MEF Latam

Notícias e atualizações do MEF LATAM

182 notes

US Senate passes bill that would allow states to tax Internet purchases

breakingnews:

AP:


The US Senate has passed a bill that could end tax-free shopping on the Internet for many shoppers.

The Senate voted 69 to 27 Monday to pass the bill, sending it to the House where it faces opposition from some lawmakers who regard it as a tax increase.

Under current law, states can only require retailers to collect sales taxes if the merchant has a physical presence in the state. As a result, many online sales are tax-free.

24 notes

emergentfutures:     Piracy tracker TorrentFreak says that more than 1 million viewers downloaded the episode in the first day after it aired. At one point, more than 163,000 people were simultaneously sharing a single torrent — a new record. The previous record, of just under 145,000 simultaneous file-swappers, was set by the “Heroes” season 3 debut in 2008, according to TorrentFreak’s data.   Full Story: CNN E a pirataria ainda reina…

emergentfutures:

 

 

Piracy tracker TorrentFreak says that more than 1 million viewers downloaded the episode in the first day after it aired. At one point, more than 163,000 people were simultaneously sharing a single torrent — a new record. The previous record, of just under 145,000 simultaneous file-swappers, was set by the “Heroes” season 3 debut in 2008, according to TorrentFreak’s data.

 

Full Story: CNN

E a pirataria ainda reina…

48 notes

smarterplanet: We’re heading for a world with more smartphones than bank accounts – Quartz Bank accounts are out, smartphones are in. In 2011, some 2.5 billion people in the world were “unbanked” (pdf), as the lingo goes, according to the World Bank. By 2016, more people will have bank accounts, but in regions like the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, even more will have smartphones, research and consulting firm Analysys Mason predicts in a report today.

smarterplanet:

We’re heading for a world with more smartphones than bank accounts – Quartz

Bank accounts are out, smartphones are in. In 2011, some 2.5 billion people in the world were “unbanked” (pdf), as the lingo goes, according to the World Bank. By 2016, more people will have bank accounts, but in regions like the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, even more will have smartphones, research and consulting firm Analysys Mason predicts in a report today.

(via emergentfutures)

181 notes

SXSW: How Mobile Devices Are Changing Africa

futuramb:

image

AUSTIN, TX—Mobile phones are kicking off a revolution in Africa, with everyone from farmers to villagers relying on apps to make electronic payments, check on expiration dates for medicine, and predict future storms or the best prices for produce. In a SXSW session titled “The $100bn Mobile Bullet Train Called Africa” (which would also be a pretty good name for one of the indie films playing at this massive convention), Tech4Africa founder Gareth Knight explained the contours of this revolution.

…

Knight then explained how mobile devices are disrupting traditional markets, citing the case of an ex-pat from Ghana who, after raising money “from friends, family and fools,” started rice farms in his home country. “He communicates with 2,000 farmers in the West of Ghana using SMS, he sends out text messages to all his farmers,” he said. “He’s crowd-sourced rice production, and he’s selling that to the rest of the world.” That collective is now the second-biggest rice exporter in the country, largely thanks to the ability to leverage mobile technology.

The crowdsourcing/collective approach is interesting albeit probably very fragile when corporations starting to enter the markets. 

How #mobile is changing Africa, an #SXSW presentation.

(via emergentfutures)

70 notes

emergentfutures: IS WEARABLE TECH LIKE APPLE’S IWATCH THE NEXT BIG TREND?   Apple has already transformed two industries: music and computing. Now, as the company reportedly attempts the redefinition of the watch – one of man’s oldest pieces of technology – the next phase of the techno revolution is hoving into clear view: welcome to the age of “wearable tech”, with a gadget available to cater to your every need. Paul Higgins: This is an interesting debate. I have not worn a watch since my dairy cattle veterinary days when I used to lose them regularly. This is the only time I have ever thought about wearing one again because my mobile has served the purpose. However not having to pull my phone out and visibility in daylight for limited functions are somewhat appealing Full Story: Springwise

emergentfutures:

  • IS WEARABLE TECH LIKE
  • APPLE’S IWATCH THE
  • NEXT BIG TREND?

 

Apple has already transformed two industries: music and computing. Now, as the company reportedly attempts the redefinition of the watch – one of man’s oldest pieces of technology – the next phase of the techno revolution is hoving into clear view: welcome to the age of “wearable tech”, with a gadget available to cater to your every need.

Paul Higgins: This is an interesting debate. I have not worn a watch since my dairy cattle veterinary days when I used to lose them regularly. This is the only time I have ever thought about wearing one again because my mobile has served the purpose. However not having to pull my phone out and visibility in daylight for limited functions are somewhat appealing

Full Story: Springwise

110 notes

thenextweb: Digital payments company Square today announced that it can now offer brick-and-mortar stores a complete package of hardware to run their business with its point-of-sale solution Square Register. The package has a starting price of $299 and includes two Square Readers, an iPad stand (Heckler Design WindFall), a cash drawer (APG Vasario 1616), and an optional receipt printer (Star Micronics TSP143L). (via Square now offers stores a “Business in a Box” hardware package for Square Register, starting at $299 - The Next Web)

thenextweb:

Digital payments company Square today announced that it can now offer brick-and-mortar stores a complete package of hardware to run their business with its point-of-sale solution Square Register. The package has a starting price of $299 and includes two Square Readers, an iPad stand (Heckler Design WindFall), a cash drawer (APG Vasario 1616), and an optional receipt printer (Star Micronics TSP143L). (via Square now offers stores a “Business in a Box” hardware package for Square Register, starting at $299 - The Next Web)

(via emergentfutures)

8 notes

emergentfutures: Datawatch: Global newspaper circulation in decline as disruption reaches emerging economies For years it’s been thought that growing newspaper readership in emerging economies – the BRICs and the next 11 – was compensating for declining print circulation in developed world. But the data shows this isn’t the case. Numbers from the International Federation of Audit Bureaux of Circulation (IFABC) actually shows that trend ended in 2011. Printed newspaper readership is now declining in almost all major economies. Full Story: Media Briefing

emergentfutures:

Datawatch: Global newspaper circulation in decline as disruption reaches emerging economies

For years it’s been thought that growing newspaper readership in emerging economies – the BRICs and the next 11 – was compensating for declining print circulation in developed world.

But the data shows this isn’t the case. Numbers from the International Federation of Audit Bureaux of Circulation (IFABC) actually shows that trend ended in 2011. Printed newspaper readership is now declining in almost all major economies.

Full Story: Media Briefing

16 notes

Facebook Eying Movies, Books, TV as Next Dominant Social Content | Adweek

Movies and fitness may have a head start on books, since the two categories are already on the verge of capitalizing on frictionless sharing as Spotify did last year. Netflix recently swayed Congress to change a law and allow video-watching apps to automatically publish what someone is watching to a social network. Fitness apps like Nike Plus have already connected with Facebook, letting someone share their run with their friends or having those friends cheer the runner while on his or her route.

Books are trickier, at least the print ones. Rose cited the Goodreads app through which users can list the books they’ve read or are reading and see books their friends have read and rated. A real catalyst for books being shared to the News Feed would be a deeper integration with Amazon’s Kindle, which already lets users connect their Facebook accounts, though Rose didn’t mention the device.

Facebook’s big fish is TV. Twitter has solidified itself as the dominant second-screen platform, but Rose said Facebook is having conversations with companies such as Dish Network and Comcast about creating what sounds like a social programming guide. The idea is that consumers would be able to turn on their TV and see a feed displaying all the shows their friends have watched and how they’ve rated them.

(Source: courtenaybird, via emergentfutures)