Techies are trumpeting a so-called virtual currency called Bitcoin that they say could revolutionize global trade. Financial wonks are shouting from various corners of Wall Street about the regulatory pitfalls and the volatility, highlighted by a tumble in valuation that...
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Photograph by Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg
After starting as a hobby among computer geeks, Bitcoin is going mainstream.
Explaining Bitcoin Without Buzzwords
Photograph by Edmond Lococo/Bloomberg
The entryway to PaPa's office is covered in graffiti.
PaPa Aims to Make a Big Noise in the World of Apps
PaPa, the Chinese smartphone app that allows users to tweak photos like Instagram and send voice messages that sound like a robot or hip-hop star, has seen its user-base surge as celebrities use the program to interact with their fans....
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Photographer: Balint Porneczi/Bloomberg
The logo for SFR, a mobile-phone unit of Vivendi SA, sits on a giant display screen at one of the company's stores in Paris, France.
Vivendi Goes Back to Future With SFR Spinoff Plan
In its unlikely transformation from a regional water utility into Europe’s biggest telecom and media conglomerate, Vivendi has ridden a lot of corporate trends. It may be on the verge of adding another to the list: the spinoff. Vivendi is...
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Courtesy Jemstep
Jemstep provides algorithm-driven advice on how to save for retirement.
Why You Should Consider Taking Financial Advice From a Computer
Simon Roy prefers computers to professional money managers because machines don’t work on commission. The dark truth about the financial services industry is that brokers such as those found at a big bank branch or a strip mall often receive...
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Photograph by Scott Halleran/Getty Images
Tiger Woods plays a bunker shot during the WGC-Cadillac Championship last week in Doral, Florida.
Tiger Woods Behave! Trace Sports TV Aims Its Lens at U.S. Shores
As if there weren’t enough sources of celebrity gossips, Trace Sports, whose TV shows cover the private lives of stars from golf legend Tiger Woods to hoops wizard LeBron James, has its eyes on the U.S. even as it’s working...
Read more »SoftBank Capital Raises $250M Fund to Help Startups Expand to Asia
SoftBank Capital, the venture firm that backed the Huffington Post, Buddy Media and OMGPOP, is raising a $250 million fund to help startups expand internationally. And by “internationally,” they mostly mean Asia. SoftBank Capital is the venture arm of Softbank...
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Courtesy Fingerprint Cards
Fingerprint-authentication sensors are expected to show up in mobile phones this year.
Mobile Phones With Fingerprint ID Coming This Year
Mobile phones will soon know your touch. Fingerprint Cards, a Swedish biometric-security company, said a Japanese electronics maker plans to introduce mobile phones with fingerprint sensors in the third quarter of this year. The technology, which identifies a person’s unique fingerprint...
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Photograph by Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg
Esther Dyson is still excited about the possibilities with collecting data, and health devices that can give real-time feedback.
Angel Investor Esther Dyson Increases Dosage in Health Startups
Angel investor Esther Dyson continues to spread her wings. The former technology analyst found success as an early backer of photo-sharing service Flickr and bookmarking site Delicious, both of which sold to Yahoo. She’s on the boards of high-profile sites...
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Photograph by Dado Galdieri/Bloomberg
Latin America is expected to be a major growth area for investments, according to a new study.
Venture Capitalists Expect to Bring Their ‘Dinero’ to Latin America
Startups and investors are going global in a big way next year, according to a study released today. About two-thirds of chief executives from venture-backed U.S. companies expect to expand activity abroad in 2013, according to a survey by the National...
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Photograph by Balint Porneczi/Bloomberg
As part of Wikipedia's revised fundraising efforts, gone are the awkwardly placed photos of co-founder Jimmy Wales.
Wikipedia Edits Fundraising Strategy
Wikipedia’s leaders have a new tactic for finding donors: Appeal to those who rely on the site most. For Wikipedia’s current campaign, not every visitor to the world’s largest crowdsourced encyclopedia is being greeted with a plea for donations. The...
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