Business

Another lawsuit against Microsoft reportedly has received the go-ahead to proceed. This time, a federal judge in Seattle approved a class action suit against the Redmond, Wash.-based software giant over alleged marketing claims that various computers labeled as "Vista Capable" actually were not suit...

In a bid to retain its leadership in the gaming space amid growing competition, Electronic Arts has launched a $2 billion takeover bid against rival Take-Two Interactive, an offer quickly rejected by the smaller company as "inadequate." EA offered $26 per share in cash for Take-Two, a price that rep...

There are approximately 20 million small businesses in the United States. Even for a large firm, finding the right person for any given job can be like finding a needle in a haystack. When you're a small business, finding reliable and affordable talent can be even more difficult. Filling that niche ...

The European Union is looking at Microsoft's vow to commit to openness and interoperability with a jaundiced eye. The EU's executive branch, the European Commission, will welcome "any move towards genuine interoperability," it said, while pointing out that Microsoft had made "at least four similar s...

Businesses have data storage issues -- but so do individuals. The former problem is being addressed; the latter is a relatively untapped market. That is likely the thinking behind EMC's acquisition of Pi. EMC, a Hopkinton, Mass.-based storage vendor, is acquiring privately held Pi, a Seattle-based s...

Commonly, a publicly held corporation will go to the public markets in order to raise capital. Unfortunately, directors' risk of liability can be substantially increased when a company is raising capital. This is particularly the case if any of the lenders or investors in a particular capital raise ...

T-Mobile confirmed Thursday it is testing an Internet-based calling plan meant to replace traditional land lines, a move that came just a day after it joined key rivals in announcing a flat-rate mobile plan that could help change the economics of the wireless industry. The new VoIP service, Talk For...

Shares of Georgia-based data-services provider ChoicePoint jumped by nearly half Thursday over their previous closing price after the firm announced that UK-based publisher and Lexis Nexis owner Reed Elsevier is buying it for $4.1 billion. ChoicePoint stock rose by 43.26 percent, to $48.22 by midday...

A $2.2 billion deal 3Com had been planning involving a private equity group and a Chinese telecommunications firm apparently fell apart Wednesday over security concerns. 3Com, a Marlborough, Mass.-based network equipment manufacturer, had agreed in September to accept an offer of $5.30 per share fro...

Three of the four largest wireless carriers rolled out new flat-fee monthly subscription options that let users talk as much as they want, sparking concerns among investors about a profit-sapping price war in the mobile space. Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile all announced all-you-can-consume plans wi...

Confusion is swirling around Microsoft's bid for Yahoo. After having been twice rebuffed, Microsoft reportedly is planning to authorize a proxy fight this week. Meanwhile, institutional shareholders are about to lock horns over whether Microsoft should up its bid of $31 a share for Yahoo. Then there...

High-definition video enthusiasts are going to be looking at a Blu-ray world. That outlook was assured Tuesday when Toshiba officially backed away from the HD DVD format against Sony's heavily fortified Blu-ray technology. The Blu-ray format had gathered momentum in recent months, having won over a ...

It could only be a matter of time before someone found a formula for taking the immediacy of YouTube and the entrepreneurship of eBay and wrapping them around an original Internet mainstay -- the conversation of the Bulletin Board System. That time has arrived with the debut of BigThink.com. BigThin...

With significant recent defections threatening to make what was expected to be a close and ongoing battle for next-generation DVD supremacy a rout in favor of Sony's Blu-ray format, Toshiba is reportedly close to pulling the plug on HD DVD. Toshiba has already made the decision to stop pushing the H...

In a move that further crowds an already over-served market, four newspaper giants -- New York Times, Hearst, Gannett and Tribune -- have created a new online advertising partnership. Their new venture, QuadrantOne, will be headquartered in Chicago. Its interim CEO is Dana Hayes, Jr., who was named ...