New York Times Co

For anybody who has followed the news over the past few years (probably on a computer), the long-awaited demise of newspapers shouldn't come as much of a surprise. But on Wednesday, the bell tolled once again for the printed word when the University of Southern California's Annenberg Center for the Digital Future offered a prophecy: Within five years, only four major daily papers will continue in print form.

Tablets, a new digital tollbooth, a traveling e-tailer, a smartphone tie-up, and a would-be titan toppler -- sounds like the plot for a Hollywood action movie, or, at the very least, the stuff that will dominate high-tech headlines in the coming days. Here's what to watch as the week unfolds.

Last year, 24/7 Wall St. put together a list of CEOs who need to retire, basing its judgment on quarterly earnings, stock price, and innovation. Now, with most large public companies having reported their second quarter results, 24/7 is back with a list of nine CEOs who are performing so poorly that they ought to be removed immediately. Read on to find out who, and why.

They're the brands you can't help but know, with logos that nearly everyone recognizes. These companies were founded back in the 1800s and became major players in the next century -- and the one after that. And while their logos have changed over time, they're essentially just refinements of the originals.

Wondering how much it will cost to read stories on The New York Times's website once the newspaper sets up its long-anticipated pay wall? While a final price hasn't been set yet, unidentified sources told Bloomberg News that it'll come to less than $20 per month.

Standard & Poor's will make changes to several U.S. indexes next week, including the S&P MidCap 400, the S&P SmallCap 600, and the widely used S&P 500. The changes, which reflect the effects of acquisitions and market cap changes, will occur after the close of trading on Dec. 17.

New York Times Co. (NYT) is in talks to sell its stake in the Boston Red Sox baseball team. "It continues to be for sale," New York Times CEO Janet Robinson said, according to Reuters. "We are continuing to talk to a variety of prospective buyers, large and small." The company expects to make a...