IBT Staff Reporter

Operating capabilities are the X factor when it comes to success in the volatile software industry.

Several reports indicate Groupon and Google might soon be one.

The jury deliberation on the fate of Ingmar Guandique, who has been charged with murdering federal intern Chandra Levy, has entered its third day and a verdict is expected soon.

U.S. and Japanese officials are meeting to discuss whether the U.S. can supply rare earths to Japan. But uncertainties surrounding the American reserves remain, as there are no active mines in the U.S.

A bill that would authorize the U.S. attorney general to shut down web sites accused of copyright infringement has met opposition from Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

Adam Baker, father of the disabled 10-year old girl Zahra Baker whose disappearance and confirmed death has shocked the people of North Carolina, has vehemently denied that he has anything to do with her death or dismemberment.

Proposed rules by the Obama administration to clamp down on the for-profit school sector may have been leaked in June a day before they were made public, a pair of Senators asking for a probe said on Thursday.

A former Ford Motor Company product engineer, who has pleaded guilty to two counts of stealing trade secrets in a federal court, is likely to face six years prison term.

President Barack Obama on Friday praised the steps Portugal Prime Minister Jose Socrates is taking to reduce his nation's budget deficit and debt.

Coordination on exiting the Aghanistan war, a missile shield system over Europe to protect against Iranian threats, and forging closer ties with Russia will be on the agenda for the NATO summit in Portugal over the next two days.

IBM unveiled its new storage architecture that doubles the analytics processing speed specifically suited for cloud computing and data intensive workloads.

DLA Piper, one of the largest global law firms in terms of lawyers, is laying off an unspecified number of support staffers in the U.S. to right size its operations.

A major problem in cosmology is why there is anything in the universe at all. By trapping atoms of antimatter, a group of physicists hopes to come a step closer to an answer.

S&P 500 Index slid 5.63 points, or 0.49 percent, to trade at 1,190.71 at 09:50 a.m. EST. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 44.77 points, or 0.40 percent, to trade at 11,136.46. The Nasdaq Composite Index fell 0.44 percent to trade at 2,503.47.

On the fifth day of the first test against West Indies at the Galle, Sri Lanka, helped by the rain, did enough to secure a draw after the visitors had forced the follow-on on day four.

Premier League club Blackburn Rovers have been taken over by the Indian company Venky's for £23m

The battle for the Christmas shopping pie has hardened between retail behemoths and online shopping firms, with most retailers coming up with shopper-friendly offers to lure holiday customers.

A suspect package believed to be containing components of a bomb found at Windhoek airport on Thursday was only a security test, German officials said on Friday. Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere stated that suitcase was only designed for security checks and no explosives of threat to passengers were found in the package.

A suspect package believed to be containing components of a bomb found at Windhoek airport on Thursday was only a security test, German officials said on Friday. Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere stated that suitcase was only designed for security checks and no explosives of threat to passengers were found in the package.

A patent filing by Apple for a technology that uses carbon fiber material for electronic devices could be an attempt by Apple to make lighter iPads.

France is verifying the authenticity of a broadcast message by an al-Qaeda off-shoot demanding troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in return for the safety of their nationals kidnapped in Niger. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) also suggested direct negotiations with al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden over hostages' issue. Five French nationals along with two Africans, all employees of French firms Areva and Vinci operating in the mining town of Arlit in Niger were kidnapped on September 16.

A Chinese court sentenced the former head of the country's foremost nuclear firm for life for corruption. Kang Rixin, the former general manager at the state-owned China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), was convicted of accepting a bribe of approximately $1 million during his tenure.

Tottenham Hotspur travel to the Emirates Stadium to visit Arsenal in the latest edition of the most exciting London derby, in the English Premier League on Saturday.

News Corp's. MySpace has turned to the primary cause of its nemesis Facebook, to draw sustenance or content from its rival to enrich its users' profile.

Futures on the S&P 500 lost 3.70 points to 1,194.00, futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average are down 31.00 points to 11,145.00 and Nasdaq100 futures are down 5.00 points to 2,129.25.

Kia Motors has unveiled its first ever first-ever 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid for US market at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Thursday.

More Americans are planning to grill their Thanksgiving turkeys outdoors this year than last year, according to an online survey.

At least 30 miners are unaccounted for, after an explosion ripped through a coal mine in New Zealand on Friday. Rescue teams including fire crews and helicopters have been pressed in and reports of casualties are emerging on the local media. Police are yet to confirm the reports but updated that two people have surfaced from the mine since the explosion.

Pfizer Inc. and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. said they have halted a late-stage study of their experimental blood-thinner apixaban because of safety concerns.