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AP Technology NewsBrief at 7:55 a.m. EDT(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Job seekers getting asked for Facebook passwordsSEATTLE (AP) _ When Justin Bassett interviewed for a new job, he expected the usual questions about experience and references. So he was astonished when the interviewer asked for something else: his Facebook username and password. Bassett, a New York City statistician, had just finished answering a few character questions when the interviewer turned to her computer to search for his Facebook page. But she couldn't see his private profile. She turned back and asked him to hand over his login information. Ohio man not jailed for stopping Facebook apologyCINCINNATI (AP) _ A man who made comments about his estranged wife on his Facebook page and was threatened with jail unless he posted daily apologies for a month won't be locked up even though he stopped making amends early. Mark Byron agreed to begin posting the apology last month to avoid jail but later said the ruling violated his freedom of speech. He stopped posting the apology after 26 days, but Judge Jon Sieve, of Hamilton County Domestic Relations Court, determined Monday that he had posted it long enough, and Byron wasn't jailed. Apple's dividend heralds 'changing of the guard'SAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ What would Steve have done? It's a question that Apple CEO Tim Cook can't escape. From the naming of the new iPad to his choice of clothing at public events, company-watchers parse Cook's every move, looking for differences between him and the company's revered founder Steve Jobs. But Cook seems determined to stamp his own legacy on the world's most valuable company. In the biggest break from Jobs' philosophy since Cook succeeded him as CEO seven months ago, Apple is dipping into its nearly $100 billion cash stash to start paying a quarterly dividend of $2.65 per share to its stockholders. Artist hits back at critics after Apple firestormNEW YORK (AP) _ Mike Daisey, the performer forced to admit that he made up parts of his one-man show that purported to expose horrific working conditions in Chinese factories where iPads and iPhones are assembled, isn't exactly slinking away. "I want you all to know that I will not go silent," he writes in a new feisty blog posting Monday following a weekend in which he was exposed as mixing fiction and fact and then had to edit his monologue. Apple to pay dividend, start stock buybacksNEW YORK (AP) _ Apple is finally acknowledging that it has more money than it needs. But don't expect it to cut prices on iPhones and iPads. Instead, the company said on Monday that it will reward its shareholders with a dividend and a stock buyback program. Apple, the world's most valuable publicly traded company, sits on $97.6 billion in cash and securities. Airline passengers may get a break on electronicsWASHINGTON (AP) _ The government is taking a tentative step toward making it easier for airlines to allow passengers to use personal electronic devices such as tablets, e-readers and music players during takeoffs and landings. The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it is "exploring ways to bring together all of the key stakeholders involved" _ including airlines, aircraft manufacturers, consumer electronics makers, and flight attendant unions _ to discuss whether there are practical ways to test devices to see if they are safe for passengers to use during critical phases of flight. LightSquared tries to revive broadband networkNEW YORK (AP) _ A Virginia company is trying to revive its plan for a national high-speed wireless network, arguing that it can address federal regulators' concerns over interference with GPS devices. LightSquared's bid won't be easy. The Federal Communications Commission has decided to revoke LightSquared's permit after a federal review found that its network interfered with dozens of personal-navigation devices and aircraft-control systems that rely on GPS. LightSquared made its pleading with the FCC last week as part of public comments on the revocation plans. Crowds create Wikipedia-style maps of the worldSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ When Benjamin Gleitzman moved from New York to the San Francisco Bay area, he used a talking turn-by-turn driving app to guide him across the country. In the middle of Wyoming, the voice told him to turn left where there was no road. Rather than complain to the maker of the app, called Waze, he logged in and made a note for anyone else who happened to drive that way that the road wasn't there. It was a small gesture of consideration to his fellow travelers. Apple's stock closes above $600 for first timeNEW YORK (AP) _ Apple's stock closed above $600 for the first time Monday, the same day the company announced plans to reward shareholders with a dividend and a share buyback program. The stock rallied in the final minutes of trading to close at $601.10, an increase of $15.53, or 2.7 percent. On Thursday, the stock reached $600.01 briefly before falling to a closing price of $585.56. Apple has sold 3 million iPadsCUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) _ Apple Inc. says it has sold 3 million iPads since Friday when it released the latest version of the tablet computer. The new, third model comes with a faster processor, a much sharper screen and an improved camera. As with the previous models, prices start at $499 in the U.S. (c) 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |