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Indonesia Blog Academy

2009-01-18T10:16:00.001+07:00

Indonesia Blog Academy dilaksanakan di STMIK Amikom Yogjakarta mulai tanggal 4 januari 2009.
Pelatihan ini dibuat untuk pelatihan intensif pembuatan blog. oleh panitia diberikan waktu 3 kali pertemuan untuk belajar menciptakan blog yang benar-benar hidup & ke depan bisa menghidupi anda.

di Indonesia Blog Academy akan di ajarkan bagaimana mencari ide-ide kreatif konten blog, instalasi dan optomalisasi engine blog merupakan materi yang akan diberikan dan tak ketinggalan teknik-teknik SEO terbaru & blog monetizing semua diberikan oleh mereka yang ahli dibidangnya.

untuk membuat blog yang baik tidak begitu susah, yang penting kita sering membuat tulisan dalam blog kita secara kontinyu.

EU regulating Microsoft like it's 1999

2009-01-17T12:36:00.000+07:00

The European Union's new complaint against Microsoft really takes one back. Like, a decade or so.

Its objection--that bundling a browser into the operating system violates antitrust law--is the same one that U.S. regulators raised in 1996.

The newest allegations stem from a 2007 complaint by Norway's Opera that Microsoft was hurting competition by including Internet Explorer in Windows and by not better adhering to Web standards.

What is most odd about the EU taking up the issue is its timing. The EU spent years going after Microsoft on antitrust matters related specifically to its bundling of products with Windows and didn't focus on the browser. Plus, the move comes as Microsoft's browser share is at its lowest point since the Netscape days.

Firefox is particularly strong in Europe, the area over which the EU has oversight. According to XitiMonitor, IE had a 59.5 percent share in Europe as of November, compared with 31.1 percent for Firefox. Opera had about 5 percent, and Safari half of that. Microsoft lost a full 5 percentage points of market share since April alone.

That doesn't mean that Microsoft will have an easy time in Brussels. As it has shown in the past, the EU is willing to take a tough line with Microsoft, and it is not averse to fining the company and issuing harsh decrees.

David Anderson, an antitrust attorney and partner with Berwin Leighton Paisner in Brussels, said that Microsoft may well face a challenge ahead in persuading the Commission to set aside its preliminary assessment, saying the commission tends to review matters thoroughly before issuing such "statements of objections."

Further he noted that the commission staff may feel emboldened after having won its previous case against Microsoft. It also has the same set of attorneys that worked on that case pursuing the IE issue, Anderson said.

Microsoft is choosing its words carefully at this point, electing not to go beyond a statement that is more procedural than confrontational. But I can only imagine the words being used behind closed doors in Redmond.

In defending itself, Microsoft will find itself against one particularly familiar foe. Opera's chairman, William Raduchel, is a longtime Microsoft critic, dating back to his time at Sun Microsystems, which brought antitrust actions of its own against Microsoft before eventually settling.

For those who need a refresher course in the browser wars, Netscape had the dominant program in the Web's early days, controlling more than half the market as late as 1997. By 1999, though, Microsoft's IE had more than three-fourths of the market.

It has held the dominant position ever since, accounting for greater than 90 percent of the market through 2004, when Firefox began to make serious inroads. Its share has been on the decline since, according to Net Applications.

Microsoft's browser had an 87 percent share in 2005, but by 2007, its share had dropped to 79 percent. Last year alone, IE's market share dropped from 75 percent in January to 68 percent by December.

source: Cnet.com

USB 3.0 will crush eSATA, FireWire

2009-01-17T12:34:00.000+07:00

The USB 3.0 cable is substantially thicker than the USB 2.0 cable as it contains six wires rather than two.

(Credit: Reuben Lee/CNET Asia)

Intel demonstrated a working version of USB 3.0 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week. Here's why it will make eSATA and FireWire obsolete.

When USB 3.0 is expected to hit the market in early 2010, it will have been 10 years since the now ubiquitous USB 2.0 was introduced (April 2000). The current USB 2.0 specification runs at a theoretical maximum speed of 480Mbps, and can supply power (for those looking for the hard details, you can find the USB 2.0 specification here (zip file).

According to the USB Implementers Forum, there were 2 billion USB 2.0 devices shipped in 2006 (one for every three people in the world), and the install base was 6 billion (almost one for every person in the world). In November 2007, the USB Implementers forum announced the USB 3.0 specifications, and Intel officially demonstrated the technology at CES 2009.

Now, the juice: USB 3.0 promises a theoretical maximum rate of 5Gbps, meaning it's 10 times faster than USB 2.0. USB 3.0 is also full duplex, meaning it can upload and download simultaneously (it's bi-directional); USB 2.0 is only half duplex.

Put side by side with eSATA and FireWire 800, USB 3.0 is far superior. eSATA, an external connection that runs at the same speed as the internal SATA 1.0 bus, has a maximum theoretical of 3Gbps. This makes USB 3.0 faster than eSATA and about six times faster than FireWire 800 (full duplex at 800Mbps).

USB 3.0 also provides another advantage; while eSATA is faster than FireWire 800, unlike FireWire it cannot supply power. USB 3.0 has the advantage of being faster than both, even while supplying power.

Finally, USB 3.0 has improved power management, meaning that devices can move into idle, suspend, and sleep states. This potentially means more battery life out of laptops and other battery-based USB-supporting devices like cameras and mobile phones.

Of course, there are other factors to consider; the FireWire 3200 standard is also in the works and promises to allow 3.2GHz speeds on existing FireWire 800 hardware. USB 2.0 generally doesn't meet its theoretical maximum throughput, due to its dependence on hardware and software configuration, where FireWire gets much closer.

It's hard to say whether USB 3.0's updated architecture will still use more CPU time than FireWire does.

But in the age of powerful hardware (can anyone say "3.2GHz, quad-core CPUs"?), all of this means that FireWire is still not going to match USB 3.0's theoretical maximum of 5Gbps.

The ultimate signal that this war has already been won is Apple's recent decision to ditch FireWire from its consumer line in favor of USB. Previously, Cupertino had been one of FireWire's greatest advocates. And surely the company will be one of the first to adopt USB 3.0.

All in all, we can't wait for motherboard manufacturers like Gigabyte and Asus to start supporting the technology and mainstream PC builders like Dell to start integrating it into their products. Bring on the speed.

source: cnet.com

Securing the Windows 7 beta

2009-01-17T10:11:00.000+07:00

Despite the fact that security programs are often some of the toughest code to make work with a new operating system, Windows 7 already has several companies ready with products aimed at keeping it safe from attackers.

By comparison, only one antivirus firm--McAfee--had its security software commercially ready by the time Microsoft launched Vista for businesses in November 2006.

That said, it stands to reason, given that Microsoft was making far more dramatic changes to the operating system's underlying architecture in Vista than it is in Windows 7.

This time around, it is AVG, Kaspersky, and Symantec that have products that are being touted from Microsoft's site. McAfee said it will have support by the time Windows 7 launches, while Trend Micro is working to have a compatible product in the next month or so.

"It is great to see that these partners were able to have their solutions working so early in our development process," Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc said in a blog posting.

Dave Cole, a senior director of product management at Symantec, said his company decided to offer up a test version of its Norton 360 product for use with Windows 7, even though the company knows there are still a few things left to work out.

"We determined that we could run reasonably well under Windows 7," Cole said. "There are bugs that we know about, but we're comfortable enough with the effectiveness of the product that when they called us to participate we took them up on the offer."

Having the support lined up is important to Microsoft, which built an "action center" into the operating system that warns users if it detects there is no antivirus software installed. The action center then points to a page on Microsoft's Web site with links to Windows 7-compatible security software.

The page lists Kaspersky, AVG, and Norton, but adds that "Microsoft is actively working with additional security software independent software vendors (ISVs) so that security software solutions will be available for Windows 7 Beta and (the final release of) Windows 7."

As far as Windows 7's approach to security, it appears to draw heavily from the investments the company made with Windows Vista.

The most notable change is probably the fact that users now have the option to choose how often they are required to authorize changes to their system. One of the most frequent criticisms of Vista was the annoyance of the User Account Control dialog boxes that forced users to authenticate many types of changes to their systems.

Microsoft spent a fortune securing Vista, both in engineering new features as well as in testing. The software maker corralled a significant chunk of the world's penetration testers to help poke at Vista ahead of its release.

The software maker plans some penetration testing for Windows 7, but declined to say how much or whether it would be comparable to its Vista effort.

CNET News' Elinor Mills contributed to this report.

Source : http://tech.yahoo.com/news/cnet/20090116/tc_cnet/83011386031014346656

U.S., Israel agree on plan to halt Gaza weapons smuggling

2009-01-17T09:55:00.000+07:00

WASHINGTON — The United States has agreed to Israel's request to lead an international effort to halt weapons smuggling into the Gaza Strip , raising the prospects for a cease-fire in a conflict that's claimed more than 1,000 lives, U.S. officials and diplomats said Friday.

Under the agreement, the outgoing Bush administration pledged to help track and interdict weapons shipments before they reach Gaza , which the militant Palestinian group Hamas has used as launching pad for rocket attacks on Israel .

The deal was being signed Friday in Washington by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice , in one of her last official acts in office, and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni .

Rice said Friday that the U.S.-Israeli memorandum of understanding "should be thought of as one of the elements of trying to bring into being a durable cease-fire, a cease-fire that can actually hold."

Israel , which began attacks on Gaza three weeks ago in response to the rocket fire, has said it won't reopen the territory's border crossings until steps are taken to stop arms smuggling.

The deal seems likely to provide a boost for cease-fire talks in Cairo, Egypt , that the Egyptian government is mediating. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said Thursday that while the talks were making progress, it could take several more days to reach a deal.

The United States and Israel also have discussed having the Army Corps of Engineers build some kind of barrier — such as trenches or a submerged wall — to prevent the digging of underground tunnels for smuggling weapons from Egypt into Gaza , officials and diplomats said.

The diplomats and officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly.

source : http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20090116/wl_mcclatchy/3146444

Obama: 'Dramatic action' needed now to fix economy

2009-01-17T09:54:00.000+07:00

BEDFORD HEIGHTS, Ohio – President-elect Barack Obama made a pitch for his massive economic stimulus plan at a Midwestern factory that manufactures wind turbine parts, saying Friday his proposal would make smart investments in the country's future and create solid jobs in up-and-coming industries.

"Renewable energy isn't something pie in the sky. It's not part of a far-off future. It's happening all across America right now," Obama told workers at the Cardinal Fastener & Specialty Co. in this Cleveland suburb. "It can create millions of additional jobs and entire new industries if we act right now."

Just days before taking the oath of office as the 44th president, Obama used the factory as a backdrop as he sought to generate support from the public — constituents of skeptical Republicans and Democrats in Congress — for his pricey plan to pull the country out of recession.

Seeking to counter critics' claims of excessive spending and too few tax cuts, Obama cast the package as necessary to create long-lasting, well-paying jobs in industries such as alternative energy, and help hard-hit industrial states such as Ohio now and in the future.

"It's not too late to change course — but only if we take dramatic action as soon as possible," Obama said. He pledged: "The first job of my administration is to put people back to work and get our economy moving again."

"We're not looking to create just any kind of jobs here," Obama added. "We're looking to create good jobs that pay well and won't be shipped overseas. Jobs that don't just put people to work in the short term, but position our economy to be on the cutting edge in the long term."

His audience — factory workers, invited guests and state officials, including Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland — gave him warm greetings and polite applause at the relatively low-key appearance.

Obama held the campaign-style event — likely the first in a series — one day after the Senate agreed to give him access to the second half of last fall's $700 billion financial industry bailout and House Democrats unveiled an $825 billion stimulus package that could reach $1 trillion by the time Congress sends it to him.

One of the largest bills ever to make its way through Congress, it calls for federal spending of roughly $550 billion and tax cuts of $275 billion over the next two years to revive the sickly economy. It also focuses heavily on energy, education, health care and jobs-producing highway construction.

Energy-related proposals include $32 billion to upgrade the nation's electrical distribution system, more than $20 billion in tax cuts to promote the development of alternatives to oil fuels, and billions more to make public housing, federal buildings and modest-income homes more energy efficient.

Over the past three months, Obama has moved from campaigning for president to campaigning for a stimulus plan. He has been in Washington for two weeks, and he and his advisers have spent much of the time consulting with Congress on the plan's components. He is seeking to secure lawmakers' backing even as both Republicans and Democrats raise concerns about its price tag and tax provisions.

Despite the resistance, House and Senate leaders have pledged to give Obama legislation to sign by mid-February.

The stakes are enormous for Obama.

Passage of the plan — and bipartisan passage in particular — would mark a significant achievement at the outset of his administration. Obama is inheriting a deep recession from President George W. Bush. Defeat would be a blow, coming not just in his first weeks in office but also as joblessness increases, bank failures continue, investment portfolios shrink and home prices plummet.

Either way, the success or failure of the plan could well set the tone for Obama's first 100 days in office, if not his first year or longer.

Ohio was a fitting selection for Obama's first trip outside Washington to promote the plan; it's a state steeped in both political and economic symbolism. Obama won Ohio in last fall's election by 4 percentage points over Republican Sen. John McCain in a campaign that focused heavily on worsening economic conditions.

The state also is part of the industrial Midwest that's been hit especially hard by the recession; it has posted huge losses in manufacturing, has a high foreclosure rate and a 7.3 percent unemployment rate in November.

Unlike many other businesses in the state, the company that Obama visited can boast of growth.

Founded in 1983, the company has 65 employees and is seeking to hire more. It recently announced the creation of a wind power division to respond to what the company says is a surge of demand for parts in the wind turbine industry.

Wearing clear protective glasses with his dark business suit, Obama took a tour of the chilly factory. He stopped at several stations to greet workers and watch them demonstrate the steps to manufacture large screws and bolts used to hold wind turbines together.

"The need for us to act is now. It's never been more urgent," Obama said. But given the economic crisis, he also repeated a warning: "Recovery won't happen overnight, and it's likely that, even with these measures, things will get worse before they get better."

source : http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090117/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_economy;_ylt=ArGSx7XFR1UHxUR6azshDluyBhIF

Microsoft Sued Over Unified Communications Deal

2009-01-17T09:51:00.001+07:00

Microsoft has been sued by a small Wisconsin business for allegedly misrepresenting the capabilities of its Live Communications Server product, selling the company more licenses than it needed and not providing a refund or other products to solve its original problem.

Imagineering International filed its lawsuit in December in the Fond de Lac County circuit court in Wisconsin, accusing Microsoft of breach of contract and breach of warranties, among other offenses.

Imagineering claims Microsoft failed to resolve problems the company had with deploying an enterprise version of Live Communications Server, then did not replace the product with a revamped version, Office Communications Server (OCS), as Microsoft had promised.

Microsoft also never provided Imagineering with a refund for the products and licenses it purchased, after requiring Imagineering to destroy its licenses and the software as a condition of receiving a credit toward OCS, said Jeff MacMillan, president and CEO of Imagineering.

Imagineering, a 23-person IT consulting firm and reseller, had been a Microsoft partner for about 10 years at the time it purchased the products and licenses, he said. The company has since terminated its partnership with Microsoft.

Rather than responding in the same court, Microsoft filed papers Wednesday with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin in Milwaukee to move the case from the county court to the federal court, citing Imagineering's request for damages that exceed US$50,000 as one reason.

Cases heard in federal courts also tend to take longer to be resolved, and plaintiffs can lose some of their claims in summary judgment, said Michael Kuborn, an attorney representing Imagineering from the Curtis Law Office in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

A lawyer representing Microsoft did not respond to a phone call requesting comment. A Microsoft spokesperson said via e-mail Friday that Microsoft is reviewing the allegations and will make its response in court.

Imagineering alleges in its complaint that on Oct. 7, 2005, it purchased Microsoft's LCS software, 1,500 Client Access Licenses and 1,500 External Connector Licenses for a total of $70,776. At the time LCS was Microsoft's software for providing a unified communications system, which links a company's voicemail, telephone system, e-mail and other employee communications services on the same software infrastructure.

MacMillan said Friday that Microsoft representatives had informed him that LCS had the capabilities his company needed to create a unified communications platform out of its disparate systems for telephony, voicemail, fax and e-mail. Microsoft also said it would provide remote desktop capability, which was key to Imagineering's deployment, he said.

Imagineering purchased the product and licenses mainly for an in-house deployment, but if that proved successful, the company planned to sell a similar offering to customers, MacMillan said.

The number of licenses his company needed to purchase seemed high for a company with only 23 employees. However, Microsoft employees brokering the deal said Imagineering would need licenses not only for its own employees using the new system but also for any customers who wanted to access it.

After Imagineering secured the product from Microsoft, it had trouble deploying the product, and so in October of 2005 it contacted Microsoft technical support, MacMillan said. "They determined we were given bad presale information and that the product would not work the way we had been told it would," he said.

Microsoft also informed Imagineering that it did not need licenses for its customers and had indeed purchased too many, he said.

The companies worked together to come up with a solution, which MacMillan said was to give Imagineering a credit equal to what it paid Microsoft to purchase the follow-up version of LCS, OCS, from Microsoft distributor TechData once that product was available. TechData also would provide Imagineering with the licenses it would need for its deployment, he said.

Microsoft released OCS in late 2007. Around that time, MacMillan said he contacted TechData about acquiring the product and the licenses, per the company's agreement with Microsoft. TechData informed him that it had no record of such a deal, he said.

MacMillan said he contacted Microsoft and again worked with it to try to resolve the situation. In February 2008 Microsoft informed Imagineering that it would give it "no more than $27,000" in credit to purchase additional hardware it would need to deploy OCS -- a more complex product than LCS -- as well as the license to deploy it, according to court documents and MacMillan. Imagineering was given seven days to accept or reject the offer, according to court documents.

At that point, MacMillan said, he was frustrated and disappointed at how Microsoft handled the situation.

"They've welched on every deal they put into place ... and then said, 'You paid $70,000, we'll give you $20,000, that will have to be good enough, you can accept it or you can reject it,'" he said. "We had to reject that."

Imagineering still has not successfully implemented a unified communications platform, MacMillan said, and does not have the money to do so. "The $70,000 we spent on this was basically what we had for the project," he said. "It's actually an extraordinary amount of money to us."

Imagineering is seeking a refund from Microsoft for the original amount it paid the company, punitive damages and attorney fees.

Source: http://tech.yahoo.com/news/pcworld/20090116/tc_pcworld/microsoftsuedoverunifiedcommunicationsdeal

Microsoft Patches One Critical Windows Bug

2009-01-14T14:31:00.001+07:00

Three vulnerabilities in SMB networking were patched in a single update today my Microsoft: MS09-001: Vulnerabilities in SMB Could Allow Remote Code Execution.

Two of the three vulnerabilities are rated critical for Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003; the third is rated Moderate for those platforms. Two are rated Moderate for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, and the third does not affect those platforms at all.

The first vulnerability, SMB Buffer Overflow Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2008-4834), is a frightening one: an unauthenticated networking bug. This is the one that doesn't affect Windows Vista or Server 2008, but on 2000, XP or Server 2003 an unauthenticated user could invoke a remote code execution over the network. Microsoft says that most attempts to invoke this bug will result in a denial of service, but that remote code execution is theoretically possible. This being SMB, a firewall could very well block it, depending on the configuration. So it's not likely that users would get attacked directly over the Internet, but if one system inside a network is compromised through some other exploit, it could then attack other vulnerable systems from inside the network.

The second vulnerability, SMB Validation Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2008-4835), is very similar to the last one: an unauthenticated network vulnerability that can theoretically allow remote code execution, but more likely denial of service. This vulnerability also affects Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, although not in the default configuration, thus they are rated "Moderate."

The third vulnerability, SMB Validation Denial of Service Vulnerability (CVE-2008-4114), is rated Moderate for all platforms. A specially-crafted network request could cause the system to stop responding and then restart. Once again, this does not affect Vista or Server 2008 in their default configurations, and a firewall may provide protection.

source:http://blogs.pcmag.com/securitywatch/2009/01/microsoft_patches_one_critical.php

Obama's energy pick endorses nukes, clean coal

2009-01-14T13:28:00.000+07:00

WASHINGTON--Energy Secretary nominee Steven Chu was greeted with warm approval from a congressional committee during his confirmation hearing Tuesday, at which he acknowledged the need to pursue nuclear and clean-coal energy but promoted energy efficiency as the best means of addressing the nation's energy challenges in the face of a dour economy.

"I feel very strongly what the American family does not want is to pay an increasing fraction of their budget on energy costs," Chu said before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. "That we do the best we can on energy efficiency--that, in my mind, remains the lowest hanging fruit."

Nobel-prize winning physicist Steven Chu, Obama's pick to be the next energy secretary, appeared before a congressional committee Tuesday.

(Credit: Stanford University)

Working toward producing more efficient cars and tightly sealed homes will bring down energy consumption and costs, he said.

Committee Chair Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) said Chu would be heading up the Energy Department at a "pivotal time in the department's history," noting that tens of billions of dollars in the upcoming stimulus package are likely to be devoted to energy programs.

He said that he would like the committee to vote on Chu's nomination later this week so the Nobel Prize-winning physicist could be confirmed as Energy Secretary by the entire senate on January 20, when President-elect Barack Obama takes office.

Chu would take responsibility of an increasingly important energy program at a time when funding will be sparse. Bingaman noted the lack of funding for a loan guarantee program set up by the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

Chu said that he would be able to manage the department efficiently. Since becoming director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in 2004, he has been primarily known as a scientist, he said, but "I spent three quarters of my time paying attention to the operation side of the house."

Part of the Energy Department's $25 billion budget should go toward accelerating the development of consumer-friendly batteries for electric hybrid cars, Chu said.

"These first electric hybrid cars don't have the energy capacity and the battery lifetime we need," he said. "Let's push hard towards more fuel-efficient personal vehicles."

While the senators present endorsed Chu's enthusiasm for developing new energy technologies, many emphasized the need to put funds toward readily available energy sources like nuclear power.

"Isn't it important we accelerate this proven source of clean energy?" Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Al.) asked with respect to nuclear power.

"I'm supportive of the fact that the nuclear industry should be part of the mix," Chu said.

He said federal loan guarantee programs should be used to jump-start the nuclear industry while the nation develops a long-term plan for safe disposal of waste and researches ways to recycle waste in an economically viable and safe manner.

"The recycling issue is something we don't need a solution for today, or even 10 years from today," Chu said. "It's like coal--one doesn't have a hard moratorium on that while we search for ways to capture carbon safely."

Chu said the United States, India, China, and Russia will not turn their backs to coal, so it is critical to find ways to use it as cleanly as possible, a sentiment many senators agreed with.

"All of us understand we need to use coal differently in the future," said Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.). "But I don't think anybody believes we're not going to use our most abundant resource."

Chu said the United States has an opportunity to develop clean-coal technologies for the rest of the world to use, and "if confirmed, I will work very hard to extensively develop these."

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10141790-38.html?tag=newsLeadStoriesArea.1

5 simple TV sound systems

2009-01-14T11:56:00.001+07:00

Soundbars may not sound quite as good as more complicated systems, but they make things a lot simpler.

(Money Magazine) -- So you're one of the 49 million Americans who own a flat-panel TV. Great! But unless the sound measures up to the visuals, you're only halfway there.

If you want a home theater that truly rivals the local megaplex - minus the braying laughter and sticky floors - the next step is getting serious about audio. And that means surround sound.

Problem is, the current standard - so-called 5.1 surround sound - requires a receiver, at least six components and usually a tangle of wires. (What 5.1 refers to is the separation of audio into five channels: two speakers in the front, two in the back and one in the center. The 0.1 is the subwoofer, which produces the lowest bass.) You get wrapped in sound from every direction. But you also get a room stuffed with unsightly electronics.

Enter the soundbar. Measuring about five inches high and 36 inches across, it usually packs multiple speakers, along with a receiver and at least one internal woofer, into a single piece of equipment. The bar can go either inside a media cabinet or on a wall.

Because you have to plug in only one device (two if you add an external subwoofer), setup takes just minutes. You can also play CDs through these babies and plug in MP3 players, as you can with 5.1 surround systems. A soundbar costs about the same as a low-end 5.1 system: roughly $500 to $900.

So how exactly does a soundbar work? According to manufacturers, it pumps out audio in specific directions, altering the sound waves and bouncing them off the walls to trick your brain and ears into thinking that what you're hearing is coming from the front, sides and back of the room. It's not really surround sound, in other words - it just seems that way.

To find out how well soundbars deliver, Money Magazine asked New York City audio engineer Jessica Thompson to help us try out five models. In our tests, we heard good sound in front of and beside us, but it was tough to sense much coming from behind.

A soundbar's quality is highly dependent on the space it's in - the makers say they work best in rooms that are completely walled off, with no open windows or doors - so we even tried each in different locations. No great improvement.

Our results didn't surprise Rob Enderle, analyst at tech research firm Enderle Group. "Soundbars aren't as good at moving sound around as separate speakers are," he says - not yet, at least. "But they're a heck of a lot more convenient."

Bottom line: If you're looking for a bit more oomph than your TV's built-in audio provides, you refuse to cramp your aesthetic, and your TV is in a room you can close off - not, say, a family room/kitchen combo - a soundbar may be for you. Specifically, consider the Sony RHT-S10, which gave the closest approximation to surround sound in our tests.

But if you really want to hear Iron Man crush his enemies, shop for a traditional 5.1 system - you'll get more surround for your money. Be sure to get an amplifier, and buy speakers from the same brand and line for a more even sound.

Those less tech-savvy might consider "home theater in a box" systems (packaged sets of matched components, usually reasonably priced), suggests Enderle. He recommends the Onkyo HT-S7100 ($800).

How we tested: Audio engineer Jessica Thompson - whose job involves mastering and archiving sound tracks with depth, clarity and frequency spectrum in mind - to listen as we played action flicks and TV shows, as well as rock CDs.

Field test

Sony RHT-S10 $620 - Field test winner
Size: 44.5"x6.8"x5.5"
What's inside: Three speakers featuring mids and tweeters (for mid- and high-frequency sound), plus an internal woofer
Sound quality: The RHT-S10 delivered "more dimension" than the rest, Thompson says. A powerful internal woofer hit bone-rattling lows. And Thompson heard some noise from behind - not a lot, but more than from the other models. This one doesn't allow you much customization - say, sending more sound to one speaker - but nontechies may prefer the automatic setup. Overall, it was the most similar to 5.1 sound.
Grade: B+

Samsung HT-X810 $699
Size: 39.3"x7.5"x6.4"
What's inside: Two tweeters (left and right), four woofers (two left, two right) and an external wireless subwoofer
Sound quality This bar took advantage of left and right speakers to deliver audio that swooped in from the sides - but the "surround" effect was minimal. The external subwoofer proved a bit overwhelming (though it's adjustable via remote). The audio is far better than your TV can provide, but don't expect to be enveloped by it. It's more like having regular stereo sound.
Grade: B-

Yamaha YSP-900 $699
Size: 31.5"x6"x4.5"
What's inside: 21 (two-watt) speakers, which handle highs, and two built-in woofers for lows
Sound quality: That's right, the YSP-900 has 21 speakers(!) - all very low wattage - meant to beam sound at slightly different angles. Even so, Thompson felt it was "a bit too center-focused" and lacked the dimension and bass of the Sony. (That after we used the feature promising to calibrate it to our room.) We tried adjusting the speakers manually, but it didn't help. Another strike: The woofers didn't deliver much bass.
Grade: C+

Soundmatters SLIMstage40 $899
Size: 39"x3.5"x3.7"
What's inside: Four speakers that handle both mids and highs (two left, two right), three woofers and two bass radiators that boost lows
Sound quality: The slimmest of the bunch, this one comes in different lengths to match your TV. Nice looking. But while it did better than the TV alone, Thompson noted its "small sound" and overall lack of dimension. You can adjust how much audio goes through the speakers and how heavy the bass is, but the improvements weren't huge.
Grade: C

Philips HTS8100 $599
Size: 36.8"x5.4"x5.7"
What's inside: Two tweeters, six mids and an external subwoofer
Sound quality: The sleek styling might almost make you forget that you can't quite hear the surround sound you paid for. You tell the soundbar its placement in the room, its height and its distance from the viewer, which is supposed to help calibrate the system. Yet the audio isn't drastically better than that from a TV's built-in speakers. In "virtual surround sound" mode, audio seemed synthetic. This one delivers more style than function.
Grade: C-

Note: Prices as of Aug. 19 from BestBuy.com.

source: http://money.cnn.com/2008/10/02/technology/tvsound_bars.moneymag/
index.htm?postversion=2008100309

5 simple TV sound systems

2009-01-14T11:56:00.000+07:00

Soundbars may not sound quite as good as more complicated systems, but they make things a lot simpler.

(Money Magazine) -- So you're one of the 49 million Americans who own a flat-panel TV. Great! But unless the sound measures up to the visuals, you're only halfway there.

If you want a home theater that truly rivals the local megaplex - minus the braying laughter and sticky floors - the next step is getting serious about audio. And that means surround sound.

Those less tech-savvy might consider "home theater in a box" systems (packaged sets of matched components, usually reasonably priced), suggests Enderle. He recommends the Onkyo HT-S7100 ($800).

Field test

Sony RHT-S10 $620 - Field test winner
Size: 44.5"x6.8"x5.5"
What's inside: Three speakers featuring mids and tweeters (for mid- and high-frequency sound), plus an internal woofer
Sound quality: The RHT-S10 delivered "more dimension" than the rest, Thompson says. A powerful internal woofer hit bone-rattling lows. And Thompson heard some noise from behind - not a lot, but more than from the other models. This one doesn't allow you much customization - say, sending more sound to one speaker - but nontechies may prefer the automatic setup. Overall, it was the most similar to 5.1 sound.
Grade: B+

Samsung HT-X810 $699
Size: 39.3"x7.5"x6.4"
What's inside: Two tweeters (left and right), four woofers (two left, two right) and an external wireless subwoofer
Sound quality This bar took advantage of left and right speakers to deliver audio that swooped in from the sides - but the "surround" effect was minimal. The external subwoofer proved a bit overwhelming (though it's adjustable via remote). The audio is far better than your TV can provide, but don't expect to be enveloped by it. It's more like having regular stereo sound.
Grade: B-

Yamaha YSP-900 $699
Size: 31.5"x6"x4.5"
What's inside: 21 (two-watt) speakers, which handle highs, and two built-in woofers for lows
Sound quality: That's right, the YSP-900 has 21 speakers(!) - all very low wattage - meant to beam sound at slightly different angles. Even so, Thompson felt it was "a bit too center-focused" and lacked the dimension and bass of the Sony. (That after we used the feature promising to calibrate it to our room.) We tried adjusting the speakers manually, but it didn't help. Another strike: The woofers didn't deliver much bass.
Grade: C+

Soundmatters SLIMstage40 $899
Size: 39"x3.5"x3.7"
What's inside: Four speakers that handle both mids and highs (two left, two right), three woofers and two bass radiators that boost lows
Sound quality: The slimmest of the bunch, this one comes in different lengths to match your TV. Nice looking. But while it did better than the TV alone, Thompson noted its "small sound" and overall lack of dimension. You can adjust how much audio goes through the speakers and how heavy the bass is, but the improvements weren't huge.
Grade: C

Philips HTS8100 $599
Size: 36.8"x5.4"x5.7"
What's inside: Two tweeters, six mids and an external subwoofer
Sound quality: The sleek styling might almost make you forget that you can't quite hear the surround sound you paid for. You tell the soundbar its placement in the room, its height and its distance from the viewer, which is supposed to help calibrate the system. Yet the audio isn't drastically better than that from a TV's built-in speakers. In "virtual surround sound" mode, audio seemed synthetic. This one delivers more style than function.
Grade: C-

Note: Prices as of Aug. 19 from BestBuy.com.

source: http://money.cnn.com/2008/10/02/technology/tvsound_bars.moneymag/
index.htm?postversion=2008100309

U.S. deficit soars to $485.2 billion

2009-01-14T11:50:00.001+07:00

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The federal budget deficit expanded by $83.6 billion in December, the Treasury Department reported Tuesday, bringing the total deficit for the first three months of the 2009 fiscal year to $485.2 billion.

By comparison, the budget deficit for all of fiscal year 2008 was $455 billion. In fiscal 2007, it was $161 billion.

The deficit has ballooned in the first quarter of the fiscal year as the Treasury, Federal Reserve and FDIC began spending record amounts of the $7.2 trillion committed so far to bailouts, financial stabilization efforts and capital investments. The numerous emergency actions began as a result of the credit crisis that started in mid-September.

A decline in tax receipts, stemming from the 1.5 million jobs lost in the first three months of the fiscal year, also contributed to the soaring deficit.

Treasury has collected $255.3 billion in individual income taxes so far this fiscal year, down 6.7% from $273.7 billion in the first quarter of last year.

Businesses contributed just $50.4 billion in taxes in the first three months of the year, 45.5% less than the $92.5 billion they paid Treasury at this point last year.

Budget experts have projected that the federal deficit for this fiscal year, which began Oct. 1, will be nearly $1.2 trillion. But that total doesn't count the economic recovery package that President-elect Barack Obama has started to push forward.

Economists and Obama advisers expect the government to commit at least $775 billion to stimulate economic activity. The effect on the budget deficit will likely be substantial, but less than the upfront cost, as infrastructure programs take time to implement.

Still, even noted deficit hawks have said that, given the enormous depth of the recession, policies that increase the deficit now are less of problematic than letting the economy deteriorate further.

The Treasury reported it committed another $51.1 billion to the Troubled Asset Relief Program in December, bringing the total outlays committed to the financial rescue package to $242.5 billion in the first three months of the fiscal year.

Congress has allotted $700 billion to the program, but has only made the first $350 billion available so far. President Bush, on the request of President-elect Obama, asked Congress on Monday to release the remaining funds.

Treasury has also paid $13.8 billion so far this year on housing and economic recovery programs, unchanged from the previous month.

According to the report, Treasury also paid nearly $43.5 billion in interest on its outstanding debt in the first quarter of the fiscal year, down from nearly $58 billion paid during the same period a year ago, reflecting the dramatic drop in interest rates on Treasury bonds.

Treasury has been issuing bonds at a record pace in the past few months to pay for its massive bailout programs. Although the Treasury adds to the deficit whenever it issues bonds, that issuance has come cheap recently as interest rates have plummeted to record lows.

Source: http://money.cnn.com/2009/01/13/news/economy/treasury_budget_deficit_Dec08/

index.htm?postversion=2009011314

Asian markets up after Wall Street rally

2009-01-07T12:52:00.001+07:00

(CNN) -- Markets in Australia, Japan, and South Korea bolted upward Wednesday, with Hong Kong's Hang Seng up a quarter percent after a slight drop earlier.
Asian markets up after Wall Street rally

Tokyo's Nikkei index jumped 2 percent, as investors traded high on hopes for a U.S. economic stimulus package from the incoming Democratic administration. Australia's All Ordinaries index rose 1.1 percent, and Seoul's KOSPI index was up 2.1 percent.

Shanghai's composite index posted a slight drop of 0.1 percent.

U.S. President-elect Barack Obama met with his economic advisors Tuesday after a Monday meeting with Democratic and Republican Congressional leadership on his plans to stimulate the United States' sagging economy.

Obama pledged transparency and no earmarks in his stimulus bill, warning of "tough choices" and breaking "old habits."

"We're going to be investing an extraordinary amount of money to jump-start our economy, save or create 3 million new jobs, mostly in the private sector, and lay a solid foundation for future growth," he said. "But we're not going to be able to expect the American people to support this critical effort unless we take extraordinary steps to ensure that the investments are made wisely and managed well."

Wall Street rallied on Tuesday, as investors looked beyond the Federal Reserve's dour outlook on the economy and instead scooped up shares hit in last year's big sell-off.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 62 points, 0.7 percent, to 9,015. The Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 0.8 percent and the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.5 percent.

In Europe, London's FTSE-100 index closed up 1.3 percent, the Paris CAC 40 finished the day ahead by 1.1 percent, while the DAX in Frankfurt closed up 0.85 percent.

source : http://edition.cnn.com/2009/BUSINESS/01/06/global.markets/index.html

Egypt proposes talks, cease-fire for Gaza

2009-01-07T11:58:00.000+07:00

UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Egypt has put forward a plan for a truce in Gaza that would include an immediate cease-fire and meetings in Cairo between leaders of Israel and "Palestinian factions."

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, left, welcomes French President Nicholas Sarkozy in Egypt Tuesday.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, speaking alongside French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday after the two leaders met in Egypt, invited the two sides to an "urgent meeting."

He said the discussions would focus on avoiding an escalation of the violence, securing borders between Israel and Gaza -- where Hamas militants have fired rockets into southern Israel -- and opening border crossings into and out of Gaza.

Elements of the plan, which was circulating through the United Nations late Tuesday, quickly gained support from representatives of many U.N. Security Council nations.

"Let me assure you that we understand the urgency of an end to the fighting and that we are working around the clock to bring it into being," said U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. "In this regard, we are pleased by and wish to commend the statement of the president of Egypt and to follow up on that initiative."

Senior State Department officials late Tuesday said Rice still does not support the call for a temporary cease-fire. The United States has dismissed the idea, saying that without significant change it would just lead back to the "status quo" in the region.

"We need urgently to conclude a cease-fire that can endure and that can bring real security," said Rice. "This would begin a period of true calm that includes an end to rocket, mortar and other attacks on Israelis and allows for the cessation of Israel's military offensive."

Don't Miss

The Egyptian plan, according to diplomatic officials, calls for a temporary cease-fire to allow borders to be opened for humanitarian relief. The members of the Middle East Quartet -- the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations -- also would be asked to the talks under Mubarak's plan.

It was unclear what role, if any, Hamas would play in the talks. Formally inviting the group, which Israel, the United States and the European Union consider a terrorist organization, could make Israel less likely to participate.

Late Tuesday, at the United Nations, diplomats including the ambassador from Libya said that Arab Nations still plan to offer a resolution condemning Israel's actions to the U.N. Security Council.

They said such a resolution would complement possible talks in Cairo, while a French diplomat said a vote on an overarching resolution is unlikely as action moves toward Egypt and the Middle East.

The meeting between Mubarak and Sarkozy came after Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad said Hamas was ready to agree to peace if the Israeli army will stop military operations and withdraw from Gaza.

"They are ready [to make a deal]," Al-Assad told CNN's Cal Perry in an exclusive interview. "They were ready, they are ready. Today, the factors have changed so the requirement will change at the same time.

source: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/01/06/israel.gaza.diplomacy/index.html

Best time to buy a car: Now

2009-01-04T11:41:00.000+07:00

Things are scary out there, but here's how to decide which Detroit's cars and trucks are worth buying.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- There's never been a better time to buy a car. On the other hand, there's never been a scarier or more confusing time, either.

There are big incentives out there and dealers are discounting like crazy as they try to get aging inventory off their lots.

But consumers are understandably worried about the financial health of the automakers they may be buying from, especially domestic manufacturers. So, is it worth taking the deal? Here are some points to consider.

The product: If it weren't for all the financial trouble, this would be a great time buy a car from either General Motors or Ford.

GM has some really outstanding products, including the award-winning Chevrolet Malibu, new large three-row SUVs - the GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave, Saturn Outlook and Chevrolet Traverse - and the Cadillac CTS, a world-class mid-size luxury sedan.

Ford (F, Fortune 500), meanwhile, has successfully attacked its past quality problems. Now when you buy a Ford car or crossover you can expect the same kind of dependability that was once the hallmark of Japanese brands like Toyota and Honda, according to Consumer Reports.

Beyond dependability, vehicles like the Fusion mid-sized sedan, a new, more powerful 2009 Escape crossover and the Flex large crossover are just good cars that offer practicality, style and excellent fuel economy.

Meanwhile, Chrysler has been lagging its competitors in dependability and overall product quality. The new Dodge Ram truck, with a sharper design, nicer interior and better handling than competitors' big rigs, is one product that's arguably superior, if you're looking for a truck that's better looking and more enjoyable to drive.

The prices: Auto sales are forecast to stay low until at least the end of 2009.

And while some think car prices will continue to drop, they probably won't. Manufacturers have been drastically cutting production. That means that inventories will get lower, manufacturers will have less need to pile on incentives and dealers won't be as worried about getting cars off their lots quickly.

So, from a price perspective, this really is the best time to buy. On many Ford, Chrysler and GM models, you could even get below-wholesale prices, according to pricing data at AOL Autos.

The incentives: Right after GM's financing partner, GMAC, got its own government aid package in late December, GM (GM, Fortune 500) announced it was offering 0% financing on selected products. Unfortunately for car shoppers, the deal is limited to just the Saab 9-3 and 9-5. For SUV shoppers, the 0% deal is limited to the Chevrolet Trailblazer and its variants, including the Saab 9-7X. These older truck-based designs are outclassed by competitors and even by GM's own crossover vehicles.

Still, GM is offering low-rate financing on other, better vehicles that can still save you hundreds of dollars even it's not 0%. Those rates could make it a good time to pick up one of those more attractive offerings like the CTS, Malibu or Traverse. GM is also offering big rebates on many models.

For its part, Ford is offering its "Employee Pricing Plus" program and, in many cases, they're adding big rebates on top of the price discounts.

The risks: Depreciation, the difference between what you pay for a car and what you can ultimately trade it in or sell it for, is the single biggest cost of car ownership.

And that could offset the savings if the resale value of your car takes a steep dive.

The financial troubles of America's automakers have led to more than-than-usual uncertainty about that. Looking at Kelley Blue Book value data, once a car brand ceases production, the resale value of vehicles bearing that brand drops fast.

That's true even if the manufacturer stays in business, as happened with GM's Oldsmobile brand and Chrysler's Plymouth. So if you're looking at purchasing a Saturn or Saab, for instance, keep in mind that GM is reconsidering the future of those brands.

Then there's the scary prospect that GM or Chrysler themselves might not survive the next couple of years. It's probably a safe bet that they will, with government help, but no-one can say for sure.

If the very worst were to happen and these automakers were to completely go out of business, some of their brands would likely carry on. Chrysler's Jeep brand, for instance, has already outlived several previous owners and no doubt would again. Some other company will pick up the business Even if GM were turn out all its lights, brands like Cadillac, with its unique luxury image, and Buick, which is a huge success in China, would probably carry on somehow.

Ford is the lone Detroit automaker not seeking immediate government assistance. So, from a business perspective, they seem like the safest bet for longevity. Certainly, the Ford brand itself has a secure future. Around the world, the Ford blue oval is a strong brand and Ford is putting even more emphasis on strengthening it.

For car buyers, buying the best cars from the strongest brands is always the best play, though. Ultimately, that's not good news for any of the domestic manufacturers.

Despite suffering its first operating loss since 1950, no-one is questioning the long term viability of Toyota. Or that of Honda, either. Both companies also make reliable cars that are, at worst, competitive with Detroit offerings and they have better resale value, too. Both are also offering incentives like 0% financing.

Despite Detroit's big improvements in all-around competitiveness and product quality, America's financial crisis will drive even more consumers to buy Japanese cars even as the federal government to save America's automakers.

source :http://money.cnn.com/2009/01/02/autos/trying_times/index.htm?postversion=2009010215

AMD inside Apple in 2009?

2009-01-04T11:30:00.001+07:00

Here's a radical idea: a 2009 Apple computer with an AMD processor.

Improbable?

(Credit: Apple, AMD)

Maybe this isn't in the cards, but it should be. Especially in light of Advanced Micro Devices' upcoming ultraportable platforms.

I see an upscale Netbook-like Apple computer with, let's say, a slightly smaller form factor than the Apple MacBook Air. Maybe an 11-inch or 12-inch design packing low-power (and relatively inexpensive) AMD Yukon or Congo silicon. This would not be a Netbook clone--and would offer much better graphics silicon than a Netbook--allowing Apple to sufficiently differentiate itself.

Or what about an Apple laptop with an upcoming AMD 45-nanometer mobile processor plus ATI Radeon HD 3600-level graphics that slots below the MacBook Pro? I'm sure Apple could find a head-turning way to implement this that would set it apart from the Intel-based hordes.

Or: AMD's 45-nanometer Shanghai or Phenom II in a Mac Pro? Maybe this concept is beyond the pale for the marketing folks at Apple, but it shouldn't be.

And Apple has demonstrated it can buck conventional processor politics. Intel's newest ultra-low-voltage (ULV) Core 2 Duo processors were offered by all the top-tier laptop vendors as an Intel bundle--Intel processor and Intel integrated graphics--until Apple decided to "think different" and up the ante with an Nvidia GeForce 9400M-based chipset.

Needless to say, AMD needs to go where Intel hasn't gone before in 2009. Last year was not a good year for AMD. Aside from its financial difficulties and the spinoff of its manufacturing operations, it couldn't muster a respectable challenge to Intel in server, desktop, or mobile chips. AMD's newest Shanghai processor for servers and Phenom II for desktops should be competitive with Intel offerings, but don't expect any tectonic shift in market share.

So AMD should be targeting Intel vulnerabilities--some of them self-imposed because of Intel's rigid processor segmentation in some areas--as well as exploiting its self-proclaimed advantage: AMD is the only one of the Big Three PC processor suppliers (the other two being Intel and Nvidia) that makes both CPUs and GPUs.

AMD's Fusion strategy should be more than a marketing mantra. Some unsolicited advice: find a truly unique way to fuse together the strengths of the CPU and GPU before Intel or Nvidia beat you to it.

Source : http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-10130235-64.html?tag=pop

Wikipedia meets $6 million fundraising goal (AP)

2009-01-04T11:26:00.000+07:00

SAN FRANCISCO - The nonprofit foundation that runs Wikipedia, the popular online encyclopedia of user-contributed articles, said Friday it has met its $6 million fundraising goal for fiscal 2008.

With about six months left in this year's campaign, the Wikimedia Foundation said it has raised $6.2 million. A flood of donations came in after the site's founder, Jimmy Wales, posted an appeal for support in late December.

The foundation said about 50,000 contributors chipped in a total of $2 million in the space of eight days, bringing the total number of donors to more than 125,000.

The money will go toward improving the software Wikipedia runs on as well as upgrading the servers and Internet bandwidth that accommodate the site's traffic. Wikipedia consistently ranks among the 10 most visited Web sites in the world.

The foundation operates the site without advertising as a matter of principle, making donations critical.

Since its founding in 2001, Wikipedia's fundraising prowess has expanded quickly. The foundation hauled in $1.3 million two years ago and $2.2 million last year.

In March 2008, the site received a $3 million gift from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, to be dispensed in $1 million annual installments. Last month the Stanton Foundation gave $890,000 to make Wikipedia's editing process more user-friendly.

The Wikimedia Foundation hopes the growth in big-name donors will help improve the encyclopedia's uneven reputation for accuracy, both by showing that civic-minded institutions are willing to make an investment and by funding programs that increase outreach to new contributors.

Wikimedia spokesman Jay Walsh said expanding the foundation's Wikipedia Academies will be a major goal in the coming year. The program sends Wikimedia staff to institutions around the world for discussions with experts in different fields, partly in hopes of drawing more academics and professionals to the site.

"There's work to do in getting the word out about how Wikipedia works," Walsh said.

In a thank-you note posted on the site Friday, Wales told donors, "You have proven that Wikipedia matters to you, and that you support our mission: to bring free knowledge to the planet, free of charge and free of advertising."

Source : http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20090102/ap_on_hi_te/wikipedia_fundraising

Obama: Country needs economic stimulus plan

2009-01-04T11:18:00.002+07:00

CHICAGO – President-elect Barack Obama urged congressional leaders Saturday to move quickly on an economic recovery plan, even as some Republicans are saying they want more time to review the details.

Obama said Congress should pass an American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan designed to create 3 million jobs. The Democratic president-elect hasn't announced a final price tag on it, but aides said the cost could be as high as $775 billion.

"For too many families, this new year brings new unease and uncertainty as bills pile up, debts continue to mount and parents worry that their children won't have the same opportunities they had," Obama said in an address taped Friday and distributed on radio and posted on YouTube Saturday morning.

The nation's economy remains the top challenge facing Obama when he takes office on Jan. 20. The Federal Reserve estimated that lenders were on track to initiate 2.25 million foreclosures this year, more than doubling the annual pace before the crisis set in. One in 10 U.S. homeowners is delinquent on mortgage payments or in foreclosure.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., are to receive details on Monday. Obama plans meetings next week with other congressional leaders — including Republican members whose support he will need — and made an effort not to blame his predecessor, the unpopular President George W. Bush.

"However we got here, the problems we face today are not Democratic problems or Republican problems," Obama said. "The dreams of putting a child through college, or staying in your home, or retiring with dignity and security know no boundaries of party or ideology. ... I am optimistic that if we come together to seek solutions that advance not the interests of any party, or the agenda of any one group, but the aspirations of all Americans, then we will meet the challenges of our time just as previous generations have met the challenges of theirs."

Obama aides had hoped to have an economic plan approved by the House and Senate before Obama takes office. That timeline, though, appears unlikely as time is running out and Republicans have urged a delay to review the plans. Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Republicans' top official, said the plan needs time so that "every dollar needs to be spent wisely and not wasted in the rush to get it spent."

Congressional aides briefed on the measure say it's likely to blend tax cuts of $500 to $1,000 for middle-class individuals and couples with about $200 billion to help revenue-starved states with their Medicaid programs and other operating costs.

A large portion of the measure will go toward infrastructure projects, blending old-fashioned brick and mortar programs such as road and bridge repairs and water projects with new programs such as research and development on energy efficiency and an expensive rebuilding of the information technology system for health care.

"Economists from across the political spectrum agree that if we don't act swiftly and boldly, we could see a much deeper economic downturn that could lead to double-digit unemployment and the American dream slipping further and further out of reach," Obama said.

Andrew Taylor reported from Washington.

On the Net:

Source :http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090103/ap_on_bi_ge/obama;_ylt=Ag1oUZ4ADH4dLQCECEp6P8SyBhIF

Obama Address: http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/american_recovery_and_reinvestment/

Israel weighs 48-hour halt to Gaza air campaign

2008-12-31T09:53:00.001+07:00

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – Israel, under international pressure, is considering a 48-hour halt to its punishing four-day air campaign on Hamas targets in Gaza to see if Palestinian militants will stop their rocket attacks on southern Israel, Israeli officials said Tuesday. Any offer would be coupled with a threat to send in ground troops if the rocket fire continues.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert discussed the proposal — floated by France's foreign minister — and other possible next steps with his foreign and defense ministers, Israeli officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not supposed to make the information public.

President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called leaders in the Middle East to press for a durable solution beyond any immediate truce.

And members of the Quartet of world powers trying to promote Mideast peace concluded a conference call with an appeal for an immediate cease-fire. The Quartet powers are the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia.

The European Union itself late Tuesday also urged an immediate truce and for Israel to reopen borders to allow vital supplies to reach Gazans. The Paris statement by the 27-member bloc avoided blaming either side for the current fighting.

In its Tuesday night meeting, Israel's leadership trio stepped up preparations for a ground offensive, conducting a telephone survey among Cabinet ministers on a plan to call up an additional 2,500 reserve soldiers, if required. Earlier this week, the Cabinet authorized a callup of 6,700 soldiers.

After the four-hour meeting, Olmert's office issued a statement early Wednesday saying no details of the discussion would be made public because of the sensitivity of the subject matter.

But Israeli officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release information on the meeting, said the leaders wanted Hamas to agree to stop the rocket fire before Israel considers a truce.

And even amid talk of a truce, Israeli warplanes continued to unload bombs on targets in Gaza. Powerful airstrikes caused Gaza City's high-rise apartment buildings to sway and showered streets with broken glass and pulverized concrete. Israel's ground forces on Gaza's border also used artillery for the first time.

Hamas kept up its rocket barrages, which have killed four Israelis since the weekend, and sent many more in running for bomb shelters — some of them in cities under threat of attack for the first time, as the range of the rockets grows.

A medium-range rocket hit the city of Beersheba for the first time ever, zooming 28 miles deep into Israel and slamming into an empty kindergarten. A second rocket landed in an open area near the desert city, Israel's fifth-largest. The military said later it successfully struck the group that launched those rockets.

A pattern of daytime lulls and nighttime spikes in rocket fire appeared to be emerging as militants found safer launch cover in darkness.

Four days into a campaign that has killed 374 Palestinians and prompted Arab and international condemnation, a diplomatic push to end the fighting gathered pace.

In two phone calls to Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Monday and Tuesday, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner appealed to him to consider a truce to allow time for humanitarian relief supplies to enter the beleaguered Gaza Strip, two senior officials in Barak's office said.

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni was expected to travel Thursday to Paris for talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has put his growing international stature to use in other conflict zones, most recently to help halt fighting between Russia and Georgia in August.

Israeli media reported that Sarkozy would also travel to Jerusalem Monday for talks with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

A Hamas spokesman said any halt to militant rocket and mortar fire would require an end to Israel's crippling blockade of the Gaza Strip. "If they halt the aggression and the blockade, then Hamas will study these suggestions," said Mushir Masri.

Any cease-fire between Israel and Hamas would face questions about its long-term viability. In the past, Hamas has been unable or unwilling to rein in all the militants, some of which belong to different factions. Israel has angered the Palestinians by continuing to target its leaders and by maintaining a blockade of the Gaza Strip.

"It's certainly difficult for Hamas because, having witnessed the losses that they have just suffered on large scale, their credibility is on the line and they're not going to easily agree to a cease-fire that goes back to the conditions that prevailed before, after all these losses," said Shibley Telhami, professor of political science at the University of Maryland and senior fellow at the Brookings Institute. "So, we're likely to see more bloodshed, and I think that is where we are in a way, events on the ground are going to dictate."

Israel's military, meanwhile, pressed on, sending warplanes to strike a Gaza government complex that includes the ministries of interior, foreign affairs and justice. Bombs ripped the tops and sides from buildings that had already been evacuated and left fires blazing in upper floors.

It was the largest government target hit so far and involved the largest number of bombs dropped in a single strike — at least 16 in all.

The airstrikes have sent the people of densely populated Gaza on a zigzagging desperate search for safer ground — hard to find with no way out of the blockaded territory.

"I don't know what's safe anymore," said university student Rasha Khaldeh of Gaza City. She fled her home, fearing Israel would target her Hamas neighbors, then had to leave her uncle's house because of nearby shelling. She listens intently for the approach of pilotless Israeli drones.

After nightfall, Israel destroyed 40 tunnels under the sealed Gaza-Egypt border in another attempt to cut the vital lifeline that supplies Gaza with both commercial goods and weapons for Hamas and other militant groups.

Israel kept up the attack on the tunnels early Wednesday, as other aircraft hit Hamas positions in Gaza City.

Israel's military said it hit 31 targets on Tuesday, including a Cabinet building, rocket-launching sites, and places were missiles were being built. Some of the hits on sites with weapons stockpiles triggered secondary explosions.

The question still hanging over the Israeli operation is how it can halt rocket fire. Israel has never found a military solution to the barrage of missiles. The "Iron Dome," a system to guard against short-range missiles, will take years to build.

Beyond delivering Hamas a deep blow and protecting border communities, the assault's broader objectives remained cloudy. Israeli President Shimon Peres acknowledged the challenge, saying the operation was unavoidable but more difficult than many people anticipated.

"War against terrorists is harder in some aspects than fighting armies," Peres said.

Hamas also said it would take more to cripple it.

A spokesman for Hamas' military wing, Abu Obeida, said the group remained strong, and he vowed to fight on as long as Israel continues its airstrikes. He noted that even while under heavy airstrikes, militants had fired rockets that reached Israeli towns farther from Gaza than ever. "Rockets will be on your daily agenda," he said in a message to Israelis.

And if there's a ground invasion, he promised worse: "If you enter Gaza, the children will collect your flesh and the remains of your tanks which will be spread out through the streets."

The offensive came shortly after a rocky, six-month truce expired.

Emad Falluji, a former Hamas leader working at a Gaza-based think tank, said he believes Hamas had wanted to renew the truce but felt humiliated by Israel's decision to maintain a tight blockade on Gaza.

"Israel didn't want to give Hamas anything in return for the cease-fire, which was effectively free," he said.

Egypt, which has been blockading Gaza from its southern end, has come under pressure from the rest of the Arab world to reopen its border with the territory because of the Israeli campaign. Egypt has pried open the border to let in some of Gaza's wounded and to allow some humanitarian supplies into the territory. But it quickly sealed the border when Gazans tried to push through forcefully.

In a televised speech Tuesday, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak responded to critics, including the leader of the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, who have accused him of collaborating with Israel.

"We tell anybody who seeks political profits on the account of the Palestinian people: The Palestinian blood is not cheap," he said, describing such comments as "exploiting the blood of the Palestinians."

Mubarak said his country would not throw open the border crossing unless Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas — a Hamas rival — regains control of the border post. Mubarak has been rattled by the presence of a neighboring Islamic ministate in Gaza, fearing it would fuel more Islamic dissidence in Egypt.

Most of the Palestinians killed since Saturday were members of Hamas security forces but the number included at least 64 civilians, according to U.N. figures. Among those killed were two sisters, Haya and Lama Hamdan, ages 4 and 12, who died in an airstrike on a rocket squad in northern Gaza on Tuesday.

Throughout the offensive, Israel's military has released video taken by hovering drone aircraft showing its missiles and bombs hurtling into Gaza targets, including one on Tuesday that sent about a half-dozen bombs simultaneously into a smuggling tunnel under the Gaza-Egypt border.

During brief lulls between airstrikes, Gazans tentatively ventured into the streets to buy goods and collect belongings from homes they had abandoned after Israel's aerial onslaught began Saturday.

The campaign has brought a new reality to southern Israel, too, where one-tenth of the country's population of 7 million has suddenly found itself within rocket range.

"It's very scary," said Yaacov Pardida, a 55-year-old resident of Ashdod, southern Israel's largest city, which was hit Monday. "I never imagined that this could happen, that they could reach us here."

___source : www.yahoo.com

US military deaths in Iraq war at 4,219

2008-12-31T09:49:00.000+07:00

As of Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2008, at least 4,219 members of the U.S. military had died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.

The figure includes eight military civilians killed in action. At least 3,399 military personnel died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers.

The AP count is one fewer than the Defense Department's tally, last updated Tuesday at 10 a.m. EST.

The British military has reported 178 deaths; Italy, 33; Ukraine, 18; Poland, 21; Bulgaria, 13; Spain, 11; Denmark, seven; El Salvador, five; Slovakia, four; Latvia and Georgia, three each; Estonia, Netherlands, Thailand and Romania, two each; and Australia, Hungary, Kazakhstan and South Korea, one death each.

Since the start of U.S. military operations in Iraq, 30,920 U.S. service members have been wounded in hostile action, according to the Defense Department's weekly tally.

___

The latest deaths reported by the military:

• No deaths reported.

___

The latest identifications reported by the military:

• Army Spc. Tony J. Gonzales, 20, Newman, Calif.; died Sunday in Sadr City when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany.

• Marine Lance Cpl. Robert L. Johnson, 21, Central Point, Ore.; died Dec. 20 in a non-combat incident in Anbar province; assigned to the 5th Combat Logistics Battalion, 1st Combat Logistics Regiment, 1st Marine Logistics Group, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

___

On the Net:

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/

100 Best Affiliate Programs

2008-12-30T12:51:00.000+07:00

TOP AFFILIATE PROGRAMS

2009: Netbook or notebook?

2008-12-30T12:42:00.000+07:00

By Brooke Crothers

2009 may be the year of the Netbook. But there’s a big if.

Here’s the choice: Will consumers buy a thin, light, relatively fast $1,800 MacBook Air or a thin, light, ultrasmall, not-as-fast $700 Hewlett-Packard Mini 1000 Netbook?

If many people, fully aware of this choice, opt for a Netbook then we have the foundation of, at the very least, a rethinking of the pricey ultraportable.

At most, we have many more consumers buying into the Netbook concept–particularly if 3G comes as a standard option.

Here’s the dilemma in more detail: Do you want an ultralight subnotebook replete with a Core 2 Duo processor, 64GB solid-state drive, and 12-inch (or 13-inch) LED screen that will set you back at least $1,800?

Or a Netbook with an Atom processor, 16GB solid-state drive, and a 10-inch screen for about $500? (Clarification: Netbooks are generally thought of as sub-$400 designs; but for comparison’s sake, upscale Netbooks with 10.2-inch screens are cited here.)

The dimensions and weight are the key to both the Netbook and ultraportable and differentiate them from standard laptops. Both are small and light. But here’s where Netbooks become disruptive. To date, (for at least the last 10 years), consumers have had to pay a big premium for smallness and thinness (and still do with the Air, Dell Latitude E4200, and Toshiba Portege, for example). With the Netbook, they don’t. (The one obvious downside to Netbooks, however, is that they’re too small–cramped screens and keyboards.)

Of course, the design and internals are different, but are they different enough? To rephrase the question posed above: Is a $2,500 13-inch MacBook Air with a 128GB solid-state drive (and no 3G) different enough from (or that much better than) a $600 or $700 an 11-inch Netbook with a 32GB solid-state drive and 3G? I would expect that most consumers (even ones that must have an ultraportable laptop) won’t be able to justify paying an extra $1000-$2,000 for a MacBook Air- or Toshiba Portege-style design in the face of a compelling array of Netbook offerings. Especially if Netbooks (or a facsimile of the Netbook) start sporting larger screens.

Consumers will ultimately decide of course–though it remains problematic whether PC suppliers will really push Netbooks in front of consumers that aggressively if Netbooks are eating into their laptop sales. Advanced Micro Devices or Via Technologies, however, could change this by aggressively promoting their newest silicon (AMD’s Yukon and Via’s Nano) for slick, upscale Netbook-like designs.
Source : cnet news

Windows 7 beta 1 makes early debut

2008-12-30T12:37:00.000+07:00

By Steven Musil

The first beta of Microsoft’s next operating system has apparently been spotted in the wild. The first beta of Windows 7, which is expected to hit retailer shelves in time for the 2009 holiday shopping season, has reportedly popped up on torrent trackers as an ISO file. ZDNet’s Adrian Kingsley-Hughes also reports having a copy and has posted his first impressions of the beta.

The new revamped taskbar is visually very interesting (and certainly a lot easier to use at higher screen resolutions that the Vista or XP taskbar), but it tries to do too much and as such comes across as kludgey and counter-intuitive. One failure is that it’s hard to tell the difference between apps that are running and shortcuts that have been pinned to the taskbar.

Microsoft demoed the forthcoming operating system at the Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles last month, but apparently the differences between Windows 7 and Vista were so subtle that they can go unnoticed. Attendees to PDC 2008 received pre-beta copies of Windows 7 on DVD, as well as a 160GB Western Digital portable hard drive packed with code.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is expected to talk up Windows 7 from a consumer perspective during his keynote speech at the Consumer Electronics next week. Microsoft is expected to officially distribute the first beta to beta testers in early January.

Source : cnet news

Your Prescription History May Keep You From Getting Health Insurance

2008-12-30T10:31:00.000+07:00

Databases with the prescription drug histories of 200 million Americans are now being used by many health insurance companies to evaluate applications for individual health insurance. The data work like a credit report for health. The data originate with pharmacy benefit managers and contain details like the prescribing doctor, dates, drugs, dosages, etc.. The benefit companies then give their client insurance companies access for a fee. Insurance companies can better evaluate the expected risk for a particular applicant so this is a great value for them. It works a lot faster that their alternative which is to request medical records from the applicant's physicians.

Privacy and consumer advocates complain that there are more and more companies holding vast amounts of patients' health information, mostly unknown to the average consumer. The database companies say they provide information to insurers only after having been released by consumers.

by :http://www.healthcareshopper.com/

Down Economy Impacts Health Care

2008-12-30T10:30:00.000+07:00

The economy has tanked. People are getting laid off. Bank accounts are shrinking. We fear that it will get worse. All this is causing people to demand low-cost generic drugs and split pills, forgo recommended screening tests and delay elective procedures, perhaps even turn to home remedies. The number of people who have gone without a prescription or skipped a doctor's appointment for themselves or a child has increased since last year. In addition, this summer saw the first decline in prescription drug spending in almost a decade. Almost 20% of U.S. residents say they have trouble paying medical bills.

It's not just the uninsured who are affected. Even those who have group health insurance coverage are skimping because employers have raised their deductibles and copayments in order to cope with ever increasing insurance premiums. Increased out-of-pocket expenses for healthcare drive down utilization of health insurance benefits. Some that cutback in utilization is good because there was overuse of health benefits in the days of plush employer benefit plans, but there is a point where people's health will deteriorate because of forgoing preventive and routine care and result in bigger medical expenses down the road for treatment of serious illnesses.

Pakistan redeploying troops to Indian border

2008-12-27T10:26:00.001+07:00

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Pakistan began moving thousands of troops from the Afghan border toward India, officials and witnesses said Friday, raising tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors and possibly undermining the U.S.-backed campaign against al-Qaida and the Taliban.

The country also announced that it was canceling all military leave in the aftermath of last month's terror attack on the Indian financial capital of Mumbai.

India has blamed Pakistani militants for the terrifying three-day siege; Pakistan has demanded that India back this up with better evidence.

Pakistan's latest moves were seen as a warning that it would retaliate if India launches air or missile strikes against militant targets on Pakistani soil — rather than as an indication that a fourth war was imminent between the two countries.

The United States has been trying to ease the burgeoning crisis while also pressing Pakistan to crack down on militants Washington says were likely responsible for the Mumbai attack. The siege left 164 people dead after gunmen targeted 10 sites including two five-star hotels and a Jewish center.

On Friday, U.S. intelligence and military officials were trying to determine if the reported troop movements were true and — if so — what Pakistan's intent might be.

They cautioned that the reports may be exaggerated, aimed more at delivering a message than dispatching forces. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters.

Any significant troop movement would likely dash President-elect Barack Obama's strategy of having Pakistan concentrate on the threat emanating from the lawless tribal regions close to Afghanistan, where Osama bin Laden and other al-Qaida leaders are believed hiding out.

Obama said nothing publicly about the Pakistan situation Friday.

"This is a serious blow to the war on terror in the sense that the whole focus is now shifting toward the eastern border," said Talat Masood, a former general and military analyst. "It will give more leeway to the militants and increased space to operate."

Two Pakistani intelligence officials said Friday that elements of the army's 14th Infantry Division were being redeployed from the militant hotspot of Waziristan to the towns of Kasur and Sialkot, close to the Indian border.

The military began the troop movement Thursday and plans to shift a total of 20,000 soldiers — about one-fifth of the deployment in the tribal areas, they said without providing a timeframe.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.

An Associated Press reporter in the Dera Ismail Khan district and a witness thirty miles away in Bhakkar, a district bordering Waziristan, saw long lines of military vehicles carrying hundreds of soldiers and equipment away from the Afghan border toward India.

"It was a big, big convoy," said Mushtaq Bokhari, a resident of Bhakkar district in Punjab province close to the border with Pakistan's North West Frontier Province. "It took about three hours to pass through our city."

However, a senior Pakistani security official denied that the troops were being deployed to the Indian border.

He said a "limited number" of soldiers were being shifted from areas "where they were not engaged in any operations on the western border or from areas which were snowbound."

He declined further comment and asked that his name not be used, also citing the sensitivity of the situation.

Pakistan and India have fought three wars since their independence from Britain in 1947, two over Kashmir, a majority Muslim region in the Himalayas claimed by both countries.

They came close to a fourth after suspected Pakistani militants attacked India's parliament in 2001. Both countries deployed hundreds of thousands of troops to the disputed Kashmir region, but tensions cooled after intensive U.S. diplomacy.

India and Pakistan have said they want to avoid military conflict over the Mumbai attacks, and most analysts say war is unlikely, not least because both sides have too much to lose if conflict breaks out.

But India — which is under domestic pressure to respond forcefully — has not ruled out the use of force. And Pakistan has promised to respond aggressively to any strike on its soil.

Even as reports emerged Friday about a major redeployment, Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and other top government officials Friday sought to reduce tensions.

"We will not take any action on our own," Gilani told reporters. "There will be no aggression from our side."

Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee accused Pakistan of trying to divert attention away from what many analysts say is a halfhearted attempt to rein in homegrown terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, which India accuses of masterminding the Mumbai attacks.

"They should concentrate on the real issue: how to fight against terrorists and how to fight against and bring to book the perpetrators of Bombay terrorist attack," he said.

Pakistan says it has arrested several senior Lashkar members and cracked down on a charity the U.S. and the U.N. say was a front for Lashkar.

U.S. and Indian officials say Pakistan's powerful intelligence agencies created Lashkar and other militant groups in the 1980s by to battle Indian-rule in Kashmir.

While they have been careful not to accuse Pakistani state agencies in the Mumbai attacks, there are doubts that the young civilian government of President Asif Ali Zardari is strong enough to persuade the security forces to move decisively against the militants.

Pakistan has promised to cooperate with India in any probe but says it needs to see evidence before it can investigate any further. Mukherjee said Friday that India had provided more than enough evidence about the militants, who infiltrated Mumbai by sea.

"We have indicated to them that there are ample evidences from the log book of the captured ship, from the information available from satellite telephones and various others that elements from Pakistan were responsible for this attack," Mukherjee told reporters.

Pakistan has deployed more than 100,000 of its 600,000-strong army in Waziristan and other northwestern regions to fight Islamic militants blamed for surging violence against Western troops in Afghanistan as well as suicide attacks in Pakistan.

Security officials have previously said the country would be forced to withdraw troops from the Afghan border if tensions with India — whose army is twice as large — escalated.

Many of the country's remaining troops are believed to be based close to the Indian border already, a legacy of the countries' history of conflict.

C. Uday Bhaskar, former director of India's Institute of Defense Studies and Analyses, said he saw the troop movement as "more to do with a signal to the Americans — don't push us too hard.

"I think there's posturing within Pakistan to say, 'No one can push us around, not the Americans, not the Indians,'" he said.

____

Associated Press reporters Sebastian Abbot, Asif Shahzad and Zarar Khan in Islamabad, Sam Dolnick in New Delhi and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed to this report.

Kennedy says 9/11, Obama led her to public service

2008-12-27T10:18:00.000+07:00

NEW YORK – Caroline Kennedy emerged from weeks of near-silence Friday about her bid for a Senate seat by saying that after a lifetime of closely guarded privacy, she felt compelled to answer the call to service issued by her father a generation ago.

She said two events shaped her decision to ask Gov. David Paterson 11 days ago to consider her for the position if Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is confirmed as secretary of state: the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and her work for Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

In her first sit-down interview since she emerged as a Senate hopeful, the 51-year-old daughter of President John F. Kennedy cited her father's legacy in explaining her decision to seek to serve alongside her uncle Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy.

"Many people remember that spirit that President Kennedy summoned forth," she said. "Many people look to me as somebody who embodies that sense of possibility. I'm not saying that I am anything like him, I'm just saying there's a spirit that I think I've grown up with that is something that means a tremendous amount to me."

She also credited her mother, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, with giving her the courage to seek the job.

"I think my mother ... made it clear that you have to live life by your own terms and you have to not worry about what other people think and you have to have the courage to do the unexpected," she said.

Since Kennedy expressed interest in the job, she has faced sometimes sharp criticism that she cut in line ahead of politicians with more experience and has acted as if she were entitled to it because of her political lineage. More than a half-dozen elected officials are vying for the seat, including New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and several members of Congress.

Kennedy said that she had long been encouraged to seek public office and that Clinton's expected departure from the Senate offered the perfect opportunity to follow in the footsteps of her father, two uncles and cousins.

"Going into politics is something people have asked me about forever," a relaxed Kennedy said as she ate a grilled cheese and bacon sandwich and sipped coffee at a diner in Manhattan. "When this opportunity came along, which was sort of unexpected, I thought, `Well, maybe now. How about now?'"

She said she realizes she will have to prove herself and "work twice as hard as anybody else." She acknowledged, "I am an unconventional choice," but added: "We're starting to see there are many ways into public life and public service."

Since Kennedy's name first surfaced as a possible replacement for Clinton, her advisers have shielded her from the media, with the exception of a few brief interviews on a swing through upstate New York and a visit to Harlem with the Rev. Al Sharpton.

Some commentators likened her to Sarah Palin in the way her dealings with the media were being carefully managed.

She agreed to sit down for interviews Friday with The Associated Press and NY1 television.

Kennedy acknowledged that her recent time in the limelight — after a relatively private life as a wife, mother of three, best-selling author and fundraiser in New York City — had not gone entirely smoothly.

But she said she had turned down interview requests and tried not to appear to be campaigning for the job because she knew that the choice rested solely with the Democratic governor.

"I was trying to respect the process. It is not a campaign," she said. "It was misinterpreted. If I were to be selected, I understand public servants have to be accessible."

Asked about criticism from other politicians and members of the public that she seems to regard herself as entitled to the job as a member of America's most storied political dynasty, she said: "Everybody that knows me knows I haven't really lived that way. ... Nobody's entitled to anything, certainly not me."

Kennedy chuckled when she was asked if her brother, the late John F. Kennedy Jr., had ever suggested she run for public office some day. "He usually thought about himself," she said. "He would be laughing his head off at seeing what's going on right now."

She also was asked to explain why she failed to vote in a number of elections since registering in New York City in 1988, including in 1994 when Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan was up for re-election for the seat she hopes to take over.

"I was really surprised and dismayed by my voting record," she said. "I'm glad it's been brought to my attention."

Former New York Rep. Geraldine Ferraro, who urged Paterson last weekend to consider experienced members of Congress for the job, said she was glad to hear Kennedy was willing to "work twice as hard as others."

"I think it's great she understands she will have a tougher time," Ferraro said. "I don't know if she can work twice as hard because having been a member of Congress I know they work 24-7. They already work hard."

___

Associated Press reporter Michael Gormley contributed to this report from Albany.

Presidents Bush throwing shoes

2008-12-16T12:42:00.003+07:00

A TV journalist Baghdad Iraq, Muntazhar Furthermore (29) threw a pair of Sounds in the direction of the U.S. President, George Bush in the event a press conference. This is an insult to Bush. Former Israeli PM also had thrown shoes and sandals.

"in the Arab culture is a symbol of insult," said Member of Commission I FPKS House, Al-Muzzammil Joseph in short message through to Google, Mon (15/12/2008).

Muzzammil add, this has been done during the Iraq memukuli statue of Saddam Hussein by shoes and sandals. Similar events have also overrides the former Prime Minister of Israel, Ariel Sharon, which also thrown shoes and sandals by Muslims will be when the time came to Masjidil Aqsa.

"Egypt, Laos, Out Damned Spot Taher, also dilempari shoes by the people of Egypt setiba from kunjungnnya to Tel Aviv," added the head of the Department of Polhankam DPP MCC this.

Muzzammil believes, Bush has become the main actors hatred and having people of the world, not only Irak.

Former vice-Chairman of the House of Representatives Commission III of this opinion, it is impossible not to adjudicate claims Bush as war criminals will be more appreciated. Although the law will prove to be complicated. "The problem is more political power in the world dealing with the super power the U.S.," said the Muzzammil.

Bank of America plans up to 35,000 job cuts

2008-12-12T11:20:00.001+07:00

NEW YORK - Bank of America Corp. said Thursday it expects to cut 30,000 to 35,000 jobs over the next three years, as it faces a deteriorating economic environment and tries to absorb Merrill Lynch & Co.

The final number could be even higher, analysts say. Charlotte, North Carolina-based Bank of America said it hasn't yet completed its analysis for eliminating positions, and won't until early next year. The company and Merrill have about 308,000 employees in total, and the cuts will affect workers from both companies and all types of businesses.

Bank of America is considered one of the country's healthier banks, and its decision to slash so many jobs illustrates the breadth of the layoffs hitting the United States. The nation lost more than half a million jobs in November alone, and economists expect many more to come.

Bank of America's action is a particularly hard blow for Charlotte — which is also home to the beleaguered Wachovia Corp., a once strong bank that is now being acquired by Wells Fargo & Co. in what amounts to a fire sale. Just three months ago, when the Merrill Lynch deal was announced, Charlotte was dubbed Wall Street South; now, the banking center is being hit as hard as Wall Street and other towns across America, where people go to work in the morning unsure if they will still have a job that night.

Thursday's announcement of job cuts at Bank of America was hardly unexpected, considering the merger and the wave of job losses seen in the banking industry and in other sectors over the past few months. Bank of America and Merrill Lynch have already eliminated thousands of investment banking jobs over the past year, as have other banks, in an effort to lower costs as they face increasing defaults in mortgages, credit card debt and other loans.

With no end in sight yet to the economy's troubles, Bank of America might have to slash even more jobs as loan losses mount, said Alois Pirker, a senior analyst at Boston-based research firm Aite Group. If the company's earnings worsen from this year to next, "I think that might lead to more reductions."

Other big banks — which have all received loans from the government's bailout fund — have been cutting jobs as well.

New York-based Citigroup Inc. has been slashing jobs the most. By next year, Citigroup expects to have shrunk its work force by 75,000, or 20 percent, since its headcount peaked in late 2007.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. is shedding about 7,000 employees, or 10 percent, of its investment bank staff, and cutting 9,200 jobs at Washington Mutual Inc., the bank it acquired in September. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Morgan Stanley, meanwhile, are reducing their staffs by about 10 percent.

The massive layoffs have raised questions about executive pay: With so many people losing their jobs, should the companies' executives still receive lucrative packages? CEOs at Citigroup Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Bank of America Corp. have yet to reveal whether they will receive bonuses this year, but those at Merrill, Morgan Stanley and Goldman have announced that they will forgo them.

Some argue, though, that the shotgun deal between Bank of America and Merrill, valued at $50 billion when it was initially announced in September, may have saved jobs in the end. It was struck as the solvency of investment banks was in grave doubt, and kept Merrill from a complete meltdown like the one suffered by Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., which was forced to file for bankruptcy. Shareholders of both companies voted to approve the deal last week and it is expected to close by Jan. 1.

Bank of America shares fell $1.78, or 11 percent, to close at $14.91 on Thursday, while Merrill shares fell $1.43, or 10 percent, to $12.67.

In after-hours trading, Bank of America shares rose 12 cents to $15.03, and Merrill shares rose a penny to $12.68.

Online retailers ramp up deals to capture dollars

2008-11-28T12:56:00.000+07:00

NEW YORK (AP) - Online retailers are ramping up heavy-duty deals to turn skittish shoppers into buyers during the crucial Thanksgiving weekend and "Cyber Monday" - but even so, online sales are expected to be fairly flat after years of strong growth.

Free shipping is virtually a given, and many are offering financing options such as no payments for 90 days and deals like $10 off purchases of $50 or more, along with traditional discounts on products.

"Last year, people were spending a lot more money on gifts and products," says Jeff Wisot, vice president of marketing for online retailer Buy.com. "With the economic challenges arising this year, people are definitely spending less."

"Cyber Monday," a term coined by the trade group National Retail Federation in 2005 to describe the Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday, is the unofficial kickoff for the busy online retail season.

However, this year, consumer spending has dropped dramatically - down 1 percent in October, the largest amount since the 2001 terrorist attacks - as consumers grapple with a shaky economy, mounting job losses and a prolonged housing slump.

During the holidays, the trade group expects overall holiday spending will total about $470.4 billion, a 2.2 percent rise from a year ago and the slowest growth since 2002, and online retail is being hit along with brick-and-mortar stores. ComScore, a digital technology monitoring company, said Tuesday it expects online retail spending for November and December to be flat compared with the same two months in 2007. Last year's growth rate was 19 percent.

The expected slowdown in online growth is "dramatically different than what we've seen," says Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at NPD Group. "Consumers are not in a rush to shop."

In an effort to entice them, online retailers are offering a bounty of deals.

Wisot of Buy.com says his site is offering free shipping on most items, instant rebates and deals on TVs, GPS devices and other items.

Online jeweler BlueNile.com sent out a targeted e-mail promotion offering $100 off a $500 engagement ring, valid until Tuesday. And through Bill Me Later, an online payment site eBay.com is acquiring, BlueNile.com is offering 0 percent financing on purchases of $500 or more for six months. Bill Me Later has similar promotions for other online retailers.

Meanwhile, Amazon.com will take up to 65 percent off watches and offer one-day deals such as knife set that is usually $157 on sale for $49.99.

"We're bringing prices down as low as we can get them," Berman says. "These are great deals."

Online auction site eBay.com is holding what it calls the largest sale in its history, with $1 holiday doorbuster items hidden on the site that consumers hunt for, including a 65-inch Panasonic plasma HDTV and a 2009 Chevy Corvette. EBay also will offer items typically in demand for the holidays for bids starting at $1.

Toys "R" Us is offering more online promotions on Cyber Monday than last year, including 70 percent off Star Wars figures, $50 off the normally $59.99 Guitar Hero wired guitar controller from Activision and other deals.

And PayPal, another online payment site that eBay owns, is partnering with several retailers on deals. At Toys "R" Us, customers get $10 off purchases of $50 or more. Elsewhere, customers using PayPal can receive cash-back incentives ranging from 5 percent to 30 percent off at retailers including American Eagle Outfitters Inc. (AEO) (AEO), Overstock.com and Blockbuster.

Whether all the deals, rebates and discounting offers will help remains to be seen, says Dr. Michael Belch, a professor of marketing at San Diego State University.

"There's little doubt the consumer is still going to be very price sensitive," he says. "They're going to be looking for values."

IMF Wants A Financial Hand

2008-11-20T13:25:00.000+07:00

The fund desires an additional $100B to help countries impacted by the global credit crisis.

The International Monetary Fund has roughly $200.0 billion in its treasury for struggling economies, but with the global financial crisis spreading deeper into emerging markets, the IMF is going to need more funding, according to its managing directors.

"It is true to say that because of globalization, the amount which the IMF is asking for is increasing rapidly, and the list of countries asking for some support is increasing every day," said IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

Developing countries are being hit by the financial slowdown despite hopes that their limited exposure to the soured structured investment vehicles that tightened global credit markets would keep them largely insulated from economic weakness. Foreign investors, however, began pulling much-needed funding from the countries, pressuring their currencies and banks. (See "The Global Financial Crisis.")

"A lot of capital has left emerging market countries where stock markets are down 30.0% to 50.0% and currencies have come down," said Arvind Subramanian, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development. He said the Fund seems to be preparing for a protracted global slowdown since it has enough money to cover countries' needs in the short term.

"It would seem prudent to aim for a doubling of the resources available for Fund lending, even if the resources appear adequate in the current situation," said IMF First Deputy Managing Director John Lipsky, emphasizing that resources may not be enough if financial weakness isn't corrected before it spreads further. (See "The IMF Only Has So Much Oomf.")

The Ukraine, Iceland, Hungary, Serbia, Belarus and Turkey have already been talking to the IMF, which has 185 member countries.

So far, only Japan has offered additional funding with a $100.0 billion unilateral loan although Strauss-Kahn seems to be expecting more countries to come forward. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been lobbying Saudi Arabia and China for more money, and Subramanian said China is certainly in the position to offer financial support--though neither country is likely to give money without also asking for a more active role in managing the Fund, he added.

Gadget Teknologi Tinggi Susah Diperbaiki

2008-11-20T12:51:00.002+07:00

Kapanlagi.com - Belakangan hampir semua produsen peranti elektronik menawarkan produk dengan teknologi tinggi. Tuntutan untuk membuat gadget yang mampu mengerjakan banyak tugas dan mampu terkoneksi dengan peranti lain membuat gadget-gadget yang dijejali banyak fitur itu jadi tak mudah diperbaiki saat mengalami kerusakan. Setidaknya itulah hasil riset yang dilakukan baru-baru ini.

Pew Internet & American Life Project yang melakukan survei terhadap pengguna komputer, portable music player, ponsel, dan smartphone. Dan hasil dari survei ini menunjukkan bahwa sekitar 15% dari pengguna peranti ini yang mengalami kerusakan akhirnya menyerah karena tak bisa mencari teknisi untuk memperbaiki gadget mereka.

Hasil survei tersebut juga menunjukkan bahwa sekitar 38% dari pengguna menghubungi customer service sedangkan 28% mengaku berhasil memperbaikinya sendiri. 15% dari pengguna ini berhasil mencari 'pertolongan' lewat internet sementara 15% sisanya mengaku putus asa dan memutuskan untuk membeli gadget baru.

Seperti diberitakan oleh Associated Press hari Senin (17/11/08), tingginya tingkat kompleksitas dari produk gadget akhirnya membuat para produsen mulai 'merangkul' komunitas online untuk membantu mereka memberikan solusi bagi pelanggan yang mengalami kesulitan. Banyak produsen mulai menganggap bahwa fitur dan teknologi yang mereka cangkokkan pada produk mereka tak lagi dapat diatasi dengan layanan customer service.

Sementara dari sisi konsumen sendiri kadang juga mengalami masalah saat harus menghubungi costumer service karena mereka menggunakan dua produk dari produsen berbeda. Misalnya saja Anda menggunakan produk komputer dari satu produsen sementara printer yang Anda gunakan dibuat oleh produsen lain. Ini membuat konsumen kesulitan karena tak tahu harus menghubungi customer service yang mana. (ap/roc)

Spesifikasi USB 3.0 Sudah Beredar Resmi

2008-11-20T12:42:00.001+07:00

Kapanlagi.com - Setelah cukup lama jadi pembicaraan di internet, akhirnya USB Implementers Forum melepas juga spesifikasi resmi dari USB 3.0 yang konon akan mampu memberikan kecepatan transfer data hingga 10 kali lebih cepat dari yang ditawarkan USB 2.0 saat ini. Selain lebih cepat, SuperSpeed USB ini akan lebih hemat daya dibanding pendahulunya.

Dalam sebuah pernyataan resmi di hari Senin kemarin, Jeff Ravencraft, presiden USB Implementers Forum menyampaikan bahwa ukuran file yang digunakan kebanyakan pengguna komputer saat ini sudah sangat besar sehingga dibutuhkan kecepatan transfer lebih tinggi untuk tetap dapat memindahkan file ini antar komputer dan gadget dengan mudah.

Jeff Ravencraft berharap di akhir tahun 2009, produk komputer yang beredar sudah menggunakan USB 3.0 sementara gadget yang menggunakan teknologi ini diharap sudah beredar di tahun berikutnya. Spesifikasi USB 3.0 ini dirancang untuk dapat tetap kompatibel dengan versi sebelumnya.

Menurut sebuah berita yang dilansir ZDNet hari Senin (17/11/08) disebutkan bahwa Intel, HP, Microsoft, ST-NXP Wireless, NEC dan Texas Instruments juga terlibat dalam pembuatan spesifikasi USB 3.0 ini (kpl/roc)

China Akan Perbaiki Harga Minyak

2008-11-20T12:27:00.001+07:00

Kapanlagi.com - China diperkirakan akan memperbaiki mekanisme harga minyak dalam 20 hari ini sebagai bagian dari upaya untuk mengurangi konsumsi dan polusi udara, demikian dilaporkan media Rabu (19/11).

The China Daily yang mengutip Website yang tidak menyebutkan sumbernya sebagai mengatakan sistem harga baru akan disiarkan dalam 20 hari ini.

"Hal itu bertujuan untuk melengkapi perbaikan pajak bahan bakar China untuk produk minyak di bawah regulasi pemerintah.

China berkeinginan untuk mengubah model pertumbuhan ekonomi dengan mengurangi polusi dan lebih menekankan efisiensi, tapi para ahli mengatakan kebijaksanaan itu masih lebih banyak dikaji lagi untuk mencapai tujuan tersebut. (kpl/rif)

Harga Minyak Berhenti Pada US$50 Per Barel

2008-11-20T12:25:00.001+07:00

Kapanlagi.com - Harga minyak mentah dunia turun menjadi US$50 per barel, sebagai akibat menurunnya permintaan energi dunia dan pasar menunggu diumumkannya data mengenai cadangan minyak AS.

Harga minyak mentah Brent untuk pengiriman Januari turun 82 sen pada 51,02 dolar per barel pada perdagangan pagi di Bursa Intercontennetal London (ICE).

Sebelumnya harga minyak menyentuh US$50,61.

Pada Bursa Mercantile New Yorka, minyak mentah light sweet untuk pengiriman Desember turun 70 sen menjadi US$52,69 setiap barel.

Harga minyak menurun sekitar dua pertiga di atas US$147 pada Juli sebagai akibat menurunnya ekonomi dunia yang membawa pengaruh terhadap permintaan minyak dunia.

Sehubungan dengan anjlok harga minyak di London minggu lalu hingga menjadi US$50, negara-negara pengekspor minyak anggota OPEC menyerukan pertemuan darurat di Kairo guna membahas tingkat produksi.

Kemudian Rabu, Departemen Energi AS menyiarkan laporan mingguan cadangan energi di Amerika Serikat, negara konsumen terbesar dunia

G20 draft outlines concrete action plan: sources

2008-11-15T19:13:00.000+07:00

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A draft communique prepared for consideration by leaders of the Group of 20 advanced and emerging nations meeting this weekend will contain an action plan outlining concrete proposals, European G20 sources said on Friday.

"The summit will have concrete results. You can take this as guaranteed," a senior official of a European G20 country said.

The official said the draft statement contains both a section dealing with the causes of the global credit crisis and an "action plan."

"The action plan will contain several headlines, under which concrete proposals are summarized," the official added. "There is a division between actions which should be taken immediately until March 31st and medium-term actions."

G20 leaders gathered in Washington on Friday for weekend talks aimed at finding ways to turn back a virulent credit crisis and protect the global economy from the risk of severe recession. The nations also plan to discuss ways to prevent future crises.

"Among the headlines are more transparency, more regulations, more supervision and a closer international cooperation in all these areas," the European official said.

The source said the G20 will also ask countries to resist rising protectionist pressures and call for reaching an agreement to pave the way for completion of the Doha round of global trade talks by year-end.

(Reporting by Gernot Heller; writing by Tim Ahmann; editing by Todd Eastham)

Dollar mixed against rivals

2008-11-14T10:42:00.000+07:00

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The U.S. dollar was mixed against its major trading partners Thursday as investors responded to bleak economic news and falling stock prices.

The euro was trading up against the dollar at $1.2495 from $1.2479 late Wednesday in New York. The 15-nation currency briefly fell below $1.24 overnight after German finance officials said Europe's largest economy tumbled into recession.

The British pound was down another 3 pence at $1.4607 from $1.4938. The dollar rose to a 6-year high against the pound Wednesday as investors bet the Bank of England will continue to aggressively cut interest rates.

Against the Japanese yen, the dollar rose to ¥95.46 from ¥94.94. The yen fell 1.3% against the euro to trade at ¥119.95.

The yen's decline came after the Reserve Bank of Australia confirmed that it is buying Australian dollars to help prop up the Aussie currency. The RBA's move bolstered the market's appetite for risk as investors speculated that other central banks will intervene.

But grim news about the German economy damped enthusiasm for higher yielding currencies like the euro.

Germany's gross domestic product contracted by 0.5% in the July-September period compared with the previous quarter, according to the country's statistical office. It was a much sharper fall than the roughly 0.2% decline economists had expected.

In the previous quarter, Germany's GDP fell 0.4%, which was the first decline since late 2004, after a 1.4% growth rate in the first quarter.

Despite the dour economic news, the Germany's DAX stock index rose 0.6% as investors appeared to have priced in the weak GDP numbers.

"It's not a surprise that the Germany economy is in a recession," said Ashraf Liadi, chief currency analyst at CMC Markets in New York.

But the euro has managed to remain relatively buoyant despite the heavy burden of a German recession.

"The market is showing a brief interruption in the selling that we've seen in five out of the last six sessions," Liadi said. Currency traders are "doing some buying so they can do some selling later on."

Other European markets were mixed. France's CAC 40 rose more than 1% while the FTSE in London was down 0.3%.

In the United States, stocks were down for the fourth day in a row, falling below key support levels as fears of a prolonged recession weighed on the market.

The selloff comes despite a government report that showed the nation's trade balance narrowed in September.

While the report would normally have been considered a positive, the improvement was largely due to a decline in oil imports and weaker exports due to global economic weakness.

"Equities appear to be pulling the currency market around by the ear," said Steve Malyon, currency strategist at Scotia Capital in Toronto. "So the focus will likely remain on whether the stability in Europe can hold, or a fresh round of selling gives a renewed lift to the U.S. dollar and yen."

Group of 20 countries

2008-11-14T10:38:00.000+07:00

Argentina

Australia

Brazil

Britain

Canada

China

European Union

France

Germany

Indonesia

Italy

Japan

Mexico

Russia

Spain

South Africa

Saudi Arabia

South Korea

Turkey

United States

Pushing for global reforms at G-20

2008-11-14T10:37:00.000+07:00

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- World leaders will descend on Washington Friday to talk about what's needed to get the global economy back on track. But few expect quick fixes.

Leaders from the so-called Group of 20, which includes the United States, members of the European Union, China, Saudi Arabia and Brazil, agreed to the summit late last month at the height of the global financial crisis.

Stumbling blocks are already emerging for the two-day talks.

Some European officials including French President Nicholas Sarkozy, are expected to push for more coordinated regulation, which could include greater oversight of credit-rating agencies and hedge funds.

It is far from clear, however, that the White House would endorse any concrete measures.

For one thing, President-elect Barack Obama has said he will not attend the summit.

"The fact is that anything big will necessarily have to wait until the next administration," said Arvind Subramanian, senior fellow at Peterson Institute for International Economics.

In addition, in a speech Thursday, President George W. Bush stressed that the purpose of the meeting was to lay the foundation for reforms, but not necessarily the exact structure.

"This undertaking is too large to be accomplished in a single discussion," President Bush said, speaking before the Manhattan Institute in New York City.

Bush administration officials said at a press briefing earlier this week that they expected another G-20 meeting to take place sometime in early 2009.

The summit represents the latest effort by countries around the globe to address what continues to be a painful and unrelenting economic crisis.

What began as a problem in the U.S. housing market more than a year ago has spread far and wide, infecting all corners of the global financial system.

Hoping to stem the crisis, countries around the globe have acted both in concert and individually in recent weeks.

Last month, for example, central banks from several countries enacted a coordinate interest rate cut.

Major economies, including the United States and China, have announced massive stimulus plans. Many have taken measures, such as investing in their banks, to lubricate credit markets.

In many ways, this weekend's talks are already shaping up to be a meeting of historic proportions, as all heads of state from the G-20 will convene for the first time.

Some observers have referred to the summit as "Bretton Woods II" - a nod to a similar global economic summit held six decades ago.

In July of 1944, world leaders convened in the New Hampshire resort town of Bretton Woods in an attempt to reverse some of the painful trade and foreign exchange policies enacted in the wake of the Great Depression. Those talks ultimately gave rise to both the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Few experts expect that G-20 leaders will enact such sweeping policy measures this weekend, but there are certain areas that appear ripe for change.

Create new market for credit default swaps: One area certain to go under the regulatory knife could very well be the whopping credit default swap market, which some have argued contributed to the current crisis by helping to bring such major financial institutions as AIG (AIG, Fortune 500) and Lehman Brothers to their knees.

There have been increasing calls to create a central clearinghouse for these opaque, over-the-counter derivatives, to limit the fallout when a firm that both buys and sells these products fails.

"Had these instruments been traded on exchanges or more specifically a central clearinghouse, these problems would not have had such a massive ripple effect across borders," said Benn Steil, senior fellow and director of international economics at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Accounting rules: Accounting rules have been a concern among many individuals involved in the crisis.

Some industry experts have argued that current mark-to-market accounting standards have caused billions of dollars in losses by forcing banks to report artificially low values for assets on their balance sheets.

Bush administration officials indicated this week that creating a global accounting standard could certainly win favor among leaders as G-20 talks continue.

Such a move could provide investors around the world greater clarity about the securities they purchase, such as mortgage-backed securities, which helped fuel the fallout when the U.S. housing market soured.

Global regulation; more power for the IMF: Other areas could garner attention during the talks, including what actions should be taken regarding credit rating agencies as well as the likelihood of any further economic stimulus.

But what could prove to be one of the trickiest parts of this and any future summits, are discussions centered around markets and large financial institutions.

World leaders seem to agree that the existing regulatory framework needs to be updated, but opinions on what steps need to be taken vary wildly.

One approach could involve granting greater powers to the Financial Stability Forum, which represents central bankers and regulators, or the International Monetary Fund, which has played a large role in recent weeks helping to bail out struggling countries.

Leading international economists, such as Daniel Gros, director of the Centre for European Policy Studies, note that the IMF's profile could be elevated to serve as an early warning system for the next crisis.

"G-20 members should boost IMF independence so it can act as a global 'whistleblower' to help call the next crisis," Gros wrote as part of a project sponsored by economics professors Barry Eichengreen and Richard Baldwin for the Centre for Economic Policy Research.

One idea that could crystallize, notes Steil from the Council on Foreign Relations, is the creation of a college of regulatory supervisors that would exchange notes about some of the trends and risks they are seeing within their own borders.

Take a large bank such as Deutsche Bank (DB), said Steil. It has a footprint in countries around the globe. If the company were to get into trouble, Germany could warn fellow regulators about the firm's weakened state and take coordinated action, helping to stave off a contagion.

"I think that idea has legs," Steil said. "There is a strong case for having at the very least most international coordination to deal with systemically important financial institutions."

What bad banking news means to you

2008-11-14T10:31:00.000+07:00

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Bad news about the banking industry may have you wondering about the safety of your hard earned cash at your own bank.

In the past year there have been four bank failures.

And the chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp and banking industry experts foresee many bank failures down the road.

"Regulators are bracing for 100-200 bank failures over the next 12-24 months," says Jaret Seiberg, an analyst with the financial services firm, the Stanford Group.

Expected loan losses, the deteriorating housing market and the credit squeeze are blamed for the drop in bank profits.

The problem areas will be concentrated in the Rust Belt, in places like Ohio and Michigan and other states like California, Florida and Georgia.

The number of institutions categorized as "problem" institutions by the FDIC has also grown from 50 at the end of 2006 to 76 at the end of last year.

But to put that in perspective -- by the end of 1992 -- at the tail end of the banking crisis -- there were 1,063 banks on that "trouble" list says David Barr of the FDIC.

Banking experts say there is one thing that will save your money if your bank goes under. That's FDIC insurance. "It's the gold standard," says banking consultant Bert Ely. "The FDIC has ample resources. It's never been an issue," he says.

The FDIC insures deposits in banks and thrift institutions. The federal agency was created during the Great Depression in response to thousands of bank failures. The FDIC maintains that not one depositor has lost a single cent of insured funds since 1934 as a result of a bank failure

Experts say you shouldn't panic.

"The banking industry comes into this in a very sound condition," says Ely.

Seiberg agrees. "This is not a repeat of the S&L debacle of the late '80s and early '90s. Banks are entering this credit cycle with better capital and better earnings. Many more of them can weather the storms ahead," he says.

And there could be a silver lining. Banks looking for cash may offer some of the best short-term CD rates. "It's a cheap way for banks to make money," says Greg McBride of Bankrate.com.

Protecting your money

Here's how to make sure you pick a safe bank. First, look for the FDIC logo at your local branch. If you don't see it, ask the bank, or go to the FDIC's Web site and click on "Bank Find." Here you'll be able to see if the bank carries this guarantee.

Don't Miss

This step is especially important if you're using an Internet-only bank or a bank you've never heard of. You can also check out the financial health of a banking institution at www.bankrate.com.

The FDIC also maintains a list of bank rating agencies on its Web site that can assess a banks financial stability. But in many cases, these companies charge a fee.

As loan delinquencies rise, and bank failures increase, the FDIC is shoring up its reserves. The agency is bringing back formerly retired employees to bolster a division that deals specifically with bank failures. Many of these agency veterans worked for the FDIC during the late 1980s and early 1990s, when thousands of financial institutions failed during the savings-and-loan crisis according to Barr..

Know your limits

As an individual, your deposits are insured up to $100,000 in an FDIC-insured bank. This includes your savings, your checking, any certificate of deposits (CDs) and money market accounts. Joint accounts can be insured up to $200,000.

IRAs and Keoghs -- these are retirement plans for people who are self-employed -- can be insured up to $250,000. These retirement accounts are considered separate from your individual bank accounts.

If you have money in a credit union, the same protections exist. However, instead of the FDIC insurance, deposits are insured under the National Credit Union Administration, another government agency.

Of course, banks offer much more than your bread-and-butter savings and checking accounts. Some offer investments such as mutual funds or stock funds, which generally promise higher rates of return than CDs, are not insured by the FDIC nor are they insured by the broker/dealer. The general rule is deposits are FDIC-guaranteed, but not investments.

And keep in mind, annuities, life insurance policies -- even the contents of your safe-deposit box -- are not insured. If you're worried you don't have enough insurance on your accounts, the FDIC Web site has a tool that will allow you to calculate your insurance coverage. It's called the electronic deposit insurance estimator -- or EDIE for short. You can also call the agency at 877-ASK-FDIC.

And rest assured if you have U.S. savings bonds or treasury bills, the principle and interest on these products are backed by the faith and credit of the federal government so there's no risk of default as long as you don't sell these products before they mature says McBride.

If your bank bites the dust, there's nothing to fear according to the FDIC. A healthier banking institution normally buys the failed bank according to Barr. "There is little or no interruption to the consumer," he says. "If you go to bed one night as a customer of a bank, and you wake up as a customer of a new bank, there is nothing you have to do." Your checks will still clear, you can still use your ATM card.

But, there can be changes to the terms of your original deposit. For example, if you took out a CD with an annual percentage rate of 3.5 percent, it's entirely possible the new bank will drop that interest rate. If that happens, you have the option to withdraw your funds without penalty.

Loans are handled differently. If you took out a loan with a bank, for example an auto loan or a mortgage, those interest rates and terms of interest remain the same regardless of the new bank.

If no buyer can be found to take over the failed bank, customers are written a check with their deposit money within 48 hours.

Belajar Dari Kegagalan

2008-11-05T13:28:00.001+07:00

Kegagalan merupakan label yang seringkali kita hubungkan dengan suatu tindakan yang tidak berhasil dan begitu diterapkan, label ini membuat kita dikatakan orang yang tidak mampu. Hal ini menurunkan semangat kita untuk menjadi orang yang sukses. Pada saat kita masih kecil, kegagalan tidak mempunyai makna, karena kita tidak mempunyai konsep “kegagalan”. Jika kita memiliki konsep kegagalan, maka kita tidak akan dapat berbicara, tidak akan dapat menulis dan tidak akan dapat berjalan. Karena untuk berbicara, menulis dan berjalan harus melalui kegagalan yang tak terhitung jumlahnya. Demikian juga dalam dunia bisnis juga dapat meniru kegagalan kita di masa kecil dan kita dapat belajar dari kegagalan tersebut.

Coca-Cola mengalami kegagalan pada tahun pertama penjualannya. Penjualan dilakukan dengan menempatkan Coca-Cola pada tempat minuman di Apotek dan menghabiskan dana 73,96 dolar untuk melakukan promosi lewat spanduk dan kupon iklan. Kegagalan tersebut membuat Coca-Cola membuat kesadaran adanya media lain, yaitu media massa yang mempunyai kekuatan lebih disbanding media lainnya saat itu dan mempromosikan Coca-Cola dengan suasana kegembiraan.

Matsushita memproduksi untuk pertama kali adalah adaptor steker. Adaptor ini sesungguhnya telah diusulkannya kepada majikannya terdahulu tetapi tidak memperoleh tanggapan. Untuk membuat produk ini, Matsushita bersama empat kawannya membutuhkan waktu empat bulan. Setelah produk ini jadi, ternyata tidak seorangpun mau membeli produk ini.

Pada tahun 1993, Compaq yang pada saat itu sebagai pemimpin pasar penjualan PC, melalukan pemotongan harga untuk menyaingi Dell. Hasilnya Dell Computer menderita kerugian 65 juta dolar pada enam bulan pertama, yang menyebabkan hampir bangkrut. Dell belajar dari kegagalan ini. Ia mencoba mencari cara lain untuk menjual komputer. Akhirnya Dell melakukan perubahan yang sangat mendasar dalam proses bisnisnya yang disebut rekayasa ulang. dalam bisnisnya dengan mengenalkan E-Commerce. Pada 1999, Dell dapat menjual 1,7 juta dolar per hari lewat situs E-Commercnya. Saham Dell naik 2000 persen dalam dua tahun. Dell mampu bersaing dengan perusahaan berkelas dunia seperti IBM, Compaq, HP, dan Bell-Nec. Bahkan pangsa pasar dan keuntungannya terus meningkat dan akhirnya menjadi penjual PC terbesar di dunia.

(Edit From M.Suyanto.com)

Global Crisis was Reflected by Difficulty to Open the L/C

2008-11-03T09:22:00.000+07:00

Global crisis was reflected by difficulty some exportir to open the Letter of Credit (L/C) to United Stated of America (USA) and European market. Almost 50 percent of export contracts from Indonesia especially for long term contract was cancelled by the importir. Head of Indonesian’s Association of Enterpreunership, Sofwan Wanandi, said that the demand from USA and European market was decrease and it has been impact directly to our textile, shoes, electronic and fishenary sector. Some of these contracts agreement has been cancelled by the importir. Our exportir was begun difficulty to realize their export market to the overseas like USA and European market. It caused by no more L/C-guarantee from the importir. Some of the importir has been implementing some regulation for consignee system only for our products, it means that the payment will be realize if the products was sold. It is very worse condition for our exportir growth and the government must be solving the problem by quickly to guarantee the payment by another system. For the informastion that on August 2008, export value for non-migas sector was reached US$ 9,56 billion and US$ 1 billion was contributed by USA market.

from(http://mybusinessblogging.com)

Public Relations Strategy (3)

2008-10-29T13:48:00.002+07:00

Employee relationship is very important as an investor and public relations. Employee relations activities to provide support for the organization to respect the work and life. Employee relations activities include internal communication, training and development programs, employee assistance programs and programs of human resources.
Planning public relations include the following: set public targets, select messages and vehicle-vehicle is feasible and evaluate the results of the public.
Public relations combination of successful advertising in publications is the twin of the Toyota Avanza and Xenia Diahatsu. Similarly, the Suzuki APV. Rinso with "Jemuran terpanjang" and Lifebuoy with Healthy Share.

(From http://msuyanto.com)

Public Relations Strategy (2)

2008-10-29T13:48:00.001+07:00

Method of public relations and publicity, which is the main publication, important activities, sponsor events, news, events, community service activities, the media the identity of the company, employee relations, product placement on television programs or movies and information services and Internet phone.
Publication of the reliance on published materials to reach and influence the target market. Publications include the annual report, reports, articles, magazine companies and audiovisual materials.

News that supports companies, products and people is a public relations tasks. News can be delivered through newspapers, magazines, television, supplier, customer or key employees of the company. Betadine is a Top Brand drugs for wounds. News selected as the antiseptic Betadine used in NASA space flight made this brand trusted by the community. Similarly, the coverage plug supply treating agent Tunggal almost Holders Brand is a telling the world that have made the contribution for treating a Top Brand in Indonesia.
Feature article is written to 3,000 words prepared for the benefit or specific targets. For example, companies build new production facilities that are known by the public, trading rooms, local government and other perusahaa around the location of the feature articles published by local or regional media. Feature articles usually focus on the implications or the economic impact of company actions.
White Papers similar to the feature article, but more technical and focused on the topic that is very special diminasi the company's shareholders. White Papers promote the company's stance on important product or market issues and can be used to promote products and solutions that made the company. White Papers extensively in the field of information technology, the company is continuously working to develop standards to protect the innovation and technology.
Activities conducted for the company can attract consumers to products through seminars, anniversary, exhibitions, contests, and competition to reach the target community. Betadine Fatigon activities with the theme of "Spirit On The Spot" which was held in Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang and Surabaya.

(From http://msuyanto.com)

Public Relations Strategy (1)

2008-10-29T13:47:00.001+07:00

Companies use the method public relations (public realations) to convey messages and toss attitude, image and the correct opinion. Public relations (public relations) is one of the campaign / communication important. During this, no more than public relations campaign tools / communications least used, but these tools have the potential to build awareness and frequency in the market, to strengthen the position of the product again, and to maintain the product. Public relations (humasa) often is with publicity. Actually, the publicity is only a part of public relations. Publicity activities of the company, which is designed to trigger the attention of the media through articles, editorial and news that are expected to help maintain awareness, perspective and image of the community thought to be the company remains positive. Publicity can be used to benefit a single, mislanya launch new products or reduce the negative opinion that happens. Publicity can also be used for the double benefit, for example, improving some aspects of the activities of the company.
Many companies use marketing public relations (marketing realations public) to make the campaign a company or product and create the image of the company and products. Public relations has marketing roles, including:
• Assist in launching new products, for example, launched a new product Pantene Hair Fall Control to answer the needs of consumers to reduce hair fall because of a broken claimed up to 98% with regular usage for two months. Share knowledge about the Pantene hair fall to press the case for women in Indonesia experienced a fall because of broken hair.
• Assist in doing return the product placement position that is mature, such as the PT. UNILEVER after the ketchup maker Cap Bango in 2001, Unilever perform repositioning sauce Cap Bango do with cooking competitions involving mothers household for Jakarta and West Java. And then resumed activities cart Sate Bango food traders who look at the road side and the Festival Hawker Bango included in the television as previously be by Bondan Winarno, Indonesia's culinary experts. Finally Cap Bango soy sauce into a position of market share ranking of the two.
• Developing interest in a product category, for example, invites Maspion to buy products made in Indonesia.
• Affecting target specific groups, such as the Extra Joss sponsored Qurban 2 billion and then go along with 600 traders asongan Jabotabek-se, so get a good image of Islam. Extra Joss currently ranks first for the alternative energy drink category.
• Maintain a product that experienced problems in the community, such as Lion Air is intended to name after the accident in Solo, but Lion Air is able to attract sympathy with the return in cooperation with Metro TV in the disaster in Aceh to help with a seat free for a number of departing passengers to Aceh and provide special aircraft to carry aid to Aceh goods for free.
• Building the image of companies that support the products, for example, a family Sosrojoyo holding the noble values that believed, that is good, not dangerous to human health and does not damage the environment. Finally Soetjipto Sosrojoyo get Life Time Achievement Award in Marketing, can strengthen its brand of tea Sosro the brand is currently ranked first in the packaged tea category.

(From http://msuyanto.com)

Strategic management

2008-10-29T13:46:00.000+07:00

Strategic management is the art, science and craft of formulating, implementing and evaluating cross-functional decisions that will enable an organization to achieve its objectives[1]. It is the process of specifying the organization's mission, vision and objectives, developing policies and plans, often in terms of projects and programs, which are designed to achieve these objectives, and then allocating resources to implement the policies and plans, projects and programs. Strategic management seeks to coordinate and integrate the activities of the various functional areas of a business in order to achieve organizational objectives. A balanced scorecard is often used to evaluate the overall performance of the business and its progress towards objectives.

Strategic management is the highest level of managerial activity. Strategies are typically planned, crafted or guided by the Chief Executive Officer, approved or authorized by the Board of directors, and then implemented under the supervision of the organization's top management team or senior executives. Strategic management provides overall direction to the enterprise and is closely related to the field of Organization Studies. In the field of business administration it is useful to talk about "strategic alignment" between the organization and its environment or "strategic consistency" According to Arieu (2007), "there is strategic consistency when the actions of an organization are consistent with the expectations of management, and these in turn are with the market and the context."

“Strategic management is an ongoing process that evaluates and controls the business and the industries in which the company is involved; assesses its competitors and sets goals and strategies to meet all existing and potential competitors; and then reassesses each strategy annually or quarterly [i.e. regularly] to determine how it has been implemented and whether it has succeeded or needs replacement by a new strategy to meet changed circumstances, new technology, new competitors, a new economic environment., or a new social, financial, or political environment.” (Lamb, 1984:ix)[2]

(From Wikipedia.org)

Organizing a business

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The major factors affecting how a business is organized are usually:

The size and scope of the business, and its anticipated management and ownership. Generally a smaller business is more flexible, while larger businesses, or those with wider ownership or more formal structures, will usually tend to be organized as partnerships or (more commonly) corporations. In addition a business which wishes to raise money on a stock market or to be owned by a wide range of people will often be required to adopt a specific legal form to do so.
The sector and country. Private profit making businesses are different from government owned bodies. In some countries, certain businesses are legally obliged to be organized certain ways.
Limited liability. Corporations, limited liability partnerships, and other specific types of business organizations protect their owners from business failure by doing business under a separate legal entity with certain legal protections. In contrast, unincorporated businesses or persons working on their own are usually not so protected.
Tax advantages. Different structures are treated differently in tax law, and may have advantages for this reason.
Disclosure and compliance requirements. Different business structures may be required to make more or less information public (or reported to relevant authorities), and may be bound to comply with different rules and regulations.

Many businesses are operated through a separate entity such as a corporation, limited partnership or limited liability company. Most legal jurisdictions allow people to organize such an entity by filing certain charter documents with the relevant Secretary of State or equivalent and complying with certain other ongoing obligations. The relationships and legal rights of shareholders, limited partners, or members are governed partly by the charter documents and partly by the law of the jurisdiction where the entity is organized. Generally speaking, shareholders in a corporation, limited partners in a limited partnership, and members in a limited liability company are shielded from personal liability for the debts and obligations of the entity, which is legally treated as a separate "person." This means that unless there is misconduct, the owner's own possessions are strongly protected in law, if the business does not succeed.

Where two or more individuals own a business together but have failed to organize a more specialized form of vehicle, they will be treated as a general partnership. The terms of a partnership are partly governed by a partnership agreement if one is created, and partly by the law of the jurisdiction where the partnership is located. No paperwork or filing is necessary to create a partnership, and without an agreement, the relationships and legal rights of the partners will be entirely governed by the law of the jurisdiction where the partnership is located.

A single person who owns and runs a business is commonly known as a sole proprietor, whether he or she owns it directly or through a formally organized entity.

A few relevant factors to consider in deciding how to operate a business include:

General partners in a partnership (other than a limited liability partnership), plus anyone who personally owns and operates a business without creating a separate legal entity, are personally liable for the debts and obligations of the business.
Generally, corporations are required to pay tax just like "real" people. In some tax systems, this can give rise to so-called double taxation, because first the corporation pays tax on the profit, and then when the corporation distributes its profits to its owners, individuals have to include dividends in their income when they complete their personal tax returns, at which point a second layer of income tax is imposed.
In most countries, there are laws which treat small corporations differently than large ones. They may be exempt from certain legal filing requirements or labor laws, have simplified procedures in specialized areas, and have simplified, advantageous, or slightly different tax treatment.
In order to "go public" (sometimes called IPO) -- which basically means to allow a part of the business to be owned by a wider range of investors or the public in general -- you must organize a separate entity, which is usually required to comply with a tighter set of laws and procedures. Most public entities are corporations that have sold shares, but increasingly there are also public LLCs that sell units (sometimes also called shares), and other more exotic entities as well (for example, REITs in the USA, Unit Trusts in the UK). However, you cannot take a general partnership "public."

(From Wikipedia.org)

Starting Business Without Money

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Business have cash money, it is commonplace. But not true, I may start a business without money cash. Could we have started a business without cash? I think it may be. Why not? If we
able to optimize our thinking, it will be many roads that can be applied to the problem
for the capital, we can start a business. Only problem for the capital, we can start a business. only case, the money comes from? Logically, all the business that need capital money.
Indeed, most of us always complain that the lack of capital money as the reason why we "reluctant" to pay tribute. Actually, the most vital capital was not the money, but the non-physical capital.I am sure, if it can not be fulfilled, then the search for capital money is not a problem that is not possible, though personally we do not have the money. While we know that business opportunities have been there in front of the eye. Of course, how well, if we do not delay to start business . we know, that many sources of capital. Such as savings, money Pesangon, loans in the bank and the cooperative or from financial institutions or from other parties. However, if we had not have savings, or money say there is no courage to borrow money in the bank or cooperative, I think we also need not worry. Because there is a way to start a business, although we do not have the cash .For Example, we can become a mediator. For example, a interpose selling and buying a house, buy and sell motor and others. The advantage that we can be of the sales commission or other ways of the agreement with the owner's roducts. We can also create a business with the way consumers conduct
payment in advance. In this case, we can find a business where it targets the consumer business that we want or pay the money before the business, good services and products, it happens. For example, can done in the service business, such as education services industry. Where, students are required to pay first before the front the education process is also.for example, there are people who order the goods on us, but before the goods who ordered it so, the consumer has to provide advance first. This means, the same we have been given capital
by costumer.Still no other way start a business without our own cash. For example, using the system for the results. Typically, how much of this business model applied in Padang Restaurant. Where we as a people that have cooking, while patner business owners of capital as we work together and uang. We benefits that are obtained are divided in accordance with the agreement. Or we may want another way? Of course, there is.
For example, we can do with the system of barter with suppliers, and even if we have a certain expertise, why not just become a consultant. In addition, how can we take the first product that will traded, only for the payment can be done after the product is sold to consumers. Of course,
there are many other ways to start our business without money . therefore, I, we should not
need to lose heart or fear deemed low, when in fact we did not have the cash but gasp
to start a business. I am sure, we have the cash but keen to start a business. I am sure,
we have a great willingness to become an entrepreneur or Entrepreneurs, it will always be at least there is a way to start a business. In fact, few businessmen who do not have to reach success despite the start I have a business without money It shows that if there is not correct that says "I may we have started a business without cash. "However, to achieve quick success - especially without have the cash - it is not as easy as we are to reverse the palms. All require struggle.

True Story Of Starting a business (Part 2)

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Pierre Omidyar started the business with a degree in computer science. He was interested in developing the technology for different products and consumers love the idea that he can take the concept with all the way through the delivery of products to consumers, and their reaction shows and changing them. Internet gives you a place to do it, because you can publish software quickly, you can get a reaction from your customers quickly and Andapun do know if the error quickly. He thinks, how the auction in Paris of participants do not go to Paris, but in their homes or offices in each. Finally Omidyar founded on the Internet auction company with the name eBay in 1995. Before Omidyar founded eBay with i establish eSharp, which provide experience as Entrepreneurs. eBay is a company that relies on trust. Imagine! People want to pay what dilelangkan with only see an image only. Without trust this company will not run. Net income more than three times reached 1.35 million dollars in the third quarter of 1999, with sales increased to 58.5 million dollars. The amount of that conduct registration on the site eBay increased from 5.6 million to be 7.7 million compared with the previous quarter and increased 1.3 million dollars in the same period the previous year. Penjulan value of the goods on the web site jump from 195 million dollars into 741 million dollars. eBay auction is the best company in the Internet in 2002, the magazine version of Yahoo.

(From http://msuyanto.com/baru/?p=802#more-802)

True Story Of Starting a business (Part 1)

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Kiichiro Toyoda is the son of the founder of the company Toyoda Spinning & Weaving Co., which moves in the field of automatic loom. After completing engineering studies, he decided to start a business with the company to change the car into production and change the company name from Toyoda become Toyota in the year 1936. Kiichiro Toyoda became President of the company's Toyota until 1950. The first car made the Model AA Model and the Crown. Overseas offices established in Taiwan is first and then Saudi Arabia. Company starters began to produce forklift trucks (vessel / trailer), which made the number one company in the world in this market. Trucks entering the United States market of 1958 and 1965 the UK market. But the Model Crown failed to enter the United States, because the car is designed for the Japanese market, are not designed for the roads free of the constraints in the United States. Finally, Toyota Corolla make in 1968 and achieve success so that they can shift Volkswagen as the number one imported car in the United States. Even penetrate the heart of the city United States by cooperating with General Motors to Toyota in the United States. Camry is a car with tersukses sales in the United States in 1997. Toyota is now reaching the business to other sectors, namely financial services, telecommunications, housing, machinery navy, recreational boats, the distribution of parts and flight services. Now Toyota is the number three car maker in the world after General Motors and Ford. Yoyota have to sell 5 million vehicles per year.

(From http://msuyanto.com)

Starting a business

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Many complained that to open a business opportunity is not there. This is a classic complaint that can not be with us again. Indeed, to start a business we can do with a variety of ways, one with the education that we have. Jerry Yang and David Filo, the founders of Yahoo start a business with education. They are students from Stanford University. Yahoo started from the back parking lots is now growing rapidly. Jerry Yang and David Filo started the business from small and simple. Jerry Yang describes the discovery that Yahoo is "an accident" when he and Filo tesis complete. Filo and that this launch Yahoo when they sit in the universities, before they complete studies. They start doing business with the listing several web sites that they like and write some software that allows a website to get other web sites that will be placed on a web portal called. At the time established in 1994, named Terry's Guide To The World Wide Web. When they know that their sites visited by people from 90 countries, spontaneously say "Yahoo" and finally the words that are used to name their company. In 1999, Yahoo reach star status. Net income in quadruplicate fourth quarter of 57.6 million dollars, while revenue jump from 91 million dollars into 201 million dollars. Now, Yahoo is the best portal in 2002.

(From http://msuyanto.com/baru/?p=802#more-802)