Google's financial results exceed expectations
Google said first-quarter profit rose 69 percent, to $1 billion, or $3.18 a share, up from $592.3 million, or $1.95 a share, in the period a year ago.

Google grilled on privacy issues in Europe
Privacy groups in the U.S. and Europe are worried that search engines like Google collect and store data when consumers make Internet queries.

Former Qwest chief convicted of insider trading
Joseph Nacchio, the former chief executive of Qwest Communications International who transformed the company into a major telecommunications corporation, has been convicted of insider trading.

Scandal claims chairman of Siemens board
Heinrich von Pierer, one of the most prominent German industrialists as chief executive of Siemens from 1992 until 2005, said Thursday that he would step down from his role as chairman of the Siemens supervisory board. He denied any wrongdoing and said he wanted to get the company "out of the headlines."

Lunar gala offers marketing lesson
A television show watched by possibly 600 million worldwide viewers was, surprisingly, produced by a small two-year-old company with employees in California and Beijing.

Software for the poor: Microsoft's $3 Windows
Microsoft plans to offer a stripped-down version of software for $3 to people in developing countries.

Proposed roaming fees climb higher in Europe
The European telecommunication ministers are preparing to recommend higher caps on fees for mobile phone calls made by consumers outside their home country than those proposed by the European Parliament.

Dell's share of PC market slumped further in first quarter
Dell lost market share in the United States to Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo and Acer, while Apple was the fastest-growing PC maker in the country.

EBay results bolstered by newer businesses
EBay posted better-than-expected profit in the first quarter as several of its newer businesses compensated for disappointing results in its mainstay auction service.

Wall Street Journal names Marcus Brauchli as editor
The competition for the most powerful position in business journalism ended Wednesday when Marcus Brauchli was named managing editor of The Wall Street Journal, replacing Paul Steiger, who has held the top job in the newsroom since 1991.