Facebook is out-of-bounds for Obama’s aides

Obama’s staff are not allowed to use Facebook or any instant messaging software, reports the Los Angeles Times.

This is not the latest in a series of executive orders issued by President Obama, but the legacy left by the Bush administration which had imposed strict beaurocratic rules on the use of social networking sites and the internet. 

‘Hard adjustments for a staff that helped sweep Obama to power through, among other things, relentless online social networking’, comments Anne E. Kornblut from the Los Angeles Times.

“It is kind of like going from an Xbox to an Atari,” Obama spokesman Bill Burton said of his new digs in comments to the same journalist. 

Would you work in a place where online interaction is strictly controlled?

Baxter’s profits are higher than expected

 

Baxter's factory in Malta

Baxter International, the world’s biggest maker of blood-disease treatments which is also based in Malta, beat analysts’ expectations yesterday after it posted profits of $569 million for the last three months of 2008, up from $478 million posted in the same period the year before.

“Baxter is not playing defense, but rather investing heavily [in capital improvements and research and development] to fund future growth,” a source quoted by the Chicago Sun-Times says.

This is yet another case where investment in innovation and constant improvement pays off.

Cows are stronger than Brown: They can survive recession

As Gordon Brown announces the UK is following the US in recession, saying it was caused by ‘complete market failure’, data shows that cattle ranching is experiencing double-digit growth in the US.

So, if you’re looking for a job and you’re worried the British financial services sector will shrink over the coming two years, why not try work on a cattle ranch, where growth and peace of mind are guaranteed.

Online reality buys your debts to own your life

Are you charismatic, jobless, drowning in debt, with only a carrot left for your next lunch? Then you could be next in line to be saved by the debt monkey.

‘We pay off all your debts but then we own you!’, says the official slogan of Debtmonkey.tv, a new internet tv reality starting today.

Ben Foster, a self-styled anti-reality YouTube box-blogger, was the lucky winner of a competition which attracted thousands of applications. But, as this video shows, he’s still not sure whether to endure the experience, though he admits he’s ecastic he was freed of all his debts:

Debtmonkey.tv can also be followed on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Meanwhile Italian news agency ADNKronos today reports that more Italians have resorted to online micro-lending since the start of the financial crisis with web-sites as www.zopa.it proving to be a massive hit.

Recession hits tech and telecommunication companies

Sony posted a loss for the first time in 14 years

 

 

The tech and telecommunication sectors took a big blow in teh past 24 hours as company announcements showed the vulnerability of such sector.

Sony was the first company to start the round of negative announcements as it posted its first loss in 14 years. 

Nokia then followed. It said that its sales were set to go down by 10% in 2009. This means that the mobile phone market will get smaller and more competitive in 2009.

But, possibly the worst result of the day was Microsoft which announced it is going to axe 5,000 workers for the first time since 1975. This is 5% of Microsoft’s workforce. 

It was Samsung’s turn early this morning when it posted its first quartlerly loss ever. This sent its shares in Seoul down 4%.

However, Google saved the day posting financial results that beat analysts’ expectations.