Y Combinator might be best known for software plays like Dropbox and Airbnb. But it’s also harbored a few hardware companies, notably the one that blew out Kickstarter funding records with Pebble Watch this month .

If you love watching TV shows on Hulu but don’t have a cable subscription, things could get a bit more complicated in the near future. According to the New York Post , Hulu could soon start requiring its users to prove that they also have a cable or satellite subscription. This would obviously turn Hulu’s current business model on its head

The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) finally got its will today. According to a ruling by Britain’s High Court, UK Internet providers must now block access to Swedish file-sharing site The Pirate Bay

ifeelgoods has a brilliant idea — letting you earn Facebook Credits for ecommerce purchases or following a brand on Twitter — but now it has to convince big companies and shopping sites to adopt its tech.

For game developers who thought about applying for the $100,000 Build Fund from rewards network Kiip but didn’t get around to it yet — good news! The deadline has been extended from today until May 30.

The race to be the “Instagram for video” is hotter than ever, and Socialcam , the app that spun out of video sharing pioneer Justin.tv last year and was part of Y Combinator’s winter 2012 class , is hustling hard for the lead.

SalesVu , the maker of a mobile payments service designed for business customers, is launching a major update with SalesVu 2.0, live now in the iTunes App Store . The company is somewhat similar to Square, in that it also includes a dongle that plugs into an iPhone or iPad and works alongside an accompanying mobile application. However, the company is focused on providing tools that address more complex business needs than simply taking credit cards via a mobile device.

Google is announcing some new search advertising features designed to help advertisers drive more app downloads, and to track those downloads. The first feature, an Ad Extension , seems aimed at companies who have both a standard Web presence and an app to promote

According to Akamai ‘s latest State of the Internet report , the average Internet connection speed around the world was 2.3 Mbps by the end of 2011. That’s down about 14% from the previous quarter.

Microsoft really wants to make sure it can compete against Amazon and Apple in the e-books space — and it’s putting its money where its mouth is. In addition to the $300 million Microsoft is investing for a 17.6 percent stake in Newco , the un-named subsidiary that will now house B&N’s Nook and other digital businesses, it looks like it is putting other money towards the venture, according to the 8-K form filed by Barnes & Noble earlier today.