Newswatch: Talk Is Cheap EBay Decides To Hold Skype, Release StumbleUpon.
Tuesday 8am Silicon Valley news report:
Ebay Skype sale unlikely: report -Reuters
A proposed buyout of eBay Inc's Skype led by private equity, including Warburg Pincus and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, and the Web telephone company's co-founders is unlikely to be completed, the Wall Street Journal cited sources as saying on its blog on Monday."
StumbleUpon Stumbles Out of eBay’s Arms to Be Reborn as a Start-Up - All Things D
It announced today that it was returning to being an “investor-backed startup” by a roster of well-known Silicon Valley investors, including Ram Shriram of Sherpalo Ventures, Accel Partners and August Capital.Its founders, Garrett Camp and Geoff Smith are also back, with Camp now in place as CEO. “We are grateful to eBay for its guidance..."
Symantec issues latest Internet Security Threat Report -MercuryNews
While the security of operating systems and browsers is improving, Weafer said, hackers are turning their attention to weaknesses in applications or plug-ins, which are smaller programs that help deliver specific information or content on a Web site.
Facebook users get worse grades in college -msnbc
The study did show that students who work more hours at jobs spend less time on Facebook, while students involved in more extracurricular activities were also more likely to use Facebook.
Moody's affirms Seagate ratings on new bonds -AP
Moody's analyst Stephen Sohn said the ratings decisions are "supported by the company's strengthened liquidity ... and our expectation that the $430 million new notes offering will close." The agency gave the new notes a "Ba1" rating, one notch below investment-grade.
A few pennies for your thoughts _ and credit card -AP
Security experts not involved in Symantec's study say prices for booty like stolen credit card numbers might not be falling anymore because they have hit a bottom. The usefulness of stolen credit card numbers is waning because of anti-fraud measures - crooks now need additional details, like PIN numbers or the security codes on the back of the cards, to sell as a package deal.
Netsuite targets SAP and Oracle: source -Reuters
NetSuite developed SuiteCloud Connect using tools known as application program interfaces, or APIs, that are already built into SAP and Oracle programs, as well as software from most vendors.
Wells Fargo May Need $50 Billion in Capital, KBW Says -Bloomberg
The ability of Wells Fargo and 18 other U.S. banks to withstand further economic deterioration is being determined by the government’s stress tests, which will be completed by the end of April. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner expects that some lenders will require “large” amounts of capital.
Symwave announced the world’s first USB 3.0 device at the SuperSpeed USB Developers Conference in November 2008. Concurrently, Agilent announced a comprehensive solution for testing SuperSpeed USB 3.0 devices to ensure compliance with the newly published standards. The two companies have since collaborated to enable USB 3.0 technology development and the launch of new SuperSpeed USB products for the personal computing, storage and consumer electronic device markets.
Amazon Says Error Removed Listings -NYTimes
Mr. Kramer said on Monday that he was willing to shelve the boycott for now. But in an e-mail message he wrote: “I don’t think for one second that this was a glitch,” adding, “We have to now keep a more diligent eye on Amazon and how they handle the world’s cultural heritage.”
Tech earnings will show how Silicon Valley is faring in the downturn -Siliconvalley.com
Some of Silicon Valley's largest and most important tech companies are about to unveil earnings reports this month that will be eagerly scrutinized by analysts and investors, looking for signs about the future economic health of this region's dominant industry.
Should Online Scofflaws Be Denied Web Access? -NYTimes
The United States Congress held hearings last week on the growing problem of piracy, which the American entertainment industry says accounts for the loss of $20 billion a year in sales. Several lawmakers vowed to increase scrutiny of international markets where piracy is widespread.
Magid: Internet access too important to be cut off arbitrarily -Siliconvalley.com
I'm not sure what is worse — the proposed French law or the idea of voluntary cooperation between the recording industry and ISPs. In both cases there is a lack of due process. Even though there are warnings, there is no judicial review. At least when the recording association sued people, there was an opportunity to face your accuser in a court of law. Voluntary cooperation between companies leaves even representatives of the public completely out of the loop.
YouNoodle helps startups to connect -SFGate
The trends found in YouNoodle's data so far are eye-opening. One is that startups are worth double when one member of the founding team is not from a top 20 university. "We call it the fighter phenomenon - the member who has something to prove and forces everybody else to up their game as well,"
Cell phone recycling: delete, then dispose -msnbc
Renewed efforts by government and private industry are underway to get cell phone users to recycle their phones, with only about 10 percent of 140 million phones recycled in 2007, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
