Deals

Movie rental giant Netflix will partner with LG Electronics to offer set-top boxes that will enable consumers to stream movies from the Internet to their network-enabled TV sets. The service will eliminate the need to use a personal computer to download films -- a service Netflix currently offers on...

In an effort to get ahead of the curve with "emerging storage opportunities," IBM has purchased XIV, an Israeli storage technology company headed by a big name in the storage industry: Moshe Yanai. Big Blue did not disclose the purchase price, but Israel's financial daily Globes reported IBM spent b...

About 50 percent of all new businesses survive for at least five years, according to estimates by the Small Business Administration. On the flip side, that means that half of all new ventures fail in that time frame. While the e-commerce market has been growing at a rapid clip, a number of companies...

Google received an early holiday present from federal regulators Thursday, as the Federal Trade Commission granted a wish the search giant has had on its list since April -- approval to complete its purchase of interactive advertising agency DoubleClick. The Federal Trade Commission approved the dea...

With a long list of credits for blockbuster movies and hit TV shows under his belt, Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer is branching into video games. Bruckheimer, whose movies and TV shows include the "Pirates of the Caribbean" trilogy and the "C.S.I." franchise, will set up a gaming lab with MTV ...

In a significant boost for its Internet unit, Microsoft has reached a long-term deal to work with media giant Viacom on content and advertising distribution, an agreement worth an estimated $500 million. The partnership calls for Microsoft's Atlas to become the exclusive advertising platform for all...

Building a multimillion-dollar business wasn't really on my mind at age 18. Tired of working odd jobs, I saw potential in online advertising. So, in exchange for a share in the startup, I persuaded my older brother Chris to let me charge $99 to his credit card for a domain name. For $33, third broth...

IBM has teamed with ACI Worldwide, an electronic payment software company, to develop a payment system powered by IBM's open standards based System Z platform. The new offering will include IBM's DB2 database, WebSphere middleware and Tivoli management software as well as its Crypto-chip technology...

In a bid to settle a dispute arising from an aggressive effort to ban gambling by its residents, the United States has agreed to trade concessions meant to make it easier for some European companies to compete against domestic rivals. The U.S. has approved concessions dealing with easing trade restr...

Google's proposed $3.1 billion merger with DoubleClick encountered another stumbling block this week when two privacy groups filed a petition with the FTC, asking its chairwoman, Deborah Platt Majoras, to recuse herself from voting on the deal because of what they say is a conflict of interest. Ther...

Continuing an ongoing string of acquisitions, Microsoft on Wednesday announced that it has acquired Multimap, a leading UK-based provider of location and mapping services. The acquisition gives Microsoft powerful new location and mapping technology to complement its existing Virtual Earth, Live Sear...

Three months after a messy breakup with Apple's iTunes Store, NBC Universal said Tuesday it will make its catalog of TV shows available through a download service made by rival portable device maker SanDisk. The shows the studio will offer through Fanfare, SanDisk's Web-based download service, inclu...

In a deal worth $117 million, HP is buying NUR Macroprinters, an Israel-based maker of wide-format digital inkjet printers widely used by the commercial graphics industry. The deal will enlarge HP's footprint in the world of graphic arts by allowing it to offer more mid-range platforms and technolog...

Media-focused social networking site Imeem is barely 18 months old, but the fledgling site just went four for four in partnering with major labels: Universal Music Group is on board with Imeem's ad-supported music streaming model. Now Imeem users, averaging 19 million per month, can listen to full-l...

Predicting the deal will "revolutionize" home entertainment, Macrovision has agreed to acquire Gemstar-TV Guide for about $2.8 billion. Macrovision, based in Santa Clara, Calif., creates technology designed to thwart people from watching and copying digital material without proper authorization. Gem...