The Art of Reading Faces

For centuries, people have tried to understand aspects of a person’s character just by looking at their face. The ancient Chinese believed that your face was a reflection of your inner spirit. In Medieval Europe, beauty was considered to be synonymous with virtue, and ugliness was sometimes considered a sign of evil. Even in more recent times, phrenology — the study of the shape of the skull — was used erroneously to identify the guilt of suspected criminals. As recently as the 19th century, this remained a popular school of thought.

While these once fashionable ideas have been disproved by modern studies, there are still aspects of the face that may allow us to make a judgment on somebody else. This was made more popular by the TV show Lie to Me, in which Tim Roth played a man who is an expert at reading faces to discover what is really going on with that person. We don’t claim this to be an exact science, and it may be worth putting it in a similar bracket to things like astrology and palm reading. There are apparently over 100 points on the face that can be analyzed, but we aren’t going to tell you about all of them. However, for anyone who has an interest in what their face may be revealing to others, you may just find a kernel of truth somewhere in here.

Chinese e-commerce giant - Alibaba Group

Alibaba.com is an e-commerce site that connects Chinese suppliers with buyers at home and abroad. Today, Alibaba Group is involved in a variety of Web businesses. Its most important elements are its online retail sites: Taobao Marketplace, a large commerce site; Tmall, an online marketplace for name-brand retailers like Apple; and Juhuasuan, a daily deals site similar to Groupon. The company is also affiliated to mobile payments service called AliPay, and it has investments in online video, mobile messaging and cloud computing, among other businesses. The company that started in 1999 by Jack Ma, a former teacher from his apartment in his hometown of Hangzhou, now employs 24,000 workers at its headquarters in Hangzhou and elsewhere, with 25 separate business units. 

Digital India Initiative

What is it?  

It has long been Modi’s dream to serve India via e- governance. The Digital India initiative aims to connect rural regions and remote villages ensuring that they too have high-speed Internet services. With this ambitious project, villagers will not have to travel long distances to the concerned departments. 

The Digital India programme is a transformed version of the already running National e-Governance Plan. The project aims to provide thrust to nine pillars identified as growth areas. These pillars include - broadband highways, everywhere mobile connectivity, Public Internet Access Programme, e-Governance, e-Kranti (which aims to give electronic delivery of services), information for all, electronics manufacturing, IT for Jobs and early harvest programmes. The project is expected to be completed by 2019. 

Why Marketing Needs More Introverts

Susan Cain’s book “Quiet” has provided wonderful insight to me, because I am an introvert. Cain’s core premise is that western culture overvalues extroverts and under-utilizes introverts. Introverts prefer less stimulation and quiet concentration. We listen more than we talk, think before we speak, and focus on relationships. Introverts focus on the meaning of events around us, while extroverts focus on the events themselves.

If I had to bet, the best marketers of tomorrow will likely be far more introverted than the average marketer is today. I would even argue that marketing needs more introverts—people who will spend more time listening than talking, reflecting deeply on meaning, and building fewer, deeper relationships.

Three fundamental trends will drive this.

European Debt Crisis

What is European debt crisis? It is the failure of Euro, the currency that unites together 17 European countries in an intimate but flawed manner.

Over the past 3 years, Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Italy and Spain have all fallen down to the brink of collapse, threatening to bring down the entire continent and the rest of the world. How did it happen?

For most of Europe's history, it's been in a war within itself. Countries at war with each other tend to do less business with each other. Europe was always a continent of trade barriers, tariffs and different currencies. Doing business across borders was difficult. You needed to pay a fee to exchange currencies, and you needed to pay tariff fee to buy and sell to the companies in other countries. That tendered to stifle economic growth.

An On-Offline Revolution

A successful retail supply chain must manage the flows of information, product and funds effectively. Retailers want to show customers all the product variety they have to offer, and customers, in turn, gain from knowing if a specific product is available in stock. While an online retailer can help online customers search through a wide variety of products, it cannot access customers who are not online.

Using the online channel, it also cannot provide sensory information that is only available once a product is seen, touched and felt. In contrast, a small local retailer cannot carry a wide variety of products and is often forced to convince customers to buy what is available.

Imagine a future where the local retailer carries the most popular variants of product, while its online partner carries all the others. The local retailer is linked to the online retailer’s website through a simple store computer. The combination of the local and online retailers is able to provide all the information a customer desires.

Indian Politics Reshaping International Business

With the ongoing slowdown destroying entire generation’s chances of living at developed nation levels of income, the newly-elected Modi government seems to be well-prepared for the challenges to be thrown in his path of revival of Indian economy. Fast-tracking the decision making process by government has so far supported that so-called “good days” might not be too far for the Indian population.

How To Non-Awkwardly Greet People From Different Countries

Cultural norms are confusing, but it's even worse when they're embarrassing: nobody wants to be that tourist who asks for cheese at dinner in Italy or forgets a gift in Japan.

We know how to "shush" people already, but before that, how do you greet someone in a new country? One kiss, two kisses, three kiss or none?

The rules change by region in certain countries, and they can vary between family, friends and new acquaintances -- so be prepared for anything. But if you know the basics and pay attention to your surroundings, you'll be ready to adapt when your time comes for an introductory smooch.

Avoid that awkward head swivel with this simple guide.

23 Insanely Clever Products You Need In Your Life

1. A bag re-sealer.

For those rare times you *don’t* finish a bag of Cheetos in one sitting.

The Internet of Things

The Internet of Things probably already influences your life. And if it doesn’t, it soon will, say computer scientists

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a vision. It is being built today. The stakeholders are known, the debate has yet to start. In hundreds of years our real needs have not changed. We want to be loved, feel safe, have fun, be relevant in work and friendship, be able to support our families and somehow play a role - however small - in the larger scheme of things. So what will really happen when things, homes and cities become smart? 

6 Factors That Influence Exchange Rates

Aside from factors such as interest rates and inflation, the exchange rate is one of the most important determinants of a country's relative level of economic health. Exchange rates play a vital role in a country's level of trade, which is critical to most every free market economy in the world. For this reason, exchange rates are among the most watched, analyzed and govern-mentally manipulated economic measures. But exchange rates matter on a smaller scale as well: they impact the real return of an investor's portfolio. Here we look at some of the major forces behind exchange rate movements.

What, Exactly, is Business Development?

 “I do biz dev.”

Few times in history have more ambiguous words been spoken.  Ask ten “VPs of Business Development” or similarly business card-ed folks what is business development, and you’re like to get just as many answers.

“Business development is sales,” some will say, concisely.

“Business development is partnerships,” others will say, vaguely.

“Business development is hustling,” the startup folks will say, evasively.

The assortment of varied and often contradictory responses to the basic question of “what, exactly, is business development” reminds me of the way physicists seek to explain what, exactly, is the universe.  With conflicting theories on the nature of black holes and bosons, the ultimate goal for those scientists is a Grand Unified Theory, a single definition that can elegantly explain how the universe itself operates at every level.

India's Union Budget 2014

Here are the highlights of Union Budget 2014:


* Tax proposals on indirect tax front would yield Rs 7,525 crore.

* ​Indian Custom Single Window Project to be taken up for facilitating trade.

* Clean energy cess increased from Rs 50/ tonne to Rs 100/tonne.

* Additional 5% excise tax to be levied on aerated drinks with added sugar (cold drinks). Tobacco products also to get costly as excise duty hiked to 72%

* Government announces reduction in excise duty for specified food package industry from 10% to 6%.

*​ Excise duty on footwear reduced from 12% to 6%

6 cities that know how to party

These six party hotspots know how to throw a shindig in the after-hours. From glitzy multi-level clubs to the craziest underground parties, they cater to your every hedonistic desire.

Credit: Reuters

New Orleans
This American city can be likened to a rebellious teen that never grows up. From the famously touristy Bourbon Street, littered with jazz clubs, restaurants, strip joints and bars, to Mardi Gras - there's never a dull moment in Orleans. Even a hurricane can't disrupt the party. Hurricane parties, in fact, are something of a tradition here - they started out as a way to make the best of a storm during lock-ins, and have turned into house-parties, thrown just about any place where people can get together and eat, drink and be merry. No doubt, N'awlins sure knows how to let its hair down.

The Life Lessons Travel Teaches You and Why It's Important to See the World

What's sitting at the root of so much that we do wrong in this world? Prejudice, ignorance and bigotry.

How does this state of mind manifest in us? By being insular, lacking empathy, allowing ourselves to be only familiar with our little corner of the world.

An antidote? Travel.

When you push yourself out of your comfort zone and take the time to really see a different culture, you start to sip at the antidote of life's poisonous attitudes.

Travel exposes you to different perspectives, experiences, history, culture, religions and ultimately, a better self.

FIFA World Cup 2014: Five reasons it went wrong for Spain

Spain became the fifth holders to be eliminated from the World Cup at the first stage after their 2-0 defeat by Chile at the Maracana on Wednesday.

We have a look at five reasons why it all went wrong for the holders in Brazil.

- Sticking with the old-timers

After the 5-1 defeat against the Netherlands, coach Vicente del Bosque was forced to react and chose to drop both Xavi Hernandez and Gerard Pique, replacing them with Pedro Rodriguez and Javi Martinez. However, it would appear that the rejuvenation of the Spain squad should have begun sooner. A player like Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke, full of energy and desire, was introduced to the side too late.

And the decision to keep faith in Iker Casillas proved to be a mistake. The captain of the great teams of the recent past he may be, but he has not been playing regularly for Real Madrid and Del Bosque has enough alternatives in the goalkeeping department, even in the absence of the injured Victor Valdes.

How Much Do Ads on YouTube Cost?

YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world, trailing only Google. There are over 2 billion YouTube videos streamed every day, and advertisers want a piece of this viewership pie.

So how much does it cost to run an ad on YouTube?

YouTube advertisers pay per view of their ad, with an average cost-per-view ranging between $.10 – $.30. The views  also count toward your overall YouTube views.

On YouTube there are four standard types of ad formats:

• In-search – an ad shows up above the YouTube search results.

Parallax in Web Design: Turn Scrolling Into Engagement

The internet has never been more beautiful. What began as a rudimentary “network of networks” for exchanging information has grown into the sprawling digital ecosystem that many of us call home. Like any other home, we care about how comfortable it is, how well it’s designed, how we have it decorated. In recent years, the internet has seen a tremendous growth in design quality as more attention is paid to priorities like information architecture, user friendliness, and aesthetic beauty in the development of new sites.

Who was worth the money

A look at the best and the worst buys from the auction based on players' performance in IPL 2014

Yuvraj Singh made news during the auction for being the most expensive purchase of the IPL, at INR 14 crore, while Pravin Tambe - one of the leading wicket-takers in this IPL - received no bids from other teams before being retained by Rajasthan Royals with a right-to-match card that depleted their purse by only INR 10 lakh. How did these buys fare for the teams? Who ended up being the most profitable purchase of the IPL? Which team spent their purse money most productively? This piece makes an attempt at answering such questions.

Performance on the cricket field is not easily quantifiable: it cannot be measured purely by the runs scored by a batsman or the wickets taken by a bowler. A quickfire 30 in a crunch situation of a chase may turn out to be of greater value than a 60 earlier in the innings. A wicket of an in-form opposition batsman might carry more value than the wicket of a tail-ender. And there is the question of how to value wicketkeepers' contributions, fielding efforts, catches taken etc. Surely, the catches taken by Kieron Pollard and Chris Lynn would be worth a few crores, if not more?

It's Brazil's World Cup to loose - World Cup Predictions

Looking for a World Cup favorite? All you really need to know is this: The World Cup gets underway Thursday in Sao Paulo, and it’s really hard to beat Brazil in Brazil.

The table below calculates every team’s chances of advancing past the group stage and eventually winning the tournament. The forecasts are based on the Soccer Power Index (SPI) — a system that combines game- and player-based ratings to estimate a team’s overall skill level — to calculate odds of each country’s performance during the two stages of the World Cup. SPI has Brazil as the heavy favorite, with a 45 percent chance of winning the World Cup, well ahead of Argentina (13 percent), Germany (11 percent) and Spain (8 percent).

True, Brazil is the betting favorite to win the World Cup — but perhaps not by as wide a margin as it should be. The team’s price at the betting market Betfair as of early Sunday evening implied that it has about a 23 percent chance of winning the World Cup — only a little better than Argentina (19 percent), Germany (13 percent) and Spain (13 percent).

US Job Market's Five-Year Recovery

Six-and-a-half years after the Great Recession began — and five years after it officially ended — the U.S. has finally surpassed its pre-crisis employment peak. But the job market is far from fully healed.

U.S. employers added 217,000 jobs in May, bringing total non-farm employment to 138.5 million – 113,000 more than the 138.4 million jobs that existed in December 2007, the first month of the recession. It took 76 months to regain the nearly 9 million jobs lost in the recession, making this by bar the slowest jobs recovery since World War II. (If any of this sounds familiar, you’re right: Private-sector employment returned to its pre-recession peak in March.)

3 Days in Paris

Ah, Paris. Paris is... a lot of different things to as many different people. A home for some of the world's greatest art, a centre of fashion, place scarred with history, or just a pretty city on the way to somewhere else—Paris has as many guises and disguises as its citizens. Paris—city of light, city of love, city of art...city of lots of stuff, but many of people swing though on the way to or from somewhere else, catching a glimpse of the city each time they do, which is a good way to do it—because Paris is the kind of city you'll want to keep coming back to. There are so many things to see and do in Paris that just walking around can be an experience, but if you choose your route carefully you can swing by some of the main events as you do. This itinerary is for the beginner, who knows they're coming back.

Day 1

The first question to ask yourself as you're boarding your plane or train Paris bound is how much of my time do I want to spend in art galleries? 

Ways to Promote Your Product or Service

Your marketing budget deserves careful consideration, because it not only serves to create market impressions; it is expected to generate revenues. Understanding the kinds of impacts that can be expected from various print and electronic media will help to manage this element of business expense.

It is important to understand that each market segment may react differently to the way a promotional message is presented. An exciting, aggressive or even humorous message may be perceived as offensive or insensitive even though it may be grammatically and politically correct.

The Print and Graphic Arts Media

Business cards and stationery are effective, inexpensive and professional promotional tools but use of these items should be restricted to personal contacts. Rubber stamps or staples are for impersonal, routine tasks and should not be used in any way with this media. Advertising specialties such as pens, key rings and calendars acknowledge goodwill in the form of a small gift, but these convey more image than information.

World Events Calendar 2014

Find out exactly when and where your favourite international festivals are kicking off in 2014 and plan your trips accordingly, plus see our list of important dates and public holidays around the world.

January

• 01 Jan: New Year's Day
• 02 Jan - 02 Feb: Dubai Shopping Festival - Dubai 
• 05 Jan - 28 Jan: Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival - China
• 13 Jan - 26 Jan: Australian Open tennis - Melbourne, Australia
• 14 Jan: Jaipur Kite Festival - India
• 15 Jan: Full Moon Party - Koh Phangan, Thailand
• 20 Jan: Martin Luther King Day – USA
• 26 Jan: Australia Day
• 31 Jan: Chinese New Year

6 Brand Strategies Most CMOs Fail To Execute

The ground rules for branding are rapidly evolving. Social media, content marketing, the younger generation, second screening, thought-leadership and the demographic shift are just some of the many things that are challenging brands to think differently. Creating and sustaining customer trust and loyalty is more difficult than ever before. Building relationships with consumers has never been more challenging, with so much competition for their attention. Look at the constant barrage of pop-up and video ads that flash before our eyes every time we use our phones, turn on our computers or tablets.

Being an on-trend, relevant, inspiring, purposeful, innovative and community-centric brand – these are the things that will make people pause, listen and pay attention. Customers want to identify with a brand they can grow with, that earns their trust and makes them feel valued. People want to evolve with a brand whose products and services help give their business or life meaning and significance. End to end, a brand must become a consumer’s best friend.

Whether you are a Fortune 500 company, business owner or entrepreneur, here are six brand strategies that all chief marketing officers (CMOs) must not ignore :

How Wal-Mart and Google could steal young customers from traditional banks

It used to be that the JP Morgans of the world only worried about losing customers to Wells Fargo or Bank of America. But that universe of competitors has grown to include T-Mobile, Wal-Mart, Google and a host of other retail, tech and telecom companies that are now operating like banks.

These upstarts are gaining footing in the banking world with prepaid debit cards that customers can use to pay bills, make purchases and deposit checks via a smartphone camera -- pretty much all the things you can do with your traditional checking account. And they are piquing the interest of a highly coveted group that traditional banks have struggled to attract: young people.

A new survey of nearly 4,000 Americans by Accenture found that 72 percent of people ages 18 to 34 would bank with Wal-Mart, Google or T-Mobile if they offered banking services. Of the nearly two dozen companies that researchers asked about, people were most willing to sign up with Square or PayPal because of the relationships they already have with the companies. Nearly one-third of those polled said the same about T-Mobile, Costco, Apple and Google.

Choosing Advertising Mediums

If money were no object, it would be easy to decide which advertising medium to go with. All of them! Unfortunately, the reality is that even with a hefty advertising budget, it is a challenge to create memorable advertising.

So unless you have truckloads of money to spend, you should try one medium at a time. What works for one product or service may not work for the next. There are so many different variables that can affect the results of an advertising campaign—from ad copy to the weather. You will simply have to test the effectiveness of your message in each medium to find the best vehicle for promoting your product. Advertising is an art, not a science!

Relative impact of different advertising media

• Direct mail has the highest impact of any medium. Your message reaches each recipient in a personalized way and at a moment they have chosen to consider your message. The cost of reaching an individual through direct mail can be even greater than television, making it the most expensive advertising medium per person reached.

India Cabinet : List of ministers of India & their departments (Year – 2014)

President of India : Pranab Mukherjee

Vice President of India : Mohammad Hamid Ansari

Prime Minister of India : Narendra Modi

Narendra Modi :

* Prime Minister of India
* Ministry of Planning
* Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
* Department of Atomic Energy
* All important policy issues and all other portfolios not allocated to any minister

How to talk to a CEO

My first meeting with the CEO of a Fortune 1000 firm was a complete disaster. It was fifteen years ago and despite the cool breeze that was blowing outside, I was sweating bullets. This guy was a titan of industry so my mind jumped frantically between the thrill of the opportunity and the terror of screwing it up.

Entering his office with a huge smile, I instantly vomited verbal nonsense with, “It must be a great honor for you to meet me sir! I can only imagine how excited you are!” Ugh.. I couldn’t believe what I had said and my smile grew increasingly awkward. Excited to meet me?? It sounded like I was being a sarcastic a-hole. With a furrowed brow, he peeled his fingers away from my death grip, sighed heavily and looked at his watch.

The meeting lasted seven minutes.

Starbucks has an Australia Problem

In the U.S., Starbucks (SBUX) may be on every street corner and in every shopping center, but in Australia, the chain has been whittled down to a mere 24 cafes. Unable to grow down under, the company has licensed its local chain to the Withers Group, which operates 7-Eleven in Australia and will take over the existing cafes there. The amount of the deal was not disclosed.

Who has the hardest World Cup 2014 draw?

The 2014 World Cup in Brazil is approaching and the draw has been made. And after every World Cup draw, a debate ensues as to which group is deemed the "group of death." Quickly many proclaimed Group B, with Spain and the Netherlands to be the one, but the analysis shows that in fact Group G is this tournament's deadliest.

GROUP A

• Brazil
• Croatia
• Mexico
• Cameroon

GROUP B

• Spain
• Netherlands
• Chile
• Australia

GROUP C

• Colombia
• Greece
• Ivory Coast
• Japan

GROUP D

• Uruguay
• Italy
• England
• Costa Rica

GROUP E

• Switzerland
• France
• Ecuador
• Honduras

GROUP F

• Argentina
• Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Nigeria
• Iran

GROUP G

• Germany
• Portugal
• United States
• Ghana

GROUP H

• Belgium
• Russia
• Algeria
• Korea

Analysis of all the teams of FIFA World Cup 2014 Brazil

GROUP A
Brazil (BRA), Croatia (CRO), Mexico (MEX), Cameroon (CMR)

GROUP B
Spain (ESP), Netherlands (NED), Chile (CHI), Australia (AUS)

GROUP C
Colombia (COL), Greece (GRE), Ivory Coast (CIV), Japan (JPN)

GROUP D
Uruguay (URU), Costa Rica (CRC), England (ENG), Italy (ITA)

GROUP E
Switzerland (SUI), Ecuador (ECU), France (FRA), Honduras (HON)

GROUP F
Argentina (ARG), Bosnia & Herzegovina (BIH), Iran (IRN), Nigeria (NGA)

GROUP G
Germany (GER), Portugal (POR), Ghana (GHA), USA (USA)

GROUP H
Belgium (BEL), Algeria (ALG), Russia (RUS), Korea Republic (KOR)

Promising the good times

An overwhelming election victory promises to reshape Indian politics.

INDIA brims with colorful politicians, but none has quite the sense of political theatre of Narendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He swept into Varanasi, India’s most ancient city, on May 17th pledging to clean the Ganges, its holiest and filthiest river. Three days later, in Delhi, BJP parliamentarians chanted and roared unanimous support for him, and he broke down in tears in mid-speech. After that he called on India’s president, Pranab Mukherjee, who agreed to swear him in as India’s 14th prime minister on May 26th.

India Election: What Narendra Modi’s Victory Means for the U.S. Economy?

Narendra Modi's victory in the Indian election is expected to improve trade ties between New Delhi and Washington and could eventually lift U.S. exports in industries ranging from pharmaceutical products to heavy infrastructure, U.S. officials and business leaders say.

Narendra Modi addresses a public rally Friday after his party won its biggest victory in 30 years on promises to revitalize the economy.

 

But the prospects for greater economic ties, which suffered in recent years under India’s ruling Indian National Congress, depend at least partly on relaxing U.S. diplomatic tensions with Mr. Modi. The Hindu nationalist politician has been blamed for mass violence against Muslims while he was governor of Gujarat, an issue that has made him ineligible for travel to the U.S. and prevented high-level contact with the U.S. State Department until earlier this year. Mr. Modi has said his government did its best to stop the violence against Muslims in 2002.

Why a CEO Needs to Have a Plan B

For nearly three decades, in good times and bad, Jack Stack has run his company, SRC, as though disaster could strike at any moment. Now, with the economy cratering, he’s glad he did.

If you think times are tough now, consider that in the early '80s, the prime interest rate topped 21 percent, and unemployment was just shy of 11 percent. That was the economic environment confronting Jack Stack and 12 other managers of a small engine-remanufacturing plant in Springfield, Missouri, as they prepared to buy the factory from International Harvester in a desperate attempt to save their own jobs and those of the people they worked with. Their new company, Springfield ReManufacturing Corporation, survived that recession and went on to prosper for the next 26 years.

Today, Stack, the company's CEO, and his colleagues are weathering a recession of similar magnitude. But they find themselves in a far different situation. The enterprise, now called SRC Holdings, is a mini conglomerate of seven holding companies with 26 businesses whose 1,200 employees make automobile engines, irrigation pumps, home furnishings, and more. Its current health is no accident. Having launched the company to save jobs, Stack was determined never to be forced to lay people off. He spoke with editor-at-large Bo Burlingham (with whom he has co-authored two books) about how he has worked to keep that promise to his employees -- and build a company that is bucking nearly every current economic trend.

Most American manufacturers are in terrible shape right now. And yet you seem to be doing well. What do you attribute that to?

How to Develop a Business Growth Strategy

There are many ways to guide a business through a period of expansion.

Turning a small business into a big one is never easy. The statistics are grim. Research suggests that only one-tenth of 1 percent of companies will ever reach $250 million in annual revenue. An even more microscopic group, just 0.036 percent, will reach $1 billion in annual sales.

In other words, most businesses start small and stay there.

But if that's not good enough for you—or if you recognize that staying small doesn't necessarily guarantee your business's survival— there are examples of companies out there that have successfully made the transition from start-up to small business to fully-thriving large business.

That's the premise behind the search Keith McFarland, an entrepreneur and former Inc. 500 CEO, undertook in writing his book, The Breakthrough Company. "There has always been lots of books out there on how to run a big company," says McFarland, who now runs his own consulting business, McFarland Partners based in Salk Lake City. "But I couldn't find one about how to maintain fast-growth over the long-term. So I studied the companies who had done it to learn their lessons."