Currently reading the latest Richard Branson book entitled "Like a Virgin". It is an enjoyable read that focuses on his business ethos, taking examples from the early days of Virgin, as well as fielding questions from entrepreneurs the world over. See Entrepreneurs section for full review

The anticipated announcement of a new Apple product takes place in San Francisco today (6pm UK time). Many are speculating that the device will be launched alongside a new Apple TV. Whatever the result we anticipate huge News for the tech industries. How will it affect small business, if at all?

Google + users are now required to use real names only as their account usernames on the rapidly expanding social network site.

Anyone else been scared rigid by scenes of mountains of computers being hacked apart for revenue in African townships ? Computers that were originally disposed of at athorised council tipping centres? As a company keeping up todate with fast moving technology and having to update your workforce's kit regularly just to function, be careful how you do it. Valuable details gleaned from hard drives are sold on and can bite you badly. Have a look at www.buy-it-back.com where they deal with the security side, they recyle in a totally responsible fashion and there may be value in the items you are disposing a win win all the way around

As someone with a Virgin flight getting ever closer, it is nice to see that common sense has prevailed and the strike has been resolved. I always love to think of the pilot sitting up front with no worries or cares troubling him, or her, other than my safe arrival, when in actuality they are probably planning the evening's entertainment on autopilot. Air traffic controllers though, who love a good strike threat, are probably just on the very edge of sanity so they should be dealt with as carefully as you might in a hostage situation, which is what Joe public usually is.

It appears that Japan has located Rare Earth deposits in the Pacific Ocean, somewhere in the region of 100 billion tons, threatening China's monopoly on this commodity. Does that mean the stuff needs to be renamed?

Greece may have voted through the austerity package but there appears to be only 155 people in the entire country that want it

The markets have recovered from the S&P credit warning on US debt reasonably well but the deficit they face is truly staggering. Let's face it however,the US is not going to defult on its obligations but positive progress needs to be made very soon or political infighting in the US could caue the whole pack of cards to fall,if no agreement is reached on Obama's deficit reduction plans Interesting that current equity markets can handle the sheer volume of negative news without going into meltdown mode

Markets aside,how sad is the current situation in Japan? with 2,500 people killed and thousands more still missing and if that wasn't enough,you have a potential nuclear catastrophe unfolding also. The earthquake was the 5th largest since 1900, massive by any standards but the destructive power of the tsunami it caused is truly incredible. Unrelenting power that surged to 6 miles inland in some coastal regions, creating a total wasteland in it's path. The pictures coming out of Sendai, just one of the stricken areas are just mind blowing as cars and even ships are tossed aside like matchwood.

Oil prices are slightly lower as Opec members discuss making up the shortfall through Libyan disruption, though the situation there is anything but resolved. The impact of higher oil prices, that would soar if Saudi Arabia were involved would severely inhibit the global recovery but the whole scenario is like a black cloud hanging over the world's equity markets.