Google Android surpasses iPhone in U.S.

Google's Android operating system edged out Apple's iPhone operating system for the No. 2 spot in the U.S. consumer smart-phone market in the first quarter, as was reported by research firm NDP Group.

According to NPD, devices running Android accounted for 28 percent of the units sold to U.S. consumers in the first quarter of 2010. BlackBerry devices made by Research In Motion, which use RIM's homegrown operating system, took the top spot with 36 percent of the U.S. market. Apple's iPhone, which had been in the No. 2 spot previously, fell to third place with 21 percent of the market.

Android is an operating system that is available on several different models of phones made by different manufacturers, such as Motorola, HTC, and Samsung. Meanwhile, Apple's operating system is used only on Apple's own iPhone.

You can attribute the strong growth in Android sales to the fact that devices using Android software are now available on all major U.S. carrier networks. Verizon Wireless, in particular, has helped fuel success for the operating system. Verizon launched a major marketing campaign for devices, such as the Motorola Droid, last year. And Verizon, the largest U.S. wireless operator, has also been including Android devices in its buy-one-get-one free smart-phone promotion. T-Mobile USA also features Android phones as its flagship smart-phones, and AT&T has begun selling Android phones.

Although the iPhone is still very popular, it would be even more successful in the U.S if it was available on other carrier networks. Reports surfaced in March that the iPhone could be coming to Verizon soon. But until that happens, it appears that it will remain in third place.

Term 2 Progress Test 2 Revision Sheet

Study the terms and chapter review for chapter 32.

Revision Sheet Term 2 Progress Test 1

Study chapters 28 and 30 in Introduction to Business.

Report: iPhone Best Selling Smartphone, But Android Is Most Popular OS

The iphone Got the best sellings in U.S. according to canalysurvey . the iphone took 26.2 percent of smartphones market during he last quarter. But Android Operating system is the most popular .

So if consumers want to purchase a smartphone with Android OS on it they can buy from Samsung ,HTC , Motorola and Sony Ericson .

Today , Android OS is installed on 43.6 % of smartphone in the U.S. , But nothing can beat the Iphone's Harware .

http://appadvice.com/appnn/2010/11/report-iphone-selling-smartphone-android-popular-os/

Almost a Quarter of Young Emiratis Unemployed

Almost 25% of young UAE citizens are unemployed. The figures show that 23.1 percent of emiratis between the ages 15-24 are unemployed. Overall the uneployment rate for everyone stands at 12.9 percent, with 16.6 percent without a job in the northern emirates and 11.6 percent in the south emirates.

The newspaper said there was also large levels of unemployment among women, but did not give any specific figures.

click here for original article

European air transport industry

European air transport industry on a rebound

Even in the downfall of the economy global air travel is on the rise . Airbus delivers more and more aircrafts every year . In 2009 Airbus gets 310 orders and 498 aircrafts , in 2010 Airbus got orders and delivered 500 Aircraft and the numbers will increase at 2011 . These are only the numbers in Europe according to EADS( European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company ) .

So we could assume that the numbers outside the EU could be more or less . I was suprised because of all the bail-outs in Europe but i guess they're turning the economy around and making a change for the better . Is the air travel industry the only one improving in the EU or are other industries for ex. banks,automobiles etc .. cnn said that "The financial crisis of 2007–2010 is considered by many economists to be the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. " that leads me to believe that the air transport industry is the first industry to break free from the crysis and start benifiting the economy .

Refrences :

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_17075096

Will the U.S. auto market come back? -ECONOMICS-

((((((((((ECONOMICS))))))))))…I didn’t get an invitation for economics

This article talks about the recession that happened in the end of 2007 in the United States of America. Automobile is a great sector in the U.S economy, which affected the economy during the recession. The vehicle industry is the largest consumer spending sector, and also the housing and financial markets.

The recession’s effect on Automobiles:

-Chrysler and General Motors were bankrupted.

-276,000 jobs were destroyed, that’s a 36% of the total employment in the sector.

We all know that the auto industry in the U.S was a great success but will it return to the way it was?

The U.S government had never experienced a thing like this, but according to their suggesting, No it will never return to the conditions it was in.

Impact of housing and auto on real GDP

2007:Q4 403.4 525.0 13,391

2008:Q1 379.6 483.2 13,367

2008:Q2 339.3 462.9 13,415

2008:Q3 333.6 443.3 13,325

2008:Q4 279.8 415.0 13,142

2009:Q1 215.9 367.9 12,925

2009:Q2 222.7 344.4 12,902

Difference -180.7 -180.6 -490

% change -45% -34% -3.7%

Contribution to GDP 37% 37%

Change

According to the chart shown above, the recession made a disaster on the U.S government. There are a few changes, and the economy is growing but not so much. The effect of the recession is still there.

Link: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1094/is_4_45/ai_n56471340/?tag=content;col1

Haiti's reconstruction (one year after the earthquake)

One year after Haiti's earthquake , there still are over 1 million homeless Haitians. The earthquake killed approximately 230,000 people. Haitians struggle until now from the disastrous earthquake that took many lives of innocent people.

The situation remains very difficult in the country and many people remain extremely vulnerable even though one year has passed since the earthquake. Some areas experience health risks ,as well as other problems, such as violence due to the reason that they received less assistance than city centers and refuge camps.

The medical group spent over 104 million euros (131 million dollars) in Haiti in the last 12 months. Leading governments promised 2.1 billion dollars for Haiti in 2010, but only about 1.2 billion was dispersed. According to charities, more than 70 percent of Haitians are estimated to have living on less than 2 dollars per day. The majority of the Haitians had little access or no access to health care.

Haiti is trying to reconstruct itself and it needs our (leading governments) help so let's try our best to contribute to the reconstruction of Haiti.

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/health/news/article_1610598.php/Doctors-bemoan-Haiti-s-appalling-conditions-one-year-after-quake

BAA says December's cold weather cost it £24m

About 7.2 million people were stick at the six airports of UK because of the sever weather and the temporarily close of the airports.

The cancellation of most of the flights cost the airlines a lot of money.

For example,the cancellation of two-thousand flights of the airline Flybe cost them about 6 million.

The Virgin Atlantic stops paying its fees because of the slow reaction of the heavy snow.

And the BAA aid that there was a drop in the traffic of the passengers due to the severe weather.

Heathrow, BAA largest airport, lost many of its passengers and had to pay 19 million of the 24 million hit of the UK.

The BAA apologized for the passengers but they had to cancel the flights because of the severe weather in the UK.

The BAA is establishing an inquiry to learn how to react to this severe weather in the future.

For the year as a whole, BAA said it had handled 103.9 million passengers, down 2.8% from 2009.

But now 0.6% of the passengers arose and are back to have their flights safely.

And the BAA said that Heathrow will recover quickly from July to november.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business

AIG agrees $2.16 billion sale of Taiwan unit

TAIPEI(Reuters) - American Inernational Group Inc (AIG.N) have accepted a $2.16 billon offer for its Taiwan Nan Shan life unit From the Ruentex Group, Whose Goal is to make the beginning of the end of over year-long process fraught with delays and political wrangling.

It Will acquire the 97.57% of Nan Shan that is for sale. And that the Ruentex Had long been at the top, but the deal would be a subject to approval shareholders approval of the compet authorities, so seized have previously told Rueters that rented is major player in the market of bussiness like in China and Taiwan and that the would not like to meet all the five strict critera for buyers

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110112/bs_nm/us_aig_taiwan

Behavioral Economics

Behavioral Economics Helping Marketers Better Understand Consumers

Behavioral Economics is the use of psychology in economics. It is the study of why people buy goods and services for reasons other than price, quality and maintenance. Instead of researching consumers rational choices like regular economics, Behavioral Economics studies the "predictable irrational choices" that consumers make. These irrational choices are usually caused by emotions or "social psychology ". Industries, marketers, the government and many more are engaging in behavioral economics. An example is a study done to research why people go to the gym. It was found through behavioral research that people will probably go t the gym if they had an appointment. The reason could be one of many: the person might not want to waste his money since they paid in advance, he might not want to waste another person's time or because he might not want anyone else to know that he didn't show. Another person suggested that the "pay per month in advance policy" is changed to" only pay if you did not visit the gym".
"Who knows what the economic impact would be?" posted Jeff Jones, partner and president of McKinney. "But what might it do for the churn rate?"
Behavioral Economics is not going to be the new way to advertise but is a reinforcement to the ways of marketing.

How to Sell an Idea to Your Boss

"My problem is not how to be innovative. The problem is how can I convince my boss to invest in our ideas?"

One of the hardest challenges for creative people is how to win top management's support for their ideas. Many feel that their plans are killed not because they have poor potential but because their boss simply does not understand them or does not even listen to the presentation. They feel disappointed and dream of working with CEOs, who often invest in breakthroughs.

One of many solutions to this problem is to have your boss on-board long before the idea comes up. Top executives who successfully promote innovation hardly invest in unexpected breakthroughs. They are actively involved upfront.

These are some points to start the interaction in the innovation process :

1. Get an endorsement to investigate a business challenge.

2. Design the innovation process together.

3. Update top executives frequently.

4. Involve top executives in the creation of the solution.

I'm not implying that if you follow these steps, the idea that you ultimately propose will or should be accepted. But your boss will definitely have a better understanding of your proposals.

In summary, if you're pursuing radical innovation, do not sell the idea. Sell the process.

http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/aug2010/ca20100831_867890.htm

Entrepreneurship in Pakistan

International surveys show that Pakistan is the one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Entrepreneurs are cautioned. One of the biggest problems is that entrepreneurs want to become rich overnight and dont take it step by step. This overconfidence is what ruins entrepreneurship in Pakistan.

The second problem is that Pakistan doesn't give the women the chances and opportunities that it gives it's men everyday. Some women are used as the "food makers", not the "food earners". However, research shows that these women turned out to be very succesful entrepreneurs. And now more and more women are fighting for the right to be entrepreneurs.

Ford Company

Link: http://money.cnn.com/2011/01/10/news/companies/ford_adding_7000_jobs/index.htm?cnn=yes

Ford is a well known car company that has a great impact on the world. Because of the recession, more than 10,000 employees were fired. Ford was losing a lot of money and they were in a bad position.

-In 2000, Ford had more than 150,000 employees.

-In 2007, Ford had about 76,000 employees.

-At the end of 2010, Ford had less than 65,000 employees.

So, by the numbers of employees shown above, we know that Ford has a lot to look at.

Ford spent a few months and came up with new ideas. They are making brand new 13 cars, hiring 7,000 workers, opening 2,500 new factories, and even in the next five years they might add an additional global market share. Not only 7,000 workers but also Ford is adding nearly 4,000 hourly jobs.

Ford is improving by the results, but when will all of this happen?

-13 new cars: They didn’t yet announce the time.

-hiring 7,000 workers: By the end of 2012

-opening 2,500 new factories: next year (2012)

By the effort of Ford U.S market sales were up by 20% just in the last 2 years!

Sony PS3 Ready To Beat Xbox 360

Since the release of the Sony PS3 the X-Box 360 selling rate have lowered, indicating that the PS3 might beat the X-Box 360. Also despite that the PS3 was released one year after the X-Box 360.

Also since the release of the PS3, the company have sold 3.2 million consoles in the first quarter year from the release date starting from June till September. In the same amount of time (the first quarter of the year since release date) X-Box have olny sold 2.8 consoles compared with PS3. But the Playstion move is not wowing the viewers like the Kinect, which have been selling nonstop since release date.

Since May last year Sony have made a profit from the PS3 on a per-unit basis. Even though the mirosoft is not able to so with the X-Box, they have still made a profit from the games and from the subscription of X-Box Live.

But still both consoles are still far behind the Nintedo Wii, which have sold more than 75 million units up to date.

In the end Sony have earned 32 billion yen vesus a loss 26.3 billion yen last year, having the revenue go up by 4%.


http://www.businessinsider.com/ps3-approaching-xbox-360-lifetime-sales-2010-10

Oil's future is in deepwater drilling

Oil thats produced 500ft under water has doubled in the last five years to 5 million barrels a day. By 2020 it might double again.

"There's a huge amount of work out there," said Matt Pickard, consulting manager at Quest Offshore Resources, a deepwater research firm. "It's really picking up steam."

According to numbers provided by the Energy Policy Research Foundation.
Oil production in shallow waters are expected to decline to 14 million barrels a day in 2015.
The U.S is currently producing over 1.6 million barrals of oil a day and Brazil produces nearly the same amount as United States.
West Africa, Angola produces about 1.2 million barrels of oil a day and Nigeria 600,000.

"It's getting harder and harder to get access to these lands," said Leta Smith, director of oil and gas supply at Cambridge Energy Research Associates. "These big companies want big discoveries, and big discoveries are getting harder to find onshore."

http://money.cnn.com/2011/01/11/news/economy/oil_drilling_deepwater/index.htm?source=cnn_bin&hpt=Sbin

Facebook valued at $50 Billion

A report that just reveald these days shows that the most popular website Facebook had made a great profit in webs history which is 1.3 billion dollar in the first 9 months of 2010 .
This report came after days of announcing that Facebook had reach 500 million users around the world and became the most popular webiste in 2010 for the first time since the site launched , and Google came second .
Goldman Sachs Bank has report that they had recieve a check with a value of 50 million dollar from Digital Sky Technology a russian company to invest in Facebook .
Also the report from Goldman Sachs Bank shows that the value of Facebook raised to 50 billion dollar , which make this site much in value than more than alot of popular sites like Time Warner, eBay and Yahoo , and it make the owner of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg in the top 20 wealthy man in the world .


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12135320

US unemployment rate drops in December

The US unemployment rate dropped to 9.4% in December from 9.8% in November, the biggest one-month drop since April 1998. Some 103,000 jobs were created last month. The lower rate came not only because more people found jobs, but also because 260,000 had given up looking. If people stop searching for work, they are no longer counted as unemployed.

Stubbornly high unemployment has hindered the US economic recovery. Tax cuts would help employment and urged businesses who were thinking about creating jobs to press ahead. It may take up to five years for the unemployment rate to drop to a more historically typical 6% while the economy should grow more strongly this year as consumers and businesses boosted their spending.

"Notwithstanding these hopeful signs with employers reportedly still unwilling to add to payrolls, considerable time likely will be required before the unemployment rate has returned to a more normal level.

Overall employment for October and November was revised to show 70,000 more job gains than earlier reported, and the unemployment rate is now at its lowest since May 2009.Private hiring increased in December by 113,000, while government employment fell by 10,000. The falling rate appeared to counter concerns over fewer-than expected jobs being created, with shares on Wall Street relatively unchanged in early trading.

Meanwhile the euro rose into positive territory against the dollar after the report, but then relinquished those gains.

Revision List for End of Term

Grade 10 Business Revision Sheet

Pages: Study chapters 16, 17, 21, 22, 24, 25, and 26.

Topics covered:

•         How government affects business
•         Taxes and taxation
•        The global market
•         Other economic systems
•         Global economic changes
•         Buying goods and services
•         Consumer rights and responsibilities

Apple's Hard iPad Sell

Apple's introduction of the revolutionary iPad increased its popularity. Based on a survey,
it was on the front page of at least 47 state newspapers, with pictures and stories about the product and a minimum of 24 countries worldwide.

In the last ten years, Apple has innovated communication and music with its iPhone and iPod touch. Newspapers look at the iPad as a way to boost up their fading industry by offering down-loadable applications. Book Publishers would use the iPad's large screen to sell books electronically instead of spending money on paper and fuel to deliver the books . Software developers, who have been making and selling apps on the app store for the iPhone and iPod, would make more money by taking advantage of the much larger screen of the iPad for better graphics or simply for softwares that specifically need a large screen.
As of January 1 2011, 8.26 million iPads have been sold worldwide.

December auto sales raise hopes for 2011

My analysis:
Most automakers ended the year 2010 with smooth sales month.Americans Gm, Ford, and Chrysler Group all made solid gains and met or topped all predictions,with Fords gain in 2010 it recaptured the spot since 2006 from Toyota Motor, the position No.2 in automakin in the U.S sales, following only GM.
Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Co. which holds the kia and hyundai brands in the U.S continued to go up in U.S market,also Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan ended 2010 with strong sales.
The one major automaker that was falling behind was Toyota,which had a decline in sales for the month and the entire year,but despite that the strong december was raising the hopes up for the industry.

2010: The year of uncertainty and volatility

http://money.cnn.com/2010/12/31/markets/2010_stock_market_review/index.htm

Summary:

This article does a review of the year 2010 in regards to economics.

2010 was a volatile and unpredictable business year full of ups and downs.

''Put bluntly, 2010 was a roller coaster ride'', said David Kotok, chief investment officer at Cumberland Advisors.

Stocks went off to a good start but worries about European debt and other anxieties slowed down stocks. The stocks started recovering but at around mid July, the stocks plummeted to their lows for the year. A mere hint at another stimulus package sent stocks on a upward trajectory for the rest of the year. But let's not forget May 6, when the "Flash Crash" sent the Dow (Dow Jones Industrial Average) spilling down almost 1,000 points in minutes.

The year ended on a high note though with a rise in stocks. Investors are hoping stocks continue rising in 2011.

Stock outlook for 2011: Recovery rally will continue

Stock outlook for 2011: Recovery rally will continue

According to the New York’s CNN Money, the stock market will rise 11% by the end of 2011. Also according to the survey, business profits shall rase 10%, which is an average of $92 per share. Is it time to invest your money? According to Weeden & Comp market strategist Steven Goldman, it is the time to invest when he said "Everything seems to be in place for the stock market to rise", but on the contrary, Wells Fargo Advisors' chief macro strategist Gary Thayer, says that his economic earnings will only increase 6% and he does not expect to see a big growth in the market in 2011. Is it time to invest or re-invest in the stock market?

How to invest in 2011

Best 10 stocks for 2011

Mosaic

Market cap: $30.2 billion

2009 Revenue: $10 billion

P/E ratio: 15.4

Agrium

Market cap: $12.6 billion

2009 Revenue: $9.1 billion

P/E ratio: 11.8

Dow

Market cap: $36.1 billion

2009 Revenue: $45 billion

P/E ratio: 12.8

Transocean

Market cap: $21 billion

2009 Revenue: $12 billion

P/E ratio: 9.2

Royal Dutch Shell

Market cap: $108 billion

2009 Revenue: $278 billion

P/E ratio: 8.3

Lennar

Market cap: $2.8 billion

2009 Revenue: $3.1 billion

P/E ratio: 25

East West Bancorp

Market cap: $2.6 billion

2009 Revenue: $880 million

P/E ratio: 12.9

Royal Caribbean

Market cap: $8.7 billion

2009 Revenue: $5.9 billion

P/E ratio: 12.6

Entropic

Market cap: $750 million

2009 Revenue: $116 million

P/E ratio: 11.7

Apple

Market cap: $284 billion

2009 Revenue: $43 billion

P/E ratio: 15.7

I personally believe it is time to invest in the stock market. For those that would like to gain experience without risking their money, they can try their skills at a stock market simulator game @ http://www.tradefields.com/

Currency Effects on Global Trade

Global investing is different than investing in your home country in many ways.

For example: If a Canadian investor buys shares from a Japanese company, these shares will depend on the stock price. If the stock price goes up the investment goes up.

Lets assume you did a research about your investment in Canada and you found out that the company produced new i phone 4. Most probably the new product lot of people will buy it. When most people buy the product the stock price will increase so the company will gain more money and your investment will increase and be successful.

However, if your stock decreases your investment also decreases if not many people bought the product the company will decrease its stock price and your investment will decrease.

The ideal scenario is being right about both: the stock price goes up and you get an extra benefit from a strengthening of the currency. The worst case: the stock goes down and the currency loses value relative to the dollar. In other cases, the results will be mixed. No matter what, you can’t afford to ignore the currency effect

http://internationalinvest.about.com/od/gettingstarted/a/currencyeffect.htm

The Fed's 'Tax on the Consumer'

Investors have been pleased because the Federal Reserve is pumping more money in the economy, but some experts say that this move could end up causing many people losing their hard earned money. When Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke pledged that the central bank would take "unconventional measures" to keep the economy afloat. These "unconventional measures" is likely to be asset purchases which is also known as quantitative easing(QE2). This move is planned to boost the economy and lower interest rates. Although it would also add more pressure on an already weak U.S. Dollar.


Since Ben Bernanke's comments, the dollar index has dropped by 7%, while goods(priced in dollars) have increased in price. Crude oil has increased in price by 14%, gold increased by 8%. Prices for cotton, corn, sugar, wheat and coffee also increased in price. Everything will increase in price including coffee, bread, pizza, gas, clothing and more. David Giroux stated that" The problem I have with QE2, it behaves like a tax on the consumer". American households already spend $340 Billion dollars a year on gasoline. Recently, the price of a gallon of gas increased by 4.8%. A 5% rise in food prices would eventually force a family to add $350 a year to their grocery budget. This is the Fed's sneaky "tax" on consumers.

Follow This Link: The Fed's 'Tax on the Consumer'

Summarized by Talat Zaitoun 10B1

2011: A hiring boom, even at 9% unemployment

http://money.cnn.com/2011/01/03/news/economy/jobs_economy_recovery_2011/index.htm?source=cnn_bin&hpt=Sbin

After all the suffering the economy went through, 2011 might bring an recovery.
In 2011 more people will spend more , find more jobs , create new bussines, and more,,
Economists forecast between 2.5 to 3.5 million jobs added in the U.S payrolls in 2011 which will be the best jump since 1999 . ("were looking at some leading indicators on employment,and theyre all flashing green lights," said Bernard Baumohl of the economic outlook group)

People with no houses, college grads, people stuck with their families,friends, They will all move out and buy houses , get jobs, buy goods., All these help the economy to grow.
As well as debt between countries is getting less by issuing countrie trade agreements and contracts. ,, as well as the price of precious metals is decreasing like silver and gold,,, making the consumers buy more of it.
Lastly the unemployment rate is decreasing, job openings by employers rose 17% from june to october in 2010, about 3 million jobs being added over the past 3 years.

A look at a key feature of McDonald's business

A look at a key feature of McDonald's business:

Everyone knows that McDonald's is a strong company and it have many customers, but the famous

guarantees comes the positive aspects of the company, in addition there is the negative side of the company,Regarded globally as a representation of US culture and values, McDonald's is often 'first in the firing line' for any anti-American sentiment as in the following cases:

• In June 2002, a French farmer, Jose Bove, began a jail sentence for destroying a half-built McDonald's restaurant. Bove was sentenced for three months for the act which he said was in protest against US trade protectionism.

McDonald's has tried in recent years to fend off health concerns associated with fast food consumption. It has made considerable efforts to stress the positive aspects of the ingredients it uses in its products stating that:

they have promised that it will not use ingredients from genetically-modified sources whilst there is consumer alarm over this new food technology.Etc.

http://www.bized.co.uk/compfact/mcdonalds/mc11.htm

Red Bull Marketing

http://www.bized.co.uk/compfact/redbull/redbull7.htm

My analysis:

The owner of the energy drink brand Red Bull has used a vast array of tactical ideas, plans, and promotions for his brand. He has Promoted his brand in many ways as listed in the article, these promotional ways were not vastly used in the time were red bull was initiated. This helped the brand grow in a some what of an unprecedented way. However the energy drink brand did use word of mouth marketing, they created an image for the energy drink that associated it with youth culture and extreme and adventure-related sports, such as motor sports, mountain biking, snowboarding and dance music. The brand also promoted the drink by giving out free red bulls, making the drink seem like a "new age" drink for the youths.

The brand grew swiftly out growing all the other energy drink brands. In 2004 red bull clearly reached a lead in the marketing position,

The business like all other business has its "fluctuations" from the business cycle. It began facing some issues like heath effects, or like the original consumers it was meant for (the youths of year 1981) have now become working adults so how is the brand going to attract the new youths.

The brand red bull is still leading the energy drink market.