Sweden, where CEOs come cheap and still deliver

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Highly paid executives in the United States and Britain take note - your Swedish counterparts are paid much less, yet still deliver strong corporate results.

While investors around the world are rising up against excessive executive pay in a movement dubbed "the shareholder spring", there has been barely a peep in Sweden - with good reason.

In a country famed for restraint and long social democratic traditions, Sweden's executives are generally rewarded far less than rivals in the rest of Europe and the United States and appear to perform just as well, or better, for shareholders.

"Abroad, things have really spun out of control in many cases ... especially in the United States and Britain," said Carl Johan Hogbom, acting head of Aktiespararna, the Swedish Shareholders' Association, referring to executive pay rises.

"We have, relatively speaking, a pretty sound wage structure here."

The purchasing power of Swedish executives ranked second lowest in the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2009, a study by management consulting firm Hay Group showed, while 2007 Eurostat data put average pay for Swedish managers and senior officials about 20 percent below their British counterparts.

At the same time, Sweden is often among the highest ranked in global competitiveness surveys while its top stocks have offered better returns than many major markets.

ThomsonReuters Datastream figures show total returns from the Stockholm bourse's blue-chip index have risen 116 percent over the past decade, eclipsing rises of just under 70 percent in the U.S. Dow Jones Industrial Average and Britain's FTSE 100 .

Michael Wolf, chief executive at Swedbank , and Olof Faxander, head of industrial group Sandvik , are good examples of Sweden's relative restraint.

Wolf earned 8.2 million Swedish crowns ($1.1 million) last year as head one of the Nordic region's biggest banks. Along with other top executives, he is not eligible for a bonus.

"And I'm not underpaid - relative to many workers in Sweden, I am very well paid," he said.

By contrast, Bob Diamond at Barclays, one of the focal points during the investor revolt of recent months, took home 17 million pounds ($26 million) last year.

Barclays' market capitalization is about twice Swedbank's, yet Diamond's pay was a full 23 times larger than Wolf's.

Likewise Faxander, whose group has about 50,000 employees worldwide, received a salary package totaling just over 10 million crowns ($1.4 million) in 2011.

Pit that against Carlos Cardoso at Kennametal, a U.S. rival with 12,000 employees and a sixth of the market capitalisation of Sandvik, who made $7.6 million last year.

VIKINGS STAY AT HOME

Recent months have seen widespread protests by investors against high executive pay in a rebellion that has rocked a host of companies, above all in Britain where a backlash has cost some bosses their jobs, like Andrew Moss at insurer Aviva and Sly Bailey at newspaper group Trinity Mirror .

Sweden has had executive pay scandals in the past and the media still sometimes highlight undue largesse from companies, particularly the banks, to their executives. But there has been no major shareholder revolt over pay for years.

The background is a long history of Social Democratic governments and strong unions, which have put an emphasis on spreading wealth across society.

The Swedish subconscious is also still heavily influenced by the "jantelagen" - a popular saying coined in a 1933 book, which means nobody should show off or break the mould.

Neither Wolf nor Faxander show particular resentment at being underpaid compared with European peers - unlike Martin Sorrell, chief executive of world No.1 advertising agency WPP , who vigorously defended a 6.8 million pound pay award in the face of opposition from shareholders.

Faxander said Swedish wages for managers were set under a good system and signaled executives might be prepared to take lower pay than they could obtain abroad in exchange for other benefits, like a high standard of living and attractive scenery.

"People are comfortable in the country where they live and that has an effect," he added.

The point is borne out by a still unpublished Novus poll - the results of which were provided to Reuters - of about 1,300 managers and executives for Ledarna, the Swedish Organization for Managers. That showed only 4 percent wanted to move abroad to work, hardly indicating Swedish executive talent is flooding across the borders in search of better pay.

Salary restraint at the very top may also trickle down to affect managers at lower levels. A very broad measure of managers included in a recurring Ledarna survey showed the average monthly salary at a modest 38,000 crowns ($5,200).

"In comparison with comparable countries, we are at a lower salary level, a considerably lower level even," Krister Andersson, statistician at Ledarna said of top executive wages.

"That may also to some extent put a cap on (salaries) for managers at lower levels. I mean, it is not often you make more money than your CEO, even if you are in upper management."

WINDS OF CHANGE

But there are signs things may be slowly changing and from the viewpoint of the average worker Swedish executives are still living an enviable lifestyle.

Sweden has seen the steepest increase in inequality over 15 years among the OECD's 34 nations, with disparities rising at four times the pace of the United States.

A study by the Swedish Trade Union Confederation (LO) also underlined the widening gulf, showing the average income in a pool of top corporate executives had risen to 46 times the mean industry worker wage in 2010 from a low of 9 times in 1980.

Swedish companies have also not been immune to criticism.

Appliances maker Electrolux was slammed for awarding its CEO Keith McLoughlin, one of only a handful of foreign top executives in Sweden, a one-time pension contribution of 45 million crowns ($6.2 million) when he took the helm in 2010, though it largely blamed it on the fact he is American.

LO Chief Economist Ola Pettersson said a gradual eroding of the income equality in Sweden since the 1980s had accelerated in recent years, threatening a lynchpin in a consensus-based corporate culture that has left labor unrest extremely rare.

"It made it easier to gain acceptance for structural changes and changes in the business when the different groups at a company felt that they, at least to some extent, were in the same boat," he said. "You can't say that is true anymore."

(Additional reporting by Mia Shanley, Patrick Lannin and Johannes Hellstrom; Editing by Patrick Lannin and Mark Potter)

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Twitter and Facebook shun internet names

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Large eruptions could eat away at ozone layer

A large eruption in the volcanically active region of Central America could release enough ozone-depleting gases to significantly thin the ozone layer for several years, researchers announced Tuesday.

Such a volcanic eruption could double or triple the current levels of the chemical elements bromine and chlorine in the stratosphere, the upper atmosphere layer where ozone gas protects us from ultraviolet radiation, the researchers calculated, based on the levels of these chemicals released from 14 volcanoes in Nicaragua over the past 70,000 years. ?The researchers presented their work at a scientific conference in Iceland.

Bromine and chlorine need an electron to become stable, and can easily rip it off passing molecules, like ozone. They are gases that "love to react ? especially with ozone," study researcher Kirstin Kr?ger, a meteorologist with GEOMAR in Kiel, Germany, explained in a statement. "If they reach the upper levels of the atmosphere, they have a high potential of depleting the ozone layer."

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To estimate the past release of these chemicals by volcanoes, the researchers measured levels of halogens (the group of highly reactive elements that bromine and chlorine belong to) in rock layers deposited before and after historic eruptions. The average eruption released two to three times the quantity of human-produced bromine and chlorine currently in the stratosphere, they found.

"As we have bromine and chlorine together, we believe that this can lead to substantial depletion," Kr?ger said. "And this is from one single eruption."

Previous studies have estimated that in large, explosive eruptions ? the type that sends mushroom clouds of ash miles high ? up to 25 percent of the ejected halogens can reach the stratosphere.

Because the effects are in the stratosphere, where the volcanic gases can be carried across the globe, eruptions of tropical volcanoes could lead to ozone depletion over a large area, even having an impact over Antarctica and the Arctic, where seasonal "holes" in the ozone layer already exist.

Some volcanic gases can last in the stratosphere up to six years, Kr?ger said, although the most significant impacts from eruptions like the intense eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991 were within the first two years. Pinatubo's eruption reduced global temperatures by about 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit (0.5 degrees Celsius) during the following year.

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The CW Shows: Fall TV 2012-2013 First Impressions

We've seen The CW's new fall and midseason pilots, and while they're not for review (things often change drastically before the shows are set to premiere), we do want to share our first reactions with you.

This quick guide is designed to get you excited for some new shows ... and to warn you to curb your enthusiasm for others. Just keep in mind that we'll have full reviews of the final pilots closer to airdate. For now, here are our snap judgments of all of The CW's new shows for the 2012-2013 TV season.

READ THE CW SHOW FULL DESCRIPTIONS
& WATCH TRAILERS HERE

There are 10 new scripted shows coming to The CW that were ready to preview -- the good (really digging "Arrow"), the questionable ("Beauty and the Beast"? Really?) and the worst new drama of the season ("Cult," we're looking at you) -- and HuffPost TV staff Maureen Ryan, Maggie Furlong, Jaimie Etkin, Chris Harnick, Alex Moaba and Laura Prudom had plenty of varying opinions.

Here's how we broke them down:

  • Watch It - awesome show, can't wait for more

  • Skip It - it's either horrible or just totally not their thing

  • DVR It - there's potential, will give it a second chance

FALL 2012

"ARROW"
Read more about "Arrow" and watch the trailer here
Ryan: Watch It
They had me at Stephen Amell, who's a strong anchor for the show, but the fact that the fabulous Katie Cassidy is also in this superhero show sealed the deal. Also, I've been waiting a long time to watch Paul Blackthorne in a show that was at least moderately good, and I'm hoping this could be it.

Furlong: Watch It
I'm not a Green Arrow superfan, but you definitely don't have to be -- the twists and turns here help keep the action going.

Etkin: DVR It
Not my personal taste, but it's a well done pilot with plenty of action, some captivating effects and the gripping Stephen Amell in the lead. This could be The CW's answer to growing up.

Harnick: DVR It
As a comic book fan, I initially balked at Dinah Laurel Lance (Black Canary) being a DA, but I'm willing to give this show another chance. For how long is the real question.

Moaba: DVR It
Surprisingly decent. ?Smallville? meets ?Gossip Girl.?

Prudom: Watch It
One of my favorite pilots of the season -- the action scenes are exhilarating, the mysteries are intriguing, and it's packed with sly references and visual easter eggs for die-hard comics fans. The only thing I'd jettison in future episodes is the cheesy voiceover, but it's obviously a trend The CW is going for this season, since all of their pilots (except "Cult") feature one.


"BEAUTY AND THE BEAST"
Read more about "Beauty and the Beast" and watch the trailer here
Ryan: Skip It
I don't really have room in my life for a mildly offbeat procedural, which is basically what this remake is, and I love Kristin Kreuk but I'm not seeing her as an NYC cop.

Furlong: Skip It
Kristin Kreuk is cute, but I just can't.

Etkin: DVR It
The procedural element of this show needs work, but it's great to see Kristin Kruek back on TV. With the romance being more captivating than the crime stories, time will tell if they're able to balance it out.

Harnick: Skip It
It's great to see The CW's budget for pilot special effects seems to have increased since "Ringer" and that terrible boat scene ... yup.

Moaba: Skip It
Genetically altered mutant soldier who faked his own death teams up with a sexy cop who?s been targeted by mysterious attackers to make audiences long for singing candlesticks.

Prudom: Skip It
It's obvious that The CW is trying to expand into more profitable procedural territory, but as a fan of the network's serialized dramas, it's a step in the wrong direction for me. This is cheesy and heavy-handed, with overwrought dialogue and a few laughable special effects. I feel like it'll probably find its niche after a couple of episodes, but as I have no interest in cop dramas (even the supernatural variety) I won't be tuning in to find out.


"EMILY OWENS, M.D."
Read more about "Emily Owens, M.D." and watch the trailer here
Ryan: Skip It
Mamie Gummer is a swell actress with a wonderfully charming presence. Let's hope she finds a show better than this nonsensical vehicle.

Furlong: Skip It
How did Mamie Gummer end up here? This wasn't a horrible excuse for a medical show (although it's very CW-ized), but I don't feel compelled to watch any more episodes.

Etkin: Skip It
Mamie Gummer seems too capable to play someone as incredibly neurotic as Emily Owens. And she's not exactly an inspiring female character -- she eats her feelings and is dealing with unrequited love like a 12-year-old. The writing isn't great -- we get it, hospitals are like high school -- and it's a little "Ally McBeal" meets "Grey's Anatomy," which doesn't yield the best result.

Harnick: Skip It
Mamie Gummer is so charming, but this pilot felt like it was three hours long. I really wanted to like it, however it needs work and I'd much rather see Mamie on "The Good Wife."

Moaba: Skip It
There?s nothing really unique about this boilerplate doctor show pilot, but have you heard Mamie Gummer is Meryl Streep?s daughter?

Prudom: DVR It
It's undeniably Diet "Grey's Anatomy," and medical shows aren't my thing, so I doubt it'll ever be appointment viewing for me. But once you get past the generic name, it's a charming and solidly-made dramedy with an engaging cast, and if you're a fan of "Grey's," there's a lot for you to love here.

MIDSEASON 2013

"THE CARRIE DIARIES"
Read more about "The Carrie Diaries" here
Ryan: DVR It
It's cute enough, but pretty insubstantial. Also, I was a teenager in the '80s. Not everyone wore that much neon. Just sayin'.

Furlong: Watch It
I was weary of the idea of a "Sex and the City" prequel, but AnnaSophia Robb is adorable as young Carrie, and the mix of high school life and exploring the big city is a fun balance.

Etkin: Watch It
I wasn't expecting to enjoy "The Carrie Diaries," but I really did. The '80s setting is fun, AnnaSophia Robb is wonderful in the role of baby Bradshaw and the homages to the HBO series -- like Carrie's pre-writing scrunchie -- are very satisfying. But I can't help but wonder: How does this well-adjusted 15-year-old become such a freaking basketcase on "Sex and the City"?

Harnick: DVR It
Probably The CW's hottest project, the "Sex and the City" prequel wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great. I'd like to see more, but I'm not dying to.

Moaba: Skip It
Not for me, but it?s watchable enough that I?d recommend it to my sister on the condition that the line about Carrie losing her virginity to a man named Manhattan gets edited out of the pilot.

Prudom: Watch It
As a die-hard "Sex and the City" fan, I was honestly expecting to loathe this show, but I'm happy to admit that the pilot completely changed my mind. I'm refusing to view it as a "SatC" prequel, but taken as a standalone teen drama that just happens to feature a curly-haired fashionista called Carrie, it's thoroughly charming, heartfelt and funny, with smart writing and a compelling group of characters. I'm just sad that we have to wait until midseason to see more.


"CULT"
Read more about "Cult" here
Ryan: DVR It
This kind of thing -- a mythology-based drama about the making of a cult TV show -- is usually right up my alley, but I found the pilot a little muddled and the characters a little colorless. But I'll give it a shot, given that it theoretically could hit me in some of my nerdtastic happy places.

Furlong: Skip It
This has to be said in all caps: THIS IS THE WORST NEW SHOW OF THE SEASON. Period. It's laughable. I honestly don't know how it made it to air.

Etkin: Skip It
The concept seems perfect for The CW's supernatural fanatics and generally obsessive audience, but it fails to deliver -- it almost seems like it was haphazardly put together. Hopefully they'll work on it, or else fans of "The Vampire Diaries" will be even more devastated, knowing they lost Alaric to this.

Harnick: Skip It
I'm not going to watch "Cult" because Fox's "The Following" did midseason creepy cult drama a whole lot better.

Moaba: Skip It
This creepy thriller about a TV show that inspires a copycat murderous cult just inspired me to join the cult of people who won?t be watching this show.

Prudom: DVR It
On the strength of the pilot, I would tell you to Skip It, because Everything! Is! So! Dramatic! that none of the characters talk like actual human beings. The show is so unabashedly meta that it's a little too self-aware, and although I'm intrigued by the concept and love Matt Davis as a lead, it really needs to calm down and decide whether it wants to be a campy B-movie romp or a legitimate thriller before I invest any time in its enigmas.

Tell us: Which of these new CW shows are you excited to see for yourself?

Check out our snap judgments of other pilots here, by network:
NBC | Fox | ABC

Check out more on The CW's new 2012-2013 shows here:

  • 'Beauty and the Beast'

    Detective Catherine Chandler is a smart, no-nonsense homicide detective. Several years earlier, Catherine witnessed the murder of her mother at the hands of two gunmen. Catherine would have been killed too, but someone - or something - saved her. No one has ever believed her, but she knows it wasn't an animal that attacked the assassins...it was human. Years have passed, and Catherine is a strong, confident, capable police officer, working alongside her equally talented partner, Tess. While investigating a murder, Catherine discovers a clue that leads her to a handsome doctor named Vincent Keller, who was reportedly killed by enemy fire while serving in Afghanistan in 2002. Catherine learns that Vincent is actually still alive and that it was he who saved her many years before. For mysterious reasons that have forced him to live outside of traditional society, Vincent has been in hiding for the past 10 years to guard his secret - when he is enraged, he becomes a terrifying beast, unable to control his super-strength and heightened senses. Catherine agrees to protect his identity in return for any insight he may have into her mother's murder. Thus begins a complex relationship between Catherine and Vincent, who are powerfully drawn to each other yet understand that their connection is extremely dangerous for both of them.

  • 'The Carrie Diaries'

    It's 1984, and life isn't easy for 16-year-old Carrie Bradshaw. Since their mother passed away, Carrie's younger sister Dorritt is more rebellious than ever, and their father Tom is overwhelmed with the responsibility of suddenly having to care for two teenage girls on his own. Carrie's friends - sweet, geeky Mouse, sarcastic and self-assured Maggie and sensitive Walt - make life bearable, but a suburban life in Connecticut isn't doing much to take her mind off her troubles. And even though the arrival of a sexy new transfer student named Sebastian brings some excitement to Carrie's world, she is struggling to move on from her grief. So when Tom offers Carrie the chance to intern at a law firm in Manhattan, she leaps at the chance. Carrie's eyes are opened wide at the glamour and grit of New York City - and when she meets Larissa, the style editor for Interview magazine, she's inspired by the club culture and unique individuals that make up Larissa's world. Carrie's friends and family may have a big place in her heart, but she's fallen in love for the first time with the most important man in her life - Manhattan.

  • 'The Carrie Diaries'

    It's 1984, and life isn't easy for 16-year-old Carrie Bradshaw. Since their mother passed away, Carrie's younger sister Dorritt is more rebellious than ever, and their father Tom is overwhelmed with the responsibility of suddenly having to care for two teenage girls on his own. Carrie's friends - sweet, geeky Mouse, sarcastic and self-assured Maggie and sensitive Walt - make life bearable, but a suburban life in Connecticut isn't doing much to take her mind off her troubles. And even though the arrival of a sexy new transfer student named Sebastian brings some excitement to Carrie's world, she is struggling to move on from her grief. So when Tom offers Carrie the chance to intern at a law firm in Manhattan, she leaps at the chance. Carrie's eyes are opened wide at the glamour and grit of New York City - and when she meets Larissa, the style editor for Interview magazine, she's inspired by the club culture and unique individuals that make up Larissa's world. Carrie's friends and family may have a big place in her heart, but she's fallen in love for the first time with the most important man in her life - Manhattan.

  • 'Emily Owens, M.D.'

    At long last, Emily Owens feels like she is an actual grown-up. She can finally put her high school days as the geeky-girl-with-flop-sweats behind her; she's graduated from medical school and is now a first-year intern at Denver Memorial Hospital, where she'll have the chance to work with world-famous cardiologist Dr. Gina Beckett - and where, not-so-coincidentally, her med-school crush Will Rider is also an intern. So why does everyone keep warning her that the hospital is just like high school? Emily soon finds out the hard way - her high school nemesis, the gorgeous, popular Cassandra Kopelson, is also just starting out at Denver Memorial, and it seems like they're rivals all over again - not only as surgical interns, but for Will's attention. Fellow intern Tyra Granger warns Emily that the cliques at Denver Memorial are all too familiar: the jocks have become orthopedic surgeons; the mean girls are in plastics; the rebels are in the ER, and Tyra has her own awkward place as the principal's kid - her father is the chief resident. Emily's the new kid all over again, and it's just as awkward as high school. Only this time around, Emily will have to balance the personal and emotional turmoil of social politics with the high-stakes world of life-and-death medical decisions. At least she has fellow intern Tyra and nerdy-but-cute resident Micah, to count on as friends. Emily is growing to realize that although she may be a geek, she may also grow to be a great doctor, flop sweats and all.

  • 'Emily Owens, M.D.'

    At long last, Emily Owens feels like she is an actual grown-up. She can finally put her high school days as the geeky-girl-with-flop-sweats behind her; she's graduated from medical school and is now a first-year intern at Denver Memorial Hospital, where she'll have the chance to work with world-famous cardiologist Dr. Gina Beckett - and where, not-so-coincidentally, her med-school crush Will Rider is also an intern. So why does everyone keep warning her that the hospital is just like high school? Emily soon finds out the hard way - her high school nemesis, the gorgeous, popular Cassandra Kopelson, is also just starting out at Denver Memorial, and it seems like they're rivals all over again - not only as surgical interns, but for Will's attention. Fellow intern Tyra Granger warns Emily that the cliques at Denver Memorial are all too familiar: the jocks have become orthopedic surgeons; the mean girls are in plastics; the rebels are in the ER, and Tyra has her own awkward place as the principal's kid - her father is the chief resident. Emily's the new kid all over again, and it's just as awkward as high school. Only this time around, Emily will have to balance the personal and emotional turmoil of social politics with the high-stakes world of life-and-death medical decisions. At least she has fellow intern Tyra and nerdy-but-cute resident Micah, to count on as friends. Emily is growing to realize that although she may be a geek, she may also grow to be a great doctor, flop sweats and all.

  • 'Arrow'

    After a violent shipwreck, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen was missing and presumed dead for five years before being discovered alive on a remote island in the Pacific. When he returns home to Starling City, his devoted mother Moira, much-beloved sister Thea, and best friend Tommy welcome him home, but they sense Oliver has been changed by his ordeal on the island. While Oliver hides the truth about the man he's become, he desperately wants to make amends for the actions he took as the boy he was. Most particularly, he seeks reconciliation with his former girlfriend, Laurel Lance. As Oliver reconnects with those closest to him, he secretly creates the persona of Arrow - a vigilante - to right the wrongs of his family, fight the ills of society, and restore Starling City to its former glory. By day, Oliver plays the role of a wealthy, carefree and careless philanderer he used to be - flanked by his devoted chauffeur/bodyguard, John Diggle - while carefully concealing the secret identity he turns to under cover of darkness. However, Laurel's father, Detective Quentin Lance, is determined to arrest the vigilante operating in his city. Meanwhile, Oliver's own mother, Moira, knows much more about the deadly shipwreck than she has let on - and is more ruthless than he could ever imagine.

  • 'Cult'

    Robert Knepper as Billy Grimm/Roger Reeves and Alona Tal as Kelly/Marti.

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Dell planning more than $2B in cuts over 3 years

FILE- In this Aug. 16, 2008, file photo, boxes containing Dell computers are stacked on an upper shelf of a Best Buy store in Seekonk, Mass. Computer maker Dell Inc. annoucned Wednesday, June 13, 2012, that it is planning more than $2 billion in cost cuts over the next three years as its looks to transform its business so it can keep pace in the highly competitive technology sector. (AP Photo/Stew Milne)

FILE- In this Aug. 16, 2008, file photo, boxes containing Dell computers are stacked on an upper shelf of a Best Buy store in Seekonk, Mass. Computer maker Dell Inc. annoucned Wednesday, June 13, 2012, that it is planning more than $2 billion in cost cuts over the next three years as its looks to transform its business so it can keep pace in the highly competitive technology sector. (AP Photo/Stew Milne)

(AP) ? Computer maker Dell Inc. is planning to trim its expenses by more than $2 billion during the next three years as it tries to move into the more lucrative areas of technology.

Dell outlined its cost-cutting plans Wednesday, the day after the company committed to paying the first quarterly dividend in its 28-year history. The quarterly dividend of 8 cents per share will cost Dell more than $560 million a year.

The bulk of the projected savings will come from Dell's sales group, where the company plans to wring out about $800 million in expenses. Another $600 million in cuts are envisioned in Dell's factories and other parts of its supply chain. The remainder of the cost-cutting will be concentrated in service delivery ($400 million) and its general and administrative spending ($200 million).

As part of the belt-tightening, Dell expects to make fewer products. The company's management didn't identify which of its current products might be jettisoned.

The company, which is based in Round Rock, Texas, also didn't say whether it will lay off workers or eliminate jobs through attrition to save money. Wednesday's presentation for analysts and investors mentioned "consolidation" of sales support, a winnowing process that often leads to layoffs. Dell currently employs about 109,000 workers.

One of Dell's major rivals, Hewlett-Packard Co., announced plans last month to eliminate 27,000 jobs to help reduce its annual expenses by $3 billion to $3.5 billion by October 2014. HP's job cuts will affect about 8 percent of its workforce.

Like HP, Dell is trying diversify beyond the lower-margin business of making personal computers and plumb the more fertile territory of advising big companies and government agencies on how to manage their technology needs. As part of that process, HP and Dell hope to sell more software and computing equipment.

Dell is the second-largest U.S. PC maker after HP. PC sales, though, have been weakening in the past two years as consumers increasingly navigate the Internet on smartphones and tablets such as Apple Inc.'s hot-selling iPad. Both Dell and HP have been buying software and technology services companies to expand beyond PCs.

As it saves money, Dell said it will increase its investment in "growth initiatives."

Investors applauded Dell's strategy. The company's shares gained 30 cents, or 2.6 percent, to close at $12.27 on Wednesday. The stock's price has ranged from $11.68 to $18.36 during the past year.

Associated Press

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Dueling speeches, big day: Obama, Romney in Ohio

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These Birds Make Peace In Bad Weather

60-Second Science60-Second Science | More Science

Yuhina birds fight over nest space, but in bad weather they leave each other alone much more. Amy Kraft reports.

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How does a Venus flytrap know when to snap shut? Can it actually feel an insect?s tiny, spindly legs? And how do cherry blossoms know when to bloom? Can they...

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After a hurricane or earthquake, people often band together and cooperate to deal with the recovery. And we?re not the only species that becomes more cooperative in tough times.?

Female Yuhina birds in Taiwan usually fight over space in the community nest when they?re trying to lay eggs. But in bad weather the birds tend to leave each other alone.

The finding is in the journal Nature Communications. [Sheng-Feng Shen et al, Unfavourable environment limits social conflict in Yuhina brunneiceps]

Researchers monitored groups of yuhinas for several years, in fair and foul weather. When the scientists combined their data with a game-theory model, they found that periods of fighting between female yuhinas were 50-percent shorter when the weather was bad?which increased the overall success of the breeding group.

During times of heavy rain, food becomes scarce. And getting wet means that the birds have to expend more energy to stay warm. So the birds apparently institute a truce, which cuts down on energy wasted fighting, and increases everyone's chance of survival. In other words, in bad weather birds of a feather stick together.

?Amy Kraft

[The above text is a transcript of this podcast]??

Scientific American is part of the Nature Publishing Group.


?


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Ann Rutherford, Gone With the Wind Star, Dies at 94


Ann Rutherford, who played Scarlett O'Hara's sister Carreen in Gone with the Wind, died Monday evening in her Beverly Hills home. She was 94.

The actress, who made her mark opposite Mickey Rooney as Andy Hardy's girlfriend Polly Benedict in the late '30s, had been in declining health.

Born in Vancouver to a singer father and a silent-film actress, Rutherford moved with her family to Los Angeles when she was nine years old.

As a teenager, she figured out that if she became a radio actress she could get out of school. So she became a radio actress. Simple as that!

Ann Rutherford Pic

Her first movie role - of more than 60 - was in the low-budget 1935 Waterfront Lady. She then made Westerns with John Wayne and Gene Autry.

After she began appearing in the Andy Hardy series, MGM studio head Louis B. Mayer tried to prevent her from being in Gone with the Wind.

This was because he thought Carreen, who was Scarlett's understanding little sister, was "a nothing part," Rutherford said in later interviews.

But she prevailed upon the boss, and, as the Times quotes her as saying in 2009 how the "'nothing part' turned my golden years into platinum."

Her death leaves only one star alive from that 1939 classic: Olivia de Havilland, who played Melanie. The two-time Oscar winner turns 96 July 1.

Married twice, including to Batman TV producer William Dozier, who died in 1991, Rutherford is survived by a daughter and two grandsons.

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Maine Senate Race Scrambled by Strong Independent Candidate

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