Sprint Nextel will begin shuttering its Nextel network in 2013, a move that is expected to eliminate the need to juggle incompatible network technologies. It chose three companies to integrate its wireless technologies into a single network, a move that Sprint estimates will save it up to $11 billion over the next seven years. The phase-out of its iDEN network alone will account for as much as 40% of the total cost savings. The project also positions it to make an easier move into fourth-generation wireless services, beyond tapping partner Clearwire Corp.'s 4G network. Sprint, …

The ongoing dispute between Starbucks and Kraft is likely forestalling any potential acquisition by the coffee company but that hasn't stopped speculation on who Starbucks is after. Among the contenders are Peet's Coffee & Tea, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters as well as milk distributors and even Williams-Sonoma, which Starbucks was rumored to have bid on more than a decade ago. Although Starbucks has $1.2 billion in cash and a market capitalization of $24 billion, its nasty legal battle with Kraft could cost $1 billion or more, according to one analyst. Starbucks is trying to end a 12-year relationship in …

My sister-in-law sells the "Carol Anderson by invitation" (CAbi) line of clothes so I learned about jeggings during last spring's show and now they are everywhere! They are leggings made from denim (jeans; hence, jeggings) and Lycra, and retailers can barely keep up with demand. Apparently, Conan O'Brien is obsessed with them. "It's the next evolution of the jean," says Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at NPD Group, which predicts that jeggings could follow $100 designer jeans, which grew from 2% of the market to 8% in five years. Just as $100 designer jeans grew from 2% of …

Wow. First, Pfizer's CEO suddenly quits and now Kellogg's leader follows suit. Trend? Time of year? Bad economy?

See why one PR blogger hopes your corporate social responsibility efforts aren't based on your desire to help.