TWICE News

• PalmSource Revenue Drops 21%
  
  By Jeff Malester, April 1, 2005
  Sunnyvale, Calif. — PalmSource, a developer of software for mobile phones and other mobile devices, reported total revenue for its fiscal third quarter of $17.2 million, down 21 percent from the $21.6 million recorded in the year-ago period.
  
• Gateway, Toshiba Add To Notebook Lineups
  
  By Doug Olenick, March 31, 2005
  Irvine, Calif. — Gateway and Toshiba added to their notebook computer lines last week with the former introducing a gaming model and the latter an “upscale” entry-level unit.
  
• Conn’s Revenue Climbs 13%, Income Rises
  
  By Jeff Malester, March 31, 2005
  Beaumont, Texas — Faced with a challenging fiscal fourth quarter, specialty retailer Conn’s nevertheless boosted three-month total revenue by 13 percent, hitting $162.7 million, up from $144 million a year-ago.
  
• Rex Q4 Sales Slide 4%
  
  By Jeff Malester, March 31, 2005
  Dayton, Ohio — Rex Stores reported a 4 percent drop in fiscal fourth-quarter sales, down to $125.4 million, from $130.2 million in the year-ago period, despite the strength of television sales, the chain’s strongest category — reflecting higher demand for LCD, DLP, plasma and other high-definition TVs.
  
• HP Brings In Hurd
  
  By Doug Olenick, March 30, 2005
  Palo Alto, Calif. — Mark Hurd, Hewlett-Packard’s new president/CEO, had yet to spend one minute in his new office before he was bombarded with questions from Wall Street and the press ranging from how he perceives the company’s health to what his first actions will be as leader.
  
• Supreme Court Hears Grokster Case
  
  By Joseph Palenchar, March 30, 2005
  Washington — The movie and music industries and their peer-to-peer (P2P) rivals went before the U.S. Supreme Court today to argue whether developers of P2P file-sharing software should be held liable when their users share music and video over the Internet in violation of federal copyright laws.
  
• New Processors Point To Digicam’s Future
  
  By Greg Scoblete, March 30, 2005
  New York — The future of digital still photography has less to do with still photographs than with video, HD output, multimedia manipulation of images in-camera and built-in wireless connectivity.
  
• Best Buy Delays Q4 Earnings Release
  
  By Jeff Malester, March 30, 2005
  Minneapolis — Best Buy has delayed reporting its fiscal fourth-quarter and year-end earnings from today until April 1.
  
• Mitsubishi, Sharp Agree To 8-VSB Licenses
  
  By Greg Tarr, March 29, 2005
  Lincolnshire, Ill. — Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America and Sharp have signed license agreements for Zenith’s digital television (DTV) reception technology, the companies announced today. Terms were not disclosed.
  
• Lexar Offers PC Game On USB Drive
  
  By Greg Scoblete, March 29, 2005
  Fremont, Calif. — The USB flash drive’s journey from data-storage vehicle to software platform took another step today as Lexar Media announced a partnership with video game publisher Ubisoft to offer a PC game loaded onto select Lexar JumpDrives.
  
• Circuit City Postpones Year-End Financial
  
  By Jeff Malester, March 29, 2005
  Richmond, Va. — Circuit City Stores has delayed its fiscal fourth-quarter and fiscal year earnings announcement scheduled for tomorrow, “until our current lease accounting practices review is completed,” said Michael Foss, executive VP/chief financial officer. “We expect to release earnings [for the quarter and year ended Feb. 28] within seven to 14 days,” he said.
  
• GoVideo Ships Wireless DVD Player
  
  By Greg Tarr, March 29, 2005
  Scottsdale, Ariz. — GoVideo is now shipping a next-generation combination Wireless Media Receiver/DVD player, which is designed to access RealNetworks’ Rhapsody online music service.
  
• Kenwood Trims Home Effort Again
  
  By Joseph Palenchar, March 29, 2005
  Long Beach, Calif. — A few months after outsourcing most of its home audio marketing functions, Kenwood USA will eliminate five key home audio sales positions on April 1 because “home audio sales are not what they should be,” executive VP Dan Petersen said.
  
• Sears, Kmart Complete Merger
  
  By Alan Wolf, March 24, 2005
  Hoffman Estates, Ill. — Kmart completed its $12.3 billion acquisition of Sears yesterday to form the nation’s third largest retail chain after Wal-Mart and The Home Depot.
  
• U.S. Music Industry Inches Back
  
  By Joseph Palenchar, March 24, 2005
  Washington — U.S. music-industry sales rose in 2004 for the first time since 1999, but the modest 2 percent gain in unit shipments and 2.5 percent gain in retail dollar value left sales well below their 1999 peak, Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) statistics show.
  
• Sirius Inks Mercedes, Jaguar, Land Rover Deals
  
  By Greg Scoblete, March 24, 2005
  New York — Sirius Satellite Radio has signed OEM deals with Mercedes Benz, Jaguar and Land Rover.
  
• Jury Awards Lexar in Suit With Toshiba
  
  By Greg Scoblete, March 24, 2005
  Santa Clara, Calif. — Lexar announced today that a jury has awarded it over $465 million in its case against Toshiba.
  
• Bose Dealt 2nd Setback In CEDIA Suit
  
  By Joseph Palenchar, March 23, 2005
  Indianapolis — The Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) said the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board issued a second ruling in its favor in Bose’s action to cancel CEDIA's trademark registrations for the term “Electronic Lifestyles.”
  
• Humax Ships $229 ATSC Set-Top Tuner
  
  By Greg Tarr, March 23, 2005
  Irvine, Calif. — Humax USA is shipping the HFA100 ATSC Digital TV Tuner at a $229 suggested retail price.
  
• Sony Adding Three More Stores
  
  By Alan Wolf, March 23, 2005
  San Diego — Sony is opening three more Sony Style retail stores this week, completing the company’s planned 15-unit rollout for its current fiscal year.