Port Authority NY/NJ, Higher Bridge, Tunnel and PATH Rates Approved

A steep toll increase on the bridges and tunnels that cross the Hudson River was approved on Friday by the board of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the culmination of a two-week dance between the agency, politicians, and the public. The approved increase, which takes effect next month, will immediately raise peak EZPass tolls to $9.50 from $8. By 2015, that toll will be $12.50. The cash toll will go up 50 percent in September to $12 a ride; by 2015, the cash toll will be $15. The increases, although sure to be criticized by drivers, are significantly less steep than an initial proposal floated by the Port Authority earlier this...

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Behind Google’s Huge Breakup Fee in Motorola Deal

It is certainly big. But is there any chance that it will be paid? I’m talking about the $2.5 billion reverse termination fee that Google agreed to pay Motorola Mobility if its proposed takeover fails to obtain antitrust clearance. This fee is about 20 percent of the $12.5 billion deal value and is significantly higher than the $375 million Motorola Mobility must pay Google if it accepts another bid. Motorola filed a copy of the acquisition agreement between it and Google on Wednesday that spells out the exact terms when this fee is required to be paid. There are two circumstances: 1. The agreement is terminated because a government authority...

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Windows 8 will have an app store, but will it be called App Store?

Microsoft has offered up a few more details on what to expect in Windows 8, its highly anticipated operating system that will run on both PCs and tablet computers. But one addition, if Microsoft can do it right, could be hugely important for Windows 8 -- its app store. Steve Sinofsky, who is in charge of Windows 8 development for Microsoft, broke down in a blog post the different teams working on specific aspects of the new OS and an "App Store" team was on the list. An app store is, obviously, a store that sells applications, software to run on Windows 8 machines. The inclusion of an app store in Windows 8 is a natural one, and not much...

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HP looks to get out of PC hardware business to focus on software solutions

The bombshells from HP continue to fall from the sky. Earlier today, it was confirmed that HP is abandoning the webOS platform which it acquired from Palm for $1.2 billion USD just over a year ago. Now, were hearing reports that HP plans to announce that it will sell off its Personal Systems Group (PSG) which is responsible for consumer and business PCs. The company stated in a press release: HP also reported that it plans to announce that its board of directors has authorized the exploration of strategic alternatives for its Personal Systems Group (PSG). HP will consider a broad range of options that may include, among others, a full or...

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Report: China Mobile, Steve Jobs Have Discussed iPhone Deal

The world's biggest carrier, China Mobile, could be getting the iPhone. In a news conference following its quarterly earnings report, the company said it has met with Apple CEO Steve Jobs several times about the possibility of creating an iPhone for its network, Reuters reports. China Mobile devices run on its own homegrown TD-SCDMA standard, a network not supported by the iPhone. However, even though the phone isn't available on this network, there are still 7.44 million iPhone users on China Mobile, the company said. They just don't get 3G speeds. But if the talks are any indication, that could soon change. The news from Reuters corroborates...

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Ad Groups Oppose New Domains, ICANN Chief to Step Down

The online advertising industry this week encouraged the Internet's governing body to withdraw its plan for issuing new domain names, arguing that it could hurt brand owners financially. The objection comes as the current chief at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), Rob Beckstrom, announced that he will step down in 2012. According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), major corporations will be forced to buy domain names that cover their brands—like .verizon or .facebook—in order to prevent cyber squatters from grabbing them first. Given that applications include a $185,000 fee, that could be an expensive...

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Could you pass a Facebook background check?

The next time you apply for a job, don’t be surprised if you have to agree to a social-media background check. Many U.S. companies and recruiters are now looking at your Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and other accounts and blogs — even YouTube — to paint a clearer picture of who you are. “Almost all employers do some form of background screening because they have to avoid negligent hiring,” said Max Drucker, chief executive of Social Intelligence, a consumer-reporting agency. “An employer has an obligation to make the best effort to protect their employees and customers when they hire.” Listen to audio: Your Facebook page is part of your resume. And...

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Google Buys Motorola for ‘Superpower’ Status

Google Inc. (GOOG) is relying on its planned $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. to forestall patent litigation and force settlements with Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) over smartphone technology. Google cited patent disputes as key to its agreement to buy Motorola Mobility, announced yesterday. Apple, maker of the iPhone, and Microsoft, developer of Windows Phone software, have targeted phones that run on Google’s best-selling Android system, including handsets built by Motorola Mobility, Samsung Electronics Co. and HTC Corp. (2498), in lawsuits worldwide. Lacking its own trove of patents to vie with Apple,...

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Did Apple doctor evidence in Samsung patent suit?

Apple allegedly provided incorrect evidence in its patent case against Samsung to make the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet appear closer in size and shape to the iPad 2. At least, those are the findings from Dutch IDG publication Webwereld.nl (English translation). Examining pictures found in a document that Apple recently submitted to a German court, Webwereld.nl found one of the photos of the Tab to be inaccurate. Photos on page 28 of the document show the Tab and iPad 2 as "practically identical" in appearance. But according to the Dutch publication, the Tab image in the document does not match the real Galaxy Tab, which is "longer and more oblong...

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Anonymous Hacks BART Over Shooting Protest Shutoff

When the Bay Area Rapid Transit agency turned off cell phone service to disrupt peaceful protests, many were outraged -- including hacker collective Anonymous, who breached BART's Web site and released personal information in protest. In "OpBART," Anonymous published more than 2,000 user names, passwords, and e-mail addresses that the hacker group had harvested from the "myBARTway" Web site. Among the released information were some telephone numbers and physical addresses of employees and customers. Anonymous said in a statement "We are releasing the User Info Database of MyBart.gov, to show that BART doesn't give a [expletive] about it's...

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North Korea denies South Korean hacking claims

SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea has denied allegations by South Korea that it engaged in a hacking scheme to steal millions of dollars from online gaming sites. The North's Committee for Peaceful Unification of the Fatherland said in a statement carried Sunday by the official Korean Central News Agency that the allegations were an unacceptable provocation and were meant to sully North Korea's image overseas. Last week, South Korean police said they arrested five people who had collaborated with elite North Korean hackers in a ring that pocketed about $6 million over the past year and a half. South Korean authorities have also accused...

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