Business News

Ambitious companies that ignore the imminent rise of Virtual Assistants as the gateway to the Internet run the same risks as those that dismissed the disruptive innovations of Google in 1998.

The Italian economy might be in deep trouble, but the country is still spending a lot on counterfeit goods. Italians spent €6.5 billion ($8.2 billion) on counterfeit products in 2012,... according to a report by Italy's census bureau, CENSIS, released on Thursday.  That's actually lower than the previous figure from 2008, when the Italian economy lost €7.7 billion ($9.7 billion) to the black market. People are spending less money due to Italy's economic slowdown over the last few years. But the Italians haven't completely stopped purchasing knockoff items. The country's counterfeit spending habits are detailed in the chart below. At €2.25 billion (nearly $3 billion), fake clothes and accessories account for roughly one-third of the total amount spent...

While deindustrialization is still taking place in many parts of the US, it's worth looking at a historical perspective. A new Dallas Fed study points out the long term evolution of the structure of... the US economy. This chart shows the share of employment in the US in agriculture, industry, and the service sector going back to 1850: Back in the nineteenth century, the US economy was mostly built on agriculture. Over the next century, agricultural jobs went into decline as more efficient farming technologies meant that far fewer people were needed to grow ever more food. Meanwhile, the share of industrial jobs would more than double, and then begin to decline in the 1960s. The service sector's share of employment consistently grew, and by the start of the 21st century, about four in five...

Hong Kong's stock market resumes trading following a two-day public holiday as pro-democracy protesters remained on the streets.

A warmer world will change how we eat, how we travel, and where we live. What far fewer of us have considered is how dramatically climate change will alter the way we die. Even after we adjust our... lifestyles to accommodate a less hospitable planet, harsher conditions mean that far more of us can expect to develop mental illnesses, suffer from severe allergies, and contract infectious diseases. Many of us -- our children or grandchildren -- won't survive. The BMJ urged the World Health Organization this week to declare climate change a public health emergency. "Deaths from Ebola infection, tragic and frightening though they are, will pale into insignificance when compared with the mayhem we we can expect for our children and grandchildren if the world does nothing to check its carbon...

Netflix has emerged as an original video powerhouse through not only its willingness to spend but also its reputation as an ideal home for TV shows. Featuring critically acclaimed shows like... "House of Cards" and "Orange is the New Black," the company is known for buying projects whole, giving lots of freedom to show creators, and also offering useful insights. It also offers a distribution platform that lets shows be binge-watched without commercials on multiple platforms by over 50 million subscribers. Just look at "BoJack Horseman," a recently released cartoon about the washed-up star of a 1990s sitcom who has a horse head on a human body and lives in a world of talking animals where this is normal. The show is smart, funny, and innovative, and the show creators...

Hong Kong's protests may have cost retailers more than $2bn Hong Kong dollars (£175,7m), ANZ bank estimates as China bans travel permits from mainland.

Work got personal in September, looking at our spouse's personalities, the illusion of our downtime, and childhood memories from teachers. Last month, we daydreamed about adult summer camp, learned... the best times to post our social media quips, and tried (and sort of failed) to break our days down into a science. Read Full Story

GoPro Inc (GPRO) shares slid nearly 7% yesterday after investors learned CEO Nicholas Woodman, and his wife had donated shares worth $500 million, which were exempted from the lock-up period... restriction.

The number one reason employees quit is that they don't like their bosses. Fix that by making your employees love you.

Pimco's closed-end funds get cheaper as Gross departs          

The maker of "Angry Birds" is about to shove 130 employees out of the nest. Rovio Entertainment on Thursday said it will be handing out pink slips to 16 percent...

Will Windows 10 finally appeal to small business owners who want to avoid high training costs?

The court says Deutsche Bank's claim must be dismissed because there's 'no proper basis' to order payment

Edinburgh-based education tech business CogBooks has raised $2.8 million to bring adaptive learning to the masses.

The Freelancers Union was founded by Sara Horowitz almost 20 years ago in New York City. A primary focus early on was healthcare benefits for those working as freelancers in the emerging 'gig'... economy. On Tuesday the Freelancers Union announced an ambitious plan to expand their healthcare footprint nationally over the course of the next 5 years.

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Shares ofaEnergy XXIa rose 2.02% to $10.62 in after-hours trading Friday afteraHayman Capitaladisclosed a 5.08% passive stake in the company. Hayman Capital disclosed the stake... in a 13G filing with theaSEC. The stock closed down 6.47% to $10.41 in regular trading hours on Friday. Must Read: Warren Buffett's 25 Favorite Stocks STOCKS TO BUY: TheStreet Quant Ratings has identified a handful of stocks that can potentially TRIPLE in the next 12 months. Learn more. Separately, TheStreet Ratings team rates ENERGY XXI (BERMUDA) as a "hold" with a ratings score of C. TheStreet Ratings Team has this to say about their recommendation: "We rate ENERGY XXI (BERMUDA) (EXXI) a HOLD. The primary factors that have impacted our rating are mixed - some indicating strength, some...

Teams live and die in meetings, so it's worth the effort to get them right.

This smartwach lasts a year between charges, and it highlights what the whole industry is getting wrong. There is no touchscreen or Apple logo. You've never heard of the designer. Its icons look... straight out of 1992. And in fact, we found it in the Hammacher Schlemmer catalog--yes, that living fossil of technological innovation from a time when plug-in shoe-shiners were all the rage. Read Full Story

Brent is set to end lower for a fourth week in five, having fallen more than 15% this year as global supplies have remained high

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which regulates Wall Street's largest banks, faces scrutiny from Congress after the release of an employee's secret recordings that suggest lax oversight.

The mortgage market is still so tight, even former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke is having a hard time refinancing his home loan.

Jennifer Lawrence and other celebrity victims of the iCloud nude photo leak are directing their anger at Google. A Hollywood lawyer is heading up a lawsuit that is threatening to seek $100 million... from Google for not removing the photos. Ouch!

Chicago billionaire Ken Griffin, who in July filed for divorce from his money-manager wife, said he doesn't want his children moved to New York and defended the prenuptial agreement that she is... seeking to have invalidated.

Entrepreneurship or owning your own business is NOT for the faint hearted. I've done more inner work, faced more fears, and stretched myself WAY more in building up my business to success than I have... doing any other SINGLE thing- EVER. People often come to me to ask if I can help them start their own business, and I'm starting to think I need to create a checklist for them to answer before I'll agree to work with them. Here are a few of the questions I'd like to ask before working with someone- how would you answer? 1. Are you willing to commit fiercely to your vision, the way you would to a baby if you had one? (Think about the commitment it takes to raise a kid: being up all night, not screaming when you feel like you're about to CRACK the hell up, cleaning up endless messes, pushing...