Techmeme: Exclusive: Alibaba plans to take Hong Kong unit private (Prakash Chakravarti/Reuters)

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February 10, 2012, 9:30 PM

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Andy Greenberg / The Firewall:

As Iran Cracks Down Online, Tor Tests Undetectable Encrypted Connections — Keeping secrets on the web in a country as digitally repressive as Iran isn't easy. But as Iran tightens the screws on its Web censorship, the hackers at the anti-censorship Tor project are working on something harder …

More: lists.torproject.org …, blog.torproject.org, Pulse2, Neowin.net, DSLreports, TechSpot and Slashdot

Thomas Erdbrink / Washington Post:

Iran increasingly controls its Internet

More: Computerworld, VentureBeat, ZDNet, PC Magazine, TechNewsWorld, Mashable!, NothingButSoftware Blog, The Register and dailywireless.org

Paul Sawers / The Next Web:

Iran reportedly blocks Google & all SSL sites on the eve of the revolution anniversary

More: CNET, Kabir News, Ars Technica, ReadWriteWeb, The Verge, SlashGear, Boing Boing, TPM Idea Lab, WebProNews, Washington Post and Electronista

Kasper Jade / AppleInsider:

Apple to disrupt notebook space with radically redesigned MacBook Pros — While most of its rivals are struggling to match innovations Apple pioneered with its first MacBook Airs over three years ago, the Mac maker this year is hoping to further distance itself from the competition with a pair …

More: PC Magazine, VentureBeat, Pulse2, iPhone, MacRumors, Electronista, 9to5Mac, CNET, Macgasm, Geek.com, TUAW, Business Insider, SlashGear and iClarified

Gabe Donnini / Chitika Insights:

iOS passes Mac OS in Share of Web Traffic Propelled by Record Sales for Mobile and Tablet Devices — Apple sold a historic number of mobile devices in 2011. IDC reports that in 2011, Apple shipped 93.2 iPhone units and sold an impressive 40 million+ iPad units.

More: Technologizer, BGR, Ars Technica, PadGadget, CNET, Marketing Land, VentureBeat, Appolicious Advisor, PC Magazine, iDownloadBlog.com, ReadWriteWeb, everythingiCafe, WebProNews and MacRumors

Joanna Stern / The Verge:

MacBook Air with Windows 7 review: the ultrabook to rule them all? — Does putting Windows 7 on the MacBook Air make it the best ultrabook? Let's be honest: The ultrabook phenomenon is by and large Intel's and the rest of the PC industry's reaction to Apple's MacBook Air.

More: Daring Fireball and Softpedia News. Tweets: @dannysullivan

Mark Gurman / 9to5Mac:

Apple sues Motorola in the U.S. over Qualcomm patent license — Apple, today, has filed a lawsuit against Motorola over their use of Qualcomm technology, as reported by Reuters. Apple explains that Motorola has breached a contract pertaining to their use of a patent license and …

More: MacRumors, Engadget, GigaOM, The Next Web and iDownloadBlog.com

John Paczkowski / AllThingsD:

Fire in the Hole! Amazon May Ship 9-Inch Kindle by Midyear. — There's no question that Amazon's going to sell a lot of Kindle Fires this year. And it might sell even more if it rolls out new and larger versions of the device. And according to some, that's the plan.

Sarah Lacy / PandoDaily:

Workday Talking to Bankers. The S1 Is Coming. The Revenge Is Almost Complete. — I've been digging around for a few days about Oracle, trying to figure out if another $1 billion-plus acquisition is imminent following yesterday's news about Oracle buying Taleo for $1.9 billion.

More: Business Week, Collaboration 2.0 Blog and CIO Network

Matthew Panzarino / The Next Web:

Instagram updates with a much simplified UI, ‘Lux’ fill-light adjustment and new filter — Uber-popular photo sharing app Instagram has been updated with several nice new features and a greatly simplified UI. The new interface in version 2.1 is a good sight cleaner and more modern than the last version of the app.

More: VentureBeat, Instagram, iDownloadBlog.com, MacStories and MacNN

Tweets: @mrgan and @mikeyk

Foremski / Silicon Valley Watcher:

Wow. Facebook Rules Prohibit Users From Promoting Their Work, Company, And Much, Much More... Have you seen Facebook's rules for users, developers, and partners? They give Facebook tremendous powers to disable accounts and to make money from your content.

Mary Jo Foley / All about Microsoft Blog:

New Microsoft Office University product comes with tougher verification rules — Summary: Microsoft is replacing its Office Academic SKU with a new Office University one that it hopes will help curtail fraudulent use. — Whenever folks complain about how expensive Microsoft's Office suite is …

More: WinBeta

Mark Gurman / 9to5Mac:

Goodbye white MacBook, Apple takes the MacBook Air into education with new five-pack, mobile lab programs — Early last week, Apple discontinued the white plastic MacBook, which had been an education-only item since mid-2011, but is continuing to sell the product to education institutions while supplies last.

More: Ars Technica, TUAW, MacRumors, AllThingsD and MacNN

Zach Epstein / BGR:

AT&T doubles handset upgrade fee to $36 [updated] — AT&T is increasing the fee charged when subscribers upgrade to new handsets on contract beginning this Sunday. BGR has been informed by multiple readers via email that AT&T has sent them notices regarding the increased fee, which had previously been $18.

More: The Verge, Gizmodo, Engadget, TechCrunch, IntoMobile, Gotta Be Mobile, Android Phone Fans, iDownloadBlog.com and Electronista

Ernesto / TorrentFreak:

BitTorrent Piracy Doesn't Affect US Box Office Returns, Study Finds — With their unconditional support for SOPA, PIPA and ACTA, Hollywood is pressing hard for new legislation to curb piracy. The studios want ‘rogue’ websites to be censored and are calling on Google and Internet providers to take responsibility.

More: SlashGear, BetaNews, Electronista, ITProPortal, WebProNews, The Next Web and TeleRead

Larry Dignan / Between the Lines Blog:

Google's home entertainment foray: Why the Motorola deal may work — Summary: The search giant's Motorola acquisition, which on the surface looks like it's all about Android and patents, may ultimately turn out to be about the living room. — Google is reportedly developing …

More: USA Today, CNET, PC World, Evolver.fm, Mashable!, Mobile Marketing Watch and TPM Idea Lab

Prakash Chakravarti / Reuters:

Exclusive: Alibaba plans to take Hong Kong unit private — (Reuters) - Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Group plans to take its Hong Kong-listed unit private, two sources familiar with the matter said, and is working with Yahoo on an asset-swap deal that may result in Yahoo owning …

More: CNET and Forbes

Erica Ogg / GigaOM:

Apple sues Samsung over autocorrect, other iOS patents — You may be familiar with the humor blog that aggregates examples of iPhone spelling correction malfunctions that cause (amusing) communication chaos called DamnYouAutoCorrect.com. Samsung lawyers are probably thinking something along those lines right now.

More: Gizmodo, NBC Bay Area, GamePolitics blogs, BGR, MobileBurn.com, Engadget and Reuters

Jeff Roberts / paidContent:

Netflix Pays $9 Million To Settle Video Privacy Lawsuit (Update) — Netflix (NSDQ: NFLX) disclosed this afternoon that it will pay to settle nationwide claims that it illegally retained customers' rental histories. (Updated with Netflix statement) — The settlement, disclosed in a securities filing …

More: Associated Press

Katherine Noyes / PC World:

‘Do Not Track’ Tool Promises Page Loads Up to Four Times Faster — “Do Not Track” technologies have become an increasingly standard part of the Internet today, offering users a variety of ways to protect their privacy as they surf the Web. — Yet while there are numerous anti-tracking tools …

More: Examiner, Help Net Security, WebProNews, PC Magazine and CNET

Brid-Aine Parnell / The Register:

EU competition chief threatens patent war smackdown — Tough-talking Almunia will take mobile giants to task — European anti-competition chief Joaquin Almunia has warned that the EU won't stand for any messing about with technology standards-related patents.

More: Guardian, EU Press Room and AllThingsD

Miguel Helft / Fortune:

Ron Conway is a Silicon Valley startup's best friend — The prolific angel investor has rarely met an Internet startup he didn't like. When it comes to picking the next big thing, there's a right way and a wrong way. And then there's the Conway. — Ron Conway, with Coco, his rescue dog, photographed at their San Francisco home

More: Venture Capital Dispatch and Business Insider

Tom Warren / The Verge:

Exclusive: Microsoft opening four new stores soon, launching in Canada later this year — Microsoft is planning to open four new stores over the coming months, with the first international stores due later this year. That's the word according to one person familiar with the company's plans.

More: Techie Buzz, MobileSyrup.com, TechSpot, The Next Web and Electronista

Foo Yun Chee / Reuters:

EU seen approving Google's Motorola deal: sources — (Reuters) - Google Inc (GOOG.O) is expected to win approval next week from European regulators, as well as from U.S. antitrust authorities, for its planned $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility (MMI.N), according to people familiar with the matter.

More: The Register, 9to5Google, The Verge, SlashGear and Electronista

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