Tag: business brokerages

The principal value of a business broker is to act as a buffer between the buyer and the seller

How U.S. schools proved Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine was safe

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When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the use of Pfizer and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines last December—a year after the coronavirus was first identified in Wuhan, China—it was a dramatic piece of good news after one of the most disruptive years the country has ever experienced. Now consider the thrill people felt in April 1955 when Dr. Jonas Salk’s new polio vaccine was officially declared to be “safe, effective, and potent.” That came more than 60 years after the first known polio outbreak in the U.S., which took place in rural Rutland County, Vermont in 1894. It killed 18—mostly children below the age of 12–and left 123 permanently paralyzed. From there, polio became an enduring, mysterious scourge. In 1916, it hit New York City, killing 2,343 out of a total of 6,000 nationwide that year. In the 1940s and early 1950s, the number of incidents in the U.S. grew eightfold, reaching 37 per 100,000 population by 1952. The fact that children were most susceptible to the disease made it only more terrifying. The Salk vaccine was approved only after going through the largest clinical trial in history. Rather than being a government project, this test was overseen and paid for by a nonprofit organization founded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938: The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, better known as the March of Dimes. (Roosevelt himself had contracted polio at the unusually advanced age of 39.) More than 1.3 million children participated; some got either the vaccine, which required three shots over a five-week period, or a placebo, while others underwent observation for polio. The only logical way to reach so many children was through schools. The result was an unprecedented national effort built atop public-education infrastructure Read More …

Despite the rise of remote work, tech hubs are here to stay

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With the pandemic reshaping the way we work, many articles predict the demise of cities as startup hubs and promote the ascendancy of remote (and rural) tech capitals. While the technology-enabled exodus to remote workforces has been a blessing for companies operating under COVID-19 restrictions—and dramatically increased opportunities for disabled workers—don’t rush to that tiny rural town too soon. The attractions of cities are less enticing during a lockdown, to be sure. But in the long-term, metropolitan areas offer advantages that can’t be duplicated in fully remote settings. The diversity of cities provides fertile ground for connecting with people who share similar passions and interests. Whatever your preference, whether personal or professional, cities have a large population of others who can spark and nurture creativity and innovation. The suburban flight we saw in the 1950s and ’60s has reversed, led by younger people who value the amenities and attractions of urban life. Walkability and access to bike lanes and ride-share services allow reduced reliance on automobiles. Vibrant cultural scenes, restaurants, and retail are obviously big draws, which will become even more attractive on the other side of the pandemic. Where people once retreated to suburbs when starting their families, many cities now have competitive and desirable schools—enhanced by nearby parks, museums, and child-friendly activities. As population density is increased, each individual’s carbon footprint is lowered. And there are huge economies of scale in areas like healthcare and public transportation Read More …

LG is killing its phone business after years of mediocrity

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After years of failing to make money on smartphones—and, in recent months, failing to attract a buyer—LG is shutting down its entire phone business . LG says that the decision will help it focus on growth areas such as electric vehicle components, smart homes, robotics, and 6G (ugh). The company expects to fully wind down the business by July 31, though it will continue to support current phones for an unspecified period of time. While the news seems shocking given LG’s reputation as a major electronics brand, it’s a fitting end for a company that never seemed to figure out what people want in a smartphone. LG’s mobile business hasn’t turned a profit since the first quarter of 2017 , and in recent years its phones have suffered from a series of failed experiments, technical snafus, bad branding, and weak software support. As an example, just consider the fate of LG’s flagship G-Series smartphone line. Reviews for these phones were often polite and respectable , but it was never clear why you should buy one over Samsung’s Galaxy S or Note handsets, let alone Apple’s iPhones. LG seemed to especially struggle on the camera front—perhaps the most important part of any high-end phone—with AI gimmicks that failed to cover up middling fundamentals. ( The Verge ‘s Cameron Faulkner, on the clumsily named LG G8 ThinQ , noted that the camera is “slow to capture, which leads to lots of blurry photos” and “has a hard time getting skin tones right.”) The last time LG released a new G-Series phone was in early 2019. After the company announced that it would no longer release new phones on a regular schedule , it seemed to abandon the line entirely in favor of stranger ideas with even clunkier branding. The LG V60 ThinQ 5G hinged on an optional dual screen accessory for attention, but again failed to distinguish itself on camera quality or design. ( Android Authority’s Eric Zeman : “Pictures I took with the LG V60 look fine, but not exceptional.”) A more recent foray into dual-screen phones with the rotating LG Wing also fell flat . Along the way, LG also had trouble with the basics. Several LG phones from 2015 and 2016 suffered from bootloop issues , in which the phones failed to boot due to faulty connections between components. And as tech journalist JR Raphael points out , the company developed a dismal record for keeping its Android phones up to date. All of this adds up to a company that couldn’t find its way in smartphones. Its high-end phones just weren’t good enough to take on the likes of Samsung and Apple, and it’s been under siege on the low end from device makers like TCL and OnePlus . That’s not to say LG’s decision to shut down its smartphone business isn’t a loss for tech enthusiasts Read More …

6 Netflix tricks to supercharge your streaming

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Up until this point, you’ve probably found that Netflix works just fine without too much tinkering. However, there are a few things you can do—none of which requires much time at all—to make Netflix a little less clunky and a little more fun. Here are [some quick tricks for your next Netflix fix. No Netflix? No problem. Get hooked for free Not sure if you’re ready to commit to a full-blown Netflix subscription? Read More …

The simple reason tech CEOs have so much power

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Coinbase’s plan to go public in April highlights a troubling trend among tech companies: Its founding team will maintain voting control, making it mostly immune to the wishes of outside investors. The best-known U.S. cryptocurrency exchange is doing this by creating two classes of shares . One class will be available to the public. The other is reserved for the founders, insiders and early investors, and will wield 20 times the voting power of regular shares. That will ensure that after all is said and done, the insiders will control 53.5% of the votes . Coinbase will join dozens of other publicly traded tech companies —many with household names such as Google, Facebook, Doordash, Airbnb, and Slack—that have issued two types of shares in an effort to retain control for founders and insiders. The reason this is becoming increasingly popular has a lot to do with Ayn Rand , one of Silicon Valley’s favorite authors , and the “myth of the founder” her writings have helped inspire Read More …