Google's updated Android mobile software seeks to make the smartphone smarter, while keeping the search titan relevant in a world where people rely on apps on the go.

At its annual Google developers conference Thursday, Google offered a preview of Android M, due for release later this year, with an upgraded version of "Google Now," the voice-activated assistant which competes with rivals like Apple's Siri and Microsoft's Cortana.

A newly-discovered glitch in Apple's software can cause iPhones to mysteriously shut down when they receive a certain text message.

Apple says it's aware of the problem and is working on a fix. But some pranksters are sharing information about the glitch on social media and using it to crash other peoples' phones.

Scientists on Wednesday said they had created a small robot that can recover from damage, in a step towards machines that mimic the remarkable adaptive powers of humans and animals.

The feat could one day lead to first-responder robots which can cope with dangers that today would put them out of operation, they said.

General Motors said Wednesday it will offer Android Auto and Apple CarPlay in more of its Chevrolet models next year, as tech firms seek to expand their reach in the auto world. 

The smartphone-compatible systems will be offered in 14 models, including the soon-to-be-released Cruze compact car, GM said in a statement. 

Germany on Wednesday started an auction of frequencies for mobile phone operators, pledging that users will soon enjoy nationwide super-fast 4G coverage without "black holes" in rural areas.

The government hopes in coming weeks to raise billions of euros as it sells off the frequencies to the three big providers, Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica Deutschland and Vodafone.

Data from smartphones and Twitter can accurately show the size of a crowd, helping first responders in an emergency, a study on Wednesday said.

Scientists at England's University of Warwick devised a computer model based on data from Twitter and from phone companies in Milan, northern Italy.

The chief of vanishing-image service Snapchat on Tuesday said the company has a plan for going public with an offering of stock but did not reveal when it might happen.

"We need to IPO, we have a plan to do that,” chief executive officer Evan Spiegel said on-stage at a Code Conference in California when asked about the potential for an initial public offering of stock.

Apple innovator Jonathan Ive says he's been promoted to the company's chief design officer, making him one of the most powerful people in the world's most valuable company.

Ive, who as a lead designer with the company helped conceive the iconic Apple looks of products like the iPod, iPad and Apple Watch, confirmed the promotion in an interview published Tuesday in the Daily Telegraph.

Samsung Group announced Tuesday the merger of two major affiliates, as the South Korean business giant accelerates restructuring efforts ahead of a generational power transfer within the founding Lee family.

The all stock deal, approved by the boards of both companies would see Samsung's de facto holding company Cheil Industries -- which has interests from fashion to theme parks -- acquire general trade and construction affiliate Samsung C&T.

The United Nations on Monday criticized the tiny Pacific nation of Nauru for blocking access to the Internet, including Facebook, and urged it to reverse a clampdown on freedom of speech.

Nauru curbed Internet access in the nation of 10,000 people last month, saying it was barring pornography, although social media sites such as Facebook were caught in the dragnet.