SPPI
Online Sales Rose 15% This Holiday, Beating In-Store Growth, Report Says
The growth of online purchases is expected to surpass in-store sales this Christmas, though it is still a small percentage of total sales. read more »
Viacom Sells Rock Band Creator Harmonix
The sale to the investment firm Columbus Nova earned Viacom an estimated $200 million and ended a failed foray into the video game business. read more »
Christmas Gifts May Help E-Books Take Root
Publishers are predicting that digital sales will grow rapidly as e-readers given as gifts are activated. read more »
Bits: Skype Goes Out
Millions of Skype users were unable to make calls for several hours because of technical problems. read more »
Media Decoder: F.C.C. Head Expected to Approve Comcast-NBC Deal
The Federal Communications Commission chairman signaled his tentative approval to Comcast's acquisition of NBC Universal, though with conditions. read more »
Bits: Skype Struggles to Restore Service
Skype is still struggling to restore service, but it's other worry is whether the outage tarnishes its reputation with potential corporate customers. read more »
Gadgetwise: Free and Cheap Calls Without Skype
The Skype outage may leave you wondering how to make cheap (or free) calls over the holidays if the service goes out again. Here are some alternatives. read more »
Gadgetwise: The Core of the Coming Apple App Store
The Apple App store will create an experience similar to the iTunes store for desktop computer software. read more »
High-Tech Electronics Dressed Up to Look Old
Several companies are creating modern devices to look as if they come from an earlier time. Manual typewriter, anyone? read more »
Gadgetwise: Really, Really Last Minute Gifts
Swagg offers a way to send gift cards from 250 brands on short notice from a phone. read more »