• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Today in Tech: Brainstorm Tech starts, Borders closes

By
JP Mangalindan
JP Mangalindan
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
JP Mangalindan
JP Mangalindan
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 19, 2011, 3:30 AM ET

Fortune’s curated selection of the day’s most newsworthy tech stories from all over the Web. Sign up to get the newsletter delivered to you every day.



Some of this year's Brainstorm Tech speakers, including Twitter CEO Dick Costolo, Google's Marissa Mayer, and Spotify CEO Daniel Ek. (Photo: Fortune Brainstorm Tech)

* Fortune’s annual Brainstorm Tech conference kicks off later this afternoon with the day’s speakers including Twitter CEO Dick Costolo, Dreamworks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, Square COO Keith Rabois, and Stephanie Tilenius, Google VP of Commerce and Payments. Keep checking the Web site throughout the day for the latest coverage.

* Yep, you read that headline right: Bordersis closing its remaining 399 stores and laying off 11,000 employees after failed negotiations. Said Borders Group President Mike Edwards in a statement: “We were all working hard towards a different outcome, but the headwinds we have been facing for quite some time, including the rapidly changing book industry, e-reader revolution, and turbulent economy, have brought us to where we are now.” (paidContent)

* Liz Gannes over at AllThingsD sifted through Zynga’s S-1 addendum and walked away with a few revelations, including exclusivity start dates for various games, Facebook’s consent to help Zynga meet “certain growth targets for monthly unique users,” as well as an agreement to sell ads next to Zynga games and share a redacted portion of those ad sales with the casual gaming juggernaut. (AllThingsD)

* Ciscowill lay off 6,500 workers, or roughly 9% of its workforce, in an effort to save $1 billion in annual costs. (Tech Trader Daily/Barron’s)

* Amazon introduced Kindle Textbook Rentals, a rental service promising to save students a huge chunk of cash — up to 80% off the print list price, according to the company. Students can choose anywhere between a 30 day and 1-year rental period,  and Amazon says it’ll have “tens of thousands of textbooks” available to choose from. (Amazon and Gizmodo)

UPDATE: Facebook responded to All Things D’s report with a statement. “We don’t have agreements with any developers, including Zynga, to share revenue from ads next to their Facebook canvas apps,” said a company spokesperson. “We did agree with Zynga to work together in the future on providing ads on their properties beyond Facebook, but we have no current timeline for when we might start working on that.”


Don’t miss the latest tech news. Sign up now to get Today in Tech emailed to you each and every morning
.

About the Author
By JP Mangalindan
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Goldman Sachs' logo seen displayed on a smartphone with an AI chip and symbol in the background.
NewslettersCFO Daily
Goldman Sachs CFO on the company’s AI reboot, talent, and growth
By Sheryl EstradaDecember 10, 2025
45 minutes ago
Current price of silver as of Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Personal Financesilver
Current price of silver as of Wednesday, December 10, 2025
By Joseph HostetlerDecember 10, 2025
51 minutes ago
EconomyFederal Reserve
If the Fed cuts interest rates today, it may be the last one until June 2026
By Jim EdwardsDecember 10, 2025
1 hour ago
A sign showing the US-Canada border in front of a bunch of dead, barren trees in winter
Politicstourism
Exclusive: U.S. businesses are getting throttled by the drop in tourism from Canada: ‘I can count the number of Canadian visitors on one hand’
By Dave SmithDecember 10, 2025
2 hours ago
NewslettersCIO Intelligence
Inside tractor maker CNH’s push to bring more artificial intelligence to the farm
By John KellDecember 10, 2025
2 hours ago
Jerome Powell, chairman of the US Federal Reserve
EconomyFed interest rates
Fed’s expected rate cut today is less about stimulating the economy and more about protecting the job market from ‘shattering’
By Eleanor PringleDecember 10, 2025
2 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
‘Fodder for a recession’: Top economist Mark Zandi warns about so many Americans ‘already living on the financial edge’ in a K-shaped economy 
By Eva RoytburgDecember 9, 2025
17 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
When David Ellison was 13, his billionaire father Larry bought him a plane. He competed in air shows before leaving it to become a Hollywood executive
By Dave SmithDecember 9, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Banking
Jamie Dimon taps Jeff Bezos, Michael Dell, and Ford CEO Jim Farley to advise JPMorgan's $1.5 trillion national security initiative
By Nino PaoliDecember 9, 2025
18 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Uncategorized
Transforming customer support through intelligent AI operations
By Lauren ChomiukNovember 26, 2025
14 days ago
placeholder alt text
Real Estate
The 'Great Housing Reset' is coming: Income growth will outpace home-price growth in 2026, Redfin forecasts
By Nino PaoliDecember 6, 2025
4 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Even the man behind ChatGPT, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, is worried about the ‘rate of change that’s happening in the world right now’ thanks to AI
By Preston ForeDecember 9, 2025
22 hours ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.