Microsoft will send out replacement parts for its Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel after 50 reports that the video game controllers overheated and released smoke when plugged in, the software maker said Thursday. The $130 steering wheel-shaped controllers mimic the physical sensations of race car driving for games such as “Forza Motorsport 2.” About 230,000 have been sold to consumers, according to the company. The company said owners of the controller should stop plugging it in, but said it is safe to use with battery power.
Fewer unemployed seek jobless pay
Fewer people signed up for jobless benefits last week, an encouraging sign that most businesses aren’t resorting to big layoffs amid a housing slump and the painful credit crunch. The Labor Department reported Thursday that new applications filed for unemployment insurance dipped by 2,000 to 322,000 for the week ending Aug. 18. It marked the first drop in new claims in roughly a month.
Airline price fixers fined $300 million
Two major airlines were fined $300 million apiece Thursday after admitting they conspired to fix prices on international flights and agreeing to help prosecutors investigate other airlines. British Airways PLC, Britain’s largest airline, and Korean Air Co., South Korea’s national carrier, pleaded guilty to antitrust conspiracy charges. They acknowledged colluding with rival airlines over cargo rates and fuel surcharges, which were added to fares in response to rising oil prices.
‘Potter’ epic boosts Barnes &Noble
Barnes &Noble Inc., the largest U.S. bookseller, said Thursday its second-quarter earnings rose 9 percent, boosted by sales of J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” The company also said it expects a loss in the third quarter but increased its yearly guidance to reflect tax benefits and lower-than-expected costs for closing a distribution center. The company’s shares rose 90 cents, or 2.6 percent, to $35.82 Thursday.
New rule forced recall, China claims
A global recall of millions of Chinese-made toys was the result of new industry standards, not poor quality, an official said Thursday, as a high-level panel announced the launch of a nationwide safety campaign. Earlier this month, Mattel Inc. recalled almost 19 million Chinese-made items, including dolls, cars and action figures. Some were contaminated with lead paint, while others had small, powerful magnets that children might swallow. Vice Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng said 18.2 million of the recalled products were pulled off shelves because of May revisions of standards involving magnets.
Todd Shipyards declares dividend
The board of directors of Seattle’s Todd Shipyards Corp. on Wednesday approved a 15-cent dividend per share to be paid Dec. 21 to all shareholders of record as of Dec. 6. Earlier, the company had announced a 15-cent per share dividend payable Sept 24 to all shareholders of record as of Sept. 7
From Herald news services
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