Blackberry Storm 9530, Highly Touchscreen

Rim (Research in Motion) plan to make launching the Blackberry touchscreen smartphone, the BlackBerry Storm 9530 for Verizon Wireless. After the G1 Android smartphone and the Nokia 5800 touch screen XPRESSMUSIC Tube, Rim is now time to take over the Apple iPhone with BlackBerry Storm 9530 smartphone. Verizon states that the BlackBerry Storm 9530 will have a global capability. This means that the BlackBerry Storm 9530 will have a CDMA and quad-band GSM.

BlackBerry Storm 9530 will be equipped with a touchscreen click with Haptic or tactile feedback and a built-in auto-rotation.

BlackBerry Storm 9530 is equipped with four physical keys, Send, Back, End, and Blackberry Meny. In addition, still combined with 8GB MicroSD card, visual voicemail, a 3.2 megapixel camera, auto flash, auto focus, and full HTML browser. However, unfortunately, BlackBerry Storm 9530 has not yet Wi-Fi and HTML browser is not yet equipped with tabs and flash. The lack of security lies in the other browser that has a remote device lock, and disable data wipe. For the price matters, not give rim more detailed explanation.

Spesifikasi BlackBerry Storm 9530 :

* General :
o 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
o 3G Network HSDPA 2100
o CDMA2000 1x EV-DO
* Dimensions : 112.5 x 62.2 x 14 mm
* Weight : 155 g
* Display : 3.25 inches TFT touchscreen, 65K colors, 360 x 480 pixels
* Feature :
o Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate
o Polyphonic (32 channels), MP3
o SMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging
o Built-in GPS
o A-GPS function
o BlackBerry maps
o DataViz document viewer/editor
o Java
o Media player MP3/WMA/AAC+
o 3.5 mm audio output jack
o Video player MPEG4/3gp/H.264/WMV
o Organizer
o Calculato r
o Voice dial
o Built-in handsfree
o Voice memo
o Browser
o HTML
o Games
o Vibration
* Memory :
* Card slot microSD (TransFlash), microSDHC 8 GB
o 128 MB RAM
o 1 GB storage memory
o 624 MHz CPU
* Data :
o GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
o EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps
o 3G HSDPA
o Bluetooth v2.0
o USB v2.0
* OS : BlackBerry
* Colors : Black
* Camera : 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, autofocus, video, flash
* Battery : Standard battery, Li-Ion 1400 mAh, Stand-by 360 h, Talk time 5h 30min

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Info : Swine flu turn 160 countries ( H1n1)

The swine flu virus has reached 160 countries and could infect two billion people within the next two years, the World Health Organization has said.

A senior WHO official, Keiji Fukuda, said the virus was still in its early stages and would continue to

spread for some time.

Mr Fukuda said work on a vaccine was intensifying but safety could not be compromised by rushing the process.

The virus is thought to have killed almost 800 people in recent months.

Mr Fukuda, the WHO's Assistant Director General for Health Security, said the agency had been reporting only laboratory-confirmed cases, but that this was always going to be "only a subset of the total number of cases".

"Even if we have hundreds of thousands of cases or a few millions of cases, we're relatively early in the pandemic," he told the Associated Press news agency.

"One of the things that is relatively clear is that we will continue to see spread of the virus; even though we are now three to four months into the pandemic, this is still pretty early into the overall period," he said.

Mr Fukuda said the WHO estimates two billion people, one third of the global population, could eventually be infected.

He said the figure was a reasonable prediction, based on analysis of previous pandemics, but that it was "really impossible to predict what the future will hold".

Pregnancy risk

Mr Fukuda said officials and drug manufacturers were investigating how to speed up the process of developing a vaccine against the H1N1 swine flu strain.

But he said there could be no doubt over the safety and efficacy of the drug before it was publicly distributed.

"There is always a balance in this sort of situation. You of course want to get out vaccine and as much vaccine as possible, as quickly as possible. On the other hand there are certain things which cannot be compromised," he said.

"There are certain areas where you can make economies, perhaps, but certain areas where you simply do not try to make any economies."

The WHO says that in most affected countries, the majority of cases appear to be occurring in young people, around the ages of 12 to 17, although some reports suggest it is mainly older people who have required hospital treatment.

The organisation also said there was "accumulating evidence suggesting pregnant women are at higher risk of more severe disease".

But Mr Fukuda said the WHO "certainly has no recommendations on whether women should try to have children now".

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One-time gain boosts Ford results

Ford, the only one of the "Big Three" US carmakers not to have gone bankrupt, has reported a quarterly profit of $2.3bn (£1.4bn).

However, the profit was largely due to one-off gains related to debt restructuring, with demand for new cars remaining weak.

Excluding the gain, Ford said it made an operating loss of $424m.

Ford boss Alan Mulally said the business environment was "extremely challenging" worldwide.

Despite the economic downturn, Ford said it gained market share in all the regions in which it sells cars when compared with the second quarter of 2008.

"While the business environment remained extremely challenging around the world, we made significant progress on our transformation plan," said Mr Mulally, Ford's chief executive.

"Our underlying business is growing progressively stronger as we introduce great new products that customers want and value, while continuing to aggressively restructure our business and strengthen our balance sheet."

The profit figure includes a $3.4bn gain related to measures taken to restructure its debt obligations, Ford said.

Revenue declined $11bn to $27bn.

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Hughes still keen on Terry deal

Manchester City manager Mark Hughes has admitted he still hopes to lure Chelsea captain John Terry to Eastlands.

City have already seen one bid for Terry turned down by Chelsea but Hughes says he has not given up hope.

"He's obviously the type

of player and the calibre of player we need if we're going to progress and compete at the top level," he told BBC Sportsweek.

"There may be a point that we concede but I don't think we're at that point as yet."

City have had an active summer in the transfer market, signing Gareth Barry, Roque Santa Cruz, Carlos Tevez and Emmanuel Adebayor in an £80m spree, but Hughes confirmed they are unlikely to be the last arrivals at Eastlands.

"We're still in the market for players - we're looking to strengthen all areas of the team," he said.

"We've invested in the attacking side of our squad, added to our strength in midfield and obviously we'd like to address defensive areas now.

"We're still looking for quality players that will help us in the future."

Hughes confirmed they had had a bid for Joleon Lescott turned down by Everton but laughed off speculation linking his club with England midfielder David Beckham, who made his name at City's big rivals Manchester United.

One former Manchester United player who has moved from the red to the blue side of the city this summer is Tevez, but Hughes said the United connection was not relevant to his decision to sign the Argentine striker.

"What I saw was an outstanding football player that could become available at the end of a loan spell with a competing club," said Hughes, himself a United striker.

606: DEBATE

"We're all absolutely delighted that he chose to join us. It's a big move for him, what with his connection to Manchester United, but he understands what we're trying to do and he's really excited by the prospect.

"For us to be able to attract a world class striker, which Carlos obviously is, is a real feather in our cap and we're absolutely thrilled that he's with us."

Hughes, who confirmed that Micah Richards is on the road to recovery after a bout of swine flu, admitted the club have high ambitions but that they are not expecting instant success.

"We have a plan that we feel, if we can get the right players in, will enable us to be competitive," he said.

"We can't come out with bold statements - 'we will definitely do this in X amount of seasons'. It's very difficult to predict but what we can say is there's a will to try and compete at the top table in the English Premier League and beyond."

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Beckham booed in Galaxy home game

David Beckham was booed and jeered during his first home game for Los Angeles Galaxy since returning from a loan spell at AC Milan.

The 34-year-old England midfielder missed the first half of the Major League Soccer season after extending his spell with the Italian side.

Ironically, the Galaxy were playing Milan

in a friendly and Beckham confronted angry fans at half-time

"The majority of fans have been great," Beckham insisted afterwards.

"It was only one or two that, you know, it was to be expected. I expected it to a certain point.

"Sometimes it goes beyond it. It went beyond it a couple of times."

Boos were louder than cheers as the players were introduced prior to kick-off and every touch from the former England captain was jeered early on by sections of the 27,000 sell-out crowd.

Several fans made their displeasure known with banners and as the players went off at the interval Beckham had to be escorted from the field by security as he walked over to an area of seats to confront jeering fans.

One supporter jumped down and had to be restrained before being taken away.

It marked the end of a turbulent week for Beckham since his return to the United States, who also had to placate team-mates following comments by Galaxy captain Landon Donovan.

The pair met with coach Bruce Arena after Beckham responded to the remarks from Donovan that accused the former Manchester United and Real Madrid player of being unprofessional.

Goalscorer Gordon is congratulated by Donovan (left) and Beckham

The match itself ended 2-2, Beckham doing his talking on the pitch by having a hand in both Galaxy goals.

For the first he played a trademark cross-field ball to Donovan, who then set up Alan Gordon, while for the second, and with Galaxy 2-1 down, it was Beckham's corner that was headed home by Bryan Jordan.

After that he turned to a section of fans who had been particularly vociferous and shrugged his shoulders, while he applauded those fans who had been supportive when he was withdrawn in the 75th minute.

"There's not another player on this team or in this league who can make those kinds of plays," stated Donovan. "That's going to be crucial for us."

Earlier this year, Beckham said he wanted to remain with the Italian club rather than return to the Galaxy.

He also revealed earlier this month he would consider a return to the Premier League because it would improve his chances of playing for England at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Milan manager Leonardo did not rule out a return to the San Siro for Beckham.

"His charisma is very important for other players," he said through a translator. "We are really happy with his situation."

Beckham played in Galaxy's 3-1 win at the New York Red Bulls during his first game back in the US and with six games of the MLS season remaining his side are third in the Western Conference.

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More factories 'are freezing pay'

Welder at UK factory
Recession is hitting the wages of factory workers in the UK

Tough times for the manufacturing industry mean a record number of companies are freezing salaries, a new survey indicates.

Pay data from the EEF, the manufacturers' organisation, reveals two-thirds of employers suspended pay increases in the three months to June.

Workers also saw historically low levels of average pay settlements.

The EEF says the survey is clear evidence that the economic downturn is hitting manufacturing hard.

The EEF's July Pay Bulletin was based on information from 240 pay settlements covering 55,405 employees.

David Yeandle, the head of employment policy at the EEF, said the figures also showed that manufacturers were trying to manage pay "far more flexibly" than they had done in previous recessions.

Nevertheless, the monthly pay settlement levels for both May and June were both below 0.5%.

This means it is likely that average settlement levels in manufacturing will continue to fall in the near future, the EEF says.

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BA announces plan to raise £600m

British Airways plans to raise more than £600m to help it weather the recession, the airline has said.

It will issue £350m in convertible bonds to existing shareholders and also release bank guarantees from its UK defined benefit pension schemes.

Observers say the carrier wants a safety net in case it faces industrial action from cabin crew over pay, as well as tough summer trading.

BA also predicted it had lost £100m in the three months to the end of June.

But it added that this was "slightly better than market expectations".

"Following discussions with institutional investors, we're taking action to improve our liquidity and strengthen our position within the industry," BA chief executive Willie Walsh said.

"This goes hand-in-hand with our cost reduction and efficiency initiatives which are designed to create the right conditions for our sustainable, long term profitability."

Shares rise

BA said the new funding would increase liquidity at the airline from £1.25bn to about £2bn.

If shareholders back the fundraising plan, the airline would have to pay interest of 5.8% a year on the convertible bonds.

Shareholders would have the option to convert the bond into BA shares, once shares reached 189 pence - well above its current share price.

BA shares ended the day up 2.95%, or 3.9p, at 136p.

The bonds can be converted up until 2014.

Once converted, BA said the number of shares in the airline would increase between 15% and 20%.

Mr Walsh said the move "puts to bed the suggestions that British Airways is in any sort of risk in the short term".

"We are clearly in a very strong position, relative to most airlines," he added.

David Cumming, head of UK equities, at Standard Life Investments, one of BA's biggest investors, told the BBC that shareholders thought it was a positive move.

"It's been well-received by the markets so that draws a line under near-term funding concerns. Obviously longer-term you'd want to see premium traffic picking up," he said.

"British Airways is not a company that is about to go bust, or is any financial difficulties. This move helps their position," he added.

Taking back pension guarantees

In 2006, the airline provided bank guarantees for its pension fund. Fund trustees could access the guarantees only if the airline became insolvent.

The trustees have now agreed to make those guarantees, of up to £330m, available to BA, should the firm need it.

Tom McPhail, head of pensions research at Hargreaves Lansdown, said BA's pension trustees were effectively deciding between "the lesser of two evils".

"Hopefully [agreeing to release the guarantees] will reduce the chances of the company going bust. That improves the possibility of it continuing to trade profitably and so putting money into the pension fund," he said.

"But it means sacrificing longer-term security because if the employer does go bust, they've lost their reserves."

He added: "As long as BA is in a position where, if not now then later, it can put money into the fund - then the pension scheme is not in panic mode."

Union talks

BA has been struggling as demand for air travel has fallen during the global economic downturn, with particular decline in business class and first class travel.

In May, it reported a record annual loss of £401m.

The airline has been in negotiations for several weeks with unions over plans to cut costs and has asked thousands of employees to take pay cuts or work for nothing.

Earlier this week, BA pilots voted overwhelmingly to accept a 2.6% pay cut. Talks with unions representing cabin crew and ground staff are ongoing, but if no resolution is reached, the firm could face a summer of strikes by its 14,000 cabin crew.

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Tax the rich to pay for ... everything

There may be reasons to tax the rich more, as a lot of people in Washington are talking about doing.

But to raise taxes on them, and only them, to pay for the country's most ambitious proposals like health care reform, is a problem, experts say.

If nothing else, it makes for some bad math.

"We don't have enough rich people. We could tax the wealthy to extraordinary levels. But we cannot afford everything we want," said Ken Kies, a former director of the Joint Committee on Taxation and currently a tax lobbyist for businesses including insurers.

Yet, rich households are the focus of several revenue generating proposals to help pay for health care reform and other endeavors.

Income surtax: Key committees in the House on Tuesday released a proposal that would impose an income surtax on high-income families -- an additional tax on income over a certain threshold.

The surtax applied in full would range from 1% to 2% for couples making between $350,000 and $500,000. It would range from 1.5% to 3% for couples making between $500,000 and $1 million. And it would be 5.4% for families making more than $1 million.

The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates the provision could raise $544 billion over 10 years.

Millionaire's tax: The Senate is said to be considering a "millionaire's tax" of 5% levied on single filers making more than $500,000 and joint filers making more than $1 million.

Deduction limit: President Obama has proposed limiting the value of itemized deductions for high-income taxpayers.

One idea under consideration in the Senate is to limit the mortgage interest deduction for the wealthy, although that idea is almost certain to face strong pushback from those with ties to the real estate industry, said Jaret Seiberg, the financial services policy analyst of the Washington Research Group, a unit of Concept Capital.

Expanded Medicare tax: Senate leaders are also considering applying the 1.45% Medicare tax paid by individuals to capital gains and dividends, and possibly also on income from properties and partnerships. Currently, the Medicare tax is only levied on earned income, such as wages.

Health care isn't the only big-ticket item driving the push to raise rates on the rich.

Obama has said he wants to make the tax system fairer and raise revenue by letting many of the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts expire for high-income taxpayers.

He also wants to help pay for Social Security reform by subjecting more income to the Social Security tax. Currently, individuals' half of the payroll tax is 6.2% on the first $106,800 of wages. Under a proposal from Obama, people would also then pay between 1% to 2% on income over $250,000.

Finally, Obama has directed his tax reform panel to recommend ways to raise revenue but not increase taxes for families making less than $250,000. That suggests those at higher levels are fair game.

The problem with taxing only the rich

Some of the big ideas kicking around Washington these days may have merit and may be worth pursuing.

But they're not going to be enough if the goals are to enact new initiatives like health reform without adding to the deficit, and without taxing any family making less than $250,000, experts say.

"There's an argument for making the tax system more progressive," said Len Burman, director of the Tax Policy Center. "[But] people are going to have to pay tax or come to terms with smaller government. Right now there's enormous pressure for the government to do more and more."

And by not letting the Bush tax cuts expire for families making less than $250,000, the administration is forfeiting an estimated $2.1 trillion in revenue over 10 years.

Meanwhile, the federal debt held by the public is scheduled to rise from 41% of gross domestic product to 82% by 2019 under the president's proposed budget, according to the Congressional Budget Office. That already assumes the majority of Bush tax cuts expire for upper-income taxpayers.

At the same time, tax burdens across all income groups have been fairly low historically speaking.

Although they pay the lion's share of income tax dollars collected, high-income taxpayers benefited disproportionately from the Bush tax cuts.

But those same tax cuts also increased the ranks of those who end up owing no income tax - the majority of whom are not high income. The Tax Policy Center now estimates that after taking the tax breaks for which they're eligible, 47% of tax-filing households will have no federal income tax liability this year.

Many tax policy experts believe fundamental reform of the tax code -- a reform that simplifies the code and broadens the base of payers -- could be one step toward resolving long-term shortfalls.

Evasion is another concern experts raise when rates are hiked too high or too frequently. If high income taxpayers feel their tax burden too burdensome, they are more likely to seek out legitimate tax shelters. But also the higher rates go, Kies said, "the more it creates an atmosphere for cheating."

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