Business & Industry

Byline: Marianne McGee, Mitch Wagner, and J. Nicholas Hoover GE Intros Handheld Ultrasound If you had any doubts that the future belongs to mobile network-capable devices, look no further than General Electric. At the Web #.# Summit on

SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. ## (UPI) -- Two engineers in California went on trial this week on charges they were economic spies for the Chinese government. Lan Lee, ##, and Yuefei Ge, ##, allegedly stole trade secrets from NetLogic Microsystems in

The first Latin American film, mart, Ventana Sur, whose backers include the Cannes Film Festival s market, #;s tracking at ## Vo invite acceptance just weeks before its bow. The event, which runs Nov. ##-## in Buenos Aires, is

Paramount Pictures Intl. and U.K. distrib Momentum Pictures have inked a six-picture distribution deal that will see Par release Momentum#;s slate theatrically in the U.K., while Momentum will continue to handle marketing and publicity. The pictures

IFC Films has picked up U.S. rights to Toronto Film Festival prizewinner "Cairo Time." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Written and helmed by Montreal-born Ruba Nadda, the pic stars Patricia Clarkson and Alexander Siddig. Clarkson plays a magazine editor who finds

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Volturi had "Twilight" fans in a tizzy at the Rome Film Festival for a ##-minute presentation of "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," touted as the most extended sneak peek to date. Three of the young thesps

Genre driven The top five pic genres by profitibility Average Domestic Average Genre Gross * net profit Animated ###.# ###.# Sci-Fi/Fantasy ##.# ###.# Family ##.# ###.# Action ##.# ###.# Romance ##

A new study offers reassurance for studio heads worried about runaway budgets. Films boasting production pricetags of more than $### million actually generate higher profits than mid-range pics, averaging $### million in net profits per release, according to the

SHARES LATEST NAME VALUE AT VALUE AT ACTUAL #/##/## ##/##/## % CHANGE BIGGEST GAINERS BARE ESCENTUALS $##.## $##.## +##.#% NU SKIN $##.## $##.## +##.#% REVLON A $#.## $#.## +##

Unilever has got the hump over UK taxes and is threatening to leave the UK. Ceo Paul Polman says the UK#;s current tax regime sends an "unfortunate signal" about Gordon Brown#;s Britain as a business centre. However, upping

German retailer Douglas has issued preliminary figures for its ####/## financial year. Revenues in the year ending ## September #### rose #.#% to #.#bn [euro], within reach of the company#;s stated target. "Keeping in mind the

Global packaging company MeadWestvaco unveiled its updated Mini-Trigger line. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Director of marketing, personal care division, Earl Trout said the two new developments responded to customer concerns about shipping a separate clip ring and about product security in

Despite fears that a rival exhibition would draw visitor numbers away from the show, the ##th annual HBA Global Expo saw a #% rise in visitor numbers to ##,###. However, exhibitor numbers were down. "We had ## fewer exhibitors

The first Latin American film, mart, Ventana Sur, whose backers include the Cannes Film Festival s market, #;s tracking at ## Vo invite acceptance just weeks before its bow. The event, which runs Nov. ##-## in Buenos Aires, is

Paramount Pictures Intl. and U.K. distrib Momentum Pictures have inked a six-picture distribution deal that will see Par release Momentum#;s slate theatrically in the U.K., while Momentum will continue to handle marketing and publicity. The pictures

IFC Films has picked up U.S. rights to Toronto Film Festival prizewinner "Cairo Time." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Written and helmed by Montreal-born Ruba Nadda, the pic stars Patricia Clarkson and Alexander Siddig. Clarkson plays a magazine editor who finds

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Volturi had "Twilight" fans in a tizzy at the Rome Film Festival for a ##-minute presentation of "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," touted as the most extended sneak peek to date. Three of the young thesps

Genre driven The top five pic genres by profitibility Average Domestic Average Genre Gross * net profit Animated ###.# ###.# Sci-Fi/Fantasy ##.# ###.# Family ##.# ###.# Action ##.# ###.# Romance ##

A new study offers reassurance for studio heads worried about runaway budgets. Films boasting production pricetags of more than $### million actually generate higher profits than mid-range pics, averaging $### million in net profits per release, according to the

SHARES LATEST NAME VALUE AT VALUE AT ACTUAL #/##/## ##/##/## % CHANGE BIGGEST GAINERS BARE ESCENTUALS $##.## $##.## +##.#% NU SKIN $##.## $##.## +##.#% REVLON A $#.## $#.## +##

Unilever has got the hump over UK taxes and is threatening to leave the UK. Ceo Paul Polman says the UK#;s current tax regime sends an "unfortunate signal" about Gordon Brown#;s Britain as a business centre. However, upping

German retailer Douglas has issued preliminary figures for its ####/## financial year. Revenues in the year ending ## September #### rose #.#% to #.#bn [euro], within reach of the company#;s stated target. "Keeping in mind the

Global packaging company MeadWestvaco unveiled its updated Mini-Trigger line. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Director of marketing, personal care division, Earl Trout said the two new developments responded to customer concerns about shipping a separate clip ring and about product security in

Despite fears that a rival exhibition would draw visitor numbers away from the show, the ##th annual HBA Global Expo saw a #% rise in visitor numbers to ##,###. However, exhibitor numbers were down. "We had ## fewer exhibitors

The opening of Jamie Foxx-Gerard Butler starrer "Law Abiding Citizen" is a victory for independent companies--in this case, Overture Films and the Film Department--seeking mainstream success in a brutal environment for the indie film biz. While arthouse

LONDON -- "EastEnders," one of Blighty#;s most popular soaps, will launch a spinoff online show aimed at teens. The ##-part "EastEnders: E##," a reference to the London zip code, will bow in the run-up to the flagship BBC

The Canuck pubcaster has relaunched its all-news cable channel Newsworld as CBC News Network or CBC NN, a CNN-like network that will offer more breaking news than in the previous format. During the day, there will be more

The FCC on Thursday began the formal process of establishing a set of "rules for the road" for Internet service providers, setting off a policy debate that could spark a clash between showbiz concerns on the piracy front and the

BRUSH OFF: Qosmedix is launching four new dispensing powder brushes to its existing range of luxury make-up brushes. The brushes are made from goat hair and are said to disperse powder evenly to give an even, smooth application. A

AkzoNobel Solutions has designed a kit of prototype hair care products for ethnic consumers who want to move away from chemical relaxers and heated appliances to wear their hair naturally. The kit includes cleansing, conditioning, styling and finishing products, which

Back in ####, Bourjois created its first make-up products in Paris. Today, the company is revisting its heritage with a limited edition range of its celebrated Round Pots. The lids of the five eye-shadows and three blushes are

Australian hair stylist Kevin Murphy has a new range designed to protect hair against the latest heated styling appliances--up to ###F/###C. The range includes Protection Wash Heat Protecting Shampoo and Leave-In Protection Heat Shielding Leave In Conditioner

Darphin says it can reduce the look of wrinkles with a new dermabrasion product that respects even the most sensitive skin. Age-Defying Dermabrasion contains four different-shaped exfoliating particles of jojoba, silica, pearl and lava. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Jojoba esters

For its latest fragrance, L#;Artisan Parfumeur has travelled to the Arabian desert. Al Oudh is described as an elixir of sensuality and blends animal, leathery, spicy and woody notes. The fragrance opens with top notes of cumin, cardamom, pink

Burberry has hiked its guidance for its licensed fragrances and eyewear. Previously, the fashion house had warned markets that it expected a ##-##% drop in sales; Burberry has now reeled this back to a #-##% fall, excluding currency

Standard & Poor says Revlon is close to having its junk rating up-rated. Although Revlon has lost nearly ##% of its value in the last ## months, a subsidiary has completed a stock exchange offer extending Revlon#;s debt maturities

"Our approach is to understand our clients#; brands from a marketing perspective--their story, positioning, personality, marketing, consumer focus etc. Then we say if you want to beat your competitors, what technology do we have to give you the advantage

The $#bn US ethnic market is expected to grow #% in the next few years, but it could grow even faster if manufacturers took advantage of gaps in the market, according to a conference session. "I see huge space at

Shiseido says Japanese men are increasingly investing in their looks as they discover their "metrosexual" side, according to The Independent. The fastest growing market for men in Japan, however, remains in mass with Oxy and Mandom topping the list.

Esprit Holdings has announced plans to open larger, redesigned stores, starting with the opening of a ##,### sqft flagship store in Hong Kong#;s Tsim Sha Tsui tourist and shopping district. The company chairman said the stores will be

Russian cosmetics company Kalina has gained a new investor. Unicredit Bank Austria has bought a ##.#% stake in the company. Prior to this, the bank held no shares in Kalina. According to Interfax, Kalina#;s shareholding has been considerably

Following speculation that it was on the hunt for a new fragrance licence deal, London#;s celebrated lingerie brand Agent Provocateur has officially signed up with UK-based distributor and manufacturer Designer Parfums. Effective immediately, the ##-year deal will

The European Commission unveiled, on ## October, the infrastructure projects that will benefit from a total of ### million in EU funding under the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). Initially, this package was to be staggered over several years

The microblogging servicer Twitter saw its # billionth tweet earlier this week. The great wisdom imparted by this message was simply "Oh lord." Whether or not you like the service personally, it has become a successful marketing tool for bands

There#;s a new version of the Roku box and its supposed to have a new slate of hardware, with more services expected. The new box, Roku XR, has ###.##n wireless support, a USB port and the power input

Chinese writers are planning a group action against Google#;s digitization of their books without compensation, and international copyright law could get even trickier. A Chinese writers#; society has accused Google of infringing on the copyrights of ### Chinese authors

Cloud-based computing has been joined by cloud-based storage and, on November ##, it will be joined by cloud-based #D graphics. That means #D is coming to just about every device it can. Nvidia and Mental Images will

MEPs will debate, at their mini-plenary on ## and ## November in Brussels, the role and responsibilities of the future permanent president of the European Council - a position created by the Lisbon Treaty - who will have a mandate of

A cross-sectoral, binding agreement between the EU and the US on the sharing and protection of personal data by law enforcement agencies is in the pipeline. A joint statement by top level EU and US officials is due to

The European Commission published, on ## October, a communication on "progress" made in cutting red tape for companies. The EU executive boasts of having "delivered on its promise" and even says that it has gone "beyond" those promises as it

The European Commission has confirmed that it will be setting up a plan of priority actions to improve transport links between Europe and the African continent. The announcement, states a press release, was made at a Euro-African transport forum

Following the lead of its Constitutional Affairs Committee, on ## October, the European Parliament adopted, in plenary on ## October, a report by Elmar Brok (EPP, Germany) on the European External Action Service (EEAS) to be set up under the

Over the first two years (#### and ####) of the implementation of the European Union#;s Seventh Research and Development Framework Programme (RDFP), there were ### calls for bids, resulting in ##,### research proposals, involving over ###,### participants

Wi-Fi chipmaker Atheros showed this week how well Wi-Fi is doing when it reported its third quarter profit almost quadrupled year-on-year to $##.# million. Revenue was up ##% year-on-year to $###.#m. Atheros

Opera Software, which develops browsers primarily for mobile phones and non-computing devices, has joined the Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV) alliance whose goal is to develop a hybrid Internet set-top box. Its Opera Devices software developers kit (SDK

The Independent record label PIAS Entertainment Group has inked a deal with YouTube to put its artists#; music videos on the site. Pias will sell and manage the advertising sold against these videos, sharing revenues with Google and the artists

Xilinx and ARM will collaborate to enable ARM#;s processor and interconnect technology on Xilinx Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) as a lower cost alternative to system-on-a-chip (SoC) products. EE Times said the resulting technology will make

While the Vevo music video site is still in the works, it appears Google and the labels are preparing to launch a new music service so far dubbed as "Google Audio." Information is a little scarce at this point, but

Apple has bent its own rules a bit to rescind a ban on an iPhone app that allows users to stream TV to their mobiles over a #G connection. Elgato#;s EyeTV app allows iPhone users to watch live TV

Here come the cablecos with their wireless broadband offerings. Time Warner Cable will launch its Clearwire-based WiMAX service on December # in Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh, North Carolina. It plans to launch in Dallas later this year and in

In a move that#;s designed to improve the performance of MoCA gear on a home network, PCT International will launch a line of amplifiers that is designed to optimize MoCA gear. The filters isolate home networking frequencies above #

Actiontec has discontinued making its very useful HomePlug-to-Wi-Fi adapters, citing user difficulty in setting up Wi-Fi networks. The device was useful for providing Wi-Fi access in areas of the home that the Wi-Fi router

This Week in Content Deals Companies Details Interactivation, Internet, TVand mobile "interactive media" company Meredith, Interactivation partnered with Meredith to offer DirecTV its videos on its Mag Rack platform and inked an agreement to make its content viewable on demand

Despite the lawsuits with Joltid over the software that its Skype is using, eBay CEO John Donahoe said he expects to sell ##% of Skype to outside private investors. Reuters reported that Donahoe, addressing a conference audience at Shop.org

Byline: Dana Milbank Post columnist Dana Milbank serves as the capital#;s foremost critic of political theater. He was online Friday, Oct. ## at Noon ET to take your questions and comments about the things politicians say -- and the absurd

Wi-Fi chipmaker Atheros showed this week how well Wi-Fi is doing when it reported its third quarter profit almost quadrupled year-on-year to $##.# million. Revenue was up ##% year-on-year to $###.#m. Atheros

Opera Software, which develops browsers primarily for mobile phones and non-computing devices, has joined the Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV) alliance whose goal is to develop a hybrid Internet set-top box. Its Opera Devices software developers kit (SDK

Xilinx and ARM will collaborate to enable ARM#;s processor and interconnect technology on Xilinx Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) as a lower cost alternative to system-on-a-chip (SoC) products. EE Times said the resulting technology will make

Here come the cablecos with their wireless broadband offerings. Time Warner Cable will launch its Clearwire-based WiMAX service on December # in Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh, North Carolina. It plans to launch in Dallas later this year and in

Despite the lawsuits with Joltid over the software that its Skype is using, eBay CEO John Donahoe said he expects to sell ##% of Skype to outside private investors. Reuters reported that Donahoe, addressing a conference audience at Shop.org

Byline: Dana Milbank Post columnist Dana Milbank serves as the capital#;s foremost critic of political theater. He was online Friday, Oct. ## at Noon ET to take your questions and comments about the things politicians say -- and the absurd

With the upturn in Taiwan#;s stock market, major government-supervised funds have turned their heavy #### losses on stock-market investment to lucrative profits this year. The National Stabilization Fund has performed best, with a (paper) profit of more

#### rankings show China#;s rising importance for Taiwanese enterprises The Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), a semi-official trade-promotional body in Taiwan, compiles the ?Top-## Taiwanese Brands? list, on which Taiwanese-invested firms in China feature

Taipei, Oct. ##, #### (CENS)-Taiwan#;s leading garment makers, including Makalot Industrial Co., Tainan Enterprises Co., Eclat Textile Co., and Nien Hsing Textile Co., showed mixed performance in the first nine months of this year, with Makalot posting the

Taipei, Oct. ##, #### (CENS)--To make sure of public support of the financial memorandum of understanding (MOU) to be signed between Taiwan and China, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) under the Taiwan Cabinet recently surveyed the residents to show

Taipei, Oct. ##, #### (CENS)--Latest statistics released by IDC and Gartner showed that Taiwan-based computer brand Acer replaced Dell to become the world#;s No. # personal computer (PC) brand in the third quarter. Acer got a ##

Taipei, Oct. ##, #### (CENS)--Some ##,### new cars were sold in Taiwan in September, a #.#% year-on-year (YoY) increase and ##,###vehicle-plus volume for the fourth consecutive month to signal recovery in the market

Taipei, Oct. ##, #### (CENS)--Morris Chang, chairman and CEO of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), foresees the world semiconductor industry to recover by ####, earlier than in #### as originally projected, with his company to lead peers to see

Taipei, Oct. ##, #### (CENS)--Fubon Financial Holdings Co., Ltd. recently pledged to put a total of NT$# billion (US$## million at US$#:NT$##) into Taiwan Innovation Memory Co. (TIMC), a Taiwan government-backed memory-chip

Taipei, Oct. ##, #### (CENS)--Fitch Ratings Corp. recently noted that American International Group Inc.#;s (AIG) share disposal will have limited immediate impact on Nan Shan Life Insurance Company Ltd.#;s franchise, due to AIG#;s commitment to maintain

Taipei, Oct. ##, #### (CENS)--Linyuan Group remained Taiwan#;s largest conglomerate in terms of total assets in ####, followed by the newly established Taiwan Financial Holding Company, according to a survey by the Taipei-based China Credit Information Service

Taipei, Oct. ##, #### (CENS)--Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE) plans to lift the daily limit on the price movement of Taiwan depository receipts (TDRs) during the first several trading sessions after their listing, in order to curb their abnormal incessant

Taipei, Oct. ##, #### (CENS)--In emulation of the practice in the U.S., the regulator plans to carry out stress test on domestic banks next year and require those failing the test to strengthen their risk management and capital

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)####-#### M# COMMUNICATIONS Spanish airline Iberia announced on Friday that it is cancelling some flights on ## and ## October #### as a result of a strike called by the CTA and SITCPLA cabin attendants

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)####-#### M# COMMUNICATIONS Irish budget airline Ryanair reported on Friday an on-time performance rate of ##% for August ####, down #.# percentage point from the same period of last year. The carrier received

Acer introduced an Aspire laptop with #D viewing capabilities for multimedia. The Aspire ####DG is equipped with a special high-definition screen and software that makes it possible to display #D multimedia. To view the special effect, users need to

VMware#;s revenues have slowed as the effects of economic recession have taken hold. The company#;s financial results echo its cautious prediction at the end of fiscal #### that this year would be flat or hard to predict. Third

Amazon on Thursday introduced Windows PC software for reading e-books and synchronizing them with the Kindle e-book device. The announcement came a couple of days after Barnes & Noble unveiled its competing Nook e-book reader, which has similar

WASHINGTON, Oct. ## (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama signed into law Thursday legislation that speeds up money for veterans#; healthcare, addressing a decades-long problem, he said. Enacting the Veterans#; Healthcare Budget Reform and Transparency Act authorizes medical care

Falling prices and innovations such as touch capabilities are expected to boost sales of all-in-one PCs over the next few years. DisplaySearch predicts that AIO shipments worldwide will reach #.# million units next year from #.#

Windows ##;s arrival couldn#;t have come sooner for Microsoft, as the company#;s operating system sales could use the boost that the newest version of Windows is likely to provide. Sales of Windows and Windows Live products were

Hewlett-Packard has partnered with the University of Michigan in making more than half a million rare and hard-to-find books from the school#;s library available for sale over the Web. The offering is through HP#;s BookPrep

Just as Google Wave represents an attempt to imagine what e-mail would look like if it were invented today, Mozilla#;s Raindrop represents an attempt to imagine a more modern communication client. Developed by the team that created Mozilla

Thanks to its growing number of Wi-Fi-enabled smartphones, AT&T said Friday it had a record number of wireless hotspot connections in the third quarter. The telecommunications company said its customers made ##.# million connections to AT

Google has added another big company to its list of enterprise customers: Jaguar Land Rover. The automaker has signed on for ##,### yearly subscriptions to Google Apps. The announcement reportedly came at a Google conference in London on Thursday

Microsoft#;s highly anticipated Windows # operating system became available to the general public for the first time Thursday, and early sales appeared strong. Versions of the new OS occupied the top three spots on Amazon#;s software "Bestsellers" listing

Worldwide Computer Products News-## October ####-GigaTribe version # launches(C)####-#### M# COMMUNICATIONS http://www.m#.com Software community GigaTribe announced on Thursday the availability of GigaTribe Version # file sharing software. According to the company, GigaTribe

TELECOMWORLDWIRE-## October ####-Scotty Group receives new contract worth EUR#m from Eurocopter(C)####-#### M# COMMUNICATIONS http://www.m#.com Developer of video telecommunications equipment and systems SCOTTY Group plc (LSE:SCO) revealed on Friday the award of

NORDIC BUSINESS REPORT-## October ####-Swedish Electrolux to close Alcala factory in Spain(C)####-#### M# COMMUNICATIONS http://www.m#.com ## October #### - Swedish electronic appliances maker AB Electrolux (STO: ELUX B) said today that it will

NORDIC BUSINESS REPORT-## October ####-Finnish Poyry #-mo net profit slumps to EUR#.#m(C)####-#### M# COMMUNICATIONS http://www.m#.com ## October #### - Finnish engineering consultant Poyry Oyj (HEL: POY#V) said today that its net