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Marketplace for Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Mar 26, 2013

Marketplace for Tuesday, March 26, 2013

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Struggling to compete against its bigger rivals like AT&T and Verizon, T-Mobile has made an announcement that it is canceling new phone contracts that lock you in for wireless services. The practice is common among small companies, like MetroPCS, but T-Mobile would be the carrier with the largest footprint to make the switch. Also, our Wealth & Poverty Desk begins a new series about the "safety net" that we rely on to take risks and sometimes make ends meet. And finally, how hard is it to make the perfect "hoodie" sweatshirt? 

Segments From this episode

2014 Winter Olympics start stockpiling snow

Mar 26, 2013
A ski resort in Sochi, Russia -- site of the 2014 Winter Olympics -- is worried about having enough snow on the ground when the games begin in February.

Could being named the 'best ever' be bad?

Mar 26, 2013
Slate columnist Farhad Manjoo loves his hoodie from American Giant. But after he reviewed it online, all the sweatshirts sold out. And the company was forced to scale up before it was ready.

Spotify's future streaming plan: Less Pandora, more Netflix?

Mar 26, 2013
Music streaming hasn’t turned out to be the big money maker Spotify hoped for. So now the question for Spotify is what else it could stream. Videos are a proven way to get people paying for content.

T-Mobile's bet: Customers will pay more for phones

Mar 26, 2013
What’s the cost of an iPhone? $200, if you pay for the rest of it through a two-year wireless contract. Now T-Mobile plans to upend the business model, asking customers to pay the true cost of the phone, and probably lower monthly wireless bills. Will their plan work with customers?

Lobbyists gearing up for fight over tax breaks

Mar 26, 2013
As Washington eyes deficit reduction, cherished tax breaks are in the crosshairs.

Lawyers' emails reveal the obvious: Attorneys' overcharge

Mar 26, 2013
Call it "churning," or "feather bedding." A suit against the world's largest law firm reveals blatant efforts to juice up legal bills.

Flying with a net, literal and figurative

Mar 26, 2013
Our reporter learns to fly on a trapeze -- and gets a crash course in safety nets, both real and metaphoric.

Struggling to compete against its bigger rivals like AT&T and Verizon, T-Mobile has made an announcement that it is canceling new phone contracts that lock you in for wireless services. The practice is common among small companies, like MetroPCS, but T-Mobile would be the carrier with the largest footprint to make the switch. Also, our Wealth & Poverty Desk begins a new series about the “safety net” that we rely on to take risks and sometimes make ends meet. And finally, how hard is it to make the perfect “hoodie” sweatshirt? 

Music from the episode

Delicious Tears Antn Hrkwk
Pro Choice Dujeous, John Legend
Paper Planes - DFA Remix M.I.A.