FAA outage reveals odd computing practices
WASHINGTON (AP) -- When a computer glitch at a Federal Aviation Administration center caused widespread airline delays this week, it served as a reminder that the U.S. flight system is waiting for a modernizing overhaul. But it also appears the FAA's management of its existing technologies falls short of standards in other vital sectors....

Soft economy speeds newspaper decline, job cuts
NEW YORK (AP) -- The newspaper industry's downward spiral is accelerating as the weak U.S. economy depresses already-tumbling advertising revenue and forces more rounds of job cuts and other trims....

Phone companies prepare backup plans for Gustav
NEW YORK (AP) -- The hurricane bearing down on the Gulf Coast could be a test for the country's wireless carriers, which faced criticism and a regulatory push after Hurricane Katrina took out networks....

Even critics give Apple a pass on iPhone 3G woes
First an iPhone price cut left early buyers feeling foolish, and then came reports that some iPods were spitting sparks. Now the new iPhone 3G has been marred by bugs, spotty service, disappearing programs for the device and a veil of secrecy over software developers trying to broaden its appeal....

Small GPS devices help prosecutors win convictions
Like millions of motorists, Eric Hanson used a GPS unit in his Chevrolet TrailBlazer to find his way around. He probably didn't expect that prosecutors would eventually use it too - to help convict him of killing four family members....

Dell 2Q profit drops 17 percent and stock plunges
Slashing computer prices helped Dell Inc. boost sales in its fiscal second quarter, but the No. 2 PC maker's bottom line took a hit when efforts to cut costs failed to make up the difference....

Comcast to make monthly Internet use cap official
NEW YORK (AP) -- Comcast Corp., the nation's second-largest Internet service provider, Thursday said it would set an official limit on the amount of data subscribers can download and upload each month....

Reborn retail site fires salvo in shipping war
NEW YORK (AP) -- With gas prices high and consumers stretching shopping dollars, competition is heating up online for deals - and a discount retail site hopes to fan the flames by shipping orders for $1.95....

Microsoft's newest browser may block ads
SEATTLE (AP) -- The next version of Microsoft Corp.'s Web browser makes it easier for people to surf the Internet without leaving a trace....

One small hitch for FAA, one giant mess for fliers
CHICAGO (AP) -- When a computer system that distributes flight plans nationwide came rolling to a halt this week because of a software glitch, so did airplanes on tarmacs from Orlando to Chicago. The ensuing delays drove home just how easily an apparently isolated problem can trigger network-wide disarray in the country's aging air traffic control system....