EA Closing Facebook Games; Microsoft's Smart Watch; Apple's Highest Paid Execs

Topping tech headlines on Monday, Electronic Arts announced that it will close three of its Facebook-based games on June 14.

A drop in user activity forced EA to close Playfish titles The Sims Social, SimCity Social, and Pet Society. The relatively new games mark the last of the Playfish titles still standing; the rest have been shut down already, or are scheduled for closing. The company is urging users to spend their remaining balance of in-game currency over the next two months, before it is rendered useless. EA is still developing new titles for Facebook, often in partnership with PopCap, which helped build Bejeweled Blitz, Solitaire Blitz, and the recently announced Plants vs. Zombies Adventures.

In other social network news, Facebook and the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) partnered for a new campaign intended to promote privacy and safety online. Beginning today, 20 AGs and Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg are circulating state-specific public service announcements, as well as an Internet safety tip sheet answering questions about privacy, bullying prevention, and overall Internet safety.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is reportedly prepping a touch-based, smart watch, and has placed orders for 1.5-inch displays. However, a source who spoke with the Wall Street Journal was unable to confirm whether or not this activity means that Microsoft plans to offer the supposed smart watches commercially anytime soon.

In financial news, a new report proves that it's a good time to be an Apple executive. Four of the five highest-paid employees at Standard & Poor's 500 companies last year were senior execs at Apple, according to Bloomberg, which examined fiscal 2012 compensation figures filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Also making headlines:

• Cell Service Still Up in Boston After Deadly Bombings: Police reportedly shut down cell phone service to prevent remote detonations of more bombs after the deadly Boston Marathon bombings, but Sprint and Verizon said service was still "operating normally" in the city.
• Adobe Releases Lightroom 5 Beta: The popular pro photo workflow application gets better local adjustments and more efficient preview editing.
• YouTube Gets Nostalgic With 'VHS Mode': In honor of the 57th anniversary of the first commercial video cassette recorder, YouTube is offering "VHS mode" on several of its videos.
• Microsoft, Lionsgate Partner for 'Hunger Games Explorer': Microsoft and Lionsgate have teamed up to bring the interactive world of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire movie directly to Internet Explorer.
• Dish Makes $25.5 Billion Bid for Sprint: Dish Network made a bid for Sprint Nextel in an effort to derail the mobile carrier's deal with SoftBank.
• Report: Foxconn Ramps Up Hiring Ahead of New iPhone: Foxconn has reportedly reversed a hiring freeze it imposed in February as the manufacturer ramps up to produce Apple's new iPhone.
• Anonymous Targets North Korea (Again): Anonymous found its way back to North Korea, less than two weeks after the "hacktivist" group disrupted several of the country's social media accounts.
• Comcast Rolls Out Basic Cable Encryption: Several months after the FCC approved an order that allows cable companies to encrypt basic cable tiers, Comcast has moved ahead with plans to do just that.
• Kobo Reveals Aura HD, 'Porsche of eReaders': Kobo announced its limited-edition Aura HD e-ink reader, which it said includes the highest resolution e-ink display currently on the market.
• Video: Granny Gives Oculus Rift the Thumbs Up: A viral video turned up of a 90-year-old grandmother test-driving the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset and apparently having her mind good and blown.
• 7 (Fictional) Computers That Changed Our World: With Google reportedly prepping its own version of the Star Trek computer, here's a look back at 7 fictional supercomputers that shaped our culture.

Source: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2417807,00.asp?kc=PCRSS05039TX1K0000760

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