Google took a break from its monthly update cycle for the Google Glass Explorer Edition, saying it’s working on a bigger change to the 4.4 KitKat version of Android. Google’s Teresa Zazenski announced the change on the private forum for owners of the electronic eyewear, according to Glass Almanac. Google didn’t want to publish an …

BARCELONA, Spain — Mozilla will take over some responsibility for issuing Firefox OS updates that carriers today have, a move that could help users avoid the fate of Android phone owners saddled with older operating system versions. “We are pushing that envelope,” Chief Technology Officer Brendan Eich told CNET. “We think we can get people on Wi-Fi upgrading through Mozilla.” …

BARCELONA, Spain — Freescale Semiconductor, a maker of small processors called microcontrollers, has a tinier new one it hopes will help companies jump aboard the “Internet of things” bandwagon. The microchips used in computers cost tens, hundreds, and sometimes thousands of dollars. But the Kinetis KL03 is an entirely different class for devices that aren’t nearly so big and brawny: …

BARCELONA — It’s pretty clear from Facebook’s ascent that businesses nowadays understand our need to connect with friends and family is a big deal. But what about our need to be bored, to be surprised, and to get away from it all? Those are among the parts of human nature that could be a big deal for businesses that figure …

BARCELONA, Spain — Cash-strapped carriers moving to 4G mobile networks need to toe the line and avoid the big problem of the 3G era: unlimited data plans. That was the exortation from Sok Koong Chua, CEO of Singtel, a carrier that offers mobile networks in Singapore, Australia, and several other countries. “We need to be more discliplined. 4G is bringing …

BARCELONA, Spain — Those whose mobile phones or tablets are maxed out with photos, apps, and videos will be delighted to hear that flash memory card maker SanDisk announced a new microSD card with 128GB capacity. The company announced the new card, along with more modestly sized alternatives down to 8GB, at the Mobile World Congress here, where it’s showing …

BARCELONA, Spain — One of the difficulties with wearable computing is that it can be hard to control devices that don’t have a handy keyboard or touch screen attached. And that’s how gesture control company EyeSight Mobile won a place in Lumus’ smartglasses. With the technology a person can hold out a finger to tap on icons or swipe away …

BARCELONA, Spain — Broadcom announced a new networking processor Monday that brings a faster flavor of the new 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard to mobile phones. The BCM4354 system-on-a-chip supports the 2×2 MIMO (multiple input/multiple output) technology, which can transfer data faster on a single frequency by using two transmitting antennas and two receiving antennas. The technology — at least when a …

BARCELONA, Spain — Mobile messaging startup WhatsApp will expand to voice communications in the second quarter, co-founder and chief executive Jan Koum announced Monday. “We want to make sure people always have the ability to stay in touch with their friends and loved ones really affordably,” Koum said in a speech here at Mobile World Congress. “We’re going to introduce …

BARCELONA — Opera Software on Sunday launched a beta version of Max, its Android app designed to cut data usage by compressing video, photos, and text. The Norwegian browser company launched a closed beta of the app in December in the United States. Now the open beta will be open to anyone in the US and in Western Europe, with …