Google said on Thursday it is halting sales of its Internet-linked eyewear Glass but insisted the technology would live on in a future consumer product.

The technology titan is putting brakes on an "explorer" program that let people interested in dabbling with Glass buy eyewear for $1,500 apiece.

Lebanon's Internal Security Forces warned Thursday of a virus infiltrating smartphones with the ability to fully control the device and access its contents.

The ISF issued a statement warning of “a virus that has started to spread on Android smartphones in Lebanon and all over the world.”

Microsoft on Wednesday unveiled two new low-cost smartphones aimed at pushing its Windows Phone operating system to users in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

The two Lumia handsets -- made by the unit of Finnish-based Nokia which Microsoft acquired last year -- will begin rolling out in February, with prices starting at 69 to 79 euros ($81 to $93).

Improved Internet access can be a force for peace, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said Wednesday during a trip to Colombia to promote his project to boost web availability for two-thirds of the world not yet connected.

The project "Internet.org" launched with other big tech companies including Samsung and Nokia. It aims to improve web access and reduce mobile phone costs in developing countries.

Facebook said Wednesday it is testing a version of its leading social network tailored for getting jobs done in workplaces instead of tuning into the lives of friends.

"Facebook at Work" smartphone applications appear in Apple's online app store and the Google Play shop for Android-powered mobile devices, but can only be accessed by a few companies collaborating with the social network. 

Canadian smartphone maker BlackBerry's shares jumped then fell back Wednesday amid rumors of takeover talks with South Korea's Samsung, which both companies promptly denied.

BlackBerry's share price gained US$2.89 in the last hour of trading, closing on the Nasdaq up almost 30 percent at US$12.60 before falling back sharply to $10.53 in after-hours trading.

Samsung on Wednesday launched its first smartphone using its home-grown Tizen operating system, aimed at breaking the South Korean electronics giant's dependence on Google's Android.

The Samsung Z1, which has 3G capability and a liquid-crystal display, was launched in India with a price tag of 5,700 rupees ($90), the world's largest smartphone maker said in a statement.

Swedish telecoms equipment maker Ericsson said Wednesday it had filed a complaint against Apple in a U.S. court over the technology giant's use if its technology in smartphones.

The complaint came after Apple filed a case Monday against the Swedish company, claiming that Ericsson's LTE wireless technology patents are not essential to industry standards and that the Swedish company was demanding excessive fees to renew a licensing agreement.

Google on Wednesday began turning smartphones into real-time language translators -- of both written and spoken content.

The California-based Internet titan is hoping that, along with making it easier for people to understand one another on their travels, Google Translate will serve as a useful tool for teachers, medical personnel, police and others with important roles in increasingly multi-lingual communities.

The accused U.S. mastermind of an underground criminal website that distributed narcotics, hacking services and forged documents to more than 100,000 people all over the world goes on trial Tuesday.

The trial of 30-year-old Ross Ulbricht, a skinny Eagle Scout from San Fransisco, has been heralded a landmark case in the shadowy world of online crime, as well as surveillance and privacy.