The Truth about WAZZUB or is Coca Cola really a scam?

There are some articles out there on the Internet that state some “Facts” about our project and/or our company and then draw conclusions, most of them wrong. We do not have the time to answer on every single statement but we would like to give some general answers as follows:

1. Is WAZZUB a real company or a fake?

WAZZUB is a real company registered under the laws of Oregon, USA and running its headquarters in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. We are an early-stage startup company that is still before launch of their main website. That means, we are still in development and many things will change during pre-launch.

2. Is your “Headquarters” a real office or just virtual?

Our Las Vegas office is a real office. Right now (Mon, Jan 16, 12:30pm) there are 5 WAZZUB Team members present and working. We are using the services from Regus, that means, we have our own office space but we share receptionist area, conference rooms, kitchen and other services with other companies.

Again, we are an early-stage startup and until we earn “real” money after launch we are on a budget. There is no need to invest into a fully owned office right now.

3. What about your registered office – there are a lot of companies registered at the same address - why?

For tax reasons most U.S. based companies have their companies registered in a different state than their HQ is located. There are special companies offering services as a registered agent but they are not involved in the actual business of the company. The name of our registered Agent is Cathy Halverson and she is the registered agent for several hundred companies. That does not mean that our company is related to any other company that is registered at this address and for sure it is no sign that we try to hide something or that we are a scam.

By the way, the most famous “registered office” address is used by more than 200,000 businesses. This address has its own page at Wikipedia. Check it out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1209_Orange_Street.

For example, Coca Cola is registered there, as well as General Motors, Google and Verizon. Nobody would conclude that they are hiding something or that they try to scam people. It is our goal to make WAZZUB one of the big brands on the Internet and, following the advice of our CPA and attorneys, we set up our company structure as it should be – right from the beginning.

4. Why did the data on the Whois database for wazzub.com and wazzub.info change twice within a few months?

When we found the perfect name for our project – WAZZUB – back in June 2011, the company was not yet founded; therefore one of our main investors registered the domains under his company name. After our company, GIT Global Investments Inc., was registered, we changed the Whois data including the address of our registered office. Now we opened our HQ and so we changed the Whois data to our operational address.

5. Who is the owner of your company?

WAZZUB is owned by several investors. Right now they are building the team of directors and managers that will run our project after launch. There will be a page with all the important members of our team after the team is completed. Our Marketing Director Gee DaCosta is not one of the initiators; he is the team member that is most important now - during pre-launch.

6. You can find some info about Gee and his history in the MLM and Network Marketing industry. Is he just hopping from business to business?

WAZZUB is not a network marketing company and it is not MLM. But we needed the skills of an experienced online marketer and Gee is the perfect match - and WAZZUB is the perfect business for Gee. He is very happy that he has found his “final” business and we know that WAZZUB will change the life of many, many others who are still on the search for the perfect internet opportunity.

7. You claim to have already invested more than $2 million into WAZZUB. Why is your pre-launch website and members’ area so “simple”?

The money has been invested into the main project, not into the pre-launch pages. We are totally overwhelmed by the hundreds of thousands of members signing up. Unfortunately, this huge traffic caused some “challenges” like a lack of server capacity and more than 350,000 verification and password emails to be sent out. Most of our bugs and glitches are caused by the huge number of members that like our project.

If we would have a pre-launch website with a lot of flash and video content it would slow down our servers dramatically. That is why we just kept it simple.

Our state-of-the-art home page that will be launched on April 9 is a totally different story. Secured by several pending patents, it will be a totally new way to surf the Internet.

8. But there are so many search engines and home pages on the Internet. Is WAZZUB just another useless search engine?

Oh, WAZZUB is so much more than a search engine. Imagine this: you start your Internet browser and find yourself on the perfect home page. There is a powerful search engine, the latest news exactly on those topics you are interested in, messages from your friends and family, the best deals on the Internet and useful links to your favorite websites. Imagine receiving valuable gifts and bonuses, just for using this powerful tool as your personal home page.

9. You promise to pay a lot of money to your pre-launch members. Where is that money coming from?

We will monetize our website exactly the same way as companies like Google, Facebook, AOL and Yahoo monetize their websites - by displaying ads and special offers. The big difference is that we share profits with our pre-launch members. 50% of all profits will be paid to our pre-launch members just by joining for free and setting up our page as their home page.

10. Is there a risk when I join WAZZUB?

We keep your data safe and never share it with third parties. You never have to pay us a single $ to get your share of our profits. Your only risk is investing time to invite other members. If nobody likes our final page we would earn no money and there would be no profits to share…BUT…

GUESS WHAT? - We know for sure that won’t happen!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

How to Verify Your Account When You 


Received No Verification Email

When you are still waiting for your verification email please

 follow these easy steps to get your account verified:

Step #1

Go to our login page at http://signup.wazzub.info/?lrRef=fe465

 and re-send verification email. If you do not receive new

 verification email within 10 minutes, go ahead to Step #2.

Step #2

Send an email from your registered email account to 

verification [at] wazzub [dot] com with subject 

"Verification"

Our WAZZUB Support Team will send you a confirmation 

including your password within 48 hours. If you do not 

receive a confirmation within 48 hours please send us 

another email from your registered email account and 

name a SECOND email address where we can send the 

confirmation and password. The second email address 

should be a gmail address and it doesn't have to be 

registered with us. If you do not have no gmail account, 

you can easily open one at www.gmail.com


P.S. For More DAILY News and Updates:
Follow us on facebook: Click_Here->WAZZUB_Intl_facebook

Article From : http://heywazzub.blogspot.com/ 

Romeltea Media

Information Technology & World News Updated at: 11:17 PM

Heard of The WAZZUB Free Money Giveaway?

Welcome to WAZZUB! The most exciting phenomenon on the Internet

Win $5,000 in Cash Prizes

 From now until April 9, 2012 Watch our webinar for Details:
Part I - Part II - Part III

THIS IS EXTREMELY TIME SENSITIVE!

The gates are closing on April 9th, 2012 (midnight Eastern Time)

So what should you do?

TAKE ACTION...Seize your future…Start promoting WAZZUB NOW

Here is what you need to share about WAZZUB :

  

FREE FOREVER (NO FEES) + NO AUTOSHIPS + NO JOBS TO DO +

NOTHING TO SELL + NOTHING TO BUY + NOT MLM

NOTHING TO DOWNLOAD

= THE PERFECT INTERNET OPPORTUNITY

 

~  WAZZUB, is a Brilliant Concept; It has NEVER Been Done Before ~

Make no mistake. WAZZUB is a multi-billion dollar project.

It has been in the making since 2007 with over $2,000,000 already invested.

It’s the new Internet Phenomenon; it's here to stay and you are one of the first in the world to know about it. So, it's very important to understand what you have in your hands. This Baby WILL go VIRAL.

~ Timing is Everything ~

You can set yourself up for life financially - for F*R*E*E -

and earn Massive Passive Residual Income every month like nothing else out there. 
~ This can happen at LIGHTNING SPEED because it's always FR*E*E for all ~

The more F*R*E*E members you invite, the more money you will make.

You could earn about $1.00 per person in your "UNLIMITED" width x 5 generations-deep WAZZUB family. (depending on the company growth)

If that doesn't seem like much, watch what happens...

You simply invite 5 friends to join for f*r*e*e-forever and they do the same 5 generations:

1st. Generation 5 x $1.00 = $5.00

2nd. Generation 25 x $1.00 = $25.00

3rd. Generation 125 x $1.00 = $125.00

4th. Generation 625 x $1.00 = $625.00

5th. Generation 3125 x $1.00 = $3,125.00

Your Passive Income could be = $3,905.00 every month for doing NOTHING different than what you are currently doing every day.

Most people will invite more than 5 f*r*e*e members.

What if everyone invited just 10 people? 

That amount would EXPLODE to: $111,110.00 per month in passive residual income for LIFE!

Here's the KICKER: It doesn't stop there. The more people you invite the more money you'll make. The number of people you can invite is UNLIMITED.

Try 20 or 30 and see what happens... IT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND!

It's a fact that most people will join because it's UNIQUE,

it's POWERFUL and it's F*R*E*E. Everybody loves  F*R*E*E.

~The sky truly is the limit here at WAZZUB ~

My recommendation:

Step 1 – go here and sign up: WAZZUB Free Money For you

Step 2 – read all the important facts at: WAZZUB Free Money For you

Step 3 – read “How Is WAZZUB Different? WAZZUB Free Money For you

Step 4 – invite your friends and partners to become a part in this success story

Hurry up, act now! 

99.99% of the world doesn't know about this yet.

Accept my positive vibrations of Succe$$ and Happiness :-)

Together we activate the power of "We"!

Romeltea Media

Information Technology & World News Updated at: 8:45 PM

Ideas and Possibilities at IBC2011

IBC is big - big in terms of size, ideas and possibilities. That was the overriding impression of IBC from debutante and RTS Young Technologist of the year Peter Sellar who declared “The amount of technology and innovation on offer is astonishing.”

Even trade show veterans would have to admit that IBC2011 was a bumper year, helped by the record attendance of over 50,000 professionals spread from right across the electronic media and entertainment industry, from student to ceo and Hollywood royalty.

There’s no doubt that such a positive response indicates that IBC is bringing more of the right conversations to more people in a stimulating trading and learning environment. There’s also no doubt that these figures show the resilience of an industry rebounding back after three years in the doldrums.

In a report unveiled in a free conference session at IBC2011, the IABM backed this up. Peter White, director general of the association, told delegates that despite some challenges there was a greater sense of optimism both from the demand side of the business as well as the supply side. The IABM predict that the industry would have passed its pre-recessionary levels in three years.

The can-do attitude that will see this industry survive and thrive was evident on the showfloor where 13 halls were packed with more than 1,300 exhibitors each with a multitude of exciting messages of innovation and problem solving ideas.

Over $20m worth of business was signed during the show including 70 sales of Sony’s F65 CineAlta camera which is capable of capturing images at 4K resolution.

If it is ‘K’ you want then you need look no further than the astonishing Super Hi-Vision which contains sixteen times the amount of HD resolution and continues to be pushed as a broadcast format by NHK. Live Super Hi-Vision transmissions from a static camera overlooking BBC Broadcasting House in London were shown in the Future Zone.

Picking up an IBC Conference award for a technical paper on Super Hi-Vision, the head of NHK’s R&D lab Dr Keiichi Kubot said significant progress had been made: “We have developed an 8-channel switcher and a slow motion replay system to sit alongside a camera and recording unit making a live production of sports events a possibility.”

A probability, because the BBC intends to transmit the Olympics to large screens around London next year using Super Hi-Vision, while FIFA is also mulling its use in Brazil two years later.

Understanding how consumer behavior impacts decision making right up the content production, distribution and manufacturing chain is of increasing importance to media organisations which is what a dedicated hall grouping developments in IPTV and mobile TV was designed to explore within the IBC Connected World.

A special Demonstration Area within the IBC Connected World allowed attendees to understand more of the practicalities of how media can be delivered and consumed in and around the home on different screens and by different family members.

Linked Exhibition Business Briefings led by Ericsson, IBM, TV Genius, Harris and IBC Connected World Platinum Sponsor Cisco, delved deeper into key issues emerging from the “Connected World”. Ericsson’s head of TV Staffan Perhrson suggested in The Networked Society will be Televised that “We are all living through the early stages of an extraordinary revolution connecting not just people but communities, systems and intelligence. With everything connected our world changes. A connected world is just the beginning. We are on the brink of the Networked Society.”

The networked agenda was on the minds of the world’s three biggest standards organisations - the EBU, SMPTE and AMWA - when they met at IBC to formalise an agreement that will see them co-operating on future digital media-related standards.

“The aim is to identify common points where we have issues to discuss and digital workflows are high on the agenda,” explained EBU deputy technical director and SMPTE engineering VP Hans Hoffman.

Part of its investigation will no doubt involve the way files are transported and stored, QCed, transcoded and mastered in off-site servers accessed only via the internet - in other words the Cloud.

A flurry of announcements from the post production area (Hall 7) of IBC saw Cloud production gain traction.  Sky Sports News announced it was the first European broadcaster to use the Axis Cloud-based graphics creation system from Chyron. Sky head of operations Darren Long was on site to highlight the deal. Quantel landed  Rogers Media as the first customer of its Cloud edit and review service Qtube after the Canadian media company came to IBC2010 searching for such a solution; Digital Rapids and Building4Media were others taking production systems into the  Cloud while Prime Focus launched the Domain Centric Cloud (DCC) platform, already operational in India, to a wider market.

The latest figures from Cisco’s Visual Networking Index, as noted by EMEA president Chris Dedicoat at the IBC Leaders’ Summit, estimates that the sum of all forms of video (TV, VoD, internet, and P2P) will be approximately 90% of global consumer internet traffic by 2015. Even if those figures are out there can be no doubt in the power of video as a communications tool nor in the high importance of new tools to acquire images in the first place.

At the coalface are producers and camera-ops who visited the IBC Production Village to try out the most cutting edge commercially available cameras, camera systems and accessories on the market. These include the Meduza 4K camera; 3Ality Technica rigs and Stereo Image Processors and high speed imagers from Vision Research. 

Connecting the theory of how such cameras work on a showfloor with their practical use on live productions is where Inside Knowledge came in. This informal set of presentations adjacent to the IBC Production Village gave attendees a candid insight into how their peers had used technologies in anger. Combining overview and opinion into new technology with practical demonstrations of it in action is what IBC is all about.

This union is celebrated at the annual IBC Innovation Awards, a red carpet event which this year featured breakthrough achievements in stereo 3D, global news production and next generation digital delivery.

There can be few better places to sit back and simply marvel at the astonishing visual creations that filmmakers like Atlantic Productions’ ceo and executive producer Anthony Geffen or Avatar director James Cameron have musterered than the IBC Big Screen, host to the IBC Innovation Awards and this year home to some spectacular 3D treats.

Atlantic Production’s Flying Monsters 3D with Sir David Attenborough was lauded with an IBC Special Award for an outstanding use of technology in the service of creativity. He was on hand to show the full 60 minute programme as well as works in progress including Kew, a three part series about Kew gardens plant life which includes never before seen 3D timelapse photography.

Cameron delivered IBC a coup when he personally presented an 18 minute sequence from Titanic which has been given a 4K digital remaster from the original negative print and then a painstaking 2D-3D conversion.

The very vocal round of applause that this received from an audience that would normally consider themselves sceptics, showed not only their appreciation for the quality of this cinematic experience but also that they were among the first to share it. These things happen, only at IBC.

 Hot News From IBC.org

Romeltea Media

Information Technology & World News Updated at: 4:25 PM

The risks of America's Asia strategy

By Andrew Billo, Special to CNN

January 6, 2012 -- Updated 1508 GMT (2308 HKT)

President Obama discusses a new military strategy that includes a new focus on Asia.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• America is rightly focusing on Asia but it must recognize the risks, says Andre Billo
• He says Asian nations fear China's power but appreciate its investments
• U.S. is seen by these countries as a security counterweight to China, he says
• Billo: U.S. must guard against risk of an incident being escalated into war

Editor's note: Andrew Billo is a senior program officer at the Asia Society in New York. He previously lived in Vietnam, Singapore, Cambodia, and the Middle East and he specializes in Southeast Asian affairs.

(CNN) -- The United States is sailing back into the Asia-Pacific region, but initial euphoria is being tempered by the dangerous realities of the work left to be done.
Like a new college student heading off to school, it is increasingly apparent that gaining admission was the easy part: To graduate requires a full commitment, and there are a number of hurdles along the way.
Already, tough decisions are being made with respect to the United States' global defense strategy, which now recognizes that costly wars with little economic return are no longer viable. Yet while the United States increasingly seeks to obtain a greater share of the Asia Pacific's economic growth, it similarly sees its military presence in the region as critical for maintaining security.

Andrew Billo

Barack Obama reaffirmed this strategy at the Pentagon on Thursday, stating that "budget reductions will not come at the expense of this critical region."
Importantly, the United States' strong military and diplomatic re-engagement with Asia-Pacific countries, particularly those in Southeast Asia, has not fallen on deaf ears in China.
Sharing his concerns with respect to increasing international influence on domestic affairs, Hu Jintao warned in a January 1 statement, "Hostile international powers are strengthening their efforts to Westernize and divide us."
Adding to the tension of the United States' newfound strategy are the political transitions that will, or are likely to occur, in 2012. The U.S. presidential election, presidential leadership change in China and South Korea, and now the volatile political transition in North Korea will encourage tough rhetoric from politicians with respect to international relations in order to appease constituencies. Strong words present a serious challenge to stability in the Asia-Pacific, particularly as the United States ramps up its military presence.
The starting point in the run-up to the United States' East Asian convocation was Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's October 11 article, "America's Pacific Century," published in Foreign Policy. She identified five areas for re-engaging the region, including bilateral security, deepening working relationships, multilateralism, trade and finally, human rights and democracy.
The areas Clinton outlined for re-engagement are also important to Asia-Pacific states, and particularly the relatively small Southeast Asian nations.
Yet while trade relations with the United States are vital for sustaining Southeast Asia's significant economic growth, the greatest gains from increased cooperation with America will come in the form of military protection. Across the region, governments are increasingly concerned with China's military might, as much as they are happy with China's economic investments. Teaming with the United States is a sensible insurance policy.
But the United States' increased military presence in the region, which will include marines in Australia, naval ships in Singapore and increased military cooperation with the Philippines and Vietnam, while having the potential to lend stability, also raises the stakes as to what could go wrong.
Now, more than ever, with impending political change on both sides of the Pacific, politicians are keen to assert themselves as strong on defense and as advocates of their respective national interests.
One instance in which heightened regional tensions are especially evident is with the increasingly frequent spats over energy reserves in the South China Sea, an area recognized by the Philippines as the "West Philippine Sea" and by Vietnam as the "East Sea." The lack of consensus with respect to a name for the same body of water evidences how possessive governments are of this energy-rich area.
Regarding their maritime claims, Philippines Secretary for Foreign Affairs Albert Del Rosario stated in December that the United States is increasingly willing to assist the Philippines' efforts to develop a "minimum credible defense posture" with respect to the disputed territories.
However, recent and planned U.S. military actions in the Asia-Pacific could be construed by China as exceeding a "minimum," and incidents such as one in October 2011, in which a Philippines naval vessel bumped into a Chinese fishing boat alleged to be encroaching on the former's territorial waters, now have a greater potential to escalate.
Ultimately America needs to recognize and respect the accomplishments China has achieved in its own backyard, in spite of the country's shortfalls in winning over the trust of its neighbors.
After directing its attention largely elsewhere for most of the last decade, America has pragmatically recognized that its own long-term security, whether at home or abroad, is tied closely to the Asia-Pacific region's economic progress.
East Asian countries have shown they are willing to offer the United States opportunities for investment in return for security assistance. But without effective dialogue with China in particular, the risk of military escalation is much more real. The United States just exited one costly war and is ramping down another; it therefore needs to ensure it doesn't lose sight of its economic priorities in the Asia-Pacific, and the best way to do this is through more effective dialogue with China with regard to its military intentions.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Andrew Billo.

" What Your Comments...?? "

Romeltea Media

Information Technology & World News Updated at: 7:13 PM

Today's best American cars

In case you haven't noticed, Detroit's been turning out some very good cars, lately. Here's a sampling.

Subcompact: Chevrolet Sonic

1 of 10

Check out the Chevrolet Sonic on AOL Autos

Base price: $13,735 - $18,495

Fuel economy: 26 City / 35 HWY

For starters, the Sonic has the two attributes every small car must have: fun and fuel economy.
On top of that, it's more functional and has better visibility than the Ford Fiesta. For maximum enjoyment, get the turbo-charged engine with the six-speed manual transmission. But, really, the non-turbo and automatic are just fine, too.

Compact: Ford Focus

2 of 10

Check out the Ford Focus on AOL Autos

Base price: $16,500 - $22,700

Fuel economy: 26 City / 36 HWY

The Focus is comfortable, very fuel-efficient and fun to drive. Ford's been working to fix the car's one major flaw: an automatic transmission that loves to race but that can make you seasick in ordinary driving. Software changes should help with that.
The Focus is available in both hatchback and sedan styles, but the hatchback is most functional and looks best, as is usually the case with small cars.

Mid-size: Ford Fusion

3 of 10

Check out the Ford Fusion on AOL Autos

Base price: $19,850 - $29,000

Fuel economy: 22 City / 32 HWY

If people bought cars based on merit alone, the Fusion would probably be the best-selling passenger car in America. It's more dependable than either the Honda Accord or Toyota Camry, according to Consumer Reports surveys. It's also better to drive and it looks handsome inside and out.
Ford needs to watch its back, though. Chevrolet has a new Malibu coming out for the 2013 model year and, from the looks of it, it could be a serious contender.

Performance coupe: Ford Mustang GT

4 of 10

Check out the Ford Mustang on AOL Autos

Base price: $29,310 - $38,310

Fuel economy: 17 City / 26 HWY

Years of refinement have given us a Mustang that's loads of fun to drive with just enough practicality to make it an easy-to-love daily companion. The Camaro comes close but, in the end, it's a car you'll probably own a few years before deciding you want to move on to something more normal.
The Mustang, on the other hand, has the makings of a lifelong addiction.

Large car: Chrysler 300

5 of 10

Check out the Chrysler 300 on AOL Autos

Base price: $27,170 - $47,170

Fuel economy: 18 City / 27 HWY

When the 300 was first introduced for the 2005 model year, it created a sensation. But, over the years, as the Chrysler Group tumbled toward bankruptcy while competitors came out with improved cars, it had started to fall a behind.
Now Chrysler's introduced a new, re-engineered 300 and it's right back to the front of the line. And not just among domestics, either. The available 5.7-liter V8 provides potent performance, now combined with even better handling and braking plus a truly high quality interior. If you want to spend a little less on fuel, Chrysler's new V6 still offers plenty of go on less gas.

Small SUV: Chevrolet Equinox

6 of 10

Check out the Chevrolet Equinox on AOL Autos

Base price: $23,450 - $30,890

Fuel economy: 22 City / 32 HWY

Easy on gas, pleasant to look at and nice to drive if, perhaps, a smidge underpowered, the Equinox is nearly the ideal compact SUV. With plenty of passenger space and flexible cargo room, few customers will want anything larger.
Ford will soon be coming out with its all-new Escape, though, which looks like it could have the Equinox on the run. We'll just have to see.

Three-row SUV: Dodge Durango

7 of 10

Check out the Dodge Durango on AOL Autos

Base price: $28,995 - $42,995

Fuel economy: 16 City / 23 HWY

Technically speaking, the Durango is a crossover, but it's designed for people who want a real SUV, not a gigantic station wagon. Properly equipped, the Durango can tow and haul with the best of them and it also gets fuel economy only slightly lower than much weaker competitors.. And it does this all that while being surprisingly capable on curvy roads.

Three-row SUV: Dodge Durango

7 of 10

Check out the Dodge Durango on AOL Autos

Base price: $28,995 - $42,995

Fuel economy: 16 City / 23 HWY

Technically speaking, the Durango is a crossover, but it's designed for people who want a real SUV, not a gigantic station wagon. Properly equipped, the Durango can tow and haul with the best of them and it also gets fuel economy only slightly lower than much weaker competitors.. And it does this all that while being surprisingly capable on curvy roads.

Truck: Dodge Ram

9 of 10

Check out the Dodge Ram 1500 on AOL Autos

Base price: $20,810 - $45,810

Fuel economy: 14 City / 20 HWY

You can bat around towing and hauling numbers all you want but, if you're one of those folks who drives a truck every day, workday and weekend, here's your new best friend. The Ram may not be the strongest truck, but it has the best looks, the nicest, most comfortable interior, the coolest option packages and the best ride and handling qualities.

Green car: Chevrolet Volt

10 of 10

Check out the Chevrolet Volt on AOL Autos

Base price: $39,145

Fuel economy: 35 miles e-range, then 35 City / 40 HWY

With prices starting at about $34,000, after a $7,500 federal tax break, the Volt actually turns out to be a pretty good value. With the ability to drive 35 miles on a charge -- less than most people drive in a typical day -- you could go without using any gasoline for weeks. Mile for mile, electricity is much cheaper in most places.
If you need to drive farther, you're not stuck. Running on gasoline-generated power, the Volt gets fuel economy that's still better than most compact cars.
Worried about replacing the battery? It's under warranty for at least eight years and it's expected to last much longer.

By Peter Valdes-DapenaPeter Valdes-Dapena @CNNMoney

" You want to try one of the car ..??? "

Romeltea Media

Information Technology & World News Updated at: 6:55 PM

Europe's debt crisis: 'No clear end in sight'

By Ben Rooney @CNNMoneyMarkets January 6, 2012: 5:17 AM ET

The debt crisis in Europe will continue to dominate markets in 2012 as governments and banks face big refinancing needs and investor confidence remains low.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Last year was supposed to be the make or break year for Europe's debt crisis. Neither happened.
That means the chronic uncertainty that investors grappled with for most of 2011 is likely to continue, if not intensify, in the first half of this year.
"There are a myriad of factors, both political and economic, that could hit confidence," said Grant Lewis, head of research at Daiwa Capital Markets in London. "Given this backdrop, continued uncertainty is inevitable."
Despite an explosion of political summits last year, there is still no definitive solution to the crisis, which has become the single biggest threat to the global economy and the bane of financial markets around the world.
While a break-up of the euro currency union still seems unlikely, investors are not willing to rule out the nightmare scenario completely.
"The chances of break-up remain low, but non-negligible for sure," said Lewis. "That is not something that we would have said 12 months ago."
Eurozone leaders have taken steps toward a more binding fix for the political and economic problems at the root of the crisis. But they have yet to put the measures into practice, something that has proven difficult because of competing national interests.
To make matters worse, the eurozone economy appears to have slipped into recession at a time when governments across the continent are embarking on new austerity regimes. This sets up a difficult balancing act for policy makers as they confront the need to cut spending and boost economic growth simultaneously.
"As we start the New Year, the investing landscape doesn't look all that different," said Kevin Giddis, director of fixed-income at Morgan Keegan. "To put it charitably, economic conditions in Europe remain tenuous, with no clear end in sight."

Europe: Still a huge pain in the neck for investors

The lack of a comprehensive solution has prompted warnings from credit rating agencies about more government downgrades, which could continue to be a drag on sovereign debt markets.
Italy and Spain both need to issue hundreds of billions of euros worth of bonds to refinance existing debt and raise cash. Italy is expected to issue some €245 billion of bonds in 2012, up from €223 billion in 2011, according to HSBC. Spain will be coming to market with €87 billion of debt next year.
Italy is particularly worrisome because its €1.9 trillion debt burden makes it too big to bail out. But as the third-largest economy in the eurozone, Italy is also too systemically important to fail.
While Italy and Spain have dominated headlines, Greece remains the most at risk of a default. And that could force it out of the currency union.
"The risk of Greece leaving is very serious," said Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg Bank. "But beyond Greece, all other countries will be kept in the eurozone by forceful intervention if need be."
Greece is due to receive a second bailout package this year, but there is widespread disagreement over whether the requisite austerity will cure the nation's debt problems or push it's economy deeper into recession.
At the same time, the role private sector investors will play in the restructuring of Greek debt -- a key condition of the second bailout deal -- hasn't been fully worked out.
In October, banks and investors agreed, in theory, to voluntarily reduce the value of Greek government bonds by 50%. The talks have yet to be finalized, but negotiators representing Greek bondholders said earlier this week that progress has been made.
Meanwhile, the financial 'firewall' that is supposed to prevent the crisis from spreading is still a work in progress. And few investors expect much progress on fundamental reforms such as issuing common debt in the form of Eurobonds.

European recovery? Wait till 2013 (at least)

If it seems like investors have been fretting over Europe for a long time, that's because they have.
But after being in crisis mode for nearly two years, some investors are sounding more optimistic about the second half of 2012.
"A lot of fear and negativity has been injected into European assets, and the prices are certainly much more attractive than they have been historically," said Lawrence Creatura, a portfolio manager with Federated Clover Investment Advisors. "But investment returns from this point could go either way."
The European Central Bank recently pumped some €500 billion into the banking sector, and will offer more long-term loans in February. That helped ease fears of an immediate credit crisis, but European banks are facing new capital requirements this year and the wholesale funding market remains chilly.
The ECB is widely seen as the only European institution with the financial strength to restore confidence in the bond market, and many investors believe it will eventually step in to prevent the crisis from spiraling out of control. Many investors also say that Germany, Europe's largest economy, won't allow the euro union to fail.

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Romeltea Media

Information Technology & World News Updated at: 6:41 PM

Worries grow as China land sales slump

By Simon Rabinovitch, FT.com

January 6, 2012 -- Updated 0245 GMT (1045 HKT)

A real estate agent walks outside his shop in Beijing on November 12, 2011.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Land sales slowed sharply in China last year, according to a series of industry reports
• highlights the deepening woes of debt-laden local governments that depend on land auctions

(Financial Times) -- Land sales slowed sharply in China last year, according to a series of industry reports that highlight the deepening woes of debt-laden local governments that depend on land auctions as a crucial revenue source.
While the falling sales are still far from reaching crisis point, analysts say, authorities are increasingly under pressure to choose between costly help for the worst-hit cities and an unpalatable relaxation of policies aimed at preventing a dangerous property bubble.
Nearly 900 land auctions failed in 2011, about three times more than in 2010, Centaline, a real estate company, said. Meanwhile, government revenues from land sales fell 13 per cent in 130 big cities to Rmb1,900bn ($300bn), according to the China Index Academy, a property research group.
Official data about how the land market performed in 2011 will not be published until later this month, but the industry numbers leave little doubt that there has been a serious downturn since 2010, when land sales surged 70 per cent.
Although weaker sales were expected as a consequence of the government's sustained campaign to cool the once-bubbly property market, the deterioration appears to have been quite sudden, accelerating at the end of the year.
Centaline noted that one-third of the failed auctions -- when bids either failed to materialise or were too low -- occurred in November and December. Huang Yu, vice-president of the China Index Academy, told state media that the national land market was entering a "deep freeze".
The failed auctions have been a nationwide phenomenon. Guangzhou, a booming metropolis near Hong Kong, has fared particularly poorly, suffering multiple failed sales since November. Shanghai, China's aspiring financial centre, also attracted no buyers at one auction last month.
Wen Jiabao, China's premier, has repeatedly said that Beijing will not relax its clampdown on the property market until prices have returned to reasonable levels. Prices have started to edge down in recent months, but analysts think the correction will have to intensify before the government eases its restrictions, such as limits on the number of homes people can buy.
The slowdown comes at an uncomfortable time for China's local governments, hitting them just as the mountain of debt that they racked up over the past few years starts to come due.
"If this continues, it will be a major blow to the financial situation of the local governments," said Ran Tao, an economic professor at Renmin University in Beijing. "They have become increasingly reliant on land sales for financing, especially for their investment in infrastructure and industrial parks."
Local governments owed Rmb10,700bn at the end of 2010, and 53 per cent of that must be paid back before the end of next year, according to the national audit office.
Analysts have said that the debt load is manageable -- it amounts to just about a quarter of gross domestic product. But the shortfall in land revenues will make life more difficult for local governments.
Guan Qingyou, a researcher at Qinghua University, calculates that land sales formed 74 per cent of their revenue base in 2010, up from 10 per cent in the late 1990s. The central government has been gradually implementing tax reforms to give provinces and municipalities additional revenue channels, but direct transfer payments will be needed to plug most of the hole for the time being.
As for the maturing loans, Chinese economists have suggested that local governments be allowed to roll over at least some of their debt to make the repayment burden more manageable. The risk, however, is that this simply pushes the day of reckoning further into the future.
In the meantime, to try to revive land auctions, local governments have started to cut prices and break plots into smaller pieces.
Some of their actions have run contrary to Beijing's cornerstone policy of building up more public housing for poorer citizens. The China Real Estate Information Corporation noted that several municipalities had suspended a requirement that developers buying land must also build a certain amount of affordable housing on it.
The decline in land sales revenue would have been even worse but for a commercial property market that has been much more robust than the residential market. But analysts warn a growing supply glut in the commercial sector could soon change that, adding to the problems facing local governments.

" You Know About That's ...???"

Romeltea Media

Information Technology & World News Updated at: 6:37 PM

Cracking the Code to get a job

Posted by:
CNN Correspondent, Maggie Lake

New York (CNN) – Wished you had paid a little more attention in computer class? Learned to do more than just surf Facebook? You are not alone.
While companies and governments have been shedding jobs and paring back benefits, tech job openings continue to soar. According to Fortune magazine, software developers who specialize in applications will rise by over 30% by 2018. Jobs for computer system analysts will jump 20%.
And the pay is good – average salaries are around $94,000 a year.

That is good news for the hoards of young people who are already in the process of switching their college major from art history to computer science, but what about the rest of us?
Zach Sims thinks he has the answer.  Or at least some much needed help.  Anxious to upgrade his own considerable computer skills, the 21-year-old Connecticut native teamed up with a Columbia University friend Ryan Bubinski and started Codecademy, a free website which teaches the basics of writing computer code.
In the first four days of 2012 alone, the site has signed up more than 130,000 new users.
"I think we knew that programming was going to be the new version of literacy but at the same time it's pretty staggering to see the number of people who have signed up," said Sims.
You need to have Google Chrome or Firefox to access the site, but once you are on it, it is completely free and extremely easy to navigate. The site is designed so that people with no experience in coding can use it, but it is also easy enough to jump ahead if you have some background and just want to improve on your skills.
Sims makes no bones about the fact that this site isn't going to suddenly make you a computer expert or guarantee you a job.  But it can help you gain the knowledge to build a website to support your small business.
Codecamy has only been up and running since August, but Sims said he is committed to keeping the site free to users and wants to avoid turning to advertising to raise revenue. Instead, he hopes to a team up with corporations who may want to use the site to recruit.
As you can see from the piece we shot, my first attempt was a little rocky, but I am going to try and do the course. It may not get me my next promotion, but I hope it will help me better understand the gadgets which have become indispensible to me.
Are you interested in trying it?  Let me know what you think.

" You Want Know Thats? i think You Must Try for You Challenge :) "

Romeltea Media

Information Technology & World News Updated at: 6:27 PM