NEW YORK Sirius XM Radio Inc., the satellite radio provider that was on the brink of bankruptcy nine months ago, on Thursday reported a much improved third quarter as it signed up more subscribers and paid down debt.

NEW YORK Graphics chip maker Nvidia Corp. said consumer demand is healthy and improving as it reported a 74 percent jump in third-quarter profit.

NEW YORK It's been a rough year for the video game industry, but Activision Blizzard Inc. reported a profit for its third quarter because of lower costs and a good response for games such as "Guitar Hero 5" and "World of Warcraft."

NEW YORK Two well-known companies surged in their market debuts Thursday despite what has recently been a difficult market for initial public offerings.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. Satellite TV operator DirecTV Group Inc. was one of the few pay-TV companies to gain subscribers in the third quarter, though earnings stayed steady because of the higher costs it incurred attracting and serving those new customers.

LOS ANGELES No Doubt has sued video game maker Activision for putting words in band members' mouths.

BRUSSELS EU lawmakers and governments agreed on new rights for Internet users Thursday, aiming to protect them from arbitrary crackdowns on those who illegally download music and movies on the Internet.

TOKYO Sales of Microsoft Corp.'s new Windows 7 operating system have been "fantastic" in Japan since its launch last month, CEO Steve Ballmer said Thursday.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. Google is offering a new privacy control that will make it easier for people to see some of the information being collected about them.

INDIANAPOLIS Cell phone distributor Brightpoint Inc. said Wednesday its third-quarter profit more than doubled, helped by tax benefits.

CHANDLER, Ariz. Semiconductor maker Microchip Technology Inc. said Wednesday that earnings and sales fell in the latest quarter, but its CEO said profit margins would improve as the company increases production to meet stronger business conditions.

SAN FRANCISCO Cisco Systems Inc.'s latest results show that the world's No. 1 maker of computer-networking equipment is still being hurt by the downturn, but sees things turning up. The company is forecasting its first year-over-year revenue increase since the financial crisis erupted a year ago.

AGOURA HILLS, Calif. Video game maker THQ Inc. said it lost less in the third quarter than it did a year earlier even as sales fell because it lowered its operating costs, sending its shares higher in aftermarket trading.

SAN FRANCISCO Since its debut in 2007, millions of people have gravitated toward Apple's iPhone, wooed by its sleek hardware, simple user interface and abundance of applications.

SAN FRANCISCO Cisco Systems Inc. doesn't want Wall Street to interpret its forecast for its first quarterly revenue growth in a year as evidence that the U.S. and other economies are roaring back.

SAN FRANCISCO Most people know eBay Inc. for its online marketplace, where deals abound on everything from gadgets to antique furniture. But soon, eBay's biggest business will likely be PayPal, the online payments service that has been growing steadily even as the economy has stumbled.

NEW YORK A new study confirms what your 130 Facebook friends and scores of Twitter followers may have already told you: The Internet and mobile phones are not linked to social isolation.

REDMOND, Wash. Microsoft Corp. says it is cutting 800 more jobs. That's in addition to the 5,000 layoffs it announced in January.

NEW YORK The legal challenges to Intel Corp.'s sales tactics mounted Wednesday as New York's attorney general accused the world's biggest computer chip maker of using "illegal threats and collusion" to dominate.

NEW YORK Genealogy Web site Ancestry.com has succeeded in raising $100 million in its initial public offering. With more than a million paying subscribers, little competition, a small debt load and a record of increasing revenue, it fared better than other IPOs that have recently priced below their filing ranges.