LinkedIn adding new training features, news feeds and 'bots'

LinkedIn wants to become more useful to workers by adding personalized news feeds, helpful messaging "bots" and recommendations for online training courses, as the professional networking service strives to be more than just a tool for job-hunting.

The new services will arrive just as LinkedIn itself gains a new boss - Microsoft - which is paying $26 billion to acquire the Silicon Valley company later this year.

LinkedIn said the new features, which it showed off to reporters Thursday, were in the works before the Microsoft takeover was announced in June. But LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner said his company hopes to incorporate some of Microsoft's technology as it builds more things like conversational "chat bots," or software that can carry on limited conversations, answer questions and perform tasks like making reservations.

Google wants the Oracle lawyer who leaked its Android numbers to be punished

Seth Wenig/AP Google is asking for sanctions against Oracle after one of the software developer's lawyers discussed confidential details about the search giant's relationship with Apple at a court hearing earlier this month. Oracle's lawyer disclosed sensitive financial information regarding the relationship along with confidential information about Google's finances, which within days became headline news,

Google said in a letter on Wednesday to U.S. District Judge William Alsup and U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna Ryu. In its letter Google requested permission to file a motion seeking sanctions, for a finding of contempt, and asked that Oracle's lawyer not have further access to its confidential information or confidential information of a third party. The disclosure violated a protective order and led to an article by Bloomberg that "opened the floodgates" to more stories, including by Reuters, regarding the closely held information, the letter said. "The severe potential consequences of public disclosure quickly became reality, particularly given the surprising nature of the disclosure," according to the letter.