Techmeme: YC-backed Vimessa launches, making video messaging as simple as SMS (Brad McCarty/The Next Web)

5:30 PM ET, November 17, 2011

Top Items:

Peter Kafka / AllThingsD:

Citigroup Says Amazon Phone Coming 2012 — Amazon just rolled out a full-fledged tablet. Next year, says Citigroup's research department, it could have its own phone. Here's the topline from analyst Mark Mahaney's newest note: — “Amazon smartphone may be coming next year …

Jon Fortt / Tech Check:

The Case For an Amazon Smartphone — Now that Amazon [AMZN Loading... () ] has launched the Kindle Fire —which is virtually assured to be the bestselling Android tablet of the year — there's a new rumor afloat: That Amazon is building a phone. — The first real fuel …

Discussion: @asymco and GottaBeMobile

Jason Kincaid / TechCrunch:

Ice Cream Sandwich Prompts Users To Join Google+, Enter Credit Card Information — One seemingly minor change that Google has introduced in the new version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, could actually have just as large an impact on the company as the various UI tweaks …

Discussion: 9to5Google and The Verge

Joshua Topolsky / The Verge:

Galaxy Nexus review — We review the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Google Android Ice Cream Sandwich... finally! To say I've been eagerly awaiting a chance to review the Galaxy Nexus would be an understatement. As I mentioned last week, I've been thinking pretty seriously that this device would be the next phone I lay out cold cash for.

Discussion: @stevewoz, TechCrunch, The Verge and 9to5Google

Vlad Savov / The Verge:
Galaxy Nexus on sale in the UK today

Jack Purcher / Patently Apple:

Apple Invents Crack Resistant Glass Solutions for Portables — While Donald LeBuhn was filing a class action lawsuit against Apple back in January of this year, accusing the company of misleading customers as to the strength of the glass used in its iPhone 4, Apple was already well into inventing …

Discussion: CNET News, iDownloadBlog.com, MobileSyrup.com, iPodNN, Cult of Mac, 9to5Mac, MacDailyNews and Business Insider

Dan Primack / Fortune:

Yelp files for $100 million IPO — Local business review site Yelp has filed for a $100 million IPO. Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and Jefferies are serving as co-lead underwriters, while the San Francisco-based company has not yet selected an exchange on which to trade.

Tom Loftus / Digits:

Would-Be iPhone Customers Still Facing Weeks-Long Waits — More than a month after the Apple iPhone 4S went on sale, the three largest U.S. wireless carriers are still struggling to keep up with customer demand for it. — Verizon Wireless customers may have to wait more than three weeks for the device …

Discussion: Gizmodo, MacRumors, Electronista, MacStories, BGR, MacDailyNews and TUAW

Ben Parr / Mashable!:

PayPal Launches Facebook App for Sending Money to Friends [EXCLUSIVE] — Social payments are taking a giant leap forward. PayPal has unveiled a Facebook app that lets you send money to friends. — The app, simply titled Send Money, is just as straightforward as its name.

Discussion: GigaOM, PC World, All Facebook, Business Insider, Friending Facebook Blog, Gizmodo, The PayPal Blog, Business Insider, Techie Buzz, WebProNews, VentureBeat and Lifehacker

Jaymar Cabebe / CNet Download Blog:

Skype desktop app now makes Facebook video calls — Skype deepened its partnership with Facebook today by adding Facebook video calling to both its Mac and Windows applications. — With the just announced Skype 5.4 Beta for Mac and Skype 5.7 Beta for Windows, you can initiate …

Erik Sherman / CNET News:

Look out! Here comes Apple's killer location-services patent — Apple has raised bludgeoning competitors with patents on key technologies to a fine art. (Just ask Samsung.) And now it may have a new blunt object to wield. — A reissue of a patent originally dating back to 1998 …

Discussion: All Points Blog

Kara Swisher / AllThingsD:

Exclusive: Zynga's Van Natta Moves to Strategic Adviser; Feld Off Board, Paul In — In a new filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission concerning its upcoming IPO, Zynga is expected to unveil two key management and board changes at the online gaming phenom:

Discussion: Inside Social Games, VentureBeat and @danprimack

Mary Jo Foley / All about Microsoft Blog:

Microsoft delivers near-final SQL Server 2012 code — Summary: The near-final test build of Microsoft's SQL Server 2012 is ready for download, a few months ahead of the slated launch. — Microsoft released the near-final test build of its SQL Server 2012 product (codenamed “Denali") on November 17.

Discussion: TechNet Blogs and The Next Web

Mary Jo Foley / All about Microsoft Blog:
Microsoft drops Dryad; puts its big-data bets on Hadoop

Discussion: SiliconANGLE

Jennifer Van Grove / VentureBeat:

Flipboard gets family-friendly with user accounts — Flipboard, the social magazine for the iPad, came out with an update today that brings Tumblr and 500px integration to the application. More importantly, the new app includes user accounts, which will let multiple family members log …

Discussion: parislemon, The Next Web, MacStories, ReadWriteWeb, Mashable!, Inside Flipboard, MacNN and TUAW

Ernesto / TorrentFreak:

EU Adopts Resolution Against US Domain Seizures — Starting in 2010, US authorities have used domain name seizures as a standard tool to take down websites that are deemed to facilitate copyright infringement. — Despite fierce criticism from the public, legal experts and civil liberties groups …

Discussion: Electronista and The Domains

David Goldman / CNNMoney.com:

‘Occupy Flash’ seeks to rid world of Adobe Flash — NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — “Occupy” movements have taken over Wall Street, London, Chicago and Oakland. Now an “occupy” group is trying to take control of your Web browser. — Occupy Flash is a movement started by a small handful …

Discussion: Computerworld, Digital Trends, 9to5Google and @davezatz

Marco.org:

The relationship between Readability and Instapaper — I know it's bad form to mention your competitors, but I've been asked about Readability's announcement enough today that it's more of a charade not to talk about it, especially since a lot of people are under the wrong impression.

Discussion: App Advice, Readability Blog and Anil Dash

Leena Rao / TechCrunch:

Angie's List Shares Pop Over 30 Percent To Open $18 Per Share, Valued At Nearly $900M — Angie's List, which offers consumers a way to review and rate doctors, contractors and service companies on the Web, priced its IPO at the high end of the range, at $13 per share last night …

Discussion: MarketWatch, AllThingsD, The Tech Trade, Screenwerk and VatorNews

Leena Rao / TechCrunch:

Cloud Storage Platform Box Debuts Developer Platform /Bin; $2M Fund To Invest In The Enterprise — After raising a whopping $81 million in funding from a group of all-star investors, including Salesforce, SAP Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, NEA, Andreessen Horowitz and Draper Fisher Jurvetson …

Discussion: Social Markets, GigaOM, VentureBeat, ReadWriteWeb, Between the Lines Blog and Venture Capital Dispatch

Brad McCarty / The Next Web:

YC-backed Vimessa launches, making video messaging as simple as SMS — If there's one thing that I run into time and time again, it's the desire to send video messages quickly and easily. Since most methods for doing so are focused on social, or they require you to visit links outside of a dedicated app …

Discussion: Mashable!, Fast Company, TechCrunch and PhoneArena

Josh Ong / AppleInsider:

Mac platform reaches 15-year high with 5% worldwide market share — Fueled by strong gains in Asia Pacific during the September quarter, Apple saw its worldwide share of the PC market pass the 5 percent mark for the first time in 15 years, according to a new analysis.

Discussion: GigaOM, Computerworld, BetaNews and The Next Web

Jeff Bercovici / Mixed Media:

Permanent Revolution at AOL: Six Months, 50% Turnover — How intense a year of turmoil has 2011 been for AOL? Here's one way to look at it: In May, right around the time chairman Tim Armstrong likened the internet company to a fully recovered patient, AOL's executive team comprised 13 people …

Discussion: @sarahcuda, paidContent, Digits and mediabistro.com, more at Mediagazer »

Julia Angwin / Digits:

Judge Declares Law Governing Warrantless Cellphone Tracking Unconstitutional — In a succinct one-page ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Lynn N. Hughes of the Southern District of Texas declared that the law authorizing the government to obtain cellphone records without a search warrant was unconstitutional.

Discussion: dailywireless.org, MobileBurn.com and DSLreports

Devin Coldewey / TechCrunch:

Don't Be Too Disappointed By Google Music's Lackluster Debut — The web is less than enthused by Google Music, which made its debut today with the usual fanfare. The criticism is withering in its somewhat entitled way: “Where's the Spotify killer?” “Rdio already does this!” “So it's basically iTunes match?”

Tarmo Virki / Reuters:

Nokia aims to undercut rivals with volume focus — (Reuters) - Nokia plans to undercut its Windows Phone rivals to give its new smartphones a foothold in the market before trying to improve margins, its Chief Executive Stephen Elop said on Wednesday. — Nokia unveiled a strategy shift …

Discussion: AllThingsD, PhoneArena, Light Reading, Bloomberg, WinRumors, My Nokia Blog, SlashGear, I4U News, eWeek and Neowin.net

Eric Slivka / MacRumors:

Apple Removes 'Texas Hold'em', its Only iOS Game, from App Store — In a bit of an interesting move, Apple has removed its Texas Hold'em game from the App Store, potentially marking the end of the only game Apple ever produced on its own for the App Store. — Texas Hold'em began life …

Discussion: CNET News, iDownloadBlog.com, Touch Arcade, TUAW, MacNN and iClarified

Grant McCool / Reuters:

Fund manager charged in Groupon, Facebook scam — (Reuters) - A fund manager accused of running an $11 million scam promoting phony access to coveted shares of Facebook and Groupon Inc before their public debut was arrested on criminal charges on Thursday. — John Mattera, who ran …

Discussion: Forbes and Betabeat

John Cook / GeekWire:

Decide.com's new iPhone app helps gadget shoppers find a better deal nearby — The new Decide.com iPhone app allows user to research consumer electronics purchases in-store — There's no shortage of mobile applications that allow shoppers to scan product bar codes and retrieve product information …

Discussion: The Next Web, VentureBeat, The New Persuaders and Gadgetwise

Andrew S. Ross / San Francisco Chronicle:

GE going big with Bay Area software initiative — In addition to everything else it does on a large scale, GE is getting into the software business and has chosen the Bay Area as the springboard. — General Electric is set today to announce the opening of a $1 billion Global Software Center in San Ramon …

Discussion: AllThingsD, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Mercury News, Fortune and TechCrunch

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