Techmeme: Tumblr launches a free, Yosemite-exclusive desktop app, available in the Mac App Store (Sarah Perez/TechCrunch)

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October 18, 2014, 5:00 AM

Top News

Snapchat:

Snapchat ads to roll out this weekend, will appear as a single ad in “Recent Updates” for US users, never in personal communications — Advertising on Snapchat — This weekend we're placing an advertisement in “Recent Updates” for Snapchatters in the United States.

More: VentureBeat, Business Insider, BuzzFeed, Valleywag, PC World, Tech Times, MobileSyrup.com, CNET, Fortune, Wall Street Journal, Marketing Land, Gigaom, Re/code, PC Magazine, Forbes, SlashGear, Los Angeles Times, Mashable, The Next Web and TIME

Tweets: @dmac1, @cityofthetown, @scottmaustin, @mikeisaac and @tomkrazit

Thanks:@orbuch

Reuters:

NSA's current CTO allowed to work 20 hours per week for former director Keith Alexander's cybersecurity startup — Exclusive: NSA reviewing deal between official, ex-spy agency head — (Reuters) - The U.S. National Security Agency has launched an internal review of a senior official's part …

More: The Hill. Tweets: @emptywheel, @dangillmor, @csoghoian and @timothys

Jonathan Zdziarski:

Whisper iOS app collects user location within 100 meters, data could be fuzzed server-side — Preliminary Findings on Whisper — At the suggestion of @kashhill, I did a brief analysis of the Whisper iOS application, which appears to be at the height of controversy with respect to user privacy.

More: Guardian, SocialTimes, The Daily Dot, ReadWrite, iPhone in Canada Blog, InvestorPlace, Gizmodo, Inquirer, Telegraph, PC Magazine and HOTforSecurity

Tweets: @neetzan, @lorenzofb, @jamesrbuk and @ashk4n

Guardian:

Guardian responds to Whisper's denials, stands by its claims, urges media and users to keep pressing Whisper

More: Los Angeles Times, Business Insider, SocialTimes, Upstart Business Journal, SiliconBeat, SlashGear and StrictlyVC

Tweets: @hblodget, @digiphile, @jayrosen_nyu, @a_greenberg, @neetzan, @bartongellman, @guardianus, @mccanner, @attackerman and @antderosa

See also Mediagazer

Rolfe Winkler / Wall Street Journal:

Google's VP of engineering for Android is now also overseeing Chrome OS's engineering team, pointing to a possible convergence of the OSes — Executive Change Is Latest Hint of Chrome-Android Marriage — A management shift inside Google points to the possibility that the company's two operating systems will come together.

More: ZDNet, PC World, Tech Times, CNET, SiliconANGLE, 9to5Google, SlashGear, Electronista, The Verge, Android Police, Engadget and Re/code

Tweets: @wsjd and @scottthurm

Juli Clover / MacRumors:

iFixit Tears Down New Retina iMac, Internal Layout Largely the Same as Prior Generation — Though the new iMac with 5K Retina display was just released yesterday, iFixit has already acquired and disassembled one of the new machines, giving us a look at what's underneath the iMac's ultra thin display.

More: iFixit, iMore, Engadget, The Next Web, Gizmodo, 9to5Mac, AppleInsider and SlashGear

Andy Greenberg / Wired:

After raising $600K, Anonabox Privacy Router project is suspended by Kickstarter for misleading funders, investors' pledges will be canceled — Kickstarter Freezes Anonabox Privacy Router Project for Misleading Funders — All August Germar asked for was $7,500 to fund his privacy-focused router project.

More: Washington Post, Wired, Quartz, Globe and Mail, Crowdfund Insider, SlashGear, Quartz, Raw Story, Business Insider, bit-tech.net and SlashGear

Tweets: @devicemag, @runasand, @marciahofmann and @kennwhite

Liam Spradlin / Android Police:

Google stops taking Nexus Player preorders in US Play Store due to lack of FCC certification — Google's Nexus Player Hasn't Passed FCC Certification Yet, ‘Out Of Inventory’ On The US Play Store — Today was an extremely exciting day for Android fans. Besides brand new Lollipop preview images coming …

More: Gizmodo and 9to5Google

Danny Sullivan / Search Engine Land:

After More Than Two Years, Google Finally Releasing New “Pirate Update” To Fight Piracy — In August 2012, to stem accusations that it doesn't do enough to fight piracy, Google released what's known as the Pirate Update, a system that penalized sites deemed to be violating copyright laws.

More: Google Public Policy Blog, Search Engine Land, Gigaom, TorrentFreak, Engadget, SlashGear, Marketing Land, Techdirt and Search Engine Land. See also Mediagazer

Chris Welch / The Verge:

Samsung now offering 11.6-inch Chromebook 2 with Intel Celeron processor, 2GB RAM for $250 — Samsung's Chromebook 2 can now be purchased with Intel inside for $250 — When Samsung released its Chromebook 2 earlier this year, it shipped with the company's own Exynos 5 Octa chipset.

More: Engadget, CNET, The Tech Report, TechnoBuffalo, ITworld.com, TechSpot, AndroidHeadlines.com, Gizmodo, Android Central, Computerworld and 9to5Google

Zac Hall / 9to5Mac:

Bose headphones and speakers no longer available from Apple Online Store — It was reported last week that Apple would soon stop selling Bose headphones and speakers at its Apple Store locations. Previously, a variety of Bose headphones and speakers were demoed at each Apple Store location and available for purchase there and online.

More: The Verge, TechnoBuffalo, Re/code, Redmond Pie, Gizmodo, Ubergizmo, Business Insider, App Advice, Consumerist, TIME and Electronista

Kim Zetter / Wired:

Cops Need a Warrant to Grab Your Cell Tower Data, Florida Court Rules — Americans may have a Florida drug dealer to thank for expanding our right to privacy. — Police departments around the country have been collecting phone metadata from telecoms and using a sophisticated spy tool …

More: Washington Post and SlashGear

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:

Tumblr launches a free, Yosemite-exclusive desktop app, available in the Mac App Store — Tumblr Debuts Its First Desktop App On The Mac App Store — On the heels of the release of Apple's new Mac OS, OS X Yosemite, blogging platform Tumblr has just rolled out its first official desktop application …

More: AppleInsider, Tumblr Staff, VentureBeat, MacRumors, iDownloadBlog.com, TechnoBuffalo, SlashGear, Gizmodo, Engadget, The Next Web and App Advice

Emil Protalinski / VentureBeat:

Google releases Android 5.0 Lollipop SDK and Nexus preview images — As promised, Google today released the full Android 5.0 Lollipop SDK, along with updated developer images for Nexus 5, Nexus 7 (2013), ADT-1, and the Android emulator. The latest version of Android isn't available just yet …

More: Android Developers Blog, The Register, Android Police, ReadWrite, eWeek and Phandroid

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