Job Market
The best cover letter is the one that gets you a phone call: Because cover letters can be the most important part of the resume. (Remember, most resumes get thrown in the trash, here's how to not have yours be one of them!)
Unemployment 10.2%: That's the bad news. The good news is most of the jobs lost continue to be in construction, manufacturing and retail trade, so most geeky careers aren't included.
Technology
Ebay Settles With Skype Creditors: This clears the way for a buyout of the troubled phone service. Would not be surprised to see Yahoo jump on this one to be its answer to Google Voice.
Redbox Revenues Up: By an astonishing 90 percent, no less, in the third quarter. This drives yet another nail into the coffin of traditional rental services like Blockbuster - consider that business the next buggy whip vendor.
United Online cuts 5% of workforce: This is the parent company of Classmates.com, and that division was the one that suffered most of the layoffs. Remember, even though it looks like a company is doing well because they're advertising all over the place, they may not be.
RealNetworks lays off 4% of staff: This despite a profitable third quarter. It's not as dismal as it seems, though, because the company is cutting in some areas (its Rhapsody streaming music service already suffered cuts) and hiring in others.
Video Games
Activision Blizzard sales exceed estimates: They had a good quarter despite the sluggishness of music games, one of their bedrocks. Diversification is carrying the day for them; Marvel Ultimate Alliance and World of Warcraft (of course) were big performers.
Nintendo May Be Considering SD/HD Hybrid Console: Just a rumor right now, but it would be interesting if it happens. Nintendo is currently the only non-HD console, because their staff is worried about the costs inherent in creating HD games. This would allow HD but not mandate it. Keep an eye on this one, it would be a huge development in Marioland.
Publishing
United Business Media cuts its number of publications: The trade publisher is moving from paper to pixels, because it's going to refocus its business on being a multimedia provider, despite the fact that their online revenue is currently down. If they succeed, it can definitely serve as a model for other trade publications.
Borders to close 200 Waldenbooks: This is their small bookstore division you see in malls. Borders Lite, as it were. In the era of ever-increasing megastores fighting it out for limited publishing industry dollars, closing the small stores and focusing on the big ones is a smart move.
- Bonnie