Citing research that shows younger children are adopting more sophisticated technology, Nickelodeon is introducing a line of consumer electronics branded with personalities from some of its most popular shows. The products range from a $59.99 Dora the Explorer digital camera to a $249.99 15-inch flat-screen television that resembles the lead character from the cartoon "SpongeBob SquarePants." The liquid-crystal display is shaped like a sponge and rests on two oversize plastic shoes. The brightly colored line, which also includes a DVD player and a digital photo frame, will arrive in stores like Best Buy and Wal-Mart this …

Google is expanding its highly successful AdSense network to mobile devices in 13 countries, including the United States, England, Germany, Spain, China and India. With the expansion announced Monday, any Web site accessible through a mobile Web browser will be able to participate in Google's vast advertising network. The mobile ads will be tied to a wide range of content being scanned by consumers on a cell phone or some other kind of portable device. Someone reading about a football game on a mobile phone, for example, might see an ad for sports equipment or memorabilia. If …

International Business Machines is launching a software package called Symphony that includes a word processor to rival Word, a spreadsheet to go up against Excel and business-presentation software as an alternative to PowerPoint. It can be downloaded free of charge on the Internet. IBM's latest move is aimed chiefly at boosting its Notes software, which includes email and instant messaging, as a rival to Microsoft's Outlook email software. Symphony also will be available free in the latest edition of Notes, which has 135 million users. IBM says it will provide support for Symphony, but it hasn't determined price. …

About 196,000 rooms in more than 2,000 new hotels will open within two years, according to a report from industry tracker Smith Travel Research. That's the highest number of new rooms in the pipeline in more than seven years. Industry consultant Mark Woodworth of PKF Consulting sees no threat to the building boom from tight credit. Hotel financiers, he says, believe a "fresh shiny product" is worth the risk. For now, developers mostly are opting to build hotels that will charge midrange rates, the Smith report shows. Holiday Inn Express is building the most rooms, followed by …

A federal grand jury in Syracuse, N.Y., on Monday indicted Penn Traffic Co.'s former chief marketing officer Les Knox and ex-vice president of non-perishable merchandising Linda Jones. They are charged with allegedly inflating the company's income by prematurely booking promotional fees paid by vendors in exchange for marketing--such as inclusion in supermarkets' weekly advertisements. "The defendants caused Penn Traffic to 'pull forward,' or prematurely report more than $9 million in operating income," according to U.S. Attorney Glenn Suddaby. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission also sued the two ex-company officials, who face as much as 20 years in …

The European Court of First Instance this morning rejected Microsoft's appeal against a ruling by the European Commission that found the software group had violated competition rules by abusing its dominant market position. It also upheld a ¬497 million fine. The court let stand the EC's finding that Microsoft had abused its dominant position in two ways: by refusing to supply rival companies with crucial information about the ubiquitous Windows operating system; and by bundling its Media Player software into Windows, thereby undermining competition from other media player providers. Microsoft now faces further intense probing by the …

Gallo Winery is preparing to launch a Martha Stewart line of wine early next year. Dubbed Martha Stewart Vintage, the labels will feature a calligraphy-like design with her initials on it; the Gallo name won't appear on the label. The $15-a-bottle line will include chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon and merlot varieties, and will be made from grapes grown primarily in Sonoma County, Calif. Gallo is expected to heavily promote the wine with print ads and other marketing efforts. But in its first year, just 15,000 cases will be released with distribution restricted to cities where Stewart has her strongest fan …

OpenAd.net--a Slovenian-based online marketplace where ad and design ideas from about 9,000 creatives worldwide are bought and sold--is quietly being tested by major U.S. marketers such as Gillette. It plans to establish a physical presence here in coming months. Marketers can purchase ideas or submit briefs of their own and choose from ideas that it inspires, which is what Procter & Gamble's Gillette division did this summer to persuade men in Puerto Rico to trade in their disposable razors for the Fusion shaver. The razor maker opened a pitch that was eventually won by Live 1, an Indian agency …

Kroger, the nation's largest traditional grocery chain, has been broadening its financial-services offerings as a way to increase traffic and customer loyalty. Stores now market mortgages, home-equity lines of credit and a just-expanded set of insurance coverages from identity theft to home and life policies. "It's about driving more people to the store and bringing them back," says Kathy Kelly, president of the Kroger Personal Finance division formed in 2004. The grocery chain reaps fees for the services provided in partnership with conventional banks and insurance companies. Kelly says that the services are usually priced in the middle to …

Beaner's Coffee--which has 77 stores in nine states--is changing its name to Biggby's over concern that the former name could be perceived as a slur against Latin-Americans, particularly Mexicans. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first recorded use of beaner as a derogatory term was 1965; it was preceded by "bean-eater." Bob Fish, CEO and co-founder of the company based in East Lansing, Mich., says there hasn't been any broad resistance or protests against the name, just people asking if the company knew about the connotation. Biggby, he says, allows the company to rename without rebranding. The …