Nashuatelegraph.com: Business | Web Feeds

Clicker.com aims to be Internet video usher

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:16:30 EST

SAN FRANCISCO – Web surfing is becoming more like channel surfing as television shows, movies and music videos pour onto the Internet. That’s why pointing people to their favorite TV episodes and flicks could emerge as the next big opportunity in Web navigation. Former online search executive Jim Lanzone is hoping to lead the way with Clicker.com, a free service that debuted last week.

Crowded theaters build momentum for 3-D at home

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:15:42 EST

LOS ANGELES – Fans scrambled to see 3-D movies such as “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” in theaters this year and new 3-D televisions could soon have home viewers feeling as if they’re surrounded by a spaghetti hurricane on their couches. Next year major electronics manufacturers Sony Corp. and Panasonic Corp. plan to introduce 3-D-capable high-definition televisions for the mass market.

For now, at least, Google Colossus is a force for good

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:16:09 EST

On Oct. 28, Google notified manufacturers of GPS navigation units that their services would no longer be needed. It didn’t say so explicitly – the news came in a corporate blog post about an improved Google Maps smartphone program offering turn-by-turn directions – but the company didn’t have to. The imminent arrival of a no-charge navigation service on phones running Google’s latest Android software, complete with real-time traffic data and satellite and street-level views of a route, made stand-alone GPS devices look suddenly redundant.

32-bit edition can stop working

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:15:06 EST

Q: My Toshiba laptop only seems to run a 64-bit version of Internet Explorer – and Adobe’s Flash Player won’t work there. How do I get a 32-bit browser? When will Adobe ship a 64-bit Flash plug-in? A: Windows Vista includes 32- and 64-bit versions of Internet Explorer, but that second edition should normally stay hidden in the Start menu’s “All Programs” list.

Late credit card payments drop in Q3

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:10:00 EST

NEW YORK – Consumers got more serious about paying down their credit card debt this summer, a time when delinquencies usually go up. Cardholders making late payments on bank-issued cards like those bearing Master Card and Visa logos fell to 1.1 percent for the July-to-September period, down from 1.17 percent in the prior three months, according to credit reporting agency TransUnion.

Poll finds debt keeping shoppers from stores

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:10:00 EST

WASHINGTON – A lot more Americans are feeling stressed out by debt this holiday season, raising the glum likelihood they’ll behave like Scrooge rather than Santa. In fact, fully 93 percent say they’ll spend less or about the same as last year, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll. Half of all those polled say they’re suffering at least some debt-related stress, and 22 percent say they’re feeling it greatly or quite a bit. That second figure is up from 17 percent just last spring, despite all the talk about economic recovery.

Oct. sales lift hopes for housing market

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:46:00 EST

WASHINGTON – First-time buyers seized on an expiring tax credit, low mortgage rates and falling prices to boost home sales in October to their highest level in 2½ years. Home sales are now nearly 37 percent above from their bottom in January, though still 16 percent below their peak in 2005. At the current sales pace, there’s a modest seven-month supply for sale. In some areas, there are bidding wars.

Peet’s raises offer for Diedrich to $265M

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:10:00 EST

EMERYVILLE, Calif. – Peet’s Coffee & Tea Inc., hoping for a stake in the growing single-serve coffee brewing market, on Monday boosted its bid for a wholesale roaster and distributor by 24 percent. If accepted, the revised offer – a $265 million cash-and-stock deal valued at $32 per share – would give Peet’s its first foothold in the increasingly popular market for single serve coffee pods called “K-Cups.

McDonald’s makes its logo more ‘green’ in Europe

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:10:00 EST

BERLIN (AP) – McDonald’s is going green – swapping its traditional red backdrop for a deep hunter green – to promote a more eco-friendly image in Europe. About 100 German McDonald’s restaurants will make the change by the end of 2009, the company said in a statement Monday. Some franchises in Great Britain and France have already started using the new color scheme behind their Golden Arches. “This is not only a German initiative but a Europe-wide initiative,” Martin Nowicki, McDonald’s Germany spokesman, told The Associated Press.

Walkout threat initiated payment

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 06:59:44 EST

After the company that designed FairPoint Communications’ problem-plagued computer systems threatened to walk out in August – a move that would have crippled the bankrupt phone company, according to a court filing – Capgemini received a $30 million payment. The special deal, detailed in bankruptcy court in New York City on Monday, makes Capgemini the only unsecured creditor thus far to get a large percentage of what it’s owed in cash. All other unsecured creditors – which includes most vendors – would get paid in stock in the new company that emerges from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Bondholders, who are owed more than a half-billion dollars, are working on a special deal of their own.

Former GT Solar exec receives $750k

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:06:25 EST

Former GT Solar chief executive Thomas M. Zarrella will receive almost $750,000 in cash severance, according to a separation agreement disclosed to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Zarrella – who since 2004 had been chief executive of the Merrimack-based supplier of equipment and materials to make solar cells – stepped down from the job on Oct. 28, to be replaced Tom Gutierrez.

J.C. Penney CEO explains why the recession is good

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:43:00 EST

NEW YORK – This holiday season, J.C. Penney CEO and Chairman Myron E. Ullman III is armed with a lineup of exclusive fashion brands he helped bring to the department store chain, and he’s ready to battle key rivals like Macy’s.

Two Nashua pharmacies use technology to prompt patrons to take medication

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:01:02 EST

A pharmacist can’t stay by your side to remind you when to take medication. But a new service offered by two Nashua pharmacists perhaps does the next best thing. The program sends messages by e-mail, phone or text with reminders that it’s time to take a pill. Rice’s Pharmacy and Wingate’s Pharmacy started using My Dose Alert two weeks ago and have already heard raves from customers, the owners of the two pharmacies said.

Business People: Richard L. Powers, Michael Rafeal, Robert Whittaker, Michelle Hoffman, Greater Manchester/Nashua Board of Realtors

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:01:16 EST

Richard L. Powers Richard L. Powers of BAE Systems in Nashua was recently elected chair of the New Hampshire Innovation Research Center Oversight Committee. The NHIRC funds partnership projects between New Hampshire companies and academic institutions via the Granite State Technology Innovation Grant.

Where’s the economic recovery? It depends on whom you choose to ask

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:01:29 EST

The news came fast and furious last week and the plot is thickening. Is the economy recovering or not? Investors that are long stocks insist it is. Conversely, the shorts stand firm that other shoes will drop soon.

Americans save more, earn less

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:04:01 EST

NEW YORK – The U.S. is finally becoming a nation of savers. Now if only we could get something for our money.

NH sees sharp drop in fatal work injuries

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:52:00 EST

CONCORD (AP) – A federal agency says seven people died on the job in New Hampshire in 2008, a 50 percent drop from the previous year and the lowest number since the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began collecting the data. The number of deaths has gone up and down since then, reaching as high as 23 deaths in both 1997 and 1998.

AG seeks bankruptcy for mortgage co.

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:52:00 EST

CONCORD (AP) – The New Hampshire attorney general’s office wants to force a mortgage company that closed suddenly into bankruptcy. Financial Resources Management of Meredith closed abruptly Nov. 9 as did two other businesses sharing its address. Since then, the attorney general’s office has heard from people claiming to have lost $23 million owed to them, and the FBI is investigating.

Google Chrome OS to be ready for ’10

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:40:01 EST

SAN FRANCISCO – Consumers will have to wait until next year’s holiday shopping season to find out if Google Inc.’s new operating system can deliver on its promise to make low-cost computers run faster. Google set the late 2010 target date Thursday during its first preview of a much-anticipated operating system that eventually may mount a challenge to Microsoft Corp.’s Windows – the foundation for most personal computers since the 1990s.

AOL offers buyouts to over a third of staff

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:40:01 EST

SAN FRANCISCO – The struggling Internet company AOL plans to shed up to 2,500 jobs – more than a third of its work force – as it prepares to separate from Time Warner and finally sever their ill-fated marriage. Major job cuts had been expected and seemed certain after Time Warner said last week that AOL would take $200 million in charges for severance and other restructuring-related costs. But the magnitude was not known until Thursday. AOL, which has already pared thousands of workers in recent years and now employs about 6,900, is asking for volunteers to accept buyouts.

Rain leads to shortage of canned pumpkin

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:43:00 EST

PORTLAND, Ore. – The holidays may not be so sweet this year. Nestle – which sells nearly all the canned pumpkin in the U.S.

Analysts expect recovery to be slow

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:43:00 EST

WASHINGTON – A gauge of future economic activity and a report on unemployment benefits signaled Thursday that the recovery likely will remain weak in the coming months. The Conference Board’s index of leading economic indicators rose less in October than analysts had expected. The index forecasts activity by measuring consumer expectations, building permits and other data. And the number of newly laid-off workers seeking unemployment benefits, unchanged last week, remains above the level that would indicate the economy is adding jobs.

Forget Tupperware parties; these pay for precious metal

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:59:42 EST

Claudia Grilli was the second woman in the hot seat last Friday night. Grilli plopped down a large amount of heavy bracelets and necklaces, and anticipation around the table grew as Laurie Souza weighed the loot. No one knew that Grilli’s stash of treasures would turn into the biggest payout of the night: She cashed in her old jewelry for $803.12.

Search around for jumbo mortgages

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:13:55 EST

Plenty of lenders offer jumbo mortgages now, although the requirements are stricter than they used to be. Jumbo mortgages are home loans that are bigger than normal. They exceed the “conforming limit” – the maximum loan amount that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will buy. The conforming limit varies by location.

Calif. requires TVs to be more energy-efficient

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:01:00 EST

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California regulators adopted the nation’s first energy-efficiency standards for televisions Wednesday in hopes of reducing electricity use at a time when millions of American households are switching to power-hungry, wide-view, flat-screen, high-definition sets. The 5-0 vote by the California Energy Commission is just the latest effort by the state to secure its place in the forefront of the environmental movement. California represents such a big consumer market that environmental groups hope the new standards will lead manufacturers to make energy-saving TVs for the rest of the nation, just as California’s stringent fuel standards for cars and trucks forced automakers to produce more efficient models for all of the U.

Bill to dismatle firms in Congress

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:58:01 EST

WASHINGTON – A key House Democrat introduced a contentious proposal Wednesday that would give federal regulators power to dismantle financial firms before they grow so large that their failure could endanger the entire financial system, even if those firms appear to be healthy and well capitalized. “No firm should be considered to be ‘too big to fail,’ ” Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski, D-Pa.

Oct. home construction, permits fall

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:01:00 EST

WASHINGTON – Construction of new homes unexpectedly plunged last month, as builders waited to see whether lawmakers would extend a tax credit for homebuyers. The results show how much the housing market has been relying on government support for its fledgling recovery. The tax credit of up to $8,000 for first-time owners was due to expire on Nov. 30, but Congress voted to extend it earlier this month and expand it to more buyers, after intense pressure from real estate agents and homebuilders.

MicroCredit-NH to hold free orientation

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:00:36 EST

NASHUA – MicroCredit-NH, a nonprofit that assists both new and existing small businesses with five or fewer employees, will hold a free orientation in Nashua on Thursday. The meeting will provide information about MicroCredit’s business development resources, which include peer education, loan capital, networking opportunities, and matched savings, as well as information about health care options. Local membership options for microbusinesses will also be discussed. The orientation takes place at the Nashua Public Library, 2 Court St.

Cirtronics receives national certification

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:00:32 EST

MILFORD – Cirtronics Corp, a Milford business specializing in contract manufacturing, has received national certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. WBENC’s national standard of certification, implemented locally by the Women’s Business Enterprise in Boston, is a meticulous process including an in-depth review of the business and facility. The certification process is designed to confirm that a business is at least 51 percent owned, operated and controlled by women. There are only three organizations in the U.

1 World Trading Co. opens Portsmouth store

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:00:27 EST

Nashua “green” store 1 World Trading Co. has opened a second location in Portsmouth, just one year after opening the first store. Owners Karen and Paul Keegan opened the store Oct. 30.

Factory assembly declines

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:13:01 EST

WASHINGTON – A decline in factory production in October signals that U.S. consumers and businesses remain cautious in their spending, with the economic recovery likely to be sluggish. At the same time, the weak economy is taming inflation.

14k reveal offshore accounts

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:10:00 EST

MIAMI – More than 14,700 U.S. taxpayers came forward to disclose billions in offshore bank accounts in 70 countries under a voluntary Internal Revenue Service program allowing most to avoid criminal prosecution as long as they pay what they owe, IRS officials said Tuesday. A flood of people came forward in the last days before the amnesty program expired Oct.

Tax relief tips to snag before year ends

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:13:01 EST

You have about six weeks left to make moves to cut your tax bill in the spring. Besides the usual tax strategies, such as making charitable donations before year’s-end, you might be able to take advantage of one of the many temporary tax breaks Congress created to stimulate the economy. One of them, the popular first-time homebuyer credit, was recently extended so you have more time to get it. But it’s unclear whether others will survive.

Goldman Sachs, Buffett team up for small businesses

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:16:00 EST

NEW YORK – Goldman Sachs Group Inc. is teaming with billionaire investor Warren Buffett to invest $500 million to provide thousands of small business owners across America with college scholarships and boost their access to capital. The move comes as the company has been criticized for setting aside billions for employee paychecks despite the continuing weak economy. Goldman’s philanthropic effort, called “10,000 Small Businesses,” includes a $200 million contribution to community colleges, universities and other institutions to give grants to small business owners to further their education.

Ford’s safety system watches out for teens

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:00:17 EST

NASHUA – Ah, freedom. For teenagers, the first real taste of it comes with a driver’s license. But as cars get smarter, kids may have less control over how they drive – even when their parents are nowhere in sight. Ford is unveiling a new feature on some of its 2010 models that restricts some of the behaviors that can lead to unsafe or distracted driving.

Making decisions not an easy task

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:00:23 EST

I have to admit that I am a bit obsessed with how people make decisions. In my business, I spend a lot of time and energy helping clients make the right choice. When you boil it all down that’s really what I do. I help people make the right business decision.

Millions will have to repay part of tax credit

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:25:01 EST

WASHINGTON – More than 15 million taxpayers may owe the government $250 or more because of how the IRS last spring set up President Barack Obama’s tax break that was designed to help consumers spend the U.S. economy out of recession. Individuals with more than one job and married couples in which both spouses work may have to repay the government $400, either through a smaller tax refund or a larger tax bill, according to a report released Monday by the Treasury Department’s inspector general for tax administration.

Retail sales figures point to subdued holidays

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:12:57 EST

WASHINGTON – Improved retail sales gave Wall Street a boost Monday but provided little hope for a robust holiday shopping season that might invigorate the economic recovery. The October figures, driven by a surge in auto sales, exceeded economists’ expectations. Yet consumers are so squeezed by tight credit and rising unemployment that economists don’t expect to see significant spending until well after year’s end. Even optimists predict scant improvement over last year’s holiday season.

GM: Improvement a sign of stability

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:28:00 EST

DETROIT – General Motors, its river of red ink stemmed by a trip through bankruptcy court, reported a narrower quarterly loss and said it would start repaying billions of dollars in government loans that helped keep it alive. GM lost $1.2 billion for the third quarter – far less than the $6 billion it lost in the first three months of the year, before GM was transformed by a stay in bankruptcy protection. The company credited a sharp reduction in debt and sales of new models.

State’s unemployment rate falls

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:00:32 EST

For the first time in two years, New Hampshire’s unemployment rate declined last month. The October jobless rate was 6.8 percent, down from a peak of 7.2 percent in September, according to data released Monday by the state’s Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau.

Chamber dinner aims for glamour

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:01:05 EST

The Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce’s 81st annual dinner will bring the glitz of Las Vegas to Southern New Hampshire for an evening of casino games and dining. The event, the largest of the year for the chamber, will be held at the Crowne Plaza in Nashua on Wednesday night. The Vegas-themed event will feature blackjack, Texas hold ’em, roulette and craps tables. The Continentals, a Massachusetts band, will play Vegas show tunes throughout the evening.

Group says government paid to much to bail out AIG

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:25:01 EST

WASHINGTON (AP) – Officials managing the multibillion dollar bailout of insurance giant American International Group Inc. bungled the first rescue and may have overpaid other banks to wind down AIG’s business relationships, a government watchdog says. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York – headed at the time by now Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner – paid AIG’s business partners face value for securities so they would cancel insurance-like contracts AIG had written and ease the firm’s liquidity crunch. But at least one of those partner banks would have canceled the contracts for less, according to a report Tuesday from Neil Barofsky, the Special Inspector General for the $700 billion financial bailout Congress approved last October.

Costco stops carrying Coke products

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:25:01 EST

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Costco says it is no longer carrying Coca-Cola products in its stores nationwide due to a pricing dispute with the beverage maker. The Issaquah, Wash.-based wholesale club operator would not discuss the matter further.

Time Warner to spin off AOL on Dec. 9

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:25:01 EST

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Time Warner said Monday that it will spin off its Internet business, AOL Inc., as a separate company Dec. 9. On that date, Time Warner shareholders of record as of Nov.

Telling truth may hurt

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 01:00:45 EST

This week, I’m going in a different direction. Not because of a lack of economic news. I could have focused on the greater-than-expected decline in unemployment claims. Continuous claims, a better indicator of overall employment, also fell to their lowest level since November 2008.

‘Build-a-bot’ aims to take robots into offices

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 01:02:12 EST

AMHERST – There is no real connection between the home-cleaning Roomba robot made by iRobot in Massachusetts and the autonomous industrial robots made by MobileRobots in Amherst, but it’s fair to admit there’s a psychological connection. “(Roomba has) gotten robotics out there, gotten people comfortable around robots that move on their own,” said Rory MacKean, director of engineering for MobileRobots, when queried on the connection. MobileRobots hopes people have gotten comfortable enough to make autonomous robots a regular part of hospital hallways, doctor’s offices and laboratories – a more consumer-oriented market than the factory floors and research labs where the bulk of MobileRobots’ machines currently work. The company is targeting these businesses with the new MT400, which it calls a “build-a-bot.

Company specializing in military items opens retail store in Nashua with eye on female buyers

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 01:02:32 EST

Boston-based apparel manufacturer Sterlingwear, which specializes in military uniforms, is trying its luck on the retail side of business and has opened its first store in Nashua. Sterlingwear’s bread and butter has always been working with the U.S. government, its hallmark product being U.

On health, Senate awaits go from the numbers

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:37:01 EST

WASHINGTON – They don’t vote or hold a veto pen, yet Congress’ number-crunchers wield oversize influence on President Barack Obama’s health overhaul agenda. Doubt it, consider this – lawmakers are anxiously awaiting Congressional Budget Office calculations on the Senate health care bill, and debate on the historic measure can’t start in earnest until the agency renders its verdict. In a flurry of proposals and numbers, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has been seeking the CBO’s answers for weeks, even as the House passed its own version of legislation extending health coverage to tens of millions of uninsured Americans and enacting tough new restrictions on insurance companies.

City’s Burque Jewelers celebrates 100 years in business

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 07:00:32 EST

When Rhonda Della Sala received a Burmese ruby from her mother 22 years ago, one that had been passed down through the family for generations, she put it aside with ambitions to one day make it into a wedding ring. When the plans never materialized, Della Sala decided to keep the tradition going, passing along the stone to her 24-year-old daughter. Then, on her 50th birthday, Della Sala received a sparkling surprise. Opening a small green felt box, inside she found her ruby, finally set into the ring she had dreamed about.

’Tis the season to purchase a home

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:00:44 EST

While you may think it’s crazy to tackle the huge task of home buying during the schedule-jammed holiday season, the holidays are actually a great time to find real estate deals in today’s new economy. “This year in particular may be different than other years,” says Beth Tyler, a broker with Long & Foster Real Estate in Annapolis, Md., who says the economy has boosted many sellers’ motivation to sell. “Interest rates are at an all-time low, prices are greatly depressed and inventory is plentiful,” says Nick Burrafato, broker/owner of Florida HomeGallery Real Estate in Orlando, Fla.