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AP Technology NewsBrief at 11:01 a.m. EDT(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Amazon to release $99 Kindle with touch screenNEW YORK (AP) _ Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos says the company is bringing out a new Kindle model with a touch screen, very close to the design of the latest Barnes & Noble Nook e-reader. The Kindle Touch has a black-and-white "electronic ink" screen, just like current Kindle models, and will cost $99. Groupon newest deal to reward customer loyaltySAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Groupon has come up with another way for bargain hunters to save money as the online coupon distributor prepares to raise money from wary investors. The additional savings will be offered through a customer loyalty program that Groupon plans to unveil Wednesday. RIM shares rise on Icahn stake speculationLOS ANGELES (AP) _ Shares of BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd. surged Tuesday amid speculation that billionaire investor Carl Icahn has taken a stake in the company. Rumors that the activist investor was buying into the troubled smartphone maker caused shares to spike around 10:22 a.m. Eastern time. With likely 'Kindle' tablet, Amazon takes on AppleNEW YORK (AP) _ So far, no company has been able to even come close to rival the success of Apple's iPad, but with the expected unveiling of its version of a tablet computer Wednesday, analysts say Amazon has a real chance. Amazon.com Inc. is nearly unique in its ability to sell content such as e-books, movies and music suited for a tablet, just like Apple does. In addition, the "Kindle" tablet could be a reminder, right in the owner's hands, to buy general merchandise from Amazon. Running out of toilet paper? Just add it to your Amazon shopping cart. Apple sends out invite for iPhone eventNEW YORK (AP) _ Apple is inviting journalists to its Cupertino, Calif. headquarters next week for an iPhone-related event on Oct. 4. The invitation Apple Inc. sent on Tuesday does not go into details. It says "let's talk iPhone," suggesting that the usually secretive company is likely to unveil the next iteration of its popular smartphones. Microsoft, Samsung expand smartphone partnershipNEW YORK (AP) _ Microsoft and Samsung Electronics are agreeing to cross-license each other's patent portfolios, with Microsoft getting royalties for mobile phones and tablets Samsung sells that run the Android operating system. Microsoft Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co. said Wednesday that they have also agreed to work together in developing and marketing Microsoft's Windows Phone software. Google to finance home solar systemsNEW YORK (AP) _ Google wants to buy solar panels for your house. The search giant announced Tuesday that it will provide $75 million to build 3,000 residential solar electricity systems across the country. Google will own the panels, and get paid over time by customers who purchase the electricity the panels produce. New Sprint does push-to-talk without NextelNEW YORK (AP) _ Sprint Nextel Corp. will start shutting down the Nextel part of its network in little more than a year. So what are the folks who use Nextel's walkie-talkie-like push-to-talk function going to do? Sprint says it has the solution in the shape of phones that replicate push-to-talk, but operate on the Sprint network. On Tuesday, the company announced that the first one goes on sale next week: the $70 Kyocera DuraMax, a shock- and water-resistant model designed for the construction workers and other outdoorsy types who use Nextel phones. NASA: Satellite fell in south Pacific, not CanadaWASHINGTON (AP) _ That dead NASA satellite fell into what might be the ideal spot _ part of the southern Pacific Ocean about as far from large land masses as you can get, U.S. space officials said Tuesday. New U.S. Air Force calculations put the 6-ton satellite's death plunge early Saturday thousands of miles from northwestern North America, where there were reports of sightings. Instead, it plunged into areas where remote islands dot a vast ocean. Syria wages cyber warfare as websites hackedBEIRUT (AP) _ While Syrian protesters and security forces are engaged in a war of attrition on the ground, a different kind of battle is emerging online. Pro- and anti-government activists in Syria are increasingly turning to the Internet, hacking and defacing websites in an attempt to win a public relations victory. (c) 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |