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Japan Airlines files for $25 billion bankruptcyTOKYO (Reuters) - Japan Airlines Corp filed for bankruptcy protection on Tuesday owing more than $25 billion and vowed to slash 15,700 jobs and unprofitable routes as part of a plan to survive an industry beset by volatile fuel costs and fickle flyers.Source: Reuters: Business News | 19 Jan 2010 | 3:38 am Inflation fears spook marketsGlobal Markets Overview: Wall Street returns from a day’s holiday to be greeted by results from Citigroup and IBM, while UK prices data raise the spectre of inflationSource: Financial Times - US homepage | 19 Jan 2010 | 3:31 am JAL Bankruptcy: Will The US Help Its Carriers, If Necessary?JAL finally gave up the ghost after months of negotiation with creditors and large banks. The Japanese government gave the airline access to a modest credit facility. That was not nearly enough The bankruptcy filing will take the equity value of the carrier to zero. JAL will get a waiver for 730 billion yen in [...][[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 19 Jan 2010 | 3:30 am Alstom's sales rise 3%, but orders fall sharplyFrench power and transport firm reports on Tuesday a 3% rise in third-quarter sales on the back of a strong backlog.
Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 19 Jan 2010 | 3:30 am Credit card bed debts hit banksThe amount of money that banks write off on their credit cards doubled in the third quarter of 2009.Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 19 Jan 2010 | 3:28 am China says Google no exception to the lawBEIJING (Reuters) - Google Inc will not be treated as an exception to China's demand foreign companies obey its laws, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday, a week after the world's largest search engine warned it could pull out of China.Source: Reuters: Business News | 19 Jan 2010 | 3:28 am China says Google no exception to the law (Reuters)
Source: Yahoo! News: Business | 19 Jan 2010 | 3:28 am Inflation rise beats expectationsUK inflation rose at its fastest annual pace in nine months in December, climbing to an annual rate of 2.9%.Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 19 Jan 2010 | 3:27 am Carphone Warehouse raises annual profit guidanceCarphone Warehouse Group Plc on Tuesday raised its annual profit forecast, citing strong demand for its broadband services and a pick-up in handset sales over the holidays.
Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 19 Jan 2010 | 3:24 am Kraft finally wins Cadbury for $19 billionKraft reached a $19 billion deal Tuesday to buy Cadbury, finally succeeding in its takeover of the 200-year-old British candy maker after sweetening its offer.Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 19 Jan 2010 | 3:22 am Burberry beats forecasts with 15% sales riseU.K. luxury goods retailer Burberry reported a 15% rise in sales for its financial third quarter, sailing past analyst estimates, and the company said it now expects pretax profit for the year will reach the top end of market expectations.
Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 19 Jan 2010 | 3:22 am Kraft snares Cadbury for $19.6 billionLONDON (Reuters) - Kraft Foods agreed a recommended deal to buy Cadbury for around 11.9 billion pounds ($19.6 billion), creating the world's top confectioner after frantic last-minute talks broke an impasse over price.Source: Reuters: Business News | 19 Jan 2010 | 3:20 am Kraft snares Cadbury for $19.6 billion (Reuters)
Source: Yahoo! News: Business | 19 Jan 2010 | 3:20 am Inflation makes record rise to 2.9% on VAT cutInflation jumped by the biggest margin on record between November and December official figures showed today. Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 19 Jan 2010 | 3:19 am MarketWatch First Take: Cadbury-Kraft: The least friendly 'friendly' dealThe Kraft Foods-Cadbury deal must be the least friendly “friendly” deal in history.
Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 19 Jan 2010 | 3:19 am Kraft deal for Cadbury: Gordon Brown warns US firm over jobsGordon Brown has warned Kraft not to cut jobs at Cadbury after the US food giant's £11.5 billion bid for the British confectioner was finally accepted.Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 19 Jan 2010 | 3:17 am Economic Report: U.K. inflation accelerates at record paceBritish consumer prices jumped 2.9% in December compared to the same month in 2008, exceeding forecasts and boosting the British pound.
Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 19 Jan 2010 | 3:15 am Japan Airlines files for court-led rehabilitationJapan Airlines files for court-led rehabilitation, the Japanese equivalent of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy, that will allow the carrier to operate as it restructures.
Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 19 Jan 2010 | 3:14 am Asia markets end mainly down, but China banks upAsian markets end mostly lower in quiet trade Tuesday as investors awaited key earnings reports from the U.S.
Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 19 Jan 2010 | 3:13 am Cadbury (CBY): Money Changes EverythingThe Kraft (NYSE:KFT) deal to buy Cadbury (NYSE:CBY) was concluded today at a purchase price of about $19.44 billion. That was all it took to close the deal–a rich offer made and accepted. It was never about the strategic fit that Cadbury’s board flaunted as a reason to remain independent. It was never about Cadbury’s rosy forecasts or Kraft’s less [...][[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 19 Jan 2010 | 3:10 am Cadbury board accepts Kraft's improved $18.9-billion takeover bidThe deal still needs approval from Cadbury shareholders, and Hershey could make a rival offer.Kraft Foods Inc. said Tuesday that the board of Cadbury PLC has accepted and recommended to shareholders an improved takeover offer worth $18.9 billion, potentially ending a months-long corporate battle to create the world's largest maker of chocolate and sweets. .
Source: L.A. Times - Business | 19 Jan 2010 | 3:09 am Japan Airlines files for $25 billion bankruptcy (Reuters)
Source: Yahoo! News: Business | 19 Jan 2010 | 3:08 am Gordon Brown warns America's Kraft over Cadbury job cutsGordon Brown today fired a warning shot at Kraft, outlining his determination to secure jobs at Cadbury, the 186-year old maker of Dairy Milk chocolate, which has agreed to be taken over by the American company for £11.9 billion. Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 19 Jan 2010 | 3:02 am Cadbury agrees Kraft takeover bidCadbury is to be taken over by US food company Kraft after its board approved a new bid, the two companies have confirmed.Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 19 Jan 2010 | 3:00 am Exeter plans to undertake spin-out transaction to create two independent companiesSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 19 Jan 2010 | 3:00 am General Steel Longmen Joint Venture Wins Two Significant Direct-Supply ContractsSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 19 Jan 2010 | 3:00 am Kraft to buy Cadbury in $19.5 bln friendly dealKraft Foods said Tuesday it is buying U.K. chocolate maker Cadbury for around 11.9 billion pounds ($19.5 billion) as the companies set aside months of acrimony to agree an eleventh-hour deal.
Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 19 Jan 2010 | 3:00 am JAL bankruptcy filing confirmedJapan Airlines, Asia's biggest carrier, files for bankruptcy protection and is expected to lay off thousands of workers.Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 19 Jan 2010 | 2:59 am China, Taiwan wary of bubbles, tighten moreSHANGHAI/TAIPEI (Reuters) - The central banks of China and Taiwan tightened policy on Tuesday to drain money from the banking system, marking intensified efforts in the region to head off inflation and cool asset bubbles.Source: Reuters: Business News | 19 Jan 2010 | 2:54 am China, Taiwan wary of bubbles, tighten more (Reuters)Reuters - The central banks of China and Taiwan tightened policy on Tuesday to drain money from the banking system, marking intensified efforts in the region to head off inflation and cool asset bubbles.Source: Yahoo! News: Business | 19 Jan 2010 | 2:54 am London Markets: Cadbury shares advance as FTSE 100 index declinesCadbury shares jump in the top British share index after it agrees to be bought by U.S. foods producer Kraft.
Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 19 Jan 2010 | 2:54 am France's Carrefour set for India breakthrough (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Business | 19 Jan 2010 | 2:51 am UN seeks extra peacekeepers in HaitiThe international response to the Haiti earthquake has been stepped up with the UN calling for a significant increase in the number of peacekeepers, the EU pledging more than €400m and the resolution of some aid distribution bottlenecksSource: Financial Times - US homepage | 19 Jan 2010 | 2:50 am Cadbury and Kraft agree £11.7bn dealThis shift comes after months of acrimony following an original £10.4bn hostile takeover bid from the US food groupSource: Financial Times - US homepage | 19 Jan 2010 | 2:43 am China, Taiwan wary of bubbles, step up tighteningSHANGHAI/TAIPEI (Reuters) - The central banks of China and Taiwan tightened policy on Tuesday to drain money from the banking system, marking intensified efforts in the region to head off...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 19 Jan 2010 | 2:35 am GM looks to China for salvationCan China save General Motors?Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 19 Jan 2010 | 2:34 am Kraft agrees to buy Cadbury for £11.9bnKraft Foods, the world's second-biggest food company, has agreed to buy Cadbury in a deal that ends more than 150 years of independence for the maker of Dairy Milk.Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 19 Jan 2010 | 2:22 am Haiti donations exceed $200 millionNearly a week after the devastating earthquake struck near Haiti's capital, donations for relief efforts are still pouring in -- in excess of $200 million.Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 19 Jan 2010 | 2:16 am World stocks fall amid JAL bankruptcy, US earnings (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Stock Markets News | 19 Jan 2010 | 2:09 am Diary of a private investor: 'My raciest and riskiest shares are off to a flier'I think that the volatile, more dangerous shares are the ones that will do best this year.Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 19 Jan 2010 | 2:06 am Boeing happy with 787 testsPARIS (Reuters) - Boeing is happy with the progress of testing on its 787 Dreamliner, Yves Galland, President of Boeing France, said on Tuesday.Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 19 Jan 2010 | 2:05 am Boeing happy with 787 testsPARIS (Reuters) - Boeing is happy with the progress of testing on its 787 Dreamliner, Yves Galland, President of Boeing France, said on Tuesday.Source: Reuters: Business News | 19 Jan 2010 | 2:05 am Carphone sees forecasts rise for second timeCarphone Warehouse, Europe's largest mobile phone retailer, today raised its end-of-year forecast for the second time in two months after adding 36,000 new customers during the third quarter. Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 19 Jan 2010 | 2:04 am Carphone sees forecasts rise for second timeCarphone Warehouse, Europe's largest mobile phone retailer, today raised its end-of-year forecast for the second time in two months after adding 36,000 new customers during the third quarter. Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 19 Jan 2010 | 2:04 am Japan Airlines files for bankruptcyJapan Airlines files for bankruptcy protection in one of Japan’s largest-ever corporate failures, even as the government pledges about Y900bn to keep the carrier operational until it completes its restructuringSource: Financial Times - US homepage | 19 Jan 2010 | 2:02 am Earnings Watch: Updates, advisories and surprisesA roundup of the latest corporate earnings reports and what companies are saying about future quarters.
Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 19 Jan 2010 | 2:01 am UNICRE / REDUNICRE Chooses MONEXT for the Deployment of its New Ecommerce Payment SolutionSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 19 Jan 2010 | 2:00 am After European Call for Tenders, European Parliament opts for Luxasolar(R) Window Film to Reduce its Carbon FootprintSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 19 Jan 2010 | 2:00 am Traders remain focused on US earnings08:00 GMT. Traders remained resolutely focused on the prospects for the US fourth-quarter earnings season on Tuesday, with few other catalysts commanding sufficient heft to drive sentiment. Wall...Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 19 Jan 2010 | 1:43 am Cadbury tops FTSE 100 as Kraft deal nearsLondon equities traders were following the latest twists and turns in one of the biggest potential deals to emerge since the height of the credit crisis on Tuesday. Shares in Cadbury topped the...Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 19 Jan 2010 | 1:42 am Media Digest 1/18/2010 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, BloombergReuters: Kraft (NYSE:KFT) has a deal to buy Cadbury (NYSE:CBY) for about $19 billion. Reuters: China says Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) and other foreign firms must respect its laws. Reuters: JAL is going bankrupt. Reuters: AIG (NYSE:AIG) is looking a a number of ways to repay worker bonuses. Reuters: The IMF raised concerns about the recovery in Europe. WSJ: NBCU (NYSE:GE) will [...][[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 19 Jan 2010 | 1:39 am David Gold and David Sullivan complete takeover of West Ham UnitedDavid Gold and David Sullivan have completed their takeover of West Ham United. Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 19 Jan 2010 | 1:36 am Japan Airlines files for bankruptcyJapan Airlines, once the pride of Asia and a symbol of Japan’s global economic advance, today agreed to file for bankruptcy and axe 15,600 jobs in the country’s biggest corporate failure outside the banking sector. Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 19 Jan 2010 | 1:34 am Asia Markets And Europe Open (1/19/2010) JAL Goes BankruptMarkets in Asia were mixed. The Nikkei was down .8% to 10,765. Honda (NYSE:HMC) and Toyota (NYSE:TM) dropped and JAL filed for bankruptcy after the close The Hang Seng rose .9% to 21,661. The Shanghai Composite was up .3% to 3,247. At the open in Europe, the FTSE was down .3% to 5,476. Cadbury (NYSE:CBY) rose on news of [...][[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 19 Jan 2010 | 1:15 am Cadbury confirms surrender to foreign takeoverShares in Cadbury soared by over 3 per cent this morning after the 186-year old British confectioner and maker of Dairy Milk chocolate confirmed it was finalising a deal to be taken over by Kraft Foods, the American food conglomerate. Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 19 Jan 2010 | 1:11 am Readers give thumbs down, not high five, to HalifaxIt would seem that some British banks have failed to judge the mood of the nation.Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 19 Jan 2010 | 1:11 am 24/7 Wall St. 2010 Major Retailer Store Closing ListEach year some large retailers face the fall-out of a weak holiday season. The problem was particularly acute in 2009 because the improvement from 2008 was modest if there was any improvement at all. The 2008 holiday sales period was one of the worst on record. There is some evidence that e-commerce revenues improved, but [...][[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 19 Jan 2010 | 1:05 am UK inflation expected to rise most in a decadeUK inflation rose the most in more than a decade in December as energy prices jumped, economists expect a report to show later today.Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 19 Jan 2010 | 1:03 am Tyco International to acquire Brink's Home Security in deal worth $2 billionThe Swiss company will combine Brink's with its ADT security business. Diversified manufacturer Tyco International...Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 19 Jan 2010 | 1:00 am Glen W. Bell Jr. dies at 86; founder of Taco BellBell first sold tacos for 19 cents in San Bernardino in 1951, and he built Taco Bell from one Downey stand in 1962 to a $125-million business when he sold it in 1978. ...Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 19 Jan 2010 | 1:00 am Hackers create opportunity for military firmsAttacks on Google boost the market for cyber-security just as government weapons spending is expected to slow. Military firms are retooling for rising demand by corporations as well as government. ...Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 19 Jan 2010 | 1:00 am Weekend Box-Office ResultsSource: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 19 Jan 2010 | 1:00 am Leno gives his side of 'Tonight Show' intrigueThe NBC host describes how he left 'Tonight' and walked into a prime-time disaster.After days of being portrayed as the bad guy, Jay Leno came out swinging on his show Monday and provided a detailed chronology of NBC's bumbling behind-the-scenes maneuvers that sparked the talk-show host tug-of-war engulfing the network.
Source: L.A. Times - Business | 19 Jan 2010 | 1:00 am Census aims to ensure affluent, educated white liberals are countedA massive campaign includes five 30-second spots from mockumentary master Christopher Guest that not only ignore the poor and minorities but may further fuel right-wing anger over the tallying effort.America is in a rotten, surly mood. And still the Census Bureau has to knock on its door.
Source: L.A. Times - Business | 19 Jan 2010 | 1:00 am Apple fans take event invitation as a product hintSome on an Internet forum see the paint-splattered design on an announcement for a Jan. 27 news conference as a clue to what the device does or is named. ...Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 19 Jan 2010 | 1:00 am Census aims to ensure affluent, educated white liberals are countedA massive campaign includes five 30-second spots from mockumentary master Christopher Guest that not only ignore the poor and minorities but may further fuel right-wing anger over the tallying effort...Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 19 Jan 2010 | 1:00 am California limits HMO wait timesNew rules require appointments within 10 business days for general doctor visits, and other changes. Seeking to...Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 19 Jan 2010 | 1:00 am 'Avatar' pulled from 1,628 Chinese movie screensAt propaganda officials' urging, 2-D versions are replaced by a biography of Confucius, though 3-D showings continue."Avatar" may be too popular for its own good in China.
Source: L.A. Times - Business | 19 Jan 2010 | 1:00 am Tetragon Financial Group Limited (TFG) Monthly Update For December 2009Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 19 Jan 2010 | 1:00 am Fisker Automotive raises $115.3 millionThe private equity funds allow the start-up Irvine firm to tap $528.7 million in federal loans for development of its plug-in hybrid Karma. ...Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 19 Jan 2010 | 1:00 am Glen W. Bell Jr. dies at 86; founder of Taco BellBell first sold tacos for 19 cents in San Bernardino in 1951, and he built Taco Bell from one Downey stand in 1962 to a $125-million business when he sold it in 1978.Glen W. Bell Jr., the innovator and entrepreneur who tapped an unsated hunger for Mexican fare as Americans discovered fast food, creating Taco Tia, El Taco and in 1962 his signature Taco Bell, has died. He was 86.
Source: L.A. Times - Business | 19 Jan 2010 | 1:00 am Hackers create opportunity for military firmsAttacks on Google boost the market for cyber-security just as government weapons spending is expected to slow. Military firms are retooling for rising demand by corporations as well as government.For U.S. military firms, the latest revelations of highly sophisticated hacker attacks on Google Inc. are highlighting a new reality, and a potentially lucrative business: The battlefield is shifting to cyberspace.
Source: L.A. Times - Business | 19 Jan 2010 | 1:00 am California limits HMO wait timesNew rules require appointments within 10 business days for general doctor visits, and other changes.Seeking to reduce the long waits many people endure to see a doctor, California regulators are implementing new rules that specify how quickly patients in health maintenance organizations must be seen.
Source: L.A. Times - Business | 19 Jan 2010 | 1:00 am With profits down, firms just aren't changing handsSales of businesses in L.A. County fell 32% last year from 2008, and the median price also dropped. Still, there are signs that the number and value of deals will improve this year.Scroll the more than 7,000 small businesses for sale on a statewide website and Frenchy's Bistro & Wine Bar pops up alongside the flower shops, manufacturers and other companies that are listed like so many used cars.
Source: L.A. Times - Business | 19 Jan 2010 | 1:00 am 'Avatar' is likely to surpass 'Titanic' this weekJames Cameron's 3-D phenomenon stays No. 1 at the box office while 'The Book of Eli' and 'The Lovely Bones' have healthy nationwide debuts.After a strong Martin Luther King Day weekend there's no doubt left that "Avatar" will surpass "Titanic" atop the box-office charts, but two new movies managed to find their audiences too.
Source: L.A. Times - Business | 19 Jan 2010 | 1:00 am The Allied Defense Group Announces Definitive Merger Agreement With Chemring Group PLCSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 19 Jan 2010 | 1:00 am Watchdog deals blow to ITV on advertising capITV's last hope for easing restrictions on its advertising rates was dashed today when Britain's competition regulator said the company would have to stick to its six-year old price cap. Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 19 Jan 2010 | 12:57 am Gold & Sullivan take over HammersFormer Birmingham City owners David Gold and David Sullivan take control of West Ham.Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 19 Jan 2010 | 12:49 am JAL decides to file for bankruptcy: KyodoJapan Airlines' management board decided at a meeting Tuesday to file for bankruptcy protection for the debt-ridden carrier, the Kyodo News agency reported quoting an unnamed company...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 19 Jan 2010 | 12:13 am China says Google, foreign firms must respect lawsBEIJING (Reuters) - Foreign firms, including Google, must respect Chinese laws and customs, China's foreign ministry spokesman said on Tuesday, a week after the world's largest search...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 19 Jan 2010 | 12:13 am Exit growth?Venezuela's further slide into state-owned slumpSource: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 19 Jan 2010 | 12:00 am Share tips: buy TescoShare tips also covered include: Halfords, Home Retail Group.Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 18 Jan 2010 | 11:58 pm NBC chief defends role in late-night debacleLOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The NBC executive who has overseen the network's decline in recent years said on Monday he showed "guts" and "leadership" by shaking up the network's late-night programing -- a disastrous move that will likely send talk-show host Conan O'Brien to a rival broadcaster.Source: Reuters: Business News | 18 Jan 2010 | 11:55 pm Pension savers need to act fast to get their tax-free cashThe rules change in April so people over the age of 50 need to get their skates on.Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 18 Jan 2010 | 11:47 pm NZ sharemarket falls in quiet tradingThe New Zealand sharemarket fell today as investors continued to take profits and trim positions ahead of the corporate reporting season.The closure of the US market on Monday added to the directionless tone and locally the corporate...Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 18 Jan 2010 | 11:46 pm Beware the financial black holesYou can save money by avoiding these common personal finance mistakes.Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 18 Jan 2010 | 11:42 pm US-Japan relations clouded by OkinawaA half century to the day since the US and Japan signed up to one of the world’s most successful alliances, ties between the Pacific foes-turned-friends are clouded by a dispute over plans to move a US marine base on Japan’s southern island of OkinawaSource: Financial Times - US homepage | 18 Jan 2010 | 11:40 pm Kraft closes in on £11.7bn deal for CadburyKraft Foods is closing in on an £11.7bn take-over of Cadbury that will end more than 150 years of independence for the maker of Dairy Milk.Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 18 Jan 2010 | 11:06 pm Japan Airlines poised to file for bankruptcyAsia's largest airline will become one of Japan's biggest corporate failures when it files for bankruptcy protection shortly after the Tokyo Stock Exchanges closes later today.Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 18 Jan 2010 | 10:52 pm Dollar mixed ahead of CPI reportThe New Zealand dollar briefly stretched above US74c today as non-US dollar currencies got a lift from reports that food company Kraft is likely to lift its bid for Cadbury Plc.The NZ dollar then drifted back and attention is...Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 18 Jan 2010 | 10:24 pm Charge It: 10 Credit-Card Deals (Card Sharp)Card companies are trying to get you to spend, but read the fine print.
Source: SmartMoney.com | 18 Jan 2010 | 10:00 pm 3 Stocks Wall Street Hates (Screens)Hough: Analysts say to sell these shares. Such negative calls are usually right.
Source: SmartMoney.com | 18 Jan 2010 | 10:00 pm Should You Be True to Your Retailer? (Deal of the Day)Loyalty programs reward big spenders while coaxing them to buy more.
Source: SmartMoney.com | 18 Jan 2010 | 10:00 pm 4 Headwinds That Stocks Are Ignoring (On the Street)Friday's selloff notwithstanding, stocks are rising. Here are a few caveats.
Source: SmartMoney.com | 18 Jan 2010 | 10:00 pm Learn to Love Your HMOHealth care reform has spooked investors, but some stocks could be bargains.
Source: SmartMoney.com | 18 Jan 2010 | 10:00 pm US growth stocks back in favourBOSTON - Growth is in, value is out. And it's likely to stay that way this year on the US stock markets.Investors who loaded their portfolios with growth stocks were rewarded in 2009. Those stocks gained an average 37 per cent,...Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 18 Jan 2010 | 9:30 pm POSCO says Buffett wants to buy more POSCO sharesSEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's POSCO said on Tuesday U.S. investor Warren Buffett, whose investment vehicle owns 4.5 percent of the world's No.4 steelmaker, had indicated he wanted to buy more POSCO stocks.Source: Reuters: Business News | 18 Jan 2010 | 9:02 pm Fonterra warns online milk powder buyersFirst it was baby formula - now it appears New Zealand-sourced Fonterra milk powder is also being sold online in China.Fonterra's general manager for marketing and innovation, Brett Charlton, said the company was aware of the...Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 18 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pm Funds have a ball but did investors miss the bounce?TJ Singh from the NZX-owned research house FundSource dropped me an email this week trumpeting the stellar returns achieved by New Zealand fund managers in the 12 months to December 31 last year.According to Singh, the average...Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 18 Jan 2010 | 8:30 pm Allan Hawkins confident of success in second tilt at CynotechAllan Hawkins is confident of success in his second attempt to take Cynotech Holdings private after the Takeovers Panel granted exemptions for his preference share scheme.Hawkins' Cynotech Securities Group, a private investment...Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 18 Jan 2010 | 8:00 pm AIG looks at different ways to repay bonusesNEW YORK (Reuters) - American International Group Inc is exploring several ways to repay $26 million of the $45 million in bonuses that executives at its financial products unit pledged to return last year, including a plan to cut 2010 bonuses but pay them out early, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday.Source: Reuters: Business News | 18 Jan 2010 | 7:52 pm Tyco to buy Brink’s home security armTyco International furthers its push into the North American market for residential and business security systems, agreeing to buy Brink’s Home Security Holdings for about $2bnSource: Financial Times - US homepage | 18 Jan 2010 | 5:32 pm Massachusetts Senate vote likely to be closeDemocrats brace for what could be a devastating defeat in the Massachusetts Senate election as last-minute polls show a surge in support for the little-known Republican candidateSource: Financial Times - US homepage | 18 Jan 2010 | 5:19 pm Cadbury surrenders to foreign takeoverThe iconic British chocolate manufacturer Cadbury fell last night to an £11.7 billion takeover by the US food conglomerate Kraft. Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 18 Jan 2010 | 5:01 pm Confucius says no to ‘subversive’ blockbuster AvatarHere is the choice: a blockbuster involving noble aliens, evil humans and stunning effects that is breaking cinematic records all over the world. Or a patriotic film featuring the life of Confucius. Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 18 Jan 2010 | 5:01 pm Guest nights creep up in NovemberThe total number of guest nights in commercial accommodation edged up 0.5 per cent in November from a year earlier to 2.7 million, but fell 4 per cent from November 2007.Figures from Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) show that among...Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 18 Jan 2010 | 5:00 pm Tyco to acquire Broadview Security for $1.9 billionNEW YORK (Reuters) - Industrial conglomerate Tyco International will acquire Broadview Security for $1.9 billion in a deal that brings together two large providers of residential and commercial security in North America, the two companies said on Monday.Source: Reuters: Business News | 18 Jan 2010 | 4:51 pm 24/7 Wall St.’s Corporate Power Rankings (Week 2)The 24/7 Wall Street Corporate Power Rankings of the thirty-two most important companies in America are determined be earnings, analyst rankings, important corporate news, trends in each firm’s industry, product introductions, management strength and changes, and credible rumors. The Corporate Power Rankings will be released at midnight on each Sunday based on performance during the previous [...][[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 18 Jan 2010 | 4:48 pm Kiwi dollar edges higher as CPI loomsThe New Zealand dollar edged higher in trading muted by a US holiday ahead of inflation figures tomorrow that are expected to show prices are stronger than the central bank has forecast.The Consumer Price Index probably held unchanged...Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 18 Jan 2010 | 4:30 pm International Equity Markets on Martin Luther King DayIf you are in the United States, we know that you didn’t go the bank, the post office, any government office, court houses, and you probably didn’t trade. While you were enjoying your day off from market trading in the U.S. for Martin Luther King Day , the rest of the world was steady at [...][[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 18 Jan 2010 | 4:08 pm Firm to take over collapsed Easy Mind branchesThe Waikato and Coromandel branches of collapsed childcare service Easy Mind are to be taken over by another childcare company.Easy Mind, a nationwide home-based childcare service for children through to five years of age, was...Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 18 Jan 2010 | 4:03 pm We have secret to sustainable paint - ReseneResene believes it has identified the secret ingredient that will allow it to produce the world's first sustainable paint.In August the paint-maker was the inaugural winner of What's Your Problem New Zealand?, a competition set...Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 18 Jan 2010 | 4:00 pm Kraft Makes Friends With Cadbury, Buffett LosesThe rumor mill is at work. Kraft (NYSE:KFT) may have entered friendly talks with Cadbury (NYE:CBY) to end the ongoing battle caused by the American company’s hostile takeover offer for the UK firm. The news, if true, would be good for Cadbury’s shareholders because the premium to close the deal should be well above the current [...][[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 18 Jan 2010 | 3:30 pm TSX ends higher on stronger resource prices (Reuters)Reuters - Toronto's main stock index advanced on Monday as energy and materials producers rose on the back of stronger commodity prices.Source: Yahoo! News: Stock Markets News | 18 Jan 2010 | 3:22 pm Ministers welcome Greek debt workEurozone finance ministers welcome the Greek government's efforts to reduce the country's huge budget deficit.Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 18 Jan 2010 | 3:21 pm US investment banks divided over levyDivisions are emerging among large investment banks over the Obama administration’s banking levy, with one industry lobby exploring legal action even as some companies urge caution in the face of growing political backlashSource: Financial Times - US homepage | 18 Jan 2010 | 3:10 pm Canadian terror plotter sentenced to life in prison (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Stock Markets News | 18 Jan 2010 | 2:56 pm Recovery killer? Greece is the wordCould Europe kill the chances of a global economic recovery? There are growing concerns about the health of several European nations, most particularly Greece. Standard & Poor's, Moody's Investor Serivice and Fitch Ratings all downgraded their credit ratings for Greece last month.Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 18 Jan 2010 | 2:24 pm Chrysler’s Latest Product: A Part That Causes “Unexpected Brake Failure”Chrysler showed again why it is laggard among the American car companies previously known as The Big Three. It announced a recall of 24,000 late model Chrysler, Dodges, and Jeeps. According to CNN, “The recall applies to some 2010 model year Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger sedans; Dodge Nitro, Jeep Liberty, Jeep Commander and Grand Cherokee [...][[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 18 Jan 2010 | 2:20 pm Beware of bogus Alli diet drug onlineA counterfeit version of the over-the-counter weight-loss product Alli being marketed online could be harmful to dieters, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Monday.Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 18 Jan 2010 | 2:19 pm Chrysler issues recall over possible brake failureChrysler Group is recalling about 24,000 late-model Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles to fix a defective part that could cause sudden, unexpected brake failure.Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 18 Jan 2010 | 2:18 pm Wyclef Jean tearfully defends charityAs Musician Wyclef Jean tearfully denied recent allegations that he misappropriated funds from his Yele Haiti charity, experts on non-profits said they couldn't find serious wrongdoing, except for a lapse of discipline in filing his taxes.Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 18 Jan 2010 | 2:15 pm Talkback: How do you plan to invest this year?Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 18 Jan 2010 | 1:15 pm Apple fuels buzz over tablet computerApple ratcheted up the public relations buzz surrounding the launch of a new product, widely expected to be a tablet-sized computer, this monthSource: Financial Times - US homepage | 18 Jan 2010 | 1:13 pm Banks pull another billion from small bizThe nation's biggest banks cut their collective small business lending balance by another $1 billion in November, according to a Treasury report released late Friday. The drop marked the seventh straight month of declines.Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 18 Jan 2010 | 12:53 pm Swiss Re gets $1.27B in Warren Buffett deal (AP)AP - Swiss Reinsurance Co. said Monday it transferred part of its U.S. life insurance business to American investor Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. for 1.3 billion Swiss francs ($1.27 billion) to free up capital and invest it more profitably.Source: Yahoo! News: Business | 18 Jan 2010 | 12:35 pm Apple's biggest quarterSource: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 18 Jan 2010 | 12:31 pm Apple (AAPL) To Launch Device On January 27Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) said it will launch a new product at an event scheduled for January 27. Watch the shares drop 10% if it is not the anticipated tablet computer and 15% if Steve Jobs is not there with the tablet in his hand. Douglas A. McIntyre Posted in PC Companies Tagged: AAPL[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 18 Jan 2010 | 11:42 am Tullow Oil eyes Uganda expansionUK explorer Tullow Oil is seeking to take full control of two sites it co-discovered in Uganda, in a move that would block Italy's Eni.Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 18 Jan 2010 | 11:18 am Schools race for piece of federal grantStates are competing for a piece of a $4.3 billion federal education grant. Winning depends on statewide programs to boost student performance and on improvements at individual schools. Jennifer Collins reports on the "Race to the Top."Source: Marketplace | 18 Jan 2010 | 11:15 am Compensation rises for college execsA Chronicle of Higher Education survey shows the median salary for a public university president rose to $436,000 last year, up 2.3% from the previous year. The Chronicle's Jeff Selingo shares the details of the survey with host Tess Vigeland.Source: Marketplace | 18 Jan 2010 | 11:15 am A recession may be good time to retireJonathan Clements, former personal finance columnist for the Wall Street Journal, says recessions can be great times for retirement. He shares his view with host Tess Vigeland.Source: Marketplace | 18 Jan 2010 | 11:14 am Goldman shareholders target bonusesIt's not just the public that's bristling at reports of giant payouts to bank executives. Some of Goldman Sach's own shareholders are raising objections. Amy Scott reports.Source: Marketplace | 18 Jan 2010 | 11:14 am China takes steps to cool off economyChina is taking steps to rein in its banks, which have been been lending like crazy over the last year to fight off the global recesssion. Now, China is concerned about controlling inflation and an overheating economy. Scott Tong reports.Source: Marketplace | 18 Jan 2010 | 11:14 am Devising aid programs on their laptopsFor most people, giving money is the only way to help the people of Haiti. But some tech-savvy folks have found another way to give. Brett Neely reports.Source: Marketplace | 18 Jan 2010 | 11:14 am Nations join in flow of aid to HaitiMore than 30 countries now have rescue operations underway in Haiti. And today, the European Union pledged $600 million in aid. Stephen Beard reports.Source: Marketplace | 18 Jan 2010 | 11:14 am Old GM shares make unlikely resurgenceThe old General Motors died in a US bankruptcy court last summer. But its shares remain very much aliveSource: Financial Times - US homepage | 18 Jan 2010 | 11:02 am Union to hold new BA strike voteBritish Airways cabin crew will vote again on possible strike action, the Unite union announces.Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 18 Jan 2010 | 10:59 am French and UK utilities end talksFrench utility GDF Suez says talks with International Power over a tie-up have ended with no agreement reached.Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 18 Jan 2010 | 10:33 am FTSE 100 finishes up (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Stock Markets News | 18 Jan 2010 | 10:06 am European stocks rise amid merger speculationLONDON -- European stock markets rose Monday as speculation of a pickup in corporate dealmaking kept investors interested on a day Wall Street was closed for the Martin Luther King public holiday and Greece's budgetary woes continued to weigh on the euro.
Source: L.A. Times - Business | 18 Jan 2010 | 10:03 am Win 250 Free Business Cards from PrintRunner for Completing a SentencePrintRunner has offered to give away a set of 250 business cards to 3 Business Pundit readers. They’re a full-service print shop offering brochures, flyers, catalogs, posters and more. Based in Southern California, PrintRunner was featured on the 2009 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies. The cards are free, but you have to pay for shipping at checkout. Winners will receive a special code to order their free cards. How do you win? The contest will run until January 24. I’ll pick three winners who give the best completion to the sentence below: In order to fix our financial problems, the US government needs to… Write your answer in the comments section below. Winners will have the most accurate, original, unusual, funny, or otherwise eye-catching reply. Official Rules: • You can only win once I’ll post the winners on Monday, January 25.
Source: Business Pundit | 18 Jan 2010 | 8:06 am The 10 Best Collaborative Web Tools for BusinessDesktop software may soon be a thing of the past. This is especially true in collaboration applications–the kind project managers and work groups use. Web-based solutions from SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) providers are quickly replacing networked office servers. The reasons are compelling. To name a few: * Secure, remote access from anywhere with an Internet connection Ready to try a web-based approach? You have a boatload of options. To give you an idea of what’s out there, we’ve reviewed ten of the best applications available. Some of these applications are best suited for project managers. Others are for more generalized corporations. Still others are best for big business. Pick the one that best suits your needs–and try before you buy. 10. Socialcast
Features: * Microblogging Pros: * Creative setup process Cons: * Extremely limited functionality Overview: Socialcast is dubbed a “microblogging” application. The homepage has a non-traditional, in-your-face design. Socialcast makes it easy to navigate through their homepage to discover everything their software can offer. Instead of wasting time reading, I simply enter my work email address, press one button, and my private network is created. (If someone already created a network for your business, you’ll join it after confirming your email address.) I follow a link to my network via email. Next, I have to enter my personal and work information, as well as optionally invite other users I work with, below, for, etc. This helps to easily create an organized network within your company. After finishing these quick steps, I have the option to download their desktop client (Adobe AIR; pretty neat). Upon entering the application for the first time, I’m greeted with a very airy, open interface that reminds me strongly of the iTunes layout (wonder if that was on purpose). I’m hit with two assumptions right away. One, as they obviously stated, this application is completely microblogging/Twitter-centric. Secondly, it doesn’t seem like this does much more than that. While there is detailed profile information, social aspects, groups, etc, I don’t see any features that are really business-focused. That makes me think. Why would I want this in my business? Yes, it does act as a much better communication tool as opposed to email. But it doesn’t seem like its aim is to do that because it floods your inbox with updates for every possible action (option to disable). And if you’re going to introduce a communication tool for your business, why not have the functionality to handle tasks, events, wikis, organized files, project collaboration, CRM, etc.? I continued to spend some more time using this application but simply couldn’t find anything else to do with it. If you’re looking for a real bare-bones way to communicate in your office, then maybe this could work for you. This “basic” service (vs. the enterprise package) is free and available to an unlimited amount of users. I would recommend testing out a few others before really committing your time and resources to an application as bland as this. Price: Free for basic use (unlimited users). Must call for the enterprise pricing. Reviews: * AppAppeal: Socialcast Review
Features: * Task lists Pros Cons Overview: Zoho Projects’ homepage is busy and kind of cluttered. This is a theme that continues into the application itself. After choosing a username and password, you enter the URL you want to use for your project. Before getting to the main dashboard, you create your project name and description. Add client names and users on that first page. Now your dashboard appears. There’s a big profile picture of you (anonymous until you enter a real image) on the left hand side. On this page, you can update your own status and read the status updates of others. The updates are intuitive, saying what you did in a short sentence. I did notice that the system was a little slow when I made changes. Besides your dashboard, there are 10 tabs. They are: Tasks & Milestones, Calendar, Meetings, Documents, Timesheet, Reports, Forums, Wiki, Chat, and Users. Initially, it looks like a lot of features are haphazardly put together. In the free version we tried, you can’t pick and choose which features to display on your dashboard. It would be nice to customize the clutter out of this setup, but you can’t. Here are some of the highlights: Tasks & Milestones: When you enter a new milestone, you can flag it to choose whether to make the milestone internal (private) or external (visible to other users). Task lists are similar, with advanced options like start/end date, priority (none to high), and % completed (from a dropdown menu). You can reorder, delete, or copy the tasks once they’re on your list. The calendar is customizable–it will show tasks, milestones, and/or meetings based on your selections. The meetings section is pretty basic, but does include repeats and participants. The Documents page lets you share documents. I didn’t test it, because I was using the free version. According to the Zoho Project demo, you can store and organize your files in a central area. The system is compatible with ZohoDocs and Google docs. It includes version management, tags, and folders. The program also lets you preview images, add links, and notify users of updates. Timesheets also aren’t included in the free version. Here’s what the demo says. You can go to a date on your calendar, click on a timesheet icon, and enter tasks, duration, and billable/non-billable on the right sidebar that appears. If you want, set a timer to automatically log your time. You click on the timer to start and stop it, then your time automatically records on your calendar. Finally, you can create an invoice from timesheet from “Create Invoice” link. That’s a perfect feature for contractors or small business owners working with remote vendors or clients. The Reports section automatically generates a Gantt chart based on your open tasks. You can customize your chart and upload statistics by user or folder. The Forums page lets you build your own forum, by project. The wiki sums up your changes to the pages in your project. It would be nice if the wiki were more customizable. Next comes the Chat page, featuring a pretty basic chat window that allows you to send files, too. Onto the Users section. List users here, either as project or client users. At the right, there are settings, support, and help tabs. In settings, there are two tabs: General Settings and Company Profile. In general settings, you enter your own name, nickname, job title, and phone numbers. In company profile, you enter your company’s website, address, timezone, and name. Finally, in Setting, you adjust your task lists and templates. Overall, there’s a tendency for the same function to appear in more than one place, making the UI a bit unintuitive. It’s hard to get used to. Also, if you navigate into your profile, you get a whole different profile menu. It’s not your dashboard. When I did this, it took me a few tries to even figure out where my dashboard went and how to get back to it. Also, things aren’t very customizable—take it as it comes. The chat, invoicing, and forum features make this application great for small businesses and independent contractors, especially those working remotely. The Gantt charts, milestones, and a few other features make it good for project managers, too. If they fixed the bulky interface, it would make a big difference. Pricing: Reviews: 8. PBWorks
Features: * Collaborative page editing Pros: * Massive customer base Cons: * Confusing to learn Overview: PBWorks originally started out as PBWiki, strictly a hosted wiki service for businesses. Now, they’ve made the leap into full business and enterprise collaboration services. Their company website features a minimalistic, sleek design. Things got more confusing once I found that there are editions for personal use, business use, academic use, legal use, and so on. It’s assuring to know that they offer these custom solutions to make their applications a better fit, but it might be a little intimidating if you’re just a typical small business looking for an app. The features page seems to be missing some detail as it doesn’t really explain what you’re getting in a straight-forward manner. The only thing I found about pricing or packages was that it’s $20/user per month. But there’s a big ‘Free Trial’ button…let’s check that out. After completing the first page about myself and my business, I’m given the option to have a rep call me and walk through their business edition with a custom demo (30-40 minute long call), or simply go to the free trial. Free trial it is. After finishing the registration, they remind me that my “PBWorks network is made up of workspaces, a collection of documents about a specific topic, like a project (I’m) working on. Each workspace contains pages. Create and edit workspace pages to store content about the topic (I’m) working on.” The application interface has a very sleek, simple design to it, which I like. A quick browse of the settings shows some in-depth customization abilities, as well as information about some real-time collaboration tools they offer. I also notice the widget at the bottom where you can open a live chat at any time. Very nice. I enter the free trial workspace they created for me to get an idea of what this application really does. Again, the interface is beautiful but there’s a problem. I’m confused and intimidated. I don’t know where to start. There are 27 sections and even more buttons. At this point, I’m not sure what creating a “Page” even does. I finally find a button to start a project, but I’m not sure if that’s part of this workspace, or part of this page, or where it really belongs. Clearly, this application is powerful. It’s loaded with features and widgets. But it’s confusing at first. Perhaps a video or documentation would have given me the clarity I needed to use this in the first place. Maybe it’s just me, but I just don’t like the segregated workspace/page system. I know this review didn’t explain much but I couldn’t come up with much myself without doing serious homework. I would suggest running through the free trial yourself or watching some of their videos. Price: $20 a user per month? Not much pricing information included on the site. Reviews: * Looking for an alternative to Basecamp: review of PBworks Project Edition 7. Onehub
Features: * Folders / Tagging Pros Overview: Onehub’s homepage is clean and relatively intuitive. But the standout design of Onehub’s “Hub” system doesn’t become apparent until you log in. Signing up is really easy. Fill in your time zone, confirm your Web address, and customize your Hubs (workspaces). You customize by choosing a color scheme, giving it a name, and branding your Hub with your company’s logo. This is the first of several touches that makes Onehub ultra-customizable. The dashboard interface is clean and simple. There are four tabs: Files, Tasks, Calendar, and Comments. Farther away from those tabs, there are four more tabs: Share, Notify, Manage, and Design & Add Widgets. The first page on your dashboard is called Files. It gives you the option to upload, download, copy, or move files. You can also create folders. The file I tested uploaded almost instantly. The fact that you have to press the Upload button twice to get your file uploaded is one of the system’s more unintuitive design features. Also, moving files is a little cumbersome. You have to select from various menus. Drag/drop would be easier. Adding a new task to the Tasks page is easy and intuitive, and lets you add tags to each task. Once you submit your task, it appears on your calendar, which offers a month, week, or day view. It’s also very easy to add tasks to your calendar. After testing the files, tasks, and calendar feature, I became annoyed by the activity updates that appeared every time I made a change. They show up on the right hand side of every page. They’re too detailed, in my opinion. Here’s an example of one: Betty Smith added the comment “commenting back” to the Comments Comments Widget within the Betty Smith Project Hub. Now imagine ten of those. It would be nice to be able to customize your recent activity so that you can sort by or show things that are relevant, rather than every single detail. The comments area is also unintuitive. I can only see it working if you custom-design it onto another page–which, as you’ll see later, you can do. Finally, I wasn’t impressed with the search feature. When I tested it, it didn’t find any of my tags. It also didn’t find the text of my comments. Next, let’s navigate to the tabs on the top left of the page: Share, Notify, Manage, and Design & Add Widgets. The “share” function lets you invite more users. This function isn’t synced up with any email providers, so you have to enter each user manually. It takes some time. The invitations, however, get sent instantly, reaffirming that Onehub is fast. The Notify function, on another page, notifies users of updates by email. Next is the Manage page. It contains a count of how many items you’ve shared, how many you’ve recycled, and how much storage you’re using. It also contains your settings area. In settings, you can select whether to have enhanced security (https) on your page or not. You can set public access for your hub—whether the public can see it or not—and add an expiration date for that access. There’s also a right-hand sidebar where you can perform a series of actions. These include email notifications, a history of activities in each of your Hubs, tweaking your color scheme/branding, FTP settings, privacy settings, and deleting Hubs and items from your recycling bin. Finally, let’s navigate to the Design & Add Widgets page. It lets you customize each page or Hub using widgets. These widgets are amazing, and a real strength of the UI. All the features mentioned above—calendar, tasks, etc.—you can mix and match into a Hub, depending on what you want. You can also customize the pages themselves, so that your calendar only appears as a right sidebar on your Tasks page, you don’t have a comments page at all, etc. You can pretty much create a custom experience based on simple functions. It’s really easy to design and add widgets. This was my favorite part of the Onehub experience. After I signed up, I received three personal emails from Onehub staff. This could be a nice personal touch, or annoying, depending on how you see it. I appreciate good customer service; these guys made it pretty clear that they wanted you to have a good experience with Onehub. Overall, Onehub’s interface is easy to navigate and highly functional. This makes it good for general collaboration projects. But simple is the catchphrase here. If you need more advanced or project manager-specific software, look elsewhere. Pricing: * Personal: $24/month Reviews:
Features: * Collaborative workspaces Pros: * Epic customization Cons: * Intimidating interface Overview: CentralDesktop is a big player in the collaboration space, creating collaboration apps since 2005. Like Socialcast, CentralDesktop’s homepage is loaded with information. They have an impressive customer list that highlights companies like Oracle and Amtrak. You get a sense that this is geared for big players. After some more investigating, I find three editions: Workgroup (SMB), Enterprise (50+ employees), and Community (non-profits, etc). Each come with different prices and features. It looks like they follow the “workspace” model as well. Signing up for the Workgroup edition was relatively painless. Your software is ready to go instantly, just like the others. You’re met with a not-so-attractive starter interface asking whether you want start with a workspace or a conference. And we’re told that: “Workspaces are ideal for: Project Management, Creating Team or Department Intranets, Sharing Documents, Files and Calendars. Web Meeting Benefits: Collaborate with Customers, Partners and Vendors, Reduce Travel Expenses, Provide Personalized Technical Support.” So we’ll make a workspace. Let me digress for a minute. I have a problem with “workspace”-dependent applications. Providers base their pricing models on how many workspaces you have. Say you’re paying for 10 workspaces. You complete 10 projects and now have to create 10 more. You’re faced with the choice of either deleting your completed projects or paying more money. That seems like a petty attempt to squeeze more money from customers. Isn’t the whole point of web-based collaborative software to store everything on one central location? Enough ranting. Back to my workspace. I’m given a bunch of options, the important ones being workspace type: Project Management, Wiki, Database, Blog, Forum, or Custom. I’ll try a project management interface first. It is ugly and looks pretty pre-Web 2.0. The interface includes the typical files, tasks, calendars, announcements, time tracking, milestones, etc. Without diving too deeply into things, it looks like it would be very suitable to handle a collaborative project. Before deleting this project so I can test out other features, I take a look at the project settings. Jeez. While there are close to a thousand settings and options, which is extremely useful, it’s just plain daunting to look at. Customization is great, and these guys left nothing out. A friendlier way of presenting you with options and settings would be nice. Now…how do I delete this project so I can move on? For the last test, I create a workspace type “Database.” It’s taken a little while to make it through the process, but I see some useful features here. I can import spreadsheets, use a pre-defined template (contact directory, product catalog, asset tracker, etc), or even create my own database from scratch. I tried out a basic contact directory. It’s up and running in a second, and serves its function perfectly. I haven’t even begun to test the depth of this application. It seems equipped to handle just about anything you throw at it. It will, however, take a while to get things configured and working how you want them. I think they might offer pre-configured setups, but you’ll have to toy around before you can really fulfill your needs. This application seems geared towards very large companies and enterprises. It’s great software. They claim it works for everyone, though. If you’re just looking for a centralized solution for ordinary business-related features, this might be too much. Price: * Workgroup: Free to $99/month Reviews: * App Gap: Central Desktop Provides Wiki-based Collaborative Platform 5. SocialText
* Social networking Pros: * Large, well-established company Cons: * Very difficult to understand Overview: SocialText is a well-established and well-known player in the business collaboration space who takes credit for coining “Enterprise 2.0″. They offer a few different software solutions for businesses and enterprises, all priced differently (see pricing below). I used their “Free 50 Hosted Service” in this review. SocialText’s homepage, at first impression, is confusing. The pages are loaded with explanations, features, case studies, options, and other clutter. This is intimidating at first, especially for a small business looking for a simple solution. Your first assumption could be that they are only targeting large enterprises (which might be the case). If you navigate through the clutter, you can see that it is simple and quick to sign up for their “free 50″ service. With an account created, after confirming your email address, you come to a user dashboard (seen above). Other employees or team members can join the private network by registering with an email address from the same domain. The interface is well-designed and responsive. The fonts and organization, however, make things hard to decipher. SocialText uses a similar organizational system to some of the other applications covered in this review. From what I can understand, you create ‘workspaces’ which serve as sections, or projects. Thirty minutes later, I still can’t capture what I’m supposed to be using this service for. The application seems to have a social base to it. I was, after all, greeted with an activity feed and the ability to microblog. But I don’t see any ability to enter the basic business stuff, like CRM-related information. I can’t even see where to create tasks, events, or upload files. This application appears powerful, but must require thorough training. I’m left with thinking this service is most likely strong if you need to collaborate on projects or large tasks. I could be wrong about my analysis. Then again, if after 30 minutes you’re still confused, there’s a problem.
* CMSWire: Socialtext Offers Free Hosted Social Networking, Social Spreadsheet 4. WizeHive
Features: * Workspace-style organization Pros: * Automated organizational structure * Slightly confusing workflow Overview: WizeHive has a great homepage, refreshing to visit after having to scroll through hundreds of pages of content on SocialText’s site. Their site outlines exactly what WizeHive does and why you should start using it. Signing up is also a breeze. They offer a free service, but it’s quite limited for business use. I quickly set up an account/network. Now I land into my first “workspace”. From what I can comprehend, you create a workspace for a team or department or major project, and then you create pages within the workspace to act as sub-sections. The interface is far from aesthetically pleasing, but it’s well organized, easy to read, and very fast. I would easily trade organization and functionality for flashy graphics any time (right, Google?). The workspace and paging system keep work organized and allow for effective collaboration. Each workspace opens with an activity feed to keep users apprised of all the recent activity. They also have sections where you can manage tasks, upload files, manage your calendar, and add links and users. While the workspace system keeps things organized, I feel a sense of segregation. Yes, you can be part of multiple workspaces, but things feel very departmentalized. What if I just want to create a general task or track events on a calendar? What if I want to see what work Joe, my sales guy, is working on? Sometimes the needs of a business aren’t always so cut-and-dry. You might want to simply upload a batch of commonly-needed documents. I’m also missing the sort of freestyle communication and socialization that other applications offer. Overall, the organization is handled well. The application features an intuitiveness that SocialText misses. I would recommend testing this service out for a while before really committing to it, to ensure its functionality suits your needs. Price: Free to $39 per month (Enterprise plan pricing not listed on the site). Packages are based on ‘workspaces’ and memory, not users, as well as a handful of advanced features. Reviews: * AppVita: WizeHive – Collaborate Online 3. CubeTree
Features: * Micro-blogging, status updates Pros: * Very easy to use and get started with Cons: * A little too much “social network” Overview: CubeTree open its doors in 2008 to embrace the integration of Facebook and Twitter-like tools into the enterprise. They did a good job. Starting with the CubeTree home page, things look clean and simple. The application itself offers a Twitter-like interface. You’re greeted with a clean, responsive, unintimidating interface. Aside from a small menu filled with ‘Getting Started’ links, which point to some basic functionality such as uploading a document and editing your profile, the home page hides many of CubeTree’s main features. The software is modeled on the microblogging and activity feed concept. You have to ‘follow’ your coworkers to connect with them. Your ‘Profile’ page looks like the most useful hub. The sidebar contains links to add blog posts, wiki pages, tasks, uploads, polls, and several other features. Each content section is linked at the bottom, keeping things organized. You add and edit easily, by filling out a few simple fields. The simplistic interface gets a little confusing when you’re browsing sections such as “Tasks,” however. The lack of design makes it hard to separate the content and controls. CubeTree also brings the ability to create groups for any purpose. You can input lots of details about your company, its organization, information, and your personal profile and information. This all comes together to create a complete social, interactive community for your company. Is it useful enough to adopt into your business? You be the judge. Collaborative tools most often try to eliminate email as the main form of communication. Cubetree does a good job or providing a much more effective communication tool. Price: Free to $5 per user per month. Three packages available, each with different features, tracking ability, and storage space allotments. * TechCrunch: CubeTree Launches As A Facebook + FriendFeed + Twitter For Enterprise 2. Basecamp
Features: * Powerful project management Pros: * Customizable interface design Cons: * Lack of functionality outside of project management
Brought to your by 37signals, Basecamp is probably the most widely-used project management application on the Internet. They claim to have over 3 million users, 1 thousand companies registering weekly, and a number of major corporations as clients. The company also offers 3 other collaborative web applications: Backpack (office intranet), Highrise (CRM), and Campfire (real-time chat). I understand that 90% of clients probably would only want one, or maybe two, of these applications, but why not also offer a combination of them all to businesses that want a complete collaborative platform? It seems that the applications can integrate, but who wants to register for 4 services, then go through the trouble of setting them all up? Back to Basecamp. Sign up is a breeze, especially for the free package. You’re brought to your dashboard, which features a helpful ‘Getting Started’ video, options to customize the interface, and links to all of your sections. The interface is plain, but also easy to navigate. As I mentioned earlier about WizeHive, functionality means more than aesthetics. The settings section gives you lots of options to customize the look and feel of the application. Next, I enter the “People” section. Here, I can add companies and the contacts that are associated with them. This could serve as a basic CRM system, but isn’t intended to. It enables you to connect other people/users with projects. This keep things organized and allows outsiders to collaborate on the projects that belong to them. After adding companies/clients into the system, I create a project. I have the option of keeping the project internal or attaching a company/client to it. Upon entering my new project, I come across the project’s dashboard. It contains an overview of all of the project information, including new messages, to-do lists, milestones, and other tools. Projects also have dedicated whiteboards and chat rooms. Adding new messages, to-do lists, and other new items is fast and simple. Every item has intuitive options such as user visibility, notifications, email alerts, and assignments. Aside from individual items, projects also have great permission controls. And to wrap up the main feature highlights, Basecamp offers effective project-level or global searching. This application is nearly perfect for project management. It is intended for project management, but this roundup is for general business collaboration. While the other applications can’t handle projects nearly as well, they can handle basic project-related needs (tasks, events, wikis, blogs, chat, etc). If you’re a project manager, go for Basecamp. If you’re looking for more general collaboration, test it out, among others, to see if it suits your needs. Price: * Free: 1 project; unlimited users Reviews: * SocialSignal: Project management and workflow with Basecamp 1. OfficeMedium
* Client integration Cons: * Relatively new company
OfficeMedium is the newest service on this list to hit the software collaboration market. Unlike others, it is built entirely on Drupal, the popular open-source content management platform. The homepage gives a quick overview of what the software can do and the problems it solves. Conveniently, OfficeMedium offers a full-featured, live demo of their software for your to try out instantly. We gave both the demo and trial a shot. After completing the registration form, which is slightly confusing because you have to enter some information twice, you’re given a link to the custom URL you requested. Upon logging in, you’re presented with a well-designed interface. The dashboard offers a central place to see everything going on in your project and user base. Its one-stop-shop design is refreshing and useful. The dashboard features eight blocks. The blocks include Recent Content, Recent Comments, Mini Calendar, Upcoming Tasks & Events, Latest Poll, Real-time Chat Box, Recent User Activity, and Recent Status Updates. The upper horizontal navigation menu gives you links to the main sections of the intranet. These include Tasks, Events, Calendar, Contacts, Resources, Files, Shoutbox (real-time chatting), Polls, and Blog. Each menu item drops down so you can choose between all items or just your items. Each section has comprehensive filtering, tagging, and sorting abilities, making search a breeze. OfficeMedium integrates popular social aspects into the software without making social networking the core building block of the software (like CubeTree). Users have their own profiles, activity feeds, statuses, as well as the ability to send private messages, create blog entries, comment on items, vote on polls, and chat. OfficeMedium segments users into three categories. Superusers have full access and control of the site. Employees have general intra-office accounts. Clients have accounts that allow outsiders to securely log in and help collaborate on items. Client accounts can only see material that they either create or that is brought to their “attention.” The “attention” system is also a useful, creative mechanism you can use when creating content items to delegate or attach users to. There are a few notable limitations to the software. There’s no group creation, third-party integrations, mobile support, or API. It’s not specific to project management. But the tasks, events, resource content types, and tagging system do a thorough job tackling most project collaboration. Social media integration, comprehensive design, features, and ease of use make OfficeMedium a winner. Give the demo or free trial a shot. Price: $6 per user, $1 per gigabyte per month. No packages to choose from. All features and support included. First month and 512MB of storage free. Reviews: * Erictric: OfficeMedium – The Online Corporate Workspace for Corporate Users Old and New
Source: Business Pundit | 18 Jan 2010 | 7:09 am Northern Rock renews Newcastle sponsorship (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Business | 18 Jan 2010 | 4:57 am Effective Golf Course Sign
Source: Business Pundit | 18 Jan 2010 | 4:52 am Google Settles Back Into China, “Business as Usual”
One week after threatening to pull out of China after a cyber-attack, Google is back to “business as usual” in the country. The Sydney Morning Herald has more: “We gave our employees a holiday the day of the announcement so that we could run tests and scans internally to ensure that the network is safe and secure,” Google said in an emailed reply to AFP inquiries. “Google China employees are now back at work and it’s business as usual.” Last week, the Beijing News reported that Google China engineers no longer had access to the company’s global database and could no longer work, citing unnamed sources within the company. Google has said it is no longer willing to bow to the communist country’s army of Internet censors by filtering search results available on google.cn, but is still seeking talks with the Chinese government on a solution. The United States has asked for an explanation from Beijing, and the State Department said Friday that a formal request would be made “in the coming days”.
Source: Business Pundit | 18 Jan 2010 | 4:08 am Wall Street sell-off hits Asian shares (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Stock Markets News | 18 Jan 2010 | 4:01 am Conan O’Brien Puts His Show on Craigslist4 SALE: BARELY-USED LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW – MAKE ME AN OFFER!!! (Universal Studios)
This is a chance of a lifetime to own your very own late night talk show–guaranteed to last for up to seven months!! Really must see to appreciate. Information for potential buyers: - Measures 100’ x 100’ x 32’ – plenty of room for a futon! MAKE ME YOUR BEST OFFER!!!!! (Also willing to trade for Coldplay tickets.) * Location: Universal Studios
Source: Business Pundit | 18 Jan 2010 | 3:01 am London stocks up at open (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Stock Markets News | 18 Jan 2010 | 2:35 am
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