Facebook Home: Zuck’s Android Takeover
Mark Zuckerberg wants to turn your Android phone into a simple sharing device. And by that, he means he wants to turn it into a Facebook phone.

Facebook just announced Facebook Home, which all but turns any Android handset into a “Facebook phone” by putting the social giant right there on the home screen and all of its products at the forefront of the UI. It isn’t a phone made by Facebook. It’s something better than that, and in some ways, more important: a deeply integrated application with its hooks set tightly into the Android platform. Think of it as an apperating system.
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/04/facebook-android-home-phone/

Samsung to open brand shops in Best Buy stores; Wall Street approves
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS) is planning to install its brand shops in more than 1,400 Best Buy Co Inc (BBY.N) stores this year, a move that some on Wall Street said could help the world’s largest consumer electronics chain boost in-store traffic, sales and profitability.

The news pushed Best Buy shares up 12.5 percent to $24.36 on Thursday.

The store-within-a-store effort is a key element of Best Buy’s turnaround plan, which includes dedicating more space to more-profitable products like tablets and mobile phones. The company is also trying to use its clout with suppliers to fight online and discount rivals.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/04/us-bestbuy-samsung-shares-idUSBRE9330R220130404

Will Mobile Break Google’s Search Monopoly?
OK, we know that Google‘s not actually a monopoly in search but it does get the lion’s share of the business. And the question is, is anything ever going to shift that market dominance? To which the answer is, in a narrow sense, quite probably not. In the wider sense, yes, of course.

The narrow sense is in being able to search almost all of the web from a desktop. I could be wrong but I don’t see anybody really coming up with a better experience than the one we’re already getting. It’s a bit like Microsoft and their dominance on the desktop. Windows and Office are not really going to be threatened on that desktop by anything that we can see out there.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2013/04/04/will-mobile-break-googles-search-monopoly/

PS4 Version of Thief to Compete with Gaming PCs
Sony’s next-gen PC hardware is already showing that it can go toe-to-toe with gaming PCs. Now even PC exclusives are no match for the PS4′s enveloping storm.

Eidos Montreal Producer Stéphane Roy explained to VideoGamer that the PS4 version of Thief will compete graphically with gaming PCs. He said:

But for a visual aspect – especially for a game like Thief – it’s not a question of pushing more polygons, [or] now I can have 200 enemies at the same time and not just 100 enemies. So on our side, it’s more a question of gameplay, the movement, stuff like that. I think with the next-gen, yeah visually speaking, with the high-end PC and next-gen it’s going to be really, really close, honestly.

A representative from Square Enix went as far as to say the PS4 version is “almost identical” to its PC brother, a prospect that would signal the end of the series’ PC-exclusive notoriety.
http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2013/04/04/thief-on-ps4-will-look-almost-identical-to-pc-version/

Browser war brewing: Google ditches Webkit for Blink, Mozilla partners with Samsung on Servo
It’s been roughly two months since Opera announced it was dropping its own Presto web rendering engine in favor of Webkit, the same used by Apple’s Safari and Google’s Chrome. The move was seen as an attempt to remain relevant in the mobile market, where Opera has usually been a strong contender, and essentially reduced the market to three major engines, with Microsoft’s Trident and Mozilla’s Gecko the other two.

Back then Mozilla lamented the decision noting that Webkit dominating the mobile scene would make their job of promoting web standards harder. Fast forward to today and there are two new players jumping on the scene.
http://www.techspot.com/news/52149-browser-war-brewing-google-ditches-webkit-for-blink-mozilla-partners-with-samsung-on-servo.html

Google wants to replace your password with an electronic ring or USB drive
If Google has its way, you could soon use an electronic ring or some other physical solution to login to websites rather than using a standard password.
As revealed by Wired today, Google VP of Security Eric Grosse and Engineer Mayank Upadhyay have outlined several ways to rethink the traditional password. The two are responding to the problem of password security, and that it’s simply not enough protection. One such incident that highlighted this was when tech journalist Mat Honan had many of his accounts hacked in August 2012.
http://venturebeat.com/2013/01/18/google-password-ring-usb/

Nokia Lets You 3-D Print Your Own Phone Case
Nokia is turning its Lumia phones into a bit of an arts-and-crafts project. Now you can print your own cases for them.

In a blog post published Friday, John Kneeland, a community manager at Nokia, said the company was releasing a set of files for people to create their own cases with a 3-D printer. The tool kit, available as a free download, will include 3-D templates, case specifications and recommendations for materials and best practices.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/18/nokia-print-cases/

Facebook quietly brings voice calls to U.S. iPhone owners
After launching voice calls for Canadian iPhone users earlier this month, Facebook today began rolling out the feature for those in the U.S.
To send and receive voice calls, you’ll need to install Facebook’s standalone Messenger app for the iPhone. Then select a person to chat with, choose the “i” button in the top right of the screen, and select “Free voice call.” Unfortunately, Android users only have the capability to send voice messages, which also previously launched in Canada.
http://venturebeat.com/2013/01/16/facebook-messenger-iphone-voice-calls/

Dish Meddles With Sprint-Softbank Merger
Dish has asked the FCC to hold off on approving Softbank’s purchase of Sprint. Not coincidentally, Dish and Sprint are both vying to buy Clearwire. “In any mergers and acquisitions deal, the enemy is time,” said TDG Research analyst Joel Espelien, “so even if Dish’s request isn’t very effective with the FCC, something else could happen in the meantime that would stop the Softbank deal. It’s a tactic.”
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/Dish-Meddles-With-Sprint-Softbank-Merger-77126.html

Petition Asks Apple to Pull NRA Practice Range App
A petition being hosted at SignOn.org is asking Apple to pull an app from the NRA that includes a shooting range. The petition calls the app, NRA: Practice Range, an “insult to the victims of gun violence” because it was released on the one-month anniversary of the Sandy Hook school shooting.

“Out of respect for the victims and to signal Apple’s support for common sense measures to help end gun violence, we call on you to rescind your approval of this shameless new product,” the petition said.
http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/petition-asks-apple-to-pull-nra-practice-range-app

Honda recalls more than 748,000 vehicles for faulty airbag
Honda announced Friday it’s recalling more than 748,843 Pilot and Odyssey vehicles to correct a problem with the driver’s-side airbag.

The automaker says some of the vehicles may be missing a rivet that holds the airbag’s plastic cover in place when it deploys. This could lead to the airbag inflating improperly and could cause the plastic cover to come loose and strike the driver or passengers.

The recall affects 276,153 Odyssey minivans made from 2011 to 2013 and 472,690 Pilot SUVs made from 2009 to 2013.
http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-autos-honda-airbag-recall-20130118,0,6805367.story

Sharp Dramatically Cuts iPad Display Production
Sharp Display has reduced the output of 9.7-inch display panels at its Kameyama, Japan, plant to the bare minimum needed to keep the line running. Sources cited by Reuters said this month’s near-halting of production follows a slowdown that took place in December. The reason for the dramatic shift in output has not been explained by Sharp nor Apple.
http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/apple-macintosh/sharp-dramatically-cuts-ipad-display-pro/240146591

Thanks to smartphone apps, old remote control becoming remote
An iPhone has as many roles as the apps you can install for it. But what’s most improbable for me is how my phone has gradually taken the place of most of my home-entertainment remote controls and is poised to take over even more.

On my iPhone at the moment, I have software that can control a stereo receiver, Apple TV, iTunes software located around my network, a Blu-ray player, a software alarm system on a desktop, and a Mac connected to an HDTV as if I’m using a mouse and keyboard. That’s so far.
http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2020148809_ptechpracticalmacxml.html

Asus, LG Consider Windows Phones
So far only a few hardware makers have adopted Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 platform, but that might be about to change. Both Asus and LG have indicated interest in Microsoft’s latest smartphone operating system, which means businesses and consumers will eventually have more choices.

Benson Lin, Asus’ corporate vice president of mobile communication products, said the company is eyeing Windows 8 for its next Padfone product, and that the company wants to make Windows Phone 8 devices.
http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/asus-lg-consider-windows-phones/240146482

Lenovo Bringing Chromebook to Classrooms
Lenovo is polishing up its education offerings with a touch of Chrome—Google’s Chrome OS, that is. The PC manufacturer today announced Lenovo’s first Chromebook, a variation of the ThinkPad X131e using Google’s Web-centric operating system, to be sold exclusively to K-12 schools.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2414408,00.asp

WSOP APAC to award five bracelets
The World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific will make its debut in Melbourne, Australia on April 4. The five-bracelet tournament series at the Crown Melbourne Integrated Resort will span 12 days and conclude with the crowning of the first APAC main event champion.
http://espn.go.com/poker/story/_/id/8852747/2013-world-series-poker-apac-schedule-feature-five-bracelet-events

Nokia Cuts More Jobs
Nokia Corp. announced another round of jobs cuts Thursday, despite solid pre-Christmas smartphone sales, which are designed to aid its restructuring but may put the sluggish Finnish economy under pressure.
The Finnish handset maker said it would cut 300 jobs, mostly in Finland, and transfer hundreds more other employees to Indian suppliers, removing them from its payroll. Up to 820 jobs will be outsourced in this way.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323468604578247101409816098.html

Amazon MP3 comes to iOS as a Web-app, neatly avoiding Apple’s App Store commission
Amazon has launched its MP3 music store on the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. But don’t bother searching for it. To avoid paying Apple commission, Amazon has made it a web-app accessed through Safari.
http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/amazon-mp3-music-store-now-available-on-ios-through-html5-web-app/

RIM gets thumbs up from Visa for pay-by-bonk security tech
RIM is hoping its reputation for superior security will smooth its path into wallet management as it gains Visa approval for the TSM platform that it is pushing to network operators.

Everyone planning secure NFC apps needs a Trusted Service Management (TSM) platform, but the four big SIM providers already have approved TSM platforms. This means that RIM will face an uphill battle for acceptance, though it may have an old advantage in the form of legacy enterprise deployments and love from the BOFHs.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/01/17/rim_nfc_tsm/

King Overtakes Zynga To Become Number One in Facebook Gaming
King.com is now number one when it comes to Facebook games. The company has overtaken Zynga for top honors on the social network, with three of its games making Facebook’s top 10 in January.

In the #1 slot is Candy Crush Saga. A Bejeweled-style game that has players match three or more like pieces of candy together to remove them from the board.
http://mashable.com/2013/01/17/king-number-one-facebook/

BlackBerry 10 nets 15,000 apps in under two days
Research In Motion’s BlackBerry 10 application marketplace will have thousands of more programs, thanks to two events the company ran over the weekend.
The events saw RIM net 15,000 app submissions for BlackBerry 10 within a period of 37.5 hours, according to Alec Saunders, vice president of developer relations. The events were called Portathons, with one focusing on the BlackBerry 10 Community and the other on Android developers. In both cases, developers were urged to port their previously developed applications to BlackBerry 10.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57563802-94/blackberry-10-nets-15000-apps-in-under-two-days/

Sony focuses on high-end smartphones to take on iPhone
“That’s why we are in this business, and that’s why we invested heavily in the business,” said Kaz Hirai, Sony’s 52-year-old chief executive, who took over last year.
At CES in Las Vegas last week, Sony caused a splash with the first fruit of its new focus, the waterproof Xperia Z. The device was warmly received as evidence as an effort to restore Sony’s faded reputation for excellent build quality and design.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/sony/9809157/Sony-focuses-on-high-end-smartphones-to-take-on-iPhone.html

MediaFire’s new Android app comes with 50 GB of free storage
MediaFire, a cloud storage service that’s less stingy with free space than some of its competitors, is now available for Android.

Just like its desktop counterpart and iOS apps, MediaFire for Android comes with 50 GB of free storage. It lets you upload files using the built-in file browser or using a gallery view for photos and videos. Users can send files to other apps, view certain types of files directly within the app, and get links to their files for sharing with other users. There’s also a built-in camera for taking photos and videos and uploading them directly.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2025493/mediafires-new-android-app-comes-with-50-gb-of-free-storage.html

US employee ‘outsourced job to China’
A security check on a US company has reportedly revealed one of its staff was outsourcing his work to China.

The software developer, in his 40s, is thought to have spent his workdays surfing the web, watching cat videos on YouTube and browsing Reddit and eBay.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21043693

Apple and Amazon ordered to meet over App Store court case
If you’re not familiar with the legal battle between Apple and Amazon, the two companies have been fighting over the term “app store” for quite some time now, and they have a trial date set for August 19 later this year. However, the judge presiding over the case has ordered the two companies to talk it out first before heading into the court room.
http://www.slashgear.com/apple-and-amazon-ordered-to-meet-over-app-store-court-case-16265528/

OKCupid’s new blind date app not so blind thanks to data leak
Blind dates are already both exciting and terrifying—the former because you might meet your future soulmate, and the latter because your date might end up boiling your bunny. That’s why a privacy bug in OKCupid’s brand new app, Crazy Blind Date, was even more disturbing than usual.
http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/01/okcupids-new-blind-date-app-not-so-blind-thanks-to-data-leak/

Phablets not big threat to smartphones, tablets yet
While phablets cater to a niche group of consumers looking for a more immersive user experience on a mobile device small enough to fit in their palm, they are for now still of little threat to smartphones or tablets.

There is currently a trend among vendors in developing phablets, or a smart mobile device with a screen size of more than 5 inches, observed Lilian Tay, principal analyst at Gartner. However, the phablet is not going to overtake either smartphones or tablets, but will continue to coexist and serve a specific need, Tay noted.
http://www.zdnet.com/phablets-not-big-threat-to-smartphones-tablets-yet-7000009864/

Facebook and Open Compute just blew up the server and disrupted a $55B market
The launch of two new features into the Open Compute hardware specifications on Wednesday has managed to do what Facebook has been threatening to do since it began building its vanity-free hardware back in 2010. The company has blown up the server — reducing it to interchangeable components.
http://gigaom.com/2013/01/16/facebook-and-open-compute-just-blew-up-the-server-and-disrupted-a-55b-market/

AMD sues ex-managers for allegedly copying 100,000 files
Advanced Micro Devices is taking four former employees to court — one vice president and three managers from the firm’s Boxborough, Mass., plant — who left the company to go and work for rival Nvidia last year.
The chipmaker is accusing them of coping more than 100,000 confidential documents and trade secrets to take with them.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-57564273-92/amd-sues-ex-managers-for-allegedly-copying-100000-files/

RIM stock up 6% after Visa OK’s mobile payment tech
Research in Motion shares rose nearly six per cent Monday following news that the Visa credit card system has approved the smartphone company’s method for handling secure mobile payments.

The Waterloo, Ont.,-based company says the green light from Visa is a step towards offering global support for any device equipped with the BlackBerry maker’s mobile-payments technology. Visa’s approval also builds on an initiative by Canada’s three biggest wireless networks through their EnStream joint venture.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2013/01/16/business-rim-visa.html

Leave me alone! GPS glitch sends numerous owners of lost smartphones to Nevada man’s house
Wayne Dobson is one unlucky guy. Thanks to an apparent location-tracking software glitch affecting some handsets in the Las Vegas area, he’s had numerous people turning up to his home over the last two years insisting he has their lost device.
http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/gps-issue-sends-owners-of-lost-smartphones-to-nevada-mans-house/

Exclusive: Huawei partner offered U.S. tech to Iran
An Iranian partner of Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, a Chinese company that has denied breaking U.S. sanctions, last year tried to sell embargoed American antenna equipment to an Iranian firm, according to documents and interviews.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/25/us-huawei-iran-idUSBRE89O0E520121025

Asustek Partners Up with AT&T in U.S. Push
Taiwanese PC maker Asustek Computer Inc., known as Asus, is partnering up with a major U.S. telecom carrier for the first time, in a renewed push into the U.S. consumer electronics market.
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2012/10/25/asustek-partners-up-with-att-in-u-s-push/

Spotify app Soundrop relaunches, becomes social music player
Soundrop started out as a kind of Turntable.fm app within the Spotify client, but its newest iteration goes much further by adding a social integration that puts Spotify’s own social efforts to shame. But relaunching within Spotify is just the first step for Soundrop.
http://gigaom.com/2012/10/25/soundrop-relaunch/

MacBook Pro 13″ Retina Display Late 2012 Teardown
Apple just expanded their Retina family. The newest bundle of joy: a 13” MacBook Pro with Retina display. It’s small, it’s sleek, and all those pixels are pretty darn snazzy. What goes best with a new gadget? Yep, you guessed it: kittens.* So, for this teardown, we brought in the the big guns.
http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Retina+Display+Late+2012+Teardown/11225/1

Pinterest pierces Top 50 most-visited sites list
Though Google still reigns as No. 1, a ComScore study shows that Pinterest joined other social networks for the most frequently visited sites in the U.S. for September.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57539742-93/pinterest-pierces-top-50-most-visited-sites-list/

Torrent Site Webhost Ordered to Pay “Piracy” Damages
Hollywood-backed anti-piracy outfit BREIN has won a landmark case against XS Networks, the former hosting provider of torrent site SumoTorrent. The Court of The Hague ruled that the provider is responsible for damages copyright holders suffered through the torrent site’s activities. The Dutch verdict has far-reaching implications for the liability of hosting providers for the conduct of their clients.
http://torrentfreak.com/torrent-site-webhost-ordered-to-pay-piracy-damages-121024/

Rewarder gets $7 million to fulfill your oddest, nerdiest dreams
Where can you find a place to look for genealogy advice, Lucius Malfoy costume ideas, a recipe for pomegranate sauce, and Navy SEAL training all at once? Rewarder, a social site reminiscent of TaskRabbit or Kickstarter, launches with $7 million to fulfill your dreams.
http://gigaom.com/2012/10/24/rewarder-gets-7-million-to-fulfill-your-oddest-nerdiest-dreams/

A Stuxnet Future? Yes, Offensive Cyber-Warfare is Already Here
According to Mihoko Matsubara, the Stuxnet attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities demonstrates that well-resourced actors now have the capacity to use offensive cyber capabilities to fragment command and control structures, disrupt critical infrastructures, and undermine other components of national security in major ways.
http://www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/Digital-Library/Special-Feature/Detail?lng=en&id=154095&contextid774=154095&contextid775=154091&tabid=1453372088

Tech Giants Form Cyber Security Research Alliance
An assembly of tech giants including AMD, Honeywell, Intel, Lockheed Martin, and RSA, has come together to form the “Cyber Security Research Alliance”, a consortium that will focus on the “grand challenges” for cyber security and next generation technologies.
http://www.securityweek.com/tech-giants-form-cyber-security-research-alliance

Apple Faces Patent Infringement Suit Over Siri
Apple was hit with a patent infringementlawsuit (read it below) over Siri, the Cupertino, California company’s computer voice search-and-speak technology inside newer iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch devices. The twist in this case, however, is that patent holder Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute isn’t the one suing.
http://onward.justia.com/2012/10/23/apple-faces-patent-infringement-suit-over-siri/

Apple’s Schiller defends iPad mini’s price tag
Apple marketing wizard Phil Schiller defended the $329 price of the new iPad mini tablet, saying consumers will be willing to pay for quality not found in less expensive devices from rivals like Google and Amazon.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/23/us-apple-schiller-idUSBRE89M1IN20121023

How a Google Headhunter’s E-Mail Unraveled a Massive Net Security Hole
It was a strange e-mail, coming from a job recruiter at Google, asking Zachary Harris if he was interested in a position as a site-reliability engineer.

“You obviously have a passion for Linux and programming,” the e-mail from the Google recruiter read. “I wanted to see if you are open to confidentially exploring opportunities with Google?”
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/10/dkim-vulnerability-widespread/all/

Cloudera aims to bring real-time queries to Hadoop, big data
Cloudera’s Impala open source project is now a public beta. The company also launches a real-time query services as its second subscription offering.
http://www.zdnet.com/cloudera-aims-to-bring-real-time-queries-to-hadoop-big-data-7000005951/

Facebook stock takes off, opens up 24% after Q3 results
After slightly beating Wall Street expectations in its third quarter results Tuesday, Facebook’s stock has taken off.

The report sent the stock up 13% in after hours trading on Tuesday, and the stock was up nearly 28% in pre-market trading Wednesday morning.
http://vator.tv/news/2012-10-24-facebook-stock-takes-off-opens-up-24-after-q3-results#6tpbHmoQ4eowQhpG.99

Anonymous hacktivists to launch TYLER: “WikiLeaks on steroids!” – EXCLUSIVE interview, part 1
In an exclusive interview to the Voice of Russia a member of Anonymous talks about the conflict that revolves around the coercive fund raising techniques and a lack of transparency regarding WikiLeaks. He also mentions the possible release of a list of what they view as WikiLeaks ethical violations. On December 21, 2012 Anonymous are planning to launch a secure, no cost and decentralized online leaks release platform called TYLER to circumvent to problems inherent in WikiLeaks and to continue to disclose information that governments, including US, are hiding from people.
http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_10_22/Anonymous-hacktivists-to-launch-TYLER-WikiLeaks-on-steroids-EXCLUSIVE-interview-part-1/

In Cyberattack on Saudi Firm, U.S. Sees Iran Firing Back
The hackers picked the one day of the year they knew they could inflict the most damage on the world’s most valuable company, Saudi Aramco.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/24/business/global/cyberattack-on-saudi-oil-firm-disquiets-us.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Pirate Bay Censored in Ireland After Mysterious Court Order (Updated)
Starting today, The Pirate Bay is no longer accessible for customers of the Irish Internet provider UPC. Subscribers who try to access the BitTorrent site get a notice informing them that it has been blocked following a court order in a case brought by Ireland’s equivalent of the RIAA. The block has come as a total surprise, as the court proceedings in question appear to have been progressing under the radar. Surprisingly, UPC – who have opposed blockades in the past – have announced nothing.
http://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-censored-in-ireland-after-mysterious-court-order-121024/

Yelp Pays $50M To Acquire Its Big European Rival, Qype, To Beef Up Its Recommendations And Listings Business
This just in: online recommendations and listings site Yelp is stepping up its international push andbuying its biggest rival in Europe, Qype. It will pay €18.6 million for all of Qype’s shares and is adding another 970,000 shares of Yelp’s Class A common stock, for a total purchase price of approximately $50 million. Qype is headquartered in Germany, with operations across Europe. Combined, the two will have a service covering some 93 million monthly unique visitors and 32 million reviews, Yelp’s CEO Jeremy Stoppelman noted in a blog post. That should help Yelp compete better against the likes of Google, which combines its search, listings, user feedback and maps into a powerful product to rival that of Yelp’s.
http://techcrunch.com/2012/10/24/yelp-pays-50m-to-acquire-its-big-european-rival-qype/

The Biggest Sites In Social Publishing
One way to measure how well a website is doing is by the number of pageviews it’s gotten. Another still — and the au courant metric of a website’s success — is unique visitors, because it reveals how many people are actually going there. But what if you looked at what visitors were doing with stories after reading them? That’s what Newswhip has done to compile a list of its “social monster” websites — the sites that are killing it on Facebook. And the mix might surprise you. Update: A fresh chart collects CNN, ABC, Fox and NBC’s various subsites as one network, which shifts the ranks a tiny bit.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mattbuchanan/the-biggest-sites-in-social-publishing

Zynga CEO Mark Pincus Confirms Layoffs: 5% of Workforce, Potential Closures For U.K., Japan Offices
Zynga confirmed that it started laying off U.S.-based employees ahead of what is expected to be a weak third-quarter earnings report. In all, 5 percent of the company’s full-time workforce is being let go. As of the second quarter, the company had 3,200 employees so the final tally is probably close to 160 employees.
http://techcrunch.com/2012/10/23/zynga-ceo-mark-pincus-confirms-layoffs-5-of-workforce-potential-closures-for-u-k-japan-offices/

Japan’s DeNA launches free international calling app for smartphones
DeNA, a major mobile platform operator based in Japan, on Tuesday announced a new international calling service for smartphones.

The company said its “comm” service will allow online calls for users of the app in 204 countries, including the U.S., Japan, and parts of Europe and Asia. The service has a web page with basic information in English and Japanese, but requires an app available from both iTunes and the Google Play store to operate.
http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=85CC6DD9-A9C0-760B-53194D8072F82857

Chirpify expands beyond Twitter, integrates its simple in-stream commerce platform with Instagram
Raising $1.3 million in April and announcing the hire of former American Express director Rayburn Chan to push its Twitter commerce platform in July,Chirpify is looking to pastures new and has today launched its in-stream transaction service on Facebook’s insanely popular photo-sharing app – Instagram.
http://thenextweb.com/insider/2012/10/23/chirpify-expands-beyond-twitter-launches-its-simple-in-stream-commerce-platform-on-instagram/

A Bandwidth Breakthrough
Academic researchers have improved wireless bandwidth by an order of magnitude—not by adding base stations, tapping more spectrum, or cranking up transmitter wattage, but by using algebra to banish the network-clogging task of resending dropped packets.
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/429722/a-bandwidth-breakthrough/

The Photo-Sharing Wars Aren’t Over Yet. Snapchat And Cinemagram Are Quietly Blowing Up.
When Instagram’s roughly $750 million sale to Facebook closed, it seemed that the photo-sharing chapter in mobile app history closed. Instagram had definitively won, while many startups like Mixed Media Labs’ Picplz and Path either pivoted or completely redid their apps. But if you look at the top charts today, maybe this race isn’t so finished. In fact, there are a couple of younger photo-sharing apps that have quietly blown up over the last month or two.
http://techcrunch.com/2012/10/22/snapchat-cinemagram/

Apple confirms it will stream ‘iPad Mini’ event via its website and Apple TV
In a remarkable turn-up for the books, Apple has confirmed that it will stream a live video feed of its special launch event today, making video available from the event via a new Apple Events app on Apple TV devices but also via Apple.com.
http://thenextweb.com/apple/2012/10/23/apple-confirms-it-will-stream-ipad-mini-event-via-apple-tv/

Java still has a crucial role to play—despite security risks
Java has its security flaws, but it isn’t going away any time soon—after all, many important applications run on the technology, especially in business settings. Still, numerous users are worried enough about vulnerabilities that they restrict Java’s ability to run on their machines. That’s what we heard from Ars readers when we asked Friday whether they let Java run on their computers, and why.
http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/10/java-still-has-a-crucial-role-to-play-despite-security-risks/

USPTO invalidates Apple’s “rubber-banding” patent asserted against Samsung
It was discovered in a Monday court filing from Samsung that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office tentatively invalidated Apple’s bounce scroll, or “rubber-banding,” patent, possibly putting the Apple v. Samsung jury’s decision regarding the property at risk.
http://appleinsider.com/articles/12/10/23/uspto-invalidates-apples-rubber-banding-patent-asserted-against-samsung

How the Huffington Post handles 70+ million comments a year
The Huffington Post has accumulated more than 70 million comments so far this year, far surpassing the 2011 total of 54 million.

To take a single example, its post (the first published) with the now-famousvideo of Mitt Romney’s “47 percent” comments attracted a mind-blowing171,753 comments.
http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/top-stories/190492/how-the-huffington-post-handles-70-million-comments-a-year/

Twitter testing ‘like’ and ‘star’ instead of ‘favorite’ with a limited set of users
Some users are seeing the term ‘Like’ or ‘star’ appear on Twitter.com in the place of the traditional ‘Favorite’. The new terminology appears to be showing up for certain users on the service, but from searches it looks like a limited set so far.
http://thenextweb.com/twitter/2012/10/23/twitter-testing-the-terms-like-and-star-instead-of-favorite-with-a-limited-set-of-users-on-twitter-com/

Zynga’s Next Gamble: An Ad Platform
Zynga is building its own advertising platform that it plans to make available to third-party developers that work with the gaming company.

For Zynga, which has struggled to develop a new hit game recently, the strategy has two aims. Obviously, it wants to generate more ad revenue. But just as important — it wants to give game developers a reason to work with its CEO and founder, Mark Pincus.
http://allthingsd.com/20121023/zyngas-next-gamble-an-ad-platform/

Tweets Spawn Ad Campaigns
Samsung’s latest television ad, which mocks Apple Inc.’s new iPhone, is striking a chord with consumers, at least judging by its popularity on YouTube The South Korean electronics maker credits part of its success to the fact that its ad was partly crafted by mining consumer comments on Twitter and incorporating them into its pitch.
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10000872396390444657804578052944173096104-lMyQjAxMTAyMDIwMTAyODE3Wj.html

DIY ecommerce platform Tictail raises $1.6m in seed funding to target the UK market
Swedish DIY ecommerce platform Tictail has raised €1.2 million ($1.6m) in seed funding and launched a subscription service so that users can sign up for updates from their favourite stores on the site.

The company’s seed round was led by Balderton Capital and Klause Hommels, members of its advisory board, including Spotify CPO Gustav Söderström and Tumblr COO Fredrik Nylander, have also made personal investments.
http://thenextweb.com/insider/2012/10/22/diy-ecommerce-platform-tictail-raises-1-6m-in-seed-funding-and-releases-subscription-features/

Motorola Solutions shows off its hands-free mobile computer
Motorola Solutions is showing off today a gee-whiz mobile computer that you can attach to your head and operate with voice commands.
http://venturebeat.com/2012/10/21/motorola-solutions-shows-off-its-hands-free-mobile-computer/#Qo6JiZlF7w70J82v.99

Amazon makes UK publishers pay 20% VAT on ebook sales
Amazon is forcing British publishers to cover the cost of a 20% VAT charge on ebook sales – even though the true VAT cost to the online retailer is only a fraction of that amount under its generous Luxembourg-based tax regime.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/oct/21/amazon-forces-publishers-pay-vat-ebook

Disruptions: A Tiny Camera for the Stratosphere
There have been two major milestones in narcissistic photography in the last century. The first was the invention of the self-timer, which Kodak began selling during World War I. The second came a few years ago, as teenagers stood at mirrors taking pictures of themselves with camera phones to share online.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/21/disruptions-gopro-camera-records-sky-divers-and-surfers/

Ancestry.com Sets $1.6 Billion Deal
Genealogy website Ancestry.com Inc. has agreed to be acquired by an investor group led by European private-equity firm Permira for about $1.6 billion, or $32 a share, according to people familiar with the deal.
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052970203406404578071390645955994-lMyQjAxMTAyMDIwMjEyNDIyWj.html

The Secret Behind Pinterest’s Growth Was Marketing, Not Engineering, Says CEO Ben Silbermann
Pinterest, which CEO Ben Silbermann describes as a tool that helps people find inspiration, is now the third-largest source of referral traffic on the Internet.

But growth wasn’t easy for the company, Silbermann told a rapt audience at Y Combinator’s Startup School at Stanford University on Saturday.
http://allthingsd.com/20121020/the-secret-behind-pinterests-growth-was-marketing-not-engineering-says-ceo-ben-silbermann/

Dish Network settles Voom HD lawsuit, AMC comes back on the air tonight
Dish Network customers have been without AMC and its family of channels since July 1st, but thanks to a settlement between the satellite company and Cablevision’s former Voom HD unit, AMC will be back on the air starting tonight. The possibility of a settlement leaked out late last week via a court filing, and it looks like Dish CEO Charlie Ergen will avoid taking the stand Monday after all. According to the terms, Dish will hand over $700 million in cash plus its 20 percent stake in Voom, and receive 500MHz of video and data spectrum licenses in 45 areas. In a separate deal, Dish and Cablevision spinoff AMC Networks have a new multiyear deal that should bring back AMC (on channel 131) in time for The Walking Dead to air tonight, and all of its other channels (IFC, WE tv, Sundance and for the first time, Fuse) starting November 1st. While Dish had previously claimed the channel deal was being held up by AMC’s distribution of its shows via iTunes, Netflix and Amazon, now that lawsuit is over those concerns seem to have faded away.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/21/dish-network-amc-settlement-voom-hd-cablevision/

Dark Google: One Year Since Search Terms Went “Not Provided”
A year ago, Google began going dark. Dark in terms of no longer sharing with publishers, in some cases, how people searched for and found those publishers through Google’s search engine. The “single digit” percentage of withholding that Google predicted at the time has turned into more than 50%, in some cases. If Google’s withholding were an eclipse, more than half the sun is being covered. ”Dark Google” is upon us, and it will only grow darker.
http://marketingland.com/dark-google-search-terms-not-provided-one-year-later-24341

Google’s Crystal Ball
Every election season, pollsters try to figure out the demographic makeup of the electorate in an election that hasn’t happened yet. And every election season, pollsters are greeted with charges that their estimates are wrong. Republicans criticize 2012 polls that assume that African-American turnout will remain at its 2008 level. Democrats criticize 2012 polls that assume African-American turnout will be lower than it was. And that’s just one demographic group.
http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/20/googles-crystal-ball/

Apple’s expansions credited with boosting US office development
A rebound in construction of U.S. office space has been credited to technology companies such as Apple, as the iPhone maker prepares to build a massive new corporate headquarters in Cupertino, and also builds new operational facilities around the country.
http://appleinsider.com/articles/12/10/19/apples-expansions-credited-with-boosting-us-office-development

Ultra High Definition officially replaces 4K
The Consumer Electronics Association has announced that the consumer name for 4K will be Ultra HD and gears up for displays to be shown off at next year’s CES in Las Vegas.
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-33199_7-57535570-221/ultra-high-definition-officially-replaces-4k/

Systrom on Andreessen Horowitz: Of course I was furious, but it made everyone work harder
No one likes to be told that the thing they’re the most passionate about isn’t worthwhile. Least of all, an entrepreneur who’s pouring their soul into a venture in lieu of taking a more cushy traditional job.
http://pandodaily.com/2012/10/18/systrom-on-andreessen-horowitz-of-course-i-was-furious-but-it-made-everyone-work-harder/

Sina Weibo rolls out attractive redesign with Google+ style selective sharing
Chinese microblogging service Sina Weibo has begun allowing users to switch over to a new version for the Web that adds an option for selective sharing similar to the Circles feature in Google+.
http://thenextweb.com/asia/2012/10/19/sina-weibo-begins-rolling-out-attractive-redesign-with-selective-sharing-feature/

Facebook to hold Gifts event at FAO Schwartz in New York

Facebook has sent out a barebones invite to a press event in New York next month to unveil some news about Facebook Gifts, the social network’s new gifting service.

The invite, sent out to media today, features the text “You = Invited,” with a gift bow in the background. The event will take place the evening of November 1 at the FAO Schwarz on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, according to the invite.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57535639-93/facebook-to-hold-gifts-event-at-fao-schwartz-in-new-york/

Microsoft Stores giving out Surface reservation passes
Looks like if you live near a Microsoft Store or even a pop-up holiday kiosk you can stop by and get a reservation card good for one Surface RT come October 26th.

The info comes via our forums where member jdevenberg was given a pass from a Microsoft pop-up Store employee at Washington Square in Beaverton, Oregon. The pass simply reads that a Surface has been reserved and all the shopper has to do is bring the pass at 12pm on October 26th. This sounds like a good deal for those of you who are wanting to go and get one in the Store that very day instead of pre-ordering online.
http://www.wpcentral.com/microsoft-stores-surface-reservation-passes

Bitten: Apple’s ‘blasphemous’ logo under fire in Russia
You might make the case that Apple is sinful based on the gluttony for gadgets it inspires, but some extreme Orthodox Christians in Russia are more offended by the company’s “blasphemous” logo.

According to a translation of a Russian news report that’s been kicking around the Web, some conservative believers see the image of the bitten apple as a symbol of Adam and Eve’s original sin in the Bible. Some have gone so far as to cover up the logo and replace it with an image of a cross.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57535567-1/bitten-apples-blasphemous-logo-under-fire-in-russia/

Is Pheed the New Twitter?
Miley Cyrus seems to think so. As does Ashley Tisdale, David Guetta, Paris Hilton, Chris Brown, and thousands of others who have joined the site in a matter of days.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ilyapozin/2012/10/18/is-pheed-the-new-twitter/

An Internet Monster, Reddit, and Free Speech
There are some topics that I just can’t wait to write about. This isn’t one of them. In fact, I’ve been putting this off for days, basically because I find the underlying theme so personally repugnant and disgusting. But the topic is important, and proceed we will.

I don’t use the term “monster” lightly. But in the case of Michael Brutsch, the recently exposed uber-troll of Reddit, the label seems to rightly apply.
http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000996.html

Google Adds 25 Million New Building Footprints To Google Maps On Desktop And Mobile
Google just announced that it has added 25 million new building footprints to Google Maps. Most of the company’s recent announcement around mapping had to do with flashy updates like 3D maps and buildingsin Google Earth or thousands of miles of updated street view imagery. Today’s update stands out because of the large number of footprints the company is adding. Among the areas included in this update are a number of major U.S. cities, including Houston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami and the San Francisco Bay Area, but chances are you will notice changes all across the U.S.
http://techcrunch.com/2012/10/18/google-adds-25-million-new-building-footprints-to-google-maps-on-desktop-and-mobile/

New “Surveillance-Proof” App To Secure Communications Has Governments Nervous
Lately, Mike Janke has been getting what he calls the “hairy eyeball” from international government agencies. The 44-year-old former Navy SEAL commando, together with two of the world’s most renowned cryptographers, was always bound to ruffle some high-level feathers with his new project—a surveillance-resistant communications platform that makes complex encryption so simple your grandma can use it.
http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2012/10/silent_circle_mike_janke_s_iphone_app_makes_encryption_easy_governments.single.html

Business Cards Do High-Tech Work
Tech companies and entrepreneurs are investing creativity and money into the killer business app: the calling card. In a world of virtual goods and smartphone interfaces, the card is often the sole tangible representation of a person and their business, as Katie Rosman explains on Lunch Break. Photo: Getty Images.
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10000872396390444734804578062500022672488-lMyQjAxMTAyMDEwODAxODg3Wj.html

PayPal becomes the latest company to ban class action suits
On November 1st, PayPal will follow Sony, Microsoft, Netflix, and many others in banning class action lawsuits by customers. Its new terms of service require any disputes between a user and PayPal to be resolved with arbitration, or in small claims court if they qualify. Unless users send a written opt-out notice, they’ll be barred from group suits in the US, something that’s become increasingly common for companies since last year.
http://www.theverge.com/2012/10/17/3511792/paypal-class-action-suit-ban

Buy Reviews on Yelp, Get Black Mark
Businesses caught soliciting favorable reviews are increasingly running the risk of getting slapped with a badge of shame.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/18/technology/yelp-tries-to-halt-deceptive-reviews.html?pagewanted=all

Megaupload Is Dead. Long Live Mega!
They’ve been indicted by the U.S. government for conspiracy and briefly thrown in jail, but Kim Dotcom and his partners in the digital storage locker Megaupload have no intention of quitting the online marketplace.

Instead the co-defendants plan to introduce a much-anticipated new technology later this year that will allow users to once again upload, store, and share large data files, albeit by different rules. They revealed details of the new service exclusively to Wired.
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/10/megaupload-mega/

Newsweek to Cease Print Publication at End of Year
Newsweek, the weekly magazine that for decades summarized the news for households across the United States but struggled to maintain relevance in the Internet era, announced on Thursday that it would cease print publication at the end of the year.
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/18/newsweek-will-cease-print-publication-at-end-of-year/

What’s Really Going on With Color: A Small Apple Talent Acquisition
You’d be forgiven if you were confused by the swirl of stories around the social video start-up Color in the past 24 hours.

First, a leaked internal memo said the company was winding down. Then we were told that Color was not shutting down (and further, that some at the company had no idea where the memo came from — turned out it was from the VP of finance). Then Color was being bought by Apple for “high double-digits” millions.
http://allthingsd.com/20121018/whats-really-going-on-with-color-a-small-apple-talent-acquisition/

Tweetbot for Mac is Finally Here!
We are very happy to announce that Tweetbot for Mac is finally available for sale on the Mac App Store! It’s been a long (and bumpy) road, but we are glad we have finally made it to the 1.0 milestone. This is our first official Mac App from Tapbots (unless you want to count Pastebot Sync), and thanks to Todd Thomas for all his hard work, we have something to be proud of. But it doesn’t end here. We are working on version 1.1 and have much more coming to all versions of Tweetbot.
http://tapbots.com/blog/news/tweetbot-mac

Google dives after reporting $14.10 billion in revenue and earnings per share of $6.53
Today Google announced its quarterly earnings, reporting some $14.10 billion in revenue and earnings per share of $6.53. The market reacted negatively, sending the company’s stock down quickly. Google fell some 8% nearly instantly following the release. At its lowest point, Google was down 13%.
http://thenextweb.com/google/2012/10/18/google-dives-after-reporting-14-10-billion-in-revenue-earnings-per-share-of-6-53/

Google launches 11.6-inch ARM-based Samsung Chromebook: $249, ultrathin, 6.5-hour battery, 1080p video
Google just launched the latest iteration of its Chrome OS-based laptop here in San Francisco — the $249 (or £229, for those in the UK) 11.6-inch Samsung Chromebook. It’s ARM-based (fanless), 0.8-inches thick, weighs only 2.43 pounds, runs 6.5+ hours on battery, boots in under 10 seconds and supports 1080p video playback. Pre-orders start today at Amazon and PC World, and the laptop includes Google Now integration using Google Drive as a transport and comes with 100GB of free storage for two years. It will be available for sale on the Play Store and featured prominently at retailers like Best Buy, and naturally, we’re expecting this one to make a bigger splash than prior models based on the bargain bin price alone.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/18/google-launches-11-6-inch-arm-based-samsung-chromebook-249-ul/