Techmeme
January 20, 2014, 11:20 PM

Top News

Nick Summers / The Next Web:
Nest CEO Tony Fadell vows to make any privacy policy changes transparent and opt-in  —  Following last week's Google acquisition, Nest chief executive Tony Fadell has vowed to make any alterations to its privacy policy opt-in, and to be transparent about such changes to all of its users.
Kyle Orland / Ars Technica:
Stealth marketing: Microsoft paying YouTubers for Xbox One mentions  —  Machinima campaign offered undisclosed money to videos promoting new console The line between traditional, paid advertising and organic editorial content on the Internet can sometimes be hazy.
David Talbot / MIT Technology Review:
In Developing Countries, Google and Facebook Already Defy Net Neutrality  —  In much of the world, the concept of “net neutrality” generates less public debate, given there's no affordable Net in the first place.  —  Net neutrality—the idea that all Internet traffic should generally be treated equally …
More: Wired, BGR and Dice News
Matt Cutts / Gadgets, Google, and SEO:
The decay and fall of guest blogging for SEO  —  Okay, I'm calling it: if you're using guest blogging as a way to gain links in 2014, you should probably stop.  Why?  Because over time it's become a more and more spammy practice, and if you're doing a lot of guest blogging then you're hanging out with really bad company.
Tom Warren / The Verge:
HP brings back Windows 7 ‘by popular demand’  —  HP really wants people to buy a Windows 7 PC instead of a Windows 8 machine.  The PC maker has been emailing customers over the weekend noting that “Windows 7 is back.”  A new promotion, designed to entice people to select Windows 7 over Windows 8 …
Kim Zetter / Wired:
Target Got Hacked Hard in 2005.  Here's Why They Let It Happen Again  —  A gang of shadowy hackers tears through the systems of big-box retailers, making off with millions of credit and debit card numbers in a matter of weeks and generating headlines around the country.  —  Target and Neiman Marcus in 2013?
Tweets: @pmarca and @pmarca
Emil Protalinski / The Next Web:
VLC gets iOS 7 redesign, Google Drive integration, Dropbox streaming, the ability to download files, and more  —  VideoLAN today updated VLC for iOS with a slew of new features, including a new design for iOS 7 as well as Google Drive and Dropbox features.  You can download the new version now from Apple's App Store.
Philip Elmer-DeWitt / Fortune:
Analysts' estimates for iPhones sold last quarter range from 50M to 60M, or 55.3M on average  —  How many iPhones did Apple sell last quarter?  —  The analysts' estimates range from 50 million to nearly 60 million.  Average: 55.3 million.  —  FORTUNE — There's a lot chatter …
Dan Seifert / The Verge:
Ex-Vertu designer launches iBeacon competitor for Android  —  Datzing wants to turn your phone into a mobile billboard  —  Location-aware advertising was thrown into the spotlight last year when Apple launched its iBeacon service in 254 stores. iBeacon uses Bluetooth transmitters to push alerts …

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Earlier Picks

Ginny Marvin / Search Engine Land:
Luke Edwards / Pocket-lint: