On Reliable, John Avlon, Erin McPike, Ramesh Ponnuru on two NYT stories: Romney's Mormonism & Jeremiah Wright ad plan wp.me/p1AwCm-oC Continue reading →
Priced at $38 a share on Thursday, the 8-year-old social-networking company, fronted by hoodie-wearing CEO Mark Zuckerberg, could raise $16 billion in funding, not including an overallotment option. It could end its first day of trading worth up to $104 billion. That would make it worth more than Disney, Ford and Kraft Foods. It would be the second-largest U.S.-listed IPO behind only Visa. Facebook's market debut, the biggest tech company IPO ever, should create 1,000 millionaires overnight.The mega-offering signals a seminal event in the Internet's maturation as a fundamental cog in the world economy, says Dave Morin, CEO of Path, a social network of 3 million and a former Facebook executive. "It sets the tone for long-term, product-driven Internet companies," he says."This is an IPO ... Continue reading →
BY STU WOO Amazon.com Inc. has become the latest technology company to catch the Hollywood bug, announcing that it is soliciting scripts to produce its own comedy and children's TV series. The online-retailing giant on Wednesday said anyone could send the company a proposal and pilot script for a series. If selected, Amazon would produce the show itself and then distribute it through its online-video service. Amazon "wants to discover great talent and produce programming that audiences will love," said Roy Price, director of Amazon Studios, the company's division overseeing the programming effort, in prepared remarks. In an unrelated development, Target Corp. said ...BY STU WOO Amazon.com Inc. has become the latest technology company to catch the Hollywood bug, announcing that it is soliciting scripts ... Continue reading →
SEATTLE – Can bold entrepreneurship, backed by a few tech billionaires with cash to spare, launch human commerce to the far reaches of the solar system?The answer is a rousing yes, according to backers of an astounding asteroid-mining scheme unveiled Tuesday by Planetary Resources, a Bellevue, Wash.-based start-up.The idea: Land robots on selected asteroids in orbit between Mars and Jupiter; figure out how to tap water and minerals as fuel for long-distance spacecraft; and bring home platinum and other precious materials to make it all a profitable venture."Since my early teenage years, I've wanted to be an asteroid miner. I always viewed it as a glamorous vision of where we could go," Peter Diamandis, the visionary behind Planetary Resources, told a news conference at Seattle's ... Continue reading →
Amy Winehouse performs during her concert at the Volkshaus in Zurich, Switzerland, in 2007. Continue reading →
LivingSocial launches takeout and delivery service By Barbara Ortutay, Associated Press Updated NEW YORK – Throw away all those soy sauce-stained takeout menus.ThinkStockLivingSocial is aiming to make your takeout and delivery experience easier.ThinkStockLivingSocial is aiming to make your takeout and delivery experience easier.Online deals site LivingSocial is unveiling an Internet food-ordering service. Hungry customers will be able to use it to order tacos, burgers or Pad Thai from participating restaurants over the Internet for pickup or delivery.Aptly called "Takeout & Delivery," the service replaces LivingSocial's instant-deals site, which offered real-time discounts with tight time constraints. LivingSocial says that service was a testing ground for its new, food-focused offering.The service is launching Thursday with more than 2,700 restaurants in 26 U.S. markets, including Atlanta, Chicago, Boston, ... Continue reading →
Forget $5 a gallon. In Alaska, you could be paying more than $6 a gallon. It's already happening at a handful of gas station in one town.Alaska may be one of the country's biggest oil-producing states, but it doesn't appear to be helping with gas prices. GasBuddy.com, a gas-price-tracking site that depends on readers' reports, finds Alaska to be the second-most-expensive state overall for gas prices after Hawaii. California is third.The four most expensive stations in Alaska are all in one town, Bethel. At Nicholson's Auto or Northstar Gas, you'll pay $6.34 a gallon, the website says. Next comes $6.33 a gallon at the Quick Food Center, and $6.13 in Crowley. Interestingly, there's no $5 gas in Alaska. After more than $6 a gallon in ... Continue reading →
