The initial public offering of Angie’s List, the membership-only site offering consumer reviews of contractors, mechanics, and other local businesses in hundreds of communities around the country, is being viewed as an enormous …
How to Stand Out Among 800 Million Facebook Users
It seems like everyone uses social media these days to help grow their business or personal brand. An ironic by-product of the success of social media, however, is that it’s become extremely hard to stand out amid all that …
The Best Place in the World to Work
No, seriously, the entire world. The Great Place to Work Institute (we didn’t know it existed either) just ranked the best multinational company workplaces around the globe. And the winner is …
Google’s Charm Offensive
Google may have finally mastered the ways of Washington.
Chairman Eric Schmidt is due to testify today at a hearing before the U.S. Senate on whether the Mountain View., Calif.-based company is abusing its market dominance in …
Google Soars
Google shares shot up more than 12% in after-hours trading on Thursday following the company’s report of surprisingly good second-quarter earnings. Results were far stronger than analysts expected, with both revenue and net income increasing more than 32%. Cash and marketable securities rose to more than $39 billion, compared with debt …
Will the U.S. Government Break Up Google?
The power of Google to determine what information we see, and when, is enormous. Apparently, the U.S. government is worried Google has abused that power.
The Federal Trade Commission is on the verge of opening a formal civil investigation to see if Google has stifled competition on the Web. The FTC has been unofficially watching …
Mobile Payments Are Coming — But When?
Tech companies and the financial industry promise us that smartphones will replace our wallets. Analysts say "don't hold your breath." Find out how these tools will make everything from shopping to commuting easier — and how …
Why Gas Pipelines Are Like Facebook
Here's a hint: Both completely dominate the markets they serve.
How Crazy is LinkedIn’s IPO?
It is Wall Street’s job to throw money at new companies, a Wall Street economist explained to me during the dotcom boom of a decade ago, when the valuations of IPOs were being questioned. We can report today that the Street, despite the dotcom bust and the real estate bust and the financial meltdown, has not only retained its
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Three Quirky Consumer Phrases: ‘Android’s Law,’ ‘Conscious Spending,’ ‘Veblen Good’
What do these phrases mean? If you don’t know, there’s a decent chance you’re spending money foolishly.
Why Google Still Needs “Adult Supervision”
In explaining his decision to pass the boss torch back to co-founder Larry Page, Google CEO Eric Schmidt tweeted that, ha-ha, “adult supervision” is no longer needed at the company that dominates internet search and advertising. And Google’s monster fourth-quarter earnings offer evidence that Schmidt is true to his tweet: profits …
Please Don’t Take My Free Content Away
Apparently a few pretty big bricks are being added to the pay wall. Three giants in the world of free online content—YouTube, Hulu, and the New York Times—may not be quite as free in the near future.