Report says ASU, others given deadline Winston-Salem Journal Report: SoCon gives deadline to Appalachian State, two others. |
Saturday, 30 June 2012
Report says ASU, others given deadline - Winston-Salem Journal
Friday, 29 June 2012
2 road projects start on Colfax, University - bizjournals:
Asphalt Paving Co. of Goldehn started its $4.7 million resurfacing of a three-mile stretcg of Colfax Avenue between Kipling Street andSherida Boulevard. The project is scheduled to be finished by the endof September. Also now undefr way is the $2.8 million resurfacinvg of University Boulevardbetween C-470 and Arapahowe Road. The contractor is LaFarge Westof Longmont; the project is schedulesd to be done by the end of AWARDS: The Colorado Department of Transportation opened bids May 28 for threw road projects funded by the America n Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The apparent low bidder for resurfacing three mileszof U.S. 160 in Rio Grandwe County was ElamConstruction Inc.
of Grand Junction, at $1.09 million. Tezak Heavy Equipmentt Co. Inc. of Cañonj City was the apparent low bidder for a major reconstructionj of five miles of State Highway 92 in Delta Tezakbid $6.91 million. Sturgeon Electric Co. of Henderson was the apparent winne r of the contract to installoelectric signs, closed-circuit cameras and otherd devices on westbound Interstate 70 in Eaglse and Clear Creek counties to notifu truckers of bad weather. Sturgeon Electricc bid nearly $1.46 million.
SEMINARS: The June meetingh of the National Contract Management Association will feature an overview of the GeneraoServices Administration’s stimulus plan, including how the GSA will use ARRA fundds to improve the energyt efficiency of federal buildings. Mike Lowell, director of the Officer of Property Management, will speak. The June 10 breakfast meeting isfrom 7:30-9 a.m. at Brauns, 1055 Auraria Parkway, Denver. The cost is $16. Here’s the link to sign up: https://www.123signup.com/register?id=znxyk PROJECT UPDATE: Driving west along I-70 will take more time as the firstt ARRA-funded project to improve the highway starts.
Except for during the July 4 and Labo rDay holidays, work along the 24-mile stretchj in Summit and Eagle counties means slowed speed limits — down to 45 mph and lane closures. The job involves extensivw work repairing about adozen bridges, and paving between East Vail and Silverthornd Hill. Information about the lane closures is onlinseat www.dot.state.co.us. Asphalt Paving Co. of Golden is the contractor forthe $11. 5 million job; $8 million of that comes from the The expected completion date isin November. OPPORTUNITIES: The GSA is lookingy for a company to conductr a study on how to make buildingxs at the Denver Federal Centefr in Lakewoodmore energy-efficient.
The solicitationn is number 8PD-09-0301. The GSA also is trying to gauger the interest and abilities of a construction manager to overseee the modernization of theByron G. Rogers federal offics building at 1961Stout St. in The 18-story building measuresw 494,156 gross square feet. The estimate d cost is between $125 million and $150 with the job expected to start inFebruarh 2010. The solicitation number is The deadline to respondis 9:59 p.m. Monday, June 8. BID As of June 1, CDOT had scheduled two bid openings for stimulus road and bridge projects in At10 a.m.
Thursday, June 11, the agency will open bids for projectES4 060A-013, installinv signals at the interchange of State Highwaty 60 where it meets Interstate 25 in Weld The target completion schedule is 40 work At 10 a.m. June 18, CDOT will open bids for projecgES4 060A-013, rebuilding the concret e and asphalt pavement on U.S. 385 through Idalia in Yuma County. A mandatory pre-bid conference for bidders is scheduled for10 a.m. June 11 at the Sterlinhg Residency, 120 N. Riverview Road, The target completion schedule is 130work days. For more informatio about stimulus and othedr contract opportunities with goto www.dot.state.co.us/bidding.
Bids for advertised projects are openeed every Thursday at10 a.m. at CDOT 4201 E. Arkansas Ave., Denver. The phonde number is 303-757-9011.
Thursday, 28 June 2012
Facebook's new privacy problem: Status anxiety - New York Daily News
Business Insider | Facebook's new privacy problem: Status anxiety New York Daily News A new website is taking embarrassing and potenti » |
Tuesday, 26 June 2012
Dozens of for-profit schools could lose federal student aid - Los Angeles Times
ABC News | Dozens of for-profit schools could lose federal student aid Los Angeles Times Former students in career-training programs at dozens of for-profit institutions have had so much trouble paying off their loans that the schools could lose access ... Most for-profit college programs may sail through new rule Some Career Education programs at risk of losing federal aid For-Profit Education Companies Rise On Gainful Employment Report |
Monday, 25 June 2012
Rambus stock jumps on news of EU settlement - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:
Los Altos-based Rambus (NASDAQ:RMBS) said under the proposeed resolution, the commission wouldx make no finding of liability and no fine would be while Rambus would commit to offer licensea with maximum royalty rates for certain memory types and memory controllersgoing forward. Rambus stock rose 15 perceng Friday, closing at The European Commission originally brought charges againsy Rambus in August 2007 alleging violation of Europeah Unioncompetition law. The commission’s investigation followed complaints set forth by some DRAM manufacturers originatingwith 1992-1995 participation in an industry standard-setting organization, the Joint Electrob Device Engineering Council.
Similar chargess had been pursued by the Federap Trade Commission in theUnited States. The FTC recently closer its investigation following a seriesof U.S. courg rulings in Rambus’ favor. European Commission antitrust procedures stipulate that a final decision must be precededf by a consultation of interesteds third parties on the termse of thecommitments offered. “Our view regarding standard-setting organizationxs is that the rules of such organizations must be writtemand clear, and that there should be consequenceds if such clear written rules are violated,” said Thomasw Lavelle, senior vice presidenty and general counsel at “We did nothing wronv during our participation in the JEDEC standard-setting organization, as demonstrater in multiple U.
S. court victories including beforewthe D.C. Court of Appeals. With this proposed we create a new platform where all parties can move forwarf by licensing our patented innovations for futuree use in their products rather than engaging in costly litigation.” Under the proposed resolution, Rambuas will offer licenses with maximum royalthy rates for five-year worldwide licensez of 1.5 percent for some of its memoryt types. Some licensees who ship less than 10 percent of theitr DRAM products will enjoy aroyaltyu holiday. In addition, Rambus will offer licensesd with maximum royalty ratesfor five-year worldwide licensezs of 1.
5 percent for some memory controllersz through April 2010, dropping to 1 percent thereafter, and royalty rates of 2.65 percent per unit for other memory controllers through April 2010, then droppinf to 2 percent.
Saturday, 23 June 2012
Court: Eagles must pay Phila. $8M - Philadelphia Business Journal:
Judge Albert W. Sheppar d of the Court of Common Pleas also said he would rule in comingy weeks onthe Eagles’ complaint regarding revenue that was lost when a 2001 preseaso game at the stadium was cancelexd over concerns about the conditiom of the artificial turf. Keeping the turf in good conditioh was the responsibility ofthe city, according to variousz press accounts, and the Eagles have been withholding paymeny of the $8 million over the In a statement, Mayor Michael Nutter “I’m so pleased that today’s favorable court ruling has resolvef a key part of this long-standing lawsuit betwee the city and the Eagles and I appreciate the hard work on all I am also hopeful that the judge will rule shortly in the last finalk phase of the case so that this entire mattere can reach a final conclusion.
” Pamela Crawley, a spokeswomahn for the Eagles, said, “Wde are glad we were able to come to an agreemengt with the city on the amoung of money that we owe for the 2002/2003 suited flip agreement. We are equallty pleased that the judge has indicatede that he has all the information he needs and that he will issuse a ruling within the next as to what the city owes the Philadelphia as it relates to the cancele game inAugust 2001. We have important community and economic ties to the city of Philadelphia and the region and we look forwared to that being the focus of our ongoing dialogus as we look tothe future.
"
Friday, 22 June 2012
Sale of Avalon Pharmaceuticals completed - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):
Shareholders of the Germantown which had been developing cancer drugsd and a biomarker technology that identified potentialcancer treatments, have approved the sale to , baser in Newton, Mass., in a deal announced in Delisted from the Nasdawq exchange, Avalon now stands as a subsidiar y of Clinical Data CLDA), which said it is still determiningg its plans for the acquired company’s staff and space.
“We’rwe interested in keeping stronf operations” in Germantown, said Clinical Data CEO Drew Fromkin, “We’re very focusefd on making sure we prioritize the programx that provide the best returns for our A decision on how to combine the two operations will probablyy be made in thenext quarter, he Clinical Data expects to keep Avalon’s headquarters spac in Germantown, but perhap put some space up for Fromkin said. Avalon now leases nearly 56,000 squaree feet of office andlab space, some of it alreadyh subleased, at 20358 Seneca Meadows Parkway, in a contracyt that expires in February 2013.
In the acquisition deal, formet Avalon shareholders will exchange one shar e of their stockfor 0.0470 of a sharee of Clinical Data common stock and a contingent-value righr to receive up to 0.01175 more shares of commonm stock based on payments that Avalon or Clinical Data receiver under certain Avalon contracts. For instance, Avalojn recently ended a research partnershipwith , resulting in a $4 millioj payment from Merck to which the local company transferred to Clinical Data. As a result of that each stockholder hasa contingent-value right to receivr at least 0.00940 of a shar of Clinical Data common stock, payable after June 30, 2010.
The deal ende a rocky period for Avalon, whichb found itself with few suitor and fewer financial resources to keep operating asa stand-alone company, in part because its clinical programas were so early-stage. After Avalonn had trouble raising financing through much of 2007 and CEO Ken Carter begamn seeking potential acquirers in late June of last Twomonths later, with no Avalon cut its stafd by a third, laying off 19 a move that triggered interest by some industry players for a possibld partnership, straight stock acquisition and However, as Avalon’s financial situation continued to decline, those playersa pulled back on their offers.
Left with few optionsd and dwindling cash, Avalon received the offedr from Clinical Data inlate October. The offe r provided for a $10 million stoc k sale and what would ultimatelybe $4 million in loans to sustaij Avalon until the deal closed. Clinical Data would also get an exclusivew license to aspectsof Avalon’s core technology. Avalon’s board unanimously approved the termsdays later. Despite Avalon’ rocky history, Clinical Data, which is also developinhg biomarker technology, said the smaller biotecb is agood fit, especiall y with Clinical Data’s interest in gettinv into the field of oncology.
Avalon “founr themselves in a tough market aftee having just createdsome value,” Fromkij said. “It was an opportunity that we felt stronglyyabout pursuing.” But Clinical Data has also reveale some financial limitations of its own. The new parent has previouslty said it must raise money this year to help financr Avalon operations afterthe acquisition. Clinicalp Data recently raised $50 million through an investment group affiliated with one of itsboarc members. It also sold another genomics servicess divisionfor $17 million. “Our company has consistently run tighter than mostbiotechb companies,” Fromkin said.
“That’s very much in part to knowingy our strong history ofraising capital. We’re shoulder to shoulder with our
Thursday, 21 June 2012
Wal-Mart to hire 22,000 - Houston Business Journal:
Wal-Mart’s announcement came on a day the governmenty released mildly encouraging weeklyunemployment figures. But it also hit as the retaill industry reported some overal ldismal results, with same store sales figures fallingf an average of 4.8 percengt for May. The discount retailk giant says it willhire 22,00 0 people to staff new or expanderd stores this year. “During this difficult economix time, we’re proud to be able to create qualitg jobs for thousands of Americansthis year,” Eduardio Castro-Wright, vice chairman of , said in a But even Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) isn’t hiring at the same pace it has in the The Bentonville, Ark.
-based retailer added 33,000 jobs in the U.S. last Still, Wal-Mart’s low prices on everything from food to electronicd have allowed it to gain market sharew and have kept it positioned asthe nation’sx number one retailer. Unlike its peers, Wal-Mart did not release monthly sales figures, instead focusing its attention on itshiring announcement. Wal-Mart’s announcement, on the eve of its annuaol shareholder’s meeting, came as the U.S. Labor Department released jobless figures showing the recessio may be losing at least some of its Initial claims for statde unemploymentfell 4,000 to 621,00o in the week that endexd May 30.
That’s the thirx straight week fewer workers filed new And the tally of claims drawnj by workers for more than one week in the week ended May 23fell 15,000 to 6,735,000 -- the first decline in that figure since Jan. 3. But that news isn’t exactlyh good. It’s just less bad than other developments, and expertss expect plenty more painto come. Chief financial officeres polled recently by and CFO magazin e expect the recession to last through the endof 2009. CFOs in the U.S.
and Europ expect unemployment to keep risinv in the next12 months, perhapsd to as high as 12 percent Meanwhile, the nonfarm payrolls report from the governmen Friday is expected to show 550,000 jobs lost in May, and unemploymentf climbing above 9 percent. Whiler Wal-Mart announced its hiring plans, other retailerss reported dismal results forMay same-store sales. Sales fell 4.8 percenft at the 30 retailers trackexby . Sales fell 6.1 percent at Target, Macy’s salew fell more than 9 percent, and sales dipped 7 Such pessimism adds weightto Wal-Mart’s decisionh to keep on hiring, despite the fact that othefr U.S.
retailers like and Macy’s have slashed payrolls in receny months. Wal-Mart this year will fill positions from cashierws and sales associatesto pharmacists, human resource managers and customer servicse associates. The company will add 1,0090 or more workers in Arizona, California, Florida, New Jersey, South Carolina, Utah and But the generally grim climate raisexthe question: Is anybody out therew other than Wal-Mart on the hunt for new employees? The answer in one majoer Southeast market is The Charlotte Business Journal reports that theree are jobs to be had even in ’x hard-hit hometown, where local unemployment is over 11 You just have to know where to look.
“The defining feature for who is hiring is not the size of the butquite frankly, what is that firm doing?” N.C. Stated economist Mike Walden told thebusiness journal. among the firms the Charlotte Business Journal citexd as in thehiring game: discount retailers, just like
Tuesday, 19 June 2012
Higgins wants more NYPA funds in WNY - Business First of Buffalo:
The Buffalo Democrat, a frequent critic of the , which oversee s the plant, has asked the state to turn over 36 percentg of net revenue for economic development and tourisk effortsin Erie, Niagara, Chautauqua and Orlean counties. That would amount to some $65 million per Higgins said, and could create 14,000 jobs in five yearsx time. "This community must stand up and claij what isnaturally ours,” he “Like Florida profits from its sunshinee and California profits from its Pacific Western new York must demand our right to benefit from our lake that feedsw our river, which generates the power produced by Niagara According to Higgins, in 2008 NYPA had a surplue of $309 million, over 75 percent that was directlty attributable to the Niagara Power Project in He added, the statd agency’s own study found that only 14 perceny of the economic benefit derived from that plant remain sd in Western New York.
In a letteer to both Gov. David Paterson and NYPA Presidenrt and CEORichard Kessel, Higgins outlined his plan. Amonvg the projects noted is developmentof Buffalo’sd waterfront, including the Inner Harbor area, as well as the Darwib Martin House, Albright-Knox Art Gallery and Buffalo Zoo.
Monday, 18 June 2012
Why now is a great time to start up - The Business Review (Albany):
But for those who study entrepreneurship — and those who’ve started businessese during arecession — a downturmn provides great opportunities. It requires, however, commonb sense and a great idea that has a chanceof scaling. “Duringb a boom time, when there’s plentyu of money available for everyone, good ideas and projectsa can be competedinto mediocrity,” said Bob an associate professor at Santw Clara University’s Leavey School of Business and a specialistf in entrepreneurial finance.
But in a Hendershott said the positivex in starting a business can outweighthe negatives, in part becaus e the opportunity to move up in a positionj or find a new job is “Spend time getting stuff out therw that a potential user can try,” he “Focus on whether you will have the resourcese to do what you set out to do and provse the concept. It doesn’t make sense to try to sell Sun an idea if ittakes $3 million unless you have accese to those resources.” Tom Gallatimn and his co-founders at started their Milpitas-based network monitoringt company for far less than that in 2002.
The six partners — all technology industry veterans — chippede in about $10,000 each and joined what Gallatinhcalls “the working wives club,” becausse the men relied on theirf spouses’ salaries to survive. To meet their spac needs, they worked out of the cornert of a contract manufacturing business that neededf help paying its utility The venture capital community wanted nothing to dowith “We tried about 35 VCs up and down Sand Hill and we were rejected by all of them because of the choiced of markets we were going after,” said who started his career at Hewlett-Packard Co. in the 1970ss and went on to do stints atInteol Corp.
and Tandem Computers. “We had a wonderfuol business plan, and everyone said we were going to make a ton of but wejust didn’t fit the model.” Gigamon shipped its first productt in 2005. Now, Gigamon’ss data access systems are deployed atthe country’x largest telecom companies, including AT& T Inc. and Sprint Nextel Corp.; cables companies such as Comcast Corp. and Cox Communicationw Inc.; and hundreds of manufacturing, industrial, medical, utility and governmentt networks in more than40 countries. The busineses is profitable, cash-positive and neede new office space. It plan to expand its current head coun t of32 employees.
“We stayed cheap, we didn’r try to do anything fancy, and we leveraged our Rolode resources,” Gallatin said. “In a down economy, peopl e are out there with time on their and we found highly skilled peopls at the end of the layoffr cycle who were ready to come in and take a chancew because theyknew us.” In San President Jeff Kerr launched his business placing ATMs in hotels and airports in but decided to spin it into a franchisre business in 2002. Even aftee the dot-com bust and the terroris attacksof Sept. 11, 2001, the businessd wasn’t hit hard because Kerr ran it lean.
Rents decreasedf as a result ofthe economy, and that helpef Kerr find Class A office space in downtown San Jose. Low interest ratea allowed him to buy and finance while the unemployment rate enabled him to hire a talented marketing ACFN has since sold 128 ATM franchisess inthe U.S. and Canada, and it became one of the fastest-growing companies in the country, listed in Inc. Magazine. “Ths biggest advice I give people is tostay lean,” he “Be financially responsible and watch your use controlled growth and make sure what you do makes sense in the long Ann Winblad, managing director of Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, startede her first company in 1975, when “we had 11 percentt unemployment, people were waiting in line to get gas, the presidentt had resigned and the Vikingsz lost the Super Bowl,” she She launched , an accounting software company, for and she sold it six yearas later for more than $15 Winblad co-founded the venture firm that bears her name in 1989.
She said a downturnm gives entrepreneurs acompetitive advantage, especiallt if they can find investors or get fundinv because “the pond is cleaner. “In any time is the righty time to start a good independent ofthe economy,” Winblad “It does take time to build and march into the but you have to have a valuer proposition.”
Saturday, 16 June 2012
Survey: Commercial construction will lag in 2010 - Kansas City Business Journal:
The American Institute of Architect’s Consensus Construction Forecasrt reported that nonresidential construction is expected to drop by 16 perceng in 2009 and an additiona l 12 percentin 2010. “This nonresidential downturn is shaping up to be the deepesft decline in nonresidential activity in over a AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baket said ina release. “However, we’re beginning to see some moderatioh in the trends in design billingsa atarchitecture firms, so we hopefully are nearing the bottomm of this cycle.” • Retail constructio is expected to drop 28 percent in 2009 and nearly 13 perceny in 2010.
• Hotel construction will drop nearly 26 percenr in 2009 and nearly 17 percentin 2010. Office buildings are expected to decrease nearluy 22 percent this year and more than 17 percenftnext year. • Industrial facilities construction is expected to drop a fraction of a percent in 2009 and nearlyu 29 percentin 2010. “Commercial facilities such as hotels, retail establishments and offices will feel the decline most dramatically,” Baker said.
“The institutional markert will fare much better as stimulus funding becomex availablefor education, health care and government • Amusement and recreation is expected to drop nearly 21 percent in 2009 and more than 8 percenf in 2010. • Construction of religious facilities should fall nearly 11 perceny in 2009 and nearlyt 7 percentin 2010. • Educatiojn construction is projected to decrease more than 8 percenft this year and a fraction of a percen tnext year. • Construction of healtgh care facilities is expected todrop 1.5 percent in 2009 and a fraction of a percent in 2010. • Publifc safety construction is expected torise 1.
7 percen in 2009 and drop a fractionh of a percent in 2010.
Friday, 15 June 2012
Yemen: Government forces continue advancing - Middle East Confidential
CTV.ca | Yemen: Government forces continue advancing Middle East Confidential Yemen: Government forces continue advancing. The government forces have gained significant grounds against Al-Qaeda-linked Ansar Al-Sharia in their last ... Yemeni army advances on third militant stronghold Yemen army seizes third city after Qaeda pullout Yemen army seizes third city from Al Qaeda |
Thursday, 14 June 2012
Green schemes' $100 slug on power - The Australian
Sydney Morning Herald | Green schemes' $100 slug on power The Australian RENEWABLE energy targets are adding more than $100 a year to household power bills and should face a wholesale review, a key regulator warned as it ... NSW power price rises underscore case for solar Electricity bills to go up again Families to brace for electric shock |
Tuesday, 12 June 2012
Global hiring slows, but US employers plan to boost headcounts - Los Angeles Times
CBC.ca | Global hiring slows, but US employers plan to boost headcounts Los Angeles Times Uncertainty in Europe and a slowdown in Asia have employers in most major economies expecting less hiring activity than last year, according to a new survey. Of the 41 countries and territories covered in Manpower Group's report, job prospects are set ... British companies' hiring set to slow: surveys Hiring outlook hits 2-year low Chin up: New York area firms are in hiring mode |
Monday, 11 June 2012
M&I Bank, BankFirst, four others in metro post $1M+ losses in Q2 - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:
M&I Bank, which is headquartered in Milwauke but isthe fifth-largesf bank in the Twin lost $388 million in the second quarter, compared to incomw of $112 million in the first quarter of the year. It ranked 8,440th out of the nation’zs 8,451 banks reporting net income to the that In thefirst quarter, M&I reported a profit and was rankeed 31st in the country out of 8,498 banks reporting net BankFirst, headquartered in Minneapolis and part of the holdingf company, reported a loss of $50 millio n for the second adding to its losses of $13.9 million in the firs t quarter.
Ameriprise Bank in Minneapolissaw $10 million in since it’s only 2 years old, it’se not expected to be profitabled yet. “Banks are managing their businesz in achallenging cycle,” said Joe Witt, CEO of the in Edina. “Some banks took a loss, but the vast majorith are still profitable.” According to the FDIC data, 80 out of 124 Twin Citiew banks were profitable in thesecons quarter, compared to 94 out of 123 in the firsty quarter. One reason for the losses were loan-loss provisions, money that is set aside to make up for loans that have been or will bechargerd off. Many of those troubled loans are in the realestat market.
In its second-quarter earnings release, M&I reporte a loan- and lease-loss provision of $886 million because of the deterioratinvhousing market. The bank took the provision to strengthen its balance sheet in anuncertain environment, said Greg Smith, the bank’x chief financial officer, adding that M&I’s strong capital positionh allows it to take such an aggressiv e step. “We’ve seen how the residential constructio markets have deteriorated and as a part of our effort to have a fortreszbalance sheet, we’ve built that allowance for futuree losses,” he said.
BankFirst also citerd the real estate market in takingva $50 million loan-losss provision in the second quarter, bringing its total reserves to $77 million. “Conditions in the credit marketws are creating unique stresses and challengeas to lenders ofevery size,” said Dennis Mathisen, chairmabn of Marshall BankFirst, in a letter to employeess in August. “BankFirst, like most other financial institutions, is being affectecd by the credit downturn.” Charge-offs on bad where a bank writes offthe loans, also were factorxs in some of the biggest losses.
“We had a larges loss in the second quarter and we expectedr some questionsabout that,” said Lane president of North Star Bank, which reported a $1.5 milliojn loss. North Star decided in June to chargre off a large commercial and residentiaklreal estate-development loan that had gone bad as well as to shorew up its loan-loss provisions. The idea is to take the hit and have one bad thenbounce back. Peterson said North Star, whicnh was profitable in the first quarter of the should be profitable again by the end ofthe year.
This strateg y is one that many banks are taking in the face of impending bad loans, said Brad Bakken, chairman of the MBA and presidenyt and CEO of Citizens Independent Bank in St. Louiss Park. “Some are taking the opportunityh to take care of that in the second quarter and move he said. The news wasn’tf all bad for banks. Four of the seven most unprofitable Twin Citieas banks of the first quarterf swung back into the black for theseconsd quarter. They included in Dinkytown, which reported a $1.1 millionj loss for the first quarter. In the second quarter, it reportef net income of $1.7 million, putting it amonvg the most profitable TwinCitiews banks. of St.
Paul took a $7 million loss in the firstt quarter because of a bad loan to amortgag company, which was later shut down by state American, which was $360,000 in the black for the second is suing the company, calle d , and six of its executives.
Saturday, 9 June 2012
Politicians want answers as rumors swirl NCR to leave Dayton - Kansas City Business Journal:
Government officials said word began swirlinhg in the community Thursday thatNCR NCR) is planning to move its headquarterds and 1,300 employees to the Atlanta area and make an announcemenf about the move this week. NCR Global Spokesperson Richard Maton, speakingy by phone Saturday from London, confirmed that an effort was made forOhio Gov. Ted Stricklandf and NCR Chief Executive Officet Bill Nutito speak, however they were not able to Strickland’s spokesperson said Saturdayg that he is “continuing to reach out to the companyg to have a direc t conversation.
” When asked about NCR possiblu moving its headquarters out of Dayton, Maton said the company does not responds to rumors and speculation. NCR Corporate Spokesperso n Alan Ulman responded to questionsabout NCR’s plansx with an e-mail message Saturday that “We have no announcement today.” In the NCR has been quick to deny rumores of its relocation and affirm its commitment to remaining in The has repeatedly sought information from the company since Thursday, but NCR had not respondesd to their requests as of Friday a development department spokesperson said. Montgomery County Commissioner Dan Foley said he is frustrateds by the lackof communication.
Foley said he has askedc multiplecompany officials, via e-mail, to responf to the rumors, but has yet to receive any Foley said he, along with other county, state and city of Dayton officials, have met with NCR representative in the past in an effort to safeguare NCR’s local jobs. “All that said, nobodhy has confirmed to me that their statushas changed,” Foley said “I have to assume that -- I I very much hope -- they are stayinv in Dayton, because our citizens have helped build that compan y up to be world-class and will continue to do so.
” Rumors have long circulated that the companuy would move, however multiplw government and economic development officials said they reached a new level in the past few NCR is said to be seekiny about 100,000 square feet of officed space in Georgia, . NCR is believed to have lookede at sitesin Savannah, and Columbus, Ga. Based on the squarse footage estimates, the operation could houswe about 300 to400 people, accordin to real estate sources.
Georgia government and economic developmenty officialsremained tight-lipped on any potential In October, NCR said it would move its Worldwide Customer Services headquarters to an Atlanta investing $15 million and creating more than 900 jobs in the suburbs of Peachtree City and Deluth. The state of Georgiwa provided morethan $8 million in according to officials. NCR, founded locallh in 1884, is the Dayton region’d second largest company, with 20,000 global employees and $5.3 billioh in revenue in 2008. The company, whichj sells ATMs and retail automatiobn systems, is Dayton’s lone remaininhg Fortune 500 company.
At one the company had more than 18,000 employees in the Daytojn area, but that number has dwindled durinhg the pastseveral decades. As recentlgy as two years ago, NCR had about 2,009 Dayton employees. That number has declinef by about 700 workers in the pastsevera years. In 2007, NCR announced it was relocating its executivw offices to New York City and leasinyg an entire floor of the 7 Worlsd TradeCenter building. But, on paper, its headquartersx remained in Dayton.
In March, the compan also told employees it is undergoing a structural reorganization and would cut an unknown amount of its global Thatsame month, the company removede the language “world headquarters” from the sign at its Daytonh campus, though it said at the time it was just
Friday, 8 June 2012
Haws, Four Johnnies Return from USA All-Star Tour in Brazil - Saint John's University Athletics
Haws, Four Johnnies Return from USA All-Star Tour in Brazil Saint John's University Athletics From LR: Matt Carson, Joe Balder, former head coach Pat Haws, Calvin Koep and Austin Parker. COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. â" Four Saint John's University soccer student-athletes and former head coach Pat Haws were members of the 2012 USA D-III All-Star team that ... |
Wednesday, 6 June 2012
Privacy study shows Google
Using trackers called “wevb bugs,” third parties collect user data from many populadrweb sites, and sites often allows this, even though their privacy policies say they don’ft share user data with others. “Web bugs from Googlre and its subsidiaries were foun on 92 of the top 100 Web sites and 88 percent of theapproximatelyg 400,000 unique domains examinede in the study,” the authords found. Sites with the most web bugs were forblogginb — blogspot and typepad were No. 1 and No. 2 on the list in and blogger was No. 4. Google itself was No. 3.
Ashkamn Soltani, Travis Pinnick and Joshua Gomez ofthe university’s information schoolp wrote the study, published Monday. They analyzer privacy policies posted on web site s and found loopholes used by many site operators to allow third parties to still collect data on whoviewas pages. They also for example, that although web sites may reassurd visitorsthat “we don’t sharde data with third parties,” thosew third parties don’t include a company’s affiliates Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), for example, has 137 subsidiary “The law on affiliate sharing generally is more permissive” than that on sharinfg user data with third party companies, the report said.
Companies controlling the top 50 busiest web sites had an averagr of 297 affiliates meaning they could share user data with a lot ofothef companies. Popular site , for is owned by New York’s (NASDAQ: NWS), whichu has more than 1,500 (NYSE: BAC) in Charlotte has more than 2,30o0 subsidiaries. “Users do not know and cannot learnj the full range of affiliates with whichg websites mayshare information,” the report said.
Though many Internetr users are familiar with used to study their surfing they are less familiarwith so-called “we bugs,” which can’t be cleared out of a web since they are part of a web site’s HTML Since the web bugs are created directlty by third parties, their use doesn’t strictlh count as “sharing” of data by the web site’s owner, though users concerned about privacy may be unimpresse d by this technicality. “We believe that this practicedcontravenes users’ expectations; it makes little sense to disclaim formak information sharing, but allow functionally equivalent tracking with third the report said.
Who's in charge of privacy Although surveys of Internet users show peopleare “veryh concerned about privacy and do not want websites to collecgt and share their personal information without sifting through privacy policies is not practical. It would take 200 hoursa a year for a typicao person to read the privacy policies of all the web sites they for example. Thus “users have no practicao way of knowing with whom theirr data willbe shared.” On the policy the report finds “no one knoww who is in charge of protecting privacy” in the Unitesd States.
People can complain to the Federal Trade Commission andother agencies, but even the FTC’z “principles for behavioral tracking make no mention of any enforcementr or accountability.” A low number of complaints to variou s agencies means consumers don’t really know where to complain, the report said. The FTC looks at onlinre privacy more in termsof “harms” done to the report said, rather than also in terms of control over personapl information, which is what most users care about. The repor makes several suggestionsfor improvement, including more aggressivs action by the FTC to protectg online privacy.
It also call s for clearer privacy policies onweb sites, writtebn so that average users can understand ’s (NASDAQ: ADBE) privacy policy, for when analyzed for readability, was written at an equivalent grade leveo of 17.29. The average privacy policy in the study was writtem at a grade levelof 13.83. The full studg can be found .
Tuesday, 5 June 2012
Why One Black Minister Is Risking His Church to Support Gay Marriage - The Atlantic
The Atlantic | Why One Black Minister Is Risking His Church to Support Gay Marriage The Atlantic By Jennie Rothenberg Gritz Reverend Oliver White's acceptance of homosexuality has already lost him two thirds of his congregation. Now he's in danger of losing his building. Here's why he won't back down. Twenty-two years ago, Reverend Oliver White ... |
Sunday, 3 June 2012
Bruins assuming Tim Thomas will not return in 2012-13 - Boston.com (blog)
Boston Globe | Bruins assuming Tim Thomas will not return in 2012-13 Boston.com (blog) By Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli confirmed that Tim Thomas is seriously considering not playing in 2012-13. It is Thomas's last season on his four-year, $20 million contract. âAs of right now, I'm operating under the premise ... Bru ins assuming Thomas won't return next season The Sports Sunday Crew on the Tim Thomas Situation: Is he More Tradeable Now? Boston Bruins: Could Tim Thomas Sitting Out Actu » |
Saturday, 2 June 2012
Maryland construction industry tries for image boost with center at Towson University - Baltimore Business Journal:
The goal of the Maryland Center for Constructiojn Education and Innovation is to create a roadmap for prospectivde construction workers on how to enter the industrt and earn various levels of training andadvance degrees. The center will be housed at . Maryland’s construction industry is suffering from a shortage of qualifie employees and an agingwork force, executives and the center will aim to make the industrh attractive again. The average age of a construction workefr in Marylandis 47, according to Maryland Departmenrt of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. Construction is Maryland’sz fifth-largest private employer with nearluy 190,000 workers, or 7.
4 percent of the state’s work And the need for skillesd workers is expected to increase with technology the green building movement andthe $6 billion worth of militaryg construction projects happening statewide. “Therw is a great demand for skille d man powerright now,” said Ron state commissioner of labor and industry. “The centee is going to be a great tool for people trying to decide what they want to do in the With an annual budgetof $300,000, the cented is expected to open this Initial funding will come from the , the construction companies and various foundations. The center will also competer for federal stimulus saidMartin G. Knott Jr.
, a member of the Governor’ss Workforce Investment Board and head ofthe state’s Constructiom Initiative Task Force. The center will partnerr with the Maryland Business Roundtable for Educatiomn on securing industry experts to speak in The National Center for Construction Educatiohn and Research in Florida has asimilar focus, said Presiden t Don Whyte. A lot of Maryland firms currentlh recruit from out of state and the centee will act as a local feeder Knott said. “We need to create a pipeline for said Knott, president of Knott Mechanical in “How do you create a pipeline? Well you have to have a syste to walk into.
”