Today at Hulu’s upfronts, the company announced a major change for its business with the reveal that it would begin streaming a selection of ad-supported TV episodes for free on mobile devices beginning this summer. Until now, viewers have only been able to watch Hulu’s free service on the desktop, while its “Hulu Plus” mobile offering remained a premium experience. The… Read More
Click here to view full content
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Hulu, Now With 6 Million Subscribers, Will Make Some TV Episodes Free On Mobile
One Month After Microsoft Office Hits iPad, Google Debuts Dedicated Productivity Apps For iOS
Google has released standalone apps for Google Docs and Google Sheets, breaking out these two productivity applications from within Google Drive, which is where users could go to access them on iPhone and iPad in the past. The text document and spreadsheet editors allow for both creation and editing of those types of files, which are stored in Google Drive on Mountain View’s cloud servers.… Read More
Click here to view full content
IoT Startup Evrythng Secures $7M Series A From Atomico, BHLP, Cisco And Dawn
We last covered “Evrythng”, an ‘Internet of Things’ startup in depth, back when it was first funded by Atomico to go and realise the vision that many digital prophets had talked about but few were actually trying to tackle in real life. Today it’s announcing that it’s secured more cash to drive this vision forward. Specifically, Evrythng has raised a $7 million… Read More
Click here to view full content
This Insane New Software Can Write A Perfect College Essay In Less Than A Second
Remember that grueling, 25-page essay you worked so hard on? There’s a good chance your professor didn’t even read it. He or she could have simply entered the paper into a program that uses a series of algorithms to grade essays. The grades are generated based mostly on vocabulary and the use of transition words […]
This Insane New Software Can Write A Perfect College Essay In Less Than A Second
Click here to view full content
Louis CK Proves He’s The Best Dad Ever With Epic Twitter Rant About His Kid’s Math Homework
If you are a fan of Louis CK, then you know he uses his Twitter account to promote his TV show, “Louie,” and his live stand-up shows to his 3.35 million followers. But one thing pissed him off so much recently that he decided to use his Twitter to rant about it. The nuisance? Third […]
Louis CK Proves He’s The Best Dad Ever With Epic Twitter Rant About His Kid’s Math Homework
Click here to view full content
Arab Man Writes Hilarious Open Letter To George Clooney About His Engagement
Following George Clooney’s engagement announcement to Lebanese lawyer Amal Alamuddin, a great portion of the world’s population (all the women, to be exact) were heartbroken by the news. But at least one Arab man rejoiced, and in this hilarious open letter to the actor, he welcomes Clooney to the family. Amer gives Clooney a good […]
Arab Man Writes Hilarious Open Letter To George Clooney About His Engagement
Click here to view full content
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Just Threw Some Serious Hooks At Everyone In Donald Sterling Controversy
Like most Americans, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was left feeling some type of way by the Donald Sterling saga. “Yes, I’m angry, too,” he said. Unlike most, though, Kareem’s anger hasn’t only been directed at one person. The former Los Angeles Laker is a supporter of the idea that Sterling should have the Clippers taken away from […]
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Just Threw Some Serious Hooks At Everyone In Donald Sterling Controversy
Click here to view full content
PS4′s Drive Club Trailer Is Here And It Looks Damn Good
This new trailer reveals that the game will be released on PS4 on October 8th 2014 PS4′s Drive Club Trailer Is Here And It Looks Damn Good on Car Throttle.
Click here to view full content
Throwing A Casual 360 Into The Middle Of Your Drift Takes Massive Balls And Talent
Matt Powers chucks a cheeky spin into a massive drift at Willow Springs Throwing A Casual 360 Into The Middle Of Your Drift Takes Massive Balls And Talent on Car Throttle.
Click here to view full content
After A Strong 2013, Aston Is Dragging Itself Into The 21st Century
2013 was a record year for Aston, and the British company is busy planning for the future After A Strong 2013, Aston Is Dragging Itself Into The 21st Century on Car Throttle.
Click here to view full content
This £5k John Cooper Works Is A Mini We’ve Got Time For
With all the tedious derivatives flying around, we thought it was time to remind ourselves that some Minis are utterly brilliant This £5k John Cooper Works Is A Mini We’ve Got Time For on Car Throttle.
Click here to view full content
‘We Accept The Love We Think We Deserve’: Why Women Need To Stop Settling For Subpar Guys
My cousin, Lawrence, and I were sitting on her couch in the West Village, lamenting over the absurd fashion party we had just been to. It was at a sports club and had a cash-only bar. The swag bag included salad dressing in an aerosol can and we were dismayed, to say the least. The conversation quickly took […]
‘We Accept The Love We Think We Deserve’: Why Women Need To Stop Settling For Subpar Guys
Click here to view full content
The Vice Of Loving The Wrong Man: How Your Addictions To Cigarettes And Assh*les Are The Same
We are all guilty of finding pleasure in the wrong things; it’s what humans do. For much of my life, it’s been the standard cigarettes and alcohol. These vices show how easily we’re lead to feel guilty for seeking pleasure in something, but also, how easily the feeling of guilt is tinged with pleasure. Just […]
The Vice Of Loving The Wrong Man: How Your Addictions To Cigarettes And Assh*les Are The Same
Click here to view full content
Why A Healthy Body Image Comes From Within, Not From The Norm Set By Society
I wasn’t taught to compare myself to anyone or to confine myself to a certain standard. My mother definitely didn’t teach me this; she dressed me in gender-neutral clothes, and I had to negotiate having Barbie Dolls because they supported an unrealistic idea of how a woman should look. I didn’t worry about that kind […]
Why A Healthy Body Image Comes From Within, Not From The Norm Set By Society
Click here to view full content
This University Of Alabama Student Is Doing Finals Season Right (Photo)
As a communications major, I looked forward to finals week because it meant I essentially had a week off for the price of a couple easy exams and a take home essay or two. However, I’m told that for some students with real majors pursuing a viable career, the tail end of the semester could […]
This University Of Alabama Student Is Doing Finals Season Right (Photo)
Click here to view full content
10 Other Things We’d Like To See Louis C.K. Rant About On Twitter
On Monday, Louis C.K. went on Twitter and ranted about the needlessly complicated homework his daughters had been assigned to prepare them for standardized testing. The comedian took pictures of a number of awkwardly worded problems that have taken over the American educational system since schools have begun to focus on the Common Core. As […]
10 Other Things We’d Like To See Louis C.K. Rant About On Twitter
Click here to view full content
5 Ways Growing Up With Brothers Made Me A Better Person
I grew up with two brothers, one older and one younger, and it’s obvious by who I am today. I display my bodily functions with pride, often silencing a room with my vociferous belches. I was obsessed with “Street Sharks,” my siblings and I had the greatest collection of Pokemon cards ever (until a boy […]
5 Ways Growing Up With Brothers Made Me A Better Person
Click here to view full content
Start Asking The Right Questions: Why Self-Comparing Will Keep Your Mind In A Negative Place
If there is one thing I’ve learned during my 23 years of living, it’s to ask the right questions. The right questions can be eye-opening and allow you to move forward. Asking the wrong questions, on the other hand, can keep you in a negative headspace. Continuing to ponder negative questions can leave you feeling stagnant […]
Start Asking The Right Questions: Why Self-Comparing Will Keep Your Mind In A Negative Place
Click here to view full content
‘8-Bit Watercolors’ Explore the Intersection of Pop Culture and Retro Video Game Graphics
The Kiss Bob Ross Mona Lisa at the Louvre Mona Lisa The Selling of “The Scream” Wonder Woman A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte Inspired in part by the 8-bit graphics of old Atari and Nintendo video games from his youth, artist Adam Lister paints quirky watercolor interpretations of pop culture […]
Click here to view full content
In Depth: How UK ISPs have a chokehold on our internet access
Remember Pipex, Demon, BE internet and Wanadoo? These were just a few of the independent ISPs that bulked out the broadband market in the 90s and early 2000s. But, ultimately, they were all absorbed by the big six at some point in the recent past. A lack of competition is bad news in any market. But what's worse is the stifling effect it has on progression. Further, the lack of choice means there's no genuine alternative when the government of the day goes on another censorship crusade. TechRadar spoke to a collection of internet gurus and ex-CEOs of ISPs for some insight into why the independent ISP disappeared and what that means for the future. Big six dominateBetween 1990 and 1998 there were 19 independent ISPs operating in the UK. In 2014, those very same ISPs have either been absorbed by the big six (BT, EE, Sky, Virgin, TalkTalk and Plusnet), or are now completely defunct. Although there are some independent ISPs still operating such as Zen internet and Andrews & Arnold, they remain very much on the fringes. While the consolidation of companies is common in any market that's as big and established as the ISP market, Cliff Stanford, former CEO of Demon internet, thinks that the nineties was a far more innovative time for UK ISPs because of the range of companies operating:"Everything was about innovation [in the nineties], every step had to be designed and rewritten. A good example was the London Internet Exchange". The London Internet Exchange, or LINX, is a mutually governed internet exchange point that was set up in 1994 and still exists today. It solved the problem of ISPs having to link to each other to share bandwidth, as Stanford explained:"In the early days we had to interconnect to Pipex otherwise all of the traffic had to go across the United States and back. But what happened was that UK Net also wanted to interconnect with us, so they had to put two wires in, and then BT wanted to interconnect with all of us, so they had to put three wires in. "Finally Janet, which was the main centre for computer networking in those days, wanted to connect to all of us, but it didn't want to spend money on four wires. So Keith Mitchell, who runs the UK internet forum, came up with this concept of an interconnect in London and LINX was born.Innovation wane"But now, with fewer ISPs operating, there's far less innovation, because there's no need for it. The innovation between 1992-98 was enormous, the innovation between 1998-2014 has been minimal and nothing really has changed. "The only thing that has changed is more bandwidth, more people with it and so on. The technology is identical, we're still using email clients and we're still using the same web that came out in 94-95".Shaun Fensom, the founder of former ISP Poptel, agrees that the lack of competition has stifled innovation, and that's largely because of a race to provide the cheapest broadband: "It's about competition at all layers of the value chain. This is the big problem. For small ISPs it's really hard to get access to dark fibre or affordable colocation. It's easy to resell stuff, but that leaves you without anything really to differentiate from the competition, and very small margins. "Most ISPs are selling the exact same things - Virgin has the biggest difference because it has its own infrastructure. In Stockholm small ISPs can buy directly onto the Stockab dark fibre - then they can build a hundred different products."The affect on the customerBut the lack of competition also means that consumers have less choice in terms of what kind of service they're offered. Fensom explains how he started Poptel as an ethical ISP: "The reason we started Poptel was because we thought the ability to communicate and access information online was going to be very important for campaigning, not-for-profit and development organisations. "In the 1980s most of our users were spread across the world. We were motivated by the power of technology to change the world. I hope that doesn't sound pompous. And I hope it doesn't sound arrogant to say, we had a point."There's also the contentious issue of the government's internet filter, which has been universally adopted by the big six ISPs despite widespread criticism. Independent ISP Andrews & Arnold has rejected the filter and made it clear that it won't be adopting it in any form. Stanford thinks that the blanket acceptance by the big six is bad for consumers because the filter is flawed:"Anyone who wants to get around it, can get around it. All they're doing [the government] is blanketly blocking people who are not techie and don't want to watch that kind of material on the internet anyway. The problem now is that they're blocking perfectly legitimate websites like breast cancer information websites, because they might have breasts on them".Market patternsDr Peter Cochrane, BT's former CTO, thinks that the monopolisation of the ISP market is inevitable: "Every new technology heralds the birth of a rash of new starts and innovation, but as the market gets established, the numbers get consolidated down to a much smaller number. Steel, ships, cars, energy, PCs, laptops, cameras, etc, all started with dozens of producers in the early days but market maturity saw them all shrink down to around three or five."For example, all the world's battery, mobile device, TV, radio, printers, washing machines, refrigerators, and car engine markets are dominated by only three producers. So, right now, there are tens of 3D printer manufacturers. But in less than 15 years the market will be dominated by just three."The same is true of telecommunications companies, cable companies, mobile operators and ISPs. It's about the economy of scale and commodity technology. "Soon there will only be three dominant telecoms companies, mobile operators and ISPs in the whole of the EU - because that is all the market can stand, and all the price point will support. Just like Tesco, Sainsbury and Morrisons - it always happens".
Click here to view full content
Review: Sony KDL-55W955
Introduction and featuresAfter blowing our socks off with its 2014 TV debut, the 50W829, I'm salivating at the prospect of wrapping my eyeballs around Sony's flagship 55-inch HD TV for 2014, the KDL-55W955.The 55W955's appearance does little to dampen my ardour. While there are elements of its design that could potentially divide opinion, for the most part it's a seriously stylish hunk of telly.Introducing the wedgeThe thing that most sets it apart is its wedge shape. Look at it from the side and you'll see that it gets wider the further down from top to bottom it goes, with the bottom edge ending up quite chunky by today's super-slim standards. What's more, Sony has boldly emphasised this chunkiness by fitting the TV's sides with a glinting metallic finish.Sony hasn't shunned the modern obsession with size zero TVs merely in a bid to look different, though. The wedge also delivers two significant practical benefits.The first of these is stability. As in, loading the bottom half of the TV with width and weight makes it stand more robustly than your typical flat TVThe other, more important, benefit of the wedge is that the wider base gives Sony's audio people more room to work with. This enables them to build a more powerful version of the long duct down-firing speaker system introduced on some of Sony's 2013 models.DesignThe 55W955 can be mounted low on either a pair of spindly legs (which can sit either right at the TV's outer edges, or tucked nearer the TV's centre if your table can't support a full-width attachment). Or it can be wall hung slightly awkwardly via a special mount.While the 55W955's backside is chunky, the bezel round the screen is extremely slim on its top, left and right edges. The bottom edge is a bit wider, but it still looks attractive – especially thanks to its carriage of a slim, coloured light that changes colour based on what source you're watching.Connections on the 55W955's protruding rear are extensive. The four HDMIs will provide most people's main video options, while a trio of USB ports and both LAN and Wi-Fi network options provide the multimedia features now so fundamental to any high-end TV.Multimedia supportThe USBs can play the main video, photo and music file formats, with similarly wide multimedia streaming support available from networked DLNA computers. The network options enable you to take the 55W955 online via the latest Sony Entertainment Network (SEN) platform.This platform is, for me, a considerable improvement over 2013's Sony smart TV offering. It has been designed to make it much easier to find content quickly – especially via the new Discover system. Press the Discover button on the remote and you get a row of suggested content links along the bottom of the screen. The come from both the tuner and on-demand services you're connected to, based on an assessment of the sort of programming you most like to watch.What's more, you can easily scroll down from this first list of options to all sorts of other content shortcut lists, including one for YouTube videos. This system works really well – especially in conjunction with the 'one-flick' remote control you get with the 55W955.The 'one-flick' remote employs a tactile thumb-swipe touch pad, a hugely streamlined button count and a clever and quite intuitive contextualised usage system. This all comes together to provide a mostly welcome alternative to the more standard Sony remote.App supportThe number of apps available via the SEN is decent, with a sensible focus on video sources such as the BBC iPlayer, Demand 5, Sony's Video Unlimited service, Netflix (which gets its own button on Sony's main remote), Amazon Instant and Sky News. It's a shame Sony still hasn't managed to get the ITV Player and 4OD signed up to the SEN, but we live in hope that it might happen at some point.This being a World Cup year the 55W955 has a Football mode, which adjusts the picture to settings Sony believes are best suited to football playback. It also provides access to various online footie sources – including the FIFA World Cup clip archive.Social interactionYou can use the football mode in conjunction with new Social View functionality that combines a hashtag-themed ticker tape Twitter feed with the facility to Skype call multiple mates to share a game's highs and lows using the built-in camera.I remain deeply sceptical of the idea that such 'social' features belong on a family TV. Especially when the Twitter feeds contain no bad language filters! But Sony has gone to more trouble than most to make the social features work here, including such clever technologies as an audio filter that stops you hearing your own words over your friends' Skype feeds. You also have the ability for the camera software to track your friends' faces so that they always appear in the centre of the portion of their Skype image that's reproduced on your TV.Picture technologyMoving on from the multimedia and 'social' features of the 55W955 to what makes its pictures tick, I should start by reiterating that this is a full HD TV, not a 4K/UHD one. As part of Sony's flagship HD range, its pictures benefit from one of Sony's local dimming systems applied to its edge LED lighting array. Sony has set new local dimming standards over the past year or two, so obviously we have high hopes for the brand's take on the technology again here.Also likely to play a major role in the 55W955's picture fortunes is Sony's X-Reality Pro processing engine, which uses a huge content 'database' to streamline the processing it applies to whatever type of source content it receives. It's backed up from a processing point of view, too, by Sony's MotionFlow XR 400 system, delivering a 400Hz-emulating effect via a combination of backlight scanning and frame interpolation. Though I'm a bit puzzled that this is a clear 'down spec' from the MotionFlow XR 600 system sported by the considerably cheaper Sony 50W829.3D indicationsIt's interesting to note, too, that the 55W955B uses a passive 3D system rather than the active one of the 50W829, clearly revealing that it uses a different panel source. The shift to passive 3D will mean, of course, that the 55W955's 3D will likely have less resolution but also less crosstalk ghosting and flicker. Finishing this section up by looking through the 55W955's picture adjustments reveals a solid array of calibration tweaks. A more standard set of colour and gamma management tools would have been a good idea, but the 55W955 makes this oversight easier to forgive by providing easily the most useful and well-considered array of picture presets in the TV world. What's more, thanks to X-Reality Pro the 55W955 is uncannily good at figuring out what presets to apply to different sources without any input required from you at all. Excellent.Picture qualityI might as well just cut to the chase here and say that tragically the 55W955 is one of those rare events in the TV world: a flagship TV that's significantly less satisfying to watch than a model lower down Sony's range.What's the problem? Dark scenes. It's apparent almost immediately that the panel Sony has chosen to build the 55W955 around is nowhere near as secure in the contrast department as the superb 50W829.This fact makes itself known in a number of ways. The most troubling of which is a general grey mist that hangs over any dark scenes, reducing their naturalism and dynamism compared with how they appeared on the 50W829.Black level problemsThe greyness can also cause some greyscale detailing to slide into oblivion, and is unbearably bad if you attempt to watch the TV without using its LED Dynamic Control system. What's more, while the LED Dynamic Control can indeed deliver significant contrast improvements, even on its highest setting it can't produce a black level to rival that of the cheaper 50W829.There's also the issue of uneven backlighting to consider, whereby dark scenes sometimes appear behind gentle, but still distracting, clouds of unintentional extra brightness.There is one good bit of news to report here, though, namely that Sony's local dimming system continues to impress in the way it manipulates light on a reasonably local level without causing too many obvious 'rectangles' of light around stand-out bright objects.But the bottom line here is that you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. And the lack of black level response from the 55W955's core panel is just too big a problem for even Sony's local dimming cleverness to turn round.More bad newsWhile there are actually some good things about the 55W955's pictures, there is still a lot of bad news. The slightly low-res look to its 3D images, which manifests in the shape of a soft finish compared to the extreme, almost forensic clarity we're now becoming accustomed to seeing on the best active HD and UHD 3D sets, and a stepped look to contoured edges. Also the 55W955's screen is rather prone to picking up reflections from your room – especially direct light sources opposite the screen. It would be unthinkable for a modern-day Sony TV not to get lots of things right in a flagship HD TV, though. And so it is that the 55W955 produces frequently spectacular colours thanks to Sony's Triluminos colour technology. ColourConfusingly this is not the same Quantum Dot technology that delivered 2013's Triluminos expanded colour gamut. Instead it's some sort of wide colour gamut panel design (the details of which Sony was oddly unwilling to be drawn on). But all that matters is that within the limitations of the black level response problems it delivers a scintillatingly wide dynamic range packed with subtle tonal details and potent saturations that at the very least rival those of the PurColour technology found in Samsung's HU8500 UHD TVs.It's in this respect, too, that the 55W955 delivers its most persuasive picture advantage over its 50W829 sibling.HD 2D pictures on the 55W955 looks superbly crisp and detailed, while X-Reality Pro proves its worth again when it comes to up-scaling standard definition sources to the screen's HD resolution. Even YouTube videos are made easy on the eye, and there can be no greater proof of X-Reality Pro's abilities than that!Motion clarityThe 55W955's sharpness owes a debt of gratitude to Sony's strong motion handling abilities too, which tread a finely judged line between applying processing to reduce judder and blur without making the picture look unnatural and processed.In short, where Sony's engineers haven't had to wrestle with the inescapable contrast flaws of the panel at the 55W955's heart, they've been able to work their usual perfectly pitched magic. But in the end this just makes the multiple black level woes all the tougher to take.Usability, sound and valueUsabilitySony has really tried to improve its smart interface for 2014. The addition of a Discover menu certainly streamlines content finding, and once you get used to it (which does take a little time) the new One-Flick remote turns out to be well-judged.Sony's prowess at applying the right picture presets to the right sources also saves tons of time that might normally have to be spent calibrating images manually.On the downside, it's a pity Sony doesn't give you any real means of sorting apps in its 'store' by category, leaving you having to scroll through everything to find specific app types you're after. The decision to put the main adjustment menus and smart menus all on the same screen, with the adjustment menus relegated to tiny icons to the picture's top right, feels like an unnecessary over-complication. It would have been easier to just give each set of menus their own dedicated remote control button and starting page.SoundSo has the wedge transformed TV sound? Sort of. Certainly it's allowed Sony to use larger drive units this time round than it could on last year's equivalent models, this does lead to a more open, dynamic sound. It's probably the best example of TV audio we've heard from a set with down-firing speakers, despite the fact that Sony's 2013 audio efforts seemed to have inspired a frenzy of audio improvement from other brands too.I can't quite forget how brilliant the front-firing speakers found on Sony's upcoming 4K TVs are sounding. But you could say there's no point dwelling on features that are only found on much more expensive TVs.ValueWhen you think that Samsung's flagship 55-inch HD TV, the 55H8000, will set you back a cool £2,300, you could argue that the £1600 Sony is asking for the 55W955 doesn't look unreasonable.However, while Samsung's set is excellent, Sony's isn't. In fact, I feel strongly that I'd rather watch Sony's 50W829 – a set which also goes considerably easier on your wallet than the 55W955.VerdictThe build up to the 55W955 really couldn't be better. Last year's Sony 9 series TVs were outstanding, and the 50W829 got Sony's 2014 off to a belting start. The 55W955 shows all the right signs of living up to its pedigree too, thanks to its startling, sound-boosting 'wedge' design and an eye-catching feature count dominated by Sony's new and improved smart TV platform. Some aspects of its pictures – especially colour - deliver on the 55W955's flagship HD model status too. But sadly the 55W955 is ultimately undone by a single but potent frailty: an inability to render dark scenes convincingly. This is so much of a problem, in fact, that ultimately I found I'd much rather watch Sony's cheaper W8 series.We likedThe wedge design works, despite its chunkiness – especially as it helps the 55W955 serve up an excellent audio performance by flat TV standards. Colours are superbly handled too, and pictures always look sharp and clean no matter what the source.We dislikedThe 55W955 is curiously underwhelming with its black level reproduction, which leads to dark scenes looking unnatural and patchy. Its screen is a little over-reflective too, and while the wedge design sits well on the provided legs, it looks a bit awkward hanging on a wall.VerdictIt's tragic that a TV with so much going for it and such heritage behind it should be let down so dramatically by the shortcomings of the core third-party panel Sony has chosen to place at the 55W955's heart.
Click here to view full content
Cloud billing and the 'subscription revolution': what do I need to know?
We're seeing the seeds of a revolution across consumer and corporate markets with the rise of the digital economy and subscription-based services. As service provider offerings mature, the need for businesses to adopt innovative pricing and product packaging becomes ever-greater to enable differentiation in an increasingly crowded market and create value in customer relationships. Here, we speak to Louis Hall, CEO, Cerillion Technologies about the issues around the subscription revolution and how the newly emerging cloud billing approach is helping to drive business agility and maximise revenue in the new economy.TechRadar Pro: What evidence does your recent survey gives us that the 'subscription revolution' is actually happening?Louis Hall: The research highlighted a shift in the way products and services are sold: away from a traditional one-off product approach towards a more flexible pricing model based on subscriptions and usage. One-off pricing models are currently used by 84% of organisations surveyed but the research shows that this proportion is set to fall to 51% in the future. In contrast, new pricing initiatives built around an on-going service relationship are growing steadily, including subscriptions, pay-per-use and freemium pricing models.We are experiencing a shift in the way people purchase and consume goods and services as part of the subscription revolution. The survey results reveal a distinct drop in non-digital products from 56% offering them now, to 45% expecting to continue offering them in the future. Non-digital services follow the same trend dropping from 67% to 58%. In contrast, the proportion of companies offering digital products is set to rise from 39% to 46%, and those offering digital services will increase from 44% to 51%.TRP: What are the main drawbacks with a subscription only business model?LH: The simplicity of subscriptions makes them appealing to organisations and their customers, but in that strength, we can also see an inherent weakness. The best services are often the simplest ones but the simplest are also the easiest to mimic, particularly in the digital services market where the cost of entry is relatively low. As competition increases, the need for innovative pricing and product packaging becomes ever greater in order to differentiate from an increasingly crowded market and create value in customer relationships. Starting with a subscription-only offering is a great way to gain a foothold in the market and start developing services. However, to move to the next level of growth, organisations need the flexibility to mix and match subscription and usage-based pricing models, and the system performance and scalability to support an exponential take-up of service users. In short, to achieve competitive differentiation in tomorrow's economy, businesses must be able to manage complex billing relationships and package offerings to address the breadth and depth of consumer and corporate needs.TRP: How are businesses changing the kinds of billing systems they use in order to differentiate themselves?LH: The survey indicates that 53% of all businesses are still using either an in-house-developed system or manual processes to bill customers. But this situation is unlikely to last much longer. In-house systems are typically not agile or sophisticated enough to handle the changing billing needs of business as they transition to subscription services. Instead, we are likely to see the ongoing rise of enterprise cloud billing. It is a new approach which can deliver agility for businesses in mixing and matching service and usage-based pricing models, while enabling them to quickly set up and start billing for a new service without the need for any infrastructure or upfront licence fees. TRP: What does the survey tell us about how the emerging cloud billing market is likely to develop in the future?LH: The survey results paint a picture of a market about to undergo rapid growth. It is currently relatively small in the UK, with just 4% of survey respondents using a cloud billing system or Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) approach. However, a further 11% say they are using a managed service – and with cloud penetration generally on the rise – Cerillion foresees dynamic growth in the cloud billing market as businesses strive to meet the demands of the new subscription-based economy.As the subscription revolution gathers pace, agility, flexibility and matching products to the market's demands are key. This is the same both for small businesses or start-ups looking to get a foothold in the market by introducing new services quickly and cost-effectively, and for more established organisations wanting to expand into new markets.TRP: What, according to the survey, do businesses see as the main benefits of cloud billing?LH: The survey identified cost savings as the biggest perceived benefit of cloud billing systems. This attribute was highlighted by 37% of the sample and was most strongly supported by respondents in the manufacturing (59%) and telecommunications (47%) sectors. Cost savings are clearly a major attraction for large companies (1,000+ employees), in particular, where 69% currently use on-premise enterprise software and 85% identified reduced cost as a key benefit to be derived from cloud billing. Cost saving appears to be far less important a factor for smaller businesses who have had to take a lower cost approach to their billing anyway. It appears that these organisations are motivated more by wanting to introduce a structured approach to billing and ensuring the key information they need to drive their pricing strategy is easily accessible.TRP: What does the survey tell us about what organisations are looking for from cloud billing providers?LH: The survey revealed that 'proven billing expertise and having a track record of delivery' is the characteristic that businesses most look for in their cloud billing provider with 29% of respondents referencing it. Businesses in the retail sector are most interested in their cloud billing providers demonstrating this capability with 58% of respondents referencing this; those in the education sector see excellent customer services as the key attribute, chosen by 40%; whilst the healthcare sector is most sensitive to industry-specific knowledge, picked by 38% of respondents as the most important. To achieve sustained success, cloud billing providers will not only need to offer a genuine SaaS billing application, but must combine a heritage of billing expertise with excellent customer service and industry-specific knowledge. Very few providers can deliver this potent combination.TRP: In summary, how in your view can businesses most effectively capitalise on the new service environment created by the subscription revolution?LH: The new subscription-based economy requires the flexibility to combine subscription and usage-based pricing models, plus the ability to tailor offerings to the full range of B2B and B2C segments. Without this, even the best service in the world will be at the mercy of lower-priced imitators.Fortunately, solutions are now coming on stream that can deliver the kind of business agility that the emerging breed of service providers need to be successful in the new economy. With cloud billing solutions, businesses can choose the software edition and features that are right for them, and benefit from regular software updates as part of the service.In summary, as the subscription revolution continues to gather pace, service providers can move forward with added confidence in the knowledge that enterprise billing solutions are now readily available in the cloud, and capable of enabling them to differentiate and drive business advantage.
Click here to view full content
Google Nexus 6 to hop aboard the fingerprint scanning bandwagon?
Has Google been checking out our Google Nexus 6 wishlist? It looks like it - we said we'd like to see some biometric security on the next Nexus and now we're hearing that Google's in advanced talks with a fingerprint reader supplier. After all, anything the iPhone 5S and Samsung Galaxy S5 can do, Google's flagship Nexus device can do too, right? The rumour comes from a "trusted source" talking to Android Geeks, who 'confirms' an earlier rumour that the Nexus 6 will be based on the upcoming LG G3. Finger sensin' goodWe haven't seen any concrete evidence that LG's planning to put a fingerprint sensor in the LG G3, although a couple of (fairly spurious) sources have claimed that it is. We're expecting to see the LG G3 launch at an event on May 27, at which point we should find out pretty much all the tech specs of the Nexus 6. However, we don't see Google unveiling the new Nexus until Google I/O in June. Find out what we're expecting from the LG G3 and the Nexus 6
Click here to view full content
Unitrends unveils a bundled disaster recovery package
Unitrends has released a bundled software package designed to enable mid-market and large enterprises to establish a comprehensive backup, archiving and disaster recovery ecosystem for $1,999 (about £1,188, or AU$2,157). The Unitrends Certified Recovery Suite (UCRS) is available from now until June 30, the company said in a statement. The UCRS includes three core capabilities: enterprise backup for physical, virtual and cloud data protection, virtual backup, and disaster recovery. All three solutions, which can still be purchased individually, feature automated monitoring to determine if and when trouble occurs. Founded in 1989, Unitrends specializes in backup appliances for business continuity. Based in Columbia, S.C., the company has approximately 4000 customers globally but has yet to announce more than $100 million in revenue. The company acquired competitor PHD Virtual in December of last year. Disaster recovery a boon for IT? The disaster recovery market has grown more competitive in the past year, with major players like IBM and Oracle recently making additional investments to provide more disaster recovery tools to its portfolio. Last week, Oracle launched a new Database Backup Service and Storage Cloud Service designed to provide quick and easy backup and recovery of data from on-premises databases or from the Oracle Cloud. Two days prior, IBM said SoftLayer clients had been granted access to disaster recovery and security services that are designed to ensure data security and continuity during breaches and disaster-related events. IBM also said it will open two new cloud-based resiliency centers in Raleigh, N.C. and Mumbai, India to help speed up recovery times for SoftLayer clients. What's the best business online backup solution for your organization?
Click here to view full content
The best Sony Xperia Z2 deals
The Sony Xperia Z2 is the latest and greatest flagship phone from Sony and really, as a good all-rounder, there's very little reason not to like it and a whole lot of reasons to want it.If you've found that you can't resist it any longer then there are a number of different deals to look at and we've collected all the best ones for you.Be warned most of these are still pre-order deals as stock of the Xperia Z2 hasn't hit its stride yet. You may have to wait a couple of week for your shiny new smartphone.VodafoneVodafone has quite a few good deals on the Xperia Z2 right now. For £37 per month you can get it in purple with 1GB of data, unlimited minutes and unlimited texts. There's no handset cost so over the 24 month life of the contract that comes out at £888.Alternatively if you're a light user you can get it in black for just £29 per month with 500MB of data, 600 minutes and unlimited texts. That comes with an upfront cost of £29.99 but still only comes out at £725.99 in total.If you want more data rather than less you can get it in white with 2GB of data and unlimited minutes and texts for £38 per month with no upfront cost, amounting to £912 over 24 months.Vodafone also sells the Xperia Z2 on a 12 month contract in black for £47 per month plus an £89.99 upfront cost. For that you'll get 1GB of data alongside unlimited minutes and texts. Overall that costs £653.99.O2O2 has a couple of good offers on the Sony Xperia Z2. You can get it in black with 500MB of data, 500 minutes and unlimited texts for just £28 per month and no upfront cost. That adds up to £672 over 24 months, which is pretty cheap, but of course you're also quite limited on data.For £38 per month you can get ten times as much data, which is to say 5GB, as well as unlimited minutes and texts. Again there's no charge for the phone itself but that comes out at a pricier £912 over 24 months.EEYou can get the Xperia Z2 on EE with 1GB of 4G data, 1000 minutes and unlimited texts for £29.99 per month with no upfront cost. The handset is available in both black and white on that deal and it comes out at £719.76 over 24 months.If 1GB of data doesn't cut it then you can alternatively get the Z2 with 4GB of 4G data and unlimited minutes and texts for £37.99, with no upfront cost. That's nearly £200 more expensive than the previous deal at £911.76 over 24 months, but then for four times as much data it could be worth it.ThreeThree has the only deal here which includes unlimited 4G data. In fact it comes with unlimited everything and costs £41 per month alongside a £79.99 charge for the handset, which in this case comes in white. That's £1,063.99 over 24 months.Alternatively you can get it in black with 2GB of data, 600 minutes and unlimited texts for £39 per month and £9.99 upfront. That amounts to £945.99 over the course of 24 months.T-MobileYou can currently get the Xperia Z2 on T-Mobile for £32.99 per month with 500 minutes, unlimited 3G data and unlimited texts, but that does come with a £59.99 upfront cost. That's for the phone in purple and totals £851.75 over 24 months.Or if you'd rather not pay anything upfront you can get the Z2 in black with the same allowances for £37.99 per month. However that's ultimately more expensive, coming out at £911.76 over the life of the contract.OrangeOrange only has one particularly tempting Xperia Z2 deal at the moment. You can get it in purple with unlimited minutes and texts and 1GB of 3G data for £35.99 per month with no upfront cost.That amounts to £863.76 over 24 months, the same in other words as that second T-Mobile deal, but you're swapping data for minutes.We've also got you covered for the best HTC One (M8) deals.
Click here to view full content
Industry voice: Cloud misconceptions: why the cloud is secure
Cloud computing is secure. There, I've said it. It may sound like an obvious thing to say for someone who works at a company specialising in ensuring a smooth, reliable and secure network, but there are still misconceptions about cloud security.These c...
Click here to view full content
4 Techniques To Incorporate Into Your Daily Grind For Ultimate Productivity
Have you ever looked at your list of to-dos and wondered how it would all get done? Or, have you ever thought so much about what was coming up for you that you suddenly felt paralyzed with fear? First, let me say that we have all be in this position, and it doesn’t feel great. […]
4 Techniques To Incorporate Into Your Daily Grind For Ultimate Productivity
Click here to view full content
Leaked Emails Show Frat Chooses New Members Based On How ‘Jacked’ They Are
If you thought girls were the only ones who rushed potential new members by their looks, you couldn’t have been more wrong. The brothers of Pike over at the University of Florida have their sights set on one PNM: a guy who is a strong genius who can keep a conversation going — oh and […]
Leaked Emails Show Frat Chooses New Members Based On How ‘Jacked’ They Are
Click here to view full content
Brave Dog Swims Across Rushing Waters To Save Dogs Stranded In Boat (Video)
Dogs are typically known as man’s best friend, but that doesn’t mean these pups won’t risk everything to help one another out. In this case of one brave dog, he jumped into a fast-moving river to help save two of his fellow canines. When two dogs were seemingly stranded on a canoe moving swiftly down […]
Brave Dog Swims Across Rushing Waters To Save Dogs Stranded In Boat (Video)
Click here to view full content
While You’re Having Fun At Disney World, The Workers Don’t Have Homes To Go To At Night
It doesn’t seem right that in the “happiest place on earth,” the workers who ensure that the park is as entertaining as possible can’t even afford a consistent roof over their heads. According to ABC News, the employees of Disney World in Orlando, Florida, are paid so little for their time that many have been […]
While You’re Having Fun At Disney World, The Workers Don’t Have Homes To Go To At Night
Click here to view full content
Botched Execution Leaves Man Conscious With ‘Exploded’ Vein For 43 Minutes Before Finally Dying
An Oklahoma inmate sentenced to death by lethal injection lived for a total of 43 minutes after receiving the first of three drugs intended to kill him without pain. CNN reports that 38-year-old Clayton Lockett convulsed, clenched his teeth and writhed on a gurney before dying of a heart attack. A four-time felon, Lockett was […]
Botched Execution Leaves Man Conscious With ‘Exploded’ Vein For 43 Minutes Before Finally Dying
Click here to view full content
Kind Man Lets Elderly Woman Sit On Him Like A Chair While Stuck In Elevator
We have a feeling our female readers will reconsider their opinions on just how “dead” chivalry is after reading this. An elderly woman who could barely walk didn’t know what she was going to do when she became stuck in an elevator. Little did she know that the young men beside her were members of […]
Kind Man Lets Elderly Woman Sit On Him Like A Chair While Stuck In Elevator
Click here to view full content
Dolphins Help Man Survive Drifting At Sea For 25 Hours By Keeping Him Calm And Surrounding HIm
Vietnam’s Tran Minh Sang fell overboard while heading to the stern of his fishing boat on April 22. He screamed for help, but was drowned out by the boat’s bellowing engine. Sang’s fellow crew members didn’t realize he was missing until an hour later, but by that time the waves had pushed him to the […]
Dolphins Help Man Survive Drifting At Sea For 25 Hours By Keeping Him Calm And Surrounding HIm
Click here to view full content
You’ll Want To Hug Your Mom After Seeing This Daughter Surprise Her Mother At Work (Video)
With Mother’s Day right around the corner, it makes total sense that we should all start paying some special attention to the women who birthed us. In this video, one working mom got some early Mother’s Day love. Her ex-husband and daughter flew in from out of state and met up with her other son […]
You’ll Want To Hug Your Mom After Seeing This Daughter Surprise Her Mother At Work (Video)
Click here to view full content
Here’s How The 911-Rivalling Mercedes-AMG GT Could Look
In anticipation of its impending reveal, we comissioned these exclusive renderings to give a preview of the forthcoming AMG GT Here’s How The 911-Rivalling Mercedes-AMG GT Could Look on Car Throttle.
Click here to view full content
The Land Wind E32 Is A Shameless Evoque Rip-Off From China
If you want an Evoque but can't afford it, the copyright-dodging Chinese market has something you might enjoy The Land Wind E32 Is A Shameless Evoque Rip-Off From China on Car Throttle.
Click here to view full content
There’s Something Strangely Magical About Watching A Tiny Hamster Eat Tiny Burritos (Video)
I don’t think I can say much more than what I already said in the title. This is a video of someone preparing tiny burritos for a tiny hamster and serving them in a tiny restaurant. You’re probably already envisioning it in your head, and I promise you it’s better than anything you could ever […]
There’s Something Strangely Magical About Watching A Tiny Hamster Eat Tiny Burritos (Video)
Click here to view full content
This Dancing Cat Might As Well Be At An EDM Show (Video)
There are a number of options of what the cat in this video is trying to do, but I don’t think the world will ever know the answer. I’ll do my best to come to a conclusion based off the evidence in the video and my knowledge of how felines operate, but I can’t promise […]
This Dancing Cat Might As Well Be At An EDM Show (Video)
Click here to view full content
When A Mother’s Booty Popping Goes Wrong (Video)
In all honesty, any time “mother” and “booty popping” appear in close proximity, things have probably already gone wrong. Generally when a woman is dancing provocatively in a video, you don’t want that video to also provide evidence that she’s a mother. That results in far too many conflicting emotions. Of course, I’m not saying […]
When A Mother’s Booty Popping Goes Wrong (Video)
Click here to view full content
Syfy Developing ‘Pax Romana’ Miniseries, ‘The Magicians’ Series
EXCLUSIVE: Ahead of its upfront presentation today, Syfy has put in development Pax Romana, a miniseries based on the graphic novel by Jonathan Hickman, and The Magicians, a drama series based on Lev Grossman’s popular fantasy novels. Pax Romana is being adapted by writers Matthew Federman and Stephen Scaia (Warehouse 13) and Circle of Confusion, while The Magicians hails from former Supernatural showrunner Sera Gamble, John McNamara (In Plain Sight) and producer Michael London. Both projects are set at Universal Cable Prods.
Based on Hickman’s comic book limited series published in 2007, Pax Romana is about a Special Forces team that travels back in time to Ancient Rome on the eve of World War III to “fix” the future by altering the past. Roman legions battle modern day attack helicopters, tanks and soldier as the leaders of the expedition fight over their vision for civilization. David Alpert of Circle of Confusion (The Walking Dead), Federman and Scaia executive produce, Hickman co-executive produces. Federman, Scaia and Circle of Confusion are repped by CAA.
Based on Grossman’s books, described as Harry Potter for grown-ups, Magicians follows a group of twentysomethings in New York who study magic and discover that the magical fantasy world they read ... Read More »
Click here to view full content
R.I.P. Bob Hoskins
Oscar-nominated, and BAFTA- and Golden Globe-winning English actor Bob Hoskins has died. The star of such films as The Long Good Friday, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Mona Lisa passed away Tuesday night following a bout of pneumonia. He was 71. Hoskins was last seen in 2012′s Snow White And The Huntsman and that same year announced his retirement from acting after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The versatile Hoskins hailed from West Suffolk but was brought up in London. He began acting on the stage in the late 1960s, and throughout the 1970s, he appeared in several UK television series including the 1978 BBC mini Pennies From Heaven. Early in his feature career, he had roles in such films as Zulu Dawn, Pink Floyd The Wall, The Cotton Club and Brazil. But it was 1980 crime drama The Long Good Friday that gave him his breakout starring part. The now-classic gangster movie, which co-starred Helen Mirren, earned Hoskins his first BAFTA Film Award nomination for Lead Actor. In 1986, he starred in Neil Jordan’s noir mystery Mona Lisa opposite Michael Caine, Cathy Tyson and Robbie Coltrane. Hoskins was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for the movie, and won the BAFTA and Golden Globe for his role. It was 1988′s Who Framed Roger Rabbit that brought him great international ... Read More »
Click here to view full content
Syfy Picks Up Adventure Series ‘Killjoys’
EXCLUSIVE: Syfy, which will be holding its upfront presentation later today, continues to aggressively build a scripted primetime lineup with the addition of new 10-episode adventure drama series, Killjoys, which will premiere in 2015.
Related: Syfy Developing ‘Pax Romana’ Miniseries, ‘The Magicians’ Series
Originally ordered by Bell Media’s Space in Canada, Killjoys comes from the producers of Orphan Black, Temple Street Prods., and the creator of Lost Girl, Michelle Lovretta. It follows a fun-loving, hard living trio of interplanetary bounty hunters sworn to remain impartial as they chase deadly warrants throughout the Quad, a distant system on the brink of a bloody, multiplanetary class war. “With its explosive action, smartly-drawn characters, and fun and provocative story-lines, Killjoys has all the ingredients to make it the perfect complement to our expanding slate of quality science fiction drama series,” said Syfy president Dave Howe. Killjoys joins four other recently picked up new Syfy series, Dominion, Ascension, The Expanse and 12 Monkeys, as well as existing dramas Defiance, Helix and Haven. Killjoys is produced by Temple Street Prods. in association with Syfy and Bell Media/Space. Lovretta created the series and serves as executive producer/showrunner. Temple Street’s David Fortier and Ivan Schneeberg also exec produce. Universal Cable Prods. will handle international distribution.
Click here to view full content
Hulu Plans To Triple Spending On Content Marketing For Originals
“Our goal is to continue to lead the online video advertising market,” CEO Mike Hopkins says in a blog post — echoing the message he delivered this morning at Hulu‘s Newfront presentation in NYC. The TV network backed streaming service says that its Hulu Plus subscription service has more than 6M subscribers — nice growth albeit still far behind Netflix‘s 35.7M domestic online customers. But Hulu’s forte is ad sales and the company offered some impressive stats to buyers: Desktop viewers spend about 50 minutes per session with Hulu, longer than any rival ad-supported premium video site in comScore’s top 100. It also will offer three new ad “experiences,” Hopkins says: It will enable users to make purchases without leaving Hulu; Pizza Hut is the launch partner. The service will offer cross-platform interactive ads with an algorithm that “predicts the appropriate audience for the brand.” And it’s introducing the Hulu 360 Ad that can tailor messages depending on where the viewer is accessing the programming. “We know which device a viewer is on, and we go beyond the traditional video ad to serve a groundbreaking viewing experience,” Hopkins says. On the programming front, Hulu announced that it’s ordering a second season of Deadbeat.
Click here to view full content
Lionsgate Names Nerdist Co-Founder Peter Levin President Interactive Ventures
As part of its continued push into the digital and gaming space, Lionsgate has tapped Nerdist Industries co-founder Peter Levin as President of Interactive Ventures and Games. In his new role, Levin will be responsible for expanding Lionsgate’s content creation into video games and other interactive ventures, including incubation of new properties, investment in existing games and digital media vehicles and leveraging Lionsgate’s franchises and other branded properties into the gaming space.
Click here to view full content
Cannes Classics: Sophia Loren Guest Of Honor; Leone, De Sica, Hitchcock, Capra Films Among Restorations To Screen
The Cannes Film Festival is firming up plans for the 67th edition at a rapid clip this week, announcing jury members on Monday, followed by new Official Selection titles this morning and now the Cannes Classics sidebar lineup. Sophia Loren has been named the Cannes Classics guest of honor this year. Winner of the 1961 Best Actress prize in Cannes for Two Women, and president of the jury in 1966, Loren will give a Masterclass and attend the screening of her son Edoardo Ponti’s La Voce Umana in which she features. Also screening the same evening is Vittorio De Sica’s Marriage Italian Style. The decade-old Classics section is a showcase for restored and rediscovered versions of films that make up international cinema’s heritage. Screenings of each title are accompanied by the team responsible and, when possible, the original work’s director. There are 22 features and two documentaries which will screen in DCP 2K or DCP 4K. For the first time no 35mm print will be shown in the section, which Cannes notes comes with “regret for some or with celebration for others.” Following is the list of the films that make up Cannes Classics:
Features
A Fistful Of Dollars, dir: Sergio Leone (1964)
Paris, Texas, dir: Wim Wenders (1984)
Regards Sur Une Revolution: Comment Yukong Deplaça Les Montagnes, dirs: Marceline Loridan and Joris ... Read More »
Click here to view full content
Jeff Bewkes Challenges Jeffrey Katzenberg’s View That Movies Aren’t A Growth Business
Ouch: “Maybe it is for him,” the Time Warner CEO said when asked in an analyst call to respond to the DreamWorks Animation chief’s comment this week that “movies are not a growth business.” This was an easy punch for Jeff Bewkes to make: Warner Bros had a record year domestically last year and just reported strong Q1 results helped by The Lego Movie and 300 — while DWA shares are down about 11% today after it took a $57M writedown for Mr Peabody & Sherman. Jeffrey Katzenberg’s company “doesn’t make many movies,” Bewkes says. “We’ve been doing fine in movies.” He predicts “continued growth overseas” for his studio’s event films. “We do have some tough comparisons given the great year we had last year.” Even so, “we do think we can grow the business over time. We don’t agree with (Katzenberg’s) view” although he acknowledged that “the business they’re in is quite different.”
Click here to view full content
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
U.S. Firms Cagey On Business With Sanctioned Rosneft Chief
ExxonMobil and Morgan Stanley decline to comment on the future of their dealings with the head of the Russian oil giant.
Rosneft Chief Executive Officer Igor Sechin.
Toru Hanai / Reuters
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration's decision to slap sanctions on Igor Sechin, the CEO of Rosneft, complicates things for two major U.S. companies that have become entwined with the Russian state-run oil company: ExxonMobil and Morgan Stanley.
Both companies declined to engage on the specifics of their future plans with the company, though both have shown signs that they'll continue with their respective relationships with Rosneft.
Exxon signed a deal with Rosneft in 2011 with potential investments in the range of tens of billions of dollars, and the Russian company made it clear on Monday they would move ahead with plans to explore two Arctic oil fields together.
Sanctions rules forbid U.S. businesses or persons from doing business with people or businesses on the sanctions list. Asked how Exxon would handle that, Jeffers said: "We will comply with all sanctions. I don't have anything beyond that at this time."
"We don't have any comment at this time," Exxon spokesman Alan Jeffers said, when asked whether the addition of Rosneft's CEO to the sanctions list would have any effect on Exxon's partnership with the company.
Meanwhile, financial services firm Morgan Stanley said it plans to continue with the sale of its oil trading unit to Rosneft, a deal announced in December.
"Our view is that we are very much on track to close [the deal] in the second half of this year," Morgan Stanley CFO Ruth Porat told Bloomberg television on Monday. The deal is subject to regulatory approval from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), an interagency committee that reviews business deals for potential national security issues.
"Obviously it is subject to regulatory approval," Porat said, adding that she "can't comment on the regulatory environment."
"Our view is we are continuing to focus on closing the second half of this year," she said.
A spokeswoman for CFIUS declined to comment on the Morgan Stanley–Rosneft deal, which Bloomberg has reported has not yet been submitted for review and which may have to wait until tensions with Russia cool down.
"By law, information filed with CFIUS may not be disclosed by CFIUS to the public," the spokeswoman, Holly Schulman, said. "Accordingly, the department does not comment on information relating to specific CFIUS cases, including whether or not certain parties have filed notices for review."
A spokesman for Morgan Stanley didn't respond to a query about how the company plans to handle the new restrictions.
The deal would see Morgan Stanley, one of the first investment banks, to invest heavily in the physical commodities business, like shipping oil or gas, sell Rosneft its physical oil trading unit, which includes about 100 employees who work as traders and shippers in the U.S., U.K., and Singapore. Morgan Stanley also agreed to sell its 49% stake in the tanker company Heidmar to Rosneft.
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on Russian businesses, oligarchs, and government officials in response to Russian aggression against Ukraine. The latest round was announced after the U.S. judged that Russia had failed to live up to a de-escalation agreement reached in Geneva two weeks ago.
The Kremlin owns more than 70% of Rosneft. Sechin, its CEO, is a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Sechin had no experience in the energy business before joining Rosneft as chairman in 2004; he took over as president of the company in 2012.
Rosneft is one of the world's largest energy companies, with more oil and gas sales and reserves than Exxon (although it is is considerably less profitable), according to data compiled by Bloomberg. John Mack, Morgan Stanley's former chairman and chief executive officer, sits on the board of the company. Rosneft was a middling oil company until it bought up the assets of Yukos after the company was forced into bankruptcy following a Kremlin campaign. Yukos' former CEO, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, accused Sechin of organizing the campaign against him and his company. Sechin also oversaw Rosneft's $55 billion acquisition of TNK-BP, which was completed last year.
Insiders say the U.S. business community is nervous about the sanctions.
"They wish it weren't happening and wish that their business interests weren't being affected," said Ed Chow, a senior fellow in the Energy and National Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He warned that the sanctions could have more of an impact on the companies than they realize. "There's a lot of wishful thinking on their part right now given how fast the Ukraine crisis has moved and given how things have increasingly gotten worse."
American companies' business relationship with Russia is small compared to Europe's; oil giant BP has a 20% stake in Rosneft and its chief executive sits on the Rosneft board. A spokesman for BP told the Wall Street Journal that it was "considering today's announcement to see specifically what this may mean for BP" but did not plan to stop investing in Russia.
Speaking about Exxon, one energy industry source said: "For a company of that size they [Exxon] have limited exposure, but obviously were planning for this to grow significantly. In terms of exposure it's not like BP which has major investments and not like Shell."
In Europe, companies with massive energy interests in Russia have succeeded in slowing down the European Union's efforts to levy sanctions against Russia. German and Italian energy companies as well as BP have reportedly been lobbying behind closed doors against increasing economic sanctions, convincing European officials that a cautious approach is best. The U.S., with its shale gas reserves, does not share Europe's dependence on Russian energy.
The risk to the companies is "a reputational risk," said Alexander Kliment, director of Russia research for the Eurasia Group. "No one wants to extend a loan to companies that, if things escalate, could be on a sanctions list."
Click here to view full content
Fears Grow Over Deadly Virus In Saudi Arabia As Government Campaign Seen As Too Little, Too Late
In Saudi Arabia, people are wearing surgical masks in the streets as panic sets in about the deadly virus.
The Associated Press
For the last eight days Fatima Ahmet has not sent her children to school. The mother of four said that school officials have called her daily and pleaded with her to at least come by the small private school in the heart of Riyadh and see the security precautions they have taken,
"I refused," Ahmet said by telephone. "I do not trust them, or what the government is saying. Nobody seems to know exactly what this MERS virus is or how it spreads, so why should I trust them to know how to keep my children safe?"
"I will not send my children back to school," she said, "Not for the foreseeable future."
As the number of new cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, better known as MERS have swelled, so have fears among many in Saudi Arabia that the government is hiding the true scope of the deadly virus. On Tuesday, the country's newly-appointed health minister, Adel M. Fakieh, confirmed for the first time that the virus appears to be linked to camels, an argument that virologists around the world have been making for months.
Fakieh also announced that he had created a MERS task force, and that in the future, MERS cases would be treated at three designated hospitals to avoid the spread of the virus among health care professionals. Fakieh's ministry has begun updating global health professionals about new cases, and this week allowed the World Health Organization to visit Saudi Arabia and review research on the MERS virus.
"What's important is what we do to protect ourselves," said Fakieh, during a publicized visit to one hospital.
Still, many in Saudi Arabia deny the link, including agricultural officials who stand to lose billions from the camel market.
"There are strict regulations that are implemented on livestock in the Kingdom. These include health and vet checkups. The animals undergo checkups in countries where they are imported from, and they are checked again at local ports. The Ministry of Agriculture also provides the needed vaccines," Sulaiman Al-Jabri, the head of the livestock committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), told the Saudi Gazette. He added that that no infections or deaths from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) caused by the coronavirus have been documented among people working closely with camels.
But one doctor, reached by by telephone, said that there had been dozens of such documented cases in Saudi hospitals. The doctor, who asked to remain anonymous as they are working on a government contract and not allowed to speak to the press said, "we have had clear evidence of the link to camels for some time. I would say maybe months. The agricultural sector might not want to admit it, but I believe the Health minister did the right thing in his statement today by announcing this link. People should know there is a connection."
The doctor added that cases were still being documented at a rate of 8-12 new infections each day, and that approximately half of those infected died from the respiratory illness.
"We now have a team of people who are reporting back to the health ministry, but that team was only formed a few week ago and there is a still disorganization about how we are receiving data and research," said the doctor. "We need to move quickly to make sure this is contained."
Over the last few days, pamphlets such as the ones posted below on Twitter have appeared in public places offering some explanation of the virus and how the public can protect themselves.
Residents reached in Jeddah and Riyadh told that people were increasingly wearing surgical masks in order to protect themselves, and that rumors had sprung up suggesting that wiping hands and surfaces with bleach or burning candles at home could help prevent the virus.
"I don't know what to believe," said Ahmet. "So I am trying it all."
Virologists say that the MERS virus may have mutated in recent months to enable faster human-to-human transfer, and new cases are being reported daily in countries across the region. Over the last 30 days, MERS cases in Saudi Arabia have swelled from one to three daily to more than 10 reported cases each day, according to Ian MacKay, an associate professor at the Australia Infectious Diseases Research Centre at The University of Queensland. He said there is strong reason to believe that the virus has mutated to become more easily transmitted between humans, but that so little was known about the virus, it was difficult to access exactly how it was behaving.
"There is too little virological information," said MacKay. "Right now the MERS-CoV's natural host seems to be the camel and then it makes forays into humans when conditions are right. Each and every time it does that there is a chance for the virus to evolve to become better at replicating in and transmitting from humans instead of camels."
Concerns voiced by global health professionals have been mounting as Saudi Arabia approaches the Hajj the first week of October. More than one million Muslims travel to Saudi Arabia each year to visit Mecca during the holy pilgrimage, in past years they have come from 188 countries. Virologists fear that unless Saudi Arabia takes great steps to ensure that they have contained and studied the MERS by October, it could be risking spreading the virus globally.
View Entire List ›
Click here to view full content
Jon Jones Blasts Liddell For Pre-Fght Comments Following Glover Win
UFC light-heavyweight champion, Jon Jones isn’t afraid to gloat in public, at least when it...
Click here to view full content
36 Stellar Strawweight Women Compete for TUF 20
There are 36 women fighting for eight upcoming spots on the next TUF 20, including...
Click here to view full content
Jose Aldo Thinks Jon Jones Is A Dirty Fighter?
UFC featherweight champion, Jose Aldo is a known associate of UFC 172 title challenger, Glover...
Click here to view full content
VIDEO | Footage From Yesterday’s TUF 20 Tryouts
Yesterday in Las Vegas, 36 women tried out for the first ever all-female season of...
Click here to view full content
PHOTO’s | Rogan Details Miracle Blood Spinning Procedure Through Pictures
On his official Instagram, UFC commentator, Joe Rogan walked us through the process of Regenokine....
Click here to view full content
Hendo Doesn’t Plan To Wrestle, Wants To Test D.C.’s Chin
“Obviously I was hoping to not fight him, as well, I respect him. He’s a...
Click here to view full content
Karo Parisyan: Ronda’s Head Coach Is ‘Eating Her Brains’
“You can’t even compare that gym to our gym, bro. We’re an established MMA gym...
Click here to view full content
Jones Blasts Davis While Watching His Fight: “Crumble me like a cookie?”
Victory tastes sweet in the Jones household. Especially when, his recent antagonist, Phil Davis didn’t...
Click here to view full content
Watch Today’s UFC Mexico Press Conference Live on BJPENN.COM (1pm PT)
Live from Mexico City, Mexico, the UFC is putting on a special press conference today....
Click here to view full content
VIDEO | Ultimate Fighting Cartoons: Nick Diaz, GSP Team Up To Fight Crime Part II
Following the arrest of Alistair Overeem, Officers Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz interrogate “The Reem”...
Click here to view full content
Mozilla drags Firefox 29 into the 21st century with a whole new look
Firefox has gone through 25 new versions in the past three years, but this latest one is a biggie - Firefox 29 is here and it brings a radical new Chrome-like look with it. Mozilla says this is its most important Firefox update since Firefox 4 was rele...
Click here to view full content
The best Samsung Galaxy S5 deals
The Samsung Galaxy S5 is bound to be one of the best selling phones of the year, just as the Galaxy S4 before it was and the Galaxy S3 before that and...you get the picture.But it's available at a lot of different prices with a lot of different minute and data allowances, so if you're one of the many people that's planning on buy Samsung's latest super phone, don't just run to your nearest store.Instead, shop smart and get it on one of these deals, which are the best around at the moment.Read our in depth Samsung Galaxy S5 reviewEEOn EE you can get the Galaxy S5 in blue with unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and 4GB of 4G data for £37.99 per month and no upfront cost.It's a 24 month contract so overall it will cost you £911.76.VodafoneWith Vodafone you can get the blue or white versions of the Samsung Galaxy S5 with 1GB of data, unlimited minutes and unlimited texts for £33 per month, with no upfront cost. In all that comes to £792. Data may be pretty limited, but it's also quite cheap.Or you can get it in white, blue or black on a 12 month deal for £47 per month with a cost of £124.99 upfront. That will give you the same allowances of 1GB of data and unlimited minutes and texts and come out at £688.99.O2On O2 you can currently get the white and black versions of the Galaxy S5 for £33 per month, with 1GB of data, unlimited minutes and texts and no handset cost. That amounts to £792 over 24 months, making it identical to the second Vodafone deal.For a little more data you could always opt to pay £38 per month and get 5GB along with unlimited texts and minutes and no upfront cost. That amounts to £912 in total. Oh, and that's for the blue version of the Galaxy S5.ThreeHere's a deal for data fiends. You can get the black Galaxy S5 on Three with unlimited 4G data, unlimited texts and 600 minutes for £41 per month and no upfront charge.In total that comes out at £984 over 24 months, which puts it on the pricey side, especially given that it doesn't include a huge amount of minutes, but if you use a lot of data then not having to worry about limits should make it well worth the asking price.If you want a lot of minutes to go with your data then you could consider getting it for £43 per month with unlimited 4G data, unlimited texts, unlimited minutes and no upfront cost, which amounts to £1,032 over 24 months.T-MobileYou can get the black version of the Samsung Galaxy S5 for £37.99 per month on T-Mobile with no handset cost.For that you'll get unlimited texts, unlimited internet and 500 minutes, though bear in mind that as this is T-Mobile you'll only get 3G data. Over 24 months the handset comes to £911.76.If you'd rather have a lower monthly charge you can get it from the same place with the same allowances and a monthly cost of just £27.99. However you'll have to pay £124.99 up front. It still saves you money over the life of the contract though, coming out at £796.75.OrangeOne of the best tariffs at Orange right now is for the phone in black or white with unlimited minutes and texts but only 1GB of 3G data for £37.99 per month, with no upfront cost.As that amounts to £911.76 overall it's hard to recommend as other networks have it either cheaper or with more and faster data.Tesco MobileWith Tesco Mobile you can get the Samsung Galaxy S5 in black for £38.50 per month and that includes 3000 minutes, 5000 texts and 3GB of 4G data. There's no cost for the handset, so over 24 months that amounts to £924.Alternatively you can get it in black or white with 1500 minutes, 5000 texts and 1GB of 4G data for £34.50 per month with no upfront cost. Over the life of the contract that comes out at £828, so you can save yourself £96 over the above deal but you'll have to get by on a third of the data and half the minutes.More interested in the HTC One M8? We've got all the best deals for that too
Click here to view full content
Industry voice: Why aren't enterprises using SAM data to secure R&D tax credits?
Many CIOs are failing to make the connection between the amount of tax their company pays and their existing software asset management (SAM) programmes. The majority of organisations now have a SAM programme underway to ensure they are compliant with software licensing obligations and avoiding unnecessary licensing costs. In addition to these benefits, SAM could also be helping to reduce (and potentially even eliminate) future corporation tax bills, by providing evidence to support successful tax relief claims through the Government's R&D tax credits scheme.R&D tax credits Currently one of the most lucrative tax relief opportunities available to UK organisations, R&D tax credits are applicable to companies of all sizes. They enable up to 225% tax relief to be claimed against the costs of an R&D investment. This means for every £100 incurred in costs for a qualifying project, the Government allows the company to reduce its taxable profits by £125, in addition to the £100 already claimed in the company's P&L account as a tax deductible expense. It can be offset against the cost of hardware, software and human resources. Once eligibility for credits is agreed, the recipient has the potential to receive either a cash lump sum or future corporation tax rebates. Most claims generate a rebate of £100,000 but for some companies, the saving can run into millions of pounds worth of tax relief over multiple financial years. Importantly for larger companies, new legislation introduced in 2013 now allows the reporting of R&D tax credits awarded to be 'above the line' and therefore highlighted in the same way as a grant. This means they are visible to R&D budget holders, published on company reports and can be offset against operating expenses to obtain a cash credit. Unfortunately this scheme has historically suffered from the perception that R&D must signify some form of scientific development. That isn't the case, some projects designed to improve organisational processes can also qualify, including investment in new technology. This is classified within the 'development' portion of the scheme, provided that the end product is a new or substantially improved service and / or results in improvements to existing processes or systems. Software asset managementFor companies that have ongoing software asset management (SAM) programmes, although implementing a SAM platform would not qualify as a suitable investment for obtaining R&D tax credits, the data held in a SAM solution may help a company to provide the evidence required to qualify for the rebates. These can be secured for employee costs, i.e. the cost of staff employed who are actively engaged in carrying out R&D activities, consumable or transformable materials purchased used for R&D and computer software used in R&D. Consider for example a large petrochemical company, which has a dedicated development department within its IT function and whose remit is to build specialist applications to sustain the business. These activities would most likely qualify for R&D tax credits and they have a SAM programme in place already. Their existing SAM solution becomes a tracking and reporting tool to isolate which activities could count as R&D and quantify the extent of involvement. Used in this way SAM could be playing an important role in helping companies to isolate the costs of their R&D programmes and obtain tax relief on the expenditure. By configuring the data in SAM using auto connect rules, identifying R&D related areas in the company and then combining this with the relevant software costs, it is possible to support a tax credit application. Some of the biggest IT consulting firms have spotted the connection between SAM and R&D tax credits and are actively looking for ways to use this as a business development lever. This should be a cue for CIOs to become aware of the financial opportunity to cut tax expenditure even further and at the same time, get more value from their existing investment in SAM. Judging by the continued level of support R&D tax credits is getting from the Government - the value of the credit portion was further enhanced in the March 2014 Budget to just over £32 for every £100 spent on qualifying activities - this initiative will be continuing for some time yet.Jelle Wijndelts is a SAM expert working with enterprises to help them implement Snow License Manager and generate greater value from their investments.
Click here to view full content
Is Acer CEO Jason Chen gambling by banking on BYOC?
The birth of BYOCFour months into his tenure as Acer CEO and President, Jason Chen has revealed his company vision: to make Acer the personal cloud service for consumers. Speaking at a press conference in New York City, Chen said Acer's focus will be on providing consumers with a technology platform stored on a localized PC hard drive that will enable consumers to reach all of their data, all of the time, on any device.Chen has coined his vision, "BYOC" or bring your own cloud, and he said it evolved from research Acer conducted to determine where consumers were storing the majority of their data."Cloud is a great concept," Chen said, at the press conference. "But the number one place people keep their data is in their PC hard drive."Head in the clouds?Despite a burgeoning market of cloud technologies geared toward the general consumer, namely Amazon Cloud, Apple iCloud and Google Drive, consumers continue to rely on their localized hard drives to store data. Gartner Research projects only 36% of consumer-owned digital content will be stored in the cloud by 2016. As of last year, 55% of consumers had never used a cloud storage service, and as of two years ago 51% of people said they believed stormy weather could interfere with cloud computing (they were incorrect, in case you were one of the respondents).Chen said consumers feel safer, more secure and they feel they have more control with data stored on hard drives. "If you can keep your storage under control, in a place that you can feel secure, that will be your own cloud," he said.However, Acer is willing to gamble on the future of cloud, and more importantly, the willingness of consumers to adopt and regularly use a personal cloud device. The Taiwan-based company is willing to share its platform across brands, by enabling consumers to use the BYOC platform regardless of whether or not the device is Acer-produced. "All you need is one Acer product," to use Acer's BYOC platform, Chen said.Liquid Jade and Liquid LeapSmartphones and wearablesChen joined Acer on January 1, replacing CEO J.T. Wang who resigned after a fiscal year in which the company posted an operating loss of $86.61 billion (around £54 billion, or AU$91.3 billion), and instituted a mandated executive pay cut of 30%. In Chen's first 100 days, he said he has been able to "stabilize the company and get our machine...humming again."The new Acer is focused on the company's two pillars: core strengths and pursuable opportunities. As Chen explains it, Acer needs to evolve from being a PC company that makes other products into a company focused on continuous consumer connectivity. "Acer is in the PC industry. Many of you know the PC [industry] is not a growing industry. So what do we do?" he asked rhetorically.Chen said he is looking at the smartphone market in a very similar manner as one would have looked at the PC market twenty years ago when "IBM and a couple of so-called premium brands [were] at the top," he said. "The smartphone industry today is deja vu all over again. We believe if we could apply our strength and the culture we inherited from Acer in the past 37 years to develop technology quickly, in a neat design, at an affordable price, we believe it would be an opportunity for Acer and our customers would appreciate it."At the event, Acer previewed the July limited edition launch of the Liquid Leap, a 17mm-thick smartband that will act as both a fitness tracker and a smartwatch, and will give consumers text and call notifications. The company also previewed the Liquid Jade smartphone, which will be generally available in July as well, and it unveiled the Aspire Aspire Switch 10 and the world's first Chromebook with an Intel Core i series processor.Were Acer notebooks a horrendous mistake?
Click here to view full content
Google reportedly looks to more devices with the Android Silver program
Google may be plotting a new "Android Silver" program to vastly increase it line of devices beyond one Nexus handset.We originally heard rumors that Google was planning to launch as a support service for select smartphones. However, a new report from the Information suggests the program may spur a whole new series of high-end Silver phones from multiple manufacturersAllegedly Google is looking to invest $1 billion to get phone makers to jump aboard its new initiative. This money will supposedly go to subsidize the development and marketing costs for hardware partners that sign on with Google's program.The silver ageIn exchange for the incentives, Google will have more control over Silver devices by limiting the amount of manufacturer bloatware that comes pre-installed. At the very least end users would be able to remove these non-standard Android apps.With these software changes its likely Silver devices will also get Android updates sooner similar to Nexus and Google Play devices.Beyond Google putting the kibosh extra software packages, Google reportedly will support the development of advanced hardware features. The Information claims these could include waterproofing and improved voice recognition as seen with the Moto X.The report does not mention any hardware manufacturer have already signed Google's new initiative. However the first likely OEM to join will be LG, which produced the current Nexus 5, and Motorola. Meanwhile, we imagine others including HTC, Samsung, and Sony will sit out for now since they have all invested so much into developing their own look for Android. Beyond the NexusIf the Silver program comes to pass, Google would put a lot more backing into developing its own personal line of devices. Rather than partnering with a single manufacturer to develop one smartphone and tablet a year, the Silver program would allow Google to produce a wider array of devices.That said, its not likely that we will see this supposed program bear fruit any time soon. Google I/O is just two months away where we expect to see a new Nexus phone and possibly a tablet.Whether this yet to be announced smartphone is Google's last Nexus device remains to be seen, but as of late Google has been reassert itself as the name behind Android phones. For this year's crop of flagship phones Google has required both the HTC One (M8) and Samsung Galaxy S5's bootup screens to feature the words "Powered by Android."Before the silver age of Android handsets comes, here are the best smartphones out there today
Click here to view full content
Nintendo again skips E3 press conference to speak directly to fans
Nintendo has for the second year in a row decided to skip the type of elaborate press conference that its competitors will be throwing at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June 2014.E3 press conferences are infamous for being over the top, but while Microsoft, Sony, Ubisoft, EA, and other big gaming companies continue to play circus, Nintendo has decided to speak directly to its fans again.Nintendo will hold smaller events where press and other E3 attendees can check out upcoming games, and will host another Nintendo Direct (they're calling it a "Nintendo Digital Event" now apparently) video online on the morning of June 10, plus "Nintendo Treehouse" videos of commentary and demos from the show floor throughout E3.Finally Nintendo will also host a live Super Smash Bros. Wii U tournament at E3 and fans will be able to demo the game at Best Buy stores before it's available later this year. The funny fellas from Mega64 helped announce all these plans with the video below.YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghEhI4CJjAMDignity or delusion?It's become increasingly clear over the last couple of years that Nintendo considers itself in a league of its own without any competitors.Whether that's actually true is a matter of interpretation, but by skipping the traditional E3 presser yet again Nintendo is at least sticking to its message: that it doesn't need to play ball, because it's playing a totally different sport.As Sony and Microsoft battle for supremacy in their own personal arms race, Nintendo simply continues to be Nintendo, relying on nostalgia through the same franchises it's been using for decades.For better or for worse it seems that's the Nintendo of today.Here's what TechRadar thought of the Xbox One and PS4
Click here to view full content
Amazon Debuts A Storefront Just For Wearable Tech
Online shopping giant Amazon wants to get out ahead of the curve with wearable tech – hence the launch of its new Wearable Technology store today. The store is a subsection of its Amazon.com ecommerce portal, with a focus on devices like the Misfit Shine, Jawbone UP24 and Narrative Clip, to name just a few. Read More
Click here to view full content
InMobi Launches Native Ad Platform To Woo Publishers Looking Beyond Facebook, Google
Native mobile advertising is on fire, especially for independent ad networks looking to challenge their much bigger and established rivals. InMobi, is today launching its native ad platform joining the rage and attempting to woo publishers and ad...
Click here to view full content
Buildies Cardboard Blocks Are, You Know, For Kids
Urbana-based creator Brian Lilly has designed and built something every kid will enjoy: massive, stackable blocks called Buildies that fold together to make Lego-like shapes and let the wee ones create castles, fortresses, palaces, and abandoned ...
Click here to view full content
Spotify’s Big Redesign Rolls Out To Android Today
Following a major makeover from earlier this month, which introduced a new, simpler and darker theme to the streaming music platform Spotify, Android users are now also getting a refreshed app starting today. Like their web, desktop and iOS counterparts, Android users will also now see the darker theme, refreshed typography and rounded iconography that was announced earlier, as well as a… Read More
Click here to view full content
Sprint Announces Spotify Partnership, Unveils HTC One M8 Harman/Kardon Edition Smartphone
Sprint has gathered the NY media today to reveal a new smartphone in collaboration with HTC and Harman/Kardon, as well as a discount partnership with Spotify. Sprint unveiled a partnership with Spotify alongside a new service called Sprint Sound ...
Click here to view full content
Discoverly’s Nifty Tool For Seeing Social Connections Now Has Crunchbase, AngelList Data
Discoverly, the San Francisco startup that launched last year with the aim of putting people’s social connections “to work” in the enterprise space, has added some useful updates to its flagship social search tool. Discoverly’s Chrome browser extension, which debuted in January to let you see mutual Facebook connections while looking at someone’s LinkedIn profile and… Read More
Click here to view full content
You Can Now Print From Office For iPad
Microsoft Office for iPad has been an almost embarrassing success for its progenitor, comfortably retaining three of the top slots in the iOS app store since its release. For days after release, Word, Excel and PowerPoint were ranked 1st, 2nd, an...
Click here to view full content
Heroku Bets Big On PHP And Launches Native Support For Facebook’s HipHop VM
Cloud platform Heroku today announced a set of new tools for PHP developers that aim to give PHP the kind of enterprise-grade support the company already offers for Rails, Python, node.js and other languages. It’s no secret that PHP doesn’t always get the credit it deserves. While the language has developed quite a bit over the last few years — in large part thanks to capable… Read More
Click here to view full content
Microsoft Is Technology’s Comeback Kid
Microsoft. For a generation of technology executives, the name strikes fear into even the most iron-willed business leaders. A lion among gazelles, its very gaze into a market could cause investors and analysts to flee in terror. Yet, its name has become a punchline among today’s technorati, a joke about formerly dominant companies evolving into large, plodding kludges. Missed deadlines, delayed… Read More
Click here to view full content
Marissa Mayer And Michael Arrington To Talk Yahoo And Chickens At Disrupt NY
Disrupt NY 2014 is mere days away, and we’re thrilled to announce that Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer will be joining Michael Arrington for a fireside chat, where she’ll talk about how she’s been rebuilding Yahoo into a mobile and content-focused company via strategic startup acquisitions.
Michael has chickens now and the Internet is obviously curious about his ambitions. Read More
Click here to view full content
CoFoundersLab Acquires Entrepreneur-Focused Networking Service Bizpora
CoFoundersLab, a sort of “Match.com for entrepreneurs” who are seeking their soon-to-be better halves, has made another small-ish acquisition to help expand its service’s offerings. The company has bought Bizpora, a startup that was helping travelers better network with others in their field ahead of upcoming trips, as well as keep an eye on interesting people who were planning… Read More
Click here to view full content
Emma Stone And Jimmy Fallon Have Epic Lip Sync Battle You Can’t Miss (Video)
It’s been a little while since we posted a video from “The Tonight Show,” but last night Jimmy Fallon and Emma Stone faced off in a lip-syncing battle for the ages. We last saw this segment when Fallon faced off with Paul Rudd, who recorded a rare walk off lip-sync in what would end up […]
Emma Stone And Jimmy Fallon Have Epic Lip Sync Battle You Can’t Miss (Video)
Click here to view full content
These Kittens Are Better DJs Than Half Of The ‘Artists’ On The EDM Scene (Video)
When I say that these kittens are better than 50 percent of DJs on the scene today, I don’t mean to be disrespectful. The honest truth is that, while I respect the talent of the top names in EDM, there are a bunch of lower tier “artists” that equate buying a bunch of gear with […]
These Kittens Are Better DJs Than Half Of The ‘Artists’ On The EDM Scene (Video)
Click here to view full content
‘Wheel Of Fortune’ Contestant Gives One Of The Worst Answers In The History Of The Show (Video)
A few weeks ago, we posted a video of one of the most pathetic “Wheel of Fortune” answers in the history of “Wheel of Fortune.” I thought it would be a while before we saw someone answer as poorly as Julian did, but it turns out I was wrong. We have a new contender for […]
‘Wheel Of Fortune’ Contestant Gives One Of The Worst Answers In The History Of The Show (Video)
Click here to view full content
Man Catches Wife Cheating, Chases Down Her Lover In Epic Foot Chase (NSFW Video)
I can’t say that I’ve ever walked in my wife cheating on me, so I’m not exactly sure how I’d react. If movies are to be believed, one of two things will happen: either the third wheel in the marriage will quickly gather all his clothes and jump out the window, or the husband will […]
Man Catches Wife Cheating, Chases Down Her Lover In Epic Foot Chase (NSFW Video)
Click here to view full content
The World’s Best Soccer Stars Join Barcelona’s Dani Alves In Fight Against Racism (Photos)
FC Barcelona’s Dani Alves had already gained the sports world’s respect and admiration after his response to racist taunts this past weekend, but now it’s clear that he has the full backing of his peers and fans as well. After making a mockery out of fans’ attempts to belittle him by eating a banana that was […]
The World’s Best Soccer Stars Join Barcelona’s Dani Alves In Fight Against Racism (Photos)
Click here to view full content
It’s A Paradox: Why Stand-Up Comics Hate Themselves
The cliché that comics are sad people who hate themselves (often in addition to everyone around them) is a paradox. How could someone who makes people happy be so sad? They have so much laughter in their lives! Prior to doing comedy myself, this was something I had trouble reconciling. I’ve been a huge fan […]
It’s A Paradox: Why Stand-Up Comics Hate Themselves
Click here to view full content
#WandererProblems: The Price You Pay For Giving In To Your Wanderlust
So you’ve given in to your wanderlust. You’ve decided to follow the advice you read in articles that urge 20-somethings to travel, expand their horizons and break cultural barriers. You’ve taken the opportunity to be at a different place. You left the safe, familiar vicinity of your home and traveled far away for whatever reason: […]
#WandererProblems: The Price You Pay For Giving In To Your Wanderlust
Click here to view full content
Why George Clooney Is The Last Of A Dying Breed Of Men
George Clooney is the man. He has conquered all. Clooney has been named “Sexiest Man Alive” twice, he has been nominated for eight Academy Awards, has won twice — and he has a long list of gorgeous exes. Now that Clooney is seemingly off the market with the announcement of his engagement to fiancée, Amal […]
Why George Clooney Is The Last Of A Dying Breed Of Men
Click here to view full content
Brooklyn Decker And Her Roommates Get Freaky In ‘Leaked’ Threesome Video
Imagine living with supermodel and actress Brooklyn Decker? Even as a straight female, I can admit it would be tough not to look at her hot bod. However, it seems seeing that bod day in and day out can get pretty annoying for her roommates, who are fed up with Decker’s sexual tendencies. From the […]
Brooklyn Decker And Her Roommates Get Freaky In ‘Leaked’ Threesome Video
Click here to view full content
Regular Car Reviews On Bikes Is Even More Bizarre Than Usual
RCR has taken a few crazy pills in one of his weirdest, and funniest, videos to date Regular Car Reviews On Bikes Is Even More Bizarre Than Usual on Car Throttle.
Click here to view full content
Bid On This Barn-Found Renault 5 Turbo And Live Out Your Group B Rally Dreams
This Renault 5 Gordini Turbo has been given a mid-engine conversion to be like its Group B homologation brother, but it needs some love Bid On This Barn-Found Renault 5 Turbo And Live Out Your Group B Rally Dreams on Car Throttle.
Click here to view full content
10 Things You Might Have Missed From Last Weekend’s Fiery Motorsport Action
There was plenty of motorsport to please all tastes as some of the biggest racing series took to the track 10 Things You Might Have Missed From Last Weekend’s Fiery Motorsport Action on Car Throttle.
Click here to view full content
Why The Mercedes CLA 45 Is The AMG For Non-Sadists
We drove the A45's sharp-suited brother on an absolutely soaking day, and had a revelation Why The Mercedes CLA 45 Is The AMG For Non-Sadists on Car Throttle.
Click here to view full content
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)