A program director for the New York radio station Hot 97 this weekend reported that Jay-Z had personally told him that the rumors are not true. He quotes the would-be father as saying, “It’s not true. The news is worse than blogs.”

Neither Jay-Z nor Mrs. Carter herself have commented officially on the pregnancy rumors. Beyoncé is currently promoting her world tour, “The Mrs. Carter Show.” The tour is currently in Europe, and will continue in North America throughout June and July.

Though the pregnancy rumors began over some blurry concert photos, the rumors ramped up last week when Beyoncé canceled a scheduled concert in Antwerp, Belgium. The official word was that doctors had sidelined the pop star for “dehydration and exhaustion,” but fans eagerly postulated that the singer was having morning sickness.

Paul Thurrot reports that Microsoft has ditched its plans for a subsidized Xbox. The news comes from a recent tweet that also said Microsoft would be showing off its IllumiRoom technology at tomorrow’s next Xbox reveal:

A couple of Xbox news tidbits ahead of the launch… Illumiroom will be part of Tues event, subsidized Xbox v.Next model has been scrapped.

— Paul Thurrott (@thurrott) May 20, 2013

For those unfamiliar with the rumor, it was said that Microsoft would be selling the next Xbox for $499 with a subsidized version going for $299. The latter would be subsidized with a two-year Xbox Live subscription at $15 a month.

Now, this might be a good or bad move on the part of Microsoft. As Thurrot later speculates, Microsoft might just offer the next Xbox at a straight up lower price than the competition. Game consoles are generally sold at a loss anyway, but it’s hard to imagine Microsoft taking a massive hit early on just to undercut Sony.

The more likely scenario is that Microsoft will just go ahead with its plans to sell the next Xbox for $499. That would mean the company is confident that its machine will have enough exclusive content to warrant a purchase. That was at least the line being fed to gamers over the weekend during the Major Nelson podcast in which Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg said that E3 would feature “tons of exclusives and world premiers” for the new console.

Still, many, including myself, think it’s unwise for Microsoft to ditch its subsidization plan entirely. The rise of smartphones have warped consumers’ perception of value and how much technology actually costs. The $350 price tag on the Wii U is evidence enough that consumers just aren’t up for paying that much for what many still consider a toy anymore. A subsidized model, even if it wasn’t “cheap” per se, would still perform better as people would think they were getting a deal.

All of this is nothing but rumor and speculation for now, but Thurrot does have a solid track record when it comes to Microsoft rumors. He reported the May 21 date for the next Xbox reveal two weeks before the official announcement from Microsoft. Even if Microsoft was ditching its plans for a subsidized Xbox, we probably won’t hear about it tomorrow. According to Greenberg, tomorrow’s next Xbox reveal will be about “the team, the people” behind the next Xbox.

Of course, we’ll be covering the next Xbox reveal tomorrow. It starts at 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST.

[h/t: Neowin]

Quoting “sources close to the situation,” Yahoo may be looking to invest in, partner with, or even outright buy Tumblr. According to sources, talks have been “serious,” but as you know serious talks does not a deal make. Mayer, who has been watching Tumblr since her days at Google, reportedly started up talks with Tumblr execs, including CEO David Karp, soon after taking the CEO job at Yahoo.

One thing is for certain about a Tumblr acquisition – it wouldn’t be cheap. As Tumblr continues to grow (they just hit 100 million blogs a little over a month ago), the platform will only attract more attention. Estimates value Tumblr at $800 million at least, with some suggesting that it could be a $1 billion company.

On the surface, it’s clear to see how a Yahoo and Tumblr deal could benefit both parties. Since Mayer took over Yahoo, the company has been going through a shift – mainly in an attempt to regain some relevance that it has lost over the past few years. Tumblr is one of the hottest things on the internet, so that can’t hurt. Plus, Tumblr would benefit from even more exposure. If there’s one thing that Yahoo does have a ton of clout left in it’s the Yahoo homepage. Yesterday, Mayer announced a partnership with Twitter to bring real-time tweets to the Yahoo newsfeed. Tumblr could benefit from this sort of increased promotion.

Since Mayer became CEO, Yahoo has been busy making small acquisitions – Summly, Astrid, Milewise and GoPollGo. But a Tumblr buy would be a huge deal. We’ll be anxious to see how this one develops.

UPDATE: According to GigaOm, Facebook may be circling, looking to snatch Tumblr out of Yahoo’s hands.

TechCrunch points to reports in the Israeli press from Calcalist, Ynet and The Marker (all in Hebrew) indicating that Facebook is in “advanced due dilligence on a deal,” and that negotiations have been going on for six months.

TechCrunch’s Ingrid Lunden reports: “We have been digging too and have picked up confirmation from a source that both sides have privately confirmed that the deal is happening, and that the pricing reported first by the Calcalist [between $800 million and $1 billion] is accurate.”

The deal would apparently be a move for Facebook to capture more mobile users, not unlike its famous Instagram deal.

Reports of Facebook’s interest in Waze are nothing new. There was talk that the two companies were in discussions at least as far back as August, when Globes reported, “The purpose of the talks is not known, but the two companies are reportedly headed for collaboration, possibly involving the use of Waze’s application via Facebook. Alternatively, Facebook may acquire Waze.”

Waze is an Israeli startup, but its main office is in Palo Alto.

Fusible reports that Microsoft has registered multiple domains for the name “Xbox Fusion.” Now, Microsoft registers a lot of Xbox-themed domains, but what sets this one apart is the sheer number of domains it has registered. Aside from XboxFusion.com, there’s also an XboxFusion.info, XboxFusion.biz, XboxFusion.co.uk and more.

The previous rumored name for the next Xbox was Xbox 8. That name came about after Microsoft grabbed a couple of Xbox 8-related domains from a Chinese cybersquatter in July of last year. In that case, however, Microsoft only obtained Xbox8.us and Xbox8.org. The Xbox8.com domain is still owned by somebody in China thus making the XboxFusion name that much more likely.

Some may gawk at the name Xbox Fusion for being silly, but it really does sum up what Microsoft is seemingly attempting with its next home console. It’s no secret that Microsoft wants to take over the living room with its Xbox brand, and all the rumors we’ve heard thus far point to Microsoft fusing the world of console gaming with that of living room entertainment. That strategy is most apparent in the rumor that says the next Xbox will have an HDMI-in to route a cable box through. Doing so would provide an Xbox overlay on top of your TV setup so consumers would never have to leave the Xbox experience.

Of course, all of this could be wrong. Microsoft may be acquiring these domains for the inevitable reveal of Fuzion Frenzy 3 for the next Xbox.

Jefferies analyst Peter Misek is back on the iPhone 6 rumor beat with an update. He says that Apple will indeed launch the iPhone 6 in 2014 – June to be exact. He also speculates that the iPhone 6 will receive the oft-rumored display size upgrade.

So, where does Misek’s report leave this year’s rumored iPhone 5S? While the new device may not sport a larger display, Misek says it will have a better processor, a better camera and new mobile payment options in Passbook. If that’s not enough, he also says that Apple will finally offer the iPhone in a variety of different colors.

Even without a larger display, the iPhone 5S has the potential to shake everything up on the software side of things. 9to5Mac says that iOS 7 will sport a completely new redesign that ditches the realistic stylings of iOS in favor of a more “flat” design that you see on platforms like Windows 8.

Some people say that Apple needs to increase the size of the iPhone’s display to better compete with Android, but the iPhone may be able to wait out one more year if iOS receives a substantial upgrade. Software is always more important than hardware, and a completely revamped iOS could make everybody forget about the bigger iPhone until next year.

[Financial Post via BGR]

The studio’s first game, codenamed Project Titan, has been kept tightly under wraps by both Respawn and the game’s publisher, EA. Now, Kotaku is reporting some new details on the project, with a mix of good and bad news.

The publication is citing two independent unnamed “sources familiar with the game” as saying the title will be an Xbox exclusive, appearing only on the Xbox 360 and next-generation Xbox console.

As for what the game is, Kotaku is reporting that it is a sci-fi shooter that has been designed around multiplayer combat. Soldiers called “Davids” can ride around in giant exoskeletons called “Goliaths.”

Kotaku’s sources are also reporting that the game will have an always-online DRM scheme in place. That doesn’t sound far-fetched, considering that EA is the game’s publisher. If the game truly is designed around the multiplayer aspect, EA might not run into too much trouble by requiring a constant internet connection. However, if Respawn has crafted an enjoyable single-player campaign, then the always-on requirement will once again cause trouble for players, just like it did with Sim City and Diablo III.

I mean right around them. Like, you know, near them. Geographically.

According to All Things D, who quotes multiple sources, Twitter is currently testing a feature that allows users to discover tweets from other users within a certain radius. For instance, you could see a tweet from someone who’s right down the road, who’s eating a great omelet at a local brunch spot.

On April 1st, Twitter kicked off its second annual hack week, and apparently that is where this idea was engendered. If so, this is a really great idea that could change the way people use Twitter.

As of right now, Twitter’s “discovery” tab surfaces tweet about “what’s happening now, tailored to you,” according to Twitter. Although it’s unclear exactly how Twitter’s algorithms decide what to show you, it definitely has to do with who you follow and who those people follow, and so on. It’s kind of a “people in your general network” sort of deal. And to be honest, it’s not really all that helpful. There’s definitely some consideration given to location, but it’s not much.

And really, Twitter has always felt more global than local. Sure, you can limit which Twitter trends you’re shown by city. But then again, this is only Twitter trends. And it’s only by city.

I say test away, Twitter. And then unveil this feature. I can already imagine how useful it would be to walk outside my door, and see a bunch of tweets about things happening in my area. Can you?

Tactus, a site that recently revealed the iPad 5 mold, has just unveiled its latest leak – the rear shell of the cheap iPhone that Apple says doesn’t exist.

As you can tell, the rear shell is made out of plastic instead of the aluminum that’s now standard in the current iPhone. It fits with previous rumors that said the cheap iPhone would be made out of plastic to cut costs. It also appears to jibe with rumors that the cheap iPhone would look like a combination of the iPod Touch and iPod Classic.

As for hardware, it’s said that it will be powered by the A5 processor. Interestingly enough, it’s said that the A5 in the cheap iPhone will be the same A5 that powers the iPad 2 and iPad Mini. That would give the cheaper iPhone a small jump in performance over the A5 that was in the iPhone 4S.

The cheaper iPhone is also rumored to sport a 3.5-inch display instead of the 4-inch display that’s been rumored for the past few months.

On a final note, it appears that Apple will be treating the cheaper iPhone the same way it treats its iPod line. The device will be available in multiple colors, including blue, red and yellow on top of the usual black and white.

[h/t: Engadget]

Now, however, it seems that the mystery girl seen making out with Diddy may have been a Kate Upton look-alike. The model’s representative has told the New York Post that the reports of Upton-Diddy sightings are “laughable.” Upton was, according to her rep, “on vacation with her family” during the times she was reported to be in New York and Miami. Also, the rep added that the pair “don’t know each other at all.

Both Upton and Diddy have also refuted the rumors on their Twitter accounts. Upton calls the stories “not at all true” while Diddy has stated that he doesn’t “even know Kate Upton personally.”

Follow @KateUpton

Kate Upton
@KateUpton

Really??? Not at all true..“@TheCut: .@KateUpton and @IamDiddy seen sucking face and dining out!”

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21 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone · powered by @socialditto

Follow @iamdiddy

iamdiddy
@iamdiddy

Attention all Media. I don’t even know Kate Upton personally! I’m not dating her ! What’s being reported is not true. END of story!

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20 hours ago via UberSocial for BlackBerry · powered by @socialditto