EBay posted a steep loss, weighed down by a write-down at its Skype Internet-telephony unit, but sales surged 30% and the auction giant lifted its earnings outlook. Shares jumped 8% after hours.

  Cablevision's largest institutional shareholder, ClearBridge, plans to vote against the Dolan family's $10.6 billion privatization plan, delivering a potentially crippling blow to the deal.

  Yahoo and Intel shares jumped Wednesday as investors applauded strong earnings from the two companies. The Nasdaq rallied 1%.

  Apple's Jobs said the company will allow software developers to create so-called native applications for the iPhone, reversing a position that had caused a flood of criticism from independent software makers.

  Sanyo's efforts to improve its business took a negative turn when the company said it would shelve the sale of its struggling semiconductor operations due to poor pricing on the deal.

  IBM's earnings rose 6.3% as growth in the services business overcame declines in hardware. Revenue increased 6.6%.

  ASML reported its net fell 2.4%, but it indicated orders for chip-making machines picked up in the third quarter.

  Microsoft laid out new software and a strategy that could shake up the already tumultuous telecommunications-equipment business.

  A partnership between News Corp.'s MySpace and eBay's Skype will put Internet calls into MySpace's instant-messaging feature to gain more users and broaden the distribution of their two services.

  Apple is reducing the price of all songs on its iTunes Store without anti-copying software to 99 cents, bringing its prices on such tracks closer to those offered by rivals in online music.

  Ericsson sharply lowered its profit forecast, blaming a shortfall in sales of high-margin products. Shares plunged 24%. (Conference call transcript)

  AT&T said it will reduce early-termination fees for wireless customers who cancel plans early and allow them to change contracts without restrictions.