Go.com Stays
The Walt Disney Co. said last week that it will keep Go.com alive after all. In January, Disney Internet Group said it would lay off 400 employees and close the money-losing Web portal. However, now the company plans to continue to operate Go, which will display headlines and link to other Disney sites, including ABCNews.com and ESPN.com. Go will also provide Web searching through — ironically — GoTo.com, the search engine that sued Disney for copyright infringement of its logo last year.
Work.com: It Didnt Work
Dow Jones & Co. and Excite@Home said they will shut down Work.com, their jointly operated business portal, on March 31 because of the softness in online advertising and difficulty in securing funding. The companies said most of Work.coms 113 full-time employees in Redwood City, Calif., and New York will be laid off. The portal, which launched in April 2000, had hoped to become the place workers visited for industry-related news and services.
Handsprings Edgy Device
Handheld computer maker Handspring rolled out the Visor Edge, a thinner model of its popular Palm OS-based device — 0.44 inches thick — that includes Handsprings trademark expandable Springboard slot. The $399 Visor Edge, which has 8 megabytes of memory and weighs 4.8 ounces, is available in metallic red, blue or silver.
PacketVideo in the Money
PacketVideo, a developer of wireless video technology based in San Diego, last week said it secured $90 million from investors that included GE Equity, Intel Capital, Kyocera, Motorola, Qualcomm and Sun Microsystems. Earlier investors in PacketVideo include AOL Time Warner and Sony.