When it comes to picking a fight with a burly competitor, it’s hard to top Research in Motion Ltd. (NYSE: RIM), maker of the BlackBerry. (RIM)

The economic impact of golf is the major topic of a Hawaii golf industry conference set for early December.

Startup software firm VuBotics Inc. filed Wednesday for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after only three years in business. (RIMM)

St. Louis bankers spoke firmly against a federal bailout of Detroit automakers at a conference Wednesday at Webster University.

Larissa Herda, the chairman, CEO and president of TW Telecom Inc., purchased another 45,000 shares of stock in her company this week, according to a filing made Wednesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission. (TWTC)

Microsoft Corp. is "very open" to a possible collaboration with Yahoo Inc. on search but is not interested in buying the whole company, chief executive officer Steve Ballmer told shareholders at the software giant's annual meeting Wednesday.

The Semiconductor Industry Association expects global semiconductor sales to fall next year for the first time since 2001.

Internet security startup Finjan Inc. said on Wednesday that it has raised $22 million. (CSCO)

Chicken processor Pilgrim’s Pride announced 335 additional layoffs on Wednesday, attributing the cuts to an ongoing need to reduce expenses and streamline operations. (PPC)

The Semiconductor Industry Association expects global semiconductor sales to fall next year for the first time since 2001. According to the San Jose, Calif.-based association's annual forecast, 2008 sales will increase 2.2 percent, or $261.2 billion, from 2007's $255.6 billion.

Milwaukee-area investment advisory firms Oarsman Capital Inc. and Nackers & Associates have merged, the firms said Wednesday.

Four out of five college students and young graduates are looking for a job to make extra money during the holidays, but many of them don’t think they’ll land one in a rough and tumble economy.

Plans to ramp up growth in 2009 prompted network security company Secure Passage LLC to move from Kansas City to a larger Overland Park headquarters.

Canal Winchester technology consultant iBeam Solutions Inc. is getting in on the ground floor with an emerging Internet dating service just months after beginning a new chapter in its own history.

The state’s economic development arm will soon start the process of transferring $1.2 billion in state aid to The Foundry Co., the joint venture through Advanced Micro Devices Inc. that’s building a computer chip plant in Malta. (AMD)

Microsoft Corp. said Wednesday it will offer free antivirus software for PCs. (MSFT) (SYMC) (MFE)

Hewlett-Packard Co. on Wednesday rolled out its first notebook computer with multi-touch technology, something it had only offered before in desktop computers. (HPQ)

Oregon lawmakers next year will wrestle with a budget nearly $1 billion smaller than last biennium’s.

The Honolulu City Council will hear a bill Thursday that would ban text messaging while driving.

Microsoft Corp. said it will now offer free antivirus software for PCs from viruses. (MSFT) (SYMC) (MFE)

Procter & Gamble Co. is swapping employees with Google Inc. in a program to learn how each company targets and markets to consumers. (PG) (GOOG)

Rackspace Hosting Inc. has extended the company’s cloud hosting service through its relationship with Limelight Networks Inc. (RAX) (LLNW)

The Semiconductor Industry Association expects global semiconductor sales to fall next year for the first time since 2001. According to the San Jose-based association's annual forecast, 2008 sales will increase 2.2 percent, to $261.2 billion, from 2007's $255.6 billion.

Gift card purchases are predicted to suffer this holiday season as consumers continue to monitor the current economy and their wallets.

HealthMarkets Inc. is saying that the insurer will lay off 13 percent of its work force.

The Semiconductor Industry Association expects global semiconductor sales to fall next year for the first time since 2001. According to the San Jose-based association's annual forecast, 2008 sales will increase 2.2 percent, or $261.2 billion, from 2007's $255.6 billion.

Microsoft Corp. said it will now offer free antivirus software for PCs from viruses. (MSFT) (SYMC) (MFE)

Cruz Reynoso, professor emeritus of law at the University of California Davis, has been appointed to President-elect Barack Obama’s team that will review key federal justice and civil rights departments, agencies and commissions and provide information for policy, budget and personnel decisions in the new administration.

Microsoft Corp. said Wednesday it will offer free antivirus software for PCs. (MSFT) (SYMC) (MFE)

Proxy adviser Glass Lewis & Co. agreed to buy Washington Analysis Corp., a political and economic advisory business.

Gift card purchases are predicted to suffer this holiday season as consumers continue to monitor the current economy and their wallets.

AT&T Inc. is debuting AT&T Mobile TV in San Antonio, a new service that will give wireless customers the ability to watch video on their cell phones. (T)

Kentrox Inc., which makes telecom network equipment, has laid off between 27 and 29 employees, or about a quarter of its total work force.

Apricot Lane Boutique, a women’s fashion chain that carries such popular brands as Habitual jeans and Melie Bianco purses, is opening its first Ohio location this weekend at Rookwood Commons.

Economist Ev Ehrlich says what makes the upstate New York region stand out as a great place to locate a computer chip manufacturing plant isn’t just the potential work force that is being educated here. (AMD)

Microsoft Corp. said Wednesday it will offer free antivirus software for PCs. (MSFT) (SYMC) (MFE)

Microsoft Corp. said Wednesday it will offer free antivirus software for PCs. (MSFT) (SYMC) (MFE)

Gift card purchases are expected to suffer this holiday season as consumers continue to monitor the economic slowdown and their wallets.

Canada’s largest private broadcaster CTV has inked a deal with Quattro Wireless Inc. for a mobile advertising network and site mobilization, the startup said Wednesday.

General Dynamics Corp. will buy AxleTech International, a Michigan manufacturer with a plant in Oshkosh, from the Carlyle Group for an undisclosed amount. (GD)

Gift card purchases are expected to suffer this holiday season as consumers continue to monitor the economic slowdown and their wallets.

General Dynamics Corp. will buy AxleTech International from the Carlyle Group for an undisclosed amount. (GD)

Microsoft Corp. said Wednesday it will now offer free antivirus software for PCs from viruses. (MSFT) (SYMC) (MFE)

Pennsylvania is among the least competitive states in the country when it comes to attracting and keeping businesses, according to a report released Wednesday.

Apptera Inc. raised $10.5 million in financing led by existing investors Lightspeed Venture Partners, Alloy Ventures, and Walden International. (YHOO)

Hanesbrands Inc. will close its yarn-production plant in China Grove by year end, eliminating 185 jobs. (HBI)

NTT DoCoMo Inc. and KTF Co. reportedly plan to start selling a smart phone with Google Inc.'s Android software next year.

GenVec’s pancreatic cancer treatment, which won fast-track review from the Food and Drug Administration just a week ago, showed promise after 12 months of use, but didn’t yield significant enough results after two years to appease investors. (GNVC)

Apptera Inc. said Wednesday that it closed a new $10.5 million round of financing and added a former Yahoo Inc. executive to its board of directors.

Gift card purchases are predicted to suffer this holiday season as consumers continue to monitor the current economy and their wallets.

Daytona Beach International Airport has announced that the Federal Aviation Administration has awarded it its safety mark of distinction award for the staff’s dedication and effort to improve airport safety.

A new fee planned by Facebook Inc. for verifying applications built for its social network is drawing some criticism.

NTT DoCoMo Inc. and KTF Co. reportedly plan to launch a smartphone with Google Inc.'s Android software next year. (GOOG)

Increasing the state sales tax to help shore up California’s budget deficit was opposed by a majority of those who voted in the most recent online Business Pulse survey.

Two more firms are picking up lawyers from the failed Thelen LLP firm.

Collaborative Drug Discovery Inc. said Tuesday it got a $1.9 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for work on a tuberculosis treatment database.

VAuto of Chicago signed an agreement with Enterprise Car Sales, a division of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, to supply inventory-management systems for more than 170 Enterprise Car Sales locations throughout the nation.

Life Time Fitness Inc. will cut 100 jobs at its Chanhassen headquarters, a move prompted by plans to scale back fitness center openings in 2009. (LTM)

Apparel maker Hanesbrands Inc. announced Tuesday that it will eliminate about 155 jobs in Winston-Salem to cut costs in a tough economic environment. (HBI)

Ambric Inc., which raised $42 million to develop a new processor capable of processing huge amounts of data, is for sale.

The Massachusetts-based computer hacker operating under the pseudonym “Dshocker” pled guilty Tuesday to “computer intrusion, interstate threats and wire fraud” and will do time in prison, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Boston.

Harleysville National Corp. said Tuesday that the Federal Reserve Board and the Pennsylvania Department of Banking have approved its planned acquisition of Willow Financial Bancorp Inc. (HNBC) (WFBC)

Citing “weaker than anticipated” October orders of $1.8 million, Data I/O Corp. laid off its vice president of worldwide sales and won’t replace him. (DAIO)

Wall Street rose slightly higher Tuesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average gaining 151.17 points.

Esterline Corp. said it’s buying Nylon Molding Corp. Group (NMC Group) for about $90 million. (ESC)

KLA-Tencor Corp. will cut about 15 percent of its roughly 6,000 workers around the world to save money. (KLAC)

The Cincinnati USA Partnership’s October India business mission has encouraged the group to focus future recruitment efforts on the country, according to a e-mail to Partnership investors.

Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Steve Ballmer reportedly will wait for Yahoo Inc. to name CEO Jerry Yang's successor before making a new move to buy its search business. (MSFT) (YHOO)

An Austin-based nanotechnology firm is one of six companies to receive the latest grants awarded from the state’s Emerging Technology Fund.

McAfee Inc. finished buying Secure Computing Corp. in a $462 million deal. (MFE) (SCUR)

Leap Wireless International Inc., the parent company of Cricket Communications Inc., said Tuesday that it is launching its Cricket unlimited wireless phone and broadband Internet services in Milwaukee beginning Wednesday at plan prices from $30 to $60 a month.

In the latest issue of a long-standing dispute, Qualcomm Inc. was found to be in violation of a previous injunction against the company for violating a pair of patents held by Broadcom Corp. (QCOM) (BCOM)

The unemployment rate in Washington jumped to 6.3 percent last month from September’s 5.7 percent level.

In response to a new deal between Alaska Airlines and Delta Airlines, pilots for Alaska said that they want to share in the new agreement’s success. (ALK) (DAL)

Few mobile phones — the iPhone being the notable exception — have been as eagerly awaited as the BlackBerry Bold. And for good reason: This was to be the BlackBerry that would help the device truly leap from the ho-hum world of e-mail to the realm of the Web-friendly, multi-media capable smart phone.

Shares of Digital River Inc. fell by more than 20 percent in afternoon trading Tuesday, after an analyst downgraded the company’s stock to “sell.”

HispanicTown partnered with TransferOrbit Corp. (PINKSHEETS: TRBI) so the thousands of subscribers and visitors of Hispanictown.com can access money transfers through TransferOrbit software.

MetroPCS Communications Inc. may benefit as the economy retracts, according to an analyst quoted in the Associated Press. (PCS)

AT&T Inc. will be the exclusive seller of LG Electronic MobileComm USA Inc.’s first smartphone for the U.S. market. (MSFT) (AAPL) (T)

Yahoo Inc. said late Monday afternoon that co-founder and chief executive Jerry Yang will resign.

Cincom Systems said it has signed a contract with ASC Pty Ltd., on behalf of the Air Warfare Destroyer Alliance, to purchase and implement its Enterprise Compliance and Quality Management software. The value of the contract wasn’t disclosed.

Texas Capital Bancshares Inc. says it is applying for the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Capital Purchase Program to secure $130 million in new capital. (TCBI) (CMA) (CFR)

The unemployment rate in Washington jumped to 6.3 percent last month from September’s 5.7 percent level.

The Downtown Denver Partnership issued a request for proposals Tuesday, seeking engineering experts to help revitalize and preserve Denver’s 16th Street Mall.

C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc. said Tuesday it has opened an office in Prague, citing growing demand from manufacturers in the Czech Republic.

Core Capital Partners led a $6 million round of funding for RollStream Inc., a developer of supply-chain software.

In response to a new deal between Alaska Airlines and Delta Airlines, pilots for Alaska said that they want to share in the new agreement’s success. (ALK) (DAL)

A California movie studio that wants to produce an animated version of the “Wizard of Oz” has been barred from trying to find investors in Colorado.

The average cost of Thanksgiving dinner in Arizona will be a bit higher this year, according to the Arizona Farm Bureau.

The Neighborhood Flix Cinema & Cafe will be auctioned off Nov. 25 to satisfy a Denver tax lien.

Internet America Inc. has agreed to merge with KeyOn Communications Holdings Inc. in a stock-for-stock transaction.

AT&T Inc. will be the exclusive seller of LG Electronic MobileComm USA Inc.’s first smartphone for the U.S. market. (MSFT) (AAPL) (T)

Avanex Corp. made Giovanni Barbarossa president and chief executive officer. (AVNX) (A)

Medtronic Inc. reported Tuesday its earnings slipped 14 percent in the second quarter, saying revenue growth was unable to offset more than $176 million in legal charges. (MDT)

Wycliffe Bible Translators received a $50 million donation from an anonymous donor, which will support its Last Languages Campaign.

Yahoo Inc. said late Monday afternoon that co-founder and chief executive Jerry Yang will resign.

An investor in TomoTherapy Inc. of Madison is publicly urging the company's board to actively consider strategic options for the company, even a possible sale, in the wake of the firm's plunging stock price. (TOMO)

AT&T Inc. will be the only seller of LG Electronic MobileComm USA Inc.’s first smart phone for the U.S. market. (MSFT) (AAPL) (T)

Kelsey Kohler has left her position as executive director of the Watervliet Innovation Center to start Digital Certainty LLC. The company will help private research firms license and commercialize their products.

Microchip Technology Inc. will have to find a new partner in its bid to purchase Atmel Corp. as ON Semiconductor Inc. has decided to withdraw from further action.

SHPS Inc., a provider of health-management and human resources services, has received seven health care communications awards from the Health Information Resource Center.

Internet America Inc. has agreed to merge with KeyOn Communications Holdings Inc. in a stock-for-stock transaction.

Stalled downtown West Palm Beach mixed-use condominium project, The Whitney, may be close to a sale, according to Peter J. Filomena, an executive at Palm Beach Gardens-based Reichel Realty and the court-appointed receiver for the iStar-funded project.

Midwest Block & Brick, a division of Midwest Products Group, recently acquired Hill Thomas, a brick and cement company in East St. Louis, Ill., and Glenstone Block Co., a concrete wall, patio and architectural block company in Springfield, Branson and Camdenton, Mo.

AT&T Inc. will be the exclusive seller of LG Electronic MobileComm USA Inc.’s first smartphone for the U.S. market. (MSFT) (AAPL) (T)

Finch Paper LLC, a paper mill in Glens Falls, has laid off 44 workers over the past two weeks in response to a souring economy.

The operator of the Imperial Hotel & Casino in Cripple Creek has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Investors pushed shares up Tuesday on the news that co-founder and Chief Executive Jerry Yang will resign. (YHOO) (MSFT) (GOOG)

Ronnie Eddins, warehouse supervisor for Buffalo Trace Distillery in Franklin County has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Malt Advocate Magazine, a magazine for whiskey connoisseurs.

Oshkosh Corp. said that it has broken ground Tuesday on its first plant in China, which will produce JLG access equipment specifically for the Asian market. (OSK)

Numerate Inc. raised $4 million in a first round of venture financing with investors including Foundation Capital, Lanza techVentures and several people.

MeadWestvaco Corp. will close its packaging plant in Grover early next year, cutting 120 jobs. (MWV)

New England cable sports network NESN has agreed to a multi-year contract with ex-Red Sox pitcher Dennis Eckersley, who has served as a studio analyst during the network’s Red Sox pre- and post-game coverage since 2003, the network said.

Online payment service PayPal Inc. said Tuesday it expanded into Mexico. (EBAY)

The U.S. Postal Service will increase its shipping service rates Jan. 18.

Bank of America Corp. plans to exercise an option to purchase additional shares in China Construction Bank, giving it a 19.1 percent stake in the company. (BAC)

Avanex Corp. on Tuesday named Giovanni Barbarossa president and chief executive. (AVNX) (A)

Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Steve Ballmer reportedly will wait for Yahoo Inc. to name CEO Jerry Yang's successor before making a new move to buy its search business. (MSFT) (YHOO)

ON Semiconductor Corp. said Tuesday it is withdrawing from its joint bid to buy Atmel Corp. with Microchip Technology Inc. (MCHP) (ATML) (ONNN)

Progress on Sprint Nextel Corp.’s $14.5 billion WiMAX deal can continue — for now — without trouble from affiliate iPCS Inc. (S) (CLWR)

The U.S. Postal Service will increase its shipping service rates Jan. 18.

Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Steve Ballmer reportedly will wait for Yahoo Inc. to name CEO Jerry Yang's successor before making a new move to buy its search business. (MSFT) (YHOO)

Point Blank Solutions said Monday that sales for the quarter ended Sept. 30 dropped by more than half, to $30.3 million from $71.8 million in the same quarter last year.

Investors pushed Yahoo Inc. shares up about 12 percent Tuesday on the news that co-founder and Chief Executive Jerry Yang will resign. (YHOO) (MSFT) (GOOG)

Pacific Ethanol Inc. has adjusted its financial statements for the quarter ended Sept. 30 to include a $14.3 million charge related to its suspended Imperial Valley ethanol plant construction.

Rackspace Hosting Ltd. has appointed a new general manager over the company’s Mosso cloud division. (RAX)

John Thompson will step down as CEO of Symantec Corp. by the end of the company’s fiscal year. (SYMC) (IBM)

Kansas City Southern Chairman and CEO Michael Haverty was named as a national finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2008 Award in the services category. (KSU)

DivX Inc. said late Monday it is suing Yahoo Inc. and lowered its outlook in a move it blames on a breached contract with the Internet company. (DIVX) (YHOO)

MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. said Monday that it now anticipates fourth-quarter 2008 revenue of about $500 million, plus or minus $25 million, with gross margin of approximately 48 percent, plus or minus 2 percentage points. (WFR)

Progress on the Sprint-Clearwire WiMAX deal can continue, for now, without trouble from affiliate iPCS Inc. (IPCS) (S) (CLWR)

Maryland settled a suit with the Environmental Defense Fund over the construction of the controversial Intercounty Connector.

Norwegian Cruise Line said Monday it has reduced its Hawaii office by five positions.

Spalding University officials Wednesday will cut the ribbon on its new College of Health and Natural Sciences facility.

Sutter Medical Foundation opened new medical offices in north Sacramento on Monday.

Brewery equipment at the former Van Dyck Restaurant & Brewery sold at auction for $70,000 to a family that operates three other Schenectady restaurants.

Novafora Inc. agreed to buy Transmeta Corp. for about $255.6 million in cash. (TMTA) (AMD)

The Securities and Exchange Commission has sued Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban over alleged insider trading, according to a complaint filed in federal district court in Dallas.

Maryland settled a suit with the Environmental Defense Fund over the construction of the controversial Intercounty Connector.

New Mexico Software Inc. reported a substantial jump in revenue and a sharp drop in net losses in the third quarter of 2008.

Spansion Inc. filed two suits against giant Samsung for patent infringement. (SPSN) (AAPL) (SNE)

Chase Paymentech, a payment processor of Internet transactions, launched its 2008 Cyber Holiday Pulse Index on Monday.

Novafora Inc. agreed to buy Transmeta Corp. for about $255.6 million in cash. (TMTA) (AMD)

Spansion Inc. filed a lawsuit on Monday against Samsung Electronics Co. that seeks to block U.S. imports of a number of products that use flash memory including iPods, iPhones and BlackBerrys. (AAPL) (RIMM)

Bank of America Corp. plans to exercise an option to purchase additional shares in China Construction Bank, giving it a 19.1 percent stake in the company. (BAC)

Bank of America Corp. plans to exercise an option to purchase additional shares in China Construction Bank, giving it a 19.1 percent stake in the company. (BAC) (BAC)

Transmeridian Exploration Inc. and United Energy Group Ltd. have agreed to terminate their investment agreement.

Progress on Sprint Nextel Corp.’s $14.5 billion WiMAX deal can continue — for now — without trouble from affiliate iPCS Inc. (S)

It’s unclear how the development of Cecil Field will be affected by a potential developer’s financial difficulties. (PLD)

The Securities and Exchange Commission has sued Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban over alleged insider trading, according to a complaint filed in federal district court in Dallas.

The area’s main distributor of food to the hungry, the Capital Area Food Bank, got an early Christmas gift this year: badly needed space to store food donations.

Bank of America Corp. plans to exercise an option to purchase additional shares in China Construction Bank, giving it a 19.1 percent stake in the company. (BAC)

A local mobile asset tracking company is tracking the cross-country trip of the 60-foot holiday tree that will end its travels on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building.

Atypon Systems Inc., which focuses on e-publishing, said Monday it acquired the eMeta operation from Macrovision Solutions Corp. (MVSN)

The Securities and Exchange Commission has sued Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban over alleged insider trading, according to a complaint filed in federal district court in Dallas.

It will cost slightly more to put Thanksgiving dinner on the table this year.

Bank of America Corp. plans to exercise an option to purchase additional shares in China Construction Bank, giving it a 19.1 percent stake in the company. (BAC)

NutriSystem Inc. said Monday it and Schwan’s Home Service Inc. plan to launch NutriSystem Select, a line of frozen versions of its foods, in the first quarter of next year. (NTRI)

Bank of America Corp. plans to exercise an option to purchase additional shares in China Construction Bank, giving it a 19.1 percent stake in the company. (BAC)

Medtronic Inc. has acquired the assets and intellectual property of California-based Pabban Development Inc. for its bone cement delivery system. (MDT)

Teradyne Inc. (NYSE: TER), a supplier of testing equipment based in North Reading, Mass., has acquired Illinois-based Eagle Test Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: EGLT). Terms of the deal were not disclosed. (TER)

The U.S. Postal Service has announced that its shipping service rates will increase Jan. 18.

Interisland carrier go! airlines now is offering passengers travel insurance through an agreement with Mondial Assistance.

It will cost slightly more to put Thanksgiving dinner on the table this year.

The U.S. Postal Service has announced that its shipping service rates will increase Jan. 18.

WidePoint Corp.’s third-quarter revenues jumped 122 percent, helped by a surge in its mobile telecom expense management services segment.

The Washington Post’s Kaplan education division is adding firefighters and paramedics to its list of students, acquiring National Paramedic Institute, Inc. for an undisclosed sum. (WPO)

The U.S. Postal Service has announced that its shipping service rates will increase Jan. 18.

The Boyd Theatre at 19th and Chestnut streets moved a step closer to a proposed $135 million redevelopment after the Philadelphia Historical Commission voted to grant the builder permits to move forward with the project.

PGA Tour officials named the Wyndham Championship last year’s “Most Improved Event” during the Tour Advisory Council annual meetings in Florida this week.

Pace Communications received 18 awards last week at the Custom Publishing Council’s Pear Awards ceremony in New York.