Ballon d’Or decider? All eyes on Messi against Ronaldo tomorrow |
- Ballon d’Or decider? All eyes on Messi against Ronaldo tomorrow
- Google reveals 2014 Consumer Barometer, explores global internet usage
- JLo busy with Vegas move (VIDEO)
- Oregon cockfighting ring organisers get probation, forfeit of sale
- When two titans collide, will Bale’s absence be blessing for Madrid?
- Microsoft posts higher earnings thanks to ‘cloud’
| Ballon d’Or decider? All eyes on Messi against Ronaldo tomorrow Posted: 23 Oct 2014 05:47 PM PDT
The Argentine is just one goal behind Telmo Zarra's 59-year-old record of scoring 251 goals for Athletic Bilbao. However, his Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo has also started the season in record-breaking fashion. Here, AFP Sports looks at the numbers behind the rivalry between the two best players in the world: Messi highest scorer in Clasicos Messi already knows the feeling of breaking a significant record at the Bernabeu. On his last visit he passed compatriot and Madrid legend Alfredo di Stefano by scoring a hat-trick to become the leading goalscorer in El Clasicos with 21 in 28 matches. Ronaldo is down in seventh on that list with 13 in 21 games against Barca since he joined Madrid in 2009. · Ronaldo averaging over two goals a game in La Liga Ronaldo's incredible run of scoring 15 goals so far this season in La Liga is an all-time record after eight games. Even more amazingly, Ronaldo has only taken seven appearances to reach that mark having missed Real's defeat to Real Sociedad due to injury. By contrast, Messi's record of seven goals in eight games seems humble, however, he has also provided a league high nine assists. Both men on the verge of Champions League history Messi and Ronaldo were both on target as Barca and Madrid continued their march towards the Champions League last 16 with victories over Ajax and Liverpool respectively. Both are now on the verge of surpassing Real legend Raul's record of 71 Champions League goals with Ronaldo on 70 and Messi just one further back. Ronaldo the hat-trick king One of the few feats so far beyond Ronaldo in his Madrid career has been a hat-trick against Los Blancos' eternal rivals. The Portuguese bagged three hat-tricks in four league games this season move level with Zarra and Di Stefano on 22 in La Liga. Messi has 19, but two of those came against Madrid in a 4-3 win last season and a 3-3 draw in 2007. Ballon d'Or decider? Between them Messi and Ronaldo have won the World Player of the Year for the last six years. Ronaldo in 2008 and last year, whilst Messi picked up the award a record four times in between. With the vote for Germany's World Cup winners likely to be split amongst a number of players, Messi and Ronaldo are the favourites once more and tomorrow's spectacle provides the ideal stage to make a late case to voters. — AFP  |
| Google reveals 2014 Consumer Barometer, explores global internet usage Posted: 23 Oct 2014 05:47 PM PDT
Free of charge, the Consumer Barometer offers a wealth of data and graphs for download, including charts compiled by Google and custom graphs that can be created in a few easy steps. The purpose of this free tool is to allow anyone interested to explore how consumers behave online, particularly with regards to specific product categories. Among the key findings presented on the site, Google points out that the country with the highest rate of smartphone usage is Singapore (85 per cent), followed by China (70 per cent) and the UK (68 per cent). Social media usage is highest in Turkey, where 92 per cent of those surveyed reported using these services. In terms of the internet's role in the purchase journey ― Google's term for the steps between becoming aware of a product and acquiring it ― the Consumer Barometer indicates that in the majority of countries, well over half of consumers conduct research online before making an offline purchase. At the global level, one in three consumers said they made their last footwear or clothing purchase on the web. The Consumer Barometer is based on surveys conducted by TNS Infratest throughout 2014 in 46 different countries. Results on any question may be filtered by country, gender, age, income level or parental status. The 2014 Consumer Barometer is available at consumerbarometer.com. ― AFP-Relaxnews |
| JLo busy with Vegas move (VIDEO) Posted: 23 Oct 2014 05:43 PM PDT LAS VEGAS, Oct 24 — Jennifer Lopez is apparently in the middle of negotiations to start a residency in Las Vegas, which will reportedly earn her an impressive US$26 million (RM85.16 million). Meanwhile, Matthew McConaughey first became famous for rom-coms, and he clearly still loves them despite his recent reinvention of his career.
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| Oregon cockfighting ring organisers get probation, forfeit of sale Posted: 23 Oct 2014 05:38 PM PDT
Irina Walker and her husband John Walker pleaded guilty in July to one count of running an illegal gambling operation with at a barn-like structure on their ranch in Irrigon, near the Washington state border, where they held cockfighting "derbies." Prosecutors said the cockfighting events came complete with a chef cooking Mexican food and alcoholic drinks. They said the Walkers charged attendees US$20, while participants paid US$1,000 to enter up to five roosters in fights. As part of a plea agreement with prosecutors that saw additional charges dropped, the couple admitted to financing, supervising and owning the cockfighting venture during 2012 and 2013. They were each sentenced on Wednesday to three years probation, according to prosecutors and court documents. The Walkers also agreed to sell the ranch where the fights were held and forfeit US$200,000 worth of proceeds. They were allowed to keep a smaller parcel where they lived. Assistant US Attorney Stephen Peifer said the operation was broken up by authorities using informants who wore hidden cameras to document the illegal activities. "Its obviously an important case in terms of enforcing law against cockfighting and animal abuse, Peifer said. "It carried with it the danger of people coming in with weapons and drugs and what have you, and we know for fact there were weapons and drugs on the premises" during the derbies. The Walkers were originally charged with 12 counts including operating an illegal gaming business, conspiracy and violating the Animal Welfare Act. Defense attorneys for the Walkers could not be reached for comment. Romania is a republic, but its historic royal family maintains special legal and symbolic status within the country, according to the official website of the Romanian Royal House. Irina Walker is the one of five daughters of exiled former Romanian King Michael, who went into exile after being forced to abdicate in 1947. She was born in Switzerland. — Reuters |
| When two titans collide, will Bale’s absence be blessing for Madrid? Posted: 23 Oct 2014 05:37 PM PDT
It took the Welshman the best part of the three goes at the Clasico to make an impact, but he eventually did so in stunning style with an incredible solo run and finish to win Real their 19th Copa del Rey back in April. Ajax coach Frank de Boer echoed the thoughts of many when he replied "Bale's absence is a shame for football" when asked for his view on the game after his side had been beaten by Barcelona on Tuesday. However, as Madrid showed in dismantling Liverpool at Anfield 24 hours later without Bale, Sergio Ramos and Dani Carvajal, they have the depth in quality to cope even without world class players. Moreover, Real boss Carlo Ancelotti will be left with more than just memories of Bale's goal from the Copa del Rey final. Prior to that meeting in Valencia, the Italian had gone nearly 10 years and seven games against the Catalans with three different clubs without tasting victory. That night without the injured Cristiano Ronaldo, Ancelotti switched to a 4-4-2 formation from the 4-3-3 he has used for the majority of his time in charge at Madrid thanks to having the luxury of Ronaldo, Bale and Karim Benzema in attack. Even with the famed "BBC", as they have become known in the Spanish press, Madrid were no match for Barca in their two league meetings last season. Barca's numerical advantage in midfield allowed them to dictate the tempo and cut the supply line to Madrid's front three. At the Mestalla, even without World Player of the Year in Ronaldo, the introduction of Isco as an extra midfielder added the balance that Ancelotti craved. "If Bale plays or doesn't play it will change their way of playing a little, but not ours," Barca midfielder Andres Iniesta said yesterday. "Madrid want to hit us on the counter-attack, whereas we want the ball because that minimises the danger." However, with four gifted ball players in James Rodriguez, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Isco in midfield, Madrid may be able to turn the tables and use possession to minimise the threat of Barca's star South American trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez. Just like last season it has taken Madrid some time to find the right blend after another busy summer in the transfer market before hitting their stride. Following their defeat to Barca last October, the European champions embarked upon a 31-game unbeaten run before Barca visited the Bernabeu in March. Similarly early league defeats to Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid have left Ancelotti's men with a lot of catching up to do on Luis Enrique's rejuvenated Barcelona this season, but the win at Anfield was their eighth straight in all competitions. That run has included 35 goals, but crucially Madrid's previously leaky defence has also shored up, conceding just once in their last five games. "We are in good form and showing how strong we are," said captain Iker Casillas. "Despite the injuries, those that have come in are doing well. That is how we must continue. We need to win, win and win again." — AFP |
| Microsoft posts higher earnings thanks to ‘cloud’ Posted: 23 Oct 2014 05:34 PM PDT
Net profit in the quarter dipped to US$4.5 billion (RM14.75 billion) from US$5.2 billion in the same period a year ago, but topped most analyst forecasts. Revenue rose above US$23 billion, its best ever for the fiscal first quarter.. The better than expected resulted pushed shares of the US technology titan up 3.8 per cent to US$46.75 in after-market trades. "We are innovating faster, engaging more deeply across the industry, and putting our customers at the center of everything we do, all of which positions Microsoft for future growth," Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella said in a release. Microsoft said revenue hit a record high for its first fiscal quarter, aided by the popularity of its Xbox video game consoles and Surface tablet computers along with businesses turning to software offered as services in the Internet "cloud." "Customers are embracing our latest technologies from Surface Pro 3 and Office 365 to (cloud-based) Azure and SQL Server" for corporate customers, Microsoft chief operating officer Kevin Turner said. Revenue in Microsoft's Devices and Consumer unit grew 47 per cent to US$10.96 billion, with the company bringing in nearly a billion dollars from sales of its Surface Pro 3 tablet computer. Xbox sales more than doubled to 2.4 million in the quarter, which saw the newest version of the console release in 28 new markets. Revenue was up 10 per cent when it came to commercial offerings, with cloud services such as Office 365 and Azure growing 128 per cent, according to Microsoft. Pumping up the 'cloud' At a press briefing in San Francisco this week, Nadella detailed the latest moves in Microsoft's strategy to entice businesses with the ability to tap into the power of colossal online data centers as needed. Microsoft's event spotlighted how the company is playing on its strengths with software used by businesses to capitalize on a trend toward renting computing power, storage, or software as services hosted at data-centers in the Internet cloud. "The Microsoft cloud is the most complete cloud offering that empowers every business across every industry in every geography," Nadella boasted at the event. Microsoft in on track to bring in US$4.4 billion this year from cloud services, but is spending about US$4.5 billion annually on major investments such as huge data centers packed with computing equipment, executives said at the briefing. Microsoft sees its main rivals in the cloud computing space as Google and Amazon Web Services. Microsoft has cloud data centers in 19 regions around the world, and some of the facilities are large enough to hold a pair of jumbo jets. Microsoft's "cloud" will handle demanding computing loads for businesses and let them better extract valuable insights from their data, along with "public" cloud power augment "private" in-house systems. The earnings results include the newly acquired handset division of Finland's Nokia, whose Windows-based smartphones are struggling in a market dominated by Google Android devices and Apple's iPhones. Revenue from phone hardware was more than US$2.6 billion in the quarter, according to Microsoft. — AFP |
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