Technology

Apple Starts Taking Orders for IPad Tablet, Expanding Beyond IPod, IPhone Apple Inc. began taking pre-orders for its iPad multimedia tablet today, seeking to expand sales beyond the iPhone, iPod and Macintosh computer.

Microsoft Xbox Takes U.S. Console-Sales Lead After 2 Years, Surpassing Wii Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360 beat Nintendo Co.’s Wii and Sony Corp.’s PlayStation 3 last month to become the best-selling video-game console in the U.S. for the first time in more than two years, helped by the release of the “BioShock 2” shooting title.

Apple, Netflix Wait in Wings While Cable's TV Everywhere Stamps Out Free Once upon a time, not so long ago, a bunch of small companies in Silicon Valley thought the future of television was theirs.

Lions Gate's Board Rejects Icahn Offer, Sets Defenses to Deter Purchases Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., the independent studio behind the “Saw” horror films, rejected Carl Icahn’s offer to buy 13.2 million of its shares and adopted a plan to deter future purchases by the billionaire investor.

China Calls Google Plan to End Web Censorship `Unfriendly, Irresponsible' China said Google Inc. would be “unfriendly and irresponsible” if it defies rules to filter online content, commenting on a censorship dispute between the government and the owner of the most popular search engine.

European Mobile-Phone Companies Need to Merge Networks, Hutchison 3 Says European mobile-phone companies need to share their networks to cut costs and meet increasing demand for high-speed data services, according to Hutchison Whampoa Ltd.’s 3 U.K. unit.

Willcom Seeks $1.5 Billion in Financial Support to Emerge From Bankruptcy Willcom Inc., the Japanese wireless carrier that filed for bankruptcy protection, is seeking financial aid of as much as 137.8 billion yen ($1.5 billion) to revive the company.

BSkyB Shares Jump Most Since October on Report News Corp. May Make Bid British Sky Broadcasting Plc, the U.K.’s biggest pay-television provider, rose the most since October in London trading on a report that Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. may bid for the shares it doesn’t own.

Bechtle Chief Olemotz Sees Profit Rise This Year on Public-Sector Spending Bechtle AG, the German computer and software retailer whose customers include the Federal Army, predicted 2010 revenue and earnings before tax will rise, helped by the economic recovery and public-sector spending.

`Twilight' Star Mourns Brother's Suicide; Hamm's Cold Case: Rick Warner Near the end of “Remember Me,” there’s a lingering shot of the Twin Towers on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, just before they were destroyed by terrorist- piloted jets. Like much of the movie, the symbolism is heavy- handed.