Google wins book-scanning case: judge finds “fair use,” cites many benefits  —  Google has won a resounding victory in its eight-year copyright battle with the Authors Guild over the search giant's controversial decision to scan more than 20 million books from libraries and make them available on the internet.

Apple releases iOS 7.0.4 & iOS 6.1.5 with FaceTime bug fix  —  This morning, Apple has released iOS 7.0.4 for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.  The update is a bug fix release with improvements.  Apple notes that the update includes a fix for FaceTime calls that could fail for some users.

Tired of a fat wallet?  Coin lets you hold all your cards in a single connected card  —  With all the hype surrounding mobile payments these days, that industry faces a monumental problem: Credit cards are already pretty easy to use.  Now Coin, a Y Combinator-backed startup …

Nokia's first Windows Phone 8.1 handset includes ‘3D Touch’ technology  —  Nokia's upcoming 6-inch Lumia 1520 flagship handset hasn't been released yet, but we're already starting to hear early details on the company's Windows Phone 8.1 plans.  Twitter account @evleaks revealed today that Nokia …

Government requests for user information double over three years  —  In a year in which government surveillance has dominated the headlines, today we're updating our Transparency Report for the eighth time.  Since we began sharing these figures with you in 2010, requests from governments …

Samsung Said to Plan Galaxy Phone Using Wraparound Display  —  Samsung Electronics Co. (005930) plans to release a Galaxy smartphone next year with a display that wraps around the edges so users can read messages or monitor stocks while looking from an angle, according to two people familiar with the plans.

Amazon Announces New I/O-Optimized Instances With SSD Storage For EC2  —  At Amazon's re:Invent developer conference in Las Vegas, the company's CTO Werner Vogels announced a new instance type for applications that need high I/O performance.  As Vogels noted, the company's customers …

New FCC chairman tells wireless carriers to unlock cell phones  —  Act now or we will regulate, Wheeler tells CTIA.  —  In one of his first days on the job, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler has asked the CTIA Wireless Association to move quickly toward unlocking phones for consumers.

Exclusive - Comcast to sell movies for download, streaming: sources  —  (Reuters) - Comcast Corp plans to start selling movies for download and streaming through the cable operator's set-top boxes and its Xfinity TV website, according to people with knowledge of the plan.

CIA's Financial Spying Bags Data on Americans  —  Information on International Money Transfers Includes Financial and Personal Data of Americans  —  The Central Intelligence Agency is building a vast database of international money transfers that includes millions of Americans' financial and personal data …

'We still don't encrypt server-to-server data' admits Microsoft to EU Committee  —  A senior Microsoft executive has told a European parliamentary committee that the company does not encrypt its server-to-server data communications.  —  Dorothee Belz, EMEA VP for Legal and Corporate Affairs …

Unofficial Web tool tracks Retina iPad mini availability for U.S. Apple Stores  —  With Apple's iPad mini with Retina display seeing severe supply constraints at launch, a Web-based tracking tool offering in-store pickup availability has popped up in a most peculiar place: a website dedicated to the conservation of sea turtles.

Microsoft Office still isn't available for iPad, but now HopTo fills the void  —  Eventually, Microsoft will bring a touch-optimized version of Office to the iPad.  Until that day arrives, however, there's Apple's iWork—and now HopTo, which offers a reskinned version of Word as lovely and useful as an iPad app should be.

Keypic, replacing CAPTCHA without annoying users  —  CAPTCHA has been broken now it's time for it to be replaced ... Keypic looks like the answer  —  A few days ago I wrote about an artificial intelligence startup, Vicarious, which demonstrated software that breaks the widely used …

Isis Mobile Wallet goes live nationwide, offers freebies  —  Wave phone, buy stuff: after a long period of trials, the joint venture teaming Verizon Wireless, AT&T, and T-Mobile is finally broadly available.—The wireless carriers' mobile payment initiative, Isis Mobile Wallet …

Pricey, mighty Retina Mini is best small tablet yet  —  $399.00  —  The good: The iPad Mini with Retina Display adds an excellent high-resolution display that rivals the iPad Air's, a far faster A7 processor, and tops it off with improved Wi-Fi and LTE connectivity, with battery life that's as good or better than in last year's Mini.

White spaces anyone?  Google opens its spectrum database to developers  —  All of those unused frequencies that linger between TV channels, called white spaces, are ripe for the taking, and starting today network builders and device makers can start using them, with a little help from Google.

Under Armour to Buy MapMyFitness in Embrace of Sports Tech  —  Under Armour is buying the popular workout application company MapMyFitness for $150 million, putting the sports apparel maker in charge of one of the biggest social sports communities on mobile devices.

Amazon now offers customized Kindle covers  —  Thinking about giving someone an Amazon Kindle this holiday season?  How about adding a customized case with an image of your face to go with it?  Amazon on Thursday introduced a new line of personalized Kindle accessories that allows you customize your Kindle cover for no extra cost.

Google Search for Android now does Siri-style conversational voice commands  —  The Google Search app for Android was updated today.  While Google's official post about the new version mentioned some updated cards and traffic incidents, the real news is that voice search can now hold a conversation.

BBM for Android and iPhone updates now available  —  Originally published on the Inside BlackBerry Help Blog  —  A new update to BBM is rolling out for Android and iPhone users.  In addition to several new features, bug fixes and performance improvements, we are also proud to deliver something you've …