Retirees who take part in the service might be expected to volunteer, or work part-time in so-called social enterprises.

BBC: Big Society guru urges newly retired people to volunteer

There have been rumblings of unhappiness from the intelligence service for some time about the role the government expected it to play in the run-up to war.

ECONOMIST: Tony Blair and Iraq

Access to real time, accurate customer experiences means responding faster than expected to customer service issues.

FORBES: A 360 Degree Perspective On Customer Engagement

He is expected to train up to 24 volunteer and full-time lifeguards and fire service personnel to carry out beach patrols, the charity said.

BBC: Devon RNLI manager training Senegal lifeguards

There was a time when I expected my entire life would be spent in the service of Scouting, humbly trying to continue the legacy of Bill Hillcourt, and give back to a movement that had done more to shape and mold the man I became than anything I learned in school, from my parents, or from any other influence.

FORBES: The Business Of Scouting And A Crisis Of Our Own Making

One more handy feature: the unit is expected to take advantage of the TomTom plus traffic service via your phone's GPRS connection, providing real time traffic information as well as weather, news, and additional features.

ENGADGET: TomTom go 700 SatNav unit boasts Bluetooth, hard drive

On the negative side, revenue growth is decelerating at the same time Amazon is investing more than previously expected in fulfillment centers (fixed assets) and operating and customer service employees (variable costs).

FORBES: Amazon Overvalued: Lack of Visibility