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AP Technology NewsBrief at 3:19 p.m. EDT(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Sony Ericsson eyes Android market with new phonesSINGAPORE (AP) _ Mobile phone maker Sony Ericsson unveiled two new Android models Wednesday in a bid to grab more of the burgeoning smartphone market. The company, a joint venture between L.M. Ericsson and Sony Corp., plans to launch the Xperia ray and Xperia active models during the third quarter, Chief Marketing Officer Steve Walker announced in Singapore. Utah man updated Facebook status during standoffSALT LAKE CITY (AP) _ Jason Valdez is no stranger to Utah police. His latest brush with the law, however, may have been the most public. An armed Valdez, 36, held a woman hostage at a motel in a tense 16-hour, overnight standoff with SWAT teams, all while finding time to keep his family and friends updated on Facebook, authorities said. Wyo. turns to Google for gov't computing servicesCHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) _ Wyoming has become the first state to begin using a suite of cloud computing tools from Google for its entire executive branch of government, allowing data and applications to be stored on remote servers and accessed over the Internet. New technologies enabled by Google Apps for Government include desk-to-desk video conferencing and live online collaboration while creating documents. Dutch parliament approves mobile 'net neutrality'AMSTERDAM (AP) _ The Dutch parliament approved a bill Wednesday forcing mobile Internet providers to let customers use Skype and other rival services on their networks without charging extra or giving preferential treatment to their own offerings. Once the bill is passed by the senate _ usually a formality _ the Netherlands may set an example for Europe by enacting one of the strongest "net neutrality" laws on record. UK charges teen with cybercrimesLONDON (AP) _ British police filed charges Wednesday against a teenager suspected of involvement in cyberattacks on the CIA website. Ryan Cleary, 19, has been charged with five offenses under the Computer Misuse Act, police said. AP Sources: Hulu mulls putting itself up for saleLOS ANGELES (AP) _ Online video service Hulu is exploring putting itself up for sale after receiving an unsolicited takeover offer, people familiar with the matter said Tuesday. The offer was large enough to make Hulu's board review the deal and consider seeking other potential buyers, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions are confidential. They would not disclose the amount of the offer nor the bidder. Nokia to transfer 2,800 staff to AccentureHELSINKI (AP) _ Nokia Corp. said Wednesday it has completed a deal to outsource Symbian software development to Accenture, including the transfer of 2,800 workers to the global management-consulting firm. The announcement came two months after Nokia disclosed the plan as part of its aim to cut costs by $1.5 billion ((EURO)1 billion) by 2013, including 7,000 global layoffs, and catch up with top rivals in the tough smartphone market. Nokia to launch Microsoft platform phones in 2011SINGAPORE (AP) _ Finnish handset maker Nokia Corp. plans to introduce its first mobile phones using the Microsoft Windows operating system this year, the company's chief executive said Tuesday. Nokia is facing steep competition from competitors in several products. At the top end of the market it is struggling against smartphones such as Apple's iPhone, Research in Motion's Blackberry as well as Android, and on the lower end against emerging market phone makers who are dropping their prices. Wireless network outlines plans to protect GPSWASHINGTON (AP) _ LightSquared, a Virginia-based company that plans to build a nationwide wireless broadband network, is proposing to adapt its network so as not to interfere with GPS systems. The company plans to move some of its operations to a different slice of airwaves and to transmit signals at lower power levels to ensure that its network would not interfere with GPS systems that rely on nearby wireless spectrum. Hackers claim attack on FBI partner in Conn.HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) _ Hackers who claimed responsibility for online attacks of Sony Corp. and the CIA said they compromised the security of more than 1,000 accounts of a Connecticut-based FBI partner organization, hours before releasing a web manifesto calling for "war" on governments that control the Internet. The online collective Lulz Security said it attacked a local section of InfraGard, a partnership between the FBI and the private sector to share security information. Connecticut InfraGard's website was down Monday afternoon. (c) 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |