Battle for the next stage of TV heats up August 26, 2010 DESPITE the ubiquity of the internet, television viewing habits on both sides of the Atlantic remain doggedly traditional. However, the battle for control of the next generation of TV viewers is hotting up. Manufacturers, such as Samsung are already rolling out internet-ready TVs as they prepare for a monumental shift in viewing habits. BBC’s hugely [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING August 25, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES US CHAINS BEEF UP MEALS TO LIFT PROFITS Fast-food chains in the US are rolling out more expensive premium products after two years of relentless focus on lower priced meals in the hope of recouping profit margins surrendered during the recession of 2008 and 2009. McDonald’s is selling a “smokehouse deluxe” burger in [...]
Wall St stages comeback as bargain hunters move in August 25, 2010 US stocks staged a comeback yesterday, breaking a four-day losing streak by major indexes, as key technical support triggered bargain hunting that offset weak economic data. The S&P 500 index sagged as much as one per cent after data showed new single-family home sales slumped to a record slow pace in July. But positive momentum [...]
Manhattan’s new breed of design hotels August 22, 2010 YOU could argue that New York does hotels better than any city in the world. Historic luxury landmarks, hipster crash-pads, fashionable design hotels, groovy boutiques, high-tech business places – it’s got more, and better, examples of each than pretty much all of its rivals. But even the best needs a shake up. The Big Apple [...]
Google prepares its rival to the iPad August 19, 2010 GOOGLE hopes to have an iPad rival on US shelves in time for Christmas, according to industry insiders. Analysts are already speculating that the device could be free with a lengthy contract with network provider Verizon. The tablet is likely to be manufactured by mobile phone maker HTC, the firm responsible for the critically-acclaimed Desire [...]
BRANDING August 19, 2010 Q. I am starting a new company and need to think about branding. Is there a way I can do it while keeping costs to a minimum? A.The first thing to do is decide if you have the skills to do it yourself. The main components of a brand are visual: for example, the website, [...]
Shareholdersshow disdain for Dell chief August 18, 2010 DELL founder Michael Dell survived an investor savaging during his re-election to chief executive, with more than a quarter of voters withholding their support. Shareholders are furious at the firm’s fall from being the biggest computer manufacturer in the world to its current third place behind Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Acer. Dell’s stock is down more [...]
Asian firms probe Apple claims August 18, 2010 Two Asian firms whose wholly-owned units were accused of paying kickbacks for business from Apple said they were investigating the matter, while a third denied engaging in such practices. Paul Devine, an Apple global supply manager, pleaded not guilty to California court charges that he accepted kickbacks.
iPad nano in the works August 18, 2010 Online communities are buzzing with the news that Apple will be bringing out a new iPad by the end of the year. According to the Chinese paper Economic Daily News, which correctly predicted the specifications of the initial iPad, Tawainese companies have won contracts to produce a slimmed down iPad by the end of the [...]
Video streaming site Hulu sounds out $2bn flotation August 16, 2010 ONLINE video site Hulu could become the biggest internet IPO of the year after its owners began sounding out the market for a potential $2bn (£1.3bn) listing yesterday. The joint venture between Disney, News Corp, NBC Universal, who all own 27 per cent of the firm, and Providence Equity Partners, was launched to combat the [...]