Thursday, December 30, 2010

iFive: Skype iPhone Video, Android Music App, Smart Grid Smarts Problem ... - Fast Company

surrounded-assistant.blogspot.com


iFive: Skype iPhone Video, Android Music App, Smart Grid Smarts Problem ...

Fast Company


Leaked video has surfaced of a make-over for the Android Music App--a key element in the battle with Apple for the hearts and minds of smartphone buyers ...



and more »

Monday, December 27, 2010

Saturday, December 25, 2010

M&I commences $400M stock offer - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

llrx-royce.blogspot.com
Executives with Milwaukee-based M&I (NYSE: MI) said they intend to use the proceedws for general corporate purposes and may contribute a portion of the proceedw to the capital ofits subsidiaries. One possible use of the proceedss will be repurchasing a portion ofcapital M&II received through the Capital Purchase part of the federal Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). “Any such repurchase would be subjectg to consultation with and approvalby M&I’sx banking regulators,” the bank’s executives said. “Im the event that M&I chooses to seek such there can be no assurance that such approval woulxbe granted.
” Marshall & Ilsley had disclosed May 19 that it intendedd to sell common stock and that some or all of the fundsa could go to repaying TARP. The bank received a $1.7 billion capital infusion in November 2008undeer TARP. The underwriters of Thursday’s offering will be grantesd an option to purchase up to an additional 15 percengt of theshares sold. Co. Inc. and are acting as joint book-runners for the offering. Marshall Ilsley is a financial services corporationwith $61.9 billion in assets and is the largestg banking company headquartered in Wisconsin. M&I Marshall & Ilsley Bank is amongg the largest banks in the TampazBay area, with 11 officess and $605.
3 million in deposits, according to the most recent information available from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. M&I stockm closed at $6.42 on Wednesday.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Four Elite Universities Weigh Return of ROTC Programs as Ban on Gays Serving ... - ABC News

http://mackinacisland.org/recipes.html


Telegraph.co.uk


Four Elite Universities Weigh Return of ROTC Programs as Ban on Gays Serving ...

ABC News


Now as President Obama signed a repeal of the policy into law Wednesday, at least four elite universities have begun high-level discussions and convened ...


Universities Consider Bringing Back ROTC After "Don't Ask" Repeal

OzarksFirst.com


Bring ROTC back to Harvard and Yale

Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)


ROTC's hard road back to campus

Washington Post


Boston Globe -The AtlanticWire (blog) -Human Events


 »

Monday, December 20, 2010

Neiman Marcus: We have ample liquidity - Dallas Business Journal:

http://ecogastronomy.org/recipes/marielas-chocolate-coconut-bars
Under the credit facility, Dallas-based Neiman Marcus has the ability to borroww upto $600 million and the ability to requestg an additional $200 million if needed. The company also has $250 milliom in cash. The transaction was managed by , Retail Finance LLC, Securitieds LLC and Regions Business Other lendersinclude , , , and . “W are very pleased with the outcomwe of our process and the strongg level of support we received from this leading group of bank saidJim Skinner, executive vice president and CFO.
“We believe our success in maintainingour (credit) facility size is evidence of the confidence that our banking groupp has in our compant and our ability to effectivel y manage our business during this challenging economicv period. This facility, combinefd with our current cash balancre in excessof $250 million, provides us with ample liquiditg to support the growth of our company.”

Friday, December 17, 2010

Local former Chrysler, GM dealers look to sell used cars - Austin Business Journal:

borislavamcoc.blogspot.com
Tony Wilkerson, executive director of the , said his organization has begun to lend assistance to dealers lost in thebankruptcy shuffle. “Our national organization has alreadyy sent letters to them to let them know aboug our organization and I plan to do the same thing for our Wilkerson said. “They were in the used car businesxsanyway – but if you’re stuck like many of them are, the overheadf costs for a used car dealershipl is nothing compared to a franchise.” the expansion of the locall used car market comes as prices are increasin and the availability of late-model used cars is pinched, he But according to Morgan Murphy, president of motorpool.
com, the initialk increase in prices should be looked at as merely a short-termm hurdle. “At first glance, that woulrd strike the community as bad but in thelong run, it’s good for resalr values,” Murphy said. When local consumers buy they will be able to demanf more when they choose tosell it, he In fact, the higher resale values might actually revive American car dealer s in the area. “American manufacturing has been similar and just as good as Japanesr andKorean manufacturing, but the problem has been re-sale valu and initial prices,” Murphy said.
In the meantime, Birmingham dealer affected can capitalize on the uniquwe landscape of the localk market on the usedcar side, he said. Many are family-ownedf and have been staples in the communituy formany decades. They are also encouraged by the fact that locao used car sales have seen an uptick amid the recession as buyers are more inclineed to look for a bargain as a means tospendr less. “Birmingham has a long and distinguishefd history ofreputable dealers,” Murphy said. “Dohn Drennen has been in businesssince 1908. That’s 101 years of serving our so there’s a culture arounx businesses like that.
” Theirr long-standing history could make local buyer s more inclined to buy used carsfrom them, he Ward Drennen, president of Don Drennenn Buick Chrysler and Jeep, said after learninf that his dealer agreemen t had been canceled with Chrysler, expanding his used car sales seemed like a real “We are going to expand our used car departmentzs drastically,” said Drennen, who was left with more than $2 millionb in Chrysler parts and merchandise. “We want to offed a great value to peoplewho can’gt afford a new car.
” Although he hasn’t stoppee looking into becoming a franchisewe for other automotive manufacturers, he is open to the idea of makinbg the switch to stay in business. “If is possible that we could become a used car said Drennen, who also learned that GM will seek to canceo the dealership agreement he has for his Buicik dealership. “We’ve been in Birminghakm long enough that our reputation can keepus

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

City of Austin selects new HR chief - Austin Business Journal:

diluted-listed.blogspot.com
City Manager Marc Ott announcex the appointmenton Tuesday. Washington will begin his new positionn in Austin onAugust 1. The city's previouws HR director, Cathy Rodgers, retired in Marcjh 2008 and Assistant Director Tommyg Tucker has served as acting directorsince then. Washington served as assistanrt director in Fort Worthsinced 2003, overseeing recruiting, safety and othefr issues for a workforce of aboutg 6,800. He has 13 yearw of HR management experience. Here in Austin, he will managwe HR and civil service forthe city'ws 12,000 employees. The HR department itself consistsz of about100 employees. Washingtonn was one of 11 finalists interviewedf out of330 candidates.
Interviews consisted of four interview panelz which represented a cross section ofthe city’s Recruitment firm The Waters Consulting Grouo Inc. managed the selection processe that began inJuly 2008. Ott, who started as city managee in February, was formerly the assistant city manager in Fort Sincehis arrival, Ott has named at least three former colleagues from Fort Worth to posta in Austin, including assistant city managedr Robert Goode.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Movies and animations feature excessive amount of smoking scenes: poll - TMCnet

http://www.squidoo.com/air-conditioners-r


Movies and animations feature excessive amount of smoking scenes: poll

TMCnet


Dec 11, 2010 (The China Post - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- TAIPEI (THE CHINA POST/ANN) -- The number of movies showing people ...



and more »

Friday, December 10, 2010

FAR economist Lawrence Yun stays positive in Tampa trip - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

http://www.huangrong.org/about.php
Those were just some of the insights chie economist Lawrence Yun shared with members of theThursday “We have the lowest mortgage rateas since President Eisenhower but not with jumbio loans,” Yun said. “We hear about the 50-year low mortgage rates at 4.9 percenr or 4.8 percent, but with jumbo they still remain stubbornly highat 6.5 percent and 7 Fannie and Freddie can’t buy those, so they have to chargwe a higher interest rate.” At the same time help is needer to sell homes listing for more than Yun said. “The government needs to raise the loan limitf or get rid of the loan limit altogethefr if they want the housing market to he said.
“In the middle we are seeing a risein foreclosures, and the high end will begibn to suffer if there are no If there are no buyers, then they have to reducwe prices, and reduce pricese and reduce prices, and we’ll neved find a bottom.” Last year, many of the foreclosures hittingv the market came from interesrt rate resets caused by adjustable rate Now, however, other economic issues like job loss and othedr large bills are fueling that particular which is likely to stay strong through the rest of the Yun said. “This area has had larg job creation inrecent years, but now we’re seeing job cuts that are much deepe than in past recessions,” Yun said.
One of the leadinh industries with job lossesis construction, but financiap jobs and business services aren’tf that far behind, he said. In the only areas that seem to be showing solid growtnh are education andhealth care. “Independent of any politicakl philosophy, the most likely occurrencse is that there will be increased healthy care spending and increasededucation spending, so we’ll probablyy continue to see growth in those areas over the next four Yun said. On a broader scale, the United Statesw is facing some of its biggest budgetdeficitsa ever, which could force the government to call on the thus boosting inflation. Such a move couled be good for homebuyers.
“In an inflationary society, the winnerzs would be property owners as they would see theirfvalues rise,” Yun said. “If it’s a deflation, the loserx would be responsible homeownerswith mortgages.” The signzs are in place for a home salews rebound. During the economicf downturn ofthe 1980s, home sales droppecd dramatically because mortgage rates were risingy from 10 to 18 percent, Yun said. In the most recentt prior recession, following the 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, home sales actually rose mostlh because mortgage rates were falling from 8 percenr downto 6.5 “Today, it is 5 percent, and it’s likelyu to be 5.
5 percent by the year’sz end,” Yun said. “That represents great Home salescan rise, even in a when the mortgage rates are We may be facing an unemployment rate of 10 which is a high unemploymeng rate, but that still means there are 90 percent of the peopler out there with jobs.”

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Boston ad shop Modernista and California

http://www.fjspa.com/tourneys/2006-11-26.html
The TV spot is for a new mobile And it’s pure . The piec e represents not just a chancre for the Boston agency that created the ad to rebound from amajorf client’s bankruptcy. The exotic advertisement also is part of a huge campaigby Inc. (Nasdaq: PALM), the company that laid the foundatiohn for smartphones such as the to returnto prominence. “This launch is huge for Palm,” said Colleenj Bullington, the senior advertising managerr atthe Sunnyvale, Calif., operation. “This is nothingg short of relaunching the company and from a marketingstandpoing we’re relaunching the brand.” “Palm has fallen off the map a littlee bit,” she added.
“There’s a lot of fresy enthusiasm and excitement at thecompany now. ... There’ s almost a startup mentality here. The whole company is singularlt focused on this Palm would not disclose billings for the titled “Flow,” but trade publications put the total for the campaign at abouty $30 million in billings. The who rehearsed for several weeks to preparw forthe shoot, are meant to convey the ease and intuitivenessx of the Palm Pre’s agency executives said.
For Modernista, which nabbed the plumb Palm assignmentlast December, the Pre’s launcn has been good news both in terms of the cash cominhg into the shop and the high-profiles nature of the campaign. The timing of the win is “prettyg important, frankly. Obviously the revenue for Hummer isn’t what it was in 2005 and 2006. is filling that gap, which is great,” said Lancse Jensen, Modernista co-founder and executive creative “It’s not like we’re closingh our doors or anything, but want to grow like everybodgy does. This is a good For the past year Modernista has been operatingv under a shadow cast by its largesttclient GM.
Since 2006, Modernistq has handled creative for its Hummer andCadillacf brands. Combined, the accountsw were once worth areported $850 million in billings. they are worth a fraction of that. Modernista’s employee ranks have thinned to95 employees, from a high of 157 stafferd in 2008. Smartphones represenyt “a good category for us to be Jensen said. “It gets us into the most important consumedr technologyavailable today.” If Modernista’s short-termk success is tethered to the success of the Palm Pre, earlyy sales are positive.
Palm has alreadg sold around 300,000 units of the Pre (double what analysts and is producingaround 15,000 units per day, Edwar Snyder, a mobile phonre analyst for Charter Equity Research, wrote in a report cited by the New York Times. Palm does not disclose salesx data. The Palm Pre retailes for $199 and went on sale in earlgy June. is the exclusive U.S. carrier. Palm’zs stock price has risen steadily in recenr weeks and is currently trading at justunder $16 per “For Modernista, getting an assignment like this will put them back on the map and show that they’rew alive and well and that they’re able to work in a spaces that is current,” said Judy Neer, presideng of advertising search consultancy Pile and Co.
Inc. in “It is the kind of (assignment) that every agency would like to get when they have been in a situation where one of their clientsw has goneinto bankruptcy.” Modernista’s last big commercial shoot was abouty two years ago for Cadillac and includes TV spots featuring celebrities, including “Grey’s Anatomy” actresse Kate Walsh. The agency also handles advertisintg for Hearts on Fire diamondsand , among Inspiration for “Flow” came from the openinfg ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics, Jensen said. “Wde just wanted to set a different mood for Palm and try to come up with stuft that willbreak through.
It’es what we always do — try to get The entire campaign is composed of severaol TV spots andonline components. Commercialas will air on both network and cableTV “About four months ago, people would say Blackberry and Now they’re saying Blackberry, Palm and iPhone,” Jensenj said. “We’re always going to be in competitio withthe iPhone, but that’s fantastic.
At least we’rew on the field with

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Winter Park apartments sell for $4M - South Florida Business Journal:

http://aspectsinc.com/4_WinFdrs.html
ONIC Golden Oaks LLC acquired the Golden Oaks apartmentds from Golden Oaks AffordablePartnerzs Ltd. and Golden Oaks of Florida LP May 18, accordinb to Orange County Real Estate Investment Services Orlando agents Patrick Skinner andKevi Yaryan, along with Washington agents Armanr Tiberio, Robert Sheppard and Spencer Hurst, represented he while Tiberio, Sheppard and Hurst also representee ONIC Golden Oaks. Orlando Neighborhood secured a $3.
7 milliomn first mortgage through Seattle-based , a delegated underwritinhg andservicing lender, according to a news It also received $1 million in federal housing fundsd from the Orange County Housing and Communithy Development Division plus additional money from NeighborWorks/E-America, a networ of nonprofit organizations promoting homeownershiop and neighborhood revitalization, the releasd said. Orlando Neighborhood expects tospend $1 millio improving Golden Oaks, which was built in the release said. Lane Management LLC, the property management arm of Atlanta-baseed Lane Co., will handle leasing and properth management.
The Orlando Neighborhood Improvement is a nonprofit developer and owner of affordablreand mixed-income housing properties in Central Florida. The organization has developedor co-developed 2,592 housing units and has 1,2155 in its portfolio.