As we prepare to say goodbye to 2009, Google prepares to launch its own phone and may be forming a gaming partnership with YouTube, Windows brings Xbox gaming to mobile devices, and questions emerge on what fruit the Marvel/Disney partnership will bear on the eve of it becoming official.

Job Market

Careerbuilder Predicts Hiring Trends of 2010: They include hiring back laid-off workers, flexible work arrangements, hiring bilingual people and cutting back business travel. 

Economics/Geekonomics

Japan Pledges to End Economic Spiral: The new government has committed to annual real GDP growth of at least 2 per cent between now and 2020. Japan's economy is definitely worth keeping an eye on, because it not only affects the U.S. economy as a whole, it is crucial to those looking for careers in the gaming and anime industries.

Goldman Sachs' Synthetic CDO Practices: A lesson on how corporate greed and cheating helped create the subprime mess. (A CDO, or collateralized debt obligation, is, according to Investopedia, "An investment-grade security that is backed by a pool of bonds, loans, and other assets. CDOs represent various debt obligations but are often nonmortgage loans or bonds.")

Smartphones

Details of Google's Nexus Phone Emerge: It's going to be sold both unlocked and unsubsidized by Google itself and subsidized by T-Mobile, and the street date is said to be Jan. 5. This is going to put Google in the interesting position of competing with itself, since Verizon's Android-powered Droid is now its signature phone. In any event, this pushes Android closer to the center of the phone marketplace. Meanwhile, VentureBeat debunks rumors of a Google-branded tablet (Speaking of VentureBeat, they're hiring for a couple of advertising positions - you know what to do).

Xbox Live Gaming Platform Coming to Windows Mobile Phones: This one was leaked by a job posting. Windows Mobile has lagged behind iPhone and Android in most things, so putting Xbox Live gaming on its phones was a no-brainer (especially since Xbox is currently the only one of the three major consoles with no handheld counterpart). Small-scale games for this platform are going to be in demand in the future.

Video Games

Virtual Goods Predicted to Become a $5 Billion Market: It's expected to hit that figure here within the next five years, it's already reached that number in Asia. Money for nothing is soon going to become one of the hottest segments of the gaming industry.

Google and YouTube May Partner on Hosted Gaming: It was just a matter of time before those two names showed up in gaming circles. Google has apparently filed a "Web-Based System for Generation of Interactive Games Based on Digital Videos." They're going to have a ton of competition in the casual gaming arena, but their names will at least assure the system gets attention. 

Technology

Does Microsoft Consider OpenOffice.org A Threat?: Apparently, they're seeking to hire a "Linux and Open Office Compete Lead" – someone to engage with OpenOffice communities and collect information. (A tech spy by any other name . . .)

Media

Netflix Plans to Woo Movie Studios With Digital Distribution: The company's trying to hook up exclusive deals with studios like Lionsgate early in the streaming game, upping its stock in the "solid companies of the future" market (and driving yet another nail into Blockbuster's already nail-studded coffin).

Anime/Manga

Anime Social Network Announces New Database: MaiOtaku.com is a friendship/dating service whose new feature lets members find each other by what kind of anime they like and also helps users hunt down legally available anime (via Amazon, Viz and Funimation's streams, etc.)

Viz Runs Movie Theater Devoted to Asian Cinema in San Francisco: And I can see them making this a chain in major cities. Say what you will about Viz, they've done a lot to bring Asian pop culture into the mainstream and employ otaku in a number of fields.

Crunchyroll to Be Instasubbing Anime As They Premiere in Japan: January debuts that will appear on the streaming service as soon as they air across the Pacific include Durarara, from the creator of Baccano! and Chu-Bra, described as a "slightly H girls' comedy."

American Cosplay Singer Subject of Japanese Documentary: Reni Mimura, a New York-based artist, will be the subject of a program to air on NHK.

Publishing

Publishers Didn't Have a Great Year, But Readers Did: A look at how the industry transformed itself in the past year, with the advent of the E-book key to new choices in content.

MediaBistro's List of Available Publishing Jobs: They include writing and editing jobs at Paste and the Boston Courant, and for you college students, internships at Earth, Wind and Power Media and Drum! Magazine. You know what to do. 

Comics

Disney to Mine Marvel's Second String for Movies?: Speculation on how the House of Mouse may end up monitizing cult favorites like the Runaways and vintage characters like Iron Fist in order to justify their purchase price of the franchise (the acquisition becomes final in a few days). Chances are they're going to be seeking people with deep knowledge of comics history to help their film department sort through what's at their fingertips now.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: What is the best way for Disney and Marvel to take advantage of their new partnership?

News of the Day will be taking a break for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, but we'll be back Monday with our podcast and the first news of 2010!