Tech executives head to US Congress under harsh spotlight

WASHINGTON – Facebook Inc, Twitter Inc and Alphabet Inc’s Google head before US lawmakers on Tuesday for two days of grueling hearings on how Russia allegedly used their services to try to sway the 2016 US election.

At stake for the Silicon Valley companies are their public images and the threat of tougher advertising regulations in the United States, where the technology sector has grown accustomed to light treatment from the government.

Facebook, the world’s largest social network, added fuel to the debate on Monday when it told Congress in written testimony that 126 million Americans may have seen politically divisive posts that originated in Russia under fake names.

That is in addition to 3,000 US political ads that Facebook says Russians bought on its platform.

Google and Twitter have also said that people in Russia used their services to spread messages in the run-up to last year’s US presidential election.

The Russian government has denied it intended to influence the election, in which President Donald Trump, a Republican, defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton.

US lawmakers have responded angrily to the idea of foreign meddling, introducing legislation to require online platforms to say who is running election ads and what audiences are targeted.

“The companies need to get ahead of the curve here,” said James Lewis, senior vice president of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. If they can, he added, they might avoid regulation.

Lewis, speaking during the Reuters Cyber Summit in Washington, said he expects European officials to watch the US hearings closely.

The US Senate’s crime subcommittee will be the first of three committees to hold hearings on Russia. Its hearing is set for 2:30 p.m. ET (1830 GMT).

Facebook and Twitter are dispatching their general counsels, Colin Stretch and Sean Edgett, to appear before the subcommittee, while Google is sending its director of law enforcement and information security, Richard Salgado.

“Our goal is to bring people closer together; what we saw from these actors was an insidious attempt to drive people apart. And we’re determined to prevent it from happening again,” Stretch will tell lawmakers, according to an advance copy of his remarks.

Facebook and Twitter have taken steps toward self-regulation, saying they would create their own public archives of election-related ads and also apply more specific labels to such ads.

Google followed on Monday, saying it would create a database of election ads including ones on YouTube.

The companies have meanwhile disclosed new details about the extent of Russia-based material, raising alarms about a sector that once inspired idealism.

“The internet was seen as a great engine for promoting democracy and transparency. Now we are all discovering that it can also be a tool for hijacking democracy,” said Karen Kornbluh, a senior fellow for digital policy at the Council on Foreign Relations.

source: interaksyon.com

Saudi Aramco IPO on track for 2018 – Saudi crown prince

RIYADH – Saudi Aramco’s initial public offering is on track for next year and the national oil giant could be valued at more than $2 trillion, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman told Reuters in an interview.

The sale of around 5 percent of Aramco next year is a centerpiece of Vision 2030, an ambitious reform plan to diversify the Saudi economy beyond oil which is championed by Prince Mohammad.

Saudi officials have said domestic and international exchanges such as New York, London, Tokyo and Hong Kong have been looked at for a partial listing of the state-run firm.

A decision on which exchange would secure the offering has still not been made, fuelling market speculation that the IPO could be delayed beyond 2018 or even shelved, amid growing concerns about the feasibility of an international listing.

“We are on track in 2018… but the listing (details) are still under discussion,” Prince Mohammad told Reuters in an exclusive interview on Wednesday in Riyadh for release on Thursday. “It will be IPO-ed in 2018.”

The crown prince declined to discuss specific details of the IPO, which could be the biggest in history and is expected to raise as much as $100 billion.

Prince Mohammad, 32, has sweeping powers over defense, energy and the economy and is expected to take the final decision about Aramco’s listing venue and the other reforms.

Investors have long debated whether Aramco could be valued anywhere close to $2 trillion, the figure announced by the crown prince, who wants to raise cash through the IPO to finance investments aimed at helping wean the world’s biggest oil exporting nation off its dependency on crude.

But Prince Mohammad reiterated that Aramco’s estimated valuation would be about $2 trillion.

“I know that there has been a lot of argument around this topic but at the end of the day the right say is that of the investor. Undoubtedly the biggest IPO in the world must be accompanied by a lot of rumors,” Prince Mohammad said.

“Aramco would prove itself on the ground on the day of the IPO. Actually when I talked about the valuation, I talk about $2 trillion, it could be more than $2 trillion.”

The timing of the IPO will depend on getting legal and regulatory approval from the jurisdictions it opts to list in, industry sources had said. It could also be influenced by the oil price – currently below $60 per barrel – a price Saudi officials have identified as a good level.

Asked whether the rift with Gulf OPEC producer Qatar has dented investors’ sentiment, ahead of the Aramco IPO, Prince Mohammad dismissed the impact of the political impasse. “Qatar is a very, very, very small issue,” he said.

Saudi Arabia and three other Arab states have cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism. Doha denies the accusations.

OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia is leading OPEC and other oil producers such as Russia to restrict oil supplies under a global oil pact to drain global inventories and boost oil prices.

“We are committed to work with all producers, OPEC and non-OPEC countries, we have a great and historic deal… We will support anything to stabilize the oil demand and supply,” Prince Mohammad said when asked whether the kingdom would support extending the agreement until the end of 2018. The current pact expires in March.

“I think now the oil market swallowed the shale oil supply, now we are regaining things again.”

On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih told Reuters that the kingdom is determined to reduce inventories further through an OPEC-led deal to cut crude output and raised the prospect of prolonged restraint once the pact ends to prevent a build up in excess supplies.

source: interaksyon.com

Facebook tests splitting its News Feed into two

SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook Inc said on Monday it was testing the idea of dividing its News Feed in two, separating commercial posts from personal news in a move that could lead some businesses to increase advertising.

The Facebook News Feed, the centerpiece of the world’s largest social network service, is a streaming series of posts such as photos from friends, updates from family members, advertisements and material from celebrities or other pages that a user has liked.

The test, which is occurring in six smaller countries, now offers two user feeds, according to a statement from the company: one feed focused on friends and family and a second dedicated to the pages that the customer has liked.

The change could force those who run pages, everyone from news outlets to musicians to sports teams, to pay to run advertisements if they want to be seen in the feed that is for friends and family.

The test is taking place in Bolivia, Cambodia, Guatemala, Serbia, Slovakia and Sri Lanka, and it will likely go on for months, Adam Mosseri, the Facebook executive in charge of the News Feed, said in a blog post.

Mosseri said the company has no plans for a global test of the two separate feeds for its 2 billion users.

Facebook also does not currently plan to force commercial pages “to pay for all their distribution,” he said.

Facebook, based in Menlo Park, California, frequently tests changes big and small as it tries to maximize the time people spend scrolling and browsing the network. Sometimes it makes changes permanent, and other times not.

Depending on how people respond, two news feeds could mean that they see fewer links to news stories. News has proved to be a tricky area for Facebook, as hoaxes and false news stories have sometimes spread easily on the network.

The test has already affected website traffic for smaller media outlets in recent days, Slovakian journalist Filip Struhárik wrote over the weekend in a post on Medium.

Publishers might need to buy more Facebook ads to be seen, he wrote: “If you want your Facebook page posts to be seen in old newsfeed, you have to pay.”

source: interaksyon.com

Pelicans hold off huge Lakers rally for first win

LOS ANGELES — The New Orleans Pelicans were watching another double-digit lead evaporate, with the Los Angeles Lakers using a furious 27-4 run to take a five-point lead.

This time, the Pelicans were ready for the challenge.

They answered with an 11-0 run of their own to beat the Lakers 119-112 on Sunday night (Monday Manila time) for their first victory of the season.

"We have to stop letting off the gas when we have big leads," New Orleans center DeMarcus Cousins said. "This is something we've done the previous two games and we're trying to stop it on the fly."

The Pelicans (1-2) were able to ward off the challenge from the Lakers (1-2) behind 27 points and 17 rebounds from Anthony Davis, and 22 points and 11 rebounds from Cousins.

"We started off the game playing well," said Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry, who earned his 400th career victory. "Then in the third quarter, our transition defense just wasn't good."

The Lakers' late rally was led by reserves. Jordan Clarkson topped Los Angeles with 24 points, while Kyle Kuzma added 20 points to match guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Lakers prized rookie Lonzo Ball struggled with his shot (3 of 13) and finished with just eight points, but did contribute 13 assists and eight rebounds.

"I like Lonzo's aggressiveness, he just didn't make shots," Lakers coach Luke Walton said.

The Lakers missed their first eight shots of the game, falling behind by double digits early. New Orleans went up by as many as 22 in the second quarter and was still ahead 94-74 when the Lakers went on their run.

Clarkson and Kuzma scored the last nine points of the third, and then with reserves Julius Randle and Josh Hart aiding the comeback, outscored the Pelicans 18-4 to open the final period.

"We let them back in the game, and that's on us, but we kept fighting," Davis said.

New Orleans trailed 110-106 with 4:46 to play when it answered with its 11-0 run. E'Twaun Moore (19 points) and Cousins sparked the comeback, with Jameer Nelson — just signed Sunday — hitting a key 3-pointer.

"I think he already earned his contract," Gentry said. "He made the biggest shot of the night."

source: philstar.com

WEAK SALES | ‘Anemic’ iPhone 8 demand drags Apple shares lower

Apple Inc’s shares fell nearly 3 percent on Thursday on signs of weak demand for the iPhone 8 that caused analysts and investors to question the company’s staggered release strategy for its latest phones.

Wireless carriers in the United States and Canada have reported slow third-quarter customer upgrades. While some expect a pickup after the iPhone X goes on sale in November, others cautioned that phone’s high price tag could weigh on demand.

The chief executive of Rogers Communication, Canada’s largest mobile network, on Thursday said appetite for the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, which went on sale in September, had been “anemic,” the latest sign of weak sales for those phones ahead of the Nov. 3 launch of the pricier iPhone X.

But some analysts said overall phone production looked in line with their earlier expectations, and that it is unclear whether weak iPhone 8 sales would hurt iPhone revenue and margins because users may still be buying more profitable older models with more memory.

Verizon Communication Inc’s Chief Financial Officer Matt Ellis said the number of third-quarter phone upgrades fell versus previous years, but that he expected an upgrade surge when the iPhone X is released.

“I think what you’re seeing there is a difference in timing of some of the new devices coming out versus what we’ve historically seen,” Ellis told an earnings call.

“As we get into the holiday season, some of those new devices come out, we think we will see strong demand.”

The uncertainty about demand coupled with a Taiwan media report of a cut in iPhone 8 production pushed Apple shares down 2.8 percent by midday.

“The Street is hyper-sensitive to any speed bumps around this next iPhone cycle and (that) speaks to the knee-jerk reaction we are seeing in shares,” said Daniel Ives, chief strategy officer at GBH Insights in New York.

“iPhone 8 demand has been naturally soft out of the gates with the main event being the iPhone X launch in early November. (But) this is the early innings of what we believe is the biggest iPhone product cycle with X leading the way.”

U.S. wireless carrier AT&T said last week its third-quarter postpaid handset upgrades were down by nearly 900,000 from a year ago.

Supply chain

Apple no longer gives regular updates on sales numbers, but indications from supply channels, wireless carriers and analysts help shed light on demand.

When Apple announced the plan to release both phones before the end of 2017, fans were disappointed they would have to wait until November for the iPhone X.

But there are also concerns that the more expensive phone marking the iPhone’s 10th anniversary may see a muted reception compared to the frenzy that normally greets Apple phone launches.

A carrier store survey suggested the cheaper iPhone 7 was outselling its successor just a month after iPhone 8’s launch, KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst John Vinh said this week.

But it can be hard to gauge iPhone revenue and profits from model sales numbers alone because Apple can earn attractive margins when customers switch into higher-memory devices, said Wayne Lam, analyst with IHS Markit.

“They’ve always been able to use that as a lever to improve their profitability on the iPhone,” Lam said.

There are also worries that the relatively high price of the iPhone X may discourage carriers from stocking the inventory and customers from ultimately buying the phone.

Rogers’ CEO Joe Natale said anticipation for the iPhone X was high but noted inventory would be limited and that, at Apple’s starting price of $999, it was an expensive device.

source: interaksyon.com

Jeremy Lin set to miss season with knee injury

NEW YORK – Jeremy Lin’s 2017-18 NBA season looks to be over after the Chinese-American suffered a knee injury that left him writhing in pain on the court in his team’s season-opening loss, the Brooklyn Nets said on Thursday.

Lin, who was diagnosed with a ruptured patella tendon of the right knee, landed awkwardly and crumpled to the floor after driving to the basket for a layup in the fourth quarter of the Nets’ 140-131 loss to the host Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.

The 29-year-old guard, who had 18 points and four assists in 25 minutes, immediately clutched his knee and said “I‘m done” before bursting into tears and being helped off the court.

“Jeremy worked tremendously hard during the off-season and in training camp and was excited for the prospects of the team this season,” Nets General Manager Sean Marks said in a statement.

“We feel awful that the injury will cost him the season, however our entire organization will be there to support Jeremy in every way possible throughout his recovery. Jeremy remains an important part of this team and will continue to contribute in a leadership role.”

Lin, the first American of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to play in the NBA, went from an unknown professional basketball player to an overnight sporting sensation in 2012 when he led a winning turnaround for his former New Knicks team.

He averaged 20.9 points and 8.4 assists per game in February of that year while leading the Knicks to 10 wins in a 13-game stretch that overwhelmed New York City and caught the imagination of Knicks fans.

Lin went on to appear on the covers of numerous magazines, and replicas of his No. 17 jersey soon became a top seller amid a media and fan frenzy around him nicknamed “Linsanity”.

Lin, who was benched later in that breakout season after suffering a knee injury, left the Knicks a few months later after they refused to match a restricted offer sheet in free agency.

He went on to play for the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and Charlotte Hornets before signing a three-year, $36 million contract with Brooklyn last year.

source: interaksyon.com

Harry Potter exhibition blends wizardry with history

LONDON | A new exhibition celebrating the 20th anniversary of the first Harry Potter book’s publication is offering ‘muggles’ with an interest in magic the chance to view rare memorabilia, combined with historic artifacts referenced in the popular series.

“Harry Potter: A History of Magic,” held in the British Library in London, features Potter memorabilia including author J.K. Rowling’s first annotated sketch of Hogwarts school, as well as her handwritten list of its teachers and subjects.

As well as the items associated with Rowling and the book series, the exhibition also features historic artifacts from the library’s collection, including alchemists’ scrolls from the 1500s and Chinese oracle bones from the 12th century.

“Our exhibition explores the history, mythology and folklore behind the Harry Potter stories,” Julian Harrison, the exhibition’s lead curator, told Reuters.

“We investigate broomsticks and cauldrons and unicorns and dragons. We’ve organized the exhibition around some of the subjects that students would study at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, from potions to charms to astronomy and divination.”

The seven Harry Potter books have been translated into 68 languages and have sold more than 400 million copies worldwide, Rowling’s publishers say.

The final book in the series was published in 2007, but the series spawned a series of hit films, a U.S. theme park and a hit stage play that have kept the franchise in the public eye.

Rowling herself appears to have enjoyed the blend of her fictional world with the library’s collection.

“Encountering objects for real that have in some shape or form figured in my books has been quite wonderful,” she said in a statement.

The exhibition runs from October 20 until February 28, 2018.

source: interaksyon.com

BPO industry’s increasing shift to automation worries call center agents, impacts women more

BAGUIO CITY – The government continues to tout the business process outsourcing sector as a key growth driver and jobs generator, but has not done much to stem the danger of job losses as many big businesses, especially foreign clients, shift to automation, an industry leader said.

According to BPO Industry Employees Network (BIEN) spokesperson Mylene Cabalona, the IT-Business Process Management (ITBPM) has reported the alarming impact of automation on jobs, given that at present BPO workers do not enjoy security of tenure even if they are considered regular employees.

According to the ITBPM, employment in the low-end services will be slashed by at least 43,000 due to the shift to automation. The International Labour Organization (ILO) paints a dimmer picture – citing that 89% of BPO workers in the Philippines are at high risk due to the change in technology.

“Companies implement many schemes in order to ‘manage out’ employees when necessary. Workers are forced to resign or their companies render them floating for months with no pay when clients pull out from vendors, even if the company is continuously hiring for other clients. With the projected job losses due to automation, the situation can get worse and massive,” Cabalona said.

The group underscored the precarious nature of jobs and the vulnerability of the BPO industry itself. “The possible impact on jobs and workers of this shift to automation also exposes how insecure jobs are in the BPO industry and even the industry itself. It is heavily reliant on foreign markets and changes, outside of our control. The danger is the government seems to depend on BPO industry to generate employment, however precarious. If the government is serious at securing decent jobs for the people, then it should look into developing more robust industries to create jobs,” Cabalona said.

No unions

The group noted that since trade unions in the BPO Industry are virtually non-existent, BPO employees do not have a voice, are unable to defend their rights, and are thus bound to suffer the consequences of automation.

“The shift to automation is ultimately driven by companies’ desire to further bring down its costs. And the disruptions due to the shift to automation do not pertain to business disruptions, because this shift will benefit companies more while livelihoods of thousands of Filipino workers and their families will be at risk,” Cabalona added.

The group is also worried that the shift from low-end services to middle and high-end services with automation will disadvantage more women working in the BPO industry. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), majority of those working in the BPO sector are women but they are largely employed in low-paid and low-skilled jobs.

“Companies and the government should be reminded that it is first and foremost their responsibility to uphold and respect the right of workers to secure and decent jobs. The shift in technology should not mean displacement and burden for the workers. BPO workers are thus summoned to unite and take action to assert our rights in this context,” Cabalona added.

source: interaksyon.com

Spain’s PM says may use constitution to block Catalan independence

MADRID/BARCELONA – Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Saturday he would not rule out using the constitutional powers to remove Catalonia’s autonomous status if it claimed independence as tens of thousands took to the streets to call for talks.

The wealthy northeastern region of Catalonia, with its own language and culture, held a referendum on Oct. 1 on independence, in defiance of the Spanish constitutional court which had ruled the vote illegal.

Until now, Rajoy has remained vague on whether he would use article 155, the so-called nuclear option, of the constitution which enables him to sack the regional government and call a fresh local election.

In an interview with Spanish newspaper El Pais on Saturday Rajoy was asked if he was ready to trigger the article 155 of the constitution, and said: “I don’t rule out absolutely anything that is within the law … Ideally, it shouldn’t be necessary to implement extreme solutions but for that not to happen things would have to be changed.”

Tens of thousands of people gathered across Spain earlier on Saturday as Catalonia prepared to declare independence from the rest of the country, many dressed in white and calling for talks to defuse Spain’s worst political crisis for decades.

The Catalan authorities say around 90 percent of those who voted supported a split from Spain. Madrid says secession is illegal under the Spain’s 1978 constitution. Residents of Catalonia who oppose secession largely boycotted the vote.

The crisis is a political test for Rajoy, who has been uncompromising. Some 900 people were injured during the vote when police tried to disrupt voting, firing rubber bullets and charging crowds with truncheons.

The political stand-off has divided the country, pushed banks and companies to move their headquarters outside Catalonia and shaken market confidence in the Spanish economy, prompting calls from the European Commission for Catalan and Spanish leaders to find a political solution.

“I hope that the Catalonia that makes pacts, is moderate and for many years contributed to Spain’s economic growth and improvement in welfare and wealth returns. It can’t be in the hands of extremists, the radicals and the (far-left secessionist party) CUP,” he said.

However, Rajoy ruled out using mediators to resolve the crisis and also said the issue would not force a snap national election.

PEACEFUL PROTESTS

In peaceful protests called across 50 Spanish cities on Saturday morning, thousands gathered dressed in white and carrying banners calling for peace and dialogue between leaders.

In Barcelona, protesters chanted “let’s talk” in Catalan, while many carried signs criticizing political leaders for not finding a diplomatic solution to the impasse.

“This is producing a social rupture in Catalonia and this has to be resolved through dialogue, never via unilateralism,” Jose Manuel Garcia, 61, an economist who attended the protest dressed in white said.

“I‘m very worried. This will end badly and everyone will lose (without dialogue).”
While Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has said he is open to mediation, Rajoy has demanded he give up the independence campaign before discussions can be held.

In Madrid thousands gathered beneath the enormous Spanish flag in Colon Plaza waving their own flags, singing and chanting “Viva España” and “Viva Catalonia”.

“I’ve come because I feel very Spanish and makes me very sad what’s happened,” said Rosa Borras, 47, an unemployed secretary who had joined a noisy gathering in central Madrid.

Borras, wearing a “Catalonia, we love you” sticker and surrounded by thousands waving Spanish flags, added: “I wanted to be here for unity, because I also feel very Catalan. My family lives in Catalonia.”

EU CONCERN

Rajoy’s government mobilized thousands of national police to stop Sunday’s vote, leading to clashes with would-be voters as they tried to close polling stations in schools and remove ballot boxes.

In the El Pais interview, Rajoy said the around 4,000 extra police shipped in to the region would stay until the conflict had been resolved.

The police violence drew widespread condemnation and forced the government to issue an apology on Friday, although tensions continued to rise after reports of plans for the Catalan parliament to vote on a unilateral declaration of independence on Tuesday.

The crisis has also caused disquiet among Spain’s European Union partners, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel has discussed it with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, an EU official told Reuters.

Concern is growing in EU capitals about the impact of the crisis on the Spanish economy, the fourth largest in the euro zone, and on possible spillovers to other economies.

European finance ministers, gathering in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday for a regular meeting, could discuss the issue, although it is not formally on the agenda, EU officials said.

The support given in public statements by EU leaders to Rajoy is combined with concern expressed in private about how the Spanish government’s use of police to prevent Catalans from voting last week in the independence referendum could backfire.

Some EU states are worried that talk of Catalan independence could fuel secessionist feelings in other parts of Europe.

source: interaksyon.com

Surrounded by military leaders, Trump talks of ‘calm before the storm’

WASHINGTON — After discussing Iran and North Korea with U.S. military leaders on Thursday, President Donald Trump posed for a photo with them before dinner and declared the moment “the calm before the storm.”

“You guys know what this represents?” Trump said after journalists gathered in the White House state dining room to photograph him and first lady Melania Trump with the uniformed military leaders and their spouses. 




“Maybe it’s the calm before the storm,” he said.

What storm?

“You’ll find out,” Trump told questioning reporters.

Classical music played in the background and tables were set in the nearby Blue Room for a fancy meal.

The White House did not immediately reply to a request to clarify Trump’s remark.

Earlier in the evening, while seated with the top defense officials in the cabinet room, Trump talked about the threat from North Korea and preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.

“In North Korea, our goal is denuclearization,” he said. “We cannot allow this dictatorship to threaten our nation or our allies with unimaginable loss of life. We will do what we must do to prevent that from happening. And it will be done, if necessary, believe me.”

During his speech to the United Nations General Assembly last month, Trump said the United States would “totally destroy” North Korea if needed to defend itself or U.S. allies.

The president on Thursday also had tough words for Iran, saying the country had not lived up to the spirit of an agreement forged with world powers to curb its nuclear program.

A senior administration official said on Thursday

that Trump was expected to announce soon he would decertify the landmark agreement.

Trump has filled top posts within his administration with military generals, including his chief of staff, retired General John Kelly, and national security adviser, Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster. McMaster, who normally dresses in civilian clothes at the White House, wore his uniform for the meeting.

Without being specific, Trump pressed the leaders to be faster at providing him with “military options” when needed.

“Moving forward, I also expect you to provide me with a broad range of military options, when needed, at a much faster pace. I know that government bureaucracy is slow, but I am depending on you to overcome the obstacles of bureaucracy,” he said during their cabinet room meeting.

source: interaksyon.com

Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler shuts down heart attack rumors

LOS ANGELES | Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler dismissed speculation that he had suffered a heart attack or a seizure but did little to clarify the ailment that led the band to cancel the remainder of its South American tour.

The rock band in September called off its last four shows in Brazil, Chile, Argentina and Mexico because Tyler was dealing with “unexpected medical issues” that required immediate care.

“I give you all an A+ for creative speculations but I certainly did not have a heart attack or a seizure,” Tyler, 69, wrote on the official Aerosmith website on Monday.

Tyler added that he was sorry the band had to cut its tour short, saying “I had to have a procedure that only my doc in the United States could perform.”

He did not elaborate.

Tyler has suffered a slew of medical issues in the past, ranging from drug abuse and prescription drug addiction to a broken shoulder, multiple leg surgeries, vocal chord surgery and hepatitis C.

source: interaksyon.com

Google relaxes rules on free news stories, plans subscription tools

SAN FRANCISCO — Google announced on Sunday that subscription news websites would no longer have to provide users three free articles per day or face less prominence in search results, relaxing its rules following complaints from media giants like News Corp that their sales were suffering.

For the last decade, Google’s “first click free” policy helped ensure that non-subscribers wouldn’t be stifled by paywalls when they clicked on news articles from searches.

Google, the largest component of Alphabet Inc, had contended that free samples would lead to increased subscriptions.

But apart from a few publications, online subscriptions haven’t taken off as intended, and media companies such as Wall Street Journal parent News Corp. increasingly complained that freeloading users were cutting into sales.

This year, the Wall Street Journal stopped abiding by Google’s policy, corresponding to a drop in search rankings but an increase in subscriptions.

“Over the last year, we got clear indications that, yes, it was going to be important for publishers to grow subscription revenues,” said Richard Gingras, Google’s vice president for news.

He said the number of news outlets with paywalls had reached a critical mass in the last year, to the point that it made sense for Google to start developing tools for them.

Google is now counting on the relaxed rules and subscription software that is under development to stop the Wall Street Journal and other publishers from holding back valuable content.

From hereon, publishers will be able to choose how many, if any, free articles they want to offer to Google searchers.

Google also plans to launch free software in the coming months for publishers that enables users to pay for content with credit card information that they’ve previously supplied to the search giant.

The goal is to facilitate fast purchases that could take as little as a single click, Gingras said. Customers’ names and emails would be shared with the publishers.

A separate tool would give publishers data on how to maximize sign ups with personalized offers. Gingras said Google hasn’t determined whether it may charge a fee to recoup costs of that program.

“Google search is valuable because there’s a rich ecosystem out there,” Gingras said. “To the extent the web is healthy, that’s very good for our core business. Our objective is not for this to be a new line of business.”

Facebook, Alphabet’s top rival in online advertising, is working on similar subscriber registration tools. Apple released support for subscriptions within its News app last year.

source: interaksyon.com

Pope to mayors: Don't build towers, expand piazzas

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis is urging Italian mayors to redouble their efforts to welcome migrants and refugees and promote ways to integrate them into their new communities.

In a meeting yesterday with the mayors, Francis said he understood the difficulties of providing accommodation and services for the waves of migrants who have arrived in Italy in recent years. But he called for a new ethics-based model of local leadership "that doesn't leave those who arrive on our territory on the margins," and creates spaces for people to meet and get to know one another.

He said: "It's not about building higher towers, but expanding piazzas."

This week Francis launched an education campaign urging politicians and people to go out and meet migrants and hear their stories, rather than considering them faceless statistics.

source: philstar.com