Amazon’s Hit Man

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information.

Description:  Larry Kirshbaum was the ultimate book industry insider—until Amazon called Source:  Businessweek.com Date: 01/25/2012 Link:  http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/amazons-hit-man-01252012.html?chan=magazine+channel_top+stories Questions for discussion: Describe the changes that management is dealing with in the publishing industry. How has management at Amazon been affected by technological changes? Do you think management decision-making has been responsive?

Six Strategy Insights RIM’s New CEO Can Use

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Description:  The usual moves won’t work when new technologies and rivals dramatically shake up the field Source:  Businessweek.com Date: 01/24/2012 Link:  http://www.businessweek.com/management/six-strategy-insights-rims-new-ceo-can-use-01242012.html Questions for discussion: What are the recommendations made in this report? Do you agree with them? What else would you suggest to RIM’s top management?

How the U.S. Lost Out on iPhone Work

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Description:  When Barack Obama joined Silicon Valley’s top luminaries for dinner in California last February, each guest was asked to come with a question for the president. But as Steven P. Jobs of Apple spoke,President Obama interrupted with an inquiry of his own: what would it take to make iPhones in the United States? Source: … Read more »

Leaving the plastic (and fees) behind

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Description:  Dwolla, of Des Moines, Iowa, is taking on credit cards by allowing users to transfer money and pay for items on their phones for a small fee. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 01/17/2012 Link:   http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2012/01/13/t_dwolla_credit_cards.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: Describe why this business is better than competitors? What are the problems managers will have… Read more »

Apple Unveils IBooks 2 to Help Boost IPad Usage in Schools

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Description:  Apple Inc. introduced a service to make digital versions of textbooks available on the iPad and beef up the education content for the tablet computer as it gains popularity in classrooms. Source:  Businessweek.com Date: 01/20/2012 Link:  http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-20/apple-unveils-ibooks-2-to-help-boost-ipad-usage-in-schools.html Questions for discussion: What are the advantages and disadvantages of this sort of technology? Do you think… Read more »

7 Charged as F.B.I. Closes a Top File-Sharing Site

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Description:  In what authorities have called one of the largest criminal copyright cases ever brought, the Justice Department and the F.B.I. have seized the Web site Megaupload and charged seven people connected with it with running an international enterprise based on Internet piracy. Source:  NYTimes.com Date: 01/20/2012 Link:   http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/21/technology/megaupload-indictment-internet-piracy.html?ref=business Questions for discussion: What are the… Read more »

If Apple made a TV …

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Description:  TV makers at CES say they are not worried about Apple breaking into their business. But should they be?  Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 01/11/2012 Link:   http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2012/01/11/t_ces_apple_tv.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: What sort of features would you expect if and when an Apple TV is introduced to the marketplace?  How might consumers change their… Read more »

Park City Eatery Balks at Credit Card Fines in Rare Court Fight

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources.

Description:   Stephen and Cissy McComb say they managed their Italian eatery in Park City, Utah, for more than two decades without running afoul of security rules of Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc. — until they were accused of mishandling data and opening the door to $1.26 million in fraud. Source:  Bloomberg.com Date: 01/1o/2012 Link:  http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-10/park-city-eatery-balks-at-credit-card-fines-in-rare-court-fight.html… Read more »

MySpace Co-founder Moves From Social Networking to Social Commerce

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information.

Description:  MySpace co-founder Josh Berman knows how to capitalize on online trends. The entrepreneur behind one of the Web 2.0 era’s most successful companies bet on the rise of social networks, and after spending four years at MySpace and selling the company for over $500 million, he’s on to the next trend. Source:  Sprouter.com Date:… Read more »

Computer geeks king in job hunt

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Description:  Some undergrads with coding skills get approached by 10 to 20 companies before they even graduate. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 01/06/2012 Link:   http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2012/01/05/n_computer_science_jobs.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: Explain the forces driving the job market for graduates with these skills? Do you think the forces in the economy driving this industry are likely to… Read more »