October 12, 2003

Kazaa founders Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis have reunited with same team of Estonia programmers who wrote code for Kazaa file-sharing application to create way to let people make high-quality phone calls over Internet at no charge; their new company, Skype, has released free, preliminary version of program; Zennstrom says they hope to make Skype global phone company; Skype allows free calls between any two users who have downloaded software; uses protocol that essentially turns computers into phones; same protocol is driving number of small phone companies and is being integrated into systems of traditional phone companies; photos (M)

Michael Holley The Boston Globe column contends that players and fans have taken New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox rivalry too far, as witnessed in Game 3 of American League Championship series, in which brawling seemed top priority; photos (M)

Behind the Wheel column reviews 2004 Ford F-150 pickup; chart compares features of similar models (M)

John F Burns comment on latest horrific suicide bombing, and ordinary Israelis and Palestinians who seem trapped in moral and political maze that assures deepening misery for both, as if bound to journey without comprehensible purpose or expectable end; photo (M)

Job slump of nearly three years has left many unemployed professionals out of networking resources on which to call for help; photo (M)

Many state and local governments, facing ballooning pension promises to public employees, are selling bonds to cover shortfall, leaving taxpayers liable for even more debt than caused by recent investment losses; almost all pension funds have suffered sizable losses over last three years and government funds, unlike corporate plans, are not required to maintain funding levels; pension bonds this year will account for nearly five percent of all new municipal bonds, up from less than one percent in each of last five years; recent and planned sales noted; map; graphs (M)

New product from Schick-Wilkinson Sword poses first-ever credible threat to Gillette's dominance of high-margin razor system business; Gillette researchers are working to develop improved product they say will render all other nondisposable razors with disposable blades obsolete, while companies battle in and out of court over Schick razor; Gillette president Edward F DeGraan says Gillette's manufacturing technology gives it competitive edge; Schick president Joseph E Lynch says Schick's equipment and processes are equally world class; photos (M)

Huge catalogues of music will soon be available for sale on Internet as record companies, suffering from slow sales, note success of Apple's ITunes; price war is expected; photos (L)

Article on pop music impresario Tommy Mottola, whose latest project is to transform his wife, Mexican-born Latina pop idol Thalia Sodi, into household name in US; photos (M)

Article on Jamie Johnson, 23, heir to Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical fortune, who says he has gone from being considered eligible bachelor to outcast because of his tell-all documentary, Born Rich; film will be shown at Hamptons Film Festival and broadcast on HBO in October; photos (M)

Boston Red Sox management is accusing New York Yankees players Jeff Nelson and Karim Garcia of assaulting Boston grounds crew worker Paul Williams in Yankee dugout during American League Championship series Game 3 (M)

New York Atty Gen Eliot Spitzer discusses his probe of mutual fund industry abuses, interview; cites abuses involving mutual fund intermediaries, retirement plan administrators, brokers, financial advisers, trust companies, banks and consultants that link fund industry to customers; graph of mutual fund purchases by method; photos (M)