BRIEFING
Batteries to cost Nokia about $5 million in India
Nokia, which announced a voluntary worldwide recall of as many as 46 million mobile phone batteries earlier this month, said Tuesday that it would replace about 300,000 units in India after irate users thronged outlets following news that some batteries had overheated.
Nokia received almost six million complaints in India, of which about 5 percent will require battery replacements, said Devinder Kishore, the Nokia India marketing director. At 700 rupees apiece, about 210 million rupees, or $5.1 million, will be spent to replace the BL-5C batteries made by Matsushita Electric Industrial.
Separately, Nokia introduced its new high-speed 6555 clamshell phone with a screen designed for viewing photos and videos. Its estimated retail price is \200, or $270, the company said.
BollorŠ¹ increases stake in advertising group
The French billionaire Vincent BollorŠ¹ bought 1.68 million shares in Havas earlier this month, lifting his direct and indirect stake in the French advertising group to about 31 percent.
Under French law, an investor whose stake exceeds 33.3 percent has to offer to buy all outstanding shares, unless given a regulatory exemption.
Bebo gets Microsoft IM
Bebo, the social-networking site, said it would offer a Microsoft-powered instant-messaging program this fall.
Bebo users will be able to click a link to start an IM session with any other Bebo member, even if neither has a Windows Live ID.
They will also be able to exchange messages with Bebo friends who are not logged on, but who are using the regular Windows Live Messenger program. But Bebo users will not be able to send instant messages to Windows Live Messenger users who do not have Bebo accounts.
ESPN, the sports network owned by Walt Disney, said it had bought Scrum.com, a leading rugby news Web site, as part of its bid to move beyond American sports.
A Dow Jones vice president, Paul Ingrassia, said he would quit. He is the first top executive to announce he would leave since News Corp. said it would buy the publisher of The Wall Street Journal.
