InternetNews Staff

Sony said on Wednesday it will sell its microchip production facilities in western Japan to Toshiba for 90 billion yen ($835 million), in its latest move to focus on the company’s core businesses. The equipment will be used by their semiconductor joint venture that will make high-performance cell chips and RSX graphic chips, in Sony’s […]

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion and rival Motorola have sued each other over what they say are patent infringements for technology used in their mobile phones. RIM alleges that Motorola is infringing on its patents and demanding “exorbitant” licensing fees, according to court documents. The civil action, filed on Saturday in U.S. District Court for […]

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates said on Monday the company plans to invest heavily in Web search to compete against Google, even if it fails to acquire Yahoo. Gates, who called Microsoft’s offer for Yahoo “very fair,” said Google is the only company with “critical mass” in Web search. Microsoft needs a bigger piece of the […]

Toshiba surrendered in the high-definition home movie war on Tuesday, giving up on its HD DVD format after losing the support of key studios and retailers to the Blu-ray technology backed by Sony. The decision by the electronics maker ends the battle with a consortium led by Sony over who would set the standard for […]

Consumers may be receptive to advertisements on their mobile phones in exchange for free calls or content, but operators remain cautious about intruding on the intimate space of a customer’s mobile phone. For now, consumers do not have to fear that walking past a supermarket will trigger messages to their mobiles, advertising special offers inside, […]

The International Olympic Committee on Friday gave the green light to allow blogging at the Olympics for the first time, issuing guidelines for this August’s Beijing Games. Athletes have long demanded they be allowed to write their blogs — online journals of personal opinion or reflection — during the Games but the IOC was concerned […]

Security systems can now block the first computer viruses plaguing mobile phones, but the mobile industry sees new risks stemming from upcoming open software platforms such as Google’s Android. Since 2004, viruses have been able to disable phones or swell phone bills through pricey messages or unwanted calls, leading to a new market for security […]

Mobile phone operators appeared unworried by the specter of a recession in the world economy at the wireless industry’s leading trade show this week, even as some hardware makers signaled concern. From Australia’s leading operator, Telstra, to FranceTelecom’s mobile business Orange, carriers said phones remained a high priority for consumers, helping to shield telecom companies […]

Hewlett-Packard settled claims on Wednesday with four reporters at the heart of a scandal involving claims that the world’s biggest PC maker engaged in corporate espionage to plug a boardroom leak. HP and Terry Gross, the attorney representing the journalists, said the company would donate money to several charities chosen by the journalists as part […]

Yahoo is in talks on a possible deal with News Corp., but analysts said an alternative was unlikely to emerge to rival Microsoft Corp.’s bid for Yahoo, now valued at $42.1 billion. News of the talks to combine their Web properties was first reported by the Silicon Alley Insider blog on Monday, which said one […]

A senior lawmaker said on Wednesday he had introduced legislation designed to prevent broadband Internet providers from unreasonable interference with subscribers’ access to content. The bill offered by Rep. Edward Markey is the latest to raise concerns about “net neutrality,” an issue that pits open-Internet advocates against some service providers such as Comcast, who say […]

Comcast has told U.S. regulators it uses reasonable measures to manage traffic moving over its broadband service as some of its customers overwhelm the network by using file-sharing applications like BitTorrent. In an 80-page filing with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday, Comcast gave its most detailed explanation of how it manages Internet traffic […]