Top technology news headlines

• 

  Amazon: Google Books deal a copyright hack

  Perhaps the most strident criticism from a competitor of Google's digital book settlement with publishers and authors was released Wednesday by Amazon.

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• 

  At 40, the Internet still reshaping history

  The Net has crushed geographic barriers and withstood major growing pains. But the human race has work to do adapting to its creation.

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• Apple to offer ready-made ringtones

  The company has obtained the licenses to sell pre-cut ringtones and may roll them out in time for September 9 press event, music industry sources said.

  (Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

• YouTube wants to offer film rentals

  This would be a natural progression for YouTube, which has for the past year attempted to become a hub for feature films, but no deals are done yet.

  (Posted in Digital Media by Greg Sandoval)

• VMware service links public and private clouds

  The company has launched vCloud Express, a pay-as-you-go service that lets developers write applications for internal virtualized environments and external clouds.

  (Posted in Business Tech by David Meyer)

• As money flows to wind power, will jobs follow?

  In a tale of dueling jobs studies, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory says that polices to support wind and solar industries deliver positive economic results.

  (Posted in Green Tech by Martin LaMonica)

• Microsoft extends free time zone updates

  Software maker will offer free time zone and daylight saving patches twice a year, even for products that are out of mainstream support.

  (Posted in Beyond Binary by Ina Fried)

• Report: Google readying its checkbook

  Google thought start-ups were overpriced earlier in the year, but its recent purchase of On2 Technologies may be a sign that it's once again in the acquisition market.

  (Posted in Relevant Results by Tom Krazit)

• Microsoft pushes single global patent system

  Company wants to see a single world patent body established to "promote innovation, enrich knowledge, and encourage competition."

  (Posted in Business Tech by Andrew Donoghue)

• Nokia unveils N97 Mini, plus Netbook pricing

  New phone lineup includes the N97 Mini, which features tight Facebook integration and packs Nokia's Comes With Music service.
  • New X6 and X3 music phones
  • Nokia's colorful Mural goes to AT&T
  • Big debut for N97 Mini

  (Posted in Signal Strength by Marguerite Reardon)

• America, a nation obsessed with tech

  All age groups are now into technology as the U.S. becomes more dependent on PCs, the Internet, and portable gadgets, according to a new report.

  (Posted in Gaming and Culture by Lance Whitney)

• Sony unveils X Series Vaio, Xperia phone at IFA

  CEO Howard Stringer also rolls out a new global brand campaign, which he says is the new future of Sony.
  • Sony Xperia X2 with Windows Mobile 6.5
  • IFA Berlin: From OLED TVs to e-lederhosen

  (Posted in Crave by Erica Ogg)

• Rival browsers gain on Internet Explorer

  Firefox's gain is responsible for the bulk of IE's loss in the worldwide browser usage changes from July to August.

  (Posted in Deep Tech by Stephen Shankland)

• Geoengineering an option to limit climate change

  Barring significant emissions reductions, U.K.'s national science academy sees engineering to remove greenhouse gases or absorb less solar radiation as a way to combat climate change.

  (Posted in Green Tech by Candace Lombardi)

• EC may delay Sun-Oracle merger

  Potential antitrust concerns from the European Commission may delay approval of the Sun-Oracle merger beyond its initial deadline of Thursday, says Reuters report.

  (Posted in Business Tech by Lance Whitney)
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