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ChangeQuakes Of The Week

June 19, 2006

TOP CHANGEQUAKES OF THE WEEK
** Bill Gates Giving Up Day-To-Day Role At Microsoft
** Sweden, California Agree To Develop Renewable Fuels
** Airlines And Markets Pummel Airbus For A380 Delay
** New Bird Flu Vaccine Shows Promise

MORE CHANGEQUAKES TO WATCH

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TOP CHANGEQUAKES OF THE WEEK

Bill Gates Giving Up Day-To-Day Role At Microsoft

(CORPORATE CHANGEQUAKE) -- Microsoft Corp. said late Thursday that Bill Gates was immediately handing over his role as chief software architect to Chief Technology Officer Ray Ozzie and will transition out of his day-to-day role at the world's largest software company during the next two years.

www.marketwatch.com

Related stories: Bill Gates' Departure: What It Means
news.yahoo.com

Microsoft Eyes New Tech Leaders For Post-Gates Era
biz.yahoo.com

Sweden, California Agree To Develop Renewable Fuels

(TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGEQUAKE) -- Sweden and California's state government have signed an agreement to advance the use of renewable fuels, including using biogas to run motor vehicles, according to officials.

www.mercurynews.com

Airlines And Markets Pummel Airbus For A380 Delay

(CORPORATE CHANGEQUAKE) -- Airlines around the world punished Airbus last week for delays in the delivery of its A380 superjumbo, demanding compensation, reconsidering orders and -- in one case -- striking a major deal with rival Boeing Co.

www.topix.net

New Bird Flu Vaccine Shows Promise

(DISCOVERY CHANGEQUAKE) -- A new lab-engineered bird flu vaccine protected ferrets against several strains of H5N1 Avian influenza, offering the possibility of making a vaccine ahead of any pandemic.

news.yahoo.com

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MORE CHANGEQUAKES TO WATCH

TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGEQUAKES

Japanese Chip Manufacturers Team Up To Fight Rivals

Toshiba, Fujitsu, NEC Electronics and Renesas Technology have agreed to set a technology standard for advanced chips with circuitry widths of 45 nanometres or finer, in an effort to regain competitiveness and better compete with larger rivals such as Intel.

today.reuters.com

Europe To Require Internet Accessibility By 2010

The 25 European Commission member states and nine accession countries have all signed an agreement committing themselves to the "Internet for all" action plan, designed to ensure that the most Web-disadvantaged groups can get online, pledging to increase broadband coverage across the continent to 90% by 2010.

news.com.com


CORPORATE CHANGEQUAKES

Ford Ready To Invest Billions In Mexico

Ford, which is slashing jobs and closing plants in the U.S. as it seeks to return its North American operations to profitability, is preparing to invest up to $9.2 billion in Mexico to leverage its low operating costs there.

news.yahoo.com

Verizon Sues Vonage Over Patents

Internet phone carrier Vonage said it has received a patent infringement lawsuit from Verizon claiming Vonage used Verizon's patented technology for VOIP services.

www.businessweek.com

Nokia And Siemens Announce Joint Venture

Nokia and Siemens have agreed to combine the bulk of their telecom equipment businesses to create one of the biggest players in the industry, sending shares in both firms higher.

abcnews.go.com

Chevron, Georgia Tech Form Research Alliance On Alternative Fuels

Chevron Corp. plans to collaborate with the Georgia Institute of Technology and contribute up to $12 million to pursue advanced technology aimed at making cellulosic biofuels and hydrogen viable transportation fuels.

www.tradingmarkets.com

EBay Integrates Skype Into Auctions

EBay plans to add a "Skype Me" button to certain categories of its online listings, allowing prospective buyers to contact sellers directly through the Internet phone service it acquired last year for $2.6 billion.

abcnews.go.com

Related stories: EBay Reaches 200 Million Member Milestone
today.reuters.com

EBay Enables Customers To Re-Bid On Listings Using Mobile Phones
biz.yahoo.com

Amazon Now Selling Groceries Online

Internet retailer Amazon.com has started selling groceries on its Web site, a cautious step into a business that was one of the biggest casualties of the dot-com collapse.

news.com.com

Microsoft Developing Rival To Apple's iPod

Microsoft is developing a music and video device to compete with Apple's iPod and creating its own music service to rival Apple's iTunes, according to sources familiar with the project.

news.yahoo.com


REGULATORY CHANGEQUAKES

RIAA Says Illegal Music Downloading 'Contained'

Nearly a year after the Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling against online music file-sharing services, the CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America says unauthorized song swapping has been "contained."

www.usatoday.com

Game Rating Board Institutes $1 Million Fine For Publishers

According to the Federal Trade Commission, the video game industry has made improvements in self-regulation, but more needs to be done. At a subcommittee hearing, ESRB president Patricia Vance introduced a new penalty that could impose a $1 million fine for publishers that don't disclose all pertinent content.

biz.gamedaily.com


ECONOMIC CHANGEQUAKES

Inflation Rises 0.4% In May

Consumer inflation registered another sizable increase in May, pushed higher by soaring gasoline prices. And most worrisome, there was further evidence that the jump in energy costs is beginning to cause more widespread inflation troubles.

www.topix.net

China's Central Bank Plans To Curb Excess Liquidity

China's central bank has said it will strive to stop the "excessive" availability of credit and money, fearing that unfettered economic growth could lead to growing inflation in the economy.

news.bbc.co.uk


FDA APPROVAL CHANGEQUAKES

AMA Calls For Limits On Drug Advertising

The American Medical Association said it will push for a moratorium on ads for new prescription drugs and implantable medical devices to give doctors a chance to learn about them, and also urged the FDA to not allow political considerations or conflicts of interest to overrule scientific evidence in making policy decisions.

www.chicagotribune.com

FDA Issues Guidance For New Drug Labeling Laws

The first revisions to the layout of drug package inserts in 25 years will come into effect as of June 30 and the FDA has released a draft technical document to help drug manufacturers incorporate the changes.

www.in-pharmatechnologist.com

First Drug Treatment For Late-Stage Cervical Cancer Approved

The FDA has approved a combination of Hycamtin (topotecan hydrochloride) and cisplatin for use as the first drug treatment for women with late-stage cancer of the cervix in cases where surgery or radiation therapy are unlikely to be effective.

www.news-medical.net

Dr. Reddy's Gets Approval For Alzheimer's Treatment

Dr. Reddy's Laboratories has secured initial approval from the FDA to sell a drug used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

www.bloomberg.com


DISCOVERY CHANGEQUAKES

Scientists Make Advancements In Developing Synthetic Blood Vessels

A team of researchers has developed a better technique for growing synthetic blood vessels for people with vascular disease who need replacements.

www.livescience.com

New Diabetes Drugs Give Double Punch

Two experimental pills seem to help established diabetes drugs lower patients' blood sugar, with the added bonus of a little weight loss. The once-a-day meds are the first in a new class of diabetes drugs that work in a unique way, and competitors Merck & Co. and Novartis AG both hope to win FDA approval to begin selling them by year's end.

www.topix.net

New Study Links Intestinal Bacteria To Obesity

The microorganisms that live in your gut could explain one of the sources of obesity, says a new study. Because some bacteria appear to be better at helping turn food into energy, researchers believe changing the mix of bacteria in the intestine could influence how much people weigh.

www.livescience.com