Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) Excites Users With Smarter Sharing, Suggestions And Shared Libraries

Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) is excited that it has been able to achieve so much over the years. Today it unveils its new sharing functionality in Google Photos. To be more specific, the top provider will be launching its AI-powered Suggested Sharing feature that it will provide together with Shared Libraries.

 The high end provider is seeking to transform the Google Photos app in such a way that it will become a more social experience, rather than just a personal collection of photo memories. It goes without saying that it will be a more exciting experience to the various users that subscribe to providers wide array of services.

According to Techcrunch.com, the different competing companies across the world have made efforts to look out for ways to leverage technology in order to get users to share the photos snapped on their smartphone with others. Alphabet Inc is leading towards achieving this success, and this follows numerous efforts by other rivals in the industry who unfortunately failed.

Google and Facebook, Inc (NASDAQ:FB) are the first companies globally to showcase great progress in this area. This success has been linked to their great employment of technologies like facial recognition and AI, combined with sizable user bases. This gives users quite an easy time considering that they are not compelled to rebuild their social network in some startup’s new app.

Facebook for instance, has Moments, which is capable of figuring out who’s in the photos on your phone. It moves ahead to group the photos into albums after which it prompts you to share them by simply making a mere click.

Google on its part has Google Photos which consists of a tool which effectively backs up all your photos and eventually storing them in the cloud. It is crucial to pinpoint the associated powerful virtual assistant.

A lot of people do not understand the function of the assistant. It performs roles such as the turning of your photos into collages, movies and animations. It is an amazing experience for the users since they can look back on past memories. Also, the idea of having organized photos is a great one.

The post Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) Excites Users With Smarter Sharing, Suggestions And Shared Libraries appeared first on Stock Market News | HillCountryTimes | Get it Today.

from
https://www.hillcountrytimes.com/2017/06/30/alphabet-inc-nasdaqgoog-excites-users-smarter-sharing-suggestions-shared-libraries/

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Glasses Will Be Bigger Than The iPhone, Analyst Gene Munster Says

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will be launched by 2020 and are expected to presents stiff competition to iPhones. This is according to Loup Ventures’ Gene Munster. Munster, who enjoys a large audience from many of Apple watches, said the Apple Glasses will be an augmented reality (AR) wearable that would let users view digital content on top of the real world including information that users currently rely on iPhones to provide.

According to Munster, iPhone will hit its peak in 2019 before starting to decline after the introduction of Apple Glasses. Munster says iPhone revenue will grow at 15% in 2017 financial year and will account for 64% of the total revenue.

However Munster does not explain why sales might drop off, but the reason might be simple. Augmented reality glasses could offer features that are redundant on an iPhone, allowing users to interact with apps right on their faces without having to pull out an iPhone. He however says that iPhone revenues will start sinking by around 3% to 4% year on year between 2020 and 2022, with unit sales falling up to 2%.

According to Munster, Apple Glasses are expected to be the next big product from Apple. He adds that in the next 10 years, iPhone will still be on the market but with much reduced market share due to competition from Apple Glasses. Apple has in no way confirmed it’s working on smart glasses, but has discussed how it believes AR will play an important role in the future of technology.

Reports have however said that Apple plans to make augmented reality a key feature of its new mobile operating system long before 2020. It showed off some AR capabilities at the WWDC keynote earlier this month, when it also debuted its ARKit platform for software developers to create AR apps for iOS.

Apple is also said to have acquired SensoMotoric Instruments, a German company that makes “eye-tracking” technology, including glasses. Apple is however yet to confirm the reports. If Apple comes out with its own glasses, it won’t be the first big tech company to launch its own eyewear. Google debuted Google Glass in 2013

The post Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Glasses Will Be Bigger Than The iPhone, Analyst Gene Munster Says appeared first on Stock Market News | HillCountryTimes | Get it Today.

from
https://www.hillcountrytimes.com/2017/06/29/apple-inc-nasdaqaapl-glasses-will-bigger-iphone-analyst-gene-munster-says/

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Expands Paid Leave For Family Caregivers

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is expanding its employee’s paid leave who need to take of a sick relative. The company is now offering four weeks of paid leave with an eight additional weeks unpaid time. The company was previously offering 12 weeks of unpaid leave. Workers always use this time to look after their sick or elderly family member.

The new benefits which will apply to workers who have a close relative suffering a critical health problem as defined by the Family Medical Leave Act was disclosed through a blog post on LinkedIn, the company’s chief people officer Kathleen Hogan.

This benefit is now available to Microsoft workers in 22 countries and will be spread out globally in the coming six months. The company has a workforce of around 121,000 globally.

Two years ago, consulting firm Deloitte announced that its employees will be offered 16 weeks of paid family care leave. Early this year Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) expanded its employee benefits and included 20 days of paid leave to allow its employees to grieve the loss of a family member. The company also offered six weeks of paid leave to look after sick relatives.

Many tech companies offer discretionary time off or unlimited paid time off (PTO). According to Challenger Gray & Christmas, a Chicago firm that tracks employment and benefits trends this time can be used for family care. Of these companies include Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) and HubSpot Inc (NYSE:HUBS).

LinkedIn which was bought by Microsoft last year and which focuses on social networking has been offering its employees in the U.S six weeks of paid family leave since 2014. In Microsoft’s case, the company is offering paid time off that is separate from other vacation time or holidays that its employees get. Challenger, Gray & Christmas CEO John Challenger says many companies are increasingly becoming concerned about recruiting and retaining top talents. He adds that many companies are helping their employees strike a balance between work and life.

The move by Microsoft to post this benefit publicly may be motivated by the move where many companies compare benefits offered by several competing companies before making career decisions. Many companies are keen at recruiting and retaining their employees.

The post Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Expands Paid Leave For Family Caregivers appeared first on Stock Market News | HillCountryTimes | Get it Today.

from
https://www.hillcountrytimes.com/2017/06/28/microsoft-corporation-nasdaqmsft-expands-paid-leave-family-caregivers/

Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) Excited After Being Named A Leader In Access Management In The 2017 Gartner Magic Quadrant

Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) is today excited to announce that it has been named a leader in Gartner’s inaugural “Magic Quadrant for Access Management, Worldwide 2017” report¹.The top company says that clinching the top position wasn’t easy and that it took the exceptional service enhancements introduced by Oracle Identity Cloud Service in the course of this particular year.

The senior vice president, Identity and Security at Oracle, Peter Barker, while recently addressing a number of top news reporters said, “Our goal has been to deliver a suite of security solutions that customers can adapt and scale to help secure their digital business transformation. Oracle Identity Cloud Service is a core part of Oracle’s Identity-based Security Operations Center (SOC) framework that provides customers with an adaptive, machine learning-based security architecture.”

He saw the recognition as some form of credit to Oracle’s dedication to building an elaborate portfolio of PaaS security solutions, which is indeed an integral part of Oracle Cloud Platform.

According to Yahoo.com, Gartner narrowed down to evaluating vendors with regard to the ability they showcased in line with the provision of the access management (AM) functionalities across multiple use cases as well as over a wide array of geographies and industries. The perception by customers was important and providing real value for money was indeed something that needed to be given major focus.

Some trusted reports indicate that Leaders in the AM market are usually associated with enormous customer bases. They deliver feature sets that fit into the needs of the various customers. Over the years, the various leaders have continued to showcase strong vision and execution for anticipated requirements related to technology and the mechanism of delivery.

Eventually, they have provided evidence of how AM plays a role in a collection of related or adjacent product offerings. These leaders care about the needs of the various customers and have done a remarkable task in the demonstration of solid customer satisfaction with overall AM capabilities.

Gartner has affirmed that AM usually applies to technologies which majorly rely on the control engines in the provision of centralized authentication.

The post Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) Excited After Being Named A Leader In Access Management In The 2017 Gartner Magic Quadrant appeared first on Stock Market News | HillCountryTimes | Get it Today.

from
https://www.hillcountrytimes.com/2017/06/27/oracle-corporation-nyseorcl-excited-named-leader-access-management-2017-gartner-magic-quadrant/

As Yahoo! Inc (INDEXNYSEGIS:YHQ)’s Partnership With AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) Unwinds, Users Need To Switch Email Addresses

As one of the steps to finalize the corporate merger of Aol and As Yahoo! Inc (INDEXNYSEGIS:YHQ), it looks like Yahoo accounts will not be accessible through AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) email addresses.

The move has led to a lot of discontent among net neutrality advocates. This however seem more less like creating fenced gardens and more of cleaning up previous commitments together with pre-existing partnerships.

Although AT&T customers will experience some inconveniences, the whole matter is more than just net neutrality and more of getting those corporate deals moving. Basically, although unwelcome, the deal seems to be undoing the previous deal between the two companies where AT&T domains were used as quasi-Yahoo accounts which would also incorporate Tumblr. Customers who have been affected by the new move will be required to migrate their email addresses to something with a completely new domain.

AT&T Inc has signed a 15 year agreement with Yahoo Inc which is poised to initiate the evolution of the internet. The partnership will involve a number of undertakings ranging from selling high-speed broadband to selling high-speed broadband to competing against AOL dial-up service.

In a statement, AT&T said it had awarded the tender to host its mobile and web portals to Synacor Inc. Synacor Inc is not so famous outside the telecom industry. The deal will shift many of AT&T’s business away from Yahoo. In a statement, AT&T said Synacor will now be responsible for managing its next-generation AT&T-branded applications and att.net portal. The company added that Yahoo will continue to host emails for its customers. Yahoo’s spokeswoman said AT&T will remain a valued partner but declined to give additional details.

The revenue-sharing agreement between the Internet pioneer and the telecom giant had lost most of its cachet over the years due to a changing web landscape.  However, the death of the partnership seem to have at the inappropriate time for Yahoo which is currently in talks to be acquired by bidders including AT&T’s fiercest competitor Verizon Communications Inc.

According B. Riley & Co’s analyst Sameet Sinha, the partnership may have generated annual revenues amounting to $100 for Yahoo.

The post As Yahoo! Inc (INDEXNYSEGIS:YHQ)’s Partnership With AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) Unwinds, Users Need To Switch Email Addresses appeared first on Stock Market News | HillCountryTimes | Get it Today.

from
https://www.hillcountrytimes.com/2017/06/26/yahoo-inc-indexnysegisyhqs-partnership-att-inc-nyset-unwinds-users-need-switch-email-addresses/

Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Revives Google Glass With New Update In Nearly Three Years

Google has unveiled a new software update for its augmented reality headset Google Glass. The update comes as a surprise given that the tech giant shelved the project in 2015. The new update dubbed ‘XE23’ adds Bluetooth support that allows users to pair their headsets with Bluetooth input devices including keyboards, mice and controllers.

Google Glass Update

The update is way overdue given that it addresses long-standing complaints about the device’s connectivity deficiencies. Users can now have notifications displayed both on their Android Wear as well as on the headset, in addition to bug fixes and performance improvements.

 Google has also issued a new update for the ‘MyGlass’ app that runs the augmented reality headset. The update makes the headset compatible with the latest version of the Android operating system. The update also comes with power management policies that allow users to manage how the app operates to manage battery power usage.

It is evidently clear that Google did not abandon Google Headset completely but was working on it in the background. The device was first sold online as part of the ‘Open Beta’ program that the company was using to test it as a concept. Closure of the Explorer program and Glass Website in 2015 fueled doubts about the headset’s future.

Competition

Speculation is already rife that Google is working on a new version of the headset. Such a move would not come as a surprise given the way virtual reality headsets have become popular. HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Play Station VR are already fighting for market share as the augmented reality space continues to grow in popularity.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is reportedly developing an AR headset that will feature motion sensors and DC motors that produce sound. Snap Inc. (NYSE:SNAP) is another tech giant believed to be working on its own AR hardware. Google has a long way to go if it serious about taking the other players head on. Its first attempt in the space did not generate the good will to justify further development.

 Google stock was down by -0.20% in Wednesday’s trading session ending the day at $976.62 a share.

The post Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Revives Google Glass With New Update In Nearly Three Years appeared first on Stock Market News | HillCountryTimes | Get it Today.

from
https://www.hillcountrytimes.com/2017/06/23/alphabet-inc-nasdaqgoogl-revives-google-glass-new-update-nearly-three-years/

53 It Is! Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO Plunges 45 Places From 2016-Glassdoor

If the latest Glassdoor research rankings are anything to go by, then the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO has some work cut out. According to just released Glassdoor rankings, Tim Cook, the Apple CEO has not faired very well. It is rather astonishing how the ever high-ranking executive went 45 places on the top 100.

The top honors in 2017 went to Clorox Company CEO Benno Dorer with 99% approval rating. It has always been the norm to find Tim Cook among the top 10 CEOS worldwide. According to pundits, there could be some work for Tim to do to mitigate this.

The list also saw big names like Face book’s Mark Zuckerberg continue with the plunge. The dwindling rating is a clear sign that employees have not had a good word for them in the past year.

6 Percentage points

However, even with all these, the CEO still lost only six percentage points from last year to clock 93 percent. There is hope as Glassdoor explains that they rank top CEOs from the 67% mark. What it means is that Tim Cook still performed above par.

Surprising entrants to the top list according to the research is Microsoft’s Satya Nadella who has ranked 29 in 2017 release. Satya became Microsoft CEO in 2014 and had never made it to the elite list. Another surprise absentee on the top 10 was Goggles Sundar Pichai.

In spite of inheriting the position from the high ranking Larry page who left sometime in 2015, Pichai was no match and places at slot 17 on the list.

The research Glassdoor, top CEO research, involves employees from the top companies leaving reviews on the company job site. But because there is no concrete information on the methodology by Glassdoor, it only remains to be seen why the CEO moved that swiftly down the list.

The consolation from fortune, one of the top business reporters, pointing out that many CEOs never take much note of the Glassdoor rankings. But Fortune, one of the most reliable sources indicate that this could mean a level of dislike by the employees.

The jury is out; the rest is to the public to decide.

The post 53 It Is! Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO Plunges 45 Places From 2016-Glassdoor appeared first on Stock Market News | HillCountryTimes | Get it Today.

from
https://www.hillcountrytimes.com/2017/06/22/53-apple-inc-nasdaqaapl-ceo-plunges-45-places-2016-glassdoor/

Vivendi’s Video Sharing Site Aims to Challenge Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) and YouTube

Dailymotion, video-sharing website developed by Vivendi has announced signing a new partnership agreement with leading U.S media and music providers in a move to boost its viewership as well as improve its competitive against world leading companies, Alphabet In (NASDAQ:GOOGL)’s Google and Facebook.

All the three agreement were signed with international news channel CNN by Time Warner, Universal Music Group owned by Vivendi and Vice Media. The website is counting on its high quality content as well as a smartphone app that is expected to be launched on July 25 to attract new viewership. In a statement, chief executive of Dailymotion Maxime Saada said the new version will be favorable to high-quality videos.  He added that this is a perfect opportunity for the company to reach out to the population aged 18 to 49, which form the largest percentage of the company’s viewership, the middle-class that is not well served by other companies offering video services.

The company employed around 100 engineers in the last twelve months to work on developing the application. The app is designed with less advertisement features. The number of employees is expected to hit 400 by the close of the year.

Two years ago, Vivendi bought around 90 percent stake in Dailymotion in a $274 million transaction. The company has invested nearly the same amount of money in developing the new Dailymotion offer, according to a source privy to the matter. The platform boasts of over 300 million new users every month globally. This is a fraction of the audience on Google’s YouTube platform which enjoys a massive audience of over a billion users which represents around one third of all people who use the internet.

For a long time, Saada and the team have been thinking on how to develop a love den-of-sorts by forming a mini-world from different types of content so as to allow easy accessibility, commenting and sharing. The team has come up with a new to create new connections instead of settling with vague content that tend to make user sift. Saada says in designing the platform, the main focus was put on music, sports and entertainment.

The post Vivendi’s Video Sharing Site Aims to Challenge Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) and YouTube appeared first on Stock Market News | HillCountryTimes | Get it Today.

from
https://www.hillcountrytimes.com/2017/06/21/vivendis-video-sharing-site-aims-challenge-facebook-inc-nasdaqfb-youtube/

64% Of U.S. Households Using Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) Prime

For every $10 spend in the U.S doing online shopping, $4 is spend on Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN). This amounts to 43%. A record 80% of the total growth in online traffic is from Amazon sales.

Currently Amazon has 80 million Prime members which translate to 64% of the total U.S households. These statistics were revealed at the Internet Retailers Conference and Exhibition (IRCE) held in Chicago.

According to Internet Retail, Internet Retail, 2016 recorded faster online sales compared to three previous years. Online sales accounted for 11.7% of the total retail sales. Raise in online sales is expected to cause a drop in sales at the traditional brick-and-mortar stores. Traditional retails are concerned about the disruption and loss of business caused by online sales.

Many stores in several markets are closing down with leading retailers like Macy’s and Sears closing several of their stores. Can this situation entirely be blamed on online stores like Amazon? Apparently online retailers are part of the cause but not the only cause of the downfall of traditional retailers. The traditional retail market is currently overcrowded. The industry is currently littered with very many stores and malls. Specialized boutique stores have high chances of surviving in the highly turbulent market. However, to maximize of profitability and increase the chances of surviving in the industry, stores should maintain a vibrant online presence.

The IRCE offers a lot of lessons not only for online retailer but also for traditional retailers. The conference showcased some of the latest developments and technologies that are being applied in the retail industry. Some of these technologies include the use of Artificial Intelligence in promoting, managing and pricing inventory. An example is the Watson cognitive solution from IBM which leads retailers in three very important steps of launching an online product.

Many retailers are also adopting the concept of personalization so as to create unique experiences. The personalization is based on customers’ past history and experiences and needs. Additionally, many retailers are using Augmented Reality which allows businesses to overlay their products in form of digital data. Lastly retailers are heavily investing in content as a way of increasing of increasing their online audience.

The post 64% Of U.S. Households Using Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) Prime appeared first on Stock Market News | HillCountryTimes | Get it Today.

from
https://www.hillcountrytimes.com/2017/06/19/64-u-s-households-using-amazon-com-inc-nasdaqamzn-prime/

70M American Adults Interested In Buying Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s New HomePod

70 million American have expressed interest in buying the new HomePod smart speaker from Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and which is retailing at $350. According to a new survey, 33% of the entire American population has shown interested in buying the new device.

When asked to compared Apple’s new device with Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Home and Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), the number dropped to just 30%. The survey was done by Morning Consult national survey and sampled 2,200 adults. According to the survey, the well-known Apple Effect is still very popular. As a common trend, Apple always takes a very short time to dominate any new market it gets in. This was the same trend shown by smartwatches, which the company currently command 55% of the entire market.

Nearly half of Apple’s current customers base i.e. those who own an iPhone, Mac or any other product from Apple are willing to buy a HomePod according to the survey. 45% of the people surveyed showed interest, although this number goes down to 40% when asked to consider other brands. According to the research however, interest does not always translate to buying.

Of all the respondents interviewed, 57% noted that price was the main factor in making buying decisions. The new HomePod by Apple will retail at between $200-$250 more expensive compared to Google’s relatively new Home and Amazon’s very successful Echo. Amazon command a significant share of the market. According to data by Morning Consult, Amazon could be the best alternative that consumer will go for in the place of Apple.

In other interesting aspects of the research, consumers gave a list of their current expectations in a smart home speaker. In a survey by Morning Consult sought to know the features which consumers consider very important when making buying decisions for a voice-controlled assistant in their homes.

57% said they consider price, 51% consider audio or speaker quality, 49% consider accuracy of the speaker’s voice recognition, 44% consider compatibility with devices they already own at home while 30% would buy basing on access to several streaming services. 29% would buy basing on the ability of the speaker to work well with other platforms or services.

The post 70M American Adults Interested In Buying Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s New HomePod appeared first on Stock Market News | HillCountryTimes | Get it Today.

from
https://www.hillcountrytimes.com/2017/06/16/70m-american-adults-interested-buying-apple-inc-nasdaqaapls-new-homepod/

Information Leaks Reveal That Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google Has Shelved Plans To Manufacture Pixel Phones

Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google has abandoned its plans to release one of its upcoming Pixel phones; the Google Pixel XL 2 otherwise codenamed ‘muskie’. Information from three reliable sources has it that LG will take over the manufacturing process of Pixel XLs successor. The same has also been confirmed by Android Police’s sources thus, it ceases to be a rumor.

However, there are many speculations as to why the switch by the search giant. The delayed shipping of the original Pixel Smartphones has been picked up as one of the major issues. Nonetheless, 9To5Google has also outlined a possible investment by Google in LG for flexible OLED displays.

But the switch by Google may not be all bad news after all

The world of technology is evolving quite fast given that Google’s Pixel handsets debuted just last year. Initially, it was known that Google was working on two models; muskie and Taimen. The latter is reportedly much larger than the Pixel 2 XL and its size has been inclined to that of the 6-inch Nexus 6, codenamed Shamu. The question is, is it possible that Google was prototyping on different sizes perhaps to see which one would have been the best for the second-generation?

Apparently, the news of Google’s switch from manufacturing ‘muskie’, has been received with mixed reactions. To many, it is not bad news because they think the move will give the search giant time to work on Taimen, which is the third model of Google Pixel 2. If the latest rumor is anything to go by, then Google would be releasing Taimen in the place of Google Pixel 2 XL.

The likelihood of having two different designs on Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2

With all these mixed up information, there is a likelihood of ending up with two different designs of the said devices. On the other hand, it is worth noting that for some time now LG has been seeking to obtain a production contract for Google Pixel 3. Meanwhile, all the information remains a speculation because Google could change its position. In the meantime, Alphabets stock closed at $967.93 a fall of $2.57 or 0.26%.

The post Information Leaks Reveal That Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google Has Shelved Plans To Manufacture Pixel Phones appeared first on Stock Market News | HillCountryTimes | Get it Today.

from
https://www.hillcountrytimes.com/2017/06/15/information-leaks-reveal-alphabet-inc-nasdaqgoogl-google-shelved-plans-manufacture-pixel-phones/

Sony Corp (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) Reports Impressive PlayStation 4 Sales With More Than 60.4 Million Units Sold

Sony Corp (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) has announced its sales numbers for its PlayStation 4 sole, revealing that it sold an impressive 60.4 million units globally as of June 11 this year.

Sony introduced the PlayStation 4 in November 2013 as its iteration for the next generation console but last year it introduced two new versions of the console, namely the PS4 Slim which is a refreshed version and the PS4 Pro which is significantly more powerful. The introduction of the two upgraded versions played a key role in pushing the sales margins, though the original PS4 did very well in terms of sales.

Sony owes part of the success to game developers

Of course Sony would not have achieved the massive success without support from game developers. More than 487.8 million PS4 game titles have been sold globally since the launch of the PS4 platform in 2013. The number of titles sold accounts for both physical discs as well as the games sold digitally. The company also revealed that “Horizon: Zero Dawn” was one of the most purchased titles among others.

“We are very grateful for our fans and partners around the globe who have continued to support PS4.The PS4 platform is in its prime, with the industry’s best lineup of exclusive and partner titles slated to release this year, taking full advantage of the power of the PS4 system,” stated Andrew House, the president of Sony’s PlayStation division.

PlayStation’s online services have also been a growth pillar for the company and it reported that there were 26.4 million paying PS Plus subscribers by the end of March. And an overall 70 million active users gaming on the PS4 consoles. Sony also reported that users spend about 600 million hours gaming on the consoles per week.

The company plans to widen its scope and take the PS4 platform to even greater heights by tapping into virtual reality as well as enhancing its network services. Sony revealed the details through its E3 conference which was held yesterday along with the announcement of the latest and upcoming gaming titles.

Sony stock closed the latest trading session on Monday at $36.95.

The post Sony Corp (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) Reports Impressive PlayStation 4 Sales With More Than 60.4 Million Units Sold appeared first on Stock Market News | HillCountryTimes | Get it Today.

from
https://www.hillcountrytimes.com/2017/06/14/sony-corp-adr-nysesne-reports-impressive-playstation-4-sales-60-4-million-units-sold/

General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) Pushes Up Nationwide Release of Bolt EV as Tesla Model 3 Deliveries Approach

General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) has moved the release of its Bolt electric car to August as opposed to September that has earlier been proposed. The move is seen as a way of countering Tesla’s plan to start shipping the rival Model 3 vehicle this summer.

Tesla is expected to roll out the first Model 3in July. The company currently has around 400,000 reservations hence may not be in a position to honor any new order up mid-2018.  This implies that General Motors’ Bolt is likely to benefit from the extra unmet demand. The two vehicles are prices at around $35,000and have a range of over 200 miles.

According to a GM representative, the launch was rescheduled because the company was ahead of schedule in training staff and inventory for the new vehicles. GM first launched The Bolt in Oregon and California in December last year. The company later extended the electric vehicles to an additional six states in April this year.

Even in the few markets that the company has launched the pilot project, the demand for the electric vehicles has been above supply. While commenting on GM’s decision, Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to Twitter to highlight the irony. He said that he was inspired by GM’s move to call off the launch of electric vehicles in 2002.

The Bolt is in the question of EV-1. The company recalled the cars because they were not sold outright but rather leased out. A 2006 documentary called Who Killed the Electric Car? highlights the reasons that led to the recall of the vehicles.

Although it was technologically groundbreaking, the EV-1 was largely viewed as unprofitable. Additionally, it met a lot of resistance from environmentalists. Tesla’s success has however revealed that GM made a big mistake in giving up on the new technology.

General Motors produced over 1,000 Ev-1s in a period of five years. However the company has sold around the same amount per month in the few limited markets it has tried out the vehicles. The market for electric vehicles has grown exponentially with studies indicating that the demand may go up to 740,000 annually by 2024.

General Motor stock opened the Monday session at a +0.67% of $+0.23 raise to trade at $34.34. a total of 32 million shares were traded.

The post General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) Pushes Up Nationwide Release of Bolt EV as Tesla Model 3 Deliveries Approach appeared first on Stock Market News | HillCountryTimes | Get it Today.

from
https://www.hillcountrytimes.com/2017/06/13/general-motors-company-nysegm-pushes-nationwide-release-bolt-ev-tesla-model-3-deliveries-approach/

Vale SA (ADR) (NYSE:VALE) Signs $2 Billion Credit Line, Replacing 2013 Agreement

Vale SA (ADR) (NYSE:VALE), a mining company from Brazil has signed revolving $2 billion credit facility that will last for five years. The new deal will replace the five-year $2 billion credit facility that was signed in 2013. The company disclosed in its securities filing that the new credit facility will be from 18 banks and will add to a $3 billion loan secured in 2015. The credit facility is expected to offer additional liquidity to the company and its subsidiaries.

Vale’s has been on a downfall in the recent times. In its most recent report, Zacks Investment Research downgraded the stock from a hold to a sell rating. According to the research company, Vale’s share performed dismally in the steel industry over the last three months. Over the last one month, Zacks estimate for the stock shifted to the south for both 2017 and 2018. Vale reported much weaker earnings for 2017 as expected and predicted. This trend is expected to continue due to the anticipated drop in demand for steel in China, which analysts says will severally eat into the short term prices of steel. This will in turn affect the company’s profitability and earnings. Other factors that could probably be on the company’s watch list are natural calamities, increasing rivalry and completion in the mining industry as well unfriendly government policies.

Several other financial research companies have also weighed in on Vale’s performance. Jefferies Group LLC set Vale’s price target at $9.00. Jefferies Group also gave the hold rating on the stock. Additionally, HSBC Holdings plc also gave a hold rating to the stock plus a price target of $10.00 down from the previous projection of $10.25. In its report released on April 24, Vetr gave the stock a buy rating down from the strong-buy rating that was initially issued. Vetr also set the price at $9.76. TheStreet however upgraded the stock from the previous C+ to B- in its most recent report. Credit Suisse Group AG gave a price target of $7.00 and rated the stock with a hold.

The stock opened the Monday session with an impressive 0.48% or +0.04 rise to trade at $8.31.

The post Vale SA (ADR) (NYSE:VALE) Signs $2 Billion Credit Line, Replacing 2013 Agreement appeared first on Stock Market News | HillCountryTimes | Get it Today.

from
https://www.hillcountrytimes.com/2017/06/12/vale-sa-adr-nysevale-signs-2-billion-credit-line-replacing-2013-agreement/

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) Has Stepped Up Lending To Third-Party Sellers On Its Site

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) has been playing a significant role in helping small businesses peddling merchandise grow their business. Through its program dubbed Amazon Lending, the online retailer says that in the last 12 months, spent more than $3 billion in the expansion of these businesses. Since its inauguration in 2011, the program has pushed forward close to 20,000 merchants who have been trading on Amazon’s website.

The businesses get loans amounting to a range of between $1,000 and $750,000. Apparently, half of the businesses have taken second loans, which means they have been benefiting from them. However, it is not clear how much interest the loan attracts even though word has it that they have a comparable to credit cards and other alternative financing methods.

Traditional lenders shied away from small merchants

Amazon has been issuing these loans to sellers in the United States, United Kingdom, and Japan. The opening came about after the 2008 financial crisis, which pushed traditional lenders away from dealing with small merchants. However, Amazon’s loan program is by invitation only.

To identify those who are eligible, the company mines data from more than two million active sellers on the website. The VP for Amazon Marketplace, Peeyush Nahar also says that the company has lots of up-to-the-minute information about sellers, which helps them pick on those who are worth the credit.

But rivals are also doubling down on their marketplace businesses

Amazon is expectant of expanding to other countries the likes of down on their marketplace businesses where it operates its marketplaces. Nahar says, “We know that an infusion of capital at the right moment can put a small business on the path to even greater success.”

However, the Seattle-based e-commerce giant must embrace competition from the likes of eBay Inc (NASDAQ:EBAY) and Wal-Mart Stores Inc (NYSE:WMT) stores, which are also upping their game in marketplace businesses. Nonetheless, it could still be having an upper hand because the rivals are not offering loans.

It is worth noting that Amazon is not only a bookseller but most recently it also became a grocer. In the meantime, Amazons stock closed at $1,010.27 witnessing an increase of $0.20 or 0.02%.

The post Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) Has Stepped Up Lending To Third-Party Sellers On Its Site appeared first on Stock Market News | HillCountryTimes | Get it Today.

from
https://www.hillcountrytimes.com/2017/06/09/amazon-com-inc-nasdaqamzn-stepped-lending-third-party-sellers-site/

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Determined To Attract Back Mac Users Surfing Using Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google Chrome Browser

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is looking to bring back Browser wars with the new improvements that it has added to Safari and it seems to be targeting the Google Chrome browser from Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL).

Apple’s new improvements on its Safari browser are part of its strategy to hit back against the Google Chrome browser and attract users on Mac. One of the company’s executive spent a significant amount of time during its World Wide Developer Conference on Monday discussing the numerous improvements that it made to Safari for Mac. The new improvements include performance enhancements, an ad tracker blocker as well as the ability to stop videos that are set on auto-play on default.

“Safari’s JavaScript performance will be 80 percent faster than Chrome’s,”stated Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior VP of software engineering.

Apple takes a jab at Google

Apple’s intense focus on its Safari browser has been considered a move by the company to attack Google. The company reportedly noticed that Google had been displaying a popup on its home page claiming that Chrome was faster. Federighi stated that he noticed the popup in which Google purported that its browser was superior in terms of speed and thus began Apple’s mission to prove its rival wrong.

Despite their efforts to compete against each other, the two companies have been working on similar features designed to improve the user’s browser experience. Google revealed about a week ago that it plans to block ads on its websites, especially those that feature auto-playing videos. The features that the two firms are planning to introduce to their browsers are not only aimed at providing a clean browsing experience but also signify a shift in how browsers work.

The two browsers are expected to play a significant role towards shaping the web experience. The competition between the two browsers is considered a good thing because it will eventually offer a lot of benefit to the users. Unfortunately, it is not all good news especially for advertisers because it means they will have to rethink their ads and what the users want to see.

The post Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Determined To Attract Back Mac Users Surfing Using Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google Chrome Browser appeared first on Stock Market News | HillCountryTimes | Get it Today.

from
https://www.hillcountrytimes.com/2017/06/08/apple-inc-nasdaqaapl-determined-attract-back-mac-users-surfing-using-alphabet-inc-nasdaqgoogl-google-chrome-browser/

Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) Extends Its Hand To Kids By Developing A School Curriculum To Help Them Fight Hackers And Trolls, Sources Report

Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) is unveiling an educational program, which according to some trusted sources is designed in such a way that it will be able to teach kids about phishing, passwords, internet harassment as well as the rest of the internet safety issues.

Called “Be Internet Awesome, “it has been said to comprise of a video game called Interland and a classroom curriculum.

According to one of the top officials working with the renowned company, it was revealed that a number of teachers were brought onboard to make the project the major success it has become to this point.

The internet safety and literacy organizations, YouTube videographers and a wide range of other resources are online at the moment and accessible to all those in need. Be Internet Awesome as a matter of fact showcases remarkable capabilities when it comes to tackling topics considered relevant to all ages. However, it is important to state that it is specially meant for the younger children.

A close look at it will help anyone get to see the different sections. They are these sections that offer a limit to as how far one can go in terms of sharing personal information with the various persons online.

One also gets to understand much in terms of ways to avoid falling for the phishing attacks and scams as well. The other thing that looks quite attractive to many is the fact that one is helped to come up with strong passwords to boost online security as well as towards avoiding the negative behavior online.

Students can move ahead to sign the “Be Internet Awesome Pledge” and it is of course for their own good.

While addressing a number of the top news reporters, one of the top executives working with Google was quick to state that the program was indeed in compliance with International Society for Technology in Education standards.

One thing that a lot of people will most definitely agree to is that technological advancements sweeping across the globe are helping enhance lives. Google has been a front-runner in leveraging technology to come up with the very best for its users over the years.

The post Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) Extends Its Hand To Kids By Developing A School Curriculum To Help Them Fight Hackers And Trolls, Sources Report appeared first on Stock Market News | HillCountryTimes | Get it Today.

from
https://www.hillcountrytimes.com/2017/06/07/alphabet-inc-nasdaqgoog-extends-hand-kids-developing-school-curriculum-help-fight-hackers-trolls-sources-report/

What Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows 10 Leak Promises Its Future Clientele

At the top of the tech-news has been about the Windows 10 builds that were accidentally released to the public. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has termed the incident, ‘inadvertent deployment’ that had affected the engineering system controlling release of builds to the Windows insider.

Microsoft has since released an apology expressly by Dona Sarkar, the head of Microsoft’s Windows Insider programme, reading “We apologies for this inconvenience and thank you for being a Windows Insider.” Reports also such suggest that only a very small proportion of Windows 10 received the builds.

Gadgets 360 cite a few problems for those who had received the builds. For those who received for the mobile build, their phones crushed after a reboot. Luckily, there is a way out, users can use the Windows Device Recovery Tool to recover and wipe the device.

Testers who received the build and installed on their PC have two options. The first option is to wait for a newer build from Microsoft (of which the dates are not yet certain as of yet). Alternatively, they can use the Windows 10 recovery option to roll back the install.

What To Take From The Incident…

While this may have been unfortunate, we have managed to get an early peep to what Microsoft has in store for its Windows users and we can speculate that:

Windows store seems to be having a major advancement that puts it at direct competition with the Apple Store. It has a dedicated section for selling eBooks. Edge is maintained as the devoted viewer of the eBooks.  This sets a firm foot for Microsoft as a content provider in addition to the already successful Xbox Store and Groove Music.

A major redesign of the user interface can be speculated. The leaked Windows 10 project shows the removal of windows borders, the task bar now has a white background, which has black text while the colors of taskbar icons are seemingly removed.

The leak suggests that Microsoft is seeking to offer better support for its advanced users with high performance workstations. This simply means faster file sharing and an advanced hardware support for users with machines that have four CPUs and 6-terabyte memory.

The next speculation you want to hear is the official release dates of the update. Well, Microsoft has not said yet, though the anticipation is that it could be anytime soon.

The post What Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows 10 Leak Promises Its Future Clientele appeared first on Stock Market News | HillCountryTimes | Get it Today.

from
https://www.hillcountrytimes.com/2017/06/06/microsoft-corporation-nasdaqmsft-windows-10-leak-promises-future-clientele/

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) Strikes Tentative Deal With Union Workers In California And Nevada

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) has announced that it has reached a tentative deal with union workers in Nevada and California, that had gone on strike.

AT&T’s announced the tentative deal on Friday, in which the two parties agreed to a four-year deal. The telecommunications company did not disclose the terms of the deal, though it is expected to include continued affordable healthcare, retirement benefits, pay hikes and job security measures. The new agreement will be effective over the next four years and it will represent about 17,000 employees. It also marks the first time that Direct TV employees will be considered part of a union contract since their firm was acquired by AT&T.

The tentative deal marks the end of an employee strike

AT&T made sure that it handled the dispute with the union in a speedy manner especially after 17,000 of its workers went on strike in Nevada and California. Though the Union reached an agreement with the carrier, the deal still has to be ratified by the workers. This includes those in the Direct TV business, the internet and the phone business.

AT&T is also in ongoing negotiations with a second group that includes 21,000 employees in its wireless business in 36 states. Nonetheless, the recent tentative deal with the Union marks the 30^th successful talks with between the company and its unionized workers since 2015. The recent strike also marks the first time that the first time that the employees have taken such action against the company since 2012.

“We strive in all of our labor negotiations to reach fair agreements that will allow us to continue to provide solid union careers with excellent wages and benefits and we believe that’s the case with this agreement,” stated a spokesman from the company.

The cause of the union workers’ strike was rising concern over job security, higher health contributions, and wage hikes. Neither the union nor the company have revealed the details of the deal. It also comes at a time when AT&T has been receiving pressure to cut costs due to declining revenue.

AT&T stock closed the latest trading session at $38.87.

The post AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) Strikes Tentative Deal With Union Workers In California And Nevada appeared first on Stock Market News | HillCountryTimes | Get it Today.

from
https://www.hillcountrytimes.com/2017/06/05/att-inc-nyset-strikes-tentative-deal-union-workers-california-nevada/

QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) Signs Major Deal With Three Manufacturers In The PC Market

QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) has signed deals with three major laptop manufacturers as part of its plan to push its processors into the PC market.

Qualcomm signed the deal with ASUS, Lenovo and HP Inc. (NYSE:HPQ) and the contract with the three firms will allow for the production of future laptops using Qualcomm chips. This is however not the first time that the chip maker has hinted the push towards the PC market. The firm announced in December 2016 that it had teamed up with Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT). The partnership would work towards developing a version of the Windows 10 operating system that would be compatible with the Snapdragon 835 chip.

What the move means for the tech industry

Qualcomm’s push into the PC market is certainly a huge step away from its core focus. The company has been making chips for mobile phones and its Snapdragon 835 chip is especially popular with high-end smartphones. Windows PCs are usually powered by chips made by Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC). The decision also highlights the growing competition between the two chip manufacturers.

Intel recently started manufacturing chips that target the smartphone industry and has even signed up Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) as a client. Some of Apple’s iPhone 7 models were fitted with modems manufactured by Intel. This was obviously a threat to Qualcomm and is perhaps of the reasons why it decided to also venture into Intel’s territory. The move also highlights the two chip makers’ search for more growth at a time when their core markets appear to have reached maturity.

Qualcomm has been experiencing slow growth in the mobile market and as such, it has been expanding into the Internet of Things, wireless modems, smart devices and cloud data centers. The company’s decision to start making chips for the PC market means more variety for the end users. It also highlights the growing competition in the market which should be characterized by better performance and quality in the future.

The post QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) Signs Major Deal With Three Manufacturers In The PC Market appeared first on Stock Market News | HillCountryTimes | Get it Today.

from
https://www.hillcountrytimes.com/2017/06/01/qualcomm-inc-nasdaqqcom-signs-major-deal-three-manufacturers-pc-market/