News

• Microsoft knuckles under, yanks YouTube app for Windows Phone

  Microsoft has bowed to pressure from Google and pulled the YouTube app from its Windows Phone Store that earlier this month triggered a cease-and-desist letter from the search giant.

• Google: Weak XMPP support, capabilities led us to proprietary tech in Hangouts

  Google is feeling the heat over its decision to build its new Hangouts IM and audio/video chat product with proprietary technology that doesn't support server federation via the XMPP industry standard, but the company is defending its move.

• Google pursuing broad wireless project for emerging markets, report says

  Google has reportedly launched an expansive effort to bring wireless networks and affordable computing to emerging markets such as sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, moves that could bring the Internet to a further billion people.

• Is Google trying to swipe Waze from under Facebook's nose?

  Google may be attempting to snap up social mapping and traffic service Waze, despite long-standing rumors that Facebook is already in talks to buy the company for as much as $1 billion, according to a report from Bloomberg.

• Public cloud shakeup: VMware in, Dell out, and OpenStack in limbo?

  It's been a busy week in the cloud. Dell ditched plans to build its own cloud and instead will work with partners, while focusing on private clouds. In an opposite move, VMware revealed its plans for how it will compete in the public cloud market.

• Reports: FTC examining Google's display ads

  The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has reportedly launched an investigation into Google's display ad business amid complaints from rivals that the company is abusing its power in how it sells online-graphical and video ads.

• Google, Facebook launch bidding war for Waze

  Google is reportedly bidding for crowd-sourced map app provider Waze, igniting a possible bidding war with Facebook.

• Google ready to start shipping Glass to #ifihadglass Explorers

  For the 8,000 or so people who signed up this spring to be Glass Explorers, your wait for the computerized eyeglasses may soon be over.

• Google's latest Penguin update lets you squeal on spammy websites -- as well as anyone else

  The latest version of Google's sophisticated anti-spam algorithm, dubbed Penguin 2.0, was announced yesterday in an official blog post from the company's well-known webspam czar, Mike Cutts.

• Google to lengthen SSL encryption keys from August

  Google plans to upgrade the security of its SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates, an important component of secure communications.

• US ITC refuses to ban Microsoft's Xbox at Google's request

  The U.S. International Trade Commission has turned down a request for a ban on Microsoft's Xbox after finding that the gaming device did not infringe a patent owned by Google's Motorola Mobility unit.

• Google tests enhanced notifications in Chrome browser

  Google has released a beta version of Chrome that introduces what the company describes as "richer" notifications from the browser's apps and extensions.

• T-Mobile spurns Google Wallet, in a decidedly 'un-un-carrier' decision

  Mobile payment is kind of like a slightly more realistic version of the flying car – a technology we've been hearing about seemingly forever that never really takes off. OK, so the analogy isn't perfect, given that a few companies are actually using things like Square and McDonald's has those tap pads for NFC payment, but given how long we've been hearing about it, you'd think it would be just a little more common by now.

• Google engineer bashes Microsoft's handling of security researchers, discloses Windows zero-day

  A Google security engineer accused Microsoft of treating outside researchers with "great hostility" days before posting details of an unpatched vulnerability in Windows that could be used to crash PCs or gain additional access rights.

• Twitter aims to become safer with two-step sign-in

  Twitter, in a much-needed move to keep its users safer from cyberattacks, is introducing a more secure login process.