TC Roundup: Alibaba buys controlling stake in digital marketing firm AdChina

Alibaba buys controlling stake in digital marketing firm AdChina: China's e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd said on Wednesday it had bought a controlling stake in online marketing company AdChina, an investment aimed at bolstering its advertising business.

Alibaba did not close the size of the deal or the stake it would take in AdChina, a Shanghai-based firm founded in 2007. The internet marketing firm, which generated $51 million in sales in 2011, had filed for a $100 million initial public offering in Feb. 2012, but pulled the listing a year later. (Reuters)

Google translate now does real-time voice and sign translations on mobile: Google Translate is already a hugely useful app for anyone who lives overseas or travels regularly, and it just got even smarter on mobile. A new update to the Android and iOS apps that is rolling out today introduces two very spiffy features: real-time voice and sign translation.

The app has already offered image-based translation, but now the magic occurs without any delay at all… and — best of all for regular travelers — it works offline. (Tech Crunch)

To fight hackers, Obama wants companies to share threats: U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday will announce a renewed push for cyber security legislation after recent headline-grabbing hacks against companies like Sony Pictures and Home Depot.

Obama will throw his support behind efforts to give liability protection to companies that quickly share information about attacks, but will require strict protections for personal information, the White House said in a statement. (Recode)