Ex-Executive of Jobs Site Is Indicted

James J. Treacy, the former chief operating officer at Monster Worldwide, was indicted on charges that he conspired to backdate millions of dollars in employee stock option grants.

Bits: EBay-Craigslist Fight Is About Kijiji and Control, Complaint Shows

The document seems to show that the two companies have been engaged in a battle over control triggered by Kijiji, eBay’s rival classified advertising site.

Bits: Blu-ray: The Future Has Been Delayed

On the heels of a report last week noting that many consumers may not see the picture quality difference between Blu-ray and standard DVDs comes the latest Blu-ray sales figures.

Bits: Warner Brothers to Rent Movies Online Sooner

Warner Brothers will now start making films available for online rental, such as through Apple TV, and on cable pay-per-view systems, the same day that it releases them to DVD.

Bits: AOL’s Blame Game: The Guy We Fired Did It

The price of ads plummeted for AOL in the first quarter. Time Warner blames the head of its advertising unit who it fired in March.

H-P Researchers Announce New Memory Technology

A device, called a memristor, is an electrical resistor with memory properties. The technology could eventually build very dense chips that go beyond DRAM and use much less power.

Microsoft Helps Law Enforcement Get Around Encryption

Microsoft first released the Computer Online Forensic Evidence Extractor to law enforcement last June and it’s now being used by about 2,000 agents around the world.

Bits: Grand Theft Auto IV and Real-World Billions

The frenzy of interest in Grand Theft Auto IV – both the early sales projections and strong game reviews – has given a modest boost to the stock of the game’s publisher, Take-Two Interactive.

Siemens Reports Drop in 2Q Profit

The German conglomerate said that its second-quarter net profit slid 67 percent, weighed down by weaker performance in its major business projects.

IAC Quarterly Profit Falls

The Internet conglomerate said first-quarter net profit fell to $52.8 million, hurt by declines at its catalog business and a loss at its online mortgage site LendingTree.

Alcatel-Lucent Posts Loss as Revenue Slips

Scaling back its market forecast for 2008, the telecommunication equipment giant said it expected annual revenues to fall.

Time Warner to Spin Off Its Cable Unit

Time Warner, the media giant, said that it planned to spin off its cable services division completely, as the company moves to restructure itself.

Foreign DVD Sales Bolster DreamWorks’ Profit

Foreign DVD sales of “Shrek the Third” were stronger than anticipated, helping DreamWorks report a 69 percent increase in quarterly profit.

Corning Profit Triples on Demand for L.C.D. Screens

The specialty glass maker, said its first-quarter profit tripled to more than $1 billion on demand for glass used in flat-screen televisions and laptop computers.

Race Is on to Advance Software for Chips

Three rival teams of computer researchers are working on new types of software needed to better use computer chips that can process many tasks at the same time.

Bits: The $199 iPhone? Something’s Missing from the Picture

A report says AT&T will subsidize the new iPhone model to sell it for $199. What it doesn’t say is whether monthly data fees will rise at the same time.

Phone Lines Decline, but Embarq’s Profit Is Up

The phone service provider said its quarterly operating revenue fell to $1.57 billion, from $1.59 billion a year ago, while access lines decreased 7.3 percent.

I.B.M. Raises Dividend

I.B.M. increased its dividend payout 25 percent on Tuesday, reflecting the company’s confidence that it can thrive even in an uncertain economy.

Rambus Says Court Sides With It in Samsung Suit

Memory chip technology developer Rambus said that a U.S. appeals court sided with the company in a lawsuit that Samsung Electronics had filed against Rambus.

Microsoft Cuts Xbox Prices in Four Asian Markets

Microsoft said it is cutting prices on the Xbox 360 in four Asian regions by as much as 20 percent in an effort to expand the audience for the video game console.

Cray and Intel Sign pact to Build Petascale Computers

The two manufacturers said they hope to develop a range of technologies and high-performance computers over the next several years.

Bits: Why Steve Ballmer Will Keep Chasing Yahoo

If Microsoft dropped its bid for Yahoo, it would be admitting it couldn’t really catch up to Google for consumer Web services.

Perot Systems Posts Higher Earnings

The software services company earned $28 million in the first quarter, helped by offshore contracts, but forecast second-quarter revenue below analysts’ expectations.

Corning Profit Surges on Strong Glass Demand

First-quarter profit tripled to more than $1 billion, exceeding Wall Street’s estimates, on soaring demand for glass used in flat-screen televisions and laptop computers.

City Room: Verizon Takes a Step Into City’s TV Market

For years, New Yorkers frustrated with their cable television have dreamed of a competitor to Cablevision and Time Warner Cable. Verizon just moved a step closer to entering the market.

IBM Raises Quarterly Cash Dividend by 25%

The world’s largest computer services company announced ahead of its annual shareholders meeting on Tuesday that it had raised the dividend to 50 cents per share.

RadioShack Profit Falls

The consumer electronics retailer said its profit fell to $38.8 million on sales of $949 million, down from $42.5 million on sales of $992 million a year earlier.

World Business Briefing | Europe: Germany: Internet Provider Acquired

Freenet, agreed to buy a rival, Debitel, for 1.63 billion euros ($2.5 billion), forming Germany’s third-largest mobile phone company.

Earnings Up Almost 10% at Verizon in Quarter

More expensive wireless contracts helped drive earnings up nearly 10 percent during the carrier’s first quarter, offsetting declines in its traditional phone service.

No Break in the Standoff of Microsoft and Yahoo

The deadline that Microsoft imposed on Yahoo to reach a negotiated merger agreement passed April 26, and the two companies are still not talking.

Frequent Flier: When Your Laptop’s Flight Is More Interesting Than Yours

A businesswoman made her way to Chicago but her laptop found a new home with a would-be Romeo in Nicaragua.

WB Network to Return as a Web Site

The launch of TheWB.com and KidsWB.com is part of TimeWarner’s “digital destination” strategy to tailor Web sites to specific audiences.

For Gamers, the Craving Won’t Quit

During the next two weeks, some five million couch jockeys are expected to plunk down $60 to buy Grand Theft Auto IV, the new release of a violent and episodic game.

Bits: Verizon Shows How to Make Money by Cutting Prices

Verizon says that until its recent $99 unlimited voice wireless plan, only 4 percent of customers chose to pay $99 or more. Now it’s getting 13 percent of its customers at that level.

AMD Launches First Computer Brand

Advanced Micro Devices unveiled its first computer brand, aimed at small and medium-sized businesses, with design and sales help from its major chip customers.

Matsushita Profit Surges on Sales of Cellphones and TVs

Japanese electronics maker Matsushita’s profit more than doubled in the January-March quarter, buoyed by strong sales of cellphones, flat-panel TVs and DVD players.

RadioShack Posts Lower Profit

The consumer electronics retailer posted a lower first-quarter profit as sales fell and an increase in promotions hurt gross margin, sending its shares plunging about 11 percent.

Growing Customer Base Lifts Verizon Profit

The company earned $1.64 billion in the first quarter, up 9.8 percent from a year ago, as its wireless division attracted more customers.

E-Commerce Report: Users Demand Expertise at How-To Web Sites

Barnes & Noble has introduced a new Website that aims to teach Web users things as diverse as the basics of football and how to build a Web site.

Take a Picture of an Ad, Earn a Reward

The magazines Rolling Stone and Men’s Health are testing programs in which readers can take cameraphone pictures of icons on ads to receive more information or an offer from the advertiser.

A Google Prototype for a Precision Image Search

The company presented a new algorithm for blending image-recognition software methods with techniques for weighting and ranking images that look most similar.

Cartoons of a Racist Past Lurk on YouTube

Among the millions of clips on the video-sharing Web site YouTube are 11 racially offensive Warner Brothers cartoons that have not been shown in an authorized release since 1968.

Drilling Down: In Cellphones, Price Gains on Quality

In a recent survey, a larger proportion than before cited price as the deciding factor for changing cellphone carriers, while fewer cited signal quality.

Golden Years of Television Find New Life on the Web

Television distributors have recently made thousands of episodes of programs like “The Twilight Zone” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” available free online.

Link By Link: Reluctantly, a Daily Stops Its Presses, Living Online

On Saturday, The Capital Times, the fabled 90-year-old daily newspaper of Madison, Wis., stopped printing to devote itself to publishing its daily report on the Web.

Arts, Briefly: MySpace Will Hold Talent Show Auditions

NBC, FremantleMedia and MySpace are expected to announce a partnership that will treat the social network as a “virtual audition city” for the third season of “America’s Got Talent.”

Video Game Review | Grand Theft Auto IV: Grand Theft Auto Takes On New York

Grand Theft Auto IV is a violent, intelligent, profane, endearing, obnoxious, sly, richly textured and thoroughly compelling work of cultural satire disguised as fun.

E-Commerce Report: Users Demand Expertise at How-To Web Sites

Barnes & Noble has introduced a new Website that aims to teach Web users things as diverse as the basics of football and how to build a Web site.

Drilling Down: In Cellphones, Price Gains on Quality

In a recent survey, a larger proportion than before cited price as the deciding factor for changing cellphone carriers, while fewer cited signal quality.

Golden Years of Television Find New Life on the Web

Television distributors have recently made thousands of episodes of programs like “The Twilight Zone” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” available free online.

Arts, Briefly: MySpace Will Hold Talent Show Auditions

NBC, FremantleMedia and MySpace are expected to announce a partnership that will treat the social network as a “virtual audition city” for the third season of “America’s Got Talent.”

Video Game Review | Grand Theft Auto IV: Forget It, Niko, It’s Liberty City, a Dystopian Dream

Grand Theft Auto IV is a violent, intelligent, profane, endearing, obnoxious, sly, richly textured and thoroughly compelling work of cultural satire disguised as fun.

Link By Link: Reluctantly, a Daily Stops Its Presses, Living Online

On Saturday, The Capital Times, the fabled 90-year-old daily newspaper of Madison, Wis., stopped printing to devote itself to publishing its daily report on the Web.

Cartoons of a Racist Past Lurk on YouTube

Among the millions of clips on the video-sharing Web site YouTube are 11 racially offensive Warner Brothers cartoons that have not been shown in an authorized release since 1968.

Take a Picture of an Ad, Earn a Reward

The magazines Rolling Stone and Men’s Health are testing programs in which readers can take cameraphone pictures of icons on ads to receive more information or an offer from the advertiser.

BlackBerry’s Quest: Fend Off the iPhone

Since the iPhone’s debut, the contours of the smartphone market have shifted rapidly toward consumers.

A Google Prototype for a Precision Image Search

The company presented a new algorithm for blending image-recognition software methods with techniques for weighting and ranking images that look most similar.

Bits: Who Needs Another Social Network?

Rather than building new social networks, Google and Yahoo want to bring "social" features to their own sites and services.

Novelties: Lawyers Open Their File Cabinets for a Web Resource

Services are appearing on the Web that may make it easier for consumers to do their own preliminary homework on legal issues before seeking professional help.

Prototype: Home Brew for the Car, Not the Beer Cup

What if you could make fuel for your car in your backyard for less than you pay at the pump? Would you?

Bits: Microsoft’s Vista Problem

Microsoft keeps insisting that Windows Vista is a winner, but the questions keep mounting — and Thursday’s quarterly report only added to the doubts.

Market Values: Blockbuster Faces the Critics

Many agree that Blockbuster needs a change in order to beef up profits, but few agree with its proposal to acquire the consumer electronics retailer Circuit City.

Nintendo Bucks Tradition, Says No Price Cuts for Wii

Nintendo says it does not plan to cut prices of its popular Wii gaming console or DS hand-held game system anytime soon.

Bits: Should Anti-Spyware Programs Fight Snooping I.S.P.’s?

An industry group is going to help figure out whether anti-spyware software should try to block Internet service providers from monitoring where their customers surf in order to show them ads.

Ericsson Shares Jump as Profit Tops Forecasts

Shares in the telecom equipment maker recorded their biggest gain in nearly five years after the company’s first-quarter profit, while down sharply from a year ago, beat gloomy forecasts.

Global Cellphone Sales Continue to Rise, Report Says

A research firm says global mobile phone sales surged in the first quarter, despite an economic downturn.

Profit Rises at Samsung and Plunges at Toshiba

Samsung said its profit rose 37 percent in the first quarter on strength in its mobile phones, while Toshiba said profit plunged 95 percent after its exit from its HD-DVD business.

At Trade Show, China’s Police Shop for the West’s Latest

In China, the world’s fastest-growing market for security and crime-control equipment, it is business as usual between Western multinationals and Chinese police agencies.

What’s Online: When the Smoke Cleared

Should employers have the right to punish workers who smoke when they are not working?

Weak Cellphone Sales Plague Motorola

The company said it lost $194 million, or 9 cents a share, for the quarter that ended March 31.

Informal Style of Electronic Messages Is Showing Up in Schoolwork, Study Finds

About half of 700 students surveyed said they sometimes omitted proper punctuation and capitalization in school assignments.

Google Introduces Brand-Image Ads for Cellphones

The company is trying to extend itself beyond the computer-based Web market into the emerging market for advertising on phones.

Bits: Yahoo Tries to Sell Google-Fighting Weapons

It’s no accident that Yahoo’s biggest advertising play right now is its coalition of regional newspapers — the media format that is most threatened in the current environment.

New Contracts Lift Results at Electronic Data

Electronic Data Systems Corporation posted better-than-expected first-quarter profit and sales, driven by its best quarter for new contracts since 2002.

I.B.M. and Tata Communications Dig Into Managed Security Services

Tata Communications, the network provider, announced its first-ever push into managed security services, while I.B.M. unveiled a similar suite of “Express” services.

Blade Takes Virtualization to Data-Center Rack

Blade Network Technologies this week unveiled a line of Gigabit and 10 Gigabit Ethernet switches for rack-level network virtualization.

Lights. Camera. Cellphone Action.

Who says cellphones are good only for talking? Today they are bringing together two unlikely brand names: Nokia and Spike Lee.

Apple Riding a 51% Jump in Mac Sales

Buoyed by unusually strong Macintosh sales, the company grew notably faster than the rest of the computer market in the first three months of the year.

Amazon Gains, Despite an Economic Slowdown

The Seattle-based Internet retailer reported that net income in the first quarter rose 30 percent to $143 million from the year-ago quarter.

South Korea Faces Question of Corporate Control

Following the resignation of the chairman of Samsung amid criminal indictments, South Korea seems uncertain about how much pressure to put on family-owned corporate groups.

Maker of Data Storage Gear Posts Strong Revenue Growth

EMC Corporation, the top maker of corporate data storage equipment, reported strong revenue growth in both overseas and American markets.

Shifting Careers: Making Long-Distance Partnerships Work

Even though technology makes it possible to run a business from almost anywhere, can a business partnership thrive if the partners live in different cities?

AT&T and Cisco Team Up on TelePresence Service

AT&T announced it will deliver Cisco’s TelePresence service to business customers in 23 countries by the end of the year.