Trends I'm Watching

Best Performing ETFs for the Past Week

Trend: UltraShort Financials ProShares (SKF) led the one week performance (+12.1%, +8% for 4 weeks, +18% for 13 weeks). Mkt Vectors Glb Alternative Energy ETF (GEX) and Market Vectors Coal ETF (KOL) were the second and third best performers.

The 20 ETFs with the best 1 week performance through 3/20/2008 tracked by Morningstar are highlighted below.

Source: MSN Money Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) Performance Tracker

Name	Ticker	Category	Holdings	Morningstar	Last Price*	1-Wk	4-Wks	13-Wks	YTD	52-Wks	3-Yrs	5-Yrs
UltraShort Financials ProShares	SKF	Specialty - Financial	holdings		$119.39	12.12	7.98	17.82	19.73	61.55	N/A	N/A
Mkt Vectors Glb Alternative Energy ETF	GEX	Specialty - Unaligned	holdings		$47.79	10.93	3.11	-21.74	-20.76	N/A	N/A	N/A
Market Vectors Coal ETF	KOL	Specialty - Natural Resources	holdings		$38.30	10.92	-13.43	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Ultra Basic Materials ProShares	UYM	Specialty - Unaligned	holdings		$79.56	10.44	-13.47	-12.15	-9.91	20.89	N/A	N/A
SPDR S&P China	GXC	Pacific Stock	holdings		$69.32	10.32	-11.45	-23.13	-22.87	32.07	N/A	N/A
PowerShares Dynamic Asia Pacific	PUA	Pacific Stock	holdings		$24.29	9.64	-2.70	-12.65	-12.46	N/A	N/A	N/A
PowerShares Gldn Dragon Halter USX China	PGJ	Diversified Emerging Markets	holdings		$25.35	9.63	-11.42	-26.28	-26.19	25.74	25.61	N/A
HealthShares Emerging Cancer	HHJ	Specialty - Health	holdings		$15.23	9.50	-7.26	-18.24	-15.63	-30.51	N/A	N/A
SPDR S&P Emerging Asia Pacific	GMF	Growth	holdings		$76.61	9.46	-4.24	-10.83	-11.43	29.02	N/A	N/A
iPath MSCI India Index ETN	INP	Growth	holdings		$68.31	9.28	-11.19	-31.06	-30.51	36.56	N/A	N/A
iPath DJ AIG Natural Gas TR Sub-Idx ETN	GAZ	Specialty - Natural Resources			$61.65	8.48	3.35	32.39	29.61	N/A	N/A	N/A
United States Natural Gas	UNG	Specialty - Natural Resources	holdings		$47.49	8.30	3.22	33.66	31.01	N/A	N/A	N/A
iPath DJ AIG Copper TR Sub-Idx ETN	JJC	Specialty - Precious Metals			$54.15	8.21	-1.78	24.05	25.70	N/A	N/A	N/A
First Trust ISE Chindia	FNI	Foreign Stock	holdings		$20.64	8.19	-12.82	-26.26	-25.62	N/A	N/A	N/A
iShares FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Europe	IFEU	Specialty - Real Estate	holdings		$50.15	8.15	-2.41	5.65	5.65	N/A	N/A	N/A
iShares S&P Asia 50 Index	AIA	Pacific Stock	holdings		$43.35	8.10	-3.88	-9.73	-9.86	N/A	N/A	N/A
iShares MSCI Malaysia Index	EWM	Pacific Stock	holdings		$11.67	8.07	-7.96	-7.33	-7.55	15.52	23.38	21.92
iShares FTSE/Xinhua China 25 Index	FXI	Diversified Emerging Markets	holdings		$136.89	7.86	-8.92	-19.98	-19.58	36.87	37.73	N/A
First Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge US Liquid	QCLN	Specialty - Technology	holdings		$22.91	7.81	-1.80	-26.52	-30.58	11.21	N/A	N/A
Ultra Oil & Gas ProShares	DIG	Specialty - Natural Resources	holdings		$87.76	7.78	-11.91	-17.96	-15.92	30.57	N/A	N/A

Disclosure: We may own any EFT above at any time.

Please verify the performance of any ETF before investing.

The S&P 500's Lost Decade

Trend: The S&P 500 has risen an average of just 1.3% a year over the past 10 years, when dividends and inflation are factored into returns.

E.S. Browning at The Wall Street Journal describes the 'Lost Decade', reporting that the S&P 500 in longest funk since the 1970s. Excerpts below.

Link: Stocks Tarnished By 'Lost Decade' - WSJ.com.

Over the past 200 years, the stock market's steady upward march occasionally has been disrupted for long stretches, most recently during the Great Depression and the inflation-plagued 1970s. The current market turmoil suggests that we may be in another lost decade.

The stock market is trading right where it was nine years ago. Stocks, long touted as the best investment for the long term, have been one of the worst investments over the nine-year period, trounced even by lowly Treasury bonds.

The Standard & Poor's 500-stock index, the basis for about half of the $1 trillion invested in U.S. index funds, finished at 1352.99 on Tuesday, below the 1362.80 it hit in April 1999. When dividends and inflation are factored into returns, the S&P 500 has risen an average of just 1.3% a year over the past 10 years, well below the historical norm, according to Morningstar Inc. For the past nine years, it has fallen 0.37% a year, and for the past eight, it is off 1.4% a year. In light of the current wobbly market, some economists and market analysts worry that the era of disappointing returns may not be over.

Peak Oil for Exxon

Trend: Exxon will produce less oil in 2012 than in 2008.

The Energy Blog distills ExxonMobil's presentation to analysts in New York City in early March 2008. Excerpts below.

Link: The Energy Blog: Why Exxon Won't Produce More.

Exxon isn't planning on producing any more oil four years from now than it did last year. That means the company's oil output won't even keep pace with its own projections of worldwide oil demand growth of 1.2% a year.  . . .

"We don't start with a volume target and then work backwards," Instead, he said, his team examines the available investment opportunities, figures out what prices they'll likely get for that output down the road, and places their bets accordingly. "It really goes back to what is an acceptable investment return for us."

Exxon Chairman Rex Tillerson

. . . Since 2000, Exxon's oil output from two of its largest regions, the U.S. and Europe, declined a startling 37%. That's 500,000 fewer barrels a day in just seven years....

Exxon plans on bringing new fields online in Russia, the Middle East, and Africa over the next four years but they won't be enough to generate growth beyond what the company is losing due to the maturation of its fields in the North Sea and Alaska, the nationalization of its fields in Venezuela, and volumes lost due to production sharing agreements with other countries.  . . .

Big oil companies can continually miss their targets or even target no growth and still shine on Wall Street due to the peculiar nature of commodity businesses. Less supply of a commodity means higher prices.

Best Performing ETFs for the Past Week

Trend: MACROshares Oil Down Tradeable Shares (DCR) led the one week performance (+27.2%, -15.8% for 4 weeks, +2% for 13 weeks). Ultra Real Estate ProShares (URE) and UltraShort Basic Materials ProShares (SMN) were the second and third best performers.

The 20 ETFs with the best 1 week performance through 3/20/2008 tracked by Morningstar are highlighted below.

Source: MSN Money Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) Performance Tracker

Name	Ticker	Category	Holdings	Morningstar	Last Price*	1-Wk	4-Wks	13-Wks	YTD	52-Wks	3-Yrs	5-Yrs
MACROshares Oil Down Tradeable Shares	DCR	Specialty - Natural Resources			$11.13	27.22	-15.86	1.96	10.88	-38.89	N/A	N/A
Ultra Real Estate ProShares	URE	Specialty - Real Estate	holdings		$33.30	13.96	6.90	-2.57	-3.48	-45.12	N/A	N/A
UltraShort Basic Materials ProShares	SMN	Specialty - Unaligned	holdings		$43.89	12.65	13.36	2.21	5.81	-31.21	N/A	N/A
UltraShort FTSE/Xinhua China 25 Proshare	FXP	Income	holdings		$108.85	11.93	25.40	40.34	41.60	N/A	N/A	N/A
UltraShort Oil & Gas ProShares	DUG	Specialty - Natural Resources	holdings		$41.41	10.34	7.56	8.74	15.09	-39.52	N/A	N/A
UltraShort MSCI Emerging Mrkts ProShares	EEV	Income	holdings		$90.14	9.58	14.25	17.17	23.36	N/A	N/A	N/A
Adelante Shares RE Classic ETF	ACK	Specialty - Real Estate	holdings		$21.13	9.09	6.38	N/A	-1.18	N/A	N/A	N/A
Adelante Shares RE Composite ETF	ACB	Specialty - Real Estate	holdings		$21.24	9.03	5.25	5.46	4.12	N/A	N/A	N/A
Adelante Shares RE Kings ETF	AKB	Income	holdings		$21.53	9.01	4.11	-0.09	0.89	N/A	N/A	N/A
Adelante Shares RE Yield Plus ETF	ATY	Income	holdings		$20.99	8.25	3.30	-2.91	-3.76	N/A	N/A	N/A
FocusShares ISE Homebuilders Index	SAW	Specialty - Real Estate	holdings		$57.39	8.15	3.70	11.92	11.16	N/A	N/A	N/A
iShares Dow Jones US Home Construction	ITB	Specialty - Real Estate	holdings		$19.87	8.11	3.81	12.62	12.71	-44.50	N/A	N/A
First Trust S&P REIT	FRI	Income	holdings		$16.38	8.05	8.19	4.91	3.34	N/A	N/A	N/A
SPDR S&P Homebuilders	XHB	Specialty - Unaligned	holdings		$22.34	8.02	4.48	10.12	7.18	-38.47	N/A	N/A
iShares FTSE NAREIT Real Estate 50	FTY	Specialty - Real Estate	holdings		$39.79	7.66	6.70	3.04	1.66	N/A	N/A	N/A
Ameristock/Ryan 20 Year Treasury ETF	GKE	Government Bond - Treasury	holdings		$26.98	7.51	2.55	2.47	3.94	N/A	N/A	N/A
PowerShares Dynamic Banking	PJB	Specialty - Financial	holdings		$19.84	7.42	3.60	3.97	3.39	-16.86	N/A	N/A
iShares Cohen & Steers Realty Majors	ICF	Specialty - Real Estate	holdings		$82.54	7.29	8.01	5.11	4.30	-18.25	12.67	19.54
iShares Dow Jones US Financial Sector	IYF	Specialty - Financial	holdings		$87.02	6.94	-0.94	-6.83	-7.56	-22.36	-0.02	7.58
Short MSCI Emerging Mrkts ProShares	EUM	Income	holdings		$82.42	6.76	9.71	12.58	15.53	N/A	N/A	N/A

Disclosure: We may own any EFT above at any time.

Please verify the performance of any ETF before investing.

Best Performing ETFs for the Past Week

Trend: B2B Internet HOLDRs* (BHH) led the one week performance (+10.6%, -6.4% for 4 weeks, -24% for 13 weeks). FocusShares ISE Homebuilders Index (FAB) and FocusShares ISE Homebuilders Index (SAW) were the second and third best performers.

*Note that the Last Price for BHH is $.36, which makes the one week gain of 10.6% trivial.

The 20 ETFs with the best 1 week performance through 3/14/2008 tracked by Morningstar are highlighted below.

Source: MSN Money Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) Performance Tracker

Name	Ticker	Category	Holdings	Morningstar	Last Price*	1-Wk	4-Wks	13-Wks	YTD	52-Wks	3-Yrs	5-Yrs
B2B Internet HOLDRs	BHH	Specialty - Technology	holdings		$0.36	10.58	-6.44	-23.98	-13.12	-14.27	-14.24	-3.50
First Trust Multi Cap Value AlphaDEX	FAB	Growth	holdings		$23.12	10.57	-5.93	-9.60	-9.01	N/A	N/A	N/A
FocusShares ISE Homebuilders Index	SAW	Specialty - Real Estate	holdings		$52.62	9.37	-1.22	3.68	5.20	N/A	N/A	N/A
PowerShares Dynamic Banking	PJB	Specialty - Financial	holdings		$18.08	6.47	-4.61	-5.34	-5.68	-21.84	N/A	N/A
Ultra Financials ProShares	UYG	Specialty - Financial	holdings		$27.51	6.32	-14.30	-30.87	-28.33	-50.67	N/A	N/A
Ultra Basic Materials ProShares	UYM	Specialty - Unaligned	holdings		$88.84	5.95	-1.24	-4.80	-6.32	34.41	N/A	N/A
KBW Regional Banking ETF	KRE	Specialty - Financial	holdings		$34.54	5.79	-4.56	-5.07	-6.85	-22.39	N/A	N/A
UltraShort Health Care ProShares	RXD	Specialty - Health	holdings		$85.79	5.59	16.19	34.39	30.78	17.26	N/A	N/A
Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF	GDX	Specialty - Precious Metals	holdings		$56.42	5.56	18.80	29.47	23.11	53.56	N/A	N/A
SPDR S&P Homebuilders	XHB	Specialty - Unaligned	holdings		$19.83	5.48	-2.22	3.92	2.48	-40.64	N/A	N/A
Adelante Shares RE Value ETF	AVU	Specialty - Real Estate	holdings		$19.99	5.43	1.11	-1.92	-0.79	N/A	N/A	N/A
iShares MSCI Chile Index	ECH	Foreign Stock	holdings		$51.34	5.35	6.65	8.15	5.37	N/A	N/A	N/A
iShares Dow Jones US Home Construction	ITB	Specialty - Real Estate	holdings		$17.64	5.19	-7.01	-0.80	0.06	-50.27	N/A	N/A
PowerShares DB Commodity Idx Trking Fund	DBC	Specialty - Natural Resources	holdings		$38.90	4.57	14.78	26.86	23.26	63.81	N/A	N/A
Ultra Real Estate ProShares	URE	Specialty - Real Estate	holdings		$29.04	4.46	-4.31	-15.21	-15.13	-50.38	N/A	N/A
PowerShares DB Precious Metals	DBP	Specialty - Precious Metals	holdings		$38.16	4.35	13.87	30.87	24.06	54.86	N/A	N/A
Market Vectors Russia ETF	RSX	Foreign Stock	holdings		$48.80	4.30	3.87	-4.11	-4.20	N/A	N/A	N/A
iShares MSCI Spain Index	EWP	Europe Stock	holdings		$58.50	4.28	4.88	-8.64	-7.82	13.99	19.83	28.66
iShares FTSE EPRA/NAREIT North America	IFNA	Specialty - Real Estate	holdings		$44.02	4.27	-1.13	-6.03	-4.24	N/A	N/A	N/A
iShares FTSE NAREIT Residential	REZ	Specialty - Real Estate	holdings		$41.21	4.04	1.55	8.68	7.49	N/A	N/A	N/A

Disclosure: We may own any EFT above at any time.

Please verify the performance of any ETF before investing.

Where's the Damage

Trend: The stock market downdraft is widespread, with financials leading the decline and energy least affected.

The S&P 500 has lost $2.39 trillion in 103 trading days, according to BusinessWeek.

Link: Investing Insights The new efficiency: 41% of the damage in 16% of the time - BusinessWeek.

Decline since the October 9, 2007 highs

Sector	Percentage
Financials	-32.9%
Telecommunications	-24.1%
Consumer Discretionary	-19.9%
Information Technology	-19.7%
Energy	-3.1%

Best Performing ETFs for the Past Week

Trend: UltraShort FTSE/Xinhua China 25 Proshare (FXP) led the one week performance (+14%, +6.5% for 4 weeks, +54% for 13 weeks). UltraShort MSCI Emerging Mrkts ProShares (EEV) and UltraShort Financials ProShares (SKF) were the second and third best performers. (The top 14 ETFs are ultrashort — double inverse.)

The 20 ETFs with the best 1 week performance through 3/7/2008 tracked by Morningstar are highlighted below.

Source: MSN Money Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) Performance Tracker

Name	Ticker	Category	Holdings	Morningstar	Last Price*	1-Wk	4-Wks	13-Wks	YTD	52-Wks	3-Yrs	5-Yrs
UltraShort FTSE/Xinhua China 25 Proshare	FXP	Income	holdings		$102.00	13.97	6.49	53.76	32.69	N/A	N/A	N/A
UltraShort MSCI Emerging Mrkts ProShares	EEV	Income	holdings		$87.28	12.00	-2.15	29.03	19.45	N/A	N/A	N/A
UltraShort Financials ProShares	SKF	Specialty - Financial	holdings		$133.34	11.80	27.45	49.46	33.50	79.13	N/A	N/A
UltraShort Russell2000 ProShares	TWM	Equity-Income	holdings		$91.76	8.88	13.27	37.21	30.47	30.06	N/A	N/A
UltraShort Oil & Gas ProShares	DUG	Specialty - Natural Resources	holdings		$40.25	8.75	-14.81	3.98	11.87	-41.78	N/A	N/A
UltraShort MidCap400 ProShares	MZZ	Growth	holdings		$68.05	8.47	8.19	32.34	24.03	17.21	N/A	N/A
UltraShort Russell2000 Growth ProShares	SKK	Growth	holdings		$92.30	8.22	11.38	42.55	38.77	20.68	N/A	N/A
UltraShort Real Estate ProShares	SRS	Specialty - Real Estate	holdings		$121.13	7.95	13.58	24.44	9.34	52.53	N/A	N/A
UltraShort Russell1000 Value ProShares	SJF	Growth	holdings		$94.54	7.89	10.19	33.15	25.44	28.94	N/A	N/A
UltraShort Russell2000 Value ProShares	SJH	Growth	holdings		$109.69	7.41	12.84	29.92	22.18	45.21	N/A	N/A
Rydex Inverse 2x S&P MidCap 400	RMS	Growth	holdings		$97.35	7.37	8.04	32.50	25.84	N/A	N/A	N/A
UltraShort MSCI Japan Proshares	EWV	Income	holdings		$90.25	7.35	1.95	33.60	17.76	N/A	N/A	N/A
Rydex Inverse 2x Russell 2000	RRZ	Growth	holdings		$101.82	7.17	11.83	35.05	31.29	N/A	N/A	N/A
UltraShort Russell MidCap Gr ProShares	SDK	Growth	holdings		$82.29	6.98	6.04	33.27	28.88	10.68	N/A	N/A
MACROshares Oil Up Tradeable Shares	UCR	Specialty - Natural Resources			$30.25	6.90	16.41	14.78	0.33	40.20	N/A	N/A
UltraShort SmallCap600 ProShares	SDD	Equity-Income	holdings		$86.32	6.75	9.66	29.81	22.88	23.56	N/A	N/A
PowerShares Insured National Muni Bond	PZA	Municipal Bond - National	holdings		$23.99	6.67	-2.98	-2.34	-3.86	N/A	N/A	N/A
UltraShort Dow30 ProShares	DXD	Growth	holdings		$61.18	6.12	5.48	28.94	21.92	5.12	N/A	N/A
Rydex Inverse 2x S&P 500	RSW	Growth	holdings		$98.60	5.90	5.72	33.45	26.35	N/A	N/A	N/A
iPath DJ AIG Natural Gas TR Sub-Idx ETN	GAZ	Specialty - Natural Resources			$62.69	5.84	21.85	37.18	31.98	N/A	N/A	N/A

Disclosure: We may own any EFT above at any time.

Please verify the performance of any ETF before investing.

Plug-In Hybrids and the Power Grid

Trend: Widespread adoption of plug-in hybrid vehicles will require signficant investment in the electric power generation and distribution infrastructure.

Brad Allenby at GreenBiz News raises some tough questions about plug-in hybrids increasing the demand for electricity at a time that the power infrastructure doesn't have much excess capacity.

Link: GreenBiz News | Are Plug-In Hybrids a Path to Salvation? Be Careful What You Wish For

The hysteria over climate change, combined with the success of hybrid automotive technologies, is generating huge pressure for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which require no petroleum at all -- locally, at least. Such vehicles are seen, and presented by their proponents, as "emissions free," "carbon neutral," "important moral statements" and otherwise worthy of falling in love with. Embracing this technology with wide-ranging policy measures may work, but it is just as likely, especially given the lack of systems understanding and analysis, that we will find ourselves facing corn ethanol déjà vu.

There's no question that plug-in technology is cool. Despite the technology issues -- most notably finding batteries appropriate to automotive power demands and usage, figuring out viable combinations of on-board power, rapid recharge and in-depth charging infrastructure -- the idea of using clean electricity to phase out one of the most obvious and intractable uses of fossil fuel, without having to do the difficult job of weaning people off cars completely, seems too appealing to pass up.

Best Performing ETFs for the Past Week

Trend: iPath DJ AIG Nickel TR Sub-Idx ETN (JJN) led the one week performance (+10.3%, +15% for 4 weeks, +17% for 13 weeks). iShares Silver Trust (SLV) and PowerShares DB Silver (DBS) were the second and third best performers.

The 20 ETFs with the best 1 week performance through 2/29/2008 tracked by Morningstar are highlighted below.

Source: MSN Money Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) Performance Tracker

Name	Ticker	Category	Holdings	Morningstar	Last Price*	1-Wk	4-Wks	13-Wks	YTD	52-Wks	3-Yrs	5-Yrs
iPath DJ AIG Nickel TR Sub-Idx ETN	JJN	Specialty - Precious Metals			$49.69	10.30	14.54	16.84	20.19	N/A	N/A	N/A
iShares Silver Trust	SLV	Specialty - Precious Metals	holdings		$196.68	9.78	16.95	41.50	33.82	39.24	N/A	N/A
PowerShares DB Silver	DBS	Specialty - Precious Metals	holdings		$36.71	9.54	16.69	38.54	31.86	35.81	N/A	N/A
UltraShort Utilities ProShares	SDP	Specialty - Utility	holdings		$62.17	6.74	6.37	22.28	23.12	0.09	N/A	N/A
Claymore/SWM Canadian Energy Income	ENY	Asset Allocation	holdings		$26.99	6.59	12.97	12.05	4.98	N/A	N/A	N/A
Oil Services HOLDRs	OIH	Specialty - Natural Resources	holdings		$176.31	6.09	10.17	5.46	-3.39	34.27	23.33	25.89
UltraShort Consumer Services ProShares	SCC	Specialty - Unaligned	holdings		$95.30	5.52	6.74	21.18	10.98	40.46	N/A	N/A
iPath DJ AIG Agriculture TR Sub-Idx ETN	JJA	Specialty - Natural Resources			$69.53	5.31	16.04	33.45	23.60	N/A	N/A	N/A
MACROshares Oil Up Tradeable Shares	UCR	Specialty - Natural Resources			$28.20	5.24	4.12	17.33	-6.14	32.35	N/A	N/A
HealthShares European Drugs	HRJ	Specialty - Health	holdings		$22.55	4.88	8.21	-2.46	-2.72	N/A	N/A	N/A
ELEMENTS Rogers Intl Commodity Agric ETN	RJA	Specialty - Natural Resources			$12.94	4.78	13.61	25.51	18.39	N/A	N/A	N/A
HealthShares Autoimmune-Inflammation	HHA	Specialty - Health	holdings		$22.21	4.73	-0.37	7.14	-4.97	N/A	N/A	N/A
PowerShares Global Water	PIO	Growth	holdings		$22.60	4.70	-1.53	-10.49	-11.65	N/A	N/A	N/A
iPath DJ AIG Grains TR Sub-Idx ETN	JJG	Specialty - Natural Resources			$69.76	4.59	13.73	31.30	21.32	N/A	N/A	N/A
iPath DJ AIG Ind Metals TR Sub-Idx ETN	JJM	Specialty - Precious Metals			$54.91	4.57	13.84	20.22	24.61	N/A	N/A	N/A
UltraShort Russell1000 Value ProShares	SJF	Growth	holdings		$88.67	4.49	9.41	19.02	16.26	21.77	N/A	N/A
Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF	GDX	Specialty - Precious Metals	holdings		$53.12	4.40	5.50	16.51	15.91	35.37	N/A	N/A
CurrencyShares Swiss Franc Trust	FXF	Worldwide Bond			$96.25	4.26	4.00	9.22	9.13	18.71	N/A	N/A
ELEMENTS Rogers Intl Commodity Metal ETN	RJZ	Specialty - Natural Resources			$11.82	4.23	14.53	24.03	26.28	N/A	N/A	N/A
Biotech HOLDRs	BBH	Specialty - Health	holdings		$167.72	4.21	2.72	-6.82	3.94	-7.79	7.17	13.59

Disclosure: We may own any EFT above at any time.

Please verify the performance of any ETF before investing.

Google and Microsoft to store medical information

Trend: Some major players have recently unveiled initiatives to store medical information online.

On Feb. 28, Google debuted a long-anticipated health Web site, just three days after Microsoft announced the launch of a $3 million fund to fuel development of Web programs for its four-month-old HealthVault recordkeeping service. Some excerpts from a BusinessWeek article are below.

Link: Google's Rx for Health Data

Google (GOOG) and Microsoft (MSFT) have unveiled what on the surface may look like competing efforts to improve how electronic health-care information is stored, shared, and disseminated. But the products would probably be more effective if they worked together.

Both are designed to help keep better track of patients' medical data. As any patient who has switched doctors or visited a specialist knows, health records are frequently stored in paper files that are neither easy to read nor transfer from one physician to the next.

But beyond sharing a larger purpose, the efforts by Google and Microsoft are different—and possibly complementary.

Google Health is an online tool that consumers can use to store personal medical records, as well as search for doctors and health information.

Microsoft's service, on the other hand, is more a platform for helping health-care providers and other professionals move information online in the first place. A care provider could use HealthVault, for example, to build a program that takes data from a blood pressure monitor and share it electronically with physicians. The system could also help users send that information to online databases such as Google's site. "HealthVault is not designed to be a place where you store all your health information," Conn says. "It is a platform and it is going to be successful if and only if lots of applications are built on top of it."