Technology Top Stories from Associated Press (AP)

NEW YORK (AP) , A New York City musician used a combination of technology, seduction, a hammer and a bribe to reclaim his missing iPhone from a confused crook. Jazz trombonist Nadav Nirenberg (nah-DAHV' NEE'-run-berg) says he left the phone in a livery cab on New Year's Eve.

NEW YORK (AP) , The makers of Thomas' English muffins and Tastykake snacks are emerging as the two of the bidders for Wonder Bread and other Hostess bread brands as the company tries to sell off its assets under bankruptcy-court oversight, a newspaper reported Saturday.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) , Iran's police chief says the Islamic Republic is developing new software to control social networking sites. Gen. Esmail Ahmadi Moghadam was quoted in Iranian newspapers Saturday as saying the new software will prevent Iranians from being exposed to malicious content online while allowing users to enjoy the benefits of the Internet.

LOS ANGELES (AP) , Jason Kilar will step down by the end of March as the chief executive of Hulu, the online video service owned by the parents of ABC, NBC and Fox. Kilar, 41, broke the news to staff in an email, which he posted on the Hulu blog on Friday. While he didn't state a reason, the video site has been losing money despite posting nearly $700 million in revenue last year.

GENEVA (AP) , The world's largest and most powerful atom smasher goes into a 2-year hibernation in March, as engineers carry out a revamp to help it reach maximum energy levels that could lead to more stunning discoveries following the detection of the so-called "God particle."

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) , Spaceport America officials are urging legislators to limit potential lawsuits from wealthy outer space tourists who take off from New Mexico, saying such a bill is crucial to the future of the project.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) , The makers of Blekko believe they've built a great alternative to Google, but they're also realistic. They know their two-year-old Internet search engine won't ever supplant Google as the most popular place to search on laptop and desktop computers.

LEHI, Utah (AP) , The Lehi City Council has renamed Morning Glory Road after a technology company planning to relocate to the street raised concerns about the name's sexual connotation. Council members in the city about 30 miles south of Salt Lake City voted unanimously last month to change the name to Morning Vista Road.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) , Google has settled a U.S. government probe into its business practices without making any major concessions on how the company runs its Internet search engine, the world's most influential gateway to digital information and commerce.

NEW DELHI (AP) , From Africa's crowded AIDS clinics to the malarial jungles of Southeast Asia, the lives of millions of ill people in the developing world are hanging in the balance ahead of a legal ruling that will determine whether India's drug companies can continue to provide cheap versions of many life-saving medicines.

BEIJING (AP) , China fined South Korean and Taiwanese makers of LCD display screens $56 million on Friday for price-fixing, joining the United States and Europe in a crackdown on the industry. Suppliers have been hit by American and European regulators with penalties totaling more than $3 billion for colluding to push up slumping prices of display screens in 2001-06. U.S.

NEW YORK (AP) , A New York county clerk justified his refusal to release the names and addresses of handgun permit holders to a newspaper, saying it would give stalkers and thieves a convenient roadmap to target potential victims , and determine whether they have a gun.

LOS ANGELES (AP) , The first Oscar recipients of the new year were announced Thursday by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Lens makers Cooke Optics Limited will receive an Award of Merit Oscar at the academy's Scientific and Technical Awards banquet Feb. 9 at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

A sequel to a game that offers a welcomed twist on the tower-defense genre has arrived on Apple's interactive tablet and will keep a player embroiled in a desperate battle to save Earth. It's 2019 in...

WASHINGTON (AP) , Tucked into the "fiscal cliff" tax package approved by Congress are billions of dollars in tax breaks that should make the new year a lot happier for businesses of many stripes, including film producers, race track owners and the makers of electric motorcycles.