Netflix Reveals The Trailer For Its $90 Million Show ‘Marco Polo’ | ||
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Netflix released the first teaser trailer for another new series, "Marco Polo." The high-profile series chronicles the life of the famed explorer in 13th century China where he crosses paths with the likes of Kublai Khan. The series is created by John Fusco ("Hidalgo") and will star newcomer Lorenzo Richelmy as the lead while Harvey Weinstein serves as executive producer. The Weinstein Company is also working with Netflix to release a "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" sequel on the streaming site next summer. The New York Times reports "Marco Polo" costs about $90 million to produce. To give you an idea of the enormity of that production scale, the first "Mission Impossible" movie cost an estimated $80 million. Deadline reported last year an average Netflix TV series costs between $3.8 million to $4.5 million an episode. That would bring the cost of a 13-episode series to just under $60 million. The series looks like it's trying to capture some of the thrill of HBO's "Game of Thrones," interspersing sex scenes with heavy action. Maybe that shouldn't be a surprise since "Marco Polo" executive producer Dan Minahan actually did work on "GoT" and "True Blood." The trailer actually reminds me of what Fox was trying to do with an Ancient Egypt series called "Hieroglyph" which was cancelled before it even had the chance to premiere on TV. The 10-episode series will debut December 12 on Netflix. SEE ALSO: "Daredevil" actor points out the one clear advantage Netflix has over TV AND: Check out Netflix's other new show, "Bloodline" Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Big Twitter Investor Defends The Company After Jim Cramer Slams Twitter CEO As 'Incoherent' (TWTR) | ||
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CNBC star Jim Cramer had a harsh assessment of Twitter CEO Dick Costolo's performance during its third quarter earnings. "This was incoherent. I thought that Costolo was incoherent both within his interview and on the conference call. I simply had no idea what the heck he was talking about," said Cramer on TV this morning. Cramer's words were tough, but they seemed to reflect the sentiment of at least some Twitter investors. The stock was down ~10% on the day after earnings. We spoke with Chris Sacca, one of the biggest shareholders of Twitter, about Cramer's comments, and the company in general. Sacca didn't necessarily disagree with Cramer's take, but he thought that anyone selling the stock based on last night's results is making a huge mistake. "I think Twitter has always had a challenge telling its own story, from the early days of the company," said Sacca. Early on, people would ask, "What's a tweet? Why should I tweet?" and Twitter management struggled to really answer that, says Sacca. While that struggle continues today, it doesn't matter because the company is well-positioned to grow in the future, says Sacca. "As an investor, I'm excited, I know the story," he says.
This was a clunky, weird metaphor that sounded off. Cramer was baffled by it. It's especially odd to hear it since Costolo is a naturally funny person. He's very likable. He studied to be an improv comedian, and when he goes off script, he's great. But he can be boxed into odd corporate speaking ticks. For instance, during the second quarter's earnings call, he said "vis-à-vis" repeatedly, which people teased him about on Twitter. Sacca blamed Costolo's sometimes stiff approach on Twitter's IPO. "I think the biggest challenge is the IPO process shoe horned them into using two metrics ... so Dick can’t be as natural and candid."
He thinks timeline views per user is pointless because it doesn't measure anything meaningful. He gave an example to illustrate why it's silly. In the past, to "favorite" a tweet, a user would have to click on tweet, click favorite, then click back to the timeline. That would count as three timeline views. Today, a user can favorite right in the stream, which is only one view. Obviously, the action that leaders to fewer timeline views is better, though it looks worse in terms of timeline views.
Sacca says "you don't have to be a genius" to see how this group will be lucrative for Twitter. He said that people that come to Twitter are often coming from Google. He says these people are looking for celebrities, or live events. He says Twitter will be able to build valuable revenue generating products targeted at those people. Isn't there a risk that Google-searches could lead to a Demand Media or About.com type of business? Sacca says Twitter won't be serving bad ads aimed at people looking for tutorials. He says there will be strong intent, and signals that will yield a richer ad experience. But, backing up, he says the big picture for Twitter from his perspective goes like this: Years ago, people thought Twitter would never make money. He invested in the company then because he knew it would make money.
Today, it's looking at a $1.6 billion revenue run rate, but people are questioning whether or not it can gain users. He thinks that's just as silly. He says, "At this point, if you're wondering, 'How is going to be big?', if you can't wrap your mind around monthly active uniques, sell me your stock!" This is why, Sacca has not sold a share of the stock, and he won't be selling. He's in it for the long haul, he believes in the company's potential. This may not be reassuring for other Twitter investors. Essentially, the argument boils down to this: Twitter will be a big company with lots of users making lots of money, trust me. But, it's good to see someone that's long the stock so passionately, and articulately defending the company. Sacca admits Twitter could work on communicating about its future, but he says, If I could have it one way or the other — the company has huge business and is bad at explaining at it, or it has a bad business and is good at explaining it, he'd much rather take the first option. Here's the video of Cramer, which is worth a watch. It's rare to see a management team attacked like this on air. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Costolo tried to explain Twitter's user base with 
Twitter, in Sacca's view, is forced to use timeline views per user and monthly average unique users as the guiding metrics to determine its success. He says bankers and lawyers chose those two metrics, and now Twitter is stuck with them. 
As for monthly active users, Sacca thinks Twitter has much bigger group of users who are ignored by the focus on logged-in monthly active users. On the earnings call, Twitter said the logged-out people that come to Twitter are 1X-2X the size of the logged in users. 
12 Mind-Blowing Facts About Apple That Show Just How Massive The Company Really Is (AAPL) | ||
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Apple is the largest publically traded company in the US by market capitalization (the value of its shares). But it's hard to wrap your head around that fact. Can you picture the value of Apple's shares, $626 billion? The iPhone's popularity has catapulted Apple from an underdog fighting IBM to arguably the most successful consumer electronics companies out there. To underscore how big Apple has become, we've put together some mind-blowing facts about the business. Last quarter Apple's revenue was $42.1 billion. That's larger than the entire economy of Turkmenistan. Apple has $155 billion in cash on hand. Split equally among the US population (316 million), that's $490 per person. That's enough cash to buy 2,384 Gulfstream G650s, with a little left over for fuel. See the rest of the story at Business Insider  | ||
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Verizon’s New Tech News Site Has A Strange Name And An Even Stranger Rule: No Reporting On Net Neutrality Or US Surveillance | ||
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From the looks of the site, it’s pretty clear that SugarString is still in its early days. The oldest story was published just 12 days ago, and its layout seems to be in beta. With backing from the largest US telecommunications provider — its parent company, Verizon Communications, did $120 billion in sales last year — there’s no question SugarString could one day become a major player in the tech news space. Its “About” page, in fact, shows its ambition to become the new next thing, stating, “SugarString publishes thoughtful tech-focused stories that track humanity’s climb towards the new next.” But whatever those “thoughtful tech-focused stories” might be, one thing is clear: SugarString won’t be covering any news related to net neutrality or US surveillance issues. According to The Daily Dot’s Patrick Howell O’Neill, SugarString writers are banned from writing about any of those topics. O’Neill says he discovered the rules last week after receiving a recruiting email from its Editor in Chief Cole Stryker. O’Neill declined the offer, as did some other reporters who spoke to him about it. “Other reporters, who asked not to be named, have confirmed that they have received the same recruiting pitch with the same rules: No articles about surveillance or net neutrality,” O’Neill says. It’s not too hard to figure out why Verizon is so vehemently denying any coverage of two of the most important and controversial issues in today’s tech. Verizon is one of the strongest opponents of net neutrality, the idea of keeping the internet equal and not charging differently by the user or site. It’s also one of the companies that Edward Snowden mentioned as being part of the National Security Agency’s (NSA) government surveillance program. To be fair, O’Neill says SugarString writers are allowed to write about non-US related surveillance issues, like the Chinese government’s spying programs. Still, it’s hard to see anyone taking SugarString seriously without balanced coverage on such a sensitive issue. We’ve reached out to Verizon for comment and will update when we hear back. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Verizon Wireless has recently launched its own tech news site called What Some Of Google's Most Elite, Entrepreneurial Employees Are Doing Now (GOOG) | ||
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Since Marissa Mayer started Google's associate product manager program — APM for short — more than a decade ago, it has swelled into one of the company's most elite entry-level positions. Mayer started the two-year rotational training program to home-grow managers who would be "Googley." The program has since become rather legendary, and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt told Steven Levy that he expects an APM alumni to run the company someday. When you pick people who are leaders and show the sort of entrepreneurial zeal that makes them a great fit at Google, you also pick people who are confident enough to leave Google to build their own companies. And a lot have. "We get two to four good years, and if 20 percent stay with the company, that's a good rate," Mayer told Newsweek in 2007. "Even if they leave it's still good for us. I'm sure that someone in this group is going to start a company that I will buy some day." Brian Rakowski was Google's very first APM. Rakowski is now Google's VP of product management focusing on Android. Suitably, Rakowski also now runs the APM program. What's changed since Mayer left the program? Not much, according to Rakowski. "One of the best things about the APM program is that so many incredible people have gone through the program over the last 11 years and want stay involved," he writes on Quora. "In the spirit of tapping into the alumni network, we've also started a APM speaker series where APM alumni who have gone on to do interesting things (at Google or outside) give a talk to the current APMs." Jeff Bartelma left Google to join Dropbox. Bartelma studied engineering at MIT before joining the APM program, where he worked on product search. He eventually left Google to be the director of product at Dropbox in 2010. Si Shen cofounded Papaya Mobile in 2008. Shen spent four years at Google working on Android development and marketing and then Maps before founding Beijing-based mobile gaming company Papaya Mobile in 2008. Papaya Mobile created over 13 games, and then shifted to start making its mobile game engine available to other social game developers. According to its website, the company has over 1,000 titles connecting to its network. Interestingly, Shen also appeared on a popular Chinese dating reality show in 2012, which helped her company become more widely recognized, according to Women of China. See the rest of the story at Business Insider  | ||
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Here's Why Apple's First Update To iOS 8 Was Such A Massive Failure (AAPL) | ||
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The problem was not the update's contents but how it was delivered. Apple VP Greg Joswiak explained what happened to Apple's ill-fated update at Re/code's Code/Mobile conference. “It had to do with the way the software was being sent over servers,” he said. “It was the way software was being distributed.” Joswiak said the iOS update was "very advanced" and what happened to iOS 8.0.1 was a result of its overwhelming complexity. He also noted that Apple succesfully pulled the update within an hour of releasing it, saving potentially thousands of iPhone users from being locked out of their devices and unable to make phone calls. Apple released iOS 8.0.2 the day after the 8.0.1 debacle. The contents were exactly the same, only the packaging changed. (Via Apple Insider) SEE ALSO: Apple CEO Tim Cook Criticized His Home State For Failing To Advance LGBT Rights Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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We now know why iOS 8.0.1 Some MacBook Owners Are Suing Apple Over Problems With The Graphics Cards (AAPL) | ||
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Three owners of MacBooks purchased in 2011 have filed a class-action suit against Apple alleging their PCs have defective graphics cards and that the company refuses to pay for repair. They are asking for the court to make Apple repair or replace the laptops. They also want the judge to award an unnamed amount in punitive damages and to pay for their legal fees. All year long, there's been grumbling from people who bought 2011 15-inch or 17-inch MacBook Pro models and say they've had problems with the graphics cards. A Change.org petition from back in January asking Apple to address the issue hit over 20,000 signatures last week. Talk has ramped up in a Facebook group of over 5,000 members in the past few weeks, too, and on Reddit, and Apple support forums. The lawyers allege that the problem is due to lead-free soldering materials used with the graphics card. This kind of soldering material tends to crack and the crack grows bigger over time, so problems get worse over time, the lawyers say. Complaints about the graphics cards in these machines began shortly after the 2011 MacBooks went on sale. Apple responded quickly with a software update that it said it would, among other things, "improve graphics stability." But users say that this update didn't fix the problems. The screens would tint blue tint or showing lines or kept freezing, they said. In many instance, the problems showed up after the machine was out of warranty, when Apple will not cover the part. Some users have said that even if they get the part replaced, often with a price tag of $300-$500, the problems just come back, because, the lawyers allege, that replacement part is equally defective and simply cracks again. Others have complained that Apple wouldn't cover the repair even when they've bought the extended warranty, Apple Care. We've reached out to Apple for comment and will update when we hear back. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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The 11 Hottest Video Games You Can Buy Right Now | ||
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#GamerGate aside, it is a splendid time for video games. November will mark a full year on the market for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles. The Wii U, meanwhile, is coming up on its second birthday. While the PlayStation 4 is edging out the Xbox in terms of sales, both consoles are still very young, and there are plenty of exciting games coming to these platforms. Nintendo’s more mature console is also starting to release some real heavy-hitters. There are plenty of other game platforms — mobile, PC, and portables like the PS Vita and Nintendo 3DS — but these are the best games you can buy for all the latest-gen living room consoles, namely the PS4, Xbox One, and Wii U. 11. "Pikmin 3" Consoles: Wii U Summary: “Players control three alien captains who explore the surface of a planet known as ‘PNF-404’ in search of cultivable fruit seeds to save their home planet, Koppai, from famine. They meet and befriend the Pikmin, who assist them." Notable review: “When playing a Nintendo game, such as 'Pikmin 3,' it’s hard to wrap your finger around what exactly it is, or how the company made it that way, but it’s there. What is it? Magic, secret sauce, whatever you want to call it — that feeling of pure fun and excitement in your belly. Nintendo knows how to make it, and with 'Pikmin 3,' the wonder, excitement, fun, uniqueness, and a variety of other adjectives come together in full force to make a truly magical experience that you can only find on a Nintendo system. The presentation, from the cutscenes, the engaging banter between the three characters, the cinematic camera angles and bosses, and the beautifully intricate end-of-day segments all work together to make you realize that better graphics aren’t the only thing that comes with an HD Nintendo system, but a more polished, better game experience as well.” - Dustin Grissom, Nintendojo 10. "NBA 2K15" Consoles: PS4, Xbox One Summary: "'NBA 2K15' features approximately 5,000 new animations, new defensive AI, shooting systems, new team-specific play sets, and more control over rebounding, steals, and blocks. Ernie Johnson and Shaq O'Neal delivers commentary and analysis to the action.” Notable review: “The overhauled control scheme and helpful shot meter are the types of improvements basketball fans have been waiting for. Battling for space and effectively using a screen to set up a wide-open jumper is superbly satisfying, and while it can be a struggle to keep up on defense, the interaction between all 10 men on the court at any time has never looked or felt this real.” - Josiah Renaudin, GameSpot 9. "Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition" Consoles: PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 Summary: “Take on the role of one of six powerful character classes — Barbarian, Demon Hunter, Monk, Witch Doctor, Wizard, or the all-new Crusader — and embark on a dark journey through Acts I-V to save the world of Sanctuary from ancient and sinister forces.” Notable review: “This is the third time I've reviewed some version of 'Diablo 3,' and each time I've been met by a better, more refined experience. 'Ultimate Evil Edition' collects the entirety of that experience in a slick new wrapper, giving console owners a complete, and uncompromised version of 'Diablo 3.' Finally, 'Ultimate Evil' serves up a few social-minded twists like an in-game mail system to gift loot to friends, and a new nemesis system which allows a monster that slays someone on your friend's list to grow in power and come into your game to give you a chance to avenge your fallen comrade. It's a cute trick, but not a game-changer in any way. The real star is still the ability to play on the couch with up to three friends, tearing through the angry hordes that await you in adventure mode, where the wildly randomized dungeons form the backbone of 'Diablo 3's' endgame.” - Vince Ingenito, IGN See the rest of the story at Business Insider  | ||
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Rocket Loaded With 5,000 Pounds Of Cargo Explodes Seconds After Launch | ||
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An unmanned Orbital Sciences rocket carrying more than 5,000 pounds of supplies meant for the International Space Station has exploded seconds after launching in Virginia. The Antares rocket known as Orbital CRS-3 exploded into a massive ball of flames six seconds after launch due to a "vehicle anomaly," the company said in a tweet. The failure occurred shortly after its 6:22 p.m. EDT launch from the Wallops Flight Facility. "There was failure on launch. There was no indicated loss of life," NASA spokesman Jay Bolden told CNN, though he did say there was "significant property and vehicle damage." Orbital Sciences is one of two companies (the other is SpaceX) NASA is using to haul supplies to the ISS, according to Reuters. This latest flight was its third of eight planned under a $1.9 billion contract with the space agency. “It is far too early to know the details of what happened,” Mr. Frank Culbertson, Orbital’s Executive Vice President and General Manager of its Advanced Programs Group, said in a statement. “As we begin to gather information, our primary concern lies with the ongoing safety and security of those involved in our response and recovery operations. We will conduct a thorough investigation immediately to determine the cause of this failure and what steps can be taken to avoid a repeat of this incident. As soon as we understand the cause we will begin the necessary work to return to flight to support our customers and the nation’s space program.” Roughly one-third of the cargo was dedicated to science experiments, among other gear onboard. The NASA blog has a full listing:
Via Ars Technica: The mission, termed Orb-3 by the company, will be delivering 2,300 kg of cargo, including supplies, equipment, and scientific experiments. Those will be carried in the Cygnus spacecraft, which is currently sitting atop an Antares launch vehicle. The second stage of Antares is a solid rocket, and this mission will mark the first use of a larger second stage, which will allow the company to carry more supplies in the future. Here's the video: Here is what the rocket looked like four minutes before launch:
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We've Finally Found Where NASA Crashed A Lander Into The Moon | ||
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To date, no astronaut has set foot on the far side of the moon, but that can't be said for man-made instruments. After more than six months of searching, NASA has finally spotted a crater on the moon that is unlike the rest. It was created by them. The crater was made by NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) spacecraft when it purposely impacted the far side of the moon on April 18, 2014. That was more than 6 months ago, and although they had a good idea of where the crater was, scientists had no photographic evidence to confirm their estimates, until now. The problem? Finding a small impact crater on the moon is kind of like finding a needle in a hay stack because the surface of the moon, especially the far side, is pockmarked with craters of all sizes. That's why it took NASA the better half of a year to discover LADEE's resting place, which is on the eastern rim of Sundman V crater — within 1000 feet from where the LADEE team had predicted! NASA engineers are, without doubt, the rockstars of the scientific community because at the end of their mission, they get to demolish their spacecraft just like rockstars destroy their guitars at the end of a show. The reason NASA finally laid LADEE to rest was because she had used up most of her fuel and could no longer continue scientific operations. When the LADEE spacecraft hit the lunar surface, it was traveling 3600 miles per hour. That's more than fast enough to do some damage to the surface but not nearly as fast as most impact objects from space. This means that the spacecraft's crater is especially small — about 10 feet in diameter. Although the LADEE team had estimated where the spacecraft landed, the small impact it made took some new technology to finally discover. A new computer tool developed by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera team now enables scientists to see before and after images of the lunar surface. The tool's first test was to spot LADEE's impact crater. Below is an image of the spacecraft's landing spot before and after the impact. Considering that crater is only 10 feet wide, it's a pretty amazing accomplishment to see this tiny blemish on the moon.
LADEE was NASA's first attempt to try out two-way communication using optical lasers instead of radio waves. Their ambitious attempt paid off, and LADEE had record-breaking upload and download speeds during its run. SEE ALSO: Here's What It Will Take To Turn The Moon Into A Pleasant, Livable Environment READ MORE: This Fantastic Picture Shows What The Earth And Mars Look Like From The Moon Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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NASA launched LADEE on Sept. 6, 2013. Marc Andreessen Says The '90s Dot-Com Bubble Startups Were 'All Right But Just Early' | ||
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Speaking at the WSJD Live conference, Andreessen said many startup ideas have become sustainable businesses in recent years because of new technologies, like the smartphone. For example, he said, food-delivery service Instacart is doing well now, while Kozmo, another food-delivery startup with the same idea, ran out of business in the late '90s. He said: “I basically think all the ideas of the '90s that everybody had about how this stuff was going to work, I think they were all right, they were all correct. I think they were just early.” However, he did raise concerns over the growing number of startups with massive valuations, saying, it’s “running a little warm.” He also said the high cash burn rate of some of these startups is “getting out of hand.” Andreessen is one of the most influential and experienced investors/entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley, having founded Netscape and Opsware in the '90s. Last month, he warned startups these days are burning too much cash and taking on too much risk, by tweeting, "When the market turns, and it will turn, we will find out who has been swimming without trunks on. Many high burn rate companies will VAPORIZE." Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Billionaire investor Marc Andreessen thinks the startups from the late '90s dot-com bubble years would have worked better if they were founded now. Meet The Lucky Students Who Earn College Scholarships To Play Video Games | ||
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The top professional video gamers in the world can end up making hundreds of thousands of dollars thanks to lucrative sponsorship deals and cash prizes. In June, Chicago-based Robert Morris University turned heads when it announced it would help some students get on track for a career in video gaming, offering scholarships for top gamers to join their varsity eSports team. "I was approached by the school to recruit for the team," head coach Ferris Ganzman said to Business Insider. "Basically what we were looking for were people who were competing at a high level, who were trying to get into the professional league." The team competes in "League of Legends," a fast-paced game that anyone can download and play for free. Teams of four or five work together to invade enemy territory and beat challenges, similar to the traditional outdoor game capture the flag. "League" is the most popular PC game in the world. As of January 2014, it had 27 million active daily players. It's highly competitive, too — players who make it to the World Championships fight for a $1 million prize and a 70-pound trophy. This year's World Championships were held in a Seoul stadium where soccer World Cup games were played in 2002. Robert Morris competes in the Collegiate Star League, an organization made up of teams from 103 colleges and universities in the US and Canada. The college is the first to help gamers with their expenses, covering up to 50% of tuition fees and 50% of the cost for room and board for team members. Of the 35 gamers on the team, 33 are male, and 2 are female. According to athletic director Kurt Melcher, applications and interest in the team skewed heavily male, at a rate of about 80 to 1, he estimated. Getting a spot on the team was no easy feat, either. "To make the top 30, you needed to have a good background in the game. For example, if you're in the top 200 in the world, it was more likely that the coaches would accept you," said Zixing Jie, a freshman gamer from Toronto, who plans to major in culinary arts. "Our coach has had competitive coaching experience and has played on pro and amateur teams, so he had a hunch of who would be good."
"It's definitely the end goal," Adrian Ma, a freshman from Texas, said, adding that he's already received two offers to play professionally. "League is a full-time thing. Being able to go to school and have some of your expenses covered is big," Derek Shao, a junior business major from Toronto, said. Shao, along with junior Blake Soberanis and others on the 35-person team, transferred from a different school when Robert Morris announced it would be offering eSports scholarships. "Our story isn't unique, either. There were a lot of people in the program who also transferred," Shao said. Shao was one of several players on the team who was able to get a visa from the US government to play video games here. The US started recognizing eSports players as professional athletes in July 2013, according to Forbes. Though some will question the athlete designation, the eSports team puts in a ton of time perfecting their game. The smaller teams of five play together for four hours, four days of the week, plus individual practice time. All together, they could be spending some 30 to 40 hours a week playing League, in addition to taking a full course load.
"It can be difficult at times, but we have good support here with the coach and teammates," Shao said. "It’s about managing time correctly." Plus, they get to practice in amazing facilities that the school opened just for the team this year. Sponsored by a number of gaming companies, including a majority sponsorship by iBUYPOWER, the school's new eSports arena includes 30 computers, projection screens, and all of the latest gaming systems. "They each have really nice seats,"Jie said. "All we have to do is play and perform." They even got gaming uniforms and practice gear as part of a sponsorship deal with eSports company PWNIT WEAR.
The season is still in its early stages, but the Robert Morris team is currently 2-0 after wins against the University of Kentucky and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "There's a lot on the line," Jie said. "It's very intense, to say the least." SEE ALSO: Meet The Science Nerd Whose Face Is About To Be Plastered On YouTube Ads Everywhere WE'RE ON INSTAGRAM: Click Here To Follow Us Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Adobe: 'We Are Not And Have Never Been Aligned With Gamergate' | ||
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In a tweet last week, Adobe said that it was pulling its sponsorship from Gawker and that it "stands against bullying." Many took that to be in response to a series of tweets by Valleywag's Sam Biddle, in which he joked about bullying and took aim at Gamergate supporters. But, according to Adobe, it seems that it was all just a matter of bad timing. In a blog post on the company's site on Tuesday, it issued a statement regarding its decision to remove its logo from Gawker's brand partners page. You can see an archived version of the page here. "We were mistakenly listed as an advertiser on the Gawker website (which we are not), so we asked Gawker to remove our logo (which they did)," the post reads. "However, as a result of our logo having appeared on the Gawker website, we received tweets that accused us of condoning bullying." According to the statement, it seems that Adobe did not pull the logo in response to Biddle's tweets or in response to anything other than the fact that it was mistakenly there to begin with. The blog post then re-asserts Adobe's "strong stance against bullying," and that it does not condone bullying in any sense of the word. "We are not and have never been aligned with Gamergate," the post says. "We reject all forms of bullying, including the harassment of women by individuals associated with Gamergate. Every human being deserves respect, regardless of gender, orientation, appearance, personal hobbies or anything else that makes individuals who they are." The Gamergate controversy involves death threats via tweets (or comments on blogs) aimed at women who have criticized sexism in the gaming industry. The Gamergate camp is composed of people who believe that the reaction to those threats is overblown, or that some of the threats were scams on the part of the women or that the men who play video games are the real victims, as they are being painted as misogynists. Although this instance seems to be an issue of bad timing, it's not too farfetched for people to have assumed it was in response to the Gamergate controversy. Some Gamergate supporters have created a five-point campaign in order to get companies such as Adobe and others to pull support from sites they view as being anti-Gamergate, according to The Washington Post. Mercedes-Benz pulled advertising from Gawker, according to the Washington Post. It later reinstated its ad campaign. And Intel pulled advertising from gaming site Gamasutra over an opinion piece about sexism in the gaming industry. Intel later apologized, but said it was not reinstating its ads. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Apple Thinks Releasing Cheap Products Is A 'Mistake' (APPL) | ||
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Android is known for offering different types of smartphones in various price ranges, but don't expect Apple to follow that model anytime soon. At Re/code's Code/Mobile conference, Apple product marketing executive Greg "Joz" Joswiak said releasing cheaper products that don't meet Apple's expectations just to capture market share is a "mistake." Here's what he told Re/code's Walt Mossberg and Ina Fried: Backstage, we were talking about some of the mistakes Apple made in the ’90s, and some of it was trying to do things like making cheap products that were chasing market share instead of chasing a better experience. You make that mistake once in your life, you’re not going to make it twice. Joswiak went on to say that the company's goal is to make "the best products with the best experience," adding that Apple has the highest customer satisfaction rate. He continued: We [believe] that if we make a better product and a better experience, that there will always be a healthy market for that. And a healthy market doesn’t mean we have to be market-share leader. The iPhone 5c appears to provide some evidence that backs up Joswiak's statement. When Apple unveiled the iPhone 5c alongside the iPhone 5s, it was the first time the company offered a lower-cost alternative to its flagship smartphone. It's essentially an iPhone 5 coated in brightly colored plastic, which brings the price down a bit. Although Apple doesn't break out sales of its individual phone models, evidence suggests that Apple sells more of its higher-priced iPhones than cheaper models. Apple's competition has seen quite a bit of success in this department, however. There's been a ton of interest in Chinese startup OnePlus' One Android phone because it's one of the cheapest phones you can buy off contract at just $350. And it's pretty nice for the price, too. Check out the full video below. SEE ALSO: ANALYST: The New iPad Air Has An Amazing Screen, But Samsung's Tablet Is Still Better Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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This Robot Uses Electrically Charged Parts To Solve A Major Robotics Problem | ||
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One of the most problematic issues with robots is their ability to be flexible when grasping an object. I mean, have you ever tried that children's claw toy game? Well, a new kind of robot solves that problem with static electricity to make its parts flexible, low-energy, and capable of lifting all kinds of different objects. Grabit Inc. is making robots that rely on static charge to lift their prey — that's the same kind of electricity generated when rubbing a balloon against your head, making it stick against a wall. It's also what causes a doorknob to shock you or your hair to stand on end when you put on a fuzzy sweater. The company, incorporated in 2011 as a spinoff of research institution SRI International, is making these robots specifically for the manufacturing and logistics industries, where most robots rely on mechanical claws, vacuum grippers, or suction cups to pick up objects and move them around. The static-electricity fingers on these robots are low-energy and more flexible than other approaches that robots use to pick stuff up. Here's what it looks like in action:
For example, Grabit's "panel handling" gripper, shown in the clips below, can lift a circuit board, a fabric square, and a mobile device with the same parts. It uses the same static electricity technology as the finger grippers above.
While Grabit is only focusing on using the technology for material handling, Duncheon says it has the potential for all kinds of other robotic applications. "You can consider everything from service robots, home car robots, healthcare robots — there's a broad range of other applications," he says. Check out Grabit's demonstrations on their YouTube channel. SEE ALSO: MIT's Super-Stealthy Robot Cheetah Can Run You Down SEE ALSO: This Crazy Robot Keeps Going Even After Being Run Over And Lit On Fire Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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The key is a process called "electroadhesion." Electroadhesion uses electrodes to generate positive and negative charges on a surface. When this surface touches another object, it induces charges in that surface as well. Particles with opposite charges are attracted to one another — much as the positive and negative ends of two magnets are attracted — and the surfaces stick together.
The amount of weight they can carry depends on the type of material the gripper is lifting. For example, the Grabit Gripper, a kind of panel handling gripper, can lift four grams per cubic centimeter of sheet metal when oriented horizontally, but only three grams per cubic centimeter of glass. This is because the atoms in metal and glass have different electrostatic characteristics and interact differently with the gripper.
There are several advantages to the Grabit method, according to CEO Charlie Duncheon. The first is high flexibility. Grabit grippers can handle a variety of different objects, while "mechanical grippers tend to be part specific," he says.
Another advantage, according to Duncheon, is that electroadhesion uses much less energy than other material handling methods — 1,000 times less than a typical vacuum gripper, he claims. Here's How To (Legally) Download Taylor Swift's New Album For Just A Dollar | ||
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You can get Taylor Swift's new album for just $0.99. All you'll need is Windows 8 and Microsoft's newly launched Music Deals app. The app is offering "1989," which dropped on Monday, at that low price until Nov. 3. The iTunes store is charging $12.99. This deal leaves out everyone who's loyal to Apple products, but anyone who has a device that's running Windows 8 can download the Music Deals app. The album will download to the Xbox Music app in MP3 format, according to The Verge. The app will be offering a variety of albums for about one dollar for limited times. Microsoft will offer a "top release" album each week for $0.99 and 100 other albums for $1.99. 1989 isn't available for streaming on Spotify, so this is an attractive option for those who have Windows 8 and want to listen to Swift's new songs without paying full price for the whole album. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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The Microsoft Engine That Nailed The World Cup Is Predicting Every NFL Game — Here Are Its Picks For Week 9 | ||
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Microsoft Cortana had a decent week picking NFL games, correctly predicting 10 of 15 Week 8 matchups. It's now 79-42 (65%) on the year. That leaves it one game behind the Vegas favorites (80-41), which also went 10-5 in Week 8, and six games behind Nate Silver's ELO model (85-36), which went 11-4. All picks are straight up, not against the point spread. Cortana is a Windows phone virtual assistant that's using an algorithm from Bing Predicts to pick every NFL game this season. The algorithm uses all sorts of statistical variables, in addition to a public perception component that uses Facebook data. Bing Predicts' World Cup model correctly picked 15 of 16 World Cup knockout stage games. We've yet to see that sort of freakish accuracy when it comes to NFL picks. Cortana and Vegas agreed on every favorite last week. Here are Cortana's picks for Week 9 as of Tuesday evening. We'll update them throughout the week if they change (Vegas favorites in parentheses):
Right now Cortana and Vegas only disagree on Chargers-Dolphins, but that could change before Sunday. Here are Cortana's results so far this year:
SEE ALSO: NFL Power Rankings, Where Every Team Stands Going Into Week 9 Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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WhatsApp, Facebook's $22 Billion Acquisition, Did $10.2 Million In Revenue Last Year (FB) | ||
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Facebook just disclosed the financial performance of WhatsApp, the messaging app it acquired in a deal that was ultimately valued at $22 billion. The numbers are unimpressive. Revenue was $10.2 million 2013. It had a net loss of $138 million in 2013. The bulk of that loss, or $98.8 million, came from stock based expenses. It burned $9.9 million in cash for operating activities in 2013. These numbers are irrelevant, so there's no reason to freak out about it. Facebook didn't buy the company for its revenue. WhatsApp had only started to monetize its user base. Facebook bought WhatsApp for its 600 million active users. Facebook has a not-so-crazy belief that an application on its way to a billion users can develop into a business worth more than $22 billion in the long run. Here are the numbers, anyway. Revenue:
Statement of cash flow | ||
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Business Insider's Video Team Is Hiring A Producer | ||
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Business Insider's video team is hiring a Producer. The Truth About The Most Interesting Man In The World 20 Tricks For Sitting At Your Desk Without Hurting Your Back Scientists Have Debunked These 5 Common Myths About Meat And go here to see all our original videos. If you look at the world and always see stories to tell and have the tools to tell those stories in creative and uniques ways for digital video submit a brief cover letter, a link to your reel, and your resume now HERE. Business Insider offers competitive compensation packages complete with benefits. This is a full-time position. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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CHART OF THE DAY: All Of Facebook's Revenue Growth Is Coming From Mobile Ads (FB) | ||
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Facebook reported earnings for its fiscal third quarter of 2014 on Tuesday. Revenue and earnings per share were slightly above Wall Street's expectations — it reported $3.2 billion in total revenue and $2.96 billion in ad revenue, a 64% increase from the year-ago quarter — but other metrics like monthly active users fell right in line. Based on company data charted for us by BI Intelligence, most of Facebook's revenue growth is coming from mobile advertising and payments. Non-mobile revenue and revenue from payments and fees like in-app purchases through Facebook continue to remain consistent, but mobile revenue has exploded since 2012, as it now makes up roughly 66% of Facebook's total revenue.
SEE ALSO: CHART OF THE DAY: Twitter Is Having A Hard Time Attracting New Users Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Marc Andreessen Says This Harvard Report Holds The Key To Solving The Gender Pay Gap | ||
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Famed Silicon Valley investor Marc Andreessen spoke earlier today at WSJD Live. At the end of his sessions, someone from the audience asked him how his firm, Andreessen Horowitz, is working to fix some of the gender inequality issues in the technology industry — specifically the pay gap. Andreessen says he derived his current views on the topic from a report written by Harvard economist Claudia Goldin. He said that, according to Goldin's report, the pay gap has almost completely closed in terms of getting paid the same for having the same skills. The pay gap remains because there is a gap in industries where there’s not flexible time for women. In contrast, in law, it matters which hours you are able to work. You can't meet with clients after the kids are in bed. In that industry, the gap is wider. Andreessen said the solution is for more companies to allow the women who work for them to work schedule's like Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg's. Sandberg leaves Facebook every day at 5 P.M. sharp. She goes home and takes care of her kids for a few hours. Then, in the evening, she gets back online and hammers out a few more hours of work. "It’s easy for Sheryl to [do] that because she’s in charge," said Andreessen. "We need to have that same capability available for everyone." Click this link to download a .PDF of Claudia Goldin's report. And here's a speech she gave just a couple days ago: Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Google Has Patented A Fake Arm To Test An Amazing Breakthrough In Medicine | ||
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We thought Google’s contact lens project was amazing (and it is) but that’s nothing compared to the "Nanoparticle project." The contact lens project involves adding tiny sensors to a contact lens so diabetics can constantly monitor blood sugar levels. Very cool. The same team at Google is working on something even more fantastical, said Andrew Conrad, head of the Life Sciences team at the Google X research lab on Tuesday at The Wall Street Journal’s WSJD Live conference. The team is inventing microscopic magnetic particles that roam your body looking for signs of cancer or other disease. You would simply swallow a pill full of the little things. These particles are so small millions of them would fit into a grain of sand, Conrad describes. It reminds us of the 1966 sci-fi film the Fantastic Voyage. Because the particles are magnetic, a magnet placed on your skin, like your wrist, would draw the particles there and find out what they've seen in your body. Google is actually working on a wearable device that would do this for you, draw and analyze the particles, and send that data to a doctor to analyze. Google has even go so far as to create a fake, patented arm to test the nanotechnology, tweeted Wall Street Journal reporter Alistair Barr. And all of this not as far off in the future as you might think: by 2024. "In 5-10 years, nanoscale sensors and robotics devices and the development of nanoscale communication networks will revolutionize health care," scientists at Google Research, Brown University, and Stanford University said in a 2013 research paper. SEE ALSO: A Deep Dive Into The Google X Nanoparticles Projects Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Facebook Tanks After Management Spooks Investors With Weak Guidance (FB) | ||
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Facebook reported solid third-quarter earnings, but the stock fell after it gave poor 2015 guidance during a call. The stock is down 10% after hours. While revenue and EPS were better than expected, Facebook's new CFO, David Wehner, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg both warned that 2015 will be a major "investment" year for the company. As a result, Wehner said Facebook's expenses could grow between 50% and 70% next year. Facebook plans to increase headcount and invest in advertising technology. Facebook revenue was $3.2 billion this quarter, nudging past Wall Street's expectation of $3.12 billion. Its advertising revenue was $2.96 billion, a 64% increase from the same quarter one year ago. The rest of it — $264 million came from payments, which is a 13% increase from the same quarter last year. EPS is $0.43 versus an expected $0.40.
WhatsApp's numbers are also out. WhatsApp is the $22 billion chat application Facebook recently acquired. It lost $140 million last year and generated only $10 million in revenue. However, WhatsApp has 600 million monthly active users. No new monthly user metrics for Instagram were announced, although Zuckerberg says the average global user is spending 21 minutes per day on the photo-sharing app. Zuckerberg also detailed his three-, five-, and 10-year plans for Facebook and stressed that the company is long-term focused. In the short term, Facebook's goal is to continue growing and serving its communities and businesses, and helping them reach full potential. That means Facebook will focus on growing things like Newsfeed, WhatsApp, and Instagram until they each connect at least 1 billion users. Zuckerberg said his first priority was helping those offshoots of Facebook reach mass scale, then aggressively monetizing them. Sandberg reiterated that Facebook would be slow to monetize video placements and Instagram. Facebook's three-year plan also includes making improvements for advertisers. Facebook is particularly focused on helping brands better target users and measure campaigns more effectively. Over the next five years, Facebook expects its popular Instagram, Search, and WhatsApp offshoots to reach 1 billion connected users. It also wants to become a developer-friendly platform that helps promote and monetize various apps across multiple devices. Within 10 years, Facebook will strive to help build the next-generation computing platform, which Zuckerberg believes could be Oculus and augmented reality. Facebook acquired the virtual-reality headset company for more than $1 billion. Internet.org is also part of Zuckerberg's 10-year plan. He says efforts like this are driving fundamental changes in the world that Facebook needs to achieve its overall massive-connection mission. "We're going to prepare for the future by investing aggressively," Zuckerberg said. "The strength of the business today is putting us in a strong position to invest in the future," Wehner added. Here's a summary of the earnings call: Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Other than that, Facebook fell exactly in line with expectations. Its monthly active users were 1.35 billion, a 14% increase. Mobile monthly active users were 1.12 billion and daily active users were .png)
The 50 Most Innovative Companies In The World | ||
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That designation comes care of Boston Consulting Group, the elite consultancy. Since last year's list, Google climbed over Samsung to take the second spot, sliding the South Korean manufacturer into third. Three companies vaulted into the top 50: The Japanese conglomerate Hitachi landed at No. 37, Marc Benioff's SalesForce.com landed at No. 40, and the Chinese phone maker Xiaomi made it all the way to No. 35. Automobiles saw the biggest drop-off of any industry. A full 14 made the 2013 list, and that number fell to just nine this year. Every year since 2005, the firm has surveyed more than 1,500 senior global executives for a snapshot of the most innovative companies in the world. Each executive is asked to rate the companies in their industry by how innovative they are, and those results are then weighted to reflect three-year shareholder growth, revenue growth, and margin growth. Here are this year's 50 most innovative companies:
SEE ALSO: The 25 Best-Performing CEOs In The World, According To The Harvard Business Review Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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For nine years in a row, Apple has been the most innovative company on the planet. 
Male Startup Founder Who Sent A Basket Of Sex Toys To A Female Reporter Feels 'Extremely Misunderstood' | ||
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Sigh. Two male founders decided it was a good idea to send tech reporters a basket full of sex toys to promote their startup, Need. Need is an anonymous Q&A app that answers all sorts of questions — sexual or otherwise. One female tech reporter was insulted by the gift, wondering why a non-sex-related startup would hand her a basket full of oysters, tequila, K-Y Jelly, and a vibrator in her office lobby, then proceed to pitch her. She says she felt her sexuality was being put on display. Being handed a vibrator in public by a stranger is obviously uncomfortable, and moronic. So she wrote about the experience. The founders of Need say they "feel extremely misunderstood" by the reporter, Kristen Brown, and social media's response to their PR gaffe. The founders say every reporter they pitched — man or woman — received the same basket, vibrator and all. They admitted to Brown that the gifts were chosen based on shock value, but they also say they are representative of Need's brand. In an attempt to explain themselves on Medium, one of the founders writes: One Need was for “the best day date activity in the Bay Area”, and the responses included a trip to Hog Island Oyster Company to shuck oysters…thus the oysters, lemon, cocktail sauce, and oyster shucker. Another Need was for “the best margarita recipe”, and so we included the recipe along with tequila, agave nectar, limes, cocktail shaker, margarita glass and a juicer. Yet another Need was from a user stating they were married with children asking for advice on how to “spice things up in the bedroom”, and the massager and lubricant were highly recommended by the community. Here's a photo of the gifts, and the actual gift basket, which was delivered to Brown in early August. The founders say the baskets and their contents were devised by Need's marketing team, which is composed largely of women:
The founders claim all gifts, including the vibrator, were gender neutral. "We feel extremely misunderstood," one of Need's founders writes on Medium. "It was never our intention that the items be taken personally, or that they cause discomfort or offense. Clearly, we vastly underestimated the sensitive nature of these topics, and regrettably made Ms. Brown feel uncomfortable." Finally, in the last line, the apology comes. "I would like to extend my heartfelt apologies to you, Ms. Brown, and to anyone else that we have offended or otherwise upset." Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Good morning! Here's what you need to know for Wednesday. 
Here's The Extended 'Avengers: Age Of Ultron' Trailer | ||
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Marvel promised more "Avengers: Age of Ultron" material and it's here. The studio premiered an extended trailer for next year's "Avengers" sequel Tuesday evening after a brand new episode of "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." on ABC. Originally, the "Avengers: Age of Ultron" trailer was supposed to debut during the show, but when it leaked online a week early Marvel decided to reveal the footage a week early. The extended trailer has a longer beginning which shows the Avengers gang together at a party trying to lift Thor's hammer, Mjolnir, to no avail. This version of the trailer sounds much more like the footage shown to San Diego Comic-Con attendees this past July. The trailer reveal comes after a long day of Marvel announcements in which the studio unveiled the release schedule for nine upcoming films including a two-part "Avengers 3" sequel. "The Avengers: Age of Ultron" will be in theaters May 1, 2015. SEE ALSO: The nine new Marvel movies coming out between 2016-2019 Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Badminton star Lee to fly to Norway for doping test: report | ||
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Kuala Lumpur (AFP) - Malaysia's badminton world number one Lee Chong Wei, who is reported to have failed an initial doping test, will travel to Norway on Sunday for follow-up testing, media said Wednesday. Malaysian sports officials have confirmed that one of the nation's shuttlers failed a recent doping test but have declined to identify the athlete pending the test next week on a second urine sample. But Malaysian media have widely reported that Lee -- the country's top sporting star -- was found to have traces of the banned anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone in his system during the world championships in Denmark in late August. The state-linked New Straits Times said Lee has made plans to fly to Norway with a top Malaysian sports official for tests at an Oslo laboratory on a second sample provided during the tournament. The Star newspaper said the test was set for November 5. It quoted Norza Zakaria, deputy president of the Badminton Association of Malaysia. Norza could not immediately be reached and other officials declined comment. Malaysian authorities were informed of the failed test on October 1 and have said they are investigating, including whether the drug was inadvertently taken as part of medical treatment. Lee, 32, has struggled with a thigh injury, for which he received stem cell injections in July. Lee has dominated the world rankings for years, but has notably failed to win a world championship or Olympic gold medal. In Denmark he lost in the final to China's Chen Long. In the Asian Games in South Korea in September, he was beaten in the semis by his longtime arch-rival Lin Dan of China. Lee withdrew from subsequent tournaments, citing fatigue. Malaysia this week announced that Morten Frost, a four-time former All-England champion, has been hired as a national technical director starting next March to guide Malaysian badminton in a post-Lee future. Badminton is Malaysia's national sport, but officials are anxious at the lack of anyone of Lee's stature to carry the torch forward. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Bangladesh Islamist leader sentenced to death for war crimes | ||
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Dhaka (AFP) - A Bangladesh war crimes court on Wednesday handed a death sentence to the leader of the country's largest Islamist party in a long-awaited verdict. A judge found Motiur Rahman Nizami, 71, guilty of murder, rape and looting during Bangladesh's 1971 war of independence against Pakistan and sentenced him "to hang by the neck until his death".
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Air France results hit by record pilots' strike | ||
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Paris (AFP) - Air France on Wednesday said its third quarter results had taken a bashing due to a record pilots' strike, with turnover falling by 416 million euros ($530 million). The Air France-KLM group, Europe's second-biggest airline, was already in difficulty when the pilots went on strike between September 15 and 28 in protest at the group's plans to expand its low-cost subsidiary Transavia France. Half the carrier's fleet was grounded during the protest. In September, passenger traffic fell by 15.9 percent and cargo by 17.7 percent. The strike is estimated to have cost 330 million euros on Air France's operating income, which stood at 247 million euros against 641 million a year earlier. Turnover fell to 6.69 billion euros, a 6.7 percent fall, it said. The strike also came at a most inopportune time, said Air France finance director Pierre-Francois Riolacci with eurozone economies failing to emerge from the doldrums as some experts had predicted they would at the start of this year. "We are still in a sluggish economy," he told AFP. "It hasn't been easy for the aviation business with overcapacity in some sectors," he said, singling out Asia and North America. This he said, fuelled competition and brought down prices, thereby affecting profits. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Deutsche Bank Just Posted A $117 Million Loss And Replaced Its Finance Chief | ||
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FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank reported a quarterly net loss of 92 million euros on Wednesday as heavy legal costs outweighed a rise in investment banking earnings. Germany’s top lender reported quarterly pre-tax income of 266 million euros, lifted by a 4 percent pre-tax profit rise from investment banking. Deutsche's CFO, Stefan Krause, is also being shuffled into a strategy role as of May 2015. He's being replaced by Marcus Schenck of Goldman Sachs, who'll start as Deputy CFO and then take over from Krause fully in 2015. The bank spent 894 million euros on litigation costs in the quarter, bringing to around 7 billion euros the amount the bank has spent on fines and settlements since 2012. (Reporting by Thomas Atkins; Editing by Arno Schuetze) SEE ALSO: Here's Everything That Happened In The Last Month In One Big Slide Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Rose targets career-high ranking at BMW Masters golf | ||
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Shanghai (AFP) - Justin Rose has set his sights on a career-high ranking of world number two over the final events of the year as he headlines a weakened field at the BMW Masters from Thursday. The Englishman can further his claims in Shanghai after fifth-ranked Henrik Stenson pulled out, joining world number one Rory McIlroy on the sidelines. But Rose believes it might be a step too far to close the gap on McIlroy, who also leads the Race to Dubai, over the European Tour's "Final Series" of four big-money events. "I'm not sure I can catch Rory, I haven't really done the maths 100 percent," Rose told AFP at Lake Malaren Golf Club on Wednesday. "The aim is to strengthen my world ranking as much as possible. If I was to play well and win a few tournaments before the end of the season I could get myself to second place in the world rankings which would be a personal best." McIlroy is taking time out to prepare for a multi-million dollar lawsuit with his former management company, and will not play again until the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai next month. The Northern Irishman, who has won two majors this year, holds a healthy lead of more than three million euros in prize money at the top of the Race to Dubai standings. The final series also includes next week's World Golf Championships HSBC Champions in Shanghai, the Turkish Airlines Open and the climax to the season in Dubai. With the euros on the standings now converted to points, and each tournament offering 1,166,000 points to the winner, it means this year's battle to succeed Stenson, the reigning Race to Dubai champion, may not quite be over. The BMW Masters has suffered a double blow with the withdrawals of McIlroy and Stenson after the Swede's wife, Emma, gave birth to their third child, on Sunday. With world number four Sergio Garcia in Malaysia this week for the PGA Tour's CIMB Classic, it means the top three in the "Race to Dubai" standings are missing. And that has opened the door slightly for the likes of fourth-placed Jamie Donaldson, Thomas Bjorn (fifth), Victor Dubuisson (sixth) and Rose (eighth) who are all part of this week's elite 78-man field. Rose, a father of two himself, had sympathy for Stenson after he withdrew on Sunday. "The six months of fall-out leaving your wife after just having a baby? It's not worth it," Rose said, smiling. "He's made the right decision." The tournament was won last year by Gonzalo Fernandez-Castagno who has endured a torrid 12 months since. The Spaniard had to rely on a sponsor's invite to defend his title, having dropped to 86th on the Race to Dubai standings. And he now needs a high-placed finish here or his season will be over as only the top 60 in the standings will qualify for Dubai. "For some reason I play well in China," Fernandez-Castagno told AFP, recalling last year's win and also his 2006 Asian Open victory across the city at Tomson Golf Club. "Maybe it’s the food or maybe it’s being so far from Europe that nobody can bother me with phone calls and text messages," he said. "I can just go out there and play." Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Zambian president dead: media reports | ||
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Lusaka (AFP) - Zambian President Michael Sata, 77, has died in London where he was receiving medical treatment, local media reported Wednesday. There was no immediate confirmation from Zambian officials in the capital Lusaka. The independent Zambia Reports quoted "multiple sources" among Sata's delegation as confirming that he had died, while the Zambian Watchdog website said it had "100 percent confirmation" of the president's death. Sata has long been rumoured to be seriously ill and has not been seen in public since returning from the UN General Assembly last month, where he failed to make a scheduled speech. He flew to London a week ago for treatment. Sata made a rare public appearance on September 19 to tell parliament: "I am not dead." Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Red Cross, Obama see progress in Ebola battle | ||
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Monrovia (AFP) - The Red Cross and US President Barack Obama and have offered hope that the battle against the deadly West African Ebola outbreak is being won, amid a dramatic drop in bodies collected in Liberia's capital. Obama on Tuesday hailed progress in the fight against the disease, which has already killed almost 5,000 people, but said Washington would remain "vigilant," and stressed that science, not fear, should guide the response to the virus. The Red Cross aid group announced that its workers were picking up little more than a third of the late September peak of more than 300 bodies a week in and around Monrovia -- an indication, it said, that the outbreak was retreating. The upbeat mood appeared at odds with the assessment of UN chief Ban Ki-moon, who warned at a crisis meeting in Ethiopia that the spread of the virus continued to outpace the response, while the head of the World Bank appealed for thousands more medics to join the fight. The comments came a week after the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded that Ebola transmission "remains intense" in the capitals of Liberia and neighbouring Guinea and Sierra Leone. WHO assistant director-general Bruce Aylward will on Wednesday give an update on the UN agency's response to the outbreak. Obama said the disease "can be contained" and vowed: "It will be defeated." Citing a phone conversation with members of a US team dispatched to help combat Ebola, Obama said "the good news is that it's starting to have an impact." "They're starting to see some progress in Liberia, and the infrastructure is beginning to get built out," he said. Fayah Tamba, head of the Liberian Red Cross, said his workers collected 117 bodies last week from Montserrado county, which includes Monrovia, noting a steady decline from the high of 315 from September 15 to 21. "I am sure you don't need a rocket scientist to tell you that the cases are dropping," he told private radio station Sky FM. Nearly all of the Ebola fatalities have been in West Africa. This has led to cancelled flights, border closures and a firestorm of criticism in the United States over the treatment of returning health workers. Another country in West Africa, Mali, is scrambling to prevent a full-blown outbreak after a two-year-old girl died from an Ebola infection following a 1,000-kilometre (600-mile) bus ride from Guinea.
- 'Global crisis' -
Liberia has been hit worst, with 4,665 recorded cases of infection and 2,705 deaths, according to the WHO, relying on figures, however, that are now 10 days out-of-date. Ban told reporters in Addis Ababa he was planning to visit Liberia and its stricken neighbours at an "opportune" time. He urged the international community to send more medical teams to fight the epidemic. "Transmission of the virus continues to outpace the response effort of the international community," he said after a meeting of the heads of the UN, African Union and the World Bank in the Ethiopian capital. Ban, who on Monday had criticised the enforced quarantine in the United States of an American nurse who had returned from Sierra Leone, said the only way to stop the epidemic was "at its source". World Bank chief Jim Yong Kim echoed the warning in an apparent swipe at developed countries that have not sent medical teams to the region, saying Ebola was "not an African crisis... it is a global crisis". "We'll need a steady state of at least 5,000 health workers from outside the region... those health workers cannot work continuously -- there needs to be a rotation," he told reporters. Kim said medics should remember their vocation and their professional oath to save lives, and not shy away from going to a problem area. Shortly after Kim's plea, France pledged 20 million euros ($25.4 million) to fight Ebola, including opening several care centres in Guinea.
- American solidarity -
Ebola can fell its victims within days, causing severe fever and muscle pain, weakness, vomiting and diarrhoea. In many cases it shuts down organs and causes unstoppable bleeding. The tropical virus is spread though close contact with the sweat, vomit, blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person. No widely available medicine or vaccine exists. Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the UN was due to visit the headquarters of the UN Mission on Ebola Emergency Response in Ghana's capital on Wednesday after touring the worst-hit nations in an attempt to garner global support for the Ebola response. "My main message is that we will beat Ebola," Power said after meeting Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on Tuesday. "America will work with Liberia to end the stigma on the country," she said. "We got our forces on the ground, we have our military and experts... to contain the virus." In America meanwhile, a Texas nurse who was the second US healthcare worker infected with Ebola while caring for a deceased Liberian patient left hospital after being declared free of the virus.
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Ukraine tensions spike as Russia backs rebel vote | ||
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Moscow (AFP) - Moscow and Kiev are set to crunch hold talks over a gas dispute Wednesday, a day after Russia ratcheted up tensions by saying it will recognise separatist polls in east Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the Izvestia newspaper on Tuesday that the rebel elections, due to take place this weekend, should "go ahead as agreed" and Russia will "recognise the results". The remarks were seen as one of Moscow's most overt acts of support to date for the separatists in east Ukraine and came as the European Union decided to maintain its punishing sanctions on Russia. Representatives from both Kiev and Moscow are on Wednesday set to attend EU-brokered talks in Brussels aimed at resolving a bitter dispute over gas, with fears that Moscow may in the coming months halt crucial energy supplies to Europe. Lavrov is also set to meet Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) human rights chief Michael Georg Link on Wednesday, as Moscow faces rising Western pressure over its alleged involvement in Ukraine. Russia rejects Western accusations that it is behind the armed uprising in Ukraine's east, in which around 3,700 people have been killed since April. US Secretary of State John Kerry said Moscow's recognition of the rebel vote would be "a clear violation of the commitments made by both Russia and the separatists" in the truce agreement signed in the Belarussian capital Minsk on September 5.
- 'Peace process under threat' -
A spokesman for Ukraine's Western-backed President Petro Poroshenko said the rebel polls, due next Sunday, "put the entire peace process under threat". The row over the rebel vote comes after spike in ceasefire violations in the wake of national parliamentary elections last weekend, in which Poroshenko's allies won a thumping victory. Artillery explosions and small arms fire could be heard in the rebel-controlled city of Donetsk on Tuesday as Ukraine's military lost two soldiers and was forced to abandon a checkpoint at the village of Smile near Lugansk, which has been encircled for nearly fortnight. Ukraine's military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said 10 servicemen have died there since September. "We are currently identifying bodies and searching for missing soldiers," he said. Ukraine's top leadership on Tuesday met visiting US Senator James Inhofe, one of the leading proponents of sending military aid to Ukraine. Inhofe said that he received a list of weapons Ukraine needs from Defence Minister Stepan Poltorak and will take it back to his armed services senate committee.
- EU upholds Russia sanctions -
European leaders meeting in Brussels on Tuesday decided to uphold sanctions on Russia, AFP learned. "Member states are quite united. There has been no development on the ground or change of attitude by Russia to justify the rethinking of the sanctions," a diplomatic source said. The EU sanctions, coupled with similar measures by the United States, are meant to pressure Russia for backing the rebels and annexing Ukraine's Black Sea province of Crimea in March. The sanctions have already bitten deeply into the faltering Russian economy, spurring the worst tensions with the West since the Cold War. With over 95 percent of ballots counted from the parliamentary elections, the shape of a future ruling alliance is becoming clearer. The Petro Poroshenko Bloc remains marginally behind Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk's People's Front, with about 22 percent of the vote each. The third-placed Self-Reliance party, likewise nationalist and pro-Western, confirmed reports it is considering joining a three-way coalition. Yatsenyuk is expected to retain the premier's post.
- Poroshenko seeks autonomy for rebels -
One of Poroshenko's main policies is to make peace with the separatists, granting them autonomy, though not independence. That task looked harder than ever with the rebel elections approaching. They boycotted Sunday's poll for the national parliament. Poroshenko's government must also tackle corruption and massive debt, and resolve a near-permanent crisis over Russian gas supplies. German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Russian President Vladimir Putin in a telephone call Friday to throw his weight behind a quick resolution of the gas dispute as winter looms. Russia in mid-June cut supplies to Ukraine, demanding Kiev pay sharply higher prices in advance for new deliveries after it ran up what Moscow claims is an unpaid bill of $5.3 billion. The supply cut heightened concerns that Europe -- which gets about a third of its gas from Russia, half of it passing through Ukraine -- could be badly affected by the dispute this winter. Western leaders have hailed the Ukraine election as a democratic milestone and have promised to stand by the embattled country. US President Barack Obama called the election -- declared mostly fair by a European observer team -- an "important milestone in Ukraine's democratic development", while the head of the EU executive, Jose Manuel Barroso, called it a "victory of democracy". Sunday's election was billed as the final touch to a pro-Western revolution that began in February, when huge street protests ousted Moscow-backed president Viktor Yanukovych after he abruptly rejected a landmark Ukraine-EU pact. Communists and other Yanukovych allies were routed in the election, although a party made up of his former associates won a small share of seats.
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Hello Kitty at 40, giving adults a 'licence to play' | ||
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Tokyo (AFP) - As a Japanese schoolgirl in the 1970s, Kazumi Kaminaga had never seen something as cute as Hello Kitty when she first laid eyes on the moon-faced, mouthless character in a shop. "There were hardly any 'kawaii' products when I was in elementary school," said the now 51-year-old mother, using the Japanese word for cute. "It was such a shock...She was really 'kawaii'." With Kitty set to celebrate her 40th birthday on Saturday, Kaminaga has become a life-long collector of a brand phenomenon that appears on more than 50,000 products -- including a dress made for pop diva Lady Gaga -- and spawned an estimated multi-billion dollar industry. The character is licensed to appear on everything from sundries and clothing to electronics and aircraft -- sex toys are a myth -- in 130 countries and territories. First released in 1974 and appearing on a coin purse the following year, Kitty is far from just kids stuff these days. Its creator Sanrio says Kittymania is actually driven by adults like Kaminaga, who spoke to AFP as she shopped for a birthday card for her boss -- a man. "There was a trend born in Japan and other Asian countries in the 1990s that it wasn't childish for adults to have products with these characters' images," said Sanrio spokesman Kazuo Tohmatsu. "It was a major change in values and it also happened in America and Europe in the 2000s." Kitty's enduring legacy is her appeal to all ages, but particularly grown ups, despite her child-like pink bow and a registered height of five apples. "Hello Kitty gives adults some licence to play, to express a part of themselves that other parts of their lives may not allow," Christine Yano, a US-based anthropologist specialising in the character told AFP in an e-mail. Western attitudes towards cute culture also changed partly because Japanese manga and anime's popularity made things from Japan "more acceptable and even desirable," said Yano, author of "Pink Globalization: Hello Kitty's Trek Across the Pacific." Over the years, Kitty has shaken up her look with tinges of punk, while linking with fashionable brands has helped keep up the appeal with some "edginess", Yano added. Kitty was also a product of her time, appearing three decades after Japan's bitter defeat in World War II when the previously devastated country was firmly back on its feet and children had pocket money to spend. Kitty got a boyfriend, Dear Daniel, when Japanese teen celebrities started openly dating, and a Persian cat named Charmmy Kitty when pets became all the rage among Japanese women.
- 'Not a cat' -
Despite her years, the timeless character, who insists "you can never have too many friends", is still exploring new frontiers. Kitty went on a space mission this year aboard a satellite and Sanrio is launching a line of Kitty products for men next year, possibly before Valentine's Day. "That's a good idea -- I must buy them" for my husband and son, said Niroko Hoshino, a 56-year-old office worker whose fingernails are adorned with tiny Kitty faces, although she only became a collector as an adult. "I have all sorts of Kitty goods -- products for the kitchen and washroom, underwear, handbags... I can't even say how many I have." But just like some real adults, Kitty has suffered something of an identity crisis recently following word that she is actually not a cat, but a girl. The shock revelation in August went viral on the Internet and shocked many Kitty fans who thought she must surely be feline. The surprise came to light when Yano asked Sanrio to fact-check captions for an October Los Angeles exhibition that she is curating to mark the character's 40th anniversary. But Sanrio insists it has been saying all along that she was a cheerful little girl born in a London suburb -- despite her whiskers and pointy ears. "Kitty was making telephone calls and had a goldfish friend from the very beginning," Sanrio's Tohmatsu said. "It is a 100-percent personified character...Barring her cat face, she does exactly what humans do," he added. Either way, the girl-cat confusion appears unlikely to dent a seemingly bullet-proof brand. To mark her 40th year, toymaker Bandai is releasing yet another licensed Kitty product: so-called "smartpants" that slip on the bottom of a smartphone for those who think that their device needs underwear. And what is the mobile phone garment called? Hello Pantty, of course. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Netflix Reveals The Trailer For Its $90 Million Show ‘Marco Polo’ | ||
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Netflix released the first teaser trailer for another new series, "Marco Polo." The high-profile series chronicles the life of the famed explorer in 13th century China where he crosses paths with the likes of Kublai Khan. The series is created by John Fusco ("Hidalgo") and will star newcomer Lorenzo Richelmy as the lead while Harvey Weinstein serves as executive producer. The Weinstein Company is also working with Netflix to release a "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" sequel on the streaming site next summer. The New York Times reports "Marco Polo" costs about $90 million to produce. To give you an idea of the enormity of that production scale, the first "Mission Impossible" movie cost an estimated $80 million. Deadline reported last year an average Netflix TV series costs between $3.8 million to $4.5 million an episode. That would bring the cost of a 13-episode series to just under $60 million. The series looks like it's trying to capture some of the thrill of HBO's "Game of Thrones," interspersing sex scenes with heavy action. Maybe that shouldn't be a surprise since "Marco Polo" executive producer Dan Minahan actually did work on "GoT" and "True Blood." The trailer actually reminds me of what Fox was trying to do with an Ancient Egypt series called "Hieroglyph" which was cancelled before it even had the chance to premiere on TV. The 10-episode series will debut December 12 on Netflix. SEE ALSO: "Daredevil" actor points out the one clear advantage Netflix has over TV AND: Check out Netflix's other new show, "Bloodline" Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Spurs kick off NBA title defence by edging Mavericks | ||
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Los Angeles (AFP) - Tony Parker scored 23 points as the San Antonio Spurs began their title defence with a 101-100 win over Dallas in one of three opening-night NBA contests. The Spurs, despite their superb record in ring ceremony games, needed every minute of Tuesday's contest to hold off their Texas-state rivals, who gave them their most difficult challenge of last year's playoffs. The Spurs rolled to their fifth title in June by dismantling the LeBron James-led Miami Heat. But first they had to get past the Mavericks in an epic seven-game series in the Western Conference semi-finals. "We moved the ball much better in the second half," said Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, who came off the bench to score 20 points. "The defence was great. Tony had a couple of big baskets it was a very close game. Anything could have happened." Tuesday's three-game set to start the 2014-15 regular season also saw Anthony Davis fall one block shy of a triple-double as the New Orleans Pelicans pulled away from the Orlando Magic for a 101-84 home win. Kobe Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers were taking on the Houston Rockets in the late contest. San Antonio received their championship rings in a pre-game ceremony which also included raising their fifth championship banner in franchise history. The Spurs are now 5-0 in games where they received their championship rings. "The ring ceremony got me emotional," said Ginobili. "This is a great start. I can't complain." Parker scored the go ahead three-pointer with under a minute left. Ginobili also had six assists off the bench and Tim Duncan totalled 14 points and 13 rebounds for San Antonio. Monta Ellis led Dallas with 26 points on 11-of-21 shooting and Dirk Nowitzki added 18 points with six rebounds in the loss. San Antonio returned almost everyone from last year's team but they had to play the season-opener without NBA finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, who is sidelined by a right eye infection. Tiago Splitter also sat with a calf injury and Australian Patty Mills will miss the first few months after shoulder surgery. San Antonio has now won 10 straight regular-season games over the Mavericks, including eight straight at home. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Umbrella-shaped ultramarathon to support Hong Kong protests | ||
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Hong Kong (AFP) - Two Hong Kong expats set off Wednesday on an ultramarathon course in the shape of a giant umbrella to support ongoing pro-democracy protests in the southern Chinese city. The pair plan to run 102 kilometres (63 miles) over 15 hours on a path taking them from the city's mountainous country trails near the Chinese border to finish at the main protest site opposite the government's headquarters. John Ellis and Andrew Dawson, both seasoned ultramarathon runners, said they wanted to show their solidarity for those camped out on the streets demanding full democracy for the former British colony. "We deliberately wanted to make it long because it's symbolic of what we think will probably be a fairly long struggle ahead," Ellis, a 36-year-old Australian who works in investment, told AFP hours before the pair kicked off their odyssey at 4am (2000 GMT Tuesday). The protests have been dubbed the "Umbrella Movement" following the creative ways demonstrators have used them to shelter from the heat, torrential rain, pepper spray and police batons. Ellis and Dawson wanted to find a route that would look like the protest movement's symbol once laid across a map of the city. Their race began in the early hours of the morning at the Upper Shing Mun reservoir in Hong Kong's New Territories, a hilly rural region close to the mainland far removed from the concrete jungle the Asian financial hub is better known for. - 'Not going to be easy' - Their route will take them on a loop of the outlying New Territories before turning south towards the city's densely packed Kowloon district and then across the harbour to Hong Kong Island. By 4pm they hope to make it to the first protest camp in the Mong Kok district before ending their run at the main protest site opposite the government headquarters some three hours later. Defined as any distance beyond the 42.2-kilometre marathon, ultra races are becoming increasingly popular around the world. And with its 300-kilometre network of trails criss-crossing rocky terrain, exposed peaks, bays and reservoirs all close to the city, Hong Kong is an ideal venue for such races. Ellis and Dawson -- also an Australian -- say they will be helped along by friends along a route that will climb nearly 3,000 metres (9,850 feet). "It's not going to be easy. There's going to be lots of moments where we will feel like giving up or it just gets too hard but we want to push through and see it to the end. And hopefully that symbolism is the same for this democratic movement in Hong Kong," Ellis said. Many of Hong Kong's largely wealthy and often transient expat community have been unsure whether to involve themselves openly in the city's democracy movement. Some fear open support might risk feeding China's allegations that "foreign forces" are behind the protests while others feel the city's internal politics is not their battle. But Ellis said he felt it was important for the city's foreign community to stand up for Hong Kong's democratic future. "I've met those expats over here who believe it's not their fight. An expat can always leave. But if there's a chance to make Hong Kong better, and I think having a government that truly represents the people... then that's something I really want to get involved in," he said. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Here's The 'Avengers 3' Teaser Trailer That Made Fans Go Wild At Marvel's Press Event | ||
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Marvel Studios unveiled the release dates for nine movies at a press event in Hollywood Tuesday. The announcement that sent fans into a tailspin was the reveal of "The Avengers 3," which will be split into two parts. Marvel announced the movie with a teaser trailer which has surfaced online. The trailer revisits a lot of footage from previous Marvel movies we're familiar with narration from Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Odin (Anthony Hopkins), and Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) before culminating on a shot of future villain Thanos (Josh Brolin) showing off the Infinity Gauntlet. We're surprised the usual Marvel suits weren't on hand to prevent any video footage from leaking online. "The Avengers: Infinity War" parts one and two will be in theaters May 4, 2018 and May 3, 2019, respectively. We don't expect this to stay online long. SEE ALSO: The release schedule for all of Marvel's new movies Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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UK charity launches app to scan for suicidal tweets | ||
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London (AFP) - A suicide prevention charity on Wednesday launched a Twitter-scanning app designed to tip people off when their friends post potentially worrying messages. The free app from Samaritans scans for tweets involving phrases such as "tired of being alone", "hate myself", "depressed", "help me" and "need someone to talk to". If the message poster's Twitter followers have the application, they will receive an email which links to the tweet that has been picked up, and offers guidance on how to provide support. Designed by digital agency Jam, the Samaritans Radar app is aimed at Twitter users aged 18-35, who are the most active on social media. "We know that people struggling to cope often go online looking for support," said Joe Ferns, Samaritans' executive director of policy, research and development. "However, there is still so much we need to learn about why this happens and how we can make the online environment safer for vulnerable people. "By not addressing this issue we run the risk of shutting these discussions down and driving them underground. "Instead we need to use tools such as Samaritans Radar to encourage people to look out for one another online, helping them to reach out and offer support." Patricia Cartes, Twitter's global head of trust and safety outreach, hailed the Samaritans for "experimenting with new ways of supporting people in the digital space". Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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The American Fighting Against ISIS In Syria Is Trying To Recruit More US Military Veterans | ||
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The 28-year-old former US soldier who joined a Kurdish militia to fight against militants of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS) is urging more military veterans to join the fight. Through his own profile and with the launch of a new Facebook page called "The Lions of Rojava," Jordan Matson is helping to recruit others across Europe, Australia, and the US, according to The Daily Mail. "We will pick you up on your arrival to the location they gave you to come," Matson wrote in a Facebook posting on Oct. 23. "It is a secured journey all through Kurdish held territory. Hope to see you soon brothers. Rock steady." A native of Wisconsin, Matson served in the US Army for two years — though never in combat — and is one of at least three Americans who have joined Kurdish forces, according to Reuters. He was wounded by a mortar soon after he arrived in Syria. Here's one of his updates (lightly edited for clarity): "If you have a valid passport and can afford the ticket and have saved money for a return ticket when you wish to leave, contact them. You will only need a few pairs of clothes for your off days and boots. If you wish to purchase body armor it can be purchased in Iraq during your travel. Otherwise all personal gear is up to you, be sure to check if it has a export law attached to it and do not bring any firearms or you may cause trouble for yourself." Although he has recovered from his wounds, he's been communicating with others who may wish to join him, according to The Mail. He's warned potential recruits however that the Kurdish YPG is "being swarmed with messages." "I've had ex-military ask from Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Canada, the United States, Australia, you name it," Matson told CNN. "They've been asking. ISIS has threatened all these countries that I've named to push their agenda in those nations, and the veterans of those nations who love their countries don't want to sit by while this is happening." Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Big Twitter Investor Defends The Company After Jim Cramer Slams Twitter CEO As 'Incoherent' (TWTR) | ||
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CNBC star Jim Cramer had a harsh assessment of Twitter CEO Dick Costolo's performance during its third quarter earnings. "This was incoherent. I thought that Costolo was incoherent both within his interview and on the conference call. I simply had no idea what the heck he was talking about," said Cramer on TV this morning. Cramer's words were tough, but they seemed to reflect the sentiment of at least some Twitter investors. The stock was down ~10% on the day after earnings. We spoke with Chris Sacca, one of the biggest shareholders of Twitter, about Cramer's comments, and the company in general. Sacca didn't necessarily disagree with Cramer's take, but he thought that anyone selling the stock based on last night's results is making a huge mistake. "I think Twitter has always had a challenge telling its own story, from the early days of the company," said Sacca. Early on, people would ask, "What's a tweet? Why should I tweet?" and Twitter management struggled to really answer that, says Sacca. While that struggle continues today, it doesn't matter because the company is well-positioned to grow in the future, says Sacca. "As an investor, I'm excited, I know the story," he says.
This was a clunky, weird metaphor that sounded off. Cramer was baffled by it. It's especially odd to hear it since Costolo is a naturally funny person. He's very likable. He studied to be an improv comedian, and when he goes off script, he's great. But he can be boxed into odd corporate speaking ticks. For instance, during the second quarter's earnings call, he said "vis-à-vis" repeatedly, which people teased him about on Twitter. Sacca blamed Costolo's sometimes stiff approach on Twitter's IPO. "I think the biggest challenge is the IPO process shoe horned them into using two metrics ... so Dick can’t be as natural and candid."
He thinks timeline views per user is pointless because it doesn't measure anything meaningful. He gave an example to illustrate why it's silly. In the past, to "favorite" a tweet, a user would have to click on tweet, click favorite, then click back to the timeline. That would count as three timeline views. Today, a user can favorite right in the stream, which is only one view. Obviously, the action that leaders to fewer timeline views is better, though it looks worse in terms of timeline views.
Sacca says "you don't have to be a genius" to see how this group will be lucrative for Twitter. He said that people that come to Twitter are often coming from Google. He says these people are looking for celebrities, or live events. He says Twitter will be able to build valuable revenue generating products targeted at those people. Isn't there a risk that Google-searches could lead to a Demand Media or About.com type of business? Sacca says Twitter won't be serving bad ads aimed at people looking for tutorials. He says there will be strong intent, and signals that will yield a richer ad experience. But, backing up, he says the big picture for Twitter from his perspective goes like this: Years ago, people thought Twitter would never make money. He invested in the company then because he knew it would make money.
Today, it's looking at a $1.6 billion revenue run rate, but people are questioning whether or not it can gain users. He thinks that's just as silly. He says, "At this point, if you're wondering, 'How is going to be big?', if you can't wrap your mind around monthly active uniques, sell me your stock!" This is why, Sacca has not sold a share of the stock, and he won't be selling. He's in it for the long haul, he believes in the company's potential. This may not be reassuring for other Twitter investors. Essentially, the argument boils down to this: Twitter will be a big company with lots of users making lots of money, trust me. But, it's good to see someone that's long the stock so passionately, and articulately defending the company. Sacca admits Twitter could work on communicating about its future, but he says, If I could have it one way or the other — the company has huge business and is bad at explaining at it, or it has a bad business and is good at explaining it, he'd much rather take the first option. Here's the video of Cramer, which is worth a watch. It's rare to see a management team attacked like this on air. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Former Baseball Star Jose Canseco Accidentally Shot Himself In The Hand | ||
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KTNV's Spencer Lubitz is reporting that former baseball star Jose Canseco accidentally shot himself in the hand. Canseco told police officers who responded at his home that his gun discharged while he was cleaning it in his kitchen, according to ESPN. The former Oakland Athletics slugger is reportedly recovering in the hospital. A finger on his left hand was shot, ESPN reported. Since retiring from Major League Baseball in 2006, Canseco has pursued playing opportunities in independent leagues. In 2011 he appeared on "The Celebrity Apprentice" but had to quit the show before season's end. Last year Las Vegas police investigated Canseco over sexual assault allegations. Canseco went on Twitter to proclaim his innocence and was never charged. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Marvel unveils huge slate of new superhero films | ||
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Los Angeles (AFP) - Marvel has unveiled plans for a slate of new superhero films, expanding its already wildly successful comic book universe -- and breaking ground with its first solo black and female hero movies. In a surprise announcement, the studio revealed there will be a new two-part "Avengers" sequel in 2018-2019 -- on top of one already scheduled for next year to follow the record-breaking 2012 original. And it confirmed a release date for the sequel to the quirky summer smash "Guardians of the Galaxy," which is so far the top-grossing film of 2014. The studio named its first African American solo lead actor -- Chadwick Boseman, who will play the title role in "Black Panther," due out in 2017. "I'm blessed to be part of this Marvel Universe and I look forward to making magic together," Boseman told the crowd at an event at Hollywood's famed El Capitan Theatre, according to industry press. The 37-year-old Boseman is best known for playing groundbreaking baseball star Jackie Robinson in "42" and soul singer James Brown in this year's biopic "Get On Up." The character will be introduced in "Captain America: Civil War" in 2016 before a solo outing the following year, Marvel said. Casting was not revealed for "Captain Marvel," the studio's first solo female superhero movie. The studio also did not name the actor tapped to play "Doctor Strange". British actor Benedict Cumberbatch has been widely rumored to be tipped for the role. Here is a list of the nine Marvel movies announced Tuesday, in chronological order based on release date: - "Captain America: Civil War" - May 6, 2016 - "Doctor Strange" - Nov 4, 2016 - "Guardians of the Galaxy 2" - May 5, 2017 - "Thor: Ragnarok" - July 28, 2017 - "Black Panther" - Nov 3, 2017 - "Avengers: Infinity War, Part 1" - May 4, 2018 - "Captain Marvel" - July 6, 2018 - "Inhumans" - Nov 2, 2018 - "Avengers: Infinity War, Part 2" - May 3, 2019
- Money-makers -
So-called "tent pole" films -- big money-making movies that are often sequels to tried-and-tested blockbuster franchises -- are increasingly important to studios as the movie-watching experience fragments with online viewing. "With superhero flicks being the biggest money-makers for cinemas right now, Marvel is doing exactly what's expected of them: delivering content," said Jeff Bock, analyst at box office tracker Exhibitor Relations. The first "Avengers" movie and last year's "Iron Man 3" are among the top five grossing films ever, together earning more than $2.7 billion worldwide to date, according to Marvel. "The Avengers" -- in which a band of superheroes helps save Earth from mythical prankster Loki and an alien army -- opened in North America in May 2012 with a staggering $207.4 million in ticket sales -- the biggest US debut of all time. "Avatar" remains the biggest grossing film of all time worldwide, with some $2.8 billion in takings, followed by "Titanic" on $2.2 billion and "The Avengers" on $1.5 billion, according to Box Office Mojo. It remains to be seen if any of Marvel's new offerings could top James Cameron's 2009 spectacular. "Could 'Avatar' be dethroned by one of these titles? Doubtful," said Bock. "But cracking the billion dollar mark is nearly guaranteed for half of these films. "And that's no chump change," he added. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Thousands mourn Canada soldier killed in Ottawa attack | ||
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Ottawa (AFP) - Thousands of mourners lined the streets of the Canadian city of Hamilton for the funeral procession of a soldier killed last week in an attack in the nation's capital. Wailing bagpipes and a solitary drum beat broke a solemn silence as hundreds of soldiers, veterans and police officers marched alongside the flag-draped casket of Corporal Nathan Cirillo to a cathedral in his hometown. His bereaved family, including his six-year-old son wearing his father's beret, also participated in the funeral procession, viewed on television by millions nationwide. Cirillo was fatally shot last week while standing watch at the War Memorial in Ottawa. His attacker, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, then stormed into parliament and exchanged fire with police before being shot dead. The attack was one of two targeting Canadian soldiers just days apart. Another soldier, Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent, was killed on October 20 in a hit and run east of Montreal. He will be laid to rest on Saturday. Both attacks came as Canada deployed fighter jets to join US-led air strikes on the Islamic State group in Iraq. Police say both assailants were converts to Islam with alleged extremists views. "Two of our own have made the ultimate sacrifice, and we celebrate their lives and mourn their deaths," said Governor General David Johnston. In his eulogy, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the war memorial is a reminder that "freedom is never free. It has been earned by the soldier and then donated to all of us." "Most of us can never truly understand the significance to a soldier of the simple act of standing reverently on guard at that place," he said. "Corporal Cirillo, who felt the calling of a soldier when he was just a 13-year-old cadet, he understood. He knew what he was protecting and what he was preserving. He died protecting and preserving it."
- Kerry lays wreath -
In Ottawa, visiting US Secretary of State John Kerry laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier where Cirillo fell, in his honor. Washington's top diplomat said he came to offer condolences and express America's "deep solidarity" with its northern neighbor and closest ally. Kerry pledged to step up bilateral cooperation to fight militant groups and extremist ideologies, including targeting their sources of funding and countering their propaganda. "Together on this side of the Atlantic, and where necessary overseas, we will defeat the advocates and practitioners of terror, expose their hypocrisy, and we will win the battle of ideas," he said. Canada, a country proud of its reputation for openness and tolerance, has remained defiant in the wake of the attacks. It has been threatened in militant broadcasts over its role in the US-led campaign against Islamic State jihadists. Some Canadians have travelled to the Middle East to join the group, and others are thought to have developed radical ideas at home, living among the country's Muslim minority.
- 'He seemed very extreme' -
Police say the two attackers in Ottawa and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec were tempted by the prospect of waging war in Syria, where IS is seeking to carve out a caliphate. Ottawa shooter Zehaf-Bibeau, 32, was described as a petty criminal who was estranged from his family and struggled with a drug addiction. "He was very pious... but he seemed very extreme," Abdel Kareem Abubakir, a volunteer at an Ottawa shelter that had taken in Zehaf-Bibeau, told the Globe and Mail newspaper. The assailant in the Quebec attack, 25-year-old Martin Couture-Rouleau, had been on a watch list of suspected extremists before he used his car as a weapon to run over two soldiers in a parking lot, killing one of them before being shot dead by police. In July, he was barred at the last minute from leaving for Turkey, a popular entry point for would-be jihadists looking to fight in Iraq and Syria. Police seized Couture-Rouleau's passport as he sought to board an airplane in Montreal, but did not have enough evidence to arrest him. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Singapore, New Zealand, Hong Kong best for business | ||
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Washington (AFP) - Small and well-run Singapore, New Zealand and Hong Kong are the world's easiest places to run a business, while global giants China, Brazil and India remain far down the list, according the World Bank. Three small but hot Pacific economies led the Bank's annual "Doing Business" report, released Wednesday, which focuses on where businesses are best helped and least hindered by government. The top 10 was filled out by Denmark, South Korea, Norway, the United States, Britain, Finland and Australia, mostly the same developed economies as in previous years. But the report, despite revisions to its methodology after upsetting China in past years, left emerging market giants far down the list, fast growth and success in drawing investment notwithstanding. China ranked 90th out of 189 countries and territories, barely improved from 93 a year ago; Brazil is 120th, also up three places; and India was ranked at 142, two spots worse than before. All three ranked lower than troubled economies and difficult investment environments like Russia and Greece. But that only underscored the admittedly narrow focus of the survey, in terms of assessing a country's success. "'Doing Business' measures a slender segment of the complex organism that any modern economy is," admitted World Bank chief economist Kaushik Basu in a forward to the report. "An economy can do poorly on 'Doing Business' indicators but do well in macroeconomic policy or social welfare interventions." The scores measure the operating environment for a business, including how easy it is to start a company, to transfer a property or resolve a commercial dispute; the time and cost of clearing imports and exports through a port; how easy is it to get an electricity connection, and other issues that face business owners in any country.
- Smart regulations -
By those measures, Singapore was, as in recent past years, on top with a score of 88.27, and New Zealand close behind with 86.91. The top 30 countries all had more than 74 points, while the bottom five, with isolated and authoritarian East African pariah Eritrea at the very end, all scored below 40. The contrast between the best and worst underscored why Singapore is highly praised and successful. Entrepreneurs in the Southeast Asian island nation need just 2.5 days to open a business, 31 days to get electric power and four days and $440 to import a container. Meanwhile in Eritrea, a similar businessman would need on average 84 days to start a company and 59 days to get electricity, while importing goods takes 59 days and $2,000 per container. Basu stressed that the survey is not a measure of the level of government intervention in an economy. "A significant number of the top 30 economies in the ease of doing business ranking come from a tradition where government has had quite a prominent presence in the economy," he noted. "The top-performing economies... are therefore not those with no regulation but those in which governments have managed to create rules that facilitate interactions in the marketplace without needlessly hindering the development of the private sector." "Ultimately, 'Doing Business' is about smart regulations that only a well-functioning state can provide." "The secret of success is to have the essential rules and regulations in place -- but more importantly to have a good system of clearing decisions quickly and predictably, so that small and ordinary businesses do not feel harassed." Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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12 Mind-Blowing Facts About Apple That Show Just How Massive The Company Really Is (AAPL) | ||
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Apple is the largest publically traded company in the US by market capitalization (the value of its shares). But it's hard to wrap your head around that fact. Can you picture the value of Apple's shares, $626 billion? The iPhone's popularity has catapulted Apple from an underdog fighting IBM to arguably the most successful consumer electronics companies out there. To underscore how big Apple has become, we've put together some mind-blowing facts about the business. Last quarter Apple's revenue was $42.1 billion. That's larger than the entire economy of Turkmenistan. Apple has $155 billion in cash on hand. Split equally among the US population (316 million), that's $490 per person. That's enough cash to buy 2,384 Gulfstream G650s, with a little left over for fuel. See the rest of the story at Business Insider  | ||
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Verizon’s New Tech News Site Has A Strange Name And An Even Stranger Rule: No Reporting On Net Neutrality Or US Surveillance | ||
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From the looks of the site, it’s pretty clear that SugarString is still in its early days. The oldest story was published just 12 days ago, and its layout seems to be in beta. With backing from the largest US telecommunications provider — its parent company, Verizon Communications, did $120 billion in sales last year — there’s no question SugarString could one day become a major player in the tech news space. Its “About” page, in fact, shows its ambition to become the new next thing, stating, “SugarString publishes thoughtful tech-focused stories that track humanity’s climb towards the new next.” But whatever those “thoughtful tech-focused stories” might be, one thing is clear: SugarString won’t be covering any news related to net neutrality or US surveillance issues. According to The Daily Dot’s Patrick Howell O’Neill, SugarString writers are banned from writing about any of those topics. O’Neill says he discovered the rules last week after receiving a recruiting email from its Editor in Chief Cole Stryker. O’Neill declined the offer, as did some other reporters who spoke to him about it. “Other reporters, who asked not to be named, have confirmed that they have received the same recruiting pitch with the same rules: No articles about surveillance or net neutrality,” O’Neill says. It’s not too hard to figure out why Verizon is so vehemently denying any coverage of two of the most important and controversial issues in today’s tech. Verizon is one of the strongest opponents of net neutrality, the idea of keeping the internet equal and not charging differently by the user or site. It’s also one of the companies that Edward Snowden mentioned as being part of the National Security Agency’s (NSA) government surveillance program. To be fair, O’Neill says SugarString writers are allowed to write about non-US related surveillance issues, like the Chinese government’s spying programs. Still, it’s hard to see anyone taking SugarString seriously without balanced coverage on such a sensitive issue. We’ve reached out to Verizon for comment and will update when we hear back. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Here Are The Release Dates For All The Superhero Movies Coming Out Between Now And 2020 | ||
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Saying there are a lot of comic book movies coming out in the next few years is a massive understatement. More than 30 superhero movies are expected to released by Disney, Warner Bros., Fox, and Sony Pictures as nearly every big studio attempts to build its own cinematic universe. Will they all be successful? Probably not. Will we be in superhero fatigue? Maybe. If you can’t keep all of the release dates straight in your head, Comics Alliance's graphics guy Dylan Todd has put together an immensely thorough infographic breaking down all of the future dates. And yes, they’ve updated it to include the new movies just announced at Marvel’s press event Tuesday. Bookmark this. It’s sure to come in handy. Here's a larger version of the map. SEE ALSO: Marvel just announced 9 new movies at a press event AND: Get ready for Marvel's first female superhero movie Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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