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Online clearinghouse Second Act has refurbished Sharp BD-HP20U Blu-ray players for $169.99. Ground shipping will run you about $15. According to the product page, this deal ended Sunday, so I don’t know how much longer it’ll be available.

Find more deals, coupon codes, and bargains on CNET’s Shopper.com.

Because it’s a refurb, it comes with only a 30-day warranty (but at least it’s from the manufacturer). Plus, CNET had a fairly lengthy list of complaints about the player, though I don’t consider any of them deal-breakers. (You can read my own review of the BD-HP20U over at Wired’s Gadget Lab.) This is by far the lowest price I’ve seen on a Blu-ray player, so if you’re in the market, act fast.

Update at 8:35 a.m. PDT: Alas, the player is no longer available at that price, and the sideline deal on the Samsung BDP-1500 Blu-ray player (posted earlier) appears to have disappeared from RadioShack’s site.

The last panel sessions for day two of the Web 2.0 Expo just wrapped up. One of my favorites was global design trends, a panel discussing the Web design around the world. In my less than two years of tracking Web apps, I’ve seen a huge shift in the look and feel of mainstream sites, as well as seeing a slew of services that have pushed what I thought was possible on the browser.

Also discussed: bandwidth, and more importantly–designing your apps with it in mind. Bandwidth has been one of the deciding factors in
iPhone Web apps, with the limitations of AT&T’s EDGE network keeping some richer, media-centric apps from working without a Wi-Fi connection. Likewise developers who are aiming to create sites in other markets need to not only localize their sites for the country, but also its data networks.

You can read more about the panelists on the description page here. Stay tuned for more Web 2.0 Expo coverage on Webware and on CNET News.com.

Jimmy Kim from Nexon, who was on the panel noted that Google has just a 5 percent take in Korea’s search engine market, while other flashy services get more clicks because of updated looks. Kim compared it to two competing gas stations on opposite corners of the street with gas that’s the same price. Kim says the one with more “bling” gets the extra customers–and it works the same way for Web apps that attempt to get into the Korean market.

Related:
Twitter Japan launches, with ads

Panelists get together at the Web 2.0 Expo to talk about design led by Aaron Marcus (who is donning a horn-tipped hat).

Localization’s not as easy as changing the language, though. Kelly Goto of Gotomedia noted that every culture uses the Web in a different way, and sometimes you need to fine tune a site to make it match whoever’s viewing it. Sites like Facebook who are just now beginning to expand on foreign language support and conversion have begun to tweak small items by having users to some of the legwork to translate–making sure your motto isn’t accidentally insulting the mothers of your users.

There can, however, be huge differences between two versions of the same site in different countries. A good deal of what’s important is localizing a service to folks who are using it, which is one of the reasons the Korean version of MySpace looks different from its U.S. counterpart.

(Credit:
CNET Networks / Josh Lowensohn)

Antitrust concerns
Yahoo also highlighted its concern about a potentially rigorous antitrust review, both domestically and overseas, should it agree to a deal.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer

Microsoft, meanwhile, could be hearing the clock ticking on the waning months of the Bush administration and feeling pressure to wrap up the regulatory process. The process can take anywhere from six to eight months to review, said one former high-level antitrust attorney with the Department of Justice who is now in private practice.

Microsoft launched an unsolicited bid for Yahoo on February 1 in a deal initially valued at $31 a share. But Yahoo rejected that offer as undervaluing the company.

Over the weekend, Microsoft threatened to launch a proxy fight and to take its offer directly to Yahoo investors in an exchange offer. A proxy fight would entail Microsoft seeking to get an opposition slate of directors elected at Yahoo’s next annual shareholders meeting, for which no date has yet been set. Should Microsoft’s slate prevail, the new board would likely vote on the issue to remove Yahoo’s antitakeover measure, otherwise known as a “poison pill.” Without a poison pill, Microsoft would be able to tender the shares Yahoo’s investors committed to the software giant as part of its exchange offer.

More importantly, Yahoo stated that investors representing a “significant portion” of its shares have indicated to the company that Microsoft’s offer substantially undervalues Yahoo.

Yahoo on Monday responded to Microsoft’s merger deadline, reiterating its rejection to the software giant’s unsolicited buyout bid as “substantially” undervaluing the company.

Yahoo’s board of directors met on Sunday to review Microsoft’s ultimatum to close the deal within three weeks, according to a report in the Financial Times.

(Credit:
Yahoo)

Updated from the top Monday 6:10 AM PDT by Dawn Kawamoto, who also added a short update note at the bottom at 2:30 PM PDT.

“As a result of the decrease in your own stock price, the value of your proposal today is significantly lower than it was when you made your initial proposal,” Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang and Chairman Roy Bostock wrote in a letter to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

“Steve, you personally attended two of these meetings and could have advanced discussions in any way you saw fit,” they added in response to Microsoft’s claim that Yahoo has refused to enter negotiations.

“Our position is simply that any transaction must be at a value that fully reflects the value of Yahoo, including any strategic benefits to Microsoft, and on terms that provide certainty to our stockholders,” the letter states.

Under the Bush administration, Microsoft’s antitrust situation has been far less dicey than it has been with the European Commission. In February, the Commission slapped Microsoft with a $1.35 billion fine for failing to comply with its previous antitrust sanctions.

“I wanted to make you aware that we sent the attached letter to the Yahoo! Board of Directors today.
We will not be commenting publicly or internally on the letter as we believe the letter speaks for itself.
I will continue to keep you updated as events warrant. Thank you for your continued focus on our innovation roadmap and business objectives.”

One major institutional investor said over the weekend that he had previously informed Yahoo’s independent directors that he may consider voting for a new board of directors, if the parties did not move forward in a deal.

Jerry Yang, Yahoo's CEO

Yahoo said its recent road show to outline its three-year financial plan to investors received “positive feedback from our stockholders.” The company went on to note that it had strengthened its view that it’s worth more as a standalone company than Microsoft’s current bid.

Yahoo: Reflect our true value
In its letter to Microsoft on Monday, Yahoo highlighted its global brand, recent sizable investments in its advertising platform, growth prospects, and its “strategic benefit to Microsoft,” in justifying a higher bid.

Throughout the takeover effort, Yahoo’s Yang has made a habit of sending reassuring e-mails to the troops at his company.

Update, 2:30 PM:
Microsoft is also working to keep its troops up-to-date as the heat intensifies between the two companies.

Yahoo, in closing its Monday note, said it wants Microsoft to provide “certainty of value and certainty of closing.”

In its Monday letter, however, Yahoo said: “We are confident that our stockholders understand that our independent board is best positioned to objectively and knowledgeably evaluate our company’s alternatives and to maximize value.”

Full coverage
Microsoft’s big bid for Yahoo Click here for the latest on the software giant’s attempt to buy the Net pioneer.

Kevin Johnson, president of Microsoft’s platforms and services division, sent an e-mail to his employees Saturday, to inform them of the ultimatum Ballmer was issuing that day to Yahoo:

“As a follow up to a recent meeting among our respective legal advisors we had on this topic, and at your request, we provided to you on March 28, a list of additional information we would need to further our understanding of the regulatory issues associated with any transaction. To date, you have still not provided any of the requested information,” Yahoo’s letter states.

On Saturday, Microsoft issued an ultimatum to Yahoo, giving the Internet search pioneer three weeks to enter formal merger negotiations and conclude a deal. In Monday’s letter, Yang and Bostock rebutted Ballmer’s claim that Yahoo has refused to enter negotiations, citing meetings the two companies have had in recent weeks.

But while Yahoo investors may want more money from Microsoft, it’s unclear whether that would translate into a re-election of Yahoo’s current directors, or if investors would support an opposition slate put forth by Microsoft in a proxy fight.

(Credit:
CNET Networks)

Yahoo said that an antitrust review could drag out and disrupt its operations, only to end with regulators nixing the deal. According to sources, shortly after Microsoft issued its unsolicited bid two months ago, Yahoo had begun inquiring into the antitrust ramifications and the likelihood that such a deal could get passed.

We’ll have the earnings report just as soon as its out, as well as some insight ahead of the earnings conference call and then frequent updates once the call gets underway.

And of course, folks will be hanging on every word regarding Yahoo, AOL and anyone else Microsoft is thinking about buying. I would expect company officials to have only the expected things to say, that they are still interested in transactions that would accelerate their growth, strong go-it-alone strategy, etc. More interesting will be if they give any of the investment levels that go-it-alone strategy will entail.

Overall, Microsoft said in April to expect earnings of 45 cents to 48 cents per share on revenue of $15.5 billion to $15.8 billion. (First Call has analysts pegging earnings at 47 cents per share, on revenue of $15.7 billion.)

Here’s another thing I’m going to be watching–piracy rates. Last quarter, the company noted an uptick in piracy rates after making some significant gains. With Vista Service Pack 1, Microsoft also made life for pirates somewhat less onerous.

The Windows business in particular will get attention after showing less than stellar results last quarter. Microsoft has forecast its Windows client unit will show between 7 percent and 11 percent growth for the quarter.

While much attention these days has centered around whether Microsoft will buy a big name to boost its online business, expect a lot of attention on Thursday to focus on the areas where Microsoft actually earns money.

Expect analysts to push for some more details on Microsoft’s plans to significantly boost Windows marketing, particularly as Apple is gaining not only mindshare with its anti-Vista ads, but also market share.

As for the outlook for the current quarter, which stretches through September, analysts are currently expecting earnings of 49 cents per share, on revenue of $15 billion. It will be interesting to see where Microsoft’s forecast comes in, as well as what it has to say about the broader economy and IT spending in particular.

Photo No. 2
In this photo, the small purple icon seems to be a pen and ink well–an indication of handwriting recognition perhaps?

(Credit:
James Martin/CNET News.com)

(Credit:
James Martin/CNET News.com)

They depict lots of icons, which would fit with the expectation that at least one announcement will be the launch of the App Store, an online store through which people can buy and download approved third-party application for the
iPhone.

In the runup to any major Apple event, there’s no end to the amount of guesswork about what Steve Jobs will pull out of his pocket (or manila envelope, as the case may be).

Click the image above to get a closer look.

(Credit:
James Martin/CNET News.com)

Photo No. 3
The mosaic eye, made up of dozens of miniature photos, caught our eye in this photo. Could it indicate a new Flickr-style app?

With the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference around the corner, our intrepid photographer, James Martin, took a stroll past Moscone West and managed to snap these photos of banners hanging inside before the convention hall heavies came and shooed him away.

Click the image above to get a closer look.

Update 11:10 a.m. PDT: Thanks to News.com readers for pointing out the origins of two of the three icons I pointed out in this blog. Turns out this little game is only fun for those of us who don’t use
Leopard and aren’t developers. I will now return to speculating about the upcoming features based on other, more telling factors, such as local temperature and humidity readings.

Click the image above to get a closer look.

Photo No. 1
This has two intriguing icons: the green X and the purple sphere. The green X is obviously the iPhone’s new flux capacitor. That, or maybe it’s just there to represent new games taking advantage of the device’s existing accelerometer.

What do you think? Do the icons on these signs give us an idea of what’s to come?

Some of these icons are familiar, and some are new. Of the new ones, what new features do you suppose they might represent? Check the pictures out below and let us know what you think in the comments area below. We’ve uploaded them at the best resolution we can. Just click through each one to see a larger version and scan the icons for clues about what’s around the corner.

iCopy illustrates that while the Web can be employed to do a lot of things that we’ve formerly thought of as belonging solely in the domain of local computing, it doesn’t mean we should do so.

I edit a blog about Web 2.0 apps. It’s my job to push the vision of Web-based products and cloud-based resources. But even I realize that local processing has a place. I find it curious that many people I talk to think Microsoft’s rumored Midori project, for instance, is a “cloud OS.” While there’s no question that an operating system written from the ground up today should use Internet resources in a more native fashion than most OSes do today, the change should be seen as one of degree, not replacement.

(Credit: iCopy video)

iCopy is a clever hack that lets you select text or a link from a Web page and paste it into another page, or an e-mail. It gets around the lack of
iPhone-native copy and paste by sending selected text to a temporary online repository when you “copy,” and retrieving it when you “paste.” In operation, it’s a horrible kludge–it requires a lot of Web page switching and too many visits to the iCopy site to do a simple copy/paste operation. But the fact that Monroe figured out a way to make the Web a giant clipboard in the sky is pretty cool.

Cut-and-paste on the iPhone, via a Web service.

That’s why I continue to refer to Web operating systems like G.ho.st as science fair projects. They’re really cool, and they provide glimpses of the evolution of personal computing. Much of what we do on a PC today can be done over the Web. But a lot cannot, at least not well. To deliver the best experience–the best user interface, reliability, collaboration, and so on–smart developers don’t force all their apps either onto the Web or the local PC. Today’s architectures make distributing applications among platforms easier than ever. They even make it possible for apps to adapt to their environment and redistribute themselves depending on circumstance (see Google Gears). The really interesting upcoming apps and operating systems will not just be hybrid (online/offline), but adaptive.

My hat goes off to Preston Monroe, the developer of iCopy, an online service that adds cut and paste functionality to the iPhone’s browser and e-mail apps. As you probably know, Apple’s handheld computer bizarrely omits this feature.

Meanwhile, if you’re interested in how copy and paste might work on the iPhone, check out Proximi’s Magicpad, a text editing app that offers cut and paste controls. Proximi has also published video proposing a user interface for general cut and paste on the iPhone. This is the work Apple should have done. Although for all we know, the company has done it already, but in secret.

The Internet can be used to deliver apps and updates, for storage and backup, for social networking and person-to-person communications, and other functions. But for the moment and the near future, you need local processing to maintain speed and robustness of applications, and native graphics capability to present the interface. One of the reasons Web 2.0 apps can work well today is because today’s browsers have deep user interface and graphics capabilities, and because they run on powerful local PCs. Many popular Web apps–like Google Docs and Microsoft Live Search Maps–rely on capabilities that were simply not present in PCs only a few years ago.

Version 2.0 of the Apple TV firmware came out in early 2008.

Christina Warren of The Unofficial Apple Weblog wrote Saturday that TUAW.com had received an e-mail from an unnamed Apple reseller. The message: The reseller had been instructed by Apple

All that remains now is to see what actually comes of the anticipated Apple Webcast on Tuesday.

With September’s retooling of the iPod Nano out of the way, the blogosphere’s attention is turning to the possibility of an Apple TV announcement in the coming days.

It may simply be, Warren wrote in an update, that the reported instructions have to do with the expiration of licensing for the shows and images seen in the literature “and that the actual physical units may not be disappearing.”

The Apple TV device.

(Credit:
CNET Networks)

The folks at MacBlogz concur that an Apple TV shakeup is a possibility, but they seem to be putting their money on an HDTV-related upgrade.

to remove all Apple TV displays and literature and to destroy them (which I assume means throw away the literature, send back the Apple TVs) by September 30, 2008 at 5 PM. Additionally, the e-mail says that there will be a webcast “kick off” on September 30.

Still, the issue remains open: Is there something afoot with the Apple TV itself? “Could this potentially be the introduction of the Mini/Apple TV hybrid we’ve all been begging for?” Warren asks. “Is this related to the rumors of ‘The Brick?’” (The Brick being a rumored gadget suspected of being scheduled for an October release.)

For many Americans, the trip to the voting booth Tuesday will be unremarkable in certain respects–put the check mark next to the favored candidate’s name, put the ballot in the ballot box, and be done with it.

For others, however, the experience will be fraught with some sort of frustration, from faulty voting machines to interminable waits and other inconveniences.

See also:
• Following e-voting glitches

• Problems at the polls? Send a tweet

• E-voting worries linger as Election Day nears

The CBS News Investigates team will monitor those submissions, and may then present select ones in election coverage at CBSNews.com or in on-air reports.

If you fall into the latter group, our colleagues at CBS News Investigates want to hear from you. Document the irregularities or other problems you encounter with your cell phone camera, Flip videocam, or other device, and then upload that content to the CBS News social-media site CBS
Eye Mobile. Alternatively, you can submit by e-mail to the address politics@cbseyemobile.com.

Unlike Facebook, which is more of a beehive with 100 million members buzzing around, Ning allows individuals and groups to create their own social networks.

(Credit:
Dan Farber)

Bianchini said here Wednesday that Ning is gaining traction, minting a new social network every 30 seconds. That’s more than 86,000 per month on top of the nearly 500,000 social networks (65 percent actively used) already on Ning. Among those half a million sites, 3 percent are paying for premium services ($19.95 per month), which allow people to run their own ads and have their own domain. The company reserves the right to run ads on pages of the free service. Ning is launching an
iPhone application this week, and also plans to support Android phones.

Her “open” social network argument is not a very convincing to me, though. Ning users can move components around on the screen and choose from 50 design templates. Ning also has APIs that allow for data portability and access to member data. However, the primary code that runs Ning is proprietary. Ning does allow some modification of templates and code, such as the photo component, under an Apache 2.0 license. Programmers can change the way a photo is displayed or sorted, for example.

Ning CEO Gina Bianchini compares Ning social networks to hosting a great party.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–Ning co-founder and CEO Gina Bianchini started off her keynote speech at the MIT Emerging Technology Conference by describing Ning as the social network you’ve never heard of.

Clearly, something is happening on Ning. Whether it will become the next Facebook or MySpace in terms of growth and user activity remains to be seen.

Overall, Ning is more “open” than other social networks in terms of the flexibility it gives users, but it serves a different purpose than Facebook and other social networks. Facebook’s growing membership seems to appreciate the consistency of the user experience, the growing feature set, and the APIs, such as Facebook Connect.

She tried to make the case that Ning is a “platform” that provides creative freedom, whereas Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, and LinkedIn are “walled gardens” that limit freedom. In this context, freedom is the ability to have more control over the user experience and data.

“Platforms win because they enable people to do things because they are programmable and give people control,” Bianchini said. Ning and other more open platforms will make walled gardens obsolete, she contended. “It’s not the case today, but this is what happens throughout history when people have choice.” Facebook, MySpace, Google, and others would argue that they are platforms, which are defined by having a robust ecosystem and developer/user community. And they are open to the extent that they have APIs allowing access to their social graphs and other data. In addition, supporting open standards, such as OpenID, should be part of an open platform. But Bianchini said that OpenID is not user-friendly enough at this point and still has some security issues.

In her speech, which was devoted to showing off Ning, Bianchini compared her company’s social networks to “hosting a fabulous party.” These hot “parties” range from a social network for the music artist 50 Cent to one dubbed Twitter Moms.

Bianchini expects that there will be millions of social networks and that people will express themselves “for every conceivable niche, need, location, and language, with an infinite choice of features.”

“If we do this right,” she added, “it will happen on the Ning platform.”

Another sign of the times
IBM’s barely veiled attempt to get employees to offshore themselves
A big mistake in the making

What do you make of Project Match? (Vote in our poll to the right.)

News.com Poll Meeting IBMs match
How should we best understand Project Match?

CNN has obtained an internal IBM document detailing how employees who face losing their jobs in North America will be given the opportunity to reclaim them by
working overseas.

As an incentive, IBM reportedly will assist with moving costs, according to CNN. So far this year, IBM has laid off several thousand people.

“Project Match,” as the program is dubbed, will let employees from the United States and Canada take posts at IBM branches in India, Nigeria, Russia, Argentina, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Hungary, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates, according to the document.

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