Comcast, the country's largest cable TV company, is teaming up with Google in talks about taking a stake in Time Warner's AOL web portal.
Comcast (CMCSA), Google (GOOG) and Time Warner (TWX) are discussing a possible deal under which the three companies would form a new entity through which they would jointly own the web portal.
The potential deal could derail separate talks that have been reported between AOL and Microsoft (MSFT), which is believed to be interested in an alliance between AOL and Microsoft's MSN, another major internet portal.
Any deal between AOL and MSN could threaten Google, since AOL is major contributor to Google's thriving internet ad business, accounting for 11 percent of Google's $2.6 billion in revenue during the first half of this year.
The three companies plan to leverage their content and consumer reach to create a web portal powerhouse. Google is the nation's most popular search engine, while Comcast and Time Warner are the top two cable operators. Time Warner also owns many media properties including Warner Bros., CNN and HBO.
Google has been seeking a closer relationship with cable operators because of their close ties with content programmers.
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Goodbye cell phone towers: Japan is readying a new network for cell phones that will allow people to connect to the internet to talk over the phone more cheaply and transmit data more quickly.
The government plans to introduce mobile voice over internet telephony by 2007.
The mobile service under consideration at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications will allow people to use VOIP on cell phones -- similar to what's now available on fixed lines.
The proposal for the network, which will also transmit large amounts of data such as streaming video on cell phones, is being discussed in a ministry panel of experts and telecommunications officials. A decision is expected in December.
Although details, including the kind of mobile VoIP technology, are not yet decided, several carriers are expected to apply for licenses to offer mobile VoIP services, which are likely to be cheaper than talking on cell phones today.
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Attack on black: Nokia joined the swelling ranks of would-be BlackBerry killers, unveiling its first keyboard phone with a similar look and feel of the e-mail device made by Research In Motion (RIMM).
The Nokia E61, due out in the first quarter of 2006, follows the introduction of non-"clamshell" devices from Hewlett-Packard and Motorola that also feature a typewriter keypad for thumb tapping.
This model would be the first based on Symbian, the most widely used operating system for advanced wireless phones in most markets outside the United States, largely due to Nokia's growing commitment to the platform in its product lineup.
Unlike the BlackBerry, the new Nokia (NOK) device will be compatible with multiple e-mail platforms, including BlackBerry Connect, GoodLink from Good Technology, Nokia Business Center, Seven Mobile Mail and Seven Always-On Mail and Visto Mobile.
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Arrr, we been caught: A federal grand jury indicted three men in what prosecutors are calling the largest bust of pirated CDs in U.S. history.
The indictment follows the arrest last week of Ye Teng Wen, 29, Hao He, 30, and Yaobin Zhai, 33, on charges of illegally reproducing 325,000 music and software CDs.
Two of the men are American citizens and one has a U.S. work permit.
Prosecutors said the pirated CDs, which included Latin music and Symantec computer security software, circulated widely and one of the disks was found at a store in Chicago.
The three men, who live near San Francisco, have been released on bail and will appear in court on Oct. 27.
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Compiled by Keith Axline. AP and Reuters contributed to this report.
