In Brief

MetroPCS rolls out new network technology in LV

MetroPCS Communications Inc., a regional cell phone company with 7.6 million subscribers, on Tuesday turned on Long Term Evolution service in Las Vegas.

With the move, the company became the first U.S. carrier to use the new network technology, which provides faster data access and is expected to become the industry standard.

MetroPCS CEO Roger Linquist said the company aims to turn on the service across its entire network, which is concentrated in cities, by January.

To take advantage of the network, Dallas-based MetroPCS is selling the first U.S. LTE phone, the Samsung Craft, for $299. It's not a smart phone with an array of downloadable applications, but it does have a touch screen and a keyboard. It can surf the Web and access Facebook, Twitter and other popular services. Smart phones that will benefit more tangibly from the data speeds provided by LTE will come next year, Linquist said.

MetroPCS service is prepaid and doesn't come with a contract. Many customers pay for it in cash at MetroPCS stores. MetroPCS is charging $55 per month for unlimited calling and texting on LTE, with all taxes and fees included.

NEW YORK

Hack infects Twitter; user data said not to be compromised

A new way to cause mischief quickly spread through short-messaging service Twitter on Tuesday morning before the site could fix the problem. Wired.com reported that a security flaw allowed pop-ups and websites, including pornographic sites, to load into browsers.

Shortly before 10 a.m. Eastern time, Twitter said on its "safety" feed on the site that the attack had been shut down. It also said it does not believe that any user information was compromised, rather, the "vast majority" of the breaches were pranks or promotions.

The hack had been extra nefarious because the tweets activated without being clicked on -- it was enough for Web surfers to move their mouse cursors over them. But it only affected visitors to Twitter.com. Third-party programs used to send and read tweets, such as Tweetdeck, were unaffected.

The pop-ups could, though didn't necessarily, contain malicious code that could take over poorly protected computers. The White House's official Twitter feed -- followed by 1.8 million users -- was among those affected, though the offending message was quickly taken down.

MIAMI

Demand spurs rising prices, helping lift Carnival earnings

The busy summer season didn't disappoint Carnival Corp., as better demand spurred rising prices and led to a 22 percent increase in its third-quarter net income.

The owner of Princess, Holland America and its namesake cruise lines earned $1.3 billion, or $1.62 per share, for the period ended Aug. 31, up from earnings of $1.07 billion, or $1.33 per share, a year earlier.

The performance surpassed the $1.47 per share predicted by Thomson Reuters-polled analysts.

Revenue increased 7 percent to $4.43 billion, meeting Wall Street's expectations. It was the third consecutive quarterly increase.

NEW YORK

Ex-assistant to Disney leader pleads guilty in fraud case

A former assistant to a top executive at Walt Disney Co. pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud charges, admitting her role in the quest to sell secrets about the company's finances to financial companies before the information was made public.

Bonnie Hoxie, formerly the secretary to Disney's head of corporate communications, entered the plea in U.S. District Court in Manhattan in a plea deal with the government.

The plea agreement said federal sentencing guidelines call for a sentence of between four and 10 months in prison. Sentencing was set for Dec. 21.

Hoxie, who is 34, was charged along with her boyfriend, 30-year-old Yonni Sebbag, after both were arrested in May in California. Sebbag, a Moroccan citizen, has already pleaded guilty to the same charges in a deal that recommends he serve between two and three years in prison.

"Today, Bonnie Hoxie admitted to playing with a stacked deck by selling valuable Disney secrets to make a quick buck," U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement. A message for comment left with Hoxie's lawyer was not immediately returned.

NEW YORK

Higher revenue in all business sectors lifts profits for Adobe

Software maker Adobe Systems Inc. said Tuesday its fiscal third-quarter net income soared, boosted by higher revenue in all its business segments.

San Jose, Calif.-based Adobe, known for Photoshop software and the Flash technology behind online games and video websites, earned $230.1 million, or 44 cents per share, in the three months ended Sept. 3. That's a 69 percent jump from $136 million, or 26 cents per share, a year earlier.

Adjusted earnings were 54 cents per share in the latest quarter, topping analysts' expectations of 49 cents per share.

Revenue rose 42 percent to $990.3 million from $697.5 million, thanks to strong demand for Adobe's Creative Suite 5 software package and its products targeting large businesses.