BUSINESS BRIEFS
Disney planning independent tests on product safety
Advertiser Staff and News Services
LOS ANGELES — After the recall of millions of toys by Mattel Inc., The Walt Disney Co. said yesterday it will independently test toys featuring its characters.
The media and entertainment conglomerate will hire companies to randomly buy Disney-branded toys from store shelves and test for lead paint and other safety issues such as small parts that could come loose, said Gary Foster, Disney consumer products spokesman. He said the ultimate responsibility for safety still lies with companies that license Disney characters for toys.
SALES OF APPLE'S IPHONE AT 1 MILLION
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Apple Inc. sold its millionth iPhone over the weekend, days after it slashed the price by a third to spur sales.
The milestone was reached weeks earlier than expected and sent shares of Apple up $4.94, or 3.8 percent, to $136.71. The stock regained some of the ground it lost after the price cut spooked investors as a sign of weak demand and slimmer margins.
It took just 74 days for the combination cell phone-iPod to hit the 1 million mark.
INTEL EXPECTS EVEN BETTER 3RD QUARTER
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Intel Corp., the world's largest semiconductor company, boosted its third-quarter sales forecast yesterday amid stronger-than-expected demand for its microprocessors.
The announcement came on the day rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc., a smaller chip maker that has struggled financially, hoped to own the headlines with the launch of its ballyhooed new server chip. Intel added $200 million to the top of its financial outlook, saying it now expects sales of $9.4 billion to $9.8 billion in the current quarter. That compares with the previous forecast of $9 billion to $9.6 billion.
