Bloomberg Video: How YouTube is improving Google’s ad volume |
- Bloomberg Video: How YouTube is improving Google’s ad volume
- Starwood’s Rajit Sukumaran on travelling, family and missing flights
- Radicalisation a ‘multi-faceted problem’, not just a security issue, says Khairy
- 18th-century book stolen in Rome recovered in Argentina
- Amsterdam ― a liveable city?
- Comcast’s US$45b merger deal with Time Warner Cable said to collapse
| Bloomberg Video: How YouTube is improving Google’s ad volume Posted: 23 Apr 2015 05:55 PM PDT Duration: 2:40, Published 24 Apr 2015 Google's strategy of stepping up investments to lure more users and advertisers is paying off, fuelling ad volume gains in the latest quarter. Bloomberg Intelligence's Paul Sweeney has more on "Bloomberg West." — Bloomberg  |
| Starwood’s Rajit Sukumaran on travelling, family and missing flights Posted: 23 Apr 2015 05:54 PM PDT
"The name Tribute is meant to pay tribute to the spirit of the independent hotel, to the individual owners," explained Rajit Sukumaran, Starwood's senior vice-president, Acquisitions and Development in the Asia-Pacific. He believes the time is ripe for such a diverse collection within the group as travellers take on different personas and want different things out of a hotel on different trips. He's one such traveller — preferring familiarity, efficiency and consistency in hotels on his work trips. Leisure trips, however, are completely different. "My daughters decide which hotel to go ... They're the key determinants!" he quipped. Q: Do you have favourite hotels within the Starwood group? A: For business, it's usually Westin, Le Meridien or Sheraton as they deliver what I need and promise a certain level of service quality. For my family holidays, my kids would ask for a Westin because of its great Kids' Club. They now know how to sell it to me by saying they'll stay at the Kids' Club so my wife and I can go to the spa. Q: How do you ensure an enjoyable time when you travel with your family? A: My daughters are nine and five years old, so I let them plan the itinerary. However, I give them a list of options to choose from — which my wife and I agree on. That gets them involved while still staying within reason. Having said that, it's usually me who ends up messing up our holidays. I'm a pretty last-minute guy — there was once I underestimated the time it took for us to get ready to leave the house, so we missed our flight to Phuket. This was at the peak of the holiday season and we couldn't get another flight. We had to cancel the trip. I felt so bad that I took them to Malaysia on a road trip. Q: How does being a last-minute guy work out for business trips? A: I have a laptop bag that doesn't contain a laptop. Instead, it has everything I need for my trips — from my travel documents to foreign currencies, my chargers, iPad, eye drops ... The minute I know I need to travel, I can just take the laptop bag and go. Knowing that I can be last minute, I also plan my connections by getting the hotel I'm staying at to book intercity transport for my meetings. Q: Besides missing flights, what stressful situations have you been caught in? How do you handle them? A: Work trips are always stressful because you worry if you need to cancel your first programme if you're going in late. That affects the rest of the flow. I've been lucky — nothing major has ever occurred. As I travel frequently in the Asia-Pacific region, the worst so far was me arriving at a meeting and finding nobody there because I was actually two hours early. I didn't set my watch to (account for) the time difference. As for handling stressful situations, they happen. You can't control them. Most people who are affected by your changes are usually more understanding than we realise. ― Today |
| Radicalisation a ‘multi-faceted problem’, not just a security issue, says Khairy Posted: 23 Apr 2015 05:47 PM PDT
Radicalisation a 'multi-faceted problem', not just a security issue, says Khairy
The country is looking to set up an overseas volunteer organisation, overseen by his ministry and modelled after the Peace Corps in the United States, to cater to young Malaysians who want to help out in other countries. Radicalisation is "a multi-faceted problem, it's not just a security issue. It's also an issue of education, socio-economic background, also how we deal with young people in Malaysia", he told reporters from Singapore ahead of a talk organised by the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. Official statistics show that 30 Malaysians have gone to Iraq and Syria, and another 30 have been stopped at the border, he said, adding: "Unofficially there may be more." But Khairy also sought to "put things in perspective", noting that fewer Malaysians have gone to Iraq and Syria than those from some other countries such as Sweden. ― Today |
| 18th-century book stolen in Rome recovered in Argentina Posted: 23 Apr 2015 05:42 PM PDT
The 1748 book, which was lifted from a private library in the Italian capital, had been offered for sale online at a price of US$3,500 (RM12,600). Authorities seized it after tracking it down at a bookstore in the Argentine capital's upscale Recoleta neighborhood, the attorney general's office said on its website. The book is a history of the famous Vatican basilica's dome and the work to restore it — full title: Memorie Istoriche Della Gran Cupola Del Tempio Vaticano, E De' Danni Di Essa, E De' Restoramenti Loro Divisi In Libri Cinque. Alla Santita Di Nostro Signore Papa Benedetto XIV. The title roughly translates to "Historical Memories of the Great Dome of the Vatican Temple, and the Damage to It, and Its Restoration, Divided in Five Books. To His Holiness of Our Lord Pope Benedict XIV." It was written by academic and architecture expert Giovanni Poleni and published by Stamperia del Seminario in Padua. It was part of a stolen collection of 120 antique volumes valued at more than €1 million (RM3.89m). The operation to recover it, carried out by the Division for the Protection of Cultural Heritage at the Argentine office of Interpol, was launched after Italian police requested international help. The book is in Interpol custody pending a formal request from Italian authorities for its return. — AFP |
| Posted: 23 Apr 2015 05:33 PM PDT APRIL 24 ― After nine years in the sultry climes of Asia, we have returned to chill (in all senses of the word) alongside the calming canals of Amsterdam. The days of sundowners, shorts and sandals are behind us, as we embrace ― more from necessity than choice ― steaming mugs of coffee, scarves and sweaters. My thoughts can't help sneaking back every now and then to the scents, colour and vibrancy of Asia and I keep having to remind myself that I wanted to return to Europe, to be closer to friends and family and familiarity. But even as the rain hammers against the windows and bikes topple over in the wind, there is plenty to love about Amsterdam. Contemplating my new city, I make inevitable comparisons with other cities we've lived in ― London, Seoul, Taipei and Bangalore ― and I'm struck by how very liveable Amsterdam feels. Liveable? More clarity please "Liveability" is a relatively new (if inexact) measure used to rate cities around the world and rank them against each other in terms of quality of life. Different organisations apply varying parameters to assess liveability, but most will consider architecture, community, culture, education, environment, healthcare, infrastructure, public spaces, public transport, safety and stability. As you would imagine, Amsterdam scores highly on architecture, thanks in no small part to its stunning grachtengordel centre of 17th century canal houses and grand municipal buildings, jostling higgledy-piggledy along a concentric arrangement of canals. Great architecture from later periods abounds too because the Dutch ― a nation of designers ― are never slow to adopt new trends. The Rijksmuseum is a formidable example of late 19th century architecture and the Tuschinski theatre, Grand Hotel Amrâth and De Belhamel restaurant are just three examples of countless Art Nouveau and Art Deco buildings around the city. As Amsterdam spreads across its industrial outskirts, striking 21st century architecture emerges, such as The Shoe in Zuidas and the EYE Film Institute on the banks of the River IJ.
More museums than you can shake a paintbrush at For a small city (population of around 800,000 within the city limits), Amsterdam has a disproportionately large number of museums ― 75 in total, collectively attracting almost seven million visitors every year. There are museums to cover pretty much any field of interest: from history to hash, from science to sex, from football to flora. It also holds its own with festivals, hosting over 300 each year, attracting national and international visitors to a diverse range of dance, music, cultural and culinary festivals. Favourites of mine are the annual Parade, which is so wacky it's difficult to describe (think Glastonbury, a circus, a fairground and a craft market rolled into one), and ― because I'm a fundamentally nosey person ― the Open Garden Days, when visitors can glimpse the verdant private gardens of beautiful canal houses.
Green living The Dutch do parks and outside spaces really well, because they so get this work-life balance thing ― with plenty of emphasis on the latter. In Amsterdam there are no less than 30 parks, offering combinations of tranquillity, cafés, and stimulating areas for children to let off steam. Many of these parks are the settings for festivals, entertainment and markets, fostering a strong sense of community and local pride.
Ateliers and tiny offices for freelancers punctuate the route, their occupants breaking out into cafés or onto terraces when they need more space ― a cluster of serious faces around a laptop, nursing cups of coffee. Supermarkets aside, private individuals run these enterprises, thus ensuring variety, constant innovation and great customer service. Green living Amsterdam-style encompasses far more than grass; environmental initiatives are everywhere, and environmental consultancy ARCADIS ranks Amsterdam as the fourth most sustainable city in the world. Charging points for electric cars are springing up all over the city; there are tax incentives for owners of hybrid and electric vehicles; many tourist boats run on natural gas (making them smell like mobile chip shops) and a handful on hydrogen fuel cells; recycling bins are everywhere; and every new building features sustainable gizmos.
What else is good? Well, according to TripAdvisor, Amsterdam is in the top 25 safest cities in the world and has a lower crime rate than most other European cities. The Netherlands is a stable country with a democratically elected government and a fair, pragmatic population. Education is mandatory and free, while healthcare is world class and affordable. What do the experts say? I might feel convinced by Amsterdam's liveability, but that's more from instinct than expertise. Let's see what the professionals say. As I said before, liveability is an imprecise measure so results vary, but The Economist Intelligence Unit has ranked Amsterdam the second highest city in the world for liveability. Mercer has it at number 11 and Monocle at number 19. Whilst I'll always prefer swaying palms to leafless trees, balmy climes to biting winds, and Asian exuberance to Dutch reserve, I'm happy here in Amsterdam. And all because ― my hunch was right ― it's eminently liveable. *This is the personal opinion of the columnist. |
| Comcast’s US$45b merger deal with Time Warner Cable said to collapse Posted: 23 Apr 2015 05:23 PM PDT
The decision marks a swift unraveling of a deal that awaited federal approval for more than a year. Opposition from the US Justice Department and Federal Communications Commission took shape over the past week, leaving officials of the two companies to conclude the deal wouldn't pass muster. Comcast's board will meet to finalise the decision and an announcement may come as soon as today, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. Time Warner Cable executives plan to tell shareholders on an earnings conference call next Thursday how the company can survive independently, the person said. The deal's collapse, a major setback for Comcast Chief Executive Officer Brian Roberts, sets off a cascade of recalculations in the businesses of broadband Internet and delivery of television and movies. Comcast must regroup to focus on adding more Internet subscribers and defending its pay-TV business, while Time Warner Cable could pursue other possible merger partners, such John Malone's Charter Communications Inc. "It's the end of one chapter but the beginning of another," said Craig Moffett, an analyst at MoffettNathanson. "The pace of cable consolidation is likely to accelerate rather than decelerate. It'll just be Charter rather than Comcast leading the charge." The deal's demise promises to strengthen the hand of online players like Amazon.com Inc, Netflix Inc and others providing programming over the Internet. Philadelpia-based Comcast, the largest US cable provider, faced scrutiny in Washington over whether it complied with agreements made in its 2011 acquisition of NBCUniversal. The Justice Department had been reviewing whether Comcast was too actively involved when co-investors 21st Century Fox Inc and Walt Disney Co tried to sell Hulu in 2013, people familiar with the matter said earlier. Comcast agreed to be a passive investor in Hulu when it acquired a stake in the company through the NBCUniversal purchase. On Wednesday, FCC staff joined lawyers at the Justice Department opposing the transaction. That day, FCC officials told representatives of the two companies they are leaning toward concluding the merger doesn't help consumers, a person with knowledge of the matter said. The FCC's plan to call a hearing effectively killed the deal's chances of success. An FCC hearing can take months to complete and drag out the approval process beyond the companies' time frame for completion. Bloomberg News reported last week that Justice Department staff was leaning against the deal. Senators including Al Franken, a Democrat from Minnesota, also voiced opposition. "Comcast's withdrawal of its proposed merger with Time Warner Cable would be spectacularly good news for consumers," Michael Copps, a Democratic former FCC commissioner working with Common Cause to oppose the deal, said in a statement. Comcast shares rose 0.8 per cent to US$59.23 at the close in New York, while Time Warner Cable slipped 0.6 per cent to US$148.76. Sena Fitzmaurice, a spokeswoman for Comcast, declined to comment, as did Bobby Amirshahi, a spokesman for Time Warner Cable. Little hope As recently as yesterday, Comcast lobbyists were making a last-ditch effort to save the deal, which would have created a cable and Internet juggernaut serving 57 per cent of US homes that receive broadband at speeds that meet the FCC standard set in January. After meeting with FCC officials, Comcast and Time Warner Cable were left with little hope, said one of the people. FCC staff concluded that an extended hearing was required in part because of the complexity of the issues raised by the deal, according to a person close to the agency. The hearing would have given all sides an opportunity to weigh in on the deal's impact on issues like innovation, the rise of Internet- based video, cable-TV pricing and bundling of channels. The loss of its suitor leaves Time Warner Cable's future in limbo. Before the deal with Comcast was announced in February 2014, Time Warner Cable was in talks to merge with smaller Charter Communications, whose largest investor is billionaire Malone. Those talks could be revived by Comcast's exit. In the short term, the deal's collapse means Charter, which agreed to take control of 3.9 million Comcast cable-TV subscribers, won't get those customers. Another Charter deal, the recent agreement to purchase of Bright House Networks, could also be in jeopardy, because Time Warner Cable has the right to block it as part of its long-time arrangement to negotiate programming and other deals for Bright House. — Bloomberg |
| You are subscribed to email updates from The Malay Mail Online | All To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
