The Maker Of The Game 'Destiny' Gave A Man Recovering From Brain Surgery A Rare Gift | ||
| | ||
Bungie, the developer behind one of the hottest games of the year, gave a man recovering from brain surgery a rare gift: The Fate Of All Fools. That may not sound like much. But to fans of the game, it's huge. It's a rare weapon that actually doesn't exist yet; it will be offered as a reward for a mission in future content. (Learn more about the Fate Of All Fools on DestinyDB.) According to Reddit user Bkbunny87, her husband's doctor recommended that he play the game "to serve as a form of physical therapy for him, following several brain surgeries." "... his neurologist told us that video games have been showing tremendous use as a PT tool for brain and memory damage," Bkbunny87 wrote. "He even brought 'Destiny' up on his computer and after some speed reading he was all but jumping at the opportunity the game could pose for someone in my husband's position." She says that not only was the "Destiny" Reddit community supportive, but that Bungie Community Manager Deej reached out and said that a care package is on its way. The entire post reads: Yesterday I had a post talking about my husband and his Doctor recommending Destiny to serve as a form of physical therapy for him following several brain surgeries. This community was amazing, and raid groups are being organized for him out of all the people who offered to help him. But just as amazing, Deej contacted me and has sent my husband a care package from Bungie that is on the way. Then this morning, a message from Deej told us to have my husband check with Tess the Post Master in the tower. Lots of screaming ensued. He has been sent the exotic gun Fate Of All Fools, a solar primary that looks like it will be available in future content. Vision of Confluence had been my husbands dream weapon, as scout is his favorite and he wanted that solar damage. A more perfect weapon could not have been chosen. I'm so jealous, but mostly so damn happy for him. As for him-- well, you can imagine :) Thank you guys for being such a caring community. Thank you Deej and the crew at Bungie, you've made him ecstatic. That makes her husband the only player in the world to hold such a rare gift. (Via Gameranx) SEE ALSO: Here's How To Play More Than 900 Classic Arcade Games Without Spending A Single Quarter Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
Symantec Is Laying Off 2,000 Employees As It Splits In Half | ||
| | ||
The company declined to break down where the cuts will come from, but said it will take place across “a number of locations and functions within the company.” The Mountain View-based company had 20,800 employees as of March, which made it the 10th-largest Silicon Valley tech employer last year. Thursday's news comes after last month’s announcement to split Symantec into two public companies. One of them will take Symantec’s security side of the business, which had $4.2 billion in sales last year, while the other will primarily focus on document storage and protection businesses, which had about $2.5 billion in sales in last year. Symantec had another major layoff last year, when it cut roughly 1,700 jobs. This makes Symantec the fourth tech company in Silicon Valley to announce major layoff plans, the report says. HP cut 11,000 jobs in May, while Intel and Cisco said it would each cut 5,000 and 6,000 jobs, respectively. Symantec sent the following statement to Business Insider: "Symantec will be taking a limited restructuring action over the next year, which will allow the company to reinvest resources to accelerate product development and reduce operational complexity. This action is expected to impact up to 10% of our global workforce, and is a necessary step to drive greater efficiency and growth." Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
Symantec, the security software company that announced plans to split in half last month, will lay off roughly 2,000 employees, or about 10% of its total workforce over the next year, Woman Who Left Her Home Because Of 'Gamergate' Death Threats Is Offering A Reward For Information | ||
| | ||
Brianna Wu, who has found herself in the middle of the GamerGate controversy, is offering a reward for information about people who have been harassing her. Wu and her husband left their home last month, following death threats she received on Twitter. Based on tweets from Wu, the harassment seemed to be in response to a meme Wu created poking fun at the "GamerGate" movement. Wu is head of development at game developer Giant Spacekat. The GamerGate controversy involves death threats via tweets (or comments on blogs) aimed at women who have criticized sexism in the gaming industry. The GamerGate camp is composed of people who believe that the reaction to those threats is overblown, or that some of the threats were scams on the part of the women or that the men who play video games are the real victims, as they are being painted as misogynists. The intricacies of GamerGate are complicated and the irony is that both sides of the issue are claiming that they are being harassed and bullied. Some video game fans say that journalists and game developers are too close, and are calling into question the ethics of video game journalists. But it quickly devolved into harassment of women in the industry. Supporters of the idea that it is the gamers being victimized, not women who have receieved threats, have rallied behind the "GamerGate" hashtag on Twitter and elsewhere. The hashtag is being blamed for various threats against women. Anita Sarkeesian, who recently canceled an appearance at Utah State University after death threats, says at least one of the many threats against her and feminists at the university claimed affiliation with GamerGate. Wu has talked openly about her experience in the media and on Twitter. She's even in the process of setting up a legal defense fund for other women who have been harassed by the GamerGate movement. (Via GameSkinny) SEE ALSO: YouTube Multimillionaire PewDiePie Says He's Happier Now That He's Disabled Comments On His Channel Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
Mark Zuckerberg Wants To Build The ‘Perfect Personalized Newspaper’ For Every Person In The World (FB) | ||
| | ||
“Our goal is to build the perfect personalized newspaper for every person in the world,” Zuckerberg said. “We’re trying to personalize it and show you the stuff that’s going to be most interesting to you.” He said each user gets exposed to more than 1,500 stories each day, but an average user would only get to see about 100 a day on News Feed. In order to maximize that experience, Zuckerberg is working with a team of engineers to learn user behavior and pick up signals that show what kind of content each user is most interested in. “That means that if businesses are sharing content that may be useful to them (Facebook users), then we’ll show that. But if that means that businesses are sharing content that isn’t going to be useful for them, we may not show that, because it’s probably more important that they learn about a friend who had a baby and their baby is healthy,” he said. He also gave some advice to businesses that are trying to reach a larger audience through their Facebook pages. “If you’re a business owner thinking about how to use your free page on Facebook, I would just focus on trying to publish really good content that’s going to be compelling to your customers and the people that are following you.” This is an important point for many companies, especially those in the news business. Nearly 30% of adults in the US get their news on Facebook, while up to 20% of news site traffic comes from Facebook, according to a recent New York Times article. Facebook has a whole team dedicated to building the perfect algorithm that could predict and feed the type of content users might want to see on their News Feed, whether it’s an actual news article or a photo of a friend. But Zuckerberg stressed that at the end of the day, it will all come down to the quality of the content. “There’s more competition for what they (users) see, so only the highest-quality content is actually going to get through and get shown to those people,” Zuckerberg said. SEE ALSO: Here's The Real Reason Mark Zuckerberg Wears The Same T-Shirt Every Day Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
During his first-ever public Q&A on Thursday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg explained his vision for News Feed, the page where every Facebook user gets to see a constant stream of “stories.” How Mark Zuckerberg Shut Down A Troll Who Called Facebook's 'Donate' Button For Ebola A Marketing Stunt | ||
| | ||
Earlier today, Facebook announced the launch of a "Donate Now" button on people's News Feed to let them give money to one of three charities: International Medical Corps, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, or Save the Children. Facebook will also be providing internet and voice-calling access to aid workers in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. In the comments section of Mark Zuckerberg's post about the initiative, though, a Facebook user accused the company of simply launching the button as a marketing stunt: Zuckerberg had a great response:
Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, committed $25 million to fight Ebola on Oct. 14. (Via AdWeek) SEE ALSO: 18 Ancient Websites You Won't Believe Still Exist Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
The Man Accused Of Running The Silk Road 2.0 Has 'Admitted To Everything' | ||
| | ||
Blake Benthall, the man accused of running the deep web's notorious illegal marketplace the Silk Road, reportedly confessed minutes after being arrested yesterday in San Francisco. Ars Technica reported from Benthall's first court hearing today, which lasted around 15 minutes. Federal prosecutor Kathryn Haun reportedly told the court that Benthall has already admitted to running the Silk Road. "Mr. Benthall did admit to everything after receiving his Miranda rights—that he was the administrator of Silk Road 2.0," Haun said to the court. Benthall is charged with one count of conspiring to commit narcotics trafficking, one count of conspiring to commit computer hacking, one count of conspiring to traffic in fraudulent identification documents, and one count of money laundering conspiracy. The FBI shut down the Silk Road 2.0 site on Thursday after monitoring the site and Benthall's alleged involvement. If convicted, he could face life in prison. SpaceX confirmed to Business Insider that Benthall was previously employed at the California-based rocket development company founded by Elon Musk. Benthall worked as a flight software engineer from Dec. 9, 2013 until Feb. 21, 2014. Additionally, Benthall proudly posted online of his experience with crytocurrency Bitcoin. His Twitter bio reads "rocket scientist, bitcoin dreamer." The FBI's criminal complaint against Benthall claims that the Silk Road's employees were paid exclusively through Bitcoin, and that Benthall ran the site's "tumbler" that ensured transactions remained anonymous. A LinkedIn profile that appears to belong to Benthall shows he worked at a charity in his native Texas, helping to design and maintain its website. He went on to work as a volunteer programmer for a project that brought the Linux operating system to the newly launched iPod, before creating a video game hosting company in his teenage years, according to the LinkedIn profile. The young programmer attended a Florida college from 2007 to 2008, where he organised concerts and performed as part of the school's band, the LinkedIn profile shows. Benthall also ran a tech incubator out of his San Francisco home at the same time the FBI accuses him of overseeing the world's largest online drug market, Forbes' Ryan Mac reports. The FBI accuses Benthall of using Bitcoin gained from running the Silk Road to buy a Tesla car. One day before the Silk Road 2.0's first birthday, the FBI arrested Benthall and raided his home in San Francisco's Mission district. On Thursday, the anniversary of the Silk Road 2.0's launch, the arrest was revealed and the drug marketplace taken down as part of Operation Onymous, a cross-continent scheme involving the FBI and European police. SEE ALSO: FBI Arrests Former SpaceX Employee, Alleging He Ran The 'Deep Web' Drug Marketplace Silk Road 2.0 Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
Here's The Real Reason Mark Zuckerberg Wears The Same T-Shirt Every Day (FB) | ||
| | ||
He answered a lot of different questions, but the one that got a lot of interest was, “Why do you wear the same T-shirt every day?” For those who haven’t noticed yet, Zuckerberg wears the same gray T-shirt at most public events. While many expected a playful response, Zuckerberg gave a pretty serious answer for his penchant to wear the same gray shirt. “I really want to clear my life to make it so that I have to make as few decisions as possible about anything except how to best serve this community,” Zuckerberg said, after clarifying that he has “multiple same shirts.” He said even small decisions like choosing what to wear or what to eat for breakfast could be tiring and energy consuming, and he doesn’t want to waste any time on that. “I’m in this really lucky position, where I get to wake up every day and help serve more than a billion people. And I feel like I’m not doing my job if I spend any of my energy on things that are silly or frivolous about my life,” he said. Zuckerberg pointed out that a number of other influential people, like Apple founder Steve Jobs or President Barack Obama, have the same theory with regards to choosing their outfits. Jobs, in fact, told Walter Isaacson in his biography that he even wanted to have all Apple employees wear the same vest. And now for more pictures for Zuckerberg wearing the same clothes:
SEE ALSO: Zuckerberg wearing a white t-shirt and more madness from Facebook's first office Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had his first-ever public Q&A on Thursday. 
Apple Has Shut Down The 'WireLurker' Malware Attacking iPads and iPhones (AAPL) | ||
| | ||
Apple has confirmed to Business Insider that the "WireLurker" malware affecting iOS devices has been neutralized. "We are aware of malicious software available from a download site aimed at users in China, and we’ve blocked the identified apps to prevent them from launching. As always, we recommend that users download and install software from trusted sources,” said an Apple spokesperson. WireLurker was installing malicious apps on iOS devices. Once directly connected to a Mac, WireLurker could begin installing malicious apps there as well, giving the malware its name. As Apple noted, WireLurker emanated from a Chinese third-party app store. Western users appear to have escaped the bug. The malware was discovered by cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks.  SEE ALSO: Apple Products Are Under Attack By A Vicious New Malware Called 'WireLurker' Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
16 Hidden Secrets In Pixar And Disney Movies That Actually Exist In Real Life | ||
| | ||
Disney's newest film, "Big Hero 6," opens this week. And some eagle-eyed viewers have already spotted some Easter eggs in the trailer that was released over the summer. An Easter egg, as it relates to movies, is when the movie's creators hide something in the film that's an intentional inside joke. John Lasseter, cofounder of Pixar and now overseer of all animation projects at Disney, is no stranger to the Easter egg world. Both of the companies he's led, particularly Pixar, have included dozens of Easter eggs in their movies. There's even something called the Pixar Theory, where all the Pixar characters live in the same universe.
Some Easter eggs are based on real-world locations. There are obvious ones — in the beginning of the 2006 movie "Cars," the announcer says the entire town of Emeryville will be closed for the race; Pixar Studios is in Emeryville, California — but some Easter eggs aren't so obvious. Pixar just announced another sequel to "Toy Story" during Disney's Q4 conference call. It'll come out in June 2017, so it's a sure bet that even more Easter eggs are on their way. References to A113. Perhaps the most famous of all the Pixar Easter eggs are references to A113. References to A113 can be found in all Pixar movies, some Disney movies, and even in "The Simpsons" and other animated shows and films. References to A113 can also be found in video games. Chances are, if an alum from the California Institute of the Arts is somehow involved, A113 will be included in the animation. That's because A113 is the classrooms used by the graphic design and animation students at the school, including John Lasseter. The real CalArts is located in Southern California. Fenton's Creamery in Disney-Pixar's "Up" is located in Oakland, California. At the end of the movie, Russell and Carl can be seen eating an ice cream cone on the sidewalk in front of Fenton's Creamery. See the rest of the story at Business Insider  | ||
| |
Home Depot: 53 Million Email Addresses Were Stolen (HD) | ||
| | ||
The hackers that engineered a massive credit card breach at Home Depot last September appear to have also exposed 53 million customer email addresses, reports The Wall Street Journal's Shelly Banjo. The company had been investigating the data breach with help from outside IT security experts, it said in a press release. Home Depot says it is notifying customers whose email addresses were exposed. Home Depot confirmed the hackers' success at stealing credit card data in a statement two months ago. "We want you to know that we have now confirmed that those systems have in fact been breached, which could potentially impact any customer that has used their payment card at our U.S. and Canadian stores, from April forward," said Home Depot at the time. Retailer Target also suffered a similar credit card data breach last winter, and as the Wall Street Journal reports, it happened in much the same way, through a refrigeration contractor's electronic billing account, then filtering down to payment terminals. It's unclear what the hackers' plans are for the stolen email addresses. SEE ALSO: FBI Arrests Former SpaceX Employee, Says He Ran Drug Marketplace Silk Road 2.0 Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
10 Horrible Tech Habits You Need To Break Today | ||
| | ||
We're all guilty of it. There are plenty of times where we do things simply because they're easier or more convenient — even though they may be damaging to the gadgets we use every day. Or, even worse, some poor habits could put your personal information at risk. From managing your passwords poorly to becoming the equivalent of a digital hoarder, here are a few habits and routines you should try to avoid. Using the same password for everything This is probably the most common (and one of the worst) habits people fall into. It's easy to use the same password for all of your online accounts. Who wants to remember dozens of different passwords? The truth, however, is that this is incredibly dangerous. If a hacker happens to obtain one of your passwords, he or she will be able to access your entire digital life. If you're having a hard time creating new passwords, try using a password management app such as Last Pass or Dashlane. Never changing your password While you should never use the same password for multiple accounts, you should also change your existing passwords on a regular basis. Microsoft suggests that you change your passwords every 30 to 90 days to be safe. Not using two-step authentication to protect your important online accounts In the age of sophisticated hacks and vulnerabilities such as the Heartbleed bug, it's important to set up extra protection for your online accounts. Services such as Gmail and Dropbox offer two-step authentication. This allows you to use your phone to verify your identity when logging into your account. After you type in your password, the service will send a text message to your phone with a code. You would then type that code into your account to log in. Two-step authentication prevent hackers from logging into your account even if they have your password. See the rest of the story at Business Insider  | ||
| |
CHART: If You Want Customers To Take Advantage Of Deals And Coupons, Use Email | ||
| | ||
We're coming up on the all-important holiday season, in which retailers will be giving away coupons and special promotional offers in hopes of boosting awareness and selling out their wares. But for those retailers, what's the best way to actually reach consumers? Based on Accenture data charted for us by BI Intelligence, email is still the most effective method for consumers receiving and using coupons — by a wide margin. Around 44% of US shoppers said they prefer all their offers to come through email, and surprisingly, physical printed "snail" mail is the second-most preferred method. In-store offers can be somewhat effective, but if you want customers to take advantage of a special deal, relying on texts and social media might not be the way to go.
Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
The Silicon Valley Elite Are Renting The Google Bus For Napa Valley Wine Tours | ||
| | ||
The private charter buses that shuttle Silicon Valley tech workers to their jobs are a constant presence around the Bay Area. Though the buses have become for many a symbol of the gentrification sweeping the Bay Area, Google touts the environmental benefits of shuttling more than 6,000 employees who might otherwise drive their own cars to work. "In addition to an ultra comfortable ride, real-time location information, and wifi, our shuttles have the cleanest diesel engines ever built," Google writes on its site. "In fact, Google is the first and largest company with a corporate coach fleet to exceed the EPA's 2010 bus emission standards." It turns out, however, that the Google bus' usefulness extends well beyond the work week . According to New York Magazine's Kevin Roose, "The buses have non-environmental benefits, too — at Google, for example, employees can rent them on the weekends to shuttle friends to a party, say, or host an outing to Napa Valley." It looks like plenty of people have made use of the Google bus for social events.
Apparently the Google bus gets rented out for many different occasions, including trips to sporting events and Outside Lands, San Francisco's biggest music festival. SEE ALSO: Google's Halloween Bash Was The Most Outrageous Office Party Ever Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
Once Again, 'Candy Crush' Maker King Will Give Almost All Of Its Profits To Its Investors (KING) | ||
| | ||
"Candy Crush" maker King Digital did it again. For the second quarter in a row, the company returned basically all of its quarterly profit to shareholders. On Thursday, the company reported adjusted profit of $177.4 million, or $0.56 per share, which beat expectations for earnings of $0.47. And the company is rewarding shareholders with a $150 million buyback program, which it hopes to execute in the first quarter of next year. In immediate reaction, investors seem happy with the move: shares of King Digital were up more than 3% in after hours trade following the news. Buying back stock is fairly standard corporate behavior, a way to reward shareholders for investing in the business, but it is a somewhat more curious move from a company that just made its public debut in March. As we wrote back in August, investors can see this decision to return cash to shareholders as a reward for sticking with the company in the fragile post-IPO period. Or, this move can be seen as King Digital waving the white flag on innovation. And while many companies like Apple and IBM have taken some heat for buying back tons of stock, or not buying back enough, these are both mature companies that make billions of dollars a year. King Digital, by contrast, has only been public for a few months, and on Thursday reported quarterly gross bookings that declined by more than $100 million, or more than 16%, year-over-year. Back in August, I had an in-office debate with former Business Insider editor Joe Weisenthal, who thinks this is a great idea and wrote as much on Thursday. Joe thinks that King investing money in R&D would be like a "lottery winner spending the winnings on more tickets." Not a bad analogy. But if this is the corporate strategy, then why go public at all? Certainly management is going to want to instill confidence in investors that it is — and still can — grow the business. In its earnings release on Thursday, King Digital's CEO Riccardo Zacconi said, "We have a consistent track record of developing successive hit games." And there is no doubt that "Candy Crush" has been a massive hit. But there are two metrics in the company's earnings report that are worth taking a closer look at. In the third quarter, monthly gross average bookings per paying user increased 26% over the prior year. So people who were paying for stuff in King Digital's games spent more in the quarter. This is good. But monthly unique payers in the third quarter fell 33% from last year and 17% from the prior quarter. So fewer people were paying for stuff. This is bad. King said, "We believe the sequential decline in [Monthly Unique Payers] was primarily a result of reduced payment activity among the less engaged payers on the network." Whether or not this is the case will be seen in future quarters, but in a high-growth sector like mobile gaming, does a company want to be trading revenue for users over the long term? Now, a quick look at the company's balance sheet, and the $150 million buyback doesn't appear to be all that big a deal. As of now, the company hasn't said it will need to raise debt to execute the buyback, and even if it uses most all of its net profit to buyback shares, the company still had $976 million in cash and equivalents at the end of the quarter. So theoretically, the company could use that cash to invest in new games, new technology, or to buy another company (or maybe to buyback more stock!). And pull up a quick stock chart, and investors who bought shares near the IPO have had a tough couple months, so if you are making money, why not reward shareholders? Perhaps King Digital is setting a new standard for how companies reward shareholders, even before they become what investors might consider "mature" companies. Or perhaps King is finding a way to make sure their shareholders stay, well, their shareholders. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
The CEO Of Softbank Thinks He Deserves The Same Level Of Respect As Warren Buffett From Investors | ||
| | ||
“SoftBank is currently valued less than the sum of its golden eggs,” he said, according to Bloomberg Businessweek. The Bloomberg article points out how SoftBank’s market value stands at around $82 billion, while the net value of its public shareholdings exceeds $114 billion. SoftBank has investments in over 1,300 companies, including tech giants like Alibaba, Sprint, and Yahoo Japan, as well as websites like BuzzFeed and Cheezburger Network. “There is such a thing as a Buffett premium, because the world sees him as an investment god. … There will come a day when the market will give a premium to SoftBank,” Son told the investors, according to the report. By “Buffet premium,” Son is obviously referring to Warren Buffet, and how investors tend to give more value to Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway stocks, and often other companies he invests in, too. In fact, Berkshire Hathaway trades at 21.5 times estimated earnings, compared to SoftBank’s 14.2 price-to-earnings ratio, according to the report. A high ratio typically implies a premium on the company’s stock price or higher expectations for its management. Perhaps in an attempt to make a case for this argument, SoftBank added a couple slides in its earnings report this week to show its strong investment record. It first shows a list of the biggest internet companies it’s invested in over the past decade or so. It’s worth noting how most of its biggest returns came from investments lasting over 15 years.
And then it goes on to show how much return these investments generated on average. With an IRR of 45%, SoftBank has done better than some of the top-performing US fund managers and VC firms. An IRR is a common metric used to measure the profitability of investments.
Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
Earlier this week, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, who is also 
How E-Commerce Is Finally Disrupting The Massive $600 Billion Grocery Industry [SLIDE DECK] | ||
| | ||
Since the early days of the internet, entrepreneurs have dreamed of moving grocery shopping online. It's finally starting to happen. We've created these slides to preview our report on how e-commerce is finally beginning to carve up the groceries market, the biggest untapped e-commerce opportunity. Americans spend $600 billion a year on groceries, the largest retail category by far. Less than 1% of those sales occur online. Same-day delivery services, specialty grocers, and meal-preparation businesses will drive fast growth in online groceries — much faster rate than offline. BI Intelligence is a research and analysis service focused on e-commerce, mobile computing, digital media, and payments. Only subscribers can download the full report on e-commerce groceries as well as the individual charts and datasets in Excel, along with the PowerPoint version of this deck. Please sign up for a free trial here.    See the rest of the story at Business Insider  | ||
| |
At A Mobile Company, A Surprise Buyback | ||
| | ||
So King Digital, the company that makes "Candy Crush," just announced a $150 million share buyback. That's the lion's share of the $177 million that the company made in the quarter. You can read the earnings announcement here. Anyway, this isn't the first time that King (which hasn't been public very long) has returned cash to shareholders. Back in August, the company announced a one-time $150 million dividend, catching investors by surprise. King's strategy makes a lot of sense. Its premier game, "Candy Crush," is an absolute cash-gusher. And the margins are enormous. Almost all the revenue is profit, because the game already exists and what they sell is virtual. Unfortunately, "Candy Crush" isn't an easily repeatable phenomenon. Yes, they've developed other games and impressively, "Candy Crush" is now only 41% of the company's revenue, but it's still a unique phenomenon. It'd be foolhardy for the company to plow its cash back into R&D, as that would be like a lottery winner spending the winnings on more tickets. My old colleague @jyarow asked on Twitter, why bother even being public then? The answer is that being public is a nice way to lock in ("monetize") a massive (but uncertain) stream of future cash flows. I think of King Digital as kind of like being a small oil sands company in Canada. If you're sitting on a huge future stream of oil, it's a smart move to sell off the future cash flows it spins off, rather than, A, wait for all the cash to come in and collect it or, B, hope to strike (black) gold again via speculative drilling. So yeah, it's weird to see a young mobile tech company paying massive dividends. But it's absolutely the right move. This post was originally published on Ello. It is republished with permission. For more from Mr. Weisenthal, follow him on Ello. NOW WATCH: 8 Tips For Google Search That Will Streamline Nearly Everything You Do
Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
20 Vintage War Planes In Microsoft Cofounder Paul Allen's Multimillion-Dollar Collection | ||
| | ||
Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen has plenty of interesting hobbies, including playing in a rock band and collecting real estate and sports teams. One of his biggest passions over the years, however, has been aviation. When he was young, his father was named the associate director of libraries at the University of Washington. "I'd spend hours reading about the engines in some of those planes," Allen told Forbes. "I was trying to understand how things worked — how things were put together, everything from airplane engines to rockets and nuclear power plants. I was just intrigued by the complexity and the power and the grace of these things flying." Allen started collecting planes and other World War II artifacts in the 1990s. In 2004, he opened his 31-piece collection — rumored to be worth many millions of dollars — to the public. It's currently housed in the Flying Heritage Collection, in a hangar in Everett, Washington. Allen's collection includes two types of British planes that served in WWII. The Supermarine Spitfire has often been credited with winning the Battle of Britain. This particular plane was heavily damaged during a raid on enemy territory, though it has since been restored. Source: Flying Heritage Collection The Hawker Hurricane destroyed more enemy aircraft than any other British plane. This plane never saw combat and was recovered from a farm in Ontario, Canada, not far from where it was manufactured. Source: Flying Heritage Collection He also owns a number of German planes, some of which were actually used by pilots during WWII. The Fieseler Storch was named for the German word for "stork" because its wings could be folded down to be transported by train. Source: Flying Heritage Collection See the rest of the story at Business Insider  | ||
| |
15 Breathtaking Locations You Can Explore With Google Street View | ||
| | ||
Google's Street View team has been busy. Leaving the street behind, Google's photographers have visited some of the world's most incredible locations, capturing beautiful panoramic photos along the way. From underwater research bases and submarines to underground salt mines and luxury airliners in the sky, you're guaranteed to see something you've never seen before.
Here's an underwater view of the Aquarius Reef Base in the Florida Keys, where marine biologists and astronauts conduct research. This is Taierzhuang Ancient Town, the only ancient city in China that can boast its own canal. This is the HMS Ocelot, a decommissioned submarine that participated in "clandestine missions" for the Royal Navy in the 1960s. See the rest of the story at Business Insider  | ||
| |
Why Oracle Founder Larry Ellison NEEDS To Have The World's Greatest Competitive Team | ||
| | ||
When Charlie Rose asked Oracle CTO and former CEO Larry Ellison last year why he had to win the America's Cup yacht race for the second time in a row, Ellison replied, "It's funny, because I realized after losing twice that my personality wouldn't allow me to quit while losing. And then after winning the America's Cup, I discovered my personality doesn't allow me to quit while winning! I don't smoke, but I do sail."
Ellison didn't get into the boat alongside his US Team Oracle as he did in 2010, but as team sponsor and manager he led the team to its second victory in 2013. That second victory was actually one of the greatest comebacks in sports history, with Team Oracle USA winning eight races in a row to steal the victory from Team Emirates New Zealand. Ellison made it clear from the beginning that he expected his team to win. When Team Oracle's crew walked into their training compound each day, they had to pass the hull of Ellison's boat that won the 2010 America's Cup. They did cardio and weight training underneath the boat's sail.With the 35th America's Cup scheduled for sometime in 2017, Ellison has victory in his sights once again, proving that total domination of the sport of elite international yacht racing — from winning the America's Cup to pushing competitors to ditch sailboats for futuristic-looking, advanced vehicles — is a natural extension of his legendary drive to win at all costs. A Love Of The Sea
Ellison enrolled at a sailing course taught at the University of California shortly after he moved to the state in 1966 at the age of 22. At 25, he bought a 34-foot-long racing sloop, a single mast sailboat, according to About Sports. I don't smoke, but I do sail. Ellison didn't respond to our request for comment, but he's previously said that,"I was passionate about sailing and the idea of sailing ... the idyllic independence … traveling with the wind." He had to sell the boat after a few years because he became too busy building his company Software Development Laboratories, founded in 1977. SDL eventually adopted the name of its flagship Oracle product in 1982. Oracle went public in 1986, making Ellison $93 million from his 39% stake in the company. The popularity of Ellison's enterprise software company allowed him to grow his fortune exponentially. Today, Ellison is 70 years old and worth an estimated $48.7 billion, according to Forbes, making him the fifth richest man in the world. His fortune has allowed Ellison the chance to not only buy a Hawaiian island, fighter jet, Bugatti, and luxury yacht, but it also allowed him to get back into sailing. "Sayonara"In the 1990s, he bought a 78-foot racing sailboat he named Sayonara and started competing at a high level. Ellison's skills as a yachtsman and team leader shined, winning him five Maxi World Championships.  But in 1998, Ellison skippered his boat through a race that was so traumatizing, he swore off open ocean races forever. He won that competition, too, but he told the Courier Mail that he didn't actually "win," but just happened to be the first to survive. That December, Sayonara and 114 other yacht teams entered the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race off the coast of Australia. A hurricane developed during the race, and only 44 boats made it to Hobart. Twenty-four boats were abandoned and 55 sailors rescued. Six sailors drowned. Ellison told the Courier Mail in 2008 that he's never forgotten the race. The storm's winds were so powerful that Sayonara was practically flying — but not in a good way. "After what was a beautiful day on Sydney Harbour the wind got more intense and the skies slowly, slowly darkened and I remember after 12 hours we were further ahead than the record holder was in 24 hours," Ellison said. His brush with death may have gotten him to swear off races on the open ocean, but he was far from ending his love of sailing. In Pursuit Of The CupEllison's next sailing objective was to win the America's Cup, a yacht race founded in 1851, which generally takes place every three or four years. He put together Team Oracle in 2003 and partnered with BMW the next year. In both '03 and '07, Ellison's team lost in the America's Cup qualifying competition, the Louis Vuitton Cup, reaching the finals the first time and the semi-finals the second. Things got complicated in 2010 leading up to the 33rd America's Cup, but Ellison's tenacity brought him victory. Because Louis Vuitton temporarily ended its affiliation with the America’s Cup for the 2010 race, reigning champion Alinghi from Switzerland could choose its challenger. It selected a Spanish club that was determined by a judge to be fraudulent — a new team created solely for the purpose of keeping the Swiss victorious and having Alinghi agree to keep the race, and its tax revenue, in Valencia. Ellison was the first in the yacht racing community to file a lawsuit against Alinghi, and after a long and complicated court battle, it was determined that BMW Oracle Racing would be Alinghi’s official competitor in the America’s Cup in a special best out of only three races. Ellison, in the role of afterguard, led BMW Oracle Racing to two straight wins.
As the challenger, Ellison now had the power to determine where the 34th America's Cup would be held and what boats were going to be used, and by the end of 2010 BMW stopped sponsoring the team, giving Ellison full control. Ellison decided that the races would be held in the San Francisco Bay, and that instead of a traditional catamaran, the teams would compete in AC72s, which look more like Michael Bay's Transformers than a sailboat. Ellison acted as principal backer and visionary for the team rather than an actual sailor, since these 72-foot-long beasts with 13-story-tall, 3,000-pound wings require elite athletes to operate. The boats require five "grinders" in charge of rapidly operating pulleys, and all 11 sailors need to run and jump across a trampoline-like net from side to side of the boat according to where the wind is blowing. The AC72s reach speeds of nearly 50 mph (compared to closer to 15 mph) and appear to fly over the water. In his 2013 interview with Charlie Rose, Ellison explained that it was all part of his initiative to revolutionize the sport. "We've got to modernize it. It can't be unchanged since 1851," he said, adding that it will not only keep it exciting but keep it relevant to a younger generation. We've got to modernize [the sport]. It can't be unchanged since 1851. Not everyone was convinced. Critics in the sailing community pointed out that a challenger would need to spend $100 million to compete, a price they considered overblown. And in a training accident in the Bay, Swedish team Artemis member Andrew Simpson died when one of the boats capsized. And then Team Oracle got caught using illegal modifications to their smaller AC45 models they used in the preliminary competition, America's Cup World Series. Two sailors were banned from the America's Cup and Team Oracle started the best of 17 series with negative two points. The Need To WinBy the end of the Cup, it was hard to notice the controversy preceding it because Team Oracle USA's win over Team Emirates New Zealand was so incredible.  At the start of the twelfth race, Oracle was down 8-1, putting Team Emirates one win away from humiliating Ellison's team on his own turf. And then they won eight races in a row, putting them down in history as achieving one of the greatest comebacks in all of sports. It is notable that Team Oracle's tactician for races 6-19 was British Olympian Sir Ben Ainslie, the winningest Olympic sailor of all time. The Telegraph's Tom Cary noted that since it's a team sport, it's impossible to measure just how much of an impact Ainslie's expertise had on the team, but it's no denying that his "absolutely ruthless" approach played a major role in the comeback. "All 11 guys on the boat believed we could do it," skipper Jimmy Spithill told an America's Cup reporter. "We just wanted it. We knew we could pull it off." After the win, Ellison hopped on a powerboat and met the team on its ship. "Do you guys know what you just did? You just won the America's Cup!" he told the team, the Wall Street Journal reports. Today the team is preparing for the 2017 America's Cup, which will be cheaper for entrants and will use the more manageable and affordable AC62s. After stepping down as Oracle CEO in mid-September, Ellison as CTO has been more focused on developing and marketing Oracle's cloud computing services. But when the America's Cup rolls around, his winning addiction will kick into overdrive and his sights will be set on winning race after race — plain and simple. NOW WATCH: Business Insider's Christina Sterbenz spends an intense weekend sailing around lower Manhattan:
SEE ALSO: Why Hot-Air Ballooning Is Richard Branson's Favorite Way To Travel Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
FORMER LYFT COO SPEAKS OUT: I Didn't Take Secret Lyft Documents To Uber | ||
| | ||
In an increasingly tense startup rivalry, Lyft is suing its former COO Travis VanderZanden, who now works for Uber, where he oversees the company's international growth. VanderZanden went to Uber in October. Lyft says VanderZanden allegedly downloaded a bunch of confidential Lyft documents to his personal Dropbox account back in August, before he and Lyft parted ways. The documents contained sensitive information about the company, including financial data, customer data, and future company plans. On Thursday, VanderZanden spoke out on Twitter against the allegations in a flurry of messages. He says the allegations against him are an "audacious attack on my reputation." He also says the Lyft cofounders gave him access to see the documents mentioned in the lawsuit, and that he revoked his own access to the documents after he left Lyft and before he started working for Uber. On Wednesday, a Lyft spokesperson provided Business Insider with the following statement: We are disappointed to have to take this step, but this unusual situation has left us no choice but to take the necessary legal action to protect our confidential information. We are incredibly proud of the dedicated and people-powered culture that we’ve fostered to support drivers, passengers and the entire Lyft community and we will not tolerate this type of behavior. VanderZanden is not the only executive who has defected from Lyft to Uber. Art Henry, a former VP of data engineering, also left Lyft and now works for Uber. Lyft's former VP of operations Steve Schnell is also at Uber now. Uber is using the trio to help grow its international footprint. Lyft currently operates solely in the U.S., while Uber is active in 45 countries. SEE ALSO: UBER DRIVERS SPEAK OUT: We're Making A Lot Less Money Than Uber Is Telling People Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
.png)
Hey, Brands: Score A Free Ticket To IGNITION | ||
| | ||
Marketers who want to know what to plan for in 2015 just got lucky. Business Insider is giving away five tickets to IGNITION, the fifth annual conference on the future of digital. Hear eight tech-savvy teens discussing how they use social media. Learn what's coming next for GE's marketing guru Beth Comstock, how Tumblr can be used by marketers looking to reach millennials, and what Bethany Mota did to become one of the most recognizable names in social media. IGNITION takes place Dec. 1-3 in New York City at the TimesCenter. Speakers include:
Make your brand part of the excitement at IGNITION. We will give tickets to five marketers who email rsvp@businessinsider.com and describe why they need to be there. Write now and you could join 700 executives exploring the future of digital. Not a brand? No problem. You can still register for a ticket here. Group discounts are available. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
How To Attract The Best People In The World | ||
| | ||
It's hard to hire great people. Millions of employers say that every time they need to hire someone new. Recruiting the best people to work with is just like dating: All the best ones are taken! The best employees are already working somewhere! If you are in a committed relationship how hard would it be for me to get you to divorce your wife or husband? That's freaking impossible unless you really hate them. They are already locked down and treated insanely great by some employer. After working at Facebook, Mint, and now AppSumo … I know that the best people output significantly more and can grow a business 100x more than a just-okay person. So how do you hire the best people in the world? You can post lazy Craigslist job postings, or you can make yourself appealing so the best people come to YOU. So how do you make yourself sexy enough that the best people are attracted to you? Or in terms of relationships, how would you break up a happy marriage? Let me show you 4 simple things you can do today:1. Look for people you already like.This solves the good interviewer / bad worker problem. You already know the work is good so you don't have to hope that they didn't fool you in the interview. For hiring a customer service person: Go and complain to companies you like. See who gives you great service. Those that do, talk to them about potentially working for you. For hiring a designer: Check out the work that really appeals do you on Dribbble.com and reach out to that person. For hiring developers: Ever use some software you were really impressed with? That's your person. For hiring marketers: Ever seen a marketing campaign that blew you away? That's your homie. Hit up the marketing person from that company on LinkedIn. Look at the people you've worked with from other companies that you were always impressed with. This is how I hired the CTO at AppSumo. Chad was a customer at my previous company and I always enjoyed working with him. So I reached out as I was planning to do AppSumo and ta-da, he's now sitting next to me working. Look at the communities of where great people hang out. See who is the most helpful or produces noteworthy content:
Most of these people WON'T be available right away (remember the best are already taken). So… A) Start the relationship now. Reach out with a compliment and see if they are available.
B) Keep in touch with them every 6 months. I use followup.cc to remind me, add 6months@followup.cc in your BCC field. C) Connect with them on LinkedIn. D) Ask them for a referral, see #3 below. I'm going through the hiring process now, and honestly it sucks. I should have reached out 12 months ago. Even if I wasn't ready it would have started the relationship building with potentially great people. Why do you think I'm writing this email? I wanted to do something different while hiring vs. posting jobs on Craigslist. Ultimately the best people are working and aren't going to quit immediately so you have to plant seeds today. 2. Look for people that already like you.The hardest part of hiring can be onboarding and getting someone who fits into your company culture. Find someone who already understands your company's focus, your customers, and your product. – Reach out to your current customers who already use your product. – Your friends that you already have in your network. Facebook, LinkedIn, Meetup, Church, etc. – Your mailing list or blog of people who consume your information. Check out MailMatch.io to find the jobs of your subscribers. – Your Twitter followers, check out FollowerWonk.com/bio to search their bios. 3. Ask the best people you know for referrals.My friend Patrick recently got a job at Google. Patrick is an insanely great engineer and the first thing they did was ask him for a referral. He recommended me, blush. Check out the email they sent. Google is one of the greatest companies on Earth, copy what works for them. Most great people aren't available right away but maybe their friends are. The KEY thing while asking someone for a referral is to make it specific.
—— See how they got progressively better? The first was a huge ask with nothing specific. The second was a bit easier for the person to process. The last one made it a no brainer for the person to just hit forward on his email and you both get what you want. I did the work for Jim. I found the person I wanted, and I created the email to make it easy for him to forward. Great people tend to associate with great people. Also, there's a trusted implication when someone refers someone they've worked with already. If a candidate rejects you or is unavailable, ask them who they know that's the best in that position. This is essential! Personally, I discourage offering money incentives to your employees for referrals. They should WANT the best people to work with them. And it's lazy. Fun and unique incentives for everyone else are highly encouraged. For example, at AppSumo if you refer someone we hire we offer a first-class ticket to visit Austin to spend a day working on your business with me. Check out our openings here, Appsumo.com/hireme. 4. Make a sexy (Jobs and About) page.Do the best people look at jobs pages? Think about that. If you're in a relationship, do you go on dates with other girls? Nope. If you're content with your job, you aren't going to think of browsing jobs pages. But you may consider the about page of a company you like… The best people are content in their jobs so you want to plant a seed of how much fun they'll have and stay in touch for when they are ready. Ask yourself this on your jobs page: How can you make a jobs page people WANT to share? What's your story about how much fun it is to be working at your company? At AppSumo we built a custom bar in our office. I saw this listing on Craigslist: Would you want to go there to work? I wouldn't! If you don't have a bar, that's fine. Make it appealing to the people you want to appeal to. Sell why someone should be excited to show up to work on Monday. Then the person can always think, dang well if this doesn't work out I always have those fun guys at AppSumo available for me. One of the best things I've learned during this recruiting process is to look at the recruiting process of the best companies. All of them have appealing jobs pages. They sell a story. They make you realize your husband is not that hot. This guy has a whisky dispenser built into him! Make your pages genuinely you. Don't try to be whacky if you're not. For example, as a law firm, you can say you work your asses off, get paid very little but do work that is the most meaningful thing you've ever done. Tell the story of your company and the story of why this position is valuable to you. Even if you don't have the resources of Google. Add your faces on your page. Add your attitude. If you don't have the job available now, let them join a mailing list FOR WHEN YOU DO. AppSumo (my company) has been up to 20 people and as low as 1 employee (myself). The valuable lesson I'm learning now is that I should have had job openings for positions we were likely to hire for in the future. It would have made the experience now much easier. Do you have the jobs you may need listed on your jobs page? MailChimp smartly does this: Bonus: Do retargeting for people who visit. Why? No one does this. If you do what everyone does for recruiting, you are fighting a fair fight. Make it unfair. —— Hiring is fun but it's a short term cost vs long term investment. In the short term you can keep doing things yourself but there's a local maxima you are going to reach in output. Hiring is a long-term investment where you can leverage your time and others to grow more and get more things done. The important thing is investing in your hiring process so you can work with world-class people. Btw, if you are world-class, I want you to join us. We are hiring at AppSumo as we help businesses grow with SumoMe.com. We have openings: Growth Marketing Apply here: Appsumo.com/hireme Hustle hard, P.S. If you refer a person that joins us, I'll buy you a first class ticket to spend a day with me in Austin. We can work on anything you want or just eat tacos and bike around. You'll also stay at a 5-star hotel. Noah Kagan is the Chief Sumo at AppSumo.com. Before that he was employee #30 at Facebook and #4 at Mint. He blogs at OkDork.com. SEE ALSO: The 18 Books That Changed My Life Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
How Larry Ellison's Vision For An Italian Sandwich Shop Started A New Era For Food In Silicon Valley | ||
| | ||
Workers at major Silicon Valley companies like Facebook and Google may enjoy some pretty amazing meals in their corporate cafeterias, but that wasn't always the case. In the late 1980s, Fedele Bauccio was in the process of building Bon Appetit Management Company, a Palo Alto-based restaurant company that he hoped would change the way businesses fed their workers. "My office was in the area where all of the venture capitalists were at the time, starting new companies," Bauccio told Business Insider. He soon became acquainted with Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, who wanted to build a paninoteca, or traditional Italian sandwich shop, at his young company's new headquarters in Redwood Shores. "Being Italian, I said, 'I could do that,'" Bauccio said. "But we knew a small sandwich shop wasn't going to last long." As Oracle continued to grow, Bon Appetit created a series of unique concept cafes for the campus. There's now a Japanese noodle bar, an Indian curry house, and a Mediterranean marketplace, among other delectable options located in different buildings beside a lake. It wasn't long before other tech firms in Silicon Valley caught on to the idea.
"Other companies saw what we did and said, 'We want to do that too.' Other companies were doing these large cafeterias (and we do have some large facilities, too) but there was obviously a benefit in doing these smaller cafes where you have a personal connection to the food and have different seating options," Bauccio said. "Silicon Valley took off like crazy, and now we have a whole new crop of companies — Google, LinkedIn, Amazon — that weren't even in business back then." As these companies have grown into massive global operations, Silicon Valley office culture has also changed significantly. Workers spending long hours at the office often look to their employers to provide healthy, authentic meal experiences at all times of the day. "It challenged us to create what I call 'casual collisions' — that as people break bread together, they come up with new ideas and innovations," Bauccio said. "The days of huge cafeterias are over." A commonly held belief in Silicon Valley is that the happier, healthier, and better-fed employees are, the more productive they'll be. That's where all of the perks come in.
And with initiatives that aim to bring nutritious and locally sourced ingredients into corporate cafeterias, Bon Appetit ensures that employees don't have to leave the office to eat good food. Here are some examples of dishes you can eat at Oracle's cafes today. SEE ALSO: 22 Mouthwatering Pictures Of Google's Legendary Free Food Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
10 Things You Need To Know Before European Markets Open | ||
| | ||
Good morning! Here's what you need to know before London, Frankfurt, and Paris open Friday. Auto Parts Maker Takata Got Slammed By A New York Times Article. Shares in Takata fell more than 8% on Friday, after the New York Times reported that the Japanese auto parts maker had concealed the risks of potentially defective air bags. German Industrial Data Was Weaker Than Expected. Analysts thought production would bounce back 2% after a 3.1% drop last month, but output only increased by 1.4% in September. French President Francois Hollande Admits 'Mistakes' In Government. In a televised interview, Hollande said that if France's high unemployment has not dropped by 2017, he will not run for President again. Symantec Is Laying Off 2,000 Employees As It Splits. Symantec, the security software company that announced plans to split in half last month, will lay off roughly 2,000 employees, or about 10% of its total workforce over the next year, San Jose Mercury News reported Thursday. Another Mixed Day In Asian Markets. Japan's Nikkei closed up 0.52%, but Hong Kong's Hang Seng is currently down 0.31%. The Cleveland Fed President Says Rates Are Going Up. The Federal Reserve will likely raise interest rates next year since inflation, while a bit low now, remains stable and should rise to target by the end of 2016, Loretta Mester said. Bank Of America Lost Money Last Quarter. Bank of America has revised down its third quarter earnings by $400 million amid a currency probe that has forced it to add to its legal reserves. American Stocks Closed At Record Highs. The Dow climbed above 17,500 for the first time yesterday, and the S&P 500 rose over 2,028. The Jobs Report Is Coming. At 1.30 p.m. GMT, US data on non-farm payrolls, earnings growth and the unemployment rate are out. Economists are expecting the rate to hold steady at 5.9%. Janet Yellen will be speaking at the Bank of France. Fracking Firms Are Holding Up Despite The Oil Price Crash. Suppliers of sand to drillers of oil shale and gas say demand hasn't dropped. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
The 10 Most Important Things In The World Right Now | ||
| | ||
1. The FBI arrested on Thursday the alleged operator of "deep web" drug marketplace Silk Road 2.0, former SpaceX employee Blake Benthall. 2. A former safety expert for the European Space Agency told the Financial Times that Virgin Galactic, whose spacecraft exploded killing one pilot last week, did not have enough safety precautions in place. 3. Honda has expanded its recall of Takata-made airbags — now among nearly 8 million cars made by 10 automakers — because the airbags can explode, causing shards of metal to fly out into the passenger compartment. 4. In light of the recall, The New York Times reports that Takata allegedly deleted results from 2004 tests showing the potential risks of its airbags. 5. Israel has reportedly banned entry visas to citizens of the three West African nations worst hit by Ebola, — Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea — according to Haaretz. 6. US President Barack Obama wrote a secret letter to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in October about fighting Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, The Wall Street Journal reports. 7. The European Central Bank said on Thursday that it's prepared for further stimulus if it's needed. 8. Chinese officials bought so much illegal ivory on a visit to Tanzania in 2013 that local prices doubled, a report by Britain's Environmental Investigation Agency has revealed. 9. Some military officials and SEALs have sounded doubts about former Navy SEAL Robert O'Neill's claim that he was the man who shot and killed Al Qaeda founder Osama Bin Laden in 2011. 10. Twitter is reportedly opening a new office in Hong Kong next year, according to The Wall Street Journal. Here's a Christmas ad that will make you cry. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
Good morning! Here's what you need to know for Friday. Joblessness, inequality top global concerns in 2015: report | ||
| | ||
Geneva (AFP) - Unemployment and rising income inequality will top concerns for global leaders in 2015, a World Economic Forum (WEF) study said Friday. The organisation, which each year gathers the global elite in the plush Swiss ski resort of Davos, has drawn up a list of the top 10 issues likely to preoccupy leaders over the coming 12 to 18 months. Rising income inequality tops the list, which is based on surveys of 1,800 experts, including former US vice president Al Gore and former British prime minister Gordon Brown. "As the world's rich continue to accumulate wealth at record rates, the middle class is struggling," Gore said in the report. "The inherent dangers of neglecting inequality are obvious," warned another expert, Amina Mohammed, who is a special advisor to UN chief Ban Ki-moon on post-2015 planning. "People, especially young people, excluded from the mainstream end up feeling disenfranchised and become easy fodder for conflict," she said, cautioning that this "undermines our democracies and cripples our hopes for sustainable development and peaceful societies." In last year's "Outlook on the Global Agenda" report, income inequality ranked second, behind concerns about conflict and tensions in Syria and North Africa. Lack of job growth was the next concern, moving from third to second in the latest survey, with employment numbers remaining flat or even falling when economies begin picking up speed after recessions. The report said that "stagnating wages (contribute) to a vicious cycle of entrenched inequality through suppressed growth and employment prospects." While many of the concerns listed have figured on previous WEF rankings, the experts this year identified two new headaches for decision makers. One is rising geostrategic competition, for instance connected with ballooning tensions between Russia and the West, listed in fourth place, while the other, intensifying nationalism, came in eighth. "This suggests both an increasing fragmentation of international politics and a backlash against globalisation among populations," WEF said. Lack of leadership, which last year figured in seventh place, meanwhile moved up to third. "This global leadership crisis is a trend which cuts across all the other issues," said WEF head of Global Knowledge Networks Martina Larkin. "The danger is that instead of innovating and collaborating to tackle societal and economic challenges, nations and leaders will continue to retreat into isolationism," she wrote, stressing that "today's challenges require bold leadership and courage." Environmental issues also made the top 10, with rising pollution in the developing world coming in sixth, ahead of severe weather events in seventh and fear of water stress and shortages in ninth. The list rounds up with the growing importance of health in the economy, at a time when Ebola is taking a devastating toll on societies and economies in worst-hit west African nations. The report also highlighted the heavy impact diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis have on many countries around the globe. The World Bank estimates 50 percent of the difference in economic growth between developing and developed nations can be attributed to poor health and low life expectancy, it said.
Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
German Industrial Production Comes In Weak | ||
| | ||
Industrial production was up 1.4% in September, below expectations. That doesn't make up for even half of the previous month's dismal reading. Revised figures show industrial output down 3.1% between July and August. Analysts had expected industrial production to rise by 2% from August to September. The data come after a pretty ugly figure for factory orders announced yesterday, with no real bounce back from August's dismal number.
Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
Time for change is now, says Olympics chief ahead of revamp | ||
| | ||
Bangkok (AFP) - Olympics chief Thomas Bach has urged delegates to seize the chance for change and approve a wide-ranging revamp of the games likely to include a shake-up of the sports contested and a new TV channel. Bach was addressing about 1,000 representatives at the Association of National Olympic Committees general assembly (ANOC) in Bangkok, ahead of the release of 40 proposals which will be voted on next month. "The time for change is now. It is not the time to start the discussion again and again," the International Olympic Committee (IOC) president said. "We have been discussing for one year... now is the time for agreeing on something." IOC delegates will learn the full detail of the proposals in two days time and they will be published next week before being put to a vote at the IOC's extraordinary session in Monaco on December 8. "We have to take this opportunity now to drive these changes. Now we are sitting in the driver's seat of the bus," said Bach. "If we don't make these changes now, others will drive this bus and we will have to sit on the back seat of the bus and have to hope that the driver is going in the right direction." Measures under discussion include a year-round digital TV channel and an end to the limit on the number of sports contested, with host cities also able to propose sports. Hosting bids will have to focus on the event's legacy to each city. The revamp is also aimed at putting the focus on athletes and youth, and improving the IOC's organisation and structure. Bach, who has ambitions of placing the Olympics at the heart of modern "society" -- a word he mentioned some 20 times -- said the time was ripe for a makeover after successful Games at London and Sochi. "The reason to change is because we are successful, because if you don't change when you are successful, the time will come and will come very fast when you are forced to change," he said. "We can already see some challenges on the horizon... if we miss this opportunity, then the window of opportunity will be closed." The 204-member ANOC is an umbrella grouping of the world's national Olympic committees led by the influential Kuwaiti Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, who also heads the Olympic Council of Asia.
Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
Hamilton, Rosberg in Brazil duel as points lottery looms | ||
| | ||
Sao Paulo (AFP) - Lewis Hamilton expects another fierce challenge from Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg when the pair resume hostilities at the Brazilian Grand Prix with the season-ending Abu Dhabi double points lottery looming. Only days after claiming his 10th win of the season at the United States Grand Prix in Texas, Hamilton has pledged to work as hard as possible to triumph again in his bid for a second championship. But the 2008 champion knows that even if he wins at Interlagos on Sunday, and his German rival fails to finish, he can still miss out on the title if he flops in Abu Dhabi and Rosberg grabs double points with a victory worth 50 points in the final race of the season. "I feel that I understand the processes that I need and I know what it takes," said Hamilton as he looked ahead to this weekend's race. "There's no real special recipe or anything like that, I'm just going to work my arse off for these next two races and try to improve." In Texas, he admitted that the prospect of losing the title under the double points rule in Abu Dhabi "would suck". Rosberg, understandably, has said he will accept the glory whatever happens –- he just wants to be champion by any means. "It is what it is, I don't really care," said Rosberg. "As long as I have one point more at the chequered flag at Abu Dhabi, I don't care why or how. It's the same for everybody... It's a childhood dream, isn't it, to be F1 World Champion? It would be very special." Hamilton won his fifth consecutive race in Austin to open up a 24-point lead ahead of Rosberg. "You don't really look five or 10 races ahead. I've just always kept my head down, kept chipping away," said Hamilton. "I had those four wins (early in the season), and then there was a bad patch from Monaco onwards. "Then Spa was like 'I'm going to turn this up. I'm going to have to turn this up -- this means war'. It was that kind of feeling. Reflecting on it, I turned the energy from that negative bomb into a positive." On paper, it looks as if Hamilton has the measure of Rosberg after dominating the last five races, but the 29-year-old Englishman will have none of that and is ready for another fierce scrap in what may be a wet race this weekend. "I'm not sure I do have an edge," said Hamilton. "Every weekend Nico resets. He comes in and qualifies on pole. He's massively strong, mentally. He's still there, still fighting." After their domination in Texas, the two Mercedes men have been left as the only contenders for the title while behind them much attention will focus on the plight of struggling teams and their prospects for next year. A provisional entry list issued by the ruling body, the International Motoring Federation (FIA) this week included teams representing both Caterham and Marussia, even though they are both expected to be absent in Brazil where another 18-car grid is in prospect. Marussia's entry has been made under the name of Manor Grand Prix Racing. Entry payments are required by the end of November, by when much else -– including the future destinations of four-time champion Sebastian Vettel and two-time champion Fernando Alonso, not to mention the championship, will be decided. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
Shares Of Japan Auto Parts Maker Takata Are Sinking After Damaging New York Times Article | ||
| | ||
Shares in Takata Corp fell more than 8% as of 1 A.M. EST on Friday, reversing earlier gains after the New York Times reported that the Japanese auto parts maker had concealed the risks of potentially defective air bags following an accident in 2004. The New York Times reported Takata had secretly conducted tests on 50 airbags retrieved from scrap yards after the accident in Alabama, with results showing cracks in steel inflators in two of the air bags. Citing two former Takata employees, the Times said Takata executives ordered the lab technicians to delete the test data instead of alerting federal safety regulators to the possible danger. Takata could not immediately be reached for comment.
Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
Local governor gives final OK to first Japan nuclear restart | ||
| | ||
Tokyo (AFP) - A local governor gave the green light Friday to restarting an atomic power station, granting the pro-nuclear government a significant victory in its bid to get Japan's reactor network back online. Two reactors at Sendai nuclear power plant were clear to resume activity after authorities considered "various situations comprehensively", Kagoshima Governor Yuichiro Ito told a news conference.
Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
Mexico cancels Chinese bullet train construction deal | ||
| | ||
Mexico City (AFP) - Mexico has abruptly withdrawn a multi-billion-dollar tender it had awarded to a Chinese-led consortium to build the country's first bullet train. President Enrique Pena Nieto decided "moments ago to revoke the November 3 ruling and restart" the bidding process, Transport Minister Gerardo Ruiz Esparza told the Televisa network.
Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
The Maker Of The Game 'Destiny' Gave A Man Recovering From Brain Surgery A Rare Gift | ||
| | ||
Bungie, the developer behind one of the hottest games of the year, gave a man recovering from brain surgery a rare gift: The Fate Of All Fools. That may not sound like much. But to fans of the game, it's huge. It's a rare weapon that actually doesn't exist yet; it will be offered as a reward for a mission in future content. (Learn more about the Fate Of All Fools on DestinyDB.) According to Reddit user Bkbunny87, her husband's doctor recommended that he play the game "to serve as a form of physical therapy for him, following several brain surgeries." "... his neurologist told us that video games have been showing tremendous use as a PT tool for brain and memory damage," Bkbunny87 wrote. "He even brought 'Destiny' up on his computer and after some speed reading he was all but jumping at the opportunity the game could pose for someone in my husband's position." She says that not only was the "Destiny" Reddit community supportive, but that Bungie Community Manager Deej reached out and said that a care package is on its way. The entire post reads: Yesterday I had a post talking about my husband and his Doctor recommending Destiny to serve as a form of physical therapy for him following several brain surgeries. This community was amazing, and raid groups are being organized for him out of all the people who offered to help him. But just as amazing, Deej contacted me and has sent my husband a care package from Bungie that is on the way. Then this morning, a message from Deej told us to have my husband check with Tess the Post Master in the tower. Lots of screaming ensued. He has been sent the exotic gun Fate Of All Fools, a solar primary that looks like it will be available in future content. Vision of Confluence had been my husbands dream weapon, as scout is his favorite and he wanted that solar damage. A more perfect weapon could not have been chosen. I'm so jealous, but mostly so damn happy for him. As for him-- well, you can imagine :) Thank you guys for being such a caring community. Thank you Deej and the crew at Bungie, you've made him ecstatic. That makes her husband the only player in the world to hold such a rare gift. (Via Gameranx) SEE ALSO: Here's How To Play More Than 900 Classic Arcade Games Without Spending A Single Quarter Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
Germany launches celebration weekend for Berlin Wall's fall | ||
| | ||
Berlin (AFP) - Germany kicks off celebrations Friday marking the 25th anniversary of the epochal fall of the Berlin Wall, set to culminate with rock stars and veteran freedom activists joining a millions-strong crowd. Chancellor Angela Merkel, who grew up in communist East Germany, will lead three days of commemorations for those killed trying to flee the repressive state, leading up to a giant festival Sunday marking the joyous breach of Europe's Cold War division on November 9, 1989. "I think you never forget how you felt that day -- at least I will never forget it," Merkel, 60, said in a recent podcast. "I had to wait 35 years for that feeling of liberty. It changed my life." The festivities under the banner "Courage for Freedom" will remember the peaceful revolution that led communist authorities to finally open the border after 28 years in which Easterners were prisoners of their own country. Germany would reunite within the year, on October 3, 1990. Compared to previous anniversaries, the organisation this time has been more grassroots, with Berlin embracing its image as an international capital of the arts. Celebrations will begin with the launch of an ambitious installation featuring 8,000 illuminated white balloons pegged to the ground along a 15-kilometre (nine-mile) stretch of the Wall's former 155-kilometre path. The glowing orbs, which from above will look like a long string of pearls, are to be released Sunday from their ropes and set free into the night sky, to the stirring strains of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy". Dissident singer-songwriter Wolf Biermann, who was kicked out of East Germany in 1976 for his critical songs, will perform Friday in the Bundestag lower house of parliament, in a tribute to those who resisted the regime. The last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, whose "perestroika" and "glasnost" reforms helped pave the way for the Wall's fall, will later greet crowds at the former Checkpoint Charlie border crossing. Gorbachev, 83, who is revered here for having refrained from a bloody crackdown on protesters in 1989, will on Saturday join former German foreign minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher for a debate about the legacy of those heady days, and the resurgence of tensions between Russia and the West.
- Classical meets techno -
That evening, Merkel will attend a memorial concert at Bertolt Brecht's historic Berliner Ensemble theatre opposite the former "Palace of Tears", where Easterners said goodbye to visitors returning to West Germany. And on Sunday she will open a major exhibition on Bernauer Strasse, a street divided by the Wall that saw harrowing scenes of families and neighbours ripped apart overnight when the Wall went up in 1961. Following a ceremony at the elegant Gendarmenmarkt square, at least two million people are expected to gather for a "citizens' festival" at the Brandenburg Gate, the symbol of German unity. There, Gorbachev and former Polish president and freedom icon Lech Walesa, 71, will join German head of state Joachim Gauck, 74, a former pastor and rights activist in the East, and Hungarian ex-premier Miklos Nemeth, 66. Entertainment will range from the Berlin State Orchestra under the baton of Daniel Barenboim to a fireworks display and performances by East German rock band Silly and techno musician Paul Kalkbrenner at an open-air party in the evening. British singer-songwriter Peter Gabriel will perform the Wall anthem "Heroes", which David Bowie recorded when he lived in then West Berlin. Although attendance is expected to be high thanks to mild autumn weather, a nationwide train strike may hinder many travellers. The East German authorities built the Wall, which they called an "Anti-Fascist Protection Rampart", in August 1961 to halt a mass exodus to the West. On November 9, 1989, East German border guards, overwhelmed by large crowds, threw open the gates to West Berlin, allowing free passage through the detested barrier for the first time since it was built. At least 389 people lost their lives trying to escape communist East Germany, according to an official toll, although victims groups put the figure much higher.
Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
Murder plot charge against AC/DC drummer dropped, his lawyer says | ||
| | ||
Wellington (AFP) - A murder-for-hire case against AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd collapsed on Friday when New Zealand prosecutors found there was insufficient evidence to proceed, just 24 hours after police sensationally filed charges. In a major embarrassment for the police, authorities said a charge of "attempt to procure murder" against Rudd had been withdrawn. However, the 60-year-old rocker is still accused of drug possession and threatening to kill, which carries a jail term of up to seven years. Even with the primary charge dropped, the case still represents the second blow to AC/DC this year, after dementia forced founding member Malcolm Young to retire in September and move into a Sydney care facility. But the heavy rock pioneers are vowing to play on, with a new album and tour coming up. Rudd's barrister Paul Mabey said police failed to consult before taking the murder plot allegation to court on Thursday and prosecution lawyers ordered its withdrawal after a review found there was insufficient evidence. "The charge alleging an attempt to procure murder should never have been laid," Mabey said in a statement. "The Crown Solicitor's (prosecutor's) opinion was not sought. The charge is now withdrawn." He noted the case had attracted worldwide publicity and said Rudd had suffered "incalculable damage" and would consider "any possible remedies he may have". "Questions arise as to the degree of care taken by those responsible for arresting and charging him," the lawyer said, pointing out the case had fallen apart less than a day after Rudd first appeared in court following a raid on his North island mansion. Police in New Zealand have the power to lay charges in preliminary hearings and the case is then taken over by prosecutors working for the Crown Solicitor's office. The Crown Solicitor's office confirmed the charge had been withdrawn but refused to comment further. Mabey said Rudd would defend the charge of threatening to kill, and described the cannabis and methamphetamine possession charges against his client as "minor". In the court documents tendered on Thursday, police had accused Rudd of trying to organise a hitman to kill two men in late September. Further details were not made available and the identities of the alleged hitman and his targets were suppressed by the judge.
- AC/DC vow to rock on -
AC/DC, who formed in Australia in the 1970s, said they had no prior knowledge of the case against Rudd and the band would continue. "We've only become aware of Phil's arrest as the news was breaking. We have no further comment," a brief statement posted on the band's official website said. "Phil's absence will not affect the release of our new album 'Rock or Bust' and upcoming tour next year." "Rock or Bust" is due for release next month and AC/DC, one of the biggest-selling bands in history, plans to back the album with a global tour in 2015. The Grammy award winners were inducted into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 after a string of hits including "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap", "Jailbreak" and "Highway to Hell". The Australian-born Rudd has been with the band on-and-off since 1975 and moved to New Zealand in 1983, settling in Tauranga, a coastal community of about 110,000 people some 150 kilometres (90 miles) southeast of Auckland. The drummer, who released a solo album "Head Job" in August, is free on bail and is scheduled to reappear on November 27 on the remaining charges. He has refused to comment publicly about the allegations against him and local media on Friday carried images of him making an obscene gesture to photographers from his balcony. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
New York Jail Embarrassed After Undercover Investigator Smuggles In Heroin, Pills, Weed, Vodka, And Blade | ||
| | ||
Security at New York City's infamously expensive and violent Rikers Island jail is getting a much-needed upgrade after an embarrassing undercover investigation. DOI investigators spent hundreds of hours reviewing security videos, conducting site visits, and performing one plastic bag containing 250 glassine envelopes of heroin, one plastic bag containing 24 packaged strips of suboxone, which is a prescription opiate substitute similar to methadone, two plastic bags containing a total weight of one-half-pound of marijuana, one 16-ounce water bottle containing vodka, and one razor blade. The undercover investigator successfully smuggled the contraband – carrying the marijuana and narcotics in his cargo pants pockets and the alcohol in a water bottle in his hand -- through staff entrance security checkpoints at the Anna M. Kross Center, Otis Bantum Correctional Center, George Motchan Detention Center, George R. Vierno Center, Eric M. Taylor Center, and the Robert N. Davoren Center. The contraband was immediately secured by DOI at the conclusion of these operations. DOI estimates, based on intelligence it has gathered, that a DOC employee could make approximately $3,600 in courier fees for the amount of contraband smuggled during each operation; and that the resale value inside of Rikers of the contraband in each instance totaled more than $22,000. These integrity tests also exposed inconsistent security procedures, for example, magnetometers that detect metal contraband on an individual that were set at different levels at different facilities, so the undercover investigator set off an alarm in one facility, but not another; security personnel that allowed the undercover investigator to walk into the facility after triggering the magnetometer, and without emptying his pockets; and the failure to follow current protocols, for example, improperly using a transfrisker wand to examine only the investigator’s belt after the investigator said his belt triggered the magnetometer alarm. Now it's understandable why the jail had such a problem with drug trafficking by prisoners and guards. As a result of the investigation, Rikers is making some changes: [T]he City Department of Correction (“DOC”) has agreed to significantly enhance its security procedures, including the implementation for the first time of drug-sniffing dogs at staff entrances, the assignment of the Special Operations Division (“SOD”) to oversee security at staff entrances, and the consideration of upgrading DOC search protocols to the standards employed by the federal Transportation Security Administration (“TSA”).
SEE ALSO: An American warden visited a Norwegian prison, and he couldn't believe what he saw Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
Video game world tensions erupt in 'GamerGate' | ||
| | ||
San Francisco (AFP) - The horrific misogynistic abuse of female figures within the video game industry has triggered debate over whether women are being accepted as equal partners in the sector. Threats of rape, murder and mutilation have forced some women to flee their homes during the ugly two-month saga that has become known under its Twitter hashtag of "GamerGate." The touchpaper was lit in August, when independent game developer Zoe Quinn's romance with a video game journalist was the subject of an angry online rant by her ex-boyfriend. But what appeared to begin as a campaign for better ethics in video game journalism, especially reviews, evolved into a fierce debate regarding sexism and racism in video games and the male-dominated industry that makes them. Quinn became a target for hateful and threatening comments in online forums, ultimately prompting her to flee her home in fear for her life. GamerGate rage turned against Anita Sarkeesian of website FeministFrequency.com who is an open critic of how women are depicted in video games. Sarkeesian has rejected the suggestion that the vitriol is motivated by a desire for better journalistic ethics. - 'Terrorizing women' - "It is about men going after women in a really aggressive, hostile way; it is about terrorizing women for being involved in this industry or being involved in this hobby," she said in an interview with comedian Stephen Colbert. Hardcore gamers have argued they are being stereotyped and bullied for enjoying a pastime that should have the same creative freedoms as books, comics, or films. Political correctness, they argue, is invading their harmless, fantasy world where men are heroes and scantily clad women need saving. Sarkeesian is unimpressed with the prevailing nature of female characters in games however. "Women stereotypes reinforce that women are sexual playthings for male amusement," she said. "Maybe the princess shouldn't be a damsel and she can save herself." Taking that stance in the GamerGate exchange made Sarkeesian the target of threats so violent that her appearance to speak at a university in the US state of Utah recently was cancelled. "They are lashing out because we are challenging the status quo of gaming as a male-dominated space," Sarkeesian said. "That is what GamerGate is responding to; we are saying that gaming can no longer be this little boys club." - Death threats - Giant Spacekat video game studio co-founder Brianna Wu said in an online interview that GamerGate is a symptom that the industry has been male-dominated so long that men think of it as their rightful space to be defended. Wu spoke of female friends being harassed or even driven out of the video game industry for criticizing how women are portrayed in games. Wu was also subjected to a barrage of vile threats, from an anonymous Twitter user operating under the handle: "Death to Brianna." Wu and her husband left their home after consulting police following the abuse. Online attackers have ramped up the abuse by releasing home addresses and other personal information about targets in a practice known as "doxxing." A slew of video game makers have openly condemned hostile GamerGate tactics. "Threats of violence and harassment are wrong," game industry group Entertainment Software Association said in a statement emailed to AFP. "They have to stop. There is no place in the video game community -- or our society -- for personal attacks and threats." People continued to blast away at one another this week in online forums, notably at Twitter using hashtags #GamerGate and #NotYourShield, with virtual voices pleading in vain for warring to cease. Some tracking the enduring, caustic online back-and-forth maintain that trouble-making "trolls" have taken to weighing in anonymously with barbed comments to escalate animosities. GamerGate has become a "leaderless hashtag movement that has zero entry requirements." British game critic John Bain, known as TotalBiscuit, said in a video of an interview on the David Pakman show. "The vast majority of gamers are not sexists, they are not misogynists, and they are feeling very put out in the cold right now," Bain said. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
Symantec Is Laying Off 2,000 Employees As It Splits In Half | ||
| | ||
The company declined to break down where the cuts will come from, but said it will take place across “a number of locations and functions within the company.” The Mountain View-based company had 20,800 employees as of March, which made it the 10th-largest Silicon Valley tech employer last year. Thursday's news comes after last month’s announcement to split Symantec into two public companies. One of them will take Symantec’s security side of the business, which had $4.2 billion in sales last year, while the other will primarily focus on document storage and protection businesses, which had about $2.5 billion in sales in last year. Symantec had another major layoff last year, when it cut roughly 1,700 jobs. This makes Symantec the fourth tech company in Silicon Valley to announce major layoff plans, the report says. HP cut 11,000 jobs in May, while Intel and Cisco said it would each cut 5,000 and 6,000 jobs, respectively. Symantec sent the following statement to Business Insider: "Symantec will be taking a limited restructuring action over the next year, which will allow the company to reinvest resources to accelerate product development and reduce operational complexity. This action is expected to impact up to 10% of our global workforce, and is a necessary step to drive greater efficiency and growth." Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
The Navy SEAL Who Says He Shot Bin Laden Has Been Telling His Story Since Right After The Raid | ||
| | ||
Former Navy SEAL Robert O'Neill has apparently been telling people he shot Osama Bin Laden during a 2011 raid on the Al Qaeda leader's compound for several years now. However, O'Neill's story only became widely known in recent days. His public debut began on Oct. 29 when Fox news announced plans to air a two-part documentary entitled "The Man Who Killed Osama Bin Laden" featuring an interview with the SEAL who fired the fatal shot. On Monday, SOFREP, a well-regarded website dedicated to covering national security and the US special operations forces community, reported O'Neill was the person who would be appearing in the documentary. Three days after he was identified by SOFREP, O'Neill gave an interview to the Washington Post where he confirmed he would be the star of the Fox News broadcast. He also said he was profiled in Esquire last year where he was only identified as "The Shooter." In his interview with the Post, O'Neill said he decided to go public after speaking with families of people killed during the September 11th attacks at the 9/11 Memorial Memorial Museum in Manhattan. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-New York) spoke to Business Insider on Thursday and said she arranged for O'Neill to appear at the museum for a ceremony after she encouraged him to donate the shirt he wore during the raid to the facility. "I know him. He's a friend of mine. He's come to New York and visited with other friends of mine," Maloney said of O'Neill. "He's a hero. He's a national hero. He risked his life for our country." Maloney told us what O'Neill said to the families at the ceremony at the museum. However, she also said it was not the first time she heard him discuss his role in the May 2011 raid.
Maloney said she "knew" about O'Neill's role in the shooting when she met him as he had already shared the story. Hours after O'Neill's interview with the Post was published, Reuters released a story citing an anonymous source who said other SEALs disputed O'Neill's claim he fired the fatal shot at Bin Laden. Since leaving the Navy in 2012, O'Neill has worked as a public speaker and given lectures on his experiences as a SEAL. O'Neill could be in hot water for going public about his participation in the raid. In 2012, Matt Bissonette, another SEAL who was involved in the operation, released a book about his experience. Earlier this summer, the Department of Justice launched a criminal investigation into whether Bissonette illegally leaked classified information. The Pentagon has provided a pair of statements to Business Insider indicating O'Neill could face similar consequences. O'Neill has not responded to multiple requests for comment from Business Insider. For her part, Maloney said O'Neill was a "great patriot." She also said she would like to see him donate other items to the 9/11 Memorial. "I also feel that he has a lot of other items that should be in that museum," said Maloney. "I personally think the magazine should be there. It took three shots the other shots are there. I'd like to see the magazine in the museum. I wanted the whole uniform, he just gave the shirt." Though Maloney said she was certain O'Neill still has the magazine used in the gun that killed Bin Laden and has not used it since the raid, she does not think he has the whole weapon. "I think the gun probably went back to the government," Maloney explained.
Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
"I met him through a friend and I met him after Bin Laden was killed, the same year Bin Laden was killed," said Maloney. "I met him, you know, I'd say in July I met him back then and, you know, we're friends, we talk. ... I used to see him quite a bit. He used to work near where my home is in Washington." Woman Who Left Her Home Because Of 'Gamergate' Death Threats Is Offering A Reward For Information | ||
| | ||
Brianna Wu, who has found herself in the middle of the GamerGate controversy, is offering a reward for information about people who have been harassing her. Wu and her husband left their home last month, following death threats she received on Twitter. Based on tweets from Wu, the harassment seemed to be in response to a meme Wu created poking fun at the "GamerGate" movement. Wu is head of development at game developer Giant Spacekat. The GamerGate controversy involves death threats via tweets (or comments on blogs) aimed at women who have criticized sexism in the gaming industry. The GamerGate camp is composed of people who believe that the reaction to those threats is overblown, or that some of the threats were scams on the part of the women or that the men who play video games are the real victims, as they are being painted as misogynists. The intricacies of GamerGate are complicated and the irony is that both sides of the issue are claiming that they are being harassed and bullied. Some video game fans say that journalists and game developers are too close, and are calling into question the ethics of video game journalists. But it quickly devolved into harassment of women in the industry. Supporters of the idea that it is the gamers being victimized, not women who have receieved threats, have rallied behind the "GamerGate" hashtag on Twitter and elsewhere. The hashtag is being blamed for various threats against women. Anita Sarkeesian, who recently canceled an appearance at Utah State University after death threats, says at least one of the many threats against her and feminists at the university claimed affiliation with GamerGate. Wu has talked openly about her experience in the media and on Twitter. She's even in the process of setting up a legal defense fund for other women who have been harassed by the GamerGate movement. (Via GameSkinny) SEE ALSO: YouTube Multimillionaire PewDiePie Says He's Happier Now That He's Disabled Comments On His Channel Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
Former Navy SEAL comes forward as bin Laden shooter | ||
| | ||
Washington (AFP) - A former US Navy SEAL who took part in the 2011 raid on Osama bin Laden's compound has broken cover, claiming to be the man who fired the fatal shot which killed the Al-Qaeda leader. Robert O'Neill, 38, told The Washington Post he shot bin Laden in the forehead at his hideout in the Pakistani garrison city of Abbottabad three years ago. The former commando told the Post he decided to come forward ahead of planned media appearances next week when his identity was disclosed by SOFREP, a website operated by former SEALs. SOFREP's revelation was in protest at O'Neill's decision to reveal his role in the mission. The highly decorated Montana native told the Post that he was near the head of the column of US soldiers that raided bin Laden's compound, adding that at least two other SEALs fired shots. The newspaper said two SEAL team members had corroborated his identity. O'Neill is set to appear in a documentary on the Fox network next week. At bin Laden's compound, O'Neill was located in the number two position for the attack on the Al-Qaeda leader's bedroom. Bin Laden briefly appeared at the door but the SEAL in front of O'Neill apparently missed his shot. "I rolled past him into the room, just inside the doorway," O'Neill said. "There was bin Laden, standing there. He had his hands on a woman's shoulders, pushing her ahead." O'Neill said he could clearly identify bin Laden through his night-vision scope, despite the darkness of the room -- and he fired. The onetime SEAL said it was clear that bin Laden was dead as his skull was split. O'Neill is the second member of the elite unit involved in the bin Laden raid to go public, in a move which has dismayed military brass and serving SEALS who maintain a fierce, Omerta-like code of silence. Matt Bissonnette published his account of the raid, "No Easy Day" in 2012 under the pseudonym Mark Owen. Bissonnette appeared to take issue with O'Neill's version of events in an interview with NBC News. "Two different people telling two different stories for two different reasons," Bissonnette said. "Whatever he says, he says. I don’t want to touch that." The Post said O'Neill had long agonized over whether to go public but finally decided to do so after concerns that others would leak his identity, which was already known in military circles, by members of Congress and at least two news organizations. He finally decided to come forward after meeting with relatives of victims of the September 11, 2011 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. O'Neill said he decided on the spot to speak about how bin Laden died. "The families told me it helped bring them some closure," O'Neill told the Post. But his decision has been met with anger from some of his SEAL colleagues. In an October 31 letter to the Naval Special Warfare Command ranks, Force Master Chief Michael Magaraci and Rear Admiral Brian Losey stressed that a "critical tenet" of the force was to "not advertise the nature of my work nor seek recognition for my action." O'Neill had already served nearly 15 years as a SEAL by the time of the raid on bin Laden's compound, and was serving in the elite SEAL Team Six unit. In 2009, he served on a mission to rescue a ship captain from pirates off the coast of Somalia. The story was turned into a film starring Tom Hanks as the captain, Richard Phillips.
Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
Disney's 'Big Hero 6' delights with new kind of Marvel star | ||
| | ||
Los Angeles (AFP) - The huge cuddly white robot in "Big Hero 6" could hardly be less like a typical Marvel superhero -- and yet the Michelin man-style star could be a sure winner for studio giant Disney. The movie, to be released on Friday in the United States, is Disney's first based on Marvel comic book characters since it bought Marvel Entertainment Inc. in 2009. Set in fictional San Fransokyo, the Japanese-themed film tells the story of young Hiro Hamada, a robot-obsessed nerd who is devastated when his older brother Tadashi dies in an accident. Baymax is the inflatable robot Tadashi was working on before his death. He is designed to care for sick humans, which he promptly does for the depressed teenager. Along with six friends, Hiro and Baymax embark on a dangerous mission to hunt down the thief who stole Hiro's latest creation: tiny microbots which can form themselves into any shape and be controlled telephathically. Hiro's friends are voiced by a star-studded cast, with Jamie Chung voicing for GoGo Tamago, Damon Wayans Jr for Wasabi, Genesis Rodriguez for Honey Lemon and T.J. Miller for Fred. The movie is directed by Don Hall, whose past credits include "Winnie the Pooh," and Chris Williams, who co-directed "Bolt." It is produced in part by the team which won Disney's first animated Oscar with princess blockbuster "Frozen."
- Manga, karate and kabuki -
The filmmakers submerged themselves in the world of manga, karate and kabuki theater to create "Big Hero 6," and the cast is clearly proud of what they have made. "It's nice to see two very strong male Asian protagonists, characters, in an American production," said Daniel Henney, who voices Tadashi and whose mother is American-Korean. "It makes me very proud because for a long time I feel like we can be misrepresented at times in the media, and this movie is not doing that." At a roundtable discussion in Los Angeles before the film's release, the cast underlined the strength of both its male and female characters. "It's very empowering for little girls. I remember I was a Disney princess my whole life... I was one of them, I wanted to be a part of that world," said Rodriguez. "I hope that this world is a little bit more attainable for them. These kinds of skills are realistic for a girl to want to be like." The film also unashamedly takes the side of tech geeks. "These kids are not born with any superpowers, they're just born like any normal kid. But they are just very studious and they fall in love with science," Rodriguez added. "They have very curious minds... so I hope that inspires kids to want to be curious and to want to explore the science and technology and to want to create and invent something new," she said. The band of diminutive heroes eventually hunts down the evil thief, but not without some plot twists, and plenty of cute action involving the bumbling Baymax, voiced by Scott Adsit. Audience in preview screenings have been won over -- the movie has a whopping 98 percent approval rating on film review site Rotten Tomatoes, while 87 percent of critics are positive. "East meets West to immensely satisfying effect in the vibrant mash-up of an animated romp," said the Hollywood Reporter. Others were equally as glowing. "It's a movie that's as fun to watch as it is funny," said the Washington Post. "(It) is fresh and inventive enough in every important way... to satisfy even the most jaded animation fan."
Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
Navy SEAL 'Saw The Fear In Bin Laden's Eyes' Before Shooting Him | ||
| | ||
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-New York) considers Robert O'Neill, the former Navy SEAL who says he shot Osama Bin Laden, a personal friend. In an interview with Business Insider on Thursday, Maloney said she met O'Neill shortly after the 2011 raid on the Al Qaeda leader's compound in Pakistan and eventually arranged for the shirt he wore that day to be donated to the 9/11 Memorial Museum in Manhattan. The shirt is adorned with a distinctive black American flag that was designed to be camouflaged for nighttime missions. At a ceremony when the shirt was given to the museum, Maloney said O'Neill told the story of the final seconds of Bin Laden's life. "I'm really glad that one of the last things, if not the last thing, that Bin Laden saw was our beautiful black flag and Robert's eyes. Robert looked him right in the eyes and Robert said he was scared," Maloney recounted. "He could see fear in his eyes, Robert said that." Maloney said that O'Neill and his team did not believe they would survive the raid on Bin Laden's compound because they believed the building was boobytrapped. "He said when he went in there that a lot of them didn't feel they'd be getting out of there," the congresswoman explained. O'Neill discussed his participation in the raid in an interview with the Washington Post on Thursday. He originally planned to reveal himself in a story in the newspaper and a Fox News documentary later this month, but changed his plans after the website SOFREP identified him on Monday. Hours after the Post published its interview with O'Neill, Reuters released a report citing an anonymous source who said O'Neill did not fire the fatal shot. According to Maloney, though O'Neill claims to have killed Bin Laden, he never attempted to take sole credit for the operation. "He always says it was a team effort, 'The team got him and I was part of the team," Maloney said. The congresswoman specifically said O'Neill pointed out the heroics of his team leader, who went into the room where Bin Laden was first and pushed one of the terrorists wives who was in there out of the way and "on the floor so Rob would have a clean shot." Maloney said O'Neill believed this was extremely dangerous because of the probability the people surrounding Bin Laden were wearing suicide vests. "Rob thought he was going to be blown up, he thought his friend was going to be blown up," said Maloney. However, there was no explosion and O'Neill was able to take a shot at Bin Laden.
Before O'Neill fired the shot, Maloney said Bin Laden made a final effort to use another one of his wives as a shield. Needless to say, it didn't work. "And he turned and he looked at Bin Laden," Maloney said of O'Neill. "And he said [Bin Laden] pulled his youngest wife in front of him, she was shorter than him. So, he shot him in the head and shot him in the heart." Maloney said she believed O'Neill hit Bin Laden three times. "I think he shot him in the head and the heart twice," said Maloney. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
"He felt felt his friend, when he pushed the wife to the floor, it was going to be the end of his friend, he was going to be dead," Maloney said of O'Neill. "But he made a clear room for Robert to come in." Snake 'eats' man, sets off Internet tizzy | ||
| | ||
Washington (AFP) - A young American naturalist, filmmaker and adventurer in the Amazon set off an Internet stir after he claimed he offered himself for dinner to a giant snake for a TV show. "I'm Paul Rosolie and I'm about to be the first person to be eaten alive by an anaconda," he said in a 30-second video on Twitter promoting a new show, "Eaten Alive," to be telecast on the Discovery Channel on December 7. A longer teaser posted by the network on YouTube shows Rosolie donning "a custom-built snake-proof suit" to enter the belly of the fearsome reptilian beast head-first. "It's a tease and a promo for now," a Discovery Channel spokesman told AFP on Thursday, adding that further details about the show -- to be aired worldwide by the reality TV cable channel -- would be released "soonish." On his Twitter feed, Rosolie told his followers: "If u know me - I would never hurt a living thing. But you'll have to watch #EatenAlive to find out how it goes down!" Social media and tabloid websites jumped on the story, but animal rights group PETA, fearing for the welfare of the snake, demanded that Discovery pull the show. "Whatever the filmmaker has planned, the snake will likely pay the ultimate price, as animals usually do when they're used for entertainment," it said. Green anacondas, native to tropical South America, are among the biggest snakes in the world. The one seen in the "Eaten Alive" teaser required at least seven men to hold it. Earlier this year, Rosolie -- who divides his time between New York, India and Peru -- published a book about his adventures, titled: "Mother of God: An Extraordinary Journey into the Uncharted Tributaries of the Western Amazon." In 2013 he won a short-film award at the UN Forum on Forests for his documentary "An Unseen World," according to a biographical blurb on the website of publisher Harper Collins. But PETA dismissed him as "a pseudo 'wildlife expert'." "Making this snake use up energy by swallowing this fool and then possibly regurgitating him would have left the poor animal exhausted and deprived of the energy that he or she needs," said its deputy general counsel Delcianna Winders. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
US anti-tax evasion law, FATCA, starts to hit home | ||
| | ||
Washington (AFP) - The US Treasury has opened a new front in its war against offshore tax evasion. But for some it amounts to financial imperialism. Americans with legitimate bank accounts outside the country, and foreigners working in the United States, have begun receiving letters from their banks in Paris, Tokyo, Johannesburg and elsewhere, informing them that their account information is being turned over to the US tax authority. It is the culmination of a years-long effort by the Treasury, straining to close the chronic US budget deficit, to get to unreported incomes taxable under US law that get hidden away in bank accounts around the world. For some the new Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) is an outrage: their foreign banks are now handing over their confidential information to the US government. Under newly inked treaties with the United States, some 100,000 foreign financial institutions in more than 100 countries must report to the Treasury on the accounts of any so-called "US persons" -- a US citizen, or anyone with an immigrant's "green card" or a US work permit. "That's shocking, how can they do that?" said Helene, a French woman working in Washington after receiving a letter like that from her bank back home. She did not want her family name used. For some time Americans with bank accounts abroad have been required to report them to the Treasury's Internal Revenue Service (IRS), in case they have US-taxable income in them. But FATCA now puts the burden on foreign financial institutions to do the reporting. If they do not, the Treasury threatens a 30 percent withholding tax on the bank's US earnings. Official estimates say FATCA will uncover enough hidden assets and income to generate some $8 billion in additional tax payments to the US government over 10 years. Richard Harvey, a tax law professor at Villanova University who helped craft the FATCA rules, estimates the take could be "more like $20 to $30 billion". But with the huge task of collecting the data and handing it over, some foreign banks are wondering if allowing accounts from potentially US tax-liable customers is worthwhile. In September La Revue Suisse, a newsletter for Swiss citizens abroad, said that some banks had stopped accepting accounts from certain clients because of the tougher regulations. "I know that foreign nationals who live in the US, some of them have had their bank accounts back in Europe shut down," said Dan Mitchell, a tax reform expert at the Cato Institute. "You are not talking only about Swiss banks or Cayman banks... you are talking banks in the UK, in Japan. Nobody likes this law." - Renouncing citizenship - The problem of the wealthiest Americans hiding money overseas to avoid taxes has existed for a long time. Harvey said FATCA was created in part because of the fear that the globalization of finance would give far more people the opportunity to hide their money. "It was becoming very clear that it wasn't going to be just the very wealthy, but that it could really be the middle class and upper-middle class that could start moving income offshore." While foreigners inside the United States squirm over having their offshore account data delivered to the IRS, a number of US citizens facing the same treatment are voting with their feet. With the IRS chasing their accounts to force them to pay US taxes, last year some 3,000 people gave up US nationality, and another 1,577 did so in the first half of 2014. But even doing that has been hit by the government: Washington has now hiked the fee for formally renouncing citizenship to $2,350 from $450. And paying that does not fully fend off the taxman. The Treasury says renouncing citizenship will not erase outstanding US tax obligations. FATCA, meanwhile, is generating ire against foreign governments for accepting the US reporting rules. In Canada, where there are many people with dual US-Canadian nationality, the Alliance for the Defence of Canadian Sovereignty accused Ottawa of infringing on their rights by signing a FATCA accord with Washington. The Cato Institute's Mitchell criticized the fact that, for their part, US banks are not even permitted to supply information to foreign governments on their nationals' US accounts. "There is no reciprocity, it's a one-way street. It really is financial imperialism on the part of the USA." Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
Mark Zuckerberg Wants To Build The ‘Perfect Personalized Newspaper’ For Every Person In The World (FB) | ||
| | ||
“Our goal is to build the perfect personalized newspaper for every person in the world,” Zuckerberg said. “We’re trying to personalize it and show you the stuff that’s going to be most interesting to you.” He said each user gets exposed to more than 1,500 stories each day, but an average user would only get to see about 100 a day on News Feed. In order to maximize that experience, Zuckerberg is working with a team of engineers to learn user behavior and pick up signals that show what kind of content each user is most interested in. “That means that if businesses are sharing content that may be useful to them (Facebook users), then we’ll show that. But if that means that businesses are sharing content that isn’t going to be useful for them, we may not show that, because it’s probably more important that they learn about a friend who had a baby and their baby is healthy,” he said. He also gave some advice to businesses that are trying to reach a larger audience through their Facebook pages. “If you’re a business owner thinking about how to use your free page on Facebook, I would just focus on trying to publish really good content that’s going to be compelling to your customers and the people that are following you.” This is an important point for many companies, especially those in the news business. Nearly 30% of adults in the US get their news on Facebook, while up to 20% of news site traffic comes from Facebook, according to a recent New York Times article. Facebook has a whole team dedicated to building the perfect algorithm that could predict and feed the type of content users might want to see on their News Feed, whether it’s an actual news article or a photo of a friend. But Zuckerberg stressed that at the end of the day, it will all come down to the quality of the content. “There’s more competition for what they (users) see, so only the highest-quality content is actually going to get through and get shown to those people,” Zuckerberg said. SEE ALSO: Here's The Real Reason Mark Zuckerberg Wears The Same T-Shirt Every Day Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
'The Force Awakens': new 'Star Wars' film has title | ||
| | ||
Los Angeles (AFP) - "Star Wars" fans were sent into a frenzy as studio giant Disney revealed the title of the iconic franchise's seventh episode -- "The Force Awakens" -- and said filming was over. "The Force Awakens" immediately shot to the top of trending topics on Twitter after Walt Disney Pictures and the official "Star Wars" account released the much-anticipated title. "'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' has completed principal photography," the tweets said, with the title set in the franchise's retro typeface in yellow and white against a background of stars. The film will now require months of post-production before its worldwide release scheduled for December 18, 2015. It is directed by J.J. Abrams, one of Hollywood's A-list directors who recently oversaw the successful rebooting of the "Star Trek" franchise. Speculation about what the title means centers on it being a follow-up to "The Return of the Jedi" -- in which Luke Skywalker was left as the only known Jedi Knight holder of the Force, with no rivals from the "dark side" Sith camp. Fan sites wonder if "The Force Awakens" refers to both the light side and dark side, Jedis and Siths. "If you want to make Star Wars movies every year for the foreseeable future, you can’t just have one Jedi and no Sith, right?" asks a blogger at slashfilm.com. "The Force Awakens likely refers to more people becoming one with the Force, on both the good side and Dark Side," he wrote.
- Veteran stars and newcomers -
"Star Wars" has attracted generations of loyal fans ever since the first film arrived in 1977 recounting the adventures of Skywalker, Han Solo and Darth Vader. Filming began in Britain in May on Episode VII. Original cast members Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Kenny Baker will star in the new film, along with several newcomers including Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o. Other cast members include veteran actor Max von Sydow, "Girls" star Adam Driver, motion-capture expert Andy Serkis and "Harry Potter" veteran Domhnall Gleeson. Filming on the new movie was not without hiccups: in June, the 72-year-old Ford broke his leg on the set when a garage door fell and hit him at Pinewood Studios outside London. Ford is back as smuggler Solo, the 62-year-old Hamill will return as Jedi Knight Skywalker and Fisher, 57, reprises the role of Princess Leia. The movie's screenplay is written by Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan, who wrote two previous "Star Wars" films. The film is produced by Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy, Abrams, and Bryan Burk, while multiple Oscar-winner John Williams returns as the soundtrack composer. The original 1977-83 trilogy -- "Star Wars," "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi -- " was followed by a prequel trilogy between 1999 and 2005: "The Phantom Menace," "Attack of the Clones" and "Revenge of the Sith." The two previous trilogies inspired spin-off books, comics, toys, videogames and cartoons -- earning $4.4 billion. Disney shelled out $4 billion to buy "Star Wars" founder George Lucas's Lucasfilm in October 2012. With "Star Wars," just as it has done with Marvel superheroes "Iron Man" and "Captain America," Disney is able to appeal to a broader, older audience as well as children, expanding the company beyond the realm of Mickey Mouse and fairy tales.
Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
| |
Anyone Depressed About The State Of The World Needs To Look At These Stunning Charts | ||
| | ||
It's easy to focus on everything that's going wrong in the world. If the media coverage of ISIS and Ebola has shown us anything, it's that we're easily seduced by fear-mongering. But Dr. Max Roser wants to remind us the world is getting better. That's why Roser, a fellow at the Institute for New Economic Thinking, created OurWorldinData, a website that tells the visual story of how the world is changing. "We are far away from an ideal world — we should work to end poverty, to end hunger, to end war — but in all of these aspects we are making progress," Roser wrote in an email to Business Insider. Roser hopes people will find his work encouraging and energize them to make positive change. "Studying our world in data and understanding how we overcame challenges that seemed insurmountable at the time should give us confidence to tackle the problems we are currently facing," he wrote. Here are 25 charts from Roser's website that show just how much global living standards have improved. The percent of the world's population living in extreme poverty is declining drastically. As global GDP increases, inequality between world citizens is shrinking. People are becoming more satisfied with their lives as their incomes rise. See the rest of the story at Business Insider  | ||
| |
