Post Tech

The Circuit: Google faces display ad investigation

Hayley Tsukayama — Fri, 24 May 2013 18:52:00 GMT

Google faces display ad probe: The Federal Trade Commission has begun looking into whether Google is using its prominent position in the digital ad market to undermine competition, The Washington Post reported.

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The Circuit: Dish claims security an issue in Sprint-Softbank deal

Hayley Tsukayama — Thu, 23 May 2013 18:16:01 GMT

Dish Network claims national security concerns with Sprint-Softbank deal: Dish Network has undertaken a major media campaign — including taking out a full page ad in The Washington Post — to suggest that the acquisition deal between Softbank and Sprint will cause national security problems.

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The Circuit: Facebook joins human rights group

Hayley Tsukayama — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:57:00 GMT

Facebook joins the Global Network Initiative: Facebook announced Wednesday that it is joining the Global Network Initiative, which asks companies to commit to certain standards when it comes to protecting the freedom of expression and Internet privacy rights.

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Apple CEO Tim Cook says U.S. should lower corporate tax rate

Hayley Tsukayama — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:50:00 GMT

Apple chief executive Tim Cook told a Senate panel Tuesday that the U.S. tax code needs a dramatic overhaul with the overall corporate tax rate, currently at 35 percent, falling to about 20 percent.

Testifying before the before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Cook said the high tax rate has prevented companies from repatriating their massive cash holdings overseas. So, he proposed a tax rate of below 10 percent on those offshore funds.

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Lawmakers grill Apple’s Tim Cook, other executives on taxes

Hayley Tsukayama — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:38:00 GMT

Lawmakers had pointed questions for Apple chief executive Tim Cook and two other top company executives Tuesday at a Senate subcommittee hearing examining the Apple’s tax practices.

As The Washington Post reported, Apple is the latest technology firm to come under fire from Congress over its offshore accounting practices. Apple’s status as a legend in the tech industry — it was the most valuable company in the world as of Monday — makes it one of the highest-profile corporate firms to come under scrutiny for its use of legal loopholes in the tax code, which some lawmakers say is a ruse to avoid paying U.S. taxes.

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Apple CEO Tim Cook defends tax practices at Hill hearing

Hayley Tsukayama — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:38:40 GMT

Apple chief executive Tim Cook went to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to defend the tech giant against accusations that it is using gimmicks to pay less than its fair share of taxes.

In prepared testimony before the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which Apple released Monday night, Cook strongly denied that the company uses any improper methods to reduce its taxes, saying that the subsidiaries that Apple has set up in Ireland help the U.S. economy by improving its position in Asia and Europe.

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The Circuit: Yahoo buys Tumblr

Hayley Tsukayama — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:45:00 GMT

Yahoo buys Tumblr: Yahoo announced Monday that it has paid $1.1 billion for the blogging site, confirming reports that first broke on All Things Digital. The blogging platform, which hosts approximately 100 million blogs, will be maintained as a separate company, Yahoo said, and Tumblr founder Dave Karp will remain as the head of the blogging platform.

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The Circuit: Pentagon approves Apple devices for employee use

Hayley Tsukayama — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:10:00 GMT

Pentagon approves iOS 6 devices: The Department of Defense said Friday that it has approved Apple iPhones and iPads running iOS 6 for use on its networks, meaning that the department can now issue those devices to its employees.

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The Circuit: Consumer groups raise competition concerns over unlimited app streaming

Hayley Tsukayama — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:14:00 GMT

Unlimited app streaming: Wireless companies are warming to the idea of letting some apps stream unlimited video with subsidies from content providers, but as The Washington Post reported, consumer groups have raised concerns that this kind of streaming model could harm competition.

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The Circuit: Federal judges to discuss patent system at National Press Club

Hayley Tsukayama — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:29:00 GMT

Judges to discuss patents at National Press Club: Four federal judges will discuss the U.S. patent system Tuesday at a National Press Club event hosted by the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies.

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The Circuit: Amazon introduces its own currency, Amazon Coins

Hayley Tsukayama — Mon, 13 May 2013 16:45:00 GMT

Amazon creates its own virtual currency: Amazon announced Monday that it’s giving a starter set of “Amazon Coins” to all Kindle Fire users, which will let users buy apps, games and make in-app payments within the company’s own ecosystem.

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The Circuit: Hackers took $45 million in ATM heist

Hayley Tsukayama — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:35:00 GMT

ATM heist: Thieves took over $45 million from automated teller machines in a massive heist over a seven-month period ending last month, The Washington Post reported.

The money was taken from ATMs in Manhattan and more than 20 other locations around the world, the report said. Eight men have been accused of helping to orchestrate the attack, which officials have described as a “21st-century bank heist.”

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The Circuit: Rep. Lofgren unveils cellphone unlocking bill

Hayley Tsukayama — Thu, 09 May 2013 18:52:00 GMT

Cellphone unlocking: Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) on Thursday released a new bill that would make cellphone unlocking legal, on a permanent basis. Unlocking a cellphone or tablet allows consumers to take their devices from network to network; it is illegal under the Digital Millenium Copyright Act.

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The Circuit: Syrian Internet traffic returns

Hayley Tsukayama — Wed, 08 May 2013 19:04:00 GMT

Syrian Internet traffic: Web traffic in Syria has returned after an approximately 20-hour period during which the entire country appeared to be cut off from the Internet, according to Web analysis firms.

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The Circuit: Internet sales tax bill passes Senate, faces scrutiny in the House

Hayley Tsukayama — Tue, 07 May 2013 17:43:00 GMT

Marketplace Fairness Act: The Senate voted Monday to pass the Marketplace Fairness Act by 69-27, but now the Internet sales tax bill faces a tougher challenge in the House.

After the Senate passed the measure, which would empower states to collect sales taxes for out-of-state purchases made online, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) criticized the lawmakers as moving too quickly on the bill.

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The Circuit: Aereo files federal suit against CBS to prevent further lawsuits

Hayley Tsukayama — Mon, 06 May 2013 18:02:00 GMT

Aereo files complaint against CBS: Aereo filed a complaint against CBS to prevent the television broadcaster from filing a suit against the streaming video startup in Boston. CBS is one of several broadcasters that claim Aereo’s technology, which picks up broadcast waves and delivers them over the Web, is illegal. Two judges have ruled that Aereo’s business is legal, and broadcasters have asked a New York federal district court for a full review of the case.

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The Circuit: T-Mobile, MetroPCS complete merger

Hayley Tsukayama — Wed, 01 May 2013 16:58:00 GMT

T-Mobile, MetroPCS: T-Mobile and MetroPCS have finalized their merger deal, and began trading under the ticker “TMUS” Wednesday after ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

The merger puts T-Mobile USA in a better position to expand its 4G LTE network, but the new firm will have to work to integrate the two networks. T-Mobile, a GSM carrier, need to get customers off MetroPCS’s CDMA network and onto its own when they buy new devices to unify its network as quickly as possible.

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T-Mobile, MetroPCS finish deal, ring NYSE bell

Hayley Tsukayama — Wed, 01 May 2013 16:43:00 GMT

T-Mobile and MetroPCS have finalized their merger deal, and began trading under a new ticker on Wednesday.

Executives from the new company rang the morning bell on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange to commemorate its new ticker symbol, “TMUS.”

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The Circuit: TechNet CEO Ramsey steps down

Hayley Tsukayama — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:43:00 GMT

TechNet head steps down: Rey Ramsey, chief executive of TechNet, announced that he is stepping down from the bipartisan political group of Silicon Valley executives after three years to pursue an “exciting private sector endeavor.”

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The Circuit: Sprint receives waiver from SoftBank to speak with Dish

Hayley Tsukayama — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 18:17:00 GMT

Sprint and Softbank: Sprint said Monday that it has received a waiver from Japanese carrier SoftBank to enter discussions with Dish Network to obtain more information on the merger offer that Dish made to Sprint on April 15.

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The Circuit: T-Mobile targeted for ‘deceptive’ advertising

Hayley Tsukayama — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 19:34:00 GMT

T-Mobile faces suit in Washington state: After a complaint from Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson, T-Mobile has agreed to refund customers who feel that advertisements for the carrier’s new plan structure were deceptive.

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The Circuit: FTC answers lingering questions about children’s privacy law

Hayley Tsukayama — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:28:00 GMT

FTC releases children’s privacy FAQ: The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday provided further industry guidance on its amended children’s privacy rules, covering questions about how companies should modify their apps and Web services to comply with the amended Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.

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The Circuit: MetroPCS shareholders approve T-Mobile deal

Hayley Tsukayama — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:51:00 GMT

MetroPCS shareholders approve T-Mobile deal: MetroPCS shareholders Wednesday approved a deal to merge with T-Mobile, the last hurdle the venture faced after winning approval from regulators earlier this year.

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The Circuit: Privacy groups oppose requests to delay kids privacy law

Hayley Tsukayama — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:30:00 GMT

Privacy groups oppose COPPA delay requests: Privacy groups Tuesday asked Federal Trade Commission chairman Edith Ramirez not to delay the implementation of new child privacy data laws under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.

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The Circuit: German agency fines Google over WiFi data collection

Hayley Tsukayama — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 17:17:00 GMT

Correction: A previous version of this post mistakenly attributed concerns about camera phones in the D.C. Superoir Court directly to court employees. This version has been corrected.

Google fined by German data agency: A German data protection agency has fined Google 145,000 euros ($189,000) for collecting information from unsecured WiFi networks with its Street View service.

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