Marconi launches optical networks unit

Marconi Communications on Monday launched Marconi Optical Components, a new business designed to provide a range of components for high-performance optical networks. Marconi officials said the company already has 300 engineers and scientists dedicated to optical technology, most of whom are based at the company's components manufacturing plant in Caswell, United Kingdom. Additionally, the Marshall Township-based firm said that it can also re-deploy an additional 1,000 workers companywide to optical component manufacturing as the business grows. Marconi said it also plans to build a new, 200,000 square-foot manufacturing plant by mid-2002 to reinforce existing facilities. The site of the new plant has not been determined. Marconi Communications, formerly Fore Systems Inc., manufactures high-speed switches that connect computers around the world.

SightSound Technologies was to debut an Internet-transmitted feature film at a digital cinema trial Monday at Star City Cinemas in Bridgeville. Mt. Lebanon-based SightSound has partnered with Microsoft Corp. and Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Co. for the project. The movie, 'Quantum Project,' was originally available in homes via the Internet at sightsound.com. SightSound says the digital cinema concept, where movies are played on Microsoft Window's Windows Media Video 8 software, can reduce distribution costs for movie studios. A computer workstation with twin Pentium III processors play the movie through a Panasonic projector.

Pilots of Comair Inc., the nation's second-largest regional airline, rejected a proposed five-year contract Monday. More contract talks are scheduled Friday to try and resolve salary and other disputes. The rejected contract could lead to a strike as early as next week, but President Bush could intervene. Only six of the 1,096 pilots who voted supported the offer, an Air Line Pilots Association spokesman said. The deal would have given Comair pilots a company-funded retirement program, extended last year to other employees, and increased top pay from $66,000 to $96,000. Comair has flights to 95 U.S. cities.

Papa John's says its pizza is better than Pizza Hut's because it uses superior ingredients. On Monday, the Supreme Court declined to hear Pizza Hut's argument that the claim should be considered false advertising. The court, without comment, turned down an appeal by Pizza Hut, which won -- and then lost -- a false-advertising lawsuit against Papa John's. ''We obviously feel vindicated in this,'' said Karen Sherman, spokeswoman for the Louisville-based Papa John's. ''This battle is over now.'' Pizza Hut is the nation's largest pizza chain, and Papa John's is the third-largest.

Shares of Tivo Inc. gained as much as 45 percent Monday, a day after it received favorable coverage on CBS network's ''60 Minutes.'' Shares of Tivo traded Monday at $5.28, up $1.23. In the past 12 months, Tivo lost $206 million on revenue of $3.6 million. In a Sunday report on personal video-recording devices that included Tivo, the popular news program said the company's technology ''could drastically change'' television audiences' viewing habits. ''I suspect the '60 Minutes' piece is what's driving the stock,'' said David Smith, an analyst at Dain Rauscher Wessels.

Total U.S. tax refunds are higher than they were at this point a year ago, while the number of taxpayers receiving refunds has declined, leading to a rise in the average refund, the Internal Revenue Service said. Tax refunds totaled $73.1 billion as of March 9, up 2.1 percent from $71.6 billion as of March 10, last year, the IRS said. The total number of taxpayers receiving refunds fell 3 percent to 40.1 million from 41.3 million at this point last year. That pushed up the average refund 5.3 percent to $1,823 from $1,731.

Retail gasoline prices fell for the fifth consecutive week, dropping to a national average of $1.404 a gallon, according to a weekly U.S. Department of Energy survey. The price for regular gasoline dropped 0.8 cent in the week ended Monday from the previous week's $1.412 a gallon. Gasoline prices have fallen in eight of the past nine weeks and are 12.5 cents lower than a year ago, the survey of 800 filling stations showed.