Nintendo Wii officially recession-proof

The Wii Fit game is one of Nintendo's biggest sellers with 697,000 sold in the U.S. in November. Courtesy of Nintendo

By Yi-Wyn Yen

Nintendo seems to have bucked the recession. The Japanese video game manufacturer has doubled November sales of the Wii in the U.S. from a year ago, according to NPD's latest release on gaming sales.

The demand for the Wii remains strong since the game console's debut two years ago. The company MORE

Kosmix searches for a new way around Google

By Yi-Wyn Yen

These days, getting a large handout from venture capitalists is rare. It's even tougher when your startup needs a lot of cash to compete with Google.

Kosmix, however, has defied the odds. In late October, the plucky startup raised $20 million, led by Fortune's parent company Time Warner (TWX), by assuring investors that Google is not the only way to search on the Web. Kosmix says it takes a MORE

Report: Former AOL chief wants to buy Yahoo

By Yi-Wyn Yen

Yahoo's fate is becoming more convoluted every day. Just two days after the Times of London reported that talks between Microsoft and Yahoo were back on, the the Wall Street Journal says former AOL chief executive Jonathan Miller is trying to raise money from private equity and sovereign wealth investors to buy the struggling Internet company.

Shares of Yahoo (YHOO) spiked 11% to $12.50 in mid-day trading on MORE

The Xbox 360's holiday makeover

Xbox 360 gets an image makeover to compete with the Wii. Image: Microsoft

By Yi-Wyn Yen

The Xbox 360 is getting a major software update designed to transform it into a multimedia machine.

Starting Wednesday, all Xbox 360 owners will be required to update their gaming consoles so that they can watch movies in high-definition, stream TV shows and movies from Netflix (NFLX) and navigate categories like games, photos, and videos through a MORE

Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang to step down

By Yi-Wyn Yen

At the Web 2.0 Summit two weeks ago, Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang was asked if he was the right guy to lead the battered Internet portal. Yang dodged the question by defending his passion for the company he co-founded 13 years ago. "I didn't make the decision of being the CEO lightly," he said. "I wanted to make a change at Yahoo that I believe I can make....That's MORE

Microsoft gives Windows Live a Facebook facelift

By Yi-Wyn Yen

Microsoft is trying its luck at social networking - again.

After a failed attempt four years ago, Microsoft (MSFT) is ripping a page from Facebook's playbook, introducing on Thursday new profile and photo-sharing features to its web-based Windows Live services. The software giant allows users with Windows Live Hotmail or Messenger accounts to create online profiles that highlight what a person is doing through a Facebook-like newsfeed.

Microsoft hopes that MORE

Tesla CEO: GM couldn't afford us now

The Roadster goes 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds. Image: Yi-Wyn Yen

By Yi-Wyn Yen

SAN FRANCISCO - How much is Tesla Motors worth?

Tesla CEO Elon Musk won't say, but it's at least too expensive for General Motors to buy. "I'm not sure they can afford Tesla right now," he said during a 30-minute talk Friday at the Web 2.0 Summit.

The South African-born entrepreneur talked candidly with host John Battelle about the MORE

Intel chief gloomy on the economy

By Yi-Wyn Yen

SAN FRANCISCO - Intel CEO Paul Otellini, who runs the world's largest semiconductor business, gave a sobering view of the economy to the Web 2.0 Summit crowd Thursday.

If you think the recession is bad now, says the Intel (INTC) chief, a year from now will be worse.  "This is the deepest one I've seen in my lifetime. All the smart people that I talk to tell us the MORE

Yahoo chief defends his record

By Yi-Wyn Yen

SAN FRANCISCO - In the past ten months, Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang has faced a hostile takeover attempt by Microsoft, shareholder lawsuits, a proxy fight led by Carl Icahn and, on Wednesday, watched a much-needed partnership with Google (GOOG) go up in flames.  Yet the embattled Yahoo chief says he has no regrets that he took on the job.

"I didn't make the decision of being the CEO lightly," MORE

With Google gone, will Microsoft come back to Yahoo?

By Yi-Wyn Yen

The implosion of Yahoo's ad partnership with Google may or may not lure Microsoft back to bid on Yahoo, but one thing is clear: Making a deal with Yahoo will be a lot less expensive that it was six months ago.

Yahoo (YHOO) is back on the market after Google (GOOG) on Wednesday bailed on the controversial search ad agreement. Investors signaled their approval of the breakup by sending MORE