U.S. Business

The National Academy of Public Administration is due to undertake a study that will examine the benefits of partially privatizing the financially strugging United States Postal Service (USPS), which lost $16 billion in the fiscal year 2012.

The study will examine a "hybrid model" which would allow private companies to deliver parcels up until the "last delivery mile". A USPS letter carrier would still be responsible for that last mile, and would physically deliver letters and packages to recipients.

In a paper previewing the study, a group of privitization proponents wrote:

"Just as private companies innovate and share supply chains in high-tech, automobile, and other industries today, the market will drive efficiencies in the postal network."

Microsoft and Google have been warring for some time, but it seems that things have now intensified and an all-out battle is on the horizon. Much of the drama between the two companies is presently focused on Windows Phone, and on Thursday Microsoft wrote publicly about Google's direct refusal to open up access to YouTube so that Windows Phone users may easily use the service when mobile.

David Heiner, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at Microsoft, wrote a lengthy post on Thursday about Microsoft's on-going concerns about Google's misconduct relating to a number of issues. Heiner highlights some of the key problems, stating:

“In 2010 and again more recently, Google blocked Microsoft’s new Windows Phones from operating properly with YouTube. Google has enabled its own Android phones to access YouTube so that users can search for video categories, find favourites, see ratings, and so forth in the rich user interfaces offered by those phones. It’s done the same thing for the iPhones offered by Apple, which doesn’t offer a competing search service.

Unfortunately, Google has refused to allow Microsoft’s new Windows Phones to access this YouTube metadata in the same way that Android phones and iPhones do. As a result, Microsoft’s YouTube “app” on Windows Phones is basically just a browser displaying YouTube’s mobile Web site, without the rich functionality offered on competing phones. Microsoft is ready to release a high quality YouTube app for Windows Phone. We just need permission to access YouTube in the way that other phones already do, permission Google has refused to provide.”

Google's Android mobile phone operating system is clearly a direct competitor to Microsoft, but considering WIndows Phone's relatively small market share, some wonder why Google feels so threatened and won't give Microsoft fair access to their services. After all, Google still gives Apple iPhones access to their service, despite their falling out.

Best known for its iconic instant-film cameras, Polaroid has been forced to adapt to the digitally-dominated world and unveiled today it's latest endeavor - an Android tablet for kids. Featuring a 7-inch display and a rugged yet fun blue and white design, the PTAB750 will be on display at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week.

The tablet features a 1GHz Cortex A8 and 512MB of RAM, a 2-megapixel rear camera, 8GB of internal storage space with an SD card expansion slot, and 802.11b/g/n connectivity. The tablet's display has a resolution of 800 x 480 and supports multi-touch.

Priced at $149.99, the PTAB750 runs on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), and comes pre-loaded with more than 35 full-version apps, including Music Studio, Draw, Kids Cam, and Kids Vids. The apps are also filtered via Free Play, which only displays applications that are appropriate for children.

Samsung has launched a promotion for Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II owners, offering a free Flip Cover and free NFC TecTiles in return for registering their device. The offer, which is only available to Samsung owners in the U.S., requires users to register their handset on the company's Facebook Owner's Hub.

The Flip Covers for the Galaxy Note II and Galaxy S III are Samsung's official folio-style protection for the devices. The Flip Cover involves replacing the battery cover, and has an attached flap that covers up the display. It is available in five different colors.

Earlier this holiday season, Samsung began offering special bundles for the GSIII and Note II, but had them priced at $39.99.

If a new bill is not passed by Tuesday, Americans could see the price of milk more than double. Prices for milk would by law be set by standards that date back to 1949, fueling a sharp increase from the national average of $3.50.

If a deal is not reached, the price of milk could rise to $8 per gallon.

While Congressional leaders and President Obama are trying to work out a deal that would avoid the cliff's sharp tax increases and spending cuts, agriculture committees in both the House and Senate are attempting to hammer out a short-term extension of the farm bill that expired on September 30.

If a new farm bill is not passed by Tuesday, milk prices would rise significantly as prices for milk would be set by standards dating back more than half a century ago.

Redbox, which is best known for its movie rental dispensing machines, has decided to go up against Netflix and Hulu in the streaming video arena. Beginning today, Redbox is rolling out its streaming option - Redbox Instant - for select users.

Redbox Instant is launching in beta mode. You can sign up to get on the wait list now, but it could be awhile before you are granted access as the company is trying to keep it to a small group of testers.

Redbox announced the launch of their streaming service on Twitter today, mentioning that they are "gradually rolling out access".

Microsoft's Surface is about to get a competitor in the Windows-based tablet arena beginning next year. According to a new DigiTimes report, Nokia, in association with Microsoft, Qualcomm, and Compal Electronics, has resumed work on a 10-inch Windows 8 RT tablet and is likely to unveil it in February 2013.

Citing supply chain makers based in Taiwan, DigiTimes said that Nokia is likely to unveil the tablet at the 2013 Mobile World Congress to be held in Barcelona, Spain, during February 25-28.

Considered an underdog in the smartphone wars, Microsoft has really been going all-out in order to educate consumers on the advantages of Windows Phone 8. This week, Microsoft announced that its new "Meet Your Match" challenge has been a huge success in increasing awareness of Windows Phone.

According to Microsoft, 88% of more than 75,000 consumers challenged in the United States, United Kingdom, France, and German walked away from the challenge feeling "Windows Phone was better for them than the phone in their pocket."

PayPal announced on Friday that it has now launched its first fully branded cash loading card, the PayPal My Cash Card.

To date, the primary way that users funded their PayPal accounts was with bank transfers. Now, the PayPal My Cash Card will allow users to load their PayPal account using cash.

The cards will be sold at pharmacies and discount stores across the country, including CVS, Rite Aid, Dollar General, and others. They will be available in 30,000 locations across the U.S.

By 2013, PayPal is hoping to double their reach and have the cards available at 60,000 retailers.

To activate the card, a buyer purchases the dollar amount they want to load the card with, and then go to PayPal and enter a pin number provided on the back of the card to immediately access the money in their PayPal account.

Several months after Apple decided to replace Google Maps with its own home-grown mapping application on its iPhone and iPad devices, Google has finally launched a new map app that can be downloaded and installed iPhones.

The release came nearly three months after Apple replaced Google Maps as its built-in navigation system with its own maps. Apple's maps proved to be far inferior of a product to Google's, with the product's shoddiness even prompting Apple CEO Tim Cook to issue a public apology and recommend that iPhone owners consider using another map solution while Apple worked on improving its map app. Cook also replaced the executive in charge of Apple's mobile operating system after the maps fiasco.

Google is hailing its new iPhone app, launched late Wednesday, as a significant improvement over the one kicked out by Apple.