Apps and Software

Cars are full of wireless technology — and that technology comes with the possibility of a security breach

Most of the companies making these cars, however, don't have plans for how to deal with potential hacks, according to a report published Monday from the office of U.S. Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.).

Markey's office sent letters to 16 major automakers that asked questions about security in cars with wireless technology — something nearly 100% of them have, according to the report. Most of the manufacturers reportedly showed a lack of understanding regarding hacking vulnerabilities in cars. Many of the car makers were unable to even understand the concepts posed by the letter, the report added. ...

Would you pay for that little blue checkmark next to your Twitter handle?

According to tech investor Jason Calacanis, users may soon get the opportunity to do that. On Friday, Calacanis appeared on CNBC's Halftime Report and claimed the social network is set to introduce verification for all — for a price.

"For $1 a year or something like that," Calacanis said, users will soon be able pay for a blue checkmark to appear on their accounts.

Twitter already offers verified accounts, but reserves the distinction for select users — generally people in the public eye who might have prank accounts in their name ...

During Twitter's fourth quarter earnings on Thursday, CEO Dick Costolo confirmed the reports: Twitter and Google are partners once again.

Costolo declined to share many details about the deal, which was widely reported on Wednesday. That left plenty of unanswered questions, such as how much Twitter stands to make from the deal and what kind of data would be shared.

"The way we think about the Google deal is distinct," Costolo said on the analyst call, adding it was all about "eyeballs."

Beyond that, Costolo simply said that it would be "several months" before we'd start to see any Google search results that take advantage of the Twitter deal. ...