Samsung acquires smart-home controller startup SmartThings for $200M  —  Internet of Bling: Samsung Buys SmartThings for $200 Million  —  Samsung has bought SmartThings, the startup that makes smart-home controllers.  While the companies did not disclose the price, sources …

Researchers use a smartphone's gyroscope as a crude microphone to eavesdrop on conversations  —  The Gyroscopes in Your Phone Could Let Apps Eavesdrop on Conversations  —  In the age of surveillance paranoia, most smartphone users know better than to give a random app or website permission to use their device's microphone.

Apple considering sapphire glass screens for more expensive models of new iPhones this fall, producing sapphire displays for smartwatch  —  Apple Considers Using Harder Material in Pricier Models  —  Apple Inc. created the blueprint for a smartphone when it covered the touch screen of its first iPhone in glass, instead of plastic.

Smartphone shipments surpass 300M in Q2, Android and iOS dominate with 96% global marketshare  —  Worldwide Smartphone Shipments Edge Past 300 Million Units in the Second Quarter; Android and iOS Devices Account for 96% of the Global Market, According to IDC

Microsoft builds a Snapchat competitor called WindUp  —  It's no secret that Snapchat, the app that lets you send time-limited messages, has run into a few issues this year: From exposing nearly five million accounts, to the FTC ruling that the company was deceiving users, the app may still be popular but many people no longer trust it.

Lawsuit claims Steve Jobs, senior Apple directors hurt company with anti-poaching row  —  Piling onto Apple's anti-poaching courtroom saga, a new lawsuit seeks damages on behalf of shareholders for financial losses related to alleged misconduct by senior directors, including late cofounder Steve Jobs and current CEO Tim Cook.

Swarm of 1,024 Tiny Robots Works Together Without Guiding Central Intelligence  —  Swarm of 1,024 Tiny Robots Works Together Without Guiding Central Intelligence  —  Harvard University scientists have devised a swarm of 1,024 tiny robots that can work together without any guiding central intelligence.

Facebook VP Sam Lessin Is Leaving the Company  —  Sam Lessin, Facebook's VP of product management, is leaving the company.  —  Lessin announced his departure on his Facebook page Thursday afternoon.  He originally joined Facebook when his startup, a storage company called Drop.io …

EBay is considering accepting bitcoin at its Braintree payments subsidiary  —  Consumers may soon be able to pay for their Airbnb rentals or Uber car rides using bitcoin.  EBay Inc. has been quietly working to integrate acceptance of the virtual currency into its Braintree payments subsidiary …

50 Cent partners with Intel on heart-rate monitoring earphones, will be available Q4 2014  —  Gimme a Beat: Intel, 50 Cent Pair Up on Heart-Rate Headphones  —  Chipmaker Intel and SMS Audio, the consumer electronics company founded by 50 Cent, are partnering to launch a pair of heart-rate-measuring headphones.

Delivery Hero Joins The $1B Valuation Club As It Gobbles Rival Pizza.de  —  On the heels of Rocket Internet's food delivery service FoodPanda taking another $60 million in funding, its German rival Delivery Hero is also stepping up its game in a consolidation play.

Y Combinator branches out into energy tech by investing in nuclear fusion startup Helion, with Mithril Capital  —  Y Combinator And Mithril Invest In Helion, A Nuclear Fusion Startup  —  Building a nuclear fusion reactor that can generate more energy than is put in to make it work …

Xbox Shops Entertainment Studio to Warner Bros.  —  Microsoft's TV production arm might not be gone for good  —  Microsoft may have decided to shutter its nascent Xbox Entertainment Studios but it's not necessarily game over for the Santa Monica studio.  —  Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter …

Twitter adds more features for verified users only, including alerts to new verified followers  —  Twitter to Verified Users: Talk Amongst Yourselves!  —  With an endless barrage of attention, how ever do celebs separate signal from noise on Twitter?  —  Consider last year's example …

Big-screened phones are better all-in-one entertainment systems, preferred in emerging markets  —  Report: People in emerging markets prefer big smartphones.  Here's why.  —  Apple is strongly rumored to be preparing to release a larger version of the iPhone next month.

Comcast, Time Warner Cable withdraw funding for dinner honoring FCC's Clyburn  —  Comcast and Time Warner Cable today withdrew their respective contributions towards a dinner that will honor FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn next month.  The Kaitz Dinner is an annual event hosted …