Features

Google launches news page 

MOUNTAIN VIEW — Internet search engine Google has launched the beta version of Google News, a new Web page containing links to breaking news headline stories from 4,000 media outlets worldwide. 

The top stories are highlighted under common categories such as world, U.S., science and technology news, and each contains a reference to when the story was most recently updated. 

The placement of the stories on the page is determined by Google’s search term algorithm and doesn’t use the news editors that many other Web portals employ, according to Google product manager Marissa Mayer. 

Clicking on a link takes the reader to news sites that display stories by The Associated Press and other wire services, as well as their own content. Google News only links to stories generated within the past 30 days. 

Mayer said Monday the company has been working on the Google News project since January and will keep the Web page in a trial phase before looking at ways to possibly cash in on the feature in the future. 

Microsoft, HP to invest  

$50 million in promoting .NET 

REDMOND, Wash. — Microsoft Corp. and Hewlett Packard Co. will spend $50 million over the next two and a half years to add sales and technical personnel to help drive adoption by businesses of Microsoft’s .NET-based software. 

HP, based in Palo Alto, Calif., and Redmond-based Microsoft plan to spend about $25 million each, said Rick Fricchione, vice president of Enterprise Ready Microsoft Services at HP. 

A formal announcement of the new effort was scheduled for Tuesday. 

JDS Uniphase cuts first-quarter sales outlook 

SAN JOSE — JDS Uniphase Corp., citing continued weakness in the telecommunications market, lowered its first-quarter sales outlook to between $190 million and $200 million. 

The San Jose-based optical technology company said Monday it expects to report an operating loss of 6 cents to 8 cents a share in the first quarter, excluding restructuring costs. 

The pro forma loss is unchanged from the company’s July outlook, and compares with analysts’ estimates of a loss of 6 cents a share for the period, according to Thomson First Call. 

JDS previously announced a first-quarter sales outlook in the range of $200 million to $210 million. 

The company said its lower sales estimate for the first quarter, which ends Sept. 30, reflects contract cancellations of $10 million to $20 million.