michael

When Facebook added a slew of retail partners to its Gifts product last week -- complete with a splashy party at FAO Schwartz in New York -- some observers got excited about the social network's ongoing march into e-commerce, even claiming (incorrectly, I would argue) that this helped push the stock up more than 6 percent on Friday.

Not so fast.

Facebook's decision allowing users to buy and send physical gifts is a shrewd move that could potentially grow into a $1 billion business (more on that in a moment). For now, however, the play seems less about … Read more

It looks like the next "Star Wars" movie might get completed faster than it took to construct the second Death Star.

Disney and Lucasfilm have chosen Michael Arndt to write the screenplay for "Star Wars: Episode VII," the long-awaited follow-up to the 1983 epic "Return of the Jedi." … Read more

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, more than 100,000 East Coasters have been left homeless and scrambling to find shelter. And, it gets worse -- today another storm is hitting the region bringing more freezing rain and wind.

So, New Yorkers will most likely welcome the news that New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced today that the city's government will partner with Airbnb to offer Sandy victims free temporary housing.

"Airbnb is now enabling people to offer space to those in need -- absolutely free. People who wish to share their space at no cost to guests … Read more

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Life really is too short.

Sometimes, you're enjoying your birthday and you get the chance to go up on stage and rap with your favorite rapper.

So you go, don't you? Especially as your wife has paid $25,000 for Too Short to rap just for you.

And, despite being a Microsoft executive in charge of all sorts of important things to do with Windows (proof embedded), you are quite a good rapper.

Oh, but then there are these things called cell phones. They have cameras. Your own company is involved with more than a few of them. … Read more

After learning the cold hard truth about decaying DNA and its wimpy half-life, Low Latency went back to Jurassic Park's animated sequence to make the proper adjustments.… Read more

Records, aka LPs, have been around since the 1950s, so there are lots of them out there. I've bought great records for a buck or two at thrift shops and yard sales, and found them on the street for free, but records aren't yesterday's news; lots of young bands are releasing LPs. The way things are going, the LP will probably outlast the CD as a mainstream format.

Speaking of yard sales and thrift shops, you can probably find dirt cheap turntables in those places, but the chances of finding a turntable in good working condition there … Read more

SAN FRANCISCO--"San Francisco is the innovation capital of the world," Mayor Ed Lee proclaimed to more that 3,000 techies gathered here at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference. He was preaching to the choir as he previewed a map showing more than 800 startups located in San Francisco. The map is part of InnovateSF, a month-long series of events in October to promote tech innovation in the city.

Legendary angel investor Ron Conway echoed Lee's cheerleading for San Francisco as a capital of Silicon Valley. "When Pinterest moved to San Francisco (from Palo Alto, Calif.) a … Read more

Welcome to the dark side of 3D printing.

The hobby is best known for creating colorful toys and trinkets, but some enthusiasts are working on design files that would allow anyone to print a working gun. These don't exist yet, but some believe it's only a matter of time.

Why would a 3D-printed gun be appealing? For one, it could potentially be cheap. You can buy a preassembled 3D printer for about $500. A spool of ABS plastic to print with goes for $50. Depending on where you shop, you can buy .38 Special ammunition for 30 cents a round. The plans will undoubted be distributed free like so many MP3s. … Read more