News & Events:GOOG

If you want Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to respond to your emails, take a tip from Rabbi Dan Moskovitz, 43, of Vancouver, British Columbia, and use the subject line: "Thank You! "I just want to compliment you on the most amazing piece of technology I have enjoyed from Amazon," Moskovitz wrote Bezos in December. " Your Whispersync System for Kindle and audiobooks is incredible. "

TURKEY: Only a bit over a month ago Turkey was foremost on the market's radar screen, but more recently, the Ukraine crisis has been center stage. The FT reports that Turkey's PM Erdogan, in a television interview Thursday, suggested that Turkey might ban Facebook (FB) and YouTube (GOOG) after the March 30 local elections. The country had previously banned access to YouTube (GOOG) between 2007 and 2010 (result of court order over videos insulting the country's founder). The Turkish lira has maintained a bid tone over the course of the week. USDTRY trades currently at Try2.2056, up from this week's lows of Try2.1783, seen earlier Friday, and down from the life-time high (TRY low) of Try2.3900, seen Jan 27. EURTRY holds around Try3.0610, up from this week's low of Try3.0192 (seen Thursday before the ECB decision) and down from the life-time high of Try3.2726, seen Jan 27.

Beset by a sprawling corruption scandal that has implicated dozens of his inner circle and presented the gravest threat to his decadelong rule, Turkey's prime minister is taking aim at two new adversaries he accuses of being tools of his political enemies: YouTube (GOOG) and Facebook (FB). In a late-night interview on Turkish television, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he could ban the social-networking sites in Turkey after local elections, due March 30, that are widely seen as a referendum on...

Apple Inc. (AAPL) padded its lead as the top smartphone maker by market share in the U.S. for the three months ended January, while Google Inc.' s Android remained the most-used smartphone platform, market-research company comScore Inc. (SCOR) said Friday. For the three months ended Jan. 31, 159.8 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones, an increase of 7% from October. Apple (AAPL) continued leading its rival smartphone makers, with a 41.6% share., an increase of one percentage point since October.

Apple Inc. (AAPL) padded its lead as the top smartphone maker by market share in the U.S. for the three months ended January, while Google Inc.' s Android remained the most-used smartphone platform, market-research company comScore Inc. (SCOR) said Friday. For the three months ended Jan. 31, 159.8 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones, an increase of 7% from October. Apple (AAPL) continued leading its rival smartphone makers, with a 41.6% share., an increase of one percentage point since October.

Turkey's president on Friday ruled out any ban on Facebook (FB) and YouTube (GOOG) after Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said the sites could be shut to stop his foes anonymously posting audio recordings purportedly exposing corruption in his inner circle.

Turkey's president on Friday ruled out a ban on Facebook (FB) and YouTube (GOOG) after Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan threatened such a move to stop political foes posting audio recordings purportedly exposing government corruption.

* PM Erdogan locked in power struggle with U.S.-based cleric. * Blames cleric for leaked audio recordings on Internet. * President Gul says freedom of expression must be protected. * In latest leak, PM purportedly urges sacking of reporters. By Daren Butler and Humeyra Pamuk.

Walt Disney (DIS) overhauled its struggling interactive division in a sweeping reorganization that will reduce the number of video games it develops and alter its advertising strategy to focus more on the fast-changing mobile market. As part of the revamp, Disney (DIS) will lay off 700 employees, roughly one-quarter of the interactive division, according to a person with knowledge of the layoffs.

Tablet shipments will increase this year but at a much slower pace than in 2013 as consumers remain content with the devices they already own, market research firm IDC said on Thursday. Global tablet shipments are set to expand 19.4 percent this year, compared to 51.6 percent in 2013, it said.

It's only the size of a dishwasher and weighs as much as giant panda, but its inventors are hoping this spacecraft will go where no other Israeli vessel has gone before - to the moon.

Tiger Global has made another investment in a venture-backed company, this time, leading a $77 million funding round in small-business lender OnDeck. New York-based OnDeck, which announced the news Thursday, makes loans online of up to $250,000 to brick-and-mortar businesses like hair salons and doctors' offices.

Some of those who have lost bitcoins in the collapse of Mt. Gox have turned to internet sleuthing to find out where their money has gone - but they're unlikely to have much luck.

Mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets will vastly expand the number of companies who advertise online and will allow Internet companies to reap more revenue than they have from customers on PCs, Google Inc Chief Business Officer Nikesh Arora said on Wednesday.

Some of those who have lost bitcoins in the collapse of Mt. Gox have turned to internet sleuthing to find out where their money has gone - but they're unlikely to have much luck.

SAN FRANCISCO-- Yahoo (YHOO) is getting rid of Google (GOOG) and Facebook (FB) log-in buttons on its sites in what one analyst says is part of the Web portal's bid to take back control of its users and customers. Yahoo (YHOO) says users hoping to access its properties, such as Yahoo Sports Tourney Pick'Em, will have to use a Yahoo (YHOO) username to do so, spokeswoman Lauren Whitehouse said, confirming a Reuters report. "This new process, which now asks users to sign in with a Yahoo (YHOO) username, will allow us to offer the best...

By Sruthi Ramakrishnan and Edwin Chan. Apple Inc's Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer will retire and hand the reins to Luca Maestri in September, entrusting to the Italian-born executive a cash pile the size of Vietnam's economy and the difficult task of guiding Wall Street's expectations. The 50-year-old born in Rome is taking over with Apple (AAPL) at a crossroads.

* February saw likely biggest recorded DDoS attack. * Attacks up 32 percent in 2013, sophistication grows. * Now behind some 18 percent of U.S. data centre failures. By Peter Apps. Crashing websites and overwhelming data centres, a new generation of cyber attacks is costing millions and straining the structure of the Internet.

Obscene Interactive, the gaming division of OBJ Enterprises (OBJE), announced today that it signed a new licensing agreement with Corv Studios, the developer of the hit mobile app Pac-Ball. Pac-Ball is a pulse-pounding mobile app that combines classic arcade action with the manic fun of ball labyrinths using the accelerometers found in smartphones and tablets.

Yahoo Inc (YHOO) will stop letting consumers access its various online services, including Fantasy Sports and photo-sharing site Flickr, by signing-in with their Facebook Inc (FB) or Google Inc (GOOG) credentials. The change, which will be rolled out gradually according to a Yahoo (YHOO) spokeswoman, will require users to register for a Yahoo ID in order to use any of the Internet portal's services.