Amazon Acquires Video Gaming Studio Double Helix Games  —  Amazon has acquired a gaming studio called Double Helix Games, TechCrunch has learned, and Amazon now confirms.  The deal was for both talent and IP, we understand.  Financial terms have not been disclosed.

Twitter Crushes With Q4 Revenue Of $242.7M, But Shows Slow User Growth To 241M Actives  —  After the bell this afternoon, Twitter reported its maiden earnings as a public company, with fourth-quarter revenue of $242.7 million and earnings per share of $0.02 (non-GAAP).

Target Hackers Broke in Via HVAC Company  —  Last week, Target told reporters at The Wall Street Journal and Reuters that the initial intrusion into its systems was traced back to network credentials that were stolen from a third party vendor.  Sources now tell KrebsOnSecurity that the vendor …

Samsung plans relatively low-key Unpacked 5 event, won't include eye scanner in Galaxy S5  —  Samsung Reins In the Theatrics for Galaxy S5  —  TOKYO — Don't expect a lot of singing and dancing when Samsung Electronics introduces the next generation of its flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S5, this month.

Introducing Twitter Data Grants  —  Today we're introducing a pilot project we're calling Twitter Data Grants, through which we'll give a handful of research institutions access to our public and historical data.  —  With more than 500 million Tweets a day, Twitter has an expansive set …

Facing 228 unresolved patent claims, Apple joins Google in asking Supreme Court to curb patent abuse  —  Apple Joins Google in Pressing Court to Curb Patent Abuse  —  Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Google Inc. (GOOG), saying they're tired of being slapped with frivolous patent suits that cost millions …

Google, Intellectual Ventures case over patents ends in U.S. mistrial  —  (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Wednesday declared a mistrial in a lawsuit brought by private patent owner Intellectual Ventures against Google Inc's Motorola Mobility unit after jurors could not unanimously agree, according to an Intellectual Ventures statement.

Google Confirms Susan Wojcicki Is New YouTube Head  —  Susan Wojcicki is Google's new SVP of YouTube, Google confirmed today.  We wrote about the shift last night.  —  Google CEO Larry Page said in an emailed statement, “Salar and the whole YouTube team have built something amazing.

Apple Yanks World's Most Popular Bitcoin Wallet From App Store  —  Apple has removed the world's most popular bitcoin wallet from its App Store.  —  Late Wednesday, the tech giant yanked the Blockchain app from the popular mobile app marketplace and did not provide a specific reason, says Nicolas Cary, the CEO of Blockchain.

Windows 8.1 Update 1 now looking like April  —  Summary: Microsoft's new ship target for its coming Windows 8.1 Update 1 may have shifted from March to April, according to sources.  —  I've heard from two of my sources in the past week that Microsoft's ship target for Windows 8.1 Update 1 has shifted from March 2014 to April 2014.

Son, It's Time We Talk About Where Start-Ups Come From  —  Hey there, I'm glad we're watching CNBC together.  Don't those Silicon Valley entrepreneurs look awful young?  Especially that main one ringing the NASDAQ bell, with the spiky hair and shifty eyes?

Visitors to Sochi Olympics should expect to be hacked (video)  —  There's little question at this point that the logistics in Sochi, from hotel rooms to public infrastructure, are a mess, but one of the greatest threats to visitors is one they can't even see.

In Q4, Pandora posts highest profit as public company  —  Pandora Media, the operator of the Web's top radio service, reported its biggest quarter of profit since it went public, affirming expectations that its investments to soup up its advertising engine would pay off.

New York Police Department is beta-testing Google Glass  —  Caption: Google Glass: watching me, watching you.  —  Source: Jolie O'Dell/VentureBeat  —  Google Glass may soon become a favored tool for law enforcement agencies in the United States.  —  The New York City Police Department's massive …

Amazon Lays Foundation for Giant Video Advertising Business  —  In many ways, Amazon's advertising business still remains a mystery.  The company doesn't break out the size of it in its earning reports, and Amazon exec presentations on it at industry events are often low on details.

Amazon's iPhone App Uses Image Recognition to “See” Real-World Products You Want to Buy  —  Among the many things that make Amazon one of the most successful merchants in the history of merchandising is the zeal with which it removes every possible obstacle that might stand in the way of you buying something.

EXCLUSIVE: A look at Samsung's updated S Voice app  —  Samsung adds a multitude of features and services on top of what Google already provides with Android, and we recently offered our readers an exclusive look on updated versions of two of those apps - S Health and WatchON.

Europe's Antitrust Chief Almunia Clears Google On Search Probe; Competitors Up In Arms  —  Joachin Alumnia, the European Commission's antitrust chief, has today finally given his final verdict on a decade-long antitrust investigation over its search practices against Google …