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AP Technology NewsBrief at 6:06 p.m. EST(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Alone, together: Snowed in, in the age of hashtagsHAMDEN, Conn. (AP) _ The East Coast woke up under a blanket of snow this weekend and collectively documented the experience on the myriad social and mobile inventions of the past decade. Facebook, Twitter and other technologies make it increasingly difficult to stay isolated _ even if you're stuck home alone. "The funny thing is that I actually checked my Instagram feed before I even looked out my own window," says Eric Witz, who lives in Medford, Mass. No need to leave the room: Bet by TV at NJ casinoATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) _ Guests at one New Jersey casino won't even have to get out of bed in order to place a bet. The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City said it will become the first casino in the United States to let guests gamble over hotel room TV sets, starting Feb. 18. Tech innovators honored at Oscars dinnerBEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) _ A room full of engineers, computer whizzes and technicians brought the crew of the Starship Enterprise down to Earth for a night at the Sci-Tech Oscars. Zoe Saldana and Chris Pine hosted the annual awards dinner in which the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences beams its spotlight on the latter half of its name. Google chairman to sell up to 3.2 million sharesSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ With Google's stock hovering at record highs, Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt plans to sell more than 40 percent of his stock in the Internet search leader this year. The plan disclosed Friday calls for Schmidt to sell up to 3.2 million shares. If he were to sell all that stock at Google's current price, Schmidt would realize a $2.5 billion windfall. Phone cos: Cell service holding up after stormNEW YORK (AP) _ Cellphone companies say their networks are largely up and running after a blizzard dumped up to 3 feet of snow on New England. Not all cell towers have backup power, so natural disasters can take out cell service through power outages. Last fall's Superstorm Sandy had a major impact on cell service in flooded areas of the Northeast. Lawmaker: Cyberattacks against US getting worseWASHINGTON (AP) _ The U.S. is vulnerable to cyberattacks that could shut down financial services or destroy information that companies need for daily operations, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said Sunday. Rep. Mike Rogers says 95 percent of private sector networks are vulnerable and most have already been hit. Dell looks to calm shareholder concern over buyoutNEW YORK (AP) _ Dell is trying to reassure shareholders about its proposed $24.4 billion acquisition by a group led by its founder, saying it considered a number of strategic options before agreeing to the deal. Dell Inc. laid out the advantages of the transaction in a regulatory filing Monday, three days after a major shareholder ridiculed the buyout as a rotten deal that undervalues the business. 9 things Apple could do with $137BApple Inc. has recently come under attack for its practice of stockpiling cash. At the end of last year, the company was sitting on $137 billion _and the heap keeps growing. Corporations normally don't hoard cash the way Apple does. They keep enough around for immediate needs, and either invest the rest in their operations or dole it out to shareholders in the form of dividends or stock buybacks. If they need more cash for, say, an acquisition, they borrow it. UK watchdog launches investigation into AutonomyLONDON (AP) _ Britain's accounting watchdog announced Monday that it is investigating the books of British business software maker Autonomy Corporation in the period before it was bought by Hewlett-Packard Co. in 2011. In a brief statement, the Financial Reporting Council said it had launched an investigation "into the published financial reporting of Autonomy for the period between 1 January 2009 and 30 June 2011." HP sets labor guidelines in for Chinese suppliersSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Hewlett-Packard Co., the world's largest personal computer maker, is vowing to crack down on its Chinese suppliers in an effort to reduce the use of low-paid student interns and other temporary workers. The guidelines unveiled Friday are the latest attempt by a major U.S. technology company to weed out labor abuses at Chinese factories that manufacture the gadgets for an Internet-connected world. (c) 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |