Category: News

Novartis said today that it’s looking to buy out the balance of Alcon, the big eye-care company. Novartis already has a 25% stake, and if the deal goes through as announced, Novartis will have invested about $50 billion to acquire all of Alcon.

Given Alcon’s prominent place in the contact lens aisle of your neighborhood pharmacy, it’s tempting to label this deal as a drug-maker’s bid to get into the consumer-health business — like Sanofi-Aventis’s recent (much smaller) agreement to buy Chattem, maker of Gold Bond powder and Selsun Blue shampoo.

But take a look at Alcon’s recent quarterly report and you’ll see that consumer products accounted for only about 13% of the company’s sales. The company makes most of its money from prescription drugs (particularly those used to treat glaucoma and infection of the eyes) and surgical products (with an especially strong business in treating cataracts).

So what Novartis is really buying its way into here is a specialty-care company with a strong foothold in eye doctors’ offices. Alcon’s businesses are likely to grow both as the population in the developed world ages (advanced age is a risk factor for both cataracts and glaucoma) and as income rises in the developing world, allowing more people to pay for treatments like cataract surgery.

Dow Jones Newswires has more on the details about the proposed deal.

General Motors announced today that its sales in China jumped 66.9 percent in 2009 to a record 1,826,424 units. GM credits the sales to Buick, Chevrolet and Wuling vehicles in helping GM China achieve an estimated market share of 13.4 percent, up 1.3 percent from the end of 2008.

GM said that the strong year-end results are due in part because of the record December sales by the company’s Shanghai GM and SAIC-GM-Wuling joint ventures and the addition of sales from its new FAW-GM joint venture.

“Despite the sales records in 2009, it looks as if 2010 will be even stronger,” said Kevin Wale, President and Managing Director of the GM China Group. “The industry outlook is strong and we expect more growth, albeit on a somewhat slower pace. It is our intent to keep up with that growth and make sure we defend our leadership position.”

During his recent trip to China, President Barack Obama said that GM “can learn from their operations” in China “in terms of increasing sales back in the United States.”

Click through to read more detailed sales breakdown in the press release posted after the jump.

Press Release:

GM Sales in China Jump 66.9% in 2009 to All-Time High, Continue to Lead the Industry

* 1,826,424 units sold in 2009, achieving year-end market share record of 13.4%
* Builds on forward-looking strategy of rolling out new products with improved fuel economy
* Ongoing expansion and investment position GM for long-term success

Shanghai – GM and its joint ventures in China announced today that their domestic sales jumped 66.9 percent in 2009 to a record 1,826,424 units. Based on bullish sales of Buick, Chevrolet and Wuling vehicles, the GM China family achieved an estimated market share of 13.4 percent, another year-end record and an improvement of 1.3 percentage points from the end of 2008.

The strong year-end results were possible in part because of record December sales by GM’s Shanghai GM and SAIC-GM-Wuling joint ventures and the addition of sales from its new FAW-GM joint venture.

Modern products

“We are proud of our performance in 2009,” said Kevin Wale, President and Managing Director of the GM China Group. “Chinese consumers responded enthusiastically to our lineup of modern, fuel-efficient and stylish products, validating our strategy of rolling out a steady cadence of great vehicles that are leaders in their respective segments. This is part of GM’s global strategy of focusing on designing, building and selling the world’s best products.”

In 2009, as part of GM’s aggressive product launch strategy, GM and its joint ventures in China introduced several new and upgraded models to keep up with strong industry demand, including the new Buick LaCROSSE and New Regal turbo series; the Chevrolet Cruze; and the new Cadillac SLS and SRX. In addition, GM continued to bring to China its latest technology such as the new 1.2-liter engine in the Chevrolet Spark and ECOTEC 1.6-liter DVVT engine in the Chevrolet Cruze. Both powertrains made the list of the 10 best engines in China for 2009.

Growing investment

GM and its joint ventures continued increasing their investment in China to help position themselves for long-term success. To provide better service to local customers, Shanghai OnStar initiated in-vehicle safety, security and communication services. It welcomed its first subscriber in China on December 20. In addition, the GM China Science Lab was launched and PATAC opened its new vehicle safety lab. Shanghai GM broke ground on China’s largest proving ground in Anhui province, SAIC-GM-Wuling opened a new engine plant in Qingdao, and GM China moved to new offices in Shanghai, sharing space with the GM International Operations headquarters and the Center for Advanced Research and Science.

To maintain its growth, the GM China family continued to expand. In the middle of the year, GM launched an important new partnership with FAW, FAW-GM, which has given GM a presence in the light commercial vehicle segment. In December, GM and SAIC Motor announced the establishment of a new 50-50 joint venture investment company, General Motors SAIC Investment Ltd., to capture business opportunities in Asia’s emerging markets.

The joint global automobile partners of World Expo 2010 Shanghai, GM and SAIC, built their corporate pavilion. GM and SAIC will be jointly showcasing their vision for the future of urban transportation called “Drive to 2030.” GM will highlight its advances and leadership in vehicle electrification and connectivity technology.

Record Buick, Chevrolet and Wuling sales

Domestic sales by Shanghai GM rose 63.3 percent to 727,620 units in 2009. The passenger car joint venture was once again led by its original brand, Buick, which experienced sales growth of 59.6 percent year on year to 447,011 units. The Excelle, which sold 241,109 units, remained the brand’s bestseller for the sixth consecutive year. Further contributing to the resurgence of Buick in China were the New Regal, which generated sales of 79,930 units, and the new LaCROSSE, which generated sales of 43,429 units in just six months on the market.

Chevrolet sales in China likewise experienced strong growth, with 332,774 units sold – an increase of 67.1 percent from 2008. The Cruze, GM’s new global compact car, enjoyed great success in China, with sales of 92,190 units despite being on the market only nine months. In addition, the Lova had sales of 118,935 units.

In 2009, SAIC-GM-Wuling became the first automaker in China to sell more than 1 million vehicles in a year, increasing its domestic sales by 63.9 percent to 1,061,213 units. With sales of 596,630 units, the Wuling Sunshine set a Chinese industry record for annual sales by a single model.

FAW-GM sold 34,510 light commercial vehicles in the four months after its establishment in August 2009 and began construction of a new assembly plant in Ha’erbin.

According to Wale, “As China asserts itself as the world’s largest vehicle market, our domestic operations will be counted on to deliver solid results. We will continue to introduce cutting-edge products that are leaders in their segments in fuel economy, quality and styling.”

– By: Stephen Calogera

A Chicago blogger is living life according to Oprah. From following a 21-day vegan cleanse to investing in her very own pair of Cookie Johnson Jeans, Robyn Okrant — a Lincoln Square street performer/yoga instructor/blogger — has spent the past 12 months trying to live her life according to the principles of America’s most popular talk show host.

Five bucks says Hollywood will figure out some way to turn this into a movie…..

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Article Tags: Headline Story, Met Office, Piers Corbyn, UK Winter Forecast 2009/10, World Temperatures

● Prolonged cold spells driven by solar magnetic activity
● Met Office, BBC & brainwashing Press challenged
● North hemisphere reverting to cold winters of the ‘60s
● Britain, Ireland, Europe & much of N hemisphere could be in coldest 6 winters in 100 years.
● Road salt will run out in UK.
● Bitter cold Icy blasts and snow deluges will continue in Britain, Ireland, Europe, Russia,
● North China, Korea, Canada & USA through most of January & February

Piers Corbyn astrophysicist of WeatherAction long range weather & climate forecasters today extended his New Year’s Eve warning of continuing cold weather in Britain, Ireland and Holland to now include a detailed forecast of extremes for USA (see below) & description of trends in most of the North hemisphere.

“The cold and often snowy weather now gripping the USA, Britain, Ireland and Europe will continue through most of January & February in most of the N Hemisphere above 30deg North. There will be some milder breaks but these will be rather short” said Piers.

Click source to read FULL report from Piers Corbyn

Source: weatheraction.com

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When it comes to cakes, author Rose Levy Beranbaum knows what she’s talking about. She came out with The Cake Bible in 1988 and that book has been the go-to of lots of professional bakers and serious home bakers ever since thanks to its comprehensive collection of precisely-written recipes. Rose’s Heavenly Cakes is Beranbaum’s newest venture and it is packed with many new cake recipes. One of the biggest drawbacks to the The Cake Bible is that many people find it to be intimidating because of the ultra-detailed ingredients lists, instructions and techniques used. This newer book doesn’t lose any of the precision of the previous volume, but is a lot more user-friendly right off the bat.

The first thing you’ll notice is the photography. The book has more than 100 beautiful full-color photos illustrating just about every recipe, showing not just the appearance of the finished cake, but often the texture of the crumb so you have an idea of what you’re getting as you bake. The recipes are carefully laid out, with measurements for ingredients given by volume and by weight, and clear instructions that are easy to follow along with. While some of the cakes in the book are more difficult than others, all seem approachable. Beranbaum includes notes about variations, as well as relevant baking/ingredient tips, alongside the recipes.

The introduction, Rose’s Rules of Cake Baking, is brief and to the point and features a list of ten important tips about ingredients and techniques. All the rest of the “technical information” is found at the back of the book where it can be used as a reference, along with references for ingredient and equipment sources.The chapters include Butter and Oil Cakes, Sponge Cakes, Mostly Flourless Cakes and Cheesecakes, Baby Cakes and Wedding Cakes. The recipes range from simple to quite complex and the selection should definitely appeal to experienced and/or adventurous bakers who get tired of seeing books intended only for novices. That said, with the excellent recipe writing, every recipe should be do-able for a baker of any skill level – although I would still suggest starting with the easier recipes and working your way up if you are just starting out on your cake baking endeavors. Otherwise, the book offers a huge variety of recipes in a wide range of flavors and with it you should have no problem turning out cakes that are indeed heavenly.

If you feel dumb even mentioning a trade idea, it's either A) a really dumb idea or B) a huge opportunity to profit from a very crowded trade.

Here are ten blasphemous 2010 trade ideas that spit in the face of conventional wisdom.

You can be the judge whether each idea is genius or just really dumb.

The ten ideas >>>

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• 10 Countries That Will Survive The Sovereign Credit Meltdown Of 2010
• The 10 CEOs Who Were Worth Every Penny This Decade
• 11 Surprising Commodities That Kicked Gold's Ass In 2009

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Tags: Dentist, Tampa Florida, Cosmetic Dentistry FL, Cosmetic dentist, Tampa, Florida, Francisco Arevalo, cosmetic dentistry, family and restorative dentistry, residents in Tampa FL, tooth whitening, dental implants, porcelain veneers, FL dentist

We all know that it’s quite common for the DMCA takedown process to be abused to suppress content that the takedown sender did not hold the right to, or which was clearly covered by fair use. Technically, the DMCA has section (f) which makes the notice issuer liable for misrepresentations, and could force them to pay legal fees. But it’s difficult to think of many cases where this has been actually used successfully. Often, those caught abusing the DMCA just say “sorry, it was a mistake” and get away with it. Funny, of course, that the same doesn’t work in the other direction for those caught infringing on copyrights under the DMCA. Say “sorry, it was a mistake” and you still might owe thousands of dollars.

Eric Goldman highlights a case where an ISP tried to use section (f) to go after a bunch of folks who issued questionable DMCA takedowns that were clearly designed to harass a couple of websites (and, at one point, were used to try to take down the entire ISP). The details are a bit convoluted, but basically, a group of people critical of what was being said on a website issued a series of DMCA takedowns to keep the site down every time it came back up following a counternotice. This seems like a perfect case where the takedown issuers should be hit with sanctions of some sort, but the case was dismissed on procedural grounds instead, which seem to be based on a misunderstanding of the DMCA itself.

But, more important is how this case demonstrates how the DMCA is abused not to prevent copyright infringement, but to try to silence speech that someone doesn’t like. We’ve had plenty of discussions about the conflicts between the First Amendment and copyright law, but here is a case where Congress has made a law that is all too often used to stifle speech.

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We’re back with another PreCentral Round Table, where your favorite webOS dorks + one guest prognosticate about, well, something interesting. Today we figured it was time to get on the record about what we’re really expecting on January 7th at Palm’s CES announcement. Come on in and see what we’re thinking and then let us know what you’re thinking.

Hopes and dreams will be confirmed, dashed, or ignored completely… after the break! (Updated with one more prediction)

read more

Here is something to help kick off your Monday. The following is video that contains two guys racing to hump hug an Aston Martin Cygnet. Weird? Bad attempt at viral marketing? Waste of time? All of the above? We think so.

Refresher: Based on the Toyota iQ, the Aston Martin Cygnet will be powered by a 1.3L engine making 97-hp, allowing it to hit a top speed of 105 mph. Aston Martin will make around 2,000 units and will sell them for around £20,000 (about $35,000 USD) a pop. The Cygnet is only available to those who currently own an Aston.

Click through for the video.

Aston Martin Cygnet:

– By: Kap Shah

Prions, which cause diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob and BSE (commonly called mad cow), are pretty scary stuff. They don’t have any genetic material; instead, they’re made from a protein that’s normally produced by the brain. Like something out of science fiction, they adopt a distinct conformation, and then induce all the other proteins around them to adopt the same structure, gradually creating a tangle that’s fatal to brain cells. Expose a healthy animal to the prions of a sick one, and the diseased form will gradually take over.

As if that weren’t scary enough, evidence has been building that there are different strains of prions, presumably caused by slightly different protein structures, that vary in their ability to attack different hosts, the speed at which they progress, and their sensitivity to drugs that alter protein processing. New research published in Science shows that it’s possible to convert one strain to another.

So, for example, the researchers were able to take a strain that was sensitive to a drug and grow it for a number of generations in the presence of the drug. A small fraction of the prions appear to be drug resistance at the start, and these become the majority after a number of generations. In the same way, it’s possible to shift a population so it grows in better on different cells, or even better in cultured cells instead of the brain.

If all of that sounds familiar, it should—this is precisely the behavior we call evolution when it happens to a living organism or virus.

The researchers propose that there are a number (possibly more than a dozen) of low-energy potential prion structures that are separated by higher energy barriers. When a prion converts a normal protein, it typically forces it into the same structure as itself, but at a low probability, other variant structures result. The population of these variants can then expand or contract based on selective pressures.

Science, 2009. DOI: 10.1126/science.1183218

What is a “Brief” post?”

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In a desperate attempt to maintain some sort of enthusiasm for perhaps the most over-hyped vehicle since the 2010 Camaro, Chevrolet’s marketing department assembled a rag tag group of dancers to perform what appears to be an epileptic fit. While the dance/cheer/cluster successfully accomplished Chevy’s larger objective of bringing the Volt to the forefront of popular conversation, it also garnered a fair amount of criticism for brilliant lyrics such as “…V for Chevy Volt you see, it’s so simple like a dimple, plug it in and see.”

Unfortunately, contrary to what one would logically assume, the marketing team responsible for this gem was not under the influence of any illicit substances and was subsequently mildly offended by the negative feedback. According to a story published by the Detroit News this morning, Chevy claims the Volt Dance was never intended to appeal to the audience of automotive press professionals or adult car buyers, but rather to the children.

Apparently, Chevy reached the (correct) conclusion that those members of society capable of processing complex abstract thought lost interest in the Volt months ago, and the only remaining marketing group still susceptible to the gimmick would be children. So, given that the bar was set pretty low to begin with, Chevy is chalking the entire disaster up to a quasi-success and will continue their quest to appeal exclusively to middle schoolers – presumably because said group will likely be in their mid-20’s by the time the Volt reaches production.

Source: DetNews

Irish singer Van Morrison is taking legal action against a British tabloid over claims that he fathered a child with his tour manager Gigi Lee. For the second time in a week, the “Into The Mystic” musician has denied the paternity rumors and announced he’ll sue the Mail on Sunday for publishing the report despite his repeated denials.

Morrison was forced to deny claims he had become a dad at 64 after a false birth announcement, claiming he fathered a son named George Ivan Morrison III, appeared on his official website last week. The reclusive legend strongly refutes the allegations, calling them the work of a cyber hacker.

In a statement obtained by Sky News Online, Morrison says he felt “reluctantly compelled” to speak out following the Mail’s report.

“There is no truth in the suggestion that I have recently become a father,” reads a statement obtained by Sky News Sunday. “The Mail were notified in advance that there was no factual basis for suggesting otherwise. I have instructed my solicitors to institute immediate legal proceedings against the Mail on Sunday and will take all appropriate action to prevent repetition of these allegations.”

France's Total is diving into U.S. shale gas via a new joint venture with Chesapeake Energy (CHK). It's yet another vote of confidence in the future of U.S. natural gas, as if Exxon's XTO acquisition wasn't enough.

Chesapeake press release: Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) today announced the execution of an agreement for a $2.25 billion joint venture with Total E&P USA, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Total S.A. (NYSE:TOT, FP:FP) ("Total"), whereby Total will acquire a 25% interest in Chesapeake's upstream Barnett Shale assets. Total will pay $800 million in cash at closing and will pay an additional $1.45 billion by funding 60% of Chesapeake's share of drilling and completion expenditures until the $1.45 billion obligation has been funded, which Chesapeake expects to occur by year-end 2012. Closing of the transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval, is anticipated by the end of January 2010.

For investors, Chesapeake Energy provides an interesting way to go long U.S. natural gas for the long-term given they claim to have some of the lowest production costs around and are levered to the shale gas revolution. The shares also remain well below the $66 peak they hit in 2008.

Everyone should complete their own due diligence on any company. The author has exposure to Chesapeake Energy through a fund. UPDATE 9:48 AM -- The author has purchased Chesapeake (CHK) shares.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Natural Gas Companies Fleeing Back To Oil After Exxon Dives Into Their Turf
• Even When Natural Gas Rallies, United States Natural Gas Still Sucks
• New York City Kills The Shale Gas Revolution

Article Tags: Climate Protest, Joanna Nova, Peter Spencer

Over 300 people have rallied in support of Peter Spencer outside Parliament House today, and the ABC* have covered it (at least on their website).

Click source to read FULL article

Source: joannenova.com.au

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Las más altas esferas de “la nueva” General Motors todavía no están completas. Uno de los cargos que aún está pendiente de encontrar una persona que lo ocupe para los próximos años es el de consejero delegado, y un nuevo rumor que apareció la semana pasada dice que el director de operaciones de Apple, Tim Cook, está en el punto de mira del grupo automovilístico estadounidense para cubrirlo. No obstante, es tan solo una cábala que de momento no ha sido confirmada.

Cook estuvo seis meses este año ejerciendo de director de operaciones durante la ausencia de Steve Jobs por motivos médicos y su trabajo tuvo grandes resultados como el lanzamiento de un nuevo modelo de iPhone. Para General Motors supondría un fichaje muy atrevido al no venir de otra empresa relacionada con el mundo automovilístico, pero podría dar un punto de vista diferente para futuros productos de las marcas que componen el grupo.

Según el rumor, Tim Cook habría sido aprobado como candidato por el actual consejero delegado provisional de General Motors, Edward Whitacre Jr., al provenir de una empresa que sea reconocida por valores como la satisfacción de sus clientes o su capacidad de innovación. Sin embargo, su elección es muy poco probable dado que Cook está en vistas de sustituir a Steve Jobs en el cargo de consejero delegado de Apple cuando lo deje.

Esta tendencia de General Motors de buscar nuevas caras para su cúpula fuera de la industria automovilística no es nueva. Hay que recordar que a principios de diciembre el que era director financiero de Microsoft, Chris Liddell, anunció que ocupará ese mismo puesto además del de vicepresidente en el grupo automovilístico.

Vía | Tengo un Mac

Speaking of being a skeptic…

The skeptic who goes by the name QualiaSoup on YouTube posts fantastic short videos outlining why critical thinking is important, and his new one is no exception:

This one isn’t as hard-hitting as some of his others, but it outlines just why we need to think critically, and his message at the end is particularly apt.