The wheels are coming off the Howard Stern/Infinity Broadcasting relationship. Cast members of Howard Stern’s show said on Monday that Infinity made offers to them to remain at the company when Mr. Stern leaves for his new job at Sirius Satellite Radio. According to Billboard Radio Monitor, cast member Artie Lange said Infinity dangled a $5-million to $10-million multiyear deal, but he turned it down. He briefly contemplated using the offer to squeeze more money out of Sirius, but the way that deal is structured he would be squeezing Mr. Stern, who is responsible for paying his staff from the $500 million he is being paid by Sirius. Mr. Stern’s show producer Gary Dell’Abate said he too was approached. Infinity VP of communications Karen Mateo denied the seriousness of the claims. “There were never any serious discussions on this topic,” she said. Mr. Stern charged that Infinity is trying to break up his team before his Sirius debut.

Sending Hugs via the Web

The web holds the potential to fundamentally change the world, but there is one thing it can’t do well. The Internet cannot communicate a hug—until now, according to a Reuters story. Scientists in Singapore came up with a vibration jacket for chickens that transmits something resembling the sense of touch and they are considering doing the same for children’s pajamas. A computer-controlled jacket for chickens or household pets approximates the touch of a human via vibration. Researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) told Monday’s edition of the Straits Times the same technology could be used to transmit hugs to children via the web. “These days, parents go on a lot of business trips, but with children, hugging and touching are very important,” NTU Associate Professor Adrian David Cheok told the paper. NTU is thinking of a pajama suit for children that would use the Internet to adjust to changes in pressure and temperature to simulate the feeling of being hugged. Parents wearing a similar suit could be “hugged” back by their children, said the paper.

Swiss Lack of Movement

Did the collapse and subsequent bankruptcy of Swissair, the national airline of Switzerland, so stun the government that it is now causing the state to make some very strange decisions concerning the future of Swisscom, the state-owned telecommunications carrier? That seems to be the popular rationale behind the government’s decision to bar Swisscom from all foreign acquisitions at a time when many European carriers are trying to buy properties abroad. Many believe Swissair’s collapse in 2001 came as a result of the airline’s acquisition of stakes in other companies, according to the Financial Times. While Swissair went after minority stakes in questionable properties, Swisscom executives have been targeting full ownership of successful operations. Swisscom is reportedly in talks with Eircom of Ireland and TDC in Denmark, but the government, which owns 66 percent of the carrier, has put up a roadblock on foreign acquisitions. Some expect the resignation of a number of top executives at Swisscom.

TechSpin is Red Herring’s take on today’s headlines.