ANALYZING FINANCIAL MARKETS

4 Money Tips for Graduating from College..

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 27 Mar 2015 04:43:00 GMT

4 Money Tips.....

It’s March... And you know what that means? Graduation! As a college senior, you may be excited to finally get your diploma and move on to the real world.

More from: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/454801/economy/moneyandbanking/6-money-tips-for-fresh-grads?ref=related_stories

From The Desktop of: Jason R Chinn

On the Date of: 26 March 2015

Once again It’s March... And you know what that means? Graduation! As a college senior, you may be excited to finally get your diploma and move on to the real world.

This year I’m graduating, and thus have not just one year to mull over, replay, and regret, but an entire college career. Looking back, I always think of the things I should have changed, the internships I should have applied for, the nights I should have stayed in. I like to tell myself that if I could do it all again, I’d do it perfectly.

TIP 1.

Being broke is as depressing thought as it is a reality check. College fees, travelling expenses & nights out can all contribute to a zero bank balance.

money don't grow on trees, like you thought when you were younger. Reality strikes and your left wondering, 'what should I do now'?

Here's the first thing everybody should do from day one when you'r old enough to have a bank account, or as soon as possible after the age of your first bank account. SAVE AT LEAST 10 PERCENT OF ALL MONEY THAT’s COMING IN.

Do this from day one and you'll be on the first step of the finance ladder when it comes to Graduation Time.

TIP 2.

Stay in throughout the week while your away at college, even if your friends go out. Think of what you could save by not going with them. If you enjoy nights out and you feel you need to, then just go out at weekends. You will be surprised that you can save hundreds of pounds in just a couple of weeks.

Sit down with a pen and paper and jot down the cost of a night out in the week, then multiply it by 5 for every week day and you'll soon change your mind about nights out throughout the week. "Or will you".

I all depends on what type of person you are and if you have the will to say no!

The benefits of staying in throughout the week!

TIP 3.

Take time and sit down and write down on paper, your plans for the fourth-coming year ahead. Make sure you prepare this for at least a year ahead. Like a business plan in a way, an a cash flow forcast for the year ahead. if you find it hard get some help in starting off, or look on the internet. there's a wealth of informaition online about any and every topic you can think of, and more...


Graduation Day is almost here already!

"I’ve definitely wasted many hours over the last four years,

and perhaps sometimes my priorities were out of line. When I

reflect back on my college experience, I am initially struck by regret,

and a tiny bit of self-loathing. I beat myself up over the things

that I would have, could have, should have done. I step back

and evaluate who I am today, and I’m overall pretty bummed

to realize that I am most definitely not the 22-year-old that I’d

always imaged I would be, and my undergraduate experience was

nowhere close to how it looks in the movies "

TIP 4.

Don't end up regreting the past years that you have wasted in college. keep your chinn up and your head down and before you know it you've graduated from university or college and you have landed the job that set out get, hence the years you just spent in college.

" Once I can shake my disappointment with myself, I can see

that maybe all the time I’ve wasted and all the mistakes

I’ve made didn’t actually screw me over in the end.

Maybe I don’t have it all together, I don’t know what

I want from life, or what I want to do, or even where

I’ll be a year from now. But even when my schoolwork

or ultimate life goals weren’t first on my to-do list, the time

I spent doing extra-curricular student groups, walking

by the ocean, or having coffee and a long talk with a

friend (even though I should have been studying) was

beneficial to my personal growth and development.

So no, I’m definitely not the person I set out to be,

but my time in college has taught me so much

more than academic drive and motivation.

I’ve become more comfortable in almost every

social situation, and more importantly, more

comfortable with myself. "

Keep calm and graduate from college

Congratulations on graduating

Oil Oil prices rise after fears of more violence in Gulf

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 27 Mar 2015 00:11:00 GMT

Going Abroad - Cheap Travel Money! http://jrchinn.blogspot.com/2013/05/going-abroad-cheap-travel-money.html

UK political news

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 27 Mar 2015 00:09:00 GMT

Going Abroad - Cheap Travel Money! http://jrchinn.blogspot.com/2013/05/going-abroad-cheap-travel-money.html

Auction-based electronic London silver fix to debut in August

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 14 Mar 2015 14:38:00 GMT

Auction-based electronic London silver fix to debut in August

CME Group and Thomson Reuters have been chosen to deliver a new silver price mechanism to replace the London Silver Fix — a system that has been in place for over a century to set the daily benchmark price for silver.

Starting in mid-August, a new electronic, auction-based system devised by the two companies will do the job instead, the London Bullion Market Association said in a July 11 release.
CME Group will provide the price platform and methodology while Thomson Reuters will take care of administration and governance.
The LBMA made the decision based on a market consensus — it conducted surveys and numerous meetings with market participants, solution providers and regulators — and backed by a review by independent consultants G Cubed Metals.

In a press release, the LBMA said respondents to one of its market surveys clearly preferred the joint CME Group-Thomson Reuters proposal over the others.
The LBMA included several criteria in its request for proposals to set up and operate a new, more transparent system. In addition to being electronic and auction-based, the system has to be auditable, tradeable, and allow for more direct participants.
The joint proposal by CME Group and Thomson Reuters won out over those of several other organizations, including the London Metal Exchange and Bloomberg.

The London Silver Fix was established in 1897 and historically, has been determined by a small number of banks in an auction-like process. The banks participate in a conference call and invite clients to submit buy and sell orders. The price is then adjusted higher or lower until demand and supply are matched.
Most recently, Deutsche Bank, HSBC and the Bank of Nova Scotia have been responsible for setting the London Silver Fix.
However, in April, Deutsche Bank announced it would be withdrawing from the group as part of a larger exit from the commodities space. The group was unable to find a replacement.
The revamp comes at a time when regulators are investigating whether other benchmarks — the London Gold Fix and Libor (the London Interbank Offered Rate) — have been subject to manipulation by banks.

Barclays was fined US$44 million in May by the Financial Conduct Authority after one its traders manipulated the price to its benefit at the expense of one its clients. It was also fined in the Libor rigging scandal.
Reform is also planned for the London Gold Fix, which is currently set by Barclays, HSBC, Bank of Nova Scotia and Societe Generale. The new silver price benchmarking system could act as a model for that reform. The World Gold Council is heading up a review of the London Gold Fix.

It recently hosted a forum to examine reforms, which including representatives of central banks, bullion banks, refiners, ETFs, exchanges and industry bodies.
In a press release, Natalie Dempster, the World Gold Council’s managing director, central banks and public policy, said the organization was at the start of the process of modernizing the gold benchmark. She also said there was strong support for the World Gold Council’s key principles for reform.

“We believe it should be based on executed trades and a tradeable price, it should have highly transparent input data, should be calculated from a deep and liquid market, and represent a physically deliverable price,” Dempster said.
The new silver benchmarking system will be tested in early August before going live on Aug. 15
Digital-Designs-UK

LinkedIn Corporation LNKD: NYSE; Technology/IT Services & Consulting

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 23:12:00 GMT

LinkedIn Corporation

LNKD: NYSE; Technology/IT Services & Consulting

PRIMARY EXCHANGE: NYSE OTHER EXCHANGES: Mexico, SIX Swiss Exchange, More »

LAST	CHANGE	VOLUME
At close 03/12/2015	$266.42	+1.47 +0.55%	944.1K
AFTER HOURS 5:27 PM ET	$266.42	0.00 0.00%

News about LinkedIn Corporation, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Price Chart

1 day | 5 day | 3 month | 1 year | 5 year

Data delayed at least 15 minutes

View historical chart »

Stock Snapshot

Today's open	$265.70
Wednesday's close	$264.95
52-week range
52-week high	$276.18
52-week low	$136.02
Market capitalization	33.4B
Avg. volume (10-day)	1.1M
Shares outstanding	125.1M
LNKD does not pay dividends

Key Fundamentals

P/E ratio	n.a.
Earnings per share	–$0.13
Revenue	$2.2B
Profit margin	–0.69%
Return on equity	–0.53%

Fundamentals are for the trailing 12 months

View financials »

Quarterly Earnings

Analyst Ratings

Buy	13
Outperform	17
Hold	11
Underperform	0
Sell	0
Consensus		Outperform

(As of 03/07/2015)

Executive Officers

Executive	Title
Reid G. Hoffman	Chmn. since 2003
Jeffrey Weiner	CEO since 2009
Steven J. Sordello	CFO since 2007
Michael Gamson	Sr.VP
J. Kevin Scott	Sr.VP since 2012

Latest Insider Trades

03/02/2015

SZE DAVID

Open market or private sale of non-derivative or derivative security

Shares sold:	300
Share price:	$266.30
Trans. value:	$79,890

03/02/2015

SZE DAVID

Open market or private sale of non-derivative or derivative security

Shares sold:	513
Share price:	$267.46
Trans. value:	$137,207

03/02/2015

SZE DAVID

Open market or private sale of non-derivative or derivative security

Shares sold:	587
Share price:	$268.37
Trans. value:	$157,533

Company Events

On February 5, 2015, LNKD announced quarterly earnings of $0.61 per share for 2014Q4, beating the consensus estimate of $0.53.

Filings

10-K

Annual Financials

February 12, 2015

10-Q

Quarterly Financials

October 30, 2014

10-Q

Quarterly Financials

July 31, 2014

Ownership Submissions

FORM 4

Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL

OMB Number:

3235-0287

Expires:

January 31, 2005

Estimated average burden hours per response...

0.5

(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person ^*

Gamson Michael

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
LINKEDIN CORP [LNKD]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

_____ Director	_____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below)	_____ Other (specify below)
SVP, Global Solutions

(Last)

(First)

(Middle)

C/O LINKEDIN CORPORATION, 2029 STIERLIN COURT

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
02/27/2015

(Street)

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA 94043

4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

(City)

(State)

(Zip)

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Class A Common Stock	02/27/2015		A		17,521⁽¹⁾	A	$ 0	51,061	D

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
	Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number.		SEC 1474 (9-02)

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)

Code

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)

$267.2

02/27/2015

15,018

⁽²⁾

03/01/2025

Class A Common Stock

15,018

$ 0

15,018

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
Reporting Owner Name / Address	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Gamson Michael C/O LINKEDIN CORPORATION 2029 STIERLIN COURT MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA 94043			SVP, Global Solutions

Signatures

/s/ Lora D. Blum, as Attorney-In-Fact		03/03/2015
^**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	The reported shares are represented by restricted stock units ("RSUs"). The RSUs vest six and one-quarter percent (6.25%) on May 15, 2015, and six and one-quarter percent (6.25%) of the RSUs will vest on each subsequent Company Vest Date until all of the grant is vested. "Company Vest Dates" are defined as February 15, May 15, August 15 and November 15 of each year (to the extent that any of the Company Vest Dates fall on a weekend or Company holiday, that Company Vest Date will be the first business day following the relevant Company Vest Date).
(2)	Shares subject to the option vest in 48 equal monthly installments beginning on March 1, 2015.

Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB number.

Plenty of Room for Improvement: IBM’s New Two-Page Cloud-Services Contract - Adams on Contract Drafting

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 11 Feb 2015 09:30:00 GMT

IBM’s New Two-Page Cloud-Services Contract

Assuming that you get rid of the dead wood, make appropriate trade-offs, and don’t lose anything vital, shorter is good. Apparently the response has been positive. Indeed, the new contract resulted in IBM’s being named a finalist in IACCM’s Innovation Awards, in the operational improvement category.

The article quotes the head of the IBM team as saying that the new contract uses “concise, plain language.” Doubtless it’s more concise and plainer than what came before, but there’s plenty of room for improvement. How much room? [Updated December 29, 2014: At the request of @tieguy, I created PDFs that includes all the comments. Go here for a PDF with the comments on separate pages; go here for a PDF with connector lines between the comments and the related text, but with smaller text as a result.] Go here to see my annotated PDF. Thanks to dozens of comments, it’s awash with fluorescence. (To read my comments, you’ll have to download the PDF and open it with whatever PDF-reading software you prefer. In the comments, “MSCD” refers to the third edition of A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting.)

My comments address a full range of issues, many of them minor, some less so. The minor stuff is fair game, for two reasons. First, the IBM team built something new, so expediency didn’t come into it—nothing prevented them from using only the clearest language. And second, get enough minor stuff wrong in a contract and you waste the reader’s time and attention.
One general comment that isn’t reflected in my annotations: The IBM contract refers to IBM as “IBM” (mostly) and the customer as “you.” It also uses will (mostly) to express obligations, rather than shall. Those are legitimate choices, but they’re ones that I’d be reluctant to make. Dispensing with shall allows drafters to congratulate themselves on their modernity, but it comes at a price—it muddies the categories of contract language. (That’s something I describe in this article.) And sure enough, the categories of contract language are handled haphazardly in the IBM contract. (If you use shall, you pretty much have to refer to the parties using the third person.)
What conclusion do I suggest you draw from my markup? That contract language is specialized—it’s best left to specialists. Knowing your company’s transactions doesn’t make you a specialist. And many years of being steeped in traditional contract language doesn’t make you a specialist. You become a specialist only by making a concerted and disciplined attempt to familiarize yourself with the building blocks of contract language, the good and the not-so-good.

IBM’s Cloud-Services Contract

If you’re not a specialist, you’re a dilettante. Those responsible for IBM’s new cloud services contract are presumably knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and hard-working, but when it comes to contract language, the shortcomings in the new contract suggest that they’re dilettantes. That’s to be expected. In fact, the contracts ecosystem would work better if contract language were left in the hands of a limited number of “legal knowledge engineers” (to use Susskind’s clunky but apt phrase) working closely with those who have a broader understanding of the business and legal issues. [Updated December 21, 2014: Elaborating on a point he makes in this post on his blog, in an email to me Tim Cummings suggested that nothing mandates using “legal” in the phrase “legal knowledge engineer.” I agree: that’s something I discuss in this 2011 post.]

Some of you might be wondering why the heck I go through this sort of exercise. I do it because only through constant public scrutiny do we stand a chance of improving general standards for contract language. Anything that offers itself as an advance in contract drafting is an obvious candidate for this sort of scrutiny. And besides, I enjoy picking over contract language.
I’m not trying to pillory anyone. I sent the appropriate person at IBM two polite LinkedIn messages mentioning that I had reviewed their contract and asking whether they would be interested in chatting with me about my comments. I didn’t receive a reply, so the obvious next option was to post my analysis on this blog.

By the way, please consider my markup a think piece and a work in progress. I devoted a couple of hours to it, and if I were to look at it again in a few weeks, I’d doubtless make changes. And I didn’t think about broader deal issues.

Deals of the day- Mergers and acquisitions

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 29 Jan 2015 21:13:00 GMT

Deals of the day- Mergers and acquisitions

HKTDC SME Start-up Programme | HKTDC

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 18:53:00 +0100

HKTDC SME Start-up Programme | HKTDC

State Emblems, and Names, Abbreviations and Emblems of International Intergovernmental Organizations under Article 6ter of the Paris Convention

Search of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) notifications of state emblems, names, abbreviation and emblems of international intergovernmental organizations protected under Article 6ter of the Paris Convention can be conducted at http://www.wipo.int/ipdl/en/search/6ter/search-struct.jsp . This hyperlink is made with the permission of WIPO. The copyright of data from the website of WIPO is owned by WIPO. The Secretariat of WIPO assumes no liability or responsibility with regard to the transformation or translation of the data.

5 Myths of International Mergers and Acquisitions

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 23 Sep 2014 10:45:00 +0100

There are many misconceptions about international mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures.

The five biggest myths are:

That cross border transactions are not worth the effort.

Cross border transactions can be very productive and profitable whether you’re on the buy or sell side – depending on the opportunity. Many companies like to expand into new markets and do well; for example, Illinois Tool Works, the multi-billion dollar US company has made over 30 acquisitions in Brazil alone. Obviously, they have the vision and resources to complete these deals and would have stopped long ago if they were unprofitable.

That foreign buyers always pay more when acquiring a company.

Foreign buyers sometimes pay more for an acquisition in a different country to buy their way into a market. But, that’s not always the case. Many foreign buyers are careful buyers and only pay for value.

That a cross border transactions will take an impossibly long time.

Cross border transactions can take extra time as sometimes due diligence will be slowed down by the need to translate documents, to obtain the necessary approvals, understand local customs, etc. However, for an organized buyer these extra steps only add a modest amount of time, not the unreasonably long time that many envision.

That foreign buyers or sellers are impossible to work with.

Many people believe that foreign buyers or sellers are difficult to work with. There is absolutely no truth to that. People are people and that’s the same around the world. The percentage of people that are difficult to work with is probably the same in every country. That’s a simple fact of life. And, many foreigners doing international mergers and acquisitions are actually a pleasure to work with.

That foreign sellers always try to cheat the buyers.

Foreign sellers, despite some beliefs to the contrary, are not out to cheat the buyers of their companies. Many countries use different accounting conventions, which do not mean the accounting data has been “cooked.” Frequently, buyers think that whatever is happening in the transaction is directed towards them. Most of the time, it’s just that the buyer doesn’t understand the local customs.

As with any transaction, foreign or domestic, the key to success is thorough due diligence.

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5 Strong Buy Healthcare Funds to Bet on

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 10:07:00 +0100

When markets are passing through choppy waters, investors often rely on the healthcare sector to safeguard their investments. This is because the demand for healthcare services does not vary with market conditions, making them a safe haven during difficult times. Many pharmacy companies also generate regular dividends, which go a long way in softening the blow dealt by plummeting share prices. Mutual funds are the perfect choice for investors looking to enter this sector since they possess the advantages of wide diversification and analytical insight.

Below we will share with you 5 top rated health mutual funds. Each has earned a Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) as we expect these mutual funds to outperform their peers in the future. To view the Zacks Rank and past performance of all health funds, investors can click here to see the complete list of funds.

Fidelity Select Medical Delivery Portfolio (FSHCX - MF report) invests largely in companies that own or are involved in operating hospital and nursing homes, and are related to health care services sector. The fund focuses on acquiring common stocks of both U.S. and non U.S. companies. This healthcare mutual fund is non-diversified and returned 26.3% over the last one year period.

The fund has an expense ratio of 0.82% as compared to category average of 1.39%.

Vanguard Health Care Index Admiral (VHCIX - MF report) seeks to provide returns identical to that of the MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Health Care 25/50 index. The fund invests in almost all or all of the stocks which are included in the index. The index includes domestic health care companies. This healthcare mutual fund is non-diversified and returned 28.3% over the last one year period.

As of July 2014, this fund held 312 issues with 10.14% of its assets invested in Johnson & Johnson.

Fidelity Select Medical Equipment & Systems (FSMEX - MF report) invests a lion’s share of its assets in companies that are primarily involved in medical equipment and devices and related technologies sector. The fund invests in both US and non-US companies. This healthcare mutual fund is non-diversified and returned 27.8% over the last one year period.

Edward Yoon is the fund manager and has managed this healthcare mutual fund since 2007.

Fidelity Select Health Care (FSPHX - MF report) seeks capital growth over the long run. It invests a majority of its assets in companies whose principal operations include production, design and marketing of health care related products or services. The fund focuses on acquiring common stocks and purchases both domestic and foreign securities depending on factors such as financial strength and economic conditions. This non-diversified fund returned 41.3% over the last one year period.

The fund has an expense ratio of 0.76% as compared to category average of 1.39%.

Fidelity Select Pharmaceuticals (FPHAX - MF report) invests heavily in firms all over the globe whose primary operations are related to manufacturing, selling, developing or distributing pharmaceuticals and drugs. The fund invests in the pharma sector taking into consideration the industry position and the financial condition of the issuer. This healthcare mutual fund is non-diversified and returned 33.9% over the last one year period.

As of July 2014, this fund held 89 issues with 8.53% of its assets invested in Actavis PLC

To view the Zacks Rank and past performance of all health mutual funds, investors can click here to see the complete list of funds.

About Zacks Mutual Fund Rank

By applying the Zacks Rank to mutual funds, investors can find funds that not only outpaced the market in the past but are also expected to outperform going forward. Learn more about the Zacks Mutual Fund Rank in our Mutual Fund Center.

Atlantis_Plato from The School of Athens

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 02:50:00 GMT

Plato from The School of Athens by Raphael, 1509

Plato
Part of a series on
Plato from The School of Athens by Raphael, 1509
Early life Works Platonism Epistemology
Allegories and metaphors
Atlantis Ring of Gyges The cave The divided line
Related articles
Commentaries
Philosophy portal

Atlantis (Ancient Greek: Ἀτλαντὶς νῆσος, "island of Atlas") is a fictional island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written in c. 360 BC. According to Plato, Atlantis was a naval power situated "in front of the Pillars of Hercules" that had conquered many parts of Western Europe and Africa 9,000 years before the time of the Athenian lawmaker Solon (c. 638 BC – 558 BC), i.e. in the10th millennium BC. After a failed attempt to invade Athens, Atlantis sank into the ocean "in a single day and night of misfortune."

"written 452 BC, Plato_Timaeus. Socrates

Athanasius Kircher's Atlantis - We know it by the words of, 'The map of Atlantis'

**Athanasius Kircher's map of Atlantis, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. From Mundus Subterraneus 1669, published in Amsterdam. The map is oriented with south at the top.**

Athanasius Kircher (1602–1680)

The possible existence of Atlantis was discussed throughout classical antiquity. The Timaeusremained known in a Latin rendition by Calcidius through the Middle Ages, and the allegorical aspect of Atlantis was taken up by Humanists in utopian works of several Renaissance writers, such asBacon's New Atlantis and More's Utopia. In the United States, Donnelly's 1882 publication Atlantis: the Antediluvian World unleashed widespread interests from pseudo-scientists. As a theme, Atlantis inspires today's light fiction, from science fiction to comic books to films. Its name has become a byword for any and all supposed advanced prehistoric lost civilizations.

Other version

(follow the below link for the full original Version)

DESCRIPTION:

English: Athanasius Kircher's Map of Atlantis (c.1669). Note that north is at bottom.

Latina: Situs Insulae Atlantidis, a Mari olim absorpte ex mente Egyptiorum et Platonis descriptio.

DATE: circa 1669

Go Here>>> For The Full Original Version)

European Monthly Market Commentary - November

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 17:29:00 GMT

Despite lingering concerns over the Eurozone and a two-speed recovery, Spain and Ireland revealed plans to exit their bailout programmes, says Anthony Belcher, director of EMEA Pricing and Reference Data at Interactive Data.

In November, financial market sentiment was cautiously positive. Stock indices continued the upward trend from recent months and were generally higher as indicated by global indices. The S&P Global® rose 33 points to 1522. In Europe, the German DAX® went up from 9033 to 9405 points on the month. The UK’s FTSE 100, heavily loaded with commodity companies, was down 81 points to 6,650, also on the month. The credit indices continued their downward move from previous months with the iTraxx™ Crossover 5yr index hitting 284bp, the lowest level this year.

In Europe, after low inflation of 0.8% published by Eurostat at the end of October, markets entered November speculating on a possible interest rate cut. The ECB did not disappoint and lowered interest rates on November 7 to a historical low of 0.25%. Further macro data posted later in November confirmed the downbeat economic backdrop. Eurostat revealed that August Eurozone industrial production index fell 0.5% to just over 100 points and is still below post-crisis peak of 104 points in September 2011. This was followed by disappointing 0.1% Q3 GDP growth from the Eurozone with French, Italian and Spanish Q3 GDP decreasing by 0.1%, quarter on quarter.

France was also downgraded one notch by S&P to AA. ECB board members began to talk of further action to support the fragile Eurozone recovery; negative interest rates as well as a new long-term liquidity operation (LTRO), were mentioned by media as possible tools.

Despite November’s inflation being slightly higher at 0.9% and unemployment in the whole Eurozone being lower, recovery in Europe is still being hampered by weak domestic demand and high unemployment in peripheral Eurozone countries where businesses are struggling with a strong Euro.

Recent positive signs from the UK and Germany further highlight Europe’s two-speed economy. UK’s services PMI for October rose to 62.5 from 60.3 in September and the OECD increased the country’s GDP growth forecast for 2013 from 0.6% to 1.4%. The steady increase of house prices in the UK prompted the Bank of England to announce plans to start scaling down its Funding for Lending Scheme. This will now be refocused on lending to businesses from January 2014. The UK 10yr benchmark yield jumped 15 basis points, from 2.62% to 2.77%.

In the same vein, German October manufacturing PMI was higher at 51.7 compared to 51.1 in September and the official German Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices rose to 1.6% from 1.2% in October; both are supportive of the EU inflation backdrop.

Germany’s record €18.8bn trade surplus in September, however, has been a lightning rod for criticism as such a big trade surplus in the long run will hamstring recovery in other Eurozone trade partners. The German 10yr benchmark yield was generally unchanged at 1.69%, but the shorter end was slightly lower, in line with other European government yield curves.

Despite the two-speed Eurozone, Spain and Ireland revealed plans to exit their bailout programmes. Ireland said it would exit its three year €85bn programme in December while Spain, would leave its €41bn bailout as of January 2014; both countries achieving exits without precautionary funding. Spanish 10yr benchmark bond yield was up over 7bp to 4.13% on the month and the Irish 10yr benchmark was up 3bp 3.52% on the month. The Italian 10yr benchmark bond yield dropped 11bp to 3.90% and the French 10yr benchmark bond yield was lower on the month by 2bp to 2.23%. European sovereign curves steepened, suggesting investors expect the recovery to continue and future interest rates to rise.

Emerging Markets

After significant gains in October, emerging market debt started November well, but yields subsequently rose on fears that the US Federal Reserve may begin tapering their stimulus program. The yield on the South African rand 10yr benchmark increased from 7.6% to 8.01% and the yield on Indian rupee 10yr benchmark rose from 8.47% to 8.67% on the month, also pushed up by uncertainty over Indian inflation.

The Ukrainian parliament, under political pressure from Russia, voted against an association and free trade agreement with the EU. The Ukrainian opposition led by Vitaly Klitschko, staged protests in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, demanding the resignation of the prime minister. The 10yr government dollar denominated benchmark yield rose 33bp on the month, to 10.01%.

Overall, emerging markets new issuance has continued strongly from last month with 2013 turning into a remarkable year with last year's supply of around USD169.7bn poised to be broken. Croatia sold $1.75bn of 10yr bonds at a yield of 6.2%, below initial price indications of 6.5%. Serbia issued $1bn 5yr at a yield of 6.125%, significantly more expensive than a similar deal sold in February at a yield of 5.15%, indicating some push-back on risk appetite towards the end of this year.

Corporates

European corporate bonds spreads ground tighter and credit indices dropped throughout November, though at a slower pace than in October. Data provided by Interactive Data’s CDS Evaluations Service shows the iTraxx™ Senior Financials 5yr index fell 19bp to 86bp and the iTraxx Sub Financials 5yr were down 28bp to 132bp. The iTraxx HiVol 5yr index adjusted down 18bp to 99bp and iTraxx Crossover 5yr index slipped 15bp to 284bp.

Deals of the day- Mergers and acquisitions

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 06:24:00 GMT

Deals of the day- Mergers and acquisitions

Mon Jan 20, 2014 5:26pm EST

Prince Alwaleed tops Rich List with $31.2bn

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 05:05:00 GMT

The world's richest Arabs 2013

1 of 27

1. Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Al Saud $31.2bn ($25.9bn in 2012) Saudi Arabia
Whatever he touches generally turns to gold, and 2013 was no exception. In 2011, Alwaleed and Kingdom Holding Company (KHC) spent $300m on a stake in Twitter they said was worth more than 3 percent. When Twitter went public last month, the value of the prince's stake soared by 200 percent to $900m, after a 70 percent rise in the share price. Things have also been pretty impressive at Kingdom Holding in which the prince has a 95 percent share stake: the one year return on the stock had crossed a remarkable 35 percent by last Sunday. All this means that the prince is once again – for the 10th year running – the world’s richest Arab, with a personal fortune of $31.2bn. This figure has been verified by his private office. But the real strength of the overall KHC portfolio lies in sector diversity. It has major interests in investment categories ranging from luxury hotels and real estate to media and publishing, entertainment, finance and investment services, social media and technology, consumer and retail, petrochemicals, education, private equities, health care, aviation – even agriculture. KHC is among the world’s largest and most diverse investors, with regional and international holdings in many key industries. It is recognised as one of the largest foreign investors in the United States. The question in the past few years has been whether anyone else on the rich list could ever topple the prince from pole position. Based on the latest figures, the answer is a resounding no.

Prince Alwaleed tops Rich List with $31.2bn

By Staff Writer

Sunday, 15 December 2013 9:18 AM

Saudi Arabia’s Prince Alwaleed has topped the Arabian Business Rich List for the 10 successive year, with a personal fortune of $31.2bn
.
Click here to view the world’s richest Arabs

The Kingdom Holding Company chairman saw his wealth rise by over 20 percent in the past twelve months, from $25.9bn. The figure – verified by his private office, reflects a series of strong performances and investments in the last year, most notably his $300m stake in Twitter, which rose in value by 200 percent when the company floated this year.
Alwaleed’s personal wealth for 2013 is more than twice that of second placed hotels magnate Mohamed Al Jaber. Financial statements seen by Arabian Business - and also verified by Al Jaber’s private office – put his total wealth at $12.662bn – nearly double last year’s figure of $7bn.

The Olayan family ($12.5bn), Mohammed Al Amoudi ($12bn) and Issam Al Zahid ($11.6bn – a figure also verified by his private office) – top the remaining slots in the top five.
The 2013 list showed the top 50 richest Arabs in the world now have a combined wealth of $266.11bn, up from $257.21bn last year.

But only 11 of the names on last year’s list saw their figures rise.
Saudi Arabia accounted for nearly half the entries on this year’s list, with 23, followed by the UK and Kuwait, with four each. Seven of this year’s entries are based in Europe, with the UAE accounting for just three.

Arabian Business Editor Ed Attwood said: “The last 12 months have seen some solid performances by Arab business leaders across the globe, but what is significant is only 11 of the top 50 saw their wealth increase. The overall wealth has increased largely because of phenomenal performances by the top two in our list, Prince Alwaleed and Mohamed Al Jaber."
The list does not include any members of royal families, unless their wealth is specifically derived from business interests.

Revealed: The world’s richest Arabs list 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 04:54:00 GMT

Revealed: The world’s richest Arabs list 2013

Welcome to the tenth edition of the Arabian Business Rich List, our annual countdown of the world’s richest Arabs.

Photos

The world's richest Arabs 2013

Prince Alwaleed grew his wealth by just over 20 percent in the course of 2013 — proving yet again why he is the world’s richest Arab.

World's richest Arabs in construction

The Binladin Group won deals to construct Prince Alwaleed’s Kingdom Tower and the expansion of the King Abdulaziz International Airport.

World's richest Arabs in investment

Prince Alwaleed's Kingdom Holding Company is among the world’s largest and most diverse investors.

World's richest Arabs in retail

Kuwaiti family conglomerate the Kharafi Group is looking to Asia as its next target for investment.

Interviews

Banking & Finance»

HRH Prince Alwaleed interview

In a candid interview at his offices in Riyadh, the prince explains why he has been vindicated with the investments...

Travel & Hospitality»

A man for all seasons

MBI founder Sheikh Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber talks court battles, comebacks and the future for his $12bn global empire...

Banking & Finance»

Kuwait's Al Kharafi on plans for the family empire

In his most wide-ranging interview since he took a more prominent role in the family business, Bader Nasser Al Kharafi...

Banking & Finance»

Shehab Gargash interview

Legendary Dubai investor Shehab Gargash explains why - despite pushing his own firm’s IPO back to 2015 - sentiment in...

Opinion

Banking & Finance»

Cash rich

Prince Alwaleed grew his wealth by just over 20 percent in the course of 2013 — proving...

More from Revealed: The world’s richest Arabs list 2013

Photos

The world’s richest Arabs»

1	Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud
2	Mohamed Al Jaber
3	The Olayan Family
4	Mohammed Al Amoudi
5	Issam Al Zahid
6	The Sawiris Family
7	The Kharafi Family
8	Joseph Safra
9	The Binladin Family
10	Said Khoury
View complete list

Most Popular

The Future of Google....GoogleX - video

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 7 Jan 2014 07:38:00 GMT

Google Developers Live at I/O 2013 - GoogleX

eBay - Shipping Labels autodemo

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 12 May 2013 19:41:00 +0100

eBay - Shipping Labels autodemo: true

Print shipping labels direct from your ebay account. Save you time and money. Try it for yourself.

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Cheap Samsung S4, S3 & Note.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 5 May 2013 20:45:00 +0100

Samsung comparison tool helps find the right model and tariff for your usage and budget. If you're looking for an iPhone, use the iPhone comparison tool. Or, if you're a true Money Saver, see Cheap Mobiles, which covers all handsets.

Prices update automatically at 9am daily - please be aware prices can change in the meantime.

Compare Cheap Samsung Galaxy-S S2's

For Great Bargains Go Here:-SwanTech Sound

Samsung Galaxy S4 vs Galaxy S3 vs Note 2 vs iPhone 5 vs HTC One in a short comparison

The Samsung Galaxy S4 has just been released and everyone is crazy about it, even thought I don’t find it so impressive. And now people will be curious if it’s worth the upgrade or the jump from iOS. So let’s see how it compares to the Galaxy S3, Note 2, HTC One and the iPhone 5.

The processor is an Exynos 5 Octa ( dual quad-core ) for Europe and Korea, while it will feature a 1.9Ghz Snapdragon CPU in the US. We didn't manage to test the new processor, but from the benchmarks we've seen it’s definitely superior to the ones featured in the Galaxy S3, Note 2, HTC One or iPhone 5.

The Galaxy S4 comes with an improved camera, which seems to do a really good job, while the Galaxy S3, Note 2 and iPhone 5 have 8MP cameras. The Galaxy S4 features a 13MP camera able to do really good photos and the features added to it can really help: Sound & Shot, Drama Shot, Dual Camera, and Eraser.

The 5-inch 1080p display is amazing for sure and it’s much better than the one Galaxy S3 or Note 2 features, even surpassing the iPhone 5′s pixels-per-inch ratio, with 441. But while it does have a great display, it’s still a bulky smartphone for some. So the Galaxy S4 definitely wins the display battle, but the iPhone 5 remains great for those who prefer a smaller gadget.

Samsung’s new flagship device also comes with new features, like S Health, S Translator, Adaptive Display, Adaptive Sound, and Air Gesture. These sound great on paper, but they don’t seem to be very useful. We've seen a lot of revolutionary features in the Galaxy S3 too, which didn't prove to be very useful either. While we have to applaud Samsung for the innovation, I believe they have more work to do in order to make them become useful.

If I were to say right now what device is the winner, it would be pretty hard. But I can guarantee that it’s not the Galaxy S3, especially because it’s competing on the same ground with the S4 and it lacks a lot of cool stuff. So if you want an average size smartphone with nice features, the Galaxy S4 is a clear winner. If you want a phablet, the Note 2 is awesome. And if you want a smaller device, then go for the iPhone 5. And once you've chosen the iPhone 5 you'll realize that size is really not that important and you’ll trade it for a Galaxy S4 or HTC One.

After we go hands-on for a few days with the Galaxy S4 we'll write a more ample versus article and we’ll feature more devices. So stay put for a comprehensive Galaxy S4 vs Galaxy S3 vs Galaxy Note 2 vs HTC One vs iPhone 5 vs Droid DNA vs Nexus 4.

The Best eBay Selling Tricks!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 5 May 2013 20:28:00 +0100

eBay Selling TricksEasily declutter, flog & make £100s

By Jenny
Edited By Martin

Updated

8 Jan

New to the site? Quick message from Martin:

All the latest deals, guides and loopholes go in MoneySavingExpert's
free weekly email. Don't miss out - join the 7m who get it emailed!

Got it and don't need it? Flog it! Yet to really get the eBay cash rolling in, you neeed to know the etiquette and shortcuts.

This is a crash course on boosting your eBay sales. It includes how to cut fees, add extra pics free with photo hosting tools, profiting from bizarre items you never thought you'd sell, and more.

In this guide

Top eBay selling tools:

http://mse.me/ebaysell

40+ eBay selling tricks

WHERE TO START

As well as bringing in extra cash, eBay* can help declutter your home and is environmentally friendly too. After all, people are re-using your goods, rather than flinging them into the tip, so everyone gains.

Most people don't realise their home has hidden value tucked away in it, and there's serious money to be had. This isn't just from the first flushes of a major declutter either – continuing to get rid of things you no longer use can provide ready money.

For those who've got the eBay bug, it's addictive watching the bids flow in. The pounds can quickly add up, especially as you're profiting from stuff that was just picking up dust.

Committed MoneySavers on this site's eBay board can make £100s a year upwards, though, of course, this depends on whether you're just flogging a few cast-offs or trading full-time. For more ways to bring in extra loot, read the Boost Your Income guide.

NOT USED IT FOR A YEAR? FLOG IT

The first task is to sort through those bulging drawers and messy cupboards, finding stuff to flog. Get a big eBay box to stash your wares in, and systematically clear out wardrobes, DVD and CD piles, the loft and garage.

Use the easy 12-month rule of thumb to help you decide what to offload: Haven't used it for a year? Flog it.

Here's what sells best. Of course, if doesn't fit into these categories, the pounds will still add up, and you'll benefit from a more ordered home.

New items. Cellophane-wrapped DVDs and frocks with tags fetch a higher price.
Branded goods. People are more likely to trust a 'Black & Decker drill', rather than just a 'drill'.
Items with keywords. One question to ask is “will someone search for this?” People are more likely to seach for a Ted Baker shirt than just a shirt.
Rare commodities. Rare or difficult to get hold of sell well. The petrol cap on a 1974 special version Beetle may take time to sell, but someone who wants it should be willing to pay. Set start prices higher for items a few specialist buyers may be interested in.
Job lots. If you've little time and heaps of similar small items, consider selling them as a bundle. This works especially well with baby clothes. Yet sell expensive branded goods individually – don't bung Prada in with Primark.

FREE BULK LISTING TOOL

Usually there's no way to save draft listings without actually starting the auction. Free bulk listing tool Turbo Lister lets you create auctions in advance. You can save and edit at leisure. You could write the description now, then upload pictures the next week.

The tool is eBay's own software, which you download to your computer. It creates auctions offline, and offers templates for slicker-looking auctions. To make auctions live, simply click 'upload'.

This does mean that to upload auctions at a specific time, you need to be around then to click the upload button. It's still possible to upload in advance and schedule listings, but eBay charges 6p for the privilege.

The catch is Turbo Lister doesn't work with eBay free listing days or other free listing promotions. If you want to take advange of these, consider just preparing descriptions in a Word document and keeping photos in a special eBay folder.

DON'T BIN IT, 'BAY IT

Don't be quick to cry "that's rubbish". Sell everything. When it comes to eBay, one man's junk is another's dream, and it's astounding what people will fight for. Faulty electrical items, for example, shift well, as clever bods fix or use them for spares. Of course, always be upfront about an item's condition.

MoneySavers have made a quick buck selling used carrier bags, magazine cosmetic samples and even a broken Game Boy that had fallen down the toilet. For more bonkers sales, read the forum's brilliant Things you never thought you could sell thread.

BUY TO BUILD YOUR PROFILE

Before flogging cast-offs on eBay, buy a few small items you need. You can buy everything from tights and toothpaste on eBay, and may well save cash to boot (see theeBay Buying guide).

This gives you an insight into how the site works and builds up your feedback rating. Few buyers will do business with zero feedback sellers, and even if they do, your item is unlikely to fetch true market value.

The worst mistake you can make is logging on for the first time to sell a pricey item, such as an iPhone, when you've no feedback.

FOR BUYERS... SUPER-CHEAP LOCAL BARGAINS

Whether they're designer sofas, dishwashers, Wiis or children's books, sellers on eBay often specify items must be collected in person. As this often means fewer bids, there are bargains to be had.

Our free tool locates them for you. Tell the Local eBay Deals Mapper your postcode, how far you're prepared to schlep, and it maps the gems nearby.

SPY ON WHAT OTHERS HAVE DONE

The joy of eBay is you can see exactly how much other items have sold for, and how other sellers have described their wares. Just fill in the search box and tick 'completed items' on the left hand grey bar.

This reveals which descriptions or chosen categories get the most bids. If the price is listed in red, it means it did not sell.

Spotted a product identical to yours? Click 'sell one like this' at the top of the listing to automatically fill in most of the details. Never copy descriptions or pictures wholesale, as this infringes other sellers' copyright.

DON'T PAY FOR INFO

Some Del Boy types try to sell web addresses as 'exclusive info/tools of great interest'. Yet often they're available free elsewhere.

For example, some sellers sell mobile phone Sim unlocking codes for as much as £9.99, when you can do this for nowt (see Mobile Phone Unlocking).

To our great distaste, links to this site are constantly sold to the highest bidder. In the past, people have sold bank charge reclaiming template letters and links to theFlightChecker, as well as other tools from the site.

Use Google to check exactly what you're bidding for. If it's just 'information', you'll usually find the same elsewhere for free.

COMPOSE THE PERFECT TITLE

Ensure your item's title is searchable. When buyers search, eBay automatically searches for words in the item's title only, so every word counts. Though buyers can opt to search the title and description.

Imagine what you would search for. Take "stylish plunging neckline plum dress". No one's going to search for "stylish", "plunging" or "plum". Instead, try “new size 10 purple silk Whistles dress”, and you'll cram in tons more search terms.

Alternatively, “driving video game, not had it long” isn't going to come up as often as “New Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 (COD) for PS3”.

Got a top eBay buying tip that we haven't listed? Feed back in the eBay Selling Tips discussion.

EBAY JARGON BUSTER

eBay pros use certain initials to get their message across. These are useful for cramming extra info into titles without exceeding the character limit. Don't go overboard though, or newbies won't have the foggiest what you're on about.

Here's the most commonly used eBay jargon. BN: Brand new. BNWT: Brand new with tags. BNIB: Brand new in box. BIN: Buy it now. VGC: Very good condition.

DESCRIBE YOUR ITEM - WARTS AND ALL

Now it's time to sell and market your product. To write a good description, think about what you‘d like to know if you were buying the product yourself. Include information such as brand name, condition (new or used), item specifics, model numbers, size, precise dimensions, style and colour.

While you want to big up the product, ensure the description's accurate. It might be tempting to describe a shirt as like new. But if it turns up with kebab stains down the front, the buyer will leave bad feedback. Plus if it's not as described, they may have recourse to action.

Always run your description through a spellchecker. To show how important spelling is, entire sites, such as Goofbid (formerly Goofbay) and Fatfingers, are dedicated to profiting from people's slip-ups. Listings with spelling errors, especially in the title, go for lower amounts.

UPLOAD YOUR SNAPS

A decent picture's paramount. You might get away with not including a Harry Potter DVD's image, but no one pays good cash for a painting they've never laid eyes on.

eBay lets you upload your first piccie for free, but charges 12p for each extra shot. Later, we'll tell you how to sneakily upload extra pics for free.

Uploading is easy, just click 'add photo' on the selling page. Most digital cameras these days will take a snap good enough to upload. Ensure there's enough light, and if you're taking outdoor pics - for a car, perhaps - then plan for a sunny day. If it's an expensive item, take shots from different angles, as well as close-ups and distance shots.

Use a plain background. Buyers won't be enticed by a mirror reflecting you in your Y-fronts.

Love your flaws

Take close-up photos of slight imperfections – ideally next to a ruler to show size – so buyers can inspect. They might be more likely to buy if the flaw's not as bad as they thought, and may leave you good feedback for honesty.

PICK YOUR START PRICE

It's a delicate balance. Set the start price too high and no one will bid, set it low and there's a risk it will sell for the knock-down price.

As described above, searching completed items gives a list of prices similar auctions have already fetched - a useful guide to how much you're likely to make.

Lower your start price

Not only will it slash the initial listing fee, but your listing may attract more attention. Boffins at London University did some research on this topic, and found auctions with modest start prices sparked more bidding and fetched higher final prices. Of course, there is always the risk it will end up selling for the knock-down price.

TIME IT RIGHT

Avoid ending auctions at 4am, when nobody's about. Often bidders prefer to swoop in in the last few minutes, hoping others won't fight back.

According to eBaying MoneySavers, the best time to close an auction is between 7pm and 9pm, Sundays to Thursdays. If listing an expensive item, check TV listings to ensure you don't clash with the Downton Abbey season finale.

Though remember if you're selling to another country, such as the US, you'll want to tweak your end time accordingly.

Prior engagement? eBay lets you list auctions and schedule a start time for 6p. There are tons more tips on this Best time to close eBay auctions forum thread.

SELL IN HIGH SEASON

Think about seasonality. Sell stuff at the right time of year. Few will search for barbecues in December or Christmas crackers in July.

The more precise, the better. If you're flogging an air-conditioning unit, wait for a hot spell to pump up the price.

USE EBAY AS A FREE REMOVAL SERVICE

Don't pay the council to collect old sofas or broken washing machines. Just put them on eBay for 1p (or see Freecycle later) and people will collect them. People with fixing skills often buy broken washing machines and TVs.

GO GLOBAL

Selling to overseas bidders boosts the number of potential bidders. When expanding your empire abroad, you have two options: sell to overseas bidders via eBay UK, or listing your auction on that country's eBay site.

If you think an item will be more popular in a specific country, such as the USA, it may be worth listing on that country's eBay site. This way locals take it more seriously, as the item appears in their currency and come higher up in searches.

Whichever you choose, always add a higher postage charge, or the extra cost eats your profits. This isn't worth it for big bulky items, as high postage costs outweigh buyers' gains.

See a full how-to.

SMASH EBAY FEES

Auction-style listing insertion fees starting at 99p or under are free for private sellers (you're allowed 100 free listings per month). For other auction-style listings, eBay charges a listing fee of up to £1.30, depending on your start price. Media items cost a flat 10p.

Buy-it-now items cost a flat 40p initial listing charge, except media items, which cost 20p.

There are a few little words every eBayer loves to hear: 'free listing weekend'. On these days, initial listing fees are waved. So list an Xbox 360 with a starting price of £50, and the listing will be free, instead of £1.

These weekends are especially good for items with high start prices, as you'll save more.

Don't forget closing fees

If your item sells, you're charged an additional 'final value' fee, which for auctions is 10% of the final sale price, up to a maximum of £75. For example, start an auction for a dress at £50 and, if it fetches £150, the total fee would be £15.10. See eBay's fee chart for a full breakdown.

Sadly, there's no way to cut the closing fee, apart from using a different auction website (see alternative auction sites for more details).

eBay fees can be hard to fathom, but handy eBay fee calculator Ecal does the maths for you. Just type in a start price and final value and it whizzes back with the costs.

USE EBAY SELLING INSTEAD OF RENTING

The economics of trading are fascinating. The fluidity of eBay as a marketplace means stuff often moves quickly and at a reasonable price. This has a bizarre effect on some purchases.

Imagine you're intending to keep something for a limited time. Your flat needs a small TV for a few months or you want a computer game for three weeks. In the past, renting was cheaper than buying. With eBay, buying it in, using it, ensuring it stays in good nick, then flogging it can actually undercut renting.

In fact, more powerfully, buy something for the cheapest possible amount (see the Cheap Online Shopping and eBay Buying Secrets guides), then re-flog when you're done. It's perfectly possible to get as much as you paid for it, so the period you're using it doesn't actually cost anything.

PAYPAL DOESN'T PAY

The standard way to pay on eBay is using its online payment system PayPal. This works well for buyers, as it's free and affords extra protection.

When selling, the argument's reversed. PayPal wallops sellers with a fee of 3.4% of the amount paid (slightly less for £1,500+ payments), plus 20p for each transaction. On an £100 sale, you'd pay £3.60. Add this to eBay's other fees, and it's a fair whack.

Unfortunately eBay requires all sellers to offer PayPal as an option, but if anyone does pay you by cheque, you save. If you're selling a bulky item that must be picked up in person, ask to be paid in cash.

BE WARY OF PAYPAL FOR PICK-UP ONLY ITEMS

When selling collection-only items, consider asking the buyer to pay with cash, rather than PayPal – especially if it's a big-ticket item like a laptop.

An increasing number of buyers claim they haven't collected an item when they have, then claim the money back.

eBay only protects sellers if they use a postal service that gives online proof of delivery (for items valued over £150, it also requires signature confirmation). If the buyer collects in person, you won't have this, so are at risk of losing your cash AND your item.

Bizarrely, eBay still forces you to list PayPal in your list of accepted payment options (except if it's a car, motorcycle, aircraft, boat, caravan, trailers, truck or property). There's no real way round this, apart from posting high value items, instead of letting people pick them up.

You could write in bold in your listing "Please note I will accept cash on collection only, not Paypal". Yet this is against eBay's policies and could mean your listing's taken down.

Going Abroad - Cheap Travel Money!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 5 May 2013 19:37:00 +0100

Cheap Travel Money

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Top Ten Tips for Buying on ebay - Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 05:58:00 +0100

Top tips for buying on ebay

eBay is a mammoth marketplace with millions of goods. Most people just bid, but there are a range of hidden tools and tricks to track down uber-bargains.

Plus the guide includes a host of other second-hand buying tips, including police auctions, airport baggage sales, collection-only deals and more.

In this guide

Top eBay tools:

Find super-cheap local bargains
Whether they're designer sofas, dishwashers, Wiis or children's books, sellers on eBay often specify items must be collected in person. As this often means fewer bids, there are bargains to be had.

Our free tool locates them for you. Tell the Local eBay Deals Mapper your postcode, how far you're prepared to schlep and it maps gems nearby.

Plus, you wanted it, so we built an Android Local eBay Deals app. Let it pinpoint your location, tell it how far you'll travel and it shows nearby gems.

use Spelling mistayke spotters

Many people can't spell, so they mistype their eBay entries. This English teacher's nightmare is a bargain hunter's dream. Wrongly-spelled products attract fewer bids because many people miss them.

A few specialist search sites take advantage of this. They trawl eBay for all possible spelling mistake combinations. These include Fatfingers, Baycrazy, Goofbid and BargainChecker.

tool to bag no-bid items

Often sellers start auctions at 99p, hoping a bidding war will erupt. Many items go unspotted, staying at this super-low price. Lastminute Auction hunts for eBay auctions due to finish within an hour but which still cost under £1. Tick the Union Jack for UK sales.

Double-check delivery charges, as some sellers hope to recoup costs by charging a little extra (though eBay's now set maximum delivery charges for many categories).

set alerts for rare items

If you want something very specific or hard to track down, set a 'favourite search' and eBay will email each time a seller lists your desired item. This is fab if you like buying on eBay, but don't spend your life hunched over the site.

Simply type a product in eBay's search bar, such as "Star Wars Lego Millennium Falcon", and click 'save search'. Be as specific as possible for the most accurate results. Then, when someone clears out the loft and lists one, an email pops into your inbox.

Don't assume ebay's cheapest

Many people assume that if it's on eBay*, it's automatically cheap, but this isn't always the case. With a few basic checks, it's easy to spot if you're really getting a bargain.

Use shopbots (shopping robots) that whizz to scores of internet retailers to find the cheapest price. Our MegaShopBot.com tool auto-searches the best of these for each category.

The same rule applies when buying second-hand gear. Check the used marketplace on Amazon* - you may even get it for free on Freecycle or Freegle.

Check the eBay going rate

There's a quick way to glean an eBay product's market value. Fill in the search box and tick 'completed items' on the left-hand grey bar. It'll come up with a list of prices similar auctions have already fetched. Then sort by "Price: lowest first".
If the price is red, it means no one bought it. Green means it sold – don't pay more than the average.

don't pay for info

Since August 2005, eBay has banned the selling of intangible items, including recipes, dieting advice and, bizarrely, spells and spirits. Yet some Del Boy types still sell web addresses as "exclusive info/tools of great interest".

Other sellers flog mobile phone Sim unlocking codes for as much as £10, when you can do this for nowt (see Mobile Phone Unlocking).

To our great distaste, links to this site have been sold to the highest bidder. In the past, people have sold bank charge reclaiming template letters and links to the FlightChecker, as well as other tools from the site.
Use Google to check exactly what you're bidding for. If it's just 'information', you'll usually find the same elsewhere for free.

Win auctions with sniping tools

Spotted something you want to buy? The last thing you should do is bid on it. Bid early and competing buyers will bid back, forcing the price upwards. Instead, sneakily win auctions by swooping in and delivering a killer bid about 10 seconds before the deadline, leaving no time for others to fight back.

Sniping websites automatically bid on your behalf, usually in the last 10ish seconds. Simply sign up, enter an eBay* item number and the maximum price you're willing to pay. This also stops you getting carried away in the heat of a last minute bidding war.

For a free auction sniper, try Goofbid.com (formerly known as Goofbay) though it can be temperamental – some MoneySavers have missed out on items.

A BIG warning...
You need to give sniping sites your eBay password for them to work, which is a serious security concern.

While feedback has generally been good from MoneySavers, there's little protection from eBay if things ever do go wrong, as you have willingly given your password to a third party. If you do sign up, never use the same password for eBay as you do for other accounts, such as banks or email.

trick to manipulate 'best offers'

Some sellers specify they'll consider 'best offers'. This is where you propose a figure, then they mull it over and tell you if it's a goer.

There's a loophole to see which prices they've already accepted, and lower your best offer accordingly, as sellers often sell the same item repeatedly.

Click 'advanced' search, tell it what you want, and tick to show only 'best offer' items. Once you've found a product that accepts offers, click the seller's username, then 'items for sale', then 'completed items'.

It should show all the items that seller's already sold (price will be in green). Look at the items that say best offer, and bingo - you should be able to see the lowest price they accepted. This trick won't work if the seller sets their best offer listings to be private.

Haggling on eBay pays off

There's nothing wrong with asking for a discount, even if the listing doesn't show the 'make offer' logo. Haggling works best on buy-it-now listings, or auctions with a high start price and no bids.

To contact the seller, click 'ask a question'. If you're polite and charming, you'll get further. Blunt requests such as "hi, will u take 50p" are usually a mistake. They annoy the seller, and a discount is at their discretion.

Once you've clinched the deal, keep the transaction within eBay – just ask the seller to add (or change) a buy-it-now price. For 20 haggling tips for success beyond the web, see the High Street Haggling guide.

Share - Toolbar Help

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 9 Mar 2013 06:36:00 GMT

Share - Toolbar Help

Getting Started With Google Toolbar.

Install, Share, Translate, find out more. Can't be bothered with reading - yeah me neither.
Watch the Google help video, I did. 5 minutes is all it takes, you'll be glad you did!!!
Get help to:

Install Google Toolbar
Toolbar disappeared ?
Using - Essential tools
Get started with Google Toolbar
Share with Google+
Save Toolbar settings to your Google Account

Want some good bargains - check out some cool stuff on eBay. Go To:

'SwanTech Sound' on eBay.co.uk

3 Ways to Amplify Small-Business Marketing with Crowdsourcing

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 03:30:00 GMT

3 Ways to Amplify Small-Business Marketing with Crowdsourcing

BY SUSAN GUNELIUS

Don’t have time or money to do all of the marketing you’d like? Why not get your customers, consultants, freelancers, experts, writers, and more to help you? That’s what crowdsourcing is, and it’s a great way to enhance small business marketing efforts. By tapping into the “crowd” (particularly the massive online crowd), you can jumpstart your social media and content marketing efforts, extend your brand reach, and amplify your messages through word-of-mouth marketing.

Crowdsourcing initiatives for marketing can be grouped into three distinct categories, which are described below along with easy ways to get the crowd involved so your messages spread wider and your brand and business grow faster.

1. Crowdsourcing for content marketing

One of the easiest and most effective ways to leverage the reach of the crowd is through content marketing. Brands like The Huffington Post and American Express OPEN Forum grew exponentially thanks to crowdsourcing. Both tapped into the crowd of industry experts and invited them to write free content for the websites. In exchange, writers received free links back to their own sites and an opportunity to get in front of larger audiences than they could reach on their own.

Related: From Intern to Venture-Backed Entrepreneur With a Little Help From Big Data

You can do the same thing by inviting customers, authors, business partners, and anyone else who could benefit from free cross-promotion or simply would enjoy having a place to publish their opinions online to write content for your business blog. You’d be surprised how many online media organizations and large businesses use crowdsourcing for content publishing.

Keep in mind, content can come in many forms, including reviews, comments, images, video, and more. For example, Skechers launched a crowdsourcing marketing initiative that tied into its rewards programs. Members of the Skechers rewards program earn points not just from purchases but also from content they publish on the Skechers website such as product reviews and answers to questions from other customers. Crowdsourcing for content marketing can tie in seamlessly with small business loyalty programs, too.

2. Crowdsourcing for social media marketing

To leverage crowdsourcing for social media marketing, invite customers to pin content to your pin-boards on Pinterest or share pictures and videos on your Facebook Page. For example, encourage people to share pictures of themselves using your products! If you prefer Twitter, set up a public Twitter account using a tool like Group Tweet, which enables 100,000 people to tweet to the same account, and invite people to publish tweets related to your business, products, industry, and so on to that account.

Related: Connecting Nonprofits With Pro Bono Help

You can even turn the process of sharing content into a contest where the person who publishes the winning photo or video or publishes the most content gets a prize. Big brands do this very successfully all the time. For example, Heineken used fan-generated content as part of a campaign related to its 2012 Olympic Games sponsorship for a Facebook promotion. It’s easy, affordable, and very effective for small businesses, too!

3. Crowdsourcing for design

Need a new logo or another type of marketing design? Use a site like Crowdspring or 99 designs to get design submissions from a crowd of individuals with varying levels of expertise and an endless amount of creativity. Need a picture that you can use on your blog, website, or marketing materials legally but can’t find the right one without paying more than you can afford? Post your request on Koi.io (formerly FotoKoi) and let the crowd of photographers help you. You can even tap into the crowd for a new slogan using Slogan Slingers where founder Rich Davis explains, “Most slogan projects cost between $50 and $900.”

Believe it or not, crowdsourcing for logo design and other marketing design projects is very common. From the local pizza business in Pennsylvania that used Slogan Slingers for a new slogan tailored to the shop to the U.S. Department of the Interior which used crowdsourcing for a new logo design via Crowdspring, the practice of turning marketing needs over to the crowd is becoming more and more popular.

Bottom-line, there are many ways to leverage the crowd to assist you with directly and indirectly promoting your business. Don’t be afraid to get creative and always encourage your audience to engage with you and join the conversation. Don’t ask them to promote your business. Instead, ask them to share brand stories and experiences. The power of the crowd comes from allowing them to take control of the conversation and the brand experience. Let them make your brand their own so they become loyal and vocal brand advocates that extend beyond a single crowdsourcing initiative.

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BlackBerry 10 Keyboard – Vivek Bhardwaj Gives us the Scoop [VIDEO]

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 21:31:00 GMT

It’s no secret that BlackBerry fans love their keyboards, and for BlackBerry 10 we wanted to make sure that the typing experience is unmatched. Who better to show us around the keyboard than Vivek Bhardwaj, our Head of Software Portfolio and demo man extraordinaire!

He explained that we not only wanted to design the keyboard to be BlackBerry visually, but also to show the thought we've put into innovations in touch screen typing. At BlackBerry Jam Americas he told me that his favorite feature was the ability to switch between languages. Now, he’s got a new favorite – the space bar We’ll let him explain:

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

Basically, if you miss hitting the space bar as you type, the keyboard is designed to recognize that and automatically add spaces between your words when you hit it next. This allows you to keep your train of thought and keep typing without having to go back and add spaces. Typing without interruption? Count me in.

And for those of you who love a physical keyboard, we’ll have both full touch and QWERTY models for BlackBerry 10. Let us know what you think of the BlackBerry 10 keyboard below – are you going to go QWERTY or full touch?

Blackberry - 10 Keyboard Video

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7 Truths about Customers No Retailer Wants to Admit

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 9 Dec 2012 10:36:00 GMT

7 Truths about Customers No Retailer Wants to Admit

By Chip Averwater

"The customer is always right" is a mantra that business owners hear over and over again. Of course, this way of thinking doesn't always hold water. Sometimes customers are just plain wrong. But if you don't want your retail store to join the estimated 95% of failed ventures, you'd better figure out quickly that even when the customer is wrong, he's right. It's a retail truth that you simply have to come to terms with if you want a successful store.

Retail doesn't get rave reviews. Most shoppers agree that the typical retail experience isn't good. Why can't retail rate better satisfaction? One theory is that consumers experience retailing almost daily and become highly discriminating in their standards. Also, consumers often see excellent examples of particular aspects of retailing individually, but rarely does any retailer get it all right at once. And finally, retailers who do manage to get it all right are too expensive to be competitive.

Be-backs don't come back. Customers say, "I'll be back later to purchase this!" to extricate themselves from the situation without disappointing the salesperson. When a customer says this, ask if you've shown her the correct product, answered her questions, and provided enough information Keep asking questions and providing information. With persistence, maybe you'll convince your be-back to come back.

Happy customers come and go; unhappy customers accumulate. Dissatisfied customers have long memories and look for opportunities to warn others away. It's usually worthwhile to actively look for unhappy customers, open a dialog, and try to make up with them. Often, a little attention turns them into equally vocal advocates.

Complaints are signs our customers want us to do better. When a customer complains, it often means many others feel the same way but don't bother to tell us. One complaint represents an opportunity to improve service to all of your customers.

Low prices won't excuse poor service. Retailers must find a balance between service and price that appeals to customers. Sometimes a cheaper price with lower service works out, but often it leads to disappointment and dissatisfaction. Never believe the rationalization that poor service doesn't matter if your prices are low enough.

"Take it back where you bought it" alienates customers. Occasionally, you'll encounter a customer who asks for help with a product he purchased elsewhere. The customer is coming to you because they are unhappy with the competitor's transaction. Do you really want to send them back?

You don't see your competitors' happy customers. Remember that the complaints you hear about the competition aren't a balanced picture. Only dissatisfied customers come see you; satisfied customers are happy and have no reason to go elsewhere.

When you admit these truths are out there, you can begin to implement ways to keep your customers happy, keep them coming through your doors, and most importantly, keep them buying from you!

Chip Averwater is a retailer and chairman of Amro Music Stores in Memphis, TN. He has been a featured speaker on retailing in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Australia, and is the author of Retail Truths: The Unconventional Wisdom of Retailing.

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4 Money Tips for Graduating from College..

4 Money Tips.....

TIP 1.

TIP 2.

The benefits of staying in throughout the week!

TIP 3.

Graduation Day is almost here already!

TIP 4.

Keep calm and graduate from college

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That cross border transactions are not worth the effort.

That foreign buyers always pay more when acquiring a company.

That a cross border transactions will take an impossibly long time.

That foreign buyers or sellers are impossible to work with.

That foreign sellers always try to cheat the buyers.

As with any transaction, foreign or domestic, the key to success is thorough due diligence.

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**Athanasius Kircher's map of Atlantis, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. From Mundus Subterraneus 1669, published in Amsterdam. The map is oriented with south at the top.**