Business News and information - Just for Teens!!

2009-05-26T06:41:00.000-07:00

The Place For Business News.

http://topupguru.com/

Four Guilty on Pirate Bayy Case. 1 yr term.!!

2009-04-18T09:54:00.000-07:00

Ths will be a good news for some, Bad for the others(most).

The operators of the Pirate Bay, one of the largest file sharing webiste on the planet with the largest BitTorrent downloads, —Peter Sunde, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, Fredrik Neij and Carl Lundstrom—have been held for copyright infringement . The news did bring some smiles on the faces of the industry experts but they know that nothing bring down the determeined. They were sentenced to a year in jail and ordered to pay 31 million Swedish kronor ($3.7 million) in damages to artists. But they remanined free and said they would appeal('m trying to make sure against what will they appeal.) In the wake of the verdict on friday, the website worked normally with thousands downloading book, TV shows, movie and of course "X-Men Wolverine" which was leaked even before it could be released(1st May). About the X-men Wolverine, the matter is with FBI and they said that they are investgating.
A pretty Smart and honest(sensible) statement come from a a former chief executive of of music company EMI Group Ltd. "Will [the court decision] on its own act as a deterrent? No," said Eric Nicoli, The former chief executive . "There is no price that can effectively compete with free."

Whatever Will the actions be nothing can stop illegal downloaders. Unless the world governemnets start behaving Like Communinst China and stop accesse to such website "early" and not after they have completed 10 million downloads, such a problem will continue.
But still many of us want these services to continue isnt it. Yeh, You know what 'm Saying..!!

After Chrysler, its Delta air to end use of Indian Call centres.

2009-04-18T09:31:00.000-07:00

The Atlanta based airlines said on friday that it has stopped the usage of Indian call centres for its customers from the first three months of the year. This news surfaces a week after chrysler said the same , that it has stopped usaing Indian based call centres.

Delta as WallStreetJournal says is one another American company that it is ' the latest U.S. company to decide the cost benefits of directing calls offshore are outweighed by the backlash from customers'
No whatever might be understood from this as a show of respect to the customers in the current slowdown or a sincere efort to help its customers. Delta airline merged last year with Northwest to become the largest Airlines in the world and led some gurus crying that this might lead to some kind of monopoly.

Citi, JPMorgan sees green.... smell good times???Not So Early

2009-04-18T09:05:00.000-07:00

Citigroup profits for the first time since pandit took up....

Citigroup Inc, once the largest bank in the wold has finally posted profits under the new CE) Pandit for the first time since the last 5 quarters(3 of Pandit). The news comes shortly after JPMorgan announced a profit oon thursday that it earned $2.14 billion for the January-March period. Both the results were recieved by the markets as better than expected. JPMOrgan chief says that the bank sees a brighter hope of repaying the 25$ billion of funding that it got from Uncle Same.
Whereas Last week, Wells Fargo & Co. surprised investors by announcing a record $3 billion quarterly profit. Goldman, meanwhile, on Monday said it earned $1.66 billion during the first three months of the year.
But still visible lights at the end of the tunnel doesn't mean that the tunnel is over. The "Bad Times" are still gone.
Was Going throuh the last edition of Businessworld today and saw some writer(Don't remebr the name) telling that at present some things are going rite, while some are going wong but nothing can be said as yet. We need to watch and wait (the latter for sure.)

2009-03-07T10:15:00.000-08:00

Now Amazon to sell used Games..!!

Amazon now enters the used game market. A move that could threaten the monopoly owner Gamestop.

The Seattle Internet retailer launched a service Thursday in which it will allow customers to trade in used videogames for store credit, taking aim at a key portion of GameStop's business.

Not surprizingly, shares of gamestop plunged 14% the day to $23.46 , down $3.84.

Gamestop has been quite immune to the recession due to its used game selling business which accoounts nearly a 50% of its profits. An entry of a nehemoth like Amoazon might severly damage its numbers which were stronger than expected for the period ended Jan 31.

Used game business now seems to be getting up and many seem to be interested with BestBuy and Toys"r"us als testing the trading of used games.

Gamestop's used games are usually $10 to $5 cheaper than the cost proce of the game. Amazon with its might and power might just get things right at the right time like it did before in the 2000 marketcrash. Many hope that technology should get the world out of the crisis like it did before. the business model is quite powerful and with the consumers turning thinkers and becoming wiser by the day it makes quite a sense for Amazon to enter this segment.

Would you buy a game online for $60 if you are going to get the same at a discount of 20% and the game isnt damages and can be used inthese tough times??

I wouldn't.

2009-03-06T10:29:00.000-08:00

Wells Fargo now to cut 85% of dividend.

Wells Fargo, the financial services company became the latest bank to slash its dividend by 85%.

The campany plans to save $5Bn from this.

At the same time the company also announced that is also plans to cut $2bn in costs.

Even as it cut its dividend, Wells Fargo said in a statement that it turned in "strong operating results" in January and February

Wells Fargo is the 4th largest bank in the US by assets and the second largest bank by market cap.[4] It is the only bank in the United States to be rated AAA by S&P.

2009-03-06T09:56:00.000-08:00

Look Whos Back : King of Pop Micheal Jackson.

Yup he's here, Micheal Jackson. The one who made us crazy back then. Remember "Thriller"?

In a bid that can get his finances out of trouble, Jackson has announced a multi million Dollar Deal with AEG on Thursday. His first in 12 long YEARs..!!!

The touring deal with AEG live could be well over $400mn for MJ over a period of three and a half years.

The first phase of the concert will be at London's O2 arena. Depending on the sales there he has the option to extend his dates over three continents.

It's a nostalgic return for one of the greatest entertainers in history who was entangled in sorts of of problems, financially to charges of child molestation.

WSJ says that MJs take from London alone could be worth $30mn to $50mn.

Tickets to the London performances are to go on sale, via an online lottery system at MichaelJacksonLive.com, next Wednesday for £50 ($70) to £75 ($105) each.

October 24!!!(2008,1929)

2008-10-24T11:16:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh..!!!!!
Today is was october 24th and in some parts it is 24th..

October 24th was the day when markets started plunging in 1929, the day eerily called"Black Thursday". The record selling then in Dow jones was triggered by fears of another market crash which led to a record 13mn shares being traded.
Then again there were banks sitting together collecting money and trying to do things that are again trying being done now 'restore confidence', which seems to have no plans to settel quickly.

Today the sensex plunged 1078 points, that is second highest ever.
Things just seemed to get worse.
I'm quite happy that i just had nearly 5 lakh in the stock markets which has now become 1/3 of what i invested. But i just couldn't think how people investing their fortunes into sensex and indian stock markets would be today.
Just dunno how the 2 days coincided , the 24october 1929 and the 24th october 2008 ya fir... iska bhi koi kismat konnection hai...??!!

How talent Indian talent can rule the World

2008-10-15T09:37:00.000-07:00

Hello evrybodyI had an extraordinary thought today...!!

I was actually thinking, taking into consideration the number of professionals in India which is very high (28 % of the population is engaged in services and realated industries and 12 % is engaged in industries and that makes it 40 % which is nearly 450 million people of the 1.23 billion population), and many of which are highly creative , If we take the worst scenario that out of these only 10 million are creative enough and each of them start their businesses in any line be it IT, ITes, or even printing and each of their businesses touch million dollars in revenues , the total worth would be $10 trillion (yes, 'm not joking , count the zeroes 10,000,000 X 1,000,000 = 10,000,000,000,000). And if you are thinking that not all are so lucky to get a million in profits , let me tell you that thee are many who quickly touch and 100 million in prfits so adjusting all and averaging it actually is a huge number.
I am quite amazed at the wonders a huge population can do...!Just dont know why the "CREATIVE PROFESSIONAL MANAGERS" dont want to go that extra mile, when they know they are quite smart to handle tough situations or i guess they simply dont know that they can.....

Big Three to become Big two [Or Huge one and Big one]

2008-10-12T07:42:00.001-07:00

GM and Chrysler reported to be in merger talks

The Two leading giants of the existing three of detroit were reported to be in merger talks, NYT and WSJ reported on their websites.
This comes as the US automakers realise their need for the reconstriction of the already in shit US auto industry with reports last month stating that US buyers no more prefer The "American Muscle cars" i.e the muscle cars, V-8 Powered engines, and the SUVs ofcourse. AFP states that there have been a growing concern in Detroit against the competition from Japanese companies (maily Toyota).
NYT reorts that the possibilities for the merger was 50-50

THE NEW TWIST TO THE STORY:

Before the merger with Chrsyler, Gm wasid to be walking towards a merger with a more fronthead rival Ford Motor company.
NYT reports that 2 guyz with the knowledge of the deal said that- GM approached Ford with a similar deal but Ford scraped it away last month.
Wow it just gets better and better!!

For detailed News
See : New York Times ; Autoweek ; Bloomberg ; Wall street Journal ; Reuters

G-7 to take "All necessary Steps "to end the meltdown

2008-10-10T23:55:00.000-07:00

I was out of blog-town for quite some time now, but the ongoing finacial bloodshed couldn't stop me from getting in again.

[The major Finace ministers have been potrayed in this picture of the G7 2008 summit]

With major banks getting the market shivers, A group of seven finance chiefs vowed to prevent the failure of vital banks.

``The current situation calls for urgent and exceptional action,'' the finance ministers and central bankers said in a statement after talks in Washington yesterday. They pledged to ``take all necessary steps to unfreeze credit and money markets'' without detailing how that would be accomplished

To get the complete news see Bloomberg

God Save .......Everyone

2008-10-07T09:08:00.000-07:00

"Destruction destruction everywhere, not a place thats spared"

As if the i-banking losses werent enogh, the IMF now says that mortgage related losses will now hit $1.4 trillion. Buut you know what, I think IMF is lying bcoz i was of the thought that Fannie Mae reported holding $2.5-2.6 trillion worth of mortgaged backed securities.

I was surfing and i got this news on Marketwatch and thought this and it was not surprising that many feel IMF is lying.

This is wat one person wrte

"imf is a liar it's gonna be higher.wall street Banksters CREATED and SOLD $3 trillion in worthless toxic mortgage backed slime ".

'm surprised that the people know so much about whats happening in the world markets and the IMF still thinks that it can get away with some wronmg numbers and the people will not notice it.

Gm considering to bet on 'Beat'

2008-07-05T10:44:00.000-07:00

GM Corp is considering heavily to get the Chevrolet Beat in the US market by 2012 said a report by WSJ.

GM, who has been witnessing decreasing car sales would surely want to have a nice amount of surgery and research on the car to make it fuel efficient which is the only reason why i think its gonna sell(even the look's aeren't bad for a small car). It shall run at 40 miles per gallon reported the WSJ.

"The reality is that our future depends on selling a lot of small cars," David Sabolsky, sales manager of a Spitzer Chevrolet in North Jackson, Ohio, said.

GM is amongst those who want to enter the US mini-cars segment which currently almost is non-existent.

2008-07-02T09:41:00.000-07:00

M'Soft buys search engine newbee Powerset.

In a yet another web attempt following itrs much Hyped failed bid for yahoo, Msoft has bought a startup Powerset.

Powerset is a San Francisco-based search and natural language company.

"Powerset brings with it natural language technology that nicely complements other natural language processing technologies we have at Microsoft Research" says Satya Nadella, Senior Vice President, Search, Portal, and Advertising in Microsoft.

Wonder what next might Msoft do after its failed $44Bn bid for Yahoo. Msoft is surely struggling hard to give yahoo a bad time and have a bigger pie of the search market.

Source: Microsft blog

2008-07-02T09:12:00.000-07:00

The Shrinking STARBUCKS: Cuts of 12000 jobs, closes 600 stores .

The cruel Slowing US economy dragged the popular coffee chain Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) forcing the giant to pull the plug of 600 of its underperforming stores and cut as many as 12000 employees i.e.8% of its stores and 7% of its global workforce.

In January , Starbucks said it planned to close100 of its US stores as part of its transformation plan.

But these striking numbers are nowhere near the january release.

The shutdowns will eliminate both full-time and part-time positions, but the company wants to transfer some of those employees affected to nearby stores

Starbucks reported operating profit in US business fell by more than 27%. It had previously agreed that it had been stung by the subprime mortgage crisis in California and Florida.

TheSeattle based firms' shares jumped 5% in late trading. The stock is down 40% in the past 12 months

Source: Marketwatch

Poor ebay: £30m fine for sales of fake luxuries

2008-07-01T07:31:00.000-07:00

Ebay, the much famous and the world's largest online auctioneer was ordered by a french court yesterday to €38.6m euros in damages to the luxury group LVMH for the ale of fake goods.

Ebay immediately appealed or cried and said the luxury giants were using the issue of fakes as 'stalking horse' to damage e-commerce.

The fine is the biggest ebay has ever paid in Europe .

The ruling itself comes a month after another French court ordered eBay to pay the fashion house Hermes €20,000 for allowing the sale of fakes bags if 'm not wrong.

Marc Andreessen from Netscape now on Facebook's Board.

2008-07-01T06:31:00.000-07:00

Remember Marc Andreessen , The whiz kid from silicon valley and founder of a series of start-ups i.e.Netscape(The world's first browser), Ning.com(the serving platform for social networks) etc. now has a seat on the BOD (Board of Directors) of Facebook which is now considered to be the largest networking site by some company called Comscore if i 'm not mistaken.

He now has the fourth seat in the BOD of facebook after the investors Peter Thiel, of Clarion Capital, and Jim Breyer, from Accel Partners and ofcourse the GREAT FOUNDER of Facebook Zuckerberg himself.

The geek is potrayed on this cover of the TIME mag somewhere in 1995.

Conforming months of speculations , ZBerg says " "has experience that is relevant to Facebook in so many ways: scaling companies that are experiencing extraordinary growth, creating successful technology platforms, and building strong engineering organisations".

Source: Guardian

Booming indian IT gets Logica CMG

2008-04-22T02:37:00.000-07:00

IT and Services firm Logica CMG is cutting 1300 European back-office jobs under its restructuring plan in which it is goin to hire thousands more in India and recruit more consultants.It also plans to increase the number of employees in its consulting arm from 2,500 to 3,500 by 2010.
"We will be increasing our investment in growing the Logica business, funded by a cost-cutting programme that will reduce overheads," said Green.

View GUARDIAN's complete review

Murdoch with Microsoft for Yahoo??

2008-04-22T02:18:00.000-07:00

Washington: Murdoch of New corp's on Monday left the door open to join the bid with big 'M' to buy Yahoo!.About his interests , he says "Depends on the deal." Seems like there is still a lot to happen before Yahoo is sold. Yahoo is set to report its Q1 results on Tuesday.

See what REUTERS has to say about it.

American A'lines seems cautious.

2008-04-12T00:18:00.000-07:00

American Scrubs 200 Flights, Plans for Full Schedule Tomorrow

April 12 :The second largest airline company in the world has cancelled 200 flights today & is predicting a full schedule 2morrow after completing its wiring on the boeing's jumbos. This would thus end the 5 day disruptions of 3300 flights!!
And guess what Chief Executive Officer Gerard Arpey said winning travelers' confidence again ``will not be easy'' after the cancellations linked to the MD-80s, which account for 46 percent of American's fleet.
See bloomberg's complete news here

2008-01-19T09:50:00.000-08:00

L&T to build $300-million township in Chennai

CHENNAI: Engineering and construction firm Larsen and Toubro Ltd (L&T) will promote a 100-acre integrated township project on the outskirts of Chennai at a cost of Rs.12 billion, a top company official said here.
"This is our second integrated township project in Chennai. Named as Eden Park, the project will be developed in four to five phases," K. Venkatesh, executive vice-president, developmental projects division, L&T-ECC, told the here on Friday.
ECC is the construction division of L&T.
According to current cost estimates, the project would cost around Rs.12 billion and would come up at Siruseri on the outskirts of Chennai.
The project will be promoted by L&T South City Projects Ltd, which in turn is a joint venture between L&T Urban Infrastructure Ltd, Dinesh Ranka Associates and Pragnya Trustees and Investment Co.
The first phase, to be started soon, consists of 656 apartments (two and three bedrooms) to be built over 14 acres.
According to Venkatesh, the first phase will consist of eight blocks with 14 floors ..............

Think big with the small car: Ratan Tata

2008-01-17T08:47:00.000-08:00

Tata Just Cannot get enough of making headlines

Here's some more .
Ever since the Nano debuted last week, Tata Motors chairman Ratan Tata has faced all manner of questions. From environmental (congestion/ pollution/emission) issues to the problems at the company's under construction plant in Singur, West Bengal. Normally reticent, he has painstakingly answered all of them. Here are some excerpts from some of the non-spec specific questions that he had to field at the Auto Expo.

View The talk

GM Takes a Stake in Ethanol Maker

2008-01-17T08:37:00.000-08:00

General Motors underscores its commitment to ethanol-powered vehicles by investing in a company that claims it can make the fuel more cheaply

Here's a tough sell. General Motors (GM) thinks it can make ethanol a big player in the quest to cut greenhouse gas emissions and wean America from its addiction to foreign oil.
GM is so adamant that ethanol can be a good solution that the automaker bought an undisclosed stake in Coskata, a private Warrenville (Ill.) company that claims it has developed an advanced process to make ethanol cheaply. GM announced the move Jan. 13 at the Detroit Auto Show.
GM and Coskata say that the company's highly efficient methods for making ethanol can take away many of the problems that have kept the fuel on the back burner. First, they plan to use agricultural waste and household garbage to make ethanol, which means fuel production wouldn't push food prices up. And second, Coskata claims its production will be so efficient that it won't give back all the oil savings just making the stuff.
"There is no question in my mind that making ethanol more widely available is absolutely the most effective and environmentally sound solution," GM Chairman and CEO G. Richard Wagoner Jr. said in a statement. "And it's one that can be acted on immediately."
Some Resistance
To date, ethanol has gotten plenty of resistance from a variety of corners—and for good reason. First, it takes a unit of energy to make about 1.6 units of ethanol using corn. Critics point out that there isn't enough oil savings to make it worthwhile.
Next, ethanol is 25% less efficient in cars than gasoline, so consumers aren't sold. And the few who are need to live in the Midwest, where most of the nation's 1,400 ethanol pumps are located.
That has been one of the biggest problems. Detroit's carmakers, which produce most of the vehicles that can run on a rich mix of gasoline and ethanol, get credits toward meeting their federal fuel economy requirements. Since so few ethanol-enabled vehicles actually use the fuel, it has amounted to giving Detroit credits for cutting gasoline use when those vehicles mostly burn gas.
Changing Ethanol Economics?
GM and Coskata think they can change the economics of ethanol. The company's process cooks agricultural waste, old tires, wood, and household garbage at 1,800 degrees. Then bacteria eat the carbon monoxide and hydrogen to make ethanol, says Bill Roe, Coskata's president and CEO.
He claims that one unit of energy can produce 7.7 units of energy, which is far more efficient than using corn. The cost for production is about $1 per gallon.
GM thinks that by making ethanol cheaper and eliminating the political hurdles, they could kick-start more ethanol use. GM sells 11 ethanol-capable ..............

2008-01-15T23:21:00.000-08:00

VIDEO: iPhone 1.13 Firmware Demonstration from MacWorld

Yes, Apple officially announced today the availability of firmware 1.13 for the iPhone. Most notably, the "web bookmarks can now be saved as home screen icons, including zoom and location information." Video after the break. Click here for first picture in gallery.

"You'll get to witness the miracle of icon rearranging, the joy of Google Maps location finding, and the unending pleasure of homescreen Safari bookmarks"

Source : http://www.techeblog.com/

2008-01-15T23:17:00.000-08:00

PICTURES: Mitsubishi Concept-RA Unveiled (Video)

Mitsubishi has just unveiled the Concept-RA, an "all-wheel-drive, diesel-powered sports coupe that sends 201 hp and 310 lb.-ft. of twist through Mitsubishi's S-AWC system." Video after the break. Click here for first picture in gallery.

"MITSUBISHI Concept-RA is powered by a new, high output, high-efficiency 2.2-liter 4-cylinder DOHC 16-valve turbo diesel engine with MIVEC4. This clean diesel's MIVEC system incorporates valve lift control with low and high-speed cam profiles actuating the intake valves"

Source : http://www.techeblog.com/

Sporty looks

2008-01-15T23:10:00.000-08:00

PICTURES: Lexus LF-A Roadster Unveiled

Powered by a 5.0L V10 engine that produces 500hp, the Lexus LF-A roadster is a combination of luxury and performance. A carbon fiber and aluminum body helps maintain rigidity despite not having a top. No word yet on pricing and availability. Click here for first picture in gallery.

"Styling is rooted in the Lexus L-Finesse design philosophy, conferring the LF-A Roadster's front end with a compact, low-profile, aerodynamic shape. Like its coupe counterpart, the LF-A Roadster stands just 48 inches tall, but the Roadster configuration adds a speed adaptive rear wing"

Steve Jobs appeals to the crowd

2008-01-15T22:55:00.000-08:00

At Macworld, Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced the ultra-thin Air laptop and big revisions to Apple TV. Fans were pleased, but Wall Street didn't seem so

At just 3.0-pounds, the MacBook Air features a 13.3-inch display, 1.6-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 80GB HDD or 64GB SSD (optional), 2GB of memory, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, Micro-DVI, and an iSight camera. Best of all, users will reportedly get 5-hours of use with Wi-Fi on. Price is currently set at $1799. Click here for first picture in gallery.

Apple (AAPL) Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs, had a message for the Mac faithful who came out in force for this year's Macworld Conference & Expo: "I hear your cries. Even the most committed Apple fans had been unimpressed with the company's initial attempt to bring digital video onto the TV screen, Apple TV. And many had hoped for a fuller selection of Mac computers".
Jobs was listening. On Jan. 15 Apple unveiled an ultra-sleek laptop, the "Air," and made a host of upgrades to Apple TV, the set-top box that delivers video to a television. The company also said it has sold 4 million iPhones in its first 200 days on the market.
The announcements were greeted with enthusiasm by the throngs of conference attendees who scrambled for seats in San Francisco's Moscone Center, but initially failed to wow Wall Street. Apple shares declined $11.68, or 6.5%, to $167.10 in early afternoon trading. "There was nothing wrong with what [Jobs] said," says Piper Jaffray & Co. analyst Gene Munster. "It's just that everyone is wanting more. Wall Street doesn't know what any of the products look like, so once the MacBook Air starts working its way through Wall Street, the stock will take another run once people realize it's a game-changer."
A Whole New Range of Gestures
The MacBook Air is the world's thinnest notebook!, beating the 0.8-in.-to-1.2-in. thickness of the current generation of very thin laptops. At its thinnest, MacBook Air will be 0.16 in. thick. Even at its fattest (0.76 in.), the Air will fit into an interoffice envelope. The device will boast a full-size keyboard and a 13.3-in. screen.
Air also shows that Apple is taking what it's learned from the touch-sensitive iPhone back to the Mac world. The large trackpad will have multitouch gesture (or movement) support to turn on all types of gestures, such as double-tap to move a window around. In a large photo, you can pan around with two fingers, or rotate. There's even the patented pinch.
"I'm still stunned our engineering team could pull this off," Jobs told the crowd. Apple got an ...........

2008-01-15T22:15:00.000-08:00

Intel Plummets on Sales Forecast, Concern Growth Is Slowing

Jan. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Intel Corp. tumbled 14 percent in late trading after forecasting sales that fell short of analysts' estimates, heightening concern that the technology earnings season will disappoint.
Intel, the world's largest chipmaker, said yesterday that first-quarter revenue will rise to as little $9.4 billion, short of the $10.1 billion predicted by analysts.
The forecast stoked concern that technology companies won't be able to shrug off slowing economic growth and increases in corporate borrowing costs. Computer-related stocks, among the best performers last year, have the worst return among 10 industry groups on the Standard & Poor's 500 Index in 2008, losing 9.3 percent.
``This is a trend that you'll see given the uncertain economic environment we're in,'' said Pat Becker Jr., who helps manage about $2.5 billion including Intel shares at Becker Capital Management in Portland, Oregon. ``I don't think anybody is going to stick their neck out and put out guidance that they just don't feel rock solid about.''
Intel, based in Santa Clara, California, dropped $3.21 to $19.48 in extended trading yesterday. If the decline holds in regular trading today, it will be the biggest one-day fall since October 2002.
Intel, whose processors power more than 75 percent of the world's personal computers, kicked off U.S. technology earnings reports this week. Microsoft Corp., the world's largest software maker, reports on Jan. 24. Google Inc., owner of the most popular Internet search engine, will announce on Jan. 31.
Investors ignored the 51 percent advance in profit at Intel, focusing instead on a sales report and forecast that missed predictions.
`Trash Basket'
``You hear all of the pundits saying the world is going to a trash basket and you worry,'' Chief Executive Officer Paul Otellini said on a conference call yesterday. ``At this point though, we don't see anything on the horizon, our customers don't see anything on the horizon. It would be imprudent not to be cautious about it though.''
Yesterday, Citigroup Inc., the largest U.S. bank, reported the biggest loss in its 196-year history on higher defaults on home loans. The U.S. Commerce Department also said sales at U.S. retailers unexpectedly fell in December.
Otellini, 57, told analysts that he wants to boost Intel's inventory levels and said he hasn't heard of any buildup of unused parts at customers, an indicator of a slowing demand.
Most of Intel's growth is coming from countries outside the U.S., which account for more than 75 percent of sales, Otellini said. Sales in China ``continue to boom,'' he said.
Gross Margin
Gross margin, or the percentage of sales remaining after subtracting the cost of production, was 58 percent in the fourth quarter. Intel expects that indicator of profitability to narrow to about 56 percent in the first quarter.
Sales missed the midpoint of Intel's forecast range by $88 million because revenue from a type of flash memory, called Nand, was hit by lower prices. Nand memory is used in music players and digital cameras.
``There's so much negative sentiment built right now that they ................

Fear and Loathing and Green Tech in Detroit

2008-01-13T09:11:00.000-08:00

U.S. carmakers at the Detroit auto show have a green agenda. But is it enough to get them back into the black?

Skip the razzle-dazzle, the pretty girls, and the shrimp cocktail. This year's Detroit auto show should by rights be a sober affair. After years of weak sales and shrinking profits, dealers, stockholders, consumers, and critics want to hear what Ford (F), General Motors (GM), and Chrysler are going to do to dig themselves out of their hole. Yes, there will be the normal cheerleading from company executives, but their audience is getting fed up. People don't want a party. They want action. They want results. They want better cars.
As with last year's show (BusinessWeek, 1/7/07), there is more cause for tension than exhilaration at this year's North American International Auto Show. Some of the new models that made their debut last year in Detroit—notably the overhauled Chevy Malibu (BusinessWeek, 1/27/07), and Ford Focus—haven't been around long enough for carmakers or analysts to determine whether they will become hits.
The 2008 Malibu didn't reach showrooms until November. It has been selling briskly but arrived too late to have a significant impact on 2007 sales figures. The Malibu saw a nice little 6.7% jump over December, 2006, to 12,172 units, but overall, 2007 sales for the Malibu dipped 21.7%, according to Automotive News. The Focus was off just over 2% for the year. At the same time, sales of the redesigned Honda Accord (BusinessWeek, 11/16/07), which debuted in mid-September, rose 10%, and the Toyota Camry, still the best-selling car in the U.S., edged up 5%, to a staggering 473,108 units.
Everybody Wants a Hybrid
The problems plaguing Detroit last year are long-standing and well documented. Continuing tough competition from imports, high labor costs, quality concerns, a reliance on large sport-utility vehicles and pickups, and a lack of grand-slam new models added up to plant closings, lost jobs, and the lowest sales in nearly a decade. And, given projections for 2008, things look like they could continue to get worse (BusinessWeek, 1/3/08) before they get better.
There are some interesting models coming at this year's Detroit auto show, which is open to the public from Jan. 19-27, but based on advance publicity the offerings from Detroit are long on environmentally friendly concept cars and short on actual models likely to be on sale later in the year. One car that will be, the Saturn Vue two-mode hybrid, could be a winner. "Two-mode" refers to the fact that at ........

Source : http://www.businessweek.com

Foreign investors ride in to rescue Citi

2008-01-13T08:43:00.000-08:00

An investment of even 1 percent from Saudi Prince Alwaleed could signal confidence in the struggling bank, says The Wall Street Journal.

January 12 2008: 10:19 AM EST

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Saudi billionaire-Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and a team of Chinese investors may ride to embattled Citigroup's rescue, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.
Chinese investors, including China Development Bank, will reportedly contribute around $2 billion. It was not known how much would be invested by Prince Alwaleed, but the Journal calculated that his stake in the bank would likely remain under 5 percent, but that even a 1 percent stake would be a vote of confidence.
Prince Alwaleed: Why Chuck had to go
An earlier report said that Citigroup is trying to raise an additional $10 billion, most of which would come from overseas funds. In November, Alwaleed sold a............

2008-01-08T10:11:00.000-08:00

Reliance Retail all set to furnish homes

New Delhi: India adds four and a half million new houses every year. The boom in the real estate market has had a multiplier effect on the home solutions market that has currently pegged at one lakh crore.
But the organised pie is just worth Rs 14,000 crore. No wonder then, big retail players like Reliance Retail are set to step in.
Though there is no official comment yet, CNBC TV-18 learns Reliance Retail is in talks with several international chains for sourcing a range of home furnishing products.
Apart from this, the company will also look at in the house brands to give customers better price.
Reliance Retail is likely to launch these stores in a..............

2008-01-08T10:07:00.000-08:00

In Ind-Aus clash, sponsors will have the last laugh

Mumbai: The India-Australia showdown is turning on the heat not only among the cricket councils. The impact of a possible suspension of the series is spilling over to the broadcasters and sponsors with as much as Rs 150 crore riding on it.
When contacted, R C Venkateish, Managing Director, ESPN Software said, "This matter is related to the ICC and the two concerned cricket boards - hence we would not like to comment on it."
With the Third Test scheduled to start on the January 16, most advertisers and media planners have taken a wait and watch stance. But with the huge amount of mooolah riding on the series, everyone is expecting an amicable resolution to the current controversy.
Among the major sponsors are Maruti, Motorola, Airtel, Coca-Cola, Perfetti and TVS. But there’s a googly ...................

2008-01-08T09:52:00.000-08:00

Bajaj plans to launch small car

India’s second largest bike maker Bajaj Auto Ltd on Tuesday showcased its concept passenger car. Bajaj’s small car is expected to be launched in the next four years in partnership with Renault and Nissan.But is the two wheeler company with no experience in cars ready to take on Ratan Tata? Or for that matter the existing small car segment? The management appears to be quite ambitious while launching the small car in the Indian market.The two-wheeler manufacturer says the price of its car will not be based on Tata’s Rs one lakh car. “We are going to enter the small cars segment in a big way,” said Rajiv Bajaj, MD, Bajaj Auto.But these ambitious comments have not gone down well with analysts who are raising questions.

The car is likely to be priced at around $3,000 (Rs 117,000).

The analysts question how will ...................

Source : http://www.ndtvprofit.com/

2008-01-08T09:44:00.000-08:00

Solar laptop bag packs beefier 'generator'

Voltaic Systems on Tuesday is set to announce a bag with a 14-watt solar panel for charging laptops at the Consumer Electronics Show, a company representative said.

Currently, the company makes laptop bags that have a 4-watt panel (pictured) so this "generator" model will be a significant step up in power. The company's bags also include a lithium-ion battery to store surplus charge and a set of adapters for different devices.
It's expected to be released this spring and will cost $599.
A wide variety of solar chargers are available ..........

2008-01-08T09:33:00.000-08:00

SanDisk CEO unfazed by recession concerns

SanDisk, a maker of flash memory and consumer electronics, has driven growth in sales outside the United State in recent years, insulating it somewhat from any potential downturn in the U.S. economy, its chief executive said on Monday.
SanDisk, a leading maker of flash memory cards and a distant rival in the portable digital music player market to Apple's iPod line, is "far less dependent" on the United States than it was two years ago, said Eli Harari, in an interview with Reuters.
"Two-thirds of our revenue in the third quarter came from overseas and this is not by accident," he said. "We are absolutely driving market share outside of the United States.
In addition, the weak U.S. dollar helps the performance of SanDisk, which competes with semiconductor makers Intel and Micron Technology, as well as consumer device maker Apple, in overseas markets.
"If there is to be a recession, we are very well positioned," he said. "We ought to be able to weather any recession in the United States better than most of our competitors and come out of it stronger."
Harari's boasts are grounded in SanDisk's strong capabilities in manufacturing flash memory. Flash differs from hard-disk drives in that it has no moving parts and is thus lighter and considered less likely to degrade over time.
The technology has enjoyed rapid growth and acceptance as ...............

2008-01-08T09:18:00.000-08:00

Microsoft offers $1.2 billion for Fast

Well, now we know what Microsoft had originally planned to announce on Monday.
Overnight, Microsoft announced it is offering $1.2 billion to buy Fast Search & Transfer, a leader in enterprise search. Microsoft had been working on the deal, which went by the code name "Ferrari" for a while now, but discussions had heated up in recent days.
The move shows the importance of business search as part of the overall search war with Google and other competitors.
Microsoft has previously made moves in business search, largely at the lower end of the market, using its SharePoint server product. Among its products is a planned free version for small businesses. That product, Microsoft Search Server 2008 Express, was announced in November, but is not due out until later this year.
The deal to buy Norway-based Fast still requires..........

Source: http://www.news.com/

Some gr8 questions that have been asked for UPSC examinations

2007-12-21T01:40:00.000-08:00

Interview Questions ... Awesum

Q.How can you drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it?A. Concrete floors are very hard to crack! (UPSC Topper)

Q.If it took eight men ten hours to build a wall, how long would it take four men to build it?A. No time at all it is already built. (UPSC 23 rd Rank Opted for IFS)

Q.If you had three apples and four oranges in one hand and fourapples and three oranges in the other hand, what would you have?A. Very large hands.(Good one) (UPSC 11 Rank Opted for IPS)

Q. How can you lift an elephant with one hand?A. It is not a problem, since you will never find an elephant withone hand. (UPSC Rank 14 Opted for IES)

Q. How can a man go eight days without sleep?A. No Probs, He sleeps at night. (UPSC IAS Rank 98)

Q. If you throw a red stone into the blue sea what it will become?A. It will Wet or Sink as simple as that. (UPSC IAS Rank 2)

Q. What looks like half apple?A : The other half. (UPSC - IAS Topper )

Q. What can you never eat for breakfast?A : Dinner.

Q. Bay of Bengal is in which state?A : Liquid (UPSC 33 R ank )

Interviewer said "I shall either ask you ten easy questions or one really difficult question. Think well before you make up your mind!"
The boy thought for awhile and said,"my choice is one really difficult question.
""Well, good luck to you, you have made your own choice! Now tell me this."What comes first, Day or Night?"The boy was jolted in! to reality as his admission depends on thecorrectness of his answer, but he thought for a while and said,
"It's theDAY sir!"
"How" the interviewer asked,
"Sorry sir, you promised me that you will not ask me a SECOND difficult question!"He was selected for IIM!

Teen Business Sites

2007-12-19T07:52:00.000-08:00

Need help starting your own business? Don't go it alone. These sites can help:

Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development (CEED): CEED is a division of the Nova Scotia Department of Education and Culture whose mission is to nurture entrepreneurship in young people by encouraging entrepreneurship education, research and program design, professional development, and community entrepreneurship. Log on to CEED's website to learn more about their youth-centered entrepreneurship programs and services.

Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization (CEO): The Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization encourages college students to seek opportunity through enterprise creation. With chapters at more than 500 colleges and universities, CEO is one of the fastest growing student organizations. It offers excellent networking and information resources, including three annual conferences.

DECA: Where you can go to learn about marketing, starting your own business, getting involved in e-commerce and the ins and outs of international business as well as gain the leadership skills you need to succeed

Extreme Entrepreneurship Education Corporation: Download a free copy of The Student Success Manifesto e-book to receive the inspiration and tools to create a life of passion, purpose, and prosperity. The manifesto has been positively endorsed by students, educators and best-selling authors Mark Victor Hansen (co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series) and Stephan Covey (author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People).

Future Business Leaders of America: The goal of this association of students preparing for careers in business and business-related fields is to bring business and education together in innovative leadership and career development programs.

Global Student Entrepreneur Awards: Looking for start-up cash? The GSEA Program awards more than $80,000 to college students annually. Go to this website to apply.

Hey UGLY.com: A non-profit organization designed to help teens with self-esteem and self-respect issues while teaching them how to turn negatives into positives. (By the way, UGLY stands for unique gifted lovable you.)

Independent Means Inc.: As a provider of products and services for girls' financial independence, this site offers news and know-how on starting a business and making, saving, giving and growing money. It also provides programs and seminars, books, games and activities for teens, parents and mentors and the companies that serve them.

Junior Achievement: An organization that seeks to educate students in grades K-12 about free enterprise, business and economics with the help of volunteers, educators, parents, and contributors

SBA's Teen Web Guide: Created by the U.S. Small Business Administration, this site offers information on the fundamentals of starting a small business--from brainstorming and evaluating the feasibility of your idea to developing a business plan and making sound financial decisions. You can learn from other successful young entrepreneurs and access the SBA's entrepreneurial development partners and services: Small Business Development Centers, SCORE, Women's Business Centers and the online Small Business Training Network.

SIFE (Students In Free Enterprise): The world's preeminent collegiate free enterprise organization provides leadership training, regional competitions and career opportunity fairs for thousands of college students in 20 countries.

Streaming Futures: This site helps teens choose the right career path by allowing them to interact with career professionals through live, monthly, interactive Internet webcasts.

Source:http://www.entrepreneur.com/

Meet the 10 richest Indians

2007-12-19T01:31:00.000-08:00

It was a celebration of wealth throughout 2007. With the stock markets on a roll, India's billionaire entrepreneurs had an extraordinarily good year, with a slight churn in the list of richest Indians.
Led by Mukesh Ambani, Laxmi Mittal & Anil Ambani on the 1st, 2nd & 3rd places respectively.

Here's a look at the 10 richest Indians........

Source : Rediff.com

India sees 10% growth by 2012, Subprime a Risk

2007-12-19T00:07:00.000-08:00

Good News for The Indians!!

NEW DELHI: India's economy could be growing by 10 percent a year by 2012 with the right set of policies, but the U.S. subprime crisis might trim exports and capital flows, the prime minister said on Wednesday.

So what do you think about the India in 2020?? Can Ex-President Kalam's vision become true??

Annual growth dipped to 8.9 percent in the ........

Source: Economic Times . com

Motivation for budding teentrepreneurs!

2007-12-18T10:47:00.001-08:00

'How I founded my own company at 26'

He was the first in his family to attend college. He earned his Master's degree and started his career as a software professional. At 26, he set up his own matrimony portal and managed it in his spare time from his living room at home. The website has been going from strength to strength over the last 10 years and today he is the founder CEO of one of India's leading matrimony portals, employing 750 people in 40 offices across the country.....