We're Building A Reader  —  Like many of you, we were dismayed to learn that Google will be shutting down its much-loved, if under-appreciated, Google Reader on July 1st.  Through its many incarnations, Google Reader has remained a solid and reliable tool for those who want to ensure …

Google Breaks Up Mapping and Commerce Unit  —  Google Inc. executive Jeff Huber stepped aside as head of the Internet giant's mapping and commerce unit on Wednesday, in a two-part management shift that also saw the chief of the Android unit, Andy Rubin, leave his position, said people familiar with the matter.

Leaked videos show Galaxy S 4 SmartPause, eye tracking, and new lock screen  —  By the time Samsung's Unpacked event rolls around tonight, we might already know everything about the new device.  The latest round of leaks, now helpfully arriving in video form, details two highlight features …

Microsoft blames overheating datacenter for 16-hour Outlook outage  —  Microsoft's outlook.com webmail service suffered 16-hour long issues yesterday after a firmware upgrade at the company's datacenter went wrong.  In a blog post detailing the outage, Microsoft reveals some customers …

The Handshake Deal Protocol  —  Silicon Valley runs on handshake deals.  A handshake deal is a verbal commitment to a transaction.  The actual transaction comes later, when documents are signed and money changes hands.  —  Why do we need handshake deals?  Why not just wait till the actual transaction?

Netflix Chief Product Officer: expect 4K streaming within a year or two  —  Neil Hunt talks site outages, streaming 4k, and the company's gold mine of user data  —  Neil Hunt is likely the most important Netflix executive that nobody's ever heard of.  While everyone in tech media knows CEO Reed Hastings …

ITC Postpones iPhone Ban Decision  —  The U.S. International Trade Commission was scheduled to issue a final decision in Samsung's patent infringement case against Apple this week.  Instead, it issued a postponement.  —  The ITC said Wednesday that it is delaying its ruling …

Apple now offering iMacs with built-in VESA mount adapters for $40 premium  —  Apple recently updated its online store to reflect availability of a new VESA mount-compatible iMac, with the tweaked version of the thin all-in-one costing in at $40 more than standard models.

BlackBerry confirms it will launch Secure Work Space for enterprises on iOS and Android in Q2 2013  —  BlackBerry has confirmed that it's bringing Secure Work Space, a software solution that offers professionals a secure way of separating their work and personal data on a mobile device, to iOS and Android.

Exclusive: U.S. plans to let spy agencies scour Americans' finances  —  (Reuters) - The Obama administration is drawing up plans to give all U.S. spy agencies full access to a massive database that contains financial data on American citizens and others who bank in the country …

DeveloperAuction raises $2.7M for exactly what you'd think  —  DeveloperAuction, a startup that focuses on...  No, let's make this interesting.  —  Complete the sentence, multiple choice!  DeveloperAuction is ___________:  —  A) A mobile app that lets you share photos with your friends.

Google's video uploading app YouTube Capture lands on the iPad and iPad mini  —  Google today has released a new version of its YouTube Capture app.  Users can now download the app and use it on their iPad and iPad mini device to not only record, but edit and share videos with just a few clicks.

US national vulnerability database hacked  —  Malware infection forces government vuln catalog offline  —  The US government's online catalog of cyber-vulnerabilities has been taken offline - ironically, due to a software vulnerability.  —  The National Institute of Standards …

Facebook tweaks its algorithms to improve Graph Search; comment search coming  —  Facebook is trying to improve the algorithms and expand the reach of its Graph Search function.  Sriram Sankar, engineering manager on the social network's search infrastructure team, detailed its plans in a blog post the company published on Thursday.

CBS Brings Ad-Sponsored Streaming TV To iPhone And iPad; Social Integration, Android & Windows 8 Support Still To Come  —  CBS is today introducing a new iOS application for iPad and iPhone, which brings its television programming to mobile devices, offering full episodes for streaming a week after they originally air.

Netflix Announces “Netflix Cloud Prize” Contest, Will Award Developers $10K Across 10 Categories  —  Netflix is announcing a new developer contest today called the “Netflix Cloud Prize,” which is promising prize money of $100,000 to those who improve the features, usability, quality …

Um, That's What My Kid Watches, Not Me - With User Profiles Still In Testing, Netflix's Social Sharing Feature Makes No Sense  —  Great news.  You'll now know the viewing preferences of your friends' kids on Netflix, thanks to the service's foray into social sharing via opt-in Facebook integration, announced earlier this morning.