Google+ links are starting to get deep

Sprint has raised its bid for Clearwire 14% at the very last minute, in the hopes of getting the shareholders’ approval. After news of the upped bid, Clearwater decided to postpone the stockholder meeting until May 30. [Source: GigaOm]

Online petitioning platform Change.org has scored $15 million in new funding. This latest round was led by Omidyar Network. [Source: VentureBeat]

Despite its stocks taking a huge hit over the last few months, Apple’s brand value continues to dominate. According to an analysis by MarketingWeek, Apple is still the world’s number one brand, and its brand value has increased year-over-year. [Source: BGR]

Sprint Nextel has more at least one more BlackBerry planned to join its lineup sometime this year. The provider plans to launch the BlackBerry Q10 later this summer, but its director of product portfolio was already quoted as saying there will be more to come. [Source: CNET]

After Yahoo’s acquisition of Tumblr for $1.1 billion, people took to Twitter writing that Tumblr founder David Karp is now a billionaire. ReadWriteWeb corrects these claims estimating his new worth as $275 million. [Source: ReadWriteWeb]

According to a report released today by two Democratic lawmakers, US power utilities face frequent attacks on critical systems. According to the report, utility providers receive “daily, constant or frequent attempted cyber attacks.” [Source: Reuters]

Microsoft revealed that it’s including SmartGlass technology in its latest gaming console, the XBox One. SmartGlass is a second-screen addition that includes companion information about the content. [Source: The Verge]

At its event today, Microsoft unveiled its new gaming console: the XBox One. Calling it a “new generation” Microsoft displayed the black box, as well as showed off its new features like voice activation. [Source: AllThingsD]

Once a smartphone heavyweight, BlackBerry is now shifting its focus from hardware to service. At the company’s annual conference, it became apparent the emphasis BlackBerry was putting on services like its BlackBerry Enterprise Service, as opposed to its new handset. [Source: Reuters]

CRM provider Nimble today launched the 3.0 version of its platform. New features include search improvements, a signals screen, and more social integration. [Source: Nimble]

Free VPN service HotSpot Shield has crossed over 10 million downloads. In addition, it is growing at a rate of around 1.5 million new downloads per month. [Source: TechCrunch]

Open-plan offices are the latest fad in interior design, what with their promises of increased serendipity and total transparency and other kinda-cute notions that make employers feel better about having workers come in beyond the supposed 40-hour work week. Now Quartz has compiled a list of ways open-plan offices are actually kinda shitty, from increased distractions to the cesspools of disease and frustration that they really are.

[Source: Quartz]

The Onion has published a cartoon depicting ride-sharing services as a communistic Grim Reaper threatening the darling baby representing our “precious way of life.” Looks like you’ve finally made it, UberX, Lyft, SideCar, GetTaxi, Zipcar, and every other ride-sharing startup!

[Source: The Onion]

Pandora has announced new “Pandora Premieres” stations that will allow users to listen to full albums up to one week before their official release in the US, the company has announced. The service actually sounds less like Pandora and more like Spotify in that it allows users to listen to tracks in whatever order they would like, for as often as they would like, without restrictions.

[Source: Pandora]

Newly-appointed Intel CEO Brian Krzanich has created a “new devices” division and restructured other “key business groups,” Reuters reports.

[Source: Reuters]

Postmaster, a startup seeking to improve shipping processes with the REST API, has raised a $600,000 round from Capital Factory, Cloud Power, and Zelkova Ventures, TechCrunch reports.

[Source: TechCrunch]

About.me has introduced a premium product that will allow users to pay $4 per month to remove the About.me branding from their pages, view Google Analytics for the page, and more.

[Source: AllThingsD]

Sports team management platform TeamSnap has acquired athlete social network WePlay, and its 2.25 million users, for an undisclosed sum. TeamSnap is backed by $4.3 million in venture funding, but WePay took in $15 million over its five years. [Source: SoCalTech]

Online petition site Change.org has raised $15 million from Pierre Omidyar and his wife Pam’s firm Omidyar Network. The six-year-old company has not taken on outside capital before and is not a non-profit, though Omidyar says his minority stake does not anticipate an exit. [Source: All Things D]

Uncovet, an LA-based fashion deals and discovery site, raised $1.3M from Javelin Venture Partners, Siemer Ventures, and Paige Craig. The company is also backed by Science, Inc. [Source: SocialTech]