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AP Technology NewsBrief at 5:01 p.m. EDT(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Put a cork in the Internet bubble talk _ for nowSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ It's starting to feel like a 1999 flashback. Internet companies _ some of them profitable, some not _ sense a golden opportunity and are lining up to go public this year. But here's something to keep in mind as the latest case of Internet fever grips Wall Street: It's still nowhere close to the giddy days of the dot-com boom, when investors bought stocks as impulsively as lottery tickets. Technology stocks today are the cheapest in more than nine years, at least judging by one benchmark for appraising companies. Internet braces for '.Vegas' and other not-comsWASHINGTON (AP) _ Coming soon to the Internet: website addresses that end in ".bank," ".Vegas" and ".Canon." The organization that oversees the Internet address system is preparing to open the floodgates to a nearly limitless selection of new website suffixes, including ones in Arabic, Chinese and other scripts. That could usher in the most sweeping transformation of the Domain Name System since its creation in the 1980s. For a pioneer of technology, 100 years of "Think"ENDICOTT, N.Y. (AP) _ Google, Apple and Facebook get all the attention. But the forgettable everyday tasks of technology _ saving a file on your laptop, swiping your ATM card to get 40 bucks, scanning a gallon of milk at the checkout line _ that's all IBM. International Business Machines turns 100 on Thursday without much fanfare. But its much younger competitors owe a lot to Big Blue. IBM succession chatter heats up near anniversarySAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ As IBM turns 100 this year, the anniversary coincides with another milestone: CEO Sam Palmisano is turning 60, the typical age at which an IBM CEO retires. With succession chatter growing, Palmisano has tried to tamp down speculation that he's ready to step aside, even as he's put a spotlight on his possible heirs. Report: Facebook users more trusting, engagedNEW YORK (AP) _ Facebook, it turns out, isn't just a waste of time. People who use it have more close friends, get more social support and report being more politically engaged than those who don't, according to a new national study on Americans and social networks. The report comes as Facebook, Twitter and even the buttoned-up, career-oriented LinkedIn continue to engrain themselves in our daily lives and change the way we interact with friends, co-workers and long-lost high school buddies. Phone rivalry drives down RIM earningsTORONTO (AP) _ BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd.'s quarterly results on Thursday provided fresh evidence of the company's struggles to come up with a device to compete with the iPhone and smartphones running Google's Android operating system. The Waterloo, Ontario, company reported a nearly 10 percent drop in its fiscal first-quarter net income. Pandora's stock retreats to below IPO priceSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Buyer's remorse already may be setting in for some investors in Internet radio station Pandora Media Inc. After intense demand drove up the price for Pandora's initial public offering of stock, the shares lost nearly a quarter of their value their second day of trading. APNewsBreak: Assange says WikiLeaks work hamperedLONDON (AP) _ After six months under virtual house arrest, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange acknowledged Thursday that his detention is hampering the work of the secret-spilling site. His supporters accused Britain of subjecting him to "excessive and dehumanizing" treatment. The 39-year-old Australian is living at a supporter's rural estate as he fights extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over claims of rape and sexual molestation made by two women. Nielsen: Online video viewers watch less TVLOS ANGELES (AP) _ Americans who watch the most video online tend to watch less TV, according to The Nielsen Co., a finding that overturns a longstanding belief that people are watching more programming over all devices. The ratings agency said Wednesday that starting last fall, it noticed a segment of consumers who were starting to make a trade-off between online video and regular TV. The activity was more pronounced among people ages 18-34. Citigroup says 218,000 affected by hackersHONG KONG (AP) _ Hackers stole information for 360,000 Citigroup Inc. U.S. credit card accounts in a recent data breach, although the actual number of customers affected was not much higher than originally reported, the bank said Wednesday. Citi said last week that about 1 percent of its credit card customers had account information hacked online but did not say exactly how many. The actual number of customers affected was thought to be about 210,000, based on Citi's 2010 annual report, which said the company had roughly 21 million North American credit card customers. (c) 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |