BloggingStocks

Google tests video ads on YouTube mobile site

Brian White — 2008-08-19T14:44:00+00:00

Filed under: Google (GOOG), Marketing and advertising

Google, Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) has finally started trying to monetize its YouTube service through video ads, and now the world's largest internet search service is toying with advertising at its mobile video website as well. So far, Google is only testing display advertising (small banners) on its mobile website and only on select pages for U.S. and Japanese visitors.

For now, this is only a "test" for YouTube. Google's Christine Tsai indicated that there are "millions of people who visit YouTube every day" on their phones. Google CEO Eric Schmidt has repeatedly said that Google's mobile presence is the key to the future, since there are a disproportionately larger number of internet-capable cellphones in use globally than PCs.

Schmidt has even called finding the right advertising model on YouTube the "holy grail." He's right -- but the only problem is that Google still has not found a mass advertising model for YouTube (mobile or not) that works when deployed property-wide. While Google continues to seek other revenue sources outside text advertising -- currently its only real cash cow -- YouTube probably presents the next best revenue source for the online search leader. That is, if it can make the YouTube ad model as unobtrusive as the search advertising model.

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Barack Obama makes organized labor nervous

Jonathan Berr — 2008-08-18T15:56:00+00:00

Filed under: Other issues, Google (GOOG), Citigroup Inc. (C), Politics

As he prepares to accept the Democratic presidential nomination, Barack Obama's allies in organized labor are worried that he is becoming too friendly with Wall Street types such as former Treasury Secretary and current Citigroup, Inc. (NYSE: C) senior executive Robert Rubin.

According to Bloomberg News, a recent presentation by Richard Trumka of the AFL-CIO argued that unfettered global traded and inadequate government regulation resulted in lost manufacturing jobs. "It will do us little good if, when the next Democrat moves into the White House, Wall Street takes command of our country's economic policy," Bloomberg quotes Trumka's presentation as saying. The story adds that there is no doubt that Trumka is taking a shot at Rubin.

Trumka is unapologetic. The AFL-CIO already is flexing its political muscle and began looking at candidates for cabinet posts including the Treasury and Energy Departments along with the Federal Reserve. Obama's advisors deny that Rubin or anyone else has any particular sway over his economic policies. But there definitely is a tilt toward the center going on.

Obama, who backs union goals such as reopening NAFTA and universal health care, recently raised a few eyebrows when he seemed to accept the notion that he can't pay for these programs only through the capital gains tax. Last week, two Obama advisers wrote in the Wall Street Journal that the Illinois senator would only consider raising capital gains taxes from 15% to 20% instead of as high as 28%. That's no cause for celebration for investors, but the prospect of an Obama presidency is no reason to panic, either.

This weekend, the New York Times chronicled the battle between Obama and John McCain for the hearts and minds of businesses both large and small. Corporate types are not enthusiastic backers of McCain but are backing him since their favored candidate Mitt Romney got out of the race. Obama, though, does have his share of backers in the corporate world including Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) Chief Executive Eric Schmidt. Warren Buffett has also advised him.

Organized labor knows that Obama needs their support. They are going to hold the Illinois senator's feet to the fire to make sure that he doesn't forget them even as he tries to make new friends at the boardroom level. It will be a tricky balance to maintain through the general election.

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Google and Motorola to supply Wi-Fi for the masses?

Douglas McIntyre — 2008-08-18T12:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Industry, Competitive strategy, Google (GOOG), Motorola (MOT)

The FCC is looking at using part of the TV signal spectrum to provide wireless high-speed internet. It is a brilliant idea that is being opposed by a large part of the television industry.

According to The Wall Street Journal, "The Federal Communications Commission will have the final say in the battle between the broadcasters -- which fear interference on the airwaves they'll still be using -- and the companies including Google Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG). and Motorola Inc. (NYSE: MOT) that want to share the television airwaves."

The fight is a classic example of old media not wanting to give up something that it has "owned" for years because it may help new competition.

Tough luck. Broadband adoption in the U.S. is behind several countries in Europe and Asia, and if the FCC can offer an inexpensive solution to that, it should. The new over-the-air system would have many of the benefits of Wi-Fi, but would be more broadly available.

TV broadcasters say that the new technology could interfere with their signals, but testing can demonstrate whether that is true or not. The FCC has the chance to move broadband adoption forward with one spectacular decision. It should not balk at the chance.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

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TV still top source of news, but internet gaining

Douglas McIntyre — 2008-08-18T09:39:00+00:00

Filed under: Analyst reports, Google (GOOG), CBS Corp 'B' (CBS)

There is a divide along age lines in terms of how people get their news. TV is still in the lead, but that may not last for long.

A Wall Street Journal story looks at the Pew Research Center's biannual survey on news-consumption habits. Pew's most important conclusion of the survey is that it "found that 46% of those polled have a "heavy reliance" on TV for news at all times of the day."

But the median age of the TV loving crowd was 52-years-old. Another group, with a median age of 35, relies primarily on the internet as its news source.

Just as newspapers have faltered as major providers of information, it looks like TV may be seeing its best days. The next generation of people who are moving into their forties and fifties are unlike to migrate to the Tube just because they are aging. Their "internet heavy" habits are likely to stay with them for the balance of their lives.

Over the next decade, major TV network and TV station stocks are likely to be damaged by the trend.

Sell CBS (NYSE: CBS) and buy Google (NYSE: GOOG). Google News taps 4,500 sources and that is going to grow.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor is an editor at 247wallst.com.

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Before the bell: Futures climb with dollar as oil declines; ADSK, KSS, JWN, ANF, JCP, MBI, ABK, MER ...

Melly Alazraki — 2008-08-15T08:18:00+00:00

Filed under: Before the bell, Earnings reports, Deals, Google (GOOG), Apple Inc (AAPL), Dell (DELL), Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A), Market matters, Penney (J.C.) (JCP), Merrill Lynch (MER), Kohl's Corp (KSS), Abercrombie and Fitch (ANF), Economic data, Nordstrom, Inc (JWN), Oil, Union Pacific Corporation (UNP), MBIA Inc (MBI)

U.S. stock futures were higher Friday morning, indicating stock markets could possibly extend Thursday's rally as the dollar rose and oil prices fell further. The dollar continues to make gains on the back of growing evidence of global economic softness. Still, several economic readings are due out today, including the New York Empire State manufacturing index , capacity utilization and industrial production -- all before the opening bell.

Retail will be in focus today after two Kohl's Corp (NYSE: KSS) and Nordstrom (NYSE: JWN) reported late Thursday, and J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP) and Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE: ANF) are due to report before the opening bell.

Kohl's Corp shares could start higher as premarket indication has them trading 2.3% higher, while Nordstrom's are trading 4% lower in premarket action. Kohl's quarterly profit fell 12% from a year ago, but the retailer lifted its fiscal year profit forecast. Meanwhile, upper scale Nordstrom, reported a 21% drop in second-quarter profits and cut full year outlook.

ANF said second-quarter profit fell on lower sales of jeans and T-shirts and forecast full-year earnings per share that trailed some analysts' estimates. JCP also saw profit decline but beat estimates and issued lower guidance.

Autodesk (NASDAQ: ADSK) shares are trading 10% higher in premarket action after the design software maker reported stronger-than-forecast second-quarter earnings Thursday after the close.

Bond insurers MBIA (NYSE: MBI) and Ambac (NYSE: ABK) spiked 7.7% and 16.2% respectively premarket after Standard & Poor's affirmed its AA credit rating on the two companies and said further downgrades were unlikely.

Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A), the investment firm run by billionaire Warren Buffett, revealed a stake in the energy wholesaler NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG) and acquired additional shares of train operator Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP). NRG is climbing 5.7% in premarket trading.

Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER) will institute a hiring freeze for the remainder of 2008, and will avoid paying UK taxes for decades after it charged $29 billion of losses to its London-based subsidiary, the Financial Times wrote.

Republic Services (NYSE: RSG) overnight rejected the takeover bid from Waste Management (NYSE: WMI), saying its proposed merger with Allied Waste Industries (NYSE: AW) is more favorable. It also is declining to have discussions and negotiations with Waste Management.

BuisnessWeek has an interesting article on the man Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) has put in charge of its entry to the digital entertainment market. The former Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) executive will try to overtake Apple's dominant hold of the market.

The New York Times reports that T-Mobile will be the first carrier to offer a mobile phone powered by Google (NASDAQ: GOOG)'s Android software.

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Google Android phone here next month?

Brian White — 2008-08-14T13:32:00+00:00

Filed under: Rumors, Launches, Google (GOOG)

Google, Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) has been touting its Android mobile operating system platform for over a year. Still without a product to showcase its efforts, many are beginning to wonder if Google has classified Android as "vaporware." Even though the company is itself not making a single piece of hardware, a mobile handset is the product the customer will use. So, Google, where is it?

Apple, Inc.'s (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone 3G, which admittedly has a few issues, but is still selling like hotcakes, is stealing any thunder Android would have created. T-Mobile USA, the fourth-largest mobile operator in the U.S., may have an Android phone on the market sometime in September, according to TMoNews. Still, is it too late for Android to make a huge splash in the mobile pool?

The reported manufacturer of such a phone will be Taiwanese smartphone heavyweight HTC. Reported pricing will be $399 without a contract, or near $150 with a two-year contract. Google may be taking the Apple route, as this Android phone will tightly feature most of Google's consumer services, and you may even need a Google Gmail account to set up service for the Android phone.

Yes, this sounds like Apple's locked-into-the-manufacturer procedure, doesn't it? If T-Mobile uses the Apple iPhone model for requiring an expensive data plan and with spotty 3G service (who knew?), then the Android phone won't make a splash, but a trickle. Many of us are looking to Google to provide an excellent mobile operating system that is open, flexible and robust. Perhaps we may be waiting a bit longer -- and so will Google shareholders.

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Before the bell: Futures higher after WMT, ahead of CPI; (AAPL, INTC, MER, GM ...)

Melly Alazraki — 2008-08-14T08:11:00+00:00

Filed under: Before the bell, Earnings reports, Analyst reports, Analyst upgrades and downgrades, Google (GOOG), Apple Inc (AAPL), Wal-Mart (WMT), Intel (INTC), General Motors (GM), Market matters, Merrill Lynch (MER), Amgen Inc (AMGN), Economic data, Oil

Stock futures were higher Thursday morning, as bulls tried to answer to two bear days. Wal-Mart reported this morning, beating estimates and boosting guidance as well as Street sentiment. Still, coming ahead is inflation data at 8:30 a.m. Economists expect CPI to rise 0.4% in July, and could very well impact markets. Meanwhile, oil prices rose and the EU reported that euro-zone economy contracted 0.2% in the second quarter.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT), the world's largest retailer, reported a second-quarter earnings growth of 17% to of $3.4 billion, or 87 cents a share, beating analyst estimates of profit of 84 cents a share. Revenue rose 10% to $101.6 billion, slightly below estimates. The company also boosted its full-year earnings forecast. The company benefited from the challenging economic conditions as shoppers looked for lower prices. Its cost cutting measures also helped. WMT shares are gaining nearly 1.5% in premarket trading.

As Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) shares rose in recent years, many have tracked its progress as it surpassed one major company after another in market capitalization. Well, All Things Digital noticed that Apple can put another check mark, this time as it passed Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG). Yes, Apple is now larger than Google.

Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) is announcing a new component with new technology that will let computers wake up from their power-saving sleep state when they receive a phone call over the Internet. No longer will computers have to remain full-powered to receive calls, enabling them to act as replacements for the telephone.

While Merrill Lynch & Co. (NYSE: MER)'s CEO John Thain vowed last week to maintain the firm's 35-cent quarterly dividend, the options market doesn't believe him and is pricing a significant cut of roughly 50% to the dividend. If it happens, it would the first since it went public in 1971.

Also battered by recent economic downturn and the slumping U.S. auto market, General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM) is seeking to speed up the restructuring plan and said it may be able to reap more of the $10 billion in projected savings this year instead of in 2009. GM also had preliminary contact with Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska on a possible sale of its Hummer brand, according to Reuters.

Analyst calls:

Goldman Sachs added Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) to its Conviction Buy List.
Merrill Lynch downgraded Credit Suisse (NYSE: CS) from Neutral to Sell, citing valuation and the potential for more write-downs.

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Closing Bell: Dow has another triple-digit down day; NVDA gains, GM declines

Jon Ogg — 2008-08-13T16:22:00+00:00

Filed under: After the bell, Major movement, Earnings reports, Deals, Google (GOOG), General Motors (GM), Market matters, Genentech Inc (DNA)

Today was another very volatile day with stocks posting triple-digit DJIA losses. Shares opened and traded lower, then recovered sharply before falling back down at the end of the day. Oil and commodities rose. Oil was up over $3.00 to over the $116 a barrel mark on soft inventory levels and reports Russia is seizing a Georgian pipeline. With gold rising almost $17.00 and the dollar falling, it almost felt like the commodity trades were coming back on. There was a drop in import prices, but that wasn't enough to keep the bears from roaring today.

Here are Wednesday's unofficial closing bell numbers:

DJIA 11,536.22 (-106.25)
S&P500 1,288.87 (-3.72)
NASDAQ 2,428.62 (-1.99)
10YR T-Bond 3.947% (+0.029%)
52-WEEK LOWS
ANALYSTS UPGRADES & DOWNGRADES

Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) saw shares down marginally today as the stock was down 0.8% at $498.53 in the final minutes before the close. Jim Cramer interviewed Google's CEO & Chairman on CNBC today and he brought back that $750 Target.

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM) took a beating on another Moody's debt downgrade. While everyone should have known this data, shares were down almost 8% at $10.22 in the final minutes ahead of today's closing bell.

Genentech (NYSE: DNA) was up a little more than 0.5% at $98.43 in the final minutes after it rejected Roche's $89.00 cash bid and offered Roche to choke up more cash.

NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA) managed to escape the hangman after reporting disappointing earnings, recording a loss due to a $196 million charge to cover its technical issues in graphics processors. But a $1 billion share buyback plan compared to its market cap of $6 billion saved the day. This was a key trading alert stock today and shares were up over 10% at $12.24 in the final minutes.

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Cramer on BloggingStocks: Exodus from oil may goose tech

Jim Cramer — 2008-08-12T08:48:00+00:00

Filed under: Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon.com (AMZN), Intel (INTC), JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Adobe Systems (ADBE), Morgan Stanley (MS), Wachovia Corp (WB), Stocks to Buy, Cramer on BloggingStocks, Technology

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says all that money has to go somewhere, and this is a likely destination.

Clash of the ideals! Oil's down, and what can you buy when there's so much bad bank news? What can you buy when Wachovia (NYSE: WB) (Cramer's Take) is boosting reserves and Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS)) (Cramer's Take) is still being pursued by authorities and JPMorgan (NYSE: JPM) (Cramer's Take) says July stunk and UBS (NYSE: UBS) (Cramer's Take) is so tarnished that you can't believe it was once the most conservative blue chip out there.

The answer is tech, of course!

Wait a second. Would anyone mind if we actually had a reason to buy tech beyond the Kindle, the device that made Citigroup gaga about Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) (Cramer's Take) -- not that you needed a device to do that.

Sure, we have pre-seasonality. Remember, you are supposed to buy tech at the end of the summer, not that anyone waits that long.

But what we really have is that quant thinking that Doug rails about so correctly: the CDO of stocks! We take a little bad tech, the lowest-end stuff like RF Micro (NASDAQ: RFMD) (Cramer's Take) and Parametric (NASDAQ: PMTC) (Cramer's Take); mix in some mid-tech, stuff like National Semi (NYSE: NSM) (Cramer's Take) and Analog Devices (NYSE: ADI) (Cramer's Take); then throw in Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) (Cramer's Take), Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) (Cramer's Take), Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) (Cramer's Take), Amazon and Adobe (NASDAQ: ABDE) (Cramer's Take) -- yes, Adobe; then split them into tranches, slice 'em up, and offer a derivative on them for those who want leverage and we have, well, a tech rally!

I know, could it be any more stupid? But there is simply too much money that is betting or leaving oil and gold, and that money goes somewhere. It does not sit idle. Given the ugliness of the banks, it can't go there today, so it will probably go to tech.

Heaven forbid it actually go to the consumers of energy, but then again, some of these big behemoth funds have taken retail up on that tangential benefit, so there's at least some correlation. The problem there is that the worst earnings may be in retail, so they are tough to buy. Even the ones I thought might have a turn at hand, like Macy's (NYSE: M) (Cramer's Take), which reports tomorrow, have run 60% -- how much higher can it go even if it does do a good report? In this market there might be enough shorts in the name for it to rally and then go back down, as someone might recognize this unimportant quarter for what it is: an unimportant quarter!

Meanwhile we are so overbought -- plus-4 on my oscillator -- that it might not be worth buying anything anyway. The most oversold here is oil and heaven knows, I have tried that trade.

So the "out of oil, into financials" trade gets a rest. The "out of oil, into tech" move continues until we get some bad news. And the "out of oil, into retail" trade has gotten to the nosebleed zone for me -- I want a pullback. Maybe we will even get one! Or do pullbacks only come in regular and premium?

Random musings: "Mad Money" is back on at 1:30 again all week and next week, as is my regular show at 11:00. Grueling, in case you were wondering.

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RELATED LINKS:
Oil Sinks Despite Georgian-Russian Turmoil
Cramer: Buy Tech Here
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Jim Cramer is a director and co-founder of TheStreet.com. He contributes daily market commentary for TheStreet.com's sites and serves as an adviser to the company's CEO. At the time of publication, Cramer was long Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan.

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Company nicknames: Microsoft nickname is an insult to Mister Softee

Jonathan Berr — 2008-08-11T10:10:00+00:00

Filed under: Consumer experience, Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT)

This post is one in a series on prominent company nicknames. See all 25, and share your thoughts and memories about Mr. Softee below in the comments.

You would be hard-pressed to find a professional stock trader today who didn't know that "Mister Softee" is Microsoft (NYSE: MSFT) . The nickname is so widely-used among investors that it seems to barely need explanation. But there is actually a quite simple reason for the derivation of the moniker. Here is how I imagine it taking hold:

Once upon a time in a land known as Manhattan, some Wall Street traders were enjoying some after-work beers. After about the fifth brew, these professionals began to gain insights, as they so often do today, into weighty topics.

They pondered the amorous tastes of Ginger and Mary Ann from Gilligan's Island. They debated whether "Freebird" or "Stairway to Heaven" was the greatest rock song of all time. Then, one of the traders had the burst of insight that the ticker symbol for Microsoft ("MSFT") has some of the same letters as beloved self-serve ice cream Mister Softee. And so, one of the most ubiquitous bits of Wall Street slang was born.

I cringe whenever I hear Jim Cramer or someone else call the world's largest software company "Mister Softee." The nickname serves as an insult to the hard working employees of the soft-serve ice cream company who, unlike Microsoft, bring joy to millions on a daily basis. Mister Softee's products are cheap and delicious. Microsoft's are expensive and complicated. People who need technical support from Mister Softee can always count on an employee with a napkin and spoon. No such luck with Microsoft.

Maybe we need to figure out a new more accurate nickname for Microsoft, such as "demolition derby," since its software crashes so much. I can't think of a snarky way to trash the Zune or Microsoft's inability to catch Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG). Perhaps others can pick up the slack.

Until then, leave Mister Softee out of it. That company, which has been bringing the "very best" to kids and families since 1956, has suffered enough from its guilt by association.

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Safe haven stocks?, solutions to 6 nest egg woes & which college grads earn the most - Today in Money 8/11

Allan Halprin — 2008-08-11T09:09:00+00:00

Filed under: Google (GOOG), Apple Inc (AAPL), General Electric (GE), Wal-Mart (WMT), Exxon Mobil (XOM), China, Money and Finance Today

In the News:

· Gas Prices Drop for 25th Straight Day

· China Markets Hit 19-Month Low on Economic Fears

· 3 Million iPhone's Sold in Debut Month

· iPhone Software Downloads Take Off

· Giant Retailers Look to Sun for Energy Savings

· Prices for Some Drugs Skyrocket

· Fed Presses Big US Banks on Liquidity

What Happened to Safe Haven Stocks?
When the markets hit a rough patch, many investors turn to 'safe' stocks for shelter. Stocks like Wal-Mart, GE, Exxon Mobil, Google etc. You would think these big name stocks can weather the market storms of late, but in fact have gotten caught and underperformed the Dow over the past quarter. They are hardly "safe" for investors who want to preserve capital in a bad market. If these firms can't post promising results, not many companies can.
What Happened to Safe Haven Stocks? - 24/7WallSt.

Cash-Strapped States Quicker to Seize Unused Accounts
Faced with swelling budget deficits, a growing number of states are taking control of unclaimed property -- such as bank accounts and traveler's checks -- sooner. Generally, states can seize abandoned property if the owners fail to claim it after a specified period that varies by state. People should track their bank accounts and other assets closely. ING, which turned over $3.8 million to states last year, is warning customers that states can seize accounts if there's no activity for a certain period, often three to five years.
Cash-strapped states quicker to seize unused accounts - USATODAY.com

Famous Brands for Sale: Gone But Not Forgotten
Adios Kinkos, GE appliances, Dr. Pepper, Wisk, Exxon gas stations and more. Corporations often start a business that becomes a famous brand, or buy companies that already have highly recognized brand names. Over time these brands often lose their earnings power. Corporations who find themselves in this situation have few options other than to sell these operations or to spin them off. Here are some of 2008's big brand moves.
Famous Brands For Sale, Gone But Not Forgotten - 24/7 Wall St.

Which College Grads Earn the Most?
A new study ranks the earning potential of graduates from the top colleges in the U.S. Graduates of Yale University leads the list as the college with the biggest returns. Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn and Colgate follow.
Which College Grads Earn the Most?

Solutions to 6 Nest Egg Woes
Can you still retire on time? Sure you can. Here are six common problems and how to solve them. It's never too late to build your nest egg.
Catch Up On Your Retirement Savings - Kiplinger.com

Bankrupt Retailers: Pushed to the Brink
Changes in the law have sharply reduced retailers' ability to reorganize, driving many to liquidate quickly. The new provisions in the bankruptcy law -- pushed primarily by mall owners, suppliers, and utility companies, and signed by President George W. Bush in 2005 -- were intended to shorten the time that a company stays under court supervision. The point was to protect creditors, who sometimes had to wait years for payments while lawyers racked up hefty fees and managers collected big pay packages.
Bankrupt Retailers: Pushed to the Brink - BusinessWeek

5 Best Coupon-Clipping Web Sites
Coupon sites are everywhere. Here's where you'll find the best, most reliable deals.
5 Best Coupon-Clipping Web Sites - SmartMoney.com

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Entrepreneur's Journal: What if your company gets bad online reviews?

Tom Taulli — 2008-08-10T13:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Google (GOOG), Small business

Former Google, Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG) engineers recently launched a new-fangled search engine, called Cuil. The goal was pretty ambitious; that is, to be the next Google.

Well, the debut was shaky, as the online reviews were mostly negative. Basically, the quality of the search results were lackluster -- and the overall performance was erratic.

No doubt, in the social media world, things can get brutal. Yet, it's something that many businesses need to think about.

So, how do you deal with negative reviews?

First of all, it's a good idea to monitor the chatter about your company. To this end, you can use services like Google alerts. There is also a free application called Social Media Firehose that monitors various social media channels.

Show Up

In many cases, an online review site will provide for comments. And, according to Todd Defren -- a principal at SHIFT Communications -- it's a good idea to respond to negative comments. However, be diplomatic.

Here's one of his approaches:

"We were really sad to see that you had a bad experience with our product. Even though we have thousands of happy customers, we're always striving to improve and I can assure you that we're going to use your review as ammunition to make sure we do a better job in the future. We appreciate the time you took to put our product through its paces; even though we seem to have stumbled this time, our success is a marathon not a sprint, and you've helped us train for more success in the future."

Having such an approach shows that you are serious about customer feedback and that you're proactive. And, in light of the fact that many customers research the Net before buying products, it's a good idea to have some participation.

"A bad review is an opportunity for a company to learn about a failing they might not have otherwise known about, connect with and win over a consumer and fix a problem," said Marc Karasu, who is the president of MeasuredUp.com.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates MergerBook.com.

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Google and Yahoo! hide contract details

Douglas McIntyre — 2008-08-09T11:10:00+00:00

Filed under: SEC filings, Deals, Competitive strategy, Google (GOOG), Yahoo! (YHOO)

The SEC and regulators who have to look at the antitrust implications of Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) using Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG) search advertising system should make the companies disclose the financial details of the deal.

But, the two companies are being allowed to cover-up those details in regulatory filings. The partnership, meant to allow Google text ads to run on Yahoo! search pages, should increase the portal company's revenue. It will also create a near-monopoly in the industry because the two companies together have over 80% of the search market in the U.S.

According to Reuters, "Yahoo has said it expects to generate an additional $250 million to $450 million in additional cash flow in the first 12 months after the agreement goes into effect." But, those are estimates and are not based on the substance of the contract between the two companies that is currently being examined by the federal government.

The SEC has favored significant disclosure on almost all important corporate financial and operating information. It seems that Google and Yahoo! have dodged that.

Douglas A. McIntryre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

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The great panic -- one year later, cell phone health concerns persist & a jean-eology - Today in Money 8/8

Allan Halprin — 2008-08-08T09:13:00+00:00

Filed under: Google (GOOG), China, McDonald's (MCD), Citigroup Inc. (C), Money and Finance Today, Bank of America (BAC), Boeing Co (BA), Federal Natl Mtge (FNM)

In the News:

· Gas Prices Down for 22nd Straight Day

· Lack of Toilets Delay Boeing's Dreamliner Again

· Fannie Mae Loses $2.3 Billion in 2Q; Slashes Dividend

· Citigroup Returning Billions to Investors

· McDonald's Posts Another Strong Month for Sales

· Beazer Homes 3Q Loss Narrows

· As Olympics Open, China's Economy Slows

· Google Believes $1 Billion Investment in AOL is Crumbling

· Bank of America Subpoenaed Over Sale of Securities

· Frequent Fliers Hit With More Fees

· Mars Takes M&M's Out of Their Shell

The Great Panic - One Year Later
On August 9, 2007, it became clear that fear had paralyzed the world's credit markets. The question was no longer only about the quality of assets or the availability of cash. Everything was suspect and no one was willing to take any chances. The world had turned subprime.
How the world changed on August 9, 2007 - Portfolio.com

Cell-Phone Health Concerns Persist
Despite years of study, questions continue to be raised whether mobile phones can contribute to health problems. Why can't we get a definitive answer about cell phones and health?
Why Cell-Phone Health Concerns Persist - BusinessWeek

Best/Worst Lead & Radon Test Kits
Professional inspections of your home for lead paint and radon can cost hundreds of dollars. That's why you'll find $30 do-it-yourself kits in many home centers and hardware stores. Consumer Reports' tests of 18 lead and radon test kits confirm that some are a good first step in identifying whether there's a problem, but we also found confusing instructions, challenging procedures, and inaccurate results.
Lead & radon test kits: How to choose, Ratings

Traveling Pants: A Jean-eology
Rumor has it the average woman has seven pairs of blue jeans in her closet, says Tara Stewart, market editor of More magazine. "I think that's probably low-balling it," she says, adding that she probably owns at least 50 pairs herself! How did we get this obsessed? Take a trip back in time.
Traveling Pants: A Jean-eology | MainStreet

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10 tech giants to buy now, new life for grocery store standbys & America's most in-debt households - Today in Money 8/6

Allan Halprin — 2008-08-06T09:11:00+00:00

Filed under: Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Apple Inc (AAPL), Cisco Systems (CSCO), Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), Time Warner (TWX), Intel (INTC), International Business Machines (IBM), Nokia Corp. (NOK), Sprint Nextel Corp (S), Money and Finance Today, Whole Foods Market (WFMI), Oracle Corp (ORCL), News Corp'B' (NWS), QUALCOMM Inc (QCOM)

In the News:

· Freddie Mac Reports $821 Million Loss in 2Q

· Cisco Profit Rises 4.4%; Beats Estimates, Stock Rises

· AOL Weights on Time Warner as Profit Drops 26% in 2Q; Tops Street Estimates; Will Split AOL

· Sprint Nextel Reports a Loss as Revenue Falls

· Whole Foods Profit Plunges 30%, Drastically Lowers Outlook; Stock Drops

· Priceline Stock Slammed After Warns of Possible Troubles Ahead

· News Corp. Reports Sharp Rise in Profit

· Winter Heating Bills Expected to Rise

· 11 Charged in the Massive TJX ID Theft Case That Affected 94 Million Shoppers of 10 Retailers

· Denny's, IHOP Try to Reclaim Breakfast

10 Tech Giants to Buy Now
Shares of companies such as IBM, Nokia and Microsoft have taken a hit along with the rest of the market, but they don't deserve to be this cheap. Other tech stocks to consider include Apple, Cisco, Google, HP, Intel, Oracle and Qualcomm.
Ten Tech Giants to Buy Now - Kiplinger.com

New Life for Grocery Store Standbys
Innovation is Pinnacle's lifeblood. The N.J.-based company -- which so far owns or licenses more than a dozen food brands -- specializes in acquiring venerable, but stagnant, brand names in need of TLC. It then works to breathe new life into them with updated formulations, new products, improved packaging, added convenience and smart marketing. Among the brands in Pinnacle's cub bard are Duncan Hines, Lender's Bagels, Log Cabin, Hungry Man, Mrs. Butterworth, Aunt Jemima, Swanson and more.
Pinnacle gives new life to old standbys - USATODAY.com

America's Most In-Debt Households
Residents of Modesto, California have the distinction of being the most in-debt city in the country with only 19% of home equity on average in their homes. Residents of Indianapolis, Minneapolis and Atlanta also are among the most in-debt households in the country.
America's Most In-Debt Households - Forbes.com

American Eyeful
The clothing company, known for ads resembling 1980s porn and for the pervy antics of controversial founder Dov Charney, is seeing sales climb as it buys up more cheap ad space on sites such as MySpace and Facebook than any other U.S. apparel retailer.
American Apparel's Internet Ads - Portfolio.com

Protect Yourself Online & 7 Common Mistakes to Avoid
Consumer Reports' exclusive survey and tests reveal where the biggest security threats still exist. We tell you how to avoid becoming one of the millions of victims. Plus: These common mistakes can ruin your computer or invite identity theft.
ConsumerReports.org - Protect yourself online: State of the net 2008
Also: ConsumerReports.org - Online blunders: common mistakes

Is the U.S. Government Exposing You to ID Theft?
CR Investigates. Government is one of the biggest culprits when it comes to exposing your personal information. Here's what you can do about it.
ConsumerReports.org - Government ID leaks: CR Investigates

What's Tops for the Tub: Best Shower Cleaners
As frightening as the shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" is, many of us encounter something equally upsetting every time we shower or bathe, a shower or tub spotted with soap scum, mildew, rust, or hard-water stains. Consumer Reports puts 12 cleaners to the test and here is what is best for you. Comet & Ajax powders were the top-rated cleaners.
ConsumerReports.org - Shower cleaners: What's best for your tub?

4 Steps to Boost Your Car's Trade-In Value
Getting a great deal on a trade-in comes down to a little preparation and driving a hard bargain on the lot.
4 steps to boost car trade-in value -Bankrate.com

How Brad & Angelina's Twins Can Save the World
Brad and Angelina are reportedly donating the proceeds from their $14 million People magazine payday to charity. Here's what that money can accomplish in the third world.
How Brad and Angelina's Twins Can Save the World | MainStreet

The Web's 10 Most Unusual Social Networks
Odd hobbies? Bizarre preoccupations? You'll fit right in. Witness the rise of niche social networks, where hamster enthusiasts, mustache lovers, even lonely farmers can find kindred spirits to commune (and sometimes sleep) with.
The Web's 10 Most Unusual Social Networks | Fast Company

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Friendster is still alive and well ... and gets $20 million

Tom Taulli — 2008-08-05T12:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Deals, Google (GOOG), Next big thing, Small business

Founded in 2002 - during the dark times of the Internet - Friendster became one of the pioneers of the social networking space. The company quickly got traction and even attracted the interest of Google (NASDAQ: GOOG). But, of course, MySpace and Facebook had ultimately beat out Friendster.

Yet, the plucky website hasn't given up. In fact, the company has announced a $20 million round of venture capital. The investors include heavyweights like IDG Ventures, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Benchmark Capital, DAG Ventures and Founders Fund. In all, Friendster has raised $50 million.

Actually, Friendster is ranked as the 9th most trafficked site in the world, with a heavy penetration in Asia where it is the #1 social networking platform. There are about 75 million registered users.

Interestingly enough, Friendster has a broad portfolio of patents, which perhaps can be used as leverage when combating its rivals. What's more, the company has done quite well in terms of adding features and providing a good user experience.

To help keep things on the right track, Friendster has hired Richard Kimber as its CEO. He was formerly a regional managing director of South Asia for Google. Apparently, he'll be spending much of his time in Asia, trying to put together partnerships.

While social networking seems to be maturing in the U.S., there still are great opportunities in foreign markets. Furthermore, with $20 million more in the bank, Friendster can broaden its footprint and perhaps be a hot property for an acquisition.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates MergerBook.com.

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Does Exxon Mobil have 'windfall profits?'

Jonathan Berr — 2008-08-04T12:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Google (GOOG), Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A), Exxon Mobil (XOM), Columns

Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM)'s record-setting quarterly profits last week prompted renewed calls for a windfall profits tax against the oil industry. The problem I have with these theory is that people usually do not explain what they mean by a "windfall."

"How does it differ from your everyday, run of the mill profit?" The Wall Street Journal noted in an editorial today. "Is it some absolute number, a matter of return on equity or sales -- or does it merely depend on who earns it?"

Also, is the government going to figure out how much Exxon deserved to earn and what gives the government the right to single out the oil companies for such treatment. Why not subject Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) or Warren Buffett's Berskshire Hathawy Inc. (NYSE: BRK.A) to a windfall profits tax too? They make lots of money, right?

Well, the reason why we don't penalize companies just because they make a lot of money is because that would be insane. As the Journal notes, it's hard to make the case that Exxon's profitability is excessive. In 2007, its profit margins were 10%, in-line with the industry average. The oil company's margins were worse than firms in the chemicals industry, pharmaceuticals, beverages and tobacco, the paper said.

Exxon Mobil is a pretty easy company to dislike. Its politics are reactionary, particularly on global warming. Its attitude toward alternative energy is skeptical. Wall Street already gave a thumbs down to its latest earnings report which is a far more effective punishment than a windfall profits tax.

Putting the squeeze on the oil industry may feel good, but it won't bring back $2 gas prices. Those days are gone forever.

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Google plans venture arm -- conflict of interest?

Douglas McIntyre — 2008-07-31T12:47:00+00:00

Filed under: Deals, Competitive strategy, Google (GOOG), Intel (INTC)

Back in the day when internet companies ruled the rolls of the Nasdaq, a number of online and tech companies had venture capital arms. Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) has kept its to this day. The tech collapse of 2000 and 2001 eliminated most of those funds.

Now Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) has decided to revive the tradition of big tech companies spreading money around. According to The Wall Street Journal, "The group will be lead by David Drummond, Google's senior vice president of corporate development and chief legal officer."

The move is a bad idea because it could alienate current and future Google partners. There is still an abundance of venture capital, so it is not as if the search company is filling a hole in the market.

The trouble is that Google could put money into a wireless broadband company only to find down the road it wants to form a partnership with one of that company's competitors. Should a firm risk doing business with Google when the giant internet company owns a piece of its nemesis?

Google may like the idea of supporting startups that are aligned with its goals. But it is cutting off the option of doing business with companies that don't have Google backing but do have services Google wants.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 24/7 Wall St.

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Before the bell: Undecided ahead of GDP: XOM, FSLR, MOT, MO, GM, GOOG ...

Melly Alazraki — 2008-07-31T08:08:00+00:00

Filed under: Before the bell, Earnings reports, Deals, Google (GOOG), Apple Inc (AAPL), Starbucks (SBUX), General Motors (GM), Motorola (MOT), Exxon Mobil (XOM), Market matters, Walt Disney (DIS), Aetna Inc (AET), Altria Group (MO), Kellogg Co (K), MasterCard Inc'A' (MA), Economic data, Unilever ADR (UL)

U.S. stock futures were mixed Thursday morning ahead of the government preliminary report of U.S. second-quarter gross domestic product to be released at 8:30 a.m. EDT. Compare to the first quarter, where GDP grew at an annual rate of 1%, analysts are expecting an annual growth rate in the second quarter of 2.3% according to Briefing.com. Another wave of earnings will also wash Wall Street over this morning, while it's still digesting Wednesday's ones. The market will likely take a clearer direction once GDP is out.

[Update: GDP grew at a 1.9% pace in the second quarter came in well short of the 2.3% forecast. Futures are declining on economy and the XOM miss. Wall Street will likely open significantly lower.]

Reporting/reported this morning:

Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM) is expected to report second-quarter earnings before the open. If ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) and BP (NYSE: BP) results are any indication, XOM will likely post massive profits thanks to oil's skyrocketing prices and even break the record it has set for largest profit by a U.S. company. Analyst on average expect Exxon Mobil to earn $2.52 a share on revenue of $144 billion, according to a survey by Thomson Financial.
MasterCard Inc. (NYSE: MA) is expected to report earnings of $2.02 per share.
Kellog (NYSE: K) is expected to post earnings of 81 cents per shares.

Motorola (NYSE: MOT) shares are climbing 4.8% in premarket trading after it posted a small profit as revenue and phone sales beat estimates. Motorola reported a second-quarter profit of $4 million and broke even on a per share basis. Revenue fell to $8.1 billion.
Aetna (NYSE: AET) shares are gaining 1% in premarket trading after the health insurer said its second-quarter profit rose 6.4% on membership growth and a hike in premium rates. The company posted 97 cents earnings per share on revenue of $7.83 billion (a rise of 15%). Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected profit of 93 cents per share on revenue of about $7.87 billion, on average.
Altria (NYSE: MO) shares are trading 2.7% higher in premarket action after the it said its second-quarter profit fell 58% as it separated its international cigarette unit. Excluding one-time items, profit rose to 46 cents per share. Revenue has risen 4% to $5.05 billion from $4.86 billion. Thomson Financial says analysts expected a profit of 45 cents per share on revenue of $4.17 billion.
Unilever (NYSE: UN, UL) shares are down nearly 9% in premarket trading after the consumer product company said profit declined by almost a fifth while sales dipped 1%.
Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS.A) reported profit growth of 33%.
Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE: DB) reported bigger-than-estimated 2.3 billion euros ($3.6 billion) of debt writedowns in the second quarter, saying it remains cautious on the rest of the year.

Reported Wednesday after the close:

Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) shares are climbing 4.3% in premarket trading as it beat estimates.
Visa (NYSE: V) shares are also climbing over 3.2% in premarket trading after it topped Street forecast. Visa seems to be counting on international transactions.
First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR) are up nearly 8% in premarket trading after the solar energy company crushed estimated across the board.
Disney (NYSE: DIS) shares, on the other hand, are down over 2% in premarket trading despite beating estimates. The media conglomerate said it detected slowing growth.

According to the Wall Street Journal General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM) will cut 5,000 North American white-collar jobs by November 1 as part the plan announced earlier this month to save $10 billion through 2009.

A day after Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) acquired Omnisio to interact with YouTube, for the Wall Street Journal reported it "is working on plans to start a venture-capital arm, according to several people briefed on the discussions."

Despite claims of Rogers, sole carrier of Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone in Canada it is getting weekly shipments from Apple, sales of the iPhone in Canada are still outpacing supply.

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Warren Buffett to advise Barack Obama on the economy

Jonathan Berr — 2008-07-28T15:22:00+00:00

Filed under: Google (GOOG), Presidential elections

The Oracle of Omaha is shining a light on the presidential campaign of Barack Obama.

According to media reports, Warren Buffett is participating with Obama in a meeting about the economy along with Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) Chairman Eric Schmidt, former Treasury Secretaries Robert Rubin and Larry Summers and former Labor Secretary Bob Reich, according to CNBC. New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, a former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS) co-chairman, and former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker also will be at the meeting of the wisemen tomorrow. Buffett will be participating via telephone hook-up.

There is plenty to talk about given the current state of the economy and the housing market which the International Monetary Fund says shows no signs of recovery. Obama, the junior senator from Illinois, is clearly signaling not to expect much from the meeting.

``I expect some further fine-tuning of short-term policies based on what's happened over the last several months,'' Obama said in an interview with Bloomberg News.

What that means is not clear. It should surprise no one that Buffett is backing Obama. The investor has been critical of President Bush's economic policies including the repeal of the estate tax which he said would be a "terrible mistake." But that doesn't mean he agrees with all of Obama's policies either.

As CNBC notes, Buffett supported Hillary Clinton while she was running for president and disagrees with Obama's call to tax the windfall profits of oil companies and his decision to forgo public financing of his campaign. I guess the Omaha investor considers Obama to be a significant improvement over Republican John McCain.

Interesting how the greatest investor in history who Republicans tout as a champion of capitalism is as big of a Democrat as Barbra Streisand.

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