Google's ultrafast Internet draws startups to KC

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Inside a small bungalow on the street separating Kansas City, Kan., from its sister city in Missouri, a small group of entrepreneurs are working on their ideas for the next high-tech startup, tapping Google Inc.'s new superfast Internet connection that has turned the neighborhood into an unlikely settlement dubbed the "Silicon Prairie."
The home on State Line Road is one of several startup-friendly locations that have sprouted up in Kansas City in recent months. The catalyst is Google Fiber, the search-engine giant's fiber-optic network being tested in the Kansas City area that advertises speeds of up to a gigabyte per second — a rate that massively exceeds the average Internet speeds at homes hooked up with cable modems.
The advantage here for startups is simple: A fast Internet pipe makes it easier to handle large files and eliminates buffering problems that plague online video, live conferencing or other network-intensive tasks. Though the Kansas City location presents challenges for startups, including the ability to raise money outside the traditional Silicon Valley venture capital scene, entrepreneurs like Synthia Payne believe it's the place to be right now for up-and-coming tech companies.
Payne is one of those entrepreneurs hoping to launch her startup dream — an Internet subscription service for musicians who want to collaborate online — on the cheap. She shares the State Line Road house, known as the "Home for Hackers," with other startups under a deal that allows them to live rent-free while they develop their business plans.
Google's network was attractive, Payne said, because her business plan "is dependent upon really good, really fast Internet."
"Without this on-ramp here I probably would have found it very difficult to come here," said Payne, who in December moved from Denver to develop CyberJammer.
Residents here were thrilled when Google announced last year that Kansas City, Kan., and neighboring Kansas City, Mo., would be its test bed for Google Fiber. The Mountain View, Calif.-based company spent months and unknown sums installing optical fiber around the area. Google provides the full gigabit service for $70 a month and its own cable-TV like service for another $50. A slower Internet connection is free on a monthly basis after a $300 installation fee.
The first homes were installed with fiber optics in the fall, with more "fiberhoods" planned in stages over the next several months. Kansas City, Mo., and Kansas City, Kan., remain Google's only fiber market, though the company has said it plans additional roll-outs. Many in the tech industry believe Google's move could ultimately force broadband providers to accelerate their networks to compete. Making Internet access faster would give the company more opportunities to attract traffic and sell more advertising — the main way Google makes money.
The "Home for Hackers" and its unique business pitch is the brainchild of local web developer Ben Barreth, whose property was among the first wave of houses to be fiber-wired and is a block away from the Google Fiber offices. "Hackers" who pass Barreth's application process and show a real intention to work on a viable project can live there rent-free for three months. Since starting the home in October after cashing in his Roth IRA and putting a down payment on the $48,000 home, Barreth has gotten applications from nearly 60 people seeking a spot in the home.
"The whole startup thing in Kansas City is like this huge growing beast," he said. "It's got this crazy momentum."
The house has been full since mid-December with Payne and two others. One of the rooms also is reserved for fiber tourists who want a place for a day or two where they can download anything faster than they could elsewhere.
"The hope is that these startups will move their operations to Kansas City and this will really bless Kansas City, bring jobs and taxes and we'll build a really cool tech scene," Barreth said.
A few homes away from the "Home for Hackers" is the headquarters of the Kansas City Startup Village, which was started by local entrepreneur Matthew Marcus and where Mike Farmer, founder of mobile search app Leap2.com, has his offices. Farmer said Google Fiber brought attention to Kansas City's startup culture, "because it sort of ignites the imagination about what you can do with that sort of bandwidth capability."
"Most every week I meet one or two or three people that are looking to come in from out of town," he said.
Despite the growth, it remains a challenge for startups to raise money from Kansas City, Farmer said. Silicon Valley venture capital groups in particular want startup entrepreneurs to be nearby in California, he said.
"I've had some really incredible conversations with some big name VCs, and their first statement is that when you're in this early stage you have to be here, right next to us," he said. "That is a hurdle."
Andy Kallenbach recently launched FormZapper.com, an online forms management site, and also has offices near the "Home for Hackers." He said Kansas City has no aspirations to be the next Silicon Valley and may never have a "Facebook or a giant consumer-level company that takes over the world."
He said it may also be "better for us" that it's more difficult to raise money in Kansas City.
"The hardest thing about a startup is execution, OK? A lot of people can go out and raise money and get money for an idea or for some product or they can come up with some awesome presentation. But it doesn't matter if you can't build something that people will use," Kallenbach said. "I think here in Kansas City you have to at some point put your money where your mouth is. You have to 'do.'"

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New Corvette bursts onto the road after 9 years

DETROIT (AP) — When General Motors engineers and designers started work on the next-generation Corvette, they drew up the usual requirements for the star of American muscle cars.
Killer looks. Big engine. Handles like a race car.
But topping the list back was something at odds with the roar of the car's big V-8: Gas mileage.
The new Corvette could not be a gas guzzler. Stricter government rules were forcing a leap in fuel economy. If the car burned too much gas, it would trigger fines from regulators and never get built.
"There won't be a Corvette if we don't care about fuel economy," said Tadge Juechter, the car's chief engineer.
But the 2014 Corvette is here, the first all-new version in nine years. The king of American sports cars, driven by astronauts and celebrated in a Prince song, rolled out Sunday night in Detroit. It will arrive in showrooms this fall.
To many fans, the new Corvette symbolizes the rebirth of America's auto industry after its near death in 2009, showing the world that it again can lead in technology, styling and performance — at a lower cost that European competitors.
Getting there was tough for the 1,000-member Corvette team, which gave the car the code name "C7." GM's bankruptcy slowed development twice. With each delay, new safety and gas mileage regulations forced changes. The Corvette team overhauled the car: aluminum replaced steel, super-light rivets held parts together, and the V-8 engine kicked down to four cylinders at highway speeds, saving fuel.
All the changes helped it overcome nine years of government crash safety requirements that could have bloated the car. But even with the lighter materials, the regulations have pushed its weight to a little more than the current base model's 3,200 pounds. Still, it's an engineering achievement. The Corvette is so new that it only shares two parts with the current model.
GM said testing is still being done on the car's fuel economy, but it'll be better than the current base model's 16 mpg in the city and 26 on the highway. Juechter said the window sticker highway mileage won't reach 30 mpg, but he wouldn't be surprised to see some drivers get that or more.
The car's usual buyers — men in their mid-50s — will also notice dramatic changes on the outside of the two-seat car. The hood slopes low to slice through the wind. All the vents and scoops have functional purposes like cooling the brakes or transmission.
On the back, designers took cues from the1963 Corvette, with a sloping roof that tapers toward the bottom. The car has a small Stingray badge on each side, complete with gills. And there's a more modern rendition of the Corvette's crossed-flag logo.
A 6.2-liter small-block V-8 with 450 horsepower takes the car from zero to 60 mph in under four seconds. That's at least a few tenths of a second faster than the current base model.
Engineers also redesigned the somewhat-chintzy interior, giving it a jet cockpit look with leather, carbon fiber and soft plastics.
GM hopes the styling, performance and updated dashboard electronics will expand the car's appeal to younger buyers. The Corvette's been a favorite of adrenaline junkies for 60 years. Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard owned one from the first year — 1953.
The company won't quote a price on the 2014 model. But Juechter said someone who bought the current version can afford the new one. The Corvette starts at $49,600. That is more than $30,000 below what GM considers its chief competitor, the Porsche 911. The car makes a decent profit for GM despite relatively low sales, Juechter said.
GM wouldn't give sales targets for the new car. Last year it sold only 14,000 of the aging Corvettes, down from over 30,000 the first few years after the current version was rolled out. Porsche sold about 8,500 911s last year.
The prospect of a new 'Vette has fans waiting anxiously, browsing the Internet for unauthorized photos or drawings. Thousands of aficionados live in the U.S., and even Europe and the Middle East.
John Browning, 70, president of the Renegade Corvette Club of Hollywood, Fla., one of 600 such clubs in the U.S, said some Corvette lovers can't contain themselves.
"I've got one member, he just sold his '13 in anticipation, to wait for the '14," said Browning. "I think the Corvette is the icon. As far as I'm concerned you can't get a better deal."

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U.S. stake sale of GM to revive image

DETROIT (Reuters) - The sale of the U.S. Treasury's stake in General Motors and a possible credit rating upgrade of the U.S. automaker in 2013 will help distance the company from the stigma of its 2009 bankruptcy restructuring.
"We lose the stigma of 'Government Motors'," GM Treasurer James Davlin said on Sunday during a speech at a conference of automotive analysts. "People will be more focused on the things that they should, which is our underlying operations."
The U.S. Treasury outlined plans last month to sell its GM stake over the next 12 to 15 months. Last week, Chief Executive Dan Akerson said he expects GM to earn an investment-grade credit rating in 2013.
GM is already "trending toward investment grade," Davlin said. He pointed to GM's eleven-quarter streak of profits, its large financial cushion and its strong position in the world's two largest automotive markets, the United States and China.
"We want to ensure we have the liquidity to make it through the cyclicality of the industry," Davlin said, speaking to reporters and analysts a day before the Detroit auto show.
Until recently, uncertainty over when and how the U.S. Treasury would sell its 26-percent stake hurt GM's overall market value, Davlin said. But GM shares have risen nearly 20 percent since the U.S. government announced its exit strategy.
GM shares are ended at $30.36 per share on Friday.
Still GM has a number of challenges ahead, most prominently of which is Europe. GM is struggling to stem years of losses in the depressed and highly competitive European market where its core brands are Opel and UK-based Vauxhall.
It has made inroads in restructuring its European operations, including announcing plans to close its assembly plant in Bochum, Germany. But Akerson said he is not yet satisfied with GM's current position.
"That's probably my greatest concern -- how quickly can we turn that around," Davlin said, of Europe.
He also predicted that the U.S. dollar would rise against the Japanese yen and the euro this year. This would represent a "slight headwind" to GM, which must convert its earnings overseas into U.S. dollars. GM is also expecting a stable U.S. economy in 2013.
"We don't see a big rebound in the economy or a return to financial doldrums," Davlin said, of 2013.

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Fleetwood Mac Tickets Take Off Online at BuyAnySeat.com

Tickets to Fleetwood Mac’s upcoming 34-city North American Tour are creating traffic spikes in search traffic online for seats, said Felina Martinez at ticket marketplace BuyAnySeat.com. The tour kicks off April 4, 2013 in Columbus, Ohio and is the band’s first trek since 2009.

Denver, CO (PRWEB) January 03, 2013
It’s hard to believe that it has been 45 years since Fleetwood Mac’s first album, and 35 years since they band released their best-selling Rumours album, which has sold over 20 million copies in the U.S. to date.
But like other iconic 60’s bands lately, Fleetwood Mac is heading back out on the road again. The group’s 34-city North American tour kicks off April 4, 2013 in Columbus, Ohio. The tour stops in numerous cities including New York, Chicago, Boston, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. The trek’s final concert is slated for June 12, 2013 in Detroit.
“Traffic for Fleetwood Mac tickets has been spiking,” said Felina Martinez at online ticket marketplace BuyAnySeat.com. “Part of this surge of new traffic may be related to the Holiday season and gift giving, but we believe it’s also due to the band’s legions of loyal followers of all ages around the globe.”
“Since Fleetwood Mac fans span all nationalities and age groups from pre-teens to those in their 70’s and 80’s, we’re proud to be able to offer buyers a complete selection of Fleetwood Mac tickets, with a worry-free guarantee to protect their purchase,” said Martinez.
“To access the continuously updated selection of tickets we have available, fans can go to BuyAnySeat.com and search for Fleetwood Mac – then select their tickets,” said Martinez.
Fleetwood Mac is a British-American rock band formed in London in 1967 by Peter Green, who had been playing in the blues band John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. He named the band in an attempt to entice Mick Fleetwood and John McVie to join him. While Fleetwood joined right away, McVie did not join for several weeks.
After years of member additions and departures, and tumultuous times within the band, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined the group – and the band finally found mainstream success with the 1975 release of a second self-titled album. The album became the band's first number one album in any country and their first multiplatinum album. This newfound success was repeated two years later with Rumours, which has become their best selling album thus far.
The next two albums, Tusk and Mirage, were not as successful as Rumours, despite an 18-month worldwide promotional tour. The albums still reached number four and number one respectively, and both reached double-platinum status.
The album Tango in the Night was released in 1987 and became the band’s best-selling album since Rumours, and ranked 3x platinum in the U.S. and 8x platinum in the U.K. The 90’s decade was one of limited success for the band, with the two albums released either failing to chart very high in the U.S. The band's fortunes improved again with the release of the 1997 live album The Dance, which reached number one in the U.S. and 5x platinum status. The band also saw a modest success with 2003's Say You Will. (Sources: Official Website, fleetwoodmac.com and Wikipedia.com)
Both Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham released solo albums and toured last year. The band itself hasn’t released an album since 2003, but did tour together in 2009. Insiders say Christine McVie unfortunately will not be joining the tour this time. But for fans, there’s always hope.
To shop for Fleetwood Mac tickets, visit BuyAnySeat.com.
About BuyAnySeat.com: An online ticket marketplace, BuyAnySeat.com connects sports, theater and other live entertainment fans to an extensive worldwide network of ticket sellers. The site’s simplified listings and navigational tools enable fans to easily locate, compare and purchase inexpensive, discounted or lower-priced tickets to virtually all advertised sports and entertainment events around the globe. The site, which is PCI-compliant and Norton Secured, also provides customers with a complete Worry-Free Guarantee on all ticket purchases. Based in Denver, Colorado, BuyAnySeat.com is a subsidiary of Denver Media Holdings. For more information, please visit http://buyanyseat.com.

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CTIA-The Wireless Association® Selects WMC Global to Provide Short Code Management in Latin America

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- CTIA–The Wireless Association® announces the addition of WMC Global to provide key technology services for its Latin American short code registry. WMC Global, a trusted provider of innovative solutions that deliver digital confidence to the mobile marketplace, brings additional firepower to registry services with their unique ability to develop and manage the backend search and payment transaction functionalities.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100629/DC28223LOGO-a )
By facilitating centralized services for wireless operators, major brands and service providers, the adoption of mobile marketing in Latin America will accelerate since these mobile campaigns are available to nearly 100 percent of the population. In the United States this registry model has enabled the provisioning of nearly 5,000 short codes, running more than 25,000 campaigns and driving revenues estimated between $8-12 billion.
The Latin American short code registry offers five- and six-digit codes, and addresses a long-term need of brands and marketers to create a unified and centralized approach to systematically interact with over the more than 400 million wireless subscribers across 17 Latin American countries.
"By adding WMC Global to the team, the adoption of mobile short codes in Latin America will accelerate as we continue making the process to secure and provision codes for all participants more efficient. As marketers around the world can attest, short codes are an extremely effective and trusted solution to raise brand awareness through customer participation," said Steve Largent, president and CEO of CTIA. "Exporting the tremendously successful model from the U.S. to Latin America will help support operators and brands eager to establish messaging campaigns in the country, especially for upcoming events such as the Confederations Cup, World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics."
"By partnering with CTIA, we will be able to address the needs of the growing Latin American short code market," stated Colin Matthews, CEO of WMC Global. "As the growth of mobile messaging in Latin America continues to outpace many other geographic regions, the short code registry for Latin America will serve the demands for short codes used in advertising, television voting, sweepstakes, mobile coupons or any service through which information needs to be transmitted to and from a large number of users."
For more information, visit www.latinshortcodes.com and www.codigoscortos.com.
About WMC Global
With headquarters in Washington, DC, operational centers in London and Sydney, and regional offices in major cities including Mexico and Brazil,  WMC Global is a trusted name in providing mobile data products that bring compliance, growth, and security to the mobile marketplace. Our competencies in the mobile ecosystem include analytics reporting and In-market monitoring for carriers, partner validation and billing inaccuracies reports for corporations, short code procurement in Latin America for CTIA-The Industry Association® and more.
About CTIA
CTIA-The Wireless Association® (www.ctia.org) is an international organization representing the wireless communications industry. Membership in the association includes wireless carriers and their suppliers, as well as providers and manufacturers of wireless data services and products. CTIA advocates on behalf of its members at all levels of government. The association also coordinates the industry's voluntary best practices and initiatives, and sponsors the industry's leading wireless tradeshows. CTIA was founded in 1984 and is based in Washington, D.C.

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Vt. health exchange gets conditional federal OK

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) -- Vermont has won conditional federal approval for its plan to build a consumer-friendly health insurance marketplace, or exchange.
Vermont is now one of 17 states to have gotten word from a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that they are on track to have a health exchange ready for business by Oct. 1.
Robin Lunge, Gov. Peter Shumlin's director of health reform, says much work remains to get the exchange up and running.
Insurance companies are to submit bids shortly for what kinds of products they want to offer through the exchange and at what prices.
The state also will be requesting proposals for organizations that want to provide navigators — people who will guide consumers through the process of shopping for insurance in the exchange.

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The Top Four Trending Marketing Tactics for 2013

San Diego based Ad Agency Explains What companies Need to Know to be Noticed in Our Fast Paced and Cut-Throat Marketing Battlefield Released by Santora Media Group Inc.

San Diego, California (PRWEB) December 31, 2012
If a company is serious about business, they are likely to want to crush their competition. In the past, companies could simply put an ad in a newspaper and hire a mediocre inbound sales representative and be reasonably successful. In the 2013 and beyond marketplace it is a bit more complicated. With trade shows to attend and Facebook accounts to update, it is imperative to have a solid plan for what is coming into popularity rather than what has worked in the past. The following are a few of the most important areas of marketing to focus on as we move deeper in to the twenty first century.
The Brand: So many companies have the notion that their logo design and overall marketing aesthetic is not going to make or break their ability to capture current and new audiences. The reality is that in our current marketplace people truly care about the image of the brands they buy from. Notions of quality or durability are often taking a backseat to “what’s new and cool.” Often if a brand doesn’t convey a sense of overwhelming popularity and mass appeal it is perceived as simply just another brand.
Cross marketing: A company can make a huge impact with half the budget if they partner up with a compatible company. Postcards, business cards, and brochures are great printing avenues to take advantage of the opportunity to introduce two brands in a way that makes sense. If a company is heading off to a trade show, they should tap into their business’s network and see if there is another company that will co-brand the collateral printed for the show. Many brands can collaborate that compliment each other and ultimately increase sales for each company, we at Santora Media Group call this the “Peanut Butter and Jelly Theory.”
Redeveloping the company image: What was hip and trendy last year will slowly but surely turn into what is hip and trendy next year. A brand must reflect certain visual trends to be clumped into the category of visually relevant and appealing to the customers that are apt to spend big bucks to utilize the “in” company or buy the “in” products. If a company has a product or service that is timeless and really doesn't change, they shouldn't feel that this phenomenon doesn't apply to them, it does! Usually all they need to do is put their product in a new light. redesign their business cards. market in a new way that is uncommon for their industry, like a building wrap or hand out custom promotional products that will keep your brand close to the consumer.
Show them you care: As everyone has undoubtedly noticed, companies have embraced sustainability, and all things eco. It behooves every company to embrace this in 2013. Whether you are on board or not with the movement, many consumers are. Santora Media Group offers eco printing, banners made from low impact materials and of course graphic design that is the most eco friendly.

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GreenDeals Re-brands Marketplace as Go Green Marketplace

GreenDeals has relaunched their Marketplace for eco-friendly products under a new domain and brand, GoGreenMarketplace.com.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) December 31, 2012
GreenDeals launched their Marketplace last month to help green minded consumers purchase green products, including eco-friendly, fair trade and organic items in one place. After extensive testing, they have decided to re-brand the GreenDeals Marketplace to the Go Green Marketplace to help differentiate its offering from its traditional eco-friendly deal site. The Go Green Marketplace will be hosted under a new domain but still be operated as an entity of GreenDeals.
The Go Green Marketplace will still allow shoppers looking for eco-friendly and organic products such as bath & body, kitchen & home, cleaning supplies and more to purchase all of these products at one website. All products are shipped out from a single warehouse to limit excessive shipping and reduce our shipping carbon footprint.
Gone are the days of searching website after website to find green products, the Go Green Marketplace is the one stop shopping experience for anything green. Shoppers can purchase green products from over a hundred companies such as Seventh Generation, Bambu, Mr. Meyer's, EcoClean, and Preserve.
The Go Green Marketplace features over 1,500 products and will add new products weekly with a goal of 20,000 green products by the end of 2013. GreenDeals Director, Jonah Mytro stated, "The re-launch of the GreenDeals Marketplace is essential to help us differentiate and grow this new website to consumers. We are anticipating the Go Green Marketplace to experience tremendous growth over the next 12 months as we expand our green product offerings."
While GreenDeals has had tremendous success offering discounts on green products, the Go Green Marketplace is ideal for consumers looking to purchase a variety of products for home, family, and gifting. Shoppers can visit the Go Green Marketplace and get free shipping with any order of at least fifty dollars.
About GreenDeals
GreenDeals launched in October 2010 to offer discounts and deals from local and national green businesses approved by Green America. GreenDeals offers daily deals, contests, content, tips, and promotes green living to thousands consumers across the US and Canada.

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Book of Mormon Tickets Remain Atop Most Popular Theatre Tickets List

The Book of Mormon continues to remain at the top of our Most Popular Theatre Tickets list, said Felina Martinez at online ticket marketplace BuyAnySeat.com. The 9-time Tony Award winning musical is currently running at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre in New York, the Bank of America Theatre in Chicago, and the Curran Theatre in San Francisco.

Denver, CO (PRWEB) January 01, 2013
This bold, bawdy, hilarious and heartfelt musical opened in February of 2011. It went on to win nine Tony Awards including Best Musical.
Now after almost two years, it continues to top popularity polls and play to sold out crowds around the country. (Source: Wikipedia.com, BuyAnySeat.com)
From the creators of “South Park and “Avenue Q”, Coloradoans Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the Book of Mormon continues to receive an almost perfect 4.9 rating from audiences, while critics give it a 4.7 out of five stars. (Source: Entertainment-link.com)
“While this musical is not appropriate for younger children, especially those in their pre-teens, adult audiences appear to appreciate the show’s explicit and irreverent content,” said Felina Martinez at online ticket marketplace BuyAnySeat.com. “We continue to see The Book of Mormon tickets at the top of our Most Popular Theatre Tickets list.”
“Through-out the Holiday season, we’ve also seen major spikes in search traffic for discount Book of Mormon tickets for the current performances in New York, Chicago and San Francisco.”

“We still have a big selection of Book of Mormon tickets available however,” said Martinez. “And we’re proud to be able to offer fans a great selection, with a worry-free guarantee to protect their purchase,” said Martinez.
“To access the complete selection of cheap Book of Mormon tickets we now have available, customers can go to BuyAnySeat.com and search for Book of Mormon – then select their tickets,” said Martinez.
The musical itself tells the tale of two mismatched missionaries sent to deepest, darkest Africa to spread the good word. Those who have seen "South Park" probably won't need any warnings, but the producers have issued a parental advisory due to `explicit language’. What happens to these asymmetric missionaries in poor, hungry, AIDS-plagued Africa is... well, R-rated.
To some reviewers, the musical’s content is both revolutionary and classic, hilarious and humane, funny and obscene. Other critics have called it blasphemous, scurrilous and more foul-mouthed than David Mamet on a blue streak – yet with a heart and soul as pure and pristine as a Rodgers and Hammerstein or Disney show.
How offensive is it? Despite its adult theme and bawdy content, Entertainment Weekly and the Salt Lake Tribute call it “surprisingly sweet”, while Vogue magazine writes that the show "starts out as a potty-mouthed buddy comedy" before "winding up as a kind of parable," and concludes that the musical's "dirty little secret is its big heart."
To shop for The Book of Mormon tickets, visit BuyAnySeat.com.
About BuyAnySeat.com: An online ticket marketplace, BuyAnySeat.com connects sports, theater and other live entertainment fans to an extensive worldwide network of ticket sellers. The site’s simplified listings and navigational tools enable fans to easily locate, compare and purchase inexpensive, discounted or lower-priced tickets to virtually all advertised sports and entertainment events around the globe. The site, which is PCI-compliant and Norton Secured, also provides customers with a complete Worry-Free Guarantee on all ticket purchases. Based in Denver, Colorado, BuyAnySeat.com is a subsidiary of Denver Media Holdings. For more information, please visit http://buyanyseat.com.
Note: Not an authorized ticket seller of the Book of Mormon.

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Breakout Consulting Offers New Clients $500 Off on Dream Client Marketing Campaign

Leading business consultancy offers businesses of all sizes to strategically target their dream client list.

(PRWEB) January 01, 2013
Breakout Consulting, a leading small business coaching and consulting firm based in Dearborn, MI is offering new clients a $500 discount on their Dream Client Marketing Campaign focused on attracting the most lucrative buyers in their marketplace. The customized marketing package includes all the research, creatives and marketing collateral necessary to execute an effective dream client or best buyer marketing strategy. Package price also includes coaching and guidance to ensure effective deployment of the campaign. New clients can expect to be interacting with prospective dream clients within 45 days of engaging Breakout Consulting for this service.
The promotional price of $495 is a 50% discount over the normal price and is offered to new clients only.
Additional details can be found on their website or by calling 313-757-1425.
About Breakout Consulting:
Breakout Consulting, LLC was founded in 2000 by Michael P. Berry, a seasoned business professional who has been involved at various levels of ownership and management in 23 different private and franchise brands. Coaching and consulting services focus on all aspects of business improvement including marketing, sales, profitability, growth, hiring, training, planning, policies and procedures for start-ups and small to medium sized businesses. Prospective clients are offered a complimentary initial consultation and receive a customized 12-point growth plan free of charge.

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More than 400 Million Devices Are Connected in U.S. Homes, According to The NPD Group

There are 425 million devices connected to the Internet in U.S. homes, according to a new Connected Intelligence report from global information company, The NPD Group.

Port Washington, New York (PRWEB) January 02, 2013
There are 425 million devices connected to the Internet in U.S. homes, according to a new Connected Intelligence report from global information company, The NPD Group. The Connected Home report found that while computers are still the primary connected device, numerous others are diminishing the computer’s relevance to the broadband content marketplace. This trend is being fueled by devices such as gaming consoles and Blu-ray Disc players adding to the number of Internet connected HDTVs, and the connectivity piped directly to the TV itself. Strong consumer retail sales in developing categories such as tablets and smartphones are also impacting the traditional computer’s share of Internet connected devices.
By the end of 2013, a shift towards more screen-sharing across devices is expected. Smaller screens such as the smartphone have the greatest reach now with an estimated 133 million users, with tablets contributing another 31.8 million screens. The development of the shared screen experience, by throwing content from a smaller screen to the TV, is converging device ecosystems and will allow for over-the-top content to become even more prominent on the TV.
“Mobile is adding another dimension powered by screen sharing technologies that allows users to project their tablet or smartphone onto their TV,” said John Buffone, director, NPD’s Connected Intelligence. “Through 2013, multi-screen and multi-device synergy will lead the growth in the broader connected device market, but only if services consumers desire are delivered in a simplistic manner. In this connected world, content providers and consumer technology OEMs need to determine the optimal mix of services and have them on the right devices.”
Are consumers embracing the ability to access apps on their TVs? Read John’s blog to find out.
Methodology

More than 4,000 U.S. consumers, age 18 and older were surveyed in the fourth quarter of 2012. The number of installed and internet connected devices includes those that deliver broadband applications such as computers, tablets, smartphones, HDTVs, Blu-ray Disc Players, video game consoles, and streaming media set top boxes. These devices must actually be connected to the Internet not just be Internet capable. Networking devices and others such as routers, modems, mobile hot spots, and pay TV set top boxes were excluded from this analysis. E-readers were also excluded due to the limited content array they offer.
About Connected Intelligence

Connected Intelligence provides competitive intelligence and insight on the rapidly evolving consumer’s connected environment. The service focuses on the three core components of the connected market: the device, the broadband access that provides the connectivity and the content that drives consumer behavior. These three pillars of the connected ecosystem are analyzed through a comprehensive review of what is available, adopted, and consumed by the customer, as well as reviewing how the market will evolve over time and what the various vendors can do to best position themselves in this evolving market. For more information: http://www.connected-intelligence.com. Follow Connected Intelligence on Twitter: @npdci.

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Oregon governor says Nike plans expansion

Nike wants to expand its Oregon operations and hire hundreds of workers but is asking the government to promise it won't change the state tax code.
Gov. John Kitzhaber (KIHTS'-hah-bur) says he'll call the Legislature into session Friday to create a law to give Nike its wish.
The company has not specified its expansion plans except to say it would create at least 500 jobs and $150 million in capital investment over five years.
Nike Inc. has its headquarters in Beaverton, outside Portland. Company officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
It employs 44,000 people globally, including 8,000 in Washington County.
Nike has been selling off brands and making other moves to focus on its most profitable businesses, which include its namesake Nike brand, Jordan, Converse and Hurley.

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Report: Most Pakistani lawmakers do not file taxes

The majority of Pakistani lawmakers do not file tax returns despite a legal requirement to do, a report said Wednesday, reinforcing concerns about the low level of tax revenue in the country.
Pakistan has one of the lowest tax-to-GDP rates in the world because payment is not well enforced, and major areas of the economy, such as the agriculture sector, are either taxed at very low rates or not at all.
Around two-thirds of the country's 446 lawmakers failed to file tax returns in 2011, the latest data available, said the report, co-published by the Center for Investigative Reporting in Pakistan and the Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives.
A similar percentage of the government's 55 Cabinet members also failed to file returns, said the report, titled "Representation Without Taxation." Among those politicians who failed to file a return was Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari.
Even lawmakers who filed returns often paid very low amounts of tax on outside income. The lowest-paying lawmaker who filed a return, Senator Mushahid Hussain, paid less than $1 in taxes, said the report.
The figures do not take into account the tax paid by lawmakers on their official salaries, which is automatically deducted. It instead focuses on declarations of supplemental income from land, businesses and other sources of revenue.
Analysts have said that the country's effective tax rate is so low because a small elite, comprised of the military, land owners and the rising urban upper and middle classes is reluctant to give up any of its wealth. These groups either put pressure on lawmakers or are the lawmakers themselves.
"End result is the erosion of public trust in the government that is frequently blamed for serving the interests of the rich and powerful at the expense of the poor and low-income groups," the report said.

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Pennies over patriotism: Look at tax-averse stars

 France's Socialist government is introducing a 75-percent income tax on those earning over €1 million ($1.3 million), forcing some of the country's rich and famous to set up residency in less fiscally-demanding countries.
Here's a look at some big stars in France and elsewhere who have, over the years, put their pennies above their patriotism.
DEPARTING DEPARDIEU
The French prime minister has accused actor Gerard Depardieu of being "pathetic" and "unpatriotic" for setting up residence in a small village just across the border in neighboring Belgium to avoid paying taxes in France.
The office of the mayor in Depardieu's new haunts at Nechin, also known as the "millionaire's village" for its appeal to high-earning Frenchmen, said that for people with high income, like Depardieu, the Belgian tax system, capped at 50 percent, is more attractive.
Depardieu, who has played in more than 100 films, including "Green Card" and "Cyrano de Bergerac," has not commented publicly on the matter.
BEATLE TAX
In 2005, the Beatles' Ringo Starr took up residency in Monaco, where he gets to keep a higher percentage of royalties than he would in Britain or Los Angeles. France's tiny neighbor Monaco, with zero percent income tax for most people, has obvious appeal for the 72-year-old drummer and his estimated $240 million fortune.
The Beatles' resentment of high taxes goes back to their 1960s song "Taxman." George Harrison penned it in protest of the British government's 95 percent supertax on the rich, evoked by the lyrics: "There's one for you, nineteen for me."
Harrison reportedly said later, "'Taxman' was when I first realized that even though we had started earning money, we were actually giving most of it away in taxes."
LICENSE TO DODGE
Former "James Bond" star Sean Connery left the U.K. in the 1970s, reportedly for tax exile in Spain, and then the Bahamas — another spot with zero income tax and one of the richest countries per capita in the Americas. His successor to the 007 mantle, Roger Moore, also opted for exile in the 1970s — this time in Monaco — ensuring his millions were neither shaken nor stirred.
EXILE ON MAIN ST.
In 1972, The Rolling Stones controversially moved to the south of France to escape onerous British taxes. Though it caused a stink at the time, it spawned one of the group's most seminal albums, "Exile on Main St." The title is a reference to their tax-dodging. In 2006, British media branded them the "Stingy Stones" with reports that they'd paid just 1.6 percent tax on their earnings of $389 million over the previous two decades.
FISCAL HEALING
In 1980, U.S. singer Marvin Gaye moved to Hawaii from L.A. to avoid problems with the Internal Revenue Service, the American tax agency. Later that year, Gaye relocated to London after a tour in Europe. Gaye, whose hits include "Sexual Healing" and "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" settled in Belgium in 1981. He was shot to death in 1984.

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Pennies over patriotism? Stars move to tax havens

France's Socialist government is introducing a 75-percent income tax on those earning over €1 million ($1.3 million), leading some of the country's rich and famous to set up residency in less fiscally demanding countries.
Here's a look at some big names in France and elsewhere whose changes of address over the years have meant lighter taxes.
DEPARTING DEPARDIEU
The French prime minister has accused actor Gerard Depardieu of being "pathetic" and "unpatriotic," saying he set up residence in a small village just across the border in neighboring Belgium to avoid paying taxes in France.
The office of the mayor in Depardieu's new haunts at Nechin, also known as the "millionaire's village" for its appeal to high-earning Frenchmen, said that for people with high income, like Depardieu, the Belgian tax system, capped at 50 percent, is more attractive.
Depardieu, who has played in more than 100 films, including "Green Card" and "Cyrano de Bergerac," has not commented publicly on the matter.
BEATLE TAX
In 2005, the Beatles' Ringo Starr took up residency in Monaco, where he gets to keep a higher percentage of royalties than he would in Britain or Los Angeles. France's tiny neighbor Monaco, with zero percent income tax for most people, has obvious appeal for the 72-year-old drummer and his estimated $240 million fortune.
The Beatles' resentment of high taxes goes back to their 1960s song "Taxman." George Harrison penned it in protest of the British government's 95 percent supertax on the rich, evoked by the lyrics: "There's one for you, nineteen for me."
Harrison reportedly said later, "'Taxman' was when I first realized that even though we had started earning money, we were actually giving most of it away in taxes."
LICENSE TO DODGE?
Former "James Bond" star Sean Connery left the U.K. in the 1970s, reportedly for tax exile in Spain, and then the Bahamas — another spot with zero income tax and one of the richest countries per capita in the Americas. His successor to the 007 mantle, Roger Moore, also opted for exile in the 1970s — this time in Monaco — ensuring his millions were neither shaken nor stirred.
EXILE ON MAIN ST.
In 1972, The Rolling Stones controversially moved to the south of France to escape onerous British taxes. Though it caused a stink at the time, it spawned one of the group's most seminal albums, "Exile on Main St." The title is a reference to their tax-dodging. In 2006, British media branded them the "Stingy Stones" with reports that they'd paid just 1.6 percent tax on their earnings of $389 million over the previous two decades.
FISCAL HEALING
In 1980, U.S. singer Marvin Gaye moved to Hawaii from L.A. to avoid problems with the Internal Revenue Service, the American tax agency. Later that year, Gaye relocated to London after a tour in Europe. Gaye, whose hits include "Sexual Healing" and "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" settled in Belgium in 1981. He was shot to death in 1984.

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State tax revenues continue growing in third quarter

State tax revenues have grown for more than two years, but they are still suffering the effects of the 2007-2009 recession, according to a report released by the Rockefeller Institute of Government on Thursday.
Using preliminary data, the New York research group found that collection from major taxes increased in 47 states in the third quarter of 2012 from a year before, marking the 11th straight increase.
The recession caused states' revenues to plummet to lows not seen in decades over the course of five quarters. That forced almost all states to make emergency spending cuts, raise taxes, borrow and turn to the federal government for help just as the newly jobless and homeless increased demand for their services.
While revenues have been growing, the increases have been small. According to the institute, revenues "are still far below where they would have been in the absence of the Great Recession." Moreover, when adjusted for inflation, revenues are 5 percent below the peaks they reached in fiscal 2008, the last year before the recession devastated their budgets.
Rockefeller found that personal income tax collections were up 4.5 percent in the quarter ending in September, and sales taxes grew 3.1 percent. Corporate income taxes, which provide only a sliver of revenues, fell 0.5 percent.
In the third quarter of 2011, personal income tax collections surged 10.2 percent.
Delaware had the largest increases in overall tax collections in the third quarter, 11.7 percent, followed by Colorado, 10.3 percent.

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Wall Street dealers lose edge in U.S. Treasury auctions as investor clout grows

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A dramatic increase in the amount of government bonds that investors purchase directly from the U.S. Treasury Department in its regular debt auctions is reducing the advantage large dealers have traditionally held in the sale process.
The Treasury will not disclose the names of investors who can purchase directly from the government in its auctions but speculation is rife that the participants include an expanding number of the world's largest governments and asset management firms.
BlackRock , the world's largest asset manager, has access to the auctions as a "direct bidder", but does not use it, said Lauren Post, a spokeswoman for the firm in New York. A spokesman for PIMCO, which manages the world's largest bond fund, did not respond to inquiries over whether they have direct bidding access.
Qualified investment funds, insurance companies, banks, and foreign governments may all bid directly in U.S. Treasury auctions, but only the 21 authorized "primary dealers" are required to bid to fulfill their role as market makers in the securities.
"Direct bidders" are showing an increasing presence in the auctions in the last three years, and this week they bought a record share of seven-year notes and the most five-year debt in the auctions in five years.
The shift in the auction procedure is expected to continue, as asset managers increasingly take advantage of the debt sales to buy big positions and leave dealers increasingly in the dark over their purchase plans, while dealers continue to shrink balance sheets weakened by loss making positions taken before the credit crisis of 2007-2009.
"It's becoming more consistent that they are doing that now," said Richard Gilhooly, an interest rate strategist at TD Securities in New York. "They are concealing information and they may think that it might help them get the auction cheaper, because the dealers may bid back thinking the demand isn't there."
Reuters in May reported that China, the largest holder of U.S. Treasuries with more than $1 trillion, has direct bidder status, and market participants surmise other major central banks may also, although this could not be verified.
Japan is close to approaching the size of China's Treasuries holdings, while Switzerland has been dramatically increasing its Treasuries holdings as its central bank accumulates more cash to invest from its foreign exchange intervention against the Swiss franc.
In the auction on Tuesday this week, direct bidders bought 30.4 percent, or $10.62 billion, out of $35 billion in five-year notes, while dealers purchased 37.2 percent, or $12.98 billion.
On Wednesday the bidders bought 23.1 percent, or $6.69 billion in seven-year notes, a record for a those notes. Dealers took 37 percent, or $10.72 billion of the $29 billion sale.
Those recent auctions may have been influenced by year-end demand for low risk assets amid concerns about the impact on U.S. economic growth from the approaching "fiscal cliff" but the results still trail behind a July auction of 10-year notes that stunned dealers.
In that month direct bidders bought 45.4 percent of a 10-year note auction, the largest on record for any Treasuries auction, eclipsing dealer purchases of 14 percent.
LOSING THE INFORMATION ADVANTAGE
The presence of direct bidders in Treasuries auctions has been growing over the past three years, building from a sporadic presence that would involve less than 10 percent of a sale to a consistent attendance that approaches the amount of dealer purchases.
For dealers, the increased presence of direct bidders is making it harder for them to gauge demand for bonds ahead of a sale, and therefore hard to know how aggressively to bid for the debt.
"If you are a direct bidder you're under no obligation to bid, you just have access to go directly to the Fed, which is a complete advantage for you," said Tom Tucci, head of Treasuries trading at CIBC in New York, which is not a primary dealer.
For dealers, "that they are bidding on securities where now they don't see the bids coming, so they are at a disadvantage," he added.
By bypassing a dealer, an investor wanting to purchase a large block of bonds may estimate they can obtain a more favorable price.
Some primary dealers have argued, however, that the shift might cause long-term harm to the auction process, which they say so far has been stable in large part because of support from the Federal Reserve's massive monthly bond purchases.
"The primary dealers are having less information on flows and liquidity. They will take less risk," said Brian Edmonds, head of rates trading at Cantor Fitzgerald, a primary dealer based in New York. "Down the road, you could have sloppy auctions because if the direct bidders step away, primary dealers are not going to fill the void."
STRUCTURAL SHIFT
For large investors with growing assets under management that need to be invested, government debt auctions are one of the few places they can buy in large amounts with sufficient liquidity, and also without tipping their hand over their positions.
"They are trying to get large size because they have much larger portfolios than before," said TD's Gilhooly.
While asset managers grow their investments, dealers have pared back assets and shrunk their balance sheets, because they are still hurting from risky loans bought and made before the 2007-2009 financial crisis.
Countries which have been active in curbing the appreciation of their currencies in order to help their exporters, may now also have the ability to buy Treasuries in large quantities and direct access may be more appealing, analysts said.
According to U.S. Treasury data released earlier this week, Japan's Treasuries holdings were $1.135 trillion in October, up nearly $130 billion from a year earlier, while Switzerland's U.S. bond ownership grew to $194.4 billion from $143.9 billion 12 months earlier.
China's Treasuries holdings fell to $1.162 trillion in October from $1.256 trillion a year earlier, but analysts have said China has been storing their Treasuries in overseas accounts which are not counted as a part of its official U.S. bond holdings.

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S&P downgrades Cyprus on default fears

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — The Cyprus government has vowed to do what is needed to finalize a bailout agreement with international lenders after ratings agency Standard & Poor's downgraded Cyprus further into junk status amid concerns that the country could default on its debts.
The U.S. agency said Friday that the two-notch downgrade to CCC+ was due to a "considerable and rising" risk that the country, one of the 17 European Union countries that use the euro, may default. It also maintained its negative outlook on the country, meaning that further downgrades are possible.
S&P said it went ahead with the downgrade because the Cypriot government is running out of money while uncertainty remains over the terms of a bailout that the country is trying to negotiate with international lenders and its euro partners. The rescue loans will be used to salvage the country's banks, which are heavily exposed to Greece.
"With the government's financing options increasingly limited — coupled with what we view as the hesitant attitude of Cyprus' eurozone partners toward sharing the cost of a severe banking crisis — we view the risk of a sovereign debt default as considerable and rising," S&P said.
Unable to borrow from international markets for more than a year, the Cypriot government this week had to tap the pension funds of the country's top three state-owned companies to cover salaries and benefits up until March when it's hoped the first batch of bailout cash will arrive.
Germany's Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said Friday that there are "appropriate aid mechanisms" for Cyprus, but that the country must first make "serious reforms" and achieve "real budget savings."
Cyprus government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou played down the S&P downgrade, saying the country is "making every effort" to clinch a bailout accord and attributed any difficulties with doing so to squabbles among its euro partners.
Cyprus' Finance Minister Vassos Shiarly said one such difficulty is the International Monetary Fund's insistence on money being pumped directly into troubled banks from the European Union's bailout fund instead of lending it to governments first and pushing up public debt. The EU is balking at that because its single banking supervisor isn't in place yet.
S&P said some progress has been made putting together the bailout with the "troika" of international creditors — the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the IMF. It also acknowledged the country's efforts to shore up public finances with this week's approval of the 2013 budget that incorporates troika-mandated spending cuts totaling almost 6 percent of the country's €17.5 billion ($23.2 billion) gross domestic product. Cyprus is the third-smallest economy in the eurozone, ahead of Estonia and Malta.
Shiarly said the fact that the country has done "all and more" that the troika has asked it to do even before a bailout accord has been signed — from slashing government workers' salaries and benefits to raising a host of taxes — will stand it in good stead when its eurozone partners decide on the bailout on Jan. 21.
But S&P said it doubts whether state-owned companies have much more money to help the government pay its bills if a bailout deal isn't finalized by March, while presidential elections set for February could complicate matters.
The agency said it's still unclear how Cypriot banks — whose assets total more than five times the country's economy — will get the money they need to replenish their depleted capital buffers.
A draft version of the bailout foresees Cypriot banks needing up to €10 billion ($13.25 billion) to recapitalize, raising questions whether Cyprus can pay off any such loan when its economy is projected to contract by 3.5 percent of its GDP next year.
S&P said if the government were to take on the cost of the bank's recapitalization, the Cyprus' debt would rise "well above" 100 percent of GDP.
Shiarly said that it's premature to talk about whether the country's debt would be sustainable since an exact figure on the banks' actual needs won't be known before sometime next month when an assessment by investment firm PIMCO and auditors Deloitte will have wrapped up.
Cyprus' left-wing President Dimitris Christofias — who won't run for re-election in the February poll — said Friday that he would never accept a writedown of Cyprus' debt in order to make it sustainable, but Germany didn't rule it out.
Shiarly said any such haircut would do more harm than good because a large amount of Cypriot government bonds are held by Cypriot banks and the losses they would sustain would push their recapitalization needs even higher.

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Wall St clings to hopes for budget deal, but market risks rising

NEW YORK (Reuters) - If the United States sails over the fiscal cliff in less than two weeks, it probably will not mean disaster for the stock market, investors said on Friday, but the margin for error is getting dangerously thin.
At heart are fears over how long the U.S. economy, the world's largest, can hold up under the brunt of higher taxes and big spending cuts that would be triggered by the fiscal cliff.
If Washington's inability to reach a deficit-reduction deal persists into late January or provokes a second credit ratings agency to strip the United States of its top triple-A rating, all bets may be off.
"Clearly, if this thing drags on with no deal, eventually markets are going to start to take it on the chin," said Sandy Lincoln, chief market strategist at BMO Asset Management in Chicago, which oversees $38 billion.
Stock markets fell on Friday after a Republican proposal that would have prevented tax increases on all but those earning more than $1 million unraveled amid a conservative backlash.
Though President Barack Obama had vowed to veto the bill, opposition from Republicans stoked doubt about the ability of House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner to win support within his party. That suggested the two sides were too far apart to reach a deal to forestall the $600 billion in automatic tax hikes and spending cuts before they are set to begin to take effect in January.
"The fact they couldn't even get the Republicans in Congress to sign on for that is disturbing. If we get into late January, early February and we are still in the soup, then the odds of going into a recession go up, and I just can't believe anybody wants that," said Jeffrey Saut, chief investment strategist at Raymond Jones Financial.
HEATING UP
If the new year dawns without a deal, Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at BMO Private Bank, said he would view "any incremental market sell-off as a buying opportunity."
But if things remain in limbo in February, "that is going to leave a mark on the economy," he said. "The way I'd characterize it is that we're sitting in this pot of water and on January 1, Congress turns on the flame underneath. It's comfortable at first, but eventually it's going to start to hurt."
Americans would start to feel the effects in their wallets. As of 2013, payroll taxes would revert to 6.2 percent of Americans' paychecks, up from the 4.2 percent level put in place during the economic downturn.
Higher income tax rates would also start to hit, though that could be delayed by officials in Washington. Still, Americans would start to feel a pinch on their paychecks, which could hurt spending next year. Some investors believe holiday sales are already being affected.
Another risk, said BNY Mellon currency strategist Michael Woolfolk, would be if a second ratings agency cuts the United States' AAA rating, a move that Standard & Poor's made after a similar budget standoff in 2011.
Fitch Ratings said this week it would be more likely to downgrade the United States if the economy goes over the cliff.
"Markets would take that very badly," Woolfolk said. "Stocks sold off by 10 percent after the S&P downgrade in 2011, and I'd expect something at least as severe" if Fitch were to act.
LAST-MINUTE DEAL STILL POSSIBLE
Of course, lawmakers still have 10 days left in 2012 to strike a deal, and some are confident they will return to Capitol Hill after Christmas and do just that.
"So far, the market has been handling setbacks in talks very well, and with a bit of time left on the clock, this time will be no different," said Jim Barnes, senior fixed income manager at National Penn Investors Trust Co.
For some, the political disarray among Congressional Republicans that sent Boehner's "Plan B" to defeat late on Thursday only increased those hopes.
"Given that Reid called Plan B 'dead on arrival' and Obama said he would veto it, the non-passage of this bill due to lack of Republican support makes it more likely, not less likely, that compromise will be reached," said Jeffrey Gundlach, chief executive officer and chief investment officer of DoubleLine Capital, which oversees more than $50 billion.
Harry Reid is the Democratic Senate leader.
The "continued positioning and posturing" isn't a huge concern to investors, Woolfolk said. "Neither side has incentive to compromise too much, too soon. They can extract concessions by delaying. So I would not be surprised if it takes until minutes before midnight on December 31."
All the back-and-forth, however, may keep the stock market a bit more volatile than it would normally be so late in the year.
The benchmark S&P 500 <.spx> has gained or lost more than 1 percent in three of the past five trading sessions, while the CBOE Volatility Index <.vix> has climbed more than 20 percent over the past three days.
In a sign of the type of volatility investors may be confronted with, S&P 500 E-Mini futures fell as much as 3.6 percent in after-hours trading Thursday evening, with a 15-point drop in less than one second that resulted in a brief halt in futures trading.
"While last night's mini-crash is a rare event, I do expect bigger moves than we've seen in the past year," said Enis Taner, global macro editor at RiskReversal.com, an options trading firm based in New York.

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How the Dow Jones industrial average fared

Investors sent Washington a reminder Friday that Wall Street is a power player in talks to avoid the "fiscal cliff." Stocks fell sharply after House Republicans called off a vote on tax rates and left federal budget talks in disarray 10 days before sweeping tax increases and government spending cuts take effect. The Dow Jones industrial average was down as much as 189 points before recouping some of its losses.
The Dow Jones industrial average lost 120.88 points, or 0.9 percent, to close at 13,190.84.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 13.54 points, or 0.9 percent, to 1,430.15.
The Nasdaq composite index fell 29.38, or 1 percent, to 3,021.01.
For the week:
The Dow is up 55.83, or 0.4 percent.
The S&P is up 16.57, or 1.2 percent.
The Nasdaq is up 49.68, or 1.7 percent.
For the year:
The Dow is up 973.28, or 8 percent.
The S&P is up 172.55, or 13.7 percent.
The Nasdaq is up 415.86, or 16 percent.

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