Techmeme
December 8, 2012, 5:50 AM

Top News

Bloomberg:
Apple Joins Google in $500 Million-Plus Bid for Kodak Patents  —  Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Google Inc. (GOOG) have joined forces to offer more than $500 million to buy Eastman Kodak Co. (EKDKQ)'s patents out of bankruptcy, said two people with knowledge of the situation.
Florian Mueller / FOSS Patents:
U.S. patent office declares ‘the Steve Jobs patent’ entirely invalid on non-final basis  —  For the second time in less than two months, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a first Office action tentatively declaring a key Apple multitouch patent invalid.
Josh Lowensohn / CNET:
Another Apple touch-screen patent in trouble after second look  —  U.S. patent office rules that all 20 claims included in an Apple patent covering interaction with touch-screen devices — a patent used in a suit against Motorola — are invalid.  But the decision isn't final.
Alexei Oreskovic / Reuters:
Exclusive: Google to replace M&A chief, launch late-stage investment fund  —  (Reuters) - Google Inc is replacing the head of its in-house mergers and acquisitions group with one of its top lawyers and is planning to create a new late-stage investment group that longtime and outgoing corporate …
Rob Fishman / BuzzFeed:
Google's Lost Social Network  —  How Google accidentally built a truly beloved social network, only to steamroll it with Google+ .  The sad, surprising story of Google Reader.  —  Last October, while hundreds of protesters were encamped in Zuccotti Park, a handful of people occupied …
Douglas MacMillan / Bloomberg:
Groupon Surges on Google Takeover Speculation: Chicago Mover  —  Groupon Inc. (GRPN) surged to the highest price in three weeks on speculation that Google Inc. (GOOG) might consider buying the online coupon provider.  —  The shares advanced 23 percent to $4.69 in New York, closing at the highest price since Oct. 19.
Josh Constine / TechCrunch:
Dropbox Hires Away Google's Guido Van Rossum, The Father Of Python  —  The original open source software “Benevolent Dictator For Life” and author of Python, Guido van Rossum, is leaving Google to join Dropbox, the startup will announce later today.  Van Rossum was a software engineer at Google since 2005 …
Emil Protalinski / The Next Web:
Richard Stallman slams Ubuntu as spyware, prompting Canonical's Jono Bacon to call FUD  —  Richard Stallman, creator of the GNU Project and founder of the Free Software Foundation, declared on Friday that Ubuntu is spyware.  Jono Bacon, Ubuntu's Community Manager, has countered on the same …
Bloomberg:
Apple CEO's Pledge to Make Macs in the U.S. Seen Adding 200 Jobs  —  The pledge by Apple Inc. (AAPL) Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook to invest in making Mac computers in the U.S. will probably create about 200 jobs if he follows the pattern of companies such as Lenovo Group Ltd. and LG Chem Ltd.
More: MacRumors
Dan Primack / Fortune:
Netflix CEO Hastings deserves SEC scrutiny  —  Netflix investors shouldn't be expected to search everywhere for information.  —  FORTUNE — Back in July, Netflix (NFLX) CEO Reed Hastings disclosed what may have been material company information via his personal Facebook page.
Jessica Roy / Betabeat:
Bitcoin-Central Becomes First Bitcoin Exchange to Operate as a Bank  —  Big news for Bitcoin today: in a post on Bitcoin Talk, Paymium CTO David Francois announced that Bitcoin-Central, an exchange operated by Paymium, has scored a partnership with Aqoba and Credit Mutuel that will allow it to operate as a bank.

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Richard Lawler / Engadget:
China Real Time Report: