10 Game Changing Tech Trends in 2013; Young Entrepreneurs ...

Zach Davis December 30, 2012

The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only nonprofit organization comprised of the world?s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.

This week Tech Cocktail asked the YEC the following, ?What game-changing tech trend should startup founders be on the lookout for in 2013, and why?? ?Their responses are below.

1. Growth Hacking

Every entrepreneur and business has two challenges: they have to build their product, and then they have to get people to use it. Growing traffic, sales and brand awareness is becoming more and more of a challenge. Growth hacking is the latest tech trend that will revolutionize how technology businesses grow. Growth hacking is leveraging metrics, testing and engineering to drive growth of sales and traffic in a lean, creative way. Growth hackers are swarming the industry, turning start-ups upside down by breaking apart and redesigning everything from customer funnels to email subscriber forms to banner ads. I think we will be seeing most major start-ups, consultants and online businesses playing in the growth hacking world in 2013.

- Vanessa Van Edwards, Author and Techpreneur at Science of People

2. APIs Everywhere

APIs use to be only for the big guys, but now you?re seeing MVPs include APIs and almost every tech startup that doesn?t have an API yet has one on the road map. Even the government is catching onto the the API wave.

- Wade Foster, Co-founder at Zapier

3. Globalization

With improved technologies hitting the marketplace, it is becoming easier and more important every year to build a presence across the ?World Wide Web.? If you offer something that can appeal to many different cultures, why limit your sales to just one country? While the biggest companies in the world have already translated their websites and penetrated new markets, I foresee more small businesses taking this leap through less expensive and effortless solutions in order to increase their online sales.

- Logan Lenz, Founder / President at Endagon

4. Mobile-Friendly Websites

I predict a big Google rankings shakedown in the next couple years due to the increase in mobile internet usage. In India, more people surf the web on mobile devices vs. desktops and the US is not too far behind that trend. As more people use mobile devices, businesses must create mobile-friendly websites or else visitors will not be able to easily navigate to find what they want. Early adopters will have an opportunity to move up in Google and displace businesses that ignore this game-changing trend.

- Phil Frost, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Main Street ROI

5. Facial Recognition

I?m all about platforms that enable a new wave of technology. 5 years ago the iPhone came out and the app industry was born. 10 years ago Google became the dominant method to search online and the reputation management industry was born. Google Glasses is set to launch sometime in 2013, which will enable a whole new industry of augmented reality and facial recognition technologies. I?m very excited about the ability to view strangers at a conference and quickly view their LinkedIn profiles so that I know who I want to spend time with building a relationship.

- Jun Loayza, Founder at Passport Peru

6. User Reviews?of Anything and Everything

User generated reviews will be taken to another level in 2013. Sure, Amazon is ?old? in the tech world, but did you know that you can find detailed reviews of toilet paper on there? No longer will we just have restaurants getting ranked by foodies and hotels getting ranked by jetsetters, but we will have employees ranking firms and moms ranking baby food. This trend will only continue as Yelp, Tripadvisor and other user generated sites fight for prominence in their respective worlds.

- Patrick Curtis, Chief Monkey and Founder at WallStreetOasis.com

7. Taking Online to Offline

If you look at the evolution of the Internet/Web, I like to frame it in a simple three-part evolution: Web 1.0: Simple Websites; Web 2.0: Social Web; Web 3.0: Mobile. And the reality of mobile is that it turns your phone into a remote control for real life ? with apps and technologies that turn your phone into a tool to hail a cab, shop on the go, order food, find a date, hire a house cleaner or book a room for the night. Literally you can now control the offline world from your mobile smart phone. In 2013, look for that trend to continue as online to offline companies leverage mobile to go mainstream ? watch for companies from Uber, Airbnb, Fab, Foursquare, Etsy, Zaarly, Hotel Tonight and dozens more to make your phone a remote control for the real world.

- Eric Koester, Founder at Zaarly?

8. Data-Driven Personalization

Personalization technology is one of the most exciting frontiers of the Web. Personalization technologies empower consumers to weed out products and content that don?t apply to their unique needs, allow brands and retailers to better target offers to consumers that want them, and enable publishers to get the right content to the right people. Personalization, in a truly data-driven approach, is going to unlock immense potential and drive out inefficiencies in advertising and content delivery in 2013. Not only does it promise better ROI on ad spends, but it also ensures that consumers will get more unique experiences as they?re shopping or surfing the web. It is an incredibly exciting concept just coming to fruition that each individual can and will have a unique experience online.

-?Doreen Bloch, CEO / Founder at Poshly Inc.

9. NFC

Near Field Communication (NFC) allows people to identify themselves wirelessly via their cellular devices. The technology is starting to become more mainstream, and widespread consumer adoption will help bridge the gap between the offline and online worlds. This will lead to major opportunities in the areas of commerce, advertising, and social networking.

- Robert J. Moore, Co-Founder and CEO at RJMetrics

10. Marketing Alliances Going Mainstream

Marketing Alliances are a long-held secret of many popular bloggers and content marketers. How do you consistent generate backlinks and get lots of traffic for each new piece of content you create? You form a mutually beneficial base of relationships with other bloggers, social media users, and peers who agree to help you promote your content regularly to their audiences in exchange for you helping them to promote their content to your audience. The end result is that all marketing alliance members see an burst in traffic, search rankings, get more subscribers to their email or social channels. This less talked about social media marketing tactic will be going mainstream in 2013 with various web tools and sites incorporating this into their features sets.

-?Matthew Ackerson, Founder at Saber Blast

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About the Author Zach Davis

When Zach Davis isn't getting lost in the mountains, he is hustling from Boulder, CO as Tech Cocktail's Director of Marketing. He is the author of Appalachian Trials, a book chronicling the mindset necessary for thru-hiking all 2,181 miles of the Appalachian Trail, a feat he accomplished in 2011. Zach is a green tea enthusiast, die-hard Chicago sports fan, and avid concert-goer. Follow Zach on Twitter: @zrdavis.

Source: http://tech.co/10-game-changing-tech-trends-in-2013-young-entrepreneurs-weigh-in-2012-12

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Deal reached for stopping spike in milk prices

Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, walks to a closed-door GOP caucus as Congress meets to negotiate a legislative path to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff" of automatic tax increases and deep spending cuts that could kick in Jan. 1., at the Capitol in Washington, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, walks to a closed-door GOP caucus as Congress meets to negotiate a legislative path to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff" of automatic tax increases and deep spending cuts that could kick in Jan. 1., at the Capitol in Washington, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The top leaders in both parties on the House and Senate Agriculture committees have agreed to a one-year extension of the 2008 farm bill that expired in October, a move that could head off a possible doubling of milk prices next month.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., indicated the House could vote on the bill soon, though House leaders have not yet agreed to put the bill on the floor. In addition to the one-year extension that has the backing of the committees, the House GOP is also considering two other extension bills: a one-month extension and an even smaller bill that would merely extend dairy policy that expires Jan. 1.

Expiration of those dairy programs could mean higher prices at the grocery store within a few weeks. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Americans face the prospect of paying $7 for a gallon of milk if the current dairy program lapsed and the government returned to a 1948 formula for calculating milk price supports.

A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner said Sunday that Republican leaders had not decided how they would proceed on the farm extension, though a vote could come as soon as Monday. Boehner has pushed back on passage of a new five-year farm bill for months, saying there were not enough votes to bring it to the House floor after the House Agriculture Committee approved it in July. The Senate passed its version of a farm bill in June.

The prospect of higher milk prices has motivated some action. The bipartisan extension also includes disaster assistance to farmers affected by a lingering drought this year, along with extensions to other farm programs that expired in October.

Instead of just extending current dairy policy, the extension bill includes an overhaul of dairy programs that was included in both the Senate and House committee bills. The new dairy programs include a new, voluntary insurance program for dairy producers. Those who choose that new program also would have to participate in a market stabilization program that could dictate production cuts when oversupply drives down prices ? an idea that hasn't gone over well with Boehner.

In July, he called the current dairy program "Soviet-style" and said the new program would make it even worse. Large food companies that process and use dairy products have backed Boehner, saying the program could limit milk supplies and increase their costs.

Stabenow blamed Boehner for getting to the point where an extension is the only option. "The lack of action by the House Republican leadership has put us in a situation where we risk serious damage to our economy unless we pass a temporary extension," she said.

One of the reasons Boehner has balked at bringing up a farm bill is disagreement within his caucus over how much money should be cut from food stamps, which make up roughly 80 percent of the half-trillion-dollar bill's cost over five years. House Agriculture Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., has unsuccessfully pushed his leadership for months to move on the legislation despite the disagreement over food aid.

On Sunday, Lucas said he hoped the extension would pass both chambers quickly as GOP leadership mulled their options.

"It is not perfect ? no compromise ever is ? but it is my sincere hope that it will pass the House and Senate and be signed by the president by Jan. 1," he said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-12-30-Fiscal%20Cliff-Farm%20Bill/id-a5cb0adafdce405fa516657d8d3b45e8

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From the pages of Velo: In the Eye of the Tornado

• By Neal Rogers
• Published Dec. 29, 2012
• Updated 14 hours ago

Velo June 2012. Photo by Tim de Waele

Table of Contents

Editor?s note: As we ring out 2012, we look at 12 of our favorite stories of the year. Neal Rogers? profile of Tom Boonen?s rise, fall and triumphant return first appeared in the June 2012 issue of Velo magazine.

In the Eye of the Tornado

When Tom Boonen crossed the finish line, alone, inside the hallowed velodrome of Paris-Roubaix, he?d done much more than just win the sport?s most demanding classic.

By winning Roubaix one week after he?d won the Tour of Flanders ? and two weeks after winning both E3 Harelbeke and Ghent-Wevelgem ? the Omega Pharma-Quick Step rider had silenced his critics, once and for all, proving to the world, and to himself, that he is the best cobblestones racer of his era, and perhaps of all time.

Unlike his sprint wins at Flanders, Ghent-Wevelgem and Harelbeke, Boonen won Roubaix in dramatic style, attacking with 55km remaining and holding off all of the sport?s toughest racers save for one ? Fabian Cancellara (RadioShack-Nissan), Boonen?s long-running classics rival ? who was watching the race at home in Switzerland while nursing a surgically repaired collarbone.

With his victory, Boonen had tied Roger De Vlaeminck?s record of four Paris-Roubaix wins; he?d also become the only rider to accomplish the extraordinary Flanders-Roubaix double more than once.

But more important than any record, Boonen had come full circle. He?d closed the door on the endless question marks, implications and innuendo that suggested he?d fallen permanently from grace. He?d proven that he had not, in fact, squandered his talent, and he had not sold short the limitless career that lay before him after his breakthrough 2005 season ? a career that has been hindered by obstacles, both external and self-imposed.

Next ?

FILED UNDER: Analysis TAGS: From the pages of Velo / Paris-Roubaix / Tom Boonen

Source: http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/12/analysis/from-the-pages-of-velo-in-the-eye-of-the-tornado_268980

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Five Bangladeshi sentenced to death for Saudi diplomat killing

DHAKA (Reuters) - A Bangladeshi court sentenced five members of a gang to death on Sunday for killing a Saudi Arabian diplomat in the capital Dhaka last March, court officials said.

Khalaf Ali, 45, a second secretary at his embassy, was shot at night near the embassy in Dhaka's diplomatic zone, raising an alarm over the first slaying of a diplomat in the country.

Judge Mohammad Motahar Hossain of the quick-trial court issued the verdict for the five men who police said shot Ali while trying to rob him. One of the accused remains on the run from police.

Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh have close ties, with a large number of Bangladeshis employed in the oil-rich kingdom. In recent years, the embassy has tightened visa rules to stop an influx of people with forged documents.

Relations between the two countries were strained in October 2011, when Saudi authorities executed eight Bangladeshi workers in public for their alleged involvement in an armed robbery in which an Egyptian security guard was killed.

(Reporting by Ruma Paul; Editing by Anis Ahmed and Ron Popeski)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/five-bangladeshi-sentenced-death-saudi-diplomat-killing-080727199.html

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How Internet Faxing Can Improve Your Business | TechSling Weblog

If you?re wondering what one of the steps is to create a successful business, it is communication ?which is why you should consider sending a fax online instead of with your old office fax machine. It may not make sense now if your business is still in the startup stages, but upgrading to a professional phone system will provide your company with more opportunities than your regular landline or fax machine is an investment that will pay off in increased company productivity as well as the chance to gain added revenue. In this day and age, information is readily available to us via the dynamic developments in communication technology, and by being able to send a fax via online means, you are equipping your company to take on bigger challenges.

What Are Some Benefits of Internet Faxing?

Internet fax is a feature that can come with your company?s business phone service. Since sending a fax online lets you do it from your personal email address and fax number, you instantly eliminate the difficulties that might arise from using a traditional fax machine, such as running out of ink or paper, the chance of paper jamming, etc. This also makes sending faxes online more secure than traditional faxing, because you?re sure that the information transmitted goes straight to your inbox.

Internet fax messaging is also a cost-effective solution to your business, since the cost of sending a fax is included in your monthly payment for your ISP. With traditional faxing, you have to contend with pricey long-distance calls, spending for the cost of toner cartridges, paper, etc. Having your own special Internet fax number serves as your ID when sending and receiving a fax online, and provides you with greater mobility, so you can access your important files while on the go.

Sending and receiving a fax online can also increase company productivity because the process can be done within a matter of seconds. Unlike traditional faxing where the person has to pick up the phone and allow it to be printed out, you can send and receive fax messages with just one click of the mouse.

For environmentalists, Internet fax messaging is a great way to go ?green,? and lessen the unnecessary use of resources such as paper, ink and toner. When you transmit a fax online, you can choose to print only what is necessary and continue to send and receive messages electronically.

Reliability is an important factor in communication, and by sending online faxes, you?ll be assured that your coworkers and customers can receive the files without the inconvenience of dealing with a busy phone line and other things like that. Make sure that your online fax provider is reliable and stable?try to get a top-tier name like RingCentral.

Invest in a phone system that allows you to send and receive a fax online in order to equip you with ways to address all the needs of your growing business.

Sign-up To Our Newsletter And Get A FREE eBook worth $14.99

Source: http://www.techsling.com/2012/12/how-internet-faxing-can-improve-your-business/

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Apple withdraws patent claim against Samsung's Galaxy S III mini

Apple's patent claim against Samsung's Galaxy S III mini is no more, with Cupertino citing the phone's lacking availability in the US for the amendment to its original November filing. In the ongoing litigation between the two electronics giants, Samsung argued that it's Galaxy S III mini didn't warrant inclusion in the latest volley of Samsung devices Apple wants added to its patent lawsuit; Apple apparently agreed, and is thusly withdrawing its claim against that particular device. The argument also highlights the sad news that the S III mini won't join Samsung's Galaxy lineup in the US.

An agreement filing spotted by Reuters from a San Jose, CA. US District Court revealed today's news, coming just days after Judge Lucy Koh dismissed a request to permanently ban sales on several Samsung devices. It's unclear if the other Samsung devices Apple asked to be added to the ongoing case are approved yet by the court, but we can certainly count the S III mini out for the time being.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, Acer

Comments

Source: Reuters

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/QgtBxT3VVjc/

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Reading Tea Leaves of Political Appointments Not Yet Made (Atlantic Politics Channel)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/273632310?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Stocks bounce back as House to reconvene

9 hrs.

JeeYeon Park , CNBC

Stocks staged a sharp recovery in the final hour of trading Thursday following news that the House of Representatives will reconvene on Sunday evening to resume talks, with less than a week left until the "fiscal cliff" deadline.

The House of Representatives will meet on Sunday evening at 6:30 p.m., according to GOP aides.?

"Moves are always exacerbated during low-volume days and we'll continue to react to every headline from Washington," said Keith Bliss, senior vice president at Cutton & Co. "But I still think the overall market is in a bullish sentiment by the way that the technical are lining up. It might be prudent to keep some powder dry and buy on these dips."

The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 18.28 points, or 0.14 percent, to end at 13,096.31, dragged by Cisco and Alcoa. The blue-chip index was down nearly 150 points at its session low.

The S&P 500 dipped 1.73 points, or 0.12 percent, to finish at 1,418.10. The Nasdaq erased 4.25 points, or 0.14 percent, to close at 2,985.91. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, turned lower after rising above 20 earlier for the first time in nearly five months.

Among key S&P sectors, materials and financials held small losses, while consumer staples turned higher.

Earlier, stocks tumbled more than 1 percent following Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's comment that a "fiscal cliff" deal may not be reached by the end of the year.

"It looks like that's where we're headed," Reid said of the looming fiscal cliff and pointed fingers at House Speaker John Boehner of running a "dictatorship" by "not allowing the vast majority of the House of Representatives to get what they want."

Obama cut short his Christmas vacation in Hawaii to deal with the deadlocked talks between Democrats and Republicans on what to do with $600 billion in tax increases and automatic spending cuts, due to kick in on Jan. 1. With less than a week remaining this year, time is now running out and the pressure on politicians to find a solution is building, as U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner warned the U.S. will hit the debt ceiling on Monday, Dec. 31.

The two sides could work towards a "mini-deal" to postpone the effects of the fiscal cliff by extending tax cuts for taxpayers with incomes below $250,000, postponing the automatic spending cuts, and extending unemployment benefits.?

Meanwhile on the economic front, the consumer confidence index tumbled to 65.1 in December from a downwardly revised 71.5 in November, hitting a four-month low, according to the Conference Board.

Earlier, jobless claims fell 12,000 to a seasonally adjusted 350,000 last week. Meanwhile, the four-week moving average tumbled to its lowest since March 2008.?

And new home sales rose 4.4 percent in November to a seasonally adjusted 377,000-unit annual rate, the fasts pace in 2-1/2 years, according to the Commerce Department.

Marvell Technology declined after a federal grand jury ruled the chipmaker infringed two patents held by Carnegie Mellon University and ordered the company to pay $1.17 billion in damages. In addition, at least two brokerages lowered their rating on the company.

Toyota Motor said it plans to settle a U.S. class-action lawsuit for $1.1 billion.

Domino's Pizza climbed after Oppenheimer raised its price target on the pizza chain to $50 from $44.

Hartford Financial Services edged higher after Stifel added the financial services company to its "select" list and raised its target price to $28 from $25.

BCD Semiconductor skyrocketed more than 90 percent after the chipmaker agreed to be bought by Diodes in a deal worth $151 million.?

In Europe, stocks rose in cautious trading after being closed for Christmas and Boxing Day. Meanwhile, in Asia, Japanese stocks hit a 21-month high as a weaker yen boosted export stocks. Sentiment in Asia was boosted as profits at China's factories jumped in November, helped by the recovery in the economy.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/stocks-bounce-back-house-reconvene-1C7753027

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?MS At Home? Launches Our Third Video - Multiple Sclerosis Blog

December 28, 2012

?MS At Home? Launches Our Third Video

As many of you have seen the first in our the video series we named ?MS At Home? ? and the response has been quite popular ? I wanted to make sure you were all aware of the continuing series.

The third video in the multiple sclerosis series of 6 short segments posted yesterday and is already stirring conversations. (if you missed the second MS video in the series that will play right after the current offering.

In this interview with Sharon Dodge and Bobbie Severson, we talk about the family connection with MS. Mrs. Dodge was diagnosed with MS just 8 years after her father lost his battle with a particularly aggressive form of the disease. Now, she fights the good fight for herself and her three children; hoping they never hear the words ?You have MS.?

As we head into the New Year?s weekend, I thought that her words of hope and inspiration were a proper way to end 2012 and look forward to 1212.

Nurse Practitioner, Bobbie Severson from the Swedish MS Center gives some very interesting figures as to the propensity of MS in families if one member has MS (we?re talking a jump from 1:750 to 1:40~!

Have a look, leave a comment on our video or, you can comment here as you always do.

Wishing you and your family the best of health.

Cheers

Trevis

You can also follow me via our Life With MS Facebook page, on Twitter, and in our group on MS Connection.org. Also, check out our bi-monthly MS blog for the United Kingdom, look for our very special new monthly blog for the National MS Society, and don?t forget to check out TrevisLGleason.com.

Source: http://www.everydayhealth.com/blog/trevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms/ms-at-home-launches-our-third-video/

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