[October 01, 2008]

AP Technology NewsBrief at 3:37 p.m. EDT

(AP Online Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Allstate testing whether games can improve drivingNEW YORK (AP) _ Could playing computer games enhance mental agility enough to turn people over 50 into better drivers? Allstate Corp. wants to find out, and if the answer is yes, it might offer insurance discounts to people who play the games. Under a new pilot program called InSight, Allstate will offer specialized computer games to 100,000 customers in Pennsylvania aged 50 to 75. The games' developer, San Francisco-based Posit Science, will track the total number of hours these drivers play.

Apple drops secrecy pledge for iPhone developersSEATTLE (AP) _ Apple Inc. will no longer force iPhone software developers to sign a nondisclosure agreement that many had said was hampering their ability to work. The switch, announced Wednesday, comes a week after the introduction of the first phone loaded with Google Inc.'s Android software, an open-source operating system that lets developers make and sell programs without restriction.

Congress passes bill to help save Internet radioWASHINGTON (AP) _ Congress has cleared the way for a potential agreement intended to save the emerging Internet radio market from a crippling hike in copyright royalty rates. The measure, which was sponsored by Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Wash., and now heads to the president, would green-light an anticipated deal between Webcasters and SoundExchange, a nonprofit that collects royalties for recording copyright owners from Internet radio stations and other digital radio services.

Review: Xpaper eases digitizing of paper documentsSIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) _ Promises of the paperless office have been circulating ever since the first IBM clones started showing up on desks in the early 1980s. Yet we're still tied to printed documents and there's no sign that's going to change. With that in mind, the Xpaper PDF digital writing system from Talario Inc. ($400 for use with Windows XP, $450 for Vista) is designed to improve a computer's relationship with the paper document.

Hollywood studios agree to digital rolloutLOS ANGELES (AP) _ Five Hollywood studios have agreed to help pay for an expanded rollout of digital technology in movie theaters, a precursor to more 3-D screens. Digital Cinema Implementation Partners, a consortium of major theater chains, is set to announce the deal Wednesday. The amount of the studios will contribute has yet to be revealed.

Hollywood aims to block RealNetworks' DVD softwareLOS ANGELES (AP) _ 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. The studios stand to lose key revenue from the sale of DVDs, estimated by Adams Media Research at $15 billion in the U.S. this year, if consumers stop buying DVDs and instead copy rental discs from outlets like Netflix and Blockbuster.

NY regulators get tough on Verizon FiOS installsNEW YORK (AP) _ 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. Poorly grounded equipment or cables could give electrical shocks or start fires, but there have been no reports of FiOS equipment causing harm to people or property, Verizon said.

Google stock fell on error; Nasdaq raises closeSEATTLE (AP) _ The last-minute pounding Wall Street gave Google's shares was caused by "erroneous orders" that Nasdaq says it is canceling. Minutes before the closing bell Tuesday, a flurry of trades sent the Web search leader's stock plummeting 10 percent to close at $341.43.

Starz deal adds more streamed movies to NetflixNEW YORK (AP) _ 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. The world's largest online movie rental service and Starz, a subsidiary of conglomerate Liberty Media Corp., were planning to announce Wednesday that Starz titles were being added to the "Watch Instantly" feature of Netflix's Web site.

AT&T chairman says credit woes crimping operationsGOLDSBORO, N.C. (AP) _ The tightening of the global credit markets is crimping the world's largest telecommunications company. AT&T Inc. Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson said Tuesday that his company was unable to sell any commercial paper last week for terms longer than overnight. Commercial paper, which helps lubricate the flow of business operations, is a short-term IOU available to corporations that banks usually know are good for the money.

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