Today in the Fortune 500: GE to buy Converteam, BP employees could face manslaughter charges and eBay encroaches on Amazon's online turf

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GENERAL ELECTRIC'S ENERGY UNIT EXPANDS with the coming $3.2 billion purchase of power conversion company Converteam. The deal, which is expected to close in the third quarter of 2011, should help GE Energy manufacture more efficient, eco-friendly products. According to GE (GE), the $30 billion energy efficient equipment manufacturing market is growing faster than the global economy. [New York Times]

BP EMPLOYEES MAY FACE MANSLAUGHTER CHARGES Federal prosecutors are reviewing evidence from investigations into the BP (BP) oil spill to determine whether BP managers can be charged in connection to the deaths of the 11 workers killed in the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion. [Bloomberg Businessweek]

TAKING ON AMAZON EBay is planning to spend $2.4 billion on a company that could encroach on some of Amazon's (AMZN) online retail turf. The company, called GSI Commerce, Inc., helps retailers with their websites. Buying it would give eBay access to order fulfillment and shipping for brands that GSI works with including Timberland, Mattel and Major League Baseball. [Wall Street Journal]

MUSIC IN THE CLOUD Amazon just rolled out a new cloud-based music player that will let users download up to 1,200 tracks and play them on several devices. The service is aptly called Cloud Player, and it marks the first time a big technology company has offered something like it. [BBC]

OPEN A NEW WINDOW Microsoft (MSFT) has been struggling to provide fresh, consumer-facing products and services. CEO Steve Ballmer's devotion to Windows may be part of the problem. [Fortune]

BACK IN THE MORTGAGE GAME Big banks sent a new list of mortgage-servicing standards they would uphold to government officials on Monday. Government officials will meet Wednesday to hash out the terms with representatives from Bank of America (BAC), JP Morgan (JPM), Wells Fargo (WFC), Citigroup (C) and Ally Financial's GMAC unit. [Wall Street Journal]

Posted in: Ally Financial, Amazon.com, Converteam, EBAY, Fortune 500, GE Energy, General Electric, GSI Commerce, Major League Baseball, Wells Fargo

• Buffett, Simpson and a mountain of Berkshire investments

  Buffett changed the portfolio in interesting ways while retiring colleague Simpson went on a selling spree.

  By Carol Loomis, senior editor-at-large

  Berkshire Hathaway's (BRK.A),(BRK.B) stock portfolio—recently more than $60 billion in size—underwent some pronounced changes in 2010, but a clutch of them definitely weren't the work of Warren Buffett.

  The other mover and shaker at Berkshire was Lou Simpson, who ran GEICO's investments for more than 30 years and then told Buffett last summer MORE

  Feb 26, 2011 7:55 AM ET
  Posted in: Berkshire Hathaway, Coca-Cola, Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, GEICO, Kraft Foods, Todd Combs, Warren Buffett, Wells Fargo

• Today in the Fortune 500: Qualcomm bids for chipmaker Atheros Communications, other car companies pull up to GM and Ford and Wells Fargo launches a mobile phone payment trial.

  The Fortune 500 comes out just once a year, but the companies on it make headlines every day. Here then are today's highlights of news and happenings coming from the biggest names in business.

  By Shelley DuBois, reporter

  QUALCOMM WANTS TO CASH IN ON CHIPS The tech company, which has thus far focused on wireless technology, is nearing a deal to buy MORE

  Jan 5, 2011 8:22 AM ET
  Posted in: Atheros, Ford, Fortune 500, General Motors, Qualcomm, verizon, Wells Fargo

• Today in the Fortune 500: Fried chicken for Africa, Wells Fargo invests in wealth and Halliburton explains why the Gulf went up in smoke.

  The Fortune 500 comes out just once a year, but the companies on it make headlines every day. Here then are today's highlights of news and happenings coming from the biggest names in business.

  By Shelley DuBois, reporter

  IN FORTUNE 500 GLOBAL EXPANSION NEWS Starbucks (SBUX) is looking for a way into India and Yum! Brands Inc. (YUM) wants to see more of the Colonel in Africa. The MORE

  Dec 8, 2010 8:55 AM ET
  Posted in: Bank of America, Business, Deepwater Horizon, Halliburton, John Stumpf, San Francisco, Wells Fargo, WFC, Yum! Brands

• Today in the Fortune 500: Mobile shopping ready to roll, more on big banks in crisis mode and Monsanto's sweet beet problem.

  The Fortune 500 comes out just once a year, but the companies on it make headlines every day. Here then are today's highlights of news and happenings coming from the biggest names in business.

  By Shelley DuBois, reporter

  GET YOUR SUPER-SPECIALIZED APPS HERE Fortune 500 companies are readying mobile phone shopping apps in time for this year's holiday season. Hope Depot (HD), Best Buy Inc. (BBY), and Amazon (AMZN) have MORE

  Dec 2, 2010 8:40 AM ET
  Posted in: Amazon, Bank of America, Best Buy, Bloomberg Businessweek, Fast Company, Financial Crisis, Ford, General Electric, Home Depot, Intel, Jeffrey White, JPMorgan, Monsanto, Nvidia, Roundup (herbicide), smartphone, Sugar beet, United States Department of Agriculture, Wells Fargo, Wellstream