The innovation equation

When George Stephenson invented the steam locomotive and then went on to build the Stockton and Darlington railway in 1821, he changed the way people and merchandise got around for good. Less than 100 years later airplanes were crossing the Atlantic, and another 40 years after that the Boeing 707 was in operation. According to…

Cyprus to request €2bn of its own loan to Greece

He is due to commence talks with Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras today, with the two countries financial situations being the main point of discussion. Reports indicate that Anastasiades will be asking for Greece to provide €2bn from its €48bn bank recapitalisation package to support Cypriot lenders. Little over a fortnight ago, Anastasiades, said that…

How to Survive the Coming Generational Storm

When you think about Florida what comes to mind?For me it’s sunshine… golf courses… Lincolns, Buicks and Cadillacs… big-box “senior living” centers… and, of course, ubiquitous retirees.We may make fun of Florida as one big old folks’ home. But by 2030 the average American will be older than the average Floridian is today. That observation…

Who says video games are bad for you?

Researchers at the University of Rome in Italy have concluded that playing an hour of Nintendo Wii a day for a month actually improves hand eye coordination and can make surgeons more adept at performing important surgeries. The reason for this phenomenon has a lot to do with how the surgeries themselves are performed. Instead…

Obama reluctantly signs sequester

After last minute discussions failed to reach a consensus, the American Congress was unable to prevent a wave of unpalatable cuts coming into effect. President Obama has since signed off on the sequester, which will see over $85bn wiped from the federal budget over the year. When the cuts were conceived in 2011, they were…

Selling your house? Touch up the Easy Way

So you’ve decided you’re going to put your house up for sale.  Before you take the next big step of listing your house on the market, you may want to consider the possibility of improving the current condition of your house.  Here are some simple, inexpensive ways you can polish up your house before prospective buyers come…

US home sales hit 5 year high

New figures from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development reveal that sales of new single-family houses in January rose 15.6 percent above the December 2012 rate, and 28.9 percent from the same time last year. Over 437,000 single family homes were purchased in January, exceeding the forecast of 381,000. Sales have been boosted…

Novartis scraps payout

Departing chairman of Novartis, Daniel Vasella was set to receive a payout of $78m over six years, supposedly for consulting services and a very strict non-compete agreement. But the generous ‘golden gag’ package- as the payout has been dubbed by the media- caused waves of protests in Switzerland, a country on the verge of a…

Is U.S. Hiring on the Rise?

With the number Americans applying for unemployment benefits at an all time low, things are looking up for those looking for a job. Just last week, the number of applicants fell by 27,000 indicating that hiring is steadily improving. These trends are not volatile, evidenced by Jim O’Sullivan, an economist at High Frequency Economics. In…