Techmeme: Google Translate mobile app auto-detects language in spoken conversations and adds instant translate in camera view (Barak Turovsky/The Official Google Blog)

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January 14, 2015, 7:15 PM

Top News

BlackBerry Press Room:

BlackBerry denies it has engaged in buyout discussions with Samsung — BlackBerry Responds to Media Report — Waterloo, ON - BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB) ("BlackBerry") is aware of certain press reports published today with respect to a possible offer by Samsung to purchase BlackBerry.

More: Globe and Mail, The Register, Gigaom, The Next Web, Reuters, TechCrunch, AppleInsider, 9to5Mac, Tech Trader Daily, TechnoBuffalo, TmoNews and Phandroid

Tweets: @markgurman and @fxmacro

Steve Kovach / Business Insider:

BlackBerry shares spiked almost 30% after Samsung buyout report, back down about 15% after BlackBerry denial; claim that Samsung wanted patents appears suspect

Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:

Facebook launching “Facebook at Work” employee collaboration tool with a handful of test companies — Facebook Unveils Facebook At Work, Lets Businesses Create Their Own Social Networks — About six months ago, we reported that Facebook was working on a new product aimed squarely …

Barak Turovsky / The Official Google Blog:

Google Translate mobile app auto-detects language in spoken conversations and adds instant translate in camera view — Hallo, hola, olá to the new, more powerful Google Translate app — Often the hardest part of traveling is navigating the local language.

More: eWeek, TIME, Macworld, Gigaom, Washington Post, Lifehacker, TechnoBuffalo, Adweek, Redmond Pie, iMore, Android Police, New York Times, SlashGear, Droid Life, MacRumors, 9to5Mac, 9to5Google, PC Magazine, iDownloadBlog.com, ValueWalk, The Register, Yahoo Tech, SiteProNews, Pocketnow, App Advice and TechCrunch

Tweets: @johnlegere and @google

Reuters:

Google has begun discussions with top automakers including General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Daimler, and Volkswagen, to bring self-driving cars to market by 2020 — Google partners with auto suppliers on self-driving car — (Reuters) - Internet company Google Inc has begun discussions …

More: Gigaom, Associated Press, VentureBeat, Android Authority, 9to5Google, The Verge, Ubergizmo, Droid Life, Tech Trader Daily, Automotive News Automaker and Connectedly

Garett Sloane / Adweek:

Snapchat is asking brands for $750,000 a day for its new ads, higher than YouTube's $500,000/day rate for a masthead — Snapchat Is Asking Brands for $750,000 to Advertise and Won't Budge — Brands balk at paying top dollar for one day of disappearing ads

More: Business Insider and Mobile Marketing Watch. Tweets: @dmac1, @jguynn and @adamsinger

Nathan Ingraham / The Verge:

Google's modular Project Ara smartphone to pilot in Puerto Rico later this year with between 20 and 30 Ara modules available by launch — Google's modular Project Ara smartphone will begin pilot testing in Puerto Rico later this year — Google is holding its second Project Ara developer's conference today …

More: The Verge, Android Authority, PandoDaily, VentureBeat, The Register, Forbes, Android Police, The Technology Chronicles, TechCrunch, ABC News, Engadget, CNET, TechnoBuffalo, InvestorPlace, Neowin, Re/code, POPSUGAR, 9to5Google and Phones Review. Tweets: @verge

Nathan Ingraham / The Verge:

Google to offer Ara Configurator app to help users build Project Ara phones, will also offer pre-built options through its “simple phone maker”

More: Computerworld, Engadget, Ubergizmo and SlashGear

Graham Cluley:

Google discloses *another* Microsoft Windows vulnerability before a patch is ready — Earlier this month, Google controversially published proof-of-concept code, providing malicious hackers with a blueprint through which they could exploit Microsoft Windows 8.1 through a zero-day vulnerability.

Brian Krebs / Krebs on Security:

Microsoft pushes critical Windows 8.1 security fixes, patches vulnerability recently disclosed by Google

More: Microsoft Security TechCenter, internetnews.com, GeekWire, Security Affairs and Naked Security

Kurt Wagner / Re/code:

Kevin Rose raises $5M for his app incubator North Technologies, steps back from Google Ventures — Google Ventures Partner Kevin Rose Raises $5 Million for App Incubator, Steps Back From Investing — After a few months of dipping his toes back into the startup life …

More: The Next Web, TechCrunch, VentureBeat and Wall Street Journal. Tweets: @kevinrose

Reuters:

Apple sues Ericsson over LTE wireless telecom patents — (Reuters) - Apple Inc (AAPL.O) sued Ericsson (ERICb.ST) alleging that the Swedish company's LTE wireless technology patents are not essential to industry cellular standards and that it is demanding excessive royalties for these patents.

More: Bloomberg, Ericsson News Center, Wall Street Journal, CNET, Wall Street Journal, Electronista, iMore, 9to5Mac, iDownloadBlog.com, Light Reading, ITworld.com, PC Magazine, Patently Apple, Tech Times, TechnoBuffalo and iLounge

David Streitfeld / New York Times:

Apple, Google, Intel, and Adobe offer joint payment of $415M to settle US poaching lawsuit — Bigger Settlement Said to Be Reached in Silicon Valley Antitrust Case — SAN FRANCISCO — Silicon Valley companies have sweetened the pot to try to get rid of an embarrassing class-action antitrust suit …

More: MacRumors, Engadget, Mercury News, PC Magazine, Wired, MacDailyNews, Inquirer, iPhone in Canada Blog and Fortune

Kurt Wagner / Re/code:

LinkedIn has plans for an app to connect co-workers and for another product to help companies share content with employees — Upcoming LinkedIn Products Connect Co-Workers — LinkedIn, long the place to hunt for a new job, plans to make it easier to connect with the colleagues you already have.

More: Re/code, Computerworld, ReadWrite, Fortune, Upstart Business Journal, Digital Media Wire, TechCrunch, Gigaom, ZDNet, USA Today, Seeking Alpha, BBC, VatorNews, Android Authority, Pocket-lint, GeekWire, Marketing Land and Entrepreneur

Natasha Lomas / TechCrunch:

Microsoft Squeezes Windows Phone To $81 With Entry Level Lumia 435, $93 With Lumia 532 — Microsoft has announced two new Lumia smartphones running its Windows Phone 8.1 mobile OS, both focused on beefing up the portfolio at the lower end and expanding the platform's appeal in emerging markets to try to compete with budget Androids.

More: Lumia Conversations, Microsoft, The Next Web, Ars Technica, ZDNet, PC World, The Verge, Geek Beat, Digital Trends, WinBeta, Ubergizmo, Gizmodo, TechnoBuffalo, The Seattle Times, Gigaom, Ubergizmo, Blogging Windows and GadgeTell. Thanks:@riptari

Jonathan Shieber / TechCrunch:

Online education company Lynda.com raises $186M led by TPG at roughly a $1B valuation and is in advanced negotiations with three acquisition targets — Online Education Company Lynda.com Gets $186 Million For A Shopping Spree — Online personal and professional continuing education company lynda.com …

More: bizjournals, PandoDaily, Bloomberg, PE Hub Blog and Marketwire. Tweets: @ericnewcomer

Ryan Lawler / TechCrunch:

Google Voice founder and former Google Ventures general partner Wesley Chan joins Felicis Ventures as managing director — Former Google Ventures General Partner Wesley Chan Joins Felicis Ventures As Managing Director — One of the earliest members of both Google and Google Ventures has found a new home.

More: Fortune, Wall Street Journal and New York Times

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