Report: Yahoo, pay-TV operators among Hulu bidders
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Online video site Hulu is again up for sale, with Yahoo and pay TV operators DirecTV and Time Warner Cable among the seven bidders, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter.

The Daily Roundup for 05.24.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy. Comments

Next Browser for Android mashes up its rivals’ greatest hits (video)
When few (if any) web browsers do everything well, many of us have more than one client just to cover all the bases. The GO Launcher Dev Team’s just-launched Next Browser for Android tries to solve this in the simplest way possible: it cherry picks features from established rivals. Sharing extensions from Dolphin ? Check. Chrome’s frequently visited pages? Check. Speed Dial from Opera ? Check. There’s even a Flipboard -style RSS reader. As there’s also bookmark syncing and voice search, Next…

How to get an early look at the new Google Maps with a bit of cookie know-how
We had the opportunity to grab an early look at the new and refreshed Google Maps , but not everyone is as fortunate; you either had to be an I/O attendee or hope you received an invitation after requesting one . However, a tipster has sent Android Police a set of instructions that’ll let you get in on the new Maps without those pre-requisites. All you need is the ability to manually set cookies via a Chrome extension like this one or an alternate browser. Then visit the Google Maps page, replace the…
Tiger Global invests $50 million in Automattic’s WordPress.com
By Sarah McBride SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Automattic, the company that operates blogging service WordPress.com, announced a $50 million investment from hedge fund and private-equity investor Tiger Global on Friday. The investment comes on the heels of Yahoo’s $1.1 billion acquisition of blogging company Tumblr, showing the high prices fast-growing services that targeting Internet users can command. The valuation for Automattic was similar, Fortune reported. A spokeswoman for WordPress declined to…

This week on gdgt: Toshiba brings a Retina-class display to Windows
Each week, our friends at gdgt go through the latest gadgets and score them to help you decide which ones to buy. Here are some of their latest picks — along with a few you should probably avoid. Want more? Visit gdgt anytime to catch up on the latest, and subscribe to gdgt’s newsletter to get a weekly roundup in your inbox. Comments

Google to bankroll, build wireless networks across Africa: WSJ
(Reuters) – Google Inc intends to finance, build and help operate wireless networks from sub-Saharan Africa to Southeast Asia, hoping to connect a billion or so people in emerging countries to the Internet, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. The Internet search giant – which has for years espoused universal Web access – is employing a patchwork quilt of technologies and holding discussions with regulators from South Africa to Kenya, the WSJ cited people familiar with the strategy as saying. …

Ask A VC: Index Ventures’ Danny Rimer On The Future Of Ecommerce And More
On this week’s Ask A VC episode, Index Ventures partner Danny Rimer joined us in the studio. Rimer has been in the venture industry for over 11 years so he had plenty to share on how VC has changed, and the differences in the venture world in Europe and the U.S. Rimer, who has led the firm’s investments in Etsy, Nastygal and many others, also talked to us about the future of ecommerce and how the industry is changing for startups.
Kiss and make up: Microsoft and Google partner for Windows Phone YouTube app
Both Google and Microsoft think it’d be a shame to deny Windows Phone users the glory of Keyboard Cat videos, which is why the two companies have agreed to team up and jointly create a native YouTube app for Microsoft’s mobile platform. The Next Web reports that the companies released a joint statement today saying that they “are working together to update the new YouTube for Windows Phone app to enable compliance with YouTube’s API terms of service, including enabling ads, in the coming weeks.”…
Microsoft and Google partner to bring YouTube app back to Windows Phone
Both Google and Microsoft think it’d be a shame to deny Windows Phone users the glory of Keyboard Cat videos, which is why the two companies have agreed to team up and jointly create a native YouTube app for Microsoft’s mobile platform. The Next Web reports that the companies released a joint statement today saying that they “are working together to update the new YouTube for Windows Phone app to enable compliance with YouTube’s API terms of service, including enabling ads, in the coming weeks.”…

Google Glass exploration demonstrates a hidden browser and more (video)
While it’s known that Google Glass has in-testing features just waiting to be exposed , we haven’t seen many attempts to reveal them all. Zhuowei Zhang has stepped in with a complete list of what’s under the hood, and it turns out that some of those features work… more or less. After modding the latest Glass firmware, Android Police can confirm that there is a functional Chrome browser lurking inside; Google just hasn’t woven it into the user experience. Other Labs features produce…
Schumer urges look at security in Sprint deal
NEW YORK (AP) — Sen. Charles Schumer urged regulators to “use extreme caution” when reviewing the proposed acquisition of No. 3 cell carrier Sprint Nextel by Japan’s Softbank, saying the Japanese company’s use of Chinese networking equipment could open up U.S. networks to snooping and hacking.

Automatic delays connected car platform until August as it seeks to perfect iPhone app
It’s an age-old problem: do we clamor for a company to ship a product that’s not ready, or do we swallow delays with grace as it aims to deliver when things are good and ready? Such a choice has to be made when it comes to Automatic , the California-based startup which had originally hoped to start shipping its automotive dongle + app platform at the end of this month. Those (including yours truly) who pre-ordered on day one received an email last night delivering the news that things were running a…
Microsoft vows Xbox One won’t be struck by ‘red ring of death’
One of the most common problems that annoyed early Xbox 360 adopters was the appearance of the “red ring of death,” a flashing red light on the console’s start button indicating that its hardware was essentially fried and would need to be sent to Microsoft to be replaced. But Microsoft Game Studios vice president Phil Spencer tells Edge that the company has learned its lessons and that the new Xbox One will not experience hardware failures on a mass scale like the Xbox 360 did. In particular,…

Netflix looks to hook subscribers with ‘Arrested’
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Netflix is hoping this weekend’s release of the resurrected TV series “Arrested Development” will draw more subscribers to its Internet video service.

A look at Netflix since stock plunged from peak
Here’s a look at Netflix since its stock peaked in July 2011 at nearly $305. Netflix had just announced an unpopular price increase in the U.S., and investors got worried by the intensity of the customer backlash. Even after subscriber complaints subsided, investors remained concerned about intensifying competition at the same time the company is spending more to acquire Internet content and expand abroad. Despite those concerns, Netflix has been staging a comeback. Another boost is expected from…

Microsoft And Google Bury The Hatchet To Work On A Windows Phone YouTube App With Ads
Once a upon a time, Microsoft saw fit to put together a YouTube app for Windows Phone and it was actually pretty great — it let users download videos straight from the app and there was nary an ad to be found. To absolutely no one’s surprise, Google wasn’t too pleased: after all, the features that made the app so appealing didn’t exactly jibe with YouTube’s terms of service, and the search giant demanded the offending app be removed.Well, after a bit of back and forth (and a conciliatory…

Growing Up Geek: Melissa Grey
Welcome to Growing Up Geek , a feature where we take a look back at our youth, and tell stories of growing up to be the nerds that we are. This week, we have our new associate editor, Melissa Grey ! Sometimes, the formative moments in your life happen when you least expect them. One such moment occurred for me in 1997, as I watched my brother pilot Cloud Strife through the ruins of the Forgotten City while Aerith Gainsborough clasped her hands in prayer. We’d taken turns playing Final Fantasy VII on…
E-Tailers Want Amazon and Apple To Set Readers Free
An industry report says there is no good technological reason for Amazon and Apple to restrict readers to their formats. Larry Greenemeier reports.
WSJ: Google developing wireless networks to boost Internet access in Africa, Asia
It is no secret that Google would like to be a wireless carrier. The company has long been rumored to be eyeing various partnerships to launch its own wireless network as soon as this year. The Wall Street Journal is now reporting that Google is looking to fund, build and help run wireless networks in emerging markets in Africa and Southeast Asia. The company is said to be interested in connecting people to the Internet who live outside of major cities, while at the same time improving speed in urban…

Yahoo joins growing list of bidders for Hulu: sources
By Ronald Grover and Greg Roumeliotis LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (Reuters) – Yahoo Inc has submitted a formal proposal to buy Hulu, joining a growing list of bidders for the video service owned by News Corp and Walt Disney Co, two sources with knowledge of the bid told Reuters on Friday. Yahoo just this week announced a $1.1 billion acquisition of blogging service Tumblr. It now joins rival bidders for Hulu, including Time Warner Cable Inc, DirecTV, former News Corp president Peter Chernin and Guggenheim Digital…
News Corp. OKs poison pill, buyback before split
LOS ANGELES (AP) — News Corp. said its board of directors has approved plans to split its entertainment and publishing businesses into two separate companies. The company also adopted a shareholder-rights plan designed to prevent a hostile takeover in the volatile trading period after the split is complete.

When a Blog Gets Caught in Your Throat
“Let’s get this straight up front: I am now writing a blog post, not blogging a blog,” writes Forrest Wickman at Slate, the good people who brought you the great two-spaces-after-a-period debate. Oh yes. Oh yes. They are at it again, this time with a post by in which he takes on the matter of what to call this thing we do.

Microsoft and Google make amends, will co-develop a YouTube app for Windows Phone
We’ve gotta give it to Microsoft… building a YouTube app for Windows Phone 8 that strips out advertising and allows users to download streaming videos was one hell of a way to get Google’s attention about the lack of an official app for the platform — even if it managed to attract ire at the same time. Now, multiple reports are coming in that both companies have reached an agreement of sorts, which will result in an app that’s fully compliant with YouTube’s Terms of Service in the coming…