UPDATED: IBM does IM with Yahoo!, AOL and Google

IBM has announced a series of deals with some of the world's major instant messaging suppliers to connect to its Lotus Sametime IM product. Big Blue has announced deals with Yahoo!, AOL to communicate with each other IBM's deals with Yahoo! and AOL means that users of Lotus Sametime 7.5 can interact with Yahoo! Messenger, AOL's AIM and ICQ and the Apple iChat services. ...more

Packard Bell sold by NEC

Packard Bell, best known for its range of low cost PCs sold through the Dixons Stores Group has been sold by its majority shareholder NEC to Californian entrepreneur John Hui. The deal provides an exit strategy for NEC who earlier this year declared its intention to pull out of the home PC market in favour of business machines. At the same time is provides Hui with another stepping stone in building a low cost PC giant. ...more

Outlines of IBM Lenovo deal emerge

IBM is set to take a stake of more than five per cent in Chinese manufacturer Lenovo as well as receive a cash payment of around $1.5 billion for its PC Division according to the Financial Times today. It is understood the Lenovo would not only buy the development and distribution of the 'Think' range of desktops and notebooks - actual manufacture is already generally outsourced - but crucially also the brand name 'Think' itself along with the right to put the IBM brand on the machines. ...more

Pixar offers Lasseter 10-year contract

It's good news for computer animation fans because it has been announced that John Lasseter, the creative force behind the "Toy Story" and "A Bug's Life" films, has signed a 10-year deal with Pixar animation studios. The exclusive deal sees Lasseter become executive vice president of the company and continue to oversee Pixar's current productions, which include "Monsters, Inc". This is a computer animated film about monsters that live in the wardrobe, which is voiced by Billy Crystal and John Goodman and should provide Pixar with a Christmas blockbuster. ...more

AdCenter live in UK

Microsoft's adCenter now serves all of the paid search traffic on Microsoft online properties in the UK, principally MSN Search and Windows Live Search. The deal with Yahoo!'s Search Marketing in Britain has been terminated. Over the past few months, Microsoft has been trialling the service with a number of its key advertisers, and has now pronounced itself satisfied with the results. ...more