French Inspirational Stores inspires VCs for 10m Euros series B funding Ouriel Ohayon Sun, 05 Oct 2008 17:24:09 -0000 Did someone declare that startups would have a hard time raising money? Not for some of them. Paris Based Inspirational Stores will announce tomorrow a 10 million euros series B lead by Atlas Ventures and OTC asset Management. Inspirational Stores offers famous high-end brands without online retail activity a full turn-key solution to give them a second life on the web starting from web presence to full logistical and customer support service. Bitwine Acquired By Monster Venture Partners Michael Arrington Sun, 05 Oct 2008 08:46:56 -0000 Bitwine, a service launched in late 2006 that lets people ask questions to experts for a fee. Originally the service was tethered to Skype; more recently it began letting users connect to experts via Skype, other VoIP service, or normal phone lines. Experts can charge their clients either by the minute or a simple flat fee. Clients pay by PayPal and the money gets sent to experts as soon as the sessions end. The service is also available as a white label product.
Monster Venture Partners will announce tomorrow that they have acquired a controlling interest in the startup, and are replacing CEO Elad Baron with a former Expedia Exec, Ronnie Gurion (Baron will remain on as President and CTO). The acquisition price was not disclosed; Bitwine had previously raised $1.5 million in a round of financing from Crossbar Capital. If Sales Of Halloween Masks Could Predict The Election, Obama Would Be President Erick Schonfeld Sun, 05 Oct 2008 07:25:56 -0000 Everyone has their favorite way to predict who will win the Presidential election. Amazon likes to keep track of Halloween mask sales. Supporters of either candidate can buy rubber masks of each to wear for Halloween. So far, 57 percent of the masks Amazon has sold have been Obama masks, versus 43 percent for McCain masks.
The weird thing is that is right around the same number that McCain is getting in the latest tracking polls (Obama is tracking closer to 50 percent support). If you want some real helpful stats and links, check out Google Director of Research Peter Norvig's Presidential Election 2008 FAQ page. He's got links to all the latest polls, election prediction markets, truth scorecards, and studies measuring media bias.
Or you can just buy a mask. I'm not sure if they'll let you in the voting booth with that, though.
The Crunchie: It’s Not Just An Award, It’s A Weapon Erick Schonfeld Sun, 05 Oct 2008 05:18:09 -0000
When we commissioned the statuettes for the Crunchies Awards last year, we hoped to create something a little more memorable than the typical plastic tombstone. We opted for a plastic monkey holding a bone aloft instead. While it does have a certain menacing quality to it, we never expected anyone to turn it into weapon.
But now you can find "The Crunchie" in the online game Duels. Our award has been re-stylized as a deadly mace with a power rating of 631 (which is massive, a run-of-the-mill mace has a power rating of 50 or less). There appears to be only one, and it is owned by a player named Loki (aka Andrew Busey, CEO of Challenge Games, the maker of Duel). You don't want to mess with him. He's got a Crunchie. Congress Finally Gets Why The Google Deal Is So Bad Michael Arrington Sun, 05 Oct 2008 03:27:32 -0000 Congress is finally understanding the reality of the Yahoo-Google search deal, and what it means for the state of search competition in general. It's not about price fixing advertising rates, it's about neutering the second place market participant.
As I wrote on September 27, the current deal between Yahoo and Google will inevitably lead to the decline of Yahoo's core search advertising business. They will insert Google ads to push revenue. But as they do so, they'll give advertisers an increasing incentive to just go to Google for their ad management. The disparity between Yahoo and Google's revenue-per-ad models will grow, which will further encourage Yahoo's reliance on Google. The result will be a Google monopoly in search advertising. And instead of competing for that monopoly, they get paid for the privilege: GoldMail Brings Media-Rich Presentations To Email Jason Kincaid Sun, 05 Oct 2008 02:42:06 -0000
When it comes to communication, efficiency is everything. Voicemail is giving way to text based messages like SMS and Email, which are more easily sorted and can be quickly skimmed. But while basic text may be enough to convey simple ideas, it often falls short with when trying to pitch a startup, or offer a business proposal. GoldMail has built a platform that allows users to send media-rich messages that can include graphics and audio while still retaining much of the flexibility of Email.
A GoldMail message is essentially a Flash slideshow that can include any number of images, Powerpoint slides, and text, which are accompanied by the sender's voiceover. Messages are created using GoldMail's Windows client (a Mac version is on the way), and are then uploaded and hosted on GoldMail's servers. Recipients of a GoldMail message are sent a text introduction along with a link to the full GoldMail movie. And while you can make the messages as complex as you'd like, they generally only take around 5-10 minutes to put together.
ENN Investing and Corporate Social Responsibility
Study Suggests Carbon Market Encourages Chopping Forests The current carbon market actually encourages cutting down some of the world's biggest forests, which would unleash tons of climate-warming carbon into the atmosphere, a new study reported Monday. Technology Companies Tout Greener Credentials, but Significant Improvements Are Distant With energy costs high and environmental friendliness making for good public relations, more tech companies are touting ways they are "greening" data centers, which serve up Web pages, swap Internet traffic, and process and store business information.
Westinghouse Seals Mega China Nuclear Deal U.S.-based Westinghouse Electric signed on Tuesday a multi-billion-dollar deal with Chinese partners to build four nuclear reactors in eastern China, finalising a pact agreed between Beijing and Washington seven months ago.
The Financial Page
James Surowiecki: What drives market volatility? James Surowiecki Mon, 25 Aug 2008 04:00:00 -0000 American investors are frazzled. True, oil prices have fallen from their most vertiginous highs, the dollar is a bit stronger, and the stock market has actually risen over the past month. But none of those things have happened in a smooth and steady fashion. The stock market’s “ascent,” in particular . . . James Surowiecki: Too many stakeholders can be a deal-breaker. James Surowiecki Mon, 04 Aug 2008 04:00:00 -0000 In the second decade of the twentieth century, it was almost impossible to build an airplane in the United States. That was the result of a chaotic legal battle among the dozens of companies--including one owned by Orville Wright--that held patents on the various components that made a . . . James Surowiecki: Sponsoring Recklessness James Surowiecki Mon, 21 Jul 2008 04:00:00 -0000 When do the words “not guaranteed” actually mean “guaranteed”? Whenever the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are involved. The two companies have long been required to tell investors that their securities are not guaranteed by the federal government. But in the financial markets everyone has always assumed that . . .
NYT > Your Money
Your Money: Where’s It All Going? Find Out Online Sat, 04 Oct 2008 19:48:31 -0000 Although you don’t have control of the stock market, you do have control over your personal budget.
Your Money: Navigating Troubled Times: Answers for Readers Sat, 04 Oct 2008 19:58:19 -0000 Hundreds of readers responded to an invitation to submit questions about the effects on their personal finances.
Hazardous Conditions for the Auto Industry Thu, 02 Oct 2008 05:12:29 -0000 Industry sales have dropped 26.6 percent over all compared with a year ago, and automakers sold fewer than a million new cars in September, the first time since 1993.
The Economist: The World Bank and the IMF
Chad: Breaking the bank Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:08:08 -0000 A vaunted model development project goes awryWHEN the World Bank agreed to help finance a controversial pipeline from oilfields in Chad to a port in Cameroon, it claimed to be raising the bar for transparency and good government in the extractive industries. It insisted that the government of Chad spend almost all its revenue from the project on development; to make sure it did so, the oil firms involved were to pay royalties into an escrow account monitored by an independent agency. Eight years later, the bar has fallen with a thud. Rather than comply with the bank’s strictures, the government of Chad has repaid its loans in full. It will now do as it pleases with its oil money.The project did not get off to an auspicious start: the government spent a chunk of its $25m signing bonus on arms. As local rebel movements grew stronger, and the conflict in neighbouring Darfur began to spill over into Chad, the government’s urge to funnel cash to the army only grew. It bickered frequently with the bank and the oil firms about the terms of the deal. The lockbox for revenue proved insecure, since the government simply took the money disbursed for education and health care and diverted it to less worthy causes. “Ultimately,” says a World Banker, “these projects depend on the political will of the governments involved.” ... Poverty: The bottom 1.4 billion Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:35:37 -0000 The world is poorer than we thought, the World Bank discoversCorrection to this articleIN APRIL 2007 the World Bank announced that 986m people worldwide suffered from extreme poverty—the first time its count had dropped below 1 billion. On August 26th it had grim news to report. According to two of its leading researchers, Shaohua Chen and Martin Ravallion, the “developing world is poorer than we thought”. The number of poor was almost 1.4 billion in 2005. ... Who runs the world?: Wrestling for influence Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:02:45 -0000 The post-war global institutions have largely worked well. But rising countries and growing threats are challenging their pre-eminence THE powerful, like the victorious, do not just write history. They grab the seats at the top tables, from the United Nations Security Council to the boards of the big international economic and financial institutions. They collude behind closed doors. They decide who can join their cosy clubs and expect the rest of the world to obey the instructions they hand down. That is how many outsiders, not just in the poor world, will see the summit that takes place from July 7th to 9th of the G8, the closest the world has to an informal (ie, self-appointed) steering group. Leaders of seven of the world’s richest democracies, plus oil-and gas-fired Russia, gather this year in Toyako, on Hokkaido in northern Japan, to ruminate on climate change, rising food and energy prices, and the best way to combat global scourges from disease to nuclear proliferation. ...
American Rehabilitation, Inc. (ARI) - Offers medical and vocational rehabilitation, telephonic claims reporting, telephonic case management, and medical networks.
American Specialty Health Plans of California - [USA, California] Offers health plans for chiropractic care and acupuncture. Site describes the company and includes directory of participating care providers.
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AmeriChoice Corporation - [USA] Organizes health care benefits and services for beneficiaries of Medicaid and other government-sponsored health care programs in more than one dozen markets nationwide.
Amerigroup Corporation - [USA] Provider of health care to low-income and uninsured families in several states and the District of Columbia. [English, some content in Spanish]
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British Union Provident Association (BUPA) - [International] Provider of health insurance plans and services in several nations.
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Choice One, Inc. - [USA, North Carolina] Offers ongoing review and negotiation of managed care agreements for physicians with HMOs, PPOs, and POS programs. Has assisted in establishing several independent practice associations (IPAs).
Meta Description: [ Stanford Advisory Services provides consulting services for physicians and third parties. The key to the future is knowledge of the past. ]
College Health IPA - [USA, California] A behavioral healthcare delivery system serving approximately 1.1 million members.
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Community Care Behavioral Health Organization - Designed primarily to serve public sector consumers, and their families in Pennsylvania through the delivery of effective and accessible behavioral health services. Information on the company and its services is offered.
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Concentra, Inc. - [USA] Provides occupational health services for cost containment and lost time prevention including: drug screens, physical therapy, first notice of injury, and case management.
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CorVel Corporation - [USA] A national, independent provider of managed care and case management services for workers' compensation, accident and health, and auto insurance markets.
County Managed Care Resource (COMCARE) - [USA, Pennsylvania] A program of the County Commissioners Association, which provides services and assistance to the counties implementing behavioral managed healthcare within the state HealthChoices program.
Meta Description: [ A program of the County Commissioners Association of PA, which provides services and assistance to the PA counties implementing behavioral managed healthcare. ]
Coventry Health Care, Inc. - [USA] A managed health care organization which offers HMOs and PPOs in many states. Site provides links to subsidiary organizations, offers investor information, and a company overview.
Meta Description: [ Coventry Health Care is a managed health care company based in Bethesda, Maryland. The Company provides a full range of managed care products and services throughout the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast United States. ]
Definity Health, Inc. - [USA] A provider of consumer-driven health plans, consisting of an employer-funded personal care account, a traditional health coverage component, and an array of tools and resources to support its members.
First Health Group Corporation - [USA] Serves the group health, workers' compensation, and state public program markets in addition to offering claims services and clinical management. Site describes the company, its services, and offers consumer information.
GatesMcDonald HealthPlus - [USA, Ohio] A managed care program providing medical care via workers' compensation for injured workers. Site describes company, its services, and allows provider lookup.
500Harvard Pilgrim Health Care - [USA] Nonprofit organization offers HMO, PPO, and POS plans in New England. Includes benefits, coverage, financial and employment information, and health news.
Health Plan of Nevada - [USA, Nevada] Offers HMO, Medicare HMO, PPO, and POS plans. Site includes information about plan options and benefits and a glossary. A subsidiary of Sierra Health Services, Inc.
500Health Risk Management, Inc. - Provides integrated health care management and information services to manage the quality volume and cost of health care under employee benefit plans. (Nasdaq: HRMI).
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Healthcare Recoveries, Inc. - Provides health insurance subrogation and related recovery services for private healthcare payors. (Nasdaq: HCRI).
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HealthExtras, Inc. - Provides supplemental health and disability benefit programs directly to consumers over the Internet. (Nasdaq: HLEX).
HealthHelp - [USA] Provides radiology management services for insurers and physicians. Its national radiology network is used by many managed care organizations.
HealthSpring - [USA, Tennessee] A managed care organization in central part of state. Site describes products and services, allows provider search, and has areas for members, brokers, providers, and employers.
Meta Description: [ HealthSpring delivers world-class managed health care. We are dedicated to improving the health of the communities we serve by delivering the highest quality and greatest value in health care benefits and services. ]
Humana, Inc. - Offers coordinated health insurance coverage and related services to employer groups, government-sponsored plans, small businesses and individuals. (NYSE:HUM).
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Keystone Mercy Health Plan - [USA, Pennsylvania] Medical assistance (Medicaid) managed care health plan in the southeastern region of the state.
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Lumenos, Inc. - [USA] Offers three phase program of consumer-driven healthcare, consisting of health savings account, traditional health coverage, and a health toolkit.
Medical Network One - [USA, Michigan] A for-profit organization committed to providing administrative services to physicians who have entered into both risk sharing and non-risk sharing agreements with managed care organizations.
Molina Healthcare, Inc. - [USA] Provides managed healthcare in California, Washington, Utah, and Michigan, to individuals covered under Medicaid and related programs. [English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, and Hmong]
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Multimed - [South Africa] A medical scheme administrator. Services include managed care, claims management, and risk management.
National Medical Health Card Systems, Inc. - Offers prescription benefit management services to plan sponsors which include managed care organizations, local governments, unions, corporations and third party health care plan administrators. National network of licensed pharmacies, from Port Washington, New York. (Nasdaq: NMHC).
Pacificare Health Systems - [USA] A managed care health insurance company providing health plans for seniors, employer groups, families, and individuals. Includes areas for brokers, employers, and health care providers. Operates in western states and Guam.
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Physicians Health Services, Inc. - Managed health care company. (NYSE:HNT).
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Profit Line - [USA] Delivers high return, risk free managed care claim audit and recovery services to the managed healthcare industry.
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Prospect Medical - [USA, California] An affiliation of several managed care plans in the Greater Los Angeles area who have joined together to provide the full range of medical services to patients.
500Ravenswood Physician Associates (RPA) - [USA, Illinois] An independent physicians association (IPA) of nearly 250 private practice physicians in Chicago and select northern suburbs. Providing insurance contract management and healthcare.
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Resolution Health Medical Scheme - [South Africa] Provides comprehensive, affordable medical cover to employer groups and individuals, and is supported by sound financial, administrative and medical controls.
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Sierra Health Services, Inc. - Provider of managed care benefit plans for employers, government programs, and individuals. Site offers company, investor, career and product information. Products include HMO, PPO, and POS. Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Spectrum Managed Care - [USA, Texas] A workers' compensation managed care firm offering claims and case management, occupational networks, and medical bill and utilization review.
Welsh Mountain Medical and Dental Center (WMMDC) - Primary care center serving everyone in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Offers programs to serve uninsured and low-income individual and families.
