Category: News

YouTube has never been just about the videos but about the community around them as well. With hundreds of millions of users, though, the community can get pretty crowded and less than useful. YouTube is now introducing a new tool that should help even video creators with millions of followers to interact with them. With Google Mo… (read more)

Asia and European stocks are both broadly higher in what looks like an extension of yesterday’s U.S. strength, with MSCI Asia’s APEX 50 surging 1.7%. Notable Asian movers were Hong Kong up 1.6%, China’s mainland CSI 300 down -0.3%, and Australia up 1.8%. France, Germany, and the U.K. are all up about 0.3%, but MSCI Eurozone is up 0.6%.

The euro has been trying to grind higher, and is now just under $1.24.

Meanwhile, the world’s fulcrum currency, the Aussie dollar, has been moving steadily higher, continuing its run from yesterday.

Still, U.S. futures look like they’ve had enough rallying for now, via Finviz. Right now the Nasdaq and S&P500 are pointing to a flat open, but let’s see how this progresses in the next few hours.

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Nesta quinta-feira, a pilota brasileira Ana Beatriz Figueiredo (Ipiranga /FlowGuard Gold /Monange /Bardahl) trocou a pista pela passarela do 29º Cara Charities Fashion Show, veja galeria de fotos ao final da matéria, tradicional evento beneficente da programação da Indy 500, a 500 Milhas de Indianápolis, em que alguns pilotos da Fórmula Indy protagonizam um desfile de moda.

“Foi divertido. No começo, estranhei um pouco, pois nunca desfilei, tinha muita gente e muitos fotógrafos, mas depois relaxei e curti”, conta a pilota da Ipiranga Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, que desfilou vestindo jeans e blusa colorida de uma das grifes participantes do evento.

Este foi só mais um compromisso na variada e intensa agenda extra-pista de Bia Figueiredo, como é conhecida no Brasil, nesta semana da Indy 500, que será disputada no próximo domingo, 30 de maio. Ela começou indo com os outros pilotos da Fórmula Indy visitar a ESPN, em Bristol, Connecticut.

Nesta quinta-feira, Bia também participou das entrevistas coletivas dos pilotos e de corrida de kart promovida por sua equipe. Na sexta-feira, 28, ela visita o camarote da Ipiranga e da Band após o treino de aquecimento previsto para o fim da manhã, das 12 às 13 horas de Brasília.

Às 17 horas de Brasília, a pilota falará com o público em chat no portal UOL, depois irá ao coquetel da Firestone e a seguir à festa da sua equipe.

Para terminar a noite, irá a jantar oferecido pela Ipiranga, já na companhia de André Ribeiro, gestor de sua carreira com Augusto Cesário, que esteve com ela em Indianápolis na semana passada, nos treinos e na classificação para a corrida.

Sábado será dia de festa com o almoço da Band reunindo a comunidade brasileira participante da Indy 500 e não tem treino. Mas tem sessão de autógrafos, encontro dos pilotos com o público e o Festival Parade, evento em que eles pilotam carros conversíveis pela pista, acenando para a plateia. Para encerrar o dia, Bia fará aparições em jantares da Transsystems e da Saint Joe, parceiros de sua equipe.

No domingo, após a corrida, a pilota visitará o camarote da Ipiranga e da Band. À noite, participará de jantar oferecido pela Ipiranga, sua patrocinadora máster. Mas só na segunda-feira, 31, a programação da Indy 500 2010, iniciada em 8 de maio, será encerrada, com um jantar de gala oferecido pela Fórmula Indy.

Perfil

Pilota de competição desde os oito anos de idade, a paulistana Ana Beatriz Figueiredo, 25 anos, é a primeira brasileira a correr em uma categoria top do automobilismo internacional.

Foi a melhor estreante da São Paulo Indy 300, sua primeira corrida na Fórmula Indy, em março passado, no circuito de rua do Anhembi.

A 500 Milhas de Indianápolis será sua primeira corrida acelerando o carro de 650 cavalos da Indy em um circuito oval.

É a única mulher do mundo a vencer na Fórmula Renault, três vezes, em 2005, e na Indy Lights, duas vezes, em 2008 e 2009.

É a melhor estreante e a mulher melhor posicionada no grid da 94ª edição da Indy 500 , largando da 21ª de 33 posições disputadíssimas para a corrida de 805 quilômetros em 200 voltas pelas duas milhas e meia do circuito oval do Indianápolis Motor Speedway que será realizada em 30 de maio de 2010.

AGENDA – 500 Milhas de Indianápolis 2010 – Horários de Brasília

Sexta-feira, 28 de maio
12h00 às 13h00: Treino livre
14h30 às 16h00: Competição de pit stops

Domingo, 30 de maio
14h00: Corrida

Fotos:
Bia no desfile do Cara Charities Fashion Show – crédito: Divulgação
Bia no Indianapolis Motor Speedway – crédito: Divulgação
Bia acelera em Indianápolis – crédito: Bret Kelley / IndyCar

www.biaracing.com

Many a-time have I moaned about the lack of photo-altering apps available for Android. The iPhone has Hipstamatic and Swankolab—it can’t be too hard to create similar apps for Android, can it developers? Enter FxCamera. More »










Android – Handhelds – IPhone – Smartphone – Swankolab

The Mercedes SLS AMG has been voted Germany’s car of the year by AutoBild readers, and so would we have done if we were Germans and AutoBild readers. The SLS AMG tops the rankings above the new Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet, finishing second. It’s only the fifth edition of the competition but given some of the contenders over the last few years, we can safely say that the German auto brands are some of the best in the market.

103 cars, both series models and prototypes, were in the running and this year saw Mercedes win a second time: in 2009 the Mercedes E-Class sedan was the winner. In front of Audi, BMW and Volkswagen, this could be a sign that Mercedes, at least in its own market, is enjoying the spotlight.

Quick links from the past week in mind and brain news:

Decorative illustrations of women scientists improves girls’ test scores on a chemistry test, according to research covered by Big Think.

The Philosopher’s Zone from ABC Radio National had a great discussion of Nietzsche and his idea of the ‘will to power’.

fMRI in 1000 words. An excellent piece from Neuroskeptic discusses the technology behind the popular neuroimaging technique, minus the analysis.

All in the Mind (the BBC version) has just started a new series. Still a little bit starched but (at bloody last) available as a podcast.

Spanish paper El País has a barnstorming piece on El mito de la adicción a Internet [The myth of internet addiction] which kindly quotes me.

The BPS Research Digest has a fascinating piece on how men with brown eyes perceived as more dominant but not because their eyes are brown.

A history of the ‘ultra pure heroin flooding the streets’ scare story. A brief but revealing article in Slate.

Neuron Culture has a wonderfully eclectic link shower featuring mechanical brides, lie detectors, enemies and risk taking.

The author of Drugstore Cowboy has just been arrested again, aged 73, for robbing drugstores, reports The New York Times.

Neurophilosophy covers a lovely study finding that watching forward or back computer motion directs idle thoughts to the future or past.

Does age mediate susceptibility to cognitive biases? asks Barking Up the Wrong Tree.

Wired discusses Aperger’s, institutionalisation and ex-hacker Adrian Lamo.

Remember the two teenagers who died after reportedly taking now-banned ‘legal high’ mephedrone? BBC News reports on toxicology tests that found no such drug in their bodies. Another triumph for media-driven drugs policies.

The Globe and Mail reports on research investigating the brain effects of poverty, although doesn’t delve too deep into which aspects of poverty may be having the effects.

The late Syd Barrett of psychedelic pioneers Pink Floyd warrants a short article in The American Journal of Psychiatry.

Science News reports on research finding that a version of gene 5-HTT makes children more vulnerable to the effect of bullying.

Leading psychiatrist Peter Tyrer slams the UK governments Dangerous and Severe Personality Disorder http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/may/26/dangerous-killers-200m-plan-waste”>programme, reports The Guardian. There is some defence of the scheme in The Psychologist.

In The News has an excellent analysis of US laws aimed at marking out sex offenders and their unintended side-effects.

Cynthia Pomerleau, author of Why Women Smoke is interviewed on the excellent Addiction Inbox.

Wired Science reports that a shot of testosterone makes people more suspicious of each other.

Racial bias weakens our ability to feel someone else’s pain, according to research covered by Not Exactly Rocket Science.

BBC News reports on a study finding that prescribing heroin to long-term relapsing heroin addicts gives them a better chance of kicking the habit.

Here’s the most near-term and acute challenge for Italy and Spain right now. Both nations face a large wave of government debt coming due over the next three years, as shown by their debt maturity profiles below from Der Spiegel.

Italy: 251.5 billion euros of debt maturing this year, followed by 192.2 billion in 2011, and then 168.2 billion in 2012. This is about 32% of Italy’s $2.3 trillion GDP (GDP based on 2008 data from The World Bank).

Spain:  76.5 billion euros in 2010, followed by 84 billion in 2011, and then 61.2 billion in 2012. That’s about 17% of Spain’s $1.6 trillion GDP. In this sense Spain is in better shape.

Greece, of course also has a similar problem: 15.8, 31.3, and 31.7 billion euros of government debt coming due in 2010, 2011, and 2012 respectively. This is about 27% of Greece’s $356 billion economy.

Thus on this front, Italy looks in similarly bad shape as Greece, though Greece’s currently collapsing economy compounds the problem while Italy’s meager economic growth helps a bit.

GDP charts via Trading Economics.

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Google has officially announced its acquisition of mobile advertising startup AdMob. The acquisition was held off for more than six months as the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigated the possible monopoly implications of the deal. Google owns the largest online advertising network in the world and, at the time, AdMob was the largest mobile advertiser… (read more)

YouTube, the online video sharing giant, on which the Government of Pakistan had imposed a Ban, went back online in Pakistan after the IT Ministry lifted the restrictions. YouTube was amongst the 1,200 URLs, which were blocked access after a row about the “blasphemous” content on the Internet. YouTube is the 3rd most searched or visited page from Pakistan and enjoys great customer database which results to billions of dollars in revenue.

An official word from the ministry included:

“YouTube has been unblocked but the links to sacrilegious content would remain inaccessible in Pakistan.”

Even after the ban was lifted, some 550 URLs on the site remained blocked along with the other 1200 URLs. Internet Service Providers continued to block material leading to such URLs. The clampdown started after a Facebook user organized a contest to draw the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), naming it draw Mohammad Day. This sparked the Muslim community, which took to roads and protested upon which the Lahore High Court ordered Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) to block all such content.

Traffic to YouTube amounted to 25 percent which later increased by another 8 percent after the ban was lifted. Muslims continue to protest as they wait for the hearing to proceed on Monday regarding Facebook ban.

Related posts:

1. Pakistan Blocks YouTube and Facebook
2. YouTube is added to the banned sites in Pakistan
3. Pakistan Prohibits Facebook in the Country Because of “Draw Mohammed Day”

The premium unit of German brand Volkswagen, Audi is famous for its unmatched interiors and not just us, but even GM seems conscious of this fact. GM’s Vice President of Global Engineering, Karl Stracke is the one who has gone public with his viewpoints regarding the Audi interiors quality. As per Karl, GM is fast-improving the quality of its interiors but it is still to meet the benchmark set by Audi. Karl mentioned that he recently drove the Corvette Grand Sport and he did like the performance but what did not convince him were the interiors. GM is putting in serious efforts to improve the quality of interiors and the company has recently started a program that lets the company engineers test competitor’s products every Friday at the Milford Proving Grounds.

There are 1,000 stories from any night in this crazy numbers racket. I’m here to tell you a few of them.

• The Mets have to feel great about themselves this morning, completing a three-game shutout sweep of the Phillies and doing so without Johan Santana(notes) ever taking the mound. Mike Pelfrey(notes) did the honors Thursday (7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 5 K) and I’m not sure what to make of the start; while his fastball looked as live as I’ve seen all year, he was also bailed out by three timely double plays.

The New York offense didn’t light up the scoreboard against Cole Hamels(notes) (6.1 IP, 3 R), but there are reasons for the Mets to be optimistic about their lineup. Jose Reyes is on a 14-for-32 binge, lifting his average to .249, Jason Bay(notes) has a zesty 1.026 OPS at home, and Angel Pagan(notes) has been a handy find in center field, hitting .296 with eight steals in 11 attempts.

Pagan’s been especially effective in May (.330, 15 runs, nine walks against 10 strikeouts) and his emergence is essential for the Mets right now as the Carlos Beltran(notes) timetable seems to be pushed back weekly. GM Omar Minaya admitted on Thursday that it’s unlikely we’ll see Beltran back with the club before the All-Star break. Pagan’s current ownership level in Yahoo! leagues is a modest 10 percent; that number needs to be doubled, if not tripled, in short order. Show an open mind for the Angel of Queens.

• The Twins looked like a bad matchup for Javier Vazquez(notes) on paper (all those good left-handed bats) and that’s how it played out on the field; Minnesota knocked Vazquez around for eight hits and five runs over 5.2 innings. Vazquez gets a break next week with Baltimore on the schedule, albeit he’ll have to toil in Yankee Stadium.

Target Field hasn’t been homer-friendly for the Twins through two months, but Jason Kubel(notes) got things working Thursday, clocking two homers and adding an RBI double. "It hasn’t been flying here," Kubel said. "But if you pull the ball, it can get out. So maybe that’s the key."

• The Brewers bullpen had it going in Thursday’s 10-inning victory over Houston;t the final four Milwaukee pitchers worked scoreless innings. Okay, you don’t throw a parade for stopping the hapless Astros offense, but it was a step forward. Zach Braddock(notes), Todd Coffey(notes) and Carlos Villanueva(notes) each worked their inning while the Brewers were trailing by a run; Villanueva struck out the side in the ninth, working around a couple of hits.

Milwaukee tied the game in the bottom of the ninth (capitalizing on a rare 2010 misstep from Matt Lindstrom(notes)), then handed the ball to John Axford(notes) for the tenth (perfect inning, two strikeouts). Lindstrom, inexplicably asked to work a second inning, walked in the winning run in the bottom of the tenth.

The Brewers never had a save situation in the game, so don’t read too much into Trevor Hoffman(notes) not pitching; he’ll probably see the ninth inning on the weekend if there’s a lead to protect. That said, if Hoffman were pitching well this year, he probably would have come into this game in the top of the tenth; that’s routine work for a home-team closer – pitching in a tie game once the save is no longer possible.

• Johnny Cueto(notes) continues to roll over the weak NL Central; Thursday he threw six dominant innings at the Pirates (6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 9 K). At times you’ll see Cueto nibble too much when a game is close, but when the Reds are able to score for him early, he seems to relax and trust his stuff more. He’s on a 5-0 binge over his last six starts, posting a 1.85 ERA and 40 strikeouts (against eight walks) over 39 innings. He’ll work at St. Louis next week, and possibly Washington on the weekend if the Reds want to keep him on normal rest.

Kings of Pain: Curtis Granderson(notes) (hamstring) will probably come off the disabled list and play Friday against the Indians. … Brian Anderson(notes) (elbow) is still tentatively scheduled to pitch Saturday at Detroit. He did some throwing Thursday with no setbacks reported. I’m not a fan of starting pitchers right off the DL; unless you’re desperate for weekend innings, put Anderson in the scouting queue for at least one turn. … Andre Ethier(notes) (thumb) is ready for a rehab assignment and might be with the Dodgers next week. … Brad Lidge(notes) (elbow) had a clean bullpen session Thursday, which sets him up to start a rehab assignment on the weekend. The Phillies don’t have to rush anything with Lidge, given how well Jose Contreras(notes) has pitched this season. … Nick Punto(notes) (finger) should be able to play Friday after missing the previous four games. If that doesn’t make your weekend, nothing will. … Carlos Zambrano(notes) made a surprise visit to the hospital Thursday, dealing with abdominal pain; thankfully, it wasn’t an appendix problem. Zambrano’s setback is good news for Tom Gorzelanny(notes) – he’ll get more chances to fight for his rotation spot while Zambrano transitions back to starting. … Strikeout tease Bud Norris(notes) (biceps) won’t be able to start Saturday at Cincinnati. Brian Moehler(notes) gets the call instead; be ready with your Cincinnati hitters . . . Luke Scott(notes) (shoulder) hopes to make it back Friday. … Brian McCann(notes) (quad) didn’t get the start in rainy Florida. … J.A. Happ(notes) (forearm) threw 50 pitches Thursday and didn’t have a setback.

At some point in the future will we look back at our actions today and refer to them as our greatest missed opportunity? A successful dividend growth strategy takes time. Unfortunately, many income investors don’t have the luxury of time on their side and must focus on high-yield investments to meet current expenses. These high-yield investments are often accompanied by high-risk. For those with time, a solid long-term strategy focusing on quality stocks that grow their dividends will treat them well in their retirement years.

Below are several companies that did not miss missing this opportunity to raise their cash dividends:

Bunge Limited (BG) is an integrated global agribusiness and food company that has operations primarily in North and South America, and distribution capabilities worldwide. May 20th the company increased its quarterly dividend 9.5% to $0.23/share. The dividend is payable on September 2, 2010, to shareholders of record on August 19, 2010. The yield based on the new payout is 1.79%.

Knight Transportation (KNX) is a short- to medium-haul truckload carrier that transports general commodities and temperature-controlled loads. May 20th the company raises its quarterly dividend 20% to $0.06/share. The dividend is payable to shareholders of record on June 4, 2010 and is expected to be paid on June 25, 2010. The yield based on the new payout is 1.24%.

SEI Investments (SEIC) is a provider of investment processing, fund processing, and investment management business outsourcing solutions. May 25th the company increased its quarterly dividend 10% to $0.10/share. The dividend is payable on June 28 to shareholders of record on June 23. The ex-dividend date is June 21. SEIC is a Dividend Achiever and has raised its dividend for 18 consecutive years. The yield based on the new payout is 1.00%.

UnitedHealth Group (UNH) is a leading health care services company providing health benefit services to over 32 million individuals across the U.S. May 26th the company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.125/share. The dividend will be paid on June 21, 2010 to all shareholders of record of UnitedHealth Group common stock as of the close of business on June 7, 2010. The ex-dividend date is June 3, 2010. The yield based on the new payout is 1.74%.

Deere & Co. (DE) is the world’s biggest producer of farm equipment, and also is a large producer of construction machinery and lawn and garden equipment. May 26th the company increased its quarterly dividend 7% to $0.30/share. The dividend is payable August 2, 2010, to stockholders of record on June 30, 2010. The ex-dividend date is June 28, 2010. The yield based on the new payout is 2.14%.

McKesson Corp (MCK) provides pharmaceutical supply management and information technologies to a broad range of health care customers. May 26th the company increased its quarterly dividend 50% to $0.18/share. The dividend is payable on July 1, 2010, to shareholders of record on June 10, 2010. The ex-dividend date is June 8, 2010. MKC is a Dividend Achiever and has raised its dividend for 25 consecutive years. The yield based on the new payout is 1.04%.

H.J. Heinz (HNZ) produces a wide variety of food products worldwide, with a major presence in the U.S. in condiments, frozen potatoes, and convenience meals. May 27th the company raised their annualized common stock dividend in Fiscal 2011 by 12 cents, or 7.1%, to $1.80 from $1.68. The yield based on the new payout is 4.04%.

Cato (CATO) offers apparel and accessories, including sportswear, dresses, coats, shoes, lingerie, costume jewelry, and handbags for females in the southeastern U.S. May 27th the company increased its quarterly dividend by 12% to $0.185/share. The dividend is payable on June 28 to shareholders of record on June 14. The ex-dividend date is June 10. The yield based on the new payout is 3.06%.

Williams-Sonoma (WSM) sells high-quality products for the home via its retail stores and various direct-to-customer channels. May 27th the company raised its quarterly dividend 15% to $0.15/share. The dividend is payable on August 24, 2010 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on July 27, 2010. The ex-dividend date is July 23, 2010. The yield based on the new payout is 2.00%.

Selecting stocks with increasing dividends is critical for an income growth strategy. The above list contains stocks that recently raised their dividends, it is not a list of recommend buys. As always, due diligence should be performed before buying or selling any stock. For a list of stocks with a long string of consecutive cash dividend increases, see this list.

Full Disclosure: No position in the aforementioned securities. See a list of all my income holdings here.

(Photo Credit)

Related Posts:

• 8 Dividend Stocks Avoiding the Cash Trap
• Dividend Stocks Are ‘Slow Good’
• Five Companies Confident and Secure In Raising Their Dividends
• The Few, The Proud, The Dividend Raisers!
• Best Stocks For 2009

Eco Factor: Three-wheeled concept vehicle powered by electric batteries.

The Peugeot Velocite by auto designer Juan Carlos has been designed for the year 2020 when congested roads will force people to ride in compact zero emission vehicles. With a three-wheeled configuration, the Peugeot Velocite is powered by an electric engine and its sporty lines and compact design have been created to appeal to a younger audience.

Velocite’s low-resistance electric motor is housed inside the rear orbital wheel, whose center stays static. The outer wheel rotates and is driven directly by the motor. The single swing-arm is located on the right side of the wheel and provides a motorcycle-like suspension setup for simplicity. While rolling downhill, the motor functions as a generator that recharges onboard batteries.

Thanks: [Juan Carlos]

The second half of 2010 is going to be a very busy year for Motorola. The handset maker is fully focused on Android in hopes of returning to profitability and plans to launch at least 20 smartphones this year (eight are already out, so a dozen remain).

Speaking at an investor conference Thursday, Motorola Co-CEO Sanjay Jha announced his company would be bringing two new Android smartphones to Verizon Wireless in July. No specifics were given, but we think Motorola will target the high-end consumer with the Shadow (aka Droid 2 or XTRM) and go for the kiddies with the Flipout.

The Motorola Shadow could top the Droid Incredible and original Droid as Verizon’s fastest Android phone. Android benchmarks have revealed that the Shadow MB810 is the top performer behind only the Nexus One with Android 2.2.

Verizon is quickly becoming the carrier for high-end Android phones. Which Motorola devices do you hope they launch this summer?

“If [customers] think Android, that’s the generic. If they think Droid, that’s going to be the latest and the greatest on our network.”Lowell McAdamCEO Verizon Wireless

Related Posts

• Motorola Droid successor coming to Verizon later this year
• Possible Droid 2 passes Wi-Fi certification
• The Motorola Shadow re-emerges
• Motorola Shadow is in the limelight yet again
• 14 Android phone predictions for CTIA 2010

If you’re really looking to shine in any water-based hostilities this summer then the Saturator AK-47 Automatic Water Gun could be just what the aquatic arms dealer ordered. This weapon ups the ante on any previous manually powered water guns that rely on the handle being pumped to fire a semi-continuous stream of water. With the battery powered Saturator all one needs to do is hold down the trigger until the ammo runs out…
Continue Reading Win the back-yard arms race with the Saturator AK-47 Automatic Water Gun

Tags: AK-47,
Toys,
Water

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• Catit filtered water system for cats – and dogs!

Ever wanted to levitate a can or bottle inside an illuminated ring? Of course you have. Well, this device from Chinavasion uses the force to do just that. Unfortunately it uses force of the magnetic variety and not the Jedi kind, but the snappily named Magnetic Suspension Device is sure to be a conversation starter nonetheless. ..
Continue Reading The Magnetic Suspension Device – for all your home levitation needs

Tags: Gadgets,
Suspension

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Eco Factor: Sustainable radio powered by solar energy.

Becky Barber, a student at the University of Plymouth, has created a blueprint for a solar-powered radio constructed entirely from bamboo. The designer is hoping that the radio will help build a social enterprise opportunity in Madagascar.

The idea is that the use of sustainable and naturally occurring resources in the construction of the radios can provide jobs and opportunities for people in Madagascar. Becky has produced two models – a desktop version and a portable one constructed from hand-woven reeds.

Via: Physorg

Let’s just say that when France’s fiscal crunch time comes, as it has for Greece and Spain already, it’s going to be inordinately difficult to push through austerity measures. Probably more so than most European nations.

Strikes are already breaking out, just this Thursday, against raising the retirement age past 60 years:

France 24:

“What happens today will be fairly decisive for how things develop,” said Bernard Thibault, leader of the CGT, the largest of the broad coalition of trade unions organising the national protest.

“I’d like to see us exceed the mobilisation we achieved on March 23,” he told Europe 1 radio, referring to France’s last large-scale labour protest, when unions estimated turnout at 800,000 and the police at 350,000.

 

Two-thirds of voters in France said they were ready to joined the new rallies, according to polls conducted by Le Parisien and L’Humanite. Sarkozy is thus terrified to even speak of tightening the belt right now:

Many of France’s neighbours have announced harsh spending cuts but Sarkozy, who is suffering record unpopularity and faces a re-election fight in two years, has been cautious, refusing to speak of an austerity programme.

Nevertheless, this week ministers confirmed what had long been suspected: that he plans to abolish retirement at 60, a cherished symbol for the French left of its victories under late president Francois Mitterrand.

When the real austerity cuts come, average French perceptions better have changed (hopefully after seeing what’s happening in other nations right now), else the public push-back will unimaginable.

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While courts in nearby Norway rejected attempts to force ISP Telenor to block The Pirate Bay, the story appears to be quite different in Denmark. There, Telenor (which had been Tele2) was ordered to block The Pirate Bay, followed by a higher court upholding the block. Now, the Danish Supreme Court has weighed in and again insists that it’s perfectly fine for courts to demand an ISP totally block a website.

Apparently the ruling hinged on a questionable bit of Danish copyright law that makes an ISP liable for the content sent by users, because “the ISP makes temporary copies of small fragments of the copyrighted work as IP packets pass their routers.” Of course, if you read the law that way, that puts tremendous liability on any ISP. It seems wholly unreasonable to interpret the law that way — and, in fact, some point out that this appears to go against EU law. The article also notes that the questionable clause in Danish copyright law that puts this burden on ISPs was written by a guy who (you guessed it) now works for the recording industry. Funny how that works.

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Lets face it – a Zune music subscription is not going to be included in our cell phone contracts (ample proof of this exists in the KIN One and Two).  It is therefore welcome news that the Zune subscription itself may be dropping from the current $14.99 per month (which includes 10 free MP3s) to something a bit lower.

According to Zune senior product manager Terry Farrell Microsoft is facing un uphill battle with the product, and have seen many of its competitors lower their prices to around $9.99 or even free for streaming music.

“It’s definitely a challenging business,” Farrell said.

RealNetworks Inc.’s Rhapsody service in April slashed the monthly price of a premium music service to $10 from $14.99.

His admission to BusinessWeek that prices may be dropping, at least for streaming, is therefore no real surprise. So far the Zune music service has only managed to gain 2% of the market, while Amazon has managed to claw back 12% largely related to their presence on Android handsets.

How many of our readers who get a Windows Phone 7 device will also get a Zune subscription? Let us know below.

Read more at BusinessWeek here.