Stocks open lower after BofA, Citi and GE beat estimates but still show some weaknesses

NEW YORK — More mixed signals on the economy and earnings reports are sending stocks lower in early trading.

General Electric profit drops 49 percent on finance unit troubles, industrial decline

General Electric Co.’s second-quarter profit tumbled 49 percent as the recession continued to hurt its finance unit and lowered sales across its wide range of industrial businesses.

Innovation practitioner certification program launched

NEW DELHI - QAI Global Services (www.qaiglobal.com), with a vision to create an innovative workforce in India, has recently launched a new Innovation Practitioner Certification program for individuals across all domains. The program consists of online training and one-on-one mentoring from accredited trainers. The certification awarded at the end of the course is MATRIZ Level 1.

Downturn dynamics: New firms use Indian back offices

BANGALORE - Economic meltdown and the US financial crisis have triggered a new trend: while many Western firms are selling off back office operations in India, a clutch of others are rushing in to reap the benefits.

‘Smart grid’ is buzz of electric industry, Obama team; power system goes digital

WASHINGTON — Thomas Alva Edison, meet the Internet.

Ohio man arrested for obstruction for mowing unkempt grass at public park

SANDUSKY, Ohio — An Ohio man arrested for mowing unkempt grass at a public park said he just wanted to make his city look nice. John Hamilton said he took control of the situation because the grass in Sandusky’s Central Park was about a foot high. According to a police report, a witness said Hamilton was blowing grass onto the sidewalk and shredding trash in the park that had not been picked up.

GE executive says economic crisis resetting capitalism, can’t predict when recession ends

WASHINGTON — The top executive of General Electric Co. said Wednesday he couldn’t predict when the recession would end or how bad it will be, but said the global economic crisis has “fundamentally reset” the way companies do business and capitalism itself.