Techmeme
April 8, 2012, 10:10 PM

Top News

Jason Freedman / 42Floors:
Did everybody see what just happened?  The pendulum has swung.  —  The feeling was palpable.  Y Combinator had sixty-five companies present (42Floors was one of them).  And we saw 500 eager investors, frenzied almost, excited to invest in entrepreneurs.  One investor emailed me four times …
Wall Street Journal:
Selling You on Facebook  —  Many popular Facebook apps are obtaining sensitive information about users—and users' friends—so don't be surprised if details about your religious, political and even sexual preferences start popping up in unexpected places.  —  Not so long ago, there was a familiar product called software.
Josh Constine / TechCrunch:
Selling Digital Fear  —  The crowded building's not on fire.  After an exhaustive investigation of the top 100 Facebook apps, the Wall Street Journal didn't find any serious privacy violations.  While sensationalizing the dangers of online privacy sure drives page views and ad revenue …
Felix Gillette / Business Week:
Thorsten Heins: Into RIM's Ring of Fire  —  On a recent Friday afternoon, Thorsten Heins, the 54-year-old chief executive officer of Research In Motion (RIMM), entered a drab conference room at the company's headquarters in Waterloo, Ont., and endeavored to explain why he was the right man for an impossible job.
More: The Verge.  Tweets: @yclaer
Nick Bilton / Bits:
While Apple Is Criticized for Foxconn, Other Companies Are Silent  —  Apple's rivals are quick to say how much better, faster, cheaper or more popular their smartphones, computers and tablets are.  —  Yet when it comes to working conditions in the Chinese factories that build these competing products …
More: VentureBeat and John Moltz's ….  Tweets: @8of12
Brian X. Chen / Bits:
Hotel's Free Wi-Fi Comes With Hidden Extras  —  Justin Watt, a Web engineer, was browsing the Web in his room at the Courtyard Marriott in midtown Manhattan this week when he saw something strange.  On his personal blog, a mysterious gap was appearing at the top of the page.
Arnold Kim / MacRumors:
Universal Studios' Movies Now Available on iCloud  —  Several readers have noticed that Universal Studios' movies are now available for re-download through Apple's iCloud service.  In March we reported that both Fox and Universal were not yet participating in iCloud video streaming due to contractual obligations with HBO.
Dante D'Orazio / The Verge:
One Laptop per Child program not improving math or language test scores, according to study  —  The One Laptop per Child (OLPC) program started shipping its affordable and durable computers to students in developing countries back in 2007, and since then well over a million have been deployed to countries around the world.
More: Economist
Todd Wasserman / Mashable!:
Google+ Grew 27% in March, Logged 61 Million Visits [STUDY]  —  Countering perceptions that Google+ is a ghost town few actually visit, total visits to the social network actually grew to 61 million in March, up 27% from the previous month, according to Experian Hitwise.

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Featured Podcasts

Channels with Peter Kafka:
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Sources:
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The leading destination to learn about business and investing. We do this by showcasing exceptional talent and ideas.
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Lenny's Podcast:
The grief, loneliness, and burnout sweeping through the tech industry right now | Molly Graham
Interviews with world-class product leaders and growth experts to uncover actionable advice to help you build, launch, and grow your own product.
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Big Technology Podcast:
Meta's Muse Revival, Frontier AI Under Threat, The Rise Of Dopamine Sites
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Doomers at Dreamforce
A podcast mostly about tech. Brought to you weekly by Angela Du, Sally Shin, Mac Bohannon, Helen Min, and Ashley Mayer.
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Earlier Picks

Colleen Taylor / TechCrunch: