IBM - SUN MICROSYSTEMS MERGER

I.B.M. is in talks to buy Sun Microsystems in a proposed deal valued at nearly $7 billion, a person with knowledge of the negotiations said on Wednesday.

The merger, if completed, would be a major consolidation in the market for server computers used in corporate data centers — and one that could prompt an antitrust challenge.

For I.B.M., the move would be something of a departure from its successful strategy of paring its dependence on the hardware business, where profit margins have declined, and increasing its investment in higher-margin software and services businesses.

But the combination of I.B.M. and Sun, analysts say, would bring together two technology companies that have continued to invest heavily in research and development, when many of their corporate peers have cut back to shield profits. I.B.M.’s research and development budget is about $6 billion a year, while Sun’s is roughly $3 billion.

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I.B.M. has spent generously on research at a time it is thriving. Sun, however, has struggled financially, and its high operating costs, including research and development, have been criticized by Wall Street analysts.

The proposed price for Sun is worth roughly $10 a share. At midday Sun’s stock was up $4.10, or 82 percent, to $9.01.

If its bid for Sun succeeds, the deal would be the largest in I.B.M.’s history. The company has mostly shunned costly purchases, preferring instead to engineer a series of smaller deals to fill in technologically strategic niches in its software business or add to its skills in services.

To date, I.B.M.’s largest acquisitions were the $4.9 billion it paid for Cognos, a business intelligence software company, in 2008, and the $3.9 billion it paid for PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2002, which greatly enlarged Big Blue’s services business.

News of the talks between the two companies was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. I.B.M. would not comment. Sun’s chairman, Scott McNealy, said in an e-mail message: “As always, I don’t comment on rumors, no matter how accurate or silly they may be.”

In Sun, I.B.M. would be picking up a company with a heritage of innovation not only in hardware, but also in software. Sun created both the Solaris operating system, a version of Unix, and the Java Internet programming language and software tools. Java is the teaching language in most of computer science, and software programs written in Java are widely used in everything from corporate data centers to cellphones.

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An estimated one million software developers write applications on Sun’s software platforms, while I.B.M. vast software business claims eight million developers in its camp. I.B.M. has been a big supporter of Java, and both companies are backers of the open-source Linux operating system, a rival to Microsoft’s Windows in data centers and on some desktop personal computers. In 2008, Sun increased its commitment to open-source software by paying roughly $1 billion for MySQL, a company distributing an open-source database that is widely used in Web commerce sites.

But unlike I.B.M., Sun has found it difficult to enlarge its software business enough to take over as a growth engine from its hardware business. Late last year, two people with knowledge of the talks said, Sun began meeting with representatives of other technology companies about selling itself.

Sun has strong ties to large customer groups that appeal to I.B.M., like telecommunications companies and government agencies.

Sun, under Mr. McNealy and its chief executive, Jonathan Schwartz, has held onto its heritage of innovation and research in recent years. But that commitment has held back its profits, and the spending has been frequently criticized by Wall Street analysts.

Even today, Sun’s gross profit margins are more than 40 percent, but its operating profits have been close to zero in recent years, said A. M. Sacconaghi, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein.

“I.B.M. should be able to improve the margins, given the overlap in businesses and overhead expenses in these two companies,” he said.

I.B.M. could add the MySQL technology, which is popular with Internet companies, to its own DB2 database and gain a larger share of one of the most lucrative parts of the software market.

In addition, Sun has tried to revitalize its storage line through new software and hardware — both of which would help I.B.M. compete against H.P. and EMC.

I.B.M. would inherit Sun’s networking technology, including a new line of switches. That technology looks more crucial following Cisco Systems’ entry this week into the server market and H.P.’s decision to invest more in its networking technology. Cisco acquired I.B.M.’s networking business in 1999. But by acquiring Sun, I.B.M. would also be making a big investment in a business — computer servers — that has not shown much overall growth in recent years, and must withstand the relentless force of commoditizing cost pressure in the hardware market.

I.B.M. sold its personal computer business to Lenovo of China for $1.75 billion in 2005, and its hard-disk drive business to Hitachi of Japan for $2.05 billion in 2003.

In the server market, the I.B.M. move seems to be a straightforward consolidation tactic, and one that could bring antitrust scrutiny.

Together, I.B.M. and Sun would have about 65 percent of the market for server computers running the Unix operating system and 42 percent of the total server market, measured in the dollar value of the market.

In the Unix market, there would really be only one other significant competitor, H.P.

Still, the recent volume growth in the server market has come mainly in machines run by lower-cost microprocessors, made by Intel and Advanced Micro Devices, using personal computer technology.

The key antitrust issue in reviewing the proposed deal, legal experts say, will be how regulators define the server market. If the market is viewed as including technology beyond Unix servers, the antitrust hurdle will be considerably lower, they said.

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Common blame for these IT FIRINGS seems to be pointing at the US Economy and a lowering consumer confidence. However, if one looks further into the firings at the IT Giants, one notices a common thread - India.

It seems consumer frustration with lack lustre Offshore IT Support is causing a shuffle in India's once booming IT Sector. I know for a fact, American Express recently axed their India Call centre. I have had nothing but problems with the off shore, particularly in India call centre's. Router companies are known for their cheap outsourcing. The most frustrating phrase I hear is "OK, so if I understand you correctly sir, you cannot..." Usually followed by something completely different than your actual problem.

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Here is a Story from a Publication in India where they talk about the recent IT FIRING's

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In February, information technology giants Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), IBM, and portal Yahoo flashed pink slips to hundreds of employees on the basis of “poor” performance.

Others such as Patni Computers followed suit. Banks, financial services and insurance firms, or the so-called BFSI players, have been discretely deleting non-performers.

Surabhi Mathur Gandhi, general manager, permanent staffing at HR firm TeamLease Services, says some companies have shipped out as much as 8-10% of their staff on the basis of sub-par performance in the last couple of months.

'Job opportunities on upswing in infrastructure sector'

Companies in the IT and BFSI space, which recruit 6,000-25,000 people every year, are ‘rationalising’ workforce.

However, the real reason, say HR experts, is cost-cutting aimed at tiding over business slowdown.

The rationalisation continues, though not with the same intensity. The problem compounds for those sacked because another job has been hard to come by.

Small industries hit by production slump, job generation dips

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Take Samarth Rajan (name changed), for instance. The 28-year-old from Bangalore told DNA Money that after working for five years in an IT firm as a senior programmer, he was asked to leave mid-May.

Since then, he has been flitting across the city seeking an opportunity. “Jobs are difficult to come by in this market and for someone who has got a pink slip, the scene is worse,” sighs the computer engineer.

He says the lack of a good reference and his relieving letter (which is not really overflowing with praise) are creating barriers in his search for a new job. Rajan says if nothing comes by in the next couple of days, he may take up higher studies (such as pursue a MBA or MCA degree).

“Some of my ex-colleagues are also finding it tough to get jobs. We have even applied to BPOs and are waiting to hear from them.”

Satish Mhatre (name changed) is also sailing in the same boat. After working in a Mumbai-based insurance firm as a sales executive for the last three years, Mhatre says he was asked to leave in late June on account of poor performance.

Since then, he explains, he has been formatting his resume and approaching every firm on his way, be it in the area of insurance, sales, event management, call centres, etc.

“Though I was told that firing people on account of low performance is a normal exercise, I am sure another chance would have been given, if not for the slowdown,” says Mhatre.

More India business stories

Somewhat luckier is software engineer Kapil Bhat. Ejected by another top IT company three-and-a-half months ago, the Bangalore resident has nevertheless managed to get hold of an offer in a call centre with a monthly pay of Rs 30,000 or half his previous salary.

“I have no choice but to accept whatever comes my way,” he says.

BOEING MACHINIST's STRIKE VOTE Wednesday Evening

THE BOEING MACHINISTS UNION STRIKE VOTE RESULTS ARE IN

BOEING MACHINISTS / ASSEMBLY WORKERS VOTE TO STRIKE

BOEING Co. aircraft assembly workers voted overwhelmingly to STRIKE for the second time in three years but union leaders agreed to hold off on the walkout for 48 hours at the request of Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire and a federal mediator. The vote late Wednesday was 87 percent in favor of a STRIKE that was to have begun at 12:01 a.m. PDT Thursday, after the expiration of the old contract covering more than 27,000 workers.

BOEING MACHINIST's STRIKE VOTE Complete, The Results Are Forthcoming

ADDENDUM:

THE BOEING MACHINIST UNION STRIKE VOTE RESULTS ARE IN:

Boeing Co. aircraft assembly workers voted overwhelmingly to strike for the second time in three years but union leaders agreed to hold off on the walkout for 48 hours at the request of Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire and a federal mediator. The vote late Wednesday was 87 percent in favor of a strike that was to have begun at 12:01 a.m. PDT Thursday, after the expiration of the old contract covering more than 27,000 workers.

With a couple dozen or more horn-honking, engine-revving motorcycles leading the way, followed by a pickup truck with a giant American flag, hundreds of Machinists who help build The Boeing Co.'s 737 jetliner and perform other jobs for the company marched from the jetliner plant to their union hall here Wednesday morning.

Their mission -- to vote on whether to accept or reject a new three-year contract offer from the company.

The union leadership strongly urged the machinists to reject Boeing's offer and strike.

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Many of the Machinists wore blue T-shirts with the words "It's our time this time," the union's slogan during the talks on a new contract.

They made noise. They carried signs. They raised arms and fists as they marched about a mile to vote before returning to work.

Depending on the vote by the marchers and some 25,000 of their fellow Machinists in the Puget Sound area, as well as a couple thousand more in Kansas and Oregon, they could be on strike starting at midnight. A strike would essentially shut down Boeing's jetliner production and likely cause further delays on the 787 program.

The voting will end at 6 p.m. in the Puget Sound area, and the results should be known by about 8:30 p.m.

"When we go out on strike, the price goes up," Tom Wroblewski, president of District Lodge 751 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, said as he stood on a sidewalk down the street from the plant gate and slapped hands with many of the Machinists as they marched toward the union hall and the all-important vote.

"They miscalculated," Wroblewski said of Boeing.

As the Machinists marched, they chanted, "Union power! Union power!"

Union rules require that a majority of those voting not only reject Boeing's final offer, but that at least two-thirds also vote to strike. Boeing is hoping to prevent a strike by winning over at least a third of those voting with what the company had called the best labor contract offered to any American workers this year.

But it was impossible to find anyone in the crowd of marchers who said they would vote to accept the contract and vote down a strike.

"It's a done deal," said Earl Muriekes, 52, who has worked as a Machinist for Boeing since 1989. He drove the pickup with the large American flag near the front of the marchers. A union shop steward, Muriekes helps build 737 wings at the Renton plant.

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He said one of the Boeing managers in the plant tried to bet with him Tuesday night that at least a third of the Machinists would vote not to strike. If that happens, the contract would go into effect by default even if a majority of the Machinists vote it down. That happened in 2002, when Boeing's offer was soundly rejected, but 34 percent of the Machinists voted not to strike.

Muriekes did not make the bet and told the manager, "You will lose."

"It's not going to fly," he said as he waited at the union hall to vote on the contract.

He's been through several strikes at Boeing. The union struck in 1989, his first year at Boeing, for 48 days.

Boeing and the Machinists union have a long history of bad blood and occasional strikes. The union has struck Boeing six times since 1948. In 1995, a 69-day strike lasted well into December. The last strike, in 2005, lasted a month before an agreement was reached on the current contract. Boeing returned to the negotiating table and made several concessions to end the dispute. It raised the monthly pension payment nearly 17 percent and backed away from several issues that the union had called unacceptable, including one that would have raised the monthly premiums union members pay for their medical coverage.

In 2005, the strike was settled after Boeing improved its final offer.

The stakes are high for both sides this time.

Industry analysts estimate that Boeing could lose as much as $120 million each day the strike lasts as a result of revenue that will be deferred until customers receive planes delayed by the strike. Customers pay most of the money for a new jet upon delivery. The 2005 strike cost Boeing about $1.5 billion in revenue when it had to push back the delivery of 30 jets. Production rates are much higher now because of a record backlog.

"It would surprise me if we came back before the first of November," said one longtime Boeing Machinist who did not want to be quoted by name. "The company is dug in and so are we."

More than 27,000 Boeing aircraft assembly workers held a pivotal strike vote that could paralyze the world's second-largest aircraft manufacturer while its business is booming and further delay delivery of its new fuel-efficient 787 commercial jet.

Electricians, riveters, painters and others covered by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers began casting ballots yesterday morning; the outcome was expected to be announced late last night on the West Coast. The workers are based at plants in the Seattle area, in Gresham, Ore., and in Wichita, Kan.

The battle at Boeing is shaping up as a crucial test for organized labor. Union leveraged has diminished in recent years as competition for labor has expanded overseas, contributing to slower wage growth for most workers.

Labor claimed a rare victory recently when workers in the newly profitable steel industry agreed on a contract that union negotiators hailed as their best in a generation. But unions in general now face particularly delicate challenges. Given the weakness of the current economy, a strike could expose workers to great risk.

Boeing has offered its workers, who earn top pay of about $56,000 a year, a three-year deal that includes as much as $5,000 in bonuses and an 11 percent wage increase, plus cost-of-living increases of 3 percent. The company also has backed off a controversial proposal to replace its pension plan with a 401(k) for new workers. Still, the deal would require many workers to pay more for health care coverage and include rules that union officials say would undermine job security. The union wants higher wage increases and job security guarantees, and it wants Boeing to hold the line on health care costs.

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"People feel that in a time of record profits, the company should not come with any takeaways," said Connie Kelliher, a union spokeswoman. "When times were bad, workers went for years without a salary increase. But now things are good."

Boeing officials have said that to offer more than it has already would hamstring the company with unsustainable labor costs. "Our best and final offer rewards employees for the company's success and allows us to remain competitive," Boeing said in a statement.

Analysts say that while the company is determined to control its labor costs, a strike could be extremely damaging at a time when Boeing has $275 billion in airplane orders to fill and has posted robust profits, which topped $900 million in the second quarter of this year. Boeing is also competing for a $40 billion contract to build aerial refueling tankers for the Air Force. The contract could be worth as much as $100 billion as the Air Force replaces its fleet of tankers.

"Without a question, the company has drawn a line in the sand," said Harley Shaiken, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley who specializes in labor issues. "But it is a risky gamble given the stakes. High labor and benefit costs can be a burden, but if there is a strike, the company could be doing more damage to itself if it disrupts production and progress on the 787 Dreamliner."

The 787 Dreamliner is about 18 months behind schedule, and a strike would only further slow progress, even as inaugural test flights are scheduled for this fall. Despite the delays, the company has orders for nearly 900 of the midsize planes, which Boeing says will save about 20 percent on fuel costs.

"Any further delay will have both a tangible and intangible effect," said Howard Rubel, an aerospace analyst at Jefferies & Co. "The tangible will be that the planes are even later. The intangible is, 'When do we regain the trust of this company?' " Rubel estimates that a strike would cost Boeing $120 million each workday in deferred revenue.

A strike would also have a potentially huge impact on the struggling U.S. economy. Aircraft sales have helped drive the nation's export boom, which has become a boon for business growth as other sectors have cooled. Boeing is the nation's No. 2 exporting firm, company officials said.

If Boeing workers vote to strike, it would be the company's second walkout in three years. In 2005, workers launched a 24-day strike that was settled after Boeing boosted pension payments and backed off demands that workers pay more for insurance.

Under union rules, two-thirds of the Boeing assembly employees would have to approve a strike. Any count short of that would put the contract into effect.

"The neighbors of many Boeing workers are in very shaky shape, given the economy," Shaiken said. "Boeing is gambling that at least one-third of the workers will see that and vote for the contract. But this is a risky gamble, given the stakes."

Delta Northwest Merger

With the Bush Administration set to end in nine months' time, the clock is already ticking on the anticipated merger between Delta.
Not only is the devil you know better than the devil you don't know, but there is also no doubt the January 2009 transition in the White House could lead to a delay for such a merger deal, no matter which of the three presidential candidates is elected. The risk of a delay would increase in a Democratic administration, since both of the parties' presidential contenders are considered less sympathetic to airline mergers than Bush is.

While the situation remains fluid, the long-awaited announcement of the Delta-Northwest merger is likely to come Tuesday, a source said. The announcement is just the first step in a process that could take months before regulatory approval and years before the carriers are integrated.

NWA Pilots a Probable Speed Bump
Pilots are one hangup. While Delta pilots are being incented for their support, Northwest pilots remain a wild card, concerned their seniority could be sacrificed if they integrate with younger Delta pilots. The carriers appear willing to bet that the advantage to consideration by the Bush Administration outweighs the disadvantage of partial support from pilots.

Shares in Delta were rising 2.8% to $10.28 in recent trading Monday, while Northwest shares were up 2% at $11.18.

In general, Wall Street takes a positive view on mergers, which not only generate fees, but also promise capacity reductions, synergies for merged carriers and pressure for competitors to merge as well.

In a recent report, FTN Midwest Securities analyst Mike Derchin said the likelihood of a Delta/Northwest deal being announced this week is 80%. A merger would "create a world class network with, we estimate, over $1 billion in revenue synergies," he says. "It will be a merger of equals with a small premium for NWA shares."

Still, with the barriers that remain, it is easy to imagine that late next fall in the waning days of the Bush Administration, the airline industry will be waiting anxiously for an antitrust ruling.

While a favorable ruling is generally considered to be likely, given the minimal overlap between the two carriers and the harsh economic conditions facing the airline industry, objections will get a full hearing.

The Likely Critics
Representative James Oberstar and chairman of the House Transportation Committee, has already said he is opposed. It is Oberstar who, more than any other single person, is responsible for the enhanced maintenance oversight that led to last week's 3,000 flight cancellations by American.

Oberstar pushed for more oversight of all carriers after whistleblowers with complaints about Southwest talked to congressional investigators. American got caught in the middle of the ensuing battle between Congress and the Federal Aviation Administration.

Oberstar, it can be assumed, will again assert himself. He "has a very loud voice when it comes to transportation and aviation law," says transportation committee spokesman Jim Berard. "He can use his bully pulpit to shine a bright light on this merger."

Perhaps a goal of the opposition will be simply to slow merger consideration until the Bush administration departs.

Oberstar's relationship with Northwest pilots is a longstanding one, and the International Association of Machinists, the largest union in the airline industry, is also opposed to a Delta/Northwest merger.

The IAM represents about 11,000 agents and ground service workers at Northwest, but there is no assurance that would continue in a merger with Delta, whose agents and ground service workers do not have union representation. Such a merger could "de-unionize the transportation labor movement," IAM General Vice President Robert Roach has said. The IAM, by the way, backs Hillary Clinton.

The airline industry well remembers the "Keep Delta My Delta" campaign from a couple of years ago. Strongly backed by Delta pilots, the employee-led campaign played a big part in preventing a hostile takeover of Delta by US Airways

Deaths at Petco spark rage

Here is a topic not so hot on the search list but of extreme importance to any pet owners out there. Petco is currently embroiled in some controversy with PETA for their unethical treatment of animals under their care.

Source: Things that Piss me Off


While looking over the hot searches I ran across the topic of "Deaths at Petco" and it caught my attention. Being an animal lover with 6 PET Chinchilla's who are treated pretty much like royalty with 3 4 foot high interconnected cages and plenty of jumping room I found this article very disturbing. Although there was very little detailed information on how it happened I can only assume Hurley was in a healthy state prior to being brought in for grooming. I did a bit of a google search for "Deaths at Petco" and came up with a few tidbits buried among some dead links. One which was particularly disturbing was a letter from a Petco Employee to Petco Head office outlining various atrocities and animal mistreatment issues at her local Petco. It is quite a lengthy post so I will only post the link http://lou1982.blogspot.com/2007/12/to-whom-it-may-concern.html
It addition I found a post from Hanna in Boulder Co who witnessed some animal cruelty in her local Petco store http://newlyindonesian.blogspot.com/2008/02/i-went-into-petco-yesterday-to-wait-for.html

There was also a blog on the topic of PETA and an investigation they had done at a Petco store. Apparently Petco is now reducing their stock of life animals and replacing them with product. http://critternews.blogspot.com/2008/02/petco-to-decrease-live-animal-inventory.html

Then of course there is a blog about a Chow which was hung to death at a Utah Petco http://mrsanonymous-nain.blogspot.com/2007/12/beware-of-veterinary-malpractice-and.html

I live in Vancouver Canada and there isn't a Petco here, but we do have several Petsmarts as well as Petcetera. Neither of which I would ever support by purchasing animals there. I have seen Chinchilla's placed in small aquariums with bright lights above them and no shelter right by noisy birds. The problem being, chinchilla's are nocturnal and are very freaked out by loud noises.

My suggestion is, if you are looking at purchasing a pet, please check out the SPCA or your local animal rescue first. There are plenty of animals waiting for good homes. Supporting these pet stores by purchasing animals there only proliferates the cruelty. You may think you are saving an animal from a pet store, but the petstores will only bring in more replacements. If the animal becomes popular this will only lead to over crowding.

Here is the original blog which started this quest. Click on the Picture to Visit Hurley's Website

Don't Support Petco by Shopping There
Hello! My name is Hurley and on Saturday, March 22nd, 2008 I was taken into Petco to be groomed. Eight hours later I was dead. My human parents rushed me to an emergency vet hospital where I was drowning from the fluid that was filling my lungs and I was coughing up blood. Two vets consulted with my parents as they did everything they could to save my life. It was determined that they needed to end my suffering and so my parents made the agonizing decision to have me euthanized. Petco wants to pay for my vet bills, but they don't want to show my parents the video of me being groomed. Petco also doesn't feel that they should give my parents a reason as to what happened to me while I was in their care. If you think that this is a rare incident, please Google "animal deaths at Petco" and see the long history that Petco has of animal abuse and neglect. Don't let me die in vain. Please don't support Petco by shopping there.

Guitar Maker Gibson Suing makers of Guitar Hero

Gibson Guitar Inc. is suing major retailers, including Wal-Mart and Target, to force them to stop selling versions of the video game "Guitar Hero," which Gibson believes infringes on a patent filed by the guitar maker in 1999.

Gibson disclosed in a statement that it sued the retailers "to protect its intellectual property and will continue to do so against any other person in accordance with the law and its rights."

Nashville, Tenn.-based Gibson claims in correspondence with "Guitar Hero" maker Activision Inc. that the patent, which covers technology meant to simulate a musical performance, is violated by the game play of "Guitar Hero," where users hit buttons on a guitar-shaped controller in correspondence with "notes" displayed on the game screen.

Gibson is being sued by video game maker Activision Inc., which wants to have the court declare Gibson's patent invalid. Activision's popular "Guitar Hero" series uses a controller shaped like the guitar designed by Waukesha, Wis.-born electric guitar inventor Les Paul.

Activision has said that by waiting three years to raise its claim, Gibson had granted an implied license for any technology.

Vicarious Visions, a subsidiary of Activision based in Menands, created "Guitar Hero" for the Wii and announced last week that it is developing another version of the game for the Nintendo DS.

Self Healing Rubber band - Offers hope for flat tires

Anyone who has heard the snap of a rubber band breaking knows it's time to reach for a replacement.

But a group of French scientists have made a self-healing rubber band material that can reclaim its stretchy usefulness by simply pressing the broken edges back together for a few minutes.

The material, described on Wednesday in the journal Nature, can be broken and repaired over and over again.

It is made from simple ingredients -- fatty acids like those found in vegetable oils, and urea, a waste compound in urine that can be made synthetically.

The material would be an asset to industry and might even help shed light on the physics of elasticity, wrote Philippe Cordier and colleagues at the Industrial Physics and Chemistry Higher Educational Institution in Paris.

Standard rubber bands, which can stretch up to several hundred percent then snap back into shape, are made from long chains of cross-linked polymers.

The new material is linked by short chains of a type of molecule called ditopic, which can associate with two other molecules, and multitopic molecules, which can associate with more than two molecules.

This network of molecules is strengthened by hydrogen bonds that allow the material to stretch up to several hundred percent, then snap back into shape.

If severed, the material mends itself when the ends are pressed together at room temperature, allowing these bonds to re-form.

"The mended samples are able to sustain large deformations and recover their shape and size when stress is released," Cordier and his colleagues wrote.

The material can "withstand multiple fractures, needs no catalysts and is otherwise straightforward to produce," Justin Mynar and Takuzo Aida of the University of Tokyo wrote in an accompanying article.

"A final blessing is that it can be broken down with heat and easily recycled -- so it is environmentally friendly, too."

Microsoft "BIG" Announcement today

Well, not to be outdone by Lindsay Lohan bearing her breasts for New York Magazine or Gene Simmons having sex with some model babe young enough to be his daughter (Can you tell I'm jeolous). Bill Gates and his chronies over at Microsoft will be announcing something "Major" today. Gamers seem to think it has something to do with them, while others think it is about an aquisition of Yahoo.

Seeing as Yahoo doesn't really have anything on their news, the later might just be the case.

There is also some speculation this announcement is about Microsoft offering its product as an online service, similar to that of Google. Of course, Microsoft being Microsoft, you will end up paying through the nose for this.

Then again, there is the possibility Bill will out himself as a transexual with a keen interest in showing off his nipples to aging rock stars.

OK, consider breakfast ruined


Wow, as one article put it, "Hell just froze over" Bill Gates and Microsoft just announced they will be opening up their platforms to outsiders. This means there is hope for the Linux geeks to work better with Microsoft aps.

In a conference call today, Microsoft outlined a sweeping change to the way it does business. The corporation vowed to “increase the openness of its products and drive greater interoperability.

The announcement will cover all the company’s APIs and protocols for major software such as Windows Vista, Office 2007 and Windows Server 2008. The move will make it easier for those who use Microsoft products to retain hold of their information and even move it to rival products if necessary.

“These steps represent an important step and significant change in how we share information about our products and technologies,” said Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer of the announcement.

“For the past 33 years, we have shared a lot of information with hundreds of thousands of partners around the world and helped build the industry, but today’s announcement represents a significant expansion toward even greater transparency.”

As an immediate next step, starting today Microsoft will openly publish over 30,000 pages of documentation for Windows client and server protocols that were previously only available under a special license.

Coconut wine process being patented in India

Source: Fermentedfruits.blogspot.com


KOCHI: Coconut farmers in Kerala, hit by falling prices and pests, may find solace in the Maharashtra model of wine tourism. A farmer in Kasargod district, who invented the technology to make wine from tender coconuts, thinks the invention would help his peers tide over the recurring crop crisis if the state government opens up its wine sector as in Maharashtra, where grape farmers are free to make and market wine.

Sebastian P Augustine, winner of Kerala government’s Kera Kesari Award, has patented his invention to make wine from tender coconut. The invention, which got India government patent in August 2007, is being processed by the patent offices in the European Union, the US, Canada, Indonesia and the Philippines. He is the first person to patent tender coconut wine anywhere in the world.

“I don’t use any artificial agents in the wine. It is the purest drink around as it does not even contain natural water as found in other wines. The drink is fermented from tender coconut kernel and tender coconut water,” he told a press meet in Kochi on Saturday. This drink, he claims, is 100% organic since there is no chance of contamination by pesticides. The wine has permissible levels of ethyl alcohol (12.25%) and acids as tested at the Central Food Technical Research Institute, Mysore.

He says the unique wine would be a boon to the coconut farmer if the government distinguishes wine from foreign liquor. “Now a farmer gets Rs2 or 3 per coconut. If the government lets us make wine, we can pay farmers’ collectives Rs10 per coconut,” he said.

He hopes that Kerala, with the abundance of tender coconuts and patented technology to brew it into a unique wine, can make the product its USP in the tourism sector. But the state, where wine-making is a household chore, doesn’t have any winery in the absence of sympathetic excise rules. Tender coconut harvesting doubles yields.
Augustine is a former deputy tehsildar. His organic farm in Beemanady in the eastern part of Kasargod district has been awarded the best coconut garden award by the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute in 2000.

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More information on Seabasitan and his coconut wine venture

Kochi: Sebastian P. Augustine, 66, a farmer in Kerala’s northernmost Kasargod district, started making wine by turning adversity into an opportunity. On seeing that his coconut grove was diseased, he was forced to make good use of it by plucking the tender coconuts and making wine by fermenting coconut water.
Today, armed with a patent for the method, Augustine is getting ready for the commercial production of wine.
The government trade and cultivation promotion body, the Coconut Development Board, has even promised 25% subsidy for the project. But wine-making may still remain an academic exercise for Augustine because excise rules in Kerala do not allow the government to issue licences for making wine or any alcoholic beverage commercially. “If, Kerala decides to promote wine tourism, things may change,” says Augustine, who was approached by a few companies from outside the state with plans to commercialize the project. But Augustine has not taken any firm decision.
In 2004, when his seven-acre coconut grove developed rot, Augustine started cutting bunches of coconuts on the advice of his neighbours. Not knowing what to do with the hundreds of tender coconuts, he decided to try his hand at making wine from coconut water. Once, on a holiday with his daughter and son-in-law in the US, Augustine saw wine being made from fruits and he was inspired.
The process is not too complicated. First, the water from the tender coconuts is mixed well with the kernel. Then, a few fruits, such as grapes and pineapple, and spices, such as cinnamon, clove and vanilla, among others, are added along with a bit of sugar, and the concoction is left to ferment for nearly a month. The wine then is cleared and pasteurized and bottled. And typical of wine, ageing makes it headier, says Augustine.
Water from three tender coconuts, in addition to a few fruits, spices, sugar and yeast, go to make a bottle of wine and the total cost involved is just around Rs30. Since the excise rules in Kerala do not allow wine sales without a licence, he has not been able to contemplate sales. A bottle of coconut wine, according to Augustine, can fetch more than Rs60. The tender coconut wine does not have any artificial agents or water that could be contaminated, says Augustine.
Augustine, who retired from the government’s revenue department in 1998, began to engage himself in what interests him the most—farming. He started helping farmers improve their practices and raise productivity.
In 1998, he won the Kera Kesari Award from the Kerala government that recognized him as the best coconut farmer in the state. His farm at Beemanady village in Kasargod district is organic, where no chemical fertilizer is used. In 2000, the farm won the best coconut garden award from the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI).
In 2004, Augustine was invited to make a presentation of his innovative initiative at the Indian Horticulture Congress in New Delhi. With the help of scientists at CPCRI, Augustine applied for a patent. Recognition came in August 2007. His application is now being processed by the patent offices in the European Union, the US, Canada, Indonesia and the Philippines.
“If the state government grants the licence, I will involve farmers in wine making,” he says. Coconut cultivation has been on a decline in Kerala. “Tender coconut harvesting doubles the yield from the tree,” he adds. “Moreover, the frequent plucking of tender coconut helps keep at bay dreaded epidemics. While this double-harvesting gives a decent profit to the farmer, plucking coconuts before they are ripe increases work days of the labourers.”

Chrysler closing 4 assembly plants after Plastech bankruptcy

Chrysler LLC has had to shut down four plants today, as it deals with the bankruptcy filing of Dearborn-based auto supplier Plastech Engineered Products Inc.

Plastech filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Friday night, after Chrysler said it would terminate its business with the supplier company, which has been undergoing financial trouble amid rising oil prices.

In 2006, the private company posted losses of $73 million on sales of more than $1 billion, nearly tripling its losses in 2005. Plastech has 35 plants.

The affected Chrysler plants are in Sterling Heights; Newark, Del.; Toledo, Ohio; and Belvidere, Ill. A second Toledo plant will also be shut down.

The idling has affected 10,500 workers, said Chrysler spokeswoman Michele Tinson.
Tinson said the plants have been temporarily shut down due to a parts shortage.
“These actions are to ensure the highest levels of quality,” she said. “The delayed volume will be rescheduled in the near future.”

The bankruptcy filing followed a stand-off between Chrysler and Plastech. On Friday, the automaker filed a restraining order to seize the tooling Plastech uses to make parts for nearly every vehicle Chrysler produces. Chrysler representatives went to some of Plastech’s plants demanding the molds, dies and other tools used to make the parts

As these teams of Chrysler representatives were entering Plastech’s plants Friday evening, the supplier filed its Chapter 11 petition, which stays all legal action against the supplier, according to legal documents filed by Chrysler.

In a court filing over the weekend, Chrysler said it had to close one plant and eight additional plants would likely shut down due to Plastech’s bankruptcy.