Techmeme
August 9, 2013, 8:35 PM

Top News

Guardian:
NSA loophole allows warrantless search for US citizens' emails and phone calls  —  Exclusive: Spy agency has secret backdoor permission to search databases for individual Americans' communications  —  The National Security Agency has a secret backdoor into its vast databases under …
Josh Constine / TechCrunch:
New York Times:
Obama Offers Plan Meant to Ease Concerns on Surveillance  —  WASHINGTON — President Obama on Friday sought to get his administration ahead of the roiling debate over National Security Agency surveillance, releasing new information about spying activities and calling for changes aimed …
Josh Lowensohn / CNET:
Samsung faces sales ban on older devices in U.S.  —  The U.S. International Trade Commission says Samsung infringes on a pair of Apple patents with some of its older phones.  —  The U.S. International Trade Commission has ruled in favor of Apple in a decision to ban some of Samsung's phones in the U.S.
Russell Holly / Geek.com:
Asus to manufacture Nexus 10 refresh  —  The largest of Google's three Nexus devices is soon due for a refresh, and it looks like Asus will be the manufacturer this time around.  —  Google's Nexus program is something of a bidding war in the planning stages.
Sinan Kubba / Joystiq:
Rumor: Amazon developing Android console to release this year  —  Online retail giant Amazon will enter the Android console market later this year, according to Game Informer sources.  In a brief report, the site claims people with “knowledge of the in-development hardware” …
Reuters:
Exclusive: BlackBerry open to going private, sources say  —  (Reuters) - BlackBerry Ltd is warming up to the possibility of going private, as the smartphone maker battles to revive its fortunes, several sources familiar with the situation said.  —  Chief Executive Thorsten Heins …
Darrell Etherington / TechCrunch:
Armstrong Confirms “Hundreds” Of Layoffs At Patch, 400 Sites Shuttered Or Partnered Off, And A New CEO  —  We reported yesterday that AOL's hyper-local news service would lose hundreds of employees today, and now we have confirmation from a well-placed Patcher privy to the call …
Tony Romm / Politico:
Apple's Tim Cook, tech execs meet with Barack Obama to talk surveillance  —  President Barack Obama hosted Apple CEO Tim Cook, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson, Google computer scientist Vint Cerf and other tech executives and civil liberties leaders on Thursday for a closed-door meeting about government surveillance, sources tell POLITICO.
Cecilia Kang / Washington Post:
Twitter joins Washington's influence economy, forms PAC  —  Twitter on Friday became an official member of Washington's influence economy, with the formation of a political action committee and the appointment of its first registered lobbyist.  —  The seven-year old private company said it wants …
Phil Nickinson / Android Central:
Google Wallet pulling support for gift, loyalty cards  —  A little bit of bad news tonight if you use Google Wallet for gift cards and loyalty cards.  According to an e-mail that just went out, support for NFC redemption of gift cards and loyalty cards will end on Aug. 21.

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