CircleCount helps you better understand Google+

2013-05-23 13:16:14 (19 comments, 7 reshares, 36 +1s)

How can Yahoo's acquisition of Tumblr avoid becoming a repeat of the debacle that News Corp suffered after its acquisition of MySpace, or AOL faced with Bebo?

Read our analysis of why this one might be different: http://on.ft.com/120PblD

Image by Getty. 

2013-05-23 11:00:49 (5 comments, 7 reshares, 38 +1s)

Read for free: Is this the end of the great Japanese bull run? 

After months of climbing, Japanese stocks fell more than 7 per cent on Thursday as weak economic data from China spooked investors. It was the steepest fall since the 2011 earthquake. Was that it for “Abenomics”? 

Read our analysis: http://on.ft.com/10NNLn8

2013-05-22 12:43:50 (116 comments, 175 reshares, 349 +1s)

Read for free: Tim Cook told a US Senate hearing on Apple's tax arrangements: "We pay all the taxes we owe, every dollar." Yet the Apple chief executive struggled to explain the tortuously complex set of Irish subsidiaries that leaves the company paying only about 2 per cent of tax on foreign earnings. http://on.ft.com/10lFE2h

What effect, if any, is this having on Apple's image?

2013-05-21 17:53:36 (30 comments, 10 reshares, 65 +1s)

Should one and two euro cent coins, which cost more to make than they are worth, be abolished? http://on.ft.com/1198HoA

Nearly 46bn of these coins have been minted since 2002 - about 137 coins per person in the eurozone - at an estimated loss of €1.4bn. But the German Bundesbank president, for one, is in favour of keeping them. 

What do you think?

Image by Dreamstime. 

2013-05-21 13:50:07 (51 comments, 17 reshares, 111 +1s)

Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive, faces a grilling by a US Senate committee on Tuesday over claims that the company exploited loopholes to avoid paying billions of dollars in tax. Apple is the third big US technology company to face Senate scrutiny on tax avoidance. Is it time to reform the US tax code? 

http://on.ft.com/10ID9pJ

2013-05-20 11:59:01 (20 comments, 32 reshares, 130 +1s)

Read for free: Does happiness make business sense? 

Research shows that happy employees tend to be more productive. This means promoting happiness in the company makes commercial sense “even if you’re a total Scrooge and only care about making money”. But how do you create workplace satisfaction? What makes you happy at work? http://on.ft.com/12osrH4

Image by Dreamstime.

2013-05-16 15:29:47 (65 comments, 44 reshares, 198 +1s)

Are you on Google+ because of Facebook fatigue? 

A year on from becoming a public company, investors are growing concerned that under-25s are leaving Facebook and moving to sites like Twitter and WhatsApp. The arrival of older relatives on the site is the top reasons teens cite for losing interest. Have you left Facebook - and if so, why? http://on.ft.com/19y1C5V

2013-05-16 15:16:50 (2 comments, 19 reshares, 63 +1s)

Brazil's middle class has been feeling the pinch, and worries over personal debt and inflation have shaken its confidence. Will consumer confidence recover? Find out about the findings of our survey - and tell us your views: 

2013-05-15 15:14:03 (8 comments, 26 reshares, 61 +1s)

Gloomy economic data across Europe: France slips back to recession with GDP down 0.2 per cent. German GDP grows less than expected at 0.1 per cent. GDP in Italy and Spain has fallen 0.5 per cent. http://on.ft.com/13k9HIb

What do these numbers mean for Europe? http://on.ft.com/12aUCZZ

2013-05-15 14:25:40 (13 comments, 27 reshares, 64 +1s)

China's water resources are running scarce. Farming and other human activities are turning large parts of the country into deserts and forcing residents to migrate. Our correspondent, Leslie Hook, reports from Gansu province:

2013-05-14 15:33:18 (0 comments, 5 reshares, 13 +1s)

Watch for free: Can you make money from going green? As the world's demand for energy grows, is it worth investing in products like lightweight cars and electric engines?

Money in energy efficiency?

2013-05-14 14:08:33 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 13 +1s)

Are you an executive thinking of applying for a short business course? Join our live Q&A with a panel of FT experts on Wednesday May 15, between 2 and 3pm (London time). Send your questions now to ask@ft.com and they could be answered on the day: http://on.ft.com/10vrU3R 

2013-05-14 11:49:14 (7 comments, 31 reshares, 69 +1s)

Read for free: With the Bitcoin economy estimated at $1.25bn, governments are starting to pay attention to the digital currency. Could it one day be traded on a regulated exchange and become subject to tax?

http://on.ft.com/11AUIzc

Our free primer on how Bitcoin works: http://on.ft.com/17p7ySf

Image by Getty 

2013-05-13 14:24:30 (18 comments, 30 reshares, 66 +1s)

Can Silicon Valley be replicated or even bettered?  

Two key components of any tech start up - talent and office space - could hardly be more expensive than in San Francisco's increasingly frenzied market. So it is over to New York, Berlin, London, Los Angeles and Iowa? 

2013-05-13 08:44:24 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 16 +1s)

More than 9 out of ten aspiring non-executive directors in Asia think that training for the role would be useful to them. The Financial Times has developed a diploma to equip non-executives with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. To find out more about the Financial Times Non-Executive Director Diploma and to register for this Pearson Education approved qualification, visit: http://www.non-execs.com/diploma

2013-05-10 14:36:39 (7 comments, 10 reshares, 32 +1s)

It's the age-old question: does money equal happiness?

FT Alphaville, our markets and finance blog, chews over a study looking at whether there's a "satiation point" beyond which "not even that Patek Phillipe will do."

Does that point exist? The results may surprise you. Read on...

2013-05-10 14:03:15 (5 comments, 16 reshares, 71 +1s)

Read for free: From a ribcage deformed by corsets to the latest model brains for training neurosurgeons, the 60,000 specimens packed onto the shelves of the Hunterian Museum in London represent centuries of surgical progress. As it approaches its 200th birthday, we take an exclusive, if slightly grisly, tour: http://on.ft.com/178paBu 
Image by Joakim Blockstrom

2013-05-10 10:10:55 (10 comments, 24 reshares, 63 +1s)

One of the unusual features of the new Formula E championship is that to start with drivers will swap cars midway through the race of electric vehicles. What do you think of this feature? Will it make you watch?

2013-05-09 22:13:48 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 18 +1s)

Do you subscribe to FT.com? If so you can now use Flipboard to access all Financial Times content from within the magazine-style app. Find out more: http://on.ft.com/18ut0nG 

2013-05-09 15:35:28 (21 comments, 10 reshares, 96 +1s)

Is man now the weakest link in warfare? 
Technology - such as drones controlled by video link - is changing our understanding of war in disturbing ways. Will military machines one day be autonomous, with a "conscience" programmed in as a set of computer algorithms? http://on.ft.com/17Op3sQ

2013-05-09 15:08:14 (2 comments, 5 reshares, 29 +1s)

FT.com subscribers can now access Financial Times articles on Flipboard, the popular mobile app. Take a look and tell us what you think. The details: http://on.ft.com/193fEMQ 

2013-05-09 13:03:31 (4 comments, 3 reshares, 30 +1s)

Read for free: How to lose $8.8bn
Hewlett-Packard is in a difficult position whatever the court rules on its disastrous purchase of Autonomy, the UK software company. If proof of financial wrongdoing at Autonomy emerges, HP will hardly look good. But if the accusations are refuted, it will be worse for HP. Our analysis: http://on.ft.com/12ZihMm
Photo by Daniel Lynch

2013-05-08 14:53:08 (3 comments, 2 reshares, 25 +1s)

Italy's new prime minister, Enrico Letta, wants to cut taxes on property and labour, increase spending on education and maintain the deficit target Rome has agreed with Brussels - but is his growth plan realistic? Watch the discussion in our video and tell us your views: 

2013-05-08 14:15:48 (10 comments, 19 reshares, 104 +1s)

After more than half a century, Jaguar has launched a successor to its E-Type. Has the "F" been worth the wait?
Read for free: http://on.ft.com/YubWKE
Image by Getty 

2013-05-08 09:17:50 (11 comments, 13 reshares, 96 +1s)

Sir Alex Ferguson will retire at the end of the season after 27 years in charge of Manchester United Football Club. Where do you think Sir Alex ranks in the league of great sports managers? Is there anything that other types of companies could learn from his management success?
http://on.ft.com/10atxrj
Image by Getty

2013-05-07 17:23:34 (6 comments, 14 reshares, 38 +1s)

Video: Growth appears to be non-existent in the developed world, or sluggish at best, but markets are at all-time highs. Where should investors put their money?

2013-05-07 15:10:38 (1 comments, 12 reshares, 23 +1s)

Read for free: Launching Windows 8 was a crucial, "bet-the-company" moment for Microsoft, but it clearly hasn't worked. The company now plans to reverse course in one of the most prominent admissions of failure for a new mass-market consumer product since Coca-Cola’s New Coke fiasco nearly 30 years ago. Can Microsoft - and Steve Ballmer - weather this? http://on.ft.com/12aaugV

2013-05-07 15:10:12 (5 comments, 32 reshares, 58 +1s)

The number of small businesses on Facebook has doubled from 8m last June to 16m today. Of those, 500,000 pay for advertising. Find out about Facebook's data analytics team who are using a complex science to get more small businesses hooked on the site:http://on.ft.com/18S2pOV

2013-05-03 18:31:03 (4 comments, 8 reshares, 34 +1s)

Calling cyclists: California bicycle brand Specialized has brought out an electric bicycle that joins a new generation of ebikes with sleek, integrated designs. Our reporter Chris Nuttall dons the special cape (yes, really) and saddles up for a super-charged bike ride. Watch our video:

2013-05-03 13:34:07 (2 comments, 11 reshares, 36 +1s)

Entrepreneurs in London are finding a variety of untraditional workplaces to run their businesses - from battleships to period portakabins. Jonathan Moules, our enterprise correspondent, visits some of the city's more creative working quarters. Watch our video:

2013-05-03 13:32:47 (0 comments, 18 reshares, 53 +1s)

Read for free: from self-driving cars to robotic operas, the future is being invented at the MIT Media Lab. We take an exclusive tour around one of the most exciting tech laboratories in the world:

http://on.ft.com/13PoL2r

Photo by Tony Luong

2013-05-01 16:40:32 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 53 +1s)

This year is a milestone for the FT. We are marking 125 years as a leading global news source known for accurate, quality journalism. Today, Weds May 1, US residents can buy an FT.com subscription for $125 – more than 60 per cent off the regular price and our best ever discount. Subscribe: http://on.ft.com/17WtsrM

2013-05-01 15:55:37 (2 comments, 2 reshares, 13 +1s)

Although it has avoided break-up, the eurozone remains in a fragile state. Growth is weak, southern European SMEs are struggling and inflation is below target. The pressure is on Mario Draghi, European Central Bank president, to announce bolder measures at Thursday's ECB meeting. What are Mr Draghi's options? Watch our video:

2013-05-01 13:55:17 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 22 +1s)

This year is a milestone for the FT. We are marking 125 years as a leading global news source known for accurate, quality journalism. Today, Weds May 1, US residents can buy an FT.com subscription for $125 – more than 60 per cent off the regular price and our best ever discount. Subscribe: http://on.ft.com/17WtsrM

2013-05-01 14:33:49 (2 comments, 22 reshares, 48 +1s)

Read for free: Unemployment across the 17 eurozone countries is at a record high, and small companies are struggling to borrow. So far, the European Central Bank has been able to keep the euro area together and avoid financial meltdown, but its options are narrowing. 

We look at the four broad areas where the ECB could take action. Can any of these boost the economy? http://on.ft.com/YdnaCW

2013-05-01 12:51:29 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 13 +1s)

What to watch out for in Facebook's results today: http://on.ft.com/Zz5OSc

Wall Street will ask:

- can video advertising contribute around 10 per cent of total ad revenue by the end of the year? 
- how much traction is Facebook Exchange, the social network’s ad buying network, getting? 
- is the Facebook Home app increasing time spent on the social network? 

The results will be on FT.com's technology page in the US afternoon/UK evening: http://www.ft.com/intl/companies/technology

2013-04-30 19:09:45 (5 comments, 6 reshares, 63 +1s)

This year is a milestone for the FT. We are marking 125 years as a leading global news source and to celebrate the occasion we’re offering US residents our biggest ever discount on a subscription to ft.com. Come back here on Wednesday to find out more.

2013-04-30 15:27:36 (4 comments, 7 reshares, 18 +1s)

Just published on ft.com:

Apple came to market with what is set to be one of the largest corporate bonds of all time, as the tech giant attempts to finance a $100bn return of cash to shareholder over the next three years.

Find out more: http://on.ft.com/12PmAvZ

2013-04-29 08:37:00 (2 comments, 23 reshares, 66 +1s)

As consumers take to smartphones globally, business is looking to find better strategies to make money out of the mobile phenomenon. Robert Cookson, our digital media correspondent, finds out how Unilever, Buzzfeed and Google are tackling the move to mobile. He spoke to them at the FT's Digital Media conference in London:

2013-04-26 17:24:09 (3 comments, 2 reshares, 12 +1s)

Looking for a camera? Read our reviews of Nikon's new DSLR & Samsung's Galaxy S4 (yes, we know it's a smartphone)
http://on.ft.com/14ksBVf

2013-04-26 17:24:35 (0 comments, 17 reshares, 48 +1s)

On second thoughts: What happens when writers revisit their masterpieces? Fifty authors, including J.K. Rowling, Seamus Heaney and Hilary Mantel have done just that. Read for free: http://on.ft.com/ZuUKWW
Image by Thom Atkinson

2013-04-25 07:43:34 (0 comments, 4 reshares, 35 +1s)

Watch live: WPP's group chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell on the "Driving Future Digital Growth" panel at the FT Digital Media Conference in London. The live stream starts today (Thursday) at 9.10am London time: http://on.ft.com/12HumZM

2013-04-24 13:16:55 (1 comments, 10 reshares, 22 +1s)

Salaries for China's 220m migrant workers are rising rapidly and young people are spending more liberally. Watch our video to see how this is boosting the economy:

2013-04-24 12:57:19 (0 comments, 9 reshares, 17 +1s)

How search is changing, leaving Google facing fresh challenges to its dominance: http://on.ft.com/12HqqrO

2013-04-24 12:55:33 (0 comments, 44 reshares, 85 +1s)

China has become the second largest market for luxury cosmetics after the US and companies like L’Oréal and Estée Lauder are pushing further into the country's smaller cities as they fight for market leadership. 

Read for free: http://on.ft.com/ZIpSAQ

2013-04-23 10:39:35 (3 comments, 11 reshares, 37 +1s)

Which inventions do you think have changed the way we do business? In the first part of our series on the 50 best business ideas, we look at aviation and the birth of the jet age, which allowed commercial air travel to become a reality. Watch our video:

2013-04-23 10:23:56 (2 comments, 3 reshares, 19 +1s)

Jaron Lanier is a computer scientist who first rose to fame for his work on virtual reality. Once a devoted advocate of the free content model of the internet, he now believes that without a comprehensive monetisation of the network and the information it transmits, the future is bleak for consumers and technology companies.

Watch our video:

2013-04-23 10:22:26 (9 comments, 17 reshares, 50 +1s)

Crunch time for Apple:

"Since the product blitz of last autumn, which saw almost every device upgraded and its stock price peak above $700, Tim Cook, Apple's chief executive, has apologised more often than he has introduced new innovations."

Read for free: http://on.ft.com/15Dwg0t

2013-04-22 15:43:41 (11 comments, 20 reshares, 70 +1s)

For many Chinese owning a car is the combination of decades of dreaming. But it comes at a price: the air is choked with smog and the streets are clogged with vehicles. Can people be persuaded to return to bicycles? Find out about the city of Hangzhou's public bike rental scheme - the biggest in the world:

2013-04-19 11:49:36 (9 comments, 6 reshares, 42 +1s)

Watch our video: As soon as Nokia fixes one hole another seems to appear. Now that sales of its Lumia smartphones are picking up, their stalwart basic phones hit further trouble. Is there light at the end of the tunnel?