Why Groupon was smart to spurn Google's $6 billion offer

 

 Groupon, the fastest-growing web company on the planet, reportedly turned down a $6 billion buyout offer from Google late last week.

Sounds crazy, right? For most two-year-old companies, the idea of getting a $6 billion offer -- never mind turning it down -- is a wild dream.
Especially for an idea like Groupon that seems so simple: Daily money-saving coupon offers for local businesses, delivered by e-mail and over the web (A $50 credit to the Gap on sale for $25, for example). So it's understandable that Groupon's decision surprised people.
But Groupon was actually smart to turn down Google's offer.
Why? Because Groupon is wildly growing in popularity, and is picking up steam so fast that there is no knowing how much it could be worth in a year -- potentially much more than it is now.

WikiLeaks rival plans Monday launch after internal split, founders say

 

 

 

London (CNN) -- Arguing that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has "weakened the organization," a newly organized rival to the website known for leaking official secrets says it will launch Monday.
The founders of Openleaks.org say they are former WikiLeaks members unhappy with the way WikiLeaks is being run under Assange.
"It has weakened the organization," one of those founders, Daniel Domscheit-Berg says in a documentary airing Sunday night on Swedish television network SVT. He said WikiLeaks has become "too much focused on one person, and one person is always much weaker than an organization."
In an e-mail to CNN, Domscheit-Berg said the group hopes to launch its site Monday.
Like WikiLeaks, which facilitates the anonymous disclosure of secret information, Openleaks says its goal is to help people deliver material to news outlets and other organizations without being identified. The Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter, citing internal Openleaks documents, reported that the new site intends to act as an intermediary, "without a political agenda except from the dissemination of information to the media, the public, non-profit organizations, trade and union organizations and other participating groups."

Pfizer among corporate WikiLeak targets

Assange could face U.S. indictment

#Car or #computer? How transport is becoming more #connected

 

Car or computer? How transport is becoming more connected.

 

Fiat is using software that tells drivers how to make better, and more fuel efficient, choices behind the wheel

While few would blink any more at the sight of a Mini Cooper alongside their own vehicle, some may have noticed a few of their models out and about at the moment that are strangely quiet.

And their silence masks some heavy-duty engineering under the bonnet.
They are among the 612 Mini E cars being trialled in the US, UK and Germany since 2009.

New Screens of #L.A. #Noire by #RockStars #Games

New Screens of L.A. Noire
 
A dark detective thriller set against the most violent years in L.A.'s history, L.A. Noire's revolutionary marriage of gameplay and advanced capture technology is coming in spring 2011.  The first proper trailer was launched last week, and recently, members of the gaming press worldwide got their first look at the game in motion.  Here's a roundup of what they discovered, alongside some brand new screenshots released today:
"Every now and then in gaming, a concept comes along that makes you totally reconsider your preconceptions of gameplay within specific genres and settings. It doesn't happen very often mind you... But then, once in a blue moon, there's a flash in the pan; a videogame that reinvigorates your fascination and faith in the medium.  LA Noire is one of these games." - TVG
"In L.A. Noire, you play the seemingly incorruptible Cole Phelps, a beacon of integrity in a police department mired in scandals.  But that's not the only departure from Rockstar's traditional formula.  Not only are you a good guy out after the bad guys, the city itself is not your playground.  Though L.A. Noire is an open-world game (explore L.A. if you like, see the sights, admire the pedestrians), there aren't mini-games to be played or side quests to complete or pigeons to shoot.  L.A. Noire is a far more linear game, that puts an emphasis on the journey, moreso than the destination, and one where the narrative and the characters take a central role, with far fewer distractions.  It's different, but that's what makes it look so promising." - IGN

A meticulously detailed 1947 Los Angeles is the backdrop for L.A. Noire's dark story, with incredible attention invested in recreating the scene of each crime.

"The core component of L.A. Noire is the city itself, a staggeringly beautiful recreation of late-40’s Los Angeles, brimming with the small, historical details that ultimately make any open world believable.  Whether it’s trolley wires criss-crossing above the street; vintage cars speeding by at a brisk 30MPH; or the classic advertisements for real-life products that litter the billboards and buildings, there is a genuine sense of place in L.A. Noire... All of that, however, simply sets the stage for a series of crimes – many of which have been modeled after, or are, in fact, entirely based upon, real-life cases – ranging from brutal murders and blackmail mysteries to horrifying assault investigations." - G4TV

L.A. Noire is the story of Cole Phelps and his rise - with each successfully completed case - from beat cop up through the ranks of the LAPD.

#GrandTheft Auto: #Chinatown Wars HD Now Available from the App Store for #iPad

 

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars HD Now Available from the App Store for iPad.

The critically acclaimed Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is now available for the newest addition to the Apple family, with Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars HD for the Apple iPad, available now from the App Store for $9.99.

With more than 50 missions plus countless side activities, as well as intuitive Multi Touch user interface controls, adjusted difficulty levels and the iTunes customizable radio station Independence Radio, Chinatown Wars HD offers a deep, fast-paced adventure for fans of the Grand Theft Auto series on Apple's iPad. 

Check out a few screenshots from Chinatown Wars HD below that show off the enhanced graphics, higher polygon count vehicle and building models, and enhanced lighting and explosion effects that maximize the 1024 by 768 high-resolution touch screen on the iPad.

Click here to download Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars HD directly from the US App Store.

Sony PlayStation 3 (60GB)

 

The good: Swanky design with quiet operation; all games in high-definition; PSP-like user-friendly interface; plays high-def Blu-ray movies in addition to upscaling standard DVDs; built-in Wi-Fi and flash media reader; 60GB hard drive; online play is free; HDMI output with 1080p support; no external power supply; free online gaming service; plays PS2 and PS1 games; backwards compatibility is hardware based.
The bad: Compelling exclusive games are still few and far between; PlayStation Home and rumble controller not available until 2008;

Bankers' bonuses to face 'dramatic' change in Europe

 

European regulators have confirmed tough restrictions on the bonuses that banks can pay their staff.

Only 20-30% of bonuses can be paid in upfront cash, according to new guidelines announced by the Committee of European Banking Supervisors (CEBS).
The rules are much tougher than those agreed by the G20 countries, raising fears that bankers may emigrate to more lightly-regulated countries.
The British Bankers' Association called it a "dramatic" change.
Although they the guidelines for European national financial regulators are not obligatory, a spokesman for the Financial Services Authority (FSA) confirmed that the UK bank watchdog and its European counterparts intend to implement them in detail.
Bonus culture The guidelines could mark a profound change in the City bonus culture. In the past, star performers have been able to negotiate big pay deals by threatening to quit and work for a rival bank.

Continue reading the main story

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HSBC and Standard Chartered are finding it increasingly difficult to retain their best people or to hire new ones”

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Robert Peston Business editor, BBC News

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#Ex-staffers creating #WikiLeaks spinoff #site

Ex-staffers creating WikiLeaks spinoff site
 

Several of Julian Assange's ex-colleagues say they're launching a WikiLeaks-like site called OpenLeaks next week.

According to Forbes columnist Andy Greenberg, leakers will be able to submit information to the site, but the site won't publish it. Instead, the leakers will name who – such as specific media organizations or watchdog groups – can have access to the information, Forbes reported. Those users will make their own decisions about fact-checking, editing and publishing.
That will allow the exposure of the information without the same legal questions that WikiLeaks faces, one of OpenLeaks' founders, Daniel Domscheit-Berg, told Forbes.

Oxford Tube coach overturns on M40 injuring many

 

 

Seventeen people were taken to hospital in Oxford after a coach overturned as it left the M40 in Oxfordshire.

Five of those admitted to the John Radcliffe Hospital needed surgery, mainly for broken bones. The remaining patients have now been discharged.
The Oxford Tube coach, travelling from London, crashed just before 2300 GMT on Saturday at the northbound exit of junction seven, near Thame.
A man has died in a separate crash which closed the M5 on Sunday.

The driver of the coach was among those taken to hospital

Your #Holiday #Slim-Down #Strategy

Your Holiday Slim-Down Strategy

 

 

 

 

 

 

When your social schedule begins to expand during the holidays, so does your waistline. "Most people attend tons of festive events—and nearly all of them center around fattening food," says Michelle May, M.D., author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat. Add seasonal stress and zero time to cook or hit the gym, and you have a recipe for holiday weight gain. Well, not this year. Here's a plan for dodging diet pitfalls—everything from thousand-calorie eggnog lattes at the mall food court to button-popping family dinners.

 

$100 #bill's new f#acelift goes awry—CNBC #dollar

$100 bill's new facelift goes awry—CNBC 

 

A significant production problem with new high-tech $100 bills has caused government printers to shut down production of the new notes and to quarantine more than one billion of the bills in huge vaults in Fort Worth, Texas and Washington, CNBC has learned.

Initially scheduled for release in February of 2011, the new bills were announced with great fanfare by officials at the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve in April.
At the time, officials announced the new bills would incorporate sophisticated high-tech security features, including a 3-D security strip and a color-shifting image of a bell designed to foil counterfeiters.
But the production process is so complex, it has instead foiled the government printers tasked with producing billions of the new notes.

High-tech war games help save lives

 

 

 

Orlando, Florida (CNN) -- Virtual life is around us every day, from online communities to simulation in computer games. It's fun, but it's also useful.
The United States military uses simulation technology to train pilots, soldiers who take part in convoys and medics, who are similar to civilian emergency medical technicians.
New battery-operated, remote-controlled mannequins can simulate bleeding and breathing, and they have blinking eyes that dilate. Medics can test their skills on these life-like mannequins.
The new units, which are packed with technology, are used at 23 U.S. Army Medical Simulation Training Centers as part of a program to teach lifesaving techniques to medics and nonmedical personnel.
A Pentagon study says the training program has saved 1,000 soldiers' lives in combat, said Lt. Col. Wilson Ariza, manager of the U.S. Army Medical Simulation Project.
The centers -- originally designed to train medics and first responders before deployment to Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan -- became so good at saving lives on the battlefield that training was added to include everyday soldiers.

Memorials for #slain #soccer fan turn violent in #Russia

Memorials for slain soccer fan turn violent in Russia


 

Rioting broke out in Russia's two largest cities Saturday as soccer fans protested the death of a man in ethnically charged clashes earlier in the week.

Yegor Sviridov, 28, was killed during a huge brawl in northern Moscow between football fans and migrants from the North Caucasus region. A suspect is in custody, RIA Novosti reported.

Indiana infant to get transplant after all

 

 

(CNN) -- An Indiana infant who was denied a life-saving transplant surgery by Medicaid will now have his operation paid for.
MDwise, Inc. and AmeriHealth Mercy of Indiana announced Friday that they will cover six-month-old Seth Petreikis' thymus tissue transplant after Medicaid denied his parents original claim. Two appeals to the state's Family and Social Service Administration had also been denied. This decision comes after media reports of Seth's plight.
After having an open heart surgery at about 2 ½ weeks, doctors diagnosed Seth with Complete DiGeorge Syndrome, a rare disease that leaves him with no immune system.
Dr. M. Louise Market pioneered the surgery at Duke Hospital in North Carolina -- the only doctor at the only hospital in the United States that performs the surgery. Duke Hospital has done 60 thymus transplants in patients with DiGeorge Syndrome, and approximately 75% of them survived. Without this transplant, Seth would face serious infections that would surely end his life.
Tim and Becky Petreikis from Dyer, Indiana, were told the cost of the surgery would be $350,000 to $500,000 -- a cost they told CNN they could not afford.