A new business model is springing up right under our noses. The big players like Apple (AAPL), Amazon.com (AMZN) and Google (GOOG) have put together a one-stop shop in their app stores.

First off, an app store is just that, a place where you can pick and choose the apps you want to download. The app store is also a place where entrepreneurs can develop an app and with permission place it on the iPhone, iPad or Android device.

Since 2006, the number of registered users on Facebook has seen near 100% annual growth. We estimate that the number of registered users has increased from around 10.5 million in 2006 to around 595 million in 2010 and has since continued its upward climb. From the time Facebook decided to allow any user above the age of 13 to create an account, the website's number of registered users has seen a meteoric rise.

Sources close to the social network Linkedln say it is planning to go public, as reported in Reuters. It has filed statements with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Owner Jeff Weiner told Reuters that he has selected Morgan Stanley (MS), Bank of America (BAC) and JP Morgan (JPM) as book runners. Book runners take the original stock offering and then resell it to retail clients.

Linkedln is a fast growing social networking site with 85 million viewers. Financial information is not available. Company revenues come from advertising. A source close to the company values it at about $2.2 billion.

The world of Internet traffic moves at lightning speed. So, too, do the moods and preferences of users. Back in 2007, News Corp's (NWS) MySpace was No. 1. Google.com (GOOG) took the No. 1 spot in 2008 and 2009. In 2009, Facebook has taken the No. 1 spot, with 8.9% of U.S. visits, edging Google.com, which had 7.2% of visits, Reuters reported, citing online measurement service Experian Hitwise.

Facebook was started by Mark Zuckerberg and a few classmates in 2004. Facebook users can create profiles with photos, lists of personal interests, contact details and other information. Users can communicate with friends and other users through private or public messages and a chat feature. They can also join interest groups and "like pages."

Fewer business start-ups are being launched, reports the the Wall Street Journal. The Labor Department said that the number of companies with at least one employee fell by 100,000, or 2%, in the year ended March 31. That was the second worst performance in 18 years -- the worst one was a drop of 3.4% the previous year.

Why are these numbers important? In past recessions small business start-ups were the key to spurring the economy. In the three quarters that ended in March, newly formed companies created only 2.6 million jobs, 15% fewer than in the first three quarters of the last recovery.

If the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player, LeBron James, was a stock, would you find it was of any value as an investment? From my perspective, it would not be, unless Mr. James were to make some key moves off the court to mirror his talent on the court. The first thing I would tell him is to SHUT UP!

He needs to recognize that it is only natural for people in Cleveland to feel betrayed after years of support and adulation ended in a sputter, with nothing to fill the void. It is only natural for them to feel even worse after the self-serving arrogant way they were informed during a totally over-the-top television special.

Starting next month you will be able to buy gold at an ATM machine. Can that be true? Yes, CNNMoney's story on Gold to go's owner Thomas Geissler says he plans to launch two such ATMs in Las Vegas and Florida. Plans are to expand the Gold to go ATMs in New York, Dallas, Los Angeles and Minnesota.

The machines will offer gold coins and bars weighing up to 8 ounces. Prices are updated every ten minutes based on spot gold prices.

Having accepted a speaking engagement at a university school of business recently, I had to think about what introductory information I could impart to the students about investing that would be practical, immediately useful and establish a foundation for whatever direction their paths might lead. This was supposed to be the first in a series. However, since I pull no punches and can be a little edgy in my candor and presentation, who knew if I would be invited back?

My outline had five basic elements. The first thing I told them was to start now!

Trying to figure out what Warren Buffett will invest in next is no small task. Although, you can bet it will not be small. In fact, he may try to acquire whole companies because anything else might not move the needle when it comes to increasing shareholder value at Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A / BRK.B).

This post is a follow up to Serious Money: Buffett Looking Beyond Our Borders, where I concluded that Buffett will seek an opportunity to invest in a company that is paying a dividend and has a very easy to understand product or service that will not become obsolete any time soon.