Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : Market Gems:Stocks w/Strong Earnings and High Tech. Rank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: bobby is sleepless in seattle who wrote (79048)	1/14/2000 11:33:00 AM
From: nokomis	Respond to of 120523

thanks..I'm betting GMGC will be the next SFO..long KIDE here..nowhere to go but up! 207.61.23.98

To: bobby is sleepless in seattle who wrote (79048)	1/22/2000 10:01:00 AM
From: bobby is sleepless in seattle	Respond to of 120523

lqid news...also sfo thought there might be selling pressure on sfo with warrant redemption. maybe I need to give more thought to arbitrage situation., maybe viewed as positive since the float is so thin along with cash infusion. Microsoft Partners With Web Music Firm Liquid Audio LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. (NasdaqNM:MSFT - news) said on Saturday it was partnering with Internet music firm Liquid Audio Inc. (NasdaqNM:LQID - news) in a deal the companies said would help bring more order to the chaotic online music marketplace. Under the deal, Liquid Audio software will include support for Microsoft's Windows Media Audio (WMA) format that is used to encode digital music so it takes up less space on a hard drive and can be sent quickly over the Internet. The deal is another step forward for Microsoft in its drive to make the WMA format the most popular way to listen to and download music over the Internet. It also gives Liquid Audio, a Redwood City, Calif.-based provider of software tools to record, distribute and play digital music online, the endorsement of the world's biggest software company. ``Microsoft as a technology leader and Liquid Audio as the leading music distributor are partnering to make it easier for customers -- record labels, retailers and consumers -- to participate in the digital music revolution,' Microsoft said. WMA is one of several competing formats from companies like Internet media pioneer RealNetworks Inc. (NasdaqNM:RNWK - news) and Liquid Audio itself. It is also up against the popular MP3 format that has triggered much of the interest in the online music industry. Eager to avoid the kind of bruising format battle that delayed adoption of the video cassette, most music and software companies are striking partnerships to support the various formats in consumer software, making it invisible to the average user. Liquid has an extensive library of 50,000 downloadable songs and 1 million preview clips it has encoded using its format. Liquid will encode that music in WMA, update its Liquid Player software to handle playback of WMA files, and embrace Microsoft's rights management tool -- a service that is key to making sure people pay for the music they are listening to. ``It really expands labels' ability to reach millions of consumers with Microsoft's incredible installed base of players,' Liquid Chief Executive Gerry Kearby said in an interview of the deal. Shares in Liquid Audio rose 7/8 to 25-7/8 in trading on the Nasdaq on Friday, while Microsoft fell 2-1/4 to 103-3/4. Printer-friendly format

To: bobby is sleepless in seattle who wrote (79048)	1/23/2000 10:00:00 PM
From: bobby is sleepless in seattle	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 120523

Time Warner,EMI to merge music URL: cbs.marketwatch.com Time Warner,EMI to merge music By CBS MarketWatch Last Update: 9:10 PM ET Jan 23, 2000 NewsWatch LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Time Warner and London-based EMI Group are in talks to strike up a merger for their recording businesses -- a deal that would created the world's second-largest music group. An announcement is expected Monday morning in London, the Financial Times and the Associated Press reported, citing people familiar with the situation. A duet with EMI Records -- which holds rights to work by such stars as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones -- comes just two weeks after AOL announced it will acquire Time Warner for about $145 million. London-based EMI confirmed Sunday that it is in the final stages of negotiations and said an announcement is forthcoming. Time Warner in New York also acknowledged the talks, but spokesman Edward Adler said, "No deal has been signed." Time Warner (TWX: news, msgs) has declined to comment details of the reports, which also said Time Warner would pay EMI about $1 billion for a controlling interest: Time Warner hold six seats and EMI would hold five on an 11-member board of the combined music company. Press reports Sunday placed the value of the music assets of the two companies at about $10 billion each. Star-studded deal The new company -- to be called Warner EMI Music -- would have Time Warner's Atlantic, Elektra and Warner Brothers records labels that include such performers as Cher, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Madonna, Metallica and REM. EMI brings to the deal the Virgin, Priority and Capitol record labels -- including names like the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Spice Girls, Van Morrison and Frank Sinatra. The two companies accounted for $8.3 billion in annual sales, which would make the merged company second to Seagram's Universal Music, according to AP. Industry experts say the deal could accelerate access to online music, an arena where record companies hope to increase profits by delivering products directly to consumers via the Internet. Time Warner's interest in EMI underscores its strategy to increase its media and entertainment content while extending its brand name around the world. By agreeing to be acquired by AOL, Time Warner came up with a way to increase its distribution capabilities in the new media. Now, the world's largest media and entertainment company is turning its attention to enlarging its product offerings to the public. The acquisition could have pitfalls. Increasingly, Internet-savvy consumers have shown an ability to download music straight from their computers and shun the middleman -- the music companies such as Time Warner and EMI. Time Warner, through its deal with AOL (AOL: news, msgs), the leading Internet distributor, now has a shot at gaining a substantial interest over the Net. EMI will gain access to AOL's Net distribution channels. The merger comes at a crucial time for both Time Warner and EMI. Warner Music's earnings fell from $288 million to $279 million in the first nine months of last year. EMI has been recovering from difficulties of its own, but in the six months to the end of September, profits were up by 61 percent to $108 million. By linking their operations, Warner EMI will shave $400 million in costs over three years, according to the source close to the deal. Under the structure being negotiated, Warner and EMI would each own 50 percent of the new company, according to published reports, though Warner would control six seats on the board of directors while EMI would have five.. The shares of the merged company will still trade on the London Stock Exchange, reports said. The merger, which still needs the approval of regulators, is expected to take about a year. Shares of Time Warner closed up 3.8 percent to 91 1/8 Friday, before news of the EMI deal broke.