Google Maps apps add lane directions, ability to save maps for offline use, Uber integration, more  —  Get on the road, go off the grid, or plan the perfect weekend with the Google Maps app  —  When your life is moving fast, you need tools to keep up with your pace.

App.net is “profitable and self-sustaining”, but will no longer have any full-time employees  —  App.net State of the Union  —  As many are aware, the first major round of subscription renewals from the original App.net launch happened a few weeks ago.

Microsoft will hold a ‘small’ Surface event on May 20th  —  Microsoft has reportedly been working on a miniature version of its Surface tablet for nearly two years, but the wait may be over.  The company has just sent out invitations to a Microsoft Surface event on May 20th, with the tagline “Join us for a small gathering.”

VSCO, a Digital Photography Company, Raises $40 Million From Accel Partners  —  Chances are, if you have used Instagram, you have come across the hashtag #VSCO or #VSCOCam.  —  Both refer to a feature-rich camera application developed by a Bay Area start-up, Visual Supply Company …

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba files for US IPO, plans to sell 12% stake worth around $20B, say sources  —  Alibaba Files to Go Public in US IPO of E-Commerce Giant  —  Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., which rode China's emergence as an economic superpower over the past 15 years to become …

Twitter shares fall over 17% to all-time low as lock-up period for 470M shares expires  —  Twitter shares plumb new lows as stock lock-up expires  —  (Reuters) - Shares of Twitter Inc slumped 15 percent to fresh lows in a flurry of trading on Tuesday after the expiration of a six-month …

Intel unloads bevy of new Chromebooks; previews ‘Education’ reference design  —  Summary: All in all, Intel is gearing up to release at least 20 Chromebooks by the end of the year.  —  SAN FRANCISCO—Intel is putting further stock into its Chromebook investment with a slew …

Dropbox fixes one of two vulnerabilities that allowed users to accidentally leak shared file URLs to third parties  —  Dropbox users leak tax returns, mortgage applications and more  —  If you are using file-sharing systems like Dropbox and Box without proper care and attention …

Samsung to Fight Apple Smartphone Trial Verdict: Lawyer  —  Samsung Electronics Co. (005930) will challenge a jury's $120 million award to Apple Inc. in a patent-infringement verdict that was “unsupported by evidence,” a lawyer for the Suwon, South Korea-based company said.

Google to Acquire Online Attribution Firm Adometry  —  Google wants to help advertisers get a better sense of how their online ad campaigns work collectively.  So the company is acquiring Adometry, an Austin-Tx.-based firm that specializes in online ad attribution-i.e. the science …

FireEye to Acquire nPulse in Deal Valued at $70 Million  —  FireEye, the hot Internet security company that went public last year and then quickly set about acquiring other companies, has announced another deal.  —  The company says it will pay a combined $70 million in cash and stock …

Electronic Arts' Q4 crushes Wall Street estimates  —  Giant walking robots that only last about two minutes in combat might not sound fiscally responsible, but it's working out well for Electronic Arts.  —  The Titanfall publisher reported earnings today that surpassed expectations for its fiscal fourth quarter, which ended March 31.

Flux Emerges From Google X And Nabs $8M To Help Build Eco-Friendly Buildings  —  Google X, the search giant's lab that has dedicated its work to new, unchartered moonshot concepts, has made a name for itself through its work on self-driving cars, smart contact lenses and dozens of other projects worthy of their own sci-fi novels.

Groupon Beats In Q1 With $757.6M In Revenue, Non-GAAP EPS Of -$0.01  —  After the bell today Groupon reported its first quarter financial performance, including revenue of $757.60 million, and non-GAAP earnings per share of $0.01.  Analysts had expected for the company to earn $0.03 per share (non-GAAP) on revenue of $740 million.

GitHub's ‘Atom’ text editor is now public, free, and fully open source  —  Ten weeks ago, code-hosting giant GitHub introduced its latest creation: a text editor named Atom.  —  Now, the company is opening it up to the public after an apparently successful invite-only phase.

Instead of buying spectrum for Project Loon, Google will lease balloons to existing telcos  —  How Google Plans To Work With Telcos On Project Loon  —  During his appearance at TechCrunch Disrupt NY today, Google's “Captain of Moonshots” Astro Teller briefly talked about Project Loon …

Tumblr rolls out in-app themes, finally becomes a mobile company  —  What's next in mobile?  Find out at MobileBeat, VentureBeat's 7th annual event on the future of mobile, on July 8-9 in San Francisco.  Register now and save $400!  —  “It's not just our mobile app any more.  It is Tumblr.”

OneDrive's Mobile DAUs Up 3X Since October, Microsoft Updates Its Android, Web Experiences  —  This morning Microsoft announced a sheaf of updates for its OneDrive cloud storage product, improving its web and Android experiences.  The new stuff will be seeping out across the world over the next few days …

Security Cam Maker Dropcam Announces A Location-Based Motion Sensor  —  Dropcam, the makers of a plug and play security camera system, announced a new sensor, called Tabs, to add new functionality to the camera platform.  The device, which is about as big as a stick of gum …