Mapping a Path Out of Steve Jobs' Shadow  —  Like all companies, mighty Apple (AAPL) is not immune to bungling a new product, though its apologies haven't always seemed heartfelt.  After slashing the price of the first iPhone by $200 only a few months after its debut in 2007 …

Asia's Apple Suppliers Begin Mass Production on Mini iPad  —  TAIPEI—Apple Inc.'s Asian component suppliers have started mass production of a new tablet computer smaller than the current iPad, people with knowledge of the situation said, as the Silicon Valley company tries to stay competitive …

Google Moves Ahead in Fight to Dominate the Map Apps  —  Apple has been taking lots of justified heat for its decision to replace Google Maps on the iPhone with a fledgling, and flawed, maps app of its own.  In my otherwise favorable review of the new iPhone 5, I called Apple's maps app …

HP Details Turnaround Strategy, Provides 2013 Outlook  —  At HP's annual Securities Analyst Meeting, being held today in San Francisco, the company's leadership is mapping out strategic priorities for the future and providing a detailed multiyear roadmap to turn the company around.

Deutsche Telekom and MetroPCS agree on $1.5 billion T-Mobile merger  —  Apparently the “significant issues” that stood in the way of a prospective T-Mobile and MetroPCS deal couldn't have been too onerous.  Just a day after acknowledging that talks were underway both boards have approved the deal according to the Wall Street Journal.

Xbox Music to launch on October 26th with free ad-supported streaming  —  Spotify-like service on the way  —  Microsoft is preparing to launch its Xbox Music service on October 26th.  Multiple sources familiar with Microsoft's plans have confirmed the new service will launch at the same time as Windows 8.

Apple Turning to Select Retail Store Employees to Help Improve Maps for iOS 6  —  MacRumors has learned that Apple is piloting a program to tap into its vast number of retail store employees to help improve the company's new Maps app for iOS 6.  Details on the initiative remain unclear …

Ellen Pao Says Kleiner Perkins Has Now Fired Her  —  Ellen Pao, the Kleiner Perkins partner who sued her own firm for gender discrimination and retaliation in May, has been fired, she said late Tuesday night.  —  In an update to a previous answer she had left on Q&A site Quora, Pao wrote, “I have been terminated from my job at KPCB.

Samsung Claims Jury Foreman Misconduct Tainted Apple Case  —  Samsung Electronics Co. (005930) asked a judge to throw out Apple Inc. (AAPL)'s billion-dollar trial victory in August, saying the jury foreman failed to disclose a lawsuit and his personal bankruptcy when he was chosen for the panel.

Google Warns of New State-Sponsored Cyberattack Targets  —  In June, many Google users were surprised to see an unusual greeting at the top of their Gmail inbox, Google home page or Chrome browser.  “Warning: We believe state-sponsored attackers may be attempting to compromise your account or computer.”

Tweetbot creator launches Netbot, a mature and polished App.net client for iPhone and iPad  —  Tapbots, the studio behind the popular Tweetbot client for Twitter, has brought its design prowess to the fledgeling communication platform App.net.  The company's new app Netbot serves users …

Under the Hood: Building the App Center recommendation engine  —  As more apps on Facebook Platform have launched over the years, the types of apps available have become more diverse, making it crucial that people see the most relevant and highest quality apps in channels like news feed and App Center.

Facebook Now Lets US Users Pay $7 To Promote Posts To The News Feeds Of More Friends  —  Facebook is expanding to the US the controversial Promoted Posts feature that lets users pay to get their posts more visibility in the news feed.  It will cost $7 per post and Facebook hopes it will be used …

Kindle Paperwhite sold out until November  —  Amazon's new front-lit e-reader, the Kindle Paperwhite (our review here), only started shipping on Monday to those who'd pre-ordered it, but it's already sold out.  If you order a Kindle Paperwhite today, it won't ship for four to six weeks.

Nokia considers selling its Espoo headquarters for an estimated $250 million  —  Finnish company struggles to transition  —  Nokia's recent financial results show the company is clearly struggling to transition over to Microsoft's Windows Phone operating system, with CEO Stephen Elop admitting that Nokia …

The Pirate Bay Returns After 2 Days Downtime  —  On Monday The Pirate Bay went offline.  By itself the downtime isn't really news as it happens every other week, but this time it took longer than expected to return.  —  The Pirate Bay was quick to inform TorrentFreak that they were dealing …

Chemical Analysis Reveals that New Phones Have Fewer Toxics  —  High technology feels so clean—no coal or steam or mess, just cool aluminum, sleek plastics, and polished glass.  But that clean surface hides an interior that is far messier and more toxic.  In partnership with HealthyStuff.org …

Twitter Rolls Out Surveys - And Reminds Us Why It Cares About “Consistent User Experiences”  —  Here's an interesting new feature for Twitter advertisers: The chance to survey users directly.  —  Twitter is rolling out the tool today, which it will provide for free to some of its biggest advertisers …