Reuters:   Sony (SNE) and Microsoft (MSFT) are battling to control home entertainment but consumers are slow to adopt their technologies.

Reuters:   The “clunkers” program will end on August 24.

Reuters:   GM is about to pick a buyer for Opel.

Reuters:   The US recovery will be long and fragile.

Reuters:   Dollar General has filed for a $750 million IPO.

Reuters:   Starbucks (SBUX) lowered prices on some drinks.

Reuters:   Back-to-school sales are poor for most clothing retailers.

Reuters:   US home sales could hit a ten-month high in July.

Reuters:   Morgan Stanley (MS) will begin aggressive hiring.

Reuters:   The new AIG (AIG) CEO expects to repay taxpayers.

Reuters:   The recession is causing some companies to hang on to large amounts of cash.

WSJ:   The banking crisis is in a new phase when banks begin to face losses from toxic securities.

WSJ:   One in eight houses with a mortgage is in foreclosure of has a delinquent loan.

WSJ:   Google’s (GOOG) settlement with book authors may be challenged by a group including libraries, Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon (AMZN), and Yahoo! (YHOO).

WSJ:   The Tribune Company will likely go into the hands of its lenders.

WSJ:   The Swiss government made over $1 billion on its UBS (UBS) investment.

WSJ:   Workers and private tech companies are looking for ways to sell some of their equity.

WSJ:   Regulators are trying to determine a definition for “broadband”.

WSJ:   The FDIC may loosen rules for buying failing banks.

WSJ:   An effort by GM to sell cars on eBay (EBAY) has not worked well.

WSJ:   Profits at SalesForce.com (CRM) doubled.

WSJ:   Faltering prime loans are hurting the mortgage market.

WSJ:   Companies are buying back their own bonds at discounts.

WSJ:   China’s status as a coal exporter is disappearing.

WSJ:   JP Morgan (JPM) may consider buying its own government warrants.

WSJ:   Oracle’s (ORCL) Ellison has been exercising options.

WSJ:   China Mobile (CHL) is faced with slower growth.

NYT:   The numbers of highly wealthy people is dropping.

NYT:   Funding to buy GM’s Saab unit has still not closed.

NYT:   Natural gas prices hit a seven-year low.

FT:   Unemployment is fueling the US housing crisis.

FT:   Most central bankers have a sober view of the recovery.

FT:   China arrest four people for piracy of Microsoft (MSFT) products.

FT:   Oracle got clearance to buy Sun.

Bloomberg:   The Administration may take a “hands off” approach to compensation at AIG (AIG) and Citigroup (C).

Douglas A. McIntyre