Calling it a “living magazine” for the iPad, Yahoo has launched Livestand, an app that lets users personalize their news-reading experience. A cross between a social news reading app and a digital newsstand, the app provides a touch-based user experience and currently features more than 100 different titles from third-party publishers as well as content from Yahoo’s channels. READ MORE
If you can’t get the Chinese to stop knocking off your product, try competing with them instead. That seems to be the reasoning behind Rovio’s plan to open its first Angry Birds retail stores in China before the end of the year. Knockoffs of the red bird stuffed animal are common in China, and a local amusement park even has an (unlicensed) Angry Birds game. Ro READ MORE
OpenTable is a rare tech industry survivor. The service, which matches diners with available restaurant reservations was founded in 1998, survived the dot-com bust of a decade ago and launched a successful IPO in 2009. Going public means, well, being public, so it’s public knowledge that the company had revenues of more than $34 million in the last quarter. They did it by placing 23 million diners in 16,000 restaurants. READ MORE
On Thursday, Apple stores worldwide will get a radical makeover, in conjunction with Apple’s new Apple Store app. First, customers who order Apple products online will be able to pick them up at an Apple store within 12 minutes of completing the order. Since they’ll have already paid online, they can simply sign for the item and walk out with it, bypassing lines and cash registers. READ MORE
Having a rich new parent company doesn’t seem to be doing Motorola much good. Ahead of the transition to full Google ownership, the company has announced it will close a factory and lay off 800 employees around the world. READ MORE
Heavy users of Google Maps will be charged for using the service, reports BBC News. After January 1, Google will charge for the Google Maps API when more than 25,000 map “hits” are made in a day. READ MORE
The standard plan of attack for many people looking to learn how to do something is to search for help online. Sometimes you get lucky and hit a good resource right off the bat, and other times you fumble around for a bit, popping around and hopping off sites as soon as it becomes apparent they’re useless. A new web site just launched that aims to streamline that process using crowdsourcing. READ MORE
Second Life founder and former CEO Philip Rosedale is bringing the virtual world into the real. The entrepreneur has launched Coffee & Power, a marketplace that lets users sell services and small tasks to each other. READ MORE
Google would like to help you bring your company’s website into the mobile era. It launched its GOMO (Go Mobile) project Tuesday. “What’s a mobile-friendly site?” Jesse Haines, Google’s group marketing manager, writes on the company blog. “It’s a website designed specifically for mobile users and mobile devices. It’s fast to load and easy to use—no pinching and zooming required.” READ MORE
Rumors that Yahoo might be planning to reject bids on the company sent shares into a tailspin, leading to the company’s worst day of trading in two months. The market was responding to speculation that the company may sell the portion of its business in Asia and pass the proceeds on to stockholders. READ MORE
