economic

Web founder Berners-Lee: Share info, improve the world

He stopped well short of saying information wants to be free, but Tim Berners-Lee, the founder of the World Wide Web, said today the world would be better with some judicious liberation.

Speaking at the 2013 World Economic Forum today in Davos, Switzerland, Berners-Lee called on social-networking sites, academics, musicians, and governments to share more information online.

In earlier days of computing, people had full control over their own information because it was all stored on their own computer in front of them. Now, people store data with online services that deprive them of that control.

"They put their … Read more

At Davos, the self-important get a leaderboard

For most of us, it's just Tuesday. But over in Davos, Switzerland, the elite of the elite are gathered at the annual World Economic Forum for several days of important talks, unbelievable networking, and presumably, a fair amount of social drinking.

Not surprisingly, Twitter seems to be the organizing principle at the event, and in a bid -- perhaps unintentional -- to pit the attendees (who after all didn't make it to the top of the heap by being wallflowers) against each other, the folks running Davos are keeping track of who's tweeting the most.

The result? … Read more

China cyber-espionage threatens U.S., advisory group warns

Congress needs to take action to deflect the growing threat of Chinese cyber-espionage against the U.S., a U.S. commission recommends in a new report.

Released today, the 500-page annual report to Congress by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission details various security issues concerning China. But the commission expressed particular fear over the country's ongoing cyberwarfare efforts.

Calling China the "most threatening actor in cyberspace," the report found that in 2012, Chinese state-sponsored hackers continued to target computers systems run by the U.S. government and military as well those maintained in … Read more

Dear nerds, there will be no revenge

Intelligence gets you nowhere. Being right is as overrated as A-Rod.

That has, at least, been my impression of the world as we know it. I feel uplifted, therefore, that this view -- so often derided as cynical -- has now been confirmed by economists.

Large brains from as far apart as Chicago and the U.K.'s Essex (under the guise of the National Bureau of Economic Research) have concluded that the mere idea that nerds will have their revenge and soar like Shrek into money and love is just so much Hollywood bunkum.

I am indebted to The Atlantic … Read more

Google: We drove $80B in U.S. economic activity last year

Google is driving serious economic activity in the U.S. -- at least, that is, according to Google.

The search giant today unveiled its 2011 Economic Impact report, and said that its search and advertising tools, including AdWords and AdSense, drove $80 billion in economic activity across the U.S. last year. The company said it reached that figure with help from "1.8 million businesses, Web site publishers, and non-profits across the U.S."

In order to arrive at that figure, Google used some fancy math. The company estimates that businesses that use AdWords make $2 in … Read more

As Nokia burns through cash, analysts worry

Nokia has been on a cash-spending tear as of late, and most analysts believe there will be no way for the company to stop it.

Reuters today released the results of a poll it conducted with analysts on their thoughts related to Nokia's cash spending. According to the news service, analysts on average believe that Nokia will cut through 2 billion euros ($2.5 billion) in the next three quarters to keep its operation going. If Nokia does so, it would mean that its cash-spending rate would be accelerating: during the last five quarters, it burned through 2.1 … Read more

We're not paying enough for apps

If you use more than one computer at a time, as I do, maybe you know of the utility called Synergy. It allows you to use one keyboard and mouse on multiple computers: as you drag your mouse pointer off the side of one screen, it appears on the neighboring computer's screen, and keyboard focus changes too.

For years, I used Synergy to allow the keyboard and mouse on the Windows PC that my employer owns to control my personal Macbook when I parked it on my desk at work. It was a great setup.

But all good things … Read more

Study: U.S. solar industry a net exporter

With more and more solar panels being manufactured in Asia, the U.S. is missing the boat on solar, right? Wrong, according to a study published today.

The Solar Energy Industry Association commissioned a report done by GTM Research, which analyzes where money is spent in the solar industry, from raw materials to final installation.

Its two main conclusions are that U.S.-based companies in the solar supply chain earn more revenue than Chinese manufacturers, which now dominate production of solar panels. The other is that for every dollar spent to install solar panels in the U.S., about … Read more

Peter Thiel thinks tech innovation has 'stalled'

ASPEN, Colo.--One of the Internet's most influential investors and entrepreneurs is offering a dire prediction: the pace of technological change is stagnating.

Peter Thiel, a co-founder of PayPal and early investor in Facebook, warned that--despite spectacular advances in computer-related fields over the last few decades--technological progress overall is actually "stalled out."

"There's been insane progress in computers, Internet, and all things related to it," Thiel told a conference here organized by the Technology Policy Institute last night. "It's been offset by incredible failure in energy. To a first order, the two … Read more