NSA gathered thousands of Americans' e-mails before court struck down program  —  The National Security Agency unlawfully gathered as many as tens of thousands of e-mails and other electronic communications between Americans as part of a now-discontinued collection program, according to a 2011 secret court opinion.

Disney's ESPN Holds Preliminary Talks for Web-Based TV  —  Walt Disney Co. (DIS)'s ESPN sports network has held preliminary talks to offer programming on a Web-based TV service like those proposed by Google Inc. (GOOG), Sony Corp. and Intel Corp. (INTC)  —  An Internet TV provider …

Yahoo, Foursquare In Talks Over Data Partnership  —  Foursquare sells a lot of ads, but the biggest upside for the location-sharing start-up may be in selling its data.  And sources say Yahoo is interested.  Foursquare, once criticized for not being able to figure out a business, may have finally struck gold deep in its data centers.

Yahoo #1 Web Property Again In US, First Time Since Early 2008 [Updated with comScore Statement]  —  ComScore just released its monthly Top 50 US Web properties list today.  I've generally stopped looking at this list.  But it was pointed out to me that Yahoo is back at number one.

Apple poaches Levi's Senior VP for U.S. Retail as search for chief continues  —  Apple has poached Enrique Atienza from Levi Strauss, a global clothing sales powerhouse, to become a top director for its U.S. Retail market, according to sources with knowledge of the hire.

C is for Choices  —  I have to admit, it was a bit of a thrill breaking the news to the western world of the latest iPhone leak: … Still, it really wasn't anything new (although I did learn the reason for dual flash), and certainly nothing of strategic import. … So let's analyze.

Embedded Posts Now Available to Everyone  —  We introduced Embedded Posts in July to make it easy for publishers to add any public post from Facebook to their blog or web site.  Today, we're excited to make Embedded Posts available to everyone.  We've also added several enhancements based on feedback from our launch partners.

Telepathy raises $5 million to develop Google Glass rival  —  The Silicon Valley startup uses the funding to hire new engineers for its wearable, programmable computing device.  —  CNET's Scott Stein wearing the prototype Telepathy One headset along with his regular glasses.

GM to Offer Smartphones Wireless Charging in 2014 Cars  —  General Motors Co. (GM), the largest U.S. automaker, will start offering wireless charging for smartphones in some vehicles next year, said Ran Poliakine, chief executive officer of Powermat Technologies Ltd.

Millions stolen from US banks after ‘wire payment switch’ targeted  —  Three banks plundered with DDoS distraction.  —  Criminals have recently hijacked the wire payment switch at several US banks to steal millions from accounts, a security analyst says.  —  Gartner vice president Avivah Litan …

Google Glass finds fellow traveler in Field Trip  —  The Field Trip app for exploring and learning about your surroundings launches a Glassware app for a more hands-free approach to real-world discovery.  —  Self-guided smartphone tours just got a lot more hands-free, as the Field Trip app …

Neighborhood network Nextdoor takes up residence on Android  —  Neighbors can now use their Android smartphones to exchange critical information, swap last-minute baking needs, and get police updates.  —  Bring on the muffin baskets.  Nextdoor, a private social network …

Amid Executive Changes, HP Posts Declining Q3 Revenue Of $27.2B As Its PC Division Weakens  —  Today HP announced its third-quarter financial performance, including revenue of $27.2 billion, down 8 percent year over year.  The company earned $0.86 per share on a non-GAAP basis.

Orb Networks shuts down after being acquired by Qualcomm in May  —  Oakland, Calif.-based media streaming startup Orb Networks has been acquired by Qualcomm, and is now winding down its operations in the coming months.  A notice on Orb's home page, first spotted by Engadget …

Maker Studios Buys Blip, and a Home Outside of YouTube (Update)  —  Maker Studios, one of the biggest YouTube networks, is buying Blip, a video maker and distributor.  —  Blip officials informed their staff of the deal this morning, and it is expected to close in early September.

Goldman Invests $40 Million in Salesforce Rival SugarCRM  —  SugarCRM Inc., a maker of sales-tracking software, raised $40 million from Goldman Sachs Group Inc. to speed global expansion as it takes on larger rivals Oracle Corp. (ORCL) and Salesforce.com Inc. (CRM)

Facebook's quest for a more efficient mobile internet starts in its own backyard  —  It's funny that Facebook has suddenly found religion when it comes to making the mobile internet a more streamlined and less wasteful place.  Mobile data efficiency has hardly been its priority in developing its own apps in the past.

With $1M In New Funding, Betterfly Launches Live Video Platform Tailored To Online Learning  —  Chicago-based self-improvement startup Betterfly has been connecting teachers and students in real life for music lessons, relationship coaching, juggling instruction and just about anything you can imagine.