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The new iPads have landed — and the throngs turned out to greet them.

Apple maintained an air of mystery about its South by Southwest (SXSW) pop-up shop until the very last minute, waiting until barely an hour before launch time to unveil its logo and transform an anonymous, empty corner store in downtown Austin into the epicenter of iPad 2 mania. By then, the line of waiting shoppers stretched for blocks, tipped off by an article in a local newspaper late Wednesday that revealed Apple’s plans.

Shopper No. 1, Austin local Sweet John Muehlbauer, turned out at 6:30 a.m. to secure his spot at the head of the line. Right behind was a contingent that traveled much further: Four South Africans, who capped off a 35-hour plane trip to SXSW with a nine-hour wait in the iPad line. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision to queue up, but the group made the most of its wait.

"I’m going to get two for myself," declared Graham Bradford, founder of Cape Town-based Web development firm Graydot. "One as a backup. Or I might give one to my future girlfriend. I don’t know who that is yet, but having an iPad 2 should help, right?"

Fifteen minutes before launch time, a squad of Apple employees emerged from the shop — still covered with opaque paper concealing the view inside — and began writing out purchase tickets. Most of those waiting rattled off their requests like a fast-food order: "Two 32 gig white Wi-Fis, one 16 gig Verizon 3G in black …"

But a few customers wanted to drill down into the specs. Tim Street, in from Los Angeles, spent 10 minutes grilling an Apple staffer about prices, data plan options and storage capacity before making his decision: a black 64 GB Wi-Fi iPad and an AT&T 3G 64 GB model, also in black.

The decision took longer than the purchase. At 5:08 p.m., Street emerged from the shop, victoriously waving his iPads aloft. He plans to keep one and share the other around the office at MDialog, a mobile video software developer.

Apple didn’t take pre-orders for the iPad 2, forcing those who wanted to get one right away to hop on line. At the company’s New York City flagship, hundreds turned out. The first half-dozen lined up 24 hours in advance, braving a drizzle and chilly temperatures.

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster says his team counted 1,190 people in line at the shop at 5 p.m. That outnumbered the 730 people in line at launch time for the first iPad in April 2010.

In Austin — where the SXSW Interactive show opened Friday morning, drawing more than 10,000 people to the city — the weather was balmy and the line atmosphere party-like. Many of those waiting already had the first version of the iPad, released less than a year ago, but were eager to trade up to the faster and thinner new model.

But a few were crossing enemy lines. One of the earliest spots in line was held by a shopper wearing an Android t-shirt. Aaron — "I’m not going to give you my last name," he said — had no interest in Apple’s latest gizmo. "I run Android businesses. No way I’m using one," he said.

His plan: Resell the iPads for a $200 markup. He already had one buyer lined up.

Others had no intention of letting their new prize out of their hands. Surrounded by cheering crowds, a media swarm, and a line stretching for blocks, the iPad 2 launch had the air of a historic — or religious — occasion.

IPad D.J. Rana Sobhany lined up to snag two iPads that she plans to press into immediate service for musical sets Friday night.

"Apple has really been pushing the music capabilities of the iPad a lot," she said. This time around, Apple built a lot of native functionality for musical experimentation right into the device: "That really does change everything."

"The poor guys in there are shaking," Graham Bradford reported, emerging from the shop clutching a pair of iPads. "I’m shaking. I’m the first South African to have an iPad!"

-CNNMoney staff reporter Laurie Segall and Fortune writer Philip Elmer-DeWitt contributed to this report. 

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Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said the Bank of England is right to support the U.K.’s economic recovery by looking beyond quicker inflation to maintain interest rates at a record low.

The Treasury’s effort to reduce the deficit in part by increasing value-added tax has added to consumer prices and the central bank should focus on price stability further in the future, Osborne said.

The bank last week said inflation, already at a two-year high of 4 percent, will quicken further to about 4.4 percent before easing by the middle of 2012.

“Any monetary authority and, certainly one with the competence and capability of the Bank of England, can see through temporary increases in price levels and look to permanent threats,” Osborne told reporters in Paris yesterday following talks with Group of 20 finance ministers.

Osborne’s words add to the erosion of decade-old conventions of U.K. economic policymaking in which finance ministers refrained from commenting on interest rates and central bankers have held back from commenting on fiscal policy. Bank of England Governor Mervyn King last week was attacked by the opposition Labour Party for endorsing Osborne’s deficit- reduction plan.

Inflation

The pound retreated from an almost three-week high against the dollar today, falling 0.2 percent to $1.6229 as of 8:37 a.m. in London. It reached $1.6263 at the end of last week, the most since Feb. 3.

Osborne said the bank’s remit, which is to keep inflation at 2 percent without undermining growth and jobs, is the right one and that he’s not thinking of changing it.

“The remit is the correct one and I have got absolutely no plans or thoughts about changing it,” Osborne said. “I am happy with the approach that they are taking and I trust the judgment of the Monetary Policy Committee.”

King last week said investors are “running ahead of themselves” by suggesting the bank is preparing to raise its interest rate. Instead, policy makers may need to keep borrowing costs at a record low to aid a recovery that is “unlikely to be smooth.”

Pressure on King

Osborne and Prime Minister David Cameron say they are relying on King’s monetary policy to support growth as the biggest squeeze on government spending since World War II eliminates 330,000 jobs, exacerbating unemployment. That puts pressure on King to restrain efforts by some members of the bank’s MPC to boost borrowing rates.

Osborne attacked the Labour Party Treasury spokesman, Ed Balls, for being “a little immature” in his attack on King.

Balls, in an interview with the Financial Times published Feb. 17, said that King should avoid being “drawn into the political arena” and associating himself “too closely” with the government’s “extreme” deficit-reduction plans.

“It’s a little immature frankly,” Osborne said in Paris. “What Ed Balls needs to come to terms with is the fact that he is isolated on this issue of the British deficit.”

Bank of England policy maker Adam Posen said in November he was “uncomfortable” with the bank’s support last year for the government’s deficit plan. Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman said last week that King has “stepped way over the line” by being a “cheerleader” for the program.

King said on May 12, a day after Cameron’s Conservatives formed a coalition with the Liberal Democrats, that he was “very pleased” with the new government’s budget proposals.

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Delta Air Lines Inc. is canceling more than 625 flights for Tuesday as nasty winter weather moves through the Midwest and into the Northeast.

Widespread cancelations are expected from other airlines as well. Chicago airports are reporting 650 cancelations. O’Hare International Airport is a hub for both United and American airlines.

And ice has closed runways at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport no faxing pay day loans.

JetBlue says it will cancel its flights in and out of New York’s JFK airport beginning at 10 a.m. Tuesday, with some flights to resume Wednesday afternoon. It plans to shut down its Boston flying on Tuesday night, resuming Thursday morning.

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By selling a block of its shares in General Motors Co. for $33 each _ a price far below the “break-even” point _ the government sharply reduced the chances of taxpayers fully recovering their $50 billion investment in the auto giant, a new report from a congressional watchdog says.

The Treasury Department did gain a “major recovery” of taxpayer aid, $13.5 billion, by selling a chunk of its GM stock in November, the Congressional Oversight Panel said in a report issued Thursday. And the $85 billion bailout of GM, Chrysler and auto lender GMAC _ now known as Ally Financial _ seems to have put them “on the path to financial stability,” the report said.

But the companies still face uncertain futures, taxpayers remain at risk and there are concerns about the government’s openness in the unprecedented rescue program, the report said.

Without the rescue from the Bush and Obama administrations starting in December 2008, GM, Chrysler and GMAC would have faced the financial abyss, the report said. Their failure would have been crushing blow on the economy.

The Obama administration has said the rescue was needed to prevent the loss of at least a million jobs and economic devastation in the industrial Midwest. Administration officials have said they never expected to recoup the full investment.

An earlier estimate by the Congressional Budget Office that taxpayers would lose $40 billion on the auto industry rescue has been slashed to $19 billion, the oversight panel noted.

GM was pushed into bankruptcy protection by the Obama administration. It emerged in 2009 with a balance sheet cleansed of its staggering debt. The company has made an impressive turnaround from losing billions before its restructuring to posting $4.2 billion in profits in the first nine months of last year.

Still, the report said, by selling 45 percent of its GM shares for $33 each in the automaker’s $15.8 billion initial public offering in November, Treasury “locked in” a loss of billions of dollars and diminished the likelihood of full repayment to taxpayers. The “break-even” price needed for that is $44.59 a share, according to the report.

Government officials say that GM’s stock price averaged only 3 percent above $33 in the month following the IPO, confirming that it was fairly priced.

“These are always tough decisions,” Sen. Ted Kaufman, D-Del., the panel’s chairman, said in a conference call with reporters on Wednesday. Treasury’s decisions “may well have been reasonable” but the rescue program’s objectives should have been more clearly defined, he said.

GM’s stock price has been rising as the company has performed better than many expected. It closed Wednesday at $38.62. If the trend continues, it’s possible that taxpayers could be made whole.

The new report also:

_said the prospects for taxpayer recovery from Chrysler are reduced because the government owns only 10 percent of the company’s stock and so has limited influence on the timing of an initial public offering.

_criticized what it called Treasury’s “hands off” approach toward Ally Financial, not always asserting its influence of the timing of an eventual IPO. The department also declined to block GM’s purchase of AmeriCredit, even though that finance firm may end up competing against Ally Financial, it said.

_said that the government’s aid to prevent GM and Chrysler from failing “has put more competently managed automotive companies at a disadvantage,” referring to Ford Motor Co.

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China’s December exports rose by double digits, possibly fueling tension with Washington ahead of Chinese President Hu Jintao’s U.S. visit next week.

Exports rose 17.9 percent, producing a $13.1 billion trade surplus, though growth was down from November’s 34.9 percent surge, customs data showed Monday. Imports gained 25.6 percent over a year earlier, down from the previous month’s 37.7 percent growth but reflecting China’s relatively strong economic growth.

Hu meets President Barack Obama on Jan. 19 and the White House says Obama will press him over currency controls that critics say are swelling China’s trade surplus and wiping out jobs abroad. Some American lawmakers want sanctions on Chinese goods if Beijing fails to ease controls that they say keep its yuan undervalued.

“Surely the ongoing Chinese surplus with the U.S. and the world will be a point of contention” during Hu’s visit, said economist David Cohen at Action Economics in Singapore.

December exports of $154.1 billion might be the highest monthly level ever for China, which overtook Germany in 2009 as the world’s biggest exporter, according to Cohen.

Imports were $141 billion. The trade surplus was the third-lowest monthly level in 2010 and down sharply from November’s $22.9 billion.

The decline from November’s sharp trade growth was in line with forecasts by economists who said the jump was temporary and Christmast-related. December export growth was below the 20 percent forecast by many analysts but still reflected reviving global demand.

“Growth probably will be under 20 percent going forward, but something in this range is sustainable if the global recovery continues,” said Cohen easy payday loans.

Beijing faces complaints that its rapid rebound from the global crisis has come partly at the expense of its trading partners, which are struggling to support economic growth.

Critics say the undervalued yuan gives China’s exporters an unfair price advantage and hurts foreign competitors by making their goods more expensive in the Chinese market.

Beijing promised more exchange rate flexibility in June and the yuan has risen by about 3.5 percent against the U.S. dollar since then. Analysts expect the currency to rise by about 5 percent this year, but that is too little for critics who say the yuan is undervalued by up to 40 percent.

Beijing also faces criticism that it is hampering access to its finance industries and is improperly supporting its fledgling producers of solar, wind and other renewable energy technology by shutting foreign suppliers out of government-financed projects.

In a move possibly timed to mollify American critics ahead of Hu’s visit, the Chinese government announced last week that two U.S. investment banks, Morgan Stanley and J.P. Morgan, will be allowed to set up securities joint ventures in China.

But other Chinese moves also might aggravate criticism of its trade strategy.

Chinese state media reported last week that the government plans to build a complex near Bangkok to house thousands of Chinese exporters. An official of a Thai trade association said passing Chinese exports through Thailand might result in lower U.S. and European tariffs.

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Best Buy Co.’s third-quarter net income fell more than expected as it lost sales of TVs and laptops to competitors. It also cut its full-year outlook Tuesday.

Shares of the largest U.S. electronics chain fell nearly 12 percent in premarket trading.

The company, which benefited when Circuit City went out of business last year, is facing stepped-up competition from online and discount stores.

Best Buy said its market share in TVs, mobile computing and video game software fell. Americans are also buying fewer TVs and other electronics. Best Buy said there were larger than expected industry declines in key U.S. consumer electronics categories for the three months ended Oct. 31.

Revenue in stores open at least 14 months fell 5 percent in the U.S., hurt by lower revenue from TVs and entertainment hardware and software. Best Buy sold fewer TVS, and prices have fallen as the industry works through a glut in TV supply.

That was partly offset by strength in mobile phones and tablet computers.

Net income in the fiscal third quarter, which ended Nov. 27, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, fell 4 percent to $217 million, or 54 cents per share, from $227 million, or 53 cents per share, last year. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters, on average, expected 61 cents per share.

Revenue fell 1 percent to $11.89 billion, from $12.02 billion last year. Analysts expected revenue of $12.45 billion.

Revenue in stores open at least 14 months fell 3.3 percent.

The measure is considered an important measure of a retailer’s financial health because it excludes stores that open or close during the period.

The company now expects net income of $3.20 to $3.40 per share, from a prior range of $3.55 to $3.70 per share, hurt by lower revenue in the U.S. Analysts expect $3.59 per share.

Share fell $4.88, or 11.7 percent. To $36.82 in premarket trading.

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Applications for unemployment benefits dropped last week to the second-lowest level this year, fresh evidence that companies are cutting fewer jobs.

First-time claims for jobless aid fell by 17,000 to a seasonally-adjusted 421,000 in the week ending Dec. 4, the Labor Department said Thursday.

The four-week average of claims, a less-volatile measure, dropped for the fifth straight week to 427,500. That’s the lowest since August 2008, just before the financial crisis intensified with the collapse of Lehman Brothers.

Claims have fallen steadily in the past two months. Applications dropped to 410,000 two weeks ago _ the lowest level in more than two years _ and they have been below 450,000 for the past five weeks. That is raising hopes that companies will soon accelerate hiring.

Still, claims have only been below 425,000 for two of the last three weeks. Economists say they need to be below that level for an extended period to have any real impact lowering the nation’s unemployment rate.

In November the economy added just 39,000 net jobs and the unemployment rate rose to 9.8 percent. Many economists say that was only a temporary setback and that the downward trend in unemployment claims, along with other strong economic data, suggest December will be a stronger month for hiring.

The latest report on jobless claims adds “weight to our view that the November employment report did not provide a very accurate reading on the strength of job creation,” economists at RDQ Economics wrote in a note to clients free instant credit score. “We expect an upward revision to November payrolls and a more solid reading on job creation in December than we saw in November.”

The weekly applications for jobless aid are considered a real-time snapshot of the job market. They reflect the level of layoffs but can also indicate whether companies are willing to add workers.

First-time applications peaked during the recession at 651,000 in March 2009, and then steadily declined to about 470,000 by the beginning of this year. Claims were stuck near that level for most of this year before moving down again in October and November.

The economy is also likely to get a boost from the recent agreement between President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans on taxes and unemployment benefits. The agreement would extend the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts for two years and continue unemployment benefits through the end of 2011. It would also cut payroll taxes and enable businesses to take more tax write-offs for investing in new equipment.

If it becomes law, the deal could boost economic growth next year to 4 percent, from a previous estimate of 2.7 percent, according to Moody’s Analytics. That would lower the unemployment rate at a slightly faster pace next year, though many economist think it will still be above 9 percent by the end of 2011.

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Senate Republicans blocked legislation Saturday to let upper-income tax cuts expire on Jan. 1, a showdown scripted by Democrats eager to showcase GOP lawmakers as defenders of millionaires.

“Do we want to extend those tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires at a time of huge deficits. I would argue vociferously we shouldn’t,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., shortly before the votes.

Republicans countered that no taxes should be raised at a time the economy is recovering from a recession. “It is the most astounding theory I have ever seen, raise taxes to create jobs,” said Sen. John Thune of South Dakota.

Both measures would have extended expiring cuts for the middle class.

Ironically, the votes were widely seen as a prelude to a possible agreement next week between the White House and congressional leaders on legislation that would avert tax increases at all income levels, as Republicans want.

Any agreement is also expected to extend jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed, a Democratic priority, and possibly renew tax breaks the White House wants for college students, companies that hire the unemployed and lower- and middle-class wage earners.

The Senate took the two votes on bills that would have permitted tax cuts to remain in effect at most incomes.

A proposal to let tax rates rise on Jan. 1 on incomes over $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for couples fell on a vote of 53-36, seven short of the 60 needed to advance.

An alternative advanced by Schumer and others _ but opposed by the White House _ would have let rates rise on incomes over $1 million. The vote was 53-37, also seven short of the 60 needed.

Schumer supplied the political context. “I’m going to be here for the next year, next two years, to remind my colleagues that they were willing to increase the deficit $300 billion to give tax breaks to people who have income over a million dollars,” he said in a reference to the 2012 elections.

If Republicans were worried about the political impact of the day’s events, they did not show it. Several noted that President Barack Obama had urged congressional leaders of both parties in a recent meeting to work together to prevent taxes from going up for the middle class.

But Democrats wanted a series of test votes first.

“All those people out there in the tea party that are angry about the economics of Washington, they really need to look at this,” Sen business card. Claire McCaskill., D-Mo., said Friday as Democrats took turns pummeling Republicans.

“They need to pull back the curtain and realize that you’ve got a Republican Party that’s not worried about the people in the tea party,” said McCaskill, who will be on the ballot next year. “They’re worried about people that can’t decide which home to go to over the Christmas holidays.”

Republicans dismissed the attacks as the last gasp of a Democratic Party that lost its majority in the House in midterm elections, surrendered several seats in the Senate and will be forced to share power beginning in January.

“All of this finger-pointing is doing nothing to create jobs,” said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. “It’s a total waste of time.”

Noting that unemployment had risen to 9.8 percent, he added: “Democrats are responding with a vote to slam job creators with a massive tax increase. Millions of out-of-work Americans don’t want show-votes or finger-pointing contests. They want jobs.”

In the weekly White House radio and Internet address, Vice President Joe Biden, skipped lightly over Obama’s willingness to negotiate with the GOP on the Bush-era tax breaks.

“We’ve got to extend the tax cuts for the middle class that are set to expire at the end of the month,” he said. “If we don’t, millions of middle-class families will see a big bite out of their paychecks starting January 1. And that’s the last thing we should let happen.”

“And the second thing we’ve got to do is extend unemployment insurance for Americans who have lost their jobs in a tough economy,” Biden said.

Delivering the Republican address, Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois, who was sworn into office this week, said voters in the midterm elections demonstrated their distaste for any tax increases.

“The current leaders of Congress should not move forward with plans that were just rejected by the American people,” he said. “These leaders should not raise taxes and risk another recession. Instead, Congress should reduce spending and prevent another tax hike on American taxpayers.”

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General Motors returned to life as a public company Thursday with a stock offering worth potentially US$23 billion, considerably more than anticipated when the largest U.S. automaker began preparing for its IPO.

The stock started public trading above the IPO price. In New York, the stock (NYSE: GM) was at US$35.72 and in Toronto (TSX: GMM.U) they were at US$35.84 shortly after the markets opened Thursday.

GM set a price of US$33 per common share on Wednesday, at the high end of a range and a day after it raised the number of shares it will offer to satisfy investor demand.

The U.S. government, the Canadian federal and Ontario governments and other owners will raise a total of $18.2 billion by selling at the IPO price. GM will raise another $5 billion by selling 100 million preferred shares at $50 each.

The U.S. Treasury is unloading more than 400 million shares of GM, reducing its stake in the company from 61 per cent to about 33 per cent. The stock sold through the IPO would be worth about $13.6 billion.

Canada???s federal and Ontario governments have owned a combined 11.67 per cent of General Motors since last year???s bailout of the automaker. They???re reducing that stake to below 10 per cent by selling about 35 million shares through the IPO.

Canadian Industry Minister Tony Clement and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty have said they???re in no hurry to sell more GM shares at this time, since they been advised that the stock may be worth more in future.

The head of GM Canada??? largest union, CAW national president Ken Lewenza, said Thursday he supports the idea of having a continuing government role in the auto sector.

???We would encourage the Canadian government to take their time,??? Lewenza said in an interview with BNN, a specialty business cable channel.

???In fact, we would encourage the Canadian government to do what other countries are doing, like in China and Korea, and have some stake in the automobile industry.???

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Baltimore City Council should require that all city workers are paid a higher living wage before it takes a second look at imposing the requiring on large retailers, a key city councilman said.

Councilman Warren Branch, chairman of City Council’s Labor subcommittee, raised the issue during a hearing on a proposed living wage bill. The bill, rejected July 22, would have required retailers grossing at least $10 million in sales a year to pay their employees an hourly wage set by the city. That amount is $10.59 and applies now to city contractors that do business with the city.

Branch said before the city considers the matter again it should ensure its own workers are being paid a living wage as well.

“Shouldn’t we clean our own houses out first before we talk about cleaning someone’s house?” Branch asked at Thursday’s hearing.

The city’s living wage bill does not apply to city employees, whose wages are negotiated by collective bargaining agreements. Temporary workers for the Department of Public Works’ Bureau of Solid Waste are not part of those agreements, department spokesman Robert Murrow said. There are 66 seasonal workers who get paid $7.90 an hour. That amount is

more than the state and federal minimum wage rates of $7.25 an hour but less than the city’s living wage for contractors no faxing payday loan. Another group of 25 tempoary workers with commercial driver’s licenses earn $11 an hour.

Those temporary workers are supposed to become city employees after two years of employment, but many are kept on beyond that date if full-time positions are not available. There are a dozen of those employees, but Murrow said the department is now trying to place them into permanent positions. He said the department has looked at the pay disparity and hopes to pay its temporary workers a living wage when finances permit.

“At this time that might not be fiscally possible but we’re aware of that,” he said.

Branch said he will try to rally City Council to increase those workers’ wages, which he said should happen before it takes another look at requiring retailers to pay a living wage to their employees. “As a collective group, that’s what we should do,” Branch said in an interview.

Council members James Kraft and Mary Pat Clarke also expressed support for the idea. Clarke, who sponsored the defeated living wage bill for retailers, said she will look to Branch to sponsor the wage increase for temporary city workers.

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