Bloomberg Businessweek checks in on the state of in-flight WiFi -- which, while readily available, is not great. In fact, “hell-sent and extortionate,” is how the business journal describes Gogo -- the largest stateside in-flight Web provider. Still, “Gogo has dominated, commanding about 80 percent of the market,” it writes. “And as often happens with near monopolies, Gogo has become a name people love to hate.”

Japanese app maker Line has been seen as a serious threat to the messaging ambitions of Facebook and other U.S. companies. Now, however, The Wall Street Journal reports that the company is struggling to expand abroad. As a result, it “has scrapped plans for an initial public offering for a second straight year,” WSJ reports.

Flipboard is adding video to its promoted stories program. “Starting today, brands can submit their television-quality commercials and bring them to the digital magazine app,” Venture Beat reports. “These video ads will feature Cinema Loops, which are three-to-eight-second segments of the file and are meant to entice viewers to click through in order to watch the entire video.”

Microsoft Research is testing technology -- named MobileFusion -- that would allow users to capture 3D scans of objects with their phones. “The idea, according to the researchers, is for people to bring a smartphone into a museum, on a hike, or somewhere else and scan a 3D memento into their phone for later printing,” PC World writes. Yet, “Microsoft says it doesn’t have any plans to develop the technology into a full-fledged app.”

Despite an explosion in mobile Web traffic, many publishers say their mobile investments are not yet paying off. The problem, as The Wall Street Journal reports, is “raising questions about [publishers’] future growth as consumers increasingly turn to smartphones and tablets for media.”  

Star venture capitalist Bill Gurley thinks tech startups can expect tougher days ahead. “We may be nearing the end of a cycle where growth is valued more than profitability,” Gurley tweeted, this week. “It could be at an inflection point.” Yet, “the note of caution isn’t a new tune for Gurley,” Re/code notes. “He warned of impending tech bubble casualties … last year.” 

Star venture capitalist Bill Gurley thinks tech startups can expect tougher days ahead. “We may be nearing the end of a cycle where growth is valued more than profitability,” Gurley tweeted, this week. “It could be at an inflection point.” Yet, “The note of caution isn’t a new tune for Gurley,” Re/code notes. “He warned of impending tech bubble casualties … last year.” 

WhatsApp Web -- which lets users send messages via desktop computer – is expanding to include iPhone users. “The WhatsApp web site’s list of supported devices quietly gained iPhone today,” The New Web reports. “Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry and Nokia S40/60 owners can already use WhatsApp Web, which launched earlier this year.” 

Amazon is officially done Adobe Flash ads, Venture Beat reports. Beginning next month, the ecommerce giant will no longer accept the format across its entire ad platform. “Amazon’s decision is primarily driven by browser makers curtailing what Flash can do,” according to VB. “Apple’s Safari and Mozilla’s Firefox have limited the plugin for a while now, but most recently, Google’s Chrome has also joined the party.” 

While an Apple car is still years away, the tech giant’s first in-dash software is getting rave reviews. After testing Apple’s Siri-supported CarPlay service for a week, The Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern says: “Apple’s personal assistant has finally found a place in my life: riding shotgun.” Better yet, “Apple’s careful, safety-focused integration of the iPhone into the car feels necessary.”