Top Items:
DigiTimes:
Apple to expand iPhone screen size to 4-inches — Apple reportedly will change the screen size of iPhone to 4-inch for its fifth generation iPhone to compete with the Google Android platform in the 4- to 7-inch smartphone market, according to upstream component suppliers.
Discussion:
SAI, TechEye, Engadget, Neowin.net, I4U News, Electronista, BlogsDNA, t-break, Electricpig.co.uk, AppleInsider, TiPb, Redmond Pie, CrunchGear, Edible Apple, CNET News, The Next Web, MacStories and PhoneArena
RELATED:
Neil Hughes / AppleInsider:
Apple rumored to be evaluating 3 new iPhone prototypes, one with slideout keyboard — A Taiwanese website that has been the source of numerous Apple hardware leaks now claims that Apple has built three hardware prototypes for its next-generation iPhone, including one model with a slide-out physical keyboard.
Discussion:
CNET News, tw.apple.pro, MacRumors, Mashable!, AppAdvice, Redmond Pie, TUAW, TiPb, Electronista, 9 to 5 Mac, iPhone Download Blog, RazorianFly, MobileWhack.com, MacStories, iClarified, iLounge, Gizmodo, everythingiCafe and Examiner
Mark Gurman / 9 to 5 Mac:
iPhone 5 to pack 4-inch display, A5 processor? — Although the last few days have been packed with rumors pointing to a smaller iPhone with a smaller display, Digitimes is now reporting that Apple's fifth-generation iPhone, due in June, will pack a 4-inch display to go toe-to-toe with Android device's larger displays.
Discussion:
TechEye, DigiTimes and MacStories
Matt Cutts / The Official Google Blog:
New Chrome extension: block sites from Google's web search results — We've been exploring different algorithms to detect content farms, which are sites with shallow or low-quality content. One of the signals we're exploring is explicit feedback from users.
Discussion:
Mashable!, Softpedia News, The Next Web, @manan, WebProNews, Technologizer, PC Magazine, @jason, InformationWeek, Fast Company, VentureBeat, Digits, paidContent, Pulse2, Google Operating System, The Register, L.A. Times Tech Blog, Mixed Media, Search Engine Watch, broadstuff, Relevant Results, Search Engine Land, Techland, @pkedrosky, SAI, The Atlantic Online, Andy Beal's Marketing Pilgrim, Techie Buzz, Engadget, Geek.com, Domain Name Wire, GigaOM and Googling Google Blog, more at Mediagazer »
RELATED:
Alexia Tsotsis / TechCrunch:
Google Crowdsources Content Farm Detection With A Chrome Extension
Discussion:
Techdirt, ReadWriteWeb, PC Magazine, Computerworld, BetaNews and Gizmodo
Vlad Savov / Engadget:
HTC launches 1.5GHz, 7-inch Android 2.4 Flyer into the tablet wars (update: hands-on pics!) — Boy oh boy, HTC is entering the tablet arena with quite a bang. The company has just taken the wraps off its brand new 7-inch Flyer Android tablet, which touts a 1.5GHz single-core CPU …
Discussion:
Computerworld, Mobilized, The Mobile Gadgeteer Blog, Softpedia News, IntoMobile, Electronista, BGR, wirelessgoodness.com, Unwired View, CrunchGear, The Next Web and Gizmodo
Geoffrey A. Fowler / Wall Street Journal:
Facebook's Web of Frenemies — Facebook Inc.'s growing ambitions are redrawing battle lines in Silicon Valley. — As the seven-year-old company ramps up its hiring and adds new features to its social network, it is disrupting the businesses of established companies like Yahoo Inc …
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Vlad Savov / Engadget:
HTC Salsa and Chacha bring the dedicated Facebook button to Android — Yes folks, the leaks were for real, HTC really is bringing out a pair of new handsets adorned with a dedicated, delicately illustrated Facebook key front and (almost) center. HTC is very careful not to call its Salsa …
Discussion:
Telegraph, Smartphones …, Electronista, IntoMobile, MobileCrunch, The Next Web and Gizmodo
Arik Hesseldahl / NewEnterprise:
IBM “Jeopardy” Challenge Day One Ends in a Tie — Day one of the three-day battle between the human brain and silicon on the game show “Jeopardy” ended in a tie. — The IBM supercomputer and human player, Brad Rutter, each had $5,000 on the scoreboard, while Ken Jennings …
Discussion:
Epicenter, everwas, CNET News, PC Magazine, @bettyfckinwhite, VentureBeat, CrunchGear, @gartenberg, @blam, @flargh, The Register, @damonlindelof, CNN, Bloomberg, L.A. Times Tech Blog, Crave and eWeek
Mathew Ingram / GigaOM:
Is UberMedia On a Collision Course With Twitter? — Bill Gross, a Silicon Valley legend and serial entrepreneur — best known for coming up with the advertising model that now makes Google billions — has gotten some attention lately by buying up Twitter clients, including the recent purchase of Tweetdeck, a popular desktop app.
Discussion:
MediaMemo, @cdixon, The Ben Weiss Blog and SAI, Thanks:mathewi
RELATED:
Janko Roettgers / GigaOM:
Netflix Finally Arrives On the Boxee Box — Can you hear that? That's the sound of relief coming from Boxee's offices in New York, as the startup is finally able to add a Netflix app to its Boxee Box today. Owners of the device can access the app by manually initiating a firmware update …
Discussion:
Macworld, Gearlog, Appletell, Electronista and NYConvergence.com
RELATED:
Avner Ronen / Boxee Blog:
Happy Valentine's Day: Netflix on the Boxee Box
Discussion:
TechSpot, PC Magazine, The Digital Home, The Toybox Blog, SlashGear, ReadWriteWeb, VentureBeat, Engadget, Hacking NetFlix, eHomeUpgrade, Reddit, Gizmodo, The Next Web, Gadgetell and Switched, Thanks:richdemuro
Ethan Bauley / Data Central:
HP research shows mainstream media drive Twitter ‘trends’ to a surprising degree — Who gets to determine the big topics of conversation on social media? And how do they do it? Looking to find out, HP researchers recently examined how popular subjects get to be listed among the top ‘trending’ topics on Twitter.
Discussion:
SAI, Mashable!, VentureBeat, ReadWriteWeb and Fast Company, more at Mediagazer »
MG Siegler / TechCrunch:
3 Months To The First Million Users, Just 6 Weeks To The Second Million For Instagram — Back in late December of last year, we noted a huge milestone for photo-sharing app Instagram: a million users. As we noted at the time, remarkably, it took them only three months to hit the mark.
Discussion:
Asiajin
Jennifer Preston / New York Times:
Facebook Officials Keep Quiet on Its Role in Revolts — With Facebook playing a starring role in the revolts that toppled governments in Tunisia and Egypt, you might think the company's top executives would use this historic moment to highlight its role as the platform for democratic change.
Jackie Cohen / All Facebook:
First Facebook SIM Card Released — Every GSM cell phone will soon have Facebook built right in, as Gemalto has created the first SIM card including functions related to the social network. — A spokesperson for the social network confirmed the development in via email:
Discussion:
ReadWriteMobile, TechCrunch, Beyond Search, Geek.com, Pulse2, MarketingVOX, Gizmodo, Redmond Pie, The Register, Hardware 2.0 Blog, Pocket-lint and The Next Web
Jessica Guynn / L.A. Times Tech Blog:
AOL CEO Tim Armstrong buys $10 million in company stock — AOL Inc. Chief Executive Tim Armstrong is putting his money where his mouth is. — He has invested more than $10 million in 477,000 shares of his company's stock, according to a Monday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Discussion:
paidContent
Elizabeth Woyke / Mobilized:
Asus Tried Windows Phone 7 Two Years Ago, Assessing Whether To Try Again — Microsoft has won Nokia's support for its mobile platform but Asus is still weighing whether to release handsets that utilize Windows Phone 7. — Asus' hesitance stands out since the Taiwan-based electronics maker signed …
Discussion:
Engadget, MobileTechWorld, WPCentral.com, The Next Web, Disruptors and WMPoweruser.com
Aron Kozak / The Qt Blog:
Update on Qt — Judging by the sheer volume of comments on Daniel's post on Saturday you are all feeling like we are. Not the finest time in the history of Qt for sure, but also not the death of Qt that some of you are predicting either. — I was unable to continue to reply to all the comments …
Discussion:
Guardian, Daring Fireball, PC Magazine, The Register and CrunchGear
Nokia Plan B:
An open letter to Nokia shareholders and institutional investors — We are a group of nine young Nokia shareholders. All of us have worked with Nokia in different capacities in the past. We plan to challenge the company's strategy and partnership with Microsoft in the next Annual General Meeting scheduled for May 3, 2011.
Mark Landler / New York Times:
U.S. Policy to Address Internet Freedom — WASHINGTON — Days after Facebook and Twitter added fuel to a revolt in Egypt, the Obama administration plans to announce a new policy on Internet freedom, designed to help people get around barriers in cyberspace while making it harder …
Discussion:
Associated Press
Tarmo Virki / Reuters:
Mobile app store GetJar raises $25 million — (Reuters) - GetJar, the largest independent mobile software store, said on Tuesday it had raised $25 million from Tiger Global Management and Accel Partners to fund its wider push into Android software distribution.
Discussion:
SAI, PE Hub Blog, VentureBeat and GetJar
Tony Romm / The Politico:
Tech firms snap up GOP lobbyists — Facebook, Apple, Google and other tech titans are loading up on Republican lobbyists — a partisan shift as Democratic-leaning Silicon Valley comes to terms with the reddening tint of Capitol Hill. — Facebook revealed Friday that it had friended Catherine Martin …
Marshall Kirkpatrick / ReadWriteWeb:
Firefox's Director to Leave the Consumer Tech World — Mike Beltzner, the man in charge of the development of open source browser Firefox, announced this morning that he'll be leaving Mozilla once the 4.0 version of the popular browser launches and he's helped transition the team towards developing 5.0 without him.
Discussion:
beltzner, The Register and ConceivablyTech
Jacqui Cheng / Ars Technica:
Apple's 2011 supplier report: child workers, bribes, “involuntary labor” — Apple discovered underage workers, “involuntary labor,” worker endangerment, and bribery at some of its supplier facilities over the course of 2010, the company revealed in its 2011 Supplier Responsibility Progress Report.
Dan Frommer / SAI: Silicon Alley Insider:
Can Microsoft And Nokia Make Windows Phone 7 The Most “Operator Friendly” Without Ruining It For Consumers? — BARCELONA — Microsoft and Nokia say they want to make Windows Phone 7 the most “operator friendly” OS in the smartphone industry. Can they do it without ruining the user experience for consumers?
