Techmeme
September 3, 2013, 11:45 PM

Top News

Bloomberg:
Microsoft Raced to $7.2 Billion Deal With Soul-Searching Nokia  —  Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)'s agreement to buy Nokia Oyj (NOK1V)'s handset business, codenamed Project Gold Medal, was more of a sprint than a marathon.  —  Talks between the two companies began in February after both sides agreed …
Dan Levine / Reuters:
Why Nokia didn't sell its patents to Microsoft  —  (Reuters) - Nokia may have sold its handset business to Microsoft Corp, but by hanging on to its valuable patent portfolio, the Finnish company could also get a big future payoff at the expense of Android phone makers.
Rich Miller / Data Center Knowledge:
Microsoft to Build $250 Million Data Center in Finland  —  A Microsoft data center module packed with servers is installed in the company's facility in Quincy, Washington.  Microsoft is building a $250 million data center in Finland.  (Photo: Microsoft)  —  Accelerating its global data …
Sharif Sakr / Engadget:
Ballmer promises shorter names for Nokia phones: goodbye Nokia Lumia Windows Phone 1020  —  What will Microsoft's thunderous multi-billion dollar purchase of Nokia's mobile phone business mean for little ol' you and me?  Time will tell, of course, but in the short term Steve Ballmer is promising something concrete: shorter brand names.
Ben Thompson / stratechery:
Horace Dediu / asymco:
Leo Kelion / BBC:
Android KitKat unveiled in Google surprise move  —  Nestle plans to sell more than 50 million chocolate bars featuring the Android mascot  —  Google is calling the next version of its mobile operating system Android KitKat.  —  The news comes as a surprise as the firm had previously indicated version 4.4 …
Dante D'Orazio / The Verge:
Android Kit Kat is the next version of Google's mobile operating system  —  Google's Sundar Pichai, head of both Android and Chrome, has confirmed that the next version of Android will be called Kit Kat.  Yes, you've read correctly, Kit Kat, as in the trademarked name of the candy bar made by Nestle.
Mark Gurman / 9to5Google:
Google apparently slips unannounced Nexus phone in its KitKat video  —  Earlier today, Google announced its upcoming Android 4.4 KitKat software update.  In tandem with the announcement, Google posted a video that showcases the unveiling of the KitKat statue at the company's headquarters.
Jim Dalrymple / The Loop:
Apple announces special event for September 10  —  Apple on Tuesday sent out invites for a special event to be held on September 10, 2013 at the company's Cupertino, Calif. headquarters.  According to the invitation I received today, the event will start at 10:00 am PT.
Wesley Yin-Poole / Eurogamer:
Sony set to go big with virtual reality on PlayStation 4  —  Will Oculus Rift partner with a next-gen console?  —  Sony plans to enter the virtual reality gaming space in a big way with PlayStation 4, Eurogamer can reveal.  —  Amid the growing popularity of the Oculus Rift VR headset among …
Tom Emrich / BetaKit:
Bionym Launches Biometric Wristband Nymi That Unlocks Smart Things With Your Heart  —  Think fingerprints, iris scans and facial recognition is the future of passwords and security?  Think again.  Although much harder to crack than the usual four-numbered pin, these methods pale in comparison …
Mike Isaac / AllThingsD:
Twitter Taps Google Ad Director Christian Oestlien to Lead Growth  —  Twitter has hired away Google display advertising product management director Christian Oestlien, according to sources, in an attempt to kickstart Twitter's international growth efforts.  —  He'll move into the position …
Sam Byford / The Verge:
8GB Nexus 4 sells out on Google Play, and it isn't coming back  —  After Google gave its Nexus 4 a $100 price cut last week, the 8GB version of the phone is now sold out on the Play store.  It appears that the price reduction was more of a clearance sale, however, as Google tells The Verge that the cheaper model will not be restocked.
Adrianne Jeffries / The Verge:
Add an expiration date to your tweets using a simple hashtag  —  A former Twitter engineer has released an app that lets you schedule your tweets to be deleted.  Enable Spirit for Twitter and append a hashtag like #1m, #2h, or #3d, and your tweet will disappear after the specified timeframe.

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Nick Wingfield / NYT Bits: