1. Facebook introduced new friend-to-friend payments on Facebook Messenger. Now friends can split a lunch check, or settle a wager right in a chat. And, for now, zero fees.
2. Google Code shut down and moved nearly a thousand of its open source projects to GitHub. Here are a few important ways GitHub got it right where others failed.
3. Should news media drop costly native apps in favor of mobile web? Monday Note makes the case that a mobile site, lightweight and focused on a small feature set, can satisfy most use cases.
4. We’re generating an ever-larger stream of data, and that data is increasingly accessed by our connected devices to serve up relevant experiences. Many layers of data — identity, financial, etc. — combine to shape and enhance our daily activities in the Age of Context.
5. Crowdfunding platforms provide an outsized opportunity for entrepreneurs and innovators. $529 million was pledged in 2014 on Kickstarter alone. Here are 9 tips for building a successful project on Kickstarter.

Weekend fun: When you read this, I will be flying back after Harvard Men’s Basketball readily defeated UNC in the first round of March Madness. Unless, you know, Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight is right. Sports not your thing? How about a Star Wars-themed drone instead?

Every Friday, find five, highly subjective pointers to compelling technologies, emerging trends, and interesting ideas that affect how we live and work digitally. Try out the Friday 5 archive, or sign up for a weekly email.