Research In Motion, maker of the BlackBerry smart phone, will release its PlayBook tablet computer on two more high-speed network standards in the second half of 2011, the company said Monday.
The move to offer LTE and HSPA+ versions of its PlayBook guarantees access to the most advanced wireless data networks in the world, including all major carriers in North America. Get the full story »
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. added to its holdings of Wells Fargo & Co. in the fourth quarter, while eliminating positions in several other stocks including Bank of America Corp., according to a regulatory filing Monday.
Besides Bank of America, Berkshire sold all its shares of Becton Dickinson & Co., Comcast Corp. , Fiserv Inc., Lowe’s Cos. , Nalco Holding Co., Nike Inc. and American depository receipts of Nestle SA. Get the full story »
Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz USA will take over sales and marketing of the microcar smart USA brand from Penske Automotive Group by the middle of this year, Mercedes-Benz USA and Penske said Monday.
By the end of the transition period around July 1, the number of U.S. Mercedes-Benz dealers selling smart cars will drop to the mid-50sfrom the current 75 at dealerships owned by the Penske group, a Mercedes-Benz spokesman said. Get the full story »
Starbucks Corp. and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters are in partnership negotiations, a source close to the talks told Reuters on Monday, sending Green Mountain shares surging.
Starbucks, the world’s biggest coffee chain, wants to be a big player in the fast-growing single-serve coffee segment that Green Mountain dominates with its Keurig one-cup brewers. Get the full story »
Chicago-based CME Group is considering horning in on merger talks between the New York Stock Exchange owner and a stock exchange in Germany, according to reports.
CME, which employs about 2,000 in Chicago, is considering a strategic response to the impending takeover of the Big Board by Deutsche Boerse AG. Get the full story »
TribLocal | The Hooters in Crystal Lake closed abruptly on Monday with some employees offered jobs in the chain’s Schaumburg restaurant.
From the Calgary Herald | Potash Corp. announced Monday it will boost its head office contingent in Saskatoon from 209 employees to 300 by the end of 2013 as part of its “pledge to Saskatchewan.”
Boeing Co. is still dithering over whether to update its top-selling 737 single-aisle jet with new engines or introduce a whole new model for the next decade, but a company executive said on Monday it aims to come to a firm decision around the middle of this year. Get the full story »
Indiana is cranking up its push to lure Illinois businesses in the wake of tax increases here, rolling out a $250,000 marketing campaign that tries to position the Hoosier state as a lower-tax option.
“Feeling Squeezed by Taxes?” is the tagline on a Northwest Indiana campaign launching Monday in Chicago print and electronic media, and it dovetails with a broader Indiana push rolled out late last month, using the tagline, “Illinnoyed by Higher Taxes?” Get the full story »
Several U.S. airlines that were in the black last year for the first time since 2007 are sharing some of their profits with employees.
Delta and United Continental said Monday they’re paying out profit-sharing bonuses. Delta Air Lines Inc. is doling out $313 million to its more than 80,000 employees. United Continental is handing out $224 million to its 87,000 employees. Get the full story »
Shares of Motorola Mobility fell about 5 percent on Monday on concerns it would be particularly vulnerable to competition from the next version of Apple Inc.’s iPhone.
Motorola shares fell $1.44 or 4.6 percent at $29.71 on New York Stock Exchange after the Wall Street Journal reported Apple was developing a cheaper iPhone that is cheaper than its current model, the iPhone 4, and about half the size. Get the full story »
Google search trends show that Valentine’s Day searches for “personalized dog gifts” — such as a doggie sweater, collar or water bowl with a pooch’s name on it — are more than 10 percent higher than searches for “personalized husband gifts.”
Overall, searches on Google for “Valentine’s Day dog gifts” are up 30 percent this year over 2010. Get the full story »
Zynga, the company behind popular Facebook games such as FarmVille and CityVille, is in talks with potential investors to raise about $250 million, which would value the startup at $7 billion to $9 billion, according to a published report.
The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, said in a report Monday that a decision to raise money could be weeks away if it happens. Get the full story »
Twitter Inc. Chief Executive Dick Costolo said the microblogging service is “already making money,” but he did not immediately clarify whether he was referring to revenue or profit.
Costolo made his comments in a webcast keynote address at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, but a subsequent Q&A period was not streamed on the Internet. Get the full story »
