Apple has announced that customers have now downloaded over 50 billion apps from the App Store. The 50 billionth app — Say the Same Thing by Space Inch, LLC — was downloaded by Brandon Ashmore from Mentor, Ohio, who received a $10,000 App Store Gift Card to commemorate the milestone. “The App Store completely transformed how people use their mobile devices and created a thriving app ecosystem that has paid out over nine billion dollars to developers,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “We’re absolutely floored to cross this milestone in less than five years.” The New York Times Company was a victim of online attacks earlier this week that slowed down The New York Times Web site and limited access to content.     Young writers show an appetite for risk in college application essays about money, class and the economy, submitted at a columnist’s invitation.     WASHINGTON—Reacting to the number of major scandals currently plaguing the White House, a somewhat confused American populace told reporters Friday that yeah, sure, they’re totally outraged or whatever about what’s currently going on in ... The group calling itself the Syrian Electronic Army claimed responsibility for disrupting the Web site and Twitter accounts of The Financial Times.     Apple announced that iTunes U has reached a new milestone — over one billion content downloads. iTunes U features the world’s largest online catalog of free educational content from top schools and prominent libraries, museums, and organizations. Educators are using this content to create courses that include lectures, assignments, books, quizzes, and more for iOS users around the world. “It’s inspiring to see what educators and students of all types are doing with iTunes U,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “With the incredible content offered on iTunes U, students can learn like never before ― there are now iTunes U courses with more than 250,000 students enrolled in them, which is a phenomenal shift in the way we teach and learn.” A video being shopped by two men with drug connections apparently shows Mayor Rob Ford of Toronto smoking a crack pipe.     The hit NBC show The Office will air its series finale on Thursday. Here is a look back at some of the most unforgettable moments of the show’s nine-year run: Season 1: The first episode, an exact remake of the British version... Getting That Perfect Souffle In A World Of Uncertainty And Pain PALATINE, IL—During a tennis tournament hosted by Fremd High School, spectators, coaches, and fellow competitors agreed Thursday that the massive gulf in skill levels between top-ranked Anthony Pagano and bottom-seeded Tyson Vandervennet was the mos... Google unveiled a new streaming music service Wednesday called Google Play Music All Access to compete against Spotify and Pandora, though it will notably not offer users a free option. With both sweet and exotic elements, a bowl of spiced cashews is the right match for a cocktail.     Hollywood, increasingly reliant on big-budget spectacles that make hundreds of millions of dollars, may be headed over a blockbuster cliff.     NEW YORK—According to a report released Tuesday by the Brookings Institution, the lone non-telepathic individual living in the world today is still completely unaware that every other human being has the ability to mentally receive and channel thoug... The plan includes limiting the deductions and exclusions high-income families can claim, increasing taxes on tobacco products and adopting a new minimum tax on income over $1 million.     PARIS—Following a storied 21-year career, global soccer icon David Beckham officially announced Thursday that, at the age of 38, he is a giant quitter. Apple has announced that music fans have purchased and downloaded more than 25 billion songs from the iTunes Store. “We are grateful to our users whose passion for music over the past 10 years has made iTunes the number one music retailer in the world,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. The 25 billionth song, “Monkey Drums” (Goksel Vancin Remix) by Chase Buch, was purchased by Phillip Lüpke from Germany. As the downloader of the 25 billionth song, Phillip will receive a €10,000 iTunes gift card. Check out the news from the launch and be among the first to download Internet Explorer 9. At these four restaurants, from Miami Beach to Minnesota, regional flavors are layered with personal stories.     A new video profiles Essa Academy, a once struggling school in one of the most disadvantaged areas of England. New principal Showkat Badat has reinvented the school as a hub of technology-assisted learning, and helped incorporate an ecosystem of Apple products, including iPad, Mac, and iTunes U, into the classrooms. The students’ excitement about the technology and direct access to information is reflected in dramatically improved test scores. Since adopting the technology, Essa went from a 28 percent pass rate to 100 percent. “I don’t see technology as an add-on, a nice option to have,” says Badat. “It’s what enables learning and creates an environment that sparks creativity.” Some conservatives allege that the I.R.S. also targeted individual taxpayers, but a handful of anecdotal data points are not worth much in a country of 300 million.