Top Items:

Fire — I don't comment on Apple products or development here, but I'm absolutely fascinated by the Amazon Fire announcement today, and it has nothing to do with the iPad. — Lost in the “Is it an iPad Killer?” hype is the audacious introduction of the Silk browser.
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Amazon's New Kindles — Kindle Fire — The Kindle Fire's slogan says it all: “All the content. Ultra-fast web browsing.” That's the best sort of marketing message: simple, appealing, and true. Well, we'll see how fast their new cloud-boosted Silk browser is in practice, but the content part is undeniably true.


Kindle Fire will be successful, but it's not an iPad killer — Kindle Fire will be successful, but it's not an iPad killer — New product launches are exciting affairs, but it drives some writers to the brink of stupidity. Amazon's tablet announcement this morning is no different.
Discussion:
PE Hub Blog, BGR and @dannysullivan


Analyst: Amazon is likely losing $50 per Kindle Fire
Discussion:
This is my next, AllThingsD, GigaOM, PhoneArena, PC World, TechSpot and Digits, more at Mediagazer »

Amazon Kindle Fire's Silk browser sounds privacy alarm bells
Discussion:
PC World and Hack Education, Thanks:sophoslabs

Amazon Kindle Fire: Tablet Product Strategy Done Right
Discussion:
CNET News, Computerworld and ReadWriteWeb, more at Mediagazer »

Amazon Kindle Fire vs. iPad 2 vs. Nook Color: by the numbers
Discussion:
Softpedia News, TeleRead, The Next Web, CNET News, Mashable!, GottaBeMobile and InfoWorld


Ice Cream Sandwich gets a two-minute tour, courtesy of a lucky eBay shopper (video) — The one Android update to rule them all — better known as Ice Cream Sandwich — is penciled in for an official launch sometime in the next two months, so it's only natural for some shots to leak out.
Discussion:
Fortune, Tech Shout!, Pocket-lint, TechCrunch, Geeky-Gadgets, PhoneDog.com, Newlaunches.com, Sammy Hub, PhoneArena, Google Watch, 9to5Google, pocketnow.com, Electronista, Neowin.net, IntoMobile, PhoneNews.com, MobileSyrup.com, Android Phone Fans, Droid Life, MobileWhack.com and Know Your Cell
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Google And Samsung Announce October 11 Event: Nexus Prime Imminent — It looks like the wait for the elusive Nexus Prime may soon be over. Samsung has just started sending out invites for a special Samsung/Google event that's being held on October 11 at 11:30 AM in San Diego.
Discussion:
This is my next, MozillaWiki, T3 News, Gizmodo, AllThingsD, MobileSyrup.com, GottaBeMobile, AppleInsider, Examiner and AndroidGuys


Amazon Announces $199 Kindle Fire Tablet, $149 Kindle touch 3G, $99 Kindle touch and $79 Kindle — Amazon today unveiled its long-rumored tablet: the Kindle Fire. Based on Android, but with a custom-designed user interface, the Kindle tablet will cost $199 and go on sale on November 15.
Discussion:
Mashable!, Fortune, LAPTOP Magazine, TechCrunch and The Toybox Blog
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Amazon Unveils $199 Kindle Fire Tablet
Discussion:
Fast Company, Guardian, ExtremeTech, USA Today, The Seattle Times, This is my next, Epicenter, Geek.com, GigaOM, ReadWriteWeb, L.A. Times Tech Blog, This is my next, PaulStamatiou.com, CNET News, The New Persuaders, GeekWire, T3 News, Afterthoughts, eWeek, Gizmodo, PhoneArena, Engadget, Marketing Pilgrim, iDownloadBlog.com, Epicenter, Communications …, Geekosystem, INFOdocket, PhoneDog.com, AppleInsider, The Microsoft Blog, Digits, Techland, SlashGear, GeekSugar, Disruptive Telephony, Tech Trader Daily, Mashable! and Liliputing, more at Mediagazer »


The Planets Are Aligned: Facebook's Spartan And iPad Projects Set To Launch Early Next Week — Earlier tonight, Alexia found and posted some screenshots of something that sure looked a lot like the mythical “Project Spartan”. Shortly thereafter, Facebook took down the page in question.
Discussion:
9to5Mac, SlashGear and International Business Times
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Microsoft cements position as Android's patent toll collector — Summary: Microsoft is going to make money from almost every Android device shipped. — Samsung's move to license Microsoft patents for its Android devices means that the software giant as secured its position as toll collector …
Discussion:
AllThingsD, Financial Times, ExtremeTech, Examiner, The Microsoft Blog, TechSpot and SlashGear
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“Free” — Buried under the massive Kindle news is something arguably more important: Microsoft just got Samsung to pay them to use Android. This means that two of the major Android OEMs (Samsung and HTC) now pay Microsoft to use the “free” Android OS. The third (Motorola) was just bought by Google.
Discussion:
The Next Web, TeleRead, PalmAddicts, L.A. Times Tech Blog and MacStories


Google On Microsoft's Android Patent Tactics: It's Extortion
Discussion:
@fxshaw, Android Phone Fans, L.A. Times Tech Blog, BGR, Beyond Search and WinRumors

Another Whopper from Autonomy CEO Mike Lynch — Oracle issued the following statement: — “Autonomy CEO Mike Lynch continues to insist that Autonomy was never ‘shopped’ to Oracle. But now at least he remembers and admits to meeting with Oracle President Mark Hurd and Doug Kehring, Oracle's head of M&A, this past April.
Discussion:
TechEye, Irregular Enterprise Blog, Digits and @johnpaczkowski
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Oracle's Ellison Says Autonomy Came A-Knocking
Discussion:
AllThingsD

An update on our Motorola acquisition — Since we announced our plans to acquire Motorola Mobility, we've been excited about the positive reaction to the proposed deal — particularly from our partners who have told us that they're enthusiastic about our defense of the Android ecosystem.


Inside Google Plus — For all of Google's successes, the company has an underwhelming track record when it comes to social networks. Time after time, its attempts have been met with shrugs or downright hostility. An early offering called Orkut languished in obscurity (unless you live in Brazil).
Discussion:
The Next Web, Google Operating System, Business Insider and 9to5Google


New iPhone 4 and iPod touch appear in Apple's inventory system — As Apple's October 4th event approaches, two of Apple's announcements have been revealed in Apple's internal inventory system. The first is a new iPod touch. Three new iPod touch models have appeared in the system with the codename N81A.
Discussion:
Examiner, T3 News, TiPb, Sprintfeed, Redmond Pie, GottaBeMobile, CNET News, SlashGear, Apple Bitch and MacPost


HP TouchPad Go details galore [exclusive] — So we've seen some FCC details from the 7-inch HP TouchPad Go and even got a few blurry cam photos out of China that revealed a good number of the specs (1.5GHz processor, 16GB storage, etc). But are you ready for the full monty …
Discussion:
@blam, Techie Buzz and IntoMobile

Reddit users overwhelm Facebook with data requests — Summary: Reddit users appear to have flooded Facebook with personal data requests. The social network has sent an e-mail to many of them saying it just can't keep up and they will have to wait. — Reddit users have flooded Facebook with personal data requests.


VentureBeat Needs To Put On Their Big Boy Pants If They Want To Fight With TechCrunch — VentureBeat leveled quite an accusation at TechCrunch this evening, claiming that they had evidence that suggested TechCrunch was trading stories for ad buys. The evidence?
Discussion:
TechCrunch, VentureBeat, @mmarshall, @venturebeat, @deantak, dylan tweney, @tolles, @dylan20, @marshallk and @robinwauters, more at Mediagazer »

T-Mobile also files brief in support of Samsung against Apple — T-Mobile just submitted an amicus curiae ("friend of the court") brief in support of Samsung against Apple with respect to a possible US-wide preliminary injunction, along with — a formal request for permission to be admitted to the proceedings as a third party and
Discussion:
Reuters, Inquirer, Korea Real Time, 9to5Mac, AppleInsider, Electronista and iClarified

Cable company a la carte plan is more like a bait-and-switch — Charging the same for packages and extra for ESPN doesn't make cable ‘pick your own channels’ — After years of fighting the idea of offering a la carte service- or product menus, cable TV operators (ISPs) …