Business

On our radar screen this month: Tiger Woods, Dubai, Florida and Google

Tiger Woods’comeback hit a snag when he tied for fourth place at the Masters (and suffered a controversial two-shot penalty for an improper ball drop on the 15th hole). But the mere presence of a resurgent Woods at Augusta this year was good for golf, with ticket prices for the famed tournament reportedly selling for $13,820 for a four-day pass on resale websites, up from about $3,675 last year.

• The price of a luxury villa in Dubai soared 20 per cent last year, suggesting a turnaround in the city-state’s high-end real estate market four years after it crashed. Local officials, meanwhile, are intent on reinforcing Dubai’s battered image as a luxury destination. As of last week, they are paying for police to patrol the streets in a $550,000 Lamborghini Aventador, with a Ferrari model soon to follow.

• It’s no Dubai, but Florida is also enjoying a real estate boom of late, and they can thank the snowbirds for that. Canadians are the biggest foreign purchasers of homes in Florida: a recent report by the Bank of Montreal estimates that half a million Canadians now own property in the Sunshine State, one of the hardest-hit during the crash. They’ve helped push prices up 12 per cent over the past two years.

• Search-engine giant Google is now offering users a sort of “digital will.” If they choose, Google will delete users’ accounts (and the personal data associated with them) after a period of inactivity, ranging from three to 12 months. Google will also make it possible to have the data, including emails, photos and other information, handed over to a “trusted contact.”

Looking for more?

Get the Best of Maclean's sent straight to your inbox. Sign up for news, commentary and analysis.
  • By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
FILED UNDER: