Technology & Innovation

“Up and down society, people are moving away from commercial, productive activities and toward pleasant, enlightened but less productive ones.” David Brooks on economic change.

“Too expensive, too heavy and unnecessary: Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer hold copilots in low regard. So, now the company plans to replace them with a computer.”

“American investors have filed several lawsuits to pressure Germany to honor bonds issued by the Weimar Republic. Berlin says a deadline for registering the bonds passed decades ago.”

“We shouldn’t forget that the modern market economy is the greatest communal enterprise ever undertaken.” Jonah Goldberg praises free market capitalism for its complexity.

“Google has announced that it will begin to roll out ‘Instant’ search results around the world.” The Telegraph reports on the Internet giant’s innovation in search technology.

University classes are starting so I thought I would write a blog post that would encourage students to think about the world. This idea came from a project that was […]

“Despite being pilloried by the public lately, a banker’s lot can’t be all that bad. At least, that’s what Wal-Mart executives must be thinking.” Forbes on the retail giant’s new banking ideas.

“Shouldn’t we expect a scramble to put forward plans for promoting growth and restoring jobs? Apparently not.” Paul Krugman is critical of backward-looking economic theorizing.

“What does it take to trade in a commodity that cannot be seen or touched—and isn’t even a commodity in the United States?” Scientific American reports on traders in the global carbon market.

“Is the future of TV in social networking?” A Forbes Magazine blog looks at the future of the television, which is online and allows shared viewing and conversations over Facebook and Twitter.

“How dizzyjam.com, muzu.tv and The Vynyl Factory are staging a musical revolution.” The Telegraph reports on three Internet startups that are working to change the music industry.

“Happy F*ckin’ Labor Day! Before there were unions, there was no middle class.” Michael Moore tells White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel he ought to defend the UAW.

“It is immoral to use private property in order to alleviate the horrible evils that result from the institution of private property.” Žižek quotes Oscar Wilde to criticize modern ideas of charity.

“Modernity, which centrally entails a weakening of family and clan ties, is a precondition of economic progress.” Judge Richard Posner discusses economic development in poor countries.

As Texas investigates anti-trust claims made against Google, The Wall Street Journal reports on a widening trend of government hostility toward the Internet giant.

We have this perception that most cheating that goes on in marriage is among the extremely wealthy. Well, of course we do. When a man in the bottom of the […]

“In recent months some rich-world economies (notably Germany’s) have basked in the sunshine even as the clouds gathered over America.” Not all strong economies are equal.

“No matter what the critics say, oil revenue and foreign investment will guide Iraq to prosperity.” Ian Bremmer on what will become of Iraq once American troops leave.

“Like Southern Europe, the US economy must move away from the consumption/housing-led growth model of the last decade.” Can stimulus facilitate a structural change in the economy?

“The Internet has been a great unifier of people, companies and online networks. Powerful forces are threatening to balkanise it.” The Economist on the future of the Internet.

The Simple Dollar blog reviews nine ways to accomplish more by working smarter, not harder. Conquering technology and building stronger relationships are two recommendations.

Internet dating sites in India report that educated women are now less interested in meeting US men who work on Wall Street and more interested in marrying resident civil servants.

After a recent paper showed that immigrants do not steal jobs from Americans, economic pundits are highlighting other ways immigration benefits the national economy.

“Policies that generate more widely shared prosperity lead to stronger and more sustainable economic growth—and that’s good for everyone.” Robert Reich on how to fix the recession.

“TV shows are emerging as a new front in the war over digital media between Amazon.com Inc. and Apple Inc., amid their ongoing battles over electronic books and online music.”

One might think that men would have to pay prostitutes a premium to have sex without a condom.  But a new study of the sex trade in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez suggests the opposite.

“Here’s the central paradox of American jobs and education. While benefits from going to college are increasing exponentially, the fastest growing jobs aren’t for high-earning college graduates.”

“By reshaping our minds, the internet is robbing us of the ability to think critically and creatively, says the author of The Shallows, Nicholas Carr.” The New Scientists conducts an interview.

“The contemporary customer is mad as hell—fed up with inept service, indifferent employees, and customer-service departments that are harder to negotiate than Kafka’s Castle.”

“Apple has unveiled a new music social network that could rival Facebook and Twitter, as well as an Apple TV that can stream movies and television shows directly from the Internet.”