Google pays bugbusters
Guy Clapperton
Feb 9th 2010
Filed under: Technology, Media
Psst...want to make a few hundred dollars by breaking things? Well, now you can, and you don't even have to go and present Top Gear to do it.What's happened is that Google has joined Firefox writer Mozilla in paying people to find bugs in its browser, Chrome. And not everybody is happy.
Ereader shares reshuffle?
Guy Clapperton
Feb 9th 2010
Filed under: News , Technology, Media
US bookseller Barnes and Noble has restocked on its eReader, the Nook. It had stopped selling them over the Christmas period due to stock problems.Meanwhile Amazon continues to be bullish about its own eReader, the Kindle. Numerous reviews and forecasts suggest that the obvious market-changer, Apple's iPad, has had a mixed reception prior to its launch.
Tax IT system slated
Guy Clapperton
Feb 9th 2010
The BBC has information that suggests the tax system in the UK may be thrown into chaos in April as people receive wrong codes and benefits.HMRC is denying everything but insiders are suggesting that with only two months to go before the new financial year, there isn't time to repair an ailing computer system.
Brown must spend more - Nobel winner
Adrian Holliday
Feb 9th 2010
Filed under: Debt, Economy, Financial Crisis, Banking
An economics Nobel prize winner has advised Gordon Brown to ignore the critics and keep on spending. It's not advice David Cameron will be giving certainly. Talking to the Independent today, Stiglitz says that if the financial markets refuse to buy British government debt, the Bank of England could snap it up instead.
Google offers phone support
Guy Clapperton
Feb 9th 2010
Filed under: News
Google has caved in and started to offer support for its much-lauded but little-bought Nexus One phone – by phone.Until now you could only get support for the phone in the same way as all the other Google offerings, through forums and other users.
January sales - the worst for 15 years
Adrian Holliday
Feb 9th 2010
Filed under: Economy, Small Business, Banking , Retail
It's official: January sales 2010 were dismal. According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) sales dipped 0.7%. It's not just the shortage of cash in people's pockets and the reinstatement of the full VAT rate. The bad weather also did its worst. Yet it's a rather different story online. Online sales climbed almost 15% compared to last year, supporting the likes of Amazon and other big web names.
Is your credit card sufficiently rewarding?
Money Expert
Feb 9th 2010
Filed under: Credit Cards
We all know about the perils of spending too much on credit cards and suffering exorbitant interest rates while trying to pay it all back.But if you are financially disciplined and avoid getting bogged down in debt – or even if you need some breathing space to get on top of your debts - there are some outstanding credit card deals thanks to stiff competition for our custom between the banks.
Toyota could face 'terminal damage'
Adrian Holliday
Feb 9th 2010
Filed under: Financial Crisis, Energy, Manufacturing
It's amazing the damage an errant floor mat can cause. Or a software glitch. As Toyota knows to its huge cost: it's now having to recall 436,000 of its Prius models because of new safety worries.Bad news should come out all at once. Not in dribbles. That's the view of David Haigh, boss of Brand Finance on Toyota's "inept" handling of its safety recalls across its product range.
Pick of the early market news
Martin Cloake
Feb 9th 2010
Filed under: Company, Markets, Banking , Manufacturing, Retail
High street giants Boots and Mothercare are getting together to design, source and supply a new children's clothing and accessory brand. Mothercare Chief Executive Ben Gordon promises "a distinctive and quality product". Stores in the UK and Ireland will stock the brand exclusively.Boots already sells toys from Mothercare's Early Learning Centre range in 400 of its 2,600 UK stores. Mothercare and ELC brands can be found in 1,111 stores in 52 countries. Boots is committed to developing strategic partnerships for growth, and these particular babies certainly seem to be booming.
Beazley's profits hint at strong Lloyd's
Chris Wheal
Feb 9th 2010
Filed under: Company, Insurance
Lloyd's insurer Beazley has reported pre-tax profit up 15% to more than £100m. It claimed underlying profit was up 259% to £147m on a 27% rise in gross written premiums to more than £1bn. The recently redomiciled to Dublin firm said average rate increase for the year were 3% compared with a 6% fall in prices last year. Beazley is the first Lloyd's insurer to report in what is expected to be boom year for the 300-year old insurance market.
Beazley's profits hint at strong Lloyd's
BA suffers in 2009 but clouds may lift
90% no claims car policy is bad news
