Yahoo and Google furious over reports NSA secretly intercepts data links

Yahoo and Google have reacted angrily to a report this week that the NSA has secretly intercepted the main communications links that carry their users’ data across the internet.

With documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, the Washington Post claimed the agency collected information ‘at will’ from hundreds of millions of user accounts.

The documents suggest that the NSA and GCHQ are copying data as it flows across the fiber-optic cables that carry information between Google and Yahoo. The intelligence activities of the NSA outside the US are subject to fewer legal constraints than its domestic actions.

The news is likely to put further strain on the already difficult relations between the tech firms and Washington. The internet giants are furious about the damage done to their reputation in the wake of Snowden’s revelations.

Sony slashes full-year profit forecast by 40%

Japanese giant Sony has dropped its full-year profit forecast by 40% as it continues to struggle.

It now expects to make a net profit of 30bn yen (£190m) in the financial year to 31 March 2014, down from its earlier projection of 50 bn yen.

The cut came as Sony said its loss in the July-to-September quarter widened 25% from a year ago to 19.3bn yen.

One of the big drags on its earnings was its Pictures division which made a loss due to some high profile flops.

The division, which also includes production of movies as well as TV shows, recorded an operating loss of 17.8bn yen during the period, compared to an operating profit of 7.9bn a year earlier.

"The current quarter reflects the theatrical underperformance of White House Down, while the previous fiscal year included the strong theatrical performance of the Amazing Spider-Man," the firm said in a statement.

Dell’s Latitude laptop smells of cat urine

Some users complained on Dell’s support forums that the Latitude 6430u business laptop smelt of cat urine, and were initially told to clean their machines with compressed air and a cloth.

The company has now admitted, however, that the issue is real. It recommended that users should send affected laptops back, and offered to replace the palm rest and keyboard.

"The smell is not related to cat urine or any other type of biological contaminant, nor is it a health hazard," a Dell support technician told the BBC news website.

It is believed that the problem was a result of a manufacturing process that has been changed.

The technician said, "If you order an E6430u now, it will not have the issue."