The world leader in mobile phones Nokia just announced another new value budget handset in its classic line – the Nokia 6303i Classic, following on the heritage of its 6303 classic phone.
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15.07
2010
Is Doug Kass Changing His July 1 Bottom Call?
Doug Kass called the bottom on July 1 via Twitter. It was looking like another legendary call until today happened:
But in fact, Kass was already backtracking in a column this morning:
It still remains my view that the S&P 500 has made its low for the year, but, from my perch, the developing downbeat economic conditions will trump the nonrecurring events at BP, Goldman Sachs and Apple, and, in the days ahead, stocks will erase some of the recent breathtaking gains.
Prior to the recent soft patch, most economists and strategists expected a self-sustaining economic recovery that might average at least 3% GDP growth.
14.07
2010
New hints of relief in local housing
But so far, that has not been the case.
In fact, the most recent foreclosure data would seem to suggest that Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte counties may have dodged the bullet.
The great unknown is just how many loans on properties will ultimately fall into the distressed category.
Foreclosure filings in June hovered around their lowest point since summer 2009, according to data released Wednesday by RealtyTrac Inc., a California company that has been tracking the phenomenon.
Realtors will tell you that strong demand from investors and first-time buyers is taking distressed properties out of the market rapidly.
12.07
2010
New Limits on Employers’ Use of Credit Histories
Article by: J.L. Wilson
Associated Oregon Industries 
New regulations limiting the ability of employers to use credit histories for prospective employees and job applicants began on July 1 with Oregon Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian marking the occasion by holding sessions of a special seminar on the topic in Portland.
Both sessions were filled with owners, managers, human resource professionals and attorneys looking to get a full picture of the new law and administrative rules that prohibit most employers from using credit histories in employment decisions.
When it was clear that proponents of the law wanted to ban employer use of credit histories altogether, AOI worked to try and create a compromise in which employers could continue to use credit histories for key job positions that would have information and access to an employer’s assets. M
12.07
2010
Mobile CRM Apps for Small Business
Smartphone applications that can help you boost sales, manage customer relationships and basicaly run your entire business are getting better and more plentiful by the day. This is the second in Business.com’s series of posts that will profile smartphone business apps that can help you: Complete credit card transactions; Manage customer information; Access documents; Complete and send business forms; Track your time; Capture and manage voice recording; Manage and track assets, inventory and employees; Track sales and assign tasks; Manage schedules and projects; Monitor patient care and services.
This post profiles four mobile apps for managing customer information and relationships.
12.07
2010
Investors snap up banking bargains
They are veteran bankers, but not well-known banks. They have raised sizable war chests of cash to snap up the state’s sickest banks at bargain prices.
These private equity and investor groups also are buying weakened banks that appear salvageable, as well as some healthy banks that need fresh money to grow.
They plan to become the new powers in Florida banking.
“It’s kind of like barbarians at the gate. Would we let them in?” said Florida bank expert Ken Thomas. “Florida is now the banking private-equity capital of the United States.”
Peninsula Bank of Englewood, which collapsed June 25, was acquired by Premier American Bank, the resurrected edition of a failed Miami bank.
09.07
2010
Fix calls for jacking up high-rise
Lifting the fourth-floor concrete support is critical to fully stabilize the 117-unit downtown condominium building, an engineer hired to salvage the structure told a crowd of residents assembled at Sarasota City Hall Thursday night.
“The shoring we’ve done is just catching the building from falling any further,” said David Karins, president of Karins Engineering Group.
Acknowledging that the June 24 discovery of cracks in the concrete was a rare event — “there are not many buildings in the country where this has happened” — Karins said jacking is “complicated and difficult.”
That challenge, combined with continued uncertainty about exactly what caused the two-foot thick concrete transfer slab on the tower’s fourth floor to fissure, means residents may not be returning to the building before the year’s end.
“The building will stay vacant until it is actually repaired,” Karins said.