Microsoft, Nokia Devices and Services business aim to remake mobile market  —  The completion of the Nokia Devices and Services business acquisition April 25 will enable Microsoft to accelerate its share of smartphones and feature phones in developed and emerging markets, and increase its role as a devices and services company.

Amazon smartphone could be an AT&T exclusive, offer “Prime Data” plan as a key selling point  —  The Amazon smartphone's secret weapon: Prime Data  —  3D effects and unique gesture controls aren't the only big selling points for Amazon's upcoming phones

Samsung confirms fatal camera flaw on ‘limited number’ of Galaxy S5 smartphones  —  The Samsung Galaxy S5's 16-megapixel camera is one of its best assets, but it's also turned into something of a liability for the company just weeks after launch.  Complaints across internet forums have documented …

HTC's head of design is leaving the company  —  Scott Croyle, the man responsible for the stellar designs of HTC's One smartphone line, is leaving the Taiwanese company.  Having led HTC's industrial design and user experience teams since his One & Co studio was acquired in 2008, Croyle is now departing to work on his own projects.

Facebook's Mobile Ad Network Is Called “Facebook Audience Network” And Here's How It Works  —  Next week at f8, Facebook will unveil Facebook Audience Network, its mobile ad network that will let developers target both standard banners and custom ad units with Facebook's vast trove of personal data, according to multiple sources.

Appeals Court Ruling Complicates End of Apple v. Samsung, but Jury Still Expected to Decide Case Next Week  —  The latest Apple-Samsung patent megatrial is nearing its end, with the final witness testimony scheduled to take place on Friday.  —  The two sides have just a few minutes remaining …

Hulu Blocks VPN Users Over Piracy Concerns  —  Free and legal streaming services such as Hulu have been proven to slow down piracy rates in the United States.  —  At the same time, however, they also created a new problem.  With a relatively cheap VPN subscription, people from all over the world …

Google tells 34 candidate cities for Google Fiber that it's considering deploying Wi-Fi as well  —  Exclusive: Google may offer Wi-Fi for cities with its Google Fiber  —  Cities getting gigabit-speed fiber Internet could also gain Wi-Fi networks  —  Google is considering deploying Wi-Fi networks …

Workplace Communication App Slack Raises $43 Million at $250 Million Valuation  —  Slack, which makes a tool that helps teams communicate, has raised $42.75 million, it said today.  The round values the company at $250 million.  —  Word of the new round had gotten out last night on TechCrunch …

Netflix finally comes to cable in the US  —  For the first time, Netflix will be available in the US from its natural enemy: cable companies.  Atlantic Broadband, Grande Communications and RCN all announced that subscribers will be able to access the streaming service through their TiVo DVRs as soon as April 28th.

No airwaves for you!  Verizon, AT&T will face bidding limits in incentive auction  —  Last week the Federal Communications Commission laid out all of its proposed rules for next year's controversial broadcast airwave incentive auction, save one.  It didn't address the most contentious rule of them all …

Facebook news feed: The algorithms, A/B tests, and surveying that make the social network so addictive  —  We all know by now that Facebook isn't cool.  —  And yet somehow it's more popular than ever.  On Wednesday the company announced that its growth continues to surge …

T-Mobile's LTE rollout using “4x2 MIMO” antenna technology, producing more consistent connection speeds  —  Forget speed, T-Mobile has started building a more resilient LTE network  —  T-Mobile has begun upgrading its LTE network with a new kind of antenna technology …

Microsoft inks deal with AOL to distribute its videos  —  Microsoft, AOL Strike Web Video Distribution Deal  —  AOL and Microsoft compete for advertisers' dollars.  But they've figured out a way to cooperate, too: The two rivals have struck a deal which lets Microsoft distribute AOL's videos on some of its properties.

Google Is Preparing To Pay A Huge Fine For Tax Noncompliance In France  —  France's equivalent of the IRS (Direction générale des finances) has been investigating Google for tax noncompliance.  With only €138 million of revenue reported in France in 2011, something wasn't right.

Former Tumblr President John Maloney Joins Circa  —  In the latest sign of big ambitions for the nascent mobile news space, John Maloney, the former president of Tumblr, is joining Circa in the same role.  —  When Maloney first joined Tumblr as a consultant, in 2008, it was even smaller than Circa is now …

Google+ to become more a platform than product, with key staff members moving to Android team, and fewer product integrations  —  Google+ Is Walking Dead  —  Today, Google's Vic Gundotra announced that he would be leaving the company after eight years.  The first obvious question …