Which seems exactly the way to view the action these days around the Microsoft (MSFT)-Yahoo (YHOO) ordeal. Today's news: Steve Ballmer has put out "feelers" about buying Facebook in the wake of ending his pursuit of Yahoo. Let's parse the Reuters story with this perspective in mind.

Complete Story »

Why Google Never Really Wanted the Yahoo Search Deal
Ashkan Karbasfrooshan submits:

1. Google (GOOG) would have had to pay a large portion of revenues to Yahoo! (YHOO) as TACs (traffic acquisition costs).  This means more revenue to Google, yes, but no significant increase in profits… meaning that Google’s profit margins would have shrunk.  Analysts don’t like that, and as Google’s growth stalls, it cannot afford that.
2. Adding Yahoo!’s 30% market share to Google’s 60% market share would have raised the ire of the feds.  Yes, I know, this would not have been the same thing as if Google owned that 30%, but the fact remains, the partnership would have awoken the feds.

Quite simply: Yahoo! has been played like a fiddle.  Worse off, by even doing that little test with Google, Yahoo! is now less desirable to Microsoft (MSFT).  In MSFT’s eyes, YHOO’s search is tainted, it’s as if a groom finds out on the eve of his wedding that his wife is not quite a virgin.

Of course, I still think that MSFT has the hots for YHOO… but it will take its time, deservedly so.  After all, just because a girl tells you she is not interested or plays hard to get to the point of frustrating you does not mean you stop liking her.

Complete Story »

Not Enough Money to Go Around for Google/Viacom
Ashkan Karbasfrooshan submits:

Peter Kafka of SAI is right to state that Viacom’s (VIA) $1B lawsuit against Google’s (GOOG) YouTube can be fixed with a big-sized check, the problem, however, is that Google won’t write it because it won’t be able to meet Viacom’s price.

Indeed, this will go all the way to the Supreme Court, as states YouTube’s VP of content partnerships David Eun.

Complete Story »

Move, Inc. Q1 2008 Earnings Call Transcript

Move, Inc. (MOVE)

Q1 2008 Earnings Call

Complete Story »

VeriSign, Inc Q1 2008 Earnings Call Transcript

VeriSign, Inc (VRSN)

Q1 2008 Earnings Call

Complete Story »

Priceline.com Inc. Q1 2008 Earnings Call Transcript

Priceline.com Inc. (PCLN)

Q1 2008 Earnings Call

Complete Story »

Electronic Arts Pays $30M to Napster Founder for Rupture
Erick Schonfeld submits:

Shawn Fanning, best known for founding Napster, has a new job. He will be working at Electronic Arts, which has bought his social-network-gaming startup Rupture for $30 million, according to sources with knowledge of the deal. His co-founder Jon Baudanza will also join Electronic Arts.

We first heard of a possible deal back in February, but did not know who was the buyer. Rupture’s first product was a social network for players of the online video game World of Warcraft, but it only came out with a beta version and kept delaying its public launch.

Complete Story »

DivX Looks into the Future of Web Video
Davis Freeberg submits:

DivX (DIVX) reported their 1st quarter earnings on Monday and while I’m still waiting to read the actual 10k before digging too far into the numbers, I did want to comment on what I see as a significant shift in strategy. Over the last 7 years, DivX has done an impressive job of building an eco-system around a single file format.

The first time that I came across a DivX file, I actually thought that it was some kind of a virus. It took me two weeks before I worked up the courage to download the DivX media player so that I could play the movie, but once I did, I realized that my fears were unfounded. The file not only offered a superior video experience, but it was a lot smaller than the MPEG files that I was used to downloading. Since I was on a dial-up connection at the time, every little byte made a big difference.

Complete Story »

SoundBite's Poor Quarter: Bump in Road, or Edge of Cliff?
Chris Fernandez submits:

It looks like I’ll be eating my first dose of humble pie since I started PeakStocks.com about 7 months ago. In a business where if you get slightly over 50% of your picks right, you attain rock star status, it looks like we’ll be adding SoundBite to the “losing” side of the scorecard, at least for now.

SoundBite Communications (SDBT), a leading provider of on-demand customer contact solutions, reported its fiscal 1st quarter 2008 earnings on Wednesday May 7th after the market closed, and to say they were bad would probably not serve the word “bad” properly.

Complete Story »

Bullish on Search: Google, Yahoo Both Get a 'Buy' from UBS
Eric Savitz (Barron's) submits:

UBS Internet analyst Benjamin Schachter today advised investors to buy both Google (GOOG) and Yahoo (YHOO), though for different reasons.

Let’s start with Yahoo. Schachter today lowered his price target on the stock today - but not nearly as much as many of his peers. His new target is $30, down from $34; he maintains his Buy rating. Schachter figures there are three scenarios for the stock - it is a similar approach to the one taken my Citigroup’s Mark Mahaney, but Schachter reached a slightly different conclusion. Here is a look at Schachter’s 3 scenarios:

Complete Story »

What Should Jerry Do? My Advice to Yahoo
Tim Sweeney submits:

Alright, alright, I know. It’s funny to pick on Yahoo (YHOO) CEO Jerry Yang. It seems that a lot of people are doing it now. But before I get any more calls telling me what a nice guy he is, let me explain something.

I don’t doubt Jerry is a nice guy. Hell, if I had a couple of billion lying around the office, I think I would be a lot nicer too. I would even give my wife the extra $300 she wanted to go buy some more junk at the farmer’s market. Ok, ok, maybe not.

Complete Story »

Sprint Deal: Moving Toward an All-Wireless, Always-Connected Future
Kevin Maney submits:

Amazing how things change. We all hate wires now. Wires were OK back when people didn't mind moving themselves somewhere to do what they needed to do -- like, to make a phone call, you'd go to a room with a phone, or to work you'd go to the office. Just 15 years ago, pretty much everyone was programmed that way. And that programming has only been completely wiped out in the past five years, thanks to stuff like WiFi, mobile e-mail and cheap cell phone service.

In fact, now our expectations have gotten ahead of the technology. It's truly annoying to open a laptop and not find an Internet connection. Doesn't matter whether you're at a bus stop in a rural town, a friend's apartment in Manhattan or a busy airport gate. We want full-on wireless Internet all the time, everywhere, and we want it now. This is classic pent-up demand.

Complete Story »

How Microsoft Could Kill Google on the Web
Jason Kelly submits:

It's wrong to consider Microsoft (MSFT) down and out in the race for the Internet just because it walked away from the Yahoo (YHOO) bid. I think that was a good decision because it saved $40+ billion and avoided a multi-year company integration that would have likely failed to produce anything on a par with Google's (GOOG) properties anyway.

When we look at Microsoft history, what is it that has consistently put it on top? Innovation? No. Most of its products are obvious knock-offs not as well-done as the original. Customer loyalty? No. Almost everybody hates the company, but it's hard to get a day of work done without using one of its products. Computer users are loyal to Microsoft the way North Koreans are loyal to Kim Jong Il. What choice do they have?

Complete Story »

Microsoft Talking to Facebook for Possible Deal - AllThingsD
Ron Haruni submits:According to WSJ and AllThingsD.com, (a Web site owned by Dow Jones), Microsoft’s (MSFT) bankers recently contacted Facebook Inc. to gauge the Internet company’s willingness to sell Facebook to the software giant.

There are no active discussions between the two companies, a person familiar with the matter said - and it’s unclear if closely held Facebook would sell.

Additionally, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates told the press in Tokyo yesterday that the company “isn’t pursuing other deals following the withdrawal of its $47.5 billion takeover bid for Yahoo.” Their experience dealing with Yahoo, apparently, has put them off acquisitions altogether.

But then again, just Monday Gates said “I wouldn’t rule out some partnerships but we don’t have anything imminent there” following a meeting and dinner with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.

Complete Story »

Business Intelligence: An Interview With IBM's Rob Ashe
Larry Dignan (ZDNet) submits:

Rob Ashe, general manager of IBM’s business intelligence and performance management unit, has had a busy year. He sold his company, Cognos, to IBM (IBM) for $5 billion and has stayed on as a member of IBM’s leadership team.

Complete Story »

Yahoo Worth $23 On Fundamentals - Lehman
Eric Savitz (Barron's) submits:

With Microsoft’s (MSFT) withdrawal of its takeover bid for Yahoo (YHOO), multiple analysts have weighed in on what happens to Yahoo from here. This morning, Lehman’s Douglas Anmuth offered his view, and it is a sobering one for several reasons.

Anmuth today reinstated coverage of the stock with an Equal Weight rating and a $23 price target, below the current level. He notes that while Yahoo’s management is under “significant pressure” to improve operational performance and drive the stock price higher, he thinks the company will find both goals “challenging in the near-term.”

Complete Story »

Cisco Sees Long-Term Growth, But U.S. Customers Are Cautious (Update)
Eric Savitz (Barron's) submits:

Speaking on the company’s post-earnings conference call, Cisco Systems (CSCO) CEO John Chambers Tuesday afternoon said he remains comfortable with the company long-term growth rate forecast of 12%-17%.

For fiscal Q4, the company sees revenue growth of 9% to 10%. Chambers thinks there is a “relatively short-term challenge going forward.” He said they continue to see caution from U.S. customers and some European customers.

Complete Story »

Internet Sector and Stocks Analysis from Seeking Alpha
'Internet' Tag RSS Syndication from SeekingAlpha.com

 

Google Beats The Pants Off Of Earnings Estimates
Lets start with the "factiods" Google earned $4.12 per share. Discounting the stock given to employees, GOOG would have made $4.84 per share. This is higher than the average analyst expectation of $4.52 per share. The Google pedestal is getting taller and taller. This is the 12th time out ...

200 Day Moving Average Turns Down
I think this is the second time in Google's brief history of trading that the stock's 200 day simple moving average has turned down. Yesterday's price low tagged the lower 2.0% Bollinger Bands. So What You Say For those predicting doom-and-gloom, consider this a normal fluctuation within a large move. Previously we ...

What Happens When MSFT Announces YHOO Bid
Your stock drops 10%. Microsoft Corp. today announced that it has made a proposal to the Yahoo! Inc. Board of Directors to acquire all the outstanding shares of Yahoo! common stock for per share consideration of $31 representing a total equity value of approximately $44.6 billion.

Run For The Door
"Fire" Looks like that is what the sheeple have heard in the crowded "GOOG" movie theater. Stock is down $49.7299 to a still lofty $683.21 as of this posting.

Two Centuries In One Month
Don't recall if this has happened before or not for Google's stock - going through two century marks in one calendar month. Google goes through the $600 mark on 8 October 2007 and through the $700 mark on 31 October 2007. Kind of like a blue moon. Hopefully for ...

Sweet Momentum For GOOG
As I write this post and look at the daily stock chart for Google, I can't help but notice that the stock has been on an almost uninterrupted rise in price for more than two months. In mid-August 2007, the stock briefly pierced the rising 200 day moving average ...

Google 600 Dollars
Finally, Google hit $600 exactly in the AM on 8 October 2007.

Google At $600
You can almost smell it, Google's stock price at $600. Those round century numbers act like a magnet. Today's and yesterday's large range bars look like a sprinter heading for the finishing line - the $600 per share finish line. Don't act too surprised when GOOG hits $600.

Google Stock Quote
Google stock quotes, charts, news and information

 

Google Sees Hope for Long-Term Ad Deal with Yahoo

Circuit City Sale on the Horizon  

Microsoft: No Plans for Another Bid for Yahoo 

Best Buy Teams Up with European Cell Phone Retailer

Gadget Fans, Take Note: Pogue on the Pulse Smartpen 

Wii Makes Yamauchi Japan's Richest: Forbes

Sprint, Clearwire to Form $14.5 Billion WiMax Venture 

Sea Change – Wireless World 

Gaga for Google Again 

Microsoft Sends Out Feelers to Facebook: WSJ

Cisco's Chambers Expects US Growth to Pick Up 

'Grand Theft Auto' First Week Sales Top $500 Million

5 Things You Need to Know to Play Videogame Stocks

CNBC's Top Technology Business News
CNBC's Top Technology Business News

 

Microsoft to appeal against €899m EC fine
The US software group said it would appeal against the record-breaking €899m fine imposed by Brussels two months ago for anticompetitive business practices

Google warms to ad deal with Yahoo
Google's top executives issued strong public backing for a potential advertising partnership with Yahoo

Hynix to buy 10% stake in rival ProMOS
Hynix Semiconductor, the world's second-largest memory chipmaker, said it planned to buy up to 10 per cent of ProMOS Technologies to expand its strategic partnership with the Taiwanese rival

Sage beats forecasts as sales rise 9%
The UK's largest listed software company beat expectations with a 9% rise in half-year sales, despite a poor performance at its US healthcare business

Huawei seeks external strategic investor
Huawei Technologies is looking to sell a stake in its handset and mobile devices division to an external strategic investor, according to people familiar with the company's plans

Rising costs hit laptop makers
Retail prices for laptop computers are poised to rise as manufacturers increase prices for the first time amid soaring raw material and assembly costs

Ex-Siemens chief takes Alcoa helm
Aluminium company Alcoa has named former Siemens chief executive Klaus Kleinfeld to replace Alain Belda as chief executive. Mr Belda will continue as chairman of the...

CSR chief plans expansion
Joep van Beurden has set ambitious targets to more than double revenue to $2bn by 2012 at a time when turnover is falling rapidly, culminating in two profit warnings this year

Grand Theft Auto sells 6m in first week
The 'Grand Theft Auto IV' video game has stolen all entertainment records for an opening week with global retail sales of around 6m copies or $500m, according to its publisher Take-Two

US groups join forces for WiMax initiative
A seven-member consortium including Intel, Google, Comcast and Time Warner Cable has agreed to invest $3.2bn in a new joint venture led by Sprint Nextel and Clearwire to build a 4G nationwide wireless broadband network in the US, based on WiMax technology

Cisco shrugs off US gloom
The world's biggest maker of internet switches and routers beat the conservative expectations it set three months ago after strong showings in China, India and Japan

Chipmakers to team up
The world's leading chipmakers have agreed to collaborate in the transition to new manufacturing methods to lower development costs and speed up technology migration

Two groups to sell iPhone in Italy
Apple has struck deals with Vodafone and Telecom Italia under which both mobile phone operators will sell the US computer company's phone

Yahoo under pressure after deal collapse
An expected realignment of the consumer internet sector was thrown into doubt over the weekend following Microsoft's surprise abandonment of its $46.5bn takeover offer for Yahoo

Intel casts eye on consumer electronics
World's largest semiconductor maker plans to be more acquisitive in strategic areas such as consumer electronics, high-end smart phones and mobile internet devices

FT.com - IT
FT.com - IT

 

T-Mobile USA adds nearly 1m new customers
T-Mobile USA, the fourth-largest US mobile network operator, added 981,000 net new customers in the first quarter and reported a 14 per cent increase in revenues to $4.6bn

DT says it has credit for more takeovers
Deutsche Telekom shrugged off the credit market turmoil by noting it could easily draw on upwards of €20bn ($30.8bn) for takeovers without endangering its investment-grade rating

Ringing the changes but not quitting telecoms
Carphone Warehouse's deal with Best Buy prompted some to predict Carphone would quit the retail sector, while others said the company's rivals could bid for its telecoms business. But Chief executive Charles Dunstone is rejecting both ideas

Best Buy and Carphone in £1.1bn link
Best Buy and the UK's Carphone Warehouse are setting up a joint venture to sell consumer electronics goods in Europe, with the US group taking a 50% stake in Carphone's European and US retail interests for £1.1bn

Icahn increases Motorola holding
The billionaire Wall Street investor has spent a total of $2.36bn in the troubled US mobile phone maker to raise his stake to 7.6 per cent

BT smartphone drive gets sceptical response
UK's leading fixed-line telecommunications group unveiled two mobile phones for the consumer market that it hopes will revive its troubled wireless handset strategy

BT makes first foray into smartphones
BT is trying to breathe new life into its faltering mobile phone strategy by unveiling a BlackBerry-style handset, offering web surfing and music and video playback as well as basic phone calls and text messaging

US groups join forces for WiMax initiative
A seven-member consortium including Intel, Google, Comcast and Time Warner Cable has agreed to invest $3.2bn in a new joint venture led by Sprint Nextel and Clearwire to build a 4G nationwide wireless broadband network in the US, based on WiMax technology

Indonesian telcos in push to lure customers
A boom in mobile subscriptions and telecom revenue is expected as operators flood the archipelago with ads promising the cheapest deals and best call quality

MTN hits high on Bharti talks
Shares in MTN hit a record high after India's Bharti Airtel confirmed that it was in talks which could lead to it buying a controlling stake in the mobile phone operator

Bharti and MTN
If MTN is devoted to shareholder value it should only accept a bid for all of its shares and no doubt several global operators would be happy to oblige

Vanco issues shock profits warning
Vanco issued a shock profits warning, its shares were suspended and its chief executive left.

Angry shareholders take Motorola to task
Motorola chief executive Greg Brown drew fire from disgruntled shareholders at the company's annual meeting in Chicago after management admitted 2007 had been a "punishing year"

Bharti in $19bn bid for half of MTN
India's leading mobile operator has tabled an indicative bid for 51 per cent of the equity of South Africa telecoms group at about R165 a share

Colao seen as next Vodafone chief
Vittorio Colao is being hailed as front runner to replace Arun Sarin, with his only real rivals being Andy Halford, chief financial officer, and Paul Donavan, head of emerging markets

FT.com - Telecoms
FT.com - Telecoms

 

Google-Yahoo Deal Already Challenged
WASHINGTON (AP) - An online advertising partnership between Yahoo Inc. and Google Inc. is facing opposition from consumer and civic groups that didn't wait for an official deal announcement to voice their discontent.

Appeal Over Digital TV Conversion Denied
WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal appeals court has denied a request from owners of thousands of low-power television stations to force a ban on government-subsidized converter boxes that can't display their signals.

Hollywood Targets Individual File Sharers
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Three film studios have filed a series of federal lawsuits to stop what they say is the illegal sharing of movies online.

Money News Advertisement

Google Brass Want Long Deal With Yahoo
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) - Google Inc.'s top executives on Thursday expressed hope that the Internet search leader will be able to form a potentially lucrative advertising partnership with Yahoo Inc. - a deal that would lower the odds of Microsoft Corp. renewing its attempts to buy Yahoo.

Analysts Mull What Microsoft Must Do
SEATTLE (AP) - Without the influx of Web traffic that Microsoft bet would quickly follow a Yahoo buyout, the software maker is facing a long slog if it wants to turn its money-losing online services business into a Google-killer.

Facebook to Boost Protection of Teens
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Facebook, the world's second-largest social networking Web site, will add more than 40 new safeguards to protect young users from sexual predators and cyberbullies, attorneys general from Florida and other states said Thursday.

Get Gas-Savvy With Web Applications
TKTKTK

Epilepsy Site Posts Trigger Migraines
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Computer attacks typically do not inflict physical pain on their victims.

Hollywood Prevails in File-Sharing Case
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The six major Hollywood studios have won a $111 million (euro72 million) judgment for copyright infringement against the shut-down file-sharing Web site TorrentSpy.com.

Tech News
Tech News

 

Free software great and small
They envision a world with Linux running on the smallest embedded devices to the largest supercomputer clusters, and all possible devices in between. It's only a matter of time before even desktop Linux becomes the mass market. [The opinions expressed here are mine alone, and not those...

Common misconceptions about database security
There seems to be a serious disconnect and knowledge gap between IT security and DBAs who are entrusted with the task of safeguarding databases, says Sentrigo CTO Slavik Markovich. Commentary--You would think that enterprises realize by now that databases, which hold the “crown jewels” of sensitive information, need protecting....

SCO chief testifies: 'Linux is a copy of Unix'
Open-source fans have dismissed Darl McBride's court comments in the lawsuit brought against SCO by Novell Troubled software maker SCO's chief executive has claimed the Linux operating system includes Unix source code, during a court case in which Novell is suing SCO for royalties on Unix. ...

HP develops new type of memory circuit
It took about 40 years to find it, but HP scientists said they discovered a fourth basic type of electrical circuit that could lead to a computer you never have to boot up. CHICAGO--It took about 40 years to find it, but scientists at Hewlett-Packard said on Wednesday they...

Mozilla warns of Flash and Silverlight 'agenda'
The founder of Mozilla Europe claims Adobe and Microsoft's rich-media tech threatens the open nature of the web but concedes they are currently necessary for multimedia content. Companies building websites should beware of proprietary rich-media technologies like Adobe's Flash and Microsoft's Silverlight, the founder of...

Forums aflame over 'Grand Theft Auto IV' freeze
With the heavily anticipated release of 'Grand Theft Auto IV,' Rockstar finds itself dealing with still more troubleshooting trouble, as online forums are buzzing with reports of crashes. Last month, the launch of Rockstar Games' Bully on the Xbox 360 was marred by a bevy of crash bugs and...

Indian techies snubbing US jobs to stay home
Graduates from India's tech institutes say their home country is fast catching up with the United States for the range and quality of career prospects. Indian tech graduates are increasingly turning their back on western countries in favor of finding work at home. Graduates from the...

Grand Theft Auto IV hits the streets--it's a '10'
Larceny, murder, and mayhem are back big time and will likely result in one of the biggest "hits" in video-game history. Grand Theft Auto IV, rated a "10" by Gamespot, hits the streets. Expectations were high when Microsoft and Bungie released Halo 3 for the Xbox 360 on September...

The Long Tail of Services
The "Long Tail" explains the growing use of services outside of the core domains of SOA, business process implementation and integration, says XAWare chief science officer, Kirstan Vandersluis. Commentary--The "Long Tail" moniker has been used extensively (some would say overused) in marketing and mass media over the last couple...

Silverlight to star in NBC's online Olympics coverage
NBC is relying heavily on Microsoft's Silverlight to present its online Olympic coverage which will include about 2,200 hours of free on-demand video. Perkins Miller is counting down the days to the start of the Olympic Games in Beijing this year. NBC's senior vice president of...

Sophos: One Web page infected every five seconds
A security threat report from Sophos says that attacks are on the rise with an average of 15,000 Web pages compromised daily over the past three months. Web threats have risen significantly in the first quarter of 2008, with one Web page being infected every five seconds, according to...

Week in review: Psystar and the Mac minions
A saga surrounding Mac clone maker Psystar grabs the attention of Macdom. And news from three tech bellwethers offers reassurance. (By CNET News.com's Leslie Katz) Capping a saga that had Apple watchers atwitter all week, the payment-processing merchant for Mac clone maker Psystar abruptly ended its relationship with...

Census for open-source apps kicks off
Project expects to offer the first detailed look at how businesses are using open-source software and how widespread it's become.(By Matthew Broersma of ZDNet UK) A project aimed at delivering the first detailed survey of how open-source software is used in businesses is off the ground. Open-source...

AT&T: Internet to hit full capacity by 2010
Blame it on all that content, especially videos, bring thrown into the pipes. But don't wish for government intervention, executive says.(By Andrew Donoghue of ZDNet UK)• AT&T to trim workforce • Comcast, AT&T absent from FCC hearing U.S. telecommunications giant AT&T has claimed that, without investment, the...

Microsoft woos hobbyist developers
Company is trying to boost interest in noncommercial software development around Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R2 and Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition. Microsoft is trying to foster more interest in embedded software, encouraging amateur developers to experiment with programmable components in devices from toasters to televisions. The...

Watchdog wants global drive against online child abuse
Internet Watch Foundation finds 3,000 sites that peddle abusive images of children and says countries need to work together to fight the problem.(From Reuters) Hundreds of child abuse Web sites around the world could be shut down if countries worked together to tackle the problem, an Internet watchdog...

Cheap Mac clone draws angry response
Florida-based Psystar, the company advertising a Mac-compatible system, has attracted criticism from the hackers who created the underlying software. Update: A Florida-based firm advertising cheap, Mac-compatible systems running on standardized hardware has created a swirl of controversy this week--and drawn an angry response from one of the principal hackers...

Motley Crue to release single on 'Rock Band'
Rock 'n' roll bad boys will become the first group to release a new single through the popular music game. (From Reuters) In a nod to the ascendancy of video games, rock 'n' roll bad boys Motley Crue will become the first group to release a new single...

ISO calls for end to Open XML 'personal attacks'
The ISO committee handling OOXML braves open-source protests to meet in Oslo and works out how to ensure interoperability with ODF.(By David Meyer of ZDNet UK) The International Organization for Standardization has called for "personal attacks" to cease in the debate surrounding Microsoft's Office Open XML standard. ...

Cubans line up for first cell phone services
With restrictions easing in the country, Cubans buy services previously available only to government officials and foreigners. (From Reuters) Hundreds of Cubans lined up at state-owned telephone offices Monday to buy cellular phone services previously available only to government officials and foreigners. President Raul Castro, who...

News items on ZDNet
News items

 

MOBULL RODEO: Professional Bull Riders looks to bring fans closer to the action
Quietly, Professional Bull Riders has begun targeting rodeo fans -- yes, rodeo fans -- through their phones. ... - Colin Gibbs

More crumbs for 2nd-tier handset vendors: Top-tier share losses create opening for regional OEMs
A sequential dip in shipments by Motorola Inc. and Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications between the fourth quarter and the first quarter spelled t-r-a-c-t-i-o-n for numerous second-tier handset makers, particularly in emerging markets. ... - Phil Carson

Mowser remains go to DotMobi
Mowser has found a buyer. ... - Colin Gibbs

Changing channels in mobile TV : Business model flawed, user experience lacks
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- Like many other forms of entertainment, watching mobile TV wastes time -- at least to some. For the executives running mobile entertainment companies that routinely talk about the medium as such, there's an apparent sense of pride or ease that comes with this definition. ... - Matt Kapko

Can you hear me now?: Mobile music struggles lead to innovation
Nokia Corp. isn't the only player looking to offer devices that come with music. ... - Colin Gibbs

RCR
All news from RCR

 

Microsoft appeals against EU fine
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Microsoft said on Friday it was appealing against a record 899 million euro ($1.39 billion) fine imposed by the European Commission for using high prices to discourage software competition.

Activision Takes on a Mega-Merger
The company has high hopes for its imminent merger with Vivendi Games.

Microsoft Named Preferred Technology Partner in '
Songdo, a new Korean city currently under construction, will offer ubiquitous technology for citizens, government, education. JAKARTA, Indonesia, May 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

Microsoft Expands Commitment to Accessibility and
Bill Gates announces new partnerships that broaden the impact of technology at the local level. JAKARTA, Indonesia, May 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today, in his

Google sees YouTube products soon; warm on Yahoo
MOUNTAIN VIEW, California (Reuters) - Google Inc expects to launch new products for its YouTube Web video service in the next few months and sees reason for closer cooperation with Yahoo Inc , Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said on Thursday.

RealNetworks to spin off games unit, says Q1 reve
RealNetworks Inc. reported a 14 percent increase in revenues for the first quarter of 2008, in part due to its games business, which the company also announced it plans to spin off into a separate business.

RealNetworks 1st-qtr profit declines, revenue ris
SEATTLE (AP) - RealNetworks Inc. said Thursday its first-quarter profit declined from a year-ago period that benefited from the settlement of antitrust litigation with Microsoft Corp.

MSN Money News - MSFT
News about Microsoft Corp

 

AIG, Citi Rekindle Credit Fears; Stocks Tumble
The insurer reported a woeful first quarter, and the bank is expected to sell a hefty chunk of its assets.

Opening Glance: Most Internet software, services
NEW YORK (AP) - Internet software and services stocks mostly declined Friday morning with the overall market after insurer American International Group Inc. reported wider-than-anticipated losses and oil prices continued to rise.

Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: ValueClick, eBay,
Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks

The Two Truths of Tech Investing
Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Google sees YouTube products soon; warm on Yahoo
MOUNTAIN VIEW, California (Reuters) - Google Inc expects to launch new products for its YouTube Web video service in the next few months and sees reason for closer cooperation with Yahoo Inc , Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said on Thursday.

Closing Glance: Internet software, services stock
NEW YORK (AP) - Internet software and services stocks rose Thursday along with the overall market, which increased despite record-high oil prices.

($) Big-Cap Tech Sorely Needs New Leaders
The group's runup could sputter unless some new names step up. Here are some possibilities.

MSN Money News - GOOG
News about Google Inc

 

Apple to pay users of faulty adapters
Apple Inc. will give refunds to customers ranging from $25 to $79 to settle lawsuits claiming some of the company's power adapters tended to spark.

($) Holding Up in a Tumultuous Market
There are few leaders, but the buyers are showing some resilience.

Investing in the Middle East and Africa
Know how to invest in the Middle East and Africa? Here are a few takes on how to play these emerging markets.

Apple to pay users of faulty adapters
Apple Inc. will give its customers refunds of $25 to $79 to settle lawsuits alleging some of the company's power adapters tended to spark.

Apple to pay users of faulty adapters
Apple Inc. will give refunds to customers ranging from $25 to $79 to settle lawsuits claiming some of the company's power adapters tended to spark.

($) Big-Cap Tech Sorely Needs New Leaders
The group's runup could sputter unless some new names step up. Here are some possibilities.

($) One-Day Hiccup or More Downside?
The view of Wednesday's action seems to be as a mere speed bump, but I'm not so sure.

MSN Money News - AAPL
News about Apple Inc

 

Tech Conferences: A Breeding Ground of Disease?

$ Tech Sector Shifts to Emerging Markets

The Two Truths of Tech Investing
Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

The Two Truths of Tech Investing
Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

($) Big-Cap Tech Sorely Needs New Leaders
The group's runup could sputter unless some new names step up. Here are some possibilities.

Sun Adds Comprehensive Video Capabilities to Ubiq
Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ:JAVA), today announced it has entered into a multi-year agreement with On2 Technologies (AMEX:ONT) to add comprehensive video capabilities, using On2 Technologies

Scale Venture Partners hires VC from DCM
Scale Venture Partners hired Rob Theis, a 25-year tech industry veteran from DCM-Doll Capital Management, where he was a general partner for eight years.

MSN Money News - JAVA
News about Sun Microsystems Inc

 

Big-Cap Tech Rules All

Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Brightpoint, Nokia
Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks

($) Big-Cap Tech Sorely Needs New Leaders
The group's runup could sputter unless some new names step up. Here are some possibilities.

Huawei May Sell a Handset Stake
Huawei May Sell a Handset Stake

Sector Snap: most handset stocks decline
NEW YORK (AP) - Most handset stocks dipped Wednesday, with Motorola Inc.'s shares declining even as an analyst indicated the struggling cell phone maker is likely to benefit from the combination of Clearwire and Sprint Nextel Corp.'s wireless broadband units.

InterDigital Rakes In Fresh Cash
Any cash is good cash, so you take what you can get.

Icahn Boosts Stake in Motorola Again
The investor has upped his share count to 172.2 million shares, or 7.6% of the total.

MSN Money News - RIMM
News about RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED

 

Microsoft to Appeal European Antitrust Fine
The company was fined $1.4 billion in February.

Hertz Expands IBM Relationship to Provide Informa
The Hertz Corporation (NYSE: HTZ) hasexpanded its relationship with IBM (NYSE: IBM), signing a five-yearcontract for global information technology to support Hertz's overallreengineering and efficiency improvement efforts.

Hertz Expands IBM Relationship to Provide Informa
The Hertz Corporation (NYSE: HTZ) hasexpanded its relationship with IBM (NYSE: IBM), signing a five-yearcontract for global information technology to support Hertz's overallreengineering and efficiency improvement efforts.

Flomerics surges after rejects Mentor cash bid
LONDON (Reuters) - Shares in British engineering software firm Flomerics Group surged on Friday after rejecting a buyout offer from larger U.S. rival Mentor Graphics, saying it would explore interest from several other parties.

The Two Truths of Tech Investing
Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Vietnam's New Collaboration Portal Goes Live on I
IBM (NYSE: IBM) announcedtoday that the Vietnam Information for Science and Technology AdvanceInnovation Portal goes live on an IBM cloud computing infrastructure. Theinteractive online portal will be used by Vietnamese governmentinstitutions and universities to develop education programs for ServiceScience Management and Engineering (SSME), an emerging academic disciplineand research area that integrates aspects of computer science, engineering,management science, business strategy, and social science.

Vietnam's New Collaboration Portal Goes Live on I
IBM (NYSE: IBM) announcedtoday that the Vietnam Information for Science and Technology AdvanceInnovation Portal goes live on an IBM cloud computing infrastructure. Theinteractive online portal will be used by Vietnamese governmentinstitutions and universities to develop education programs for ServiceScience Management and Engineering (SSME), an emerging academic disciplineand research area that integrates aspects of computer science, engineering,management science, business strategy, and social science.

MSN Money News - IBM
News about IBM Ord Shs

 

I Turned $3,000 Into $210,000
And you can, too.