Amazon’s forthcoming app store promises users an alternative Android Market that promises better and more visible apps. – Lost amid the uproarious din first generated by the Consumer Electronics Show and then closely followed by Verizons triumphant release of an old iPhone model was my favorite announcement of the new year: Amazon is creating its own Android application store, and the online retailer will be certifying…
The STI is down 0.1% at 3,257.96 midday amid broadly lower Asian bourses after Friday’s weakness on Wall Street, spurred by disappointing US employment data.
Though the broader market is slightly positive, gainers just pip decliners, while 1.27 billion shares have been traded worth $825 million, showing interest in lower liners and penny stocks is still rife, with Transcu (E15.SG), +6.3% at $0.085 and MDR (A27.SG), flat at $0.05, the two most active stocks today.
Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 can succeed in 2011 if it continues to add to its capabilities, according to an analyst. – Microsofts Windows Phone 7 can gain market-share throughout 2011 and beyond,
provided it continues to add capabilities and applications, according to a new
research note from IDC.
Much of that potential growth will rely on Microsofta expanding Windows
Phone 7s portfolio to CDMA-based (Code Divi…
Did you catch the latest video premiere from pint-sized pop pianist Greyson Chance? Chance, a 13-year-old musical prodigy, came to the attention of Emmy-winner Ellen DeGeneres after the web fell head over heels for his YouTube cover of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi.” The clip landed Greyson a deal with DeGeneres’ newly-formed record label and racked up [...]
According to a study released today workers have up to a 1 in 10 chance of having their laptop PC lost or stolen, the same odds that New York City will have a white Christmas. The study also revealed that the 300-plus participating companies and other organizations lost more than 86,000 laptops costing them a staggering $2.1 billion. Yet, as explained by Intel’s Anand Pashupathy, two-thirds of these systems were not equipped with even basic features to protect confidential data.
Prince William has revealed that he kept his engagement news under wraps to give his longtime-girlfriend Kate Middleton a chance to back out of becoming a member of the royal family. The prince popped the question to Middleton in Kenya last month (Oct10) and chose to keep the news away from the media until this [...]
PM Mirko Cvetković stated on Friday that franchising is a good opportunity for Serbia as the country is emerging from the economic crisis. In his opening address at the First International Franchising Expo held in Belgrade, Cvetković underlined that this kind of entrepreneurship is not new for Serbia since it has been practiced for years, but added that Serbia has hardly used all the opportunities that franchising offers.
China Minzhong Food (K2N.SG) +3.3% at $1.27, may end in positive region for first time in 4 sessions, says Dow Jones.
Stock has been on almost sustained pullback in recent weeks, culminating in Thursday’s 5.4% fall to almost 3-month low of $1.23. Weakness blamed on end of 6-month moratorium in October preventing major IPO investors from selling their shares (company listed in April).
"Given the fact that there is no fundamental change to Minzhong’s operations, we see the current technical price weakness as an excellent buying opportunity," says BNP Paribas, which has Buy call with $1.68 target.
Near-term performance may hinge on vegetable processor’s fiscal 1Q11 results, guidance due Nov 12. Immediate resistance at 5-day moving average, last at $1.29.
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You know it’s not a busy airport when one of the air traffic controllers steps out on to the balcony to take a picture of your arriving aircraft.
The ATC snapper got his camera out as I flew to Kia Motors’ Slovakian home of Zilina – the same venue for Chelsea’s recent Champions League game – for the UK press launch of its snazzy new Sportage range this week.
The subsequent route Kia chose to showcase its very impressive petrol and diesel Sportage models took us right to the edge – and thousands of feet high – of the Polish border in the Tatras Mountains – although somebody had clearly tipped off the local constabulary Her Majesty’s Press was in town as half the Slovak police seemed to be patrolling the roads.
A quick factory tour of the massive Kia plant in Zalina this morning emphasized just how this corner of Slovak has embraced automation – barely a human in sight – although ironically the factory is one of the town’s largest employers with nearly 3,000 staff.
Kia spends a considerable amount of time and its cash in persuading people of its brands’ merits – and backs it up with a seven-year warranty to boot.
A central European location, skilled workforce and perhaps a one-off shot in the arm of various scrappage schemes, has given Kia a massive boost. Can they sustain it?
By the way, departing Zilina airport this afternoon on one of the shortest runways I have ever seen for a jet, the BAe 146 aircraft stood on its brakes at full power before unleashing the might of its four engines and roared down the tarmac as if a cork was popped from a bottle. How did Chelsea and all their kit cope?
Keith Urban is offering an aspiring musician the chance to play perform as the opening act on one of his upcoming live shows. The country star has teamed up with guitar retail chain Guitar Center to offer one promising singer the chance to shine as the winner of the Your Next Record with Keith Urban [...]
Germany, together with other global players like Japan, India and Brazil, has long harbored a desire for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle intends to drive home that message in an address to the General Assembly on Saturday.
Catherine Ashton “hopes to get the first chance to meet with Serbian and Kosovo representatives next week in New Yorkâ€, a European diplomat said. In a joint resolution of the EU and Serbia, passed on September 9 by the UN General Assembly, Belgrade and PriÅ¡tina were invited to initiate a “dialog”.
They’ve been known to sprint, cyber bully, stampede, and move mountains all for the chance to speak to him, but pop sensation Justin Bieber has only one request of the legion of obsessed young women who call themselves his “Beliebers:” “Quit yelling at me!” The “One Less Lonely Girl” singer, 16, says he is sick of [...]
Alfa Romeo’s cars have not always lived up to its stellar brand. That is changing
IN 1995 Alfa Romeo ignominiously pulled out of America, having managed to sell only 400 cars there that year. Yet this month the sporting Italian marque, which is celebrating its centenary, was the star of the annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California, a show for classic and concept cars. Alfa brought over seven cars from its museum in Milan, but none of its current offerings. It is testimony to the enduring power of a brand that has a wonderful history but which for many years has over-promised and under-delivered. There are signs, however, that this may be changing.
Last year even Sergio Marchionne, the boss of Fiat, which owns Alfa, seemed to be running out of patience. Mr Marchionne had set Alfa a target to reach sales of 300,000 cars a year by 2010, but in 2009 it sold barely 100,000. In December he ordered a review of Alfa’s operations, which according to Max Warburton of Bernstein Research were losing up to $575m a year. …
Second Chance Properties says full-year group net profit after tax increased by 53% from $10.5 million in FY 2009 to $16.0 million in FY 2010.
Second Chance says the increase was mainly due to the gain on fair valuation of properties amounting to $5.3 million. EBITDA increased by $0.3 million from $14.6 million in FY 2009 to $14.9 million in FY 2010.
As at 30 June 2010, the group has $77.3 million in retained earnings, and the company says it will recommend a tax-exempt dividend of 3.8 cents per share for FY2010.
The board of directors has also given approval to implement a share buy-back scheme.
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Daiwa upgrades Sembcorp Marine (S51.SG) to Outperform from Underperform, lifts target price to $4.54 from $4.10, to assume contracts from Petrobras, says Dow Jones.
“SembMarine is a high-risk/high-reward investment proposition, which has a chance of winning seven to nine rig contracts this month, but also a higher-than-50% chance of winning none.”
Singapore stocks still under water but losses minimal. STI off 0.3% at 2,943.53, likely to close above this week’s current low of 2,914, according to Dow Jones.
Market breadth at almost two decliners for each gainer. “External issues will continue to dictate near-term market trends. Uncertainties over the euro and concerns over global economic growth could dampen risk appetite,” says UOB KayHian, “nevertheless, we see opportunities to cherry-pick quality stocks with specific share price catalysts.”
Deputy PM Božidar Äelić told a forum in Novi Sad held as part of the Exit music festival, that the Danube is Serbia’s chance for speedier development.
Young people, he said, would play a key role in this process.
Hewlett-Packard has long been a marginal player in the smartphone business, but with the Palm acquisition complete, it’s back in the game. Palm must make the most of this opportunity to find new success in the world of enterprise mobility, working within HP’s corporate culture. – Hewlett-Packard’s
completion of its Palm acquisition July 1 means that the smartphone
business has a new, highly important player that could change the landscape in
ways that matter to enterprise users.
By buying Palm, HP gets access to its current devices, the Pre and Pixi in
both regular (fo…
It is not a secret for gamers that driving games have become not so popular as some time ago. However, two leading corporations which publish games – Sony and EA – decided to turn this tendency around and introduce their new driving games: Twisted Metal by Sony and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit by EA. [...]
