Technology Top Stories from Associated Press (AP)

LOS ANGELES (AP) , James Bond, Snow White and a whole lot of hobbits and superheroes are in the running for the visual-effects prize at the Academy Awards. The superhero blockbusters "The Avengers," ''The Dark Knight Rises" and "The Amazing Spider-Man" are among 10 films that made the cut for visual-effects nominations for the Oscars on Feb. 24.

NEW YORK (AP) , Online deals company LivingSocial is cutting 400 jobs worldwide, or about 9 percent of its work force, as the deals market continues to face challenges. LivingSocial spokesman Andrew Weinstein said Thursday that all but a few dozen of the cuts are in the United States.

TORONTO (AP) , Research In Motion rose Thursday after Goldman Sachs upgraded the phone maker's shares, saying there's a "30 percent chance" RIM's much-delayed BlackBerry 10 smartphones will be a success. THE SPARK: Goldman Sachs analyst Simona Jankowski lifted RIM to "Buy" from "Neutral," the latest analyst to voice a slightly more optimistic view for the troubled company.

NEW YORK (AP) , Barnes and Noble's shares fell on Thursday after it reported a second-quarter profit but its digital content growth slowed as it faces increased competition from rivals like Amazon and Google. The largest traditional retailer has invested heavily in its Nook e-business as consumers increasingly shop online and read e-books.

BEIRUT (AP) , The Syrian government shut down the Internet across the country and cut cellphone services in select areas Thursday as rebels and government troops waged fierce battles near the capital's airport, forcing international airlines to suspend flights, activists said.

REDMOND, Wash. (AP) , Microsoft Corp. said Monday that Steven Sinofsky, the president of its Windows and Windows Live operations, is leaving the company. Sinofsky's departure comes just weeks after the Redmond, Wash., software company launched Windows 8, which represented a major overhaul of its ubiquitous computer operating system.

MEXICO CITY (AP) , Police in the Central American nation of Belize said Monday that they are looking for the founder of the software company McAfee Inc. to question him about the slaying of another U.S. citizen, his neighbor in an island town on the Caribbean.

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. (AP) , Verizon Wireless said Monday that it will pay a dividend of $8.5 billion next month to its owners, Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Group PLC., by the end of the year. It's the second dividend payment from Verizon Wireless this year.

TORONTO (AP) , Research In Motion said Monday that it will hold an official launch event for its new BlackBerry 10 smartphones on Jan. 30. The new phones are seen as critical to RIM's survival. The Waterloo, Ontario-based company said Monday details on the much-delayed smartphones and their availability will be announced at the event.

NEW YORK (AP) , Struggling photo pioneer Eastman Kodak Co. said Monday that it has reached an agreement to borrow $793 million, an important step in letting it leave bankruptcy protection in the first half of next year. The deal is contingent on Kodak being able to sell its patent portfolio for at least $500 million. The company has been trying to sell that asset for more than a year.

WASHINGTON (AP) , Satellite imagery indicates North Korea has been testing rocket engines, a sign it continues to develop its long-range ballistic missiles, a U.S. academic institute said Monday. The analysis provided to The Associated Press is based on satellite images taken as recently as late September of the Sohae site on the secretive country's northwest coast.

WASHINGTON (AP) , Your emails are not nearly as private as you think. The downfall of CIA Director David Petraeus demonstrates how easy it is for federal law enforcement agents to examine emails and computer records if they believe a crime was committed.

NEW YORK (AP) , Sorry to see 100-watt bulbs disappear from stores because they were energy hogs? You can now get LED bulbs that roughly match the 100-watters for size and brightness, but use far less energy. Until recently, your only alternative was a compact fluorescent bulb, which has several drawbacks compared with light-emitting diodes.

LONDON (AP) , British lawmakers on Monday accused major multinational companies of aggressive tax avoidance, amid calls by the U.K. government for a global crackdown on firms that seek to evade taxes. In sometimes bitter exchanges at a three-hour parliamentary committee hearing, legislators questioned Starbucks, Google and Amazon about the amount they pay to the U.K.

NEW YORK (AP) , When Google announced its plans to fund some 100 new channels of original programming on YouTube, many expected a transformation in television. Google had disrupted other industries and TV appeared to be next in line.