Tokyo - Sony announced on Tuesday that it plans a $3 billion initial public offering for its financial unit on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Reuters reported. [more..]

Frankfurt, Germany - Apple's iPhone outsold all other smartphone models in the U.S. in July, taking 1.8% of the total U.S. handset market, according to a report from market research firm iSuppli. [more..]

San Francisco - A company that sued Google in 2003 for trademark infringement, over ads placed through its keyword-based online advertising service, has settled its lawsuit, Reuters reported. [more..]

London - Digital movie download services will be worth $1.3 billion in the U.S. and Western Europe by 2011, representing 3% of all home video revenues in the combined region, according to a report from market research firm Screen Digest. [more..]

Dulles, Va. - More than three years after launching its KOL service for kids aged 7-12 and Red service for teens, AOL plans to phase out both businesses, PaidContent.org reported. [more..]

San Francisco - Google has begun publishing full stories from news agencies such as the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Canadian Press and Britain's Press Association on its Google News aggregation service, Reuters reported. [more..]

Munich - German TV broadcaster ProSiebenSat1 Media has purchased the 70% stake in German video-sharing site MyVideo.de that it did not already own for about $26 million, BlogNation reported. [more..]

Paris - Thomson, a developer of digital video technologies for the media and entertainment sectors, announced on Tuesday that it has acquired SyncCast, a provider of content delivery network services for digital media. [more..]

Dublin, Ireland - About one-quarter of white collar workers say they play casual games at work, with a further 35% of senior executives admitting the practice, according to a survey conducted by Information Solutions Group on behalf of casual games distributor PopCap Games. [more..]

San Francisco - Media Machines, a provider of 3D virtual world creation software and services, has raised $9.4 million in its first round of venture capital financing, PEHub.com reported, citing a regulatory filing. [more..]

Austin, Texas - Media Excel, a developer of transcoding technologies for mobile TV, IPTV and Web TV platforms, said on Tuesday that financier Red McCombs, a co-founder of Clear Channel Communications, has increased his investment in the company. [more..]

Burlington, Vt. - Mophie, a maker of iPod accessories, has been acquired by mStation, a Michigan-based developer of products for Apple users. [more..]

Despite calls for the show's cancellation, CBS is moving forward with Kid Nation, and Scott Goldberg says plans for season two are already under way. [more..]

Bear Stearns called Yahoo a "Top Pick" and highly-regarded analyst Robert Peck said he beleived Microsoft would pay $76/share for the internet giant as the stock rose. [more..]

I'm unaffiliated with any political party. In fact I can't think of anything good that comes from political parties because they do just one thing, politics. [more..]

Rohit Bhargava blogs about how Web2.0 shouldn't just be about finding new ways for technology to let people collaborate.  It should also mean that we don't forget all the lessons we have learned over the last ten years about how people use the web and the importance of usability. [more..]

Who had it better than Appalachian State last week, with the Michigan upset and the announcement that Miss South Carolina would be an incoming freshman? [more..]

Robin Goad of Hitwise UK uses search data to examine if searches for Big Brother competitors were biased in favour the winners, or whether other factors had a greater impact.

 

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Los Angeles - Comedy producer National Lampoon announced on Tuesday that it has retained the services of American Capital Ventures to provide investor relations for the company. [more..]

New York - Universal Music Group announced on Tuesday that it has licensed its entire ringtone catalog for use by Home Phone Tunes on the Ringboxx, a device that lets users personalize landline phones with ringtones. [more..]

New York - SpiralFrog, the developer of a free, ad-supported music download service, announced on Tuesday that it has signed a licensing deal with independent digital music distributor IODA. [more..]

London - U.K.-based mobile entertainment publisher Pocket Group said on Tuesday that it has signed agreements with independent music distributors CD Baby and INgrooves, to offer their tracks through its network of over 50 mobile carriers. [more..]

San Francisco - Mobile entertainment publisher Airborne Entertainment announced on Tuesday that it has secured a deal with IRIS Distribution, to offer wallpapers, full tracks, music videos and other content from independent artists for download to mobile devices. [more..]

San Francisco - Double Fusion, the operator of an in-game advertising network, on Tuesday announced the release of fusion.runtime, a platform that makes ad placements possible after games have already been completed and released. [more..]

Atlanta - CDC Games, a provider of online games in China, announced on Monday that it has established U.S. operations, based in Atlanta, under a new business unit called CDC Games USA. [more..]