Top Items:


Apple Working on Cheaper, More Versatile IPhone Models — Apple Inc. is working on new versions of the iPhone that are aimed at slowing the advance of competing handsets based on Google Inc.'s Android software, according to people who have been briefed on the plans.
Discussion:
Technologizer, Tech Check, Reuters, mocoNews, Ars Technica, GigaOM, CNET News, MacRumors, AppleInsider, AppAdvice, SAI, SlashGear, 9 to 5 Mac, Erictric, Tech Trader Daily, MobileCrunch, Engadget, MacStories, Electricpig.co.uk, The Next Web, Electronista, PhoneDog.com, IntoMobile, GottaBeMobile and TiPb
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Could Apple Be Your Next Phone Company? — Apple's plans to once again change the dynamics of the mobile world are becoming clearer. Bloomberg reported today that the device maker has plans for a universal SIM card that I first reported on in October, and Apple is seeking a way to make it possible …
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, Thanks:sgbass83


Advanced sign-in security for your Google account — Has anyone you know ever lost control of an email account and inadvertently sent spam—or worse—to their friends and family? There are plenty of examples (like the classic “Mugged in London” scam) that demonstrate why it's important …
Discussion:
NewsGrange, Googling Google Blog, Matt Cutts, Digital Trends, Google Public Policy Blog, Search Engine Watch, Between the Lines Blog, The Register, eWeek, Eurodroid, Bits, Krebs on Security, Liliputing, Techie Buzz, Geek.com, Nieman Journalism Lab, The Firewall, gHacks Technology News, CNET News, GottaBeMobile, Mashable!, Erictric, Fast Company, Dennis Fisher, Zatz Not Funny!, PC World, TechSpot, Examiner, Zero Day Blog and ReadWriteWeb


Facebook Unifies UI As It Rolls Out New Design For ‘Pages’ — Back in December Facebook unveiled a significant redesign to user profiles, which now feature a handful of photos at the top of the page, new sections for featuring your family members and best friends, and some other mostly-cosmetic tweaks.
Discussion:
All Facebook, Mashable!, PC World, Inside Facebook, Loic Le Meur Blog, Inside Facebook, The Huffington Post, Startup Meme and The Social Path
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Please Twitter, Don't Sell to Google or Facebook — According to sources quoted by the Wall Street Journal in a story published late Wednesday night, Twitter has been having what the paper called “low-level” discussions about a possible acquisition by either Google or Facebook, at a valuation of between $8 billion and $10 billion.
Discussion:
TechCrunch, ReadWriteWeb, Venture Capital Dispatch and Geek.com, more at Mediagazer »
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Understanding Twitter's valuation
Discussion:
MediaPost, The Atlantic Online, DealBook, Scripting News and Adotas


Livestand from Yahoo! - Your Digital Newsstand — The way we access and experience the Web is changing every day. By 2013, more than one billion Internet-enabled mobile devices are projected to be in circulation—that equals more than half the total pool of Internet users today.
Discussion:
MacStories, BetaNews, TUAW, Shoutpedia, Digital Trends, Thomas Hawk Digital Connection and Bits
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Yahoo Unveils ‘Livestand’ Tablet Newsstand And ‘Personalized News’ Focus
Discussion:
MediaPost, L.A. Times Tech Blog, PC World, SAI, Digital Daily, NBC Bay Area, SlashGear, GigaOM, CNET News, Electronista, IntoMobile, Between the Lines Blog, Pulse2 and VentureBeat, more at Mediagazer »


Acting on Feedback: IE9 Release Candidate Available for Download — The Release Candidate of Internet Explorer 9, available now at www.BeautyOfTheWeb.com in 40 languages, reflects our unique approach to building the best experience of the Web on Windows. IE9 also reflects a more open …
Discussion:
CNET News, WinRumors, Channel 9, WinRumors, BetaNews, eWeek, Download Squad, Hardware 2.0 Blog, ReadWriteWeb, PC World, TechNet Blogs, Ars Technica, Redmond Pie, The Tech Report, Network World, Techie Buzz, Adotas, Neowin.net, LiveSide.net, Digital Trends, TechFlash, Web Browsers, paidContent, The Windows Blog, All about Microsoft Blog, The Next Web, Black Web 2.0, BlogsDNA and Seattle Times
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IE9 Release Candidate review: will Microsoft's big browser bet pay off?
Discussion:
Technologizer, Notebooks.com and WMPoweruser.com, Thanks:edbott


Exclusive: Facebook Exploring Permitting a Tender Offer for $1 Billion of Employee Shares at $60 Billion Valuation — Facebook is exploring permitting a tender offer up to $1 billion of its employee shares, after being approached by a number of big institutional investors about investing in the company …
Discussion:
GigaOM, All Facebook and SAI
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Facebook Earned ~$250 Million In Q4, Profits Growing At An Astounding Rate
Discussion:
PE Hub Blog


Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz backs Groupon, joins board — Groupon is getting a double-shot of good news today. The fast-growing daily deal site announced that Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has joined the board. In a related move, Schultz's Seattle venture capital firm, Maveron …
Discussion:
Venture Capital Dispatch, Digits, VatorNews, Pulse2, Business Wire and PE Hub Blog, Thanks:toddbishop
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Despite Leave, Jobs Keeps a Hand on Apple — Three weeks into a medical leave he took “to focus on my health,” Apple Inc. Chief Executive Steve Jobs is staying closely involved in the company's strategic decisions and product development, according to people familiar with the matter.
Discussion:
9 to 5 Mac and MacRumors
RELATED:

Steve Jobs Spotted At Apple HQ With A Big Smile, And A Spring In His Step
Discussion:
MediaPost


New iPhone Carries $171.35 Bill of Materials, IHS iSuppli Teardown Reveals — Despite having nearly the same functionality and a similar bill of materials (BOM) as the previous model, the new code division multiple access (CDMA) version of the iPhone 4 carried by Verizon Wireless includes significant changes …
Discussion:
Computerworld, eWeek, AppleInsider, MacRumors, The Loop and everythingiCafe
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Google and Microsoft offer Nokia hundreds of millions to abandon MeeGo, Symbian — When Nokia CEO Stephen Elop announces a major change in Nokia strategy tomorrow, cash may be an important factor: Microsoft and Google are both said to be offering Nokia hundreds of millions of dollars to switch …
Discussion:
Examiner, Between the Lines Blog and O'Reilly Radar
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Exclusive: Nokia's Stephen Elop Talks About How He Made His Big OS Decision
Discussion:
WMPoweruser.com, PhoneReport v2.0, TechCrunch and PhoneArena


Making search yours — For years people have talked about personalized search as the next evolution of our amazing technology. Over the years, the biggest obstacle facing search engineers is the simple fact that human behavior is not predictable. Don't get us wrong, people can be creatures …
Discussion:
SAI, The Next Web, The Register, The Microsoft Blog, Search Engine Land, eWeek, Andy Beal's Marketing Pilgrim, WinRumors, Neowin.net and NewsGrange


The Funny Coincidence between Bing's Rise And Conduit's Declining Traffic — Last December toolbar startup Conduit announced they were bailing on Google search in favor of Bing. — In January Bing surged in search market share, up over 2 points to 12.8%. — You wouldn't think Conduit was the main force behind the rise.


Twitter for Android - new and improved — Twitter for Android is one of the fastest growing Twitter applications. Six months ago, it wasn't among the top 10 most-used Twitter applications. However, in the last two months, usage has doubled, and now it's among the top five …
Discussion:
AndroidGuys, ReadWriteWeb, GigaOM, Gearlog, Erictric, Engadget and louisgray.com

President Obama Details Plan to Win the Future through Expanded Wireless Access — Initiative expands wireless coverage to 98% of Americans, reduces deficit by nearly $10 billion, invests in nationwide public safety network — WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama will today detail his plan …


Mobile Insiders Say Apple's iAds Are “Hurting” — Apple's iAds are hitting a rough spot. Across the board, several developers I've spoken to confirm that “fill rates” for iAds dropped drastically after the New Year and have yet to recover. The fill rate—what percentage of the ad inventory …
Discussion:
PC World, The Onion, AppleInsider, MarketingVOX, MacStories, TUAW and MacRumors, more at Mediagazer »


500 Startups Announces First Class Of New Incubator Program — Six months ago 500 Startups, the angel fund headed by Dave McClure, started investing in dozens of startups — they're now up to around 90 investments. And today the fund is announcing an incubator program similar in many ways to Y Combinator …
Discussion:
500 Startups, Mashable!, GigaOM, ReadWriteWeb, NetworkEffect, VentureBeat, Xconomy, PE Hub Blog and SAI, Thanks:davemcclure


Snapshot of an Apple flash crash — What triggered the sell-off that knocked $10 billion off the company's market cap? Something happened to Apple's (AAPL) share price Thursday afternoon that has investors still scratching their heads. The stock, which had been sailing along near …
Discussion:
Stock Tick Tock, MacDailyNews, 9 to 5 Mac, NBC Bay Area and MacNN

Windows 7 Update Breaks VMware View Client: An Important Lesson In BYOD — Many customers I talk to are interested in supporting a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) delivery model. A thought frequently echoed by customers is that allowing users to access their applications on their terms improves mobility …
Discussion:
Chris Towles's Blog, Network World and V3.co.uk


Stop the presses: Facebook CTO says news next in social revolution — Facebook CTO Bret Taylor says news and media are set get the social treatment — Each week we ask chief technology officers and other high-profile tech decision-makers three questions.


Developing Facebook's New Photo Viewer — When we looked to revamp the Photos experience, we faced many challenges. While Photos is one of the most core experiences on Facebook, with over 100 million photos uploaded per day, it's supported by some of the oldest code in the system and was in dire need of an upgrade.