Shootings pepper-spray attack mar Wal-Mart Black Friday sale

Last Updated on Friday, 25 November 2011 06:15 Written by External Post Friday, 25 November 2011 06:15

As shoppers converged on retailers around the country looking for Black Friday deals, authorities reported scattered problems.

In Porter Ranch, a woman pepper sprayed customers at a Wal-Mart in what authorities say was a deliberate attempt to get more "door buster" merchandise. In San Leandro, a Wal-Mart shopper walking to his car was shot and wounded in a suspected robbery early Friday.

Another shooting was reported at a parking lot next to a Wal-Mart in South Carolina, also a suspected robbery attempt. Officials told WMBF-TV they believe the robbery was tied to Black Friday.

At Porter Ranch, 20 customers, including children, were hurt in the 10:10 p.m. incident, officials said. Shoppers complained of minor skin and eye irritation and sore throats.

"This was customer-versus-customer ‘shopping rage,’" said Los Angeles Police Lt. Abel Parga.

The woman used the spray in more than one area of the Wal-Mart "to gain preferred access to a variety of locations in the store," said Los Angeles Fire Capt. James Carson.

"She was competitive shopping," he said.

Police are searching for the woman but said they’ve had trouble getting a clear description of her.

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Google Fights Back Against Android Fragmentation

Last Updated on Monday, 4 April 2011 08:19 Written by External Post Monday, 4 April 2011 08:19

bonch writes “Google is tightening its control over Android in an attempt to standardize the platform. Licensees must agree to a ‘non-fragmentation clause’ that gives Google final approval over operating system changes, allegedly sparking complaints to
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Google hanging up on GOOG-411

Last Updated on Friday, 8 October 2010 08:40 Written by External Post Friday, 8 October 2010 08:40

Google is shutting down GOOG-411, its first attempt to create a search-by-voice application. The company announced that the service will end on November 12. , GOOG-411 allowed users to say the name of a business and have the service text you back a
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Google sticks goggles on the iPhone

Last Updated on Wednesday, 6 October 2010 02:40 Written by External Post Wednesday, 6 October 2010 02:40

Google is rolling out its Goggles product as part of an update to its iPhone suite, taking iPhone users right up to the bleeding edge of what even Google can achieve. We say “bleeding edge” advisedly, as Google Goggles is a very ambitious attempt to
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Twitter launches promoted accounts for advertisers

Last Updated on Tuesday, 5 October 2010 05:21 Written by External Post Tuesday, 5 October 2010 05:21

Twitter is rolling out a new form of advertising called “promoted accounts”, in an attempt to make money from more parts of its service. Promoted accounts will let advertisers buy a spot on Twitter’s sidebar with a suggestion of Twitter accounts users
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Twitter now selling space for ‘promoted accounts’

Last Updated on Monday, 4 October 2010 11:01 Written by External Post Monday, 4 October 2010 11:01

Promoted accounts will show up on the very top of Twitter’s recently-introduced “who to follow” section of the service’s sidebar. (Credit: Twitter) In an attempt to monetize more parts of its service, Twitter is rolling out a new form of advertising
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Interpol chief impersonated on Facebook

Last Updated on Tuesday, 21 September 2010 12:21 Written by External Post Tuesday, 21 September 2010 12:21

Scammers recently created two bogus Facebook accounts in the name of Interpol chief Ronald K. Noble in an attempt to obtain information about ongoing criminal investigations, the head of the international organization has revealed. “Just recently
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Google Will Pay Out $8.5M Over Buzz Privacy Snafu

Last Updated on Saturday, 4 September 2010 10:20 Written by External Post Saturday, 4 September 2010 10:20

Bad buzz over a faulty service can exact a price from an Internet giant. But what’s the real cost? More News From VentureBeat Google has settled with plaintiffs over the privacy concerns stirred up by its attempt at a Twitter-like social network, Buzz,
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Google and Verizon’s Net neutrality manuevers: It’s the money, honey

Last Updated on Saturday, 7 August 2010 12:00 Written by External Post Saturday, 7 August 2010 12:00

Net neutrality is making headlines again. According to reports in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, Google and Verizon have been canoodling in an attempt to reach a pact that will give Verizon more moola in exchange for preferential
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Ladbrokes wants better online offering and more IT investment

Last Updated on Friday, 6 August 2010 11:20 Written by External Post Friday, 6 August 2010 11:20

Bookmaker Ladbrokes is to plough effort and investment into its e-trading offering and technology infrastructure in an attempt to make the business more consumer-focused. Richard Glynn, the new chief executive, spent three months producing a review of
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