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AP Business NewsBrief at 12:24 a.m. EST
[January 30, 2013]

AP Business NewsBrief at 12:24 a.m. EST


(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) US regulator asks Boeing for full battery historyTOKYO (AP) _ U.S. transport safety regulators have asked Boeing Co. to provide a full operating history of the lithium-ion batteries used in its grounded 787 Dreamliners. The National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement it made the request after recently becoming aware of battery incidents that occurred before a Jan. 7 battery fire in a 787 parked at Boston's Logan International Airport.



Judge rejects Apple's patent award demandsSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ A federal judge late Tuesday rejected Apple Inc.'s demand to increase the $1.05 billion in damages a jury ordered Samsung Electronics Inc. to pay its fiercest rival in the smartphone market. U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh also rejected demands from both companies to conduct another trial on different issues over claims that Samsung unfairly used technology controlled by Apple to build its iPads and iPhones to market knockoff products. She also upheld the validity of the Apple patents at the center of the dispute.

Ticketmaster makes online 'CAPTCHA' puzzles easierLOS ANGELES (AP) _ Ticketmaster, often the target of fan anger when tickets to popular concerts get sold out in seconds, is removing an annoyance that can slow down the buying process: the jumble of letters that people need to decipher known as "CAPTCHA." The puzzles provided by Google Inc. are meant to deter automated systems known as "bots" from purchasing large numbers of tickets the instant they go on sale. Scalpers have been known to employ bots to acquire tickets, which they resell for a profit.


Ford shares down as 4Q profit eclipsed by EuropeDEARBORN, Mich. (AP) _ Ford is posting record profits in North America, but it's not enough to quell unease about the company's prospects elsewhere. Ford's shares dropped nearly 5 percent Tuesday after the company said it expects to lose more money in Europe this year and break even in Asia and South America. The final straw for investors: Ford said sales will increase next year but profits should remain about the same, dashing hopes that margins will continue to grow.

Review: Microsoft Office pricey, but good valueNEW YORK (AP) _ As much as I like Google Docs for word processing and spreadsheets, I find the online software clunky at times. So I was skeptical when I heard Microsoft is trying to sell its new version of Office as an online subscription. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the subscription gets you the same software you'd get buying it at a retail store. In fact, I'm using the new Office 2013 to write this review, and it feels as smooth as the customized version of Office 2010 I regularly use.

Adver-teasers: Super Bowl viewers get peek at adsNEW YORK (AP) _ Super Bowl advertisers are learning the art of the tease. Supermodel Kate Upton appears in an online Mercedes-Benz video in a low-cut top. An unknown man wakes up with his face covered in smeared lipstick and his hands bound in furry handcuffs in a Gildan Activewear clip. And "30 Rock" star Tracy Morgan seemingly curses in a spot for Kraft's Mio flavored drops.

Critical, long-overdue BlackBerry makeover arrivesTORONTO (AP) _ BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. will kick off a critical, long-overdue makeover when chief executive Thorsten Heins shows off the first phone with the new BlackBerry 10 system in New York on Wednesday. Repeated delays have left the once-pioneering BlackBerry an afterthought in the shadow of Apple's trend-setting iPhone and Google's Android-driven devices. There has even been talk that the fate of the company that created the BlackBerry in 1999 is no longer certain.

Asia stocks up on strong US earningsBANGKOK (AP) _ Asian stock markets rose Wednesday after strong U.S. corporate earnings led investors to ignore sagging consumer confidence. Japan's Nikkei rose 1.1 percent to 10,990.77 as the yen continued to weaken against the U.S. dollar. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1 percent to 23,884.24.

Chesapeake's embattled CEO McClendon to retireNEW YORK (AP) _ Aubrey McClendon, the brash and embattled CEO of Chesapeake Energy Corp., will leave the company he founded 24 years ago amid philosophical differences with the company's new board of directors. The company announced Tuesday that McClendon will step down April 1 and will serve as CEO until a successor is named. McClendon will depart even though Chesapeake says a review of his business dealings has not revealed improper conduct.

Stocks advance, pushing Dow toward 14,000NEW YORK (AP) _ Pfizer helped keep the stock market rally alive Tuesday. The drugmaker's stock gained after posting strong earnings, pushing the Dow closer to 14,000. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 73 points to close at 13,954.42 points, ending higher for the seventh day in eight. The Standard and Poor's 500 also rose, adding eight points to 1,507.84 points. The Nasdaq composite dropped less than a point to 3,153.66.

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