London: Topping tech headlines on Tuesday, Google announced its official acquisition of crowd-sourced traffic app Waze.
The move comes after weeks of speculation that the Israeli company was being courted by Google and Facebook. But the search giant won the battle in a reported $1.3 billion purchase. For now, the Waze product development team will remain in Israel, and company CEO Noam Bardin said "nothing practical will change."
In other digital mapping news, Microsoft unveiled its largest-ever batch of Bing Maps Bird's Eye imagery — nearly 270 terabytes of data.
Meanwhile, Sony revealed late Monday night that its upcoming PlayStation 4 will retail for $399, and - in a dig at Microsoft's Xbox One - will not require an online connection.
In other news, Google penned a letter to the Department of Justice and FBI requesting permission to publish data about the number of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) requests it receives. "Assertions in the press that our compliance with these requests gives the U.S. government unfettered access to our users' data are simply untrue," wrote David Drummond, Google's chief legal officer. "However, government nondisclosure obligations regarding the number of FISA national security requests that Google receives, as well as the number of accounts covered by those requests, fuel that speculation."
Also making headlines Tuesday:
Apple Unveils Post-Steve Jobs Mission Statement Video: Along with a group of new hardware and software products, Apple used Monday's event to unveil a new video promoting its mission statement.
Yelp Targets Foursquare With New 'Nearby' Recommendations: Yelp revamped its iOS application this week, boosting the Nearby tab with suggestions geared specifically toward the individual user's mood.
Report: HTC Targets Samsung With Mini One Smartphone: Struggling smartphone maker HTC is reportedly stepping back into the ring with a miniature version of its flagship One handset.
Rhapsody Concerts App Lets You Find Shows, Buy Tickets: Just in time for summer, music streaming service Rhapsody launched a new app to help you stay up to date with all the local concerts.
Nintendo Shows Off Wii U, 3DS Lineup at E3: Nintendo unveiled details about its holiday and 2014 gaming lineup, and provided more info about upcoming games that will be on display at Best Buy stores during E3.
Vine Outpaces Instagram in Twitter Shares: Vine hit Android devices last week, and just four days later surpassed Instagram in total Twitter shares.
iOS 7 Puts Apple in Your Car: iOS in the Car is just one of the many features Apple plans to introduce in iOS 7, but it could be a game changer for the automotive infotainment industry.
Report: Barnes & Noble Retires PC, Mac Nook Apps: Barnes & Noble has retired its Nook for PC and Nook for Mac apps, pulling support for desktop and laptop users.
eBay Now Coming to Android, Launching Same-Day Delivery in More Cities: The eBay Now iPhone app got a boost with new payment options, a visual redesign, and improved search.
Infographic: Protecting Teens From Digital Threats: What are the biggest threats to your kids' online identity, and how can you stop them?
eGallon Site Asks: How Much Can You Save With an Electric Car?: The Department of Energy's new eGallon website calculates the costs of fueling up with regular gasoline versus charging an EV.
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