Vox Media has reportedly raised upwards of $40 million to support its core Web properties, including the sports-centric SB Nation, the technology news gatherers at The Verge, and gaming site Polygon. Founded by former AOL executive Jim Bankoff, Vox previously raised nearly $40 million. 

In a major coup, Apple has brought in Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts to head up strategy, expansion, and operation of its retail and online stores. With the bold hire, “Apple CEO Tim Cook has set [Ahrendts] the task of bolstering global iPad and iPhone sales and returning some luster to the Steve Jobs-created brand, which has not launched a major new device in almost four years,” Reuters writes. 

Video startup Magnify is close to acquiring Waywire, the video curator co-founded by Newark Mayor Cory Booker. “When it closes, it will give Magnify access to a whole bunch of content deals to go after the nascent curation space,” TechCrunch reports. “For Waywire, the acquisition should put to bed a bunch of questions about its viability and Senate-hopeful Cory Booker’s role in the startup.” 

Kara Swisher takes Yahoo to task for serving up what she calls “a slightly numbing and decidedly robotic experience.” Yes, “Other than changing topics and different color schemes, [Yahoo’s] key properties all look exactly alike, an endless scrolling feed of news, now mostly from outside sources, with periodically inserted in-stream ads that look very similar to the content.” Herein lies Yahoo’s ad strategy, however. 

Foursquare is finally ready to give its network of some 1.5 million local merchants access to its ad platform. “The service, which allows users to check in to locations via smartphone, has transitioned into a promising search and discovery platform, on which ads are beginning to play a more prominent role in attracting potential customers to venues,” Fast Company writes. 

Demonstrating strong demand for high-end smartphones, Apple is currently selling two of its top-tier iPhone 5’s for every one of the more modestly priced iPhone 5c it sells. AllThingsD calls for new findings from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, “welcome news for Apple, since cannibalization of the 5s by the 5c was a potential commercial risk for this iPhone cycle.” 

Think Apple’s smartwatch strategy is comparable to any of its rivals? Then you don’t know Apple. “Rather, Apple is looking to create a device that will allow you to control your music, your temperature, your security, your lighting, your energy use, your entertainment and potentially much more,” VentureBeat reports, citing comments from Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Brian White. According to White, one Apple supplier described the “iWatch” as “a multi-purpose gateway in allowing consumers to control their home.” 

Google is reportedly putting its “Google TV” brand out to pasture and will soon start calling its digital TV operation, “Android TV.” Citing a source, GigOm reports: “The move is part admission that Google TV failed, part hope that Android will eventually find its place in the living room.” The search giant debuted the first generation of its Google TV devices about three years ago, but has since failed to get the desired traction. 

Facebook made it more clear to users that they have less privacy than ever. No longer will the social giant ask users, “Who can look up your Timeline by name?” As TechCrunch reports, “Facebook is removing this privacy setting, notifying those who had hidden themselves that they’ll be searchable.” And good thing, it suggests, considering that Graph Search already makes it easy for users to be found on Facebook. “Keeping this privacy option around gave people a false sense of security.” 

Google just gave itself permission to include (adult) users’ names, photographs and comments in ads, based on ratings, reviews and posts those users make on YouTube, Google Plus and other Google-owned services and properties. “When the new ad policy goes live Nov. 11, Google will be able to show what the company calls shared endorsements on Google sites and across the Web,” The New York Times reports.