Archive for October, 2008

Netflix, TiVo team up after 4-year courtship

Thursday, October 30th, 2008

Home entertainment trendsetters Netflix Inc. and TiVo Inc. are finally joining forces to deliver more movies and old TV episodes to their mutual subscribers, consummating a relationship that was supposed to come together four years ago.

Under the partnership announced Thursday, the latest generation of TiVo’s digital video recorders will be able to beam selections from 12,000 movies and TV shows offered through Netflix’s streaming service, which must be piped over high-speed Internet connections. TiVo’s DVRs will start catering to Netflix subscribers in early December.

The collaboration fulfills a promise made in 2004 when DVR pioneer TiVo and online DVD rental trailblazer Netflix set out to develop a system for delivering video directly over the Internet. But they got sidetracked after Netflix couldn’t work out licensing deals with movie and TV studios.

By the time Netflix cleared the licensing hurdle and launched its Internet streaming service 21 months ago, the two companies had decided to pursue other partners.

But a reconciliation was inevitable, according to the leaders of Netflix and TiVo, whose Silicon Valley headquarters are about 18 miles apart.

“It’s just a natural pairing and we are thrilled to finally be working with them,” said Reed Hastings, Netflix’s chief executive officer.

“I don’t think there is any question we have gotten more frequently than, `What about TiVo and Netflix working together?’” said TiVo CEO Tom Rogers.

Coming off the first back-to-back quarterly profits in its 11-year history, TiVo is betting its ties to Netflix and other content providers like Amazon.com Inc. and Google Inc.’s YouTube will help distinguish its $299 DVRs from the generic recorders peddled by cable TV providers.

Alviso-based TiVo ended July with 3.6 million subscribers and Los Gatos-based Netflix ended with 8.7 million subscribers. The streaming service is available at no extra charge to any Netflix subscriber paying at least $8.99 per month for DVD rentals — a prerequisite that most customers meet.

TiVo will join other companies that sell devices that make it easier for Netflix’s streaming service to be shown on a TV set instead of a computer.

Since Silicon Valley startup Roku Inc. introduced a $100 player tailored for Netflix’s streaming service five months ago, Microsoft Corp. has agreed to tweak its video game console, the Xbox 360, so it can draw from Netflix’s Internet library beginning next month. And both LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics are selling Blu-ray DVD players compatible with Netflix’s streaming service.

Netflix eventually hopes to have its streaming service on dozens of devices, including TVs with built-in wireless connections to the Internet.

The growing selection of streaming devices could help boost Netflix’s profits by causing subscribers to request fewer DVDs. Each DVD rental makes a round trip through the postal service that costs Netflix 84 cents, so fewer requests will lower expenses — just as management is striving to save money to offset slowing revenue growth.

Netflix still has to pay movie and TV studios licensing fees for the streaming rights, but that doesn’t cost as much as mailing DVDs, said Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter.

“Netflix has really stumbled upon something that’s pretty clever,” Pachter said. “It’s kind of a win for everyone because the customer gets the instant gratification of watching a movie over the Internet, studios get more licensing fees and Netflix saves money.”

Not great Danes anymore, but they’re still resisting winds of change

Thursday, October 30th, 2008

Call it the old monarch’s dogged insistence on principles or the young prince’s confusion in the face of onslaught from mighty opponents. The Danes in badminton are virtually camped at crossroads. Once champions of the game, they’ve witnessed Asia - currently badminton’s undisputed world-beaters - crush almost all other systems.

“Asians have success models; we’ve thrived on philosophy to keep badminton’s strong culture alive in Denmark,” says Jakob Hoei, the Danish junior coach at the World Juniors event.

“Asian training methods are stricter, regimented. For children in Denmark, badminton’s usually more fun,” he says.

Yet, the motivation to excel comes from watching great players at the six-odd top clubs spread across the small European country. Once there was Peter Gade, now there is Kenneth Johansson, their current top-10 representative.

“Our kids learn much from watching the big Danish names. The incentives are to get better, build a social attachment to this revered sport,” Hoei adds. And, of course, to keep up the pace with the Asians - Chinese, Koreans and Indonesians - without copying their methods.

Quality over quantity

Denmark has sent just three players to the World Juniors - Steffen Rasmussen (”Not related to Tine, there are many Rasmussens in Denmark,” Hoei quips) and Emil Holst in the men’s section, and Anne Hald Jensen in the women’s. “We have just three here, but we’re hoping to make at least the quarter-finals,” the coach adds. Injury to one of their doubles players prevented them from fielding a side in the team event.

Denmark once boasted of the biggest ratio of shuttlers to the total population, but other sports have gradually eaten into those numbers. The sport continues to revolve around the 5-6 clubs, all not more than half-an-hour away from each other. The idea of regional centres or a single system of coaching is only just getting popular.

“Even in terms of technique, we’re not No.1 in any particular aspect like speed or stamina. We defend and attack well and have smart shots. We can only get our juniors for 15 hours of training in a week, while the Asians do 25. But we learn a lot from watching our senior pros,” Hoei explains.

But when the impressionable teenagers land at world events such as these and watch the Asians slaughter the rest, there are some very evident temptations to overcome. “When they watch the Chinese win, they go home and want to copy it. But they realise it’s not easy to play the same way physically and technically, so we try working our games around sound tactics,” he says. So as coach, Hoei’s biggest challenge is to get the young players to believe in themselves. The Danish trio trained with Gade and other seniors a week before coming to Pune.

The European powerhouse has resisted the temptation of importing Asian coaches en masse to a large extent, but the club leagues have Asians and English doubles pairs and the strong Bulgarians helping the Danes get a glimpse of what’s happening in Asia.

“The Indian youngsters are no longer with slower games and high lifts. Now, their game is fast-paced with good pushes. Some strokes of the doubles players at the net, are ones I’ve never seen before. Saina (Nehwal) plays like an adult, very mature for her age.”

While the transition’s sweeping through India, the Danes are holding on to their bastion. Philosophy, more than formulae, matters. At least for the moment.

Labeling helps organize better

Saturday, October 25th, 2008

<!– /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:”Cambria Math”; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:1; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:”"; margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:”Calibri”,”sans-serif”; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} p {mso-style-priority:99; mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”,”serif”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:10.0pt; line-height:115%;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} –> What does labeling signify? Labeling is synonymous with organization, especially at workplace. However, one can use labels to organize the home as well. The most popular labels used for categorizing, cataloging, and organizing are addressing labels, identification labels, media labels, file folder labels, and shipping labels. The primary purpose of any label is identification, followed by classification. Avery labels help not only identify and classify but also systemize.

The media labels hold a special place in the management of any office space. Imagine shelves and shelves of CDs and DVDs without any identification. Media without labels are as good as books without their covers. It is important to label and organize office media properly. Professional media labels help do this job efficiently.

Thermal labels are a special type of labels that are created because of heat. There are two types of thermal labels: direct thermal labels and thermal transfer labels. The former ones do not require a ribbon to be printed while the latter ones require ribbons.

Labels are a great way to organize your workplace. Invest in high quality Avery labels for a great experience. Labels not only help you organize but also help add class to your home and business.

Why You Should Consider Custom Wheels and Tires for Your Sport Utility Vehicle

Saturday, October 25th, 2008

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Iran’s Rafsanjani blames finance ‘tsunami’ for low oil price

Saturday, October 25th, 2008

The influential former president of OPEC’s second largest oil producer Iran on Friday called the world financial crisis a tsunami which has dragged down oil prices and caused a huge loss of revenue.

“This is the first wave of the tsunami to reach us. The oil price has fallen from 147 dollars a barrel to around 64 dollars. This is a huge loss” for Iran, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said in a Friday prayer sermon on state radio.

“Our economists and government and parliament officials should cooperate and be prepared. The first wave has arrived and it was dangerous for oil-producing nations,” added Rafsanjani.

He heads the Expediency Council, Iran’s top arbitration panel, and also the Assembly of Experts which supervises the work of the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“We have to be able to control future such waves or they will inflict serious harm on our society, especially the poor,” Rafsanjani said.

Oil prices hit record highs in July of above 147 dollars a barrel, but plunged to their lowest for 17 months on Friday, despite news that OPEC will cut output by 1.5 million barrels per day.

New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for December delivery, tumbled to 62.85 dollars a barrel — a price last seen in May 2007.

Ahead of Friday’s OPEC meeting in Vienna, Iran urged a cut in the cartel’s output to combat the sharp dive in oil prices as the world battles a financial crisis experts say it is the worst since last century’s Great Depression.

Outlook Training

Friday, October 24th, 2008

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Outlook is a fairly simple program with a lot of room for elegant expansion. There are ways that emails can be sorted upon receipt. Emails from department heads could be filtered to a special box will all the emails from co-workers on a project would go to another. It’s just a basic principle of organization. The important thing is that they know this is an option. Otherwise, they are going to miss out on all of the other great features that it could offer.

There are also options for outlook 2007 training if you have already made the switch. You would then just have to decide whether to start from the beginning or focus on just what’s new in the 2007 suite. It’s your call in the end, but a little help might really improve your employees’ efficiency.

Russian capsule carrying US tourist lands in Kazakhstan

Friday, October 24th, 2008

A Russian Soyuz capsule carrying US millionaire video game guru Richard Garriott, the world’s sixth space tourist, and two Russian cosmonauts, landed in Kazakhstan as scheduled, the Russian mission control center said early Friday.

“The team reported that they felt fine,” the mission control’s spokesman Valery Lyndin told AFP, adding that a helicopter accompanied the capsule as it landed.

Garriott and cosmonauts Sergei Volkov and Oleg Kononenko landed in Kazakhstan’s steppe at 0734 Moscow time (0334 GMT) and were shortly to be extracted from the capsule.

The 47-year-old US space tourist, who has called his journey into orbit a lifelong dream, created the Ultima series of computer role-playing games in the 1980s and later earned millions of dollars as a video-game entrepreneur.

Garriott is the son of former US astronaut Owen Garriott, who in 1973 spent two months aboard Skylab, the first orbiting space station.

Yes, There Will Be Bonuses This Year

Friday, October 24th, 2008

Chaos in the financial system may translate into better than expected bonuses for Wall Street.

Yes, you read right. While the outlook is pretty grim, at least compared to last year’s $33.2 billion bonanza, compensation consultants expect a 30% to 50% decline in payouts this year, but billions will still flow.

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The bonus pool is being artificially inflated by a combination of job losses (meaning fewer people sharing the smaller pot), merger guarantees and efforts to retain or attract key employees. Some workers will get nothing for sure, especially on desks that have had the worst performance. Senior-most executive officers will probably see their bonuses slashed 70% to 100%, according to Alan Johnson of Johnson Associates.

But others, especially stars, and those in well-performing groups, will get their millions. “There are people doing well,” says Johnson, an executive pay consultant who specializes in Wall Street compensation. “Accruals are down, but not as much as you would think.”

If Johnson’s predictions hold out, Wall Street’s 2008 bonus pool will be $19.9 billion to $23 billion. Johnson compares the current downturn to the 2001-2002 period, only then there was not this “artificial prop up” of the bonus pool. “On a purely Darwinian basis, bonuses would be down a lot more,” he says of this time around.

Through the first nine months of this year, combined net revenues for Lehman Brothers, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are down 27%, to $202 billion, according to their quarterly financial statements.

Compensation costs for investment banks like Goldman are typically close to half of revenues, but bonuses are just one component of that. Base salary and benefits make up about 60% of a firm’s reported compensation costs. The rest is in incentive and other deferred compensation.

The same banks collectively recorded $97 billion in compensation expenses so far this year, a drop of just 7.4% from last year. Again, bonuses are just a portion of this expense.

Lehman set aside $6.1 billion so far this year, Citi, $25.8 billion, JPMorgan $17.6 billion, Bank of America $14.3 billion, Goldman $11.4 billion, Merrill $11.2 billion, and Morgan Stanley $10.7 billion.

All of them, except for Lehman, will get $125 billion from the Federal government’s efforts to rescue the financial system, and in individual amounts that equal or exceed those accrued compensation numbers. Citigroup, for example, is getting a $25 billion infusion of government money.

Banks are bound to be sensitive to the political and public relations problems associated with paying blockbuster bonuses, but that’s not going to stop them from paying something, most likely in the form of stock. Deferred stock awards, which don’t have to be added to expenses until they vest, will likely be a popular way of rewarding employees this year.

“We expect to see cash drop quite significantly,” says David Schmidt, a pay consultant at James F. Reda & Associates.

Given that there are a lot fewer workers on Wall Street these days than there were last year, those who are getting bonuses may benefit from not having to share the pot with as many colleagues. Then again, they may just feel lucky to have a job.

New York’s Independent Budget office forecast 20,000 job cuts earlier this year, but the actual number is now expected to exceed that by a long shot. At Merrill Lynch alone, the job losses could total 10,000 as the company merges with Bank of America, says Ladenburg Thalmann Analyst Richard Bove. Barclays is also seen cutting thousands of jobs as it acquires Lehman Brothers’ U.S. brokerage operations.

Guarantees are complicating pay matters this year. Barclays controversially guaranteed a $2.5 billion bonus pool for New York-based Lehman employees, an amount greater than the $1.7 billion it is paying for the company. Angry Lehman workers in London wanted to know why they weren’t similarly guaranteed.

The $2.5 billion bonus fund, which was kept separate from Lehman’s bankruptcy filing, works out to $250,000 for each New York-based Lehman employee, which is better than the $180,000 average Wall Street bonus in 2007, when Lehman was still a solvent company.

Firms are also under pressure to pay bonuses to keep some workers from walking across the street to a rival. And then there are the sign-on bonuses banks paid so far this year. Merrill’s John Thain was particularly active at that game. He snagged Thomas Montag, a star Goldman trader, with a promise of a $39 million sign-on bonus for this year. Montag could get millions more, too, in stock if he leaves in Merrill’s change of control.

Banks may not have to pay up as much to retain lower-level worker bees, because there are simply fewer competitors to snatch them away. Bear Stearns and Lehman are gone, Merrill is being merged into Bank of America, and hedge funds, the greener pastures of the last few years, are also ailing.

Hedge fund assets shrank by $210 billion in the third quarter, hit by volatility, higher borrowing costs and $31 billion in redemptions after a wave of investor panic. Funds are closing or refocusing their investment strategies. Christmas will be less cheerful there.

Wrobeh doubtful for Mahindra game

Friday, October 24th, 2008

Like Mumbai FC, they touched down well ahead on Friday’s game of the second I-League here. On Mohammedan Sporting would depend whether Mahindra United start the Kolkata chapter of this competition just as well.

Three successive losses meant got the campaign off to the worst possible start for the former National League and Federation Cup winners. Mahindra United stemmed that streak with full points against JCT in Ludhiana but whether they have turned the corner may well be determined by what they take from this away game.

Psychological advantages would certainly be with the current Durand Cup winners if Thoedore Wrobeh doesn’t start with Mike Okoro in the Mohammedan Sporting frontline.

Palin to drop first puck in St. Louis

Thursday, October 23rd, 2008

Vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin will drop the ceremonial first puck Friday night before the St. Louis Blues’ game against the Los Angeles Kings.

The Alaska governor and self-described “hockey mom” also dropped the first puck Oct. 11 before Philadelphia’s home opener against the New York Rangers.

Palin has an appearance Friday at Missouri State University in Springfield.