Ars Technica has been at the top of TechMeme and on the front age of Digg more often than most technology blogs. This week that prime online real estate and lengthy reputation paid off as Ars Technica was reportedly purchased by Conde Nast for a cool $25 million USD.

With electronic retailers looking to expand business to new frontiers, it should come as little surprise that the big players are forming alliances to better expand and market business. Rumor has it, by way of a very reputable industry source, that electronic retailer giant Best Buy might be looking to acquire video rental company Netflix, and for the very recession-friendly price of $44…about one tank of gas?

Linux houses a tempting promise, one of free software developed by volunteers more focused on purity of code and feeling needed than wealth. Now Verizon has announced its support of a Linux-based mobile operating system LiMo, which competes with Google Android. But, with its historically closed systems, does Verizon fit in with the benevolent programmers powering Linux?

It pays to wait.  Asus is indeed planning on releasing an Atom based EeePC 900 in June and will pack it with more features to further differentiate it from the EeePC 700.

When it started out, the One Laptop Per Child initiative was the epitome of an anti-Microsoft, a non-profit organisation intended to sell cheap and easy to use laptops to help kids in developing countries have access to technology. Now, Microsoft is on board, and the Windows XP operating system, soon to be obsolete to anyone buying a standard PC, will be available on the XO laptops.

Parents of a teenage girl who committed suicide after a neighbor manipulated and bullied her through MySpace may finally see justice served.

Chevy would love that association — that by buying a Chevy Volt you’re acting patriotic, supporting a product and energy produced in America while reducing dependence on foreign oil. And if enough people believe it, Chevy could slingshot itself out of the automotive industry’s recession by riding on the burst of marketing hype surrounding the Volt.

With so many tragedies, natural disasters, coups, genocidal regimes and political issues to choose from all around the world, how do you choose just one to write about for Bloggers Unite for Human Rights? For me, the choice was easy. I am avid Twitter user, and the attention brought to bear on the tragedy in Myanmar (Burma) this week through the simple use of Twitter has been awe inspiring and astounding.

The idea is certainly noble.  Yahoo and Google have both been chastised for giving the names and addresses of Chinese dissidents to the Chinese Government.  This bill would supposedly end such practices by a U.S. based company.  This Act also has strong support from Reporters without Borders.

A teenage boy, who stole his father’s credit card, bought an Xbox 360 games console, booked a Texas motel with his friends, hired two prostitutes, with whom he then played Halo, has been apprehended by Texas police and convicted of fraud.

IBM’s making good use of its World Community grid to figure out solutions for food shortages in the world - specifically for rice.

So far we’ve heard a lot of promises about the Volt, but today Chevy confirmed that its prototype ran for 40 miles just using electrical power. That makes Chevy’s 2010 goal to debut the Volt more tangible by lending some credibility to its claims.

The Zune 2.5 firmware update is finally here, and it’s a big one. The update affects more than just the device firmware, meaning software and online changes are plentiful too. 

Ever since AT&T and the iPhone tied the knot, the wireless carrier can’t seem to stay off the headlines. Here’s another one: AT&T says its 3G network will reach Wi-Fi speeds by 2009, but we’re skeptical about the effort.

A company called US Telematics is choosing to leave satellite technology in the dust and use WiMax technology to bring as many as 500 channels to commuters sitting in traffic. US Telematics is the company behind the Voyager in car entertainment system.

Hacking supposedly secure systems to point out flaws, although not legal (unless hired to do so), is usually done without revealing any information obtained.  Certainly not posting personal information on 6 million unsuspecting people.  Well some Chilean jerk hacker clearly doesn’t know the rules.

An entirely new mini turbine system has been created that looks like a long stick full of propellers.  The rod that holds that propellers can vary in length as can the size and number of the propellers.  One of the unique features of this wind turbine system is that it is light enough to be hand held on the ground and still produce energy.