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AP Technology NewsBrief at 8:58 a.m. EDT(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Quiet China giant embodies technology aspirationsSHENZHEN, China (AP) _ China's quietest multibillion-dollar Chinese success story began when a former soldier founded a company in the 1980s to sell imported phone switches. As sales rose, Huawei Technologies Co. invested to develop its own products, a radical step for a private company in the first decade of China's reforms to open its economy. But it paid off: Today, Huawei has grown into a major equipment supplier to phone carriers across Asia, Europe and Africa, with $28 billion in sales last year and 110,000 employees. Pandora sings happy tune: IPO fetches $16 a shareSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Pandora Media Inc. sold its initial public offering of stock at $16 per share late Tuesday, fetching twice as much as the popular but unprofitable Internet radio service expected less than two weeks ago. The IPO's completion means Pandora will make its stock market debut Wednesday morning with a market value of $2.6 billion. That's a lofty number for a company that has lost $92 million since it started as a music recommendation site called TheSavageBeast.com 11 years ago. Google invests $280 million to spur home solarNEW YORK (AP) _ Google is making its largest investment yet in clean energy in an effort to help private homeowners put solar panels on their rooftops. The $280 million deal with installer SolarCity is the largest of its kind. SolarCity can use the funds to pay for a solar system that it can offer to residents for no money down. In exchange, customers agree to pay a set price for the power produced by the panels. Nokia, Apple settle drawn-out patent disputeHELSINKI, Finland (AP) _ Nokia Corp. on Tuesday notched a valuable win against rival Apple Inc., with the U.S. company agreeing to pay the Finnish handset maker a one-time sum to settle long-standing patent disputes as well as royalties for current licenses. Espoo-based Nokia said that the deal "will result in settlement of all patent litigation between the companies, including the withdrawal by Nokia and Apple of their respective complaints to the US International Trade Commission." Google expands spoken search to desktop computersSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Google is introducing more technological tricks to simplify Internet searching and give people another reason to surf the Web on its Chrome browser. The features unveiled Tuesday include an option that will allow people to speak their search requests in English while sitting in front of their office and home computers. It's something they can already do on smartphones running on Google Inc.'s Android software. Apple starts selling unlocked iPhones in USNEW YORK (AP) _ Apple Inc. on Tuesday started selling "unlocked" iPhones in the U.S. for the first time, allowing owners to switch carriers to a limited extent and save money when travelling. Apple is selling them on its websites and its store for $649 and $749 depending on how much memory they have. They're identical to the versions sold for use on AT&T Inc.'s network, but don't require a two-year contract. Facebook helps itself by helping RockMelt browserSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Facebook has updated its status to include a relationship with RockMelt, an upstart Web browser that revolves around Facebook's online hangout. The business partnership announced Tuesday resulted in the latest update to the Facebook-driven Web browser, which RockMelt introduced late last year. Malaysia works to foil Anonymous hacking threatKUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) _ Malaysia worked Wednesday to thwart a planned assault on the government's official website by international hacker vigilantes who accuse authorities in this Southeast Asian country of Internet censorship. A loose-knit activist group that calls itself "Anonymous" has threatened to target Malaysia's online network early Thursday in retaliation against a government effort to block access to 10 popular websites often used to illegally download movies, TV shows and music. Google strikes deal to add Admeld to arsenalSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Google Inc. has struck a deal to buy Admeld, a service that helps websites make more money from online advertising. The agreement announced Monday positions Google to add another potentially valuable weapon to its advertising arsenal. Google already sells the most advertising on the Internet. The company's total ad revenue is expected to surpass $30 billion this year _ greater than the entire U.S. newspaper industry. HP shuffles top executives in shake-upPALO ALTO, Calif. (AP) _ Hewlett-Packard Co. is streamlining its executive ranks to improve its focus on customers rather than administration and put more operations directly under CEO Leo Apotheker's control. The world's largest maker of personal computers said Monday that it is eliminating its chief administrative officer position, meaning that Pete Bocian is leaving HP immediately. (c) 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |