TMCnet News

AP Technology NewsBrief at 4:55 p.m. EDT
[May 12, 2009]

AP Technology NewsBrief at 4:55 p.m. EDT


(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Google digging deeper to improve search resultsMOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) _ Google Inc. is about to offer new ways to narrow its search results and dig deeper into the information stored in its index. The changes previewed Tuesday include options that will confine Google's search results to a specific time period or category, such as product reviews.



Google's Street View halted in Greece over privacyATHENS, Greece (AP) _ A privacy watchdog has banned Google Inc. from gathering detailed, street-level images in Greece for a planned expansion of its panoramic Street View mapping service until the company provides additional privacy safeguards. In rejecting Google's bid to roam Greek streets with cameras mounted on vehicles, Greece's Data Protection Authority, or DPA, said it wanted clarification from the U.S. Internet company on how it will store and process the original images and safeguard them from privacy abuses.

Intel CEO: `So far, so good' in 2QSANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) _ Intel Corp.'s CEO says chip orders have been "a little better than we expected" so far in the second quarter. Paul Otellini told analysts Tuesday at Intel's Santa Clara headquarters that he stands by his comment last month that personal computer sales have "bottomed out" and are recovering from their worst slump in six years.


Dell bans e-waste export to developing countriesSEATTLE (AP) _ PC maker Dell Inc. formally banned on Tuesday the export of broken computers, monitors and parts to developing countries amid complaints that lax enforcement of environmental and worker-safety regulations have allowed an informal and often hazardous electronic-waste recycling industry to emerge. Although Dell's announcement does not mark a significant change in the PC maker's behavior, environmental groups hope that by making its standards public, Dell will raise the bar for other electronics makers.

EBay cuts auction listing fees for casual sellersNEW YORK (AP) _ The online marketplace eBay is eliminating some upfront fees to attract more sellers who occasionally auction off items. San Jose, Calif.-based eBay Inc. said Tuesday that users will soon be able to offer up to five items for auction every 30 days without paying the fees that eBay usually charges to list goods. Those listing fees usually run 10 cents to $4, depending on the item.

Tech firms could see fallout from antitrust shiftSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ If the Obama administration is serious about more aggressively responding to antitrust complaints, some of technology's biggest companies could have to rethink their business strategies or expansion plans. The administration said Monday it has abandoned Bush-era policies that it criticized as too friendly to companies that dominate their markets. The Justice Department didn't call out any companies by name, and its shift in approach will affect all industries. But it raises the stakes for tech heavyweights whose practices have been questioned elsewhere more than in the United States.

Microsoft to raise $3.75B in first debt offeringSEATTLE (AP) _ Microsoft Corp. priced a $3.75 billion debt offering on Monday, a first for the world's largest software maker. Microsoft said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing that it is offering five, 10 and 30-year senior unsecured notes. In a press release, the company said it will sell $2 billion of 2.95 percent notes due June 1, 2014; $1 billion of 4.20 percent notes due June 1, 2019 and $750 million of 5.20 percent notes due June 1, 2039.

Lawmakers adopt bill to punish Internet piracyPARIS (AP) _ French lawmakers in the lower house on Tuesday passed a bill that would cut the Internet connections of those who repeatedly download music and films illegally, creating what may be the first government agency to track and punish online pirates. The bill passed 296 to 233 in a show of force by President Nicolas Sarkozy's governing conservatives after an initial failure last month.

DirecTV sued over ads on Charter's bankruptcy caseST. LOUIS (AP) _ Charter Communications Inc. is suing DirecTV Group Inc. over advertisements that try to persuade subscribers to switch TV service by touting Charter's bankruptcy filing. Charter, a cable TV operator that filed for Chapter 11 reorganization in March, charged satellite TV operator DirecTV with using "false and misleading" ads claiming that Charter couldn't provide the latest technology, add high-definition channels or offer new exclusive programming given its financial troubles.

New York Times launches 'Times Wire' pageNEW YORK (AP) _ The New York Times launched a new feature on its Web site Tuesday offering readers a running stream of updates from the Times newsroom. The new page, called the "Times Wire," compiles material more like a blog than a traditional news site. Updates appear chronologically rather than arranged by how newsworthy editors deem them.

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