BMW launched new Sports car for U.S

BMW is on a high these days, after posting good financial results this season and enjoying the luxury car demand from China too, it has got something special for U.S too.

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW), officials announced that in the coming months, Audi AG (NSU) would introduce its top-of-the line sports cars in the US car markets.

However, Peter Schwarzenbauer, Sales Chief, while sharing his plans in an exclusive interview, quoted that by 2015 the Company had planned to double the US sales to almost 16,000.

In the meantime, Jim Hall, principal of 2953 Analytics, a consulting firm in Birmingham, Michigan, asserted that the Company had adopted a very effective policy, as a result of which, the new the selling would definitely increase by RS 5 and the TT RS would continue to alter the analyst’s expectations.

On the other hand, other news alleged that the Edmunds. com data recently claimed that in the past 18 months, as compared to the company’s two German opponents, Audi, the chief supplier of VW earnings, had lifted the average U. S business prices.

The data further declared that from the month of January, the carmaker’s standard promotion value was increased by 9.1% and in the meantime, BMW cost was cut by 3.6% but Mercedes’ profits mounted to 2.6%.

Jeremy Acevedo, Edmunds. com analyst, added, “This is a great trend for Audi and their vehicles are popular, demand is meeting supply and cars aren’t sitting on the lot for excessive periods of time”.

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Huawei on cloud too

China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, the world's No. 2 network equipment maker, launched its cloud computing smartphones on Wednesday, looking to ride a mobile industry boom that drove a 64 percent sales rise in its devices unit in the first half.

The company , known for its low-cost cellphones, is betting its new model will help it replicate its telecom gear success in the booming smartphone market and take on the likes of Nokia , Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics

. Huawei's Cloud+ platform will allow users to store music, video, pictures, email and some other applications on its remote servers and access them via the Internet through their smartphones.

"We are targeting at what we call the young social networkers for this smartphone," Victor Xu, chief strategy and marketing officer for Huawei Device, told reporters in Beijing at the launch of its "Vision" smartphones.

Huawei is targeting 2011 shipments of more than one million units of the smartphone, which comes with the blockbuster Angry Birds game pre-installed.

Company executives declined to provide any details of the pricing but said that the smartphone would not sell for less than 2,000 yuan ($305). Apple's iPhone 4 sells for 4,999 yuan or $762 in China.

Cloud computing smartphones will allow users to download applications without needing much storage space on their devices.

Huawei follows Apple in pushing ahead the fast-growing new consumer market after the U.S. company unveiled its Web-based iCloud service in June.

Founded in 1987, Huawei has grown rapidly. The company, which employs more than 110,000 people, reported revenue of $28 billion last year and aims to boost revenue to $100 billion in the next 10 years.

It has been selling its cellphones in markets from Australia to Kenya, but China, home to more than 900 million mobile phone subscribers, is emerging as the goldmine for global companies.

Last month, Apple said the maker of the iPhone and iPad was merely "scratching the surface" in China. Apple is set to exponentially grow its China business as the country's biggest telecom telecom operators jostle to stitch up deals to sell iPhones.

China's Alibaba Group has launched its first self-developed mobile operating system and smartphone running on its cloud computing-based operating system.

Huawei's new 9.9-mm, 121-g phone runs on Google's Android 2.3 operating system and Qualcomm's Snapdragon chip.

Cloud based services are gaining momentum, but many experts have warned companies against putting too much faith in these services due concerns about security and privacy of data.

This year, Sony Corp was battered by a data breach that compromised the personal data of more than 100 million customers of the Japanese electronics conglomerate.

On Wednesday, security experts discovered the biggest series of cyber attacks to date, involving the infiltration of the networks of 72 organizations including the United Nations, governments and companies around the world.

Huawei's U.S. expansion plans in the network equipment sector have hit roadblocks on suspicions the company maintains links with China's military.

Ren Zhengfei, Huawei's low-profile founder who started the company with just 21,000 yuan ($3,200), served in the People's Liberation Army until 1983.

The company has repeatedly denied any links with China's military or government.

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Facebook's new aquisition

If you thought that Google + would slow down the facebook's expansion, then perhaps you might be wrong.Social networking giant Facebook has bought a digital publishing company Push Pop Press that develops technology to help make interactive books optimised for iPad and other Apple devices.

"We're thrilled to confirm that we've acquired Push Pop Press, a startup whose groundbreaking software changes the way people publish and consume digital content," Xinhua quoted Facebook as saying in a statement.

Push Pop Press was co-founded by Mike Matas and Kimon Tsinteris - both former Apple employees.

It had also teamed up with former US vice president Al Gore to create a digital version of his book "Our Choice".

"Although Facebook isn't planning to start publishing digital books, the ideas and technology behind Push Pop Press will be integrated with Facebook, giving people even richer ways to share their stories," Push Pop Press said in a statement.

"With millions of people publishing to Facebook each day, we think it's going to be a great home for Push Pop Press," it said.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed by the two companies.

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After HSBC, now Barclays cut jobs

Is U.K banking sector is in the state of turmoil or is it just the bad phase of this sector. After the astonishing news of HSBC slashing almost 50,000 jobs worlwide now its turn of one more British bank to follow the same footstep.

The boss of banking giant Barclays said that staff levels could be cut by around 3,000 this year as job losses in the industry continue to mount.
Barclays, which has 56,900 staff in the UK, has reduced its headcount by 1,400 so far this year across the group and this trend will continue and increase, chief executive Bob Diamond said.

The warning came as Barclays reported a 33% drop in profits to £2.6bn after it took a £1bn hit to cover compensation for customers who were mis-sold payment protection insurance (PPI).

But the group's underlying performance - stripping out the PPI provision - revealed profit growth and the bank is on target to meet its business lending targets under the Project Merlin agreement with the Government.

Barclays cost-cutting plans follow in the footsteps of HSBC, which yesterday announced plans to axe 30,000 staff, and Lloyds Banking Group, which in June unveiled plans to shed 15,000 jobs.

Mr Diamond said the cost-cutting programme was necessary for the bank to meet its target of increasing returns for shareholders - but would not give specific targets for headcount reduction.

He said: "In the first half of the year net headcount was down about 1,400.

"We should assume that trend will continue and increase. We're not giving specific targets."

Mr Diamond agreed a net reduction of 3,000 for the full year was possible.

He said proposals to ring-fence retail and investment banking operations would hurt the UK economy and, in a worst-case scenario, could lead to further job cuts at Barclays.

The Independent Committee on Banking, which releases its full report next month, has already indicated its preference for a ring fence around the UK banks' retail and investment banking operations, a move expected to push up costs in the UK.

But Mr Diamond said the bank was optimistic and added: "It's not in the interest of the commission to do anything radical, it's not in the interest of the UK."

Barclays, like HSBC, revealed a better-than-expected performance. The City had been expecting £2.4bn in reported profits.

Stripping out the PPI provision, Barclays would have seen profits increase 24% to £3.7bn in the period.

Barclays said it extended £20bn in lending to businesses in the first six months, in line with its £40bn target for the full year.

£1bn :The amount paid by Barclays to compensate customers who were mis-sold PPI

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Demi Moore to endorse Ann Taylor

As a young teenager, before the fame, kids, paparazzi and front-row seats at fashion shows, Demi Moore regularly passed an Ann Taylor store at a local mall, taking note of the clothes.

In the years since, she's been a red-carpet rebel, jeans-wearing mom, bikini globetrotter and Versace model. Now her style evolution has come full circle, and Moore is the star of the Ann Taylor fall ad campaign.

She is the latest Hollywood connection for a company that previously tapped Katie Holmes and Naomi Watts to court its shoppers. "I feel like I've known Ann Taylor since I was a kid. I've watched the clothes move into support for the working woman," said Moore, 48, during a break at a recent photo shoot in L.A. "It used to be a lot of suiting. I've seen as we've changed, that they've changed, reflecting on how we live as modern women, which is wearing things that take us from day to night . from workout to work to weekend."

Looking at Moore's own fashion history, she's changed a lot, too. She has done the menswear thing, the retro siren and many plunging necklines. She's been bald and buff — and totally bare. (Remember the Vanity Fair cover when she was pregnant in 1991?)

In recent years, she has developed more of a signature look — one that's both sophisticated and sultry — which has won her praise from fashion insiders.

"We have to remember it's OK to take risks. Sometimes it will work and sometimes it won't. For me, I know there's a certain kind of balance of criteria. I like things that are classic. I want to know that I'll look in my closet five years from now and that piece still has a place. I don't have room or time for something's that just absolutely of the moment."

She has no problem taking some cues from the past, though. "I look at Katharine Hepburn, from the '30s and '40s, and the women of the '70s, Bianca Jagger," said Moore. "When we're young, we're finding ourselves, what we like. I can say there are certain things that remain a constant. I've always loved vintage. I've rested in a place that's classic, with a twist."

That's the look you see in the Ann Taylor ads, shot by top photographer Patrick Demarchelier at one of Rockefeller Center's rooftop gardens in New York City against a backdrop of towering buildings. In one ad, the star of movies "Ghost" and "A Few Good Men" stands confidently, hands on her hips, wearing a '60s-esque beige wool cape and a black blouse edged in lace.

In another shot, she sports a sexy-chic long V-necked grey sweater accented by faux fur. Moore hadn't worked with Demarchelier since he photographed her as the cover of an issue of Harper's Bazaar in the '90s, one of her favorite shoots, she said.

The collection also includes animal-print jackets, tailored tweed, wide-legged pants and bling-y statement jewelry. Moore added her own creative slant to the ads, suggesting the pairing of a leopard-print shirt with khaki pants, and the faux fur-trimmed sweater.

"That was actually one of my favorite pieces, when I first looked through the collection," said Moore.

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Low profit for Dunkin' Brands

 Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc., the Canton-based parent company of the Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins chains, said its second-quarter net income was $17.2 million compared with $17.3 million for the second quarter of 2010.

The company said its current emphasis is on “operational excellence” and expansion.

Global system-wide sales for the second quarter rose 6.9 percent from a year ago, the company said in a press release. And same-store sales, an important retail metric that measures sales at stores open at least a year, were up 3.2 percent at the company’s US stores.

Second-quarter revenues that went to the parent company were $157 million, up from $150.4 million a year ago, Dunkin’ Brands said.

Last week, Dunkin’ Brands sold a piece of the company in an initial public stock offering. On the first day of trading, shares soared 46 percent above the initial public offering price. On that first day of trading, shares closed at $27.85, up from the $19 IPO price, and the company sold 22.3 million shares raising $422.8 million. A trio of private equity firms - Bain Capital Partners, Thomas H. Lee Partners of Boston, and Carlyle Group of Washington, D.C. - bought Dunkin’ for $2.4 billion six years ago. Each of the firms retains a 26.1 percent controlling interest in Dunkin’ Brands. (To read a Globe story about Dunkin’s IPO, please click here.)

Today’s press release included a statement from Neil Moses, Dunkin’s chief financial officer.

“Since the first of the year, we have significantly increased the strength of our balance sheet, and after the completion of our initial public offering, have reduced our annual interest expense by 50 percent to approximately $60 million through a combination of debt retirement, restructuring, and repricing. This financing activity resulted in non-recurring charges which impacted year-to-date net income,” Moses said. “The performance of the business in the second quarter demonstrates the strength of our business model and the integrity of our platform for future growth.”

Dunkin’ Brands added that its franchisees and licensees opened 140 net new Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins locations on a global basis during the quarter, increasing Dunkin’ Brands total points of distribution to 16,427 at the end of the second quarter.

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Beckham brand aims to slim waterloo

Herbalife the USA founded nutritional and weight management product providers are moving their targets to the city of Liverpool. Now in over 70 countries the range has become very much the product of choice for millions across the globe. With a range including the likes of multivitamins, herbal teas, isotonic drinks and even now including skincare. It has now arrived on South Road- Waterloo at ‘energie Fitness Club.’

The brand is supported and taken in the USA by global superstar David Beckham and his team at LA Galaxy as well as the likes of FC Barcelona where it is the club’s Official Nutrition Sponsor and the also the individual sponsor of the world’s number one player, Lionel Messi. With this in mind the brand now aims to target the region of Liverpool through their top Personal Wellness Coach Phil Mylotte. Phil commented “We have started to get involved in certain gyms in the region and that has been great for our brand. We have identified ‘energie fitness club’ in Waterloo as a great partner as they offer on-going support, guidance and motivation to all members. Nutrition is a huge part of this and the team at ‘energie’ are aware of the importance of this, so we look forward to helping members where we can.” Dave Connor the franchisee at énergie – Waterloo commented “Our average member’s age is 42, and over 70% of our members have never used a fitness club before. We have also set up every Tuesday evening a community weight loss challenge, so help motivate people in the area to live a more active lifestyle. Anyone is welcome to call in.”

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87% of Brands Plan to Run Twitter Ads : Survey

Eighty-seven percent of brand managers surveyed by the Pivot Conference plan to run a Twitter campaign in the next 12 months. The result appears to reflect the growing popularity of Twitter's Promoted Accounts, which are PPC ads designed to lift a brand's number of followers. Twitter's other major platform, Promoted Trends, costs $120,000 per day for an exclusive global reach.

Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Foursquare also received positive news from the report, which reflects the social media spending plans of 230 brand managers in attendance at the May 2011 event.
A staggering 98 percent of respondents said they'd run Facebook ads in the coming year; 81 percent plan to advertise on YouTube; and 65 percent will buy ads on LinkedIn.

Though only 16 percent said they had already executed a Foursquare campaign, 26 percent revealed they would begin testing the geo-social app during the next 12 months. However only 22 percent said they believe Foursquare's ad offerings are either "good" or "excellent."
Meanwhile, the study bore out other potentially meaningful data-points for the social media advertising niche. It found:

• 75 percent of brands call social advertising an ongoing program.
• 70 percent stated that their social advertising is integrated into a larger campaign.
• 70 percent use traditional media to drive engagement in social advertising.
• 84 percent encourage user involvement with social advertising campaigns.

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Chrome : third most popular browser

 Google Chrome is now the world's third most popular web browser with one in five users preferring it.

Google Chrome has also emerged as Britain's second most popular web browser, edging Mozilla's Firefox and nibbling at Microsoft's Internet Explorer, the current leader.

Chrome accounted for 22 percent of the British web market, compared to 45 percent of users preferring Internet Explorer. Apple's Safari stood at the fourth place with nine percent share.

But experts pointed out that Internet Explorer's market share was falling despite the programme already pre-installed on almost every computer sold in Britain, The Telegraph reports.

Google said its surge in popularity could be explained by its speed of delivery results, its security and a new ad campaign.

Lars Bak, the Google engineer responsible for Chrome, based in the Danish countryside, said the company's aim was speed. He said users should "never be happy" with the existing speed.

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S&P downgrades Nokia

Standard and Poor's on Tuesday became the latest ratings agency to downgrade mobile phone giant Nokia's rating, blaming the Finnish company's dismal sales and difficult strategic transition.

S&P cut Nokia's long-term corporate credit rating to BBB from BBB+.

"The rating actions reflect the continued erosion of Nokia's smartphone market shares," S&P credit analyst Matthias Raab said in a statement, adding that a revised assessment of the company's operating margins also pushed the rating down.

Raab said S&P might lower Nokia's rating even further this year if there is no improvement in the mobile phone unit's operating margins in the next six to nine months.

In March, S&P's rating for Nokia stood at A but like other ratings agencies, it reevaluated Nokia's fortunes following a radical strategic shift announced at the beginning of the year.

In February, chief executive Stephen Elop said the company would abandon its Symbian platform, once touted as the future of smartphones, and instead adopt the Microsoft Windows Phone platform in a risky partnership.

With the first Microsoft-Nokia phones not expected to ship until 2012, Nokia's shares have plummeted.

Raab said he expected the lower ratings to remain at least until "Nokia has completed the adoption of Microsoft's Windows Phone as its new primary software platform for smartphones."

S&P's action comes almost two weeks after Nokia reported a dismal 368-million-euro ($520.5-million) net loss for the second quarter, with sales down 7.3 percent.

Nokia refused to give any third-quarter guidance but analysts expect the slide to continue.

"We expect the revenues of Nokia's Devices and Services segment to decline by about 20 percent in 2011 but to recover by 2013 to the level reported in fiscal 2010," S&P said.

Since February's shake-up, ratings agency Fitch has downgraded Nokia's short and long-term ratings with a negative outlook and Moody's docked its rating by two notches, also with a negative outlook.

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What is Pottermore ??

If you thought that the assassination of no-nosed villain "Lord Voldemort" by the hands of boy wizard "Harry Potter" would be an end to this Harry Potter phenomenon,comprising of seven fantasy novels, eight big-budget movies and a theme park, then think again. As one more extension is added to this franchise and that's called "POTTERMORE".

The Brand Harry Potter is well over $13 billion dollars (movies alone generated 7 billion dollars at the box-office) and the latest to join this billion dollar empire is an interactive website called "Pottermore". J.K Rowling whose personal wealth has already touched billion dollars and who is one of the richest British, introduced this website via Youtube video (embedded below).

This website which got millions of hits even before its proper launch is expected to contribute another big pay to this franchise. On the other hand this is a blessing in disguise for all the harry potter fans, who were quite disappointed after the series end and wanted more Harry stuffs.

What is POTTERMORE  ??


The site, which Rowling launched via YouTube, will sell her seven Potter novels as e-books and audiobooks in several different languages. It will also reveal background details on characters and settings Rowling says she's been “hoarding for years.”

Fans will have 18,000 words of new Harry Potter content to devour in a matter of hours. Meanwhile, Rowling has deftly cornered the market on proceeds from the sale of her books online, without having to pay Apple or Amazon one galleon.


The site launched on July 31 (Mr. Potter's birthday), where one million fans can compete in an online challenge to gain early access. Pottermore opens its gates to the masses for free on October 1, 2011.

But what is the site like? Those hoping for a sophisticated first-person odyssey may be disappointed. Pottermore isn't a game: it's a series of illustrated environments, themed around “moments” from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (material from the other novels will be added with time). The primary attraction for Potterphiles is access to arcana Rowling's been squirreling away in her attic. Want to know why Harry's uncle is called Vernon Dursley? Or learn about Prof. Minerva McGonagal's early heartbreak?  You can find it on the site, although you may have to click around a bit to uncover the hidden treasures.

Users start out at Privet Drive, where they can explore Harry's cupboard under the stairs (replete with scampering spiders) before moving on to Platform 9 ¾, the Hogwarts Express, Diagon Alley and Gringotts. Each new witch or wizard gets a personalized trunk (where they can store their chocolate frog cards), 175 galleons and a Hogwarts shopping list (don't forget your crystal phials!) Then they're directed to Ollivander's, where they are asked a series of questions (eye color? Favorite artifact?) in order that their wand can choose them.

With personalized wand in hand, users continue on to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry itself, where, wearing the sorting hat, they are sorted into a House via a unique series of character testing questions written by Rowling herself. Some test the super-ego: would you snitch on a fellow wizard pupil who used a cheating quill? Others probe the id: which do you choose, forests or rivers? (Those who are not placed in Gryffindor get access to special material from The Sorcerer's Stone as compensation.) Once ensconsed in a house common room, users can read the secret lore of Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff, meet housemates, and earn housepoints through wizard duels and mixing potions to compete for the House Cup.

While the environments do have some animated features (Scabbers lurking behind the cabin curtains in the Hogwarts Express, owls and ravens flying about), Pottermore is no World of Warcraft. Rowling wanted to keep the emphasis firmly on reading and the "literary experience," which is why Pottermore's environments are more like digitized pop-up books than a graphic adventure game. (While the environments share some similarities to the films, they are not based on them. And there are no avatars.)

Rowling is also encouraging user contributions to Pottermore. Users can jabber on the site about the benefits of dragon heartstring vs. Thestral tail hair wand cores to their heart's delight. Fans can even submit art.

Given the boxes of material gathering dust in her house, Rowling hasn't ruled out the possibility of creating a Harry Potter encyclopedia. She says she has “no plans” for another Harry Potter book. From now on, Harry Potter will live in the digital age. Talk about magic.

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Internet in 2015

What started with a small network called "ARPANET",made exclusive for the defense purpose for the U.S government has been transformed into the giant cluster of millions of electronic devices,all over the world, connected to each other through a strong network called "internet".

Have you ever wondered what would be the status of internet in the next five years ??
What does the internet traffic look like then ??
What would be the size and memory utilization of internet in the 2015 ??

If not then here is the pictorial description of all the questions mentioned above. Cisco Visual Networking Index explains the status of internet in the year 2015.

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iChat : Apple's social network ??

In a world, where social networking has revolutionized the interaction mode of the society and "digital social profile" reflects the personality and character of an individual, it is becoming very difficult day by day to choose the perfect platform for networking.

If you thought "Facebook" is the best platform then think again, as new entrants like "twitter" and "google plus" has already threatened its numero uno position and the latest to join this $200 billion "social networking market" ,is none other than "Hardware and software" giant "APPLE".

Apple which already provides "iChat" an "instant messaging" application currently available on MAC OSX, is planning to take it to the next level and convert it into the full-fledged "social meadia network". As per our sources, Apple is making its best effort to introduce this social platform alongside the launch of iPad 3 next year.


When Apple first announced that it would launch "iChat"(to know more about it, read below) for the first time as an application on its next iPhone i.e. iPhone 5, many critics spontaneously referred to as BBM's (BlackBerry Messenger) killer as it has got each and every qualities to defeat Research in Motion's instant messaging service.

It wouldn't be difficult for Apple to gain the market share in the social networking field too as it already have the strong user base of iPhone and iPad all around the world. Apple which estimatedly sold 24million iPads (both 1 and 2) already in the market, wouldn't have to try it hard to get the user's attention.

ABOUT  iCHAT(application)


Full-featured instant messaging.
iChat is an instant messaging application that makes it easy to stay in touch with friends and family using text and video. iChat works with AIM, the largest instant messaging community in the U.S., which means you and your buddies can use AIM on a Mac or a PC. iChat works with other services including Yahoo! too.

Video chatting made easy.
Most Mac computers include a built-in FaceTime or iSight camera and mic. When you use them with iChat, you can have high-quality video and audio chats with your friends and family.
Chat with just one person or make it a party by starting a multiway chat.

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15 Billion Application Downloaded from Apple's App store

Apple’s App Store has served 15 billion application downloads, the Cupertino, California, company announced Thursday.

According to the official numbers, the store has gone from zero to 425,000 apps in just three years. About 100,000 of those are iPad-native.

Those are impressive figures, whichever way you cut them. And, doing some math actually makes them even more interesting. Apple says there are 200 million iOS users worldwide. Dividing one number by the other gives us a figure of 75 apps per user.

Sure, many of these apps are free (and lots are just plain junk), but that’s really not the point here. Before the App Store, installing software on your phone was a horrible experience. I’m a total nerd, but even I shied away from putting much extra software on my old Symbian-based Sony Ericsson P800 and P900. And when I did, it was uniformly ugly and buggy.

Now, it is so easy and compelling to install apps that the average user has 75 of them on their device. That’s pretty incredible. In fact, shopping for apps is actually something of a pastime. I have friends who browse the App Store in idle moments and think nothing of trying out something new for a few bucks.

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Top 10 GLOBAL GREEN BRANDS of 2011

Toyota is again on the top of one more list. This Japanese Automobile giant is topping each and every list from "Most reliable brand" to "Greenest Brand".

The recent released list by the "Interbrand Network",analyzing different brands on the basis of their impact on environment and steps and initiatives taken by different companies to protect environment, revealed that Toyota is the greenest brand of 2011 followed by 3M.


They began with the understanding that 'green', or planet-focused, corporate citizenship efforts of the world's most valuable brands are the ones that are most likely to have the largest impact. As such, it was vital that the Best Global Green Brands ranking be based on the same publicly available data used for the Best Global Brands report.
The result is a comprehensive report of public perception of environmental sustainability ("green") performance and demonstration of that performance for the world’s most valuable brands.


The entire is listed below.

NUMBER 1

NUMBER 2

NUMBER 3

NUMBER 4

NUMBER 5

NUMBER 6

NUMBER 7

NUMBER 8

NUMBER 9

NUMBER 10

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