Techmeme
August 17, 2012, 7:15 PM

Top News

pod2g / pod2g's iOS blog:
Never trust SMS: iOS text spoofing  —  I mentioned it on twitter a few days ago, I found a flaw in iOS that I consider to be severe, while it does not involve code execution.  I am pretty confident that other security researchers already know about this hole, and I fear some pirates as well.
Michael McWhertor / The Verge:
OnLive reportedly hit with mass layoffs, possibly filing for bankruptcy (updated)  —  Cloud-gaming company OnLive is closing down, according to veteran video game developer Brian Fargo, who says he's received emails for former employees warning of the company's demise.
Ian King / Bloomberg:
Lenovo's Says RT Tablets Up To $300 Cheaper Than Win 8  —  Lenovo Group Ltd. (992), the world's second-biggest maker of personal computers, said new devices based on Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)'s Windows RT software will cost $200 to $300 less than competing products using Windows 8 software.
Chris Ziegler / The Verge:
Exclusive: HP creates Mobility division to focus on consumer tablets, hires Nokia's ex-MeeGo boss Alberto Torres to run it  —  We've just been tipped to a memo circulated internally by HP's Todd Bradley — who runs the company's recently-merged Printing and Personal Systems Group …
Paul Haddad / Tapbots:
DON'T PANIC  —  There's been a lot of fear, uncertainty and doubt generated by Twitter's latest announcement.  I wanted to let everyone know that the world isn't ending, Tweetbot for Mac is coming out soon, Tweetbot for iOS isn't going anywhere.  So sit down, grab a towel and let's go over some of these API changes.
Marco Arment / Marco.org:
Chris Ziegler / The Verge:
AT&T only allowing FaceTime over cellular on Mobile Share plans, no extra charge  —  AT&T has cleared the air this afternoon on its policies for FaceTime over cellular, saying that a Mobile Share plan will be required to use it — but it won't incur an extra charge apart from normal data usage.
Mike Rosenberg / Mercury News:
Steve Jobs' stolen iPad unwittingly used by local clown after burglary  —  What would you do if you had Steve Jobs' iPad?  Kenny the Clown, who had the late Apple (AAPL) co-founder's tablet all to himself for a few days this month, didn't play any games, surf the net or check for any top-secret corporate documents.
Mat Honan / Wired:
How I Resurrected My Digital Life After an Epic Hacking  —  The team at DriveSavers who recovered data from a wiped MacBook Air laptop.  From the left, John Christopher, Phillip Reynolds, Ron Powell, Angel Ortiz, and Joseph Novoa.  Not pictured: Phil Baca.  —  When my data died, it was the cloud that killed it.
More: Ars TechnicaTweets: @mat
John Paczkowski / AllThingsD:
Kodak: Maybe We Won't Sell Our Digital Imaging Patents  —  Kodak is having second thoughts about selling off its digital imaging patent portfolio.  —  The struggling photography pioneer, which for the past year has been gearing up to sell off some 1,100 patents as part of its effort to emerge …
Jeff John Roberts / paidContent:
Oracle, Google file list of paid journalists  —  A federal judge last week wrote that he was “concerned” Oracle and Google had paid journalists and bloggers to comment on their highly-publicized intellectual property trial and ordered them to provide a list of names.  The responses are now in.
John Bohannon / ScienceNOW:
DNA: The Ultimate Hard Drive  —  When it comes to storing information, hard drives don't hold a candle to DNA.  Our genetic code packs billions of gigabytes into a single gram.  A mere milligram of the molecule could encode the complete text of every book in the Library of Congress and have plenty of room to spare.
Ina Fried / AllThingsD:
Apple: Samsung Didn't Live Up to Its Standards Obligations  —  Lawyers for Apple tackled the last major part of their case on Friday, arguing that Samsung didn't live up to its obligations with regard to its standards-related patents.  —  Samsung is alleging that Apple infringed on two kinds of patents …
More: CNET, The Verge and Betabeat
John D. Sutter / CNN:
Tech companies make progress on ‘blood phones’ and ‘conflict minerals’  —  (CNN) — They've been called “blood phones.”  —  It's a reference to the fact that some metals used to make smartphones and other electronic gadgets are sourced from war-torn areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Daniel Eran Dilger / AppleInsider:
Apple closes at new high of $648 on rumors of iPad mini, Apple TV  —  Apple stock surged upward before reaching an all time closing high of $648, boosted by continued rumors of both a smaller iPad and a new Apple TV capable of presenting live broadcasts.  —  Apple's stock rapidly escalated early …

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