Tech Briefs

Teledesic LLC, the Bellevue-based global-satellite company founded by Seattle-area billionaire Craig McCaw, is "significantly" reducing its work force and suspending satellite-construction work with Italy's Alenia Spazio SpA as it evaluates possible business alternatives.

Teledesic employed fewer than 50 workers as of mid-June. It was unclear last night how many people would lose their jobs.

"It does not make sense for the company to spend money as it is without a firm commitment from another partner or customer," Teledesic spokesman Todd Wolfenbarger said.

"Our decision to suspend our activities results from an unprecedented confluence of events in the telecommunications industry and financial markets," McCaw said.

Teledesic has spent hundreds of millions of dollars over the past 10 years on the design and development of the concept behind its global satellite network to deliver high-speed Internet and data service to fixed, remote locations around the globe.

Qwest refiles bids for long-distance service

Qwest Communications International Inc., which provides local phone service to most of Seattle, yesterday refiled applications to provide long-distance phone service in nine states, including Washington. It withdrew them earlier this month when the Federal Communications Commission challenged its accounting.

Qwest, the biggest local phone company in 14 Western states, wants to sell long distance in Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Utah and Wyoming, as well as Washington.

Qwest withdrew the applications Sept. 10 because the FCC had concerns related to Qwest's long-distance subsidiary. Qwest has since created Qwest Long Distance Corp., a new unit that it said doesn't have the same accounting issues.

ViewSonic will sell Pocket PC for $299

Trying to extend its dominance beyond personal computers, Microsoft Corp. says ViewSonic Corp., of Walnut, Calif., will sell a Pocket PC for $299, the lowest price yet for the hand-held device.

ViewSonic's V35 Pocket PC, which is set to go on sale Nov. 1, weighs 4.9 ounces and comes with a 3.5-inch display screen, said Ed Suwanjindar, product manager for Microsoft mobile devices.

Like Pocket PC products made by companies such as Hewlett-Packard Co. and Toshiba Corp., the V35 uses a version of the Windows operating system modified for small devices. Pocket PCs made by Toshiba sell for about $540 on Amazon.com, and Hewlett-Packard's costs about $450.

Microsoft agrees to buy digital-music patents

Microsoft Corp. has agreed to pay $7 million for the patents held by digital music distributor Liquid Audio Inc. of Redwood City, Calif. The patents cover digital-right management and technology for securely transferring digitized music to portable devices. Liquid Audio said the agreement will help it prepare for a merger with Alliance Entertainment.

$9.75 million financing for Kirkland's Hynomics

Hynomics Corp., a Kirkland-based software maker, said it has closed a $9.75 million first round of venture financing led by Frazier Technology Ventures, Ignition Partners, and Techno Venture Management. The company says it offers computational mathematics software that can solve complex problems in programs for work-force management, supply-chain management and financial services.

The financing will be used to capitalize and expand Hynomics' research, distribute the current product line to program developers, and expand sales, service, business and executive staffs, the companies said.

Quick Hits is written by P-I reporters John Cook and Dan Richman. Send comments to johncook@seattlepi.com. This report includes information from The Associated Press and Bloomberg News.

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