Weekly high-tech hot topics in the blogs: Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Ballmer, iPad

Hot topics in the tech blogs for the week ending June 4: Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital makes the blog headlines with insider information provided by Apple CEO Steve Jobs, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer; Apple sells 2 million iPads; and AT&T changes its data plans.

Steve Jobs on iPhone, Google TV and iPad
Steve Jobs' appearance at the Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital (D8) conference was closely followed by blogs across the web. The Apple CEO was quizzed about almost every major question the tech world had on the tips of their tongues, from Apple's stance on Flash, to the "stolen" iPhone prototype to the future of Apple TV. Blogs analyzed Jobs' every response. Headlines such as "Steve Jobs Both Smacks And Kisses AT&T" (TechCrunch), "Apple's Steve Jobs: Google and Adobe picked fights with us" (MobileBeat), "Jobs: There 'might be' an advantage to a multi-carrier US iPhone" (AppleInsider), "Steve Jobs: The iPad Concept Came BEFORE the iPhone" (The Next Web), "Steve Jobs on TV: ‘no one wants to buy a box'" (Engadget), and "Does Steve Jobs' No Mean Yes In The Case of Apple TV? (SF Weekly) quickly became the most read stories of the day on the tech blogs.

2 million iPads sold in 60 days
This week Apple reached another iPad milestone, selling 2 million devices in less than 60 days. The device went on sale on Friday May 28, in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. Consumers in those countries echoed the insatiable demand previously seen in the US snapping up devices as quickly as possible before Apple store sold out. SlashGear mused that the success of the iPad may have diminished innovation within the tablet segment saying, "I thought the iPad's arrival would rejuvenate the tablet segment, but all it seems to have done is killed off any attempt at innovation." Gigaom commented that "The pace of iPad sales is way ahead of early results for the iPhone, which took 74 days to sell the first million" and Macworld proclaimed "Apple's secret weapon is consumer education".

Facebook CEO gets hot under the collar at D8
At the Wall Street Journal's D8 conference Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was closely scrutinized for his company's constantly changing privacy policy. The majority of bloggers were tough on the 26 year old CEO who has admitted to doing "a lot of stupid things" in his college days. The headlines ranged from the ‘diplomatic' "Five things Facebook can do to rebuild trust" (Venture Beat) to the scathing "Open Letter to Mark Zuckerberg: Step Down" (Global Neighbourhoods) and and the in between, "Mark Zuckerberg Gives Awkward, Sweaty Interview at D8: Touches on Privacy and Scandal" (Fast Company).

AT&T change iPad and iPhone data pricing
AT&T received praise for its flexible, $29.99 unlimited monthly iPad data deals in January when Apple first announced its tablet PC, but according to a recent press release, unlimited data plans will become a thing of the past in the US. While AT&T said it was making "Mobile Internet More Affordable to More People," (as Business Insider says) they may have also "Just Put A Bullet In Mobile TV." "They paint it as lowering the price but in truth they lowered the value," explained The Faster Times. AT&T also made it clear that its $20 a month iPhone tethering plan would not allow users to share their internet connection with an iPad tethering.

Steve Ballmer: Microsoft is behind in the mobile race
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer also appeared on stage at the D8 conference alongside Microsoft's Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie. During the question and answer session Ballmer admitted that Microsoft was falling behind in the mobile race and that it had a long way to go before it would catch up with competitors. Business Insider said the interview provided "a snapshot of what's wrong with Microsoft under Steve Ballmer's tenure" whilst BetaNews said "I found Ballmer's candor to be refreshing and it reaffirms my contention that he is the right man to lead Microsoft's mobile business".