240: Digg's Downfall, Yahoo's Hope

On this week’s show, we explore how Digg went from becoming king of social news to cashing out for half a million. Then we discuss the transition of one of Google’s top executives, Marissa Meyer, to becoming the new CEO of Yahoo, and whether it’s enough to save the flailing company.

But first, we return from Comic-Con, check out a couple of new videogames, invest in a new mobile data plan and kickstart a game console. Then we discuss the hacking of Apple's in-app process, a massive password breach at Yahoo, Microsoft previews Office 2013, AT&T may charge for FaceTime, and Microsoft's "stack ranking" management system.

What We're Playing With

Andy: SDCC 2012, Steam Summer Sale, Dear Esther, Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, Ouya
Dwayne: Nexus 7, AT&T’s new shared data plans, Ouya

Headlines

• Apple’s in-app purchasing process circumvented by Russian hacker
• Yahoo Breach Extends Beyond Yahoo to Gmail, Hotmail, AOL Users
• Microsoft Office 2013 preview: details, screenshots and impressions
• Does AT&T want you to pay for Facetime?
• Microsoft’s Downfall: Inside the Executive E-mails and Cannibalistic Culture That Felled a Tech Giant

Audible Book of the Week

• What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained by Robert L. Wolke

Musical Interlude #1: Grazin' in the Grass by The Friends of Distinction

Hot Topic: The Downfall of Digg

• Once a Social Media Star, Digg Sells for $500,000 to Betaworks
• Digg Sold To LinkedIn AND The Washington Post And Betaworks for a collective $16 M
• In Memoriam: Even in losing, how Digg won
• Requiem For A Digg by MG Siegler

Musical Interlude #2: Fighter by Christina Aguilera

Final Word: Marissa Meyer, CEO of Yahoo!

• Google's Marissa Mayer Becomes Yahoo's Chief
• The real reason Marissa Mayer left Google: She had to.
• The Truth About Marissa Mayer: She Has Two Contrasting Reputations

Outro: I Have Begun My Descent from "Dear Esther" by Jessica Curry

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Geeks Of Doom’s The Drill Down is a roundtable-style audio podcast where we discuss the most important issues of the week, in tech and on the web and how they affect us all.

Hosts are Geeks of Doom contributor Andrew Sorcini (Mr. BabyMan), VentureBeat editor Devindra Hardawar, marketing research analyst Dwayne De Freitas, and Startup Digest CTO Christopher Burnor. Occasionally joining them is Techmeme editor Lidija Davis.