IBT Staff Reporter

U.S. stocks fell on Friday as data showed U.S. inflation hit the highest level in 2-1/2 years last month, making investors cautious.

After speculation of Facebook’s recent smear attempt against Google, it was confirmed that the largest social networking website hired PR firm Burson-Marstellar to plant stories attacking Google’s content publishing and privacy practices. The bitter rivalry is now in the open; Facebook acknowledged using a 3rd party to assist in the campaign.

A report says if the deal with T-Mobile fails, AT&T will owe Deutsche Telekom $6 billion.

Hackers have dealt a serious blow to Sony's strategy to create an ecosystem of online content around its devices by bringing down its online game system PlayStation Network and Qriocity services.

After much speculation over who will replace troubled actor Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men, it was finally announced that Ashton Kutcher will take on the role.

AT&T Inc won a ruling from a Manhattan federal judge to decertify a class-action lawsuit by more than 4,100 workers who complained its mobile unit failed to properly pay wages and overtime.

This marked the unveiling of the annual What Is Sexy? list at The Grove shopping center in Los Angeles.

TomTom, which provides fleet management systems to trucking firms, expects smaller rivals to go out of business in the fragmented sector in the next three to five years, an executive said on Friday.

Travelers in the western U.S. should not rely solely on technology such as GPS for navigation, authorities said, after a Canadian couple were lost in the Nevada wilderness for 48 days.

Schneider Electric SA is in talks with private-equity firms about partnering on a $30 billion plus bid of Tyco International Ltd , less than a month after the French company had ruled out the takeover, the New York Post said citing sources.

Newest tablet from Samsung has a resolution of 2500 x 1600.

Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, whose views on fiscal conservatism and strong views on smaller government resonate with the conservative movement which swept Republicans into office in 2010, on Friday announced he is running for U.S. President in the 2012 election, saying his grass root supporters were enthusiastic, 'more so than ever.'

Economists have become less optimistic about the U.S. growth outlook but slightly more upbeat about the job market, though employment is still seen recovering only slowly from a deep slump.

BATS Global Markets Inc, the third-largest U.S. exchange operator after NYSE Euronext and NASDAQ OMX Group , filed with U.S. regulators for an initial public offering.

Commodities trader Glencore will close the books for its planned $11 billion initial public offering a day ahead of schedule, underscoring strong investor demand for its shares despite volatile commodity markets.

Wall street edged down at the open on Friday after April U.S. inflation rose in line with expectations, helping investors reassess the recent volatility in the commodities market.

China's Alibaba Group said it told its board in July 2009 that it had transferred ownership of its online e-commerce business to Chief Executive Jack Ma, rejecting allegations by major shareholder Yahoo Inc that it had been blindsided by the deal.

Celebrities who bombard fans with Twitter updates are likely to have shorter careers than those who maintain an aura of mystique, according to a survey.

A slideshow which gives a sneak peek into Hosni Mubarak's family.

Will Ferrell is to receive the annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor this fall. We take a deeper look into what the award is.

The Dollar price of Gold on wholesale markets continued to rally Friday morning, rising as high as $1516 per ounce - less than 4% off this month's all-time high - before slipping back, while stock and commodity markets recovered some of Thursday's losses.

Google Inc is close to settling a U.S. criminal probe into allegations that it made hundreds of millions of dollars from online pharmacy ads that break U.S. laws, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

After much speculation over who will replace troubled actor Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men, it was finally announced that Ashton Kutcher will take on the role.

Will Ferrell will be awarded with the Mark Twain prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center in October.

Oil rose more than $1 on Friday, taking benchmark U.S. crude futures back above $100 per barrel, after much higher-than-expected growth in Germany and France and a rebound in the euro against the dollar.

Cisco Systems Inc is expected to cut thousands of jobs in possibly its worst-ever round of layoffs to meet Chief Executive John Chambers' goal of slashing costs by $1 billion.

A new study says the rise of rogue online pharmacies directly corresponds to the rise of prescription drug abuse.

The world's top banks will likely be hardest hit by new capital surcharges that would rise according to size, links to other lenders and how easily a bank could be replaced in a crisis, the Financial Times reported.

U.S. stock index futures edged up on Friday ahead of key inflation and consumer confidence data that will give investors a chance to reassess recent volatility of the commodities market.