Connecticut law-enforcement officials are looking into whether online deals site Groupon Inc. is breaking consumer-protection laws that prohibit gift cards from expiring. The state is looking into whether Groupon's deals -- known as groupons -- should be considered in the same light as gift certificates, for which Connecticut law bans expiration dates altogether. Groupon said it intends to cooperate with the Connecticut attorney general and help "him and his team understand our business model." The company declined to comment on whether it considers groupons to be like gift certificates. Groupon promotes discounts and shares the revenue from the …

Yahoo is targeting Web site publishers for new software that suggests content to readers based on their individual interests. The move is all part of the company's efforts to up revenue. So far, Yahoo's partnership with Microsoft has yet to prove fruitful and the company is looking to the new advertising initiative to increase the company's profit margins The content personalization project offers users content that matches their personal interests; the goal is to get them to spend more time on the site. However, skeptics of Yahoo's latest moves say the company hasn't shown it can …

Taiwan's TSMC has begun trial manufacturing of next generation chips for Apple Inc's mobile devices, a sign that the iPad maker is shifting from its traditional chip supplier, Samsung Electronics. Samsung and Apple are in a legal dispute over patents, and Samsung has emerged as Apple's toughest competitor in the smartphone and tablet market. TSMC is an obvious candidate to win processor business from Apple as it has budgeted $7.8 billion this year to update technology and add capacity. It also has experience with the architecture of British chip designer ARM Holdings Plc, widely used by Apple to make …

Rebekah Brooks, CEO of News Corps' British newspapers division, has resigned. Brooks was editor at News of the World during much of the phone hacking that has enraged Britain, but has declined knowledge of any of it. News Corp. Chairman-CEO Rupert Murdoch had stood by her even as he shuttered the tabloid and gave up his bid for the rest of BSkyB. Critics have viewed each damage control measure skeptically. They called the closure of News of the World a cynical bid to salvage the BSkyB acquisition, predicting News Corp. would simply open a new Sunday version of …

European music service Spotify is available in the U.S. with all four major labels on board. U.S. users are be able to sign up for both paid tiers of Spotify's service: $4.99 per month for its unlimited, ad-free service, and $9.99 per month for the premium, mobile service. Its free service, which limits listening somewhat, will roll out to users via invites in the next few weeks. The service will be available on all the platforms that currently feature it in Europe - iPhone, Android, Symbian, Windows Phone and Palm - as well as consumer electronics devices like Sonos. …

Scripps Networks interactive head and Demand Media's boss are in talks about a potential partnership that could unite their respective TV and Web properties to create a digital lifestyle powerhouse. The two media players -- one strong in cable TV, the other online -- have a big personality in common: Rachael Ray. The Scripps' celebrity Food Network chef is also the chief creative force behind Demand's eHow.com food. Ray joined Demand's other big-name partners, including Lance Armstrong and Tyra Banks, who also create "co-branded" content for eHow. In addition, Scripps houses HGTV and DIY Channel, while Demand's online …

Nexstar Broadcasting Group has acquired GoLocal.biz, an Internet technology company that has been providing local business directory, coupon, movie and entertainment listings to all 35 of Nexstar's local portal sites and to other local media. Based in St. George, Utah, GoLocal.biz was founded by Nick Schulz, Dave May and Brian Green in 2007. GoLocal.Biz will operate as part of Nexstar's e-Media community portal and technology operation and will report to Nexstar executive vice president and co-COO Brian Jones. "The acquisition creates an entirely new revenue stream for Nexstar as we intend to expand the distribution and syndication …

Box, the enterprise-focused file-sharing and collaboration service is enhancing its mobile apps running on Apple's iOS, including the iPhone and iPad, and on devices running Google's Android. Box CEO Aaron Levie says its necessary, since legacy software vendors aren't keeping up. "Many of today's entrenched software solutions don't have mobile counterparts -- let alone an open platform for third-party mobile developers to leverage," Levie wrote in a blog post this morning. To support the expansion and to handle Box's relationships with developers, the company hired Chris Yeh, former head of the Yahoo Developer Network as vice president, …

With Rovio having already passed 250 million downloads of its various Angry Birds games, the company now has its sights set on 1 billion downloads. "This is something that even six months ago was unthinkable," said Wibe Wagemans, the former Microsoft Bing executive who now heads the Finnish company's brand marketing efforts. The Birds are flying high. The company has its first book in the works and just added flip-flops to its merchandise collection. Plus,its games are now on Roku boxes and coming soon to Facebook. Wegemans also said at a mobile conference that the company may be looking …

Netflix will raise its monthly price by 60% for a plan that lets subscribers watch unlimited movies and video online and get DVDs by mail. Customers who want both services will pay $7.99 per month to rent one DVD at a time plus $7.99 for unlimited streaming, or a total of $15.98 per month. The previous cost of this plan was $9.99 a month. "We are separating unlimited DVDs by mail and unlimited streaming into separate plans to better reflect the costs of each and to give our members a choice: a streaming only plan, a DVD only plan …