In general I try to post blog/news items that at least appear somewhat external to what I'd call the 'bitcoin community' (or potentially have an audience that is outside it)
As part of the New York Observer.. I guess betabeat fits that bill.. although perhaps Adrianne Jeffries is in danger of being drawn in a little too close.

Not that bitinstant isn't an interesting development.. but I haven't quite grasped how it really changes things on a global scale.
I'm not sure how it is
" likely to encourage a new crop of casual traders and the Bitcoin-curious " as she states.
(From Australia - I've managed to deposit funds to MtGox within 24hrs (well once anyway) - but I don't yet see how bitinstant will improve on that for me.  Perhaps there are more deposit hurdles from within the US banking system.)

I hope betabeat manages to maintain enough distance to avoid becoming a mere mouthpiece for bitcoin projects (interesting though they may be).. and focus on issues that are novel or also of wider appeal.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/08/24/138673630/what-is-bitcoin

I think the podcast is a rehash but the story is on the front page of NPR.com right now.

Elektrischer Reporter, a professional and popular German video podcast about net culture and society now and in the future (at times ironic, exaggerated and hilarious), published a new episode about a fictional P2P cryptocurrency:

http://www.elektrischer-reporter.de/phase3/video/246/

In some years, traditional state economies as we know will run dry of money supply and will vanish, and the net citizens will fund projects like building an Eiffel Tower replica out of chocolate.

Bitcoin is mentioned to be the foundation and role model for this fictional currency, mind you.

This show is also transmitted on mainstream TV by the German public federal broadcaster ZDF via its information channel.

Was surprised to see an a full two page article in this months Linux Format Magazine (UK) titled "What on Earth is bitcoin?" This is a printed magazine.

A fanciful article that seemed balanced but ended in a sour note about the EFF not accepting bitcoins for donations.

Only one mention of bitcoin - and I'm not sure bitcoin is necessarily best suited to micropayments on a large scale.
(At least not in current form.. I gather some of the 'scripting' proposals may make it more suitable for this sort of thing)

This blogger seems to think the 'main site' has been hacked - referring to bitcoin.org (did I miss something?)


It's interesting how the echoes of bitcoin issues reverberate...
Within the bitcoin community such issues may seem to be bumps already well behind on the road.. but to other's they're signs that the road isn't to be travelled down.


EDIT: I'm really stretching 'notable' with blog posts like this.. I guess I have a slight bias towards treating this thread as something of a 'how does bitcoin look from the outside'.
I'll try to keep the obscure blog reports to a minimum.. but when there's misinformation potentially worthy of some commenter attention, or an interesting angle.. well it's tempting to throw some of them in.

I feel it's only a matter of time before we see the first software agents which roam the internet with their own wallet - making a living daytrading.. and sending occasional pizza offerings to their creator.



Another story on the same issue..

No need for google translate, Rick Falkvinge posted a translation on his blog:

http://falkvinge.net/2011/08/25/days-of-reckoning-fast-approaching-for-banks/

For those of you who don't know, Falkvinge is the founder of the swedish Pirate Party, the first pirate party in the world. He has been blogging about bitcoin before. Those posts are well worth your time if you have not read them, he is a good writer:

http://falkvinge.net/2011/06/04/bitcoins-four-hurdles-part-one-usability/
http://falkvinge.net/2011/06/18/bitcoins-four-drivers-part-two-international-trade/
http://falkvinge.net/2011/06/08/bitcoins-four-hurdles-part-three-escrow/
http://falkvinge.net/2011/06/10/bitcoins-four-hurdles-part-four-exchanges/

http://falkvinge.net/2011/06/16/bitcoins-four-drivers-part-one-unlawful-trade/
http://falkvinge.net/2011/06/18/bitcoins-four-drivers-part-two-international-trade/
http://falkvinge.net/2011/07/03/bitcoins-four-drivers-part-3-merchant-trade/
http://falkvinge.net/2011/07/05/bitcoins-four-drivers-part-4-investment/