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AP Technology NewsBrief at 3:31 a.m. EDT
[May 22, 2009]

AP Technology NewsBrief at 3:31 a.m. EDT


(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Indonesian imams OK Facebook - but no flirting!SURABAYA, Indonesia (AP) _ Muslim clerics debating the exploding popularity of Facebook in Indonesia said Friday that followers could use the networking site to connect with friends or for work _ but not to gossip or flirt. The nonbinding ruling followed a two-day meeting of clerics in the world's most populous Muslim nation.



Computer virus strikes US Marshals, FBI affectedWASHINGTON (AP) _ Law enforcement computers were struck by a Mystery computer virus Thursday, forcing the FBI and the U.S. Marshals to shut down part of their networks as a precaution. The U.S. Marshals confirmed it disconnected from the Justice Department's computers as a protective measure after being hit by the virus; an FBI official said only that that agency was experiencing similar issues and was working on the problem.

OpenTable shares soar nearly 60 pct in IPO feastSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Online restaurant reservation service OpenTable Inc. proved there's still an appetite for new stock offerings despite the sour economy. The San Francisco-based company's shares soared by $11.89, or nearly 60 percent, to close at $31.89 Thursday in their first day of trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market.


New French law on Internet piracy meets skepticismPARIS (AP) _ A thousand French Internet users a day could be taken off-line following approval of President Nicolas Sarkozy's pet project _ an unprecedented law to cut the Internet connections of people who repeatedly pirate music and movies. As the husband of supermodel-turned-pop star Carla Bruni and friend to some of France's most powerful media figures, Sarkozy has long basked in his cozy ties with the entertainment industry, which has embraced the measure.

Air Force waves off warnings about GPS accuracyNEW YORK (AP) _ A government report says the accuracy of GPS signals could deteriorate in the next few years because of delays in satellite launches, but the Air Force says it has plenty of ways of keeping up the navigation system increasingly relied on by drivers and cell phone users. The Government Accountability Office reported last month that there is a risk that launches of new satellites will not keep pace with the wear and tear on the Global Positioning System.

U. of Missouri hopes to teach some iJournalismCOLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) _ Gadgets such as the Apple iPhone and the iPod Touch are mainstays on college campuses _ largely for the devices' ability to help students escape the pressures of the classroom. Now the nation's oldest journalism school is asking students to buy those or similar devices. Not to listen to shoe-gazing indie rock, or watch clips from "The Daily Show," but to download classroom lectures or confirm facts on the Web while reporting from the scene of a plane crash or town council meeting.

Xerox CEO Mulcahy retiring, Burns to replace herNEW YORK (AP) _ Xerox Corp. said Thursday that Chief Executive Anne Mulcahy will retire July 1, to be succeeded by Ursula Burns, the printer and copier maker's president. She will make Xerox the largest U.S. company to be headed by a black woman. The move has been in the works since Burns, 50, became heir apparent and company president in April 2007.

Sony to slash suppliers as CEO's mettle testedTOKYO (AP) _ Sony Corp. said it will halve the number of parts suppliers to slash costs under a turnaround plan that's testing the mettle of Chief Executive Howard Stringer. The Japanese electronics and entertainment company plans to cut purchasing costs by 500 billion yen ($5.3 billion), or 20 percent of the 2.5 trillion yen spent during the fiscal year ended March, company spokeswoman Mami Imada said Thursday.

Univ. of Michigan, Google amend book scanning dealANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) _ The University of Michigan has amended a deal with Google Inc. to create digital copies of millions of library books and journals. The deal announced Wednesday amends a partnership started in 2004. That deal hit an obstacle when authors and publishers filed a federal court lawsuit claiming the pact violated copyright laws.

NebuAd closing doors after Internet privacy woesPHILADELPHIA (AP) _ NebuAd Inc., a company that sought to target ads to consumers based on their online behavior, is going out of business after facing scrutiny over whether its technology infringed on the privacy of Internet surfers. In court filings this week, NebuAd said it has been winding down its business since last year. It laid off virtually all its employees in July and August, closing its office in Redwood City, Calif., in September. NebuAd once employed over 60 people.

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