YouTubers watch more than 6B hours of videos per month

On the heels of YouTube celebrating 1 billion unique monthly visitors to the site, the company announced Wednesday that these people are watching more than 6 billion hours of videos every month.

How to create a VPN shortcut in OS X

A virtual private network, or VPN, is a method of securely connecting to a network from a remote location, and is commonly used in work environments. While some institutions require the use of third-party VPN client software, others allow the use of Apple's built-in VPN clients.
In these cases, you can choose to enable the VPN menu in the OS X menu bar, and can then use it to quickly establish a VPN connection. However, if you are regularly connecting to your VPN, you may choose to also implement a hot-key shortcut to speed things up a bit more.

Yahoo acquires to-do app Astrid

Yahoo's app spending spree continued Thursday with the acquisition of to-do app Astrid.
The to-do-list and task management app "will continue to work as is" for the next 90 days but will not accept new premium subscriptions, Astrid CEO Jon Paris said in a company blog post announcing the acquisition. Terms of the acquisition were not revealed.

Windows Blue leak shows changes large and small

More tidbits are leaking out about the kinds of changes to expect from Windows Blue, the next big release of Microsoft's signature operating system.
In what is referred to as a prerelease version dubbed Build 9364, the Windows 8 Start screen appears with both larger and smaller Live Tile setups,

T-Mobile kills off the wireless contract

T-Mobile continues to rev up the changes it's got in store for customers.
The wireless carrier today seems to have finally done away entirely with contracts for wireless customers. This follows earlier moves that had allowed options including either a traditional two-year contract or no contract at all.

In trouble, tech CEO? Bash the iPhone

I've spent the whole week uttering rude words at my iPhone 5.
Some had four letters, some have had fewer. Several had four syllables. All were expressions of utter disdain, frustration or disappointment.

Samsung: Sorry about that sexist show

"Well, yes, maybe we do lack a little taste. Maybe. OK, if you really insist. But doesn't everyone like jokes about drunken women? Doesn't everyone like a booth babe or two, swimsuit or no swimsuit? No? Oh. Really?"

FAA ready to power down paranoia over devices?

Your Kindle could finally be liberated during take-off and landing on flights in the U.S. by this time next year.
Many of us have had the experience of doing a double-take when the flight attendant asks us to power down an e-reader, even when it's already in airplane mode. My old-school Kindle isn't even backlit -- there are probably more emissions coming through the fillings in my teeth; perhaps I should stow those under the seat in front of me as well?
I'm guessing that might freak out the federal air marshal aboard my next flight.

Apple buys WiFiSlam, maker of tech for locating phones indoors

Apple has acquired WiFiSlam, a company that makes an app that lets smartphones locate themselves indoors using ambient Wi-Fi signals that already exist in buildings.
The deal was reported by The Wall Street Journal's Digits blog, which said Apple confirmed the acquisition but had no further comment other than to say that Apple "buys smaller technology companies from time to time." Digits said Apple paid $20 million for WiFiSlam.
The WiFiSlam page on AngelList describes the company's product like so:

Do we need another Windows OS?

Microsoft made a case this week for Windows RT, its stripped down version of Windows 8. But do we need a third version of Windows?
It's been about five months now since Windows RT debuted. And this week Microsoft made a case to CNET for the new operating system.

Alcatel Authority review: Low-end Android for a midrange price

On the surface, the $249.99 Alcatel Authority looks like nice option on Cricket Wireless. The smartphone runs Android and connects to Google's vast ecosystem of software and services. The phone also is compatible with Cricket's Muve Music song-rental service, putting unlimited and portable tunes within the handset's reach. That said, newer options on the no-contract carrier have come along offering more for the same price. For example, the ZTE Engage has a fresher version of Android, while the LG Optimus Regard adds to this faster performance plus 4G data. All that makes the Authority add up to an unsound decision.

Motorola Droid Razr Maxx HD for Verizon review - Unstoppable battery, premium design

Editors' note: Portions of this review were taken from our evaluation of the Motorola Droid Razr HD, since the two devices are almost identical.
It's clear Motorola swung for the fences with its new $299.99 Droid Razr Maxx HD. Sitting at the top of the company's 2012 lineup, it's the most impressive Android handset I've ever used, and it had better be considering its sky-high sticker price. If you're willing to spend the big bucks, though, you get a lot to like, such as swift dual-core processing, a 4G LTE data connection, and a gorgeous 4.7-inch HD AMOLED screen, and then there's that battery. As it's equipped with the same legendary 3,300mAh high-capacity battery that propelled the Droid Razr Maxx to greatness, saying the Razr Maxx HD has staying power is a laughable understatement. All this plus an elegant and durable design might just help you forget that the phone's camera is woefully behind the curve.

HTC creates the most awesome Droid ever

The new Droid DNA is the best phone I've seen from HTC in a long while, especially on Verizon. With its blazingly swift quad-core processor, and a gorgeous and eye-grabbing 5-inch screen, not to mention a great camera and long battery life, the Droid DNA is an excellent deal at any price. And at $199.99, I feel it's a better buy than some worthy smartphone competitors, including the Motorola Droid Razr HD and Samsung Galaxy S3.