The 10 most important things in the world right now | ||
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1. Islamic State fighters have seized the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra and now control the nearby airport, prison and intelligence headquarters. 2. Korean Air Lines executive Heather Cho, who was sentenced in February to one year in jail after an outburst over the way she had been served macadamia nuts, was released Friday on appeal. 3. At least two protesters were shot dead during violent anti-government demonstrations in Burundi's capital against President Pierre Nkurunziza's bid for a third term in office. 4. Russia has offered to supply weapons to Iraq to halt advances by Islamic State, which has made major gains over the last week. 5. Central bankers from around the world are gathered in Portugal for a three-day meeting related to solving challenges about "Inflation and Unemployment in Europe." 6. The gap between the rich and poor is at its highest level in three decades, with the richest 10% of the population earning nearly 10 times the income of the poorest 10%. 7. Two men captured by Ukrainian troops on Saturday have reportedly confessed to being members of the Russian armed forces, but did not have orders to attack. 8. A Chinese university has denied US espionage charges filed against three of its staff accused of stealing technology often used in military systems, on behalf of China. 9. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras held debt talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande ahead of the EU Summit in Lativia's capital Riga. And finally ... Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: This Animated Map Shows How European Languages Evolved  | ||
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Hello! Here's what you need to know for Friday. Early Twitter investor Chris Sacca may be about to get more critical of the company | ||
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Chris Sacca, one of Twitter's earliest investors and longtime defenders, may be about to become more critical of the current state of affairs at the company. In a lengthy blog post on Thursday, Sacca signalled that he would soon post his thoughts about "a few things that I personally hope the Twitter team will accomplish." Sacca's post comes about a month after Twitter delivered a particularly ugly first-quarter earnings report, missing financial targets and signaling that user growth was once again under pressure. Many on Wall Street are wondering if CEO Dick Costolo's days leading the company may be numbered. Sacca spent most of the post, which he titled "I Bleed Aqua," laying out his history of loyalty and passion for the company and his continuing belief in its potential. "Twitter went from just being an investment to a huge part of my identity. My kids can spot a Twitter birdie from a hundred feet away. I have very few t-shirts that don’t sport the company logo," he wrote. Sacca recounted how he has helped Twitter negotiate monetization deals and funding rounds, even though he was never an official employee or board member of the company (though he was an adviser). But he noted that "during all of these years, I haven’t been as candid as I could be in public discussions about Twitter." That changed during a recent interaction with CNBC's Jim Cramer, in which Sacca said the pair "traded insights as to what we each thought was going wrong and what could be better" with the company. Sacca suggested that he had more constructive criticism to share, though he did not provide many details or say when or where he would speak out. I believe without reservation that Twitter can soon evolve to be used by over 500 million people a month. I believe there is no natural ceiling on the revenue Twitter can generate. I also believe that Twitter’s reach can become more pervasive and its impact on the world more meaningful. I believe Twitter is a great investment and that the stock is cheap. Stay tuned for Sacca's feedback. If nothing else, it should be interesting. Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: What It Was Like On The Trading Floor During Twitter's IPO  | ||
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A vehicle was spotted that looks like an Uber self-driving car, but the company denies it | ||
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A few months after Uber declared its intention to develop self-driving cars and other advanced driving technology, the first fruits of its efforts have been spotted in the wild. A 4-door sedan with a bunch of hardware mounted on the roof was seen cruising the streets of Pittsburgh (where Uber's advanced car technology efforts are based) by the folks at the Pittsburgh Business Times. The car, which appears to be a Ford Fusion, has the words Uber Advanced Technologies Center emblazoned in big letters on its side. Check out a picture of the car here. According to Uber, though, the vehicle is not technically a self-driving car. "This is not a self-driving test car. This vehicle is part of our early research efforts regarding mapping, safety and autonomy systems." Self-driving cars are still several years away from being available to the general public, with advances in technology and changes in regulations still required for the vehicles to become a reality. Google has been leading the charge, with its podlike self-driving cars due to begin testing on California public roads this summer. Traditional automakers such as General Motors, Nissan and Volvo are all also working to develop self-driving cars. Even Apple is reportedly exploring the potential of self-driving cars. For Uber, the popular ride-hailing service that's now valued at more than $40 billion, self-driving cars offer the chance to eliminate a major cost: human drivers. To create a viable self-driving car though will require huge investments in technology and in important features such as high-definition digital maps. SEE ALSO: Uber is now mainstream enough that it's used as a punchline in the new Entourage movie Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: Gen. Stanley McChrystal on how Uber operates just like a special forces unit  | ||
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An 8-year-old interviews the cofounder of the company who makes her favorite app | ||
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My 8-year-old daughter, Ava, went through a phase where she was obsessed with Toca Boca. Unless you have kids or are in the app business, you've probably never heard of Toca Boca. But the Swedish developer makes apps that lets children do simple things to animated characters, like give them a haircut or dress them in funny hats and wigs. No scores, no competition. Turns out, simple is good. Toca Boca apps have been downloaded more than 85 million times, the company says, and right now Toca Hair Salon 2 is the number-two most popular app in the Kids category of the iPhone App Store -- alongside apps from major names like Disney and PBS Kids. So when the company reached out and asked me if I wanted to interview its CEO and cofounder Bjorn Jeffery, I passed the opportunity to my daughter. She allowed her brother Marlon, who's 4, to ask one question as well. We did the interview via email. BUSINESS INSIDER: Where did you get the name "Toca Boca"? Does "Toca Boca" mean something?
Also, we wanted a name that was fun to say, easy to say, and that would work in many different countries. BI: Where did you get the idea from? BJ: From the beginning we were called "Rainbow Teeth" and that was a name that came from a colleague, Jens Peter de Pedro's daughter. But that name didn't work so JP came up with Toca Boca instead. BI: Where do you get your music? BJ: The music is normally written specifically for each app. We work with musicians that get to see the app and then they make music that fits with the overall theme. BI: Do you make the apps yourself?
BI: Can you name some of your favorite Toca Boca apps? BJ: We have 27 apps so it’s really hard to choose! But I really like Toca Band because the song gets stuck in your head and makes you want to dance! And Toca Town because there are so many things to do and explore. BI: Where did you get the idea of making children's games/apps? BJ: It came from my colleague Emil Ovemar and myself when we were working together on a project related to the iPad. The iPad had just come out then, and we thought there were so many new and cool things we could do with it. One of the ideas was to make digital toys for kids and that was what started the idea of Toca Boca. Our goal is to make sure that all our apps are built from a kid’s perspective, and that you’re using your creativity and imagination when playing. We even bring kids in, like you, to test them to make sure they pass the ultimate fun test. There are no levels, no winners and no high scores – just lots of playing and having fun! BI: What is Sweden like? BJ: It's cold with a lot of snow during large parts of the year. But in summer it is beautiful and in the Northern parts of the country the sun never sets. Also, luckily for us, there are a lot of great app makers there too. BI: Do you like San Francisco? What do you like to do here? BJ: I love it! I like walking along the Embarcadero with my 9-month-old daughter, and buying great food at the farmers' market. BI: Where did you learn to do computer programming? BJ: I started programming when I was about 15 or so, but I was never really very good at it. I don't do any programming for Toca Boca and I never have either. I'm not good enough unfortunately! But I have colleagues that are. BI: [From Marlon, age 4] Have you ever been to Redwood City? BJ: Good question, Marlon! I have been to Redwood City. I’ve also driven through it many times and gone through it on Caltrain too. BI: Last but not least, what phone do you use? BJ: I use a white iPhone 6 Plus. It is pretty big, but I like it! SEE ALSO: Here's why your children are narcissists Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: We gave kids a rotary phone for the first time — and here's what they did  | ||
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BJORN JEFFERY: "Toca La Boca" is Spanish and means "touch the mouth". It refers to our 
BJ: Yes, we make all of our apps ourselves. The Toca Boca apps are made in our THE VIRTUAL REALITY REPORT: Forecasts, market size, and the trends driving adoption | ||
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While the technology has been associated mostly with gaming, the platform offers new opportunities for video, e-commerce, and more. In a new report from BI Intelligence, we provide proprietary forecasts for VR headset shipments and revenue and estimate average selling price over the next five years. We also take a look at the different types of VR headset technology now on the market, discuss which categories will win out, and look at several use cases for VR headsets, including gaming and other. Access The Full Report And Data By Signing Up For A Trial Today >> Here are some key points from the report:
The report is full of charts and data that can be downloaded and put to use. In full, the report:
To access the full report from BI Intelligence, sign up for a 14-day trial here. Members also gain access to new in-depth reports, hundreds of charts and datasets, as well as daily newsletters on the digital industry. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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There has been a lot of buzz recently around virtual reality (VR) and its potential as a new hardware device and software platform. The technology, which immerses the user in a computer-generated simulation of an environment, projects highly visual imagery in full 3D. Uber is now mainstream enough that it's used as a punchline in the new Entourage movie | ||
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Entourage, the new movie continuing the story from HBO's canceled TV series about a movie star, his best friends, and their adventures in Hollywood, doesn't come out until June 3rd. But I saw an early screening here in San Francisco last night (it's good, go see it), and there's one really amazing joke about Uber that shows just how deeply the controversial car-sharing service has embedded itself in our collective consciousness. WARNING: Minor spoilers for the Entourage movie below. You've been warned! In the movie, Turtle (played by Jerry Farara) manages to go on a date with real-life MMA fighter Ronda Rousey, which he ruins by talking too much about business. "I'm going to call you an Uber," she says, before pausing to sneer to a deflated Turtle: "Actually, I'm going to call you an UberX." It might be helpful for those of you who've never used Uber (or who live outside its fast-expanding empire) to know that it has two main options: Plain old Uber, the black car service, and UberX, which is a much cheaper variant where you're more likely to be picked up in a Prius. And so, Rousey was saying that Turtle wasn't even worth the expense. The put-down got hearty laughs and a few disbelieving hoots from the audience. We talked to Uber, and it's not a paid product placement. So there you have it: Uber, like Google before it, is now mainstream enough that big Hollywood movies feel comfortable using it as a punchline.
SEE ALSO: Tech investors have a 'copy paste mentality' that is fueling a dangerous boom in on-demand startups Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: Gen. Stanley McChrystal on how Uber operates just like a special forces unit  | ||
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Brit Morin, the Martha Stewart of Silicon Valley, just raised $23 million for her DIY site | ||
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Brit Media, best known for its lifestyle site Brit + Co., has raised $23 million, according to a form filed Thursday with the SEC. A spokesperson for founder and CEO Brit Morin confirmed the round with Business Insider. Brit + Co. features articles, recipes, and tutorials for skills like knitting, hand-lettering, and 3D printing. The site also has an ecommerce component, selling DIY boxes called "Brit Kits" and other home decor. According to the SEC filing, Lisa Lambert of Intel Capital has joined the company's board. Morin has been dubbed the "Martha Stewart of Silicon Valley" due to her unique combination of tech savvy and craftiness. Morin is a former employee of Apple and Google. Her husband, Dave Morin, is a former Facebook employee and the founder of social networking app Path. Brit + Co. previously raised $7.6 million in funding from Index Ventures, Cowboy Ventures, Lerer Ventures, Marissa Mayer, and Oak Investment Partners. Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: Kids settle the debate and tell us which is better: an Apple or Samsung phone  | ||
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Intel’s CEO doesn’t think Windows 10 will boost PC sales (INTC, MSFT) | ||
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But the PC market in general has been in decline lately. In the first quarter of 2015, global PC shipments dropped 5.2% from the previous year, according to research firm Gartner. The sharpest decline came from the business desktop PC segment, Intel’s core customer base. In fact, Intel had to slash nearly a $1 billion off its revenue forecast in March because of weak demand for business desktop PCs and Windows XP upgrades. And Intel doesn’t expect to see a huge boost in PC sales any time soon, even with the new Windows 10 scheduled for release later this year. “We are going through another transition, Windows 10 upgrades…We’re seeing some quarter-to-quarter pushing, but we continue to take a view of our long-term forecast…the PC market should be flat to slightly down mid single-digits over the long-term,” Intel’s CEO Brian Krzanich said during Thursday’s annual shareholders meeting. But Krzanich didn’t sound too concerned about its impact on Intel’s overall growth. Instead, he said growth from other areas, particularly the data center business, will offset any loss in PC sales. Intel's data center business grew 18% last year and it’s expected to be a $14 billion business this year. “We look at it as our next big growth engine for the company,” Krzanich added. We won’t be able to find out how exactly the slowing PC market will impact Intel’s PC chip sales. Starting from last quarter, Intel is reporting PC and mobile sales under one unified group called Client Computing Group, effectively burying the $4 billion-plus loss it was seeing from its mobile unit. But by doing so, Intel’s also been able to further stress the size of its data center business: the Data Center Group’s $1.7 billion operating income last quarter was the largest of any Intel business segment, accounting for roughly 65% of the total. SEE ALSO: Check out Intel's CEO using a button-sized computer to control robot spiders Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: A 13-Year-Old Made A Revolutionary Invention Out Of Legos And Now Intel Is Investing In His Company  | ||
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More than This chart shows that HP is still in pretty rough shape (HPQ) | ||
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Although HP CEO Meg Whitman sounded upbeat about pockets of good news within HP's businesses, this chart that shows the company's revenues by business unit is pretty stark. Revenues in every business unit have shrunk from last year. Same with profits, except for a slight gain in the Enterprise Services business. Free cash flow from operations was $1.5 billion, down 51% from the prior-year period (not included in the chart below, but disclosed here). Whitman and CFO Cathie Lesjak blamed most of this on the foreign exchange rate. HP's revenues, overall, were down 7%, but they were down only 2% in constant currency. HP has huge international operations and sells a lot of equipment in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Even so, this chart suggests HP doesn't yet have a star business unit that is doing well enough to stop the sinking.
Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: Foolproof signs that you should give up on your business idea  | ||
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Sen. John McCain: Cisco's behavior in Russia 'deserves further investigation' (CSCO) | ||
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A report published by Buzzfeed that implied Cisco was skirting economic sanctions against Russia when selling its technical equipment there has gotten the attention of Sen. John McCain. McCain (R-AZ) chairs the Senate’s Armed Services Committee and has pressed for more U.S. action against Russia in response to its involvement in the Ukraine and its annexation of Crimea. Buzzfeed's report, based on documents and insight from an anonymous source said to have knowledge of Cisco's Moscow operations, accused Cisco of changing sales records and booking deals under a false customer name after the sanctions began. In one case, Cisco allegedly sold equipment that wound up in the hands of the FSB, the successor to the KGB, but the records did not indicate FSB was the alleged buyer. Although Cisco admitted that some names of customers were changed, it said those mistakes were innocent and has vehemently denied all charges that any of its sales violated sanctions. McCain called the situation “disturbing” and said it “deserves further investigation," Buzzfeed reported in a follow-up article. Interestingly, outgoing Cisco CEO John Chambers, also a Republican, knows McCain well. Chambers was a top supporter of McCain's 2008 presidential bid, donating over $1.3 million. Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: Here's what happens when you get bitten by a black widow  | ||
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China's latest answer to the Apple Watch is called T-FIRE and it's only $115 | ||
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T-FIRE is a smartwatch made by Chinese company Tomoon Technology. The question is how the company can compete with major companies launching smartwatch products such as the Apple Watch, Pebble, Samsung Galaxy Gear and Sony Smart Watch 2. Produced by Jason Gaines. Video courtesy of Associated Press and BON TV. Follow BI Video: On Facebook Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Texas says no to Tesla direct sales | ||
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Texas just ran out the clock on Tesla. Facing pressure from state car dealerships, this week the Texas legislature declined to take up several bills that would've allowed Tesla to sell cars directly to consumers. Under current state law, automakers must sell cars through a third-party dealership, which Tesla has refused to do. Altering dealership laws has proved to be a long, challenging process for the electric carmaker. Many states have laws that mandate automakers to adhere to the dealer model. Complicating matters, local car dealers are often large sources of tax revenue for state and local governments, creating a disincentive for lawmakers to change laws that protect the third party dealers. In several states including Texas, Tesla maintains showrooms, but is barred from selling cars directly, allowing test drives — or even directing customers to the Tesla website. As Ars Technica points out, the lone star state hasn't been particularly hospitable to Tesla. In 2013, the state assembly refused to take up a similar bill. Tesla CEO Elon Musk made another push, bumping up his financial support for several Texas state politicians in 2014. But he was unable to outspend local dealers. According to the Texas Tribune, Texas car dealerships outspent Musk 40 to 1 in the 2014 election. Tesla has recently had some success with its direct-sales approach. In March, New Jersey finally allowed Tesla to open four outlets after a protracted debate with state dealerships. New York, Maryland, Ohio, and Pennsylvania have all also changed laws in recent years to allow the electric automaker to sell directly to consumers. For its part, the federal government has been supportive of Tesla's efforts to circumvent dealerships. This week, the Federal Trade Commission urged Michigan lawmakers to repeal the state's third party dealership mandate, claiming that Michigan's auto practices are anti-competitive. “In our view, current provisions operate as a special protection for dealers — a protection that is likely harming both competition and consumers,” the FTC said. SEE ALSO: Here are the 10 best airports in Europe Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: We put a GoPro on a $315,000 Ferrari  | ||
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A Twitter cofounder's VC firm just raised a $123,456,789 fund to build 'world-positive' companies | ||
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Good news for fans of large, sequential numbers. Obvious Ventures, the almost-year-old venture capital firm started by Twitter co-founder and Medium CEO Ev Williams, just filed the paperwork with the SEC to close its first-ever fund at the amount of $123,456,789. "The number was absolutely intentional! We’ve got some math and computer science geeks (myself included) on the team and thought we’d have a little fun with our Form D filing," Obvious Ventures co-founder James Joaquin told us. Obvious had been targeting a $100 million round, but was lucky enough to be oversubscribed to over $120 million — so they decided to set $123,456,789 as their fundraising cutoff point. The number is a joke, but the fund is no laughing matter: Obvious Ventures is out to use the money to change the world, Joaquin said. Humanity is facing "tectonic plate-shift levels of challenge," Joaquin says, and Obvious Ventures wants to invest in companies that are tackling those challenges head-on. Obvious Ventures' three main areas of investment are "Sustainable Systems," "Healthy Living," and "People Power," Joqauin says. Joaquin himself, perhaps best known for taking money-transfer site Xoom to IPO as its CEO, sits on the board of sustainable cleaning product brand Seventh Generation and health information startup CareZone, among others. Over the last year, while still raising for this first fund, Obvious has invested in startups like petition site Change.org, meat substitute company Beyond Meat, and sustainable building design software developer Flux Factory. It's not exactly your usual Silicon Valley venture capital portfolio. "A lot of traditional VC has run away from the clean-tech space," Joaquin says. "We are charging in." Where many venture capital firms are just out there looking for the next unicorn startup, Obvious Ventures looks to invest in "world-positive" companies, Joaquin says. Which isn't to say that Obvious isn't out to turn a profit — it's more that the firm doesn't see profitability and positive change as opposites. Which is why Obvious Ventures doesn't invest in non-profits or companies that view revenue as an acceptable loss in the name of social change. "We're not social impact investors," Joaquin says. "All you need to measure is profit and loss." Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: 3 breakthroughs that Bill Nye thinks will change the world  | ||
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This incredible map lets New Yorkers see vintage photos of their street corners | ||
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Old photos have an uncanny way of connecting us to our past and creating a window to see back in time. And fortunately for a city like New York, with such a rich history, there are a lot of vintage photographs that capture days gone by. But never before have they been visualized like this. The New York Public Library, along with some history buff developers, recently launched OldNYC.org, which features an interactive map that plots thousands of photos to the location they depict. Each location is marked by a red dot. As you can see below, there's a lot of photos — one or more for nearly every street corner.
Once you click on a red dot, you're presented with one or more photos of that street and specific street corner. The photos come from the New York Public Library's Milstein Collection and date from the 1870s to the 1970s, with a many of them taken during the 1920s to the 1940s by photographer Percy Loomis Sperr.
SEE ALSO: These vintage photos of New York City in blizzards are wonderful FOLLOW US: Business Insider is on Instagram! Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: Here's what New York City looked like in 1905  | ||
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Edward Snowden weighs in on the huge internet vulnerability that could have helped the US spy on citizens | ||
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Did the US exploit a vulnerability that made it possible to snoop on data traffic that was thought to be secure? That’s been the question for the past 24 hours after news of the LogJam vulnerability became publicly known. Now Edward Snowden has added his two cents on the issue. Put simply, LogJam is a vulnerability that rests in encrypted internet traffic. When someone accesses a website that is 'encrypted,' it was thought to mean that the data being transferred can only be seen by the sender and the recipient. This new issue, which was announced yesterday, shows that it is possible for large-scale online operations to actually intercept this data without anyone noticing and even being able to alter it. So even so-called secure data isn't safe from external snooping thanks to this LogJam bug. Even though the discovery is a big one — it shows that previous conceptions of internet security are actually false — many experts weren’t sure how likely it was that the vulnerability was exploited. Today Edward Snowden took part in a Reddit AMA and offered his own unique views. A Redditor asked whether the exiled whistleblower believed that the NSA capitalized on this newly discovered vulnerability.
Without so much as saying the US did know about LogJam, Snowden is incredulous about how the government couldn't know. LogJam's existence is predicated on lax encryption standards from the '90s. So while Snowden can't be sure, he is (at the very least) suspicious. We’ll likely never know the extent to which LogJam (or any other vulnerability) has been acted on by the government. But Snowden, who took this time on Reddit to urge people to work to stop the government’s data collection program, sees this as an indication of what is possible. Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: Kids settle the debate and tell us which is better: an Apple or Samsung phone  | ||
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Netflix is getting a new design next month — here's what it looks like (NFLX) | ||
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Netflix is getting a new design for its streaming website that makes the browsing experience a lot more enjoyable. It's expected to launch sometime in June. For starters, Netflix is getting rid of its carousel browsing, dropping the slow-moving side scrolling in favor for a click-based browsing system that speeds up the experience and makes it a lot less frustrating to explore. If you've forgotten what that carousel-style browsing looks like, here's a reminder.
Currently, clicking on a Netflix title causes the episode to immediately start loading while it displays some summary information. And, if you wanted to explore the title further or select a specific episode you needed to hover your mouse over the title without clicking — which was usually hit or miss. With the new design, clicking on a title won't immediately cause your movie or TV show to start playing — instead you'll be given the option to read about the show.
If you click the arrow, the title will expand to let you explore other episodes in the series, read a plot overview, check out related titles, and view information on the cast.
Netflix has begun rolling out the new interface to a small number of subscribers already, but if you're not one of the lucky few you'll only have to wait a few more weeks. Netflix confirmed to Business Insider that it's "targeting mid-June" for the launch of the new design. SEE ALSO: How to mute individual tabs in Google Chrome with just a click Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: The trailer for the Wachowskis' mind-bending new Netflix series 'Sense8' has a lot of 'Matrix' in it  | ||
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THE WEARABLES REPORT: Growth trends, consumer attitudes, and why smartwatches will dominate | ||
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For now, most of the devices need to connect with a smartphone or tablet for most of their functionality. Wearables also suffer from a perception problem. Consumers still don't understand how a wearable might really benefit them. In a recent report on the wearable computing market from BI Intelligence, we also discuss other barriers to adoption, including price, lack of functionality, and style. We also look at how how the wearables market will perform in the long run. We forecast out shipments numbers, explain why the smartwatch will be the leading wearable device category going forward, and analyze proprietary results from our BI Intelligence consumer survey on smartwatch purchase intent. Access The Full Report And Data By Signing Up For A Trial Today >> Here are some key points from the report:
The report is full of charts and data that can be downloaded and put to use. In full, the report:
For full access to all BI Intelligence's charts, data, and analysis on the mobile and Internet of Things industry, sign up for a two-week trial.
Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: This 9-year-old makes $1 million a year opening toys  | ||
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Wearables face unique obstacles that will lead them to have less of an immediate market impact compared with tablets and smartphones.
What Google looks for in entrepreneurs when it's thinking about acquiring a company (GOOG) | ||
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Time Magazine recently wrote that Google has "perfected" the Silicon Valley acquisition, in part because it has become so good at retaining talent. Time found that two-thirds of the 221 startup founders that accepted jobs at Google between 2006 and 2014 are still with the company today. That's partially because Google puts a big emphasis on vetting entrepreneurs beforehand. The first thing Google thinks about when considering an acquisition is whether a company fits into its product strategy and if it passes "The Toothbrush Test," but it strongly considers a startup's talent, too. "We’re very focused on leadership and team," vice president of corporate development Don Harrison told Business Insider in a recent interview. "We interview deeply into the company — we try to create as many interconnections as we can during the discussion process, between senior leaders at Google and senior leaders at the company we’re trying to acquire. Nearly every deal of size that I can think of, Larry had spent time, Sergey had spent time, Sundar Pichai had spent time with the leaders that we’re bringing in to make sure that it’s a good fit." Harrison says that if it seems like a leader or team really doesn't mesh with Google, that could be a deal breaker as he's less likely to advocate for that acquisition. So, what sort of traits does Google look for in an entrepreneur? It wants people who can "reason from first principals," and who are intellectually curious. Via Harrison:
Once a decision has been reached and an acquisition occurs, Google then holds regular 90-day follow-ups on all of its deals to ask questions like, "How are we doing against our original goals?" "How are we doing on metrics of attention?" or "How are we doing on getting you the resources you need to succeed?" "Those meetings have been fantastic," Harrison says. "And are a huge part of — I think — why we’re succeeding." SEE ALSO: Read the full interview with Don Harrison here Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: Kids settle the debate and tell us which is better: an Apple or Samsung phone  | ||
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JK Rowling's response to this Harry Potter actor's racy photo shoot is absolute gold | ||
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Neville Longbottom is all grown up and JK Rowling has something to say about it. Actor Matthew Lewis is best known for his portrayal of Gryffindor dork Neville Longbottom in the "Harry Potter" movies. The much-beloved character was babied by his grandmother and terrified of potions-master Professor Snape. But in this month's cover feature for Attitude Magazine, Lewis seems like a different person. Although his character was the most awkward boy in his year, Lewis himself has blossomed into a buff young man who isn't shy about taking his shirt off. Still, he told Attitude, "I’ve never considered myself to be good-looking at all. Just average." However average Lewis may believe he looks, the internet thinks otherwise. Social media outlets are buzzing with the photos and everyone is weighing in on them — even "Harry Potter" author JK Rowling. In response to the photos, Rowling admonished Lewis via Twitter: Lewis responded with an apology, which Rowling accepted: Rounding out the online repartee, here's a tweet from Jason Isaacs, a.k.a. Lucius Malfoy: Although electronics were known to malfunction at Hogwarts, it looks like the wizarding community is flourishing on Twitter. Here are a few more photos of what the actor formerly known as Neville Longbottom looks like today.
SEE ALSO: 28 things you never knew about how the Harry Potter movies were made Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Edward Snowden just endorsed Rand Paul's big surveillance filibuster | ||
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Famed National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden is strongly behind Sen. Rand Paul's (R-Kentucky) filibuster of key provisions of the Patriot Act. The 2016 presidential candidate took to the Senate floor Wednesday and spoke for 10 and a half hours to try and slow down the renewal of the surveillance law. And in a Reddit post on Thursday, Snowden labeled Paul's speech as momentous. "It represents a sea change from a few years ago, when intrusive new surveillance laws were passed without any kind of meaningful opposition or debate," Snowden wrote. "Whatever you think about Rand Paul or his politics, it's important to remember that when he took the floor to say 'No' to any length of reauthorization of the Patriot Act, he was speaking for the majority of Americans — more than 60% of whom want to see this kind of mass surveillance reformed or ended." Snowden's Reddit post was part of a larger coordinated effort by the ACLU to galvanize the public against the Patriot Act. Snowden and the civil liberties organization repeatedly asked voters to call their senators and urge them to vote against reauthorizing parts of the surveillance package, which was first passed after the September 11th terrorist attacks. "[C]all your senators for the next two days and tell them to reject any extension or authorization of 215. No matter how the law is changed, it'll be the first significant restriction on the Intelligence Community since the 1970s — but only if you help," Snowden wrote. Snowden gained fame in the summer of 2013 when he leaked a vast amount of information about US surveillance programs to the media. After initially fleeing the country to Hong Kong, he later gained entrance to Russia. But things aren't all bad for Snowden in Russia. Asked if he misses pizza, he replied: "Russia has Papa John's. For real." However, Snowden wouldn't reveal his favorite pizza topping. "Nice try, FBI profiler," he quipped. SEE ALSO: Jeb Bush says there's 'not a shred of evidence' NSA surveillance violated civil liberties Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: Here's how Floyd Mayweather spends his millions  | ||
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Myanmar navy carries out first rescue of migrant boat: official | ||
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Sittwe (Myanmar) (AFP) - Myanmar's navy has carried out its first rescue of a migrant boat bringing 208 people to shore, an official told AFP Friday, after mounting international pressure on the nation to tackle a regional migration crisis. "A navy ship found two boats... on May 21 while on patrol," Tin Maung Swe, a senior official in the western state of Rakhine told AFP, adding "about 200 Bengalis were on one of the boats". Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Cameron makes British reform case to EU peers | ||
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Riga (AFP) - British Prime Minister David Cameron takes his case for far-reaching reform to his EU peers Friday as they meet six former Soviet states, some of whom would gladly swap places with London in the bloc. The Eastern Partnership summit in the Latvian capital Riga aims to review and affirm ties with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and especially war-torn Ukraine, whose future is overshadowing the talks. But Cameron arrives fresh from an unexpected election victory, ahead of which he pledged to renegotiate the terms of Britain's EU membership and an "in-out" referendum on the bloc in 2017. "Today I will start discussions in earnest with fellow leaders on reforming the EU and renegotiating the UK's relationship with it," Cameron said in comments released by his Downing Street office ahead of his arrival in Riga in the early hours of Friday. "These talks will not be easy, but by working together in the right spirit and sticking at it, I believe we can find solutions that will address the concerns of the British people and improve the EU as a whole." As they arrived for the summit dinner Thursday, EU leaders were repeatedly asked what they would say to Cameron on Friday in their first meeting since the May 7 election. German Chancellor Angela Merkel made no comment, while French President Francois Hollande responded with a terse: "Oh, I do not think that is this evening's subject." "This is not a meeting concerning UK membership," said European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker, who will be a key figure in the negotiations. Cameron backs staying in the European Union as long as Britain can secure a string of reforms, which he has yet to spell out. Regaining control of immigration is the prime minister's red line, but while Juncker has previously said he is ready to work for "a fair deal" with Britain, key EU principles such as freedom of movement were non-negotiable. - Cameron steals headlines - While Cameron may steal the headlines, EU leaders are first and foremost in Riga for the Eastern Partnership summit, wanting to reaffirm their promise of greater political and economic cooperation with six countries once ruled from Moscow. But they do not want to make tensions worse with Russia, which sees the Eastern Partnership project as a direct threat in its backyard. Merkel tried to strike a balance Thursday when she said neither the former Soviet states nor the EU should expect too much, while warning Russia it had to reverse course in Ukraine if it wanted to return to the G7 club of top nations. "The Eastern Partnership is not aimed against anyone, especially not against Russia," Merkel told the German parliament before leaving for Riga. It is also "not an instrument" of EU enlargement, she said, adding: "We must not therefore arouse false expectations which we cannot later fulfil." The last summit in November 2013 in Vilnius ended in chaos when Ukraine's then president, the pro-Russian Viktor Yanukovych, baulked at signing an EU association accord alongside Georgia and Moldova. His refusal sparked massive protests that led to his ouster in February 2014, followed by Russia's annexation of Crimea and a bloody conflict in eastern Ukraine with pro-Russian rebels. Ukraine's current pro-Western President Petro Poroshenko completed the association agreement last year and wants ultimately to join the EU. Also hogging the limelight in Riga was Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who held debt talks with the leaders of France and Germany in Riga on Thursday, but gave no sign of a breakthrough on its repayments ahead of a crucial June deadline. Merkel, Hollande and Tsipras "focused on the desire to reach an agreement on the current programme" to support Greece's finances, an aide to the French leader said. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Ireland votes in historic referendum on gay marriage | ||
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Dublin (AFP) - Ireland goes to the polls on Friday to vote on whether same-sex marriage should be legal, in a referendum that has exposed sharp divisions between communities in this traditionally Catholic nation. Allowing gay couples to wed would be a seismic change in a country where homosexuality was only decriminalised in 1993, and where abortion remains illegal except where the mother's life is in danger. "The stories that I've heard over the last number of years from ordinary people, in ordinary jobs, this burden and pressure that's been on them, living in the shadows -- that can be removed on Friday by voting 'Yes'," Prime Minister Enda Kenny said this week. If the move is approved, Ireland would become the first country to make the change following a popular vote. Referenda in Croatia and Slovenia both resulted in "No" votes, although in Slovenia, parliament went ahead and approved gay marriage in March. "We are saying here, in a world first, that the people of Ireland can extend the right of civil marriage to all our citizens," Kenny said. Currently there are 18 countries who have legalised gay marriage, most of them in Europe but also including South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, Brazil and Argentina. Across the border in Northern Ireland, gay marriage is banned even though it is legal in the rest of Britain. All of Ireland's main political parties, including conservatives, support amending the constitutional definition of marriage, and the latest polls put their camp in the lead. But the result is by no means certain -- the Catholic Church has campaigned strongly for a "No" vote, and many older and rural voters agree with the clergy. - Bono says 'Yes' - "My voting 'No' is not a vote against gay and lesbian people, it's against changing the definition of marriage," the archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, told RTE state television on Wednesday. "I think you can have equality while recognising difference. For me, the fundamental thing is marriage and a family are about the complimentary gifts of a man and a woman, a mother and a father." The majority of Irish people identify themselves as Catholic, but the Church's influence has waned amid growing secularisation and after a wave of child sex abuse scandals that badly discredited the hierarchy. Polls open at 7:00 am (0600 GMT) on Friday morning and close at 10:00 pm (2100 GMT), with the result not expected until Saturday afternoon. Voters will be asked whether or not to add an article to the Irish constitution saying: "Marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex." The debate has become increasingly heated, with accusations from the "No" campaign that their posters have been defaced and their supporters vilified. The "Yes" side has been boosted by the support of sports, music and film stars including Irish Hollywood A-lister Colin Farrell and U2 frontman Bono. Irish expatriates living in Britain who are still eligible to vote have also started an online campaign, "Get the Boat 2 Vote", to encourage people to travel home and support the change. In another social media campaign, "Be My Yes", Irish expatriates who can no longer vote posted messages and videos pleading on their countrymen to choose gay marriage. Three opinion polls last weekend showed support for same-sex marriage ranging from 53 to 69 percent, while the "No" vote is hovering between 24 and 26 percent. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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10 things you need to know before European markets open | ||
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German GDP grew 0.3% in the first quarter. The second estimate of GDP growth came in exactly as the first did, following the 0.7% jump recorded in Q4 of 2014. Draghi says growth is still too low across Europe. European Central Bank head Mario Draghi said that "growth is too low everywhere" in Europe despite a modest recovery. Draghi made the blunt remark as he opened a conference on the unemployment problem plaguing the 19 members of the European Union that share the euro currency. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras spoke to Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande in Riga. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras held "friendly and constructive" debt talks with the leaders of France and Germany Thursday, but gave no sign of a breakthrough ahead of a crucial June deadline. The Bank of Japan held off on stimulus. The Bank of Japan on Friday held fire on launching more stimulus, days after official data showed the world's number three economy grew more than expected in the first quarter. Italian industrial orders and retail sales are coming. Industrial data is out at 9 a.m. London time and retail sales are at 10 a.m. (4 a.m. and 5 a.m. ET respectively). Analysts expect a small bump in month-on-month retail sales. HP is offloading a large Chinese data business. Hewlett-Packard will sell a controlling 51 percent stake in its China-based data-networking business to China's Tsinghua Unigroup for at least $2.3 billion (£1.47 billion), forming a partnership designed to create a Chinese technology powerhouse. Charter is in talks to buy Time Warner Cable with a higher bid than Comcast made. Charter is in talks with Time Warner Cable about a bid that is likely to be well above $170 (£108.50) per share expected by some analysts, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Italy passed a new law to tackle corruption. The latest anti-corruption bill was approved by the lower house in a watered-down version more than two years after it was presented by Senate speaker Piero Grasso, a former anti-mafia prosecutor. The legislation increases prison sentences for corruption by an average of two years up to a maximum of around 10 years for the most common varieties, involving bribery or offering or demanding favours to obtain public contracts. Yellen is coming. The Fed is likely to stick with plans to raise interest rates later this year, with progress toward its employment and inflation goals helping allay concerns over the economy's recent weakness, current and former Fed officials say. Fed Chair Janet Yellen, who on Friday will talk about the economy's prospects, is expected to acknowledge the recent sluggishness, including near stagnant performance in the first few months of the year. Asian markets are up. Japan's Nikkei is 0.15% higher than Thursday's close, with more rapid climbs in Chinese stocks: The Shanghai Composite Index is up 1.89% and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong is up 1.89%. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Good morning! Here are the major stories you should read about in markets today. Tunisia's sunbeds and souks empty after museum attack | ||
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Djerba (Tunisia) (AFP) - It's another sun-drenched day but the deckchairs of a four-star hotel on the island of Djerba stand empty, in a sign of the "catastrophic" summer on the horizon for Tunisian tourism. "It's dead. It's all over for this year," was the blunt verdict from Adel Tarres, manager of the hotel on the holiday island off the south coast of Tunisia that has in past years been a magnet for tourists from Italy across the Mediterranean. He had been counting on a "perfect" season and recruited an extra 25 staff to cater to tourists he hoped would be lured by the island's sandy beaches and whitewashed traditional houses. But that was before jihadist gunmen attacked the Bardo national museum in Tunis on March 18 and mowed down 21 foreign tourists and a policeman. Immediately, the Italian tour operator who had block-booked the 170-room hotel from May 1 right through to the end of October cancelled the reservation -- a loss estimated at 1.4 million euros ($1.6 million). The tourism sector, which accounts for seven percent of Tunisia's GDP and almost 400,000 direct and indirect jobs, had already been rattled by political instability and rising Islamist violence since the 2011 revolution. - 'Rough four years' - In Djerba alone, around 30 establishments have closed down over the past four years, Farhat Ben Tanfous, secretary general of the region's hotels federation, told AFP. "The last four years have been very rough. We've had a lot of different tourism ministers and a lot of different governments, so a lot of political instability. We haven't been able to work on long-term plans," he said. After the Bardo museum massacre, the outlook for the summer season, which represents 60 to 70 percent of annual revenues, looks "bad", said Jalel Henchiri, who is president of the federation. "Let's hope it's not catastrophic," Henchiri added. For Ben Tanfous, the best scenario would be a five-percent decline in revenues compared with 2014, which was also worse than expected. "That would at least give us some hope for (following) years. I don't think we should talk about this year or 2016 but rather look at a strategy to turn the corner," he said. Even before the Bardo attack, tourism figures made grim reading, with revenues 6.8 percent lower in the first quarter, compared with the first three months of 2014, and overnight stays down 10.7 percent. Ben Tarfous said efforts had been made to deal with the problem of rubbish left piling up on Djerba's streets last year because of the lack of a treatment plant. And security has also been stepped up for the summer season as government officials repeatedly insist that Tunisia is safe for visitors. - Worse each year - But traders in Djerba's souks say the prospects are still bleak. "The few tourists in Djerba are scared after what happened at the Bardo and prefer not to leave their hotels," sighed Yassine Ben Othmane, a leather artisan. "Ever since 2011, each year has been worse than the one before, but this year is the worst." Australian tourist Renata Payer said she wasn't exactly scared but had taken precautions such as not renting a car or going out alone. Tunisian authorities have launched a campaign, especially on social media, to convince tourists not to miss out on the historic and cultural riches that the country has to offer. But insiders say they are fighting against the tide, this year at least. "If it goes on like this, I'll be forced to change profession. You can't make a living in tourism any more," said Ibrahim Zagdid, who sells traditional North African costumes. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Qatar's pearl divers seek tradition and riches | ||
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Doha (AFP) - From a distance it could be a scene from Qatar's ancient past, long before the country's modern-day wealth was secured by the discovery of gas and oil. Several kilometres (miles) off the coast of southern Qatar, five traditional dhow boats bob gently up and down on the becalmed blue-green waters of the Gulf. On board each vessel are a number of gawas, or pearl divers. In the midday heat, divers take it in turns to swim the six metres (20 feet) or so to the sea bottom unaided to find pearl oysters. The strongest can stay underwater for about 90 seconds before returning, breathless, to the surface, hopefully with a net full of pearls, or lulus as they known in Arabic. This is not some romanticised recreation of the past but Qatar's biggest annual pearl diving event, the "Senyar". And just like their pearl diving predecessors, today's divers are there to try to secure a good bounty -- a first prize of 400,000 Qatari riyals ($110,000/100,000 euros). "There are four other boats," says one of the competing captains, Mohamed bin Abdullah al-Sada. "The total number of teams is five. There are two teams that we need to watch out for, but God willing we'll finish ahead of them," he adds. But this was not to be his year. - 'Keep Qatar's heritage alive' - The scene may look like a picture postcard but the closer you get to the action, it is obvious this is a serious business. The boats buzz with activity as the teams vie for the lucrative first prize. Each team has up to five divers, all hurriedly shouting out instructions to the others so as to find the largest number of pearl oysters. When a diver returns to the surface with a full bag, his teammates invariably cheer and shout out to the other boats, as the competition becomes fiercer by the hour. Also on board is the boat's skipper, who needs a deft touch to put the dhow in the right place for the divers and a thick skin to cope with the criticism when he does not. There is also someone there to make sure the divers have enough food -- chocolates and meats -- and water, while a referee sits placidly over barrels crammed with pearls oysters ready to count. The emphasis is on oysters rather than pearls. To protect stocks, the oysters remain unopened. But collecting the most oysters is not enough to guarantee top spot. Teams are also awarded points for their treatment of the oysters. "They decided that they should count the number of pearl oysters and not the pearls themselves because they believe that we should collect the oysters and then return them to the sea," says Sada. "They said we should immerse them in water and then return them to their natural environment so that they live, breed and the place stays alive. So that they're not impacted by the annual competition." One year, Sada admits, his team lost first prize because they did not follow the rules. Fellow diver Abdullah Bilal says the motive for the competition is not only money but "to keep Qatar's heritage alive". "In the past it had disappeared and we want to bring it back, especially the youth who have energy and vigour." - 'Very hard life' - Competition organiser Jehad Al-Jaidah says the tournament appeals to Qatar's historical reliance on the sea. "Most of the Qatari people were born next to the sea. This was their way of life. Most of the Qataris went to the sea two or three times a week." Pearl diving was one of the major industries in Qatar stretching from ancient times until the 1950s but, Jaidah says matter-of-factly, "when the oil came, diving stopped". Jaidah does not romanticise the past and speaks realistically about the hardships endured by traditional pearl divers. They spent months away from home at sea -- the oyster catching season ran from May to at least August -- surviving on rations and risking their lives to get enough pearls to ensure their families had money for the winter. "It was a very hard life," says Jaidah. But as modern as Qatar is now, with its gleaming glass-fronted skyscrapers, it cannot entirely break with the past. Merchants known as "Tawash" traditionally supplied divers with food while they were at sea. One of those Tawash was a member of the now-powerful Alfardan family which nowadays trades not in food for divers and fishermen but in luxury cars, yachts and jewellery beloved by deep-pocketed Qataris. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Far from Libya chaos, drivers battle it out in dunes | ||
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Qarabuli (Libya) (AFP) - With the engines throbbing, young Libyans battle it out among the sand dunes, not with Humvee-style fighting vehicles but brightly coloured and sporty four-wheel drives. In a weekly escape from the violence gripping their country, they converge every Friday -- the Muslim weekend -- for races in Qarabuli on the Mediterranean coast, 60 kilometres (35 miles) east of Tripoli. The type of powerful all-terrain vehicles they race up to the top of the dunes were reserved only for the military and regime elite in the days of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi. "After the events of 2011, the market was opened to everybody," said one of the organisers, Ahmed Abdelkader Atiga, referring to the revolt which swept away Kadhafi's regime and since when Libya has been mired in chaos. "Young people started buying four-by-fours," said Atiga, a radio talk show host. "This place has become a meeting place for young Libyans who come from several towns every Friday. It's a good image which gives hope of resolving differences and saving lives." Hundreds of motorsport enthusiasts also gather at Qarabuli as spectators, away from the stress and daily uncertainty of life in post-Kadhafi Libya, where rival militias and political administrations are locked in a deadly struggle for dominance. Jihadists from the Islamic State group have also gained a foothold in the oil-rich North African country, feeding on the political breakdown and lawlessness. Since October alone, more than 3,000 lives have been lost in fighting, according to Libya Body Count, an independent group which collates data from different sources. Libya has also been in the news for the African migrants seeking a new life in Europe and left at the mercy of people smugglers exploiting the chaos to ply their lucrative trade with unseaworthy boats leaving from its shores. - 'A Libya of coexistence' - But away from the fighting and the misery of the migrants, four-wheel drives have flooded the market and adrenaline-driven young Libyans hungry for excitement are leading the charge. Shortly before sunset, spraying sand into the air and with tyres screeching, dozens of drivers in red, green and yellow vehicles, many of them open top, scramble to make it in a race to the top of a steep dune. "King of the Roads", "Youths of Libya" and "Fireball" read stickers on the cars, some flying the Libyan flag. It's a test of manoeuvering and driving skills to prevent the wheels being buried in the sand, rather than speed alone, that determines the winners. Some are forced to give up, while others keep trying again and again, spurred on by wild cheers from the crowd. "We stop down at the beach before coming over for the races to encourage these young people," said Mohamed, a dentist who has been attending for the past two years. "We want to help these youths to overcome the challenge. Every time I come, it's like the first time for me," he said, beaming. The two-hour event is rounded off with a three-kilometre (two-mile) rally along the seafront for allcomers. "These weekly meetings give a different image from what the television stations show of the situation in Libya," said Atiga. "It's one of a Libya free of tensions, one of coexistence and joy." The cars then drive in convoy for several kilometres (miles) offroad until they reach the highway, before separating and returning to the reality of militia checkpoints and risks of carjackings on their way home. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Cannes films divide critics ahead of awards weekend | ||
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Cannes (France) (AFP) - As the Cannes Film Festival bears down on its weekend awards ceremony, a look at the movies seen so far and their reviews reveal deep divisions among the critics. Some are polarised on the basic question of whether cinema is more entertainment or art, while others show cultural bias. Another faction gives more weight to pedigree, politics or aesthetics. So far, broadly, US and British press and industry types are plumping for "Carol", an American period lesbian romance lifted to Oscar heights by a flawless performance from Australian star Cate Blanchett. Vanity Fair magazine said the movie "transcends" and achieves "something rather mighty". But many continental Europeans are more seduced by "My Mother," an Italian film that packs an emotional wallop as it explores a director's personal and professional crises. "Able to move and raise laughter, it seems able to take the Palme d'Or," Italian magazine Panorama wrote. - US vs. European tastes - Two other Cannes movies -- "Youth," another Italian-directed film starring Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel and Jane Fonda ruminating about ageing, and grim Hungarian Holocaust drama "Son of Saul" -- are also seen as worthy leading contenders. European reviewers said they were wary of American movies that seemed too obviously to be seeking Oscar prestige, at the expense of offering a fresh or unusual perspective. British and Americans "are maybe more sensitive to the look of a film," David Elbaz, of Radio Campus Paris, told AFP. "For European critics, it's a little more suspect." The French are showing particular affection for one of their five films in the competition, "The Measure of a Man," which looks at home-turf unemployment. In a strong line-up, only one movie has been unanimously panned. Starring Matthew McConaughey and directed by Gus Van Sant, "The Sea of Trees" tells the story of a depressed American man's voyage into, and then out of, a Japanese woodland known for suicides. Whatever the critics might say, the decisions rest with this year's Cannes jury. The nine-person panel is jointly headed by American sibling director duo Joel and Ethan Coen and including actors Jake Gyllenhaal, Sienna Miller and Sophie Marceau, and directors Guillermo del Toro and Xavier Dolan. - Hard to predict - The Coen brothers could be tempted by "Sicario," a taut thriller about a CIA anti-drug operation on the Mexican border, where their Oscar-winning "No Country for Old Men" was set, and with the same actor, Josh Brolin. Or maybe their oddball sensibilities will lean towards "The Lobster," a strange, well-received movie starring Colin Farrell in which single people have 45 days to find a mate or be transformed into an animal. Fantasy director Del Toro could be drawn to "The Tale of Tales," an Italian movie that compiles three dark fairytales powered by special effects reminiscent of his "Pan's Labyrinth". And the actors on the jury might appreciate the leisurely performances in "Youth," Blanchett's tour de force in "Carol" or a generation-spanning Chinese movie, "Mountains May Depart". Past juries have proved notoriously unpredictable, however, and Cannes-lovers are left to guess for clues as to who might win the Palme d'Or, its runner-up Grand Prize, and the trophies for best director, best actor and best actress. Sometimes -- as in 2004, when the anti-Bush documentary "Fahrenheit 911" won the Palme -- politics triumphs. This year, though, the race looks more likely to be decided on the merits and quality of the contenders. The Cannes Palme d'Or closing ceremony will be held late on Sunday. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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The 10 most important things in the world right now | ||
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1. Islamic State fighters have seized the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra and now control the nearby airport, prison and intelligence headquarters. 2. Korean Air Lines executive Heather Cho, who was sentenced in February to one year in jail after an outburst over the way she had been served macadamia nuts, was released Friday on appeal. 3. At least two protesters were shot dead during violent anti-government demonstrations in Burundi's capital against President Pierre Nkurunziza's bid for a third term in office. 4. Russia has offered to supply weapons to Iraq to halt advances by Islamic State, which has made major gains over the last week. 5. Central bankers from around the world are gathered in Portugal for a three-day meeting related to solving challenges about "Inflation and Unemployment in Europe." 6. The gap between the rich and poor is at its highest level in three decades, with the richest 10% of the population earning nearly 10 times the income of the poorest 10%, according to an OECD study. 7. Two men captured by Ukrainian troops on Saturday have reportedly confessed to being members of the Russian armed forces, but did not have orders to attack. 8. A Chinese university has denied US espionage charges filed against three of its staff accused of stealing technology often used in military systems, on behalf of China. 9. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras held debt talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande ahead of the EU Summit in Lativia's capital Riga. 10. SpaceX's unmanned Dragon supply ship splashed down into the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, hours after leaving the the International Space Station. And finally ... Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: This Animated Map Shows How European Languages Evolved  | ||
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Bank of Japan holds fire on stimulus after upbeat GDP data | ||
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Tokyo (AFP) - The Bank of Japan on Friday held fire on launching more stimulus, days after official data showed the world's number three economy grew more than expected in the first quarter. Policymakers kept the central bank's annual 80 trillion yen ($662 billion) monetary easing programme in place after a two-day meeting and investors will now be watching a briefing by governor Haruhiko Kuroda later in the day. On Wednesday the government released figures showing Japan's economy, which sank into a brief recession last year, expanded by a better-than-expected 0.6 percent from the previous quarter. In annualised terms, growth was 2.4 percent between January-March -- well ahead of disappointing 0.2 percent growth in the US economy -- as capital spending and the housing market showed signs of strength, although exports dipped slightly and consumer spending was weak. "Japan's economy has continued to recover moderately," the bank said Friday, slightly tweaking its language from a meeting last month when it said it "continued its moderate recovery trend". The BoJ also pointed to "declining" public investment. Kuroda has been forced to push back a timeline for hitting a 2.0 percent inflation target -- a cornerstone of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's plan to kickstart the deflation-plagued economy -- although he insists that price rises are around the corner. Stripping out the impact of a sales tax rise last year, Japan's inflation rate in March came in at a tepid 0.2 percent from a year ago, well short of the BoJ's target. That has spurred speculation of further easing measures. "It came as no surprise that the Bank of Japan left policy settings unchanged today, and the apparent strength in Q1 GDP suggests that additional easing in July is off the table," Marcel Thieliant from Capital Economics said in a commentary. "Nonetheless, we remain convinced that the prospect of prolonged below-target inflation will eventually convince policymakers to step up the pace of asset purchases." In currency trading, the dollar-yen rate slipped to 120.83 from 120.91 yen just before the BoJ's announcement, and well off the 121.07 yen in New York. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Appeals court frees Korean Air heiress in 'nut rage' case | ||
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Seoul (AFP) - A South Korean appeals court on Friday freed the former Korean Air (KAL) executive jailed for a year in February for disrupting a flight in a rage over macadamia nuts. The High Court in Seoul ruled that the behaviour of Cho Hyun-Ah, the eldest daughter of the airline's chairman, had not resulted in a change of flight path -- the most serious charge against her -- and handed down a reduced suspended sentence. Cho, who was a KAL vice president in charge of in-flight service at the time of the December 5 incident, had become enraged after a flight attendant served her some nuts in a bag, rather than on a plate. She lambasted the chief steward over the behaviour of his cabin crew and then insisted the taxiing New York-Seoul KAL flight return to the airport gate so he could be removed from the plane. In her original trial, the district court determined that an aircraft was "in flight" from the moment it began to move, and that in ordering the return to the gate Cho had violated aviation safety laws by illegally changing the plane's route. But the High Court overturned that decision, ruling that the return to the gate "did not constitute a change" of flight path. Handing down a reduced sentence of 10 months, suspended for a period of two years, High Court judge Kim Sang-Hwan said the threat Cho's actions had presented to the safety and security of the aircraft was "modest". "The accused had no intention of hampering the safe operation of the plane," Kim said. But the court upheld her conviction for hampering the plane's operation and violence against the cabin crew. Chief steward Park Chang-Jin had testified that Cho had made him kneel and beg for forgiveness while jabbing him with a service manual. The flight attendant who served the now infamous nuts has since filed a civil lawsuit, alleging Cho attacked, threatened and screamed obscenities and then pressured her to cover up the incident by lying to government regulators. Many South Koreans saw the 40-year-old Cho's behaviour as emblematic of a generation of spoilt and arrogant offspring of owners of the giant family-run conglomerates, or "chaebols", that dominate the national economy. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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See FX's 'American Crime Story' cast alongside the real players in the O.J. Simpson trial | ||
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FX is hoping for another hit from "American Horror Story" co-creator Ryan Murphy with its upcoming true crime anthology series, "American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson." Based on Jeffrey Toobin's book "The Run of His Life: The People V. O.J. Simpson," the limited series will take a look at the O.J. Simpson trial told from the perspective of the lawyers. It will explore the chaotic behind-the-scenes dealings and maneuvering on both sides of the court, and how the LAPD’s history with the city’s African-American community affected the trial. For the past several months, casting on the series have kept people buzzing as many still remember watching the case that went down in the mid-90s and feel they know the players well. With production underway in Los Angeles, FX has just released the first photos of the cast. Business Insider took the extra step of showing them side-by-side with the real people they'll be playing. Cuba Gooding Jr. ("Jerry Maguire," "Empire") as O.J. Simpson:
David Schwimmer ("Friends") as Robert Kardashian:
Courtney B. Vance ("State of Affairs," "Revenge") as attorney Johnnie Cochran:
John Travolta ("Pulp Fiction") as attorney Robert Shapiro:
Sarah Paulson ("American Horror Story") as deputy district attorney Marcia Clark:
Billy Magnussen (“Into the Woods”) as Kato Kaelin:
"American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson" will premiere in 2016 on FX. SEE ALSO: FX CEO: Competition for TV shows is now 'literally insane' MORE: FX Show 'Archer' Quietly Drops ISIS As The Name Of Its Spy Agency Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: Here's what 'Game of Thrones' stars look like in real life  | ||
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Kaelin plays 18 FARC rebels killed in Colombia army air strike | ||
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Bogota (AFP) - A bombing raid by Colombia's army killed 18 FARC guerrillas Thursday, the deadliest attack since President Juan Manuel Santos lifted a suspension of air strikes against the group last month, an official said. "It is the first major blow against FARC since President Santos ordered the resumption of air strikes against the guerrillas on April 15," the Defense Ministry official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Newcastle and Hull in Premier League survival shootout | ||
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London (AFP) - Northeast rivals Hull City and Newcastle United face a shootout for Premier League survival this weekend as the 2014-15 campaign reaches its conclusion. Hull must win at home to Manchester United on Sunday to stand any chance of staying up, but if they succeed, Newcastle will be relegated unless they prevail at home to West Ham United. Newcastle will begin the day two points above the relegation zone, but Hull's superior goal difference (-18 to -25) means that if the two teams finish level on points, it is Steve Bruce's men who will stay up. The scenario echoes that of the final day of the 2008-09 season, when Hull avoided the drop despite losing 1-0 at home to Manchester United and Newcastle were relegated after going down 1-0 at Aston Villa. Bruce has never overcome his former club Manchester United in his 17-year managerial career, but he believes the support of the KC Stadium could tip the match in the home side's favour. "It's a big positive that this game is at home," said the former United captain, whose side have lost their last three matches. "We've got one of the giants of English football coming to us and we hope that with the fans right behind us and the players ready for the challenge ahead, we can upset the applecart. "We have to believe that there is one final twist in this and it needs to go our way." A run of nine defeats and one draw in 10 games has seen Newcastle slide from 11th place to the threshold of the relegation zone ahead of Sunday's pivotal encounter with mid-table West Ham. Newcastle's fans have stepped up their protests against unpopular owner Mike Ashley in recent weeks and manager John Carver has admitted that he cannot bring himself to contemplate the thought of relegation. "It doesn't even bear thinking about, to be quite honest. It's not something that's in my mind," he said. "I've seen what's happened in the past. It wasn't nice. If it did happen, it would be unbearable and I don't know how long it would take to get over it. "But as far as I'm concerned, let us take care of our business and then when we get to Sunday at five o'clock (1600 GMT), then I'll have a better idea, as we all will."
- Gerrard's farewell -
The last day will not be such a nerve-jangling affair for the teams at the other end of the table, with Chelsea having already secured the title and the Champions League places effectively settled. Deposed champions Manchester City, who host Southampton, are guaranteed to finish second due to their four-point advantage over third-place Arsenal. And while Manchester United can mathematically leapfrog Arsenal into third place, it would require them to win at Hull and Arsenal to lose at home to West Bromwich Albion accompanied by a seven-goal swing in goal difference. Both teams will be celebrating at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea are scheduled to receive the Premier League trophy after tackling Sunderland, who secured survival with a battling 0-0 draw at Arsenal on Wednesday. The only other issue to be determined is Europa League qualification, with Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton in contention for the two berths guaranteed to offer a place in the tournament. Fifth-place Liverpool and sixth-place Spurs are in line to qualify as things stand, but seventh place, where Southampton sit, will also yield a Europa League spot if Arsenal beat Villa in the FA Cup final on May 30. Tottenham visit Everton, who are finishing the season with something of a flourish, while Liverpool travel to Stoke City for captain Steven Gerrard's 710th and final game for the club before he joins the Los Angeles Galaxy. The game could also represent a final Liverpool appearance for 20-year-old forward Raheem Sterling, who has rejected a new contract and reportedly expressed a desire to leave. Crystal Palace, 3-1 winners at Anfield in Gerrard's final home game last weekend, finish the campaign at home to Swansea City, while Villa warm up for the FA Cup final at home to Burnley and Leicester City celebrate their great escape from relegation by entertaining relegated Queens Park Rangers.
Fixtures Sunday (1400 GMT): Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa v Burnley, Chelsea v Sunderland, Crystal Palace v Swansea City, Everton v Tottenham Hotspur, Hull City v Manchester United, Leicester City v Queens Park Rangers, Manchester City v Southampton, Newcastle United v West Ham United, Stoke City v Liverpool Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Early Twitter investor Chris Sacca may be about to get more critical of the company | ||
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Chris Sacca, one of Twitter's earliest investors and longtime defenders, may be about to become more critical of the current state of affairs at the company. In a lengthy blog post on Thursday, Sacca signalled that he would soon post his thoughts about "a few things that I personally hope the Twitter team will accomplish." Sacca's post comes about a month after Twitter delivered a particularly ugly first-quarter earnings report, missing financial targets and signaling that user growth was once again under pressure. Many on Wall Street are wondering if CEO Dick Costolo's days leading the company may be numbered. Sacca spent most of the post, which he titled "I Bleed Aqua," laying out his history of loyalty and passion for the company and his continuing belief in its potential. "Twitter went from just being an investment to a huge part of my identity. My kids can spot a Twitter birdie from a hundred feet away. I have very few t-shirts that don’t sport the company logo," he wrote. Sacca recounted how he has helped Twitter negotiate monetization deals and funding rounds, even though he was never an official employee or board member of the company (though he was an adviser). But he noted that "during all of these years, I haven’t been as candid as I could be in public discussions about Twitter." That changed during a recent interaction with CNBC's Jim Cramer, in which Sacca said the pair "traded insights as to what we each thought was going wrong and what could be better" with the company. Sacca suggested that he had more constructive criticism to share, though he did not provide many details or say when or where he would speak out. I believe without reservation that Twitter can soon evolve to be used by over 500 million people a month. I believe there is no natural ceiling on the revenue Twitter can generate. I also believe that Twitter’s reach can become more pervasive and its impact on the world more meaningful. I believe Twitter is a great investment and that the stock is cheap. Stay tuned for Sacca's feedback. If nothing else, it should be interesting. Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: What It Was Like On The Trading Floor During Twitter's IPO  | ||
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French, German leaders hold talks with Greek PM in Riga | ||
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Riga (AFP) - Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras held "friendly and constructive" debt talks with the leaders of France and Germany Thursday, but gave no sign of a breakthrough ahead of a crucial June deadline. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and the Greek premier "focused on the desire to reach an agreement on the current programme" to support Greece's finances, an aide to the French leader said. The three "agreed on the need for the Greek authorities to keep working with the three institutions", the aide said, referring to Athens' "troika" of creditors -- the European Union, the European Central Bank, and International Monetary Fund. Greece's radical-left government and its international creditors have been locked in talks for months over reforms needed to release a final 7.2 billion euros ($8.2 billion) in bailout funds Athens needs to avoid defaulting on its debt and possibly crashing out of the eurozone. The delay in reaching an agreement has led to concerns Athens is running critically short of cash and may soon end up defaulting, which could set off a messy exit from the euro. After almost two hours of talks in the Latvian capital ahead of an EU-Eastern Partnership summit on Friday, Hollande stressed it was up to the European Union -- not France or Germany -- to find a solution to the crisis. "It will not be here, in Riga, that we will negotiate the question of Greece, but it is true that it allows us to prepare for the upcoming deadline, particularly for the Eurogroup meeting at the end of the month or in early June," the French president told journalists. "Along with Mr Tsipras, we want to find solutions that will give confidence and release the... funds," he added. "We (France and Germany) are working to make things easier, and at the same time to pass on some messages that are useful for Greece and for Europe," Hollande said. On June 5, Greece must make a new debt repayment to the International Monetary Fund. It has been less than 10 days since Athens raided an emergency account to pay its last instalment of 750 million euros, and it may not be able to meet its next deadline. The EU and IMF are demanding tough labour market and pension reforms from Greece in return for the bailout funds, however the reforms contradict the election promises that swept Tsipras's party into power. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Napoli face Champions League acid test at Juve | ||
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Milan (AFP) - Napoli face a crucial weekend in their fight for a Champions League place with Rafael Benitez's men away to treble-chasing Juventus and rivals Lazio hosting Roma in the city derby. Napoli, in fourth place three points off a Champions League place, visit a Juventus side still bubbling with joy after their 2-1 Italian Cup final victory over Lazio on Wednesday. It was Juve's first double since they last won the Cup in 1995 and kept the 31-time champions, who meet Barcelona in the final of the Champions League in Berlin on June 6, on course for their first treble. Napoli would be forgiven for hoping Massimiliano Allegri rests several of his players for Saturday's clash in Turin, but even that would not guarantee an advantage for the visitors. Allegri rested five key players last week, and Juve still came away from the San Siro with a 2-1 win over Inter Milan which severely dented the home side's slim hopes of qualifying for the Europa League. Napoli, who squeezed a 3-2 win over already-relegated Cesena last time out, need to beat Juventus to have any chance of remaining in Champions League contention following a week of further disappointment. A win for Benitez's men would pull them level with Lazio ahead of the city derby on Monday when Roma will be looking for the win that would secure runner-up spot and automatic entry to the Champions League. However it has been anything but a relaxing week for Benitez, who suffered heavy criticism for Napoli's semi-final exit from the Europa League at the hands of Dnipro. Benitez has been tipped to leave the club when his contract expires in June and has reportedly held talks with Real Madrid with a view to possibly succeeding Carlo Ancelotti. Napoli, meanwhile, are dependent on Lazio whose coach Stefano Pioli is not in a charitable mood after losing their only chance for a trophy this season. Lazio are fully focused on the city derby, and Pioli said: "You have to win finals, not lose them but I'm really proud of my squad and can't fault any of them. "Our road in the Cup is finished, but not in the league. Monday's match is our most important game this season. With the help of our fans, we're getting ready to play the match of our lives." Although Roma's credible bid for a first scudetto fizzled out last month, Rudi Garcia's men are determined to secure their place in next season's Champions League. They hold a one-point lead on Lazio ahead of a derby that, last January, finished 2-2 after Roma captain Francesco Totti hit a second-half brace to cancel out goals from Stefano Mauri and Felipe Anderson. Midfielder Daniele De Rossi has been known for losing his composure, but the Italy international has promised that would not be the case on Monday. "Now, I'm better at handling tension. I'm more calm," De Rossi said earlier this week. "As you get closer to the game you feel the tension rise, but I've played a lot of derbies and think I can handle it." Sampdoria, Inter and Torino all face crucial away matches, respectively against Empoli, Genoa and AC Milan as they bid to clinch one of the league's three Europa League spots. But Genoa, who sit in sixth place two points ahead of Sampdoria, have already been ruled out of the competition after being denied a UEFA licence by the Italian authorities because their Luigi Ferraris stadium does not meet UEFA's standards. Sampdoria share the stadium but have registered Sassuolo’s Mapei Stadium as an alternative for European home games. AC Milan's 3-2 defeat to Sassuolo last weekend ended all hope of the seven-time European champions qualifying for Europe. Fixtures (times GMT) Saturday Juventus v Napoli (1600), Genoa v Inter (1845) Sunday Empoli v Sampdoria (1030), Cesena v Cagliari, Chievo v Atalanta, Palermo v Fiorentina, Parma v Verona, Udinese v Sassuolo (all 1300), AC Milan v Torino (1845) Monday Lazio v Roma (1845) Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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A vehicle was spotted that looks like an Uber self-driving car, but the company denies it | ||
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A few months after Uber declared its intention to develop self-driving cars and other advanced driving technology, the first fruits of its efforts have been spotted in the wild. A 4-door sedan with a bunch of hardware mounted on the roof was seen cruising the streets of Pittsburgh (where Uber's advanced car technology efforts are based) by the folks at the Pittsburgh Business Times. The car, which appears to be a Ford Fusion, has the words Uber Advanced Technologies Center emblazoned in big letters on its side. Check out a picture of the car here. According to Uber, though, the vehicle is not technically a self-driving car. "This is not a self-driving test car. This vehicle is part of our early research efforts regarding mapping, safety and autonomy systems." Self-driving cars are still several years away from being available to the general public, with advances in technology and changes in regulations still required for the vehicles to become a reality. Google has been leading the charge, with its podlike self-driving cars due to begin testing on California public roads this summer. Traditional automakers such as General Motors, Nissan and Volvo are all also working to develop self-driving cars. Even Apple is reportedly exploring the potential of self-driving cars. For Uber, the popular ride-hailing service that's now valued at more than $40 billion, self-driving cars offer the chance to eliminate a major cost: human drivers. To create a viable self-driving car though will require huge investments in technology and in important features such as high-definition digital maps. SEE ALSO: Uber is now mainstream enough that it's used as a punchline in the new Entourage movie Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: Gen. Stanley McChrystal on how Uber operates just like a special forces unit  | ||
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An 8-year-old interviews the cofounder of the company who makes her favorite app | ||
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My 8-year-old daughter, Ava, went through a phase where she was obsessed with Toca Boca. Unless you have kids or are in the app business, you've probably never heard of Toca Boca. But the Swedish developer makes apps that lets children do simple things to animated characters, like give them a haircut or dress them in funny hats and wigs. No scores, no competition. Turns out, simple is good. Toca Boca apps have been downloaded more than 85 million times, the company says, and right now Toca Hair Salon 2 is the number-two most popular app in the Kids category of the iPhone App Store -- alongside apps from major names like Disney and PBS Kids. So when the company reached out and asked me if I wanted to interview its CEO and cofounder Bjorn Jeffery, I passed the opportunity to my daughter. She allowed her brother Marlon, who's 4, to ask one question as well. We did the interview via email. BUSINESS INSIDER: Where did you get the name "Toca Boca"? Does "Toca Boca" mean something?
Also, we wanted a name that was fun to say, easy to say, and that would work in many different countries. BI: Where did you get the idea from? BJ: From the beginning we were called "Rainbow Teeth" and that was a name that came from a colleague, Jens Peter de Pedro's daughter. But that name didn't work so JP came up with Toca Boca instead. BI: Where do you get your music? BJ: The music is normally written specifically for each app. We work with musicians that get to see the app and then they make music that fits with the overall theme. BI: Do you make the apps yourself?
BI: Can you name some of your favorite Toca Boca apps? BJ: We have 27 apps so it’s really hard to choose! But I really like Toca Band because the song gets stuck in your head and makes you want to dance! And Toca Town because there are so many things to do and explore. BI: Where did you get the idea of making children's games/apps? BJ: It came from my colleague Emil Ovemar and myself when we were working together on a project related to the iPad. The iPad had just come out then, and we thought there were so many new and cool things we could do with it. One of the ideas was to make digital toys for kids and that was what started the idea of Toca Boca. Our goal is to make sure that all our apps are built from a kid’s perspective, and that you’re using your creativity and imagination when playing. We even bring kids in, like you, to test them to make sure they pass the ultimate fun test. There are no levels, no winners and no high scores – just lots of playing and having fun! BI: What is Sweden like? BJ: It's cold with a lot of snow during large parts of the year. But in summer it is beautiful and in the Northern parts of the country the sun never sets. Also, luckily for us, there are a lot of great app makers there too. BI: Do you like San Francisco? What do you like to do here? BJ: I love it! I like walking along the Embarcadero with my 9-month-old daughter, and buying great food at the farmers' market. BI: Where did you learn to do computer programming? BJ: I started programming when I was about 15 or so, but I was never really very good at it. I don't do any programming for Toca Boca and I never have either. I'm not good enough unfortunately! But I have colleagues that are. BI: [From Marlon, age 4] Have you ever been to Redwood City? BJ: Good question, Marlon! I have been to Redwood City. I’ve also driven through it many times and gone through it on Caltrain too. BI: Last but not least, what phone do you use? BJ: I use a white iPhone 6 Plus. It is pretty big, but I like it! SEE ALSO: Here's why your children are narcissists Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: We gave kids a rotary phone for the first time — and here's what they did  | ||
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THE VIRTUAL REALITY REPORT: Forecasts, market size, and the trends driving adoption | ||
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While the technology has been associated mostly with gaming, the platform offers new opportunities for video, e-commerce, and more. In a new report from BI Intelligence, we provide proprietary forecasts for VR headset shipments and revenue and estimate average selling price over the next five years. We also take a look at the different types of VR headset technology now on the market, discuss which categories will win out, and look at several use cases for VR headsets, including gaming and other. Access The Full Report And Data By Signing Up For A Trial Today >> Here are some key points from the report:
The report is full of charts and data that can be downloaded and put to use. In full, the report:
To access the full report from BI Intelligence, sign up for a 14-day trial here. Members also gain access to new in-depth reports, hundreds of charts and datasets, as well as daily newsletters on the digital industry. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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