Shopify has raised $100 million to scale its merchant software and services business. OMERS Ventures and Insight Venture Partners led the round in the Canadian startup, which was founded back in 2006 to help small business with their online sales efforts. As The Wall Street Journal reports, the big cash haul could help Shopify compete with tech titans, like Amazon.com and eBay. 

The Internet is good for a lot of things, but, at least according to preliminary research, getting students to complete college-grade courses isn’t one of them. As The New York Times reports, “A study of a million users of massive open online courses … released this month by the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education found that, on average, only about half of those who registered for a course ever viewed a lecture, and only about 4% completed the courses.” 

Instagram just unveiled a new messaging feature that lets users privately send texts, video and photos. Dubbed Instagram Direct, the new service does not appear to let users send disappearing messages as had been speculated. Asked about a Snapchat-like feature, Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom told reporters on Thursday: "There's definitely a space for ephemerality in general, whether it’s text or photos or videos, but Instagram is focused on capturing the world's moments.” 

Giving its classic film and TV titles new life, Warner Brothers just debuted a new iPad tablet app for its subscription-streaming service. The move is likely “a sign the premium-priced offering has been getting some traction among Hollywood history buffs,” Variety suggests. “The studio is mum on how many customers it has signed up since launching Warner Archive Instant in April, which at $9.99 per month is two dollars more than a Netflix subscription.” 

With a particular emphasis on direct messaging, Twitter this week is updating its apps for iOS and Android, as well as TweetDeck for Web, Chrome and PC. “The app now features a direct link to Direct Messages in the tab bar and allows you to send photos inside DMs for the first time,” TechCrunch reports. “This major redesign has been in the works for a while, and today marks the first time we’ve seen most of these elements all in one place.” 

Putting a cherry on Twitter’s bang up year, the social giant has been named the best company to work for in 2014, according to Glassdoor’s sixth annual Employees’ Choice Awards. The nod knocks Facebook out of the top spot, which it has held for the past three years. Worse, “Facebook didn’t even manage to get second place,” The Next Web notes. “Facebook was third in tech (fifth overall).” 

As part of a larger initiative by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Harlem will begin getting free public Wi-Fi before the end of the month. When completed, the hotspot is expected to span 95 city blocks -- giving Harlem the biggest free public Wi-Fi network in the country. “When finished, the network will theoretically give an Internet connection to around 80,000 Harlem dwellers, 13,000 of which live in public housing,” Gizmodo writes. 

Jon Brod, who most recently led AOL’s venture arm, is leaving the Web giant. “The news isn’t a huge shock, as AOL Ventures has been in a bit of limbo for a while, and Brod was moved there last spring after his second run heading Patch,” AllThingsD reports. “Sources say Brod has told AOL that he is headed for a start-up.” 

Because of its overuse and inescapable, industry-reshaping power, the term “viral” is loathed by most media and marketing types. Adding to its notoriety, The New York Times accuses a growing number of publishers of valuing viral success over factual accuracy. “Truth has never been an essential ingredient of viral content on the Internet,” it writes. Among other media brands (and direct NYT competitors), the paper of record calls out Gawker, BuzzFeed, The Huffington Post and Mashable for valuing the V-word above all else. 

Letting months of good buzz go to waste, city and state officials have reportedly forced Google to put its Barge project on hold. On the West Coast, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission and the Coast Guard are causing Google to rethink the initiative -- the purpose of which has yet to be revealed. “Whether it’s a Google Glass store or a showroom for all things Google X, one thing is clear … No one will be visiting Google Barge anytime soon,” CNet reports.