http://www.realclearmarkets.com/ en Copyright 2011 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 02:58:54 -0600 Taiwan's AsusTek Computer Inc. plans to start selling an array of tablet computers — including hybrids that sit somewhere between a laptop and a tablet — with the hope that variety is the best weapon against Apple Inc.'s iPad and other similar gadgets.Asus chairman Jonney Shih unveiled the new devices Tuesday ahead of the International http://www.realclearmarkets.com/news/ap/finance_business/2011/Jan/06/asus_bets_on_variety_of_forms_to_win_tablet_fans.html 400496333 Rachel Metz The Associated Press Thu, 06 Jan 2011 02:58:48 -0600 Music and games retailer HMV Group PLC said Wednesday it plans to close about 60 of its U.K. stores this year following a dismal performance in its key Christmas shopping season.HMV said it will struggle to meet its April commitments on its banking covenant, and will take further steps beyond 10 million pounds ($15.6 million) of cost savings it http://www.realclearmarkets.com/news/ap/finance_business/2011/Jan/05/bad_weather_drives_hmv_christmas_sales_slump.html 400496314 The Associated Press Wed, 05 Jan 2011 03:01:11 -0600 Motorola, the 82-year-old consumer electronics pioneer responsible for early televisions, cell phones and even the first broadcast from the moon, split into two companies Tuesday in a reflection of changing markets.As separate companies — Mobility, targeting consumers, and Solutions, for professionals — the two will have simpler stories to http://www.realclearmarkets.com/news/ap/finance_business/2011/Jan/05/breakup_of_gadget_pioneer_motorola_is_complete.html 400496313 Dana Wollman The Associated Press Wed, 05 Jan 2011 03:01:03 -0600 Samsung Group said Wednesday it plans to carry out record investment and hiring this year as it seeks to strengthen international dominance of its mainstream businesses and also develop new ones.South Korea's top business conglomerate said in a statement that it will invest 43.1 trillion won ($38.4 billion) in 2011 for an increase of 18 percent http://www.realclearmarkets.com/news/ap/finance_business/2011/Jan/05/samsung_announces_record_investment__hiring.html 400496312 Kelly Olsen The Associated Press Wed, 05 Jan 2011 03:00:54 -0600 Syndicated radio host Tom Joyner, a popular figure in the black community, is lending his voice to a prepaid card.The move is bound to raise eyebrows because celebrities have come under fire for backing high-fee cards marketed to low-income groups.Prepaid cards function much like debit cards, but aren't tied to bank accounts. Users can load the http://www.realclearmarkets.com/news/ap/finance_business/2011/Jan/05/radio_host_tom_joyner_backing_a_new_prepaid_card.html 400496311 Candice Choi The Associated Press Wed, 05 Jan 2011 03:00:45 -0600 New Jersey casino regulators are set to hand out $115,000 in fines Wednesday to Atlantic City casinos who failed to immediately catch a cheating dealer and customer, had a malfunctioning alarm system that let a robber walk away with $8,000 after holding up a cashier, allowed someone other than the winner to fill out tax forms for five slots http://www.realclearmarkets.com/news/ap/finance_business/2011/Jan/05/_115k_in_casino_fines_for_cheating__underage_cases.html 400496300 Wayne Parry The Associated Press Wed, 05 Jan 2011 01:29:46 -0600 Samsung Group said Wednesday it plans to carry out record investment and hiring this year as it seeks to strengthen international dominance of its mainstream businesses and also develop new ones.South Korea's top business conglomerate said in a statement that it will invest 43.1 trillion won ($38.4 billion) in 2011 for an increase of 18 percent http://www.realclearmarkets.com/news/ap/finance_business/2011/Jan/04/samsung_announces_record_investment__hiring.html 400496275 Kelly Olsen The Associated Press Tue, 04 Jan 2011 23:30:44 -0600 Asian shares were down slightly Wednesday as investors took profits following solid New Year momentum and watched China for possible policy changes.Japan's Nikkei 225 stock average fluctuated in and out of negative territory after climbing to a seven-month closing high Tuesday. On Wednesday morning, the index was down 35.58 points, or 0.3 percent, http://www.realclearmarkets.com/news/ap/finance_business/2011/Jan/04/asian_shares_sluggish_as_new_year_s_cheer_cools.html 400496261 The Associated Press Tue, 04 Jan 2011 23:01:43 -0600 A federal judge in Birmingham is overseeing at least 1,200 lawsuits involving pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. and its stop-smoking drug Chantix.Many of the lawsuits from smokers and their families claim the drug left them with a variety of psychological problems, including anxiety, aggressiveness and suicidal thoughts. The lead plaintiffs' http://www.realclearmarkets.com/news/ap/finance_business/2011/Jan/04/ala__judge_preps_for_thousands_of_chantix_lawsuits.html 400496191 The Associated Press Tue, 04 Jan 2011 18:30:28 -0600 People are buying a lot of televisions but mostly passing on 3-D, according to a report released this week.According to the research group DisplaySearch, TV manufacturers sold 247 million TVs worldwide in 2010 — a 17 percent increase over the previous year, when the world was embroiled in the worst of the global downturn.But while TV sales were http://www.realclearmarkets.com/news/ap/finance_business/2011/Jan/04/tv_sales_jumped_in_2010_but_buyers_waited_on_3_d.html 400496190 The Associated Press Tue, 04 Jan 2011 18:30:21 -0600 The family of a worker killed in an explosion at a Massachusetts condominium project last year is suing a propane gas distributor and plumbing firm.The lawsuit filed in Suffolk Superior Court on Tuesday by the family of William Nichols, a 46-year-old electrician, says he died in the Norfolk blast in July because EnergyUSA under-filled a new http://www.realclearmarkets.com/news/ap/finance_business/2011/Jan/04/lawsuit_filed_in_deadly_mass__condo_propane_blast.html 400496189 The Associated Press Tue, 04 Jan 2011 18:29:55 -0600 Shaquille O'Neal swears by them. The Power Balance bracelet, he says, gives him a competitive edge on the court. It's no gimmick, he says. It's for real. It may be for him, but Australian authorities say the California-based company behind the wildly popular wristbands and pendants has no business claiming that they improve balance, strength and http://www.realclearmarkets.com/news/ap/finance_business/2011/Jan/04/power_balance_admits_no_science_behind_wristbands.html 400496183 Amy Taxin The Associated Press Tue, 04 Jan 2011 18:00:48 -0600 A federal judge in Birmingham is overseeing about 1,200 lawsuits involving pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. and its stop-smoking drug Chantix, many of them with smokers and their families claiming the drug left them with a variety of psychological problems, including anxiety, aggressiveness and suicidal thoughts.In one of the lawsuits, Billy http://www.realclearmarkets.com/news/ap/finance_business/2011/Jan/04/ala__judge_preparing_for_anti_smoking_drug_suits.html 400496182 The Associated Press Tue, 04 Jan 2011 18:30:08 -0600 Taiwan's AsusTek Computer Inc. plans to start selling an array of tablet computers — including hybrids that sit somewhere between a laptop and a tablet — with the hope that variety is the best weapon against Apple Inc.'s iPad and other similar gadgets.Asus chairman Jonney Shih unveiled the new devices Tuesday ahead of the International http://www.realclearmarkets.com/news/ap/finance_business/2011/Jan/04/asus_bets_on_variety_of_forms_to_win_tablet_fans.html 400496181 The Associated Press Tue, 04 Jan 2011 20:29:44 -0600 TREASURYS FLAT: Treasurys barely moved Tuesday after the Federal Reserve released details from its meeting last month.STILL IN NEED: Bond traders looked to the Fed minutes for signs that officials might trim a $600 billion bond-buying program given stronger economic reports. But Fed officials were nearly unanimous in deciding to continue buying http://www.realclearmarkets.com/news/ap/finance_business/2011/Jan/04/summary_box__treasurys_flat_on_latest_fed_minutes.html 400496180 The Associated Press Tue, 04 Jan 2011 18:00:03 -0600 EARNING A PROFIT: Traders sold commodities to lock in profits after many contracts posted hefty gains in 2010. Declines were felt in nearly every sector. One of the few exceptions was natural gas, which settled higher.DOLLAR'S IMPACT: A stronger dollar also hurt prices on everything from gold and silver to oil and corn. Commodities are priced in http://www.realclearmarkets.com/news/ap/finance_business/2011/Jan/04/summary_box__traders_sell_commodities_for_profits.html 400496168 The Associated Press Tue, 04 Jan 2011 17:32:02 -0600 Football gave NBC a welcome kick last week.NBC can thank the weather for its unaccustomed ratings win. Last Tuesday's special edition of "NBC Sunday Night Football," featuring the Minnesota Vikings' upset of the Philadelphia Eagles, had been postponed by the blizzard. It was the week's most-watched broadcast, drawing 23.7 million viewers.Then NBC http://www.realclearmarkets.com/news/ap/finance_business/2011/Jan/04/a_double_dose_of_football_gives_nbc_a_ratings_win.html 400496167 Frazier Moore The Associated Press Tue, 04 Jan 2011 17:31:56 -0600 Traders sold commodity contracts to take advantage of hefty price gains in 2010, causing prices to fall across a broad range of materials from silver to soybeans.A stronger dollar also affected commodities trading Tuesday. Oil, gold and other commodities are priced in dollars, so a stronger U.S. currency makes them more expensive for buyers http://www.realclearmarkets.com/news/ap/finance_business/2011/Jan/04/traders_sell_commodities_to_lock_in_profits.html 400496152 The Associated Press Tue, 04 Jan 2011 17:31:49 -0600 Motorola, the 82-year-old consumer electronics pioneer responsible for early televisions, cell phones and even the first broadcast from the moon, split into two companies Tuesday in a reflection of changing markets.As separate companies — Mobility, targeting consumers, and Solutions, for professionals — the two will have simpler stories to http://www.realclearmarkets.com/news/ap/finance_business/2011/Jan/04/breakup_of_gadget_pioneer_motorola_is_complete.html 400496151 Dana Wollman The Associated Press Tue, 04 Jan 2011 18:00:09 -0600 Stocks that moved substantially or traded heavily Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock Market:NYSEAlcoa Inc., up 72 cents at $16.52CNBC stock analyst Jim Cramer predicted that the aluminum producer will be the Dow Jones industrials' biggest gainer in 2011.Borders Group Inc., down 12 cents at 84 centsThe struggling bookseller http://www.realclearmarkets.com/news/ap/finance_business/2011/Jan/04/alcoa__borders_are_big_market_movers.html 400496136 The Associated Press Tue, 04 Jan 2011 16:31:13 -0600