Authorities shut down vast spam operation
CHICAGO, 8:59 a.m. Oct. 14 (AP)
Federal authorities in Chicago say they've shut down one of the largest spam e-mail operations in the world. The Federal Trade Commission says the group generated e-mails promoting sales of prescription drugs and “male enhancement” pills.
The FTC says authorities closed the operation by working with their counterparts in New Zealand.
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HONOLULU, 11:10 a.m. Oct. 15 (AP)
Digital TV switch to come to Hawaii early: The nationwide switch to digital television will come to a little early to Hawaii, because of the endangered Hawaiian dark-rumped petrel.
12:57 p.m. Oct. 14 (AP)
'Dead Space,' 'Silent Hill' deliver the chills: Like Christmas season, the Halloween season seems to get longer every year. My local grocery store starts selling Halloween candy the day after Labor Day, and costumes have been on display at the mall for more than a month now. And if you work on Wall Street, you've experienced more terror in the last few weeks than Freddy Krueger has dished out over the last 25 years.
WASHINGTON, 1:52 p.m. Oct. 14 (AP)
Video games feature ads for Obama's campaign: Too busy playing video games to watch presidential ads on television? Barack Obama has found you, too, by becoming the first presidential candidate to buy ad space inside a game.
LOS ANGELES, 1:40 a.m. Oct. 15 (AP)
Lawyer: 2nd teenager may be linked to MySpace hoax: The teenager who committed suicide after an Internet hoax was not the only girl exchanging messages with a fake MySpace address allegedly operated by a woman now charged in the girl's death, the woman's lawyer said.
CUPERTINO, 1:36 p.m. Oct. 14 (AP)Apple to offer $999 entry laptop, better graphics: Apple Inc. touched up its line of laptop computers Tuesday with a minimal nod to the economic turmoil that might push consumers to be more frugal this holiday shopping season.
NEW YORK, 12:20 p.m. Oct. 13 (AP)
Joost relaunching TV site as online shows abound: Forget about the boob tube. Places to watch TV on the Internet are proliferating, from NBC Universal and News Corp.'s Hulu to Joost – a site that plans to relaunch Tuesday to make it a more interactive experience.
SALT LAKE CITY, 6:15 p.m. Oct. 13 (AP)Web site lets kids report school bullies incognito: Hoping to combat the “snitch” label that often leads to silent suffering, six Utah schools have introduced a Web site that allows students to anonymously report bullies. NEW YORK, 2:07 p.m. Oct. 13 (AP)
New service to stop loose lips from crashing cars: When David Teater's 12-year-old son, Joe, was killed in 2004 by a driver who was talking on a cell phone, he tried to cut back on his own habit of driving and talking. It turned out to be very difficult.
NISKAYUNA, N.Y., 7:20 a.m. Oct. 10 (AP)
Flexible OLEDs could be part of lighting's future: On a bank of the Mohawk River, a windowless industrial building of corrugated steel hides something that could make floor lamps, bedside lamps, wall sconces and nearly every other household lamp obsolete.
LOS ANGELES, 6:47 a.m. Oct. 10 (AP)
Sony seeks to harmonize music, electronics: Now that Sony Corp. and Bertelsmann AG have broken off their troubled relationship, known as Sony BMG, the Japanese company hopes to harmonize its consumer electronics and its music, a duo that was badly out of sync.
HELSINKI, 4:25 a.m. Oct. 10 (REUTERS)
Mobile gaming firms eye Nokia, Apple boost in 2009: Mobile gaming companies say they will book few new sales from Nokia's N-Gage phones or Apple's iPhone, but are betting on a market boost next year as more phones of these kinds are taken up by consumers.
Oct. 9 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Broadcom, Qualcomm rift widens: Rival chipmaker Broadcom has expanded its legal battle with Qualcomm, filing a lawsuit in federal court in San Diego seeking to void some of Qualcomm's patent rights along with its contracts with cell phone manufacturers.
CHICAGO, 11:29 a.m. Oct. 9 (AP)
AP IMPACT: GPS could save airlines time and fuel: A World War II-era air traffic network that often forces planes to take longer, zigzagging routes is costing U.S. airlines billions of dollars in wasted fuel while an upgrade to a satellite-based system has languished in the planning stages for more than a decade.
NEW YORK, 6:16 a.m. Oct. 8 (AP)
BlackBerry Storm has touch screen you can feel: Research in Motion Ltd., maker of the BlackBerry, is taking on Apple Inc. with a touch-screen phone that puts a new twist on the technology.
Oct. 8 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Mail Goggles a buffer for besotted scribes: Say you've been out on the town, and through no fault of your own, the bartender overserved you. At home at your computer, you decide there are a few things you must tell your ex or your boss – words that will hurt more than your head the next morning.
BRUSSELS, Belgium, 5:21 a.m. Oct. 8 (AP)
EU proposes increased rights for Internet shoppers: The European Commission wants to give Internet shoppers more rights and better protection, in an effort to boost Internet shopping across the continent and provide consumers with more competitive prices.
NEW YORK, 11:12 a.m. Oct. 7 (AP)
Web ad sales dipped from previous quarter: U.S. Internet advertising revenue dipped slightly in the second quarter from the previous three-month period, which likely is a ripple effect from the bad economy given that prior to 2008 the market had seen several consecutive quarters of increases.
RICHMOND, Va., 7:31 a.m. Oct. 7 (AP)
Circuit City working with advisers: Circuit City Stores Inc. is working with advisers to determine how to substantially improve the nation's No. 2 consumer electronic retailer's operating and financial performance.
NEW YORK, 6:45 a.m. Oct. 7 (REUTERS)Credit crunch, economy squeeze U.S. phone companies: U.S. phone companies, once regarded as resilient to economic crises, are feeling the pinch of this downturn as frozen credit markets stall the mergers and investments they need to grow and compete against cable services. NEW YORK, 5:41 a.m. Oct. 7 (REUTERS)
Rambus says top U.S. court denies Samsung appeal: Memory chip technology developer Rambus Inc said Tuesday that the United States Supreme Court ruled in its favor in a long-running patent dispute with Samsung Electronics Co Ltd. NEW YORK, 6:43 a.m. Oct. 7 (REUTERS)
Corning to cut spending and possibly capacity: Corning Inc, the world's largest maker of glass for liquid crystal display televisions and computers, said Tuesday that it would cut capital spending in 2008 and 2009, had stopped outside hiring and might curtail production capacity because of spreading economic worries. TAIPEI, Taiwan, 6:44 a.m. Oct. 7 (AP)
Asustek's low-priced Eee PC helps boost revenue: A low-price laptop product line is helping Taiwan's Asustek Computer Inc. generate record revenue despite signs of slowing global growth, a senior company executive said Tuesday.
NEW YORK, 9:31 a.m. Oct. 6 (REUTERS)
Netflix trims outlook and shares sink: Online DVD rental company Netflix Inc cut its fourth-quarter outlook, blaming the U.S. economic turmoil for weaker-than-expected subscriber growth in the third quarter and driving its shares down 11 percent.
DETROIT, 7:51 a.m. Oct. 6 (AP)
Ford feature will let parents set limits for teens: So you think junior is a little too lead-footed when he drives the family car? Starting next year, Ford Motor Co. will give you the power to do something about it.
WASHINGTON, 10:36 a.m. Oct. 6 (REUTERS)
Cox did not infringe Verizon patents-jury: Cox Communications did not infringe patents owned by Verizon Communications , a jury in Virginia decided Monday.
WASHINGTON, 7:10 a.m. Oct. 6 (AP)
Top court stays out of DVR patent fight: The Supreme Court is refusing to disturb a $74 million judgment against Dish Network Corp. for violating a patent held by TiVo involving digital video recorders.
NEW YORK, 6:15 a.m. Oct. 6 (AP)
Ask.com hopes to make search faster, more relevant: Assuming your company's name isn't a verb synonymous with looking things up online, how do you get Web surfers to not just try your search engine, but also frequent it?
HARTFORD, Conn., 3:20 a.m. Oct. 6 (AP)
Connecticut towns grapple with new Web law: Harwinton residents hoping to learn about recycling policies and library hours online are out of luck.
WASHINGTON, 1:00 p.m. Oct. 5 (AP)
Calling card business is easy market to enter: One reason that the prepaid calling card market is ripe for fraud and deception is that it is so easy to get into the business.
WASHINGTON, 12:54 p.m. Oct. 5 (AP)
Fraud plagues prepaid calling card market: Rosalba Posada can tick off a list of problems she has encountered trying to use prepaid calling cards to stay in touch with family back in Colombia.
HONG KONG/BEIJING, 4:07 a.m. Oct. 3 (REUTERS)
Skype's China spying sparks anger, despair: Savvy Internet users in China began avoiding the version of Skype offered by its Chinese partner two years ago, but news it filtered and recorded text messages has sparked new worries about the global firm's commitment to privacy.
NEW YORK, 7:30 a.m. Oct. 1 (REUTERS)
MTV sees more ads with social nets, video metrics: MTV Networks will track second-by-second viewing of Web commercials and videos, and link viewer online communities built around its TV programs, the network's digital chief said in an interview focused on the company's new advertising strategy.
NEW YORK, 2:01 p.m. Oct. 1 (AP)Computers help docs spot breast cancer on X-rays: A computer is as good as a second pair of eyes for helping a radiologist spot breast cancer on a mammogram, one of the largest and most rigorous tests of computer-aided detection found.
NEW YORK, 1:29 p.m. Oct. 1 (AP)
TechBits package: From “Spider-Man 3” to “No Country for Old Men,” Netflix Inc. is making another 2,500 movies, TV shows and concerts available for instant viewing through a deal with Starz Entertainment LLC.
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., 6:14 a.m. Oct. 1 (AP)NY victim uses remote logon to nab theft suspect: A laptop thief got caught – after the computer owner tracked him remotely. Jose Caceres said he used a remote access program to log on every day and watch his computer being used, and then tipped off police, leading to the arrest of a 34-year-old male suspect. NEW YORK, 1:42 p.m. Sept. 30 (AP)
NY regulators get tough on Verizon FiOS installs: New York regulators have raised the possibility of banning Verizon Communications Inc. from installing its fiber-optic FiOS service in New York City until the company makes sure it's doing enough to provide electrical grounding for its equipment in homes. LOS ANGELES, 12:48 p.m. Sept. 30 (AP)
Hollywood aims to block RealNetworks' DVD software: Hollywood's six major movie studios on Tuesday sued RealNetworks Inc. to prevent it from distributing DVD copying software that they said would allow consumers to “rent, rip and return” movies or even copy friends' DVD collections outright.
OSLO, 7:37 a.m. Sept. 30 (REUTERS)
Ballmer sees global crisis hitting Microsoft: Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said on Tuesday the global financial crisis will sap consumer and business spending, affecting all companies, including his own.
OSLO, Norway, 7:16 a.m. Sept. 30 (AP)
Norway to be key Microsoft search center: Microsoft Corp. will use its $1.2 billion purchase of Oslo company Fast Search and Transfer ASA to form key, Norway-based research and development centers for its business search systems, Chief Executive Steve Ballmer announced Tuesday.
5:40 a.m. Sept. 30 (AP)
Game news: Sony's 'LittleBigPlanet' gets creative: Real news from the virtual world: JUST LIKE HOMEMADE: The biggest mystery among this fall's video games could be Sony's “LittleBigPlanet,” a gorgeous PlayStation 3 title that combines running, jumping and puzzle-solving with a complete tool kit that allows you to assemble your own levels.
KYOTO, Japan, 2:12 a.m. Sept. 29 (REUTERS)
Kyocera wary of bubble in solar sector: The solar power sector is in a bubble, and 80 percent of companies in the industry could fail when prices of solar panels fall below the cost of making them, the head of Kyocera's solar operations said on Monday.
LOS ANGELES, 2:06 p.m. Sept. 29 (AP)Eisner brings his entertainment savvy to the Web: Since leaving the Walt Disney Co. in 2005, Michael Eisner has been all about the Internet. The former studio chief sees the Web as the future of entertainment, so he created a company dedicated to creating content for it. He also built an investment firm that aims to transform the Topps Co.,
NEW YORK, 1:57 p.m. Sept. 26 (AP)
MySpace songs launch irks independent music group: MySpace's new music service managed to bring major record labels together, but a group that licenses song rights for thousands of independent labels feels left out and angry, partly because indie musicians were a big reason the social networking site rose to prominence in the first place.
5:34 a.m. Sept. 29 (AP)
Sprint begins mobile WiMax network in Baltimore: Sprint Nextel Corp. opened its new wireless network to customers in Baltimore on Monday, offering Internet service for laptops for $30 per month. It's the first commercial network in the U.S. to use so-called WiMax technology for mobile customers.
WATERTOWN, Mass., 4:49 p.m. Sept. 26 (AP)Apple makes iTunes more accessible for the blind: Most teens listen to their music on digital players, but Cory Cadlik, who is blind, had to ask for help when he wanted to buy songs for his iPod from the online music store iTunes. NEW YORK, 1:10 p.m. Sept. 26 (REUTERS)
Hole in Adobe software allows free movie downloads: A security hole in Adobe Systems Inc software, used to distribute movies and TV shows over the Internet, is giving users free access to record and copy from Amazon.com Inc's video streaming service. 8:23 a.m. Sept. 26 (AP)
Review: 'de Blob' is fun, visually stunning: After immersing myself in the colorful world of THQ's “de Blob” for many hours, I was quickly able to come to two conclusions about this new Wii platform game.
TOKYO, 7:22 a.m. Sept. 26 (AP)
Japan's online social scene isn't so social: Like a lot of 20-year-olds, Kae Takahashi has a page on U.S.-based MySpace, and there is no mistaking it for anyone else's.
MIAMI, 9:58 a.m. Sept. 25 (AP)
BYOC: Company gives workers unusual laptop leeway: In a nod to how finicky people have become about the gadgets they use, software company Citrix Systems Inc. is rolling out a new program for its workers: BYOC – Bring Your Own Computer.
SEATTLE, 1:05 p.m. Sept. 25 (AP)
Web post inflames post-shooting emotions in Wash.: A Washington state man who wrote on a newspaper Web site that he was going to shoot up a shopping mall says he was just making a point after a mentally disturbed man went on a shooting spree. But prosecutors say he was making a threat.
NEW YORK, 2:22 a.m. Sept. 25 (AP)
Review: Lifestreaming sites can organize Web lives: Slowly but surely, my online life has spiraled out of control. Between posting photos on Flickr, updating my status on Facebook, blogging and commenting on and perusing various other sites, I'm having trouble keeping all my activities straight. And keeping track of what my friends are up to on the Web gets even harder.
WASHINGTON, 8:32 a.m. Sept. 25 (AP)
FCC revives emergency communications plan: The Federal Communications Commission approved a new framework for the creation of a nationwide emergency communications network Thursday amid concerns that the ongoing economic crisis may make it difficult to attract investors.
SALT LAKE CITY, 12:45 a.m. Sept. 25 (AP)
Tweet: Utah govt. gives live updates: In Utah government, blogging is becoming so 2007. The new cool for state agencies and politicians is quickly becoming Twitter, a social networking and micro-blogging service that allows people to post 140 character updates from the Internet and cell phones that can be read online or via text message.
NEW YORK, 2:14 a.m. Sept. 24 (AP)
NYC transit added to Google's map service: Google has added the nation's biggest public transportation system to its popular mapping service, showing travelers how to navigate New York City's mass transit system.
SAN FRANCISCO, 2:46 p.m. Sept. 24 (AP)
TechBits package: Digg Inc., an Internet startup that specializes in rating news stories, is making a little news of its own with a $28.7 million round of financing. The investment announced Wednesday should squelch recurring rumors of a sale to Google Inc. or Microsoft Corp.
MADISON, Wis., 4:35 p.m. Sept. 24 (AP)Pentagon contest sparks ideas for better batteries: The final phase of a high-stakes military contest began this week in the California desert as teams tested battery systems designed to be powerful enough to sustain soldiers' energy needs but light enough for them to wear on their vests. SALT LAKE CITY, 1:45 p.m. Sept. 24 (AP)
Tweet: Utah govt. gives live updates: In Utah government, blogging is becoming so 2007. The new cool for state agencies and politicians is quickly becoming Twitter, a social networking and micro-blogging service that allows people to post 140 character updates from the Internet and cell phones that can be read online or via text message. NEW YORK, 2:21 p.m. Sept. 24 (AP)
Yahoo launches major upgrade to display ad system: Yahoo Inc. launched a much-anticipated upgrade to its online advertising system Wednesday as it tries to bring to graphical display ads some of the innovations that powered Google Inc.'s rapid rise in search marketing.
NEW YORK, 1:24 p.m. Sept. 24 (AP)
Study: Work e-mail use creeps into off hours: Joe Soto, general manager of an advertising firm in Philadelphia, has a complicated relationship with his BlackBerry e-mail phone.
WASHINGTON, 1:36 p.m. Sept. 23 (AP)
Digital TV transition concerns get technical: Even if all goes smoothly, next February's digital television shift is likely to generate hundreds of thousands of complaints from television viewers around the country.
NEW YORK, 2:16 p.m. Sept. 22 (AP)
T-Mobile set to launch first Google-powered phone: Google Inc.'s announcement last year that it would give away software that could run cell phones was met by dizzy accolades from analysts who thought it would let the search engine company conquer the world of mobile advertising.
LOS ANGELES, 12:59 p.m. Sept. 19 (AP)
Real estate search dials into mobile phones: Even as home sales remain in a prolonged skid, there's something of a Gold Rush to develop software and Web sites designed to turn mobile phones into divining rods for real estate listings and neighborhood information.
CUPERTINO, 2:29 p.m. Sept. 19 (AP)Apple recalls tiny iPhone 3G power adapters: Apple Inc. on Friday advised iPhone 3G users in many countries to replace the device's power adapter following reports that metal prongs broke off and stuck in power outlets, creating a risk of electric shock. NEW YORK, 11:52 a.m. Sept. 19 (AP)
Financial Web sites get busy amid turmoil: A volatile week on Wall Street drew heavy traffic to financial Web sites, as investors hastened to check their portfolios or move money around in what was dubbed the worst financial meltdown since the Great Depression. PHILADELPHIA, 3:11 p.m. Sept. 18 (AP)
Cable, led by Cablevision, mulls network DVR: If the nation's largest cable TV operators have their way, the home digital video recorder could soon become a relic.
11:20 a.m. Sept. 18 (AP)
Review: Updated Zunes, iPods make choice harder:
STANFORD, 6:00 a.m. Sept. 17 (REUTERS)
Self-flying helicopter gets off ground: A four-foot-long helicopter flew itself over the Stanford University campus on Monday in a test of artificial intelligence that researchers say could be used to scout wildfires or on military missions.
SAN FRANCISCO, 9:03 p.m. Sept. 16 (AP)
Tesla Motors to build electric sedan in California: When Tesla Motors Inc. began taking orders last year for its all-electric sports car, celebrities lined up to purchase the sleek zero-emission vehicle with the six-digit sticker price.
CHICAGO, 9:00 a.m. Sept. 16 (AP)
Survey: Nearly every kid a video gamer: Katherine Graden doesn't really like shoot-'em-up video games. She prefers games on her Wii system that test her fitness and agility – the ones her guy friends tease are her “sissy games.”
6:49 a.m. Sept. 16 (AP)
New 'Star Wars' game goes to the dark side: Remember that sense of wonder you felt the first time you saw “Star Wars”? Me neither.
RICHMOND, Va., 7:17 a.m. Sept. 12 (AP)
Va. court strikes down anti-spam law: The Virginia Supreme Court has declared the state's anti-spam law unconstitutional. The unanimous ruling Friday reversed the conviction of a man once considered one of the world's most prolific spammers. The court agreed with Jeremy Jaynes' claim that the anti-spam law violates free speech protections under the First Amendment.
SUNNYVALE, 1:57 p.m. Sept. 11 (AP)
Yahoo's home page, other sections to get makeover: Yahoo Inc. is preparing to tweak several popular sections of its Web site, including its home page, during the next few months to accommodate more material from rival services as the Internet company tries to polish its tarnished franchise.
ARTHUR, N.D., 3:31 a.m. Sept. 12 (AP)
ND telepharmacy project expands across country: As recently as three years ago, many elderly residents in this part of southeastern North Dakota were forced to order their medications by mail.
BRUSSELS, Belgium, 5:55 a.m. Sept. 11 (AP)
EU justice chief welcomes Google privacy move: The EU's top justice official on Thursday welcomed a recent move by Google Inc. to cut the time it keeps users' search details.
NEW YORK, 1:18 p.m. Sept. 10 (AP)
Review: Peek is e-mail on the go, and that's it: It's hard to remember now, but the first BlackBerry devices weren't phones. They were two-way e-mail pagers that couldn't be used for calls.
SAN FRANCISCO, 2:05 a.m. Sept. 10 (AP)
Facebook unveils new look with a new approach: Since he started Facebook in college 4½ years ago, Mark Zuckerberg has learned – sometimes painfully – that he can't make significant changes to the popular online hangout without triggering an uproar among indignant users who preferred the status quo.
FORT SMITH, Ark., 7:45 p.m. Sept. 9 (AP)
Ark. boy charged with MySpace threat meant as joke: A teenager in Arkansas has been charged with posting threats on a MySpace page even though he wasn't planning an attack.
SAN FRANCISCO, 11:05 a.m. Sept. 9 (AP)Apple unveils new iPods but shares slip: Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs took the wraps off a revamped line of iPods on Tuesday and trumpeted a truce with NBC Universal that means the TV network will begin selling programs again on iTunes. 11:03 a.m. Sept. 9 (AP)
'Spore' turns evolution into an adventure: Will Wright is one of just a handful of celebrities in the world of computer game design. Like his contemporaries Shigeru Miyamoto (the Mario series) and Sid Meier (“Civilization”), he has a level of prestige similar to, say, Steven Spielberg or Martin Scorsese in Hollywood. SAN FRANCISCO, 10:30 a.m. Sept. 9 (AP)
Apple's Jobs jokes about rumors about his health: Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs is joking about the speculation on his health. Jobs kicked off an Apple event in San Francisco on Tuesday by flashing a message on a screen that “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”
WASHINGTON, 8:51 a.m. Sept. 9 (AP)
Justice signals challenge to Google-Yahoo deal: In a possible blow to Yahoo Inc.'s hopes for an advertising partnership with Google Inc., the Justice Department has hired an antitrust litigator to review evidence for what could become a legal challenge to the deal.
8:27 p.m. Sept. 8 (AP)
Game news: 'GTA IV' hits 10 million, EA meets ESPN: Real news from the virtual world: BIG WHEELS: How huge is “Grand Theft Auto IV”? Take-Two Interactive announced that it has sold 10 million copies of the game since its April 29 launch. To put that in perspective, 2007's best-selling video game, “Halo 3,” sold just 4.8 million.
WILMINGTON, N.C., 4:28 p.m. Sept. 8 (AP)
Wilmington, NC becomes the first to go digital: With the flick of an 8-foot switch at midday Monday, this Southern city became the first market in the U.S. to make the change to digital-only broadcasting.
NEW YORK, 1:45 p.m. Sept. 8 (AP)RealNetworks releasing DVD copying software: RealNetworks Inc. plans to begin selling software that lets people copy DVDs to their PCs, which might be convenient for on-the-go movie buffs but could incite some wrath in Hollywood.
HELSINKI, 5:23 a.m. Sept. 8 (REUTERS)
RIM up, Nokia down in smartphone market: Blackberry maker RIM was the biggest winner in a slowing smartphone market in the second quarter, roughly doubling its market share from a year ago to 17.4 percent, research firm Gartner said on Monday.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, 9:07 p.m. Sept. 5 (AP)
Google reigns as world's most powerful 10-year-old: When Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded Google Inc. on Sept. 7, 1998, they had little more than their ingenuity, four computers and an investor's $100,000 bet on their belief that an Internet search engine could change the world.
NEW YORK, 12:06 p.m. Sept. 5 (AP)New Seinfeld ad draws negative reviews online: No soup for Microsoft? The software giant's new ad starring Jerry Seinfeld has drawn largely negative reviews online after premiering Thursday night during NBC's broadcast of the National Football League's season kickoff game. SEOUL, South Korea, 7:24 a.m. Sept. 5 (AP)
Report: Samsung working to acquire SanDisk: Samsung Electronics Co. is pursuing an acquisition of U.S. computer memory card maker SanDisk Corp., a South Korean online business newspaper reported Friday.
MOSCOW, 6:32 a.m. Sept. 5 (AP)
Russia's MTS to sell Apple iPhone: Russia's number one cell operator MTS said Friday it has signed a deal with Apple Inc. to sell the iPhone in Russia.
NEW YORK, 8:18 a.m. Sept. 5 (AP)Charges dismissed against cyclist in YouTube shove: A judge has dismissed criminal charges against the bicyclist who was body-checked by a New York City policeman in a widely viewed YouTube video.
TRENTON, N.J., 2:10 a.m. Sept. 4 (AP)
Facebook to test NJ's Web safety icon: The popular social networking Web site Facebook has agreed to test replacing its own link for reporting abuse with a bigger one developed by the New Jersey Attorney General's Office.
WASHINGTON, 11:00 a.m. Sept. 4 (AP)
Comcast appeals FCC Web traffic-blocking decision: Comcast Corp. is appealing an FCC ruling that the company is improperly blocking customers' Web traffic, triggering a legal battle that could determine the extent of the government's authority to regulate the Internet.
TOKYO, 6:17 a.m. Sept. 4 (AP)Sony recalls laptops for possible overheating: Sony Corp. is recalling 440,000 Vaio laptop computers worldwide because of a wiring flaw that could cause overheating.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, 1:42 p.m. Sept. 2 (AP)
Google polishes product line with Chrome browser: The new Web browser that Google Inc. released Tuesday is designed to expand its huge lead in the Internet search market and reduce Microsoft Corp.'s imprint on personal computers.
NEW YORK, 7:00 a.m. Sept. 2 (REUTERS)
DuPont to expand production of Tedlar films: U.S. chemical and electronic materials maker DuPont Co said Tuesday it intends to expand production capacity for its Tedlar films, due to a surge in global demand for solar energy.
5:47 a.m. Sept. 2 (AP)
Game news: Hardcore gamers flock to Seattle: Real news from the virtual world: GIVE PAX A CHANCE: What do you get when you invite about 45,000 hardcore gamers to Seattle for the weekend? You get the Penny Arcade Expo, the fan festival that's exploded in popularity since it began in 2004, when just 3,000 people attended.
HONG KONG, 5:19 a.m. Sept. 2 (REUTERS)
Cancer, diabetes leave fingerprints in blood, serum: Diseases such as cancer and diabetes leave 'fingerprints' in the serum and blood plasma of patients and these may provide a valuable and non-invasive diagnostic tool in time to come, according to a Chinese study.
NEW YORK, 4:39 a.m. Sept. 2 (REUTERS)
MySpace to launch 'High School Musical' contest: MySpace plans to launch a contest on Tuesday to market the latest in Walt Disney Co's blockbuster franchise “High School Musical 3” in what the News Corp Internet social network called its biggest film campaign to date.
TOKYO, 2:21 a.m. Sept. 2 (AP)
Sony unveils improved PlayStation Portable: Sales are improving in Japan for Sony Corp.'s PlayStation Portable handheld video game machine, and a beefed up version with a clearer display is expected to add momentum, a senior executive said Tuesday.
NEW YORK, 11:16 a.m. Aug. 31 (AP)
Ad targeting based on ISP tracking now in doubt: It sounded like a winning proposition – free money – for Internet access providers. By tracking their subscribers' personal Web surfing habits, they could help deliver ads targeted to the consumers' interests, and claim a share of the burgeoning online advertising market dominated by Internet search companies.
WASHINGTON, 12:00 p.m. Aug. 29 (AP)
FAA outage reveals odd computing practices: When a computer glitch at a Federal Aviation Administration center caused widespread airline delays this week, it served as a reminder that the U.S. flight system is waiting for a modernizing overhaul. But it also appears the FAA's management of its existing technologies falls short of standards in other vital sectors.
NEW YORK, 9:02 a.m. Aug. 29 (AP)Phone companies prepare backup plans for Gustav: The tropical storm bearing down on the Gulf Coast could be a test for the country's wireless carriers, which faced criticism and a regulatory push after Hurricane Katrina took out networks.
LONDON, 2:20 a.m. Aug. 29 (REUTERS)
Microsoft to buy ciao.com price comparison firm: Microsoft has agreed to buy Greenfield Online, owner of European price comparison website ciao.com, for about $486 million to boost its Internet search and e-commerce business in Europe.
TOKYO, 1:52 a.m. Aug. 29 (REUTERS)Nintendo lifts profit, dividend f'cast: Nintendo Co boosted its annual profit outlook by 23 percent on white-hot demand for its Wii video game console and DS portable player, beating market expectations and sending its shares more than 8 percent higher.
1:19 p.m. Aug. 28 (AP)
Even critics give Apple a pass on iPhone 3G woes: First an iPhone price cut left early buyers feeling foolish, and then came reports that some iPods were spitting sparks. Now the new iPhone 3G has been marred by bugs, spotty service, disappearing programs for the device and a veil of secrecy over software developers trying to broaden its appeal.
SAN FRANCISCO, 5:00 a.m. Aug. 28 (REUTERS)
MySpace overtakes Yahoo in display ad views , report says: Yahoo Inc has lost its lead of the U.S. market for online display advertising to MySpace and its parent company News Corp's Fox Interactive Media and MySpace, new industry data shows.
BERLIN, 6:29 a.m. Aug. 28 (REUTERS)Toshiba may raise prices to compensate for FX: The weaker euro may slow the growth of Europe's consumer electronics sector, but the head of Toshiba Corp's European division told Reuters on Thursday the company wouldn't trim margins to maintain demand. LONDON, 5:27 a.m. Aug. 28 (REUTERS)
British hacker loses appeal, faces extradition to U.S.: A British computer expert accused by the United States of 'the biggest military hack of all time' lost an appeal on Thursday and could be extradited within weeks. ST. LOUIS, 2:25 a.m. Aug. 28 (AP)
Mo. county posts meth lab seizures online: Savvy homebuyers and residents have long taken it upon themselves to do a little amateur sleuthing, checking on the quality of schools, crime rates and whether sex offenders live in the neighborhood.
SEATTLE, 1:52 p.m. Aug. 27 (AP)
Microsoft's newest browser may block ads: The next version of Microsoft Corp.'s Web browser makes it easier for people to surf the Internet without leaving a trace.
BEIJING, 6:15 a.m. Aug. 27 (AP)
Dell unveils new PCs targeting emerging markets: Dell Inc. unveiled four low-cost computer models for China, India and other emerging economies Wednesday in a new bid to tap the potential of high-growth markets outside the United States.
Aug. 25 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Many in S.D. not ready for switch to digital TV: On Feb. 17, thousands of San Diegans will wake up to find nothing but static on their TV screens.
LONDON, 6:00 a.m. Aug. 24 (AP)
QinetiQ says it has broken unmanned flight record: An ultra-lightweight plane built from carbon fiber and powered using paper-thin solar panels has broken the world record for longest-lasting unmanned flight, its manufacturer claimed Sunday.
TEHRAN, 10:02 a.m. Aug. 23 (REUTERS)
Iran plans to launch telecoms satellite-president: Iran plans to launch a telecommunications satellite, the president said on Saturday, using missile technology the West fears is being developed to fire nuclear warheads.
NEW YORK, 7:36 a.m. Aug. 22 (AP)
Internet provider's usage cap raises questions: Three months ago, Guy Distaffen switched Internet providers, lured from his cable company to his phone company by a year of free service on a two-year contract. But soon the company quietly updated its policies to say it would limit his Internet activity each month.
SEATTLE, 3:13 a.m. Aug. 22 (AP)New Microsoft photo site spends first day offline: Microsoft Corp.'s new digital photo sharing site spent most of its first day offline as its servers strained to handle a flood of traffic. NEW DELHI, Aug 22,, 1:25 a.m. Aug. 22 (REUTERS)
iPhone launches in India minus hysteria of the West: Apple Inc.'s hugely popular 3G iPhone made its debut in India on Friday, but with a price tag of $700 there was none of the mass hysteria that marked its launch in the United States, Europe and parts of Asia last month. BEIJING, 2:38 a.m. Aug. 22 (AP)
iTunes blocked in China: Customers in China of Apple Inc.'s iTunes online music store were unable to download songs this week, and an activist group said Beijing was trying to block access to a new Tibet-themed album. PHILADELPHIA, 8:12 a.m. Aug. 22 (AP)
Telecom rollouts raise ire over utility boxes: The road to advanced video, Internet and phone services is bumpy – and the bumps can be almost as big as refrigerators.
WARSAW, Poland, 6:36 a.m. Aug. 22 (AP)
Polish company hires fake iPhone customers: A Polish mobile operator said Friday it had hired actors to stand in line to buy Apple's iPhone as the device went on sale for the first time in the eastern European country.
LONDON, 10:20 p.m. Aug. 21 (AP)
UK loses prisoner data in latest computer stumble: In another embarrassing stumble with computerized data, Britain's government confirmed Thursday that a contractor lost a memory device containing information on every prison inmate in England and Wales.
WASHINGTON, 3:44 p.m. Aug. 21 (AP)
FCC proposes ban on some wireless microphones: The Federal Communications Commission is proposing a ban on certain types of wireless microphones and has begun an investigation into how the industry markets its products.
TEHRAN, Iran, 2:39 a.m. Aug. 21 (AP)
Iran's space agency says it will send man to space: State TV says Iran's space agency aims to send an astronaut to space within 10 years. The report Thursday quotes Space Agency chief Reza Taghipoor saying the mission's timing will be decided over the next year. It gives no other details.
WASHINGTON, 8:05 p.m. Aug. 20 (AP)
FTC to ban prerecorded sales messages: After a barrage of consumer complaints, the government is banning phone calls of prerecorded sales messages unless consumers agree to receive the calls.
BEIJING, 7:26 a.m. Aug. 21 (REUTERS)
Internet users fear iPod tunes blocked in China: The downloading of music for iPod players has hit a mysterious glitch in China, stumping scores of users and raising fears the government has blocked Apple's iTunes site over pro-Tibet lyrics, analysts said on Thursday.
NEW YORK, 2:03 a.m. Aug. 21 (AP)
NYC mayor spins back his turbine idea for city: Mayor Michael Bloomberg is backing off his suggestion to put windmills on city bridges and rooftops after newspapers mocked the idea with photo illustrations of turbines on the Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State Building.
NEW YORK, 6:35 a.m. Aug. 20 (AP)
Some eBay sellers frustrated with rule changes: Some people who sell things on eBay are fed up with new rules the company has been imposing in hopes of making the auction site more attractive to online shoppers. Now even more changes are coming in the next few weeks, but this time eBay Inc. hopes it can cool tempers.
SAN FRANCISCO, 5:22 p.m. Aug. 20 (AP)
Judge: 'Dancing baby' lawsuit can proceed: A federal judge ruled Wednesday that music companies and other copyright holders must consider “fair use” of their materials before demanding YouTube and other video-sharing Web sites remove content.
11:44 a.m. Aug. 20 (AP)Review: 2 new devices mix learning with games: Your kids can learn math, how to tell time and other skills needed for school – and you don't have to pry them away from video games. NEW YORK, 11:17 a.m. Aug. 20 (REUTERS)
Palm unveils Treo Pro to battle BlackBerry: Palm Inc unveiled a Treo smartphone Wednesday based on Microsoft Corp software to compete for business users against rivals such as Research In Motion's BlackBerry.
SACRAMENTO, 10:41 a.m. Aug. 20 (AP)
Sacramento drops second effort at free Wi-Fi: Sacramento's city council has voted to end a contract with a technology company that was to have provided the city with free Internet access.
PARIS/LONDON, 9:03 a.m. Aug. 20 (REUTERS)
Ericsson, ST form mobile JV, aim to lead industry: Ericsson and STMicroelectronics have agreed to combine their wireless chip and software businesses, strengthening their hand against competitors to supply the likes of top cellphone maker Nokia.
NEW YORK, 8:02 a.m. Aug. 20 (AP)
American launches in-flight Internet on 3 routes: One of the few remaining Internet-free havens vanished Wednesday as American Airlines launched airborne e-mail, Web and other online services on some of its longer, nonstop flights.
TOKYO, 2:56 a.m. Aug. 19 (AP)
Japan reports 2 iPods overheating, suspects defect: Japan is investigating a possible battery defect in the popular iPod Nano music player after reports that two overheated in Tokyo, scorching nearby paper and a woven straw mat, a government official said Tuesday.
LOS ANGELES, 7:11 a.m. Aug. 19 (REUTERS)
Google invests $10 million in geothermal technology: Google Inc Tuesday said it would invest more than $10 million in a breakthrough geothermal energy technology.
BOSTON, 10:12 a.m. Aug. 18 (AP)
Studies: Video games can aid students, surgeons: Parents, don't put away those video games just yet – today's gamer may be tomorrow's top surgeon.
LOS ANGELES, 4:26 p.m. Aug. 15 (AP)
Military funds mind-reading research: Here's a mind-bending idea: The U.S. military is paying scientists to study ways to read people's thoughts.
NEW YORK, 8:49 a.m. Aug. 15 (AP)
Electric bikes selling briskly as gas prices climb: When Honora Wolfe and her husband moved to the outskirts of Boulder, Colo., she wanted an environmentally friendly way to commute to her job as a bookshop owner in the city.
LOS ANGELES, 11:38 a.m. Aug. 14 (AP)
NASA delays robotic moon mission until 2009: NASA has delayed the launch of an unmanned spacecraft to the moon to scout for potential landing sites for astronauts.
BERLIN, 9:36 a.m. Aug. 14 (REUTERS)
EA sees 2008 Europe industry sales up a fifth: Electronic Arts, one of the world's top two video game publishers, expects industry revenue to grow by at least 20 percent this year in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, a top executive told Reuters.
NEW YORK, 9:38 a.m. Aug. 14 (REUTERS)
Open-source pact subject to copyrights law – court: A U.S. federal appeals court has ruled that the holder of a copyright to a computer programming code made available for free public download can enforce an “open-source” copyright license to control future use of the work.
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich., 9:04 a.m. Aug. 14 (REUTERS)GM to finish electric car design by mid-September: General Motors Corp said Thursday it would finalize the design of the all-electric Chevy Volt by mid-September and aims to have 50 prototypes with production-ready parts by the end of 2008. GRANTS PASS, Ore., 1:29 a.m. Aug. 14 (AP)
Feds: Common pesticides jeopardize salmon survival: Three pesticides commonly used on farms and orchards throughout the West are jeopardizing the survival of Pacific salmon, the federal agency in charge of saving the fish from extinction has found. CUPERTINO, 2:57 a.m. Aug. 13 (AP)
Fire burns building at Apple HQ in California: Firefighters have put out a blaze that burned for more than three hours at the headquarters of computer maker Apple.
HONG KONG, 2:53 p.m. Aug. 12 (AP)
Gates marks anniversary of Microsoft research arm: Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates said Tuesday that the dramatic growth of the Internet would eventually spark a software-writing revolution.
Aug. 12 (UNION-TRIBUNE)Rise Of The Poker Bots: Using a computer to beat chess masters is so 1997. Today, programmers are gunning for the world's best Texas Hold 'em players.
8:48 a.m. Aug. 11 (AP)
20th-anniversary 'Madden NFL' is better than ever: When Electronic Arts announced the retired Brett Favre as its 20th anniversary cover boy, it looked like the notorious “Madden” curse – which had mangled the careers of Michael Vick, Donovan McNabb and Shaun Alexander – was finally broken.
SANTA CLARA, 4:28 p.m. Aug. 10 (AP)
Intel's new chip to be called Core i7: Intel Corp. said Sunday it plans to sell its new generation of chips for desktop computers under the established “Core” brand, with the first chips of the new line to be called Core i7.
SAN FRANCISCO, 12:30 a.m. Aug. 11 (AP)
Card-counting whiz eyes Facebook football fantasy: By the time he graduated from MIT, Jeff Ma already had led a life many guys dream about. His card-counting prowess at blackjack tables during wild weekends in Las Vegas and Atlantic City won him and his college buddies millions of dollars, inspiring a best-selling book and the recent movie “21.”
LAS VEGAS, 5:04 p.m. Aug. 8 (AP)
Hackers mull physical attacks on a networked world: Want to break into the computer network in an ultra-secure building? Ship a hacked iPhone there to a nonexistent employee and hope the device sits in the mailroom, scanning for nearby wireless connections.
NEW YORK, 1:44 p.m. Aug. 8 (AP)Yahoo to let visitors decline more targeted ads: Yahoo Inc. will let its Web visitors decline ads targeted to their browsing habits, becoming the latest Internet company to break from a common industry practice as Congress steps up scrutiny of customized advertising and consumer privacy.
LOS ANGELES, 11:29 a.m. Aug. 8 (AP)
'Star Trek Online' is ready to beam up: “Star Trek Online” is finally going warp speed ahead. After years in development limbo, the “Trek”-themed massively multiplayer online game will engage, according to game developer Cryptic Studios Inc.
LAS VEGAS, 6:21 a.m. Aug. 8 (AP)
Reporters booted from conference for hacking: With thousands of hackers milling around the Black Hat convention here, and widespread snooping on the public Wi-Fi network, one place was supposed to be off limits: the press room.
ST. LOUIS, 2:25 p.m. Aug. 7 (AP)3 plead guilty in online gambling case: Three men who helped promote the online gambling firm BetOnSports have pleaded guilty to federal charges. LOS ANGELES, 2:36 p.m. Aug. 7 (AP)
Favre to be a Packer on 'Madden' cover, Jet inside: Don't judge Brett Favre in “Madden NFL 09” by his cover. When the latest edition of the football video game franchise is released Tuesday, it will still feature the quarterback in his Green Bay Packers uniform – despite the fact Favre was traded to the New York Jets.
Aug. 7 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Fit to be exercised: Working out can now be as easy as playing a video game. Legendary video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto has raised the bar with Nintendo's Wii Fit exercise system for the Wii console, targeted toward getting gamers off the couch and into a workout routine.
LOS ANGELES, 11:24 a.m. Aug. 7 (AP)
'Dark Knight' reigns not in video game: It's a puzzle worthy of The Riddler: Why is there no video game based on “The Dark Knight”?
NEW YORK, 10:53 a.m. Aug. 7 (REUTERS)
PluggedIn: Libraries step into the age of iPod: It may be about time to dig out that old library card. Hoping to draw back readers, libraries have vastly expanded their lists of digital books, music, and movies that can be downloaded by their patrons to a computer or MP3 player – and it doesn't cost a cent, unlike, say, media from Apple Inc's iTunes or Amazon.com Inc .
LAS VEGAS, 9:07 p.m. Aug. 6 (AP)
Hackers target Google Gadgets: One of the biggest problems with the so-called Web 2.0 movement has been its encouragement of oversharing – which often means underestimating security risks. Adding doodads of varying quality to a home page can add a lot of pizazz, but can also be fraught with danger, since they can open a door for hackers.
NEW YORK, 1:09 p.m. Aug. 5 (AP)
11 charged in connection with credit card fraud: The Department of Justice announced Tuesday that it had charged 11 people in connection with the hacking of nine major U.S. retailers and the theft and sale of more than 41 million credit and debit card numbers.
RICHMOND, Va., 4:00 a.m. Aug. 6 (AP)
At Doggyspace, social networking goes to the dogs: Cici confesses on her Web page that she likes to greet everyone by licking their feet. Dolce admits to being a mamma's boy. And Jake and Tycho posted a video that chronicles their adventures of rolling around on their backs.
NEW YORK, 1:44 p.m. Aug. 5 (AP)Let's be friends? Online parenting's new frontier: Julia McGovern was shocked when her mom sent her a “friend” request on Facebook. She had been on the social networking site for four years and had no idea her mother even knew what it was. SAN FRANCISCO, 2:36 p.m. Aug. 5 (AP)
Giant online security hole getting fixed, slowly: A giant vulnerability in the Internet's design is allowing criminals to silently redirect traffic to Web sites under their control. The problem is being fixed, but its extent remains unknown and many people are still at risk.
ATLANTA, 6:00 a.m. Aug. 5 (AP)
Delta to offer Wi-Fi on mainline domestic fleet: Delta Air Lines Inc. said Tuesday it will offer broadband wireless Internet access on its entire domestic mainline fleet by the middle of next year.
Aug. 3 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
A battle of chips: The prototype device in the hands of Qualcomm executive Sanjay Jha looks like a sleek, ultraportable laptop. It boasts an 8.9-inch screen and full-size keyboard.
NEW YORK, 1:33 p.m. Aug. 4 (AP)
NY appeals court green-lights remote storage DVR: In a decision sure to affect millions of cable television subscribers, a federal appeals court Monday gave a green light to Cablevision Systems Corp.'s rollout of a remote-storage digital video recorder system.
DALLAS, 11:44 a.m. Aug. 4 (AP)
Blockbuster, NCR to deploy DVD vending machines: Blockbuster Inc. and NCR Corp. will be putting out 50 automated kiosks that provide DVD rentals as a pilot program that could result in 10,000 kiosks within 18 months.
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