by John Paczkowski | shared from AllThingsD

Apple’s not going to launch a five-inch iPhone until it’s good and ready. And until it does, it would like everyone to know that the current crop of five-inch smartphones, phablets and whatnot is substandard.

by Matt Hunt | shared from Washington Post

During a rainy vacation day last summer, I watched my six-year-old son playing a game on my iPad.

Vice President and Pag-IBIG Chairman Jejomar Binay recently announced the approval by the Pag-IBIG Board of P9.28 billion in dividends to be credited proportionately to the Pag-IBIG members’ accounts.  This amount is 9.31% higher than the previous year’s dividend of P8.49 billion.

The amount translates to 4.17% and 4.67% dividend rate for mandatory members under Pag-IBIG I and those with voluntary savings accounts under the Modified Pag-IBIG 2 Program, respectively.  Comparing it with banks’ 2012 average savings deposit rate of 1.07%, net of tax, both rates are more than 4x times higher than what they offer.
According to Pag-IBIG President Atty. Darlene Marie Berberabe, the higher dividend amount is a result of income earned from the Fund’s housing loan and Multi-Purpose Loan programs, as well as income from cash and investments and other miscellaneous income.

“By end of 2012, the Fund has generated a net income of P13.26 billion, an increase of P1.3 billion from the previous year, while gross income is pegged at P25.26 billion as of end of 2012, both the highest ever in its thirty two years of existence,” Berberabe added. Total Pag-IBIG asset has reached P312.52 billion.
Atty.  Berberabe  further explained that based on the Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 9679 or the HDMF Law of 2009, the Board of Trustees is required to set aside an amount not less than 70% of  Pag-IBIG’s annual net income to be paid to members in the form of dividends.  “The dividend earnings are proportionately credited to the member’s total savings.  We wish to clarify, however, that unlike dividends provided by other financing institution, Pag-IBIG dividends may be withdrawn only at time of membership maturity, together with the member’s personal contributions and the employer share,” she added. Dividend earnings are tax-free.

by Remo Aver | shared from Blackberry Blog

So it looks like Blackberry has decided to disrupt the mobile industry by making its crown jewel -- the BBM service -- accessible to multiple platforms like IOs and Android. Here's what they wrote in their official blog...

A startup is a business that has the potential to grow quickly, but more than a third of all startups fail within two years. So what happens? And how do successful companies grow from small, boot-strapped startups? Running a startup requires not just a great idea, but the ability to adapt and scale quickly – and salesforce has small business tools that can help.

by Ncrimaldi | shared from Paperblog

Generation Y gets a lot of heat from prior generations with regard to how we work. The word “entitlement” often gets used a lot. As does, overconfident, uncommitted, and a plethora of other negatives. To our credit, we’re seen as technologically-savvy, team-oriented, and dynamic. Sometimes, however, it feels like Gen Y often gets the short end of the stick with regard to our workplace attitudes and performance.

by Martin Zwilling | shared from Paperblog

I’m a big fan of mentoring in business, and have been at different times on both the contributing and receiving end of the process. These days, I seem to often hear from entrepreneurs who are struggling to find a mentor, or complaining about their lack of effectiveness. Like any other relationship, it takes work on both sides to make mentoring work.

by Martin Zwilling | shared from PaperBlog

Once you have a potential investor excited about your team, your product, and your company, the investor will inevitably ask “What is your company’s valuation?” Many entrepreneurs stumble at this point, losing the deal or most of their ownership, by having no answer, saying “make me an offer,” or quoting an exorbitant number.

by Yaro Starak | shared from Entrepreneurs Journey

Last week I began the process of looking for funding for CrankyAds.

by Dani Fankhauser | shared from Mashable

Before you take money from a venture capital firm, you'll agree to a valuation — how much your startup is worth. That valuation will also affect how much of your company you own. Optimizing for a higher valuation can sometimes mean owning less of your company, so strategies for each founder can vary widely.

How a valuation is determined, investors say, is more an art than a science. There are standard factors that will be considered before putting a price tag on a startup, but the biggest factor turns out to be demand — how many other investors are vying to put money into your company. That said, there's a lot an entrepreneur can do to influence valuation (aside from, you know, building something that's valuable). The more investors you pitch to and the better you are at telling your story, the more interest you'll generate, which will drive up your price.