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3:45 PM ET, December 31, 2011

Techmeme

 Top Items: 
Matt Brian / The Next Web:
Google Pulls “Official” Siri for Android App  —  Just hours after it emerged that “official” Siri for Android applications had made their way onto Google's Android Market, the search giant has not only pulled the offending app but has also removed all apps by controversial app developer “Official App”.
Martin Bryant / The Next Web:
Ambitious unlimited music startup Beyond Oblivion closes down before launch  —  Beyond Oblivion, a New York-based startup with an innovative take on the idea of unlimited music, has closed it doors before its product had even launched, the Financial Times reports [paywalled link].
Horace Dediu / asymco:
The curious case of slowing US growth for Android  —  The latest data from comScore MobiLens is showing an uncharacteristic slowing in smartphone growth.  In the survey period ending November, the number of smartphone users in the US was 91.4 million.  This is equivalent to 39.1% penetration …
Dan Frommer / SplatF:
10 things we learned about Apple this year  — Apple did have a succession plan — an obvious one.  There were a lot of big Apple stories this year, but Steve Jobs' retirement and death was the biggest.  For years, especially around Jobs' previous medical leave in 2009 …
Discussion: TechCrunch
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Dropbox Automator Is Like IFTTT For Dropbox  —  Thirty-six hours ago, the recently founded software development firm Wappwolf launched Dropbox Automator, which is sort of like an IFTTT for Dropbox.  IFTTT, for those of you not up to speed on the latest Internet trends (where have you been? …
Mark Gurman / 9to5Mac:
Sir Jonathan: Apple's design mastermind Jonathan Ive awarded knighthood in the United Kingdom  —  Apple's Senior Vice President of Design Jonathan Ive can add a new title to his resume: Sir Jonathan Ive.  According to BBC, Ive was granted knighthood in the United Kingdom in the New Year Honours List.
David Meyer / BBC:
Hackers plan space satellites to combat censorship  —  50 years after Russia's first piloted mission, hackers plan to send their own people beyond orbit  —  Computer hackers plan to take the internet beyond the reach of censors by putting their own communication satellites into orbit.
Discussion: PC World and Business Insider
Electronista:
Apple sends takedowns to stop pirate-friendly iOS apps  —  Apple shuts down cracked iOS app culture  —  Pirate app haven Apptrackr revealed in an update for its Installous app installer that Apple has been cracking down on its bootlegs.  “Huge” volumes of takedown requests have made it move servers …
Discussion: Jailbreak | iOS, 9to5Mac and App Advice
Bryan Bishop / The Verge:
Nokia Ace LTE Windows Phone potentially revealed in holiday video card  —  We knew Nokia was readying an LTE Windows Phone for AT&T called the Ace, and now we may have our first look at the device— thanks to a holiday video greeting.  According to PocketNow, one of Microsoft's partners sent out the video …
Ina Fried / AllThingsD:
Christy Wyatt on How Motorola Plans to Stand Out From the Android Pack  —  Even as it prepares to be swallowed up by Google, Motorola Mobility is hardly standing still.  —  One of the key driving forces behind the company is Christy Wyatt, a former Palm and Apple executive, now corporate vice president and general manager
Discussion: Electronista, The Verge and PhoneArena
Reuters:
China urges tighter Internet security after hacking attacks  —  (Reuters) - The Chinese government is working with domestic Internet search engines like Baidu Inc and Sohu.com, and financial institutions to prevent phishing attacks on unsuspecting Chinese web users.
Discussion: Fast Company
Electronista:
Nintendo, Sony back off of SOPA support  —  Nintendo and Sony rethink unpopular SOPA bill  —  A quiet update to the list of Stop Online Piract Act supporters (PDF) has shown that Nintendo and Sony have backed away from the proposed bill.  Both were originally endorsing the bill as of November …
RELATED:
Ernesto / TorrentFreak:   Presidential Candidate Ron Paul Slams SOPA
 
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 More Items: 
Alex Wilhelm / The Next Web:
Internet Explorer 9's growth on Windows 7 highlights Firefox's weakness
T.C. Sottek / The Verge:
Verizon drops $2 ‘convenience fee’ due to customer feedback
 Earlier Items: 
Dan Levine / Reuters:
U.S. court upholds telecom immunity for surveillance
Mike Masnick / Techdirt:
Can A Company Keep An Employee's LinkedIn Account After They're No Longer Employed?
Élyse Betters / 9to5Google:
LG to unveil first Intel Medfield-powered Android smartphone at CES 2012; LG expects March release date