App ecosystems reinvent everything hateful about the software industry before the web blew it up  —  App-pocalypse Now  —  I'm getting pretty sick of being nagged to install your damn apps.  —  XKCD helpfully translates:  —  Yeah, there are smart app banners, which are marginally less annoying …

The internet is f**ked (but we can fix it)  —  Here's a simple truth: the internet has radically changed the world.  Over the course of the past 20 years, the idea of networking all the world's computers has gone from a research science pipe dream to a necessary condition of economic and social development …

Mt. Gox's Demise Marks The End of Bitcoin's First Wave Of Entrepreneurs  —  When I started looking into the Bitcoin startup ecosystem in early 2013, there was something that was just off about half of the founders I met.  —  “I consider myself psychologically unemployable,” …

Rolls-Royce Drone Ships Challenge $375 Billion Industry: Freight  —  In an age of aerial drones and driver-less cars, Rolls-Royce (RR/) Holdings Plc is designing unmanned cargo ships.  —  Rolls-Royce's Blue Ocean development team has set up a virtual-reality prototype at its office in Alesund …

Apple files appeal in e-book antitrust case  —  Apple asks federal appeals court to overturn finding in antitrust case, or award new trial  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Apple filed papers on Tuesday telling a federal appeals court in New York that a judge's finding it violated antitrust laws …

The Future of the News Business: A Monumental Twitter Stream All in One Place  —  I am more bullish about the future of the news industry over the next 20 years than almost anyone I know.  You are going to see it grow 10X to 100X from where it is today.  That is my starting point for any discussion about the future of journalism.

I would take $19 billion for BBM: BlackBerry CEO  —  John Chen, CEO of BlackBerry, says if someone offered him $19 billion for BlackBerry's messaging service, he would take it.  —  The CEO of BlackBerry has told CNBC in an exclusive interview that if the smartphone maker was offered $19 billion …

Square is Testing a New App for Ordering Food: Square Pickup  —  Square, the mobile payments startup, is testing a new app called “Square Pickup.”  It's a simple app that lets you order food from a Square merchant ahead of time.  The app is currently in testing with several San Francisco restaurants.

Cell phone freedom bill passes House  —  Legislation aimed at letting people use their cell phones with any mobile carrier they wish was narrowly approved by the House today, after several Democrats opposed the bill due to a last minute change in the text.  —  House Republicans called …

360 million newly stolen credentials on black market: cybersecurity firm  —  (Reuters) - A cybersecurity firm said on Tuesday that it uncovered stolen credentials from some 360 million accounts that are available for sale on cyber black markets, though it is unsure where they came from or what they can be used to access.

Apple to Arizona: Anti-gay bill puts Mesa sapphire plant at risk  —  It's not clear if Apple could do business in a state that sanctions discrimination against gays.  —  FORTUNE — Apple (AAPL) confirmed Monday that it has urged Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer to veto a bill that would allow business owners …

MasterCard testing security feature that okays purchases based on phone location  —  Locking down those credit cards while globe trotting is always a chief concern.  Today at Mobile World Congress, MasterCard and Syniverse announced a joint effort to ease the fears of travelers.

Happy ending: @N has been restored to its rightful owner  —  Many of you have been following with interest Naoki Hiroshima's tale of how he was extorted into giving up his valuable @N username on Twitter.  The good news is that Hiroshima is back in control of the account:

Inside the High-Stakes Battle to Control How You Talk to Friends  —  Before the scrum  —  over who will control mobile messaging turned hot last week, with Facebook's $19 billion purchase of WhatsApp, things got very, very cold.  In December, an ice storm was blowing into the Canadian city of Waterloo …

Google Quietly Begins Pushing Its Photo Backup Software To Google+ Users  —  Microsoft Adds Full TypeScript Support To Visual Studio  —  Google has begun pushing its “Auto Backup” photo archival software to Mac and Windows users via the company's social networking platform, Google+.

Netflix mocks Amazon Prime Air with hilarious ‘Drone 2 Home’ video  —  Netflix's not-Qwikster DVD-by-mail business doesn't get the same amount of attention as the company's streaming arm, but as this video (embedded after the break) shows, it still has some imagination.

OpenX launches its mobile-first native ad exchange  —  OpenX Technologies is launching a mobile-focused native ad exchange today that it says will help app and game developers and publishers make a lot more money.  —  In an event at the Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona, mobile monetization firm OpenX is unveiling Native O|

Apple Releases iBeacon Specification  —  Apple has quietly rolled out its iBeacon specification as it starts to certify devices that carry the Bluetooth LE standard.  —  Under their MFI program, manufacturers can now request that Apple permit them to attach the iBeacon name to their devices so long as they meet certain criteria.

With Box, Yelp And Palantir On Board, Piazza Lands $8M From Khosla To Bring Recruiting To Its Social Q&A Platform For Students  —  Hands On With Meta Pro, The Augmented Reality Glasses With 16X More Screen Than Google Glass  —  As free online social tools now play a central role in how we communicate …