TC Roundup: Alibaba trials China drone deliveries

Alibaba trials China drone deliveries: Alibaba is experimenting with a drone delivery service as the Chinese ecommerce group seeks ever faster ways to put its goods in eager consumers' hands.

The service — using propeller-driven drones in three major Chinese cities — appears more a publicity stunt than a serious business model, but raises the question of whether using drones for short-hop logistics is viable on the mainland, where airspace is tightly controlled. (Financial Times)

Obama finds bipartisan support for first 'Big Data' privacy plan: The White House is working with bipartisan sponsors on a bill to protect data collected from students through educational apps - the first of President Barack Obama's "Big Data" privacy plans to gain traction in the Republican-controlled Congress.

Obama has pushed to do more to protect privacy in an age when consumers leave a trail of digital footprints through smart phones, personal devices and social media - information that can be collected, analyzed and sold. (Reuters)

Microsoft said to buy Sunrise App for about $100 million: Microsoft Corp. agreed to buy Sunrise Atelier Inc., a maker of calendar applications for iOS and Android devices, for about $100 million as the software maker seeks to offer more products that can run on competing operating systems, a person familiar with the deal said.

Support and distribution for Sunrise's mobile apps will continue for now, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the acquisition hasn't been announced yet. (Bloomberg)

Apple is talking to TV programmers about its own web TV service: Apple has spent years circling the TV business, without ever really getting into the TV business. Now it may be ready to try again.

Industry executives say Apple is in talks with TV programmers about deals that would allow Apple to offer an "over the top" pay-TV service, like the one Dish has started selling with its Sling TV product, and the one Sony is getting ready to launch. (Recode)