Apple’s iOS App Store has seen incredible growth and has doubled its payouts to developers (now totaling over $8 billion) and sparked the creation of over 80,000 new jobs directly related to building software for Apple’s mobile platform within the last year.
Continue reading… “80,000 new jobs in the U.S. created by Apple’s iOS app economy in 2012”
The bet is that some of the braniacs’ startups will eventually create lots of good jobs.
One of the world’s largest immigration programs is in Canada and they are launched a new type of visa for foreign entrepreneurs this week. Foreign nationals can apply to the new Startup Visa program and gain immediate permanent residency if the secure funding from Canadian venture capital firms or angel investors. Canada’s new program is the latest in a score of startup visas recently created or revamped by governments, including Australia, Chile, and the U.K., to woo foreign entrepreneurs.
Continue reading… “Brilliant young entrepreneurs being wooed by Canada’s new startup visa”
4.3 million retail salespeople in the U.S.
In the United States, there are 4.3 million retail salespeople. That is equivalent to the population in the state of Kentucky. And there are 310 prosthodontists — that is, dentists specializing in prosthetic teeth — which is enough to fill, well, a medium-sized lecture hall.
Continue reading… “Top 10 most common (and top 10 least common) jobs in America”
For teens, the mobile messaging apps represent freedom from Facebook.
Facebook is last place you want to be these days if you are a daring, unruly malcontent of a teen. Facebook is now the Establishment of social networks, and for teens, that’s reason enough to stay away from it.
Continue reading… “Teens still leaving Facebook for mobile messaging apps”
Over 16,000 dead pigs have been found in China’s rivers.
The “dead animals in Chinese rivers” toll seems to have stabilized. According to recent reports, over 16,000 dead pigs have been joined by 1,000 dead ducks and, rather ominously, 13 dead black swans in China’s rivers. The discovery of so many carcasses has elicited no small amount of public concern in China, as well as mockery elsewhere — even Jay Leno got into the act.
Continue reading… “China’s dead pig dumping scandal”
Would you ever use a meal delivery service?
Are meal delivery services the future of groceries? The sheer volume of venture-backed meal delivery services that have cropped up over the last year can only mean one of two things: Either there is a sudden, massive demand for this service, and it has finally figured out an economically viable model.
Continue reading… “Are meal delivery services the future of groceries?”
Forty-nine percent of adults surveyed said they text and drive.
Hyper-connected teens have been the target of many of the campaigns to stop texting and driving, but a new survey from AT&T shows adults are more likely to be driving distracted.
Continue reading… “Study: Adults are more likely to text and drive than teens”
Several brick-and-mortar businesses across the US have started accepting the virtual currency.
Bitcoin is a cryptographic digital currency that is not underwritten by any government. Bitcoin is designed to be secure and can’t be counterfeited and can be used with anonymity because the software underlying the currency operates on decentralized peer-to-peer network. What started out in 2010 as an underground currency for grey-market activities, has since grown to a $400 million worldwide market for buying everything from pizza to domain names. In an attempt to prevent inflation, the number of Bitcoins in circulation will continue to grow automatically at an ever-decreasing rate, according to the laws of its software, until reaching maximum of 21 million coins shortly after 2030. There are just over 10 million today.
Continue reading… “Bitcoin: The revolution of digital currency”
35% drop in women tourists in India.
Since the Dehli gang rape the image of ‘Incredible India’ has taken a massive beating in the past three months, resulting in foreign tourist arrivals falling 25% and an even bigger drop, 35%, in women tourists.
Continue reading… “25% decline in foreign tourists after Dehli gang rape”
Futurist Thomas Frey: A couple years ago I was on a weekend outing in Vail, Colorado and ended up attending a kayaking tournament taking place on the Gore Creek in the heart of town.
More newspapers adding paywalls to their online subscriptions.
Several newspapers have recently announced plans to erect paywalls to extract subscription revenues for their most loyal online readers. While the Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Telegraph, and the Sun are adding paywalls other paywalls are being tweaked. The NYT paywall is getting less porous, while Andrew Sullivan’s is being tightened up, with a new $2/month option to complement the existing $20/year price point.
Continue reading… “Paywalls rise for online news readers”
A little dirt never hurt anyone.
Scientific research suggests that all the antibacterial-wiping, germ-killing cleanliness of the developed world may actually be making us more prone to getting sick — and that a little more dirt might help us stay healthier in the long run.
Continue reading… “Excessive cleanliness may be making us sick”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.