Silicon valley is bracing itself for fireworks as a long-running intellectual property and industrial espionage dispute between two of the most powerful names in technology finally reaches court.

Google has denied Oracle's complaint of copyright infringement in development of Android smartphone software and asked a U.S. court to dismiss Oracle's lawsuit, court documents showed.

Hewlett-Packard, the US computer giant, stepped up its rivalry with software company Oracle last night, by appointing a long-time Oracle executive as its new chairman.

Intec Telecom Systems, the UK company that provides billing services to clients including Orange and Vodafone, has agreed a takeover offer from CSG Systems worth £236.7m.

With all Audi MedCup racing cancelled in a drenched and miserable Cagliari the focus turned to the introduction of a new class to join the circuit next year, confirmation that Audi will back the event for three more years, and some dithering on the part of the America's Cup challengers.

Things are on the up for US billionaires with more than half of them adding to their net worth in a year which once again saw Bill Gates as the richest of them all, Forbes magazine said yesterday.

The fanfares promising a spectacular future for the America's Cup have been followed by two key appointments, one Australian, one British, to run not only the Cup but all of its associated events.

The bumpy road that has been the America's Cup for the last three years is set to become more smooth in Valencia on Monday when Russell Coutts unveils plans to boost its future, including a new boat, a new format, the year in which it will be staged, and rules for the competitors.

Hewlett-Packard is suing its ousted chief executive, Mark Hurd, to prevent him immediately taking up a senior position at rival computer giant Oracle.

Mark Hurd, the former chief executive of Hewlett-Packard who was ousted in a sex and expenses scandal at the computer manufacturer, has also resigned from the board of Rupert Murdoch's media giant, News Corporation.

It is accepted intelligence that the Hollywood studios no longer sign overhead deals with cigar-chomping fat-cat producers for the promise of the next blockbuster. The old days of movie chaps living it large on studio cash are long gone.

Hewlett-Packard Co offered $1.6 billion (£1.03 billion) for 3PAR Inc today, topping technology rival Dell's deal to buy the data storage company and potentially sparking a bidding war.

US Outlook: What a feast! Mark Hurd's ousting as chief executive of Hewlett-Packard is providing rich pickings for public relations folk.