By Nitasha Tiku 3/26 6:15pm

Political Animals

(Photo: ITechBook.net)

Mark Zuckerberg’s Stealth Political PAC Is Reportedly Raising $50 Million

The Wall Street Journal has unearthed more details about the Silicon Valley political advocacy group first reported by The San Francisco Chronicle.

Mark Zuckerberg–fresh off his fundraiser for Republican governor Chris Christie!–is working on launching the group, along with his close friend Joe Green, a former Harvard University roommate. Mr. Green was previously involved with NationBuilder.com and Causes.com and is now an entrepreneur-in-residence at Andreessen Horowitz. (As we noted last fall, founder Marc Andreessen himself contributed exclusively to a number of Republican campaigns, after previously supporting Clinton-Gore.)

But the tech and Republican connections don’t stop there. Read More

By Kelly Faircloth 3/15 11:41am

It's Zuck's World We're Just Living In It

Meanwhile, in Zucklandia...

Zuck Wins Popularity Contest, Can Stop Hitting Refresh

Maybe Aaron Sorkin and/or everyone who saw The Social Network thinks Mark Zuckerberg is an asocial dweeb struggling to make a friend connection. But CNET reports that his employees feel differently. The jobs site Glassdoor surveyed thousands of employees about their bosses to determine the top 50 CEOs in America, and it was Zuck who took the number-one spot.

Take THAT, finals clubs! Read More

By Nitasha Tiku 2/26 11:00am

Teach Me How to Startup

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Mark Zuckerberg, Will.i.Am and Chris Bosh Star in Infomercial About Learning to Code

Agitprop about “coding as the new literacy,” lost momentum last year somewhere around the time adults felt compelled to issue public apologies to Codecademy for ignoring their email tutorials. But with President Obama shouting out high tech high schools in the State of the Union–and Chinese hackers inspiring a possible “Sputnik moment“–the cause of educating young minds in the ways of coding seems to have taken on new urgency.

Witness, for example, this video produced by Code.org, a nonprofit devoted to enhancing computer programming education. ”Learn about a new ‘superpower’ that isn’t being taught in in 90% of US schools,” the description advertises. Wait, America still has a chance at staying a superpower? Tell me more! Read More

By Kelly Faircloth 2/20 8:55am

Make It Rain

Meanwhile, in Zucklandia...

Mark Zuckerberg and Sergey Brin Cut Big Checks to Reward ‘Extending Human Life’

Here’s the thing about philanthropy: There’s always plenty of people more than happy to accept a generous cash donation. Hence, Russian entrepreneur Yuri Milner’s Breakthrough Prize, which he launched back in August as his very own version of the Nobel Prize for Physics, is branching out. The prize will no longer go to just physicists doomed to toil in obscurity, as Mr. Milner has enlisted several Silicon Valley heavyweights to contribute to a new Life Sciences franchise.

Art Levinson (former Genentech CEO, Apple chairman) has signed on as chairman, while Mr. Milner, Sergey Brin, Anne Wojcicki (of 23andMe and also wife to Mr. Brin), Mark Zuckerberg, and Priscilla Chan are all founding sponsors, as well. (Though it’s not clear who coughed up how much.) They plan to dole out five $3 million prizes annually going forward, with alums selecting the honorees.  Read More

By Jessica Roy 2/19 10:00am

Visiting Dignitaries

(Photo: ITechBook.net)

Mark Zuckerberg, the State of California Would Like You to Pick Up Your Unclaimed Checks

However broke the state of California may be, it’s also sitting on a treasure trove of unclaimed property that’s valued at over $6 billion. Holders like “corporations, business associations, financial institutions, and insurance companies” are required to report any unclaimed property annually to the state comptroller’s office. That means if you’ve forgotten about bank account contents or uncashed money orders, they’re sitting around with the comptroller. Read More

By The Editors 2/15 4:43pm

shameless rumormongering

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Rumor Roundup: Rap Genius Cofounder Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop

Real Genius Andreessen Horowitz invested $15 million in Rap Genius to help its Ivy League cofounders to annotate the Internet. But how much will they have to pay to rein in the braggadocious Mahbod Moghadam?

In a recent issue of Wakefield, a newsletter covering “tech and startup insight not captured elsewhere,” Maboo was up to his old shenanigans, volunteering information about a “feud” with Mark Zuckerberg, who also happens to be backed by Andreessen Horowitz.

Apparently, Mr. Moghadam was at Ben Horowitz’s home, “chilling” with Zuck and Nas as is the new mode of Silicon Valley socializing. (Mr. Horowitz happens to be close friends with Steve Stoute, Nas’ former manager.) Despite Zuck’s heightened privacy concerns (it’s complicated?) Rap Genius cofounder couldn’t resist Instagramming his good fortune. Read More

By Patrick Clark 2/14 8:29am

Linkages

times gif

Booting Up: More on the Economics of Maria Popova’s Affiliate Links

It was high time that The New York Times published a trend piece on GIFs. It was not surprising that the GIF the Grey Lady embedded didn’t actually loop..  [Gawker]

“Does she ever wonder, though, whether her readers might need that tip-jar money more than she does?” More on the blogonomics of Maria Popova’s Brain Pickings. [Counterparties]

For those of you who have always dreamed of syncing your iPod to your favorite sex toy, here are some possibilities for a high-tech Valentine’s Day. [Mashable]

After President Barack Obama issued an executive order on cybersecurity following his State of the Union address, Congress has scheduled hearings on a cyber bill. [The Hill]

Mark Zuckerberg’s stake in Facebook has climbed to nearly 30 percent, according to recent filings. [Business Insider]

By Patrick Clark 2/12 7:47am

Linkages

Celebrity Sightings In New York City - February 19, 2012

Booting Up: Mark Zuckerberg At Top of List for Giving it Away

Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, were at the top of the list of the biggest U.S. philanthropists for the second consecutive year. The couple donated $500 million to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation in December, making them the country’s second largest donors, behind Warren Buffett, who gave away $3.1 billion last year. [CNET]

Twitter and American Express announced a plan to turn the microblogging service into an ecommerce platform: Details are vague, but it sounds like the partnership will allow users to link their Amex to their Twitter feeds, than make a purchase by posting a message. What will you buy with your subtweets? [WSJ]

We guess Michelle Obama won’t be buying a Surface Pro anytime soon. Apple CEO Tim Cook will be a guest of the FLOTUS during President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address this evening. Last year, Steve Jobs’ widow Laurene Powell Jobs joined Ms. Obama for the State of the Union. [Mercury News]

The residential real estate website Trulia crunched some numbers ahead of Valentine’s Day. If you’re looking for a man, try Las Vegas, Honolulu, Palm Bay, Florida, San Jose or Gary, Indiana; if you want the highest percentages of women living alone, try Bethesda, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Boston, New York or Raleigh, North Carolina. [NYT]

What do you get a tech billionaire for his birthday? Books, apparently. But of the electronic or dead tree variety? [Business Insider]