Skype Gets New Owner

Read the Article

Microsoft plans to buy Skype for $8.5 billion, making it the largest deal they have ever made.  Microsoft plans on adding Skype to their Windows phones and Xbox systems.  This new purchase will allow people to communicate more easily.  Some are wondering if this purchase was a good idea or a big mistake.  Apparently $8.5 billion is way too much to pay. 

I'm not really sure whether this was a good business move or not.  I think that Skype would be great if they could incorporate it in with businesses and conferencing.  Microsoft has the potential to do great things now that they own Skype.  Hopefully they make a smart move.

Priceline on the Rise

Priceline.com recently reported that its income for the first quarter has nearly doubled.  Priceline specializes in not only hotels, but flights and rental cars as well.  This booking business attributes its recent success to international bookings.  The international revenue reportedly grew by 80 percent.  Priceline is expecting profits to continue raising as more international trips are being booked.

I think this just shows us that businesses are spreading and people from other countries are using the same resources that we are.  It's a little surprising that people are taking more trips, considering the state of the economy.  But that doesn't mean the economy here is the same as the rest of the world.

Read the Article

Hackers Hit Sony

Hackers broke into the PlayStation Network in early April stealing the information of 77 million users.  The system was shut down for a week on April 19 and users were recently informed that their data could have been stolen.  Credit card lenders may be forking over $300 million worth of replacements if the customers decide to replace their cards.  Customers will be less likely to use a card that their identity was taken from, which might persuade them to switch.

This comes as a shock to me that people can hack into such a big system.  It's probably not going to be good for Sony's business as well as the credit card companies'.  Hopefully everyone doesn't freak out about this and start canceling their credit cards and throwing their PlayStations away!

Read the article

Blockbuster=Bust

Blockbuster was recently auctioned off for $321 million after it went bankrupt last year.  The highest bidder was Dish Network, third largest satellite group in the U.S.  Dish plans to expand Blockbuster's internet streaming business and use some of the stores to sell satellite dishes.  They are still unsure what is to become of Blockbuster's DVD rental business.

I figured the rental business was suffering, but I didn't know it was this bad.  It seems like Redboxes are popping up everywhere lately.  I'm also not sure what Dish plans to accomplish by buying Blockbuster.  Satellite TV and DVD rentals are two totally different things in my point of view.  Hopefully we will be hearing more about it in the future.

Read the Article

Amazon's Latest

Read the article

Amazon made a comeback Tuesday by launching the Amazon Cloud Drive.  This is an internet service that allows people to store their files on the company's servers and access them from their computers or smart phones.  People are also enticed to sign up by receiving 5GB of free storage.  Amazon was one step ahead Apple and Google with this new technology.  Both companies have been waiting on record companies to get on board with licensing agreements while Amazon just skipped all the legal aspects and took a chance.

I think Amazon is making a bold move.  They are risking legal trouble, but at the same time, they beat Apple and Google to the punch.  Amazon deserves some publicity and I'm sure this will be a huge advantage to the company. 

Postal Workers Lose Jobs

Read the Article

The United States Postal Service is planning on cutting about 7,500 employees and 2,000 post offices within the next year.  With the recent technology wave, people are now paying their bills online and using e-mail and text messaging to communicate, which has made a huge impact on the postal service.  By cutting these jobs and closing these post offices, the USPS hopes to save about $750 million each year.  Another strategy they are considering to save money is cutting back to five-day deliveries instead of six.  People are concerned that this might be hard on those in rural areas. 

With the economy the way it is, everyone is making cut-backs.  Combining post offices and eliminating employees will help save money but may take a toll on the communities.  I'm sure they don't want to have to fire people, but you have to do what you have to do.  They have been losing money in many of their post offices.  It's definitely time for a change.

Gas Prices Rising

Click here to read the article

Gas prices have risen $0.38 in the past 3 weeks and Iowans are refusing to let it stop them.  Most people are still carrying on with their normal routines and not letting the rising prices hinder their traveling.  College students are still going on spring break and retirees are still traveling.

The average price nation-wide is about $3.50 right now.  This is still far below 2008's record high of $4.07.  They are expecting prices to continue rising because the peak driving season is April through September. 

I agree with the man interviewed in the article that said we should drill here in the United States instead of relying on the Middle East.  Why not use the resources if we have them?  I don't know if this is true but I hear that gas prices will continue to rise because there isn't enough corn for ethanol.  It sounds like people are going to have to start cutting spending once again.  An electric car is sounding pretty good right about now!