Around the Web 11.20.08: BlackBerry Storm brewing, Google Lively closing, e-tailers discounting

-- Walt Mossberg speaks: The BlackBerry Storm, which hits stores tomorrow, is a "very capable handheld computer." It features a very cool tactile touchscreen that makes pressing on it feel like pressing on a keyboard. But the device has lots of problems, including lack of Wi-Fi capability. WSJ

-- For more BlackBerry Storm photos than you could possibly want, check out this review. Engadget

-- UC Irvine study: The Internet is good for kids. LAT

-- Mozilla, the group behind the Firefox browser, got 88% of its 2007 funding from Google. With so much money coming from a deal with one company, the Internal Revenue Service wonders, should Mozilla keep its nonprofit status? TechCrunch

-- Which part of Microsoft doesn't want to buy Yahoo is Wall Street failing to understand? BoomTown

-- The Lively that wasn't: Google's virtual world is shutting down after less than half a year. CNet

-- Also biting the dust: The Championship Gaming Series. Anyone got a job for an out-of-work gamer? PaidContent

-- Online retailers are slashing prices on goods in hopes that consumers can afford them. But can the retailers afford the price cuts? NYT

-- President-elect Barack Obama's tech policy team has three leaders: Google.org head Sonal Shah and former Federal Communications Commission staffers Julius Genachowski and Blair Levin. VentureBeat

-- Chris Gaither

Photo: BlackBerry Storm. Credit: Frank Franklin II / Associated Press

Comments

[Ray]

Funny how you call lack of wifi a problem. You dont know what your talking about. You dont need wifi with 3g......-- Walt Mossberg speaks: nonsence

[Chris Gaither]

Ray, a lot of people would disagree with you on that one. Though Wi-Fi does drain your battery more quickly, the connection is generally faster and more reliable than 3G. I know lots of people who get bad cell reception in their houses and rely on Wi-Fi to use their iPhones.

[Troy]

Perhaps those folks need to use Wi-Fi as a results of AT&T's coverage. Verizon supposedly has a better network. Could the Storm have less of a need for Wi-Fi? I would rather not carry around a radio I do not need.

It seems that the #1 thing people compare between the two is that one has Wi-Fi and the other doesn't. Is this the only meaningful feature???

I look forward for my Storm to arrive because as a business user, I don't need an iPhone - I need a Blackberry device.

[vijay]

iPhone from Apple has developed a new standard for the smartphone industry. With it’s amazing touchscreen, full featured html browser, google maps with GPS, enterprise email support, ipod, stocks, weather, calendar, application store, etc etc, it has wooed millions of people from across the globe.

But even with it’s extensive feature list, there are a few key elements missing from the iPhone, some of which the BlackBerry Storm may do better than the iPhone thereby making it a safer bet than the iPhone... Yep, I meant safer. I have my reasons… and here’s why http://smartphoneguru.wordpress.com/2008/11/18/blackberry-storm-a-safer-bet-than-the-iphone/

I can’t wait to get myself the Storm…