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December 4, 2013, 12:35 PM

Top News

John Markoff / New York Times:

Andy Rubin leads Google's new manufacturing-focused robotics effort that acquired seven companies in the last six months — Google Puts Money on Robots, Using the Man Behind Android — PALO ALTO, Calif. — In an out-of-the-way Google office, two life-size humanoid robots hang suspended in a corner.

Sam Byford / The Verge:

Next USB plug will finally be reversible — Work has begun on a new generation of USB that will break compatibility with existing connectors in order to improve ease of use and allow for thinner devices. The new connector, called Type-C, is an addition to the existing USB 3.1 specification …

More: Computerworld, ZDNet, Quartz, Ars Technica, VentureBeat, TechCrunch, Engadget, Gizmodo, Gigaom, LAPTOP Magazine, 9to5Mac, SlashGear, Pureinfotech Newsletter, Geek.com, GadgeTell, Gotta Be Mobile, Android Beat, TechSpot, Geeky Gadgets and Softpedia News. Tweets: @stevesi

Kara Swisher / AllThingsD:

Instagram Business Lead Emily White to Be Named COO of Snapchat — Emily White, the Facebook executive in charge of bringing advertising to its Instagram photo-sharing unit, is leaving to become COO of Snapchat. — The move is a major talent grab by the ephemeral photo and video mobile service …

More: Venture Capital Dispatch, AllFacebook, Computerworld, Technology Advice, Guardian, Softpedia News, Business Insider, WebProNews, Mashable, Digits, The Next Web, Business Insider, CNET, The Verge and PhoneArena

Tweets: @katies, @mikeisaac, @alexia, @howardlindzon, @brandee, @ischafer, @jguynn, @dannysullivan, @orbuch and @ksimm

Violet Blue / ZDNet:

Two million stolen Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, ADP passwords found on Pony Botnet server — Summary: Trustwave's SpiderLabs found a Pony Botnet Controller server holding over two million passwords and account credentials for ADP payroll, Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo and more belonging to victims around the world.

More: SpiderLabs Anterior, Ars Technica, Gizmodo, Help Net Security, CNET, BBC, InfoWorld, PandoDaily, Daily Dot, Graham Cluley and Softpedia News. Tweets: @virusbtn

Daniel P. Howley / LAPTOP Magazine:

LG G Flex Hands-On: First Self-Healing, Flexible Smartphone — The future will not be flat. That's what LG's Dr. Ramchan Woo declared as he unveiled the new LG G Flex during an exclusive press event in California. The 6-inch handset is one of the first to offer a curved body that contours …

More: LG Newsroom, AnandTech, IntoMobile, Ars Technica, pocketnow.com, Phones Review, AllThingsD, Unwired View, Android Beat, Tech in Asia, Engadget, Android Community and Business Insider

Darrell Etherington / TechCrunch:

iBeacons Used To Deliver Location-Based Access To iOS Newsstand Publications — iBeacon, Apple's hyperlocal trigger tech in iOS 7, is an innovation that holds a lot of promise, and that will probably continue to make waves in the retail industry for a long time to come.

More: Exact Editions, AppleInsider, MacRumors, 9to5Mac, iPhone in Canada Blog, iDownloadBlog.com and App Advice

Dean Takahashi / VentureBeat:

More drone envy: Former Wired editor's 3D Robotics adds $6M for commercial drones — The rise of the drones continues this week, as 3D Robotics is announcing today that it has raised $6 million in funding from venture capital firm Mayfield. The money will help commercialize drones …

More: StrictlyVC, TechCrunch, TechSpot, PandoDaily, AllThingsD and Pocket-lint

Sharif Sakr / Engadget:

Hands-on with the YotaPhone: the e-ink Android phone that nobody expected — There was a moment, back in 2012, when we had some quiet doubts about the YotaPhone. The first prototype was desirable, useful, and far beyond any kind of gimmick — but it also seemed like it'd be hard to manufacture …

Liz Gannes / AllThingsD:

Misfit Wearables Raises $15.2M on Back of Shine, Even as Founder Dismisses Activity Trackers — Misfit Wearables, maker of the Shine wearable activity tracker, has raised $15.2 million in Series B funding. — The round was led by Li Ka-Shing's Horizon Ventures and included previous backers Founders Fund …

More: VentureBeat, PandoDaily and TechCrunch

John Battelle / John Battelle's Search Blog:

Apple+Topsy: It's Not About Twitter (And Twitter Is Probably Cool With That) — I'm going out on a limb, but a fairly stout one: Like Azeem, I think Apple bought Topsy for its search chops. But Azeem, who I admire greatly, says Topsy could become the search engine “for iOS …

More: Digits, Gigaom Research, Real Story Group Recent … and LinkedIn Today. Tweets: @monkbent

Mike Isaac / AllThingsD:

Twitter Considered Buying Topsy, Too — Here's Why It Didn't Happen

More: Business Insider. Tweets: @mikeisaac

Emil Protalinski / The Next Web:

Google is building Chrome apps support for Android and iOS, beta release coming as soon as January 2014 — Google is working on bringing Chrome packaged apps from the desktop to the mobile world. The company is currently building a toolkit to help developers create Chrome apps for Android and iOS …

More: Inquirer, Chromium Blog, ReadWrite, CNET, TechSpot, Gizmodo, Gotta Be Mobile, iDownloadBlog.com, App Advice, Softpedia News, iPhone Hacks, Android Beat, The Verge, Ubergizmo, I4U News, Android Authority, SlashGear, Phandroid and AppleInsider

Peter Kafka / AllThingsD:

YouTube's Music Subscription Service Won't Show Up This Year — Waiting for YouTube's subscription music service? You're going to have to be patient. — The video service, which is already the biggest free music service in the world, had planned on launching a paid service this year.

More: VentureBeat, Ubergizmo, The Verge, 9to5Google, Android Community, CNET, Engadget, PhoneArena, Softpedia News, Mashable and Electronista. See also Mediagazer

Vlad Savov / The Verge:

Inside Vertu, makers of the world's most expensive phones — The company that grew out of Nokia's answer to ‘what if you could build a phone without worrying about the money?’ — Vertu started life in the late 1990s as an indulgence for Nokia's designers.

More: blog.chron.com and Boing Boing. Tweets: @joshuatopolsky, @schneidertobias, @rustambaratov and @xesisoj

Daniel Cooper / Engadget:

Three UK offers free data, text and calls while roaming in the USA — Hey hey, it's a party in the USA, or at least, it will be for UK-to-US travelers who are signed up to Three. The network has just announced that those intrepid pond-hoppers will be entitled to roam with their UK allowances of data, text and calls absolutely free.

More: Three Media Centre, Geeky Gadgets, iMore, pocketnow.com, Cult of Mac, Mobile Industry Review, Gigaom, The Next Web, Softpedia News, The Verge, Phones Review, Android Central, SlashGear and Inquirer. Tweets: @ruskin147

Chris Welch / The Verge:

Apple issues 2013 Supplier Responsibility Report, finds no cases of underage labor — Apple today issued its latest Supplier Responsibility Report, laying out results of 393 internal audits of its supply chain. The company says that in 2012, it “found no cases of underage labor” at any of its final assembly plants.

Richard Nieva / CNET:

You are the query: Yahoo's bold quest to reinvent search — When Yahoo launched its home page redesign in February — its first such overhaul in the Marissa Mayer era — the company's chief executive sent out a jovial tweet: — A new experience launching on Yahoo today with a newsfeed …

More: Beyond Search. Tweets: @livbarton

Matthew Panzarino / TechCrunch:

Apple, PrimeSense And Perceptive Computing Or: Why Your Phone Will See In 3D — Last month Apple confirmed the acquisition of Israeli motion-sensing company PrimeSense. Initial thoughts turned towards applications in the Apple TV set-top box, but other reports that Apple was interested in its ‘mapping’ capabilities as well.

More: MoneyBeat

Reuters:

U.S. concern over Huawei telecoms deal with South Korea — (Reuters) - The heads of two U.S. Senate committees overseeing national security have expressed concern to the Obama administration over a recent network supply deal between China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and Washington ally South Korea.

More: Bloomberg

Jon Fingas / Engadget:

NORAD and Microsoft team on a touch-friendly Santa Claus web tracker — NORAD's Santa Claus tracking has officially entered the tablet era. The defense agency has teamed up with Microsoft on an updated web-based tracker that's designed for touch-friendly browsers, including Internet Explorer 11.

More: TechCrunch, Examiner, WebProNews, Pureinfotech Newsletter, Google LatLong, Geeky Gadgets, TechNet Blogs, Digits, ABC News, Phones Review and Softpedia News

Hans Ku / Ptch Blog:

Dreamworks-incubated video-creation app Ptch acquired by Yahoo, shutting down January 2 — Ptch Joins Yahoo! — We launched Ptch just over a year ago. Our passion and our mission was to give you the best way to make and share beautiful movies made from the photos and videos on your phone.

More: The Verge, Network World, The Next Web, WebProNews, PandoDaily, VatorNews, Ubergizmo, App Advice, Business Insider, Engadget, CNET, I4U News, AllThingsD and Softpedia News. Tweets: @hansku. Thanks:@hunterwalk. See also Mediagazer

Michael Carney / PandoDaily:

Hoxton Ventures aims to bring Silicon Valley DNA to Europe with a new $40M early stage fund — Like most startup ecosystems outside of Silicon Valley, Europe could use more venture capital. But it goes beyond simply a lack of cash. Europe is short of investors willing to forgo near-term revenue …

More: TechCrunch, Tech Europe, Gigaom, Tech.eu, The Next Web, PE Hub Blog, Rude Baguette, VentureVillage and Wired.co.uk. Tweets: @rafat

Jessica E. Lessin / The Information:

Former Wall Street Journal reporter launches The Information, a tech news site with a $399 annual subscription — Letter From the Editor — Technology news needs a reboot. There are more stories and outlets than ever, but a troubling cycle is playing out:

Tweets: @jessicalessin, @amir, @samfbiddle, @hunterwalk and @hunterwalk

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