Microsoft Office for iPad: Separating fact from fiction  —  Summary: If the Daily.com is right, Microsoft's Office for iPad could be launching well ahead of Office for Windows 8 on ARM tablets.  —  The Daily.com — the folks that brought us last year's rumor that Microsoft planned …

Flickr Is Getting a Major Makeover  —  The new Flickr photo view, slated to roll out 2/28/2012.  —  Markus Spiering has, as they say, a good eye.  Most of his resume was in mobile before he became a senior product manager for Flickr.  In March 2011, he slipped into the head product role, lording over Flickr's 45 or so employees.

Research, no motion: How the BlackBerry CEOs lost an empire  —  “We are no longer a company that is innovative and energetic, we are drowning in paperwork.”  —  By many accounts, the problems at RIM go deeper than just outdated software.  Things reached a crisis point in 2011, which could be known as “The Year of the Open Letter.”

Comcast unveils $4.99 per month Streampix service, taking aim at Netflix  —  Streampix movies will be available on the iPad  —  Comcast this week is rolling out a new video streaming service called Streampix, an offering that will be available only to subscribers of the giant cable company.

Qualcomm just announced the chip that would be a one-stop shop for Apple's mobile needs  —  Chipmaker Qualcomm today took the wraps off a new piece of silicon—a fifth iteration of its Gobi reference platform.  It packs comprehensive support for TD-SCDMA, TD-LTE, LTE on FDD and TDD networks worldwide and embedded GPS capability.

Google Sued by Apple Safari-User Over Web-Browser Privacy  —  Feb. 17 (Bloomberg) — Google Inc. officials were sued for violating users' privacy rights on Apple Inc.'s Safari Web browser by bypassing computer settings designed to block monitoring of consumers' online activity.

Microsoft launches no holds barred anti-Google campaign [video]  —  “What happens when the world's largest advertising business tries to sell productivity software on the side?”  Microsoft asks users in its new Googlighting video.  “Beware the Googlighting Stranger.”

Legal claims can be served via Facebook, High Court judge rules  —  Legal claims can now be served via Facebook in Britain, after a landmark ruling in the English High Court.  —  Facebook can be used to serve legal claims in Britain, following a ruling by a High Court judge

Fluent Turns Your Inbox into Facebook-Like Stream  —  Fluent, a new Web-based e-mail client created by three former Google engineers, turns your inbox into a Facebook-like stream that lets you view conversation threads, attachments and mail from multiple accounts at a glance.

MegaUpload founder released on bail  —  In a surprise move, a New Zealand court released Kim DotCom today after concluding that he was not enough of a flight risk.  —  Kim DotCom, founder of cyberlocker MegaUpload, has been released on bail following the emergence of new evidence, according to media reports in New Zealand.

Over-the-Air TV Catches Second Wind, Aided by Web  —  It's cool to have rabbit ears again.  —  Largely relegated to obscurity decades ago, old-fashioned television broadcasts—over the airwaves and not via cable or satellite—are enjoying an unexpected revival in the digital era.

Exclusive: LightSquared plans to cut 45 percent of workforce  —  (Reuters) - LightSquared Inc., the wireless company backed by hedge fund manager Philip Falcone, said on Tuesday it plans to lay off nearly half of its employees to save money.  —  The Reston, Va.-based company said it will cut 45 percent …

Silicon Valley: The rise of the adolescent CEOs  —  (Reuters) - Josh Buckley, chief executive of an online gaming start-up, is looking forward to next month's Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, particularly for the parties and the accompanying schmoozing with industry A-listers.

Android is most-used smartphone OS in UK, overtaking Apple, data shows  —  With its iPhone, Apple may be the most-used brand, but Android now has more than a third of installed base of consumers  —  Android has taken over from Apple and now has the largest share of the installed base …

Google to Sell Heads-Up Display Glasses by Year's End  —  People who constantly reach into a pocket to check a smartphone for bits of information will soon have another option: a pair of Google-made glasses that will be able to stream information to the wearer's eyeballs in real time.

Scroogle, Privacy-First Search Engine, Shuts Down for Good … Scroogle, the search engine operated by privacy militant and self-appointed Wikipedia watchdog Daniel Brandt, has folded for real.  After enduring DDOS attacks “around the clock” that sent a flood of unsustainable traffic to his servers …

Canonical reveals Ubuntu for Android  —  Canonical is making good on its promise to bring its popular Ubuntu flavor of Linux to a broader range of devices by announcing Ubuntu for Android, a release that will enable a full desktop computing experience on a docked Android smartphone.

eBay to Acquire WHI Solutions  —  eBay Inc. has reached a definitive agreement to acquire WHI Solutions (WHI), a provider of software and digital catalog solutions for auto parts distributors and retailers. … I'm a fairly stereotypical guy for the most part... I like my beer, my sports, and my action movies.

Amazon Appstore more lucrative for many devs than Android Market  —  Investment in Amazon Appstore is paying off in a big way for many top developers, a good chunk of whom are pulling in more money for their apps on Amazon than through Google's Android Market.