Features

E-greetings outpace  

e-commerce dduring holidays

SAN JOSE — Americans may not have been shopping online as much as e-tailers wanted during the holidays, but the Web was apparently still an important resource for many. 

More than twice the number of Internet users sent e-mails to coordinate holiday get-togethers than to buy stocking stuffers, according to a survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project taken between Nov. 22 and Dec. 21. 

The survey of more than 2000 Internet users found that 53 percent of them sent holiday-related e-mails while only 24 percent made purchases online. Thirty-two percent sent e-greeting cards, and 24 percent surfed the Web for recipes and holiday celebration ideas. 

“During the holidays, online Americans were more inclined to use the Internet for social purposes than commercial purposes, said Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet Project. 

Cable corporation considers  

sale of programming subsidiary

NEW YORK — New York cable television operator Cablevision Systems Corp. is considering a sale of Rainbow Media Group, its programming subsidiary that includes Bravo and American Movie Classics, industry sources say.Media mogul Barry Diller, freshly armed with $1.1 billion in cash from the sale of his TV station group last month, is widely considered to be the leading bidder.  

Diller’s USA Networks company already owns the Sci-Fi Channel as well as TV and movie studios. 

Government must pay millions to Marathon, Exxon companies

WASHINGTON — The Interior Department must return $156 million to two oil companies because environmental restrictions prevented them from exploring for natural gas off the North Carolina coast more than a decade ago. A federal appeals court ordered the payments to Marathon Oil Co., and Exxon Mobil Corp., saying the government had reneged on its contracts when it rescinded leases for drilling rights 45 miles east of Cape Hatteras on the Outer Banks. 

Apple Computers cuts prices to help clear out its inventory

CUPERTINO — Apple Computer Inc. has slashed prices by as much as $1,100 on some Macintosh computers to clear an inventory glut caused by sluggish holiday sales and to make room for new systems expected to be announced next week. 

The price cuts that took effect New Year’s Day apply to the company’s higher-end machines. Last month, the company offered hefty rebates to spur sales during the holiday season. 

As of Dec. 1, the company had 11 weeks worth of inventory on dealers’ shelves, compared with about 3 weeks in June. 

— The Associated Press