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Stocks primed for more volatility


"Investors will grapple with more turbulence surrounding Europe's deepening debt problems next week and the prospect of another round of dismal data on the faltering U.S. economy.
More volatility is almost guaranteed after the top German official at the European Central bank quit and rumors circulated throughout global markets that Greece will default this weekend. Greece later called the rumor market speculation designed to hurt the euro.
Recent market trading patterns and options activity also suggest August's roller-coaster ride will keep apace throughout September.
Juergen Stark's sudden resignation from the ECB on Friday came after a conflict over the bank's policy of buying government bonds to combat the euro zone's debt crisis, raising questions about a program that has been a key market stabilizer in recent months.
"You can tie our stock market directly to European banks -- the problem they have is sovereign debt exposure," said Jack de Gan, chief investment officer at Harbor Advisory Corp in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
In a light week for earnings with only electronics retailer Best Buy Co Inc and diversified manufacturer Pall Corp among S&P 500 companies set to report, investors will eye a batch of data for any clues the economy has regained its footing. Economic readings over the past two months have left little reason for optimism.
But the euro zone, where a two-year sovereign debt crisis has unsettled investors worldwide, will be the real focus. (...)"


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Google buys Zagat


Google buys Zagat to vie with OpenTable, Yelp


"Google Inc has bought popular dining ratings authority Zagat, adding a valuable brand to its content offerings and bolstering its push into the rapidly growing local commerce market.
Local commerce offers services such as finding a discount from a nearby store, or a review of a neighborhood eatery, and the world's No. 1 search engine plans to compete in this market against Yelp and OpenTable.
The deal, for which Google did not provide financial information, gives it valuable content about restaurants, hotels and nightclubs that can be paired with its popular online maps and mobile search services.
Google needs to provide more than just directions to consumers seeking information about restaurants and other local businesses, said Marissa Mayer, Google's VP of Local, Maps and Location services, in an interview with Reuters on Thursday.
"It's also (about) getting them a sense of the place. A sense of what to expect," said Mayer. "Zagat reviews, in a few short lines and a few scores, gives you a great sense of a place very quickly when you're on the go."
The move is part of Google's push to adapt its online services for a world in which consumers increasingly access the Web on mobile phones such as Apple Inc's iPhone and rely on social networking services such as Facebook to get information from friends.
Last month, Google announced plans to acquire mobile phone manufacturer Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion. The deal, if approved by regulators, will allow Google to produce its own line of smartphones based on its Android software. (...)"

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Movie "The Help" holds on to number one spot

"The Help, a drama about African-American housekeepers employed in the US south before the Civil Rights era, topped weekend box sales for a third straight week, reported AFP.

 
The adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s novel of pre-civil rights Mississippi has been cleaning up at the multiplex ever since its premiere and brought in an estimated $19.8 million in receipts over the long Labour Day holiday weekend, for a total to date of $124 million, according to final figures from movie data tracker Exhibitor Relations.

 
The film stars an ensemble cast featuring Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer and Emma Stone – three very different, extraordinary women in Mississippi during the 1960s – who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project that breaks societal rules and puts them all at risk. The Help’s success has surprised many in Hollywood as it received mixed reviews and its subject matter – racism in the deep South in the early 1960s – isn’t the common theme for summer flicks. According to theweek.com there are five reasons why the film is doing so well. Firstly, it is a ‘good’ movie with a great storyline and while films with great plots don’t get the deserved credit, this is not the case this time. Secondly, there has been a lack of good films in the past month which have helped propel The Help’s success. Additionally, the movie has enjoyed ‘good word-of-mouth’ buzz, and according to Amy Kaufman in the Los Angeles Times, people have been talking, and are continuing to talk about the film.

   
Fourthly, the topic appeals to an older audience and since the under-25 set has ‘recently seemed indifferent to summer releases’ – this has allowed films targeting more mature audiences, like The Help and The Debt (which came in number two this weekend), to rule the box office. Lastly, it is not a 3D superhero movie – the surprise hits of the season have been two-dimensional films while many studios have lost heavily from betting on 3D superhero films."




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$114 billion annually, for Cybercrimes: Symantec

Global cybercrimes cost $114 billion annually: Symantec



"A study by Symantec Corp, the maker of Norton computer security software, estimates the cost of global cybercrimes at $114 billion annually.
The Norton Cybercrime Report 2011 said 431 million adults were victims globally in the past year, with costs of cybercrime surpassing the combined global black market in marijuana, cocaine and heroin.
The study also identified men in the 18-31 years age group, who access the Internet from their mobile phone, as likely victims."


"Over the past 12 months, three times as many adults surveyed have suffered from online crime versus offline crime, yet less than a third of respondents think they are more likely to become a victim of cybercrime than physical world crime in the next year," said Adam Palmer, Norton Lead Cybersecurity Advisor."

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Eddie Murphy hosting the 84th Oscars?

Eddie Murphy in talks to host 84th Oscars


"Show producer Brett Ratner reportedly keen to get 'Shrek' star on board.

Comedian and actor Eddie Murphy is in talks to host the 84th Academy Awards, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Although no names have officially been submitted to the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences just yet, a decision could be made on Tuesday when Oscar producers Brett Ratner and Don Mischer meet up with the Academy s president, Tom Sherak.

According to Deadline.com, Ratner has had Murphy s name in mind for some time as a candidate for the coveted hosting gig.

Aside from Murphy s notable comedic background and stand-up career, we hear Ratner and the "Shrek" star struck up quite the friendship when Ratner directed Murphy s upcoming "Tower Heist" action flick with Ben Stiller, in theaters November 4.

Murphy isn't the only comic actor in the running to host the Oscars, however. Billy Crystal, who's expressed interest in hosting the show again, is also reportedly being considered for the position."


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Typhoon hits Japan


Typhoon Talas leaves fatalities and destruction in Japan

"Rescuers and search parties were scouring central Japan on Monday as the death toll from the worst typhoon to hit the country in seven years climbed to 26.
Typhoon Talas, which was later downgraded to a tropical storm, lashed coastal areas at the weekend before moving offshore into the Sea of Japan. Fifty two people were missing and thousands were stranded as the typhoon washed out bridges, railways and roads.
The scenes of destruction were an unwelcome reminder of Japan's vulnerability to natural disasters as the country attempts to recover from the 11 March earthquake and tsunami.
The prime minister, Yoshihiko Noda, who was sworn in a day before the storm, said the government would provide assistance as quickly as it could.
His predecessor, Naoto Kan, was forced out of office chiefly because of public anger over the government's response to the tsunami, which left nearly 21,000 people dead or missing and sparked the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986.
"We will do everything we can to rescue people and search for the missing," Noda said.
The typhoon was believed to be the worst to hit Japan since 2004, when 98 people were killed or reported missing. Talas caused most damage on the Kii peninsula in central Japan, south-west of Tokyo. (...)"

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Mel Gibson to pay ex $750,000 in custody deal

"Troubled actor and Oscar-winning director Mel Gibson will pay his ex-girlfriend $750,000 in a deal which grants the former couple joint custody of their young daughter, a judge said Wednesday. 

Details of the legal agreement between Gibson and Oksana Grigorieva were unveiled in the Los Angeles Superior Court, which announced last Friday that a deal had been struck. 

Gibson, 55, who appeared subdued in court, will also give a house to their daughter Lucia in a settlement that ended years of public feuding between the estranged couple, said judge Peter D. Lichtman. 

Grigorieva and 22-month-old Lucia also will be allowed to live in the suburban Los Angeles home until Lucia’s 18th birthday, with the sale of that house then to be part of the child’s trust. 

After the judge read details of the settlement, Gibson stood up and said, “I’d like to say thanks, your honor, for bringing this matter to a reasonable conclusion.” 

Grigorieva, a 40-year-old Russian musician, thanked the judge and promised to do, “what’s best for Lucia.” Gibson, who won Best Picture and Best Director Oscars for “Braveheart” in 1996, avoided jail time in March this year when he decided not to appeal domestic violence charges made by Grigorieva in 2010. 

He was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to attend a domestic violence counseling program.  (...)"



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