Saturday, March 2, 2013

Email Marketing: still going strong in the 21st Century. | Mike Berry ...

I recently chaired the panel on ?Mobile email? at TFM&A (Technology for Marketing and Advertising) in London. The assembled experts concurred that:

a) email marketing is alive and well

and:

b) everything digital is going mobile, especially email (Litmus estimates that around 42% of all email is now opened on a mobile device and this can only increase).

But why does email remain so resilient amidst the waves of change which continue to sweep through digital marketing and in the face of newer, ?cooler? technologies? To answer this, let?s go back to 1999 (younger readers, you may need to ask your parents). At this time, various voices condemned email marketing to death. This view gathered support over the next few years: the new social networking platforms like MySpace were hailed as the next big thing. Email, people said, had had its day ? at least as a marketing channel.

In this new century, these voices proclaimed, we were all going to be communicating by instant messaging and social networks, and even by SMS / text message. So, these people were suggesting, marketers would soon lose interest in the humble email, which would be relegated to the recycling bin of marketing history. And if that wasn?t enough, the fledging Facebook was waiting to take the world by storm.

Now, let?s fast forward (btw why does that expression always remind me of whirring VHS video and audio cassette tapes?) to 2013 where, perhaps surprisingly, we find email marketing in robust good health. But why?

Pre email

In order to understand the continuing success of email, it might help to go back even further than 1999. Some years before the end of the last century, I was employed by various large direct marketing agencies. It was a good time to be in ?DM?, as it became known. Laser printing developed. Advances in data processing technology and personalised printing, addressing techniques and falling costs combined to make one-to-one marketing more powerful and cost-effective than ever before. Compared with broadcast, broad scale, ?untargeted? communications, direct mail offered some impressive advantages. Specifically, it could reasonably claim to be:

? Personal

? Targeted

? Data-driven (i.e. relevant)

? Measurable

And as a result:

? Cost-accountable

This was highly attractive to marketers and, crucially, to their Finance Directors. Direct Mail became respectable and even cool. Major national and global brands started to do DM. Budgets were duly diverted from ?above the line? into this new ?accountable advertising?. Money was made, and bright people lured to work ?below the line?. Direct mail was hailed as a precision ?rifle? to target audiences surgically and efficiently, in comparison with the ?blunderbuss? approach offered by TV, press and posters.

But of course direct mail wasn?t perfect. It needed a lot of managing of issues around lists, data, printing, enclosing and mailing. The cost of print, personalisation, ?lettershop? and postage needed to be factored into any ROI calculation. Also, it just annoyed a lot of people; increasingly bulk mailers were viewed as destroyers of rainforests as well as snake-oil salesmen. The damaging term ?junk mail? was coined and it stuck. Response rates fell.

Email arrives

But then email came along. As Bill Gates strove to install a (Windows) PC on every desk and into every home, and those clunky towers gradually got connected to the internet via equally clunky 56k modems, a new DM channel was born. Email marketing offered all of DM?s advantages, at a fraction of the cost: one-to-one targeting with near instant response!

At last, here was an answer to the DM industry?s prayers (that is unless the praying person happened to own a printing or enclosing business). Response rates to early pioneering cold email campaigns were astronomical by today?s standards. Email list brokers sprang up. This was truly ?direct mail on steroids?? But of course nothing is perfect and junk email attracted its own pejorative label ? SPAM. (No-one appears to know why but Monty Python got the blame?). ISPs invented the spam filter, which became increasingly aggressive; bad guys sent bad emails and email recipients got wise. And cautious. Open and click-through rates fell.

Email finds its place

Today, email isn?t so good for targeting consumers cold, especially when sent by an unknown company and with a sender name the recipient doesn?t recognise. On the other hand, it?s fantastic for communication with B2B contacts who already know your organisation. Most B2B decision-makers check their email at least six to eight times per day. Many B2C marketers and charity / not-for-profit fundraisers also swear by it and can prove that it works. Plus, it works well in conjunction with direct mail.

The Future?

For me, email is and will remain a key online channel. Email marketing preceded MySpace and has effectively outlasted it. Facebook will one day fall from the dominant position it enjoys today. And for those of you who like to stay in control, you might like to consider that your email campaigns are your ?owned media?, whereas your Facebook page is on someone else?s website?

Personally, I wouldn?t bet against email marketing being around in the 22nd Century.

A version of this article first featured in Infobox, the DMA Email Marketing Council?s free e-newsletter.

Source: http://mikeberryassociates.com/email-marketing-still-going-strong-in-the-21st-century/

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Bozeman Luxury Real Estate - Pricing Your High-End Home and ...

Whenever I sit down with a Seller to discuss marketing their property, one of the most important topics is, ?What can this list for?? Many times the Seller has a figure in mind, based on their investment and what they want to pocket, after deducting Title Insurance, commissions, closing costs, possible radon mitigation and repairs mentioned in inspections, and paying off their mortgage. Unfortunately, I frequently have the task of letting a Seller know that what they want their property to sell for and what the market will bear are not necessarily one and the same. Since the 2006 height of the housing market, overall prices for homes plummeted between 20 to 35%. We are seeing an uptrend, with a decrease in inventory levels and a strengthening in pricing, but we are still far from the 2006 pricing.? Today?s Buyer is savvy, educated, and expecting a ?deal.?

My former partner and dear friend Stuart Tilt would inevitably say to a Seller during a listing appointment, ?Pricing your property is an art, not a science.? This is true to a certain extent. There are, though, facts and figures that help determine a price range. I will discuss key considerations, not necessarily in order of importance, as each factors into an overall consideration in successfully marketing and selling a property.

Motivation: Your motivation for selling your property is at the core of the pricing. If you have to sell due to financial, health, job, or personal reasons then your asking price needs to be very attractive. You may be forced into a position of having to price below the market in order to entice a buyer. On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you would like to sell but have no need to, your pricing can be more aggressive as long as you are willing to wait for the buyer to materialize who is willing to pay a premium for you home. I must note that, in the past 4 years, I know of no closed transaction in the Bozeman Area in which I think a Buyer over-paid for a property, while I do know of many instances of Buyers paying far below replacement cost for a home.

Square Footage: Agents provide Buyers with data on houses, and, in today?s world of Internet and search engines, Buyers frequently research the existing real estate market before contacting an agent. One of the facts they seek is a home?s square footage and the cost-per-square-foot. The price-per-square-foot ranges in listed ?luxury? homes between $200 to $600 a square foot.? Buyers demand the square footage price to reflect the level of workmanship, materials, architecture, setting, finishes, landscape, neighborhood setting, and overall design. They mentally compare not only the total asking price but also the square footage price when determining if the property is a solid value, a great deal, or over-priced.

Location/Acreage/Setting: The clich?, ?Location! Location! Location,? is valid.? How close are you to town? What do the homes around you look like? Your neighbors can add or detract from your property?s perceived value, and unfortunately there is little you can do about that. How easy is it to drive to your house? Is the road paved? Is the house exposed or is it nestled into a hillside or woods? Location matters, along with acreage, the view shed, privacy, accessibility, and even the road to reach your home. My experience has shown a trend in recent years of Buyers? wanting to be within a 20 minute or less drive time to Downtown Bozeman.? As our community continues to thrive with rich cultural experiences, festivals, restaurants and shops, newcomers want to participate and they anticipate frequent trips downtown. There are also Buyers seeking? the ?Montana Experience? of mountain settings, ample wildlife, horses, easy access to state and national lands, and live water.

Amenities: Buyers are excited and swayed by amenities and features that appeal to them and add character to a property. A true chef is thrilled when they see a big, well-designed pantry and chef-quality appliances. Horse people appreciate multiple pastures and ground that grows a crop of hay. Nearly everyone moving to Bozeman wants live water on their property, which is very difficult to find. Home theaters are not as popular as they once were, but sound systems and exercise rooms still have big appeal.? Desirable features and hard-to-find amenities increases your ability to legitimately set a higher asking price. Truly ?rare? properties command a higher price to a certain extent. Unfortunately, a property that is too idiosyncratic and unique often times results in narrowing an already small market.

Your Competition: The typical Buyer for high-end properties in the Bozeman Area is from out-of-state. They are viewing properties over 2 days, with 6 to 8 homes that have been previously identified through Internet searches and discussions with their agent. Your property will be judged and weighed against the other viewed properties. All the factors of pricing, location, amenities, and ambiance will factor into a Buyer?s reaction. Buyers have emotional responses to homes, but before they will even take the time to view your home, they generally have pre-screened your place and decided that your price fits within their budget. It is always wise to compare your house to the other properties most likely to be seen by a potential buyer. In this manner you can determine if your pricing ?fits? your property and the existing market. You and your agent should also identify what sets your home apart from the competition. What is special? Desirable? Noteworthy?

Comps and Appraisal: The high-end market in the Bozeman Area is on an upswing, however, it remains relatively small. Below is a chart of number of units listed and sold by price points for the past year. As your asking price increases, your number of viewings and odds of closing on your property decreases. Also, Buyers search real estate listings by price points, and many Buyers set a ceiling and simply will not look at a home priced at $1,500,000, but will look at one priced at $1,499,000. Great agents know which properties have sold, what is currently on the market, and how your property will be received by other agents and Buyers within price ranges. This is where the ?Art? in pricing comes into play. Another consideration today is whether your home will appraise for the Buy/Sell price in a contract. Over the past 4 to 5 years, many properties have fallen out of contract when the appraisal has come back below the contract price.? Appraisals are based on the actual sales of similar houses within a twelve month period and ten mile radius. Our small market does not provide for? good comps to work from. The appraiser makes adjustments comparing your home to ones sold according to finishes, square footage, and items I?ve mentioned above. Before pricing your home, it is wise to know not only what is currently on the market, but also what has recently sold.

SF Active vs Sold3 Pricing Your High End Home and Property

Click to view larger image

Conclusion: The price placed on your home when it is first listed will be a ?First Impression? to agents and potential Buyers. Agents will decide if your pricing is reasonable. If they deem it over-priced, they tend to show your home to their Buyers as an example of an over priced home so as to make their own listings more price-desirable. It is important to list your home with full knowledge of the market, your competition, and the reasons that justify your asking price. When I am doing a listing appointment with a Seller, I explain these key points in detail and provide the Seller with a price range, which is based on facts and blended with art. I offer potential sellers an honest assessment of their property in today?s market. Arriving at a list price is an art, perfected over years of marketing and specializing in the Bozeman luxury real estate market.

Source: http://bozemanluxuryrealestate.com/pricing-your-high-end-home-and-property/

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Visualized: Nokia's product smorgasbord at MWC 2013

Visualized Nokia's product smorgasbord at MWC 2013

What you see in the shot above (and the gallery below) is a display containing almost every Lumia handset and accessory currently manufactured by Nokia -- all arranged buffet-style for your viewing pleasure. These photos, captured during a special event at MWC 2013, include the Lumia 920, 820, 720, 620 and 520, PlayUp speaker, Purity HD stereo headset and Luna Bluetooth headset (among others).

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/01/visualized-nokias-product-smorgasbord-at-mwc-2013/

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The Arkansas way (Offthekuff)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/288308282?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Big data: Searching in large amounts of data quickly and efficiently

Big data: Searching in large amounts of data quickly and efficiently [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 1-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Gordon Bolduan
bolduan@mmci.uni-saarland.de
49-681-302-70741
Saarland University

The term "big data" is defined as a huge amount of digital information, so big and so complex that normal database technology cannot process it. It is not only scientific institutes like the nuclear research center CERN that often store huge amounts of data ("Big Data"). Companies like Google and Facebook do this as well, and analyze it to make better strategic decisions for their business. How successful such an attempt can be was shown in a New York Times article published last year. It reported on the US-based company "Target" which, by analyzing the buying patterns of a young woman, knew about her pregnancy before her father did.

The analyzed amount of data is distributed on several servers on the internet. The search queries go to several servers in parallel. Traditional database management systems do not match all use cases. Either they cannot cope with big data, or they overstrain the user. Therefore data analysts love tools which are based on the open-source software framework Apache Hadoop and which use its efficient file system HDFS. Those do not require expert knowledge. "If you are used to the programming language Java, you can already do a lot with it", explains Jens Dittrich, professor of information systems at Saarland University. But he also adds that Hadoop is not able to query big datasets as efficiently as database systems that are designed for parallel processing.

Dittrich's and his colleague's solution is the development of the "Hadoop Aggressive Indexing Library", abbreviated with HAIL. It enables saving enormous amounts of data in HDFS in such a way that queries are answered up to 100 times faster. The researchers use a method which you can already find in a telephone book. So that you do not have to read the complete list of names, the entries are sorted according to surnames. The sorting of the names generates the so-called index.

The researchers generate such an index for the datasets they distribute on several servers. But in contrast to the telephone book, they sort the data according to several criteria at once and store it multiply. "The more criteria you provide, the higher the probability that you find the specified data very fast", Dittrich explains. "To use the telephone book example again, it means that you have six different books. Every one contains a different sorting of the data according to name, street, ZIP code, city and telephone number. With the right telephone book you can search according to different criteria and will succeed faster." In addition to that, Dittrich and his research group managed to generate the indexes without any additional costs. He and his group members organized the indexing in such a way that no additional computing time and delay is required. Even the additional storage space requirement is low.

###

Computer science research on the campus of Saarland University

The Department of Computer Science is not the only research institution which is exploring new aspects of computer science. Only a few yards from there, you can also find the Max Planck Institute for Computer Science, the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems, the Center for Bioinformatics, the Center for IT-Security, Privacy and Accountability, the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence, the Intel Visual Computing Institute and the recently renewed Cluster of Excellence "Multimodal Computing and Interaction".

See also:

Website for HAIL:
http://infosys.uni-saarland.de/hadoop++.php

Press pictures:
www.uni-saarland.de/pressefotos

Further questions are answered by:

Prof. Dr. Jens Dittrich
Tel. +49 681 302 70141
E-Mail:
jens.dittrich@infosys.uni-saarland.de

Gordon Bolduan
Science Communication
Cluster of Excellence
Phone: +49 681 302-70741
Cebit booth: +49 511/ 89497024
E-Mail: bolduan@mmci.uni-saarland.de



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Big data: Searching in large amounts of data quickly and efficiently [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 1-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Gordon Bolduan
bolduan@mmci.uni-saarland.de
49-681-302-70741
Saarland University

The term "big data" is defined as a huge amount of digital information, so big and so complex that normal database technology cannot process it. It is not only scientific institutes like the nuclear research center CERN that often store huge amounts of data ("Big Data"). Companies like Google and Facebook do this as well, and analyze it to make better strategic decisions for their business. How successful such an attempt can be was shown in a New York Times article published last year. It reported on the US-based company "Target" which, by analyzing the buying patterns of a young woman, knew about her pregnancy before her father did.

The analyzed amount of data is distributed on several servers on the internet. The search queries go to several servers in parallel. Traditional database management systems do not match all use cases. Either they cannot cope with big data, or they overstrain the user. Therefore data analysts love tools which are based on the open-source software framework Apache Hadoop and which use its efficient file system HDFS. Those do not require expert knowledge. "If you are used to the programming language Java, you can already do a lot with it", explains Jens Dittrich, professor of information systems at Saarland University. But he also adds that Hadoop is not able to query big datasets as efficiently as database systems that are designed for parallel processing.

Dittrich's and his colleague's solution is the development of the "Hadoop Aggressive Indexing Library", abbreviated with HAIL. It enables saving enormous amounts of data in HDFS in such a way that queries are answered up to 100 times faster. The researchers use a method which you can already find in a telephone book. So that you do not have to read the complete list of names, the entries are sorted according to surnames. The sorting of the names generates the so-called index.

The researchers generate such an index for the datasets they distribute on several servers. But in contrast to the telephone book, they sort the data according to several criteria at once and store it multiply. "The more criteria you provide, the higher the probability that you find the specified data very fast", Dittrich explains. "To use the telephone book example again, it means that you have six different books. Every one contains a different sorting of the data according to name, street, ZIP code, city and telephone number. With the right telephone book you can search according to different criteria and will succeed faster." In addition to that, Dittrich and his research group managed to generate the indexes without any additional costs. He and his group members organized the indexing in such a way that no additional computing time and delay is required. Even the additional storage space requirement is low.

###

Computer science research on the campus of Saarland University

The Department of Computer Science is not the only research institution which is exploring new aspects of computer science. Only a few yards from there, you can also find the Max Planck Institute for Computer Science, the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems, the Center for Bioinformatics, the Center for IT-Security, Privacy and Accountability, the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence, the Intel Visual Computing Institute and the recently renewed Cluster of Excellence "Multimodal Computing and Interaction".

See also:

Website for HAIL:
http://infosys.uni-saarland.de/hadoop++.php

Press pictures:
www.uni-saarland.de/pressefotos

Further questions are answered by:

Prof. Dr. Jens Dittrich
Tel. +49 681 302 70141
E-Mail:
jens.dittrich@infosys.uni-saarland.de

Gordon Bolduan
Science Communication
Cluster of Excellence
Phone: +49 681 302-70741
Cebit booth: +49 511/ 89497024
E-Mail: bolduan@mmci.uni-saarland.de



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-03/su-bds030113.php

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Friday, March 1, 2013

French-Arabesque Levant Opens - Portland Food and Drink

Levant RestaurantI?m feeling human again, so it?s back to the news! The first thing that caught my eye is the opening of Levant, a restaurant that sounds really interesting. Here is the press release:

A new addition to the Rose City?s burgeoning restaurant scene is Levant, a French-Arabesque restaurant serving representations of Middle Eastern Dishes in the heart of Portland, Oregon.

Located at 2448 East Burnside, Levant is a 50-seat escape with a full bar and open hearth for cooking rich, Middle Eastern Cuisine. Chef-owner Scott Snyder, whose family and culinary history inspired him to open the restaurant, uses his French technical background while cooking with traditional North African and Middle Eastern spices and meats.

A glimpse of what?s in store for future Levant diners: small plates like grilled sweetbreads with pomegranate glaze, marash pepper and an orange and kohlrabi salad excite while larger plates like charmoula marinated sturgeon with farro and a sunchoke pur?e dazzle. A nine-item cocktail menu also highlights Middle Eastern spices and flavors ? with cardamom, sumac, salep, and tumeric making appearances. The wine list offers more than 80 options by the bottle ? ranging from $30 to $130 ?? with five more available by the half-bottle.

For Snyder, the opening of Levant is a journey that?s come full-circle. When young, he developed his taste while spending summers in both the Puget Sound area of Seattle and with his aunt and uncle in Tennessee. Snyder recalls foraging for fresh berries that his grandmother eventually turned into cobbler in the small town of Home, WA. As he grew older, Snyder honed his culinary skills at San Francisco hotspots Jardiniere and Postrio. In Portland, he worked in Wildwood?s kitchen before the opportunity arose for him to start Levant.

Details: Levant is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5-10pm. 2448 East Burnside, Portland 97214. Phone: 503-934-2322.

"I have a wide-range of food experience - working in the restaurant industry on both sides of the house, later in the wine industry, and finally traveling/tasting my way around the world. Whether you agree or disagree, you can always count on my unbiased opinion. I don't take free meals, and the restaurants don't know when, or if, I am coming."

Source: http://portlandfoodanddrink.com/french-arabesque-levant-opens/

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US economy grew at 0.1 percent rate in 4th quarter

FILE - In this Monday, Oct. 15, 2012 photo, Charlie Kline, left, works on a machine affixed with a "Made in the U.S.A." plate at the FesslerUSA apparel manufacture in Orwigsburg, Pa. The U.S. economy grew at a 0.1 percent annual rate from October through December, the weakest performance in nearly two years. But economists believe a steady housing rebound and solid spending by consumers and businesses are pushing growth higher in the current quarter. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

FILE - In this Monday, Oct. 15, 2012 photo, Charlie Kline, left, works on a machine affixed with a "Made in the U.S.A." plate at the FesslerUSA apparel manufacture in Orwigsburg, Pa. The U.S. economy grew at a 0.1 percent annual rate from October through December, the weakest performance in nearly two years. But economists believe a steady housing rebound and solid spending by consumers and businesses are pushing growth higher in the current quarter. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

FILE- In this Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012, file photo, shipping containers are seen as port operations are halted during a strike at the Port of Los Angeles. The U.S. economy grew at a 0.1 percent annual rate from October through December, the weakest performance in nearly two years. But economists believe a steady housing rebound and solid spending by consumers and businesses are pushing growth higher in the current quarter. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)

(AP) ? The U.S. economy grew at a 0.1 percent annual rate from October through December, the weakest performance in nearly two years. But economists believe a steady housing rebound, stronger hiring and solid spending by consumers and businesses are pushing economic growth higher in the current quarter.

The Commerce Department's second estimate of fourth-quarter growth was only slightly better than its initial estimate that the economy shrank at a rate of 0.1 percent. And it was well below the 3.1 percent growth rate reported for the July-September quarter.

The revision to the gross domestic product was due to higher exports and more business investment. GDP is the broadest measure of the economy's output.

Many economists say temporary factors that held back growth in the fourth quarter are probably fading and growth is likely picking up in the January-March quarter.

Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist at Capital Economics, predicts growth could be as high as 2 percent in the current quarter despite higher Social Security taxes, which have reduced take-home pay for most Americans. Alan Levenson, chief economist for T. Rowe Price, said growth could be as high as 2.5 percent.

Ashworth noted that a sharp decline in defense spending and slower business restocking subtracted 2.9 percentage points from growth in the fourth quarter. At the same time, consumer spending and business investment ? two key drivers of growth ? accelerated at the end of last year.

"We still believe that the fourth-quarter GDP figures were a lot better than the headline stagnation suggests," said Ashworth.

The economy could continue to struggle if policymakers in Washington cannot reach agreements over the budget his month, including billions of dollars in spending cuts that are set to begin on Friday. And a spike in gas prices and higher taxes could hold back consumer spending.

Still, a raft of recent reports suggests that many aspects of the economy are improving.

The Labor Department said that the number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell 22,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 344,000. The steep decline comes as hiring has strengthened, providing more income to consumers.

Employers have added an average of 200,000 jobs per month in the past three months. That's up from an average of 150,000 in the previous three months.

More jobs and ultra-low mortgage rates are helping the once-battered housing market recover. New-home sales jumped 16 percent to their highest level in 4 ? in January.

At the same time, the number of new homes available for sale remains near record lows. That means builders will likely have to start construction on more homes and apartments to keep up with demand. That should create more construction jobs.

Home prices also rose in December compared with the same month a year ago by the most in more than six years. Rising home values also contribute to the housing recovery and the broader economy. They encourage more people to buy before prices rise further. Higher prices also build homeowners' wealth, which can spur more spending and economic growth.

Businesses and consumers are also showing greater confidence despite automatic spending cuts scheduled to take effect on Friday. A measure of consumer confidence rebounded in February after a sharp fall the previous month that likely was a result of the tax increase.

Companies, meanwhile, sharply increased orders in January for a category of long-lasting manufactured goods that reflect their investment plans. That suggests they are confident about their business prospects.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-02-28-Economy-GDP/id-570a86172f324819b80aaebced8f1a62

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