Google Preps Maps App for Apple Devices  —  The head-to-head battle between Apple Inc. and Google Inc. in mobile maps is drawing nearer.  —  Google has distributed a test version of its new mapping app that will work on Apple's iPhones and iPads to some individuals outside the company …

Sharing Tweets just got easier  —  If you're like me, you probably come across Tweets every day that you'd like to share.  They might be funny or include a striking photo.  They might be breaking news or feature old news.  Of course, you can retweet any of these to your Twitter followers …

Google, Dish Held Talks to Launch Wireless Service  —  Google Inc. has held talks with satellite-TV provider Dish Network Corp. in recent weeks to partner on a new wireless service that would rival the networks of wireless carriers such as AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless, according to people familiar with the discussions.

Behind Mark Pincus's Bid to Save Zynga  —  Tears nearly welled up in Zynga Inc. chief executive Mark Pincus's eyes at a meeting in September with Apple Inc. director Bill Campbell.  —  Mr. Campbell, a technology veteran who has coached Silicon Valley CEOs such as Steve Jobs and Eric Schmidt …

Google modifies Android SDK to battle platform fragmentation  —  New terms for developers specifically prohibits them from any action that could contribute to further fragmentation of the mobile platform.  —  Recognizing that fragmentation of the Android platform frustrates consumers and developers alike …

Pay Another Way: Bitcoin  —  At WordPress.com, our mission is making publishing democratic — accessible and easy for anyone, anywhere.  And while anyone can start a free blog here, not everyone can access upgrades (like going ad-free or enabling custom design) because of limits on traditional payment networks.

Cities Move to Rein In Smartphone Taxi Services  —  Taxi and limousine regulators from 15 U.S. and Canadian cities plan to release proposed guidelines Friday aimed at reining in some of the smartphone applications and online services that are radically changing how customers hail cabs.

Google Play Music enables scan and match in Europe ahead of US launch  —  Google Music went live in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain this week, bringing the company up to speed with the likes of Amazon and Apple by allowing users to purchase songs and albums while also offering a digital locker service.

Facebook expands Gifts program by rolling out to millions more users, adding new partners  —  Facebook has announced at an event in NYC that it is rolling out the ability for ‘tens of millions’ of its users to gift someone right from their profile page as of tonight.

Ev Williams Takes To Medium To Discuss The True Purpose Of His New Publishing Tool  —  You might have heard a few things about Ev Williams and crew's new product, Medium.  To some, it seems like “just another blogging platform,” but if you think about where Ev and Biz Stone come from …

SkyDrive usage has doubled in the last 6 months, now you can select what to sync  —  About 6 months ago, we released the first sync apps for SkyDrive making it easy to view and manage your personal SkyDrive from the File Explorer in Windows and Finder in OS X. We're excited to announce that since then …

U.S. consumers hesitant to make switch to Windows 8  —  Most Windows users in the U.S. know about Windows 8 but few have immediate plans to upgrade to Microsoft's newest operating system.  —  Customers get a look at products at Microsoft's pop-up store in Manhattan in October.

Apple Granted Patent for Their Page Turn Animation  —  Anyone who has spent some time with iBooks should be familiar with the way pages turn on ebooks.  It's unique in that it mirrors the appearance of a page turning on a real book.  Apple has now been granted patent on the particular animation …

Verizon Will Reduce Speeds of Repeated BitTorrent Pirates  —  Last year the MPAA and RIAA teamed up with five major Internet providers in the United States to launch the Center for Copyright Information (CCI).  —  The parties agreed on a system through which subscribers are warned …

Steve Jobs vs. Sam Walton: The tale of the tape  —  A rare conversation with Walter Isaacson and John Huey, the writers who got inside the heads of these two extraordinary business leaders.  —  FORTUNE — When you consider the greatest business minds of the past 100 years …

Google Launches Ingress, a Worldwide Mobile Alternate Reality Game  —  What's the wackiest thing you can imagine Google launching?  How about a game to fight for control of the minds of everyone on earth?  —  Or maybe that's not so wacky.  —  Meet Ingress, a new free mobile app …

E-commerce 2.0  —  We at a16z could not possibly be more bullish on the prospects for e-commerce, and we believe growth is poised to accelerate.  —  Part of the reason for this is due to competitive market dynamics.  As I've blogged before, e-commerce players have substantial cost advantages over their physical competitors.

Apple Takes Over Former Nortel Patents  —  Apple is stocking up on patents.  —  The company has quietly snapped up more than a thousand patents in the past six months from Rockstar Consortium, a move that helps bolster it as it battles Google, Samsung, and other Android backers in the mobile-device market.

Lytro to get Perspective Shift and Living Filters for more focus-shifting fun (video)  —  Lytro has just announced a software update that expands upon the multidimensional elements of the little light-field point-and-shoot.  The Lytro Desktop software will get two new features …

iPhone, iPad sales to surge over next two quarters, says analyst  —  Sales of the iPhone and iPads will be higher than expected this quarter and on into the next quarter, according to a Morgan Stanley analyst.  —  The iPhone 5 and new iPads will trigger a surge in sales for Apple this quarter and next …

OnLive now comes pre-installed on LG G2 series Google TVs  —  Cloud gaming service OnLive will now come pre-installed on all LG Smart TVs in its Google TV (G2) series, with current set owners receiving the app over the air today, LG and OnLive announced this morning.