The Most Expensive Event In History

Shanghai gets set to welcome the world.

On May 1 will you be visiting my favorite metropolis? Shanghai, China’s most populous city, welcomes you to the opening of the World Expo 2010, the “biggest outdoor entertainment event in history.” Beginning Saturday and continuing until Oct. 31, you and some 70 million others–the number of expected visitors–will be able to see 253 pavilions from 192 countries. The world’s first developing country to host a world fair is ending up creating the largest one ever.

The Expo will be just like the Olympics, only much bigger and far more exorbitant. Initially, Beijing promised the Shanghai event would be a modest affair. Chinese leaders, however, could not help themselves. Officially, they say they will spend the equivalent of $4.2 billion to host the event. Yet add in all the amounts poured into infrastructure and other preparations, and the cost balloons to more than $58 billion. Call it the most expensive event in history.

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How not to interview Forbes’ Youngest Billionaire – Mark Zuckerberg – itsReal

BusinessWeek’s Sarah Lacy at the South by Southwest Interactive conference was panned by the audience here — and in near-real time in the blogosphere.

Mark Zuckerberg

That the social-media circus turned against its reigning ringmaster had more to with Ms. Lacy’s meandering questions and diversions into anecdotal tales of her previous interviews with Mr. Zuckerberg than it did with the Facebook CEO’s answers. Indeed, at one point he even suggested to her that she ought to ask questions — as opposed to sharing her thoughts — prompting the restless SXSW crowd to burst into applause.

Strange interview technique
Early in the interview when Mr. Zuckerberg started talking about Facebook’s Spanish-language expansion, Ms. Lacy interrupted to talk about her enthusiasm for Spain; when Mr. Zuckerberg got the floor back he explained that the expansion was more about his site’s popularity in Colombia. At another point she told a story about a previous interview she had done with the 23-year-old billionaire at Facebook’s office, relating that when the session had ended, Mr. Zuckerberg was drenched in sweat, and that he had a prevalent facial tick “like a little bird.”

Read more: Advertising Age

Apple’s Piping Hot Innovation for the iPhone & handheld wireless devices – itsReal

Apple (nasdaq: AAPL – news – people ) Chief Executive Steve Jobs wants to patent a process that will save customers the hassle of waiting to order a cup of coffee at a local Starbucks (nasdaq: SBUX – news – people ) or a fresh burger at the nearest fast food restaurant. Even better: The technology would let you jump the line of those ordering in person

and…

The patent puts Apple’s partnership with Starbucks in a new light. The technology promises to morph Apple from the business of simply selling gadgets and music and movies that can be played on those devices into an intermediary in all kinds of exchanges.

Read more at Forbes

APLINK still wants an iPhone for Christmas – maybe next year !

Why Your Start-up Will Fail – itsReal

APLINK recommends this for emerging entrepreneurs…Courtesy of Forbes

“Why do so many entrepreneurs lose focus? The same reason they became entrepreneurs in the first place: ferocious ambition. Entrepreneurs are dreamers; restraint is unnatural.”

An oft-cited study estimates that just two-thirds of all start-ups see their second birthdays, and less than half make it to their fourth.

Whatever the exact figures, no one would argue that scores of budding new ventures die on the vine. One of the most common killers: lack of focus.