Council thinks Hilton Head economic development group forming too slowly

HILTON HEAD ISLAND Hilton Head Island Town Council members hope a town economic-development corporation will attract businesses and spur redevelopment on the island, but some members said this week the group is forming too slowly. The nonprofit, economic-development corporation is expected to help close deals on development projects and to recruit and retain businesses. Council voted unanimously in November to create the organization, which will be governed by a volunteer board of directors and led by a full-time executive director. The town has set aside $80,000 for start-up costs. Hiring a director and creating a budget are the final steps in the group’s formation and are expected to be completed by Sept. 15.

Microsoft releases report on law enforcement requests

Microsoft on Thursday disclosed for the first time the number of requests it had received from government law enforcement agencies for data on its hundreds of millions of customers around the world, joining the ranks of Google, Twitter and other Web businesses that publish so-called transparency reports. The report, which Microsoft said it planned to update every six months, showed that law enforcement agencies in five countries — Britain, France, Germany, Turkey and the United States — accounted for 69 percent of the 70,665 requests the company received last year.

Pepsi tries on new look for bottle

NEW YORK Pepsi is rolling out a new shape for its 20-ounce bottle for the first time in about 17 years. The new bottle has a contoured bottom half that appears easier for holding, and the wraparound label is shorter so that more of the drink is exposed. The change follows a number of splashy moves in the past year by PepsiCo to improve results for its namesake soda.

The (Hilton Head) Island Packet, New York Times and The Associated Press contributed.