MAJOR PAPERS:

• The Wall Street Journal's "Smartmoney Stock Screen" looks at eight companies whose valuations make them ripe to buy, and they also may be in the sites of corporate buyers. The big eight include Asbury Automotive Group Inc (NYSE: ABG), Crane Company (NYSE: CR), Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) and The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (NYSE: SMG).
• The Wall Street Journal's Walter Mossberg said in the "Personal Technology" column that he cannot recommend Apple Inc's (NASDAQ: AAPL) MobileMe, as it has "too many flaws to keep its promises".
• The Wall Street Journal also speculated that the collapse this week of SemGroup LP, which is the parent of SemGroup Energy Partners LP (NASDAQ: SGLP), may have played a role in the 14% drop in crude oil over the past 10 days.
• In a move that could take advantage of the gap in the financing markets, The Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE: GS) raised $10B to invest in loans backing leveraged buyouts. The fund will reportedly buy senior loans, the Financial Times reported.

• Former American International Group Inc (NYSE: AIG) chief Hank Greenberg is reportedly in settlement talks with New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo over charges that Greenberg improperly inflated corporate books to show improved profits, the New York Post said.

Newspaper wrap-up: Stocks to buy that might also be taken over originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Walter Mossberg is one of the most widely read technology writers of our time. He writes for the Wall Street Journal and his column, Personal Technology, is the flagship of WSJ's Thursday Marketplace section. I have a developing respect for Mr. Mossberg since first encountering his work. He tends to write in a manner that suits my perspective, that being "the view from the trenches." He believes that technological developments in the consumer products realm are bordering on useless if you need to take a night class to understand them. I tend to agree with him.

If you have the time, and journalistic excellence tinted with technology interests or inspires you, then I have a link here which might be the best reading you'll do this month. This article by Ken Auletta is from The New Yorker and is titled "Critical Mass: Everyone Listens to Walter Mossberg." The article poses as a profile of Walter Mossberg, but I promise that it holds significantly more than that for you. It's really just a passing glimpse as far as revealing the deeper character of Mr. Mossberg, but as a condensed examination of the pre-consumer technology world it imparts a solid perspective on where technology writing has been and where it is headed.

Would-be tech bloggers and consumer product reviewers owe it to themselves to read Ken Auletta's article. Technology buffs, geeks, and gadget-heads of all types will find it worthwhile also. It's clean, easy reading with enough color to pull you through to the end. When I myself finished reading it, I then felt, and still do feel, more than a little bit humbled.

Walter Mossberg: Technology for the masses originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 13 May 2007 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.