Special coverage:
The tech economy
E-mail
del.icio.us
Digg thisAs the economy falters, technology stalls
December 19, 2008
In this 14-day series, CNET News profiles people in various technology sectors--from the start-up execs getting a stern talking-to from their investors to the holiday shoppers in the housing foreclosure epicenter of Modesto, Calif., to see how real people are handling the recession.
Feature stories
Day 1: IBM to start-up: Industry vet responds to recession
LogLogic's Patricia Sueltz heard a clear message about the economy from investors. But she already knows a thing or two about navigating through tough times.
Day 2: Confessions of a man who does the layoffs
It's easy to vilify the guy who hands out the pink slips. But contrary to popular notions, these aren't decisions that are taken lightly, at least with the executive we interviewed.• Video: What it's like to lay people off
Day 3: Slowing expectations at a green-tech start-up
Six months ago, biofuels start-up Mascoma had the wind in its sails, as did the rest of the clean-tech sector. Now, the company is treading carefully and scaling back.
Day 4: After a layoff, a family learns to cope
Balancing the checkbook is a tense chore for an unemployed IT consultant and his wife. Their story is becoming less unique.
Day 5: A tech reporter's unexpected path to freelance
Changing reader tastes and the downturn in print advertising are making it tough on some longtime trade magazine hands.• Video: Tech journalists feeling the crunch
Day 6: Amid recession, developer finds hope in the Apple App Store
Dennis Hescox has been around the games industry for years. Now, as the economy founders, he is trying to turn to iPhone games as a way to make a living. The challenges are huge.
Day 7: A Web 2.0 entrepreneur counts his blessings
Suleman Ali had quick success with his start-up. But with the economy sinking and big companies flexing their muscles, he knows it will be harder for his peers to do the same.
Day 8: Fighting cybercrime in an economic downturn
With malware attacks on the rise, McAfee cybercrime strategist Pamela Warren is increasingly focused on helping Internet users.
Day 9: Contractless in Seattle
A programmer thought he was settling into good shape financially when he landed a temporary job with Microsoft. He was wrong.
Day 10: For Net consultant, crisis, then a silver lining
Four-fifths of Steve Borsch's revenue evaporated in two months. But the problem sent the Web communication consultant in a new, better direction.
Day 11: Liquidated at Circuit City
A young single father's career in retail electronics is stalled before it really gets started, as Circuit City closes its stores.
Day 12: Talking Apple in the land of foreclosures
Modesto, Calif., has been hit hard by the housing crisis and already has double-digit unemployment. Nonetheless, there are plenty of shoppers in the new local Apple store.
Day 13: Working overtime for venture capital funding
Treb Ryan managed to sell a start-up for big bucks just as the dot-com boom was ending. But now, just getting funding for his current company is proving hard work.
Day 14: You don't need satellite TV when times get tough
An Oakland, Calif., family knew they had to trim monthly expenses. So they took a novel, Internet-savvy approach to cutting costs while still watching their favorite programs.Latest financial coverage
Dell's Ireland plant to shed 1,900 jobs
The first Limerick employees will leave the PC maker in April and the process of switching production to Poland and to contractors will be done by January 2010.
Read more
Tech layoffs: The scorecard
Follow the companies that are shedding workers with this live layoff tracker, which we'll continue to update as more news surfaces.
Read more
Lenovo to cut 2,500 jobs amid restructuring
Layoffs set for the first quarter will hit executives, managers, and a wide range of staff positions as the PC maker seeks $300 million in annual savings.
Read more
OLPC slashes workforce in half, cuts salaries
Founder of the project tasked with giving laptops to children in developing nations blames tough economic times for restructuring.
Read more
EMC to cut 2,400 from workforce
Storage giant EMC announces a 7 percent workforce reduction, despite preliminary record fourth-quarter revenues.
Read more
Need a digital TV coupon? Get thee to a wait list
The National Television and Information Administration's fund for subsidizing conversion boxes for next month's digital TV transition has run out of money. Oops!
Read more
Intel warning casts cloud over CES
The bellwether chipmaker foresees a 23 percent drop in revenue. It's especially untimely news as it comes on the eve of the premier consumer electronics event.
Read more
Public clean-tech firms get clobbered
On the heels of a weak ending for venture funding in 2008, a clean-energy stock index falls further than the overall market, with solar and biofuels battered the worst.
Read more
Current Media: Nope, we're not closing an office
The edgy cable TV company has denied a rumor floating on a popular Twitter account that suggested it will be closing its downtown San Francisco headquarters.
Read more
Intel expects fourth-quarter revenue to drop 23 percent
Chip giant's quarterly revenue will fall $2 billion short of its original forecast, due to a greater-than-expected decline in orders from PC makers.
Read more
LiveJournal deletes 'about a dozen' jobs
The staff cuts hit its San Francisco and Moscow offices, the company confirms after a rumor on Gawker hinted at a much more significant layoff.
Read more
Logitech to slash 15 percent of workforce
Manufacturer of PC peripherals, based in Switzerland, says the retail environment has "deteriorated significantly" and will "worsen in the upcoming months."
Read more
Microsoft planning big layoffs for January?
The latest rumor puts the possible job cuts at 15,000, or nearly 17 percent of Microsoft's worldwide operations, with MSN getting hit hard.
Read more
Holiday report: E-commerce dips, electronics plummet
One of the first reports out on holiday sales shows that e-commerce was down 2.3 percent year over year, while the electronics category took a 26 percent dive.
Read more
Google, Microsoft, Yahoo as Ford, GM, and Chrysler
Analyst draws parallels between tech industry titans and Detroit in the early 20th century. They're thought-provoking, but is he right?
Read more
Resources
Making sense of the Wall Street meltdown
The tech downturn: How long and how bad?
The makings of another tech mess?
Credits
Editors: Jim Kerstetter, Jennifer Guevin
Art: Ellen Ng
