Mardi Gras came early to New Orleans this year as the Saints kicked off the week with a remarkable Super Bowl victory over the Indianapolis Colts, while the big news in the tech world this week was Google's new social service "Buzz". The buzz around ReadWriteStart this week, however, was education, as we asked where entrepreneurship is really taught, and looked into how colleges could better nurture startups. In this week's Weekly Wrapup, we also look into some ways to make your corporate blogging experience better, and we discuss the weight of design versus engineering in startups.

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Startup Priorities: Is Design More Important Than Engineering?

We are all told to never judge a book by its cover, but let's face it, when we find ourselves at an ugly website, we automatically make assumptions about the quality of the services that site provides. A topic we have begun to cover more often, and one that we strongly believe in, is the importance of design for startups. In the last several weeks we've provided tips and best practices for sign-up buttons and registration processes, as well as an inside look into at Boxee's user experience overhaul.

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Sun Feb 14, 2010 12:20 pm

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Supreme Court Blocks YouTube Broadcast of Same-Sex Marriage Trial

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An early-morning decision by the U.S. Supreme court has blocked cameras from a California court room, reversing last week's decision to allow the delayed broadcast of the controversial trial on YouTube. The court is examining the constitutionality of Proposition 8, the same-sex marriage ban that was voted into law last year.

The trial was set to be the first of its kind, with its proceedings broadcast on a delay over YouTube. The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that the ban on its rebroadcast will be in place until at least Wednesday, to give the justices more time to consider the matter. The trial began this morning at 9 a.m. in San Francisco.

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Prop 8 supporters, the side that opposes gay marriage, have been pushing to stop the trial's broadcasting altogether, saying that it might discourage witnesses from testifying. At the moment, it looks like their effort has been successful.

The SFist quoted a motion by William Tam, one of the defendants, who said that he feared for the safety of himself and his family were the trial to be broadcast.

"The first reason is because I am fearful for my personal safety and the safety of my family," Tam wrote in the motion. "In the past I have received threats on my/> [...]

Mon Jan 11, 2010 13:25 pm

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Susan Boyle Breaks Amazon Pre-Order Record

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Amazon.com has announced that Susan Boyle's upcoming album, "I Dreamed a Dream," has become its largest global pre-order in the history of the online retail giant.

The album will be released by Sony Music Entertainment on November 23. Boyle became a reality show and Internet sensation after her April 11, 2009 appearance on the TV show "Britain's Got Talent," where she sang "I Dreamed a Dream" from "Les Miserables."

"We were excited when Susan Boyle's album became the top CD pre-order in the U.S. We're absolutely ecstatic now that the album has become our largest global CD pre-order," said Craig Pape, senior manager of Music at Amazon.com.

"Looking at the rest of our global Top 5, you see titles that resonated in their local markets. Susan's album is clearly capturing the hearts of our customers around the globe."

A video on the Amazon Music Store allows fans to watch Boyle the first time she sang "I Dreamed a Dream." To watch the video and learn more about Boyle, fans can visit Amazon's Susan Boyle store. Fans can also enter a sweepstakes to win a trip for two to London to have afternoon tea with Boyle.

Boyle's "I Dreamed a Dream" CD is available for pre-order for $9.99 and can be downloaded from Amazon MP3 on November 23.

 

Here's a list of the Top 5 CD pre-orders of all time for Amazon, along with their top-selling country:

1. Susan Boyle, "I Dreamed a Dream" (2009), U.S.
2. Mr. Children, "Supermarket Fantasy" (2008), Japan
3. Ken Hirai, "Ken Hirai 10th Anniversary Complete Single Collection, '/> [...]

Fri Nov 20, 2009 09:45 am

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Thousands Petition Senate Against Proposed VC Tax Hikes

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The National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) announced Tuesday that it delivered letters signed by over 1,700 members of the entrepreneurial community to each U.S. Senator in hopes of raising awareness of potentially harmful legislation. The Senate is considering financial reforms that could eliminate capital gains tax incentives for venture capital carried interest, which the NVCA says could lead to a severe decline in VC investments.

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Carried interest is a share of profits from a successful business partnership that is given to the manager of the fund, or in startup terms, money that is given to a VC or a firm when a company they invest in does well. Capital gains tax is a special lower income tax rate given to VCs based on these long-term investments.

"A change in venture capital carried interest will result in less venture investment in U.S. start-ups and fewer new jobs."
- Mark Heesen, NVCA

In other words, as the laws stand now, VCs don't have to pay full income tax rates on their carried interest from investments. If this new financial reform passes, VCs will no longer be given this special rate and will be forced to pay higher taxes - a situation many believe would directly lead to fewer investments.

As NVCA president Mark Heesen argues, this kind of legislation is in direct conflict with the government's goals to turn the country around economically.

"As more than 1,700 VCs, entrepreneurs and concerned citizens will attest, a change in venture capital carried interest will result in less venture investment in U.S. start-ups and fewer new jobs./> [...]

Wed May 12, 2010 14:55 pm

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