Microsoft’s Q2 results in 5,000 layoffs
Software giant Microsoft is slashing 5,000 jobs over 18 months in its first company-wide layoffs, including 1,400 jobs today following disappointing second quarter results.
Archive for the ‘General’ Category
Ask.com revamps site
Search engine Ask.com has launched a new version of its site that includes increased search result relevance, a new user interface and speed enhancements.
Estée Lauder uses social media for long-time cause
Estée Lauder’s 16-year-old “Breast cancer awareness campaign,” an autumn tradition thanks to its pink ribbons, gains a major digital component this year. The campaign will have its largest online presence ever this year, including social media, display ads and special content.
Apple beats Street in holiday quarter; shares soar (AP)
AP - U.S. consumers may have stayed home this holiday season, but no matter for Apple, which managed to turn a profit in the last quarter as people elsewhere stocked up on iPods, Macbooks and other goodies.
Report: French trader describes losing reality (AP)
AP - The French trader at the center of Societe Generale’s multi-billion-dollar banking scandal says he lost his sense of reality while gambling with millions as if it was a video game, a newspaper said Thursday in what it called an interview.
Japanese security robot nets intruders (AFP)
AFP - Japanese companies on Thursday unveiled a security robot that can be operated remotely by cellphone and launch a net to capture an intruder.
South Korea’s "prophet of doom" blogger indicted (Reuters)
Reuters - South Korean prosecutors indicted a blogger on Thursday who had warned of financial doom for the country with critics saying he was targeted because his gloomy forecasts upset the government battling an economic downturn.
The Mac at 25: Portability (Macworld.com)
Macworld.com - The Mac’s first foray into portability wasn’t auspicious. At just under 16 pounds, 1989’s Macintosh Portable was only about half a pound lighter than the original all-in-one Macs. The only direction to go was up—and, thankfully, Apple went there quickly with only a few missteps. Today it offers a range of laptops, from [...]
Fiat mulls cap hike for Peugeot tie-up: report (Reuters)
Reuters - Fiat SpA’s founding family is weighing a capital increase of about 2 billion euros ($2.58 billion) with an eye to a possible merger with France’s PSA Peugeot Citroen, an Italian daily reported.
World stocks rebound (Reuters)
Reuters - World stocks rose from this week’s 7-week low on Thursday as banking shares recovered after a heavy sell-off, while European government bonds tumbled on concerns the countries may borrow more to boost the economy.
Sony forecasts bigger-than-expected loss (Reuters)
Reuters - Sony Corp on Thursday forecast a much bigger-than-expected annual operating loss, its first annual loss in 14 years due to a sharp appreciation in the yen, steep price falls and restructuring costs.
Citigroup names Parsons chairman; Bischoff retires (Reuters)
Reuters - Citigroup Inc named former Time Warner Inc Chief Executive Richard Parsons as its chairman, the latest high-level personnel change to shake a U.S. bank clobbered by the credit crunch.
Apple profit beats expectations, shares jump (Reuters)
Reuters - Apple Inc’s quarterly profit beat expectations on strong iPod and Mac computer sales, and the company gave an outlook that cheered investors, sending its shares up 9.5 percent on Wednesday.
Secret is out: Wal-Mart to start selling iPhone (AP)
AP - Apple Inc.’s famous veil of secrecy appears to have stretched thin in trying to cover thousands and thousands of Wal-Mart stores.
Survey finds over half of adults play video games (AP)
AP - After a day of dirty diapers and “Dora the Explorer,” of laundry and homework time, when her four kids are finally asleep, Sarah Ninesling begins roaming the ruins of a post-apocalyptic Washington, D.C., fighting mutants to help save the survivors of a nuclear war.
China irks US with computer security review rules (AP)
AP - The Chinese government is stirring trade tensions with Washington with a plan to require foreign computer security technology to be submitted for government approval, in a move that might require suppliers to disclose business secrets.
Laptop searches at border might get restricted (AP)
AP - Mohamed Shommo, an engineer for Cisco Systems Inc., travels overseas several times a year for work, so he is accustomed to opening his bags for border inspections upon returning to the U.S. But in recent years, these inspections have gone much deeper than his luggage.
Sun’s largest investor lands two board seats (CNET)
CNET - Update at 9:27 a.m. PST, with comments from a shareholder activist research firm.
Correction, 9:35 a.m. PST: This story initially had the incorrect day the agreement was announced. It is Monday.
$15 billion auto bailout taking final shape (Reuters)
Reuters - A draft Democratic plan to help the U.S. automakers, obtained by Reuters, says the president would designate one or more officials to oversee the auto rescue plan and restructuring for long-term financial viability of U.S. auto industry.
Dow tops 9,000 on economic stimulus hopes (Reuters)
Reuters - Stocks rallied on Monday, sending the Dow briefly above 9,000, on optimism that President-elect Barack Obama’s plan to invest in a massive infrastructure plan will bolster the economy and on hopes for a rescue plan for automakers.
Wall Street braced for grim views from industrials (Reuters)
Reuters - With some of the United States’ largest and most diversified companies ready to spell out their 2009 financial forecasts over the next two weeks, Wall Street is braced for bad news.
Tribune files for bankruptcy protection (Reuters)
Reuters - Tribune Co has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after struggling under a heavy debt load, according to a court document filed with the U.S. bankruptcy court in Delaware on Monday.
Homeowners redefaulting after getting aid (Reuters)
Reuters - More than half of mortgages modified in a bid to avoid foreclosure fell delinquent within six months, a top U.S. banking regulator said on Monday, casting doubt on a proposal to rewrite home loans en masse.
"Car czar" proposed for any automaker bailout (Reuters)
Reuters - A government “car czar” would oversee any bailout of U.S. automakers under proposed terms being negotiated by the White House and Congress for extending up to $17 billion in emergency loans that mainly aim to spare General Motors Corp and Chrysler LLC from bankruptcy.
Sin may pay, but Obama is ethical investors’ hope (Reuters)
Reuters - The combination of recession and efforts to jump-start economies can be an investment headache.
