Microsoft joins Google in US spying suit

SAN FRANCISCO: Microsoft on Friday said that a battle to shed light on secret US government requests for Internet user data would play out in court after failed peace talks.

Microsoft and Google filed suits in federal court in June, arguing a right to make public more information about user data requests made under the auspices of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

The technology titans agreed six times to extend the deadline for the government to respond to the lawsuits, allowing time for negotiations that "ended in failure," Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith said in a blog post.

Facebook unveils global Internet access initiative

NEW YORK CITY: Facebook and other technology giants launched an initiative Wednesday designed to give the whole world access to the Internet.

The project is entitled Internet.org and its goal is to extend Internet access to five billion people by cutting the cost of smart phone-based Internet services in developing countries.

"Everything Facebook has done has been about giving all people around the world the power to connect," Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said.

Apple readying two iPhone versions for launch: report

NEW YORK: Apple has asked its Taiwan-based supplier to begin shipping two new versions of the iPhone next month, including a lower-cost model, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

The Journal, citing unnamed sources, said Taiwan-based Hon Hai Precision, the parent company of Foxconn in China, was readying both a standard iPhone with new upgrades and a less expensive model with fewer features.

Apple breaks $500 threshold, 1st time since January 2013

NEW YORK: Apple Inc.'s shares surged passed the $500 threshold — their highest level since January.

Wednesday's gains came a day after activist investor Carl Icahn said he thinks the iPhone maker should do more to revive its stock price.

The outspoken billionaire said in Twitter posts Tuesday that he had acquired an unspecified stake in Apple and had spoken to its CEO about boosting share repurchase plans. The stock immediately jumped, and closed at its highest level in nearly seven months.

BlackBerry may put itself up for sale

TORONTO: Canadian smartphone maker BlackBerry is looking at options that could include joint ventures, partnerships or a sale of the company as it struggles to survive against stiff competition

BlackBerry, which pioneered on-your-hip email with its first smartphones and email pagers, on Monday said it had set up a committee to review its options and that top shareholder Prem Watsa was stepping down from its board due to a possible conflict of interest.

BlackBerry, once a stock market darling, has bled market share to the likes of Apple Inc and phones using Google Inc's Android operating system, and its new BlackBerry 10 smartphones have failed to gain traction with consumers.

Google Glass to be used to explore filmmaking

LOS ANGELES: Beauty is in the eye of the Google Glass wearer. At least that's what the Internet search giant hopes a handful of young filmmakers will discover.

Google is enlisting film students from five colleges to help it explore how its wearable computing device can be used to make movies.

The $1,500 Google Glass headset is already being used by 10,000 so-called explorers.

The device resembles a pair of glasses and allows users to take pictures, shoot video, search the Internet, compose email and check schedules.

Facebook lets users showcase posts on other websites

SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook on Wednesday began letting people share social network posts at blogs or other spots on the Internet.

An Embedded Posts feature being tested out at CNN, Huffington Post, Bleacher Report, PEOPLE and Mashable websites lets Facebook members broadcast posts in real-time to broader online audiences.

"We are beginning to roll out Embedded Posts to make it possible for people to bring the most compelling, timely public posts from Facebook to the rest of the Web," Facebook software engineers Dave Capra and Ray He said in a blog post.

Samsung analysts ask hard questions as S4 marketing charm wears off

SEOUL: Analysts fell under Samsung Electronics Co Ltd's marketing spell when they made what they now admit were hopelessly optimistic forecasts for its smartphone sales.

Samsung's huge share of the high-end smartphone market also persuaded some analysts to downplay industry data pointing to a fast-saturating segment, a reality that is already eating into sales of Apple Inc's iPhone 5.