It was a clever advert. Four teens seated with each tethered to their respective smartphones. They were apparently hyper-connecting and socializing with virtual friends through social media. But in the physical realm, they were evidently detached from the person seated nearby. Above them was written “all this social media might be making us less social” and below was “Today’s kids think they are aware of everything: friends’ status, pictures, location …except what is happening right [...]

Google surprised the phone industry recently by announcing that it had purchased Motorola’s smartphone and tablet business for $12 billion. Google’s CEO, Larry Page, said the purchase would “supercharge” its Android operating system and help the company extend into other business ventures.   But in reality, it’s very evident that all Google seeks is the control of over 17,000 patents owned by Motorola, which will help Google protect its Android operating system. This is the [...]

From my perspective, one of the most difficult things about being an entrepreneur is having the creativity and fortitude to search one’s way to a working business model.  To be fair, this approach is not a given.  I’ve certainly seen entrepreneurs develop concepts and execute with an “all or nothing” mindset.  In other words, a single idea + business model is created and launched with the expectation that it will be “the right answer.”   [...]

Canalys has released the results of a recent App Interrogator survey of the top paid-for and free apps from the leading consumer app stores to clients of its App Store Analysis service. The survey reveals that the top paid-for Android apps are priced dramatically higher than those on iOS for the iPhone.   In the US, to purchase the top 100 paid-for apps in the Android Market would cost $374.37 – an average of $3.74 [...]

On March 21 the U.K.’s coalition government produced its budget for the next year. Among proposals discussed had been a so-called mansion tax—an annual 1 percent levy on homes worth more than £2 million ($3.2 million).   In Russia, President-elect Vladimir Putin has put forward a luxury tax to be levied on purchasers of high-end cars and real estate.   In France, the Socialist Party’s presidential candidate, François Hollande, is proposing a 75 percent tax rate on earnings above [...]

Mobile devices have exacerbated an always-on work culture where employees work anytime, anywhere. They’ve contributed to the blurred distinction between when you’re “on the clock” and when you’re not. Service industry professionals are especially tethered to these devices. There’s an assumption that using smart devices boosts productivity, since they allow us to work constantly. But, we’re also jeopardizing long-term productivity by eliminating predictable time off that ensures balance in our lives. Is the obsession of… [...]

New legislation could give the Government “on demand” access to your online and phone activities.   Measures to monitor our online activities more closely are thought to be announced in May’s Queen’s Speech. But what exactly do these Government plans mean for you?   The Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) would be able to take a look at the details of your phone calls, texts, emails and browser history – and although a warrant would be [...]

A philosopher (name withheld for security reasons) whose predictions have all come true in the past has in an exclusive interview given the outcome of the 2012 presidential elections.   The Philosopher, in 2000 predicted John Kufour was going to win the presidential elections which came to pass. He predicted Kufour was going to be retained in 2004 which also came to pass. He again in 2008 predicted Mills was going to win the elections [...]

The use of Biochar to act as a carbon sink is causing quite a stir among environmentalists and scientists alike. This ancient technology of burning organic matter then burying it in the ground to fertilize crops may have been around for over 3000 years in the Amazon Basin, but the research that shows that this method of fertilization will also absorb some of the carbon in the atmosphere means that this could be a really [...]

A Policy Analyst with IMANI Ghana, Kofi Bentil has said education is the bedrock of Ghana’s development and should therefore be given the necessary attention and seriousness that it deserves.   Speaking at a roundtable discussion on education at Alisa Hotel in Accra on Friday, organized by Citi fm with support from the World Bank and IMANI Ghana, titled, “Fixing Ghana’s Education; Is free Senior High School the way to go?”, Kofi Bentil stated categorically [...]