Topping tech headlines on Tuesday, Apple announced a record 74.5 million iPhones sold during the fourth quarter.



That's almost double the 39.3 million shipped in the previous quarter, though buyers were undoubtedly awaiting the fall launch of the larger iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. With the help of 21.5 million iPad sales over the holiday quarter, Cupertino's revenue grew 30 percent to $74.6 billion. And it's likely to rise even more when the Apple Watch starts shipping in April, starting at $349.



In other news, Google confirmed that it will roll out its super-fast gigabit Internet service in 18 cities across four metro areas: Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville, and Raleigh-Durham. The next step, according to the Web giant, is to "work with cities to create a detailed map of where we can put our thousands of miles of fiber."



Meanwhile, Twitter is rolling out group Direct Messaging and a new mobile video experience. The group message feature promises the same privacy of Direct Messages, but in a shared space, among multiple people and brands. It is also compatible with Twitter's new video service, which allows users to capture, edit, and share clips directly from the app.



Be sure to check out a few other stories making headlines in the links below.