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The (James) Bond Market

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 08:30:00 EDT

BOSTON (MainStreet) -- For decades, audiences have thrilled to the exploits of Bond, James Bond, as the cinematic secret agent used an array of fantastic devices to hunt down megalomaniacs.

One may not have much need to penetrate a supervillain's volcano lair. But you don't have to be with MI-6 or the CIA to be in the spy game. In the 1960s, only James Bond and Her Majesty's Secret Service could afford high-tech spy devices. These days, a 99-cent iPhone app may be all you need to find what you want to know.

Parents, fearing for their children's safety, look to keep tabs on their whereabouts, text messages and Web browsing. Jilted lovers flirt ever closer with anti-stalking laws as they look to confirm their jealous suspicions. Companies are routinely hacked by corporate spies for profit motive and bored kids out for "the lulz." ...

Junk Mail Folders Can't Contain Spam Profits

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 08:30:00 EDT

BOSTON (MainStreet) -- Looking for cheap handbags, a knockoff Rolex or Canadian Viagra? Perhaps your reputation for honesty has attracted the attention of a wealthy Nigerian who needs your help transferring funds out of the country?

Odds are your email account is brimming with such opportunities. On any given day, as much as 45% to 75% of the world's inbound email is classified as spam, according to various studies. The few, naive folks who fall for spam solicitations are enough to fuel a multimillion-dollar business.

Seriously, does anyone actually respond to these often misspelled solicitations? Is there actually money being made by someone out there? ...

The Big Bucks Behind Spam

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 05:00:00 EDT

Will Summer Concerts Sing the Blues?

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 08:00:27 EDT

BOSTON (MainStreet) -- After years of subpar concert ticket sales, the music industry is hoping to sing a happy song and shake off its recessionary blues this summer.

Last year was a little bit better for the music industry on the live performance front. According to Pollstar, a trade magazine that analyzes music industry data, the top 100 concert tours in North America throughout 2011 sold more than 54 million tickets, making $2.3 billion, and sales were 6% higher than the previous year. Apparently, concert tickets are a lagging economic indicator, as sales actually held steady in post-recession 2009 before plunging 15% in 2010, the worst season in 15 years. ...

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'As Seen On TV' Rings the Till For Retailers

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 08:30:00 EDT

BOSTON (TheStreet) -- "As Seen On TV" is no longer just a catchphrase for the gizmos pitched on late-night commercials. It has become a thriving retail category.

Products once sold by mail as "cash on delivery" are now point-of-sale. Retailers such as Target, CVS and Walgreens are devoting prime real estate to TV-hawked wares, often positioning them by checkout lanes for maximum exposure. Infomercial products are increasingly making the leap from late-night ads to store shelves.

"It's been a long time in the making," says A.J. Khubani, founder and CEO of TeleBrands, explaining that his company first put a product on Wal-Mart shelves nearly 23 years ago. "It really has started to grow at a more rapid pace in recent years." ...

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Praise and Profit: How Religion Pays Off

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 08:30:00 EDT

BOSTON (MainStreet) -- Ask the devoted and they might say that their religion is priceless. Ledger sheets might say a different story. ...

Prophets and Profits

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 05:00:00 EDT

10 Tech Start-Ups Whose Sizzle Fizzled

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 08:30:00 EDT

BOSTON (MainStreet) -- For every Facebook, there is a MySpace; for every Google, there is an Ask Jeeves. Fate is fickle in the world of tech start-ups, and it can be hard to predict which companies will have the staying power to shape global behaviors and which will end up in the digital scrapheap.

Scott Lipsky has lived "both sides of the coin," as entrepreneur and investor. An early member of Amazon's executive team, he was co-founder of the advertising network aQuantive, which sold to Microsoft in 2007 for $6 billion. His latest venture, PhotoRocket, is a Seattle-based start-up that simplifies sharing photos with contacts and social networks to a mere right click of the mouse. By September 2010, Cuil was no more than a footnote in the history of the Internet, with its servers shut down for good. Its fatal flaw? It sucked.

In preparation for a talk he gives to college students, Lipsky says he identified 721 reasons why start-ups fail. ...

Nonprofit Good Deeds Can Put You in Danger

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 07:59:59 EDT

BOSTON (MainStreet) -- No good deed goes unpunished.

That old cliche reflects a danger faced by those who volunteer their time and expertise to nonprofit boards. Volunteering your time and expertise to a nonprofit board could expose your wealth to risks.

Whether it is a charity, civic organization, church or library, serving on a nonprofit board can jeopardize your personal property and assets if lawsuits arise. ...

You Can Be a Media Mogul for Fun and Profit

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 08:30:19 EDT

BOSTON (MainStreet) -- So, you want to be a mogul?

With the summer movie season soon to arrive, looking at blockbuster receipts may reinforce the idea Hollywood offers fast, easy money and plenty of glamour. It is a high-risk investment, but the entertainment world is looking for your money.

It is not that easy, especially for the average investor, but those dreaming of dropping celebrity names poolside like a modern-day Robert Evans do have ways to get in on the action. ...

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The Strangest Things You Can Buy Online

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 08:30:00 EDT

BOSTON (TheStreet) -- In rough economic times, people used to resort to selling blood or apples.

Now, thanks to the Internet, they are selling nail clippings, dead mice and the naming rights to their unborn children to help make ends meet. ...

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What If Ron Paul Really Killed the Fed?

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 08:30:00 EDT

BOSTON (MainStreet) -- The most radical proposals to surface during this year's presidential primaries are Congressman Ron Paul's dual efforts to abolish the Federal Reserve and return the Unites states to a monetary standard backed by gold.

Should he prevail in November, and make good on his mission, how would that feat be accomplished and, perhaps more importantly, how would it affect average Americans? Congressman Ron Paul wants to abolish the Federal Reserve and return the Unites states to a monetary standard backed by gold. The outcomes of those actions are in doubt.

It depends on whom you ask. ...

Prep Your Portfolio for Disaster With a Stress Test

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EDT

BOSTON (MainStreet) -- In the aftermath of the financial crisis, banks had to perform "stress tests" of their viability and ability to withstand economic shocks.

The same concept has long been a part of professional portfolio reviews, but it's a process most people either don't fully understand or simply neglect. Can your investment choices take a shock to the system? A stress test may help insulate you from shock, just as tests from a doctor can set you on the right path with medication, diet and exercise.

How would your portfolio of investments weather a shock? Is it structured to fend off the asset-eroding potential of triggers such as so-called Black Swan events, Black Monday-level market implosions, interest and inflation rate swings, war or an oil supply disruption? Unchecked, international matters -- sovereign debt, an Asian currency crisis or Russian devaluation -- can also take a toll. ...

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10 Celebrities Who Branched Into Business

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 08:30:00 EST

BOSTON (MainStreet) -- Not content with just being big stars, some celebrities feel the need to be big in business.

From baby products to booze, a growing number of celebrities are cashing in their cachet to become captains of industry. ...

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Rental Nation: How Everything Can Be Borrowed

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 08:30:00 EST

BOSTON (MainStreet) -- Thanks to post-recession budget cutting, environmental concerns and generational austerity, you can rent just about anything these days.

From Segways to llamas and bounce castles, an abundance of sites have launched in recent years that enable consumers to borrow those things they would prefer not to buy -- or can't afford to own. If you can't afford to buy the shoes and dress for your walk down the red carpet, there are Web sites that will rent them to you. There are also sites where you can rent red carpets. Or virtually anything else.

Want to walk a dog in the park? You can rent a pet. Need a power tool and don't know your neighbors very well? There are peer-to-peer lending services that will do the asking for you. ...