chapter 11

Eastman Kodak said today it has received approval to move forward with its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.

The agreement grants the company $950 million in debtor-in-possession financing from Citigroup that will allow the company to continue operations as it restructures.

Kodak has struggled to find its footing since the 1990s when digital photography began gaining major consumer momentum. The company, which has been around for more than 130 years, hasn't had a profitable year since 2007. In recent years, the company has turned to licensing its camera technology, or suing companies that haven't agreed to pay up. It'… Read more

Can a smartphone sense depression? If that's true, then Jeff's Galaxy Nexus is about to blow up.

On today's show, we'll review a new virtual therapist app out of Northwestern University that tracks a user's location, social context, and activities to determine mood-affecting triggers.

This story and more fun on today's 404 podcast!… Read more

Eastman Kodak is prepping for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing that could put an interesting twist in the patent wars.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Kodak is looking for $1 billion in so-called debtor-in possession financing, which keeps companies running in a restructuring, with the idea that it would sell its 1,100 patents in an auction.

In other words, Kodak is betting that it can land capital like Nortel Networks did--via a bankruptcy court auction. Kodak is trying to sell the patents to avoid a bankruptcy filing. Kodak's patents could come in handy in the ongoing patent … Read more

Blockbuster has had a rough few years, but this one has been especially painful.

First, its shares were delisted from the New York Stock Exchange. And now, as expected, it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization as it struggles to compete with online video-rental service Netflix and the rental-kiosk phenomena.

Calling it "prearranged recapitalization," Blockbuster announced today that it has filed Chapter 11 petitions in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. The reorganization encompasses only the company's U.S.-based operations and stores that it wholly owns. International operations and franchises are not included in the filing, … Read more

Round up the usual suspects.

Playlist.com filed for bankruptcy protection and undoubtedly the major record companies will be blamed. In filing for Chapter 11 on August 6, the music service reported that it has $2.2 million in total assets (only $203,000 in cash) and owes the four largest record companies a combined $25 million.

For years, online music stores have claimed consumers just don't spend enough on music anymore to support big licensing fees. Label critics will argue case closed, greedy record executives caused Playlist's downfall. The story, however, is much more nuanced.

While licensing … Read more

Qimonda, an affiliate of Germany-based Infineon Technologies, is seeking protection under Chapter 11 for its U.S. unit, the company said Monday. Separately, a research report was released today forecasting dim prospects for chipmakers in 2009.

The U.S. unit of Qimonda AG, one of the world's largest memory chip manufacturers, said in a statement that it is seeking bankruptcy protection. "The US subsidiaries Qimonda North America Corp. and Qimonda Richmond L.L.C. filed for creditor protection under Chapter 11 on February 20, 2009," the company said in a statement Monday. "No disruptions to operations, … Read more