"I love to touch their thumbs...."

Yesterday was Valentine’s Day and you could feel the love everywhere. Even Gary Coleman got in on the action, secretly getting married the other day and, no, he didn’t marry David Hasselhoff.



So with all this love in the air, why were there also so many breakups? I’m talking about breakups in the tech industry. Could this be the second coming of the Valentine’s Day Massacre? You decide.

Starbucks vs. T-Mobile
After years of partnering with T-Mobile to bring Wi-Fi inhouse for its customers, Starbucks is cutting ties with the mobile network operator in favor of a new partnership with AT&T. This translates into cheaper Wi-Fi (first two hours are free for Starbucks card holders) that helps Starbucks compete with the smaller coffee shops that lure customers in by providing them with free internet access. It also helps AT&T take advantage of Starbucks’s presence and deliver a huge blow to T-Mobile, one of their biggest competitors. Starbucks wins and AT&T wins, but T-Mobile gets kicked to the curb, hurt worse than O.J. Simpson’s girlfriend after her “fall.”

Microsoft vs. Yahoo
Microsoft’s recent attempt to acquire Yahoo was rejected by the Internet services company, after Yahoo’s board of directors decided the proposal substantially undervalued the search engine’s worth. This dealt a huge blow to Microsoft’s strategic hopes of gaining significant leverage in order to compete with one of its biggest rivals, Google. With Yahoo already way behind in its own rivalry with Google, was it really smart for them to turn down this partnership? Maybe I don’t understand all the regulations and financials behind the rejection, but I think Yahoo is crazier than Celine Dion talking about her upcoming tour.



Dell vs. AMD
Dell has decided to stop using AMD processors in many of their computers, causing some concern at the AMD camp that they could lose traction with Intel, the leading brand in processors. While Dell claims they adjust their product offerings constantly and are “committed to the AMD product line,” it’s causing a stir on the Internet. Dell will continue primarily using AMD processor for their business, government and educational offerings, but will turn to Intel for the majority of its home and home office products. While the consumer base makes up only 20% of Dell’s sales, one can’t help but wonder how this will affect AMD’s sales in the long run.

Polaroid vs. its roots
The instant film photography pioneer is closing its doors to the technology that put them on the map, turning its focus onto flat-panel TVs and digital photography. It’s kind of sad whenever a long standing company like this gets run out by newer technologies, especially when their name becomes synonymous with the products they sell, like Xerox and Kleenex. I feel almost as bad for them as I do for Jodee Berry.



Don’t let all these breakups and bad blood going around this week bring you down. To make sure you go into the weekend with a smile on your face, I leave you with yet another picture of the Hoff. Happy Valentine's Day.