Techmeme
March 4, 2015, 7:35 AM

Top News

JP Mangalindan / Mashable:
Uber acquires mapping startup deCarta  —  Uber, the popular ride-sharing startup, is acquiring the mapping and search startup deCarta for an unspecified amount, Mashable has learned.  —  The deal, which closes later this week, is for DeCarta's technology and talent.
Sean Purcell / Gmail Blog:
Google's updated Contacts blends in contacts' Google+ profile info, simplifies pruning duplicates, shows prior emails and meetings  —  The new Google Contacts: Bringing everyone together  —  From email to Hangouts to a good ol' fashioned phone call, you've got a lot of options to get in touch with someone.
Craig Timberg / Washington Post:
Researchers discover “FREAK” flaw in Google and Apple devices that cripples HTTPS protection and enables man-in-the-middle attacks  —  “FREAK” flaw undermines security for Apple and Google users, researchers discover  —  Technology companies are scrambling to fix a major security flaw …
Ben Gilbert / Engadget:
Nvidia announces Shield, a $200 Android TV set-top box and game console with support for 4K video, available in May  —  Shield: NVIDIA's $200 gaming-focused Android TV set-top box  —  Another year, another new Shield device from NVIDIA.  What's Shield?  It's the hardware line from NVIDIA …
Philip Kollar / Polygon:
Valve announces Source 2 engine, free for developers  —  Valve has just revealed Source 2, a new, more powerful game engine, at Game Developers Conference 2015.  —  The Source 2 engine is a successor to the original Source engine, which debuted in June 2004 with the launch of Counter-Strike: Source.
Mark Gurman / 9to5Mac:
Apple Watch's retail sales pitch uses a soft-sell that focuses on bands, three key features including health and fitness, and upgrading iPhone  —  Apple Watch's retail sales pitch revealed: 3 key features, switch to iPhone, focus on bands  —  With next week's Apple Watch event fast approaching …
Shalene Gupta / Fortune:
John Doerr testifies in Kleiner trial, suggests he wanted to keep Ellen Pao until she sued  —  Top venture capitalist soured on employee around time she filed sex bias case  —  A top Silicon Valley venture capitalist testified Tuesday that he initially fought his partners to keep a female employee they thought wasn't up to the job.
Kyle Orland / Ars Technica:
Sony's new Project Morpheus prototype has 1920 x 1080 OLED display and 120Hz refresh rate, will launch first half of 2016  —  Sony: PS4 gets VR with Project Morpheus in early 2016  —  First major console VR headset set for release in early 2016.  —  SAN FRANCISCO—At a Game Developers …
Samit Sarkar / Polygon:
Microsoft bringing Xbox One Preview Program to Xbox 360  —  More than nine years after launching the Xbox 360, Microsoft is giving users of the console the ability to get an early look at forthcoming system updates through its Preview Program, Microsoft's Larry Hryb announced yesterday.
Nathan Eddy / eWeek:
YouMail Secures $5.5 Million Through JOBS Act  —  YouMail announced it has completed a $5.5 million series B round of funding, which it plans to use to expand its base of more than 6.5 million registered users.  —  YouMail raised the funding in February as a private placement …
Rich Brome / Phone Scoop:
YotaPhone 2 featuring a rear-facing e-ink display to make its US debut this spring via Indiegogo  —  YotaPhone 2 Launching in U.S. via Indiegogo  —  YotaPhone plans to launch its unique dual-screen YotaPhone 2 in the U.S. this spring via crowd-funding site Indiegogo, according to spokesperson Matthew Kelly.
Dean Takahashi / VentureBeat:
AMD teams up with Oculus on LiquidVR technologies for virtual reality  —  Gaming execs: Join 180 select leaders from King, Glu, Rovio, Unity, Facebook, and more to plan your path to global domination in 2015.  GamesBeat Summit is invite-only — apply here.  Ticket prices increase on March 6 Pacific!
Richard Lawler / Engadget:
Valve's ‘Lighthouse’ VR tech brings TVs and headsets together  —  We already saw the new Vive virtual reality headset that Valve and HTC are working on, but they're not stopping there.  Hardware engineer Alan Yates says that its Lighthouse room-scale tracking system brings the “high-resolution …
T.C. Sottek / The Verge:
Netflix strikes deal with Australia's iiNet ISP for exemption from data caps, conflicting with the company's stance on net neutrality  —  Is Netflix's commitment to net neutrality a lie?  —  Netflix announced yesterday that it would be coming to Australia and New Zealand on March 24th …

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