Competition

Mavericks, a rock-studded, once-secret surf spot named after a dog, looked for all the world Saturday like the Super Bowl of big wave riding as thousands of people streamed to this fishing hamlet to see two dozen surfers challenge one of the world's most dangerous breaks.

Consumer electronics maker Toshiba Corp. said Monday that it was slashing prices of its HD DVD format players by 40% to 50% as major Hollywood studios move to embrace Sony Corp.'s Blu-ray format for high-definition DVDs. Toshiba America Consumer Products said it cut prices of its HD DVD players effective Jan. 13 to boost market adoption of its next-generation DVD players by mainstream consumers after what it said was a successful fourth quarter in unit sales.

Netflix, seeking not to be bypassed in the transition to digital distribution of movies, removed limits on how many films and TV shows subscribers can watch over the Internet. The move comes as Apple Inc. is set to unveil plans for users to rent major Hollywood movies online through its iTunes Store. Netflix, which pioneered the online movie rental business in 1997, had capped the number of hours available to its 7 million subscribers based on the price of their monthly plan.

The competition for the Pentagon's biggest contract in years intensified Monday as European aircraft maker Airbus said it would assemble commercial jets in the U.S. if it won the $40 -billion award to build aerial refueling tankers for the Air Force. The announcement marks the latest effort by Airbus and its partner Century City-based Northrop Grumman Corp. to upset rival Boeing Co. to build the planes that would be used to refuel fighters and bombers in midair.

Record fuel prices and weakening demand for air travel are taking a toll on profits of major U.S. airlines, raising prospects of a consolidation in the industry this year. Recent merger talks and Thursday's announcement by American Airlines Inc. that it would double its fuel surcharge to $40 on round-trip tickets signaled that passengers could soon see higher fares industrywide.

Nintendo Co. was the big winner in the video-game console race in 2007, with sold-out sales of its Wii machine helping to send industry revenue soaring 43% to $17.9 billion last year in the U.S., according to a report released Thursday. Sony Corp., once the reigning champion with its PlayStation brand, came in last place out of the three major makers.

Yahoo Inc. plans to lay off hundreds of employees in business areas not central to its new priorities as it faces rising competitive pressures, a person familiar with the matter said Monday. The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company, which has seen its share of online advertising decline despite its sites being among the Internet's most visited, is still deciding where to cut.

Silicon Valley entrepreneur Sramana Mitra captured a common sentiment in the title of a blog post last week: "Yahoo, Please Put Up a Fight." As its growth slows, Yahoo Inc. has taken steps to reorganize its management structure, narrow its focus and jettison some underperforming businesses. But it's still being outmatched in search advertising dollars by Google Inc. and in user growth by social networks such as Facebook Inc., which are rapidly gaining members and advertisers.

Conquest Student Housing, a firm accused of using intimidation and fraud against rival developers of off-campus student housing near USC, has agreed to stop challenging any competitors' projects within two miles of the school. USC and allied developers described the settlement, which was announced Friday, as a victory over a potential monopoly in the off-campus apartment business and as a step to provide more much-needed housing.

Jed Matzke sets out each day to guide love-struck couples to happily ever after. It's not as romantic as it sounds. The first stop in Las Vegas for brides and grooms is the Clark County Marriage Bureau, at the corner of Clark and 3rd, down the street from a bail bondsman and the county jail. Matzke hangs out six days a week at the Pit, as some call the corner, smoking Marlboros, sucking Werther's candies, waiting for his shot.