Android tightened its grip on the worldwide smartphone market in the second quarter, with nearly eight in 10 devices shipped in the period running the Google operating system. Android’s 79.3% share was up from 69.1% in the year earlier period, while Apple’s iOS shrank from 16.6% to 13.2%, according to the latest data from IDC. The research firm cited Apple’s lack of a new iPhone launch this spring as a key reason behind its declining market share. Windows Phone, meanwhile, increased its share in the quarter to 3.7% from 3.1%, and BlackBerry continued to lose ground, falling to 2.9% …

Yahoo’s logo is getting an update for the first time in its two-decade history. The new look will be promoted over the next month through a series of designs the company will display on its Tumblr and Facebook pages each day before unveiling the official new logo on Sept. 4. The refresh will retain the exclamation point and the color purple, but “be a modern redesign that’s more reflective of our reimagined design and new experiences,” according to a blog post today by Yahoo CMO Kathy Savitt. The symbolic step follows the overhaul of Yahoo’s …

More than half (52%) of U.S. smartphone owners had Android-powered handsets in the second quarter, according to the latest data from Nielsen. Another 40% had iPhones (running iOS), and the rest was split among BlackBerry, Windows Phone and “other” smartphone operating systems. Among manufacturers, Samsung represented the biggest share of Android phones, with 24%, followed by HTC and Motorola, each with 9%, LG, 7%, all others, 2%, and Huawei, 1%. Apple’s share of the smartphone market has increased from 34% a year ago following release of the iPhone 5. “Those gains came at the expense of smaller manufacturers …

Wi-Fi provider Boingo Wireless has introduced a new advertising option aimed at helping marketers drive app downloads. The new ad offering lets mobile users download a featured app in return for a period of free Wi-Fi access, with campaigns  priced on a cost-per-install (CPI) basis. When logging in to the Boingo service, a user will see a screen offering a minimum of 30 minutes of free Wi-Fi access for downloading an app from the iTunes App Store or Google …

In the third, and arguably most significant, print media company sale in as many days, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos agreed to acquire The Washington Post Co., including flagship newspaper The Washington Post, for $250 million. The news follows two other print media company sales over the weekend: Boston Red Sox owner Fenway Sports Group's acquisition of the New York Times Co.'s New England Media Group, including The Boston Globe; and International Business Times owner IBT Media's acquisition of Newsweek from IAC.

LinkedIn on Monday announced that users can now apply for jobs directly through its Android and iOS apps. That step comes a month after the online professional network let members search for jobs via mobile. The company said 30% of members who view jobs on LinkedIn come from mobile.   “We have heard from many of you that you want the ability to apply directly from your mobile device but that managing and editing resumes on a small screen can be challenging. With that in mind, …

IBT Media, the parent of the International Business Times Saturday announced said it agreed to acquire Newsweek from IAC. Terms were not disclosed, but IBT said the deal includes the Newsweek brand, but not The Daily Beast.

The New York Times Company has agreed to sell its New England Media Group, the division that includes The Boston Globe, to a company owned by John W. Henry, the principal owner of Fenway Sports Group (the Boston Red Sox), for $70 million in cash. The all-cash deal is expected to close in 30 to 60 days. The Times Co. said it plans to use the net proceeds for general corporate purposes.

CBS stations in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and several other markets -- as well as CBS owned cable networks -- have been dropped late Friday afternoon from Time Warner Cable systems all to due failed carriage negotiations. Reports suggest CBS was looking to secure a deal which would pay them $2.00 per subscriber per month from the second largest U.S. cable operator, this up from a deal made five years ago, which is believe to had a price tag of around 60 cents per subscriber per month. A statement from CBS said: “Effective 5:00 PM Eastern Time, Time …

Yahoo on Friday announced acquiring social Web browser Rockmelt as it continues to snap up engineering talent and technology at a torrid pace to enhances its online and mobile offerings. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the purchase price was between $50 million and $80 million, according to Reuters, citing a source close to the situation. Yahoo plans to shut down the existing Rockmelt product in 30 days and integrate the technology into its own media platform “to deliver the best experiences to our users in new and exciting ways,” according to a company blog post today. …