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AP Technology NewsBrief at 4:06 p.m. EST
[January 31, 2013]

AP Technology NewsBrief at 4:06 p.m. EST


(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) NY Times says Chinese hacked paper's computersBEIJING (AP) _ Chinese hackers repeatedly penetrated The New York Times' computer systems over the past four months, stealing reporters' passwords and hunting for files on an investigation into the wealth amassed by the family of a top Chinese leader, the newspaper reported Thursday. Security experts hired to investigate and plug the breach found that the attacks used tactics similar to ones used in previous hacking incidents traced to China, the report said. It said the hackers routed the attacks through computers at U.S. universities, installed a strain of malicious software, or malware, associated with Chinese hackers and initiated the attacks from Chinese university computers previously used by the Chinese military to attack U.S. military contractors.



Apple blocks Java on Macs due to vulnerabilitiesNEW YORK (AP) _ Mac computers have stopped running programs written using the Java programming language in their browsers, as Apple blocked it because of security problems. Apple has previously blocked, then unblocked, the latest version of Java on the most recent versions of its Mac operating system. On Thursday, Apple also started blocking an older version of the Mac system, called Snow Leopard, from running Java 6, also an older version.

Viacom adjusted profit, revenue fall in 1QNEW YORK (AP) _ Viacom Inc. said Thursday that net income rose sharply in its fiscal first quarter compared with results depressed by a large accounting charge a year ago. But its revenue and adjusted earnings fell because of a decline at its Paramount studio business and lower advertising revenue at its Nickelodeon television channels. Net income rose to $470 million, or 92 cents per share, in the fiscal first quarter, compared with $212 million, or 38 cents per share, a year earlier. That period included $379 million in charges related to a contract battle with the maker of the "Rock Band" video games, Harmonix Music Systems Inc.


IDC: Apple dominates in tablets, but share shrinksNEW YORK (AP) _ Apple continues to dominate in tablet computers, although its market share is shrinking because of growing competition from Samsung and others, research firm IDC said Thursday. Apple Inc. shipped 22.9 million iPads worldwide in the October-December quarter, during which it released a smaller version and updated its full-size models. That's growth of 48 percent from the same period a year earlier. But IDC said Apple's market share fell to 44 percent, from 52 percent.

Review: BlackBerry Z10 is good stab at rebirthNEW YORK (AP) _ Are you ashamed to have a BlackBerry It's not exactly a status symbol any more, at least not in the U.S., after it got left in the dust by the iPhone. Now, there's a new BlackBerry that wants to get back into the cool club: the Z10. It's the first phone to run the new BlackBerry 10 operating system, and it is, at first blush, a very good stab at regaining at least some of the cachet of the BlackBerry.

RIM shares down again after new BlackBerry launchTORONTO (AP) _ Research In Motion's stock gyrations reflect investors' key concern: Is the BlackBerry maker's new phone the company's savior or isn't it THE SPARK: The company's critical new phone with the BlackBerry 10 operating system debuted Wednesday to mostly positive reviews. But the phone won't come out in the United States, a key market, until March.

Nintendo chief rules out price cuts for Wii UTOKYO (AP) _ Nintendo's president Thursday ruled out price cuts for its new Wii U home console as a way to boost sales, vowing to become profitable again in its core businesses as smartphones and tablets increasingly threaten specialized game machines. Satoru Iwata, speaking at a Tokyo hotel to investors and reporters a day after earnings were released, acknowledged the sales momentum for the Wii U, as well as the 3DS hand-held game machine, had run out of steam during the key year-end shopping season, especially in the U.S.

Facebook 4Q results surpass estimates, stock fallsNEW YORK (AP) _ Facebook delivered fourth-quarter results above Wall Street's expectations on Wednesday and sought to show that it has finally transformed into a "mobile company" after rising to dominance as a Web-based social network. But its stock dropped in after-hours trading as investors placed more significance on the company's growing expenses rather than on its increasing user base and higher advertising revenue.

New BlackBerry won't be released in US until MarchNEW YORK (AP) _ Research In Motion Ltd. unveiled new, versatile BlackBerrys after excruciating delays allowed Apple, Samsung and others to build commanding leads in an industry that is redefining society. But the first phone won't come out in the United States until March, and one with a physical keyboard will take at least a month longer. The stock fell 12 percent after Wednesday's kickoff, despite mostly positive reviews about the new BlackBerry 10 operating system. There's concern the phone isn't coming out sooner, and there's worry BlackBerry 10's advances won't be enough to turn the company around.

Softbank 3Q profit doubles on iPhone salesTOKYO (AP) _ Japanese phone company Softbank, owned by billionaire Masayoshi Son, says its net profit more than doubled in the October-December quarter from a year earlier, helped by strong sales of Apple's iPhone and iPads. Net profit rose to 65.9 billion yen ($724 million) in the last quarter of 2012 compared with 32.83 billion yen a year earlier.

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