Sky is to launch a 3DTV channel next year in what it called the next step of the Sky+HD journey.

Satellite broadcaster BSkyB gained nearly half-a-million new customers in the year to June 30 - its best take-up rate in five years - to bring the total to 9.4 million.

Sony reported a net loss of Yen 37.1 billion (around £236.7 million) in the three months to June 30 compared with a net profit of Yen 35bn for the same period a year ago.

Best Buy Europe has named former Tesco director and Boots the Chemist managing director Scott Wheway as its chief executive officer.

The final stage of digital TV switchover in North Devon will be completed this afternoon, bringing digital terrestrial TV (Freeview) coverage to all households served by the Huntshaw Cross transmitter group.

Former Comet boss Simon Fox is reported to be on the short list to become chief executive of ITV.

Retail sales fell for the third month running in the year to July, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

Arqiva has bought the technology behind collapsed broadcast video-on-demand joint venture Project Kangaroo to launch a new video-on-demand service of its own.

The UK economy shrank by 0.8 per cent in the second quarter, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Sales at department store group John Lewis last week grew by 5.3 per cent last week with 16 branches either matching or bettering last year’s figures.

The recession has bred a new type of consumer - a hypersensitive shopper who will not tolerate bad service.

Retail sales jumped in June buoyed by hot weather and discounts, according to official figures.

Carphone Warehouse has reported a 5.4 per cent jump in like-for-like retail revenue in the 13 weeks to July 4.

DRL Holdings, which claims to be the largest online appliance retailer in the UK - has acquired home-delivery firm Expert Logistics.

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) took a wait-and-see approach to quantitative easing when it met earlier this month.

Massive growth in iPhone sales helped Apple to post net profits of $1.23 billion (around £753.1 million) for its third quarter to June 27 up from $1.07bn a year ago.

The average family was £12 a week better off in June than in the same month last year, according to Asda.

At least two Freeview high-definition receivers will be available by the end of the year, according to the Digital TV Group (DTG).

Retail bosses are urging the Government to help them rescue Britain’s high streets.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the UK is set to fall 4.5 per cent this year with a weak (0.5 per cent) recovery in 2010, according to an economic think tank.

Audio company Intempo has been bought by independent product sourcing and design business Ultimate Products.

The growth in online sales is beginning to slow down as the recession starts to have an impact on online sales.

The Scottish Premier League has agreed a £65m five-year TV deal with Sky and US-based pay sports broadcaster ESPN to show 60 live matches each season in the UK and Ireland.

Department store group John Lewis reported a year-on-year fall in sales of 1.6 per cent in what it called "one of the better weeks of the year".

Swedish-based white goods maker Electrolux saw profits in its second-quarter surge ahead of those achieved in the same period last year.

Mobile phone maker Nokia reported a 71 per cent fall in second-quarter operating profits as the recession hit sales of its handsets.

The Competition Commission (CC) published today its provisional conclusions that a competition test to block supermarket developments by retailers already powerful in a local area would benefit consumers.

Carphone Warehouse is considering taking part in Project Canvas, the internet protocol TV (IPTV) joint venture between the BBC, ITV and BT.

Britain’s jobless total grew by a record 281,000 to nearly 2.4 million in the three months to May, official figures show.

Sony has been voted the UK’s top technology Superbrand by shoppers.

BBC Worldwide, the BBC’s commercial arm, saw its pre-tax profits fall £32 million to £85.7m even though revenue topped £1 billion for the first time.

The annual rate of inflation fell below the Bank of England’s two per cent target in June.

The heatwave and clearance sales saw non-store non-food sales leap 16.8 per cent ahead of the same month last year.

Businesses that operate in the financial services sector, including banks and insurance companies, are to be forced to publish figures for customer complaints.

Project Canvas, the BBC’s internet protocol TV venture with ITV and BT, is being viewed as a chance to extend the reach of the BBC iPlayer, broadcasting website Digital Spy was told.

Department store group John Lewis reported that figures for the first full week of its summer sale were 2.3 per cent below those achieved last year.

For the fourth month in a row, the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has decided to leave interest rates unchanged at 0.5 per cent.

Sharp is to increase production of LCD TV panels by around 10 per cent at its Kameyama plant in Japan to meet increasing world demand.

The recession in the UK will end this year and return to weak growth next year, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Consumer confidence is growing, a survey published today confirmed.

US sports broadcaster ESPN is to launch a new channel on Sky to televise its 46 English Premier League matches.

Two pilot schemes for super-fast broadband are now under way in London and South Wales.

Sony is making its second entry into the netbook computer market with the launch of the Vaio W.

The worst of the recession is over but it is too early to say that a recovery is secure, according to a study by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).

Britain’s bosses are calling for an alternative to redundancy (ATR) so that employers can recall staff when the economy improves.

Samsung saw its shares jump more than four per cent after it forecast that it expected consolidated second-quarter operating profits to be between 2.2 trillion and 2.6 trillion won (around £1.1bn-£1.3bn).

Rent-to-own retailer BrightHouse has posted a 21.5 per cent rise in earnings (EBITDA) to £29.4 million in the year to March 31.

Councils are being urged not to use the powers given to them by the Business Rate Supplement Bill, which received Royal Assent yesterday.

Sky and US sports broadcaster ESPN are expected to announce a joint bid to screen the Scottish Premier League next season.

Strong demand for hot-weather items such as refrigeration products and fans was reported by department store group John Lewis on the first day of its clearance sale.

Video games retailer Game reported a 15.8 per cent drop in like-for-like sales for the UK and Ireland.

BSkyB has agreed to carry Setanta Sports's Irish channel for one week to allow a rescue bid to be put together for the channel.

Although 87 per cent of consumers in the West Country - which is in the process of losing its analogue TV signals - say they know what digital switchover is, half still believe the three most common myths surrounding the change from analogue to digital broadcasts.

"Consumer confidence appears to be stabilising," said Marks and Spencer chairman Sir Stuart Rose as the store group reported a drop of 1.4 per cent in UK like-for-like sales in its first quarter to June 27.