more shares of YHOO. BoomTown reporter Kara Swisher did my homework for me again: Todd Bradley, head of H-P's $28 billion Personal Systems group, has been added to the list of potential Yahoo CEOs. Just to keep things complicated, the board my appoint an interim CEO to give off the appearance of someone actually doing something at Yahoo.(Photo by AP/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Woman who hoaxed suicidal teen found guilty of three misdemeanors [MySpace Suicide]November 27

Lori Drew (right), the 49-year-old Missouri mom who posed as a 16-year-old boy on MySpace, has been convicted of three misdemeanors, but no felonies, in the case of 13-year-old Megan Meier — a former "best friend" of her Drew's own daughter Sarah — who committed suicide after being rejected by the fake boy. In short, the only charges prosecutors could bring involved off-topic acts such as "accessing a computer without authorization." Drew's real crime — cruelly manipulating a vulnerable child for four weeks — isn't proscribed by law. (Photo by AP/Nick Ut)