A consumer advocacy group on Wednesday filed a lawsuit to try to derail Google's plan to merge user data from YouTube, Gmail, Google+ and other services in individual comprehensive profiles.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center urged a federal court to block Google from implementing the change on March 1 as planned and to direct the Federal Trade Commission to intervene.

Apple will unveil a new version of its market-ruling iPad table computer in March, according to a report in Dow Jones-owned technology blog All Things D.

The latest in an ongoing stream of Apple rumors cited unnamed sources as saying that an "iPad 3" will make its debut at an event the California company will host in San Francisco in the first week of March.

Microsoft on Wednesday revealed plans to unveil a test version of its latest Windows computer operating software later this month.

The U.S. technology titan sent out invitations to a "Windows Consumer Preview" event to be held on February 29 at a hotel in Barcelona during a Mobile World Congress gathering in that city.

From a new bride in Singapore to girl soldiers in Mozambique, a free iPhone and iPad app launched by the World Bank Wednesday uses striking photographs to highlight women's issues around the world.

Teaming up with online photo encyclopedia Fotopedia, the app pays "poignant tribute to the diversity and strength of women around the world," said the World Bank, which promotes gender equality as essential for sustainable growth in developing economies.

Amazon announced a deal with entertainment giant Viacom on Wednesday, building up its arsenal of television shows as it takes on video streaming market leader Netflix.

The licensing agreement with Viacom will give Amazon Prime members access to TV shows from MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, TV Land, Spike, VH1, BET, CMT and Logo, Amazon said in a statement.

Hundreds of geeks and gamers braved Sao Paulo's torrid heat Tuesday to play online video games at the fifth edition of Brazil's Campus Party, an annual, week-long technology fest.

Jefferson Almeida, a 21-year-old engineering student, said he traveled from Dourados, in the center-west state of Mato Grosso do Sul, to show his work and take part in "technological conferences that are very good."

Internet scams have increased in Singapore as consumers in the tech-savvy city-state increasingly turn to online shopping, but the overall crime rate fell to a 20-year low, police said Tuesday.

The online scams mainly hit people who made purchases in response to advertisements offering discounts on services such as hotel accommodation, holiday packages and car rental, but did not receive what they paid for.

Microblog users in Beijing who do not register using their real names by mid-March will be banned from posting comments, a local official said Wednesday, as authorities tighten their grip on the web.

The Chinese capital recently ordered users of weibos -- popular microblogs similar to Twitter -- to register using their real names, making it easier for authorities to track them if they post sensitive material.

World-leading mobile phone maker Nokia intends to cut 4,000 jobs at its smartphone manufacturing facilities in Finland, Hungary and Mexico by the end of 2012, it said on Wednesday.

"The expected headcount impact by country is 2,300 in Komarom (Hungary), 700 in Reynosa (Mexico) and 1,000 in Salo (Finland)," company spokesman James Etheridge told Agence France Presse.

U.S. telecom giant Verizon is teaming up with Coinstar, which operates Redbox movie rental kiosks, to launch a video service to challenge market leader Netflix.

Verizon and Coinstar said Monday they had formed a joint venture that will add an online streaming option to the 35,400 Redbox self-service vending machines located in grocery stores, McDonald's restaurants and other sites.