Techmeme
February 18, 2014, 4:00 PM

Top News

FaryaabS / SamMobile:
Samsung Galaxy S5 to have swipe-style fingerprint sensor in home button for unlocking device, app shortcuts, website logins  —  Explained: Samsung's implementation of the fingerprint sensor on the upcoming Galaxy S5  —  Yes, you heard it right folks!  Today, we are finally confirming …
Kate Kaye / AdAge:
Amazon and Apple struggle with ad growth because they're “slow, cocky and downright stingy” according to media buyers  —  Why Can't Amazon And Apple Catch a Break on Madison Ave?  —  Advertising Sales Are a Tough Slog for Both — And for A lot of the Same Reasons  —  Goodby, Silverstein and Partners
The Intercept:
GCHQ spied on WikiLeaks visitors; NSA discussed targeting WikiLeaks, Pirate Bay, and Anonymous  —  Snowden Documents Reveal Covert Surveillance and Pressure Tactics Aimed at WikiLeaks and Its Supporters  —  Top-secret documents from the National Security Agency and its British counterpart reveal …
Peter Kafka / Re/code:
Here Comes the Candy Crush IPO!  After a $1.9 Billion Year, King Gets Ready to Go Public  —  Candy Crush isn't just a crazily addictive time-waster: It's also a really, really big business.  Now the company behind it wants to go public.  King Digital Entertainment, the Irish publisher behind Candy Crush …
Nick Bilton / NYT Bits:
Postmates raises $16M series B funding, passes 10,000 deliveries a week  —  Postmates Closes New Financing Round and Passes 10,000 Deliveries a Week  —  Kosmo tried it and failed — dismally.  Urban Fetch did, too.  But it seems Postmates, a mobile-delivery service that can fetch …
Tom Krazit / Gigaom:
Some day Silicon Valley will move north.  Here's why it should settle in Oakland  —  Silicon Valley is both a metaphor for the entire tech industry and a real place that is (on a rare good day) an hour south of San Francisco.  It's the longtime home to some of the world's most important …
Jeff John Roberts / Gigaom:
AT&T's first transparency report shows 300K government demands for data including 37K for location, 35K from NSA  —  AT&T reveals number of NSA and location demands in first-ever transparency report  —  Phone giant AT&T published its first “transparency report” on Tuesday morning …
Phil Wahba / Reuters:
First U.S. bitcoin ATMs to open soon in Seattle, Austin  —  (Reuters) - Robocoin said on Tuesday that later this month it will install the first automated teller machines in the United States that let users buy and sell bitcoin, the latest step into the mainstream for the digital currency.
Vlad Savov / The Verge:
HTC sets March 25th date for its next flagship phone launch  —  Here comes the next One  —  HTC is distributing press invitations for its next big event, scheduled for March 25th, where the company's next flagship smartphone will be revealed.  As with the HTC One launch in February of last year …
Arik Hesseldahl / Re/code:
IPO-Bound Box Hires Cloud Chief Graham Younger Away From SAP  —  Cloud storage and collaboration company Box has poached a senior executive from the ranks of software giant SAP.  —  Graham Younger, who runs SAP's SuccessFactors unit, will join Box as executive VP for worldwide field operations.
Frederic Lardinois / TechCrunch:
Duolingo Raises $20M Series C Led By Kleiner Perkins To Dominate Online Language Learning  —  The popular language learning platform Duolingo today announced that it has closed a $20 million Series C round led by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.  As Duolingo's founder Luis von Ahn told me …
Diane Cardwell / New York Times:
Newark Airport tests sensor network embedded in light fixtures to analyze passengers  —  At Newark Airport, the Lights Are On, and They're Watching You  —  Visitors to Terminal B at Newark Liberty International Airport may notice the bright, clean lighting that now blankets the cavernous interior …
Yash Maheshwari / UnleashThePhones:
Windows Phone 8.1's rumored swipe keyboard demoed on video  —  Exclusive: Swipe Keyboard in Windows Phone 8.1 “Blue” [VIDEO]  —  Although it has only been rumoured to be coming with Windows Phone 8.1 “Blue” release, we now have an exclusive video showcasing the Swipe keyboard in action on Windows Phone 8.1.
Tom Warren / The Verge:
Nokia teases ‘X’ as it prepares to launch its Android phone  —  Nokia is preparing to launch its Android phone, codenamed Normandy, and the company is teasing it heavily today.  The low-cost handset is expected to be named Nokia X when the Finnish smartphone maker unveils it next week …
Michael McWhertor / Polygon:
BioShock developer Irrational Games ‘winding down,’ new studio being formed by Ken Levine  —  BioShock developer Irrational Games is “winding down” in its current form and all but approximately 15 members of the studio will be laid off, according to an update from co-founder Ken Levine.
Ina Fried / Re/code:
No New Windows Phone Models on Tap for Barcelona  —  It's shaping up to be a rough Mobile World Congress for Microsoft, with little new expected on either the hardware or software front for Windows Phone.  —  The Barcelona event will see the debut of dozens of new Android phones, said sources …

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