TMCnet News
AP Technology NewsBrief at 9:30 a.m. EDT(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Apple fans are prepared for a part-time JobsSEATTLE (AP) _ Five and a half months ago, word that Steve Jobs would only work part-time as he recovered from a liver transplant would have sent investors into a selling frenzy, so closely linked was Apple's charismatic co-founder and CEO to the company's success. But now, with Jobs' return to Apple just days away that prospect is a lot less daunting. FTC plans to monitor blogs for claims, paymentsSavvy consumers often go online for independent consumer reviews of products and services, scouring through comments from everyday Joes and Janes to help them find a gem or shun a lemon. What some fail to realize, though, is that such reviews can be tainted: Many bloggers have accepted perks such as free laptops, trips to Europe, $500 gift cards or even thousands of dollars for a 200-word post. Bloggers vary in how they disclose such freebies, if they do so at all. T-Mobile to launch second Google phone in AugustNEW YORK (AP) _ T-Mobile USA's follow-up to the first "Google phone" will go on sale in early August, the carrier said Monday. The "T-Mobile myTouch 3G with Google" will be a touch-screen phone and will lack the physical keyboard of the T-Mobile G1, the first phone that used Google Inc.'s Android software. Apple: More than 1M new-model iPhones soldNEW YORK (AP) _ Apple Inc. sold more than a million units of its latest iPhone model in the first three days, making it the most successful model yet. The iPhone 3G S went on sale Friday in the U.S. and seven other countries. Reports: Apple CEO Steve Jobs had liver transplantNEW YORK (AP) _ Apple Inc. co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs, whose recovery from pancreatic cancer appeared less certain when he had to take medical leave in January, received a liver transplant two months ago but is recovering well, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday. The newspaper didn't reveal a source for the report, which comes as Jobs, 54, is expected back in his day-to-day duties at the company shortly. CNBC said later that it had confirmed the Journal's account, which said Jobs had the transplant performed in Tennessee. Redbox's machines take on Netflix's red envelopesBELLEVUE, Wash. (AP) _ With more subscribers than ever flocking to its DVD-by-mail service, Netflix Inc. is one of the few companies to prosper during the worst U.S. recession in 70 years. Yet Netflix CEO Reed Hastings still has something to worry about: an even cheaper DVD rental service run by one of his former lieutenants. Once just an incongruous experiment amid the burgers and fries at McDonald's restaurants, Redbox has emerged as the largest operator of DVD-rental kiosks, with more than 15,400 vending machines set up to dispense $1-per-day discs in supermarkets and discount stores. Nortel to sell itself off in piecesTORONTO (AP) _ Nortel Networks, once a technology giant, has decided to sell itself off in pieces rather than attempt to emerge from bankruptcy as a restructured company. Nokia Siemens Networks agreed to buy some wireless operations of Canada's Nortel Networks Corp. in a $650 million deal as the more than century-old Nortel announced it is looking for buyers for the rest of its assets. Web support pours out for Iran protestersNEW YORK (AP) _ Google and Facebook have rushed out services in Farsi. Twitter users have changed their home cities to Tehran to provide cover for Internet users there. Others have configured their computers to serve as relay points to bypass Iranian censorship. In the aftermath of the disputed Iranian election, Internet companies and individuals around the world have stepped in to help Iranians communicate and organize. US presses China over Internet filteringBEIJING (AP) _ Washington has expressed concern to Beijing over its new effort to censor Internet use and its possible impact on trade and access to information, the U.S. Embassy said Monday. The U.S. pressure comes as Chinese Web surfers are lobbying the communist government to scrap its plan to require the Internet-filtering Green Dam Youth Escort software on personal computers. It is to be pre-installed or included on a compact disc with all PCs sold in China starting July 1. Google tricycle snaps views from Philly campusPHILADELPHIA (AP) _ Coming soon to a campus near you _ the Google tricycle. A pedicab-like vehicle mounted with an 8-foot-high camera has been rolling around the pedestrian walkways of the University of Pennsylvania to collect panoramic images of the campus for Google Maps' Street View feature, which gives users detailed, street-level views of map locations over the Internet. (c) 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |