TMCnet News

AP Technology NewsBrief at 6:07 p.m. EST
[February 26, 2013]

AP Technology NewsBrief at 6:07 p.m. EST


(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Momentum grows for alternative phone system TizenBARCELONA, Spain (AP) _ The junior league of smartphone operating systems is getting more competitive. Phones from yet another contender _ Tizen _ will go on sale this year with a view to eventually competing with the industry leaders, Apple's iOS and Google's Android. For now, Tizen will compete with another newcomer, Firefox OS, as well as Microsoft's Windows Phone and a revamped BlackBerry operating system.



Apple to hand out iTunes credits in settlementSAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) _ Apple has agreed to give more than $100 million in iTunes store credits to settle a lawsuit alleging that the iPhone and iPad maker improperly charged kids for playing games on their mobile devices. The 2-year-old case centers on allegations that Apple didn't create adequate parental controls to prevent children from buying extra features while playing free games on iPhones and iPads in 2010 and 2011. Parents who filed the lawsuit in 2011 said they didn't realize their children were racking up the charges until they received bills or other notifications after the purchases were made. The games that had been downloaded were designed for kids as young as 4 years old, according to the lawsuit.

Video: Gates, Zuckerberg urge kids to codeNEW YORK (AP) _ Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter creator Jack Dorsey are among the tech luminaries appearing in a new video promoting the teaching and learning of computer coding in schools. Titled "What most schools don't teach," the video released online Tuesday begins with Zuckerberg, Gates and other tech icons recalling the time they got their start in coding. For some, that was in sixth grade. For others, such as Ruchi Sanghvi, Facebook's first female engineer, that happened in college. Freshman year, first semester, intro to computer science, to be exact.


NY Times, others back AP lawsuit against MeltwaterNEW YORK (AP) _ The Newspaper Association of America, the New York Times Co. and several other newspaper companies have filed papers in support of a lawsuit filed by The Associated Press against Meltwater, a company that monitors the media for corporate customers. The AP sued Meltwater U.S. Holdings Inc. and its Meltwater News Service in U.S. District Court for the Southern District in Manhattan last February, alleging that the company copies AP content and sells it to clients without paying AP licensing fees.

Microsoft's IE 10 browser coming to Windows 7 PCsSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Microsoft is escalating its efforts to bring the latest version of Internet Explorer to more than 700 million personal computers in an attempt to re-establish the software maker's browser as the best way to surf the Web. Tuesday's release of Internet Explorer 10 is aimed at PCs running on Windows 7, the most used version of Microsoft Corp.'s flagship operating system for PCs. A preview version of Internet Explorer 10 has been available for Windows 7 machines since mid-November. The final version of Internet Explorer 10 will be automatically sent to all Windows 7 computers set up to get updates.

Pirate Bay moves from Sweden to Norway, SpainSTOCKHOLM (AP) _ Embattled file-sharing site The Pirate Bay is looking for safe havens in Norway and Spain after its Swedish host came under legal pressure to shut it down. The Swedish Pirate Party, a small political party advocating transparency and freedom online, has provided Internet access to the site for the past three years.

European Court hears Spanish case against GoogleMADRID (AP) _ The European Court of Justice is hearing a case that pits Spain's data protection agency against search engine giant Google over the thorny issue of "the right to be forgotten" online. A Spanish court sought Tuesday's hearing in Luxembourg to clarify if Google is subject to Spanish and European data protection laws.

Music, movie industry to warn copyright infringersWASHINGTON (AP) _ Internet users who illegally share music, movies or TV shows online may soon get warning notices from their service providers that they are violating copyright law. Ignore the notices, and violators could face an Internet slow-down for 48 hours. Those who claim they're innocent can protest _ for a fee. For the first time since a spate of aggressive and unpopular lawsuits almost a decade ago, the music and movie industries are going after Internet users they accuse of swapping copyrighted files online. But unlike the lawsuits from the mid-2000s _ which swept up everyone from young kids to the elderly with sometimes ruinous financial penalties and court costs _ the latest effort is aimed at educating casual Internet pirates and convincing them to stop. There are multiple chances to make amends and no immediate legal consequences under the program if they don't.

Chinese hackers seen as increasingly professionalBEIJING (AP) _ Beijing hotly denies accusations of official involvement in massive cyberattacks against foreign targets, insinuating such activity is the work of rogues. But at least one piece of evidence cited by experts points to professional cyberspies: China's hackers don't work weekends. Accusations of state-sanctioned hacking took center stage this past week following a detailed report by a U.S.-based Internet security firm Mandiant. It added to growing suspicions that the Chinese military is not only stealing national defense secrets and harassing dissidents but also pilfering information from foreign companies that could be worth millions or even billions of dollars.

For 1st time since 1999, music revenues inch upLONDON (AP) _ More than a decade after online file swapping tipped the music industry into turmoil, record executives may finally be getting a sliver of good news. Industry revenue is up. A measly 0.3 percent, but it's still up.

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