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AFP - Google has agreed to pay 8.5 million dollars (US) to settle a privacy lawsuit over a Buzz social networking tool added to free email service Gmail in February, according to court documents.

AP - A German court ruled Friday that Google Inc.'s subsidiary YouTube LLC must pay compensation after users uploaded several videos of performances by singer Sarah Brightman in violation of copyright laws.

AP - Google says Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott is investigating whether its Web search rankings are fair.

NewsFactor - In what could be the first phase of a transformation in the way its smartphone users pay for Internet use, the nation's biggest carrier, Verizon Wireless, has introduced prepaid data plans. The no-contract plans, which go into effect Sept. 28, offer unlimited 3G access on select handsets for $30 per month, or $10 per month for 25 megabytes, with a 20-cent charge for each additional megabyte.

NewsFactor - Google's Chrome browser is now two years old, and the youngster -- and its proud parent -- are celebrating its steady rise in popularity. According to Net Applications, Chrome had 7.5 percent of the browser market in August -- putting it in third place behind Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Mozilla's Firefox, and above Apple's Safari.

Macworld.com - As you all know, it’s never a proper aftermath of an iPod event without some new cases, and we here at Macworld are more than happy to present some of the first options available for that iPod Touch or Nano in your pre-order basket. From protective covers to eighties-inspired wrist straps, we’ve got a little something for every kind of case lover—except maybe a wrist-watch adapter for the Nano (and if someone wants to get on that before Halloween, I would be much obliged).

AFP - More American adults are texting but they are not tapping out nearly as many messages per day on their cellphones as teenagers, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center.

Reuters - Google Inc has settled a lawsuit alleging privacy violations in connection with its Buzz social networking service, according to a court document filed on Friday.

PC World - A clever spammer found a glitch in Facebook's photo upload system and used it to post thousands of unwanted Wall messages this week.

PC World - Hewlett-Packard swooped in with the better bid to overtake Dell and win 3Par, so now we can all sit back and wait for the next acquisition battle to roll around. Meanwhile, Apple debuted updated iPods and Apple TV to entertain us, among other IT news stories of the week.

PC World - A school district in South Hadley, Massachusetts, is hoping a specialized software application will help stop tragedies like the one that befell Phoebe Prince, an Irish-born teen who committed suicide in January after an alleged bullying campaign by fellow students.

PC World - Twitter now has more than 145 million registered users, and sadly, most people still visit the social network through Twitter's default Web site.

Macworld.com - Since Facebook has yet to release a native iPad app—or give any real indication that one is in the works—third parties have capitalized on the opportunity to various degrees. Facebook’s desktop Website has a number of quirks and features that do not work properly on touch-based devices, and Social is the latest attempt at providing a full, native Facebook experience on the iPad.

AFP - Google updated its privacy policy on Friday, a day after a video cartoon featuring the Internet firm's chief giving away ice cream to snoop on children aired on a giant screen in Times Square.

NewsFactor - New notebooks with the Nvidia GeForce 400M series of graphics processing units (GPUs) are being released this fall, and on Friday the chipmaker introduced the new chips at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, Germany. The new series includes the GeForce GTX 470M and GTX 460M for enthusiasts, and the GT 445M, 435M, 425M, 420M, and 415M for performance users.

Macworld.com - Considering the Magic Mouse’s () futuristic, gesture-controlled appeal, replacing its dead AA batteries with new ones might feel a bit old fashioned. Fortunately, Mobee Technology is bringing some modern magic to the way we charge the Magic Mouse with its new product, The Magic Charger—an inductive charging, USB-connected base station and battery pack that lets you keep your Magic Mouse charged without ever needing to remove its batteries.

Appolicious - The free WordPress for Android app was upgraded thanks to feedback from faithful users. Updates include fixes to numerous, annoying bugs like unexpected app crashes, log-in issues and more.Most notable in the recent upgrade is a new comment feature, which displays comments in real time as comments arrive in your Droid notification bar.

PC World - A number of Linux distributors have issued patches for fixing a widely used program that fetches Web pages, called Wget, so it can not be misused by attackers.

AFP - Japanese electronics maker Toshiba has recalled 41,000 laptop computers worldwide because of a fire risk, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

NewsFactor - Apple launched iTunes 10 with Ping, a new music-oriented social network, on Wednesday. Within hours, the site fell victim to spammers looking to make a quick buck from Apple's unsuspecting 160 million music lovers exploring the new way to discover what music their friends are listening to.