Bertrand Picard and his team is all set to fly an airplane of solar impulse. The initial version of the solar plane spans 61 metres, but weighs about 1500 Kilogram (Kg). It will undergo trials providing evidence that it can fly at night.
Picard wanted to demonstrate the potential of renewable energies. "I love this type of vision where you set the goal and then you try to find a way to reach it, because this is challenging," he told BBC News.
This solar powered is called the HB-SIA is a part of a 70 million pound project, which will fly using 12,000 solar cells, rechargeable lithium batteries and four electric motors. The aeroplane integrates composite materials to keep it extremely light. Picard has decided to make five long trips sharing flying duties with the Project Partner, Andre Borschberg.
"The real success for Solar Impulse would be to have enough millions of people following the project and being enthusiastic about it," said Picard.
Agencies
Showing posts with label first. Show all posts
Showing posts with label first. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Google emerges as the world's first 100 billion dollar brand
They changed the lexicon for the word, search. Now the phrase "I'll just Google it" has helped make the internet search giant become world's first $100 billion brand beating other household names like Microsoft, and Coca Cola to McDonald's.
The analysts of the Brandz Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands by consultants Millward Brown found that the company's value of $101.4 billion puts it 25 percent more valuable than computer software king Microsoft at $77.3 billion, reported Daily Mail Thursday.
Coca Cola ($68.5 billion) managed the third place in the list.
Technology companies make up the bulk of the top 10 with IBM (fourth at $67.5 billion), Apple (sixth at $63.9 billion) and China Mobile (seventh at $62.2 billion), along with consumables like cigarette brand Marlboro (10th at 50.1 billion) and burger chain McDonald's (fifth at $67.3 billion).
Energy major GE (eight at $59.9 billion) and telecom giant Vodafone (ninth at $50.2 billion) complete the top 10 valuable brands in the world.
Google, formed at Stanford University by students Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1997, went up 16 percent in brand value in the past year to just break the $100 billion mark.
Google marketing manager Lorraine Twohill said: "We know that without consumers you have nothing and there is a great element of trust in us.
"We think about the consumer first and expect everything else to fall into place after that. We don't feel big. We still work in little crappy teams and we feel very small."
Among industries to see their value grow over the past year, most are 'stay at home' brands, said the Millward Brown research. Coffee companies like Nescafe benefitted from cutbacks on drinking expensive lattes in Starbucks and other coffee shops, for instance.
Soft drinks, fast food and beer brands also grew as more people stayed at home to eat and drink while online sites like eBay and Amazon also grew.
Car companies, insurers, clothing brands and, not surprisingly, financial institutions were the ones to suffer the most, the research found.
Millward Brown chief executive Joanna Seddon said: "In the current environment, brand has become even more important because it can help to sustain companies in tough times.
"Those who continue to invest in their brand will be better positioned for business growth as the economic situation starts to improve than those who have cut spend. The recession does not always harm individual brands as much as it does faceless corporations," she added.
Agencies
The analysts of the Brandz Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands by consultants Millward Brown found that the company's value of $101.4 billion puts it 25 percent more valuable than computer software king Microsoft at $77.3 billion, reported Daily Mail Thursday.
Coca Cola ($68.5 billion) managed the third place in the list.
Technology companies make up the bulk of the top 10 with IBM (fourth at $67.5 billion), Apple (sixth at $63.9 billion) and China Mobile (seventh at $62.2 billion), along with consumables like cigarette brand Marlboro (10th at 50.1 billion) and burger chain McDonald's (fifth at $67.3 billion).
Energy major GE (eight at $59.9 billion) and telecom giant Vodafone (ninth at $50.2 billion) complete the top 10 valuable brands in the world.
Google, formed at Stanford University by students Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1997, went up 16 percent in brand value in the past year to just break the $100 billion mark.
Google marketing manager Lorraine Twohill said: "We know that without consumers you have nothing and there is a great element of trust in us.
"We think about the consumer first and expect everything else to fall into place after that. We don't feel big. We still work in little crappy teams and we feel very small."
Among industries to see their value grow over the past year, most are 'stay at home' brands, said the Millward Brown research. Coffee companies like Nescafe benefitted from cutbacks on drinking expensive lattes in Starbucks and other coffee shops, for instance.
Soft drinks, fast food and beer brands also grew as more people stayed at home to eat and drink while online sites like eBay and Amazon also grew.
Car companies, insurers, clothing brands and, not surprisingly, financial institutions were the ones to suffer the most, the research found.
Millward Brown chief executive Joanna Seddon said: "In the current environment, brand has become even more important because it can help to sustain companies in tough times.
"Those who continue to invest in their brand will be better positioned for business growth as the economic situation starts to improve than those who have cut spend. The recession does not always harm individual brands as much as it does faceless corporations," she added.
Agencies
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Microsoft cuts 5,000 jobs as part of first layoffs
Microsoft Corp. said Thursday it is cutting 5,000 jobs over the next 18 months -- more than 5 percent of its work force -- a sign of how badly even the biggest and richest companies are being stung by the recession.
The layoffs appear to be a first for Microsoft, which was founded in 1975, aside from relatively limited staff cuts the software company made after acquiring companies.
The company announced the cuts as it reported an 11 percent drop in second-quarter profit, which fell short of Wall Street's expectations. Microsoft shares plunged 8 percent in morning trading.
The biggest names in the technology sector have been no stranger to layoffs lately. Giants such as chip maker Intel Corp. and even Google Inc. are among the companies that have pulled back on jobs to hunker down in the recession.
Even with $20.7 billion in cash on hand, Microsoft said its business prospects were hurt by the deteriorating global economy and lower revenue from software for PCs. The holiday quarter of 2008 was the worst the PC market had seen since 2002, with computer shipments declining about a half of 1 percent, according to IDC, a technology research group.
Making matters worse, the one type of PC consumers have warmed to in tight times -- the low-cost, low-power "netbook" -- actually cut further into Microsoft's earnings. The tiny portable computers run on Windows XP, which is older and less profitable for Microsoft than Windows Vista.
In a memo to employees, Chief Executive Steve Ballmer acknowledged that Microsoft is "not immune to the effects of the economy. Consumers and businesses have reined in spending, which is affecting PC shipments and IT (information technology) expenditures."
Ballmer said Microsoft cut operating expenses by $600 million in the quarter, but that it wasn't enough.
The layoffs, starting with 1,400 on Thursday, will affect workers in research and development, marketing, sales, finance, legal and corporate affairs, human resources and information technology, and mostly in Redmond, Wash., where the company is based. Ballmer also said changes would occur in departments that handle support, consulting, operations, billing, manufacturing, and data center operations, but he did not say whether layoffs are planned in those cases.
Microsoft won't stop hiring entirely. Ballmer said the company will add new jobs to support "key investment areas" over the next 18 months, so the total number of employees will drop by 2,000 to 3,000. Microsoft employs 94,000 people overall.
"I would have expected a more aggressive cut," said Cowen and Co. analyst Walter Pritchard. "They're trying to have their cake and eat it too, in terms of not cutting and hoping to have everything they were going to have before."
The software maker is trimming costs for travel, contractors and vendors, and said it will scale back a massive expansion to its Redmond campus.
Microsoft said its job cuts will reduce operating costs by $1.5 billion as it prepares for lower revenue and earnings in the second half of the year. The company says it is unable to offer profit and revenue guidance for the rest of the year, because of the market volatility.
Microsoft said profit in the last quarter fell to $4.17 billion, or 47 cents per share, from year-ago earnings of $4.71 billion, or 50 cents per share.
Total revenue edged up 2 percent to $16.63 billion.
The results missed Wall Street's forecast for earnings of 49 cents per share on sales of $17.08 billion.
Microsoft makes most of its profits on sales of the Windows operating system and its Office package of software, which includes programs such as Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Revenue and earnings shrank in both of those divisions.
A bright spot for Microsoft is software for corporate server computers, where revenue is still rising. Gartner analyst Neil MacDonald noted that the server business can thrive in a downturn because back-office software can help companies improve efficiency and save money.
Agencies
The layoffs appear to be a first for Microsoft, which was founded in 1975, aside from relatively limited staff cuts the software company made after acquiring companies.
The company announced the cuts as it reported an 11 percent drop in second-quarter profit, which fell short of Wall Street's expectations. Microsoft shares plunged 8 percent in morning trading.
The biggest names in the technology sector have been no stranger to layoffs lately. Giants such as chip maker Intel Corp. and even Google Inc. are among the companies that have pulled back on jobs to hunker down in the recession.
Even with $20.7 billion in cash on hand, Microsoft said its business prospects were hurt by the deteriorating global economy and lower revenue from software for PCs. The holiday quarter of 2008 was the worst the PC market had seen since 2002, with computer shipments declining about a half of 1 percent, according to IDC, a technology research group.
Making matters worse, the one type of PC consumers have warmed to in tight times -- the low-cost, low-power "netbook" -- actually cut further into Microsoft's earnings. The tiny portable computers run on Windows XP, which is older and less profitable for Microsoft than Windows Vista.
In a memo to employees, Chief Executive Steve Ballmer acknowledged that Microsoft is "not immune to the effects of the economy. Consumers and businesses have reined in spending, which is affecting PC shipments and IT (information technology) expenditures."
Ballmer said Microsoft cut operating expenses by $600 million in the quarter, but that it wasn't enough.
The layoffs, starting with 1,400 on Thursday, will affect workers in research and development, marketing, sales, finance, legal and corporate affairs, human resources and information technology, and mostly in Redmond, Wash., where the company is based. Ballmer also said changes would occur in departments that handle support, consulting, operations, billing, manufacturing, and data center operations, but he did not say whether layoffs are planned in those cases.
Microsoft won't stop hiring entirely. Ballmer said the company will add new jobs to support "key investment areas" over the next 18 months, so the total number of employees will drop by 2,000 to 3,000. Microsoft employs 94,000 people overall.
"I would have expected a more aggressive cut," said Cowen and Co. analyst Walter Pritchard. "They're trying to have their cake and eat it too, in terms of not cutting and hoping to have everything they were going to have before."
The software maker is trimming costs for travel, contractors and vendors, and said it will scale back a massive expansion to its Redmond campus.
Microsoft said its job cuts will reduce operating costs by $1.5 billion as it prepares for lower revenue and earnings in the second half of the year. The company says it is unable to offer profit and revenue guidance for the rest of the year, because of the market volatility.
Microsoft said profit in the last quarter fell to $4.17 billion, or 47 cents per share, from year-ago earnings of $4.71 billion, or 50 cents per share.
Total revenue edged up 2 percent to $16.63 billion.
The results missed Wall Street's forecast for earnings of 49 cents per share on sales of $17.08 billion.
Microsoft makes most of its profits on sales of the Windows operating system and its Office package of software, which includes programs such as Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Revenue and earnings shrank in both of those divisions.
A bright spot for Microsoft is software for corporate server computers, where revenue is still rising. Gartner analyst Neil MacDonald noted that the server business can thrive in a downturn because back-office software can help companies improve efficiency and save money.
Agencies
Thursday, January 1, 2009
General Motors gets first tranche of US loan
General Motors Corp received its first multibillion dollar loan installment from the US Treasury Department Wednesday night, right in time to avert a financial disaster in which the struggling automaker may have been unable to sustain operations and pay suppliers.
``Treasury today finalized the loan transaction for GM and funded the first tranche of $4 billion,'' said Treasury spokeswoman Brookly McLaughlin in a written statement. The funds are the first portion of $9.4 billion in low-cost loans that GM is expected to receive from the government.
The Detroit automaker had been working feverishly with Treasury officials to close on the first loan installment. The money will be available for GM to use almost immediately. The cash-strapped Detroit company plans to use the money for continuing its operations.
GM is obligated to a make a large payment to a major supplier in early January, but has declined to offer details on the amount of money it owes or to which supplier.
``We appreciate the Administration extending a financial bridge to GM at this critical time for the US auto industry,'' said GM in a written statement shortly after the Treasury announcement. ``We are committed to successfully executing the viability plan we submitted on December 2 and remain confident in the future of General Motors.''
The loans come from the $700 billion bank rescue plan, approved by Congress in September. President George W Bush said earlier this month that the ailing automakers could tap part of those funds in the form of low-interest loans.
GM is burning through approximately $33 million a day, based on spending $1 billion per month during the third quarter. That daily amount is likely lower for the fourth quarter as GM has reduced spending on operations, sponsorships, utilities and even office supplies.
GM previously said it might not make it through the end of the year before running out of cash without government aid.
Auburn Hills, Michigan-based Chrysler LLC is expecting $4 billion in cash as well, but the Treasury has yet to announce the closing of the first round of loan money.
``We're working expeditiously with Chrysler to finalize that transaction and we remain committed to closing it on a timeline that will meet near term funding needs,'' McLaughlin said.
Chrysler is nearing the minimum level of cash, $2.5 billion, it needs to operate. Chrysler is already fending off angry parts suppliers and other vendors demanding cash payments on delivery. It generally pays suppliers $7 billion every 45 days.
Chrysler issued a statement Wednesday night, updating the status of its talks with the Treasury.
``We recognize the magnitude of the effort by the Treasury Department to complete these multiple financial arrangements quickly and sequentially,'' the company wrote in a press release. ``The discussions relating to Chrysler have been positive and productive, and we look forward to finalizing the details of our financial assistance in the immediate future.''
Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford Motor Co. said it does not intend to use government money to fund operations, as it is in a better financial position than its competitors. The Detroit automakers are trying to weather the biggest auto sales slump in more than 26 years.
Shares of GM fell 15.8 percent Wednesday, or 60 cents to $3.20, before the Treasury's announcement. Shares of Ford closed unchanged at $2.29.
Earlier this week, GM's financial arm, GMAC Financial Services, received $5 billion in aid from the Treasury Department. In addition, the Treasury said it would lend up to $1 billion to GM so that the automaker would be able to buy more equity from GMAC. Those purchases are expected to raise more capital for GMAC, and separate from the $4 billion received from the Treasury Wednesday.
Source: Agencies
``Treasury today finalized the loan transaction for GM and funded the first tranche of $4 billion,'' said Treasury spokeswoman Brookly McLaughlin in a written statement. The funds are the first portion of $9.4 billion in low-cost loans that GM is expected to receive from the government.
The Detroit automaker had been working feverishly with Treasury officials to close on the first loan installment. The money will be available for GM to use almost immediately. The cash-strapped Detroit company plans to use the money for continuing its operations.
GM is obligated to a make a large payment to a major supplier in early January, but has declined to offer details on the amount of money it owes or to which supplier.
``We appreciate the Administration extending a financial bridge to GM at this critical time for the US auto industry,'' said GM in a written statement shortly after the Treasury announcement. ``We are committed to successfully executing the viability plan we submitted on December 2 and remain confident in the future of General Motors.''
The loans come from the $700 billion bank rescue plan, approved by Congress in September. President George W Bush said earlier this month that the ailing automakers could tap part of those funds in the form of low-interest loans.
GM is burning through approximately $33 million a day, based on spending $1 billion per month during the third quarter. That daily amount is likely lower for the fourth quarter as GM has reduced spending on operations, sponsorships, utilities and even office supplies.
GM previously said it might not make it through the end of the year before running out of cash without government aid.
Auburn Hills, Michigan-based Chrysler LLC is expecting $4 billion in cash as well, but the Treasury has yet to announce the closing of the first round of loan money.
``We're working expeditiously with Chrysler to finalize that transaction and we remain committed to closing it on a timeline that will meet near term funding needs,'' McLaughlin said.
Chrysler is nearing the minimum level of cash, $2.5 billion, it needs to operate. Chrysler is already fending off angry parts suppliers and other vendors demanding cash payments on delivery. It generally pays suppliers $7 billion every 45 days.
Chrysler issued a statement Wednesday night, updating the status of its talks with the Treasury.
``We recognize the magnitude of the effort by the Treasury Department to complete these multiple financial arrangements quickly and sequentially,'' the company wrote in a press release. ``The discussions relating to Chrysler have been positive and productive, and we look forward to finalizing the details of our financial assistance in the immediate future.''
Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford Motor Co. said it does not intend to use government money to fund operations, as it is in a better financial position than its competitors. The Detroit automakers are trying to weather the biggest auto sales slump in more than 26 years.
Shares of GM fell 15.8 percent Wednesday, or 60 cents to $3.20, before the Treasury's announcement. Shares of Ford closed unchanged at $2.29.
Earlier this week, GM's financial arm, GMAC Financial Services, received $5 billion in aid from the Treasury Department. In addition, the Treasury said it would lend up to $1 billion to GM so that the automaker would be able to buy more equity from GMAC. Those purchases are expected to raise more capital for GMAC, and separate from the $4 billion received from the Treasury Wednesday.
Source: Agencies
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