Top Items:


Bill Gates Dismisses Criticism in Steve Jobs Biography — Microsoft co-founder and chairman Bill Gates dismissed criticisms of him by long-time competitor Steve Jobs in the new biography released after Jobs' death, saying “none of that bothers me at all,” while praising the impact the Apple executive had on the world.
RELATED:

Bill Gates — I helped Steve Jobs create the Mac
Discussion:
Electronista and Seattle Times


Michael Arrington is right (about one thing) — Michael Arrington thinks there should be more effort made to improve diversity in Silicon Valley. I agree. But that important message is being drowned out by a heated online debate.
Discussion:
Business Insider, @karaswisher, @karaswisher, @karaswisher, @karaswisher and @theslowman, Thanks:markphillip
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Beyond Arrington and CNN, Let's Look at the Real Issues — On November 13 CNN will be airing Black in America 4 — The New Promised Land: Silicon Valley, a documentary focusing on eight African-American entrepreneurs and their quest for success in Silicon Valley.
Discussion:
dylan tweney and Pulp Tech Blog


Apple Retail Stores to Allow Self-Checkout via iOS App for Accessory Purchases — MacRumors has learned that Apple is planning to launch an update to its retail store iOS app that will allow consumers to utilize self-checkout for purchases of accessories and other shelf-stocked items at the company's retail stores.
Discussion:
AppleInsider, CNET News, PC Magazine, Technologizer, Heylookitseric, Gizmodo, IntoMobile, O'Grady's PowerPage, 9to5Mac, AppleInsider, TiPb, iDownloadBlog.com, Fast Company, SlashGear, Redmond Pie and The Next Web


Life in a Day now available on YouTube — On July 24, 2010, thousands of people around the world recorded videos of their lives to take part in Life in a Day, a cinematic experiment to document a single day on earth. From more than 4,500 hours of footage recorded and uploaded to YouTube …
Discussion:
Gizmodo and The Next Web

Job Cuts to Cost Motorola Mobility $31 Million — Disposing of 800 positions will cost Motorola Mobility $27 million in severance and $4 million for facility closures as it prepares to be acquired by Google — (Bloomberg) — Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc., the mobile-phone maker that agreed …
Discussion:
paidContent, AllThingsD, 9to5Google, Engadget, Phone Scoop, DailyTech, Neowin.net, DSLreports, thinq_, PhoneArena and MobileBurn.com

SimpleGeo To Be Acquired By Urban Airship — SimpleGeo, the once promising location startup, has been acquired, I've heard. The buyer is Urban Airship. — This is an all stock acquisition apparently, totaling around $3.5 million in value. Since SimpleGeo has raised nearly $10 million …


Amazon Builds Up Kindle Fire Content With Disney-ABC Deal — In last week's earnings call, Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN) said it will continue to push hard into streaming video. Now, in a new licensing deal with Disney-ABC (NYSE: DIS) Television Group, Amazon Prime members can stream shows like Grey's Anatomy, Lost and Spider-Man for free.
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Apple looking to bring AirPlay Mirroring, iMessage application to Mac OS X — AirPlay Mirroring shown with an iPad 2 and an Apple TV — Sources familiar with the future of Mac OS X say that AirPlay Mirroring and an iMessage application are currently in development.
Discussion:
AppleInsider, MacRumors, Gizmodo, CNET News, GottaBeMobile, Ubergizmo, iPhone Buzz, TiPb, everythingiCafe, SlashGear, Redmond Pie, PadGadget, iDownloadBlog.com, App Advice, Gizmodo UK, Edible Apple, Softpedia News, Electronista, MacNN and iClarified


Apple airs impressive new iPhone 4S iCloud, Siri, and Camera TV ads — Following up on the first iPhone 4S Siri TV advertisement from last week, Apple has just released three new advertisements surrounding the iPhone 4S. The iCloud iPhone 4S advertisement shown above shows the out of the box iCloud integration for the iPhone 4S.
Discussion:
The Register, PC Magazine, Shiny Objects, Inquirer, IntoMobile, Softpedia News, Fortune, Appboy Blog, iPhone in Canada Blog, MacRumors, AllThingsD and MacStories, Thanks:markgurman


The Entire $1.65B Acquisition Of YouTube Took A Week, Was Negotiated At Denny's — In an interview at TechCrunch Disrupt Beijing today, YouTube co-founder Steven Chen reminisced about selling his company to Google. “Was there any way you could not have sold?” Sarah Lacy asked?
Discussion:
Softpedia News

A Sister's Eulogy for Steve Jobs — I grew up as an only child, with a single mother. Because we were poor and because I knew my father had emigrated from Syria, I imagined he looked like Omar Sharif. I hoped he would be rich and kind and would come into our lives (and our not yet furnished apartment) and help us.

China denies it is behind hacking of U.S. satellites — (Reuters) - Beijing on Monday denied a U.S. commission's claim that China may have been responsible for hacking incidents on U.S. environment-monitoring satellites, saying that the committee had “ulterior motives” in writing such a draft report.
Discussion:
Guardian and The Register


Commercial version of Kinect for Windows development kit due in early 2012 — Summary: Microsoft is planning to launch a version of its Kinect for Windows software development kit (SDK) licensed for commercial use in early 2012. — Microsoft delivered a beta of a software development kit …


Hackers Press the ‘Schmooze’ Button — Chris Patten called a large investment-management firm to report that he was going through a divorce and was worried that his wife had set up an account under a false name. — And with that story—entirely plausible but in this case a lie …
Discussion:
Digits and NBC Bay Area


Test Page For GDrive Appearing In Google Search Results — In case there was still any doubt about the long-rumored “GDrive's” existence, a page now appearing on Google's search results offers a pretty clear indication that something is going on. On Writely.com - the online word processing …
Discussion:
Softpedia News, Gizmodo UK and News On Droid


Apple spending big next year on retail and cloud — Apple is doubling down on its retail and cloud operations. The company says it will spend about $8 billion in capital expenditures in 2012, which is almost twice as much as the $3.4 billion it spent during fiscal year 2011, which ended Sept. 30.
Discussion:
MacRumors, Daring Fireball and AppleInsider


Korea's Pantech to Use Kinect-Like Gesture Recognition in Android Phones — Korean phone maker Pantech, best known in the U.S. for low-end Android and messaging phones, hopes to make a name for itself by adding gesture recognition a la Microsoft's Kinect. — The technology …
Discussion:
VentureBeat and Android Phone Fans


Something New From Nook, Coming in a Week — Barnes & Noble will be announcing ... something at a New York City press conference in a week. — About what? The oblique invitation I just got in my inbox doesn't say a word, other than promising that it will be a “very special announcement.”
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, 9to5Google, LAPTOP Magazine, Business Insider, CNET News, GottaBeMobile, Mashable! and Softpedia News

Microsoft attorney outlines Android patent tactics — It takes flowcharts to keep track of all the mobile patent lawsuits under way. — Apple sued HTC, while Kodak sued Apple, Samsung and Sony. RIM filed suit against Kodak and Motorola. And what are called nonpracticing entities …
Discussion:
DailyTech, ITProPortal, Gizmodo UK, Guardian, OStatic blogs and The Register


Google TV Update Rolls Out Today, Already Hitting Select Sony Internet TV Devices — The much-anticipated Google TV update is systematically rolling out today. Sony Internet TV devices are first in line followed by Logitech Revue units shortly thereafter. But wait patiently.
Discussion:
Android Central, Gizmodo, LAPTOP Magazine and Distimo


Apple completes testing of 15-inch LCD for ultra-thin MacBook Pro? — According to Macotakara.jp, Apple has finished work on test units of a 15-inch LCD for an upcoming ultra-thin laptop from Apple. The report calls the new machine a 15-inch MacBook Air, but in all likelihood it's a thinner 15-inch MacBook Pro.