Split verdict

On the same day that one Japanese technology pioneer took a step backward in Europe, the executives of another were busy planning a European rollout, showing that all high-tech exports from Japan are not equal.

Broadcasters often mislead viewers on call-in TV quiz shows, British regulator says
Ofcom, the British media regulator, said TV programs and quizzes that use premium-rate telephone numbers also regularly fail to comply with the government's broadcasting code.

Microsoft faces renewed EU scrutiny on Word, Excel dominance
European regulators have sent a second questionnaire to rivals of Microsoft asking them for additional details on how the company may crimp competition by withholding technical data on Word and Excel, three people with direct knowledge of the case said Wednesday.

Time's up for teenage online players in China
Mainland China is trying to reduce the time that young people play games on the Internet, requiring operators to install software that discourages teenagers from spending more than three hours online each day.

Dow Jones board reaches deal with Murdoch
The board's support for a deal would leave a final decision to be made by Dow Jones' fractious controlling family, the Bancrofts, which could still scuttle the sale.
- Dow Jones and Murdoch said to move close to deal
- Dow Jones still looking for alternative to Murdoch offer

Blockbuster's new boss hopes to repeat his 7-Eleven success
Blockbuster has posted losses in nine of the past 10 years, has closed hundreds of stores and has had customers siphoned off by Netflix.

Forerunner of mobile Internet, i-mode is fading in Europe
The British unit of O2 and Telstra announced plans to drop their i-mode services because too few customers are using it.

Nintendo's Wii is winning battle of the game builders
Inspired by the early success of the Wii, the companies that create and distribute games are beginning to shift resources toward building more Wii games, in some cases at the expense of the PlayStation 3 from Sony and Xbox 360 from Microsoft.

SunRocket ends Internet phone service
SunRocket, one of the largest start-up companies offering Internet phone service, has ceased operation, according to a person briefed on its status.

Reliance Communications of India buys U.S. ethernet provider
The acquisition of Yipes, a provider of managed ethernet and application delivery services, offered Reliance an opportunity to tap into a fast-growing market and continued a wave of foreign acquisitions by Indian companies.

In go-for-broke Hollywood, Universal Studios aims for the middle
Though profitable for the last nine years, Universal Studios has been noticeably short on blockbusters to call its own. That is largely by design.

Vodafone denies report of possible Verizon takeover
Vodafone Group PLC on Monday denied a newspaper report it is considering a US$160 billion bid (€116.1 billion) for U.S. partner Verizon Communications Inc.

Conrad Black's wife a loyal, but potentially detrimental, presence in court
Unlike spouses in other corporate fraud trials who have largely stood quietly by their partners, Barbara Amiel was a notable presence in the courtroom and during testimony in trial of Conrad Black.