Welcome to this morning's edition of “First To Know,” a series in which we keep you in the know on what’s happening in the digital world. We’re keeping our eyes on five particular stories of interest today.
Apple Inks Deal With EMI?
Apple has signed a licensing deal for a cloud music service with EMI, and is very close to signing similar deals with Sony and Universal, according to reports.
Google Continues Rollout of Social Search
Unfazed by Facebook's recent smear campaign, Google announced its plans to roll out its Social Search feature in 19 more languages next week.
Smartphone Sales Up 85% Year-Over-Year
428 million mobile devices were sold in the first quarter of 2011, a 19% increase year-over-year, according to data from Gartner. Smartphone sales were up 85% year-over-year.
LinkedIn Prices IPO at $45 Per Share
LinkedIn has priced its shares at $45 apiece ahead of Thursday’s initial public offering, the high end of an already significantly increased range for the company’s stock.
Apple Unveiling Retail Store Makeover?
Apple is reportedly preparing a makeover of its iconic retail stores to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its retail operation.
Further News
Starbucks has begun a two-week scavenger hunt in partnership with Lady Gaga that includes QR codes, magnetic chalkboards and more.
Sony’s PlayStation Network was caught in another security scandal Wednesday, although it didn’t take the company long to fix the breach.
The online publishing arm of The Atlantic opened its editing room to the public in a single-day experiment Wednesday.