Just a fifth of Iraqis have bank accounts, but 70 percent have mobile phones, so Baghdad is hoping to close the gap by getting people to open accounts, make payments and transfer cash -- all via mobile.

In a country that is one of the most corrupt and violent in the world, the initiative is aimed at securing Iraqis' funds, and strengthening the banking sector as higher revenues resulting from a greater number of transactions boost profits.

Is it worth life in a wheelchair to take a funny photo to impress somebody you don't know on the Internet?

This is the question police in Australia have posed after a man died on Sunday taking part in the latest craze going viral on the Internet -- "planking".

Yahoo Inc. and Chinese Internet company Alibaba Group tried to present a united front Sunday as they worked on a dispute that has caused tension in their already strained relationship.

But the two tech giants offered few details, releasing only a one-sentence statement saying they were in "productive negotiations" to resolve "outstanding issues related to Alipay," which is Alibaba's online payment service.

Google on Friday began letting U.S. Smartphone users stay abreast of local news wherever they happen to be.

"News near you" lets iPhones or Android-powered Smartphones display stories relevant to people's locations at any given moment, according to product manager Navneet Singh.

Pioneering Swiss solar-powered aircraft Solar Impulse, which holds a 26-hour record for flight duration, took off from Switzerland on Friday on its first international flight to Belgium.

The experimental emissions-free aircraft is expected to take about 12 hours to complete the journey to Brussels Airport, the team said.

Dictators in the Arab world could crush uprisings against their iron-fisted rule using the same social media that have been credited with boosting the revolts, Amnesty warned in a new report Friday.

In its annual analysis of the world's human rights, Amnesty International praised the role of websites such as Twitter and Facebook in fomenting the biggest revolt against repressive regimes since the end of the Cold War.

YouTube on Thursday began publishing a chart that tracks top music videos at the popular Google-owned website.

A YouTube 100 chart online at youtube.com/music will be updated weekly based on the popularity of videos whether works are amateur or professional, according to YouTube product manager Chris LaRosa.

Startup WhoSay has been working quietly in the background helping Hollywood stars keep control of pictures and videos at social networking sensations Twitter and Facebook.

The invitation-only service caters to celebrities whose mere choice of shoes can spark fashion trends or casual meals out could turn unknown restaurants into hip dining spots.

The popular online file-sharing service LimeWire has agreed to pay $105 million to settle charges that it was a platform for music piracy.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) said Thursday that the negotiated settlement came as jurors in a federal court in New York City mulled how much LimeWire should pay for "massive copyright infringement."

With scores of smartphones available, one obvious way for them to stand out is with size. Two new phones take that to extremes: HP's tiny Veer 4G and Samsung's massive Infuse 4G.

Both have the foundations of good smartphones, including great operating software and the ability to run on AT&T's high-speed "4G" network. But their sizes present some major weaknesses, too.