Got a note from USA TODAY reporter Byron Acohido last week -- he and his colleague, Jon Swartz, are relaunching the Zero Day Threat book blog but with a different focus. They now plan to blog more directly to the tech security community by making their publication a venue for sharing useful security information.

-posted by Rachel

Mashable's Open Web Awards were determined by more than 90,000 votes in the final round. Although no local companies were deemed winners, there are some interesting sites such as Zoosk and Coolspotters mixed in with the more traditional Google as people's choices.

-posted by Rachel

For all of us kids who had paper routes as our first jobs, take note: the Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News are stopping home deliveries except for Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. At least, that's the plan that's expected to be announced as Gannett Co. continues to struggle with profitability in key markets. It's a move that we all knew newspapers would eventually be forced to make...and yet, none of us probably thought it the end would come this quickly.

-posted by Rachel

$100 Netbook Now At RadioShack

Not sure what to get your workaholic loved one for the holidays? Check out the pint-sized 3G netbook now available at RadioShack for $100.  This ultra portable Aspire One netbook from Acer weighs less than two and a half pounds and offers WiFi connectivity.  The catch? You have to sign up with AT&T Mobility's DataConnect mobile broadband service for two years at $60 per month. This little guy (covered by RCR http://tinyurl.com/66jfmb) is the equivalent of a puppy in the canine world.  So cute and sure to draw "ohhs" and "ahhs" from passers by.




-posted by Lindsay

I Want an iCar
 
With all of the talk surrounding the big 3 automaker bailout, some media outlets like ZDNet, CNET, TechNewsWorld and the New York Times are suggesting Steve Jobs take the helm at GM or be appointed the feds new “car czar”. Some of the reasoning for the GM top spot, Jobs would cut out the corporate fat, speed up innovation (and actually innovate at that) and market products correctly.
 
I love some of the comments from readers on possible Jobs GM cars:
 
·               Acceleration and braking would be handled with a single pedal
·               It would drive slower in Redmond than it would in Cupertino
·               You’d have a choice of: brushed aluminum
·               Steering would be done via touch screen.
·               You could only use Apple brand gasoline from Apple brand gas stations.
 
Who’s ready for an iCar? I am!

-posted by Andrew

First it's Black Friday...then it's CyberMonday...now its Mobile Tuesday? According to a recent NewsFactor story, mobile marketing firm Mobigosee is launching Mobile Tuesday -- a new mobile shopping campaign aimed to increase sales the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Unlike Black Friday, Mobile Tuesday isn't restricted to store hours and doesn't call for driving, parking, searching aisles or standing in lines. Shopping via mobile is a great option for people like me who favor quick and low stress shopping – any time of year.

-posted by Lindsay

Six finalists from across the Pacific Northwest will showcase their startups at the annual MIT Venture Lab Startup DEMO on Thursday, December 4. Competitors include Array Health, Alerts.com, DisplayWare, e*swing golf, Fuel Vapor Technologies and Podcurry. Curious about Podcurry? Turns out, it's an online service that lets you create custom news shows so that you only listen to the news you truly care about. It's the brainchild of former Microsoftie Nikhil George,

You can learn more about Startup DEMO here.

-posted by Rachel

Mashable's 2nd Annual Open Web Awards is the only multilingual international online voting competition covering major innovations in web technology. The Seattle startup community is well represented -- with just a quick look, I picked out Wetpaint and Avvo – there may be others. So go to the site before December 15 and vote local!

-posted by Rachel