February 2012
5 posts
3 tags
Groupon: At a Loss →
by M.G.
In a nutshell: Groupon’s shares have been suffering this week, having an overall loss of $43 million since last year. From a successful start of $1.6 billion, this coupon company raises questions as to whether the company will last in the stocks.
In Depth: Groupon has been quite a successful company, gaining a revenue of $1.6 billion since its startup. Andrew Mason, the owner,...
3 tags
Who exactly are the 1%? →
From the print edition
In a nutshell: Who are the 1%? Yes, they are the top money-earners in the economic sense, but who are they truly? The Economist delivered some data, and found that most are Republicans who are in the medical profession (16%), and are not all alike.
In Depth: The 1% of this country are earning an average of $1.2 million a year, giving an increasingly expanding gap...
Facebook IPO: the Social Web Reacts →
Its interesting to see people’s views about Facebook’s IPO. But in my opinion, I don’t think they understand the true potential of Facebook for businesses and corporations. The true potential lies within the social reach ability through the network itself. Think about it as a free telephone line, a free commercial, in a sense. Is it not a wonder why businesses are now investing...
4 tags
Customer Reviews and Review Etiquette
It’s simple: you want a product, and you don’t know how the quality is just yet. What do you do? Besides the product details, most people go straight to customer reviews. Amazon, Yelp, etc. The works right? Everyone’s used it at least once. And why not? It’s a free way to see how other people have used the product, and how it’s worked out for them. Almost like...
3 tags
How Fujifilm Survived: Sharp Focus →
By K.N.C.
In a nutshell: Fujifilm did much better than its previous (and now bankrupt) competitor Kodak. The actions this Japanese company took proved successful to its development and growth, which is what Kodak lacked in the long run.
In Depth: When Shigetaka Komori first went into Fujifilm’s business in 1963, Kodak (American) was above the Japanese company in about every aspect....
January 2012
15 posts
3 tags
SOPA Is Dead: Smith Pulls Bill →
By Todd Wasserman
Finally! No need for In Depth or In a nutshell; it’s plain and simple: SOPA has been pulled by Lamar Smith, its chief sponsor. He says he has listened to people’s views (a bit difficult not to) and says he’ll do so “until there is a wider agreement on a solution.”
Finally, he comes to his senses. Seriously, I wonder if he’s been living...
4 tags
Feds Kill Megaupload (Updated) →
by Sam Biddle
In a nutshell: The government has recently extinguished MegaUpload’s long line of downloadable files in a single move, without the help of SOPA or PIPA. This just says something about how bad SOPA and PIPA can get, and how useless they truly are.
In Depth: MegaUpload was shut down by the Feds, imprisoning 4 of its owners and indicting a total of 7, including its founder,...
3 tags
Wikipedia has a "Blackout" to protest SOPA.
You can tell simply by going on their website.
Just proves how many people are against it. Google has the same thing, though it’s only their logo that is blacked out. Fun joke, but the reasoning is still the same.
These companies clearly do not want SOPA to happen. Even these strong, popular, and wealthy companies want the freedom of the Internet to remain uncensored.
2 tags
In praise of a second (or third) passport →
by the Print Edition of the Economist
In a nutshell: It’s not uncommon to have multiple citizenships in multiple nations these days. Whether it’s to evade taxes or simply as a convenience (or whatever reason), multiple citizenships are becoming more and more common.
In Depth: Governments usually don’t recommend (actually they hate it when) you have multiple citizenships. To...
3 tags
Watch the Greeks, not the agencies →
by Buttonwood
In a nutshell: Greece continues its downfall economically as the Euro zone crisis worsens. New debts, broken deals, and unwilling politicians are complicating the process to help Greece lessen the pain.
In Depth: Greece has had a notable history of bad economics, dealing with 2 major bail-outs and a significant contribution to the weakening of the Euro. Having the stronger...
5 tags
Why SOPA Is Dangerous →
by Chris Heald
In a nutshell: This is one article that you shouldn’t just read “In a nutshell”. Read the entire thing to understand why we hate SOPA so much, and why it definitely should not be passed by Congress. Greed once again takes over control of the capitalist society in the heart of this bill.
In Depth: Chris Heald does an excellent job of breaking down the three...
3 tags
2012: The year Microsoft finally battles back →
by Fred Schruers
In a nutshell: Microsoft finally plans to release a plethora of new updates and products in this year 2012. From the Lumia phone (released Jan. 11) to Windows 8, Microsoft is finally pulling back into the technology market after years of being overshadowed by Apple and other companies.
In Depth: After many years of overshadowing by its major competitor, Apple, Microsoft is...
4 tags
Iran Blocks Facebook and Twitter, Prepares Its Own... →
By Zoe Fox
In a nutshell: Iran plans to build its own “Halal” network, an Intranet of sorts that will first go alongside the regular Internet, but will eventually overtake it and replace it in Iran.
In Depth: Iran government plans to create an Internet of their own, called “Halal”, that aims to restrict Western influence and non-Islamic ideals. The government plans to...
4 tags
Google VP: Internet Access Not a Human Right →
By Sam Laird
In a nutshell: Google Vice President Vinton Cerf explains how the Internet is not a human natural right. He says that over time we will “come to value the wrong things”, and that, although the Internet is certainly a valuable and vital asset in our lives, it is not necessarily a right to be able to access it.
In Depth: Google Vice President Vinton Cerf says that the...
4 tags
CES 2012: Lytro Photowalk →
In a nutshell: If you haven’t heard about Lytro yet, it’s a new innovative form of photographic technology that uses light energy to create a depth of field in your photos, so you can easily change the focus when editing.
Here’s a video describing just exactly what it does:
DPreview had a closer look at the Lytro camera, a small, rectangular device capable of storing up...
1 tag
The dangers of demonology →
In a nutshell: Beware of the possible prejudices when dealing with bankers, and how it can affect the economies of America, seeing how it affected many in history.
In Depth: Throughout the ages, there has always been a prejudice of bankers. From the Biblical times to World War II to even today, as exemplified by Occupy Wall Street, people are wary of giving bankers their hard-earned money....
Myspace announces partnership with Panasonic for... →
bitshare:
At CES yesterday Myspace and Justin Timberlake had a big announcement to make. Myspace in their journey to become relevant again has partnered with Panasonic to launch a new service called Myspace TV. Coming to Panasonic Viera Connect-enabled HD televisions later this year will be a full Myspace integration with their social element in another attempt to bring back users and have...
5 tags
Spotify's Daniel Ek: The Most Important Man In... →
By Steven Bertoni
In a nutshell: Spotify is a new and quickly growing social music application that allows users to access playlists of their own from iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc., as well as other users and their friends via Facebook (Spotify’s greatest social outlet). Bertoni summarizes the beginnings of Daniel Ek’s company and legacy, and asks if it has the potential to...
4 tags
If I Die: Facebook App Lets You Leave Sweet Last... →
In a nutshell: If I Die application on Facebook lets you choose 3 people to send out your last farewells if you pass away. Sounds a bit ridiculous at first, but considering where social media is heading these days, it might become an investment.
In Depth: Eran Alfonta’s two married friends asked him to create the application after a near-death experience in Italy. If I Die helps give...
1 tag
Downturn, start up →
In a nutshell: An analysis of entrepreneur trends during recessions, and how they compare from other businesses started during a boom.
In Depth: Essentially, The Economist explains that entrepreneurs during a recession are more concerned about saving and earning money, taking careful consideration into cost-effective motives and asset gains. These trends were also found during the Great...