Today, Ford (NYSE: F) announced that it sold more than 2 million vehicles in 2011, the first time the company accomplished the feat since 2007. The company returned to the position of No. 2 domestic automaker behind GM (NYSE: GM) primarily through its freshened product line and weakness among its Japanese competitors Toyota (NYSE: TM) and Honda (NYSE: HMC).

Consumers are well aware of the product timelines that many manufacturers follow. Cars are typically redesigned every 5-7 years and Ford has introduced many new models over the past few years. Their volume seller, the Ford Focus is all new for 2012 and won many comparison tests from automotive publications. Consumers now emphasize reliability and high tech features from economy cars, and Ford is clearly meeting consumers’ expectations after years of struggle.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Data recently released by comScore suggests Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) will miss analysts’ fourth quarter revenue estimates by $320 million or 1.75%.

According to the comScore report, holiday sales season-to-date of $35.3 billion has been spent online, marking a 15% increase versus the corresponding days last year. The most recent week (ending Dec. 25) witnessed $2.8 billion in spending, an increase of 16% versus the corresponding week last year.

Goldman Sachs published a research report Wednesday evening on Amazon after comScore reported that eCommerce spending data for the first 56 days of the 2011 holiday season. In the Goldman Sachs report, the analyst states that over the past 5 years, Amazon’s Q4 revenues are 23 percentage points above the comScore holiday study, on average.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Researchers have reduced the preparation time of quantum dot solar cells to less than an hour by changing the form to a one-coat quantum dot solar paint.

How?

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles are coated with cadmium sulfide (CdS) or cadmium selenide (CdSe.) The composite nanoparticles, when mixed with a solvent, form a paste that can be applied as one-step paint to a transparent conducting material, which creates electricity when exposed to light.

Although the paint form is currently about five times less efficient than the highest recorded efficiency for the multifilm form, the researchers predict that its efficiency can be improved, which could lead to a simple and economically viable way to prepare solar cells.

The scientists responsible for the research breakthrough, Mathew P. Genovese of the University of Waterloo in Canada, with Ian V. Lightcap and Prashant V. Kamat of the Radiation Laboratory and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, will be publishing their study in an upcoming issue of the American Chemical Society’s publication Nano.
Full article at: Solar Breakthrough: Cheap Quantum Dot Solar Paint

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

DEERFIELD BEACH , FL – (Investorideas.com Newswire) – Magnesium stock news: China Direct Industries, Inc (NASDAQ: CDII), a U.S. based company that sources, produces and distributes industrial products in China and the Americas in two core business segments, announced today its financial results for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2011.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

31 best large cap stocks chosen for 2012 based on valuation and earnings growth

Bookmark It

Hide Sites