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PPD shares drop 7% even though company beat street expectations
Future business, cancellations trigger sell-off in Wilmington-based contract research organization.
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Preserving U.S. competitiveness – It’s more than science, engineering and math degrees
Leading companies across India in workforce development and training are setting an example American firms should emulate, says new report. 'The time has come for the guru to learn from one of its disciples - India," writes entrepreneur Vivek Wadhwa.
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Brainstorming: iContact’s chairman learns how to Segway
Aaron Houghton, blogging from Fortune Brainstorm Technology conference, likes having another commute option. Plus: Some big ideas and the impressive One Laptop Per Child machine.
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Seeds for success? Athenix raises $10M in new funding
RTP-based startup focused on transgenic plants, other technology receives more backing from Intersouth.
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On the face of things, Facebook is gaining on MySpace
Yes, MySpace is still nearly twice as large. But Facebook is growing at much faster rate. Other social media sites show strength, too, in latest stats from comScore.
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Exits on hold but IPO window should open in 2010, execs say
Hot investments for 2009? Venture capitalists pick ‘greentech,’ digital entertainment, mobile as top choices followed by life sciences.
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Divide and innovate? GSK’s new CEO wants competing discovery teams
In interview with Financial Times, Andrew Witty plans to bring in outsiders to review drug candidates. GSK teams will compete for $1B in funding. meanwhile, GSK also reports drop in profits.
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What does the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act have to do with employers?
TechLaw: Employers beware - The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 prohibits more than you might think.
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Metabolon, leading diabetes researcher partner for test development
Veteran Texas researcher, who recently received top American Diabetes Association award, and RTP-based firm to explore early indicators of diabetes.
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Lenovo adds two large distributors to consumer PC sales effort
D&H Distributing, Ingram Micro sign on as partners with world’s No. 4 PC manufacturer.
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Recipes for drug success? Chefs at Metabolon land another major pharma client
Venture-backed company is now working with 13 of the world’s top 15 pharmaceutical firms.
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Infomercials 2.0: TiVo and Amazon to launch in-TV product ads
VentureBeat: In near future, four million-plus TiVo users will begin to see options to make these purchases.
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Apple looks good to the core – Mac sales surge, and iPhone is just fine
Analysis: ‘Product transition’ comment also means more cool stuff is on the way. Apple is likely to continue to thrive.
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Capitol Broadcasting unveils live, mobile TV
Emerging technology enables TV stations to broadcast signals to devices such as phones and laptops that can capture and display video while on the move.
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New Jersey consulting firm to open office at N.C. Research Campus
Sensory Spectrum could employ as many as 35 people at Kannapolis complex.
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Epic lands major publisher, best-selling author for ‘Gears’ books
Del Rey signs for a trio of novels. Karen Traviss, a frequent Star Wars series author, will write the books. First is due in October.
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Midwest Airlines to eliminate service at RDU
Milwaukee-based airline to drop Midwest Connect service to Triangle, seven other cities. Midwest offered two daily flights at RDU.
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Want your TV to go? New technology to give you that option.
Capitol Broadcasting could be the first firm to officially launch MPH, just as its WRAL-TV was the first commercial TV station to embrace high-definition back in 1996.
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A Lab, a Grant & a bad odor
The decision of the Golden LEAF Foundation to spend $262,248 in public funds to promote the biodefense project and respond to its critics smells.
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NCSU to launch $2M lab for testing, improving first responder protective gear
Department of Defense funds project through Congressional earmark from Etheridge.
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Feminine appeal: Game publishers turning more to girl gamers
The new feminism in games: Practically every booth at this year’s E3 Media and Business Summit this year had something to offer for female gamers of various demographics.
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Failure to Launch: AT&T’s favorite movie?
Erroneous web page promises AT&T iPhone owners free access to WiFi hot spots – for second time.
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Dow Jones offers more grim view of VC funding - Troubled times ahead?
VentureBeat: This could be the first sign of a downturn in the venture capital sector. If it continues, it will mean venture-backed start-ups may have to turn frugal, shed jobs or take other moves to survive in more leaner times.
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Financial firm TIAA-CREF is financing UNC building at N.C. Research Campus
Charlotte-based company is providing up to $40 million, according to newspaper report. It also may invest in other buildings. UNC will share building with other state university programs.
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Carousel Capital, management purchase business/financial data firm
Mergent, which was launched in 1900, operates out of Rock Hill, S.C.
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HIV overwhelms immune system faster than previously believed, Duke researchers say
UniversityTech: Chances for successful intervention may be limited to a few days, making development of a vaccine more daunting, study finds.
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N.C. jobless rate hits 6% – highest since December 2003
Losses of 3,900 construction, 3,100 manufacturing jobs send unemployment level up for sixth consecutive month.
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Wake up and smell the latte – in Beijing! Bye, bye more American jobs.
Twelve thousand Americans will soon be out of work as the Starbucks outlets close. Meanwhile, Starbucks is following the yellow brick road of dollar$ and Chinese yuan to the Middle Kingdom, just as most other American companies are in pursuit of profits.
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The $ound of dollars – Music is making video games bigger than ever
VentureBeat: As more players tune in to music-related titles, interest in video games broadens. Despite ‘gears of War 2’ and other titles, music games steal the show at E3.
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Denial of femaleness – A reality check in doing business
International Business Corner: We in the US should think that we have achieved an elevated position on the subject in comparison to the position of women in business in other countries.
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IBM earnings, revenues soar in second quarter, top Street expectations
Big Blue’s earnings hit $1.98 per share; revenue climbs to $26.8 billion. Chairman predicts $10-$11 earnings per share for ’10.
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The art of war – Gears’ top designer revels in horde feature, other tools of doom
Cliff Bleszinki, design director at Epic Games, says ‘robust’ improvements will make Gears of War sequel’s multiplayer feature ‘a lot of fun.’ Then there’s the breaking neck feature …
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Delinquency, genetics linked? Apparently so, UNC study finds
Academic performance and whether a youth has daily meals with family can help trigger or repress genes tied to delinquent conduct, researchers say.
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‘White Standard of Leadership’ – Americans expect business leaders to be white, Duke study finds
Report also says Americans expect white leaders to succeed. ‘Our finding that Americans of all races associate successful leadership with being white demonstrates just how embedded this bias can be,’ researcher concludes.
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IT job market in N.C. shrinks in June, NCTA report shows
However, demand in Triangle jumps nearly 8 percent. Demand for sales, marketing personnel increases statewide.
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Midway Games’ kernel of power – Unreal Engine 3
At E3 show, Midway shows off lineup of new games. All are built around Epic Games’ technology – and none is a first-person shooter.
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ChannelAdvisor expands e-commerce suite with acquisition of rich-media firm
Deal for RichFX gives Morrisville-based firm multi-media tools to augment online catalog offerings. RichFX customers range from Brooks Brothers to Wal-Mart. Company had filed for bankruptcy.
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Are platform makers playing games with buyers with so-called price cuts?
Buyer beware - Lower-priced platforms are really clearance models or reflect re-jiggering of components, features.
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Trademark protection in China: A primer
TechLaw: The trademark system in China is based on many of the same procedures and principles found in the west, but some unique aspects need to be considered when seeking protection in China.
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Lenovo unleashes new lineup of ThinkPad, IdeaPad laptops
Equipped with latest Intel Centrino 2 technology, laptops reflect PC maker’s strategy to win more global consumer, small-business users.
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Software-as-a-service firm Brightree plans expansion with new funds
Georgia-based company lands Battery Ventures as investor, looks to make acquisitions.
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Golden LEAF awards $260,000 grant to back effort to land bio-defense lab project
Money will fund education campaign about National Bio and Agro Defense Facility. Butner is a finalist for plant, which has generated local opposition. Next hearings are July 29.
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IBM to invest $1.5B, add 1,000 jobs in New York
State will provide $140 million in aid to Big Blue as part of various projects, including nanotechnology and chip production.
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Epic’s ‘Gears of War 2’ is star of show at E3
"We have the most-anticipated game this fall of any platform," says Epic exec Cliff Bleszinski. The game’s new features include a "Horde" multiplayer mode.
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‘Crunchdowns’ in Beijing – Can they clear the air? Politburo declares it so.
Perhaps we should follow the communist example: Government-decreed industrial and traffic “crunchdowns,” as Time describes them.
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Fuel for thought: If it can be done, should it be done?
People are excited about fuel from crops, grass, animal waste, wind, rocks (oil shale), the sun, ocean tides, under the ground (geothermal) and from hydrogen, to name just a few. But are these alternatives practical?
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'Gears of War' sequel to hit store shells Nov. 7
Epic Games, Microsoft show off some of gears’ new features at E3 show. One reviewer calls '2' preview 'absolutely gorgeous.'
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Quintiles to share in $32M contract for National Institutes of Health
Contract research organization will work with Virginia firm to screen potential infectious disease, biodefense compounds.
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IBM likely to expand operations in New York, report says
N.Y. state, Big Blue have been negotiating jobs, expansion program.
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Cary ranks 16th in 'best small cities to live' list
Money magazine's annual survey praises Cary’s "resources," but the city fell from fifth in the 2007 report. Chapel Hill is 65th.
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GSK could pay as much as $3.3B for rights to new sleeping pill
Drug giant wins bidding war for compound being developed by Swiss firm.
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Productivity software developer OpenSpan closes on $13M in financing
Georgia-based firm, which includes several former JBoss executives, plans to expand operations with new funds.
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Venture funds raise $9.1 billion in second quarter
VCs continue to attract investments despite Wall Street’s woes, lack of ‘exits’ through IPOs. Two early-stage funds raise $700M or more.
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Force Protection lays off some workers but will keep Roxboro plant open
South Carolina firm is moving some jobs, responsibilities to Roxboro from another facility. It has yet to receive any orders for vehicle that was to be built in N.C.
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RTP Startup Weekend produces not one but four new ventures
By Sunday night when an exhausted but exuberant group left for home, the companies complete with web sites and promo videos were online.
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World’s largest mobile game publisher is gung ho about iPhone gaming
Gameloft executive says iPhone experience will push other wireless carriers to step up their efforts.
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Vacation means more game time for most kids, survey shows
Games serve as great individual activity and also provide a solid bonding activity for the family. Parents want in on the interactive fun, with one-third of parents more likely than usual to play video games with their kids while on vacation.
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Duke Medical Center cracks magazine’s national ‘honor roll’
U.S. News' annual rankings place Duke eighth overall on its list of best hospitals. UNC Hospitals cracks the top 50 in six categories.
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A new ‘Alice’ introduces students to wonderland of computer science
Duke professor is using 3D program in hopes of exciting more young people about careers in technology.
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‘Tweet’ all about it - Greensboro firm offers Twitter application at Apple App Store
Iconfactory already has won an award for its ‘Twitterific’ application which is geared to Tweeter social network.
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Banana Pudding and you – a recipe for success?
Innovation Exchange: Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic. Don't ask why. Say: "Why not?"
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iPhone App Store first impression: Sublime beyond belief
Despite all the hype about the iPhone itself, the real story is the App Store. By the way, it runs on old iPhones and on iPod Touch.
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CEOs instituting change – Facing a chasm
Angel Connection: Acceptance by the majority is not an indicator that changes have been fully integrated. The job isn't done until the resisters are won over.
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Women and international business – Be wary of cultural issues
International Business Corner: How women are viewed and respected in foreign cultures, and how the individual adapts and copes with these cultural differences greatly impacts the ability to be successful in international business.
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RTP Startup Weekend promises ‘pure entrepreneurial adrenaline’
Over what promises to be a grueling 54-hour time frame, organizers and participants will argue, debate, think outside of any box they already work in, and invest a lot of sweat equity in creating a new venture.
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SC Launch! to receive $2 million from S.C. BlueCross BlueShield
Under state law, firms can direct portion of state taxes to technology investment fund.
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‘Internet Summit’ conference to focus on business opportunities, trends
TechJournal South, Southern Capitol Ventures team up to put on event in November. Speakers include Lulu's Bob Young, PocketGear's Jud Bowman.
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etrials CEO resigns for ‘family reasons’
Chip Jennings led clinical trials software and services company through reorganization.
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Eaton to take over abandoned Flextronics plant in Youngsville
International manufacturing firm plans to transfer 100 people who will make electrical products at Franklin County facility. Some new jobs could be created, company says.
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Cold sores no more? Duke researchers find hiding place for virus
UniversityTech: Discovery explains how cold sore virus hides during inactive phase
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Venture capital: Still white, still male, but getting better (maybe)
Survey finds that at non-investing positions, the number of women goes up to 44 percent. Among respondents with five years of experience or less, the percentage of whites drops to 82 percent.
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iPhone 3G reviews are in: It’s good, but the App Store will be better
Consensus seems to be that an upgrade may not be worth it for current iPhone owners unless you feel the need…the need for speed — as in 3G speed, at all times.
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Smile, you’re on video surveillance camera!
VentureBeat: VideoIQ raises $10M round for fancy video surveillance cameras.
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Seeding growth: N.C. Biotech Center increases size of loans for startups
Grants up to $50,000 also will be made available to university tech transfer offices in bid to spawn more companies.
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Airlines cut RDU flights, destinations by 10% even as passenger traffic grows
ExpressJet is shutting down as of Sept. 2.
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New venture firm targets video game sector
VentureBeat: GCube Ventures to invest in game companies at all stages.
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Free enterprise mixes with patriotism, going green – Pickens’ NIMBY wind strategy
As the energy debate intensifies in coming months, the NIMBY problem is one that will loom ever larger. A lot of people will say this: “Energy independence sounds good – just make it happen somewhere else.” What will you say?
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Tax planning on the sale of your company to benefit both you and charity
TechLaw: The tech company in which you have a significant interest is about to be sold. With planning, you can enjoy considerable tax savings, provide yourself with a lifetime income stream, and support your favorite charity, all at the same time.
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SAS launches business unit to deal with capital market issues
Six-year SAS veteran executive heads team that aims to help clients deal with fallout from subprime mortgage crisis.
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Stopping that occasional drink may trigger another hangover - depression
UniversityTech: Study links ending of moderate drinking to depression.
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INC Research lays off 3% of North American workforce
Global contract research organization says it remains committed to expanding headquarters in Raleigh.
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Fuel for biofuels? Try carbon dioxide
VentureBeat: SequesCO combines CO2 sequestration with biofuel production.
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As the iPhone 3G launch looms, Apple preps displays, 2.0 software, App Store
Like any rational human being, I’ll probably hold off on waiting in line — until the night before.
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Ultimate Fighting Championship fans finally getting a quality videogame
‘UFC 2009’ looks gorgeous with photorealistic visuals, but it also looks realistic because punches land correctly and cause bruising, blood and sweat.
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New titanium coating improves joint replacements
UniversityTech: Bio-inspired coating improves bone growth around and attachment to the implant.
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Gold, DNA combination may lead to nano-sensor
UniversityTech: Sub-cellular size of the nanostructures and their ability to absorb or scatter light as their structure changes makes them appealing as biological sensors.
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Rags to riches, an immigrant’s remarkable tale
Vinod Dham, father of the Pentium, discusses his remarkable life in technology and venture investing.
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Got information overload? Get filtrbox, but don’t pay quite yet
Best described as Google Alerts on performance enhancing drugs, filtrbox lets you select keywords to find relevant articles and blogs as they appear across the web and then makes it a cinch to filter out the excess.
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Comcast invests in WiMax company Cartiza
Comcast was part of a group of industry giants, including Google, Time Warner, Intel, and Bright House Networks, that invested $3.2 billion in WiMax company Clearwire.
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Our STEM winner: ‘Changing The World One Problem At A Time’
Innovation Exchange: Science, technology, engineering and math contest winner is SAS art director Brian Lloyd. ‘STEM can literally mean the stem of a leaf, which leads to the idea of growth. That's what the program is about … growing, learning and the knowledge that can be returned to the world,’ he says.
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Unimpressed with iPhone 3G speeds? Wait a few months
AT&T’s 3G network promises faster downloads – up to 1.7 megabits per second.
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CEOs initiating change – that’s much harder than identifying the problem
The Angel Connection: Solving the business problem may involve the entire company and create a lot of resistance to the change.
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International law challenge: Beware the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
International Business Corner: Many business environments and cultures depend economically on the exchanging of favors. While bribery and corruption are not legal in any country, the line of legality is often different from that in the US.
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Atlanta financial software firm lands $10.2M in funding
Adobe Ventures joins list of investors backing Oversight Systems.
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CED lays off five staff members as part of ‘right-sizing’ moves
The entrepreneurial organization had become ‘too large,’ says incoming board chair Stephen Wiehe. Board wants CED to be better stewards of members’ donations, funds, he adds. Current chair Mary Musacchia says moves follow a review of CED’s focus and purpose.
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Patriotism goes mobile – Multimedia content available for download
Cary-based 2ThumbZ teams with U.S. military, AT&T to launch more than 300 products. Selections include ringtones, music, unit logos, videos, 3D graphics and slideshows.
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Are we in a recession? Yes, says N.C. Bankers Association economist
However, North Carolina is faring better than most states due to manufacturing for export and a housing market that isn’t the drag on the economy it is elsewhere.
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Alimera, a Georgia-based drug development firm, eyes IPO
Intersouth-backed company wants to raise $75M, be traded on Nasdaq.
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Zink and Polaroid’s inkless printers hit stores this Sunday
VentureBeat: Zink operates manufacturing facility in Triad.
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Unauthorized disclosure of your confidential information on the Internet: Plugging the leak without breaking the levee
TechLaw: Whether for profit, sport, or revenge, more and more employees, former employees, and others are posting confidential business information on the World Wide Web. What are the alternatives when worldwide exposure of your business's information seems imminent?
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N.C. Biotech Center launches fellowship program for university researchers
Program’s goal, which will cost $500,000 a year, is to help postdoctoral scientists move into private-sector careers.
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Startups facing ‘capital market crisis,’ venture capital group warns
No VC-backed firms went public in second quarter. Merger and acquisition activity dropped as well. National Venture Capital Association says reasons for drought extend beyond weak markets. But local VC says crisis is ‘too strong a word.’
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Durham-based drug startup lands $25M in new financing
Papas Ventures, which launched CoLucid in 2005, participates in new round. CoLucid has anti-migraine compound in development.
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Back in the consumer game: Lenovo unveils new desktops
IdeaCentre lineup features K210 for U.S., western markets. Monitor brightness, facial recognition tools are among PC's features.
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Is Apple working on an iPhone with a physical keyboard? I hope not.
Keyboards are dying a slow death. As computers become more like Microsoft’s Surface or the rumored multi-touch tablets Apple is working on, one day the thought of having this big, clunky slab with plastic keys will seem silly.
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Will education always pay off? If so, for whom?
While the demand for educated workers isn't expected to slow down, supply may catch up. However, what is different is that this increased supply may not come from U.S. workers.
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EA star leaves to start iPhone games company Ngmoco
VentureBeat: ‘We are finally at the place where we can reinvent the experiences and the economics of the mobile games business,’ says former EA exec Neil Young. ‘The industry has been stagnant for a few years. I feel the iPhone is a real opportunity to change that industry.’
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Bank of America invests in mobile banking platform maker mFoundry
VentureBeat: Bank already has 1 million mobile users.
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Is all that ‘Googling’ shorting out our brains? Could be.
If you don’t think you are addicted to Google, try to avoid using it for a day. Ok, 12 hours. Well, 3 hours. How about 60 minutes?
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How did Bill Gates get popular? It started with Xbox
Everybody has an opinion about whether Gates is a good guy or a bad guy. But there is no doubting that his image is a lot different these days.
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Report: Quintiles pulls out of bidding for U.K. firm
After calling ClinPhone a ‘strategic fit,’ Quintiles backs away.
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WFU’s Institute for Regenerative Medicine receives grant for production facility
Bank of America foundation awards $250,000 toward cost where new organs, tissues will be generated.
