Oracle rejects $272M SAP award, wants new trial (AP)

AP - Database software maker Oracle is rejecting a court-ordered award for $272 million from German rival SAP, saying it would rather have another trial over SAP's theft of software and customer-support documents.

Facebook will release more user data: lobby group (Reuters)

Reuters - U.S. social media network Facebook has promised to release more information about the data it collects from millions of users, an Austrian group lobbying for respect of privacy laws said on Tuesday.

LeVar Burton hopes to resurrect ‘Reading Rainbow’ in app form (Appolicious)

Appolicious - The classic PBS show Reading Rainbow saw its last season in 2009, but the show isn’t gone forever – it may be back in several forms, with one being an app designed to bring books to children.

Fresh Android Apps for Feb. 7: Draw Something Free, Transparent Screen, The Lost City (Appolicious)

Appolicious - Only a few days left until Valentine’s Day. Draw your sweetie a beautiful picture (Draw Something Free), look for a romantic spot while out and about (Transparent Screen), and plan a getaway to a secret location (The Lost City).

Fresh iPhone Apps for Feb. 7: Hotels by Orbitz, TripLingo Romance Edition, The Hacker, Dream Pethouse (Appolicious)

Appolicious - Get ready for your next trip with today’s leading fresh app, Hotels by Orbitz, which leverages the popular travel service to help you find hotel accommodations. If you happen to be planning a trip overseas, then our next app, TripLingo Romance Edition, which can teach you flirty phrases in 10 languages, might come in handy as well. In games, The Hacker will give you something of the experience of hacking into a 1980s-style computer, while Dream Pethouse brings you a casual game experience where you’ll raise pets and build them a giant tree house.

BP hikes dividend after strong fourth quarter (AP)

AP - BP PLC has raised its quarterly dividend by 14 percent after posting double-digit gains in profit and revenue in the last three months of 2011 despite further big payments to compensate for the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Judge allocates time for start of oil spill trial (AP)

AP - A federal judge has set aside nearly seven hours for opening statements in a trial over the deadly rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico that resulted in the nation's worst offshore oil spill.

BP preparing "vigorously" for oil spill lawsuits (Reuters)

Reuters - BP said it was preparing "vigorously" for lawsuits related to its Gulf of Mexico oil spill, which are due to start later this month, as it unveiled a rise in fourth-quarter earnings boosted by higher oil prices and one-off gains.

BP preparing "vigorously" for oil spill lawsuits (Reuters)

Reuters - BP said it was preparing "vigorously" for lawsuits related to its Gulf of Mexico oil spill, which are due to start later this month, as it unveiled a rise in fourth-quarter earnings boosted by higher oil prices and one-off gains.

Nepal's vulture "restaurants" for endangered birds (Reuters)

Reuters - In the village of Pithauli, surrounded by ripening mustard fields, a woman hauls a cow carcass on a trolley, drops it in an open field, then runs and hides in a nearby hut as dozens of vultures swoop down.

Could the Wind Turbines of Chile Harm Blue Whales? (Time.com)

Time.com - The energy-starved country needs wind power but environmental critics say it will not only mar the landscape but harm the wildlife

Anfield cat becomes Internet hit (Reuters)

Reuters - A cat that invaded the famous Anfield turf for three minutes during Liverpool's 0-0 Premier League draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Monday has become an internet celebrity.

Oil hovers near $97 as traders eye US supplies (AP)

AP - Oil prices hovered near $97 a barrel Tuesday in Asia amid trader concern U.S. crude supplies will continue to rise because of weak demand.

Online gaming firm 888's full-year revenue up 26 percent (Reuters)

Reuters - British online gaming company 888 Holdings saw its full-year revenue grow 26 percent as the number of customers gambling on its websites grew, and the company said strong current trading continues into the first quarter.

Canada's Harper in China visit focused on energy (AP)

AP - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is visiting China to discuss oil sales and other economic ties following U.S. President Barack Obama's rejection of a pipeline carrying Canadian oil across the continental United States.

Commercial Composting a Growth Industry in Austin (ContributorNetwork)

ContributorNetwork - While Austin, like most Texas cities, has a recycling program, the capital of the state is experimenting with commercial composting, using food and other organic waste to create mulch and potter's soil for commercial use, according to the Austin American Statesman.

Organization Warns of EPA 'Regulatory Avalanche' (ContributorNetwork)

ContributorNetwork - The Texas Public Policy Foundation is warning of an "approaching regulatory avalanche" in a report. The foundation says new rules in the works by the Environmental Protection Agency could cost billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of jobs. Here are the details of the report.

Liquid glasses and a new smartphone app could bring perfect vision to the third world (Yahoo! News)

Yahoo! News - The need is compelling: Over 1 billion people in the third world needÂ corrective eyewear but lack access to testing and glasses. The solution is spectacularlyÂ innovative: A $2 scope attached to aÂ smartphone tests for vision defects, and a new pair of …

Look out, Netflix: Redbox teaming up with Verizon to stream movies (Yahoo! News)

Yahoo! News - It's been a rough 12 months for movie rental giantÂ Netflix. The company sharply increased rates from $8 to $15, irking customers, andÂ announced plans to split into two confusing new entities, renaming its traditional DVD-by-mail service Qwikster. Netflix ultimatelyÂ abandoned its Qwikster …

After U.S. oil snub, Canada focuses on China (Reuters)

Reuters - Canada will focus on exporting oil and other goods to China and other booming Asian economies even if Washington overturns its decision to block a pipeline that would have sent more Canadian crude to the United States.

Verizon to set up streaming service with Redbox (AP)

AP - Phone company Verizon Communications Inc. will challenge Netflix and start a video streaming service this year with Redbox and its DVD rental kiosks.

Kindle-wielding Amazon dips toes into physical world (Reuters)

Reuters - Amazon.com Inc is dipping its toes into the physical world as the largest online retailer offers more products in stores that may benefit from hands-on interaction with shoppers.

Why Are Digital Cameras Disappearing? (ContributorNetwork)

ContributorNetwork - COMMENTARY | According to Mike Tomkins of Imaging Resource, digital camera maker Canon is in a bit of a bind. Its high-end Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras are growing in popularity, but compact cameras -- the basic point-and-shoot variety -- are starting to tank except in "emerging markets." Which is code for third-world countries, where most people can't afford SLRs anyway.

Cisco seen reporting solid second quarter (Reuters)

Reuters - A year after network equipment maker Cisco Systems Inc unnerved investors with yet another weak quarterly outlook the company looks set to report a stable quarter buoyed in part by improving enterprise demand in the United States.

The rise and fall of HTC (Appolicious)

Appolicious - HTC was one of the first developers to get aboard the Android train. When Google first launched its original operating system a few years ago, HTC were there. This weekend, we learned that HTC reported a significant loss in the final quarter of 2011 and offered guidance that things might not get any better.

US oil prices fall below $97 (AP)

AP - U.S. oil prices fell below $97 per barrel Monday as growing supplies offset moves by President Barack Obama and other Western leaders to make it tougher for Iran to sell crude. Here's how energy contracts traded.

Verizon-Redbox deal adds to online video choices (AP)

AP - A new Internet streaming venture built around Redbox's DVD-rental kiosks adds to a crowded field of online video-viewing services dominated by Netflix.

Italian industries see cuts in Russian gas (AP)

AP - Italy announced emergency energy measures Monday, cutting gas supplies to some industries to make sure that private homes stayed warm during a severe cold spell.

Symantec warns of mutating malware in Android Market (Appolicious)

Appolicious - The world of mobile device malware is getting a little more dangerous with the announcement from tech security company Symantec that it has discovered malware programs that mutate every time they’re downloaded.

Nigeria names seven behind Eni pipeline blast (Reuters)

Reuters - Nigeria's military has named seven people it says were behind an attack on an oil pipeline belonging to Italy's Eni on Saturday, and denied a claim that a former separatist militia in the Niger Delta was responsible.

Massachusetts gas prices edge up another 2 cents (AP)

AP - Massachusetts residents are paying two more cents a gallon at the gas pump, the seventh consecutive week of increases.

With oil pipeline attack, Niger Delta rebels announce return (The Christian Science Monitor)

The Christian Science Monitor - With the destruction of a major oil pipeline in Nigeriaâs oil-rich Niger Delta region, Nigeria now has two major internal threats to deal with.

Chevron rig burns off Nigeria as damage hits shore (AP)

AP - As a fire at a Chevron Corp. gas rig off Nigeria's coast continues to burn, locals say they're seeing signs of its effects on the environment and the health of those living nearby.

Explosion rips through main Syrian oil pipeline in Homs (Reuters)

Reuters - An explosion ripped through an oil pipeline feeding a main refinery in the city of Homs on Monday and a plume of smoke was seen rising from the site, residents and activists said.

Report: Iran navy rescues tanker from pirates (AP)

AP - Iran's state TV reports that the country's navy has opened fire on pirates to foil an attack on an Iranian oil tanker near the Gulf of Aden.

China bars its airlines from paying EU carbon tax (AP)

AP - China announced Monday it will prohibit its airlines from paying European Union charges on carbon emissions, ratcheting up a global dispute over the cost of combatting climate change.

Sierra Club Received Millions from Natural Gas Industry (ContributorNetwork)

ContributorNetwork - According to a blog post from Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune, the environmentalist organization accepted millions of donated dollars from the natural gas industry to fight against coal-fired plants nationwide. Here are the details.

Sierra Club Received Millions from Natural Gas Industry (ContributorNetwork)

ContributorNetwork - According to a blog post from Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune, the environmentalist organization accepted millions of donated dollars from the natural gas industry to fight against coal-fired plants nationwide. Here are the details.

Egypt to try 19 Americans in case straining ties (AP)

AP - Ignoring a U.S. threat to cut off aid, Egypt on Sunday referred 19 Americans and 24 other employees of nonprofit groups to trial before a criminal court on accusations they illegally used foreign funds to foment unrest in the country.

TiVo shares appear to be discounted: report (Reuters)

Reuters - TiVo Inc is trading at a compelling discount and could be a possible acquisition target by Microsoft or Google, Barron's financial newspaper reported on Sunday.

Fire at Moscow nuclear institute, Russia says no risk (Reuters)

Reuters - There was no risk of a radiation leak after a fire broke out at a Moscow nuclear research center housing a non-operational 60-year-old atomic reactor Sunday, said officials, but Greenpeace Russia expressed serious concern about the incident.

Nigeria oil line on fire; militants claim attack (AP)

AP - An Eni SpA oil pipeline ruptured and caught fire as a militant group claimed responsibility for an attack in the region, their first alleged assault in months as its purported leader awaits trial on terrorism charges in South Africa.

Blast hits Egypt's gas pipeline to Israel (Reuters)

Reuters - An explosion hit a gas pipeline running from Egypt to Israel Sunday, the latest in a series of attacks on the installation that crosses the increasingly volatile Sinai region, witnesses and state media reported.

Militants claim attack on Nigeria Eni oil pipeline (Reuters)

Reuters - A Nigerian militant group based in the oil-producing Niger Delta said on Sunday it had attacked an oil pipeline owned by Italian firm Eni where witnesses said there was a fire late on Saturday.

Israeli prospector says natural gas found offshore (AP)

AP - American and Israeli gas prospectors say they have discovered a large amount of offshore natural gas in Israeli waters near the Lebanese border.

Russia admits brief cut of gas supplies to Europe (AP)

AP - Russia's state-controlled Gazprom natural gas giant acknowledged for the first time Saturday that it had briefly reduced gas supplies to Europe amid a spell of extreme cold.

Iran says oil ban will not halt nuclear work (Reuters)

Reuters - Iran's oil minister said the Islamic state would not retreat from its nuclear program even if its crude oil exports grind to a halt, the official IRNA news agency reported on Saturday.

Canada, Alberta seek to assuage oil sands critics (Reuters)

Reuters - Canada will set up a new environmental monitoring system for the northern Alberta oil sands as it seeks to fend off harsh international criticism following revelations that oversight of the huge petroleum development has been insufficient.

USDA awards $40 million grants to boost local farm/food projects (Reuters)

Reuters - The U.S. Agriculture Department on Friday awarded $40.2 million in grants to farmers, ranchers and farmer-controlled rural business ventures aimed at spurring locally produced food supplies and renewable energy ventures.

NRC sets vote on approving Ga. nuclear plant (AP)

AP - Federal safety officials will vote Feb. 9 on whether to approve what could become the nation's first nuclear plant in a generation.