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AP Technology NewsBrief at 11:46 a.m. EDT(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Nortel sells patents to consortium for $4.5BNEW YORK (AP) _ A consortium that includes leading smartphone makers Apple and Research In Motion is paying $4.5 billion in cash for about 6,000 patents and patent applications belonging to bankrupt telecom-equipment maker Nortel Networks Corp. The group prevailed in an auction this week over Google Inc., which had said it planned to bid $900 million in cash for all of Nortel's remaining patents and patent applications. Phones running Google's Android system compete with Apple's iPhone and RIM's BlackBerry devices. Reports say FTC investigating TwitterWASHINGTON (AP) _ Federal regulators are looking into the interactions between Twitter and a company called Ubermedia, which develops applications that help users follow and communicate with each other on Twitter's popular online messaging service, according to two published reports. The Federal Trade Commission inquiry is still at a preliminary stage and the focus remains unclear, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. US rules partially against Kodak in Apple disputeROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) _ The U.S. International Trade Commission issued a mixed verdict Thursday in Eastman Kodak Co.'s high-stakes patent-infringement dispute with the makers of the iPhone and BlackBerry phones. The ruling disappointed investors. The trade-dispute arbiter in Washington, D.C., said it is essentially agreeing with one of its judges, who threw out the photography pioneer's claims. Tests show wireless network could harm GPS systemsWASHINGTON (AP) _ New test results show that a proposed nationwide wireless broadband network would produce significant interference with GPS systems used for everything from aviation to high-precision timing networks to consumer navigation devices. Changes to the proposal could reduce interference, but wouldn't eliminate it. The findings, based on extensive equipment tests conducted in Las Vegas, increase pressure on the Federal Communications Commission to block a Virginia company called LightSquared from launching the network, which is designed to compete with super-fast systems being rolled out by AT&T and Verizon Wireless. Samsung seeks US import ban against Apple productsSEOUL, South Korea (AP) _ Samsung Electronics is asking the United States to prohibit Apple from importing key products including the latest iPhone and iPad devices amid an escalating patent dispute. Samsung filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission over what it claims are Apple's violation of five patents held by Samsung, the Suwon, South Korea-based company said Thursday. The complaint was filed Wednesday. Justin Timberlake part of group buying MySpaceLOS ANGELES (AP) _ Justin Timberlake apparently wasn't satisfied with just playing a social media impresario in the movies, so now he's becoming one in real life. The pop star, who played Napster co-founder Sean Parker in "The Social Network," a movie about Facebook, has joined Specific Media in buying its downtrodden rival, MySpace, from News Corp. in a deal that closed Wednesday. Blackboard to be taken private in $1.64B dealWASHINGTON (AP) _ Educational software maker Blackboard is being taken private for $1.64 billion in cash by an investor group led by affiliates of Providence Equity Partners. Under the deal's terms announced Friday, shareholders of Blackboard will receive $45 for each share of Blackboard they own. The price represents a 21 percent premium over the stock's closing price on April 18, the day before the company said it was considering a sale. The stock closed Thursday at $43.39. Review: HP TouchPad makes a mediocre tabletSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ A year after Hewlett-Packard Co. purchased flailing Palm, the technology behemoth is rolling out the first tablet that uses Palm's webOS operating system. The July 1 release should be a triumph for HP, showcasing its ability to compete in the increasingly crowded tablet market. Yet while the TouchPad's software is beautiful and intuitive, overall the tablet is more of a "meh-sterpiece" than a masterpiece. Amazon cuts off California affiliatesSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Amazon.com Inc. and much smaller Overstock.com Inc. are cutting off their advertising affiliates in California because of a new state rule forcing online retailers to collect sales tax there. In an email Wednesday to California-based affiliates, Seattle-based Amazon said it would cut ties with affiliates who reside in the nation's most populous state if the law became effective. Gov. Jerry Brown signed the law Wednesday as part of a larger state budget package. Jihadist web forum knocked off InternetWASHINGTON (AP) _ A popular jihadist Internet forum has been knocked off the Internet, and counterterrorism experts say it appears it was hacked. Cybersecurity analysts say the al-Shamukh forum appears to have been taken down by a fairly sophisticated cyberattack that hit not only the website, but the server _ which is the main computer that enables people to access the site over the Internet. (c) 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |