Author: Serkadis

If the last couple of years weren’t crucial enough, Chrysler Group LLC’s new CEO Sergio Marchionne said yesterday that 2010 will be a very significant year to rebuild consumer confidence in the Auburn Hills automaker.

“These things take time, but I think 2010 is the crucial year. We need to do most of that work (of restoring consumer confidence in Chrysler) in 2010,” Marchionne said. ”We started last year a piece at a time rebuilding the component elements of the brand equity.”

He said that new product offerings coming to the market in the second, third and fourth quarter will see a rebuilding of that equity in terms of actual sales.

Chrysler sales were down 35.9 percent in 2009, underperforming FoMoCo and General Motors.

– By: Stephen Calogera

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

Since global monetary tightening continues to be our big theme right now, here’s a note from Morgan Stanley global EM macro strategy analyst Rashique Rahman on the specter of emerging market inflation:

Our inflation impulse gauge suggests a sharp rise in measured (headline) inflation in EM in coming months. Our inflation impulse gauge (IIG) measures the association of external factors to measured inflation in emerging economies. The indicator continues to rise, due most recently to a rise in agricultural commodity prices. The recent trajectory of EM CPI is consistent with this reading, with a noticeable pick-up in late 4Q09 and led initially by China and AXJ.

 Though not their central case, our economists see EM inflation at 6.1% (YoY) by end-2010 and 6.5% by end-2011 in an upside risk scenario (versus their base case of 4.5% and 5.0%, respectively), not out of line with what the IIG is signalling.* Our Asia economists have already suggested there is increased risk to their call for gradual monetary policy tightening and exit of stimulus in the region.**

 Yet based on a CPI trajectory consistent with 2008/2009, inflation breakevens in select EM are tending to discount potential upside risks to inflation 

We continue to sense a considerable level of complacency in the market with respect to the upside risks to EM inflation from here – as was the case in late 2007/early 2008. There are several important market implications.

So, how is Morgan Stanley’s Inflation Impulse Gauge measured?

Here you go:

IIG is an indicator developed to track how external factors influence
measured inflation in emerging markets. It is made up of five factors: (1)
OECD M1 growth (as a proxy for global liquidity conditions), (2) agricultural
commodity prices (as a proxy for food prices), (3) energy commodity prices,
(4) gold prices (as a proxy for inflation hedges), and (5) trade-weighted US
dollar (as a proxy for import price pressures).

The indicator is factor weighted, and largest weights in the indicator are M1
growth and agricultural commodity prices (each 37.5%), followed by energy
prices (12.5%) and then gold and trade-weighted US dollar (each 6.25%).
For the fast reading (shown here), we measure the three-month rolling
change in all five of the indicators.

The fit of IIG against AXJ CPI is much better than for CEEMEA and Latin
America, suggesting much quicker and stronger pass-through of external
factors to measured inflation for AXJ than for the other two regions.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Inside China’s Tightening: Banks Literally Tearing Up Letters Of Credit, Importers In Disarray, Orders Cancelled
• Morgan Stanley: Sell Into Strength, The Tightening Has Begun
• China Is Tightening, The FHA Is Tightening, And The Massachusetts Election Means Massive Fiscal Tightening

We’re not sure how it happened (ok, we have an idea) but Microsoft went from confident incumbent to the scrappy tech underdog in the last few years. We’re not talking marketshare here, but mindshare. Through it all the Xbox 360 has remained a constant fave and Windows 7 has certainly helped the company rekindle consumer enthusiasm as did the release of the Zune HD. Now, if we’re reading our tea leaves correctly, then Microsoft’s got a whole lot more in store for 2010. Redmond’s already hinted pretty strongly that it’s hell-bent on bringing the acclaimed Zune media experience to more devices including its Windows Mobile handsets — something we hope to see unveiled in Barcelona. The problem, is that dedicated Zune hardware is pretty much restricted to the US and Canada at the moment. A quick look at Microsoft’s job boards, however, reveals the need for a London-based “Business Development Manager” responsible for driving European content licensing deals for digital music and support engineering and development divisions including Zune, Xbox, and Windows Mobile. Another Zune-related posting reveals a position for a hardware test engineer with “working knowledge of cell-phone 2G and 3G technologies.” We’re also seeing that the latest Zune software update is country aware judging by Arne Hess’ language and localization testing over at the:unwired. Man, if Microsoft can get their act together and horizontally integrate the best of its killer apps and services then the rest of the industry had better watch out.

International Zune with phone functionality hinted in Microsoft job listings, magic boxes originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 06:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Anything but iPod, 1800 PocketPC  |  the::unwired, Microsoft Careers (1), Microsoft Careers (2)  | Email this | Comments

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Your favorite ill-defined smartphone accessory is back, this time teasing us with talk of external speaker support (via mini audio jack) and wireless audio transmission. We did wonder why the Nexus One dock would have a Bluetooth connection when the phone already has one one of its own, and the trick seems to be that the dock will act as the conduit through which the Nexus will transmit music wirelessly to your nearest set of banging sound thumpers. Simple, yes, but also rather liberating for your Eclair-sporting device. Makes that $45 price seem all the more reasonable, no?

Nexus One Dock to support external speakers, make use of that Bluetooth radio? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 06:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The History Channel is teaming up with Blue Collar Comedy star Larry the Cable Guy for a new series. The comedian, known for his redneck alter ego, will host Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy, a new 13-episode series premiering later this year, the network said Wednesday.

In Only in America With Larry the Cable Guy, Larry (real name Daniel Whitney) explores the country, “immersing himself in different lifestyles, jobs and hobbies that celebrate the American experience.”

He’ll also reveal bits of history from wherever he happens to be in each episode.

“Larry the Cable Guy wows audiences across the country with his unique brand of humor and quirky take on America,” History president/GM Nancy Dubuc said in a statement. “We are thrilled to welcome him to History in what promises to be a genre-busting series that takes a look at history like you’ve never seen it before.”

We have already reported to you all the changes on the riders’ market prior to the official start of the 2010 MotoGP Championship, but the International Motorcycle Federation (FIM) today made it official through the revealing of the entry list for the season in question.

As expected, the list presented by the FIM confirmed the fact that the MotoGP field for the 2010 season will continue to be comprised of only 17 bikes. Despite the fact that two new teams have announced one-bike programmes fo… (read more)

Another day, another Windows Mobile 7 device rumoured. Of course since the rumour that HTC has been spreading rumours themselves, we have become more distrustful of rumours.  Rumours.

Anyway, back Windows Mobile 7.  Eldar Muntazin, prominent mobile personality, has tweeted some more about Windows Mobile 7, and a device coming from HTC.  He writes:

• Evgenij Pavlov, HTC Russia – WM7 minimal requirements: 8Gb onboard, CPU1GHz,FM, 5Mpx,compass,G-sensor,3,6",WVGA. Launch soon

• Playing with WM7 device – battery 1850 mAh, working only 6-7 hours (half a day). So, desktop OS in mobile phones – welcome in MS world

The specs does not match any of the other devices rumoured to come, so is this another, or just a red herring?  I guess we will find out soon enough.

Follow the latest Windows Mobile 7 news and rumours by following us at twitter.com/wmpoweruser.

Article Tags: Headline Story, Newspaper Article

THE impact of global warming has been exaggerated by some scientists and there is an urgent need for more honest disclosure of the uncertainty of predictions about the rate of climate change, according to the British Government’s chief scientific adviser.

John Beddington was speaking after an admission by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that it grossly over-stated the rate at which Himalayan glaciers were receding.

Professor Beddington said that climate scientists should be less hostile to sceptics who questioned man-made global warming. He condemned scientists who refused to publish the data underpinning their reports.

He said that public confidence in climate science would be improved if there were more openness about its uncertainties, even if that meant admitting that sceptics had been right on some hotly disputed issues.

“I don’t think it’s healthy to dismiss proper scepticism. Science grows and improves in the light of criticism. There is a fundamental uncertainty about climate change prediction that can’t be changed,” he said.

Source: TheAustralian.com

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After yesterday we were showing you what can a Buel 1125R become when tweaked by a military expert like Magpul, it is now time for the MV Agusta Brutale to get its good looks enhanced. Though some could say there is no way to go beyond perfection, Tamburini Corse have managed to make one of the most beautiful naked bikes ever built look even more appealing.

The company belongs to Andrea Tamburini, son of Maximus, the designer of the fantastic MV Agusta F4, Brutale and formerly of the Ducati 9… (read more)

BMW seems to be in a league of its own, as UK magazine BusinessCar decided to honour the German brand with seven different awards. Firstly, the brand itself was named Manufacturer of the Year and Environmental Award of the Year.

"The class-leading combination of incredible efficiency, badge and product desirability and great driving cars has obviously struck a chord with the readers of BusinessCar – those people whose decision make a huge difference to the operation of companies and orga… (read more)

Yahoo has revealed its financial results for the fourth quarter of 2009 and, while they’re not exactly stellar, they’re surprisingly optimistic, considering the circumstances. Yahoo posted a revenue increase of 10 percent from the previous quarter bringing in $1.7 billion in Q4. Still, this was 4 percent down from Q4 2008. Income, on the other hand, was at $11… (read more)

Article Tags: Himalayan Glacier Data, Video Link

The Himalayas are melting! So screamed the latest climate change study. But the lead author of that report admits its claims were hyped, and can’t be backed up with data. When it puts advocacy ahead of the facts, science stops being science.

Click source to see Video Link from PJTV

Source: pjtv.com

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Despite reports that a “Good Samaritan” came to the rescue after Gary Coleman’s weekend arrest on domestic violence charges, two producers for the former child star’s latest feature, Midgets vs. Mascots, are claiming they are actually responsible for Gary’s freedom as part of a deal that will allow them to feature the actor’s uncensored penis in the forthcoming film.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Coleman was arrested over the weekend on a warrant for failing to appear in court. The 41-year-old actor was released from a Utah jail Monday after posting bail.

Coleman fan Jarrod Clarke he put up the bail for the actor’s release, according to The Salt Lake City Tribune.

“I’m just a Good Samaritan, I guess,” he told the newspaper Tuesday. “He just had a sad [mug shot] picture. To see that he was sitting in there — and he’d been there for 27 hours — and bail was only $1,700, I thought somebody probably ought to do something.”

Yet two Hollywood executives say that simply isn’t so. In a statement, the producers insists the Diff’rent Strokes actor, who had been threatening legal action over nude footage of him in their straight-to-DVD mockumentary, agreed to drop his claim in exchange for the $1,725 bail.

“The footage in question occurred during an improvised moment in a shower scene when Mr. Coleman attempted to break up a fight between two little people,” the producers said in a statement contradicting the “Good Samaritan Tale.” “During the scuffle, Mr. Coleman’s robe split open to reveal more than he had planned. The producers stand behind their position that Mr. Coleman signed multiple documents allowing any and all footage, including both scripted and unscripted moments, to appear in the film. The producers simply agreed to bail out Mr. Coleman as an ‘olive branch’ and to avoid any potential litigation….”

Here’s a new device that can help those who still sit on precious VHS cassettes that never made it onto discs. JVC announced [JP] the SR-HV250 for the Japanese market today, a Blu-ray/DVD recorder, VHS recorder and 250GB hard disc drive all rolled into one.

The device supports MPEG-2, MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 and AVREC. You also get a USB port, an SD/SDHC slot, LAN connectivity, an HDMI interface, and an S-Video. The device lets you record video on BD-R/RE and DVD-R/RE discs.

It’s not the first of this kind (at least in Japan), as Sharp, Panasonic and JVC itself have rolled out VHS-compatible Blu-ray recorders last year. But combining three recording formats has its price: Be ready to pay around $3,000 if the SR-HV250 should make its way outside Japan one day (JVC hasn’t made an official announcement yet). In Japan, the device went on sale today.

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Jason Calacanis isn’t a a nobody. He’s a serial web entrepreneur, founder of Weblogs, Inc., co-founder of TechCrunch50 and CEO of search engine Mahalo (amongst others). And just a few minutes ago, via his Twitter account, he (possibly) dropped some major hints on the Apple tablet that’s going to be presented tomorrow. Calacanis claims he has been given a tablet by Apple ten days ago, adding “For background: apple asked me to do press tomorrow on cnbc, cnn, etc.”.

If he isn’t pulling a major PR stunt (I think he isn’t), Calacanis is stoked. Here’s the gist of what he says about the device. I know many of you are sick of hearing about it, and this may turn out to be totally false info tomorrow – but what he said seemed just too interesting.

Calacanis’ impressions:

• it’s “the most amazing device ever”
• it’s “really amazing for newspapers”
• video conferencing is “super stable”
• battery life is “great” when it comes to reading ebooks but not so great (2-3 hours) in Wi-Fi mode or when playing games
• tailor-made games are “sick”, on Wii level
• the customized Farmville app (which Jobs is going to demo tomorrow with the CEO of the company behind it) is “insane”

Functions and features:

• OLED screen
• solar pad for recharging on the back (the device is mainly battery-powered)
• the tablet is running on an iPhone OS variation
• it can run multiple apps at the same time
• it has thumb pads on each side (for mouse gestures)
• fingerprint verification (up to 5 profiles can be registered on one device)
• HDTV tuner, a PVR and a chess game built-in
• back camera and front camera (quote: “u shoot what’s in front of you + yourself. Augmented video conferncing!”)
• wireless keyboard + monitor connection for external monitors

Availability and price:

• the tablet will be offered by Verizon and ATT
• it will cost $599, $699 or $799, depending on the screen size and internal memory

Calacanis says he can’t reveal the name and can’t show pictures of the device (for two possible spy shots, see here). We know in a couple of hours if he was joking or not (he says he isn’t).

Update: Not for real. We had our doubts. Screen size and internal memory options with such a carefully manicured ecosystem? Not so much!

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Move on! No iPad to unveil yet!

But here is yet another bit of distraction for those not interested in the Apple (AAPL) invasion of all things tech media later today, as well as for those who can’t get enough data and pretty charts about Yahoo (YHOO) and its fourth-quarter earnings.

The Silicon Valley Internet giant reported decent results yesterday–by which BoomTown means, they were less bad than in previous quarters.

(You can also read my liveblogging of the earnings call here, as well as a story on some news that came out of it.)

Until the big reveal of the tablet by Steve Jobs, here’s Yahoo’s official deck to peruse:

YHOO_Q409EarningsPresentation_Final –

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Dame Helen Mirren understands why so many women turn to plastic surgery to slow down the process of aging. While she’s shunned the trend of going under the knife in her own life, the Oscar-winning actress is defending other women’s right to seek cosmetic assistance in preserving their looks.

“I don’t think there’s outside pressure, I think it’s the pressure you put on yourself when you look at the mirror in the morning. You go, ‘I don’t want to look at that face any more,’ and I understand that, absolutely. I think people should be allowed to do whatever they want to make themselves feel happy.”

	DC 2010: Wheego unveils high-speed Whip, looks a lot like the LSV It’s coming this summer for $35k – before tax credits.		Washington D.C. to be the third retail market for Chevrolet Volt After LA, Detroit and D.C., will GM announce Chicago is the next market during the auto show there?
	DC 2010: Ford CEO Mulally says “we are going to continue to work with the U.S. government” on energy policy Says Ford supports a “is a fundamental energy policy … that supports our needs as citizens of the United States.”	Other news: DC 2010: Nissan Leaf wins Green Car Vision award Green Car Summit: all hands (almost) on deck for electric vehicles DC 2010: Think says 15 minutes is just right for fast charging

AutoblogGreen for 01.27.10 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 05:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The “P” in PIIGS, Portugal, is the next euro nationa to bring heartburn to the union.

Fitch has come out with a negative rating on the nation’s debt, accordign to ForexLive, following disappointment with the country’s latest budget.

At this point a downgrade is “more likely than not.”

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• EU Privately Freaking Out About Greece And The PIIGS Breaking Apart The Union
• Reach Capital’s Nigel Hart: Don’t Worry About The PIIGS, They’re The Building Blocks Of The Market’s "Wall Of Worry"
• The PIIGS Get Slaughtered, As Greek Bond Situation Deteriorates