Techmeme: MIT to offer labs, certificates to virtual students (Svea Herbst-Bayliss/Reuters)

3:25 PM ET, December 19, 2011

Top Items:

Bradley Horowitz / The Official Google Blog:

Google+: A few big improvements before the New Year — Today we're pleased to announce a goodie basket full of Google+ features and functionality for you to unpack and enjoy over the holidays. Some of these were on nearly everyone's wishlist... and some we hope will be welcome surprises.

T.C. Sottek / The Verge:
Google+ adds Circles volume slider, updates notifications, Pages, and photos

Discussion: VatorNews, TechCrunch, Marketing Land, Mashable!, Softpedia News, The Next Web and Business Insider

Nick Bilton / Bits:

Wearing Your Computer on Your Sleeve — Technology often has a way of fixing the problems it creates. Here's one that needs solving. — The invention of the smartphone has created a world where millions of people stroll through life constantly staring into a mobile device, like Narcissus at the edge of a pond.

Shaji Mathew / Bloomberg:

Prince Alwaleed Invests $300M in Twitter — Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, the largest individual investor in Citigroup Inc. (C), and his Kingdom Holding Co. (KINGDOM) invested $300 million to buy a “strategic stake” in microblogging service Twitter Inc. — “The investment was the result …

Dan Primack / Fortune:

Twitter doesn't really raise money from Saudi prince — Prince Alwaleed's deal for Twitter isn't a traditional investment. deal for Twitter isn't a traditional investment. — Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal today announced that he has invested $300 million in Twitter, via his Kingdom Holding investment group.

Discussion: L.A. Times Tech Blog, ReadWriteWeb and VentureBeat

Wall Street Journal:

Apple Plots Its TV Assault — Apple Inc. is moving forward with its assault on television, following up on the ambitions of its late co-founder, Steve Jobs. — In recent weeks, Apple executives have discussed their vision for the future of TV with media executives at several large companies …

Mark Gurman / 9to5Mac: WSJ: Apple discussing voice-powered TV, enhanced AirPlay, iCloud DVR service

Matt Brian / The Next Web:

Google gives out customised Galaxy Nexus handsets to employees for Christmas — It appears that Google employees are going to enjoy the latest and greatest Android smartphone that the search giant and Samsung have to offer after it emerged the company is giving its staff customised handsets as a Christmas thank you.

Discussion: Edu Pereda, Android Life, 9to5Google, TechCrunch, Pulse2, The Verge, Softpedia News, SlashGear, MobileSyrup.com, Sammy Hub, WebProNews, Android Phone Fans, PhoneArena, Mobile Entertainment and Electronista, Thanks:martinsfp

brian s hall:

Blackberry ($RIMM) is worth less than the Apple App Store. Just the App Store. Not iPhone. Not iPad. Not Mac. Not iTunes. — I wrote earlier today that, at it's current price of $13.44, that $RIMM is worth a mere $7.04 billion. — Apple ($AAPL), by contrast, is worth $354 billion.

Discussion: iDownloadBlog.com, The Next Web, Electronista and GigaOM

Reuters:
Could RIM's survival mean abandoning the BlackBerry?

Discussion: Mark Evans Tech and asymco

Jon Russell / The Next Web:

Facebook introduces private messages between business pages and fans — Facebook has begun introducing a new feature which allows business pages to receive private messages from their fans on the social network. — The new communications option, which has appeared for Asia-based admins only so far …

Discussion: Computerworld, Marketing Pilgrim, Pulse2 and Mashable!

Clay Johnson / Information Diet:

Dear Internet: It's No Longer OK to Not Know How Congress Works — This weekend I read a post titled “Dear Congress: It Is No Longer OK To Not Know How the Internet Works.” The author, Joshua Kopstein, is right: it's not ok to not know about something before legislating or regulating it.

Discussion: @tedr

Stanford Law Review:

Don't Break the Internet — Mark Lemley is the William H. Neukom Professor at Stanford Law School — David Levine is an Assistant Professor at Elon University School of Law — David Post is a Professor at Beasley School of Law, Temple University — Two bills now pending in Congress …

Jeffrey ErnstFriedman / MapLight:
Sponsors of SOPA Act Pulled in 4 Times as Much in Contributions from Hollywood than Silicon Valley

Discussion: ZDNet, The Next Web and Slashdot, more at Mediagazer »

Joe Schneider / Bloomberg:

Facebook Lawsuit Against Ads ‘Liked’ by Friends Can Proceed, Judge Rules — Facebook Inc., the world's most used social-networking service, can be sued by people who claim showing advertisements that their friends apparently like violates a California law regarding commercial endorsements.

Discussion: L.A. Times Tech Blog, paidContent, The New Persuaders, All Facebook, MarketingVox News & Trends, Pulse2, Marketing Land, Between the Lines Blog, Marketing Pilgrim, CNET News and Forbes

Chris Ziegler / The Verge:

‘So, what phone should I buy?’ and other unanswerable questions — It's the question we all dread. — Maybe you're your family's designated tech expert, maybe you're a writer who deals almost exclusively with mobile technology, maybe you're the CEO of a national wireless carrier.

Leena Rao / TechCrunch:

Vistaprint Buys DIY Site Builder Webs.com For $117.5 Million — Digital marketing company Vistaprint is acquiring Webs, a popular DIY website creation service, for $117.5 million in cash and stock ($100 million in cash and $17.5 million in stock). — Webs, which has raised $12 million …

Discussion: VatorNews, All Facebook, internetretailer.com, Pulse2, Business Wire, Domain Name Wire, BostInno and The Tech Trade

Frederic Lardinois / SiliconFilter:

Skype to Offer Free Wifi in Over 50 U.S. Airports This Holiday Season — A few years ago, Google teamed up with a number of airports in the U.S. to provide travelers with free WiFi during the holidays. This year, it's Skype's turn to make a similar offer.

Discussion: The Verge, VentureBeat, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, GeekWire, GigaOM, NBC Bay Area and Coolest Gadgets

Kim Zetter / Threat Level:

Forensic Examiner Found No Match of Cables on Manning's Laptop to WikiLeaks' — Army Pfc. Bradley Manning is escorted from a security vehicle to a courthouse in Fort Meade, Maryland, on Monday, Dec. 19, 2011. Photo: Patrick Semansky/AP — FT. MEADE, Maryland — A day after a government …

Svea Herbst-Bayliss / Reuters:

MIT to offer labs, certificates to virtual students — (Reuters) - The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is developing technology that will allow students taking courses online to use simulated labs, interact with professors and other students, and earn certificates.

Discussion: CNET News, Pulse2, MIT, The Boston Globe, @timoreilly and Associated Press

Reuters:

Apple supplier Pegatron says small explosion at Shanghai plant — (Reuters) - Apple Inc supplier Pegatron said a small explosion at its subsidiary in Shanghai, China had injured some workers but would not have a big impact on production. — Pegatron said in a statement released early …

Discussion: M.I.C. Gadget, TechEye, PadGadget, Computerworld, SlashGear, AppleInsider, Engadget, Softpedia News, Neowin.net, Apple Fan Site, CNET News, Pulse2 and 9to5Mac

Jenna Wortham / New York Times:

App Makers Face Holiday Cutoff for Apple Store — On Christmas morning, millions of people will unwrap new iPads, iPhones and iPod Touches — and immediately start downloading games and other applications for them. It is the biggest day of the year for app sales, which can mean big money for developers.

Discussion: ITworld.com, Dice Blog Network, SlashGear, TUAW, iDownloadBlog.com, GottaBeMobile and CNET News

Kellex / Droid Life:

Verizon Support: Update to Address Galaxy Nexus Signal Strength in the Works — Reports started to flow in over the weekend that the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon was experiencing signal strength issues and possibly dropping calls like a mutha. Can't say that I have noticed the dropped call issue myself …

Discussion: The Verge, BGR, 9to5Google, Gizmodo, GigaOM, Engadget, PhoneArena, 9to5Google, Android Phone Fans and MobileBurn.com

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