Emotions have run high over Net neutrality. Here, protesters interrupt a meeting of the FCC commissioners in December. Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images Senate Republicans appear to have largely abandoned efforts to fight an FCC vote later this week that’s expected to reclassify broadband as a public utility-like service. After years of grappling with how much or …

Pinterest is said to be seeking $500 million in new funding. CNET A new round of funding in Pinterest could pin down a doubling in the valuation of the social discovery startup. Pinterest, which lets people “pin” photos, websites, products and other items on virtual boards for others to see, is in talks to raise $500 million in a funding …

Social networking in virtual reality? Facebook says yes. Nick Statt/CNET Facebook is sharing a little more of its vision for virtual reality. Less than a year after Facebook closed its acquisition of Oculus VR, maker of the innovative wrap-around Oculus Rift headset and a pioneer in the virtual-reality video game realm, Facebook revealed Tuesday it’s developing versions of its apps …

Newly approved web standard promises faster page loads. A new version of the HTTP standard that promises to deliver Web pages to browsers faster has been formally approved, the Internet protocol’s first revision in 16 years. The specifications for HTTP 2.0 have been formally approved, according to a blog post by Mark Nottingham, who as chairman of the IETF HTTPBIS …

The squat BlackBerry Passport features a 4.5-inch screen. CNET Consumers in the US will finally be able to put BlackBerry’s Passport to the test next month when it arrives at AT&T, the only US carrier so far slated to offer the unique handset. The Passport and the BlackBerry Classic will be available for purchase at AT&T online and retail stores …

Lyft is reportedly looking to dial up some new funding. Lyft Lyft is said to be looking for new funding as it challenges its better-financed rival Uber in the car-for-hire race. Lyft is in discussions to raise $250 million, and maybe as much as $500 million, for a valuation of at least $2 billion, according to the New York Times. …

Target Ticket will shut down in March, 18 months after its launch. CNET Retail chain giant Target plans to shut down Target Ticket next month, just 18 months after it launched the video-streaming service. The service, which launched in the fall of 2013, will be discontinued March 7, the retailer said Tuesday in a note posted to its website. The …

Twitter and Google rekindle user firehose deal? James Martin/CNET It appears that tweets will be making a return to Google search results. Twitter has struck a deal with Google to display tweets in the search giant’s query results as soon as the brief missives are posted on the social networking site, according to Bloomberg. Google could surface tweets in its …

Twitter’s CEO says the company will step up its response to abusive behavior. James Martin/CNET Twitter CEO Dick Costolo is taking personal responsibility for what he called an inadequate response to the chronic abuse and harassment that occurs daily on the social network, according to internal memos obtained by The Verge. In the memos, shared with employees earlier this month, …

Sony plans to cut 2,100 positions from its mobile division in the next year. CNET Sony expects its net loss for 2014 to be smaller than previously forecast, thanks largely to higher-than-expected sales of image sensors and PlayStation 4 game consoles. The technology and entertainment conglomerate will likely record a net loss of 170 billion yen ($1.4 billion) for 2014, …