Austin American-Statesman (Austin, TX) articles from November 2001

Austin American-Statesman (Austin, TX) archives from November 2001

Slowing Economy Finally Stops Growing, Commerce Department Reports.
November 1, 2001... Byline: Marilyn Geewax Nov. 1--WASHINGTON--The U.S. economy, slowing for months and then shocked by September's terrorist attacks, has ended its eight-year growth streak, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. News that the economy...

In Austin, Texas, $1 Can Get You a Gallon of Gas.
November 1, 2001... Byline: Claudia Grisales Nov. 1--The under-$1-a-gallon gas signs cropping up in parts of North Austin aren't a mirage. A good old-fashioned gasoline price war has broken out, the result of global economic forces, the emergence of new...

Austin, Texas-Area Businesses Want to Solve Ozone Problem Locally.
November 1, 2001... Byline: Kevin Carmody Nov. 1--Austin-area business leaders are recruiting local companies to reduce air pollution from their facilities and vehicles in an effort to forestall federally mandated measures to control ozone. The Greater...

Austin, Texas, Startups Find Venture Capital Hard to Come By.
November 1, 2001... Byline: Lori Hawkins Nov. 1--It's hard to stay below the radar after raising $27.9 million in venture capital. But that's the aim of Newisys Inc., the Austin company that scored the most venture money during the third quarter. "In...

Austin, Texas-Based Ad Firm Promotes Air Force's High-Tech Jobs.
November 2, 2001... Byline: Amy Schatz Nov. 2--Daniel Russ was barely awake when the phone rang in his room at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica, Calif., the morning of Sept. 11. When he turned on the television, it was obvious his team wouldn't...

Austin American-Statesman, Texas, Austin Inc. Column.
November 2, 2001... Nov. 2--LESLIE GETS A BOOST WITH CAMPAIGN: Perhaps it's not the image Leslie Cochran, Austin's cross-dressing downtown icon, would choose for his campaign posters. On Thursday, the first of a few hundred campaign posters with slogans like...

Work Begins on New High-Rise in Austin, Texas.
November 2, 2001... Byline: Shonda Novak Nov. 2--The first new rise on Congress Avenue in nearly two decades is under way. Work started Thursday on a 525,000-square-foot office tower, developed by Atlanta-based Cousins Properties Services, that will rise...

Despite Settlement, States May Continue Fight against Microsoft.
November 2, 2001... Byline: Marilyn Geewax Nov. 2--WASHINGTON--After more than three years of legal wrangling, the U.S. Department of Justice is expected to unveil a settlement of its antitrust case against Microsoft Corp. at a federal court hearing Friday...

Austin, Texas, Firm Looks for Commercial Success in Artificial Intelligence.
November 5, 2001... Byline: Jerry Mahoney Nov. 5--When Bobby R. Inman took the helm of the Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corp. research consortium in Austin in 1983, one of his first moves was to recruit Doug Lenat, an outspoken Stanford University...

Cockpit-Security Technologies Rushing to Market.
November 5, 2001... Byline: Bob Keefe Nov. 5--SAN DIEGO--As investigators continue trying to piece together exactly what happened in the four jetliners hijacked by terrorists on Sept. 11, several new systems under development could show them -- complete with...

Texas-Based Artificial Intelligence Firm Works to Improve Computers' Reasoning.
November 5, 2001... Byline: Jerry Mahoney Nov. 5--Give Cycorp Inc. points for being ahead of the curve. Six months before the Sept. 11 attacks, the company was handing out a video demonstrating some of its work in U.S. Department of Defense biological...

Austin American-Statesman, Texas, Plugged In Column.
November 5, 2001... Nov. 5--It's been a tough year for Austin companies seeking venture capital, but PricewaterhouseCoopers managed to find a ray of light. Despite a sharp decline in venture capital raised by Austin companies in 2001, Austin's admittedly...

Deerfield, Ill.-Based Hemodialysis Filter Maker Says Residue Killed Patients.
November 6, 2001... Byline: Mary Ann Roser Nov. 6--Hemodialysis filters tainted by a manufacturing fluid are thought to be responsible for the deaths of dozens of patients around the world, including two in Austin, the manufacturer said Monday. Baxter...

Office Space Gathering Dust as Austin, Texas, Companies Falter.
November 6, 2001... Byline: Shonda Novak Nov. 6--The Central Texas office market, which was an early indicator of the weakening economy, may be among the last sectors to rebound. And landlords will have to wait until 2003 for a significant turnaround, Austin...

Economic Stimulus Bill Faces Tough Fight in Senate.
November 7, 2001... Byline: Marilyn Geewax Nov. 7--WASHINGTON--Any hopes that Republicans and Democrats might yet work together on an economic stimulus package deflated Tuesday as Senate leaders promised a tough partisan battle in the coming week. "We...

Texas Securities Commissioner Tells Callable CD Buyers to Beware of Risks.
November 7, 2001... Byline: Amy Schatz Nov. 7--Certificates of deposit have long been considered the safest, least controversial short-term investment available to consumers. Although that remains true for traditional CDs, rising sales of a newer...

High-Tech Slowdown Likely to Broaden, Texas Economist Says.
November 8, 2001... Byline: Shonda Novak Nov. 8--The slowdown that so far has been felt mainly in the high end of the Central Texas economy likely will begin to trickle down next year, one economist said Wednesday. "The slowdown in job growth will roll...

Opposition to Compaq Deal Puts Hewlett-Packard's CEO in Hot Seat.
November 8, 2001... Byline: Bob Keefe Nov. 8--LOS ANGELES--Two months after Hewlett-Packard Co. and Compaq Computer Corp. announced plans to merge, the deal is clouded by growing opposition from Wall Street and dissent from influential shareholders. And...

Austin, Texas-Based Online Education Firm Gets New Management, Cuts Some Jobs.
November 8, 2001... Byline: Elizabeth Goldman Nov. 8--Powered Inc. has replaced much of its management team, including chief executive Judy Bitterli, and laid off at least one-third of its staff. Bitterli, who had headed the online education company since...

Austin American-Statesman, Texas, Austin Inc. Column.
November 9, 2001... Nov. 9--LOWE'S MIGHT BE EYEING HART GRAPHICS FOR OUTLET: Lowe's knows, but isn't telling. The Hart family isn't talking, either. But the buzz in commercial real estate circles is that the home improvement chain is eyeing the Hart Graphics...

For Energy Giant Enron's Chief, Fall from Grace Follows Times of Good Fortune.
November 9, 2001... Byline: John Pletz Nov. 9--A year ago, Kenneth Lay was in the spotlight in Austin at the Fortune 500 CEO Forum, a gathering of corporate America's most high and mighty. Under the Capitol dome, there were the two most powerful chief...

Houston Energy Marketer Enron Heads for Fall.
November 9, 2001... Byline: Jerry Mahoney Nov. 9--For an economy still heavily reliant on the volatile energy sector, Houston has a diverse set of problems that reach far beyond that industry. And this week's news of financial misreporting and a possible...

Nine Austin, Texas-Area Companies Work to Rebound from Penny Stock Pool.
November 12, 2001... Byline: Lori Hawkins Nov. 12--For a number of Austin's public high-tech companies, times were tough before Sept. 11. Now they're tougher. Nine area companies, battered by a brutal stock market and an abrupt drop in corporate...

New York Crash Could Devastate Airline Industry.
November 13, 2001... Byline: Jerry Mahoney Nov. 13--With searing images of passenger planes destroying the World Trade Center still haunting the country, and officials assuring Americans since Sept. 11 that it is safe to travel in the face of terrorist...

Home Building Cools Off in Central Texas.
November 13, 2001... Byline: Shonda Novak Nov. 13--Home builders have put the brakes on construction in Central Texas, and they're not expected to step on the gas anytime soon. Through June, builders were on pace to top last year's record number of...

Austin, Texas, Entrepreneur Takes Helm at Software Company Vieo.
November 13, 2001... Byline: Kirk Ladendorf Nov. 13--Robert Fabbio, one of the most successful serial entrepreneurs in Austin, is trading in his job as Austin managing partner of TL Ventures to run a company he didn't start. Fabbio, 44, is becoming the...

Dell Shies Away from Microsoft's Tablet PC.
November 14, 2001... Byline: Bob Keefe Nov. 14--LAS VEGAS--As Microsoft Corp. tries to build support for its ambitious tablet PC technology, it's not getting any help from the world's biggest personal computer maker. At least so far, Dell Computer Corp....

Financing Deals Lead to Record-Breaking Month for Central Texas Auto Dealers.
November 15, 2001... Byline: Claudia Grisales Nov. 15--Central Texas automobile dealerships enjoyed a record-breaking month for October, thanks to hard-to-resist zero-percent financing deals. And national auto sales last month helped fuel the largest one-month...

Faulty Implants at Austin, Texas, Unit Sink Profits for Medical-Products Firm.
November 15, 2001... Byline: Amy Schatz Nov. 15--Third-quarter profits dropped almost 50 percent at Sulzer Medica Ltd. as the company struggled with flat sales and growing costs from litigation surrounding faulty hip and knee implants manufactured at its...

SBC Communications Scraps Austin, Texas-Based Prodigy for New Yahoo Deal.
November 15, 2001... Byline: Kirk Ladendorf Nov. 15--SBC Communications Inc. said Wednesday it will make Yahoo Inc. its key partner for delivering Internet service to customers and, as a result, it will scrap much of the work of its Austin-based Prodigy Inc....

Communications Company's Plan for High-Speed Network in Texas Takes Off.
November 16, 2001... Byline: Kirk Ladendorf Nov. 16--Grande Communications Inc. said Thursday that it has raised $20 million in cash and $70 million in a line of credit to speed the construction of its high-speed communications network that stretches from...

Despite Drop in Earnings, Dell Gains Sales on Rivals.
November 16, 2001... Byline: John Pletz Nov. 16--Dell Computer Corp. continued to gain sales from its rivals in its third quarter and posted relatively strong results, given the continued weak demand for personal computers. The world's No. 1 PC maker said...

Jobless Rate Drops in Central Texas; Statewide Figures Inch Up.
November 16, 2001... Byline: Amy Schatz Nov. 16--Although Texas lost 27,800 jobs in October, the highest monthly drop in more than a decade, the jobless rate in Central Texas actually fell slightly to 4.5 percent, according to numbers released Thursday by the...

Purchase, N.Y.-Based NewPower's Plans for Texas Electricity Market Fall Short.
November 19, 2001... Byline: Elizabeth Goldman Nov. 19--NewPower Holdings Inc. was supposed to be the new wave in deregulated electric markets. In May 2000, NewPower, which does business as The New Power Co., launched with a plan to use the technology --...

Venture Capitalists Taking Hands-On Approach to Austin, Texas-Area Startups.
November 19, 2001... Byline: John Pletz Nov. 19--With the days of easy money long gone, venture capitalists are rolling up their sleeves and taking more active roles in managing the young companies they've bankrolled. Several venture capital partners have...

Experts Doubting Value of Economic Stimulus Bill.
November 20, 2001... Byline: Marilyn Geewax Nov. 20--WASHINGTON--Congress is off all week, having departed for its Thanksgiving vacation without sending to President Bush legislation meant to stimulate the slumping U.S. economy. But as the partisan...

Conoco-Phillips Merger Becomes Latest Example of Oil-Industry Consolidation.
November 20, 2001... Byline: Claudia Grisales Nov. 20--The merger of Conoco Inc. and Phillips Petroleum Co. is the vanguard of consolidation in the oil industry making its way down the food chain. In an industry increasingly dominated by global...

States Try to Develop Internet Sales Tax Strategy.
November 21, 2001... Byline: Marilyn Geewax Nov. 21--WASHINGTON--Americans opposed to paying sales tax on online purchases won a battle this month when Congress extended a moratorium on Internet-related taxes for two years. But state officials who hope to...

Computer Industry Faces Heat as Drive Continues to Create Faster Chips.
November 26, 2001... Byline: Kirk Ladendorf Nov. 26--That cutting-edge computer sitting on your desk is more than a marvel of electronics; it's also a miniature furnace. If it weren't for a noisy fan and a cleverly engineered aluminum "heat sink" that...

Austin American-Statesman, Texas, Plugged In Column.
November 26, 2001... Nov. 26--Serial entrepreneur Tom Dye is at it again. Dye, who recently resigned as chief executive of Interactive Silicon Inc., has started a small company, Meetrix Inc., that aims to smooth out some of the wrinkles in desktop...

Texas Retailers Optimistic as Holiday Shopping Gets Off to Fair Start.
November 27, 2001... Byline: Shonda Novak Nov. 27--The holiday shopping season appears to be off to a modest start: Sales at Texas stores rose moderately and Web sales were strong. Purchases made by check in Texas during the Thanksgiving weekend were up...

Austin, Texas, Chamber's Project Aims to Create Affordable Housing.
November 28, 2001... Byline: Shonda Novak Nov. 28--Their dream is big, but they would take action on a small scale -- lot by lot, house by house. Their mission: to put distressed properties into the hands of nonprofits such as Habitat for Humanity. ...

Cable Rates Will Increase Again for Time Warner Customers in Central Texas.
November 28, 2001... Byline: Amy Schatz Nov. 28--When Time Warner Cable increased its rates in August as part of a major realignment of its standard and digital cable service, many customers hoped that would be the last increase for a while. Now the cable...

U.S. Computer Makers Score Poorly on Toxic-Materials Report.
November 29, 2001... Byline: Kevin Carmody Nov. 29--Millions of personal computers loaded with lead and other toxic materials pose a mounting environmental threat, but most U.S. computer manufacturers, including Austin-based Dell Computer Corp., still lag...

Houston-Based Enron's Agony Likely to Impact Much of American Business Climate.
November 29, 2001... Byline: Claudia Grisales Nov. 29--From the financial markets to the power market, the collapse of Enron Corp. will ripple across much of the American business landscape. The tremors will be felt in Houston, where thousands of employees...

Texas Insurance Chief Says Mold Coverage Must Stay.
November 29, 2001... Byline: Shonda Novak Nov. 29--Texas homeowners will be able to keep basic insurance coverage for mold but might have to foot the bill for costly testing and cleanup, Insurance Commissioner Jose Montemayor ruled Wednesday. As have his...

Communications Company Broadwing Cuts 400 Austin, Texas, Jobs.
November 30, 2001... Byline: Kirk Ladendorf Nov. 30--Broadwing Inc. slashed 900 jobs Thursday, including 400 in Austin, as the company tries to cope with a slowdown in spending on telecommunications products. The company's top executive in Austin, Rick...

Recession Crimps Plan for Posh Condos in Downtown Austin, Texas.
November 30, 2001... Byline: Shonda Novak Nov. 30--Company officials once bragged that demand was so high, they had to raise prices. Now, because of dwindling demand, they've had to put one of Austin's highest-profile residential developments on hold. ...