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Taking a page from Facebook and YouTube, Microsoft will turn to users of its Xbox 360 to create new video games and broaden the types of games available on its console. SEATTLE–Microsoft will turn to users of its Xbox 360 to create new video games and broaden the types…
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Yahoo is unlikely to get into a bidding war over AOL with Microsoft because Yahoo could instead renew talks over News Corp’s Web properties. NEW YORK–Yahoo is unlikely to get into a bidding war over AOL with Microsoft because if Microsoft gets in the way, Yahoo could instead renew…
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European Union antitrust regulators say Intel paid retailers to not sell PCs using chips made by rival Advanced Micro Devices. BRUSSELS–European Union antitrust regulators made new accusations against chipmaker Intel on Thursday, saying it paid retailers to not sell PCs using chips made by rival Advanced Micro Devices. …
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Sources said a deal with Yahoo would likely involve merging AOL–with Time Warner keeping a share, and a deal with Microsoft would have Redmond completely taking over AOL. NEW YORK–Time Warner’s discussions to merge or sell its AOL Internet division with Microsoft or Yahoo have taken on new…
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European regulators are preparing to file new antitrust charges against Intel, expanding a probe into the chipmaker’s marketing and sales practices, according to a report. European regulators are preparing to file new antitrust charges against Intel, expanding a probe into the chipmaker’s marketing and sales practices, The Wall Street…
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News Corp’s Rupert Murdoch said it was “very unlikely” his company would be involved in any Yahoo transaction and said Yahoo and Microsoft would not end up with any deal. SUN VALLEY, IDAHO–News Corp’s Rupert Murdoch said it was “very unlikely” his company would be involved in any Yahoo…
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Yahoo said it would offer its users hundreds of popular casual online games as free downloads backed by revenue from advertising integrated into the games. NEW YORK–Yahoo said on Thursday it would offer its users hundreds of popular casual online games as free downloads backed by revenue from advertising…
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Bill Gates said a teary goodbye on Friday to Microsoft, the software maker he built into the world’s most valuable technology company. Redmond, Washington–Bill Gates said a teary goodbye on Friday to Microsoft, the software maker he built into the world’s most valuable technology company based on the ambitious…
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During his last day as a full-time Microsoft employee, Microsoft’s Bill Gates told Tom Brokaw he does not think a deal with Yahoo was likely. NEW YORK–Microsoft’s Bill Gates told journalist Tom Brokaw he does not think a deal with Yahoo was likely, CNBC reported on Friday. …
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Next week a California law will require the use of hands-free phones and ban cell phones entirely for drivers under 18–but there’s a loophole that allows texting while driving. LOS ANGELES–Next week California will try to wrest cell phones from the hands of drivers, telling everyone from movie starlets…
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Yahoo’s not-so-secret reorganization got its official nod today, with three new divisions created to centralize operations and report to Sue Decker. Yahoo’s not-so-secret reorganization got its official nod today, with three new divisions created to centralize operations and report to Sue Decker. …
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Yahoo unveiled its fourth reorganization in the past 18 months. Yahoo hopes its three new divisions will centralize its Internet products–all will report to Yahoo President Susan Decker. San Francisco–Yahoo unveiled on Thursday its fourth reorganization in the past 18 months as the embattled company seeks to focus on…
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Video games are known to improve hand-eye coordination but now they’re being used to help someone quit smoking or lose weight. Raleigh, North Carolina–Video games are known to improve hand-eye coordination but can they help someone quit smoking or lose weight? Hot on the heels…
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China’s Shaolin Temple, the birthplace of kung fu and the star of many martial arts films, has set up an online store to flog its wares. SHANGHAI–China’s Shaolin Temple, the birthplace of kung fu and the star of many martial arts films, has set up an online store to…
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Five-person LimitNone is suing Google for almost a billion dollars alleging that the company’s business software unit copied a tool for moving customers off of Microsoft software onto Google’s. SAN FRANCISCO–Google was named on Monday in a trade secrets lawsuit alleging that the company’s business software unit copied a…
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What if you’re stuck in the middle of nowhere and your mobile phone’s battery is about to run out? Thanks to a new gizmo, you now just need to face the music and dance. LONDON–What do you do if you are stuck in a field at a pop festival…
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Reuters followed a TechCrunch report that Microsoft was resuming talks with Yahoo with a CNBC report that there’s no deal on the table. Update: CNBC says no deal “whatsoever” on the table between Yahoo Inc and Microsoft Corp, citing unnamed sources. NEW YORK–Microsoft Corp…
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Nokia will pay $410 million for the remaining shares in UK-based Symbian and make its software open source to boost phone sales and respond to new rivals such as Google. HELSINKI–Nokia will pay $410 million for the remaining shares in UK-based Symbian and make its software royalty-free to boost…
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The FCC said it wants to auction a section of wireless airwaves to buyers willing to provide free broadband Internet service without pornography WASHINGTON–The Federal Communications Commission on Friday said it wants to auction a section of wireless airwaves to buyers willing to provide free broadband Internet service without…
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The FCC said it wants to auction a section of wireless airwaves to buyers willing to provide free broadband Internet service without pornography WASHINGTON–The Federal Communications Commission on Friday said it wants to auction a section of wireless airwaves to buyers willing to provide free broadband Internet service without…
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Let the name rush begin. Thursday at noon PT, users will be able to select new, simpler e-mail addresses ending in ymail.com and rocketmail.com. SEATTLE–Yahoo Inc said it introduced two new e-mail domains on Wednesday, allowing users to select new, simpler e-mail addresses ending in ymail.com and rocketmail.com. …
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As businesses print less, Hewlett-Packard will reorganize its printer operations, trimming its five business units to three in a bid to become more efficient. NEW YORK–Hewlett-Packard will reorganize its printer operations, trimming its five business units to three in a bid to become more efficient, the Wall Street Journal…
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One in three information technology professionals abuses administrative passwords to access confidential data, according to a survey. FRANKFURT–One in three information technology professionals abuses administrative passwords to access confidential data such as colleagues’ salary details, personal emails or board-meeting minutes, according to a survey. U.S….
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A study found avid technology consumers tended to score highly in personality traits such as leadership, dynamism and assertiveness–but low in modesty. NEW YORK–Know someone who loves gadgets and can’t wait to buy the newest model? Chances are you would describe them as assertive and a strong leader–and possibly…
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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…
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Tomorrow’s news from Google, penguins that fly, and half fares for flyers who are willing to stand are just some of the April Fools’ stories that are filling the Web. Today’s Headlines–April 1 An inpromptu Larry Ellison inteview Ed Bott: MaxWin to supersize Windows …
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Chipmaker’s board has decided to invest more than $1 billion in improving its lineup of semiconductors. Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest memory chip maker, said on Friday it will spend $1.37 billion (1.35 trillion won) to upgrade semiconductor lines in 2008. It told the Korea Exchange in…
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Assemblyman wants state to consider a sales tax on music purchases from online stores like iTunes and Amazon’s MP3 store. (From Reuters) A California bill that could lead to a tax on Internet music downloads faces slim odds of success, but the Democrat who wrote it says a…
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Country’s telecommunications department to meet with the operators of RIM’s service regarding security concerns.(From Reuters) India is not considering banning Research In Motion’s BlackBerry services at this point, the top official in the telecommunications ministry said Friday. Security agencies have raised concerns that the service posed a risk,…
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Video-sharing Web site Youku.com is trying to position itself as China’s next YouTube. Video-sharing Web site Youku.com, which is trying to position itself as China’s next YouTube, has tied up with News Corp.-invested social-networking site MySpace China to target the local market. The partnership is aimed at driving…
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Sales of video-game hardware and software in February were up 34 percent year over year. Another year of record-breaking sales is a possibility. (From Reuters) U.S. sales of video game hardware and software hit $1.33 billion in February, up 34 percent from a year earlier, with Sony’s PlayStation…
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February sales of video game hardware and software are up 34 percent year over year. Another year of record-breaking sales is possible. (From Reuters) U.S. sales of video game hardware and software hit $1.33 billion in February, up 34 percent from a year earlier, with Sony’s PlayStation 3…
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Fans have waited more than six years for the third in the Smash Bros. series that has been the only place where Mario can hurt Pikachu.(From Reuters) Do you have childhood memories of having G.I. Joe fight Luke Skywalker, or throwing Superman into battle against the Bionic Man?…
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While the company’s mini PCs launched last year were Linux-based and priced at about $200, new models with XP will cost about $400.(From Reuters) Asustek Computer, the world’s top maker of computer motherboards, said nearly two-thirds of its Eee PCs shipped this year will be Windows-based as consumers…
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Research firm estimates e-commerce will be the next big boom in China, as businesses take advantage of Chinese consumers already online. China has surpassed the United States to become the world’s largest Internet market by number of users, a research firm said on Thursday. The estimate by Beijing-based…
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Almost three years after game’s release, guitar maker says it violates a 1999 Gibson patent; Activision moves to have it declared invalid.(From Reuters) Gibson Guitar has told Activision that its wildly popular Guitar Hero video games infringe one of Gibson’s patents, and Activision has asked a U.S. court…
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Electronics maker, which recently gave up on the high-definition DVD format, is likely to fall short of its full-year outlook. (From Reuters) Japan’s Toshiba is likely to book a $986 million loss in its high-definition DVD business and post a full-year operating profit of about $2.44 billion, falling…
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Gamemaker has secured rights not to either of the movies but to the graphic novels that comprised their source material. (From Reuters) Some films seem so perfect for converting to video games that one wonders why that never happened. Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill comes to mind, for example….
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In response to charge, Activision files suit asking court to declare Gibson’s patent invalid and to bar company from seeking damages. (From Reuters) Gibson Guitar has told Activision that its wildly popular Guitar Hero video games infringe one of Gibson’s patents, and Activision has asked a U.S. court…
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Demand prompts LG to strike deal with Sharp for 2 million 32-inch panels, plus a number of 52-inch panels.(From Reuters) South Korea’s LG Electronics said on Wednesday it plans to buy 32-inch and 52-inch liquid crystal display panels from Japan’s Sharp in order to satisfy surging demand for…
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One of Apple’s popular players gave off sparks while being recharged in Japan in January, prompting a safety investigation. One of Apple’s popular iPod Nano media players gave off sparks while being recharged in Japan in January, the country’s trade ministry said, prompting a safety investigation. No one…
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Declining to sign the Beatles bumped from No. 1 spot by major labels’ failure to capitalize on the Internet, according to magazine ranking. (From Reuters) The talent scout who turned down the Beatles has long been credited with committing the music industry’s biggest gaffe. But Dick Rowe’s…
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The complex is part of a long-term commitment to investing in Taiwan, chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. says. Top contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and two other Taiwan chipmakers began work on Tuesday on new plants for a $14.7 billion complex that TSMC said is part of…
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CEO Barry Diller proposed a spin-off of key businesses to gain leverage in a potential asset swap, Liberty Media Chairman John Malone tells a court. WILMINGTON, Del.–Chief Executive Barry Diller ran InterActiveCorp as if he owned it and proposed a spin-off of key businesses to gain leverage in…
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Commission looking into complaints from foreign companies that believe they are being singled out by the U.S. Justice Department. BRUSSELS–The European Union launched an investigation Monday into whether U.S. prosecutions of foreign online gambling companies are discriminatory, possibly paving the way for action at the World Trade Organization….
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Texas Instrument shares had already lost more than 11 percent of their value since the start of 2008 as investors worried it would be hurt by a slowdown in the U.S. economy. Chipmaker Texas Instruments on Monday lowered its outlook for earnings and revenue in the first quarter…
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An 80-euro decrease results in cuts of 18 percent to 28 percent across the three Xbox 360 models. Microsoft cut the prices of its Xbox 360 video game console in Europe by up to 28 percent Monday to try to spur sales in a key battleground in the…
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Fresh off a number of key acquisitions, HP launches product series to enhance digital printing, saying it aims to be “the global leader in digital graphic arts. TEL AVIV–Personal computer and printer maker Hewlett-Packard said on Monday it was moving forward with a plan to ramp up digital…
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Any takeover bid for peripherals maker Logitech International by Microsoft would be “an operation without sense,” Logitech’s chairman tells an Italian newspaper. MILAN–Any takeover bid for peripherals maker Logitech International by Microsoft would be “an operation without sense,” Logitech’s chairman was quoted as saying in an Italian…
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British company develops a camera that can detect weapons, drugs or explosives hidden under people’s clothes from up to 25 meters away. LONDON–A British company has developed a camera that can detect weapons, drugs or explosives hidden under people’s clothes from up to 25 meters away in…
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