Popular free messaging app LINE was forced to remove one of its key sticker features today, eliminating the ability for its users to purchase and send sticker sets as gifts to friends.

CIO reports on an Interop keynote presentation yesterday by PayPal chief information security officer Michael Barrett in which he discussed the future of account security and suggested that passwords and PINs will soon be a thing of the past. Barrett currently serves as president of the Fast Identity Online (FIDO) Alliance that is seeking alternatives to these traditional security methods. The FIDO Alliance protocol allows users a choice of authentication method while shifting control to providers who can make authentication user-transparent and limit the risk of fraud

In an interview with CNN Money , Microsoft chief financial officer Tami Reller said that Microsoft has talked to Apple about creating an iTunes app for Windows 8, but that users shouldn't expect it to arrive anytime soon. "You shouldn't expect an iTunes app on Windows 8 any time soon," said Tami Reller, chief financial officer of Microsoft's Windows division. "ITunes is in high demand.

A fourteen-year-old has discovered that the tiny magnets inside the iPad can inadvertently shut off pacemakers if the device is left on the chest, such as might happen if the user falls asleep with the iPad lying on them. Apple builds magnets into every iPad it sells for use with its Smart Cover accessory .

A German court has ruled that eight provisions in Apple's privacy policy are inapplicable because they run afoul of German consumer protection laws , reports Bloomberg .

comScore today released the results of its monthly rolling survey of U.S. mobile phone users for the January-March period, showing that Apple's smartphone market share rose 2.7 points from December to March, from 36.3% of total U.S. smartphone platform and hardware sales to 39%, marking a record high share for the company

According to a new report from media research firm TDG (via GigaOM ) 14% of households with broadband internet owned an Apple TV, Roku box, or similar streaming platform during a study in 2012. While that sounds like an impressive number, Smart TVs have been slowly taking over the connected TV market. 25% of households owned a smart TV that comes equipped with apps, such as those offered by manufacturers like Samsung and LG

As part of its quarterly earnings release today, U.S. Cellular announced that it will begin carrying Apple products later this year, although the carrier offered no additional details on its plans. "We have a number of strategies in progress to increase loyalty and attract more customers, including our announcement today that we will begin offering Apple products later this year

Apple today released a minor iOS 6.1.4 update, bringing an updated audio profile for speakerphone. The new version, which arrives as Build 10B350, appears to only be for the iPhone 5. The update did not involve a beta testing period for developers and follows the release of iOS 6.1.3 in mid-March.

A new national stolen phone database is having little effect on smartphone thefts in the U.S., according to an article in The New York Times . The country's four major carriers all contribute to the database , which lists stolen phone ID numbers that should not be activated on domestic networks. However, the database appears to be ineffective for several reasons