The European Commission on Thursday launched a new cyber-security plan, aimed at safeguarding vital information systems and bolstering the bloc's defenses against a growing criminal threat.

The plan calls on member states to set up specialized agencies to ensure the security of information networks and rapid intervention units to counter any cyber attack.

Google began Wednesday letting businesses target mobile ads based on how close smartphone users might be to shops or what they might be craving at certain times of day.

Google began upgrading its AdWords service with "enhanced campaigns" for advertisers trying to better connect with people accessing the Internet on the move with smartphones or tablet computers.

Yahoo is counting on rival Google to help accelerate its revenue growth.

As part of an arrangement announced Tuesday, Yahoo's website will begin drawing upon Google's massive online advertising network to show marketing messages related to the content that's being perused.

Apple on Wednesday announced that the number of digital songs downloaded from its iTunes Store has topped 25 billion.

The 25 billionth song bought from the online shop was a "Monkey Drums" remix by Chase Buch.

Sony will this month announce the late 2013 launch of its latest PlayStation console, Japanese media said Thursday, as is looks to its games business in a bid to repair its tattered finances.

The much-anticipated announcement will come at a "PlayStation Meeting" set for February 20 in New York, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper and Kyodo news agency reported. Sony declined comment on the reports.

Digital technology is driving tremendous growth in the creative sectors, both globally and across the Middle East.

Online music revenue will rise globally by 31% in 2015 to hit $7.7 billion, with MENA contributing one of the highest growth rates by region. Global sales of artworks online are bringing in 7 figure sums, and video will account for 90% of all consumer internet traffic in 2013.

More than half of U.S. Facebook members have taken breaks from the leading social network, with the top reason being they are just too busy, according to a study released Tuesday.

About 61 percent of U.S. users said they had taken time off from Facebook at some point, with 27 percent planning to spend less time on it in the coming year, the Pew Research Center said.

Twitter announced Tuesday that it has bought Bluefin Labs to ride the trend of viewers using smartphones or tablet computers to chat at social networks about shows they are watching.

Born out of research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Bluefin combines cognitive science and machine learning to measure how much people are talking about broadcasts in real time on Twitter, Facebook and other forums.

Consumer efforts to protect personal data and remain "invisible" online is leading to a "data blackhole" that could adversely impact digital advertisers, technology research firm Ovum said Wednesday.

The move to seek "new tools that allow them to remain 'invisible' -- untraceable and impossible to target by data means" will impact advertisers who rely on that information to target their audiences, Ovum said.

Internet titan Google was cleared Wednesday of allegations it hosted deceptive advertisements, with Australia's highest court saying it was not responsible for companies who diverted users from their competitors' sites.

Australia's competition regulator had taken Google to court, alleging that adverts using keywords for Honda, Harvey World Travel, Alpha Dog Training and Just 4X4 Magazine published by Google had led consumers to rival firms.