Business

Getting a buyout offer from Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) can be a perilous proposition. Say yes, and your company's engulfed by Big Goo. Say no -- as rumor suggests Yelp, Twitter, and Digg have -- and the world's largest search engine could simply roll out its own take on your signature tech. Twitter might now be poised to learn that the hard way.

Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN) recently reported fourth-quarter financials, and its numbers were nothing short of spectacular. Net income was up a whopping 71%. Year-over-year sales rose 42%, compared to expectations for 25% growth. Media sales grew 29%, while sales in other departments grew as quickly as 60%. Clearly, non-media sales are Amazon's real growth driver, not only from the site's direct retail efforts, but also more and more from its third-party merchants.

Chicago -- Grain futures closed mixed on the Chicago Board of Trade Tuesday as equity markets staged a rebound on Wall Street and the dollar index dropped 0.66 percent.

Washington -- Toyota Motor Co. President Akio Toyoda said he would personally take the lead in restoring the consumer's trust in the company.

New York -- U.S. markets swung higher Tuesday morning, turning around a three-week trend that has investors concerned a 10 percent downward correction is in play.

New York -- Crude oil prices topped $72 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange Tuesday morning, despite a three-week plunge in equity markets.

For once, the actual football of Super Bowl XLIV outshone the commercials as Drew Brees and the Saints outwitted Peyton Manning's Colts in a thrilling roller coaster of a game. Ad-wise, the usual fireworks from Anheuser-Busch and GoDaddy were OK, and PepsiCo’s (NYSE: PEP) "Snack Attack Samurai" was a favorite. Google (Nasdaq: GOOG), however, made a splash precisely because it was a fresh face in the crowd. Google is growing up before our eyes, doing all kinds of mature stuff we've never seen before.

Chicago -- Lucasfilms Ltd., the producer of "Star Wars," is suing a Chicago advertising company over use of "Skywalker" on highway billboards and its Web site.

Chicago-- Grain futures closed higher on the Chicago Board of Trade Monday despite a continued downward trend among equity markets on Wall Street.

New York -- U.S. markets fell at the opening bell Monday, after the Nikkei 225 index closed below the psychological milestone of 10,000 points.