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News

• Google+ popularity jumps with 540M monthly users

  Google announced a number of enhancements to its social media platform Google+ and said the number of monthly active users on Google+ jumped from 390 million in May to 540 million users today.

• Google fights for Internet freedom with new tools

  In a move to fight back against governments that try to block their citizens' Internet access, Google released tools to keep people around the world online.

• Despite vow to keep site clean, Google tests search banner ads

  Despite a long-ago vow to retain its well-regarded simple and clean web design, Google has started testing banner ads on its search results pages.

• Congress to probe Healthcare.gov for politics

  The U.S. House will begin drilling into the problems at Healthcare.gov on Thursday when a panel of project contractors face the the Energy and Commerce Committee. Fireworks are likely.

• Microsoft rips page from Apple's playbook, sells app gift cards

  Microsoft will start selling gift cards good for purchases on its digital content market, taking a page out of Apple's iTunes playbook.

• Microsoft ships tool to block IE11 on Windows 7

  Microsoft on Friday shipped a toolkit to block Internet Explorer 11 from automatically installing on Windows 7 PCs, a signal that the new browser will release in the next few weeks.

• Snapchat seen overmatched in fight with Facebook

  Social startup Snapchat may be batting out of its league if it plans to take on social behemoth Facebook.

• Google may use Flutter's gesture control to boost Android and Glass

  With its acquisition of gesture-recognition company Flutter, Google may be looking to beef up Google Glass and its Android products while also looking to win over the hearts and minds of Apple iPhone users.

• Chrome users oppose change to Google's new tab page

  Google yesterday started rolling out a redesigned new tab page for Chrome, making good on a promise from last month when it offered the revamp to users running rougher-edged versions of its browser.

• Security org raises Internet threat level after seeing expanded IE attacks

  The Internet Storm Center on Saturday boosted its threat level to 'Yellow,' indicating a 'significant new threat' to Internet users from attacks exploiting an unpatched vulnerability in all versions of Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) browser.

• Microsoft ships upgraded preview of IE11 for Windows 7

  Microsoft today shipped a more polished preview of Internet Explorer 11 for Windows 7.

• Mozilla postpones Metro Firefox release to late January

  Mozilla said slower-than-expected progress on Firefox for Microsoft's Windows 8 "Modern" user interface means that the touch-based browser likely won't launch until late January.

• Fed says tech demand outstripping supply in Boston, San Francisco

  The IT employment outlook has provided nothing but mixed signals. Tech employment is showing signs of slowing, but not everywhere. Now the Federal Reserve is saying that in some markets -- Boston and San Francisco -- demand for certain types of tech skills is outstripping supply.

• Self-driving cars don't yield for naysayers

  As development of self-driving car technology moves ahead, there's a growing faction of people in the blogosphere who say they won't let a computer usurp their driving independence.

• Google previews Chrome app launcher for Macs

  Google added an App Launcher preview to Chrome on OS X that lets Mac owners run the company's new packaged apps from the Dock.