Around the Web 12.22.08: Ogling 2008’s top gadgets, fighting over Jackass.com

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-- Many songs’ sales more than double after they’re featured in the Rock Band or Guitar Hero franchises, and record labels are looking for a big cut. AP via Yahoo News

-- Holiday e-commerce sales are lagging behind last year’s. Bloomberg via LAT

-- Personal technology: 2008 in review. USA Today

-- Photos of the year’s top gadgets. Wired

-- How does Apple decide which books to ban from the App Store? CNet

-- A New Jersey newspaper is protecting its turf, by staying off the Web. NYT

-- MTV fights with a Web domain name company over the rights to Jackass.com. WSJ

-- China blocks access to the New York Times website. PaidContent.org

-- Finally, a quick programming note: Although the Tech blog is still open for business (with a skeleton crew) this week, Around the Web is going on hiatus until Monday, Dec. 29. Happy holidays.

-- Chris Gaither