Harsha's Blog: March 2009

American B-School Realignment

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

American B-School Realignment

The MBA marketplace in the USA is now entering a critical period. It used to be a given that if you graduated from one of the nation's leading top-20 programmes, it would be easy to secure a dream job. The eternal spring of high salaries and bonuses, which was the 'norm', is currently at an end. Students such as Jeremy Booth have downsized their expectations. He told Roger Mitchell at WCW in New York that he would either alter his career objectives or look for something else to fulfil short-term objectives, settling for something less.

Web-Based Crime Jumps 33%

Web-Based Crime Jumps 33%
Reports of Internet-based crime jumped 33% in 2008, according to a group that monitors Web-based fraud.

The Internet Crime Complaint Center said in its annual report released Monday that it received more than 275,000 complaints last year, up from about 207,000 the year before. The total reported dollar loss from such scams was $265 million, or about $25 million more than the year before.

Ebay Wants to Put Skype in your Pocket

Monday, March 30, 2009

Ebay Wants to Put Skype in your Pocket

For years, Internet calling service Skype has been trying to land its popular software where its customers are yakking most: on their mobile phones.

After repeated experiments aimed at getting consumers to use Skype for cell phones, the eBay unit may have a winner. On Mar. 31, the company will release a version of Skype for Apple's iPhone and iPod touch, as was previously speculated in the blog GigaOm.

Stocks Safe for Long Run?

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Stocks Safe for Long Run? Not Necessaliry
Seeing a decade of gains erased in a relatively short period has many investors guessing when the stock market will turn around.

However, hanging on for a rebound may not be the best choice, according to a new study by University of Chicago Booth School of Business professor Lubos Pastor and Wharton School professor Robert F. Stambaugh, titled "Are Stocks Really Less Volatile In The Long Run?"

Intruder Alert

Intruder Alert
A remarkable new invention from Tel Aviv University — a network of tiny sensors as small as dewdrops called "Smart Dew" — will foil even the most determined intruder. Scattered outdoors on rocks, fence posts and doorways, or indoors on the floor of a bank, the dewdrops are a completely new and cost-effective system for safeguarding and securing wide swathes of property.

With Sun, IBM Aims for Cloud Computing Heights

Saturday, March 28, 2009

IBM (IBM) is in the midst of negotiating to acquire Sun Microsystems (JAVA) at a critical time for the tech industry. A major shift is at hand in the way businesses handle computing tasks, and giants such as IBM and Sun are under pressure to alter the way they operate. Neither company would comment on the potential $6.5 billion deal, but it's clear that if IBM adds Sun's Internet technologies to its arsenal, it will be better poised for what comes next.

Business Week Top 50

Friday, March 27, 2009

Here's the annual list of the 50 best corporate performers. To arrive at the BusinessWeek 50, they ran data screens on all of the companies in the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index, focusing on sales growth rate and return on invested capital. All the companies are measured over time, to reward sustained performance, and compared against other companies in the same sector, to enable them to identify the best performers within their peer group. A board of BusinessWeek editors reviews the list, bringing the judgment that purely financial measures alone can't provide. You can sift through the interactive ranking below, to see how the BusinessWeek 50 companies stack up on any number of financial or qualitative measures.

This list has the Usual suspects like Google, Apple, Microsoft, AT&T. But, there are a lot of new companies in the list.

Here's the list Business Week Top 50

Latest news

Thursday, March 26, 2009

US economy falls 6.3% in fourth quarter
The US economy shrank in the fourth quarter at its fastest rate since 1982, revised official figures showed on Thursday, as corporate profits fell at the sharpest pace in 55 years and jobless claims continued to climb.

Updated commerce department data showed US gross domestic product contracting at an annualised rate of 6.3 per cent in the fourth quarter of last year, compared with last month’s estimate of 6.2 per cent. That previous 26-year record came after an overly optimistic January projection that the economy contracted by just 3.8 per cent in spite of anecdotal evidence of a more severe downturn.

UN Urges $1,000 billion for developing world
Ban Ki-moon, United Nations secretary-general, on Wednesday called on Group of 20 leaders to support a $1,000bn stimulus package for developing countries threatened by the global financial crisis

India vs New Zealand 2nd test match

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Link1
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TVU Link

New metasearch engine leaves Google, Yahoo crawling

New Metasearch Engine
One day in the not-too-distant future, you'll be able to type a query into an online search engine and have it deliver not Web pages that may contain an answer, but just the answer itself, says Weiyi Meng, a professor of computer science at Binghamton University, State University of New York.

Today's business news

Internship Hiring is Tanking
Citing budget cuts, decreased workloads, and downsizings, companies say they expect a 21% decline in undergraduate internships, and MBAs are not immune either.

Top Hedge Fund Managers Do well in a Down Year
The financial crisis may have turned much of Wall Street’s wealth into dross, but a select group of hedge fund managers has managed to maintain a golden touch that might make King Midas blush.

YouTube being blocked in China
Google said Tuesday that its YouTube video-sharing Web site had been blocked in China.Google said it did not know why the site had been blocked, but a report by the official Xinhua news agency of China on Tuesday said that supporters of the Dalai Lama had fabricated a video that appeared to show Chinese police officers brutally beating Tibetans after riots last year in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital.

Is Antarctica Getting more popular?
LAST month, on its next-to-last day of a 15-day Antarctic tour, the Ocean Nova, carrying 65 passengers and a crew of 41, ran aground in Antarctica and was stalled for more than a day. Damage was minor (some flaking paint and dents to the hull), and all passengers on the cruise, run by Connecticut-based Quark Expeditions, were safely transferred to another ship. But the incident, the fourth maritime accident in three years involving excursion vessels in Antarctica, is raising concerns about the dangers of fast-growing tourism in the region.

U.S. online video viewing off 12 percent in February

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

U.S. Internet users viewed 13.1 billion online videos in February, down 12 percent from January, although viewing on Hulu grew 42 percent in the period, research firm comScore said on Tuesday.

The overall decline was mainly due to the fact February was a shorter month, with three fewer days than January, ComScore said in a statement released on Tuesday.

U.S. Online video viewing off by 12 Percent

Why Money messes with your mind

Dough, wonga, greenbacks, cash. Just words, you might say, but they carry an eerie psychological force. Chew them over for a few moments, and you will become a different person. Simply thinking about words associated with money seems to makes us more self-reliant and less inclined to help others. And it gets weirder: just handling cash can take the sting out of social rejection and even diminish physical pain.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20127001.200-why-money-messes-with-your-mind.html?full=true

Sixth Sense in Practice

This demo -- from Pattie Maes' lab at MIT, spearheaded by Pranav Mistry -- was the buzz of TED. It's a wearable device with a projector that paves the way for profound interaction with our environment. Imagine "Minority Report" and then some.

http://www.ted.com/talks/pattie_maes_demos_the_sixth_sense.html

Latest business news

India could be the next target

Fear and loathing are on the rise in the United States. Right now the emotions are focused on AIG and Bernie Madoff—deserving targets for populist ire. But mob passions can’t be controlled, so there are huge risks to the United States and the world if the mob and its emotions start to rule. The greatest dangers are that the government won’t be able to rescue industries and institutions that should be rescued to keep the economy from totally tanking, and that protectionism will take hold both in the US and worldwide.

Wall Street's Economic Crimes

The financiers at AIG were awarded millions in bonuses because their contracts were based on the transactions they completed, not the consequences of those transactions. A 32-year-old mortgage broker told me: "I figured my job was to get the transaction done…Whatever came after the transaction—that was on him, not me." A long list of business executives have reaped sumptuous rewards even though they fractured the world's economy, destroyed trillions of dollars in value, and disfigured millions of lives.

Latest business news

Monday, March 23, 2009

World trade to fall 9 Percent

Global trade will shrink by 9 percent this year in the most devastating collapse since World War II, the World Trade Organization said Monday.

Why Asia has the world's best airports
Practically every traveler has a nightmare story about airports. There are the long queues for security screenings, surly customs and immigration officers, and flight cancellations or lengthy delays. But in Asia, a number of airports have come a long way in making the preflight hours more pleasant for passengers.
At Last, Tata Motors' $2,000 Nano
Tata Motors' overdue launch of its tiny ultracheap car for the masses is fraught with limited supply, factory delays, and a growing field of rivals

JP Morgan denies report it plans to buy new planes
Investment bank JPMorgan Chase said on Monday it had no plans to purchase new corporate jets or build an airport hangar until it has repaid the funds it got through the U.S. governments Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).

World to U.S. B-Schools: Thanks, but No Thanks

Sunday, March 22, 2009

International students, worried about future job prospects, are turning down elite U.S. business schools in favor of MBA programs in their home countries

http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/mar2009/bs20090319_113428.htm?chan=bschools_bschool+index+page_top+stories

Prepaid wireless takes off

It looked, for a while, like the wireless industry might shrug off the worst of the recession. AT&T (T), the biggest U.S. phone company, in January reported a respectable 13.2% increase in fourth-quarter wireless sales, fueled by strong subscriber gains. Things were looking up this year, too. Surveys showed consumers would rather reduce purchases even of food and clothing before ditching cell phones.

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2009/tc20090319_409723.htm?chan=technology_technology+index+page_top+stories

Best US Business Schools 2008

Responsiveness to the community's needs, academic rigor, relationships with top recruiters, and dedication to excellence are among the qualities necessary for a business school to be considered one of the best. Every two years, BusinessWeek consults students, recruiters, and academic research to determine which business schools fit the bill. Here's this year's look at the best U.S. full-time MBA programs.

Top Business Schools

India vs New Zealand - Day3

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Fortune 1000 Companies

List of Fortune 1000 Companies

100 Best Companies to work for 2009 - CNN Money

Even in this economy, some companies are going out of their way to please employees. This year, there's a new no. 1, as Google slips to no. 4. See detailed profiles of the top 100 employers, including interactive maps, key perks, contact information, and more.

Top 100 companies to work for 2009
Top 100 companies by size

Latest news

Online travel agencies duke it out for bookings

Online travel agencies, eager to spur spring bookings in the recession, are locked in a price battle that has some of them cutting fees and reimbursing customers if the price of their trip falls after they book.

India vs New Zealand 1st Test - Day 2

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

India vs New Zealand 1st Test Highlights - Day 1

Day 1 Highlights

Latest finance and business news

IBM May Finally Take Sun Out of Its Misery
After months of knocking on doors at HP and Dell, Sun Microsystems may have found itself a buyer.The WSJ reports IBM made a $6.5 billion offer to buy Sun -- a 100% premium over its closing price Tuesday.The deal, which would be IBM's biggest ever, could close as early as this week.

Dell's New Adamo Surfaces, Mac Sales Decline, Mixed News for Google, and Layoffs Coming for MySpace

Dell is launching its answer to the Macbook Air today, the Adamo. Pictures started to trickle in from the South by Southwest conference yesterday, and bloggers were mostly fawning

Did B-Schools create the crisis?

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Focus on Individualism

Business schools have created the crisis we’re in, says Dr. Peggy Cunningham, the new director of the School of Business Administration at Dalhousie University, Canada, in an interview published in Monday’s Globe and Mail. Having left a tenured position at Queen’s University, Cunningham wants to restructure the Dalhousie business school program around a core concept of responsible leadership.

Ind VS New Zealand 1st test live streaming

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TVU Link
TVU Link

Free Movies on IMDB

IMDB which is the database for all the movies, now provides with streaming of Videos. The streaming includes Full-length movies, full-lenght TV episodes, trailers, clips, independent and short movies.

Full-Length movies
Full-Length TV episodes
Indie films and shorts
Clips
Trailers

St. Patrick's Day

Today is St.Patrick's Day. It is celebrated on March 17th of every year to remember Saint Patrick on his day of death. It is national holiday in Ireland. This day is also celebrated widely in Canada, USA, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand.

A detailed description on St. Patrick's Day and St.Patrick in Wikipedia article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Patrick's_Day
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick

Latest business news

Nokia to lay off 1,700 worldwide

Nokia Corp. said Tuesday it will lay off 1,700 people worldwide to cut costs, as the global economic downturn strikes deeper into the mobile phone sector.

Citi, Morgan Stanley look to sidestep bonus caps: report
Anticipating restrictions on bonuses, officials at Citigroup Inc and Morgan Stanley are exploring ways to sidestep tough new federal caps on compensation, the Wall Street Journal said.

Business News from around the world

Monday, March 16, 2009

World Bank head urges help for poorer countries

World Bank President Robert Zoellick has urged international finance officials to make the plight of developing countries a priority as finance officials meet here to hammer out a plan to deal with the global downturn.

Latest business news

Citigroup CEO awarded $10.8 million
Citigroup Inc awarded Chief Executive Vikram Pandit $10.82 million of compensation in 2008, a year when the government propped up the bank with $45 billion of capital.

Wall Street open higher building on 4 day rally

Wall Street rises moderately in morning trading, extending rally into a 5th straight day.
Investors buoyed by comments on the economy from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke sent stocks mostly higher Monday. The Dow Jones industrials and Standard & Poor's index rose for a fifth straight day.

Atlantic City isn't recession-proof

In the 20 years he's worked on the Atlantic City boardwalk, Joe Lochs has never seen business this bad.
Lochs, 54, makes his living giving rides to casino patrons in a "rolling chair," a three-wheeled, wicker-sided buggy that he pushes up and down the boardwalk between casinos, shops and restaurants.

Oil falls to $44 after OPEC keeps output steady
Oil fell to around $44 a barrel Monday after OPEC decided to leave existing output targets unchanged.
OPEC agreed Sunday to enforce existing output curbs more strictly, rather than introduce new ones, to help heal the global economy even though crude oil inventories have remained relatively high and fuel demand has been weak.

Don't see Satyam as going forward
According to iGATE CEO Phaneesh Murthy, shareholder loss in Satyam could be around $100 million. However, he believes that it is tough to put number to overall liability of Satyam. He expects number of serious bidders to come down dramatically and doesn't see Satyam as $2 billion revenue company going forward.

Tatas' debt to cross Rs 1-trillion mark
Tata group's total debt is set to exceed Rs 1,00,000 crore in the current fiscal, but it appears comfortable on the liquidity front, a report has said.

Telugu TV Channels live streaming

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Zee Telugu
Maa TV
TV 5 News
TV 9

England VS West Indies Only T20

Homes of the Billionaries

Homes-of-the-Billionaires
In today's tough economic climate, Warren Buffett is setting a good example. The world's second richest man lives in the same five-bedroom, gray stucco house he bought in 1958 for $31,500.

That's right. Legendary investor Buffett, 78, still calls his humble digs in Omaha, Neb.'s Happy Hollow suburb home, despite a $37 billion fortune. That famous folksiness is, of course, in keeping with his investment philosophy. "If you don't feel comfortable owning something for 10 years," he once told a reporter, "then don't own it for 10 minutes."

Latest Business and Finance news from all over the world

Airfare Quotes that lay bare hidden fees

Sites Build Tools to Compare the Actual Costs of Flights; When Baggage Tips the Scale

Shop for airline tickets online or through a travel agent and the price quotes you get don't tell the whole story these days. But that's about to change.

G20 offers no magic bullet to fix financial crisis
G20 leaders cannot solve all of the world's economic woes on April 2, no matter how high British Prime Minister Gordon Brown builds expectations for a landmark financial summit that he will host in London.

UBS Cutting 5,000 management jobs
Switzerland's biggest bank UBS plans to cut up to 5,000 senior and management jobs in the next few weeks, Swiss weekly SonntagsZeitung said on Sunday

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