Say goodbye to Yahoo as you know it. The company will be renamed Altaba, inc after their $4.8 billion merger with Verizon.
Along with changing their name, Yahoo’s CEO Marissa Mayer will be stepping down from the company once the company completes their merger with Verizon.
According to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Yahoo is going to undergo significant changes once the company merges with Verizon. In fact, Yahoo’s cofounder David Filo and several other board members will step down.
Who is Marissa Mayer?
Stock Photo: Marissa Mayer attends the Costume Institute benefit gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York. (JStone / Shutterstock.com)
Marissa Mayer was appointed President and CEO of Yahoo in 2012 after working as a spokesperson for Google for several years. Under Mayer’s guidance, Yahoo acquired Tumblr for $1.1 billion. However, by 2016 Yahoo revealed the value of Tumblr had decreased by over $200 million. In addition, reports surfaced that Mayer would lay off over a thousand employees to focus on their search engine system and email service. But, another problem was around the corner for Yahoo.
Yahoo Hack
Stock Photo: MONTREAL, CANADA – DECEMBER 15, 2016 : Yahoo Notice of newly discovered data breach under magnifying glass. (dennizn / Shutterstock.com)
Late last year, Yahoo revealed that the company became victim to what became the world’s biggest security hack. Over 1 billion accounts were compromised in a cyberattack.
Yahoo’s Bob Lord explained explained that their cyber forensic experts found an unauthorized third party gained access to over a billion accounts in 2013. Since then, Yahoo has prompted their users to change their personal passwords, security questions and other information. In addition, the former social engine giant suggested users to review their accounts to see if there is any suspicious activity.
While there were reports that Verizon would back out of their deal with Yahoo, it appears as though the telecommunications giant is moving forward.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that it takes $233,610 to raise a child in America.
The USDA released their ‘Expenditures on Children by Families’ annual report on Monday. Their yearly report analyzed the estimated cost to raise a child from birth until they are 17 years old. Within the $233,610 estimate the USDA calculated how much it costs for a middle-income family to buy food, housing, transportation, health care, clothing and education amongst other things for their child.
In a press release, Kevin Concannon, Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer, explained that the annual report gives American families an inside look at how much it costs to raise a child. In addition, the report, which has been around for over five decades, the Concannon explains the annual report also shows the type of expenses families are expected to face as they raise their child.
Louisa Quittman, Director of the Office of Financial Security for the U.S. Department of the Treasury explained, “Understanding the costs of raising children and planning for anticipated and unexpected life events is an important part of securing financial health.”
Stock Photo: WASHINGTON, DC, USA – APRIL 16, 2012: Building of the United States Department of Agriculture. (Joe Ravi / Shutterstock.com)
Some of the results of the study found that it was more expensive to raise a child in the Northeast and urban South than the Midwest and rural areas. In fact, USDA researchers explain expenses for raising a child in rural areas were 24% lower than urban cities such as New York.
Moreover, the USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) estimates that for a baby born in 2015 to a middle-income married couple will spend between $12,350 and $13,900. Meanwhile, families with lower incomes are expected to spend approximately $60,000 less than middle income families over 17 years.
This news comes after the USDA announced a brand new partnership that will allow for companies such as Amazon to accept food stamps for SNAP beneficiaries. Last Thursday, the USDA explained that in the next few months several companies including Amazon, FreshDirect, Safeway, ShopRite, Hy-Vee, Inc, Hart’s Local Grocers and Dash’s Market will soon be able to accept food stamps as a form of payment in order to combat hunger in America.
On Monday, Donald Trump met with China’s Alibaba Group’s executive chairman Jack Ma.
Following a 40 minute meeting with President-elect Donald Trump, Jack Ma revealed his plan to create one million jobs in the U.S. in the next five years. How does Ma plan on doing this? The executive chairman explained that he wants to help small businesses sell their products in China.
Trump followed up by saying, “we had a great meeting…and (he’s) a great, great entrepreneur, one of the best in the world, and he loves this country, and he loves China.” Trump added that Jack Ma plans on doing “great things for small businesses”.
Alibaba Group is an ecommerce company based in China that works as a platform to deliver services to people. Similar to how Amazon delivers products, Alibaba Group is the Chinese version of the American e-commerce giant. In 2012, the company had over $100 billion sales. In 2013, the company accounted for 60% of all mail delivered in China. By 2014, Alibaba Group accounted for 80% of the country’s online sales.
Stock Photo: New York City, USA – September 19, 2014: People taking photos at the New York Stock Exchange marking the Initial Public Offering of the e commerce company the Alibaba Group in New York City. (Christopher Penler / Shutterstock.com)
But, the biggest day for the e-commerce company takes place on China’s Singles’ Day, which takes place on November 11th. This year, Alibaba Group earned a record breaking $20 billion in sales on Singles’ Day alone.
However, it is important to point out that the U.S. has not always had a welcoming relationship with Jack Ma’s Alibaba Group. Last year the U.S. Trade Representative’s put one of Alibaba Group’s e-commerce websites, Taobao, on the government’s black list of “notorious marketplaces”. Calling the website a known platform for the sale of counterfeit products. Apparently, Taobao did not effectively stop the sale of fake items that were in violation of intellectual property rights. With that being said, despite being blacklisted, the U.S. did not financially penalize Alibaba Group.
Facebook may start sharing advertising revenue with publishers.
Watch out YouTube, Facebook is reportedly considering testing mid-video advertisements and sharing the revenue with Facebook users. According to multiple reports, instead of playing an advertisement at the beginning or the end of the video, Facebook will release “mid-roll” ads that will be shown in the middle of the video.
In addition, the program will split the revenue with 45% going towards the social media giant and the remaining 55% going towards the publisher.
Reports also suggest that advertisements will be seen in videos that run for at least 90 seconds or more and will be shown at least 20 seconds after a Facebook user hits play.
While this is groundbreaking for the social media giant, YouTube and YouTubers have made millions over the years by splitting advertising revenue. In fact, one of the most popular YouTubers, PewDiePie, was named one of the highest earning publishers on YouTube. Moreover, PewDiePie earned over $10 million in 2015.
Stock Photo: Man using Youtube application on his smartphone, background is an image from the projector – photography from social media meeting in city of Lodz, Poland 07.11. 2014 (Michal Ludwiczak / Shutterstock.com)
But, Facebook’s video programming especially, Facebook Live has opened the doors to violent content on millions of Facebook user’s news feeds. Last week, four African American men and women were arrested after broadcasting live on Facebook. The video featured a special-needs teenager getting taunted, abused humiliated and reportedly tortured. The four teenagers now face several charges including kidnapping, hate crime and battery charges. In addition, Cook County Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil denied the four teens bail.
But, this is not the first time Facebook’s video content sparked controversy. Last October, Philando Castile was shot by a St. Anthony, Minnesota police officer after getting pulled over. Castile’s girlfriend, who was sitting on the passenger side, immediately went on Facebook Live to broadcast her dying husband’s last words to the public. It immediately sparked controversy, protests, and vigils.
Researchers discover the benefits of being a weekend warrior.
Published in JAMA Internal Medicine on Monday, Hannah Arem from Milken Institute of Public Health at George Washington University, discovered “weekend warriors” benefited from working out once or twice per week.
In fact, Arem and her team of researchers explained that weekend warriors were less likely to suffer from cardiovascular problems and were less likely to die from cancer.
Researchers argue that working out once or twice a week maybe enough to reduce deaths attributed to cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Also, scientists argue that the new report illustrates that men and women can still benefit from occasional exercise routines and physical activity.
Stock Photo: CONYERS, GA – AUGUST 22: Competitors try to cross a muddy pool of water by swinging from rings at an amateur obstacle course race open to the public on August 22, 2015 in Conyers, GA. (BluIz60 / Shutterstock.com)
This is not the first time researchers studied the benefits of the “weekend warrior” exercise routine. In 2004, Harvard School of Public Health researchers found weekend warriors were less likely to die in comparison to men who did not engage in physical activity. The study also found that working out one to two times per week generating 1,000 kcal/week can decrease mortality rates.
Obesity is an epidemic across the United States. Recent research has shown a correlation between obese parents and developmental disorders in children. For example, children from two obese parents were 3 times more likely to have problem solving issues by the time they turn 3 years old.
In addition, one of the most popular surgeries for obesity, gastric bypass surgery, has been linked to digestive issues. In fact, researchers found men and women who had gastric bypass surgery complained of having issues eating foods such as red meat.
Overall, the World Health Organization recommends a minimum of over 2 hours of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise every week.
Studies have shown that 24% of US adults did not engage in physical activity in 2013. But, the US is working on increasing physical activity with a new program. The initiative is called the National Physical Activity Plan. The mission of the program is to hopefully make all Americans physically active.
In an effort to expand into China, McDonald’s has given up their majority share in their company to a major a Chinese financial company.
Along with The Carlyle Group, Citic will be purchasing a majority stake in the fast food giant for approximately $2 billion. In fact, at the end of the day McDonald’s will only hold retain 20% of their business in China.
The fast food giant’s CEO Steve Easterbrook explained that the new partnership would allow for the home of the Big Mac to better understand the food industry in China.
In fact, the company will use this new partnership to add over 1,500 in China in the next few years.
Stock Photo: SHENZHEN, GUANGDONG PROVINCE, CHINA – OCTOBER 13, 2006: McDonald’s Restaurant in city of Shenzhen. (Rob Crandall / Shutterstock.com)
“China and Hong Kong represent an enormous growth opportunity for McDonald’s,” Easterbrook explained. “This new partnership will combine one of the world’s most powerful brands and our unparalleled quality standards with partners who have an unmatched understanding of the local markets and bring enhanced capabilities and new partnerships, all with a proven record of success”
The CEO of McDonald’s added, “By working together, we will unlock even faster growth and be closer to the customers and communities we serve as McDonald’s works to be the leading Quick Service Restaurant across the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong.”
At the end of the day, CITIC and CITIC Capital will own a 52% share in the company. While, The Carlyle Group will own 28% of the fast food giant in China. The remaining 20% stake will be held by the fast food giant.
The fast food giant sees the large working population, growing middle class, and increasing disposable income in China as an investment opportunity for the company.
Stock Photo: HONG KONG – APRIL 03, 2015: McDonald’s restaurant interior. The McDonald’s Corporation is the world’s largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 68 million customers daily (Sorbis / Shutterstock.com)
It is important to note that this deal is not set in stone and is still subject to regulatory approvals. However, McDonald’s believes that the deal will close in the next few months.
McDonald’s is currently changing the way the company handles business. Late last year, the company partnered with UberEats to provide delivery service in Orlando, Miami, and Tampa. The company explained that they plan on providing worldwide delivery service by 2018.
IBM and Illumina announced on Monday a new partnership to use Watson’s technology to analyze and understand genomic data derived from Illumina’s cancer profiling system. The goal of the partnership is to “simplify genomic data interpretation” or in other words, make it easier to understand the genes within cancer cells.
In a statement, IBM explains by adding Watson’s technology and partnering with Illumina, researchers will be able to gain more information not currently available with Illumina’s technology. In fact, Illumina will be using their trademarked TruSight Tumor 170, which profiles variations across 170 genes.
IBM continues by saying that Watson for Genomics will filter through medical literature, previous clinical trials, and other data to provide a comprehensive look inside the genetic data. In fact, IBM points out that Watson for Genomics collects over ten thousand scientific articles and a hundred new clinical trials every month. Essentially, IBM’s Watson allows for a computer to filter through hundreds of thousands of research articles and studies saving scientists time and energy.
The President and CEO of Illumina, Francis deSouza explained in a statement that the comprehensive genetic profile collected by Illumina’s TruSight Tumor 170 and analyzed via IBM’s Watson the CEO hopes to collect more information surrounding genomic changes faster than ever before.
Stock Photo: CHIANGMAI, THAILAND – November 18, 2015: The homepage of the official IBM website on iPad (GongTo / Shutterstock.com)
IBM’s Watson is becoming big business for the tech giant. The company’s Watson first launched into the scene in 2011 after defeating a long list of Jeopardy champions. Since then, the company has partnered with Pfizer, The Weather Channel, BMW and other tech companies.
More specifically, IBM Watson Health and their corresponding Watson Health Cloud platform provides additional information for doctors, scientists and insurance companies to search through personal health data and the latest research.
Meanwhile, artificial intelligence is becoming a big business. A 2016 study by CB Insights found that more than $1 billion has been spent on promoting AI companies.
As Razer’s new three monitor laptop, “Project Valerie”, made headlines at the CES 2017 show, the company’s CEO Min-Liang Tan revealed on Facebook that two of their prototypes were stolen.
Tan explained on Facebook, “I’ve just been informed that two of our prototypes were stolen from our booth at CES today.”
Tan added, “We have filed the necessary reports and are currently working with the show management as well as law enforcement to address this issue.”
Razer’s CEO went on by saying their company has worked hard to build their products and they take pride in creating new and innovative machines. However, Razer takes “industrial espionage” very seriously.
Tan argued, “it is cheating, and cheating doesn’t sit well with us. Penalties for such crimes are grievous and anyone who would do this clearly isn’t very smart.”
What is Project Valerie?
Project Valerie is a new gaming laptop that features three different monitors. Razer called their new invention “the world’s first automated triple display laptop”. In addition to gaming, the laptop is filled with specs to handle multiple applications at once including, 4K gaming applications.
Project Valerie was one of two products revealed at the CES 2017 show. The second product, Project Ariana was a virtual reality projector.
Ariana was so popular that it even won Best of CES Award 2017.
Min-Liang Tan explained that if you were at the show and have any tips, you can reach their legal department at: [email protected].
Razer’s CEO asserts “all information provided will be kept in the strictest of confidence.”
Razer was first launched in 2005 with the leadership of the company’s CEO Min-Liang Tan and Robert Krakoff. Their first products were developed, created, and catered to video game enthusiasts.
Project Valerie
1 of 4
(Image Credit: Razer.com)
Called "Project Valerie" it's a one of a kind of laptop that features three different monitors. (Image Credit: Razer.com)
(Image Credit: Razer.com)
Called "Project Valerie" it's a one of a kind of laptop that features three different monitors. (Image Credit: Razer.com)
(Image Credit: Razer.com)
Called "Project Valerie" it's a one of a kind of laptop that features three different monitors. (Image Credit: Razer.com)
(Image Credit: Razer.com)
Called "Project Valerie" it's a one of a kind of laptop that features three different monitors. (Image Credit: Razer.com)
It did not take long for Google spinoff Waymo to hit the ground running as the company announced plans to add an additional 100 hybrid Chrysler Pacifica’s to its autonomous fleet be the end of the month. The move follows an agreement between the two companies last.
While Google has been at the forefront of research into self-driving vehicles, the company has been slow to monetize the technology.However, the planned spinoff of its autonomous vehicle team into a new company is one of the first steps for Google to bring the technology to the market.
Some analysts note the partnership with Chrysler may provide a peek into Google’s broader strategy – create an operating system and then partner with device manufacturers to apply the technology.This approach would not be dissimilar to how Google has worked with handset manufacturers such as Samsung and LG in the smartphone market.
Stock Photo: CHIANGMAI, THAILAND -FEBRUARY 22, 2015: Google is an American multinational corporation specializing in Internet-related services and products. Most of its profits are derived from AdWords. (GongTo / Shutterstock.com)
In addition, it would open the door for Google to apply its autonomous vehicle technology to commercial and consumer cases, without the need to invest vehicle platforms and the various supply chains.
While the terms of Google’s deal with Chrysler are not public, Bloomberg is reporting that the vehicles will be used for a ‘commercial ride-sharing service’.This could be viewed as a challenge to Uber who has invested heavily in autonomous vehicle technology.
Last year the ride-sharing company purchased self-driving vehicle start up Otto for $680 million and then teamed up with Volvo.While most of Otto’s initial technology was focused on commercial vehicles, Uber has launched live trials of its self-driving vehicles in Pittsburgh and then in San Francisco and now Arizona.
The trials in San Francisco were derailed as the company refused to get the appropriate clearances from the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
Stock Photo: SAN FRANCISCO, USA – OCT 5, 2015: Famous cable car in San Francisco. San Francisco is the cultural, commercial, and financial center of Northern California (Anton_Ivanov / Shutterstock.com)
This highlights one of the challenges which Google, Uber, and other companies will face in making self-driving vehicles the normal mode of transportation as there is little in the way of state or federal rules governing such vehicles.Other issues could include the future of private vehicle ownership and insurance – such as assigning fault when two autonomous vehicles are in an accident.
That being said the promise of self-driving cars is that they will lead to safer roads.To date, more than 1 billion miles have been logged by autonomous vehicles on public roads, and the number of fatalities are less than a handful.However, the sample size remains relatively small and, until recently, most of the miles were logged in California.
Another challenge to making self-driving vehicles a reality is the cost.While commercial vehicles might be willing to pay more upfront for a lower total cost of ownership, most private owners won’t. To that end, Waymo has focused some of its efforts on reducing the cost of the componentry which will bring autonomous vehicles to the masses.
This has led to drastic cost reductions, and now it can install a self-driving kit in a vehicle for roughly 90 percent less than two years ago.However, the costs are still prohibitively expensive and most industry observers don’t believe the first market for self-driving vehicles will be private car owners.
A new study by researchers at Oxford University have found going to the bar may actually be good for your health.
Published in the journal of “Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology”, Oxford University scientists discovered that a few drinks at the bar may actually improve an individual’s well being. Why? Researchers argue that going to the bar improves social interactions.
Stock Photo: OXFORD,UK-MAY 3:Students at Christ Church college May 3,2011 in Oxford.Established in 1546, Christ Church is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford (Kamira / Shutterstock.com)
A national survey by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) found that people who have a local bar that they visit regularly are more likely to feel socially engaged and happy. In addition, they are more likely to trust other people in their area. Meanwhile, those who did not have a local pub had fewer friends and problems with trusting others in their community.
Oxford scientists also found that people who visit local pubs engage in more meaningful conversations by socializing in smaller groups.
Robin Dunbar, the lead researcher in the study explained that visiting a local pub can have a direct impact on how many friends they may have. Also, it can affect how they engage with others in their community, which can change “how satisfied they feel in life.”
Colin Valentine of CAMRA’s National Chairman asserted that personal happiness is extremely important not only to each person but, a community as whole. In addition, Valentine argues that everyone should find a ‘local’ area to hang out.
But, before you run to your local pub and grab a beer and several shots. A recent study published just last week found alcohol consumption was linked to heart attacks. In fact, researchers found alcohol abuse led to a 230% increased risk of congestive heart failure.
