Microsoft has invested $300m (£185m) in a digital venture with US bookseller Barnes and Noble.

Microsoft has invested $300m (£185m) in a digital venture with US bookseller Barnes and Noble. Thedeal could make Barnes and Noble's Nook e-book reader available to millions of new customers, integrating it with the Microsoft's new Windows 8 operating system. The as-yet unnamed new company will be 82.4% owned by Barnes and Noble, with Microsoft getting a 17.6% stake.

Soon E-readers will be overtaken by tablets.

The news caused the book store chain's shares to almost double.But some industry commentators believe publishers will be "terrified" at the implications of the deal."This deal with Microsoft could be the saviour of its digital division but won't help the bricks and mortar business," Tim Coates, managing director of Bilbary, an e-book content provider, told the BBC. "In fact it could accelerate its decline. 
"Publishers will be terrified of Barnes and Noble going digital only." Barnes & Noble shares were up more than 80%, reaching $25, the highest level since 2009. Microsoft shares were unchanged. The new joint venture will be be home to the bookseller's digital and college businesses.

Barnes and Noble announced at the beginning of the year that it was looking at splitting off its digital business. It said it does not yet know whether it will float the new company.'Significant expansion' The Nook e-reader was launched in 2009 to compete with Amazon's Kindle, allowing users to buy, download and read digital versions of books and magazines.

Its content will now be available to the growing number of people with mobile devices running Microsoft software. "Microsoft's investment in Newco [the new digital and college unit], and our exciting collaboration to bring world-class digital reading technologies and content to the Windows platform and its hundreds of millions of users, will allow us to significantly expand the business," said William Lynch, chief executive of Barnes & Noble.

Microsoft's new Windows 8 operating system - due to launch this autumn - is specifically designed to work with touch screens and mobile devices like tablet computers. Its Metro user interface can host small dedicated applications like Nook to sit on top of Windows. "Our complementary assets will accelerate e-reading innovation across a broad range of Windows devices, enabling people to not just read stories, but to be part of them," said Andy Lees, president at Microsoft.

"We're on the cusp of a revolution in reading." Amazon's Kindle service is already available as a Windows 8 app

The year of Ultrabooks.

2012 has been hyped as the year of the Ultrabooks and as we near the end of Q1, there have been new models that stretch our idea of what constitutes one. Do these 14- and 15-inch laptops with optical drives and discrete graphics count as Ultrabooks? Apparently, Intel and PC vendors think so, but whether these newer laptops will actually dilute the Ultrabook branding or confuse consumers is still a matter of speculation. Perhaps we should just treat them as laptops and review them on their merits. 

But which are the Ultrabooks that have impressed us so far? Based on the results from our previous shootout and taking into account the new models that have launched this year, I narrowed down our favorites according to five criteria: Design, performance, features, battery life and price. Here are some of the best Ultrabooks you can find in stores now.

Best design: Lenovo IdeaPad U300s

Although the Lenovo IdeaPad U300s was one of the first Ultrabooks in the market, we haven't seen a more distinctive design yet. New arrivals such as the HP Envy 14 Spectre may be more flashy, but we like the originality of the U300s. The two-tone, book-like appearance is unique without feeling gimmicky and the matte finish isn't as fingerprint-prone as the Spectre. Alternative: Dell XPS 13 If you prefer an Ultrabook that looks more like the MacBook Air, the Dell XPS 13 is probably a good choice. Besides having a similar tapered design, this Dell laptop actually has a more compact footprint than the MacBook Air. The Dell's carbon fiber and aluminum chassis also feels pretty sturdy, despite not being a unibody design. Price (Lenovo IdeaPad U300s): S$2,099 (US$1,668)

Best performance: Dell XPS 13

Comparing the performance of Ultrabooks used to be straightforward. The hardware was more or less standard--you can expect an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor with 4GB of RAM and an SSD or a hybrid HDD. System performance generally boiled down to which laptop had the better SSD. In this case, the Core i7 version of the Dell XPS 13, which uses a 256GB Samsung SSD, scored 3,839 in PCMark7, dethroning former top dog, the Asus Zenbook UX31E (PCMark7 score: 3,684). Alternative: Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra M3 However, the arrival of Ultrabooks with discrete graphics that boast superior graphics performance, such as the 15-inch Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra M3, has upset the order. As the majority of Ultrabooks are using integrated graphics, we don't think it's fair to give the performance crown to the Acer. But if you happen to be looking for an Ultrabook that's seriously capable of 3D gaming (and don't mind its extra bulk and weight), the M3 is currently the only choice. Price (Dell XPS 13): S$2,099 (US$1,668) for the Core i7 version

Best battery life: HP Folio 13
	With an uptime of 407 minutes, the HP Folio 13 narrowly beats the Toshiba Portege Z830 (396 minutes) to emerge as the Ultrabook with the best battery stamina. There's a small trade-off here--at 1.5kg, the Folio 13 is heavier than most of its 13.3-inch rivals and part of this weight is likely contributed by its impressive battery. Price: S$1,399 (US$1,112) Alternative: Toshiba Portege Z830

Best features: Samsung Series 5 Ultra (14-inch)

Discrete Radeon graphics, matte display and an optical drive are some of the standout features on this Samsung 14-inch Ultrabook. While some of you will probably disagree on whether it should be put in the same category as 13.3-inch models, the fact is that this laptop isn't that heavy at 1.8kg thanks to its aluminum chassis. Also, despite the optical drive, it's reasonably slim and its large frame means that Samsung didn't have to skimp on the ports and connectors. You can even upgrade the RAM and SSD on this laptop through a removable panel at the bottom. Price: S$1,588 (US$1,270) Alternative: HP Envy 14 Spectre

Most affordable Ultrabook: Acer Aspire S3

Acer tends to price its laptops very competitively, even when it comes to Ultrabooks. The S3 may not be the best example of an Ultrabook, but it's a competent machine with an attractive price tag. Of course, you won't get a speedy SSD with the entry-level model of the S3, though the upgrade option is there. If you're looking for a slim, portable laptop, the S3 gets the job done without costing an arm and a leg. Alternative: Samsung Series 5 Ultra 13-inch The 13.3-inch version of the Samsung Series 5 Ultra (S$1,288 or US$1,025) is a good alternative: It's slightly pricier, but you'll get a brighter, matte display and longer battery life. Price (Acer Aspire S3): S$1,099 (US$874)

 

Internetsecurity, a major concern to stakeholders.

A few weeks ago the Government had a series of cyber attacks by some I.T gurus from halfway around the globe, as the story goes. Apparently, hackers in town have now had a good business season as they can now legally make money from companies who are ready to pay them have their firewalls cracked.

On the other hand, S.E.O giants, Google, are having a similar problem with online security.  Late in the week, a researcher at Stanford University discovered that Google and several other advertising companies were bypassing privacy settings in Apple’s Safari browser. Although Google admitted it “now started removing these advertising cookies,” the news brought a fresh example of the risks of online browsing to Internet privacy.

With all bad publicity Google has undergone in the past few months Jon Mitchell of ReadWriteWeb urged users to “give Google a break”. Some experts ague that G+ is making  Google forget about other important matters and going too much social, Really?

In contrast, John Battelle argued that it was Apple which “broke with common web practice”:

“Let’s step back a second here and ask: why do you think Apple has made it impossible for advertising-driven companies like Google to execute what are industry standard practices on the open web (dropping cookies and tracking behavior so as to provide relevant services and advertising)? Do you think it’s because Apple cares deeply about your privacy? An how many hacckers out there do you think are in Kenya and do need a job?
Really?”

 

DOORS OF OPPORTUNITY OPEN FOR SME'S ON THE STOCK MARKET.
‘The SME market is intended to offer issuers benefits by permitting for listing by introduction, without a public capital-raising component. It is aimed at seeing enterprises broaden their shareholder base and gain access to open market valuation through market price discovery,” said the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) chief executive, Stella Kilonzo. This follows approval of rules governing the listing of SMEs by the capital markets regulator. Small and medium enterprises (SME) with a capital base of at least Sh10 million can list at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) without necessarily selling shares to the public from June 2012.
The budding enterprises will be listed under a new segment called Growth and Enterprise Market Segment (GEMS). The listing is expected to make it easier and cheaper for medium-sized enterprises to raise funds through rights issues or corporate bonds, while easing the process of trading shares for the shareholders.

Listing at a regulated exchange builds the confidence of potential investors in a company. Ms Kilonzo said the regulator developed the policy and regulatory framework jointly with the NSE and the Central Depository and Settlement Corporation (CDSC), the custodian of electronic investor share accounts. CMA said the introduction of the small companies at the NSE is part of the government policy to promote micro, small and medium enterprises as one of the key drivers of Vision 2030.

She also cited a report titled Impact Investing Challenges and Opportunities in the East Africa’s ICT sector written by the Authority in conjunction with the Rockefeller Foundation as having identified viable SMEs with investment opportunities.



Mrs. Stella Kilonzo.

 “In the long term, the SME market will gain from access to long-term capital by introducing modalities for the public offer of securities by SMEs thus enabling SMEs to raise capital through share offers,” said Ms Kilonzo.

She said the approved policy and regulatory framework necessitates companies aspiring to list in the GEMS at the NSE to have minimum capitalisation of Sh10 million, with no trading record or profit history required.

The SMEs will also be required to appoint a duly vetted and approved nominated advisor who will be responsible for overseeing the company’s compliance with the listing and regulations.

The advisor is also expected to ensure that at least one third of the company’s directors undergo a corporate governance director’s induction programme.

The creation of nominated advisors is aimed at reducing the costs associated with building up internal capacity for listing prior to a company coming into the market, thereby reducing the operation costs and encouraging wider participation by SMEs.