Here's Why The Time Is Always Set To 9:41 In Apple Ads (APPL) | ||
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There's a reason for everything at Apple. And that even includes the time displayed on the devices in promotional materials. It even extends to print ads and television commercials. That time used to be 9:42. You could see it across various commercials, print ads, and even on Apple's site itself. The explanation was simple: That's the time in the morning that Steve Jobs announced the very first iPhone in 2007. Around 42 minutes into his keynote address, he said, "Today Apple is going to reinvent the phone." And a picture of the iPhone, displaying the time 9:42, popped up on the screen behind him. But that all changed in 2010, when the very first iPad was released. When that was revealed, it displayed a different time: 9:41. If you check Apple's site right now, the time set on the devices is always 9:41. And not just on iPhones. Macs, too. Even the iPad in the iPad Air 2 ad that ran during the keynote last month displays 9:41 as the time. But why did the time change? It's all very simple, according to former iOS chief Scott Forstall, who happened to divulge the secret to Australian-based app developer Jon Manning of Secret Lab. "We design the keynotes so that the big reveal of the product happens around 40 minutes into the presentation," Forestall said. "When the big image of the product appears on screen, we want the time shown to be close to the actual time on the audience’s watches. But we know we won't hit 40 minutes exactly." They made the iPhone time be 9:42 and were pretty accurate. Very accurate, in fact. Jobs announced the phone at exactly 9:42, according to Engadget's live blog of the event. So for the iPad they decided to go with 9:41, for no real reason at all. "And there you are — the secret of the magic time," Forstall told Manning. (Via The Atlantic) Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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This Incredible Selfie-Taking Wrist Drone Just Won $500,000 | ||
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This little machine is taking photography to new heights. Thought it's still being developed, Christoph Kohstall, a doctoral candidate at Stanford University, hopes that Nixie will be the next big thing in selfies. And the $500,000 it just won from Intel may help it along. The Nixie is a tiny, wearable drone with built-in camera and foldable bands that attach it to your wrist. The plan: With a simple gesture, Nixie flies off your arm, snaps your photo from the air, and returns — boomerang style — to your wrist. The design impressed judges at Intel's Make It Wearable contest — a competition among developers of innovative, wearable technology — and they awarded Nixie the grand prize of half a million dollars, enough to work out some of the product's kinks and start turning it into a commercial reality. Nixie's capabilities will be most useful in settings where third-party photographers are unavailable or impractical, whether that's getting a bird's-eye view of an extreme rock-climbing adventure, or just taking a simple selfie.
Some of the other finalists in the Make It Wearable contest included a robotic prosthetic hand, a device that monitors skiers' kinetics and physiology, and a broadcast system that shows players' perspectives during sports matches. Check out the full video below: SEE ALSO: A Drone Captured This Stunning Video Of A Family Of Killer Whales Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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At least, that's the concept. 'Alex From Target,' The Teen Who Went Viral On Social Media, Was All A Marketing Ploy | ||
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All good things must come to an end. Such is the case with Alex, the good-looking teenager who went viral on social media on Monday. According to CNET's Chris Matyszczyk, however, that was all thanks to a new company, called Breakr. Its purpose is to help small-content creators spread their work. In this case, it went better than expected. Matyszczyk spoke with the company's CEO, Dil-Domine Jacobe Leonares, who admitted that it was all a marketing campaign. "Truly, we never thought it'd go this far, but it proved that with a strong fan base and rally the fan girls, you can," Leonares said. It all started when a Twitter user posted this photo on Sunday. It wasn't her photo, she said, but she wanted to share it. Soon, the tweet started picking up retweets and favorites. His picture soon went viral, and the hashtag #AlexfromTarget was trending worldwide. He even went on "The Ellen Degeneres Show" on Tuesday.
Leonares explains further in a post on LinkedIn. "We wanted to see how powerful the fangirl demographic was by taking a unknown good-looking kid and Target employee from Texas to overnight viral internet sensation," he writes. He also says that Target wasn't in on it. "They could have capitalized, though," he told CNET. Breakr was "controlling both sides of the conversation," fueling the fire of the Alex lovers as well as the haters. In fact, Leonares writes, Alex's Twitter account started out with 2,000 followers. As of this writing, he has 561,000 followers. Leonares sums it all up, writing: After the dust settles, there is a lesson to be made here; from brands, talent agencies, music labels and influencer marketing companies: if you can earn the love and respect from a global community such as the 'Fangirl' demographic - you can rally them together to drive awareness for any cause even if its to take a random kid from unknown to stardom over night. The brands got us again, folks. And people aren't too happy about it. SEE ALSO: This Teenager Who Works At Target Is The Internet's Newest Viral Meme Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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A White-hat Hacker Discovered A Dangerous Vulnerability In Three Apple Operating Systems (AAPL) | ||
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A Swedish white-hat hacker has discovered a serious vulnerability in OS X Yosemite that may extend to previous Mac operating systems as well, reports The Hacker News' Mohit Kumar. The vulnerability, called "Rootpipe," appears to have been discovered by Emil Kvarnhammar, a consultant at IT security firm TrueSec. Rootpipe allows outside users to gain administrator-level access to Macs running OS X Yosemite, Mavericks, or Mountain Lion without a password. The security flaw gives attackers the opportunity to steal information, install malicious programs, or erase users' hard drives. Kvarnhammar, for his part, appears to be waiting for Apple to patch Rootpipe before saying much about it: Rootpipe has probably been around since at least 2012, according to Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet. We've reached out to Apple for comment and will update this post if we hear back. SEE ALSO: Your Unsaved Files Are Automatically Stored On iCloud Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Former Wall Street Darling FireEye Is Getting Crushed, Again | ||
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FireEye disappointed investors when it announced earnings and guidance that fell short of expectations. The shares are down a whopping 23% in after-hour trading. FireEye was one of the most beloved stocks at the start of the year. In the months that followed the company's spectacular IPO last September, urged on by gung-ho Wall Street analysts, the stock soared to a high of over $97, compared to the $20 open price of its IPO. At that high point, the company sold another 5.6 million shares and raised another $300 million, the same amount as its IPO. Then the company started warning investors that it wouldn't pull in as much revenue this year as it previously forecast, sending it into a downward spiral.
Sales grew to $114.2 million, up 168% over the year-ago quarter as it more than doubled its customer base to 2,761 customers. But that was on the low end of the guidance it gave of $114 to $117 million. Analysts were looking for $116.2 million. The company reported a net loss of 51 cents of share excluding special items (non-GAAP net loss was $73.9 million), which beat analysts expectations of 55 cents per share. But the bigger problem is the company downgraded its full-year outlook. It says it expects to finish the year at $418-430 million, compared with the prior guidance range of $423-430 million. Analysts were expecting $428.5 million. So that means, if it FireEye comes in on the low end, it would be another miss. FireEye expects loss per share of $2.05 to $2.15. Analysts are expecting $2.13. The reason it flew so high to begin with is that the company makes a computer security product that's able to stop targeted hack attacks that were previously almost impossible to stop. It's also been using the money it raised on acquisitions to branch out to other hot areas of computer security. Wells Fargo started tracking FireEye in early 2014, saying it was "a once-in-a-decade opportunity to invest in a truly disruptive technology." A few weeks later, after FireEye's stock had fallen 50% off its high, Barclays lowered its target to $40 but still called it "one of the most disruptive" technologies. Lately, analysts on average have been saying the stock was worth $40. It's trading below $27 after-hours, down from about $34 earlier today. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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On Tuesday, FireEye revealed its third quarter results. A Sequel To What Was The Most-Anticipated Game Of The Year Is Already In The Works | ||
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In a post-earnings conference call, Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg said that work is already beginning on the second game in the "Destiny" franchise. "Work has also begun on future expansion packs as well as on our next full game release," Hirshberg said. He didn't provide a launch date or any further details about what to expect. The first expansion pack for "Destiny," called "The Dark Below," will be released on Dec. 9. Activision posted better than expected earnings for its third quarter. Revenues were $1.14 billion, compared to $657 million for the same quarter last year. Earnings were 23 cents per share, compared to analyst expectations of 13 cents. And that's thanks in large part to "Destiny," which came out in September. In a statement, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick said "Destiny" was the "biggest new videogame franchise launch of all time." It now boasts 9.5 million registered players, who are playing the game on average more than 3 hours per day. Business Insider's Dave Smith played the game for 5 hours, before the full version was even released. Activision Blizzard is also looking at "Call of Duty," which was released on Monday, to boost its revenue for the next quarter. A sequel to "Destiny" shouldn't come as a surprise, but not just because the game is such a hit. Details from Activision Blizzard's deal with Bungie in 2010 revealed that Bungie had several sequels in mind for "Destiny." SEE ALSO: 7 of the coolest secrets in the game 'Destiny,' and how to find them Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Explore The Forgotten Rocket Bases That Once Sent Americans To The Moon | ||
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The US' space program was one of the most impressive feats of human ingenuity in history — a series of events that captured the hearts and minds of everyone who witnessed them. The amount of research, creativity, and manpower that went into the space program was staggering, even when we look back on it decades later. But as space technology moves further away from governmental oversight and towards commercialization, for better or worse, what happens to the history and relics of our nation's revered past in space exploration? Many of the facilities — once used for research, testing, and launching — now sit dormant, decommissioned years ago, now rusting in the sun. Others have met a worse fate, having been demolished and lost forever. They've almost all been forgotten, but photographer Roland Miller is trying to do something about that. For the past 25 years, Miller has traveled all across the US, photographing decommissioned NASA, Air Force, Army and commercial space launch and test sites in an effort to document them before they disappear. These photographs will soon be being released in a book titled "Abandoned in Place," which features a diverse selection of Miller's work, spanning more than two decades. You can see more of Miller's work here or contribute to his Kickstarter campaign for the project. "In the end, my main purpose is to preserve the remains of these historic sites in the only way possible, through photography," Miller said. Miller was totally mesmerized by space at an early age "like most kids growing up in the 1960s," he says. It seemed magical to him at the time. "I can clearly remember the night Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon," he tells Business Insider. But it wasn't until the early 1990s that Miller began shooting this project. He was teaching photography in Brevard County, Florida, about a 30 minute drive from Cape Canaveral. A friend of his was cleaning out an office building on the grounds and had discovered an old photo studio. He asked Miller to help him dispose of the old photo processing chemicals safely. During that time, "I visited Launch Complex 19, the Gemini launch complex, and I knew immediately I wanted to photograph it," Miller says. See the rest of the story at Business Insider  | ||
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This Jumbo Jet Was Transformed Into A Beautiful Hotel — And You Can Even Sleep In The Cockpit | ||
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If you're looking for somewhere a little "different" to stay for the holidays, you should check out the Jumbo Stay Hostel in Stockholm, Sweden. Created inside of a Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet that used to fly for Pan Am, this cozy hotel features a redesigned interior and the opportunity to sleep in the airplane's cockpit. With 27 rooms that can hold up to 76 people, this unique hotel is one worth checking out. This is "Liv," the Boeing 747 that was turned into the hotel in 2008, named after the owner's daughter. You enter the Jumbo Stay Hostel from the side, and yes, you can walk along the wings. Inside, many of the seats have been removed for a bar and seating area. See the rest of the story at Business Insider  | ||
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Uber Is Reportedly Pushing Its Drivers To Sign Up For 'Subprime' Auto Loans | ||
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On-demand car service Uber is encouraging its drivers to sign up for subprime loans, according to a story by Valleywag's Nitasha Tiku, published Tuesday. When people sign up to drive for Uber, they sometimes don't have their own car or a car nice enough to drive by Uber's standards. Some of these drivers don't have good credit, either. Uber needs drivers, so in order to ensure everyone who wants to drive for the company is able to do so, Uber has a vehicle financing program that connects subprime borrowers — borrowers with poorer credit — with auto dealers, allowing drivers to buy a car using subprime loans, which aren't necessarily bad in and of themselves, but often have very high interest rates. The drivers Valleywag spoke with say Uber is "bombarding" drivers with marketing material to push its vehicle financing program. There's no mention of subprime lending, so Uber drivers have to do their own homework to figure out the intricacies of the financing program. The emails Uber sends, Tiku reports, say that it's "easy to qualify, even with poor credit or no credit history at all." Uber tells drivers payments get "automatically deducted" from their earnings, which sounds fine, until you consider that many of the Uber drivers Business Insider has spoken with aren't bringing home close to the $90,000 Uber has said its drivers can make. The drivers Tiku spoke with say the vehicle financing program isn't helpful for drivers, and traps them in a cycle, working for Uber to pay for the car they signed up for under the guise of steady, gainful employment from Uber.
As Tiku reports, two partners in Uber's vehicle financing program — GM Financial and Santander Consumer — are currently being investigated. The companies have also faced scrutiny from state attorneys general and investors, upset with Santander with its misleading "auto lending business and underwriting practices." Both GM and Santander were subpoenaed in August by the Department of Justice because they're the top issuers of these loans, and not for anything to do with Uber's vehicle financing program (Uber's program started last November). It's worth noting that these subprime loans, which often carry higher interest rates than prime loans, are the same kind that Uber encourages its drivers to sign up for. Uber itself is not involved with financing the loans, so drivers take on complete financial risk. An Uber spokesperson provided this statement to Business Insider: "We created Uber’s Vehicle Financing Program in response to consistent feedback from potential drivers about barriers to entry in owning a car. Our innovative program – based on Uber’s strong partnerships with multiple auto manufacturers and lenders – is an option for our driver partners in 23 markets around the globe. It provides drivers with discounts on cars as well as access to financing that may not otherwise be available to them. We’re very proud of the fact that thousands of our driver partners have participated in the program and collectively saved millions of dollars to date" Read through the entire Valleywag story here. It's fascinating.
SEE ALSO: UBER DRIVERS SPEAK OUT: We're Making A Lot Less Money Than Uber Is Telling People 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 10 | ||
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Microsoft Cortana had a solid Week 9, correctly predicting 9 of 13 NFL games. It's now 88-46 (66%) on the year. Cortana is a Windows Phone virtual assistant that's using a Bing Predicts algorithm to predict every NFL games this year. The system debuted at the World Cup, where it correctly picked 15 of the final 16 games of the tournament. It hasn't had that sort of wild success picking NFL games, but it has been generally decent. Cortana is 88-46, Las Vegas betting favorites are 87-44-2, and Nate Silver's ELO model is 94-40. These records are straight up, not against the spread. There were two games that Vegas had as toss ups in Week 9 — Vikings-Redskins and Steelers-Ravens — and Cortana picked both of them correctly. Since Week 5, Cortana is 54-19 (80%). We'll see if that hot streak continues. Here are Cortana's picks for Week 10 as of Tuesday evening. We'll update them throughout the week if they change (Vegas favorites in parentheses):
Cortana and Vegas agree on every game this week. There are only three lines within a field goal. Here are Cortana's results so far this year:
SEE ALSO: NFL Power Rankings, Where Every Team Stands Going Into Week 10 Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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REVEALED: The Demographic Trends For Every Social Network | ||
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The demographics of who's on what social network are shifting — older social networks are reaching maturity, while newer social messaging apps are gaining younger users fast. In a new report from BI Intelligence, we unpack data from over a dozen sources to understand how social media demographics are still shifting. Access The Full Report By Signing Up For A Free Trial >> Here are a few of the key takeaways from the BI Intelligence report:
The report is full of charts (over 20 charts) and data that can be downloaded and put to use. In full, the report:
For full access to all BI Intelligence reports, briefs, and downloadable charts on the digital media industry, sign up for a free trial. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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80% Of Zappos Employees No Longer Have A Manager | ||
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When Zappos announced late last year that it would eliminate titles and traditional managers from its company, some were skeptical about whether the online shoe retailer could pull it off. But the company tells Business Insider that 80% of its 1,500 employees are now working under Holacracy, a relatively new organizational philosophy meant to offer workers more flexibility by replacing traditional job titles with a fluctuating number of roles that each employee is assigned. Rather than being accountable to a single boss in a traditional hierarchy, each employee reports to the other people in their "circles." Each circle has an organizational goal to achieve, and each role that people fill within the circle is a task necessary for accomplishing that goal. Of course Holacracy has not made Zappos a company entirely without hierarchy. The creation of new roles in a circle is left to a singular person known as the "lead link," and many circles contain subcircles that they oversee. For instance, Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh is the lead link on the company's broadest circle, the 10-member internal board, which is tasked with fulfilling the company's overall purpose. John Bunch, the Zappos employee tasked with running the company's transition to Holacracy, tells Business Insider that Hsieh's power is different under Holacracy. However, Bunch declines to say whether Hsieh's sway has increased or decreased at the company he joined as CEO in 2000 and sold to Amazon 9 years later for $1.2 billion. Hsieh holds "many, many, many roles" across the company, Bunch says, including being the "department expert" in a circle devoted to teaching other businesses about Zappos' famously quirky corporate culture. And while employees no longer have titles internally, Bunch says they have what Zappos calls "#titles" to explain what they do all day to people outside the company.
Thus far, Bunch says the company is on pace to meet its goal of having all of its employees operating under Holacracy by the end of the year. In his mind, one of the biggest challenges posed by the new system has been teaching employees not only what Holacracy is but how to use it, a process he compares to teaching 1,500 people how to speak a new language. The organizational philosophy, created in 2009 by software developer Brian Robertson, is characterized by a series of governance meetings in which circle members iron out "tensions," the issues that are preventing the circle from running as smoothly as possible. "I think you hear a spectrum of reactions," Bunch says when asked what his employees are saying about the transition. "Each employee is on their own personal journey in terms of learning what Holacracy is all about, and learning how to use it, and discovering if they think this is the right system."
Still, it's unclear how much the company has functionally changed since it began its transition at the end of last year. Bunch says that several areas of the company have used Holacracy to make necessary changes to how they approach certain organizational challenges, but he declines to say which changes were made or which areas of the company were behind them. Additionally, Bunch says a lot of the company's hiring, firing, and salary decisions are made the same way they were a year ago, but that over time, the company will evolve those systems to make them more in line with Holacracy. "I don't want to paint a rose-colored picture where I say everything is up and running and we've reached our highest potential, but we have seen some bright spots," Bunch says. Ultimately, he hopes the move to Holacracy will pay off by helping the company better realize its goals of openness and excellent internal communication, and that the looser organizational structure will allow employees to push the company into areas it has not previously ventured into. "One of the markers of success for Holacracy would be to look back in five years and say, 'Wow I would never have envisioned Zappos taking on that area, and look at them, they're having success with it,'" Bunch says. SEE ALSO: Why Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh Sits At The Same Size Desk As His Call Center Employees Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Business Insider Is Hiring A Lists And Features Reporter | ||
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This reporter will spend his or her time researching and writing our big signature lists and features, like the Best Colleges, Best Employers, and the Best Suburbs In America. We’re looking for someone who is smart, organized, and a meticulous researcher. You should be comfortable conducting in-depth research on everything from the coolest small businesses in cities around the world to the most impressive students at top universities. This person should be comfortable working on a variety of subjects and juggling multiple projects at a time. You'd get the opportunity to work with all our verticals, so we welcome candidates with diverse interests. The ideal candidate should have one to three years of experience in online journalism and research experience. Bonus if you have copy-editing skills, light HTML knowledge, and a familiarity with Photoshop. Social media knowledge is also useful. APPLY HERE with a resume and cover letter if interested, and specify why you're interested in working on Lists and Features. This job is full-time and based in our New York City headquarters. Business Insider offers competitive compensation packages complete with benefits. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Business Insider is looking for a reporter to work on our growing CHART: Despite Xiaomi's Explosive Growth, Samsung Is Still The Most Valuable Android Maker | ||
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Xiaomi, the so-called "Apple of China," is looking to raise money at a valuation between $40 and $50 billion. The discussions are still at an early stage, but it's still impressive considering Xiaomi is a 3-year-old company that's also the biggest smartphone maker in China and the fourth-largest smartphone maker in the world. Compared to other Android manufacturers, Xiaomi's proposed valuation would put it ahead of most of the field, but it would still trail Samsung by a great margin. Based on Yahoo Finance data charted for us by BI Intelligence, Xiaomi's potential value would still be a fraction of Samsung's valuation of $183.5 billion. Xiaomi might catch up or pull ahead, though, now that Samsung's profits are tanking and the company is being squeezed from the high end by Apple and the low end by Xiaomi, Lenovo, and others.
SEE ALSO: CHART OF THE DAY: Lenovo Bumps Xiaomi To Become The Third-Biggest Smartphone Maker In The World Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Teardown Of The iPad Air 2 Reveals How Much Apple Spends On Parts | ||
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Teardown.com took apart Apple's iPad Air 2. Here's what they found inside. Produced by Matthew Stuart Follow BI Video: On Facebook Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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The Most Important New Features Coming To Your Android Phone (GOOG) | ||
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Google is giving Android a major facelift with its Lollipop update, but there are a bunch of other new features that make Android more useful and secure than ever. While many manufacturers add their own skins to Android that let you do more with your phone, Google is starting to incorporate this functionality in its stock Android software. Here's a quick look at all the best features to expect in Android 5.0. Multiple User Profiles With Android 5.0 Lollipop, you'll be able to create multiple profiles on your phone or tablet. So, if you share your tablet with members of your family, you'll be able to create a separate account for each family member. This means you can choose which apps you want to include in your specific profile. Google Fit Android 5.0 Lollipop is the first version of Android to come with Google's new health platform called Google Fit. Similar to Apple's HealthKit in iOS 8, Google Fit allows you to view all sorts of stats from various health and fitness apps in one central location. Enhanced Face Unlock Android phones have supported facial recognition since Android 4.0 launched in 2012. But with Lollipop, Google has taken its Face Unlock feature to a new level. The software will now be able to unlock your phone as you're reading notifications in your lock screen. In the past, Face Unlock was a separate step, just like typing in a passcode or holding your thumb over a fingerprint sensor. See the rest of the story at Business Insider  | ||
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Neil deGrasse Tyson's 'Most Astounding Fact About The Universe' May Bring You To Tears | ||
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Time magazine offers its readers a great series called "10 Questions" where some of the most interesting people in the world answer questions about their careers, beliefs, experiences, and more. In 2012, Time interviewed Neil deGrasse Tyson. Tyson is an astrophysicist and the director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. But you might know him best for his role in last year's TV series "Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey." Tyson is renowned for his efforts to communicate the wonders of the universe to the public. He does this best through his staggering social-media following and also on the popular radio program he hosts called StarTalk. With 2.58 million Twitter followers, he is by far the most followed astronomer on Twitter, and perhaps the most famous astrophysicist in the world. Perhaps the most profound statement Tyson has ever made was during his interview with Time in 2012. When he was asked, "What is the most astounding fact you can share with us about the universe?" Tyson responded with something that will not only inspire you but bring you closer to the cosmos. One of the many inspirational quotes from the clip starts with Tyson looking up: "When I look up at the night sky and I know that yes we are a part of this universe, we are in this universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts is that the universe is in us," Tyson said. "When I reflect on that fact, I look up, many people feel small cause they're small and the universe is big, but I feel big because my atoms came from those stars. There's a level of connectivity." In the spirit of the upcoming film "Interstellar" we encourage you to listen to his whole response, set to music and mind-blowing universe imagery by YouTuber Max Schlickenmeyer: SEE ALSO: What Is The Most Powerful Thing In The Universe? READ MORE: This Scientist Opened A New Era In Astronomy Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Former NPR Boss, NBC Exec, and Twitter Exec Vivian Schiller Has A New Part-Time Gig | ||
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Vivian Schiller has a new part-time gig, according to a memo obtained by Business Insider. She'll be a "strategic advisor" at news startup Vocativ. Schiller's most recent job was head of news at Twitter, which she held for 10 months. Prior to that, she was a senior vice president at NBC, in charge of digital. Prior to that, Schiller was the CEO of NPR. What's Vocativ? The New York Times reporter Leslie Kaufman profiled the company in February. She wrote, "Vocativ mines the Internet for exclusive news and other content with data-collection software traditionally used by governments and corporations." Here's a memo on Schiller's hire: Hi All, At our one-year anniversary, we have much to celebrate. You all should be proud of what you’re doing to build a news brand that’s different – one rooted in technology that tells the stories that matter most to youth around the globe. As we enter our second year, we have exciting news to share: Vivian Schiller, a renowned figure in the news business, is joining as strategic advisor. Vivian will advise Mati [Kochavi, Vocativ CEO,] and the senior team as the company continues to develop and execute its partnership strategy while pioneering new growth opportunities. Vivian brings unsurpassed experience steering some of the most recognized media brands in the world. Her prior roles have included: Head of News and Journalism Partnerships at Twitter; Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer for NBC News; President & CEO – NPR; and Senior Vice President at NYT Digital. She joins us as at a particularly exciting time for the company, as we embark on our next phase of innovative new product launches, continued cutting-edge technology development and expansion of our partnerships. All while continuing to grow our amazing team of talented reporters, editors, data analysts and technologists. Vocativ is increasingly renowned for its innovation and passion, and your dedication and hard work are what is making it possible to spread our wings. Vivian’s mission, like ours, is to help shape the future of news. We are thrilled to have her advising us. Welcome Vivian. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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This Laser Can Create 3D Holograms In The Daylight | ||
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If you've seen "Star Wars," chances are you've seen the futuristic hologram projectors that create three-dimensional images in the air. While we're still far from seeing a person projected onto thin air, a new holographic display from Japanese firm Aerial Burton is getting closer, according to Geek.com. Aerial Burton's display is incredibly promising thanks to its ability to project three-dimensional images onto thin air using highly focused pulse lasers. While similar methods have worked in water and fog in the past for a more detailed image, Aerial Burton's technology doesn't require water, mist, or fog, meaning you can see its holographic projections using air as the medium. Here's how it works. The machine uses a 1kHz pulse laser and sends the laser through a 3D scanner, which reflects and focuses the laser onto an exact place in the air above. The laser ionizes the air's molecules in that specific spot, which results in the flashes of light that make up each point.
For now, Aerial Burton's display is "low resolution," meaning it's capable of only basic shapes, but the team is working on finding a way to create more-complex images while using air instead of fog, which is tougher since air is far less dense. Aerial Burton is hoping to market its technology to be used during emergencies, as the highly visual holographic display could alert citizens and potentially direct them to safety. The team is also hoping to shrink the laser technology necessary so it fits inside of a car, allowing it to stay mobile. You can see more the new display in action in the video below: SEE ALSO: The 13 Best New Apps You May Have Missed Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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We Surveyed People About Smartwatches And Their Answers Reveal Why This Market Will Be Small | ||
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Will people buy smartwatches? What is it about smartwatches that interest them? A global survey BI Intelligence conducted among Business Insider readers during October 2014 illustrates what consumers are looking for in a smartwatch, and whether they intend to purchase one. We generated over 2,000 responses from Business Insider readers, who tend to be young, affluent professionals — ostensibly the target market for a smartwatch. Here are the main takeaways:
Of course, the next six months could bring about new applications for smartwatches generally and the Apple Watch in particular, but the data shows that the smartwatch still has a long way to go before it is seen as an essential consumer electronics device. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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I Raved On A Boat At 6 AM With The Craziest Crowd of New Yorkers In Startups, And It Was Amazing | ||
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I never thought I'd go to a wild dance party on a boat at 6 a.m., but now that I have once, I can't wait to do it again. I'm not into electronic music at all, but I was inspired by Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, who has said that his experiences going to raves shaped his view on the world and ultimately helped him build his company into a billion-dollar business. Could I get the same "experiential epiphany" squishing into a room with a crowd of strangers to dance to music I don't even like? Daybreaker, a monthly, early-morning dance party that attracts techies and startup employees from all over New York, sounded like the perfect way to try to find out. Daybreaker was hosting a Halloween-themed extravaganza on a boat that started at 6 a.m. Business Insider colleague Melia Robinson and I decided to check it out and see what all the hype was about. Waking up at 5 a.m. was a struggle, but we successfully dragged ourselves out of bed and started "rave-ifying" ourselves with the requisite gemstones and glitter. It was still pitch-dark outside by the time Melia and I left at 5:30. Our taxi driver was incredulous when we told him what kind of event we were going to. The boat started loading from New York City's west side at 6 am, and we realized we were in the right place when we started spotting some crazy costumes. See the rest of the story at Business Insider  | ||
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People Who Work In Tech Are Investing Better Than Their Friends In Finance | ||
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If logic follows, people working in finance would earn more money from their investments than anyone else. After all, investing is their area of expertise. According to new data from investment app Openfolio, however, this doesn't seem to be the case. By analyzing about 700 portfolios of Openfolio users working in the tech industry, about 500 portfolios of users working in finance, and about 160 from users working in advertising and media, the company found that finance users aren't the most effective investors and, in fact, are outranked by both of the other cohorts in terms of their portfolios' performance over the last year. These findings aren't unprecedented. Openfolio points to a recent study of mutual fund managers' private portfolios published in the Journal Of Financial Intermediation, in which the authors write, "We find no evidence that financial experts make better investment decisions than peers; they do not outperform, do not diversify their risks better, and do not exhibit lower behavioral biases." Of course, Openfolio's analysis is limited to its users and therefore doesn't address every investor who works in each of the industries addressed, but here is what Openfolio found, and a few possible explanations they suggest influence the results. On average, users working in tech earned a 12.7% return on their investments over the past year, compared to an average 11.1% return experienced by users working in advertising and media, and an average 8% return from the portfolios of those working in finance and banking.
First of all, Openfolio finds, the users included in the analysis who work in finance hold a markedly higher percentage of cash than the people working in tech or advertising and media. By holding cash, they're keeping that money out of the market and missing out on its gains.
They also have a larger percentage of their portfolio in bank stocks, presumably because they're given bonuses in the form of company stock that they can't sell. Plus, they may be more likely to buy bank stocks because that's what they're most familiar with, working in the industry.
And finally, people working in technology are much more heavily invested in tech stocks than anyone else, which means they've benefitted disproportionately from the performance of successful tech companies.
Openfolio, which allows users to share their investment returns, also lets users make similar analyses through its "explore" feature, which separates users into different cohorts for comparison. The images in this post have been updated to clarify that the final chart shows investments in technology stocks, not finance stocks. SEE ALSO: Startup Openfolio Wants To Be The Yelp Of Investing Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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A Former Googler Explains Why It's Critical For People To Learn To Code | ||
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What was originally a one-man operation — former hedge fund analyst Sal Khan would make educational videos after work — is now a global initiative with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Google. Bill Gates himself even uses the platform. As of February 2014, the site had 10 million monthly users, a huge increase from the 144,000 who were on the site in early 2010. I recently used Khan Academy to take a coding class that taught me JavaScript through a series of videos and challenges. One of my instructors was Pamela Fox, an engineer who previously spent four years working in the Developer Relations department at Google. She also teaches coding classes for GirlDevelopIt's San Francisco chapter, and previously worked as a front-end engineer at Coursera. We caught up with Fox to get her thoughts on why coding and online education are so important. Business Insider: What made you decide to join Khan Academy? Pamela Fox: I was spending an increasing amount of my free time on teaching people to program, and I realized that I wanted to do that full-time. I explored various ways I could do that, like in classrooms or coding academies, and decided that I was most interested in doing it at Khan Academy, where I could also use everything I've learned about online education and community building. At Khan Academy, I'm both an engineer, coding up the pieces to make it a great learning platform, and a content creator, putting together tutorials and exercises.
PF: The biggest difference with Khan Academy is its business model: it has none. Companies I've worked for in the past have been for-profit, and they have had to find a business model that works for the products they offer, and that drives many of their decisions. Khan Academy is a non-profit that receives donations based on the worthiness of our product, a free world-class education, and that changes how we make decisions. Instead of having to ask ourselves whether a particular feature or content might drive profits, we have to ask ourselves if it will significantly increase the quality of the education and the quantity of students it can reach. If we keep driving those numbers up, then we will hopefully keep receiving donations. We still have to make many similar decisions — we still want to grow our user base, we want to keep them active, we want to cut costs where possible — but there's a different fundamental drive under those decisions. I personally thrive better in the education-driven company than profit-driven company, because I'm much more passionate about the former than the latter, and I'd rather stay up all night contemplating "how can we teach better?" than "how can we make more money?" BI: What was it like to develop your course for their platform? Any challenges unique to online courses? PF: This was my first real foray into online video lessons. Before Khan Academy, I was familiar with teaching in classroom settings, talking at conferences, and writing articles, but I did very little with online video. It is a very different thing to deliver a lesson to a virtual audience than an in-the-flesh audience. I can't interact directly with my virtual audience, I can't cater my humor to their particular senses, I can't use body language to express excitement. Instead, I have to come up with five minutes that will work for pretty much everybody, and educate them in an engaging way. I've struggled the most with reducing verbal tics (which become more obvious in recorded form), injecting humor that doesn't feel too scripted (though it definitely is), and trying to have a radio voice as smooth as Sal Khan's (impossible!). I've learned a lot and would redo many of my lessons now, but even five minute lessons take a while to record, and it's often not worth it to lose their subtitles and translations. Besides the recorded lessons, there are many other aspects of the curriculum, like the coding challenges and the freeform projects. Generally, it is hard to develop curriculum that will work for such a wide range of learners, but it's also really fantastic to be able to give the same curriculum to such a huge number of learners, because I get so many data points about what works, what doesn't work, and what is just too dang confusing. I love learning about learning, and now I get to do that at scale.
BI: Teaching girls how to code is a hot topic right now. Why do you think it's important to learn how to code? PF: There's a huge effort around teaching kids to code, and much of that comes from software companies that realize there won't be enough CS graduates to fill their engineering jobs in the future. That's a great reason, of course, but it's the belief of many and myself that computing needs to be a part of general literacy, even for those that don't go on to have "software engineer" as their job title. It's the kind of skill that people across many industries can benefit from, because programming helps us automate and speed up tasks. I know of a firefighter who programmed an Android app to help his team fight fires faster, and of a psychologist that's using programming to study how little kids learn about the world. As a kid, I used programming to assign chores to my siblings! Even if they don't program in their job at all, many people now work with programmers, and it's helpful for everyone to speak the tech lingo. So, whether or not you grow up to be a full-time programmer, you will be a better equipped human being if you understand the power and potential of programming. As for girls in coding in particular: there are specific efforts around girls and minorities, because they are significantly underrepresented in CS. There are myriad reasons for those differences, much of them boiling down to false assumptions in our culture and socioeconomic privilege. Thankfully, multiple organizations are dedicated to improving those numbers. At Khan Academy in particular, we also saw a difference in our male/female numbers with our programming curriculum, so we partnered with DonorsChoose.org and Google's Made With Code initiative to encourage more female students to code. I'm happy to report that we're now much closer to gender parity, though we likely have more work to do on the socioeconomic front. BI: What kind of advice do you give students who might be intimidated by coding? PF: First, let me make this very clear: They're not alone. I've seen a few campaigns tout how "easy" coding is, and that worries me. That implies that if a new coder doesn't immediately get it, then they're dumb. That's not the case at all. Coding isn't easy — it's complex. It involves learning new syntax, learning logic and control flow constructs, understanding how a computer works, coming up with problem-solving strategies, visualizing a program's state in your head. It's a lot to take in, and it can take time to wrap your head around all of that, and everyone will move at different paces. However, coding is increasingly more approachable for new learners, thanks to the huge number of online and offline resources, and it's a skill that once learned, can empower you with the ability to create and solve problems to an extend that few other skills can. That's why we're all so excited about teaching people to code now.
It's okay to be intimidated by learning something new — I still get plenty intimidated by new technology that I have to learn -- as long as it doesn't prevent you from starting. You can:
You'll hit walls sometimes, and you'll want to give up, just like with everything you learn, and that's a good time to take a break, rant with a peer, try something new, sleep and try again tomorrow. Just don't give up entirely! BI: Are there any other Khan Academy classes you'd like to take? PF: So many! I want to re-learn all the math I once knew, of course, but I'm particularly interested in learning a few new topics: Probability & Statistics (to help me do better data analytics), and our NASA partner content (because, you know, space is cool, and maybe our future home?). SEE ALSO: I Took An Online Coding Class, And Now I Have A Huge Appreciation For What Programmers Do All Day Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Khan Academy is an online learning nonprofit company that aims to make high-quality education free for anyone with an internet connection. 
BI: How has it differed from other places you've worked, including Google?
iPhone Owners: This Is The Easiest Way To Share Photos With Your Friends | ||
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iPhone photos have had their share of bad luck recently. Users freaked out after Apple removed the Camera Roll in iOS 8. The company reinstated it in iOS 8.1. Not to mention the giant iCloud breach that caused tons of celebrity photos to leak. Apple later fixed the security flaw. Now that the dust has settled, there's actually a really cool photo feature in iCloud that lets you share photo albums with your friends, and, better yet, lets your friends add their own photos to those albums. It's called iCloud Photo Sharing, and it makes taking photos and sharing them with friends that much easier. In the past when you went on vacation with a group of friends, you could create a shared album that everyone could view. The problem was, not everyone could add photos to it. So you would have to designate one person to either take all the photos, or be the "photo gatherer" for the entire trip. But with iCloud Photo Sharing, once the album is created, you can invite people to not only view it, but actually add photos to it as well. Here's how it works: First, make sure you and your friends have iCloud Photo Sharing turned on. To do that, go to Settings > iCloud > turn on iCloud Photo Sharing.
Next, go to your Photos app and click on Shared.
In the Shared albums folder at the bottom, click on the Plus sign that says "New Shared Album."
Type in the name of your album. Then click "Next."
Type in the friends you want to share your album with.
And there you go. Now you have an album for you and your friends to drop photos and videos in.
You can even like and comment on photos, and everyone can save photos to their own devices.
If you want to stop people from adding photos to an album you created, you can do that by tapping on "People" at the bottom of the album. And as long as you created the album, you can also invite more people from that screen, delete individual photos shared to that album, or delete the album entirely. Subscribers to the album can only delete photos they personally shared. The best part is that the photos don't count toward your iCloud storage; you can save up to 5,000 photos and videos in each album. Photo Sharing works on iOS 7 devices and above, as well as Macs, PCs, and Apple TV. Learn more about how to set up Photo Sharing on those devices on Apple's website. SEE ALSO: Here's How To Play More Than 900 Classic Arcade Games Without Spending A Single Quarter Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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I Took An Online Coding Class, And Now I Have A Huge Appreciation For What Programmers Do All Day | ||
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As a tech lifestyle reporter at Business Insider, I often write about programmer culture, telling stories of awesome office perks, parties, and late-night hackathons. But when it comes down to it, my liberal arts degree gives me little ability to understand the difficult work programmers spend all their time doing. I had heard about Khan Academy, the nonprofit online learning platform backed by big-name investors like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Google, and how effective and fun its programs are. When Salman Khan, the founder of Khan Academy, started the site in 2006, it was just a series of YouTube videos he had made during his time away from work as a hedge fund analyst. Eight years later, Khan Academy largely follows the same video format, though on a much greater scale. As of February 2014, the site had 10 million monthly visitors, a huge leap from 144,000 at the beginning of 2010. Even Bill Gates himself has endorsed the platform, telling TIME, "I've used Khan Academy with my kids, and I'm amazed at the breadth of Sal's subject expertise and his ability to make complicated topics understandable ... He started by posting a math lesson, but his impact on education might truly be incalculable." I decided to give it a try. How It WorksKhan Academy has a huge selection of classes in subjects ranging from biology and organic chemistry to world history and macroeconomics. In the computer programming section, they offer courses in introductory JavaScript, games and visualizations, and natural simulations. Since I'd never taken a computer science class before, I chose the easiest class, "Intro to JS: Drawing & Animation." A menu showed all of the tasks I would complete in the course — 101 in total. Like other Khan Academy classes, the JavaScript course is structured around a series of video walk-throughs. The student is then given challenges and projects to try out each skill.
First, I learned how to code some basic shapes. During a five-minute video, Sophia, one of the Khan Academy instructors, drew some rectangles at various points on the screen.
It seemed simple enough. In my first challenge, I used the commands I had just learned to make an "H" out of rectangles. It took just three lines of code. After a bit of tweaking of the numbers, the computer determined that I got it right — and gave me some points as a bonus. Those points would later go towards earning badges and upgrading my profile. To the left, you can see the code I wrote, with the results on the right. A fun character congratulated me.
Things Get TougherThe course quickly became more challenging, and in the second section, I learned how to color in shapes. That wasn't too tough in itself, but the end of the section brought on the first of the projects, which I would later come to dread. Projects are when the program gives the student a set of objectives to achieve in his or her code. Since each one involves a good deal of creativity, other Khan Academy students or coaches are asked to evaluate projects to make sure they met each objective. In the first project, I was asked to use the shape commands I had learned to make something that looked like dinner. I decided to use my drawing and coloring skills to make a pizza. It took me a bit of time to figure it out — I'm new to programming after all — and I was happy with it for the most part. Another user gave me a passing grade on my pizza.
One cool aspect of Khan Academy's projects is that once you finish a creation, you can save it to the system as a "spin-off," and anyone else in the programming course can build on it. When I finished my pizza drawing, I scrolled down to see what the other Khan Academy coders had come up with for this particular project. The system displayed the drawings that had received the most votes from other users. Those were much more impressive than mine. I tried not to be too disheartened by the comparison, though some of my drawings took me quite a bit of time. As you can see in the evaluation criteria for my next project, the program asked me to draw an animal with at least five shape commands and variables for width and height. He was pretty cute, though I probably made the coloring too light.
Again, some people were able to make some amazing things from what was a relatively simple assignment. Here were some of the most impressive spin-offs from the "Draw an Animal" project that I drew the penguin for. It got even more fun — and complicated — when I learned how to animate my drawings. I could do things like make a train drive across the screen, or make a sun increase in size until it exploded.
Of course, that was child's play compared to what experienced programmers could do, but I was excited about how much I was learning in such a short amount of time. And as I learned more and more skills — text, strings, functions, loops, arrays, and object-oriented design — I was able to incorporate them into more and more complicated code. It was difficult, but I started to really enjoy the results. What I ThoughtAs I worked my way through the course, it seemed to become more difficult to get evaluated. I'm not sure if it was because not enough people had progressed through the course to have the skills necessary to evaluate my work, but sometimes I would have to wait a few days before someone would give me a passing grade that would allow me to move on. I found that a little annoying since I was trying to complete the class after work hours, but someone with more spare time might not. Overall, realizing how difficult coding is gave me an entirely new appreciation for the apps and programs I use every day. Small things like an extra semicolon or improper placement of a line of code could set off an entire program. The skills I learned were elementary in comparison to the work that professional programmers do regularly. That was pretty eye-opening. Though I found programming difficult, I thought Khan Academy was a fun and accessible platform on which to learn it. I could tell that the course was geared towards younger people, with lots of cute characters with their own names and personalities. When I made a mistake, I didn't get a glaring "ERROR" message but an adorable little creature that said "Oh noes!" Things like that helped when the going got tough. I don't think I have a future in programming, but I'm glad to have gotten a new perspective on the industry I cover. Plus, knowing that I was using a nonprofit organization that seeks to help anyone get access to a free education was an added bonus. Bill Gates would definitely approve. SEE ALSO: A Former Googler Explains Why It's Critical For People To Learn To Code Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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10 Things You Need To Know Before European Markets Open | ||
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Good morning! Here's what you need to know before markets open in London, Paris, and Frankfurt. The French Government Just Approved the GE-Alstrom Merger. General Electric's planned €12.4 billion ($15.6 billion) purchase of most of Alstom's power business was approved by economy minister Emmanuel Macron. PIMCO's Flagship Fund Saw Its Biggest Outflows Ever. $27.5 billion (£17.7 billion) left PIMCO's Total Return Fund in October, bringing the fund's assets under management to $170.9 billion as of 31 October, a roughly 14% decline from the start of the month. Republicans Now Control Both US Chambers Of Congress. The Republicans needed six additional Senators to win a majority in Tuesday midterm election, and won seven. Toyota Just Boosted Its Profit Forecast 9%. Toyota raised its full-year operating profit forecast by 9.1% on Wednesday as a sharp decline in the yen against increases in the value of repatriated earnings makes up for lower vehicle sales. The IMF Thinks It Prematurely Pushed For Austerity. The IMF gave leading economies faulty advice following the 2008 financial crisis, by directing them to cut spending and rely on central bank stimulus for growth, an internal policy review said Tuesday. Markets Are Mixed In Asia. The Nikkei closed up 0.44%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng is currently trading down 0.60%. Rolls Royce Has Cut 2,600 Jobs. The engine maker is also replacing its finance chief after two profit warnings in an eight-month period. China's Services Underperformed in October. China's services PMI dipped to 52.9, the lowest level in three months. PMIs Are Coming. Between 8.15 and 9.30 a.m. GMT, European PMI readings will be released, with the overall trend in the eurozone and UK expected to be slightly downward. At 10 a.m. GMT, European retail sales figures are out, with economists expecting a 0.8% drop between August and September. Cement Maker Lafarge's Third Quarter Met Expectations. French cement maker Lafarge, which is preparing to merge with Swiss-based Holcim, confirmed its €550 million ($696.9 million) 2015 cost-saving goal on Wednesday. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Good morning! Here's what you need to know for Wednesday.
Scott leads WGC-HSBC Champions charge in McIlroy's absence | ||
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Shanghai (AFP) - Forty of the world's top 50 golfers will tee off in Shanghai on Thursday when "Asia's major", the World Golf Championships (WGC) HSBC Champions tournament, gets under way. World number one Rory McIlroy and big drawcard Phil Mickelson have not made the long trip to China, but fifth-ranked Henrik Stenson is at Sheshan International Golf Club, just 11 days after the birth of his third child, Alice, in Florida. World number two Adam Scott skipped the WGC-HSBC Champions last year, so could understand McIlroy's decision to stay away and prepare for his upcoming court case with his former management company. "Unfortunately I decided not to come last year and I had heavy commitments in Australia, and that's a tough decision," said Scott. But he believes it will not detract from the tournament with such a galaxy of stars from both the European and PGA tours on show for the 10th anniversary of the event. "There are not many tournaments that can claim to have a field" as strong as the one for this weekend's tournament, he said. He admitted that his task of winning the $1.6 million first prize was a touch easier without McIlroy present. "Selfishly, yeah, Rory is the main threat to everyone and it opens up the field a little bit this week," added the Australian, who will tee off in a mouth-watering threeball alongside 2009 HSBC Champions winner Sergio Garcia and Rickie Fowler at 9.35am Thursday (0135 GMT). Fowler, 25, in 2014 joined Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus as the only golfer to finish in the top five in all four majors in a season. - 'Big week for all of us' - McIlroy won two majors this year, The Open Championship and the US PGA. The other two major winners of 2014 are both in Shanghai. Masters champion Bubba Watson was 36 on Wednesday and told reporters he would love to celebrate by capping a famous year with another victory. "I've never won a World Golf Championship, so I'm looking forward to it," he said after a year in which he also won the Northern Trust Open and had eight top-10 finishes. US Open champion Martin Kaymer should be fresh as he said Wednesday he had hardly lifted a golf club since playing in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championships at St Andrews at month ago. "I've played only three rounds, and that was in Bermuda, and then I haven't practised at all because I didn't really want to," the German admitted. "There was so much golf. It was quite nice to do something completely different. "It's a big week for all of us," added Kaymer who agreed that it was a blow to the event that McIlroy had not made the trip. "For sure it's a loss for the tournament but on the other hand, everybody has to understand that our entire lives are not always about golf. There are other things that you have to take care of." Kaymer tees off alongside American stars Jimmy Walker and Jordan Spieth at 10.25am (0225 GMT), while Watson joins another marquee group that includes Stenson and 2013 US open champion Justin Rose and tees off at 10.35am (0235 GMT). Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Swedish police await Pirate Bay co-founder in Thai capital | ||
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Bangkok (AFP) - The Swedish co-founder of the Pirate Bay website is due to be hauled to Bangkok Wednesday following his arrest in northeast Thailand, with police from Stockholm waiting to press for his deportation to serve a jail term for copyright infringement. Thai police said Fredrik Neij, 36, was stopped late Monday at the border with Laos wearing the same short-sleeved shirt as in a wanted poster issued to immigration officials by the Swedish embassy. Neij was due to arrive at Bangkok's second airport later Wednesday where Swedish police were expected to greet him. "Three Thai policemen will escort him on the flight to Bangkok and Swedish police will help us whisk him to the immigration bureau before he is handed over to Swedish authorities," Police Colonel Panlop Suriyakul na Ayutthaya told AFP. He will be detained for an unknown period of time in Bangkok pending deportation proceedings, he added. Founded in 2003, The Pirate Bay allows users to dodge copyright fees and share music, film and other files using bit torrent technology, or peer-to-peer links offered on the site. Neij was the last of the original founders of The Pirate Bay, still used by millions across the globe, to remain at large after a 2009 conviction. His arrest is a symbolic blow to a global community of online sharers of films and music, which the movie and music industry decries as systemic theft that costs billions in lost revenue each year. The site's founders Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg and Peter Sunde were convicted in 2009 and sentenced to a year in jail for promoting copyright infringement with the website. Site financier Carl Lundstroem was also handed a year in prison. All of them apart from Warg had their sentences reduced on appeal. But they were also ordered to pay a total of 46 million kronor ($6.9 million) in damages for copyright infringement to the music and movie industry.
- 'Easy to spot him ' -
Neij reportedly fled to Southeast Asia after being released on bail. Officials in Sweden told AFP Tuesday that they would work with Thailand to bring Neij back to serve to his sentence, despite the lack of an extradition deal between the two countries. Neij had settled in Laos with his Laotian wife, living by all accounts a relatively low-key life in the capital Vientiane. Further details of his arrest emerged Wednesday after he was spotted at the Nong Khai border, where immigration staff said he was wearing the same distinctive shirt as in the photo circulated to them. "It was easy to spot him," Panlop said, adding Neij had lived in Laos for at least three years but had entered Thailand 27 times. He is believed to own a property in the Thai resort area of Phuket. "He said he is merely a computer programmer," Panlop said. Neij is the second of The Pirate Bay's founders to go to ground in Southeast Asia following their conviction. Warg vanished after failing to attend a 2010 appeal hearing in Sweden -- meaning his one year sentence was upheld -- while an international warrant was issued for his arrest. He was deported from Cambodia in the autumn of 2012 after Swedish authorities tracked him down and was later handed over to Denmark, where he stood trial for hacking the files of a technology company as well as the police force. On Sunday he was sentenced to three-and-half-years in jail in Denmark after he was found guilty of "hacking and aggravated vandalism". In late May this year, Sunde was arrested in southern Sweden after two years on the run.
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Democrats Are Freaking Out After An Absolutely Disastrous Election Night | ||
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Democrats knew they were in trouble on election night Tuesday when a Virginia Senate seat that was expected to be a blowout victory began to come in much closer than expected. "When you're cheering for an eke-out win in Virginia, not going to be a good night," one Democratic strategist told Business Insider. Another Democratic insider summed up their impression of the evening's results in a rather blunt text. "Fucking. Bloodbath," they wrote. In almost every sense, the midterm elections were a disaster for the Democratic Party. They lost their majority in the US Senate, and the final results were shaping up to be close to the worst-case scenario for Democrats in which Republicans would swing eight or nine seats. In addition to the Senate majority, Democrats were badly beaten further down the ballot. They lost key gubernatorial battles — some in strongholds and others in key targets for pickups. And they were further walloped in the House of Representatives, where Republicans are now on track to have the party's largest majority since 1928 for the final two years of President Barack Obama's term. Republicans were gleeful. "Feel like we're surfing at the moment," one Republican official told Business Insider, playing off the theme of a GOP "wave" election. Democrats who spoke to us also described the results in nautical terms, but they saw it as a natural disaster rather than a day at the beach. "No one expected the tsunami in 2004," a Democratic operative said. The operative pointed to the fact election forecaster Nate Silver's model initially didn't make dire predictions for Democrats as evidence "there was literally no indication of this." "Look at Nate Silver's stuff. Not that he's a god, but he aggregates all the polls," said the operative. "I'm honestly in shock." The Democratic insider who described election night as a "bloodbath" also used the tidal wave metaphor — and they laid blame for the wipeout squarely at Obama's feet. "This is a tsunami. Heads will roll at 1600. And if they don't, shame," the insider said, adding, "The president has 60 days to clean house, regrow his spine and lay out an aggressive, centrist agenda. If he fails at any of those, he might as well just start writing his memoir." A national Democratic operative from the liberal wing of the party echoed the idea Obama was personally to blame for the party's losses Tuesday night. They also slammed any of their colleagues who might try to defend the president. "Democratic operatives who refuse to acknowledge this is the White House's fault are out of their fucking minds," the operative. "These operatives who don't understand that the White House fucked up are the same hacks who overcharge House and Senate candidates for shitty consulting work and help lose elections year after year." The operative also said Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid hurt the party by delaying ambitious action on immigration and other hot-button issues to protect incumbent senators in southern states. "It also doesn't help that Dems completely broke their promise to enact immigration reform. Reid's strategy of 'no big bills' this year that could protect [Arkansas Sen. Mark] Pryor, [North Carolina Sen. Kay] Hagan, and [Louisiana Sen. Mary] Landrieu obviously backfired," said the operative. "They lost anyway, and we pissed off our base at the same time." According to the insider, Democratic pollsters traced the origins of Tuesday night's Republican victories to Obama's infamous late August press conference where he was asked about his plans for dealing with the jihadist group Islamic State (also known as ISIS) and declared, "We don't have a strategy yet." "Have now heard from multiple pollsters that the bottom fell out when the president said he didn't have a plan to deal with ISIS," said the insider. "Reinforced growing belief that it was a rudderless ship, and then Ebola struck." On election night, Democrats' Senate problems began in Virginia, where incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Warner was staving off a much stronger than expected challenge from Republican Ed Gillespie. Most outlets still had not called the race by night's end, though Warner had jumped to a few-thousand vote lead in the race. "Didn't expect this," one Democratic strategist texted Business Insider as the race remained tight as the night went on. In the Senate battle, Democrats lost seats to Republicans in North Carolina, West Virginia, Montana, South Dakota, Arkansas, Iowa, and Colorado — giving the party a 52-45 majority. The results yet to be called include Alaska and Louisiana, where a runoff will be held next month and polls show Republicans are favored to make another pickup. But perhaps more sobering for Democratic officials were gubernatorial races. Their candidates lost in toss-up states like Kansas, Michigan, Wisconsin, Maine, and Florida, all of which had highly vulnerable Republican incumbents. The GOP also took control of the state houses in the Democratic strongholds of Illinois and Massachusetts.
However, the most surprising gubernatorial race of the night belonged to Maryland, where Republican Larry Hogan shocked the current Democratic Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, who was sitting Gov. Martin O'Malley's hand-picked successor. "We heard it was getting close but it ended up pretty much being a blowout," a top Democratic official told Business Insider. One Republican strategist immediately pointed to Maryland when asked by Business Insider what they found most shocking about Tuesday night's results. "What the heck?? It's effin' Maryland!" the strategist said. Indeed, the Democratic insider said Brown's internal polling showed him up by thirteen points as recently as two weeks ago. Jon Thompson, a spokesman for the Republican Governors' Association, told Business Insider the Maryland race surprised him the most "by far." "Voters tonight rejected the Martin O'Malley/Anthony Brown high-tax agenda and voted for real change with Larry Hogan," Thompson said. Another Republican strategist pointed to Iowa as the most embarrassing loss of the night for Democrats. In that state, Republican Joni Ernst beat Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley to flip an open Senate seat into GOP hands. Along with Ernst's victory, the GOP dealt an extra blow to Iowa Democrats by winning Braley's seat in the House of Representatives. In that race, Rod Blum beat Democrat Pat Murphy. "Bruce Braley was such a terrible candidate that he even cost his party a safe House seat," the GOP official said. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Buoyant Manchester City seek CSKA springboard | ||
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London (AFP) - With confidence restored by victory over Manchester United, Manchester City will attempt to rescue their Champions League campaign when they tackle CSKA Moscow at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday. Sunday's 1-0 defeat of United in the derby saw City snap a run of three games without victory and took them to within six points of Premier League leaders Chelsea, but in Europe their fate is in the balance. Having picked up only two points from their first three Group E matches, City no longer have any margin for error and will be left on the brink of a third group-stage exit in four years if they fail to win on Wednesday. Manuel Pellegrini's side squandered a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 at CSKA two weeks ago and with a home game against Bayern Munich and a trip to Roma to follow, the English champions cannot afford to drop points again. City left-back Gael Clichy, who was called into the team to face United after Aleksandar Kolarov was injured in the warm-up, has urged his team-mates not to get carried away by their derby triumph. "It's a totally different competition, so it's not because we've won (against United) that we're going to play well and win against Moscow," he told the City website. "Hopefully we can start winning, because we haven't won a game yet in this competition. We still have a chance to go through and that's the main objective for the club. "A team like us should go through and do well in Europe. It starts on Wednesday and that will be a big game as well." City were aggrieved that some 350 home fans managed to obtain sponsors' tickets to watch the teams' last meeting after CSKA were ordered to play three home matches behind closed doors as a punishment for a series of offences including racist chanting. UEFA subsequently reduced their punishment to playing two home matches without supporters, although CSKA are still banned from selling tickets to their fans for the club's remaining two away games.
- Dzagoev, Wernbloom return -
City will be without Spanish playmaker David Silva due to a knee injury, but veteran midfielder Frank Lampard has revealed that he is "not far off" a return after missing four games with a thigh problem. Meanwhile, Pellegrini revealed after the derby that French centre-back Eliaquim Mangala should be fit to face CSKA despite sitting out Sunday's match due to injury. In contrast to City, CSKA go into the game on the back of a disappointing domestic result, having lost 1-0 at home to Russian Premier League leaders Zenit St Petersburg at the weekend. Zenit's victory, secured by a goal from former City man Javi Garcia, left them seven points clear of reigning champions CSKA after 12 matches. "It's very disappointing, but it's already in the past. Now we need to forget it to prepare for the match with Manchester City," said CSKA coach Leonid Slutsky, whose club have never won a game in England. "In our previous meeting my team showed character as we managed to perform a comeback to chalk up our first point this season. Hopefully, we can achieve a positive result away in Manchester as well." Russia striker Kirill Panchenko will miss out for CSKA due to a knee injury and Swedish midfielder Rasmus Elm remains sidelined by a stomach problem, but Brazilian forward Vitinho could return after ankle trouble. Meanwhile, Alan Dzagoev and Pontus Wernbloom are both in contention to play after completing three-match suspensions for being sent off against Czech side Viktoria Plzen in last season's group phase. In a positive omen for City, they won 5-2 at home to CSKA when Slutsky's side last visited the Etihad on November 5 last year -- a year to the day before Wednesday's match. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Clashes rock flashpoint Jerusalem mosque compound | ||
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Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli police clashed with stone-throwing protesters inside Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound on Wednesday, police spokeswoman Luba Samri said. "Dozens of masked protesters threw stones and firecrackers at security forces who then entered the Temple Mount and pushed the demonstrators back inside the mosque," the spokeswoman said, using the Jewish term for the compound, which is revered by both faiths.
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Pot hits new ballot high, as America votes | ||
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Los Angeles (AFP) - Washington DC and Oregon voted to legalize marijuana, as across the United States ballots were held on issues ranging from gay marriage to bear-baiting, on the sidelines of midterm polls. Oregon and the US federal capital provided a new high for the marijuana lobby, two years after two more western US states, Colorado and Washington, led the way in approving cannabis for recreational use. In other referendum results, voters approved increases in the minimum wage in states including Arkansas, Illinois, Nebraska and South Dakota, according to partial results posted online. On marijuana, Washington DC approved the measure by 65 percent in favor and 28 percent against, according to partial results posted online, while Oregon passed by 54 percent to 46 percent. "More and more people are realizing that it makes sense to choose licensed, regulated, and taxed marijuana businesses over the drug cartels," said Mike Elliott, head of the Colorado-based Marijuana Industry Group. On the streets of the US capital, pro-marijuana campaigners were in jubilant form. "This is a great day for ending the war on drugs in the District of Columbia," said Malik Burnett, a leading campaigner. "The District of Columbia was the birth place of the war on drugs, and marijuana prohibition was the engine of the war on drugs. Today we are putting the engine out of commission," he added. Florida meanwhile appeared to have failed to approve a measure allowing marijuana for medical purposes. Some 57 percent voted in favor, less than the 60 percent required for the proposal to pass, partial results showed. Marijuana was just one subject being voted on, along with everything from abortion to gay marriage and GMOs to bear-baiting, in state and local referendums held in the sidelines of the US midterm elections. Same-sex marriage, which is also in the process of being legalized by many US states, was put to a referendum in Arizona, which amended its constitution to outlaw it five years ago. Another hot button issue, abortion, was on the ballot in Colorado, North Dakota and Tennessee. In Colorado a proposal to define a fetus as a person was rejected by 64 percent to 36 percent of voters. In North Dakota pro-abortion voters also won by 64 percent to 36 percent. Firearms measures were voted on in Alabama, Missouri and Washington state, where there were two opposing ballots: one making it tougher to buy a gun by imposing background checks, and the other seeking to ban exactly that measure. Eight towns and cities voted on anti-fracking proposals. The extraction of oil and gas from shale via hydraulic fracturing has boosted US oil production, but critics fear its impact on the environment. Several towns and cities voted on measures against Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). Referendums in the western US states of Oregon and Colorado sought to make it mandatory to label food containing GMOs. On a lighter note, in California a measure proposed in San Francisco and Berkeley would impose a tax of one cent per centiliter on sugary beverages, in a bid to combat obesity and other health problems. Voters in Alaska were consulted on a proposal to ban mining activity if it endangers wild salmon. Also aiming to protect animals, the East Coast state of Maine was asked to ban bear-baiting, and in particular the use of cold pizza and donuts as lures.
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This 30-Year-Old Rising GOP Star Made History Tonight | ||
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Republican Elise Stefanik became the youngest woman ever elected to Congress on Tuesday, romping to a 22-point victory over Democratic challenger Aaron Woolf in New York's 21st congressional district. The 30-year-old Stefanik is considered a rising Republican star and is already a favorite among Republican leadership, which campaigned and fundraised for her in her district. Stefanik is the first Republican to win the district, which had been held by retiring Democratic Rep. Bill Owens, since 1990. "I didn't think I was ever going to run for office," Stefanik told Business Insider recently. "But I was disappointed in the 2012 elections. I think we need new candidates who are able to talk about a positive vision to getting our economy moving again. Specifically in upstate New York, where young people are leaving in historic numbers for lack of jobs." She added: "We need new, fresh candidates. We need candidates who are able to reach out to young voters, women voters. I don't look like a normal congressional candidate." For more on Stefanik and her fast rise in the party and district, check out our profile of her here. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Suarez seeks first Barcelona goal on familiar territory | ||
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Amsterdam (AFP) - Two defeats in as many games has not been the dream start Luis Suarez sought as a Barcelona player, but one of his old hunting grounds offers the chance to get up and running as the Catalans travel to Ajax on Wednesday. The Uruguayan scored 111 goals during a four-year spell with the Dutch champions before moving to Liverpool in 2011, but has yet to find the net since sealing his club record £75 million ($120 million, 96 million euro) move to Barcelona in July. Barca's star-studded front three of Suarez, Neymar and Lionel Messi were denied by a fine goalkeeping display from Sergio Alvarez and the woodwork four times as Celta Vigo recorded their first away win at Barcelona since 1941 on Saturday, just a week after Barca were beaten for the first time in the league this season at Real Madrid. "The match against Ajax is the most important at the moment," said Suarez, who played the full 90 minutes against Celta for the first time since his four-month ban for biting at the World Cup. "It is clear that it is a club that gave me everything. "I learned a lot and I will always be thankful for that. To return and play in the Champions League with Barcelona will be great." A win for Barca at the Amsterdam Arena allied to victory for Paris Saint-Germain at home to APOEL Nicosia will see both the top seeds in Group F into the last 16 with two games to spare. However, Luis Enrique's men will not be taking Ajax lightly having suffered their first defeat of last season in the Dutch capital 2-1 despite playing against 10 men for the majority of the second-half. "They started very strongly and over ran us in the early part of the game," midfielder Sergio Busquets said on Monday. "When they went down to 10 men and we scored it changed. We hope that doesn't happen again." Busquets has been one of a number of Barca players below par in the last two games, but he refuted suggestions he was still feeling the after effects of a hip injury picked up towards the end of last season and accepted the scrutiny that will come their way after back-to-back defeats. "It is normal that there is a debate and everything is looked at with a magnifying glass. If you lose you have to improve because you are not doing everything well, but we always analyse ourselves, as much when we win as when we lose. "We need to keep working and improving, we can't do anything else." Ajax need to win to retain any realistic hope of reaching the last 16 and midfielder Lasse Schone believes lightning can strike twice for Frank de Boer's men. "Everyone then had written us off last year, but we won," Schone, who scored twice in Saturday's 4-0 win over FC Dordrecht, told the club's website. "The more people say we can't do it the better. Barcelona are better than last year, but again there is always a chance." Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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France approves takeover of Alstom energy assets by General Electric | ||
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Paris (AFP) - France's Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday authorised the sale of some of Alstom's energy assets to General Electric, formalising a multi-billion-dollar deal signed in June, his ministry said in a statement. "Emmanuel Macron ... today gave his authorisation to General Electric (GE) for the realisation of its investment project in France with Alstom and the creation of an industrial alliance between the two groups in the energy sector," the statement said. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Harry Reid Congratulates Mitch McConnell On Becoming Majority Leader | ||
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Current Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid congratulated Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Tuesday night, after Republicans clinched wins in enough seats to retake control of the US Senate. "I'd like to congratulate Senator McConnell, who will be the new Senate Majority Leader," Reid said. "The message from voters is clear: they want us to work together. I look forward to working with Senator McConnell to get things done for the middle class." McConnell is expected to become majority leader with the start of the next session of Congress in January, after winning his own race — one that was expected to be close — in comfortable fashion. President Barack Obama has summoned congressional leaders to the White House on Friday to discuss the agenda on tap for the upcoming lame-duck session of Congress. "We are humbled by the responsibility the American people have placed with us, but this is not a time for celebration," House Speaker John Boehner said in a statement. "It’s time for government to start getting results and implementing solutions to the challenges facing our country, starting with our still-struggling economy." Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Fresh monetary easing exposes cracks in Japan's growth blitz | ||
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Tokyo (AFP) - The Bank of Japan's surprise move to inflate its already huge stimulus programme exposes the cracks in Tokyo's plan to conquer deflation and boost growth, economists say, but it may give the government room to hike sales taxes again. On Friday, the central bank said it would widen its asset-buying plan by as much as 20 trillion yen ($182 billion), bringing it to an eye-popping 80 trillion yen annually, sending the yen into a freefall and stocks soaring. The BoJ also halved its annual economic growth forecast and trimmed consumer price expectations as a much-touted inflation target looks increasingly out of reach and Premier Shinzo Abe's plan to kickstart the economy stalls. "The move by the BoJ shows that Abenomics is facing big problems. The economy is not growing, and is not showing the power to grow," said Ivan Tselichtchev, an economics professor at Japan's Niigata University. "Thus the government and BoJ again have to resort to monetary alchemy. Again, it will have a stimulating effect, but only in the short term." Friday's decision also threw into focus the sharp contrast of fortunes for the US and Japanese economies after the Federal Reserve last month brought an end to six years of bond-buying and is now considering an interest rate hike. The move -- which is an attempt to stimulate growth by pumping massive amounts of money into the economy -- is the first since the bank unveiled the unprecedented easing scheme in April last year. The programme -- and a target of 2.0 percent inflation by next year -- were cornerstones of the government's wider platform to turn around years of deflation and kickstart the economy. When it was launched, Abe's revival plan was cheered by some and it seemed to be working well -- sending the yen tumbling against the dollar and the stock market surging to a six-year high by the end of 2013. But critics derided it as a money-printing exercise that would leave Japan in a bigger financial hole. It already has the heaviest debt burden among rich nations at more than twice the size of the economy -- a figure that will expand as a rapidly ageing population strains the public purse. - 'Preparing way for tax hike' - And earlier this year "Abenomics" hit a wall as months of weak indicators were compounded by the introduction of the country's first sales tax hike in 17 years. As consumers stopped spending the economy shrank an annualised 7.1 percent in April-June, and with the latest data also looking poor, there are fears of another contraction in July-September, which would put the economy in technical recession. Abe is expected to announce next month if Tokyo will usher in a second tax hike in 2015, but fears of recession have cast doubt on that. While the new revenue source was aimed at paying down an enormous national debt, it has put Abe in a tricky position as he balances his pro-spending growth plan with controlling government finances. The fresh BoJ easing "confirms the scale of the challenge confronting the Abe government as it seeks to deliver stronger real growth and inflation while also reducing the fiscal deficit", said ratings agency Fitch. Abe, whose approval ratings have sank, is also facing pressure to put in place some of the structural reforms he -- and most economists -- say are necessary to generate lasting growth. "I think the real purpose of the additional easing, at this particular time, was to support the Abe administration and to prepare for the second tax hike," said Kenji Yumoto, vice chairman of the Japan Research Institute. Data released Friday showed September inflation slowed and household spending slumped further, adding to concerns. Japan's central bankers acknowledged struggles in changing consumer thinking on falling prices, saying converting the "deflationary mindset...might be delayed". Deflation may sound good for consumers, but falling prices tend to put off buying in the hope of getting goods cheaper down the road, denting investment and economic growth. Tsuyoshi Ueno, a senior economist at NLI Research Institute in Tokyo, said last week's measures underlined the bank's troubles in reaching its 2.0 percent inflation target. "The core consumer inflation index, which will be announced next month, may come in lower than one percent," Ueno said. "So, the BoJ is doing whatever it can. Monetary easing is a shot in the arm that can buy time for restructuring (the economy)." Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Republicans win US Senate majority: TV networks | ||
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Washington (AFP) - Republicans captured a majority in the US Senate Tuesday in a sweeping midterm election victory that delivers a rebuke to President Barack Obama's Democrats. With a win in Iowa, the Republican party picked up at least six Senate seats to guarantee at least 51 members of the 100-member chamber, TV networks said, while projecting an increasing in the GOP majority in the House of Representatives. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Republicans Have Taken Over The Senate With Victory In Iowa | ||
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Republicans appear poised to take over the U.S. Senate after the Associated Press called the race in Iowa for Republican Joni Ernst (R) over Rep. Bruce Braley (D) Tuesday night. The Iowa race was one of the most important in the country for Democrats, who had once expected to hold the seat of outgoing Sen. Tom Harkin (D) in a state twice won by President Barack Obama. This made the state one of two pickups in tossup states with Democratic senators Republicans needed to get the net gain of six seats that would allow them to take over the U.S. Senate. In addition to these gains, Republicans swept the three tossup states where they were playing defense — Kentucky, Georgia, and Kansas. Braley initially was ahead of Ernst, but he had a number of prominent stumbles during the race. Most notably, he once dismissed the state's other top lawmaker, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R), as "a farmer from Iowa who never went to law school." Ernst became well known during her Republican primary for an ad touting her experience "castrating pigs" in Iowa farms. Some observers credited the viral ad with her late surge against Braley. SEE ALSO: An Election Shocker In Virginia Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Republicans Avoid Runoff With Big Win In Georgia | ||
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The GOP scored another big win in Georgia on Tuesday night. By 10:55 p.m. both CNN and NBC News declared Republican businessman David Perdue the winner of the Senate race in that state with no need for a runoff. Heading into election day, polls indicated Perdue might not earn the 50% of the vote necessary to avoid a runoff against Democrat Michelle Nunn on Jan. 6. That theoretically could have made it unclear who controlled the Senate until after the next session of Congress was set to begin on Jan. 3. Perdue will replace retiring Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss. Georgia was one of three key states where Republicans were hoping to hold on to a seat against competitive challenges from Democrats. The GOP swept the three races where they were playing defense with projected wins in Kentucky and Kansas to go along with Perdue's victory. Since they held on to these three seats, Republicans just need to take two seats that were held by the Democrats. They have already secured one of these pickups with a projected win in Colorado against incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Udall.
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Republicans Just Saved One Of Their Most Important Seats Of The Night | ||
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Republican Sen. Pat Roberts has staved off a challenge from independent candidate Greg Orman in Kansas, Fox News, CBS, and other outlets projected late Tuesday night. Roberts' expected win means Republicans will hold onto one of their most important contested seats of the midterm elections. Republican incumbents also beat Democratic challengers in Kentucky and Georgia, according to projections. Roberts looked to be in deep trouble two months ago before shaking up his campaign staff and mounting a comeback. He significantly closed the gap with Orman over the past two months, turning what was once a double-digit deficit into a statistical tie. Some of the Republican Party's heaviest hitters — Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, and Kansas' own Bob Dole — traversed the state to campaign on Roberts' behalf. Still, Roberts was unable to pull ahead over the past few weeks, and the final four public polls of the race separated the candidates by no more than two points. Orman, an independent, was something of a wild card. Most strategists believe he would choose to caucus with Democrats, since he briefly ran for Kansas' Senate seat in 2008 as a Democrat. The revamped Roberts campaign heavily targeted his business record over the past two months, bringing down his image among Kansas voters. For more on the status of Senate control, check out our post here. This post will be updated continuously throughout the night. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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'Interstellar': timely ode to space conquest | ||
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Los Angeles (AFP) - It has not been a good week or two for space travel. But "Interstellar", the new Oscar-tipped movie starring Matthew McConaughey, may just get a boost from the bad news. Days after a privately owned rocket exploded on take-off for the International Space Station (ISS), followed by the crash of a Virgin spaceship designed for tourists, film-goers just might have space on their minds -- and pick "Interstellar" as their weekend movie. If they do, they will see a moving ode to conquering space by Christopher Nolan, the director of the "Dark Knight" trilogy and the mind-bending science-fiction film "Inception". "We used to look up at the sky and wonder at our place in the stars. Now, we just look down and worry about our place in the dirt," says Cooper, McConaughey's character. Cooper is a former astronaut who has become a farmer, having abandoned his dream of space exploration to grapple with the crisis on Earth caused by giant dust storms throttling agricultural harvests. With his daughter Murph (played by Mackenzie Foy as a child, and Jessica Chastain as an adult), Cooper by chance discovers an underground NASA lab secretly planning a space mission led by Professor Brand (Michael Caine). He agrees to return to space to seek out a new home for humans as their old planet dies, via an intergalactic "worm-hole" near Saturn. The only problem -- well, not the only problem, but one of them -- is that one hour on the other side of the wormhole equals seven years on Earth, meaning he risks never seeing his daughter alive again. "For me, this movie is about being a father and how hard it is to leave your kids to go to work," Nolan told reporters in Los Angeles ahead of its general US release Friday. - Inevitable for human race - Nolan has a daughter, Flora, whose mother Emma Thomas is the producer of "Interstellar", which was filmed in Canada and Iceland. The movie is also "about what I see as a kind of inevitability (for) the human race, this moment where the human species will have to leave the planet and find another place in the universe," he added. The film comes out as the space community licks its wounds following the October 28 explosion of an Orbital Sciences Corporation rocket in Virginia, and Friday's crash of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo in California. "I've been asked a lot -- is it worth investing in space travel rather than take care of the problems we have here on Earth?" said the 44-year-old filmmaker, whose past films include "Memento" (2000) and "Insomnia" (2002). "I think that's a false choice. We have to carry on exploring the universe. And I hope within our lifetimes we'll be able to do more because I'd like to be around to see it," he added. Visually, "Interstellar" is as spectacular and inventive as Nolan's previous films -- notably 2010's "Inception", which explored people's dream worlds. The movie was shot using old-fashioned film as Nolan is an ardent fan of celluloid, even if digital has become the norm in the industry -- especially for big-budget films with lots of special effects. It also nods to past sci-fi classics, including a sarcastic robot -- a cross between R2D2 from "Star Wars" and HAL from "2001: A Space Odyssey", as well as drawing on films like last year's Oscar-winning "Gravity". McConaughey, who took home the best actor Oscar this year for "Dallas Buyers Club", joked that it would be tough to be locked in a space ship with him -- a suggestion contradicted by Anne Hathaway, another Oscar winner who plays a scientist on the spaceship. "Matthew would be the perfect person to go on a space trip with because he's a very deep thinker. So you know you'd have interesting conversations," Hathaway said. As awards season looms, "Interstellar" is generating buzz, including a 70 percent favorable rating on the RottenTomatoes movie review website. Indiewire.com noted that Nolan has never picked up a Best Director Oscar nomination. "So most would agree that he's due for further recognition at this point, and there's a lot to suggest that 'Interstellar' could be the one to provide it," it added. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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The Biggest Surprise Of The Night Is Happening In Virginia... | ||
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Republican candidate Ed Gillespie has mounted a shockingly strong challenge to incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Warner in Virginia, a development that stunned political observers on election night. As of 1:55 a.m. ET Wednesday morning, according to The Associated Press, Warner was leading by about 12,000 votes out of more than 1.2 million cast — with more than 99% of precincts reporting. The incredibly close race means a recount in Virginia is looking increasingly likely. It's an incredible turnaround in a race where Warner has spent months enjoying a comfortable lead. Shortly after midnight, NBC News declared Warner the "apparent" winner. However, NBC News political director Chuck Todd explained they were not officially projecting victory. "It's not outside a potential recount issue," Todd said. Todd also said he imagined Gillespie would be reviewing the numbers to determine whether he would want to mount a recount fight. "If I were him, I wouldn't concede tonight," Todd said of Gillespie. "It could be within recount range." One Democratic source disputed that there would be a recount. The source told Business Insider that the margin right now is bigger than the close 2006 race between Democrat Jim Webb and Republican George Allen, which did not feature a recount. Gillespie, a former lobbyist and chair of the Republican National Committee, entered the race in January, giving Warner a legitimate challenge. Though Gillespie recovered from a more than 20 percent deficit in public polls earlier this year, Warner was still up an average of more than 9 points heading into election night. Warner also remains a relatively popular senator in a swing state where President Barack Obama won in both 2008 and 2012. "When 'things are looking up in VA-Sen' is the good news of the night, you know it's been" a bad night, tweeted Markos Moulitsas, the founder of liberal news site The Daily Kos. It's the second time this election cycle that a Virginia race has shocked the political world. In June, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor was knocked off by Republican primary challenger Dave Brat in an upset. Gillespie's surprising performance in Virginia was part of a bad night for Democrats across the board that saw Republicans take over the U.S. Senate. This post was updated on November 6, 2014 at 1:55 a.m. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Democrats Are Projected To Lose A Crucial Senate Seat In Colorado | ||
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Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colorado) is set to lose his re-election race Tuesday night, delivering a significant blow to Democrats' hopes of keeping the Senate, according to projections from Fox News, NBC News, and the Associated Press. Udall was facing off against Rep. Cory Gardner (R), who was widely considered an underdog for most of the race. President Barack Obama won the swing state in both the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections. However, after a highly negative campaign, Gardner started to gain ground in the polls and eventually overtook the incumbent in the closing weeks of the race. Among other things, Udall focused much of his time accusing Gardner of being wrong on women's issues. Meanwhile, Gardner used those attacks to paint Udall as a single issue candidate. Gardner also emphasized his support for the Keystone XL pipeline. The Colorado contest was one of eight highly competitive races for Senate Republicans, who are aiming to take majority in the upper house of Congress. Gardner's win was one of several indications Republicans are headed for a Senate takeover. Barring any major shocks, the GOP needs to take two of the tossup races from the Democrats to get the majority. An unexpectedly close race for Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Warner's seat in Virginia and the projection Louisiana's race is headed for a runoff, which looks favorable for Republicans, make it increasingly likely the GOP will get the second seat they need to go along with their win in Colorado.
This post was updated at 10:35 p.m. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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LG, Google strike patent-sharing deal | ||
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Seoul (AFP) - LG Electronics said Wednesday it had signed a long-term cross-licence deal with Google as the South Korean firm tries to expand its smartphone business. The deal covers patents on a "broad range of products and technologies" that already exist and will be filed in the next 10 years, the two firms said in a joint statement. Samsung -- LG's home rival and the world's top smartphone maker -- earlier struck a similar deal with Google in January. "LG values its relationship with Google, and this agreement underscores both companies' commitment to developing new products and technologies that enhance consumers' lives," said J. H. Lee, executive vice president and head of the LG's intellectual property centre. Almost all of LG's popular smartphones, tablet computers and smartwatches are powered by Android software made by the US tech giant. LG -- currently the world's fourth-largest smartphone maker -- struggled for years with sluggish sales after making a late entry into the market. But it recently showed signs of revival with its flagship G3 smartphones, while its bigger rival Samsung saw profits sag. LG earlier reported an 87-percent jump in third-quarter net profit as the previously loss-making handset unit saw profits surge in a big turnaround. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Republicans gain key Senate seats in midterm vote: TV | ||
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Washington (AFP) - Republicans picked up three US Senate seats in midterm elections Tuesday, media projections showed, boosting chances of a shift in the majority of the 100-member chamber. Republican candidates defeated Democrats in Arkansas, South Dakota and West Virginia -- three of the six seats the party needs to pick up to tilt the Senate balance. Media forecasts meanwhile said Republicans would keep control of the US House of Representatives, and likely increase their majority. Analysts have predicted Republicans were likely to control both chambers for the first time since 2006, complicating the last two years of Barack Obama's presidency. CBS News projected the Republicans would hold at least 226 of the 435 House seats. NBC said the party would take 242 seats. In the Senate contests, Republicans picked up West Virginia when Shelley Moore Capito won the race for the seat vacated by retiring Democrat Jay Rockefeller. In battleground state Arkansas, Republican challenger Tom Cotton defeated incumbent Democratic Senator Mark Pryor in the home state of former president Bill Clinton. And in South Dakota, Republican Mike Rounds defeated Democrat Rick Weiland to take the seat of retiring Democratic Senator Tim Johnson, network projections said. In Kentucky, Republican Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell was re-elected, according to projections -- putting him in line to be the next majority leader if his party gains control of the upper chamber. Key Senate races in North Carolina and Georgia were so far too close to call. In North Carolina, Democrat Kay Hagan was battling for re-election against Republican challenger Thom Tillis in the most expensive midterm contest, with spending expected to top $100 million. A three-way race in Georgia could go down to the wire: with Republican David Perdue, Democrat Michelle Nunn and Libertarian Amanda Swafford fighting for the seat, a runoff will be held if none receive more than 50 percent. A runoff was also possible in Louisiana, with incumbent Democrat Mary Landrieu seeking to retain her seat. In one key hold for the Democrats, Senator Jeanne Shaheen was re-elected in New Hampshire, fending off a challenge from Scott Brown, a former Republican senator in Massachusetts. The race in Virginia was far tighter than expected, with Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat, and Republican challenger Ed Gillespie running neck-and-neck, networks said. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Angelina Jolie 'open' to politics, diplomacy | ||
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Los Angeles (AFP) - As Americans went to the polls for mid-term elections, Angelina Jolie revealed that she is open to a possible role in politics, diplomacy or public service. The A-list star, who is already known for her humanitarian work on various causes, wondered aloud whether she would better achieve her aims as an actress or in another role. "When you work as a humanitarian, you are conscious that politics have to be considered," she told Vanity Fair in a cover story. "Because if you really want to make an extreme change, then you have a responsibility," she added, before saying: "But I honestly don't know in what role I would be more useful -- I am conscious of what I do for a living, and that (could) make it less possible." Asked directly if she could pursue a life in politics, diplomacy or public service, she replied: "I am open." She gave no more details. Since 2012, Jolie has traveled on more than 40 missions around the world as a special envoy for the United Nations Refugee Agency. Last year, Jolie was awarded an honorary Oscar for her humanitarian work. Last month, the star of such Hollywood films as "Tomb Raider" and "Maleficent" was made an honorary dame for her work combatting sexual violence. Britain's Queen Elizabeth II presented the award at London's Buckingham Palace. Jolie's directorial debut feature, 2011's Golden Globe-nominated "In the Land of Blood and Honey," was set against the background of the early 1990s Bosnian war. Her upcoming film, "Unbroken," is about Olympian and World War II POW survivor Louis Zamperini. It will be released on December 25 in the United States. Jolie will next direct a "sweeping epic" film about veteran Kenyan conservationist Richard Leakey's fight with ivory poachers, the studio behind the movie announced in September. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Scott Brown Projected To Lose In New Hampshire | ||
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Former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown's (R) bid to return to the U.S. Senate by winning in the neighboring state of New Hampshire ended Tuesday night when multiple news agencies, including NBC News and ABC News, projected his loss to incumbent Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D). Brown drew national headlines when he won the Bay State seat previously held by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Massachusetts) in a huge 2010 upset. However, Brown lost his re-election bid against now Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D) in 2012. On the campaign trail Tuesday, MSNBC's Alex Wagner asked brown whether he might switch states again if he lost to Shaheen. He dismissed her question as "silly." Brown's race was one of eight key tossup contests as Republicans attempt to mount a Senate takeover. Polls showed his race was a reach for the GOP, but had he won it, it would have put them on the cusp of eliminating the Democratic majority in the upper house of Congress.
This post was updated at 9:23 p.m. SEE ALSO: Scott Brown Dismisses 'Silly' Question About Whether He'll Switch States Again If He Loses Tonight Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Here's Why The Time Is Always Set To 9:41 In Apple Ads (APPL) | ||
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There's a reason for everything at Apple. And that even includes the time displayed on the devices in promotional materials. It even extends to print ads and television commercials. That time used to be 9:42. You could see it across various commercials, print ads, and even on Apple's site itself. The explanation was simple: That's the time in the morning that Steve Jobs announced the very first iPhone in 2007. Around 42 minutes into his keynote address, he said, "Today Apple is going to reinvent the phone." And a picture of the iPhone, displaying the time 9:42, popped up on the screen behind him. But that all changed in 2010, when the very first iPad was released. When that was revealed, it displayed a different time: 9:41. If you check Apple's site right now, the time set on the devices is always 9:41. And not just on iPhones. Macs, too. Even the iPad in the iPad Air 2 ad that ran during the keynote last month displays 9:41 as the time. But why did the time change? It's all very simple, according to former iOS chief Scott Forstall, who happened to divulge the secret to Australian-based app developer Jon Manning of Secret Lab. "We design the keynotes so that the big reveal of the product happens around 40 minutes into the presentation," Forestall said. "When the big image of the product appears on screen, we want the time shown to be close to the actual time on the audience’s watches. But we know we won't hit 40 minutes exactly." They made the iPhone time be 9:42 and were pretty accurate. Very accurate, in fact. Jobs announced the phone at exactly 9:42, according to Engadget's live blog of the event. So for the iPad they decided to go with 9:41, for no real reason at all. "And there you are — the secret of the magic time," Forstall told Manning. (Via The Atlantic) Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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