IBT Staff Reporter

The market for mobile security products to protect user's hand-held devices and identity will expand to almost a $5 billion by 2011, new research indicates.

U.S. mortgage applications fell for the first time in four weeks even as interest rates dropped to a six-month low, an industry trade group said on Wednesday, offering more evidence the country's housing market slump is deepening.

Microsoft announced on Wednesday that it is teaming up with renowned movie director Peter Jackson to create a new game studio to create games for its Xbox game console.

Sales of new U.S. homes unexpectedly rose in August but sales in July were weaker than first thought, while new orders for durable goods fell, according to government reports on Wednesday giving mixed indications about the economy's direction.

Intel, IBM, and other companies announced on Wednesday a proposal to enhance PCI Express technology, the system that allows data to travel between major components within a computer.

Comic book maker Marvel Entertainment has teamed with development firm Cryptic Studios to create a massively multiplayer online game, dubbed Marvel Universe Online.

AOL announced the latest version of its Winamp Media Player on Thursday, adding minor enhancements to the previous system, and includes two new features, the Winamp Dashboard and Remote.

The head of the World Trade Organization said on Wednesday that aid for trade is a key piece necessary for trade development and growth to occur.

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. may repay 695 billion yen ($5.91 billion) in bailout aid it owes to the government earlier than expected, Japanese media reported on Wednesday.

Verizon Communications Inc. said on Wednesday it expects its upgraded fiber network project, FiOS to be in more than 50 percent of all households in the US by 2010 that are within the company's service area.

Hibernian Life & Pensions announced the beginning of a new advertising campaign to “highlight the importance of saving to sustain current lifestyle habits,”

Aviva Plc today announced the appointment of Tim Harris to the position of group chief accountant.

Nokia today announced that it had extended its WCDMA 3G network frame agreement with Taiwan Mobile (TWM), “to cover the Nokia High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) solution and the new Nokia Flexi WCDMA Base Station,”

Nokia today announced the launch of a new range of music phones at Nokia Theatre in Times Square, New York.

Barclays today announced that it had renewed its global title sponsorship of the Premier League.

Japan's Ambassador has urged the United Nations to lead global efforts in ending world conflicts in order to establish peace and promote economic development.

New minister of education Bunmei Ibuki said Wednesday it's not necessary to make English a mandatory subject at elementary schools in Japan.

In recent quarters, the semiconductor firm, Intel Corp, has put increased efforts in to processor efficiency, an area many believe rival AMD has taken the lead. However at this year's Intel Developers Conference, the firm is realigning its focus on performance once again.

Consumers who play video-games at least 16 hours a week embrace in-game advertising more than those who play less, a study released on Wednesday shows, with some believing advertisements will become a main-stay in games in the future.

Previous game experience and recommendations from friends serve as the best marketing tools for video game purchases, according to one research firm.

A report from Datamonitor has revealed that the UK is the most indebted nation in all of Western Europe. All of one third of unsecured debt in Western Europe is because of the UK.

The Microsoft Network (MSN) finalized a deal with the company responsible for AOL's successful Live 8 video website, to stream live music acts over multiple Microsoft platforms.

Advanced Micro Devices, maker of computer processors and graphics chips, announced on Wednesday the opening of a new design center in Fort Collins, Colorado, tailored to build next generation processors.

New orders for U.S.-made durable goods fell unexpectedly in August and orders excluding transportation or defense goods also declined surprisingly, a government report showed on Wednesday.

From excessive force by their security guards to helping support corrupt regimes, oil companies have long faced accusations of helping trigger human rights abuses in the far-flung countries where they operate.

A federal judge has dismissed a large portion of Advanced Micro Devices Inc.'s antitrust lawsuit against Intel Corp., saying that U.S. law does not cover many of AMD's claims.

The heads of General Motors Corp. and Renault-Nissan held crucial talks on a possible three-way alliance in Paris on Wednesday amid mounting doubts that a full-blown deal could materialize. The companies confirmed the meeting but declined to comment ahead of the self-set mid October deadline.

Online video is no longer just fun and games: You might actually learn something.

Housebuilder Barratt Developments beat market forecasts with a 3.4 percent rise in year underlying pretax profits on Wednesday