GOOGLE / Start-ups

By: Mark Milian

An interesting trend is emerging among Web search start-ups: Nobody wants to compete with Google -- or they don't want to admit that they're trying.
Perhaps it's not all that surprising. The Mountain View, Calif., search giant dominates the market, racking up 64.4% of all U.S. searches in April, according to market research firm ComScore. That number slipped (less than a percent) compared with the month before, as Yahoo -- more so than Microsoft's Bing -- chipped away at the juggernaut.
Bing, which bills itself as "the decision engine" in ads, and Yahoo's search, which is now powered by Bing and recently executed a new ad campaign targeted at Google, are the big boys. They're taking on Google directly. (Though, with a combined market share that's less than half of the big G, they're not exactly succeeding.)
Outside of those two, it's a different story.
A newcomer to the U.S. market called Springo offers search tools. But Aviv Refuah, chief executive of Springo's parent company, Netex, claims it's "not in the search field."
"We consider ourselves in Web navigation solutions," Refuah said on the phone recently.
That's after, in the press release announcing the new search product's launch in April, a spokesman called Netex "the No. 2 search company in Israel." No. 1, of course, is Google -- by a mile.
Springo is a more picture-heavy search engine than its competitors. Below the familiar search box on its home page is a smattering of buttons representing popular websites and a spot to tailor your own list. Springo's search results don't cover as much of the Internet's pages as Google's. It's more about instantly zipping to top brand's sites.
"We are not about to change the habits of the users," Refuah said, "telling them, 'Don't search on Google; search on Springo.' "
Wolfram Alpha, a mathematical- and database-driven search engine, doesn't dare point a finger at Google either.
"The things that Google is good at, we're not very good at," Schoeller Porter, Wolfram Alpha architect of developer relations, told The Times in March. "We don't consider ourselves to be competitors."
Cooliris promises to search multimedia -- not replace Google.
Rather than compete, numerous Web browser extensions -- for both Firefox and Google's own Chrome -- aim to improve Google search by adding visual or organizational features or combining with other engines. Google is the primary provider of search for the popular Firefox extension CoolPreviews. Another, SearchPreview, recently changed its name from GooglePreview.

Though Springo's founder maintains it's not going after Google, Netex has a potential nuclear bomb.

After 12 years, the Israeli company was finally granted a patent earlier this year for a method of website redirection. It's a key feature of Springo, and it's "just like Google's I'm Feeling Lucky," which sends users to the top search result for a query, Refuah said.

Refuah wouldn't comment on whether Netex would go after Google. And why would they? He said they're not competitors.

Credit: Associated Press

Mobile security firm Lookout raises $11 million

May 18, 2010

 
Smart-phone security firm Lookout has raised $11 million in venture funding. The Series B round was led by venture capitalist firm Accel Partners. Khosla Ventures and Trilogy Partnership also contributed to the round.
 
Lookout offers applications that can be installed on mobile phones. According to the company, the software catches malicious files that could wreak havoc on a phone. It also backs up and restores data on the mobile phone to ensure it's readily accessible from the Web if a device is lost or stolen.
Lookout's ability to acquire so much funding isn't much of a surprise. The smart-phone market is growing at a rapid rate, which means hackers are finding a larger market to target. That has contributed to an increase in the number of mobile attacks affecting users. It also portends to more trouble in the future as more people buy smart-phones.

Lookout plans to use its funding to bolster its security infrastructure. It also plans to use the cash to invest in new technology.

 By:  Don Reisinger, Los Angeles Times Newspaper, Technology Section, 2010

Budget analyst advises lawmakers to reject Schwarzenegger's plan to cut welfare

By Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times

May 19, 2010

The Legislature's chief budget analyst advised lawmakers Tuesday to reject Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to eliminate the state's welfare program and end subsidized daycare for hundreds of thousands of low-income children.
Legislative analyst Mac Taylor, whom both Democrats and Republicans look to for guidance on state spending, suggested lawmakers instead cut other programs and raise taxes modestly to close California's $19.1-billion budget deficit.
Welfare and child care "are core pieces of the state's safety net, and we therefore recommend that the Legislature reject these proposals," Taylor wrote in an assessment of Schwarzenegger's plan.
Taylor said eliminating the welfare program, called CalWorks, would cost California $3.7 billion in federal matching funds. It would also mean that many families cut off from state funding would suddenly become eligible for local assistance, shifting about $1 billion in welfare costs to county governments.

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But scrapping the program would save the state $1.6 billion, according to the governor's office. At a breakfast with business leaders Tuesday, Schwarzenegger defended his proposal, saying, "You cannot have a safety net if you don't have the money for that safety net."
Ending CalWorks, which provides recipient families with an average of $500 per month, would make California the only state not to offer a welfare program for low-income families with children.
In addition to proposing cuts in other programs, Taylor suggested raising revenue by increasing fees on community college students, deferring implementation of corporate tax cuts and allowing oil drilling off the coast of Santa Barbara. Schwarzenegger, who included revenue from the drilling project known as Tranquillon Ridge in his January budget proposal, turned against that idea after the explosion of the oil rig off the coast of Louisiana.
Schwarzenegger has said he refuses to raise taxes or impose new fees and is demanding that the budget gap be closed with spending reductions.
Another option Taylor offered lawmakers in his report released Tuesday was suspending the legal requirement that about 40% of California's general fund go to pay for education from kindergarten through community college. He noted that the standard can be put on hold in times of economic crisis.
"If this isn't one of those times, I don't know what is," Taylor said.

Schwarzenegger and the Legislature are supposed to have a new budget in place by July 1, the start of the new fiscal year.

Credits: Los Angeles Times, Local Section, 2010

Stocks slide after euro falls to new 4-year low

NEW YORK (AP) -- Investors uneasy about the news coming out of Europe Tuesday went back to selling stocks sharply lower. The falling euro and news that German regulators plan to limit some kinds of short selling fed the drop.
The Dow Jones industrial average closed down almost 115 points after giving up an early gain of 93. The Dow and broader indexes lost more than 1 percent.
The euro gave stocks a boost early in the day when European Union countries sent bailout money to Greece. The move raised confidence about Europe's ability to prevent its debt crisis from spreading to other economies including the U.S.
By afternoon, though, the upbeat mood faded and the euro fell. That sapped the stock market's strength. Treasury prices rose after demand for safer investments increased.
The euro, the currency shared by 16 European nations, has been driving stock trading for weeks as investors interpreted its slide as a sign of continuing economic problems in Europe. It hit a new four-year low of $1.2160 on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Germany said it is banning "naked" short selling, which occurs when traders bet on a stock or investment that they doesn't own. The ban covers government debt certificates and shares of several financial companies. The government said it was imposing the rule in hopes of keeping the financial markets stable.
Investors anxious about Europe's problems were further rattled by Germany's move. Naked short selling was cited as one of the factors in world markets' turbulence during the 2008 financial crisis. The latest step brought reminders of the desperation that U.S. regulators signaled in trying to stabilize the market and underscored a fear that a further drop in the euro will continue to pound world markets.
"If Europe really slows, the threat would be that it could take down the rest of the global economy," said Bruce McCain, chief investment strategist at Key Private Bank in Cleveland. He noted, however, that most economic numbers don't suggest that a recovery is stalling.
McCain said long-term investors should gather more evidence before making big changes to their portfolios.
"The markets tend to move in excesses of optimism and pessimism," he said.
The Dow fell 114.88, or 1.1 percent, to 10,510.95. It has fallen three of the past four days.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 16.14, or 1.4 percent, to 1,120.80, while the Nasdaq composite index fell 36.97, or 1.6 percent, to 2,317.26.
Major stock indexes are down about 8 percent from their 2010 highs in late April. That puts the market close to the threshold for a correction, which is usually defined as a drop of 10 percent to 20 percent.
Bond prices jumped, driving yields lower. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell to 3.35 percent from 3.50 percent late Monday.
Stock trading has been volatile for weeks. The Dow rebounded from a drop of 184 points to end Monday with a gain of about 6 points after the euro strengthened.
Mike Shea, managing partner at Direct Access Partners LLC in New York, said that with so many unanswered questions about the ballooning debts in Europe it isn't surprising to see traders selling.
"There is a prudent reduction of risk," Shea said.
The concerns about the ban on naked short-selling hit large banks, a sign that traders are uneasy about the possible chilling effect that Germany's moves might have on the markets and in turn, financial companies. Traders are also watching the financial overhaul bill making its way through the Senate. Debate could end as soon as Wednesday. Some traders are concerned that tighter rules will hurt bank profits.
Wells Fargo & Co. fell $1.38, or 4.3 percent, to $30.59, while Citigroup Inc. fell 13 cents, or 3.4 percent, to $3.73.
Gold fell $13.50 to $1,214.60 an ounce, while crude oil fell 54 cents to settle at $69.41 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
While so much attention has focused on Europe in recent weeks, investors have largely ignored signs of economic growth. Stocks had been posting solid gains earlier in the year on steady signs of improvement in the U.S. economy. Encouraging signals on the economy gave early support to stocks Tuesday. The Commerce Department said home construction jumped 5.8 percent in April, more than expected and the strongest level since late in 2008.
John Merrill, chief investment officer at Tanglewood Wealth Management in Houston, said investors are doing some mental juggling. They see signs that the U.S. economy is strengthening but still have concerns that Europe's problems will undermine the global economy's rebound.
"There are just two alternative themes and it just depends on where the focus is," he said.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. was the sole stock among the 30 that make up the Dow Jones industrials to rise. The world's largest retailer posted better-than-expected earnings. Investors also look to companies that sell consumer staples as a safe investment in weak economies. The stock rose 98 cents, or 1.9 percent, to $53.71.
More than three stocks fell for every one that rose on the New York Stock Exchange, where consolidated volume came to 6.2 billion shares, compared with 5.9 billion Monday
The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 12.96, or 1.9 percent, to 682.75.
Britain's FTSE 100 index rose 0.9 percent, Germany's DAX index gained 1.5 percent, and France's CAC-40 rose 2.1 percent. Japan's Nikkei stock average rose 0.1 percent.

 Credits: AP Associate Press

Se extiende TPS para nicaragüenses por 18 meses más

Extension del TPS para Nicaraguenses

Published Date: 05/05/2010

El Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS, por sus siglas en inglés) extenderá por 18 meses el Estatus de Protección Temporal (TPS, por sus siglas en inglés) para los ciudadanos de Nicaragua (y aquellos ciudadanos sin nacionalidad cuya última residencia haya sido en Nicaragua) hasta el 5 de enero del 2012. Esta extensión no aplica a los nicaragüenses que entraron a los Estados Unidos después del 30 de diciembre del 1998. Ciertos nacionales de Nicaragua que no hayan solicitado el TPS previamente pueden ser elegibles para registrarse bajo las provisiones de registro tardío. La notificación en el Registro Federal anunciando esta extensión tiene más detalles acerca de la misma.

TPS Extension for Honduras

18-Month Extension of Temporary Protected Status for Honduras

Publication Date: 05/05/2010

  

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months, through Jan. 5, 2012, to eligible nationals of Honduras and people having no nationality who last habitually resided in Honduras. This extension does not apply to Hondurans who entered the United States after Dec. 30, 1998. Certain nationals of Honduras who have not previously applied for TPS may be able to register under the late initial registration provisions. Further details on this extension of TPS for Honduras appear in the Federal Register Notice that announces this extension.

Se extiende TPS para hondureños por 18 meses más

El Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS, por sus siglas en inglés) extenderá por 18 meses el Estatus de Protección Temporal (TPS, por sus siglas en inglés) para los ciudadanos de Honduras (y aquellos ciudadanos sin nacionalidad cuya última residencia haya sido en Honduras) hasta el 5 de enero del 2012. Esta extensión no aplica a los hondureños que entraron a los Estados Unidos después del 30 de diciembre del 1998. Ciertos nacionales de Honduras que no hayan solicitado el TPS previamente pueden ser elegibles para registrarse bajo las provisiones de registro tardío. La notificación en el Registro Federal anunciando esta extensión tiene más detalles acerca de la misma.

NOTA: La fechas para registrarse no han sido publicadas todavia. Este pendiente para saber la fecha que oficialmente puede someter su TPS. Ya que por el momento, es un aviso que ha sido extendido por otros 18 meses.

Credits: www.ucis.gov  US Immigration and Naturalization Services

How to Start a Consulting Business

A consultant's job is to consult. Nothing more, nothing less. It's that simple. There's no magic formula or secret that makes one consultant more successful than another one.
But what separates a good consultant from a bad consultant is a passion and drive for excellence. And--oh yes--a good consultant should be knowledgeable about the subject he or she is consulting in. That does make a difference.
You see, in this day and age, anyone can be a consultant. All you need to discover is what your particular gift is. For example, are you very comfortable working around computers? Do you keep up with the latest software and hardware information, which seems to be changing almost daily? And are you able to take that knowledge you have gained and turn it into a resource that someone would be willing to pay money for? Then you would have no trouble working as a computer consultant.

According to a recent survey, here are the top 10 reasons organizations hire consultants:

A consultant may be hired because of his or her expertise,  a consultant may be hired to bring new life to an organizationor, a consultant may be hired to provide much-needed objectivity, a consultant may be hired to create a new business, etc.

BENEFITS: There are many advantages to having a home office. Among them are:


Low overhead expenses. You don't have to worry about paying rent or utilities for an office; you will appreciate this feature until you establish a regular client base.

Flexibility. There is little doubt that operating as a consultant at home gives you a great deal of flexibility. You can set your own hours and take time off as you need it.

No rush-hour nightmares. For anyone who has had to commute to and from a job during rush hour, this will be a welcome change of pace.

Your home office space will most likely be tax-deductible. The IRS has relaxed the rules for people who work at home, but check with your account or income tax preparer to see if you qualify for this deduction.

So, there are many reasons for a consulting job, you just need to know what your calling and passion is. The sky is the limit.

Credits: THE ENTREPRENEUR

Taken from article published by: smallbizbooks.com