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Each year, 24/7 Wall St. identifies 10 important American brands that we predict are going to disappear within a year. This year’s list reflects the brutally competitive nature of certain industries and the reason why companies cannot afford to fall behind in efficiency, innovation or financing...

Each year, 24/7 Wall St. identifies 10 important American brands that we predict will to disappear within a year. This year’s list reflects the brutally competitive nature of certain industries and the reason why companies cannot afford to fall behind in efficiency, innovation or financing. American Airlines will disappear in 2013 because of its inefficiency. It was the premier carrier in the United States for almost 30 years — even surviving through periods when most other carriers went bankrupt. However, it lost its critical advantage of scale when Northwest merged with Delta (NYSE: DAL) and Continental merged with United (NYSE:...

BlackBerry's CEO John Chen wants companies to stop "discriminatory practices" against BlackBerry by not allowing them to use certain apps. Chen called out Apple and Netflix in a blog post about net neutrality and what he called a "two-tiered wireless broadband ecosystem" where developers create apps only for iOS and Android devices. "Unlike BlackBerry, which allows iPhone users to download and use our BBM service, Apple does not allow BlackBerry or Android users to download Apple's iMessage messaging service," he wrote. Apple's iMessage service is only available to customers using the company's ecosystem of devices. Calling out Netflix, Chen said...

BlackBerry Ltd (BB.TO) is working with Boeing Co (BA.N) on Boeing's high-security Android-based smartphone, the Canadian mobile technology company's chief executive said on Friday. The Boeing Black phone being developed by the Chicago-based aerospace and defense contractor, which is best known for jetliners and fighter planes, can self-destruct if it is tampered with.

BlackBerry Ltd. is seeking to win back once-devoted customers by bringing back a popular set of command keys that the company had abandoned with the launch of a new family of smartphones this past year. Sources familiar with the company say chief executive officer John Chen will announce Tuesday at a mobile industry conference in Barcelona that the Waterloo, Ont.-based company will restore its trademark “belt” of five function keys that sat between the screen and keyboard. This includes a trackpad and other keys that allowed users to easily navigate between different applications. The belt will appear later this year...

If anyone has a cheque for US$19-billion, John Chen has a mobile instant messaging platform you can buy. In a not-so-stunning revelation, the chief executive of BlackBerry Ltd. told a reporter from CNBC on Tuesday that if someone approached him looking to buy BlackBerry Messenger, and was willing to fork over the US$19-billion price Facebook Inc. recently shelled out for WhatsApp Inc., he would recommend that the board take the deal. “I work for the shareholders. The standard answer, right?” Mr. Chen said. “If somebody comes to me with $19-billion I would definitely sell it. I mean, I would recommend...

The earnings rainy season has come and gone. For the next several weeks, it’s a virtual desert for corporate results. But on Thursday, thirsty investors can find an oasis of tech earnings. Best Buy (BBY) reports before the opening bell, and Oracle (ORCL), Research In Motion (RIMM) and Accenture (ACN) release results after the market close. These giants, some of them lumbering, will provide insight into current and future consumer and business tech spending via their various industries. Many may offer some sense of how Japan’s earthquake and tsunami will affect operations or sales.