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AP Technology NewsBrief at 3:14 p.m. EDT(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Vail Resorts adds photo features to EpicMix appDENVER (AP) _ Tens of thousands of skiers used Vail Resorts Inc.'s free EpicMix application last season to track how much they were skiing and to compete with friends and strangers over how many digital pins they could collect for their feats. This season Vail is adding photos to the mix. Government sues to block AT&T, T-Mobile mergerWASHINGTON (AP) _ The Justice Department filed suit Wednesday to block AT&T's $39 billion deal to buy T-Mobile USA on grounds that it would raise prices for consumers. The government contends that the acquisition of the No. 4 wireless carrier in the country by No. 2 AT&T would reduce competition and that would lead to price increases. Redbox's golden opportunity: higher Netflix pricesSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Netflix is giving Redbox a golden opportunity to gain some ground. Beginning Thursday, Netflix, the largest U.S. video subscription service, will hit its nearly 25 million U.S subscribers with rate increases of as much as 60 percent. The sticker shock is expected to make Redbox, which rents DVDs for $1 per day through kiosks, even more enticing to movie lovers. Netflix subscribers face dilemma as prices climbSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ The toughest choice most Netflix customers usually face is figuring out which movie to put at the top of their queues. But millions of Netflix subscribers will be wrestling with a new dilemma as they decide how to respond to price changes that will hit the video service's existing customers beginning Thursday. Sony tablets aim to stand out from crowdNEW YORK (AP) _ Sony is revealing its first two tablet computers, with some features that aim to set them apart from the herd of iPad competitors. The Tablet S, which is about the size of an iPad, can double as a universal remote control. The tablet is wedge-shaped, with one side thicker than the other. The shape mimics that of a magazine that's been folded over. Sony, Toshiba, Hitachi join forces in displaysTOKYO (AP) _ The display businesses of three major Japanese electronics makers are joining forces to become more competitive in small and medium-sized panels _ a sector that's expected to grow because of the popularity of smartphones and tablets. The display-business subsidiaries of Sony Corp., Toshiba Corp. and Hitachi Ltd. agreed to sign a deal later this year and to complete the business combination by the first few months of next year, the companies said Wednesday. Sony shows wearable 3-D personal theaterTOKYO (AP) _ Sony says it will start selling a head mounted display that provides a 3-D theater of music videos, movies and games, targeting people who prefer solitary entertainment rather than sitting in front of a TV with family or friends. Sony Corp. said Wednesday that the 60,000 yen ($800) "HMZ personal 3-D viewer" is set to go on sale Nov. 11 in Japan, and is planned for the U.S. and Europe, perhaps in time for Christmas, although dates have not yet been set. Hack may have hit Google users in IranAMSTERDAM (AP) _ Experts say the Iranian government may have been behind a hacking attack, allowing it to read Google email from dissidents who thought they were using secure connections. Chicago-based Internet security firm Vasco said Wednesday its Dutch subsidiary, DigiNotar, detected the hack on July 19, compromising its security guarantees for "a number of domains, including Google.com." The company then quietly tried to fix the damage, but was alerted by the Dutch government Monday that it had missed Google, and perhaps others. WikiLeaks site comes under attackLONDON (AP) _ The WikiLeaks website crashed Tuesday in an apparent cyberattack after the accelerated publication of tens of thousands of once-secret State Department cables by the anti-secrecy organization raised new concerns about the exposure of confidential U.S. embassy sources. "WikiLeaks.org is presently under attack," the group said on Twitter late Tuesday. One hour later, the site and the cables posted there were inaccessible. Startup tries to put sociability back into moviesNEW YORK (AP) _ Streaming movies might not yet have the equivalent of a theater experience, with roaring crowds crunching on popcorn, but they are getting more social. Hollywood studios have increasingly looked to social media and Facebook, in particular, as a distribution platform. The early inroads have been experimental, but turning social media users into audiences is a bright new hope for a Hollywood looking to counter sagging DVD sales. (c) 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |