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AP Technology NewsBrief at 6:33 p.m. EDT
(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) 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.
Asking a machine to spot threats human eyes missThe surveillance cameras at Big Y, a Massachusetts grocery chain, are not just passively recording customers and staff. They're studying checkout lines for signs of "sweethearting." That's when cashiers use subtle tricks to pass free goods to friends: obscuring the bar code, slipping an item behind the scanner, passing two items at a time but charging for one.
Microsoft: Windows 7 on track for holiday salesSEATTLE (AP) _ Microsoft Corp. says the next version of Windows will go on sale in time for the holiday shopping season. The software maker published an almost-final version of Windows 7 last week, a sign it would be ready before the official January 2010 deadline.
Dish Network 1Q profit rises 21 percentDish Network Corp., the second-largest satellite TV provider in the U.S., surprised investors Monday by posting first-quarter results that were not as bad as feared. Earnings rose by 21 percent on the back of price increases and lower costs. Shares of Englewood, Colo.-based Dish rose by $2.81, or more than 18 percent, to $18.12 in afternoon trading Monday.
Yahoo wins round in Oregon nude photo court battlePORTLAND, Ore. (AP) _ Yahoo Inc. has won a legal battle over its long delay in removing nude photos that an Oregon woman claimed her ex-boyfriend posted on its Web site without her knowledge or permission. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reaffirmed that Internet service providers such as Yahoo are generally protected from liability for materials published or posted on their sites by outside parties.
AT&T to buy territories from Verizon for $2.35BNEW YORK (AP) _ AT&T Inc. said Friday it will buy the assets of Verizon Wireless in 79 mainly rural areas for $2.35 billion, a deal that will affect more than 1 million subscribers. Verizon Wireless was forced to sell the service areas, which are spread over 18 states, to satisfy regulatory conditions of its purchase of Alltel Corp. The areas are mainly Alltel territories that overlap with Verizon's own coverage, but also some Verizon territories and areas covered by Rural Cellular, another carrier Verizon bought last year.
New Web site lets you compare bus ticketsIntercity bus travel has taken off in the last few years. Now a new Web site makes it easier for riders to find their routes. BusJunction.com works something like Expedia or Orbitz in the way it helps travelers find their way in a crowded market. But unlike those two popular airfare Web sites, BusJunction doesn't sell tickets; it steers its users right to the online ticketing on the bus companies' home pages. It's an aggregator of data, like Kayak.com, not a booking site.
TD Ameritrade data theft settlement gets court OKOMAHA, Neb. (AP) _ More than 6 million current and former customers of online brokerage TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. will be able to benefit from the settlement of a class-action lawsuit filed over the theft of client contact information. Formal notice of a settlement agreement will be sent to people who used TD Ameritrade's services before mid-September 2007.
Hackers breach UC Berkeley computer databaseSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ University of California, Berkeley, officials said Friday that hackers infiltrated restricted computer databases, putting at risk health and other personal information on 160,000 students, alumni and others. The university said data include Social Security numbers, birth dates, health insurance information and some medical records dating back to 1999. Personal medical records _ such as patient diagnoses, treatments and therapies _ were not compromised, officials said.
Sun Micro: We may have broken US anti-bribery lawSAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) _ Sun Microsystems Inc. may have broken anti-bribery laws with its actions in an unspecified location outside the United States, a revelation that would-be acquirer Oracle Corp. knew about before inking its $7.4 billion takeover deal. It's unclear what Sun's admission Friday will mean for the company.
(c) 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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