source

If breathing technology is what this generation does, the roll-down list of tech neighborhoods we have for you today, literally exemplify the meaning of "living with technology".

Doesn't that sound like the heights of nerdiness?

Rest assured these are very livable spaces, cities like you and me live in. The catch however is that these neighbourhoods are cities unto themselves. Be it the facilities, the landscape, architecture or the people who inhabit such spaces, there is a wisp of compelling technology that is openly on display.

It's not one, not two, not even ten...

Yahoo Inc, under the tutelage of their zealous CEO Marissa Mayer just hit 20 on Wednesday. 20 startups/companies all under its wing. Amazing score one can say!

Adding to the long list of startups that Mayer has acquired since in her short span 1 year at office, Yahoo just acquired the app making firm Lexity to boost its acquisition rate by nearly a quarter.

Studying this takeover trend, there are two plausible patterns that emerge. For one, Yahoo dabbles into these bids just for the sake of a erstwhile popular brand that's vacillating now. On the second count are those firms that are vacillating yet have a vast talent pool that now works on Yahoo's payroll. And most importantly, most of these takeovers include mobile app companies that will surely benefit Yahoo in some form, once they are integrated with it.

The Comic-Con International 2013 just got wrapped up this week at San Diego's Convention Center.

The country's longest running convention so far and currently in its 44th year, San Diego is a non-profit outfit that aims to create awareness and comic art appreciation by popularizing it among the global citizens. By hosting presentations, award shows and events of interactive nature, they are positively recognizing the contribution of comics as a medium to promote art and culture.

This year the Convention was a typical sell out with more than 125,000 comic book fans and professionals attending the events. The interesting theme around this year was the categorical recognisition of the changes in the publishing industry. While hand drawn comic strip books are still the rage, the industry is fast moving towards digitization as a move against piracy.

While a host of new startups joined the race to showcase their digital makeover, a handful of tech-driven enterprises stood out. In fact, a established industry veteran like Amazon too launched its own digital comic strip - Jet City Comics, that went into print earlier in the month.

"Keep a thing seven years, and you'll always find a use for it" -English Saying

Twitter just turned 7 years yesterday. In a industry where competition is so virulent, having 500 plus million users is not a easy task.

On this esteem occasion, it is time to ponder over the fact that what makes it so special from other social networking and micro blogging sites?

Well the most important endearing aspect of Twitter is that it has made the articulation of ideas more precise. Don't they say "short is sweet". Twitter with its 140 character thoughts is the like hitting a target in point blank range or completely going off the bulls eye; there's no middle ground.

In a storm-breaking news, atleast for the blogging and content creation crowd, Google announced that it will be axing off Google Reader by July 1st, 2013.

Our first reaction was extreme astonishment. Reading the reactions of our fellow competitors in the business, the opinion is indeed unanimous- Google is in a delusional trance!!

Google may be the Big Daddy of the social media world, but this spring cleaning move is not going down too well.

Statistics and crude data may have indicated that the RSS technology was fast dying its own death. But that's just numbers generated from a system. We as a ecommerce business can positively vouch for the fact that Google Reader has its own share of fans.

The SXSW Interactive is an event for startups and pro's alike in the digital world. From high end tech launches to influential talks, the event this year also is simmering much heat.

The stand out thing this year has been the flow of things. The focal shift has been in pondering "how" things work to "why" use technologies. An interesting point of view, must say.

In an earlier post this month, we spoke of Digital Darwinism and technological handicaps induced into human behavior. The Interactive too has caught on this wind appropriately.

No Google is not venturing into championing mainstream education now.

Now try some brain exercise here. What could possibly be common between a Tim Armstrong, a Marissa Mayer, a Biz Stone and Evan Williams?

As they say "Everyone Googles", so have each of these Google babies.

Today we bring for you a collection of Xooglers or those who transcended to the 'next level' of their careers after a brief stint at Google. Mind you the list is long and indeed baffling!

It's not be the same glamor-oozing show stealer with dazzling beauties and hunks walking a red carpet. It's all about geeks walking tall in their pinstripe suits and Prada heels for their obvious achievements as go-getters in the business fraternity.

Yes we are talking of the 6th Crunchies Annual Award Show. The much anticipated award ceremony among business circles were finally announced yesterday in San Francisico's Louise M.Davies Symphony Hall.

A joint ceremony is hosted and sponsered by Tech Crunch, GigaOm and VentureBeat, the awards are like an encouraging pat-on-the-back for "the best startups, founders and venture capitalists".

If you are a startup, convincing the stiff-necked breed of investors to extend capital for your venture is the most difficult part. Added to this, the legal framework is a roadblock in most cases.

But as of 2011, with President Obama's signing of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups or JOBS Act, a new window of opportunity for many Small Business was provided for the first time since 1929.

According to this Act, private businesses, even startups can now legally raise money from public by offering a share in their stocks upto a tune of $1 million annually.

"Branding", "Brand Value"...

These scary words that blow the daylights of many a veteran entreprenuers. No doubt building and creating a brand takes years of creativity and hardwork with many roadblocks to face of. What most businesses do in a crisis situation is to purely on the product they want to market; but sadly your product is not your brand. That's the first ground rule that need to be understood straight.

So what really is a BRAND and BRANDING?

Brands are not just products, its a hegemonic pyschology that engages a buyer and seller in a positive relationship. In a word, communication, is what builds a brand. In strictly economic terms it is called "user acquisition strategy". The product is simply a thing out of the factory, a creative branding is what makes it glamorous enough to adorn the shelves in those brick-n-mortar stores in the first place. Most Small Businesses and startups fail to capitalize on this avenue.

Most of us have heard about Marx's Communist Manifesto or John Lennon's controversial Imagine Peace but what's this Peanut Butter Manifesto?