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Visit Amazon.com and you'll find a bevy of recommendations to fill your digital shopping cart: books similar to what you've read on your Kindle or clothes and gadgets based on what else you've looked at.

Now Amazon is tinkering with ad technology that would flash ads for you even when you're not on Amazon sites. And those ads might not even direct shopper back to Amazon's sites.

It's still early days, but if Amazon's new strategy plays out, it could become the Web's next advertising giant. Sure, it already serves up … Read more

Google may be driving forward with a plan to purchase Waze for $1 billion or more, according to a new report.

Bloomberg reported Thursday that Google is considering a bid for the mobile mapping and navigation company. The search giant perked up to the idea only after learning that Facebook was in talks to buy Waze, Bloomberg reported.

When reached for comment, Waze spokesperson Julie Mossler said that the startup does not comment on rumors or speculation.

Waze, founded in 2007, makes a mobile application for getting directions and routing around traffic with the help of other drivers. The app … Read more

The U.S. International Trade Commission on Thursday said it won't review a final ruling that found Microsoft to be in the clear of infringing on patents held by Motorola Mobility, which Google acquired last year.

The ruling (PDF) follows an initial determination in favor of Microsoft on March 22 of this year, as well as a final initial determination from last month from an ITC administrative law judge.

At stake were potential future sales of the console in the U.S., which could have been halted if Motorola had won.

"This is a win for Xbox customers … Read more

Setting up a two-step verification (or authentication, depending on the site) service is more or less an imperative when it comes to keeping your online information secure. Services such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, Apple, Dropbox and more have rolled out two-step verification in one form or another.

During the setup process for these services, you are required to provide a phone number where you'll have the option to receive a six-digit code that is required to grant you access to your account. But, as a recent Forbes article pointed out, phones get lost, which can in turn lock you … Read more

Google has reportedly returned to the display ads hot seat with the Federal Trade Commission, after avoiding disciplinary action following an antitrust probe that concluded in January.

Citing anonymous sources, Bloomberg is reporting that the investigation is "in the preliminary stages and may not expand into a larger probe." At issue is whether Google is using its role in the online display ad industry (which overall sees $17.7 billion in annual revenue in the U.S.) to force companies to adopt other Google services. The practice can violate antitrust laws, Bloomberg's sources said.

Requests for comment … Read more

Amid questions to Google from Congress about privacy concerns related to Google Glass, a San Francisco startup is preparing an API to recognize faces with the controversial gadget.

The Google Glass Face Recognition API (application programming interface) from Lambda Labs will be available to developers within a week, TechCrunch tells us, quoting co-founder Stephen Balaban. … Read more

Looking for a picture you took at your sister's bridal shower? Google's search engine will now help you find it -- so long as you've posted the shot to the company's companion social network.

The company announced Thursday that Google+ members can log in to Google.com and search for their own photos or query for a buddy's pictures stored on the social network. Just plug in queries such as "my photos from Vegas" or "Angie's wedding photos" and Google will scour through Google+ photo albums and return matching images … Read more

Do you keep the receipts for everything you buy? Like me, you've probably noticed that the ones printed on thermal paper can begin to disappear over time. Soon, you're left with only a blank piece of paper that can't act as a proof of purchase or help you at tax time.

Wednesday's update to Google Drive on Android lets you easily store all of your receipts and even search through them. Doesn't a nice digital archive sound better than piles, folders, or boxes of receipts all over your home? Here's how to … Read more