Exclusive: Apple Pitches Ad-Skipping for New TV Service  —  Apple has a new trick up its sleeve as it tries to launch a long-awaited television service: technology that allows viewers to skip commercials and that pays media companies for the skipped views.  —  For more than a year …

Surface Watch?  Microsoft allegedly testing a ‘translucent aluminum’ smartwatch  —  Microsoft's prototype smartwatch testing has moved over to its Surface team.  Sources familiar with Microsoft's Surface plans have revealed to The Verge that the company is now prototyping devices directly under …

Gowalla Co-Founder Josh Williams to Depart Facebook  —  Josh Williams, co-founder of the location-based check-in startup Gowalla (which was “acqu-hired” by Facebook in 2012), plans to soon leave the social giant, according to sources familiar with the situation.

Yahoo wins court order to release records of its fight against PRISM  —  Yahoo, initially vilified for being part of the PRISM program, which allows the NSA to tap it and other companies for users' information, is about to be vindicated.  A court ruled Monday that the Department …

$99 ARM-based PC runs either Ubuntu or Android  —  A new ARM-based Linux PC with a host of capabilities—including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, two Gigabit Ethernet jacks, and five USB ports—goes on sale next month starting at $99.  —  “Utilite,” offered by Israeli company CompuLab …

Yahoo recycles old user IDs with help from Facebook  —  It's been just over a month since Yahoo announced their plan to reclaim abandoned usernames, and met with an immediate outcry over privacy concerns.  What if you used your Yahoo email as a password reset?  Was Yahoo making life easy for identity thieves?

You Really Might Be Boring Your Facebook Friends  —  Is Facebook embarrassed to tell you how many people look at your cat or kid pictures?  —  Yes, says BuzzFeed writer Charlie Warzel.  No way, says a Facebook engineer — we just don't think regular people care about this stuff.

Researchers hack Verizon device, turn it into mobile spy station  —  (Reuters) - Two security experts said they have figured out how to spy on Verizon Wireless mobile phone customers by hacking into devices the U.S. carrier sells to boost wireless signals indoors.

For NSA chief, terrorist threat drives passion to ‘collect it all,’ observers say  —  In late 2005, as Iraqi roadside bombings were nearing an all-time peak, the National Security Agency's newly appointed chief began pitching a radical plan for halting the attacks that were killing or wounding a dozen Americans a day.

Capital market climate change  —  “Hope that you feel this Feel this way forever You can plan a pretty picnic  —  But you can't predict the weather.  FORTUNE — If you run a startup and are currently raising money, you probably planned for a somewhat different fundraising environment than the one you find yourself in today.

Intel's Thunderbolt remains high-end rarity as Acer drops out  —  Windows computer maker Acer decides USB 3.0 is a better deal than Intel's high-speed communications technology.  And despite notable newer fans including Dell, HP, and Asus, Thunderbolt remains scarce.

Spotify Defends Against New Music Backlash, Says It Will Pay Out $1B To Rightsholders By End Of 2013  —  Spotify, the music service with 24 million active users, says that it is on track to pay out $1 billion to artists that stream music on its platform by the end of 2013 …