Boris Yeltsin never suspected how a precursor to the Internet helped him foil the August 1991 coup and bring down the USSR until he bumped into a blinking computer and noticed something called e-mail.

A quick presentation by a starry-eyed woman who worked on the Soviet Union's maiden computer communications program left Russia's first president stunned.

Google shook up the mobile phone industry on Monday with the announcement it is buying U.S. smartphone and tablet computer maker Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion in cash in a bid to extend the reach of its Android platform.

The surprise move gives Google a strong patent portfolio to defend Android against lawsuits from rivals such as iPhone and iPad maker Apple and turns an Internet company known for its software into a hardware manufacturer.

There is "huge potential" to use alternative energy in the shipping industry, the man behind the world's biggest solar boat said on Monday as it arrived in Hong Kong as part of a global voyage.

PlanetSolar, a 31 by 15-meter (100 by 50 foot) white catamaran, is equipped with more than 500 square meters (5,380 square feet) of solar paneling and can reach a top speed of around 15 knots, equivalent to 25 kilometers (15 miles) per hour.

With hammocks hanging from trees and the smell of marijuana lingering in the air, the summer camp organized by Germany's Chaos Computer Club (CCC) almost felt like Woodstock.

But instead of hippies it was computer hackers who had flooded this year's summer camp. And instead of flower power the talk was of the latest controversies in cyberspace, especially the legality of hacking and the role of famed whistleblower site WikiLeaks.

Hollywood studio Relativity Media says it is partnering with two companies to make Chinese films for global audiences and distribute movies in the fast growing Chinese market.

The partnership teams Relativity with private equity firm SAIF Partners and IDG China Media, an investment arm of Boston-based International Data Group.

Hackers broke into a website for San Francisco's mass transit system Sunday and posted contact information for more than 2,000 customers, the latest showdown between anarchists angry at perceived attempts to limit free speech and officials trying to control protests that grow out of social networking and have the potential to become violent.

The hacker group known as Anonymous posted people's names, phone numbers, and street and email addresses on its own website, while also calling for a disruption of the Bay Area Rapid Transit's evening commute Monday. The transit agency disabled the effected website, myBART.org, Sunday night after it also had been altered by apparent hackers who posted images of the so-called Guy Fawkes masks that anarchists have previously worn when showing up to physical protests.

North Korea on Sunday lashed out at South Korea for accusing Pyongyang of hacking Seoul online game sites and stealing prize money, rejecting the allegations as an "unacceptable provocation."

Seoul police said earlier this month they had busted a criminal gang which hired some 30 elite North Korean computer hackers to break into online game sites and steal prize points worth 6.4 billion won ($5.9 million).

India has built a global reputation as a major player in information technology, but lack of Internet access among its own citizens is posing a threat to long-term growth.

One typical young Indian frustrated by the country's poor Internet facilities is Srishti Sharma, 18, a student at the elite Lady Shri Ram College in the capital New Delhi.

Used to the good life, France has lagged behind many other countries in using the marketing muscle of the Internet to spur interest in second-hand goods.

But today, belts are tightening as spending power declines and unemployment rises -- and more seems likely next week when President Nicolas Sarkozy unveils plans to narrow the country's budget deficit.

A media watchdog voiced concern Saturday at the cooperation between British authorities and the Canadian maker of BlackBerry smartphones to identify rioters in London and other cities.

"What consequences will this cooperation have on respect for the privacy of BlackBerry users?" the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders said in a statement.