The recession has led everyone with a budget to question ever line. From households to businesses to state and federal governments, nothing is sacred. Finding new ways to get the same result without spending the same amount mean not having to make sacrifices. NASA has been under considerable financial pressure, as many question the value of sinking cash into space travel. So, it has to get creative in justifying its existence ... and in generating excitement about the agency and what it does.

When the space shuttle launches on Monday, 200 thumbs will be at the ready. NASA has deputized 100 of its top fans on Twitter to come to the launch and tweet the experience. These fans are estimated to have more than 150,000 followers, all with the potential to retweet the messages they see. Every click of an iPhone or Blackberry will give NASA more exposure, building the excitement it needs to keep the operation afloat. So, whether you realize it or not, the launch is being brought to you by Twitter, Apple (AAPL) and Research in Motion (RIMM), even if only implicitly.

Nokia (NYSE: NOK), the Finnish provider of mobile telephones and networking equipment, recently hit some rough seas. The company's sales and market share tanked, due mostly to recession woes. And in the first quarter of this year, Nokia posted its first ever pre-tax loss of 12 million euros.

Now, as the world's largest cellphone manufacturer tries to compete with Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) and Samsung in the market for smart phones (see my article about this on DailyFinance, "Nokia's smartphone gets deadpan debut as carriers skip subsidies"), a number of analysts have downgraded its stock.

Although most cellphone hype these days is due to the ongoing popularity of Apple, Inc.'s (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone, the exclusivity factor Apple has with AT&T, Inc. (NYSE: T) may be a possible hamper to sales. Well, that is, if Research in Motion, Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) BlackBerry sales have anything to say.

Rim's cadre of BlackBerries outsold the iPhone during the first quarter of 2009. In some ways, this is no surprise: the various BlackBerry models (Curve, Bold, Storm) are offered through almost every major U.S. wireless carrier there is. The iPhone is only available as a single model, sold through AT&T.

The big news in sports this week was not LeBron James winning the MVP, nor was it the Kentucky Derby, Manny Ramirez and his drug test have made a late run at story of the week, but I am giving the sports story of the week to the Phoenix Coyotes and the NHL.

Let's start with the Coyotes. The team has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and it seems that the team is destined to move, although Commissioner Bettman (some who call him Fraudmissioner or Failmissioner) contends that won't happen. Rumors have the team pulling up roots and heading to Hamilton, Ontario - making the Coyotes round trip come back home (for those unfamiliar, the Coyotes started in Canada and were moved). I have long touted the Coyotes as one of the problems of the modern NHL. This is a team that is truly a fish out of water. Even with history stretching back to the halcyon days of the Winnipeg Jets, the team could not (or would not) be embraced by fans whose only exposure to ice was to watch it melt in their iced tea. The ownership was attracted to Phoenix because of the promise of big money, and boy did it backfire.

In his BullMarket.com advisory, Bill Martin looks to new products from Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), such as the next version of the iPhone.

In addition, the advisors looks to the recent stronger-than-expected results announced by Research in Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) and why that may bode well for Apple's own upcoming results.

Martin observes, "RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky said Apple will launch a new version of the iPhone inJune, which the analyst has dubbed the iPhone 3G Pro.

"In a research note, Abramsky said the new version of the popular smartphone will include a number of new features and improvements over the one introduced last summer to popular appeal.

Shareholders of Research in Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) are certainly having a good afternoon, as the stock has surged over 20% in after hours trading following stronger than expected quarterly earnings.

As Latif Lewis pointed out in this earnings preview, RIMM was expected to show earnings of 84 cents per share for its fiscal fourth quarter. This afternoon, the company shattered those estimates by posting earnings during the quarter of 90 cents per share.

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) is set to release its fourth-quarter earnings results after the closing bell today. According to analysts polled by Thomson Reuters, the Canadian-based mobile phone manufacturer is expected to ring up a profit of 84 cents a share on $3.42 billion in revenue -- a big feat for any company during the current economic climate.

The company has plenty going for it. It has millions of loyal subscribers and sales of "smart" phones are expected to climb this year, in sharp contrast to the outlook for the overall wireless industry. But the company faces some headwinds as well. Increased competition, a lagging stock price and concerns that its expansion into the consumer market could take a bite out of profits down the road.

When Research in Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) started venturing into the consumer handset space years ago, the market saw it as a good move. After all, making business-oriented handsets with keyboards and real-time e-mail does stall after a while. To make it, you have to have those cameras, MP3 players and other consumer goodies built in.

Research in Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) has just been through some turbulent trading days recently. Just on Wednesday, shares declined nearly 3%, only to gain 5% Thursday. Both days, analyst calls have made the difference. Comparing shares of RIM to its biggest rival, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), that latter beats RIMM hands down with a 28% return year-to-date, much better than RIMM's return of over 10%.

The once proud Schaumburg, Illinois-based Motorola (NYSE: MOT) has never fully recovered from the collapse of the technology sector in 2000. From its peak of over $57 in February 2000, MOT lost 75% of its market cap the next 12 months and surrendered another 50% over the following two years.

The stock is currently trading at $3.90 after reaching a low for the last 52 weeks of $3. The stock traded at the high for the period in mid-November, reaching $12.59.

Research In Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) released its own touch-screen wireless handset just over a few months ago and so far, it's been selling well. The BlackBerry Storm, though, seems to have been plagued by software issues, user interface problems and reeks of a unit that was rushed to market before it was finished. In many ways, this happens every day from all kinds of companies. With RIM - a company known for outstanding and solid products, this just doesn't fit.

The company has indicated that about 500,000 Storms were sold in the first month after release, which was no doubt a boon to the Storm's exclusive carrier, Verizon Communications, Inc. (NYSE: VZ). Does this really impact Apple's iPhone, which continues to see large sales as well?

This post was written by Minyanville contributor Jeffrey Cooper.

Institutions may not be chasing stock but there certainly seems to be a bid for select names when they gaped lower this week.

Names on my radar that have seen opening prices scooped up include Hess (NYSE: HES) and Research in Motion (Nasdaq: RIMM) and VMWare (NYSE: VMW) this morning.

Often times institutions will sell 10,000 shares or so when they want to buy 500,000 to test the waters. They are complacent and feel they have time to accumulate, than there is no rush. When this 'complacency' as to buying reverses course it will show up in a more persistent steadier rally phase -- a change in character in the advance when it comes.

In other words, often times institutions will sell a small block of 10,000 shares when they actually want to buy size in order to bring the price down; i.e., bang 'em to buy 'em. They bang em to bring the price down to a more attractive level to keep momentum players away in order to actually buy quantity at a preferred level. Once we observe that they do not take the time to do this (which shows up in backing and filling action) it will show up in more sustained buying pressure and equate with a lack of buyside complacency.

Research in Motion Ltd.'s (NASDAQ: RIMM) new BlackBerry Storm caused quite a stir when Verizon Wireless released it for sale just last month. It was heralded as one of the first "real" serious competitors to the Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone 3G. Along with a complete, tactile touchscreen, the new Storm also -- of course -- featured RIM's well-known email integration. After all, portable, wireless email is what completely built RIM and the BlackBerry product.

But is the Storm not all that? There are reports that Verizon Wireless is seeing a return rate that should cause RIM executives to take serious pause. The touchscreen on the Storm, which features a physical button-like interface without buttons, is a possible culprit. Any new advance in user interface has the potential to backfire, which is possibly part of what's happening here. Silicon Alley Insider references a slew of Twitter comments that are pretty much disparaging the Storm as a piece of junk. While that's far from scientific, it's still the true.

What is the deal? Manufacturers can't please everyone, and there are always complaints no matter how stellar the product. There are sources who indicate that 40% to 50% of Storms are being returned. If even remotely true, that's a huge return percentage on the flagship of a company that basically created the market for mobile email. The Storm has had a decent amount of bad reviews, so it will be interesting to see if RIM's most exciting new product in years will fall flat or see only a middling response from customers.

Shares in Research in Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) have been trading as if the recession would cut BlackBerry sales to zero. The company's stock has fallen from a 52-week high of $148.13 to $38.44. Over the last six months, the stock has dropped much more than Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and about the same at "train wreck" smartphone firm Palm (NASDAQ: PALM).

RIM did warn that earnings for its last quarter would be worse than expected. But testerday, it released the official report on quarterly earnings. No surprises on the three-month period in the past, but a lot of surprise on the firm's projections for its next quarter and fiscal year.

According to MarketWatch, "RIM said demand for its new products is going strong, allowing it to project a revenue growth-rate of 75% to 85% for the fourth fiscal quarter ending in February. Wall Street had been expecting a growth rate closer to 60%."

That news is remarkable. Most estimates for growth of handset sales over the next year are for them to be as bad as anyone can remember. The BlackBerry is expensive compared to most phones; its sales should be dropping and dropping rapidly.

The improvement in RIM's fortunes says something about business spending. Although the company has introduced a new model for the consumer market, most of the firm's sales are to businesses. It would appear that many of those businesses will buy items they consider to be relatively modest in price compared to most IT costs and essential to worker productivity. The BlackBerry is as close to a pocket PC as any other device in the world.

Business spending may be on life support, but RIM forecasts show it is not dead.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) enjoyed many years of mythical-type growth as a result of the innocuous little BlackBerry device that emerged on the scene around the turn of the century.

The thumb-driven mini-keyboard and its ability to access e-mail away from the computer allowed busy professionals to get more done, greatly improving productivity.

Unfortunately for the company, some of the biggest users of these devices were the Wall Street crowd. With the financial sector in complete disarray, investors in RIMM are legitimately asking if the loss of sales will be temporary, or something more permanent.

Shares of RIMM have been in a freefall during the latter half of this year. Since reaching a peak of nearly $150 per share in late June, RIMM lost more than $100 in value. Shares now trade in the mid-$30 range.

So what gives?