Microsoft, Nokia Devices and Services business aim to remake mobile market  —  The completion of the Nokia Devices and Services business acquisition April 25 will enable Microsoft to accelerate its share of smartphones and feature phones in developed and emerging markets, and increase its role as a devices and services company.

Amazon smartphone could be an AT&T exclusive, offer “Prime Data” plan as a key selling point  —  The Amazon smartphone's secret weapon: Prime Data  —  3D effects and unique gesture controls aren't the only big selling points for Amazon's upcoming phones

Samsung confirms fatal camera flaw on ‘limited number’ of Galaxy S5 smartphones  —  The Samsung Galaxy S5's 16-megapixel camera is one of its best assets, but it's also turned into something of a liability for the company just weeks after launch.  Complaints across internet forums have documented …

HTC's head of design is leaving the company  —  Scott Croyle, the man responsible for the stellar designs of HTC's One smartphone line, is leaving the Taiwanese company.  Having led HTC's industrial design and user experience teams since his One & Co studio was acquired in 2008, Croyle is now departing to work on his own projects.

Google tells 34 candidate cities for Google Fiber that it's considering deploying Wi-Fi as well  —  Exclusive: Google may offer Wi-Fi for cities with its Google Fiber  —  Cities getting gigabit-speed fiber Internet could also gain Wi-Fi networks  —  Google is considering deploying Wi-Fi networks …

Appeals Court Ruling Complicates End of Apple v. Samsung, but Jury Still Expected to Decide Case Next Week  —  The latest Apple-Samsung patent megatrial is nearing its end, with the final witness testimony scheduled to take place on Friday.  —  The two sides have just a few minutes remaining …

Facebook's Mobile Ad Network Is Called “Facebook Audience Network” And Here's How It Works  —  Next week at f8, Facebook will unveil Facebook Audience Network, its mobile ad network that will let developers target both standard banners and custom ad units with Facebook's vast trove of personal data, according to multiple sources.

No airwaves for you!  Verizon, AT&T will face bidding limits in incentive auction  —  Last week the Federal Communications Commission laid out all of its proposed rules for next year's controversial broadcast airwave incentive auction, save one.  It didn't address the most contentious rule of them all …

T-Mobile's LTE rollout using “4x2 MIMO” antenna technology, producing more consistent connection speeds  —  Forget speed, T-Mobile has started building a more resilient LTE network  —  T-Mobile has begun upgrading its LTE network with a new kind of antenna technology …

The FCC's new net neutrality rules will kill Aereo, even if the Supreme Court doesn't  —  This week, we heard a lot about Aereo, the New York-based startup that could upend the television business if it survives a Supreme Court battle with broadcasters.  But even if it squeaks past …

Netflix finally comes to cable in the US  —  For the first time, Netflix will be available in the US from its natural enemy: cable companies.  Atlantic Broadband, Grande Communications and RCN all announced that subscribers will be able to access the streaming service through their TiVo DVRs as soon as April 28th.

Facebook news feed: The algorithms, A/B tests, and surveying that make the social network so addictive  —  We all know by now that Facebook isn't cool.  —  And yet somehow it's more popular than ever.  On Wednesday the company announced that its growth continues to surge …

Workplace Communication App Slack Raises $43M at $250M Valuation  —  Slack, which makes a tool that helps teams communicate, has raised $42.75 million, it said today.  The round values the company at $250 million.  —  Word of the new round had gotten out last night on TechCrunch, though not with that amount and the investor names.

Google Is Preparing To Pay A Huge Fine For Tax Noncompliance In France  —  France's equivalent of the IRS (Direction générale des finances) has been investigating Google for tax noncompliance.  With only €138 million of revenue reported in France in 2011, something wasn't right.

Baidu now has 160M daily active users, mobile monetization is growing even faster than traffic  —  Baidu Profiting From Smartphones  —  First-Quarter Net Profit Rose 24% From a Year Earlier  —  BEIJING— Baidu Inc. reported it was making more money off Chinese using smartphones and other gadgets …

Google+ to become more a platform than product, with key staff members moving to Android team, and fewer product integrations  —  Google+ Is Walking Dead  —  Today, Google's Vic Gundotra announced that he would be leaving the company after eight years.  The first obvious question …

Comcast Says Netflix Slowed Down Its Own Streams  —  A couple days after Netflix and Comcast fought in public, the two companies, who are supposed to be partners, are at it again.  —  Three days after Netflix CEO Reed Hastings publicly opposed Comcast's planned acquisition of/merger with Time Warner Cable …