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1,387,367,880 | 2013-12-18 11:58:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [2381, 2443], "BTC": [2459]} | {} | 10 Things You Need To Know This Morning | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/10-things-know-opening-bell-115820800.html | Business Insider | http://www.businessinsider.com/ | REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke speaks at the Federal Reserve Conference on Key Developments in Monetary Policy in Washington October 8, 2009.
Good morning. Here's what you need to know.
• Markets in Asia were mixed in overnight trading. The Japanese Nikkei 225 jumped 2.0%, the Hong Kong Hang Seng rose 0.3%, and the Shanghai Composite fell 0.1%. European markets are rallying, led by Germany and Italy, both up 1.0%. In the United States, futures point to a positive open.
• The big event today is the FOMC decision, due out at 2 PM ET, followed by Ben Bernanke's last press conference as chairman of the Federal Reserve at 2:30. The consensus prediction is that the FOMC will refrain from tapering its quantitative easing program until 2014, but a growing number believe it could be announced today following a recent string of solid economic data. The FOMC could also announce a modification to its forward guidance on the likely path of short-term interest rates, such as a reduction of the unemployment rate threshold that must be met before the first rate hike to 6.0% from the current 6.5% figure.
• Japanese exports rose 18.4% from a year earlier in November, faster than expected, while imports rose 21.1% from a year earlier, slower than expected. The trade deficit widened to ¥1.2929 trillion from ¥1.0927 trillion.
• The German IFO Business Climate indicator of sentiment ticked up to 109.5 in December from 109.3 in November, as expected by economists. The current assessment gauge unexpectedly fell to 111.6 from 112.2, but the outlook gauge advanced to 107.4 from 106.4.
• The U.K. unemployment rateunexpectedly fell to 7.4% in Octoberfrom 7.6% the month before, while the three-month employment change through October was 250,000, well above the 165,000 consensus forecast. The numbers have sparked a rally in sterling this morning.
• Eurozone construction output fell 1.2% in October after dropping 0.5% in September. On a work day-adjusted basis, construction output fell 2.4% from a year earlier after falling 0.7% year over year in September.
• November housing starts and building permits data are due out at 8:30 AM ET. Economists predict permits fell to 990,000 at an annualized rate in November from 1.034 million in October, while starts are expected to clock in at 950,000.Follow the data LIVE on Business Insider »
• Bitcoin lost another 30% of its value overnight after Chinese Bitcoin startup BTC Chinaannounced that it could no longer accept deposits in the local currency. The digital currency has been on a wild ride in 2013 — in January, it traded below $15, and recently, it traded over $1000. Now, it trades just below $500.
• BP said Wednesday it wouldwrite off just over $1 billion in costsrelated to an unsuccessful Brazilian oil well, which ended up finding no commercial quantities of oil or gas. However, it also said it made a significant oil discovery in the Gulf of Mexico, which it will continue to explore.
• Bloomberg News reports that theFed will delay imposing regulatory requirementsrelated to leverage ratios on large U.S. banks until the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision completes its global standards. " The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency had favored finishing a U.S. rule by year’s end, said one of the people," writes Bloomberg's Jesse Hamilton. "The Fed’s wait-and-see position is aligned with groups representing the banking industry, who have argued for a delay on grounds that the regulations should be consistent."
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1,387,382,760 | 2013-12-18 16:06:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [36, 161, 924, 1734, 2127], "BTC": [178, 355, 1862, 2173, 2316]} | {"Bitcoin": [41]} | China Has A Good Reason To Crack Down On Bitcoin | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-good-reason-crackdown-bitcoin-160612464.html | Business Insider | http://www.businessinsider.com/ | REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
The price of Bitcoinhas been getting clobberedover the last day as China continues to crack down on its use.
The latest huge blow is that Bitcoin exchange BTC China announced that due to regulatory issues it could no longer accept deposits in Renminbi (the Chinese currency) which is a huge problem to say the least. Interestingly, BTC China had just raised $5 million inventure money back in November, so that is very bad timing.
But this isn't the first time China has cracked down on bitcoins either. Earlier this month, the People's Bank of China told financial institutions not to accept bitcoins as legal tender.
At the time it said, "the warning is aimed at protecting the property rights of the public, safeguarding the Renminbi status as a fiat currency, preventing money laundering, and maintaining financial stability in China,"according to Xinhua.
So why would China want to crack down on Bitcoin? Simple: capital controls.
China tightly regulates all the money flowing in and out of the country. You can't just bring a bunch of cash into the country, in part to prevent people from buying up the local currency (which is generally believed to be deliberately suppressed). And China makes it hard to get money out of the country as well.
There are various ways currently that rich people do get their money out of Chinese banks and out of the borders.One popular way is through Macau.Rich people buy a bunch of gaming chips through seedy "junket operators." Then they go to Macau and gamble a bunch. Then they take what they have left, and exchange their chips into the local Macau currency, at which point they can deposit that money in a Macau bank, and voilà the money is outside of the country.
Bitcoin offered/offers an even quicker way to get your money out of the border. Buy 10,000 yuan work of bitcoins on a site like BTC China, transfer those bitcoins to a wallet outside of the country, and then sell those bitcoins in some new currency in a different country. Voilà, your money is liberated!
Of course there's also thearbitrage play which China isn't too happy about.For a while, Bitcoin was more expensive in dollar terms on BTC China than it was when traded abroad. This made it easy for traders to buy bitcoins using the greenback elsewhere and then selling them on BTC China for a profit.
And remember when China reporteda surge in exports in Novemberthere was some speculation that fake invoicing was back.
So as long as China is going to restrict the way money flows across the border, there's no way they're going to tolerate bitcoin use in a large scale, since it enables transactions that can't easily be tracked and stopped.
The more interesting question is whether Chinese regulations can actually stop bitcoin usage. Obviously restrictions will make it more difficult to use, but there are going to be all kinds of workarounds, even if financial institutions are prevented from dealing with bitcoin exchanges. The extent to which an even grayer bitcoin market emerges in China will be a big story to watch.
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• Here Are China's Six Top Priorities For 2014
• CHINA MANUFACTURING DATA SLIPS TO THREE-MONTH LOW
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1,387,389,181 | 2013-12-18 17:53:01+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [1743, 1850, 1993]} | {"Bitcoin": [125]} | WPCS Announces Rescheduled Conference Call to Discuss FY2014 Second Quarter Financial Results; Recent Announcement Regarding Bitcoin | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/wpcs-announces-rescheduled-conference-call-175301411.html | Marketwired | http://www.marketwired.com/ | EXTON, PA--(Marketwired - Dec 18, 2013) - WPCS International Incorporated (NASDAQ:WPCS), ("WPCS" or the "Company"), today has announced that it will conduct a conference call scheduled for Thursday, December 19, at 5:00 pm ET to discuss both its financial results for the FY2014 second quarter ended October 31, 2013 and its recent acquisition of BTX Trader.
As previously announced, WPCS entered into various agreements to acquire BTX Trader LLC (BTX), an early stage technology company currently engaged in the development of a proprietary platform for the bitcoin industry, and issued 2,348 shares of its 12% Series E Preferred Stock, and warrants to purchase 1,500,000 shares of common stock exercisable at $5.00 per share in connection with the acquisition. Although no revenue is currently being generated, the BTX acquisition represents a new line of business to the Company.
The Company also announced that it would be seeking stockholder approval for various matters, including an amendment to its certificate of incorporation to increase the number of shares authorized for issuance to stockholders. The Company is required to reserve for issuance under the 12% Series E Preferred Stock and Warrants related to the BTX acquisition approximately 2.7 million shares of common stock. The additional shares the Company seeks to have authorized for issuance are required to satisfy prior contractual obligations and for future purposes, such as potential acquisitions or financings. The foregoing description is intended as a clarification and does not constitute a solicitation of any vote or proxy, which shall only be by virtue of a Proxy Statement filed with the SEC and distributed to stockholders containing additional information.
Bitcoin is a digital or virtual currency that uses peer-to-peer technology to facilitate instant payments. Bitcoin is a type of alternative currency known as a cryptocurrency, which uses cryptography for security, making it difficult to counterfeit. Bitcoin issuance and transactions are carried out collectively by the network, with no central authority, and allows users to make secure, verified transfers. BTX has developed and is currently beta testing a trading system to offer bitcoin traders advanced charting, trading blotters, and trading integration across five of the major bitcoin exchanges, which will allow users to see liquidity, route orders, identify arbitrage opportunities across all platforms, and to control trading risks with access to stop loss orders. The BTX business is intended to become a data and service provider for users and exchanges of bitcoin, but is not presently a bitcoin exchange itself (although the Company may determine to invest in and develop a bitcoin exchange in the future). There can be no assurance that the Company or bitcoin in general, will be successful.
Sebastian Giordano, Interim Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We are very excited about bitcoin and the prospect offered by BTX to participate in a quickly evolving marketplace. Although there are numerous risks, we believe that the software platform being developed by BTX will support the opportunities to advance bitcoin as an asset class, currency, money transfer mechanism, and important alternative in the financial markets space. As one of the first publicly traded companies to make an early entrance into the bitcoin space, we believe this transaction is consistent with ongoing efforts to provide the Company with an opportunity to deliver improved shareholder value in the future."
To participate on the conference call, please dial 800-875-3456 for calls within the U.S. and 302-607-2001 for calls from outside the U.S. Upon reaching the operator, use VH71326 as the verbal pass code.
Sebastian Giordano, Interim CEO of WPCS, will be discussing the company's financial results, market conditions and business outlook, including BTX. In addition, a BTX spokesman will be available to respond to questions about BTX. When the overview concludes, you can be placed into the queue for questions by pressing *1 and can be removed from the queue by pressing the # sign. Replays of the conference call will be available for a period of five days by dialing 402-220-2946 and entering 71326 as the program identification number.
About WPCS International Incorporated:
WPCS is a design-build engineering company that focuses on the implementation requirements of communications infrastructure. The Company provides its engineering capabilities including wireless communication, specialty construction and electrical power to the public services, healthcare, energy and corporate enterprise markets worldwide. For more information, please visitwww.wpcs.com.
Statements about the company's future expectations, including future revenue and earnings and all other statements in this press release, other than historical facts, are "forward looking" statements and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time. The company's actual results could differ materially from expected results. In reflecting subsequent events or circumstances, the company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements.
The Company and its operations, including bitcoin activities, are subject to substantial risks. Some of those risks are described under "Risk Factors" in the Company's filings and reports filed with the SEC atwww.sec.gov. The risks associated with BTX and bitcoin in general are not fully known and will be described in future filings with the SEC and therefore investors should be aware that the Company's SEC filings do not presently provide a complete description of all risks that face the Company's business and affairs. |
1,387,389,181 | 2013-12-18 17:53:01+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [1743, 1850, 1993]} | {"Bitcoin": [125]} | WPCS Announces Rescheduled Conference Call to Discuss FY2014 Second Quarter Financial Results; Recent Announcement Regarding Bitcoin | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/finance.yahoo.com/news/wpcs-announces-rescheduled-conference-call-175301411.html | Marketwired | http://www.marketwired.com/ | EXTON, PA--(Marketwired - Dec 18, 2013) - WPCS International Incorporated (NASDAQ:WPCS), ("WPCS" or the "Company"), today has announced that it will conduct a conference call scheduled for Thursday, December 19, at 5:00 pm ET to discuss both its financial results for the FY2014 second quarter ended October 31, 2013 and its recent acquisition of BTX Trader.
As previously announced, WPCS entered into various agreements to acquire BTX Trader LLC (BTX), an early stage technology company currently engaged in the development of a proprietary platform for the bitcoin industry, and issued 2,348 shares of its 12% Series E Preferred Stock, and warrants to purchase 1,500,000 shares of common stock exercisable at $5.00 per share in connection with the acquisition. Although no revenue is currently being generated, the BTX acquisition represents a new line of business to the Company.
The Company also announced that it would be seeking stockholder approval for various matters, including an amendment to its certificate of incorporation to increase the number of shares authorized for issuance to stockholders. The Company is required to reserve for issuance under the 12% Series E Preferred Stock and Warrants related to the BTX acquisition approximately 2.7 million shares of common stock. The additional shares the Company seeks to have authorized for issuance are required to satisfy prior contractual obligations and for future purposes, such as potential acquisitions or financings. The foregoing description is intended as a clarification and does not constitute a solicitation of any vote or proxy, which shall only be by virtue of a Proxy Statement filed with the SEC and distributed to stockholders containing additional information.
Bitcoin is a digital or virtual currency that uses peer-to-peer technology to facilitate instant payments. Bitcoin is a type of alternative currency known as a cryptocurrency, which uses cryptography for security, making it difficult to counterfeit. Bitcoin issuance and transactions are carried out collectively by the network, with no central authority, and allows users to make secure, verified transfers. BTX has developed and is currently beta testing a trading system to offer bitcoin traders advanced charting, trading blotters, and trading integration across five of the major bitcoin exchanges, which will allow users to see liquidity, route orders, identify arbitrage opportunities across all platforms, and to control trading risks with access to stop loss orders. The BTX business is intended to become a data and service provider for users and exchanges of bitcoin, but is not presently a bitcoin exchange itself (although the Company may determine to invest in and develop a bitcoin exchange in the future). There can be no assurance that the Company or bitcoin in general, will be successful.
Sebastian Giordano, Interim Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We are very excited about bitcoin and the prospect offered by BTX to participate in a quickly evolving marketplace. Although there are numerous risks, we believe that the software platform being developed by BTX will support the opportunities to advance bitcoin as an asset class, currency, money transfer mechanism, and important alternative in the financial markets space. As one of the first publicly traded companies to make an early entrance into the bitcoin space, we believe this transaction is consistent with ongoing efforts to provide the Company with an opportunity to deliver improved shareholder value in the future."
To participate on the conference call, please dial 800-875-3456 for calls within the U.S. and 302-607-2001 for calls from outside the U.S. Upon reaching the operator, use VH71326 as the verbal pass code.
Sebastian Giordano, Interim CEO of WPCS, will be discussing the company's financial results, market conditions and business outlook, including BTX. In addition, a BTX spokesman will be available to respond to questions about BTX. When the overview concludes, you can be placed into the queue for questions by pressing *1 and can be removed from the queue by pressing the # sign. Replays of the conference call will be available for a period of five days by dialing 402-220-2946 and entering 71326 as the program identification number.
About WPCS International Incorporated:
WPCS is a design-build engineering company that focuses on the implementation requirements of communications infrastructure. The Company provides its engineering capabilities including wireless communication, specialty construction and electrical power to the public services, healthcare, energy and corporate enterprise markets worldwide. For more information, please visitwww.wpcs.com.
Statements about the company's future expectations, including future revenue and earnings and all other statements in this press release, other than historical facts, are "forward looking" statements and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time. The company's actual results could differ materially from expected results. In reflecting subsequent events or circumstances, the company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements.
The Company and its operations, including bitcoin activities, are subject to substantial risks. Some of those risks are described under "Risk Factors" in the Company's filings and reports filed with the SEC atwww.sec.gov. The risks associated with BTX and bitcoin in general are not fully known and will be described in future filings with the SEC and therefore investors should be aware that the Company's SEC filings do not presently provide a complete description of all risks that face the Company's business and affairs. |
1,387,389,600 | 2013-12-18 18:00:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [63, 302, 367, 772, 898, 1032, 1167, 1483, 1676, 2022, 2357, 2422, 2618, 2753, 2839, 2906, 2959], "BTC": [336, 515, 1761]} | {"Bitcoin": [0]} | Bitcoin Price Plummets After Chinese Exchange Bans Yuan Deposits | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-price-plummets-chinese-exchange-180000307.html | Entrepreneur | http://www.entrepreneur.com/ | First there's the high, then there's the comedown.
The price ofBitcoin, which last month topped $1,200 on major exchanges, is now trading below $600, and China is to blame. Two weeks ago, China's central bank and various ministriesissued a joint statementforbidding financial companies from processing Bitcoin-related transactions. Now BTC China, the world's largest Bitcoin trading platform by volume, has responded by ending its users' ability to fund their trading accounts with yuan, China's national currency.
BTC Chinabroke the bad newsin a message on Weibo, a Twitter-esque Chinese messaging service, according toThe New York Times. It told users that while yuan deposits were being discontinued "for reasons we all know," the exchange would continue operating and Bitcoin deposits and yuan withdrawals would still be possible.
Over the past few months, China has become the world's largest Bitcoin market, a fact which China's government at first seemed to encourage. But it cracked down earlier this month, announcing that Bitcoin is not a legal currency and prohibiting financial firms and payment companies from buying or selling it, storing it or issuing Bitcoin-related financial products.
In the statement posted to its website on Dec. 5, the People's Bank of China said that "excessive speculation" in digital currencies could "harm the public interest." China is well known for strictly regulating the yuan, and government agencies appear to have taken the view that Bitcoin trading is speculation in the yuan by another means. However, people in China are still allowed to buy, sell and hold bitcoins as a commodity.
The restrictions have caused the value of Bitcoin worldwide to nosedive. At 12:21 p.m. Eastern time, the price of a bitcoin on BTC China was 3,135 yuan, or $516. On San Francisco-based Coinbase, which allows deposits and withdrawals in U.S. dollars from users' bank accounts, the price was somewhat higher at $575.
Some people on the sidelines will no doubt be gleeful at the prospect of Bitcoin's downfall, an event long predicted in some quarters. But Schadenfreude Sallies would do well to remember that there is a difference between a short-term bubble in a market and a market that is itself a bubble. Last Thursday, Coinbase announced that it hadraised $25 millionin a Series B round, the largest fundraise ever by a Bitcoin company.
"We think Coinbase can significantly accelerate Bitcoin's proliferation, and as that happens the Internet will enter a new phase of invention and opportunity," Chris Dixon of Andreessen Horowitz, which led the funding round, said at the time. "Bitcoin is the first plausible proposal for an economic protocol for the Internet."
Still, when it comes to the fiat-currency value of Bitcoin, a lot of digital wallets are significantly lighter today.
Related:Actually...Bitcoin's Recognition Is Pretty Darn High
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• Bitcoin: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
• Actually...Bitcoin's Recognition is Pretty Darn High
• Apple Becomes China's Third Highest Smartphone Distributor |
1,387,389,600 | 2013-12-18 18:00:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [63, 302, 367, 772, 898, 1032, 1167, 1483, 1676, 2022, 2357, 2422, 2618, 2753, 2839, 2906, 2959], "BTC": [336, 515, 1761]} | {"Bitcoin": [0]} | Bitcoin Price Plummets After Chinese Exchange Bans Yuan Deposits | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-price-plummets-chinese-exchange-180000307.html | Entrepreneur | http://www.entrepreneur.com/ | First there's the high, then there's the comedown.
The price ofBitcoin, which last month topped $1,200 on major exchanges, is now trading below $600, and China is to blame. Two weeks ago, China's central bank and various ministriesissued a joint statementforbidding financial companies from processing Bitcoin-related transactions. Now BTC China, the world's largest Bitcoin trading platform by volume, has responded by ending its users' ability to fund their trading accounts with yuan, China's national currency.
BTC Chinabroke the bad newsin a message on Weibo, a Twitter-esque Chinese messaging service, according toThe New York Times. It told users that while yuan deposits were being discontinued "for reasons we all know," the exchange would continue operating and Bitcoin deposits and yuan withdrawals would still be possible.
Over the past few months, China has become the world's largest Bitcoin market, a fact which China's government at first seemed to encourage. But it cracked down earlier this month, announcing that Bitcoin is not a legal currency and prohibiting financial firms and payment companies from buying or selling it, storing it or issuing Bitcoin-related financial products.
In the statement posted to its website on Dec. 5, the People's Bank of China said that "excessive speculation" in digital currencies could "harm the public interest." China is well known for strictly regulating the yuan, and government agencies appear to have taken the view that Bitcoin trading is speculation in the yuan by another means. However, people in China are still allowed to buy, sell and hold bitcoins as a commodity.
The restrictions have caused the value of Bitcoin worldwide to nosedive. At 12:21 p.m. Eastern time, the price of a bitcoin on BTC China was 3,135 yuan, or $516. On San Francisco-based Coinbase, which allows deposits and withdrawals in U.S. dollars from users' bank accounts, the price was somewhat higher at $575.
Some people on the sidelines will no doubt be gleeful at the prospect of Bitcoin's downfall, an event long predicted in some quarters. But Schadenfreude Sallies would do well to remember that there is a difference between a short-term bubble in a market and a market that is itself a bubble. Last Thursday, Coinbase announced that it hadraised $25 millionin a Series B round, the largest fundraise ever by a Bitcoin company.
"We think Coinbase can significantly accelerate Bitcoin's proliferation, and as that happens the Internet will enter a new phase of invention and opportunity," Chris Dixon of Andreessen Horowitz, which led the funding round, said at the time. "Bitcoin is the first plausible proposal for an economic protocol for the Internet."
Still, when it comes to the fiat-currency value of Bitcoin, a lot of digital wallets are significantly lighter today.
Related:Actually...Bitcoin's Recognition Is Pretty Darn High
More From Entrepreneur
• Bitcoin: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
• Actually...Bitcoin's Recognition is Pretty Darn High
• Apple Becomes China's Third Highest Smartphone Distributor |
1,418,424,817 | 2014-12-12 22:53:37+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [185], "BTC": [194, 826, 844]} | {} | Your first trade for Monday | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/first-trade-monday-225337558.html | CNBC | http://www.cnbc.com/ | The "Fast Money" traders gave their final trades of the day.
Tim Seymour was a seller of FXA(NYSE Arca: FXA).
Dan Nathan was a seller of XRT(NYSE Arca: XRT).
Brian Kelly was a buyer of Bitcoin(:BTC=).
Pete Najarian was a buyer of CY(CY).
Trader disclosure: On Dec. 12, 2014, the following stocks and commodities mentioned or intended to be mentioned on CNBC's "Fast Money" were owned by the "Fast Money" traders:Tim Seymour is long AAPL, BAC, C, DIS, F, GE, GM, GOOGL, INTC, BX, he is short FXA, Tim's firm is long BIDU, CCU, DSKY, KNDI, MCD, NKE, NOK, SINA, TSL, VIP, WB; Dan Nathan is long DIS April Put Spread, ALTR Jan put spread, PEP Jan put spread, DIA Dec put spread, XRT dec/jan put spread, GM June call spread, WYNN dec/jan put spread, COST Jan Put spread, he is short USO Jan 33 put; Brian Kelly is long BBRY calls, BTC=, US30Y, TLT, BTC, CTRL calls, GDX calls, HYG puts, QQQ puts, he is short EWA, EWG, EWQ, EWQ, EWZ, EWH, EWW; Pete Najarian is long AAPL, APD, BABA, BAC, BMY, BP, COP, CSX, DB, DISCA, GE, GPRO, INTC, KKR, KO, LOCO, LLY, MRK, PEP, PFE, TEVA, he is long calls AA, AAL, APD, BK, CAM, CY, DAL, FAST, GE, GS, IAG, K, KEY, MAS, MDLZ, MOS, MSFT, PBR, PFE, POT, UAL, UTX, WU, SAVE, SPY, XLF, SPLS, he is short calls COP, INTC, KO, LOCO, GPRO, TEVA, today he sold FB calls, bought GE calls, CY calls |
1,387,391,340 | 2013-12-18 18:29:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [1843, 1910]} | {} | The Risk Of A Market-Moving Incident Out Of North Korea Has Increased | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/risk-market-moving-incident-north-182900206.html | Business Insider | http://www.businessinsider.com/ | Reuters/KCNA KCNA
Theexecution of Kim Jong-un's uncle-in-law, Jang Song Thaek, has been seen as a "confirmation of an ongoing power struggle in Pyongyang," according to Alastair Newton, Nomura's senior political analyst.
While jitters out of North Korea are quite common, Newton believes that the risk of a market-moving incident has increased.
The publicity around the execution is, internally, expected to drive home the idea that Kim Jong-un is in control. But there have been reports that indoctrination sessions have increased and people have been required to write letters of support and loyalty to Kim.
Newton thinks that ever since private markets were reinstated, there's more information about the world trickling into North Korea and there are concerns about a grass roots uprising. This along with Jang's execution, which has certainly unsettled even the privileged, explains why Kim wants more loyalty.
Based on all of this, it does seem like Kim is more in control today.
"But I still think regime instability is a significant concern, which is likely to prove persistent," writes Newton.
The regime also faces external pressures from the U.S. and China to wind down its nuclear weapons programs. And South Korean president Park Geun-hye has said the current situation is "grave and unpredictable," and is calling for more border vigilance.
Tensions are expected to increase ahead of the upcoming joint South Korea/U.S. military exercises and the birth anniversary of Kim il-Sung when North Korea likes to demonstrate its military prowess.
"[T]he already non-negligible risk of a potentially market-moving incident (or incidents) into the New Year has probably increased," wrote Newton.
In the long term he thinks the Korean peninsula "looks likely to become an increasingly dangerous place."
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• CRASH: Bitcoin Collapses After Major Blow From China
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1,387,391,940 | 2013-12-18 18:39:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [4466]} | {} | Here's What You Need To Know About The New Blood Pressure Medication Guidelines | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/finance.yahoo.com/news/heres-know-blood-pressure-medication-183919939.html | Business Insider | http://www.businessinsider.com/ | Adam Berry/Getty Images
If you have high blood pressure, your treatment may soon change.
New medication guidelines published Dec. 18 in the Journal of the American Medical Association(JAMA) suggest that not everyone with high blood pressure needs to be on drugs for it.
Here's the bottom line: If you are 60 or older and the first number of your blood pressure is less than 150, you don't necessarily need to be on medication for it.
Keep in mind that this choice is up to your doctor — blood pressure is just one risk factor for heart disease, and people using medication to maintain a number in the 140s without serious side effects should not suddenly stop and let that number drift up.
The new guideline will decrease the number of people medicated for their high blood pressure, but not everyone's happy about it.
Blood pressure and heart disease
People with naturally low blood pressure (BP) have a lower risk of cardiovascular problems and live longer. High blood pressure, when left uncontrolled, can lead to heart attack, stroke, and aneurysm. Smoking, obesity, and inactivity are all risk factors for high blood pressure, which also has a genetic component that's passed down in families.
Lifestyle changes like exercise and healthy eating are our first line of defense against heart disease and are especially encouraged if BP creeps above the "normal" level of 120/80.
But not everyone gets their blood pressure low enough with just lifestyle changes, and if that first number climbs above 140 — a condition affectingabout two-thirds of people60 and older — you officially have high blood pressure, or hypertension.
Until now, that's when doctors suggest medication to help lower BP. About50 million Americansare on blood pressure drugs of all different kinds, including diuretics ("water pills"), beta blockers (which slow your heartbeat), and ACE inhibitors (which help stop blood vessels from narrowing).
Why change the guidelines?
"Over the last ten years, doctors have had the notion that the lower blood pressure is, the better," study researcher Paul A. James, of the University of Iowa, told Business Insider.
The problem? While there's no question that medication is crucial for people at high risk of heart attack and stroke, the researchers concluded that there's not enough evidence that driving that number all the way to 140 — rather than simply to 150 — provides much additional benefit.
The panel arrived at the new guidelines after reviewing previous studies that looked at how patients fared on a variety of approaches to lowering BP — different drugs and exercise regimens, for example.
Blood pressure drugs, like any medications, have some side effects (such as dizziness), which can be especially serious in older adults. So, the new guidelines may come as a relief for some.
Still, says James, "I'm absolutely sure there will be controversy."
Not everyone's happy
James is right. Some people are wary that the new guidelines aren't officially endorsed by theNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute(NHLBI).
The NHLBI initially assembled the panel but has since stopped being involved in making guidelines, so in the end they weren't certified by any official organization. Eric D. Peterson of the Duke Clinical Research Institute told Business Insider that this lack of official endorsement may leave some practicing doctors scratching their heads about how to proceed.
Most experts point out that more research needs to be done. "We have very limited data to tell us what the right thresholds are," said Peterson.
While he agrees that no study says 140 is the magic BP number for beginning treatment in older adults, he notes that onemajor studyshowed a notable benefit when older patients brought their number from the mid-150s to the mid-140s — so 150 isn't necessarily right either.
Though Peterson agrees that too-aggressive treatment to lower a patient's blood pressure down to a specific number can harm overall health, he compared the target numbers to speed limits: If you tell people the maximum speed is 65, they may drive at 75. Similarly, leaving the target at 140 may mean more Americans actually bring their number below 150.
"There is always some slippage between targets set for clinicians and [those] actually achieved in routine practice," he writesin an editorial in the same issue of JAMA.
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1,387,391,940 | 2013-12-18 18:39:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [4466]} | {} | Here's What You Need To Know About The New Blood Pressure Medication Guidelines | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/heres-know-blood-pressure-medication-183919939.html | Business Insider | http://www.businessinsider.com/ | Adam Berry/Getty Images
If you have high blood pressure, your treatment may soon change.
New medication guidelines published Dec. 18 in the Journal of the American Medical Association(JAMA) suggest that not everyone with high blood pressure needs to be on drugs for it.
Here's the bottom line: If you are 60 or older and the first number of your blood pressure is less than 150, you don't necessarily need to be on medication for it.
Keep in mind that this choice is up to your doctor — blood pressure is just one risk factor for heart disease, and people using medication to maintain a number in the 140s without serious side effects should not suddenly stop and let that number drift up.
The new guideline will decrease the number of people medicated for their high blood pressure, but not everyone's happy about it.
Blood pressure and heart disease
People with naturally low blood pressure (BP) have a lower risk of cardiovascular problems and live longer. High blood pressure, when left uncontrolled, can lead to heart attack, stroke, and aneurysm. Smoking, obesity, and inactivity are all risk factors for high blood pressure, which also has a genetic component that's passed down in families.
Lifestyle changes like exercise and healthy eating are our first line of defense against heart disease and are especially encouraged if BP creeps above the "normal" level of 120/80.
But not everyone gets their blood pressure low enough with just lifestyle changes, and if that first number climbs above 140 — a condition affectingabout two-thirds of people60 and older — you officially have high blood pressure, or hypertension.
Until now, that's when doctors suggest medication to help lower BP. About50 million Americansare on blood pressure drugs of all different kinds, including diuretics ("water pills"), beta blockers (which slow your heartbeat), and ACE inhibitors (which help stop blood vessels from narrowing).
Why change the guidelines?
"Over the last ten years, doctors have had the notion that the lower blood pressure is, the better," study researcher Paul A. James, of the University of Iowa, told Business Insider.
The problem? While there's no question that medication is crucial for people at high risk of heart attack and stroke, the researchers concluded that there's not enough evidence that driving that number all the way to 140 — rather than simply to 150 — provides much additional benefit.
The panel arrived at the new guidelines after reviewing previous studies that looked at how patients fared on a variety of approaches to lowering BP — different drugs and exercise regimens, for example.
Blood pressure drugs, like any medications, have some side effects (such as dizziness), which can be especially serious in older adults. So, the new guidelines may come as a relief for some.
Still, says James, "I'm absolutely sure there will be controversy."
Not everyone's happy
James is right. Some people are wary that the new guidelines aren't officially endorsed by theNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute(NHLBI).
The NHLBI initially assembled the panel but has since stopped being involved in making guidelines, so in the end they weren't certified by any official organization. Eric D. Peterson of the Duke Clinical Research Institute told Business Insider that this lack of official endorsement may leave some practicing doctors scratching their heads about how to proceed.
Most experts point out that more research needs to be done. "We have very limited data to tell us what the right thresholds are," said Peterson.
While he agrees that no study says 140 is the magic BP number for beginning treatment in older adults, he notes that onemajor studyshowed a notable benefit when older patients brought their number from the mid-150s to the mid-140s — so 150 isn't necessarily right either.
Though Peterson agrees that too-aggressive treatment to lower a patient's blood pressure down to a specific number can harm overall health, he compared the target numbers to speed limits: If you tell people the maximum speed is 65, they may drive at 75. Similarly, leaving the target at 140 may mean more Americans actually bring their number below 150.
"There is always some slippage between targets set for clinicians and [those] actually achieved in routine practice," he writesin an editorial in the same issue of JAMA.
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1,387,395,703 | 2013-12-18 19:41:43+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [3040, 3087]} | {} | These 10 Billionaires Made The Most Money In 2013 | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/10-billionaires-made-most-money-194143592.html | Business Insider | http://www.businessinsider.com/ | REUTERS/Rebecca Cook
Warren Buffett made about $37 million a day in 2013.
Many familiar faces make an appearance onWealth-X's listof the billionaires who made the most money this year.
Businessmen like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, who have dominated wealth rankings for years, continued to add billions of dollars to their already sizable fortunes.
Here's the full list, ranked by billions made from January 1 to December 11, 2013:
10. Carl Icahn made $7.2 billion
The corporate raider had a big yearafter bets on Netflix and Herbalife yielded Icahn Capital Management $800 million and $500 million profits, respectively.He tweeted his thanksto Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and Kevin Spacey, star of the streaming service's hit show, "House of Cards."
9. Lui Chee Woo made $8.3 billion
The founder of Galaxy Entertainment Group became Asia's second-richest man in 2013 as gambling revenue grew at a record pace in Macau. Lui is looking to expand his flagship casino in thecity's Cotai area, which is known by many as the Asian versionof the Las Vegas Strip.
8. Larry Page made $9.3 billion
Google's co-founder and CEO made $3 billion in 24 hourswhen Google stocks hit an all-time high in October, breaking $1,000 for the first time.Android became the world's most popular operating system, running on 43% of the globe's smartphones.
7. Sergey Brin made $9.3 billion
Brin, Google co-founder and head of special projects with Google X,made $2.9 billion in the October stock surge. As of December 11, Brin is worth an estimated $30 billion, a 4.8% percent increase over the year.
6. Masayoshi Son made $10.3 billion
The founder of Softbank, Asia's top Internet and telecommunications corporation, lost $70 billion in the dotcom crash, but he's surging back in a big way. Thepurchase of Sprintand a large investment inFinnish game-maker Supercellare highlights in a year that saw Son's personal net worth more than double, growing from $8.8 billion to $19.1 billion.
5. Mark Zuckerberg made $10.5 billion
Facebook stockhit an all-time highin October, andrevenue continues to growdespite questions about the longevity of the product.
4. Jeff Bezos made $11.3 billion
The founder and CEO of Amazon, which made$17.1 billion in net salesin the third quarter, raised some eyebrows when he bought the Washington Post for $250 million this summer.
3. Sheldon Adelson made $11.4 billion
According toWealth-X, the casino mogul's personal net worth grew to an estimated $35.3 billion this year thanks to profits from his gambling properties in Las Vegas, Macau, and Singapore.
2. Bill Gates made $11.5 billion
The world's wealthiest man ended the year with a personal net worth of $72.6 billion, up nearly 19% from $61.1 billion in 2012.
1. Warren Buffett made $12.7 billion
Berkshire Hathaway's CEO personally made about $37 million a day in 2013, a year that sawthe company's acquisitionof Heinz and Nevada's NV Energy.
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1,387,399,620 | 2013-12-18 20:47:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [614]} | {} | STOCKS EXPLODE AFTER FED ANNOUNCEMENT | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/gold-rallying-ahead-fed-announcement-185620584.html | Business Insider | http://www.businessinsider.com/ | REUTERS/China Daily
The Fedannounced a taperand stocks are spiking.
The Dow is up 275 points and the S&P 500 is up 28 points.
Gold is basically unchanged and bonds are now higher, with the yield on the 10-year at 2.89% (up 5 basis points from yesterday's close).
The Fed will taper its asset purchasing program to a monthly rate of $75 billion from the current $85 billion pace, the FOMC just announced.
Click here for our full breakdown of the Fed's surprise decision »
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1,387,401,104 | 2013-12-18 21:11:44+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [2977, 3044]} | {} | Cornell's New MBA Could Shake Up How Leaders Emerge In Tech | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/cornells-mba-could-shake-leaders-204010769.html | Business Insider | http://www.businessinsider.com/ | joebeone/Flickr
Cornell's Johnson School of Management
Cornell University's Johnson School of Management is seriously rethinking the MBA.
Starting this May, the school will launch a one-year MBA program at its New York tech campus that aims to bridge the gap between tech skills and management ability. If the program proves effective, it could reshape the way leaders emerge in the tech industry.
"The goal is to produce leaders for the digital economy," says Doug Stayman, the associate dean of MBA programs at Johnson. "Organizations desperately need people who are true leaders but also understand the business needs and the technical needs."
To accomplish that goal, the program hopes to break d own a longstanding barrier between the tech community and business school grads. Experts say that startups are often reluctant to hire the average MBA, whose skills they see as unsuited for the culture and work of their companies.
The MBA was developed in the mid-20th century and designed to prepare students for work in a specific type of company, explains Stayman. It was a lynchpin for places like Procter & Gamble and McKinsey — big companies known for their thorough approaches to analyzing data, solving problems, and implementing solutions.
But business grads trained in those skills aren't usually the candidates tech startups are l ooking for. "These things are not just content, they're cultural," Stayman says of the divide. More often than not, he explains, startups see the MBA style of thinking as clashing with their approach and culture.
To address that, Cornell consulted startups and tech companies when drawing up plans for its new degree, theWall Street Journal reported. The program will mix classroom learning with a heavy dose of hands-on, entrepreneurial skills and experience. Students will learn skills valued by today's startups, such as consumer insights, planning, and product development.
So far, the program has more than 70 applican ts for a target class of 35 to 40 people. The degree's hefty price tag, while not finalized, is expected to run in the low $90,000 range. By comparison, two-year tuition tends to cost between $100,000 and $120,000 for most top-10 business school programs. Stayman says the program will offer some merit-based financial aid, and he also expects a number of students will be sponsored by companies and employers.
Despite its tech-business focus, graduates aren't exclusively meant to work for startups. Stayman sees it as an open-ended certification. On the one hand, it could help the business-minded cross into tech, but on the other, it could give students an inroad to traditional management jobs.
"We want them to go to places who hire MBAs — to Deloitte, to Amazon, and to other recruiters who hire MBAs — but also to people who don't traditionally hire MBAs," Stayman said.
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1,387,401,104 | 2013-12-18 21:11:44+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [2977, 3044]} | {} | Cornell's New MBA Could Shake Up How Leaders Emerge In Tech | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/finance.yahoo.com/news/cornells-mba-could-shake-leaders-204010769.html | Business Insider | http://www.businessinsider.com/ | joebeone/Flickr
Cornell's Johnson School of Management
Cornell University's Johnson School of Management is seriously rethinking the MBA.
Starting this May, the school will launch a one-year MBA program at its New York tech campus that aims to bridge the gap between tech skills and management ability. If the program proves effective, it could reshape the way leaders emerge in the tech industry.
"The goal is to produce leaders for the digital economy," says Doug Stayman, the associate dean of MBA programs at Johnson. "Organizations desperately need people who are true leaders but also understand the business needs and the technical needs."
To accomplish that goal, the program hopes to break d own a longstanding barrier between the tech community and business school grads. Experts say that startups are often reluctant to hire the average MBA, whose skills they see as unsuited for the culture and work of their companies.
The MBA was developed in the mid-20th century and designed to prepare students for work in a specific type of company, explains Stayman. It was a lynchpin for places like Procter & Gamble and McKinsey — big companies known for their thorough approaches to analyzing data, solving problems, and implementing solutions.
But business grads trained in those skills aren't usually the candidates tech startups are l ooking for. "These things are not just content, they're cultural," Stayman says of the divide. More often than not, he explains, startups see the MBA style of thinking as clashing with their approach and culture.
To address that, Cornell consulted startups and tech companies when drawing up plans for its new degree, theWall Street Journal reported. The program will mix classroom learning with a heavy dose of hands-on, entrepreneurial skills and experience. Students will learn skills valued by today's startups, such as consumer insights, planning, and product development.
So far, the program has more than 70 applican ts for a target class of 35 to 40 people. The degree's hefty price tag, while not finalized, is expected to run in the low $90,000 range. By comparison, two-year tuition tends to cost between $100,000 and $120,000 for most top-10 business school programs. Stayman says the program will offer some merit-based financial aid, and he also expects a number of students will be sponsored by companies and employers.
Despite its tech-business focus, graduates aren't exclusively meant to work for startups. Stayman sees it as an open-ended certification. On the one hand, it could help the business-minded cross into tech, but on the other, it could give students an inroad to traditional management jobs.
"We want them to go to places who hire MBAs — to Deloitte, to Amazon, and to other recruiters who hire MBAs — but also to people who don't traditionally hire MBAs," Stayman said.
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1,387,402,080 | 2013-12-18 21:28:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [2491]} | {} | The Government Is Quietly Giving Way More Housing Aid To Rich People Than Poor People | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/government-quietly-giving-way-more-212800893.html | Business Insider | http://www.businessinsider.com/ | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
TheCenter for Budget Policy Prioritiesreleased a number of charts today that shows how much the federal government favors high-income households over low-income ones in housing benefits.
This largely results from the fact that homeowners receive significantly more aid than renters and high-income Americans are much more likely to be homeowners.
In 2012, the federal government gave out $240 billion in housing aid. Income data is not available for all of it, but of what is available, more than half went to those with incomes greater than $100,000 ($81.6 billion). Only $40 billion went to those with incomes less than $50,000.
Overall, high income households receive four times as much in housing aid as low-income ones.
The main reason for this is the majority of federal housing aid flows to homeowners, not renters. The mortgage interest deduction is the most well-known program that subsidizes homeownership. That deduction alone is larger than all federal rental aid combined.
The federal government gave out about $60 billion in housing benefits to renters in 2012. It gave out more than three times that much to homeowners. Low-income households receive the vast majority of that rental aid, but the opposite is true of aid to homeowners. That flows primarily to high-income households.
This comes at a time whenrenters are struggling to keep pace with rising housing costs. Fifty percent of renters now spend more than 30% of their income on housing. This has forced renters to cut back on other household necessities or live in inadequate units.
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Renters are more likely to face a severe cost burden (defined as spending at least 50% of income on housing) than homeowners are. This is a result of rising median gross rent and falling media income over the past 15 years.
For both renters and homeowners, the percentage of households that have a severe affordability problem with their housing has increased since 2001.
These problems are only going to get worse as millions of seniors find themselves in need of rental housing in the coming decades.
Yet, while this silent crisis continues, the majority of the money that the federal government spends on housing flows to homeowners, not renters.
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1,418,610,300 | 2014-12-15 02:25:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [3104]} | {"Bitcoin": [7]} | Stable Bitcoin Alternative DNotes Launches DNotesVault With Unprecedented Cryptocurrency Deposit Guarantee | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/stable-bitcoin-alternative-dnotes-launches-022500001.html | ACCESSWIRE | https://www.accesswire.com/ | Untitled Document
Packed with multiple functionality, an unprecedented 100% cryptocurrency deposit guarantee, and timed send DNotesVault is the second strategic property created by the DNotes team in pursuit of mass consumer and merchant adoption with the industry’s most stable digital currency.
ILLINOIS, USA / ACCESSWIRE / December 13, 2014 /DNotes, the most stable, and one of Coinmarketcap’s top 50 cryptocurrencies, launchedDNotesVault today in its systematic pursuit of mass consumer and merchant adoption. Just six months ago, the same team created and launched CryptoMoms, a currency neutral site dedicated to encourage and assist women to participate in the emerging cryptocurrency world currently dominated by men.
DNotesVault.com is a strategic vehicle of DNotes to become the digital currency of the future with lasting value. Its mission is to encourage and assist everyone, worldwide, to support and participate in the high potential returns of digital currency savings. The team has gone to great length to ensure that the user interface is simple to use and easy to understand. The technology and process control, while complex, make it so secure that a few of DNotes stakeholders are willing to commit to a 100% guarantee matching fund.
Co founder, Alan Yong, pointed out that "It is easier to open a DNotesVault account than a bank account. It is also secure. We guarantee 100% of your deposit through a separate cold storage account, secured in a different location, with an amount always in excess of the total deposit. The guaranteed funds are verifiable any time through the blockchain."
The ability for any DNotes stakeholder, with a DNotesVault account, to send DNotes to anyone that has an email address is an invaluable feature when coupled with DNotesVault security and ease of use. With the holiday season fast approaching, one can stretch $100, or 13,600 DNotes, at the current price, to a long list of family and friends, even at the last minute. The recipient is directed toopen an account at DnotesVault.com and the gifted amount will instantly show up in the new account balance.
"Timed Send" is a scheduled installment payment, with a defined amount for each payment based on scheduled frequencies in terms of days, weeks, months, or years. This is a very useful tool for charity fund raising using DNotes, avoiding stakeholders fear of an instant dump, negatively affecting the value of their holdings. Timed Send is also a great way to manage wealth transfer with the comfort that the inheritance will not be burnt up quickly.
DNotesVault is a web wallet for DNotes, available to all DNotes’ stakeholders, at no cost. One of DNotes core missions is to build a very large generation of DNotes stakeholders worldwide through a family of CR.I.S.Ps. (Cryptocurrency Investment Savings Plans).
Co-founder, Alan Yong explained that for mass consumer and merchant participation to take place, there must be a stable trustworthy digital currency to deliver the true cost advantages as an alternative form of payment, beyond just the lower cost of transaction. In the case of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, high volatilities reduce all cost advantages with an added risk of currency loss if not converted to fiat currency immediately.
Yong, a well regarded pioneer and visionary in the early generations of portable computers and wireless communication, went on to say that "Until DNotes becomes a truly valuable digital currency in our space, many may not understand or appreciate the DNotes' approach in building fundamental values". He is convinced that DNotesVault has a major strategic significance. Among various objectives, DNotesVault will be creatively utilized to build the next generation of DNotes stakeholder using CR.I.S.P. for kids and CR.I.S.P. for students to be followed by many more. Yong stressed that "The beauty of DNotesVault is that we can setup and launch a new plan or program, such as a charity fund raising, in no time".
DNotes, DNotesVault, and CryptoMoms are all strategically linked. It is a powerful package that will be used to grow DNotes stakeholders worldwide, outside of the cryptocurrency industry.
For more information about us, please visithttp://dnotesvault.com/
Contact:Alan [email protected]
Source:DNotesVault |
1,443,464,489 | 2015-09-28 18:21:29+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [2346]} | {} | Patients To Benefit From Latest Tech Trends | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/patients-benefit-latest-tech-trends-182129313.html | Benzinga | http://www.benzinga.com/ | For years, the medical industry has evolved alongside the tech space as new technology gave doctors the ability to treat patients in ways they never thought possible. Now, the latest trends in the tech space are making their way to patients to help treat illnesses and aid in recovery in new and innovative ways.
Virtual Reality
Virtual reality headsets have been a hot topic this year afterFacebook Inc(NASDAQ:FB)-owned firm Oculus revealed an affordable, consumer friendly version of the technology.
Many said the latest developments in VR are likely to benefit the medical community by providing new doctors with training simulations, but therapists say there is ause-casefor the goggles in treating mental health patients as well.
Related Link:Virtual Reality Becomes An Actual Reality With New Oculus Headset
Virtual Reality Experiences
Therapists and counselors say that using virtual reality to put patients in difficult situations could help them deal with some of their problems in a safe environment. The technology could be used for all kinds of mental health patients from those suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder to people with debilitating fear or anxiety.
Not only would virtual reality give existing patients a new way to cope with their problems, but the new technique could encourage those suffering from mental disorders to attend therapy.
Big Data
Another growing field in the tech space has been data analysis and consumer products firmJohnson & Johnson(NYSE:JNJ) intends toput that informationinto the hands of patients.
Together withInternational Business Machines Corp.(NYSE:IBM) andApple Inc.(NASDAQ:AAPL), Johnson & Johnson said it plans to create a new app that will use health data to give patients a virtual coach.
The app will use artificial intelligence to sort through thousands of data points in order to predict patient outcomes and give users treatment suggestions. Initially, the company plans to release one such app geared toward knee-replacement patients and its effectiveness will be measured by the rate of hospital re-admissions, but eventually the service could be offered to a wide range of patients.
Image Credit: Public Domain
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© 2015 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. |
1,443,524,518 | 2015-09-29 11:01:58+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [1811]} | {} | Amazon Turns To The Sharing Economy With Part-Time 'Flex' Service | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/amazon-turns-sharing-economy-part-110158155.html | Benzinga | http://www.benzinga.com/ | This holiday season there has been much concern over how firms will cope with the lack of seasonal employees. As unemployment rates have fallen dramatically across the United States, there is a much smaller pool of part-time employees, leaving many firms to decide whether to pay more and sacrifice margins or brave the shopping season without extra hands.
Amazon.com, Inc.(NASDAQ:AMZN) is one such firm which will likely feel the effects of fewer employees as the company's one-day shipping promises often attract droves of last-minute shoppers. However, the e-commerce giant is hoping to fill the gap usingthe sharing economy.
Related Link:What Could Amazon And Lear Mean For Detroit?
Sharing Economy
In Seattle, Amazon has been piloting a new program which allows everyday people to become Amazon delivery representatives in their free time. Much like Uber, Amazon is tapping into the sharing economy in order to fill a need without taking on new employees. The service, called Amazon Flex, allows people to pick up packages from Amazon warehouses and deliver them to customers' homes for a reasonable $20 per hour.
On Demand Workers
The program is expected to catch on quickly as the rise of on-demand workers has been huge over the past year. College students, part-time workers and low paid employees are often looking for ways to earn extra cash in their free time and programs like Amazon Flex allow them to do so without locking them in to set hours. Not only does it give the delivery people a bit of extra income, but it significantly reduces Amazon's shipping costs and allows the company to offer its customers faster delivery times even when the hiring pool is shrinking.
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© 2015 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. |
1,387,468,260 | 2013-12-19 15:51:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [211, 1304, 1631, 2491, 2584, 2699, 3215, 3601, 3852, 3960, 4074, 4323, 4495, 4610, 4672, 4766]} | {} | DOGECOIN: How A Thing That Started As A Joke Became The Hottest Digital Currency In The World | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/presenting-incredible-story-dogecoin-most-155100538.html | Business Insider | http://www.businessinsider.com/ | This is the most 2013 thing of the year.
An Australian brand and marketing specialist and a programmer in Portland, Ore. who have never actually met have successfully combined the year's two greatest phenomena: Bitcoin, and doge. The result: Dogecoin. And people are actually using it.
If you're not familiar with the doge meme, it's hard to explain — you sort of have to just see it yourself. Basically, someone on the Internet began posting images of Comic Sans thought bubbles in the imagined syntax of a devastatingly cute Shiba Inu dog. Variations on the meme look like this:
DailyEdge.ie
There's no point to it; it's just one of those Internet things. But people love it —you can see some "good ones" here.
About three weeks ago, Jackson Palmer, who by day works in Adobe's Sydney marketing department, and who'd been following developments in the cryptocurrency world , absentmindedlytweeted, "Investing in Dogecoin, pretty sure it's the next big thing."
He got some replies encouraging him to pursue the idea, and a week later bought the domain Dogecoin.com. Inevitably, it got picked up on reddit,a hotbed of doge activity.
Meanwhile in Portland, Billy Markus had been trying to program his own digital currency that would appeal to a broader demographic than the profiteers who've flooded into Bitcoin. But the project had gone nowhere. Then he stumbled acrossDogecoin.comwithin a day or two of the site going live.
"The first thing I said was, 'This is so funny.' Then I said, 'I should just make this coin.'"
He Tweeted at Palmer saying he wanted to go in on it, and before Palmer even responded, started reconfiguring Bitcoin's sourcecode, which is publicly available, to turn its user-facing elements into the doge meme.
Eventually Palmer wrote back, and the partnership was formed. A little more than a week after Palmer's jokey tweet, Dogecoin was launched.
Again it got picked up on reddit, and instantly exploded. It is already the 13th seventh-largest cryptocurrency,according to Coinmarketcap, with a market value (i.e. number of extant Dogecoins X price of $0.00086) of $8 million. It now enjoys its own full blown ecosystem: in addition to the website, it has a dedicatedblogandforum, and of coursea subreddit.
How has it done this?
Largely through something called "tipping."
If you're a geek who "performs" a "good deed" on the Internet, it's become common practice for people to "tip" you in your digital currency of choice. For instance: that kidwho held up up his Bitcoin wallet's QR-codeduring ESPN's College Gameday got tipped thousands of dollars by the Bitcoin community for such a brilliant stroke of guerrilla marketing.
But it's become somewhat expensive to tip in Bitcoin, so people have turned to Dogecoin. Only about a week after launching, Dogecoin became the second-most-tipped currency, the pair say. T hey're hoping Facebook will accept a widget they've been working on that would allow friends to "tip" each other with dogecoin.
Still, what's so great about Dogecoin?
Technically speaking, it's more of a variation on Litecoin, which runs on a cryptographic program called Scrypt. Like Litecoin, the time it takes to process a Dogecoin transaction is much shorter than for Bitcoin. There are also many more Dogecoins that will come into existence — 100 billion versus 21 million.
But it's the culture that's sprung up around it that's really driving it forward. Palmer says it comes down to having a lower barrier of entry for people who might be interested in cryptocurrencies but are turned off by either the price of orso-far dubious culturethat surrounds Bitcoin.
"It's not taking itself as seriously, it's not being used by people worrying about whether they'll become rich," Palmer said. "It's something to share for thanks or kudos."
Markus says his wife, who at first was turned off by his interest in Bitcoin, has started mining Dogecoin herself — something you can do with your basic computer, unlike mining Bitcoin, which now requires industrial-strength processors.
The pair say they have no intention of competing with Bitcoin, and both are still fervent believers in its potential to change online banking.
"I t's a revolutionary technology, absolutely revolutionary," Markus says. "And it works as a store of value because it's deflationary, there will be a cap [on Bitcoins created]. It's just highly speculative, which makes it hard to use, to spend and spread it."
How can you tell the Dogecoin phenomenon is not a joke? This morning, Bitcoin and most other altcoinsare up about 20%.
Dogecoin? Up 250% and counting.
Wow.
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• Bitcoin's Outlook In China Is Not Looking So Good Right Now
• Bitcoin Is Crumbling In China On Unconfirmed Reports Of A New Central Bank Ban
• That Swedish Bitcoin Mining Company Has Sold $28 Million-Worth Of Its New Mining Hardware |
1,387,468,800 | 2013-12-19 16:00:00+00:00 | {} | {"Bitcoin": [51]} | Uniquify and HashFast Announce Working Silicon for Bitcoin Mining Chip at TSMC 28HPM Process Node | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/uniquify-hashfast-announce-working-silicon-160000124.html | Marketwired | http://www.marketwired.com/ | SAN JOSE, CA--(Marketwired - Dec 19, 2013) -Uniquify(www.uniquify.com) andHashFast Technologies(www.HashFast.com) today confirmed that first silicon of HashFast's Golden Nonce bitcoin mining application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) is working and exceeding expectations after completing TSMC fabrication at the leading-edge 28HPM process node.
"The level of performance we are seeing from Golden Nonce is groundbreaking," says Eduardo deCastro, founder and Chief Executive Officer of HashFast. "This milestone is verification of the central decisions in this project, including our own technical and architecture choices, as well as the decision to select Uniquify as our key partner for silicon design and manufacturing. TMSC's industry-leading 28nm HPM process is the best silicon available for the design. We are thrilled to see our design working in silicon and exceeding our performance expectations."
Each Golden Nonce chip contains more than a billion transistors, and is composed of four individual dies, each with an area of 81-square millimeters. It operates at a nominal clock speed of 740 megahertz (MHz), and has demonstrated an unprecedented performance of more than 500 Ghash/s per chip. It produces 0.768 Ghash/s per Mhz of clock speed and is silicon-efficient, producing 1.75 Ghash per square millimeter of silicon.
The silicon implementation from HashFast's efficient architecture for high-performance hashing was completed in less than three months, record time for chip design. It required close cooperation between HashFast's design team and Uniquify's design and management experts who implemented the design and managed the chip manufacturing process.
"Time to market is critical in the fast emerging bitcoin mining market," remarks Josh Lee, founder and CEO of Uniquify, who notes that the design highlights the quality of Uniquify's work. "First silicon worked as expected, proving Uniquify and HashFast can deliver leading-edge silicon in a short timeframe, and a testament to Uniquify's expertise and ability to quickly turn a design without sacrificing quality."
About HashFast
HashFast Technologiesis a fabless semiconductor manufacturer specializing in the production of high-performance ASICs at aggressive performance nodes for the network verification of digital currency transactions. Its mission is to push the performance of network transaction verification hardware, and make leading-edge ASICs available to the public. The company was founded in 2013 by Simon Barber and Eduardo deCastro, and is privately held. More information can be found at:www.HashFast.com.
About UniquifyUniquifyis a rapidly growing system-on-chip (SoC) design, integration and manufacturing services supplier, and innovative developer of high-performance semiconductor intellectual property (IP) offering the world's fastest DDR memory IP. Its "ideas2silicon" services range from specification development and front-end design through physical design and delivery of packaged, tested chips. It offers 65-, 40- and 28-nanometer SoC design expertise, integration and manufacturing services to leading semiconductor and system companies worldwide. Uniquify's adaptive DDR subsystem IP offers the highest DDR performance and the best system reliability a result of its patented self-calibrating technology. Uniquify's headquarters and primary design center is in San Jose, Calif., with additional design and technical sales and support teams in China, India, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. For more information, visit:www.uniquify.com.
ideas2silicon is a trademark of Uniquify. Uniquify acknowledges trademarks or registered trademarks of other organizations for their respective products and services. |
1,387,480,500 | 2013-12-19 19:15:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [66, 463, 764, 898, 1004, 1203, 1317, 1379, 1473]} | {"Bitcoin": [32]} | Overstock.com Will Start Taking Bitcoin Next Year | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/overstock-com-start-taking-bitcoin-191550579.html | Business Insider | http://www.businessinsider.com/ | Overstock
Online retail outlet Overstock.com will start accepting Bitcoins as early as the end of Q2 2014, according to CEO Patrick Byrne.
They will be the first major online retailer to do so. The news was firstreported on newsBTC.
Byrne told us by phone this afternoon that he considers himself a believer in the Austrian economics school, which says fiat currency, like the U.S. dollar, is fundamentally flawed since it is prone to inflation and manipulation. Bitcoin, like gold, is immune to this, since there is a fixed supply.
" Philosophically, we support Bitcion," he said.
The decision was made just a few weeks ago, Byrne said, during a review of the company's information technology priorities for 2014.
For now, the store doesn't plan to actually hold Bitcoin once transactions begin. Byrne said they are considering three Bitcon payment processors that would allow the firm to convert Bitcoins to cash and assume the risk of the cryptocurrency's volatility.
But he said that could change if Bitcoin derivatives come along that would allow one to hedge against the price going up or down. The CFTCsaid earlier this yearthat they are monitoring the development of such financial instruments.
Bitcoin prices are up 18% today to about $670. Overstock.com shares are up about 3%.
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• Bitcoin's Outlook In China Is Not Looking So Good Right Now
• Bitcoin Is Crumbling In China On Unconfirmed Reports Of A New Central Bank Ban
• That Swedish Bitcoin Mining Company Has Sold $28 Million-Worth Of Its New Mining Hardware |
1,418,684,679 | 2014-12-15 23:04:39+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [0, 425, 1576, 1854, 3960, 4150, 4882], "BTC": [857, 1624, 4633]} | {"Bitcoin": [0]} | Bitcoin: What to expect in 2015 | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-expect-2015-230439109.html | CNBC | http://www.cnbc.com/ | Bitcoin had a wild ride over the past two years, with prices driven by speculation, investment and government regulation, and investors should expect nothing less in 2015.
"Although the swings in absolute value seem to be lower in 2014 than they were at the end of 2013, the volatility will likely remain for the next few years," Zennon Kapron, managing director of Shanghai-based market research firm KapronAsia told CNBC.
"Bitcoin is largely a binary outcome with it either being a tremendous success or reduced to something only used by enthusiasts. There is a tremendous amount of private equity and venture capital money being put into bitcoin to create new and compelling business models, but the only thing that will temper volatility is increased acceptance and usage," he said.
Bobby Lee, CEO and Co-Founder of China-based bitcoin trading platform BTC China agrees: "Volatility will be inherent for this new asset class. The reason is simple: It has a small circulation value now, but theoretically, with wide adoption, the circulation value should be 100x or 1,000x what it is today," he said. "The price would have to appreciate dramatically, and that would involve very high volatility for years to come."
Read MoreForget currency, bitcoin's tech is the revolution
An over 8,000 percent price increase over the course of 2013 to its peak of around $1,147 early that December put bitcoin on the map. In early 2014, bitcoin's fall was just as quick; concerns about increasing government regulation and a market bubble saw bitcoin's value halve in just a few months.
Bitcoin is currently trading around $337 on the BTC-e exchange.
Driving forces for 2015
Developments on three fronts have the potential to drive bitcoin higher in 2015: a better usage model, more companies using blockchain-based technology and increased usage for remittances.
"Bitcoin is a technology that still needs to find its use case," Kapron said. "The iPhone defined an industry by giving consumers and businesses something that they didn't know that they needed. For bitcoin, there's no proven killer app, although numerous players are working on it. We need a bitcoin usage model in 2015 that does something better today than we did yesterday, and we're just not there yet."
Increased usage of blockchain technology will also boost bitcoin's appeal. The blockchain is a decentralized ledger that records every verified transaction. Each piece of information is stored on an immutable time-stamped list, which is then replicated on other servers across the globe ensuring protection from corruption, technological or otherwise.
"More companies are using this technology," Roger Ver, the bitcoin investor often referred to as "Bicoin Jesus" told CNBC. He highlighted Ethereum, which offers a platform and programming language that leverages blockchain technology for contracts and financial transactions, among other things. The company recently pulled around $15 million in a crowd funding campaign.
Google(GOOGL)and IBM(IBM)are also reportedly looking to invest in blockchain applications.
Read MoreThe real advantage of paying with bitcoin
Remittances are another interesting case cases for bitcoin, Kapron said. "The idea of sending money nearly instantly anywhere in the world for cheap is very compelling. Companies are working on these solutions today, but still struggle to match the scale of established vendors like Western Union or the informal lenders that dot shopping malls across South-East Asia. This is developing rapidly though and could be big in the future."
Adoption and regulation
Adoption is likely to be driven by compelling use cases, not for regular purchases like groceries as credit cards and mobile payments are still more convenient, Kapron said.
But Ver believes wider adoption is highly likely: "as bitcoin becomes easier for non-tech-savvy people to use, adoption will increase."
If transaction volumes are anything to go by, he may be right. Bitcoin saw its highest ever number of transactions in a single day in late November, according to blockchain.info, surpassing the previous peak set during the 2013 bitcoin bubble.
Read MoreBitcoin tanks, is Alibaba to blame?
Meanwhile, regulation still has the potential to hamper bitcoin.
"We'll also see additional regulation in 2015," Kapron said. "Many countries have yet to take a stance on bitcoin and digital currencies or haven't completely promulgated their rules."
"Governments all around the world care about this because this is real and important. Rules and regulation will continue to evolve, to accommodate this new asset class that is completely digital," BTC China's Lee added.
The Australian Senate's Economics References Committee said in October that it will hold an inquiry into the implications of digital currencies. It plans to present the results in March, 2015.
"Regulation itself will not stop Bitcoin," Kapron said, "but it could slow it enough that people lose interest or is replaced with something else." |
1,418,699,460 | 2014-12-16 03:11:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [305, 822, 876, 2970, 3638, 4256]} | {} | DNotes Cryptocurrency Savings Plans For Children – First of Many Unprecedented Digital Currency Savings Instruments Sponsored by DnotesVault | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/dnotes-cryptocurrency-savings-plans-children-031100966.html | ACCESSWIRE | https://www.accesswire.com/ | DNotesVault, a secure web wallet launched just a week ago has reaffirmed its mission to build a large generation of DNotes stakeholders worldwide by offering a family of CR.I.S.Ps. (Cryptocurrency Investment Savings Plans) with 100% deposit guarantees. Illinois, USA / ACCESSWIRE / December 15, 2014 / MM-BitcoinPR/ - DNotesVault, launched a week ago, may sound like just another web wallet beginning to pop up in the rapidly emerging world of cryptocurrency. However co founder Alan Yong explained that DNotesVault is much more than a free, secure web wallet with an unprecedented 100% cryptocurrency deposit guarantee: "It is a strategic vehicle created by the DNotes team in pursuit of mass consumer and merchant adoption, taking full advantage of DNotes being the most stable digital currency." Says Yong. DNotes is a Bitcoin alternative digital currency. However, unlike Bitcoin, which has been wildly volatile, DNotes is the most stable digital currency among over 500 competitors listed on CoinMarketcap. Building a stable trustworthy currency has been DNotes' core mission since launch almost a year ago. With an impressive track record of consistent up trend of higher highs and higher lows, DNotesVault was created to encourage and assist consumers and businesses to participate in the potential high returns of digital currency, by starting with a digital savings account . According to Yong, being the first among a potentially large family of savings plans, CR.I.S.P. for Kids has been created to help the world’s children and grandchildren develop strong saving habits early, in order to secure their financial future. This is an unstructured and self-directed plan, using DNotes as the investment vehicle. Re-occurring savings, in any amount, may be added at any time. CR.I.S.P. is the brain-child of Chase, a core team member of CryptoMoms; a community with a dedicated mission to encourage and assist women to participate in the cryptocurrency world currently dominated by men. CryptoMoms.com is a currency neutral site, offering rich content on everything one needs to know about cryptocurrency. It has a very helpful community ready to answer any questions promptly. CryptoMoms was created and fully funded by the DNotes team. Story continues CryptoMoms and the DNotes team are dedicated to help anyone interested in starting a CR.I.S.P. for any child. In order to encourage and reward children for developing strong saving habits, the DNotes team will award prizes, in DNotes, for the top wallets on the list, as well as some randomly chosen participants, during the first two formative years. The team has created a CR.I.S.P. for Kids Rich List that displays, in descending order, the balances in the children's wallets. To ensure privacy of clients each child will be identified only by a nickname / username. A large family of CR.I.S.Ps. will be offered in an effort to expand this investment opportunity beyond the early adopters of the emerging Bitcoin and cryptocurrency industry . Yong went on to say that there have been a lot of interest to offer additional savings plans for students, employees, charities and others. The beauty about DNotesVault is that additional plans can be added quickly and still be afforded the same security, easy of use, and full deposit guarantee at no cost. The next savings plan will most likely be CR.I.S.P. for students. There may be little everyday people can do about the current student debt crisis but the CR.I.S.P. team can certainly encourage and assist the next generation to be better prepared. Being born at the time of the digital age, students are more receptive to Bitcoin and cryptocurrency as the future of money. Many Universities and Colleges are already offering cryptocurrency classes. DNotes is committed to working with students around the world to give them an early start. The DNotes team encourages interested students and faculty members to contact them at: [email protected] . Yong, a well regarded pioneer and visionary in the early generations of portable computers and wireless communication, concluded that cryptocurrency is the greatest technological revolution since the internet which has put fax out of business and postal services struggling for survival. Bitcoin and cryptocurrency is even more massive and hugely disruptive to the current financial systems and global payment network, among others. Although there will be serious job losses among affected industries, there will be massive job and wealth creation. For the first time, early adopter small investors might have the chance to gain financial freedom from relatively small investments made on a disciplined and regular basis. With their 100% cryptocurrency deposit guarantee, free giveaways, and secure cryptocurrency storage platform – CR.I.S.P. just made it a lot easier . -This press release is for informational purposes only. The information does not constitute investment advice or an offer to invest. For more information about us, please visit http://dnotesvault.com/crisp-for-kids.php Contact Info: Name: Alan Yong Email: [email protected] Organization: DNotesVault SOURCE: DNotesVault |
1,443,610,478 | 2015-09-30 10:54:38+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [334, 810, 1236, 1367]} | {"Bitcoin": [0]} | Bitcoin Gains Deeper Foothold In Latin America Through MercadoLibre | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-gains-deeper-foothold-latin-105438445.html | Benzinga | http://www.benzinga.com/ | Latin America's version ofeBay Inc(NASDAQ:EBAY), MercadoLibre, hasannouncedthat it will be integrating bitcoin payments into its services. The move represents a big win for the cryptocurrency community, which has long promoted bitcoin usage in regions like Latin America where a large percentage of the population are still unbanked.
Bitcoin Improves Service
MercadoLibre sent anemail notificationto users announcing its plans to integrate bitcoin and saying that the decision will give merchants a wider reach and customers more options. The site is planning to make bitcoin integration subtle and said that merchants won't see much change to their user experience other than a note in their transaction history saying which payments were made via digital currencies.
Related Link: Charlie Shrem Weighs In On Bitcoin From His Prison Cell
Not Quite Yet
While MercadoLibre has announced its plans, it is still unclear how the rollout will take place. The site currently serves 13 Latin American countries and it is unknown how many will receive a bitcoin option. The site will also have to deal with the changing regulations regarding bitcoin payments as the cryptocurrency evolves and spreads across the globe.
Latin American Potential
Bitcoin has long been touted as a good option for countries where much of the population has limited access to banking facilities. Bitcoin has also proven to be a viable alternative for those living in a country where the currency is prone to volatility. For that reason, many believe that bitcoin's expansion into Latin America is an important step forward. However, the cryptocurrency is likely to face some obstacles there as well since over half of the population doesn't have access to the Internet.
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© 2015 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. |
1,387,557,351 | 2013-12-20 16:35:51+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [2661]} | {} | All Of The Amazeballs Tech Words You'll Need To Communicate With Your Kids This Year | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/all-of-the-amazeballs-tech-words-youll-need-to-70501203511.html | Yahoo Tech | https://www.yahoo.com/tech/ | Admit it: You don’t want to feel old. You want to be the “cool” parent who knows his apps from his elbow. You want to be able to talk to your kids during holiday gatherings without watching them collapse into laughter every time you mention “The Twitter.” But, really, who can keep up with all the new terminology? No one really knows why there is such an abrupt change from being a baby’s Mighty and All-Knowing Center of the Universe to the person who can’t update their operating system without the aid of a nearby 13 year old. But once your kid is old enough to access the App Store, all that is left for you is an unrelenting march toward irrelevancy and gumming applesauce at the end of the dining room table while people shout in your “good” ear. Not to worry: I’m here for you. Today, I’m going to hit you up with a glossary of some newish terms that you might hear bandied about by the young people in your midst, so that you, too, can humblebrag about your amazeballs online adventures. So, let’s take a look at a few of the words you might hear or see your tweens and teens using, in between grunts for food: Amazeballs: adjective . Like, totally amazing. Incredible. Describes anything that is amazing, using the word amazing, plus the word balls for some reason. A truly amazeballs neologism. Ask.fm : noun . Newsflash: Your kids no longer post on Facebook, because you’re there, embarrassing the hell out of them. Ask.fm is the new hotness, and is an excellent place to live out “Lord of the Flies” without the prying eyes of adults. Your frenemies and maladjusted total strangers can anonymously ask you anything they want about yourself on this website and, as a teenager who just wants approval from his peers, you feel compelled to answer. Common questions include “Why are u so disgustingly fat/thin/short/tall/ugly???1!”, “Why don’t u just die?” and “Show me ur [redacteds]! I bet your [redacteds] are [redacted]!!1!” Yes, it makes my skin crawl, too. Story continues Autocorrect : noun. verb. Your fifth grade teacher on your phone and computer. Corrects your spelling and grammar based on prior words used and a pre-installed dictionary. Can be programmed on the iPhone to play pranks ; my phone likes to correct the word “sweetie” to “poop” when I text my kids. I suspect my 14 year old son set that one up. Binge-Watch : verb . Holing up to watch an entire television series all in one sitting. There are tiers: advanced binge-watching involves not stopping to change your clothes for days at a time and only seeking sustenance from the junk food packed minifridge you installed next to the couch that now boasts a permanent butt divot. Bitcoin : noun . An online currency that is hard to find and harder to spend in that very few retailers accept it. Also, the value changes constantly, so no one knows how much anything should cost. If they accepted it. Crowdsourcing: verb . If Shakespeare were alive today, he would write his plays this way. It involves soliciting ideas or contributions of content online from a wide range of people, like an online community. See also Crowdfunding , which is the same idea, except begging for money. Usually done on websites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo to help pay for a more professional recording of your album of Chukotkan whaling songs. Doge : noun . Pronounced incorrectly no matter how you say it, according to my kids, it’s doh-zj. A meme (see below) where people superimpose a Shiba Inu with a “Whatchoo talkin’ about, Willis?” look on his face onto an incongruous background. Humorous inner monologues using multicolored comic sans font are added for extra amusement. Hate-Watch , verb, noun: To watch a show or movie precisely because you actively do not enjoy it. Perhaps the reason why people are still watching “How I Met Your Mother.” We all know that Ted has to find the titular woman before the series finale, but seriously, what the hell? How many episodes are we supposed to watch before we finally get some closure? Can you feel the visceral resentment? That’s hate-watching. See also “Newsroom, The.” Listicle : noun . Not a frozen list on a stick. An article that passes for real journalism these days and is generally an essay, news article or countdown repurposed into list form with accompany photos or moving image GIFs. Ex., “Ten Reasons Why Walter Cronkite is Spinning in His Grave”. Also, see Charticle , an “article” that consists solely of pictures and is the main reason Johnny doesn’t read anymore. Meme: noun . Pronounced “meem.” Lord help those who are walking around pronouncing it “meh-meh,” not that I would know. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, a meme is “any idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture.” That used to mean the kind of philosophical discussions that led to the writing of things like the Declaration of Independence. Today, it means being photographed crouching drunkenly next to a couch and calling it “owling.” Phablet : noun . A giant phone, basically. Sporting a phablet says to others, “I really wanted an iPad, but instead I’ve decided to take all my phone calls by holding this large brick up to my head with two hands.” Photobomb : verb . You have done this at least once by accident, but now it’s a thing . Even squirrels do it . The next time you pass by a group of people huddling together to take a family photo, stick your head into the frame just as the shot is being taken and you will have given that family the gift of being able to play “Who the Hell is That ?” for years to come. Selfie : noun. Holding a camera backwards and photographing one’s self, much like the way kids accidentally wear their baseball caps backwards. SMH : verbish . Stands for “Shaking My Head.” What you do when someone nearby is twerking. Snapchat : noun? verb? Remember when photos were supposed to be long-lasting mementos, suitable for framing or using as blackmail? Now there’s an app where the photographic evidence self-destructs on the recipient’s phone seconds after he or she opens it. I’m pretty sure the kids haven’t figured out any nefarious uses for that. TL;DR : an entire sentence, believe it or not . Stands for “Too Long; Didn’t Read.” Usually a dismissive response to being sent a really long document and might be accompanied by a short summary. Try not to reply to your boss’s email with this one. Touch ID : noun . A way for Apple to sell more iKlear screen cleaner. Secondarily, a security device on your iPhone that uses your fingerprint to allow access to your phone. Twerk : verb, God help us . A dance move that involves shaking one’s hips in an up-and-down bouncing motion, causing the your buttocks to shake, “wobble” and “bounce.” The second most famous incident, in which a girl twerked onto a table and then caught fire, turned out to be a prank perpetrated by the “Jimmy Kimmel Show.” The most famous incident, in which Miley Cyrus twerked on singer Robin Thicke, has not yet been revealed as a prank. Upworthy : noun . You know those annoying links your friends keep posting on Facebook in between rounds of Candy Crush that make them sound like they should be nominated for sainthood just for posting them? The ones with headlines like “This Puppy Figured Out How to Dial ‘9-1-1’ When His Owner Overdosed on Meth For the Fourth Time, and You’ll Never Guess What Happened Next”? Yeah, it probably comes from Upworthy. Vine; Re-Vine : noun. verb. whatever . An app created by the Attention Deficit Disorder Society of America a.k.a. Twitter. This app allows you to record six seconds of video on a loop and post it to the internet. I’m not particularly sure how much we’re supposed to get out of watching something for just six seconds, but there you are. Can you only burp the alphabet up to the letter “G”? Perfect. Vine it and post for all to see. Maybe people will even Re-Vine it on their own page, so all their friends can see it. That would really be amazeballs. I’d go on, but dinner is being served, and I need to go Instagram it before my kids dig in and ruin the presentation. Dang kids! SMH. |
1,387,566,000 | 2013-12-20 19:00:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [3988]} | {} | Why You Need to Take a Close Look at Dividend Provisions | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-close-look-dividend-provisions-190000156.html | Entrepreneur | http://www.entrepreneur.com/ | In the last two installments of this series, I tried to deconstruct two important aspects of aventure capitalterm sheet, namely how to analyze the valuation proposed by an investor and the manner in which the liquidation preference provisions can affect valuation. There is one other economic term that deserves careful consideration: the dividend provision.
So what exactly is a dividend? A dividend is a payment or distribution by the corporation to its stockholders. But here's the catch: In over 20 years of practice in the venture capital space, having worked with hundreds and hundreds of venture-backed companies, I have never seen a private, venture-backed company pay a cash dividend to its stockholders.
Why? Because venture-backed companies deploy cash to grow and build their business and do not generate returns for investors from their cashflow. It's that simple.
So you might ask: If venture-backed companies don't pay cash dividends, why do I need to worry about dividend provisions? Well, here's the answer. Dividend provisions can be structured to create and build an internal rate of return on an investment that is realized upon redemption or an exit through a sale or an IPO.
Related:What Every Entrepreneur Should Know About Valuations
As a result, venture term sheets typically address the amount and manner in which dividends are to be paid. Most dividend provisions fall into one of three categories:
1. Dividends that are payable on the preferred stock when, as, and if paid on the common stock
2. Noncumulative dividends that are payable on the preferred stock, if and when declared by the board, in a prescribed amount (typically a percentage of the price per share in the range of 4 to 8 percent)
3. Cumulative dividends that accrue on the preferred stock in a prescribed amount, regardless of whether or not they are declared by the board.
The first example above is the "friendliest" version. It doesn't give the venture investors any special dividends. The second example above is the next friendliest since it conditions payment upon a specific dividend being declared by the board. And, given the fact that a board would be very unlikely to ever declare such a dividend, this provision is viewed as fairly benign. The last example above, however, ain't so friendly. That is the one that you'll need to think about, because it affects the economics of your deal.
Here's how. Let's say a venture investor is proposing an 8 percent dividend on $5 million. That means that the investment grows by $400,000 each year and in, say, five years, the liquidation preference for the $5 million investment will have grown to $7 million. And of course, given the general predilection of future investors not to want anything less than earlier investors, the dilutive effect of cumulative dividend provisions can add up as the company raises more venture capital to finance its growth.
Now here's the good news. Most venture capitalists, particularly early-stage investors, don't use dividend provisions to goose their returns. Remember that most venture capitalists are swinging for the fences with their investments. While dividend provisions may provide a measure of downside protection in bad or mediocre outcomes by generating a modest return, or may otherwise give later-stage investors who are targeting smaller multiples on their investment a built-in return, venture capitalists are "venturing" their money for big returns. And those are obtained by building big businesses. For those investors, the modest returns that can be gotten through cumulative dividends simply don't move the needle.
So, if you are faced with a term sheet that has cumulative dividends, you should pause and do the math to think about how it may move the needle for you.
Related:Everything You Wanted to Know About VC Liquidation Preference But Were Afraid to Ask
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• Bitcoin: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly |
1,387,597,173 | 2013-12-21 03:39:33+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [1482]} | {} | Federal prosecutors in NY charge 3 in drug website | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/federal-prosecutors-ny-charge-3-004909060.html | Associated Press | https://apnews.com/ | NEW YORK (AP) -- Three more men face charges for their alleged roles in the online black market website known as the Silk Road, federal prosecutors in New York City revealed Friday. An indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court charges Andrew Michael Jones of Charles City, Va., Gary Davis of Wicklow, Ireland, and Peter Phillip Nash of Brisbane, Australia with one count each of narcotics conspiracy, conspiracy to commit computer hacking and money laundering conspiracy. Jones, 24, went by the online handle "Inigo" and Davis, 25, used the online moniker "Libertas" while they monitored user activity and responded to customer service questions as site administrators for Silk Road, according to prosecutors. The 40-year-old Nash — who prosecutors say used online aliases including "Samesamebutdifferent" and "Batman73" — allegedly moderated a site forum. Jones and Nash, who were arrested this week, and Davis, who is believed to be in Ireland, were paid between $50,000 and $75,000 a year for their work, prosecutors said. The lawyer who represented Jones in Virginia said Friday his client waived his right to a bond hearing there and was transferred to New York in the custody of U.S. Marshals. It wasn't clear if Davis and Nash had lawyers. Authorities have said the site's San Francisco operator generated more than $1 billion in illicit business from January 2011 through September by running the drug-dealing website that used a tough-to-track digital currency called Bitcoin. Ross William Ulbricht, 29, was arrested in October and is being held in New York for various charges, including for arranging a failed murder-for-hire plot. Prosecutors charge he operated Silk Road under the "Dread Pirate Roberts" alias — an apparent reference to a swashbuckling character in "The Princess Bride," the 1987 comedy film based on a novel of the same name. Ulbricht hasn't yet entered a plea. His lawyer has said his client is innocent and is not the person who used the "Dread Pirate Roberts" alias. Last month, another man pleaded guilty in federal court in Baltimore to a drug conspiracy charge for his role in the website. |
1,418,754,636 | 2014-12-16 18:30:36+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [1574, 2323, 2713]} | {"Bitcoin": [10]} | Actually, Bitcoin had a pretty good 2014 | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-s-brutal-year-hasn-t-derailed-all-the-believers-yet-183038641.html | Yahoo Finance | http://finance.yahoo.com/ | It hasn't exactly been a year of progress for supporters of bitcoin, the world's most popular virtual currency.
Regulators prosecuted several bitcoin-related fraud schemes, some tax authorities cracked down on the use of virtual currency, and the price of bitcoin lost more than 50% of its value, leadingQuartz reporter Matt Philipsto dub it the "worst investment of 2014."
But as the year draws to a close, bitcoin is still kicking amid a few glimmers of progress.
First, the number, and size, of merchants accepting bitcoin continues to grow. Just this month, Microsoft (MSFT) announced it wouldstart accepting payments in bitcoin in the United Statesfor apps, games and other digital content on its Windows, Windows Phone and Xbox platforms.
Microsoft's movefollowed similar actionsby computer vendor Dell, satellite-television service Dish Network (DISH) and travel site Expedia (EXPE) earlier in the year. In September, eBay's (EBAY) PayPal said it would add bitcoin acceptance for merchants through its Braintree unit. Meanwhile, on Tuesday,Time magazine said it would start experimentingwith bitcoin as well, accepting subscription payments forFortune,Health,This Old HouseandTravel + Leisure.
The virtual currency also became a more serious financial instrument with the start of bitcoin-based options trading. It isn't exactly the top derivatives venue in the country, but the North American Derivatives Exchange, or Nadex, isnow trading binary options on the price of bitcoin, giving financial market participants new ways to hedge or bet on the currency's moves.
Bitcoin still faced opposition from many leading finance figures -- JPMorgan Chase (JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon called it "terrible" -- but some executives started to think differently. American Express (AXP) CEO Ken Chenault, speaking at the New York Times Dealbook conference last week,sounded like a man with an open mind, comparing the rise of virtual currency to the impact Napster, and later iTunes, had on the music industry.
"The protocol of bitcoin is going to be important," he said. "I don't know how this is going to evolve," he admitted, though he added that he believes "there's room for a lot of players."
Finally, although consumer usage of bitcoin failed to take off to the degree supporters had hoped, there was slow and steady progress. Bitcoin even made into the Black Friday/Cyber Monday hype, witha reported $300 million spent on those two top holiday shopping days. That made the currency the ninth most-popular payment platform used on those days, according to merchant-services firm Bitnet.
Ultimately, the plunging price got a lot more press in 2014 than bitcoin's growing acceptance and usage as a payment alternative. Bitcoin supporters need to hope for some stabilization on the pricing side so more of the positives can get the attention in 2015. |
1,418,756,096 | 2014-12-16 18:54:56+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [7855]} | {} | Robox review: This 3D printer is great for beginners but lacks in print quality | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/robox-review-3d-printer-great-185456037.html | Gigaom | http://gigaom.com/ | I’ve spent the past two years waiting for a 3D printer that a beginner can unbox and just start using. TheCEL Roboxwins the award for the first printer I’ve used that actually does that.
It does so with smart features like an auto-leveling print head and print bed that requires no extra help to keep prints firmly stuck to its surface. It’s relatively fast and friendly, and for $1,499 it’s competitive with the cheaper printers on the market.
Unfortunately, it has some disappointing flaws when it comes to print quality. Here’s a look at how the printer performed over a month of tests:
My best print. The layers are so fine you can hardly tell it came off a 3D printer.
Setup
The Robox has the fastest setup of any printer I have ever encountered. It’s ready to print out of the box; all you need to do is download software and install the filament spool.
The spool is proprietary. That’s generally irritating because it makes it difficult to use inexpensive, generic-brand plastic. CEL’s filament is extremely expensive —$59 for 1.54 pounds, compared to the $30 you pay for 2.2 pounds of cheap plastic.
However, CEL doesn’t take any measures to prevent you from winding your own off-brand of filament around the spool. It’s annoying to have to rewind filament, but potentially worth it for the benefits CEL’s system brings.
The Robox’s spool sits flush with its side. It contains a chip so it can be recognized by the printer.
The spool sits snugly in the side of the Robox, where there are also two holes for feeding filament into the machine. You insert the filament into the hole and the Robox pulls it the rest of the way in. It’s easy.
And that’s it. You are ready to print.
The software
CEL’s software, Automaker, is not exceptionally well-designed or smart. But it gets you through what you need to do relatively intuitively.
The program’s home screen displays the printer. Its parts are interactive: You can tell the printer to move its bed forward or backward or even change the color of the light illuminating the print head.
The home screen also displays the temperature of different parts of the printer. A pullout screen has advanced features such as nozzle calibration.
New print jobs are opened in tabs. You can have multiple tabs at once, which I found very useful for deciding between different prints and saving models for the near future. When you open a tab, you are presented with a rotating view of your model. You can scale it, duplicate it and move it around with easy-to-understand buttons.
Prepping to print.
My main gripe with the software was it gave no warning of errors. It wasn’t capable of recognizing the steep overhangs that can cause a print to fail. It couldn’t fix the models downloaded from Thingiverse that might contain errors.
Twice, I didn’t realize the filament was not fed all the way into the machine. There was no indication until suddenly the “print” button didn’t exist, for which no reason was given. At one point, the print bed was also homing itself at the wrong location, causing it to jam into the front and back of the printer and calibrate the print head incorrectly. The software never noted anything was wrong.
The machine
The Robox’s cover lifts up to reveal the bed.
Let’s start with the aesthetics. The Robox looks great. As I noted inmy coverageof Robox’s $450,000 crowdfunding campaign, it feels a bit like the Apple iMac G3 — it’s candy-colored and fun. It’s also small and sleek, and has a profile shaped like an iMessage chat bubble.
The front of the machine has a transparent cover that slides up to give access to the print bed. The bed sits very low to the printer’s floor and is capable of moving forward and backward. The print chamber is separate from the machine’s electronics, allowing the chamber to be heated to a higher temperature and prints to cool more evenly. A few of my prints did end up with curled corners, which indicates that they cooled unevenly, but most turned out fine.
Bulbasaur and Charmander fresh off the Robox’s unusual PEI print bed
The Robox has an unusual print bed made from polyetherimide, a plastic that becomes sticky when it is hot. Most 3D printer beds need to be covered in painter’s tape, glue, hairspray or another type of gunky material in order for a print to stick nicely to them. Not the Robox’s bed. Stuff sticks great.
Once the bed cools down and loses its special heated properties, items are supposed to pop off easily. That was the case most of the time. But whenever I printed something flat, like a coaster or a keychain, it became a game of strength and will to get it off. So be warned.
The Robox uses two nozzles to get the job done. This print’s corners curled.
The Robox’s biggest advancement is its print head. It has two nozzles, one of which is dedicated to printing fine details and the other to infill. The infill nozzle puts out far more filament, which allows the printer to work faster. Considering I sometimes ran the printer for several days straight on a large print (which it handled with ease), it was a great option to be able to shave some time off printing the unimportant inside of an object. Every printer should have this feature.
Oh, and when CEL says its printer is auto-leveling, it really means it. Before every print the print head touches itself to the print bed several times to ensure both of the nozzles are at the right height. It’s a confidence-boosting display that the printer is in working order, and it always got the calibration right.
I actually worked with two separate Robox printers. The first printer worked well until it randomly would not turn on one day. CEL was stumped on the issue, and eventually the printer just resumed working.
My worst and best prints on the Robox. The Bulbasaur on the left is a victim of the oozing nozzle.
The second printer arrived with two problems. The bed homed itself in the wrong location, causing the print head to calibrate incorrectly. It turned out there was filament wedged in the bed’s path. The larger nozzle also oozed small dabs of filament intermittently, which led to some terrible-looking prints. This was likely caused by a faulty spring in the print head, which only a CEL technician could fix.
The prints
Unfortunately, the quality of the prints that came off the Robox was inconsistent. They tended to have at least one error, if not more. The printer sometimes struggled with fine details.
Charmanders printed at low, medium and high quality.
The Robox is actually capable of printing very fine layers — down to .02 millimeters in height. That’s unusual for a fused deposition modeling-style 3D printer. I was able to print some really fantastic-looking pieces with the Robox set at its highest quality setting. The layers are so fine that you almost can’t tell the item came off a 3D printer.
The takeaway
There is quite a bit to love about the CEL Robox. It’s built to be nearly maintenance-free, making it perfect for anyone more interested in making things than tinkering with a machine.
But it also had slip-ups, little errors here and there that marred an otherwise perfect print. For anyone who needs consistently good-looking prints, the Robox is not your printer.
Two prints with curled corners and inconsistent details.
Overall, the Robox almost makes my list of printers I would not mind owning. I loved the auto-leveling print head and confidence that every print would adhere to the bed. And it looks great sitting on any home desk. But the number of times prints came out with obvious errors was a deal breaker for me. That’s a shame because CEL gets everything else just right.
Image copyright Signe Brewster.
Related research and analysis from Gigaom Research:Subscriber content.Sign up for a free trial.
• A market analysis of emerging technology interfaces
• The legal challenges and opportunities for 3D printing
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More From paidContent.org
• Robox review: This 3D printer is great for beginners but lacks in print quality |
1,387,727,520 | 2013-12-22 15:52:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [220, 1313, 1640, 2500, 2593, 2708, 3224, 3610, 3861, 3969, 4083, 4332, 4504, 4626, 4678, 4754]} | {"Bitcoin": [101]} | Here's How Two Strangers Jokingly Created Dogecoin — The Digital Currency That People Like More Than Bitcoin | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/heres-two-strangers-jokingly-created-155258312.html | Business Insider | http://www.businessinsider.com/ | Dogecoin
This is the most 2013 thing of the year.
An Australian brand and marketing specialist and a programmer in Portland, Ore. who have never actually met have successfully combined the year's two greatest phenomena: Bitcoin, and doge. The result: Dogecoin.
And people are actually using it.
If you're not familiar with the doge meme, it's hard to explain — you sort of have to just see it yourself. Basically, someone on the Internet began posting images of Comic Sans thought bubbles in the imagined syntax of a devastatingly cute Shiba Inu dog. Variations on the meme look like this:
DailyEdge.ie
There's no point to it; it's just one of those Internet things. But people love it —you can see some "good ones" here.
About three weeks ago, Jackson Palmer, who by day works in Adobe's Sydney marketing department, and who'd been following developments in the cryptocurrency world , absentmindedlytweeted, "Investing in Dogecoin, pretty sure it's the next big thing."
He got some replies encouraging him to pursue the idea, and a week later bought the domain Dogecoin.com. Inevitably, it got picked up on reddit,a hotbed of doge activity.
Meanwhile in Portland, Billy Markus had been trying to program his own digital currency that would appeal to a broader demographic than the profiteers who've flooded into Bitcoin. But the project had gone nowhere. Then he stumbled acrossDogecoin.comwithin a day or two of the site going live.
"The first thing I said was, 'This is so funny.' Then I said, 'I should just make this coin.'"
He Tweeted at Palmer saying he wanted to go in on it, and before Palmer even responded, started reconfiguring Bitcoin's sourcecode, which is publicly available, to turn its user-facing elements into the doge meme.
Eventually Palmer wrote back, and the partnership was formed. A little more than a week after Palmer's jokey tweet, Dogecoin was launched.
Again it got picked up on reddit, and instantly exploded. It is already the 13th seventh-largest cryptocurrency,according to Coinmarketcap, with a market value (i.e. number of extant Dogecoins X price of $0.00086) of $8 million. It now enjoys its own full blown ecosystem: in addition to the website, it has a dedicatedblogandforum, and of coursea subreddit.
How has it done this?
Largely through something called "tipping."
If you're a geek who "performs" a "good deed" on the Internet, it's become common practice for people to "tip" you in your digital currency of choice. For instance: that kidwho held up up his Bitcoin wallet's QR-codeduring ESPN's College Gameday got tipped thousands of dollars by the Bitcoin community for such a brilliant stroke of guerrilla marketing.
But it's become somewhat expensive to tip in Bitcoin, so people have turned to Dogecoin. Only about a week after launching, Dogecoin became the second-most-tipped currency, the pair say. T hey're hoping Facebook will accept a widget they've been working on that would allow friends to "tip" each other with dogecoin.
Still, what's so great about Dogecoin?
Technically speaking, it's more of a variation on Litecoin, which runs on a cryptographic program called Scrypt. Like Litecoin, the time it takes to process a Dogecoin transaction is much shorter than for Bitcoin. There are also many more Dogecoins that will come into existence — 100 billion versus 21 million.
But it's the culture that's sprung up around it that's really driving it forward. Palmer says it comes down to having a lower barrier of entry for people who might be interested in cryptocurrencies but are turned off by either the price of orso-far dubious culturethat surrounds Bitcoin.
"It's not taking itself as seriously, it's not being used by people worrying about whether they'll become rich," Palmer said. "It's something to share for thanks or kudos."
Markus says his wife, who at first was turned off by his interest in Bitcoin, has started mining Dogecoin herself — something you can do with your basic computer, unlike mining Bitcoin, which now requires industrial-strength processors.
The pair say they have no intention of competing with Bitcoin, and both are still fervent believers in its potential to change online banking.
"I t's a revolutionary technology, absolutely revolutionary," Markus says. "And it works as a store of value because it's deflationary, there will be a cap [on Bitcoins created]. It's just highly speculative, which makes it hard to use, to spend and spread it."
How can you tell the Dogecoin phenomenon is not a joke? This morning, Bitcoin and most other altcoinsare up about 20%.
Dogecoin? Up 250% and counting.
Wow.
More From Business Insider
• CRASH: Bitcoin Collapses After Major Blow From China
• Why Bitcoin Inventor 'Satoshi Nakamoto' Is The Most Impressive Person Of 2013
• Bitcoin's Outlook In China Is Not Looking So Good Right Now |
1,387,727,520 | 2013-12-22 15:52:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [220, 1313, 1640, 2500, 2593, 2708, 3224, 3610, 3861, 3969, 4083, 4332, 4504, 4626, 4678, 4754]} | {"Bitcoin": [101]} | Here's How Two Strangers Jokingly Created Dogecoin — The Digital Currency That People Like More Than Bitcoin | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/finance.yahoo.com/news/heres-two-strangers-jokingly-created-155258312.html | Business Insider | http://www.businessinsider.com/ | Dogecoin
This is the most 2013 thing of the year.
An Australian brand and marketing specialist and a programmer in Portland, Ore. who have never actually met have successfully combined the year's two greatest phenomena: Bitcoin, and doge. The result: Dogecoin.
And people are actually using it.
If you're not familiar with the doge meme, it's hard to explain — you sort of have to just see it yourself. Basically, someone on the Internet began posting images of Comic Sans thought bubbles in the imagined syntax of a devastatingly cute Shiba Inu dog. Variations on the meme look like this:
DailyEdge.ie
There's no point to it; it's just one of those Internet things. But people love it —you can see some "good ones" here.
About three weeks ago, Jackson Palmer, who by day works in Adobe's Sydney marketing department, and who'd been following developments in the cryptocurrency world , absentmindedlytweeted, "Investing in Dogecoin, pretty sure it's the next big thing."
He got some replies encouraging him to pursue the idea, and a week later bought the domain Dogecoin.com. Inevitably, it got picked up on reddit,a hotbed of doge activity.
Meanwhile in Portland, Billy Markus had been trying to program his own digital currency that would appeal to a broader demographic than the profiteers who've flooded into Bitcoin. But the project had gone nowhere. Then he stumbled acrossDogecoin.comwithin a day or two of the site going live.
"The first thing I said was, 'This is so funny.' Then I said, 'I should just make this coin.'"
He Tweeted at Palmer saying he wanted to go in on it, and before Palmer even responded, started reconfiguring Bitcoin's sourcecode, which is publicly available, to turn its user-facing elements into the doge meme.
Eventually Palmer wrote back, and the partnership was formed. A little more than a week after Palmer's jokey tweet, Dogecoin was launched.
Again it got picked up on reddit, and instantly exploded. It is already the 13th seventh-largest cryptocurrency,according to Coinmarketcap, with a market value (i.e. number of extant Dogecoins X price of $0.00086) of $8 million. It now enjoys its own full blown ecosystem: in addition to the website, it has a dedicatedblogandforum, and of coursea subreddit.
How has it done this?
Largely through something called "tipping."
If you're a geek who "performs" a "good deed" on the Internet, it's become common practice for people to "tip" you in your digital currency of choice. For instance: that kidwho held up up his Bitcoin wallet's QR-codeduring ESPN's College Gameday got tipped thousands of dollars by the Bitcoin community for such a brilliant stroke of guerrilla marketing.
But it's become somewhat expensive to tip in Bitcoin, so people have turned to Dogecoin. Only about a week after launching, Dogecoin became the second-most-tipped currency, the pair say. T hey're hoping Facebook will accept a widget they've been working on that would allow friends to "tip" each other with dogecoin.
Still, what's so great about Dogecoin?
Technically speaking, it's more of a variation on Litecoin, which runs on a cryptographic program called Scrypt. Like Litecoin, the time it takes to process a Dogecoin transaction is much shorter than for Bitcoin. There are also many more Dogecoins that will come into existence — 100 billion versus 21 million.
But it's the culture that's sprung up around it that's really driving it forward. Palmer says it comes down to having a lower barrier of entry for people who might be interested in cryptocurrencies but are turned off by either the price of orso-far dubious culturethat surrounds Bitcoin.
"It's not taking itself as seriously, it's not being used by people worrying about whether they'll become rich," Palmer said. "It's something to share for thanks or kudos."
Markus says his wife, who at first was turned off by his interest in Bitcoin, has started mining Dogecoin herself — something you can do with your basic computer, unlike mining Bitcoin, which now requires industrial-strength processors.
The pair say they have no intention of competing with Bitcoin, and both are still fervent believers in its potential to change online banking.
"I t's a revolutionary technology, absolutely revolutionary," Markus says. "And it works as a store of value because it's deflationary, there will be a cap [on Bitcoins created]. It's just highly speculative, which makes it hard to use, to spend and spread it."
How can you tell the Dogecoin phenomenon is not a joke? This morning, Bitcoin and most other altcoinsare up about 20%.
Dogecoin? Up 250% and counting.
Wow.
More From Business Insider
• CRASH: Bitcoin Collapses After Major Blow From China
• Why Bitcoin Inventor 'Satoshi Nakamoto' Is The Most Impressive Person Of 2013
• Bitcoin's Outlook In China Is Not Looking So Good Right Now |
1,387,774,800 | 2013-12-23 05:00:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [53, 429, 606, 1722, 1924, 3122, 3757]} | {} | Devcoin (DVC) At Its Highest Dollar Value Yet – Continues To Make The World a Better Place | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/devcoin-dvc-highest-dollar-value-050000132.html | ACCESSWIRE | https://www.accesswire.com/ | Bitoin alternative Devcoin - which is merge mined by Bitcoin miners for free - recently attained its highest dollar value yet: as it continues to support open source world changing projects worldwide.
December 23rd, 2013 / ACCESSWIRE / Long lasting ethical digital currency Devcoin recently reached its highest dollar value in history – with 1 million Devcoins now worth approximately $660 USD. Devcoin stands out from the other Bitcoin-like currencies because it is the only currency which can be generated by non-miners, as a reward for the open source work they create. It can also be merged mined with Bitcoin so miners are not left out. Devcoin was created with a unique world changing mission in mind – to fund open source development of all kinds; including writing, programming, music composition and other arts, and even cutting edge engineering feats such as 3D printers, and when the market cap reaches a high enough level, a spaceship.
The Devcoin project began in mid 2011 and has been going strong ever since. Devcoin is now close to two and a half years old. As one of the longest running successful digital currencies, it is already showing that it is here to stay and is a relatively safe investment for anyone looking to gain a position in cryptocoins. When investors buy and hold Devcoins they are also supporting the mission of Devcoin which is to support open source development by paying the developers decent wages. Devcoin hopes to bring an end to the all too common starving artist situation. The Devcoin developers believe the world will truly be a better place when artists and developers can actually earn a living through their beneficial work.
One typically acquires cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin by mining, a process where computing power is put into solving complicated algorithms which support the coin’s network and open virtual blocks, releasing the coins. While in the early stages of Bitcoin anyone with a computer could be a miner, it currently takes expensive specialized hardware and well cooled warehouses to mine with any sort of profit. The Devcoin mining algorithm is structured to give 90 percent of the proceeds to open souce writers, artists and developers to compensate them for their work. Writers can contribute content to the Devtome in exchange for generated (mined) Devcoins. The Devcoins will show up in their wallets a few weeks later. All the writer needs to do is what he or she does best: write. This unique distribution mechanism puts Devcoins into the hands of a wider demographic than the computer mining type. It has also likely fueled the steady increase in value up to this point as the people who earn Devcoins often use their earnings to build up a viable Devcoin economy. The number of merchants who accept Devcoin in payment for their product is 15 and growing, aided by the support of Cryptocurrency payment gateway CoinPayments. Developers who do work other than writing can apply for Devcoin bounties which get awarded upon satisfactory completion of their project.
The Devcoin network is primarily supported by miners who merge mine Devcoins with Bitcoins. These miners view their Devcoin earnings as free additional mining profit and so are willing to continue to support the DVC network, despite only receiving ten percent of what they mine. Consistent miner participation keeps the Devcoin network secure and robust and helps transactions confirm quickly.
With its long successful run of over two years, its secure and robust network supported by miners, its unique feature of allowing open source developers worldwide to earn DVC, and its consistent support of open source projects which will better the life of all humanity: Devcoin stands out as the most original and ethical Bitcoin alternative in existence. Being at its highest dollar value in history, Devcoin shows no signs of slowing.
To learn more please go to:http://devcoin.org/
To trade Devcoin please go to:http://cryptsy.com/
Devcoin Payment Processor For Merchant Checkouts And Invoicing:http://coinpayments.net/
This Press Release is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as investment advice. Please consult with the financial advisor before investing in DVC or any other digital currency.
Visithttp://devcoin.org/for more information.
Contact InfoName: Devcoin MediaOrganization: DevcoinEmail:[email protected] |
1,387,775,700 | 2013-12-23 05:15:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [176, 749, 838, 1270, 1377, 1456, 2435, 3363, 4353, 4486, 4694], "BTC": [1434, 1790]} | {"Bitcoin": [0]} | Bitcoin Descendant NXT Features 100% New Code, Green Mining, Decentralized Trading, More | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-descendant-nxt-features-100-051500739.html | ACCESSWIRE | https://www.accesswire.com/ | With its 100% original codebase, instant transaction confirmations, decentralized trading, 100% green mining or forging, and utility for creating smart property - NXT is a new Bitcoin descendant to watch closely.
December 23rd, 2013 / ACCESSWIRE / Second generation digital currency NXT possesses a 100% original code base, eliminates transaction confirmation wait times, utilizes 100% green (or low energy) mining, decentralizes trading, and enables the creation of smart property via “colored” coins. NXT currently possesses an entirely original code base, instant transactions and green mining; the rest of these features and more will be introduced in January 2014 when the new NXT client launches, with some believing NXT is poised to overtake Bitcoin within two years.
Unlike all other alt coins which are really just variations of Bitcoin, NXT is a completely original design built from scratch with an entirely new code base. NXT supports instant transactions while still being extremely secure; ending the endless confirmation wait times. NXT transaction speeds are almost as fast as the VISA and Mastercard transactions of the debt based economy which make buying and selling so convenient. But with NXT, those instant transactions can be just as anonymous as Bitcoin, bringing to its users the best of both the fiat and crypto worlds.
NXT is currently traded on the Bitcoin-Next Exchange with a current value of 0.00001000 BTC/NXT. However, the Bitcoin-Next Exchange is only temporary. Soon, centralized exchanges with their ever present risk of the operators suddenly disappearing and making off with the users’ funds, will be a thing of the past. The NXT wallet client is currently rolling out a new feature which will enable decentralized peer to peer trading between NXT and BTC, once and for all eliminating the need to place trust in whoever is behind the centralized exchange. Furthermore, those trades can be conducted completely anonymously.
Decentralized trading is only the beginning. Next comes decentralized DNS (significantly enhancing Namecoin’s current offering), decentralized instant messaging and chat, completely anonymous websites with no additional plugins required to browse them, decentralized stock exchanges, and peer to peer transactions of all kinds which are 100% green, secure, encrypted and irreversible.
NXT was initially brought into circulation by 71 stakeholders who donated a total of 21 Bitcoins in exchange for a stake in the NXT genesis block which generated one billion NXT. In other words, all the NXT has already been mined. However, transaction fees will continue to be distributed to all NXT wallet clients based on the portion of total NXT each client holds. This proof of stake mining, or more accurately, forging, completely eliminates the need to secure the network with vast amounts of hashing power. It also eliminates any incentive to control 51 percent of the network. Finally, it is a truly green network because the amount of energy required to “forge” transaction fees is minimal. Any ordinary computer with the client installed can forge; which means anyone worldwide can participate in and get rewarded for maintaining the NXT network.
NXT’s code supports the creation of “colored” coins, a way to designate specific coins and tie them to physical property. This concept has been attempted with Bitcoin but so far those attempts have been unsuccessful. The ability to “color” or designate specific coins serves as a bridge between the cryptoworld and the physical world. It also provides a way for cryptocoins to be tied to some kind of physical asset. This ability is already being built into the very foundation of the NXT code base.
One result expected to take off is a multitude of profitable decentralized autonomous corporations (DACS) which will be 100% backed by shareholders and which will pay out profits to shareholders in dividends. These will be decentralized and anonymous.
For the first time in alt coin history, we will have a currency and infrastructure which is based on a 100% original code base, 100% green, accessible to anyone on the planet, truly secure, and fast. With NXT, anyone worldwide can participate in securing the network of this emerging next gen digital currency which is positioned to explode; the high barriers to entry which are characteristic of Bitcoin today will be a thing of the past.
To learn more:http://nextcoin.org/To trade NXT please go to:http://dgex.com/NXT thread on Bitcointalk:https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=345619.0
This press release is for informational purposes only.
Visithttp://nextcoin.org/for more information.
Contact InfoName: NXTOrganization: NXTEmail: [email protected] |
1,387,775,700 | 2013-12-23 05:15:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [176, 749, 838, 1270, 1377, 1456, 2435, 3363, 4353, 4486, 4694], "BTC": [1434, 1790]} | {"Bitcoin": [0]} | Bitcoin Descendant NXT Features 100% New Code, Green Mining, Decentralized Trading, More | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-descendant-nxt-features-100-051500739.html | ACCESSWIRE | https://www.accesswire.com/ | With its 100% original codebase, instant transaction confirmations, decentralized trading, 100% green mining or forging, and utility for creating smart property - NXT is a new Bitcoin descendant to watch closely.
December 23rd, 2013 / ACCESSWIRE / Second generation digital currency NXT possesses a 100% original code base, eliminates transaction confirmation wait times, utilizes 100% green (or low energy) mining, decentralizes trading, and enables the creation of smart property via “colored” coins. NXT currently possesses an entirely original code base, instant transactions and green mining; the rest of these features and more will be introduced in January 2014 when the new NXT client launches, with some believing NXT is poised to overtake Bitcoin within two years.
Unlike all other alt coins which are really just variations of Bitcoin, NXT is a completely original design built from scratch with an entirely new code base. NXT supports instant transactions while still being extremely secure; ending the endless confirmation wait times. NXT transaction speeds are almost as fast as the VISA and Mastercard transactions of the debt based economy which make buying and selling so convenient. But with NXT, those instant transactions can be just as anonymous as Bitcoin, bringing to its users the best of both the fiat and crypto worlds.
NXT is currently traded on the Bitcoin-Next Exchange with a current value of 0.00001000 BTC/NXT. However, the Bitcoin-Next Exchange is only temporary. Soon, centralized exchanges with their ever present risk of the operators suddenly disappearing and making off with the users’ funds, will be a thing of the past. The NXT wallet client is currently rolling out a new feature which will enable decentralized peer to peer trading between NXT and BTC, once and for all eliminating the need to place trust in whoever is behind the centralized exchange. Furthermore, those trades can be conducted completely anonymously.
Decentralized trading is only the beginning. Next comes decentralized DNS (significantly enhancing Namecoin’s current offering), decentralized instant messaging and chat, completely anonymous websites with no additional plugins required to browse them, decentralized stock exchanges, and peer to peer transactions of all kinds which are 100% green, secure, encrypted and irreversible.
NXT was initially brought into circulation by 71 stakeholders who donated a total of 21 Bitcoins in exchange for a stake in the NXT genesis block which generated one billion NXT. In other words, all the NXT has already been mined. However, transaction fees will continue to be distributed to all NXT wallet clients based on the portion of total NXT each client holds. This proof of stake mining, or more accurately, forging, completely eliminates the need to secure the network with vast amounts of hashing power. It also eliminates any incentive to control 51 percent of the network. Finally, it is a truly green network because the amount of energy required to “forge” transaction fees is minimal. Any ordinary computer with the client installed can forge; which means anyone worldwide can participate in and get rewarded for maintaining the NXT network.
NXT’s code supports the creation of “colored” coins, a way to designate specific coins and tie them to physical property. This concept has been attempted with Bitcoin but so far those attempts have been unsuccessful. The ability to “color” or designate specific coins serves as a bridge between the cryptoworld and the physical world. It also provides a way for cryptocoins to be tied to some kind of physical asset. This ability is already being built into the very foundation of the NXT code base.
One result expected to take off is a multitude of profitable decentralized autonomous corporations (DACS) which will be 100% backed by shareholders and which will pay out profits to shareholders in dividends. These will be decentralized and anonymous.
For the first time in alt coin history, we will have a currency and infrastructure which is based on a 100% original code base, 100% green, accessible to anyone on the planet, truly secure, and fast. With NXT, anyone worldwide can participate in securing the network of this emerging next gen digital currency which is positioned to explode; the high barriers to entry which are characteristic of Bitcoin today will be a thing of the past.
To learn more:http://nextcoin.org/To trade NXT please go to:http://dgex.com/NXT thread on Bitcointalk:https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=345619.0
This press release is for informational purposes only.
Visithttp://nextcoin.org/for more information.
Contact InfoName: NXTOrganization: NXTEmail: [email protected] |
1,387,796,400 | 2013-12-23 11:00:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [37, 105, 388]} | {"Bitcoin": [23]} | Clearly Canadian Joins Bitcoin Community | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/clearly-canadian-joins-bitcoin-community-110000013.html | ACCESSWIRE | https://www.accesswire.com/ | Ambassador Brand of Canada accepting Bitcoin in global online campaign.
Canada - December 23rd, 2013 /MM-BitcoinPR/ -- Clearly Canadian, in keeping with the ever evolving digital age, is opening up its coming online pre-sales campaign to the global bitcoin community. “Online virtual currencies are clearly here to stay – no pun intended”, according to Mitch Callahan, Clearly Canadian’s Bitcoin Campaign Manager. “Just as Clearly Canadian pioneered the new age beverage industry in the ‘80s and ‘90s…bitcoin, in a much more profound way, is poised to change how we all transact business on a global scale. Clearly Canadian finds that truly exciting and we are proud to be a new emerging member of the bitcoin community.”
Clearly Canadian is commencing an online fan-sourced pre-sales campaign worldwide Monday, December 23rd, two days before Christmas, to re-ignite large-scale production and supply current demand. At its last peak Clearly Canadian was producing in excess of 5 million cases annually. “We’d like to pre-sell at least 25,000 cases of Clearly Canadian online to the global bitcoin community, personally I hope we double, triple or even quadruple that goal, but let’s see what happens. Pricing will be denoted in dollars but transacted in bitcoins through BitPay, the leading bitcoin merchant processing platform. We intend to be a long-lerm merchant in bitcoin transacted consumer goods,” stated Mr. Callahan.
“Having a globally recognized consumer brand such as Clearly Canadian join the bitcoin community is a powerful statement about the increasing popularity and growing base of bitcoin merchants and users. Many are watching the bitcoin market closely and we hope that this is the first of many established brands that see the benefits of adding bitcoins to their payment options. We are happy to have Clearly Canadian on board and wish the very best of success in its campaign,” stated Tony Gallipi, CEO of BitPay.
About Clearly Canadian:Clearly Canadian, established 1987, is one of North America’s leading signature food & beverage brands. Clearly Canadian is focused on producing and marketing high-quality Canadian made consumer goods. Visithttps://www.clearlycanadian.com.
About BitPay:BitPay is a leading Payment Service Provider (PSP) specializing in eCommerce and B2B solutions for virtual currencies. Visithttps://bitpay.com.
Visithttp://clearlycanadian.comfor more information.
Contact InfoName: Mitch CallahanOrganization: Clearly Canadian
Source: http://bitcoinprbuzz.com/clearly-canadian-joins-bitcoin-community |
1,418,796,595 | 2014-12-17 06:09:55+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [1823]} | {} | PRESS DIGEST- New York Times business news - Dec 17 | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/press-digest-york-times-business-060955177.html | Reuters | http://www.reuters.com/ | Dec 17 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories on the New York Times business pages. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.
* With Russia already staggering under the weight of one of its worst financial crises in years, the United States signaled that it would further increase the economic pressure with a new raft of sanctions targeting the Russian defense, energy and banking industries. (http://nyti.ms/1zq87YR)
* Sony Pictures Entertainment, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, theater owners and competing film studios scrambled to deal with a threat of terrorism against movie theaters that show Sony's "The Interview," a raunchy comedy about the assassination of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un. (http://nyti.ms/1GrLxRQ)
* The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first system that could be used by blood banks to destroy viruses and bacteria in donated blood plasma, potentially making transfusions safer. (http://nyti.ms/1uRaTAf)
* The Commerce Department began closing a chapter in a protracted trade conflict with China over solar equipment, approving a collection of steep tariffs on imports from China and Taiwan. (http://nyti.ms/1BWDYmf)
* In a class-action case that kicked around courts for 10 years, a jury rejected claims that Apple Inc acted to secure a monopoly over digital music. (http://nyti.ms/13wmXRI)
* On Deck Capital Inc, which makes loans to small businesses, raised about $200 million from its initial public offering, valuing the firm at about $1.3 billion. (http://nyti.ms/1A99Qlw)
* Adyen, an Amsterdam-based payments processing company, has announced $250 million in new fundraising that valued the company at $1.5 billion. (http://nyti.ms/13wpj33)
* The magazine publisher Time Inc is teaming up with Coinbase and will accept Bitcoin payments for subscriptions of Fortune, Health, This Old House and Travel + Leisure. (http://nyti.ms/1xraGuw)
(Compiled by Luke Koshi in Bengaluru) |
1,387,801,740 | 2013-12-23 12:29:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [157, 479, 1346, 2019, 2100, 2186]} | {"Bitcoin": [27]} | A Bloomberg TV Host Gifted Bitcoin On Air And It Immediately Got Stolen | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bloomberg-tv-host-gifted-bitcoin-122916809.html | Business Insider | http://www.businessinsider.com/ | Bloomberg TV
"milkywaymasta" used this image to digitally mug Bloomberg's Adam Johnson.
Bloomberg TV's Matt Miller is currently experiencing the "12 Days Of Bitcoin," a series for the business news television station.
On Friday, Miller learned an important lesson. It was an experience that everyone should remember before they start moving their money into the digital currency.
While on air,Miller surprised Bloomberg anchors Adam Johnson and Trish Reganeach with $20 worth of Bitcoin.
But as Johnson received the paper gift, he briefly exposed the QR code (see above). This act was effectively like sharing a bank account and PIN number.
Immediately, someone lifted the QR code and stole the $20.
This morning, Miller reported that he hadengaged the thief— someone who goes by "milkywaymasta" — on Reddit.
Here's"milkywaymasta":
I was watching bloomberg where they are doing the "12 days of bitcoin". The guy that is hosting the series gave bitcoin gift certificates to the other two hosts. One of them opens up the certificate to reveal QR code of the private key. They then proceeded to show a closeup of the QR code in glorious HD for about 10 seconds. Hilarious....I took it, it was only $20 worth. It was exhilarating nevertheless. I'll send it back once Matt gives me a new address since someone else can sweep the old one. A segment on Bitcoin security and the importance of NOT showing the private key and also BIP0038 (Password Encrypted Private Keys) Wallets will be more than enough compensation.Blockchain confirmationandPublic key of where i sent the bitcoin.
Miller, however, is done with this person. Here's Miller: "so freaking classic but also a GREAT lesson in bitcoin security! you can keep the $20 -- well earned."
As long as there are no laws in place for such thefts, one could probably argue that the money was indeed "earned."
Regardless, a great lesson.
Here's the Redditors statement and Miller's response from theReddit thread:
Reddit
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1,387,807,200 | 2013-12-23 14:00:00+00:00 | {"BTC": [85]} | {} | Benton Participates in Coro Mining Private Placement | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/benton-participates-coro-mining-private-140000988.html | Marketwired | http://www.marketwired.com/ | THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Dec 23, 2013) -Benton Capital Corp.(TSX VENTURE:BTC) ("Benton") is pleased to inform its shareholders that the Company has subscribed to 3,133,246 units of Coro Mining Corp. (COP.TO) ("Coro") for a price of $0.10 per unit (See Coro PR dated December 12, 2013) for a gross payment of $313,325. Each unit will comprise one common share of Coro and one-half of a common share purchase warrant. Each warrant will entitle the Company to acquire an additional common share of Coro at an exercise price of $0.15 for a period of three years. The warrants will be subject to a forced exercise provision after one year in the event the volume-weighted average trading price of Coro's common shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange is equal to or above $0.30 for 20 consecutive trading days. Benton now holds 61 million shares of Coro or approximately 41% of Coro's common shares as well as 1,566,623 share purchase warrants. In addition, Benton retains its right to maintain its current fully diluted interest in the common shares of Coro Mining moving forward.
Stephen Stares, President and CEO of Benton stated, "We feel that the Coro team has done an excellent job in navigating though these challenging times in our sector and are pleased to provide our support in this very important private placement. These funds will assist Coro in completing diamond drilling on the very prospective El Desesperado copper project in mining-friendly Chile and we await the results of that program with much excitement."
About Benton Capital Corp.:
Benton Capital Corp. is a Canadian based junior which holds the Goodchild Copper-Nickel-PGM project located 5km NE of Stillwater Mining's Marathon Copper-PGM deposit currently being permitted for production. Benton Capital Corp. also holds 61 million shares (approximately 41%) and 1,566,623 share purchase warrants of Coro Mining Corp. (www.coromining.com) (COP.TO) - a Vancouver based copper exploration company with projects located in South America.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Benton Capital Corp.,
Stephen Stares, President
THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.
The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements." |
1,418,823,900 | 2014-12-17 13:45:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [27], "BTC": [0, 12]} | {} | Microelectronics Declares Preferred Share Dividend | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/microelectronics-declares-preferred-share-dividend-134500283.html | ACCESSWIRE | https://www.accesswire.com/ | BTC Mining, BTC POOLPARTY, Bitcoin Monarch Bay, CA / ACCESSWIRE/ December 17, 2014 / Microelectronics Technology Corporation (OTC Pink: MELY) ( MELY ) The Board of Directors is pleased to announce that the company has declared a preferred share dividend payable to its shareholders of record January 16, 2015. The preferred share will be distributed on the following basis. One preferred share for every five million common shares held on the record date, January 16, 2015. Each preferred share will be convertible into 100,000 common shares of the company after 12 months of issue date. The anticipated date of issuance of that preferred stock is February 16, 2015. The preferred shares will have no voting powers until converted into common shares of the company. This preferred share dividend is being made to reward the Loyal shareholders of Microelectronics Technology Corporation. https://www.facebook.com/MELYPK Forward-Looking Statements: This news release includes forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. While these statements are made to convey Company progress, business opportunities and growth prospects, readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements represent management's opinion. Whereas management believes such representations to be true and accurate based on information and data available to the Company at this time, actual results may differ materially and are subject to risk and uncertainties. Factors that may cause actual results to differ include without limitation: dependence on key personnel and suppliers; MELY's ability to commercialize its technology; ability to defend intellectual property; material and component costs; competition; economic conditions; consumer demand and product acceptance, and availability of growth capital. Additional considerations and risk factors are set forth in reports filed on Form 8-K and 10-K with the SEC and other filings. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon these forward-looking statements; historical information is not an indicator of future performance. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements. Story continues CONTACT : For further Information: Microelectronics Technology Co. President: Mr. Brett Everett 949-436-9382 [email protected] www.melypk.com www.dynamoservers.com SOURCE: Microelectronics Technology Company |
1,418,826,600 | 2014-12-17 14:30:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [1082]} | {} | Paycoin Launch Shatters Records; Investors Swarm to New Global Currency | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/paycoin-launch-shatters-records-investors-143000359.html | Marketwired | http://www.marketwired.com/ | BLOOMFIELD, CT--(Marketwired - Dec 17, 2014) - Paycoin, the innovative new digital currency, launched this Friday with an avalanche of support from tech gurus and investors alike. The enormous attention drove Paycoin to a $115 million market cap within only 48 hours, quickly becoming the third most popular cryptocurrency currently in existence.
Thousands of investors swarmed the new digital currency moments after its 8:00 PM launch by directing their computers to mine Paycoin. Within a matter of minutes Paycoin's difficulty rate increased by over 10,000%. As miners sought to earn Paycoins, all major online hashing power rental services sold out their full inventory to mine the new cryptocurrency. Paycoin broke records as supporters spiked the Paycoin total network hash rate to over 40 Peta hashes per second -- equivalent to more than 4 million high-power computer processors.
"Surging from 0 to 40 petahashes is unheard of," said Jonah Dorman, general manager and vice president of GAW Miners. "We launched Paycoin in November of 2014 as a new digital currency built on Bitcoin's successes while making many needed enhancements to increase merchant adoption, improve price stability, and dramatically decrease transaction times. We're pleased to see so many miners and consumers support the new currency."
"We knew Paycoin had massive support, but we didn't know just how far the popularity would reach," said Josh Garza, CEO of GAW Miners -- an internationally-recognized leader in the industry. "The incredible thing is, we've only seen the tip of the iceberg. Paycoin will continue to expand and offer services that we and others can build upon. I have confidence that Paycoin will be established as the new dominant global online currency."
About PaycoinPaycoin is a new, decentralized digital currency that allows merchants and consumers to send and receive payments online without the need for costly credit processors -- which can charge upwards of 10% per transaction. By eliminating these costs, Paycoin payments are virtually feeless, allowing merchants and consumers to keep and spend more of the money they earn, safely and securely.Learn more athttp://www.paycoin.com |
1,387,851,169 | 2013-12-24 02:12:49+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [1078]} | {"Bitcoin": [48]} | You Can Now Buy Victoria's Secret Lingerie With Bitcoins | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/now-buy-victorias-secret-lingerie-021249631.html | Business Insider | http://www.businessinsider.com/ | Victoria Secret
You canbuy a house with bitcoins, aTesla electric car, a trip into outer space onRichard Branson's Virgin Galactic airline, and all kinds of other things frompizza to illegal drugs.
And now, you can use bitcoin to buy Victoria's Secret lingerie via a gift cardfrom Gyft, the app that replaces physical gift cards.
The Gyft app is an interesting take on gift cards because it does a couple of cool things. It lets you buy gift cards from about 200 retailers using conventional currencies or bitcoin.Victoria Secret just signed onto be one of those retailers, Gyft says.
Or, if you get a bunch of gift cards as gifts, it lets you load them onto your phone so you don't have to carry them in your wallet.
You can also use it to re-gift a gift card, sending it to the person's Facebook account, email or phone via a text. That could be a face-saving option if you find yourself in need of a last-minute gift.
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1,443,724,280 | 2015-10-01 18:31:20+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [4846]} | {} | Your Old Credit Card’s Now Obsolete. Now What? | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/your-old-credit-cards-now-obsolete-now-what-183120101.html | null | https://guce.yahoo.com/terms?locale=en-US | (Rob Pegoraro/Yahoo Tech)
Something weird has been happening to our wallets: Computers have invaded them, one credit card at a time.
This overdue migration from cards with magnetic stripes on the back to “EMV” cards that add a tiny computer chip on the front reached a semi-important point Thursday: the “liability shift,” a rebalancing of powers between card issuers and merchants in the U.S. that may change who eats the cost of a bogus transaction.
For most of us, Liability Shift Day should be the most boring holiday ever. Only a minority of debit and credit cards have EMV chips (“EMV” stands for“Europay, MasterCard and Visa,” the three parents of the system), and the share ofretailers taking chip paymentsis even smaller.
But over time, things will change. Here’s how:
How exactly do I pay with a chip?
Instead of swiping a card with that satisfying flick of the wrist, you pop the card into a slot in a card terminal. Then you leave it there as the chip generates a one-time code (like the three- or four-digit number on your card for online purchases), the terminal processes the transaction, and you sign to complete it.
In my experience, that takes a few seconds longer than a mag-stripe card—assuming the stripe was able to read on the first try, which we all know doesn’t always happen.
Where can I pay with the chip?
Your chip transactions may be confined to major merchants like Walmart, Home Depot, and Target. It’s not enough to see a “point of sale” terminal with an EMV slot; that part may be inactive.
For example, my neighborhood’s Whole Foods accepts Apple Pay and other phone payments but not EMV. Spokesman Michael Silverman said the chain plans to fix that across its stores… by the end of 2016.
A complete upgrade across U.S. retail will take longer. On a conference call Wednesday, Visa vice president Stephanie Ericksen said 314,000 establishments take chip payments, up from 55,000 last September—but that’s out of a total of maybe 6 million to 8 million.
How do I get EMV versions of my cards?
If you haven’t already been issued chipped versions of your cards—those in my wallet reached that blessed statein July—you’ll have to ask your issuer what the holdup is.
While you wait, you might as well use that time to shop around and see if you can switch to a card withbetter cash-back or travel rewards.
Will chip cards stop data breaches?
Sorry, no. With EMV, your card number and expiration date still get sent in the clear to the store and beyond. If somebody hacks the terminal or the software upstream, they can still go to town with your card.
“It does not take care of making sure that the data is protected as it travels through the various layers of payment systems,” explained Erik Vlugt, a vice president at the payment-processing firmVeriFone.
EMV cards also remain usable if lost or stolen unless they’re further secured with a PIN. That’s common with European but not U.S. cards. (More on that later.)
So what security problem does EMV actually solve?
Chip cards can’t be cloned the way stripe cards can. Counterfeiting is a huge problem, accounting for37 percent of all U.S. credit-card fraud in 2014—second only after “card not present” theft staged online or over the phone, according to the research firmAite Group.
Crooks have had a clear economic incentive to clone cards, security researcher Brian Krebs noted ina 2014 explainer: A counterfeiter “walks into a big box store and walks out with high-priced electronics or gift cards that he can easily turn into cash.”
Who pays with the liability shift?
Definitely not you — just like today, fraud isn’t your problem as long as you report it. But merchants can pay more, subject to various rules. AsNational Retail Federationgeneral counsel Mallory Duncan summed up in an e-mail: “Whomever has the more evolved equipment (in a counterfeit situation) wins.”
That is, if the bank issued a chip card, the crook shows up with a counterfeit version of it, and the merchant doesn’t process chip transactions, the merchant is liable to eat the cost. But it can get complicated: “There are scenarios where both parties accept a certain percentage of the responsibility,” MasterCard product-delivery head Carolyn Balfany said over e-mail.
Note, too, that retailers already pay for some fraudulent transactions, as you can see inVisa’s “chargeback” rules. In turn, all of us pay in the form of slightly higher prices, same as we collectively pay for the“shrinkage”of shoplifting and employee theft.
What if a store doesn’t take EMV?
Good luck judging a store’s security, although some modern payment gadgets likeSquare’s card readersdo encrypt card numbers automatically.
If you can use your phone to pay for things, do it. Apple Pay and Android Pay do“tokenization,”meaning they generate a new card number for each transaction. Or you could pay with cash,Bitcoin,bartered chickens, or any other mutually agreeable medium of value.
What about chip-and-PIN?
You may have read that chip-and-PIN cards are more secure because you have to type a number matching the one stored on the chip. But that’s not why they exist: When EMV cards arrived in Europe, many establishments didn’t have online access to verify transactions with issuers and so needed authentication that worked offline.
U.S. banks have avoided PIN because, hey, who wants to remember another number? (A few months ago, Underwriters Laboratories innovations director Maarten Bron said he’d seentoo many chip-and-PIN holders write down their PIN on the back of their cards.)
International travelers have complained that signature EMV cards don’t work at kiosks in Europe. Visa’s rules now require those unattended terminals to waive the PIN; it says that in a recent test across five EU states,90 percent of signature-card transactions worked.
So how do we stop online fraud?
Payment-processing systems can ensure they have nothing worth stealing by not keeping card numbers intact—what Visa calls “devaluing” that data.
In that respect, the slow adoption of EMV security could give lagging merchants a chance to jump to an Apple Pay level of security. SaidPCI Security Standards Councilchief technology office Troy Leach: “We’re hoping that they buy the next generation of security, which is encryption and tokenization.”
I hope he’s right. But I won’t be too surprised if five years from now, a shop with connectivity issues still has to dust off a“knuckle buster”card imprinter to take my payment on a slip of carbon paper.
[email protected]; follow him on Twitter at@robpegoraro. |
1,418,839,806 | 2014-12-17 18:10:06+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [1346]} | {} | NCR, LevelUp Partner to Ease Payment for Small Businesses - Analyst Blog | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ncr-levelup-partner-ease-payment-181006443.html | Zacks | http://www.zacks.com/ | NCR Corporation(NCR) has integrated its cloud-based point-of-sale (POS) system, NCR Silver with LevelUp in a bid to provide an alternative mobile payment option to small businesses, especially fast casual restaurants and their customers. This is another innovative offering from NCR to attract customers.LevelUp’s mobile loyalty and payment platform has seen quite a bit of success in recent times since it accepts payments through mobile devices while allowing customers to accrue/redeem their rewards with a single tap or scan. Moreover, the company’s application helps businesses to better understand their customers and accordingly manage their marketing campaign thereby boosting customer satisfaction and driving revenues.NCR Silver provides merchants with a complete cloud-based POS system compatible with iPad, iPhone and iPod touch devices. Existing users of NCR Silver can activate the LevelUp app on their POS system. After the activation, customers will be able to pay their bills by scanning the unique QR codes generated by the LevelUp app during checkout.NCR is targeting retail customers to boost its business volumes. The company’s strategy is evident from the innovative products and offerings it has introduced in recent times.Last month, NCR Corporation announced that its NCR Silver will support bitcoin payment by year-end. Bitcoin is a digital currency which was created in 2009. More people are now opting for this mode of payment because it does not involve any middle men, transaction fee or the need to disclose identity to complete the process.Demand for NCR Corporation’s POS system solution is on the rise among retailers and restaurant owners due to automation of bill payments and accounting. As a result, managers get ample time for customer interaction, leading to increased productivity. NCR Corporation strengthened its position in the POS market through the acquisition of Radiant Systems in Aug 2011.A survey conducted by AlixPartners in early 2014 found that 24% of customers who made purchases at POS locations through their mobile devices have scanned a barcode or QR code by using a mobile-payment service like LevelUp. This figure tops the list of mobile payment methods. Thus, NCR Corporation with its varied offerings of POS terminals and cloud-based solutions should be able to capitalize on this growth opportunity.We believe that NCR Corporation’s growth in ATM and self-service kiosk spaces is encouraging, given the tremendous growth prospects in these markets. Continued product launches, growing popularity of its self-service offerings and synergies from acquisitions are the other catalysts. We consider that NCR Corporation’s commitment to protect the trust and integrity of the ATM channel has been inspiring banks and a host of other financial institutions to choose its services.However, similar offerings from the likes of Diebold Corp. (DBD) and International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) could create some pressure.Currently, NCR has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). Alternatively, investors may consider Micron Technology (MU), a better-ranked technology stock sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.Click to get this free reportINTL BUS MACH (IBM): Free Stock Analysis ReportNCR CORP-NEW (NCR): Free Stock Analysis ReportMICRON TECH (MU): Free Stock Analysis ReportDIEBOLD INC (DBD): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment Research |
1,387,882,810 | 2013-12-24 11:00:10+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [26, 324, 508, 1106, 1199, 1535, 1568, 1635, 1683, 1826, 1976, 2142]} | {"Bitcoin": [11]} | Study Says Bitcoin is Speculative | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/study-says-bitcoin-speculative-110010350.html | ETF Trends | http://www.etftrends.com/ | The growing popularity of Bitcoins as an alternative currency has fueled the industry’s imagination for a related exchange traded fund. However, a new economic study contends that the crypto-currency could be more of a speculative play. According to David Yermack of the Stern School of Business at New York University, the Bitcoin “does not behave like a currency at all” and shows similar traits to some Internet stocks that collapsed in the 90s, reports Simon Kennedy for Bloomberg . Yermack compared the Bitcoin against other major sovereign currencies based on medium of exchange, a unit of account and store of value. The crypto-currency serves as a medium of exchange as more places accept the money, but the currency fails as a unit of account and store of value. The digital currency is volatile and its exchange rate with the U.S. dollar “has virtually zero correlation” with how the dollar trades against other currencies, Yermack argued, making the currency’s “risk nearly impossible to hedge for businesses and customers and renders it more or less useless as a tool for risk management.” The Bitcoin currency surged above $1,200 earlier this year but currently resides below $700. The Bitcoin is a type of decentralized digital currency based on a peer-to-peer network and can be exchanged through computers internationally without a financial intermediary. The system was first introduced by developer Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009. Complex computers act as “miners” that would confirm transactions between two parties using Bitcoins, and they would receive Bitcoins as compensation. This helps serve to expand the supply of Bitcoins, which can not exceed 21 million. [ As Bitcoin Inches Toward Legitimacy, ETF may Soon Follow ] As the digital currency gains momentum, some have floated the idea of an ETF backed by Bitcoins. Earlier this year, the Winklevoss twins of Facebook ( FB ) fame, filed plans with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the Winklevoss Bitcoin Trust. At the time, the filing did not include a ticker, expense ratio or possible release date, indicating that a launch date was not imminent. [ Winklevoss Bitcoin ETF: Crazy, or Crazy Like a Fox? ] For more information on the ETF industry, visit our current affairs category . |
1,387,884,185 | 2013-12-24 11:23:05+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [0, 163, 444, 597, 724, 787, 887, 983, 1121, 1266, 1332, 1455, 1671, 1713, 1829, 1867, 1946, 2527, 2563, 2612]} | {"Bitcoin": [0]} | Bitcoin’s Status as Currency Undermined | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-status-currency-undermined-112305654.html | 24/7 Wall St. | http://247wallst.com | Bitcoin should not be considered a currency at all, at least by the standards by which traditional currencies are measured. New research on the matter should hurt Bitcoin's efforts to be treated as a viable means of exchange for products and services, the debate over which has caused wild fluctuations in its value.
According to a new research report from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) written by David Yermack:
Motivated by Bitcoin's rapid appreciation in recent weeks, I examine its historical trading behavior to see whether it behaves like a traditional sovereign currency. Bitcoin has exchange rate volatility an order of magnitude higher than the volatilities of widely used currencies, undermining Bitcoin's usefulness as a unit of account or a store of value. Bitcoin's daily exchange rates exhibit virtually zero correlation with bona fide currencies, making Bitcoin useless for risk management purposes and exceedingly difficult for its owners to hedge. Bitcoin also lacks access to a banking system with deposit insurance, and it is not used to denominate consumer credit or loan contracts. Bitcoin appears to behave more like a speculative investment than like a currency.
ALSO READ:The Worst Product Flops of 2013
Essentially, use of Bitcoin as a currency is as risky as many forms of gambling.
Even Bitcoin's own descriptions of its characteristics affirm the NBER analysis. Part of the description of the currency at the Bitcoin site:
The price of a bitcoin can unpredictably increase or decrease over a short period of time due to its young economy, novel nature, and sometimes illiquid markets. Consequently, keeping your savings with Bitcoin is not recommended at this point. Bitcoin should be seen like a high risk asset, and you should never store money that you cannot afford to lose with Bitcoin. If you receive payments with Bitcoin, many service providers can convert them to your local currency
And:
A Bitcoin transaction is usually deployed within a few seconds and begins to be confirmed in the following 10 minutes. During that time, a transaction can be considered authentic but still reversible. Dishonest users could try to cheat. If you can't wait for a confirmation, asking for a small transaction fee or using a detection system for unsafe transactions can increase security. For larger amounts like 1000 US$, it makes sense to wait for 6 confirmations or more. Each confirmation exponentially decreases the risk of a reversed transaction.
As the debate about the future of Bitcoin goes on, the government and Bitcoin itself apparently agree about something. Bitcoin is really not a currency at all.
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1,387,898,220 | 2013-12-24 15:17:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [533]} | {} | MAP: China Totally Dominates Global Trade | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/map-china-totally-dominates-global-151719403.html | Business Insider | http://www.businessinsider.com/ | Last year, China leapfrogged the U.S. to become theworld's biggest trading nation as measured by total exports and importsof goods.
Thismapfrom Brendan O'Reilly atChinese Relationshelps put this in a global context. China is the largest bilateral trading partner for all of the countries in red, the second largest for those in orange, and the third or lower for those in yellow.
Check it out:
China Relations
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1,443,740,700 | 2015-10-01 23:05:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [1519, 1619, 1699, 1912, 2022, 2052, 2194, 3212, 3505, 3572]} | {} | MarilynJean Interactive (MJMI.QB) Today Announced Cancellation of Over 15% of Its Free Trading Shares | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/marilynjean-interactive-mjmi-qb-today-230500361.html | ACCESSWIRE | https://www.accesswire.com/ | HENDERSON, NV / ACCESSWIRE / October 1, 2015 /MarilynJean Interactive (MJMI) today announced cancellation of 21,183,000 Common shares representing 10.9% of its issued and outstanding share total and 15.75% of its free trading shares.
As previously disclosed, on July 11, 2012, the Company issued 42,385,500 units at $0.01/unit, each unit consisting of one common share and one fourth of one common share warrant exercisable at $0.50 and one half of a common share warrant with an exercise price of $1.00. All warrants associated with these units have since expired and none were exercised before expiration.
On October 1, 2015 we have cancelled and returned to treasury 21,183,000 Common Shares, pursuant to Return to Treasury Agreements entered into with certain shareholders. The shareholders voluntarily agreed to cancel the shares and return them to treasury for consideration of promissory notes totaling $155,915. The notes are due and payable upon completion of a financing by our company in excess of $375,000.
Peter Janosi, MJMI's president said: "In addition to the over 100,000,000 convertible preferred shares that were cancelled last week, today's share cancellation brings the total reduction to over 42% of the Company's previous fully diluted share total. By significantly reducing the Company's free trading shares, we believe we have further increased the Company's potential to access capital and grow its business."
MJMI is in the business of providing safe and accessible services for the users of Bitcoin and other crypto-currencies.
MJMI is currently exploring partnerships with several existing Bitcoin and crypto-currency exchanges as well as manufacturers and operators of BitcoinATMs. Such a combination would place the company in an exciting position to offer an end to end solution for trading in various crypto-currencies and potentially capture a share of the lucrative markets of Bitcoin trading and remittance services, just as these markets appear poised to undergo massive growth.
About Bitcoin and Crypto-Currencies
Bitcoin and other crypto-currencies are a medium of exchange using cryptography to secure transactions and control the creation of new units. Bitcoin became the first decentralized crypto-currency in 2009. Crypto-currency is produced at a rate which is defined when the system is created and publicly known. By contrast, in centralized banking and economic systems, such as the Federal Reserve System, corporate boards or governments control the supply of currency by printing units or demanding additions to digital banking ledgers. However, neither companies nor governments can produce units of crypto-currency and as such the value of crypto-currencies are completely based on supply and demand, free from any governmental control. Many people believe crypto-currencies, and in particular bitcoin, hold the promise of being the most significant advancement in global finance in modern history. The advent of bitcoin creates a secure, easily accessible and transferable transnational currency that is completely liberated from political influence.
Richard Branson, head of the Virgin Group, is quoted on his company's website as saying: "I have invested in Bitcoin because I believe in its potential, the capacity it has to transform global payments is very exciting."
Heavyweight investment bank Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS), announced on April 30th 2015 that it had partnered with Chinese investment firm IDG Capital partners to invest $50 million in a Bitcoin start-up. Numerous high-profile firms have begun accepting Bitcoin as a payment method including: Dell Inc. (NASDAQ:DELL), Dish Network Corp. (NASDAQ:DISH), Expedia Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE), and Overstock.com (NASDAQ:OSTK).
MarilynJean Media Interactive is among the first publicly traded companies focused on bitcoin and the crypto-currency space. The company's trading symbol is MJMI.QB.
Website:www.marilynjean.comPress Contact:[email protected]
SOURCE:MarilynJean Interactive |
1,443,799,822 | 2015-10-02 15:30:22+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [2133]} | {} | As California's Drought Drags On, Winners And Losers Emerge | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/californias-drought-drags-winners-losers-153022262.html | Benzinga | http://www.benzinga.com/ | California's severe drought is dragging through its fourth year, leaving the state to continue finding ways to cut back on water usage.
Many of California's biggest businesses have been hard hit by the shortage, but other firms are using the crisis as an opportunity.
Agriculture
Water usage in agriculture is essential, so regulations cutting back on the amount farmers can use each day have been detrimental to the industry. This is especially true for poultry processors who use gallons of water to sanitize and clean each chicken. California's poultry farms process about 3 percent of the U.S. total, adding up to a great deal of water use.
Related Link:California Drought Stocks To Look At
Organics Suffer
Farms throughout California have been required toreduce their water useby 25 percent and cut back on outdoor watering – something that has taken a toll on the state's crops, especially those that are organic.
As organic crops are typically more difficult to grow and require more resources, prices have risen to cope with smaller yields in the wake of the shortage.
However, for companies likeMonsanto Company(NYSE:MON),E I Du Pont De Nemours And Co(NYSE:DD) andSyngenta AG (ADR)(NYSE:SYT), the drought has had the opposite effect. The shortage of water has created a demand for seeds that have been genetically modified to increase crop yields and reduce costs for farmers.
Cutting Back Is A Big Business
California residents have also been subjected to strict water usage limits, making everyday tasks like watering their lawns or even showering more complicated.
However, businesses who help track and cut down on water consumption have seen a boost in sales, as meters are installed and efficient usage gadgets are put to use.Mueller Water Products, Inc.(NYSE:MWA), a company that makes water meters, andRexnord Corp(NYSE:RXN), which focuses on efficient plumbing systems, are both expecting the drought to boost sales and increase their bottom lines.
Image Credit:Public Domain
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© 2015 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. |
1,443,802,083 | 2015-10-02 16:08:03+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [2200]} | {} | Small Businesses Turn To Online Lenders | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/small-businesses-turn-online-lenders-160803405.html | Benzinga | http://www.benzinga.com/ | The tech sector has reached into a new industry over the past year, as more firms rush tomake loansto small businesses. Despite the U.S.'s recovery since the financial crisis, banks have been cautious about doling out small business loans.
In 2008, banks held $711 in small business loans; that figure has decreased significantly to just $599 billion as of the second quarter of 2015. For that reason, there has been a gap in the marketplace as entrepreneurs look for ways to fund their growing companies.
Lending To Well Known Firms
While small business owners might be required to make a pitch to a bank or private investor in order to secure funding, some companies are using their existing relationships with entrepreneurs in order to make loans.
Intuit Inc.(NASDAQ:INTU) together withOn Deck Capital Inc(NYSE:ONDK) havelaunched a financing productthat allows users of the firm's QuickBooks to secure small loans.
Related Link:Intuit And OnDeck To Launch 0M Small Business Lending Fund
The firm is able to use existing data from the user to determine how risky the loan would be, making it easier to deliver lower-rate loans for businesses with strong financials.
Knowledge Is Power
Other firms have created similar programs that use data gathered from customers in order to determine whether a loan is worthwhile.
Online lender Kabbage Inc. has partnered withUnited Parcel Service, Inc.(NYSE:UPS) to make loans using the firm's shipping history as a gauge of how many orders they're fulfilling.PayPal Holdings Inc(NASDAQ:PYPL) similarly uses vendors' transaction history to determine whether a loan would be high-risk.
High Interest Rates
However, such loans can be difficult for small business owners to repay. As online lenders become plentiful, many are jockeying for clients by offering more money at higher rates.
The ease of borrowing money online has also given rise to a slew of cash advance firms that are able to approve huge sums of money quickly, but charge annual percentage rates of more than 100 percent.
Image Credit: Public Domain
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© 2015 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. |
1,388,072,700 | 2013-12-26 15:45:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [2616]} | {} | Political Gamblers Place Their Bets on Hillary Clinton | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/political-gamblers-place-bets-hillary-154500503.html | The Fiscal Times | http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/ | Even before the first ad is aired for next year’s midterm elections, the media has played leapfrog and anointedHillary Clinton and Chris Christiethe odds-on favorites to face off in the 2016 presidential election.
Hollywood has weighed in too, according to “Extra,” with endorsements for Clinton from Oprah and Elton John and Shaquille O’Neal and Jon Bon Jovi.
Now, theAmerican Civics Exchange, a futures market that allows traders and others in financial services to gamble on political outcomes, is taking bets. It uses fake money as it awaits approval from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). ACE has a track record of success; it correctly predicted when the government shutdown would end.
Related: A Republican Who Could Actually Win the Presidency
According to the market, Christie is in the lead to represent the GOP, currently trading at $30 per share. His closest competitor, Paul Ryan, is trading at $11.
On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton is a surer bet, trading at $67. Her closest competitor, Joe Biden, is trading at $12. (The price of the futurecorrelates to percentage. For instance, a Clinton future worth $67 means that there is a 67 percent chance she'll be the nominee.)
These results track with recent polling. ACNN/ORC International pollheld last month found that 24 percent of Independents who leaned right and Republicans favored Christie, with 13 percent pulling for Ryan. The same poll found that 63 percent of Democrats and left-leaning Independents favored Clinton, while 12 percent polled for Biden.
Presidential races are not the only futures the market trades. It predicts who will keep the House and Senate in 2014, giving Democrats a20 percent chance of retaking the House, and a 68 percent change of keeping the Senate.
[{"Outcome": "GOP nominee 2016", "Prediction (12/25)": "Christie (29%)"}, {"Outcome": "Dem nominee 2016", "Prediction (12/25)": "Clinton (64%)"}, {"Outcome": "Dem Pres 2016", "Prediction (12/25)": "Yes (66%)"}, {"Outcome": "Dem House 2014", "Prediction (12/25)": "No (20%)"}, {"Outcome": "Dem Senate 2014", "Prediction (12/25)": "Yes (67%)"}, {"Outcome": "Obamacare repeal", "Prediction (12/25)": "No (16%)"}, {"Outcome": "Indiv. Mandate delay", "Prediction (12/25)": "No (1%)"}, {"Outcome": "Device tax repeal", "Prediction (12/25)": "No (1%)"}, {"Outcome": "Keystone approval", "Prediction (12/25)": "Yes (66%)"}, {"Outcome": "Corporate tax cut", "Prediction (12/25)": "No (19%)"}, {"Outcome": "Govt shutdown in Jan 2014", "Prediction (12/25)": "No (2%)"}, {"Outcome": "FDA Forxiga approval", "Prediction (12/25)": "Yes (80%)"}, {"Outcome": "Bitcoin regulation", "Prediction (12/25)": "No (35%)"}, {"Outcome": "TPP ratification", "Prediction (12/25)": "Yes (63%)"}, {"Outcome": "Minimum wage hike", "Prediction (12/25)": "No (40%)"}]
It also predicts bad news for opponents of the new health care law. On the market, Obamacare only has a 15 percent chance of being repealed, and there's only a 17 percent chance the individual mandate will fail.
For now, anyone can sign up to participate in the market. Each person is given $100,000 fake dollars. According to a report on NextGov.com, some participants have already doubled their fortune to more than $200,000.
Related: 5 Who Could Lead the Republican Party In 2013
"What’s been surprising is how sophisticated a really broad range of our traders are,” Flip Pidot, cofounder of the site,told NextGov.“People have emailed us and told us in forums about policy outcomes they’d like to see us use and they tend to be quite well reasoned."
It's not clear when the CFTC will make a decision whether to allow the exchange to trade real money. If it does, it would allow groups with economic interest in political outcomes to hedge against an outcome that is against their interests.
Getting CFTC approval could be a long shot. On November 26th, 2012 the Commission brought a suit against Intrade, a popular sports betting website that had delved into predicting the 2012 presidential election, for unregulated trading in gold and other traditional commodities. Intrade closed all its US member accounts one year ago and suspended all trading 3 months later.
Related: How the South Won the GOP and Lost the 2016 Election
Whether ACE gets the nod from the CFTC or not, it could influence the polls and the media. For instance, imagine a fake lobbying group called Washingtonians for Better Taxes, a group that advocates for lower taxes for the rich. Now imagine a huge tax reform package that would raise taxes on the rich goes before Congress. The group goes to ACE to determine the likelihood of a plan passing, allowing them to hedge spending based on the probability of the bill passing.
So if the ACE indicates that futures in the tax bill are trading at $51, Washingtonians for Better Taxes might ramp up efforts to get the bill below the $50 threshold, pushing chances of passage below 50 percent. However, if futures in the tax bill are trading at $90, meaning the package has a 90 percent chance at passing, they can ease up on lobbying.
They could also spend their money to rig the outcome.
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1,388,073,600 | 2013-12-26 16:00:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [2699]} | {} | The Worst Mistake for Small Businesses to Continue in 2014 | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/worst-mistake-small-businesses-continue-160000145.html | Entrepreneur | http://www.entrepreneur.com/ | Now and then I come across that person who runs a business like it's still the 1960s. It's usually a restaurant, convenience store, gas station or a little shop. It doesn't seem to have been cleaned in years. There are dusty pictures of Sinatra and the Pope (Pope John XXIII, that is) on the wall. There's a cat or a sleeping dog somewhere. The floorboard creaks. There is little sunlight.
And yet, this person survives. He may in fact be doing OK. The food is still pretty good. There remains a loyal customer base and/or little competition in the neighborhood. The business is running on autopilot.
But he's making one big mistake:
"Sorry, we don't accept credit cards." Or, "We only accept credit cards for purchases over $10."
Do you ever hear this at Starbucks, 7-Eleven or Olive Garden? No. And these companies will ruthlessly take business from the 1960s guy if they can.
Here's a fact: many peoplearen't carrying cashanymore. You will have to accept credit cards, and soon you will have to accept electronic payments. Don't try to pretend that we, your customers, don't know the real reasons why you don't accept credit cards. You don't want to pay the extra fees, right? And you don't want the tax man to know how much you're bringing in, right?
Related:Survey: Small-Business Owners Still Slow to Embrace Credit-Card Payments
Don't you think the IRS is smarter than that? If they choose to audit you, don't you think a 12 year old could stand in your store or restaurant for a few days, tally up your average receipts and extrapolate over a year's worth of business to reasonably estimate your revenues? And if that number is significantly different than the one you're reporting because you're oh-so-smart and only taking cash and hiding receipts, don't you think you'll raise a few eyebrows?
Clinging to an all-cash business just to play games with your taxes is not a good model to follow. You will get burned.
Yes, there are fees. All the credit card companies charge them. And so do mobile payment services such as PayPal and Square. Some of them can be as high as 3 percent per transaction. And even though you can search around for a better deal, the fact is that you're going to pay fees.
So welcome to 2014. Remaining cash only may not only cost you new customers, but keeping the ones that you have. I may really like the veal parm at the little family joint in South Philly, but I'm getting tired of the "we only accept cash" sign that hangs in front of the register. There are plenty of other places in South Philly that serve a good veal parm who accept credit cards.
Cash is going away. We live in a world of credit cards, mobile payments, online banking, wire transfers and Bitcoin.
Sure, we miss Sinatra and Mickey Mantle. And my mom tells me a milkshake today just doesn't taste like it did when she was a kid. But even if you make that great milkshake, don't expect today's customer to have the cash to pay for it.
Related:What Your Banker Isn't Telling You
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1,388,073,600 | 2013-12-26 16:00:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [2699]} | {} | The Worst Mistake for Small Businesses to Continue in 2014 | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/finance.yahoo.com/news/worst-mistake-small-businesses-continue-160000145.html | Entrepreneur | http://www.entrepreneur.com/ | Now and then I come across that person who runs a business like it's still the 1960s. It's usually a restaurant, convenience store, gas station or a little shop. It doesn't seem to have been cleaned in years. There are dusty pictures of Sinatra and the Pope (Pope John XXIII, that is) on the wall. There's a cat or a sleeping dog somewhere. The floorboard creaks. There is little sunlight.
And yet, this person survives. He may in fact be doing OK. The food is still pretty good. There remains a loyal customer base and/or little competition in the neighborhood. The business is running on autopilot.
But he's making one big mistake:
"Sorry, we don't accept credit cards." Or, "We only accept credit cards for purchases over $10."
Do you ever hear this at Starbucks, 7-Eleven or Olive Garden? No. And these companies will ruthlessly take business from the 1960s guy if they can.
Here's a fact: many peoplearen't carrying cashanymore. You will have to accept credit cards, and soon you will have to accept electronic payments. Don't try to pretend that we, your customers, don't know the real reasons why you don't accept credit cards. You don't want to pay the extra fees, right? And you don't want the tax man to know how much you're bringing in, right?
Related:Survey: Small-Business Owners Still Slow to Embrace Credit-Card Payments
Don't you think the IRS is smarter than that? If they choose to audit you, don't you think a 12 year old could stand in your store or restaurant for a few days, tally up your average receipts and extrapolate over a year's worth of business to reasonably estimate your revenues? And if that number is significantly different than the one you're reporting because you're oh-so-smart and only taking cash and hiding receipts, don't you think you'll raise a few eyebrows?
Clinging to an all-cash business just to play games with your taxes is not a good model to follow. You will get burned.
Yes, there are fees. All the credit card companies charge them. And so do mobile payment services such as PayPal and Square. Some of them can be as high as 3 percent per transaction. And even though you can search around for a better deal, the fact is that you're going to pay fees.
So welcome to 2014. Remaining cash only may not only cost you new customers, but keeping the ones that you have. I may really like the veal parm at the little family joint in South Philly, but I'm getting tired of the "we only accept cash" sign that hangs in front of the register. There are plenty of other places in South Philly that serve a good veal parm who accept credit cards.
Cash is going away. We live in a world of credit cards, mobile payments, online banking, wire transfers and Bitcoin.
Sure, we miss Sinatra and Mickey Mantle. And my mom tells me a milkshake today just doesn't taste like it did when she was a kid. But even if you make that great milkshake, don't expect today's customer to have the cash to pay for it.
Related:What Your Banker Isn't Telling You
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1,388,091,900 | 2013-12-26 21:05:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [418, 525, 694, 986, 2676, 3013], "BTC": [1699, 1716, 1918, 1935]} | {"Bitcoin": [42]} | WPCS Announces Public Beta Release of BTX Bitcoin Trading Platform | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/wpcs-announces-public-beta-release-210500070.html | Marketwired | http://www.marketwired.com/ | EXTON, PA--(Marketwired - Dec 26, 2013) - WPCS International Incorporated (NASDAQ:WPCS), ("WPCS" or the "Company"), today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, BTX Trader, LLC ("BTX Trader" or "BTX") has released a beta version of its Windows-based trading platform that is now available to the public atwww.btxtrader.com. BTX Trader, which was recently acquired by WPCS, is the first trading platform to enable Bitcoin traders and industry researchers to access market data and execute orders on the five most popular Bitcoin exchanges in a single application.
According to Sebastian Giordano, Interim CEO of WPCS, "Now that we have completed this pioneering acquisition in the emerging Bitcoin industry, we intend to hit the ground running. The public release of the beta version of the BTX Trader platform will give the market a preliminary glimpse of some of the features and capabilities that will ultimately help define our unique and proprietary technology."
"We encourage Bitcoin traders and others to download, install and try out the beta version of the BTX Trader application and take a look at our blog for the latest updates. Obviously, we are still in development mode, but we're on schedule to release both web and mobile versions of our platform by early 2014," continued BTX Trader Chief Operating Officer, Ilya Subkhankulov.
Divya Thakur, BTX Trader Chief Technology Officer, added that, "A key differentiating aspect of our professional grade user interface is that it utilizes a proprietary BTX logic that we believe will help traders better manage risk."
Current beta features include:
• Order EntryStandard limit orders and stop limit orders on five exchanges -- CampBX, BTC-E, BitStamp, BTC China and Mt. Gox;
• Trade Life Cycle ManagementBlotter window to monitor positions and orders, including the ability to cancel orders;
• Market DataReal-time information for six exchanges: CampBX, BTC-E, BitStamp, BTC China, Mt. Gox & CaVirtex displaying time and sales trades; quotes with latest prices bid/ask/last prices; tick charts showing bid/ask/last over the past four hours; and, bar charts for longer term price trend analysis.
Giordano concluded that, "In addition to continuing the aggressive steps initiated in August 2013 to improve WPCS' balance sheet and performance through, amongst other things, cost reductions, debt restructuring, cessation and sale of negative cash flow businesses, and focusing on our remaining profitable engineering subsidiaries, we fully expect that BTX Trader will begin generating revenue by mid-year of calendar 2014. This public beta release is merely the first step towards establishing and then growing the Bitcoin segment of our business."
About WPCS International Incorporated
WPCS operates in two business segments including: providing engineering capabilities such as wireless communication, specialty construction and electrical power to the public services, healthcare, energy and corporate enterprise markets worldwide, and developing a Bitcoin trading platform. For more information, please visitwww.wpcs.comandwww.btxtrader.com.
Statements about the company's future expectations, including future revenue and earnings and all other statements in this press release, other than historical facts, are "forward looking" statements and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time. The company's actual results could differ materially from expected results. In reflecting subsequent events or circumstances, the company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements. |
1,418,925,960 | 2014-12-18 18:06:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [1063]} | {} | Time Inc. Is Making A Huge, Ambitious Bet To Become A Tech Company | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/time-inc-making-huge-ambitious-180600642.html | Business Insider | http://www.businessinsider.com/ | LinkedInTime Inc.'s senior vice president of digital M Scott Havens.
Time Inc. doesn’t just want to be known and just to operate as the publisher of popular magazines like Time, Sports Illustrated, InStyle and People any more.
It wants to become a technology company too, launching its own products to rival the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Salesforce and even Tinder.
Ever since former ownerTime Warner announced it was to spin off Time Incinto a separately publicly traded company last year, Time Inc. has been making some loud noises that it’s not just a dusty old magazine publisher that doesn’t understand digital.
Its first big moves actually happened before the deal had even closed. At the turn of the year, the vice president of Amazon’s digital store platformColin Bodell became Time Inc’s chief technology officerand executive vice president. In March the company hired The Atlantic’s presidentM Scott Havens as its senior vice president of digital.
In the last month alone, Time Inc announced it will becomethe first major magazine publisher to accept Bitcoinfor subscription payments,People en Español launched an online show, and People partnered with intelligence company Poshly to create a data-driven digital channel“Poshly Giveaways by People.”
The latest digital charge: If This Then That
IFTTT
Today (December 18) Time Inc. continued its digital charge by announcing a partnership withIFTTT (If This, Then That), the online service that allows users to create actions like sending a tweet or email when a certain trigger happens (like a website has been updated or the weather shows it’s going to rain).
From today, five of Time Inc’s titles — Entertainment Weekly, InStyle, People, Sports Illustrated and Time — now have channels on IFTTT. Time is using its internally developed OneBot social trending tool, so IFTTT users will receive links to trending stories with customized notifications. If they follow the channels, they will receive curated weekly email digests and articles can be pushed (if they choose) to Twitter and Facebook, or to apps like Pocket, for reading at a later date.
IFTTT CEO and co-founder Linden Tibbets told Business Insider in a phone interview that Time Inc. approached his company, looking for new ways to distribute its content to more readers. Time Inc also wanted to reach younger, more tech-savvy than traditional print readers that may never have trialled its magazine brands and their websites before.
Tibbets says with so much change affecting the publishing industry — first with the move to web, then search, social and mobile — Time is saying “we don’t want to be surprised any more, we want to find ways to get ahead of that curve.”
He added: “It’s about how you allow consumers to read and consume, with the options and choices Time is giving readers, they are working to get ahead of that curve and become a tech company.”
Time Inc. To Launch The Next Tinder?
But to become a tech company, Time Inc. knows it can’t just rely on digitalizing its legacy businesses. It is currently squirreling away, creating its own standalone tech businesses. That OneBot social trending tool — which Time Inc. may also look at expanding into a b2b product for other businesses —is just the start.
M. Scott Havens, Time Inc.’s SVP of digital, told Business Insider in a separate phone interview: “We’ve got to stop thinking about the older, traditional, write an article, sell ads [type of model]…we are building other apps. We are trying to think about non-text, based, journalism features but other [standalone] apps and businesses. Next year you will see lots of stuff coming out of Time Inc. that people are not used to seeing from us.”
Such a change in mindset and business focus requires a huge cultural reorganization. Processes are different, priorities change, even desk layout ought to be different than a traditional newsroom. How do the old-school journalists feel about this new approach? Havens says they are “really supportive,” although he adds that there is always the question of resources and priorities in any company going through a transition. Indeed, in February, before Havens’ arrival, Time Inc. announced it was to cut 500 jobs ahead of its spinoff.
Havens says he has a perfect recent example of how the new culture really works among staffers: A “young guy” working on the Sports Illustrated editorial team recently had a great idea for an “utilitarian app,” which Havens describes as a kind of Tinder meets Yelp. The guy told his editor, who allowed him to work on the project (at the expense of his time working on Sports Illustrated) with Havens. The company is now working on a prototype.
“That’s something completely disassociated with the websites and magazines we produce. Things are shifting to enable innovation and development and having a go to market process.” Havens said.
Time Inc’s shareholders are also betting on the transformation. And despite 2014 clearly being a transition year, its stock price has risen slightly from $20.85 when it first floated to $24.44 at the time of writing. In its most recent quarter, revenue was up by $3 million year on year to $821 million. Operating income was down 8% to $106 million, which the company blamed on an accelerated depreciation charge on its current tenant improvements as a result of a planned relocation of its headquarters. It also has $1.3 billion in net debt to deal with, following its purchase of UK publisher IPC Media (which publishes magazines including NME and Wallpaper) from Time Warner.
There’s still a lot of work to be done, clearly. But this time next year, Time Inc. will likely have lessened its reliance on magazines, and “traditional” digital ads and could well be talking in its next income statements about new revenue streams: Havens hints that everything from consumer apps, b2b technologies and content for watches, cars and refrigerators are all being considered.
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1,388,114,700 | 2013-12-27 03:25:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [41, 114, 265, 560, 831, 984, 1335, 1421, 1481, 1553, 2036, 2217, 2263, 2318, 2379, 2474, 2519]} | {"Bitcoin": [55]} | Blockchain.info Acquires ZeroBlock, The Killer App For Bitcoin | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/finance.yahoo.com/news/blockchain-acquires-zeroblock-killer-app-032500901.html | ACCESSWIRE | https://www.accesswire.com/ | Blockchain.info has acquired the premier Bitcoin mobile application ZeroBlock.
December 27th, 2013 / ACCESSWIRE / Bitcoin icon Blockchain.info is proud to announce the acquisition of ZeroBlock: a leading mobile application for iPhone and Android devices.
Alongside Bitcoin itself, both companies have had explosive growth and the timing is perfect to combine forces. In November, Blockchain.info added nearly 300,000 users and ZeroBlock saw meteoric downloads with the release of its much anticipated Android version.
“When I’m asked what’s the killer app for Bitcoin right now I always recommend ZeroBlock.” Says Nicolas Cary, CEO of Blockchain.info.
“What Dan Held and Kevin Johnson have accomplished is truly remarkable. ZeroBlock has created an enduring design aesthetic that elegantly filters the signal from the noise in the Bitcoin ecosystem. I’m completely obsessed with it” he added.
“Kevin and I felt there was a void in the app marketplace for a well-designed, informative Bitcoin app.” Said Held. “So we built ZeroBlock to be simplistic but possess deep functionality, focusing on easily digestible and relevant information.”
“We were excited to have the opportunity to grow ZeroBlock with the resources and user base of Blockchain.info. With their support, ZeroBlock will solidify its position as the leader in the mobile Bitcoin app marketplace.”
Blockchain.info has some very ambitious future goals in the Bitcoin space – one of these is to build an informed global Bitcoin audience. ZeroBlock will play a pivotal role helping the global Bitcoin community follow market trends and open up new revenue sources.
Finally, Blockchain.info is excited to announce that Dan Held will be joining the Blockchain team as Product Manager.
Held plans to accelerate development of Blockchain.info products. “I took the normally boring task of checking financial data and news, and managed to make it an enjoyable and highly engaging experience. Now I hope to bring that usability to Blockchain.info, starting with the redesign of the Bitcoin wallet aesthetics and functionality, while simultaneously working to take ZeroBlock to new heights.”
About Blockchain:Blockchain.info is the original and pre-eminent online Bitcoin wallet; praised by geeks and loved by Bitcoiners worldwide. Blockchain.info also hosts fresh Bitcoin charts, currency statistics, and an easy to navigate Bitcoin Blockchain explorer.
About ZeroBlock:ZeroBlock is the leader in mobile development for Bitcoin enthusiasts. ZeroBlock combines live Bitcoin exchange data with up to the minute breaking news and charts.
To learn more about ZeroBlock, please visit:Main landing Page:http://www.zeroblock.com/Download ZeroBlock on iOS:https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/zeroblock/id643184018?mt=8Download ZeroBlock on Android:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.phlint.android.zeroblock&hl=en
Visithttp://blockchain.info/for more information.
Contact InfoName: Nicolas Cary CEO, Blockchain.infoOrganization: Blockchain.infoEmail: [email protected] |
1,388,114,700 | 2013-12-27 03:25:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [41, 114, 265, 560, 831, 984, 1335, 1421, 1481, 1553, 2036, 2217, 2263, 2318, 2379, 2474, 2519]} | {"Bitcoin": [55]} | Blockchain.info Acquires ZeroBlock, The Killer App For Bitcoin | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/blockchain-acquires-zeroblock-killer-app-032500901.html | ACCESSWIRE | https://www.accesswire.com/ | Blockchain.info has acquired the premier Bitcoin mobile application ZeroBlock.
December 27th, 2013 / ACCESSWIRE / Bitcoin icon Blockchain.info is proud to announce the acquisition of ZeroBlock: a leading mobile application for iPhone and Android devices.
Alongside Bitcoin itself, both companies have had explosive growth and the timing is perfect to combine forces. In November, Blockchain.info added nearly 300,000 users and ZeroBlock saw meteoric downloads with the release of its much anticipated Android version.
“When I’m asked what’s the killer app for Bitcoin right now I always recommend ZeroBlock.” Says Nicolas Cary, CEO of Blockchain.info.
“What Dan Held and Kevin Johnson have accomplished is truly remarkable. ZeroBlock has created an enduring design aesthetic that elegantly filters the signal from the noise in the Bitcoin ecosystem. I’m completely obsessed with it” he added.
“Kevin and I felt there was a void in the app marketplace for a well-designed, informative Bitcoin app.” Said Held. “So we built ZeroBlock to be simplistic but possess deep functionality, focusing on easily digestible and relevant information.”
“We were excited to have the opportunity to grow ZeroBlock with the resources and user base of Blockchain.info. With their support, ZeroBlock will solidify its position as the leader in the mobile Bitcoin app marketplace.”
Blockchain.info has some very ambitious future goals in the Bitcoin space – one of these is to build an informed global Bitcoin audience. ZeroBlock will play a pivotal role helping the global Bitcoin community follow market trends and open up new revenue sources.
Finally, Blockchain.info is excited to announce that Dan Held will be joining the Blockchain team as Product Manager.
Held plans to accelerate development of Blockchain.info products. “I took the normally boring task of checking financial data and news, and managed to make it an enjoyable and highly engaging experience. Now I hope to bring that usability to Blockchain.info, starting with the redesign of the Bitcoin wallet aesthetics and functionality, while simultaneously working to take ZeroBlock to new heights.”
About Blockchain:Blockchain.info is the original and pre-eminent online Bitcoin wallet; praised by geeks and loved by Bitcoiners worldwide. Blockchain.info also hosts fresh Bitcoin charts, currency statistics, and an easy to navigate Bitcoin Blockchain explorer.
About ZeroBlock:ZeroBlock is the leader in mobile development for Bitcoin enthusiasts. ZeroBlock combines live Bitcoin exchange data with up to the minute breaking news and charts.
To learn more about ZeroBlock, please visit:Main landing Page:http://www.zeroblock.com/Download ZeroBlock on iOS:https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/zeroblock/id643184018?mt=8Download ZeroBlock on Android:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.phlint.android.zeroblock&hl=en
Visithttp://blockchain.info/for more information.
Contact InfoName: Nicolas Cary CEO, Blockchain.infoOrganization: Blockchain.infoEmail: [email protected] |
1,443,928,689 | 2015-10-04 03:18:09+00:00 | {} | {"Bitcoin": [0]} | Bitcoin flounders in Australia as regulatory worries bite | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-flounders-australia-regulatory-worries-031809418.html | Reuters | http://www.reuters.com/ | By Byron Kaye and Swati Pandey
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian businesses are turning their backs on bitcoin, as signs grow that the cryptocurrency's mainstream appeal is fading.
Concerns about bitcoin's potential crime links mean many businesses have stopped accepting it, a trend accelerated by Australian banks' move last month to close the accounts of 13 of the country's 17 bitcoin exchanges.
The development is a blow to hopes of bitcoin fans that the currency can play a significant role in everyday business transactions in developed economies, with Australia once seen as one of its most promising markets. It is estimated to hold 7 percent of the currency's $3.5 billion global value, a sizeable figure in a country of just 24 million people.
"We've got a squeaky clean reputation, and that's actually worth a lot more to us than dipping into this," said James Snodgrass, principal of Sydney's Forsyth Real Estate, which ditched the currency in late 2014 after the firm was investigated by the federal tax office.
Forsyth had offered to collect home deposits and other realtor fees via bitcoin to cater to international buyers. The tax office probe found no wrongdoing but Forsyth was burned by the negative publicity and bailed out before ever taking a bitcoin payment.
Although most mainstream banks in Europe and the U.S. already refuse to keep bitcoin-affiliated accounts, developments in Australia represent the first coordinated shutdown of bitcoin exchanges by a country's banking system.
The move makes it much harder for people to convert regular currencies in to or out of bitcoin, threatening its long-term value.
"It really runs on people using bitcoin, and if nobody uses it then it's worthless," said University of Technology Sydney senior finance lecturer Adrian Lee.
BANK SHUTDOWN
The banks' shutdown appears at odds with a government inquiry which in August recommended removing sales tax for people who buy bitcoin. The Australian anti-money laundering agency, AUSTRAC, told Reuters that banks have no legal obligation to close bitcoin accounts.
The so-called "Big Four" banks - Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Westpac Banking Corp, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group and National Australia Bank - directed inquiries about bitcoin to the Australian Bankers' Association.
Tony Pearson, the association's acting chief executive, wouldn't confirm the coordinated rejection of bitcoin but said in an email that its "lack of transparency and regulatory oversight raises a number of risks for users and also poses risks for the payments system, the integrity of the financial system and the erosion of the tax base".
Australia's organized crime agency has said it is concerned the currency's untraceable nature makes it attractive for money laundering and selling illicit drugs.
In the U.K. and the U.S., most large banks have already cut ties with bitcoin account holders, but lack of industry co-ordination has left room for individual lenders to support the currency, including Germany's Fidor Bank AG, which operates in Britain, and tech-focused Californian lender Silicon Valley Bank.
CLOSE, MOVE OFFSHORE OR SNEAK AROUND
The 13 Australian bitcoin exchanges whose accounts were closed by the banks have shut operations.
The remaining four have had their accounts frozen, and now face three options: close, move overseas or spread their business into several smaller bank accounts to avoid detection by their banks.
Buyabitcoin.com.au, one of the remaining four exchanges, said it is still considering its options.
"It makes it, obviously, hard to take payments from our customers, but we have a couple of relationships left," said Andrew Smith, general manager of the Melbourne-based exchange.
Smith declined to identify which bank his firm is now using from fear of repercussions but said he plans to move the business offshore.
Two sources told Reuters that regional lender Bank of Queensland still held some bitcoin accounts. The bank said in an email that "virtual currencies fall outside of our risk appetite" but did not deny or confirm it had these accounts.
RETAIL PULLOUT
Some industry watchers believe ambivalence may be bitcoin's biggest problem.
At least six Australian retail businesses, which as recently as 2014 courted publicity for offering sales by bitcoin, told Reuters they were considering exiting the currency.
"If governments begin to aggressively attack the whole idea of cryptocurrencies and give it a bad name, it might have an adverse effect on our brand by accepting it," said David Brim, co-founder of off-road vehicle maker Tomcar Australia, which has sold one car using bitcoin since introducing it in November 2014.
Grant Fairweather, owner of the Metropolitan Hotel in Sydney, said he started accepting bitcoin when a group of digital currency fans chose his pub as their regular meeting venue.
"They tell me that it's doing quite well, but that doesn't transpose into here," said Fairweather, who sells about A$100 ($70) worth of drinks via bitcoin from the meetings and does no other bitcoin trade.
An online clothing retailer told Reuters she had made no bitcoin sales since introducing the service in 2013 and asked not to be named, saying "since bitcoin's going out anyway, we'd rather not throw our name back into it".
(Additional reporting by Nathan Lynch in SYDNEY and Jemima Kelly in LONDON. Editing by Jane Wardell and Rachel Armstrong) |
1,443,929,962 | 2015-10-04 03:39:22+00:00 | {} | {"Bitcoin": [0]} | Bitcoin flounders in Australia as regulatory worries bite | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-flounders-australia-regulatory-worries-bite-033922041--sector.html | Reuters | https://www.reuters.com/ | By Byron Kaye and Swati Pandey SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian businesses are turning their backs on bitcoin, as signs grow that the cryptocurrency's mainstream appeal is fading. Concerns about bitcoin's potential crime links mean many businesses have stopped accepting it, a trend accelerated by Australian banks' move last month to close the accounts of 13 of the country's 17 bitcoin exchanges. The development is a blow to hopes of bitcoin fans that the currency can play a significant role in everyday business transactions in developed economies, with Australia once seen as one of its most promising markets. It is estimated to hold 7 percent of the currency's $3.5 billion global value, a sizeable figure in a country of just 24 million people. "We've got a squeaky clean reputation, and that's actually worth a lot more to us than dipping into this," said James Snodgrass, principal of Sydney's Forsyth Real Estate, which ditched the currency in late 2014 after the firm was investigated by the federal tax office. Forsyth had offered to collect home deposits and other realtor fees via bitcoin to cater to international buyers. The tax office probe found no wrongdoing but Forsyth was burned by the negative publicity and bailed out before ever taking a bitcoin payment. Although most mainstream banks in Europe and the U.S. already refuse to keep bitcoin-affiliated accounts, developments in Australia represent the first coordinated shutdown of bitcoin exchanges by a country's banking system. The move makes it much harder for people to convert regular currencies in to or out of bitcoin, threatening its long-term value. "It really runs on people using bitcoin, and if nobody uses it then it's worthless," said University of Technology Sydney senior finance lecturer Adrian Lee. BANK SHUTDOWN The banks' shutdown appears at odds with a government inquiry which in August recommended removing sales tax for people who buy bitcoin. The Australian anti-money laundering agency, AUSTRAC, told Reuters that banks have no legal obligation to close bitcoin accounts. The so-called "Big Four" banks - Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Westpac Banking Corp, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group and National Australia Bank - directed inquiries about bitcoin to the Australian Bankers' Association. Tony Pearson, the association's acting chief executive, wouldn't confirm the coordinated rejection of bitcoin but said in an email that its "lack of transparency and regulatory oversight raises a number of risks for users and also poses risks for the payments system, the integrity of the financial system and the erosion of the tax base". Australia's organised crime agency has said it is concerned the currency's untraceable nature makes it attractive for money laundering and selling illicit drugs. In the U.K. and the U.S., most large banks have already cut ties with bitcoin account holders, but lack of industry co-ordination has left room for individual lenders to support the currency, including Germany's Fidor Bank AG, which operates in Britain, and tech-focused Californian lender Silicon Valley Bank. CLOSE, MOVE OFFSHORE OR SNEAK AROUND The 13 Australian bitcoin exchanges whose accounts were closed by the banks have shut operations. The remaining four have had their accounts frozen, and now face three options: close, move overseas or spread their business into several smaller bank accounts to avoid detection by their banks. Buyabitcoin.com.au, one of the remaining four exchanges, said it is still considering its options. "It makes it, obviously, hard to take payments from our customers, but we have a couple of relationships left," said Andrew Smith, general manager of the Melbourne-based exchange. Smith declined to identify which bank his firm is now using from fear of repercussions but said he plans to move the business offshore. Two sources told Reuters that regional lender Bank of Queensland still held some bitcoin accounts. The bank said in an email that "virtual currencies fall outside of our risk appetite" but did not deny or confirm it had these accounts. RETAIL PULLOUT Some industry watchers believe ambivalence may be bitcoin's biggest problem. At least six Australian retail businesses, which as recently as 2014 courted publicity for offering sales by bitcoin, told Reuters they were considering exiting the currency. "If governments begin to aggressively attack the whole idea of cryptocurrencies and give it a bad name, it might have an adverse effect on our brand by accepting it," said David Brim, co-founder of off-road vehicle maker Tomcar Australia, which has sold one car using bitcoin since introducing it in November 2014. Grant Fairweather, owner of the Metropolitan Hotel in Sydney, said he started accepting bitcoin when a group of digital currency fans chose his pub as their regular meeting venue. "They tell me that it's doing quite well, but that doesn't transpose into here," said Fairweather, who sells about A$100 ($70) worth of drinks via bitcoin from the meetings and does no other bitcoin trade. An online clothing retailer told Reuters she had made no bitcoin sales since introducing the service in 2013 and asked not to be named, saying "since bitcoin's going out anyway, we'd rather not throw our name back into it". (Additional reporting by Nathan Lynch in SYDNEY and Jemima Kelly in LONDON. Editing by Jane Wardell and Rachel Armstrong) |
1,388,142,393 | 2013-12-27 11:06:33+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [238, 611, 1323]} | {} | The 'Joke' Digital Currency Dogecoin Is Actually A Really Big Deal | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/finance.yahoo.com/news/joke-digital-currency-dogecoin-actually-110633367.html | Business Insider | http://www.businessinsider.com/ | Imgur
One of the big stories on Christmas day was the hugetheft of over $6000 worth of Dogecoin.
As soon as that news broke, we saw a bunch of people on Twitter asking: "What the hell is Dogecoin?"
Basically, it's a digital currency like Bitcoin that also incorporates bizarre "doge" meme, which involves a picture of a dog and some random words on it.
Rob Wile wrote abouthow the currencywas invented. Basically it was a joke, but in less than a month, the total value of all theDogecoins in the world are over $8 million, according to CoinMarketCap.com.
There are lots of digital currencies that are based on Bitcoin or competing with it in some way. Some seem more serious than others. All have little tweaks that distinguish it. Often the changes have to do with the mining process.
Dogecoin seems like a funny amusement, more than a serious thing, and in a sense that's true.
And yet in a way it's a really big deal. Here's something that was started by two guys (one in Portland, and one in Australia) and now Dogecoins are already a huge currency online for "tipping", basically giving away free coins to someone if you like something they do (like for example if they leave a great comment on Reddit).
The Dogecoin community on Reddit is already huge, bigger than all other digital currency communities, except the Bitcoin one.
What this means is that a community that has a taste for the absurd (people who are into weird internet memes) can have their own currency with real economic value in a short time. It seems like a symbol of things to come.
It's easy to imagine any number of communities or affinity groups having their own currency. A band for example could create a currency for fans to purchase merchandise.
Who knows if Dogecoin itself will go anywhere. In two weeks, the "doge" meme could be completely forgotten, and then the currency itself will seem like a funny joke from the good old days of 2013.
But the ease with which something can establish moneyness and serve a purpose within a community is impressive, and a sign of things to come.
More From Business Insider
• In The Future, We May Only Have Sex For Fun — Not To Procreate
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1,388,142,393 | 2013-12-27 11:06:33+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [238, 611, 1323]} | {} | The 'Joke' Digital Currency Dogecoin Is Actually A Really Big Deal | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/joke-digital-currency-dogecoin-actually-110633367.html | Business Insider | http://www.businessinsider.com/ | Imgur
One of the big stories on Christmas day was the hugetheft of over $6000 worth of Dogecoin.
As soon as that news broke, we saw a bunch of people on Twitter asking: "What the hell is Dogecoin?"
Basically, it's a digital currency like Bitcoin that also incorporates bizarre "doge" meme, which involves a picture of a dog and some random words on it.
Rob Wile wrote abouthow the currencywas invented. Basically it was a joke, but in less than a month, the total value of all theDogecoins in the world are over $8 million, according to CoinMarketCap.com.
There are lots of digital currencies that are based on Bitcoin or competing with it in some way. Some seem more serious than others. All have little tweaks that distinguish it. Often the changes have to do with the mining process.
Dogecoin seems like a funny amusement, more than a serious thing, and in a sense that's true.
And yet in a way it's a really big deal. Here's something that was started by two guys (one in Portland, and one in Australia) and now Dogecoins are already a huge currency online for "tipping", basically giving away free coins to someone if you like something they do (like for example if they leave a great comment on Reddit).
The Dogecoin community on Reddit is already huge, bigger than all other digital currency communities, except the Bitcoin one.
What this means is that a community that has a taste for the absurd (people who are into weird internet memes) can have their own currency with real economic value in a short time. It seems like a symbol of things to come.
It's easy to imagine any number of communities or affinity groups having their own currency. A band for example could create a currency for fans to purchase merchandise.
Who knows if Dogecoin itself will go anywhere. In two weeks, the "doge" meme could be completely forgotten, and then the currency itself will seem like a funny joke from the good old days of 2013.
But the ease with which something can establish moneyness and serve a purpose within a community is impressive, and a sign of things to come.
More From Business Insider
• In The Future, We May Only Have Sex For Fun — Not To Procreate
• Google Obliterates Buzzy Startup Rap Genius For Trying To Game The System
• Teens In The UK Are Calling It: Facebook Is Dead And Buried |
1,444,025,763 | 2015-10-05 06:16:03+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [90, 205, 245, 278, 378, 493, 527, 691, 708, 1006, 1065, 1687, 1711]} | {"Bitcoin": [17]} | XBT Provider AB: Bitcoin Tracker EUR to start trading on Nasdaq Nordic today | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/xbt-provider-ab-bitcoin-tracker-061603886.html | null | https://guce.yahoo.com/terms?locale=en-US | Stockholm, SWEDEN (October 5th, 2015) -XBT Provider AB is proud to announce the launch of Bitcoin tracker Euro.
Starting today anyone with a brokerage account connected to Nasdaq Nordic can trade the ETN "Bitcoin Tracker EUR" The ticker code is Bitcoin XBTE. ISIN: SE0007525332
Bitcoin Tracker EUR is designed to mirror the return of the underlying asset, U.S. dollar (USD) per Bitcoin. The product is an exchange traded note designed to track the movement of the underlying asset after fees.
Bitcoin Tracker EUR is our second Bitcoin-based security available on Nasdaq Nordic. XBT Provider launched this financial instrument to meet the needs of investors` growing appetite for exposure to Bitcoin prices.
"Bitcoin tracker EUR" (BTE) is listed on Nasdaq Nordic in Stockholm and traded in the same manner as any share or instrument listed on the Nasdaq exchange in Stockholm. BTE is also available via Bloomberg terminals through the ticker code COINXBE.
The full prospectus is available onxbtprovider.com
Bitcoin Tracker EUR is issued under the same prospectus as Bitcoin Tracker One which isapproved by Sweden`s financial supervisory authority, Finansinspektionen.
ABOUT XBT PROVIDERXBT Provider AB (publ) is a public limited liability company formed in Sweden with statutory seat in Stockholm. The issuer is incorporated under Swedish law and registered with the Swedish companies` registration office under registration number 559001-3313.
ABOUT THE MARKET MAKER: MANGOLD FONDKOMMISSIONMangold Fondkommission is a Stockholm based Brokerage and Investment bank. As a member of Nasdaq Nordic the company assists XBT Provider with clearing services and acts as a liquidity provider for Bitcoin Tracker One and Bitcoin Tracker EUR.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT
Alexander MarshE-mail:[email protected]
Johan WattenströmE-mail:[email protected]
Press release (PDF)
This announcement is distributed by NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions on behalf of NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions clients.The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.Source: XBT Provider AB via GlobeNewswireHUG#1956529 |
1,444,041,805 | 2015-10-05 10:43:25+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [0, 494, 1087]} | {"Bitcoin": [0]} | Bitcoin Takes A Hit In Australia | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-takes-hit-australia-104325845.html | Benzinga | http://www.benzinga.com/ | Bitcoin has gained popularity across the globe in recent years, but concerns about safety have kept the cryptocurrency from becoming a mainstream means of payment. For that reason, banks in Australia have begun to move away from cryptocurrency, deciding last month to close the accounts of 13 of the continent's 17 bitcoin exchanges.
The decision has had a ripple effect on the bitcoin industry in Australia as more and more businesses similarly turn their backs on digital currencies.
Bye-Bye Bitcoin
In Australia, many businesses began accepting bitcoin payments when the coin gained popularity. As the digital payments trend expanded, some firms hoped to use bitcoin in order to tap into a greater pool of potential clients and make it easier for international customers to pay. However, the nation's banks' decision to shut bitcoin exchanges out has led many Australian firms to rethink their decisions. Many worry that the banks are only the beginning of a backlash against cryptocurrencies, and that by participating in the trend they could tarnish their reputations.
Related Link:Bitcoin Gains Deeper Foothold In Latin America Through MercadoLibre
Big Blow To Cryptocurrencies
Although cryptocurrencies are still receiving a lot of positive attention in places like Europe and the US, the changing attitude in Australia could put a dent in the industry's momentum. Australia makes up around7 percentof bitcoin's $3.5 billion global value, a significant portion. Not only will a negative attitude toward bitcoin affect the Australian market, but it could spread further afield. Some worry that the negative reputation could eventually influence the opinions of consumers and lawmakers in other countries as well.
See more from Benzinga
• Small Businesses Turn To Online Lenders
• As California's Drought Drags On, Winners And Losers Emerge
• Is Europe Recovering Or Not?
© 2015 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. |
1,444,042,157 | 2015-10-05 10:49:17+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [1828]} | {} | Pot Resort To Open Fully Booked On New Year's Eve | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/pot-resort-open-fully-booked-104917996.html | Benzinga | http://www.benzinga.com/ | In September, the Santee Sioux tribe of South Dakota announced that it was embracing new laws that allow Native American Tribes to sell and consume marijuana on their reservations by opening a marijuana-themed resort. The tribe outlined plans to create the ultimate "adult playground" where people could come to relax and enjoy marijuana in public spaces without fear of being prosecuted.
Now, the Tribe's lawyers say thatreservationsfor the resort's opening night are flying in, and that the establishment will likely open its doors for the first time to a sold out weekend.
See Also:Relax And Get High
New Year's Eve Opening
The marijuana resort is slated to open on New Year's Eve, providing the perfect atmosphere for partygoers who are interested in making cannabis a part of their 2016 celebrations. The venue will feature dance clubs and a dedicated smoking lounge where around 30 different strains of cannabis will be on offer. The tribe's attorney Seth Pearmansaidthe resort has already booked in rooms for 100 people as interest continues to grow.
Tribal Revenue
Much like casinos, many Native American tribes are hoping to bring in revenue from marijuana sales as laws allow them to sell and use the drug even if the state they reside in has classed it as illegal. For the Santee Sioux tribe, that has opened the door for a revolutionary idea to create the world's first cannabis resort. However, the venture comes with its own risks as the marijuana industry is still under the microscope.
For one, the tribe will have to ensure that marijuana isn't taken off the reservation and that visitors aren't buying too much of the stuff. However, for the tribe, which has struggled to stay afloat financially, the estimated $2 million per month the resort is forecast to bring in is well worth it.
See more from Benzinga
• Bitcoin Takes A Hit In Australia
• Small Businesses Turn To Online Lenders
• As California's Drought Drags On, Winners And Losers Emerge
© 2015 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. |
1,388,173,553 | 2013-12-27 19:45:53+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [167, 326, 407, 1376, 1526, 1536, 1653]} | {"Bitcoin": [81]} | Shares Of No-Name Tech Company Go Crazy After It Announces It's Getting Into The Bitcoin Game | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/shares-no-name-tech-company-122532967.html | Business Insider | http://www.businessinsider.com/ | BTXTrader
Shares in a little-known tech firm are up more than 75% in pre-market trading this morning after itannouncedit was preparing to launch a beta version of its Bitcoin trading platform.
Pennsylvania-based WPCS says it recently acquired BTXTrader, which is developing what it says is the first trading platform allowing Bitcoin users to "access market data and execute orders on the five most popular Bitcoin exchanges in a single application."
"Obviously, we are still in development mode, but we're on schedule to release both web and mobile versions of our platform by early 2014," BTX Trader Chief Operating Officer Ilya Subkhankulov said in the release.
The firm's shares surged more than 20% to $1.81 on heavy volume in after-hours trading yesterday. We first saw the story on Marketwatchas reported by Wallace Witkowski.
Very little has been written about WPCS, which bills itself as a communications infrastructure firm. They IPO'd in 2003 at more than $140 and spent the next 10 years going to practically zero.
Yahoo
This past January theyreceiveda delisting warning from NASDAQ for failing to comply with the minimum $1 per share rule, but ultimately got a reprieve. Their market cap is a little more than $2 million.
This kind of thing is common, as no-name penny stock companies frequently jump on hot trends in hopes of stoking interest.
The "tour" of the Bitcoin platformis a series of GIFs.We've reached out to the firm for comment.
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1,418,992,200 | 2014-12-19 12:30:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [3962]} | {} | M.F.A.s: An Increasingly Popular, Increasingly Bad Financial Decision | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/m-f-increasingly-popular-increasingly-123000829.html | The Atlantic | http://www.theatlantic.com/ | There's an argument that's gained traction in recent years in vastly different fields, and it's don't go back to school . Don't go to graduate school , there are not enough tenure jobs to go around. Don't go to business school , just move to the city that has the industry you're looking to enter and start a business. Don't go to journalism school , just start reporting. Don't go to law school , there are way too many lawyers. Heck, don't even go to college . And whatever you do, don't go to art school . The last item on the long list of schools-not-to-go-to was recently highlighted by art critic Jerry Saltz, who called Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) degrees " straight-up highway robbery ." No doubt, Saltz is referring to the issues familiar to all those considering graduate school of any major: rising costs and poor job prospects. This question is perhaps most salient for practicing artists than people in any other field. With tuition s at the 10 most influential M.F.A. programs averaging around $38,000 per year, Saltz is right to estimate that the ticket price for a 2-year programadding in room and boardwould run a student around $100,000. Furthermore, d ata for undergraduates specializing in art, music, and design found that they rack up a lot of student-loan debt, with the median debt just over $21,000 (though working in public or non-profit arts qualifies for loan forgiveness ). A study by the Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institute found that early career earnings of those with a fine-arts bachelor degree are among the lowest . Payscale ranks M.F.A. earnings very low in the pack. The real objection seems to be that the high costs of an M.F.A. are especially unreasonable given that artists have little hope of dependable returns on investment. Assuming that artists don't consider the financial consequences of their education is becoming less and less legitimate. Saltz highlighted artist Coco Fusco's essay , which argues that, considering the financial risks of going to art school, now is a more pertinent time than ever to ask whether the M.F.A. experience is worth the money. Elsewhere on the Internet, M.F.A.s have already been called Ponzi schemes . Story continues The real mystery amid all this criticism is that the number of M.F.A. graduates only seems to be rising. C onsider this chart from the group BFAMFAPhD a collective of artists studying the numbers of being a working artistwhich shows that degree recipients of both BFAs and MFAs have been rising. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, data dating back to 1970 shows that the number of Master's degrees granted in the visual and performing arts has been rising every year in the last decade. Master's Degrees Earned in Visual and Performing Arts It's clear that the cost is not (yet) driving young artists away from getting educated at M.F.A. programs. It might be that n o one studies art for the financial returns: Even as auction houses break recordsPeter Lik's photograph "Phantom" just went for $6.5 million resale royalties for artists in America have yet to be legislated . Then there's another common saying: that artists don't need to get rich because they already are rich. Looking at Bureau of Labor Statistics data, Planet Money reported that artists do tend to have wealthier parents . One piece of the puzzle might be that for those who choose this career path, the act of becoming an artist is an achievement itself that's worth a lot. A group of sociologists took a look at what it means to be an artist , and wrote this in the conclusion of their study: "Seeing oneself as a professional artist is an achievement that compares to entering other elite status groups. " With artists being only 1.35 percent of the U.S. workforce , it's a small group indeed. Read M.F.A.s: An Increasingly Popular, Increasingly Bad Financial Decision on theatlantic.com More From The Atlantic Why Are So Few Black People Using Bitcoin? Suburbs and the New American Poverty What the Recession Did to American Fathers |
1,444,063,933 | 2015-10-05 16:52:13+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [536, 2339]} | {} | New York regulator issues license to Winkelvoss bitcoin venture | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/york-regulator-issues-license-winkelvoss-143123017.html | Reuters | http://www.reuters.com/ | By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Gemini Trust Company, founded by investors Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, has been granted a license to operate as a chartered limited liability trust company by the New York State Department of Financial Services, the state regulator announced on Monday.
Under the charter, Gemini will operate a bitcoin exchange and will officially open for trading on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. (1330 GMT)) serving both individual and institutional customers, Gemimi said in a separate statement on Monday.
Bitcoin is a virtual currency bought and sold on a peer-to-peer network independent of central control.
"In New York, we are continuing to move forward on licensing and chartering virtual currency firms," said Anthony J. Albanese, acting superintendent of Financial Services. "Smart, targeted regulation that helps protect consumers and prevent illicit activity is vital to the long-term future of this industry."
Gemini is the first licensed crypto currency business for the Winklevoss brothers, best known for accusing Facebook Inc founder Mark Zuckerberg of stealing their idea.
"Our focus right now is operating a spot bitcoin exchange. In many ways, we're not really re-inventing the wheel," said Gemini chief executive Tyler Winklevoss told Reuters in August.
The Winklevoss brothers filed an application to operate as a trust company with the New York's banking regulator in July.
A trust company is a type of financial institution technically different from a bank, analysts said. Under New York banking law, a trust company has all the powers of a bank to take deposits and make loans, alongside certain fiduciary powers such as acting as an agent for government bodies.
As a limited liability trust company, Gemini will maintain significant capital reserves consistent with that of a premier fiduciary business, the company said.
Gemini added that it will hold in custody all bitcoin deposits, the majority of which will be held in its offline, multi-signature, geographically distributed cold storage system.
Gemini said all fiat currency such as U.S. dollars transferred to Gemini will be deposited in a New York state chartered bank, headquartered in midtown Manhattan, and eligible for Federal Deposit Insurance Corp insurance, subject to applicable limitations. It did not name the bank.
Bitcoin's value has been highly volatile, having peaked at over $1,200 in late 2013 before crashing after the collapse of the Mt. Gox bitcoin exchange. One bitcoin is currently worth around $238.17 on the BitStamp platform.
(Reporting by Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss Editing by W Simon) |
1,419,016,854 | 2014-12-19 19:20:54+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [5921]} | {} | Da Vinci 1.0 review: a bargain 3D printer that comes at a cost | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/da-vinci-1-0-review-192054458.html | Gigaom | http://gigaom.com/ | Crowdfunding sites have been teasing us with inexpensive 3D printers for a year now. But in the end the first modern desktop 3D printer that costs less than $500 came from Taiwan, not Kickstarter or Indiegogo.
The printer is the Da Vinci 1.0, and it is just one of a whole lineup of low-cost machines thatXYZprintinghas pumped out this year. It is by no means a beautiful machine, but it gets the basics done. Here is how it did over a month of tests:
Two of the best prints I got off the Da Vinci 1.0.
Setup
I wasn’t expecting a whole lot from a$399 3D printer. But the process I had to go through to get it up and running for the first time managed to set my expectations even lower.
The first printer that arrived turned on just fine. I installed XYZprinting’s proprietary filament cartridge in the back corner, where it makes contact with a chip to ensure you’re not using off-brand filament (hint: there aresome ways around that).
Then came the annoying part: feeding the filament into the print head. It involves pulling on an uncomfortable-feeling lever and then carefully guiding the filament down through a tube to the nozzle. I got better at this as time went on, but at first I wouldn’t feed enough in or would push so hard that the filament string snuck off the tube into a random part of the head. It can be aggravating.
The Da Vinci 1.0 3D printer’s innards
Next you swab a glue stick over the print bed and hit print. It turned out my annoyances were not over. The print head rammed itself into a corner and made the dreaded “EH EH EH EH EH EH” noise. I couldn’t figure out a fix.
A very kind XYZprinting customer service representative walked me through how to test the different sensors in the machine that position the print head, but nothing helped. I sent the printer back.
The next printer seemed to be better. The print head moved well and everything seemed to be going smoothly. I teed up my first print and then … nothing. No filament came out of the nozzle.
It turned out there was a terrible filament jam. The kind representative once again walked me through every little technical step. I opened up the print head and yanked out a plug of red plastic. All set, right? Nope. The print head refused to pull filament in. XYZprinting sent a replacement head.
Finally, with my second printer and third print head, everything started working.
The software
XYZprinting’s software, XYZware, isn’t much different from the 3D printing software people were using five years ago. It is not refined. It does the bare minimum: resizing models, moving them around and sending everything over to the printer.
Once you get to finalizing a print, it gets worse. Slicing, where a model is converted into the code that will be fed into the printer, often randomly failed. And even if models did slice, sometimes transferring them to the printer didn’t work. This happened especially often with large prints.
Large prints would inexplicably fail to be sent to the printer.
When I asked XYZprinting about the errors, they said the model printed fine for them and that I should try a different computer or a different USB cord. Neither worked.
The machine
The Da Vinci is enormous, measuring 18.4 x 20 x 22 inches and 57 pounds. It does pack a relatively large 7.8 x 7.8 x 7.8 inch build volume, but for the most part the machine seemed to be wasted space. There were inches of extra room on every side of the print bed. Due to the previously mentioned software problems, I never got anywhere close to using all of that space in a print.
The Da Vinci 1.0 3D printer
The printer is also one of the ugliest I’ve come across. XYZprinting’s model is to get lots of printers out quickly and cheaply, and it shows in the Da Vinci’s design. It is not a piece of desk candy.
XYZprinting did not, however, skimp on designing the necessities. While the Da Vinci’s heated print bed and head look generic enough to be found in any inexpensive printer, both were made well enough that I did not have to calibrate them once.
The Da Vinci does have some extra features, such as a small box where the nozzle cleans itself before and after each print. This made clogs and other nozzle maintenance almost nonexistent.
The on-board menu is basic. You can use it to direct the printer to clean the nozzle or recalibrate, pause a print and load a new filament cartridge.
The prints
I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the prints that came out of the Da Vinci. After dealing with setup and the software, I wasn’t expecting to get any prints out of it at all. But I did, and lots of them.
Charmanders printed at low, medium and high quality.
The printer had days where every single print was perfect and days where it couldn’t be bothered to do anything right. Large prints tended to come out nicely, while dainty details ended up looking like messes.
A dainty Eiffel Tower and bracelet did not come out well on the Da Vinci 1.0.
The Da Vinci can print layers down to 0.1 mm in size, which is fairly standard for any desktop 3D printer these days. When layers were continuous — without tons of tiny details — it did great. It was even more reliable when printing at 0.2 and 0.3 mm heights.
A thin pot printed on the Da Vinci came out perfectly.
Wrap-up
The Da Vinci 1.0 is the perfect example of “you get what you pay for.” If you don’t get a lemon, it can definitely produce decent prints. You just need to learn what it is capable of and choose prints that fit within those limits.
Personally, I wouldn’t buy the Da Vinci just based on its size alone. There are plenty more $500 printers that will arrive in the next few years. Hopefully at least one of them won’t eat up an entire desk.
Image copyright Signe Brewster.
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1,419,020,156 | 2014-12-19 20:15:56+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [3071]} | {} | Reddit reveals its plan to distribute $5M to users: Reddit Notes | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/reddit-reveals-plan-distribute-5m-201556251.html | Gigaom | http://gigaom.com/ | Back in September, Reddit announced a new $50 million round of funding, but what raised the eyebrows of many redditors and crypto-geeks alike wasits plans to distribute 10 percent, or $5 million, of that funding round back to the community.
Reddit finally gave some, albeit vague, details Friday on how it plans to actually do that.According to the announcement, new Reddit Notes will be awarded in a random lottery to 950,000 users in the fall of 2015 — a much smaller number than the Reddituser base.
Eligibility for the Reddit Notes will also be determined by “activity” on the site before September 30, 2014 (the date they announced the funding), so late-comers can’t get in on the action now. And even if you are eligible, the Notes won’t be distributed until fall 2015.
To accompany the blog post, Reddit created an explanatory graphic of how the process will work — but not much else.
There’s still many questions about how Reddit actually plans to execute this and how it will be financially and legally compliant. And it won’t exactly be a new cryptocurrency that many had hoped for (or feared) from the original announcement.In an interview with Inc., product manager Daniel Lim said to think of it more “Like McDonald’s Monopoly game” rather than a currency that has value or equity.
In a comment on the bitcoin subreddit, Reddit’s cryptocurrency engineer Ryan Charlesalso confirmed the view:
“The post is deliberately vague about technology and legal. For one, we’re holding back on committing to a particular technology just because the bitcoin world changes very fast, and we want to make sure we pick the right choice. However, almost certainly it will be either colored coins or sidechains.Legally, we originally announced we’re issuing a “cryptocurrency” that will be “backed” by reddit shares. Issuing such a thing would be illegal since we are not a public company. We have mostly figured out a legal strategy that allows us to give something of actual value to the community, but we are not ready at this moment to announce it.
Lim, the product manager, also elaborated a little more on the definition of a Reddit Note said via email: “A reddit note is a digital asset because we will be using blockchain technology to validate the ownership of reddit notes in a fun way. There will not be any mining of reddit notes, but it will use existing cryptocurrency capabilities to insure that reddit notes are transferred and owned in an innovative manner.”
So it may not be a grand, equity-bearing, first-of-its-kind legal currency after all (at least in its current description), but Reddit Notes are still going to be an interesting experiment in user loyalty — if you’re one of the lucky 950,000 to receive it in the first place.
This post was updated to add in an emailed comment from Reddit product manager Daniel Lim.
Image copyright Gigaom Illustration.
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1,388,423,040 | 2013-12-30 17:04:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [82, 408, 611, 1045, 1065, 1407, 1546, 1579, 1648, 1709, 1813, 1913, 2234, 2301, 2352, 2416, 2657, 2716, 3014, 3059, 3149, 3377, 3543, 5754, 5831, 6005, 6883, 7098, 7293, 7492, 7600, 7796, 7852]} | {"Bitcoin": [61]} | Here's The Answer To Paul Krugman's Difficult Question About Bitcoin | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/heres-answer-why-bitcoin-value-170458588.html | Business Insider | http://www.businessinsider.com/ | Flickr/krypto
Paul Krugman set off a new firestorm this weekend with a post about Bitcoin that asked a fairly simple question:What gives a bitcoin its worth?
The post drew a ton ofangry reactionfrom the Internet community and tech people for a couple of reasons.
One is that this question — why is a bitcoin worth anything — is a difficult question to answer. The other is that the post is bizarrely titled "Bitcoin Is Evil" even though the post doesn't say that. But on the Internet, people don't read past the headline and so, outrage!
But back to the question of trying to establish an "intrinsic value" for Bitcoin. It's not simple. The dollar has intrinsic value because you need dollars to pay taxes in the United States. The government accepts no other currency. So if you're going to engage in any kind of commerce whatsoever, you need to use dollars. This creates real value for the currency. Gold has real value because it's shiny and can be used for jewelry. Other commodities get their value from industrial purposes.
But what about Bitcoin? If you ask Bitcoin believers why a bitcoin is worth anything at all, they will tell you about how amazing the technology is, and how it's "programmable" and how cryptography and pseudoanonymity are so great. But none of these are very satisfying answers.
Litecoin.org
Why Litecoin believes its superior.
For one thing, these features mainly explain why Bitcoinas a payment platformis so intriguing. They don't explain price. And as Krugman even notes in his original post, most of the techie Bitcoin bulls usually talk about Bitcoin as a platform (something that's easy to defend), rather than Bitcoin as an asset that will go up or down.
Furthermore, if Bitcoin's value were simply a function of all of the technological aspects, then there's no reason that Bitcoin wouldn't easily be supplanted by another crypto-currency that has better features (even the Bitcoin bulls will acknowledge that the technology could be better, particularly on the mining side and the confirmation time).
For example Litecoin, the second-biggest player in the game, advertises that if you transact in Litecoin you get faster confirmation times and that the whole system can handle more volume than Bitcoin.
So the usual arguments aren't that compelling.
Now in the Bitcoin-sphere, there's a lot of debate about what Bitcoinis. People go 'round and 'round in circles about whether Bitcoin is a currency or a commodity or a platform or a protocol or an equity or whatever. These squabbles frequently get semantic (What is a currency? Must it be a stable store of value?) and usually they suffer from an inclination to plug Bitcoin into a category where it never quite fits.
I think Bitcoin is a hybrid of three things with which we're all pretty familiar:a currency, an equity, and a social network.
The currency part is pretty easy to understand. Someone is offering something for sale like a bike or a month's rent, and they might give you a quote in dollars, yen and bitcoins. Bitcoin basically acts like a currency then.
Bitcoin also has equity-like characteristics in that the value seems to grow as the whole Bitcoin ecosystem grows. The value of a bitcoin is up about 50x this year, which is an insane swing for a currency, but if you think about it as equity in a hot startup, it's not that preposterous when coming off of a low base. Bitcoins also have market cap (see:CoinMarketCap).
And most crucially, there's a social networking element to it (this is somethingAntonis Polemitis has written on). Bitcoin is something that's valued because lots of people use it. It's not that different from Napster. Napster was game-changing technology in terms of how people get music, but it only had value once it was used by a lot of people. Same with Facebook. The technology may not have been better than its predecessors, but it got a lot of people using it, and suddenly the platform became tremendously valuable.
Strong, robust network effects are crucial for making the whole thing work.
Let's go through why ...
Let's say you're a Chinese millionaire, and you're looking to take a big hunk of your fortune out of the country. This is not a trivial problem. The Chinese government has strict controls about wiring money out of the banking system. One way to get money out is to give your money to something called a "junket operator." That junket operator will give you a bunch of chips to go gamble with in Macau. Then after you're done gambling you take your remaining chips, cash them out for the local Macau currency (the Pataca) and then deposit those Pataca in a bank in Macau where that money is not burdened by capital controls. But that's difficult in part because you're dealing with a shady junket operator who might have ties to the criminal underworld. Then you have to gamble and play a huge cut to the casino. And then there's all the travel.
Another way you can get money out of the country is by buying a bunch of Rolex watches and putting them on all your wrists and ankles, and then flying out of the country and selling them to someone outside of China and then depositing that cash in a foreign bank. But like all luxury goods, the Rolexes are likely to lose a lot of value the second you take them out of the store. And do you really feel safe traveling with all those watches on you? It's a dicey enterprise.
The hot new way to evade capital controls is to buy bitcoins, and then slip them to another wallet connected to a bank account in some other country. Then sell the bitcoins to a buyer and deposit that money in a bank somewhere. The government would have an extremely hard time tracking this down (which is why lately the governments of China and India) have grown more negative on Bitcoin. This is a low-cost solution, but it's not risk-free. As we've seen, Bitcoin is volatile, so you could experience a big price swing. But even if you can stomach the price swing, you have to be certain that there will be buyers for millions in Bitcoin on the other end of the transaction. This is only assured with big network effects.
Dogecoin
Despite the technological similarity, our Chinese millionaire could not conduct the same transaction withDogecoin. The value of all the Dogecoins in the world is just $7 million, so if you wanted to move $1 million,you'd need to suck up one-seventh of all the money in Dogecoin. It would be way too big a gamble.
Other crypto currencies have total "market caps" much less than $1 million. So then you literally could not execute the transaction despite equivalent — or in some cases superior — technology associated with other coins.
Without the network effects, the technology is nothing. It's just a theoretical amusement.
The question then becomes: Can the social network last? If it can, then the value can be maintained, or might grow by even a lot. But history is not on Bitcoin's side on this question. For one thing, no social network seems to have much lasting power ... especially not the first in a given category (Napster, MySpace, ICQ, etc).
This also doesn't satisfy what gives Bitcoin a "floor" in value — but then an equity never has a floor. Equity can go to zero, but that doesn't mean that in the meantime it's not worth something.
Bringing it all back home: A lot of Bitcoin skeptics are willing to accept that there's something technologically interesting going on here (Paul Krugman even posted afollowupto his "evil" post talking about what kinds of problems the Bitcoin technology solves). But the economics of it are more tenuous. But if the network of people remains, Bitcoin may keep solving problems, like the problem of getting money out of a restrictive country.
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• BILL GROSS: We Are Living In A Bitcoin Age |
1,419,031,571 | 2014-12-19 23:26:11+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [285, 1985]} | {"Bitcoin": [0]} | Bitcoin backer gets two years prison for illicit transfers | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-promoter-gets-two-years-211937191.html | Reuters | https://www.reuters.com/ | By Nate Raymond NEW YORK (Reuters) - Charlie Shrem, an outspoken supporter of bitcoins, was sentenced to two years in prison on Friday for indirectly helping to send $1 million in the digital currency to the Internet black-market bazaar Silk Road. Shrem, a former vice chairman of the Bitcoin Foundation, was also ordered by U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan to forfeit $950,000 after pleading guilty in September to aiding and abetting an unlicensed money transmitting business. Rakoff said Shrem, 25, was not "some kid making a one-time mistake," but someone who "excitedly" participated in a novel crime involving bitcoins that contributed to drugs sales. "The very innovativeness of it made it a danger to controlling drug trafficking," Rakoff said. The bitcoin evangelist faced up to five years in prison, and the court's probation office had recommended a 57-month term. His lawyer argued for probation, saying the case had already sent a message to the bitcoin community. "No one is doing this anymore," Shrem told Rakoff. "There's no more money laundering. They're terrified." Shrem was charged in January following an investigation into Silk Road, an online marketplace that accepted bitcoin for illegal drugs and other illicit goods and services that U.S. authorities seized in October 2013. Lawyers for Shrem, who at the time was chief executive of bitcoin exchange BitInstant, said in court papers their client was not interested in promoting the Silk Road website. Shrem's lawyers said his desire to promote bitcoin led him in 2012 to help Robert Faiella, an underground bitcoin exchanger in Florida, trade over $1 million in cash for bitcoins that were in turn sold to Silk Road customers. Prosecutors said Shrem's motivation was financial. In court papers, they quote Shrem telling his then-business partner he did not want to ban Faiella as a customer since he had made them a "good profit." BitInstant closed in 2013. Shrem stepped down from his post at the Bitcoin Foundation, a trade group, after he was charged. Story continues Faiella, who was known online as BTCKing, pleaded guilty in September to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 20. Silk Road's alleged operator, Ross Ulbricht, is scheduled to face trial on Jan. 13. He has pleaded not guilty to charges that include conspiracy and narcotics trafficking. The case is U.S. v. Faiella, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 14-cr-00243. (Reporting by Nate Raymond; Editing by Tom Brown, Andre Grenon and Lisa Shumaker) |
1,388,429,773 | 2013-12-30 18:56:13+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [1738, 1794]} | {} | The Internet Is Trying To Save Dogecoin — And It's Working | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/internet-trying-save-dogecoin-working-185613450.html | Business Insider | http://www.businessinsider.com/ | REUTERS/Bobby Yip
On Christmas Day,someone hackedinto two of the largest Dogecoin wallet sites and stole 30 million units of the digital currency.
It was a huge blow to a community that prides itself on its lack of rapaciousness. Dogecoin is mostly used to "tip" people on the Internet for performing favors or good deeds. At least two animal shelter groups, one in Florid and one in Spain, also accept the currency.
That same generosity has now produced an incredible attempt to restore faith in Dogecoin's integrity by raising money to compensate people who'd lost funds.
Launched Friday by techieBen Doernberg, "the 12 days of Dogemas," which is being run out ofreddit, has already raised more than 5 million Dogecoins, worth about $2,200. Contributions have come from around the world, and there's a mining pool that's sending 1% of their haul to the effort. In an email, Doernberg says he hopes to raise at least 15 million.
"The effort has been successful because respect, support and love is baked into the DNA of dogecoin," Doernberg said. "The doge meme is all about over-the-top positivity and optimism, and dogecoin was started in pursuit of fun and laughter, not greed. A few minutes spent on r/dogecoin will show that there isn't a more welcoming, friendly community anywhere on the Internet."
Dogecoin co-founder Billy Markus told us in an email he was amazed by the project.
"I've NEVER seen something like this before in cryptocurrency. Usually when something gets hacked the common response is for everyone to call the people who got hacked 'idiots'. To me, this is incredible."
Dogecoin's market cap has been cut in half since reaching a high of more than $14 million on December 19.
More From Business Insider
• Here's Bitcoin Priced In Gold
• BILL GROSS: We Are Living In A Bitcoin Age
• Someone Stole At Least 11 Million Dogecoins — On Christmas |
1,388,432,600 | 2013-12-30 19:43:20+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [43, 317, 448, 622, 992, 1012, 1046, 1138, 1292]} | {"Bitcoin": [4]} | New Bitcoin IRA Offered by Broad Financial | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-ira-offered-broad-financial-194320814.html | Marketwired | http://www.marketwired.com/ | MONSEY, NY--(Marketwired - Dec 30, 2013) - Bitcoin has experienced growing acceptance in the commercial arena, and is now being offered as a viable retirement asset.Broad Financial, a leader in the self-directed IRA market, is educating retirement investors as to the methods and platforms available for investing in Bitcoin.
Daniel Gleich, Broad's COO, stresses the need for the investing platform to be in sync with the mindset of the investor. "Bitcoin is still at a stage where it is being purchased by early adopters and those who are willing to take a chance on a relatively new asset. The companies who try to push Bitcoin via standard vehicles like trusts and funds are not going to see the best response. A non-custodial IRA, with its freedom of transaction and asset choice, offers the most versatility and profitability, and appeals to those who are willing to get in on the ground floor. Broad's Checkbook IRA fits these criteria, and that's the reason we're making the move with Bitcoin."
The Broad Bitcoin IRA differs from previous Bitcoin retirement platforms in a number of key aspects. The first is in the ability to buy Bitcoin directly through the exchanges without having to invest via an organized fund. This allows investors to have their retirement accounts own actual Bitcoin as opposed to just shares. The second notable feature of the Broad platform is the elimination of the middle man. This is accomplished by setting up the IRA with an LLC which allows for direct investment without a custodian. These two unique features streamline the investment process, as well as making it much more economical by getting rid of custodian and fund fees. |
1,419,078,120 | 2014-12-20 12:22:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [1063]} | {} | This Is How Time Inc. Plans To Become A Tech Company | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/time-inc-plans-become-tech-122200667.html | Business Insider | http://www.businessinsider.com/ | LinkedInTime Inc.'s senior vice president of digital M Scott Havens.
Time Inc. doesn’t just want to be known and just to operate as the publisher of popular magazines like Time, Sports Illustrated, InStyle and People any more.
It wants to become a technology company too, launching its own products to rival the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Salesforce and even Tinder.
Ever since former ownerTime Warner announced it was to spin off Time Incinto a separately publicly traded company last year, Time Inc. has been making some loud noises that it’s not just a dusty old magazine publisher that doesn’t understand digital.
Its first big moves actually happened before the deal had even closed. At the turn of the year, the vice president of Amazon’s digital store platformColin Bodell became Time Inc’s chief technology officerand executive vice president. In March the company hired The Atlantic’s presidentM Scott Havens as its senior vice president of digital.
In the last month alone, Time Inc announced it will becomethe first major magazine publisher to accept Bitcoinfor subscription payments,People en Español launched an online show, and People partnered with intelligence company Poshly to create a data-driven digital channel“Poshly Giveaways by People.”
The latest digital charge: If This Then That
IFTTT
Today (December 18) Time Inc. continued its digital charge by announcing a partnership withIFTTT (If This, Then That), the online service that allows users to create actions like sending a tweet or email when a certain trigger happens (like a website has been updated or the weather shows it’s going to rain).
From today, five of Time Inc’s titles — Entertainment Weekly, InStyle, People, Sports Illustrated and Time — now have channels on IFTTT. Time is using its internally developed OneBot social trending tool, so IFTTT users will receive links to trending stories with customized notifications. If they follow the channels, they will receive curated weekly email digests and articles can be pushed (if they choose) to Twitter and Facebook, or to apps like Pocket, for reading at a later date.
IFTTT CEO and co-founder Linden Tibbets told Business Insider in a phone interview that Time Inc. approached his company, looking for new ways to distribute its content to more readers. Time Inc also wanted to reach younger, more tech-savvy than traditional print readers that may never have trialled its magazine brands and their websites before.
Tibbets says with so much change affecting the publishing industry — first with the move to web, then search, social and mobile — Time is saying “we don’t want to be surprised any more, we want to find ways to get ahead of that curve.”
He added: “It’s about how you allow consumers to read and consume, with the options and choices Time is giving readers, they are working to get ahead of that curve and become a tech company.”
Time Inc. To Launch The Next Tinder?
But to become a tech company, Time Inc. knows it can’t just rely on digitalizing its legacy businesses. It is currently squirreling away, creating its own standalone tech businesses. That OneBot social trending tool — which Time Inc. may also look at expanding into a b2b product for other businesses —is just the start.
M. Scott Havens, Time Inc.’s SVP of digital, told Business Insider in a separate phone interview: “We’ve got to stop thinking about the older, traditional, write an article, sell ads [type of model]…we are building other apps. We are trying to think about non-text, based, journalism features but other [standalone] apps and businesses. Next year you will see lots of stuff coming out of Time Inc. that people are not used to seeing from us.”
Such a change in mindset and business focus requires a huge cultural reorganization. Processes are different, priorities change, even desk layout ought to be different than a traditional newsroom. How do the old-school journalists feel about this new approach? Havens says they are “really supportive,” although he adds that there is always the question of resources and priorities in any company going through a transition. Indeed, in February, before Havens’ arrival, Time Inc. announced it was to cut 500 jobs ahead of its spinoff.
Havens says he has a perfect recent example of how the new culture really works among staffers: A “young guy” working on the Sports Illustrated editorial team recently had a great idea for an “utilitarian app,” which Havens describes as a kind of Tinder meets Yelp. The guy told his editor, who allowed him to work on the project (at the expense of his time working on Sports Illustrated) with Havens. The company is now working on a prototype.
“That’s something completely disassociated with the websites and magazines we produce. Things are shifting to enable innovation and development and having a go to market process.” Havens said.
Time Inc’s shareholders are also betting on the transformation. And despite 2014 clearly being a transition year, its stock price has risen slightly from $20.85 when it first floated to $24.44 at the time of writing. In its most recent quarter, revenue was up by $3 million year on year to $821 million. Operating income was down 8% to $106 million, which the company blamed on an accelerated depreciation charge on its current tenant improvements as a result of a planned relocation of its headquarters. It also has $1.3 billion in net debt to deal with, following its purchase of UK publisher IPC Media (which publishes magazines including NME and Wallpaper) from Time Warner.
There’s still a lot of work to be done, clearly. But this time next year, Time Inc. will likely have lessened its reliance on magazines, and “traditional” digital ads and could well be talking in its next income statements about new revenue streams: Havens hints that everything from consumer apps, b2b technologies and content for watches, cars and refrigerators are all being considered.
More From Business Insider
• Time Inc. Is Making A Huge, Ambitious Bet To Become A Tech Company
• UK-Based Social Media Monitoring Company Brandwatch Has Acquired PeerIndex For A Reported $16 Million
• 8 Subliminal Messages In Corporate Logos You've Never Noticed Before |
1,388,438,160 | 2013-12-30 21:16:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [2951]} | {} | 13 Hot Stock Market Trends to Keep Watching in 2014 | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/13-hot-stock-market-trends-211600019.html | The Fiscal Times | http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/ | As we close the books on 2013 and open them on 2014 with varying degrees of trepidation and relief, let’s acknowledge that what has happened in the past shapes our expectations for the future, and the more recent those past events are, the greater a role they will play in determining how we prepare for the future.
In psychology, it’s referred to as the “availability heuristic,” and you don’t have to look very far to see how it works in finance: It’s the primary reason that most of us are very bad at picking market tops and market bottoms. And the larger or more dramatic a recent event is, the tougher it is for many of us to prevent it from lingering, front and center, in our minds. Little wonder, then, that so few investors were able and willing to turn bullish on the stock market as early as March 2009, only months after the massive financial crisis and in an atmosphere of tremendous uncertainty.
Of course, trends can remain intact for months or years. Moreover, while we like to think in terms of calendar quarters and years, it’s unlikely that the dynamics governing financial metrics are going to oblige by neatly realigning themselves at dawn on Jan. 1.
Related: Can the Stock Market Party Keep Rocking in 2014?
Still, the following short list of 2013 market phenomena is worth pondering as we head into a new year. Even if the markets don’t automatically shift gears, it’s a great time for us human beings to pause, question what that pesky “availability heuristic” is convincing us is true and reconsider those assumptions.
1. The stock market’s big rally hasbeen named the top business story of 2013by the Associated Press, and no wonder. It created trillions of dollars of new wealth for stock investors and shrugged off events that would in other circumstances have caused it to falter, from rising interest rates and underwhelming economic data to chronic dysfunction in Congress.
2. We may all have forgotten this in the last thirty years, butit's possible to lose money in the bond market. While interest rates may not rise all that much – and the Federal Reserve has said it won’t boost short-term lending rates in 2014 – odds are that market participants will let rates edge higher in the new year, triggering more losses among bondholders.
3. That brings us to the Great Rotation by investors, a phenomenon that began to register on the radar screen of pundits and market analysts in 2013 and is likely to gain a lot of ground in 2014 as folks reconsider the macro-level question of just how much of their portfolio they should invest in what appear to be newly risky bonds.
4. Momentum has mattered in 2013, and it’s going to continue to shape stock market returns in 2014 until something we can’t anticipate today suddenly stops it in its tracks. That’s Newtonian law in action.
5. For all the public angst about innovation, business creation and entrepreneurship, all appear alive and well. Just consider the way that Bitcoin has elbowed its way into the mainstream, or the discussion surrounding the3-D printing industry. Odds are that a host of new businesses and industries will take shape in 2014.
6. Some of those new businesses will spawn companies that go public in IPOs, just as 3D printing companies ExOne Co. and Voxeljet AG did this year. But this year’s IPO market reminded us thatnot all hot IPOs belong to bleeding edge businesses:top performers included oil pipelines and restaurant chains.
7. And some of those gains will be here today and gone tomorrow, as Twitter’sbig selloff in the final days of 2013signaled. That’s the downside of that pesky momentum: When an analyst points out that a stock is rallying on nothingbutmomentum, the rush to the exits can be dramatic, too.
8. Another warning that high growth may be alluring but also volatile came from emerging markets. Investors tempted to invest heavily in this arenacame to grief in 2013as historically high economic growth faltered and new structural risks emerged, along with, in some cases, political conflict.
9. Paradoxes can endure, the big banks reminded us in 2013. Even as they battled big headwinds (record fines from regulators; new rules that they insist will limit profits; a big downturn in the mortgage market) they still managed to post higher earnings growth rates than any other sector.
10. Sometimes, what you think is logical isn’t. While the shortcomings of the new health care law’s technology backbone were the focus of much ire in November, health care stocks blithely turned in the best performance of all. For the year, they are handily beating the S&P 500, ahead 43.13 percent.
11. Health care companies also are ahead of the pack when it comes to capital spending, of which most industries have been very wary and which was lower for S&P 500 companies by the end of the third quarter of 2013 over year-earlier levels. Meanwhile, those companies spent 2013recording quarter after quarter of record cash levels.Something’s gotta give; the cash has to start going somewhere.
12. All that cash has lured activist investors, and will continue to draw them to companies with piles of money on their books. Some activists came to grief in 20913 (see Bill Ackman, with J.C. Penney), but the jury’s still out on other campaigns, including Carl Icahn’s attempt to get Apple to cough up some of its own cash.
13. The economy. The Fed. Washington’s policymakers. None of these seemed likely to support the kind of big stock market rally we witnessed this year; at best, they created an uncertain climate that typically makes investors wary and edgy. Even earnings growth wasn’t all that robust, compared to recent years. And yet, the rally happened: Another reason to try and adjust for that pesky “availability heuristic” as we all settle down to think about what 2014 may have in store for us.
Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
• The No-Fear Guide to Financial Planning in 2014
• 5 Companies That May Not Survive Past 2014
• A Rehab To-Do List for Congress in 2014 |
1,388,438,160 | 2013-12-30 21:16:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [2951]} | {} | 13 Hot Stock Market Trends to Keep Watching in 2014 | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/finance.yahoo.com/news/13-hot-stock-market-trends-211600019.html | The Fiscal Times | http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/ | As we close the books on 2013 and open them on 2014 with varying degrees of trepidation and relief, let’s acknowledge that what has happened in the past shapes our expectations for the future, and the more recent those past events are, the greater a role they will play in determining how we prepare for the future.
In psychology, it’s referred to as the “availability heuristic,” and you don’t have to look very far to see how it works in finance: It’s the primary reason that most of us are very bad at picking market tops and market bottoms. And the larger or more dramatic a recent event is, the tougher it is for many of us to prevent it from lingering, front and center, in our minds. Little wonder, then, that so few investors were able and willing to turn bullish on the stock market as early as March 2009, only months after the massive financial crisis and in an atmosphere of tremendous uncertainty.
Of course, trends can remain intact for months or years. Moreover, while we like to think in terms of calendar quarters and years, it’s unlikely that the dynamics governing financial metrics are going to oblige by neatly realigning themselves at dawn on Jan. 1.
Related: Can the Stock Market Party Keep Rocking in 2014?
Still, the following short list of 2013 market phenomena is worth pondering as we head into a new year. Even if the markets don’t automatically shift gears, it’s a great time for us human beings to pause, question what that pesky “availability heuristic” is convincing us is true and reconsider those assumptions.
1. The stock market’s big rally hasbeen named the top business story of 2013by the Associated Press, and no wonder. It created trillions of dollars of new wealth for stock investors and shrugged off events that would in other circumstances have caused it to falter, from rising interest rates and underwhelming economic data to chronic dysfunction in Congress.
2. We may all have forgotten this in the last thirty years, butit's possible to lose money in the bond market. While interest rates may not rise all that much – and the Federal Reserve has said it won’t boost short-term lending rates in 2014 – odds are that market participants will let rates edge higher in the new year, triggering more losses among bondholders.
3. That brings us to the Great Rotation by investors, a phenomenon that began to register on the radar screen of pundits and market analysts in 2013 and is likely to gain a lot of ground in 2014 as folks reconsider the macro-level question of just how much of their portfolio they should invest in what appear to be newly risky bonds.
4. Momentum has mattered in 2013, and it’s going to continue to shape stock market returns in 2014 until something we can’t anticipate today suddenly stops it in its tracks. That’s Newtonian law in action.
5. For all the public angst about innovation, business creation and entrepreneurship, all appear alive and well. Just consider the way that Bitcoin has elbowed its way into the mainstream, or the discussion surrounding the3-D printing industry. Odds are that a host of new businesses and industries will take shape in 2014.
6. Some of those new businesses will spawn companies that go public in IPOs, just as 3D printing companies ExOne Co. and Voxeljet AG did this year. But this year’s IPO market reminded us thatnot all hot IPOs belong to bleeding edge businesses:top performers included oil pipelines and restaurant chains.
7. And some of those gains will be here today and gone tomorrow, as Twitter’sbig selloff in the final days of 2013signaled. That’s the downside of that pesky momentum: When an analyst points out that a stock is rallying on nothingbutmomentum, the rush to the exits can be dramatic, too.
8. Another warning that high growth may be alluring but also volatile came from emerging markets. Investors tempted to invest heavily in this arenacame to grief in 2013as historically high economic growth faltered and new structural risks emerged, along with, in some cases, political conflict.
9. Paradoxes can endure, the big banks reminded us in 2013. Even as they battled big headwinds (record fines from regulators; new rules that they insist will limit profits; a big downturn in the mortgage market) they still managed to post higher earnings growth rates than any other sector.
10. Sometimes, what you think is logical isn’t. While the shortcomings of the new health care law’s technology backbone were the focus of much ire in November, health care stocks blithely turned in the best performance of all. For the year, they are handily beating the S&P 500, ahead 43.13 percent.
11. Health care companies also are ahead of the pack when it comes to capital spending, of which most industries have been very wary and which was lower for S&P 500 companies by the end of the third quarter of 2013 over year-earlier levels. Meanwhile, those companies spent 2013recording quarter after quarter of record cash levels.Something’s gotta give; the cash has to start going somewhere.
12. All that cash has lured activist investors, and will continue to draw them to companies with piles of money on their books. Some activists came to grief in 20913 (see Bill Ackman, with J.C. Penney), but the jury’s still out on other campaigns, including Carl Icahn’s attempt to get Apple to cough up some of its own cash.
13. The economy. The Fed. Washington’s policymakers. None of these seemed likely to support the kind of big stock market rally we witnessed this year; at best, they created an uncertain climate that typically makes investors wary and edgy. Even earnings growth wasn’t all that robust, compared to recent years. And yet, the rally happened: Another reason to try and adjust for that pesky “availability heuristic” as we all settle down to think about what 2014 may have in store for us.
Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
• The No-Fear Guide to Financial Planning in 2014
• 5 Companies That May Not Survive Past 2014
• A Rehab To-Do List for Congress in 2014 |
1,444,136,400 | 2015-10-06 13:00:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [2313]} | {} | Ripple Adds Santander InnoVentures Fund as Series A Investor | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ripple-adds-santander-innoventures-fund-130000300.html | Marketwired | http://www.marketwired.com/ | SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - Oct 6, 2015) -Ripple, provider of global financial settlement technology (formerly known as Ripple Labs), today announced thatSantander InnoVentures--Santander Group's $100 million fintech venture capital fund -- has joined itsrecent Series A funding roundas an investor, bringing the round's total to $32 million.
Ripple's Series A funding round included a mix of traditional investment firms and global strategic investors that all support the vision for Ripple to enable an Internet of Value (IoV) by powering the real-time, secure settlement of funds for financial institutions and their customers worldwide.
"Santander InnoVentures is a natural fit in this round because of their demonstrated support for real-time international payments and their commitment to new technologies that enable Santander to empower its customers," said Ripple CEO and co-founder Chris Larsen. "We are excited to work closely with them in building the Internet of Value and accelerating adoption amongst financial institutions, market makers and businesses worldwide."
The Santander InnoVentures fund is an investment vehicle designed to partner with portfolio companies and explore new technologies that can be used in support of Santander's customer base.
"Santander has long been an advocate for modernizing banking infrastructure," said Mariano Belinky, Managing Partner of Santander InnoVentures. "In our recentFintech 2.0 report, we highlighted the $20 billion opportunity available to the financial services industry, and many of the scenarios where distributed ledger technology will have a positive impact."
Belinky added: "We believe Ripple possesses the talent, technology, and momentum to address many of these scenarios, and are actively exploring where and how best to apply Ripple technology inside the bank. Ripple and Santander share a common vision of the future of the industry, and we intend to jointly advocate it in the community."
Other investors in Ripple's Series A round includeIDG Capital Partners, the venture arms ofCME Groupand global data storage companySeagate Technology, Jerry Yang'sAME Cloud Ventures,ChinaRock Capital Management,China Growth Capital, Wicklow Capital, the investment vehicle for Dan Tierney and Stephen Schuler, co-founders of GETCO (now KCG),Bitcoin Opportunity Corp.,Core Innovation Capital,Route 66 Ventures,RRE Ventures,Vast Ventures, andVenture 51.
Ripple provides bank-grade solutions that enable the world's disparate financial networks to securely transfer funds in any currency in real time. Financial institutions use Ripple as an alternative to correspondent banking to facilitate real-time, certain settlement at the lowest total cost possible.
Ripple was created to enable the world to move value as easily as information moves today, giving rise to an Internet of Value (IoV) akin to today's Internet of Knowledge. For more information about Ripple, please visithttp://www.ripple.com.
About Ripple
Rippleprovides global financial settlement solutions to ultimately enable the world to exchange value like it already exchanges information - giving rise to an Internet of Value (IoV). Ripple solutions lower the total cost of settlement by enabling banks to transact directly, without correspondent banks, and with real-time certainty of settlement. Banks around the world are partnering with Ripple to improve their cross-border payment offerings, and to join the growing, global network of financial institutions and market makers laying the foundation for the Internet of Value.
Ripple is a venture-backed startup with offices in San Francisco, New York and Sydney. As an industry advocate for the Internet of Value, Ripple sits on theFederal Reserve's Faster Payments Task Force Steering Committeeand is a member of theW3C's Web Payments Interest Group.
About Santander InnoVentures
Launched in July 2014 with a global remit to invest in transformational fintech business, Santander InnoVentures is based in London. The fund builds on the bank's philosophy of collaboration and partnership with small and start-up companies. Santander InnoVentures provides fintech companies with growth finance, industry expertise and access to Santander's internal technology and operations organisations.
Through this hybrid approach to investing, Santander Group ensures continuous innovation within its own business to the benefit of customers around the world, as well as helping new fintech businesses to succeed. Santander InnoVentures focuses on working with fintech businesses operating within digital delivery of financial services, e-commerce and payments, online lending, e-financial investments, big data and analytics.
The Fintech 2.0 Paper is a call to action for both banks and fintechs to consider the multi-billion dollar opportunities available through partnership. Download the full paper, exploring these opportunities in-depth and identifying specific use-cases, here:www.santanderinnoventures.com/fintech2
For more information, visitwww.santanderinnoventures.com. Follow Santander InnoVentures on Twitter:@SanInnoventures.
Banco Santander(SAN.MC, STD.N, BNC.LN) is a leading retail and commercial bank, based in Spain, with a meaningful market share in 10 core countries in Europe and the Americas. Santander is the largest bank in the euro zone by market capitalization and among the top 12 banks on a global basis. Founded in 1857, Santander had EUR 1.51 trillion in managed funds, 12,910 branches and 190,000 employees at the close of June 2015. In the first half of 2015, Santander made ordinary attributable profit of EUR 3,426 million, a 24% increase. |
1,388,442,000 | 2013-12-30 22:20:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [322, 541, 607, 1016, 1064, 1156, 1794, 2018, 2060, 2535, 3086, 3132, 3213, 3261, 3361]} | {"Bitcoin": [0]} | Bitcoin ATMs Are Spreading Across the World | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-atms-spreading-across-world-222000828.html | Entrepreneur | http://www.entrepreneur.com/ | Sometimes the future can sneak up on you. Like when you find out that a startup incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, whose employees live in New Hampshire and whose products are made in Portugal, is selling digital-currency ATMs to Saudi Arabia and Singapore.
These are only two of the countries that have purchasedBitcoinATMs from manufacturer Lamassu, which announced Monday that it had sold 120 of the machines to customers all over the world. A map Lamassu created to mark the occasion, showing thefar-flung sales locationsof its Bitcoin ATMs, not coincidentally illustrates the global appeal of Bitcoin.
Zach Harvey, Lamassu's chief executive,said as muchin a press release. "We will be shipping to 25 different countries, ranging from Canada to Kyrgyzstan, and we've translated our user interface into more than a dozen languages, including Russian, Chinese and Friulian," Harvey said.
Lamassu has delivered about a dozen ATMs so far, with plans to ship the others in spring 2014.
Related:India's No. 1 Bitcoin Exchange: Shutdown 'In No Way' Reflects Bitcoin's True Potential
In October 2013, another company, Robocoin, made headlines for its Bitcoin ATM, said to be the first in the world that was available to the public, when one of its machines was installed in a coffee house in Vancouver. Within its first month in operation, the ATM had processed more than CAD$1 million in transactions.
Robocoin's machine, which costs $20,000, or four to five times as much as Lamassu's (the company offers price discounts for bulk orders),allows usersboth to buy bitcoins with paper bills and to withdraw cash by selling bitcoins. Lamassu's table-top ATM, which is much more compact than Robocoin's kiosk, cannot provide cash in exchange for bitcoins, only the other way around.
Although Bitcoin ATMs are still in their infancy, they already represent a contentious space, in which each company is jealous of its claim to fame. After Business Insider Australia reported Monday that a company called 21st Century Bitcoin Exchange was setting up the first Bitcoin ATM in Australia, Lamassucorrectedthe news site on Twitter, saying it had already installed one of its own ATMs in Melbourne, with "about 15 more on their way."
Robocoin's chief executive, for his part, took a shot at buy-only machines such as Lamassu's when his company's ATM debuted this past August. "Seriously, how bush league is an 'ATM' if it can't do the equivalent of deposits and withdrawals?" Robocoin CEO Jordan Kelley said.
Lamassu will be presenting its Bitcoin ATM for trial use at the CES Startup Debut event in Las Vegas on January 5, prior to the Consumer Electronics Show that will kick off two days later. After one of Lamassu's machines was installed in Bratislava, Slovakia, a local man named Juraj Bedn?r created aYouTube videodemonstrating how easy it is to use.
"It's always exciting for a young startup to have sales ramp up," Harvey said in the release. "But what's really thrilling for us is to know that these will be out in the wild, providing millions of people with effortless access to Bitcoin every single day."
Related:Actually...Bitcoin's Recognition Is Pretty Darn High
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1,419,159,720 | 2014-12-21 11:02:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [22, 717, 1009, 1256, 1518, 1623], "BTC": [1119]} | {"Bitcoin": [0]} | Bitcoin exec to spend two years behind bars for Silk Road transactions | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/2014-12-21-bitcoin-charlie-shrem-sentence.html | Engadget | https://www.engadget.com/ | Charlie Shrem, former Bitcoin Foundation board member and CEO of the now-defunct exchangeBitInstant, has been sentenced to two years in prison for helpingSilk Roadusers anonymously swap cash for digital currency. Silk Road, as you know, was the online marketplace infamous for hosting anonymous drug and gun sales that wasbusted by the FBIback in 2013. A version 2.0 went up shortly after that, but itsuffered the same fateas its predecessor this November. Based on evidence gathered during the crackdown, Shrem agreed to partner with Robert M. Faiella to trade over $1 million in cash from buyers. Faiella was the one with direct contact to buyers, hiding behind the name BTCKing to post ads promoting his dollar-to-Bitcoin business on the marketplace.
AsArs Technicaexplains, here's how the scheme was carried out: Faiella would instruct customers to deposit money to third-party bank accounts, then Shrem would use BitInstant to transfer the corresponding amount back to him, which he'd pass on to buyers' Bitcoin wallets. An undercover agent, for instance, deposited $500.11 to a bank account and got $444 worth of BTC later that same day. In court, Shrem's lawyers tried to pin the blame on his youth (he was 22 at the time) and his desire to promote Bitcoin, but prosecutors claimed that the opportunity to make money drove the scheme. He pled guilty in September but tried to convince US District Judge Jed Rakoff not to lock him up, by promising to make sure nobody follows in his footsteps:
I screwed up. The Bitcoin community, they're scared and there is no money laundering going on any more. They're terrified. Bitcoin is my baby, it's my whole world and my whole life, it's what I was put on this earth to do. I need to be out there. If your honor grants me that, I can be out there in the world, making sure that people don't do the same stupid things that I did.
That didn't fly with Judge Rakoff, who decided that a "substantial prison sentence" was needed to serve as a warning to other unlicensed money transmitting businesses. Also, he didn't believe that Shrem was just "some kid making a one-time mistake" and determined that he "was knowingly, willfully, to some extent excitedly and even passionately involved in activities he knew were, in part, involved in serious violations of the law." Despite Shrem's initial efforts to convince the judge not to hand him a prison sentence (on top of forfeiting $950,000), he toldBloombergthings turned out better than expected. Two years, after all, is easier to digest than the six years prosecutors wanted him to spend in prison.
[Image credit: Getty Images] |
1,388,442,000 | 2013-12-30 22:20:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [322, 541, 607, 1016, 1064, 1156, 1794, 2018, 2060, 2535, 3086, 3132, 3213, 3261, 3361]} | {"Bitcoin": [0]} | Bitcoin ATMs Are Spreading Across the World | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-atms-spreading-across-world-222000828.html | Entrepreneur | http://www.entrepreneur.com/ | Sometimes the future can sneak up on you. Like when you find out that a startup incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, whose employees live in New Hampshire and whose products are made in Portugal, is selling digital-currency ATMs to Saudi Arabia and Singapore.
These are only two of the countries that have purchasedBitcoinATMs from manufacturer Lamassu, which announced Monday that it had sold 120 of the machines to customers all over the world. A map Lamassu created to mark the occasion, showing thefar-flung sales locationsof its Bitcoin ATMs, not coincidentally illustrates the global appeal of Bitcoin.
Zach Harvey, Lamassu's chief executive,said as muchin a press release. "We will be shipping to 25 different countries, ranging from Canada to Kyrgyzstan, and we've translated our user interface into more than a dozen languages, including Russian, Chinese and Friulian," Harvey said.
Lamassu has delivered about a dozen ATMs so far, with plans to ship the others in spring 2014.
Related:India's No. 1 Bitcoin Exchange: Shutdown 'In No Way' Reflects Bitcoin's True Potential
In October 2013, another company, Robocoin, made headlines for its Bitcoin ATM, said to be the first in the world that was available to the public, when one of its machines was installed in a coffee house in Vancouver. Within its first month in operation, the ATM had processed more than CAD$1 million in transactions.
Robocoin's machine, which costs $20,000, or four to five times as much as Lamassu's (the company offers price discounts for bulk orders),allows usersboth to buy bitcoins with paper bills and to withdraw cash by selling bitcoins. Lamassu's table-top ATM, which is much more compact than Robocoin's kiosk, cannot provide cash in exchange for bitcoins, only the other way around.
Although Bitcoin ATMs are still in their infancy, they already represent a contentious space, in which each company is jealous of its claim to fame. After Business Insider Australia reported Monday that a company called 21st Century Bitcoin Exchange was setting up the first Bitcoin ATM in Australia, Lamassucorrectedthe news site on Twitter, saying it had already installed one of its own ATMs in Melbourne, with "about 15 more on their way."
Robocoin's chief executive, for his part, took a shot at buy-only machines such as Lamassu's when his company's ATM debuted this past August. "Seriously, how bush league is an 'ATM' if it can't do the equivalent of deposits and withdrawals?" Robocoin CEO Jordan Kelley said.
Lamassu will be presenting its Bitcoin ATM for trial use at the CES Startup Debut event in Las Vegas on January 5, prior to the Consumer Electronics Show that will kick off two days later. After one of Lamassu's machines was installed in Bratislava, Slovakia, a local man named Juraj Bedn?r created aYouTube videodemonstrating how easy it is to use.
"It's always exciting for a young startup to have sales ramp up," Harvey said in the release. "But what's really thrilling for us is to know that these will be out in the wild, providing millions of people with effortless access to Bitcoin every single day."
Related:Actually...Bitcoin's Recognition Is Pretty Darn High
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1,419,223,537 | 2014-12-22 04:45:37+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [2598, 2827]} | {} | Jason Brailow Presents Remarkable Presales Numbers for His Latest Real Estate Development | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/jason-brailow-presents-remarkable-presales-044537001.html | Marketwired | http://www.marketwired.com/ | LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwired - Dec 21, 2014) - A trailblazing new smart home development in California is seeing early commercial success, with almost 30% of the project's Homes already presold. The exclusive 56-unit gated master-planned community in San Luis Obispo is built based on the vision of Jason Brailow , entrepreneur and CEO of Advance Global Concepts. All luxury homes will be equipped with a cutting-edge security system that allows residents to control their homes remotely, from anywhere in the world, using their smartphone, tablet, or computer. At the push of a button they can lock and unlock doors, turn appliances on and off, control thermostats and monitor the home through live security cameras. And thanks to the installation of an integrated solar power network, residents will benefit from reduced energy costs and a minimal carbon footprint. Brailow and his team are in negotiations with Bravo's "Million Dollar Listing" Josh Altman to take over sales of the remaining homes, which will likely add to the overwhelming interest that the state-of-the-art project is already creating on the real estate market in California. "I am incredibly excited to witness how everything is coming together and to experience the great responses we are getting from home buyers," says Jason Brailow . "It's the automated city of the future, with every hyper-modern convenience we can think of, and at the same time it's considerably better for the environment than traditional homes are." Only one hour away from Santa Barbara and within minutes of the Pacific Ocean, the smart home community is nestled on the foot of the Santa Lucia Mountains, where residents will be able to enjoy the mild Mediterranean climate typical for the area. Equipped with numerous luxury facilities, homeowners can enjoy a resort-like atmosphere year-round, socialize in the modern clubhouse, exercise in the high-end athletic and wellness center or indulge in the numerous entertainment options, including a 27-seat theater. "Prospective buyers can choose from eight different plans with unique features. Homes range from 3,300 to 6,000 SQF and are priced between $1.1M and $2.5M," explains Brailow. "So far we have already sold 16 of our 56 houses and continue getting new requests almost every day by interested buyers who want to be part of this new way of living." Parallel to his real estate development, Jason Brailow and his company Advance Global Concepts, headquartered in Dubai, with satellite locations in California and Utah, recently garnered attention in the tech sphere with a groundbreaking Bitcoin secure storage solution geared toward financial institutions and the online games industry. Currently in the development phase, the project recently landed $5 million in venture capital seed funding. Brailow believes the Bitcoin crypto currency, which is currently trading at $325 USD each, will be increasingly used for worldwide commercial transactions in the near future. A savvy entrepreneur and sought-after business advisor, Brailow has earned an international reputation through features in renowned publications such as Forbes, Tech Crunch, and Wired Magazine. Story continues To learn more about Jason Brailow, visit: http://www.JasonBrailowNews.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/JasonBrailowUT LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jbrailow Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=2741507 View comments |
1,419,242,760 | 2014-12-22 10:06:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [29, 226, 1060, 1087, 1192]} | {"Bitcoin": [1]} | 'Bitcoin Millionaire' Charlie Shrem Sentenced To 2 Years In Prison | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-millionaire-charlie-shrem-sentenced-100600042.html | Business Insider | http://www.businessinsider.com/ | Wikimedia Charlie Shrem, the Bitcoin entrepreneur accused of helping users of the drug marketplace Silk Road move money around the internet,has been sentenced to two years in prison, Engadget reports.
Shrem was the CEO of the Bitcoin exchange BitInstant, which let people buy and sell the cryptocurrency online.
The entrepreneur used his business, BitInstant, to transfer money deposited in bank accounts by customers of the Silk Road, the notorious deep web drug marketplacethat has been shut down twice by police.
Shrem was arrested at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York in January, accused of conspiring to sell over $1 million worth of bitcoin to Silk Road users, with the police accusing him of being aware that the currency would go on to be used to buy and sell illegal drugs.
In the months while Shrem waited for his case to be dealt with by the courts,he spent time shopping for Nazi paraphernaliaandsitting around the house drinking and watching Netflix.
In court, Shrem argued that he was better off outside of prison, helping educate people about Bitcoin:
I screwed up. The Bitcoin community, they're scared and there is no money laundering going on any more. They're terrified. Bitcoin is my baby, it's my whole world and my whole life, it's what I was put on this earth to do. I need to be out there. If your honor grants me that, I can be out there in the world, making sure that people don't do the same stupid things that I did.
But the judge didn't buy that claim, saying instead that Shrem needed a "substantial prison sentence." Shrem was sentenced to two years in prison, and he is set to surrender to police in 90 days.In a tweet posted after the sentencing, Shrem seemed content with the ruling, remarking that "justice has been served."
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1,419,251,400 | 2014-12-22 12:30:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [10905]} | {} | The Hidden Costs of International Surrogacy | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/hidden-costs-international-surrogacy-123000087.html | The Atlantic | http://www.theatlantic.com/ | When Rhyannon Morrigan and her husband Drew used an egg donor and surrogate to have their child at a clinic in Delhi, India, they knew the road would be long, but had no idea how rough. Their kids, John and Maizy Morrigan, were born at 32 weeks in India. Stuck in the paperwork limbo of international surrogacy, the Morrigans not only missed the birth but they had to wait nearly two weeks, receiving word of their infants’ health from across the globe.
John died at ten days due to a lack of oxygen. Morrigan heard of his death just as she was on her way to the airport in Seattle, ecstatic to finally be meeting her twins. Days later, she wrote on Facebook: “My son died. The fact that I have a daughter does not change this.”
When Morrigan finally met her surrogate—Mrs. S—the meeting was strained and awkward, full of unspoken emotion.
“The doctors kept beaming at us, almost desperately,” Morrigan said. “'Congratulations on your beautiful daughter', they said. But my surrogate and I felt anything but celebratory.”
Morrigan said the birth of her children was supposed to be the end of her story, but it has actually forced her to look at surrogacy and all its complexities more carefully. She wanted a story with a happy ending in an industry which has beenrecently marred by scandals and fraud. Instead, she’s left worrying whether her financial contribution to her surrogate will be enough.
“I left feeling very concerned for her because I get to come home to the U.S., and we have counseling services and a lot of privilege, and while I know that her economic life will be better, I’m not sure she’ll be able to handle this emotionally by herself. She was devastated. She is my son’s mother, too.”
Banned in many parts of the world, commercial surrogacy is available inroughly 14 states in the U.S.—but the cost is more than most parents can afford. According to NerdWallet financial analyst, Mike Anderson, surrogacy in the U.S. costsat least $60,000. For comparison, the median household income in America is just under $52,000,according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Scott Buckley, the director of legal services at Circle Surrogacy, which has facilities in four states in the U.S. and Sweden, said depending on circumstances like egg donation, sperm donation, along with agency and clinic fees, surrogacy on national soilcan cost upwards of $120,000. Meanwhile, the price tag for surrogacy in India is regularly cited as under $30,000. Surrogatesare reportedly paid $800-$8,000, and clinics and staff pocket the rest.Victoria International IVF Center in India, for example, cites a 2-cycle deal: If the first embryo doesn’t take, the second embryo is implanted at discounted cost. It's $11,000 the first round, and only $5,000 the second round. These costs vary depending on whether the intended mother is using her own eggs or a donor’s eggs, and whether the couple uses the same surrogate for the second attempt or chooses a new one.
The fact that surrogacy often takes several attempts is a financial consideration. Whether using a U.S. clinic or one abroad, most couples choosing surrogacy as their choice for procreation can see multiple rounds of IVF fail before a surrogate successfully becoming pregnant. Morrigan started her journey in 2012, and only just became a mother through it this October. Each attempt can be costly and frustrating, rendering international surrogacy an even harder decision for couples to make.
“We realized relatively quickly that we did not have the money for a U.S. surrogacy,” said Morrigan. “Our attorney advised us that surrogacy can be a legal minefield here, and told us not to attempt it unless we could afford not only the surrogacy but the legal bills if something went wrong.”
However, Jon and Christy Anderson, co-founders ofExpect Miracle Surrogacyand parents through domestic surrogacy, said when travel, accommodations, genetic testing to prove parentage for citizenship, and other bureaucratic issues are taken into account, the $30,000 price skyrockets to about the same cost as a surrogacy in America. The Andersons calculated that all the additional paperwork, international travel, and the possibility of being in political limbo, along with being unable to reach your newly born child make the stress of international surrogacy not worth the discount.
“After at least two international trips and extended stays in a foreign country at American-style hotels, and lost wages for up to three months while you wait to return home after the birth, the costs often average out to being comparable,” said Jon Anderson.
Another woman I met through Morrigan, A.B., was in the middle of what she calls “the hectic bureaucracy of Indian laws.” She laid out her costs as follows: $54,000 already paid to various agencies, egg donor services, and IVF clinics, and another $39,000 to be charged for further IVF treatments, surrogate care, embryo shipment, two flights to Delhi, and completion of Indian paperwork to okay the baby for U.S. citizenship. These numbers don’t yet include the cost of the genetic testing, hospital costs during and after birth, hotel stays, or additional extra paperwork. She estimated that her grand total would be over $100,000. Exhausted by the process, she recently decided to give up despite having spent over $50,000.
Morrigan went through several hoops and delays after birth awaiting her visa approval. She said that while securing citizenship for an American baby born through international surrogacy is messy business, it was easy compared to the other challenges she faced in the surrogacy process.
“Most times, you have to get the child’s birth certificate by going to the consulate and proving through a DNA test that the child is genetically related to a U.S. Citizen,” she explains. “Once that’s verified, you apply for your passport and other travel necessities. Once in the country, you must go to the foreigners registration office (FRRO) where you prove that you have paid all your bills in India, to the surrogate, the hospital, the clinic that provided the IVF, and even the hotel where you are staying. If people are not paid, you don’t get to leave.”
International Fertility Centre,Morrigan's second company in her surrogacy journey,covered all medical and pregnancy costs in their package and facilitated the entire procedure. She said the entire process, despite hang ups, cost her around $70,000.
“We’re paying our surrogate $12,500, which will allow her to buy a house and put her daughter through private school up to the eighth grade,” Morrigan said. “We made sure the money would be under her name.”
Morrigan had to specifically enforced this because the patriarchal society in India often relegates the payment to a women’s husband. Sometimes, the women participating in commercial surrogacynever see the money at all. Critics of this type of overseas surrogacy say that this process exploits poor women by using their bodies, when they may not understand the full implications of pregnancy, birth, and what responsibilities they are actually undertaking—and therefore not able to give full consent. Morrigan disagrees with this.
“Our surrogate may not have the level of education I do, but she understood the process and was able to decide she wanted to do it,” Morrigan said. “Now it’s up to me to make sure she retains control of the funds she has earned.”
Still, Morrigan’s dedication does not counteract the fact that international surrogacy is hardly regulated, a reality that can hurt both surrogates and intended parents. Fromblack market surrogacy optionsin China to theentirely legal and booming surrogacy industry in India, toillegal mom-and-pop surrogacy organizations in the U.S. agencies—clinics, donors and surrogates have no official protocol to follow. According to New Jersey reproductive attorneyMelissa Brisman, they can make up the rules as they go.
"In the U.S., this issue isn’t being legislated because it’s religiously and politically charged,” Brisman says. “You have Republicans and Democrats pitted against each other, and surrogacy affects such a small percentage of the population, the issue won’t gain them votes if it goes through. So the measures die.”
She contends the regulations in India and Thailand are tightening, but not necessarily in the right way. The India government's Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Bill, which would provide protection and regulation for surrogates and foreign couples, iscurrently in the works. But the Bill excludes gay couples.
“They’re third world countries, so even with legalization and regulation, the care there will be deficient in comparison to what you can get in the U.S.,” she said. “There are no quality controls, and the regulations they tightened six months ago only succeeded in cutting out a large population—gay couples—who are in need of this service. Now you have to be in a traditional married situation to be eligible for Indian surrogacy.”
All of this leads to confusion, impossible-to-follow and misleading paperwork trails, lost funds or evenoutright fraud, as with thenow-bankrupt Planet Hospital, Morrigan’s first surrogacy agency.
Some intended parents want nothing to do with their surrogate, as was the case with A.B. When asked why she went overseas for the process, A.B. cited cost as her number one deterrent to a U.S. surrogacy. But she also said that the proximity of the surrogate was a concern: “I want no relationship with the surrogate. I think from the perspective of the surrogate, the day of the birth is the start of a long period of mourning. To the surrogate, having to hand over that baby, is the same trauma as giving up a child for adoption. I don't want to have a surrogate that is emotional after the fact and keeps trying to contact me to sell me breast milk or ask for photos.”
Morrigan said regardless of location, surrogacy as a process is fraught with fear and outside judgment. “Surrogacy makes people so uncomfortable because it challenges traditional ideas about some very fundamental cultural values, like who has the rights to the child while in-utero and who gets to make decisions in the surrogate’s life as she carries another family’s baby.”
To be sure, surrogacy is a complex issue that requires many players from egg donors to psychologists. Depending on the country, surrogates may be allowed to remain with their family for the duration,or they may be shipped off to secluded areasto ensure proper medical watch and procedures take place. They may be asked to abstain from sex, and if something goes wrong with the fetus, the intended parents may find themselves at odds with the surrogate over abortion issues. It’s a murky, ethically-charged arena with no central governing body holding a flashlight for those on the journey.
ReadThe Hidden Costs of International Surrogacyon theatlantic.com
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1,419,251,700 | 2014-12-22 12:35:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [2880]} | {} | Which Jobs Have the Highest Rates of Depression? | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/jobs-highest-rates-depression-123500844.html | The Atlantic | http://www.theatlantic.com/ | Sometimes when I observe someone doing their job, I can't help but think, "Man, that must be hard." Maybe it's a retail worker dutifully leading a customer to the linens aisle for the umpteenth time. Maybe it's a cab driver who's shuttling passengers around at 5 a.m. It's always hard to say who truly has it harder; perhaps that retail worker and that cab driver have themselves come away from other interactions thinking the same thing I did.
Now, some psychiatrists have spoken on which jobs are actually more of a grind, at least from the standpoint of mental health.A studypublished last month in the journalSocial Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epistemologysuggests that some jobs have much higher rates of depression than others.
Using data representing about 214,000 western Pennsylvanians, the study's authors calculated the incidence of depression across 55 industries. The highest rate of depression (16.2 percent) was found among bus drivers. The lowest (6.9 percent) was found among those in "amusement and recreation services," a broadly defined group that includes the sports, fitness, and performing-arts industries.
The Industries With the Highest Rates of Depression
From an economic standpoint, it's important to identify rates of depression because of how much productivity is lost to mental-health concerns (to say nothing of the awful psychic toll exacted on the level of the individual.)One studyfound that depression costs the economy $83 billion annually, the majority of which is lost because of decreased productivity in the workplace.
As the authors of this recent study readily admit, this is just a few hundred thousand people in one region, so it's a little iffy to generalize nationally from these numbers. That said, these findings do align roughly with thefewstudiesthat have been done on depression rates in specific industries. And one thing for sure is that bus drivers do have it rough around the world:A 2006 papernoted 50 years' worth of studies documenting their plight.
The Industries With the Lowest Rates of Depression
One interesting thing that can be done with this data is seeing if high-depression industries have any surprisingly similar characteristics. The researchers found that the jobs with the highest rates of depression tended to "require frequent or difficult interactions with the public or clients" and have "low levels of physical activity." Perhaps that explains why miners and highway-construction workers—two physically involved jobs without much outside communication—have the low rates of depression that they do.
Here are some industry-specific rates of depression that are closer to 10.45 percent, the average rate across all industries studied:
Rates of Depression in Other Industries
ReadWhich Jobs Have the Highest Rates of Depression?on theatlantic.com
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1,419,256,800 | 2014-12-22 14:00:00+00:00 | {"BTC": [753, 1047]} | {} | Methes Energies Welcomes the Re-Instatement of the Biodiesel Tax Incentive Also Known as the Blenders Tax Credit | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/methes-energies-welcomes-instatement-biodiesel-140000233.html | ACCESSWIRE | https://www.accesswire.com/ | LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / December 22, 2014 /Methes Energies International Ltd. (MEIL), a renewable energy company that offers an array of products and services to biodiesel fuel producers, welcomes the re-instatement of the incentives for biodiesel and renewable diesel for 2014. The "Tax Increase Provision Act of 2014" (H.R. 5771) extends for one year a number of tax relief provisions that expired either at the end of 2013 or during 2014. Section 153 of H.R. 5771 deals specifically with biodiesel and makes the incentive retroactive to January 1, 2014. President Barack Obama on Friday signed into law the bill which was cleared by the Senate on December 16.
Nicholas Ng, President of Methes said, "We are pleased with the reinstatement of the BTC. This will result in us getting back approximately $1 million for biodiesel sold in 2014. This will also strengthen our cash position. We and the rest of the biodiesel industry still await congressional action on biodiesel incentives for 2015."
Also known as the "Blender's Tax Credit", or BTC, the incentive is a fixed $ 1.00 per gallon tax credit to the first fuel blender of a volume of biodiesel that contains at least one-tenth of one percent petroleum-based diesel fuel.About Methes Energies International Ltd.Methes Energies International Ltd. is a renewable energy company that offers a variety of products and services to biodiesel fuel producers. Methes also offers biodiesel processors that are unique, truly compact, fully automated state-of-the-art and continuous flow that can run on a wide variety of feedstocks. Methes markets and sells biodiesel fuel produced at its showcase production facility in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, and at its 13 MGY facility in Sombra, Ontario, to customers in the U.S. and Canada, as well as providing multiple biodiesel fuel solutions to its clientele. Among its services are selling commodities to its network of biodiesel producers, selling their biodiesel production and providing clients with proprietary software to operate and control their processors. Methes also remotely monitors the quality and characteristics of its clients' production, upgrades and repairs their processors and advises clients on adjusting their processes to use varying feedstock to improve the quality of their biodiesel. For more information, please visitwww.methes.com.
Forward-looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements regarding future events and financial performance. In some cases, you can identify these statements by words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "except," "plan," "intend," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," or "continue," the negative of these terms and other comparable terminology. These statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties and are based on numerous assumptions involving judgments with respect to future economic, competitive and market conditions and future business decisions, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of which are beyond the Company's control. There are or may be important factors that could cause our actual results to materially differ from our historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, those discussed under the section entitled “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended November 30, 2013, filed on February 25, 2014, as amended, which is available at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission website atwww.sec.gov. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon management's reasonable belief as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason.
###
Contacts:Methes Energies International Ltd.Michel G. Laporte, Chairman and CEO702-932-9964
SOURCE:Methes Energies International Ltd. |
1,388,517,336 | 2013-12-31 19:15:36+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [41, 241]} | {"Bitcoin": [25]} | Fortress plans to launch Bitcoin fund, Fortune says | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/fortress-plans-launch-bitcoin-fund-191536935.html | theflyonthewall.com | http://beta.theflyonthewall.com/?referrer=yahoo | Fortress Investment Group is preparing a Bitcoin fund which likely will be much larger than a similar offering from SecondMarket, according to Fortune, which added that more information about Fortress' plans could be revealed tonight at the Bitcoin New Year's Eve Bash. |
1,388,524,500 | 2013-12-31 21:15:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [190, 598, 1372, 3342, 3887]} | {} | WPCS Announces Several New Developments | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/wpcs-announces-several-developments-211500938.html | Marketwired | http://www.marketwired.com/ | EXTON, PA--(Marketwired - Dec 31, 2013) - WPCS International Incorporated (NASDAQ:WPCS) today announced several operational and corporate updates related to its contracting business, recent Bitcoin acquisition and administrative matters as of December 31, 2013.
According to Interim CEO Sebastian Giordano, "We believe that the aggressive steps we began implementing in August 2013 and continue to execute to stabilize and turnaround core operations, reduce corporate overhead, and improve stockholders' equity are working. Meanwhile, we will be equally diligent in establishing our newly acquired Bitcoin operation to best position ourselves for growth in this sector." The following are some of the recent developments the Company wants to highlight as calendar 2013 comes to a close:
• Since last reporting new contracts for July and August 2013, the Company is announcing that for the four months ended December 31, 2013, its two profitable domestic subsidiaries have executed new project contract awards of approximately $6.8 million, a 27% increase over the $5.4 million of contracts awarded for the same period last year. Notable customers included: Johnson Controls, Siemens, Honeywell, SimplexGrinell, San Francisco International Airport, Sutter General Hospital and California Pacific Medical Center;
• The Company has initiated a search for a President for its Bitcoin trading platform, BTX Trader, LLC ("BTX"); secured office space for BTX in New York City; and is currently pursuing several key BTX-related strategic initiatives that it hopes to be able to report upon early in 2014. In addition, since announcing the public beta of its BTX trading platform, the Company has experienced a 600% increase in beta enrollments;
• With its corporate office lease expiring on January 31, 2014, the Company will be relocating to a smaller, lower cost space, which will be accompanied by further reductions in related overhead expenses. Recently, the Company entered into a separation agreement with a former executive that it expects will save approximately $200,000 in future compensation expense; and
• The Company has entered into a non-binding agreement with a business broker to find a buyer for the 60% interest in its China-based joint venture.
"We believe that WPCS is a company on the forefront of exciting change and we are proactively pursuing numerous operational and strategic measures to try to capitalize on the opportunities. Moreover, other current initiatives include discussions with: (i) certain independent public accounting firms, with client experience that includes companies engaged in the type of next-generation technologies, on-line payment systems, trading platforms, or similar industries as BTX, and which we believe would be more appropriately suited for our evolving business; (ii) investor relations firms that would help us more effectively communicate our revitalized message to the investor community; and (iii) specialized resources that will enhance our team of expert advisors; the selections of which we expect will be resolved shortly, in each of these areas," Giordano continued.
In closing, Giordano added that, "We are very encouraged by the improvements that have been made thus far and expect will continue to be made to improve WPCS' balance sheet and profitability. We are excited about Bitcoin and the potential offered by BTX to participate in an evolving marketplace. Considering where we were just five months ago before implementing our plans, we are very confident about the future prospects for the Company and for building shareholder value in 2014 and beyond."
About WPCS International Incorporated:
WPCS operates in two business segments including: (1) providing communications infrastructure contracting services to the public services, healthcare, energy and corporate enterprise markets worldwide; and (2) developing a Bitcoin trading platform. For more information, please visitwww.wpcs.comandwww.btxtrader.com.
Statements about the company's future expectations, including future revenue and earnings and all other statements in this press release, other than historical facts, are "forward looking" statements and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time. The company's actual results could differ materially from expected results. In reflecting subsequent events or circumstances, the company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements. |
1,388,524,500 | 2013-12-31 21:15:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [190, 598, 1372, 3342, 3887]} | {} | WPCS Announces Several New Developments | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/finance.yahoo.com/news/wpcs-announces-several-developments-211500938.html | Marketwired | http://www.marketwired.com/ | EXTON, PA--(Marketwired - Dec 31, 2013) - WPCS International Incorporated (NASDAQ:WPCS) today announced several operational and corporate updates related to its contracting business, recent Bitcoin acquisition and administrative matters as of December 31, 2013.
According to Interim CEO Sebastian Giordano, "We believe that the aggressive steps we began implementing in August 2013 and continue to execute to stabilize and turnaround core operations, reduce corporate overhead, and improve stockholders' equity are working. Meanwhile, we will be equally diligent in establishing our newly acquired Bitcoin operation to best position ourselves for growth in this sector." The following are some of the recent developments the Company wants to highlight as calendar 2013 comes to a close:
• Since last reporting new contracts for July and August 2013, the Company is announcing that for the four months ended December 31, 2013, its two profitable domestic subsidiaries have executed new project contract awards of approximately $6.8 million, a 27% increase over the $5.4 million of contracts awarded for the same period last year. Notable customers included: Johnson Controls, Siemens, Honeywell, SimplexGrinell, San Francisco International Airport, Sutter General Hospital and California Pacific Medical Center;
• The Company has initiated a search for a President for its Bitcoin trading platform, BTX Trader, LLC ("BTX"); secured office space for BTX in New York City; and is currently pursuing several key BTX-related strategic initiatives that it hopes to be able to report upon early in 2014. In addition, since announcing the public beta of its BTX trading platform, the Company has experienced a 600% increase in beta enrollments;
• With its corporate office lease expiring on January 31, 2014, the Company will be relocating to a smaller, lower cost space, which will be accompanied by further reductions in related overhead expenses. Recently, the Company entered into a separation agreement with a former executive that it expects will save approximately $200,000 in future compensation expense; and
• The Company has entered into a non-binding agreement with a business broker to find a buyer for the 60% interest in its China-based joint venture.
"We believe that WPCS is a company on the forefront of exciting change and we are proactively pursuing numerous operational and strategic measures to try to capitalize on the opportunities. Moreover, other current initiatives include discussions with: (i) certain independent public accounting firms, with client experience that includes companies engaged in the type of next-generation technologies, on-line payment systems, trading platforms, or similar industries as BTX, and which we believe would be more appropriately suited for our evolving business; (ii) investor relations firms that would help us more effectively communicate our revitalized message to the investor community; and (iii) specialized resources that will enhance our team of expert advisors; the selections of which we expect will be resolved shortly, in each of these areas," Giordano continued.
In closing, Giordano added that, "We are very encouraged by the improvements that have been made thus far and expect will continue to be made to improve WPCS' balance sheet and profitability. We are excited about Bitcoin and the potential offered by BTX to participate in an evolving marketplace. Considering where we were just five months ago before implementing our plans, we are very confident about the future prospects for the Company and for building shareholder value in 2014 and beyond."
About WPCS International Incorporated:
WPCS operates in two business segments including: (1) providing communications infrastructure contracting services to the public services, healthcare, energy and corporate enterprise markets worldwide; and (2) developing a Bitcoin trading platform. For more information, please visitwww.wpcs.comandwww.btxtrader.com.
Statements about the company's future expectations, including future revenue and earnings and all other statements in this press release, other than historical facts, are "forward looking" statements and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time. The company's actual results could differ materially from expected results. In reflecting subsequent events or circumstances, the company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements. |
1,388,529,467 | 2013-12-31 22:37:47+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [57, 263, 378, 537, 718, 1218, 2198, 2624, 2814, 2864, 3113]} | {"Bitcoin": [43]} | Andreessen Horowitz VC Chris Dixon Defends Bitcoin | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/andreessen-horowitz-vc-chris-dixon-223747985.html | Business Insider | http://www.businessinsider.com/ | BI
Chris Dixon
There's been a lot of debate lately about Bitcoin and its political role, with some people seeing it as some sort of currency for Libertarians.
Alex Payne, a former Twitter engineer, stirred the pot by writing a poston his personal blogthatblasted Bitcoin fansand dressed down the$25 million investment led by Andreessen Horowitz into Coinbase,one of the largest Bitcoin "wallet" services in the world.
On Tuesday, Andreessen Horowitz's Chris Dixon shot back. Onhis personal blog he explained:
Some people assume that all Bitcoin advocates are motivated by a libertarian political agenda. That is certainly not my agenda. I’m a lifelong Democrat ...
If not for political reasons, why am I interested in Bitcoin? Like a lot of people, I was disturbed by the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. I thought the government did what it had to do at the peak of the crisis but missed an important opportunity afterwards to reform the financial system.
... if the technology industry wants to change the financial services industry, it can’t just build new services on top of existing financial services companies.
... you need to create services that completely bypass incumbent financial companies.
Enter Bitcoin. The business case for it comes down to a few things, he writes.
1)Banks charge too much.The payments industry is a $500 billion industry where financial services take a 2.5% cut for "a service that mostly involves moving bits around the Internet."
When he announced the investment in Coinbase earlier this month,he explained on his blog,"These services are both expensive (roughly a 2.5% tax on all transactions) and prone to failure (Internet payment fraud is rampant)."
2)Startups can't afford the banks.Young companies with razor-thin operating margins struggle to pay the 2.5%. And dealing with payments in international currencies is even worse.
"If you are wondering why your favorite technology service isn’t available in your country, the answer is often payments," he writes.
3)If money becomes a software program, there's amazing new things that can be done with it.Dixon calls it "programmable currency" and explains it like this:
"The most exciting aspect of Bitcoin (and this is admittedly more speculative) are all the interesting new business and technology models that “programmable money” could enable. For example, I am very bullish on micropayments ... The world recently ran its first large-scale micropayments experiment – so called in-app payments on iOS and Android – and despite some serious design flaws (centralized control, 30% fees), it was a smashing success. I think Bitcoin could enable a micropayment system for the open web, and thereby provide a business model beyond banner ads for many important services such as journalism."
That said, he knows that Bitcoin's long-term success is not a sure thing.
"Bitcoin is a serious proposal for dramatically improving the payments industry. There are plenty of open questions but I think it’s an experiment worth running."
In the meantime, he's investing.
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1,419,268,200 | 2014-12-22 17:10:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [1494]} | {} | Getting Bill Gates as Your Reddit Secret Santa Is Nowhere Near as Cool as It Sounds | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/getting-bill-gates-reddit-secret-171000856.html | Entrepreneur | http://www.entrepreneur.com/ | Getting Bill Gates as your Secret Santa sounds like the ultimate Christmas miracle, right?
Not exactly.
For the second year in a row, the Microsoft founder participated in Reddit’sSecret Santa program, in which more than 212,000 people from 188 countries signed up via the social networking site to exchange gifts over the holiday season.
This year, Gates received as his giftee Reddit user Calid7, or Cali -- a purple-haired 25-year-old and self-described Anglophile. She was “literally shaking,” she wrote in a subsequent Redditpost, after receiving her package.
Related:Former Apple CEO John Sculley: For Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, Money Wasn't No. 1
However, to the casual observer, Cali’s gifts were far more quirky -- and exponentially less ostentatious -- than one might expect from one of the richest men on Earth.
What did she ultimately receive? A Loki helmet (as worn by theThorvillain), which “actually arrived with the horns cracked,” she writes, as well as a giant stuffed animal shaped like the polio virus. She’d listed the helmet on a questionnaire that users fill out as part of the exchange -- “and [he] fulfilled it!” she gushed.
Finally, given that Cali says a trip to Africa is on her bucket list of places to visit, Gates presented her with -- wait for it -- a coffee table book filled with scenic photos of the continent. Is it so wrong to think that the billionaire couldn’t have sprung for a ticket?
Related:Microsoft Is Now the Largest Company in the World to Accept Bitcoin
But Gates, whose charity work is tireless, clearly prefers to allocate his funds to the truly needy. And his gift-giving style is notably consistent.Last year, he purchased Reddit user Rachel a stuffed cow, a National Geographic travel book and a card indicating that the donation of an actual cow had been made on her behalf to Heifer International.
“The most important part,” Cali writes, “is he also made a donation in my name to Shot@Life, a great program that provides vaccines for kids in poor countries.”
Given that she doesn’t donate to charity often “[because] money is always extremely tight,” Cali wrote that the fact that the donation is in her name “really makes me glow.”
Related:Bill Gates' 5 Favorite Books of 2014 |
1,444,215,244 | 2015-10-07 10:54:04+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [0, 500, 982]} | {"Bitcoin": [0]} | Bitcoin May Be Flailing, But Blockchain Is On The Rise | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-may-flailing-blockchain-rise-105404886.html | Benzinga | http://www.benzinga.com/ | Bitcoin has suffered from several high-profile scandals which have branded the cryptocurrency as a tool for criminals and given the public reason to question its safety. However, blockchain, the ledger-like technology that bitcoin runs on, has been touted as one of the most important technological advances of the past decade. Many believe that although bitcoin may eventually die out, blockchain will continue to gain support as more and more industries find use for the technology.
Blockchain Not Bitcoin
On Tuesday at Bloomberg Markets Most Influential Summit, blockchainreceived a nodfrom Blythe Masters, the CEO of Digital Asset Holdings. Masters remarked that while bitcoin was of no interest to her, blockchain had the potential to transform the finance space. Blockchain has been suggested as a way to revamp financial markets and make transactions faster and more streamlined, something Masters says is an important trend to watch.
Related Link:Charlie Shrem Weighs In On Bitcoin From His Prison Cell
Support From The Finance Industry
Masters isn't alone in thinking blockchain has potential, a recent survey by Greenwich Associates showed that the majority of finance professionals agree. When asked whether blockchain can continue to thrive without bitcoin, 73 percent of the 55 participants said "yes." That attitude suggests that although bitcoin is struggling to gain mainstream approval, blockchain is already being considered a viable option for finance firms looking to improve their operations.
Several Applications
While financial markets have been at the forefront of discussions about the use of blockchain, other industries also see the technology as a potential game-changer. Blockchain would be able to facilitate online auctions as well as create smart contracts, something that could be applicable in several sectors.
See more from Benzinga
• Fuel Surcharges Give E-Commerce Firms More Reason To Be Creative About Logistics
• Tech Firms Caught Between Privacy And Law Enforcement
• Gemini Prepares To Open Its Doors
© 2015 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. |
1,388,636,496 | 2014-01-02 04:21:36+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [129, 527, 579, 1020, 1184, 1981]} | {} | Here's what should bolster bitcoin in 2014 | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/heres-bolster-bitcoin-2014-042136041.html | CNBC | http://www.cnbc.com/ | Last year was nothing short of exciting for bitcoin and with 2014 set to be another interesting year for digital currencies, the Bitcoin Foundation expects wider adoption and the recognition of its potential to support bitcoin going forward.
Over the course of 2013 the digital currency increased nearly 6,000 percent in value on the Mt. Gox exchange, closing the year out at $806.
In late November, bitcoin peaked at $1,242 before concerns about Chinese regulation and a global speculative bubble led to a rapid depreciation. Bitcoin has since stabilized around current levels. Bitcoin was trading at $816 on the Mt Gox exchange on Tuesday afternoon in Asia.
(Read more:Do you really know bitcoin? Here are 11 myths)
As mainstream awareness continues to increase the question remains: given volatility and speculation can bitcoin become a viable currency?
"There's certainly a lot of work that needs to happen... between now and bitcoin being a unit of account unto itself," Patrick Murck, principal and founder of the Bitcoin Foundation, which aims to standardize, protect and promote the use of bitcoin worldwide, told CNBC on Thursday.
(Read more:Big US online retailer to accept Bitcoin)
"But people are working on it and I think that's what you're going to see happen this year. Having reliable exchanges... more merchants coming on board, more consumers using it as a payment platform. All of those things will support bitcoin going forward as a currency," he added.
Among the key events for bitcoin in 2013 were a surprisingly positive U.S. senate hearing on digital currencies in November and regulatory action from Chinese authorities in December.
Despite the positive developments in the U.S., concerns about greater global regulation continue to linger after the People's Bank of China ordered third-party payment providers to stop using bitcoin in December, sparking a sharp fall in the value of bitcoin.
However, Murck expects such concerns to fade.
(Read more:Meet 'Bitcoin Jesus', a virtual currency millionaire)
"It's the same story that you saw play out in the U.S. At first people don't recognize bitcoin at all, they don't know what it is. They first take a look at it [and] it's very disruptive so it looks scary. So they want to tap the breaks a little bit and see what this thing is," he said.
(Read more:Behind China's love affair with bitcoin)
"As they start to get their heads around it and understand the real potential for economic growth, for job growth, for connecting people to a globally connected digital economy, they start seeing why as a policy objective they should be supporting innovation in this space. So I think you'll see the same thing in China," he added.
As for what 2014 holds for the underlying value of bitcoin, Murck said it all comes down how useful bitcoin is.
"I think the underlying value is going to be determined by how useful it is to people in commerce. So the more merchants that adopt it, the more consumers use it, the more businesses use it for supply chain management and for business-to-business transactions and cross-border transactions, the more valuable bitcoin will be to everybody and that will be reflected in the price."
- By CNBC's John Phillips. Follow him on Twitter@J_Phillips_CNBC
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1,388,665,389 | 2014-01-02 12:23:09+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [1993]} | {} | Apple Starts The Year With A Downgrade From Wells Fargo | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/apple-starts-downgrade-wells-fargo-122309235.html | Business Insider | http://www.businessinsider.com/ | AP
Apple CEO Tim Cook
Apple has been downgraded to "market perform" from "outperform" by Wells Fargo analyst Maynard Um.
Um's downgrade is based on gross margin concerns.
"Our bullish thesis on Apple had been predicated on the expectation for gross margin (GM) expansion driven by the 5s cycle," said Um in his note,according to Street Insider. "While we still have conviction in the gross margin thesis (and the potential for iPad/iPhone unit upside), we believe this may be largely embedded into the valuation."
Um is also concerned that the balance of power is going to shift away from phone makers to carriers this year.
"Wireless operators have been offering generous subsidies of ~$400 per smartphone, getting the price to consumers to ~$250 in an effort to drive increased smartphone penetration," says Um, and it sounds like he's skeptical this can continue.
A few thoughts on that:
1. We believe Apple sets up long-term contracts with carriers, so we don't think this is an actual risk for Apple.
2. This meme was talked about last year, and Tim Cook generally shot it down by pointing out that carriers get loyal, high-priced customers from the iPhone.
3. This isn't asubsidyfrom the carriers, it's a charge that goes over 2 years. Jean Louis Gasseehad a great post on this recently: "There is no subsidy. Carriers extend aloanthat users pay back as part of the monthly service payment. Like any loan shark, the carrier likes its subscriber to stay indefinitely in debt, to always come back for more, for a new phone and its ever-revolving payments stream."
Anyway, Um has some positive thoughts about Apple.
He could see the stock benefiting from an iWatch, iBeacons, an iPhone 6, and a new bigger dividend/buyback plan.
The stock was down .75% in pre-market trading this morning.
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1,444,239,101 | 2015-10-07 17:31:41+00:00 | {"BTC": [4493]} | {} | Cable & Wireless Communications Scores With Exclusive Premier League Football Rights From Seasons 2016/17 to 2018/19 | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/cable-wireless-communications-scores-exclusive-173141414.html | Marketwired | http://www.marketwired.com/ | MIAMI, FL--(Marketwired - Oct 7, 2015) - Starting next season, the Premier League will have a new home in the Caribbean. Cable & Wireless Communications Plc (CWC) today announced that it has won the exclusive rights to broadcast live all 380 matches per season of the Premier League across 32 Caribbean countries from 2016/17 to 2018/19. Commencing in August 2016, the Premier League will be available on the Caribbean's newest sports network --Flow Sports.CWC was also awarded the mobile clip rights, allowing fans to follow the latest goals and action from the world's best football league on any mobile device.
The extensive coverage of live Premier League matches will form the centerpiece of Flow Sports' programming schedule. The network will be launched in November 2015, with content that includes coverage of international and regional football, cricket, rugby, tennis and athletics, as well as CWC's exclusive NFL and Rio 2016 Olympics coverage. Flow Sports will broadcast across the region from a new 4-K-ready, state-of-the-art facility in Trinidad, offering 24/7 sports coverage in HD.
Commenting on the exclusive rights award, John Reid, President of CWC's Consumer Division said: "We are thrilled to partner with the Premier League across the Caribbean. As the most popular league of the world's greatest sport, the Premier League will be at the heart of Flow Sports, the region's newest and largest sports network. We are excited as well to bring additional jobs, skills and investment into the Caribbean with our new Trinidad facility, truly showcasing the power of the new Cable & Wireless and our commitment to the region."
CWC's market research has shown that sports programming is a key decision driver for customers purchasing TV and broadband packages. Approximately 70% of customers identify as being 'sports fans,' with the Premier League dominating sports viewing in the Caribbean. Reid added: "As the region's leading quad play operator, we look forward to bringing Caribbean sports fans closer to the action with our innovations in mobile and online viewing. With our Flow ToGo application and access to mobile clips, fans won't miss any of the excitement that truly defines this tremendous sports asset. Flow Sports will be available in our basic subscription package, meaning more games for more fans, and instantly positioning Flow as the home of sports in the Caribbean."
Phil Bentley, Chief Executive of Cable & Wireless Communications said: "Following our merger with Columbus and our re-branding to Flow, the agreement with the Premier League is yet another example of the growing momentum building across the Caribbean, delivering significant additional revenue synergies through cross-selling and upselling, as well as improving customer loyalty. This is set to accelerate over the next few years."
Richard Scudamore, Chief Executive of the Premier League said: "We are very pleased that Cable & Wireless Communications has chosen to invest in Premier League broadcasting rights in the Caribbean.
"We look forward to welcoming them as a new partner and are sure they will do excellent job making the competition available to fans across the region."
About Cable & Wireless Communications:
Cable & Wireless Communications Plc (CWC) is a full service communications and entertainment provider, operating in the Caribbean and Latin America. With annual sales of over $2.4bn, it operates both mobile and fixed networks, supported by submarine and terrestrial optical fibre backhaul capacity. Through the acquisition of Columbus International Inc. on 31 March 2015, CWC now delivers superior high-speed mobile data, broadband and video services. It has leading market positions in Mobile, Fixed Line, Broadband and Video consumer offers.
Through its business division, CWC provides data centre hosting, domestic and international managed network services, and customized IT service solutions, utilizing cloud technology to serve business and government customers.
The company also operates a state-of-the-art subsea fibre optic cable network that spans more than 42,000 km -- the most extensive in the region -- as well as 38,000 km of terrestrial fibre providing wholesale and carrier backhaul capacity.
CWC has more than 7,000 employees serving over 6 million customers (Mobile 3.8m; Fixed Line 1.1m; TV 460k and Broadband 665k) as well as over 125k corporate clients across 42 countries. The Company's leading brands include; LIME and Flow in the Caribbean; BTC in The Bahamas; Mas Movil in Panama; C&W Business and C&W Networks. CWC is the market leader in most products offered and territories served. It is a major contributor to local communities through its corporate social responsibility programmes.
Cable & Wireless Communications' shares are quoted on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker CWC. The company is headquartered in London with its operational hub located in Miami, within close proximity to the Caribbean and Latin America.
For more information please visit:http://www.cwc.com
About the Premier League:
The Barclays Premier League is the most-watched, continuous, annual sporting event in the world. Last season 13.9 million fans attended matches with record average stadium occupancy of 95.9%. Across nine months of the year, 380 matches are viewed in 185 countries with coverage available in over 725 million households. |
1,388,685,060 | 2014-01-02 17:51:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [258, 1244, 1262]} | {} | 100 Things You Should Be Talking About in 2014 | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/100-things-talking-2014-175100087.html | Entrepreneur | http://www.entrepreneur.com/ | The novelty of drones isso2013. If you are going to bede rigueurin 2014, you had better be thinking about how best to regulate the use ofdrones.
While digital currency is becoming increasingly part of the mainstream fiscal news cycle -- 2014 will be the yearBitcoinrivals will creep into the conversation.
Related:10 Trends for 2014: We Seek Imperfect, Human Moments. With Our Smartphones at the Ready.
And at your next divorce party, if you want to been vogue, those ice cubes had better be infused with a juice, fruit or herb.
Want to know more trending subjects for the upcoming year? Here's a look at the 100 things -- listed in alphabetical order -- that are going to be the "it" topics of 2014, according to New York City-based advertising agency JWT. If you want a deeper dive into the topics listed below, head over toJWTfor a bit more analysis.
Related:'Her' Got Us Thinking. Can You Love -- Like, Really Love -- Your Technology?
And if you are touched by nostalgia, here's alook back at what was going to be hot in 2013.
1. 3D Printer Retail Hubs2. 3D Printing Accessories3. Aerial Yoga4. African Contemporary Art5. Algae6. Ambient Commerce7. Armchair Travel8. Arrested IRL Development9. Art Incubators10. AwesomenessTV11. Beacons12. Bitcoin Rivals13. Bitcoins Bust Out14. Branded Real Estate Development15. Brands Blur Gender Lines16. Brands in Space17. Brazil as Debutante18. Brazilian Art19. Breath Analysis20. Catering to Chemical Sensitivities21. Chinese Wines22. The Circular Economy23. Cocktails on Tap24. Community-Supported Everything25. Contemplative Computing26. Couriers on Call27. Craft Mocktails28. Deconstructed Dinners29. Delivery Wars30. Demonizing Food Dyes31. Digital Art32. Digital Grieving33. Divorce Parties34. Drone Regulation35. E-Cigarette Regulation36. Edible Packaging37. Equal Rights for Men38. Fashion for the Space Age39. Fast Food Tofu40. Feel-Good Fashion41. Glanceable UI42. Glassware43. Godless Congregations44. Google Glass Etiquette45. Hacking's New Frontier46. Haptic Technology47. Hashtag Fatigue48. Heads-Up Movement49. Homemade Baby Food Delivery50. Human Touches51. Infused Ice Cubes52. Internet Safety Nets53. Jumia54. Kid-Bots55. Live Broadcasts56. Makeup Salons57. The Marijuana Market58. mEmployment59. Messaging Apps as Retail Channel60. Metadata61. Mindfulness in Classrooms62. Minimoons63. Minute to Read It64. Needle-Free Vaccines65. Oculus Rift66. OTT TV67. Photoshop for All68. Podcast One69. Privacy by Design70. Privacy Marketplace71. Regional Ethnic Cuisine72. Robotic Security Guards73. Role-Playing Adventures74. Savory Yogurt75. Seamless Payments76. Semiautonomous Cars77. Sensory Literacy as Core Curriculum78. Sight-Running79. Smart Vending Machines80. Snail Slime81. The Social Divide82. Sochi's Third Coming83. Soju84. Speaking Visually85. Sports Mashups86. Stealth Health87. Survival of the Focused88. Tablet-First TV89. Techno-Paranoia90. Telediagnostics91. Telepresence Robots92. Traditional Folk Clothing93. Ugly Produce94. Unconventional Models95. Vaping Lounges96. Vegetable Co-Stars97. Verified Reviewers98. Virtual Stickers Come to Life99. Xbox Programming100. Xiaomi
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1,388,685,125 | 2014-01-02 17:52:05+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [791]} | {"Bitcoin": [1]} | "Bitcoin," Or How To Lose Your Shirt Before You Even Buy It | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bitcoin-or-how-to-lose-your-shirt-before-you-even-71980501515.html | Yahoo Tech | https://www.yahoo.com/tech/ | As we all sit around trying to figure out how were going to pay off our credit card debt without selling our plasma, those of us who arent in the know (translation: engaging in illegal activities) have had a way of generating our very own money all by ourselves and we didnt even realize it. The only problem is that the method for making and spending this currency is more complicated even than teaching your parents how to set their DVR. And its value swings back and forth like Miley Cyrus on a wrecking ball, only with better posture. Also, the government isnt sure whether it likes this currency or hates it. Oh, and no one really accepts it unless youre into illegal drugs or porn, so once you find some youre kind of stuck with it. Other than that, its a really cool idea. Bitcoins are an online currency that began life in 2009 as a non-fiat or, loosely translated, I have no Italian car alternative to regular money, and the method for finding these bitcoins is so complex that I suspect it is at least one reason why Ben Bernanke is taking such a long vacation from the Federal Reserve. A pseudonymous software developer named Satoshi Nakamoto released a paper that essentially said that a currency that was not beholden to any central regulatory group and had an official end date for printing so that there would be a finite number of them was a spiffy idea. He apparently released some bitcoins into what could loosely be called circulation online and then left those who were paying attention a road map for making more. Dont bother looking for them; you need a computer system that is so advanced it would cost you tens of thousands of dollars to put it together. And the more bitcoins that are generated, the harder they are to find. Most people these days just buy them from people who bought them from other people who were waiting for the value to go up so they could sell them and reap the profits in real money, which can actually be spent. The problem is that once you buy these bitcoins, no one really wants to take them off your hands, for a variety of reasons. Its kind of like the investment version of trying to shake a piece of sticky tape off your fingers. While we financial Philistines place our trust in the government to keep our money safe, bitcoin believers place their trust in an anonymous body of miners. Miners are hardcore computer users who have agreed to record all transactions for public record and who also make new bitcoins in the process. The idea here is that this anonymous network with no knowledge of finance or economics will approve your supposedly untraceable purchase more quickly and less expensively than will your average credit card company, which employs thousands of professionals, has bank-grade security systems, and is beholden to the federal government. Fair enough. For my money, the real danger here other than having someone steal your bitcoins in the transaction, which happens more than theyd like to admit is the possibility of editorializing: Your $19.95 charge for viewing Saturday Night Beaver has been approved and, frankly, we think you should be a little ashamed of yourself. Story continues Heres another thing: No one really knows the precise value of a bitcoin at any particular point in time. According to The Wall Street Journals < Market Watch >* blog, the value of a bitcoin recently shot up to $1,242 before settling back down to around $1,000 in a single day. And for those who collect physical bitcoins, which are minted in precious metals for that under the mattress style of investing, the coins are so hard to sell that they are primarily used as game board pieces. And there are other online currencies competing for a place in the market, so conceivably we could one day be trying to pay for things in several different currencies, all of which have different values that may or may not stay the same throughout the transaction: Store Owner: That will be 0.0001 bitcoin, please. Will you need any satoshis back? Me: Satoshis? What is that, metric? Store Owner : No, I think its the smallest fraction of a bitcoin. Whoops, the value just dropped again. That will actually be 0.0002 bitcoin. Me: I only have this half pogue in my wallet. Can you break that for me? Store Owner: Im sorry, youll have to buy something else
So who in their right minds, you ask, would accept this imaginary money that may or may not be worth anything, is incredibly hard to find, and is even tougher to spend? Up until very recently, there were four main groups: Hackers who were into the Deep Web, angry libertarians with a taste for investing, drug dealers and unsuccessful money launderers. Theoretically, bitcoins are not beholden to any central network of control, which is the main benefit if youre doing something naughty with your money. Its anonymous, almost. Just ask the proprietors of Silk Road, the former Amazon.com of illegal drugs that was shut down by the federal government. More recently, the bitcoin is being accepted as payment in a wider market for items that are far less likely to earn you an appointment with a probation officer, but its still in its infancy. If youve read Kashmir Hills fabulous account in Forbes of what its really like to live on bitcoins for an entire week, then you know its possible to survive as long as youre willing to go hungry and be homeless, depending on where you live. That doesnt mean that there arent bitcoin believers among those whose wealth would have us believe that they know a good investment when they see one. If you happen to have enough bitcoins in your imaginary online wallet, you can always hitch a ride with Brangelina on Richard Bransons galactic spaceship. If it ever takes off. View comments |
1,419,337,800 | 2014-12-23 12:30:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [19420]} | {} | 17 Things We Learned About Income Inequality in 2014 | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/17-things-learned-income-inequality-123000003.html | The Atlantic | http://www.theatlantic.com/ | Earnings growth for the richest Americans has beenoutpacing the incomegrowth of the lower and middle classes since the 1970s, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities's analysis of data from the Congressional Budget Office. That means that income inequality is not a new concept. So why does it suddenly feel like such a big deal?
Well, in the wake of the recession, the pinch of sluggish wages and the lackluster job market are more acute for more Americans. President Obama also played a part in the narrative,highlighting the issueduring his 2014 State of the Union address, saying, “Inequality has deepened. Upward mobility has stalled. The cold, hard fact is that even in the midst of recovery, too many Americans are working more than ever just to get by—let alone get ahead.”
1) Where Things Stand Right Now
Income inequality isn’t just about the inability of some to afford the finer things in life. Research suggests that a wide gulf between incomes can have more pernicious effects, such as increased feelings of disenfranchisement, fewer opportunities for advancement, and increased poverty. Some economists have even suggested that a large gap between class incomes can lead tostunted economic growth. Between 2009 and 2012 the top one percent of Americans enjoyed 95 percent of allincome gains, according to research from U.C. Berkeley. The same study found that income inequality may be at its most pronounced levels since 1928, the height of the stock-market bubble.
Middle-Class Household Income, Projected and Actual Growth
2) As Long As We're Still Growing, Right?
In theory, income inequality in a capitalist society ishighly probableand maybe even a little bit desirable. After all, people need financial incentives to work hard and innovate. But inequality could also impair growth if those in the middle and at the bottom have no money to spend.
While it’s hard to argue definitively whether income inequality is good or bad for economic growth,research by the International Monetary Fundargues that high inequality is correlated with low economic growth—so redistribution might reduce inequality and boost growth. TheOECD’s report on income inequalityis more explicit, stating that income inequality has a negative and statistically significant impact on growth because of its impact on low-income households and their education outcomes. AnS&P research briefalso states that "increasing income inequality is dampening U.S. economic growth."
Basically, some income inequality is necessary and fine. The levels we’re seeing now? Not so good for the economy.
3) Piketty, Piketty, Piketty
Given that Thomas Piketty’sCapital in the Twenty-First Centurydipped into data that spans centuries, it seems like he could’ve picked any year in the past decade to release his findings. He chose 2014, and unexpectedly—to the press and evento his publisher—the book took off. No fewer than three Nobel Prize winners have done work similar to Piketty’s, and yet for some reason he was the one to become identified with the topic of wealth inequality. Even thoughCapitalwas so deeply researched that it’d be foolish to call its success entirely a fluke, it’s undeniable that Piketty gave 2014’s book-buying public what it wanted: a well-dressed, well-educated European alternative to an Occupy movement that is still aimless and now rundown. No wonder it sold80,000 copies in two months.
4) But What if Piketty Is Wrong?
And like any celebrity in 2014, Piketty was not immune to intense scrutiny. Chris Giles, the economics editor of theFinancial Times, raisedthe first significant public concernsabout Piketty’s data sets in late May, the month after the book was published. Piketty refused to acknowledge any problems with his numbers, insisting that his manipulations were deliberate and that his conclusions still stood.Reasonable people disagreed from all angles. Yes, the debate spoke to the murkiness of any economic data that’s more than a few decades old, but it also revealed a larger truth behind the bickering: The year 2014 was so focused on wealth inequality that a conversation about 18th-century financial data took on the emotional charge that Americans usually reserve formuch more frivolous topics.
5) Goodbye, Middle Class
The growing gulf in earnings between America’s richest and everyone else means that the group that's historically fallen in the middle, living a life of neither luxury nor poverty, is shrinking. In 2013,median household incomewas $51,939, stilleight percent lower than in 2007, the year before the recession started, according to Census data.
Arecent reportby the Center for American Progress shows that in 1979, a majority of American households (59.5 percent) had earnings that qualified them as middle class (defined as working-age households with incomes between 0.5 and 1.5 times the median national income). In 2012, the share of middle class families had fallen to 45.1 percent, indicating that American households have become more concentrated at the top and bottom of the earnings ladder.
Why is that a problem? For one thing, mobility: More of the middle class is migrating to the lower class due to stagnant incomes and the increasing cost of living—which means more Americans are struggling to make ends meet. That’s not just bad for families; it's bad for the economy. A recentstudy of income inequalityat Washington University in St. Louis suggested that a depleted middle class can lead to a downturn in demand for goods and services, a bad outcome for businesses and the economy as a whole.
Share of Households Earning Middle-Class Income
6) Will Millennials Make It?
Things look pretty rough for Millennials:Wages for young workers are falling, their preferences and economic circumstancesmake it incredibly hard for them to buy a home, and the best cities for them to get ahead inare the most expensive ones. Andlike most of America, they're not making enough money tosave.
But how will Millennials climb out of this? That's the answer nobody seems to have. Will theyleave the citiesthat are costing them so much? Or work in the health-care field,the exception to the falling wages rule? Or will they indeed bethe first generation in decades to be worse off than their parents? The White House Council of Economic Advisers releaseda report this yearon Millennials, and wrote this in the conclusion: "While there are substantial challenges to meet, no generation has been better equipped to overcome them than Millennials." Let's hope they're right.
7) Minority vs. Majority
In 2013, median income for a white household was $58,270, according to Census data. For Hispanics it was $40,963 and for blacks it was only $34,598. One minority group bucks the trend: Asians. In 2013, median earnings for Asian households was $67,035, surpassing the median income of all households.
Real Median Household Income by Race
The differences between household income nod to greater discrepancies between racial groups within the country. One major reason for the depressed incomes of blacks and Hispanics is thehigher rate of unemploymentfor these groups. During the third quarter of 2014, white Americans age 16 and over had anunemployment rateof 5.3 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For Asians, unemployment was even lower, around 4.5 percent. But historically, blacks and Hispanics face higher rates of unemployment than their fellow Americans, and the recession and sluggish recovery has exacerbated high-unemployment rates for these groups. During the same period, Hispanic Americans had an unemployment rate of 7.3 percent and the unemployment rate for blacks was 11.7 percent, more than twice the rate of their white or Asian counterparts.
8) The Trouble's at the Bottom
Yes, the economy is picking up steam and employers are finally creating jobs. But that doesn’t mean that the jobs created are the jobs needed to spur economic growth. Low-wage industries have added 3.8 million jobs since February 2010, although the industry lost just two million jobs during the recession, according toa reportfrom the National Employment Law Project. In the meantime, higher-wage industries have added just 2.6 million positions during the recovery, although they shed 3.6 million jobs during the recession. Jobs in food service, retail stores, and temp firms are leading the recovery, according to the report—they accounted for 39 percent of private-sector employment gains in the past four years.
Net Change in Private Sector Employment
That’s problematic for many reasons, including the fact that many of those jobspay minimum wage, which means less money in Americans’ pockets and potentially slower consumer spending—which accounts for about70 percentof the U.S. economy. What’s worse, many service workers are finding that they aren’t able to get as many hours as they’d like, and that their schedulesare unpredictable. That means minimum wage workersare struggling, even in states that have raised the minimum wage from the federal standard of $7.25. Many end up living in poverty, even though they have jobs. Not exactly the recovery America needed.
9) Sticky Floors and Glass Ceilings
Millennial women have closed the gender wage gap from previous generations. But a gap persists, and there is reason to think it could actually grow.According to the “sticky floor” theoryof the gender wage disparity, women earn closer to their male colleagues in low-paying jobs and entry-level positions. But as generations age and move along in their careers, men take a lead over their female peers. It’s just one more reason why the entire economy might be better off if companies not only offered more maternity leave but also paternity leave, which would put new parents on equal footing. When a generation’s smartest women leave the workforce because they don't feel valued at the office, the entire country suffers from their withdrawal.
10)Maybe It's Time to Start Worrying About Men
Women are catching up with men in the wage race not only because their wages are rising, but also becausemale employment is falling. The inactivity rate among prime-age men—that is, the share of men between 25 and 54 who are neither working nor looking for work—has been rising steadily since the early 1980s.
The trend shows no sign of abating. Of particular concern is the fact that the inactivity rate has grown more in the recovery than it did throughout the Great Recession.
Perhaps the most important explanations are that globalization and technology are making many routine-based jobs both cheaper and scarcer, and the housing bust has devastated construction employment.
11) Single Ladies, and Single Men
Three economists looked atwho's marrying whomin the last 50 years and how that's affecting income inequality. In short, educated men and women did not always marry each other. In 1960, only 25 percent of men who graduated college married women who also had degrees. That trend is increasing: In 2005, that number was up to 48 percent. It's hardly surprising that men and women of similar education backgrounds would seek each other out, but "assortative mating" means more income inequality than if couples were randomly put together regardless of income and education.
Furthermore, income inequality and assortative mating are contributing to a marriage gap where higher earners can afford marriage, and low-income workers can't. SociologistAndrew Cherlin arguesthat America is seeing a second era of the marriage gap (the first was during the Gilded Age, when income inequality was high and rising). The association shows that periods of lower income inequality lead to higher marriage rates across all income groups. Along with big cultural shifts in marriage, researchers are seeingrecord numbers of unmarried adults. Further,researchshows that times of economic recession results in lower marriage and birth rates—but fewer divorces.
12) Politicians Sound Off
In one response to the topic of income inequality, Texas Governor Rick Perry reasoned that some level of inequality was preordained saying, “Biblically, the poor are always going to be with us in some form or fashion,” in aninterview withThe Washington Post.
But for the most part, regardless of party, political leaders agreed that growing income inequality and a shrinking middle class is problematic. That’s largely where the similarities ended. When it comes to causes and solutions, politicians had lots of ideas this year. In a speech, Senator Marco Rubio suggested that an increase in marriages and low-skill jobs couldhelp bridgethe gap. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky pondered whether or not the fault lies with the current administration during aninterview with NPR, saying, “I think inequality can be a problem. And interestingly, seems to be getting a little bit worse under this administration. Income inequality is worse in towns run by Democrat mayors than it is in towns run by Republican mayors.”
Democratic Senator Charles Shumer urged Americans to focus onbolstering the middle classrather than on shaming the upper class, saying, “The focus had to be on how to get middle-class incomes up, rather than drive other people’s incomes down,” according toThe Washington Post.
In a speech in October at Northwestern University, President Obama discussed education, a higher minimum wage, andchanges to the tax rateof the richest Americans as a means of decreasing the growing financial divisions. "When nearly all the gains of the recovery have gone to the top one percent, when income inequality is at as high a rate as we’ve seen in decades, I find that a little hard to swallow that they really desperately need a tax cut right now," he said.
13) Are Taxes Really the Solution?
When it comes to closing the gap between the rich and the poor, more Americans seem to lean toward the idea of increasing taxes, particularly for the rich. In a 2014 poll by Pew Research Center, 49 percent of Americans said that high taxes could be aviable solutionfor reducing inequality, while less than 40 percent thought that lowering taxes would be helpful.
But it’s not immediately clear if simply increasing taxes on the richest Americans is the answer. While studies from some organizations, like the Economic Policy Institute, find that increasing taxes on high earners couldhelp to reduceoverall inequality, research from others, like the Tax Foundation, finds that a hefty increase in the tax rate for high earners might have othernegative effects,like decreased wages and a lowered GDP.
There are other options too, like changing portions of the tax code that would decrease the ability to reduce taxable income. Research from the OECD found that an increase in the marginal tax rate on upper-income citizensmay in fact failto have the desired impact, thanks to these loopholes. In a2014 op-edfor theWashington Post, former Treasury secretary Larry Summers advocated for closing such tax loopholes in an effort to extract more tax money from the richest individuals and companies, and redistribute it among the majority.
14) Stay in School
In the quest to bridge, or at least narrow, the gap of income inequality, education is one of the most frequently discussed solutions. Unsurprisingly, economists have found correlations between an increase in education and anincreased levelof earning. But some experts disagree on what type of education will best serve low-income families, and allow them to achieve higher earnings and more financial stability. This year, the Obama administration has pushed for higher education institutions to make aconcerted effortto help students, and potential students, from low-income households enter college—arguing that a college degree is the best route to higher earnings.
But some believe that help should instead be targeted atK-12 education—giving children in lower-income families a solid educational foundation that will likely spur them to aspire to attend college or get a more-skilled job. And others think that increasing skills-based education is the answer to helping low-income households earn more, by allowing for more highly-skilled, technical work that will provide consistent, stable income.
15) Can Computers Save the Day?
Since the beginning of modern capitalist thought, theorists have ponderedwhether technological advances create more and better jobs than they destroy. Historically, it's common to perceive new technology as an enemy when the economy is slow. It's what John Maynard Keynes called "technological unemployment.”
But some economists—like George Mason University's Tyler Cowen—see the potentialfor technological advancements to create new jobs for middle-class workers. For example, as computers get easier to use and as education becomes cheaper and more widely available, Cowen thinks it’s possible that low-skilled workers could benefit from technological advances by using them to perform higher-function jobs. As technological advances hit developing economies (such as China's and India's), middle class Americans will benefit from better and safer products.
16) The Geography of Inequality
Income inequality is often measured by the Gini coefficient, a number between 0 (when everyone's equal) and 1 (total inequality)—though critics argue that this measurehasitsproblems. In 2014, theCensus Bureau reportedthat the Gini index for 2013 was 0.479, which was not statistically different than 2012. But it is up 4.9 percent from 1993.
At thestate level, the Gini index is highest in America in states in the South, the Northeast, and California. 15 states saw their Gini index go up in 2013. Formetropolitan areasin the U.S., Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Connecticut, tops the list for inequality, with the average income of the top 5 percent at $782,000 while the average income of the lowest 20 percent is $15,800. Ogden-Clearfield, Utah, ranked as the city withthe lowest income inequalityin 2013 with a Gini index of 0.394.
2013 Gini Index of Income Inequality by State
17) Inequality: It's Everywhere
Some say thatglobal income inequality is falling. Some saymaybe not.A reportby Oxfam found that the gap between the rich and the pooris growing worldwide. The number of billionaires in the world has doubled since the financial crisis.The wealth of the world’s 1,646 billionaires combined is $5.4 trillion—a third of the U.S. yearly GDP—while there are870 million people living in extreme poverty.Oxfam calculated that the revenues from a 1.5 percent tax on the wealth of the world’s billionaires could save 23 million lives if put into healthcare, or put every child in the world into school if used for education.
Income inequality in OECD countries is at its highest levelin the past half century. Looking at the richest 10 percent of the population, the OECD reports that their average income is nine times that of the poorest 10 percent—up from only seven times 25 years ago.
Though the problem isn’t solely an American one, the U.S.ranks highest when it comes to inequality in developed nations, according to the OECD. The issue doesn’t seem like something that will be solved soon. In fact, challenges related to growing income inequality were listed as thenumber one global concerngoing into 2015 in a report from the World Economic Forum.
Read17 Things We Learned About Income Inequality in 2014on theatlantic.com
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1,419,339,600 | 2014-12-23 13:00:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [174, 1145, 1299, 2049]} | {"Bitcoin": [95]} | Ribbit.me Poised to Lead Rewards Industry Consolidation Using Blockchain Technology, Enhancing Bitcoin Mainstream Utility | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ribbit-poised-lead-rewards-industry-130000448.html | Marketwired | http://www.marketwired.com/ | NEW YORK, NY --(Marketwired - December 23, 2014) - Key Facts RibbitRewards™ is the first rewards program based on blockchain technology (patent pending), the same technology Bitcoin uses. Ribbit.me™ is set to launch Marketplace.life™, the first-ever p2p marketplace where buyers and sellers earn RibbitRewards for each transaction. This new global marketplace is free-to-use and accepts all major digital and fiat currencies. A percentage of all RibbitRewards created are donated to charity. Ribbit.me, the creator of RibbitRewards, the world's first rewards program based on blockchain technology and with its own marketplace, today released 2015 plans to create alliances with mainstream financial services partners to increase the efficiency of payment processing through enhanced utility of digital currencies. CFO Greg Simon, an economist whose background includes global investment banking, is one of the co-founders of Ribbit.me. He became interested in blockchain technology while embarking on a year-long trip around the world where he encountered obstacles to transacting using traditional fiat currencies. He progressed to the use of Bitcoin and then decided to build a rewards program based on the same technology with two partners, founding Ribbit.me. "It was a natural progression for Bitcoin to evolve into a solution for the rewards industry," said Simon. "The RibbitRewards program will save billions of dollars a year from operating efficiencies, industry consolidation and taking it off balance sheet." Simon said Marketplace.life shoppers benefit from the convenience of using one rewards program for all their purchases, while earning RibbitRewards for each transaction. The marketplace is easy and free for all to use. A percentage of RibbitRewards go to buyers, sellers and to charity. "We are working with some great partners to distribute RibbitRewards to worthy charities," said Sean Dennis, Ribbit.me CEO and co-founder. "These strategic alliances will allow hundreds of charities to accept donations in RibbitRewards and Bitcoin." Story continues http://vimeo.com/113438168 Ribbit.me is also developing a retail plug-in so that RibbitRewards can be earned on any merchant platform. Watch for signs that say "Earn RibbitRewards Here" to appear in retail shopping outlets soon. About Ribbit.me Ribbit.me! USA is a U.S.-based Delaware C Corp. Our mailing address is P.O. Box 1817, NY, NY 10159. For more information about RibbitRewards, visit www.ribbit.me . You can also follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/Ribbit.me and facebook.com/Marketplace.life) and Twitter (@RibbitRewards). Embedded Video Available: http://youtu.be/8_09gwWKfvk |
1,419,341,220 | 2014-12-23 13:27:00+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [20, 76, 198, 996, 1777, 1846, 3217]} | {"Bitcoin": [39]} | The Ultimate Multi-Currencies Offshore Bitcoin Trading Platform | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ultimate-multi-currencies-offshore-bitcoin-132700493.html | ACCESSWIRE | https://www.accesswire.com/ | KBBEX - Border Free Bitcoin Exchange PlatformAn Ally of Taiwan BitoEX - Buy Bitcoin in 5000+ Convenience Stores in Taiwan
Hong Kong, China / ACCESSWIRE / December 23, 2014 /KBBEX, a Hong Kong-based Bitcoin Exchange Platform, has formed a strategic partnership with Taiwan renowned bitcoin company, BitoEx, to supply bitcoins in more than 5000 convenience stores in Taiwan. People can buy bitcoins at all FamilyMart convenience stores in Taiwan at the moment. The cooperation turns the development of Taiwan bitcoin industry into a new leaf that bitcoins, the well-known digital currency, walk into the daily-life of Taiwan citizens.
Mr. Cheng Kuang Tai, CEO of BitoEX said, "Following the existing 3000+ FamilyMart convenience stores, BitoEX has signed agreements with two other mega convenience store enterprises (OK Mart and Hi-Life), making it now a total number of more than 5,000 locations in Taiwan available for purchasing bitcoins in late 2014. We have chartered KBBEX as our supplier of Bitcoin to BitoEX. We are confident that in collaboration with KBBEX and the associated companies, the recognition of bitcoins will grow and general public would cast their vote of trust to bitcoins."
Currently, KBBEX supports 11 kinds of the world's major trading currencies, namely USD, CNH (Offshore RMB), EUR, HKD, GBP, AUD, CAD, CHF, JPY, SGD and NZD for bitcoin trading. Users can sign up for a free account and trade with nil handling charge in KBBEX at this stage. KBBEX dedicates itself for a simple, professional, secure and multi-currencies offshore bitcoin exchange center. In the near future, KBBEX will expand its services by introducing its bitcoin saving, P2P lending, futures and other derivatives products phase by phase.
Mr. Patrick Lam, CEO of KBBEX expressed "Bitcoins global markets have entered into a brand new financial era. Bitcoin-related financial tools and its derivatives have attracted billions of investment funds from Wall Street and Silicon Valley. The existing offline transactions (OTC) markets are insufficient to cope with the demand of our worldwide customers. It drives us to open a bitcoin exchange platform. KBBEX plans to launch its China platform whenever users can use onshore Renminbi to perform transactions in early 2015. Besides the business in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, we also have our business partners in Switzerland and Japan. We will keep working hard for expanding our network. We strongly believe that globalization is one of the keys to enhancing the development of bitcoin industry. "
About KBBEX
KBBEX is committed to providing an advance and secure bitcoin exchange platform. It allows users to trade bitcoins with extremely low transaction fees. Through KBBEX simple and user-friendly interface, users can experience bitcoin trading with no boundary and time limitation. KBBEX's headquarters is located in Hong Kong and it is managed and operated under Ashin Limited (VIC). The exchange platform is well developed by groups of senior digital currencies experts, financial experts and IT security experts. KBBEX is in service and ready for your visit viaWWW.KBBEX.COM
About BitoEX
BitoEX dedicated itself in the promotion of the use of Digital Currency and Bitcoin Wallet in Taiwan. It currently provides 5000+ spots of convenience store that allow everyone buy bitcoin easily without hassel. BitoEX is committed to provide customers with a secure web-based application environment and strived to make bitcoin trading securer, easier, faster and better. In BitoEX, users can also convert bitcoin into local currency with few clicks away. The platform also supports multi-currency conversion worldwide and provide guarantee to for your ease of mind. For details, please visitWWW.BITOEX.COM
Related to Ashin Limited
Ashin Limited is an offshore company registered in the Republic of Vanuatu (VIC) in mid-2014. It received private equity fund in the same year. Its headquarters is located in Hong Kong, whereas the IT engineering team is located in Taiwan. Its operations and services cover across China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
If you have any enquiries, please send an email [email protected] enquiry:Contact person: Ms. Kathy LAWTel: +852 9102 9068Skype/ Wechat: my_sweetie_kathyEmail:[email protected]
SOURCE:KBBEX |
1,419,345,022 | 2014-12-23 14:30:22+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [1646, 1902]} | {} | 3 Highly Anticipated ETF Themes to Watch | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/3-highly-anticipated-etf-themes-143022594.html | ETF Trends | http://www.etftrends.com/ | The U.S. exchange traded fund industry is closing in on $2 trillion in assets under management. As the industry keeps expanding, money managers will continue to craft new investment strategies and tap into other areas of the market, providing investors with even more options ahead.
There are now 1,667 U.S.-listed exchange traded products on the market, which include both ETFs and exchange traded notes, with $1.99 billion in assets under management, according to XTF data.
Additionally, there are still 1,111 ETFs waiting on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s approval, reports Eric Balchunas forBloomberg.
Among the more widely anticipated launches ahead, ETF investors will want to watch for new products from prominent fixed-income money managers.
For instance, we will likely see a new bond fund based on Bill Gross’ management style, with Janus’ CEO stating that the company will put “Gross’ excellence” into an ETF. Janus has already filed forexemptive reliefwith the SEC to launch their own line of ETFs. Moreover, Jeffrey Gundlach of DoubleLine is also working on an ETF, the SPDR DoubleLine Total Return Tactical ETF . [State Street, Gundlach to Partner on Active ETF]
China A-Share ETFs have been a hit this year, allowing U.S. investors to directly tap into mainland Chinese equity markets, with the CSI 300 Index, a popular A-Share Index, up 48% year-to-date. Looking ahead, Deutsche Asset and Wealth Management is working on a line of A-Shares ETFs that will help investors focus on specific areas of the Chinese market through sector A-Shares ETFs. [DB Plans Expansion of China A-Shares ETFs]
Lastly, the famous Winklevoss Bitcoin ETF (COIN) is still jumping through the regulatory hoops-and-hurdles. The SEC seems to be taking its time with the first-ever virtual currency ETF, and the Winklevoss twins have assured investors that the ETF is still “alive and well.” [Winklevoss Bitcoin ETF Still Moving Through Regulatory Process]
For more information on the ETF industry, visit ourcurrent affairs category.
Max Chen contributed to this article.
The opinions and forecasts expressed herein are solely those of Tom Lydon, and may not actually come to pass. Information on this site should not be used or construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any product. |
1,419,347,413 | 2014-12-23 15:10:13+00:00 | {"Bitcoin": [232, 489, 665, 1180, 1386, 1452, 1825, 1920, 1993, 2145, 2420]} | {"Bitcoin": [8]} | What is Bitcoin and how does it work? | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/what-is-bitcoin-and-how-does-it-work-163952681.html | Yahoo Finance | http://finance.yahoo.com/ | Yahoo Finance is answeringyour most-asked finance questions in 2014, as searched on Yahoo.com. Coming in the number 10 spot, you asked, "What is bitcoin and how does it work?"
Well that's a doozy. If you go on bitcoin.org it says, "Bitcoin is a consensus network that enables a new payment system and a completely digital money." It then goes into another paragraph that buries the lead – that bitcoin is pretty much like cash for the Internet.
So let’s back up. At its most basic level - Bitcoin is an online currency. If you’re a serious finance type, you may note that it behaves slightly like a commodity, but for the sake of explanation, it’s best to think of Bitcoin as an online currency.
No one is precisely sure who created it, but it's steeped in a sort of anarchic "damn-the-man" legend because it's the first modern currency not tied to a central bank or a government. Proponents say that makes it the currency of the future.
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So how does it work? Once upon a time, you could only get bitcoins by "mining" for them, i.e. computer nerds would sit around solving complex computer things and be rewarded with Bitcoins. Back in the day, they were worth practically nothing. Now, a bitcoin is worth roughly $350. Earlier in the year, that value came close to $1,000.
If you're not a computer nerd - you can still use Bitcoin. While it was once the currency of shady online dealings, Bitcoins are now being accepted by a growing number of mainstream businesses – think Expedia (EXPE), Overstock (OSTK), Paypal (EBAY) and Zynga (ZNGA).
You can go about getting them a few different ways. Several online exchanges allow you to purchase them. You can accept them as payment for goods or services. And lastly – you can avoid the internet entirely by going to a Bitcoin ATM, though be forewarned,there aren’t manyof these in the U.S.
If you want to know if Bitcoin is worth the hype, that's a separate question.
Related:Actually, Bitcoin had a pretty good 2014
A number of investors are hugely bullish on the currency – notably Marc Andreessen. The infamous Winklevoss twins have a Bitcoin-based ETF listed on the Nasdaq. Even former Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke seems excited about it, or at least as excited as Ben Bernanke ever gets. He said the currency “may hold long term promise."
There are plenty of bears, too. Legendary investor Warren Buffett calls Bitcoin a “mirage” and warns investors to “stay away.” The SEC has warned investors to beware as well.
Watch Yahoo Finance this week and next for more top-searched questions on Yahoo.com.
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