Google's Top search queries in 2008 (in USA and India)

Search queries from USA:
Google.com - Fastest Rising (U.S.)
1.obama
2.facebook
3.att
4.iphone
5.youtube
6.fox news
7.palin
8.beijing 2008
9.david cook
10.surf the channel

Google News - Fastest Rising (U.S.)
1.sarah palin
2.american idol
3.mccain
4.olympics
5.ike (hurricane)

Google Image Search - Fastest Rising (U.S.)
1.sarah palin
2.obama
3.twilight
4.miley cyrus
5.joker

Google Book Search - Fastest Rising (U.S.)
1.breaking dawn
2.twilight
3.lora leigh
4.vampire kisses
5.new moon

Google Translate - Fastest Rising (U.S.)
1.you
2.what
3.thank you
4.please
5.love

Search queries from India:
Fastest Rising (India)
1.youtube
2.orkut
3.katrina kaif
4.cricket
5.irctc
6.facebook
7.genelia d'souza
8.beijing 2008 olympic games
9.sixth pay commission
10.ipl

Most Popular (India)
1.orkut
2.gmail
3.yahoo
4.google
5.youtube
6.yahoomail
7.indian railways
8.rediff
9.cricket
10.katrina kaif

Top searches on Mobile (India)
1.orkut
2.yahoo
3.waptrick
4.gmail
5.games
6.katrina kaif
7.rediffmail
8.yahoomail
9.namitha
10.google

Top Bollywood Celebrities (India)
1.katrina kaif
2.aishwarya rai
3.salman khan
4.hrithik roshan
5.kareena kapoor
6.shahid kapur
7.deepika padukone
8.shahrukh khan
9.mallika sherawat
10.genelia d'souza

Top holiday destinations (India)
1.goa
2.kerala
3.kashmir
4.dubai
5.singapore
6.australia
7.london
8.shimla
9.switzerland
10.manali

Top 'how to' searches (India)
1.how to reduce weight
2.how to kiss
3.how to earn money
4.how to get pregnant
5.how to learn english
6.how to gain weight
7.how to play guitar
8.how to create a website
9.how to impress a girl
10.how to tie a tie

Layoffs in USA: Layoffs scheduled for January-February 2009 in California Tech companies

Source: California EDD WARN

According to California EDD WARN statistics, the following layoffs are scheduled for January - February 2009 in hi-tech companies with number of employees greater than 50: (Many companies are located in Silicon Valley)

ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED, Location: SAN FRANCISCO, Layoff date: 2/3/09, Employees affected: 75

CADENCE DESIGN SYSTEMS, INC, Location: SAN JOSE, Layoff date: 1/4/09, Employees affected: 245

NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION, Location: SANTA CLARA, Layoff date: 1/13/09, Employees affected: 151

PALM, INC, Location: SUNNYVALE, Layoff date: 1/19/09, Employees affected: 107

SANDISK CORPORATION, Location: MILPITAS, Layoff date: 1/11/09, Employees affected: 96

SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC, Location: MILPITAS, Layoff date: 1/3/09, Employees affected: 48

SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC, Location: MILPITAS, Layoff date: 4/3/09, Employees affected: 43

SHUTTERFLY, INC, Location: HAYWARD, Layoff date: 1/16/09, Employees affected: 70

SIEMENS, Location: LOS ANGELES, Layoff date: 1/30/09, Employees affected: 6

SIEMENS MEDICAL SOLUTIONS, Location: MOUNTAIN VIEW, Layoff date: 1/5/09, Employees affected: 2

SUN MICROSYSTEMS, INC:
Location: SACRAMENTO, Layoff date: 1/5/09, Employees affected: 3
Location: SACRAMENTO, Layoff date: 1/18/09, Employees affected: 2
Location: EL SEGUNDO, Layoff date: 1/5/09, Employees affected: 1
Location: EL SEGUNDO, Layoff date: 1/18/09, Employees affected: 1
Location: IRVINE, Layoff date: 1/5/09, Employees affected: 4
Location: IRVINE, Layoff date: 1/18/09, Employees affected: 3
Location: MENLO PARK, Layoff date: 1/5/09, Employees affected: 19
Location: MENLO PARK, Layoff date: 1/18/09, Employees affected: 6
Location: PLEASANTON, Layoff date: 1/5/09, Employees affected: 5
Location: PLEASANTON, Layoff date: 1/18/09, Employees affected: 7
Location: SAN DIEGO, Layoff date: 1/5/09, Employees affected: 2
Location: SAN DIEGO, Layoff date: 1/18/09, Employees affected: 2
Location: SAN FRANCISCO, Layoff date: 1/18/09, Employees affected: 4
Location: UNIVERSAL CITY, Layoff date: 1/18/09, Employees affected: 1

SYMANTEC:
Location: CUPERTINO, Layoff date: 1/19/09, Employees affected: 55
Location: MOUNTAIN VIEW, Layoff date: 1/13/09, Employees affected: 38

VISHAY SILICONIX,
Location: SANTA CLARA, Layoff date: 2/6/09, Employees affected: 97

VIRGIN MOBILE USA,
Location: WALNUT CREEK, Layoff date: 1/1/09, Employees affected: 192

THE BOEING COMPANY:
Location: ANAHEIM, Layoff date: 1/1/09, Employees affected: 5
Location: ANAHEIM, Layoff date: 1/22/09, Employees affected: 2
Location: EL SEGUNDO, Layoff date: 1/1/09, Employees affected: 8
Location: EL SEGUNDO, Layoff date: 1/22/09, Employees affected: 3
Location: HUNTINGTON BEACH, Layoff date: 1/1/09, Employees affected: 19
Location: HUNTINGTON BEACH, Layoff date: 1/22/09, Employees affected: 42
Location: LONG BEACH, Layoff date: 1/1/09, Employees affected: 50

Satyam Crisis[Update]: Directors resigned; Raju may quit; More takeover chances

Four independent directors resigns from Satyam

Satyam Computer Services Ltd. said four directors quit as the Indian software company struggles to regain investor confidence after fumbling acquisition plans and drawing a sanction from the World Bank.

The shares rose 9.2 percent in Mumbai trading after the company said Vinod Dham, Krishna Palepu and M. Rammohan Raoresigned, bringing the number of board members who have stepped down since last week to four. Satyam didn’t give a reason.

Infosys also in race for stake in Satyam Services Ltd??

Software bellweather Infosys Technologies Ltd is likely to contemplate acquisition of 8.61 per cent stake held by promoters of Satyam Computer Services Ltd. So far HP, Oracle, IBM, Accenture and CapGemini are in Satyam takeover race.

Satyam ripe target for corporate raid, takeover: Brokers

Satyam has become a ripe target for a corporate raid - market parlance for takeover, brokers said on Monday after the country's fourth largest IT firm revealed that its promoters have pledged all their shares with lenders.

Do Ramalinga Raju and family have any stake in Satyam?

HYDERABAD/MUMBAI: Satyam Computer sank deeper into a crisis with four directors quitting the board and the company announced that lenders were possibly selling promoters equity that is entirely pledged with them.

Coinciding with dilution of promoters equity in the troubled company, suffering from an embarrassing failed-bid to acquire two firms promoted by the family of Chairman B Ramalinga Raju, the firm announced that Krishna G Palepu and Vinod Dham have quit taking the total resignation to four.

Was Rajus' exit pre-planned?

Did the Rajus have a long range exit plan out of Satyam ? In September 2006, over two years ago the promoters of Satyam Computer Services formed a holding company called SRSR Holdings Pvt Limited and transferred all their shares to this entity. This accounted for 8.5 per cent of the shares of Satyam. The four promoters of the company were founder of Satyam Ramalinga Raju, his brother and co-founder Rama Raju and their respective wives Nandini Raju and Radha Raju.

According to a company statement at that time these transfer of shares were executed through a block deal of 1.95 crore Satyam shares on NSE at a price of Rs 809 per share. Even at that time there was speculation that this Raju move was a prelude to their exiting Satyam. This was however steadfastly denied by them at that time and they contended it was just an easy way to handle their scattered holdings.

But now it is clear that the family shares were consolidated so that they could be pledged to institutional investors - in return for loans. In fact the pledgings happened simultaneously with the formation of SRSR Holdings. It is these shares that have now been sold off by the institutions, leaving the Rajus without any stake whatsoever in the company that is synonymous with their name.

Layoffs in USA: Three out of Five Employers Say Layoffs Likely in 2009

Source: SmartPros

A new poll by the Society for Human Resource Management shows 48 percent of organizations laid-off employees in 2008. Even worse, 60 percent of surveyed organizations said they expect to lay off employees in the next 12 months. Click here for complete story.

Microsoft layoffs are coming on January 15th???

Microsoft layoff rumors are catching up in MiniMicrosoft blogs.

Mini-Microsoft blog has drawn an ominous red circle on his calendar around Jan. 15. Microsoft is not commenting on Mini's posts. Noting that Jan 15th is a week before the company reports fiscal second quarter earnings.

Wipro is looking for new opportunities

Wipro is eyeing on IT firms servicing oil, telecom and healthcare industries for takeover/buying opportunities.

MUMBAI: After buying Citi Technology Services (Citos), Wipro is now scouting for IT firms servicing oil, telecom and healthcare industries. The move  seems to be driven by the company’s desire to cushion against slowdown. Healthcare spends are relatively recession-proof and the IT exporter is looking at expanding its footprint in this industry as well as in life sciences in the area of drug discovery, where use of IT can help reduce time to market drugs. The company also continues to look for opportunities in consulting and in western Europe, although the relatively low growth rates and profitability of these firms make acquisitions less attractive, said KR Lakshminarayana, chief strategy officer for IT businesses.