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Verizon has been trying to justify their blocking of Google Wallet on Verizon phones, insisting the app is blocked because Google Wallet uses the "secure element" on devices to store a user's Google ID. In response to complaints filed with the FCC, Verizon insists the unending blockade has nothing to do with the fact Verizon (in conjunction with AT&T and T-Mobile) is working on their own competing mobile payment platform named Isis. That's obviously not true, and more than a few technology websites have noticed that Verizon's simply acting anti-competively by delaying Google Wallet just long enough to help their Isis platform catch up in development (even if it appears few are using it and many participating retailers have never heard of it).

RT @waltmossberg: Apple falls in holiday survey of online customer satisfaction. @johnpaczkowski

3. In the absence of long-term thinking, all streams will eventually turn into marketing-infested flows.

An F.A.A. spokeswoman told me last week that the agency was preparing to move to the next phase of its work in this area, and would appoint members to a rule-making committee that will begin meeting in January.

As for design, sources say no major changes are planned for either product line. While the MacBook Pro line was the recipient of a design overhaul with the Retina display model, non-Retina versions still sport a unibody chassis largely unaltered since its debut in 2008. The MacBook Air's enclosure was revamped in 2010, taking on a more angular look as Apple applied design cues learned from its development of the iPad.

Top dog at RIM Thorsten Heins heavily implied that video chat would be added to BBM when BlackBerry 10 showed up, and now possible confirmation of the feature has come from what are thought to be leaked presentation slides. Originating on CrackBerry's forums, the images have been taken down on various sites, leading us to believe they're legit and that strongly worded requests have led to their removal. Not only do they suggest BBM video chat is coming to BB10, but also the ability to screen share during these video calls. Another slide details a new task manager for the OS called "BlackBerry Remember," which can sync with Outlook and -- based on its description and what was uncovered in the gold SDK -- may include Evernote integration. We've contacted RIM for comment and will update you with any response, but until then, take a look at the slide above and the pair hidden after the break to assess for yourself whether they're the real deal.

It’s just about 2013 and I gotta say, I’m a little bored.

Yet another jaded tech journalist.

Both Forbes and TechCrunch reported this past weekend that Intel may announce its much-rumored TV service at CES next week. I’ve been told by a knowledgeable source that this is inaccurate, and that there won’t be any announcement or other kind of public appearance in Vegas. Still, Intel is definitely getting close to lifting the curtain on its plans for the living room. I’ve been talking to sources familiar with the project for a few months now, and done a fair share of digging online as well. Combined with a few previous leaks, a much clearer picture about what Intel is up to in the TV space is emerging: it’s a box, it’s a service, and it’s intriguing, to say the least.

The anecdotal evidence: Business Insider gadget editor Steve Kovach says he's put almost all of his Apple-made iOS apps into a hidden folder, preferring to use apps from Google and others instead. Over on AllThingsD, Liz Gannes says 2012 was the year "I basically stopped using iOS apps."

2013 is going to be the year of social media backlash.

So it comes as almost no surprise to us that there are rumours flying around that Apple is sniffing around Waze with a view to a possible acquisition. After all, Waze is already a data partner for Apple’s Maps app and was the only app to gain meaningful marketshare after the Apple Maps fail. We have reached out to both. An apple spokesperson said: “We don’t comment on rumors or speculation.” We got a “we never comment on rumors” from Waze.

Sources familiar with Apple’s plans have told The Next Web that Apple has struck a deal with chip maker Broadcom to outfit its new Macs with 802.11ac chips. This will provide a much-needed boost for the standard, which is currently undergoing revisions, as electronics manufacturers look to introduce new consumer products capable of supporting high-speed networks.

While Flurry doesn’t break out iOS vs. Android activation numbers, some analysis by Fortune combined with information from Android chief Andy Rubin suggests Apple may have accounted for more than half of the new activations this year, with the advantage coming from sales of its iPad and iPad mini tablet devices.

The securities litigation firm of Powers Taylor, along with Willie Briscoe, the ex-U.S. SEC attorney, today announced that they would be investigating and possibly filing a lawsuit to block the deal. The premise: a $500 million acquisition price works out to shareholders getting $12.25 in cash for each share, below Zipcar’s 52-week high of $16.25 per share.

Following a similar path to Nokia and Apple, Google is looking to expand its services into the automobile industry, today announcing a partnership with Korean car manufacturer Kia Motors to integrate its Google Maps and Place services into Kia’s new UVO eServices telematics system, rolling out in new models later this year.

RT @SteveCase: "The new status symbol isn’t what you own--it’s what you’re smart enough not to own."

Might Microsoft quietly be working on DAV support behind the scenes, perhaps for inclusion in Windows Phone 8.5 or 9? Yes, of course. And perhaps it's been cranking on it since Google started offering CardDAV in September. But regardless, this wasn't an opportunity for Microsoft to promote Outlook at users' expense — it was an opportunity to show Google and the entire industry that it's on the ball, that it's reading a play or two ahead. At the very least, it should be telegraphing to users that help is on the way.

On the issue most important to Google, Google won. The most potentially damaging line of inquiry undertaken by the FTC concerned accusations that Google's search results were unfairly biased in favor of its own products. Some critics wanted to see mandated changes to Google algorithms. But after considering a number of approaches, FTC commissioners decided unanimously that Google was not violating any antitrust laws when it comes to search results. For Google, this is a major victory.

RT @Techmeme: U.S. Department Of Defense Signs New Deal With Microsoft To Bring Windows 8 To 75% of... ...

RT @Techmeme: Apple did offer to buy Waze, but Waze politely declined (@m4tt / The Next Web)

RT @Techmeme: Apple did offer to buy Waze, but Waze politely declined (@m4tt / The Next Web)

Today, a Google spokesperson provided The Next Web with a statement indicating that the company intends to remove the redirect that it has in place for Windows Phone users who attempt to access the Google Maps product, ending its practice of sending them to its search homepage.

It’s not pat to say that the Windows PC market went for volume over quality, because it did: Many of those 20 million Windows 7 licenses each month—too many, I think—went to machines that are basically throwaway, plastic crap. Netbooks didn’t just rejuvenate the market just as Windows 7 appeared, they also destroyed it from within: Now consumers expect to pay next to nothing for a Windows PC. Most of them simply refuse to pay for more expensive Windows PCs.

That said, Google Play looks like it will pass the million-app mark in June, according to new data from The Sociable, which plotted all the officially available numbers and “used a process of polynomial regression” to estimate the date:

Mr. Niel’s telecommunications company, Free, which has an estimated 5.2 million Internet-access users in France, began last week to enable its customers to block Web advertising. The company is updating users’ software with an ad-blocking feature as the default setting.

RT @Techmeme: Lenovo's 5.5-inch IdeaPhone K900 is powered by a dual-core Intel Atom processor (@dcseifert /... http ...

RT @Techmeme: T-Mobile USA to soon sell iPhones, cut subsidies: CEO (@sineadcarew / Reuters)

RT @Techmeme: T-Mobile USA to soon sell iPhones, cut subsidies: CEO (@sineadcarew / Reuters)

RT @Techmeme: Pakistan to unblock YouTube after building content filter (@jamieyzdnetasia / ZDNet)