Stories about: Blockbuster

The business world is littered with examples of companies that failed to identify and enter new markets (think Blockbuster). And then there are those that do well in their core market, but because that area grows less relevant over time the companies find themselves at a dead end (think DEC).

Apple has the largest app store by a long shot: Currently iPhone users can choose from 350,000 apps. But how many apps do people really use -- and should the size of the Apple App Store sway your next smartphone purchase? It shouldn't.

The HTC Thunderbolt, which went on sale March 17, is the first phone available in the US that can connect to Verizon’s lightning fast 4G LTE network. That alone makes the Thunderbolt ($250 with new 2-year contract) a considerable piece of hardware, especially for users who routinely run high-bandwidth apps like video chat, online gaming and high-def video streaming. Network speed aside, I found the phone itself to be another solid addition to the HTC’s mostly-impressive family of smartphones, albeit one with a few shortcomings.

For prospective Xoom buyers, the news just keeps getting better.

Apple's iTunes Store that can reveal what content another person has downloaded, which could be a privacy concern for users of the service, says a research scientist at MIT.

Social networking giant Facebook has a history of backtracking. On numerous occasions, the company has made an important move--especially with regard to user privacy--only to reverse its course after a public outcry. This isn't surprising, given Facebook's shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later approach to making strategic changes to its service.

With the recent announcement that, at long last, Apple's iPhone is coming to Verizon Wireless's CDMA network, arguments are blazing over which smartphone operating system reigns supreme. Many Verizon customers are asking themselves whether they should stick with the carrier's Android devices or jump ship to iOS.

Rumors suggest that Intel's forthcoming Sandy Bridge integrated CPU/graphics platform will find its way into the lower-end range of the next generation of MacBooks. Bearing in mind Apple's cozy relationship with Intel and its habit of adopting each new generation of Intel's processors, this would make a lot of sense.

Verizon Wireless is the first of four U.S. wireless carriers to announce a price and release date for Samsung's Galaxy Tab.

Got a BlackBerry? You're old and recycle obsolete gadgets.