As we come down to the wire for 2012, the pace of business blunders hasn't slowed. From an ill-timed streaming video outage to the ultimate dot-com oversight, here's our rundown of the most boneheaded episodes -- and a few brilliant moves -- from this week in the world of business.
The financial markets are closed for the Christmas holiday, but when trading resumes on Wednesday, here's what's likely to help shape the rest of the week on Wall Street.
Companies get into fights all the time: in the courts, through their advertising, in contract negotiations with partners, and even with their own workers. To some extent, it's just business as usual -- but when those fights escalate, it's often consumers who feel the pain.
Fresh data from ratings tracker Nielsen shows an alarming drop in television viewership. ABC, Fox, CBS and NBC have combined for a 9 percent drop in viewers in the coveted 18-to-49 age bracket since the fall season began. Media executives are worried, and rightfully so.
Companies can do brilliant things, but there are also times where they fall flat on their faces. Sometimes CEOs can save the day, but at other times, they say and do the darndest things. There were plenty of winners and blunders this week: These were my favorites.
Black Friday sales circulars for several major retailers are already out online, and the deals look tempting. And at some chains, you won't even have to wait until Friday. We'll update as we learn more, but here's the scoop on the deals and sale times that we know so far.
Starting Thursday, Boxee TV will be sold exclusively at 3,000 U.S. Walmart stores. The $98 device features a built-in antenna to grab free over-the-air broadcast TV, and it also tethers to the Internet to stream YouTube, Netflix, and Pandora. Is this a way for you to ditch your cable bill for good?
Carl Icahn is making a move on Netflix. The infamous activist investor and corporate raider has taken a nearly 10% stake in the DVD rental and video streaming giant, which means he must see a way to make a profit on its recent troubles. So does Icahn have a buyer in mind?
AMC's "The Walking Dead" is a runaway hit,and its ratings just keep getting bigger. Clearly, America is in a post-apocalyptic mood, as hooked on zombies as we are on vampires. So if you've got the brains, you might want to invest in this undead trend. Here are four stocks to consider before the world ends.
Facebook just keeps on getting bigger. Despite the negative emotions generated by its IPO, the leading social network revealed on Thursday that it now has more than a billion active monthly users.
Gaming companies have been trying for years to make their products more than just consoles, but the center of the living room, combining gaming, TV, and other media options. Could Nintendo's Wii U system, with its Wii TVii, be the one that finally succeeds?
From apartments and cars to clothing and furniture, huge numbers of 20- to 34-year-olds are choosing to rent their possessions rather than buy. In an uncertain post-recession world, are they making the right financial choice?
Skateboarding is all about keeping your balance and avoiding the always-embarrassing face-plant. But that's exactly what edgy teen apparel retailer Zumiez failed to do with Thursday afternoon's earnings report.
If you've been noticing a little bit less of SpongeBob on Nickelodeon, Snooki on MTV, or Stephen Colbert on Comedy Central, it's by design: Viacom is squeezing more commercials into every hour of programming. That's the bad news. The worse news is that it's not working.
