Carlo Fernandez

Many say that the Internet and computers these days help improve productivity. Because of digital technology, office meetings can be promptly held via Skype or GotoMeeting, a manager can issue announcements to his staff through a Facebook group page, or a secretary can send documents to his boss via Yahoo! e-mail, GoogleDocuments or Dropbox.com.

Sony Corp.'s Playstation lost a couple of gamers after hackers stole private information, including credit card information, from all 77 million members of the PlayStation Network. With the PlayStation Network back after a month-long layoff, Sony has updated its blog site with new information on upcoming releases Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception and Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One.

The record sales of the iPads have affected other firms that rely on PC sales. Microsoft Windows, the lead operating system for PCs but is not used in iPads, had its sales fall 4.4 percent to $4.45 billion. At Intel, whose processors run more than 80 percent of the world's PCs, had to rely on emerging markets and corporate sales to boost growth in the PC-chip division.

More than 13 million hours of video were uploaded in YouTube, during 2010 and 35 hours were uploaded every minute. However, YouTube, the video sharing Web site that used to be the world's largest source of Internet traffic, is losing its marketshare in the Internet populace.

SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) and Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) have announced an expansion of their long-standing relationship that will deliver new cloud and in-memory computing offerings to help organizations transform their businesses.

Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) is rolling out today an expansion to features on its Bing search engine that would display personalized results based on what trusted friends recommend on Facebook, the world's most popular social network.

Scientists from King's College London and the University of Oxford have found that a gene linked to type 2 diabetes and cholesterol is a master trans regulator, which controls other genes found within fat in the body.

NASA said on May 12 that new data analysis from its Galileo spacecraft reveals a subsurface ocean of molten or partially molten magma beneath the surface of Jupiter's volcanic moon Io.

Yahoo Inc. (YHOO) and Chinese Internet company Alibaba Group tried to present a united front Sunday as they worked on a dispute relating to Alibaba's online payment service.

NASA's countdown clocks has begun ticking again for Monday's launch of space shuttle Endeavour.

Google led the explicit core search market in the United States in April with 65.4 percent of search queries conducted, according to comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR). Yahoo! and Microsoft took the second and third spots with 15.7 percent and 13.9 percent of the U.S. market, respectively. Ask Network had 3.1 percent of the searches while AOL, Inc., was fifth with 1.6 percent.

Millions of users of Google Inc.'s (GOOG) blog publishing service were not able to access or publish with Blogger for most of the day yesterday. No, it wasn't a Playstation-like event where Sony was prompted to shut the gaming site after hackers stole millions of credit card and other personal information from member.

The consumer PC market isn't floundering because of the iPad, in fact, the rate of cannibalization is actually declining among more recent purchasers, according to market researcher The NPD Group's Apple iPad Owner Study II report.

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil antitrust lawsuit May 12 to block the proposed acquisition by VeriFone Systems Inc. (NYSE:PAY) of Hypercom Corp. (NYSE:HYC) The department said that the proposed deal would substantially lessen competition in the sale of point-of-sale (POS) terminals in the United States, resulting in higher prices and reduced innovation, quality, product variety, and service.

Defunct peer-to-peer service file-sharing network LimeWire has reached an out-of-court $105 million settlement with major record companies.

Yahoo Inc. (YHOO) said Thursday it was notified just two months ago that Alibaba Group had moved ownership of an online-payment unit to a separate entity in August last year without approval or knowledge of Alibaba's board or shareholders.

Google Inc. (GOOG) has been under criminal investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice for earning millions from accepting ads from illegal online pharmacies.

Random Hacks of Kindness (RHoK), a venture formed by formed to focus on developing practical open source solutions to disaster risk management and climate change adaptation challenges, said that on June 4 it will bring together thousands of people in over 18 locations around the globe to create open solutions that can save lives and alleviate suffering.

Ivernia Inc. (TSX: IVW), owner of the Magellan Mine in Western Australia, said that it has entered into an agreement for Green SEA Resources Inc. to pay Canadian $20 million (A$19.5 million) in exchange for a 16% stake in the owner of the world's largest pure lead mine.

The 21-year antitrust battle Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) has been fighting with the U.S. government ends today, May 12.

Australian media company Fairfax Media Ltd. (FXJ) will cut about 82 editorial production jobs from its two main Sydney and Melbourne newspapers as part of a drive aimed at saving A$15 million (US$16 million) a year.

Michael Andrew, 54, chairman of KPMG Asia Pacific and also of KPMG Australia, has been elected Chairman of KPMG International.

BlueScope Steel Ltd. (BSL), Australia's largest steelmaker, announced today that it will report a full-year loss as the strengthening Australian dollar cuts the price of competing imports and the value of offshore earnings.

Qantas Airways Ltd. (QAN) and AMR Corporation (AMR), parent of American Airlines, have inked a joint business agreement on their services between Australia/New Zealand and the United States, within the these regions and beyond to third countries.

Steve Purvinas, on behalf of the union representing licenced engineers of Qantas Airways Ltd. (QAN), said 3 p.m. Thursday that the union is calling off the planned strike for Friday.

Google Inc. (GOOG) announced that laptop computers running on search giant's Chrome operating-system software will go on sale in June, marking a significant step in its effort to compete with Microsoft Corp.

The adult sons of Osama bin Laden have lashed out at U.S. President Obama, accusing the United States of violating its basic legal principles by killing an unarmed man and disposing of his body in the sea.

Facebook has 7.5 million users who are underage and are not supposed to be using the social networking site, according to an American consumer advocacy publication.

Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO), the world's top selling auto maker, on Wednesday announced a 77% drop in net profit in the January-March quarter. Toyota said that fiscal fourth quarter net profit slid to 25.4 billion yen ($314 million) from 112.2 billion yen a year earlier. The operating profit was 46.1 billion yen, falling short of analysts' average estimate of 94.6 billion yen, according to Thomson Reuters.