Samsung Galaxy Note II official with 5.5-inch screen and Android Jelly Bean (video preview)  —  After dominating IFA 2011 with its Galaxy Note introduction, Samsung is hoping to repeat the feat today with the Galaxy Note II.  Now thinner and lighter, the new Note device comes with a redesigned S Pen stylus …

How Reddit Got Obama: “There Are Quite a Few Redditors at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.”  —  Question No. 1: Yup, that's really Barack Obama, taking questions over at a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything).  —  Question No. 2: It was really no big deal, says Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, via email:

HP unveils Envy x2 laptop / tablet hybrid: 11-inch IPS screen, NFC and pen support, arriving later this year  —  You didn't think the world's top PC maker was going to sit out the laptop / tablet hybrid trend, now did you?  HP, one of the last OEMs to share its Windows 8 plans …

Mark your Microsoft calendars: Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 launch dates revealed  —  Summary: Expect September to be a month of Windows Phone 8 handset reveals, and late October to be the official launch of the coming devices.  —  We Microsoft watchers already knew October was going to be a crazy month …

Amazon Appstore launches in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain ahead of possible tablet launch  —  Preempting what will almost certainly see the launch of the company's Kindle Fire tablet range in Europe, Amazon has pushed like its Android Appstore in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain.

Apple will now give you up to $345 for your old iPhone 4S  —  If reports are true, Apple is days away from announcing its next-generation iPhone, the long-awaited follow-up to its fast-selling iPhone 4S.  If you're already shuddering at the thought of paying out for the new device …

Samsung chairman ‘calmed down and slightly closed his eyes’ after Apple verdict briefing  —  A rare peek inside the boardroom of the world's largest smartphone manufacturer  —  FORTUNE — The Korea Times, which earlier reported that Samsung executives were “reeling in shock” …

Zune's last days: Microsoft pulling Zune HD apps, select features on August 31st  —  Microsoft's oddly named music service put its official resignation in earlier this summer, but the Zune brand isn't in its coffin just yet — although Redmond is certainly driving in the nails.

GIMP is Now a Self-Contained Native App for Mac OS X  —  GIMP, the image editing program that's a popular open-source alternative to Photoshop, is now easier than ever for Mac users to start using.  Though it was completely free, installing it has long required that X11 also be installed — a major pain in the butt.

Google Said To Hire Barclays To Sell Motorola's Home Business  —  Google Inc. (GOOG) wants to sell the unit within Motorola Mobility that provides set-top boxes and other equipment to cable providers and has hired Barclays Plc (BARC) to seek buyers, according to two people familiar with the situation.

Wiper Malware That Hit Iran Left Possible Clues of Its Origins  —  Wiper left a trace of its existence on some hard drives, in the form of a registry key (highlighted in blue at left).  Image courtesy of Kaspersky Lab  —  How does a security company study a strain of malware that systematically wipes …

ASUS Shows Off Windows 8-Powered Vivo Tab and Vivo Tab RT Tablets  —  Today at IFA Berlin, ASUS unveiled updated and renamed versions of the ASUS Tablet 810 and Tablet 600 Windows 8 slates that it first announced at Computex Taipei in June.  Now dubbed the ASUS Vivo Tab and Vivo Tab RT respectively …

If Content Is King, Multiscreen Is The Queen, Says New Google Study  —  New research out from Google, working with market analysts Ipsos and Sterling Brands, puts some hard numbers behind the often-noticed trend of how people in the U.S. are using a combination of phones, tablets, computer and TVs to consume digital content.

Google Now updated with movie showtime suggestions, emergency alerts, and more  —  One of the headline features of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is Google Now, the company's riff on the automated mobile assistant — and today Google has released an update that adds some new features to the mix.

Half a gigameter of biking navigation in 12 countries in Google Maps for Android  —  (Cross-posted on the Official Google Blog)  —  Whether you're a seasoned century rider or a casual beach cruiser, finding the best biking routes can be a challenge.  That's why today we're bringing mobile …

SEC moves closer to making crowdfunding a reality  —  JOBS Act provisions eases restrictions, up to issuers to make sure investors are accredited  —  When the JOBS Act was passed back in April, the most talked about part of the new law were its crowdfunding provisions …

Exclusive: Amazon NY signs deal to sell its ebooks through other retailers  —  Amazon's New York-based book publishing imprint, which is headed by publishing industry vet Larry Kirshbaum, has signed a deal with Ingram to distribute its ebooks to other retailers, paidContent has learned.

Exclusive: Why Yelp stock spiked  —  The insiders didn't sell.  —  FORTUNE — This was supposed to be the day that Yelp (YELP) shares took a dive, as early investors were unshackled from lockup provisions attached to the local business review site's March IPO.  So why on earth is the stock up nearly 19% as of this writing?