Amazon.com to Acquire Goodreads  —  Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Goodreads, a leading site for readers and book recommendations that helps people find and share books they love.  —  “Amazon and Goodreads share a passion for reinventing reading …

Facebook To Reveal “Home On Android” Sources Say Is A Modified OS On HTC At 4/4 Event  —  Facebook just invited press to an event at its headquarters on April 4th to “Come See Our New Home On Android”.  Sources tell us it will be a modified version of the Android operating system …

Taking a stand on open source and patents  —  At Google we believe that open systems win.  Open-source software has been at the root of many innovations in cloud computing, the mobile web, and the Internet generally.  And while open platforms have faced growing patent attacks …

Bitcoin May Be the Global Economy's Last Safe Haven  —  One of the oddest bits of news to emerge from the economic collapse of Cyprus is a corresponding rise in the value of Bitcoin, the Internet's favorite, media-friendly, anarchist crypto-currency.  In Spain, Google (GOOG) searches for “Bitcoin” and downloads of Bitcoin apps soared.

OUYA available at retail on June 4 for $99  —  The Android-powered $99 OUYA game console becomes available at retail on June 4th — a date which was revealed this week during the Game Developers Conference.  OUYA's calling June 4th its “official launch date,” despite Kickstarter backers receiving units starting this month.

Best Buy adding Samsung Stores in time for Galaxy S4 launch  —  Over the last two years, Best Buy stores have dramatically increased the number of smartphones and tablets they carry.  Starting next month, you may find that Best Buy employees are much more inclined to offer you a Samsung product …

Biz Stone Is Poised to Launch New Mobile Startup Called Jelly  —  According to sources, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone is close to launching a new startup called Jelly, which one person called a “native mobile” effort.  —  While it's not clear exactly what that means, sources …

Exclusive: Wal-Mart may get customers to deliver packages to online buyers  —  (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc is considering a radical plan to have store customers deliver packages to online buyers, a new twist on speedier delivery services that the company hopes will enable it to better compete with Amazon.com Inc.

How Samsung Became the World's No. 1 Smartphone Maker  —  I'm in a black Mercedes-Benz (DAI) van with three Samsung Electronics PR people heading toward Yongin, a city about 45 minutes south of Seoul.  Yongin is South Korea's Orlando: a nondescript, fast-growing city known for its tourist attractions …

Microsoft debuts Web site to search all its patents  —  The Web giant and frequent target of intellectual property litigation says the move is designed to create greater transparency.  It hopes other patent holders will follow suit.  —  No stranger to intellectual property litigation …

Google Starts Testing Google Shopping Express In SF, With Free Delivery From Target, Walgreens, Staples And More  —  Google is finally opening up its Google Shopping Express service to the public today, with the same day delivery service being made available as a test to select users …

When Things Don't Work Out  —  I have said many times that early stage VC is a lot like baseball, if you get a hit one out of every three times, you are headed to the hall of fame.  And if I look back over my career, and also over the track records of the firms and funds I have helped manage …

EBay Says It Is ‘Now Playing Offense’  —  SAN JOSE, Calif.—EBay Inc. is aiming to nearly double the active-user count on its eBay.com marketplace over the next three years, as well as the volume of payments processed by its PayPal unit.  —  The once-beleaguered e-commerce company also forecast a big jump in revenue by 2015.

Apple aims to win over video editors  —  The redesign of Final Cut Pro editing software was met with derision in 2011.  Now, after seven updates to the product, Apple is launching a marketing effort for its Final Cut Pro X.  —  A breakthrough for Final Cut Pro came in 2003 …