Coke Takes Swig of Glacéau

The consensus: 'Ma Bell is back'

(NEWSER) - Reactions to the surprise AT&T-T-mobile merger are pouring in, and, not surprisingly, most conclude this isn't a good thing for consumers:

• The Bell telephone system—"aka AT&T"—was broken up in 1984 to increase competition, and the US telecommunications market was deregulated in 1996, again to increase competition. But this merger "effectively restores Ma Bell to her former girth yet allows the company to operate in a looser regulatory environment," writes David Lazarus in the Los Angeles Times . "Consumers might wonder if they've been played. ... Ma Bell is back," and the only thing left for federal regulators to do is instill "new rules that address the shortcomings of our failed experiment in deregulation."

Beverage maker focusing on integrated digital campaign instead

(NEWSER) - Pepsi will end its 23-year advertising presence on the Super Bowl telecast to focus on a cross-platform marketing push with a strong digital component. The company was quick to spin the retreat, which will leave the broadcast wide open to archrival Coca-Cola. “The Super Bowl broadcast can be an amazing stage,” an exec says. “However, brands should not blindly anchor themselves to history.” More»

Coke, Pepsi will have stevia products soon

(NEWSER) - Get ready for a barrage of soft drinks and foods using the term stevia. The FDA today gave its blessing to use of the zero-calorie natural sweetener derived from the leaves of a South American bush, the Chicago Tribune reports. Coke and Pepsi will have drinks on the shelves soon, and expect to see stevia sweetener packets for coffee and tea. If customers like the taste, the beverage industry may be in for big changes. More»

Execs also hid $1.5B Microsoft offer to employees

(NEWSER) - Yahoo planned to pay all 14,000 workers to quit if Microsoft bought the company in a recent takeover bid, a lawsuit unsealed today claims. The shareholder complaint blasts execs for burying Microsoft's $1.5 billion offer to workers, and rejecting a $40-per-share offer last year. Yahoo tried to stop the unsealing, which revealed internal talks and private emails, Portfolio reports. More»

But execs don't like plan, which includes breaking up company

(NEWSER) - Microsoft's new offer to Yahoo includes breaking up the company and buying its search-advertising business, notions that have left Yahoo execs cold, the Wall Street Journal reports. Under the plan, Yahoo would sell its Asian assets and let Microsoft buy a minority stake in what's left of the company. More»