Edited by T. Trent Gegax & Woody Leonhard | September 27, 2013 06:00 PDT | 09:00 EDT | 13:00 UTC
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>> A JOB OR A CURSE?: Is Ford's Alan Mulallay now in the lead to be new CEO of Microsoft?, by Kara Swisher: "Ford CEO Alan Mulally has vaulted to the forefront of the candidates to become the new CEO of Microsoft." AllThingsD
>>>> Meet John Thompson, the man picking Microsoft's next CEO Wall Street Journal (paywalled)
>>>> Ballmer says a tearful goodbye at his last Microsoft company-wide meeting TNW
>> REBOOT: Google unveils search updates for mobile, new Page Rank algorithm, and Knowledge Graph comparisons, by Ken Yeung: "This week, Google marks its 15-year anniversary.... It unveiled several updates to search, designed to help users access information quicker, including new interfaces and features for its iOS and Android apps, along with better integration with the Knowledge Graph." TNW
>>>> FAQ: All about the new Google "Hummingbird" algorithm Search Engine Land
>>>> Google gives search a new engine and card UI for mobile, reveals new iOS search app Engadget
>>>> Microsoft vows greater financial transparency with new reporting format PC World
>> WALL STREET SKULLDUDGERY: Questions swirl about high-speed trading and last week's Fed announcement, by Steven Russolillo: "As if the Federal Reserve's no-taper decision wasn't complicated enough, speculation that some traders may've gotten word of the decision earlier than they were supposed to is gaining traction." WSJ Money Beat
>>>> Covert information asymmetry and the Fed: "Within a millisecond of the 2pm release of the September 18, 2013 FOMC Meeting Announcement, the stock market exploded, trading nearly $400 Million worth of stock in a tenth of a second (a blink of an eye is 3 times longer), and almost $1 Billion worth in 2 seconds. Over in Chicago, futures trading also exploded, with about $5 Billion trading in a tenth of a second and more than $10 Billion in 2 seconds." Nanex Research
>> QUICK FIX: Apple releases iOS7 update to address lock screen bug, by Hayley Tsukayama: "Apple released a new version of iOS 7 on Thursday that addresses bugs in the new system that allowed users to bypass a phone's lock screen... The bug allowed those with physical access to the phone to bypass the lock screen without punching in the code and make calls, see recently used apps and view or share photos." WaPo
>>>> Bad news: iOS 7's HTML5 is full of bugs InfoWorld
>> WINDOWS SHUFFLE: Microsoft building a single app store for the next Windows Phone and Windows releases, by Tom Warren: "Microsoft is planning to combine its Windows Phone Store and Windows Store into a single app store... committed to the 'next releases' of Windows and Windows Phone, which we understand to be Windows Phone 8.1 and a special update planned for Windows 8.1. Both are due to be ready in spring 2014." The Verge
>>>> Windows is losing ground among enterprise developers as Android gains CITEworld
>>>> New commercial fails to differentiate between Surface 2, Surface Pro 2 Neowin
>> ENTERPRISE ANIMAL: New Kindle takes on Microsoft Surface 2 in workplace, by Tim Greene: "Kindle HDX can view Microsoft Office applications via OfficeSuite Viewer, can grab emails from a corporate Exchange server via ActiveSync, prints wirelessly and supports Bluetooth keyboards and mice. It can be brought under the purview of AirWatch, MaaS360, Citrix, GoodTechnology, and SOTI mobile device management platforms to control network configuration, security, feature controls, inventory and to manage apps. It supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and LTE (from AT&T or Verizon). The company promises more: hardware device encryption, VPN support, single sign-on via the Amazon Silk browser that comes with the device and support for digital certificates. Amazon provides Whispercast, a Web tool for distributing apps and documents." Network World
>>>> Kindle Fire HDX coming to the cubicle with the Microsoft Surface in its sights ZDNet
>> BEHIND THE CURTAIN: How Evernote became a premium business brand, by Christina Farr: "Today, the company announced a series of partnerships with designers and a new line of physical goods, all emblazoned with the Evernote logo... What began as a software application is now a fully fledged consumer marketplace for exquisitely made hardware products and fashion accessories." VentureBeat
>>>> A backpack to remember: Can Evernote become a lifestyle company? The Verge
>> STRIKE ZONE: MLB tests iBeacon app feature to send mobile coupons, by Mark Walsh: "iBeacon uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology that can trigger alerts in a user's app within a limited range through small external sensors placed at a given site. A marketer or retailer might use the technology to automatically send a mobile coupon or special offer when a customer enters a store. Or a ballpark." OnlineMediaDaily
>> FRIENDLIER SKIES: FAA committee concludes that flyers should be allowed to use smartphones, tablets during takeoff and landing, by Mat Smith: "Data-based activities and voice calls would still be prohibited, but the [28-member FAA committee] recommends that passengers should be allowed to watch videos, type away at documents, listen to music and more when planes take off and land... changes could occur as soon as early 2014." [The folks in the cockpit excepted, of course.] Engadget
>>>> Delta Airlines to distribute Surface 2 to pilots Original plan was to use the Nokia Windows RT tablet. WindowsITPro
>> ALL YOUR BASE: NSA surveillance court says no limits on phone records collection, by Grant Gross: "A U.S. surveillance court has given the NSA no limit on the number of U.S. telephone records it collects in the name of fighting terrorism.. NSA intends to collect all U.S. telephone records and put them in a searchable 'lock box' in the interest of national security… 'There is no upper limit' on NSA telephone-records collection, [NSA Director Keith] Alexander said. 'I believe it is in the nation's best interest to put all the phone records into a lock box that we can search when the nation needs to do it.'" InfoWorld
>>>> Senators push to preserve NSA phone surveillance NY Times (paywalled)
>> CRIMES & MISDEMEANORS: Google's Gmail keyword scanning may violate wiretap law, by Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai: "U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh said that by automatically scanning Gmail users' emails to provide targeted ads and filter spam, Google may be in breach of Federal and California state wiretapping laws, which prohibit the unauthorized interception of communications." Mashable
>>>> U.S. judge allows lawsuit against Google over email ads Reuters
>> PERSISTENT EXISTENCE: Google's Open Project mirrors Android apps on any connected touchscreen, by Matt Brian: "Sure, Google already has Chromecast for throwing websites and media to big screens. The company's engineers believe they can go one better, however, with something called the Open Project framework. It's an effort to find a standardized way of mirroring not only content, but also touch inputs on a suitably equipped touchscreen or connected TV." Engadget
>> F'D: Sorry, roamers, but the new Galaxy Note 3 is region-locked, by David Meyer: "People buying the unlocked Galaxy Note 3 in regions such as Europe or North America will not be able to use a SIM card from another region in it, meaning they will have to pay exorbitant roaming fees if they travel outside the region." GigaOM
>> BIGGER THAN YOURS: Billionaire yachts are passe as Monaco peddles luxury submarines, by Tara Patel: "The submersibles on offer cost from around $1.5 million to $4.2 million depending on their size and underwater range. The current global fleet is estimated at under a couple dozen including on private yachts such as Octopus, owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen." Bloomberg
>> FOR THE WIN: L.A. Unified School District halts home use of iPads for students after devices hacked, by Howard Blume: "Following news that students at a Los Angeles high school had hacked district-issued iPads and were using them for personal use, district officials have halted home use of the Apple tablets until further notice. It took exactly one week for nearly 300 students at Theodore Roosevelt High School to hack through security so they could surf the Web on their new school-issued iPads." LA Times
>>>> L.A. Unified reports 71 iPads are missing LA Times
>> Discontent mounts over CEO pay at Oracle. Ellison received $76.9 million compensation last year. [Catamarans don't grow on trees.] Wall Street Journal (paywalled)
>> Skyhigh Data shows most blocked, riskiest cloud services Talkin' Cloud
>> BlackBerry manufacturing partner looking to bail AllThingsD
>> Tech giants fear spread of patent wars to Europe NY Times (paywalled)
>> China approves plans to lift 13-year ban on the sale of video game consoles TNW
>> House Republicans want to kill Net neutrality as part of their debt ceiling bill TechCrunch
>> Raspberry Pi gains support for Oracle's Java TheNextWeb
>> New software helps lawyers accomplish the 'impossible' VentureBeat
>> Windows Azure's multi-factor verification now available, $2 per user per month TNW
>> Apple patent would allow digital autographs on ebooks, movies, and albums GigaOM
>> Crowdfunding a 3D printed, open source hardware robotic, prosthetic hand BoingBoing
>> Nokia pokes fun at Apple for Airport directions glitch in Maps app Neowin
>> TWEET O' THE DAY: "The real q about Ballmer's replacement: who'd want that job? @MattRosoff"
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