More young people are using Twitter, pushed to do so by an unlikely crowd _ their elders

CHICAGO — They think it’s pointless, narcissistic. Some don’t even know what it is.

Pay up: Publisher delays e-book of Stephen King, sets $35 price

NEW YORK — The latest weapon in the publishing price wars: Stephen King.

Pay up: Publisher sets $35 price for Stephen King e-book

NEW YORK — The latest weapon in the publishing price wars: Stephen King.

Suzanne Somers’ new book on alternative cancer remedies; latest celeb attack on mainstream med

EDITOR’S NOTE: Ten years and $2.5 billion in research have found no cures from alternative medicine. Yet these mostly unproven treatments are now mainstream and used by more than a third of all Americans. This is one in an occasional series examining their use and potential risks.

E-books gaining more traction in the print world at Germany’s Frankfurt Book Fair

FRANKFURT — While paper books still outnumber texts that can be read online or on dedicated readers like the Kindle or eBook, use of the electronic versions is growing.

Google to launch new Google Editions platform to sell books accessible anywhere

FRANKFURT — An executive with Google says the company will launch a new platform next year that lets readers buy books that can be accessed from anywhere, be it a personal computer, cell phone or other platform.

Music blog MOG to offer high-fidelity music streaming service with major-label partnerships

SAN FRANCISCO — Consumers seem reluctant to sign up for online music services that charge subscription fees, yet a music blogging site is hoping to reel in music lovers by offering unlimited access to a catalog of high-fidelity tunes for $5 a month.

Retired gymnast Li Ning named first Chinese representative to UN World Food Program

BEIJING — Retired Olympic champion gymnast Li Ning has been named the first Chinese anti-hunger ambassador for the U.N. World Food Program.

With Gourmet magazine gone, the American dinner table is a little less lavish

After nearly 70 years of fine eating, the lavish meal known as Gourmet magazine is over.

China launches investigation into imports of US chicken on dumping, subsidy complaints

BEIJING — China on Sunday started investigating complaints that American chicken products are being dumped in China and are unfairly benefiting from subsidies, adding to a string of trade disputes with Washington.

Ex-adviser’s book, ‘Michael Jackson Tapes,’ details late pop star’s excesses, obsessions

ENGLEWOOD, N.J. — Pop superstar Michael Jackson feared the ravages of old age, sought the company of sycophants and appeared to be abusing prescription drugs and cosmetic surgery nearly a decade before his death, according to a new book by a former adviser.

New Dan Brown novel, ‘The Lost Symbol,’ tops 2 million in first week

NEW YORK — Dan Brown’s new novel has passed the 2 million mark and bested Bill Clinton’s “My Life” in the record books.

Heather Locklear to reprise her role from original ‘Melrose Place’ on the CW’s updated version

NEW YORK — Heather Locklear is reprising her signature role as scheming Amanda Woodward on its updated version of “Melrose Place,” the CW network announced Tuesday.

National parks headed for record visitation in 2009; new PBS series expected to help

WASHINGTON — The national park system is headed for a record-breaking number of visitors this year if travel trends hold up.

In a shift from trucks, Ford to heavily market new Taurus during pro football games

WASHINGTON — Pro football fans inundated with TV ads for brawny pickup trucks and sleek luxury models will get something different from Ford Motor Co. this season.

Hold that Kindle: E-book release delayed for Kennedy memoir

NEW YORK — E-book fans will have to wait for a download of Sen. Ted Kennedy’s memoir.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs emcees product launch for first time since receiving liver transplant

SAN FRANCISCO — Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs returned to his showman role Wednesday, taking the stage at a product launch event for the first time since his nearly six-month-long medical leave.

Infomercial king Kevin Harrington ‘thinks bigger’ as he sells Flowbees, surgical steel knives

CLEARWATER, Fla. — In a sprawling studio, Kevin Harrington is watching a TV pitchman put a shapely model through her paces on a new exercise contraption soon to be featured in a half-hour infomercial.

China showcases commercial jet as its aviation industry sets sights on international market

HONG KONG — China showcased its newest and biggest commercial plane Tuesday — a jetliner with as many as 200 seats that could boost the country’s fledgling aviation industry to compete with Western rivals like Boeing Co. and Airbus.

If I only had a computer: Free streaming of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ for everyone in US

SAN FRANCISCO — Anyone with a computer and Internet connection can be off to see “The Wizard of Oz” for free next month, courtesy of Netflix Inc.’s movie-streaming service.

Apple’s event may be all about music, but that doesn’t stop fans from wishing for more

Once again, it’s time to peer into Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs’ cup and try to read the tea leaves.

Disney’s pursuit of male audience at cable channel presaged its $4 billion deal for Marvel

BURBANK, Calif. — A funny thing happened on the way to remaking the Toon Disney channel into one that catered to “tween” boys: It got a lot more popular with girls.

AP sources: DirecTV in talks with TBS, TNT cable networks to put shows online

DirecTV Group Inc. is in talks with the TBS and TNT cable networks to offer their shows online, according to two people familiar with the discussions.

RAI state TV blocks spots for Swedish documentary deemed anti-Berlusconi

MILAN — Italy’s state broadcaster RAI has refused to air ads promoting “Videocracy,” a Swedish documentary examining the influence of television on Italian culture over the last 30 years, because it says the spots are an offense to Premier Silvio Berlusconi.

Movie theaters cut back on printing show times in newspapers as more moviegoers go online

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Filmgoers who have long turned to the local newspaper to find theaters and show times for movies may have to start looking elsewhere as theater chains rethink the value of paper and ink in a digital age.

Dish Network subsidiary to offer $1 billion in debt for general corporate purposes

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Satellite-TV services provider Dish Network Corp. said Wednesday its subsidiary plans to launch a $1 billion debt offering.

Finding stardom from a blog may be rare, but you can find success: Here’s 5 ways

NEW YORK — Chances are, your blog is not going to land you a book or movie deal like Julie Powell or make you a superstar like Perez Hilton.

A blog that became a memoir, that’s now a movie, Julie Powell of Julie & Julia found rare fame

NEW YORK — Julie Powell says she wasn’t thinking book or movie deal when she began blogging her recipe-by-recipe adventure through Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.”

CBS executive Nina Tassler has tart ‘D-girl’ comment for ex-NBC counterpart Ben Silverman

PASADENA, Calif. — Ben Silverman is gone from NBC as entertainment chief but he’s not forgotten by the industry.

Travel briefs

Leaf-peeping in Iowa: Mississippi River, bridges of Madison County

Disney 3rd quarter profit falls 26 percent due to tough global economy

LOS ANGELES — The Walt Disney Co. said Thursday its fiscal third-quarter profit fell 26 percent as slower DVD sales pushed its movie studio into the red while the weakening market for TV ads stabilized.