■Film industry
MGM's Bond-release No. 1
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc's Die Another Day, the 20th James Bond spy adventure, was the No. 1 movie over the five-day holiday weekend with US$46.3 million in sales in the US and Canada, edging Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. AOL Time Warner Inc's Harry Potter made US$45.8 million. It grossed US$200.3 million in three weeks, according to Exhibitor Relations Co, which tracks box-office receipts. When ranked for Friday, yesterday and today, the Potter sequel at US$32.2 million edged the Bond movie, which had US$31 million. MGM has been looking for a No. 1 film after disappointing box-office performances from films such as Windtalkers and Rollerball. The new Bond movie, with US$101.6 million in receipts after only two weeks, is doing much better than previous films about the British spy, analysts said.
■ Mobile phones
Telstra has new services
Telstra Corp, Australia's biggest phone company, said it introduced the country's first third-generation mobile phone service for businesses, allowing customers to access their e-mail, intranet and Internet. The wireless services, initially available to business customers in Sydney and Melbourne, allow users to check data at speeds almost comparable to a desktop computer, the company said in a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange. "Telstra is committed to evolutionary progress with third-generation wireless services based entirely around customer experiences and demand," said David Thodey, Telstra's mobile unit managing director. The Melbourne-based company has previously said it won't rush the introduction of new high-speed wireless Internet services until it's clear customers want them.
Agencies
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