Inspectors Back on the Job
BERMAN: Welcome back to EARLY START, everyone. It is "Money Time" which means Maribel Aber is here to tell us what's going on this morning.</s>MARIBEL ABER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What's going on besides my granddaughter's birthday? Well, I've got something going on here. Relief for some in the partial government shutdown. Hundreds of furloughed airline and aircraft inspectors will be back on the job. Bloomberg News says the FAA is calling more than 800 workers back to their jobs this week when the partial government shutdown started, these positions, well, they were called nonessential for safety. All 3,000 of the FAA's aviation safety inspectors were placed on unpaid leave. So to put this all in -- to perspective, about three-quarters of the workers being recalled oversee major airline operations. And who will be buying all or part of BlackBerry? Well, two weeks ago the struggling company received a preliminary $4.7 billion buyout offer from Fairfax Financial. And a new report lists some other big possible buyers out there. The list includes Google, CISCO, Intel, Samsung and private equity firm Cerberus Capital. BlackBerry would only say this. It is conducting a robust and thorough review of strategic alternatives. And really, what makes BlackBerry really attractive? Well, some company may actually be interested in BlackBerry's patents. That where the real value is. They're valued about $2 billion to $3 billion. And LG is entering the market for phones with curved screens. LG announced that its ready to start mass production of what it calls the world's first flexible OLED panel for smartphones. So OLED, what it stands for is organic light emitting diode. LG reportedly says it hopes to start selling the first handsets to feature the technology next year. Samsung already said it intended to launch its first curved screen phone later this month. Both companies already use the technology to offer curbed OLED television sets.</s>BERMAN: Why would you want that for a phone?</s>ABER: That's the question. Would consumers want that? I could see it for a television screen because this is -- you know, it focuses the light towards the audience for theaters so it makes things reduce optical distortions. But on my wrist or on my -- holding my phone, how distorted?</s>BERMAN: Yes. I don't know if I need that but maybe I do. Maybe they need --</s>BERMAN: I need something. I need something.</s>ABER: Yes.</s>BERMAN: So we want to tell you about a new EARLY START tradition which is people bringing us snacks. Maribel Aber brought us wonderful cookies and not only that, she gift-wrapped them in these nice boxes with cards here. Setting the bar high.</s>SAMBOLIN: You are a multi-tasking woman.</s>ABER: They thought I was kidding about making my own gift wrap and starting my Christmas shopping and -- I'm a crafty person.</s>SAMBOLIN: No, no, no. We -- no, no. We've seen, we've seen evidence on Twitter. But this is in honor, as you mentioned earlier, of your granddaughter's birthday. We want -- do you have any more grandchildren whose birthday is coming up?</s>ABER: I do -- not, not -- no. Just past. So Olivia and Nicholas, my two grandkids. Happy birthday, Olivia.</s>SAMBOLIN: How sweet.</s>BERMAN: Thank you. Well done.</s>SAMBOLIN: We'll take it any time. Thank you.</s>BERMAN: Any time you want.</s>SAMBOLIN: All right. And coming up day eight of the partial government shutdown with a big spending deadline fast approaching but this morning new clues that the president and Congress may be ready to make a deal? Coming up next.