From Recode: Google, Amazon, and Facebook spent record amounts to influence the US government in 2018. They poured a combined $48 million into lobbying last year — up 13 percent from 2017, according to new government disclosures.

Lobbying growth among the tech giants — especially companies that...

From ExtremeTech: SpaceX is working on the initial prototype of the Starship rocket (formerly BFR) that could eventually carry people to the moon and Mars. However, CEO Elon Musk recently announced a significant design revision that seems counterintuitive at first. Instead of aluminum and carbon...

From CNET: Apple has hired a Samsung executive to work on battery technology.

Soonho Ahn, a former senior vice president at battery-making affiliate Samsung SDI, joined Apple in December, according to his LinkedIn profile, as reported Wednesday by Bloomberg.

According to his profile, his new title...

From Fractal Design Press Release: Fractal Design today announced a new addition to the highly acclaimed Meshify series with the launch of the Meshify S2. The new Meshify S2 features the series’ largest and most advanced design yet with bold aesthetics and unprecedented performance potential....

From Phanteks Press Release: Phanteks today announced the release of the latest addition to the Eclipse Series product line, the Eclipse P600S. A hybrid solution for silent and high airflow PC systems.

The Eclipse P600S offers both minimum noise or maximum airflow configurations that can be easily...

From PC Mag: This week, Microsoft is highlighting the fact it has seven new Windows 10 devices aimed at the classroom being offered by Lenovo, Acer, and Dell. Prices start below $300 and includes 2-in-1 devices, but that's not the most interesting part of Microsoft's announcement. Students are also...

From CNET: This year there's more ways to stream the Super Bowl live over the Internet than ever. And if you live in Bangor or Reno or Wilmington, you can now add one more to the list.

Starting today, YouTube TV is available in 95 additional TV markets, including those three, and will roll out...

From The Verge: Viacom has acquired ought Pluto TV, the free ad-supported streaming service, for $340 million in cash. The service, which has around 12 million monthly active users, will operate as an independent subsidiary within the company, and will retain its existing CEO. Pluto TV currently...

From The Verge: UPS is expanding its partnership with smart lock startup Latch with availability in 10 more cities. Similar to Amazon Key, the Latch service lets drivers make deliveries in apartment buildings for residents who aren’t home, but it stops short of letting them through your front door...

From PC Mag: If you're not a fan of OLED displays on smartphones, then 2019 is the year to buy yourself a new iPhone as it looks as though Apple is set to drop LCD completely next year.

As The Wall Street Journal reports, the end of LCD panels in iPhones looks to be near due to a couple of major...