If you're feeling good about the market, you're not alone. Take my hand as we go over some of this week's more uplifting headlines.
1. There's a frappe for that
Starbucks
It's about time! I criticized the java junkie last year over its cumbersome policy where active sippers with loyalty cards or subscribers to certain wireless carriers had access to limited Internet access for free. Meters and tollbooths are no way to convey the relaxing nature of a premium-coffee-slurping experience.
It gets even better for Starbucks, as the chain is teaming up with some heavy hitters to provide premium content at no cost. Wish your mom-and-pop coffee shop good luck in competing with that sweet perk.
2. 600,000 reasons to still like Apple
There's no slowing the iPhone train. There were 600,000 preorders for Apple's
There were some embarrassing flaps along the way, with plenty of order and approval system malfunctions. However, there are worse things than crashing under the weight of your gargantuan popularity.
3. Google hums a new tune
Strike up the band. Google
CNET is reporting that the leading search engine is readying the launch of a service that offers song downloads and streaming. Google Music would normally be laughed off as the next misguided "iTunes killer" to slay itself, but I like Google's chances here.
Apple is still the undisputed champ when it comes to digital music, but iPod sales growth has been flat lately. This isn't worrisome because Apple is selling a ton of iPhones and iPads that also double as iPods, but smartphones based on Google's Android have been on a roll lately, reportedly selling 100,000 handsets a day.
As smartphones become the portable media players of well-to-do music buffs, an Android-flavored offering with a cloud-computing kicker will definitely keep Apple on its toes. It won't be an iTunes killer, but -- for once -- we may have a legitimate iTunes rival on our hands.
4. Sprint gets it mostly right
Sprint Nextel
However, Sprint will start capping usage on its mobile broadband cards this summer. In short, wireless customers get a break at Sprint, but the same can't be said for active laptop owners. It's a mixed message, but at least publicly defending unlimited data plans on the smartphone front is a shot at its larger rival.
5. Gushing over BP
BP
Given BP's increasing liabilities and the creation of a $20 billion fund to offset claims and liabilities resulting from the Gulf oil spill, it just didn't make sense to crank out dividend checks on money that it may very well need by the time this disaster's tab is complete.
Let me know in the comments box below whether you agree with my assessment of these five moves.