Latest Posts by ronbowlens - Page 7

VIDEO: Time Cover Calls Christie ‘Elephant in the Room’ 

Time’s latest cover features NJ Gov. Chris Christie with the words “the elephant in the room.”

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Blockbuster is shutting its doors.

Blockbuster the once popular video rental chain is putting the last nail in their coffin. The company has seen a steady decline in business over the last 5 years and has not been able to compete with other video services such as RedBox or Netflix. Blockbuster's mail services and streaming services simply were not able to compete. Blockbuster shuts downBlockbuster announced that they will be stopping all retail and mail order services next January. Blockbuster was bough by Dick networks in 2010 after going bankrupt. This purchase included roughly 300 locations both domestic and internationally. This shutdown will result in the termination of around 3000 jobs. The Blockbuster streaming services will continue moving forward. Dish says the Blockbuster franchise will stay open and that they will retain all licensing agreements with Blockbuster. For Dish users this included 15 movie channels with thousands of movies. With old relics like Blockbuster finally disappearing it makes me wonder what will happen the the video world next. How will we see Netflix and Amazon grow in the next 10 years.

VIDEO: Retailers’ Fear of ‘Showrooming’ Fades

Best Buy is running television ads that tout its stores as “the ultimate holiday showroom,”…

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Since mid-September, when former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers withdrew his name from consideration to replace Ben Bernanke as chairman of the Federal Reserve next year, market participants have become increasingly interested in the policy views of current Fed vice-chair Janet Yellen, who is now set to take the reins at the central bank when Bernanke’s term expires in January.

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India’s space agency prepares for its first-ever mission to Mars

If all goes according to plan, India will soon join an elite handful of countries that have successfully sent a spacecraft to the red planet.

Torafu Constructs Furniture That Functions Like A Room

KKR to invest $100 million into wireless infrastructure

KKR is making its 11th infrastructure investment. This time they are focussing on wireless infrastructure in rural America. KKR will be a minority investor in its three different communication companies. 1. PEG Bandwidth is a company that builds and operates backhaul networks. Their focus is on connecting wireless communication towers to the data and fiber backbone networks on the ground. 2. AP Wireless buys cell sites both on the ground and on rooftops (domestic and international.) 3. AP Towers develop wireless communication towers and purchase already existing towers. With the explosion of smart devices there has been a dramatic increase in demand for data. This demand is driving investments into wireless infrastructure. The current infrastructural grid is drastically outdated and in a large part of the country still consists of copper cable, which is unable to handle the burden of big data. Raj Agrawal, KKR's Head of North American Infrastructure said, "The need for wireless infrastructure will continue to be driven by increases in wireless data usage that is overwhelming existing network capacity... We are excited about the opportunity to partner with Associated Partners to grow this premier set of businesses with critical telecom infrastructure assets." KKR appears to be betting on factions of the economy that are driven by technical revolutions. In the last year they have also invested into natural gas. With the development of shale natural gas, the amount of natural gas available has skyrocketed. "As the shale revolution is driving the growth of natural gas pipelines to transport molecules, the advent of the smart phone is driving a similar wireless explosion to transmit electrons. Wireless communication networks are an essential component of the nation's infrastructure," said Scott Bruce, Managing Director of Associated Partners, L.P. "We are excited to have KKR partner with us as we expand our businesses."

About KKR Founded in 1976 KKR is  led by Henry R. Kravis and George Roberts. KKR is a leading investment firm with $90.2 billion under management as of September 30, 2013. With offices around the world, and notable global voices such as David Petraeus,  KKR manages assets through a variety of investment funds and accounts covering multiple asset classes. KKR seeks to create value by bringing operational expertise to its portfolio companies and through active oversight and monitoring of its investments.

http://assetsandmanagement.blogspot.com/2013/10/kkr-to-invest-100-million-in-wireless.html

Google shows off updated Glass hardware with earbud and prescription support

A day after inviting members of its Explorers program to swap their old frames for new ones, Google Glass is showing the world what the latest model looks like. In a post on Google+, the company shows a slightly modified version of Glass that includes an attached mono earbud. These will also be the first models to support prescription lenses, the company said.

Earlier this afternoon, it was Steve Cohen’s final fall from grace. Now, Bloomberg reports that Brazil’s one time super billionaire, and now negativeworthaire, Eike Batista, whose sprawling petroleum empire was once valued in the tens of billions, is set to file for bankruptcy tomorrow.

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Improving College Outcomes

Hamilton Project released three new policy proposals by outside experts on how to changes in student lending and financial-aid policies can help improve college outcomes. The findings from the paper are here. 

The Brookings institute is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington D.C. Their mission is to conduct high-quality independent research to provide practical recommendations that advance three goals:

1. Strengthen American Democracy

2. Foster economic and social welfare

3. Secure a more open, safe and prosperous international system

The institute has notable leadership such as president Strobe Talbott and board members like Lazard CEO Kenneth Jacobs. 

Don’t say “student loans” three times fast or else a debt collector might appear!! #TheLivingDebt bit.ly/1biOrYy 

Check out this graphic to see how your loans could be forgiven:

  H/T US Pirg

Word.

Everytime I finish an exam

It’s like:

May the force of a good employer recommendation be with you. [contd]

VIDEO: Wal-Mart’s China Plan To Focus On E-commerce

Wal-Mart Stores, the world’s biggest retailer, is expanding its China business as it seeks to…

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Michael Graves on Starchitects’ Pitfalls, Detroit’s Future, And The Industry’s Names To Watch

(via How Winglets Work - Graphic - NYTimes.com)

Airlines are adopting ‘winglets’ at the end of wings and tails, in an effort to increase flight — and ultimately fuel —efficiencies. Winglets can cut fuel use by as much as 5%.

Airlines have also experimented with other weight reduction practices, like lighter paper in in-flight magazines, and replacing flight manuals with tablets.

Next we’ll see ticketing passengers by weight, since 1/3 of the cost of a flight is fuel.