The larger G4 Stylus (left) and smaller G4c join LG’s flagship handset series. LG Less than a month after LG launched its G4, the flagship handset is getting a pair of new smartphone siblings. The Korean electronics giant on Monday took the wraps off the new G4 Stylus and G4c, handsets that incorporate many of …

Kim Dotcom blames Hollywood studios for the digital piracy problem. Bloomberg Kim Dotcom, the outspoken founder of the defunct cloud-storage locker MegaUpload, says he views Hillary Clinton as an enemy of online freedom. Dotcom, currently under house arrest at his New Zealand mansion, expressed that opinion during a wide-ranging interview with Bloomberg reporter Emily Chang. Dotcom is fighting extradition to …

Walmart to test delivery subscription service. WALMART Walmart plans to test a new unlimited shipping service this summer for its online shoppers in a move that undercuts Amazon’s $99 Prime service. Walmart will deliver items purchased through its website within three days for an annual subscription fee of $50, the retail giant said, confirming a report by The Information. Walmart …

Facebook’s Instant Articles promises faster loading news articles and interactive features on its mobile app. Facebook Facebook on Tuesday took the wraps off a new feature it promises will yield faster load times for news stories and interactive features on users’ mobile devices. Facebook says Instant Articles aims to address the often frustrating experience of waiting for an article to …

Twitter paid more than $86 million for two companies in the first three months of this year. James Martin/CNET Twitter spent $86.6 million earlier this year to acquire live-streaming app Periscope and social media startup Niche, according to a regulatory filing Monday. The micro-blogging company’s filing with the US Securities and Exchange commission did not itemize the selling price of …

Apple TV is just one of the services and products named in a patent-infringement lawsuit. CNET Interactive TV software pioneer OpenTV filed a lawsuit against Apple on Tuesday, alleging that several of the tech giant’s products and services infringe on its patents. The lawsuit, filed in US District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges that Apple infringed on …

A new remote control for Apple TV? Donald Bell/CNET A long-awaited update Apple is said to have in the works for Apple TV will also reportedly include a revamped remote control. A new model of the set-top streaming box due later this year will come with a new remote that will feature a touch pad for navigating the interface, an …

Grooveshark is no more. GROOVESHARK Controversial music-streaming service Grooveshark abruptly shuttered its service Thursday after settling a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by the major recording labels. Escape Media, the parent company of Grooveshark, agreed to cease operations and surrender ownership of its website, mobile apps and intellectual property in the settlement, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. Escape …

Samsung regained the global smartphone sales crown despite losing market share. CNET Samsung Electronics has recaptured its title as the world’s top smartphone maker, according to new research released Tuesday. The South Korean electronics giant shipped 83.2 million smartphones worldwide during the first quarter of 2015, capturing 24 percent of the smartphone market, according to market researcher Strategy Analytics. While …

MCX, the merchant consortium behind the CurrentC mobile-payments system, has replaced its CEO. MCX A consortium of major retailers backing a mobile-payments effort has appointed a new chief executive a day after member Best Buy announced it would support a competing system created by Apple. Merchant Customer Exchange, or MCX, announced Tuesday that Dekkers Davidson was leaving the group “to …