Techmeme
May 9, 2014, 5:35 AM

Top News

Mark Gurman / 9to5Mac:
Apple in final talks to acquire Beats for $3.2b, deal could be announced next week  —  According to the Financial Times, Apple is in late-stage talks with Beats to acquire the music streaming and headphone maker for a deal worth $3.2 billion.  The deal could be announced as soon as next week, according to the report.
Peter Kafka / Re/code:
Why Apple Is Betting Big on Beats: Hardware for Now, Streaming for Later  —  Apple is set to make the biggest purchase in its history: A $3 billion-plus deal for Beats, the company that sells high-end headphones and recently launched a streaming music service.
Graham Spencer / MacStories:
Mapping The International Availability of Entertainment Services  —  It is 2014 and we live in a rapidly globalizing world.  Unfortunately, that is not always apparent from the technology press, which focuses primarily on developments in the US.  That is not meant as a slight against others …
Thanks:@greyham
David Gelles / New York Times:
Omnicom-Publicis $35B mega-merger called off due to internal differences and regulatory issues  —  Ad Agency Giants Said to Call Off $35 Billion Merger  —  Omnicom Group and Publicis have called off their $35 billion merger, bringing a premature end to a deal that would have created …
Hugh Langley / TechRadar:
Project Morpheus was built into PS4 from the start - we just didn't know it  —  EXCLUSIVE It's all part of the plan … Sony caused a lot of fuss when it confirmed that there would be no way of turning off the DualShock 4's light bar (the tyranny!), but do you want to know why it was really on there?
Adam Lashinsky / Fortune:
Reporter offered pre-IPO shares by Arista Networks, considers it another sign of a tech bubble  —  Yes, we're in a tech bubble.  Here's how I know it  —  When tech startups are willing to offer almost anyone — even a journalist — shares ahead of an I.P.O., a burst isn't terribly far behind.
Brad Molen / Engadget:
OnePlus One review: A $300 phone that looks, feels, and acts like a premium device  —  OnePlus One review: a $300 smartphone has never looked so good  —  Look at your phone.  If you can honestly admit that you love every single thing about it, I have good news: You can stop reading this review …
Tweets: @ac_hu
Jonathan Berger / The Box Blog:
Box Notes for lightweight editing leaves beta, rolls out now, available to all by early June  —  Box Notes is Here!  —  It's a big day for Box and the Box Notes team!  Today we're starting to roll out Box Notes to all users, and we expect it to be live for everyone by early June.
Owen Williams / The Next Web:
8tracks releases major iOS overhaul as it prepares to take on music streaming's biggest players  —  The music wars are at a fever pitch, with Spotify, Google, Rdio, Pandora and the other big players in a full out war to win over users to their streaming services.
Ina Fried / Re/code:
ZTE Starts Selling $99 Firefox OS Phone in the U.S., Via eBay  —  While Firefox OS remains targeted at first-time smartphone buyers overseas, China's ZTE said Thursday it will start selling a model in the U.S. via eBay.  —  The ZTE Open C is listed for the “Buy It Now” price of $99.99.
Sam Biddle / Valleywag:
Goodbye to Katie Cotton, the Queen of Evil Tech PR  —  After 18 years of spin, Katie Cotton, Apple's magnetically ruthless vice president of worldwide corporate communications, has left her job, and tributes from the tech press are pouring in.  What no one will admit is that we were all afraid of her.
Jenna Wortham / New York Times:
Snapchat settles with FTC over misleading marketing, address book collection, security breach; no monetary penalty imposed  —  Snapchat Reaches Settlement With Federal Trade Commission  —  The disappearing act of messages on Snapchat, the mobile messaging service, has not been as foolproof as the company promised.
Mark Hachman / PC World:
Nvidia beats estimates as it expands into the cloud  —  Nvidia reported results for the April quarter that exceeded analyst expectations, as the company's customers favored its high-end graphics chips as well as new products for the data center.  —  Nvidia reported profits of $136.5 million …
Amir Efrati / The Information:
Comcast Plots Big Push in Web Video Ads  —  As debate over Comcast's control of Internet and TV in American households plays out in front of regulators reviewing its bid for Time Warner Cable, the cable industry leader is quietly planning a major foray into the Web advertising business.
Tweets: @ericnewcomer and @amir

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Tammy Parker / FierceWireless:
Aaron Levie / The Box Blog: