WASHINGTON -- Consumer prices fell by the largest amount in 10 months in September, easing worries that inflation was about to get out of control.

The Labor Department reported that the Consumer Price Index dipped by 0.5 percent last month, a better-than-expected performance that was led by a huge decline in gasoline and other energy products.

Core inflation, which excludes energy and food, edged up by a moderate 0.2 percent, the third straight month of modest gains following higher readings earlier in the year.

Apple 4Q profit rises 27 percent

SAN JOSE (AP) -- Apple Computer Inc. said Wednesday that its fiscal fourth-quarter profit rose 27 percent, well past analysts' expectations, boosted by sizzling sales of its iPod music players and Macintosh computers.

Apple earned $546 million in the quarter ended Sept. 30, or 62 cents per share. That compared with net income of $430 million, or 50 cents per share, in the same period last year.

Revenue for the quarter totaled $4.84 billion, a 32 percent jump from $3.68 billion last year.

The average estimate by analysts was for earnings of 51 cents per share on sales of $4.66 billion, according to Thomson Financial.

Some video iPods contain virus

SAN JOSE (AP) -- In another example of how mobile gadgets can carry malicious programs, Apple Computer Inc. said a fraction of its iPod players sold in the past month contained a virus that affects Windows systems.

The problem affected less than 1 percent of the video iPods that were available for purchase after Sept. 12, according to a posting on Apple's technical support Web site. The company has received less than 25 reports concerning the problem, Apple said.

The iPods got the virus from a Windows computer at one of its manufacturing plants, Apple said. The virus, RavMonE.exe, is known to spread through external data storage devices when they are connected to computers and affects only machines running the Windows operating system from Apple rival Microsoft Corp. Security experts say the virus opens up further security holes for hackers.

Up-to-date antivirus software included with most Windows computers should detect and remove it, Apple said.

SYS acquires Ai Metrix

SAN DIEGO -- SYS Technologies has acquired Ai Metrix, a provider of network management solutions, for 3.1 million shares of SYS common stock. Based in Reston, Va., Ai Metrix, which has 42 employees, all of whom will be staying with the company, will be operated as a wholly owned subsidiary in the SYS Public Safety, Security and Industrial Systems Group.