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March 3, 2015, 7:15 PM

Top News

Craig Timberg / Washington Post:

Researchers discover “FREAK” flaw, which can force Safari and Android browsers to use weak encryption, enabling MITM attacks — “FREAK” flaw undermines security for Apple and Google users, researchers discover — Technology companies are scrambling to fix a major security flaw …

More: A Few Thoughts …, Ars Technica, Mercury News, BetaNews, Gigaom, Freedom to Tinker, TechCrunch, The Akamai Blog, AppleInsider, TechSpot, Forbes, Electronista, MacRumors and MacDailyNews

Tweets: @kurtopsahl, @drudge_siren, @drudge_report, @csoghoian, @tinkersec, @ivanristic and @csoghoian

Jim Finkle / Reuters:

Apple to release fix for “FREAK” flaw next week; Google providing patch to partners but rollout timeframe unknown — Apple plans fix next week for newly uncovered Freak security bug — An Apple Inc (AAPL.O) spokesman said on Tuesday that the company plans to release a fix next week …

More: Cult of Mac

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.

More: VentureBeat, Gigaom, The Verge, Business Insider and The Next Web. Thanks:@jpmanga

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.

More: The Next Web, Google Operating System, Gigaom, CNET, Gizmodo, TechCrunch, The Verge, Engadget, 9to5Google, Android and Me, WebProNews, SlashGear, AndroidHeadlines.com, iDownloadBlog.com, Lifehacker and Droid Life. Tweets: @stshank

Zac Bowden / WinBeta:

Windows 10: A closer look at Cortana integration with Spartan (with video) — Microsoft's new browser has a unique feature built in... Cortana — Microsoft announced back in January that Windows 10 would ship with two browsers, the regular IE11 for backwards compatibility, and Spartan.

More: The Verge, TechSpot, Business Insider, Mashable, InfoWorld, Engadget, Gizmodo, BGR, Web Browser, Fortune, The Tech Report, Windows Central, Neowin, Ubergizmo, Gizmodo UK and PC World

Tweets: @stephanierieger, @anildash and @lukew

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 …

More: iMore, Wearable Tech Insider, WatchAware, Redmond Pie, iLounge, iDownloadBlog.com, iPhone in Canada Blog and MacDailyNews. Thanks:@apollozac

Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:

Apple beat Samsung for Q4 2014 global smartphone sales, first time since 2011; Samsung led sales for 2014 as a whole — Led By iPhone 6, Apple Passed Samsung In Q4 Smartphone Sales, 1.9B Mobiles Sold Overall In 2014 — If 2014 goes down as the year when smartphone sales globally passed the 1 billion mark …

More: AppleInsider, Fortune, Reuters, CNET, Electronista, BGR, GeekWire, Business Standard, Benzinga, TheStreet.com, Tech Times and MacRumors. Thanks:@_trendspotter

Jason Del Rey / Re/code:

PCH buys Fab.com, will use it as a sales channel for the hardware products it helps startups make — Fab.com's Fire Sale Is Official — Fab.com finally has a new home. — PCH International, a company that helps startups design and manufacture hardware products, has announced …

More: Medium, Bloomberg Business, TechCrunch, VatorNews, PSFK, PCH - We make, Gigaom, internetretailer.com, GeekWire, Business Insider, Wall Street Journal, The Verge, Mashable and YourStory.com

Ryan Lawler / TechCrunch:

Luxe Confirms $20M In New Funding, As It Hires A Business Chief And Expands To New Markets — Last week we reported that on-demand valet startup Luxe had raised $20 million in Series A funding from Venrock Partners and Redpoint Ventures to expand its service into new markets.

More: Luxe Valet, GeekWire, Gigaom, BetaBoston and VentureBeat

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.

More: The Verge, Ink, Bits, & Pixels, Gizmodo, Ubergizmo, Pocketnow, SlashGear, Android Authority, Gigaom, Liliputing, Phandroid and PhoneDog.com

Jon Russell / TechCrunch:

Tor Users Must Now Provide A Phone Number To Open A New Twitter Account — Twitter last week announced plans to begin tracking troublesome users via their mobile phone number. Along those lines, it has begun forcing users of anonymous web browser Tor to provide a number in order to open a new account.

More: SlashGear, Tech Times and Neowin

Tweets: @anonyops and @xor

Kurt Wagner / Re/code:

Oculus Has Hired Mary Lou Jepsen Away From Google X — Facebook-owned Oculus has hired away big-time Google X executive Mary Lou Jepsen, according to sources familiar with the move. — Jepsen, who spent the last three years running the Display Division at Google X, is joining …

More: VentureBeat, Fortune, TechnoBuffalo, Engadget, Business Insider, Gigaom and socalTECH.com

Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:

Sync, BitTorrent's Free File Sharing Service, Exits Beta With A $40 Pro Tier — BitTorrent is today taking one more step ahead in its bid to create a revenue-generating business out of its peer-to-peer file-sharing network. Sync, the desktop and mobile file synchronising service …

More: The Official BitTorrent Blog, The Next Web, AppleInsider, Geek Beat, MacStories, Gigaom Research, VentureBeat, gHacks Technology News, Macworld, Inquirer, Gigaom and Wall Street Journal

Ben Popper / The Verge:

Inside Project Loon: Google's internet in the sky is almost open for business — “Good news,” says Katelin Jabbari, Google X's communications chief. “It's about to explode.” — We're several hundred feet in the air, inching our way along a wooden walkway tucked high into the rafters …

More: InfoWorld, Beyond Search, Business Insider, theWHIR.com, Fortune and DSLreports. Tweets: @vassko

Darrell Etherington / TechCrunch:

Pebble reveals Pebble Time Steel for $250 on Kickstarter along with a “Smartstraps” system that's open to hardware developers — Pebble Reveals Pebble Time Steel And A Smartstrap System Open To Hardware Developers — Pebble announced Pebble Time last week …

Dan Seifert / The Verge:

BlackBerry plans four phones this year, including $275 all-touch 5-inch Leap phablet — BlackBerry plans to launch a sliding ‘dual-curved display’ phone this year — During a press conference at Mobile World Congress today, BlackBerry revealed that it plans to launch a new touchscreen slider device later this year.

Emil Protalinski / VentureBeat:

Chrome 42 will be the last version to support Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich — 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!

More: Chromium Blog, Computerworld, The Next Web and TechCrunch

Ryan Smith / AnandTech:

Khronos unveils Vulkan: next generation of OpenGL, a cross-platform efficient graphics API — Next Generation OpenGL Becomes Vulkan: Additional Details Released — Continuing this week's GDC-2015 fueled blitz of graphics API news releases, we have Khronos, the industry consortium behind OpenGL …

More: Ars Technica, TechSpot, VentureBeat, PC World and The Register

Ryan Lawler / TechCrunch:

Six months after being acquired by Square, food delivery service Caviar launches Android app, has tripled orders, more than doubled headcount — Six Months After Acquisition, Caviar Has Tripled Order Volume And More Than Doubled Headcount — Last August, payments startup Square acquired …

More: GeekWire, The Next Web, VentureBeat and Engadget

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 …

More: Gigaom, iiNet, PandoDaily and DSLreports. See also Mediagazer

Luke Westaway / CNET:

The Lenovo A7000 is a $169, 5.5-inch 4G LTE smartphone with Dolby sound — BARCELONA — Once the preserve of the high-fallutin', gadget-lovin' elite, smartphones no longer need to cost the Earth. The latest mobile to offer smartphone tech on a modest budget is Lenovo's A7000 …

More: NDTV Gadgets, India - The Huffington Post, PC Pro, Tech2, Android Authority and MobileBurn.com

AnandTech:

Lenovo unveils 5-inch VIBE Shot 2-in-one 16MP smartphone/camera with image stabilization, tri-color flash; available June for $349

More: Lenovo Newsroom, Engadget, Android Authority, PhoneArena, Tom's Guide, Android Authority, TechnoBuffalo, GadgeTell, Android Police and ShinyShiny

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