T-Mobile:Speed Boost

T-Mobile USA plans next month to launch two smartphones that double the speed of its wireless data service in the hope of attracting new customers to the No. 4 U.S. mobile provider.

The devices -- the Galaxy S II from Samsung Electronics Co and the Amaze 4G from HTC Corp --- will be the first phones to support T-Mobile's latest network upgrade which roughly doubles the data download speed for services such as streaming video or mobile Web surfing.
T-Mobile USA, which is hoping to win a battle with the U.S. government to gain approval to be bought by AT&T Inc, is looking for any selling points it can get over its rivals as it has lost ground to both bigger and smaller competitors.
In comparison to its current phones, which have data speeds of 3 to 4 megabits per second, the latest devices will download data at a rate of 8 megabits per second, T-Mobile USA marketing executive Andrew Sherrard told Reuters.
"It's a really a nice step change," said Sherrard, who added that the speed boost would help meet demand for services such as streaming video, which has been rising sharply.
According to Sherrard, about 75 percent of the phones the company has sold this year have been smartphones. He also noted that usage of its data services have been doubling every six months and that half T-Mobile USA's data traffic is video.
Sherrard said T-Mobile was not able to get an agreement from Apple Inc to add the next version of its popular iPhone to its product line up.
T-Mobile USA's bigger rival Sprint Nextel is expected by many analysts to start selling Apple phones.
But Sherrard said Samsung and HTC devices would make up for the lack of an iPhone.
"We're very confident we've a competitive line-up," he said. However, the phones are a little more pricey than most U.S. smartphones, which typically cost around $200 or less.
The HTC Amaze will cost $259.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate for customers who sign a two-year contract while the Samsung Galaxy S II will cost $229.99 after the same rebate and with the same conditions. The phones will be in stores October 12.

Share amicable equation

One wonders if bringing old flames Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone back on screen for Karan Johar's 'Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani' was a tough nut to crack! But director Ayan Mukherjee says it was a smooth process as the two actors share an amicable equation.

'Actually it was very easy. I know that the media had written a lot about their break-up, but actually they have a very amicable equation and it was really smooth to put them together,' said Mukherjee.
The two actors dated each other for over a year, and split in 2009. So far they have done one film together - 'Bachna Ae Haseeno' in 2008. This will be their first film after the dramatic break-up in 2009.
But Mukherjee of 'Wake Up Sid' fame is looking forward to bringing their sizzling chemistry on celluloid through the love story.
'It is a love story and I am really excited about my cast. I am hoping to start sometime around mid-January and hopefully will have the film ready sometime mid-next year (2012),' he added.
The title of the movie is inspired by the famous R.D. Burman song from the 1970s hit 'Jawani Deewani', and the director feels the title is apt and youthful.
'The title is from an old song but it's also a youthful title. I suppose it means the romance of being young and that is what it (the film) is about,' he said.

Young Professionals

With the unemployment rate stuck above 9%, recent college graduates are facing fierce competition for white-collar work: More than 2 million college-educated workers 25 and older are unemployed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

But prospects are much brighter in some cities than others, most notably Des Moines, Iowa, which ranks No. 1 on our list of Best Cities For Young Professionals.
The Iowa state capital has a higher concentration of big businesses (1 for every 568 residents) than any other city we assessed, which equals more job opportunities. Financial services and insurance companies like Principal Financial Group and EMC Insurance Companies have long made their home in the corn-belt city, earning it the nickname "Hartford of the West."
With business costs 16% below the national average, Des Moines has been attracting startups and companies relocating from the coasts, and a number of established companies in the area are expanding, like DuPont's bioscience unit Pioneer Hi-Bred, which plans to hire an additional 500 employees over the next few years. As a result, Des Moines boasts a low 5.8% unemployment rate (sixth lowest of the 100 cities we studied) and healthy projected job growth rates of 0.97% in 2011 and 2.86% in 2012.
"We're encountering a lot of young individuals moving here from larger cities where it would take five or 10 years to ascend into positions, where here they are having opportunities given to them to move more quickly into their career paths." says Mary Bontrager, vice president of workforce for the Greater Des Moines Partnership, a regional economic development organization.
The median salary for employed college graduates between the ages of 24 and 34 in the city is $47,200. That ranks only 42nd out of the 100 cities we screened for the list, but that salary goes further in Des Moines, where living costs are 8% lower than the national average, making it the 22nd least expensive city.
Behind the Numbers
To determine the best cities for young professionals, which we define as adults aged from 24 to 34 who hold a Bachelor's degree or higher, we started with the 100 largest U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas (cities and the suburbs surrounding them) as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. We assessed these cities based on seven factors, weighting them evenly: local unemployment rates and 2010 to 2012 job growth projections provided by Moody's Economy.com; Census Bureau data on the number of small businesses (defined as less than 500 employees) per capita, as well as the number of large businesses; the median salaries for 24- to 34-year-old employed college graduates, provided by PayScale.com; Moody's cost-of living index, to gauge how far those paychecks will go; and the percentage of the population aged 25 and older with college degrees in the area.
In second place on our list: Raleigh, N.C. The college town turned boom town, which tops our Best Places for Business and Careers list this year, has the fourth best job growth outlook of the cities we studied (2% a year for 2010-12) and a 7.9% unemployment rate that's well below the national average. With an abundance of colleges and universities in the area such as University of North Carolina and Duke University, and Research Triangle, a major center for high-tech and biotech research, more than 42% of the local population touts BA degrees, making it the most educated of the cities we looked at.
Midwestern cities eclipsed many glitzier coastal competitors for top spots on our list. In addition to Des Moines, Madison, Wis., ranks third; billionaire Warren's Buffett's hometown of Omaha, Neb., is No. 5; and Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn., is No. 10. All three tout low unemployment rates and a large college-educated demographic. The cost of living in each of these areas is around or below the national average, ensuring their young residents' relatively high salaries go even farther. Healthy job growth is projected in all of these heartland hubs as well.
A few northeast metropolises cracked the top 15: hedge fund heavy Fairfield County, Conn. (No. 15); Portland, Maine (No. 6), which boasts the highest number of small businesses per capita of the cities we screened; government-town Washington, D.C. (No. 9); and the education and tech hub of Boston, Mass. (No. 12). No West Coast cities made the cut.
We ranked the 100 largest U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas based on projected job growth rates for 2010 to 2012 and cost of living data, provided by Moody's Economy.com; median salaries for 24 to 34 year old employed college graduates, provided by Payscale.com; unemployment rates; Census Bureau data on the number of small businesses and large businesses per capita; and the percentage of college graduates in the local population.

Benefits at Risk

The debt ceiling agreement did little to help the millions of jobless Americans whose federal unemployment benefits are set to run out early next year.

The unemployed had hoped that the debt ceiling deal would include an extension to file for federal unemployment benefits. But in the end, policymakers focused only on cutting federal spending.
As it stands, most people laid off today will not be eligible to collect federal unemployment benefits after their state benefits run out. And those collecting federal benefits could find themselves cut off before receiving the full number of weeks for which they are now eligible.
Here's how the system works: The jobless can collect up to 26 weeks of state benefits before shifting to the extended federal program. Federal benefits consist of up to 53 weeks of emergency compensation, which is divided into four tiers, and up to another 20 weeks of extended benefits. The maximum is 99 weeks.
So those who reach the end of their state benefits after early January will not be able to apply for federal benefits unless the deadline to file is extended. Same goes for those collecting federal benefits now, who will not be able to advance to the next tier once they finish their current one.
Early estimates say more than three million jobless Americans could see their benefits disappear in early 2012 unless Congress acts. There are currently 3.8 million people receiving federal benefits, though some will get jobs or run out before year's end.
Since the economy is so weak and the unemployment rate has been climbing, people still need help getting by, advocates say.
"It's still a brutal job market out there," said Chad Stone, chief economist at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Advocates say there is still plenty of opportunity to extend the filing deadline for federal benefits, which is currently the first week of January. And President Obama is in their corner.
"We need to make sure that millions of workers who are still pounding the pavement looking for jobs to support their families are not denied needed unemployment benefits," Obama said Tuesday upon signing the debt deal legislation.
But getting another extension past lawmakers will not be easy. Federal emergency benefits began in June 2008 and have been increased or extended eight times since then, including on four occasions last year. When Congress passed a 13-month extension in December, it was thought by some to be the last.
With Congress tasked with slashing up to $2.4 trillion in federal spending, adding billions for unemployment insurance will not be easy.
Rep. Dave Camp, the Republican who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee where the bill would likely originate, has supported extensions in the past, but only if their cost is covered.
Advocates are still hopeful that lawmakers realize that another extension is needed. The unemployment rate rose to 9.2% in June.
"They understand they can't just shut these programs down at the end of the year, especially not with the economy doing so badly," said Judy Conti, federal advocacy coordinator for the National Employment Law Project.
Regardless of what Congress does, some people are seeing their jobless benefits dwindle. That's happening for two very different reasons.
One is that several states are trimming their unemployment benefits, which in turn reduces the length of time the jobless in that state can collect federal checks.
Michigan, Missouri, and South Carolina cut their state benefits to 20 weeks; Arkansas and Illinois to 25, and Florida to between 12 and 23 weeks, depending on the state's unemployment rate, according to the National Employment Law Project. These changes take effect either this year or in early 2012.
At the same time, some states are seeing their unemployment rates drop as their economies improve. The duration of federal benefits is tied to the state's unemployment rate. So as it declines, the jobless there become ineligible for the latter tiers of federal benefits.
Pennsylvania residents, for instance, were eligible for up to 99 weeks in November, when the state's jobless rate was at 8.5%. But now that it's fallen to 7.6%, the unemployed can only get a maximum of 86 weeks.

Most Hated Jobs

At one time or another, we have all known at least one person who has hated his or her job. That person may have suffered silently or vented constantly, but at the end of the day there was no question this person was truly unhappy with where they spent at least 40 of his or her waking hours every week, for 51 weeks a year.

The reasons for job dissatisfaction vary. Low pay, irregular hours, and lack of a window seat are all assumed to be culprits, and to be sure they can all contribute to a bad attitude on the job. These are actually not the primary factors driving a worker to regard tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock sharp with dread and ill will, however, according to one resource.
CareerBliss is an online resource that bases job satisfaction on multiple factors, including workplace culture, coworkers, and the boss.
According a survey of hundreds of thousands of employees conducted in 2011, CareerBliss determined the 10 most hated jobs, rated on a scale of 1 to 10. In almost all cases, respondents reported that the factors causing the most job dissatisfaction were not lousy pay or a desk near the bathroom. CareerBliss found that limited growth opportunities and lack of reward drove the misery index up more than anything else.
Read about the 10 jobs with the highest levels of employee unhappiness. The results may surprise you.
1. Director of Information Technology
For all the press that teachers and nurses get for their long hours, low pay and thankless tasks, it may be surprising to see the most hated job was that of information technology director, according to CareerBliss. After all, the salary's pretty good and with information technology such a prevalent part of everyday business, an IT director can hold almost as much sway over the fate of some companies as a chief executive.
Still, IT directors reported the highest level of dissatisfaction with their jobs, far surpassing that of any waitress, janitor, or bellhop. Of those who responded to the survey, one simple, five-word response summed up the antipathy very well: "Nepotism, cronyism, disrespect for workers."
2. Director of Sales and Marketing
A director of sales and marketing plans implements efforts to promote companies and generate business. Responsibilities often include budget management, public relations, and employee training.
Sales and marketing directors reported the second-highest level of job dissatisfaction of all survey respondents. The majority who responded negatively cited a lack of direction from upper management and an absence of room for growth as the main sources of their ire.
3. Product Manager
"Product manager" is a wide-ranging job title that takes on many meanings, depending on the company and its sector. In some cases, the job requires simply evaluating what products are best suited to a company's business model, and in others marketing, resource management, and scheduling are involved.
The level of job dissatisfaction was very high for this position. One respondent complained that it restricted growth, saying that it was "very hard to grow up the ranks." Another was less polite and said "the work is boring and there's a lot of clerical work still at my level."
4. Senior Web Developer
Senior web developers design, maintain, and develop applications for the Internet. With every business expected to have some kind of Internet presence these days, developers are found working in every type of company, in a full-time, part-time, or freelance capacity.
A senior developer is expected to be fluent in client-side and server-side contexts, and know his or her way around Python, Ruby, or whatever other arcane technology requires taming. Senior developers reported a high degree of unhappiness in their jobs, attributable to a perception their employers are unable to communicate coherently, and lack an understanding of the technology.
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5. Technical Specialist
A technical specialist "leads the analysis, definition, design, construction, testing, installation, and modification of medium to large infrastructures," according to CareerBliss. This means that if a company wants to design a project, the technical specialist evaluates it to see what's possible and what isn't.
The job is a lead position that requires intimate knowledge of engineering; familiarity with Linux helps, too. However, technical specialists reported that for all their expertise, they were treated with a palpable level of disrespect. They cited a "lack of communication from upper management" and felt their "input was not taken seriously."
6. Electronics Technician
Electronics technicians maintain, troubleshoot and collect monthly measurement data for electronic systems. They work in every sector and can be employed with the phone company, a chain of fast-food restaurants, or the U.S. Navy. Whatever the case, technicians work on-site and off-site, have constant contact with clients, and must have an ability to quickly solve complex technical problems under intense pressure.
Employee dissatisfaction in this job is attributable to several factors. One respondent complained of having "too little control," while another had a litany of complaints: "Work schedule, lack of accomplishment, no real opportunity for growth, peers have no motivation to work hard, no say in how things are done, hostility from peers towards other employees."
7. Law Clerk
Clerkships are among the most highly sought-after positions in the legal profession. A law clerk assists judges as they write opinions, and the ones who get the job are almost always near the top of their class at law school. Six justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, including Elena Kagan and current Chief Justice John Roberts, were all law clerks early in their careers.
The job clearly beefs up a resume. Yet law clerks still report high levels of dissatisfaction. The hours are long and grueling, and the clerk is subject to the whims of sometimes mercurial personalities. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also reported the job brings in a median salary of $39,780 a year—not exactly striking it rich—and those looking for advancement within the position simply will not find it.
8. Technical Support Analyst
Technical support analysts help people with their computer issues. This typically amounts to calmly communicating technical advice to panicked individuals, often over the phone, and then going on site to find the client simply hadn't turned the printer on.
Technical support analysts often work in a variety of environments, and they may be required to travel at a moment's notice, sometimes on holidays or weekends. After all, there's no telling when a client's computer-whiz nephew might make a minor tweak to his machine, with disastrous results.
In the words of one of the respondents, "You can do better, really."
9. CNC Machinist
CNC machinists operate computer numerical control machines. For the uninitiated, this is a machine that operates a lathe or a mill. On the upside, it renders obsolete processes that used to be performed by hand, at a slow pace and with high risk to the operator's life and limb.
Now that the CNC operator has had most of the physical hazards of manufacturing replaced by a machine, there's not a lot to do but push buttons and perform equipment inspections to make sure the coolant is at a safe level. Since it's a specialized skill, the job offers no room for advancement, which caused respondents to report a high degree of dissatisfaction.
10. Marketing Manager
A marketing manager is responsible for overseeing advertising and promotion. This involves developing strategies to meet sales objectives, based on the study of such factors as customer surveys and market behavior.
According to CareerBliss, respondents in this position most often cited a lack of direction as the primary reason for job dissatisfaction. The most optimistic respondent described it as "tolerable," and gave it the faintest praise possible by saying, "It's a job."