Recently, I joined Facebook. Some family pressure, insight from friends using Facebook, and my own curiosity catalyzed my move into the social network after years of no desire to join. For me, the quantity of postings is overwhelming and much of that information flow is frivolous and light. Personally, I now use it less than I did at first, but, hey that’s just me. Many, many young folks live a good-sized slice of their life on it every day, and as a venue for showing off children and grandchildren, it is unsurpassed. So, when I read an article about how Facebook is coming to a car near you, I began thinking more deeply about this phenomenon …
One of the core things that people do on their screens in the car is GPS navigation and the ability to see which of your friends are nearby is something we think will be really interesting for people.
The above is a quote from Dan Rose, a VP at Facebook, and he is referencing the Mercedes Benz, USA, introduction of a line of cars with Facebook built into the GPS navigation screen. I understand this has little to do with the market or the economy, but I do find it fascinating that a medium which has demonstrated a certain addictive quality and is one that requires visual attention and tactile responses is going into a car. No matter how much Rose and others tell me they have looked at the safety issues, and the steps they have taken to make it safe, my sense tells me this is a bad idea, a really bad idea …
The National Federation of Independent Business said its Small Business Optimism Index rose 1.8 points to 93.8. Eight of the index’s 10 components were either improved or flat. About half the gain was due to reduced concern about business conditions six months into the future, the NFIB said.
I hear all the time small businesses are the engine of economic growth in the USA. Underneath the oft-quoted stats, it is a different story, but regardless, small businesses do contribute mightily to our economy, so any improvement in confidence is welcome indeed.
Consumers boosted borrowing by $20.4 billion in November, biggest monthly gain in a decade
The above is probably the reason small businesses feel more confidence in the economy. Consumers are back at it in a big way. True, they are going into the hole to do it, but that could be your investment/trade gain. This is earnings season and credit card companies will report.
German exports bounced back in November boosting the country’s trade surplus, a sign that Europe’s largest economy may avoid a sharp slowdown. New data from China, one of the largest importers of German goods, showed banks ratcheted up lending in December, reinforcing perceptions that the central bank is gently easing policy to cushion for slower growth abroad.
Although China’s import/export numbers showed real weakness today, increasing German exports to China and China’s switch from fighting inflation back to supporting growth will contribute mightily (that word again?) to the global economic momentum in 2012. One thing we all have going for us today that did not exist in the 1930s is a highly integrated global economy, an economy that when in synch will bring good things to a lot of people.
Trade in the day – Invest in your life …
