Digital Trends - More woes for BlackBerry maker Research In Motion. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced this week that it would be handing out iPhones and iPads to its employees in May, replacing the BlackBerry devices currently used.

Reuters - Incoming CEO Kazuo Hirai aims to re-shape Sony Corp by linking hardware and software through online networks -- a model he used at its PlayStation unit -- dismissing any suggestion the battered brand would revert to a gadget-centered strategy under his management.

As its online professional networking expands and helps more people get new jobs, LinkedIn Corp. is also is steadily expanding its own payroll. After adding more than 1,100 workers last year to end December with 2,116 employees, LinkedIn began hiring at an even more rapid clip to start this year.

NETWORKING PAYS OFF: LinkedIn Corp. earned $6.9 million in the fourth quarter as its online professional networking service added 14 million members. Revenue more than doubled from a year earlier to nearly $168 million. The results were better than management and analysts had forecast.

A new videogame in which players can rout French colonists shows how Vietnamese entrepreneurs are setting their sights on creating their own brands, instead of doing piece work for foreign companies.