Inauguration Crowd Will Test Cellphone Networks
The cellphone industry has a plea for the throngs descending on the nation’s capital for the presidential inauguration: go easy on the mobile communications. (NYT)+++

Sharper Image Stores Are Dead, but the Brand Goes On
Rather than operate its own Web site, catalog and shops, the company will license products and sell them through third-party retailers.(NYT)+++

Music Industry Imitates Digital Pirates to Turn a Profit
Online and mobile services offering listeners unlimited “free” access to millions of songs are set to proliferate in the coming months, according to music industry executives.(NYT)+++

An Online Farmers Market
Foodzie uses the Web to connect small farmers and food makers with customers seeking fresh, artisanal foods.(NYT)+++

Obama to Tap Network for Initiatives
Obama plans on placing his grassroots network under the control of the Democratic National Committee in an effort to push its agenda. (WSJ)+++

Retailer Circuit City to Liquidate
Circuit City will begin liquidating its remaining 567 U.S. stores after failing to reach a deal to sell itself.(WSJ)+++

EU Hits Microsoft With New Charges
The EU charged Microsoft with new antitrust violations regarding the company’s Internet Explorer Web browser.(WSJ)+++

Satyam Probe Could Ensnare Others
The fraud investigation at Satyam could spread to hundreds of companies tied to its jailed founder. Shareholder Lazard sold most of its holdings.(WSJ)+++

Obama Supports Postponing DTV
The Obama administration would support a proposal in Congress to delay the nation’s scheduled transition to digital-only television to June 12.(WSJ)+++

Microsoft-Yahoo Meeting?
Microsoft’s chief executive, Steve Ballmer, met with Yahoo chairman Roy Bostock in New York this week, according to a report. (SFC)+++

Fast-Moving Virus May Be Dud
A computer virus that may leave Microsoft Windows users vulnerable to digital hijacking is spreading through companies in the U.S., Europe and Asia. (SFC)+++

Circuit City To Fold
Second-largest U.S. consumer electronics retailer failed to find a buyer and will liquidate its 567 U.S. stores, leaving 30,000 jobless. (SFC)+++

TV Transition Delay Blocked
Senate Republicans have blocked a bill that would delay the nationwide switch from analog to digital television broadcasts until June 12. (SFC)+++

AMD Cutting Jobs, Salaries
Chipmaker will cut 1,100 jobs and reduce salaries as it tries to weather the weakening economy. (SFC)+++

Game Sales Top $21 Billion
Powered by sales of the Nintendo Wii and the DS, the U.S. video game industry pulled in a record $21.3 billion in revenue last year  (SFC)+++

Yahoo Weds Web With TV
Sunnyvale Web portal’s new Yahoo Widget Channel, offers a platform for Internet content to be embedded in TVs from a number of major manufacturers.(SFC)+++

Inauguration Day prompts rush of social media, telecomprep
Heading to Washington, D.C., for Tuesday’s presidential inauguration? Yeah, you and an estimated 2 million others. Good luck making a cellphone call (LAT)+++

Venture capital funding in Southern California falls off a cliff
Tony Katz had big hopes for his Porter Ranch company, Aweli , when he first started looking for venture funding in late 2007. He was sure its method of monetizing online videos would appeal to investors. (LAT)+++

Steve Jobs watch: Apple CEO considering liver transplant, Bloomberg News says
Steve Jobs has handed off day-to-day control of Apple, but speculation about his health continues to swirl. Citing doctors who hadn’t seen his medical records, Bloomberg News reported Thursday that the Apple co-founder might have his pancreas removed .  (LAT)+++

Apple’s Jobs may need his pancreas removed
Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs could be facing surgery to remove his pancreas, doctors say. Jobs said Wednesday he’s taking a 5-month leave of absence after discovering that his health problems are more complex than he thought last week.  (DFP)+++

Search market largely unchanged in December as Yahoo, Microsoft execs meet
ComScore’s U.S. Internet search share report shows the major players had were little changed in December. Google is still the leader, far and away, with 63.5 percent of the market, unchanged from November. (TST)+++

European Commission, responding to Opera Software complaint, believes Microsoft violated competition law
The European Commission notified Microsoft on Thursday of its "preliminary view that the inclusion of Internet Explorer in Windows since 1996 has violated European competition law."  (TST)+++

Organizational shift puts Microsoft Live Mesh in Windows Live group
Microsoft is doing some organizational shifting inside the Windows and Windows Live groups. Live Mesh, a new service that synchronizes devices and information, has moved from Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie’s organization to the Windows and Windows Live engineering group headed by Steven Sinofsky.  (TST)+++

Former eBay exec tackles perils of e-commerce at Omidyar Network
Halprin’s six years at eBay gave him an intimate perspective on the long-running battle between Internet scam artists and legitimate companies and legal authorities trying to combat so-called ‘social engineering’ schemes.  (SV)+++

For Obama’s inauguration, sharing a historic moment on Twitter, Facebook, other sites
Twitter, Facebook and other Web sites will let those watching the historic event experience it in new ways. Rather than viewers, they will be participants. (SV)+++

EU eyes Microsoft like it’s 1999
The notion of bundling a browser into an operating system isn’t new. But that hasn’t stopped European regulators from delivering fresh objections. (CNET)+++

The evolution of the Netbook
The line between an Atom-powered, low-cost Netbook and a traditional notebook is blurring.  (CNET)+++

Wozniak on Steve Jobs’ health, Apple culture
Apple co-founder offers a unique perspective on his old friend’s health, as well as the likely effect his absence will have on the company.(CNET)+++

Bedlam breaks out at Circuit City
Best Buy mega-stores Circuit City to oblivion and pandemonium ensues at the hapless retailer.(CNET)+++

Sundance–from the comfort of your home
No need to travel to Utah–you can get a taste of Robert Redford’s indie festival by downloading up to 10 short films via iTunes.(CNET)+++

Google wants to know which sites to search
An experimental search feature allows users to tailor their searches by creating a list of sites they would like to appear most in search results. (CNET)+++