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TMCNet: AP Technology NewsBrief at 4:39 p.m. EST

[November 19, 2009]

AP Technology NewsBrief at 4:39 p.m. EST

(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Dell profit falls 54 pct amid PC slumpSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Dell Inc. says its latest quarterly profit dropped 54 percent as the company battles a slump has caused it to lose its ranking as the world's No. 2 personal computer maker. Rivals Hewlett-Packard Co. and Acer Inc. have stolen business from Dell as the company grapples with anemic spending on technology by corporations and government agencies. Those large customers make up 80 percent of Dell's business.


Yahoo jumps on Twitter bandwagon to improve searchSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Yahoo Inc. is jumping on the Twitter bandwagon in its latest attempt to get people to use its Internet search engine more frequently. Beginning Thursday, Yahoo will mine the short messages posted on Twitter to find fresher information about hot topics.

Google adding automatic captions to YouTube videosWASHINGTON (AP) _ Think of it as closed captioning for the new media world. Google Inc. said Thursday it is introducing automatic, machine-generated captions for videos on its YouTube site. The new service, being launched this week, is intended to make online videos accessible to the deaf and hearing-impaired.

FAA glitch causes widespread US air travel delaysATLANTA (AP) _ Air travelers nationwide scrambled to revise their plans Thursday after an FAA computer glitch caused widespread cancellations and delays for the second time in 15 months. The Federal Aviation Administration said the problem, which lasted about four hours, was fixed around 9 a.m., but it was unclear how long flights would be affected. It started when a single circuit board in a piece of networking equipment at a computer center in Salt Lake City failed around 5 a.m., the FAA said in a statement.

AOL offers buyouts to 2,500, a third of work forceNEW YORK (AP) _ AOL LLC, an Internet company struggling to adapt to an advertising-driven economy, is looking to shed as much as 36 percent of its work force as it prepares to spin off from Time Warner Inc. next month.

Google's Chrome OS to be ready for 2010 holidaysSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Consumers will have to wait until next year's holiday shopping season to find out if Google Inc.'s new operating system can deliver on its promise to make low-cost computers run faster. Google set the late 2010 target date Thursday during its first preview of a much-anticipated operating system that eventually may mount a challenge to Microsoft Corp.'s Windows _ the foundation for most personal computers since the 1990s.

Yahoo jumps on Twitter bandwagon to improve searchSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Yahoo Inc. is jumping on the Twitter bandwagon in its latest attempt to get people to use its Internet search engine more frequently. Beginning Thursday, Yahoo will mine the short messages posted on Twitter to find fresher information about hot topics.

Shareholders OK DirecTV spinoff but sale uncertainShareholders approved the formation of a new company out of DirecTV Group Inc. and some of Liberty Media Corp.'s entertainment businesses, as the chairman of both firms dampened speculation about a sale to a big phone company. Media mogul John Malone told The Associated Press that he could see the new DirecTV, the nation's largest satellite TV provider, collaborating more closely with phone companies to offer Internet and phone services that compete with cable TV operators. But he was vague on whether or not he would seek a sale.

Calif. requires TVs to be more energy-efficientSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) _ California regulators have adopted the nation's first energy-efficiency standards for televisions, a move that will eventually ban power-hungry sets from the state's store shelves. Wednesday's action by the California Energy Commission could lead the way in a general reform of standards for an industry increasingly focused on wide-view, flat-screen, high-definition sets.

Review: $100 Palm Pixi is stylish but sluggishSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Palm Inc. is fighting harder than ever to snag a chunk of the smart phone market, and just six months after releasing the stylish Pre it's back with a lighter, more petite and affordable version called the Pixi. It's too bad such a good-looking phone is so aggravating to use.

(c) 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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