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Showing posts with label Watch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Watch. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
FTSE, DAX, CAC Seen Flat; Markets Watch Liquidity Effort
Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutesGlobal Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis
Friday, March 2, 2012
Watch a Live Feed of This Weekend's Spectacular Planetary Alignment
Get ready for some awesome planetary alignment action this weekend.
The moon, Venus, and Jupiter — the three brightest objects in the night sky — will be putting on a dazzling celestial show shortly after sunset both Feb. 25 and 26, coming together in a tight triangle. With any luck, you might also spot tiny Mercury down near the horizon just as the sun goes down.
People all over the world can check out the performance just by stepping outside and looking westward. If snowstorms or general chilliness drive you inside, you can always watch the spectacular event live on the Slooh Space Camera feed, starting both nights at 6:30 p.m. PST.
As an added bonus, those who tune into the web show can hear some choice scientific tidbits as Slooh’s Patrick Paolucci talks to Astronomy Magazine columnist Bob Berman and other special guests. You can also watch a live hangout on the group’s Google Plus page.
Planets can be distinguished from stars in the night sky because they don’t twinkle. This is because they are much closer to us and their light doesn’t get completely distorted by Earth’s atmosphere.
The planetary alignment will continue through the end of the month, with Venus and Jupiter inching ever closer. By late February, the two worlds will appear less than 10 degrees apart, able to be hidden behind an outstretched clenched fist. In March Venus and Jupiter will continue converging until, on Mar. 13, they will be only three degrees (or about two fingers) apart.
If all this isn’t enough, turn around and face eastward during this time to spot the bright red dot of Mars rising shortly after sunset. Mars will grow slightly larger in the sky as it gets nearer to Earth, coming closest around Mar. 5.
Saturn, the final planet visible to the naked eye, will appear in the east shortly before midnight during this period, shining highest in the sky in the hours leading up to dawn.
Videos: 1) Slooh Space Camera. 2) NASA
Adam is a Wired Science reporter and freelance journalist. He lives in Oakland, Ca near a lake and enjoys space, physics, and other sciency things.Follow @adamspacemann on Twitter.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Watch a Live Feed of This Weekend's Spectacular Planetary Alignment
Get ready for some awesome planetary alignment action this weekend.
The moon, Venus, and Jupiter — the three brightest objects in the night sky — will be putting on a dazzling celestial show shortly after sunset both Feb. 25 and 26, coming together in a tight triangle. With any luck, you might also spot tiny Mercury down near the horizon just as the sun goes down.
People all over the world can check out the performance just by stepping outside and looking westward. If snowstorms or general chilliness drive you inside, you can always watch the spectacular event live on the Slooh Space Camera feed, starting both nights at 6:30 p.m. PST.
As an added bonus, those who tune into the web show can hear some choice scientific tidbits as Slooh’s Patrick Paolucci talks to Astronomy Magazine columnist Bob Berman and other special guests. You can also watch a live hangout on the group’s Google Plus page.
Planets can be distinguished from stars in the night sky because they don’t twinkle. This is because they are much closer to us and their light doesn’t get completely distorted by Earth’s atmosphere.
The planetary alignment will continue through the end of the month, with Venus and Jupiter inching ever closer. By late February, the two worlds will appear less than 10 degrees apart, able to be hidden behind an outstretched clenched fist. In March Venus and Jupiter will continue converging until, on Mar. 13, they will be only three degrees (or about two fingers) apart.
If all this isn’t enough, turn around and face eastward during this time to spot the bright red dot of Mars rising shortly after sunset. Mars will grow slightly larger in the sky as it gets nearer to Earth, coming closest around Mar. 5.
Saturn, the final planet visible to the naked eye, will appear in the east shortly before midnight during this period, shining highest in the sky in the hours leading up to dawn.
Videos: 1) Slooh Space Camera. 2) NASA
Adam is a Wired Science reporter and freelance journalist. He lives in Oakland, Ca near a lake and enjoys space, physics, and other sciency things.Follow @adamspacemann on Twitter.
Watch a Live Feed of This Weekend's Spectacular Planetary Alignment
Get ready for some awesome planetary alignment action this weekend.
The moon, Venus, and Jupiter — the three brightest objects in the night sky — will be putting on a dazzling celestial show shortly after sunset both Feb. 25 and 26, coming together in a tight triangle. With any luck, you might also spot tiny Mercury down near the horizon just as the sun goes down.
People all over the world can check out the performance just by stepping outside and looking westward. If snowstorms or general chilliness drive you inside, you can always watch the spectacular event live on the Slooh Space Camera feed, starting both nights at 6:30 p.m. PST.
As an added bonus, those who tune into the web show can hear some choice scientific tidbits as Slooh’s Patrick Paolucci talks to Astronomy Magazine columnist Bob Berman and other special guests. You can also watch a live hangout on the group’s Google Plus page.
Planets can be distinguished from stars in the night sky because they don’t twinkle. This is because they are much closer to us and their light doesn’t get completely distorted by Earth’s atmosphere.
The planetary alignment will continue through the end of the month, with Venus and Jupiter inching ever closer. By late February, the two worlds will appear less than 10 degrees apart, able to be hidden behind an outstretched clenched fist. In March Venus and Jupiter will continue converging until, on Mar. 13, they will be only three degrees (or about two fingers) apart.
If all this isn’t enough, turn around and face eastward during this time to spot the bright red dot of Mars rising shortly after sunset. Mars will grow slightly larger in the sky as it gets nearer to Earth, coming closest around Mar. 5.
Saturn, the final planet visible to the naked eye, will appear in the east shortly before midnight during this period, shining highest in the sky in the hours leading up to dawn.
Videos: 1) Slooh Space Camera. 2) NASA
Adam is a Wired Science reporter and freelance journalist. He lives in Oakland, Ca near a lake and enjoys space, physics, and other sciency things.Follow @adamspacemann on Twitter.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
HP, Dell Watch Rising China Labor Costs for Apple
Hewlett-Packard and Dell are keeping a close eye on a big jump in wages for workers that assemble Apple's iPhone in China, and could be forced to nudge up prices for their own products if labor costs keep rising.
Major contract manufacturer Foxconn Technology Group — which counts Apple [AAPL Loading... () 
] , HP [HPQ Loading... () ] , Dell [DELL Loading... () ] , Nokia [NOK Loading... () ] and Motorola Mobility [MSI Loading... () ] among its major clients — last week raised wages for its workers in China by 16-25 percent, the third hike since 2010.The wage increases reflect a rising trend across the Chinese electronics manufacturing industry and could pressure already wafer-thin margins at the likes of HP and Dell.HP Chief Executive Meg Whitman said rising wages in China could eventually have a ripple effect across the world electronics industry."If Foxconn's labor cost go up, their product cost to us will go up," she told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday."But that will be an industry-wide phenomenon and then we have to decide how much do we pass on to our customers versus how much cost do we absorb."Dell, which on Tuesday reported a 18 percent slide in quarterly profit, said it was also keeping an eye on wages in China."It's not clear to us how that will play out in terms of our costs," Dell Chief Financial Officer Brian Gladden told Reuters. "It remains to be seen how that flows through the overall supply chain. We will continue to watch that."But Gladden said labor costs are a "very, very small piece" of the total cost of its products.To companies like HP and Dell that specialize in creating ultra-efficient supply chains and cutting costs to preserve razor-thin profit margins, any rising expense can be trouble."HP and Dell's PCs could cost a bit more. Those companies have been trying to pass on extra costs. It may or may not work. Their products aren't as differentiated as Apple's," said Shaw Wu, an analyst at Sterne Agee in San Francisco.Apple's main manufacturer of iPads and iPhones, Foxconn is already in the spotlight because of its poor labor conditions, with reports of employees committing suicide.Foxconn's February wage hike was announced days after Apple said a U.S. non-profit labor group had begun an "unprecedented" inspection of working conditions at its main contract manufacturers, including Foxconn.Foxconn's wage increase comes as Chinese electronics manufacturers face higher costs to attract workers.The government of Shenzhen, a freewheeling boomtown bordering Hong Kong, announced in January it was increasing its minimum wage by 13.6 percent despite warnings from factory owners the move could deal another blow to exporters already reeling from a sharp drop in Western orders.Taiwan-based Foxconn said the pay of a junior level worker in Shenzhen, southern China, had risen to 1,800 yuan ($290) per month and could be further raised above 2,200 yuan if the worker passed a technical examination. It said that pay three years ago was 900 yuan a month.Copyright 2012 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.![]()
Major contract manufacturer Foxconn Technology Group — which counts Apple [AAPL Loading... () ] , HP [HPQ Loading... () ] , Dell [DELL Loading... () ] , Nokia [NOK Loading... () ] and Motorola Mobility [MSI Loading... () ] among its major clients — last week raised wages for its workers in China by 16-25 percent, the third hike since 2010.The wage increases reflect a rising trend across the Chinese electronics manufacturing industry and could pressure already wafer-thin margins at the likes of HP and Dell.HP Chief Executive Meg Whitman said rising wages in China could eventually have a ripple effect across the world electronics industry."If Foxconn's labor cost go up, their product cost to us will go up," she told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday."But that will be an industry-wide phenomenon and then we have to decide how much do we pass on to our customers versus how much cost do we absorb."Dell, which on Tuesday reported a 18 percent slide in quarterly profit, said it was also keeping an eye on wages in China."It's not clear to us how that will play out in terms of our costs," Dell Chief Financial Officer Brian Gladden told Reuters. "It remains to be seen how that flows through the overall supply chain. We will continue to watch that."But Gladden said labor costs are a "very, very small piece" of the total cost of its products.To companies like HP and Dell that specialize in creating ultra-efficient supply chains and cutting costs to preserve razor-thin profit margins, any rising expense can be trouble."HP and Dell's PCs could cost a bit more. Those companies have been trying to pass on extra costs. It may or may not work. Their products aren't as differentiated as Apple's," said Shaw Wu, an analyst at Sterne Agee in San Francisco.Apple's main manufacturer of iPads and iPhones, Foxconn is already in the spotlight because of its poor labor conditions, with reports of employees committing suicide.Foxconn's February wage hike was announced days after Apple said a U.S. non-profit labor group had begun an "unprecedented" inspection of working conditions at its main contract manufacturers, including Foxconn.Foxconn's wage increase comes as Chinese electronics manufacturers face higher costs to attract workers.The government of Shenzhen, a freewheeling boomtown bordering Hong Kong, announced in January it was increasing its minimum wage by 13.6 percent despite warnings from factory owners the move could deal another blow to exporters already reeling from a sharp drop in Western orders.Taiwan-based Foxconn said the pay of a junior level worker in Shenzhen, southern China, had risen to 1,800 yuan ($290) per month and could be further raised above 2,200 yuan if the worker passed a technical examination. It said that pay three years ago was 900 yuan a month.Copyright 2012 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Bankers, Watch Your Bonus, It May Be Revoked
The Lloyds Banking Group bankers forced to pay back some of their bonus payments are unlikely to be the last bankers made to repay remuneration, as claw-backs become increasingly popular. 
While claw-backs are usually employed in particularly extreme cases – in the case of Lloyds, it is punishing directors who were in charge during the mis-selling of payment protection insurance (PPI) scandal - a growing number of voices are calling for it to be used in case of underperformance. Swiss bank UBS is taking back 50 percent of share-based bonuses over 2 million Swiss Francs ($2.2 million) paid to investment bankers in 2011, after a profit plunge for 2012. British consumer group Which? has called for other major UK banks, including state-backed Royal Bank of Scotland [RBS-LN Loading... () ] , Barclays [BARC-LN Loading... () ] , HSBC [HSBA-LN Loading... () ] , and Spanish-owned Santander, to take back bonuses from those in charge during the PPI scandal. “If you are paid a bonus for a certain degree of performance, and subsequently it turns out to be worse, clearly it should be clawed back,” James Barty, Senior Advisor on Financial Policy, Policy Exchange, a think-tank which is close to the UK’s Conservative Party, told CNBC.com. “The move to claw back has only recently come in, but it ought to happen more frequently. If people believe it’s a real and present threat it will change behavior.” This is all part of a public backlash against bonuses, backed by politicians around Europe, in the wake of the financial crisis. “This all comes back to rewards for failure. If people get rewarded for being successful, other people don’t get irritated. It’s when they are rewarded for failure,” Barty said. “A lot of people have claw-back but it’s only in extremis. We should also have it for bad performance.” He advocates paying bonuses into an escrow account, which doesn’t pay out until a certain date, to ensure that traders and investment bankers are thinking about long-term performance. Prominent firms are increasingly building claw-back clauses into employees’ contracts, according to Gillian Chapman, partner specializing in employee incentives at Linklaters. She warned that some employees may think retrospective claw-backs are unfair, and choose to move elsewhere. ![]()
While claw-backs are usually employed in particularly extreme cases – in the case of Lloyds, it is punishing directors who were in charge during the mis-selling of payment protection insurance (PPI) scandal - a growing number of voices are calling for it to be used in case of underperformance. Swiss bank UBS is taking back 50 percent of share-based bonuses over 2 million Swiss Francs ($2.2 million) paid to investment bankers in 2011, after a profit plunge for 2012. British consumer group Which? has called for other major UK banks, including state-backed Royal Bank of Scotland [RBS-LN Loading... () ] , Barclays [BARC-LN Loading... () ] , HSBC [HSBA-LN Loading... () ] , and Spanish-owned Santander, to take back bonuses from those in charge during the PPI scandal. “If you are paid a bonus for a certain degree of performance, and subsequently it turns out to be worse, clearly it should be clawed back,” James Barty, Senior Advisor on Financial Policy, Policy Exchange, a think-tank which is close to the UK’s Conservative Party, told CNBC.com. “The move to claw back has only recently come in, but it ought to happen more frequently. If people believe it’s a real and present threat it will change behavior.” This is all part of a public backlash against bonuses, backed by politicians around Europe, in the wake of the financial crisis. “This all comes back to rewards for failure. If people get rewarded for being successful, other people don’t get irritated. It’s when they are rewarded for failure,” Barty said. “A lot of people have claw-back but it’s only in extremis. We should also have it for bad performance.” He advocates paying bonuses into an escrow account, which doesn’t pay out until a certain date, to ensure that traders and investment bankers are thinking about long-term performance. Prominent firms are increasingly building claw-back clauses into employees’ contracts, according to Gillian Chapman, partner specializing in employee incentives at Linklaters. She warned that some employees may think retrospective claw-backs are unfair, and choose to move elsewhere.
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