London Olympics might make money after all, NBC Sports chief says

Maybe the best way to cut through all the spin and counterspin on the Olympics is this:
Last week, NBC was saying it would lose money on the Olympics.
Yesterday, it said it might break even.
Today, the network is saying it could turn a profit on the $1.18 billion investment.
"Yeah, we think there's a small chance, a chance we could make a little bit of money over the next couple of weeks," Mark Lazarus, chairman of the NBC Sports Group, said in a conference call from London Thursday when asked if the network might turn a profit on the games.

Lazarus attributed the change to the big ratings for the first nights of competition starting Saturday, Sunday and Monday. He said NBC expected big ratings for the opening ceremonies, but that the first few nights of ratings for competition convinced NBC there was a new market of advertisers who didn't buy in advance but would like to buy now.

And while he didn't address it in the conference call, advertisers who buy after it's no longer a gamble pay higher rates.

And that is the name of the biggest game in all media these days: Finding a way to monetize -- maximum monetize -- the content you own. That's what the queue of new Olympics buyers shows: NBC has found a way in using social and online media to drive viewers to prime time to make money on old-media TV where it can charge the highest rates. It's as if newspapers found a way to use their online and social media platforms to drive that audience back to print subscriptions or box sales.

Lazarus addressed surprisingly polite questions about the ire sounded in social media over the weekend and earlier in the week, by sounding the same theme other NBC executives have said in telephone interviews with me: The majority of American viewers and media consumers seem to like what NBC is doing. It's a "loud minority" complaining.

"The overwhelming majority of people are voting with their clicker and their mouses and their fingertips on every device, saying, 'We're with you, we're enjoying what you're doing, thank you, please continue,'" he said.

"We listen, we read, we understand that there are people who don't like what we're doing. We think that's a very loud minority, and the silent majority has been with us the first six days."

Alan Wurtzel, head of research for NBC, said the network's digital results "parallel television" in terms of success.

He said, so far, 28 million have visited nbcolympics.com, while 4.6 million have been to the network's mobile sites. The latter is double Beijing.

Furthermore, digital and social media are driving younger viewers to prime-time TV, according to Nielsen research that he cited.

"We always said this will be the first truly social media Olympics, and that's exactly how it's turning out."

Wurtzel said 82 percent of viewers surveyed by NBC have said, "with all the buzz, I have become more interested in watching the Olympics."

He said "two-thirds" of viewers surveyed told interviewers, "I've gotten in these Olympics because friends and family members are actively engaged in posting and tweeting about the games."

"Our total teen audience is up 28 percent compared to Beijing," Wurtzel said. "Viewing by teen girls is up 62 percent, teenage boys up 7 percent. Viewing by kids 2 to 11 is up 33 percent."

Indicative of how good NBC is feeling about things, Wurtzel, a self-described "research geek," felt confident enough on the phone yesterday to offer reporters his favorite "fun factoid."

"Archery is the new curling," he said. "It's delivered an average of 1.5 million viewers making it the highest-rated cable sports, beating out basketball."

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Union Budget 2012-13: Income tax exemption limit raised to Rs 2 lakh

NEW DELHI: Disappointing a large section of income tax payers in the country, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee made a small raise in the exemption limit in his Budget speech.
Pranab Mukherjee raised the exemption limit for income tax by just Rs 20,000 from Rs 1,80000 to Rs 2 lakh.
The new tax slabs are as follows:

Up to Rs 2 lakh: No tax
From Rs 2 lakh to 5 lakh: 10%
From Rs 5 lakh to 10 lakh: 20%
Above Rs 10 lakh: 30%
Promise to curb black money, major push on infrastructure, capital market reforms and huge subsidy cut were among the other proposals listed by Pranab Mukherjee in the Union Budget for 2012-13.
The revision in tax slabs will give some direct tax relief to individuals, even as eating out, buying luxury cars, air travel, availing some professional services and investing in gold jewellery will become costlier.
Presenting his 7th budget in the Lok Sabha on Friday, the finance minister said the exemption limit for personal income tax was being enhanced from Rs 1,80,000 to Rs 2,00,000, even as the limit for peak rate was being raised to Rs 10,00,000 from Rs 8,00,000.
"This will provide tax relief of Rs 2,000 to every tax payer," the finance minister said, adding: "My proposal on direct taxes will result in a revenue loss of Rs 4,500 crore."
He also announced new tax slabs under which income up to Rs 2,00,000 would be totally exempt, levy 10 percent for Rs 2,00,000 to Rs 5,00,000, then 20 percent for Rs 5,00,000 to Rs 10,00,000 and 30 percent for income above Rs 10,00,000.
For the corporate sector, he said, while the tax rates were remaining unchanged, he assured cheaper access to funds for expansion, even as he tinkered with the excise rates and customs duties for specific items.
He proposed to raise the service tax rate to 12 percent from the present 10 percent.
In the speech, which started at 11 am and lasted 110 minutes, Mukherjee listed a slew of proposals that ranged from social welfare schemes and incentivising industry to fiscal consolidation and sector-specific reforms.
Assuring further liberalisation of capital markets, he announced a new equity savings scheme to extend income tax deduction of 50 percent to those who invest up to Rs 50,000 in equities and whose annual income is less than Rs 10 lakh.
The finance minister started his speech with the cascading effect of the global slowdown on India, but yet assuring people that there were clear signs of a recovery which should see the country grow at 7.6 percent in 2012-12, against 6.9 percent this fiscal.
"The global crisis has affected us. India's gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to grow at 6.9 percent in 2011-12, after having grown at 8.4 percent in each of the two preceding years," the finance minister said.
"Though we have been able to limit the adverse impact of the slowdown in our economy, this year's performance has been disappointing. But it is also a fact that in any cross-country comparison, India still remains among the front-runners in economic growth."
At the same time, Mukherjee also said the Indian economy was at the cusp of a revival, as agriculture and services have continued to grow at a decent pace. It was industrial performance that was acting as a drag.
"While we do not have the aggregate figures for the last quarter of 2011-12, numerous indicators pertaining to this period suggest that the economy is now turning around. There are signs of recovery in coal, fertiliser, cement and electricity sectors."

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Wonder ways for a flat tummy

"An ideal diet and workout for every individual depends upon his/her weight loss requirement, body type and body shape," suggests Pandey. For instance, a pear shaped person may indulge in a less strenuous workout and minimal diet modifications to get the desired tummy in comparison to an apple shaped body, who is usually heavy in the tummy area.
Here are a set of workout and physical activities, which when combined with an ideal eating plan and cardio workouts can assure you of the killer abs that you always dreamt of...
1. Naukasana- A common yoga posture that works wonders on your abs.
Method: Lie flat on the ground, with your back on the floor. Raise your upper body and legs to an angle of 30 degrees and hold the posture for 30-40 seconds, then relax. Repeat this asana for 10 times to begin with, graduating to 30 times. Breathe normally all through the work out.
"Holding onto the posture tightens and contracts your upper and lower abs while repeating the movement tones them up," tells yoga expert Usha Chegappa of Bharat Thankur's Artistic Yoga.
2. Ushtrasana : It is the counter pose to naukasana .
Method: Stand on your knees, with heels facing upwards. Arch your back, placing your hands on your knees one by one. Hold your head behind pushing your belly outwards. Hold this posture for 30 seconds and repeat 30 times.
"During naukasana , the ab muscles contract building up tension in the area, while ushtrasana releases the tension by giving your tummy a good stretch. It is important to practice ushtrasana after naukasana to save one's back from injury," explains Usha.
3. Basic crunch : The good old crunch still remains the best exercise to bag the perfect abs.
Method: Lie on the floor with your legs off the floor in a right angle. Keep your shoulders just above the floor. Breathe in and bring your knees in towards your chest, while lifting your upper body to an angle of 30 degrees and breathe out while you relax. Repeat this exercise 15-20 times to begin with.
"Don't arch your back. The crunches will help you contract your abdomninal muscles giving them an effective workout," suggests Deanne.
4. Bridging: Stretch till you feel the burn!
Method: Lie flat on the floor with your hands resting by your sides, feet flat on the floor, shoulder width apart and knees bent. Now, contract your abdominals, lower back and gluts and slowly lift your midsection to form a bridge from your knees, through your hips to your shoulders. Hold this position for a few seconds, and then slowly lower. Fitness expert Kiran Swahney suggests, "Avoid this exercise in case you are suffering from lower back problems."

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Midcap crash

Market regulator Sebi has barred 19 entities from the securities market after an initial probe into the recent share price plunge in some mid-cap stocks, including Parsvnath, Tulip Telecom and Pipavav Defence.

Passing an interim order against these entities, which includes individuals and companies having dealt in these stocks, Sebi said it would expeditiously complete its investigations into the matter.

The entities restrained from accessing the securities market and prohibited from buying, selling or dealing in securities in any manner whatsoever include 4a Financials Securities, A To Z Steels, Ajit Kumar Jain, Trade Comm, G N Credits, Gajria Jayna Precision Industries, Kuvam Plast, Littlestar Vanijya, Manish Agarwal and Milestone Shares & Stock Broking.

The others among the 19 barred entities include Neelanchal Mercantile, North Eastern Publishing & Advertising Co, Passions System Solution, Premium Hospitality Services, Ramkripa Securities, Umang Nemani, Venus Infosoft, White Horse Trading Co and Yashika Holding.

These persons and entities can file their objections, if any, within 21 days from the date of this order, Sebi said in the order passed on Friday.

The probe relates to a sharp plunge of 20-26% in the shares of Parsvnath Developers, Pipavav Defence and Offshore Engineering, Tulip Telecom and Glodyne Technoserve on July 26 at the BSE and NSE. 

Sebi said a sharp downward movement was noticed in these stocks between 0915 and 0949 hours on that day.

These stocks witnessed sharp intra-day price volume movement on both BSE and NSE on July 26, although no major corporate announcements or price sensitive information was disclosed to the exchanges by these companies during previous 15 days.

After analysing the trading activity of major clients, NSE and BSE found that some of these clients were not only common across these scrips but they also traded on both the exchanges.

A further probe into the matter found that the top identified clients whose sell volume constituted a significant share of the total sale transactions in these stocks accounted for up to 95% of the total sale transactions.

Sebi said the analysis of trade data showed that these traders were instrumental in pushing down the prices of the concerned stocks, as they were observed to be placing the sell orders below the best sell prices as well as the best buy prices available on various occasions.

Also, during the day, many entities related to the some of the traders were top net sellers in these scrips.

The regulator further said relationships have been established among some of the clients as per information available in its surveillance system, KYC details available with the stock exchanges, MCA databases and other publicly available sources.

Among others, Neelanchal Mercantile Private and Milestone Shares & Stock Broking have a common phone number and a common Kolkata address.

Flex Trade, Adish Jain and Manish Agarwal also have common phone number and a common address in Kolkata.

Milestone Shares & Stock Broking, Ajit Kumar Jain and Manish Agarwal were also found to have a common phone number.

Ajit kumar Jain is director in Mukesh Trade & Finance, which shares its phone number with Divya Drishti traders, which along with a few other related entities have been previously debarred from trading in market in the matter of creation of artificial market and price manipulation in scrip of Tijaria polypipes.

Having found various common addresses and phone numbers, Sebi`s probe has established that A To Z Steels, G N Credits, Premium Hospitality Services, 4a Financials Securities, Gajria Jayna Precision Industries, Venus Infosoft and Passions System Solution are related to each other.

Similarly, Neelanchal Mercantile, Flex Trade, Kuvam Plast, Milestone Shares & Stock Broking, Ajit Kumar Jain, Adish Jain, Nemani Umang, Step Two Corp, North Eastern Publishing and Advertising Co and Manish Agarwal are related to each other.

Further, a comparison of the trading pattern with the income details captured in KYC of the clients revealed that for certain clients the trading pattern does not appear to be commensurate with income shown in the KYC records.

For example, Manish Agarwal has disclosed his income at Rs 1-5 lakh, but did gross trading of Rs 4,910 million between January 1 and January 25, 2012.

Neelanchal Mercantile has not mentioned any income in KYC documents, but conducted trades worth over Rs 15 billion during this period, while a host of other entities also did trades way beyond their income levels.

A probe into concentration pattern of these entities from Jan.01 till July 25, 2012 showed that their trading concentration in the four stocks was up to 100%.

Sebi said their sale orders of substantial quantities were made with a view to create an impression of huge selling pressure at the time of start of the trading and several times the limit orders were placed at a price significantly below the Last Traded Price, thereby bringing down the price of the scrips. 

In some of the scrips, percentage of sell quantity by identified clients during the price fall patch was significant to their total sell quantity during the day and this was in the range of 50-100%, Sebi said.

Besides, the trading of the some of these clients during six months prior to July 26 was mainly concentrated in these four scrips only.

``In my view, generally, a seller would rationally seek a higher price to sell his shares; however, in this case the clients were placing sale orders at prices lower than LTP, thereby bringing down the price of the scrips,`` Sebi`s whole time member Rajeev Kumar Agarwal said in his order.

``More importantly, normally a seller would desist from revealing its entire sell quantity since that may cause the supply-demand balance to immediately become unfavourable to the seller. ``The data for the short period of time in each scrip indicates several instances of fully disclosed orders which were also a significant factor in causing the sharp decline of approximately 20 per cent in price of each scrip,`` he said.

Agarwal said the trading pattern of the clients` prima-facie indicates that there was a concerted attempt to artificially manipulate and depress the prices of the four scrips in a disorderly fashion.

Sebi said there is a prima facie case for a detailed probe, going by the ``several abnormal suspicious features which otherwise are likely to pass-off as normal buy and sell transactions in the market``, as also given the unprecedented price fall and significant volume of traded shares on July 26.

``It is noted that the trading pattern of few of the above clients along with other entities in various scrips including some of the aforesaid scrips for different periods is under examination of Sebi,`` the regulator said.

``... Further the trading pattern of the entities is prima facie found to be instrumental in depressing the prices of certain scrips at the beginning of the trading in the market on July 26, 2012.``

``If they are allowed to continue to operate in the market, the same is fraught with danger of immense mischief and incalculable damage to the securities market besides undermining the confidence of the investors in the fairness and integrity of the market,`` Sebi said.

The regulator said that it is ``a fit case where, pending detailed investigation, effective and expeditious action is required to be taken to prevent any further harm to investors and securities market and in order to protect the interest of investors and the integrity of the securities market.``

Sebi and the two stock exchanges had immediately swung into action after a sharp plunge was noticed in these four and a few other stocks on July 26.

The exchanges had also cut down the circuit filter on these stocks to five per cent to limit any further large-cap plunge in their share prices.

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Olympic athletes earn sponsorship money

Let's face it, many Olympic sports can seem somewhat arbitrary when taken out of the context of the Olympics. Though I have a deep respect for the fine folks around the world that row crew, I'm unlikely to follow them at any level other than the Olympics. The same can be held true with respect to many Americans and many sports.
This being the case, crew members (for example) are far less likely to be used as a marketing tool at any time other than the Olympics. Yet under the International Olympic Committee's Rule 40 the only groups that could even consider sponsoring a given athlete during the Olympics (and even months before and after) are official Olympic sponsors, titans of industry such as Visa, Tide and Nissan. Ironically, oftentimes the only athletes these big-name companies are interested in are the few athletes who don't need the money.
Rule 40 states:
"However, to protect against ambush marketing; prevent unauthorized commercialization of the Games; and to protect the integrity of athletes' performance at the Games, the (International Olympic Committee) places certain limits on how a Participants' image can be exploited during the Games Period. Ambush marketers have, in the past, used their association with athletes and (National Governing Bodies) to suggest or imply that they have an association with the Olympic games. This undermines the exclusivity that Organizing Committees and/or (National Olympic Committees) can offer official Games and Team sponsors, without whose investment the Games could not happen. The implication of an association with the Games through use of athletes is particularly powerful during and immediately before the Games. To protect against this, Rule 40 therefore places limits on the advertising activities of Participants, solely for the period of, and just before and after, the Games."
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is maintaining the legitimacy of what is increasingly being referred to as the "infamous Rule 40," a rule stating that "Except as permitted by the IOC Executive Board, no competitor, coach, trainer or official who participates in the Olympic Games may allow his person, name, picture or sports performances to be used for advertising purposes during the Olympic Games."
Though the rationale for Rule 40 goes back to the amateur roots of the Olympic movement, ensuring "that athletes maintained their amateur status," the IOC refuses to relent in their obsolete guideline.
Bearing in mind the level of competition in today's world, to be an Olympian requires full-time training, and full-time training requires full-time funding. In short, the IOC is raking in billions while the athlete is severely limited in his/her ability to market his/herself and make sponsorship deals.
What if athletes try to seek sponsors despite Rule 40? What is the sanction for a breach of Rule 40? Participants who do not comply with Rule 40 may be sanctioned by the USOC in accordance with the Code of Conduct Rule 23 of the Olympic Charter allows. "IOC sanctions including, ultimately, disqualification from the Games and/or withdrawal of the Participant's accreditation."
How can the IOC defend this practice of denying the athletes sponsorships? Their basic justification is that they are preventing ambush marketing, the idea that non-Olympics-affiliated companies will try to associate their company with the Olympics without paying up to the IOC, which, after all, dolls out cash to the National Olympic Committees (NOC) around the world, which are all supposed to support the individual athletes.
Yet even a cursory look into the IOC reveals that, for a nonprofit, their activities are highly speculative. With an estimated viewership in the billions, an athlete base of just over 14,000 (including the 205 Olympic teams and 170 Paralympic teams), and the countless hours each athlete has spent honing their skills, why not let the athletes seek sponsors and earn a couple of bucks?

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Make Money in Olympics

 As the 2012 Summer Olympics have kicked off, it's easy to imagine that all the activity, the pageantry, the swarms of purple-clad volunteers must be engaged in some highly profitable activity. Otherwise, why would so many people get sucked in?
Except the Olympics aren't a great money-spinner. Why?
Sponsors. Companies sponsoring the games don't make a ton of money because they tend to be large, well-known corporate brands, like Coca-Cola or McDonald's, that have bought into these gigantic deals for no other reason than to keep their chief competitors out. There's no question of raising brand-awareness; after all, these are the most familiar brands in the world. Given such companies' existing sales, even major public events aren't going to budge the needle and may not even cover the travel costs of all the executives who, of course, must be present for the games. So no big profits here.
Product providers. The International Olympic Committee has stringent rules governing how many and what logos athletes can wear, so the competitors' bodies themselves can't be used as human billboards (as uniforms are, say, in professional soccer in Europe). The IoC is also determined to eradicate any attempts at so-called flash-mob advertising. So the chances of hugely increasing the sales of tennis rackets, swimming suits, or running shoes are pretty slim.
Athletes. Will the competitors themselves make much money? For most, there's a huge cost in taking part in the Olympics at all. Few have sponsorship or even government support. Athletes who win a gold medal in popular sports are more likely to make their careers, but the rest will gain little beyond memories.
Special report: Technology and the Olympics
Tourism. Whether London or the U.K. will see a net increase in tourism as a result of the games remains to be seen. Certainly at Heathrow today there seemed to be more people leaving the country than arriving. The Queen's Jubilee and the younger royals have done what they can to attract visitors, but leaders of arts organizations, museums, theaters, and heritage sites are despondent about the huge disincentive to visit Britain at a time when congestion and queues are all that seem to be on offer to cultural visitors. Meanwhile, the Brits themselves don't want to hang around for the traffic jams.
Residents. Boris Johnson, the media-crazed mayor of London, has recently been spouting all kinds of nonsense about how important it is that people not stay home during the Olympics, but instead fight their way through traffic and transportation jams to get into work. He's fighting a lost and stupid cause. If anything can help the British economy, it will be the productivity boost generated when executives decide to work from home. Maybe a morale boost too.
Ad agencies. This is a tricky one. London currently is festooned with sports-themed ads, making it clear that every company on earth had the stunningly original idea of doing ads around winning, performance, achievement. Most of the people I know in advertising have booked their full-year's revenue by now. So they're happy. What does the rest of the year look like? They don't care.
Ad agencies aside, I've managed to find no reputable research indicating that the Olympics makes money for anyone. That doesn't mean the games are bad. The Olympics are, after all, supposed to represent the virtues of amateur competition (even as the games themselves are dominated by pros of on stripe or another). Still, maybe what they are good for is to remind us that there are others things that matter in life beyond making money.

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A historical haveli

Straddling the border between Old and New Delhi in Shahjahana-bad, stands Master Jee Ki Haveli, one of the oldest maintained buildings in the area, that has a history that’s as rich as the decor within its stout walls
Located at one of the prime sites of Shahjahanabad and at the border of Old and New Delhi, in a residential area of Sitaram Bazaar, Master Jee Kee Haveli is one of the oldest maintained buildings in the area.
The haveli is a fine edifice that has been built on the lines of traditional Mughal architecture. Any onlooker is sure to be impressed with the carved pillars, the open terraces and other features that typify Old Delhi’s traditional culture.
The Bus Stand, Chawri Bazar Metro Station, Connaught Place and tourist places like Jama Masjid are within walking distance, and you get a true feel of Old Delhi’s traditional lifestyle and surroundings at the haveli.
The haveli’s name comes from that of the late Master Ram Kishan Gupta (1913–2003) who graduated from Hindu College, Delhi, in the year 1932.
Thereafter, he did his Masters in Sanskrit and Hindi from Delhi University. He was a great Sanskrit Scholar who used to enjoy chanting shlokas and verses. He was always ready to help students from the locality in their studies.
Apart from educating children, Masterji was also devoted to taking care of cows. He was even awarded by the state government for his meritorious service.
Some of the students whom Masterji taught now occupy high positions in various prestigious institutions.
Masterji inherited the haveli through his mother Gomti Devi and stayed in it throughout his life. His popularity and stature in the neighbourhood ensured that the haveli was also identified by his name.
Presently, the haveli is maintained by Masterji’s wife (now aged 95), his daughter and her family.
Masterji’s eldest daughter (who is my mother) has married into the family of Raja Jwala Prasad, to Dharma Vira, who worked closely with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru post-Independence.
He was joint secretary to the Indian Cabinet in 1947 and then became principal private secretary to Pandit Nehru.
The haveli has played host to many people from that era, including Pandit Nehru, who was a guest at the wedding ceremony of my parents.
Besides, it has been an onlooker’s delight for years because of its architecture. While the carved stone pillars are a testament to the haveli’s heritage, the central courtyard — flanked by 58 doors — is an additional feature that attracts the many tourists who come from all over the world to visit the haveli.

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The rupee remained volatile

Karvy Stock Broking has come out with its report on "currency outlook for the week". As per the research firm, for the coming week, looking at the domestic and international events, the rupee is expected to remain volatile with a positive bias from the domestic side.

Fundamental ReviewThe rupee remained volatile in the last week with it showing losses and gains during the week. But in the end the rupee closed exactly where it started the week. Towards the end of the week we saw gains in the Euro helped rupee recover its losses but however the gains for the week were restricted as higher domestic demand for dollar kept a check on it. Furthermore the domestic equities also ended lower which further put some pressure on the rupee. The rupee ended the week at 55.32, with a weekly decline of 0.01%.

The one-month offshore non-deliverable forward contracts were at 55.65, in the currency futures market, the most-traded near-month dollar-rupee contracts on the National Stock Exchange, the MCX-SX and the United Stock Exchange all ended around 55.5775.

Outlook
Last week saw the local unit end completely flat as mixed cues throughout the week kept it volatile. The coming week could be another volatile one as rupee looks for direction among domestic and global events. Domestically we have two major events for the next week. On Tuesday we have the RBI’s quarterly review where we could expect the central bank to hold its rates given the inflation remaining high. But if the central bank goes ahead with a 25bps cut in its rates then we could see the rupee rally in the next week as its parallels the gains in equities. After the RBI meet we have the Import and Export figures on Wednesday. We could the cost of imports coming in lower due to steep fall in crude oil prices. This could be slightly positive for the rupee. So domestically we could see the rupee remaining positive for the next week.

From the international front the investors would be closely watching on to the Central banks and their moves next week. Both the US FED and ECB are stated to decide on their policy rates next week. We saw another week of slower economic growth from US and Euro which puts further pressure on both the economies to act on the deepening crisis. Though both the Central banks are expected to keep their rates unchanged this time the press meet after the meet and what steps they would take to stimulate the economy would have a far reaching effect on the markets. So for the coming week we could expect the currency markets to remain volatile. So, for the coming week, looking at the domestic and international events, we can expect the rupee to remain volatile with a positive bias from the domestic side.

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Why Australians are abandoning stockbrokers

Private client stockbroking firms are failing to satisfy affluent and wealthy customers as equity market trading volumes languish and top end clients increasingly look to online brokers.
More than 40 per cent of affluent and wealthy individuals prefer to use an online broker, according to a survey by financial services research firm CoreData. The survey of almost 2000 individuals also found that those using a full-service stockbroker gave the firm only an average score.
Among those who used an adviser, Melbourne-based Ord Minnett scored the highest on satisfaction with 6.2 out of 10, followed by Morgan Stanley Smith Barney at 6.
Waning investor confidence and a slide in trading volumes hit the retail stockbroking industry’s rating, which came in at 5.6 out of 10, while online brokers scored a satisfaction rating of 7.3. Risk management and returns were the largest drivers of satisfaction, while information and research wasn’t a strong factor.
Ord Minnett boss Tim Gunning said the challenge for the stockbroking industry was to “remain relevant” to investors by providing more advice on asset allocation in areas such as cash and the listed bond market.
“The industry has clearly got some work to do,” he said, referring to the survey’s findings. “A focus on equities alone hasn’t been enough in this environment.”
JBWere chief Paul Heath echoed that view. “Old style stockbroking is not enough any more,” he said. “The nature of advice has changed. If you haven’t been able to evolve you become irrelevant very quickly.”
Brokers, both institutional and retail, are grappling with an 18 per cent slide in trading volumes year-to-date compared with 2011, while costs related to market surveillance and trading on multiple exchanges are going up.
Bell Financial Group and Wilson HTM have flagged losses for the year ended June 30, while RBS Morgans reported a 58 per cent profit drop in the 12 months to March 31.
The S&P/ASX 200 has shed more than 7 per cent in the past year, as financial markets continue to be roiled by global macro-economic conditions and Europe’s debt woes.
“There is an obvious link between investor sentiment towards brokers and how the bourse is performing,” local head of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Harry Parkinson said.
CoreData’s survey also identified a broker’s experience, trust, communications, investment performance and value for money as the top five factors for satisfaction, while fees and charges and access to IPOs were in the bottom five.
“There is an alarming amount of distrust towards stockbrokers and the more they continue to focus on returns exclusively that trust gap will widen,” CoreData director Guy Ogier said. “Australian full-service brokers are in serious danger of missing the opportunity . . . Brokers must focus their efforts on client satisfaction.”
The survey also suggests there isn’t a dominant player among local private client stockbroking firms.
Excluding Commonwealth Bank, which aggregates its retail and institutional brokerage, Sydney-based BBY accounts for 1.7 per cent of total volumes this year across the Australian Securities Exchange and Chi-X, while Macquarie Private Wealth sits at 0.9 per cent. Trailing the pack are Wilson HTM and Shaw Stockbroking with about 0.2 per cent each.
The head of Macquarie Private Wealth, Eric Schimpf, said internal research of private clients showed “thought provoking ideas” were highly valued.
CoreData defines affluent individuals as those with investable assets of $50,000 to $350,000, excluding their main residence and wealthy individuals as those with $1 million to $3 million in investable assets.

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The transition from being savers to investors

It is virtuous to save. This is what we were told when we began to earn money . We repeat the same lesson to our children. We seek protection, assurance, promise, safety and all those comforting outcomes from the money we have saved, and we fail to see ourselves as investors. So, what does it take to transit from being savers to becoming investors?

First, savers are hoarders. They accumulate assets that make them feel they have something of lasting value. The marked preference for gold and property does not come from some astute understanding that these assets grow in value over time. It is not uncommon for savers to be proud of the property bought for 50,000 with tremendous foresight, 25 years ago, and which is today worth 20 lakh. To the investor, this is an asset that has grown at a compounded rate of 16% over years, but if the value is not realised in any manner, it's worth so little. To the saver, selling off such a valuable property is sacrilege. The transition to becoming investors requires the mindset to view assets for their economic value, and plan who will realise that value, how and when.

Second, savers are focused on outcomes , not processes. They are thus gullible to fraudulent packaging of financial products. Several gave their money to dubious schemes, plantation projects and unknown deposits. Their focus is on the return. Therefore, safety in their lexicon is the return of principal invested . To transition to becoming investors , they should know that what happens to their money depends not on the promise, or who made the promise, or how it was packaged. It depends critically on how the money would be put to use. Focusing on who will hold the money and manage it exposes the investor to the risk in deploying the money. To invest is to understand that there would be risks in letting someone else use our money , and the quality of the promise depends on who that is, and what they do with our money, and how well regulated their activity is. Investors seek information . They understand that no promise can hold unchanged into the unknown future. They like to check the quality of the promises made to them, and act on it. To transition from saving to investing , is to come to terms with risk and get armed to deal with it, rather than hope for risk to go away.

Third, savers fail to work out the math in finance. Since their focus is on preservation than growth, they are not sensitive to the fact that every rupee can earn interest every day. They do not seek the efficiency of putting their money to work, and abet lazy money lying undeployed. Allowing money to lie in bank accounts is quite common among savers. Investors seek efficient use of capital. They understand that not all investments need to be for the long term. They seek cashlike options such as liquid funds to ensure that their money is deployed and earns a decent level of return. Savers overstate the complexity in investing, and decide that unless they know which the next best investment option is going to be, they may not be able to make an investment decision. To invest is to understand that it makes perfect sense to earn an average return at lower risk, by investing in a range of assets, than try to figure the next best thing.

Fourth, savers are lured by bargains. They like the idea that a rupee saved is a rupee earned. They also feel a sense of importance and accomplishment when they have made financial decisions that result in immediate, visible savings. Buyers of insurance products do not see it as a decision that involves regular outgo of premium over years for risk protection and a poor rate of return. They only see the immediate tax saving that is possible. They also like the benevolent seller who compels them to save some money regularly. Young earners buying large homes so they compulsorily save and build an asset, which will grow in value, fall in the same category. They fail to see that they may need liquid assets in early stages of their lives. To transition from saving to investing, they need to see that assets come with varying combinations of return, risk, liquidity and desired holding period. The choice of a product needs to consider immediate as well as future needs. After saving tax for three to five years, several default on insurance policies, unable to set aside the huge premium, thereby losing an investment opportunity.

Fifth, savers think there should be a prim and proper way of doing things and if they have to become investors: someone should lead them to making the right decisions so that they are protected and guided correctly. As it is in life, so it is in investing. The shades of grey in investing are something they should learn to deal with. Savers kick and scream about being led astray and their expectations from service providers tend to be unrealistic .

Investors see that they have to make informed choices, and be responsible for their actions. They are prepared to do the hard work, when they make their investment choices.

Have you made your transition yet?

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Old Cloths and Money

Cash-Clothes.co.uk, a site dedicated to collecting old clothes, uniforms, and books, has made it much easier for businesses and individuals in the U.K. to recycle their older uniforms for cash. Whether the uniform is simply out of style or has gradually been worn down to rags, the cash for clothes service collects the uniforms and either distributes them to impoverished communities or transforms them into recycled or re purposed products. The response from the business community has been overwhelming, with several small business owners finding the service to be especially useful.
“As a regional business, we have a high turnover of employees,” explains Nick Harold, the manager of a tourist boating company. “Each summer I order a new set of uniforms with personalized name tags, but frequently the uniforms get torn or lost during the course of an employee’s tenure. It’s great to be able to earn money back from uniforms that would otherwise be unusable.”
Fiber reclamation is a process whereby clothing is sorted by its color and type. The clothing is shredded and then "carded" so that individual fibers may be woven with fibers of a similar grade and color. Frequently, the process is used to produce new clothing. In some cases, the fibers are ultimately used for furniture padding, mattress production, or car insulation. The wide array of uses of reclaimed fibers means that virtually any dry and clean material can be transformed into a useful new product. In some cases, the uniforms will be transformed directly into cleaning rags.
Uniforms that are of a high enough quality will be redistributed for use as uniforms and clothing for impoverished communities. Many of these communities are located in the third world. The cash for clothing service was founded principally as a means of providing high quality, low-cost clothing for a variety of people around the globe who could not otherwise afford to purchase a uniform. This type of re purposing is beneficial not only for the impoverished nations in terms of cost, but also in terms of resources. In a world that will soon have a population of eight billion people, making the best use of every resource, including gently used clothing, is essential for keeping up a decent quality of life.
Business owners appreciate being able to free up space in their offices and factories, especially if that space is being occupied by otherwise unneeded or worn-out uniforms. Cash-clothes.co.uk has designed an efficient and effective means of both collecting the uniforms and transporting them to the re purposing facility. Business owners can either enter their details directly on the site, email for more information, or place a phone call to the charity to schedule a collection.
Bags are provided to those companies or individuals who wish to recycle their used clothing. Once the bags are full, the collection vans will drive to the office or other facility to collect them. Payment for the clothing occurs at pick-up either via a cheque or through Paypal. The rate per bag is determined on-site, but can range up to £20 per bag / 65p per Kilo.
“We know how difficult it is to keep a business running while managing the budget effectively,” founder John Sharpe explains. “This service enables business owners to recoup their investment on uniforms while helping out the larger global community.”
The charity also accepts other types of clothing from residential customers, including baby items, purses, belts, and shoes. All interested parties are encouraged to visit the site for further details on clothing types, pick-up areas, and scheduling times.

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SBA Loans

SBA is a federal body formed to facilitate small businesses loans. It is created considering the problems that SME owners have to face in starting or doing business in US. The agency mitigates the problems of entrepreneurs by financing their organizations through various fund pools that are pumped in to lenders’ account by launching new programs.

Definition of SBA
U.S. Small Business Administration is a Federal Agency. It is a facilitator for the growth and development of small business organizations. What the SBA does is it guarantees loans that are made to small businesses through lending institutions nationwide.
The SBA is not into making direct loans to business owners. It sets the guidelines and offers guarantee to financers to make up for their losses incase a borrower is found to default. SBA does not act as a direct provider of loan grants for small businesses. In-fact, it makes funds available to banks and other lenders by introducing several programs on a time to time basis. The agency also guarantees a percentage of the loans made by financers to small businesses. This minimizes lender’s risk and increases possibility for small businesses to find funds that they require.

Conditions for Securing SBA Loans
SBA loan is not available to businesses having substandard qualifications. They should have a good credit score and a sound business plan. The entrepreneurs should also be able to provide sufficient confidence to lenders that they are lending to viable business. They should meet the credit criteria set by lenders. The business owner who is willing to borrow loans should not have access to any other financing from any other source.

SBA Loan Advantages
Small business owners find it beneficial to use SBA loans. The loan term is for 25 years and the repayment is easy. Cash flow remains stable and business owners can use it to meet operational expenses. Debt repayment problems too wade off as an entrepreneur starts to make progress in business. With the borrowed money, entrepreneurs can meet operational expenses and worry less for debt repayment. It opens options like

• $11.25 million loan for small business owners
• Fixed rate as well as variable rate options
• Loans up-to 90% for financing to businesses
• Repayment term extends to 25 years thus making things convenient for the borrower
• Absence of balloon payments
• Small Businesses for profit are eligible

SBA loans are available to business owners in any for-profit industry. The amount that is granted can range from $25,000 to over $11.25 million. They are available for a variety of business purposes. It includes:

• Loans for acquisition or expansion of business
• Purchase of equipment, meeting working capital needs, and inventory needs
• Construction or refurbishment needs
• Investment for purchase of real estate property
• Expansion or acquisition of another business
• Refinancing debts

SBA is a competent authority that makes it possible for a lender to grant loans to small business organizations. The agency has played a tremendous role in making this happen after its inception. This lending agency grants loans to eligible businesses indirectly. But the guarantee that it offers to financers is trusted and so they are found willing to grant loans to business owners who are in need.

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Tourist Places Around Jim Corbett National Park

Jim Corbett Park has been one of the oldest natural parks in India, and is named after famous wildlife historian and conversationalist Jim Corbett. It is one of the most distinguished national parks of Modern India and it is here that the "Project Tiger" was initiated by the Government of India to conserve the fast depleting Tiger Population.
Jim Corbett Park has been a major tourist destination and many tourists are not much aware of the several other attractive places in the vicinity of this national park. To name a few, Garjiya Temple, Nainital, Ranikhet and Haldwani are the some of the few tourist attractions which catch the eye of the wandering tourist.

Garjiya Temple: Famous for its mystic opulence, Garjiya temple is a huge rock temple situated on river Kosi and is located about 14 Kms from Ramnagar. It has a primordial significance and huge fair is held every year on the eve of Kartik Poornima.

Ranikhet: Itis a hill station in Almora district in the state of Uttarakhand. It is situated 90 Km form Jim Corbett National Part at an altitude of 1,896 meters above the sea level. The Place assumes significance as it is the base for Kumaon Regiment and Naga Regiment of the Indian Army. The place swears by its vast range of flora and fauna and one gets enriched by seeing the magnificent view of the entire Himalayan range.

Nainital: Nainital is an accessible tourist town and draws a vast majority of people across all spheres. It got its name from the hill goddess "Naina", to whom the famous temple is dedicated; also it is resplendent with innumerable tourist spots along with the much talked about Naini Lake. The famous lake in the town is also referred to as the Trishi Lake and a tranquil boat ride in the lake is Nainital's best rejuvenation secret.

Bhimtal: Bhimtal is one of the important tourist locations in the vicinity of Jim Corbett National Park. The place is located at a distance of about 84 Kms from Jim Corbett National Park and has a height of 1,375 meters above the sea level. The place assumes importance in the tourist circles due to its main water reservoir, Bhimtal Lake, which is beautifully carved within the valley of the mountains. A Small natural island forms the nerve centre of the lake and tourist flock this lake for its boating and picnic significance.

Rampur: It is another attractive tourist destination in and around the Jim Corbett National Park. Earlier a princely state, it now formed part of Uttar Pradesh and now Uttarakhand. The place is famous for its literary manuscripts and paintings of the Mughal era. The place is also famous for its Daggers and finds its place in innumerable jokes across northern India.

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10 Ways To Earn Money

Dog Walking

Why not try dog walking? You’ll get a lot of exercise and if you’re an animal lover, you’ll get to spend time hanging out with dogs. What’s not to like about that? Plus, dogs have endless energy and you’ll really have to work out to keep up with them.

Tour Guide

Working as a tour guide is another great opportunity for earning money while you exercise. Whether you’re a tour guide for a college, a museum, or a city, you’re going to be walking for several hours each day. Tour guides get a good work out, and even though you may be walking at a leisurely pace, you’re still exercising.

Deliveries

In some cities and towns, some businesses have opted for deliveries to be performed on foot or bicycle. Cycling is a wonderful way to work out as it helps strengthen and tone your legs and abs. Not to mention, cycling as part of a delivery job not only provides you a paycheck, but tips as well. If you have an 8 hour shift and you’re cycling for half of the shift, that’s 4 hours you’re spending on a bike. That’s more of a workout than most people get in one day. And you’re going to get paid — and tipped — for it!

Landscaping

Landscaping can sometimes be as easy as maintaining your yard or as tough as building a stone patio or redoing the exterior of a house. Landscaping can be a career path or something you decide to do in your spare time. Regardless, you’re going to get a pretty good workout, especially if your landscaping job is more labor intensive. If you’re the type who enjoys landscaping in your free time, offer your services to neighbors or friends. That way you can get your workout and get paid for your services at the same time.

Shoveling Snow/Raking Leaves

So many people hate shoveling their driveways or raking leaves from their yard. It’s time-consuming and a chore that not many people like doing. If you’re strapped for cash, hire yourself out as to shovel snow or rake leaves. Even if you only spend an hour on each driveway or yard, you’re still getting in a pretty good workout. Not to mention, you’re probably making some decent cash as well!

Mow Lawns

Mowing lawns is another activity you can participate in to earn money while exercising. In fact, some people call this the lawnmower diet. Of course, this requires the type of lawn mower that you have to push, not one you ride on. This means cutting the lawn takes longer, but you’re also spending more energy to get the job done. It might not seem appealing, but just think of how many people hate mowing their lawns and who would gladly pay you to do it instead.

Teach an Athletic Class

If you happen to be great at a specific sport, aerobic activity, or fitness routine, get your certification and teach a class. This way you’re actually partaking in a fitness routine while getting paid to do so. Best of all, if you choose to teach a group class, you’re going to make a significant amount of money.

Be a Masseuse

You must be wondering how you’re going to exercise while giving a massage, right? After all, massages are supposed to be relaxing and not at all energizing. But did you know that you can lose 300 calories by giving someone an hour-long massage? Being a masseuse requires a lot of upper body strength and it’s a surprisingly good workout. People pay a lot for massages, so you can also set a decent price for your services.

Work at a Camp or Park

Do you enjoy the outdoors? Do you like sports or hiking? Why not get a job at a camp or park? Most camps, especially if they’re summer camps for children, require a lot of energy since you’re constantly on the move. If you’re on the go for 8 hours, you’re going to really feel the burn by the time you get home.

Do Odd Jobs Around the House

Many people are looking for someone to do odd jobs around their house. This could range from fixing broken appliances, renovating a room, landscaping, running errands, cleaning, carrying furniture, or helping move large items. While some of these activities will be more of a work out than others, you’re still getting exercise. And if someone’s paying you to help them out, why not do it?
These are just a few suggestions to get your creative juices flowing. There are actually dozens of more ways that you can get exercise and make money at the same time. It’s worthwhile taking a moment to consider how you can do this in a way that suits your lifestyle and you may find that getting in shape can actually make your bank account a little heftier.

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Earn money after Retirement

While the concept of retirement means you get to quit your job and do what you love all day, many retirees would love to earn a little income to ease their cash flow. One of the best ways to both feel retired and bring in some money is to find a way to generate cash from your hobbies. It may take a little extra effort to move something from a hobby to a small business, but with a measure of entrepreneurial spirit you can turn fun into profit. How much you can make depends a lot on the level of time you are willing to put into participating in your hobby and marketing your services or products. Here are some examples of potentially profitable hobbies.

SalesSelling Items on eBay
If you have a vast collection of antique toys, record albums or clothing that you no longer want, you can sell them on eBay to the highest bidder to turn a profit. Some entrepreneurial types turn eBay skills into a business by buying low and selling high. If you have special expertise in a particular area or simply want to gamble a bit on something like sports tickets, you can spend hours making bids and then reselling items on other websites.

Selling Books and CDs on Amazon
Another option for people with the storage space for books and CDs is to sell your own collection through Amazon.com. You can haunt flea markets and thrift stores for bargain priced books and CDs and then resell them, but you'll have to take into account shipping costs and the hassle factor of storing and sending the items.

Selling Handmade Items on Etsy
If you love to quilt, sew or make jewelry, Etsy.com can be your marketplace. The website makes it simple to market your crafts. You can even sell vintage clothing. So, if you have a trunk full of clothes in the attic this could be a goldmine and help you clean out your closet.

Sell at Flea Markets and Yard Sales
Plenty of people love to spend their time looking for treasures and unique items at flea markets and yard sales. If this is your hobby, you can turn it into a business by snapping up bargain items and reselling them. You can also sell your handmade items, including jewelry, quilts and clothes at flea markets.


TeachTeach or Tutor
One of the fastest ways to earn money on your own schedule is to become a tutor or a teacher. Whether you excel at math or English, you can offer tutoring services through your own website or with advertising at local schools. If you speak a foreign language or want to help others learn English, you can also earn money by tutoring. Other skills that can bring in plenty of students include teaching voice lessons, art or a musical instrument. Be sure to think about whether you want students to come to you or if you want to meet at a library or in their homes.

Try eduFire.com
An unusual option for tutoring is eduFire.com, a website that puts students and tutors together for one-on-one sessions or group classes via computer. You'll need basic computer skills and some credentials for marketing yourself to teach any subject you want.



OthersWrite
If you've always wanted to write, look into the possibility of freelance writing for your local newspaper or for websites that specialize in something that interests you. Fiction writing is less lucrative, but if you are prolific and dedicated to submitting your work, you can make a little money with your poetry and prose.

Party Planning
If you are the one everyone turns to when they're looking for a suggestion for a party theme or an interesting way to entertain guests, set up a party planning website and start charging for your advice.

Organizing
If you love to organize your home, you may want to offer your services to others. Just be sure you can physically handle hauling papers around or clearing out someone's closet. You can start your own business or offer to assist someone who already has a thriving business as an organizer.

Gardening and Baking
Farmers' markets have become more popular than ever and offer a great venue for selling your baked goods, plants and vegetables. Find out how much it costs to set up a stand at your local market.

Searching for Gold
If you live near a beach or a lake and enjoy being outdoors, you may want to invest in a metal detector. Now that gold and silver prices have skyrocketed, you can search for lost treasures and sell them to add cash to your pocket.

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Making money surfing the Web

The Internet can help you find freebies, earn gift cards and make money.
If you use sites like Ebates, Swagbucks, MyPoints and ShopAtHome, your purchases can earn you money. Here’s a rundown of each:
Ebates: My favorite site offers you up to 25 percent cash back on your purchases from participating stores. It doesn’t cost you anything to join, and they send you a check of your total cash-back rewards quarterly.
Swagbucks: This site offers rewards such as store gift cards for simple tasks like taking surveys, playing games, recycling old phones and much more. Many of my friends are saving their rewards for gift cards to purchase holiday presents.
MyPoints: The site offers different ways to earn points to redeem toward cash, gift cards or even travel miles. Just sign up and make purchases online, fill out surveys, play games, read emails, book travel or search the Web to add points to your account.
ShopAtHome: This site gives you cash back for your online purchases at participating sites, plus you are alerted to coupons for additional savings. Check out ShopAtHome’s daily deals; you can use the cash back to get products free after just paying shipping.
Two other social media sites that merit a sign-up are Vocalpoint.com and Bzzagent.com. When you sign up, all you have to do is fill out some surveys and they will start sending you great freebies in the mail.
All they ask of you is to try the freebies then report back on what you thought about them. It takes a little time, but you will be extremely excited to go to your mailbox and receive your goodies.
I highly recommend that you set up a freebie e-mail account at Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail to use for all these sites.
Freebies
■ The Disney Store is hosting free in-store events at 2 p.m. daily from July 23 to Aug. 26. Attend four events and receive a special gift.
■ If you are a teacher, make sure you sign up for Staples Teacher Rewards program for opportunities to stock up on classroom supplies for free.
■ Download a coupon for a free soft drink at Waffle House.
Discounts and offers
■ Join the Hostess Sweet List to get a free treat on your birthday, plus special offers, coupons and other exclusives.
■ Buy specially marked $5 DVDs at Wal-Mart and you’ll receive a promotional code good for $5 off a ticket to see select specially-marked DVDs at Wal-Mart priced at just $5 and you’ll also score a promotional code which you can redeem for up to $5 off an admission ticket to see The Dark Knight Rises.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2012/07/20/2265318/the-fru-gal-making-money-surfing.html#storylink=cpy

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Google Profit Rises, Tops Estimate

Internet giant Google Inc. (GOOG: News ), said Thursday its second quarter profit increased from last year as strong growth at its search advertising business spruced up revenues. Google's quarterly earnings easily topped Street estimates, while revenues were short of expectations. Google shares are currently up 3.2 percent in after-hours trade on the Nasdaq.
CEO Larry Page said, "Google standalone had a strong quarter with 21% year-on-year revenue growth, and we launched a bunch of exciting new products at I/O - in particular the Nexus 7 tablet, which has received rave reviews."
Google's revenues for the quarter were up 35 percent, year-over-year. This includes contribution from Motorola Mobility which Google acquired in May, but the business ran an operating loss.
Google's mainstay advertising revenues for the quarter were up 21 percent from last year.
Aggregate paid clicks, which include clicks related to ads served on Google sites as well as sites of its AdSense partners, grew 42 percent year-over-year.
Average cost-per-click, which includes clicks related to ads served on Google sites and the sites of AdSense partners, decreased about 16 percent from last year.
According to a recent data by comScore Inc. (SCOR), Google Sites led the U.S. explicit core search market in June with 66.8 percent of search queries conducted, followed by Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) with 15.6 percent and Yahoo! Inc. (YHOO) with 13.0 percent.
Google, which continues to dominate the Internet search market, has been venturing into areas outside its traditional search business. The company in June unveiled its small tablet "Nexus 7" in a bid to grab a share of a humongous market dominated by Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) iPad, as well as Amazon.com Inc.'s (AMZN) Kindle Fire.
Microsoft recently jumped into the fray, unveiling its "Surface" tablet that will run on a new operating system.
Google's Nexus 7 tablet will run on Jellybean, its newest version of Android operating system. The device costs $199, much cheaper than the $499 an iPad costs.
While Google's Android mobile operating system has grabbed a discernible share of the smartphone market, tablets based on its software are yet to unsettle iPad's dominant position that has a near two-third market share. Google's acquisition of Motorola Mobility, a maker of Android smartphones and tablets, is expected to help it create better Android devices.
Mountain View, California-based Google reported second quarter net income of $2.79 billion or $8.42 per share, compared to $2.51 billion or $7.68 per share last year.

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Google Q2 2012: 35% Revenue Growth YoY; $12.2 Billion Revenue

Google has posted consolidated revenues of $12.21 billion for the quarter ending June 30, 2012, registering a 35% increase in revenues Year-on-Year (YoY) and 15% increase quarter-over-quarter (QoQ). Note that this total revenue is without deducting the traffic acquisition costs which accounted for $2.60 billion or 25% of the company’s advertising revenues.
Financials
Google Revenues (Advertising and others): Google generated revenues of $10.96 billion, or 90% of total revenues, in the second quarter of 2012, representing a 21% increase from $9.03 billion revenues posted in the second quarter of 2011.
Motorola Mobility Revenues (Hardware and others): Google completed the acquisition of Motorola Mobility on May 22, 2012, after acquiring the company for $12.5 billion in August 2011. It has therefore included Motorola’s assets and liabilities in the balance sheet and included Motorola’s operating results from the acquisition date through June 2012. Motorola generated revenues of $1.25 billion or 10% of total revenues in the second quarter of 2012.
While the mobile segment accounted for $843 million revenues, the home segment accounted for $407 million revenues. During the earnings call, Google noted that Motorola has experienced a strong sales of Motorola Droid Razr Maxx driven by Verizon in North America during the quarter but it also experienced a decline in international sales of Motorola’s feature phones and mid-tier smartphones.
- Google owned sites vs network: Google-owned sites generated revenues of $7.54 billion during the second quarter of 2012, or 69% of total revenues, a 21% increase YoY from $6.23 billion while the network revenues from partner sites (through Adsense programs) were $2.98 billion or 27% of total revenues during the second quarter of 2012, a 20% increase YoY from $2.48 billion.
– US vs International Revenues: Revenues from outside of the United States totaled $5.96 billion, representing 54% of total revenues in the first quarter of 2012, as compared to 54% in the first quarter of 2012 and in the second quarter of 2011. Revenues from the United Kingdom totaled $1.18 billion, representing 11% of revenues.
- Paid Clicks: Aggregate paid clicks, which include clicks related to ads served on Google sites and the sites of AdSense partners, increased approximately 42% year on year, and 1% quarter on quarter.
- Cost-Per-Click: Average cost-per-click, which includes clicks related to ads served on Google sites and the sites of AdSense partners, decreased approximately 16% year on year and increased approximately 1% quarter on quarter.
– Headcount: On a worldwide basis, Google employed 54,604 full-time employees as of June 30, 2012, up from 33,077 full-time employees as of March 31, 2012. Note that this includes 34,311 full-time employees in Google business and 20,293 full-time employees in Motorola business.
Other Significant developments
Advertising: During the quarter, Google overhauled its DoubleClick ad platform to launch DoubleClick Digital Marketing ad platform. It also integrated its display ad acquisitions Teracent and Invite Media to the platform. The company claimed both this companies grew by more than 50% last year. Admob mobile ad platform which currently powers the company’s mobile ads across Android and iOS was also integrated to Adwords in June 2012.
During the earnings call, Nikesh Arora Google’s Senior Vice President and Chief Business Officer, claimed that Admob currently has one million mobile advertisers running ads across 300,000 mobile apps with a reach of 350 million mobile devices. When queried on the trends they are seeing in mobile cost-per-click rates, he claimed that they are seeing phenomenal growth in the mobile queries across various form factors like mobile phones and tablets and are registering healthy rates across all geographic regions, although he didn’t reveal any specific information.
YouTube: Arora also claimed that the yearly account signups have doubled YoY and users are now uploading over 72 hours of video every minute. He also claimed that YouTube has now found an effective business model. While he didn’t reveal any specific information, he noted that thousands of YouTube partners are making six figures yearly income through the site.
Search: Susan Wojcicki, Google’s Senior Vice President for Advertising, stated that Google’s Knowledge Graph now includes 3.5 billion facts about 500 million things, people and places including landmarks, celebrities, and sport teams among others.
Google+: Susan was also pleased with the growth of Google+ . She noted the recent launch of Google+ Local which allows users to find and share local businesses like restaurants and museums and claimed that Google+ Local now offers information about 100 million places and local businesses. She also informed that over 250 million users have now upgraded to Google+, which is the same number we heard during Google I/O last month.
Android: Google reiterated their announcements from Google I/O where they had stated that it is registering 12 new device activations every second and 1 million device activations on a daily basis, a significant increase from 400,000 daily device activations announced during the previous I/O. Google had also announced it has activated more than 400 million Android devices till now and the Android adoption rate has grew by over 500% over the past year in developing countries like India, Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand. Google Play Store now has 600,000 apps and is currently generating 1.5 billion installs per month and 20 billion total app installs.

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43 Ideas for Making Money Over the Summer

1. Get a Seasonal or part-time job.
2. Live on a busy street? Start a car wash. You can also go mobile and go to your customers.
3. Garage Sales are a great way to make money quickly.
4. Become an online juror.
5. Work as a merchandiser or mystery shopper
6. Start a direct sales business
7. Offer tailoring services for bridal parties.
8. Tutor students online.
9. Work the summer party scene as a temporary tattoo artist, face painter, DJ or clown.
10. Become an eBay seller
11. Put your good handwriting to good use offering invitation and thank you writing services. Summer is wedding and graduation season after all.
12. Offer babysitting services. Register your services with sites like Sittercity and Thumbtack.
13. Start a laundry service
14. Do you have mechanic skills? Offer onsite services for cars, boats, ATVs or bicycles.
15. Grow and sell garden product at your local farmer’s market.
16. Clean RVs during the summer months.
17. Be a tour guide. You can work for an existing operation or start your own specialized service around your interests. (Ex. Haunted houses, night vision walks, historical walks, etc.)
18. Start a summer taxi service busing local kids to and from the pool, summer camp, Bible school, summer reading programs, etc.
19. House sitting is in demand during summer months due to family vacations.
20. Mow lawns
21. Paint houses.
22. Donate plasma.
23. Participate in a medical research study.
24. Clean pools.
25. Make and sell “busy kits” for those long summer car trips. You can include travel games, books or other items to keep kids busy during travel. Leave out the crayons! Car interiors get pretty hot in the sun.
26. Offer spring cleaning services.
27. Be a driving school instructor.
28. Start a fitness training class.
29. Live on the water? Rent jet skis, boats or storage space.
30. Sweep chimneys.
31. Photograph weddings.
32. Rent a room in your home.
33. Open a moving service.
34. Be a pet service provider. You can train, board, walk, sit or groom pets.
35. Scoop poop.
36. Wash and stain decks.
37. Build and sell birdhouses.
38. Make and sell vacation guest gift baskets.
39. Stage homes.
40. Haul debris to your local landfill, recycling center or designated dumping facility.
41. Start a party planning service.
42. Resell cheap, good finds at flea markets.
43. Buy a bounce house and rent it out at parties.

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50 ways of earning money on the side.

1. Blogging – You can earn money with your blog. Look no further than this blog. OCAAT is now a regular money earner, although I display too few ads here. Be a blogger and write the topics you love most.
2. Online Consultancy – Online Consultancy is also a very good option for earning extra money. pick up your area of expertise.
3. Surveys – You can earn money by taking online Surveys. You need to register for sites that publish surveys.
4. Seasonal Shop – Seasonal retail shops could be very good side hustle.
5. Reviewer – Be a critique or reviewer and review goods and services. Manufactures/publishers pay small money for this.
6. Tree removal- You can start tree removing service. For that you will need good equipment and some experience in this field.
7. Maids – Start house cleaning service, not necessarily you need to clean yourself, you can hire.
8. Snow shoveling - If your area gets a lot of snow fall , you can start shovel service in the neighborhood.
9. Dog walking – If you have spare time then you can take dogs on walk.
10. Property management – You can start property management service for your neighbors who spend most of the year away from home. you can offer your service as a proxy landlord.
11. Performer – You can earn by working as a street performer, bit too extreme but if you have talent then why not. Be careful not to become joke of the town.
12. Moving business – You can start packers and movers services or at least you can become one of the agents of moving companies.
13. Door cleaning – Provide window and door cleaning service.
14. Lawn Mowing – You can start lawn mowing service. This business can be very successful specially if you have free morning time.
15. Pet sitting – You can start pet sitting side hustle.
16. Garden farming – You can grow vegetables in your garden and can sell excess.
17. Teach English – If you are very good in English you can do proof reading, you can even teach English in community schools.
18. Pet grooming – By taking small fee from people you can groom their pets.
19. Scrap-booking - Many people love beautiful scrapbook, so you can earn by designing beautiful scrapbook.
20. Be a speaker – If you are a good speaker you can earn by working as a public speaker for any agency.
21. Assistance- You can be part time assistant of some small businessmen.
22. Help seniors – You can earn by doing some simple household chores for senior citizens.
23. Part-time Bartender – you can become a part-time bartender or server, if social reputation is not a concern.
24. Transporting goods – You can earn money by transporting goods, specially if you have truck/bigger vehicle.
25. Soap making business – You can start small soap making workshop.
26. Get bank incentives – You can earn little side money by opening fee-free checking accounts at banks that provide sign-up bonus.
27. Price arbitrage – You can buy goods from local market which is cheap and then sell those goods for good profit.
28. Repair electronics – If you can do electric repairing then buy old gadgets, repair them and sell them.
29. Sell your paintings – If you can paint, you can sell your art online, you can even host local exhibition (even in your yard) and sell your paintings.
30. Babysitting – If you have too much spare time then you can do babysitting.
31. Rent your room – If you have spare room in your house, you can start a bed and breakfast service. You can even rent it out to tourists when you are not at home.
32. Cake decoration – You can start cake decorating side business. you can attend classes at local arts and craft stores (‘Michael’s’ offer this course) to learn.
33. Candle making – Candle making is very easy and mostly don’t require attending classes, you can buy equipment and read books on candle-making.
34. Garage sale arbitrage – You can buy stuff from garage sale and sell on eBay and other online websites, earn the margin.
35. Programming jobs – If you can do programming, you can get online jobs, register for freelance sites. This can be an interesting off-work activity which can actually improve performance in your main job.
36. Website design – You can earn by designing websites/blog if you have that knack and expertise. You can start easily after taking few web designing classes at local community colleges. One of my friends is doing just that and earning decent money regularly.
37. Staff writing – Some online sites pay for writing articles for them. You can do this work from your home at spare time.
38. Market your videos – If you have some original videos put them on youtube and earn money by using Google ad-sense enabled.
39. Teach music – If you are good in playing musical instruments, start teaching others for money.
40. Furniture assembly – You can start furniture assembling business if you have plumbing skills. If you have a truck and can carry items from furniture stores, you can start this business immediately. All you need to do it putting up your ad on Craigslist.
41. Phone book delivery – Every year people are hired to deliver phone books. You can earn seasonal money by becoming a delivery agent.
42. Coffee shop – You can start your own coffee shop, you require a license though.
43. Gas station – If you can invest money then opening a gas station and hiring attendants could be a great side hustle.
44. Virtual teacher – If you are particularly strong in some subject, you can start teaching. There are sites that offer virtual tutor services, register with them first.
45. Be a DJ – If you are in to music, playing DJ at local parties/wedding is a possibility for you to earn some extra money on the side.
46. Start boutique – You can start your own boutique. I have known many talented women who can easily start their own line of clothing.
47. Sell your photographs- You can sell your digital photographs to sites that re sell them to publishers. You can earn from few cents to few dollars per picture, based on the quality and subject.
48. Fix computers – If you know computer hardware then start fixing computers, again putting up ads in local classified and Craigslist could bring you order.
49. Event manager – You can start an event management business. When someone you know is having a party, ask him/her if you can plan it for a small fee.
50. Sell  candies – Make candies at home and sell those for good profit.

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Ten stockbroking firms control 53.6% trade in NSE

Ten stockbroking firms accounted for 53.58 percent of the total traded volume at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) within the period January- June 2012, figures obtained by Business Day have shown.

The stockbroking firms are Chapelhill Denham Securities Limited, RenCap Securities (Nigeria) Limited, Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers Limited, BGL Securities Limited, Skye Stockbrokers Limited, CSL Stockbrokers Limited, ARM Securities Limited, Cordros Capital Limited, EDC Securities Limited, and Dominion Trust Limited.

In the 6-month period, these 10 stockbroking firms traded 49.2billion shares at the Nigerian Stock Exchange, which currently houses about 327 dealing member firms, out of which 234 are active.

Details of the transactions at the Nigerian bourse showed that Chapelhill Denham Securities Limited traded 11,073,241,244 shares representing 12 percent of the 49.2billion shares traded; RenCap Securities (Nigeria) Limited traded 11,056,964,744 shares or 11.99 percent.

Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers Limited traded 9,389,934,873 shares or 10.18 percent; BGL Securities Limited traded 3,962,305,881 shares or 4.3 percent; and Skye Stockbrokers Limited traded 2,729,619,956 shares or 2.96 percent.

Others are CSL Stockbrokers Limited, which traded 2,609,423,918 or 2.83 percent; ARM Securities Limited traded 2,608,888,446 shares,amounting to 2.83 percent; Cordros Capital Limited traded 2,143,871,912 shares or 2.32 percent; EDC Securities Limited traded 1,933,182,302 shares, or 2.10 percent; and Dominion Trust Limited traded 1,917,958,738 or 2.08 percent.

In another development, another ten stockbrokers (including RenCap Securities, Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers, Chapelhill Denham Securities, CSL Stockbrokers, ARM Securities Limited, Cordros Capital, and BGL Securities) accounted for 67.01 percent of the total value traded within the same period (January –June 2012).

Others within this pack are GTB Securities Limited, Vetiva Securities Limited, and Meristem Securities Limited. These 10 stockbroking firms traded stock worth N424.98billion in six months.

RenCap Securities traded shares valued at N125, 449,899,578.43 or 19.76 percent of N424.98billion; Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers (N114,893,331,512.06) or 18.10 percent; Chapelhill Denham Securities (N53,646,198,685.84) or 8.45 percent; CSL Stockbrokers (N30,572,675,947.55) or 4.82 percent; ARM Securities Limited (N25,564,539,322.78) or 4.03 percent; Cordros Capital (N 16,914,387,066.75) or 2.66 percent.

Others are GTB Securities Limited (N16,804,515,467.97) or 2.65 percent; Vetiva Securities Limited (N15,525,127,367.92) or 2.45 percent; Meristem Securities Limited (N13,000,804,755.63) or 2.05 percent; and BGL Securities (N12,987,486,929.17) or 2.05 percent of the total value of stocks traded in the six-month period.

According to Albert Okumagba, Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, BGL, as investor confidence is low, evidenced by a virtual wiping out of the retail segment of the market, “the handful of stockbroking firms which have a catchment of institutional clientele, virtually run the market as the oligopoly.”

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Facebook app centre launched in India: Will it do well?

Facebook introduced its app centre in India and six other countries, with the objective of helping users find games and apps more easily. This is part of a concerted effort on the part of Facebook to showcase the work of developers using its API, as well as capitalize on the fact that most of its users seem to access the site via their mobile devices.
The service is also available on Apple and Android mobile devices.
The company said the centre has driven millions of app installations since it was introduced in the US last month. The centre does not host apps, but sends users to the appropriate app store for their device. But will this strategy work for India?
Many Facebook users in India do use their Facebook accounts to play games online as much as they use them to keep in touch. But whether they will use an app store remains to be seen.
It is highly likely that many users will not appreciate the redirection to the appropriate app store, and it is also debatable if an app store will eventually lead to more online purchases of apps.
And Facebook will have to make the app store more obvious to users.
Currently users have to click on the App Center icon located on the left side of the home page on Facebook, which recommends apps based on interests. But right now its a little hidden away and in the rush of looking through photographs or stalking people or doing whatever it is you use Facebook for, it is likely to go unnoticed.
One would expect it to be located right on top of the screen, but its more towards the bottom of the page, and unless you knew it was there you’d be likely to miss it.
We do recommend however that you check it out. The design of the store is intuitive and simple.
As you click on the tab you will see a bunch of personalized recommendations based on apps you have used thus far. However it has also categorized apps into ‘most used’, ‘top grossing’ and ‘trending’ in similar fashion to the Apple store which makes the discovery of new apps a lot easier.
An email from Facebook reproduced by Mashable says, “You’ll only see high quality apps in the App Center, based on user ratings and engagement.”
Consumers will need to use Facebook Credits, the company’s payment system, to purchase the apps and Facebook will take a 30 percent cut of the revenue as it does with in-app purchases, said Facebook spokeswoman Malorie Lucich, when the app centre was first announced last month.
Facebook is introducing the app service to give software developers additional options, but the company expects in-app purchases to remain more prevalent on the social network, said Lucich.

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NBC and Facebook to Announce Olympics Partnership

Users of Facebook, later this summer, will be reminded about NBC’s coverage of the Olympic Games in London. And viewers of NBC’s coverage, at the same time, will be nudged to talk about the Games on Facebook.

The virtuous circle is part of a collaboration, to be announced Wednesday, between NBCUniversal’s NBC Olympics division and Facebook, the social networking Web site.

Data from Facebook will inform television coverage on NBC and on the other channels that will carry portions of the Summer Games starting on July 27. The specific uses will vary, but there will be a “Facebook Talk Meter” occasionally shown on TV to reflect what is being said online.

“We know that a social conversation will surround the Olympics,” said Gary Zenkel, the president of NBC Olympics. The work with Facebook, he added, is part of the division’s plan to listen and to talk back.

The connections between television and social media have come a long way since 2008, when the world last gathered for a Summer Olympics. Then, Facebook had 100 million users; now, it is said to have 900 million. In the intervening years, the notion of a “second screen” — the TV being the first, the computer or phone being the second — has been commercialized; it’s normal now for TV shows to encourage viewers to chat online about the show while watching it.

Even without encouragement, some viewers are sure to be doing it anyway as the two mediums, TV and the Web, continue to inch closer and closer.

“Facebook has the attention of a large portion of the American audience,” particularly among younger demographics, Mr. Zenkel said in a telephone interview from London. He portrayed the Facebook collaboration as a piece of “our continuing efforts to reassemble the audience” that has fragmented in countless ways in recent decades.

Facebook and NBC Olympics executives said the arrangement was not an advertising deal, and they indicated that no money was changing hands. (NBC does not expect its Olympic broadcasts to turn a profit this year.) In effect, the companies will be marketing each other’s products, possibly encouraging even more simultaneous viewing and chatting.

“It’s terrific exposure,” said Andy Mitchell, a former executive at CNN who now manages partnerships at Facebook.

On Facebook, the NBC Olympics page will be frequently updated with what the companies call “exclusive content” for fans only, a common marketing maneuver. Fans will be able to let Facebook friends know that they are watching videos and reading articles on the network’s Olympics Web site, possibly encouraging more viewing and reading by their friends.

NBC will be streaming every Olympic event this summer on its Web site, though users will have to verify that they subscribe to a participating cable or satellite provider. It will add up to thousands of hours — a veritable hurdle for people who are trying to figure out what to watch. With that in mind, the ability to share on Facebook will be “a great way to discover new games, athletes and events,” Mr. Mitchell said.

Perhaps the more intriguing part of the partnership, for traditional television viewers, involves Facebook’s data-crunching about user conversations related to the Olympics. With the assistance of a small team of Facebook staff members in London, “NBC is going to turn that data into stories,” Mr. Mitchell said.

The television segments with the “Talk Meter” inspired by social media chatter will be shown in prime time and at other times of the day. “We think it will be very interesting and informative for our audience to let them know, from time to time, what is hot and what people are talking about” online, Mr. Zenkel said.

The prime-time broadcast on NBC will also promote a daily poll on Facebook about the Olympics. With tens of millions of viewers watching each night, the broadcast is some of the most valuable real estate on television. Mr. Zenkel said that the Facebook integration would come on “when the information warrants it and when it is compelling.”

There is a danger, of course, in talking about Facebook just for the sake of Facebook. But as many viewers (not to mention many television executives) have discovered over the last few years, Web sites like Facebook and Twitter can turn solitary viewing into something akin to a communal experience. Nielsen studies have shown that nearly half of tablet computer owners and smartphone owners use their devices while watching television daily. Checking sports scores is one of the top uses for both groups.

Online chatter around TV events is a trend most closely associated with Twitter, a smaller Facebook competitor. Twitter has worked with a variety of television networks to amplify the “second screen” behavior of users and viewers. In the spring, the company announced a multiyear collaboration with one of NBCUniversal’s competitors, ESPN, around major sporting events like the N.B.A. Finals.

NBC has not announced a deal with Twitter around its Olympics telecasts, but it is likely to do so before the Games start. In 2010, when the network televised the Winter Games in Vancouver, it introduced something it called a “Twitter Tracker” that visualized Twitter messages about the events. The tracker will be back this time, Mr. Zenkel said. And one can only imagine how many more messages there will be.

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