BUSINESS BRIEFS
Maui becomes cruise homeport
Advertiser Staff and News Services
Norwegian Cruise Line has begun offering weeklong interisland cruises that originate and end at Kahului, Maui.
The first passengers to take advantage of the new service boarded the Pride of Aloha this past weekend.
"It really just worked out for us on the dates and the choice," said Mark Wever of North Carolina.
Robert Kritzman, NCL America managing director for Hawai'i operations, said the new service from Maui gives the company's passengers another option.
"Maui is obviously a very popular destination," Kritzman said. "From what our travel agents say, there are a lot of customers who are interested in starting on Maui."
EPA GRANT FOR SCHOOL PROGRAM
The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a $20,000 grant to the Hawaii Nature Center for a watershed environmental program for low-income elementary school students on O'ahu and Maui.
"The goal of the program is to teach science and instill an environmental ethic, making a personal connection with nature, while being well-informed about Hawai'i's natural environment," said Kate Nooney, project officer with the EPA's Pacific Southwest Region.
The program will include 50 scholarships for upper-elementary classes on O'ahu and Maui. Each scholarship will allow 45 to 60 students and two teachers to participate in environmental learning programs, the EPA said.
REALNETWORKS GETTING A BOOST
SEATTLE — A broad settlement between digital media pioneer RealNetworks Inc. and its longtime foe Microsoft Corp. goes a lot further than simply ending the last major U.S. antitrust case against the tech heavyweight.
The deal also aims to help the two companies better compete against Apple Computer Inc. in the increasingly important business of online audio and video. The deal starts with a $460 million cash payment that settles all antitrust disputes worldwide that RealNetworks had against Microsoft.
RealNetworks also gets $301 million in cash and services — including promotion on Microsoft Web sites and the software giant's instant-messaging service — to help its products reach a wider audience.
