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Apple sues Samsung over ‘Galaxy’ phone, Tab

Samsung's Galaxy Tab, one of the company's devices drawing scrutiny from Apple. (Denis Doyle/Bloomberg)

Apple Inc. filed a lawsuit claiming Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. copied the look and feel of its popular iPhone smartphones and iPad tablet computers, the latest in a series of legal skirmishes that underscore the increasingly high stakes of the mobile computing market.

The lawsuit, filed on April 15, alleged that Samsung’s smartphones, including the “Galaxy S 4G,” “Epic 4G,” “Nexus S” and its “Galaxy Tab” touchscreen tablet, violate Apple’s intellectual property. The 38-page lawsuit was filed in the U.S. court’s northern California district. Get the full story »

Yahoo to keep search records for 18 months

Yahoo has made a big about-face by extending the amount of time it will keep user search records to 18 months from 90 days. Get the full story »

Viacom takes iPad rights fight to Cablevision

Viacom Inc.  said Friday that Cablevision Systems Corp.  lacks the rights to show its popular cable channels on the cable operator’s new live TV iPad app. Get the full story »

PrepMe app lets teachers tailor courses to students

Tech Crunch | PrepMe, the Chicago-based online test prep company, has introduced Coursification, a Web-based application that allows teachers to tailor lessons to each student based on his performance and learning schedule. It will compete with similar platforms such as Blackboard, Instructure and Moodle.

Feds probe data collection by smartphone apps

Music player Pandora's smartphone app for both iPhones (above) and Androids transmitted information about a user's age, gender, and location. (Reuters/Joe Skipper)

Federal prosecutors in New Jersey are investigating whether numerous smartphone applications illegally obtained or transmitted information about their users without proper disclosures, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The criminal investigation is examining whether the app makers fully described to users the types of data they collected and why they needed the information — such as a user’s location or a unique identifier for the phone — the person familiar with the matter said. Collecting information about a user without proper notice or authorization could violate a federal computer-fraud law. Get the full story »

T-Mobile goes 4G in Springfield, 9 other markets

T-Mobile has lit up its 4G wireless network in Springfield, making the state capital one of 10 markets across the country to get the faster speeds.

The carrier said its 4G network now covers more than 200 million people in 167 markets. Other new markets include Ames, Iowa, and Battle Creek, Mich. Get the full story »

Texas Instruments buys National Semiconductor

Texas Instruments Inc. is buying National Semiconductor Corp. for about $6.5 billion in cash, paying a nearly 80 percent premium for the analog chipmaker. Get the full story »

‘Fail whale’ forces hasty Twitter data center move

An ambitious plan to prevent “Fail Whales,” the cartoon icon that greets frustrated Twitter users during network outages, turned into a fail whale of its own.

A new, custom-built facility in Utah to house computers that power the popular messaging service by the end of 2010 has been plagued with everything from leaky roofs to insufficient power capacity, people familiar with the plans told Reuters. Get the full story »

Windows 8 is coming soon for PCs, tablets

Information screen for Windows 8. (Microsoft)

While most of the world has yet to upgrade to Windows 7, Microsoft is gearing up to launch the next version of its PC operating system.

Web forums lit up last week with the news that PC manufacturers had just gotten their hands on a new Windows 8 test build. Several analysts reported that equipment makers had received “early beta“ test versions of the operating system. Get the full story »

Walk and Text look-alike targets app thieves

Symantec Corp. said Thursday that it has detected a new kind of malware that targets Android mobile phone users who download illegal applications. Get the full story »

Radio Shack to start selling hot iPad 2

(Christof Stache/AFP/Getty Images)

RadioShack Corp. said it will start selling the iPad 2 beginning Tuesday at 500 locations, marking the latest retailer to offer Apple Inc.’s hottest device.

RadioShack joins retailers that have been selling the device since its release more than two weeks ago. Best Buy Co., Target Corp. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. as well as Verizon Wireless and AT&T outlets sell the second-generation iPad, which continues to face inventory shortages. Get the full story »

Apple’s iPad 2 hits overseas stores after U.S. sellout

Hundreds of customers formed long lines outside Apple stores on Friday for the international launch of the iPad 2, which has flown off the shelves in the United States and left the company struggling to meet demand. Get the full story »

Yahoo unveils upgraded Web search function

Yahoo Inc has revamped its Internet search service to sense queries and showcase answers from movie listings to weather forecasts, even as users are typing in a word. Get the full story »

H-P investors just say no to executive pay packages

Bloomberg News | Hewlett-Packard investors rejected proposed compensation packages for  top executives at the company’s annual meeting Wednesday.

Apple to stick to iPad 2 global rollout schedule

Apple Inc. will stick to plans to roll out its newest iPad on Friday to 25 more markets, including France and the United Kingdom, even as it fails to meet the high demand for the gadget in the United States.

In affirming its international plans, Apple did not provide any hard figures for U.S. sales since the newest iPad, a thinner and faster version that features two cameras for video chat, was introduced March 11. Prices start at $499. Get the full story »