Editor's Blog

Location aware applications: the big business buzz

Location aware applications have been around for some time and are, as their name suggests, simply applications that run on Smartphones or computers that are aware of their geographical location. Until recently their uses have been limited to satellite navigation systems and fairly nerdy geocaching treasure hunts, but last year this changed.

When bad news is good

You know the economy is in a bad way when a dramatic plunge in a company’s profits is described as better than expected. Nokia’s announcement that its profits have fallen by 90% was greeted – quite unbelievably – with a sense of relief by market analysts and resulted in the company’s share price rising by eight percent.

The axis of privilege

This week the full extent of the losses suffered Royal Bank of Scotland were revealed. Shockingly the bank announced total losses for 2008 of US$34.2 billion - the largest loss EVER in UK banking history. This means that the government will be handing the bank another £13 billion of taxpayer's money.

A glimmer of hope

Sick of reading bad news about the economy? Well there's one story this week that may bring a smile to your face. A former manager at the collapsed UK chain store Woolworths, was so determined to save the store where she had worked for 18 years, that she re-opened it with a new name.

Deal or no deal

The efforts of union leaders striking over foreign workers at the Lindsey refinery may have paid off after a deal was offered to protesters which proposes giving 50% of the jobs to British workers.