Business Highlights

SUNNYVALE — Yahoo Inc. has redesigned its online maps to make it easier to get driving directions to multiple destinations and find local merchants — the latest move in the company’s duel with Internet powerhouse, Google Inc.

The Sunnyvale-based company planned to unveil its latest mapping improvements Wednesday, less than a month after Google upgraded its maps service. Yahoo’s service will be available on a test basis at http://maps.yahoo.com/beta.

Yahoo is matching some of Google’s features, such as the ability to scroll across a map without reloading a Web page, as well as introducing tools that haven’t been available previously on the Internet.

"There are four or five ’only at Yahoo’ features” included in the upgrade, said Paul Levine, Yahoo’s general manager of local services.

The innovations include the ability to obtain driving directions to several different city locations and have all the routes simultaneously displayed on the same Web page.

Like Google, Yahoo also is including user reviews and phone numbers of local merchants located near the site of the mapping request.

Hoping to draw more users to their popular Web sites so they can generate more ad revenue, Yahoo and Google have spent much of the past two years engaged in a game of one-upmanship.

Boeing machinists

go on strike, launch plans may be delayed

LOS ANGELES — Boeing Co. officials have not yet decided whether to scrub upcoming satellite launches or hire replacement workers after machinists went on strike in California, Alabama and Florida, a company spokesman said Wednesday.

About 1,500 workers joined the walkout that began at 12:01 a.m. after last-minute talks broke down between their union and Boeing’s Integrated Defense Systems unit that operates the Delta rocket program.

A federal mediator was unable to broker an agreement. No new talks were scheduled. The unit services mainly NASA and the Air Force.

Univision profits

rise in third quarter

LOS ANGELES — Spanish-language broadcaster Univision Communications Inc. reported an 8 percent increase in third-quarter earnings Wednesday, citing higher ratings against English-language networks and strong advertising sales.

Net income was $79.2 million, or 23 cents a share, for the three months ended Sept. 30, compared to $73.4 million, or 21 cents a share, in the same quarter last year.

Analysts polled by Thomson Financial were expecting Univision to post a profit of 22 cents per share.

Net revenue rose 4 percent to $497.5 million, up from $477.4 million in the same period last year.<