Investor's Business Daily articles from September 2004

Investor's Business Daily archives from September 2004

Confidence Takes A Hit And Factories Ease Up To Lengthen Soft Patch Aug. Retail Sales Also Weak Oil prices, tired shoppers acting as brake on hiring. The solution? More jobs.(A)
September 1, 2004... Byline: JED GRAHAM Consumer confidence weakened, Midwest business activity slowed and spending at major chain stores disappointed in August, reports out Tuesday showed. The data reinforced questions about the economy's momentum,...

Does Search For Soul Of The GOP Require A Right Turn Or A Left? Conservatives warily eye moderates despite strong pull of their man Bush.(A)
September 1, 2004... Byline: BRIAN MITCHELL The joke was that the most conservative speaker at the Republican National Convention would be a Democrat -- Georgia Sen. Zell Miller. Only many Republicans weren't laughing. This year there are more than the...

IBD'S TOP 10.(A)
September 1, 2004... Consumer Confidence Falters 1The consumer confidence index fell to 98.2 in Aug., down 7.5 points from July's 2-year-high 105.7. Concerns about jobs and oil prices drove the larger-than-expected decline, the Conference Board said. The...

AFTER THE CLOSE.(TO THE POINT)
September 1, 2004... COOPER COS. made 70 cents a share, up 21% over the year-ago period and topping views. It also boosted its '04 forecast. Shares rose. FOREST LABS fell after the drug company said its experimental Alzheimer's drug failed. OPEN TEXT made...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 1, 2004... REGULATION SEC fines former Invesco execs The fund firm's former chief investment officer and a former national sales manager were each ordered to pay $150,00 in penalties, and a former assistant VP of sales was ordered to pay $40,000,...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 1, 2004... FINANCE UBS pays discount for Schwab unit The Swiss banking giant will buy the broker's institutional investment and research division for $265 mil, paying 17.5% less than what Schwab paid for it in November. Schwab is selling the...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 1, 2004... MEDIA Black accused of looting Hollinger An SEC panel probing financial improprieties among Hollinger's former executives filed a report in a Chicago court alleging that former CEO Conrad Black and other controlling shareholders took...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 1, 2004... LEISURE Six Flags ruffled by billionaires Daniel Snyder, owner of the Washington Redskins football team, bought an 8.8% stake in Six Flags and indicated he may push for a merger or asset sale. Six Flags shareholder Bill Gates, whose...

THE ECONOMY.(TO THE POINT)
September 1, 2004... Retail sales slowed last week The International Council of Shopping Centers-UBS Retail Chain Store Sales Index fell 0.2% in the week ended Aug. 28. The group blamed several factors, including higher gasoline prices and Hurricane Charley....

IN BRIEF.(TO THE POINT)
September 1, 2004... The Hartford Financial Services Group expects to take $91 mil, or 30 cents a share, in after-tax losses from Hurricane Charley damages. The insurer has received 11,300 claims from the Florida storm. Shares dipped a penny to 61.16. Titan...

NATION.(TO THE POINT)
September 1, 2004... Fla. court hears right-to-die case Lawyers for Gov. Jeb Bush defended a law that allowed him to order the reinsertion of a feeding tube for a brain-damaged woman. Her husband has argued that she wouldn't have wanted to go on, a claim her...

WORLD.(TO THE POINT)
September 1, 2004... Fox likely to face massive protest Unions, farmers and supporters of leftist Mexico City Mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador plan to block roads, walk off their jobs and march on Congress during President Vicente Fox's fourth...

TRENDS & INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
September 1, 2004... Flying cars starting to take wing A California company has built a prototype of a flying car. The helicopter/plane hybrid is being designed to make vertical take-offs, fly around 700 miles and drive short distances. Moller International...

TRENDS & INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
September 1, 2004... ** Revenge feels good because the action triggers the same part of the brain associated with satisfaction, said Swiss scientists in the journal Science. They scanned brains of volunteers playing a game that involved players penalizing...

Winning Against Big Odds.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(IBD'S 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)
September 1, 2004... Byline: CORD COOPER 3Wal-Mart is systematically killing small merchants, right? Yes and no, says Michael Bergdahl, a former Wal-Mart executive who worked with Sam Walton. Though the mega-retailer has sent many small fry packing, chains...

Olga Murray, Guardian Angel Power Of Compassion: She brings hope to the hungry children of Nepal.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
September 1, 2004... Byline: MICHAEL MINK Now that she's retired, Olga Murray has never worked harder in her life. Or enjoyed it more. For some 20 years, Murray, 79, has worked to save and improve the lives of Nepal's impoverished children. At first, she...

Printer Companies Closing Inkjet-Laser Gap Color Laser Prices Fall Razor-and-blade model could work for lasers as well as inkjet printers.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
September 1, 2004... Byline: KEN SPENCER BROWN No, there's nothing wrong with your toner. The line separating inkjet and laser printers is just fading a little. For years, the two segments of the computer printer industry have operated their own distinct...

Goal For Qualcomm: Repeat Performance Chip Competitors Grow Firm dominates CDMA market, but WCDMA could be different story.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
September 1, 2004... Byline: MIKE ANGELL When it comes to making CDMA chips for cell phones, Qualcomm is king. But as a new generation of phones hits the market, the company may struggle to keep its reign. The No. 2 supplier of all cell phone chips,...

Group To Add Microsoft Code To Blu-Ray Digital Video Format Part Of Windows Media Player As companies hammer out high-definition DVD details, standards battle looms big.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
September 1, 2004... Byline: BRIAN DEAGON Thirteen computer and consumer electronics companies on Wednesday plan to say they'll include part of Microsoft's Windows Media Player software in what they hope becomes the standard for the next class of video discs...

Chicago Hotel Bell Captain Mixes Charm, Heavy Lifting Teddy Psychogios came long way to help guests, including John Madden.(B)(NEWS FOR YOU)
September 1, 2004... Byline: CHRIS BARNETT Every time ex-Oakland Raider coach turned ABC sportscaster John Madden pulls up to Chicago's Ritz-Carlton Hotel in his plush cross-country bus, he roars, "Where's the Greek?" And Teddy Psychogios is always curb...

MASCO CORP. Taylor, Michigan Strong Housing Sector Helps It Hit A Homer.(THE NEW AMERICA)
September 1, 2004... Byline: MARILYN ALVA Never heard of Masco? You're not alone. There's a good chance you've bought some of Masco's brand-name products, however. The company's lineup includes KraftMaid kitchen cabinets, Behr paints and Delta faucets. ...

CUMMINS INC. Columbus, Indiana Diversity Keeps Engine Maker In Higher Gear.(THE NEW AMERICA)
September 1, 2004... Byline: DAVID ISAAC Many decades ago, Irwin Miller took a small family business and built it into a multibillion dollar company with 24,000 employees. That company, Cummins Inc., doesn't bear Miller's name. It's named after the Miller...

Van Wagoner To Keep Managing Funds He Just Can't Run Firm The aggressive manager, stung by bear and probe, hopes for a comeback.(MUTUAL FUNDS)
September 1, 2004... Byline: KEN HOOVER Garrett Van Wagoner, who ran some of the most aggressive growth funds of the 1990s, says he plans to stay on as portfolio manager even though he has been barred from being on officer or director of the company he owns as...

Keeping It Clear.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
September 1, 2004... Leadership: President Bush has stood behind a simple, powerful idea since 9-11 -- that we are at war, and we will win. He can leave the nuances to Sen. John Kerry. Bush has the gifts of a CEO, not a salesman. He's decisive and resolute in...

Kerry's Quagmire.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
September 1, 2004... Election: Set aside for a moment accusations and denials over John Kerry's war record. What does the Swift Boat controversy say about his political judgment? Specifically, how politically wise is it to make a big deal about your Vietnam...

To Bag Big Winners, Train Eye On Higher-Priced Stocks.(MAKING MONEY)(INVESTOR'S CORNER)
September 1, 2004... Byline: DAVID SAITO-CHUNG Some readers prefer to mix their own rules with IBD's system on how to buy, select and sell stocks. Doing so is unnecessary and in fact can lead to serious losses. A big no-no: bottom-fishing for penny shares...

REAL MOST ACTIVE Late-Day Surge Lifts Dow, S&P To Minor Gains.(MAKING MONEY)
September 1, 2004... Byline: JONAH KERI NYSE stocks picked up steam as the day went on, erasing early losses and closing at their highs of the day Tuesday. The Dow, S&P 500 and small-cap S&P 600 all rose 0.5%. Volume gained ground compared to Monday's level....

Analyze, Profit From IBD's Market Charts.(GENERAL MARKET & SECTORS)
September 1, 2004... Analyzing the price and volume changes in the major market averages each day is essential to successful investing. They reveal major tops and bottoms in the stock market. Most stocks follow the general market's trend. They tend to rise...

FedEx Clears 50-Day, Forms Short Pattern.(B)(NYSE STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
September 1, 2004... Byline: JONAH KERI FedEx has formed a base-on-base pattern the last six weeks. The stock gapped above its 50-day moving average last week and has since edged slightly lower in quiet trade, a bullish sign. The air and ground shipping...

THE REAL MOST ACTIVE Nasdaq Rallies Back For Gain; Volume Picks Up.(B)
September 1, 2004... Byline: CRAIG SHAW Techs fought back to positive ground Tuesday even as consumer sentiment softened and analysts issued a dim outlook for chips. The Nasdaq turned a 0.9% loss into a slim 0.1% gain by day's end. Volume rose from Monday's...

Open Solutions Builds Post-IPO Base Pattern.(B)(NASDAQ STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
September 1, 2004... Byline: CRAIG SHAW Open Solutions has found a trading range between 20 and 26 the past six months after rallying a quick 50% from its November IPO. The stock hasn't marked a down week on above-average volume since May, a sign institutions...

Factories Downshifting On Weary Consumers, ISM's Aug. Data Show Index Falls To 10-Month Low Inventories not too bare as demand for durables like autos stalls, sputters.(A)
September 2, 2004... Byline: JED GRAHAM The nation's factory sector downshifted a bit in August after a stretch of spectacular growth, as softer consumer spending began to have an impact. The Institute for Supply Management's index of factory activity...

GOP Appeals To Middle On TV, Rallies Delegates On The Floor Terror tops prime time while other speakers address party faithful.(A)
September 2, 2004... Byline: BRIAN MITCHELL Conventions aren't what they used to be. But so far this one's been all that Republicans need. They're riding high on polls showing President Bush ahead and on applause lines like California Gov. Arnold...

IBD'S TOP 10.(A)
September 2, 2004... Oil Surges To $44 On Stockpiles 1After falling for 7 out of 8 sessions, Oct. crude rallied $1.88 to $44 a barrel -- hitting $44.40 intraday -- after reports showed U.S. stockpiles fell a sharp 4.2 mil barrels last week to a 5-month low....

AFTER THE CLOSE.(TO THE POINT)
September 2, 2004... VERITAS plunged after the firm delayed its Q4 results after it found $1.2 mil in equipment depreciation that may not have been accounted for. It sees 8-10 cents a share in Q4, while views had seen 26 cents. LEAP FROG founder Michael Wood...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 2, 2004... RETAIL Carrefour profit pleases investors The world's No. 2 food retailer's profit increased 5.3% in the 1st half to $654 mil, as int'l operations and lower finance costs offset tough conditions at its core French superstores. European...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 2, 2004... SCHOOLS Corinthian jumps on profit report Corinthian Colleges earned 20 cents a share, flat with a year ago and a penny over recently lowered views. It sees Q1 earnings per share of 17-19 cents vs. 18 cents expected. Shares jumped 23%...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 2, 2004... TECHNOLOGY AMD revs attack on chip market Advanced Micro Devices CEO Hector Ruiz said the chipmaker plans to break rival Intel's "monopoly" in the chip industry, predicting that in 3-5 years AMD could be part of "true duopoly." AMD...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 2, 2004... MEDICAL Stent maker's sales recovering Boston Scientific, whose recall of Taxus heart stents pummeled its stock over the summer, said it's already recovered lost market share. While sales of the drug-coated stents, which help prop open...

THE ECONOMY.(TO THE POINT)
September 2, 2004... Mortgage applications steady The Mortgage Bankers Association's index of mortgage activity slipped 0.6% to 642.7 in the week ended Aug. 27. New home loans fell 0.1% to 443.1 while refinancings declined 1.1% to 1,804.1. The average interest...

IN BRIEF.(TO THE POINT)
September 2, 2004... JLG Industries got a $21 mil Army contract to recondition its vehicles. The deal helps the hydraulic excavator maker expand its after-market business. Shares rose 1% to 14. First Data will process 9 mil more GE Consumer Finance accounts...

NATION.(TO THE POINT)
September 2, 2004... Prosecutors to drop Kobe charge Eagle, Colo., prosecutors planned to ask a judge to drop the rape charge vs. NBA star Kobe Bryant, a source said. Jury selection had been under way, with opening arguments set for Sept. 9. Missteps had led...

WORLD.(TO THE POINT)
September 2, 2004... Sudan rebels free 6 aid workers The U.N. and Red Crescent workers were released four days after being kidnapped in the Darfur region. Rebels in the Sudan Liberation Army had denied holding the workers but released them after negotiations....

TRENDS & INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
September 2, 2004... Body scan similar to nuke attack? Full-body scans, increasingly used for health checkups, expose patients to as much as the lowest dose of radiation experienced by the inhabitants of Hiroshima when an atomic bomb devastated the Japanese...

TRENDS & INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
September 2, 2004... ** Marriage counselors are blaming Web sites for the spike in U.K. divorces. England and Wales last year registered their 3rd straight year of rising divorce rates. The marriage guidance body Relate cited sites that help husbands and wives...

Ease Change From Get-Go.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(IBD'S 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)
September 2, 2004... Byline: ADELIA CELLINI LINECKER 4 Changing the way things are done at work is no easy task. Try doing things differently and you're likely to run into: "But why change? We've always done it this way." Employees uneasy about change...

Getting A Handle On Free Will Innovate: Philosopher William James changed the way America thought.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
September 2, 2004... Byline: SEAN HIGGINS William James knew that nothing was impossible. If people didn't believe it, he offered himself as proof. Long a victim of poor physical health, James (1842-1910) also suffered from crippling depression and panic...

More Folks Now Plan To Buy A PC After four months' decline in PC buying intent, survey finally records an upswing.(INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT)(IBD/TIPP POLL)
September 2, 2004... Byline: PATRICK SEITZ Consumer intent to buy new personal computers perked up in August at the tail end of the back-to-school season and ahead of the Christmas shopping season. But while home PC demand is on the upswing, it still remains...

Microsoft To Launch Entertaining Thrust Vs. Apple And Others Slew Of Media Wares On Tap One seeks to leapfrog the iPod through devices that play movies, not just music.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
September 2, 2004... Byline: PATRICK SEITZ Microsoft is expected to raise the ante in the high-stakes game to control the future of digital media with announcements Thursday aimed at Apple Computer, RealNetworks and other rivals. The Redmond, Wash.,...

Internet Phone Calls Still Face Challenges Service "Not There Yet' Despite endorsements from venture capitalists, reliability issues persist.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
September 2, 2004... Byline: MIKE ANGELL Venture capitalists may have put their stamp of approval on Internet calling. But some customers feel the service still has bugs to work out. Vonage last week announced a $105 million infusion of cash from venture...

Silicon Image Looks To Get Jump On High-Definition Chip Field.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
September 2, 2004... Byline: JAMES DETAR As the high-definition television market gets rolling, chipmaker Silicon Image has a front-row seat. The company helped develop the high-definition multimedia interface, or HDMI. It's the basis for a chip that...

DORAL FINANCIAL CORP. San Juan, Puerto Rico Bank Has Island Fever Over Booming Market.(THE NEW AMERICA)
September 2, 2004... Byline: DAVID ISAAC A bank that specializes in mortgage lending can do a lot worse than set up shop in an island with a persistent housing shortage. With a population of 3.9 million, Puerto Rico has one of the highest population...

WATTS WATER TECHNOLOGIES North Andover, Massachusetts Plumbing Gear Maker Is Flush With Business.(THE NEW AMERICA)
September 2, 2004... Byline: PETER BENESH Talk about going with the flow. Watts Water Technologies just celebrated its 130th year in business, and chances are its parts are somewhere in your house, business and local mall. The company makes a variety of...

Century Shares Retooling For Growth Fund Broadens Scope One of country's oldest value stock funds opens portfolio to wider range.(MUTUAL FUNDS)(MUTUAL FUND PROFILE)
September 2, 2004... Byline: MURRAY COLEMAN By age 76, most mutual funds are long gone. But Century Shares Trust, which opened in 1928, is still kicking. In fact, it's amid a complete makeover. Three years ago, the fund started to diversify into...

You Can Get The Inside Scoop With IBDextra!(THE SMART INVESTOR)
September 2, 2004... Byline: KEN SHREVE What do exclusive market commentaries, Q&A's with IBD seminar speakers, editors and William O'Neil & Co. money managers, and powerful stocks screens all have in common? They're all included in a new subscriber-only...

The Truman Factor.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
September 2, 2004... Campaign '04: As the Republicans whoop it up in Gotham, the nation looks to its president for reasons to keep him on the job. Recent public opinion samplings favor George W. Bush over John F. Kerry. Marginally. Only a few weeks ago the...

No Neutral Ground.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
September 2, 2004... Terror: Hostage taking and murder by Islamic extremists sends a message to would-be noncombatant nations. Like it or not, America's fight is their fight, too. Suddenly, terrorists seem to be everywhere, attacking just about anyone. ...

Stay Patient With Your Winners; Cut Laggards Loose Fast.(MAKING MONEY)(INVESTOR'S CORNER)
September 2, 2004... Byline: CRAIG SHAW It's a natural instinct: cash in your winning stocks and give the losers time to recuperate. It's also the path to poor returns. Just as strong stocks often get stronger, the weak tend to keep lagging. So do the...

Buys Help Littelfuse Exceed Profit Views.(B)(NASDAQ STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
September 2, 2004... Byline: CRAIG SHAW Littelfuse more than tripled from its October 2002 bottom to its June 2004 peak. It's now shaping a 10-week base. The stock found support above its 200-day moving average and needs to regain its 50-day. The maker of...

REAL MOST ACTIVE Leaders Surge As Dow, S&P End Day Mixed.(MAKING MONEY)
September 2, 2004... Byline: JONAH KERI NYSE stocks staged a mixed session Wednesday, though several leading stocks showed strength. The Dow eased less than 0.1%, while the S&P 500 gained 0.15%. Small caps led as the S&P 600 rose 0.9%. NYSE volume finished...

Analyze, Profit From IBD's Market Charts.(GENERAL MARKET & SECTORS)
September 2, 2004... Analyzing the price and volume changes in the major market averages each day is essential to successful investing. They reveal major tops and bottoms in the stock market. Most stocks follow the general market's trend. They tend to rise...

Chemed Moves From Plumbing To Hospice.(B)(NYSE STOCKS IN THE NEWS)
September 2, 2004... Byline: JONAH KERI Chemed nearly doubled in price in just a two-month span from December to February. The stock then fell into a new base, now 6 1/2 months long. It's forming the right side of its base, trading above its 50-day moving...

REAL MOST ACTIVE Techs Gain Ground As More Breakouts Crop Up.(B)
September 2, 2004... Byline: CRAIG SHAW Techs outperformed blue chips Wednesday as crude oil resumed its climb. The Nasdaq rose 0.7% on heavier but still subpar trade. Education, oil and medical supplies stocks were among the top performers. Hansen...

Tech Industry Takes Hit As Intel, A Bellwether, Lowers Its Q3 Outlook Customers Cutting Inventory When the No. 1 chipmaker sees demand softening, others are likely to follow.(A)
September 3, 2004... Byline: JAMES DETAR Intel surprised analysts Thursday by saying sales would lag expectations by about $430 million this quarter, while profit also would fall short. The world's biggest chipmaker has been caught with a lot of excess...

GOP Hopes For More Tax Cuts, "Ownership' In 2nd Bush Term Growth wing's wish list ambitious yet possible, but Iraq dominates all.(A)
September 3, 2004... Byline: BRIAN MITCHELL For all the fuss over the last four days, Republicans are looking now to the next four years - and to the unfinished business of President Bush's first term. Incumbents have the advantage - or disadvantage - of...

IBD'S TOP 10.(A)
September 3, 2004... Crude Tops $45, But Closes Flat 1Oct. oil futures surged above $45 a barrel, but faded to end up just 5 cents to $44.05. Crude rose early -- building on Wed.'s $1.88 gain -- after saboteurs blew up a pipeline in northern Iraq, and Russian...

AFTER THE CLOSE.(TO THE POINT)
September 3, 2004... MANDALAY RESORT GROUP made 85 cents a share in Q2, an 18% rise over the year-ago period, but well below views. The casino chain, which agreed to an MGM Mirage takeover, blamed patrons on a winning streak plus higher health-care costs. Shares...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 3, 2004... MEDIA Time-Warner bolsters MGM bid The media conglomerate reworked a takeover offer for the entertainment firm, agreeing to pay about $4.5 bil in cash for the film & TV giant, reports said. Analysts said the bid appears to be more...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 3, 2004... TELECOM Q2 mobile phone sales up 35% Worldwide phone sales passed 156.4 mil units, with strong replacement handset sales in Europe and America and booming sales in Latin America, Gartner said. Nokia's market share fell compared with...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 3, 2004... Best Buy Q2 comps miss views The consumer electronics retailer's same-store sales rose 4.3%, missing views of a 5.4% increase, while total sales rose 13% to $6.07 bill. Best Buy was boosted by its high-end Magnolia Audio Video stores; its...

BUSINESS BRIEFS.(TO THE POINT)
September 3, 2004... TRANSPORTATION American Air, Eagle add fees The airlines' holding firm AMR will begin charging passengers $10 to buy tickets at airport counters and $5 for tickets purchased at its reservation offices as of Sept. 6, a move that the...

THE ECONOMY.(TO THE POINT)
September 3, 2004... No fooling: mortgage rates low The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell 5 basis points to 5.77% this week, the lowest since April 1, Freddie Mac said. It was 6.32% a year ago. The average 15-year mortgage was 5.15%, down from 5.21%...

IN BRIEF.(TO THE POINT)
September 3, 2004... Polaris Industries will cease its marine business immediately. The unit accounted for only 3% of the snowmobile maker's sales last year,lost $13 mil, and has never been profitable. Shares rose 5% to 51. Ceradyne received a $5.1 mil order to...

NATION.(TO THE POINT)
September 3, 2004... NYPD: 1,760 protesters arrested That's an apparent record for a U.S. political convention, with more arrests expected. The arrests span more than a week as demonstrators sought to disrupt the GOP convention. A few events have turned...

WORLD.(TO THE POINT)
September 3, 2004... Syria told to get out of Lebanon The U.S. and France sought a U.N. Security Council vote late Thursday to demand Lebanon not grant a 2nd term for its pro-Syrian president and that Syria immediately pull out its troops. The Lebanese...

TRENDS & INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
September 3, 2004... Hair stem cells could treat burns U.S. scientists found adult stem cells deep inside the hair follicles of mice that rebuild hair and stretches of skin and glands. The researchers say the cells may exist in human hair, too, and could lead...

TRENDS & INNOVATIONS.(TO THE POINT)
September 3, 2004... ** When trying to contact aliens it's probably better to write than phone, say Rutgers scientists in Nature. Since radio waves disperse as they travel, it would be more efficient to inscribe messages onto an object and send that into outer...

Frank Woolworth's Five-And-Dime Dreams Paid Off Create Your Niche: Onetime farm boy became a big-time businessman by recalling what it was like to count his pennies.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(BEST OF LEADERS & SUCCESS)
September 3, 2004... Byline: CURT SCHLEIER Frank Winfield Woolworth wanted more than anything else to become a retailer -- so much so that he did it without pay. Woolworth (1852-1919), who grew up on a farm in Great Bend, N.Y., earned a certificate in...

BE PERSISTENT AND WORK HARD How To Hold Your Own.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(IBD'S 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)
September 3, 2004... Byline: CORD COOPER 5The idea that Wal-Mart is killing small merchants is both hit and myth. To be sure, the giant has closed up a lot of smaller shops. But in many cases those merchants didn't know how to compete, says Michael Bergdahl, a...

Call His Idea A Cracker Jack Innovate: Frederick Rueckheim's sweet treat broke open the snack food market.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)
September 3, 2004... Byline: KEN SPENCER BROWN Frederick W. Rueckheim probably wasn't the first person to ever mix low-priced popcorn, peanuts and molasses. But he knew potential when he saw it, and there was plenty of potential in the sweet snack. So what...

TECHBITS.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
September 3, 2004... Byline: JIM DETAR In The Chips (Or In The Cards) Those chip industry honchos; what cards they are. They truly are cards, in an online game created by a Hong Kong public relations firm. Visitors to the Web site...

Mobile Phone Industry Rings Up Record Second Quarter New Models Fare Well Seasonally weak period gets surprise boost from overseas tech upgrades.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
September 3, 2004... Byline: MIKE ANGELL A usually quiet period for the cell phone industry was anything but as handset sales hit a second-quarter record. Color-screen and camera phones -- as well as strong sales in developing countries -- drove volume to new...

Disney Changes Plot For Expanded Rollout Of Its Movie Service MovieBeam Still In Few Cities Firm's movies-to-the-home service stuck on hold as it talks with possible partners.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
September 3, 2004... Byline: REINHARDT KRAUSE Walt Disney Co. has stopped plans to expand its MovieBeam movies-to-the-home rental service, four months after Chief Executive Michael Eisner said it would expand it into three markets this fall. Disney...

Broadband Ushers In TV-Quality Online Ads New Types Of Promos Internet ad sector ready to pose bigger challenge to print, radio, television.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)
September 3, 2004... Byline: DOUG TSURUOKA Don't look now, but your typical Internet ad is morphing again. The new-generation ads pack more audio and run longer than today's typical ads. And they raise the "fun" quotient by including more contests and...