Top News: Spying through Phone Apps, China’s Economic Slowdown, and Small Businesses Abroad

“Spy Agencies Scour Phone Apps for Personal Data”

In their globe-spanning surveillance for terrorism suspects and other targets, the National Security Agency and its British counterpart have been trying to exploit a basic byproduct of modern telecommunications: With each new generation of mobile phone technology, ever greater amounts of personal data pour onto networks where spies can pick it up.

…continue reading: http://nyti.ms/1aDbzpG

“As China Slows, the Pain Hits Home”

While China remains nearly self-sufficient in all these categories, it is importing more from other emerging markets. Economists and investors around the world have been fretting in recent days about the effects on smaller emerging markets if China’s economic slowdown worsens. Those concerns have driven down share prices and currencies from Jakarta to Istanbul to Buenos Aires, although emerging markets staged a partial recovery on Wednesday. They helped to prod the central banks of Turkey and India to raise benchmark interest rates unexpectedly on Tuesday.

…continue reading: http://nyti.ms/1b6n5aD

“Why Don’t More Small Businesses Get SBA Help Selling Abroad?”

Small business exporting has gotten plenty of attention since President Obama set the goal of doubling U.S. foreign sales in his 2010 State of the Union address. Despite the interest in helping more small companies sell abroad, only a small share of such businesses actually export, according to a report last week (PDF) from the Congressional Research Service.

…continue reading: http://buswk.co/1a2pmp4