paidContent.org - flagship of the ContentNext Media network - provides global coverage of the business of digital content.
paidContent - a recommended tech blog
Other offerings include blogs on mobile content - mocoNews.net and on digial content in India - ContetnSutra.com
It offers RSS feeds on its news contetn and alos on jobs and events. There is also a new Finance section tracking companies and financial markets.
November 2007
30 November 2007
28 November 2007
Investment Property Databank - time series
Investment Property Databank (IPD) time series
Time series data from the Investment Property Databank (IPD) can be downloaded from Datastream. This service is available to current staff and students only - and must be accessed in the Library. It can be tricky to locate. Go to Datastream AFO and then:
- Pick time series.
- Click on red/orange code look-up icon.
- From the top category list pick Economics.
- Go to the Source option and pick the icon with three dots to browse the source names. Here you will find listed: Investment Property Databank,U.K. and IPD French Norwegian and Spanish series.
- Choose the UK option and then sort by market to pull together the coverage of different regions.
- You will find time series usually divided int: Industrial; Office; and Retail, including surhc series as: Income Return, Rental Index, Total Return Index, Number of Properties and Capital Growth. (Most series go back to 1986.)
Desktop virtualisation report - from Forrester
Forrester have just released an IT Trends report on desktop virtualisation.
Ask your desktop operations pros whether or not their job is getting easier and they'll be the first to tell you that they have their hands full. Despite concerted efforts to standardize and simplify, today's corporate computing environment is still too complex and difficult to maintain. Vendors like Altiris (acquired by Symantec) and LANDesk tried to solve the problem with a variety of tools to help you keep all the distributed PC ducks in a row, while Citrix and Wyse offered a path to centralization and uniformity through server-based computing. In the end, neither was the perfect fit for every user scenario. Now, VMware, Citrix, and Microsoft are creating alternative solutions built with the same virtualization technology that is redefining the server environment, but with a very different design point. In the end, Forrester's data shows that the larger the enterprise, the more complex and costly the PC environment. And it is these companies that are leading the way in deploying the latest generation of client virtualization technologies.
Forrest is an independent technology and market research company that focuses on the business implications of technology change. Forrester Research is available to current staff and students via Portal. N.B. Pre-Registration is required.
Go to Portal>Library>A-Z list of Databases>Forrester Registration
27 November 2007
Marginal revolution (small steps towards a much better world)
Marginal Revolution is a blog run by Tyler Cowen and Alex Tabarrok, professors teaching economics at the George Mason University. Updated daily, it presents an interesting mix of current events plus reviews of new books and research reports. Users can post their comments to selected postings and the blog also provides a useful list of links to other economic blogs and resources. Well worth a look.
24 November 2007
Claims to be:"The most authoritative source on private company values"
The PCPI tracks the discount between how public and private companies are being valued.
The index is recognised as the most authoritative source on private company values by practitioners including Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and leading accountancy firms.
As predicted in the Q2 issue of the PCPI, the recent turmoil in the capital markets has taken the FT non-financials p/e multiple further south to 14.0 from 14.7. While the multiples on private equity deals bucked this trend last quarter, in Q3 the private equity p/e multiple (PEPI) fell from 17.8 to 15.1, down 15 per cent. Similarly, private company multiples on sales to trade buyers (PCPI) fell to 13.4, down 2 per cent from 13.6 in Q2.
It is produced by BDO Stoy and can be downloaded from their site.
23 November 2007
Business ethics blog
The Business ethics blog is run by Chris Macdonald, Associate Professor in the Philosophy department at Saint Mary's University (Halifax, Canada). It provides news and commentary on all areas of business ethics. Mcdonald advises potential readers that anyone that believes either 'a) that corporations have a god-given right to accumulate as much capital as possible without regard for who gets hurt along the way, or b) that all corporations, and all people who work for them, are inherently evil' will most likely be irritated by this blog! Macdonald also maintains EthicsWeb, an online collection of ethics-related resources and websites (Candian bias but still contains a range of useful resources).
Retailing 2015: new frontiers
PricewaterhouseCoopers and TNS Retail Forward have recently published a report on the US retail industry. The report provides an overview of the industry through to 2015, examining the trends that are set to dominate the future. Topics include: changing demographics; the new consumer; retail outlets; strategic outsourcing; targeted collaboration; the importance of technology and issues around security and privacy.
To read the report in full click here.
22 November 2007
TED - Ideas WorthSpreading - video clips
I have recently discovered TED
TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader.
The annual conference now brings together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes). This site makes the best talks and performances from TED available to the public, for free. Almost 150 talks from our archive are now available, with more added each week. These videos are released under a Creative Commons license, so they can be freely shared and reposted.
Here are highlighted a few recent talks, but go to the site to browse and view a range of videos on subjects ranging from: 'The Future of Medicine' and 'How Brain Science Will Change The World' to 'Why Schools Kill Creativity' and 'The Best Stats You've Ever Seen'.
John Doerr – Seeking Salavationand Profit in Greentech
"I don't think we're going to make it," John Doerr proclaims, in an emotional talk about climate change and investment. Spurred on by his daughter, who demanded he fix the mess the world is heading for, he and his partners at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers embarked on a greentech world tour -- surveying the state of the art, from the ethanol revolution in Brazil to Wal-mart's eco-concept store in Arkansas. KPCB is investing $200 million in green technologies to save the planet and make a profit to boot. But, Doerr fears, it may not be enough.
Larry Lessig: How creativity is being strangled by the law.
Larry Lessig got TEDsters to their feet, whooping and whistling, following this elegant presentation of "three stories and an argument." The Net's most adored lawyer brings together John Philip Sousa, celestial copyrights, and the "ASCAP cartel" to build a case for creative freedom. He pins down the key shortcomings of our dusty, pre-digital intellectual property laws, and reveals how bad laws beget bad code. Then, in an homage to cutting-edge artistry, he throws in some of the most hilarious remixes you've ever seen.
Ray Kurzweil: How technology's accelerating power will transform us.
Prolific inventor and outrageous visionary Ray Kurzweil explains in abundant, grounded detail why -- by the 2020s -- we will have reverse-engineered the human brain, and nanobots will be operating your consciousness. Kurzweil draws on years of research to show the speed at which technology is evolving, and projects forward into an almost unthinkable future to outline the ways we'll use technology to augment our own capabilities, forever blurring the lines between human and machine..
To find more go to:
End
21 November 2007
Retail review: Christmas retail survey 2007
Deloitte have just released their 13th annual retail review, which provides analysis of consumer shopping trends and retailer responses in the so called 'golden quarter' (run up to the Christmas and New Year period). So far this year the retail trade has been hit with the wettest summer on record. The global 'credit crunch' is also having a serious impact on consumer confidence, so how will this affect UK retailers during the festive season?
To read the report in full click here
19 November 2007
The SAGE handbook of advertising
Tim Ambler, Senior Fellow in Marketing at the School, has co-edited this comprehensive, scholarly contribution to the field, published this month.
'In this era of 'snackable' content which satisfies only in the moment, it's great to have a comprehensive Advertising Handbook which one can consult repeatedly. The references are comprehensive and the Handbook opens up many key areas for practitioners' - Hamish Pringle, Director General, IPA
'Finally, a Handbook of Advertising that brings the field up-to-date. I am impressed with its comprehensive coverage of topics and the distinguished specialists who have shared their key findings with us' - Philip Kotler, Kellogg School of Management
'When trying to make sense of the mystifying world of advertising, academics and practitioners often seem to inhabit separate universes. Not in this Handbook. For once, the best brains from each side genuinely collude -- with constructive results. Wise agencies will read it before their clients do' - Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO, WPP
'This mighty tome brings together a vast range of views of advertising based on deep experience and scholarship. For practitioners and academics alike, it will be a voyage of discovery and enlightenment' - Lord (Maurice) Saatchi, Chairman, M&C Saatchi
'This magnificent volume captures all we need to know about how advertising works and its context' - Baroness (Peta) Buscombe, Director General, Advertising Association, London
Gerard J Tellis and Tim Ambler (editors), The SAGE handbook of advertising, SAGE, 2007
A copy is available in Library stock.
14 November 2007
Cultural statistics 2007
This Eurostat pocketbook provides a snapshot of cultural statistics for EU Member States, the candidate countries and the EFTA countries including: cultural heritage; cultural employment; enterprises in certain cultural sectors; architectural activities; cinema; external trade in cultural goods; household cultural expenditure; cultural participation and time spent on cultural activities.
The booklet can be freely downloaded from the Eurostat website.
Picture from Creative Commons: Flickr: oobrien
08 November 2007
Annual survey of hours and earnings
The Office of National Statistics has just released its findings from the 2007 Annual survey of hours and earnings. The figures suggest that the gender pay gap has narrowed between the period 2006-2007 to its lowest since records began. The largest difference was in the South East region, with women's median pay at 15.9 per cent less than men's. The smallest gap was in Northern Ireland, at 2.8 per cent.
To see the first release figures from the survey click here.
05 November 2007
Survey of public attitudes and behaviours toward the environment: 2007
Data was collected by using computer-assisted interviews from a sample of 3,618 individuals throughout England during spring 2007 and supplemented by a further omnibus survey of 1,618 individuals to allow additional questions to be asked. The 2007 survey recently published by Defra quesions people on their attitudes towards a range of environmental issues and examines how these attitudes directly impact on behaviour, covering everything from what toilet paper is being bought to car ownership.
The full report can be downloaded for free for the Defra website.
Picture from Creative Commons: Flickr:Pete Lewis
2007 Top-earning dead celebrities
Forbes magazine published its seventh annual list of the Top-earning dead celebrities at the end of October. The 13 legends have grossed a combined $232 million in the past 12 months. This year sees Elvis reclaim top spot on the list with his estate generating a staggering $49 million in the past year. Newcomers to the list include Steve McQueen ($6 million) and the "Godfather of Soul" James Brown ($5 million).
The ful list is available from the magazine's website.
Picture from Creative Commons: Flickr:watz
01 November 2007
VentureXpert - database of the month
VentureXpert is available through Portal to current staff and students both on and off campus.
It is the only database application officially endorsed by the Nationall Venture Capital Association and the PricewaterhouseCoopers Moneytree Survey.
You can use it to identify prospective investors and look at their investment histories
- Search venture and buyout backed companies by industry, location, round size, round datea nd business description.
- Search for Management firms by location, firm type, investement history and fund size.
- Benchmark valuations of Investment.
To find out about other venture capital and private equity resources go to:
Portal>Library Help and Advice>Research Resource Guides>
The "next big thing" in retailing isn't going to be big at all - it's going to be small.
The "next big thing" in retailing isn't going to be big at all - it's going to be small. According to Booz Allen Hamilton.
After years of hype about "big-box" retailing, we see an increasing number of small-format success stories around the world. They range from convenience stores, such as JB Beaumont in Britain and Oxxo in Mexico, to discounters, such as Germany's Aldi and EKI Descuento in Argentina , which sell staples and key grocery items in a cost-effective neighbourhood format. Although big-box retailers are doing well in key Asian markets such as China , so too are convenience stores, which target unmarried people, small families, and working people.
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