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AP Technology NewsBrief at 1:44 p.m. EST
(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) To get NBC, Comcast still has persuading to doWASHINGTON (AP) _ Before Comcast Corp. can transform the entertainment business by taking control of NBC Universal, it must convince Washington that the plan won't hurt rivals and consumers. And the promises the cable company has made so far don't impress opponents who want federal regulators to attach strict conditions to the deal. To show that it would not abuse its control over NBC's broadcast networks, cable TV channels and movie studios, the nation's largest cable provider is making nine pledges, including a vow not to move the NBC broadcast network to cable and a commitment to expand public interest programming.
Pope to priests: Go forth and blogVATICAN CITY (AP) _ Pope Benedict XVI has a new commandment for priests struggling to get their message across: Go forth and blog. The pope, whose own presence on the Web has heavily grown in recent years, urged priests on Saturday to use all multimedia tools at their disposal to preach the Gospel and engage in dialogue with people of other religions and cultures.
Berlusconi moves to impose Internet regulationMILAN (AP) _ Silvio Berlusconi is moving to extend his grip on Italy's media to the freewheeling Internet world of Google and YouTube. Going beyond other European countries, the premier's government has drafted a decree that would mandate the vetting of videos for pornographic or violent content uploaded by users onto such sites as YouTube, owned by Google, and the France-based Dailymotion, as well as blogs and online newsmedia.
China slams US criticism of Internet controlsBEIJING (AP) _ Beijing issued a stinging response Friday to Hillary Rodham Clinton's criticism that it is jamming the free flow of words and ideas on the Internet, accusing the United States of damaging relations between the two countries by imposing its "information imperialism" on China. Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu defended China's policies regarding the Web, saying the nation's Internet regulations were in line with Chinese law and did not hamper the cyber activities of the world's largest online population. His remarks follow those made by the U.S. secretary of state, who in a speech Thursday criticized countries engaging in cyberspace censorship, and urged China to investigate computer attacks against Google.
Astronauts finally get Internet access in spaceCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) _ In a high tech first _ really, really high _ astronauts in space finally have Internet access. Space station resident Timothy (TJ) Creamer had been working with flight controllers to establish Internet access from his orbital post ever since he moved in last month. On Friday, his effort paid off. He posted the first live Twitter post truly from space.
Google co-founders to sell $5.5B combined in stockSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Google Inc. co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are relinquishing some of their control over the Internet search leader with the sale of 10 million shares worth $5.5 billion at current prices. Under a plan disclosed Friday, the longtime business partners will each sell 5 million Google shares during a five-year period that will commence with the first trade.
Judge cuts $2M penalty in MN song-sharing caseMINNEAPOLIS (AP) _ A federal judge on Friday drastically reduced a nearly $2 million verdict against a Minnesota woman found guilty last year of sharing 24 songs over the Internet, calling the jury's penalty "monstrous and shocking." U.S. District Judge Michael Davis reduced the $1.92 million penalty a jury imposed against Jammie Thomas-Rasset of Brainerd to $2,250 per song, or about $54,000.
Venture capital investments decline in 4th qtrSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Venture capitalists invested less money in U.S. startups in the fourth quarter and showed signs of spreading out those fewer dollars among more companies, reflecting continued caution amid uncertainty about the economy. The shaky economy has meant that startups are less likely to find buyers or complete initial public offerings. Venture capitalists, in turn, have a harder time seeing returns on their investments, making them less likely to invest in new companies.
Google shows renewed vigor with robust 4Q resultsSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Google Inc. appears to have regained its financial stride after wobbling through most of 2009. The Internet search leader strutted its stuff in the fourth quarter, producing a profit that blew past analyst estimates while revenue growth accelerated from a leisurely stroll to a quickening gallop.
Sony Ericsson Q4 loss narrows 9 percentSTOCKHOLM (AP) _ Mobile phone maker Sony Ericsson on Friday said its loss in the fourth quarter narrowed 9 percent from a year ago to (EURO)167 million ($235 million), as improved margins and lower costs offset a slump in sales. The figure compared with a (EURO)187 million loss last year, but sales fell 40 percent as the joint venture between LM Ericsson and Sony Corp. was caught unprepared by consumers' rapid shift to touch screen phones.
(c) 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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