Former State Department official to head 'Google Ideas' (AFP)

AFP - A former State Department official credited with helping bring social networking and other Web 2.0 tools to US diplomacy has been tapped to head a new division at Google called "Google Ideas."

HP sues ex-CEO Hurd over new job at rival Oracle (AP)

AP - Hewlett-Packard Co. is suing former CEO Mark Hurd to stop him from taking a job at rival Oracle Corp.

European police target online film piracy network (AFP)

AFP - Police in 14 European countries on Tuesday launched a series of raids against an online film pirating network, Swedish authorities said.

Millicom downgraded at Stifel Nicolaus (AP)

AP - At nearly $100 each, shares of mobile phone operator Millicom International Cellular SA have become appropriately valued, a Stifel Nicolaus analyst wrote Tuesday.

Digital River buys Journey Education Marketing (AP)

AP - Digital River Inc. on Tuesday said that it has bought online software and book retailer Journey Education Marketing Inc. for an undisclosed amount.

Yikes! Coming to TV This Fall -- Google And Its Ads (NewsFactor)

NewsFactor - Google, the company that seems intent on becoming a force in anything that uses electrons, said Tuesday that it expects to expand its Web TV service across the globe. CEO Eric Schmidt said at the big IFA consumer electronics show now in Berlin that he expects other TV set manufacturers to join Sony, which is scheduled to launch Web TV in the U.S. beginning this fall. Samsung has recently said it is considering releasing TV sets with the Google software.

Research and Markets: The Total Addressable Peruvian Consumer Electronics Market Is Forecast To Grow At a Compound ...

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/c2fcc8/peru_consumer_elec) has announced the addition of the "Peru Consumer Electronics Report Q3 2010" report to their offering. Peru Consumer Electronics Report provides industry professionals and strategists, corporate analysts, electronics associations, government departments ...

NY lawsuit seeks to halt suspicionless searches (AP)

AP - A New York lawsuit seeks to stop the government from snooping in the laptops, cell phones and cameras of international travelers when there is no probable cause.

The top 10 singles and albums on iTunes (AP)

AP - iTunes' top 10 selling singles and albums of the week ending Sept. 6, 2010:

Enterprise Products to buy Enterprise GP for $8 billion (Reuters)

Reuters - Pipeline operator Enterprise Products Partners LP Tuesday said it will buy holding company Enterprise GP Holdings LP for $8.03 billion, the second such deal in a month, to simplify its corporate structure and reduce capital costs.

Macworld introduces Macworld Insider (Macworld.com)

Macworld.com - Weâve just launched Macworld Insider, a new club that grants members access to special features on Macworld.com that go beyond anything you can get here for free.

Android now powers 25 percent of mobile operating systems (Appolicious)

Appolicious - Android continues to poach away market share from the iPhone and other mobile platforms, now accounting for 25 percent of mobile operating systems in North America. That’s a 2 percent increase, month-over-month, and an 18.6 percent increase year-over-year.

What the public can see at IFA electronics show

The Berlin show is for regular folks, not just industry insiders. About 230,000 attend to see the electronics products, some of them freshly announced. Originally posted at Deep Tech

Google TV Set for Fall Launch (Mashable)

Mashable - The Apple TV refresh isn't the only new connected device headed to living rooms this fall; Google CEO Eric Schmidt has reaffirmed his company's plans to release the Google TV set-top box in the U.S. later this year, with launch in the rest of the world coming in 2011.

Live Electronics Assembly Line Featured at Electronics Midwest

From Sept 28-30, 2010, each step in electronics assembly process will be on display and fully functioning on show floor at Electronics Midwest, produced by IPC and Canon Communications. EASi-Line enables attendees to follow product from screen printing to component mounting and then through reflow - all while learning about design, coordination of technical information and processes, equipment ...

Origin PC Unveils Gaming PC with Built-In Xbox 360 (PC Magazine)

PC Magazine - Origin PC on Tuesday introduced its Big O über-class gaming PC with Microsoft's Xbox 360 game console built into the same chassis.

Macho Duke Nukem returns after a decade in limbo (AP)

AP - When Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. pulled the plug on the long-in-development "Duke Nukem Forever" last year, most observers in the video-game industry thought they'd seen the last of its titular hero.

Latest Sony PlayStation 3 Firmware Blocks PSJailbreak? (PC World)

PC World - Never mind court injunctions that block sales of a hardware-based PS3 hack designed to let users play pirated games, Sony may already be running interference at the source.

SWALCO schedules electronics collection

The Solid Waste Agency of Lake County will hold a two-day collection of household electronics, including computer equipment, home electronics, appliances and other electronic items.The collection is one of several scheduled for fall and will take place at the Lake County Division of Transportation facility, 600 W. Winchester Road, Libertyville, from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Sept ...

Electronics disposal service looks to make city greener

More than a truckload's worth of old and non-functional electronics were recycled Aug. 4 in the city hall parking lot. Allen residents helped make the city a little greener this month at the city's quarterly electronic waste collection in the city hall parking lot Aug. 4.

Samsung Electronics May Use Google’s Android Software in TVs

Samsung Electronics Co. , the world’s largest television maker, said it may equip its TVs with Google Inc. software, and compete with Sony Corp . in offering sets that surf the Web and double as computers.

Samsung Electronics Expects to Meet TV Sales Target for 2010

Samsung Electronics Co. is on track to meet to its 2010 sales target for televisions, said Yoon Boo Keun, the company’s TV business chief. Yoon, who was speaking to reporters in Seoul today, also said Samsung is considering using Google Inc.’s Android operating system in its televisions.

Google Proposes $8.5 Mln Buzz Lawsuit Settlement (Digital Trends)

Digital Trends - Internet giant Google has proposed paying some $8.5 million to settle a lawsuit over privacy violations that occurred when it launched its Buzz social networking service earlier this year. Some 30 percent of the proposed settlement money would go towards legal fees associated with the case, $2,500 each would go to the seven Gmail users who brought the suit, and the remainder would be split amongst organizations that promote online privacy and privacy education. Google admits no wrongdoing in the settlement, which still must be approved by a judge.

Taiwan's HTC: iPhone's `quiet' challenger (AP)

AP - East Asia is the world's electronics factory, yet unless they are Japanese, producers are largely anonymous. Now HTC Corp., a Taiwanese maker of smart phones, is moving out of the shadows and trying to establish its own brand name as it competes with Apple's iPhone.

Samsung Electronics May Raise Investment Budget to $25.5 Billion Next Year

Samsung Electronics Co. may invest 30 trillion won ($26 billion) next year, the company said in an email, confirming a comment by Chief Executive Officer Choi Gee Sung reported by the Korea Economic Daily today.

1 'censored' bar won't stop online prostitution (AP)

AP - Craiglist's "adult services" section has been shut down in the U.S., but prostitution on the Internet is alive and well — even, quite possibly, on Craigslist.

Samsung Electronics Considers More Record Spending In '11

LG Electronics Aims to Increase LCD Television Sales by 40 Percent in 2011

LG Electronics Inc. , the world’s second-biggest maker of liquid-crystal-display televisions, plans to increase LCD TV sales by about 40 percent next year, as lower prices boost demand.

Apple Browsing Share Tops Linux, Android Steals Share Everywhere (PC World)

PC World - More people browsed the Internet last month with a device running Apple's mobile operating system, iOS, than used Linux to do so. That's a first for Apple, according to NetMarketShare, a firm that produces metrics on the market share of browsers, operating systems and search engines.

Add hip-hop to 'Rock Band' thanks to Snoop Dogg (AP)

AP - Rap and rock will collide once again — this time in a video game.

Take-Two posts profit, raises outlook (Reuters)

Reuters - Video game maker Take-Two Interactive Inc on Thursday smashed Wall Street expectations for its fiscal third quarter and raised its forecast for the current fourth quarter, citing strong sales for its "Red Dead Redemption" title.

Take-Two posts 3Q profit, revenue soars (AP)

AP - Video game publisher Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. posted better-than-expected results for its fiscal third quarter Thursday, reversing a loss as revenue more than tripled thanks to largely to strong sales of "Red Dead Redemption."

Sony Shows Prototypes of a Planned 3-D VAIO Laptop (NewsFactor)

NewsFactor - A laptop computer with 3-D video and games. Sony, hoping that could be the Next Big Thing, showed prototypes Wednesday of an upcoming VAIO 3-D laptop at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, Germany, and announced plans to launch a 3-D TV channel.

Gameworld: Tween players impacting online game development (Reuters)

Reuters - A booming market of tweens is changing the landscape of online games.

Summary Box: Vivendi raises outlook despite 2Q dip (AP)

AP - RESULTS: French media company Vivendi SA said second-quarter profit fell 3.5 percent due to fewer music releases from artists like Eminem and Lady Gaga. But it raised its full-year outlook as it expects strong results from video games and mobile services in emerging markets.

PlayStation 3 Will Be Ready for 3D by October (PC World)

PC World - PlayStation 3 owners will finally be able to watch movies in 3D by October, Sony CEO Howard Stringer promised during his speech Wednesday at the Internationale Funkaustellung (IFA) trade show in Berlin.

iOS 4.1's Game Center to hit iPhone next week (Macworld.com)

Macworld.com - On Wednesday, Apple announced that multiplayer games on your iPhone and iPod touch will never be the same. At a press event, Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the companyâs highly-anticipated Game Center. As part of the iOS 4.1 update, Game Center will be available as a free download next week.

Sony Unveils Cloud-Based Qriocity Music Service for PS3, HDTVs (PC Magazine)

PC Magazine - Sony on Wednesday announced an unlimited, cloud-based music service that will initially be accessible via PlayStation gaming consoles and other Web-connected devices.

Microsoft's Xbox 360 D-Pad Update: Something Old, Something New (PC World)

PC World - For gamers who've griped about the Xbox 360's leveled down d-pad, Microsoft's telling old-school controller fans 'have it your way'. In fact: Have it both ways.

New `Metroid' game strong on plot, short on action (AP)

AP - Followers of the "Metroid" game series from Nintendo are bound to covet the latest offering, "Metroid: Other M," while those new to the series will likely find it a bit stale.

Report: Sony to Unveil Music, Video Subscription Service (PC Magazine)

PC Magazine - Sony is reportedly prepping a music and video subscription service that would initially provide access to content through its PlayStation gaming consoles.

Vivendi raises outlook despite dip in net profit (AP)

AP - French media company Vivendi SA said Wednesday that net income fell 3.5 percent in the second quarter due to fewer music releases from artists like Eminem and Lady Gaga, but it raised its full-year outlook as it expects strong results from video games and mobile services in emerging markets.

Madden NFL Makes Its Debut on Facebook (Mashable)

Mashable - Electronic Arts' wildly successful Madden NFL franchise has made the leap from the Xbox to Facebook.

Electronic Arts brings 'Madden' to Facebook (AP)

AP - Electronic Arts is bringing its popular "Madden" football game to Facebook. "Madden NFL Superstars" launches as a free application Tuesday.

Microsoft hiking Xbox Live subscription prices (AP)

AP - Microsoft is raising subscription prices for its popular Xbox Live Gold online gaming service in the U.S. and three other countries.

Microsoft Unveils New Xbox 360 Wireless Controller (PC Magazine)

PC Magazine - Microsoft on Tuesday unveiled a new wireless Xbox 360 controller, which features a new D-pad that transforms from a plus to a disc.

Able to unplug from work while you’re on vacation? (Ben Patterson)

Ben Patterson - Fighting the urge to check your work e-mail while you’re on holiday doesn’t exactly qualify as the worst problem in the world; after all, it’s pretty nice to have a job at all in this tough economy, right? Then again, the pressure to hang onto a job seems to be driving more and more connected workers to stay plugged in even while they’re trying to tune out.

Mobile users still wary of being found, survey says (Ben Patterson)

Ben Patterson - Feel the need to "check in" on Foursquare or Facebook every time you saunter into a restaurant, browse the goods at your neighborhood grocery store, or cram into a rock concert? Well, if you, you’re still in the minority — and you’re also probably a guy below 40 — according to the latest research.