Being a VIP in the ER does come with certain perks.
In the U.S. the average emergency room wait now tops four hours. Most American patients wonder whether a hefty hospital donation or a family connection may be the secret to getting speedier care.
Continue reading… “U.S. hospitals admit VIP’s get faster care in the ER”
Delta will be the first airline to expand its Wi-Fi service to regional jets.
More airlines are beginning to offer Wi-Fi service and travelers are increasingly expected to take advantage of in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity in the coming years. A new report from In-Stat News found that in-flight Wi-Fi revenue is expected to grow from about $225 million in 2011 to over $1.5 billion in 2015.
Continue reading… “In-flight Wi-Fi predicted to grow 600% by 2015”
Planes being de-iced at LaGuardia.
Flights are being canceled by U.S. airlines at the fastest rate in ten years storms from blizzards to hurricanes wallop the busiest hubs. And full planes are making it harder for stranded travelers to rebook trips.
Continue reading… “Flight cancellations at a 10-year high in the U.S.”
Urban Station in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Co-working spaces may be for you if you are tired of working at Starbucks. They’ve been mushrooming over the last few years, and not only in the US. Cool co-working spaces have also opened in most Latin American cities, and there’s more to come. Here are eleven Latin American co-working spaces:
Continue reading… “Eleven Latin American co-working spaces”
Groupon launches Groupon Goods.
On Wednesday, Groupon launched its online retail arm Groupon Goods for its American subscribers, moving beyond daily group discounts to compete with leaders like Amazon Inc.
Continue reading… “Groupon launches online retailing with Groupon Goods”
UBS trader Kweku Adoboli allegedly made unauthorized trades that cost the Swiss investment bank billions.
Financial traders are more uncooperative than psychopaths, and also that they have a greater tendency for lying and risk-taking, according to a new study from a Swiss University. The new research about financial traders and their personalities may shed some light on the behavior of Kweku Adoboli, the so-called “rogue” UBS trader who allegedly lost the bank $2.3 billion through unauthorized trading.
Continue reading… “Study: Financial traders are more reckless than psychopaths”
Nevada is a magnet for businesses seeking secrecy.
In Nevada, the business of registering businesses is booming and the consultants in this thriving industry, many who are former felons, are aiding companies in seeking to avoid liabilty and disclosure. But many of these consultants are former felons. All of this comes at a time when Washington is calling on other nations to enforce greater transparency of financial flows.
Continue reading… “Nevada’s big bet on ‘shell’ secrecy”
The free checking account will soon be gone.
According to a survey released by Bankrate.com only 45% of non-interest bank checking accounts are free, down from 65% in 2010 and 76% two years ago. Fees, meanwhile, are rising: The average monthly fee for a non-interest account is $4.37, up 75% from a year ago.
Continue reading… “Prepare to say goodbye to the free checking account”
Futurist Thomas Frey: As I’m writing this column, there are currently 466,302 mobile apps available for the iPhone and 512,542 mobile apps available to download on an Android phone.
Continue reading… “Introducing the Perpetual Self-Updating Book”
“Individuals in high-power/low-status roles chose more demeaning activities for their partners.”
One of the authors of a new study by three universities says people holding positions of power with low status tend to demean others.
Continue reading… “People who have power but lack status tend to demean others”
Another reason the patent system is so difficult.
Last month, Google stepped up to defend Android coders against notorious patent troll Lodsys. Apple fought the company a few months earlier on behalf of iOS developers. Patent reform is a hot topic right now, especially after President Obama just signed legislation that means the U.S. is shifting to a “first to file” (over “first to invent”) system. This won’t help much with the patent troll situation, which Boston University researchers James Bessen and Mike Meurer say have cost publicly-traded defendants $500 billion since 1990…
Continue reading… “Patent Trolls costing an astronomical $500 Billion”
That’s a net gain 6,700 jobs in one year!
Don’t let the Solyndra talk fool you: The clean energy sector is still booming. And even booming industries — maybe especially booming industries — see a fair share of once-promising companies go belly up. It’s unfortunate that the Obama administration once touted Solyndra as an example of the fast-growing renewable power sector, but its bankruptcy is a poor reflection of the industry’s health as a whole. In fact, renewable energy remains one of the few sectors to see consistent growth over the last couple years.
A new report highlights that health, revealing that the solar industry employs over 100,000 people, and added over 6,700 jobs in the last 12 months alone…
Continue reading… “U.S. Solar Industry now employs 100,000 people, grew 6.8% since August 2010”
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