* Some analysts have previewed the software update for Research in Motion’s PlayBook and aren’t impressed. Worse, they believe the update will do little to turn the floundering tablet’s sales around. (The New York Times)

* Like Netflix (NFLX), Hulu is upping the ante by offering original content like the show Battleground, which “airs” Feb. 14, and a six-part documentary from School of Rock director Richard Linklater. The company plans to spend $500 million — some of which will likely come from investors — towards TV show and movie programming this year. That figure is significantly more than the $300 million originally projected. (Bloomberg)

* Rupert Murdoch isn’t happy with the Obama administration’s stance on SOPA, the Stop Online Piracy Act, and accused it of being in the employ of “Silicon Valley paymasters.” Meanwhile, several web sites like Wikipedia and Reddit will participate in a voluntary blackout tomorrow to protest the bill. (CBS News and CNNMoney)

* Former CBS Interactive exec Neil Ashe will now run Wal-Mart’s global online commerce unit as president and CEO. (All Things D)

* Digital marketer Hillel Fuld on why Windows Phone will take off, despite criticisms like a supposedly small app ecosystem. (Business Insider)

* For all it’s convenience, the ebook still trails behind traditional print when it comes to borrowing from the local library. (The Washington Post)

* How one iPhone going off at the New York Philharmonic created an uproar. (The New York Times)

* Venture capitalist Fred Wilson argues that the idea of scarcity may have worked well for the film industry in decades past, but now just means lost transactions. (AVC)

* Ex-TechCrunch writer Sarah Lacy launched PandoDaily, a new startup-focused daily tech blog, with $2.5 million of funding from investors like Marc Andreessen, Peter Thiel, and Zappos CEO Tony Hseih. Also onboard as writers: former colleagues Mike Arrington, M.G. Siegler, and Paul Carr. (GigaOm)

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