To promote program, HBO pays for letter campaign by U.S. Postal Service
The multimillion-dollar multimedia campaign seeks to demonstrate what it calls the "power of the letter," and to promote "John Adams," a seven-part miniseries starting Sunday on the cable network.

Nokia shares decline after Texas Instruments lowers forecast
Texas Instruments, which makes chips used in about half the world's cellphones, has lowered its range of expected profits and sales in the first quarter, citing a key customer's decision to cut orders.

Sumitomo and TPG raise bid for Axcelis
The Japanese heavy-equipment maker and the private equity firm TPG have raised their bid for Axcelis Technologies by 15 percent to $615.6 million to encourage the semiconductor equipment maker to open talks for a friendly deal.

Lawrence Ellison may have brought hostile takeovers to Silicon Valley
The hard-charging chief executive of Oracle says his industry must get used to consolidation.

GE chairman rejects talk of selling NBC
To squelch rumors that the network would be sold after the Olympics, Jeffrey Immelt planned to include a message in the GE annual report Wednesday that rejected the idea of selling.

Hulu.com to make catalog of shows and clips available on Web
The Internet joint venture of NBC Universal and Fox will feature shows and films from NBC, Fox and more than 50 media companies.

HP strengthening digital printing in shift from analog
Hewlett Packard, the maker of personal computers and printers, is moving forward with a plan to increase its digital printing offerings as part of a trend toward a reduction in analog printing.

U.S. media entrepreneur testifies in battle over IAC/InterActiveCorp
John Malone told a judge that he held no ill will toward his longtime business partner, Barry Diller, who controls IAC/InterActiveCorp, even though the two are battling over who controls what at IAC.

Television and computers speed toward interchangeability
Shows like "The Office" are on the leading edge of a sharp shift in entertainment viewing that was thought to be years away, as watching TV shows on computer screens becomes "mainstream behavior."

EU threatens WTO action over U.S. ban on Internet gambling
The European Union threatened Monday to lodge a complaint at the World Trade Organization over U.S. laws that bar gambling Web sites, citing possible discrimination.

Texas Instruments cuts earnings forecast
The company, which makes the chips used in about half of all cellphones, on Monday lowered its range of expected profit and sales in the first quarter.

New challenge for New York Times Co. board
Last year, The New York Times Co. fended off a major investor bent on shaking the company up. Now management faces another challenge from dissidents with more leverage.

Web companies track users' Internet activity hundreds of times per month
A new analysis of online consumer data shows that large Web companies are learning more than ever before about what people search for and do on the Internet.

DVD format battle attracts a new rival: HD VMD
No sooner has the battle for the next-generation high-definition DVD format ended, with Blu-ray triumphing over HD DVD, than a new contender has emerged: HD VMD.

Facebook helps promote blood donation
A program being officially introduced Monday by a New York nonprofit organization, Takes All Types, aims to coordinate where and when people donate blood in response to shortages and crises while encouraging broader donation over all.

HP taps loyal retirees for labor of love
Hewlett-Packard is trying to recruit thousands of its former workers into an auxiliary army of senior marketers, good-will ambassadors and volunteer sales people.

Film festival goes online, but is anyone watching?
With the Babelgum Online Film Festival, a collection of more than 1,000 short films that have been gathered on the Internet, viewers can watch the videos and vote for their favorite submission.

Helping the computer to work in new ways
The Wii and the iPhone have begun to break down the logjam in technological innovation for the way humans interact with computers.

Nintendo to not release Holocaust-themed game in U.S.
The game, Imagination Is the Only Escape, casts players in the role of a young boy in eastern France during the German occupation who seeks escape from real-life horror through a fantasy world.

Getting a thrill out of "Thriller," 25 years later
Sony BMG has resorted to a viral marketing campaign to promote its special edition of the seminal album, which tops the charts in France.

E-schooling grows, but what about the teachers?
Thanks to the Internet, distance learning in higher education has come a long way since correspondence courses were sent through the mail, but the boom in Web-based offerings is raising concerns about the quality of some instruction.