First Windows 8 ‘Consumer Preview’ preinstalled apps revealed  —  Microsoft's Windows 8 “Consumer Preview” is nearing release and the company is putting the finishing touches on the preinstalled application list.  We have learned from sources familiar with Microsoft's plans that the company …

Amazon Announces Increased Prime Instant Video Selection for Kindle Fire and Prime Customers via Digital Video License Agreement with Viacom  —  Prime Instant Video now offers thousands of TV episodes from MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, TV Land, Spike, VH1, BET, CMT and Logo …

Why we are buying paidContent  —  First the news: Yes, the rumors are true.  We are indeed buying the assets of ContentNext Media from Guardian News & Media Limited.  And no, we are not disclosing the terms of the deal, except that we are buying the entire group of properties — paidContent.org …

We are sorry.  —  We made a mistake.  Over the last couple of days users brought to light an issue concerning how we handle your personal information on Path, specifically the transmission and storage of your phone contacts.  —  As our mission is to build the world's first personal network …

Google Screenwise: New Program Pays You To Give Up Privacy & Surf The Web With Chrome  —  Google is quietly taking requests from web users who want to get paid to surf the web using the Chrome browser while sharing data with Google.  The program is called Screenwise and …

The iPhone is a nightmare for carriers  —  NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — The iPhone may be great for consumers, but takes a nasty toll on wireless carriers' bottom line.  —  Apple's ( AAPL, Fortune 500) iconic smartphone has almost single-handedly devastated profit margins for Verizon and AT&T. Sprint …

Apple requires iPhone developers to submit Retina screenshots, may herald end of 3GS era  —  Apple has issued a notification to iOS developers today, informing the that they need to begin submitting screenshots that are Retina resolution or above, that is 960×480 pixel images.

Executives Of Swedish Start-Up Klarna Arrested For Alleged Molestation  —  Details are sparse and we have calls in, but the two execs at Klarna, Jens Saltin and Niklas Adalberth, were arrested at the W Hotel in New York for alleged molestation.  The victim was a 19-year-old tourist from Texas.

Facebook's Mobile Plan: Carrier Billing, Analytics For Apps Via Bango Deal?  —  Last week, we highlighted how Facebook is already using mobile devices for commercial services—enabling people to buy Facebook Credits and charge them directly to their mobile bills.

Study: U.S. gaming population has nearly tripled in three years  —  The number of people playing video games in the U.S. has risen 241 percent since 2008, according to a new study from market research and consulting company Parks Associates.  —  The study, Trends in Digital Gaming …

Boxee clashes with cable companies over encryption  —  Boxee's live TV dongle has only been available for a few weeks, but the company is already embroiled in a fight with cable giants like Comcast and Time Warner Cable over it, and it is now getting support from groups like Public Knowledge and the Consumer Electronics Association.

Apple Gets the Credit (And the Cash) for Growth of Mobile Computing Revenue  —  What would the mobile computing industry (defined for this purpose as smartphones and tablets) be without Apple, had the company not entered it in June of 2007 with the iPhone?  —  Less lucrative, that's what.

LG teases Optimus Vu Android smartphone with 5-inch screen, 4:3 aspect ratio (video)  —  If you're into high strangeness in the mobile realm, you'd be wise to check out the video of the Optimus Vu that LG just posted — just follow the break.  While our Korean translation skills aren't quite up to par …

Yammer Closing Monster $50M+ Funding Round Imminently  —  We hear that the paperwork has just been signed on a monster new funding round for Yammer.  There was more than $100 million in interest, and the company took just north of $50 million, last we heard, although that may still creep up as the deal closes.

Behind the Scenes at Groupon's Tech Headquarters as It Prepares to Report First Public Earnings  —  In a three-story building in Palo Alto, Calif. — formerly occupied by Danger, the developer behind the T-Mobile Sidekick — Groupon has been trying to build out a Silicon Valley technology center, one acquisition at a time.

Vonage Mobile app for Android and iOS promises to undercut Skype's rates by 30 percent  —  Vonage is gunning for the mobile VoIP market in a big way with its new Vonage Mobile app for iOS and Android, which it says offers calls that are typically 30 percent cheaper than Skype's rates …

Anonymous exposes e-mails of Syrian presidential aides  —  Hackers aligned with Anonymous have exposed hundreds of e-mail messages from the webmail server of Syria's Ministry of Presidential Affairs, the support ministry for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Rambus, Nvidia Settle Lawsuits, Sign IC Patent Deal  —  Rambus and Nvidia have settled past lawsuits and signed a patent agreement covering a broad range of integrated circuit products, Rambus said on Wednesday.  —  Under the patent agreement, Nvidia will be able to use Rambus technology in its products.

Supercomputer maker Cray forms YarcData, a new unit to capitalize on ‘big data’  —  One of the tech buzzwords du jour right now is “Big Data,” the idea of companies mining ever-increasing data sets to glean insightful information.  That's an arena where supercomputers can have an especially powerful role …

Video Network Blip Drops ‘.tv’, Picks Up $12 Million  —  Another signal of the growing attention being paid to the streaming video sector, and specifically the growing emphasis on made-for-web content: online video network Blip.tv announced a $12-million round of funding, and a rebranding.

Q&A: Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley on What He's Learning From Twitter and What's Next  —  Foursquare, about to celebrate its third birthday, is big but not huge.  It has signed up 15 million users, hired over 100 employees and now boasts several million check-ins per day.

Apple's $90 billion run  —  The company has gained nearly one Facebook in value since Steve Jobs died  —  On Oct. 4, the day before Steve Jobs passed away, Apple (AAPL) shares closed at $372.50 and its market cap stood at $347 billion.  —  Four months later, the stock is up nearly $100 and it's market cap is $437 billion.