The Upload: Your tech news briefing for Tuesday, April 21
IBM reported a 12 percent drop in revenue for the last quarter despite a big boost from its new z13 mainframe. Profit was down 5 percent to $2.4 billion on revenue of $19.6 billion. IBM said Monday that its cloud, analytics and mobile business increased more than 20 percent from a year earlier, but wasn't enough to offset declines elsewhere.
Google's Mobilegeddon hits Tuesday
It's here: the day that webmasters have called Mobilegeddon for its potentially cataclysmic effect on those who did not heed the warnings has arrived. On Tuesday, websites that aren't sufficiently mobile-friendly will find themselves tumbling far down in Google's search rankings.
Weak euro helps push SAP's results into the black
The strong dollar and weak euro are hurting many U.S.-based tech companies' results, but they have given an extra lift to German enterprise software giant SAP, which showed a 15 percent rise in operating profit as it transitions from packaged software to cloud-based subscription services, re/code reports. Profit margins were narrower, while first quarter revenue was up 22 percent to 4.5 billion euros, re/code said.
Huawei plans a cloud service, starting in China
China's networking and telecom powerhouse Huawei isn't going to sit back and let Microsoft and Amazon build cloud businesses uncontested on its home turf: On Tuesday its CEO said it plans to launch a public cloud service in China in July. The biggest player in that space remains homegrown rival Alibaba, which has said it plans to take its cloud offerings to the U.S.
Live-streaming video comes with legal risks
The latest rage on social media is live-streaming video on Twitter via the Meerkat or Periscope apps -- but doing so could be opening a Pandora's box of legal risk. With no opportunity to stop, think, and edit, lawyers say that users may intentionally or inadvertently open themselves to charges ranging including privacy violations or copyright infringement .
Uber has to face charges that it discriminated against blind riders
Uber failed in its bid to have a lawsuit thrown out that seeks to hold the ride-hailing app responsible for alleged discrimination by drivers against blind passengers. The case centers on drivers' treatment of passengers with service dogs, including allegations that drivers refused them rides, gave them poor grades in its passenger-rating system, and in one case locked a woman's guide dog in the trunk of the car.
Facebook claimant loses another court battle
Paul Ceglia wasn't around to hear an appeals court on Monday reject his attempt to keep alive his legal battle for half of Facebook: He's missing after cutting off an electronic monitoring bracelet. Ceglia is in violation of his release on bail on charges of fraud for allegedly fabricating a "work for hire" contract supposedly documenting that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg promised him part ownership of the social networking platform.
Ties that bind Microsoft and Yahoo are loosening
Microsoft's agreement to power search for Yahoo will be much easier for either company to terminate come October. Either company can call the whole thing off with just four months notice.
Twitter will let you open up direct messaging to all comers
If you're not worried about getting spammed by social-media-savvy vendors (or harassed by trolls) on Twitter, you can now change a setting and receive direct messages from Twitter accounts you don't follow. The change could make Twitter a slightly stronger competitor in the messaging marketplace.
Watch now
Move over Google Glass, BMW thinks these aviator-inspired goggles are the future of augmented reality for drivers.
One last thing
An unexpected problem with making computers smaller: They get easier to lose. Backchannel explores the Crazy-Tiny Next Generation of Computers.