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AFP - Hackers at an infamous DefCon gathering are proving that old-fashioned smooth talk rivals slick software skills when it comes to pulling off attacks on computer networks.

Reuters - Research In Motion will introduce a tablet computer in November to compete with Apple Inc's iPad, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing two people familiar with the company's plans.

PC World - When, oh when, will the price-cutting end? Now that Amazon has stunned the e-book world by dropping the price of its Kindle e-reader (well, the new Wi-Fi-only model) to $139, will competitors Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Sony do the same?

PC World - Chris Paget wants to demonstrate how easy it is to snoop in on mobile-phone conversations. The question is: Will the federal authorities allow it?

Macworld.com - Returning from an inadvertent hiatus due to…er…inclement conditions in my office, I’m here to tell bring you the latest in stories you might have missed.

AP - Motorola Inc., the maker of cell phones and other telecommunications equipment, spent $880,000 in the first quarter to lobby the federal government on laws such as those that sought to discourage electronics manufacturers from using minerals from rebel-held mines in the Congo, according to a disclosure report.

AP - Google Inc. has spent $1.1 billion during the first half of the year buying up 22 companies, with more than half of the amount going toward its recently completed acquisition of mobile ad service AdMob.

Appolicious - Location: Boise, ID

Christopher Null - Microsoft wants your money.

AFP - Twitter wants to help you build your network.

Reuters - Two security experts said on Friday they released a tool for attacking smartphones that use Google Inc's Android operating system to persuade manufacturers to fix a bug that lets hackers read a victim's email and text messages.

NewsFactor - Research In Motion will introduce its own tablet computer, called BlackPad, in November, according to news sources. The BlackBerry maker is moving to compete with rival Apple, which currently dominates the tablet market with its iPad.

NewsFactor - After assuming the worst with its China operations, Google on Thursday evening backed off accusations of censorship in the communist nation. Google said earlier Thursday that the Chinese government was blocking its search engine, Google Mobile, and Google Ad products. Google also said its news and image services were being "partially blocked."

Mashable - BlackBerry tablet rumors continue to gain momentum, with a new report indicating that the device, possibly to be called the BlackPad, is set to hit stores this November.

AP - Nokia Inc., the world's largest maker of cell phones, spent $150,000 in the second quarter to lobby the U.S. federal government on patents, the use of minerals from rebel-held mines in the Congo and other issues, according to a disclosure report.

PC World - Although not traditionally known for its contributions to the open-source community, the German-based SAP is adopting more open-source software, as well as contributing more of its own code back into the community, company officials said in an interview.

Ben Patterson - Rumors of a BlackBerry tablet are heating up by the day, with Bloomberg now claiming that the BlackPad — yes, the BlackPad — will arrive in November, complete with an iPad-size screen and the ability to connect to the Internet via either Wi-Fi or your Bluetooth-connected BlackBerry.

PC World - CRM (customer relationship management) users, vendors, analysts and consultants are set to gather in New York next week for the CRM Evolution conference, which will feature discussions on how technologies and economic forces are changing the software segment.

Christopher Null - No one will argue that Google StreetView has now become a well-established and extremely useful part of the computing landscape.

Macworld.com - Just Mobile, maker of fine mobile stands and accessories for Apple products, has released the UpStand—a sleek aluminum stand for the iPad.