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5:25 PM ET, December 29, 2011

Techmeme

 Top Items: 
Jim Dalrymple / The Loop:
Apple will not release iPad 3 at Macworld or CES  —  Reports began circulating earlier today that Apple would release two new iPads at Macworld Expo in January.  These rumors are completely false.  —  I checked with a number of my sources today and an iPad 3 is not planned for release at Macworld.
RELATED:
DigiTimes:
Apple to unveil two versions of next-generation iPad in January, sources claim  —  Apple is set to unveil its next-generation iPad - which will come in two versions - at the iWorld scheduled for January 26, 2012, according to sources at its supply chain partners.
Darrell Etherington / GigaOM:
Three models of iPad in January? Not very likely
Discussion: everythingiCafe and GottaBeMobile
Paul Thurrott / SuperSite for Windows:
Exclusive: Microsoft's LTE Plans For Windows Phone  —  Since other sites are starting to leak glimpses of what Microsoft is doing with Windows Phone and LTE in 2012, I've decided to simply reveal what's happening.  And as you might expect, Microsoft and its Windows Phone partners do indeed intend …
RELATED:
Leena Rao / TechCrunch:
Amazon: We Sold Over 4 Million Kindle Devices This Month; Gifting Of E-Books Up 175 Percent  —  Amazon has just released new data regarding its Kindle sales for the holiday season.  According to the e-commerce giant, Amazon customers purchased millions of Kindle Fires and millions of Kindle e-readers.
RELATED:
Tricia Duryee / AllThingsD:
Amazon May Miss Q4 Estimates, Despite Selling More Than One Million Kindles a Week
Discussion: VentureBeat, Bloomberg and PE Hub Blog
Jack Purcher / Patently Apple:
Apple Envisions Face & Presence Detection Security for iOS Devices  —  On December 29, 2011, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals one of the next chapters for device security.  In 2009, Apple's presence detection patent first came to light in relation to future MacBooks.
Kellex / Droid Life:
Verizon to Charge Customers $2 Fee When Paying Bills Online or Over the Phone Starting January 15  —  Time to set up “auto pay” through your Verizon Wireless account.  According to our sources, Big Red will start charging you a $2 fee both over the phone and online for your monthly bill transaction unless …
RELATED:
Kevin Fitchard / GigaOM:
Verizon's New Year's vow: Cut back on credit cards
Tom Anderson / Google+:
Dear +MG Siegler, Are you seriously upset about your photo removal?  (MG's complaint here: http://bit.ly/sp8mLo) I thought I'd offer an alternate opinion here in the public and see what happens.  (An opinion that PR from Google+ will probably not take the time to express, because they're busy and have better things to do.
RELATED:
Greg Finn / Marketing Land:
Google+ Censoring Borderline Offensive Profile Images; Author Images in Search Results To Blame?
Discussion: parislemon and TechCrunch
Sebastian Haley / VentureBeat:
Ocean Marketing fiasco addressed in official press release  —  Ocean Marketing, a one-man PR firm led by Paul Christoforo, underwent instantaneous destruction this week, as we reported yesterday.  —  It's hard to judge precisely when Christoforo's career ended: Was it after the heinously rude …
Chris Ziegler / The Verge:
What is an ‘Android device’?  —  Android boss Andy Rubin offered up a pretty impressive number yesterday, relaying on Twitter that some 3.7 million Android devices had been activated on Christmas Eve and Christmas day, roughly double the platform's typical activation rate.
Discussion: parislemon, 9to5Google and @asymco
Arik Hesseldahl / AllThingsD:
Hurd Loses Appeal to Keep Accuser's Letter Confidential  —  Former Hewlett-Packard CEO and current Oracle president Mark Hurd has lost an appeal before a court in Delaware in which he sought to keep confidential a letter that contained allegations of sexual harassment.
Christina Bonnington / Gadget Lab:
Why Windows 8 Tablets Will Surprise Everyone  —  At Microsoft's Build conference, Michael Angiulo, corporate vice president of Windows Planning, Hardware and PC Ecosystem, displays a prototype Windows 8 tablet.  Photo: Microsoft  —  Windows-based tablets haven't been treated kindly by the test of time.
Dave Copeland / ReadWriteWeb:
Twitter Ignored Request To Keep Subpoena Under Wraps [UPDATED]  —  Twitter appears to have forwarded a subpoena requesting user information to at least one of the owners of the accounts in question, despite a request from the Suffolk Massachusetts District Attorney's office that the request not be disclosed …
Ina Fried / AllThingsD:
Apple's iPad Looms Large as Small Businesses Start Making Tablet Plans  —  Nearly three-quarters of small businesses are planning on buying a tablet over the next year, with the iPad topping the consideration list, according to a new survey from NPD.  —  Even the smallest of businesses …
Tom Warren / The Verge:
Facebook Messenger for Windows download leaks  —  Facebook's Messenger app for Windows is now available for all to chit-chat with.  Facebook has been testing the application since November as part of a private trial, but TechIT revealed the download link on Thursday.
Deborah Gage / Wall Street Journal:
Start-Ups Need Staff To Get Investors' Cash  —  Many Silicon Valley start-ups have had a tough time finding qualified computer engineers amid a growing talent war.  Investors are adding to the pressure.  —  Venture capitalists and Bay Area entrepreneurs say local start-ups face extra hurdles …
Kunal / Sammy Hub:
Samsung ships 1 million Galaxy Note units globally; coming soon to US  —  The phone / tablet hybrid devices sales are pretty good, going by the numbers released by Samsung today.  The Korean giant has shipped over a million units since its launch in late October.
Ian Paul / PC World:
Anonymous Hacks SpecialForces.com, Posts Passwords and Credit Card Data  —  Members of the hacker collective Anonymous claim they have stolen about 14,000 user passwords and 8,000 credit card numbers from SpecialForces.com, a military and law enforcement equipment retailer.
Reuters:
Alibaba hires U.S. lobbying firm as it eyes Yahoo  —  (Reuters) - Alibaba Group has hired a Washington lobbying firm in a sign that the Chinese e-commerce company would be willing to make a bid for all of Yahoo Inc in the event that talks to unwind their Asian partnership fail.
 
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 More Items: 
Alexia Tsotsis / TechCrunch:
Burned By Fleeing Customers, Godaddy No Longer Just 'Doesn't Support' But Actually “OPPOSES” SOPA
Discussion: BetaNews, The Next Web and HBR.org
Chris Ziegler / The Verge:
Verizon says LTE outage is resolved, 3G never affected
Amir Efrati / Wall Street Journal:
Bid for Same-Day Delivery Taps the Smartphone Boom
 Earlier Items: 
Florian Mueller / FOSS Patents:
Not even one of Oracle's six patents-in-suit has been definitively invalidated — but four of them are under pressure
Mike Masnick / Techdirt:
Indian ISP Blocks A Bunch Of Websites To Try To Prevent File Sharing Of A Single Movie
Emil Protalinski / Friending Facebook Blog:
Facebook tries to appease frustrated developers
Discussion: Lincoln's blog and WebProNews
Jane Wakefield / BBC:
British teenage designer of Summly app hits jackpot
Sakthi Prasad / Reuters:
Stratfor delays website launch after hack attack
Discussion: VentureBeat
T.C. Sottek / The Verge:
To build a holodeck: an exclusive look at Microsoft's Edison lab
Stacey Higginbotham / GigaOM:
Getting to a gigabit. How Sonic.net will take on caps, residents and AT&T in San Francisco
 

 
From Mediagazer:

Caitlin Huston / The Hollywood Reporter:
Internal memo: Hearst Magazines president announces layoffs as part of a decision to “reallocate resources” to “continue our focus on digital innovation”

Jon Brodkin / Ars Technica:
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced she will leave the agency on January 20; she was the first woman to be confirmed to lead the agency

Lachlan Cartwright / The Ankler:
Sources: MSNBC renewed Rachel Maddow's contract early this fall, but with a pay cut; MSNBC bosses' plan to shake up daytime and weekend programming

 
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