Top Headlines - part 75
AT&T Launches 4G in Five Cities
BUSINESS May 27, 2011 | 4:07 PM
- AT&T launches 4G in five cities
- Verizon releases their first 4G phone
- AT&T strikes deal to buy T-Mobile
The hottest craze in mobile phone technology is definitely LTE or 4G technology: AT&T have announced plans to launch their new 4G network in 5 cities - including Atlanta, Chicago, San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas - to be the first to try out LTE this summer.
By the end of the year, 10 cities are expected to be under 4G coverage. In anticipation of growing demand for 4G, 20 new phones and USB modems will be 4G compatible. The iPhone 5 is not expected to be a 4G compatible model.
Read more »Barnes & Noble Introduces New Nook
BUSINESS May 27, 2011 | 4:05 PM
- Barnes & Noble introduces new ebook reader
- Barnes & Noble attempts revamp as digital reader market leader
- Shares of the bookseller rose May 24
Barnes & Noble - has released a new e-book reader - called Nook - that has a battery life of two months without charges, a touch screen and weighs 7.5 ounces.
The new e-reader will sell for $139, competing with Amazon's Kindle e-reader, which also sells for that price. Nook will be available on June 10 in the United States and likely will not be sold in the UK where there are no Barnes & Noble retailers.
Read more »Australia’s Coastal Cities at Risk from Rising Ocean Levels
WORLD May 27, 2011 | 2:25 PM
- Ocean levels may rise to 1 meter by 2100, causing floods and destruction to major cities
- Nearly 85% of Australians live along the nation's coast
- Australia’s Climate Commission claims carbon emissions must be eliminated to help cease harmful impact
Coastal areas in Australia are at risk due to a rise in ocean levels near Sydney and Melbourne. Global warming could cause water levels to reach close to 1 meter by 2100, up from the current 0.5 meter level, which could flood populated and developing areas.
The impact could be high, considering nearly 85% of Australians live along the coast, according to local online coastal information source OzCoasts.
Read more »Apps a Boost Factor in Mobile Banking
BUSINESS May 27, 2011 | 12:20 PM
- 50% of mobile phone users will bank through their handset by 2015
- Universal mobile banking apps being made to suit different operating systems and platforms for convergence
- Mobile banking apps feature industry-standard security technology to minimize fraud
Mobile applications are being created on an almost daily basis with the aim of making our lives easier in different areas. One of these is banking, for which mobile apps have made banking a breeze by offering convenient, real-time and seamless financial services.
Mobile banking is slowly becoming the preferred new way of banking. A recent Visa-sponsored research study conducted by Mercatus LLC states that by 2015, about 50% of present mobile phone users will regularly bank through their handset. That number is expected to increase going forward, especially among youth, whose smartphone uptake is faster and more natural.
Read more »Argos Set to Trial Immunotherapy Cancer Treatment
BUSINESS May 27, 2011 | 11:53 AM
- Argos’ new Arcelis technology offers cancer treatments through immunotherapy, which is personalized and more cost-effective
- Arcelis uses a patient’s own immune system to fight cancer
- Argos is preparing to trial the technology, which would require financing of about $50 million
Argos Therapeutics has developed a new immunotherapy technology that personalizes treatments to individual patients and does so in a more cost-effective manner than traditional methods.
Trials of the Arcelis technology have shown encouraging results, and could set Argos apart from other biotechnology cancer treatments.
Read more »Google Launches its New Mobile Wallet
WORLD May 27, 2011 | 10:19 AM
- Google mobile wallet lets users buy merchandise with a swipe of their phone
- Discounts and deals are usage benefits
- Paypal launches suit against Google alleging trade secrets were divulged
Google announced its new mobile wallet yesterday: the technology will allow consumers to pay for items at store checkouts directly using their phones.
Customers can use their smartphones in a method similar to the way they scan a credit card or a debit card at check-out counters. The technology will be available on Google's Android cell phone, the Nexus S, according to The Telegraph.
Read more »Pratt & Whitney, GE Aviation To Launch New Turboprop Engines
BUSINESS May 26, 2011 | 6:08 PM
- Pratt & Whitney launching 90-seat turboprop engine ahead of market
- GE Aviation considering entering 70-100 seat market with commercial version of GE38 military engine
- 55% of regional airline fleets worldwide include turboprops
Pratt & Whitney Canada is preparing to launch the very first 90-seat turboprop engine. P&W expect the new engine to be completed in three to four years, making the expected release date to be in 2016.
The new turboprop will be in the class of 5,000-7,000 shaft horsepower. The current P&W 150A engine, which powers the Bombardier Q400, only has a maximum 5,071shp. P&W wants 20% better fuel efficiency than the 100 and 150 series. The company will accompany the new engine with an integrated propulsion system. A full core demo of the engine will be tested by the end of next year, with the first components being tested this summer.
Read more »Mobile Banking: Quick Uptake in The UK
BUSINESS May 26, 2011 | 5:40 PM
- Mobile banking uptake in Britain has doubled; more than 1 out of every 10 Britons make payments through their mobile handset
- Almost 12% of consumers in the UK use handsets for making payments online
- Smartphone technology boosts popularity and uptake of mobile banking
- Mobile the future dominant platform for business and commercial transactions
The United Kingdom has seen a dramatic surge in mobile banking interest. According to a report by research firm TNS international, mobile banking is fast becoming the preferred channel for paying bills, checking account balances, transferring money and making online payments.
According to the report, mobile banking uptake in Britain has doubled in the past year with more than 1 out of every 10 Britons now making payments through their mobile handset. The report indicates that 1 out of every 5 consumers in the UK (20%) use their mobile phones for basic banking functions such as account balance queries - an increase of more than 100% in the last one year. In addition, almost 12% of consumers in the UK now use their handsets for making payments online, an increase of 6% over the last year.
Read more »Kenya Trail-blazes in Mobile Banking in Africa
BUSINESS May 26, 2011 | 4:51 PM
- In 2010, 15 million Kenyans performed $7 billion worth of commercial transactions, or one fifth of national GDP
- Now nearly 70% of adults in Kenya have access to financial services compared to less than 5% five years ago
- IBM is interested in Africa’s expanding mobile-banking market
Kenya’s success in mobile money transfer technology is proving to be a role model and case study for countries in Africa and beyond that seek to replicate the country’s success in mobile banking.
Kenya’s mobile money transfer system enables easy access and transfer of money across the country via the mobile handset, a ground breaking innovation in Africa where banking services are not widely accessible, especially to people living in rural and poverty-stricken areas. The mobile channel is also a more accessible banking platform since phone ownership in most African countries is usually well over 50% of the adult population.
Read more »Nestle Unlikely to Buy General Mills
FINANCE May 26, 2011 | 3:04 PM
- Speculation surrounding Nestle's intentions regarding General Mills end
- Only about 14% of General Mills business is of interest to Nestle
- If Nestle had bought General Mills, sales could have reached $40 billion
Nestle is unlikely to buy General Mills because it is not fully interested in General Mill's markets and revenue growth is too low.
Only a small portion, about 14% of the General Mills business, such as Haagen Dazs ice cream and frozen pizza, could be of interest to Nestle. The sales pace for Nestle is not in line with General Mills, whose slow growth does not suit the Nestle strategy.
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