Yahoo-Microsoft deal set, taking aim at Google
SAN FRANCISCO: US and European regulators have cleared the long-discussed Internet search partnership between Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc., enabling the rivals to form a tag team as they try to mount a more serious challenge to Google Inc.
The government approvals announced Thursday anointed an alliance that Microsoft and Yahoo proposed nearly seven months [...]
Oil price declines on stronger dollar
Oil fell below $77 a barrel in Asian trade on Thursday after recent sharp gains as demand concerns and a stronger dollar weighed on the market.
New York’s main futures contract, light sweet crude for delivery in March, was down 43 cents to $76.90 a barrel.
Brent North Sea crude for April delivery declined 31 cents [...]
Mobile phones to top 5 billion this year
NEW YORK: Global demand for mobile telephones remains strong, despite the economic crisis, with the number of individual mobile cellular subscriptions likely to top 5 billion this year, according to the UN telecom agency.
Advanced services and handsets in affluent countries and increased take-up of mobile banking and mobile health-care services in poorer nations is [...]
Google fixes privacy-related issues in ‘Buzz’
It has been quite a Buzz for Google during the past week, ever since they unveiled the new social networking platform on February 9. Some of the features – that Google introduced with the good intent of helping prospective users – backfired forcing it to launch a damage-limiting exercise. After poring over a barrage [...]
Google tweaks Gmail to challenge Facebook, Twitter
MOUNTAIN VIEW (California): Google Inc injected social networking features into its popular Web email product as the world’s No. 1 search engine seeks to fend off competition from Facebook and Twitter.
Google introduced a new product dubbed Google Buzz on Tuesday that allows users to quickly share messages, Web links and photos with friends and [...]
Toyota to recall 436,000 hybrids globally
TOKYO/DETROIT: Toyota Motor Corp is recalling nearly half a million of its flagship Prius and other hybrid cars for braking problems, a third major recall since September and a further blow to the reputation of the world's largest automaker.
Toyota is already under fire for two other recalls covering more than 8 million vehicles worldwide [...]
Asia now world’s biggest air travel market: IATA
SINGAPORE: The Asia-Pacific region has overtaken North America as the world's largest air travel market with 647 million passengers in 2009, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on Monday.
By contrast, 638 million people flew on commercial flights in North America last year, IATA said at an aviation business conference on the eve of [...]
Global CEOs say growth is coming back
TORONTO: With their worst fears of a prolonged recession over, CEOs worldwide are now confident about growth bouncing back, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) said in its annual global survey here Wednesday.
The survey found that 81 per cent of CEOs worldwide were confident about growth for the next 12 months. Only 19 percent were pessimistic about the [...]
