Now, bearing the name of AMD Radeon HD 6990, its successor sidles up to the throne and demands attention as the fastest single expansion board you can plug into your shiny new motherboard.

ENGADGET: AMD launches Radeon HD 6990 powerhouse for $699, maintains 'world's fastest' title

This provides ammunition to recommend an unpopular or risky decision to the board (expansion into a new business line or geography, or shutting down a plant).

FORBES: Connect

The SGH-T639 for T-Mobile looks like a fitting big sib to the Stripe, offering Bluetooth, a 1.3 megapixel camera, 220 x 176 primary display, changeable faceplates, and microSD expansion with 30MB on board -- all curiously without any mention of that beloved AWS band WCDMA we (and the FCC) heard this phone would rock.

ENGADGET: Samsung shows A517 for AT&T, T639 for T-Mobile -- both sans 3G

Since then we've seen rumored specs that include Android 2.2, a 7-inch Super AMOLED display, 1.2GHz A8 processor, 4, 000mAH battery, 370-gram weight, and 16GB of on-board memory with up to 32GB of microSD expansion.

ENGADGET: Samsung Galaxy Tab P1000 tablet sports WiFi and 3G data, about as thick as an iPhone?

The rapid expansion has raised concerns about whether Winterkorn and his boss, Supervisory Board Chairman Ferdinand Piech, have overindulged, amassing an industrial empire that is too complex to manage efficiently, especially in a fragile economy.

FORBES: VW Boss Tightens His Grip On The Wheel As Road To The Top Gets Harder

John Kestner and David Carr created Twine, a 2.5 inch-square device with on-board temperature and vibration sensors, as well as an expansion connector for other sensors, such as moisture sensors and magnetic switches, all tightly integrated through WiFi with a cloud-based service.

FORBES: When Can Your Plant Talk? Mine Did Yesterday

Expansion would boost that number, and so an across-the-board cull will eventually be required.

BBC: Europe: The issues

The dispute between the Easyjet founder and the board of the company centres on Sir Stelios' belief in creating shareholder value over what he terms "expansion at any cost".

BBC: Sir Stelios threatens Easyjet stake sale over plane deal