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Yahoo, Alibaba: We're "committed to" negotiations (AP) : Technet |
- Yahoo, Alibaba: We're "committed to" negotiations (AP)
- Local Discovery: Google Hotpot merges with Google Places (Yahoo! News)
- PSN update: Sony’s PlayStation Network is back online (Yahoo! News)
- Mashable is Hiring (Mashable)
- Yahoo!, Alibaba in talks over Alipay (AFP)
- AOL launches professional division (Reuters)
- Mexico town's mutant pointy boots create a craze (AP)
- Iraq to bring banks to the masses -- by mobile (AFP)
- 17 Twitter Tips from Mashable Connect Attendees (Mashable)
- Sony Online Entertainment reactivates MMO servers, forums (Digital Trends)
- Learn some new words each day with Vocabology iPhone app (Appolicious)
- Gaining marketing experience from scratch: The Rob Shoesmith story (Appolicious)
- PSN update now live across the U.S., go change your password now (Digital Trends)
- Starfront: Collision HD tops iPad Games of the Week (Appolicious)
| Yahoo, Alibaba: We're "committed to" negotiations (AP) Posted: 15 May 2011 05:07 PM PDT NEW YORK – Yahoo Inc. and Chinese Internet company Alibaba Group tried to present a united front Sunday as they worked on a dispute that has caused tension in their already strained relationship. But the two tech giants offered few details, releasing only a one-sentence statement saying they were in "productive negotiations" to resolve "outstanding issues related to Alipay," which is Alibaba's online payment service. Yahoo, which owns a 43 percent stake in Alibaba, saw its stock tumble last week after it announced Tuesday that Alibaba had spun off Alipay. The announcement caused investors to worry that Yahoo's stake in Alibaba will become less valuable, and also brought into clearer focus the rockiness of the two companies' relationship. Yahoo spokeswoman Dana Lengkeek declined to answer questions about who was involved in the negotiations or what Yahoo wants from them. She noted that Sunday's statement was the first issued jointly by Yahoo and Alibaba. "Alibaba Group, and its major stockholders, Yahoo! Inc. and Softbank Corporation, are engaged in and committed to productive negotiations to resolve the outstanding issues related to Alipay in a manner that serves the interests of all shareholders as soon as possible," the statement said, in its entirety. It echoed an equally vague statement from Tuesday, when Yahoo said it was engaged with Alibaba and Softbank in "ongoing discussions regarding the terms of the restructuring and the appropriate commercial arrangements related to" Alipay. Representatives for Alibaba and Softbank, a Japanese firm that is also a longtime investor in Alibaba, didn't return messages for comment on Sunday. Yahoo and Alibaba also disagree over when Yahoo was informed of the spinoff, which transfers ownership of Alipay to another company owned by Alibaba Group's CEO, Jack Ma. Yahoo says the transfer occurred last August, but that it wasn't notified until March 31. Alibaba says Yahoo's board was informed of the ownership change during a July 2009 meeting In Tuesday's regulatory filing, Yahoo said Alibaba had spun off Alipay so it could more quickly obtain "an essential regulatory license." Ma has become more antagonistic since Carol Bartz, a brash Silicon Valley veteran, became Yahoo's CEO in January 2009. With Alipay under his control, analysts believe Ma could have more negotiating power if Yahoo tries to sell its stake in Alibaba is one of China's most powerful Internet companies, and its success has helped bolster Yahoo as the Sunnyvale, Calif., company has struggled to keep up with Google Inc. The six-year investment has also been a way for Yahoo to keep a toehold in fast-growing China after it and other companies, including Google, have had a hard time growing their own businesses in the heavily regulated and politicized country. In the first quarter, Yahoo's net income fell 28 percent. The net income of Alibaba.com, the flagship company of Alibaba Group, rose 37 percent. |
| Local Discovery: Google Hotpot merges with Google Places (Yahoo! News) Posted: 15 May 2011 05:18 PM PDT
In the intervening months, however, the service has expanded to include a user base of millions using 47 different languages to rate, share, and discover local businesses. Then about a month ago, rumors started to percolate. Was the search engine giant abandoning its local discovery service? Say it ain't so! Was Hotpot lost in the maelstrom of the oversaturated market, as we hypothesized it might be? Turns out, that's not the case. What happened to Hotpot? Apparently, it's not gone; on April 8, Google announced that Hotpot was "graduating" to become part of its core local product offering, Google Places. What is Places? With Places, users can search for, rate, and review local businesses and attractions in a simple, easy-to-use interface. Simply log in (there's no lengthy account creation process, just choose a username), enter a search term such as "restaurants," and Google will automatically show you a page full of options near you. You can see the average ratings from other users and choose your own on a scale of 1 to 5 stars. (There's also a Best Ever option, but we'll get to that in a bit.)
As it learns your tastes, Places will start making recommendations based on what it thinks you'll probably like. Since people's tastes tend to be similar to those of their friends, Places takes that into account and suggests things based on your friends' opinions as well.
If you've already been to a particular business and have an opinion, click on the stars to rate it. Once you've rated the business, the Place card will flip over, and you'll be able to share a review or tip. Pick your Best Evers
There are a lot of mobile apps and websites out there to help you find, rate, and share information about the establishments you like, love, and loathe. Each has a somewhat different experience to offer, and Google Places definitely seems to be one of the stronger options. As with most services of this nature, it gets better the more people use it, so get out there and add your opinions! [Image credits: Skistar Trysil, Insertinanename] More from Tecca: |
| PSN update: Sony’s PlayStation Network is back online (Yahoo! News) Posted: 15 May 2011 12:45 AM PDT
Sony said in its blog post that "it can take a little while for the servers to populate fully," meaning that not everyone in the restored regions will be able to log on right away. Also, not everything is back online, but arguably the most important feature for most PS3 owners — online, multiplayer gaming — is back. You can also watch Netflix or Hulu Plus videos, contact your friends, and play back rental video content. Sony's music service Qriocity is also returning online, as are Sony Online Entertainment's online games for the PC and other platforms. When you turn on your PS3, you'll be prompted to install a software system update (version 3.61) which will require you to make a password change since your old password was compromised in the original cyber attack. Sony has not said what, if anything, this update does besides make sure that people change their passwords. [Image credit: Michel Ngilen] More from Tecca: |
| Posted: 15 May 2011 04:55 PM PDT As Mashable continues to grow our editorial, business and community teams, we're looking to fill a number of new roles in our New York headquarters and San Francisco bureau. What's working at Mashable like? We offer a fast-paced and fun work environment with an energetic company culture, as well as competitive packages and benefits. Mashable is always looking to add talented and driven individuals to our team. To stay up to date on the latest listings, visit mashable.theresumator.com. Read on for the newest job openings and how to apply.
EditorialTech Reporter (San Francisco, CA) Mashable is seeking a stellar reporter for its fast-growing San Francisco bureau. Successful candidates will be self-starters, passionate about technology, with 2+ years experience in daily journalism and a year or more of using WordPress. Working closely with the San Francisco bureau chief, you will deliver a wide variety of news and analysis stories every day, mostly for (but not limited to) the following sections: Tech & Gadgets, Startups, Mobile, Dev & Design. Read more about the tech reporter position and apply here. Editorial Interns (New York, NY) As an editorial intern you'll have the opportunity to work with and learn from Mashable editors in Mashable's New York City Headquarters. Responsibilities include research, fact checking, copy editing and writing. Read more about Mashable's editorial internship and apply here.
Community
Community Director (New York, NY) Working closely with Mashable leadership, the director will be responsible for creating and implementing community strategies. Read more about the community director position and apply here. Community Assistant (New York, NY) Working closely with the community manager, the community assistant will be responsible for monitoring and engaging with Mashable's community on the site and off, identifying emerging social tools, running contests and promoting Mashable content and events. Read more about the community assistant position and apply here. Community Interns (New York, NY) As a community intern you'll have the opportunity to work with and learn from Mashable's community team in Mashable's New York City Headquarters. Responsibilities include moderating and engaging the Mashable community on the site and on its many social platforms, and working on community projects assigned by the community assistant or community manager. Read more about Mashable's community internship and apply here.
SalesRegional Sales Director (San Francisco, CA) Mashable is looking for a dynamic individual who will be responsible for the qualification, sales and growth of advertising partner relationships in the western region. The successful candidate will have a robust existing network of client/agency relationships and a proven track record building and delivering solid marketing solutions for their clients in an effective and scalable way. This person will have an understanding of the social/news space and experience selling standard and custom executions for top brand clients and agencies. A passion for social media is a must! Read more about the regional sales director position and apply here. Campaign Specialist (New York, NY) Read more about the campaign specialist position and apply here.
BusinessBusiness Development Coordinator (New York, NY) Mashable is seeking a business development coordinator who has a solid understanding of the digital media space and a tenacious drive to generate new business opportunities. This go-getter is in a key role helping evaluate opportunities as they come in, but also proactive in creating opportunities in collaboration with other internal teams and external parties. Read more and apply here. Executive Assistant (New York, NY) Read more about the executive assistant position and apply here. This story originally published on Mashable here. |
| Yahoo!, Alibaba in talks over Alipay (AFP) Posted: 15 May 2011 08:02 PM PDT NEW YORK (AFP) – Yahoo! and Chinese e-commerce firm Alibaba said they were holding talks over Alipay, the online payments company whose ownership has sparked tensions between the Internet giants. Yahoo!, which holds a large stake in Alibaba, and Alibaba issued a one-sentence joint statement addressing the controversy over ownership of Alipay, Alibaba's payment service. "Alibaba Group, and its major stockholders Yahoo! Inc. and Softbank Corporation, are engaged in and committed to productive negotiations to resolve the outstanding issues related to Alipay in a manner that serves the interests of all shareholders as soon as possible," the statement said. Yahoo! filed paperwork last week notifying the US Securities and Exchange Commission that ownership of Alipay had been shifted to a Chinese company owned mostly by Alibaba chief executive Jack Ma. In the filing, Yahoo! said the transfer was done without the knowledge or approval of Alibaba's board of directors or shareholders. Yahoo! owns a 43 percent stake in Alibaba and an estimated 40 percent share of Alipay. According to Yahoo!, the transfer of ownership was made in August although it and Japan's Softbank, another major Alibaba stakeholder, were only informed in March. Ma on Saturday said the transfer of ownership of Alipay was "legal and 100 percent transparent." "The board and shareholders including Yahoo! and Softbank Corp. are fully aware of the ownership transfer of Alipay," Ma was quoted as saying by Dow Jones Newswires. His comments come after the firm issued a statement on Friday, saying the transfer was done to "comply with Chinese law governing payment companies in order to secure a license to continue operating Alipay." "The actions taken by Alibaba Group management to comply with the licensing regulations and to ensure continuation of operations are in the best interests of the company and its shareholders," the statement said. Yahoo! shares have been sliding amid the dispute with Alibaba over Alipay. Yahoo! shares lost 3.61 percent to close at $16.55 on Wall Street on Friday. |
| AOL launches professional division (Reuters) Posted: 15 May 2011 05:01 PM PDT NEW YORK (Reuters) – AOL Inc is launching a professional division called AOL Industry on Monday aimed at government, energy and defense executives. The idea is to bring the use of social media, video and design from consumer-oriented sites and apply it to media for business professionals. "(Trade media) hasn't done as good a job at innovating as consumer media," said Jay Kirsch, vice president and general manager of AOL Industry, who pitched the idea to AOL at the end of last summer. "If you look at most of the innovations that have really changed media most of them have been consumer facing and not business-to-business." AOL Energy rolled out first and will be followed by AOL Government and AOL Defense in June. AOL Industry is not charging a subscription for access and will not have a print component. AOL is moving into a crowded space dominated by several types of trade magazines as well as Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters, and News Corp's Dow Jones. "We are going to offer a social online environment that is not available elsewhere -- stealing a page a little bit from the Huffington Post and inviting industry executives to be part of the conversation as well," Kirsch said. Kirsch, who was the former CEO of Imaginova, the publisher of the aerospace trade website Space News, has made about eight hires so far. Peter Gardett, the former bureau chief of Argus Media, is editor of AOL Energy. Wyatt Kash, who recently served as editor-in-chief of Government Computer News and Defense Systems, is editor of AOL Government. Colin Clark, who covered Congress and intelligence for Space News, is AOL Defense editor. (Reporting by Jennifer Saba; Editing by Richard Chang) |
| Mexico town's mutant pointy boots create a craze (AP) Posted: 15 May 2011 08:57 PM PDT MATEHUALA, Mexico – The customer known only as "Cesar of Huizache" had an odd request for shoemaker Dario Calderon: He showed him a cell-phone photo of a sequined cowboy boot with pointy toes so long, they curled up toward the knees. He wanted a pair, but with longer toes. "I thought 'What's up with this dude?'" Calderon said at his shop in Matehuala, a northeastern Mexican city of farmers and cattle ranchers accustomed to a more stoic cowboy look. The boot in the photo measured 60 centimeters (23 inches) "but we made him a pair that were 90 centimeters (35 inches) long." The mystery man from Huizache, a nearby village, wore his new boots to Mesquit Rodeo nightclub, where he danced bandido style with a handkerchief hiding his mouth and nose "He was dancing and having a good time and he didn't care what people were saying about him," said Fernando Lopez, the master of ceremonies at the rodeo-themed disco. Then he disappeared. The next thing Calderon knew, it seemed like everyone wanted the bizarre, half-Aladdin, all-Vegas pointy boots, from little boys attending church ceremonies to teenagers at the discos. Calderon fashioned the elongated toes from plastic foam and charged 400 pesos ($34) for the extensions. The competition began charging 350 pesos ($30) per 15 centimeters (6 inches) of new toe. Boys who couldn't afford that used garden hoses to make their own. When one added glittery butterflies, another made 5-foot-long toes and added multicolor glitter stripes. When one added stars to the tips, others added flashing lights and disco balls, strutting them on the dance floor to attract the girls, like peacocks spreading their feathers. "At the beginning I didn't like them very much, but the girls wouldn't dance with you if you weren't wearing pointy boots," said university student Pascual Escobedo, 20, his own covered with hot pink satin and glittery stars. Nobody knows where Cesar's photo or the fad came from, since he was known to cross back and forth between Mexico and the U.S. But once it hit the sedate city of 90,000 people and auto-part and clothing factories about 18 months ago, it spread to nearby villages and showed up as far away as Mississippi and Texas, where some DJs at rodeo-themed nightclubs say it peaked a year ago and now has gone out of style. "They would put all kinds of things on them, strobe lights, belt buckles, and those red lights that flash when you step on the shoes," said Manuel Colim, a DJ at the Far West Corral in Dallas, Texas, where a lot of Matehualan migrants live. The pointy-boot fad coincided with a new dance craze of gyrating, drawer-dropping troupes dressed in matching western shirts and skinny jeans to accentuate their footwear. They dance to "tribal" music, a mixture of Pre-Columbian and African sounds mixed with fast cumbia bass and electro-house beats. In Matehuala, all-male teams compete in weekly danceoffs at four nightclubs that offer prizes of $100 to $500, and often a bottle of whiskey. The troupes are so popular, they're hired to dance at weddings, for quinceaneras, celebrations of the Virgin of Guadalupe, bachelorette parties and even rosary ceremonies for the dead. One group, Los Parranderos, or The Partiers, filmed a wedding scene for "Triunfo del Amor," or "Love's Triumph," a prime-time soap opera on the Televisa network. "At the beginning there were people who would criticize us and would say, 'How tacky that you are wearing that. I wouldn't wear them,'" said Miguel Hernandez, 20, of Los Parranderos. "But we feel good dancing with the pointy boots." One recent Matehuala competition drew about 800 people, who came to watch the dancers jump from side to side, spin and wave their arms or sensually shake their hips as their boots sparkled in the disco light and their toe extensions bounced from side to side. Dancing tribal in pointy boots is "like going crazy," said Jorge Chavez, 16, whose group, Los Aliados, or The Allies, competed for the $100 prize. "We dance it as if we were chasing chickens. It's all about goofing off." Housewife Laura Soto, 36, who watched the competition, convinced her husband to buy a pair of blue and silver pointy boots decorated with stars. "The boots makes them look more sexy because you can tell they are daring," she said. Soto's husband, Mario Fuentes, said he gave them to his 23-year-old son. "I don't think I would look good in them," Fuentes, 45, said. "But I do like to come see them because they make everything more cheerful." But as with every youthful fad, the pointy boots already are being replaced by low-rise Roper style boots, which also have lower heels. "There are some steps where you have to cross your feet and throw yourself to the ground and you can't do that with the pointy boots," said Francisco Garcia, 18, of Los Primos dance crew, or The Cousins. "With the Roper boots it's easier." At the Mesquit Rodeo competition, the Socios, or the Partners, took first prize for their energetic choreography. Dozens of teenage girls screamed when one of the dancers pulled his pants low enough to reveal a leopard print-thong. The Socios had abandoned the pointy boots for Ropers. |
| Iraq to bring banks to the masses -- by mobile (AFP) Posted: 15 May 2011 11:10 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AFP) – Just a fifth of Iraqis have bank accounts, but 70 percent have mobile phones, so Baghdad is hoping to close the gap by getting people to open accounts, make payments and transfer cash -- all via mobile. In a country that is one of the most corrupt and violent in the world, the initiative is aimed at securing Iraqis' funds, and strengthening the banking sector as higher revenues resulting from a greater number of transactions boost profits. "It's a very important project" in terms of "increasing the capacities of private banking," Sinan al-Shabibi, the governor of the Central Bank of Iraq, told reporters at a conference on the initiative organised by the bank and USAID. Shabibi said he hoped the project would be ready "in the coming year". Only about 20 percent of Iraqis hold a bank account, according to experts. That figure is markedly lower than the average for developing countries, which a World Bank report released last year pegged at 28 percent among adults. By contrast, 81 percent of adults in developed countries held bank accounts, the "Doing Business 2011" report said. While much of Iraq's low bank account penetration has to do with a lack of confidence among Iraqis in banks, other factors are also at play. "It can... be attributed to long period the country was at war, international sanctions, isolation from the outside world, prevailing security situations, coverage of banks in remote areas," said Indrajit Roy Choudhury, a banking expert working as a consultant for the state-owned Trade Bank of Iraq. Choudhury added that a lack of modern banking facilities and poor financial literacy among Iraqis' was also to blame. In addition, most Iraqis are paid in cash, with many avoiding the tedious procedures of dealing with the country's bank branches, where queues are long and customers often spend a great deal of time simply in order to deposit funds that they often end up spending within a month. Others who receive their salaries in cheques typically withdraw the full amount in cash and eschew making deposits or opening an account. "This situation is changing," Choudhury noted, pointing out that several banks were opening branches in more of Iraq's provinces, networking those branches, and coming out with more "customer-oriented products". Iraq is hoping to use the relative popularity of mobile telephones here, with market penetration estimated at 70 percent, to accelerate the development of the banking sector. A 2009 report by India's National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development notes that "lack of access to finance for... weaker sections of the society has been recognised as a serious threat to economic progress, especially in developing countries." It added: "Moreover, prolonged and persistent deprivation of banking services to a large segment of the population leads to a decline in investment and has the potential to fuel social tensions causing social exclusion." According to Carl Rosenquist, an expert who is working on the Iraqi project, it is likely that younger Iraqis will be the system's guinea pigs. "Experience shows that the take-up of mobile financial services attracts initially the young and subsequently the take-up will increase up the age ladder," said Rosenquist, who has worked on similar initiatives in the Philippines, Mongolia, Jamaica and Kenya. If the project is fully realised, all it would take for an individual to open a bank account would be a phone call. Iraqis would be able to make transfers, pay bills, or withdraw funds from non-banking agents such as general stores, who would receive a commission in return. It is all part of a larger project, estimated to cost between $15-20 million, to unify Iraq's banking system. "The biggest obstacle is regulation... The law is far behind," said Rosenquist, who complained that Iraqi banks are not required to be linked to a central payment system. "We have a system and they are not all members.... If they (regulators) don't mandate the use of it, then it's useless." Discussions are also ongoing between certain banks and mobile phone operators to develop mobile banking, with the chief executive of Kuwaiti firm Zain's Iraqi arm acknowledging that his own company was in talks with two Iraqi banks. "We're working with a couple banks here in Iraq," Emad Makiya said in an interview with AFP, adding that he could not name which banks as a result of a non-disclosure agreement. "We're just studying this right now.... We should strike something by the end of this year. We will help them out with their mobile banking." |
| 17 Twitter Tips from Mashable Connect Attendees (Mashable) Posted: 15 May 2011 02:35 PM PDT While Twitter users have become more active in the past year, there are only a few who are consistently valuable, engaging and respected. Becoming one of those users is a challenging task, but it's also something that can pay big dividends. That's why I asked the world's leaders in digital for their advice on how to become a zen-like Twitter user. On May 12-14, several hundred of the world's digital leaders gathered in Orlando for the first-ever Mashable Connect, an intimate three-day conference focused on the impact of social media and digital on entertainment, media, technology and society. Connect attendees, along with Team Mashable, had the chance to hear about the biggest trends in digital from the leaders of Syfy, HBO, Edelman, Gowalla, Tumblr, Buddy Media and more. [More from Mashable: 57 New Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed] On Saturday, I walked around the conference floor, asking Connect attendees one simple question: "What one tip do you have for best using Twitter?" I got a wide variety of responses from CEOs, entrepreneurs and accomplished professionals in the digital world. Some had very simple advice, while others had proverb-like quotes. Most of all, they each had something completely different to say about the world's hottest microblogging service. Here's the sage advice our Connect attendees had to give: [More from Mashable: Top 10 Twitter Trends This Week [CHART]]
Twitter Tips
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| Sony Online Entertainment reactivates MMO servers, forums (Digital Trends) Posted: 15 May 2011 06:40 PM PDT
As with PSN, the update requires those with SOE accounts for games like DC Universe Online to change their passwords. The restoration of services includes "the return of nearly all of SOE's portfolio of online games, the reinstatement of SOE's game forums and websites," according to an official press release. The release then restates the same explanations we've been seeing, that "several outside respected security firms" were engaged to investigate the intrusion and work out a new set of security measures, enhancements were made to existing technologies, testing processes have been refined and so on. The real takeaway here for most: you are once again free to run around and fight crime in virtual re-creations of Metropolis and Gotham City. |
| Learn some new words each day with Vocabology iPhone app (Appolicious) Posted: 15 May 2011 04:00 PM PDT |
| Gaining marketing experience from scratch: The Rob Shoesmith story (Appolicious) Posted: 15 May 2011 06:00 AM PDT |
| PSN update now live across the U.S., go change your password now (Digital Trends) Posted: 15 May 2011 07:03 AM PDT
In case you missed it — and you very well might have considering what time this ball got rolling — Sony has officially flipped the switch on the PlayStation Network, restoring service in a limited capacity as a gradually filling map of the United States. charted the progress of the rollout through the night. The map is now fully green, which means firmware update version 3.61 is now available for download to all U.S. users. In addition to online gameplay, the update brings back video rental playback, Music Unlimited on Qriocity, Netflix/Hulu access, Friends Lists, chat, Trophy comparison and PlayStation Home. The update is a zippy download and installation as of 9:30 a.m. eastern time today, taking no more than 10 minutes to load into your console and do its thing. We'll see if that changes as more of the country wakes up and tries to bring PS3s back online. In order to complete the update installation, you'll need to change your password. Not that you wouldn't want to, since… you know… your private information was compromised and stuff. That said, the real safeguards built into 3.61 are presumably under the hood, since even the most complex password won't do you a lick of good if all of your info is stolen from the network servers again. Sony no doubt wants to put this whole unfortunate affair behind it, but there will very likely need to be an extended healing period before consumer confidence can be restored. "Welcome Back" promotions and the like are all well and good, but only time is going to make this mess go away. Look at Microsoft and the whole "Red Ring of Death" circus; slightly different situation but with a similar reach. Both companies made mistakes before stepping up and doing what needed to be done; like Microsoft, Sony's got a large enough user base that a return to business as usual is a certainty, even if it does take some time. After all, that new Call of Duty: Black Ops map pack is going to come to PSN at SOME point. |
| Starfront: Collision HD tops iPad Games of the Week (Appolicious) Posted: 15 May 2011 01:00 PM PDT |
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