technology – Snark Food

Investors who have been eagerly waiting for those Apple dividend payments to start coming in are feeling giddy this morning. The giant technology company has announced that Apple (AAPL) shareholders will receive a $9.9 billion annual dividend, or $10.60 pers share. Mostly, this means a whole lot of rich people will be getting a great deal richer.

Apple is considered to be the world’s most valuable company, with more than $97.6 billion in cash and assets. Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs was resistant to the idea of issuing Apple dividends to investors. He preferred to keep the company’s excess cash on hand for more maneuverability in partnerships and acquisitions. Steve Jobs passed away in October after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

Continue reading Apple Dividend Payments and Stock Buybacks Announced

A strange, but true project called Homeless Hotspots has stirred up controversy over a plan by BBH Labs to turn the homeless in Austin, Texas into mobile wireless hotspots. The Homeless Hotspots project provides pay-for-Internet high speed wireless access for those in need, such as visitors to Austin’s legendary music festival, South by Southwest.

As part of the Homeless Hotspots program, a group of homeless Austin, Texas citizens were given Verizon mobile MiFi 4G devices and t-shirts declaring their names and the statement: “I am a 4G hotspot.” Then they were strategically placed outside of the SXSW music and technology conference. On the T-shirt of participant Melvin Hughes, the shirt reads: “SMS HH Melvin to 25827 for access.”

Continue reading Homeless Hotspots at South by Southwest Spark Controversy