As a result, the California companies, once so confident that they could outmaneuver the competition, are scrambling to retool their strategies and find niches in which they can thrive.

FORBES: What Solyndra's Bankruptcy Means For Silicon Valley Solar Startups

The holiday season is not yet officially upon us, but retailers are already out of the gate with strong strategies to not just beat the online competition, but to win.

FORBES: Holiday 2012: Target And Toys 'R Us Come Out Swinging

Such strategies might prove less successful if there were more competition for business among Europe's banks and insurers.

ECONOMIST: It��s got to fit somehow

Algae at least can be grown, with sufficient engineering, on a large scale that does not require prime crop land in competition with growing food crops (as rules out conventional biofuel strategies beyond grants from governments and the European Union), and there is no demand for freshwater since saline water does even better to promote the growth of certain highly oil-yielding strains.

FORBES: Biofuel From Algae: Different Prognoses

Meanwhile, the competition isn't waiting for TiVo and Replay to figure out their strategies.

CNN: Analysis: Consumers have yet to buy into interactive TV

No doubt, the competition will anticipate the renaissance of a very aggressive competitor leading the to plan their own aggressive promotional strategies.

FORBES: J.C.Penney: First Challenge for CEO Mike Ullman Is Financing

Samsung expects market competition to intensify but "we will do our best to sustain our earnings momentum throughout the fourth quarter by implementing strategies we have developed for our businesses", said Robert Yi, head of investor relations.

BBC: Samsung posts record profits on Galaxy phone sales