Apple's line of notebooks get a boost

Today was supposed to be the day that Apple unveiled its SDK package for the iPhone. It was rumored that this release was going to be delayed a few weeks. 

Instead, they gave us something new with their notebooks. This isn't really a surprise to most people because Apple is known to update their notebooks and desktops all the time, and outfit them with the latest technology. 

It was announced today that the Macbook was given a faster processor (up to 2.4 ghz), a bigger hard drive (up to 250 GB), and is now built in with an 802.11 N wireless card, which allows for speeds that are 5x as fast. 

The Macbook pro was also given a faster processor (up to 2.6 ghz) as well as a bigger hard drive. It was also given an 802.11 N card and even works on the faster Bluetooth 2.1. However, the biggest update here was that the Macbook Pro's trackpad was redesigned, like that of the Macbook Air. It works on with the multi-touch sensors that make the iPhone so cool. This is a big update for their notebooks, and maybe even some day this technology can be seen for their entire line of computers. 

If you want to check it out go to   www.apple.com/macbookpro/

Countdown to the iphone developement kit

This article informed me a lot about how controlling cell-phone service carriers can be without restriction. The SDK software that Steve Jobs is wanting to unleash for the iphone is pretty revolutionary in that it is going to allow any 3rd parties to make applications to run on the iphone. Reading further I read that until recently Verizon Wireless (who I have) has not allowed any applications to be run on the phones that use their network unless it is their own. They already have you cornered with the re-contracting every two years for some crappy phone, now I find out that every time I use an application like to get a ringtone I am just putting more money in their already oversized pockets. It makes me want an iphone, and also a less greedy network.


http://www.news.com/8301-13579_3-9878784-37.html?tag=nefd.lede

Callisto from Plantronics

Callisto is a cordless home phone that can be hooked up to a home phone jack. It's also a headset phone. It includes a bluetooth headset that will allow you to communicate with your cell phone. So basically if your talking on your home phone and your cell phone rings, you can pick up your cell phone call on your house phone. Callisto is also a VOIP phone, all you have to do is connect it to your computer.

http://www.nbc11.com/technology/14013039/detail.html

Free digital library awaits at teachers’ domain

There are many teachers and students out there in search of great educational resources. They can find a huge supply of this on iTunes U. 

iTunes U is a section of the iTunes music store where teachers can post podcasts and video podcasts for students to download. Students can take this with them anywhere to listen to lectures in the car before a test or watch a lecture at home that they might have missed. It is a great form of technology that many Universities like Duke, Stanford and MIT are already utilizing.



http://www.apple.com/education/itunesu_mobilelearning/itunesu.html

Dont see this every day.

This message was sent using PIX-FLIX Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!
To learn how you can snap pictures with your wireless phone visit

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To learn how you can record videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/getitnow/getflix.

To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime� 6.5 or higher is required. Visit www.apple.com/quicktime/download to download the free player or upgrade your existing QuickTime� Player. Note: During the download
process when asked to choose an installation type (Minimum, Recommended or Custom), select Minimum for faster download.

Fidel Costro Resigned

When I first read this article, I was surprise to know that Fidel Costro is resigning. His borther Raul Castro is the successor. Many Cubans are hopping that Raul Costro will let them open up their own business and be able to travel abroad. He has talked about these things already.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080220/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/fidel_castro

IT Education and Exposition

http://www.itexshow.com/

This is just a tid bit of information I found about an Information Technology Education and Exposition that is in 2008. It basically tells you what the expo is about. Thought it was interesting that there is a IT expo, it would be interesting to see what new items come out this year.

Gas stations getting pumped for Google Maps

Gas stations getting pumped for Google Maps

Gas stations make life for people easy who get lost in their way or roads are confusing.Google maps let you browse local attractions like hotels, amusement parks, and restaurants that have been handpicked by the gas station's owner. When you've found what you're looking for, you can then print out the directions right from the pump. Stations that buy and install them simply need to hook up the pump to the Internet to get the things going, at the moment Chevron has been providing this facility to its customers.
I atttached a link of the movie which tells you how it works.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/21709676#21709676

British Air, Virgin to settle price-fixing case

I thought this article was interesting because the title appealed to me first off. I remember covering a price-fixing case is BUS 302 and established that price-fixing is one of the most scandalous of scams major corporations conduct without the public's knowledge. The U.S.’s lawsuit against British Airways has granted up to $200 million to customers who flew from August 11, 2004to March 23, 2006.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23181600/

Microsoft addresses possible end of HD DVD

Wow, I think that this is big news for all who have bought HD DVD's already,myself included. I haven't even started with the blue-ray ones yet. Maybe I'm just behind the curve. Classic example that technology is ever-changing!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23225024/

MacBook Air "stunning, elegant, and convenient"

Mike Wendland (Detroit Free Press) was “impressed but skeptical” at first. But the skepticism quickly passed after he had the opportunity to take MacBook Air out for a flight test. It’s “an absolute delight to look at and to use,” but it’s “the convenience of the MacBook Air that I think has been underreported,” Wendland observes. “For the corporate worker who runs from meeting to meeting, this is the gadget you want. It’s not much bigger than a legal pad in a binder. And, with Wi-Fi now being standard in most of the corporate world, you have full access to your calendar, your address book, e-mail and the Internet, so you’re never out of touch.” [Feb 13, 2008]

I agree with this statement about the new MacBook Air. When I was first introduced to Mac, I didn't like it at all. It was not the same programs I was used to, and while being one to slowly learn about technology, it frustrated me. Now a Mac user for 5 years, I would never go back. All of their computers are greatly accelerating in technology and convienence. Not once in the years i have owned my Mac have I gotten one virus. With the new MacBook Air, it complements the everyday business person to be able to tote it around easily, without risk, especially since pretty much all work is done on a computer now....

Women Sues Best Buy for $54 Million

http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/72016;_ylt=AhxId2U6oSTWZNsWHVLlV7z6L5A5

This is a pretty interesting article. A women brought her laptop in for repairs and after a few months of not getting it back, Best Buy told her that they had lost her laptop. They offered to give her a gift certificate to buy a new one, but she refused and now is suing the company.

I think it was bad on Best Buy to lose her computer, but this is going to happen once in a while. I feel like they should have offered her a little more money for her laptop since they offered less than she payed, and they should have not ignored her offer when she said she would take $2100. Lastly, 54 million seems like a lot of money to sue for over a laptop, and I don't think she will win this case.

Sending the Wrong Information to Florida Student

I think this is an interested article. Many parents was so concerned about their children having done something disastrous at school. Actually, the Palm Bay High automated sytem in Florida sent 2,550 students the wrong messages, returning to school on Saturday. The message was intended to be sent to only 16 homes. Read the article.


http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2008-02-12-fla-students_N.htm?se=yahoorefer

AMD triple core, get on this

its going to be called puma but the reason i picked this article is because id like to up date class later on if there was really a bug or not and is this something we may be using in the future

check it
http://blogs.cnet.com/8301-13924_1-9871416-64.html?tag=bl

MIS and You

Laserfiche is a program which allows you to scan in documents and become paperless. I used this program in my old job doing medical billing. The software cost around $500,000. Basically you can scan in any documents related to a patient visit, including the chart, any correspondence from the insurance company, and even a copy of the payment received. The program allows you to access any scanned in documents related to the patient's visit directly from the patient's account in a different program.

This relates to MIS because many people in our office were not able to adapt to the new program. They did not want to change and were stuck in their ways. This resulted in an investment which was only used by half of the office.

Laserfiche came to our office for an entire week for hands on training and practice using their software. A critical part of MIS and you is YOU. You must make the effort to learn and use MIS. The link below shows some of the changes from the 6th to the 7th version of Laserfiche.

If you can, work closely with your IT or IS department. Perhaps they know a way to help you if you are having difficulty adjusting to a new system. Otherwise much time, effort, and money can be wasted.


http://www.umdata.com/documents/laserfiche/pdf/LaserficheClient6vs7.pdf

Radar Detector now with GPS

I found this article very interesting due to all the horror stories of previous inefficient radar detectors. Uniden, a premier radar detector development company, is proposing its new line of combined GPS and Radar detection against quota-seeking police officers. Previous radar detectors have failed for me in the past as well as collegues of mine. Anticipation for this combined feature has been building over the past decade. Now, one can not only detect an in range police officer, the device can now point out their exact destination, allowing the driver to maintain optimal driving precautions.

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-9863313-48.html?tag=bl

Sony Ericsson to do first Windows phone

Sony Ericson is planning its first Windows Mobile device, which is going to boost the company's presence. One of the products that they have in mind is a business-oriented phone with a keyboard. They are also working on their camera and music capabilities to to attract more consumers. This phone is going to be called Xperia X1, it is going to be an arc slider to slide out the keyboard. This phone will support HSDPA, HSUPA networks, and Wi-Fi
http://www.news.com/8301-13860_3-9867633-56.html?tag=newsmap

Microsoft’s Zune Delivers Connected Music and Entertainment Experience

Microsoft has invented new music innovation called Zune which brings new ways for consumer to connect and the entertainment experiences. The Zune experience centers around connection — connection to your library, connection to friends, connection to community and connection to other devices. The price of Zune starts from $189 to$ 220 and the purchase a plan for $14.99 a month which allows the consumer to access millions of songs per month. They may also purchase songs individually by using Microsoft Points.
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/sep06/09-14ZuneUnveilingPR.mspx

Break a leg? Try ‘Wiihabilitation’

This is very interesting to me because my mother, who just had spinal cord surgery, is in an intensive rehabilitation program right now. She barely can lift her hands to feed herself and barely walks with a walker. As of yet, the program she's in doesn't do this, but I'm wondering if they should. It's amazing how far video games have come.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23070190/#storyContinued

Yahoo Is Likely to Reject Microsoft Bid by Monday Morning

When I first read the news about Mircrosoft bidding on Yahoo, I thought Yahoo would accept the offer. However, "The Journal source said the company would be unwilling to consider an offer below $40 per share, which would represent a $12 billion increase over Microsoft’s original $44.6 billion bid." Microsoft is paying only $31 per share, which is oviously do not meet Yahoo's expectation. If Mircrosoft's offer $40 per share or more, would Yahoo accept its bid?

http://biz.yahoo.com/special/release020808.html

Is Time Travel becoming real in 2008?

There has been an interesting research that is done by 2 russian mathematicians and is becoming a head story in European news these days. It is about time travel experiment that is going to be done in the border of France and Switzerland this year. Also want to mention that 22 countries are goin to participate in it and its expected cost is $9 billion. Here are some details from article, and you can also check ou the web site to read full article.

Physicists around the world are excitedly awaiting the start up of the $9 billion Large Hadron Collider, LHC - the most powerful atom-smasher ever built - which is supposed to shed new light on the particles and forces at work in the cosmos and reproduce conditions that date to near the Big Bang of creation.
Prof Irina Aref'eva and Dr Igor Volovich, mathematical physicists at the Steklov Mathematical Institute in Moscow believe that the vast experiment at CERN, the European particle physics centre near Geneva in Switzerland, may turn out to be the world's first time machine, reports New Scientist.
The debut in early summer could provide a landmark because travelling into the past is only possible - if it is possible at all - as far back as the point of creation of the first time machine.
That means 2008 could become "Year Zero" for temporal travel, they argue.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/02/06/scitime106.xml

Myspace, Facebook and Yahoo have active x control dangers.

http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/02/06/Security-pros-Kill-ActiveX_1.html

This article just came out about disabling your active X controls due to vulnerabilities that were just found. The article states that the photo uploader on Myspace and Facebook have been effected. I thought this would be a good article for people to read because Myspace and Facebook are so popular and many of us use these sites. It also goes on to say that Yahoo Music Jukebox also has some flaws.

The article also gives information on how to disable your Active X controls in a simple way.

"What is your personal competitive advantage?"

Having a competitive advantage in the job market is key if you want to set yourself apart from the sea of college graduates also searching for the same jobs. Using the principles of competitive advantage is is easy to identify my own competitive advantages. My advantages lie in the ehanced product I offer that no one else has. That product is me. My competitive advantage is my leadership abilities, strong team work skills, communication skills, and extensive customer service experience. Some people may have similar qualities, but the combination of those in my personality I think give me an advantage. I also work full-time and am an inetrn right now. The internship gives me a competitive advantage in the buisness world and especialy with the company.

More Cell Phones Recycled, But Numbers Are Still Low

Credit: http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2008/02/06/3251950.htm

This is a really interesting article. It explores how much of the general U.S. consumer population actually recycle their old cellphones when they get new cellphones. The article says that about 9.4% of consumers who buy new phones will recycle their old cellphones. The article paints an optimistic tone on the increase in the response of recycling cellphones from U.S. consumers.

This doesn't really apply to me yet as I have been using the same cellphone for 4-5 years and have yet to get a new cell phone. But I think with the bigger emphasis on being green and environmentally friendly these days, it makes sense that people are considering more and more about doing their part. I know that corporations are trying to push for this from the consumer so they can recycle parts, ultimately becoming more efficient and possibly reducing costs. I know that HP and Dell do a lot of recycling programs that involve ink catridges, computers, and monitors for example.

But I also realize that there used to be a time when recycling was more costly than beneficial. Nowadays, I pick up a magazine, like Forbes or Money, and start seeing articles about how entrepeneurs are benefitting from recycling trash or old products. I know that there is a business in India that has been selling discarded goods to other parts of the world and I am pretty sure there are many businesses that have benefitted from the concept of recycling in different ways.

I think the next step in the recycling process is establishing an efficient waste management system. It is so easy to throw away things that the costs easily add up. I always hear about the stereotypical offices that discard stacks of paper with stuff written on it. Maybe businesses should start "alliances" with recycling centers and get some incentives through the recycling of old documents they give to these recycling centers in return for affordable recycled materials.

I think with cellphones, the consumer is more inclined to get a new cellphone because it has features that they want. This encourages more consumption, which results in more waste. My solution to increasing awareness of recycling cellphones would apply to the cellphone providers. The cellphone providers could offer cash back offers or discounts on old cellphones that consumers no longer want to use. That way the cell phone providers or the cell phone makers can reuse/recycle these products themselves result in less raw materials needed for future cellphones.

What is Sustainable Competitive Advantage?

Sustainable competitive advantage allows the maintenance and improvement of the enterprise's competitive position in the market. It is an advantage that enables business to survive against its competition over a long period of time.
According to the new resource-based view of the company, sustainable competitive advantage is achieved by continuously developing existing and creating new resources and capabilities in response to rapidly changing market conditions.
Among these resources and capabilities, in the new economy, knowledge represents the most important value-creating asset.
The opportunity for your company to sustain your competitive advantage is determined by your capabilities of two kinds – distinctive capabilities and reproducible capabilities - and their unique combination you create to achieve synergy.

It is a very interesting article on how to sustain advantage, you can check out the full article on the following url. http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/crosscuttings/sca_main.html

Personal Competitive Advantage

Competitive advantage is an important concept that I need to understand becuase it will have an effect when I am getting ready to join the real world after I get my degree. I need to start by looking at the 8 principels of competitive advantage. The first is to create a new product or service. I need to keep learning and building my education so I can have a wealth of knowledge when I graduate. The second is to enhance products or services. This relates to me because I may have certain basic skills in a subject, but I need to enhance these and always be improving them. The third is to diffferentiate products or services. In order to get a good job, I am going to have to be different in some way. A good way to differentiate yourself is to get good grades and show on your resume that you were on the deans list for multiple semesters.

The next two steps deal with locking in customers, buyers, and suppliers. This can relate to my employer who is interviewing many graduates like myself. I have to use competitive advantage to show that I am better than the other people applying by building a resume that includes an intership that is similar to the job, a license that would benefit me in this certain type of work, or some connections that an employer will find appealing. With all these added benefits that you possess it raises barriers to market entry because now employers are going to be looking for similar resumes when hiring for a new position.

A good thing to always do is establish connections. It can be from someone in my family, a family friend, someone in my class, or anyone that can benefit me when it comes time to get a job. The last step is to reduce costs. The reflections guide explains reducing costs as being able to give reasons to your employer how you can help reduce their businesses costs if they hire you. I will be able to use my knowledge from this class and my other business classes to do this.

"MIS and You"

"The development and use of information systems (IS) that helps buisnesses achieve their goals and objectives". This is MIS. It seemed so illusive after the first class but it turns out an example of an IS is as simple as a library catalogue, or a phone answering system.
When at work, I use an IS to manage the reservations for the restaurant. I also use a planner for my internship to track my buisness and progress.
Asking the question of how I am connected to MIS is almost silly, considering most activities of daily life involve information systems of some kind. Therefore, familiarizing myself with these systems will only be a benefit personally and professionally.

MIS and You

What I learned in class and through the readings, was that MIS was the developments and use of information systems that help businesses achieve their goals and objectives.

I felt that the video we watched on Land's End was a great example of how MIS is in use for large corporations. A company like Land's End is a good example because they not only have to keep a huge inventory of products, but need to maintain contact information and communication systems that help their everyday business in achieving its goals.

Learning about MIS and how it applies to different aspects of business is very interesting. I look forward to learning more about it and to see how I can apply my knowledge of MIS towards my future career.

"MIS and YOU"

When registering for this class I really had no idea what the class was about. I didn't even know what the title of the class was; all I knew was I needed to take HTM 304. But after being in this class for the past couple weeks, I not only learned what this class was all about, but I also realized how important Information Systems really is. We don't even realize it, but it's evident in our everyday life. Without the proper knowledge of IS, businesses would not run as smoothly.

Information systems (IS) are a group of components that interact to produce information. MIS is the development and use of those components that help businesses achieve their goals and objectives. The five-component framework will help guide our learning and thinking about IS. The components start with hardware and programs, which is the computer side. In the middle is data, which is the bridge that connects the computer side to the human side, which consists of procedures and people. We are the most important part of every information system that we use. However, it is important to know that information is subjective. According to the author of our textbook, "information is always understood in a context, and that context varies from one user to another."

Amazon.com adds web services to its offerings

We all know that Amazon is one of the most popular websites in the world. You can purchase anything on this website (clothing, shoes, electronics, gifts, books, and so much more). Another great thing about this site is that people can also sell their stuff and one of the most popular things to sell on this webite are books, of course Amazon takes a portion of whatever you make from selling your stuff, but they don't take a monthly or annual fee from you, which is one of the huge reasons why people chose amazon to sell their stuff. So now, Amazon is expanding it's business even more by selling storage and other services, such as Web services. Amazon is going to let businesses use its web services so that entrepreneurs can focus more on their ideas rather than hardware leases and crashing servers. I think this is another great and creative way for Amazon.com to make money and expand the company even more. There are no complications in using Amazon Web services. Businesses can use whatever Web service they have to use of Amazon's and they will get billed only on what they use. For example, as it is mentioned in the article, Amazon charges 15 cents per month for every gigabyte of data stored in its simple storage service.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/biztech/02/01/amazon.web.services.ap/index.html

Microsoft's $45 billion bid to buy Yahoo

SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp offered to buy Yahoo Inc for $44.6 billion, in a bold bid to transform two ailing Internet businesses into a worthy competitor for market leader Google Inc.
In what would be the biggest Internet deal since the ill- fated Time Warner-AOL merger, Microsoft sent a letter to Yahoo's board on Thursday night to offer $31 per share in cash and stock.
The price is a 62 percent premium over Yahoo's Thursday close, but only about a quarter of what the Internet company was worth at the height of the dotcom bubble in 2000.
Yahoo would give Microsoft dominance in Web banner ads used by corporate brand advertisers. It also attracts more than 500 million people monthly to sites devoted to news, finance and sports, and Yahoo Mail is the No. 1 consumer e-mail service.
But critics say the two companies have too many overlapping businesses -- from instant messaging to email and advertising, as well as news, travel and finance sites -- and both are weak in the Web search market, where Google dominates.
"They have to do it because they've tried everything they can do to fix MSN. Yahoo is the most visited site in the world, so it goes without saying that, given the current valuation, this is the perfect time for them to buy it," said Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster.
But he added: "Google is running away with the search market and that's obviously the best part of the market. The likelihood that Google gets caught is slim to none."
Yahoo said on Friday its board will evaluate the unsolicited offer. Its shares shot up about 48 percent to $28.33.
Microsoft shares, which have a market capitalization of about $300 billion, fell 6.6 percent to close at $30.45. The shares of Google, which has a market value of about $160 billion, fell 8.58 percent to close at $515.90.
TRANSFORMATIVE OR CULTURE CLASH?
Speculation about a Microsoft-Yahoo deal has swirled through the markets for more than a year, as investors looked for a joint stand against powerful Google, which has a 77 percent share of the global Web search market. Yahoo is second with 16 percent and Microsoft is third with 3.7 percent, according to comScore data.
Skeptics say Microsoft and Yahoo have very different corporate cultures and worry about a clash such as the one that marred AOL's $182 billion purchase of Time Warner in 2001, which is seen as the worst merger in recent history. Time Warner Inc is now valued at only $57 billion.
The perception is that Yahoo, an iconic Silicon Valley company with a free-flowing, fun-loving attitude, may not fit in with the button-up, competitive Microsoft, the world's biggest software maker.
"Culture is the big thing where people have some concerns," said Jupiter Research analyst Bobby Tulsiani. "If they have anything in common, they're both tired of losing to Google, so they can agree on that probably."
Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said the deal would transform its money-losing Internet division, which it sees as critical to growth, into a profitable pillar of its business.
"We have been losing money. Our plan here would be to not lose money in the future," he said on a conference call.
Ballmer said Microsoft has had on-and-off talks with Yahoo for 18 months, but was told by management a year ago that the timing was not right -- in an apparent reference to Yahoo's then Chairman and Chief Executive Terry Semel.
Semel was replaced by Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang as CEO in June and resigned as chairman on Thursday.
"With the Semel roadblock now gone, there is reason to think this (merger) is now likely to happen," said RBC Capital Internet analyst Jordan Rohan, noting Yahoo is running out of options in the face of a weakening business climate.
RICH VALUATION
Under the proposal, Yahoo shareholders can choose to get $31 cash, or 0.9509 of a share of Microsoft common stock. The deal in aggregate must consist of one-half cash and one-half Microsoft common stock, the software maker said.
Microsoft's current stock price values Yahoo at around $30, or a rich 57 times forecast 2009 earnings. In comparison, Google is trading at around 20 times forecast 2009 profit.
Some analysts said Microsoft was overpaying for a company that warned earlier this week it faced "head winds" in 2008, forecasting revenue below Wall Street expectations.
"To me, the premium seems exorbitant, for what is a dwindling business. I personally don't see how the synergies of Microsoft-Yahoo is going to take on Google," said Tim Smalls, head of U.S. stock trading at brokerage firm Execution LLC.
Global Equities Research analyst Trip Chowdhry said Yahoo is not worth more than $20 per share as its only worthwhile properties are Yahoo Mail, Yahoo Answers and Yahoo Finance.
But others said the price is low enough for rival bidders to emerge, noting Yahoo traded at $34.08 in late October.
"There could be a little more money on the table," said Laura Martin, an analyst at Soleil-Media Metrics. "The company is in play. Yahoo will not be able to stay independent. Other bidders will emerge before this is over."
Analysts cited Comcast Corp, Viacom Inc and General Electric Co among possible bidders, although they also said few companies had the balance sheet to compete with Microsoft or were as natural a fit for Yahoo.
As Yahoo shares are trading close to Microsoft's valuation, it indicates few investors expect a sweeter offer.
ANTITRUST CONCERNS
Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith acknowledged other bidders could emerge, but said any attempt by arch-rival Google to acquire Yahoo would face insurmountable antitrust hurdles.
Antitrust experts said regulators would likely take a close look at a Microsoft-Yahoo deal, but as the two are dwarfed by Google, the deal will ultimately likely be approved.
Microsoft said the online advertising market is expected to reach nearly $80 billion by 2010 from over $40 billion in 2007. It paid $6 billion last year to buy online advertising services firm aQuantive as a bulwark against Google's growing position.
The software company forecast at least $1 billion in annual cost savings for the merged entity, from synergies in areas such as combining engineering talent.
Bernstein Research said the deal appeared to be less about expanded business potential and more about cost-savings that can be wrung out of shrinking redundant operations.
"We are relatively comfortable with (Microsoft's) estimate of $1 billion in annual synergies. It appears to us that the majority of the synergies are on the cost side," said the note from Bernstein analysts Charles Di Bona and Jeffrey Lindsay.
Morgan Stanley and Blackstone LP scooped the prize banking job of advising Microsoft on the deal, according to sources familiar with the matter, while Yahoo is being advised by Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (Additional reporting by Michele Gershberg, Peter Henderson, Megan Davies, Franklin Paul, Diane Bartz, Daisuke Wakabayashi and Fred Katayama; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe/Andre Grenon)

Why do major companies are more than willing to spend million of dollars to advertise their products on TV during the Super Bowl? One reason may be is the only time when they can sell their products. It cost $30 million per 30-seconds to advertise on the air during this event. Dispite the cost, I heard that there are many other companies who want to advertise their products, but they are out of luck because there is no more space available. Is it worth for the companies to spend $30 million? Find out by reading the article.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22935841/page/2/