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Aging Giant Kodak Turns To Lawsuits For Revenue

Wednesday, February 16th, 2011

kodak-instamatic.jpg
photo credit: joost j. bakker

Kodak used to be King of Cameraland, but then the digital boom destroyed the darkroom. What happens to a successful company when its industry all but disappears?

  • As the end of the film camera approached, Kodak changed its focus to digital technology and printers. But it’s been a long, hard road.
  • Kodak products aren’t flying off the shelves these days, but the company does have one huge thing going for it: It owns more than 1,000 patents on digital imaging technology.
  • Kodak technology is behind almost all digital cameras produced today – including iPhones and Blackberries.
  • That’s no small thing, so Kodak has been fighting hard for its share of digital imaging profits. It’s currently suing Apple and Research in Motion (which makes the Blackberry) over alleged patent infringement.
  • The U.S. International Trade Commission just ruled that Apple and Research in Motion did not violate any patents, but Kodak is going to keep fighting. What else can it do?

Facts & Figures

  • The Eastman Kodak Co. is 130 years old
  • Kodak has successfully negotiated $550 million in royalties from Samsung and $414 million from LG Electronics

Best Quote

“We fully expect the ITC commission will ultimately rule that the patent claim at issue is valid and infringed by Apple and RIM.” – Laura Quatela, Kodak’s chief intellectual property officer

What do you think?

Can you think of any old giants like Kodak that have reinvented themselves to be successful today?

When Your Investment Portfolio Includes A Striker, A Keeper, And A Few Mid-Fielders

Wednesday, February 16th, 2011

“A group of U.S. investors made an offer to UniCredit SpA, co-owner of AS Roma, to acquire the three-time Italian soccer champion.

They are proposing to pay as much as 130 million euros ($178 million) and are seeking a 50 million-euro credit line for AS Roma from UniCredit after the purchase, Italian newspaper Il Messaggero reported Jan. 28. Movsesian declined to provide details of the offer.

He said it would be “an honor” to buy the team, and revealed it would be “trophy asset” as well as an investment.”

What do you think?

Do you know how much return you could get on a soccer team? Is buying a team more or less risky than buying a stock?

China Sells Off Part Of Its Piece Of The American Pie

Wednesday, February 16th, 2011

“WASHINGTON — China, the biggest buyer of U.S. Treasury securities, reduced its holdings in December for the second straight month.

Overseas demand for Treasurys helps lower the interest rate the U.S. government pays on its debt. If the United States had to finance its debt through U.S. investors alone, the government would have to pay higher rates. American companies and consumers would also pay higher rates.”

What do you think?

Remember when we asked about the U.S. back-up plan on the off chance our biggest foreign debt holder decided to sell off our Treasury bonds? Well.

Maybe they’re just rebalancing their national portfolio. Or following the age-old rule of “don’t put all your eggs in one basket?”

Donors Funding Again, But Younger Donors Fund Different Causes

Friday, February 11th, 2011

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credit: keithusc

Under 50? Then you’re not likely to be donating to your alma mater in 2011.

  • The recession hit everyone hard – including nonprofits and foundations. A study by The Chronicle of Philanthropy shows that big donations were way down in 2010, due mostly to fears about a “double-dip” recession and confusion about tax laws.
  • But so far in 2011, the economy is looking more stable and the tax code has finally been clarified. This may be the long-awaited make-up year for nonprofits that rely on funding from philanthropists.
  • Importantly, the study also revealed generational changes in giving styles. None of the big donors who made the list under 50 years of age donated to colleges or universities. Instead, they preferred to fund education, medical, human rights, and social entrepreneurial ventures.

Facts & Figures

  • Of Forbes magazine’s top 400 wealthiest Americans, only 17 appeared in the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s list of the most generous 54 donors
  • 9 people on the list donated more that $100 million in 2010, compared with 18 donors in 2006
  • The top two donors on the list were 80-year-old hedge-fund manager George Soros ($332 million) and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg ($279.2 million)
  • Mark Zuckerberg, the youngest donor to ever appear on the list, came in 10th place ($100 million)

Best Quote

“I can think of no less needy charity than Harvard. I have to struggle to think of anyone in my age group who has given big money to a traditional charity.” – Philanthropist Whitney Tilson on the new generation of philanthropy

What do you think?

Do you support the same causes as your parents? Do you give to the same organizations as your friends?


Bet You Didn’t Know: The U.S. Still Manufactures 40% More Stuff Than China

Friday, February 11th, 2011

“WASHINGTON — U.S. factories are closing. American manufacturing jobs are reappearing overseas. China’s industrial might is growing each year.

Yet America remains by far the No. 1 manufacturing country. It out-produces No. 2 China by more than 40 percent. U.S. manufacturers cranked out nearly $1.7 trillion in goods in 2009, according to the United Nations.

The story of American factories essentially boils down to this: They’ve managed to make more goods with fewer workers.”

What do you think?

What if higher production adds up to fewer jobs? Is efficiency always a good thing?

How often do you see “Made in U.S.A.” on the products you buy? How about “China?”

Volkswagon Wows With 300MPG Car

Thursday, February 10th, 2011

“Volkswagen has made a car it says can travel 313 miles on a gallon of diesel, and that emits just 24 grammes of carbon dioxide per kilometre travelled.

The XL1, which seats two adults, combines a 0.8 litre two cylinder diesel engine with an electric motor. The car is constructed around a carbon fibre reinforced polymer monocoque to reduce the weight to just 795 kilos. German rival BMW is also making an electric carbon fibre car, while Mercedes is to make carbon fibre parts.”

What do you think?

What influences your taste in cars?

The New Philanthropy: Google Goes After Education In India

Thursday, February 10th, 2011

“NEW DELHI – Internet giant Google Inc. said Monday it will give $5 million to upgrade and support 50 elementary schools run by India’s Bharti Foundation, the philanthropic unit of Bharti Enterprises Ltd.”

What do you think?

Can an enormous business-based philanthropic venture like Google fulfill its mission to save the world?

J.P. Morgan Will Take Your Gold Booty

Wednesday, February 9th, 2011

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If gold is the same thing as cash, why can’t you use your gold medals to pay for coffee?

  • 40 years after the U.S. dollar stopped being backed by actual gold, JP Morgan is saying that if you’ve got enough of the metal, it will trust you with a loan. From now on, some of their clients will be able to use their gold holdings as collateral* on certain loans.
  • This is kind of a big deal. It means that the bank thinks gold, cash, and (super-low-risk) U.S. Treasury bonds are all equally safe bets.
  • For a long time, investors stayed away from gold. There weren’t that many gold buyers around, so if you suddenly needed to sell your gold for cash (to buy that cup of coffee, maybe), it would take too long.
  • Supporters of the gold-as-collateral decision say that gold is a stable, real-life source of value that can be relied upon no matter how the economy changes. Skeptics point out that the price of gold changes every single day on the commodity market.

*Collateral is something of value (e.g. your house, your credit card, your firstborn) that you give to a lender until you’ve repaid your debt. If you don’t repay your debt, the lender gets to keep whatever you’ve put up as collateral. For instance, if you loan your friend $10, you can keep his sunglasses as collateral until he gives you the money back.

Facts & Figures

  • More than $100 billion in trade occurs in the gold market every day
  • Former U.S. President Nixon stopped backing up the dollar with real gold in 1971

Best Quote

“When a bank, such as J.P. Morgan, is willing to extend collateral value against an asset such as physical bullion, it shows that they are not worried about the liquidity issue if they might take the collateral over or they have to liquidate the collateral.” – Frank McGhee, Head Precious Metals Trader, Integrated Brokerage Services

What do you think?

Does an old-fashioned form of currency like gold have a place in today’s plastic society? Do you know if there’s any gold in your investment portfolio?

More Competitive Than Harvard! 1.6 Million Chinese Grads Consider Applying To McDonald’s Hamburger University

Wednesday, February 9th, 2011

“There’s a coffee machine in the corridor. There’s no cafeteria, although students and staff can order food delivered to the office pantry one floor down.

‘I’m thrilled and proud to attend Hamburger University,’ said Zhou, who in 2007 started as a management trainee in the central Chinese city of Changsha, a job for which she and seven others were among 1,000 applicants. That’s a selection rate of less than 1 percent, lower than Harvard University’s record low acceptance rate last year of about 7 percent, according to the school’s official newspaper.”

Best Quote

“Now my father has stopped trying to persuade me to work in banking.” – Sun Ying, McDonald’s Shanghai Store Manager

What do you think?

With college graduates fighting to get into Hamburger University, can a Chinese obesity crisis be far behind?

Movie Ticket Prices At An All-Time High, To No One’s Surprise

Tuesday, February 8th, 2011

“If you thought it was getting more expensive to go the movies, your hunch was right. The average ticket price at theaters in the U.S. last year rose to an all-time annual high of $7.89, up 5% from $7.50 in 2009, according to the National Assn. of Theatre Owners. In the fourth quarter, the average price was $8.01, up 5% from the year-ago period.”

What do you think?

Can you believe they’re still cheaper than they were in 1970? (When you factor in inflation.)

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