Sony's still on the move, Ning is looking for someone to buy them, and Amazon is still taking over the world! Let's get to the news!
Career:
Andy Robinson makes the good point that you want administrative days in your life.
Looks like there is some competition for hiring in technical fields. However this article notes some of the weird market craziness and cycling of employees.
Economics/Geekonomics:
Gawker twigs onto the possibility of a Student Loan bubble which they sum up pretty much as people getting loans for an education that won't let them get a job that'll let them repay that loan.
Publishing:
Facebook buys Push Pop Press – but they say they're not going into publishing, just using the talent for other things. Why is it that I don't entirely buy this?
So what hapens to indie bookstores with the loss of Borders?
Social Media:
Interesting: Ning is apparently trying to sell itself. It has had revenue growth since it went premium. They'd be a good purchase for anyone. Hmmm, someone needed to get into social media, someone that may want to build an Ecosystem, say Amazon, or Sony, or Microsoft . . .
And Amazon is horning in on GroupOn's territory. I'm getting the impression GroupOn isn't going to be on top in awhile.
Technology:
Doctor-booking tech form ZocDoc raises $50 million. That's huge, and as they're a simple effective service, you may want to check them out for career oppose – and for the fact the now have freaking $50 million to spend.
CampusBookRentals.com raises $20 million. They rent physical textbooks, and I get the impression any opportunities may be temporary right now. I'm wondering if Amazon's decision to do e-rentals had something to do with this – and what the company may do next, since $20 million is a sweet amount to invest in new opportunities like, say . . . e-textbook rentals.
Video:
Zediva seems to have lost to the MPAA. Zediva was a service that ran DVD's and send the feed to people's computers. Obviously the MPAA freaked out and Zediva lost. It's an interesting legal occurrence, but pretty music they were up against so many other competitors they probably would have been quashed anyway.
Video Games:
Sony acquires Sucker Punch the folks behind InFamous and Sly Cooper. That's now 16 companies that are doing first-party titles – and makes it look like Sony is following the Nintendo model. That means money flowing to these companies, and other purchases – which might open opportunities with Sony or these studios, or if you're at an acquisition. I also suspect it may means the Sony console to come next will front-load with AAA titles.
STORY OF THE DAY: So do you think Sony has any other acquisition targets?