Wired.com: Business News

Slacker Radio Secretly Preparing On-Demand Music Service
Slacker, the critically praised interactive radio service our readers helped us discover in '07, plans to launch an on-demand subscription service combining elements of Pandora, Rhapsody and Spotify in the next few months, Wired.com has learned. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/68GPqdEgzCsGDrqSRAoCncJmnWE/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/68GPqdEgzCsGDrqSRAoCncJmnWE/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/68GPqdEgzCsGDrqSRAoCncJmnWE/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/68GPqdEgzCsGDrqSRAoCncJmnWE/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=4QMnC3fxa3Y:_19eTSdTerA:cGdyc7Q-1BI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?d=cGdyc7Q-1BI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=4QMnC3fxa3Y:_19eTSdTerA:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?i=4QMnC3fxa3Y:_19eTSdTerA:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=4QMnC3fxa3Y:_19eTSdTerA:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?i=4QMnC3fxa3Y:_19eTSdTerA:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=4QMnC3fxa3Y:_19eTSdTerA:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wired/techbiz/~4/4QMnC3fxa3Y" height="1" width="1"/> [More]

Al Franken Jokes, But Google Fiber Is No Laughing Matter
Minnesota seeks to distinguish itself in the increasingly reality TV-esque race to convince Google to build a high-speed fiber optic network there with a video featuring junior US Senator (and former comedian) Al Franken. It's funny stuff, but also serious business as Google shakes up the notoriously uncompetitive ISP business just by showing up. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/8bFi4vud30ztq1KGjecKlo8a3lk/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/8bFi4vud30ztq1KGjecKlo8a3lk/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/8bFi4vud30ztq1KGjecKlo8a3lk/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/8bFi4vud30ztq1KGjecKlo8a3lk/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=6OH2XhQSenE:ZU6_CX-MRV4:cGdyc7Q-1BI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?d=cGdyc7Q-1BI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=6OH2XhQSenE:ZU6_CX-MRV4:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?i=6OH2XhQSenE:ZU6_CX-MRV4:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=6OH2XhQSenE:ZU6_CX-MRV4:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?i=6OH2XhQSenE:ZU6_CX-MRV4:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=6OH2XhQSenE:ZU6_CX-MRV4:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wired/techbiz/~4/6OH2XhQSenE" height="1" width="1"/> [More]

Google Reader Play: iPad-Friendly News Reader
Google has added an iPad-friendly version of its RSS aggregator, called Google Reader Play. According to the Official Google Reader Blog, the new full-screen slide-show is for people who “aren’t interested in taking the time to get Reader set up”. It is also perfect for viewing on tablet PCs, including the upcoming iPad. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/QWnURGPU8tDeH1b5pcl17uuF1Fs/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/QWnURGPU8tDeH1b5pcl17uuF1Fs/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/QWnURGPU8tDeH1b5pcl17uuF1Fs/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/QWnURGPU8tDeH1b5pcl17uuF1Fs/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=cN8rzeGQgAY:0HCZBiIZpaM:cGdyc7Q-1BI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?d=cGdyc7Q-1BI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=cN8rzeGQgAY:0HCZBiIZpaM:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?i=cN8rzeGQgAY:0HCZBiIZpaM:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=cN8rzeGQgAY:0HCZBiIZpaM:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?i=cN8rzeGQgAY:0HCZBiIZpaM:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=cN8rzeGQgAY:0HCZBiIZpaM:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wired/techbiz/~4/cN8rzeGQgAY" height="1" width="1"/> [More]

Ear Infections Could Cause Long-Term 'Lazy Ear'
Some folks who don’t seem to listen may just have a lazy ear. A new study in rats shows that short-term hearing impairments at any stage of life can lead to rewiring in the part of the brain that processes sounds, making the ear seem as if it is loafing on its duty to make sense from noise <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/5imVOjnL7WIwFKgUlcXwIOZXuWA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/5imVOjnL7WIwFKgUlcXwIOZXuWA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/5imVOjnL7WIwFKgUlcXwIOZXuWA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/5imVOjnL7WIwFKgUlcXwIOZXuWA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=UR0UiK7rHzU:_bw0UklHWDE:cGdyc7Q-1BI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?d=cGdyc7Q-1BI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=UR0UiK7rHzU:_bw0UklHWDE:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?i=UR0UiK7rHzU:_bw0UklHWDE:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=UR0UiK7rHzU:_bw0UklHWDE:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?i=UR0UiK7rHzU:_bw0UklHWDE:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=UR0UiK7rHzU:_bw0UklHWDE:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wired/techbiz/~4/UR0UiK7rHzU" height="1" width="1"/> [More]

Apple Beware: Dell (With A Little Help From Amazon and Google) is Taking on iTunes
The formidable triumvirate of Amazon, Dell, and Google is apparently poised to give iTunes the first serious run for its money just as the iPad is about to take Apple’s downloadable media megastore where no computer has gone before. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/UOV4laYFCfzBURZ2ECEMvpe5OBA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/UOV4laYFCfzBURZ2ECEMvpe5OBA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/UOV4laYFCfzBURZ2ECEMvpe5OBA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/UOV4laYFCfzBURZ2ECEMvpe5OBA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=v2uz5dytOhE:_v3SexCtfEM:cGdyc7Q-1BI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?d=cGdyc7Q-1BI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=v2uz5dytOhE:_v3SexCtfEM:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?i=v2uz5dytOhE:_v3SexCtfEM:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=v2uz5dytOhE:_v3SexCtfEM:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?i=v2uz5dytOhE:_v3SexCtfEM:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=v2uz5dytOhE:_v3SexCtfEM:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wired/techbiz/~4/v2uz5dytOhE" height="1" width="1"/> [More]

Google's Schmidt: China Negotiations Should End 'Soon'
Google is actively negotiating with China over web censorship according to CEO Eric Schmidt. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Eh6iSZjPrEHDZPN_fSyTIoqMXG0/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Eh6iSZjPrEHDZPN_fSyTIoqMXG0/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Eh6iSZjPrEHDZPN_fSyTIoqMXG0/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Eh6iSZjPrEHDZPN_fSyTIoqMXG0/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=WSvBS6Qv1q4:LE2J0FQCdUM:cGdyc7Q-1BI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?d=cGdyc7Q-1BI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=WSvBS6Qv1q4:LE2J0FQCdUM:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?i=WSvBS6Qv1q4:LE2J0FQCdUM:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=WSvBS6Qv1q4:LE2J0FQCdUM:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?i=WSvBS6Qv1q4:LE2J0FQCdUM:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=WSvBS6Qv1q4:LE2J0FQCdUM:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wired/techbiz/~4/WSvBS6Qv1q4" height="1" width="1"/> [More]

Veil Lifts on Apple's Secret Plan to Control Universe
The recently unveiled secret agreement that Apple makes iPhone developers sign supports what many have suspected all along: Apple is trying to control the universe. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/qfvYNb8fcjCJBzTJy8v9ahG2kgA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/qfvYNb8fcjCJBzTJy8v9ahG2kgA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/qfvYNb8fcjCJBzTJy8v9ahG2kgA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/qfvYNb8fcjCJBzTJy8v9ahG2kgA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=prfbVJFPJAE:x0U9Ax8FVok:cGdyc7Q-1BI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?d=cGdyc7Q-1BI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=prfbVJFPJAE:x0U9Ax8FVok:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?i=prfbVJFPJAE:x0U9Ax8FVok:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=prfbVJFPJAE:x0U9Ax8FVok:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?i=prfbVJFPJAE:x0U9Ax8FVok:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=prfbVJFPJAE:x0U9Ax8FVok:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wired/techbiz/~4/prfbVJFPJAE" height="1" width="1"/> [More]

Texters Should Park the Car, Take the Bus
Taking public transit wouldn't just decrease our carbon footprint &mdash; it'd also end all that fiddling with the phone while driving, an insanely dangerous problem. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ZTYNtE-VPnV5tErtBsq7Q3PogSk/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ZTYNtE-VPnV5tErtBsq7Q3PogSk/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ZTYNtE-VPnV5tErtBsq7Q3PogSk/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ZTYNtE-VPnV5tErtBsq7Q3PogSk/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=wS6bwmIawqc:vzvZqDsrLKY:cGdyc7Q-1BI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?d=cGdyc7Q-1BI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=wS6bwmIawqc:vzvZqDsrLKY:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?i=wS6bwmIawqc:vzvZqDsrLKY:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=wS6bwmIawqc:vzvZqDsrLKY:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?i=wS6bwmIawqc:vzvZqDsrLKY:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=wS6bwmIawqc:vzvZqDsrLKY:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wired/techbiz/~4/wS6bwmIawqc" height="1" width="1"/> [More]

10 Years After: A Look Back at the Dot-Com Boom and Bust
The Nasdaq peaked at 5,049 on March 10, 2000, then it promptly nosedived and hasn't come near that level since. Here’s a look at the era that launched &mdash; and crushed &mdash; a million dreams. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/SFKSn2c3Z-8i7VbperkzLk9A9To/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/SFKSn2c3Z-8i7VbperkzLk9A9To/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/SFKSn2c3Z-8i7VbperkzLk9A9To/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/SFKSn2c3Z-8i7VbperkzLk9A9To/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=6h5OE-7JMA4:Km8Ox3UyIn8:cGdyc7Q-1BI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?d=cGdyc7Q-1BI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=6h5OE-7JMA4:Km8Ox3UyIn8:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?i=6h5OE-7JMA4:Km8Ox3UyIn8:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=6h5OE-7JMA4:Km8Ox3UyIn8:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?i=6h5OE-7JMA4:Km8Ox3UyIn8:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=6h5OE-7JMA4:Km8Ox3UyIn8:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wired/techbiz/~4/6h5OE-7JMA4" height="1" width="1"/> [More]

Hot Property Sex.com on Auction Block
It’s a sadly familiar story from the high-flying market of the past few years: Speculator thinks values will continue to go up, up, up. Overbids for a hot property. Can’t keep up with the payments. Lender is forced to foreclose. Only this isn’t about real estate &mdash; it’s about the most expensive domain name in the history of the internet: sex.com. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/6IV2iHZgnTSxoum-km0lRliRy74/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/6IV2iHZgnTSxoum-km0lRliRy74/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/6IV2iHZgnTSxoum-km0lRliRy74/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/6IV2iHZgnTSxoum-km0lRliRy74/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=7odrbr-m1YY:Uaa9pR3DqGM:cGdyc7Q-1BI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?d=cGdyc7Q-1BI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=7odrbr-m1YY:Uaa9pR3DqGM:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?i=7odrbr-m1YY:Uaa9pR3DqGM:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=7odrbr-m1YY:Uaa9pR3DqGM:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?i=7odrbr-m1YY:Uaa9pR3DqGM:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?a=7odrbr-m1YY:Uaa9pR3DqGM:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/wired/techbiz?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wired/techbiz/~4/7odrbr-m1YY" height="1" width="1"/> [More]