Clarification: Matsushita’s proposed 50 GB dual-layer recordable disc is 1.1 mm thick, composed of 1 mm thick substrate and 0.1 mm thick cover plate. Although disc is 0.1 mm thinner than standard DVD, Matsushita engineers say they anticipate no compatibility problems with existing laser optics and drives when dual-layer 50 GB disc is commercialized.

International Game Developers Assn. (IGDA) opened “members profile” section at its Web site, www.igda.org/Community/Profiles/profiles.htm

RadioShack (RS), taking $13.5 million charge to cover cutting of 298 jobs, said 3rd quarter net income plunged to $43.8 million from $77.1 million as sales dipped 5% to $1 billion on 4% decline in same-store sales. RS trimmed 197 jobs at corporate level in Aug., including eliminating 10 vice president posts. Downturn in revenue was largely result of 47% dive in PC sales, COO David Edmundson said. Minus PCs, RS sales rose 1% from year ago, he said. Attach rates -- sale of PC with peripheral or accessories -- “weren’t very successful,” he said. Wireless handset sales jumped 18% and wireless accessories 25%. Residuals, largely from wireless, were up 40% and parts, batteries and accessories sales 3%. On downside, service revenue, which included sales of prepaid cellular service, declined 13% and DirecTV 20%, due largely to “shortfall” among RS franchise dealers, Edmondson said.

Sega will start charging $9.95 per month for unlimited access to its SegaNet online multiplayer videogame network on Nov. 1, spokesman told us Oct 23. But company’s most successful online game -- Phantasy Star Online, which has 300,000 players -- will remain free. ISP service offered by SegaNet was scrapped this past summer and subscribers were transferred to EarthLink. New SegaNet service that will be in place Nov. 1 will offer features including game tournaments, instant messaging, member profiles. Separately, report out of Japan said Sega Corp. expected to report larger group net loss for fiscal first half ended Sept. 30 because of appraisal loss of ?23.8 billion on its securities holdings after share prices dropped. Report said Sega now expected to post group net loss of ?20 billion yen, compared with ?4.3 billion predicted earlier. But company expects to report group pretax income of ?4.5 billion instead of previously projected ?2.4 billion loss on sales of ?97 billion instead of earlier-projected ?82 billion. Report said Sega expected to report group net loss of ?15 billion for full year instead of earlier-projected profit of ?2.1 billion, and group pretax profit for year of ?10 billion on sales of ?200 billion -- improvement over previously-expected ?5.4 billion pretax profit and ?198 billion sales forecasts.

Alan McGlade, ex-MTV, named pres.-CEO, MusicNet… Scott Mercer, ex-Dell, rejoins Western Digital as interim CFO, replacing Terry Hopp, resigned… W.S. Wen, HannStar exec. vp, advanced to gen. mgr. of new LCD panel business div… John Foster, Bender/Helper Impact dir., promoted to vp.

Prima Games signed exclusive deal with Eidos to create, publish and distribute official strategy guides for 7 titles. Games included in agreement include: Blood Omen 2 for PlayStation 2 (PS2) and Xbox, Commandos 2: Men of Courage for PS2, Deus Ex: The Conspiracy for PC, Eve of Extinction for PS2, Herdy Gerdy for PS2, Hitman 2 for PS2 and Xbox, TimeSplitters 2 for PS2. Prima said it has created guides for more than 900 titles to date and currently has more than 50 million guides in print. Company said it was publishing more than 70 guides for new games this holiday season.

Panasonic cut price of DLP-based rear-projection TV to $10,999 from $13,999 in effort to blunt impact of falling retail prices in competitive technologies such as plasma display panels (PDPs), National Mktg. Mgr. Jonas Tanebaum said. Panasonic brand 52W, which shipped year ago, will be continued into 2002 and there are no immediate plans to replace it, he said. Hitachi, Mitsubishi and Panasonic were first companies to introduce rear- projection TVs based on Texas Instruments’ (TI) DLP technology, but prices have hovered around $12,000-$15,000 as PDPs dropped below $10,000. Indeed, Panasonic cut price on 42W PDP to $7,000- $8,000, Tanebaum said. Price move also came as several vendors readied plans for DLP-based sets at $3,000-$5,000 and based on TI’s 2nd generation chip. “I'm not sure that the reduced price is the result of chipset,” Tanebaum said. “If I reduced the price of chipset to zero, I would still have to price the set at $5,000 at this point.”

Consumer groups and privacy advocates criticized FTC Tues. for failing to take action against Microsoft and its Passport and Windows XP products. In letter to FTC Chmn. Timothy Muris, several privacy and consumer advocates urged agency to reconsider 2 earlier complaints about Passport, which allows use of single password and user ID at all participating outlets. Letter included new assertions about “serious security lapses” in Microsoft systems that it said made information stored in Passport particularly vulnerable. Groups also said Microsoft’s XP operating system further integrated Passport into functions of computer. Junkbusters Pres. Jason Catlett said Microsoft’s marketing strategy for Passport was unfair and deceptive practice under FTC act. Microsoft tells users that they must participate in Passport to gain access to Internet, which isn’t true, Catlett said. Vincent Sampson of Assn. for Competitive Technology (ACT) said Microsoft’s MSN Internet service did require Passport participation but said Passport was very similar to registration required for AOL or any other ISP. ACT receives funding from Microsoft. Microsoft’s failure to secure information in Passport also is unfair trade practice, Catlett said. Sampson said charge was “stretch” and by such logic, all software products would have to be completely secure or be in violation of FTC act. Groups, which included Electronic Frontier Foundation, Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), Consumer Action, Consumers Union, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse and others, said FTC should force Microsoft to “disgorge” information collected from Passport and prevent Microsoft from collecting data under false pretenses. FTC has taken no action since complaints were filed in July and Aug. FTC spokeswoman said agency didn’t announce potential or pending investigations.

Online scam using DVD players is price of success for Apex Digital, whose U.S. market share in players is 2nd only to Sony’s. Apex spokesman told us changing variety of Web sites informed unsuspecting consumers that they had been selected to get free Apex DVD player as part of promotion in exchange for returning promotional questionnaire. E-mail asks recipient to qualify by remitting $19.70 for UPS shipping charges. Shipping fee is to be remitted electronically using online debit system such as CCNow or PayPal. Apex has posted warning about fraud on its Web site (www.apexdigitalinc.com) and asked victims to cancel any payments to perpetrators and send supporting documents to company for further investigation. Spokesman told us Apex had contacted UPS, remittance companies and FBI about fraud. But remittance companies told Apex it took 30 days to investigate claims and probes were back-burnered at FBI owing to terrorist activity.

Universal Electronics signed licensing and supply agreements with Recoton and DirecTV, respectively, gaining 2 new customers amid slowdown in its cable business. Recoton has licensed Universal’s infrared code database, which will be including in new line of Jensen branded remote controls that will ship in 2nd quarter, Recoton Pres. Robert Borchardt said. Universal will receive royalty based on sales of remotes.