Author: Serkadis

That was quick. We’re back in panic mode, according to Citi’s Panic Euphoria model.

Citi: Our Panic/Euphoria model declined into Panic territory last week after revising the data and remained in Panic this week. This week’s Panic/Euphoria reading was -0.28; last week’s number was revised to -0.24.

Whatever the term one wants to use for the current level of sentiment, if we compare the model to itself, then on a relative basis it remains far weaker than 2007. Weak readings are meant to be positive for stocks from a contrarian perspective and given this plus other factors Citi remains cautiously bullish.

Citi: Markets should benefit from a backdrop of earnings recovery first determined by the moderation of inventory de-stocking leading to some inventory re-stocking, a better (though still subdued) employment environment, and the consumption benefits of some restored wealth via higher financial markets. All of these dynamics should bolster equities initially, especially if money flows begin to chase returns as has often been the case in the past. We believe gains in 2010 are likely to be uneven and the S&P 500 could spike above 1,200 during earlier parts of the year and then back off.

(Via Citi Investment Research, ‘The Pulse Monitor’, Tobias Levkovich, 28 December 2009)

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See Also:

• China: Don’t Panic, We’ll Keep Buying Tons Of Dollars
• Potential Dubai Default Rocks Financial Markets, While Dollar Soars On Panic Buying
• U.S. Companies Panic About Obama’s New Emissions Promises

We’re but three years removed from the US introduction of both Nintendo’s Wii and Sony’s PlayStation 3, and already the rumors are running rampant about the future iterations of both consoles. Two separate reports from Japan’s Impress touch on both units, with speculation and insider information on the former suggesting that Intel could be in talks with the Big N about powering the second Wii. Hard details are obviously tough to come by, but word has it that the two are mulling a GPU / CPU combo similar to the Larrabee; granted, we’d prefer something a touch more potent in the Wii 2, but we wouldn’t be shocked if Nintendo chooses the less powerful path yet again. In related news, it seems as if Sony could be looking for an alternative to its Cell CPU in the PlayStation 4, an alternative that involves some sort of “multi-core CPU.” Potentially more interesting is the notion that Sony’s next-gen handheld could be out before said console, which is loosely pegged for a 2013 release. We wouldn’t take any of this to heart just yet, but we’re pretty certain we can’t stop the dreamers from going too far.

Console scuttlebutt: multi-core CPU for next-gen PlayStation, Intel inside future Wii originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 07:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As if we didn’t have enough pretenders in the ebook space, here’s Ray Kurzweil with a new format of his own and a bagful of ambition to go with it. Set for a proper unveiling at CES in a week’s time, the Blio format and accompanying application are together intended to deliver true-to-life color reproductions of the way real books appear. Interestingly, the software has been developed in partnership with Nokia, in an effort to turn Espoo’s phones into “the smallest text-to-speech reading devices available thus far,” though apps are also being developed for the iPhone, PC and Mac. The biggest advantage of this format might actually be behind the scenes, where the costs to publishers are drastically reduced by them having to only submit a PDF scan of their books, whose formatting remains unchanged in Blio. We’ll be all over this at CES, but for now you’ll find more pictures and early impressions over at Gizmodo.

Blio seeks to take digital reading in a new, more inclusive, and colorful direction originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 06:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Motor Co. is starting from January 2010 a 24-month electric vehicle test program in Germany, Bloomberg recently reported.

The vehicles involved will be 25 electric Focus compacts and Transit Vans. These will be driven under real traffic conditions in the town of Colone, the location of Ford’s European division, said Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, director of the Center for Automotive Research at Germany’s University of Duisburg-Essen, which is supervising the 15 million-euro study…. (read more)

While the world economy is rebounding, knock-on effects from the downturn are still being felt. Another 60 million people will lose their jobs, globally, in 2010 according to The Economist. 200 million people risk falling into poverty. Thus the new year brings with it heightened potential for social unrest as, for many, financial difficulty wears on.

The Economist: But poverty alone does not spark unrest—exaggerated income inequalities, poor governance, lack of social provision and ethnic tensions are all elements of the brew that foments unrest.

Mexico, Russia, and China are particularly at risk. One can imagine that social powder kegs are slow burning. Economic inequalities or perceived injustices start to simmer when problems first emerge… but explode much later as people exhaust other avenues of hope.

Chart via The Economist.

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See Also:

• Now Up To 500 Killed In China Riots
• Raw Footage Of Iran’s Riots (NSFW)
• KFC Riots Day III: President Apologizes For Oprah Fiasco (VIDEO)

This time of the year is made for giving and most companies don’t miss out on the opportunity to show just how much they care for their customers. This is true for web companies also and Facebook, which has had quite a good year, is trying to impress in 2009. It’s not as much the value of the gifts which stand out, but the work that went into them. The social network has sent its most valued advertising clients a 19-by-19-inch, embossed and foiled poster along with a wooden token for DonorsChoose all stylishly packaged.

It actually took Facebook two months to create the gifts and only 4,000 posters were printed aimed at the biggest clients. The posters themselves are incredibly detailed and emphasize Facebook’s main focus “Connect” and “Share.” Besides the posters, the advertisers also got a $75 token for either the DonorsChoose organization, which enables donors to select the charity they want to make their contribution to, or one for Kiva for international customers.

The entire creation process is documented on the Facebook page the social network set up for the campaign from the initial sketches of the design to the manufacturing process. Of course, with the company expected to bring in $500 million in revenue this year, and the gifts only going out to the biggest clients, it’s safe t… (read more)

Starting with 2010, Ford will install HD Radio receivers on its cars, which practically means that passengers will have access to digital radio signals. This means that the radio will have improved, near CD quality sound.

HD Radio is great, but this is not the only Ford surprise for next year. Alongside the HD Radio, Ford will also offer the first iTunes Tagging system in a factory-installed HD Radioreceiver. According to Ford, this offers the customers with the ability to capture… (read more)

While we were plowing through the recent snowfall in New Jersey with a 2010 Audi S4, MINI E electric Cooper drivers were feeling the wrath of going green in the winter. Dr. Lyle Dennis of GM-Volt, who is leasing a MINI E for one year said:

On a recent trip at a temperature of 23 degrees Fahrenheit and including a two-hour 110 volt charge in the middle, the battery meter hit zero miles/zero percent after just 55 miles (see graphic). The car is billed as having a 100 mile range…There has been a pronounced decline in battery range in the cold weather.

According to a report by the Washington Post, many MINI E drivers are noticing a 20 percent reduction in the range of the electric Cooper in cold weather. A New Jersey driver with an 85 mile commute found out the hard way after being left out in the cold without any battery charge.

– By: Omar Rana

Source: GM-Volt

Back in October, we wrote about how the Philadelphia Eagles were trying to stop radio stations from doing promotional giveaways of tickets they had legally purchased. The team basically claims that the terms (which no one reads nor technically “agrees” to) on the back of the ticket forbid such uses of the tickets. Instead, clearly, the Eagles wanted to sell the rights to do promotional giveaways. Now there’s a similar lawsuit involving Major League Soccer and FIFA. JJ points us to a lawsuit in which the organization that handles marketing for both soccer organizations is quite upset at Black & Decker for doing ticket giveaway promotions. The reason why they’re so upset? B&D competitor Makita is “the official power tool” of both soccer leagues in the US. In this case, they’re arguing trademark infringement and breach of contract, though both seem questionable. If it’s an accurate promotion, such that B&D is literally giving away legally purchased tickets and merchandise, then as long as it doesn’t suggest endorsement from the soccer leagues, there shouldn’t be much confusion. As for the breach of contract, if B&D never agreed to the contract, it’s hard to see how they can be held to it.

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RBC recently released their 20 favorite trades for 2010.  As we previously mentioned, RBC is relatively bullish though they are viewing the upcoming year as two different investment environments.   They see overall fundamentals improving and the first half of 2010 serving as a period of “catch-up” for investors.  That should change heading into the back half of the year as investors become more defensive.  Based on this macro outlook RBC provides their 10 favorite trades for 2010:

• Argentina external debt steepeners (Long Boden 2012’s / Short US$ 2033 Discounts)

Actionable only for sophisticated investors with foreign access.  The Argentine holdout debt restructuring is likely to conclude in 2010.  The holdout-debt-swap is likely to result in underperformance of the long end of the curve, given that most of the resulting debt is expected to be issued in discounts.

• Long Brazil / Short Venezuela 5yr CDS

Similar to Goldman’s Ireland/Spain trade.  RBC believes Brazil is priced for perfection and investors are too bearish on Venezuela.

• Mexico TIIE 2s-10s flattener

The Mexican Central Bank is likely to hike rates by Q210 as inflation fears increase.

• Long MXN/COP

As Mexico recovers their lagging currency is likely to outperform in 2010.  Valuation and weak economic outlook in Columbia makes it a nice pairing.

• Short EUR/PLN

Poland now looks cheap compared to the Euro.  Proactive rate action and better than expected economic growth should help the rally in PLN continue.

• Short USD/RUB

Strong oil demand, better than expected economic growth and valuation make RUB attractive.

• Short USD/ZAR

The rand looks attractive for similar reasons mentioned in other EM currencies.  Proactive rate action, better than expected economic growth and attention on South Africa during the 2010 World Cup make this an attractive play.

• Sell 12-month USD/CNY NDFs

Yuan revaluation is only a matter of time….

• Short USD/KRW

The rebound in China and Asia should help boost Korea.  RBC sees rates rising 150 bps in 2010.  This pairs works favorably with the dollar.

• Long EM high-yield vs. high-grade corporate debt

From RBC:

As the global economic recovery gains momentum, risks in the high yield corporate segment will decline driven by rising revenues and cash flows, which will help ease refinancing needs.  Rather than pairing EM high yielders with sovereigns which offer a similar scope for spread compression, we elected to pair them with high grade corporates because this pairing offers a better hedge against sell-offs, and we believe it is possible that we could witness other Dubai like-events in 2010.

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See Also:

• RBC: Beware A Double Dip, And A Disorderly Collapse Of The US Dollar In The Second Half Of 2010
• RBS: Red-Hot Brazil Is Still Blowing Away Expectations
• Venezuela’s 28% Inflation Is The Highest In The World

Ford acaba de lanzar una edición limitada del reciente Ford Mustang GT. Esta edición especial recibe el nombre de Ford Mustang Boss 302R y estoy seguro que encantará a todos los seguidores de esta marca.

Según ha confirmado la propia Ford, sólo se fabricarán 50 unidades y será ni más ni menos que una versión de carreras. Tendrá un precio apróximado de unos 55.000€.

Todo el equipamiento de este modelo estará mejorado para poder usado en competición como los neumáticos, frenos, jaula de protección, motor sellado, refrigeración mejorada, etc… Esperemos que algún día lo podamos ver en acción en los circuitos del mundial de GT4.

Related posts:

1. Ford confirma el motor V8 de 5.0 litros para el Mustang GT
2. Vídeo del nuevo motor del Ford Mustang
3. Ford Mustang con un motor 5.0 V8

Mobiletechreview have published their video review of the LG eXpo.

From the review it is apparent the smartphone would have benefited from more efforts to make the device more finger-friendly, and likely adding a capacitive screen as on the original leak of the device would have forced the issue.

The smartphone however remains quiet capable, and would likely do very well with some TouchFlo3D grafted on by more advanced users.

Do any of our readers have  an eXpo yet?  Let us know your impressions in the comments below.

Andy Soucek might not get much in exchange for his winning season in the F2 Championship last year. Although normally drivers winning feeder series of Formula One are usually handed a race seat in the Great Circle the very next year – with the sole exception of Giorgio Pantano in 2008 – Soucek is still out on the market, looking for an F1 commitment for 2010.

The F2 champion recently tested a Williams FW31 for Sir Frank Williams’ team, during the rookie session in early December a… (read more)

When the Treasury announced on Christmas Eve that it was lifting the limit on how much Fannie Mae (FNM) and Freddie Mac (FRE) could receive, one point that may have been lost on people was that neither of the GSEs were yet anywhere close to the $200 billion they’d been alloted.

It’s not like there was a need, under the current system to give them a permanent, unlimited blank check to cover their losses.

So then, maybe that’s not what’s going on.

Maybe it’s this, via MarketWatch:

The government’s decision to provide unlimited support to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac probably presages more aggressive action to prop up the U.S. housing market.

The government may put a mortgage-modification effort, called the Home Affordable Modification Program, or HAMP, into overdrive in coming years, pushing for reductions in the principal outstanding on home loans overseen by Fannie and Freddie Bose George, an analyst at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, wrote in a note to investors Monday.

So basically, Fannie and Freddie will be called on to do everything humanly possible to prop up the housing market in the coming years. Mortgage purchases, principal reductions… everything. And as it goes nuts in its efforts, it will need a blank check so that its lenders don’t even get slightly nervous.

Another serious dip in housing would be killer to this recovery and Obama’s Presidential career. That can’t be let to happen.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Here’s The Secret Reason We Eliminated The Bailout Caps On Fannie And Freddie
• Geithner Gives Housing Industry A Huge Christmas Present: Unlimited Fannie And Freddie Bailouts
• How Joseph Stiglitz Blew It On Fannie And Freddie

	AutoblogGreen’s Top Ten most popular stories of 2009 It starts with the World’s Most Miserly VW Bus.		VIDEO: Kia remains committed to fuel cells, check out Borrego FCEV The updates keep on coming.
	At Witz’ End – Working vacation means testing a new Prius in Hawai’i, and more Fun times, fun times.	Other news: REPORT: 76% of “electric propulsion vehicle” patent applications come from Japan REPORT: Toyota seeks to have latest Paice lawsuit dismissed EPA’s Green Vehicle Guide offers smoke-free ranking of fuel efficient vehicles

AutoblogGreen for 12.29.09 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 06:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Good news from the record labels, in an effort to show that they do get the digital landscape, Interscope Records, part of the Universal Music Group, is giving away free TweetDeck copies, in partnership with Best Buy, with the purchase of select CDs. Finally, users get to enjoy the wonders of microblogging from the comfort of their own desktop or iPhone and all this without paying a dime. It almost sounds too good to be true and it almost is, except for the fact that TweetDeck is already free for everyone to download and use.

The custom TweetDeck client comes with purchases of CDs from artists like 50 Cent, Timbaland, Lady Gaga, Weezer and others which range in price from $10.99 to $13.99. Now, in all fairness, with the CD purchase, you get a customized version of the app which comes bundled with subscriptions to the Twitter streams of the 16 artists part of the promotion.

Of course, any user could also add the artists manually in a couple of minutes or make a list with them, if one isn’t already available. So, all that it does is maybe save the buyers a few minutes. On the other hand, does anyone actually want to follow all the 16 artists, which are actually quite diverse when it comes to music genres although they all fall squarely in the mainstream category, to begin with… (read more)

Mazda and other automakers are hoping for a revamp of EPA rules that are keeping them from introducing the fuel-saving stop-start technology in vehicles. According to Robert Davis, Mazda’s product-development executive in North America, testing regulations prevent automakers from bringing fuel-saving technologies, like the stop-start feature, to the U.S. market.

Stop-start, which has become widely popular throughout the world, shuts the car’s engine off when the vehicle is stopped and the driver applies the brakes. Releasing the break kicks the engine back on. According to Automotive News, the U.S. fuel-economy testing cycle doesn’t allow stop-start, since the mpg benefits are not reflected in the official rating.

The main issue is that EPA’s city-mode test includes only one complete vehicle stop, so the improvement comes in at a modest .1 or .2 mpg, Davis said.

“In Japan, we’re seeing anywhere from 7 to 9 percent fuel economy gains from it,” Davis said. “That’s a jump from 33 to 37 miles per gallon in a metro environment.”

Since it costs Mazda to install the fuel-saving technology in its vehicles, there is no marketing strategy to persuade car shoppers to cash out an extra $500 for the feature.

Don’t jump down EPA’s throat just yet. Automotive News says that EPA is looking to make some rule changes that could give vehicles with stop-start a higher rating. A final decision is expected in April 2010.

– By: Stephen Calogera

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)