The approach is in lockstep with the device's target market -- busy and less technical consumers, particularly young mothers, who find themselves increasingly dependent on e-mail and don't want the complexity of a smartphone or the high cost of running one on a 3G network.

ENGADGET: Switched On: The Peek of popularity

Ron Papanek, who heads RiskMetrics' strategy unit, cautions that the credit grades aren't well suited to X-raying financial firms because of the complexity of the assets on their balance sheets.

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