Our network sites seattlepi.com

News

Latest headlines

FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 2009
AT&T exec says he's open to free TV on phones
The head of AT&T Inc.'s consumer business said Friday that he believes there may be room for phones in the company's lineup that can receive new digital broadcasts from local TV stations, if a business model can be worked out.

Dell touts luxury brand but offers few details
Computer maker Dell Inc., trailing Hewlett-Packard Co. in worldwide sales, could have used a home run at the International Consumer Electronics Show. Instead, it came to Vegas with a model and a mirage.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer up for sale
Hearst Corp. put Seattle's oldest newspaper, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, up for sale Friday, saying that if it can't find a buyer in the next 60 days, the paper will close or continue to exist only on the Internet.

Verizon Wireless completes $5.9B Alltel buyout
Verizon Wireless on Friday completed its $5.9 billion purchase of Little Rock, Ark.-based Alltel Corp., making Verizon the nation's largest mobile phone company.

Coupon woes are only part of digital TV concerns
In less than six weeks, the nation's television broadcasters are due to shut off their analog signals and begin transmitting in digital - potentially blacking out as many as 8 million U.S. households that rely on analog TV sets to pick up over-the-air channels.

Star Tribune, newsroom union end concessions talks
The Star Tribune and the Newspaper Guild ended talks this week after they were unable to agree on management's request for concessions, setting the stage for a possible bankruptcy filing by Minnesota's largest newspaper.

Tiny handheld PC is first with organic LED screen
The first computer with a screen of organic light-emitting diodes, a technology that is being touted as the future of both displays and lighting, was announced this week at the International Consumer Electronics show by San Francisco-based OQO Inc.

Web startup to offer foreign news as papers cut
As budget cuts force many U.S. newspapers to retrench on their foreign coverage, veteran journalist Charles Sennott saw virtually no chance of getting another assignment abroad.

Blu-ray discs seen as bright spot in glum season
The Blu-ray disc, the high-definition successor to the DVD, was one of the few products that did well in the just-ended holiday season, with sales tripling from the previous year.

Judge: E-mail about drugs OK in Broadcom case
An e-mail in which Broadcom Corp. co-founder Henry T. Nicholas III allegedly talks about a drug binge can be used as evidence during his criminal trial, a federal judge ruled.

Panasonic to cut TV factory investment
Panasonic Corp. will slash about $1.5 billion from its planned investment in two new flat-screen TV plants and shut down unprofitable businesses as demand for high-end electronics falls globally, the company's president said Friday.

Qwest to warn SkyWi about future disconnects
New Mexico regulators have approved an agreement with Qwest Communications International Inc., which will provide notice before disconnecting SkyWi Inc. from its system.

Committee OKs pact to expand Internet coverage
The Alabama Legislature's Contract Review Committee approved a $1.7 million two-year contract Thursday to help spread high-speed Internet service across the state, particularly to rural areas.

Broadcasts to mobile devices to start in 22 cities
TV stations in 22 U.S. cities announced Thursday that they will start broadcasting their signals this year in a format designed to be received by mobile devices like cell phones, MP3 players, GPS units and in-car entertainment systems.

Obama asks for delay in digital TV deadline
WASHINGTON -- President-elect Barack Obama is urging Congress to postpone the Feb. 17 switch from analog to digital television broadcasting, arguing that too many Americans who rely on analog TV sets to pick up over-the-air channels won't be ready.

Microsoft's Bach talks about Zune
A conversation with Robbie Bach, head of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009
Ford shows newest Sync in-car technology features
In the shadow of the U.S. auto industry's troubles, Ford Motor Co. on Thursday showed off the latest version of its voice-activated in-car entertainment and communication service, which it hopes will lure more car buyers.

Technology Briefing
Report of Microsoft backing bid for Yahoo is disputed ... Charter sues Verizon for patent infringement ...

Microsoft partners up
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced a string of high-profile partnerships at the Consumer Electronics Show. Unifying the news, he said, was Microsoft's desire to connect the three screens that make up the average consumer's daily life.

Microsoft's Songsmith makes music using PC
Sing a song into your PC and Microsoft will help you make music. That's the premise behind Songsmith, song-writing software Microsoft is releasing at the Consumer Electronics Show.

Google cutting work force
SAN FRANCISCO -- Google Inc. has jettisoned a substantial number of temporary workers in a recent austerity drive spurred by the recession, although the Internet search leader still intends to spend billions of dollars during the next two years on product research, development and acquisitions.

Intel sales take nosedive in 4th quarter
SAN FRANCISCO -- Even after sharply reducing its outlook for the fourth quarter, Intel Corp. said Wednesday that it would miss its revenue projection by about $500 million, a sign that PC makers and buyers are being more tightfisted than it seemed only two months ago.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009
Apple sticks to big picture in Macworld swan song
There was no Steve Jobs or game-changing gadget at Macworld's keynote presentation Tuesday, but Apple marketing chief Philip Schiller kept things lively by introducing eye-catching software updates and a supercharged MacBook Pro.

Technology Briefing
Kirkland's Clearwire expands wireless service to Portland ... Refurbished iPhones on sale at Best Buy for savings of $50 ... Intel working for foothold in TV products with chip devices.

Green technology feels the pinch
After years of rapid growth, venture capital investments in green technology started shrinking in the fourth quarter of 2008 as the financial crisis took its toll, two new reports show.

Microsoft forgoes South Lake Union lease
Microsoft has put on hold any interest in further expanding its operations in Seattle because of the deteriorating economy, a spokesman said Tuesday.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2009
Prescribing a safe MySpace
CHICAGO -- Many young people have cleaned up their MySpace profiles, deleting mentions of sex and booze and boosting privacy settings, after getting a single cautionary e-mail from a busybody named "Dr. Meg."

Biotech Northstar Neuroscience set for dissolution
Seattle's Northstar Neuroscience Inc., which made drugs to treat depression, on Monday said its board has decided to dissolve the company and liquidate its assets.

Steve Jobs: It's hormones, not cancer
Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs disclosed in a public letter that a hormone problem -- and not a relapse of cancer -- had contributed to his very visible weight loss over the past year.

Technology Briefing
Microsoft's Server and Tools VP gets promotion ... Roku to play Amazon's on-demand videos ... Xbox 360 beats PS3 in 2008 sales, Microsoft says.