March 31, 2005
Critical Mention, a Web-based TV search and monitoring service has announced the addition of 100+ markets in its CriticalTV 3.0 BETA platform.
The upgrade will provide users with access to broadcast content from over 400 national and local US channels from their desktops. In addition, the ability to order CDs and tapes of coverage automatically from within the CriticalTV app will have a tremendous impact on the multi-billion dollar broadcast monitoring market, and will establish Critical Mention as THE one-stop shop for communications professionals’ television monitoring needs. The new version will be officially released in May. More
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Sony announced on the 31st that they have established a production corporation for small-size TFT LCD display panels, called "ST Mobile Display Corporation" (STMD). Production will begin in April. About 25,000 panels per month will be produced (550 x 650mm substrate base). Read More
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Qwest Communications International Inc. on Thursday raised its takeover bid for MCI Inc. to $9 billion. Qwest's latest offer topped its previous bid of $8.45 billion and exceeds by 18 percent Verizon's sweetened offer of $7.6 billion that MCI accepted on Tuesday. MCI had cited Verizon's stable financial health and strong growth prospects as reasons for rejecting Qwest's previous overtures reports Reuters.. Denver-based Qwest is now offering MCI shareholders $27.50 a share, including $13.50 in cash and stock valued at $14. The company also strengthened protections against declines in Qwest's stock price.
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The world's second-largest PC maker, Hewlett-Packard Company, has named Mark Hurd as its new CEO. Speaking to reporters at the company's headquarters on Wednesday, Mr. Hurd, who takes the reins on Friday, said it would take time to acquaint himself with the challenges facing the company's five divisions, but he would not rule out anything that might be necessary to put the company back on track.
"We'll look at the entire enterprise," he said. "I can't give you any guarantees on anything." His first priority, he said, would be "improving operations, creating demand for our technology and increasing shareholder value."
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March 29, 2005
A judge has ordered Sony Corp. to pay $90.7 million to Immersion Corp but immediately stayed an order that would stop U.S. sales of Sony's popular PlayStation consoles.
"There's no way that Sony's going to stop selling PS2s any time soon, so I don't see the injunction ever taking effect," said Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Morgan.
In 2002, San Jose-based Immersion Corp. sued Sony, saying the Japanese company infringed on patents related to "vibro-tactile" technologies that simulate the sense of touch in videogame play. The suit specifically names the PlayStation consoles, Dual Shock controllers and 47 games.
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March 22, 2005
Oracle Corp. said late Monday it had reached an agreement to acquire Retek, Inc. for $631 million, or $11.25 a share, winning a bidding war for the maker of retail-management software after German rival SAP found the price too expensive reports MarketWatch. Some analysts say Oracle's triumph could set back SAP's plans in the North American market for retail software by several years. Retek shares fell 27 cents, or more than 2 percent, to $11.19 in Tuesday trading after SAP confirmed it would not make a third offer for the company. Oracle Chief Executive Larry Ellison twice outbid his German competitors for Retek, a long-time Oracle partner whose software helps large retail chains manage their operations.
Acquiring Retek "strengthens (Oracle's) position in the retail applications market globally," Ellison said in a statement. Ellison had said he wanted to acquire Retek to defend what he called his firm's leading position in the North American market for business application software.
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IAC/InterActiveCorp on Monday said it would buy the fourth-largest Web search provider Ask Jeeves Inc. for $1.85 billion, in a bid to pull its diverse holdings and profit from search advertising.
IAC/InterActiveCorp, operates a variety of online and offline businesses, including CitySearch, Expedia, and Ticketmaster. "Global search is the gateway to everything,'' said media mogul Barry Diller, chairman and chief executive of IAC.
IAC, which plans a spin-off of its Expedia and other travel-related businesses in the second quarter, said it will integrate the Ask Jeeves search box and its Web search results on all of its sites, including the Home Shopping Network, event ticket site Ticketmaster, online dating site Match.com and online mortgage provider LendingTree, as well as Expedia reports MSN Money.
In a statement, Barry Diller, chairman and CEO of IAC, said, "Ask Jeeves was founded almost 10 years ago based on the idea that simple text search results alone are not sufficient or satisfying--but, rather, that consumers want answers to questions--and questions posed in natural language and answered with spot-on accuracy were especially desired and appealing. Of the many search engines launched during that time, Ask was one of the very few that established itself and we believe that in the future it has the potential to become one of the great brands on the Internet and beyond, and by beyond, we mean in wireless, in the search for anything on any device."
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Palo Alto-based, Hewlett-Packard Co. plans to acquire online photo services startup Snapfish in a bid to boost sales of its popular photo printers and ink. Snapfish's Web site contains roughly 350 million photos, which users can organize into digital albums, share with other members, turn into calendars or mouse pads, and have printed for as little as 15 cents per photo reports seattlepi.nwsource.com.
Larry Lesley, senior vice president for HP's Consumer Imaging and Printing division, said the computer maker plans to ask all 1.5 million HPphoto.com customers if they'd like to migrate to Snapfish when the deal closes next month. Snapfish's 80 employees will work with HP to produce new products and services - including promotions that help people who don't have fancy photo printers print images from their digital cameras.
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March 5, 2005
Judge James Kleinberg of the Santa Clara County Superior Court in San Jose, Calif. heard arguments on Friday in a lawsuit brought by Apple Computer to force three Web site publishers to reveal the names of confidential sources who disclosed to them Apple's plans for future products.
Judge James Kleinberg issued a tentative ruling that three Web sites cannot seek a protection that shields journalists from revealing the names of unidentified sources or turning over unpublished material. He is expected to issue a formal ruling as early as next week.
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