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AP Technology NewsBrief at 5:19 p.m. EST(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Apple names Arthur Levinson non-exec chairCUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) _ Apple has named board member Arthur Levinson as its non-executive chairman to fill the vacancy left open when co-founder Steve Jobs died last month. Levinson is chairman of Genentech Inc., a pharmaceuticals company he joined as a research scientist in 1980 and led as chief executive from 1995 to 2009. Levinson has been co-lead director on Apple Inc.'s board since 2005. He joined the board in 2000. Dell earnings rise slightly though revenue is flatROUND ROCK, Texas (AP) _ Dell's third-quarter net income rose 9 percent though revenue remained flat from last year as the computer maker continued pruning less profitable parts of its business. The company also predicted full-year revenue will come in near the low end of the guidance it issued in August, which was itself a reduction from Dell Inc.'s previous expectations. In its earnings report, Dell cited the uncertain economy, as well as the "industry-wide hard drive issue" _ a reference to the recent flooding in Thailand that has hurt many tech companies' manufacturing operations. Review: Kindle Fire sacrifices to get under $200NEW YORK (AP) _ The Kindle was always an odd product name. Amazon used a verb to name a thing, raising the question: Kindle what? Now we have the answer: Kindle Fire. The Kindle Fire is the first full-color, touch-screen Kindle. It's available in the U.S. starting Monday for $199. Berkshire buys 5 pct of IBM, takes other stakesOMAHA, Neb. (AP) _ Warren Buffett said Monday that his company has spent $10.7 billion to buy more than 5 percent of IBM's stock this year, a surprising move by the billionaire investor who has long shied away from investing in high technology companies. Berkshire Hathaway also revealed several other new investments made during the turmoil of the third quarter. Besides the new IBM investment, Berkshire added much smaller stakes in Intel Corp., DirecTV, General Dynamics Corp. and CVS Caremark Corp. LinkedIn CEO, other insiders prepare to sell stockSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ LinkedIn Corp.'s employees and early backers plan to sell more than 6.7 million shares as they try to reap the gains from a rapid run-up in the online professional networking service's market value. CEO Jeff Weiner wants to sell more than 372,000 shares, the most among LinkedIn's management. The company listed the amounts in a regulatory filing Monday. Apple launches iTunes Match a couple weeks lateCUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) _ Apple has turned on its iTunes Match service _ although it's two weeks late. The $25-a-year subscription promises to match every song on a person's computer and store the tunes in an online account on distant servers known as the "cloud." UK police: we beat attack on royal wedding websiteLONDON (AP) _ Scotland Yard's cybercrime unit helped fend off an attack on the official website of Britain's royal wedding in April, the division's chief said Tuesday. Det. Supt. Charlie McMurdie told a London cybersecurity conference that action was taken to safeguard the site, which received 15 million hits when Prince William married Kate Middleton on April 29. Co-founder of social network Diaspora diesPALO ALTO, Calif. (AP) _ Ilya Zhitomirskiy, a co-founder of the startup social networking site Diaspora that put an emphasis on privacy and user-control, has died, a company spokesman said Monday. He was 22. The cause of Zhitomirskiy's death in San Francisco wasn't immediately known, and neither the company nor the San Francisco Medical Examiner's office would release details. Consumer's guide to downloadable giftsRemember when gifts were objects, purchased or crafted and wrapped with a bow, then presented with a flourish? Over the last few years, gift cards have become a popular alternative, and now as we become increasingly connected to our smartphones, laptops and e-readers, gifts are going digital, too. Here's what you need to know to navigate a holiday shopping season without gift wrap or envelopes or even little plastic cards. Cray replaces IBM on U. of Illinois supercomputerCHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) _ The University of Illinois says Seattle-based Cray Inc. will take over construction of the stalled $300 million Blue Waters supercomputer project, three months after IBM pulled out citing cost and technical concerns. Cray expects to have the computer online next year, keeping the project, which is being primarily paid for by the National Science Foundation, on track to finish on time. (c) 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |