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Facebook announced on Wednesday afternoon that it had reached an agreement to buy popular mobile messaging startup WhatsApp for an upfront total of $16 billion, including $4 billion in cash and about $12 billion in Facebook shares. Co-founder and CEO Jan Koum will join Facebook’s Board of Directors, but WhatsApp will continue to operate independently Continue Reading →

Shazam has announced a partnership with Warner Music Group (WMG) that will herald a new Shazam-branded label, as well as a collaboration on marketing efforts. This is a big move for Shazam, which is better-known for its cross-platform music-tagging app that automatically recognizes what music is playing in the background. The new Shazam label imprint Continue Reading →

If you’re unhappy with your current mobile service, the new Glove app for Android wants to find you something better. Launching today in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City, the free app logs your location and phone usage for three days before serving up recommendations for the carrier that best suits you. Continue Reading →

There’s not much in the way of surprises for Wednesday’s  announcement by Microsoft of the general availability of its cloud storage service OneDrive. The new name had already been previewed, and the product is largely the same as its predecessor, SkyDrive. New features include auto uploads from Android, adaptive personal video streaming a la Netflix Continue Reading →

Banks and credit unions have spent more than $200 million replacing cards affected by the data breach at Target late last year, according to data from top trade groups. The Consumer Bankers Association found that its member banks have spent $172 million responding to the hack. Credit unions have paid $30.6 million, according to the Continue Reading →

First, I’m flying by a space station. Then, I’m in a Middle Eastern war zone, watching troops respond to a local crisis. Finally, I’m back at E3 2013, braving the sweaty, nerdy crowds. Simply shot and without much story behind them, these filmed vignettes would normally make for ho-hum entertainment. But I recently had the Continue Reading →

The FCC has announced its intention to pursue a new version of the Open Internet order that was struck down by a judge last month. In a statement, agency chair Tom Wheeler says that he will begin taking public input on an updated set of net neutrality rules. The FCC will not pursue an appeal Continue Reading →

The Department of Homeland Security wants a private company to provide a national license-plate tracking system that would give the agency access to vast amounts of information from commercial and law enforcement tag readers, according to a government proposal that does not specify what privacy safeguards would be put in place. The national license-plate recognition Continue Reading →

A security firm revealed Wednesday that a vulnerability on the popular dating app Tinder made it possible for an attacker with some know-how to pinpoint users’ precise locations. Tinder was made known of this security flaw Oct. 23 and the hole was patched up before the new year, according to Max Veytsman from the Include Continue Reading →

You can now use Amazon Coins, the online retailer’s virtual currency, to purchase apps, games, and in-app content on Android devices. Unsurprisingly, those purchases must all be made within Amazon’s standalone Appstore; Google Play is sticking with more traditional payment options. Amazon first unveiled Coins last year and gave every Kindle Fire owner $5 in Continue Reading →