Dell outsourcing plan may be tough to execute
NEW YORK/BOSTON - Dell Inc <DELL.O> plans to make fewer computers itself and rely on contract manufacturers to cut costs, but the company could find it hard to get rid of its North American factories at a good price. The world's second-largest PC maker said in April it would outsource more manufacturing, and the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Dell was trying to sell most of its factories within the next 18 months.
Sony recalls 438,000 laptops on burn concern
NEW YORK - Japan's Sony Corp <6758.T> has launched a voluntary recall of 438,000 Vaio portable computers, citing a potential hazard that could cause the machines to overheat or possibly burn a user. It is one of the biggest computer recalls since 2006 when Dell Inc <DELL.O> recalled 4.1 million notebook computer batteries because they could overheat and catch fire.
Nokia losing market share as price war bites
HELSINKI - Nokia Oyj <NOK1V.HE>, the world's biggest cellphone maker, said it expects to lose market share in the third quarter as it fights to maintain profit margins, sending its shares as much as 14 percent lower. Nokia warned its third-quarter market share would fall from the 40 percent notched up in the second three months of the year, compared with a steady market share it forecast earlier.
Poignant lion video inspires movie project
LOS ANGELES/TORONTO - Millions have seen the YouTube video of "Christian the Lion" reuniting in Africa with the two men who bought him from a high-end London department store in 1969. Sony Pictures aims to bring the story of Christian and the two men, John Rendall and Anthony "Ace" Bourke, to the big screen.
Ruling in TiVo, EchoStar case could be delayed
LOS ANGELES - A federal judge in Texas on Thursday delayed ruling until as late as November on whether EchoStar Corp <SATS.O> owes TiVo Inc <TIVO.O> more damages for infringing on its "Time Warp" digital video recorder, or DVR, technology. Investors, who expected the ruling on Thursday, sent TiVo's shares down 16.5 percent, or $1.44, to $7.31.
EA's Spore aims to create new worlds, businesses
RALEIGH, North Carolina - Electronic Arts Inc's creature-building game "Spore" offers players a chance to develop new worlds -- and maybe even new lines of business for the video game maker. The new game, which lets players guide the evolution of their creatures, is from Will Wright, the man behind the Sims series of games. The Sims let players guide virtual people and cities, spawning spin-offs, sequels and expansion packs to the tune of more than 100 million units sold worldwide.
Microsoft kicks off $300 million Windows marketing push
SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp <MSFT.O> kicked off a $300 million marketing campaign on Thursday, aimed at improving the image of its Windows Vista operating system and strike back at Apple Inc's <AAPL.O> "Mac vs. PC" ads. The first commercial of Microsoft's new marketing push, being created by advertising agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky, aired on Thursday featuring comedian Jerry Seinfeld and company co-founder Bill Gates at a shoe store.
Peace laureate fights Telenor over Grameenphone
OSLO - Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh turned up the heat in battle for control over Bangladesh's Grameenphone on Friday, warning Norwegian co-owner Telenor ASA <TEL.OL> it may face a lawsuit. Telenor owns 62 percent of Grameenphone, Bangladesh's biggest mobile phone operator. Grameen Telecom, a non-profit unit of Yunus's Grameen Bank, owns the rest and insists that Telenor agreed in 1996 to relinquish control within six years.
Samsung Elec mulls SanDisk buy; Toshiba shrs fall
SEOUL/TOKYO - Samsung Electronics Co Ltd <005930.KS>, the world's top maker of memory chips, said it may buy flash memory maker SanDisk <SNDK.O>, which is valued at $3.2 billion, in a deal that could reshape a struggling industry. An acquisition of SanDisk would expand Samsung's market share at a time when prices for flash memory, used in such products as digital cameras, cell phones and music players, are falling sharply. The deal would also reduce Samsung's licensing costs by assuming control of SanDisk's popular technology.
LinkedIn lands CNBC deal
- CNBC has entered into an alliance with LinkedIn under which the financial news channel will air content generated by the professional networking site's 27 million members. CNBC, which is part of General Electric Co <GE.N>, will integrate LinkedIn's networking functionality into its website CNBC.com, enabling users to share and discuss news with their professional contacts.
