Techmeme
November 9, 2012, 9:35 PM

Top News

Emil Protalinski / The Next Web:
Chinese government blocks Google.com, Gmail, Google+, Maps, Docs, Analytics, Drive, more  —  The Chinese government has blocked access to Google.com, Gmail, Google Maps, Google Docs, Google Analytics, Google Drive, and many other Google services as the Communist Party of China holds the 18th Party Congress …
Tom Warren / The Verge:
Surface users report Touch Cover splits and audio issues  —  Microsoft's Surface RT tablet has been available for just two weeks, but users are starting to notice some early issues with the device.  We noted in our original Surface review that performance was a little hit or miss …
Rob Williams / HotHardware.com News:
Microsoft's Big Hidden Windows 8 Feature: Built-In Advertising  —  Despite the fact that I've been using Windows 8 for the past three weeks, I somehow managed to overlook a rather stark feature in the OS: ads.  No, we're not talking about ads cluttering up the desktop or login screen …
Rene Ritchie / iMore:
iPhone 5, iPod touch 5 touchscreens responding oddly to multiple, rapid diagonal swipes  —  The iPhone 5 appears to be exhibiting odd touch behavior when it comes to consistent detection of multiple swipe events over time.  On an iPhone 4S, you can begin rapidly swiping back and forth and iOS …
Seth Weintraub / 9to5Mac:
Apple donates $2.5 million to Hurricane Sandy relief  —  We just got the following email via an Apple employee from Tim Cook showing that the Cupertino company is looking after those on the other coast of the US.  Apple will donate $2.5M to the Red Cross to benefit Hurricane Sandy victims (myself included? still no power ConEd!)
Wall Street Journal:
Spotify Nears Financing at Over $3B Valuation  —  Spotify Ltd. is in the midst of closing a round of financing that will value the Internet music service at slightly more than $3 billion, said people with knowledge of the matter.  —  The U.K.-based company is raising more than $100 million …
More: Reuters and SocialTimes
Sam Byford / The Verge:
Video game retail sales fall 25 percent year-on-year in 11th straight month of decline  —  The video game industry had a rough October — total sales across the board were $755.5 million, a drop of 25 percent year-on-year.  Figures released by the NPD Group show that console sales falling 37 percent …
Frederic Lardinois / TechCrunch:
Microsoft's Wowzapp Hackathon Attracts 17,000 Student Developers Who Want To Build Windows Apps  —  Three weeks ago, Microsoft announced that it would hold a free global hackathon in over 100 cities around the globe.  Today is the first day of this “Wowzapp 2012” event …
Zack Whittaker / ZDNet:
Cray agrees to buy Appro for $25 million cash  —  Summary: On announcing the firm's third quarter results, in which the supercomputer maker recorded a net loss, Cray will acquire high-performance computing developer Appro for $25m.  —  Zack Whittaker  —  Supercomputer maker Cray has signed …
Robin Wauters / The Next Web:
After $368.2m award in patent lawsuit, VirnetX files another complaint against Apple  —  VirnetX, the Internet security software company that was awarded $368.2 million after a jury decided that Apple had infringed several of its patents, has filed another complaint against the Cupertino, CA-based consumer electronics giant.
Ken Yeung / The Next Web:
Facebook sets out to create better mobile apps by asking teams to own its product experience  —  We all know that Facebook is facing some challenges with mobile — its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg even admitted it earlier this year.  It's not as if the social network isn't being used by anyone on mobile devices …
Paul Mozur / Wall Street Journal:
China Telecom Prepares for iPhone 5  —  BEIJING—China Telecom Corp. plans to begin offering the iPhone 5 in late November or early December, which would mark the entry of Apple Inc.'s latest smartphone into China.  —  State-controlled China Telecom, the country's third-largest mobile phone operator …
Greg Sandoval / CNET:
Judge to review whether foreman in Apple v. Samsung hid info  —  A federal court will look into whether the jury foreman in Apple v. Samsung “concealed information” during jury selection.  —  Federal District Judge Lucy Koh will “consider the questions” of whether the jury foreman in Apple v. Samsung …

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