CEO, chairwoman offer to take E-Commerce China private

(Reuters) – Chinese online book and media retailer E-Commerce China Dangdang Inc’s chief executive, Guoqing Li, and Chairwoman Peggy Yu Yu offered to take the company private. The all-cash offer of $7.812 per American Depositary Share represents a 20 percent premium to the stock’s Wednesday closing price of $6.51, the company said on Thursday

Read more

Ex-Maker Studios CEO Zappin sees $5 billion valuation for new venture

Two years after his messy departure from Maker Studios, the YouTube network he co-founded, Internet entrepreneur Danny Zappin has big plans for his newest venture, Zealot Networks. Zappin says he expects the digital media company, which announced the purchase of viral content website ViralNova on Thursday, to be worth at least $5 billion in about two years. Zealot, founded in August 2014, helps digital media startups connect with media companies, brands and advertisers.

Read more

Facebook to build new data center in Fort Worth

By Yasmeen Abutaleb SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Facebook Inc announced plans on Tuesday to build a new data center in Fort Worth, Texas, its fourth in the United States and fifth overall. Facebook will invest at least $500 million in the global data center, a spokesperson said, and will employ at least 40 full-time employees.

Read more

Rubio calls U.S. higher education system a ‘cartel’, urges overhaul

(Reuters) – U.S. Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio called on Tuesday for an overhaul of the country's higher education system, saying that universities were operating as a “cartel” and were not meeting the needs of students or the economy. The speech was part of a move by Rubio to increase his visibility on the campaign trail after focusing over the past several weeks on Senate business.

Read more

Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg joins board of SurveyMonkey

By Sarah McBride SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Facebook Inc's Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg is taking a seat on the board of SurveyMonkey, the online polling company that was run by her late husband, Dave Goldberg. SurveyMonkey, a privately held company valued at $2 billion, also appointed to its board David Ebersman, the chief executive officer of behavioral health company Lyra Health and the former chief financial officer of Facebook.

Read more

Reddit CEO apologizes after outrage over employee dismissal

Reddit Chief Executive Ellen Pao on Monday issued an apology to users of the popular social news platform over the way the company handled the dismissal of a well-liked employee last week, a move that drew widespread outrage from users. The site's former Director of Talent, Victoria Taylor, was dismissed from the company on Thursday, prompting moderators to shut down in protest roughly 300 discussion sections, also known as subreddits

Read more

Britain’s M&S to expand free ‘click & collect’ service

British retailer Marks & Spencer is expanding its free “click & collect” service to more than 100 of its Simply Food franchise stores, just days after rival John Lewis [JLP.UL] said it planned to start charging customers.

Read more

South Africa reaps more crops, cuts jobs in twin farm revolution

By Ed Stoddard VILJOENSKROON, South Africa (Reuters) – South African farmer Cobus van Coller scans the flashing computer screen in the cab of his harvester. “This shows you if you're going to make money,” he said in a demonstration of “precision” farming — the use of technology to target farm inputs precisely to maximise profit. As a result of these two new methods, which are revolutionising agriculture globally, South Africa is growing more food with less manpower — a trend with profound social and political consequences in the country

Read more