Financial Services
Former Sen. Gregg Joins Goldman Sachs
Judd Gregg, the former U.S. senator from New Hampshire, has joined investment bank Goldman Sachs as an international adviser, the company said late last week. The former Republican senator and governor “will provide strategic advice to the firm and its clients and assist in business-development initiatives across our global-development franchise,” Goldman said in a statement. Gregg, a Washington veteran, joins a firm with extensive connections in D.C. “A strong financial sector is critical to our nation and one of the key engines of job creation in our country,” Gregg said in a statement.
Legal
Four More Suspects Charged in Florida Ponzi Scheme
Last Friday, prosecutors in South Florida charged four more people allegedly involved in a $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme run by former attorney Scott Rothstein, according to the FBI. According to the Miami Herald, the four people charged were all associates of Rothstein, including two former IT staff at Rothstein’s law firm, another attorney, and another employee who posed as a banker. The Ponzi scheme attempted to lure investors into investing in legal settlements, which were marketed to have been extremely lucrative. Rothstein pleaded guilty last year to orchestrating the scheme, on five charges of fraud. The 48-year-old is currently serving a 50-year prison sentence.
Technology
Microsoft Preparing Tablet OS
Microsoft Corp., the software giant and maker of Windows 7 operating system, is reportedly previewing a version of its operating system for tablet computer adaptation. According to a Bloomberg report, Microsoft is reviewing a version of Windows for a tablet running NVIDIA’s Tegra chip. The company is believed to be interested in the market due to the popularity of Apple Inc.’s iPad tablet computer, and looks to compete with the iPad as well as tablets running Google’s Android operating system. Apple sold 4.7 million units of its iPad tablets in the first quarter.
Transportation
Alaska Air Issues iPads to Pilots
Alaska Airlines, in an effort to go green, has issued Apple iPad tablet computers to each airplane pilot to replace up to 25 pounds of air flight manuals each pilot must carry onboard. The process to replace the paper manuals will complete by mid-June, and follows a successful test run. The 1.5-pound electronic gadget must be stored away during takeoff, consistent with the policy for passengers. “When the iPad hit the market, we took one look at it and said this is the perfect fit,” Alaska Airlines’ VP of Flight Operations Gary Beck said in a statement. An iPad app, called GoodReader, will contain PDF version of flight manuals. The electronic manual will also be easier to search and index than their paper counterparts. The cost of the iPads will be offset by printing, paper, and weight costs.
