Archive for the 'Finance' Category
“…a familiar line spouted by Americans these days is, ‘Why should the US curb energy consumption, when India and China are guzzling petrol and polluting the whole globe?’…”
California consumes more petrol than India!
Amazing Stat: California Uses More Gas than China
VCs are collectively pumping about $7b per quarter on average in the US, with an average deal size of $7.5m, so approx 1000 new/renewed investments per quarter! The hot industries are usual suspects: software, energy and bio-tech.
VC Deals In Charts @ TechCrunch
Former Vice President of USA and an environmental activist, Al Gore, issued a challenge yesterday to all fellow Americans to achieve 100% energy from indigenously produced renewable sources within 10 years. This is not only a challenge for Americans, but a mission for all residents of the planet who ought to play their own part [...]
The total economic cost of software security flaws has been estimated at about $180 billion a year. A former cryptographer for the National Security Agency and NASA suggests creating a tax on software based on the number and severity of security bugs, even if the cost gets passed on to consumers, in order to hold [...]
Google co-founder Sergey Brin said he had no sympathy for the parents, and that he was tired of “Googlers” who felt entitled to perks like “bottled water and M&Ms”.
On Day Care, Google Makes a Rare Fumble
Dutch security researchers rode the London Underground free for a day after easily using an ordinary laptop to clone the “smartcards” commuters use to pay fares, a hack that highlights a serious security flaw because similar cards provide access to thousands of government offices, hospitals and schools.
Hackers Crack London Tube’s Ticketing System
The Dynamic Tower design is made up of 80 pre-fabricated apartments which will spin independently of one another. According to the creators — this building never looks the same, not once in a lifetime; and would be energy self-sufficient and even feed extra power back into the grid!
Dubai plans ‘moving’ skyscraper
“Indian inflation has risen to a new 13-year high, hitting shares and weakening the rupee. The wholesale price index rose to 11% in the 12 months to 7 June, up from the previous week’s 8.75%. The inflation rate is now at its highest since 1995.” - BBC
India inflation rate rises to 11%
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia said Monday it will soon call for a meeting between oil producers and consumers to discuss what it called the unjustified rise in prices.
Saudis seek meeting on oil prices
Large UK-owned companies are outstripping their European rivals when it comes to creating wealth, a study has concluded.
UK firms ‘top Europe wealth list’
The Business Innovation Factory Conference website maintains an archive of video recordings of presentations given by industry leaders during past years of the conference on their business practices and ways in which you could excel in running your own business.
Business Innovation Factory (BIF) (in their own words):
“An independent, non-profit organization launched in 2005, the [...]
“Why? Because if you’re willing to take the company up on the offer, you obviously don’t have the sense of commitment they are looking for.”
An intriguing article points out the practice followed by Zappos (an online retailer with >$1 Bil sales), which pays its newly recruited employees $1,000 to leave the job.
Why Zappos Pays [...]
Startups.co.uk presents Startups 100 - the “The ultimate hitlist of the UK’s best new businesses”.
In their own words - “Startups 100 is the definitive countdown to the UK’s most innovative, inspiring and ground-breaking new companies. As our criteria explains we’ve been unashamedly unscientific in our methodology - this is our list of who we think [...]
“U.K. consumer confidence fell to the lowest level since at least 2004 (when the survey began) in May as increases in living costs added to gloom about the economy, Nationwide Building Society said.”
“‘Consumers are starting to feel the pinch’, Fionnuala Earley, Nationwide’s chief economist, said in an interview on Bloomberg Television. ‘The housing market isn’t [...]
Alltop.com is a refined collection of some of the best blogs on the web categorised under different sections like life, gossip, startups, programming, travel, India, China, etc. (82 categories at the time of writing).
If it adds any credibility, one of person behind Alltop is Guy Kawasaki, that was a good enough reason for [...]
NBC universal paid $150 million (Rs 640 crore approx.) for an indirect stake of 26% in the Indian media giant New Delhi Television (NDTV).
India’s NDTV says NBC Universal buys shares in subsidiary for $150 mln
Who is more evil - Google or Facebook? Or, maybe you don’t care, but there is an ongoing battle for user data and user attention on the web :-) Why Microsoft will buy Facebook and keep it closed
“To zero in on the most happening young ventures, Business Today spoke to venture capitalists, executives, and industry watchers. From a long list of names, we finally picked 10 that stood out for the uniqueness of their businesses or rapid growth. Finally, we also bring you an update on our last year’s list of hottest [...]
China is making huge economic investments in Africa — a win-win or natural resource exploitation?
Roundtable probes the politics of China’s large-scale investments in Africa
Car giant Ford is to sell its luxury UK-based car marques Jaguar and Land Rover to Indian company Tata. Tata, India’s biggest vehicle maker, is likely to pay about $2bn (£1bn) in the deal, although analysts will be keen to see the exact price and terms.
Tata and British jobs
Microtransactions in Games - good or bad? Clearly, both. Here is a viewpoint against it!
Microtransactions need to be banned
“Visa Inc., the largest payment-card network, set a record for U.S. initial public offerings today by raising $17.9 billion, more than expected… It values the entire company at $42.5 billion.”
“The IPO eclipses AT&T Wireless Group’s $10.6 billion stock offering in 2000 and ranks second in the world after the $22 billion debut in 2006 of [...]
“Software went through a period where it got way too complex. We have a concept that focuses on simplicity…”
Is Shrink-Wrapped Software Dead? (pdf)
“The U.S. has finally slid into recession, according to the majority of economists in the latest Wall Street Journal economic-forecasting survey, a view that was reinforced by new data showing a sharp drop in retail sales last month.”
Most economists say recession has arrived as outlook darkens
The complete WSJ economists survey
Yahoo! has confirmed sending a rejection letter to Microsoft for their $44.6 billion take over offer stating that Microsoft has greatly undervalued it. Instead Yahoo! is reconsidering a deal with AOL after rejecting an earlier offer from them.
Yahoo confirms rejection letter to Microsoft
Yahoo! set to revive merger talks with AOL
Related post: Microsoft offers [...]
