IBT Staff Reporter

Facebook has raised $500 million from Goldman Sachs and Russian Internet investment group Digital Sky Technologies in a deal valuing the social networking site at $50 billion, the New York Times reported citing people involved in the transaction.

(Corrects beginning of third paragraph to read Apart from 2009... not 2010, as earlier sent)

A federal magistrate refused to grant bail on Monday to a California woman charged with leaking inside information about technology companies.

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway opened 2011 with a $1.5 billion debt sale on Monday, tapping markets as it customarily does early in the year to refinance maturing notes.

Steven Rattner, former head of the U.S. government's Automotive Task Force, has agreed to pay $10 million in restitution to settle kickback allegations involving the roughly $132.8 billion New York State Common Retirement Fund and resolves the two lawsuits filed by the Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo.

Some iPhone users across the globe complained of malfunctioning alarms on the first working day of 2011, even after Apple reassured users that its phones' built-in clocks will work from Monday.

The number of U.S. consumers who filed for bankruptcy protection in 2010 was the highest in five years, and the figure could rise as Americans struggle with excess debt in an uncertain economy, a report issued Monday said.

A man was arrested at Miami International Airport after bullet components exploded in his checked luggage as it was being offloaded from an American Airlines flight in Miami.

The U.S. Government had doubts that the German Free Democratic Party would be a reliable partner in combating terrorism on the Internet, according to cables made public by Wikileaks, and after the elections some officials felt those doubts were vindicated

Stocks greeted the new year with a rally on Monday as encouraging signs about the outlook for manufacturing around the world prompted investors to inject new money into the market.

A bug has affected the Apple iPhone as the the phone's alarm clock is not working.

Bank of America Corp agreed to pay $2.8 billion to mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to settle claims over soured mortgages, signaling the bank may be closer to containing its out-sized housing losses.

Stocks may have kicked off 2011 with a no-holds-barred surge but anyone predicting a sustainable rally through January may be overly optimistic.

As the upcoming Consumer Electronic Show at Las Vegas gains traction, reports confirm that a slew of laptops will inundate the conference. Most of the launches were due at the end of 2010 but the delay can be attributed to the delay in the launch of Android version Honeycomb, which is touted to be more suited for tablets. While reports suggest that the iPad 2 will arrive in April, most of the companies will take the plunge at the CES to test the market before iPad comes withe serious competition...

Economic activity in the U.S. manufacturing sector continued to grow for the 17th consecutive month during December, according to a survey report on Monday.

Time Warner Cable and Sinclair Broadcast Group announced that on New Year's Eve that they reached an extension agreement that will keep the big four networks on through Jan. 14.

Wall Street stocks surged more than 1 percent as the new trading year kicked off on Monday and the rally of late 2010 resumed on encouraging signs about the economic outlook and a seasonal effect.

The U.S. real estate market is improving, at least for foreign investment dollars, according to the Association for Foreign Investment in Real Estate, or AFIRE.

U.S. manufacturing grew at its fastest pace in seven months in December, extending a recent run of encouraging economic data and suggesting that expansion of the world's biggest economy will accelerate in 2011.

iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ: IRBT) is set to unveil its newest and the world's smallest floor cleaning robot - iRobot Scooba 230 - making one of people’s least favorite household chores, cleaning the bathroom, a whole lot easier. Just press the Clean button and the robot does the dirty work.

Toshiba Corp is making its foray into the tablet war, offering a 10-inch device it says will be comparable in price to Apple's iPad.

Wall Street stocks launched the new trading year with gains of 1 percent or more on Monday, extending the late-2010 rally on optimistic signs about a global economic recovery.

Construction spending rose more than expected in November to touch its highest level in five months, a government report showed on Monday, a further sign that the economic recovery was gaining momentum.

Bank of America Corp agreed to pay Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac $2.8 billion to settle claims that it sold the mortgage finance companies bad home loans, signaling that the bank may be closer to containing its outsized housing losses.

Oil climbed above $92 on Monday to its highest since October 2008, spurred on by expectations economic recovery will boost energy demand and as market bulls set their sights on $100 a barrel.

The manufacturing sector grew for a 17th straight month in December, adding to recent evidence that a recovery in the economy was picking up steam, according to an industry report released on Monday.

Barnes & Noble Inc reported strong preliminary holiday results at its superstores, led by the popularity of its Nook e-readers, and shares rose more than 5 percent.

U.K. implemented the biggest budget cuts seen since the World War II in an attempt to reduce the massive budget deficit but the hidden costs of the drive could offset much of the savings from the austerity drive.

Vizio, the maker of low-cost LCD TVs, is reportedly planning to launch an inexpensive Android smartphone and tablet computer, challenging Apple and Research in Motion.