By DAVID STREITFELD Published: February 12, 2012 SAN FRANCISCO - Technology used to be so simple. Enlarge This Image The New York Times Some of the country's biggest tech companies are hoping devices they produce can lock a consumer in an "ecosystem" of their own content and ads. Enlarge This Image Shannon Stapleton/Reuters Amazon's chief executive, Jeff Bezos, with the Kindle Fire.

By Russell Hotten Business reporter, BBC News The KikoRomeo fashion company was set up in Kenya in 1996 Alima Atta tells a story about recruiting staff when she was setting up her business in Nigeria's fledging communications and marketing sector. She employed a young man - university-educated, articulate, presentable - seemingly an ideal choice.

By Chris O'Brien Mercury News Columnist Click photo to enlarge Dropbox founders Arash Ferdowsi, left, and Drew Houston. (Dropbox photo) "1234" Dropbox is the most deceptively simple of services. Place a Dropbox folder on each computer or gadget you own.

By BERNARD CONDON AP Business WriterAssociated Press NEW YORK-Investors thinking of buying a piece of Facebook after it goes public are hoping it will perform like Google, whose stock has risen 500 percent since its debut seven and a half years ago. But they may want to spare a thought for companies slightly less exciting-a truck leasing company, perhaps, or a manufacturer of ball bearings. Stocks of those two have left Google, and the investors who didn't get into

By Mike Swift mswift@mercurynews.com Google (GOOG) is in the midst of more than $120 million in construction projects at its Mountain View headquarters, including work on a series of new or previously secret hardware testing labs that hint at the Internet giant's expanding interest in crafting consumer devices like its rivals Apple (AAPL) and Microsoft. Among the projects, revealed by a review of public records by this

by Brooke Crothers Follow @mbrookec A Windows 8 Metro screen showing Microsoft Office 15 applications. Having a full version of Office on a tablet may be Microsoft's trump card.

David Sandlin By SAM ROBERTS Published: February 11, 2012 THIRTY-FIVE years ago, a gold-plated record was lofted into the cosmos with a greeting card for the first extraterrestrials who found it.

February 12, 2012, 12:32 AM EST Business Exchange E-mail Print More From Businessweek India Factory Output Misses Estimate Amid Economic Slowdown Asia 1.25 Billion Over 60 by 2050 Shows Why Bonds Beat Stocks Stocks, Euro, Commodities Gain as Treasuries Fall on Greece Deal Glencore, Xstrata in $82 Billion Merger Talks to Rival BHP Greek Talks Stuck as Euro Finance Ministers Meet on Bailout By Rita Nazareth and Michael P. Regan

February 11, 2012, 7:03 AM EST Business Exchange E-mail Print More From Businessweek Asia 1.25 Billion Over 60 by 2050 Shows Why Bonds Beat Stocks Stocks, Euro, Commodities Gain as Treasuries Fall on Greece Deal Greek Talks Stuck as Euro Finance Ministers Meet on Bailout U.S.

Facebook fans should consider stocks of some less-exciting companies to invest in February 11, 2012 | Comments Tweet Email Print Share LinkedIn Tumblr StumbleUpon Reddit Del.icio.us Digg A A Facebook said it plans to sell a yet-unknown stake for $5 billion.