Online Gambling: The Internet's Multi-Billion Dollar Bet

Abha Bhattarai — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:28:27 -0400

Chris Ferguson (#100 on our list of the 100 Most Creative People in Business) and other poker pros are in Washington D.C. this week to sweet talk members of Congress into lifting a three-year-old ban against online gambling in the U.S. If their cajoling works, Internet gambling may play a hand in stimulating the economy and raking in billions of tax dollars.

The Itsy-Bitsy Green Bikini: The Iconic Two-Piece Turns 63, Gets Recycled

Abha Bhattarai — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:42:05 -0400

It was 63 years ago today that the bikini was first unveiled at a fashion show. At the time, the skimpy swim suit was so scandalous that not a single model agreed to wear it down the catwalk--and in the end, designers had to enlist the help of a professional stripper, Micheline Bernardini, to debut their two-piece creation. But bikinis have evolved from shocking to beach friendly to...Earth friendly. The latest eco-friendly collections are made of everything from bamboo and soy to recycled fish nets. Gimmicky? You bet!

Bike-Sharing: Cycling to a City Near You

Abha Bhattarai — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:26:22 -0400

The road to bike-sharing is paved with broken locks.

Rampant theft and stolen parts have plagued bike-sharing programs since the first one debuted in Amsterdam in the 1960s. But that hasn't stopped cities from trying: Paris' initiative--among the world's most advanced programs--has been mired by theft and vandalism. More than half of the initial fleet of 15,000 custom-made bicycles in Paris have gone missing, and many more have been defaced and destroyed.

Six Degrees of Sustainability: The Hottest Schools for Environmental Studies

Abha Bhattarai — Fri, 01 May 2009 10:33:29 -0400

In January, we reported on the 10 green jobs poised to carry us through the next decade. Five months later, the demand for those jobs is still growing strong--President Obama recently pledged $500 million for environmental job training, and an additional $150 billion to create 5 million new sustainability-related jobs. So what better time to trade in that white collar, blue collar (or no collar) for a green one? Here are six academic programs, each with its own environmental twist, to help get you started.

Worried About the Economy? Samsung says Buy a TV

Abha Bhattarai — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:07:42 -0400

The president of Samsung’s consumer electronics division has a curious recipe for getting through the recession: buy a TV.

It costs less than a beach vacation, he says, and with Samsung’s new line of LCD HDTVs that use 40% less energy than conventional sets, you can feel good about splurging on eco-friendly entertainment.

International Children’s Books Day: What's Your Favorite?

Abha Bhattarai — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:24:14 -0400

There are certain parts of childhood we all miss: Recess, picture books, nap time. Today, International Children’s Books Day (on what would have been Hans Christian Andersen's 204th birthday) gives us a chance to relive some of those nostalgic moments with cats in hats, hungry caterpillars, ugly ducklings and other wild things. So we asked a few influential figures in media and education to share their favorite titles--the ones that sparked their imaginations and shaped their lives.

Daphne Durham
Managing Editor of Books, Amazon.com

Saving The New York Times with Twitter?

Abha Bhattarai — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 18:18:25 -0500

Coming up with innovative ideas is a lot like constructing a good joke. At least that's what Luke Williams, creative director with product-design firm Frog Design, said at Columbia Business School’s BRITE Conference on Thursday.