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Monday, July 18, 2011

Cisco to lay off thousands of employees (AP) : Technet

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Cisco to lay off thousands of employees (AP) : Technet

Cisco to lay off thousands of employees (AP)

Posted: 18 Jul 2011 03:53 PM PDT

By RACHEL METZ, AP Technology Writer Rachel Metz, Ap Technology Writer – Mon Jul 18, 6:53 pm ET

SAN FRANCISCO – Cisco Systems Inc., the world's largest maker of computer-networking gear, is reducing its work force by about 9 percent to reduce costs and raise profits as the company tries to become more competitive.

Monday's announcement to cut 6,500 of its roughly 73,000 worldwide employees follows up on a plan disclosed in May to eliminate thousands of jobs. Two-thirds will come through layoffs, and the rest through an early-retirement plan. The company said 15 percent of employees at or above the level of vice president are being eliminated.

Cisco has long been a high-growth company, but after rebounding from the recession, its sales started stalling about a year ago. Critics have long said that Cisco tries to compete in too many markets.

CEO John Chambers acknowledged that criticism in April and sent employees a memo vowing to take "bold steps" to narrow the company's focus. Cisco killed off its Flip video camcorder business that month, and it reorganized its management structure a month later. Monday's cuts represent Cisco's latest attempt to simplify.

Cisco is also suffering from rising competition from companies like Juniper Networks Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co. in the market for computer-networking equipment, including the routers and switches that direct the flow of data traffic.

Cisco said the cuts will cost it $1.3 billion in severance and termination benefits. The company, which is based in San Jose, Calif., plans to take the charge over several quarters. It will take $750 million of that, including $500 million for the early-retirement program, during the current quarter.

Cisco will inform employees who have been cut in the U.S., Canada and some other countries during the first week of August. The rest will come later to comply with local laws.

In May, Cisco said it planned to eliminate thousands of jobs as part of a larger plan to lower annual expenses by $1 billion, or about 6 percent. Cisco didn't say then how many jobs would be eliminated, but the number worked out to 4,000 to 5,000 if the percentage of job cuts were similar to the reduction in expenses. The exact number has been the subject of many analyst and published reports since then. The numbers announced Monday are much higher than the 6 percent figure.

Gleacher & Co. analyst Brian Marshall said the cuts were in line with what he was expecting.

"Obviously, while an unfortunate event it's a necessity for Cisco to heal and get back on a competitive stature in the industry," he said.

Also Monday, Cisco said it agreed to sell its Juarez, Mexico-based set-top box manufacturing plant to Foxconn Technology Group, a Taiwanese company that makes many Apple products. The plant's 5,000 employees will join Foxconn by October. Those 5,000 are in addition to the 6,500 being cut from Cisco.

Earlier this year, Cisco cut 550 workers as part of its decision to kill Flip and reorganize other aspects of its consumer business.

Cisco's stock fell 2 cents to $15.42 in extended trading Monday after the announcement. The stock finished regular trading down 15 cents at $15.44.

IBM raises guidance, beats Street estimates (AP)

Posted: 18 Jul 2011 02:38 PM PDT

By JORDAN ROBERTSON, AP Technology Writer Jordan Robertson, Ap Technology Writer – Mon Jul 18, 5:38 pm ET

SAN FRANCISCO – IBM Corp. raised its income guidance for the year on Monday as earnings in the latest quarter increased 8 percent because of growth in all three of its major product categories.

The results show the strength of the 100-year-old company's efforts to link its mainframes and other computing hardware with its newer businesses, software and services. Those two categories bring in the bulk of IBM's income.

Signings of new contracts for services increased — a welcome sign for Wall Street after a decline last quarter.

But the company faces questions about whether its profit increases are sustainable. Some analysts worry about increased competition, specifically in outsourcing, the biggest part of IBM's services business.

Investors gave the numbers a tepid endorsement. The stock rose 2 percent.

Net income was $3.66 billion, or $3 per share, in the second quarter compared with $3.39 billion, or $2.61 per share, a year ago. Excluding items, IBM earned $3.09 per share, ahead of the $3.02 per share analysts expected.

Revenue increased 12 percent to $26.7 billion, ahead of the $25.4 billion analyst estimate.

New contract signings in services increased 16 percent over last year to $14.3 billion. They had declined 14 percent in the first quarter, raising fears about the robustness of IBM's pipeline of new deals.

IBM has stopped including this figure in its earnings releases; it can now only be found deep in the charts accompanying the results. Instead, IBM insists that its backlog of services deals that are already in the pipeline is a better predictor of future revenue. The backlog is now $144 billion, $15 billion higher than last year.

Guidance for 2011 calls for at least $13.25 per share, excluding items, up from the previous estimate of $13.15 per share.

But the company's history makes it subject to high expectations. IBM, which is based in Armonk, N.Y., has not only consistently raised its guidance, but it has also taken the rare step of setting a specific long-term profit goal — $20 per share in operating earnings by 2015. So investors now expect steady guidance increases.

Brian Marshall, an analyst with Gleacher & Co., said he was disappointed with the latest numbers. IBM's income should have been higher considering that revenue was more than $1 billion higher than estimates, he said.

"They are spending faster than I thought — that is my main concern," Marshall said, adding that IBM's ability to hit its long-term profit target is "not a slam dunk in my view."

IBM's stock rose $4.07, or 2.3 percent, to $179.35 in extended trading after the release of results Monday. In the regular session earlier, the stock fell 26 cents to $175.28. The stock is up more than 40 percent since September, indicating investors' overall belief about IBM's profit predictions.

Amazon says gets OK for Calif sales tax referendum (AP)

Posted: 18 Jul 2011 08:10 PM PDT

– 56 mins ago

SAN FRANCISCO – Amazon.com Inc. says the California Attorney General's Office has approved its petition for a referendum that would let voters decide whether to overturn a new law that forces online retailers to collect sales taxes in the state.

The law makes online retailers collect California sales taxes by expanding what it means to have a physical presence in the state. The requirement now kicks in if an online retailer has a related company, such as a marketing arm, or affiliates in California.

The law is projected to help California collect an additional $200 million annually. Amazon says its referendum aims to support jobs and investment in the state.

To bring its measure before Californians in the next statewide vote in February, Seattle-based Amazon must gather over 500,000 signatures by late September.

Astronaut snaps an unbelievable Aurora Australis photo from Atlantis (Yahoo! News)

Posted: 18 Jul 2011 05:37 PM PDT

High-speed camera captures adorable puppy hurricane (Yahoo! News)

Posted: 18 Jul 2011 05:30 PM PDT

8 Crucial Elements of Startup Success (Mashable)

Posted: 17 Jul 2011 12:16 PM PDT

Bill Clark Bill Clark – Sun Jul 17, 3:16 pm ET

Bill Clark is the CEO of Microventures, a securities broker/dealer that uses crowdfunding to allow investors to invest between $1,000 and $10,000 in startups online. You can follow him on Twitter @austinbillc. Most people understand that a high percentage of startups never make it. So what if you could give yourself a leg up on the competition? Below is a list of tips that may help your startup get to the next level. These ideas are not revolutionary, and many successful startups already have these qualities. Why not ensure yours does too?

[More from Mashable: 19 Essential Google+ Resources]

1. Hire Great Coders

If you don't have the skills to code, make sure you find someone with a solid programming background who can implement your idea. You want to make sure that person has built successful websites with features similar to your own vision. That way, you know they have the right skills for your startup. An inefficient coder will take a long time to launch the site, wasting time by making minor changes and fixing bugs. You will lose valuable time and potentially miss the opportunity to capitalize on first-to-market advantages.

2. Launch Your Product Site Quickly

Sometimes you'll encounter a last-minute opportunity to add features to your product. However, this can delay the launch. You might consider it worth the wait, especially if the added features will further engage customers. However, make sure to launch as soon as possible with the critical functionality. You can always make later changes to improve your site and product. Furthermore, you'll be able to start gathering valuable feedback from your customers. If you're insecure about a hasty launch, let customers know they're viewing the beta version of the site, and they can expect improvements soon.

[More from Mashable: Discovered a New Band? Find Out Which Songs To Check Out First With GoRankem]

3. Identify Your Users

If you're developing a product, make sure you truly understand the needs of your end users. You might assume that potential customers are seeking your particular solution, only to discover after launch that your product might be too expensive or doesn't precisely repair the problem. Make sure that you take some time to understand exactly what your users need, and what they are willing to pay for.

4. Don't Target a Small Niche

Solving a problem for a targeted niche is not a bad idea -- the smaller the niche, the less competition you may face. The downside is that you might not gain enough users to render a profit. Make sure to perform market research to understand the scale of consumers interested in your product. Also, plan to expand the niche once you service its need. When you evolve your original idea into adjacent markets, you will increase the probability of exponential growth.

5. Raise Enough Money the First Time

As most startups know, determining how much money to raise is difficult. Raising enough money in your seed round will carry your business through inevitable growing pains and redesigns, but it's important to retain enough money to develop the final product your users will love. You don't want to spend all your time convincing investors to sign that next check that will keep the company afloat. Investors would rather you spend it further developing the business and getting them a timely return on investment. You want to raise enough money initially so that you can hit a major milestone and have something to show investors.

6. Don't Waste Money

As obvious as this one sounds, startups waste money every day. They often overspend on things that can wait until later, or on a tool that doesn't get them the expected results. By outsourcing a variety of activities, however, startups are now becoming less expensive to launch.

One area in which startups waste money is hiring too many employees too fast. You need to make sure you can fill up the entire day of each (indispensable) employee. Early on, only hire people who add required functionality that cannot be fulfilled by current staff. You should also determine whether a person can be hired as a short-term, temporary resource (i.e. outsourcing), or whether hiring a full-time employee is the right, long-term solution. Employee salaries contribute to high overhead expenses, and should be carefully controlled at the beginning of a successful startup.

7. Have Multiple Co-Founders

A startup can be very time-consuming. Although you envisioned its concept, you may lack the required skills to launch your idea into reality. Therefore, divide the work among trusted partners with necessary skills sets, and be able to bounce ideas off each other freely.

Dave McClure states that the ideal startup has a hacker, a hustler and a designer. The hacker can code, the hustler brings in the business, and the designer architects the concept to make it appealing to a consumer or investor. You may have one or all of these skills, but often not enough time in the day to wear all of the hats. If you can't convince a co-founder to come on board and fill a role, it may be a red flag that your idea needs tweaking.

8. All Or Nothing

We've all heard the saying "don't quit your day job, kid," but in the world of startups, any time spent focused on outside tasks is an opportunity for competitors to beat you to market. You need to focus all your time on your startup if you want it to succeed. And this may mean quitting your day job.

If you're building a product, targeting customers, and trying to attract investors all in your spare time, you don't have your priorities lined up. If you dedicate all your time to your startup, you will have more drive to successfully get it to market, because now your livelihood depends on it.

This list doesn't guarantee that you will succeed, but it will give you some benchmarks to compare yourself against. Can you think of any additional characteristics that successful startups have going for them? If so, leave them in the comments.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, RichVintage

This story originally published on Mashable here.

LulzSec hacks scandal-hit News International websites (AFP)

Posted: 18 Jul 2011 07:11 PM PDT

– 1 hr 54 mins ago

LONDON (AFP) – Websites owned by Rupert Murdoch's News International were down Tuesday after the Lulz Security hacker group replaced The Sun's online version with a fake story pronouncing the mogul's death.

The British tabloid quickly took down reports that the 80-year-old had been found dead in his garden after ingesting palladium but visitors to the site were redirected to LulzSec's Twitter feed, which celebrated the high-profile attack.

News International, Murdoch's British newspaper arm, is believed to have swiftly pulled all of its websites as a precautionary measure.

"We have owned Sun/News of the World - that story is simply phase 1 - expect the lulz to flow in coming days," a message from the group warned.

Another message taunted "We have joy we have fun, we have messed up Murdoch's Sun"

A News International spokeswoman said the company was "aware" of the attack.

The hacker collective said it was "sitting on their (the Sun's) emails" and was prepared to publicise them on Tuesday.

Lulz has been in the spotlight after taking credit for cyberattacks on high-profile companies including Sony and Nintendo.

News International has been under fire over accusations that its now defunct News of the World tabloid hacked into the phone of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler.

Hacker group launches online social network (AFP)

Posted: 18 Jul 2011 01:25 PM PDT

– Mon Jul 18, 4:25 pm ET

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) – Infamous hacker group Anonymous launched Monday its own social network after being rejected by Google's freshly-launched online community.

"Today we welcome you to begin anew," the hacker alliance said at the website anonplus.com, which it described as a platform to distribute information.

"Welcome to the Revolution - a new social network where there is no fear...of censorship...of blackout...nor of holding back."

The drive to build a social network came after the Anonymous account was suspended at the Google+ online community, which was launched last month by the Internet giant as a challenge to Facebook.

A message on the anonplus.com website promised that the Anonymous social network would be for everyone and listed online monikers of developers taking part in the project.

Anonymous, which rose to infamy last year with cyber attacks in support of controversial whistle-blower website WikiLeaks, posted the suspension notice from Google on its blog at Tumblr.

The group has been linked to attacks on Visa, Mastercard and Paypal, which blocked donations to WikiLeaks after it published thousands of US diplomatic cables.

Early this year, Anonymous took credit for breaking into the website of HBGary Federal because the firm was working with federal agents to expose the hackers' identities.

Anonymous last week released a trove of military email addresses and passwords it claimed to have plundered from the network of US defense consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton.

In recent months, police in Spain, Turkey and Italy have arrested suspected members of Anonymous, which is believed to have branches in several countries.

Arizona CEO's son, girlfriend dies within a week (AP)

Posted: 18 Jul 2011 05:32 PM PDT

By ELLIOT SPAGAT, Associated Press Elliot Spagat, Associated Press – Mon Jul 18, 8:32 pm ET

CORONADO, Calif. – The most common crimes are small-time theft. Bicycles vanish from homes. Cell phones and other gadgets are stolen from cars and beach towels.

Residents of the wealthy San Diego suburb of Coronado — which features safe streets, world-class beaches and a small-town feel — are shocked by two mysterious deaths within a week, both tied to a historic mansion.

The first came when Rebecca Zahau, the 32-year-old girlfriend of Arizona pharmaceuticals tycoon Jonah Shacknai was found dead Wednesday, her nude body hanging from balcony of his home, her wrists and ankles bound.

Two days earlier, Shacknai's son, Max, 6, who was being cared for by Zahau, fell down the stairs and was hospitalized. His parents said late Sunday that he died from his injuries.

Investigators say the son's death was an accident. They say Zahau's death is suspicious, but haven't ruled out suicide. Authorities repeated Monday they haven't established any link between the boy's fall and the woman's death.

Investigators identified the woman as Rebecca Nalepa, but court records show she changed her last name to Zahau in May after a divorce. Investigators declined to discuss evidence in the case.

"Suicides can appear odd," San Diego County Sheriff's Sgt. Roy Frank said. "It's not unusual to have a suicide that appears to be something else."

As shocking as the discovery of Zahau's body was, Marilynne Hartstein, a summertime resident from Scottsdale, Ariz., said it appeared to be a family or personal matter.

"People aren't afraid for themselves," Hartstein said on a morning walk.

Coronado draws many part-time residents from Arizona. They are known as "Zonies" — people who escape the Grand Canyon State's oppressive heat for California's ocean breezes.

Shacknai's 27-room home, known as the Spreckels mansion, is one of the more storied properties in a city of multimillion-dollar homes. It has unobstructed beach views and sits near Coronado's main street, which is lined with palm trees and upscale boutiques.

San Diego's gleaming skyline is across the San Diego Bay.

Zahau was at home with another woman, whom authorities won't identify, when Max fell down the stairs last Monday, Coronado Police Chief Louis Scanlon said. Paramedics found he wasn't breathing and did not have a pulse. He was treated at Rady Children's Hospital San Diego.

Scanlon called the boy's fall a "tragic accident."

Ted Greenberg, owner of Camp Diggity Dog, said Zahau called the Coronado kennel last Monday, shortly after the boy's fall, to ask that someone pick up her 14-month-old Weimaraner, Ocean. She said her child was hospitalized after an injury.

"She described it as her child," he said.

Greenberg went to the home Tuesday.

"She was crying on the phone on Monday and Tuesday she was quiet," he said.

Shacknai's brother, Adam, called 911 Wednesday to report that Zahau appeared to be dead, investigators said. The brother was staying in a mansion guesthouse. Jonah Shacknai was not at home.

On Sunday, Jonah Shacknai and his ex-wife, Dina, Max's mother, announced that their son had died from his injuries.

"His loving, kind and vibrant spirit will be forever in our hearts and those whom he touched every day," they said in a statement.

Jonah Shacknai founded Medicis Pharmaceuticals Corp. and has been chairman and chief executive of the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based company since 1988. In his divorce filing with Kimberly Shacknai, he filed a tax return that showed his income in 1998 at $16,991,304.

Medicis makes acne treatments Solodyn and Ziana and facial wrinkle treatment Restylane and Dysport, a competitor of Botox. Last year, the company earned $123 million on $700 million in revenue.

Shacknai has two children with his first wife, Kimberly, in 1993. The marriage was unhappy from the start, according to court-ordered family study written by psychologist John DiBacco as part of divorce proceedings.

The two met while working for rival pharmaceutical companies. Kimberly told a psychologist that their honeymoon was "terrible" because Shacknai questioned whether he had made a mistake in marrying her.

Still, she described Shacknai as "a very good father." DiBacco wrote that "it was quite apparent that his children are most important to him and he loves them dearly."

Max was Shacknai's only child with his second wife, Dina. The couple divorced in 2008.

Shacknai bought the 27-room mansion in March 2007, when it was assessed at $12.75 million. The home was built in 1908 and named for its original owner, John D. Spreckels, who also owned the newspapers, the San Diego Union and San Diego Tribune.

In a 2005 article, The San Diego Union-Tribune said the main house includes six bedrooms, 4 1/2 baths, basement, attic and unfinished wine-storage room used during Prohibition. A guest house completed in 1928 has two master bedroom suites.

Shacknai clashed with historic preservationists after promising not to make major changes to the home.

The city granted Shacknai some exceptions — once to replace windows and another time to install French doors near the front entrance, said Mayor Casey Tanaka. The city rejected Shacknai's appeals to punch a window through the roof and attach a master bedroom.

"He was here enough where he felt like he was a fairly full-time resident," said Tanaka, 35, who serves part-time as mayor while teaching history at Coronado High School.

Zahau was an ophthalmic technician at Horizon Eye Specialists & Lasik Center in the Phoenix area from April 2008 to December 2010, said chief executive Michael Trier.

"Rebecca was a very experienced and skilled technician, who was well respected by her doctors, her co-workers and our patients," Trier said Monday. "We are saddened and troubled by the circumstances of her death.

A pot of flowers stood outside the Coronado mansion Monday with cards in her memory.

"It is the way you listened, the way you comforted, the way you related to my every heartache, my every victory, even my losses," read one note. "You were a true friend."

___

Associated Press writers Robert Jablon in Los Angeles, Amanda Lee Myers in Phoenix and researcher Rhonda Shafner contributed to this report.

Voice-activated Dragon Go! delivers exactly what you ask for (Appolicious)

Posted: 18 Jul 2011 10:30 AM PDT

American Express to offer coupons via Facebook (AP)

Posted: 18 Jul 2011 07:34 PM PDT

By CANDICE CHOI, AP Personal Finance Writer Candice Choi, Ap Personal Finance Writer – 1 hr 32 mins ago

NEW YORK – American Express is jumping into the daily deals arena.

The card issuer on Monday night will launch a Facebook application that offers personalized coupons based on a cardholder's likes, interests and other profile information. The announcement marks a significant entrant into the daily deals market, which has exploded in the past year.

For those familiar with Groupon and LivingSocial — by far the two largest daily deal sites — a key advantage of the Amex application is that there's no need to spend money up front to get a deal.

Instead, cardholders simply click to add the deals they like to their Amex accounts. For example, if cardholders click on a deal to get $5 back for spending $20 at Whole Foods, they automatically get $5 credited to their Amex statement the next time they charge $20 at the market. Amex says credits should appear within three to five days after purchases are made, but may take up to two billing cycles.

In the Whole Foods example, cardholders would also earn Amex rewards points on the $15 that is ultimately charged to the card. There's no penalty if deals are never used.

With Groupon and LivingSocial, by contrast, consumers have to pay for deals up front. And there's no refund if the vouchers aren't redeemed before they expire. That's not an unusual problem; an estimated 20 percent of daily deals go unused, according to Yipit.com, which tracks the industry.

It's not clear how personalized the Amex deals will be in the beginning, since the Facebook application is launching with offers from only about 100 national retailers. Amex says it plans to quickly start adding deals from local merchants in coming weeks.

The Amex application offers key perks for merchants, too.

Since all deals are redeemed on Amex cards, retailers can easily track how effectively specific offers drive up sales. For example, a store owner could see the total sales that resulted from a particular coupon, including the number of coupons that were redeemed and the average amount shoppers spent with the deal.

"They can see what deals work for them and which don't," said Luke Gebb, vice president of global marketing at Amex.

And unlike Groupon and LivingSocial, merchants don't have to hand over a cut of their sales to American Express. The card issuer says it may start charging merchants in the future as the application gains a bigger following. For now the company will make money only from the interchange fees Amex collects from merchants whenever customers swipe their cards.

American Express also points out that the application removes the hassle of an actual coupon, meaning less confusion at the register for the retailer and shopper.

Users can opt to share their Amex deals with their friends on Facebook, but Amex notes that the application does not share any account information with Facebook. To start seeing offers, American Express cardholders go to the company's page on Facebook and click on the "Link, Like, Love" link to enter their card information.

Notably, Amex isn't the only major company looking to tap into the growing demand for online deals.

Facebook this year began testing its own daily deals program in five U.S. cities. Google in April rolled out a pilot daily deals program in Portland, Ore., and online retail giant Amazon in May launched MyHabit.com, which dangles a luxury item at 60 percent off each day.

Meanwhile, Groupon, which was launched less than three years ago, now boasts 35 million subscribers in the U.S. The Chicago-based site last year rejected a $6 billion takeover offer from Google. Last month the site filed for an initial public offering with the Securities and Exchange Commission saying it hopes to raise at least $750 million.

Kindle lets students rent digital textbooks (AFP)

Posted: 18 Jul 2011 04:58 PM PDT

– Mon Jul 18, 7:58 pm ET

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) – Amazon.com on Monday began letting students rent textbooks on Kindle electronic readers.

Kindle Textbook Rentals lets students pay based on how long they want to use textbooks, with periods ranging from 30 days to 360 days.

Renting a digital version of textbooks on a Kindle for a month can save students as much as 80 percent of the price of buying the works, according to Amazon Kindle vice president Dave Limp.

"Students tell us that they enjoy the low prices we offer on new and used print textbooks," Limp said.

"Now we're excited to offer students an option to rent Kindle textbooks and only pay for the time they need," he continued.

Amazon boasted having tens of thousands of digitized textbooks at amazon.com/kindletextbooks from publishers such as John Wiley & Sons, Elsevier and Taylor & Francis.

Margin notes and highlights added to rented textbooks will be saved on servers in the "Amazon Cloud" to let students access them anew when then rent works again, according to Limp.

Rented Kindle Textbooks can be read on many device including iPads, smartphones, computers, and iPod touch devices.

Apple is reportedly testing high-definition iPad 3 screen, may have two iPhones out this summer (Appolicious)

Posted: 18 Jul 2011 12:57 PM PDT

CNN now streaming 24-hour live news to iPads and iPhones (Digital Trends)

Posted: 18 Jul 2011 12:59 PM PDT

Aemon Malone Aemon Malone – Mon Jul 18, 3:59 pm ET

CNN iPadTime Warner today launched a new 24-hour live streaming service for both its CNN and Headline News (HLN) programming. The live feeds can now be accessed through CNN.com and through its apps for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. The effort makes CNN Worldwide the first news organization to offer continuous programming online and for mobile devices, according to a statement issued by the company.

To access the live feeds, users must current subscribers to a paid TV service. Participating companies include AT&T, Comcast, Cox, DISH Network, Suddenlink and Verizon. Time Warner Cable is curiously absent from the list.

"CNN is taking a significant step forward by offering live CNN and HLN TV to our audiences whether they are on their couches at home or have their toes in the sand on the beach," said K.C. Estenson, general manager of CNN Digital. "The 10 million users who have downloaded CNN's mobile apps and the tens of millions of people who get the latest news and information from CNN.com every day will soon be able to watch CNN TV on every device they have."

For the moment, the live streaming is available through Web browsers at CNN's website and for dedicated CNN apps for the iPad and iPhone. However, Time Warner says that it plans to offer the service for other mobile devices in the future. To access the live news feed from a Web browser users can access the "Live" section on CNN.com's video page and then sign-in by providing details from their TV provider account. CNN's iOS apps are available in Apple's iTunes App Store.

While CNN may be the first 24-hour TV news stream offered for mobile devices, Time Warner has previously offered a "TV Anywhere" experience by way of its HBO Go service for subscribers of certain paid TV services.

NBC, Facebook partner for GOP presidential debate (Reuters)

Posted: 18 Jul 2011 04:20 PM PDT

By Lucas Shaw Lucas Shaw – Mon Jul 18, 7:20 pm ET

NEW YORK (TheWrap) – Now that President Obama has had town halls using Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, the Republican presidential candidates will try out social media-related campaigning for themselves.

NBC's "Meet the Press" and Facebook are partnering to simulcast a Republican Presidential primary debate on the Sunday before next year's New Hampshire primary. Moderated by "Meet the Press" host David Gregory, the debate will be shown on NBC, MSNBC, Facebook and the New England Cable News.

"This is sure to add a groundbreaking new chapter to the rich history of 'Meet the Press' political debates," Steve Capus, president of NBC News, said in a statement. "What really sets this partnership apart is that we are able to combine the reach of NBC's audiences and Facebook's users to connect with engaged, informed communities."

NBC and Facebook have yet to discuss the details of the debate, in particular how technology and social interaction will factor in, but the press release said it would be an "innovative, multi-platform forum" where voters and viewers will be able to react and discuss within their online communities.

Like the Twitter town hall, this sounds like social media will be used but only in limited form. If viewers and voters are reacting online, that could mean those reactions will be posted at times during the debate and used to pose new questions.

Half of Smartphone Shoppers Want iPhones (LiveScience.com)

Posted: 18 Jul 2011 03:41 PM PDT

LiveScience.com livescience.com – Mon Jul 18, 6:41 pm ET

Looking to buy a new phone in the next 90 days? There's nearly a 50 percent chance you'll pick an iPhone, according to a new report.

A new survey from ChangeWave Research found that 48 percent of those looking to buy a new smartphone in the next three months plan on buying an Apple iPhone.

The report also said that 46 percent of those looking for a new device want an iOS device, while only 32 percent are interested in an Android operating system. Only four percent want a BlackBerry-powered device.

Right now, Android tops iPhone activations in the United States. The iPhone 5 is rumored to come out soon, so some industry experts speculate that consumers are holding off on new smartphone purchases until then.

The report also found that 70 percent existing Apple iOS users said they were the most satisfying satisfied with their operating system, while only half of Android users said the same.

ChangeWave also noted that Apple's iCloud service is helping the company maintaining its Apple fan base, with 29 percent of respondents saying they are more likely to buy Apple products since the new service was announced.

Reach TechNewsDaily senior writer Samantha Murphy at @SamMurphy_TMN

This story was provided by TechNewsDaily, sister site to LiveScience.

Kodak did not infringe on Apple patents, says ITC (Reuters)

Posted: 18 Jul 2011 04:02 PM PDT

– Mon Jul 18, 7:02 pm ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The International Trade Commission on Monday upheld a decision by one of its judges that Eastman Kodak did not infringe Apple Inc patents for digital cameras.

Apple had filed a complaint with the ITC in May 2010, accusing Kodak of infringing patents for making digital cameras and related software. The ITC administrative law judge said two months ago that Kodak did not infringe the patents.

Kodak's share price has been volatile on patent suits, and briefly rose more than 5 percent after the ruling in after-hours trading before paring those gains. The stock closed 8 percent lower at $2.52 on the New York Stock Exchange on Monday.

The ITC is also considering a Kodak suit against Apple and Research in Motion. Kodak, in its complaint filed in January 2010, argued that Apple's iPhone and RIM's camera-enabled Blackberry infringed on a Kodak patent related to a method for previewing images.

There are also patent lawsuits between the two in district courts.

Investors have been watching Kodak's patent infringement suits against digital camera makers closely, hoping for major settlements.

"We are pleased that the commission has confirmed the ALJ's finding that there is no violation by Kodak," said Kodak spokesman David Lanzillo.

Apple declined to comment.

Kodak settled similar patent disputes with LG Electronics Inc and Samsung Electronics in 2009 and 2010, respectively. The two South Korean consumer electronics makers agreed to pay Kodak $400 million and $550 million, respectively, to license its technology.

Many investors see Kodak's value in its lucrative patent portfolio. It has more than 1,000 patents and it made an estimated $630 million in 2010 from its licenses, according to Argus Research.

Kodak expects to generate $250 million to $350 million in revenue each year through 2013 from licensing.

Companies that allege their patents have been infringed generally sue in district courts to win financial damages and also at the ITC, which can bar infringing products from being imported into the United States.

The complaint at the International Trade Commission is No. 337-717.

(Reporting by Diane Bartz and Liana Baker; Editing by Carol Bishopric and Richard Chang)

Hackers breach Murdoch's Sun newspaper website (Reuters)

Posted: 18 Jul 2011 08:38 PM PDT

– 28 mins ago

LONDON (Reuters) – Computer hackers broke into the website of Rupert Murdoch's best-selling British tabloid and altered the front page to show a fake report about the media mogul's death.

The hackers redirected visitors to the twitter feed of hacker group Lulz Security, which came to prominence after several cyber assaults on the websites of Sony Corp, the CIA, and News Corp's Fox TV.

"We have owned Sun/News of the World," LulzSec posted on Twitter late on Monday, when Tuesday's front page story on The Sun's website read "Media moguls body discovered."

News International, the British subsidiary of Murdoch's News Corp, is at the center of a phone hacking scandal rocking his business empire, British politicians and senior police.

Earlier on Monday, LulzSec member Sabu tweeted the hackers were "sitting on (Sun/News of the World) emails" and would release a statement on Tuesday.

Sabu also begun to tweet what it said were the contact details and logins of News International employees including ex-chief executive Rebekah Brooks. It was not possible to verify if the details were genuine.

News International said the company was "aware of what was happening and that the company's technical teams were working on the it."

In late June, the hacker group said it was disbanding with one last data dump, which included internal AOL INC and AT&T documents.

(Reporting by Brenda Goh; Editing by Matthew Jones)
at 9:28 PM

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