In addition to the day’s top news stories, the following interviews will air on “Good Morning America” on FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12 and will also be featured on ABCNews.com:
George Stephanopoulos will interview New York Governor David Paterson live, in studio.
ABC News’ Juju Chang sat down with Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, for a rare joint interview. In addition to the effect the winter storms are having on the economy and the federal government, the couple discussed their marriage of more than three decades and what makes their relationship work.
ABC’s “Good Morning America,” the Emmy Award-winning morning news program featuring Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos, Sam Champion and Juju Chang, airs live Monday through Friday from 7:00-9:00 a.m., ET on the ABC Television Network. Jim Murphy is the senior executive producer and Tom Cibrowski is the executive producer of ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
Bill Gates, in case you thought otherwise, is a genius. He really, really is. Not only was he building a software company at a time when no one believed software had a meaningful future, but his vision of “a computer on every desk and in every home” was nothing short of crazy hugely ambitious.
Even so, geniuses do get things wrong sometimes. In an interview with BNET’s Brent Schlender, he suggests netbooks will be the devices of choice in a post-iPad world;
“You know, I’m a big believer in touch and digital reading, but I still think that some mixture of voice, the pen and a real keyboard – in other words a netbook – will be the mainstream on that.”
Hardly shocking, coming from the man who co-founded Microsoft. He adds;
…it’s not like I sit there and feel the same way I did with iPhone where I say, ‘Oh my God, Microsoft didn’t aim high enough.’ It’s a nice reader, but there’s nothing on the iPad I look at and say, ‘Oh, I wish Microsoft had done it.’”
As TiPB’s Rene Ritchie pointed out, this is remarkably reminiscent of Gates’ dismissal of the iPod in a BusinessWeek interview in 2004;
There’s nothing that the iPod does that I say, “Oh, wow, I don’t think we can do that.”
I am not surprised Bill doesn’t “get” the iPad, in the same way he didn’t “get” the iPod, either. Gates’ vision of “a computer on every desktop” was a grand vision. But that’s as far as the vision went; he certainly didn’t describe the computer as an appliance. From the Microsoft perspective, the “computer” is, largely speaking, a screen with a keyboard and a pointing device. In fact, it’s even more specific than that; as far as Microsoft is concerned, a computer is a screen with a keyboard and a pointing device powered by Windows. And if you really want to push the boat out, you can add some flavor of Office into that mix, too.
Disguise
Since neither Windows nor Office are particularly suited to pervasive, intuitive touch control, the Microsoft definition of “the computer” simply doesn’t accommodate anything like an iPad. Tablet PCs are a bit easier for Microsoft to swallow – at least most of those have a keyboard (making them notebooks in disguise).
And while Microsoft knows Tablet PC’s don’t sell, it also knows that the interest in Apple’s iPad might translate into a short-lived boost in Tablet PC sales, too. But let’s be honest; Microsoft isn’t committed to tablets in any meaningful way because tablets don’t fit into Microsoft’s vision of how we use computers. Or, more accurately, tablets don’t fit into Microsoft’s vision of how businesses use computers.
It’s ironic that Microsoft – popularizer of the ubiquitous spreadsheet software – still have not made Excel (arguably the most popular spreadsheet editor on the planet) touch-friendly. Meanwhile, Apple, considered by some to be makers of shiny toys for posing artistes, have a business-class spreadsheet app ready to go when the iPad launches. (Former Microsoft exec Dick Brass offers a possible explanation for this bewildering oversight in his revealing article on the NY Times last week.)
Just Enough
Apple’s vision has always been diametrically opposed to Microsoft’s. Steve Jobs has long-pursued a desire to make the desktop computer more intuitive and, paradoxically, less like a traditional computer. So, while Windows exposed increasingly complex functionality in each successive iteration, Mac OS X did the opposite, hiding or removing as much complexity as possible, leaving behind just enough to get the job done.
When it came to mobile devices, Microsoft’s desktop vision proved inescapable, and it tried to squeeze Windows into everything. (Only the Xbox and Zune break with that tradition.) Meanwhile, Apple demonstrated that a device’s software must reflect its form factor (like an iPhone OS on a tablet device is an obvious fit).
Therefore, the iPhone OS is designed to be so simple and intuitive that multitasking is intentionally restricted, reserved for a select-few apps. That’s not a lack of vision or coding acumen, but rather a terribly bold statement of intent. Apple has a vision for how people should interact with computers, and they believe it’s better than anything else we currently have. What’s more, it’s willing to stand by that vision, despite the cries of inflexible critics who fail to understand it.
In short, Apple doesn’t sacrifice form for function – rather, Apple allows form to dictate function.
Dream Come True
Back in the early noughties, it was Gates who championed the Tablet PC, and more broadly, the slate form-factor, boldly predicting in 2001 that, “…within five years I predict it will be the most popular form of PC sold in America.”
Microsoft’s hardware partners dropped the ball when executing his vision, helped, no doubt, by Microsoft’s decision to crowbar-in a barely modified version of its full desktop OS – the exact same mistake it’s making again today. Not enough people got their hands on a Tablet PC to arrive at an informed opinion on its utility. Not enough software was developed that made good use of it, either. So, while the iPad is far from Microsoft’s ambitions, it’s the closest the industry has ever come to the realization of Gates’ tablet dreams.
Gates is obviously loyal to Microsoft, but he’s clearly prepared to say when he thinks Apple has done something remarkable. I don’t believe he fails to grasp what the iPad represents, despite his comments yesterday… and I’m pretty sure he’s disappointed Microsoft couldn’t learn from its earlier tablet mistakes. For a man who invested so much in the tablet dream, it must be pretty galling to see Apple succeed where he failed.
In response to the recent troubles plaguing Toyota, auto-industry authority Edmunds has altered is ’10 sales forecast, shifting units from Toyota onto the other automakers. They even predict that the shift in sales will propel Ford back into the number two spot, as far as U.S. sales are concerned, a spot that Toyota took from Ford in 2007.
Though Edmunds expects G.M., Ford, and Honda to pick up the lions share of the increase, the shift is expected to be seen all across the board, including in the sales figures of Chrysler, Hyundai, and Nissan.
Toyota closed 2009 with 17% of the American market, a slight improvement over 2008, but saw their share quickly plummet to 14.1%, their lowest share in four years. Ford has thus far been the primary beneficiary of the Toyota crisis.
Contributing to Ford’s closing the gap are the newer models the company has coming out, seen as competitors to the Toyota line, especially the Focus and Fiesta.
Ford, G.M., and Hyundai have also all been running incentive programs in order to lure buyers from Toyota, and Edmunds analysts say these programs are working, as trade Toyota trade-ins have increased between 1% and 5% at G.M., Ford and Hyundai dealerships.
Ralph Gilles, Dodge CEO and Chrysler Group design head, has just wrapped up an address to the Chicago Economic Club that was peppered with several choice quotes and quips. You can read the Chrysler’s PR-filtered version on its Twitter feed, but here are our favorites:
From the true: “Brands and companies don’t die. They are victims of homicide.”
To the sublime: “Viper important to image of “my brand” [Dodge]”
To the ridiculous: “The further away you are from Detroit the less you know the facts about the auto industry.”
To the more ridiculous: “I liken management to X-Men… all have special abilities.”
To the funny/creepy: Ad agency interviewed him before creating Super Bowl spot. “I had to smoke a cigarette,” afterwards, he joked.
To the important: “Fiat 500 on sale in U.S. at end of the year”
That last bit coincides with earlierreports that the Fiat 500 could reach the States as early as this year as a 2011 model. Although the 500’s importation into the U.S. has been fast-tracked, there’s still some question about whether it will meet U.S. crash and safety standards. We expect to have an exact on sale date soon, and Gilles also said that the all-new 2011 JeepGrand Cherokee is due to go on sale within the next three months.
JOHANNESBURG — South African lawmakers sang Nelson Mandela’s praises Thursday as the anti-apartheid icon settled into parliament’s public gallery for a State of the Nation address scheduled in tribute to his 20 years of freedom.
Mandela was released in 1990 after spending 27 years in prison and went on to lead South Africa through the last stretch of a stunning, peaceful revolution from apartheid to democracy.
His release was remembered as triumphant Thursday, but the moment was uncertain and anxious for South Africa, and it is a testimony to Mandela’s statesmanship that things went so well.
“When Mandela was released we did not know what was going happen,” said Nontuntuzelo Faku, who joined thousands of people who marked Thursday’s anniversary near Cape Town at what was known in 1990 as Victor Verster, the last prison where Mandela was held.
Being at the prison 20 years later, Faku said, “makes me realize how far the country has come.”
In 2008, a 3-meter (10-feet) high bronze statue was erected at the prison depicting Mandela’s first steps as a free man. Exactly 20 years ago, Mandela emerged from Victor Verster on foot, hand-in-hand with his then-wife Winnie, fist raised, smiling but resolute.
The release of Mandela, known affectionately by his clan name, Madiba, was the culmination of an eventful few days for South Africa. On Feb. 2, then-President F.W. de Klerk announced the unbanning of the ANC and other organizations. On Feb. 10, de Klerk announced at a press conference that Mandela would be released the next day.
Whites conditioned to see Mandela as a a shadowy enemy — most did not know what he looked like because images of him had been banned — were shocked and confused. Blacks were uncertain that Mandela, who had begun negotiations with the white government from the isolation of prison, was right to trust de Klerk. Civil war seemed possible.
“I think the imprint of February is deeply etched into the psyche of our nation,” Mac Maharaj, a key ANC leader at the time, told The Associated Press.
“That image of Madiba, Winnie, walking out of Victor Verster, holding hands. Madiba looking quite, quite somber, not celebratory, not pumping the air and jumping about like a victorious boxer, but walking very sternly, and I think I see a sense of bewilderment in him.”
In a chapter of his autobiography titled simply “Freedom,” Mandela said he was surprised so many people had come to greet him outside the prison. He described his joy, but also his realization that much work remained ahead.
“It was vital for me to show my people and the government that I was unbroken and unbowed, and that the struggle was not over for me but beginning anew in a different form,” he wrote.
Today, aides say Mandela is frail but in good health for a man who will be 92 in July. He has largely retired from public life, but appeared to revel in the attention at parliament Thursday evening. He moved stiffly before settling into a chair and smiling broadly as members of parliament sang a song honoring him.
President Jacob Zuma scheduled his address to coincide with the anniversary as a tribute.
Mandela appeared at Zuma’s State of the Nation address last year.
Just four years after Mandela’s release, South Africans held their first all-race elections, making Mandela their first black president. Mandela stepped down after one five-year term, helping to entrench democracy in South Africa in contrast to elsewhere on the continent where politicians hung on to power through fraud and violence.
Mandela also is beloved for championing racial reconciliation, ensuring a peaceful transition that spared South Africa a race war. His promotion of South Africa’s rugby team during the 1995 World Cup endeared him to many whites and symbolized his efforts to build bridges and forgive the past, as depicted in the film “Invictus.”
Since 1994, his ANC party has reduced the number of people living in poverty, built houses and delivered water, electricity and schools to blacks who had been without under apartheid. But needs remain great, and impatience has grown along with a gap between the poor and the rich — among them new black entrepreneurs.
South Africa marked Thursday’s anniversary with speeches, photo exhibits tracing Mandela’s life, radio and TV specials and newspaper supplements.
Mandela and the anti-apartheid movement captured imaginations around the world, as British Prime Minister Gordon Brown recalled in an essay in London’s Independent newspaper Thursday. Brown, who has often spoken of his admiration for Mandela, said the anti-apartheid struggle “was the defining political question of our time.”
Brown said Mandela has “a generosity of spirit that lifts the world.”
Mandela marked the anniversary of his release at home last week, reminiscing with fellow veterans of the anti-apartheid struggle for the camera’s of his daughter Zindzi’s production company, which was preparing a documentary called “Conversations About That Day”.
A Chicago man was ordered held on $300,000 bond Wednesday after being charged with assaulting a 16-year-old girl and robbing her of a cell phone in north suburban Evanston.
Anthony Lee Lane, 31, of the 1900 block of West Fargo Avenue in Chicago, was charged with one felony count of robbery, according to Evanston police.
Bond was set at $300,000 Wednesday and a preliminary hearing was set for Feb 22 at the Skokie Courthouse, according to Cook County State’s Attorney’s office spokesman Andy Conklin.
The 16-year-old girl had been walking in the 1700 block of Ashland Avenue when she was physically assaulted, according to a release from Evanston police. During the assault, she was knocked to the ground and struck on her face and body.
She managed to fight off the attack, but not before the suspect took her cell phone, which was later recovered by officers, the release said.
Police allegedly saw Lane running in the 1600 block of Church Street about 7 p.m. and talked to a witness, who said a robbery had just happened, the release said. Police pursued Lane and saw him enter a building in the 1800 block of Church Street, where they arrested him.
The front runner for the republican nomination for governor, State Senator Bill Brady, wants to change the state constitution to ban same-sex marriages and same-sex unions.
At the same time, he wants to make it harder to pass state tax increases.
“I’m trying to give the government back to the people,” Brady said.
It’s still undecided if Brady or State Senator Kirk Dillard will represent Republicans in the general election.
Dillard is disputing the results from the Feb. 5 primary, and absentee ballots have not been counted yet.
Chicago Police are set to announce a major step forward in the investigation into the hit-and-run accident that killed a 25-year-old bartender last November.
Police know the name of the man who was allegedly driving the car that struck and killed Rachel Gilliam at Lincoln and Cullom last November as she was leaving work at Bowman’s Bar and Grill.
But police do not have that suspect in custody – and they are asking for the public’s help in finding him, says Susan Carlson, the private investigator hired by Rachel Gilliam’s family and friends.
“They’ve had a person of interest for some time, but they had to wait for final results from the crime lab to make sure that evidence left at the scene matched the vehicle that they suspected.
That’s come forward and they’re going forward with stating who their suspect is = and hoping to apprehend him.”
Carlson says the car is a silver Accura, which she says was impounded by police some time ago.
Mazda announced today that it will install upgraded interior features for the North American launch of the 2011 Mazda2, which will be available in dealerships later this fall. The Japanese automaker unveiled the new interior of the 5-door Mazda2 at the 2010 Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto today.
When compared to the current European edition, the North American Mazda2 will have an upgraded audio head unit, higher-grade climate control knobs, and seats with higher-grade fabric and stylish piping. Mazda said that overall look and feel of the North American Mazda2 will be less plasticky than the Euro edition.
Pricing details of the 2011 Mazda2 will be announced closer to launch date.
TORONTO – Mazda’s display at the 2010 Canadian International Auto Show is all about the 2011 MAZDA2, a stylish, fun-to-drive five-door hatchback. Zoom-Zoom in its most concentrated form – compact and efficient, yet packed with style and substance, the 2011 MAZDA2 will launch into the North American market late in the summer of 2010.
2011 MAZDA2
MAZDA2 is the latest in a line of stylish, insightful and fun-to-drive small cars from Mazda, and will bring an all-new level of refinement to the segment. MAZDA2 is a car that only the engineers at Mazda could have created. It was designed and engineered from scratch to be a pure Mazda, offering the sort of driving experience that could only come from the company that developed the timeless MX-5 two-seat roadster, and it brings a combination of athletic design and dynamic performance to the subcompact class.
Originally launched in 2007, the MAZDA2 was first introduced in Europe, Japan and Australia. Its launch created a unique offering in the subcompact segment, especially through its distinguished design and outstanding driving performance. Since then, it has been highly acclaimed throughout the world, winning 48 automotive awards, including “Car of the Year” accolades in many markets, including Japan, New Zealand, Chile, Bulgaria and Greece. Notably, the MAZDA2 was selected as the “2008 World Car of the Year” (WCOTY) at the 2008 New York International Auto Show and has established a distinguished position in the subcompact segment. To date, total global sales have reached over 400,000 units in the three years since its introduction, and MAZDA2 is now recognized as one of the global models which symbolizes the essence of the Mazda brand.
While developing the new MAZDA2, Mazda took a thorough look at global trends and carefully worked to identify the truly beneficial values that could be infused into a global subcompact car. As a result, the new MAZDA2 adds Mazda’s unique brand values such as exhilarating driving performance and eye-catching design to the segment without sacrificing the basic requirements for subcompact cars: superior fuel efficiency, high crash safety performance and ample passenger space. In fact, while other carmakers have increased the size of their small cars, Mazda’s first mission was to analyze and define the optimal size of a subcompact vehicle. This resulted in a very efficient body size for the new MAZDA2 without sacrificing attractive features that consumers desire.
Exterior
With the MAZDA2, Mazda evolved the athleticism that is inherent to the Mazda design DNA in pursuit of bold and diverse expression of movement. The basic form of the new MAZDA2 is characterized by a combination of dynamic performance, sportiness and simplicity that leaves a strong visual impression. While competitors are producing subcompact cars with a focus on a boxy body form to prioritize functionality, Mazda shortened the body overhangs and trimmed the corners to the greatest extent possible as a way to provide a form that is compact and sporty, conveys a sense of stability and inspires confidence. By carefully creating a base form and then giving it energetic character lines befitting a subcompact car, Mazda created a design that is highly distinctive, but timeless.
Mazda pursued a concentrated, taut form for the body as a virtue in itself, not to simply reduce the car’s body size. This creative background was advantageous in efforts to achieve maximum dynamic performance within the new MAZDA2’s compact body. In other words, the MAZDA2 possesses the essence of Mazda’s spirit of compact, sporty dynamic performance – “Zoom-Zoom Concentrated.”
In pursuit of a solid form and a richly expressive exterior design, Mazda established an exterior design theme of “coordinated movement”. In line with this theme, the design team combined the visual movements created by the car’s silhouette, its body lines, and the way in which patterns of light played on the body to create dynamic, multifaceted expressions not typically seen on a subcompact car. These expressions exude a powerful energy that makes the new MAZDA2 look as though it is moving while standing still. Key exterior design elements include: a sporty wedge shape that conveys a strong sense of forward motion; a deeply sculpted form in which the body is drawn inward fore and aft of the A-pillars; and distinctive character lines that extend from the front fender arches to the body shoulders.
Interior
The interior design theme for the MAZDA2 is “a space that communicates movement”. Whereas most subcompact cabins have monotonous design treatments with flat surfaces, the design team made the MAZDA2’s cabin strikingly different through contoured forms that combine reassuring thickness with strong visual movement. Particular effort was devoted to optimizing the position and cross-sectional shape of the A-pillars, which, when combined with an extremely low belt line, enables excellent forward visibility. As a result the MAZDA2 feels surprisingly open and roomy.
The instrument panel helps to create a sense of space, style and substance. Its shape prevents it from looking heavy and making occupants feel constrained. The controls are concentrated in the central area, and those that are frequently used by the driver are as close as possible to the driver. The instrument panel’s left- and right-hand portions, where there are no controls, curve forward and away from occupants, creating an impression of airiness that stops the cabin from feeling cramped.
At the same time, the instrument panel’s middle area has a substantial form that communicates a unique character. The climate-control vents and various controls possess distinctive circular details that contribute to a fresh, emotionally appealing look and feel. It emphasizes the sportiness of the new MAZDA2’s cabin and conveys a sense of friendliness. A simple centre-stack shape is complemented by a swath of piano black trim to express a distinctive personality and a sense of quality. Both audio controls and climate controls are laid out for easy legibility. Related control buttons are grouped according to function for intuitive ease of use.
Although the cabin has a stimulating, enjoyable look and feel befitting a subcompact car, Mazda’s design team chose not to use bright colors for the trim, instead using black and silver for a strong contrast that gives a sharp, sporty impression. Silver was used sparingly, limited to the sides of the steering wheel, the automatic transmission’s shift gate, and a few other key places in order to maximize its effect. The seats are structurally slim and are upholstered with textured fabric that has a black keynote color.
Driving dynamics
Mazda focused on realizing driver-oriented maneuverability and confidence-inspiring driving dynamics ｆor a Zoom-Zoom driving experience that is unique in this segment.
The Zoom-Zoom driving experience that Mazda strives for has two key attributes: 1) a sense of linear acceleration and deceleration that responds crisply to how far the accelerator pedal is depressed, allowing the driver to control car speed as desired; and 2) a sense of liveliness through immediate response to the accelerator for quick off-the-line acceleration and overtaking. The development team targeted a performance feel reflecting enhancement of both of these key attributes without adversely impacting on the MAZDA2’s superior fuel economy as a subcompact car.
The new MAZDA2 inherits a highly regarded suspension system, which has MacPherson struts at the front and a torsion-beam axle at the rear. With improved steering and braking systems, the resulting dynamic performance yields consistently responsive handling and a smooth, stable ride that draws much from the legendary MX-5.
In order to create more comfortable day-to-day driving, Mazda took various measures to achieve a quiet cabin environment. Mazda also improved the coefficient of drag values to achieve better aerodynamics, contributing not only to the MAZDA2’s quietness, but also to a more sporty ride and fuel efficiency.
In order to form the best balance between lower fuel consumption, outstanding driving dynamics and top-level safety performance, the new MAZDA2 reflects the close attention paid to minimizing weight through its smaller body shell, optimization of the structure, extensive use of high-tensile steel and many other weight-saving measures implemented throughout the car. Under this approach, Mazda made the best use of weight-saving know-how, similar to the “gram” strategy employed during the development of the MX-5 sports car. As a result, the MAZDA2 has achieved world-leading crash safety ratings (five stars in the Euro New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), the highest possible result) without compromising driving performance and fuel economy. In line with the way subcompact cars are mainly used as day-to-day commuters, with a driver-oriented development philosophy, the MAZDA2 has achieved a level of drivability and nimbleness that enables easy manoeuvrability, even in small car-parking areas and other tight spaces.
North America Specification MAZDA2 / Basic Figures
Summit Entertainment, the studio behind the massively successful Twilight series of films, is suing another company that made a documentary. Apparently the Twilight books and movies take place in the town of Forks, Washington. In this case, a company called Heckelsville Media wanted to make a documentary about how the books and movies impacted Forks. It pitched the documentary to a few companies, including Summit Entertainment, who agreed to release the documentary in conjunction with the most recent film’s DVD release. But one of the other companies that Heckelsville pitched liked the idea so much that it produced its own documentary on the same subject, which it’s releasing a few days earlier.
So, the question is whether or not this is legal. It seems pretty bizarre to suggest that only Summit could ever make a documentary about the impact a book and movie had on a town. Summit, who has a history of being ridiculouslyover-aggressive in trying to stop anyone from doing anything Twilight related, is claiming both trademark and copyright infringement (among a few other things). There may be an argument for trademark infringement, though it seems like a weak one, since this movie is about Twilight, not a competitor to Twilight. If it’s considered trademark infringement to make a documentary about a trademarked brand, then you could never make a whole bunch of documentaries. For example, can you imagine if GM had tried to stop Michael Moore’s Roger & Me by claiming trademark infringement?
As for the copyright claim, again, that seems rather weak, as it seems to focus on still images. There may be an issue with the unauthorized documentary makers originally using a cover that was similar to the original cover pitched by Heckelsville, but even then, the makers of the unauthorized documentary have already agreed to change the cover to make it different.
All in all, it seems like Summit is overreacting. If, as it claims, this other documentary was put together in a rush and isn’t very good, then why not compete in the marketplace to see which documentary people prefer?
Volo Auto Museum collection at Chicago Auto Show – Click above for high-res image gallery
One of the most fun parts of the Chicago Auto Show every year is that Illinois is also host to the Volo Auto Museum. Volo is one of those museum/used car dealerships that always has some of the most entertaining and outrageous cars in its inventory. One of the things they are best known for is their collection of rolling Hollywood memorabilia, and at this year’s show, they have rolled out about a dozen vehicles that show off their range of Tinseltown metal.
First up is the Mellow Yellow NASCAR racer that Tom Cruise piloted in Days of Thunder. They even have a monitor running movie clips featuring Cole Trickle beside the very seat he sat in for the filming – and no, it wasn’t a booster seat. Next to that is Speed Racer’s Mach 5, signed by Kustom Kar King George Barris. That sits alongside one of the General Lee Dodge Chargers from the Dukes of Hazzard movie and a really odd Buick Grand National. The GN is one of the cars that Vin Diesel drove in Fast and Furious 4. It is totally gutted inside and has a wild rear steering system that made us do a double-take.
Across from that is the villain car from The Great Race and the awesomely wacky Turtle Mobile from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. Our favorite star car, though – and the one that looks most at home here in Chicago – is the Blues Mobile, driven by one Joliet Jake and one Elwood Blues, a.k.a. “The Blues Brothers.” It even has the comically oversized loudspeaker still strapped to the roof. All-in, the Volo display is fun attraction here in Chicago and an example of why this show is always so popular with the public.
Here’s an interesting trading observation from Jeff Cooper’s Daily Market Report. He descirbes the potential for a “Trojan Horse” rally to occur.
If the market buys time here and traces out a longer rally than we have seen—-something more than 2 to 3 days—-perception will sharpen that another bullish correction has played out, one that echoes the correction process from six months prior.
“Perhaps, but it is worth considering the same perception crystallized a week before the 1987 Crash following a seven to ten day rally. The masses, at the time, were convinced it was a bullish correction that mirrored a similar correction process roughly six months prior.”
“Good Morning America” Is Only Morning Broadcast to Grow Week-to-Week Among Both Total & Key Demo Viewers
“GMA” Posts Highest Total Viewing Delivery in Nine Weeks and Best Demo Performance in a Month
ABC Broadcast Cuts the Gap with “Today” Week-to-Week and Year-to-Year, While Extending its Viewing Advantages over “Early Show”
“GMA’s” New Anchor Team Continues to Outperform the Program’s Season-to-Date Average Among Total & Key Demo Viewers
For the week of February 1st, ABC’s “Good Morning America” averaged 4.68 million Total Viewers and a 1.6/11 among Adults 25-54. This marks the broadcast’s highest Total Viewing delivery in nine weeks and its best demo performance in a month.
Week-to-week, “GMA” increased the most of any morning broadcast, gaining 220,000 Total Viewers and 50,000 in the key demo. This marks “GMA’s” third straight week of gains in the key demo and its second consecutive week of growth among Total Viewers. NBC”s “Today,” meanwhile, shed 70,000 Total Viewers and 30,000 Adults 25-54.
Additionally for the week, “GMA” reduced the gap with “Today” by 21% among Total Viewers and by 11% among Adults 25-54. This marks the smallest Total Viewing gap between the programs in more than two months and the smallest demo gap in a month. Year-to-year, the Total Viewing gap between ABC and NBC is 22% smaller.
“GMA” also extended its viewing advantages over CBS’ “Early Show,” both week-to-week and year-to-year. The ABC broadcast outperformed CBS by 1.85 million Total Viewers last week (+11% week-to-week and+20% year-to-year) and by 840,000 Adults 25-54 (+6% week-to- week and 18% year-to-year). This marks ABC’s largest Total Viewing advantage over CBS in more than a year (week of 11/24/08) and its largest demo margin in 10 months (week of 3/30/09).
During their first eight weeks, the new “Good Morning America” anchor team continues to outperform the program’s season-to-date average in both Total Viewers, +3% (+130,000), and Adults 25-54, up +6% (+110,000). During this period, “GMA” has cut the demo gap with NBC (+680,000) by 7%, which is smaller than the season-to-date average. In addition, the new “GMA” team continues to build on its advantage over CBS among Total Viewers (+1.6 million) and the key demo (+740,000). “GMA’s” leads over “Early Show” are up +5% in Total Viewers and +12% among Adults 25-54 versus the season-to-date average.
“Good Morning America,” the Emmy Award-winning morning news program featuring Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos, Sam Champion and Juju Chang, airs live Monday through Friday from 7:00-9:00 a.m., ET on the ABC Television Network. Jim Murphy is the senior executive producer and Tom Cibrowski is the executive producer of ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
MORNING NEWS (Week of February 1, 2010)
Total Viewers Adults 25-54 Households
ABC 4,680,000 1.6/11; 2,000,000 3.5/13
NBC 5,750,000 2.2/15; 2,680,000 4.3/16
CBS 2,830,000 .9/6; 1,160,000 2.1/8
Source: Nielsen, NTI (Total Viewers and Adults 25-54 Live + SD weeks of 2/1/10, 1/25/10, 2/2/09. Live +7 (where available) and Live +SD for first 8 weeks: 12/14/09-2/5/10. Live +7 (where available) and Live +SD for STD: 9/21/09-2/5/10
In at statement released by the Russian government, Fiat SpA plans to produce 500,000 Fiat and Chrysler vehicles in the country as part of a 2.4 billion euro ($3.3 billion USD) joint investment with its local partner.
Russian Prim Minister Vladimir Putin will travel to the town of Naberezhnye Chelny today to oversee the signing ceremony between Sollers and Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne.
The new plant in the town will assemble nine Fiat and Chrysler models, the government said.
It said that Fiat and Sollers joint venture would become Russia’s second-largest automaker. Currently, AvtoVAZ, in which Renault SA owns a 25 percent stake, is Russia’s largest automaker.
– By: Omar Rana
Press Release:
Fiat and Sollers Establish Global Alliance in Russia
A FIAT GROUP Sollers press release follows. Please note 2.4 billion EURO = US $ 3.3 billion
Fiat S.p.A. and SOLLERS have announced the establishment of global alliance in the format of a joint venture for the production of Passenger Cars and SUVs. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Vadim Shvetsov, CEO of SOLLERS, and Sergio Marchionne, CEO of FIAT Group, in the presence of Vladimir Putin, the Prime Minister of Russia.
The total production capacity of the new JV will be up to 500,000 vehicles per year by 2016. Nine new models (C and D segments, SUVs) will be marketed on the Russian market with up to six to be produced on a new global FIAT-Chrysler platform. A minimum 10 percent of the produced vehicles will be shipped to export markets. The FIAT/SOLLERS project will be implemented in Naberezhnye Chelny, located 1,000 Km East of Moscow in the Republic of Tatarstan. The SOLLERS-Naberezhnye Chelny plant production site will be expanded by new production facilities and a technology park for component production.
Development and technical adaptation to the Russian market of the new vehicles will be carried out at the Engineering Technical Centre of the JV, with intellectual property rights for the platform to be contributed to the JV.
Target localization within the framework of the given project will reach no less than 50 percent, including the production of engines and gearboxes and the establishment of a new technology park for the production of components. Moreover, the required components will be produced at the production site of ZMZ and at the new technology park in Togliatti.
Thus, the establishment of FIAT/SOLLERS JV in Russia will become one of the biggest investment projects in the Russian automotive sector and will include all key aspects of vehicle production with high added value.
For implementation of the project the JV expects to get the support from the Russian Government in raising long-term loans at a favorable subsidized interest rate for the whole amount of the investments required, estimated at € 2.4 billion.
“The plans to implement a full-scale joint project reflect our confidence about the future development of the Russian automotive market. By establishing one of the global production centres specializing in the development and production of FIAT and Chrysler Group vehicles in Russia, we will be able to offer our customers the most desirable products in the most attractive passenger car segments and to occupy leading positions in the growing Russian market in forthcoming years,” said Vadim Shvetsov, CEO of SOLLERS.
For Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat Group and Chrysler Group, “Today’s agreement marks a turning point for our presence on the Russian market. This is one of the largest alliances signed by our Group in one of the World’s most important markets. This partnership forms part of Fiat Group’s and Chrysler Group’s strategy of increased internationalization which will allow us to also leverage our two Group’s know-how, expand our geographical footprint, increase customer choice and achieve cost benefits.”
Right now, the Dow is holding on to its gains, up nearly 100 points to the 10,136 level. The NASDAQ is up 28 points to 2175 and the S&P 500 is up 10 points to 1077.
The Euro continues to fall though it’s stabilized a bit since earlier.
Oil is up $0.66 cents to $75.18 a barrel.
Gold is soaring, up $17.60 to $1094 an ounce. Silver is up $0.31 to $15.61 an ounce.
Dodge Caravan – Click above for high-res image gallery
Chrysler invented the minivan, and Team Pentastar is so confident that you’ll like its newest people mover that the automaker is giving you 60 days to try a Dodge Grand Caravan or Chrysler Town and Country for yourself. Chrysler’s new 60-day “Minivan Pledge” is open until March 31 to owners of competitive makes. Fred Diaz, President and CEO of the Ram brand and lead executive for sales, said in the company’s press release that Chrysler and Dodge minivan owners love their boxy rides and he wants the rest of the world to know why.
“Roughly 67 percent of our minivan buyers are previous owners, and the Chrysler Town & Country has won the R.L. Polk Owner Loyalty award in the minivan category nine years in a row. That’s a testimonial that is earned by building the best minivan year in and year out,”
Chrysler’s 60 day pledge is very similar to a program offered by General Motors in late 2009. The General claims its program was a success in part because relatively few customers brought their vehicles back because they were dissatisfied. Chrysler’s program is unique in that only minivans are covered by the pledge. Hit the jump to read over the Chrysler press release.
CHICAGO — Derrick Rose left the Chicago Bulls’ game against the Orlando Magic with a bruised right hip, throwing the point guard’s status for this weekend’s All-Star game into question.
Rose was injured about 2 1/2 minutes into Wednesday’s game when he got knocked to the floor by Dwight Howard while driving for a layup. He clutched his lower back and was slow to get up.
He hit the free throw to complete the three-point play but left right after that.
After X-rays taken at the arena showed no structural damage, Rose went for an MRI at Rush University Medical and was unavailable for comment. His status for the All-Star game is in question.
“If (the MRI) is OK, we’ll just have to see how his symptoms resolve over the next four days,” trainer Fred Tedeschi said. “If there’s not a great deal of inflammation, we can be optimistic.”
Losing Rose would be a devastating blow for the Bulls. Last season’s NBA Rookie of the Year, he made his first All-Star team and was selected for the U.S. national team pool Wednesday.
SPRINGFIELD — Facing a dire budget situation, Gov. Pat Quinn has been lobbying lawmakers for months to give him more time to craft a state budget.
On Wednesday, Democrats who control the Illinois Senate pushed through a proposal that would give him three additional weeks to crunch, massage and work out the numbers.
The measure was approved 31-21. All Republicans voted “no,” arguing that Quinn shouldn’t get extra time since the state’s budget woes already are well-documented and should be addressed “sooner rather than later.”
“I think it’s a little foolhardy to move this back into March,” said state Sen. Brad Burzynski, R-Clare.
In giving Quinn extra time, Democrats also added a new wrinkle to the often byzantine budgeting process that has left Illinois government teetering on the edge of an $11 billion hole.
Now, instead of launching the budget-writing process after the governor’s speech March 10, Quinn will be required to post an online outline of the state’s financial details two weeks before he takes the stage.
The numbers will give Illinois residents an opportunity to review and chime in on the state’s finances, supporters said.
“A budget that reflects input from the people of Illinois will be a better budget for the people of Illinois,” Quinn wrote in a letter to lawmakers.
Republicans said Quinn already has the ability to make budget numbers widely available to the public. Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont, called the move “window-dressing” to hide that the governor was supposed to outline his budget next week, not next month.
“We ought to have the budget address when it was scheduled,” Radogno said.
Cullerton said the partisanship on the issue indicates the legislative session may be a raucous, sniping affair in the coming months as the two parties parry for votes heading into November.
“This does not bode well for the rest of the year,” he said.
The measure now moves to the House for further action.
JOHANNESBURG — South African lawmakers sang Nelson Mandela’s praises Thursday as the anti-apartheid icon settled into parliament’s public gallery for a State of the Nation address scheduled in tribute to his 20 years of freedom.
The front runner for the republican nomination for governor, State Senator Bill Brady, wants to change the state constitution to ban same-sex marriages and same-sex unions.
CHICAGO — Derrick Rose left the Chicago Bulls’ game against the Orlando Magic with a bruised right hip, throwing the point guard’s status for this weekend’s All-Star game into question.
SPRINGFIELD — Facing a dire budget situation, Gov. Pat Quinn has been lobbying lawmakers for months to give him more time to craft a state budget.