Twitter’s longer tweets have arrived |
- Twitter’s longer tweets have arrived
- Fernando Torres looks forward to Atletico-Barca showdown
- GoPro captures action from the sky with Karma drone (VIDEO)
- GoPro HERO5 + Karma: Hollywood in a backpack
- DPM: Malaysia to receive another 421 Syrian migrants
- For Yellen, a September Fed surprise could close confidence gap
| Twitter’s longer tweets have arrived Posted: 19 Sep 2016 06:42 PM PDT
The new policy announced in May and now in effect no longer factors in certain add-ons, including pictures, into a message's length. "Say more about what's happening! Rolling out now," said an official tweet from San Francisco-based Twitter. Media attachments such as photos, videos and polls are exempted from the character limit, as well as tweets that are quoted in a retweet. The move comes as Twitter's efforts to increase its user base and engagement have been sputtering, raising questions about its growth trend as it seeks to keep pace in the fast-moving world of social media. The latest move eases but does not eliminate the 140-character limit, which was put in place due to mobile phone text messaging constraints when Twitter launched in 2006. Analysts have said Twitter needs to find new ways to boost its appeal beyond a core of celebrities, politicians and journalists, with its user base stagnant for the past year. In its last quarterly update, Twitter said the number of monthly active users edged up to 313 million, up 3 per cent from a year ago and only slightly more than the 310 million in the prior quarter. Twitter has yet to post a profit, even as it has ramped up its efforts in advertising. Amid reports that Twitter may be seeking ways to cut costs or even sell itself, the San Francisco-based service has been adding new features including live video. Twitter drew more than two million people to its first broadcast of an NFL football game last week, part of a range of new sports content available through the network. It is also offering users live-streamed video programs on technology, media and business in partnership with the streaming platform Cheddar. 'Too little, too late' Analysts remain cautious about Twitter's ability to break out of its rut and accelerate growth. It is far behind Facebook, which has an audience of over 1.7 billion, and Facebook-owned Instagram, with some 500 million. "Anything that can make Twitter easier to use will be a benefit to both Twitter and its users," said Debra Aho Williamson, an analyst who follows social media at the research firm eMarketer. "It might bring some people back who got frustrated with (tweet limitations). That said, I'm not sure how many people will use this as an opportunity to try Twitter if they haven't already started using it. Things like NFL streaming will be a much better draw for new users." Last month, eMarketer said Twitter's share of US social network users will decline to 28.1 percent this year and will continue to drop through 2020, as it loses users to Snapchat, Instagram, and messaging apps. Greg Sterling, a contributing editor to the Search Engine Land blog, called the new policy "a necessary and inevitable move" by Twitter to help revive growth. But he added that Twitter "is in danger of being permanently obscured by Snapchat and rivals Facebook and Instagram — even messaging apps." The relaxing of the tweet limit "may be too little, too late," said Roger Kay of Endpoint Technologies Associates. "All this would have been good five years ago. It's a good tactical adjustment but it doesn't change the dynamics of the industry or where Twitter is." Analyst Youssef Squali at Cantor Fitzgerald said Twitter needs to prove itself soon or face pressure from shareholders. In a research note last week, Squali said the NFL broadcast was positive but that "this may be management's last opportunity to reignite growth in users, engagement and monetization." He added that "failure to do so is likely to embolden shareholders to pressure the board to evaluate alternatives" which mean selling or finding a merger partner. — AFP  |
| Fernando Torres looks forward to Atletico-Barca showdown Posted: 19 Sep 2016 06:33 PM PDT
The showdown is the first major clash of the La Liga season, but despite their free-scoring form, both sides face the prospect of being cut adrift from league leaders Real Madrid even at this early stage. "It's a good time to visit Barcelona," Torres said after netting twice in Atletico's 5-0 thrashing of Sporting Gijon on Saturday. "It seems like they are playing as we have become accustomed to. They are the most difficult opponent we have faced in the last few years without a doubt and we know how difficult it will be. "But when you are winning and playing well it always gives you that little more confidence." Atletico scored 10 times and kept three clean sheets in seeing off Celta Vigo, PSV Eindhoven and Sporting in eight days. However, they already trail city rivals Real by four points after disappointing draws against Alaves and Leganes to open the campaign. "We just needed to find the goals because we have been consistent in the way we have played despite the two draws in the first two games," added Torres. "The team is confident and now we have the toughest game we have had until now." Despite dumping Barca out of the Champions League twice in the past three years, Atletico haven't won at the Camp Nou since Torres scored twice in a 3-1 victory during his first stint at the club in 2006. Barca also hit five at the weekend against newly promoted Leganes to back up their 7-0 hammering of Celtic in the Champions League with Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar scoring 10 times in their first two starts of the season together up front. However, a shock home defeat to Alaves earlier this month leaves Luis Enrique's men three points behind Real in the early running for the title race. Both sides will make changes having rotated at the weekend. Enrique will recall Sergi Roberto and Sergio Busquets with the only doubt for the hosts whether Samuel Umtiti or Javier Mascherano partners Gerard Pique at the heart of the defence. The rested Gabi and Juanfran are expected to return for Atletico in place of Nicolas Gaitan and Sime Vrsaljko. Ronaldo, Bale return Real can extend their lead at the top before Barca and Atletico kick off and set a La Liga record with a 17th straight win at home to Villarreal earlier on Wednesday. Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale missed Sunday's 2-0 win at Espanyol due to illness and injury respectively. However, both returned to training on Monday and are expected to start. Victory at the weekend saw Real set a new club record for consecutive league wins and match the 16 straight wins Barcelona managed under Pep Guardiola in 2010/11. Villarreal, though, are unbeaten in the league this season as back-to-back wins have taken the Yellow Submarine up to sixth after a disrupted pre-season due to the sacking of coach Marcelino days before the campaign got under way. Sevilla can move up to second today if they continue their dominance of the Seville derby over Real Betis. The Europa League holders haven't lost in the league to Betis in four years and are strong favourites for one of Spain's most passionate encounters. At the bottom of the table Valencia are looking to pick up their first points of the season when Alaves visit the Mestalla on Thursday with Valencia boss Pako Ayestaran's job on the line. Fixtures (all times GMT) Tuesday Malaga v Eibar (1800) Sevilla v Real Betis (2000) Wednesday Real Madrid v Villarreal, Celta Vigo v Sporting Gijon (both 1800), Barcelona v Atletico Madrid, Granada v Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad v Las Palmas (all 2000) Thursday Deportivo la Coruna v Leganes, Osasuna v Espanyol (1800), Valencia v Alaves (2000) ― AFP |
| GoPro captures action from the sky with Karma drone (VIDEO) Posted: 19 Sep 2016 06:30 PM PDT
GoPro founder and chief executive Nick Woodman unveiled Karma while introducing new Hero5 cameras and a new cloud-based service for storing, editing and sharing video. "We want to help you all become great storytellers," Woodman said after making a rock-star entrance at a media event in a tent at the Squaw Valley ski area where the 1960 Winter Olympic Games were held. "We transformed GoPro into an end-to-end storytelling solution." Karma drones will be priced at US$799 (RM3,200) when they become available starting on October 23. The drones boast simple joystick and touch-screen controls, and fold easily into a padded backpack that is provided. An image-stabilising grip in the drone is designed to hold Hero cameras, which are not included in the backpack. GoPro's much anticipated entry into the drone market comes as the California-based company strives to distinguish itself in an increasingly competitive market for mini-cameras that can be used to capture adventures or sports from personal perspectives. The new Hero5 Black and Hero5 Session cameras, which boast features such as voice control and ultra-high-definition image quality, will be available on October 2 with pricing of US$399 and US$299, respectively. Karma drones bundled with Hero5 cameras will be priced at US$1,099 or US$999, depending on whether a Black or Session model is selected. The company is setting out to build its adventure-oriented community, and create a steady revenue stream, with a GoPro Plus subscription service that uploads imagery to the internet cloud and provides simple tools for editing and sharing from smartphones or desktop computers. GoPro Plus will cost US$4.99 per month after it becomes available to the public on October 2. Woodman said GoPro was packing more into its cameras, and making it easy for users to quickly compose story vignettes to share, whether doing adventure sports or enjoying beautiful moments. "Get out there and live a big life everybody, that is what it is all about," Woodman said as he wrapped up the media event. — AFP |
| GoPro HERO5 + Karma: Hollywood in a backpack Posted: 19 Sep 2016 06:28 PM PDT Duration: 4:02, Published 20 Sep 2016 More than a drone: Karma is an aerial, hand-held and mountable stabilisation solution. And yes, it includes a drone! |
| DPM: Malaysia to receive another 421 Syrian migrants Posted: 19 Sep 2016 06:27 PM PDT
The Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister stressed that Kuala Lumpur would remain steadfast in putting word into action but nonetheless pointed out that the issue of the authenticity of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees card needed to be addressed. "I would strongly give my assurance that Malaysia would not neglect its international obligations and commitments in addressing conflict-induced migration caused by war, natural calamities, political unrest and armed conflicts," he said. Ahmad Zahid, who is leading the Malaysian delegation to the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), said this when addressing the High Level Meeting on Addressing Large Movement of Refugees and Migrants here. Speaking at the meeting in the presence of UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, the deputy prime minister alluded to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's pledge during the 70th session of UNGA last year for Malaysia to receive 3,000 Syrian migrants over a period of three years, resulting from the conflicts in Syria and Iraq. "I'm pleased to share at this august summit that we've received 79 Syrian migrants in two batches by May 2016, and we look forward to receiving another 421 Syrian migrants by year-end," he told the UN gathering held amid tight security with highly visible police presence in every corner of this cosmopolitan city of some 8.5 million people. Malaysia had hosted 340 migrants from Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1997 to 2003 through a similar humanitarian commitment. "This strongly reflects Malaysia's continuous devotion to this evolving issue," Ahmad Zahid said at the meeting, his first official engagement at UNGA. Malaysia, he said, was no stranger to the refugee situation, having faced an exodus of the Vietnamese 'boat people' into the country in the early 1970s before their resettlement in third countries with the assistance of the UNHCR. He noted that as of July 31, 2016, Malaysia still hosted 151,596 Persons of Concern (POC) comprising asylum seekers and refugees from 54 countries although the term "refugee" was not defined under any of the country's domestic legislation. "Despite not being a member of the 1951 Refugee Convention and 1967 Protocol, Malaysia has always rendered its humanitarian assistance to such cases without compromising on its sovereignty, integrity and security," he said. Ahmad Zahid took the opportunity to highlight lingering problems pertaining to the resettlement of the existing refugee population in Malaysia to third countries which, in certain circumstances, might take years. He spoke about how this would adversely create economic, social, political and security problems to the country. In this regard, he urged the UNHCR and other state parties to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its related Protocol to give serious attention and promptly act on it. "Another teething problem pertaining to the existing refugee population in Malaysia is the authenticity of the UNHCR card issued to them. "The way forward that I have mooted in my discussion with the UNHCR is the establishment of a Joint Task Force between Malaysia and UNHCR for the registration and issuance of the UNHCR card embedded with additional security features," he said. Nevertheless, Ahmad Zahid acknowledged that the refugee determination status was solely at the discretion of the UNHCR. Earlier in his speech, he commended Ban and UNGA's initiative in organising the meeting to galvanise UN member countries over the need for coordinated and complementary action on population movements and displacements. He said migration had become and continued to be one of the important security challenges faced by Malaysia. He noted that the most common forms of irregular or illegal migration were related to illegal labour migration, labour trafficking and/or sexual exploitation as well as those fleeing from persecution, discrimination, natural disasters, poverty and armed conflicts. ― Bernama |
| For Yellen, a September Fed surprise could close confidence gap Posted: 19 Sep 2016 06:25 PM PDT
If Fed Chair Janet Yellen wants to prove that policymakers are not being pulled along by investors who for years have second-guessed them, this week may offer a rare moment of calm to do so. The Fed is divided enough ahead of its Sept 20-21 rate meeting that a nudge from its most influential policymaker could make the difference, and even some investors have begun to argue it is time for the central bank to stop worrying so much about what markets expect. "Let's get on with it already," said Michael Arone, chief investment strategist at State Street Global Advisors. "It will cause some challenges to the market but I think that is healthy in context of a normal business cycle," Arone said. "It will increase the cost of capital, and flush out some riskier assets in the short term. But that is probably the right thing to do." A Reuters poll last week suggested it is a very long shot. The poll showed the median probability of a rate rise provided by economists was about one-in-four and only six per cent of those surveyed expected the Fed to act, with the majority expecting the Fed to wait until December. Fed funds futures trading shows that investors are even more skeptical than that, and expect the Fed to stay put until February — more than a year after the central bank raised rates and signaled more would come this year and next. Instead the central bank has been stuck at the 0.25 to 0.5 per cent range set last December when it lifted rates for the first time in a decade. Doubts over economy, or Yellen? Many investors, economists, activists, and some policymakers say the economy is still not ready for higher rates. The receding rate rise expectations may reflect such concerns about the US economic recovery. They may also reflect doubts, however, about Yellen's message that the case for a rate increase is growing stronger. Such skepticism about the Fed's plans to end policy calibrated to fight a financial crisis and recession forces officials to perform a difficult balancing act. The deeper investors discount the likelihood of Fed action, the greater the risk any move will trigger an overreaction with unpredictable and negative economic fallout, making policymakers more hesitant to act. It is a cycle that may require taking a calculated risk to break, officials say. "We are in a minuet with markets and cannot ignore how markets are pricing," Atlanta Fed president Dennis Lockhart said last week, before the Fed's blackout period for public comments. The Fed has been caught in that dance for five years now. While at the beginning of 2011 trading in euro-dollar futures was still foreseeing a return to typical interest rates over the next few years, that view has given way to expectations that rates will remain low for a decade to come. Those expectations have become deeply anchored and, some argue, encouraged by the Fed's reluctance to increase rates even as the economy has approached its employment and inflation targets. Analysts who follow the Fed complain that its framework has become confusing: Low unemployment and inflation close to the two percent target would not seem consistent with a policy rate more aligned to a recession. Cacophony The assorted views of regional bank presidents and board members in recent weeks muddy the waters further. They have ranged from warnings of runaway inflation to suggestions the Fed should increase its inflation target because prices are so weak. Thrown into the mix as well have been calls for a full-blown policy overhaul, and a suspicion that the economy may be stuck in a rut with little anyone can do about it. Among that chorus of voices, Lael Brainard, a former Obama administration official and since June 2014 a Fed governor, has become a central figure in shaping the image of a Fed that errs on the side of caution when interpreting data and events. Since the rate debate intensified last year, Brainard has spoken ahead of five out of the six key policy meetings, laying out her view that the US recovery could not be taken for granted in a world of potentially perpetual economic weakness. The quarterly meetings that end with a news conference are considered the most likely sessions for Fed action. She repeated that line last week and called for "prudence," effectively stamping out any rate rise speculation. Brainard's argument seemed prescient last summer when she presented it the first time. The following 12 months brought market volatility linked to China's economic weakness and later concerns about the fallout from Britain's vote to leave the European Union. The turmoil weighed on the Fed's outlook for the U.S. economy. Things have since calmed, and through it all the US economy has continued to generate jobs. Equity markets are up so far this year, while volatility in the US bond market is near its lowest level since late 2014. To be sure, a Bank of America Merrill Lynch measure on expected swings in the bond market in three months did pick up after the European Central Bank refrained from extending its 1 trillion plus euro bond purchase program. Uncertainty about Bank of Japan policy, and possible swings in the dollar that could hurt US manufacturers, remains a risk. But to some, those risks have become less important than the uncertainty stemming from the Fed itself. JP Morgan chief executive Jamie Dimon said last week it was the right time for the Fed to move, a call echoed by the country's credit union sector. "Folks in the credit union world — the majority want the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates," said Steve Rick, chief economist for CUNA Mutual Group, an insurer and financial company whose products are sold through credit unions. "A quarter point is not going to kill the economy at all. But you would have banks more willing and credit unions more willing to lend if they believe interest rates were giving a clear signal." — Reuters |
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