VentureBeat: Facebook’s first five days as a public company saw its value drop 13.1 percent, the worst first-week performance of any initial public offering in a decade. That’s the sorry picture compiled by Bloomberg at the close of trading yesterday. In contrast, Visa’s 2008 IPO resulted in a first-week bump of 45.4 percent, putting big smiles on the faces of anyone lucky enough to buy stock on that company’s first day of
Facebook’s first week is the worst of any IPO in 10 years
VentureBeat: Facebook’s first five days as a public company saw its value drop 13.1 percent, the worst first-week performance of any initial public offering in a decade. That’s the sorry picture compiled by Bloomberg at the close of trading yesterday. In contrast, Visa’s 2008 IPO resulted in a first-week bump of 45.4 percent, putting big smiles on the faces of anyone lucky enough to buy stock on that company’s first day of
Connected TV ownership hits half a billion
Worldwide ownership of Connected TV Devices (including smart TVs, smart Blu-ray players, IP-enabled game consoles and digital media streamers) grew 7 per cent quarter-on-quarter in Q2 2014 and 34 per cent versus the same period in 2013 to reach 500 million units. The growing demand for devices that facilitate the streaming of online video to the large screen TV is creating a highly competitive environment with no fewer than 16 major technology brands accounting for 90 percent of devices in use according to Strategy Analytics’ Connected Home Devices (CHD) service report, Global Connected TV Device Tracker: Q2 2014. Other key findings from the report include:
- One in four Connected TV Devices installed in homes around the world is a Sony branded product while the combined footprint of Sony, Samsung, Nintendo and Microsoft accounts for 60 per cent of all devices in use.
- Samsung enjoyed the highest unit increase to its installed base of Connected TV Devices during the quarter while Google’s Connected TV Device footprint grew faster than any other brand from Q1 to Q2 2014.
- Apple remained the leading brand within the global Digital Media Streamer market in Q2 2014 although its share dropped to under 30 per cent for the first time in the face of competition from Google’s Chromecast, Amazon’s Fire TV and Roku.
- According to David Watkins, Service Director, Connected Home Devices, connected TV Devices fulfil a growing consumer desire to access OTT content on the big screen in the home. “While Game Console vendors and the major TV brands have the largest footprint of such devices, major IT and Internet brands such as Apple, Google and Amazon are starting to build up a significant base of lower cost media streaming boxes and dongles from which they can tap into the online TV audience to advance their own living room strategy,” he advised.
- Eric Smith, Analyst, Connected Home Devices noted that Game Consoles were until very recently the dominant Connected TV Device installed in the living room. “However, Q2 2014 marked the first time that there are more Smart TVs installed in homes globally than IP-enabled game consoles and Smart TVs will now move on to become the dominant Connected TV Device in the living room in terms of ownership. The challenge for Smart TV vendors moving forward will be to grow the number of active users and to do this they must ensure that their platforms remain relevant and up-to-date – certainly no easy task given the lengthy TV replacement cycles,” he warned. Source: Article
Mercedes-Benz Brings the Golf Cart Into the 21st Century with New Concept
Behold Mercedes-Benz's vision of what a modern - or rather scratch that, a futuristic Golf Cart should look like. This conceptual model was crafted at the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Center in Carlsbad, California, with designers using input from golfers from all over the world. The all-electric model, which to be honest, looks like something that Smart would have come up with, has two seats and removable lightweight doors. It ditches the conventional steering wheel for a joystick mounted on the center console that can be operated by either passenger, while it also includes all vital features for regular road use such as indicators, headlamps and taillights – just in case someone wants to drive it home. "It has the latest in modern technology," says Margarete Wies, Head of the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Center. "Using touch screen monitors, virtually all aspects of the cart can be controlled without extra buttons. Simplicity is the key. Intuition and pure form can maybe best describe the cart." Speaking of tech features, some of the other highlights include the head-up display integrated into the windscreen that can also be used to show the course layout, the current status of the game or weather information when the vehicle is stationary, an AIRSCARF neck-level heating system for the seats (borrowed from Merc's roadsters) and the so-called "fore button" to quickly warn other players of a misplaced shot. In addition, aside from manual charging, the Golf Car's batteries can be kept continuously charged by a solar module integrated into the roof. While a concept, Mercedes did not completely strike out the idea of a production model: "Although the Mercedes-Benz Vision Golf Cart is only a design study so far, there are no doubt many players who would like to see the cart become reality, bringing its fresh ideas and thus more fun, more innovation and more comfort to moving around on the golf course," said the carmaker in a statement. Source: Carscoops
