Techmeme: Helicopter view of your driving directions on Google Maps (Paul Yang/Google LatLong)

6:50 PM ET, September 30, 2011

Top Items:

Helicopter view of your driving directions on Google Maps — Getting directions is one of the most popular features on Google Maps, whether it be for driving, walking, biking or transit. Today, we are launching a new feature that allows you to bring your upcoming trip to life, by allowing you to preview your route in 3D.

Discussion: Search Engine Land, Gizmodo, SiliconFilter, ReadWriteWeb, Mashable! and Google Maps Mania

Mark Larson / Google Chrome Blog:

Problems with Microsoft Security Essentials — Earlier today, we learned that the Microsoft Security Essentials tool began falsely identifying Google Chrome as a piece of malware ("PWS:Win32/Zbot") and removing it from people's computers. — If Chrome is working correctly for you, then there's no need to take any action.

Discussion: VentureBeat, TechCrunch, InfoWorld, Help Net Security, Business Insider, @theromit and WinRumors

Todd Bishop / GeekWire:

Microsoft issues fix after security tool mistakenly removes Google Chrome as malware — Uh, whoops? — Microsoft this morning scrambled to release a fix after reports surfaced that its Security Essentials software was mistakenly identifying the Google Chrome browser as password-stealing malware …

Discussion: The Ed Bott Report Blog, LiveSide.net, Microsoft News, The Next Web, Neowin.net and Electronista

Andrew Rassweiler / iSuppli:

Amazon Sells Kindle Fire at Low Profit Margin to Promote Online Merchandize Sales — An IHS analysis reveals Amazon's business model for its new Kindle Fire tablet, with the company willing to settle for a razor-thin margin on sales of devices and digital content in order to achieve …

Discussion: VentureBeat, The Tech Trade, Tech Trader Daily, The Digital Reader, Mashable!, The Next Web and Techie Buzz

Alistair Barr / Reuters:
Amazon tablet costs $209.63 to make, IHS estimates

Discussion: MediaFile, GeekWire, Android Phone Fans, SlashGear and Business Insider

Eric Slivka / MacRumors:

‘iPhone 5’ Silicone Sleeves Already Arriving at AT&T Retail Stores — Earlier today, we noted that Case-Mate cases for the redesigned “iPhone 5” had appeared in AT&T's inventory database. The addition yielded the interesting observation that AT&T is apparently placing orders for the cases despite …

Sam Oliver / AppleInsider:

Apple welcomes some users to iCloud with early email — As Apple prepares to introduced its iCloud service alongside iOS 5 and its new iPhone hardware in the next two weeks, the company appears to have let some “Welcome to iCloud” emails slip out early. — An AppleInsider reader received …

Greg Sandoval / CNET News:

Apple seeks worldwide iCloud music rights — Managers at iTunes are trying to lock down worldwide cloud-music rights, CNET has learned. — Sources familiar with the discussions between Apple, record companies and music publishers, say Apple is seeking international music licenses for its iCloud service.

Nick Bilton / Bits:

How the Kindle Moved From BlackBerry to iPad — Do you remember the first generation Amazon Kindle? Although it helped change the publishing industry, it wasn't exactly the prettiest gadget. It was clunky, a strange shape, and looked more like a 1960s-era calculator than an e-reader from 2007.

Discussion: GigaOM, Gizmodo, TUAW, AllThingsD, VentureBeat and Electronista

Neil Hughes / AppleInsider:

Apple removes click-wheel games from iTunes as iPod classic lives its last days — As Apple is rumored to discontinue its aging hard-drive-based iPod classic, the company has removed a section from the iTunes Store devoted to click-wheel games. — Users used to be able to access a link to …

Discussion: Engadget, SlashGear, 9to5Mac, BGR, MacRumors, MacStories, iDownloadBlog.com, GigaOM, Redmond Pie, Touch Arcade, TUAW and iClarified

Michael Arrington / UNCRUNCHED:

Aloha! 450 Google+ Employees Are In Hawaii For Offsite — Not sure how the tech press managed to miss this. Some 450 people who work on Google Plus are currently in Hawaii for an offsite. For tax purposes, we understand, the event involves work. But in reality it's a reward …

Discussion: Business Insider, TechCrunch, AllThingsD and The Next Web

Mark Milian / CNN:

Nokia paying developers to build Windows Phone apps — San Francisco (CNN) — As Nokia prepares for its next crucial venture into the U.S. and high-end smartphones, the Finnish cell-phone maker is missing a crucial piece: an abundant catalog of applications.

Tom Warren / WinRumors:
Nokia's Windows Phone device to include 3D voice navigation?

Discussion: TechCrunch, WPCentral.com, SlashGear, IntoMobile, Neowin.net, WMPoweruser, The Next Web, My Nokia Blog, Electronista, Gizmodo and Pocket-lint

Jonathan S. Geller / BGR:

Major security flaw lets anyone bypass AT&T Samsung Galaxy S II security [video] — BGR has uncovered a major security flaw on AT&T's version of the Samsung Galaxy S II that renders Android's security lock feature completely useless. Using a simple workaround, the security hole allows anyone …

Discussion: TechCrunch, Redmond Pie, Engadget, Android Phone Fans, Gadgetsteria, IntoMobile and Business Insider

Jonathan Prynn / This Is London:

Google's first store pops up in London — It is the ultimate brand of the internet era. But today Google embraces a more traditional form of retail technology for the first time in its short history. — The world's first “Google store” opened not in California but in the less glamorous setting …

Discussion: 9to5Google, 9to5Mac and Search Engine Land

Mark Gurman / 9to5Mac:

Next iPhone to likely come in 64GB, 32GB, and 16GB capacities — Following the news that Apple's new iPhone N94 device has appeared in the Apple internal inventory system, we are now hearing that this new iPhone will come in three storage capacities. Given that we've also heard …

Devindra Hardawar / VentureBeat:

Amazon has Palm in its shopping cart — will it click Buy? (exclusive) — Who will save what's left of Palm from HP's bumbling? It could be Amazon, as the online retailing giant is in serious negotiations to snap up Palm from HP, VentureBeat has learned. — A well-placed source tells us …

Evelyn M. Rusli / DealBook:
Will Amazon Buy Palm for Its Patents?

Discussion: LAPTOP Magazine and SlashGear

Bloomberg:

IBM Tops Microsoft to Become Second-Most Valuable in Technology — International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) passed Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) to become the world's second-most valuable technology company, a reflection of industry changes including the shift away from the personal computer.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, VentureBeat, PC Magazine, Geekosystem, Digital Trends, Electronista, CNET News, gHacks Technology News, WinRumors, Inquirer, TechFlash, TechEye, GeekWire, Neowin.net, GMSV, Gizmodo and Datamation.com

Matt McGee / Search Engine Land:

Yahoo Favors Its Own Download Site, Then Offers Yahoo Toolbar Download, Too — While the US government accuses Google of, in part, favoring its own properties in search results, Yahoo appears to be doing the same thing on download-related searches. And, in the process of offering downloads …

Chris Boyd / GFI Labs blog:
Charitable Results — One of our researchers noticed that searches …

Discussion: Inquirer and Softpedia News

Martin Bryant / The Next Web:

Will.I.Am's Google+ profile gets the ultimate promotion: A link on Google's front page — How's this for a way to get into more people's Google+ circles? Google is currently promoting a Google+ Hangout from the band Black Eyed Peas on its coveted front page - linking directly to frontman Will I. Am's profile.

Discussion: Search Engine Watch, VentureBeat and 9to5Google

Alexia Tsotsis / TechCrunch:

Former Googler Builds Site That Shows You What Top Tech Companies Pay — Last night at an informal gathering of tech people, someone likened Silicon Valley to a “Las Vegas for people who want to make crazy s**t” equating VCs and angel investors to gamblers of sorts.

Robin Wauters / TechCrunch:

Timelines.com Sues Facebook, Says Its New Timeline Feature Could “Eliminate” Them — Timelines Inc., a small venture capital-backed Chicago company that operates the Timelines.com website, has launched a trademark-infringement suit against Facebook on Thursday, claiming that the latter's …

Discussion: CNET News, paidContent, Mashable!, Friending Facebook Blog and Techland, Thanks:robinwauters

Eriq Gardner / Hollywood Reporter:

Teen Who Created OMGFacts Twitter Feed Gets Victory On Path To Reclaiming Control — Remember Adorian Deck, the teenager who created a hit Twitter feed, @OMGFacts, publishing titillating tidbits about celebrities and pop culture, only to lose intellectual property of his creation …

Matt Burns / TechCrunch:

Best Buy To Cut The HTC Flyer Tablet To $299 On October 1st — Watch out for falling tablet prices! No, seriously, don't get burned by price cuts. The HTC Flyer is the latest tablet to see a major price reduction. Starting tomorrow, October 1st, Best Buy will lower the price of the 7-inch Android 2.3 tablet from $499 to $299.

Discussion: The Mobile Gadgeteer Blog, BBY.com, Softpedia News, PhoneArena, AndroidGuys, Techie Buzz, GottaBeMobile and Liliputing

Nicholas Carlson / Business Insider:

Yahoo Is Having A Big Mystery Press Conference Monday — Yahoo's president of Americas, Ross Levinsohn, will speak at a press conference early Monday morning to announce some as-of-yet undisclosed news. We'll be there! Our guess is this is not a press conference to announce a Hulu purchase, a new CEO, or a Yahoo buyer.

Discussion: @cnbc

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