Briefs

Computerworld - Microsoft Pushes for Appeals Court Hearing
Microsoft Corp., in legal papers filed last week, renewed its opposition to sending its antitrust case directly to the U.S. Supreme Court.
"The need for soundness in the result outweighs the need for speed in reaching it," the company said in a brief filed with the court. The company, which wants the case to first be sent to the U.S. Court of Appeals, was responding to the federal government's earlier argument that the case was of "immense" importance to the national economy and too important to delay.
The government wants the Supreme Court to take the case up now. The high court may decide who will hear the case in as little as two months.
Deep Blue's Q Beats Larry and Scott
IBM's supercomputer Deep Blue, which beat chess master Garry Kasparov at his own game, has taken on heavyweight high-tech CEOs Larry Ellison and Scott McNealy in the fame game.
The computer, which recently guest-starred on the Fox TV program Futurama, is said to have a higher Q-Score than both executives. A Q-Score is the measurement of fame used by advertising agencies to determine the value of spokesmen or characters in promotional campaigns. Deep Blue had a Q rating of 8, while both CEOs lagged with 6. Elvis has a score of 33.
Short Takes
Internet investment firm CMGI Inc. bought the naming rights for the new stadium being built for the New England Patriots in Foxboro, Mass. The 15-year deal requires Andover, Mass.-based CMGI to pay $7.6 million per year to the football team for the first 10 years, with payments to be adjusted for the remaining five years. . . . Job cuts at Internet companies in August rose 55% from July, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. in Chicago. From December through Aug. 23, layoffs totaled 11,785, up from 7,592 through July 23.