Antimatter atoms produced and trapped at CERN

PR21.10 - 17.11.2010


Geneva, 17 November 2011. The ALPHA experiment at CERN* has taken an important step forward in developing techniques to understand one of the Universe’s open questions: is there a difference between matter and antimatter? In a paper published in Nature today, the collaboration shows that it has successfully produced and trapped atoms of antihydrogen. This development opens the path to new ways of making detailed measurements of antihydrogen, which will in turn allow scientists to compare matter and antimatter.



Antimatter – or the lack of it – remains one of the biggest mysteries of science. Matter and its counterpart are identical except for opposite charge, and they annihilate when they meet. At the Big Bang, matter and antimatter should have been produced in equal amounts. However, we know that our world is made up of matter: antimatter seems to have disappeared. To find out what has happened to it, scientists employ a range of methods to investigate whether a tiny difference in the properties of matter and antimatter could point towards an explanation.



One of these methods is to take one of the best-known systems in physics, the hydrogen atom, which is made of one proton and one electron, and check whether its antimatter counterpart, antihydrogen, consisting of an antiproton and a positron, behaves in the same way. CERN is the only laboratory in the world with a dedicated low-energy antiproton facility where this research can be carried out.



The antihydrogen programme goes back a long way. In 1995, the first nine atoms of man-made antihydrogen were produced at CERN. Then, in 2002, the ATHENA and ATRAP experiments showed that it was possible to produce antihydrogen in large quantities, opening up the possibility of conducting detailed studies. The new result from ALPHA is the latest step in this journey.



Antihydrogen atoms are produced in a vacuum at CERN, but are nevertheless surrounded by normal matter. Because matter and antimatter annihilate when they meet, the antihydrogen atoms have a very short life expectancy. This can be extended, however, by using strong and complex magnetic fields to trap them and thus prevent them from coming into contact with matter. The ALPHA experiment has shown that it is possible to hold on to atoms of antihydrogen in this way for about a tenth of a second: easily long enough to study them. Of the many thousands of antiatoms the experiment has created, ALPHA’s latest paper reports that 38 have been trapped for long enough to study.



"For reasons that no one yet understands, nature ruled out antimatter. It is thus very rewarding, and a bit overwhelming, to look at the ALPHA device and know that it contains stable, neutral atoms of antimatter,” said Jeffrey Hangst of Aarhus University, Denmark, spokesman of the ALPHA collaboration. “This inspires us to work that much harder to see if antimatter holds some secret.”



In another recent development in CERN’s antimatter programme, the ASACUSA experiment has demonstrated a new technique for producing antihydrogen atoms. In a paper soon to appear in Physical Review Letters, the collaboration reports success in producing antihydrogen in a so-called Cusp trap, an essential precursor to making a beam. ASACUSA plans to develop this technique to the point at which beams of sufficient intensity will survive for long enough to be studied.



“With two alternative methods of producing and eventually studying antihydrogen, antimatter will not be able to hide its properties from us much longer,” said Yasunori Yamazaki of Japan’s RIKEN research centre and a member of the ASACUSA collaboration. “There’s still some way to go, but we’re very happy to see how well this technique works.”



“These are significant steps in antimatter research,” said CERN Director General Rolf Heuer, “and an important part of the very broad research programme at CERN.”



Full information about the ASACUSA approach will be made available when the paper is published.





For further information on the ALPHA experiment, please read here:

http://cerncourier.com/cws/article/cern/30577



Pictures available here:

http://cdsweb.cern.ch/record/1307522



Footage available here:

http://cdsweb.cern.ch/record/1307524



Contacts:

- CERN Press Office

press.office@cern.ch

+41 22 767 34 32

+41 22 767 63 33



- Jeffrey Hangst, ALPHA experiment spokesperson

+41 76 487 45 89



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

* CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is the world's leading laboratory for particle physics. It has its headquarters in Geneva. At present, its Member States are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. India, Israel, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United States of America, Turkey, the European Commission and UNESCO have Observer status.




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Another comment from Stephan Janouch on Automotive

wieder einmal ist ein Deutscher beim Schnellfahren ganz vorne mit dabei. Ich meine damit allerdings nicht unseren Formel-1-Weltmeister Sebastian Vettel, sondern Hansjörg von Gemmingen.

Der Name sagt Ihnen nichts? Kein Wunder, denn von Gemmingen ist nicht etwa Rennfahrer, sondern Aktienhändler. Und gleichzeitig einer der ersten Besitzer eines Tesla Roadsters in Europa. Im letzten Jahr hat er mit seinem Elektrogeschoss mehr als 65.000 km zurückgelegt - mehr als jeder andere Tesla-Fahrer in Europa.
Da das ganze relativ unspektakulär über die Bühne ging, ist man geneigt zu vermuten, dass die Kalifornier die ersten Kinderkrankheiten überwunden haben; vielleicht auch dank der Hilfe von Daimler und Toyota, die sich mittlerweile im Schulterschluss mit Tesla-Chef Elon Musk üben.

Erwachsen werden soll übrigens auch der 3. Elektronik automotive congress, der am 12. Mai 2011 in Ludwigsburg stattfinden wird. Noch haben Sie die Chance, sich daran zu beteiligen. Die Einreichungsfrist für Papers endet nächste Woche!


Stephan Janouch

The Atlas experiment and the sound of music

The ATLAS experiment and the world of music


The ATLAS experiment has already made headlines around the world for its research at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Geneva. Now, after discovering that a large number of the physicists involved in the experiment are accomplished musicians, ATLAS has taken the unusual step of recording and releasing an album. This goes to prove there is far more to ATLAS scientists than investigating the origins of matter and the fundamental forces of nature.


Released on the ATLAS scientists' own label, Neutralino Records, which is named after a hypothetical particle predicted by a theory called supersymmetry in particle physics, "Resonance" features 20 artists over two CDs and a DVD.


For more information about "Resonance", please see here:

http://atlas-music-resonance.web.cern.ch/atlas-music-resonance/


For a complete press release and contact information, see here:

http://atlas-music-resonance.web.cern.ch/atlas-music-resonance/ATLAS-contact.htm



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CERN - European Organization for Nuclear Research, CERN CH-1211, Genève 23, Switzerland

New on Energy from Stephan (in German)

Liebe Leser,

die Funktechnik ist aus der heutigen Welt nicht mehr wegzudenken und gehört sicher zu den faszinierendsten Erfindungen überhaupt. Egal ob Mobiltelefon, Satellitenfernsehen, WLAN oder auch nur die Fernbedienung für das Garagentor, kaum jemand kommt heute ohne Funk aus.

Sogar im Fahrzeugbau, der traditionell und aus gutem Grund manch technische Entwicklung mit Verzögerung assimiliert, hat die Funktechnik mittlerweile ihren festen Platz gefunden: Die Funkfernbedienung für die Zentralverriegelung ist Standard, neuere Varianten wie Keyless-Go oder Keyless-Entry sind auf dem Vormarsch und über Bluetooth lässt sich in vielen Fahrzeugen fast jedes als Mobiltelefon verkleidete Elektronikspielzeug anbinden.

Damit ist das Ende der Fahnen- oder besser Antennenstange noch lange nicht erreicht. Wenn Sie wissen wollen, welches Potential beispielsweise Android für Telematikanwendungen bietet, oder welche Funktionen NFC im Auto ermöglicht, dann sollten Sie sich über den Wireless Congress informieren. Die Anmeldung hierfür ist auch über drahtgebundene Medien möglich.


Stephan Janouch

Is market realy growing this year all that much?

Again, I am citing a very well read German newsletter from Markt & Technik, often on those pages. To translate the interesting point of view simply translate into your own language.

Where I differ is that market is slowly perhaps improving, it has far to go to "fast", and simply to expand in the intelligent counters market requires not only technology, but also a kick for the legislation to force users (most likely) or distributors (less likely) to pay for changing technology at least 60 years old now in use.

»Erneuerbare Energien« heißt das neue Eldorado, das unter Europas Distributoren für Goldgräberstimmung sorgt: Windenergie, Photovoltaik, das intelligente Stromnetz oder energieeffiziente Stromversorgungen, um nur einige Aspekte zu nennen, lassen die Umsatzerwartungen in die Höhe schnellen. Denn all diese Märkte scheinen geradezu prädestiniert für die Distribution, weil sie sehr fragmentiert und zumindest teilweise von Firmen geprägt sind, deren Kernkompetenz nicht unbedingt in der Elektronik liegt. Besonders im Visier der Distributoren stehen derzeit die Smart Meters: Der Markt für intelligente Stromzähler beginnt sich in Europa gerade erst zu entfalten und verspricht durch alle Produktbereiche hindurch - vom Display bis hin zur Kommunikationstechnik - ein immenses Absatzpotenzial. Dass es zu den besonderen Stärken der Distributoren gehört, neue Märkte zu erobern, haben sie in Vergangenheit schon mehrfach bewiesen - denken wir nur an das Beispiel »Lighting«. Doch bei aller Euphorie, ein Selbstläufer sind die erneuerbaren Energien bzw. deren Applikationen, die auch ein attraktives Direktgeschäft für die Hersteller darstellen, keinesfalls. Mit dedizierten Strukturen sind viele Distributoren aber bereits gut gewappnet für ihren Weg nach Eldorado.

Karin Zühlke

Googl.s big quarter so far worth over $15 billion to Wall Street

During regular trading hours today, Google’s stock was down a little over $2 a share, or about half a percent. Ho-hum, nothing big, probably just some investors worried they might mildly disappoint once again this quarter. Instead, Google blew away estimates for Q3 and as a result, the stock has now surged about $50 a share in after-hours trading.

While it ended the day around $540 a share, the stock is now approaching $600 a share after the nearly 10 percent jump in price. This surge means that Google has added over $15 billion to their market cap just now. While Google had fallen over $100 billion in market cap behind Apple, which continues to see their stock surge (it’s now past $300 a share for the first time ever), they’re now approaching a $200 billion market valuation themselves.

It’s also worth noting that Google, like Apple a few months ago, is now in striking range of Microsoft when it comes to market cap. Microsoft now stands at $218 billion — about $60 billion behind Apple at this point — and they don’t report earnings for another two weeks. Might Google rally to catch them as well?

For original text click: http://techcrunch.com/2010/10/14/google-q3/

Cost of energy up?

Dass die Energiepreise, insbesondere der Strompreis, nicht steigen müssen, das war Gegenstand vieler Leserbriefe, die uns über die letzten Wochen erreicht haben. Nun fordert Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker, dass der Preis für Energie und Rohstoffe noch drastischer steigen müsste, um die Innovationen zu fördern, die erforderlich wären, der Klimakatastrophe zu entgehen.

Was meinen Sie? Sind höhere Energiepreise des Rätsels Lösung, um Innovationen anzustoßen und Deutschland und Europa einen Spitzenplatz in fortschrittlicher Technologie zu sichern? Oder wäre es die effektivste Maßnahme, um uns freiwillig und schnell zu de-industrialisieren?

Vor welche aktuellen Herausforderungen die Einspeisung von Energie aus erneuerbaren Quellen einen regionalen Energieversorger stellt, lesen Sie im Interview mit Frank Hose, Vorstand der EnBW ODR AG.

Dass drastische Energieeinsparungen und Effizienzsteigerungen durchaus machbar sind, haben die Ingenieure der Bell Labs auf dem Bell Labs Open Day 2010 in Stuttgart gezeigt: Die Energieaufnahme des Mobilfunknetzes um den Faktor 1000 zu reduzieren, haben sie sich bis in fünf Jahren vorgenommen, schon heute sei in den 4G-Netzen eine Halbierung drin. Außerdem demonstrieren sie, wie Smart Meters den Energieverbrauch Transparent machen können, was sowohl den Verbrauchern als auch den Versorgern nutzt.


Heinz Arnold

machine building industry will clock 8% growth next year

»Der deutsche Maschinen- und Anlagenbau wird 2011 um 8 Prozent wachsen.« Diese Produktionsprognose für die Branche gab der scheidende VDMA-Präsident Dr. Manfred Wittenstein anlässlich der Mitgliederversammlung des Verbands am 7. Oktober in München. Zu Wittensteins Nachfolger wählte die Versammlung Dr. Thomas Lindner. mehr ...

»Seit Sommer 2009 geht es mit dem Bestelleingang wieder bergauf«, betonte Wittenstein. »Die Order-Kurve nimmt einen nahezu mustergültig V-förmigen Verlauf.« Eine solche Dynamik hatte der Verband nicht erwartet - Mitte September hatte er deshalb seine Produktionsprognose für 2010 von 3 auf 6 Prozent verdoppelt.

Der Auftragseingang wuchs in den ersten acht Monaten des Jahres 2010 um ein gutes Drittel (35 Prozent). Abgesehen vom Bestelleingang im August zeigte sich dabei kein Tempoverlust. Im Juli lag die Kapazitätsauslastung im Schnitt bei 82,9 Prozent (Juli 2009: 69,2 Prozent). Die Beschäftigtenzahl stieg im Juli auf 905.000 und liegt damit nur noch 2,7 Prozent unter dem Niveau des Vorjahres (931.000).

Die deutschen Maschinenexporte lagen im Zeitraum Januar bis Juli 2010 bei 69,5 Mrd. Euro und damit nominal um 5,7 Prozent (3,8 Mrd.) über dem Vorjahreswert. Besonders stark zugenommen haben die Lieferungen nach China (plus 22,7 Prozent auf 8 Mrd. Euro) und Brasilien (plus 39,8 Prozent auf 1,4 Mrd.). Russland, das allerdings im vergangenen Jahr die Branche enttäuscht hatte, zeigt eine Steigerungsrate von 9 Prozent (auf 3,1 Mrd.). Auch die USA, der zweitwichtigste Handelspartner, haben ihre Maschinenimporte aus Deutschland gesteigert, und zwar um 6,2 Prozent (auf 5,5 Mrd.).

Die deutschen Maschinenimporte lagen im Zeitraum Januar bis Juli 2010 bei 25,4 Mrd. Euro, und damit nominal um 7,2 Prozent (1,7 Mrd.) über dem Vorjahreswert. Der Anteil Europas beträgt insgesamt rund 72 Prozent. »Wir teilen unsere Exporterfolge über hohe Importe also durchaus auch mit unseren Partnern«, kommentierte Wittenstein dies. »Das so genannte deutsche Export-Modell geht also nicht zu Lasten der Nachbarländer, wie gelegentlich behauptet wird, sondern hilft mit, aus dem Konjunkturtal herauszukommen.« Bei den europäischen Partnern liegt Italien mit einem Anteil von 10 Prozent oder 2,5 Mrd. Euro an der Spitze, gefolgt von der Schweiz mit 9,4 Prozent oder 2,4 Mrd. Euro, Frankreich mit 7,8 Prozent oder 2 Mrd. Euro und Österreich (Rang 7), Tschechien (Rang 8), den Niederlanden (Rang 9) sowie dem Vereinigten Königreich (Rang 10).

In zunehmendem Maße am Aufschwung beteiligt ist dem Verband zufolge auch das Inlandsgeschäft. In den letzten drei statistisch erfassten Monaten Juni bis August kletterte der gesamte Auftragseingang um 52 Prozent, und die Inlands-Bestellungen legten um 45 Prozent zu. »Die deutsche Investitionstätigkeit hat sich erstaunlich schnell belebt«, führte Wittenstein aus. »Zum einen profitiert die Inlandsnachfrage direkt von der steigenden Auslastung der Produktionskapazitäten, indirekt von Zulieferungen für Exportprodukte. Hinzu kommen möglicherweise noch Vorzieheffekte, weil Investitionen in Deutschland ab dem kommenden Jahr nur noch linear abgeschrieben werden können.«

Die Entwicklung in den Teilbranchen des Maschinenbaus ist weiterhin heterogen. Auch wenn mittlerweile alle Fachzweige im letzten Drei-Monats-Vergleich (Juni bis August 2010/2009) mit ihrem Bestelleingang im Plus liegen, sind sie laut VDMA von sehr unterschiedlichem Niveau aus gestartet und in ihrem Aufholprozess zudem bislang unterschiedlich weit gekommen. Die ersten marschieren demnach wieder stramm auf ihre höchsten Auftragseingangsniveaus zu, etwa Kunststoff- und Gummimaschinen (2007) sowie Textilmaschinen (2006).
1. Teil: VDMA prognostiziert 8 Prozent Wachstum für 2011
2. Teil: Lindner folgt auf Wittenstein

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1 | 2 weiter Andreas Knoll, Markt&Technik

Mature market looses its pioneers

When Microssemi takeover of Actel is done it will mean the end to last largely independent vendor of programmable logic. It also means the market is mature and left for playing by the two leaders Altera and Xilinx.
Its CEO (Actels) John East tried to steer the company into more Aerospace Market where the had a success but managing large accounts is harder and harder to manage for an independent vendor. The only way out was to concentrate on smaller accounts where lower performance and addition of analogue function was not without its success back to the top.
From that point of view the take over by Microsemi is seen and a way in the right direction for both.
It is however to be seen if corporate cultures would grow in together or not.

From crisis to markets overheat?

German source IBV: the economy 2010 may even outperform its results from 2008. The economy which shrank by 21% in 2009,and was supposed to be growing by 5% in 2010. A few weeks later the forecast was upgraded to 10% and now they speak of "overheating" the economy and is some cases revenues growth has exceeded 60% over 2009, confirms Mr Christoph Zollitsch. It is hard to believe the market situation at such a level is not sustainable for longer than a quarter.

Automation as an App?

It is very interesting to hear Volker Bibelhause of Phonix Contact saying that in the near future embedded software vendors will have to learn from iphone apps developers. Their software is simple, doing usually one thing at the time, you can pay for it on-line, support is always on-line.
He says the embedded software is too clumsy, too complex and unreliable. Some embedded vendors already work according to new specs that take them into always on line customers.
I am sure this is a trend that is only going to grow among software vendors and end user are going to love.

NASA Solicitation: NASA Independent Verification and Validation

NASA Solicitation: NASA Independent Verification and Validation Services
Source: NASA HQPosted Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Synopsis - Sep 21, 2010

General Information

Solicitation Number: NNG11310421R
Posted Date: Sep 21, 2010
FedBizOpps Posted Date: Sep 21, 2010
Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action: No
Original Response Date: Nov 05, 2010
Current Response Date: Nov 05, 2010
Classification Code: R -- Professional, administrative, and mgmt support services
NAICS Code: 541330 - Engineering Services

Contracting Office Address

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Headquarters Acquisition Branch, Code 210.H, Greenbelt, MD 20771

Description

NASA plans to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) Services in support of NASA's IV&V Facility in Fairmont, WV. NASA anticipates issuing an RFP for a full and open competition which will result in a single, Cost Plus Award Fee (CPAF) contract.

The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12. The NAICS Code and Size Standard are 541330 and $27M, respectively.

NASA is not requesting proposals at this time. The anticipated release date of the Draft RFP is on or about November 5, 2010 with comments due on or about December 5, 2010.

NASA Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The installation Ombudsman is Nancy A. Abell who can be contacted at Nancy.A.Abell@nasa.gov or (301) 286-5867.

The draft solicitation and any documents related to this procurement will be available over the Internet. These documents will reside on a World Wide Web (WWW) server, which may be accessed using a WWW browser application. The Internet site, or URL, for the NASA Business Opportunities home page is http://procurement.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/EPS/bizops.cgi?gr=D&pin= .

It is the offeror's responsibility to monitor the Internet site for the release of the draft solicitation and amendments (if any). Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of the draft solicitation and amendments (if any).

All contractual technical questions must be submitted in writing to Laura.e.freeman@nasa.gov. Telephone questions will not be accepted.

Point of Contact

Name: Laura E Freeman
Title: Contracting Officer
Phone: 304-367-8246
Fax: 304-367-8203
Email: laura.e.freeman@nasa.gov

Be a researcher for an evening on European researchers’ night

Friday 24 September

Geneva, 16 September 2010. On Friday 24 September, CERN[1] will be one of 260 European locations involved in the 5th edition of the European Researchers’ Night, an initiative funded by the European Union’s Science and Society programme aimed at highlighting the appeal of being a researcher and promoting scientific research among young Europeans. CERN is taking part in the BEST project - Being a European Scientist Today – organized in partnership with project coordinator, Frascati Scienza[2], the Erasmus Medical Centre[3] in Rotterdam and EFDA-JET[4].


In keeping with previous editions of the event, scientific research will be presented to the public in an engaging and original way. In Frascati, the entire city with its historical buildings provides the location for an intense programme including science cafés, concerts, debates with scientists and interactive exhibitions, along with visits to the numerous laboratories based in the area, for an entire week starting on September 18 and culminating on the Researchers’ Night.

During the night, a rich parallel programme will engage the public in Frascati, Rotterdam and Geneva from 17:00CEST to 01:00 the following morning. At CERN, some 150 young students from local schools will be given the opportunity to sit side by side with scientists and operators in the LHC accelerator and detectors’ control rooms, experiencing the excitement of research at the high-energy frontier with the world’s most powerful particle accelerator.

The main focus of this 5th edition will be international networking, demonstrated through a live webcast – the Globe Show. From 17:00 to 01:00, the Globe Show will come live from CERN’s Globe of Science and Innovation, Frascati’s main square, the JET laboratory and the Erasmus Medical Centre. The Globe Show will bring together scientists involved with the latest advancements in particle physics, astrophysics, medicine and research on new forms of energy, thanks to an unprecedented network of high-quality teleconferences put together by Tandberg for the project partners. Audiences at all the project’s locations will be able to ask questions of physicists in the control rooms at CERN, scientists from the Ice Cube experiment at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica, Nobel laureate Sam Ting at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, where he is preparing the AMS detector for its journey to the International Space Station, and ESA astronaut Roberto Vittori.

Among the highlights of the webcast is the participation of Nobel Laureate Georges Smoot, (Physics 2006), who will relate how research into the infinitesimally small, such as particle physics at the LHC, is intimately connected to cosmology, the science of the infinitely large.

All the sites involved will keep their permanent exhibitions and visitor centres open until midnight.

For more information and to follow the live webcast:

English: www.researchersnight.net
French: www.nuitdeschercheurs.eu
Italian: www.nottedeiricercatori.eu
Dutch: www.nachtvandeonderzoeker.eu


Contact :

CERN Press Office, press.office@cern.ch
+41 22 767 34 32
+41 22 767 21 41

More Companies to Take Advantage of Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service

To view this document on the department website, please click on the following link:
http://www.international.gc.ca/media_commerce/comm/news-communiques/2010/293.aspx

International Trade Minister Urges More Companies to Take Advantage of Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service

Recent study shows trade commissioners give their clients’ exports an 18-percent boost

(No. 293 - September 15, 2010 - 11:45 a.m. ET) The Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister of International Trade, today met with members of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters to promote the benefits of using Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) and update them on the government’s trade and investment agenda.

A recent study shows Canadian exporters are more successful when they use the TCS, a network of trade and investment professionals who help businesses succeed abroad.

Entitled The Impact of Trade Promotion Services on Canadian Exporter Performance, the study found that:

TCS clients export 18 percent more by value than non-TCS clients;
TCS clients export to 36 percent more markets; and
for every tax dollar spent on the TCS, Canadian exports increased $27.
“This study shows that the Trade Commissioner Service is an essential link for Canadian companies who are looking to do business beyond our borders,” said Minister Van Loan. “With offices in more than 150 cities throughout the world and 18 offices in Canada, our trade commissioners offer an unparalleled network of contacts and are making a difference in helping Canadian business expand abroad.

“Canada’s trade commissioners are highly effective in assisting small and medium-sized companies to access new markets, overcome trade barriers and diversify their products. The TCS offers its business clients the right formula for success, and it is helping create jobs and prosperity for Canadians.”

“I am not surprised at the results of this study, as many of our members benefit from the Trade Commissioner Service,” said Jayson Myers, President and Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters. “The TCS network is like having an office abroad where Canadian companies can obtain hands-on service, real-time advice and solid after care.”

The TCS serves some 10,000 clients a year. Over half the clients have 50 or fewer employees. During the study period from 2000 to 2006, Canadian companies exported $360 billion a year, which supported 3.4 million jobs, about a quarter of all Canadian employment.

This new study also provides a benchmark in time that will help to improve services for Canadian business in the future. A follow-up study will be conducted in 2013 to measure ongoing success and identify new opportunities.

The TCS helps companies succeed globally and lowers the costs of doing business through four key services: preparing for international markets, assessing market potential, finding qualified contacts and solving problems.

In addition to highlighting the findings on the TCS, Minister Van Loan told the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters that in less than four years, the Government of Canada had concluded new free trade agreements with Colombia, Peru, Jordan, Panama and the European Free Trade Association states of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Canada has also launched discussions on economic partnerships with two of the world’s largest economies, the European Union and India.

“The TCS puts boots on the ground to give muscle to our aggressive free trade agenda,” said the Minister.

A special feature on the study can be found at Canada’s State of Trade: Trade and Investment Update 2010.

- 30 -

For further information, media representatives may contact:

Monika Bujalska
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Peter Van Loan
Minister of International Trade
613-992-9304

Trade Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
613-996-2000

Basel III is threatening loses to small and medium companies

The following text is in German and meant for German companies, translate using your browser.

Folgeschäden für den Mittelstand drohen bei Basel III

BVMW schlägt Mittelstandsklausel bei Eigenkapitalunterlegung vor

Berlin – Für die Einführung einer Mittelstandsklausel bei Basel III hat sich Mario Ohoven, Präsident des Bundesverbandes mittelständische Wirtschaft (BVMW) und des europäischen Mittelstandsdachverbands (CEA-PME), ausgesprochen. „Mit den neuen Eigenkapitalregeln für Banken drohen dem Mittelstand erhebliche Folgeschäden. Hier muss die Bundesregierung zum Schutze der deutschen Wirtschaft aktiv werden.“

Basel III löse nicht das Grundproblem der Ungleichbehandlung, so der deutsche und europäische Mittelstandspräsident. Kredite an kleine und mittlere Unternehmen würden nach wie vor mit höheren Risikoge­wichten bemessen als risikoreichere Investitionen, etwa in griechische Staatsanleihen. „Eine Erhöhung der durchschnittlichen Eigenkapitalunterlegung durch die Banken geht daher überproportional zu Lasten des Mittelstands“, so Ohoven.

Dies müsse durch eine Senkung der Risikoge­wichte für Kredite an den Mittelstand kompensiert werden. Ohoven schlug vor, im Standardansatz für ein Portfolio von kleinteiligen Mittelstandskrediten nur noch ein Risikogewicht von 50 statt bisher 75 Prozent vorzuschreiben. „Die Klein- und Mittelbetriebe haben die Bankenkrise nicht verschuldet, sondern das System stabilisiert. Deshalb muss das Basel III-Regelwerk das geringere Risiko für Mittelstandskredite entsprechend berücksichtigen.“

New Mercedes SLS E-Cell

Mercedes subsidiary AMG has allowed us a first peek at its new e-cell car with rather fantastic performance. For good sales figures are responsible 4 synchron motors with combined power of 392kW and max. torque of 880 Nm, they revolve at 12000 max. revolutions per min. Each electro motor is built into each wheel, making unsuspended masses much smaller than usually making the ride very smooth.
The power comes from a set of Lithium-Ion high voltage batteries. The can hold up to 48kWh and release current up to 40A. No new how long takes recharging. So far the cars I have seen like the Tesla, or Nissan Leaf are ridiculously short on driving, and long on charging. If someone uses his or hers car for commuting only, it could make sense to own one as only a second car.

From Chinese sources (Ernest & Young China)we get info that around 60% of persons/drivers surveyed have great interest in electric car and especially in a hybrid one.

We get several news that in Japan, Nissan started to sell recharging stations for its Leaf, and in Germany, an E.ON an energy supplier and TUV Bayern opened its first inductive recharging station in Starnberg.

AMS experiment takes off for Kennedy Space Center

Geneva, 18 August 2010. The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), an experiment that will search for antimatter and dark matter in space, leaves CERN1 next Tuesday on the next leg of its journey to the International Space Station. The AMS detector2 is being transported from CERN to Geneva International Airport in preparation for its planned departure from Switzerland on 26 August, when it will be flown to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on board a US Air Force Galaxy transport aircraft.

A press conference to mark the occasion will be held at the press room of Geneva International Airport at 9:00 CEST on 25 August, and journalists will have the opportunity to visit the AMS detector and the aircraft. Those wishing to attend to the visit should contact the CERN press office by 12:00 CEST on Monday 23 August at the latest, providing their nationality, date of birth and passport or identity card number. This document must also be presented before the visit. Please note that only the people who have registered will be able to go on the apron to visit the AMS detector and the aircraft. Journalists who would like to see the arrival of the AMS detector at Kennedy Space Center on 26 August are invited to apply until 19 August. Details are available from ESA: http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM0R65OJCG_index_0.html.

AMS will examine fundamental issues about matter and the origin and structure of the Universe directly from space. Its main scientific target is the search for dark matter and antimatter, in a programme that is complementary to that of the Large Hadron Collider.

Last February the AMS detector travelled from CERN to the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk (Netherlands) for testing to certify its readiness for travel into space. Following the completion of the testing, the AMS collaboration decided to return the detector to CERN for final modifications. In particular, the detector’s superconducting magnet was replaced by the permanent magnet from the AMS-01 prototype, which had already flown into space in 1998. The reason for the decision was that the operational lifetime of the superconducting magnet would have been limited to three years, because there is no way of refilling the magnet with liquid helium, necessary to maintain the magnet’s superconductivity, on board the space station. The permanent magnet, on the other hand, will now allow the experiment to remain operational for the entire lifetime of the ISS.

Following its return to CERN, the AMS detector was therefore reconfigured with the permanent magnet before being tested with CERN particle beams. The tests were used to validate and calibrate the new configuration before the detector leaves Europe for the last time.

“The entire AMS collaboration is delighted by this departure, because it marks a crucial milestone for the experiment. We are getting close to the space shuttle launch and the moment when our detector will finally be installed on board the ISS,” explained Professor Sam Ting, Nobel laureate and spokesman for the experiment. “The detector’s construction phase is now finished and we are eager for the data collection phase to begin.”

“The launch of AMS detector is very timely,” added Roberto Petronzio, President of the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics. “Today we are well aware of our ignorance of Universe’s most abundant constituents and we still challenge the puzzle of matter-antimatter asymmetry. Furthermore, recent results from the Pamela experiment suggest scenarios for important discoveries for AMS. The experiment stems from a large international collaboration joining the effort of major European funding agencies with the US and China.”

Upon arrival at the Kennedy Space Center, AMS will be installed in a clean room for a few more tests. A few weeks later, the detector will be moved to the space shuttle. NASA is planning the last flight of the space shuttle programme, which will carry AMS into space, for the end of February 2011.

Once docked to the ISS, AMS will search for antimatter and dark matter by measuring cosmic rays. Data collected in space by AMS will be transmitted to Houston (USA) and on to CERN’s Prévessin site, where the detector control centre will be located, and to a number of regional physics analysis centres set up by the collaborating institutes.

"We are proud that this detector, which will play such an important role, will be flown from Geneva International Airport to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida," said Robert Deillon, General Manager of Geneva International Airport.

Contact

CERN Press Office, press.office@cern.ch
+41 22 767 34 32
+41 22 767 21 41



1.CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is the world's leading laboratory for particle physics. It has its headquarters in Geneva. At present, its Member States are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. India, Israel, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United States of America, Turkey, the European Commission and UNESCO have Observer status.

2.The AMS detector components were produced by an international team, with substantial contributions from CERN Member States (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Switzerland), and from China (Taipei) and the United States. The detector was assembled at CERN, with the assistance of the Laboratory’s technical services.

Swiss post under the criticism of Privacy Groups

Swiss Privacy Foundation and the SKS (Swiss consumer protection authority)protest against the new law authorizing continuous surveillance of the traffic, which (it is new) includes schools, hospitals, and hotels.
It obliges not only providers, but also third parties to invest heavily in surveillance hardware. Especially hotels in Switzerland are heavily under capitalised, and according to industry spokesman some 30% of the qualify for closing.

Smart Meters market faces problems in Germany

Energy markets in EMEA and especially in Germany, where new technologies play increasingly there, that new legislation allows for the consumer, to choose energy provider, and type of energy used. This has complicated to staid situation of measuring and billing for energy.
Certainly will every good citizen decide for the expensive meter, which would analyze and tell him when is the best moment to switch hie next batch of washings for the cheapest rate.
However is as surely every provider or reseller, try to postpone such situation of billing transparency that allows consumer to use its energy in a best and least expensive way possible.
Provider would like to derail or postpone such situation, so it could make his own inefficiency obscure to the consumer.
Citing various technical excuses, like incompatible standards, wireless or wire connections, time delays and data flood or overcapacity.
German government has indicated they want action and expect that by the year 2020 over 80% of all households would be equipped with smart meters. Industry is saying laud and clear, they see that goal unobtainable, and the guilty shall be parliament and or industry influenced legislation or lack of it.

EMS leader Foxcomm has reached over 50% of total market

The known EMS leader, Foxconn (after iSuppli) is going to control over 50% of the market already in 2011. With revenues (Q1 2010) of $17,1b is almost 3 times bigger than the next EMS Flextronics, which in turn is twice as big as its 3rd place holder Jabil Cirquit.

With Apple iPad contracting is Foxconn not sole leader in the market.

ISRO Launches Gagan Satellite Navigation System

August 16, 2010 | Satellite Today | Staff Writer
[Satellite TODAY 08-16-10] The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has launched the GPS-supported Geo Augmented Navigation (Gagan) satellite navigation system to aid Indian air traffic, the organization announced Aug. 12.
Gagan, based on a constellation of 24 satellites positioned in six different orbital locations, aims to provide seamless coverage of air traffic from South Asia to Africa and connect to the systems of Europe and Japan. It is expected to enhance marine and transport navigation, search and rescue operations, survey, and mapping.
The Gagan program is a joint initiative between ISRO and the Airports Authority of India, which said the system would enable airlines to chart direct routes — as they will be less dependent on the ground-based radar systems, save fuel and increase efficiency. The system also would enhance safety features for the airlines by providing services such as precision approach guidance to runways in any weather conditions and increased air-to-air surveillance.

Export grew strongly in Germany

EMEA markets slowly come out of the big letter R, and especially Germany, the export champion have clocked really good numbers: in June +30% against June 2009, and 26% in the first 6 months. Generally in the electronic industry specifically the growth in June 2010 was even 42%.

Not forgetting other crisis of the recent, especially in the financial sector, we can cautiously say that that with so far results, we can expect the growth of exports this year at 8%. What still is high comparing that industry has suffered in the 2009.

Distortions in the supply chain (allocation lists, rise in rare earth material prices, short and long term contracts, rise in Yen value) breaking the progress.

Facing raw materials crisis?

Markt & Technik, is asking the question which in the minds of majority in the electronic industry we face already for years. Shortages occur periodically, remember the Osaka earthquake (90's) where a major resin producer was put out of business causing several months long shortage of resin used to package IC's?
Material used for production of HD, batteries, flat displays and so on. China is the exporter of 93% of world supply of rare earth materials
http://www.baotou-rareearth.com/?gclid=CIv8p4mnu6MCFUQq3wodDFhcdg.

Recently China decided to reduce its exports successively and by 2015 to stop exporting them all together.

Apparently export limits are drastic, For export destined rare earth materials were 22.24 t. in the first 6 months of 2010, comparing that with only 7.98 t. for the second half of 2010, making total exports in 2010 amounting to just over 30 t. Comparing that with exports of over 50 t. in 2009. Europeans and the Americans are concerned that China could use its superior position to dictate prices in the future. Gontermann is noting tat already in July prices on some of these rare materials rose by up to 50%. This could lead to distortions in the supply chain, and even to its collapse.
In response the US and Australia is working hard to increase supply of these rare materials to compensate the coming shortage but authorities warn that will take at least 2 years to make up for the difference.

Skype raises funding on NASDAQ

Skype, a Luxembourg-based provider of internet telephony, said it planned to raise $100m through an initial public offering on the NASDAQ stockmarket. The company, which was founded in 2003, was acquired by eBay in 2005. The online auction site sold 70% of its stake for about $2 billion last year, following legal disputes with Skype’s founders.

new US law, takes "blood" cell phones in its sights

In July, US congress approved the new law, that obliges publicly listed companies to disclose use of specific materials like Tantal, Gold, Tungsten and Tin which may come from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Definitely, the raw materials, especially from lands with no state structures or with collapsed state control, like in Somalia, Congo, Liberia etc. Naomi Campbell is an exception which confirms rules, that big money is involved. John de la Carrè was writing about state involvement in supporting rouge groups, in areas like Goma (Congo), Rwanda, Uganda, and even Kenya where Europeans, Americans, and even recently Chinese play in search of more and more scarce resources, for rapidly increasing industrial consumption.

BASF has joined development of batteries for e-cars

Is electro-mobility a term designed to descrobe mobility via electric driven vehcles, Iris Strom is writing in German.

Einige haben sich die Zeit genommen und mir per Email Ihre Meinung zum Thema E-Mobilität zukommen lassen. Zunächst also erst einmal ein herzliches Dankeschön an alle! Natürlich wollte nicht jeder, dass ich seine Meinung auf unserer Website veröffentliche, einem Wunsch, dem ich selbstverständlich nachkomme. Doch ich lege jedem nahe, sich die Zeit zu nehmen und die zur Veröffentlichung freigegebenen Meinungen (Kommentare zum Thema Elektromobilität) zu lesen. Denn mit teils sehr deutlichen Worten fordern die Leserbriefschreiber, der deutschen/europäischen Automobilindustrie keine Fördergelder in den Rachen zu schieben.
Ich möchte aber darauf hinweisen, dass auch die gegenteilige Meinung zu hören war, nämlich, dass es ohne massive Subventionen nicht machbar wäre, Elektroautos in Masse zu produzieren!
Allerdings möchte ich betonen, dass sich die Mehrheit ganz klar gegen eine Subventionierung der OEMs ausspricht - schade eigentlich, dass die Politiker sich selten wirklich für die Meinung ihrer Wähler interessieren.


Iris Stroh

Components shortages drive use of unauthorized copies

Passive and mechanical components vendors suffer from copies, as allocations lists elongate. Distributors are forced to use them to make sure the production lines are running. According to Jean Quecke, of TTI, the problem arose late in 2009 and is going to extend into 2011 when the Supply Chain should return to normality. Distributors use vendors delivery notes as a proof of guarantee for product quality and reliability. Sometimes for the expediency vendors require also use of brokerages, where such documentation is not easily available.

iPhone and Blackberry are on a way out?

It Mr. Thomas de Maiziere (CDU) and Sebastian Edathly (SPD) had their ways, already all iPhones and Blackberrys would be on their way out of the German Bundestag (Parliament).

Recent bans in Saudi Arabia doe not seem so outrageous any more. The news we be getting are such that Blackberry has survived the critical data security test.

Having similar objections many in the parliament view the possible PDF bug in iPhone applications may contribute to the distrust of parliamentarians. Once this PDF bug is activated, the sender could take control of the smart phone.

Organizing a catastrophe-Love parade in Duisburg

Recently organized (or mis-organized) Love Parade in Duisburg cost more than 20 lives. It has to be said that quite a few large events went well, without major tragedies, thus critics should agree that organization rules if properly implemented could provide adequate safety.
Markt & Technik, Heinz Arnold is lamenting on insufficient use to available technologies gered to serve and to protect such as digital police radio, more explicit by-laws, and other ideas.
From where I am standing, I know it is hard to predict human crowd's behavior in a suddenly stressing situations.
Technology might be helpful, certainly. But common sense, a degree of mistrust and a healthy dose of precautions, provisions for expanding spaces, exits, and crowd control in real time, and with macro-management.

We hope such tragedy wont happen again. But as it was said about wars: if you want to avoid a catastrophe, prepare for it.

1 million electric cars before 2020 is not going to happen

This said Ferdinand Dudenhöffer of the University Duisburg-Essen. German government has prepared subsidy package worth €500 millions to make things happen. Instead 10 times is needed to catch up with development in foreign countries, particularly in China. He projected that only 6,200.000 cars are going to be rolling in 2010 worldwide. All battery or hybrid driven vehicles, It is mistaken assumption that by the year 2025 the barrel of oil would cost $350, and electric car would cost less than $40,000 in 2011. In fact a battery driven Nissan Leaf already cost around $33,000 in 2009. He points out that still in 2009, there were only 1588 electric cars running in Germany. The very ambitious plan for 600,000 Plug-in Hybrid is "grossly overambitious". He points out that:
R&D efforts are to be strongly increased especially as comparing to that of States and China
Germany needs a beaker/watch tower type of projects that give direction to industrial ventures, not small mostly "pedestrian" research piece meal efforts.
Urban centers must prepare themselves for making traffic organization more friendly to the electro car. e-cars should allowed to use bus lines in rush hour.

Making car batteries more efficient, and regenerating, manufacturing such batteries would bring additional employment of 100,000 new jobs.
Companies like Bosch, Evonik, SB-LiMotive or Merck invest heavily in such technologies. However Dudenhöffer is not advising to buy e-car any time soon. He warns for so called "write-off premium" on such cars, and this is another down side of the e-car, its depreciation is much more rapid than a classic vehicle.

ICHEP 2010 conference highlights first results from the LHC

Geneva, 26 July 2010. First results from the LHC at CERN* are being revealed at ICHEP, the world’s largest international conference on particle physics, which has attracted more than 1000 participants to its venue in Paris. The spokespersons of the four major experiments at the LHC – ALICE, ATLAS, CMS and LHCb – are today presenting measurements from the first three months of successful LHC operation at 3.5 TeV per beam, an energy three and a half times higher than previously achieved at a particle accelerator.

With these first measurements the experiments are rediscovering the particles that lie at the heart of the Standard Model – the package that contains current understanding of the particles of matter and the forces that act between them. This is an essential step before moving on to make discoveries. Among the billions of collisions already recorded are some that contain 'candidates' for the top quark, for the first time at a European laboratory.

“Rediscovering our ‘old friends’ in the particle world shows that the LHC experiments are well prepared to enter new territory” said CERN’s Director-General Rolf Heuer. “It seems that the Standard Model is working as expected. Now it is down to nature to show us what is new.”

The quality of the results presented at ICHEP bears witness both to the excellent performance of the LHC and to the high quality of the data in the experiments. The LHC, which is still in its early days, is making steady progress towards its ultimate operating conditions. The luminosity – a measure of the collision rate - has already risen by a factor of more than a thousand since the end of March. This rapid progress with commissioning the LHC beam has been matched by the speed with which the data on billions of collisions have been processed by the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid, which allows data from the experiments to be analysed at collaborating centres around the world.

“Within days we were finding Ws, and later Zs – the two carriers of the weak force discovered here at CERN nearly 30 years ago,” said Fabiola Gianotti, spokesperson for the 3000-strong ATLAS collaboration. “Thanks to the efforts of the whole collaboration, in particular the young scientists, everything from data-taking at the detector, through calibration, data processing and distribution, to the physics analysis, has worked fast and efficiently.”

“It is amazing to see how quickly we have ‘re-discovered’ the known particles: from the lightest resonances up to the massive top quark. What we have shown here in Paris is just the first outcome of an intense campaign of accurate measurements of their properties.” said Guido Tonelli, spokesperson for CMS. “This patient and systematic work is needed to establish the known background to any new signal.”

“The LHCb experiment is tailor-made to study the family of b particles, containing beauty quarks,” said the experiment’s spokesperson Andrei Golutvin, “So it’s extremely gratifying that we are already finding hundreds of examples of these particles, clearly pin-pointed through the analysis of many particle tracks.”

“The current running with proton collisions has allowed us to connect with results from other experiments at lower energies, test and improve the extrapolations made for the LHC, and prepare the ground for the heavy-ion runs,” said Jurgen Schukraft, spokesperson for the ALICE collaboration. This experiment is optimized to study collisions of lead ions, which will occur in the LHC for the first time later this year.

Two further experiments have also already benefited from the first months of LHC operation at 3.5 TeV per beam. LHCf, which is studying the production of neutral particles in proton-proton collisions to help in understanding cosmic-ray interactions in the Earth’s atmosphere, has already collected the data it needs at a beam energy of 3.5 TeV. TOTEM, which has to move close to the beams for its in-depth studies of the proton, is beginning to make its first measurements.

CERN will run the LHC for 18-24 months with the objective of delivering enough data to the experiments to make significant advances across a wide range of physics processes. With the amount of data expected, referred to as one inverse femtobarn, the experiments should be well placed to make inroads in to new territory, with the possibility of significant discoveries.

Photos :
http://press.web.cern.ch/press/PressReleases/Releases2010/PR15.10E.html

Contact :
CERN Press Office, press.office@cern.ch

Boards and Solutions Conference in Munich

ICC Media has organized a one day conference dedicated to
-Industrial Automation
-Medical
-Transportation

Technology sessions on open standards (VME/VPX, cPCI and xTCA as it is called now) and Small form factor boards (COMe, Q7, Core express, etc)

Main sponsors from Congatech, Eurotech, Kontron, Lippert and Schroff. The show has definitely regional character restricting itself to southern part of Germany, but mostly from Bavaria.
From program point of view discussions addresses basic issues and gave actual applications which alleviated the issues of applicability, new improvements, even very minute ones like a connector from Harting or a single fastener from Schroff. Good organization throughout, but heat has spoilt some of the fun, and some people stayed in the shade most likely. That is what I hear from by asking why someone missed the show.

Sitting in a traffic jam in front of Gottardo tunnel

Gottardo Tunnel is Europe's most critical transport installation, with traffic passing at the rate of 40,000 vehicles per day. It is 17 km long, two tubes, but only one is traffic ready, the second is a rescue and evacuation tube, smaller in size, with connection to the main tube every 250 m. These connections are allowing for evacuation of passengers into a separately ventilated area from which they can walk out of the tunnel at each end.
It is well ventilated, well lit, and with ample signage for drivers. Traffic information is being fed into each vehicle radio system allowing drivers to follow police instructions. Its is a huge investment, and well run business too. This business is not free, each passing car has to purchase a CHF 40 sticker, which when is placed on the windshield allows a car to ride through Swiss highways for the period of 13 month (a calendar year plus next January). As the great majority of passing vehicles are non-swiss, thus extra francs flow into Swiss highway coffers. As for exactly the same reasons that majority of vehicles are coming from EU, hence the Swiss demand large compensations for the tunnel and highway upkeep. I was told that such subsidy reaches close to a billion € per year. Thus there is huge stake in traffic controlling such flow of funds, huge stake.
I am passing through the tunnel twice each month, North to South and back. Since I select the day and time of the passage, usually I am lucky to see the traffic jam on the opposing side of the highway. I avoid weekends naturally. Doing this ride for over 10 years quite regularly I have noticed certain patterns and formed some opinions.

Newspapers report periodically on Environmental rallies, protests organized by colorful bunch of outfits including local communities genuinely concerned with children exposure to the exhaust fumes, of vehicles idle in traffic jams at the entry points to the tunnel. Traffic jams that stretch for several kilometers each tunnels end. In addition, lorries are being sorted out all along the highway stretch from Basel to Chiasso on the Italian border. Lorries are obliged to exit highway at designated parking lots, where they undergo papers check, technical inspection and other possible harassment from the authorities. Try to spot a Swiss lorry in the lot, never, they seem to be oblivious to such orderly procedures. Each stop takes many hours of lining up into the parking lot, going through the motions there, then leaving and driving off the highways at the next point. A trip that normally takes 5 hours with good lunch at Airolo's restaurant, grows to 24hrs or longer. It increases time thus costs of transportation. That is why in Switzerland lorry transport is best to buy from local shipping companies. No competition from larger markets like Germany, France or Italy. Their costs are clearly higher due to the very procedures. Besides basic expenses there is a weekend ban on lorry driving from Friday 10PM till Monday morning. If your driver get caught up, you will add 48 hours to your scheduled trip for Switzerland only. That is on top of cost of Gottardo.

Standing in front of the tunnel for hours takes you doing things you normally would never do. Like taking time of traffic lights controlling 2 line entry to the tunnel. There are 2 traffic lights at each end, one for each line. The sequence runs more or less like this: cars and lorries revving during red light phase. It takes from 30 seconds up to over 1,5 minutes for red to change. All depending on traffic situation, and the desire of causing a traffic jam, by the operator. The phase changes to green, and then both line flash green at the same time. It takes from 15 seconds to 1 minute, again the same reasons. No wonder that traffic piles up quickly, showing everyone that there is “ a Gottardo tunnel traffic problem”. With ratio 2 to one against the green, the till clings in Brussels but for the Swiss.
The tunnel itself needs constant maintenance, and it would require a fundamental refurbishing by 2020, when it would close for 2 years. By the time the railways tunnel (54 km) long is going to (presumably) be taking all the traffic on rails. This is going to be welcomed by the locals, who do not see a pollution from power generating stations. By the time, I am going to be happily back in Canada, enjoying fishing and good cuisine, rather than standing in traffic jams cooked up by the transportation officials hungry of subsidies and the local police.

Whichever way you want to look at it, its is all man made.

AMD is re-entering Embedded Markets

After establishing itself as a vendor to Telecommunications, in view of several bold moves by Intel with Atom for embedded applications, it did look like AMD would be left out for industrial applications. Not so says Peter Hoser from Fujitsu Technology Solutions. Its new Mini-ITX boards feature ASB 1 and 2 and the high performance AM3. As it looks like the Fujitsu is the exclusive channel assigned to the role of boards vendor. Fujitsu is going to market its products to two biggest boards markets in EMEA and North America. Looks like Intel has still a competitor to battle. After all if i had no competitors around I would most likely be in the wrong business.

Cars use more and more MEMS sensors, good news for industry

Recent indicators given out by several industry monitors, confirm the solid growth in automotive applications, like acceleration, pressure, shock, vibration, and other sensitive applications. iSuppli quotes 18% growth as opposing to the year 2009, and even rose above the record year of 2007. 40% will be delivered in North America, around 1/3 in Europe the rest mostly in Asia.
At the same time bottleneck situation continues in the IC area in general and also in capacitors.
As mentioned in this blog earlier, lead times continue to grow longer.

Automatica 2010, the show goes on with more pep than before

This years edition of Automatica was astounding success. It may tell us a positive story we all badly need and longing to read in the Embedded Industry as well as in others. In comparing to the year 2008, this years edition was bigger and better. Visitors jumped to some 32000, not quite on the par with 2008 admitting organizers, but we expected only 30000 this year (?). However foreign visitors came in droves (34% as opposing to 26% 2 years before), Exhibitors were 708 as opposing to 868 2 years ago.
The organizers tried to prove badly that the crisis is over and we are back to business.
Not quite so sees the writer. It is plain to all who attended the press conference: Exhibitors are still reluctant to invest marketing activities, expecting (justly) fewer visitors from home markets. And they were right, fewer visitors from Germany made the foreign component larger in entire visitors account.

The so called "positive Bilanz" is still going to be waiting until 2012 the next edition of this still interesting event. That is not what organizers wanted to say.
Munich exhibitor area is an excellent facility, well connected, hotels, restaurants, etc, for several venues, however, the trend is to move out to Nuremberg (SMS/Drives) and those which stay tend to morph into a regional rather than national shows. Productronica and Electronica comes to mind, or even close like the Systems have done. I remember that sometimes at Systems there we all 12 pavilions, full of exhibitors, where now 5-6 are taken at the most. It may be some trend here but if so the crisis started way before the 2008 when Lehman Brothers bank collapsed in September.

The Economist comments on the debt economy of today

Looking for faster growth for your company? Borrow money and make an acquisition. And if the economy is in recession, let the government go into deficit to bolster spending. When the European Union countries met in May to deal with the Greek crisis, they proposed a €750 billion ($900 billion) rescue programme largely consisting of even more borrowed money.
Debt increased at every level, from consumers to companies to banks to whole countries. The effect varied from country to country, but a survey by the McKinsey Global Institute found that average total debt (private and public sector combined) in ten mature economies rose from 200% of GDP in 1995 to 300% in 2008 (see chart 1 for a breakdown by country). There were even more startling rises in Iceland and Ireland, where debt-to-GDP ratios reached 1,200% and 700% respectively. The burdens proved too much for those two countries, plunging them into financial crisis. Such turmoil is a sign that debt is not the instant solution it was made out to be. The market cheer that greeted the EU package for Greece lasted just one day before the doubts resurfaced.
From early 2007 onwards there were signs that economies were reaching the limit of their ability to absorb more borrowing. The growth-boosting potential of debt seemed to peter out. According to Leigh Skene of Lombard Street Research, each additional dollar of debt was associated with less and less growth (see chart 2).

Stopping the debt supercycle
The big question is whether this rapid build-up of debt—a phenomenon which Martin Barnes of the Bank Credit Analyst, a research group, has dubbed the “debt supercycle”—has now come to an end. Debt reduction has become a hot political issue. Rioters on the streets of Athens have been protesting against the “junta of the markets” that is imposing austerity on the Greek economy, and tea-party activists in America, angry about trillion-dollar deficits and growing government involvement in the economy, have been upsetting the calculations of both the Democratic and Republican party leaderships.
To understand why debt may have become a burden rather than a boon, it is necessary to go back to first principles. Why do people, companies and countries borrow? One obvious answer is that it is the only way they can maintain their desired level of spending. Another reason is optimism; they believe the return on the borrowed money will be greater than the cost of servicing the debt. Crucially, creditors must believe that debtors’ incomes will rise; otherwise how would they be able to pay the interest and repay the capital?


From charts you can very easily deduct that countries like Germany and Canada, but especially the BRIC countries are riping positive effects of their predicament, they are fast growing, even Germany was hailed as a export champion even in the 2010 again. Canada healthy banking system (however with limited, strongly regulated competition) is not breaking the C$ raise to a par with CHF and at 1.34 to the €.
For the whole article please log in to the latest issue of the Economist.

For Embedded Industry the growth is back, however stumbling, on Allocation, on rise in prices on BOM, lead times cause delivery problems for smaller players. Who is serving Mil markets in States, or some mil markets in EMEA the business is good if not brisk. EMEA shows increase in sophistication and complexity of some new project, simply demand on performance plays increasingly stronger role.

Swiss Economic Forum 2010

After a short disruption, the Economic Forum started last in June with around 1300 guests among them Tony Blair, the star of this even. He called for closer cooperation between state and economy. Using terms like freedom, democracy, tolerance and free trade he saw way out of the crisis which in his mind was financial and state at the same time. Paul Krugman, president Obama's consultant on economy noted that economic recovery is disappointing, he wanted to note that fears of inflation are missing.
Controversial discussions concentrated about the role of banks in the Swiss and in the international economies as banks in many parts of the world are being partly or mostly nationalized.
For Swiss companies it is important that banks remain partners to small and medium companies.

Leading them of the event is continous discussion on the role Switzerland should play in the new realities of Europe and the world. Since collapse of the soviet union, reunification of large tracts of central and eastern Europe, neutral Switzerland is becoming less and less relevant. Each trades with others, with little need for a place to store funds in the private bank and to send children for education. Competition from educational institutions world wide was made schools here irrelevant, and secrecy was taken away from banks by not only USA but by French, German or Italian tax authorities. Raids on banks in Lichtenstein by the Germans, in Italy on UBS branch offices, and stealing banks information on French owners of accounts here by the French tax authorities. The French had a "chutzpach" to return disks with bank data claiming they did not copied them. Yeah!

Well this year when you visit this little country, stay in hotels, dine in restaurants, you notice fewer crowds, roomier lakeshore caffe's, more parking places. Interesting being is that with strongest swiss frank in years against € the prices have not been brought down, making already high prices still higher. In affect the Swiss have priced themselves out of the business. There is noe silver lining though, the Chinese flock here like mad, their numbers trippled from a year earlier. Jewelery shops in tourist cities like Lucerne, Zurich and Geneva have deals with travel agencies and bus loads are parked in front delivering crowds buying swiss watches. Sales clerks speak any language you can imagine. Typical discount is 10% or equivalent of the roughly 8% VAT. Still, I am buying my watches at the Stevensons store in Brooklyn, NY. Unfortunately they recently stopped to carry the Omega watches.

Kontron expands in Military and Aerospace markets

As Ulrich Gehrmann Kontron chairman, announced in March 2010 during the annual press conference, his company has stoked funds for expansion, and now he announced the acquisition of AP Labs Group a top system integrator group based also in San Jose, CA. Kontron's long term goal was to reinforce its presence in markets by offering extended range of not only services and products but complete solutions especially with the help of its French subsidiary Thales Computers and AP Labs is in central position to offer complete one stop-shop regionally and accross that range of industries. AP Labs annual revenues bring additional $30 Mio annually.

Where is Europe now with i2010- A European Information Society

i2010 - A European Information Society for growth and employment

i2010 was the EU policy framework for the information society and media. It promoted the positive contribution that information and communication technologies (ICT) can make to the economy, society and personal quality of life. The strategy is now coming to an end and is going to be followed by a new initiative – the Digital Agenda – in 2010.

Highlights:

Vice-President for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes welcomes Ministers' support for the European Digital Agenda, in particular the Ministerial Declaration on Digital Europe

This very ambitious Agenda has unfortunately disappointed the many supporters of progress on the continent. The Europe still lags beside the US in the number of higher educate populace, in the number and size of High Technology business, and in several aspects of a modern and fast growing society.
F
I was one of these believers in late 1980's. I sold my house and moved with family to realize the dream of a century. Europe was about to open up and reunite with the Central and Eastern economies that are now part and some like Poland quite successful within EU.

We did succeed in this and reached more. In 8 years from my arrival in Germany, our business grew by 4000% (meaning steady 500% growth annually!!!).

Europe still invest in technology but in States, so far that European investments in US exceed by 6 billion annually the US investments in Europe.

I see that not "new" agenda for the Digital Europe 2020 would not do much either.
Help me with argumentation to the contrary you all euro-enthusiasts by commenting below.


regards

Stefan

Digital Agenda for Europe is one of flagships of Europe 2020 – the Commission’s proposal on a new economic strategy

The Digital Agenda: challenges for Europe and the mobile industry - speech by Neelie Kroes, European Commissioner for Digital Agenda

Other highlights:

Europe's Digital Competitiveness Report 2009

Other highlights:
eYouGuide to your rights online
Broadband gap and economic recovery

Follow the trend or create a new one? How company should act in order to be called innovative and pioneering?

Helen has given great overview, usefull for all in the business. I think.

Below you may find research-based action tips for improvement of innovation performance in your very company.

1: Conceive of innovation as a business discipline, and then manage and execute it systematically. Please make it an end-to-end uniform process, from insight development and idea generation to development and marketplace launch.

2: Craft a precise definition of innovation’s role in the overall corporate strategy based on the company’s industry, market, and competitive environment. Define specific goals. What innovations do you need to build a sustainable competitive position and what value are the innovations expected to generate? Make innovation definition broad enough to no one be let off the hook. It is perfect to end up in the situation when [innovation is about continuously finding new sources of value and therefore executives are looking at the processes they currently have in place for identifying new sources of value, setting up teams to explore and execute around those sources, managing the teams, and measuring results.]

3: Focus much more time and resources on breakthrough, long-term, game-changing innovation. Play for high stake delivering breakthrough innovations based on “big bet” initiatives and spend less time on incremental innovation that yields only short-term benefits.

4: Take more risks, reward failure, and encourage continuous improvement. Thinking big and acting big will lead you to breakthrough innovations. Cultivate such skills and make them a corporate culture. It’s vital.

5: Measure innovation performance and results as you do other business functions, such as marketing, strategy, and operations. Keep your eyes open all the time: track detailed, disciplined, and consistent metrics about innovation performance, measure past success and estimate the future market impact of new products.

6: Focus on the customer experience and less on technology. Zero in on a problem looking for a technology solution rather than a technology solution looking for a problem. Listen and hear the very voice of the customer. For this use ethnographic, best-practice observational customer understanding techniques. You can’t develop something just because a room full of engineers think it’s cool.

7: Embrace open innovation and open innovation tools. Use external sources as far as keeping all innovation activities within your company is a recipe for failure.

8: Encourage idea generation from everywhere, both inside and outside your company. Include everyone from the highest levels of the company to the lowest. Often the most innovative ideas are submitted by junior employees.

9: Consider appointing a chief innovation officer and setting up a uniformity of command for corporate innovation accountability. Designating an executive to be accountable and leading innovation execution report results in [dramatically higher satisfaction levels across all aspects of their innovation performance.]

10: Have a dedicated budget for innovation. You will need an adequate level of resources to fund the innovation infrastructure. Just appointing a chief innovation officer isn’t enough.

To sum up the above stated try to combine innovative sole and brains, thoughts and actions and you will be able to achieve growth through innovation. What do you think of this? Would you use these tips or just consider them to be high-flown words?
Welcome with your opinions.


BR,
Helen Boyarchuk
Altabel Group
www.altabel.com
By Helen Boyarchuk, Marketing Manager at Altabel Group

2010 returns by Lance Spicer

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Dear Reader,

Before I get to our extended Guaranteed Return Offer, I'd like to talk
about this morning's fabulous Intel earnings release and what it means
for the broader market.

If you missed it, Intel announced earnings that were 4 times higher
than they were last year and they beat the analysts' estimates very
easily and on top of that raised their earnings guidance for the next
year. Terrific stuff! It shows that business is back (and to a lesser
extent consumers, but that will soon come) buying computers and
electronic equipment that require computer chips having put off
purchases for over two years to cut expenses and save cash. This is
one of the best indicators that the world economy is recovering from
the devastating Global Financial Crisis.

Obviously, when Wall St opens tonight we'll see tech stocks do very
well as the sector is always buoyed by any good announcements from
Intel.

But it's not just Intel that's doing well, the feeling of the general
markets, as indicated by the fear or volatility index, the VIX hasn't
been lower in two years. It now sits at 15 which is where it would
normally be in a bull market. This means professional traders and
investors are very comfortable where the market is and are prone to
keep this bull market going for the time being. Although, I do expect
a minor correction in coming weeks as is perfectly normal in a
situation such as this. I see these little "glitches" as nothing more
than opportunities to buy more stocks, and as you well know, I have
been pounding the table about tech stocks now for about a year.

Well, after the fabulous run they have had am I still bullish?

Yes, but now I'm starting to look towards the next phase of the
technology "boom" and this will encompass more companies at the
cutting edge of technology such as those suppling chips and parts for
things like Apple's new iPad and new advances in networking and
wireless technology. However, I'm not forgetting other great companies
involved in the mining industry and infrastructure - they have a role
to play in the economic recovery too and will be increasing their
earnings over the next year.

The next year or two will be an exciting time to be an investor.

Unisena Inc, an embedded software company new web presence

The Canadian company Unisena Inc. based in Ottawa, Ontario has new put new face in the web after 2 years since last major upgrade. The company has offices in Carlsbad, Ca, Zurich, Switzerland and is in the business since 1992. The company has also a subsidiary in Germany and in Czech Republic (independent capital subsidiary).
To contact them click on the web site URL: www.unisena.com

Productivity Pro Tip of the Week: Who’s in Charge: You or Your “Stuff”?

Who’s in Charge: You or Your “Stuff”? 

Do you own your possessions, or do your possessions own you? It's easy to get overwhelmed by all the stuff you've accumulated -- everything from toys and clothing, to tools and all the stuff you regularly use that still counts as clutter. If you're tired of all your stuff weighing you down, here are some ideas that may help you regain control. 


1.Have a systematic plan to get and stay organized. The key to getting organized is FOCUS. Focus on getting one thing completed before moving to the next area. Act like a postage stamp: stick to one thing until you get there. 


2.Eliminate clutter and resist adding more. Don't let your belongings control you. For a start, get rid of unhappy reminders from the past, stop keeping old magazines and newspapers, and don't buy things just because they're on sale. 


3.Keep your briefcase, tote, or purse organized and clutter-free. Don't carry stuff around just because you might need it someday: all you'll end up with is a cluttered mess and a backache. Carry only what you need on a daily basis, keep everything tucked into its own slot, and always put things back after using them. 


4.Maintain clutter-free drawers and closets. Don't just toss things in drawers and forget them. Make liberal use of file folders, trays, and dividers, and use baby food jars as handy paperclip holders and junk catchers. Closets should be subjected to a thorough cleaning at least twice a year. 


5.Organize memorabilia such as photos and keepsakes. Before taking the time to organize an item, determine if it's something you should be keeping in the first place. Don't keep stuff that doesn't have any specific meaning or use to you. 


6.Keep kids' toys, clothes, and books organized. Any family with children inevitably fights the battle of the messy monster. Having toys, clothes, and books around is inevitable, but clutter is not. Keep what's used, and get rid of the rest. 


7.Set up and maintain your kitchen in an organized fashion. We spend so much time in the kitchen putting groceries away, preparing meals, and doing dishes, it's important to maintain an organized space. Be picky about what you keep, and always have frequently-used items close at hand. 


8.Keep your car organized and clean. You don't want to have a two-ton trashcan on wheels. Organize the clutter that stays in the car, and never let anyone get out empty-handed -- make sure your trash leaves the car whenever you do. 


9.Set up an effective "office" space in your home. A home office isn't a luxury these days; it's just about a requirement. Offices can serve as the family computer center, a place to do paperwork, and the occasional work-at-home office. 


10.Keep your house neat, and tidy up daily. Cleaning up doesn't require anything fancy. Just make sure everything's in or near when it should be, and regularly put things away so it's easier to maintain a peaceful, productive frame of mind. 

If owning too much is a problem for you, get serious about de-cluttering your life. Otherwise all the clutter will weigh you down, putting pressure on your other pillars of productivity. Start organizing and thinning out your possessions a little bit at a time, and eventually you'll get there. You'll be amazed at how good you feel, and how much easier life will be, when all the junk's gone! 


© 2010 Laura Stack www.TheProductivityPro.com.

Is this the end of Bull Market?

Dear Reader,

The stock market is down over 4% in 2010 and investors are wondering whether this will be a profitable year or not? Could this be a repeat of 2008? We can guarantee it won’t be, but it will be a difficult year to make money anywhere. Property prices are struggling and cash returns are nothing short of dismal and don’t cover inflation after tax is paid. In fact, in cash in the bank is definitely a losing proposition. So, where can you make money in 2010?

We believe the stock market. We do however, expect the stock market to make moderate gains over the year with the rally resuming in mid March, but we think the volatility will ensure most average investors lose money. The “trick” to the stock market in 2010 is two-fold.

1. You must pick the fundamentally best stocks in the market today. Stocks with good balance sheets, strong cash flows and good management. They should also fit into “investment themes” we believe will play out in 2010 and 2011 as recovery takes hold, albeit slowly.

2. You should also have a disciplined trading approach that ensures your capital is protected and ensures also that you buy stocks at the cheapest prices possible. Following a proven set of rules is the only way you can make money at the moment.

At Trident Confidential we focus on these two aspects of stock market investment. The results shown are from this week’s issue of Trident Confidential and prove that if you follow our rules and buy the stocks we recommend you do, you will make money regardless of the market.

Stock bought a week ago 10.50%
Stock bought 2 weeks ago 7.89%
Stock bought 2 weeks ago 15.38%
Stock bought 2 weeks ago 6.67%
Stock bought 2 weeks ago 11.40%
Stock bought 2 weeks ago 7.36%
Stock bought 2 weeks ago 21.39%
Stock bought 3 weeks ago 1.88%
Stock bought 3 weeks ago 16.75%
Stock bought 3 weeks ago 2.41%
Stock bought a month ago 13.72%
Stock bought a month ago -2.75%
Stock bought a month ago 14.39%
Stock bought a month ago 5.29%
Stock bought a month ago 6.75%
Stock bought a month ago 32.20%
Stock bought a month ago 8.56%

Average Return for Trident Confidential stocks bought in 2010 13.41%

Oh, sure we have losses from time to time, but if you follow our rules, those losses will be limited and will be far outweighed by our profits. For example, sold stocks (losses and profits) in 2010 resulted in an average result of 19% profit per trade being realised - and in a down market too. That’s where picking the fundamentally best stocks comes into play.

Picking the right stocks in the first place will ensure when the market does begin to behave itself, the stocks you hold will rise the most.


Today's New Stock in Trident Confidential

This small Australian company is on the cutting edge of new technology that will dominate several industries in coming years. While the company is only "young", it already has some pretty big clients including some of America's biggest companies and the support of the Australian Government. Also, one of it's biggest shareholders is an "icon" in the investment world with one of the savviest investment management teams in Australia.

At the moment no-one is talking about this tiny company, but they will be soon when one of the largest contracts in history is awarded to it's business partners. The flow on to our small Australian stock pick will be enormous.

To Join Trident Confidential, Receive the "Best Stocks for 2010 Report" and read about our Latest Stock Tips, The Hidden Gems Portfolio, Receive all Lance's Books on CD and Have Access to our Full Archive - Click Here

Until next time.

Kind Regards
Lance Spicer
Editor, Trident Confidential - Still...The World's Highest Returning Newsletter since 2005.

Lance Spicer is qualified and licensed to provide investment advice on Managed Investments, Equities and Derivatives.

Trident Investment Management Pty Ltd is an authorised representative (No 339798) of The International Securities and Derivatives Group Pty Limited (ABN 22 103 552 683) holder of Australian Financial Services License (AFSL 227544)
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Fax: +61 2 95430216
www.tridentinvestment.com.au

The Stock Market Strategy You Need To Know if You Want To Make Money

Amateur investors like to think that by paying close attention to the
economic news, they can invest at the right time and place. However, a
careful analysis of the past reveals otherwise. Because the savviest
(and therefore biggest) investors are always looking six to nine
months ahead, and because their money is what really moves individual
stocks, the action of certain stocks tend to reflect the news that
you’ll read six to nine months from now. For example, just think back
to March 2009, when the market blasted off with a 70% rise from
multi-year lows. What were the headlines telling you last March? That
the US financial system was in danger of falling apart! The world was
facing depression and that the collapse of the world economy was
imminent! Ah, but smart investors were buying, and if you followed
their lead, as we did, you did pretty well in 2009. In fact, we made
113% for the whole of last year including the nasty bit at the front.

The recent correction has everyone worried again. Most importantly,
the long bull market remains intact regardless of how you look at it.
So, while the world is worried about the headlines, “Greek Debt” –
“Chinese Growth Possibly Slowing” – “US Unemployment at Record
Levels”, the fact remains, companies are still reporting great
results, 80% of US companies have beaten analyst’s “optimistic”
estimates. What’s more, most companies are telling us business is
improving – particularly, Technology.

As for the current “correction”? Well, regardless of what journalists,
market pessimists and doom and gloomers will tell you, this is a
“garden variety” standard 10% correction we are having. It will end
very soon when enough amateur investors dump their stocks in total
despair. Markets turn when people stop selling, not when people start
buying. You have to wait until enough pessimism has been passed around
and people give up on the market. We are close to that point now.

Back in March 2009, when the market bounced, a lot of the people
talking now were saying things like, “don’t trust this rally”,
“sucker’s rally”, “the problems will get worse” and the end result was
they were 100% wrong. It was without a doubt probably one of the best
stock buying opportunities you’ll ever see. The headlines are again
trying to frighten you out of the stock market, and they’ll probably
succeed, and the professional investors will once again swoop down and
buy your shares. You’ll be happy they did too, until the market
bounces and you have that Homer Simpson “Doh!” moment, much like the
one so many people who sold back in February and March 2009 when they
watched the market just climb and climb in 2009. Back then I stopped
“shorting the market” with my Switch Strategy on February 21 and the
next week started aggressively buying stocks, for example Lynas for
$0.13 which is now $0.53 and Intuitive Surgical for $93.00 which is
now $322.00. You see I knew that the market would turn, and told my
subscribers it would, and it did. Regardless of “end of the world”
headlines, the selloff just didn’t make sense to me. On reflection, it
didn’t to anybody else either.

So, when will the current “correction” end? I can’t say, but it could
be a couple of days, a week, or two weeks, but it will end and today’s
prices will seem bargains and you’ll be kicking yourself. But hey,
that’s normal for human beings, our fear will always get in the way of
our common sense.

The secret to stock market success is not reading today’s headlines,
but jumping 6 months ahead in time and imagining what the “state of
play” will be then. And how do we know that? Listen to the guys
“running” the economy, not the idiot politicians (and boy, aren’t some
of them goons?), the guys running the “real economy” are the business
owners and CEOs of big companies and they are all telling us one thing
– Profits are growing and the outlook for business is good. Share
prices will eventually follow the company earnings. Stock prices will
be higher in a year from now and this current correction is an
opportunity to buy shares in companies whose profits and sales are
growing much faster than even the analysts expected, which is why the
Trident Confidential is investing in them. That’s all you need to
know.
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President Sarkozy calls for a “new Bretton Woods”

Adrian Monck, Head of Communications and Media, Tel.: +41 (0)22 869 1210 E-mail: adrian.monck@weforum.org

• French President Sarkozy calls for “a new Bretton Woods” and a re-examination of the fairness of globalization and capitalism
• The world must move from rhetoric to reality and take concrete action to address priorities such as the economic crisis and climate change, said President Doris Leuthard of the Swiss Confederation
• If long-term global problems are ignored, the economic crisis could lead to a social crisis
• For all information about the Annual Meeting, visit www.weforum.org/annualmeeting

Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, 27 January 2010 − In his opening address at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France said that it will not be possible to emerge from the global economic crisis and protect against future crises if the economic imbalances that are at the root of the problem are not addressed. “Countries with trade surpluses must consume more and improve the living standards and social protection of their citizens,” he remarked. “Countries with deficits must make an effort to consume a little less and repay their debts.” The world’s currency regime is central to the issue, Sarkozy argued. Exchange rate instability and the under-valuation of certain currencies lead to unfair trade and competition, he said. “The prosperity of the post-war era owed a great deal to Bretton Woods, to its rules and its institutions. That is exactly what we need today; we need a new Bretton Woods.” Sarkozy said that France would place the reform of the international monetary system on the agenda when it chairs the G8 and G20 next year.

In his address, Sarkozy also called for an examination of the nature of globalization and capitalism. “This is not a crisis in globalization; this is a crisis of globalization,” he said. “Finance, free trade and competition are only means and not ends in themselves.” Sarkozy added that banks should stick to analysing credit risk, assessing the capacity of borrowers to repay loans and finance economic growth. “The role of the bank is not to speculate.” He also questioned the rewarding of high compensation and bonuses for CEOs whose companies lose money. Capitalism should not be replaced but it has to be changed, the French president declared. “We will only save capitalism by reforming it, by making it more moral.”

Speaking before Sarkozy, Doris Leuthard, President of the Swiss Confederation and Federal Councillor of Economic Affairs, told participants that the international community has to bridge the gap between rhetoric and reality as it tackles major challenges such as the global economic crisis, climate change and the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations. “We must all sit down together in a responsible manner, bring our part of the solution to the table and allow a conclusion to be reached that benefits us all.” While “rhetoric and reality all too often diverge by large margins,” Leuthard said, the bottom line is that “people need jobs and a salary.” She concluded: “We have talked enough. It is now time to get moving.”

Earlier, World Economic Forum Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab warned of the consequences if countries are too preoccupied by domestic problems and ignore long-term challenges such as global warming. “We hope that governments don’t become overwhelmed by internal issues and constraints to the detriment of exercising the necessary global stewardship.” Added Schwab: “We run the risk that 2010 becomes the year of the social crisis following the financial crisis of 2008 and the economic crisis of 2009.” He noted that one of the top priorities for this Annual Meeting is to encourage entrepreneurship and job creation.

Notes to Editors
More information about the Annual Meeting 2010 at http://www.weforum.org/annualmeeting
Programme of the Annual Meeting at http://www.weforum.org/annualmeeting/programme
Connect with the Forum on other social networks http://www.weforum.org/socialmedia
Press Releases at http://www.weforum.org/pressreleases
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