Facebook Business Strategies That Work

Use Facebook right, and you'll boost your business image -- and your profits. Here's how

Global Financial Regulation: Goal Many Espouse But Can It Be Done?

Calls for a more coordinated system of international financial regulation have been growing as the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York inspire similar demonstrations around the world

Wall Street (Unlike)

The Occupy Wall Street movement is a protest uniquely suited to a generation schooled in social media. There are no leaders: it's crowd-sourced. Nor does it have any specific demands beyond a thorough reorientation of American priorities. It's as if thousands and thousands of people have 'unliked' Wall Street

Newspaper Nostalgia

I hate to be one of those old crocks who talks about how things were better in the old days. But you know what? Some things really were better in the old days, including newspapers

Anti-Globalization Movement Endures

Did the attacks of 9/11 end the movement against corporate globalization?

Recession Driving Changes in Corporate Philanthropy

Not long ago, corporate philanthropy didn't involve much more than writing a check to United Way or the local opera. Nowadays that's changing. Blame corporate shareholders for tightening the purse strings, or credit Barack Obama and an entire generation raised on public service. All are forcing companies to get creative, to focus on making more of a difference while spending less cash

Can-Do Entrepreneurs Move Beyond Can't-Do Government

The economy is not bouncing back anytime soon. Even worse, it's clear that Washington is not up to the task of creating the conditions for the job growth we so desperately need. But I'm pleased to report that Americans across the country are choosing to react by taking action. As a result, a parallel economy is being created by people who, finding there are no jobs, have decided to create their own

4 Steps To Becoming a Multitasking Master

No doubt you've heard the research that 'proves' multitasking is counterproductive, but I disagree. There is bad multitasking and there is good multitasking. The trick is to learn how to multitask the right way. Here's 4 Steps to Becoming a Multitasking Master

Obama Talks Back to Business

In the current era of staged political events, it was risky the other day that President Obama took part in a freewheeling town-hall meeting on CNBC, the network's cable business channel, on his handling of the troubled economy.

Financial Reform Another Talking Point for Obama & Democrats

President Obama signed another major piece of legislation, as Democrats in Congress declared victory in their financial reform fight. What started as a bipartisan initiative to end the risky, and ultimately damaging, Wall Street practices that led to the nation's Great Recession passed with little Republican support

Before the Wall Street Crisis, There Was 'Poverty, Inc.'

For the most part, the narrative of the economic crisis has featured teetering banks from Wall Street to Main Street, a tide of bad mortgages, and countless distressed, middle-class homeowners. But in 'Broke, USA: From Pawnshops to Poverty, Inc.-- How the Working Poor Became Big Business', journalist Gary Rivlin says there is another dimension to the story

Unique MBA Programs Build Leadership Skills

Being an effective leader is a critical trait for business executives. These unique MBA courses offer unusual ways to help you hone your skills to become a successful leader.

Business Schools Add New Entrepreneur Programs for MBA Students

Entrepreneurship takes an eye for opportunity and a willingness to take risks, business school officials say. These new M.B.A. programs offer unconventional ways to help channel an entrepreneurial spirit

Why Start-ups Could Make or Break the Job Recovery

Start-ups are particularly critical to job growth. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke noted last week the importance of small businesses to the job market, and in particular, the significance of start-ups.

Obama and Big Business Trade Blame on the Economy

The war between the White House and big business is getting worse. Tom Donohue, CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, fired the latest salvo when he warned that President Obama's policies, including new government regulations and vast government spending, are slowing growth and stalling job creation. The Obama Administration is fighting back

Do You Trust Financial Services Companies? Trust Index Says Not So Much

Do you trust financial services companies? According to the latest Chicago Booth/Kellogg School Financial Trust Index, it seems as though public trust in financial services companies is coming up a bit short.

Restraining the Profit Itch

The gap between the diffuse human yearning for a decent world and the organized agenda of the corporatocracy, has never, in my lifetime, been wider. What the BP Oil Spill has yet to reach are the headquarters of corporate power and the consciences ensconced therein. The arrogance of the great capitalists remains undamaged

America Has Two Sets of Rules

The bracing reality that America has two sets of rules -- one for the corporate class and another for the middle class -- has never been more indisputable. The middle class, by and large, plays by the rules, then watches as its jobs disappear -- and the Senate takes a break instead of extending unemployment benefits. The corporate class games the system

Sweet Deal for the Auto Dealers

Car dealers, with their opaque pricing system and trade-in and financing tricks, make their customers feel like pigeons. The No. 1 consumer complaint received by the Better Business Bureau and other consumer agencies is on abusive financial practices by auto dealers, according to the Center for Responsible Lending

Your Guide to the Goldman Sachs Lawsuit

As the Securities and Exchange Commission thrusts the Goldman Sachs case onto the national stage, Americans are once again getting acquainted with the most controversial members of the recession-era cast of characters: the subprime mortgage, the 'too big to fail' doctrine, the Wall Street bailout, and the housing bubble, just to name a few.

Resisting Wall Street Reform

In the approaching Senate vote on Wall Street financial reform, the Republicans who marched in lockstep against President Obama's health care legislation have a much less comfortable political decision to make.

Time to Break up the Big Banks

Amid a flood of revelations about Wall Street fraud and corruption -- from mortgage brokers peddling loans they knew couldn't be paid back, to rating agencies dressing up junk with AAA ratings, to Goldman Sachs creating and selling a security designed to fail. The major question is whether the Senate will step up and vote to break up the big banks

Obama Edge on Financial Reform

As the Senate gears up to debate and vote on reform of the financial industry, the Democrats find themselves in a much more advantageous position than they were in the health-care fight they barely managed to win.

A Google-a-Day Puzzle for Feb. 9
Google's daily brainteaser helps hone your search skills.

Purported Pictures of iPad 3's Rear Casing Emerge
The launch of Apple's next iPad is just around the corner, if the presence of leaked parts images are any indicator. Today, what reasonably seems to be the rear casing of the new iPad has popped up in photo form on the interwebs.

Sprint's iPhone Strategy Is Paying Off, Q4 Results Suggest
Sprint desperately needed a hit, and it looks like it got one. The struggling wireless carrier sold 1.8 million iPhones in its fourth quarter, with 40 percent of those phones going to first-time Sprint customers.

Why William Gibson Distrusts Aging Futurists' Nostalgia

$900 Lumia 800 Bundle: Why It's Destined for Failure
Just about a year ago, Nokia announced it would be partnering with Microsoft to deliver Nokia-branded Windows Phones. One of the first handsets to spring from that relationship was the Nokia Lumia 800, and it's finally going to land in the U.S. on Feb. 14. Unfortunately, the 800 will only be available in a bundle with a few other products, and the phone itself is unlocked and unsubsidized.

After Office 365 Cloud Deal, How Cozy Are RIM, Microsoft?
It should come as no surprise that business-friendly BlackBerrys get Microsoft's Office 365 via the cloud. But some say the move may be a sign of a bigger deal going on between the two companies.

FBI Puts Cloud Providers on Notice Over Security Rules
The FBI is taking a tough line on cloud vendors looking to do business with U.S. law enforcement agencies, saying Tuesday that there would be no compromise in its new rule that all such services comply with the agency's Criminal Justice Information Systems security requirements.

A Google-a-Day Puzzle for Feb. 8
Google's daily brainteaser helps hone your search skills.

Greenpeace Hates Big Tech, But Wants To Kill Google Least
Greenpeace looks down on the tech giants of the world. But it looks down on Google the least. On Tuesday, the big-name environmental-rights outfit unveiled its annual ranking of the tech giants working hardest to combat climate change and shift their operations to renewable energy sources. It's called the "Cool IT Leaderboard," and this year's leader is Google, which scores a mere 53 points out of 100. Cisco, last year's leader, dropped to second, with 49 points.

Yahoo Chair Roy Bostock, 3 Directors Step Down in 'Soft eBay Takeover'
The latest board shakeup comes on the heels of founder Jerry Yang?s resignation from the board and ex-PayPal/eBay executive Scott Thompson?s hiring as CEO in January. On Twitter, Dealbook?s Evelyn Rusli reported that a source, pointing to Thompson and Webb?s shared history at eBay, called Yahoo?s overhaul ?a soft eBay takeover.?

Chinese Firm Demands $1.6 Billion from Apple in iPad Trademark Dispute
Apple is embroiled in a trademark suit over ownership of the iPad name, and the battle has taken a dark turn for Cook and company. Apple might have to shell out anywhere from $38 million to $1.6 billion if Chinese courts don't rule in its favor -- and it's looking like they won't.

Why Telcos Would Be Testing an Apple iTV Prototype
According to the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail, telecom companies Rogers and Bell Canada have in their labs an early prototype of Apple's rumored television set. Although the possibility of an honest-to-goodness prototype being tested is exciting, the idea that it's being scrutinized by telco operators is actually the more interesting part of the report.

The Amazon Store? Maybe Try an In-Store Shop First
Apple has been successful with its retail stores for reasons that are almost entirely specific to Apple. There is no reason, besides ego, for any company to mimic Apple's approach unless that approach is a good fit for their business. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has plenty of ego, but he isn't foolish.

Facebook: The Last Great Company of the Desktop Age, Playing Catch-Up in a Mobile World
Facebook may be the last great company of the desktop age. It's beaten back Friendster, MySpace and a half-dozen other pretenders, and ? at least so far ? is successfully holding off both Twitter and Google+. Its desktop display advertisements make the company billions of dollars in revenue. But that's not nearly enough. Now, Zuckerberg has to further capitalize on the growth of mobile to extend its reach. And he knows it.

Hands On: Chrome Beta for Android ? the Platform's Best New Browser
The Chrome Beta for Android is now live -- and it's quite an improvement over Android's generic browser app thanks to a unique syncing feature. Gadget lab provides a hands-on, first-look analysis of Google new mobile browser.

Chrome Web Browser Finally Comes to Android Phones, Tablets
Google launched a beta version of Chrome for Android smartphones and tablets Tuesday, delivering a mobile version of the popular desktop web browser after a very long wait. Indeed, both Android and Chrome launched more than three years ago, and users have demanded unification ever since.

Google Tips Its Hat to Charles Dickens on His 200th Birthday

Gadget Lab Podcast: E-Cigarettes, a 3-D Food Printer, the Future of Digital Music
This week, Michaels Isaac and Calore discuss Facebook's looming public stock offering, take a gander at a 3-D printer that outputs to a unique fried-food format, and dig into high-definition alternatives to MP3 audio. But the show, quite dramatically, opens with a big puff of smoke.

A Google-a-Day Puzzle for Feb. 7
Google's daily brainteaser helps hone your search skills.

Employee or Employer: Who Owns the Twitter Followers?
A blogger may be on the hook for hundreds of thousands of dollars in economic damages after allegedly hijacking his former employer's Twitter followers. A lawsuit brought by South Carolina-based PhoneDog Media, a mobile-phone review site, raises a novel legal issue asking the simple question: Who owns an account's Twitter followers, the employee or employer? For the moment, it looks like the employer does.

Giant Thermostat Company Sues 'Nest' Creators
Honeywell, a company long known for its commercial and residential thermostats, filed a patent infringement lawsuit on Monday against Nest Labs, the outfit that launched the highly publicized Nest thermostat last October.

Over 3 Years Later, 'Deleted' Facebook Photos Are Still Online

Commentary | Scoble: I'll Go Down With the Ship
I will always love Scoble for who he is, and who he is not. He is a great user. I love users. I named a company after users. Users are everything. The only reason to make software is for users. That?s my basis for respecting Scoble. But I?m not going back to Facebook, no matter what Scoble says.

Rdio's Android Player Gets a Much-Needed Update
The subscription-based streaming music service has just released a completely redesigned Android app that fixes all of the little annoyances.

Futurama Monopoly: Bite My Shiny Metal A@#

Alt Text: 100-Word User Agreements for Google, Facebook and Friends

A Google-a-Day Puzzle for Feb. 6
Google's daily brainteaser helps hone your search skills.

A Google-a-Day Puzzle for Feb. 5
Google's daily brainteaser helps hone your search skills.

A Google-a-Day Puzzle for Feb. 4
Google's daily brainteaser helps hone your search skills.

RIM Claws Back Against Apple and Google With Free Tablets
In an effort to claw its way back into the game, RIM has settled on a new strategy. Effective today until February 13, every Android developer who ports an Android application over to the BlackBerry ecosystem will receive a free PlayBook, according to a recent tweet sent by RIM VP of developer relations Alec Saunders.

US natural gas supplies fell last week

Summary Box: PepsiCo 4th-quarter results up

Summary Box: PepsiCo 4th-quarter results up

Associated Press Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Updated 07:48 a.m., Thursday, February 9, 2012

Pepsico Inc. said Thursday it will cut 8,700 jobs, about 3 percent of its 800,000 global work force, in a restructuring. The company said it expects adjusted earnings to fall in 2012, which it called a transition period, before growth begins again in 2013.

Wholesale inventories rose 1 percent in December as sales gained 1.3 percent

Summary Box: Oracle to pay $1.9B for Taleo

Summary Box: Oracle to pay $1.9B for Taleo

Associated Press Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Updated 07:28 a.m., Thursday, February 9, 2012

THE DEAL: Oracle plans to pay $1.9 billion for Taleo Corp., a company that helps businesses hire and manage their employees. WHAT THIS MEANS: It's an escalation of its rivalry with German business-software maker SAP AG, which also recently announced plans to buy a human-resources software company. ABOUT THE OFFERING: Taleo makes human-resources software that runs on the cloud. With such an approach, businesses don't run software and services in-house, but rather send those tasks over the Internet to remote locations.

Greek debt crisis eases, but drama is not over

Greek debt crisis eases, but drama is not over

Associated Press Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Updated 07:07 a.m., Thursday, February 9, 2012

Greece's political leaders struck a historic deal Thursday to make deep cuts in government jobs and spending to help save the country from a default that could shock the world financial system. In addition to the fiscal austerity mandated by the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund, Greece is close to an agreement with private investors who hold nearly two-thirds of its debt to sharply reduce the country's borrowing costs. Financial analysts fear that could set off a chain reaction similar to the financial meltdown triggered by the collapse of investment bank Lehman Brothers in the fall of 2008. The bailout will ease the turmoil that has rocked Europe and the world financial system for more than two years, but it will not bring down the curtain on Greece's debt drama. If Greece had defaulted, investors would have become reluctant to lend to other heavily indebted European countries for fear they would not get their money back, pushing their borrowing costs even higher than they are now. Greece's troubles with debt go back to the 1980s, when successive governments began increasing the size of government and the number of public employees. Government jobs became a way of rewarding supporters of Greece's two main political parties. The parties made matters worse by raising the wages of government employees to unsustainable levels. On April 27, 2010, ratings agency Standard & Poor's downgraded Greek bonds to junk status — the first time a eurozone country was given a non-investment grade rating. The terms of the bailout were harsh: higher taxes and deep cuts in public spending and wages at least through 2020, a package of fiscal belt-tightening known as austerity. Even with the debt relief and the bailout money, it will be difficult for Greece to ensure that its new, lower level of debt is manageable, or that it will be able to sell bonds at favorable interest rates over the next decade. [...] a responsible budget and sound economic policies are supposed to convince investors that the country will be able to pay its debts, and thus should be able to borrow at affordable rates. According to the IMF, it is on the outside limit of what is manageable.

Summary Box: Lenovo 3Q profit up, warns on disks

Summary Box: Lenovo 3Q profit up, warns on disks

Associated Press Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Updated 07:04 a.m., Thursday, February 9, 2012

GOOD AND BAD NEWS: Computer maker Lenovo Group Ltd. says quarterly profit grew by more than half, but it expects hard disk drive costs to remain high amid a global shortage. WHAT'S BEHIND THAT: Flooding in Thailand last year disrupted manufacturing of hard drives. THE FUTURE: The company said it's confident of closing in on the top spot in PC sales as it reported strong sales growth across all major markets even as it focuses more attention on the burgeoning smartphone and mobile Internet market. The top spot now belongs to Hewlett-Packard Co.

Kodak to stop making cameras, digital frames

Oracle to pay $1.9B for Taleo, extends SAP rivalry

Oracle to pay $1.9B for Taleo, extends SAP rivalry

Associated Press Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Updated 07:35 a.m., Thursday, February 9, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) — Oracle Corp. is escalating its rivalry with German business-software maker SAP AG and plans to pay $1.9 billion for Taleo Corp., a company that helps businesses hire and manage their employees. With such an approach, businesses don't run software and services in-house, but rather send those tasks over the Internet to remote locations operated by companies such as Oracle, SAP and IBM Corp. The rivalry between SAP and Oracle has been escalating, and the latest deal underscores the growing importance technology companies see in delivering software over the Internet. "Human capital management has become a strategic initiative for organizations," said Thomas Kurian, an executive vice president at Oracle. Oracle won a $1.3 billion jury verdict against SAP in 2010 over the widespread theft by a now-shuttered SAP subsidiary of documents from password-protected Oracle customer websites.

Ford CFO Booth to retire, CEO Mulally staying put

Ford CFO Booth to retire, CEO Mulally staying put

Associated Press Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Updated 07:16 a.m., Thursday, February 9, 2012

DETROIT (AP) — Two top Ford executives who helped lead the company's comeback from financial disaster are retiring, but CEO Alan Mulally says he has no plans to leave. Lewis Booth, the company's chief financial officer, and Derrick Kuzak, its global product development chief, will both retire on April 1. [...] Thursday, Ford's board appointed former Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman as an additional company director.

AP NewsAlert

McCartney to debut new songs live on iTunes stream

Unemployment aid applications near a 4-year low

Unemployment aid applications near a 4-year low

Associated Press Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Updated 06:32 a.m., Thursday, February 9, 2012

The Labor Department said Thursday that weekly applications for unemployment benefits fell 15,000 to a seasonally adjusted 358,000. When applications fall consistently below 375,000, it usually signals that hiring is strong enough to lower the unemployment rate. Employers added a net gain of 243,000 jobs in January, far more than economists had projected. [...] some economists are increasingly optimistic that the economy will steadily expand this year, given last month's unexpectedly large job gains and other positive signs.

Unemployment benefit applications drop to 358,000, second-lowest level in nearly 4 years

Romanian accused of hacking NASA-JPL computers

Fidelity: 401(k) balances little changed over 2011

Fidelity: 401(k) balances little changed over 2011

Associated Press Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Updated 04:33 a.m., Thursday, February 9, 2012

BOSTON (AP) — Workers stashed money away in their 401(k) retirement plans at a faster clip last year but didn't get an immediate reward for their savings strategy. [...] the balance boost that workers received from higher contributions was offset by factors including investment performance, and fees paid to manage the money and administer plans. [...] their low balances reduce the overall average account size. [...] balances have risen all but two quarters since the market meltdown, which reduced the average to $46,200. [...] the number of workers increasing their contributions has consistently surpassed the number cutting them. Investment earnings and contributions can grow tax-free in employer-sponsored 401(k) accounts, a key reason why they're popular ways to save for retirement.

Pepsico to cut 8,700 jobs; 4Q net rises

Pepsico to cut 8,700 jobs; 4Q net rises

Associated Press Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Updated 07:31 a.m., Thursday, February 9, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) — PepsiCo said it plans to cut 8,700 jobs, or about 3 percent of its workforce, as it tries to offset higher costs for ingredients and increased spending on advertising and marketing in North America. The maker of everything from Pepsi soda to Doritos chips said it expects the restructuring will save the company $1.5 billion by 2014 — on top of $1.5 billion in cost cutting it previously announced. Pepsi announced the layoffs on Thursday as it reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter profit, but forecast a decline in adjusted 2012 earnings. Pepsi's restructuring follows rival Coca-Cola Co., which announced its own cost-cutting program on Tuesday, although Coke did not say it was cutting any jobs. "Given how much more long term growth potential we think emerging markets offer, and given how under-scaled Pepsi's business is in many emerging markets relative to Coca-Cola, we are curious as to why Pepsi has not made the choice to balance its investment spending more evenly around the world," wrote Citi Investment Research analyst Wendy Nicholson in a note to investors. PepsiCo says it expects adjusted 2012 earnings to fall 5 percent in 2012 during a transition and then rise in the high single digits after that.

Bank of England backs $79 billion money injection

China skirting African corruption in direct aid

China skirting African corruption in direct aid

Associated Press Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Updated 05:47 a.m., Thursday, February 9, 2012

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — China last month sent a senior official to symbolically hand over the keys to a nine-story twin tower to house Uganda's president and prime minister, a gift from Beijing. Instead of giving cash, the Chinese government prefers to pay Chinese companies to build roads and structures, bypassing local politicians, powerbrokers and construction crews, and to deliver them completed. Experts say China's model of donating buildings and roads might help it cut the risk of aid scandals like the one that rocked the $22.6 billion Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria over the past year. In February 2010, in the aftermath of scandals that shook the faith of donors in the government's ability to cut wasteful spending and corruption, a World Bank official warned that corruption had become "endemic." Public officials in high and low places are constantly looking for opportunities to steal or be bribed and the offerings of foreign governments and agencies have traditionally been easy to abuse, critics say. Even when the projects are tied to loans, such as in the planned construction of a four-lane expressway from the capital to Uganda's international airport in nearby Entebbe, the Chinese insist on taking full charge.

Ind. wheat 'excellent' despite wet planting season

ECB keeps interest rates low as recession looms

ECB keeps interest rates low as recession looms

Associated Press Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Updated 07:52 a.m., Thursday, February 9, 2012

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Central Bank kept its key interest rate at a record low of 1 percent on Thursday to help the 17-nation eurozone stave off recession, while its president dodged questions on whether it could help Greece lighten its debt load. Mario Draghi said that for now the ECB sees "tentative signs of a stabilization in economic activity" and expects the eurozone economy "to recovery very gradually in the course of 2012." Draghi ducked questions about whether the ECB would give up profits on the Greek bonds it holds, as suggested by some officials, in order to help European leaders finance a second bailout package for Athens. The ECB must interpret mixed signals from the economy, with some indicators, such as Germany's Ifo index of business sentiment, pointing up while other signs such as German exports have pointed down. The stronger demand for short-term government bonds eased access to credit for countries such as Italy and Spain, which are struggling to keep fears of default from turning into self-fulfilling panic.

Sweden: Europeans need to question pension habits

Sweden: Europeans need to question pension habits

Associated Press Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Updated 03:00 a.m., Thursday, February 9, 2012

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Europeans need to question their habits if they want to secure the future of their generous pension systems, Sweden's prime minister said Thursday as he opened a summit for leaders from Britain and the Nordic and Baltic countries. The one-day Northern Future Forum is focused on how to increase the number of female leaders and entrepreneurs and enable senior citizens to stay in the labor force longer. Reinfeldt said Europe's health and pension system have not adapted to residents' longer life spans and that negative attitudes about working longer need to change.

Gunmen attack Indonesia workers near Freeport mine

Start-Ups Follow Twitter, and Become Neighbors
Hoping some of Twitter’s success will rub off on them, start-ups jostle to rent offices in the same San Francisco building.

Obama’s Trade Strategy Runs Into Stiff Resistance
The resistance to President Obama’s approach puts him at odds with his key allies and largest trading partners on fundamental issues of economic strategy.

U.S. and South Korea Fail to Agree on Trade
President Obama and South Korea’s leader gave negotiators more time to work out differences over Korean imports of American autos and beef.

Wall St. Brings Its Misgivings to the World
The daylong Seoul G-20 Business Summit led to an unusual juxtaposition of corporate and world leaders, with some businessmen expressing concern for criticism aimed at them.

DealBook: Quants and Morgan Stanley to Part
Morgan Stanley and the quant team led by Peter Muller are negotiating a spinoff, the latest retreat from proprietary trading by a Wall Street firm.

Media Decoder: Tina Brown to Run Newsweek in Daily Beast Merger
Tina Brown is to become Newsweek’s editor after a long and sometimes frustrating search by Sidney Harman.

Japan’s Farmers Oppose Pacific Free-Trade Talks
The idea of a vast free-trade zone of Pacific countries pits Japan’s farmers, who benefit from tariffs, against the country’s exporters.

Britain to Tape Traders’ Cell Phones to Fight Fraud
New rules would oblige financial services firms to record relevant employee communications made on their work cell phones.

Europe Stands By to Steady Ireland
The European Union stands ready to offer a financial lifeline to Ireland, an official said on Thursday, as bond investors apply pressure that threatens to derail Europe’s fragile economic recovery.

Stocks and Bonds: Wall Street Falls After Cisco Trims Its Outlook
A disappointing outlook from Cisco Systems rattled the market, as did a report that inflation rose in China in October at its fastest pace in more than two years.

Wheels: General Electric to Place Big Order for Chevrolet Volt
General Electric announced Thursday that it would buy 25,000 electric vehicles by 2015, including 12,000 from General Motors, starting with the Chevrolet Volt, which is a plug-in hybrid.

No Changes Now in Rules for Web Access in Europe
New rules are not needed to keep the Continent’s telecommunications companies from selectively managing Internet access, Europe decides.

BBC Journalists Call Off Strike
The journalists’ union said the new talks were dependent on management’s dropping disciplinary action against three employees for a strike last week.

High & Low Finance: Fed Efforts to Revive Economy Find Critics
Ben S. Bernanke, the Fed chairman, may long for some of the praise that was once lavished on Alan Greenspan.

DealBook: Exploring Lenovo's Pathway to the Future
The computer maker has reminded investors that it is on the hunt for acquisitions, but some analysts are wondering how well-defined its strategy may be.

Advertising: Selling Ford Around the World, From Detroit
Toby Barlow, executive vice president and chief creative officer at Team Detroit, is assuming the new responsibilities of chief creative officer at Global Team Ford.

Economix: On Deficit Proposals, a Failure of Will and Not Ideas
Blue-ribbon panel after blue-ribbon panel has advocated some variation of the same set of fiscal policy reform ideas. If there is so much wonkish agreement, why hasn’t anything changed?

Bucks: MetLife to Stop Offering New Long-Term Care Policies
MetLife plans to discontinue the sale of new long-term care insurance but intends to keep servicing existing policyholders.

Bucks: A Gift Card Guide for the Holidays
Three ways recent regulations have changed gift card policies and three pitfalls consumers still need to watch out for.

Gadgetwise: Pogue's Posts: The Volt Recharges My Batteries
David Pogue writes about his fascination with the Chevy Volt, a car aiming to be the electric car without the short range of electric cars.

DealBook: Corporate Lawyers in the Cross Hairs
As lawyers have gained prominence in corporate management, the likelihood of becoming the focus of an investigation -- and perhaps prosecution -- has grown.