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• U.S. dollar has momentum against the yen - will it last?

  NEW YORK, Jan 31- The U.S. dollar has reached its loftiest level in two-and-a-half years against the Japanese yen and investors expect the greenback to ascend ever higher peaks in coming months.

• Wash. lawmakers weigh training wage for employees

  OLYMPIA, Wash.-- Washington state has the highest state minimum wage in the nation, but a new bill being considered by lawmakers would allow some employers to pay a lower "training wage" to new employees for a certain period of time. Washington state's minimum wage increased by 15 cents this month to $9.19 per hour.

• 2 IT specialists settle insider trading charges

  PORTLAND, Ore.-- A worker came from the IT department of a Central Oregon health insurance business a few years ago to fix an email problem for the CEO.

• TREASURIES-Prices choppy as U.S. data mixed; jobs data awaited

  *Chicago PMI index at highest in January since April. *U.S. jobless claims bounce off 5- year low. NEW YORK, Jan 31- Prices for U.S.

• UPDATE 1-U.S. appeals court denies Apple in Samsung patent fight

  SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 31- A U.S. appeals court on Thursday rejected Apple Inc's request to revive its bid for a sales ban on Samsung's Galaxy Nexus smartphone, dashing the iPhone maker's attempt to recover crucial leverage in the global patent wars.

• Appeals court rejects Apple bid to overturn sales-ban denial

  SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 31- A U.S. appeals court has denied Apple Inc's request to reconsider an earlier ruling refusing to impose a sales ban on Samsung's Galaxy Nexus smartphone.

• UPDATE 3-Electronic Arts slashes 2013 outlook as industry struggles

  SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 30- Electronic Arts Inc slashed its fiscal 2013 earnings forecast after a weaker-than-expected holiday quarter marked by disappointing sales of its "Medal of Honor" title, as the industry struggles with flagging demand.

• UPDATE 1-STMicro says may need $500 mln to leave ST-Ericsson

  SAN FRANCISCO/ PARIS, Jan 30- STMicroelectronics posted a quarterly net loss and said it could need as much as $500 million to get out of its struggling mobile chip joint venture with Ericsson. STMicro and Ericsson formed ST-Ericsson in 2008 but the mobile chipmaker has failed to make a profit.

• UPDATE 3-Facebook's mobile ad revenue doubles in fourth quarter

  SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 30- Facebook Inc doubled its mobile advertising from the previous quarter as the world's No. 1 social network expanded its business aggressively onto handheld devices. Shares of Facebook were flat at $31.24 in after hours trading on Wednesday, regaining ground after falling more than 8 percent immediately after the numbers were released.

• STMicro posts quarterly loss, mobile business weighs

  SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 30- European chipmaker STMicroelectronics posted a quarterly net loss, hurt by troubles at its mobile chip unit, and forecast a decline in revenue for the March quarter.

• UPDATE 1-Electronic Arts revenue dropped in 3rd quarter

  SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 30- Video game publisher Electronic Arts Inc reported lower revenue for the third quarter. It reported a net loss of $45 million, or 15 cents per share, compared with $205 million, or 62 cents per share a year ago. Shares of Electronic Arts were down slightly at $14.90 in after-hours trading after losing $15.08 on Wednesday.

• UPDATE 1-Facebook grows revenue 40 pct in fourth quarter

  SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 30- Facebook Inc's advertising business grew at its fastest clip since before the company's May initial public offering, helping the company's revenue expand 40 percent to $1.585 billion.

• Facebook grows revenue 40 pct in fourth quarter

  SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 30- Facebook Inc's revenue in the fourth quarter grew 40 percent year-on-year to $1.585 billion.

• Analyst downgrades OpenTable, stock declines

  NEW YORK-- OpenTable's stock dropped Wednesday after an Oppenheimer analyst lowered his rating for the online restaurant reservation company, saying the recent rally in its stock is too much and doesn't reflect risks related to possible delays in implementing new technology or potential higher costs.

• Advocates: CPUC must rehear San Bruno decision

  SAN FRANCISCO-- Consumer advocates and city officials are asking California regulators to reconsider a decision to approve a $299 million Pacific Gas& Electric Co. rate increase to help pay for pipeline inspections and upgrade costs following a 2010 fatal pipeline explosion.

• Dolby fiscal 1Q net falls on higher expenses

  SAN FRANCISCO-- Dolby Laboratories Inc. said Tuesday that fiscal first-quarter net income fell almost 30 percent as expenses jumped. The entertainment technology company earned $51.3 million, or 50 cents per share, for the quarter that ended Dec. 28.

• UPDATE 4-Amazon shares set record after strong quarterly profit

  SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 29- Amazon.com Inc shares hit a new record on Tuesday after it reported better-than-expected quarterly profit, fueled by the growth of higher-margin businesses during the fiercely competitive holiday quarter.

• Sector Snap: Tough day for VMware, Citrix, BMC

  SAN FRANCISCO-- The stocks of business software makers VMware Inc., Citrix Systems Inc. and BMC Software Inc. dropped Tuesday amid concerns about how their products will fare this year. VMware absorbed the worst beating as its stock plummeted $21.18, or 21.5 percent, to close at $77.14.

• UPDATE 3-Amazon shares hit record after quarterly results

  SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 29- Amazon.com Inc shares hit a new record on Tuesday after the world's largest Internet retailer reported better-than-expected quarterly profit, fueled by growth of higher-margin businesses. This supports the bull case that Amazon can monetize its growth over the longer term. "

• UPDATE 1-Amazon shares jump after quarterly results

  SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 29- Amazon.com Inc shares jumped almost 7 percent on Tuesday after the world's largest Internet retailer reported quarterly results.