*1. Who's zooming who?
If you follow the financial markets, or are concerned with the state of the American economy in general, this article from Time is a must read. It's the best summary of the problems our economy has been having that I have read. The central question of the article, which is adapted from the book "Makers and Takers: The Rise of Finance and the Fall of American Business" by Rana Foroohar, is: Are financial institutions doing things that provide clear, measurable benefit to the real economy? The simple answer is no, and it's kind of a big deal.
"America's economic illness has a name: financialization. It's an academic term for the trend by which Wall Street and its methods have come to reign supreme in America, permeating not just the financial industry but also much of American business. It includes everything from the growth in size and scope of finance and financial activity in the economy; to the rise of debt-fueled speculation over productive lending; to the ascendancy of shareholder value as the sole model for corporate governance; to the proliferation of risky, selfish thinking in both the private and public sectors; to the increasing political power of financiers and the CEOs they enrich; to the way in which a 'markets know best' ideology remains the status quo. Financialization is a big, unfriendly word with broad, disconcerting implications."
*2. Spaces
Google is still trying to figure out the social Web with this confusing new app
"Here's the basic concept: Spaces wants to give you new ways to set up group chats with your friends. In these chatrooms, you can plan trips, talk about shared interests and, of course, link each other to relevant YouTube videos and Google search results."
+ From Official Google Blog - Introducing Spaces, a tool for small group sharing
++ Not related to Spaces, but tangentially related to Google - We now know who owns the government surveillance SUV disguised as a Google Maps car
"On Thursday, the Philadelphia Police Department admitted to Motherboard that the SUV is one of its vehicles. But not all of the questions surrounding the surveillance SUV are solved."
++ Also, not related to Spaces, this article talks about what Google is doing with a ridesharing initiative using Waze. Most people don't know Google owns Waze. It does. From WaPo - This experiment puts Google one step closer to driverless ridesharing
"The pilot program, which is being offered via Google's Waze navigation app, aims to connect commuters who need a ride with drivers who can supply one. In exchange, riders will help cover the drivers' fuel costs. Consolidating rides means fewer cars on the road — which is better for traffic congestion and the environment, according to Waze."
*3. Is Buffett getting bullish on tech stocks?
First, we learned he was in cahoots with Dan Gilbert in a bid for Yahoo! Now this...
Warren Buffett's Berkshire takes $1 billion bite of Apple
All the Berkshire Hathaway folks gotta be wondering what is going on.
+ Warren Buffett never liked tech stocks. So why does he own Apple?
*4. Girl Power!
From WaPo - Girls outscore boys on inaugural national test of technology, engineering skills
"The test was designed to measure students’ abilities in areas such as understanding technological principles, designing solutions and communicating and collaborating. Girls were particularly strong in the latter."
"Among eighth-grade students in public and private schools, 45 percent of girls and 42 percent of boys scored proficient on the exam, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP. Overall, 43 percent of all students were proficient."
More proof for my theory that woman should run the world.
*5. DON'T. FEED. THE. ANIMALS.
Recent news that a baby bison had to be euthanized because of careless actions by tourists visiting Yellowstone is heartbreaking and ridiculous.
From WaPo - Baby bison dies after Yellowstone tourists put it in their car because it looked cold
"The bison’s death was the latest in a seemingly unending parade of incidents that underscore the foolishness of approaching, feeding, taking selfies with — or, in this case, trying to help — wildlife."
+ From NPR - Keeping Bears Wild — Or Trying To — At National Parks
BOTTOM OF THE NEWS
* What do we really want out of Facebook?
* Finding Organ Donors Concealed in Plain Sight
LONG WEEKEND READS
* What the AI Behind AlphaGo Can Teach Us About Being Human
"Move 37 was the moment machines and humanity finally began to evolve together."
*Sign up below to receive Top of the News via email.
If you follow the financial markets, or are concerned with the state of the American economy in general, this article from Time is a must read. It's the best summary of the problems our economy has been having that I have read. The central question of the article, which is adapted from the book "Makers and Takers: The Rise of Finance and the Fall of American Business" by Rana Foroohar, is: Are financial institutions doing things that provide clear, measurable benefit to the real economy? The simple answer is no, and it's kind of a big deal.
"America's economic illness has a name: financialization. It's an academic term for the trend by which Wall Street and its methods have come to reign supreme in America, permeating not just the financial industry but also much of American business. It includes everything from the growth in size and scope of finance and financial activity in the economy; to the rise of debt-fueled speculation over productive lending; to the ascendancy of shareholder value as the sole model for corporate governance; to the proliferation of risky, selfish thinking in both the private and public sectors; to the increasing political power of financiers and the CEOs they enrich; to the way in which a 'markets know best' ideology remains the status quo. Financialization is a big, unfriendly word with broad, disconcerting implications."
*2. Spaces
Google is still trying to figure out the social Web with this confusing new app
"Here's the basic concept: Spaces wants to give you new ways to set up group chats with your friends. In these chatrooms, you can plan trips, talk about shared interests and, of course, link each other to relevant YouTube videos and Google search results."
+ From Official Google Blog - Introducing Spaces, a tool for small group sharing
++ Not related to Spaces, but tangentially related to Google - We now know who owns the government surveillance SUV disguised as a Google Maps car
"On Thursday, the Philadelphia Police Department admitted to Motherboard that the SUV is one of its vehicles. But not all of the questions surrounding the surveillance SUV are solved."
++ Also, not related to Spaces, this article talks about what Google is doing with a ridesharing initiative using Waze. Most people don't know Google owns Waze. It does. From WaPo - This experiment puts Google one step closer to driverless ridesharing
"The pilot program, which is being offered via Google's Waze navigation app, aims to connect commuters who need a ride with drivers who can supply one. In exchange, riders will help cover the drivers' fuel costs. Consolidating rides means fewer cars on the road — which is better for traffic congestion and the environment, according to Waze."
*3. Is Buffett getting bullish on tech stocks?
First, we learned he was in cahoots with Dan Gilbert in a bid for Yahoo! Now this...
Warren Buffett's Berkshire takes $1 billion bite of Apple
All the Berkshire Hathaway folks gotta be wondering what is going on.
+ Warren Buffett never liked tech stocks. So why does he own Apple?
*4. Girl Power!
From WaPo - Girls outscore boys on inaugural national test of technology, engineering skills
"The test was designed to measure students’ abilities in areas such as understanding technological principles, designing solutions and communicating and collaborating. Girls were particularly strong in the latter."
"Among eighth-grade students in public and private schools, 45 percent of girls and 42 percent of boys scored proficient on the exam, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP. Overall, 43 percent of all students were proficient."
More proof for my theory that woman should run the world.
*5. DON'T. FEED. THE. ANIMALS.
Recent news that a baby bison had to be euthanized because of careless actions by tourists visiting Yellowstone is heartbreaking and ridiculous.
From WaPo - Baby bison dies after Yellowstone tourists put it in their car because it looked cold
"The bison’s death was the latest in a seemingly unending parade of incidents that underscore the foolishness of approaching, feeding, taking selfies with — or, in this case, trying to help — wildlife."
+ From NPR - Keeping Bears Wild — Or Trying To — At National Parks
BOTTOM OF THE NEWS
* What do we really want out of Facebook?
* Finding Organ Donors Concealed in Plain Sight
LONG WEEKEND READS
* What the AI Behind AlphaGo Can Teach Us About Being Human
"Move 37 was the moment machines and humanity finally began to evolve together."
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