Kim Dotcom Is Officially Broke | ||
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German entrepreneur Kim Dotcom has admitted that he has run out of money after spending over $10 million on legal costs. Speaking via a Skype call at the unBound Digital conference in London, Dotcom explained that his three-year legal fight could be coming to an end. "My legal team resigned after I ran out of money," Dotcom said. "I spent $10 million to defend myself. They have drained all my resources." Dotcom was arrested in 2012 after a dramatic police raid on his $24 million mansion in New Zealand. The New Zealand government had worked together with copyright enforcement agencies in the US to bring down the serial entrepreneur, accusing him of aiding copyright pirates through his Megaupload file-sharing site. Dotcom claimed that the appearance could be his last public interview, because he suspects that the New Zealand government could use his lack of funds to revoke his bail on during his next bail hearing on Thursday. "I’m an easy target because of my flamboyant lifestyle. It's hard to keep a low profile when you have number plates with 'GOD' and 'STONED' on them. Also, I’m German, and Hollywood loves German Bond villains."
At its peak, Mega was one of the biggest sites on the internet. Accounting for over 4% of global internet traffic, the file-sharing site had 50 million unique visitors every day. It even launched high-profile ad campaigns with big names in the entertainment industry. But police accuse Dotcom of enabling online piracy, charging him with racketeering, conspiring to commit copyright infringement and conspiring to commit money laundering. Dotcom has always denied the charges against him, saying today that "Megaupload had 100% takedown for clients, and gave Hollywood studios direct access. It was the same story with Iraq and weapons of destruction. The US government abused its power. It has no ethics anymore. I’ve lost my faith in the law. It’s just 'who pays, wins.'” Exactly one year after police shut down Megaupload, Dotcom launched a new file-sharing site: Mega. This new site features strong encryption, advertising itself as a safe place to store files away from government spying. Dotcom says that Mega has merged with a company listed on the New Zealand stock exchange, and is currently valued at $210 million. But Dotcom made it clear to the audience at unBound Digital today that he has no ownership stake in Mega. Instead, the company is owned by his wife, whom he recently separated from.
A recent report in the New Zealand Herald claimed that Dotcom is living alone in his giant mansion, prevented from venturing outside. But today Dotcom denied those claims: "They said I’m a lonely man alone in my mansion, but my kids are living with me. I’m playing with them every day. I’m a happy man because of my kids. If they were not around it would be much darker." Facing a return to jail after running out of money, Dotcom had a single plea for the audience in what may be his last interview: "If I go back to jail, send me cards ... cards with photos of cats on." Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Here Is Where Apple's Black Friday Deals Will Be In The UK | ||
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Apple is again likely to hold a Black Friday sale in the UK. Here is a link to the UK Apple Store where the deals will appear. CityAM believes this will be the URL for the direct link to the deals. But that can't be verified. Apple will most likely get a huge influx of shoppers to its stores and online if previous years' Black Friday events are any guide. Some seem to think the UK will get price reductions rather than gift cards. This website says discounts are expected on iPads, iPods, MacBooks, and accessories. Apple has already announced its US deals (see them all here), which see purchases rewarded with gift cards. If you buy an iPhone, for example, you'll get a $50 voucher. But the company hasn't yet released its UK bargains. Yahoo Finance also believes Apple might bring actual prices down, noting that iTunes online gift cards, worth more than £25 and bought from Giftcloud, will be reduced from Nov. 28 until Dec. 1. But everything else is purely speculation; nothing is confirmed. The only certainty at this stage is Apple's work with World AIDS Day. As Macworld points out, last year Apple offered savings of £31 on the iPad Air, while £15 was taken off the iPad Mini price. MacBook Pro models were cheaper by £81, and iPods were also discounted. We'll keep you updated on Apple's Black Friday movements in the UK. The Black Friday shopping phenomenon arrived in the UK in 2010, when Amazon first promoted Black Friday discounts to shoppers. Black Friday in the US is the day after Thanksgiving, a day that almost all Americans have off from work — and many use it to begin their Christmas shopping. Black Friday is essentially meaningless in the UK, except that American retailers have figured out that it is a good time to officially get the British Christmas shopping season started. Last year there was a 6.9% rise in shopper "footfall" on UK high streets on Black Friday.
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Kim Dotcom Is Officially Broke | ||
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German entrepreneur Kim Dotcom has admitted that he has run out of money after spending over $10 million on legal costs. Speaking via a Skype call at the unBound Digital conference in London, Dotcom explained that his three-year legal fight could be coming to an end. "My legal team resigned after I ran out of money," Dotcom said. "I spent $10 million to defend myself. They have drained all my resources." Dotcom was arrested in 2012 after a dramatic police raid on his $24 million mansion in New Zealand. The New Zealand government had worked together with copyright enforcement agencies in the US to bring down the serial entrepreneur, accusing him of aiding copyright pirates through his Megaupload file-sharing site. Dotcom claimed that the appearance could be his last public interview, because he suspects that the New Zealand government could use his lack of funds to revoke his bail on during his next bail hearing on Thursday. "I’m an easy target because of my flamboyant lifestyle. It's hard to keep a low profile when you have number plates with 'GOD' and 'STONED' on them. Also, I’m German, and Hollywood loves German Bond villains."
At its peak, Mega was one of the biggest sites on the internet. Accounting for over 4% of global internet traffic, the file-sharing site had 50 million unique visitors every day. It even launched high-profile ad campaigns with big names in the entertainment industry. But police accuse Dotcom of enabling online piracy, charging him with racketeering, conspiring to commit copyright infringement and conspiring to commit money laundering. Dotcom has always denied the charges against him, saying today that "Megaupload had 100% takedown for clients, and gave Hollywood studios direct access. It was the same story with Iraq and weapons of destruction. The US government abused its power. It has no ethics anymore. I’ve lost my faith in the law. It’s just 'who pays, wins.'” Exactly one year after police shut down Megaupload, Dotcom launched a new file-sharing site: Mega. This new site features strong encryption, advertising itself as a safe place to store files away from government spying. Dotcom says that Mega has merged with a company listed on the New Zealand stock exchange, and is currently valued at $210 million. But Dotcom made it clear to the audience at unBound Digital today that he has no ownership stake in Mega. Instead, the company is owned by his wife, whom he recently separated from.
A recent report in the New Zealand Herald claimed that Dotcom is living alone in his giant mansion, prevented from venturing outside. But today Dotcom denied those claims: "They said I’m a lonely man alone in my mansion, but my kids are living with me. I’m playing with them every day. I’m a happy man because of my kids. If they were not around it would be much darker." Facing a return to jail after running out of money, Dotcom had a single plea for the audience in what may be his last interview: "If I go back to jail, send me cards ... cards with photos of cats on." Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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10 Things You Need To Know Before The Opening Bell (DIA, SPY, SPX, QQQ, GM) | ||
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Good morning! Here are 10 major stories you need to know about before markets open in the US. Stocks Are Up Again. The bull market continues. Dow futures are up 21 points and S&P futures are up 2 points. In Europe, Britain's FTSE is up 0.1%, France's CAC 40 is up 0.5%, and Germany's DAX is up 0.9%. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei closed up 0.3%. Japan's Kuroda Is Ready To Ease More. "Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda on Tuesday stressed the bank's readiness to expand stimulus furtherto meet its price goal, a message that was partially echoed by an European Central Bank policymaker as the euro zone economy battles to lift off," Reuters' Leika Kihara and Stanley White reported. "In a speech to business leaders, Kuroda stood firm in the face of criticism that last month's unexpected monetary easing has accelerated unwelcome falls in the currency, saying that the "BOJ will continue to take action" to vanquish deflation." Bayer May Sell Its Diabetes Business. "German drugmaker Bayer AG is considering a fresh attempt to sell its diabetes device business as it sharpens its focus on margin-rich healthcare sectors, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday," Reuters' Arno Schuetze and Ludwig Burger reported. Sony To Cut TV Lineup. "Japan's loss-making Sony Corp plans to slash its TV and mobile phone product line-ups to cut costs, counting on multi-billion dollar revenue surges for its buoyant PlayStation 4 and image sensor businesses over the next three years," Reuters' Reiji Murai reported. General Motors Is Expecting Sluggish Demand Everywhere But The US. General Motors President Dan Ammann on Monday said he expects "more of the same" next year from a US auto market that has been growing slowly, while he is bracing for continued soft demand in other parts of the globe. GDP Revisions Coming. At 8:30 a.m. ET, we'll get new revisions to US GDP. Economists estimate Q3 GDP growth will be revised down to 3.3% from an earlier estimate of 3.5%. Personal consumption is expected to be revised up to 1.9%. "September data suggest that consumption, residential investment, and equipment and intellectual property investment were stronger than assumed by the BEA in the advance estimate, while net trade and nonresidential structures investment were weaker," Barclays economists said. An Update On Home Prices.The S&P Case-Shiller Home Price report comes out at 9:00 a.m. ET. Economists estimate home prices climbed 0.20% month-over-month in September or 4.6% year-over-year. "Other measures of home prices have risen in September, in line with our view that the underlying trend remains one of modest gradual improvement in the housing market," Barclays economists said. Confidence Check. At 10:00 a.m. ET, we'll get the consumer confidence report. Economists estimate the Conference Board's index of sentiment climbed to 96.0 in November. "The Conference Board index hit a seven-year high of 94.5 in October," Credit Suisse economists noted. "We estimate that the upward momentum continued in November, given the stock market’s near record highs and significant further declines in gasoline prices." Ferguson Cop Not Avoids Charges For Teen's Death. A grand jury decided not to indict Missouri police officer Darren Wilson for shooting and killing unarmed teenager Michael Brown. Peaceful protest slowly escalated into riots and looting. Tear gas flew, police cars went up in flames, and stores burned down. New Details. Wilson's grand jury testimony and photos of his injurieswere released following the decision not to indict. In Wilson's words: "He turns, and when he looked at me, he made like a grunting, like aggravated sound and he starts, he turns and he's coming back towards me... His first step is coming towards me, he kind of does like a stutter step to start running. When he does that, his left hand goes in a fist and goes to his side, his right one goes under his shirt in his waistband and he starts running at me." Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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The Guy From 'Bar Rescue' Reveals Exactly How To Fire Someone — And When To Give Them A Second Chance | ||
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The reality show "Bar Rescue" is currently in its fourth season on Spike TV. Each episode offers an opportunity for veteran food and beverage industry consultant Jon Taffer to swoop in and revive a failing bar. Usually this entails having to identify the staff's weakest link. Follow BI Video: On Twitter Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Check Out The Strange, 'Sexy' Ads For Coke's New Milk Product (KO) | ||
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Coca-Cola is launching a new kind of premium milk nationwide in the US called Fairlife that will sell for twice the price of regular milk. To make sure the idea of "Coke Milk" was appealing, the company created an ad campaign. Here's a look at what appears to be print and poster ads for Fairlife milk. The creative first appeared in Minnesota, where the drink launched in February.
It kind of looks like the ladies might be having weird laxative issues. Perhaps they are lactose intolerant. In fact, Fairlife doesn’t contain lactose, so maybe that’s the message. Some Twitter users are not convinced: "We’re going to be investing in the milk business for a while to build the brand so it won’t rain money in the early couple of years," Douglas said, according to a transcript of his remarks. "But like Simply [orange juice], when you do it well it rains money later." So perhaps we’ll be seeing the leaky, milky pin-up girls again. SEE ALSO: Coca-Cola Social Media Britain Is Not At All Sure It Likes The New 'Green' Coke Flavor Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Here Is Where Apple's Black Friday Deals Will Be In The UK | ||
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Apple is again likely to hold a Black Friday sale in the UK. Here is a link to the UK Apple Store where the deals will appear. CityAM believes this will be the URL for the direct link to the deals. But that can't be verified. Apple will most likely get a huge influx of shoppers to its stores and online if previous years' Black Friday events are any guide. Some seem to think the UK will get price reductions rather than gift cards. This website says discounts are expected on iPads, iPods, MacBooks, and accessories. Apple has already announced its US deals (see them all here), which see purchases rewarded with gift cards. If you buy an iPhone, for example, you'll get a $50 voucher. But the company hasn't yet released its UK bargains. Yahoo Finance also believes Apple might bring actual prices down, noting that iTunes online gift cards, worth more than £25 and bought from Giftcloud, will be reduced from Nov. 28 until Dec. 1. But everything else is purely speculation; nothing is confirmed. The only certainty at this stage is Apple's work with World AIDS Day. As Macworld points out, last year Apple offered savings of £31 on the iPad Air, while £15 was taken off the iPad Mini price. MacBook Pro models were cheaper by £81, and iPods were also discounted. We'll keep you updated on Apple's Black Friday movements in the UK. The Black Friday shopping phenomenon arrived in the UK in 2010, when Amazon first promoted Black Friday discounts to shoppers. Black Friday in the US is the day after Thanksgiving, a day that almost all Americans have off from work — and many use it to begin their Christmas shopping. Black Friday is essentially meaningless in the UK, except that American retailers have figured out that it is a good time to officially get the British Christmas shopping season started. Last year there was a 6.9% rise in shopper "footfall" on UK high streets on Black Friday.
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Vietnam seizes over 1,000 dead endangered sea turtles | ||
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Hanoi (AFP) - Vietnam's environmental police have seized a record haul of over 1,000 endangered sea turtles which were being prepared for illegal export to China, an official said Tuesday. "The turtles were all dead," Le Hong Thai, an official of the Ministry of Public Security's environmental police department, told AFP. "They were meant to be processed into handicrafts for export to China," he added. The raids were made on Wednesday last week in the resort town of Nha Trang on Vietnam's south-central coast. "The case is under investigation, so we cannot reveal the number of detainees or any other details," Thai said. Marine turtles are fully protected under Vietnamese law. Hunting and trading, including the storing, of any of the five native species is a criminal offence, according to local media reports. Scores of Vietnamese have been arrested in regional waters over the past years for catching or trading sea turtles. Nguyen Phuong Dung, the director of conservation group Education for Nature-Vietnam, welcomed the raid but said it must be followed with legal penalties for those involved. Courts "need to send the message that Vietnam is serious about prosecuting and punishing" crimes involving endangered species, she said in a statement. Environmental groups say Vietnam is one of the world's worst countries for trade in endangered species -- an accusation which it denies. Police regularly seize hauls of ivory, rhino horn and exotic species including pangolins and tigers, but conservation groups say these represent just a small part of the trade passing through the communist country. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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France's Mistral Warship Deal With Russia Is Off Again | ||
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Russian state-owned news service Sputnik News is reporting that French President François Hollande has postponed the sale of its Mistral-class helicopter carriers to Moscow. Here's the tweet: The news comes after the French minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, Laurent Fabius, tweeted earlier on Tuesday that the conditions for the sale of the Mistral ships to Russia have not been met: Reports in Russian media suggested that Moscow had given its French partners until the end of the month to hand over the first of two warships on order, or else it would seek "serious claims" for breach of contract. That deadline now looks under threat, despite news on Monday that a provisional date of November 27th had been agreed by both sides for the handover. There are reports, however, that Russia will hold off seeking damages "for now". The deal is becoming a nightmare for France. The country would doubtless love the €1.2 billion in revenue that the ships will generate from the Russians. But Russia right now is engaged in an on-again, off-again armed conflict in Crimea and Ukraine, which the international community opposes. France doesn't particularly want to be seen selling military equipment to Putin's increasingly belligerent empire. This story is being updated. Click here to refresh. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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