For the first time, more early buyers are gravitating to the iPhone Plus than to Apple’s leaner flagship phone, according to research firm Slice Intelligence. In the first 48 hours of preordering that started September 9, 55 percent of buyers ordered the iPhone 7 Plus, according to a Slice blog post published Thursday. By comparison, …

Three news organizations are suing the FBI to learn how the agency broke into an iPhone used by one of the terrorists involved in last year’s San Bernardino, California, mass shooting. Vice, the Associated Press and Gannett, the parent of national newspaper USA Today, are seeking details about source of the security crack that the FBI used and about government …

Now playing: Watch this: Pandora Plus offers new perks for $5 per month 1:12 The times, they are a-changin’, and Pandora just started catching up. The veteran online radio provider said Thursday it will let listeners can skip more songs and replay tracks if they watch an extra ad. For $5 a month, paid members get those perks without any …

Editor’s note: Hungarians voted October 2 on whether to allow the European Union to set the number of refugees the country must accept. The EU wanted Hungary to take in 1,294 people, and said it would fine the country about $280,000 for each refugee it refuses. More than 98 percent of Hungarians who voted Sunday sided with the Hungarian government …

Don’t bet on Spotify starting monthly updates on its subscriber count, even if it feels like it lately. Wednesday, Spotify’s CEO and founder Daniel Ek tweeted that the subscription-streaming-music service has reached 40 million paying members. “40 is the new 30. Million.” Ek tweeted, with a smiley emoji. Three weeks earlier, a Spotify executive told Billboard the company had reached …

Virtual reality ad-technology startup Vertebrae has raised $10 million in a Series A round of funding. The company, formed about a year ago, is working on an advertising system designed specifically for virtual reality, the immersive entertainment format reaching consumers this year through headsets like Facebook’s Oculus Rift, HTC’s Vive and Samsung’s Gear VR. Not many consumers would cheer for …

The sprint to dominate music streaming isn’t the only race commanding Spotify’s attention. The streaming music service on Tuesday launched a weekly series of video and podcast-like clips, aimed at educating young US listeners on election issues. “Music and social issues have always been linked — music both reflects the culture in which we live but also helps shape it,” …

Pandora has nearly cleared its path to an on-demand, paid music service, announcing licensing deals Tuesday with two of the three major music labels. The online radio service said it has secured agreements with Universal Music Group, the biggest record company in the world, and Sony Music Entertainment, as well as a preponderance of independent labels through various deals. Warner …

Apple wants to wow audiences over the progress of its music service, but perhaps it’s Spotify that really deserves your slow clap. Cupertino, California-based Apple boasted at its iPhone 7 launch event on Wednesday that its Apple Music subscription-streaming service had accumulated 17 million paying members since it launched in June 2015. It added 2 million in less than three …

Spotify started streaming Frank Ocean’s blockbuster record “Blonde” Friday, after its main rival Apple held onto it as an exclusive for nearly three weeks. Apple Music has been the only on-demand streaming service with “Blonde” since it was released August 20. The exclusive was a dunk for Apple; the album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and …