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• The 10 worst-managed companies in America

  Posted Jun 23 2008, 05:41 AM by Douglas McIntyre
  Filed under: Citigroup, Sprint, Wal-Mart, Intel, AMD, AT&T, Starbucks, Target, Sears, IBM, Circuit City, Sun Microsystems
  Rating:

  With the trading year almost half over and results from the first quarter out, 24/7 Wall Street has created the latest installment of its Ten Worst Managed Companies In America list. This is a companion piece to the "CEO of the Year" list and "Large Companies that May Disappear" series.

  This analysis is based on: 1) one-year and five-year stock performance relative to the major indexes and other companies in the industry, 2) the company's position in its industry both now and over the last five years, 3) whether management made identifiable and critical decisions which hurt the company, 4) a change in the company's relative market strength compared to its competition, and 5) whether the company could have identified mistakes and changed course quickly enough to avoid a catastrophe.

  Some readers will think it is not fair to include companies which have had a recent   Read More...

  Discuss ( 260 comments) 222,319 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this

• Free Wi-Fi at Starbucks starts today

  Posted Jun 03 2008, 11:18 AM by Kim Peterson
  Filed under: wireless, AT&T, Starbucks, T-Mobile
  Rating:

  Starbucks has finally called off the T-Mobile hounds and now offers two hours of free Wi-Fi a day to customers. Well, it's not completely free, but it's close. Here's how to get it:

  First, spend at least $5 on a reloadable Starbucks card, which you can get in stores. Then, go online and register for Starbucks' rewards card program. Then create an AT&T Wi-Fi account. You have to agree to let AT&T send you four spam "special offer" e-mails a year. You also have to use the Starbucks card once a month, which means you have to buy something at Starbucks once a month. Sounds like a bit of work, doesn't it? Starbucks shares are down 2% today to $17.57.

  Why the sudden burst of generosity?   Read More...

  Discuss ( 56 comments) 17,457 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this

• Starbucks dumps T-Mobile for AT&T Wi-Fi

  Posted Feb 11 2008, 01:23 PM by Kim Peterson
  Filed under: wireless, AT&T, Starbucks, T-Mobile
  Rating:

  AT&T gets another win today. Starbucks is ditching T-Mobile and going with AT&T for its customer Wi-Fi service at 7,000 locations.
  

  People who have a Starbucks prepaid gift card can get two hours of free Wi-Fi per day at Starbucks. Glenn Fleishman confirms that you can buy and activate a card, and then get free Wi-Fi from that day forward. Most of AT&T's broadband and U-verse customers will also have free access, but AT&T wireless customers (including iPhone users) won't get the same deal.

  Surprisingly, the per-hour Wi-Fi fees will drop under AT&T to $4 for two hours or $20 per month for unlimited access. (T-Mobile used to charge $6 an hour).   Read More...

  Discuss ( 269 comments) 159,698 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this