../../../..//2008/02/11/yahoo-rejects-microsofts-takeover-bid/
Yahoo rejects Microsoft’s takeover bid for reals for reals. We are safe from the threat of the creation of the world’s largest, crappiest, search engine…for now. [AP]
competition
Dreyer Loses Truck Deathmatch To Häagen-Dazs
By 1.3.08
Jay writes: “I caught these two photos on my way in to work today in San Diego. At first I just thought is was amusing that the Dreyers truck was on its side, it really is the little things in life that make it worth living. Then I saw the Haagen-Dazs ice cream truck nearby, standing in victory. Apparently Haagen-Dazs is no longer satisfied with being the superior ice cream, they must now ram their competition off the road.” [More]
Want A Thriving Coffee Shop? Open Next To A Starbucks
By 12.29.07
The funny thing about Starbucks is it’s helped to create a coffee culture filled with a significant number of people who don’t actually like Starbucks—which means that, despite conventional wisdom, it’s actually a good thing to be a mom & pop coffee shop with a Starbucks nearby, writes Slate.
JetBlue Wants You, Canada
By 11.2.07
Low-cost U.S. carrier JetBlue Airways Corp. is applying to launch charter and scheduled service between Canada and the United States, a move that is expected to shake up Canadian rivals and reduce transborder fares.
Congress Asks FCC To Accurately Count U.S. Broadband Homes
By 10.16.07
Congress has added its voice to the growing number of critics who have noted that the FCC is misreporting broadband penetration in the U.S. According to eWeek, last Wednesday a House subcommittee “approved legislation to change the Federal Communications Commission’s methodology for determining deployment.” The FCC currently counts a single home in a zip code as representative of the full zip code—so one home having broadband access is considered the same as every home in that area having broadband access. By doing this, they inflate the number of homes with broadband access and present a picture of increased “natural” competition in the market, which is then used by telecoms and lobbyists to argue against policy decisions that don’t favor existing corporations.
Retributive Airlines "Tweak" Each Other, Offer Great Fares To Consumers
By 8.12.07
Rick Seaney has a great post about the “tweak,” a move used by airlines to piss off competitors by offering discount airfares from their rival’s hubs. The spurned airline will often retaliate by tweaking the offender back in return. Rick Seany explains:
Walmart Instigates Back-To-School Season Price War
By 7.25.07
Walmart will offer 10 to 50 percent discounts on 16,000 items to boost sales during the lucrative back-to-school season. The cuts are part of Walmart’s broader plan to abandon its pursuit of the upscale market, which “confused customers,” and return to its core business of undercutting competition and instigating price wars.
Online Travel Sites Waive Booking Fees To Compete With Airlines
By 7.15.07
Several travel sites are scrapping booking fees to keep customers away from individual airline sites. Savvy customers currently research fares with travel sites, and then buy directly from airlines to avoid booking fees.
“Hotwire.com announced this week that it would drop its $6-a-ticket charge for airline reservations on both its “opaque” reservations (the bargain-priced fares that don’t let you know exactly what flight you’ve booked until after you’ve paid) and regular bookings through summer. Last week, Priceline.com announced it was suspending booking charges on regular airfares through Labor Day. (The deal excludes its opaque, name-your-own-price fares.) Fees range from $5 a domestic ticket to up to $9.95 for an international reservation.
Open Skies Agreement Means TransAtlantic Airways Cleared For Competition
By 5.1.07
Transatlantic travelers should be treated to lower costs and increased offerings, thanks to the “Open Skies” agreement signed yesterday between the US and the EU.
Virgin America’s Awesome Plane DOT Won’t Let You Ride
By 1.17.07
This is Virgin America’s vision of budget, yes, budget, air travel. And you can’t go on it.
Free Blockbuster Rentals For Netflix Subscribers
By 12.6.06
Blockbuster will give you a free online rental for each Netflix envelope flap you bring into a store. You must have a Blockbuster membership to qualify. The promotions lasts until Dec. 21. It’s an effort to get Netflix subscribers to sign up for Blockbuster’s Total Access Online service.
Amazon to Build iPod & iTunes Killer?
By 2.17.06
Amazon.com announced plans to take on iTunes and iPod as early as this summer. It will launch its own Internet music service as well as sell its own branded portable music players.
