Top Items:
Jeff Roberts / paidContent:
Samsung And HTC Hit By Wiretapping Lawsuit Over Tracking Software — The swirling controversy over a company that reportedly installed tracking software on users' mobile phones has already produced its first two lawsuits. On Thursday, plaintiffs sued the company, Carrier IQ …
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David Sarno / L.A. Times Tech Blog:
Carrier IQ disputes spying accusations; security researchers agree — Carrier IQ, the beleagured online metrics company that has been accused of installing spy software on millions of smartphones, has broken its silence to say the critics have it wrong. — “While a few individuals …
Discussion:
CNN, Computerworld, Washington Post, 9to5Google, Mashable!, PC World, Inside Google, DSLreports and SiliconANGLE
Karin Matussek / Bloomberg:
Apple Questioned by German Data Regulator About Carrier IQ — A German data regulator asked Apple Inc. (AAPL) to answer questions about privacy issues regarding the usage-tracking software Carrier IQ on mobile phones. — The Bavarian State Authority for Data Protection sent a letter …
Discussion:
Computerworld, AppleInsider, 9to5Mac, iDownloadBlog.com, AllThingsD and GigaOM
John Paczkowski / AllThingsD:
Carrier IQ Speaks: Our Software Ignores Your Personal Info — Carrier IQ, maker of a network diagnostic tool installed on millions of smartphones, has a simple rebuttal to accusations that its software logs keystrokes on the devices on which it is installed: — It doesn't.
Peter Pachal / Mashable!:
Carrier IQ and Your Phone: Everything You Need to Know
Discussion:
SlashGear, Inquirer, Technologizer, Fortune, Engadget, GottaBeMobile, Gizmodo, The Next Web, Gizmodo, PhoneArena and CNET News
Rhoda Alexander / iSuppli®:
Red-Hot Kindle Fire Blazes its Way to Second Place in Media Tablet Market — Just two weeks after its introduction, Amazon's Kindle Fire already is shaking up the market, with the device expected to surpass all other iPad rivals to take second place in the global media tablet business in the fourth quarter.
Discussion:
BetaNews, MediaPost, 9to5Google, Computerworld, PC Magazine, Mercury News, parislemon, Tech Trader Daily, Electronista, AllThingsD, GigaOM and CNET News
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Nicole Scott / netbooknews.com:
3-4M Amazon Kindle's Shipped, 5M Expected by 2012 — We knew that the Amazon Kindle was a popular tablet but just how popular is slowly becoming clear. Water cooler talk in Taipei points to Amazon shipping between 3-4M Kindle Fire's and they are continuing to increase orders for the popular Android tablet.
Mary Jo Foley / All about Microsoft Blog:
Microsoft to drop Desktop App from Windows 8 ARM tablets? — Summary: Microsoft may have done an about-face and decided against offering the Desktop App and thus non-Metro-style apps, on Windows 8 ARM tablets. — Back in September, there was controversy as to whether Microsoft planned to allow …
Discussion:
CNET News, Digital Trends, Daring Fireball, OSNews, PhoneArena, The Verge, Softpedia News, MacNN, TechPinions, Engadget, SlashGear and Gizmodo UK
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Alex Wilhelm / The Next Web:
The public Windows 8 beta will be released in late February — Sources close to Microsoft have informed TNW that the public Windows 8 beta will be released in late February of 2012. — The timing of the public beta launch has been the subject of much debate in the technology community.
Discussion:
LAPTOP Magazine, Computerworld, CNET News, Gizmodo, WinRumors, TechSpot, Pulse2, Windows 8 Beta, Techland, Fonehome, The Verge, Neowin.net, O'Grady's PowerPage, Softpedia News, Electricpig.co.uk and Pocket-lint
Facebook:
Facebook to Open Engineering Office in New York City in 2012 — To keep up with its rapid growth, Facebook today announced plans to establish an engineering presence in New York City and tap into the remarkable technical talent that the region has to offer.
Discussion:
Betabeat, Mashable!, VentureBeat, Between the Lines Blog, Inside Facebook, Business Insider, TechCrunch, @manan, @betabeat, @johnolilly and The Next Web
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Kevin Fitchard / GigaOM:
Verizon building a spectrum empire with cable deal — Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks are selling off the spectrum remnants of their stillborn wireless venture, SpectrumCo, to Verizon Wireless for $3.6 billion. The deal would allow Verizon to double up on its LTE network …
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Roger Cheng / CNET News:
Comcast, Time Warner preparing to bid farewell to Clearwire
Discussion:
GeekWire
Matt Brian / The Next Web:
Verizon buys 122 wireless spectrum licenses from Comcast, Time Warner Cable for $3.6 Billion
Discussion:
AllThingsD, Inquirer, SplatF, DSLreports, Geek.com, Comcast Voices, ZDNet, Susan Crawford blog, Reuters, Bloomberg, Media Decoder, Tech Trader Daily, DealBook, Mashable! and StreetInsider.com, more at Mediagazer »
Jia Lynn Yang / Washington Post:
Justice Dept. approves Google's AdMeld acquisition — The Justice Department on Friday gave the green light to Google's $400 million acquisition of AdMeld, a major display advertising company. — The agency said the deal can proceed without any major conditions, because a detailed analysis …
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Tricia Duryee / AllThingsD:
Zynga Ups the Ante on IPO to Raise as Much as $1.15 Billion — Zynga is officially on its way to IPO-Ville. — The company has filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission to raise between $850 million to $1.15 billion. At the high-end that would be roughly $15 million more than it had previously indicated it would raise.
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Leena Rao / TechCrunch:
Video: Zynga CEO Mark Pincus Pitches IPO To Investors
Discussion:
Business Insider, AllThingsD and VentureBeat
TorrentFreak:
Swiss Govt: Downloading Movies and Music Will Stay Legal — In Switzerland, just as in dozens of other countries, the entertainment industries have been complaining about dramatic losses in revenue due to online piracy. — In a response, the Swiss government has been conducting a study …
Discussion:
DSLreports, WebProNews and Softpedia News
Kim-Mai Cutler / Inside Social Games:
Confirmed: EA Acquires KlickNation, Source Says Price is Roughly $35M — Electronic Arts said it acquired KlickNation to beef up its RPG games on social networks after we broke the news about the deal yesterday. The Sacramento, Calif.-based company will become part of BioWare's social gaming team.
Discussion:
VentureBeat and Business Wire
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Tricia Duryee / AllThingsD:
Electronic Arts Acquires Another Social Game Company as Zynga's IPO Nears
Discussion:
Tech and China, paidContent, @eldon, Neowin.net and Social Games Observer
Chip Cummins / Wall Street Journal:
RIM to Take $485 Million Charge Related to Tablet — TORONTO—Research in Motion Ltd. on Friday said it would take a $485 million, mostly noncash charge in its fiscal third quarter after marking down the value of its large inventory of PlayBook tablets. The company also revised its revenue guidance downward.
Discussion:
The Atlantic Wire, AllThingsD, Research in Motion, Reuters, CNNMoney.com, Pulse2, TechSpot, TG Daily, Between the Lines Blog, BGR, The Verge, Bloomberg, Gizmodo, mocoNews, MobileSyrup.com, Globe and Mail, The Loop and SlashGear
Danny Sullivan / Search Engine Land:
Why Siri Can't Find Abortion Clinics & How It's Not An Apple Conspiracy — “I'm standing in front of a Planned Parenthood,” the CNN reporter says, “And Siri can't find it when I search for abortion clinic.” No, it can't. It's not because Apple is pro-life. It's because Planned Parenthood doesn't call itself an abortion clinic.
Discussion:
Gadget Lab, techPresident and Amadi Talks
Roger Cheng / CNET News:
Verizon Wireless prepping two 4G Droid tablets for this month — The 8-inch Droid Xyboard (left) and its 10-inch brother. — Verizon Wireless will launch two more tablets, both carrying the premium Droid brand, before the end of the year, CNET has learned.
Discussion:
SlashGear, LAPTOP Magazine, IntoMobile, Gizmodo, GottaBeMobile, Android Community, FierceWireless, Business Insider, BGR, AndroidGuys, Electronista, PhoneArena and Engadget
Zack Whittaker / London Calling Blog:
New Wikileaks files expose iPhone, BlackBerry phone and Gmail hacking technology — LONDON — Wikileaks founder Julian Assange unveiled today the latest batch of released files from the whistleblowing organisation. — Speaking to a number of students and members of the press …
Discussion:
Guardian, Gizmodo and Computerworld
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