Business networking site LinkedIn has launched a Chinese version, attempting to tap the huge market while navigating a strict censorship regime that has seen other foreign social media giants banned.

China has the world's largest online community with more than 618 million users. But its so-called Great Firewall blocks any online forums or content deemed sensitive, and it has barred access to Facebook and Twitter for several years.

Samsung on Monday unveiled a new smartphone with a built-in heart rate monitor to complement three upcoming fitness devices, as the Korean companies tries to turn its technological wizardry into lifestyle products that matter.

The new Galaxy S5 phone has a slightly larger screen than its predecessor, at 5.1 inches (12.95 cm) diagonally instead of 5 inches in the S4. But the size increases have slowed down compared with previous jumps.

Fresh from a $19-billion (14-billion-euro) takeover by Facebook, mobile messaging service WhatsApp said Monday it will launch free voice calls by mid-year.

The introduction of free calls, revealed on the opening day of the four-day World Mobile Congress in Barcelona, Spain, would match rival application Viber's similar offering.

The astonishingly high price paid for the messaging service WhatsApp underscores how mobile apps are transforming the way we communicate, shaking up the global telecom sector.

Facebook's deal to pay up to $19 billion for WhatsApp comes on the heels of a $900 million purchase of another messaging service, Viber, by Japanese Internet giant Rakuten.

LG will launch its first smartwatch in 2014, the head of its mobile unit said Monday, tapping into the nascent market for wearable devices seen as the mobile industry's new source of growth.

The announcement from the South Korean smartphone maker came after industry leader Samsung on Sunday launched the second generation of its own Internet-enabled smartwatch, the Gear 2.

Billionaire 29-year-old Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg stars in the mobile industry's biggest fair Monday, fresh from his $19 billion (14-billion-euro) takeover of smartphone messenger WhatsApp.

The keynote speaker on the opening day of the February 24-27 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, Zuckerberg has come a long way in the mobile world in a short time.

The Facebook deal for WhatsApp drew attention for its whopping price tag, but has also brought out fresh criticism over security for the billions of messages delivered on the platform.

WhatsApp, which is to be acquired for $19 billion, says on its website that "communication between your phone and our server is fully encrypted."

Diehard gamers in Japan who began queuing earlier this week finally got their hands on a new PlayStation 4 as Sony unleashed its console on home turf in a midnight launch.

The long-awaited Japanese launch comes after a stellar debut in the United States and Europe, where more than 5.4 million units have been shifted since November, offering a bright ray of hope to Sony after years of gloomy sales of its key consumer electronics goods.

Google announced a new research project Thursday aimed at bringing 3D technology to smartphones, for potential applications such as indoor mapping, gaming and helping blind people navigate.

The California tech giant said its "Project Tango" would provide prototypes of its new smartphone to outside developers to encourage the writing of new applications.

PlayStation stands out among the long list of famous Sony brands as one that hasn't faded or succumbed to a nimbler competitor. Months after hitting global markets, the latest version of the video-game console is going on sale at midnight in Tokyo, a big shift from times when Sony was ascendant enough to launch flagship products in Japan first.

The PlayStation 4's much awaited arrival in Sony Corp.'s home market is the first time Japan did not get a major Sony game machine ahead of other markets. With much riding on the PS4's success, the commercial advantages of targeting overseas markets outweighed the sentimental pull of a home town launch.