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Adobe (ADBE) stayed pretty quiet last month as its products were brutally bashed in an essay by Apple (AAPL) chief executive Steve Jobs.

Now, Adobe has an answer. Instead of turning the other cheek, Adobe is giving Apple a big kiss -- and then a smack on the hand.

"We [heart] Apple," the company said in full-page advertisements in many major newspapers Thursday. "What we don't love is anybody taking away your freedom to choose what you create, how you create it and what you experience on the Web." 

Even the prisoners in India are now getting outsourcing jobs.

A jail in southern India is setting up an outsourcing unit that will give 200 convicts work in data entry and information processing, the BBC reports.

These jobs are part of a partnership between the jails and Radiant Info Systems, an Indian outsourcing company whose clients include Accenture (ACN), IBM (IBM) and Oracle (ORCL).

• See what a better broker can do

How much will these prisoners make?

 

Last week's so-called "flash crash" continues to fade into memory as stocks here in the United States continue to push higher. Risk aversion is melting away. But curiously, at the same time precious metals like gold and silver continue to power to new highs.

 

This seems counterintuitive at first, since gold tends to act as a safe haven asset during times of distress. Euro weakness is also holding up the U.S. dollar -- another safety asset.

 

As a result, speculative cash is flowing into the precious metals instead of stocks while the lofty U.S. dollar continues to keep pressure on the commodities complex. Once this condition reverses, stocks should jump higher led by energy and materials stocks. I expect European stocks to also bounce back in a big way, led by

 

By Kevin Grewal, TheStreet

 

As fear continues to hover over the global markets, investors continue to seek the ultimate safety blanket, gold, pushing the precious metal north of $1,200 per ounce and pulling gold related equities along the way.

 

Typically, this time of the year is slow for gold, however, the highly sought after commodity has been on the move, causing some analysts to call the shiny metal the world's new currency reserve and hint that this elevated trend is likely to continue.

  

Despite the recent $1 trillion bailout move in Europe, continued concerns about the overall eurozone's fiscal health and strength of its currency continue to add concern in the region and overall market stress. In fact, the massive infusion of currency has raised questions about whether the eurozone has increased its exposure to risk, rather than bailing out its troubled nations. Additionally, the debt problems in nations like Greece, Portugal and Spain are so severe that a $1 trillion solution will not ratify the situation overnight or mitigate the risks in the region.

 

Call it Christmas come early: Last week we learned that stocks posted an average gain of about 9% for March retail sales.

We also learned consumer spending in the U.S. rose in March by the most in five months, and many economists are predicting continued spending acceleration as the economy adds more jobs and gets back into the groove.

 

It’s hard to believe, but consumer spending may already top the 2008 peak before the market slump. Really! That means investors should seriously consider some type of retail play to benefit from these trends.

 

By Peter Morici, TheStreet

 

The day of the "flash crash," I was asked at an executive seminar in Jersey City, N.J., what impact Greece would have on equity markets. I replied, "It should all be over by Wednesday."

 

I had taken the podium after the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) had fallen more than 250 points owing to Greek worries, but prior to the computer-trading blitz that created the now famous "V"-shaped pattern of stock prices in just about an hour. My BlackBerry turned off, no one alerted me to the panic unfolding on Wall Street.

 

Now that stocks have made up all their lost ground, what's next?

 

I had to put an end to the Citigroup (C) madness yesterday. It's not just the long trips with no sleep that bother me; it's the endless asking about Citigroup by everyone from strangers to fans, from Facebook to Twitter.

 

So, with the idea of clearing up the great mystery here and referring it to people, I like Citigroup. I think it is a good stock. It's not as good as Bank of America (BAC) or JPMorgan Chase (JPM), otherwise I would own it, too.

It is good, though, because it is getting to be a well-run international bank with superb leadership courtesy of Vikram Pandit, and a bench that is deeper than I thought. With 50% of its business coming from overseas -- much of it in emerging growth markets -- Citigroup is a growth vehicle, as its colossal revenue gains this last quarter made quite obvious.

 

So much for Whoppers in the West Bank.

 

Burger King (BKC) is closing the doors of locations in Israel this summer after a failed attempt to bring Western tastes to the Middle East. A local competitor, Burger Ranch, will take over the 52 locations in the nation.

• Related: Burger King Holdings BKC - 5 Reasons to Sell

You hear a lot about fast-food success stories on a global scale -- with Taco Bell recently making a splash with its potato and paneer burrito in India. But how about the failures? The reality is that Burger King’s failed Israel growth plan is just the most recent gaffe among big American restaurant giants.

 

Google (GOOG) and Verizon (VZ) have become best buds who apparently really want to knock Apple (AAPL) from its perch.

The two are already on the way there, working to kick the iPhone from the No. 2 spot in the U.S. smart-phone market. Now, Google's Android phones are in that position, behind the BlackBerry family, while the iPhone has been pushed back to No. 3.

• Maybe it's not you; maybe it's your broker

Now that the iPhone assault is under way, Google and Verizon are turning to another target: Apple's iPad.

 

Updated at 5:33 p.m. ET

 

By Jeanine Poggi, TheStreet

 

Netflix (NFLX) shares gained 8% to $107.83 today after rumors resurfaced that Amazon (AMZN) might be interested in acquiring the company.

 

Speculation that Netflix might be a takeover target came up most recently in January. Netflix added 1.7 million subscribers during the first quarter, the biggest gain in its 11-year history.

 

While anything is possible (note the Hewlett-Packard (HPQ)-Palm (PALM) deal), Needham & Co. analyst Charles Wolf says a Netflix-Amazon deal is unlikely.

 

By Michael Baron, TheStreet

 

As regulators reveal more about their probe into the May 6 market mayhem, it’s becoming increasingly clear how ill-equipped they are to do their jobs.

 

Tuesday's testimony of officials from the regulatory agencies and exchanges is rife with details about unusual stock levels, outsized trading volumes and unprecedented percentage swings. Yet despite all the data presented, no definitive answers emerged.

 

While investigators continue to examine the roles of individual firms, the potential for erroneous trades, questionable market access standards and the differing rules governing various exchanges, the only conclusion that can be drawn so far is that regulators can't keep up with today's fast-paced digital markets.

 

When you think of a cup of joe for average Joes, chances are that mug doesn’t have a Starbucks (SBUX) logo on it. In fact, it’s a common complaint among consumers that the store’s coffee tastes “burnt” on top of be taking a big bite out of their wallet.

Well company executives are looking to change that, making a big push to roll out a milder and less expensive brand in fast food restaurants, food service and even vending machines in the coming months.

• Related: Starbucks SBUX  to Offer Cool Summer Menu including Custom Frappucinos

I’ll say that again in case you missed it: Starbucks is getting into the vending machine business.

 

By Dan Freed, TheStreet

 

Citigroup (C) short interest rose in the second half of April, the same period in which Citigroup surprised analysts by turning in its first quarterly profit since the second quarter of 2007.

 

Citigroup short interest rose to 482 million shares from 416 million during the previous two-week period. Citigroup is perennially the most actively shorted ticker on the New York Stock Exchange. That's not surprising since the bank is nearly always the most actively traded name on the long side as well.

 

Citigroup short interest had risen for several successive reporting periods spanning at least four months until that string was broken in the second half of March. Citigroup short interest had continued to fall since that time.

 

Congress is killing us. Mark Twain was right: "No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while Congress is in session." (Thanks to my colleague, Matt Horween, for remembering that quote.)

 

Every swoon I saw yesterday seemed to start in Congress, or revolved around rumors in Congress of action against drillers, against oil companies, against banks. These are big parts of the S&P 500 Index ($INX) and they reversed several times today off of Congressional musings.

 

One of the reasons I am so adamant that the financials are a buy is that they struggle mightily when Congress is in session, but once we get reform, even it if isn't perfect, I believe these stocks will roar off of what is a well-defined base.

 

 

Wal-Mart (WMT) is looking to jump back into the used PlayStation, Wii and Xbox business.

 

Specifically, Wal-Mart has entered into a lease agreement with a small retailer called Game Trade to test used-video-game sales, buybacks and trade-ins in five stores.

• Related: Activision Blizzard redefines video-game sales via the Web

This isn’t the retail king’s first foray into the used video-game business -- but there are a few reasons to think this venture may succeed where others failed.