■IPR
Eolas sues 23 firms
A US technology firm that won a patent case against Microsoft filed suit on Tuesday against nearly two dozen other high-profile firms, accusing them of violating the same patent. Adobe, Amazon, Apple, eBay, Google, Sun Microsystems, Texas Instruments, Yahoo and YouTube were among the 23 companies named in the lawsuit filed in a Texas court by Eolas Technologies Inc. Eolas was awarded a US$565 million judgment in a patent lawsuit against Microsoft in 2004 but ended up settling the dispute in 2007 for an undisclosed amount.
■INTERNET
Phishing attack widespread
Users of Google’s Gmail and Yahoo Mail were also targeted in the large-scale phishing attack that harvested at least 10,000 passwords from Microsoft’s Live Hotmail, media reports said on Tuesday. “We recently became aware of an industry-wide phishing scheme through which hackers gained user credentials for Web-based mail accounts including Gmail accounts,” a Google spokesperson told the BBC. The British network said it has seen a list of some 20,000 hijacked e-mail accounts that included accounts from Gmail, Yahoo Mail, AOL, Comcast and EarthLink. The intrusions come amid a sharp rise in the number of phishing attacks.
■TELECOMS
AT&T widens iPhone access
US telecom giant AT&T said on Tuesday that Apple iPhone owners would be allowed to use Internet voice calling on its wireless network, paving the way for services such as Skype. “Today’s decision was made after evaluating our customers’ expectations and use of the device compared to dozens of others we offer,” said Ralph de la Vega, president and chief executive of AT&T mobility and consumer markets. Skype bypasses the standard telephone network by channeling voice and video calls over the Internet.
■AUTOMOBILES
Delphi to exit bankruptcy
Auto supplier Delphi said on Tuesday that it has completed a deal with its lenders to allow it to exit bankruptcy nearly four years to the day it filed for reorganization. Delphi Holdings LLP, created by the company’s emergence from bankruptcy court oversight, said it has finished acquiring most of Delphi Corp’s core businesses as called for in its restructuring plan. Rodney O’Neal will remain the Troy, Michigan-based company’s president and CEO. The company’s current executives will continue to manage its global operations, Delphi said.
■FOOD AND BEVERAGE
Yum Brands posts growth
A robust performance in China helped chain restaurant operator Yum Brands Inc post 18 percent growth in its third-quarter profit, easily beating Wall Street forecasts. The company that owns Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut also raised its forecast for its annual earnings per share on Tuesday. Yum’s net income for the quarter ending Sept. 5 rose to US$334 million, or US$0.69 per share, compared with US$282 million, or US$0.58 per share, a year earlier. Revenue for the quarter fell 2 percent to US$2.78 billion from US$2.84 billion last year.
■FOREX
Japan’s reserves hit high
Japan’s foreign currency reserves reached US$1.052 trillion last month, a new record, the Finance Ministry said yesterday. Reserves increased by US$10.26 billion compared with the previous month. The expansion was added by a rise in value of US Treasury Bonds and euro-denominated securities.
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