Techmeme: Google's VP of engineering for Android is now also overseeing Chrome OS's engineering team, pointing to a possible convergence of the OSes (Rolfe Winkler/Wall Street Journal)

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October 17, 2014, 8:45 PM

Top News

Guardian:

Guardian responds to Whisper's denials, stands by its claims, urges media and users to keep pressing Whisper — Whisper: the facts — Executives from the anonymous social media app have dismissed as a ‘pack of lies’ the Guardian's revelation that they track users. But the evidence is clear

Jonathan Zdziarski:

Whisper iOS app collects user location within 100 meters, data could be fuzzed server-side — Preliminary Findings on Whisper — At the suggestion of @kashhill, I did a brief analysis of the Whisper iOS application, which appears to be at the height of controversy with respect to user privacy.

More: SocialTimes, The Daily Dot, iPhone in Canada Blog, Guardian, Gizmodo, HOTforSecurity, Slate, BetaNews, Engadget and Washington Post

Tweets: @bartongellman, @neetzan, @lorenzofb, @jamesrbuk, @ashk4n, @netik and @nzkoz

See also Mediagazer

Sean Gallagher / Ars Technica:

Whisper CTO says tracking “anonymous” users not a big deal, really

More: ReadWrite, Guardian, InvestorPlace, TechPresident, Inquirer, Telegraph, PC Magazine, VPN Creative, BBC, Upstart Business Journal, Gizmodo, PandoDaily, SocialTimes and New York Times

Tweets: @jayrosen_nyu, @stuartmillar159, @mrkoot and @netik

Snapchat:

Snapchat ads to roll out this weekend, will appear as a single ad in “Recent Updates” for US users, never in personal communications — Advertising on Snapchat — This weekend we're placing an advertisement in “Recent Updates” for Snapchatters in the United States.

More: CNET, PC World, BuzzFeed, VentureBeat, Fortune, Marketing Land, PC Magazine, Los Angeles Times, MobileSyrup.com, Tech Times, Gigaom, Business Insider, Re/code, Wall Street Journal, Valleywag, Forbes, SlashGear, The Next Web, TIME and Mashable

Tweets: @mikeisaac, @scottmaustin, @cityofthetown, @dmac1 and @tomkrazit

Thanks:@orbuch

Rolfe Winkler / Wall Street Journal:

Google's VP of engineering for Android is now also overseeing Chrome OS's engineering team, pointing to a possible convergence of the OSes — Executive Change Is Latest Hint of Chrome-Android Marriage — A management shift inside Google points to the possibility that the company's two operating systems will come together.

More: ZDNet, PC World, SiliconANGLE, CNET, 9to5Google, Electronista, Android Police, Tech Times, SlashGear, The Verge, Engadget and Re/code

Tweets: @wsjd and @scottthurm

Reuters:

NSA's current CTO allowed to work 20 hours per week for former director Keith Alexander's cybersecurity startup — Exclusive: NSA reviewing deal between official, ex-spy agency head — (Reuters) - The U.S. National Security Agency has launched an internal review of a senior official's part …

More: The Hill and Guardian. Tweets: @timothys, @emptywheel, @csoghoian and @dangillmor

Andy Greenberg / Wired:

After raising $600K, Anonabox Privacy Router project is suspended by Kickstarter for misleading funders, investors' pledges will be canceled — Kickstarter Freezes Anonabox Privacy Router Project for Misleading Funders — All August Germar asked for was $7,500 to fund his privacy-focused router project.

More: Wired, Washington Post, Crowdfund Insider, Globe and Mail, VPN Creative, Quartz, Raw Story, Business Insider, bit-tech.net, SlashGear and PSFK

Tweets: @devicemag, @marciahofmann, @kennwhite and @runasand

Jason Del Rey / Re/code:

Amazon Fresh launches in New York, starting with Brooklyn's Park Slope area, for Amazon Prime members — Amazon Confirms It Will Deliver Fresh Groceries in New York City — Amazon's grocery delivery business is launching in New York City on Friday, the company said …

More: TechSpot, Fortune, The Verge, DailyFinance.com, Consumerist, TechnoBuffalo, PandoDaily, TechCrunch, Mashable, CNET, Ubergizmo, bizjournals, WebProNews, Reuters, SlashGear, GeekWire, Engadget and Gothamist. Tweets: @chadwickmatlin

Emil Protalinski / VentureBeat:

Google releases Android 5.0 Lollipop SDK and Nexus preview images — As promised, Google today released the full Android 5.0 Lollipop SDK, along with updated developer images for Nexus 5, Nexus 7 (2013), ADT-1, and the Android emulator. The latest version of Android isn't available just yet …

More: Android Developers Blog, ReadWrite, Android Police, The Register, eWeek and The Next Web

Dan Frommer / Quartz:

This new “Apple SIM” could legitimately disrupt the wireless industry — Perhaps the most interesting news about Apple's new iPad Air 2 tablet is buried at the bottom of one of its marketing pages: It will come pre-installed with a new “Apple SIM” card instead of one from a specific mobile operator.

Zac Hall / 9to5Mac:

Bose headphones and speakers no longer available from Apple Online Store — It was reported last week that Apple would soon stop selling Bose headphones and speakers at its Apple Store locations. Previously, a variety of Bose headphones and speakers were demoed at each Apple Store location and available for purchase there and online.

More: The Verge, Re/code, Gizmodo, Business Insider, Ubergizmo, Redmond Pie, App Advice, Consumerist, TIME and Electronista

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:

Tumblr launches a free, Yosemite-exclusive desktop app, available in the Mac App Store — Tumblr Debuts Its First Desktop App On The Mac App Store — On the heels of the release of Apple's new Mac OS, OS X Yosemite, blogging platform Tumblr has just rolled out its first official desktop application …

More: Tumblr Staff, MacRumors, VentureBeat, iDownloadBlog.com, Engadget, Gizmodo, SlashGear and The Next Web

Martin Peers / The Information:

HBO's standalone online streaming service likely won't be less than pay TV retail price of $15/month — HBO's Online Pricing Trap — HBO's broadband service looks doomed even before it starts. — While HBO hasn't disclosed details, pricing of the new broadband offering most likely …

More: CNET, BGR, WebProNews, MacDailyNews and Business Insider. Tweets: @reneritchie

Allen Pike:

Developer notes difficulties of supporting old iPads, says obsolescence of A5 CPU is overdue — The iPad zombie — In March 2011, Apple announced the iPad 2. It was an incredible leap forward, dramatically thinner and faster than the original iPad. In many ways, the iPad 2 was when the iPad hit its stride.

More: Cult of Mac

Danny Sullivan / Search Engine Land:

After More Than Two Years, Google Finally Releasing New “Pirate Update” To Fight Piracy — In August 2012, to stem accusations that it doesn't do enough to fight piracy, Google released what's known as the Pirate Update, a system that penalized sites deemed to be violating copyright laws.

More: Google Public Policy Blog, Search Engine Land, Gigaom, Engadget, TorrentFreak, Techdirt, Marketing Land and Search Engine Land. See also Mediagazer

Chris Long / Facebook:

Facebook says it's actively monitoring “paste” sites with stolen credentials to warn its users who use the same passwords — Keeping Passwords Secure — The Facebook Security team has always kept a close eye on data breach announcements from other organizations.

More: AllFacebook, Inside Facebook, Gigaom, Ubergizmo, Tech Times, Gizmodo, SlashGear, Business Insider and Threatpost

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