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 …

Report: Apple mulling $280M purchase of PrimeSense, the Israeili 3D body sensor firm behind Microsoft Kinect  —  A series of reports from Israeli publication Calcalist.co.il says that the PrimeSense, the company behind the original Microsoft Kinect technology, is in talks for a buyout from Apple in the $280-300M range.

AT&T counters T-Mo's Jump with Next, its own phone upgrade program.  Is it a better deal?  —  Not to be outdone by T-Mobile's new smartphone upgrade program Jump, AT&T is launching its own plans next week that will let customers trade up to new handsets before their contracts are up.

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 …

A bird's eye view of the AT&T-Leap Wireless merger  —  I've already taken one crack at explaining why AT&T would want to buy regional carrier Leap Wireless.  This deal is clearly about spectrum.  AT&T wasn't able to get it by purchasing T-Mobile so it's hoping to pick up airwaves …

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 …

Bill Gates on the future of education, programming and just about everything else  —  Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has thoughts on a lot of things, from the demise of lecture halls to the awesomeness of the patent system.  He took the stage at the company's annual Faculty Summit …

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.

Microsoft adds a Lab of Things to its HomeOS  —  Summary: Microsoft is continuing to advance its HomeOS research project.  Now testers can use a framework, with ties to Windows Azure, to more easily monitor and update their device and sensor tests.  —  Microsoft Research is continuing …

Google revamps the interface of its Google Play store, bringing the Android version to the Web  —  Google today has revamped the Web interface of its Google Play store.  This new release is being unveiled to everyone starting today and brings the Android version to the Web.

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.

Two weeks in Silicon Valley: Startups from many nations join together at Blackbox  —  Entrepreneurs have transformative power to build great products and companies that change our communities and improve our lives.  With Google for Entrepreneurs, we're working in more than 100 countries …

Rocket Internet Raises $500M From Kinnevik And Access, Plans More E-Commerce In Emerging Markets  —  Rocket Internet, the Berlin-based e-commerce incubator that has been behind dozens of startups around the world, is preparing to spin out a few more.  The company today is announcing …

$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's Marissa Mayer Hits One-Year Mark  —  Shares Have Soared More Than 70%, but Little Evidence Yet of a Real Turnaround  —  Yahoo Inc.'s share price has soared more than 70% since the arrival of Chief Executive Marissa Mayer one year ago, but there isn't much evidence yet of a fundamental turnaround at the veteran Web company.

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.

Xiaomi announces $2.16 billion revenue in 1H 2013, beating the entire 2012  —  In a Chinese press release we just received, phone maker Xiaomi has just announced that it generated a revenue of CN¥13.27 billion or about $2.16 billion in the first half of 2013.

Baidu to Pay $1.9 Billion for Chinese App Store Operator  —  HONG KONG — Baidu, China's biggest Internet search engine company, said on Tuesday it had reached a preliminary agreement to pay $1.9 billion to acquire 91 Wireless, a major developer of app stores in China.

Airbnb Slows Hiring Overseas, Shifts Strategy  —  Airbnb Inc. is trying not to become another cautionary tale in international expansion.  —  One of technology's hottest startups, with a valuation of $2.5 billion, the online-accommodation rental service has recently slowed down hiring …