Mt. Gox files for bankruptcy protection with $63.6M in outstanding debt; loses 750K customers' bitcoins, 100K of its own, worth in total $473M  —  Mt. Gox Files for Bankruptcy Protection  —  A lawyer for Mt. Gox announced at a news conference at the Tokyo District Court that the embattled bitcoin exchange …

IPCom's $2.2 billion lawsuit against Apple thrown out by German court: no infringement found  —  Two different chambers (panels of judges) of the Mannheim Regional Court just announced a total of three rulings on standard-essential patent (SEP) infringement cases brought by IPCom …

Amazon Talks to Music Labels About a Streaming Service  —  Amazon gives away movies and TV shows to people who join its Amazon Prime subscription service.  When will it start giving away music, too?  —  Maybe this year.  People have been predicting that Amazon would offer a Spotify …

Comcast deal is beneficial for Netflix but not for true net neutrality  —  Netflix and Net Neutrality  —  This article is by definition very US-centric, but the general principles apply broadly  —  For anyone remotely connected to technology, the idea that net neutrality is an unabashed …

How a Hacker Intercepted FBI and Secret Service Calls With Google Maps  —  Earlier this week, Bryan Seely, a network engineer and one-time Marine, played me recordings of two phone calls (embedded below.)  The calls were placed by unwitting citizens to the FBI office in San Francisco …

Hands-free Google Voice Search in Chrome  —  If you've ever tried to cook and search at the same time—say, when your hands are covered in flour and you need to know how many ounces are in a cup—you know it can be tricky.  With the latest Chrome Beta, you can search by voice on Google—no typing, clicking or hand-washing required.

Tor is building an anonymous instant messenger  —  Forget the $16 billion romance between Facebook and WhatsApp.  There's a new messaging tool worth watching.  —  Tor, the team behind the world's leading online anonymity service, is developing a new anonymous instant messenger client …

Microsoft to add a standalone Windows Enterprise version to its business line-up  —  Summary: Microsoft is introducing a Windows Enterprise Edition SKU available for the first time to those without Software Assurance.  —  Microsoft is tweaking its line-up of Windows versions for business users …

Google Redesigns Hangouts For iOS, Adds Video Messages And Animated Stickers  —  California Court Rules In Favor Of Using Cellphone Maps While Driving  —  Google today launched a new version of its Google+ Hangouts for iOS app.  This new version is the first to be fully optimized for iOS 7 …

UK power companies denied cyberattack insurance because their defences are too weak  —  Energy firm cyber-defence is ‘too weak’, insurers say  —  Energy bosses are getting increasingly worried about the risks posed by cyber attack  —  Power companies are being refused insurance cover …

Google donates $6.8 million to fund free transit rides for San Francisco youth  —  Amid widespread protests over tech companies' use of public transit infrastructure, Google said today it would fund two years of free transit rides for San Francisco youth.  The $6.8 million grant …

California Court: Drivers Can Read Cellphone Maps … FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Drivers in California can legally read a map on their hand-held cellphones while behind the wheel, a state appeals court ruled Thursday.  —  The 5th District Court of Appeal reversed the case of a Fresno man …

Apple Explains Exactly How Secure iMessage Really Is  —  Millions and millions of people use iMessage every day.  But how many people know exactly what's going on behind the scenes, or what happens to a message once you send it?  —  Maybe a handful.  Up until now, the vast majority …

Meet Oppia, Google's New Open Source Project That Allows Anyone To Create An Interactive Learning Experience  —  Google has become an increasingly active participant in the world of education, particularly when it comes to exploring the role technology can play in re-imagining the way we learn.

“Free-to-play” shouldn't include in-app purchases, says European Commission  —  The European Commission has begun talks with tech companies and authorities to crack down on misleadingly advertised “free” games and apps.  —  “Consumers and in particular children need better protection …