Exclusive: Facebook CTO Bret Taylor Departs (For Start-Ups Unknown)  —  Facebook's high-profile CTO Bret Taylor is leaving the Silicon Valley social networking giant later this summer, with future plans to work on an undetermined start-up.  —  The move is likely to be of concern …

Apple Gives Podcasts a Gentle Push Out of iTunes  —  Podcasts were supposed to be a big deal several years ago, but that boom never happened.  Now there's at least anecdotal evidence that the format is actually picking up steam, as creators, listeners and advertisers warm to the format.

Xbox 720 document leak reveals $299 console with Kinect 2 for 2013, Kinect Glasses project  —  While it's clear Microsoft isn't planning to introduce its next-generation Xbox console this year, all signs indicate that a 2013 launch is on the cards.  A newly leaked 56-page document sheds …

eBook Revenues Top Hardcover  —  Net sales revenue from eBooks have surpassed hardcover books in the first quarter of 2012.  —  According to the March Association of American Publishers (AAP) net sales revenue report (collecting data from 1,189 publishers), adult eBook sales were $282.3 million …

Not as SPDY as You Thought  —  SPDY is awesome.  It's the first real upgrade to HTTP in 10+ years, it tackles high latency mobile networks performance issues and it makes the web more secure.  SPDY is different than HTTP in many ways, but its primary value comes from being able to multiplex …

The Two Horsemen of the Enterprise Software Apocalypse  —  At 71, Dave Duffield ought to be retired.  He's spent a half-century starting technology companies and is worth billions.  He has a $35 million Dassault Falcon 900EX jet, homes in the Bay Area and Palm Springs …

Why Apple Is Going “Containment” Not “Thermonuclear” Against Google In iOS 6  —  I keep hearing people talking about Apple finally going “thermonuclear” on Google with the forthcoming iOS 6 mobile operating system.  No, it hasn't.  In fact, there are good reasons why it can't …

Apple charges 54% more to replace Retina MacBook Pro's battery  —  Nonupgradeable battery, other ‘Air-izing’ traits of new notebook prompts repair expert to say, ‘We have to draw a line in the sand’  —  Apple customers who purchase the company's new Retina MacBook Pro will pay more to replace …

E-Commerce Is Head Over Heels for Pinterest, and for Good Reason  —  No one knows for sure what social commerce will be in the future, but it's starting to look a lot like Pinterest.  —  Based on a report shared exclusively with AllThingsD, Pinterest is on pace to become the most significant driver …

AOL closes billion-dollar deal with Microsoft, selling most of its patents  —  A $1.056 billion agreement that transfers about three-quarters of AOL's patent portfolio to Microsoft has been completed, the companies announced today.  Over 800 of AOL's 1,100 patents now belong to Microsoft …

The Slow Web  —  Timely not real-time.  Rhythm not random.  Moderation not excess.  Knowledge not information.  These are a few of the many characteristics of the Slow Web.  It's not so much a checklist as a feeling, one of being at greater ease for the web-enabled products and services in our lives.

Facebook Defends Its IPO Process, Points Finger At Nasdaq  —  Facebook filed a joint motion on Friday to consolidate the forty-plus class-action lawsuits against the company as a result of its messy IPO, requesting that the many legal precedings be moved to a Federal court in New York.