Airbnb Hires Former Yahoo Legal Eagle Belinda Johnson as General Counsel

Here’s the lawyer who’s going to write that ironclad lease — that promised espresso maker better be there! — for the lovely apartment in Italy we rented.
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News Byte

Amazon Defends Warehouse Safety, Again

Amazon has posted a statement defending its worker safety record at a Breinigsville, Pa., warehouse, as well as its other warehouses, arguing that “it’s safer to work in the Amazon fulfillment network than in a department store.” It’s the company’s second public response to a month-old newspaper story about unsafe working conditions at the Breinigsville outpost.

President Obama’s LinkedIn Town Hall: The Other Silicon Valley Jobs Event

Here’s an idea to get more jobs for the citizens of the U.S.of A.: Fantastic high-speed wireless access!
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News Byte

Amazon Responds to Warehouse Safety Story

In the wake of a news story about potentially unsafe working conditions at an Amazon distribution center, the retail giant has issued a public statement. Amazon doesn’t directly acknowledge reports that workers in a Pennsylvania warehouse worked in “brutal” heat that sent some of them to the hospital this summer. But it does say it recently spent $2.4 million installing air conditioning at four warehouses, including the one that sparked the detailed report in the Allentown Morning Call. “Those who know us well don’t doubt our intent or our focus on employee safety,” the statement concludes.

Airbnb Apologizes, Offers $50,000 Guarantee in Hopes of Defusing Security Concerns

Airbnb sent a letter to its users today in an effort to allay concerns about security about its service, which helps connect people willing to rent out their homes to complete strangers.
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Investors Not Overly Concerned by Airbnb Rental Nightmare

After announcing a massive $112 million venture round earlier this week, Airbnb is back in the spotlight today over a rental gone really, really wrong.
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Could Using Your Gadgets in Mid-Air Really Bring Down the Plane?

Believe it or not, that’s what an industry study has found. According to the study, uncovered by ABC News, interference from electronics is suspected in 75 incidents from 2003 to 2009.
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It’s Hard to Cut the Charging Cords

A pad to charge all your mobile devices sounds like a great idea, and yet most people are still fumbling with jumbles of power cords. Katie looks at the different technologies involved and why charging pads aren’t more commonplace.

Connecticut Won't Press for Google WiSpy Data, Looks to Settle

Saying settlement talks are in the offing, Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen won’t pursue his predecessor’s demand to review the consumer data inadvertently harvested by Google’s Street View cars.

Microsoft's Browser Boss Dean Hachamovitch Touts Privacy Features at D@CES

Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser is still the world’s most popular, but its dominance is being steadily eroded by competition from Mozilla, Google and Apple. Can a new, aggressive approach to privacy change that?
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FTC Closes Google Street View Probe