Sony launches missile Sony has launched a new salvo in the battle for the home media centre market against Windows Media Centre-based PCs and Apple’s “Digital Media Hub” strategy. PlayStation 3, already in 675,000 Australian homes — and 20% of those in the last three months — gains a new “TV” icon. Initially this provides direct access ABC iView streaming video, which had a more than million views in October. On Thursday, Sony launches the PlayTV, a dual Freeview-compatible HD TV receiver that turns the PS3 into a personal video recorder (PVR). PlayTV will retail for $169, or bundled free with the $599 PS3 250GB model. — Stilgherrian

Dark lords Murdoch & Microsoft v  Google: FT is reporting that Microsoft has been in talks with the media giant News Corporation over a plan which could see the firm behind papers from the Wall Street Journal to the Sun being paid to stop Google searching its news websites. The implication is that Microsoft’s search engine Bing would be the place to go for news – and that Google would have to start paying if it wanted to retain that kind of content. — BBC

That’s just not cricket The AP has been joined by Reuters and Agence France-Presse in a global news coalition that will not cover the three-test series against the West Indies that starts Thursday in Brisbane. The news agencies also refused to cover the 2008-09 series in Australia involving South Africa and New Zealand. — Yahoo News

What’s next for Oprah’s sidekicks? If Oprah is the center of the universe — and we have no reason to doubt she is — then she’s not just shutting down a show. She’s shaking up the cosmos. After all, she’s responsible for launching a series of stars, comets and dwarf planets that are out there now on their own. What’s next for those in Oprah’s orbit? — The Chicago Sun Times

The Holocaust, so hot right now The publisher behind a controversial fashion shoot at Berlin’s Holocaust memorial has apologized to anyone offended, but denies that it “trivializ[ed] the Memorial,” arguing that the shoot was intended to “raise awareness” and “encourage passengers to visit for themselves.” The photographs appeared in a recent issue of its inflight magazine in a package pegged to the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall. — Jezebel

Wikipedia leaks editors Wikipedia is losing thousands of editors each month, the Wall Street Journal reports. Why? The most popular topics have been written, making it less engaging. Also, Wikipedia has added more stringent rules for the editing process, making it harder for new editors. — Business Insider

Get set for twads (that’s twitter ads for the unintiated) Twitter said last week that it’s generating sales of more than $4 million a year and plans to increase that with advertising in early 2010. Current sales come from companies paying to use Twitter’s data, such as Microsoft Corp. displaying Twitter updates in its search results. – Bloomberg