At the Foxconn factory in Chengdu, there was an explosion in building A05. This is the building where the iPad 2 is manufactured. Unfortunately, two people were killed after the explosion. Currently there are over ten fire trucks and ten ambulances on the scene. Six men and one woman went to the Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital at 9PM local time. Sixteen people were injured. The explosion was not caused by human error. [Gizmodo]

Liberty Media is offering $17 per share or about $980 million to acquire Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE:BKS). This is a 20.4% premium over the closing of today’s Barnes & Noble stock price of $14.11. The proposal is “is contingent on the participation of founding chairman Leonard Riggio, both in terms of his continuing equity ownership and his continuing role in management.” Barnes & Noble is the world’s largest book seller. They have 705 stores across the U.S. and operate 636 college bookstores. Barnes & Noble is also known for developing the Nook e-book reader device. [paidContent]

When you are logged into Twitter and Facebook and surf the web, you are essentially handing out data to the two social media companies about your browsing habits. For example, when you visit Pulse2.com and other news websites, the social widgets placed in the articles sends data to Facebook and Twitter that you are reading that specific website.

Neuroscientists in the United Kingdom are suggesting that the brains of Apple fanboys and fangirls react in a way that is similar to the brains of religious people that react to religious imagery. The research was pointed out in a BBC program called Secrets of the Superbrands and it also focuses on other brands such as Facebook and Twitter.

Verizon Wireless is preparing to launch family plans for data services that support multiple devices that include tablets and smartphones. Verizon plans on eliminating smartphone plans that allow unlimited access to the web for a flat fee with tiered pricing plan for multiple devices.

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has refined their technology called PhotoDNA to help identify and flag child pornography images even if the photos/videos are cropped or altered. PhotoDNA can search through large amounts of data quickly. Facebook is now integrating Microsoft PhotoDNA into the social network. Microsoft had donated this technology to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in December 2009.

Jim Cramer believes that LinkedIn’s valuation is way too high. He said that Linked’s valuation is a mockery towards Netflix. Cramer compared LinkedIn’s valuation to TheGlobe.com and he said that he was in the same position as LinkedIn in terms of doing “sliver deals” through TheStreet.com. Cramer believes that the government should step in and stop the “sliver deals.”

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is internally conducting an investigation of the Mac Defender malware attack. In the meantime, Apple asked their customer service team to avoid dealing with a customer who is dealing with the Mac Defender attack on their computers as AppleCare does not cover it. “You should not confirm or deny whether the customer’s Mac is infected or not,” wrote Apple to their customer service team.