Vivendi-Activision deal creates new video game empire
In a deal that creates the biggest independent video game publisher in the world, Vivendi has announced its plans to acquire a controlling stake in Activision.

Privacy is key to new social networking site, Kaioo
Kaioo, a nonprofit organization, boasts some of the strictest data protection regulations in the world. The founders, including Rolf Schmidt-Hol tz, chief executive of Sony BMG, pledge that its mission is to create an international haven from sites like Facebook and MySpace.

On advertising: Nationality trumps geography in Europe
Eric Pfanner on the vast differences, some of them insulting, in Eurostar ads from France, Belgium and Britain.

In-home cellphone links, or femtocells, could be next revolution
The industry is preparing to try to convince consumers that they need a device for their homes called a femtocell, which provides better indoor coverage by linking a cellphone wirelessly to a fixed-line broadband Internet connection, which has more capacity and is usually faster.

Indian entrepreneurs leave outsourcing for firms of their own
Some of the best minds in India, trained by leading global companies like Oracle, Yahoo and Microsoft, and burned out on the repetitive rigors of the back office, have left the multinationals to build start-ups.
- Internet revolution reaches India's poor
- India tries outsourcing its outsourcing
- Indian companies learn the Washington lobbying game
- Outsourcers corner market for U.S. skilled worker visas
- India outsourcing moves to front office

Hollywood studios make new offer to striking writers
The producers said the new contract would pay writers millions of dollars extra for shows created for the Internet. But writers said some of the proposals amounted to rollbacks.

Google to bid for wireless spectrum
FCC planning sale of radio frequencies that could be used to deliver the next generation of Internet and mobile phone services to consumers.

Facebook retreats on online tracking
Faced with its second mass protest by members in its short life span, Facebook is reining in some aspects of a controversial new advertising program.

Ed Zander steps down as chief executive of Motorola
Zander will be succeeded by Greg Brown, the company's chief operating officer.

High-tech gifts for someone who has everything, without going broke
Here are five options that should please even the most exigent techie on your list at a cost of under $1,000.

Luxury goods are forecast to join rise in online shopping
U.S. Internet retail sales excluding travel will jump 19 percent during November and December, to $31 billion and will account for about a quarter of the yearly total, according to eMarketer.

Electronic offerings for the holiday season
While the latest wave of consumer electronics lacks a paradigm-shifting new device, there is a wide range of thinner, lighter, bigger and costlier variations on familiar audio and video themes.