Is Apple Watching?

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-20055885-37.html?tag=topStories1

What looks to be like secret files on the iPhone that track user locations and log it on the device with out the users permission have been discovered. It is not very clear what the information is used for and why they have it yet though, but it is known that Apple has been collection data from their products with a 3G antenna for almost a year now.
Since this is very unclear this could be potentially very bad for Apple customers. Many people really trust Apple and are loyal customers, people also continue to buy their products simply because they trust Apple. This new information could jeopardize this though. Having data collected without the customer knowing is scary to many people. Customers weren't supposed to know about this, and now they aren't sure what it is being used for. This news could really hurt the company until they respond to all the questions. Temporarily, people may stop buying their products because they might feel as if they are being spied on. If they lose their customers, people may switch to the next best thing... the android. Studies show that the android is not using this technology to track their customers, and this might show a sense of security to many people and people may switch only for that reason. This news really can hurt Apple. It is the first negative comment I've really heard about the company, so it could really freak people out and start to question Apple more. This is going to lose customers' trust to the company and instead of Apple being the "it" technology company, they might turn into a sketchy company that people can't trust. This really has potential to hurt Apple.

The Masters: Golf's Crown Jewel Now Sells Tickets

The Masters is a well known and highly repected golf tournament showcasing some of golf's greates players. In recent years The Masters has always maintained its traditional aspects but now decided it's time for a change. Because golf is big business in Georgia, where the tournament takes place, why not offer opportunities for regular patrons to come and witness such a historical event. With that oppotunity comes a price, 50$ for a day pass and 75$ for a tournament pass doesn't sound like too much. However you must purchase the tickets directly through The Master's website. With this being mandatory, The Masters will see quite a jump in their revenue and will directly benefit from this. People who are interested in such and event will have to submit an application to be considered eligible to attend such a prestigious golf tournament If people wish to buy tickets outside of The Masters, they will be looking at a much steeper price. The Masters essentially holds all the power in choosing who would be able to come and view such an event and because of this power they will gain popularity but could suffer minutely as far as revenue goes. Also, because many golf players shwocased in this tournament have sponsorships, those sponsors have to pay The Masters to allow the players to advertise their product on national television. The vice president of sales and marketing for Augusta, Georgia compares the reliance on Christmas that stores have is the same reliance that hotels and restaurants have on The Masters. Augusta being a small town greatly benefits from the tournament and the golf course itself takes on new inquiries for memebership, thus increasing its popularity.

The Economy Stinks for the Trash Industry

The city of Arlington expects to lose about 950,000 dollars of revenue this fiscal year from the town landfill. The lack of trash is directly linked to the decline in business being conducted in today's economy. The landfill lease makes more money per year than the leases of the Ballpark and Cowboys stadium combined, making it the biggest lease source revenue in the city. Republic waste operates the city landfill. They have diverted some trash to Fort Worth landfills, which is also leading to the revenue loss. The current size of the North Arlington landfill has 12 years left, and the city is expecting to expand horizontally and vertically, giving it 20 to 25 years of life left. "As long as the landfill is open and has the capacity to take in trash, it will be a revenue generator for the city," Byrd said. This impacts our economy because the revenue from the landfill is so large that the city can use the funds for building roads and parks. We have seen the direct impact from the funds used by the city. Republic Waste diverting trash to Fort Worth will hurt the Arlington public works fund in the long run. Although it is currently a big loss, public officials expect the revenue to rebound in the next fiscal year.

Google to Spend Billions on War with Facebook

Two major internet corporations in Google and Facebook are currently at war with one another. Google is used to being the main search engine and answer for many Americans across the nation and people in other countries. You can usually type just about anything into the Google search engine and get an answer right back. This allowed Google to dominate the search engine world and surpass other companies like Yahoo or Bing. Now Google´s successes are being threatened by Facebook´s successes. As a result of Facebook´s newly gained popularity, Google feels threatened economically speaking. They feel as though Facebook is becoming the modern way to find out information leaving no need for search engines like Google. Because Facebook has a significant amount of workers less than Google, there is more money freed up to explore different avenues. More and more people are relying on Facebook now to get the latest buzz on things instead of running to Google. This issue is still maturing and neither company has seen any immense gain or loss due to this issue. Google os still the powerhouse and is still getting all the profit. Facebook is sneaking up and will slowly start to take over those Google lovers and convert them into Facebook lovers. Economically for both companies, it's a healthy dispute because it in turn forces the two companies to better themselves and give the consumer a better product in order to increase their profit.

Fort Worth District could lose 553 jobs in cuts

On Tuesday morning, 167 Ft. Worth positions will be voted on to see if they will be cut due to shortage in funding. The officials cannot say too much because they cannot release names of the employees that do not know they are being released. Wouldn't this mean the positions are already eliminated? So why is there a voting? Most of the 553 jobs that are being voted on are vacant or will be soon after people retire. All of the recently employed had to sign a form saying that they were aware that their jobs were paid with temporary funds.

"Our primary goal has been, and remains, to make decisions in the best of our interest of our students and in so doing, preserve jobs," Superintendent Melody Johnson said in a message to staff.

To stop some of the teachers from being fired, they are being transferred to other schools and districts. Officials estimate that the job reduction could save $17 million. This is going to cut the funding for several years but what happens when, or if, the economy takes another drop? Will education keep decreasing in it's teachers? If this is the case, there is no way that education standards will stay the same.

http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/04/10/2989761/fort-worth-district-could-lose.html

Starbucks App

http://www.betanews.com/article/Starbucks-expands-mobile-payment-service-to-all-US-stores/1295465526 Starbucks is making paying for your favorite coffee mobile. All the Starbucks in Target now work for the new app and 7,500 stores across the country. This idea is great for the customers. Everybody has a smart phone now days, so making an app is truly the most innovative thing a company can do, in my opinion. The Starbucks app is genius for its customers. This makes getting your morning coffee less of a messy rush and more convenient for the customer. They can just stick out their phone (which is probably already glued to their hand) and pay. Starbucks is not only increasing business by making it more convenient and easier for customers to get coffee, but they are also probably making tons of money from the popularity of the app. Apps on smart phones can gain popularity real fast, and almost become a trend. People ask if they have the newest apps and if the Starbucks app catches on, then it could be the new app trend. This really does increase business for Starbucks. The new app is a great idea for the company to make things more convenient for their busy customers.

U.S. Seeks to Reassure on Contaminated Food

News of high levels of radioactive wastes in fishes across Japan had Americans in shock and fear to buy any seafood. This was because Japan is a major source for seafoods and produce for the U.S. This scare had many seafood sellers and fishermen in need of some form of revenue since their major source was now being questioned. They suffered a major decline in their sales because of this incident. Just recently U.S. public health officials sought to reassure people that the food is safe. Also to ensure that there is no need to take drastic measures on the matter as it is being carefully handled. Japan suffered economically from this. As a result of this scare, many fish markets are looking elsewhere for the products in order to boost sales that recently were declined. Thomas Frieden, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that Americans had nothing to be concerned about since the radioactive wastes have not yet been found in fish sold in the U.S.

Rangers Are Back

Any persistant followers of baseball know that it was opening weekend this past weekend. And for a team fresh out of the World Series, there couldn't have been a better performance.The Rangers swept the Sox, but that's only part of the buzz. They also brought in record crowds for a first three game series of the season with over 144,000 people. So what does this mean to Arlington's economy? One thing in particular that will please everyone is money. Arlington is the only city with an All-star game, a World Series, and a Superbowl all in one year. That can't do anything but help the economy. And now it's baseball season again. That's not the only hype about Arlington's economy. The Mavericks will also be making the playoffs which is a huge boost. But the Rangers are the talk of everything. This could dramatically improve the economy which is always beneficial when gas prices are as they are. People will be willing to spend money which puts more money into the circular flow. Businesses, and in this case, the franchise of the Texas Rangers will be impacted greatly by that. It's only the beginning of the season and things are looking great for the Rangers, now we just need them to help the economy look great as well. http://http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/04/03/2971539/wins-record-crowds-all-good-for.html#

Obama Promises Tuition Tax Credit

President Obama is promising struggling college students to help pay for college due to his student loan debt. For $10 billion a year, Obama is promising $4,000 in tuition for each student who achieves 100 hours of community service. A campaign, involving an Illinois Senator, expresses how they are struggling with rising fuel prices, educational costs, and other family demands. Campaigns like this are used to promote the presidents plans to help these families in need during the tough economic times.

"I was given love, and I was given support, but most importantly, I was given an education that put me on a pathway to my dreams. So was Michelle," states Obama during a speech.

Later in this speech, Obama shares his story of loan debt after marrying Michelle and taking many years to finally pay off this joint student debt. He also shares about a time he communicated with a dental hygenist student who falling into a deeper debt in paying for her school because she is having to pay $4 for a gallon of gas. Obama promises her, as well as every other college student in the world, that this time will pass and they will be able to afford, and finish, their schooling. According to this plan, Obama is going to cause a major increase in our national debt. Although, with people getting the money to afford college, we are going to see an increase in the job demands since there will be more degrees being accomplished. Obama has thought a very good plan in making people help the community by earning 100 hours to recieve the $4,000 but many people will begin to achieve this, if they haven't already. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25214156/ns/politics-decision_08/