Techmeme
November 9, 2012, 11:35 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 …
Matthew Panzarino / The Next Web:
ToyTalk, the AI toy company founded by Ex-Pixar talent, gets $11.5M from Charles Rivers Ventures  —  ToyTalk, the artificial intelligence toy company founded by ex-Pixar and SRI talent has recieved $11.5M in Series-A funding from Charles Rivers Ventures.  The funding round was discovered …
More: TechCrunch, VentureBeat and GigaOMThanks:@panzer
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.
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 …
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 …
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
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!)
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 …
Mat Honan / Wired:
Teenage Hacker ‘Cosmo the God’ Sentenced by California Court  —  “Cosmo the God” in a park near his home in Long Beach, California.  Photo: Sandra Garcia/Wired  —  The 15-year-old UG Nazi hacker known as Cosmo* or Cosmo the God was sentenced in juvenile court on Wednesday in Long Beach, California.

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Earlier Picks

Ben Kersey / The Verge:
Greg Sandoval / CNET: