Microsoft Corp. took the unusual step of issuing an unscheduled fix Thursday for security holes in its Internet Explorer browser that played a role in the recent computer attacks that led Google to threaten to leave China. The updates are for all supported versions of Internet Explorer, from IE 5.01 up through the newest IE 8. People who have their computers set to install security updates automatically will get the fix. PC users who don’t automatically get updates should go to www.microsoft.com/security to download the patch. Microsoft said it learned of the problems last fall and was already planning to release the fixes in February. Last week, it confirmed that the attacks described by Google Inc. took advantage of the same flaw.
Google Internet ads soar in fourth quarter
Google Inc. revved up its fourth-quarter Internet advertising sales to approach $2 billion in quarterly profit for the first time, providing the strongest sign yet that Internet search leader has shaken off the recession’s doldrums. The results announced Thursday topped analyst estimates, but evidently weren’t enough to please investors. Google shares dived more than 4 percent in extended trading. Google earned $1.97 billion, or $6.13 per share, in the final three months of 2009. That was up dramatically from income of $382 million at the same time last year, when Google’s earnings were deflated by charges to reflect the eroding value of some investments. Fourth-quarter revenue totaled $6.7 billion, a 17 percent increase.
Auto dealers appeal proposed closures
About 21 percent of the General Motors and Chrysler dealers whose franchises are being cancelled by the automakers have filed paperwork appealing the decisions. Around 600 dealers out of the roughly 2,800 whose franchises were revoked last year have asked for arbitration hearings in an effort to get their franchises back. The appeals mean that many neighborhood dealerships that were shut down or scheduled for closure could return to business. GM Chairman and Chief Executive Ed Whitacre Jr. has said he expects hundreds of dealers to win their franchises back during the process, which must be wrapped up by June 14.
Earnings drop for Burlington Northern
Railroad operator Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. said Thursday it expects the economy to continue to gradually improve this year as it reported a 13 percent drop in fourth-quarter earnings. The company said it earned $536 million, or $1.55 per share, compared with $615 million, or $1.78 per share, in the fourth-quarter of 2008. The 2009 quarter includes a tax benefit of 25 cents per share. Revenue fell to $3.68 billion from $4.37 billion a year earlier. Thomson Reuters says analysts were expecting a profit of $1.22 per share on revenue of $3.62 billion. The biggest sales drop came from industrial products, which fell 22 percent.
From Herald news services
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
