Bitter struggle over Internet regulation to dominate global summit

Bitter struggle over Internet regulation to dominate global summit
Privacy groups ask Facebook to withdraw proposed policy changes
HP hit with civil securities lawsuit over Autonomy deal
Beyonce HBO Doc Will Feature Footage Captured on Her Laptop
10 Great Cyber Monday Deals to Snag Right Now
Online sales jump on Cyber Monday, eBay shines
Facebook not so fun with a click from boss or mom
ICOA CEO says never had acquisition talks with Google
Appealing Apps for Educators: How SonicPics amplifies a student’s voice
HTC confirms 5-inch ‘Deluxe’ smartphone won’t launch in Europe
HP investor sues company for handling of 2 deals
Feds seize 132 domain names to stop knockoff sales
The Case of Too Many Facebook Friends; Smoking Rots the Brain
ChannelAdvisor says eBay sales up 57 percent early on Cyber Monday
132 online counterfeit sites seized in Cyber Monday blitz
Nintendo says more than 400,000 Wii Us sold in US
Four Signs the Google-IOCA 'Press Release' Wasn't Real
Astronaut to Spend a Year in Orbit
Nintendo: more than 400,000 Wii Us sold in US
A123 bankruptcy financing gets final approval
Facebook stock climbs after upgrade
Nokia unveils two new cellphone models, priced at $62
$1,499 Gaming Laptop is Ready for Steam on Linux
STORY REMOVED: BC-US-Google-Wi-Fi-Acquisition
FBI uses Twitter, social media to look for securities fraud
Ignore the 'Copyright' Facebook Warning
Google buys Wi-Fi provider ICOA for $400 million
#sci4hels - the `killer' science journalists of the future want your feedback
Yes, the Government Can Still Spy on Your Digital Life (for Now)
Top 10 Twitter Pics of the Week
Outbreaks of Foodborne Illnesses Are Becoming Harder to Detect

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 08:12 PM PST

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - An unprecedented debate over how the global Internet is governed is set to dominate a meeting of officials in Dubai next week, with many countries pushing to give a United Nations body broad regulatory powers even as the United States and others contend such a move could mean the end of the open Internet. ...

Privacy groups ask Facebook to withdraw proposed policy changes

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 06:25 PM PST

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Two privacy advocacy groups urged Facebook Inc on Monday to withdraw proposed changes to its terms of service that would allow the company to share user data with recently acquired photo-application Instagram, eliminate a user voting system and loosen email restrictions within the social network. The changes, which Facebook unveiled on Wednesday, raise privacy risks for users and violate the company's previous commitments to its roughly 1 billion members, according to the Electronic Privacy Information Center and the Center for Digital Democracy. ...

HP hit with civil securities lawsuit over Autonomy deal

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 01:06 PM PST

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Hewlett-Packard Co was sued on Monday by an investor who claimed the company knew statements about its Autonomy acquisition were misleading and led the stock to fall, according to lawyers representing the plaintiff. The proposed class action lawsuit was filed in a San Francisco federal court. HP dropped a bombshell last Tuesday with an $8.8 billion write-down on its acquisition of British software firm Autonomy, saying the company inflated sales with improper accounting. Autonomy co-founder Mike Lynch has denied any wrongdoing. HP bought Autonomy for a hefty $11. ...

Beyonce HBO Doc Will Feature Footage Captured on Her Laptop

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 06:11 AM PST

A forthcoming HBO documentary about pop star Beyonce Knowles will air in February and feature first-person footage she captured on her laptop, the network announced on Monday.

10 Great Cyber Monday Deals to Snag Right Now

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 05:39 AM PST

1. Kindle Fire

Online sales jump on Cyber Monday, eBay shines

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 03:04 PM PST

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Online sales jumped on Cyber Monday, sending e-commerce retailers' shares higher and suggesting strong growth from earlier in the holiday shopping season is continuing for now. Sales on eBay Inc's online marketplace were particularly strong and Amazon.com Inc continued its rapid holiday shopping season growth, according to early Cyber Monday data released by e-commerce firm ChannelAdvisor. EBay's shares climbed 4.9 percent to close at $51.40. The stock hit an intra-day high of $51.78, the highest level since early 2005. Amazon's shares gained 1.6 percent to $243.62. ...

Facebook not so fun with a click from boss or mom

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 06:25 AM PST

LONDON (Reuters) - Posting pictures of yourself plastered at a party and talking trash online with your Facebook friends may be more stress than it's worth now that your boss and mom want to see it all. A survey from Edinburgh Business School released on Monday showed Facebook users are anxious that all those self-published sins may be coming home to roost with more than half of employers claiming to have used Facebook to weed out job candidates. ...

ICOA CEO says never had acquisition talks with Google

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 01:57 PM PST

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The chief executive of wireless hotspot provider ICOA Inc said his company has never had acquisition talks with Google Inc and is contacting authorities about a "hoax" press release on Monday that said Google bought his company for $400 million. "ICOA never had any discussions with any major company like Google," George Strouthopoulos, the company's chief executive and chairman, said in an email. "Someone, I guess a stock promoter with a dubious interest, is disseminating wrong, false and misleading info in the PR circles," he said. ...

Appealing Apps for Educators: How SonicPics amplifies a student’s voice

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 01:05 PM PST

Since 1999, Carolyn Skibba has served as the technology coordinator at Burley School, a public elementary school in Chicago's Lakeview community. At Burley, she has taught technology classes for grades K-8, developed technology curricula and integration strategies, led professional development for the school and district, and implemented a 1:1 laptop program. She currently supports the school's iPad initiative in grades 1-6 and presents frequently on iPad curricular integration and program implementation. ...

HTC confirms 5-inch ‘Deluxe’ smartphone won’t launch in Europe

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 05:40 PM PST

HTC (2498) has already launched its 5-inch full HD smartphone in two markets, but it appears the device won't be heading to additional markets in the near future. Despite a number of recent leaks, the HTC Deluxe, a variant of Japan's J Butterfly and Verizon's (VZ) DROID DNA smartphone, will not launch in Europe according to a spokesperson for HTC Germany. No specific reason was given, although there is a possibility that the device will be released under a different name. Along with a beautiful 1920 x 1080-pixel HD display, the HTC Deluxe was expected to feature a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB of RAM and an 8-megapixel rear camera. BGR reviewed the DROID DNA last week and called

HP investor sues company for handling of 2 deals

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 05:15 PM PST

Hewlett-Packard now has a legal headache to compound its misery as the company tries to recover from a series of setbacks that have hammered its stock price and raised doubts about its future.

Feds seize 132 domain names to stop knockoff sales

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 04:23 PM PST

Federal law enforcement authorities have announced the seizure of 132 domain names in several countries to stop them from selling counterfeit merchandise online.

The Case of Too Many Facebook Friends; Smoking Rots the Brain

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 03:50 PM PST

Discovered: why social media's popular kids are stressed out; cigarettes harm brain activity; ocean acid is corroding snail shells; the end of the permanent case of the tryptophan naps.

ChannelAdvisor says eBay sales up 57 percent early on Cyber Monday

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 03:04 PM PST

(Reuters) - ChannelAdvisor said client sales on eBay Inc's online marketplace jumped 57 percent from a year before early on Cyber Monday. The sales growth rate was five times higher than during the same period last year, said ChannelAdvisor, which helps merchants sell more on websites including Amazon.com Inc and eBay.com. Client sales on Amazon.com were up 52 percent during the first part of Cyber Monday, ChannelAdvisor also reported. (Reporting By Alistair Barr; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick)

132 online counterfeit sites seized in Cyber Monday blitz

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 03:04 PM PST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. and European authorities seized 132 domain names in a counterfeit goods crackdown linked to Cyber Monday, the online bargain day, the head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said. ICE agents seized 101 domain names in the United States and 31 were taken over by officers in Britain, Romania, Belgium, France and Denmark and by Europol, the European Police Office, ICE Director John Morton said. ...

Nintendo says more than 400,000 Wii Us sold in US

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 02:40 PM PST

Nintendo has sold more than 400,000 of its new video game console, the Wii U, in its first week on sale in the U.S., the company said Monday.

Four Signs the Google-IOCA 'Press Release' Wasn't Real

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 02:22 PM PST

Over the course of Monday, the tech world got duped by a phony press release that claimed Google had acquired ICOA, a wireless Internet company, for $400 million. Both Google and ICOA have since denied the acquisition, with ICOA's CEO George Strouthopoulos suggesting to Buzzfeed's John Herrman that the press release was a hoax intended to increase the stock's value so an insider, as-yet-unrevealed but apparently from Aruba, could make himself a lot of money.

Astronaut to Spend a Year in Orbit

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 02:19 PM PST

Gabrielle Giffords' Brother-in-Law Does Research, Frees Seat Sold by Russian Space Agency

Nintendo: more than 400,000 Wii Us sold in US

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 01:42 PM PST

Nintendo says it has sold more than 400,000 of its new video game console, the Wii U, in its first week on sale in the U.S.

A123 bankruptcy financing gets final approval

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 01:11 PM PST

A Delaware judge is giving final approval for Chinese auto-parts maker Wangxiang Group to provide $50 million in bankruptcy financing for battery maker A123 Systems.

Facebook stock climbs after upgrade

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 12:53 PM PST

Facebook's stock is climbing after an upgrade from an analyst who believes Wall Street is underestimating the company's potential to grow revenue.

Nokia unveils two new cellphone models, priced at $62

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 12:13 PM PST

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Struggling Finnish cellphone maker Nokia unveiled on Monday two new cellphone models, the Asha 205 and the Asha 206, pricing both models at around $62, excluding subsidies and taxes. Both models will go on sale this quarter. Nokia unveiled a new Slam feature which allows consumers to share multimedia content like photos and videos with nearby friends almost instantly through Bluetooth connection. (Reporting By Tarmo Virki)

$1,499 Gaming Laptop is Ready for Steam on Linux

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 10:41 AM PST

Alternative, Linux-based operating systems like Ubuntu haven't historically carried much weight with PC gamers. Very few PC games have been made for Linux, over the years, ever since the company that was porting AAA gaming titles to Linux (Loki Games) went bankrupt in 2001. And while it's possible to use a "compatibility layer" such as Wine to run Windows PC games in Linux, the results are mixed at best and require a lot of technical tweaking, sometimes even in between updates.

STORY REMOVED: BC-US-Google-Wi-Fi-Acquisition

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 10:29 AM PST

Associated Press is withdrawing its story about a purported acquisition of ICOA Inc., a wireless and broadband internet provider, by Google Inc. ICOA says the story is not true, and said a purported news release about the acquisition was a hoax. Google declined to comment, but a person close to Google with knowledge of the situation also said the report was not true. The person declined to be named because she wasn't authorized by Google to speak on the record.

FBI uses Twitter, social media to look for securities fraud

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 08:34 AM PST

(Reuters) - The FBI sees social media as a potential breeding ground for securities fraud, and has agents scouring Twitter and Facebook for tips, according to two top agents overseeing a long-running investigation into insider trading in the $2 trillion hedge fund industry. April Brooks, a special agent in charge of the New York field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and David Chaves, a supervisory agent, said it is hard to predict the next wave of securities fraud, but they add that it will have a lot to do with advances in technology and social media. ...

Ignore the 'Copyright' Facebook Warning

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 08:21 AM PST

Facebook 'Copyright' Warning Message Making the Rounds is a Hoax

Google buys Wi-Fi provider ICOA for $400 million

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 07:56 AM PST

Google has bought an operator of Wi-Fi hotspots in high-traffic locations such as airports, hotels and fast-food restaurants.

#sci4hels - the `killer' science journalists of the future want your feedback

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 07:55 AM PST

#sci4hels - the `killer' science journalists of the future want your feedback

Yes, the Government Can Still Spy on Your Digital Life (for Now)

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 07:07 AM PST

Ahead of a controversial Senate debate on digital privacy this week, the battle over warrantless cell-phone and Internet searches is beginning to take shape — even as law-enforcement agencies continue to carry out the searches anyway. Judges across the country have thrown out cases that used tracked digital American lives without warrants, but others haven't, reports The New York Times's Somini Sengupta. A DC court, for example, compared text messages to voicemail messages, which because they can be overheard are not protected by state privacy laws, argued one judge. ...