Saturday, May 17, 2014

To understand this...
FCC Advances Plan that Threatens Net Neutrality

(Related) You should read this.. (Very cool graphic, by the way)
5 Freedoms You'll Lose Without Net Neutrality

(Related) He doesn't need to.
Antonin Scalia Totally Gets Net Neutrality


Interesting stunt, but would this make the algorithm liable for its bad recommendations?
Algorithm appointed board director
A venture capital firm has appointed a computer algorithm to its board of directors.
The program - called Vital - will vote on whether to invest in a specific company or not.
The firm it will be working for - Deep Knowledge Ventures - focuses on drugs for age-related diseases.
It said that Vital would make its recommendations by sifting through large amounts of data.


In a global market, it is important to say “We work in your language!” That is far easier than saying, “You need to learn English.” Look next for tools that will translate spoken words, not just written words – much more difficult application.
Google Buys Word Lens Translation App to Enhance Google Translate


Perspective. In todays global market, if your start-up makes you a millionaire, you are a failure? “Billion is the new Million?”
Pinterest valued at $5 billion after latest funding round
Pinterest Inc. raised $200 million in a funding round that gives the San Francisco online-scrapbook startup a $5 billion valuation, up from $3.8 billion seven months ago.
The money came from existing investors, including SV Angel, Bessemer Venture Partners, Fidelity Investments, Andreessen Horowitz, FirstMark Capital and Valiant Capital Partners. The new round brings the total raised to $764 million, Pinterest said.
The funding for Pinterest, which has yet to start generating significant sales, is part of a spate of fundraisings at multibillion-dollar valuations.
Uber Technologies Inc., the San Francisco car-service startup is seeking to join the $10 billion-plus club.
… Room-sharing service Airbnb Inc. and online storage service Dropbox Inc. were valued at $10 billion after recent fundraising, while Palantir Technologies Inc. sought at least a $9 billion value last year.
By contrast, the median market capitalization for technology companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index is about $16 billion.


I took Economics years and years ago, but one thing I do remember is that artificial minimums or maximums are not a good idea. If you could solve income inequality by legislation, why not go all the way and make the minimum wage $500 per hour ($1,000,000 per year) – then everyone would be rich and no one would have to work! Utopia!
Where could you get $25 minimum wage?
… Labor unions have been campaigning for months to win public backing for a minimum hourly wage of 22 Swiss francs, or nearly $25.
The Swiss government and business leaders have warned that the initiative would destroy jobs, hurt lower skilled employees and make it harder for young people and others to enter the workforce.
"The proposed statutory minimum wage would be the highest in the world, by some margin," the Swiss economics ministry said in a statement. "Consequently, those who would suffer most from the initiative are those it is supposed to benefit."
… Based on a World Bank conversion rate, 22 francs per hour would be equivalent to roughly $17.60 in the United States once the difference in cost of living is taken into account. That would put Switzerland comfortably at the top of the international minimum wage league.
Only Germany would come close to paying similar rates. Europe's biggest economy will introduce a national minimum wage next year for the first time, at 8.50 euros an hour. That's worth about $15 in the U.S.


I suspect my students could learn something by reading this!
5 Ways You’re Using The Web Wrong: Avoid Frustration & Embarrassment
Here at MakeUseOf, we’ve offered a number of etiquette guides for things like BitTorrent, using emails and forums, and even Facebook etiquette. In this general mini-guide, the focus will be more about the issues and problems that Internet newcomers commonly face, and how to avoid or deal with them.
Understanding Advertising
Understanding Fake Websites
Phishing Emails
Downloading Free Apps
Free Software Crapware And Free Trials
Using Social Networks


For my I-Students... (I just list a few)
iOS Apps on Sale for 17 May: Print To Any Printer for Free
KAYAK Pro ($0.99, now free)
travel app, free, for a week.
Recordium Mini ($2.99, now free)
a smart little voice recorder app
PrintCentral for iPhone ($4.99, now free)
print to virtually any wireless printer

No comments: