Ellison joins billionaire charity pledge

Ellison joins charity pledge

Oracle CEO Larry Ellison joined Warren Buffett's campaign to get billionaires to donate the majority of their wealth, helping bring the number of participants to 40. The effort, called the Giving Pledge, also includes Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, "Star Wars" filmmaker George Lucas, eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and venture capitalist John Doerr. Ellison, ranked as the world's sixth-richest person, said he has quietly given hundreds of millions of dollars to medical research and education. "Why am I going public now?" Ellison said in a note on the Giving Pledge site. "Warren Buffett personally asked me to write this letter because he said I would be 'setting an example' and 'influencing others' to give. I hope he's right."

Apple says it will tackle iPhone security flaw

Security watchdogs spotted a vulnerability in Apple's iPhone last week that could let hackers take control of the device and add malicious software. The flaw stems from the way certain files, such as PDF documents, are presented on the iPhone, according to Symantec, the leading maker of security software. The vulnerability also affects the iPad and the iPod Touch, Symantec said. The flaw might allow attackers to read passwords and e-mails and eavesdrop on calls, German security officials warned last week. Apple said Thursday that it will fix the problem in a software update.

Electric-car manufacturer Tesla sees more red ink

Tesla Motors, reporting its first financial results as a publicly traded company, posted a wider loss on Wednesday. The Palo Alto electric-car manufacturer expects the deficits to continue until it can start selling its $57,000 Model S, a four-door sedan with more mainstream appeal than its sports car. The loss was $38.5 million last quarter, compared with $10.9 million a year earlier. Tesla, founded by CEO Elon Musk in 2003, has never reported a profit. Tesla plans to begin production of the Model S in 2012.

Oracle payout to feds could reach $1 billion

Oracle might end up paying as much as $1 billion in damages if it loses a Justice Department lawsuit. The case, initiated by a whistle-blower three years ago, claims the Redwood City company overcharged the government from 1998 to 2006. "It looks to me like this could be a $1 billion verdict," said Frederick Morgan, an attorney at Morgan Verkamp who isn't involved in the case. However, most of these types of suits are settled before going to court, lawyers say.

FCC stops closed-door talks on net neutrality

The Federal Communications Commission, criticized for meeting in private with companies like Google and Verizon, said Thursday it will no longer hold the talks. The FCC started the closed-door discussions to help hash out net-neutrality rules - a subject that's pitting Internet companies against cable and phone carriers. Google wants to ensure that no one gives preferential treatment to certain kinds of Internet traffic, while carriers want to be able to limit bandwidth-hogging activities. Google and Verizon worked out their own compromise that would let Verizon impose limits on cell-phone networks, while still keeping wired Internet access unhindered.

World Cup game gives boost to Electronic Arts

Brisk revenue from online games and new titles for Apple's iPad helped Electronic Arts top analysts' earnings estimates last quarter. The Redwood City-based company also got a boost from soccer fever, with gamers flocking to its 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa title. After layoffs and office closures, Electronic Arts is poised for a run of more profitable growth, says Shawn Milne, an analyst at Janney Montgomery Scott. The stock jumped 7.4 percent after the earnings - the biggest gain since April 2009.

Will Android eclipse the iPhone's popularity?

There was fresh evidence last week that Google's Android operating system will overtake Apple's iPhone. A Nielsen report found that 27 percent of new U.S. smart phone customers chose an Android model last quarter, compared with 23 percent for the iPhone. New models, including the Droid phones from Motorola and HTC, are helping drive Android's popularity. Even so, the iPhone retained a higher market share among existing smart phone users, Nielsen found. Android may completely overtake the iPhone within two years, according to a separate report from iSuppli. By 2012, there will be 75 million Android phones in the world, versus 62 million iPhones, iSuppli estimates.

Big advertisers increase spending on Facebook

Facebook's biggest advertisers are spending at least 10 times more than they did a year earlier, Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said. With more than a half-billion users, the site has become more attractive to marketers who want to reach a broad online audience. As a privately held company, Palo Alto's Facebook doesn't disclose its revenue, though two knowledgeable people have said sales may rise to $1.4 billion or more this year, about double the 2009 total.

Intel settles antitrust lawsuit with the feds

Intel promised the Federal Trade Commission that it wouldn't use threats, retaliation or exclusive deals to block customers from buying rivals' products, settling the agency's antitrust suit. The deal announced Wednesday covers graphics chips, central processors and chipsets. Santa Clara-based Intel had already reformed some of its business practices following pressure from rivals and antitrust authorities, and the settlement puts in writing some of those changes.

This article appeared on page D - 5 of the San Francisco Chronicle