The blog assignment

This week is the last week for us to do the blog assignment. For me, it is a meaningful assignment. Before, when I watch the news, I only watch sport or entertainment news. Because of this assignment, I began to watch business news on TV or on New York Times website at least once a week. Even if we do not need to post the article on our blogs, I hope that I can sustain this habit for a long time.

About Half in U.S. Would Pay for Online News, Study Finds

According to statistics, only 48% American are willing to pay for online news. This figure is less than any other countries in Western. In several Western European countries, this figure is more than 60%. Another statistics is that American only want to pay three dollars for online news per month. However, in the Western countries, the average figure is seven dollars. One of the reasons is that there are more free online news people can get in the USA than Western countries. In addition, in Western contries, news is dominated by a handful of large players, but in the USA, the news market is fragmented. Accordingly, even if many organizations want to band together to charge for digital access, people still can find free online news easily. On the other hand, in the USA, people can easily get free newspapers on street. That's why just few people will pay for online news.

Electronic Arts Plans to Cut 1,500 Jobs

Electronic Arts is a famous company which prodces many popular games, such as the Madden, Rock Band, and Sims series. Although the company got much profit from those games, it still cannot resist the recent economic recession. Accordingly, the company decided to lay off 1500 workers and shrink the prodcut line. However, for increasing the company's revenue, it had acquired Playfish nad started to make on-line games. Those games now are very popular, and many people who are different age play those games, such as Restaurant city or Pet society very often on facebook. Actually those on-line games are free, so the most of the revenue come from virtual goods. Electronic Arts hoped the acquisition of Playfish can help the company survive in this serious economic recession.

.Many in U.S. Want Texting at the Wheel to Be Illegal

This article I found on New York Times website is interesting, although it is not about business. In US, there is not a explicit law to prohibit drivers using cell phone when driving. However, many people think that it is very dangerous to use cell phone while driving. In addition, some people say that those people who use cell phone while driving shoud be punished as harshly as drunk driving. On the other hand, if people use hand-free cell phone while driving, most of people think it shoul be legal. According to some research, using the hand-free cell phone while driving do not eliminate the danger because even they use hand-free cell phone, because they still do not concentrate on driving. In my opinion, using the hand-free cell phone is much safer than using general cell phone. It is necessary to prohit people talking general cell phone or sending text message while driving. It is safe not only for ourself but also other drivers.

Helping Teenagers Find Their Dreams

This article I found in the New York Times is very interesting. For every one, when we were children, we must have had dreams about the occupation in the future. However, just few people can finish these dreams. In addition, many people will choose the jobs they do not like becasue of their parents. In this article, the author thinks that parents should give their children more space and time to figure out their interests rather than give them information or experiences what they have to do. For some children who just accept recommendation from their parents, they just wind up their parents' dreams, not their owns. On the other hand, even if the children choose a profession which is difficult to accomplish, the parents can not stop them immediately becasue it will make children feel frustrated in the future. The author also thinks that parents do not need to worry about teenagers who have no idea what they have to do in the future. They will find out it eventually. The best way for parents is helping their children find out their likes and dislikes and choosing suitable jobs.

Dollar’s Decline Brings Troubles but an Upside for Exports

In recent years, the dollar has lost the status of the world's premier reserve currency gradually. Most of people will think that the weakness of dollar is a bad phenomenon. However, for corporations which export products to other countries is a good news. In the past several years, the strength of dollar made those corporations suffer for a long time. Now, because of the dollar's rapid fall, their products become more competitive overseas. On the other hand, for some people who likes to buy imported goods or to travel to other countries, they have to change their habbits. In addition, some experts think that the government has to find a good way to improve the weakness of dollar. If the dollar still fall, the dollar will be no longer the currency of favor and the USA will lose the position of world's leader. In my opinion, the rise and fall of the dollar is just a trend. It is just like a stock market. It is impossibe to rise or fall forever. People do not need to worry about it too much.

World bank head sees dollar's role diminishing

According to the president of World Bank, the dollar now is losing its unchallenged economic super power gradually. On the other hand, the Euro and the Chinese Renminbi are replacing the position of dollars. In addiiton, Mr. Zoellick, who previously served as the United States trade representative and as deputy secretary of state thinks that Euro's acceptability will grow becuase it offered a respectable alternative for financing international transaction. For Chinese Renminbi, even if the president of China decided to decrease the use of Renminbi in the international transaction, many experts still think that it will envolve into a force in financial market. Furthermore, because of the decrease of using Renminbi in the international transaction, the China government can control the exchange rate easily. It will help Renminbi to gain predominance in the financial market. As we know, dollars has been the most common currency over the world for a long time. However, now the dollars will face the challenge from the euro and Chinese Renminbi. the US government should think find out some methods to face.