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Facebook acts to make users’ data more secure

Facebook says it has disabled a feature that let users share their address and phone number with external Web sites and applications after criticism from security experts.

Facebook said in a blog post Tuesday that it is changing the feature to ensure that users share information only when they want to. Users, for example, could share their address with applications such as shopping Web sites for easier access. Get the full story »

Yelp jumps into Chicago daily coupon fray

Online review hub Yelp has launched local deals in Chicago, hoping to get a foothold in the daily deals space pioneered by Groupon.

Yelp Deals launched Tuesday in Chicago, becoming the fourth city for the company’s local offers program. The other cities are San Diego, New York and San Francisco. Get the full story »

Sony to shut U.S. plant as CD sales fall

Sony Corp. says it will shut down a CD manufacturing plant in the United States by the end of March and its 310 workers will be laid off. Sony spokeswoman Mami Imada said Tuesday the plant closure in New Jersey was due to declining CD sales as more people opt to buy music digitally. Get the full story »

Do-it-yourself gastric bypass? Medline kit on eBay

From MyNorthwest.com | A gastric bypass surgery kit made by Chicago-based Medline Inc. was put up for sale on Amazon.com for $264. “It was a mistake that it was on Amazon,” said Medline spokesman John Marks. “This is purely for hospital use by doctors and surgeons, and it is not for sale to consumers.” But that didn’t stop reviewers from having some fun with it.Get the full story>>

Facebook to provide access to users’ data

Facebook has quietly opened the door for app developers to request a user’s addresses and phone numbers.

The most popular social media site in the world announced the move on its Facebook Developer blog, in a post Friday night by developer liaison Jeff Bowen.

So far, Facebook has failed to mention the change on its general announcement blog for users or any other network-wide methods. The company has dealt with privacy concerns for years, with a focus of criticism being third-party app makers’ access to user data.

For Facebook users, this means address and phone numbers listed in their profile will be given to a developer who requests such information by way of the “Request for Permission” dialog box that pops up when a user begins the process of adding an application to their profile.

Goldman to sell Facebook shares abroad only

Goldman Sachs has decided to limit its private placement of Facebook shares to investors outside the United States, citing “intense media coverage,” according to the investment bank. Get the full story »

Bank of America online banking down for some

Update: Bank of America reported at 5 p.m. that the problem had been resolved.

Bank of America Corp. said its online banking Web site is down for a “subset” of customers but that the “majority” of depositors can still bank online.

Chicago’s No. 2 bank declined to say how many customers are currently affected and said it expects to fix the problem “shortly” but had no timetable. Get the full story »

IPO could value Groupon at $15 billion

New York Times News Service | Groupon, the social buying site that spurned a $6 billion offer from the search giant Google, is pushing ahead with plans for its initial public offering, a debut that could value the company at $15 billion or more.

The company, which just raised a record $950 million from big investors, discussed a public offering with bankers this week, according to two people with knowledge of the deal who were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. Banks are pitching Groupon on dizzying valuations at which they expect to take the company public, with many at $15 billion. Get the full story »

Groupon meets with bankers to explore IPO

Groupon’s executives held a series of meetings with bankers Thursday in Chicago to discuss a potential initial public offering for the coupon website, CNBC’s Kate Kelly reported Thursday evening. Groupon, Kelly said, is serious about an IPO, but the process could take months, possibly into this spring. The offering could be worth $1 billion to $1.5 billion, she said, but the company hasn’t offered any details of the potential size of the deal. Get the full story »

WikiLeaks adds $15K to Manning defense fund

Supporters of U.S. Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, who is suspected in one of the biggest security breaches in U.S. history, said Thursday that Web site WikiLeaks has fulfilled its pledge to aid in his defense by contributing $15,100, the Associated Press reported.

The Bradley Manning Support Network announced the gift. Get the full story »

On 10th anniversary, Wikipedia aims for diversity

Sue Gardner, executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation. (Getty)

As online encyclopedia Wikipedia nears its 10th birthday on Saturday, its leaders are seeking a more diverse group of editors — specifically, women, people in developing countries and people with expertise in assorted disciplines.

Wikipedia is about to open an office in India and wants to expand further in Brazil, Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries. Today, 20 percent of the site’s pages are written in English, but the organization expects that to change over the next 10 years. Get the full story »

Amber Alerts come to Facebook

Amber Alerts, which have helped find 525 missing children since their start in 1996, are coming to Facebook. Get the full story »

Rosner steps down as CEO of BuyWithMe

Former Chicagoan Cheryl Rosner has stepped down as chief executive of online deals site BuyWithMe after less than a year in her position. Get the full story »

Northwestern grads launch coupon site Bare Deal

A pair of Northwestern University graduates has launched a Chicago-based online deal company that merges snail mail and the Web.

Bare Deal, founded by Justin Shapiro and Glen Andrianov, launched Wednesday in Chicago and the site lists 12 additional cities where the company plans to expand, including Los Angeles and New York.

Chicago is home to tens of Web companies offering local daily deals, including Groupon, the pioneer of the space. Groupon’s co-founder, Andrew Mason, is also a Northwestern alumnus. Shapiro and Andrianov graduated in 2008. Get the full story »

Winklevoss dispute with Facebook back in court

Cameron (left) and Tyler Winklevoss. (Kimihiro Hoshino/AFP/Getty Images)

Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss found a skeptical audience Tuesday as they tried to persuade a U.S. appeals court to let them out of a $65 million settlement over the founding of online social network Facebook.

The saga of the Winklevoss twins and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg became silver screen lore with the film “The Social Network” last year. It has long been a legal battle as well. Get the full story »