The 2013 Forbes Billionaire List

Good news. Even though there are more people on the Forbes Billionaire's List than ever before (1426 in 2013), with more accumulated wealth ($5.4 trillion), there is still room for you. The Forbes Billionaire List is no closed shop. Far from it. All you need is a modest one billion dollars to your name, and you're welcomed with open arms.

Of course, when you scan the names at the very top of the list, one billion dollars does indeed seem modest. But don't be discouraged. Every billionaire has to start somewhere.

Let's start at the top. number one on this year's list is, yet again, Carlos Slim Helu, the Mexican telecommunications king, with a net worth of US$73 billion. The durable Bill Gates is at number two with US$67 billion, with the top three being rounded out by Amancio Ortega, the reclusive Spaniard behind clothing chain Zara, who has a net worth of US$57 billion.

For the first time since 2000, investment guru Warren Buffett is not in the top three, even though his fortune increased by nearly US$10 billion.

In recent years, there has been speculation that Australian mining magnate Gina Reinhart would one day find herself on top of the Forbes Billionaires List, but she is at number 36 with a relatively modest US$17 billion. At least 'Our Gina' can console herself in her Perth mansion with the knowledge that she is just one of 138 women on the list, and the fact that she is Australia's wealthiest person, almost by the length of the railway line that traverses the Nullabor.

Commodities boss, Ivan Glasenberg, is a long way behind with US$6.7 billion, which earns him a position of number 175 on the list.

Other high profile Australians on the list include James Packer (US$6 billion, number 198), Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest (US$5.7 billion, number 211) and Frank Lowy (US$5.3 billion, number 229). The lowest ranked Australian on the list is John Van Lieshout, who has done alright out of real estate – (US$1 billion, number 1342)

The Forbes Billionaires List is still a place for the more mature moneybags. Only 29 of the list's 1426 inhabitants are under the age of 40, with 28 year-old Mark Zuckerberg having plenty to Facebrag about with a net worth of US$13.3 billion.

Other 'youngsters' of note include 37 year-old Nicholas Woodman, the man behind the GoPro camera phenomenon. His net worth is $US1.3 billion while Google co-founder Larry Page is worth $US23 billion – not bad for a man who is still one year away from hitting the big Four-O.

If reading about the world's 1426 billionaires leaves you feeling more envious than inspired, you might want to indulge in a touch of schadenfreude.

Let's spare a thought for Eike Batista. The Brazilian business magnate is the list's biggest loser in 2013, losing US$19.4 billion in the last year and going from number 7 to number 100. He now has to struggle along on a net worth of US$10.6 billion. And you thought you were doing it tough.

source: bigpondmoney.com.au

Microsoft finally Surfaces in tablet market

After seeming to have tabled its tablet dreams, ceding the market to Apple and Google, Microsoft has surfaced, literally. It has announced its entry into the mobile market -- the Surface. But tucked away below the surface were unannounced details such as price and battery life.

What we did learn was that the Surface comes in two different flavors -- for Windows RT and for Windows Pro. The RT version is in both 32-gigabyte and 64-gigabyte orientations.

Some of the distinctive features of the 9.3-millimeter Surface is its magnesium case with a 10.6-inch Gorilla Glass display. On the back, a kickstand is integrated, breaking up the seamless lines just a bit. The Wi-Fi-enabled Surface weighs in at 1.5 pounds, which is a hair heavier than the iPad (1.44 pounds). It also connects via USB 2.

PHOTOS: The Microsoft Surface

The tablet, complete with Office, is touted as fully-functional as a Windows desktop, with specs that rival many ultrabooks on the market today, including the latest Intel CPU. Surface has the standard front and rear cameras.

"It was important that the Windows software could rise to the surface," said Panos Panay, the products' designer.

The screen features digitizers for both touch and digital ink, and the pen magnetically tucks away into the top of the tablet.

Something that is reminiscent but with a twist are the magnetic smart covers to go with the Surface tablets. The covers appear very similar in basic function to Apple's smart covers, but the twist comes with a virtual keyboard on the Touch Cover and a tactile keyboard on the Type Cover.

As names go, it's not something that immediately triggers that gotta-have-it reaction, but then neither did iPad initially.

Microsoft said it focused on details as intricate as the sound of the kickstand. "We really wanted to get the sound right, so you get that visceral feeling, that emotional attachment," said Panos.

The question remains how the public will receive this late entry.

"It's a bold challenge against Apple, but a lot will depend on the details of price, battery life, ecosystem," said Gartner analyst Michael Gartenberg. "It will be interesting to see how their licensees react when they discover they are competing with Microsoft as well as Apple."

source: latimes.com