Software titan Microsoft and computer security giant Symantec said Thursday that they smashed a hacker-infected computer network that was hijacking Internet searches.

A Bamital "botnet" raked in an estimated million dollars annually by routing Internet users to websites that generated revenue with bogus online ad "clicks."

A federal judge on Thursday tossed out more than a dozen patent infringement claims filed against Microsoft by Google-owned Motorola Mobility.

U.S. District Court Judge James Robart, in Microsoft's home state of Washington, sided with the software colossus, dismissing 13 claims of infringement on a trio of Motorola patents involving digital video encoding and decoding, according to court records.

A Facebook software problem on Thursday temporarily sidelined websites synched to a feature that lets people's identities at the leading social network follow them around the Internet.

A Facebook Connect software glitch caused social network members trying to visit any of a wide array of websites including NBC News, CNN and The Washington Post to be routed to an error page.

Troubled smartphone maker BlackBerry will not launch its new models in Japan, reports said Friday, effectively heralding a pull-out from a booming smartphone market where it is being beaten by Apple.

The Canada-based company, which is hoping its long-delayed BlackBerry 10 series will turn around flagging global fortunes, will not sell the handsets in the country, the Nikkei business daily said.

The European Commission on Thursday launched a new cyber-security plan, aimed at safeguarding vital information systems and bolstering the bloc's defenses against a growing criminal threat.

The plan calls on member states to set up specialized agencies to ensure the security of information networks and rapid intervention units to counter any cyber attack.

Google began Wednesday letting businesses target mobile ads based on how close smartphone users might be to shops or what they might be craving at certain times of day.

Google began upgrading its AdWords service with "enhanced campaigns" for advertisers trying to better connect with people accessing the Internet on the move with smartphones or tablet computers.

Yahoo is counting on rival Google to help accelerate its revenue growth.

As part of an arrangement announced Tuesday, Yahoo's website will begin drawing upon Google's massive online advertising network to show marketing messages related to the content that's being perused.

Apple on Wednesday announced that the number of digital songs downloaded from its iTunes Store has topped 25 billion.

The 25 billionth song bought from the online shop was a "Monkey Drums" remix by Chase Buch.

Sony will this month announce the late 2013 launch of its latest PlayStation console, Japanese media said Thursday, as is looks to its games business in a bid to repair its tattered finances.

The much-anticipated announcement will come at a "PlayStation Meeting" set for February 20 in New York, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper and Kyodo news agency reported. Sony declined comment on the reports.

Digital technology is driving tremendous growth in the creative sectors, both globally and across the Middle East.

Online music revenue will rise globally by 31% in 2015 to hit $7.7 billion, with MENA contributing one of the highest growth rates by region. Global sales of artworks online are bringing in 7 figure sums, and video will account for 90% of all consumer internet traffic in 2013.