Google unveils Nexus One 'superphone'

By Doug Gross, CNN

January 5, 2010 2:47 p.m. EST(CNN) -- Calling it their "superphone," Google unveiled the Nexus One on Tuesday, marking the online search giant's first leap into the smartphone market.
The phone, which goes head to head with Apple's darling of the market, the iPhone, is sold only through a Web store operated by Google and, unlike the iPhone and most other current smartphones, is available either with or without mobile service.
"We are very happy to be able to offer a choice," said Mario Queiroz, Google's vice president of product management.

T-Mobile is the initial service provider. Verizon in the United States and Vodafone in Europe will be coming on board later, and more operators are expected.

Already available Tuesday, the phone costs $180 with a contract or $530 unlocked, leaving the phone open to other carriers.

Among the Nexus One features Google announced at an invitation-only event at its California headquarters was text without typing. A voice-enabled keyboard allows users to send texts, e-mails or Facebook updates by speaking into the phone.

It is be a global-system device with a 3.7-inch touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi connectivity, an accelerometer and a compass, according to Google.
Nexus One runs the latest version of the Android operating system, Android 2.1, which is also made by
Google but runs on other phones as well.

"It pushes the limits of what's possible of a mobile phone today," said Peter Chou, the CEO of HTC, which designed the Nexus One.

Google recently released the phones for use by some of its employees, leading to the inevitable appearance of videos and unofficial reviews online.

The move has prompted online chatter about an "iPhone killer," a phrase bandied about before every major smartphone debut. But reviewers who saw the phone pre-release have more modest expectations.
"I don't think anything is an iPhone killer," said Kevin Burden, a mobile industry analyst with New York-based ABI Research. "Was the iPhone a Blackberry killer? It's never going to be that one device that was promised to us a decade ago."

Google spokesmen on Tuesday repeatedly stressed their phone's openness: allowing multiple service providers and applications from multiple developers, unlike Apple's one-stop shopping approach for the iPhone.

But they downplayed suggestions of becoming an "iPhone killer."

"I think the message isn't to the iPhone specifically," Google Vice President of engineering Andy Rubin said. "I think it's to consumers. I think choice to consumers is an important thing."

Iranian hacker obscure Twitter for an hour

By Gary Singer

A group of Iran, the Iranian Cyber Army has hijacked the site of Twitter. The news of the transaction are not yet complete, since Twitter is still investigating. According to preliminary information, it seems that the attack was executed by changing the domain name system (DNS) to twitter.com, so that the homepage was redirected to a page which featured the logo of the group of hackers and a green flag with written in Arabic. The attack, which occurred for near about one hour From 10 PM to 11 PM Pacific Time, quite a long time for network in which the screen of Twitter has been replaced by ‘IRANIAN CYBER ARMY ‘

Then the situation is back to normal, and the microblogging site has begun to operate. That’s the word networking by pirates, complete with e-mail: “This site has been pirated by ‘Iranian Cyber Army. The United States believed to control and manage their Internet access, but wrong. It is we who control and manage the network with our power, so do not try to provoke the Iranian people. Now, what country is on the list of the embargo? Iran? the U.S.? “. Then a “smile” and two words: “Take care, greetings. In addition, some sentences in Persian praising the Supreme Guide, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and threats to the reform movement Green Wave. US media outlet Fox News reports that the Arabic writing above the flag reads, “Hezbollah is victorious.”

According to reports, the group claimed the cyber attack was not immediately recognized by the investigators. The action could be taken as a reprisal action in the United States government, which during the protests against the Iranian election had intervened to Twitter to remain a tool of the demonstrators in Tehran. In particular, the hottest day of the protest, the Obama administration had asked the operators of social networks to postpone a service job that would lead to temporary deactivation of the site. Twitter, a social network of the world’s most popular and ambitious, has already been the protagonist of other attacks and slowdowns in the past. .

Currently, the Twitter is limited to comment on the incident with a post: “The DNS Twitter have been compromised at the moment, but have now been restored. We are trying to understand the cause of the incident. We will update soon with more info” .

Rick Furguson of Trend Micro commented that “this kind of DNS hijacking usually involves compromising the registrar responsible for the DNS records of the victim company, the attackers then make unauthorized changes to the DNS records. These changes mean that when you or I type a web site address into our browsers, we are directed not to the real web site but to a second site, set up by the hackers, in this case the ‘Iranian Cyber Army’. This has the net effect of making it look like, in this example, servers belonging to Twitter were compromised when in reality that was not the case.”

Times Person of the Year 2009

Ben Bernanke

By MICHAEL GRUNWALD Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009

A bald man with a gray beard and tired eyes is sitting in his oversize Washington office, talking about the economy. He doesn't have a commanding presence. He isn't a mesmerizing speaker. He has none of the look-at-me swagger or listen-to-me charisma so common among men with oversize Washington offices. His arguments aren't partisan or ideological; they're methodical, grounded in data and the latest academic literature. When he doesn't know something, he doesn't bluster or bluff. He's professorial, which makes sense, because he spent most of his career as a professor.
He is not, in other words, a typical Beltway power broker. He's shy. He doesn't do the D.C. dinner-party circuit; he prefers to eat at home with his wife, who still makes him do the dishes and take out the trash. Then they do crosswords or read. Because Ben Bernanke is a nerd. (See pictures of Ben Bernanke's life from childhood to chairmanship.)

He just happens to be the most powerful nerd on the planet.

Bernanke is the 56-year-old chairman of the Federal Reserve, the central bank of the U.S., the most important and least understood force shaping the American — and global — economy. Those green bills featuring dead Presidents are labeled "Federal Reserve Note" for a reason: the Fed controls the money supply. It is an independent government agency that conducts monetary policy, which means it sets short-term interest rates — which means it has immense influence over inflation, unemployment, the strength of the dollar and the strength of your wallet. And ever since global credit markets began imploding, its mild-mannered chairman has dramatically expanded those powers and reinvented the Fed.

Professor Bernanke of Princeton was a leading scholar of the Great Depression. He knew how the passive Fed of the 1930s helped create the calamity — through its stubborn refusal to expand the money supply and its tragic lack of imagination and experimentation. Chairman Bernanke of Washington was determined not to be the Fed chairman who presided over Depression 2.0. So when turbulence in U.S. housing markets metastasized into the worst global financial crisis in more than 75 years, he conjured up trillions of new dollars and blasted them into the economy; engineered massive public rescues of failing private companies; ratcheted down interest rates to zero; lent to mutual funds, hedge funds, foreign banks, investment banks, manufacturers, insurers and other borrowers who had never dreamed of receiving Fed cash; jump-started stalled credit markets in everything from car loans to corporate paper; revolutionized housing finance with a breathtaking shopping spree for mortgage bonds; blew up the Fed's balance sheet to three times its previous size; and generally transformed the staid arena of central banking into a stage for desperate improvisation. He didn't just reshape U.S. monetary policy; he led an effort to save the world economy.

My List of Monthly Dividend Stocks

Symbol	Last	Row #	Dividend Yield	Dividend
PIM	6.37	1	9.91	0.49
ICS	13.13	2	4.32	0.48
ETJ	16.39	3	11	0.45
BHV	18.29	4	5.4	0.35
EGF	17.6	5	7.16	0.27
PPT	6.29	6	9.71	0.26
BDJ	9.03	7	10.93	0.25
CRT	35.25	8	6.78	0.19
BQH	15.6	9	6.21	0.17
BTE	26.24	10	7.86	0.17
ERF	22.51	11	9.08	0.17
MJI	13.66	12	6.1	0.17
HNW	18.09	13	10.69	0.16
NMA	14.04	14	6.92	0.15
EOI	14.15	15	11.84	0.14
EOS	14.28	16	12.26	0.14
GGN	16.27	17	10.27	0.14
NVY	13.41	18	6.31	0.14
NZF	13.32	19	6.99	0.14
O	26.39	20	6.58	0.14
PHT	14.35	21	11.66	0.14
PWE	17.13	22	10.18	0.14
NRK	13.37	23	5.49	0.13
AOD	9.16	24	15.88	0.12
BMT	10.38	25	3.52	0.12
ETO	19.18	26	7.43	0.12
IGD	12.25	27	12.25	0.12
PHK	11.24	28	12.92	0.12
SBR	41.01	29	3.63	0.12
SLA	10.93	30	12.72	0.12
UTG	19.15	31	7.38	0.12
VLT	14.16	32	10.47	0.12
AGD	9.98	33	13.28	0.11
ASP	10.91	34	11.93	0.11
BLH	16.3	35	6	0.11
EVT	15.86	36	8.24	0.11
MHD	14.42	37	6.94	0.11
NAN	13	38	6	0.11
NVG	14.16	39	5.92	0.11
NXM	13.04	40	6.34	0.11
PCN	14.25	41	9.01	0.11
BSP	9.91	42	12.83	0.1
CSP	8.72	43	13.52	0.1
EOT	19.58	44	6.29	0.1
ETG	13.73	45	9.12	0.1
MHE	12.31	46	6.3	0.1
NQS	14.33	47	6.82	0.1
AVK	15.2	48	7.49	0.09
BBK	14.12	49	7.2	0.09
BLJ	14.13	50	6.42	0.09
CHI	12.37	51	9.24	0.09
CHY	11.53	52	8.87	0.09
EHI	11.03	53	9.61	0.09
EVG	15.88	54	6.79	0.09
FMN	15.27	55	7.08	0.09
GDF	12.21	56	9.28	0.09
HIX	9.3	57	12.46	0.09
HYT	10.65	58	9.86	0.09
HYV	10.47	59	10.01	0.09
MAV	12.54	60	8.15	0.09
MHI	13.83	61	7.38	0.09
NMB	13.89	62	5.54	0.09
NMZ	12.5	63	8.01	0.09
NPP	13.9	64	6.54	0.09
NPV	15	65	5.36	0.09
NUJ	13.45	66	6.03	0.09
NXZ	13.8	67	6.9	0.09
RNY	13.12	68	6.12	0.09
VBF	19.62	69	5.23	0.09
VGM	13.8	70	7.66	0.09
VMO	13.64	71	7.56	0.09
VOQ	14.47	72	6.97	0.09
VTA	11.45	73	9.1	0.09
VTJ	15.37	74	7	0.09
AFB	13.37	75	6.94	0.08
AKP	12.85	76	7.1	0.08
BBF	12.98	77	6.93	0.08
BFK	12.82	78	7.35	0.08
BFY	14.44	79	6.36	0.08
BFZ	13.25	80	6.83	0.08
BKN	13.64	81	7.15	0.08
BLE	13.71	82	7.15	0.08
BNJ	13.83	83	6.72	0.08
BNY	14.35	84	6.79	0.08
BPK	15.71	85	5.89	0.08
BZA	13.8	86	6.64	0.08
EIV	13.06	87	7.07	0.08
EMJ	14.77	88	6.11	0.08
EVJ	14.24	89	6.64	0.08
EVN	11.51	90	7.87	0.08
FPT	13.8	91	6.9	0.08
FRA	14.68	92	6.72	0.08
FRB	13.58	93	6.69	0.08
FTF	11.76	94	7.85	0.08
HGT	16.67	95	5.79	0.08
KSM	12.78	96	7.26	0.08
MIY	12.85	97	6.96	0.08
MMV	13.82	98	6.54	0.08
MUA	11.95	99	6.78	0.08
MUH	13.29	100	6.81	0.08
MUJ	13.86	101	5.98	0.08
MVT	13.79	102	7.24	0.08
MXA	14.9	103	6.44	0.08
MZF	13.18	104	7.49	0.08
NAD	13.19	105	6.86	0.08
NCO	13.49	106	6.69	0.08
NMO	13.27	107	7.16	0.08
NNJ	13.54	108	5.6	0.08
NNP	13.95	109	5.87	0.08
NQM	13.43	110	6.72	0.08
NQU	13.87	111	6.58	0.08
NTX	15.07	112	5.4	0.08
NUC	13.54	113	7.05	0.08
NVC	13.09	114	7.15	0.08
NVX	13.22	115	7.12	0.08
NXP	14.98	116	4.82	0.08
NZH	12.33	117	7.33	0.08
PBT	13.32	118	7.62	0.08
PCQ	12.63	119	7.16	0.08
PHD	12.2	120	7.48	0.08
PIF	13.78	121	6.51	0.08
PMF	12.73	122	7.66	0.08
PSY	9.01	123	10.01	0.08
SBW	12.68	124	7.56	0.08
VCV	12.1	125	7.45	0.08
VKQ	13.16	126	7.27	0.08
VPV	12.54	127	7.19	0.08
VTN	14.06	128	7.13	0.08
AYN	13.21	129	6.46	0.07
BAF	13.77	130	5.98	0.07
BCK	12.95	131	6.11	0.07
BCL	13.09	132	6.79	0.07
BGT	14.05	133	5.72	0.07
BIE	13.44	134	6.6	0.07
BIE	13.44	135	6.6	0.07
BJZ	14.92	136	5.77	0.07
BLW	14.49	137	5.85	0.07
BSD	11.67	138	7.16	0.07
BSE	13.47	139	5.79	0.07
BYM	13.49	140	6.2	0.07
BZM	15.05	141	5.37	0.07
CEV	11.95	142	7.21	0.07
DVF	9.42	143	8.74	0.07
EFR	14.57	144	6.17	0.07
EFT	13.6	145	6.47	0.07
EIA	11.83	146	7.22	0.07
EIM	12.69	147	7.06	0.07
EIP	13.97	148	5.98	0.07
EMI	11.8	149	7.18	0.07
ENX	14.45	150	5.55	0.07
EVM	11.93	151	7.04	0.07
EVO	13.04	152	6.87	0.07
EVP	13.42	153	6.4	0.07
EVY	13.65	154	6.37	0.07
FCO	12.51	155	6.71	0.07
IIM	13.95	156	6.24	0.07
IMT	13.49	157	6.45	0.07
IQI	12.26	158	6.97	0.07
IQT	12.66	159	6.78	0.07
KTF	11.8	160	7.16	0.07
MAB	13.91	161	5.92	0.07
MFL	12.98	162	6.28	0.07
MFL	12.98	163	6.28	0.07
MFT	12.98	164	6.09	0.07
MFT	12.98	165	6.09	0.07
MHN	13.43	166	6.16	0.07
MIW	13.11	167	6.6	0.07
MPA	13.44	168	5.87	0.07
MPA	13.44	169	5.87	0.07
MQY	13.85	170	6.03	0.07
MUE	12.98	171	6.51	0.07
MUI	13.21	172	5.96	0.07
MUS	12.78	173	6.58	0.07
MXN	14.8	174	5.88	0.07
MYC	12.92	175	6.26	0.07
MYD	13.01	176	6.4	0.07
MYF	12.6	177	6.19	0.07
MYJ	14.09	178	5.99	0.07
MYM	11.83	179	6.68	0.07
MZA	12.94	180	6.28	0.07
NAC	12.51	181	6.87	0.07
NBH	13.52	182	6.23	0.07
NBJ	13.54	183	6.17	0.07
NBW	13.48	184	6.12	0.07
NCL	12.79	185	6.47	0.07
NCP	12.47	186	6.78	0.07
NCU	11.99	187	6.62	0.07
NEA	13.8	188	5.94	0.07
NIF	13.84	189	6.22	0.07
NII	15.36	190	5.11	0.07
NIO	13.42	191	6	0.07
NKO	13.15	192	5.89	0.07
NKX	12.61	193	6.27	0.07
NNB	14.9	194	5.38	0.07
NNO	16.04	195	5.11	0.07
NPF	12.96	196	6.5	0.07
NPI	13.21	197	6.4	0.07
NPM	13.38	198	6.54	0.07
NPT	12.13	199	6.58	0.07
NPY	12.47	200	6.33	0.07
NQC	12.75	201	6.84	0.07
NQI	13.52	202	6.32	0.07
NQP	13.1	203	6.38	0.07
NRB	16.2	204	5.1	0.07
NUM	12.78	205	6.18	0.07
NUO	15.2	206	5.91	0.07
NVJ	14.3	207	6.1	0.07
NXI	13.9	208	6.07	0.07
NXJ	12.97	209	6.04	0.07
NXK	12.88	210	6.14	0.07
NYH	13.13	211	6.64	0.07
PAI	12.75	212	6.6	0.07
PGH	9.49	213	8.57	0.07
PMO	11.15	214	7.13	0.07
PMX	10.53	215	7.91	0.07
PNI	10.85	216	7.29	0.07
PPM	14.16	217	6.14	0.07
RFA	12.5	218	6.77	0.07
SGL	10.78	219	7.77	0.07
VIM	12.94	220	6.58	0.07
VKI	11.46	221	7.66	0.07
VKL	11.41	222	7.7	0.07
VMV	11.84	223	7	0.07
APX	8.52	224	6.51	0.06
BFO	13.21	225	5.1	0.06
BKK	14.71	226	5.05	0.06
BPS	12.8	227	6	0.06
BTA	9.95	228	7.22	0.06
COY	6.63	229	10.97	0.06
COY	6.63	230	10.97	0.06
EBI	14.1	231	5.55	0.06
EIO	12.64	232	5.77	0.06
EOE	9.16	233	8.31	0.06
GDV	12.87	234	5.69	0.06
HYB	8.93	235	8.77	0.06
IIC	12.63	236	5.91	0.06
IMS	14.01	237	4.1	0.06
IQC	11.71	238	6.6	0.06
IQN	13.09	239	5.52	0.06
JRO	10.15	240	7.36	0.06
KHI	8.54	241	9.26	0.06
MCA	12.5	242	5.84	0.06
MCR	8.99	243	7.44	0.06
MEN	10.51	244	6.31	0.06
MEN	10.51	245	6.31	0.06
MNE	12.17	246	5.49	0.06
MNP	13.19	247	5.94	0.06
MQT	11.71	248	6.34	0.06
MUC	12.59	249	5.97	0.06
MYI	12.3	250	5.91	0.06
NAZ	12.88	251	5.47	0.06
NBO	13.28	252	5.94	0.06
NFC	15.4	253	5.01	0.06
NFM	13.84	254	5.6	0.06
NFZ	12.45	255	5.47	0.06
NGB	14.49	256	5.41	0.06
NGK	15.07	257	5.02	0.06
NGO	13.91	258	5.24	0.06
NGX	14.65	259	5.18	0.06
NKG	12.94	260	5.56	0.06
NKR	13.18	261	5.89	0.06
NMP	12.34	262	6.23	0.06
NMT	14.01	263	5.61	0.06
NMY	13.71	264	5.4	0.06
NNC	15.17	265	4.91	0.06
NNF	13.28	266	5.43	0.06
NNY	9.61	267	4.41	0.06
NOM	15.64	268	4.34	0.06
NPC	13.33	269	5.86	0.06
NPG	13.25	270	5.38	0.06
NPX	12.23	271	6.12	0.06
NQJ	13.02	272	5.99	0.06
NQN	13.43	273	5.68	0.06
NTC	13.95	274	5.08	0.06
NUN	13.13	275	5.71	0.06
NVN	13.38	276	5.71	0.06
NWI	13.67	277	5.46	0.06
NXC	13.17	278	5.05	0.06
NXE	12.53	279	5.86	0.06
NXQ	13.95	280	4.75	0.06
NZR	13.4	281	5.71	0.06
NZW	12.25	282	6.26	0.06
NZX	14.21	283	5.38	0.06
PCK	8.53	284	8.75	0.06
PFL	11.74	285	6.39	0.06
PML	10.85	286	7.16	0.06
PNF	10.32	287	6.69	0.06
PSW	8.25	288	8.81	0.06
PVX	6.65	289	10.52	0.06
PZC	9.18	290	7.81	0.06
RAA	12.12	291	5.23	0.06
RIT	8.05	292	9.08	0.06
RNJ	12.51	293	6.09	0.06
VAZ	11.55	294	4.16	0.06
BNA	9.48	295	6.46	0.05
CYE	6.24	296	10.61	0.05
CYE	6.24	297	10.61	0.05
DMF	8.5	298	6.73	0.05
DSM	7.77	299	6.99	0.05
DTF	14.47	300	4.57	0.05
EGAS	9.15	301	5.9	0.05
HIO	6.02	302	10.54	0.05
HTE	9.37	303	6.12	0.05
IGR	6.2	304	8.77	0.05
IRC	7.96	305	7.22	0.05
JFR	9.83	306	6.28	0.05
JHP	6.76	307	9.11	0.05
JPS	6.95	308	9.32	0.05
JTP	6.3	309	9.19	0.05
LEO	8	310	7.38	0.05
MIN	6.82	311	8.55	0.05
MMT	6.43	312	8.44	0.05
MVF	9.49	313	6.68	0.05
MYN	11.86	314	5.59	0.05
NMI	11.23	315	5.09	0.05
NUV	9.8	316	4.73	0.05
NXN	13.92	317	4.42	0.05
NXR	14.97	318	4.22	0.05
PFO	7.76	319	7.94	0.05
PIA	7.93	320	6.78	0.05
PYN	9.06	321	6.99	0.05
SJT	17.58	322	3.82	0.05
VCF	13.2	323	4.32	0.05
VMM	12.27	324	4.65	0.05
BHY	5.94	325	8.8	0.04
CMK	7.93	326	6.2	0.04
FAX	6.51	327	6.48	0.04
GIM	9.72	328	5.21	0.04
MFM	6.46	329	7.79	0.04
MGF	7.43	330	7.1	0.04
MHF	7.53	331	5.93	0.04
NCA	9.08	332	5.01	0.04
NIM	10.68	333	3.98	0.04
NSL	6.93	334	7.06	0.04
OIA	6.23	335	6.74	0.04
OIB	6.99	336	6.7	0.04
OIC	7.61	337	6.68	0.04
PCF	7.14	338	7.34	0.04
PMM	6.7	339	7.22	0.04
SBI	8.95	340	4.91	0.04
AAV	6.16	341	12.69	0.03
ARK	3.52	342	8.62	0.03
AWP	6.04	343	5.97	0.03
DSU	3.52	344	10.42	0.03
DSU	3.52	345	10.42	0.03
EVF	6.03	346	5.83	0.03
FCM	11.33	347	3.2	0.03
PDS	6.88	348	16.56	0.03
VVR	4.15	349	7.29	0.03
BKT	6.4	350	4.53	0.02
NRO	2.9	351	8.36	0.02
HIS	1.83	352	8.75	0.01

Dow at new '09 high

A better-than-expected reading on consumer spending and sentiment propels the blue chip average to the highest point in 14 months. But a strong dollar limits gains.

By Alexandra Twin, CNNMoney.com senior writer

Last Updated: December 11, 2009: 6:07 PM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Better-than-expected reports on retail sales and consumer sentiment lifted big blue chip stocks Friday, but gains were limited by weakness in technology and the strength of the U.S. dollar.
The Dow Jones industrial average (INDU) rose 66 points, or 0.6%, to finish at its highest level of 2009. The S&P 500 index (SPX) gained 4 points, or 0.4%. The Nasdaq composite (COMP) ended little changed. The Dow and the S&P ended the week higher, but the Nasdaq slipped.
Big consumer stocks Coca-Cola (KO, Fortune 500), McDonald's (MCD, Fortune 500) and Walt Disney (DIS, Fortune 500) were among the Dow's gainers. Conglomerates General Electric (GM, Fortune 500) and 3M (MMM, Fortune 500) also gained, reflecting some economic optimism.
"The retail sales look good today and that's helping, but there could be a report next week that doesn't look as good," said Bernard McGinn, CEO at McGinn Investment Management. "People are reading into the market whatever they want to at the moment, because they're basically done for the year."
Trading volume has been light so far this month and trading more volatile as investors close the books early on a tumultuous year. As of Friday's close, the S&P 500 has gained 64% since closing at a 12-year low on March 9.
Stocks jumped across the board Thursday as investors sorted through reports on jobs, housing, net worth and the deficit. But investors worked to sustain that advance Friday amid a deluge of information.
Additionally, the major stock indexes are bumping up against multi-month highs, with the Dow flirting with a fresh 14-month high, as of Friday afternoon, and the S&P 500 and Nasdaq sitting just below those same levels.

Consumer: Better-than-expected reports on retail sales and consumer sentiment helped soothe worries about the economy in the first half of 2010.
Weak consumer spending has threatened to crater a still-burgeoning recovery, particularly once the fiscal and monetary stimulus that has propped up the economy starts to wind down.
Retail sales climbed 1.3% in November, the Commerce Department reported Friday, easily surpassing analysts' forecasts for a rise of 0.7%. Sales rose 1.1% in October.
Sales excluding autos rose 1.2% after showing no change in October. Economists thought sales would rise 0.4%.
The University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index rose to 73.4 from 67.4, versus forecasts for a rise to 68.8.

Market movers: Boeing (BA, Fortune 500), Coca-Cola (KO, Fortune 500), McDonald's (MCD, Fortune 500), United Technologies (UTX, Fortune 500) and Alcoa (AA, Fortune 500) were among the Dow's big winners.
United Technologies rose 2.2% a day after it forecast that profits would rise about 10% in 2010.
Alcoa rose as part of a bullish note on the mining sector from JPMorgan Chase.
Market breadth was positive and volume was light. On the New York Stock Exchange, winners topped losers two to one on volume of 1.02 billion shares. On the Nasdaq, advancers beat decliners three to two on volume of 1.76 billion shares.

World markets: Overseas markets gained. In Europe, London's FTSE 100 rose 0.3%, the German DAX rose 0.8% and France's CAC 40 rose 0.1%. Asian markets rose, with the Japanese Nikkei adding 2.5%.

Dollar: The dollar gained versus the euro and yen, continuing its recent recovery march after having slid for the better part of the year.
The weak dollar has helped stocks rally over the past nine months, giving a boost to dollar-traded commodity shares and the stocks of companies that do business overseas. But over the last two weeks, the dollar has churned or moved higher, cutting into commodity gains and the

Commodities: The stronger U.S. dollar pressured dollar-traded commodity prices, with gold and oil both sliding.
COMEX gold for February delivery fell $6.30 to settle at $1,119.90 an ounce. Gold closed at an all-time high of $1,218.30 an ounce last week.
U.S. light crude oil for January delivery fell 67 cents to settle at $69.87 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Bonds: Treasury prices fell, raising the yield on the 10-year note to 3.55% from 3.5% late Wednesday.
Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.

Dividend Calendar

A link I wanted to share, great calendar that shows dividend dates:

Dividend Calender

Windows 7 complaints begin

Users of the new operating system say the upgrading process is buggy. But once the kinks are worked out, customers are liking Windows 7 a lot more than Vista.

By David Goldman, CNNMoney.com staff writer

Last Updated: December 9, 2009: 7:22 PM ET

 

Microsoft Windows is by far the most widely used operating system in the world, but there were a few big bumps in the road on the way to global domination.

View photos

Top 10 Windows 7 complaints Problem % of complaints 1. Problems with installation 31% 2. Missing applets or components 26% 3. Aero theme is not running 14% 4. DVD drive not found 8% 5. Hidden extensions 6% 6. Too many minidumps 6% 7. Aero snap problems 3% 8. iPhone won't sync with Windows 7 2% 9. Custom icons get changed with new theme 2% 10. Taskbar problems 1% Source:iYogi

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Microsoft launched Windows 7 in late October to much fanfare. But, just like with previous Windows upgrades, complaints about bugs have already started rolling in.
A whopping 31% of clients have reported problems with upgrading to Windows 7, according to a recent survey of more than 100,000 customers conducted by consumer helpdesk firm iYogi.

"Most of the problems that customers have with Windows 7 have to do with installation, or application and data migration," said Vishal Dhar, co-founder of iYogi. "These are all fixable problems, but they're annoyances and they're time consuming."