IN BRIEF

SEATTLE

Microsoft launches new Windows version

Microsoft Corp. finally got the chance to reboot its reputation Thursday, launching a new edition of Windows that it hopes will encourage more PC buyers to get back into stores.

Some retailers opened at midnight to give customers an early shot at buying a new PC or a disc that they could use to put Windows 7 on their existing computers. Such upgrade discs start at $120.

Among the stores was a Fry's Electronics in Renton, Wash., several miles south of Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond. Mike Naramor, 55, who runs a consulting business called My Computer Guy, was one of about 50 people who were waiting outside when Fry's opened.

"We're geeks, that's what geeks do," he said. "This is our excitement."

Naramor, who also had bought copies of the last two operating systems, XP and Vista, the nights they were released, planned to go home and install Windows 7 right away.

"Vista took me about 72 hours," he said. "I expect this to take me 20 minutes."

Crystals gains LEED gold certification

Crystals, CityCenter's 500,000-square-foot retail, dining and entertainment district, became the project's fourth location to receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.

MGM Mirage, which is opening the $8.5 billion Strip complex in December, announced the certification Thursday. Crystals joins Aria, CityCenter's 4,004-room centerpiece hotel-casino, the 1,500-room non-gaming Vdara Hotel and Aria's convention center and theater area in receiving LEED certification.

Crystals, according to MGM Mirage, is the largest retail complex ever to receive LEED Gold recognition.

Attorney general, CVS settle expiration issue

Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto reached an agreement with CVS Pharmacy regarding the drugstore chain's sale of products past expiration.

The state alleged that CVS didn't disclose material facts in offering expired products for sale, including concealing expiration dates. In its settlement, CVS denied any wrongdoing.

The settlement entitles consumers to $2 coupons on future purchases if they find expired baby food, infant formula, dairy products, eggs or over-the-counter drugs at any CVS store in Nevada. CVS will also pay the state a $5,000 fine and has agreed not to sell expired products and to train all employees to check inventory regularly for expiration dates and enforce expired-product policies.

LV Sands seeking $2 billion for projects

Las Vegas Sands Corp., the casino company controlled by billionaire Sheldon Adelson, is seeking as much as $2 billion to restart mothballed projects in Macau, Chief Operating Officer Michael Leven said Thursday.

Sands aims to get commitments for project financing from lenders by the end of the month to resume work on lots 5 and 6 of its 21,000-room hotel and casino complex on Macau's Cotai Strip, Leven said in an interview in New York.

The Las Vegas-based company is willing to contribute additional equity in the project, on top of the $1.6 billion it's already spent on the four hotels, Leven said, declining to give an amount. He estimated the total cost at about $3.6 billion and said it could be finished by June 2011.

Local credit union drops payday loans

Nevada Federal Credit Union has abandoned the payday loan business, citing the risk of payday loans during a recession.

The $783 million-asset credit union ended the program last week after deciding it was better not to take risks making unsecured loans to borrowers with troubled credit histories, CEO Brad Beal said Thursday.

"We did it very reluctantly," he said.

"I think (the payday loans) were hugely beneficial to our members," Beal said.

Rather than paying a for-profit payday lender $140 for a $700 loan due on the next payday, members could get the same loan for two weeks for $60 to $70, depending on whether they had direct deposit of wages with the credit union.

Beal said about 3,000 of the 85,000 members of Nevada Federal took out payday loans.

Slot makers have patents ruled invalid

International Game Technology and Bally Technologies Inc., the two largest U.S. makers of slot machines, both had patents ruled invalid by an appeals court in dueling cases against each other.

The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington dismissed two patent lawsuits between the companies related to wheel-based games, affirming a lower court's rulings.

The wheel-indicator technology is obvious and IGT and Bally weren't liable for infringement, the court said.

The Bally patent was meant to add "excitement and complexity to the game, which tends to prolong player involvement," according to the patent. Bally, based in Las Vegas, said it still has an antitrust claim pending against Reno-based IGT.

"We are gratified by the court's decision," Richard Haddrill, Bally's chief executive officer, said in a statement. "It validates our approach to innovation and our respect for the intellectual property of others."

WASHINGTON

FCC to begin crafting 'net neutrality' rules

Federal regulators took an important step Thursday toward prohibiting broadband providers from favoring or discriminating against certain kinds of Internet traffic.

Despite the concerns of the telecommunications industry and the agency's two Republicans, the Federal Communications Commission voted to begin writing so-called "network neutrality" regulations to prevent phone and cable companies from abusing their control over the market for broadband access.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said regulations are needed to ensure that broadband subscribers can access all legal Web sites and services, including Internet calling applications and video sites that compete with the broadband companies' core businesses.