Description: At the annual BookExpo America this week, booksellers voiced mixed feelings about the news that Amazon’s Kindle book sales have surpassed print, and some said they simply don’t believe it at all. Source: Fortune.com Date: 05/27/2011 Link: http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/05/27/book-publishers-in-denial-on-amazons-e-book-sales/ Questions for discussion: Summarize the key points made in this report. Is this good news for… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Part 5 Managing Technology and Information
LinkedIn CEO: Why we’re so valuable
Description: CEO Jeff Weiner says LinkedIn’s “exclusive focus on professionals” is what makes his company’s social platform so valuable to investors. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 05/20/2011 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2011/05/20/n_linkedin_ceo.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: Do you think LinkedIn is worth the IPO price? What revenue streams are available to the firm? What types of acquisitions would… Read more »
Red Bull’s Billionaire Maniac
Description: Dietrich Mateschitz is making a bold move into TV, movies, and magazines. What’s the visionary behind a $5 billion-a-year soft-drink empire doing in the media business? Just what he’s always done: having a blast. Source: Businessweek.com Date: 05/19/2011 Link: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_22/b4230064852768.htm Questions for discussion: Summarize what you learned about the man and the company. Do… Read more »
Zuckerberg: Kids under 13 should be allowed on Facebook
Description: Facebook’s founder sees the social networking site as a tool with educational potential. That of course means getting kids Facebooking at an early age. Source: Fortune.com Date: 05/20/2011 Link: http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/05/20/zuckerberg-kids-under-13-should-be-allowed-on-facebook/ Questions for discussion: Do you agree with the arguments promoting use of Facebook at an earlier age for educational benefits? What are the ethical… Read more »
Cody Willard: Why Apple is going to $2,000
Description: Cody Willard makes his case for Apple at $2,000 and explains why it could be the first $2 trillion company in market cap. Source: Marketwatch.com – video report Date: 05/11/2011 Link: http://www.marketwatch.com/video/asset/cody-willard-why-apple-is-going-to-2000/4C6F5D5C-B4BC-4737-871C-E5DA3D667949 Questions for discussion: Summarize the reasons given by the analyst that support his belief in Apple stock rising to such extraordinary levels…. Read more »
Pricing, ticket sites hit baseball attendance
Description: Finding cheap tickets may be part of the fun for baseball fans, but all the browsing around and waiting for the best deals may actually be hurting baseball. Source: Marketwatch.com Date: 05/14/2011 Link: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/pricing-ticket-sites-hit-baseball-attendance-2011-05-14 Questions for discussion: What are the major forces affecting the prices paid for tickets today? How can teams respond to… Read more »
Google begins war against Windows
Description: Google does battle with Microsoft in most of its business areas, but it’s gearing up to tackle the big daddy of them all: Windows. Source: CNNMoney.com Date: 05/13/2011 Link: http://money.cnn.com/2011/05/13/technology/google_chrome_os/index.htm Questions for discussion: Describe the fundamental shift required by users, as planned by Google. Do you think it will succeed with business customers? How… Read more »
In Shift, Ads Try to Entice Over-55 Set
Description: After 40 years of catering to younger consumers, advertisers and media executives are coming to a different realization: older people aren’t so bad, after all. Source: NYTimes.com Date: 05/13/2011 Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/14/business/media/14viewers.html?ref=business Questions for discussion: How have advertisers changed their thinking about the over-55 set? Why does this make sense today? Are there other segments… Read more »
Sony Apologizes, Offers $1 Million Insurance After Hacking
Description:  Sony Corp. (6758) Chairman Howard Stringer apologized and offered U.S. users of its PlayStation Network and Qriocity online services a year of free identity-theft protection after the system was crippled by hackers. Source: Bloomberg.com Date: 05/06/2011 Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-06/sony-offers-network-users-free-identity-theft-service-after-hacker-attack.html Questions for discussion: Summarize the events that have led to this situation. Do you think Sony’s… Read more »
The Class That Built Apps, and Fortunes
Description: ALL right, class, here’s your homework assignment: Devise an app. Get people to use it. Repeat. That was the task for some Stanford students in the fall of 2007, in what became known here as the “FacebookClass.†No one expected what happened next. The students ended up getting millions of users for free apps… Read more »
