Having been somewhat non-committal regarding stem cell research in the past, big pharma’s gradual investment in stem cell based biotechnologies indicates a significant, although slow paced, shift in attitude. Many apprehensions for these investments were due to an abundance of unproven clinical trial data and the ethical implications associated with this type of research. With [...]

We read from a recent survey of CEO’s in the U.S. Business Roundtable that 51% of them project higher sales and plan to spend more capital in the next six months. This would seem to be positive news. However, their optimism regarding the economic climate and expansion for growth is less enthusiastic than from 3 [...]

Can a cyber-attack be considered equivalent to a traditional act of war for a country? The Obama administration is trying to develop policy to sort this issue out and have a rapid response to it that is not over reaching but is as effective as more traditional attack and war responses. Possible responses include economic [...]

The world has watched with great concern the news and information surrounding the largest recorded earthquake (magnitude 9.0 ) in Japanese history. As reported, the quake was the underlying factor in major tsunamis that ravaged the northern Japan coastlines and damaged three nuclear reactor facilities. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, 240 km (150 miles) [...]

Perhaps cash is on its way out, in which case, paying for groceries or goods at your local store will never be the same. Imagine your salesperson at the department store, waiter at your favorite restaurant, or clerk at the grocery asking you the above question at check out.  You won’t have to imagine for [...]

Many investors, upon reading news headlines of potential cures for cancer, heart disease, blindness, or hearing of positive clinical trials, take the plunge into biotech stocks as the next big drug or therapy may be the holy grail of the industry.  Often, a damper of reality occurs in the form of an FDA delay, or [...]

Eli Lilly & Co. (LLY), the 10th largest pharmaceutical company in the world, recently obtained approval to sell the antidepressant drug, Cymbalta, as a pain killer. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared Cymbalta for remedies for arthritis and chronic lower back conditions. As with most drug firms, Lilly is playing the game of patent [...]

In early 2009, the Obama Administration lifted the ban for federal funding for certain types of embryonic stem-cell research that had originally been imposed by the Bush administration in 2001. The move indicated a boon for companies, federal funding, and respective stocks related to the stem cell industry.  Any company involved in embryonic stem-cell research [...]

In early April, Apple announced that its iPhone OS 4, in use for iPhone 3GS, iPad, and iPod Touch will support a limited form of multitasking.  This feature has been readily available on competing products from manufacturers for some time. To date, multitasking on PC and mobile device O/S (operating systems) enables applications to run [...]

An anonymous group of G-20 protesters calling themselves the Pittsburgh G-20 Resistance Project published a list of local businesses, community organizations and research facilities that they’ve identified as “places where oppression and injustice exist on a daily basis.”  The Resistance Project is encouraging affinity groups and other organizations to select places on this list for [...]

In mid-September, Google surprised its fans with a new service: FastFlip. A user already familiar with Google News will find a few similar elements, but FastFlip takes the experience to a new level, both on a desktop and on a mobile device, allowing users to “browse news like a magazine”. FastFlip attempts to lower the [...]

Sensational media coverage is already beginning to portray anti-G20 protesters as a single homogeneous group preparing for violent opposition to September’s G20 meeting. Some of the reporting has simply been ridiculous with the likes of KDKA, a local CBS Television affiliate, suggesting that protesters are hoarding human feces to throw at police, but even the [...]

The non-partisan government agency the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued a report that projected that the Obama administration’s program agenda and budget plans would push deficits up, generating a cumulative near $1 trillion a year, over the next ten years. This is nearly $2.3 trillion more for that period than the Obama administration officials predicted [...]

President Obama has named a high tech guru to the position of Chief Information Officer of the United States. Vivek Kundra, who is currently the Chief Technology Officer for Washington, DC will be the first person to hold such a position. His budget for the department is reportedly 70 billion dollars, and his departmental responsibilities [...]

It is frightening to think of how dependent on the internet modern society has become. Perhaps the greatest communication tool in the world to date, the world wide web has a vast amount of servers, databases, and information pages, that serve up useful information in abundance on almost any subject. Its use is growing daily, the useful web2.0 tools that developers continue to add are constantly expanding that use in new ways.

FBI statistics have revealed that the number of women committing bank robberies is quickly growing. The FBI released statistics that indicate that 6.2% of recent bank heists were committed by women. The statistic represents a 25% increase as compared to crimes of 2002 recorded at 4.9%. Although males remain the top perpetrators of bank heists [...]

The world’s third largest economy is showing signs of positive growth resulting from the injection of funds in a stimulus package. Reports from economic analysts in China indicate that their economy may expand 6.6% in its second quarter. China’s economy had slowed to 6.3% in its first quarter. A $585 billion (U.S) stimulus package had been placed into effect by the Chinese government in the past few months. During the decline– its worst since 1999– China has lost over 20 million jobs, due primarily to a major decline in exports as the world economy demands less of the China-produced goods.

Google recently launched a new service called Google Latitude. The service, which is an extension of Google Maps, uses a combination of Global Positioning Systems, WiFi, and cell tower location data.

The economic recession has spared no targets or class. However, as far as recessions go, it is still reasonably early in this one. From blue collar to white, from the middle manager to the assembly line worker, to the construction to the financial sectors, a wide net of reductions, layoffs, and financial downfall has caught [...]

As reported by The Bureau of Economic Analysis of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. economy has turned in one of the worst performances in the last quarter century during the final months of 2008. Current indicators are exposing fears that future months could even be more grim. The report, issued on January 30th, 2009, indicated that in its preliminary estimates the real gross domestic product decreased at an annual rate of 3.8% in the fourth quarter of 2008.

The World Economic Forum annual meeting, known familiarly as simply Davos, opens Tuesday, January 28th, 2009 and runs through February 1st, 2009 in Davos, Switzerland. This year, the majority of participants and, indeed, the focus of many of the topics is governmental. An unprecedented number of governments around the globe are involved in efforts like [...]

Despite the declining economic downturn throughout 2008, and the severity of financial news and losses of the fourth quarter of 2008, more than 1 million people visited the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh in the 2008 calendar year. According to museum officials who recently reported on their annual admissions statistics, 1,185,000 visitors toppled the previous 2001 admissions record of 1,013,000 for the four museums that include the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History in Oakland, Carnegie Science Center, and The Andy Warhol Museum.

Citibank’s financial supermarket is not so super anymore with $10 billion in losses in its latest quarter, a stock price hovering at 3.2, representing a 16-year low. The U.S. Federal government is considering how to split up the largest banking giant as its losses continue to mount and it grows increasingly obvious that almost no amount of government assistance will be able to save the giant financial services firm. Citibank struck a deal on Tuesday to effectively sell control of its Smith Barney brokerage unit to Morgan Stanley.

What will make you drink more coke? Coca-Cola is hoping that the tagline “Open Happiness” will do the trick. Reportedly, Coca-Cola will be starting a new world-wide ad campaign based around the phrase and a new smiling logo. This campaign will replace “The Coke Side of Life,” which was launched in 2006. “It’s really a [...]

Wang Chuanfu is the founder and chairman of BYD Company Limited, a Chinese battery and, as of recently, automobile maker. In December of 2008, BYD began selling the F3DM, a plug-in electric hybrid car in China. BYD has been criticized for copying its competitor’s car designs—their logo, as well, bears a striking resemblance to that of BMW’s. The automobile plugs into a home outlet and comes with a small gasoline engine capable of recharging the battery on the go.

Crude oil prices fell by $3.24 on January 12, declining to $37.59 per barrel. This, marked against the peak of $147.27 in July of 2008, is a 75% decline in less than six months. The declines, spurred by slowed economies world wide and lessened demand, have caused major panic in oil producing countries to continue, amid fears of loss of long term revenues. At the pump, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline was $1.79 on Monday, down from Sunday’s $1.792 a gallon, according to the American Automobile Association.

How the Bush administration defied the U.S. Congress and struck a deal using federal funds to bailout the U.S. auto industry while Congress was on vacation. The Bush administration announced a $17.4 billion dollar emergency loan package designed to rescue auto giants General Motors and Chrysler, in direct defiance of Congress’ rejection of the automakers bailout, less than 10 days ago. The move, orchestrated in a perfect storm-like environment, is widely criticized by members of Congress and reflected in public opinion.

Of all the U.S. Presidents, Richard Nixon has been the most Shakespearean in his capacity to self-destruct, then recover, reinvent, and resurface again. Nixon’s rise throughout his political life was curiously associated to the death of others who would have stood in his path. First, two of his brothers who would have most likely exceeded [...]

Post-election campaign finance reports filed by the candidates with the Federal Election Commission Thursday indicated that in 21-plus months, Barack Obama raised roughly $750 million from donors. At the end of the campaign […]

Barack Obama is set to name most of his future Cabinet members by the end of 2008. To date, he has announced ten candidates to undertake primary roles in his White House. Although his vetting process is extremely extensive, his administration has trumped the speed at which any previous president-elect has named nominees. On Monday, [...]