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AP Technology NewsBrief at 12:28 a.m. EDT
(AP Online Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) China says has more people surfing the Web than USBEIJING (AP) _ China's booming Internet population has surpassed the United States to become the world's biggest, with 253 million people online despite government controls on Web use, according to government data reported Friday. The latest figure on Web use at the end of June is a 56 percent increase over the same time last year, the China Internet Network Information Center said. It said the share of the Chinese public using the Internet is still just 19.1 percent, leaving more room for rapid growth.
Creators of Scrabble knockoff on Facebook suedNEW YORK (AP) _ T-R-O-U-B-L-E could loom for a Scrabble knockoff that has become one of the most popular activities on Facebook. Hasbro Inc., the company that owns the word game's North American rights, sued the creators of the Scrabulous program on Thursday, less than two weeks after the release of an authorized version of Scrabble for Facebook.
Microsoft defends search investments to analystsREDMOND, Wash. (AP) _ Microsoft's CEO defended the software maker's decision to invest heavily in its unprofitable online business, but shed minimal light Thursday on specific steps it will take to challenge Google in the wake of the failed bid to buy Yahoo. Analysts arrived for a yearly meeting at Microsoft Corp. headquarters hoping for new details about the software maker's online strategy, on the heels of Wednesday's news that Kevin Johnson, a key executive in Microsoft's pursuit of Yahoo Inc., is stepping down.
Major shareholder advisory firm backs Yahoo boardSAN FRANCISO (AP) _ An influential shareholder advisory firm endorsed the re-election of Yahoo Inc.'s entire board Thursday, reducing the chances that the Internet company's directors will be ousted for spurning Microsoft Corp.'s $47.5 billion takeover bid during the spring. Although the board's response to the now-abandoned offer was "concerning," RiskMetrics ISS concluded that a recent truce with activist investor Carl Icahn should be enough to protect shareholder interests during the next year.
Facebook to help some programmers, punish othersSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Facebook Inc. is introducing more tools to help the software applications fueling the online hangout's popularity and is promising to intensify its efforts to weed out programs that violate its rules for protecting users' privacy. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's precocious chief executive, outlined on Wednesday the steps in a programmers' conference that underscored the growing influence of the Web site that he started 4 1/2 years ago in his Harvard University dorm room.
Amazon shares leap on strong quarterly reportNEW YORK (AP) _ Amazon.com Inc. shares leaped 13 percent Thursday after the Internet retailer showed that it doesn't seem to be bothered by the sputtering U.S. economy. On Wednesday, Amazon reported second-quarter earnings that more than doubled and easily topped analysts' expectations. It also raised its full-year revenue projections.
Embarq provides more details on Web tracking testKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ Embarq Corp. has revealed more details about its exploration of a program that tracked Internet subscribers' Web-surfing habits for advertising purposes, telling Congress that it performed the test on 26,000 customers in a Kansas town. Building on an earlier response to Rep. John Dingell, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Embarq CEO Thomas Gerke wrote in a letter late Wednesday that his Overland Park, Kan.-based company chose Gardner, Kan., for its test because it was Embarq's smallest market and near qualified technicians.
Sony opens up e-book Reader to other booksellersNEW YORK (AP) _ With the market for electronic books still relatively sleepy, Sony Corp. is trying a new tack: untethering the latest model of its e-book reading device from its own online bookstore. On Thursday, Sony will provide a software update to the Reader, a thin slab with a 6-inch screen, so the device can display books encoded in a format being adopted by several large publishers. That means Reader owners will be able to buy electronic books from stores other than Sony's.
Qualcomm earns outlook falls short of expectationsNEW YORK (AP) _ Qualcomm, the world's largest maker of chips that run cell phones, issued fourth-quarter and full-year earnings guidance Thursday that fell short of Wall Street targets, but the stock soared on a broad-ranging legal settlement. Qualcomm shares rose $8.80, or nearly 20 percent, to $53.62 in morning trading Thursday. After the close of market Wednesday, Qualcomm and Nokia Corp. announced they have ended a long-running licensing dispute and agreed to drop all legal complaints against each other in the United States, Europe and Asia.
Microsoft exec who led Yahoo buyout team to leaveSEATTLE (AP) _ Microsoft Corp. on Wednesday said Kevin Johnson, the executive in charge of its Windows and Web operations and an instrumental player in the company's failed $47.5 billion bid to buy Yahoo Inc., is leaving the company. After a short transition, Johnson will step into the role of chief executive officer at Juniper Networks Inc., a networking hardware maker, according to a person familiar with the situation.
Copyright ? 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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