Friday, October 26, 2012

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Introducing CrunchGov, TechCrunch's Policy Platform Top
bill-icon-techcrunch-crunch-govNearly a year after citizens blindsided the government with an unprecedented protest against the Stop Online Piracy Act, Congress is at a loss for how to proceed. Luddite officials see complex tech issues as a mysterious minefield and the greenhorn technology industry does not have the insider D.C. connections to move beyond unwieldy protests outside the gated halls of DC. As a startup-focused publication, TechCrunch gets to see the results of tech policy every day. And we think we can help the two sides understand each other better. So we're launching a new project today called CrunchGov.
 
Get An iPhone 5 That Looks Like Unicorn Poop For Only $1700 Top
colorware-iphone-5-xlApple only offers its iPhone 5 in sober black or white/gray, and while I respect their minimalist design sensibilities, some people might want more color options for their smartphone companion. Well, if you're willing to pay more than double the asking price of the unlocked 16GB iPhone 5, you can get whatever color iPhone you want, along with the ability to mix and match for freakish results.
 
Streaming Radio Service 8tracks Relaunches On iPhone: App Rebuilt From Ground-Up With New Look, Better Music Discovery Top
8tracks_2.0_smallStreaming music startup 8tracks is officially relaunching its iPhone application today, which offers a much-needed (and really well done) user interface revamp. For those who remember the earlier version of the app out last year, it will be as if you're getting a brand-new application altogether. 8tracks 2.0, as the update is being called, introduces a number of new components, including fullscreen album artwork, the ability to find and invite friends, and a unique music discovery feature which lets you find music by both mood and genre. While 8tracks has always offered a great way of finding new music, the mobile interface was somewhat lacking. Today, you finally have best of both worlds: beauty and brains.
 
Video Game Journalist Out Of A Job For Calling Out Dead-Eyed, Dorito-Hoarding Journalists Top
600x-1-1In the great, wide world of journalism, games journalism is a weird animal. Those who "practice" - and practice it well - face a barrage of PR perks, free trips, and angry houses. Access is given and taken away by marketing folks on a whim. There are a few great news sources (Polygon is one as is Rock, Paper, Shotgun), a few silly ones, and a few horrible ones. But on the whole, not many folks think much about the business of writing about games. Yet, if we're culturally current, we consume quite a bit of games writing and, sadly, that writing is often compromised by the broken PR system.
 
Watch Out, Pandora: Apple's Streaming Radio Service Could Launch In Early 2013 Top
itunes logoAccording to a report out of Bloomberg, Apple may be working on a radio product to compete with Pandora. The story cited sources "familiar with the matter," who confirm that Apple is in intensified talks with major music labels to figure out how to split ad revenue. The service is expected to launch next year, in 2013.
 
GameStop Launching 80 Holiday Pop-Up Store Locations For Kids (And Kids At Heart) Top
gamestop-kidsGamestop today announced plans to launch 80 new holiday concept stores called GameStop Kids across the U.S., offering kid-friendly shopping experiences. The storefronts will sell video games, but focus on accessories, licensed good like plush toys, and collectibles. Judging by the product list, however, this looks like a store designed not only for actual children, but for anyone with a love of video-game and sci-fi-related tchotchkes.
 
Japan's NTT Docomo Launches $125M Incubator Fund And Program To Accelerate Homegrown Mobile Innovation Top
docomo logoGood news for Japanese startups: Japan's largest mobile carrier, NTT Docomo, has announced a $125 million investment fund and incubator program for smartphone and tablet related startups -- to be called the Docomo Innovation Fund and the Docomo Innovation Village -- both due to kick off at the end of March 2013.
 
Quietly Troubling: HTC Q3 Sales Down 48% To $2.4B, Expects Even Weaker Q4 Of $2B Top
htc-slippingHTC today officially released its financials for Q3, and the news continues to be bad for the Taiwanese smartphone maker: the company reported revenues of 70.2 billion Taiwan dollars ($2.4 billion), down 23% from last quarter's $3 billion and 48% compared to the same quarter last year. The company also provided a trading update for the all-important holiday period encompassed by Q4 and the numbers are not pretty: it anticipates revenues of NT$60 billion, or $2 billion. Earnings per share are down by nearly 80% to NT$4.70 ($0.16).
 
Following The Letter Of The Law: Apple Publishes Non-Apology To Samsung On Its Website To Comply With U.K. Court Ruling Top
silver-apple-logoAfter losing an appeal in a UK high court last week against a judgement that Samsung’s Galaxy Tab tablets do not infringe the design of the iPad because their design is just not cool enough, Apple has now published an acknowledgement of the court’s judgement on its U.K. website — in line with the court order. You can’t call it an apology — quite the opposite: Apple makes it clear it does not agree with the court’s decision by pointing out that it has had court wins against Samsung for the same design patent in Germany, and noting its huge win against the Korean gadget maker in the U.S this summer. Apple also focuses on the judge’s reasons for dismissing its patent claim — quoting the judge’s detailed ruling on exactly what makes the iPad’s design so much cooler than the Galaxy Tab, in which he talks almost lovingly of the “extreme simplicity” of the iPad’s design; its “undecorated surfaces”; “crisp edge” and “combination of curves”. Apple then contrasts that with what the judge had to say about the Galaxy Tab: “very thin, almost insubstantial” with “unusual details on the back” — and the conclusion: “not cool”. Here’s Apple’s acknowledgment in full Samsung / Apple UK judgment On 9th July 2012 the High Court of Justice of England and Wales ruled that Samsung Electronic(UK) Limited's Galaxy Tablet Computer, namely the Galaxy Tab 10.1, Tab 8.9 and Tab 7.7 do notinfringe Apple's registered design No. 0000181607-0001. A copy of the full judgment of the Highcourt is available on the following link www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Patents/2012/1882.html. In the ruling, the judge made several important points comparing the designs of the Apple and Samsung products: “The extreme simplicity of the Apple design is striking. Overall it has undecorated flat surfaces with a plate of glass on the front all the way out to a very thin rim and a blank back. There is a crisp edge around the rim and a combination of curves, both at the corners and the sides. The design looks like an object the informed user would want to pick up and hold. It is an understated, smooth and simple product. It is a cool design.” “The informed user’s overall impression of each of the Samsung Galaxy Tablets is the following. From the front they belong to the family which includes the Apple design; but the Samsung products are very thin, almost insubstantial members of that family with unusual details on the
 
HTC Sweetens The Deal For Its Windows And One Phones With Best Deals Service In Europe Top
UK DETAILTo drive more consumers to its handsets in Europe, HTC is turning to exclusive content. Today the company is launching a daily deals service called Best Deals, which is rolling out today in the UK, Italy, Germany, France and Spain. Best Deals will aggregate daily deals on food, travel and more from 12 companies: LivingSocial, Trip Advisor, Qype Deals, iVoucher, Offerum, Lookingo, Lets Bonus, Elgrupazo, Daily Deal, Deal Ticket, Getbazza and Prezzo Felicea. Only users of HTC's flagship Windows and Android phones -- Windows Phone 8X and 8S handsets, which launch in November, and HTC One X+, HTC One X and HTC One S -- will be able to get the service, which launches with 1,700 offers in the hopper.
 
Neil Young Steps Down As DeNA's Ngmoco CEO, Clive Downie Steps Up Top
neil-youngA little more than two years after Japanese mobile gaming giant DeNA agreed to pay up to $403 million for U.S.-based mobile game developer Ngmoco, the subsidiary's CEO Neil Young has stepped down. Neil Young, the former EA executive who went on to found the company, is no longer CEO of Ngmoco. However, he will continue to serve on the company's board of directors.
 
Amidst STEM Education Hype, NoRedInk Is On A Mission To Fix America's Grammar Problem Top
Screen shot 2012-10-25 at 9.16.43 PMWith the November elections right around the corner, education reform is a hot topic these days, thanks to a flood of reports indicating that the U.S. has fallen behind its peers on a number of educational fronts -- from enrollment and high school graduation rates to achievement and teacher salaries. Diminishing interest (and performance) in STEM education, in particular, has prompted a billion-dollar movement to reform and improve science and tech programs in the U.S.
 
Apple's iPad Mini, 4th Gen iPad Now Available For Pre-Order – Wi-Fi Only Versions Deliver November 2 Top
ipad-mini-whiteIf you're looking to get your hands on an iPad mini after the big reveal this past Tuesday, now's the time to pre-order, and shoppers can choose any version of the iPad mini or 4th generation iPad for the first batch of orders. If you want to have one in your hands next Friday, November 2, however, you'll need to get the Wi-Fi only versions.
 
Apple Adds 8 New Currencies Supported In App Store, Including Russian Ruble, Indian Rupee And Saudi Riyal Top
russia app store in rublesApple continues to go global with its App Store ambitions: the company has made eight additions to the list of supported currencies. The new currencies are the Russian Ruble, Turkey's Lire, India's Rupee, Indonesia's Rupiah, Israel's New Shekel, Saudi Arabia's Riyal, South Africa's Rand, and United Arab Emirates' Dirham. The additions came after developers were told earlier in the week that iTunes Connect, the portal that lets developers control pricing and app availability, would be down for a period of time on the 25th.
 
Unpinned: Facebook Shuts Down Test Of Its Pinterest-Style Collections Feature Top
Do not Want Button-DoneNo so Pinteresting after all. Facebook began testing Collections on October 8th. But today I found that product photos users collected had disappeared and links to Collect posts were dead. Now Facebook confirms its "completed the test". Maybe no one tried it. Maybe Facebook will try breaking into commerce discovery some other way. But for now Collections is done for.
 
Apple Store Down Ahead Of iPad Mini Pre-Orders Top
Screen Shot 2012-10-26 at 12.05.17 AMThe Apple Store just went down, and we know what's coming next in this instance: iPad mini pre-orders start Oct. 26, and if past experience proves anything, they'll come online first thing in the morning. So if you're looking to get one of the first iPad minis, start refreshing feverishly. We'll also be sure to let you know when things come back online so you can scratch that itch for a smaller iOS tablet.
 
Scenes From Microsoft's Packed Times Square Surface Launch Top
surfacenyc1Driving through Times Square is a tricky proposition even on normal nights, but for a few moments tonight it was basically impossible to cruise down 7th Avenue. That's because Microsoft officially kicked off sales for its new Windows RT-powered Surface tablet, and briefly closed the street to ensure none of the curious onlookers were hit by errant cabs.
 
Cars That Fly *And* Float: Explaining Apple's Q4 And Beyond Top
Screen Shot 2012-10-25 at 4.42.26 PMApple's Q4 2012 results were mixed. As usual, reading Twitter, you'd think this was the end of the world. Nevermind that Amazon managed to post a loss on $13.8 billion in sales today — Apple only made $8.2 billion in profit. "Ahhhh!!!!! What is wrong with Apple?!!!" "This would have never have happened under Steve!" That's right, such a profit wouldn't have happened under Steve. In fact, it never did. Jobs' best quarter in terms of profit was just over $7 billion — and actually, that's when Tim Cook was interim CEO last year.
 
Strategy Analytics: iPad's Loss Is Android's Gain In Tablets In A Lackluster Quarter Of 25M Units Shipped Top
ipad-with-ipad-miniWith Apple just ending its conference call for its quarterly results, Strategy Analytics has published its numbers on global tablet sales for the quarter. Apple and the iPad remain in the lead with 57% of all shipments, but just as Apple missed sales expectations on the iPad, it also is losing some market share in the tablet market overall, with Android picking up the slack to reach an all-time high of 41% of shipments on overall shipments of just under 25 million units.
 
Yahoo! Is Testing Out New Logo Ideas, Still Isn't Dropping The ! Also Rolling Out New Homepage With Infinite Scrolling Top
yahoo logo testYahoo is looking to make a clean break with some aspects of its past with Marissa Mayer now at the helm -- and one of those, it seems, could be its logo. A TC reader says that he was asked to take an online survey, "and it turned out to be all about asking me to compare Yahoo's current logo to a potential new logo," he tells us. Here is a screenshot from that survey:
 

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