The concept of financial intermediation services without charged or paid interest, might raise cash-strapped hopes and more than a few eyebrows. But in Islamic finance, the basic premise is that charging interest is prohibited - it’s considered wrong to make money from money. Islamic bankers have developed a number of instruments that can perform financial intermediation functions without the involvement of interest. Wealth, then, is generated by these financial services only through legitimate trade and investment in assets. Even so, investment in alcohol, gambling, tobacco and pornography is taboo. The US$300 billion Islamic finance industry today represents a vast global practice and is the preferred channel of banking for one fifth of the world.

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A new report shows that Apple and Google are threatening to take the lead from Nokia, the international leader in mobile handset innovations, in the mobile handset market. Of course, the battle is far from over but there will certainly be a major shake-up of this extremely lucrative market.

Traditionally Nokia has played the role of market leader and market innovator. However, it will have to be very careful in this instance, as the mobile operators are its major customers. These telcos subsidise the mobile phones and it is crucial for the mobile vendors to be included in the mobile packages promoted by the operators. This requires them to play the same tune as the operators, and that means closed systems, proprietary standards and ways to lock in and lock up customers.

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A new report shows that more than $2 billion is estimated to be spent on social network advertising in the US by 2010. Social networking and user-generated content will feature prominently among a range of new applications in the Web 2.0 world. But also flourishing are travel-related services, gambling, adult content, music and health services.

Solid new business models, backed by spectacular growth in online advertising, are quickly laying the foundations of the new internet economy.

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It’s the age of mergers and acquisitions in the generic industry, and companies are using acquisitions as a way of increasing their market muscle and improving geographical reach. A new report, examines the significant acquisitions in the industry and forecasts which companies are shifting from single country marketing strategies through mergers and take-overs.
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Tea is one of the most underdeveloped drinks in the United States. However, the potential is enormous, as tea barely compares in market size to drinks categories such as carbonated soft drinks, coffee and water. Moreover, numerous variables are in place to help drive the growth of tea according to a new report Tea and Ready-to-Drink Tea in the U.S.

Tea fits into the well-established movement among ageing baby- boomers to seek out foods and beverages that promise wellness and anti-ageing effects.

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Mass media has been going blue in the face talking about going green and climate change. And while most of us certainly want to do the ‘right’ thing environmentally, we also forget our green concerns just a little bit when pushing up that thermostat dial, stuffing our shopping into truckloads of plastic bags and buying airline tickets to holiday hotspots.

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India’s telecommunication sector is witnessing an explosive growth, as falling tariffs and rising incomes are bringing mobile phones within the reach of millions of new customers, according to Emerging Rural Mobile Market in India.

Mobile industry players are eyeing rural India as their new area of opportunity. The companies are encouraged by the fact that mobile users are expected to cross 230 million by 2007 end and 500 million by 2010.

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General Motors Corp. reported $39 billion third-quarter losses last week. The news was received with dismay by investors and the company’s shares closed more than six percent lower. Yahoo News! has reported that a senior index analyst for Standard & Poor has said it was the second-worst quarterly net loss in U.S. corporate history, exceeded only by AOL Time Warner’s $44.9 billion loss in the fourth quarter of 2002.

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Perhaps you’re already familiar to watching TV on your mobile phone? If you’re not as up-to-date yet, you better join, because the number of Mobile TV users has reached 20 million globally and will balloon to over two billion by 2013, according to Telecom Trends International.

A new report shows that the vast majority of users currently access free-to-air mobile TV, but pay-TV will catch on as high-quality made-for-TV programming becomes widely available on subscription-based channels.

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While physicians are still the ones making the final decision about whether to prescribe a specific drug, they now report that patient requests for specific medications at the point-of-care are as influential as office visits from pharmaceutical sales representatives.

According to a new report patients have begun to play a more significant role in the healthcare decision-making process. While initial predictions warned that patient empowerment would ultimately undermine the medical establishment, the report shows that it appears that the opposite is true. It shows that the level and quality of interactions between patient and physician has improved which has, in turn, both enhanced patient satisfaction and had a positive effect on clinical outcomes.

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