Disney to sell computers

The Walt Disney Co. has added a personal computer and flat screen monitor to its lineup of consumer electronics products.

The computer, which comes with games, a mouse, a digital pen and a drive that plays both CDs and DVDs, joins a television, DVD player, clock radio, cordless phone and other products the company has introduced during the past two years.

The computer will retail for $599 with the monitor sold separately for $299. The “Disney Dream Desk PC,” picture above, was unveiled Thursday in New York.

Manufacturing

Goodyear profits rise

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. reported a profit for the second quarter, the first for the nation’s largest tiremaker since the third quarter of 2002. Its shares rose nearly 5 percent.

The company said Thursday it earned $25.1 million, or 14 cents per share, on record sales of $4.5 billion, in the three months ended June 30. That’s compared to a loss of $53 million, or 30 cents per share, on sales of $3.8 billion in the same quarter a year ago.

The profit was the first for the company’s struggling North American Tire division since 2002.

Robert Keegan, the company’s chairman and chief executive, said the company improved its financial performance by focusing on cutting costs and improving its relations with its dealerships.

Energy

Aquila loss narrows

Kansas City, Mo.-based Aquila Inc. reported Wednesday a second-quarter loss of $43.3 million, a much smaller loss compared with the second quarter of last year.

The loss of 22 cents per share compares with a loss of 41 cents per share, or $80.6 million, in the year ago period. Sales for the quarter were $335.3 million, compared to $367.4 million a year ago. The company is the natural gas provider in Lawrence.

Investigation

Gas scheme probe nets Enron conviction

A former Enron executive pleaded guilty Thursday to charges he manipulated energy markets during California’s power crisis.

John Forney, 42, is the third Enron official to plead guilty to allegations that they manipulated electricity prices from Enron’s now-defunct trading office in Portland, Ore. The crisis played a role in Pacific Gas & Electric Co.’s bankruptcy and will leave California consumers paying abnormally high prices for years.

U.S. Atty. Kevin Ryan said as part of the guilty plea, Forney was expected to cooperate with the ongoing investigation into Enron, as well as reveal details about how other energy firms may have played a role.