Movies could be viewed live on Facebook with new program

Facebook and Warner Bros. are teaming up to offer a live electronic digital film rental service. Facebook Movies only contains a few choices for viewing at the moment. If the plans go well, Warner Bros can be expanding their offerings. Following this information, Netflix stock fell, and buzzes about Facebook Credits increased. Source of article – Facebook Movies streams films directly with Facebook Credits by MoneyBlogNewz.

Screening electronic digital leases on Facebook

There’s a new Warner Bros. Facebook page features available. It is possible to rent and stream movies on Facebook. Users have this ability now. This choice is presently available for just a few films, including “The Dark Knight.” About $3 is what is paid for a 48 hour rental with 30 Facebook credits. This option is only available on a test basis to about 30 percent of United States Facebook users.

Netflix stock falls on Facebook Movies news

The information of Facebook Movies has already had an effect on the online rental business. Shares went down three percent for Netflix after the announcement. This was just in the first hour though. Netflix currently accounts for about 20 percent of all online traffic. In December of 2010, a report found that Facebook accounted for almost 10 percent of online traffic to video-sharing websites. When you combine the traffic of Facebook with in-line video sharing, Netflix could be facing its first real competition — depending on the content that is eventually made available.

The question of Facebook Credits

Facebook's system of payment that will soon be necessary may have Facebook Movies being the first non-game application to use it. Right now, $1 is paid for 10 Facebook credits with Facebook Credits. There is no assurance, however, that Facebook Credits will remain a monetary program tied exclusively to the value of the dollar. Facebook is able to increase income by changing the conversion rate very simply with its own monetary program. Facebook could effortlessly change to nine Facebook credits per dollar instead. This would lead to 1.1 cents per credit purchased instead for Facebook. Just a tiny increase like this could make a huge difference for the business. This small increase is multiplied by billions for elevated earnings.

Articles cited

Tech Crunch

techcrunch.com/2010/12/23/facebook-second-largest-source-videos/

Slate

slate.com/id/2273314/

Forbes

blogs.forbes.com/parmyolson/2011/03/08/now-you-can-rent-and-stream-movies-on-facebook/?partner=yahootix

Bloomberg

bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-08/netflix-falls-as-warner-bros-starts-offering-movies-on-facebook.html

A summary of many frequently unnoticed tax deductions

It’s not hard to overlook tax deductions buried deep within the thicket of the United States tax code. Most taxpayers think they pay too much in taxes. However most of them might be making things worse by overlooking tax deductions. But you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on a CPA to find a lot of tax deductible expenses.

The incredible value of tax deductions

About 46 million U.S. working class individuals who choose to itemize their tax deductions prevent nearly $1 trillion dollars from falling to the hands of the government. About 85 million working class individuals use standard deductions to protect another $700 billion. Many people who use standard write-offs are probably cheating themselves out of money that’s there for the taking in the U.S. tax code. Tax write-offs like mortgage interest, student loan interest, real estate property taxes and sales tax are used normally and regularly. Still, these individuals may be missing out on other deductions.

Tax write-offs inside your career

Many people do not realize there’s a tax break for any expenses caused when looking for a job. The U.S. job market has been terrible recently meaning several people are missing this tax break. With an itemized deduction greater than 2 percent of total adjusted gross income, this can be put in itemized taxes. Any job hunting expenses could be deducted. This is only allowed if the job search is in the very same industry as the previous job. Job hunting expenses cannot be deducted when it is for a first time job. However, any moving expenditures, including 14.5 cents per mile, could be deducted as long as the person is moving over 50 miles for the job. A $2,500 college tuition tax credit is claimed for any person going back to school so that a career change could be made. While a tax break lowers taxable income, a tax credit lowers the taxes owed. A tuition tax credit is given to any single working class individuals making less than $80,000 or married working class ! individuals making less than $160,000.

Some people don't notice deductions

You will find tax deductions that get unnoticed. This contains write-offs for home and family. Are you taking care of elderly parents? As an American, that can mean a huge tax break to consider. If they provide more than half their parent’s financial support and that assistance costs them more than 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income, they qualify for a dependent parent deduction. There have been a lot of U.S. automaker incentives for buying a new car. In 2010, buying a new automobile means you are able to deduct the sales tax, even in case you are not doing an itemized deduction, as long as you made under $135,000. Taxpayers that made energy efficient improvements in their home can get green energy tax credits up to $1,500. Finally, don’t overlook the Making Work Pay tax credit. The 2010 tax year is the last chance to take advantage of the Making Work Pay tax credit. A Schedule M along with the 1040 form will mean singles can take $400 and married couples! can take $800 off of their taxes with the tax credit, which some employers do on their own.

Citations

MSN Money

articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Taxes/CutYourTaxes/the-19-most-overlooked-tax-deductions.aspx?page=2

U.S. News and World Report

news.yahoo.com/s/usnews/20110217/ts_usnews/10hiddentaxdeductionsexposed

ABC News

abcnews.go.com/Business/irs-taxes-2010-tax-credits-deductions-save-money/story?id=12908788&page=2

Google algorithm modification has profound impact on web publishing

The Google algorithm modification on Feb. 25 had an immediate and significant impact on the internet publishing industry. Every aspect of the online publishing industry was affected. For better or worse, jobs, share prices, income and traffic volume for content companies changed along with the algorithm. About $1 billion in annual revenues in among content providers could possibly be redistributed by Google’s algorithm modification, which was made to give high quality content a far better chance of being found. Article source – Google algorithm change has profound impact on web publishing by MoneyBlogNewz.

Better content required from Google

Google’s search quality has not been that good in the past year with all the content material available on the internet. Lots of people have told Google lately to do something about this. The search quality needs to be better. As soon as Google made this quick algorithm change, the content material farms got published and in-depth reports that have analysis in them were rewarded just as Google planned them to. Traffic and income surged for sites with original quality content. This was bad news for some websites though. Any sites there to get traffic in by luring in individuals ended up losing. Google reports that 11.8 percent of search queries were noticeably changed due to this. The 12 million Google searches in Jan were what comScore used as a web marketing research business to determine how the algorithm modification would impact searches. It said 1.4 billion searches this month would be affected by this.

Not helping content farms at all

There was a 5 to 50 percent increase in traffic to the Internet Publishers Association's site a day after Google's algorithm change. According to web metrics firm Sistrix, content material farms specializing in so-called “click bait” took a huge hit. Yahoo's Association Content, Ezinearticles.com, Wisegeek.com and Mahalo.com are all websites that got hit. There was a drop in traffic of over 75 percent at these websites. Ten percent of Mahalo.com workers were terminated. This is what it did last week because of this modification. Demand Media, widely criticized as a content farm, was apparently saved by a mix of quality and click bait. The Google algorithm modification actually ended up helping Demand Media even though the eHow.com stock that just had a $1.7 billion IPO went down. Other Demand Media online websites such as AnswerBag.com and Trails.com suffered.

Traffic hits on Google

Google’s algorithm modification rocked the internet publishing industry as the top listing on a search engine results page can expect to harvest 20 percent to 30 percent of the traffic. When second and 3rd, that amount is even less. It’s closer to between 5 and 10 percent of traffic. Outcomes on the page other than that get almost nothing. It is at about 1 percent. It’s harmful to a business to get to the second page. It gets hardly any hits. Google algorithms now tend to follow the Personal Blocklist on its Chrome browser. This allows users to block any web sites that seem offensive to them. About 84 percent of Chrome user block list sites were demoted due to the algorithm modification even though Google does not use the Personal Blocklist data.

Information from

CNN

money.cnn.com/2011/03/08/technology/google_algorithm_change/index.htm

CNN Money

money.cnn.com/2011/03/08/technology/google_algorithm_change/index.htm” target=”_blank

Adweek

adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/e3i0fcd39a826b5c1cd3b13fba6c2a9dfba” target=”_blank

International Business Times

ibtimes.com/articles/116434/20110225/demand-media-google-algorithms-content-farms.htm

Sistrix

sistrix.com/blog/985-google-farmer-update-quest-for-quality.html

Google blog

googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/finding-more-high-quality-sites-in.html

Rising energy prices causing airline fare increases

Standard costs of airfare tickets have gone up. This is the sixth time airlines have increased their costs since January. This particular increase in fares is unusual because Southwest was included. Southwest is typically the holdout on these fare increases. The rise is being blamed on rising oil prices.

The rising price of an airfare ticket

There was a $60 boost this year in the average airline ticket costs, in accordance with airline industry reports. Now, a ticket that would have cost $200 on Jan 1, 2011 will cost $260. When it comes to increases in price though, not all airlines had these increases. Unless all airlines raise costs, the increases usually go back down. This latest $10 increase, however, was followed by Southwest Airlines, traditionally a holdout.

Fuel costs for low-cost airlines

Southwest Airlines are one of several low-cost airline carriers in the United States. Traditionally, Southwest Airlines has avoided many of the fees and rate hikes that larger airlines have undertaken, in an effort to keep consumers. Other economy service providers will keep prices low too. This consists of JetBlue and AirTran. The lower profit margins aren't good all the time. There is more price volatility due to it. When the price of a barrel of oil goes up by $10 to $20, the airlines often raise their per-ticket price by a similar amount. The CEO of Southwest pointed out that Southwest will likely spend $1.3 billion on fuel in 2011, which is three times the total net income of Southwest last year.

Going everywhere costs a lot

As airlines are raising their fares, travel in the U.S. in general is getting more costly. There are not very many opportunities for individuals traveling long distances. Airlines are the most obvious. Driving is also a choice, though the rising cost of gasoline can often put the price of a long-distance trip relatively close to that of an airfare ticket. The rising oil costs are leaving even bus trips more expensive. Now, a train ticket would cost $150 that cost $50 in 2008 while there are not many opportunities for travel even though it is an option. High-speed rails are still more theory than practice.

Articles cited

WSBTV

wsbtv.com/news/27110644/detail.html

USA Today

travel.usatoday.com/flights/post/2011/03/another-day-another-fare-hike/146578/1

News OK

newsok.com/fuel-costs-force-southwest-to-add-10-to-ticket-cost/article/3546778

Low rates cause mortgage modification applications to surge

applications for mortgage modification have increased dramatically over the past few weeks. Market interest rates for mortgages have been falling, and individuals wisely feel it’s a good time to refinance instead of buy. Housing costs have increased in pockets, but since they’re declining, home sales have not risen very much as individuals are apprehensive in an unsure market. Resource for this article – Applications for mortgage modifications spike with low rates by MoneyBlogNewz.

Home loan activity increases with low rates of interest

Months of low interest rates have caused a spike in home loan activity, according to Bloomberg. During the week ending March 4, mortgage applications went up 15.5 percent which, since June 11, 2010, is the largest increase. This very same week last year was not as profitable. A 6.5 percent decrease was shown. The majority of the activity came from mortgage modifications applications which was 65.5 percent of the home loan applications which is up from the 64.9 percent the week before. The Mortgage Bankers Association does not make a difference between new home and existing home applications. Nevertheless, it reports that the purchase index went up 12.5 percent. The sale of existing homes makes up about 90 percent of all home sales.

Dropping home prices still

Home prices have declined 31 percent since costs peaked in July 2006, and there is rampant speculation that a double dip in real estate is possible. One of the leading proponents of the idea that a double dip is pending is Robert Shiller, co-founder of the Case-Shiller Index, according to CNN. Shiller believes home costs will continue to fall, and the truth that home sales dropped during January 2011 certainly means it is possible. Unfortunately for most middle class prospective home buyers, taking advantage of lower prices is going to become more difficult over the next few years as financing standards are about to change.

Will the 30 year home loan last?

There has been concern shown in the government recently. It wants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae out. Fannie and Freddie create capital for lenders by purchasing mortgages and selling them to investors, keeping the home loan industry flush with cash for new loans. Should the mortgage houses be done away with, the 30-year fixed mortgage might go with them, according to the NY Times. It is very risky to lend a 30 year loan with fixed interest since the future can hold several things. Staying in a home for 30 years and paying down a loan is something individuals rarely do. Loan providers are likely to be more interested in changing interest with the industry soon. That means adjustable rate mortgages will likely become what is normal in the next 10 or 20 years. Bigger down payments and higher interest rates will probably occur. This is just part of the changing industry.

Articles cited

Bloomberg

bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-09/mortgage-applications-in-u-s-rise-16-biggest-gain-since-june.html

Mortgage Bankers Association

mbaa.org/NewsandMedia/PressCenter/75923.htm

CNN

money.cnn.com/2011/03/03/real_estate/housing_buy_or_not/index.htm

New York Times

nytimes.com/2011/03/04/business/04housing.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

Walmart of weed, weGrow, preparing multi-state business

The California “Walmart of weed,” weGrow, is planning on opening a second site. Cannabis isn’t sold in the stores. In fact, weGrow tends to shy from any mention of marijuana. The so-called "Walmart of weed" offers hydroponic supplies, growing classes and other gardening assistance.

All about the Walmart of weed

Hydroponic growing is something that WeGrow shops are for after starting in Sacramento as iGrow. "Walmart of Weed" is a phrase the shops do not refer to themselves as. In fact, the shops do not ever refer to weed directly either since it’s a federal crime to grow marijuana. Medical cannabis patients are targeted in the 10,000 square foot facility. There are courses on hydroponic growing offered along with other merchandise for instance fertilizers and equipment.

Areas added for weGrow

The business hopes to become well-known nationwide soon after the first step in California for weGrow stores. Any states with medical weed laws — Oregon, New Jersey, Colorado, Arizona and California — will hopefully be getting shops there soon. The "Walmart of Weed" doesn't actually sell any medical weed which is left to the independent dispensaries to do. The established stores are there and ready for when cannabis becomes legalized. They’ll then sell the stuff themselves. There will be franchised shops instead of company owned shops. Really, this ought to help stop some of the legal troubles that might appear.

The challenging legal position of cannabis

The United States is having difficulty with medical cannabis right now. It’s in a hard spot. Even though the federal government isn't doing much about this, cannabis is still a Schedule 1 illegal drug. This means weed seems on the very same list as heroin, GHB, ecstasy, peyote and other addictive narcotics that the federal government heavily regulates. Despite this, several states have passed laws that allow legal medical weed use. This means that medical marijuana exists in a gray area, where states receive sales taxes and license business activities that federal agents could jail business owners for. This is part of the reason weGrow offers only hydroponic and other growing equipment.

Information from

Seattle Times

seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2014335429_potstore26.html

The brand new mayor in town for Chicago is Rahm Emanuel

The Chicago mayor political election outcomes are in. Voters have spoken, and Rahm Emanuel has been elected mayor of Chicago. Emanuel left his post as the fiery White House Chief of Staff in the Obama White House to run for the post. His candidacy was challenged legally, but he overcame those hurdles. He will take over in May, when he is inaugurated.

The majority of votes go to Emanuel

A second runoff election was expected to be needed in the Chicago mayoral election. This would be because over 50 percent of votes wouldn't be received by candidates. In some areas, for instance Chicago, a two-round voting system is implemented in the case that no candidate receives more than 50 percent of votes. Emanuel did not have to have a runoff to become mayor considering he got 55 percent of Chicago election votes, the Christian Science Monitor reports. Gery Chico, who is the previous Chief of Staff for Mayor Richard Daley who’s leaving, was the closes to Rahm Emanuel in votes. Chico's votes were low too though. Only 24 percent voted for him.

The legality of it all

In becoming the 55th Chicago mayor, Rahm Emanuel had legal challenges that blocked him. Since he was Chief of Staff for the Obama White House and didn't really live in Chicago, the candidacy was challenged in court that said he really was a resident of Washington, D.C., according to the Washington Post. However, a series of appeals that went to the Illinois Supreme Court, which found in favor of Emanuel. There were six candidates running against him. He won, clearly.

Emanuel replaces Chicago tale

The mayor that Emanuel is replacing has been Chicago Mayor since 1989, CBS reports. That is Mayor Richard M. Daley. Emanuel faces a budget deficit of $655 million and rising crime rates. In his first month in office, he promised to cut $75 million while adding 1,000 police officers to the City of Chicago.

Citations

Christian Science Monitor

csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/2011/0223/Chicago-election-results-catapult-Rahm-Emanuel-into-mayor-s-office/%28page%29/2

Washington Post

washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2011/02/22/ST2011022207071.html?sid=ST2011022207071

CBS News

cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20035263-503544.html