Sony Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. have reached a basic agreement to build a new US$2 billion manufacturing line for LCD (liquid crystal display) panels, the companies said Monday.

The dispute between Apple Computer and the Beatles' Apple Corps heads to the High Court in London this Wednesday.

Sharp Corp. confirmed Monday that it plans to raise LCD (liquid crystal display) panel production capacity at one of its factories in Japan by 20 percent.

Symantec Corp. Friday said it has reached an out-of-court agreement in its adware lawsuit against New York-based Hotbar.com Inc. The deal calls for Symantec to dismiss its suit, but continue to classify Hotbar's program files as low-risk adware.

Sharp Corp. is planning to increase production at its two LCD (liquid crystal display) factories in Japan in response to anticipated soaring demand for flat-panel LCD televisions over the next few years, it said Wednesday. The company also expects to report record sales in 2006.

Holiday sales at top U.S. technology retailers over the past few weeks sparkled, with iPod music players and LCD (liquid crystal display) displays leading the charge, executives said Friday.

Two of the world's largest manufacturers of LCD (liquid crystal display) panels have started making screens at new factories that should enable them to cut manufacturing costs and so lead to further price reductions in big-screen, flat-panel televisions.