Citigroup and Bank of America to cut more jobs

It doesnt come as a surprise for more financial institutions to freeze hiring and cut more jobs during such times of economic uncertainty. However, with the Euro debt crisis still pretty much hung in limbo, no one knows how many other financial institutions are highly exposed to the toxic euro bonds and investments and how the situation will pan out eventually.

Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/AP0a2a3308f3ba4e14ac93fa391df43758.html

Needless to say, the Euro has been dealt a massive blow and even though the biggest European economies pledged loyalty to the currency, it remains to be seen if efforts to salvage the situation will yield success. Fears of economic uncertainty, unfavourable job outlook has already shaken consumer confidence in many parts of the world as we plod with trepidation into the upcoming holiday season.

Already, economic gloom has been cast over Singapore’s most recent forecast. Non-oil domestic exports in October fell 16 per cent, more than double the market forecast of around seven per cent.

The electronics segment also fell 31 per cent year-on-year while non-electronics fell 6.7 per cent.

This would be confirmation, rather than simply indication that performances from various industries share the same sentiment that global economic performance would not be promising in early 2012.

As such, you might want to rethink if you were intending on splurging on a big purchase with your year-end bonus.

The Plunge is Coming

In fact, the likelihood of a stock market crash seems imminent, which would almost certainly trigger off a chain reaction that would affect all industries and retail investors who have a low risk appetite are advised to refrain from playing in the highly volatile stock markets. The number of financial institutions heavily exposed to such toxic investments remains by and large unknown. Most directions point to a total reset (think of the entire banking system being reviewed and loopholes plugged again circa Great Depression) rather than a “recession” due to the lack of banking regulations (subprime mortgage crisis, fractional reserve)in place and fundamentally unsound, unethical business practices that have led the world economy of today nearing total collapse.

In such tumultuous market conditions, many would park their money in treasury bonds, greenback and gold. So if you agree the economy is geared towards a re-set then perhaps you need to invest your spare cash in traditional safe havens and stay away from speculative investing

Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/1166097/1/.html

Bendable (bendy) phones

Samsung has mentioned that a product is in the pipeline (2012 to be exact) and this product appears to be very much different from conventional touchscreen mobile phones. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2056232/Samsung-release-bendy-screen-mobiles-early-2012.html

Enter the bendy phone.

Nokia is also said to be pouring funds into the research of similar prototypes.

If all is true, this makes the mobile technology fraternity more exciting. We might even witness a upheaval when similar products are produced en-masse. Maybe in the next 5 years, this technology could take the world by storm.

So, what’s so great you say, about a bendy phone?

Plenty. The crux is not really about it being bendy or cylindrical or whichever odd-ball of a phone (think Nokia 3650) and how awkward it would fit in your pocket.

The fact that a screen could be so thin that it could be bent without breaking means we’ve reached another era in technology altogether. It could change our perspectives of this world, reshape how future gadgets would look like and how information reaches people.

Screen technology has been changing all the while, from black and white TV to color TV, from CRT to LCD and Plasma, then we have LED, from standard definition to high definition and now 3D – humans have been pushing the limits to which they can stretch the sizes of screen panels, adding more pixels, functionalities and making it thinner lighter.

If this news is true, chances are, the technology will definitely be replicated into e-readers, tablets, laptops, TV and even large display panels on shopping malls.

Currently, e-book readers or tablets are unable to provide the tangible “flipping experience”. What we are seeing, is a simulation of the program to turn over to the next page, which still does not beat the hand-motion that is genetically coded into everyone of us (or at least those who have read paperbacks)

A more flexible screen would definitely be welcoming news to everyone. E-book readers can now sense it when users mimic the flipping motion (I believe the new E-book tablets can now really look like a book with probably 3-5 pages, much like how a calendar looks and functions).

Windows Live Messenger tried to reinvent the wheel

When Microsoft decided to revamp their entire GUI for their popular and world-renowned Live Messenger, it was a total mistake. We loved the old Windows Live Messenger, which was easy to navigate, fuss-free to use and glitch-free (well, nearly).

Microsoft decided instead to add more redundant features such as allowing users to “appear offline” to a certain bunch of people, “optimized” linking to other MSN Live services via administrative controls which were at best poorly implemented. The reasoning was that, people wanted more control over their privacy and will love micro-managing their profile options just like what Facebook did.

It was probably a good assumption on Microsoft’s part. However, in reality, the plan was badly executed. The new interface is clunky, messy and awfully awkward to use – by default, the new MSN Live Messenger 2011 is set up as a “full-view” when installed although users can switch to “compact view” which is more reminiscent of the good-ol Windows Live Messenger 8.5/2009. Whenever you change a status message, it is “updated” or rather, spammed immediately across your network which is totally uncalled for.

When you click on “Edit Profile”, an Internet Explorer pops up and loads a page whereby you are “allowed” to change both your first name and last name. This feature restricts a user by forcing them to type in their real names. On the Internet, I dare say most, if not all of us, love anonymity and therefore have no wishes for everyone on our contact list to know our names (full name, no less).

And who wants to hotmail sync-ed to Live Messenger? Everytime we check email, we will “appear online” on Live Messenger, which is incredibly stupid. When we click on the “inbox” button on our Live Messenger, the outlook express pops up and this is 1 “feature” I would rather be removed.

Also, when we appear offline and want to switch back to online, people whom we “blocked” (now called “appear offline”), are instantly granted the “unblocked” status. I cannot believe the Microsoft engineers are so daft, or maybe their GUI designers arent talking to the programming team? Beats me.

Needless to say, most of the people who have jumped onto Facebook never looked back to MSN Live Messenger. Not because Facebook chat is better but if we had wanted something similar (a website interface inspired chat), why would we have installed MSN Live Messenger in the first place?

MSN Live Messenger 2011 sucks to say the very least and the experience was unbearable – I could almost feel it tearing me inside out as I barely managed to struggle with the cloyingly-helpful interface. There were times whereby I wished I had a sledgehammer by my side.

To Microsoft – you killed your own product and if by any chance that any Microsoft Engineer reads about this post, please bring back the beloved old Messenger.