In today’s WRAL TechWire Bulldog wrapup of science and technology news:

  • Avaya declares Chapter 11
  • Mark Zuckerberg wants to buy Hawaii island
  • Cyber attack hits Sundance festival
  • Apple takes on Qualcomm
  • Yellow fever outbreak feared in Brazil

The details:

  • Avaya declares Chapter 11

Avaya, the company that acquired many of Nortel’s assets when that tech giant went bankrupt, has itself declared Chapter 11.

However, the company says it is doing so in order to restructure.

“Avaya has gone down this path to formally restructure its balance sheet so that it can better position itself in the long term, according to the vendor. The company got to this point from taking on debt after major acquisitions in the last decade highlighted by the Nortel deal,” reports Computer Dealer News.

Read the details at:

http://www.computerdealernews.com/news/avaya-enters-chapter-11-bankruptcy-protection-but-not-in-canada/52464

  • Hawaii bill compels mediation for Zuckerberg-type land deals

A Hawaii lawmaker plans to introduce legislation that could force Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg into mediation before he is allowed to buy real estate on Kauai island.

Zuckerberg last month filed lawsuits to identify owners of 14 parcels interspersed with his 700-acre spread so he could pay them and buy the land.

State Rep. Kaniela Ing said Friday says Hawaii’s sugar barons employed laws Zuckerberg is using to take land from Native Hawaiians and says Zuckerberg is “completing the theft.” If passed, Ing’s bill would likely take effect July 1.

  • Cyberattack on Sundance briefly shutters box office

Representatives for the Sundance Film Festival say that their network systems were subject to a cyberattack that caused its box offices to shut down briefly Saturday afternoon.

The Festival issued updates to attendees via their official account and say that online ticketing for future shows is currently back up and running.

Even in the midst of the box office blackout, organizers assured festival goers that screenings would still take place as planned Saturday. Films set to premiere later in the day include the Jennifer Aniston, Jack Huston and Alden Ehrenreich film “The Yellow Birds,” and Dee Rees’ WWII-era drama “Mudbound” with Mary J. Blige and Carey Mulligan.

The Sundance Film Festival runs through Jan. 29.

  • Apple depicts Qualcomm as a shady monopolist in $1B lawsuit

Apple is suing mobile chip maker Qualcomm for $1 billion in a patent fight pitting the iPhone maker against one of its major suppliers.

The complaint filed Friday in a San Diego federal court depicts Qualcomm as a monopolist abusing its power in a key segment of the mobile chip market to extort royalties for iPhone innovations that have nothing to do with Qualcomm’s technology.

Apple says it has been cooperating with government regulators who have been investigating Qualcomm’s business practices, prompting Qualcomm to retaliate by withholding about $1 billion in scheduled payments.

  • Brazil investigating dozens of suspected yellow fever cases

Brazilian authorities say they’ve now confirmed 47 cases of yellow fever, and 25 deaths.

The Health Ministry also says it’s investigating more than 160 other suspected cases of the mosquito-borne disease.

The outbreak is centered in the east-central state of Minas Gerais, whose governor declared a 180-state of emergency this month after an initial report of eight deaths.

The government says it’s sent 2 million extra doses of vaccine against the disease to Minas Gerais. And it says hundreds of thousands of other doses will be sent there and to nearby Espirito Santo this week.

Last year, Brazil registered just seven confirmed yellow fever cases.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the disease can cause fever, chills, severe headache, pain, nausea and vomiting.