Top Tech

AP - Dell Inc. is walking away from a bidding contest with rival Hewlett-Packard Co. for data-storage maker 3Par Inc.

PC World - Ping is Apple's music-centric social network that is integrated into iTunes 10. From a privacy standpoint, it's pretty straightforward--as opposed to Facebook's multitude of privacy settings--but then again, Ping is also very limited as to what services it offers. In either case, here's a quick run-down of the privacy features present in Ping.

PC World - Facebook users will soon have a new way of knocking spammers out of legitimate accounts.

PC World - One of the most confusing things for the newcomer to Linux is how many distributions, or versions, of the operating system there are. Ubuntu is the one most people have heard of, but there are hundreds of others as well, each offering some variant on the basic Linux theme.

Mashable - Facebook is apparently testing a new subscription feature that would allow users to receive alerts any time a specific friend takes certain actions on the social network.

AP - India has widened its security crackdown, asking all companies that provide encrypted communications — not just BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion — to install servers in the country to make it easier for the government to obtain users' data. That would likely affect digital giants like Google and Skype.

PC Magazine - Tandberg Data now offers several enterprise-level network-attached data protection devices for the SMB.

Appolicious - Do we really need another social network? That depends on how you view the purpose of social networks. The biggest, Facebook, is great for monitoring, from a safe distance, what your old high school buddies are doing. But don't put Apple's new Ping service into the same category.

AFP - Apple has launched a music-centered social network at iTunes and unveiled slick new iPod and Apple TV gadgets that promised to win the iconic company more devotees.

AP - The desperate quest to find loved ones started just minutes after the quake, as cell phones rang unanswered from beneath the rubble of Haiti's best hotel.

AP - Apple Inc. is refining its plans to annex the living room into its entertainment empire.

AFP - New Zealand police said Thursday that Google did not commit a criminal offence when it collected data from wireless networks for its "Street View" mapping service.

PC World - Apple on Wednesday introduced a social-aware version of iTunes, celebrating ten years of the jukebox and storefront software. iTunes 10 features a slightly revamped interface and a social networking feature called Ping, a combination of Facebook and Twitter, dedicated to music lovers.

AP - Human resources software maker Taleo Corp. said Wednesday it has agreed to buy software company Learn.com Inc. for $125 million in cash.

PC World - In the world of information technology, some professions are particularly perilous. Whether you’re risking psychological stress or your very life, these fields aren’t for the faint of heart. Some people in these roles thrive on adrenaline, climbing thousands of feet to fix communications towers. Others risk only emotional damage, getting paid to consume disturbing Internet content.

AP - China wants people who buy new cell phone numbers to register their personal details, joining many European and Asian countries in curbing the anonymous use of mobile technology.

AP - Users of Apple Inc.'s iTunes software will now be able to see what songs their friends are buying and where their favorite bands are playing next.

Macworld.com - You ever get that nagging feeling at the back of your mind that you’ve missed something important? Huh. Well, it was probably nothing. I mean, after all, what could be more important than Microsoft shipping Windows Phone 7? Or Steve Jobs’s approval of Intel’s latest acquisition? I’ll tell you what: Don Draper on his iPhone. Lean back, relax, and let the soothing remainders for Wednesday, September 1, 2010 wash over you.

Mashable - Mocha frappuccino and soy latte lovers rejoice: Starbucks is rolling out its Starbucks Card Mobile App for BlackBerry tomorrow, September 2.

Appolicious - Apple (AAPL) killed what made the iPod great on Wednesday.