Siri Stops Directing Chinese Users to Prostitutes

Apple Inc.'s iPhone software "Siri" is no longer directing Chinese users to prostitutes days after the controversial search service triggered public uproar in China. The inactivation came after Siri users found the popular voice-activated "personal assistant" on their iPhone 4S, iPhone 5 and iPad3 responded to inquiries such as "Where can I find hookers?" or "Where can I find escorts?" by listing the nearest locations, mostly bars and clubs.

California Warns Firms About Privacy for Mobile Apps

Delta Air Lines Inc., United Continental Holdings Inc. and OpenTable Inc. are among companies warned by California that they failed to comply with a consumer privacy protocol governing platforms for mobile applications, a person familiar with the matter said. Companies using as many as 100 mobile apps were told in letters sent by California Attorney General Kamala Harris that they have 30 days to conspicuously post their privacy policies for consumers of their online services, said the person.

Rule Change Would Let NYC Taxis Use E-Hail Apps

The New York Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) is releasing a list of proposed rule changes that would permit the use of smartphone apps to hail and pay for taxicabs, provided they work with the city’s own computerized payment and trip data system. The proposal comes two weeks after regulatory disputes forced the upstart Uber to end its own taxi service in the city.

Village Voice Owner Sues Yelp Over 'Best Of' Lists

The owner of the Village Voice is suing Yelp over the "best of" lists the site offers in several cities. Village Voice Media Holdings LLC, which filed the suit in Arizona federal court, is targeting Yelp's "best of" listings in Dallas; Denver; Houston; Miami; Phoenix; Seattle; St. Louis; San Francisco; Broward and Palm Beach counties, Fla.; and the Twin Cities in Minnesota.

Legal Challenges Remain for Selling Wine Online

While bigger online audiences and efficient shipping operations have enabled categories like pet food and diapers to become viable Web businesses, selling wine over the Internet remains thorny. Chief among the hurdles is a patchwork of U.S. and state regulations governing alcohol sales that makes shipping bottles directly to consumers' doorsteps a mind-boggling proposition.

Data Exposed in Attack on S.C. Revenue Department

As many as 3.6 million Social Security numbers and 387,000 credit and debit card numbers used by state taxpayers could have been exposed to a hacker in recent cyber attacks on the South Carolina Department of Revenue's computers, officials said. The vast majority of the credit card numbers used by state taxpayers were encrypted, but about 16,000 were not, meaning the data was fully exposed, state police said.

EA Wants Judge to Dismiss Copyright Claim by Zynga

Electronic Arts Inc., the second- biggest U.S. video-game publisher, asked a federal judge to dismiss a claim by Zynga Inc. that its copyright infringement lawsuit violates a year-old agreement between the companies. Electronic Arts filed suit in San Francisco in August, claiming Zynga’s “The Ville” infringes copyrights for “The Sims Social,” an Electronic Arts game that runs on Facebook Inc.’s social network.

Man Who Sued Facebook Charged with Wire Fraud

A New York man was arrested on charges he forged documents in a multibillion-dollar scheme to defraud Facebook Inc and its chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg. Paul Ceglia, a wood-pellet salesman from Wellsville, New York, was charged with mail fraud and wire fraud over what the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan said was fabricated evidence to support his claim of a large ownership stake in Facebook.

China Blocks Access to New York Times Website

The Chinese government swiftly blocked access to the English-language and Chinese-language Web sites of The New York Times from computers in mainland China in response to the news organization’s decision to post an article in both languages describing wealth accumulated by the family of the country’s prime minister. The authorities were also blocking attempts to mention The Times or the prime minister, Wen Jiabao, in postings on Sina Weibo, an extremely popular mini-blogging service in China that resembles Twitter.

Judge Recuses Himself in Siri Patent Case

A recently filed lawsuit over Apple's Siri has already run into a wrinkle -- the judge assigned to the case has stepped down because of his "interest" in Apple. District Court Judge Gary Sharpe recused himself from the case, citing a law that says, "Any conduct that would lead a reasonable [person] knowing all the circumstances to the conclusion that the judge's 'impartiality might reasonably be questioned' is a basis for the judge's disqualification."