business

Data mining's adult challenges

Probably no data-mining legend has been more pervasive than the "beer and diapers" story, which apparently dates back to an early 1990s project that data-warehousing pioneer Teradata (then part of NCR) conducted for the Osco Drug retail chain.

As the story goes, they discovered that beer and diapers frequently appeared together in a shopping basket on certain days; the presumed explanation was that fathers picking up diapers bought a six-pack when they were out anyway. This correlation was then used to optimize displays and pricing in the stores.

That's the story anyway. The reality, as best anyone can determine, … Read more

New Microsoft ad aims knife at Google's jugular

There is little lovelier than large corporations accusing each other of sleaziness.

One of the current spats for spiritual superiority involves Microsoft targeting Google for being a low-down, sniveling operator that works around privacy settings just for the sheer evil of it.

Redmond seems to be warming to its knife-skills. For it has just released a long ad, accusing Google of Googlighting.

Yes, this advertising company dares to sell enterprise software to unsuspecting businesses who then are caught in Google's endless need to change that software and leave businesses in a dizzy tizzy.

This rather poorly made specimen of … Read more

Advisory firm scolds Facebook for Zuckerberg control

Facebook is employing a dual-class stock structure when it goes public, and a corporate governance organization is not too happy about it.

Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), an organization that provides corporate governance services, has criticized the world's largest social network for planning to give CEO Mark Zuckerberg too much control following his company's IPO.

The Wall Street Journal, which obtained a copy of a report filed by the ISS, was first to report on the story.

According to papers Facebook filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission earlier this month, Zuckerberg owns about 28 percent of the social … Read more

Apple shares break the $500 barrier

Apple's stock surpassed $500 a share today, reaching an all-time high and prompting many investors to wonder just how high the company's shares can go.

At their height this morning, Apple's shares reached $503.83 before falling to about $499. Throughout the day, the company's stock flirted with the $500-a-share mark before finally ending the day at $502.60.

In after-hours trading, the company's stock is up to $502.93. Apple's market capitalization currently stands at $468.6 billion, making it the most valuable company in the world.

Although hitting $500 a share means … Read more

Latest Yahoo rumor: A possible cash-and-stock trade with Alibaba

Yahoo is still working hard to turn some or all of its Asian assets into cash.

According to Reuters, Yahoo is currently considering a complex deal in which it would sell back slightly more than half of its stake in China's Alibaba Group--specifically, shares equivalent to about 25 percent of Alibaba. Yahoo acquired a 40 percent stake in Alibaba in 2005 for $1 billion, and could stand to make more than $8 billion in the deal.

Of course, nothing is ever simple with Yahoo, and the deal it's putting together with Alibaba is no exception. Yahoo would only … Read more

End of an era: Kodak discontinues camera business

Eastman Kodak stunned the world today, announcing that it has put an end to its camera business.

By the end of June, Kodak expects to phase out its digital cameras, pocket video cameras, and digital picture frames, the company announced today. The company plans to focus heavily on its current brand licensing and on attracting companies that might need some of its patents. Kodak will still offer its online Kodak Gallery service and retail-based photo printing. Its inkjet printers will also remain on store shelves.

"For some time, Kodak's strategy has been to improve margins in the capture … Read more

Calif. pension fund says Facebook's board needs women

Facebook is under fire for having an all-male board of directors.

The California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS) sent a letter to Facebook yesterday complaining that the world's largest social network doesn't have women on its board. The organization also criticized Facebook for having a small board.

"We are disappointed that the Facebook board will not have any women members," CalSTRS corporate governance director Anne Sheehan wrote to Facebook, according to Reuters, which obtained a copy of the letter. "We believe that investors and the company would benefit from a larger, more diverse board."… Read more

Zynga shares soar on Facebook IPO

Maybe Zynga's decision to price its IPO at $10 a share wasn't so bad, after all.

The social-gaming company's stock has risen by more than 14 percent at times this morning, as investors responded positively to the company's strong ties with Facebook.

The world's largest social network yesterday filed its S-1 papers with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, kicking off plans to go public on a valuation that could possibly hit $100 billion. For starters in the IPO, Facebook hopes to raise $5 billion. A deeper dive into its financials yesterday revealed that … Read more

Yahoo looks for ways to shed Japanese namesake

Yahoo is currently in discussions with Yahoo Japan to sell off its share in the Asian company.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Yahoo Japan Chief Financial Officer Akira Kajikawa said that Yahoo is trying to "finalize the mechanism [for selling its stake] and we are cooperating with them," according to The Wall Street Journal, which was in attendance at the event.

Kajikawa didn't say how Yahoo would go about selling its 35 percent stake in Yahoo Japan, but according to the Journal's sources, the company is trying to find a way to do it without paying taxes. … Read more