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,” …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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+.

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 …

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 …

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.

For Google Glass, Google lobbying against distracted driving regulation in 3 US states  —  Exclusive: Google sets roadblocks to stop distracted driver legislation  —  (Reuters) - Google is lobbying officials in at least three U.S. states to stop proposed restrictions on driving with headsets …

Connect Debuts A “Living” Address Book That Maps Your Nearby Friends  —  Connect, a new location-based address book and friend-finder utility launching today for both web and iPhone, will tell you who's nearby, allowing for more “serendipitous” encounters.  If that idea sounds vaguely familiar …

FCC expands mobile-broadband speed test to include iOS users  —  The Federal Communications Commission expanded the scope of its research on US mobile broadband speeds to include iOS users with the launch of a new app Tuesday.  —  The FCC Speed Test for iOS app, which was released …

Inside one of Microsoft's biggest and most mysterious teams, the Applications and Services Group  —  Summary: Since Microsoft reorganized last July, there has been little information about what its new Applications & Services team is doing or how it's organized.  Now we know a bit more.

Servo: Inside Mozilla's mission to reinvent the web browser for the multi-core age  —  Summary: Mozilla on how its Servo engine will throw away the 20th-century baggage that holds back current browsers and harness the power of modern multi-core smartphones and tablets.  —  Nick Heath