business

Facebook hasn't gone public yet, but investors have been trading the social network's shares for years. That may soon change.

Facebook has instructed secondary-market organizations, like SharesPost and SecondMarket, to stop trading its shares this week, Bloomberg reports. The move is designed to help Facebook determine who its shareholders are and to establish a proper valuation leading up to its initial public offering, Bloomberg's sources said.

Facebook filed for its IPO in February. The company hopes to raise $5 billion in the offering on a valuation that could soar past $100 billion. If that happens, it would … Read more

Developers can't stand used video game sales. Just ask Silicon Knights chief Denis Dyack.

"I would argue, and I've said this before, that used games are cannibalizing the industry," Dyack told GamesIndustry International in an interview published yesterday. "If developers and publishers don't see revenue from that, it's not a matter of hey 'we're trying to increase the price of games to consumers, and we want more,' we're just trying to survive as an industry. If used games continue the way that they are, it's going to cannibalize, there's … Read more

I attended GigaOM's Structure:Data 2012 conference in New York City last week. This is the second one I've attended and I'm now a confirmed advocate of this event. Om Malik brings together people who, in one way or another, represent much the creative thinking around so-called big data. I got the feeling that I could strike up a conversation with anyone there and learn something new.

I noticed at least two major differences between the Structure:Data event I attended last year and this year's version. Last year, most if not all of the exhibiting … Read more

Apple CEO Tim Cook was spotted in China yesterday, and now his plans are slowly leaking out.

"Tim is in China meeting with government officials," an Apple spokesperson told Reuters in a statement published today. "China is very important to us and we look forward to even greater investment and growth there."

Cook was photographed in the Joy City Apple Store in Beijing yesterday, looking over his company's products and talking with employees. He didn't say what he had planned for his stay in China, but several rumors cropped up suggesting he is meeting … Read more

Sony's incoming chief executive, Kazuo Hirai, has been hard at work behind the scenes preparing his company for his arrival.

The consumer electronics giant today announced its "One Sony" business structure, which it says is designed to "establish rapid and optimized decision-making processes." Part of the plan involves installing executives to lead certain divisions, while another will shift the company's focus to "three core pillars" -- digital imaging, gaming, and the mobile market.

That might not come as a surprise to many investors and those who have followed Sony. The company recently … Read more

If you find yourself in the market for a new super luxurious private jet, Boeing has got you covered.

The aviation giant unveiled its latest Boeing Business Jet today, a modified 737-700 capable of carrying 19 passengers up to 6,444 miles at 609 miles per hour.

But beyond its technical specifications, what really makes the plane fit for a king is its luxurious appointments. Starting with its stateroom featuring a king-size bed and private bathroom and shower, the plane also has a guest stateroom with divans that convert into beds for eight passengers.

In addition, the plane has been … Read more

Twitter has finally begun a slow-motion rollout of a plan to generate advertising dollars from small businesses with a low-key, self-serve ad program.

Initially, only a small group of businesses will have access to this new advertising opportunity -- Twitter wouldn't say how many, although a spokesman allowed that the number of participating small businesses will "steadily increase" in coming weeks. If it works as advertised --no pun intended --this could be a very big deal for the company, one that could allow it to tap into a huge new swathe of potential advertisers.

The hope within … Read more

Sprint's shares don't usually see much activity, but in the last few days, investors have been increasingly likely to take their cash elsewhere.

The company's stock yesterday was down about 4.5 percent, closing the day at $2.76. As of this writing, the shares have given up nearly 2 percent, dropping 5 cents to $2.71.

The decline is due to an analyst report released yesterday by Bernstein's Craig Moffet, who said Sprint could potentially find itself in deep trouble in the coming years. Sprint's trouble could become so bad, Moffet argued, that it … Read more

Who hasn't called their dad a geek or nerd at some point, right? The thing is, while those monikers might have been an insult or cause for embarrassment back in the day, today, they're a badge of honor for many tech-savvy dads out there.

According to a survey sponsored by Cisco Home Networking Business (who knew Cisco was in the business of geek dads?), these self-proclaimed nerds are eager to pass on their high-tech knowledge to their sons and daughters. And get this: instead of retreating to their rooms and slamming their doors in that special way only angst-ridden teens can, the kids are into it, giving both parties an opportunity to spend more time together.

The survey, called "Confessions of a Geek Dad" and conducted by Answers Research, asked 590 "tech-savvy" men between the ages of 25 to 54, with children ages 17 and under, about their technology habits as it relates to their interaction with kids and other family members. … Read more