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First, we are introducing a $5/month Member plan. Some folks have been asking for a monthly plan since day one, and given all of the progress that has been made in the App.net ecosystem, we think now is a good time to introduce it.Second, we are dropping the Member price from $50/year to $36/year.

A new report says that Ultrabooks – the PC clones of the MacBook Air – haven’t exactly set the sales world on fire.

TechHive:

The new Kindle Paperwhite is a dramatic update inside and out, one with fully redesigned software and an appealing integrated light that makes the Kindle more usable in any environment.

While I prefer the iPad, Amazon is doing a great job with the Kindle line. The reviews for the Kindle Paperwhite have all been quite complimentary. I’ve recommended various Kindles to any number of people who don’t need the full feature set or functionality of the iPad.

Get organized! Studiometry helps small businesses track all their clients, projects and invoices — all in one place. From leads and planning to invoicing and more, the award-winning business management software works as hard as you, keeping your business organized and your projects managed.

Download our FREE 30-day trial. Frequent free updates and a developer who actually listens give you the best project management experience for Mac, Windows, and iOS devices.

The compact disc player turned 30 today, and this retrospective offers a history lesson about the format and the medium.

My thanks to Pixelmator for sponsoring The Loop’s RSS feed this week. Congratulations on your fifth birthday of making the best image editing software on the Mac.

Got fired from Facebook. Ouch.

“Gangnam Style” is much better in the original Klingon.

AdSense for Feeds was designed to help publishers earn revenue from their content by placing ads on their RSS feeds. Starting October 2, we’ll begin to retire this feature—and on December 3 we’ll close it. Publishers can continue to use FeedBurner URLs powered by Google, so they won’t need to redirect subscribers to different URLs. For more information visit the AdSense Help Center.

Can FeedBurner’s death really be far off?

A pundit who writes for Byte declares that the iOS 6 Maps never would have happened under Steve Jobs’ watch because of some imagined “no betas” rule. He’s wrong.

T-Mobile has entered an agreement to lease its towers to another company for 10 years, for $2.4 billion – which it will use in part to fund its LTE build-out.

Mayer’s rule: If a new product can’t be shipped in six months, and if it doesn’t have a realistic shot of reaching 100 million users or generate $100 million toward the company’s top line, then Yahoo will no longer bother.

It’s no secret that I like Mayer and it’s because of things like this. Tell your employees what you want and expect them to meet those expectations.

Future has reported £5 million in sales of its iPad digital editions since first bringing them online a year ago.

BuzzFeed:

Home decor for the inner nerd in all of us.

Come on, admit it. You’d like at least half of these in your own nerd pad, wouldn’t you? I love #2 but #6 would make me break the door down.

Jim Dalrymple and Dan Benjamin discuss the launch of the iPhone 5, its sale success, a redesigned Mac Pro, using an iPhone on the Verizon network, Corning’s relationship with Apple, WiFi issues with the iPhone 5, Billie Joe’s (of Green Day) breakdown at the IHeartRadio music festival, and buying the right amp.Sponsored by Igloo Software, Harvest (use code 5by5 for 50% off first month), Gazelle, and MailChimp.

Eric Schmidt dances Gangnam Style, and there isn’t enough bleach in the universe to get that image out of my eyeballs.

The problem that causes some Samsung phones to be reset by clicking a link apparently extends to other Android phones.

Barnes & Noble is continuing its fight against Amazon with new versions of its Nook e-reader, including a model that’s about the same size as the iPad.

Starting today, you can use Google Maps to find a sea turtle swimming among a school of fish, follow a manta ray and experience the reef at sunset—just as I did on my first dive in the Great Barrier Reef last year.

Nice.

OhGizmo!:

Admittedly, the thing is pretty awesome, if only because it’s so ridiculous looking. But it’s also sort of smart. It’s a pillow with an opening for your hands, and for your mouth and nose. Your eyes are covered and your head is cushioned whether you decide to plop your noggin down on your desk or sleep in the airplane.

I’ve always wanted a foolproof “Dork Detector” and, if you’re using/wearing this, there’s no doubt – you are an absolute dork!

The Globe and Mail:

“Who better to lead America than a country already leading America in so many ways?” is just the beginning of Canadian Brian Calvert’s case, made in a YouTube video, for why Americans should vote for Canada to run the U.S. this fall.A scrolling list of things Mr. Calvert argues Canadians do better include healthcare, human rights, and the employment rate – along with big foot sightings, lumberjack fashion and bear attacks.

Seriously, America. Why not let Canada govern you for a while? What’s the worse that could happen?

Wired:

Usually, the only math required at a bar is tip calculation. But a new algorithm-based program from Miami company Drink Exchange makes ordering cocktails much like playing the stock market.If a particular concoction is popular, the software automatically raises its price. Conversely, the less popular a drink, the less it costs. Bar promotions (such as a sudden “market crash,” when all prices fall) affect prices minute to minute. Television screens and LED tickers display the prices so patrons can follow along—and throw elbows to get their orders in.The system is currently set up in 25 watering holes, and there are plans to be in 300 by year’s end.

Seriously? Would you do this? I don’t want to work this hard just to get a drink.

Congratulations to everyone at Pixelmator as they celebrate their fifth birthday and thanks for sponsoring The Loop.

Remember in my iPhone 5 review I said that developers would be doing more than just making their apps longer for the new screen size? This is a perfect example. When djay got updated they added functionality in that extra space.

MacTech Conference is a 3-day, immersive, technical conference specifically designed for Apple developers, IT Pros, and Enterprise.

You can register on their Web site.

The design features 3,650 cursor icons to symbolically represent every day the store was live. Printed in 2 hits of black with mirror chrome ‘liquid foil’ printing. Designed at Apple, Inc.

This looks very cool, except the cursor is white (Windows), instead of black (Mac).

Mashable:

Verizon believes unlimited data plans are on their way out, the company’s CFO told investors at a Goldman Sachs conference on Friday.“The good news here though is the dilution is not as much as we expected,” said Fran Shammo, explaining how the company hasn’t seen much attrition after dropping its unlimited data plan in May.Shammo added that “Unlimited is just a word. It doesn’t mean anything…”

No – it doesn’t. Mostly because you cell phone providers have made it meaningless. You used it to sucker in customers and once you got your hooks into them, you removed or “redefined” the word to suit your needs – but not the needs of the customers.

So you’re right, it doesn’t mean anything – when weasels like you use it.

Subscriber counts and stats have been missing for days for publishers. At least they acknowledge the issue. Feedburner’s biggest issue is being owned by Google.

Mashable:

Traditionally, people keep dead presidents in their hearts, history books and wallets. Here’s a new place to look for fallen leaders of the free world: your Twitter feed.

Twitter is great for keeping in touch with family and friends, chatting with people about the day’s events and now – you can converse with (fake) dead presidents.