The Chinese government might be using smartphone apps to spy on pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, a U.S. security firm said.

The applications are disguised as tools created by activists, said the firm, Lacoon Mobile Security. It said that once downloaded, they give an outsider access to the phone's address book, call logs and other information.

New electronic display units are to be fitted in the cockpits of Boeing 737 and 777 airliners to address fears that Wi-Fi signals might cause them to go blank in flight.

In an airworthiness directive published Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the switchover involves 1,149 late-model 737s and 177 777s in the United States alone.

Facebook on Wednesday vowed to ease its "real names" policy that prompted drag queen performers to quit the social network and sparked wider protests in the gay community and beyond.

The huge social network, facing a planned street protest in San Francisco this week, apologized in a bid to quell the simmering dispute over its enforcement of the policy.

This computer programming app is so easy to use that even a kindergartener can do it.

Researchers in Massachusetts have created a basic computer coding app that they say is the first designed specifically for children as young as 5. Kids who haven't yet learned to read can use the app to craft their own interactive stories and games.

A new battle is brewing over privacy for mobile devices, after moves by Google and Apple to toughen the encryption of their mobile devices sparked complaints from law enforcement.

The issue is part of a long-running debate over whether tech gadgets should have privacy-protecting encryption which makes it difficult for law enforcement to access in time-sensitive investigations.

Samsung on Wednesday rejected claims that its new oversized smartphone had a defect, after some customers posted pictures of a gap between the frame and display panel.

The South Korean electronics giant, which had poked fun at rival Apple over reports that its new iPhone model was susceptible to bending, said the "Gapgate" complaints concerning the Galaxy Note 4 were groundless.

In a matter of days, the new social network Ello, described as the "anti-Facebook" for its stand on privacy and advertising, has become perhaps the hottest ticket on the Internet.

Created last year as a "private" social network, Ello (www.ello.co) recently opened its doors on an invitation-only basis.

Amazon is close to an agreement with Disney to end a dispute in which the online retail giant stopped making Disney DVDs available for pre-order, the Wall Street Journal reported late Tuesday.

Last week Amazon resumed accepting pre-orders for upcoming Disney DVDs such as "Maleficent" and "Guardians of the Galaxy", the newspaper said, quoting a source with knowledge of the talks.

Apple said Tuesday it will begin selling its latest iPhones in China from October 17 after the Chinese regulator pressed the U.S. giant to improve personal data security to gain approval.

Apple launched the large-screen iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in 10 countries and regions on September 19, though not in mainland China, with state media saying problems with licensing were the main obstacle.

Canada's broadcast regulator on Monday gave American companies Google and Netflix a three-day deadline to turn over subscriber data or have their testimony expunged from a major public hearing, media reported.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has been in a rare showdown with the Internet giants, after they refused to share the data earlier this month.