Come here. Give daddy some sugar. Come on...

A couple months ago, in my CITY RANKINGS, I researched Los Angeles, the big, car-designed city of America's past.

And it scored among the very highest of all the cities I have reviewed for economic potential in the age of the smartphone wars.

And there was much gnashing of teeth. Particularly, readers from Northern California couldn't believe how high LA scored, particularly compared to San Francisco. Well, now what have we here? Two months later and a report in TechCrunch shows that venture capitalists are looking at the Los Angeles-area as the next big thing.

Go on. Gimme that sugar!

According to the survey the number one location where VCs said they expected to invest in the next year was Southern California. Specifically, 17.4% named Southern California, 12% said they planned to invest in the Southwest and 10.5% said they planned to invest in the Southeast. Only 7.9% of VCs surveyed—most of whom live in Silicon Valley—said they intended to invest in Silicon Valley.

I rank cities based on how well they are positioned to leverage the great leveling -- the current period we have entered where smartphones, hyperlocal services, free and globally scaleable networks, real-time response and social media are remaking the planet's economy. Obviously, the more potential for embracing change, new services and new wealth, then the increased likelihood for prosperity and thus, livability. But, it's not an exact correlation.

My full list here (still working toward 100): http://brianshall.com/city_rankings

My top 10:

1. Taipei

2. Tokyo

3. London

4. Singapore

5. Zurich

6. Berlin

7. Madrid

8. Dublin

9. Vancouver

10.New York

The top 10 from some group called the Economist Intelligence Unit:

1. Vancouver, Canada

2. Vienna, Austria

3. Melbourne, Australia

4. Toronto, Canada

5. Calgary, Canada

6. Helsinki, Finland

7. Sydney, Australia

8. Perth, Australia

9. Adelaide, Australia

10. Auckland, New Zealand

In my ranking of technologies and new business models, Skype is near the very top (here). Now, my Great Leveling algorithm used to rank these technologies is, dare I say, infallible, so I don't need to provide you with any justifications. Rather, this is just a very good article on an amazing game-changing, industry-shifting service:

Skype now accounts for eight percent of all outgoing global calls. The success of Skype has propelled the company to be recognized amongst the top global telecommunication services. Not only does Skype function as a social medium, it is also a money-saving tool for businesses of the future. With only five years of experience under the company’s belt, its projections for future growth in the marketplace look more than healthy. Skype has come to revolutionize phone bills and the way society is controlled by the industry. Say goodbye to costly long-distance phoning, and hello to an efficient Skype, or other VoIP solution.

Skype is not only beneficial to the daily activities of any business; it is specifically an influential tool of top entertainment industries. ESPN has adopted the use of Skype to engage in interviews that they would previously have not been able to do. With the fast-paced setup of Skype’s video conferencing, ESPN was able to interview the quarterback from Oregon during the always-busy Thanksgiving weekend. UCLA and Arizona State are both broadcasting through Skype. Skype’s ESPN partnership is bringing the public more information about the service, and increasing the awareness of VoIPs. Soon, Skype and other forms of video communication will be integrated into mainstream media.

Skype is looking ahead towards a future where all communication will go through Internet services. Josh Silverman recently stepped up to the plate as Skype’s new CEO. He hopes to better develop Skype’s popularity in the working world. Silverman promises improvements in technology and customer service. Jonathan Rosenberg has been hired as the new technologist to move Skype along further to match future competitors. Previously a “Cisco Fellow” working in the Voice Technology Group at Cisco System, he set strategies for their own business voice system. Skype’s tactical strategies for its technological advancements are riding on Rosenberg’s employment. On Rosenberg’s website, he explains his qualifications and hopes for a better Skype of the future.

As of late, Skype has introduced Skype for SIP and Skype for Asterisk. “These solutions enable your PBX to be configured so your employees will be able to make Skype calls directly from their existing desk phones, without needing any new training. And with click-to-call buttons on your website and emails customers can reach you for free when they use Skype.” These configurations make calls completely free after an initial setup, and long-distance phone conversations become unbelievably inexpensive. Skype will soon be the new standard for small businesses who can’t afford large phone bills but are still involved in global growth.

My ranking of cities still has Taipei in first place. Remember, this is a (infallible) algorithm based on factors that will determine the success of the particular urban ecosystem in the age of the Great Leveling: when technology and power and opportunity and information are evenly distributed.

This scoring and ranking of cities is *not* based on their current businesses -- as everything is being destroyed, that's not relevant. However, a reader pointed me to a Taiwanese company that I must say has impressed me and is certainly helping the city deserve its lofty ranking.

Hon Hai

Basically, if you have an iPhone or iPad or probably a Kindle or laptop or anything electronic -- of the kind that is so advanced we can no longer, if ever, make these in America -- then there's a good chance it was actually made by Hon Hai. Even if it does have a nice "designed...in Cupertino" sticker on it.

More on Hon Hai:

Hon Hai Precision Industry may be the biggest electronics company you never heard of. The company, more commonly known by its trade name, Foxconn, is one of the world's largest contract electronics manufacturers. It manufactures computer, consumer electronics, and communications products, including connectors, cable assemblies, enclosures, flat-panel displays, game consoles, motherboards, servers, and TVs. Hon Hai, doing business as Foxconn Technology Group, also provides design engineering and mechanical tooling services. The global company's customers include Apple, Cisco, Dell, Nokia, and Sony. CEO Terry Gou founded Hon Hai in 1974 to make plastic switches for TVs.

Some minor moves on my Great Leveling list -- a ranking of the popular technologies and business models that are, or hope to, destroy every business, market and industry.

Facebook rose up slightly, based on changes to their hyperlocal score. You'll also note that Microsoft continues to dominate the, uh, bottom of the list.

Top 5's at the top right of this page. Full list here.

And because you can't have one without the other...and since the world is going urban, my updated ranking of cities, which scores how cities around the world are positioned to thrive (or be marginalized) in the Great Leveling of wealth, power, access, opportunity and knowledge. Full list here.

Comments welcome. Suggestions of products, technologies and/or business models to score are appreciated.

It's Monday, and I've updated my proprietary ranking of technologies, business models, smart phones and cities (ecosystems). Highlights in the boxes at the top right.

Suggestions and feedback are welcome.

Well, I've been informed that I show up first in Google for a few different phrases so soon I can let you know.

Now, I guess if it was a specific keyword, such as probiotic or VoIP or Timberlake it would be much better. The phrases I hit #1, unlike the Beatles, are:

• smartphone prosperity
• android hyperlocal

There may be others I'm not aware of. Thanks to a reader for tipping me off. It's nice to know. Feedback is always welcome.

Maybe I should deliberately try and go for #1 spot on the single word: DESTRUCTION. (It currently belongs to a German Thrash Band. That sounds cool, so I'll let them keep their top spot.

I score technologies, primarily smartphones, social media platforms and web services, along with business models and city states using a proprietary algorithm. However, I decided that as I'm starting to get multiple companies with multiple products scored, I would do you readers a favor and make company-wide calculations. Note: the advice on the potential prosperity or impending doom do not necessarily correlate with companies the way they do with specific products and business models. This information is for discussion purposes. I will likely track no more than 10 companies total; with weekly updates.

Based on my proprietary Great Leveling 100 algorithm and trend watch. For individual products, the maximum score is 45. A score of 27 or higher means assured success. A score of 18 or lower means certain doom. New products added weekly. Complete rankings here.