9 Charts About How Tech Can Save Our Economy, But The Government Is Screwing It Up

Kleiner Perkins partner Mary Meeker put together a huge analysis of the United States as a company – USA Inc. She's not very bullish. The good news is that she makes a strong case that tech could play a big role in USA Inc's turnaround. That is, if the government doesn't screw it up.Meeker says "USA Inc. is maxing out its credit card" and the way to pay down the balance is crank up the GDP and bring in more tax revenues.

But to compensate for growing debts, the GDP would have to crank up 6% next year and 4.5% the year after

That's not likely to happen, given historical trends…

View more at Business InsiderSee Also:The President Of Malawi Wants To Make Farting IllegalA $10 Billion Hole in TexasThe Planet Illinois

Incredible Pictures Of The Supermoon

The extreme supermoon has passed without disaster. But around the world people took amazing pictures of the largest moon humans have seen since 1993.Luna llena. Neeltje Jans, Países Bajos. 19 de marzo de 2011

Image: El Universo Hoy Vina del Mar, Chile

Image: Marianne Klock on flickr The supermoon rising over the Lincoln Memorial

Image: Bill Ingalls, NASA View more at Business InsiderSee Also:HOUSE OF THE DAY: A Real-Life Recreation Of The Simpsons' HouseDramatic Pictures Of Dark And Empty TokyoLook What Uncontained Nuclear Meltdown Did To Chernobyl

These Privacy Concerns Could Make You Second-Guess PayPal's Mobile Wallet

PayPal is making a big push to get its mobile wallet in physical retail stores by sharing consumers' data, reports Reuters' Allistair Barr. To date, the company has partnered with Home Depot and Office Depot to test its point-of-sale (POS) service and plans to get 20 more major retailers on board by the end of the year.   How it works  At checkout, consumers verify the total, enter their cell phone # and four-digit PIN, then walk off with a paper receipt (a digital receipt is stored in their online account).  The mobile wallet is linked to a smartphone app, which lets consumers store all their credit cards, gift cards, frequent flier miles and more in one location.  What it means for you Because PayPal users share so little—email addresses and passwords for online transactions and PINs and cell numbers for in-person purchases—that makes it easier for PayPal to share other info it collects with retailers, a spokesperson told Barr.  Such info might include where consumers shop, what they like and recent product searches. This could translate into billions for PayPal, a marketing field day for retailers and a headache for you—if you opt in. Consumers can elect not to share anything at all.  If you do opt in, know that sale alerts popping up on your cell whenever you walk past your favorite stores will get annoying quickly and even tempt you to go overboard. Should you be worried?  We've noted that the mobile wallet makes it easy to drain your accounts quickly, making you susceptible to drunk buys, impulse buys and identity theft.  But on the plus side, you could receive some excellent deals.  Per Anuj Nayar, PayPal's director of communications: "The definition of an anonymous shopping experience is walking through a supermarket," he said by phone. "When you start to give (the customer's data) to the retailer, they can personalize their offers to each individual customer and offer them just those, and nothing else. Which is what we all want."  Now take a tour of PayPal's awesome mobile wallet tool >  Please follow Your Money on Twitter and Facebook.Join the conversation about this story »See Also:These Are Definitely The Worst Credit Cards On The Market Right Now Now You Can Cash In Your Old Blockbuster Gift Cards For 5 FREE Movie RentalsThe Secret To Overspending Might Be Right Under Your Nose

How To Bet On The Super Bowl Online

There are two easy ways to bet on the Super Bowl: 1. Be in Vegas 2. Know a bookie The third way — betting online at an offshore sportsbook — is way more tricky and annoying because banks and credit cards are legally prohibited from processing online gaming payments. But for the vast majority of Americans, it's the only way to place a wager on the big game on Sunday. If you have a Visa credit card, you're one of the lucky ones who can fairly easily deposit cash into an online account. If you aren't a Visa customer, things get complicated. Never fear, over the next few pages, we'll show you how to get a bet in by Sunday. Quick note: Online gambling with offshore books comes with inherent risks since banks and credit card companies are prohibited from processing payments. If you try to deposit funds incorrectly, you could get denied and your bank account could be frozen. Also, some commenters have mentioned that the site we originally used for this post, Sportsbook.com, is "sleazy." We, as well as many others, have used it and it's worked fine (it's also one of the largest books), but by all means shop around and find a site that's right for you.Step One: Create an account at a respectable betting site. Sportsbook.com and Bovada.lv are our favorites. Today, we'll place our bets with Bovada (but feel free to shop around!), just click "Join Now" to get going

Here's the sign-up page. You've done this before, right?

Now the tricky part: making a deposit so you have money to bet with. Once you're logged in, click on "Deposits" in the upper right-hand corner

See the rest of the story at Business Insider Please follow Sports Page on Twitter and Facebook.See Also:WATCH: An NFL Reporter Gets Scooped 'By A Toon'WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Super Bowl Heroes Who Came Out Of NowhereChad Ochocinco On What He Has Learned This Season: 'I Can Actually Shut The F--- Up."

Meet Kim Dotcom, The Hacker Playboy Behind Megaupload's Alleged 'International Criminal Enterprise'

As the Megaupload shutdown and indictment has played out, one man has gotten more attention than anyone else. That would be Kim Dotcom, formerly Kim Schmitz, the German founder of Megaupload. The FBI's indictment accuses Dotcom and others of being part of a criminal group called "Mega Conspiracy" and that they ran an "international criminal enterprise." Excluding Megaupload, Dotcom has a long history of criminal activities, including hacking, embezzlement and insider trading. He's also a known street-racer and playboy, and has two other aliases, Kimble and Kim Tim Jim Vestor. So who is Kim Dotcom?Kim Dotcom was born in Germany. According to British paper The Telegraph, he's 6 foot 7 inches tall, weighs over 300 pounds, and is 37 years old.

(Source: The Telegraph) The first evidence of Dotcom's career can be traced back to 1998, when he was convicted of trading stolen credit card numbers and given a suspended two-year jail sentence.

(Source: The Telegraph) Supposedly having made his fortune with what he called "the startup factory," kimvestor.com, his next brush with the law came in 2001, when he acquired the borderline insolvent LetsBuyIt.com, pledged to funnel 50 million euros into it, and sold it off when the shares soared. Dotcom was convicted in a German court of insider trading.

(Source: BusinessWeek; CNET) See the rest of the story at Business Insider Please follow SAI on Twitter and Facebook.See Also:The Feds Just Took Down Megaupload And Did It Without SOPAIf You Have Files Trapped On Megaupload, There's Still Hope: It's Coming Back As A ZombieTime To Concede Home 'Ownership' Is A Fraud

Amex Launches Serve, Its Visa-PayPal-Square Killer (AXP, EBAY, AOL)

American Express just launched a big new payments service called Serve. The big, lofty goal is to replace cash and credit cards -- eventually. So if people love it, Serve could potentially be trouble for the traditional banks and credit card companies, and also for services like PayPal, Square, Venmo, etc. But these types of services are very hard to launch and make popular, so first things first. Serve is a new account and a new brand -- serve.com has no Amex branding on its homepage -- that you can fund through bank accounts, credit or debit cards, or payments from other Serve accounts. (So for now, the traditional players aren't really being left out of the equation -- just pushed to "funding.") You can use the money in Serve to pay other Serve accounts, or to buy stuff online. You can also use it offline via a new Serve card, that works sort of like a refillable Starbucks card -- fill it with money from your Serve account, and use it to pay anywhere Amex cards are accepted. Plus, you can use it to get cash from an ATM. There doesn't seem to be any fancy "mobile payments" aspect to this, at least not yet. You can use the Serve app -- iOS and Android -- to "quickly send and receive money, easily split-the-bill for group purchases or meals -- and even add gratuity." But that seems to be a way for you to pay other people -- not for everyone to use their phones to pay the restaurant for their share of lunch. That could come later, of course, perhaps even with a fancy "touch your phone to the sensor to pay" type of installation. So, how much does it cost? To put money into a Serve account, it costs 2.9% + 30 cents per load, discounted to 0% for cash, debit and ACH ("automated clearing house") funds transfer. For the first 6 months, it's free. (PayPal's fees are similar.) To get cash out of an ATM, you pay $0 the first time per month, and $2 per transaction every time after that. There are no fees to make peer-to-peer transactions.  And merchants get a special "prepaid discount rate" for payments made with a Serve account. Serve is based on technology that Amex acquired when it bought Revolution Money, which was affiliated with former AOL CEO Steve Case. Related: Visa Goes After PayPal And Square With Person-To-Person PaymentsJoin the conversation about this story »See Also:EXPLAINER: Here's What "Android On The BlackBerry PlayBook" Really MeansApple's New iPhone Software Might Not Launch Until FallHere's What We Want For The iPad 3

Verizon Says It Will Slap You With A $2 Fee For Paying Your Bill Online Or Over The Phone (VZ)

Verizon just announced a new payment policy where it will charge you a $2 "convenience fee" if you make a single payment on your bill online or over the phone. The goal here is to get you to sign up for its automatic payment system. The policy will take effect on January 15, 2012. Here are the ways Verizon says you can get around the fee:

Electronic check online (My Verizon Online, My Verizon Mobile/Handset). Fee waived. Electronic check via telephone. Fee waived. Enrollment in AutoPay using credit/debit/ATM card or electronic check; fee does not apply Online from the customer’s home-banking service provider website; fee does not apply. Credit/debit/ATM card, electronic check or cash at a Bill Payment Kiosk, Panel or with a representative at a Verizon Wireless Communications Store; fee does not apply. Use of a Verizon Wireless Gift Card or Verizon Wireless device Rebate Card to pay a bill in-store, online or by telephone; fee does not apply Paper check or money order mailed to the VZW remit address on customer’s bill; fee does not apply.

Verizon also says it will clearly state if you're about to be charged the $2 fee in case you want to change your mind a pay a different way. Please follow SAI on Twitter and Facebook.Join the conversation about this story »See Also:The Company That Gives You WiFi On Planes Wants To Raise $100 Million In An IPOResearch In Motion Is In Even Bigger Trouble Than You Can ImagineMicrosoft: This New Wireless Market Is Worth Billions And We're Going To Get Our Share

How To Use Your iPhone On Vacation (The Right Way!) (AAPL)

It may be tempting to leave your iPhone at home this summer when you go on vacation. Or at least to leave it in the hotel room while you're exploring a city. But the truth is that the iPhone 4 is such an amazing little computer that it can be really useful on vacation -- both for research and logistics and for taking and sharing photos and video.The first step is to move your iPhone mail app to the last screen, all by itself, so you don't open it by habit. YOU DO NOT WANT IT unless there's something absolutely necessary in there. Use Webmail if you must.

If you're going overseas, you're also going to want to turn Cellular Data and Data Roaming off. UNLESS you have money to blow and want to sign up for one of AT&T's International Roaming packages. But don't try data roaming without one -- that's how people get $10,000 phone bills.

While you're on the plane, do some trip planning with apps like Lonely Planet's city guides. They even include offline maps so you can figure out where you are on the ground (including using the phone's GPS/location services) without using any data roaming.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider For the latest tech news, visit SAI: Silicon Alley Insider. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.See Also:LEGAL HELL: Patent Troll Threatening iPhone Developers For Using Apple's In-App Purchasing SystemGoogle And Amazon Leave The Door Wide Open For Apple's "Music Locker" To DominateLabor And Materials Shortages Could Slam Brakes On iPad And iPhone Sales – Report

Meet Pax By Ploom: The MacBook Of Vaporizers

If you're a smoker, you know how bad the habit is for your health but your addiction won't let you stop. If you don't want to quit but are perhaps looking for a more appropriate alternative, meet the Pax by Ploom. The Pax is a pocket-sized vaporizer that heats to a set temperature but does not burn your tobacco. And man is this thing quick. After it's loaded up it only takes 45 seconds to heat up and you're puffing away. Pax is a smart device too, it takes advantage of a motion sensor, which lowers the heat if you set the device down and forgot to turn it off. The Pax is made from anodized aluminum, the same material as your MacBook Pro, it feels nice in your hand. Pax is small, convenient, and easy to use. Price: $249Pax is tiny. The device comes in a small square box. The packaging is very minimal, the company only placed essential items in the box. The aluminum feels great in your hand. It doesn't easily scratch and is very durable. See the rest of the story at Business Insider Please follow SAI: Tools on Twitter and Facebook.

14 Ways NFC Will Let Your Phone Replace Your Wallet (GOOG, AAPL)

We're seeing more and more NFC-enabled devices—but it's hard to get excited by anything that goes by three dull letters (notable exceptions: BFF, STD, UFO). NFC, however, is (potentially) quite awesome. Here's how we hope it'll shine.

First, the basics. NFC stands for Near Field Communication. Which still doesn't tell us much. Basically, it's a way for devices to transmit and receive very small bits of information, wirelessly, at very close ranges. How close? Centimeters close. So unlike beaming video from your laptop to your TV over Wi-Fi, or syncing phone contacts over Bluetooth, NFC is suited for simpler, daintier tasks. But that doesn't mean they can't be cool as hell. Here's a rundown of how we hope to see NFC seeping into our lives in the not too distant future. This post originally appeared at Gizmodo. Mobile Payment

This one's a gimme. Mostly, because it already exists—credit card companies like Visa are already pushing their contactless methods, and companies like Google and Apple have shown interest in turning our phones into debit cards. It might even show up in the next iPhone. What's it mean? No real wallet. Take out your phone, swipe it by the register, be on your way. Goodbye Passport

This one, not so much a gimme—namely for security reasons. We can't imagine the US State Department relinquishing control of their most cherished proof of existence. But, as with your wallet, it'd be nice to consolidate the number of things you have to pack on a trip. Imagine swiping your phone at customs instead of digging around for your crinkled passport? New passports already have radio chips inside, anyway. Just hope suicide bombers don't start jailbreaking. Keys

Apartment keys. Car keys. Hotel keys. Safe keys. Locker keys. Keys to your girlfriend's place. We all have way too many keys. So what if you could swipe your way indoors with only one object? Wireless door fobs are increasingly popular anyway—this one seems likely. View more at Business InsiderSee Also:8 Companies And Sectors That Could Be Transformed By Starbucks Mobile PaymentsShopkick Has 750,000 Users -- And 10% Use It Each Day10 Entrepreneurs Turned Today Into A $16 Billion Industry