3 Tech Companies Creating the Future

With the second year of this millenniums second decade now under way, the world
is starting to lose some of its futuristic flavor. Back in 2000, the year even
sounded like herald of tomorrow. The year 2000! Everyone has a computer, and its
connected to an endless fount of knowledge! Theres something called Napster! Now
we carry mobile phones more powerful than yesteryears typical PC, capable of
documenting every human interaction in real time and we yawn. Have things
really gotten boring? Hardly. Anyone so cynical that they dont marvel at the
reality of modern living hasnt been paying attention. You can ask an iPhone for
the weather, and it will tell you. You can make a reservation for a commercial
space flight. You can write a letter, save it to Google Documents and access it
from nearly any device connected to the Internet. And 2012 is fat with the
promise of more to come in the future. Who out there is blazing the trail? What
industrial projects are taking us ever closer to tomorrow and have the potential
to fundamentally change how we live? Here are just a few. Googles Self-Driving
Prius Google (NASDAQ: GOOG ) is a powerful hand shaping big ideas in technology.
The companys Internet search engine has come to define basic Web usage, and its
Android mobile operating system is helping shape communications in the 10s.
Google has an entire research facility devoted to big ideas, Google X , and one
of that groups projects is coming closer to a manufacturing reality each day.
Googles self-driving cars , based on converted Toyota (NYSE: TOY ) Priuses, were
first revealed to the public in 2010, but today that the machines are moving
beyond the experimental phase. Google was granted a patent for its cars in
December , allowing it to now begin unmanned testing. Apples Hydrogen Batteries
The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office published a patent held by Apple (NASDAQ:
AAPL ) on Dec. 29 that showed designs for a hydrogen fuel cell . A brand new
battery isnt quite as sexy a toy as a new iPhone, but the impact of an
affordable, lasting hydrogen battery could be enormous. Hydrogen batteries
convert oxygen and hydrogen into water and then electrical energy. Unlike other
batteries such as lithium ion or nickel metal hydride, a hydrogen battery would
leave no destructive by-products, just water. A hydrogen battery would mean more
than just cleaner power sources for iPads. It could potentially lead to a
variety of cleaner machines. Apple is looking to make a true renewable energy
source. Thats thinking big. Hondas Asimo Honda s (NYSE: HMC ) freaky robot Asimo
should seem antiquated at this point. The company first had the robotic
assistant trot on stage at Hondas Wako Fundamental Technical Research Center in
October 2000 and has been incrementally improving him since. Familiar or not,
Asimo remains the public face of ambitious robotics, and the most recent round
of revisions are impressive to say the least. The latest Asimo debuted in
November. Its lighter, has more joints and can walk a bit faster, but the really
impressive stuff is the improved artificial intelligence. Asimo can now
recognize different people in a conversation and can perform complex, multipart
tasks. The example given in a Tech Crunch report: Cracking open a can of beer
and then pouring it into a glass. Robot bartenders the future is truly here!

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Wins MagSafe Patent

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has received a Granted Patent for the MagSafe
Connector. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Wins MagSafe Patent The new patent granted
to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by the US Patent and Trademark Office covers both
the MagSafe Connector and MagSafe Power Adapter. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)'s 60
Watt MagSafe Power Adapter features a magnetic DC connector that ensures that
the power cable will disconnect if it experiences undue strain and helps prevent
fraying or weakening of the cables over time. In addition, the magnetic DC helps
guide the plug into the system for a quick and secure connection. Apple Inc.
(NASDAQ:AAPL) shares are currently standing at 411.23. Price History Last Price:
411.23 52 Week Low / High: 310.5 / 426.7 50 Day Moving Average: 390.79 6 Month
Price Change %: 18.0% 12 Month Price Change %: 25.1%

Teva’s New CEO Is Battle-Tested. Good Thing

Investors expectations are already running high for Jeremy Levin, who was named
new CEO of Teva Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: TEVA ) Tuesday. Levin is highly
regarded for his series of successful acquisitions at Bristol-Myers Squibb
(NYSE: BMY ). But his ability to reenergize Israel-based Teva could be derailed
if the company can't fight off generic competition for its leading drug,
Copaxone. While Teva is the world's biggest generic-drug maker, it relies
heavily on Copaxone, one of only two proprietary drugs it makes. Used to treat
multiple sclerosis, Copaxone is estimated to account for 40% of Teva's
profits. The company's weak stock performance of late has been attributed to
concerns that generics will cut deeply into Teva income when Copaxone loses
patent protection in 2014, according to the Israeli news source Haaret z.
Generics aren't Copaxone's only potential worries. Tevas injectable
treatment already is being challenged by the first oral MS drug, Gilenya from
Novartis (NYSE: NVS ). And Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB ) has a promising medicine
in clinical trials thats reported to be safe and reduces relapses in MS
patients. Yet, investors evidently are confident Levin can work his magic
quickly. Teva shares are up about 8% since Friday's close, but at $43.65, they
still have a way to go before the 52-week high of $57 is within sight. The
investment community is certainly high on Levin, too. Analysts are praising his
appointment, confident he can duplicate his success at Bristol, where he
spearheaded the company's "string of pearls" strategy. This involved
Bristol making a number of acquisitions intended to help replace the revenue
that will be lost when its blockbuster blood thinner Plavix loses market
exclusivity this year. His success led one industry observer to tell Bloomberg
that Levin is "the number one person in business development" in the
industry. "A lot of companies say they want to acquire and license stuff, but
I cant think of a company thats done it as successfully as Bristol, added ISI
Group analyst Mark Schoenebaum. Ori Hershkovitz, partner at Sphera Funds
Management, also weighed in on the move, telling Bloomberg: If Jeremy can do one
or two good product selections as he has done in the past for Bristol-Myers,
that will be very, very good for Teva. Levin, 58, will take over in May for
retiring Teva CEO Shlomo Yanai, a physician who was educated at Cambridge
University. Levin served as senior vice president for strategy at Bristol. At a
press conference in Tel Aviv Tuesday, he said hell work closely with Yanai to
achieve an "orderly transition," reported Bloomberg. "There are some
parallels between Bristol-Myers from a few years ago and Teva," Les
Funtleyder, a New York-based portfolio manager for Miller Tabak & Co., said in
an e-mail yesterday, according to Bloomberg. "BMY had to come up with a new
strategy to deal with slow sales and looming patents." The performance of
Teva's shares in 2011 certainly helped seal Yanai's fate. The company's
stock price plunged the most since 2006. During the year, Yanai made a move to
broaden Teva's product line by acquiring Cephalon for $6.5 billion. Despite
the deal, investors were disappointed to learn last month that Teva was unlikely
to reach its long-term target of $31 billion in sales by 2015.

Top 10 Micro Cap Stocks with Highest Short Interest: SVNT, MNI, FXCM, ZAGG, JRCC, COCO, HNR, MELA, ENER, JKS (Jan 04, 2012)

Below are the top 10 Micro Cap stocks with the highest short interest as a
percentage of total shares outstanding. Stocks with very low market caps are
excluded. Significant Short Covering can cause these stocks to rise sharply .
One Chinese company (JKS) is on the list. Savient Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
(NASDAQ:SVNT) has the 1st highest short interest in this segment of the market.
Its short interest is 38.4% of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to Cover
is 19.7, calculated as current short interest divided by average daily volume.
The McClatchy Company (NYSE:MNI) has the 2nd highest short interest in this
segment of the market. Its short interest is 33.8% of its total shares
outstanding. Its Days to Cover is 8.45, calculated as current short interest
divided by average daily volume. FXCM Inc (NYSE:FXCM) has the 3rd highest short
interest in this segment of the market. Its short interest is 31.3% of its total
shares outstanding. Its Days to Cover is 23.46, calculated as current short
interest divided by average daily volume. Zagg Inc (NASDAQ:ZAGG) has the 4th
highest short interest in this segment of the market. Its short interest is
30.2% of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to Cover is 11.19, calculated as
current short interest divided by average daily volume. James River Coal Company
(NASDAQ:JRCC) has the 5th highest short interest in this segment of the market.
Its short interest is 29.6% of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to Cover
is 5.96, calculated as current short interest divided by average daily volume.
Corinthian Colleges, Inc. (NASDAQ:COCO) has the 6th highest short interest in
this segment of the market. Its short interest is 27.3% of its total shares
outstanding. Its Days to Cover is 22.97, calculated as current short interest
divided by average daily volume. Harvest Natural Resources, Inc. (NYSE:HNR) has
the 7th highest short interest in this segment of the market. Its short interest
is 25.0% of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to Cover is 15.05, calculated
as current short interest divided by average daily volume. MELA Sciences, Inc.
(NASDAQ:MELA) has the 8th highest short interest in this segment of the market.
Its short interest is 24.9% of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to Cover
is 22.47, calculated as current short interest divided by average daily volume.
Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENER) has the 9th highest short interest
in this segment of the market. Its short interest is 24.5% of its total shares
outstanding. Its Days to Cover is 17.13, calculated as current short interest
divided by average daily volume. JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. (NYSE:JKS) has the
10th highest short interest in this segment of the market. Its short interest is
24.3% of its total shares outstanding. Its Days to Cover is 20.11, calculated as
current short interest divided by average daily volume.

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Wants To Open Cloud

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tdp2664 E money daily Reports say that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has been working to open its cloud platform to Linux servers. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Wants To Open Cloud It has been reported in a blog post that the technology maker Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is developing the technology to run Linux on its Windows Azure cloud platform. The company may bring a Community Technology Preview (CTP) of its persistent virtual machines this year. The blog post reads thus, "The new persistent VM support also will allow customers to run SQL Server or SharePoint Server in VMs, as well. And it will enable customers to more easily move existing apps to the Azure platform". Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) stocks were at 26.77 at the end of the last day’s trading. There’s been a 4.3% movement in the stock price over the past 3 months. Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) Analyst Advice Consensus Opinion: Moderate Buy Mean recommendation: 1.95 (1=Strong Buy, 5=Strong Sell) 3 Months Ago: 1.77 Zack’s Rank: 72 out of 89 in the industry

After Iowa: The Caucus Yields a Three-Way Tie

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tdp2664 InvestorPlace The Republican Party is being pulled apart in three directions at once. Eventually, it will be up to voters to decide if this muddled mess provides America a real alternative to Barack Obama. Although Mitt Romney technically won the Iowa contest last night, I agree with Ron Paul that the results were substantively a three-way tie. Rick Santorum lost by a mere 8 votes, and Paul amassed an impressive third-place finish. In fact, Paul received double the number of votes he got four years ago, while Romney's numbers didn’t budge. The policy differences between Romney, Santorum and Paul are so substantial that it’s hard to believe these top three candidates are even in the same party. What can we conclude from last night’s overtime game in Iowa? First , say goodbye to the flat-tax gimmicks that sucked up a lot of airtime last fall. The exit of Cain and Perry from the race ensures that the real debate over tax reform will remain a conversation about tinkering around the edges and supporting particular groups or industries. The fact that Romney and Santorum received a combined 50% of the vote last night and neither has endorsed even the concept of a flatter tax strongly suggests that the idea will be deprived of oxygen in the coming weeks. Even if Gingrich is able to put it back on the table, his plan of having two separate tax codes (the old one or a flat tax) that you could choose from is obviously more complicated than the current system, as it introduces one more layer of complexity. Second , the Republican elite will go into overdrive in an effort to support Romney. The thought that Rick Santorum, a social conservative who handily won the evangelical vote last night, will gain momentum, airtime and money in the coming weeks should rightly keep the GOP Beltway Establishment up at night. His views on social issues are so far outside the mainstream of public opinion that he could never have national appeal. His influence in the coming weeks will remind a lot of independent voters of what they don't like about Republicans. Note the late-night plans John McCain made to travel to New Hampshire to endorse Romney. Romney's policy views and governing history are moderate at best and slightly liberal at worst from the perspective of the GOP. As the right-wing spinners move into full panic mode in an effort to get the electable Romney nominated, they will inevitably have to concede some of the terms of the debate to their opposition. For example, Romney tacitly places the starting point of who's rich at $200,000 per year. His tax plan calls for eliminating capital-gains taxes only for those making less than $200k. This is lower than even Obama's tradition marker of an annual income of $250,000. Third , beware the wrath of Newt Gingrich. Ari Fleisher (George W. Bush's former press secretary) noted last night that Gingrich made perhaps the worst and most ungracious concession speech in political history. He called Ron Paul "dangerous" and Mitt Romney a bully. Newt's only kind words were reserved for Santorum, who he noted ran a positive campaign, as opposed to the Romney, who he blamed for the barrage of attack ads put out by super-PACs over the previous week. Clearly, Newt is fired up and ready to get really dirty in the coming weeks. He claims he won't go negative but reserves the right to tell the truth. Since Romney has zero personal baggage, Newt will have to spend his time and money savaging Romney’s record and policy positions. Gingrich’s resources and acumen are substantial. Although Romney claims he has "broad shoulders" and is ready for whatever comes his way, it's hard to imagine he will sail through the Gingrich wood chipper unscathed. Fourth , Ron Paul has garnered a significant and enthusiastic base of support. His isolationist views on foreign policy are anathema to the still-breathing neocon movement within the GOP. As the debates continue over the coming weeks, he will inevitably force his rivals to highlight their anti-diplomacy/pro-war views. Santorum has already made it clear that he would like to bomb Iran; Gingrich is hypothesizing about nuclear weapons being detonated on American soil, and Romney has accused Obama of a policy of appeasement. To a broke and war-weary nation, Republican saber-rattling may not be appealing when contrasted with Obama's record of capturing Osama Bin Laden and supervising the return of 100,000-plus

“2012 poised to be a better year for gold equities”

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DG365FD46564GFH654FU898 While 2011 served as a very challenging year for most gold stocks, the outlook for 2012 is much brighter, according to equity research analysts at Macquarie.