Loaded: CAPS LOCK

EBAY MAY SELL OFF SKYPE AFTERALL, APPLE IS GIVING US CLUES ABOUT NEW IPODS, AND TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK IF YOU DON'T WANT TO GET FIRED. ITS MONDAY, AUGUST 31ST. I'M NATALI DEL CONTE. IT'S TIME TO GET LOADED. [*] EBAY IS REPORTED TO BE SELLING OFF SKYPE TO A PRIVATE GROUP OF INVESTORS. THE DEAL IS SUPPOSED TO BE ANNOUNCED TODAY BUT AS OF THIS BROADCAST, IT HAS NOT BEEN CONFIRMED. THE BUYERS INCLUDE ANDREESEN HOROWITZ, WHICH IS A VENTURE CAPITAL FIRM THAT WAS STARTED BY THE MARC ANDREESEN, THE FOUNDER OF NETWCAPE, AND BEN HOROWITZ, THE CO-FOUNDER OF OPSWARE. WE OF COURSE DON'T HAVE A PRICE BUT REPORTS ARE THAT THE ASKING PRICE IS SOMEWHERE AROUND $2 BILLION. [*] MEANWHILE, YAHOO MAY WANT TO COMPETE WITH SKYPE WITH ITS NEW VIDEO CHAT PROGRAM. YAHOO MESSENGER 10 BETA IS RECIEVING HIGH PRAISE FROM CNET'S JESSICA DOLCOURT. IT IS A HIGH QUALITY VIDEO CHAT BUILT OVER AN IM PROGRAM. IT ALSO HAS LOTS OF OTHER BELLS AND WHISTLES LIKE FILE SHARING, EMOTICONS AND GAMES. SHE SAYS SHE MAY EVEN PREFER IT TO SKYPE IF SHE HAS YAHOO UP AND RUNNING, RATHER THAN LAUNCHING A WHOLE OTHER PROGRAM LIKE SKYPE. OF COURSE THESE FEATURES DON'T PLAY WELL WITH IM AGGREGATORS LIKE TRILLIAN OR DIGSBY. [*] APPLE CONFIRMED AN EVENT SCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEDNESDAY, THE 9TH WHERE WE CAN EXPECT A REFRESHED LINE OF IPODS, INCLUDING NEW TOUCH MODELS. APPLE IS ALSO EXPECTED TO REVEAL INFORMATION OF THEIR NEW INTERACTIVE ALBUM FORMAT, KNOWN AS COCKTAIL. LAST WEEK WE MENTIONED THAT THE EVENT FALLS ON THE SAME DATE AS THE RELEASE OF THE BEATLES REMASTERED DIGITAL ALBUMS ALONG WITH THE BEATLES: ROCK BAND GAME, SO WE COULD SEE THE BEATLES MUSIC FINALLY MAKE IT TO ITUNES. WE'LL WAIT AND SEE. [*] SPEAKING OF MUSIC, NOKIA IS NOT HEARING ANY. AT LEAST NOT IN THE U.S. THE COMPANY TOLD FORBES MAGAZINE THAT THE AMERICAN LAUNCH OF ITS MUSIC SERVICE WOULD BE DELAYED. THIS IS THE COMES WITH MUSIC SERVICE THAT GIVES YOU FREE MUSIC ON YOUR PHONE. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO LAUNCH IN THE U.S. THIS YEAR BUT NOW THERE IS NO SPECIFIED RELEASE DATE. [*] GOOGLE NOW SPEAKS YIDDISH. THE COMPANY'S LANGUAGE TRANSLATOR ADDED 9 NEW LANGUAGES TO ITS REPERTOIRE. THIS BRINGS THE TOTAL TRANSLATION LANGUAGE COUNT TO 51. THE NEW LANGUAGES DON'T WORK IN ALL THE GOOGLE APPLICATIONS THAT CAN TRANSLATE JUST YET BUT I'M SURE THEY WILL SOON. [*] GRAND THEFT AUTO IS COMING TO THE IPHONE AND THE IPOD TOUCH THIS FALL. ROCKSTAR GAMES CONFIRMED THAT THE CHINATOWN WARS EDITION OF THE GAME IS COMING TO THE APPLE DEVICE. THIS IS THE SAME EDITION THAT IS AVAILABLE ON THE NINTENDO DS. IT LETS PLAYERS CONTROL HUANG LEE, A MEMBER OF THE TRIAN CRIME SYNDICATE, WHO IS INVESTIGATING HIS FATHER'S DEATH IN LIBERTY CITY. GRAND THEFT AUTO IS NOTORIOUS FOR BEING DIRTY AND GRITTY. WE'LL HAVE TO SEE IF APPLE'S APPLICATION STORE VETTING PROCESS LETS IT THROUGH. [*] YOU CAN'T RUN FROM THE TAX COLLECTOR. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTS THAT AUTHORITIES IN MINNESOTA USED MYSPACE TO TRACK DOWN A TAX EVADER. A MAN WHO OWED BACK TAXES ON HIS WAGES ANNOUNCED THAT HE WOULD BE RETURNING TO HIS HOME TOWN ON HIS MYSPACE PAGE. IT MUST HAVE BEEN A FUN HOME COMING. [*] TWITTER MAY HAVE RUINED THE GERMAN ELECTION. OFFICIALS IN GERMANY ARE LOOKING INTO WHETHER OR NOT EXIT POLL DATA WAS MADE PUBLIC ON TWITTER BEFORE THE POLLS CLOSED THIS WEEKEND. IF THAT IS TRUE, THE ELECTION RESULTS COULD BE APPEALED. ALSO, PUBLISHING PREMATURE RESULTS IS AGAINST THE LAW, PUBLISHABLE BY A FINE OF UP TO 50,000 EUROS. LET THIS BE A LESSON TO US ALL. I KNOW WE ALL WANT TO BE THE FIRST TO TWITTER THINGS BECAUSE IT MAKES US COOLER. BUT SOMETIMES WE NEED TO CHILL OUT AND ASK OURSELVES, "IS THIS A FEDERAL OFFENSE?" [*] WHEN SOMEONE WRITES YOU IN ALL CAPS, DOES IT HURT YOUR FEELINGS OR SELF ESTEEM? THIS WAS CONSIDERED UNACCEPABLE BEHAVIOR BY A COMPANY CALLED PROCARE HEALTH. THEY FIRED VAN EMPLOYEE FOR HER CONFRONTATIONAL E-MAILS. THE E-MAIL IN QUESTION READ: "TO ENSURE YOUR STAFF CLAIM IS PROCESS AND PAID, PLEASE DO FOLLOW THE BELOW CHECKLIST." IT WAS WRITTEN IN CAPS AND HIGHLIGHTED IN BOLD BLUE...HOW RUDE! TO EMPHASIZE A PROCEDURE THAT WILL HELP ME GET PAID? I NEVER! THE EMPLOYEE SUED HER WAS AWARDED $17,000 FOR UNFAIR TERMINATION. [*] THOSE ARE ALL OF YOUR HEADLINES FOR TODAY AND I WILL OF COURSE SEE YOU TOMORROW. THANK YOU FOR WATCHING. I'M NATALI DEL CONTE WITH CNET TV AND YOU'VE JUST BEEN LOADED.