China in recent days has busted a slew of smugglers bringing Apple iPhone 6 models into the country ahead of their official release here, with officials on Sunday reporting the latest seizure of 453 smartphones in Shanghai.

Hundreds more were seized during three separate busts Thursday through Saturday in Hong Kong, including from men with a speedboat who were loading contraband onto a wooden sampan-style boat in a mangrove, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

The European Union is to accuse US tech giant Apple of taking illegal aid from the Irish state through sweetheart tax deals over two decades, the Financial Times reported on Monday.

A European Commission investigation into Apple's tax affairs in Ireland, where it has enjoyed a rate of less than 2 percent, found that the company benefited from illegal state aid, the newspaper reported citing sources close to the matter.

U.S. technology giant Microsoft on Monday launched its Xbox One game console in China, the first foreign company to enter the potentially massive market after the government lifted a 14-year ban.

The launch, which was delayed a week for reasons Microsoft did not reveal, comes as the U.S. company faces a government investigation for alleged "monopoly actions" regarding other products like its flagship Windows operating system, used on the majority of computers in China.

An activist investment firm Friday urged Yahoo to explore a tie-up with online rival AOL, saying such a deal could help the struggling Internet pioneer "unlock" value for shareholders.

Starboard Value LP, which said it had acquired a "significant" ownership interest in the company, said in an open later to Yahoo chief Marissa Mayer that bringing together the two early Internet giants could lead to "up to $1 billion of synergies" and lift the value of Yahoo as it divests a large portion of its stake in Chinese online group Alibaba.

Apple made a rare apology Thursday for a software bug that has seen iPhone users lose service, while seeking to quell a storm over reports that its new handsets are susceptible to bending.

The slew of negative headlines saw a steep drop in Apple stock, as the U.S. tech giant acknowledged the software glitch, offering a temporary fix immediately and a full update "in the next few days."

Have you ever wanted to pelt a politician with a tomato? Or wished for that perfect candidate to come along and sweep you off your feet?

In Brazil, where the explosion of smartphones is putting a new twist on next month's elections, there's an app for that.

A team of cheerleading robots made their dancing debut in Tokyo on Thursday as creator Murata Manufacturing demonstrated its cutting-edge sensor technology.

With curtains pulled back and Japanese pop music pulsing in the background, 10 doll-like robot girls with illuminated pom-poms rolled out onto a stage to perform their choreographed routine.

Hoping for a comeback, embattled Canadian company BlackBerry has launched a new smartphone.

Chief executive John Chen on Wednesday unveiled a large-screen, square sized phone called the Passport to a Toronto audience. London and Dubai also hosted launch events. No event was held in the U. S. where analysts say there is little demand or carrier interest.

Apple's newest iPhones ran into some glitches Wednesday after users complained that a new software update blocked their calls, while a widely circulated video showed the larger of the two new models is vulnerable to bending.

Apple said it would stop providing the software update, which it began distributing Wednesday morning to fix several issues in last week's iOS 8 operating system for iPhones and iPads.

Microsoft on Tuesday put its spin on Google's Chromecast with a device that lets people mirror what's on Windows-powered tablets or smartphones on their television screens.

The U.S. technology giant unveiled Microsoft Wireless Display Adaptor, a thumb-drive-size gizmo that plugs into HDMI and USB ports in televisions, and then wirelessly connects with tablets, computer or smartphones running Miracast software.