A look at the new Washington Post app in Amazon’s Appstore. Amazon/Washington Post Amazon Fire tablet owners are finally seeing the benefits of Jeff Bezos’ decision to acquire the Washington Post. Starting Thursday, people who own the Fire tablet will have exclusive, free access to the new Washington Post tablet app for the next six …

Kik has raised more than $70 million to date. Kik Kik Interactive, which makes a popular messaging and chat app, has raised a new sum of cash, the company said Wednesday. The startup has raised $38.3 million in a round led by hedge fund Valiant Capital Partners. Millennium Technology Value Partners and SV Angel, among others, also participated in the …

A full-length film has been released for the Oculus Rift virtual-reality headset. The film, called “Banshee Chapter,” was designed specifically for the Oculus Rift — making it the first of its kind. The thriller follows a reporter in search of a missing friend who was involved with secret government experiments. Oculus is one of the most high-profile names in a …

Uber passengers request rides with a smartphone app. Uber Car-ride provider Uber is investigating a top executive over allegations that he had a BuzzFeed reporter tracked without her knowledge, a new report claims. Josh Mohrer, Uber’s New York general manager, is accused of tracking reporter Johana Bhuiyan by using a feature known as “God View” that is available to Uber …

Samsung and Microsoft are in a bitter battle over patent royalties. Kent German/CNET Samsung had been angling to postpone a lawsuit with Microsoft until after an arbitration hearing in Hong Kong, but those hopes have been dashed. US District Judge Jed Rakoff said in a ruling Tuesday that the lawsuit between Samsung and Microsoft will go on, despite the arbitration, …

Samsung is in the process of deciding which smartphone models it will drop next year. Andrew Hoyle/CNET Samsung will stop producing so many models of smartphones and focus on a core set of devices in the new year, the company said Tuesday. Speaking to investors in New York, Samsung’s head of investor relations, Robert Yi, said his company plans to …

Apple Pay could help boost mobile transactions in the next few years. CNET Staff The total number of users who plan to engage in mobile transactions will rise substantially in the next few years, according to a new report from Juniper Research. By the end of 2017, there will be 2 billion smartphone or tablet users engaging in some form …

BlackBerry CEO John Chen sees some issues in China. Brian Bennett/CNET As the world’s largest smartphone market, China represents a big opportunity for device makers. BlackBerry, however, has decided not to expand into the country — for now. John Chen, who became the smartphone maker’s CEO last November, doesn’t see China as a viable option for his operation right now, …

The Revel Systems point-of-sale system in action, courtesy of the iPad. Revel Systems Revel Systems, a company that provides point-of-sale systems that use Apple’s iPad tablets, raised a serious amount of cash. Revel Systems raised $100 million in a Series C round of funding led by New York-based private equity firm Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe (WCAS), the company announced …

Apple CEO Tim Cook and IBM CEO Ginni Rometty at Apple’s headquarters. Paul Sakuma/Feature Photo Service for IBM Apple is working with several companies to build out its enterprise appeal, claims a new report. Apple has brought on a dedicated enterprise sales force to sell companies on its hardware and software, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the …