PlayStation Nation,
This is one of the fun parts of my job, when we get to unveil our TV commercials and give you, our loyal fans, a preview of our spots before they hit the airwaves. This year’s campaign is dubbed ”Entertainment Unleashed” and for good reason.
The campaign actually began quietly a few weeks back with three fifteen second ”tease” executions. Hopefully, you’ve seen these by now. These initial ads depicted various people catching glimpses and reflections of beautiful PS3 game footage magically appearing on building facades across a city.

This weekend, we’re excited to reveal what triggered the excitement. The spot begins with a guy creating a LittleBigPlanet level on a building wall and from there, the PS3 takes on a momentum all its own, spreading amazing entertainment content uncontrollably from building to building throughout the city. The ad prominently features not just LittleBigPlanet but also two other PLAYSTATION 3 exclusive titles — Resistance 2 and MotorStorm: Pacific Rift. And we’ve also highlighted PS3’s Blu-ray capability by featuring Blu-ray movies like The Dark Knight, showcasing PS3’s unrivaled leadership as both a gaming and multimedia entertainment experience.
PLAYSTATION 3 offers unrivaled game content, with not just one platform-defining game, but an array of groundbreaking games across virtually every genre throughout the year that are pushing the envelope of creativity and sheer gameplay.
And at the end of the spot, you’ll see that all this great exclusive content has literally been unleashed on the city and its residents. I know our fans will appreciate spotting some of your favorite games across the cityscape.

This week marks an important milestone for the PS3. And one of the things we’re most excited about as we head into year three is the tremendous adoption and excitement found on PlayStation Network. This year alone, we’ve added great new features you guys have been asking for like a service to deliver High Def movies and TV shows that you can rent or buy and store directly on the PS3’s hard drive; a robust trophy system that lets you compare your gaming prowess with others as well as help you discover everything about the great PS3 games you’re playing; and of course, the groundbreaking Home service, which is just around the corner for all. All of this and a lot more has resulted in more than 14 million active PlayStation Network accounts – a very rapid expansion of a service that we have equally aggressive plans for in the future.
So with its tremendous growth and adoption, we thought it was time to give the PlayStation Network its own moment in the sun with a TV spot that sings its praises. This PlayStation Network ad will also make its debut this weekend. The ad is a metaphor and itself depicts the relentless spread of the PlayStation message from user to user. We’ve featured various ways you can ”Download/Play/Connect.” Great downloadable games like Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty, PAIN, Wipeout HD and Echochrome. Free online gaming and downloadable levels with games like LittleBigPlanet. Human connection and community via Home. And downloading great movies like Hancock directly to your PS3 and then sharing it with your PSP.

When we launched the PS3 two years ago, we said we would deliver on the most advanced next generation console that would offer ten years of entertainment value. We are committed to that promise and remain confident that we’re now just scratching the surface on PS3’s potential.
We hope you like these new ads and look forward to your feedback and continued support for PlayStation.
Enjoy!
Peter
PS: Killzone 2 is real and it’s spectacular…


More...

Square Enix's new Los Angeles studio is still hiring, but they now have a small core staff of coders. To ease the new kids gently into the world of Squeenix development, the new studio is going to focus on downloadable games.

"We started the in-house development team a couple of months ago and we're starting with downloadable content because the team is still small," explained the studio's US president John Yamamoto. "All formats – Xbox Live, WiiWare, PlayStation Network – are all viable formats for us"

The LA studio will also be investigating middleware solutions, after successfully using the Unreal Engine 3 for The Last Remnant. "I want to [...] evaluate lots of middleware," said Yamamoto, "because western middleware is much more advanced compared to Japanese middleware. So we will study and feed back information to Square Enix in Japan."

http://kotaku.com/5094879/square-eni...loadable-games

13 year old Lorenzo Amato was rushed to hospital by his father, where doctors at first thought he may have been suffering from a stroke or brain disorder. But no - after closer examination, the medics diagnosed 'Playstation Addiction'.

Local politician Antonio Buccoliero was quick to comment, "They eventually managed to take care of him once they understood that this was a strange kind of mental detachment connected to his Playstation." It is unknown if this condition could be contracted through rival consoles or if it is a Sony-only disorder. Or indeed if it is an actual medical condition and not something they just made up to make a point about gaming.

The boy had been unable to speak and appeared 'confused' following a marathon gaming session. He reportedly told his father to throw out his console saying, "If I even think about it I want to throw up."

http://kotaku.com/5095113/italian-bo...-actual-doctor

A recent report by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has revealed that video game console usage across America stands at approximately 16 billion kilowatt-hours per year—which is roughly the amount consumed by the entire city of San Diego. This is only a rough estimation, but there is no doubt that many of us waste a significant amount of energy when we leave our consoles running for hours on end. Even Energy Star has recognized the problem and begun setting standards on energy consumption for these devices. Obviously, the short-term solution to the problem would be to save your game and shut off the system when you are done—but it's a bad habit that is hard to break. So, my question is: do you leave your game console running when you are not playing?

http://gizmodo.com/5094411/question-...onsole-running

Well, I am thrilled about this piece of news! Effective today, Zune Marketplace has added video content from PBS, including NOVA, Scientific American Frontiers, Carrier, and more. You can also download specials and mini-series, such as Ken Burns’ acclaimed 2001 miniseries, Jazz. The ten episodes of this series will set you back 8,000 points, or about $100 US. A season of NOVA goes for 2,880 points, or roughly $36.

http://www.zunerama.com/2008/11/pbs-...e-marketplace/

The software maker plans to announce on Wednesday a price cut for its flash-based models. The 4GB version will drop to $99, the 8GB model will drop by $10 to $139, and the 16GB model will sell for $179, down from $199. Microsoft is also cutting prices for several of its Zune accessories. The cuts take effect on Wednesday in the U.S. and on Friday in Canada.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-10101356-75.html

Hopefully you've managed to upgrade yourself to the New Xbox Experience already!

Some people are reporting having trouble logging on to Xbox.com to sign the new Terms of Use. If that includes you, try signing this through your Xbox 360 console instead. That is probably your quickest and easiest route back to Premium Creators Club membership status.

We've also got a new area just for Xbox LIVE Community Games over on the Xbox.com forums. This will be where we can send those earnest voices that don't necessarily want to make a game, but simply want to offer their opinions on the games created. Each Community Game will have its own thread created once it is available through Marketplace.

On Creators Club we've opened up the last piece of the site to the Creators -- the "My Business" portion of your profile is now live. If you're selling a Community Game or plan to sell one you need to give us your information there so we know where to send the check!

This is a pretty incredible day for all of us. We've managed to do something that no one has really done before. We've opened up the console and given independent game developers a chance to sell their work to the millions of Xbox LIVE gamers.

Our creators have submitted more than 30 different games that you can download now through the Community Games channel on the New Xbox Experience. Each game has something incredible to offer and speaks to the potential that waits beyond today. We really can't wait to see what happens next!
http://blogs.msdn.com/xna/archive/20...-business.aspx

Back in May we told you that filming in the beautiful landscapes of Lochaber was expected to start late this year. Lochaber News is now reporting that filming scouts are observing the area and getting ready for b-roll shoots:

Film executives and location and special effects personnel have just completed an updating recce of the four picturesque glens which have featured in all the previous Harry Potter blockbusters.

They were researching the eventual making of not one but two movies out of JK Rowling's seventh and last best seller, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which was published last year. Teams of cinematography experts and production designers visited Glenfinnan, Glen Etive, Glencoe and Glen Nevis, all Lochaber landmarks which have already become established in the series.

As we learned earlier this year, cast filming for Deathly Hallows will not begin until February.

http://www.mugglenet.com/app/news/full_story/1982

iParcellite is a lightweight GTK+ clipboard manager./ibr / br / bAbout this version/bbr / v0.9 Thursday, November 20 2008br / br / Newbr / + Confirm clear option.br / + Parcellite menu hotkey.br / + Translated .desktop files.br / + Support for managing x-selection (primary).br / + Hungarian and turkish translation (disabled until tr.po is updated).br / + Prevent empty clipboard. Clipboard/Primary contents are backed up and recovered if they ever become NULL.br / br / Changesbr / + Fixed/updated daemon mode.br / + Changed preferences dialog.br / + Changed actions preferences to use GtkTreeView's built in editing mode.br / + Fixed bug with icon showing up in --no-icon mode when you execute an action.br / + Fixed parcellite-startup.desktop to include Type=Application to prevent desktop-file-validate from failing.

News/release from Mickael2054
Here is already version 1.2 of PSPNotes with some additions / changes interesting!

And here is the list of additions / changes:

Code:
Adding USB mode (select from the menu) (you'll soon understand why)

Interface magazine (a big change in "the preliminary menu and a small menu and credits)

More ratings available in both the menu

If you leave the keyboard without having written any note is created (before there was one with the name "virgin")

The extensions are no longer displayed in the menu (the. Txt)

The different way of reading a note were reviewed (up to 35 characters: 1 line, up to 70 characters: 2 lines, up to 100 characters: 3 lines and more than 100 characters: display in a message system !

Additions sounds in the menu

Pseudo top, above the title (and more bugs with long nicks)

Displaying the battery in other functions and correction display

Fixed a bug mini and additions in the credits

Fixed spelling mistake

Improved code (and pictures) Download and Give Feedback Via Comments
Attached Files PSPNotes V1.2.rar (1.11 MB)

divimg alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/85170?ns=guardianpageName=Business%3A+From+the+Kremlin+to+Caracas%2C+how+oil+collapse+changes+everythingch=Businessc3=The+Guardianc4=Oil+and+gas+companies+%28Business%29%2CGlobal+economy+%28Business%29%2CRussia+%28News%29%2CSaudi+Arabia+%28News%29%2CIran+%28News%29%2CBusiness%2CVenezuela+%28News%29%2CCredit+crunch+%28Business%29%2CEnergy+%28Environment%29%2CEnvironment%2CWorld+news%2CMiddle+East+%28News%29%2CSaudi+Arabia+%28Football+club%29c5=Football+World+Cup%2CCredit+Crunch%2CNot+commercially+useful%2CBusiness+Markets%2CEnergy%2CEthical+Livingc6=Luke+Harding%2CIan+Black%2CRory+Carrollc7=2008_11_21c8=1121611c9=articlec10=GUc11=Businessc12=Oil+and+gas+companiesc13=c14=h2=GU%2FBusiness%2FOil+and+gas+companies" width="1" height="1" //divh2Russia/h2pRussia is lurching towards a major economic crisis, experts predicted yesterday, following news that the price of oil had slumped to under $50 (pound;33.72) a barrel. The collapse was likely to have catastrophic consequences including a possible devaluation of the rouble and a severe drop in living standards next year, they said. /ppWith oil prices tumbling and his credibility at stake, Russia's prime minister, Vladimir Putin, yesterday insisted that the economy was still robust. The country would survive the global financial turmoil - which he blamed on the US - he told delegates from his United Russia party./ppBut the Kremlin is aware that any loss of confidence in the Russian economy could lead to a loss of confidence in Putin and his ally Dmitry Medvedev, who took over from Putin as president in May. /ppPutin said his administration would do everything it could to prevent a recurrence of the last oil-related crash in 1998, which saw the savings of many ordinary Russians wiped out. But the plummeting oil price leaves him little room for manoeuvre. Experts suggest Russia's economy is facing profound difficulties, despite two huge stabilisation funds accumulated during the booming oil years. /ppThe fall in oil prices from $147 this July has blown a hole in the government's budget calculations. It is now facing a $150bn shortfall in its spending plans and will have to slash expenditure in 2009. Putin sought to assure hard-up Russians that their social benefits would not be affected. "We will do everything in our power ... so that the collapses of the past years should never be repeated," he said./ppThe oil slump, however, exacerbates Russia's already severe problems. Since May Russian markets have lost 70% of their value. Russia's central bank has spent $57.5bn trying to prop up the ailing currency. "If the trend continues, with the government supporting the rouble, oil prices falling and a slowing economy, we are going to have a major crisis," said Chris Weafer, of the Moscow brokerage Uralsib.br /strongLuke Harding in Moscow/strong/ph2Iran/h2pIran is the second largest Opec oil producer and already feeling the pain of declining prices more than any other in the Middle East. Its "rainy day" oil stabilisation fund, used to release profits when revenues decline, is reportedly badly depleted as a result of mismanagement by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government. The precise figure is a state secret, but a member of parliament revealed recently it was $7bn - just enough to cover one year of imported petrol./ppAhmadinejad has seen two central bank governors resign and faces daily criticism of his policies. A strike by the powerful "bazaari" class over a new VAT tax - which would have aggravated inflation already at nearly 30% - was seen as a warning. Iran is especially vulnerable because 80% of its revenue comes from oil. The IMF calculated recently that for Iran to balance its budget, the price of crude oil must not fall below $95 a barrel. With prices now below $50 the shortfall could be staggering./ppThe effect of declining oil prices will be felt both domestically and internationally. Ahmadinejad is expected to stand for a second presidential term next June but the lack of cash will restrict his plans to replace subsidies with direct cash payments - widely seen as a vote-buying tactic. US and UN sanctions imposed over the nuclear issue are already limiting Iran's ability to issue letters of credit and thus increasing its cost of trade./ppSaudi Arabia has been happy to use high Opec production levels and low prices to contain Tehran's plans for regional hegemony. US experts and lobbyists now talk openly of exploiting the drop in oil prices to make the sanctions more effective.br /strongIan Black, Middle East editor/strong/ph2Saudi Arabia/h2pSaudi Arabia, the world's leading oil producer and exporter, is expected to cut back on current spending and also adjust ambitious long-term development plans in the light of the slump in prices./ppBut cautious fiscal policies will place the kingdom in a relatively strong position, with the current budget based on a price of around $45-50 a barrel. Expansion next year will require around $55-62./ppThe worry must be that in a country with no elections, parliament, political parties or taxes, the combination of slowing development projects and a widening gap between the wealthy elite and ordinary people could be destabilising./ppPublicly, the message from the top has been that there is no need to panic, even as falling prices of crude oil and the global financial crisis were becoming inextricably linked and starting to wreak havoc in the Gulf economies./ppBy mid-November, the stock exchanges of Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait had declined by 62.5%, 50.4% and 29.5% respectively. Kuwait, which sits on 9% of world oil reserves, is expected to see its first budget deficit in 10 years if prices continue to fall. That will mean a long-term incentive to diversify away from oil./ppIn Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, government-run investment funds have also suffered from heavy exposure to US and European stocks. But the UAE's Abu Dhabi Investment Authority has assets of $500bn to $1tn./ppDubai, the glitziest part of the UAE, which has seen an oil-fuelled boom in property but has little oil of its own, is starting to see a slowdown. But some welcome that as a way of reducing the number of foreign expatriates and re-establishing a disappearing sense of national identity.br /strongIan Black, Middle East editor/strong/ph2Venezuela/h2pHugo Chávez has reduced Venezuela's support for foreign allies and is poised to make deeper cuts at home and abroad as plunging oil revenues hit his socialist revolution. The government has warned of austerity measures after years of high spending on social programmes, nationalisations, arms and diplomacy. South America's energy giant relies on oil for half its exports and 95% of government revenue, leaving the president's ambitions vulnerable to a crunch./pp"Oil revenues are the weapons he has been using to fight this war. He is going to have to make big changes," said Pietro Pitts, of Latin Petroleum magazine. "He will have to cut spending, or devalue the bolivar, or both."/ppChávez recently said Venezuela would ride out any financial storm and that oil prices of $80 or $90 a barrel would be sufficient. This now looks optimistic. With next year's budget in tatters, and foreign investment slowing, the government made cuts even before the latest price fall. Last month it postponed construction of a $4bn refinery in Nicaragua, a key ally, and announced tougher terms for subsidising oil exports to some Caribbean countries./ppThe state oil company slashed spending on the social programmes which have underpinned Chávez's popularity. Aid to Bolivia and Ecuador, and subsidised oil to Cuba, may be hit next. The finance minister, Alí Rodríguez, said the 2009 budget "will have significant restrictions" compared with this year's $63.9bn and officials would have to cut back on luxuries./ppSome analysts think Venezuela can weather the crisis with the help of rumoured $40bn reserves. But Venezuela is racked by 36% inflation, and previous governments crashed when oil crashed.br /strongRory Carroll in Caracas/strong/pdiv style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"ullia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/oilandgascompanies"Oil and gas companies/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/globaleconomy"Global economy/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/russia"Russia/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/saudiarabia"Saudi Arabia/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/iran"Iran/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/venezuela"Venezuela/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/creditcrunch"Credit crunch/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/energy"Energy/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/middleeast"Middle East/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/saudiarabia"Saudi Arabia/a/li/ul/divdiv class="guRssAdvert"a href="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/click.ng/richmedia=yessite=Businesscountry=(none)spacedesc=rsssystem=rsstransactionID=1227227727753112100421654622"img src="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/image.ng/richmedia=yessite=Businesscountry=(none)spacedesc=rsssystem=rsstransactionID=1227227727753112100421654622" border="0" //a/diva href="http://www.guardian.co.uk"guardian.co.uk/a copy; Guardian News Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html"Terms Conditions/a | a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html"More Feeds/a

divimg alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/41393?ns=guardianpageName=Business%3A+Bargains+galore+as+Christmas+comes+early+for+shoppersch=Businessc3=The+Guardianc4=Retail+industry+%28Business%29%2CChristmas+%28Life+and+style%29%2CBusiness%2CCredit+crunch+%28Business%29c5=Unclassified%2CCredit+Crunch%2CBusiness+Marketsc6=Julia+Finch%2CMartin+Wainwright%2CPatrick+Barkhamc7=2008_11_21c8=1121628c9=articlec10=GUc11=Businessc12=Retail+industryc13=c14=h2=GU%2FBusiness%2FRetail+industry" width="1" height="1" //divpShoppers were lured back on to the high street yesterday as stores slashed prices in an attempt to kickstart the vital Christmas trading period and shift unsold stock./ppIn the annual game of chicken between consumers and stores, the retailers have blinked first. There may still be 34 shopping days until Christmas, but over the past three weeks sales have fallen off a cliff for many retailers. Faced with what some analysts have warned could be the worst Christmas for 30 years as a result of falling house prices, rising unemployment and rock-bottom confidence, retailers have already resorted to price cuts and promotions./ppIt was Marks Spencer's decision to hold a one-day 20% off "spectacular"- for the first time in four years - that prised many reluctant shoppers out of their homes and offices. /ppBut the shop windows in the West End of London were plastered with posters promising bargains. Debenhams was in the middle of a three-day 25% off sale and there were sale signs up in Jane Norman, Mexx, Clarks, H Samuel, and Sir Philip Green's Arcadia Group chains, including Burton, Dorothy Perkins and Bhs./ppNew figures from the Office for National Statistics suggested retail sales were proving unexpectedly resilient. The ONS said sales dropped by just 0.1% in October, leaving them 1.9% higher than last year. This was way ahead of forecasts in the City, where analysts had been predicting a slump of 0.9%./ppBut in recent months economists and retailers have repeatedly questioned the accuracy of the ONS figures. Even the Bank of England has suggested the data should be treated with caution./ppDavid Tinsley, an economist with nabCapital, predicted the official figures would soon catch up with reality: "The figure will probably crash around November or December."/ppSurprise sales can anger shoppers who have bought items at full price and yesterday some MS customers were certainly planning revenge. One woman, who asked to remain nameless, said several of her friends were buying items at 20% off which they had already purchased and planned to return with their original items another day to get a full refund./ppNevertheless, MS boss Sir Stuart Rose insisted the discounts had given the UK's biggest clothing retailer a much-needed boost: "It seems to have touched the spot. It's a riot."/ppShopper Judith Limbert, who had travelled to Oxford Street from Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire for the MS sale, said consumers were waiting for bargains: "In the runup to Christmas I suspect people are going to hang on and hang on, waiting for sales." /ppLimbert had been planning to buy Christmas presents in MS but had been waiting to see if it would offer reductions. She said her family would definitely spend less this year and would look for bargains on the internet. "We've got less money in that our utility bills are higher and food bills are dearer."/ppA survey yesterday said that 80% of consumers plan to spend less this year and there was more gloom from credit rating agency Moodys, whose chief international economist, Ruth Stroppiana, warned: "Britain's retailing sector is expected to come under increasing pressure in coming quarters as the country's highly indebted households continue to rein in expenditure." /ppOver at the new Westfield shopping centre in west London, in the basement food hall of MS's vast store, trolleys were clattering through the tills./ppWith a recession around the corner, it was clearly time to stock up on champagne. A couple from Dorset were piloting a trolley laden with MS bubbly. They bought 36 bottles - and saved nearly pound;450 on the shelf price. /ppThe champagne was a triple bargain. On top of the 20% off was another 10% discount and a pound;5-a-bottle reduction for buying more than 12 bottles. The result was a pound;26 ticket price slashed to just pound;13 a bottle./ppIsabelle Marsh bought 36 bottles for just under pound;500, compared with the pound;936 full price./ppMarsh runs Bournemouth-based Viva Las Vegas, a fun casino business for private parties, and the champagne will be used as prizes. /ppAt the next till her friends Kay and Roger Brahams, from Surrey, who are also in the casino business, were doing exactly the same. They also had a collection of blue spotted bow ties and waistcoats for their croupiers - four waistcoats, four bow ties and two pairs of black trousers for pound;124, down from pound;155 for one day only. "It's for the business," said Roger Brahams. "It is too good to miss." /ppOn the clothing floor, however, there were many shoppers who had used the discount day to bring forward purchases they were planning to make anyway. Mark, a BBC employee, had popped in to buy an pound;80 coat he had his eye on. "My wife rang me this morning to tell me about the sale," he explained. He paid pound;64 and walked away very pleased. /ppIn Sheffield city centre, Carolyn Bowler had nipped out in her lunch break to buy a box of Christmas crackers, but by the time she had heaved her way out of MS she had three of them, plus a new dressing gown./pp"You've to shop carefully these days," she said, as three women marched past with purple Debenhams balloons and leaflets promising "25% off plus look inside for half-price bonus deals"./pp"These offers are bringing people out, no question," said another lunchtime shopper called Marion - "please don't print my surname in case my children read the paper and it spoils their Christmas surprise". The surprise is that Marion is making them clothes herself this year, instead of buying new ones./pp"You've got to cut back at times like these," she said. "We certainly have anyway, because my husband's not had a job since the summer. No one knows what the future holds any more."/ppIt was all music to the ears of Ian Fleming, who was supervising Debenhams balloon women. Enticing punters with the likes of a shimmer bow back dress reduced to pound;37.50 from pound;75, he said: "Shoppers will never get tired of good value and a bargain. This is working. It's even better out at the Meadowhall shopping centre."/ppThat, however, was impossible to check: reporters were barred from doing interviews in the sprawling complex beside the M1 because of the current spate of gloomy stories./ph2Key tactics for shoppers to cash in on stores' price war/h2pIt is the year of the tactical shopper, according to one retail expert, with yesterday's "flash" or "guerilla" sales at MS and Debenhams marking the start of what is likely to be a long and protracted war between high street stores. But for the savvy shopper hoping to secure the ultimate bargain, where and when is the time to strike? /ppIn order to secure the best bargain this Christmas, shoppers should look around and keep an eye out for promotional vouchers, said Lauretta Roberts, editor of Drapers magazine. /pp"My advice to shoppers is shop late. It's a buyers market out there and it is not going to be too difficult to find a bargain."/ppAnother way of saving money is to hit the shops before the official sale. "Even though they don't advertise the fact, many of the big department stores like Selfridges or Harvey Nichols discount their products from December 24. You get the best choice, unlike post-Christmas, when there often little left."/ppA further wave of price cuts can be expected from Boxing Day onwards, with January sales slashing 50% off many products immediately, she said. There are lots of other ways for shoppers to maximise their funds over the festive period. But it requires commitment and tactical thinking, said Martin Lewis, founder of moneysavingexpert.com. /pp"This is the year of the targeted and tactical shopper. As well as promotional sales we are seeing a rash of big discount shopping vouchers," he said. Vouchers currently featured on the website include 30% off at Gap, 40% off at Threshers and 20% off Shudoo, who sell Ugg boots, set to be a Christmas favourite. /ppAnother way of getting the best deal is to use price comparison websites, such as shopping.com, kelkoo.co.uk and pricerunner.co.uk, he said. For example, one Christmas must-have, a Wii Console + Sports Pack, costs pound;184.99 at Dixons, but on tdgstore.co.uk can be found for pound;179.99./pp"Different comparison websites are better for different products," said Lewis, who recommended find-dvd.co.uk for dvds and bookbrain.co.uk for books. /ppOnce the cheapest product has been identified, shoppers should try to buy it through a cash-back website, such as topcashback.co.uk, he added. "Cashback websites are paid 5% for sending you to a particular site, but instead of pocketing that cash they share the proceeds with their users by discounting products further."/ppHe also advises shoppers to use cash-back credit cards, such as American Express, which offers 5% back on purchases for three months. Using a credit card for expensive purchases also protects buyers, he added./ppIn 2007 the average British family spent pound;840 on Christmas. Choosing carefully this year, they could save 5% to 50%, said Lewis. /ppDoesn't all this calculating detract from the joy of the impulse buy? No way, he said. /pp"We are entering a recession, and there are two ways you can deal with it. Stop spending or make the money that you have got go further."br /strongAlexandra Topping/strong/ppstrongBargains/strong/ppstrongGap/strong/ppUltra-low rise jeans was pound;39.50 now pound;9.99br /Saving 75%/ppstrongDebenhams/strong/ppFour Royal Doulton crystal goblets was pound;80 now pound;32br /Saving 60%/ppstrongCurrysdigital/strong/ppLogik DAB digital radio was pound;139.99 now pound;59.99br /Saving 57%/ppstrongHouse of Fraser/strong/ppChristy Sorrento bath towel was pound;22 now pound;11br /Saving 50%/pdiv style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"ullia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/retail"Retail industry/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/christmas-xmas"Christmas/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/creditcrunch"Credit crunch/a/li/ul/divdiv class="guRssAdvert"a href="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/click.ng/richmedia=yessite=Businesscountry=(none)spacedesc=rsssystem=rsstransactionID=1227227727742112100421654622"img src="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/image.ng/richmedia=yessite=Businesscountry=(none)spacedesc=rsssystem=rsstransactionID=1227227727742112100421654622" border="0" //a/diva href="http://www.guardian.co.uk"guardian.co.uk/a copy; Guardian News Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html"Terms Conditions/a | a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html"More Feeds/a

divimg alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/43959?ns=guardianpageName=Business%3A+Rolls-Royce+to+cut+2%2C000+jobs+after+aviation+downturnch=Businessc3=The+Guardianc4=Rolls-Royce+Group+%28Business%29%2CAutomotive+industry+%28Business%29%2CBusiness%2CRedundancy%2CPoliticsc5=Motoring%2CPersonal+Finance%2CNot+commercially+useful%2CBusiness+Marketsc6=Mark+Milnerc7=2008_11_21c8=1121534c9=articlec10=GUc11=Businessc12=Rolls-Roycec13=c14=h2=GU%2FBusiness%2FRolls-Royce" width="1" height="1" //divpBritish industry was hit by a further wave of job losses yesterday across the defence, aerospace and pharmaceutical sectors./ppThe aero-engine maker Rolls-Royce said it was planning to reduce its global workforce by up to 2,000 to cope with the global downturn and delays to the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A380./ppThe company has already opened talks over cutting 140 jobs at its Derby assembly and test facility and there are concerns there could be further job losses in Britain, which accounts for 60% of the company's 39,000-strong workforce./ppIn the defence sector, BAE Systems said it was cutting 200 jobs across plants within its armoured fighting vehicles business. The company's shipbuilding joint venture, BVT, is reducing the number of administrative positions by 300 - though BAE said natural wastage and vacancies meant it was only seeking 135 redundancies. /ppBVT, the company formed from the merger of VT shipbuilding with BAE's surface shipbuilding operations, is involved in constructing two new aircraft carriers and destroyers for the Royal Navy. BVT said the job losses were from cutting out duplication between the merged firms./ppElsewhere, the Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca said 250 jobs would go in Macclesfield as part of a programme that will see 1,400 job losses and three plant closures in Europe over the next five years. The company said the job reductions, which will see factory closures in Spain, Belgium and Sweden, would improve the company's productivity and efficiency./ppMeanwhile, Arjowiggins began talks over the future of the 127 staff at Dartford Paper Mill in Kent./ppBAE Systems said its decision to shed 200 jobs at sites in Newcastle, Leeds, Leicester, Barrow and Telford had been prompted by a fall in the workload from the Ministry of Defences (MoD) armoured fighting vehicle programme. The announcement led to a political row, with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats attacking the government./ppLiam Fox, shadow secretary of state for defence, said: "Losing crucial defence jobs at a time when we are still involved in two conflicts abroad is testament to the incompetence and inefficiency of Labour's entire defence policy. The losers in this saga are British workers and British soldiers."/ppNick Harvey, Liberal Democrat defence spokesman, said: "The MoD's staggering incompetence over its armoured vehicle procurement programme now seems to be taking its toll on British jobs./pp"It is hard to believe that while our troops in Afghanistan are facing a crippling shortage of suitable vehicles, the jobs to make those vehicles are still being cut in the UK. The recession is already hitting jobs hard in Britain. The last thing we need is for this to be compounded by government incompetence."/ppAn MoD spokesman said: "BAE Systems continues to support our existing fleet of armoured fighting vehicles on operations and has the capacity to do so, but the terrain and threat in Afghanistan requires different types of vehicle such as Mastiff, Ridgback and Jackal, which are manufactured and integrated by different companies. We prioritise getting the right vehicles for current operations, with over pound;1bn spent on a wide range of vehicles." /ppRolls-Royce said it had looked at the potential impact of the global downturn as well as delays to the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 787, for which it supplies engines. It said: "While it is too early to be specific about the precise implications for the number and location of job losses, the group's current assessment is that in 2009 it will be necessary to implement job reductions across the various sections and functions of around 1,500 to 2,000 on a worldwide basis, including the reduction announced today."/ppBernie Hamilton, of the Unite union, called the announcement "bitterly disappointing". "Rolls-Royce must take a measured approach ... In the past the company has cut too many jobs and struggled to meet the upturn in the market. Unite is urging the government to use the pre-budget report to support UK manufacturing and encourage companies to retain workers so when market conditions improve a skill shortage is not the outcome./pdiv style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"ullia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/rollsroycegroup"Rolls-Royce/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/automotive"Automotive industry/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/redundancy"Redundancy/a/li/ul/divdiv class="guRssAdvert"a href="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/click.ng/richmedia=yessite=Businesscountry=(none)spacedesc=rsssystem=rsstransactionID=1227227727892112100421654622"img src="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/image.ng/richmedia=yessite=Businesscountry=(none)spacedesc=rsssystem=rsstransactionID=1227227727892112100421654622" border="0" //a/diva href="http://www.guardian.co.uk"guardian.co.uk/a copy; Guardian News Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html"Terms Conditions/a | a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html"More Feeds/a

divimg alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/88242?ns=guardianpageName=Business%3A+RBS+bosses+apologise+to+shareholdersch=Businessc3=The+Guardianc4=Royal+Bank+of+Scotland+%28Business%29%2CBanking+sector+%28Business%29%2CBusinessc5=Investments%2CBusiness+Marketsc6=Jill+Treanorc7=2008_11_21c8=1121573c9=articlec10=GUc11=Businessc12=Royal+Bank+of+Scotlandc13=c14=h2=GU%2FBusiness%2FRoyal+Bank+of+Scotland" width="1" height="1" //divpThe bosses of Royal Bank of Scotland yesterday told shareholders for the first time that they were "sorry" for the plight of the Edinburgh-based bank which is likely to be 60%-owned by the government after a pound;20bn bail-out was endorsed by investors./ppAddressing shareholders at a hastily convened meeting in Edinburgh, out-going chairman Sir Tom McKillop took personal responsibility as he said he was "profoundly sorry" for the situation that had forced the bank to accept the government rescue package./ppIn a candid address, McKillop, who will leave at next year's annual meeting, made it clear that the "buck stops with me as chairman". /ppUntil yesterday Sir Fred Goodwin, the chief executive, had refused to utter the word sorry. On his last day in the job which will be taken over today by Stephen Hester, Goodwin responded to a question from a former employee who is also a shareholder by saying that he was "extremely sorry"./pp"Accountability has been allocated and fully accepted," said McKillop./ppShareholders overwhelmingly backed the fund-raising package under which the government will underwrite a pound;15bn share issue at 65p a share and buy pound;5bn of preference shares. The shares closed yesterday at 46p, up 3.7p indicating that the government could end up with a 58% stake in the bank unless the share price rises through 65p which might encourage existing investors to participate in the cash call./ppIn his address to investors, McKillop refused to admit that the acquisition of parts of Dutch bank ABN Amro at the height the credit crunch last year had caused the bank's problems. But he admitted that the deal - the biggest financial services takeover of all time - had "added to our difficulties"./pp"In retrospect that higher exposure to assets, which later became very difficult to trade ... increased the short-term vulnerability of the group to the financial crisis as it intensified this year," McKillop said./ppHe also admitted that the bank had been run on too low a capital base - what he called an "efficient balance sheet" - for too long. "Had we known the severe market dislocation and economic deterioration we would face, we would, of course, have built up larger capital reserves earlier," said McKillop./ppThis was a point picked up by shareholder Alan Jack who said a prudent bank should have build up a "buffer of capital". He accused the bank of adopting a "gung-ho attitude"./ppThe bank had been forced into a record-breaking pound;12bn rights issue in April to shore up its balance sheet, but the deterioration in markets after that forced the government to devise its bank bail-out plan which will now involve a further pound;20bn being raised. The bank's shares have collapsed. Worth pound;60bn at its peak, RBS is now valued at a tenth of that./ppMcKillop was at pains to apologise to employees and customers. "I am sorry about the very real financial and therefore human cost that those who have invested in us now feel and recognise how seriously this has impacted shareholder confidence in RBS," he said. /ppA former chief executive of AstraZeneca, McKillop said: "In over 40 years of my working life I have had many difficult working experiences but none like this./pp"The challenges we must now address as an institution, as a country and indeed as part of the world's financial system, are unprecedented," said McKillop./pdiv style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"ullia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/royalbankofscotlandgroup"Royal Bank of Scotland/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/banking"UK banking sector/a/li/ul/divdiv class="guRssAdvert"a href="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/click.ng/richmedia=yessite=Businesscountry=(none)spacedesc=rsssystem=rsstransactionID=1227227727899112100421654622"img src="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/image.ng/richmedia=yessite=Businesscountry=(none)spacedesc=rsssystem=rsstransactionID=1227227727899112100421654622" border="0" //a/diva href="http://www.guardian.co.uk"guardian.co.uk/a copy; Guardian News Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html"Terms Conditions/a | a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html"More Feeds/a