Filed under: Products and services, Launches, Microsoft (MSFT)

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) has unveiled the next version of its Windows operating system. The marketing name “Vista” is gone and there apparently is no word to replace it. From all indications, the next version of Windows will be called “Windows 7.”

Perhaps Microsoft thinks that the lucky number 7 will save it from the tarnish Windows Vista has left behind on the image of Windows. Even though the software giant touted Windows Vista as the most secure and user-friendly version of Windows yet, consumers did not embrace it. Through Microsoft’s dominance with Computer makers, Windows Vista has still continued to be a large success, shipping on almost all new Personal computers. Businesses, though, certainly did not welcome Windows Vista readily. Will Windows 7 be any different?

Using the version number (this Windows is actually version 7), instead of some name, may help Microsoft differentiate it from other operating systems, while reinforcing that there have been six versions of Windows before this new one (hence, it’s a tried-and-true product). No release date has been given for Windows 7. Here’s a prediction: Microsoft will see Windows 7 as a non-event (as far as initial release) unless it steps up its marketing game soon. If it addresses the perception issues of software crashes, video and audio handling and speed without the latest hardware, Windows 7 may have a chance.

Microsoft announces Windows 7 as Vista brand is killed originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Matt_dk writes “VASIMR is a new high-power plasma-based space propulsion technology, initially studied by NASA and now being developed privately by Ad Astra. A VASIMR engine could maneuver payloads in space far more efficiently and with much less propellant than today’s chemical rockets. Ultimately, VASIMR engines could also greatly shorten robotic and human transit times for missions to Mars and beyond.”

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With under a week to go, we’re opening up discussions on the US Presidential Election. Yesterday we discussed the economy. This day we take on one of the other major election topics: The War. From the actual wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, to foreign policy issues related to potential threats like North Korea, Russia, and Iran, how do the candidates stack up?

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stoolpigeon writes with this excerpt from an Orlando Sentinel article about the Ares program, which paints a bleak picture of the program’s future: “Bit by bit, the new rocket ship that’s supposed to blast America into the second Space Age and return astronauts to the moon appears to be coming undone. First was the discovery that it lacked adequate power to lift astronauts in a state-of-the-art capsule into orbit. Then engineers found out that it might vibrate like a giant tuning fork, shaking its crew to death. Now, in the latest setback to the Ares I, personal models show the ship could crash into its launch tower during liftoff. “

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Filed under: Analyst reports, Products and services, Marketing and advertising, McDonald’s (MCD)

McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD) is planning to replace its Double CheeseBurger with a new sandwich called the McDouble.

The new cheeseburger will be a tiny less cheesy, with two beef patties but only one slice of cheese. Analysts estimate that the McStingy will cost about six cents less to make — combined with the company’s plan to raise the price to about the dollar mark, it could spell increased profitability for the chain.

“We want our customers to know they can depend on McDonald’s to provide the each day value and convenience they’ve come to expect, every time they visit our restaurants,” stated Greg Watson, vice president of marketing at McDonald’s USA. “These recommended changes will ensure we continue to satisfy our customers’ tastes and wallets.”

Continue reading McDonald’s makes plans for the McDouble

McDonald’s makes plans for the McDouble originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Berlin opens new temporary art hall - International Herald Tribune
BERLIN : An eye-catching, blue-and-white cube housing contemporary art exhibitions is opening for business in Berlin Wednesday — occupying a city square that has been at the center of a long-running dispute over past and future palaces. The box

66 dead, 470 injured as 13 blasts rock Assam - Times of India
GUWAHATI: In the deadliest terror attacks in Assam, 66 people were killed and about 470 injured in 13 near-simultaneous blasts in Guwahati and three other towns on Thursday by suspected Bangladesh-based HuJi militants. ( Watch ) The first of the

Study: Dallas-Fort Worth homes will hold their values - Dallas Morning News
One of the biggest worries for today’s homebuyer is the continued drop in home prices. While cheaper housing costs are appealing, many consumers fret that prices will keep falling after they purchase. Texans shouldn’t be so concerned, according to a

Barack Obama’s aunt Zeituni Onyango found in Boston housing estate - News.com.au
Frail Barack Obama’s aunt has been found living in rundown public housing in Boston. Obama’s aunt found in rundown flat She is frail and has disabled access His brother found in a shack in August BARACK Obama’s frail Kenyan aunt has been found in

B.C. HOUSING HEADS DOWNHILL - Globe and Mail
VANCOUVER and TORONTO — Canada’s most pricey housing market is hitting a significant slump, with home sales numbers falling and prices declining, the British Columbia Real Estate Association said yesterday. “The bull market in housing is over in

American Express to cut 7,000 jobs - Forbes
In a stark acknowledgment of the tough times ahead in the credit card industry, American Express Co. stated Thursday that it plans to cut 7,000 jobs, or about 10 percent of its worldwide work force, in an effort to slash costs by $1.8 billion in 2009

American Express to cut 7,000 jobs in effort to reduce costs by $1.8 - Minneapolis Star Tribune
Take the Money Wasted on Rewards Programs And cut the interest rates on the cards please!!! All the marketing, call centers and redemption … read more systems cost an aweful lot for American that really just want a lower interest rate!!! NEW YORK

The Next Bailout: Helping Homeowners in Distress - Time
Participants in the speaks, including officials from the Treasury Department, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and other agencies, are focusing on two possible plans, state sources

U.S. weighing new mortgage plan - CNN Money
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — The government is expected to announce soon that it will devote up to $50 billion to directly address the source of the financial crisis: bad mortgages and millions of homeowners at risk of foreclosure. White House

Home listings begin to slow down - Globe and Mail
More people have delayed selling their homes or pulled them off the market, and that could help restore some balance to the softening housing market, the latest real estate figures show. A glut of supply hit the market earlier this year as sellers

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A number of folks have been submitting topics that indicate that they want to have a serious discussion on the issues surrounding this election. Since we’re under a week now, I’ve decided to run a series of discussion stories to give you guys a place to discuss the issue. So here’s the first one: The Economy. It’s the biggest topic these days, eclipsing even war as the most important issue to most Americans. But how will that affect your choice next week? And why?

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Filed under: Major movement, Newsletters, S and P 500, DJIA, Housing, Recession, Financial Crisis

Written before yesterday’s sharp rise, stock market historian and advisor Jim Stack had forecast an “imminent bottom” for the market. A long-term timer, he’s not looking for quick pops and drops; rather, the “safety-first” money manager focuses on slowing positioning his portfolio for long-term, secular trends.

Indeed, in his InvesTech Market Analyst he was among the few to accurately forecast the current crisis; over the prior year and a half, he predicated both the bust of the housing bubble and the derivatives-based meltdown that would result.

After maintaining a defensive, cash-heavy portfolio during the market’s downturn, he’s now becoming more optimistic, noting, “All of our bearish extremes readings that precede the ideal stock buy opportunities are now in place.”

Stack explains, “How can we put this bear market in historical perspective? No doubt about it, this bear market is a whopper - both in size and severity.

“With a 42.5% loss in the S&P 500 Index, it is rapidly closing in on the huge bear markets of 1973-74 and 2000-02. In fact, no bear market in the past 70 years has declined over 50%.

“In severity, this bear has unfolded much faster than past bear markets, wiping out $6.7 trillion in stock values in barely 12 months - equivalent to over 90% of the loss in the 2000-02 bear market in two-fifths of the time

“In measuring impact on investors’ portfolios, this bear has ‘repossessed’ more than 84% of the prior 5-year bull market gains! Both the DJIA and S&P 500 Index are back to price levels seen over 10 years ago in 1998.

“Why has the stock market decline turned so precipitous in the last few weeks? In larger bear markets, investors always end up throwing out the baby with the bath water.

Continue reading Jim Stack: Market historian calls ‘imminent’ bottom

Jim Stack: Market historian calls ‘imminent’ bottom originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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StupendousMan writes “One of the two large cameras aboard the Hubble Space Telescope is the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2, or WFPC2 for short. As the most recent HST status report indicates, the camera was recently powered up again and sent commands to take some test images. This day (Sunday, Oct 26), I received E-mail from a colleague at STScI indicating that the calibration images were ‘nominal.’ That’s NASA-speak for ‘fine and dandy.’ The E-mail goes on to state ‘The data look nominal, indicating that Hubble optical imaging capabilities are in fine shape. (We can anticipate more glorious Hubble images in the near future.) … Science with WFPC2 has resumed, and plans are underway to restore ACS/SBC to service this coming week.’ Let’s hope that the other big instrument, the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), also comes back to life successfully. We should find out in just a week or so.”

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kaip writes “Finland piloted a fully electronic voting system in municipal elections last weekend. Due to a usability glitch, 232 votes, or about 2% of all electronic votes were lost. The results of the election might have been affected, because the seats in municipal assemblies are often decided by margins of a few votes. Unfortunately, nobody knows for sure, because the Ministry of Justice didn’t see any need to implement a voter-verified paper record. The ministry was, of course, duly warned about a fully electronic voting system, but the critique was debunked as ’science fiction.’ There is now discussion about re-arranging the affected elections. Thanks go to the voting system providers, Scytl and TietoEnator, for the experience.”

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