Deals of the Hour

Trying to find out what's the deal with the world, tracking what's on sale and who's talking about it on Twitter. Update hourly.

Deals of the Hour / October 19, 2010, 4:41 pm

Skype coming to Japanese cell phones

Skype has tied up with one of Japan's largest telecommunications companies in a deal that will see its Internet telephony service offered on cell phones and to broadband, fixed line and cable TV customers. The deal is potentially the largest Skype has done ... (Source: ARNnet 2010-10-18T17:43:40Z)

Strong Citigroup results give markets a lift

The Toronto stock market was slightly higher Monday as financials got a lift from a solid earnings report from American bank Citigroup. The S&P/TSX composite index was 17 points higher to 12,626.1 while the TSX Venture Exchange gained 4.83 points to 1,827 ... (Source: Toronto Star 2010-10-18T14:44:42Z)

JetBlue Flight Attendant Steven Slater Avoids Jail

Steven Slater , the JetBlue flight attendant and self-professed "bag Nazi" who made a dramatic emergency slide exit from a JetBlue plane in August, pleaded guilty today to criminal mischief charges as part of a deal to avoid jail time. Appearing in Queens ... (Source: ABC News 2010-10-19T17:21:00Z)

Cash Is King to the Tune of $3.6 Billion in Pfizer Offer, an Industrial Info News Alert

SUGAR LAND, TX -- (Marketwire) -- 10/14/10 -- Reported by Annette Kreuger, Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas) -- Drug giant Pfizer Incorporated (NYSE:PFE) (New York, New York) went on a shopping expedition in search of replacements for its aging ... (Source: Daily Finance 2010-10-14T09:55:57Z)

AP sources: US to tell Congress of Saudi arms deal

WASHINGTON—The Obama administration is expected to notify Congress on Wednesday of a multibillion-dollar sale of fighter jets and military helicopters to Saudi Arabia, officials said Tuesday. The State Department scheduled a news conference for Wednesday ... (Source: San Jose Mercury News 2010-10-19T22:00:10Z)

EU Governments Reach Deal On Sanctions, Possible Treaty Changes

LUXEMBOURG (Dow Jones)--European Union governments reached a deal Monday to tighten rules governing the bloc's public finances, handing more power to the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, to act against countries that violate them. EU finance ... (Source: Wall Street Journal 2010-10-18T20:06:50Z)

First Quantum Minerals to acquire all outstanding shares of Antares Minerals

VANCOUVER - A subsidiary of First Quantum Minerals Ltd. (TSX:FM) has signed to acquire Antares Minerals in a deal valued at about $460 million. Vancouver-based First Quantum announced early Monday the cash and share purchase of all fully diluted shares of ... (Source: Brandon Sun 2010-10-18T12:28:42Z)

Why I think Steve Jobs is lying

At yesterday's Apple earnings call, CEO Steve Jobs quelled rumors that the company was on the verge of producing a smaller 7-inch iPad to counter the arrival of such mini slates as Samsung's Galaxy Tab. He said that these devices were "tweeners" and would ... (Source: CNET News 2010-10-19T20:41:26Z)

Stocks down sharply as dollar strengthens

NEW YORK — Investors pushed stocks down Tuesday as they digested news from a flurry of earnings reports from corporate heavyweights and a surprise interest rate hike in China that may slow that country's economy. Disappointing news from Apple Inc. and ... (Source: msnbc.com 2010-10-19T18:46:54Z)

Northeast Utilities and Nstar to create New England's biggest utility with $4.17 billion deal

NEW YORK (AP) — Northeast Utilities will buy Nstar for $4.17 billion, forming the biggest New England utility company with 3.5 million electric and gas customers in three states. The companies and industry analysts expect some of the savings from the ... (Source: Chicago Tribune 2010-10-18T19:31:02Z)

US, Israel agree Iran prime threat to Mideast

WASHINGTON – The United States and Israel on Monday said Iran is among the "greatest challenges" to stability in the Middle East and reaffirmed their commitment to preventing the country from developing nuclear weapons. After talks in Washington, senior ... (Source: YAHOO! 2010-10-19T19:51:19Z)

RIM's Balsillie responds to barbs from Apple's Jobs

Research In Motion's Jim Balsillie on Tuesday brushed off Steve Jobs' critique of RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook tablet computer, saying the Apple CEO's barbs made no sense outside of his company's "distortion field." Jobs on Monday said a batch of seven-inch ... (Source: msnbc.com 2010-10-19T21:45:51Z)

Northeast Utilities to buy Nstar in $4.17 bln deal as it ramps up projects tied to renewables

Northeast Utilities will buy Nstar for $4.17 billion, forming one of the nation's biggest utility companies with 3.5 million electric and gas customers in three New England states. The acquisition should help Northeast pay for large transmission projects ... (Source: Los Angeles Times 2010-10-18T14:37:33Z)

TSX flat as stronger U.S. dollar pressures commodities

The Toronto stock market was little changed Monday as a stronger U.S. currency weakened commodity prices and sent mining stocks lower while investors looked to corporate earnings for clues about the state of the American economy. The S&P/TSX composite ... (Source: Toronto Star 2010-10-18T14:16:04Z)

Summary Box: EU nations reach deal on hedge funds

HEDGE FUNDS REINED IN: European finance ministers on Tuesday agreed to tighten regulation of hedge funds. The agreements sets out requirements for risk management and transparency about who runs the funds. BORDER CROSSING: The agreement introduces a ... (Source: AP - msnbc.com 2010-10-19T18:39:44Z)

JetBlue 'I'm Outta Here' Guy Avoids Jail

The JetBlue Airways Corp. flight attendant whose job-quitting meltdown landed him in court avoided jail time in a plea deal Tuesday that requires him to undergo counseling and treatment for a least a year. Steven Slater spoke politely and calmly as he ... (Source: NPR News 2010-10-19T19:44:10Z)

China Is Said to Halt Exports to U.S. of Some Key Minerals

HONG KONG — China, which has been blocking shipments of crucial minerals to Japan for the last month, has now quietly halted shipments of some of those same materials to the United States and Europe, three industry officials said on Tuesday. The Chinese ... (Source: New York Times 2010-10-19T19:22:41Z)

O2 Vindkompaniet to Build 17 Windfarms in Sweden in 2011 and 2012, an Industrial Info News Alert

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas) -- Swedish company O2 Vindkompaniet (Stockholm, Sweden) plans to begin constructing eight windfarms in 2011. Nine others await planning permission. Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading ... (Source: Melodika.net 2010-10-19T11:08:46Z)

Violation Of 'Secret Deal' May Be At Root Of China-Japan Dispute

You have to love stories like this. So, it looks like the diplomatic clash between China and Japan over some disputed islands may have been because Japan violated a secret pact between the two countries. The clash has led to violent anti-Japanese protests ... (Source: NPR News 2010-10-19T16:02:16Z)

Cyberwar Declared on Iran

The Stuxnet worm that appears to have damaged Iran's Bushehr nuclear reactor is "the first real cyberwar operation in history," says German cyber-security expert Ralph Langner. The Iranian regime has made a variety of claims as to how the Stuxnet ... (Source: NewsMax.com 2010-10-19T17:49:38Z)

Wind Power: Resource Is Free, but Transmission Lines Are Expensive, an Industrial Info News Alert

Written by John Egan for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas) -- It would cost about $25 billion over the next 20 years to build enough high-voltage transmission lines to bring wind from the Upper Midwest to load centers in the Eastern U.S ... (Source: Melodika.net 2010-10-19T11:08:46Z)

EU executive still wants tougher debt rules

The EU executive commission said Tuesday it will still push for automatic fines to be levied on governments who flout euro spending rules — even though a French-German deal containing less drastic enforcement has won broad backing from elected ... (Source: AP - msnbc.com 2010-10-19T16:23:44Z)

Wall Street falls on tech, China worries

By Rodrigo Campos NEW YORK (Reuters) - Results and outlooks from consumer and technology titans Apple and IBM sent U.S. stock indexes lower on Tuesday as disappointed investors worried about the strength of corporate earnings. A move by China to raise its ... (Source: msnbc.com 2010-10-19T21:45:51Z)

Japan's KDDI ties up with Skype

KDDI's mobile service, operating under the "au" brand, will start new apps from November for selected handsets and offer Skype-to-Skype calls Tokyo: Japan's number-two telecom operator KDDI said Monday it had formed a strategic tie-up with Skype to ... (Source: Livemint.com 2010-10-18T09:44:03Z)

Ethylene Profit Gains May End on China Supplies: Energy Markets

Oct. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Profit from making ethylene, used in everything from car parts to Buzz Lightyear toys, may be capped in Asia next year after Chinese production jumped to the highest level in eight months. The net return from producing ethylene by ... (Source: BusinessWeek 2010-10-19T23:11:45Z)

JetBlue attendant who slid on chute to fame pleads guilty

The JetBlue flight attendant whose job-quitting meltdown landed him in court avoided jail time in a plea deal Tuesday that requires him to undergo counseling and treatment for a least a year. Steven Slater spoke politely and calmly as he entered a guilty ... (Source: Salt Lake Tribune 2010-10-19T17:13:51Z)

Day ahead rocky on Wall Street

NEW YORK — Stocks are trading sharply lower following a flurry of mixed earnings reports from corporate heavyweights. Disappointing news from Apple and IBM are pushing technology shares down Tuesday. Both beat earnings forecasts, but they also said ... (Source: Houston Chronicle 2010-10-19T19:15:32Z)

Northeast Utilities to buy Nstar in $4.17B deal

BOSTON  -- Northeast Utilities will buy New England energy company Nstar in a stock-for-stock deal valued at $4.17 billion, forming one of the biggest utility companies in the country. The combined company, will own six regulated gas and electric ... (Source: msnbc.com 2010-10-18T13:40:17Z)

UPDATE 1-RIM's Balsillie responds to barbs from Apple's Jobs

TORONTO, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Research In Motion's ( RIM.TO ) Jim Balsillie on Tuesday brushed off Steve Jobs' critique of RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook tablet computer, saying the Apple CEO's barbs made no sense outside of his company's "distortion field." Jobs ... (Source: Reuters 2010-10-19T21:45:51Z)

'KDDI to offer Skype calls on smartphones'

Oct 15, 2010 (DMASIA via COMTEX) -- Japanese operator KDDI is teaming up with Skype Technologies to enable its au mobile phone service subscribers to make Skype calls through smartphones, starting November, reports the Nikkei. KDDI will offer free or low ... (Source: TMCnet 2010-10-15T12:39:25Z)

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