A hit cable drama on a channel like AMC, Showtime, or HBO follows a pretty typical trajectory. A quiet launch draws the attention of TV critics who sing the show’s praises. Over the course of several weeks, word of mouth helps …
Technology & Media
As the Dow Soars, How High Can Tech Stocks Go?
Last Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average — the benchmark stock index of America’s blue chip companies — closed above 14,000 for the first time since the financial meltdown sent the U.S. economy into the worst crisis in …
Testing the Science of Sharing at the Super Bowl: Can Viral Ads Be Manufactured?
After years of trial and error, some believe that viral videos can not only be fostered and quantified but also predicted
How to Get Friends and Family — And Perhaps Some Generous Strangers — to Buy You a New Car
How’s this for a millennial-friendly mashup: Take the gift registry and online crowdfunding concepts and apply them to the purchase of a new car. Dodge is trying out the idea with a new registry service that promises something …
Why Beyoncé Will Make No Bills, Bills, Bills for Her Super Bowl Performance
Beyoncé, like every past Super Bowl act, won’t be getting paid to perform in the halftime show. But she’ll definitely profit in other ways
The Most Buzzed-About Super Bowl Ads of 2013, A Sneak Preview
Forget the days when you were totally surprised by the ads airing on Super Bowl Sunday. More than ever, companies are releasing ads weeks before the big game, often creating ad teasers (yes — that’s an ad for an ad) as part of …
Facebook ‘Friends’ Apple and Takes a Shot at Google
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg made it crystal clear Wednesday that the social networking juggernaut has a better working relationship with hardware giant Apple than it does with Web search leader Google. The 28-year-old …
5 Top Trends for 2013 Super Bowl Commercials
The cost of advertising in the Super Bowl is rising, running an average of $4 million for a 30-second spot—up from $3.5 million last year and just $42,000 back in 1967. To justify the expense, advertisers aim to present fans with something more than just another entertaining but ultimately forgettable commercial.
What Would Make an All-Electric Car Appeal to the Masses?
It’s widely assumed that the car of the future will be powered by gasoline. At least partly powered by gas, that is, and at least for the near future. When, if ever, will the pure-electric car — one powered solely by battery, …
Is There a Future for Same-Day Delivery? How About Online Grocery Shopping?
For the time being, brick-and-mortar retailers don’t seem to have to worry too much about two of the most hyped, potentially “game changing” options in e-commerce.
Auto Navigation Systems: Too Complicated, Too Pricey, Just Plain Unnecessary?
A factory-installed navigation system adds more than $1,000 to the sticker price of a car. Maybe that’d be worth it if the systems worked better—and if there weren’t cheap or free, arguably superior alternatives readily …
Now There’s an Official Way to Threaten Businesses with Bad Online Reviews
Anyone and everyone can write reviews of hotels and restaurants at sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp. So why would anyone pay $100 for a card that simply states “I Write Reviews” — something that, to repeat, anyone and everyone can do?