Sean Ludwig is a staff writer for VentureBeat, and he covers mobile tech, cloud computing, and streaming media. Previously, he has written for PCMag, Fast Company, Computer Shopper, LAPTOP Magazine, Seattle Weekly, and others. When he’s not writing into the late hours of the night, he’s seeing ridiculous concerts, walking New York City, and eating Ben & Jerry’s. You can follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. Sean stands behind everything in VentureBeat’s ethics statement. Please send all pitches to tips@venturebeat.com.

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Microsoft boldly adds Google to list of chat services in Outlook.com & SkyDrive

In a move to get more people to try its sleek email app Outlook.com, Microsoft has smartly added Google to its list of chat services, joining Facebook and Skype chat.

Database-as-a-service Cloudant nabs $12M from Devonshire, Rackspace, & more

Hot database-as-a-service startup Cloudant has raised $12 million in its second round of funding.

Sleek to-do app Any.Do nabs $3.5M from Genesis Partners, Eric Schmidt, & others

Popular to-do list application Any.Do has raised $3.5 million in new funding to continue helping people get things done no matter the device.

Google unifies cloud storage so you get 15GB shared across Gmail, Drive, & Google+

Google has modified its cloud storage allocation for regular users of its services so they now share 15GB of free storage across Gmail, Drive, and Google+ Photos.

iHeartRadio hits 30M registered users, but it’s a far cry from Pandora’s 200M

Clear Channel-owned streaming radio service iHeartRadio has surpassed 30 million registered users less than two years after the service relaunched.

TV streaming startup Aereo simplifies pricing plans by ditching day passes & annual memberships

Streaming TV startup Aereo has modified its pricing plans to now only offer memberships at $8 per month or $12 per month. While the CEO claims it's about simplifying, the real reason is likely revenue.

Enterproid debuts Divide Builder to customize your company’s BYOD experience

Hot BYOD startup Enterproid ahs launched a new solution called Divide Builder that gives companies more flexibility for its BYOD software arsenal.

You need to see this incredible music video from the International Space Station

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield has charmed us from the International Space Station with music before. But his latest (and last) song from the ISS is a rousing cover of David Bowie's classic "Space Oddity," and the stunning visuals alongside it match the tune perfectly.

Facebook Home update adds support for Samsung Galaxy S4 & HTC One

Facebook Home, the skin of Android that brings social networking to the forefront of the experience, has been quietly updated to support the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One Android phones.

Blueprints for first 3D-printed gun taken down — but they’re not really going away

Defense Distributed founder Cody Wilson received a letter from the State Department telling him to take down his 3D-printed gun blueprints. But the openness of the web means the files will stick around with or without government approval.

New Google & Time project shows stunning images of earth changing over 30 years

Google and Time Magazine have partnered to create a brilliant new project called Timelapse that shows satellite imagery of earth during the course of nearly 30 years, giving us a better understanding of how our planet is transforming.

MadeiraCloud nabs $1.5M from Sequoia for AWS-based visual cloud management

Amazon Web Services visualization startup MadeiraCloud has raised an undisclosed sum from Sequoia Capital, but a source tells us it's in the "low single millions."

Los Angeles startup Yekra nets $3M for its digital movie distribution platform

Digital entertainment distribution startup Yekra has raised $3 million in funding to give studios a way to distribute DRM-protected content without it being burdensome.

Groupon stock surges 10% on strong earnings, company says it’s ‘still a toddler’

Groupon has had a tough past few months, but at least today's Q1 earnings beat expectations.

SAP’s cloud moves show businesses won’t tolerate 18-month deployments any more

Enterprise software giant SAP has been throwing its hands in the air for years, exclaiming that it is indeed a cloud company. But yesterday, SAP took a big step that shows where the it and its customers are at by …

Morbid investment of the day: eFuneral nabs $250K to be a Yelp for funeral homes

End-of-life planning startup eFuneral has received a $250,000 investment to help people find resources online for funeral planning including funeral home reviews, estate planning, and cemetery information.

HealthTap scores $24M from Khosla & others, former Square COO Keith Rabois joins board

Health Q&A startup HealthTap has raised $24 million in its second round of funding and added former Square COO Keith Rabois to its board of directors.

Nest Labs acquires MyEnergy to help more folks track energy consumption

Smart thermostat maker Nest Labs has acquired MyEnergy to help provide more information to its customers about energy usage.