Monthly Archive for December, 2009

Top Business Stories of 2009

Published on December 31, 2009 in International Business and Ranting and Raving. 0 Comments Tags: .

From the rise of China to the rise of the U.S. federal debt, 2008 was a year of momentous money stories that will echo well into the future.

It was a year of historic change in business, economics, and finance. General Motors and Chrysler made whirlwind trips through the bankruptcy process, and the U.S. Senate narrowly voted in favor of health care reform in a dramatic vote on Christmas Eve morning, bringing President Obama just this close to achieving a top campaign priority.

In other times, any one of these sagas might have been an obvious and easy selection as the business story of the year. Yet 2009 was so full of drama that health care reform will have to settle for a position on the short list, and Chrysler might not have made the list at all if it hadn’t been paired with GM.

So here’s Portfolio.com’s take of the most important business, economics, and finance stories of the year, selected with an eye toward which ones had the biggest hand in shaping the world for now and for the foreseeable future.

America’s Most Promising Startups

Published on December 17, 2009 in High Tech & Media. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

entering-startupWant to be the first to know what companies will be the next household name? BusinessWeek has started a section on its webpage that will keep track of promising start-ups that might see the limelight. Flip through the slide show for a look at all the profiles. You can also make a suggestion of a new company worth profiling and send it in to BusinessWeek.

Welcome to America’s Most Promising Startups, an ongoing series profiling new companies from across the country that embody the creativity and resiliency common among today’s entrepreneurs. Based on suggestions from our readers and staffers, we’ll be adding more profiles on a regular basis, so check back often. Our goal is to showcase promising companies before they become household names.

Google Korea Unveils New Homepage

Published on December 9, 2009 in Emerging Markets and Global Strategy. 0 Comments Tags: , .

googleKorea

Google Korea has unveiled a new homepage that radically breaks out of the company’s trademark scantiness. Google’s Korean homepage now displays more content right up on its front page, featuring popular search keywords, most searched-for people (“who’s hot”), and the directory of Google Korea’s services.

It remains to be seen if Google Korea’s move will help or hurt the company to gain more turf in this tough Korean market, but one thing is very clear: This is a very big move by Google. This new, content-rich homepage is only available in Korea — and this is worlds apart from Google’s seemingly unrelented pursuit of simpleness.

In a way, this shows Google is very much committed to the Korean market, even to the point where the company is willing to ditch its hallmark simpleness, something many in and out of the company has long regarded to be near impossible. Will Koreans like this move and pay more visit to Google Korea for their internet search? The jury is still very much out.

The Nine Coolest Tube Stations in the World

Published on December 8, 2009 in Ranting and Raving. 0 Comments Tags: .

NineTubeStations

DesignBoom listed some remarkable tube station designs from across the world.

It has collected nine outstanding examples. For example: Shanghai’s Bund Sightseeing tunnel, a 2,100-foot stretch of tunnel that connects The Bund–the city’s famous waterfront–with Pudong, it’s high-tech business district, which has sprung up from swampland in a mere 15 years.

Other master design works are the stations in Stockholm’s subway system, designed by Per Olof Ultvedt in 1975. There are literally hundreds of art installations, strewn throughout the city’ 100 stations. As DesignBoom points out, many take advantage of the natural rock faces found through the tunnels, which give the entire thing a primordial feel unparalleled in the world

10 Web Trends For 2010

Published on December 7, 2009 in Social Media. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

web-trends-2010As the year draws to a close, what does 2010 hold for social media and the web? While web innovation is unpredictable, some clear trends are emerging.

Among the good bets for 2010 online: Real-time, Content Curation, Cloud Computing, Convergence Continues (eBooks are the exception), Social Gaming and more.

This week’s CNN column looks at 10 of the big themes that will shape the next year on the web.

The Real-Time Web is Here!

Published on December 7, 2009 in Real-Time Web. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

googleWe knew it was inevitable, and now it’s here: Google has just launched real-time search integrated into search results pages.

Basically it means that Google will display information from news sites, blogs and platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, as soon as it is published. It works on mobile too, at least for now only @ iPhone and Android [Source].

Here’s a video demo from Google on real-time search:

You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video

A Russian Odyssey: Early Day Investors

Published on December 6, 2009 in International Business and International Finance. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Hermitage_Bill_BrowderRussia’s default in 1997 and the stock market devalued rapidly. Browder (founder of Hermitage investment fund) lost, by his estimate, 90% of his money during this time that he had invested in Russia. More onerous, was the wholesale “stealing” by the Russian oligarchs.

Rather than put up with this, Browder met with company employees to hear first-hand about the scams that were going on within the companies. Watch the story yourself at the bottom of this post (7min). For a complete coverage of Browder’s speech at Standford GSB click here.

Browder started with $25 million in 1996, achieving almost tenfold gains in 18 months and then raised $1billion from new investors. At one stage the pot totalled $4 billion and Hermitage became Russia’s biggest foreign portfolio investor.

However, Mr Browder offended someone with great power – he insists that he still does not know who – and in November 2005 was refused re-entry into Russia. Since then Browder is one of the biggest enemies of the Russian state. [Source 1] [Source 2].

You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video

Google focuses on Cloud Computing

Published on December 6, 2009 in High Tech & Media. 0 Comments Tags: .

googleStrategyIn an interview with CNBC, Google’s CEO (Eric Schmidt) told a little bit about its 2010 strategy. Schmidt told that cloud computing is the centerpiece of Google’s 2010 strategy.

“It’s a new model. You basically put all your information on servers and you have fast networks and lots of different kinds of personal computers and mobile phones that can use the applications… it’s a powerful model and it’s where the industry is going. It is the centerpiece of our 2010 strategy”.

In addition, Schmidt worries not so much about Yahoo or Microsoft but about missing the “next big thing”.

I worry about the next entrepreneurial company that will take cloud computing into an area that we have not anticipated. (I worry about) something that we don’t foresee that could really take off. There’s evidence that a lot of new companies could be built.

10 Consumer Trends for 2010

Published on December 5, 2009 in Ranting and Raving. 0 Comments Tags: , .

ballAccording to trendwatching.com this are the ten key trends to watch in 2010: Business as unusual, Urbany, Real-time reviews, (f)luxury, mass mingling, eco-easy, tracking & alerting, Embedded Generosity, Profile Myning, and Maturalism.

Best Business Books 2009

Published on December 5, 2009 in International Business. 0 Comments Tags: .

Business_BooksLike last year. Strategy+Business published their annual roundup of best business books for 2009. The list can be found here.

This year they are categorised across the following eight segments: The Meltdown, Leadership, Strategy, Globalization, Management, Marketing, Technology, Biography.