Twitter Founder Says Facebook Can Make $12 Billion Selling Subscriptions -- He's Wrong

Biz Stone has ideas for Facebook.

Biz Stone is one of the guys who started not just Twitter but also Blogger. To say he?s made his mark on social media is a massive understatement. Perhaps he surprised some then, when he took to the fledgling new social site Medium?(which he also helped create), to admit he?s only recently becoming a regular user of Facebook Facebook. He?s enjoying ?keeping up with friends and family on Facebook like a billion other people.? What he?s not enjoying, though, is the ads. And he has an idea. Unfortunately, it?s just not a very good one.

I?m with Stone on the ad problem and have discussed it before. At Forbes, Paul Tassi recently showed that Facebook?s ads are basically out of control. Stone?s fix is ?Facebook Premium? a $10 a month service with no ads and some unspecified special features. He figures perhaps 10% of Facebook users will sign up for a cool $1 billion per month. That?d be nice for Facebook given it only sold $4.3 billion worth of ads last year and seems on track to do about 40% better this year if the results of first quarter continued through 2013. (We?ll learn more this coming Wednesday when Facebook reports earnings.)

So what?s the problem then? Well, it?s three-fold. (1) Nowhere near that many people would pay for Facebook (2) A reasonable subscription fee is much lower than $120 year and (3) Everyone getting Facebook for free would, of course, lower the ad revenue so that free lunch comes with another price. Let?s break down some of those numbers.

How many might pay?

While it?s true Facebook has 1.1 billion users, it?s also true that a lot of them aren?t flush with disposable income. In fact, just under 200 million come from North America and another 270 million are in Europe. While there are certainly upper-income Facebook users in Brazil, India and Russia, the reality is paying for Facebook just to make the ads go away is what a Twitter user might label a #firstworldproblem.

Stone cites Pandora?s fast subscription growth as an example to demonstrate how ?freemium? services are seeing high uptake of ?pay-to-avoid ads? models. But there are some important caveats there. First, Pandora is an outlier. The average mobile app is cheaper than ever?and often supported by ads.

Second, Pandora recently limited the amount of mobile streaming to 40 hours per month, driving its biggest listeners to paid subscriptions. Third, Pandora?s audio ads literally stop the music; they are more disruptive to the experience than Facebook?s ads. Those might be increasingly obnoxious, but they?re still one quick swipe from being off your screen. Fourth, the paid Pandora service costs only $36 a year, far lower than the proposed $120 for Facebook. And, finally, Pandora has 2.5 million paying customers out of 70 million active listeners ? a 3.5% pay-to-free ratio.

What?s noteworthy about that figure is that 2-4% is a fairly standard ratio for freemium services like Evernote and Dropbox so it?s not likely Pandora will see the number grow tremendously over time.

A generous ratio for Facebook would be 5% conversion in Europe and North America, 3% in Asia and 2% in ?rest of world?. That yields only 38 million paying customers, nowhere near the 100 million Stone?s 10% would produce.

(Continued on next page)

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/markrogowsky/2013/07/21/twitter-founder-says-facebook-can-make-12-billion-selling-subscriptions-hes-wrong/

world trade center kirk cousins ovechkin bks new dark knight rises trailer khloe and lamar oklahoma city thunder

Kanye West: Felony Suspect in LAX Photographer Smackdown

Source:

anna nicole smith Meagan Good janelle monae Jessica Korda tour de france erykah badu The Heat

Apple acquires two startups that could boost Maps app

By Jeremy C. Owens, San Jose Mercury News

The Apple logo is seen on an Apple store in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Russel A. Daniels, File) (Russel A. Daniels)

Apple's efforts to offer a mapping application that can equal or better Google's leading effort in the field will receive a talent boost, as the maker of iPhones and iPads has acquired two startups with technology that could be used for Apple Maps.

Apple purchased Toronto-based Locationary and New York-based HopStop, the company confirmed to news organizations Friday; calls seeking independent verification were not immediately returned. No purchase price was given, as Apple provided only its typical statement relating to small acquisitions, which reads, ?Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.'

Apple replaced Google Maps as the default mapping application on its mobile devices with its own offering in an operating system refresh that coincided with the release of the iPhone 5 last fall. After consumers loudly complained about Apple Maps providing incorrect or incomplete results, CEO Tim Cook took the extraordinary step of apologizing directly to customers, saying ?We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better.'

One of Apple Maps' deficiencies in relation to Google Maps is information relating to public transportation, which is HopStop's specialty. The company's website and app helps users in more than 500 cities find the most efficient service to navigate a route, including walking, biking or transit, and claims to be the top-ranked transit app for Apple and Android devices. The nine-year-old company announced in April that it would begin offering social features that would use information from its mobile users to offer real-time transit information, similar to the social-mapping feature offered by Israeli startup Waze, which Google acquired last month for a reported price of more than $1 billion.

Locationary is a big-data startup, and founder and CEO Grant Ritchie wrote an opinion piece for TechCrunch in the wake of the Apple Maps fiasco last September identifying five changes Apple had to make in the way it aggregated data in order to fix the app. The company has developed an offering dubbed Saturn that ensures business profiles are consistent across platforms, a service that could also be used in Apple Maps to ensure that places detailed on maps have correct information.

Apple's stock price has taken a big hit since its CEO apologized for the failure of its mapping application, which was reportedly a factor in a management shake-up that included the dismissal of software chief Scott Forstall. Since hitting an all-time high of $705.07 on the day the iPhone 5 was released in the United States, shares in the world's most valuable technology company have declined more than 40 percent; Apple stock fell 1.6 percent Friday to close at $424.95.
?

Source: http://www.denverpost.com/technology/ci_23696057/apple-acquires-two-startups-that-could-boost-maps?source=rss

new england patriots Zayn Malik miss america 2013 Oscar Nominations social security social security paulina gretzky

Sunny Muirfield showing plenty of bite at the Open

GULLANE, Scotland (AP) ? Another sunny day along the Scottish coast. Another perilous test on the links of Muirfield.

Zach Johnson headed into the second round of the British Open with a one-shot lead Friday, the first time he's been atop the leaderboard at any major since he rallied to win the Masters six years ago.

The weather has been unseasonably warm and dry, the fearsome wind not much more than a gentle breeze, and it was expected to stay that way through the weekend. Even so, there weren't many chances for going low, not on a course that is more brown than green, with pin conditions that some players complained were downright unfair.

Even though he opened with a 2-under 69, Phil Mickelson was concerned about some hole locations being too close to the edge of slopes. He pleaded with the Royal & Ancient to let go of its ego and "just set the course up the way the best players can win."

Mark O'Meara, the 1998 Open champion, said he's played in much tougher conditions, perhaps emboldened by a 67 that left him just one stroke behind Johnson. But the course bit back on Friday, sending the 56-year-old tumbling off the leaderboard. A bogey at the third, a lost ball at No. 6 that led to double-bogey, another bogey at the eighth.

Just like that, O'Meara was back to even par.

Others were faring better. Darren Clarke, the surprise winner at Royal St. George's two years ago, made three straight birdies in the early going to get to 2 under. This was another potential shocker, considering Clarke has only one top-10 finish since capturing the claret jug and has plummeted to No. 437 in the world rankings.

Johnson had an afternoon tee time after starting with a 66, taking advantage of kinder conditions Thursday morning. He was helped along by a 45-foot eagle putt and made only one bogey, despite trouble lurking around every pot bunker.

"Anytime you shoot under par in an Open ? or a major, for that matter ? you have to be putting at least somewhat decent," Johnson said. "And I putted great. I made some nice birdie putts and obviously that one for eagle. But I struck some really nice, solid par putts. That's what you've got to do to stay in it."

Tiger Woods more than survived the late end of the draw in the opening round, after the sun had thoroughly baked out the crispy greens and allowed only eight of the 20 rounds under par. He knocked one putt clear off the green, but 10 one-putts ? most of them for pars ? carried him to a 69, a good start in his bid to end his five-year drought in the majors.

"The golf course progressively got more dried out and more difficult as we played," Woods said. "I'm very pleased to shoot anything even par or better."

He hoped to have an easier time of it on Friday, when going out in the morning should provide more chances for scoring.

It was an eclectic group setting the early pace, from major champions to players making their British Open debut. What they all had in common was finding a way to get through a firm, fast and frightening setup that figures to get even harder if the R&A doesn't put some water on the course.

"I haven't seen anything like this," said Brandt Snedeker, among those who opened with a 68. "I've played in, I think, five Opens. This is completely new to me ? foreign to see a 2-iron going 300 yards. You have got to be wary of how you're shaping your golf ball, and what shot selections you're using on the greens."

Just last weekend, Johnson lost in a playoff at the John Deere Classic after making bogey on the final hole of regulation. Nineteen-year-old Jordan Spieth captured the title, becoming the youngest PGA Tour winner since 1931 and earning a trip across the Atlantic.

The youngster was sure taking advantage of it. He made only one bogey Thursday on the way to a 69, and kept up his steady play with seven straight pars to start the second round.

Then there's Rory McIlroy, who looks as though he'll get the weekend off. He struggled to a 79 in the opening round, his highest score at the Open since that 80 in the vicious wind of St. Andrews in 2010.

At least he had some company.

Luke Donald, another former No. 1 player in the world, shot 80. Nick Faldo celebrated his 56th birthday with a 79 on the links where he won two of his three claret jugs.

Ninety-eight players in the 156-man field had at least a double-bogey on their scorecards after Day 1. Former U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover might have summed it up best when he took to Twitter after opening with an 80.

"Muirfield 1, Me 0."

___

Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sunny-muirfield-showing-plenty-bite-open-091007466.html

colorectal cancer metta kashi orange crush harden nor easter nor easter

Georgia GOP chair Padgett recovering at Athens home after Friday wreck

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

Source: onlineathens.com --- Friday, July 19, 2013
Georgia Republican Party Chairman John Padgett is recovering from a separated shoulder after a car wreck near U.S. Highway 78 and the Atlanta Highway at about noon Friday. Close friend John Elliott said Padgett, an Athenian, was at home recovering Friday afternoon. Padgett needed to cancel an appearance at the Georgia Federation of Republican Women?s conference in Atlanta, Elliott said, but ?I wouldn?t be surprised to see him out walking around tomorrow.? read more ...

Source: http://onlineathens.com/breaking-news/2013-07-19/georgia-gop-chair-padgett-recovering-athens-home-after-friday-wreck

portland trail blazers blagojevich new mexico state kevin rose sessions march madness scores doonesbury

Trans-US solar plane finishes flight

6 July 2013 Last updated at 23:57 ET

The Solar Impulse plane has landed at New York's JFK airport, completing the final leg of a journey across the US on solar power alone.

The craft set off at 04:56 (08:56 GMT) on Saturday from Washington DC, and landed about 23:15 (03:45 GMT Sunday).

A Statue of Liberty fly-pass had to be cancelled, due to a 2.5metre (8ft) tear in the fabric of the left wing.

The Across America transcontinental bid began in San Francisco in early May - at a top speed of 70km/h (45mph).

It included stopovers in Phoenix, Arizona, Dallas, Texas, and St Louis, Missouri.

Neither the pilot nor the plane appeared to be in any danger because of the wing tear, officials said.

The Solar Impulse HB-SIA has the same wingspan as an Airbus A340 but at a weight of just 1.6 tonnes. By comparison, a fully laden A340 weighs about 370 tonnes.

The plane's wing and stabiliser are covered with nearly 12,000 solar cells, which drive its four propellers and charge the plane's 400kg of lithium-ion batteries for night-time flying.

The project has been billed as the first time that a solar-powered plane capable of flying day and night has attempted a journey across the US.

Andre Borschberg and his fellow pilot Bertrand Piccard have been alternating flying duties on the single-seat craft, with each leg of the trip designed to be under 24 hours in length.

Continue reading the main story

The Solar Impulse HB-SIA

• Wingspan - 63m (208ft)
• Weight - 1,600kg (3,500lb)
• Covered with 11,628 solar cells
• Carries 400kg (900lb) of lithium-ion batteries
• Maximum cruising altitude of 8,500m (28,000ft)

The prior leg was complicated by high winds and air traffic, so it was re-routed via Cincinnati at the last minute in order to stay under this limit.

"It was difficult to find all these 'weather windows' in the States - especially this last one," Mr Borschberg told BBC News prior to the flight.

"We had so much to organise to make it feasible - to integrate an experimental airplane like Solar Impulse in the busiest air traffic in the world, flying from Washington to Kennedy (airport) was extremely hard."

The Across America project is the last outing for the HB-SIA prototype craft.

Mr Piccard's and Mr Borschberg's intention is to finish a larger, two-seat plane, the HB-SIB, and fly it around the world in the spring of 2015.

That, Mr Borschberg said, would be "many times more complex than what we did here in the US".

"Working in one country with one language makes it of course easier than working internationally on different continents with all the logistics," he said.

"The unpredictable side of the project requires a lot of preparation."

The HB-SIA craft carried out the first inter-continental flight in 2012 and holds the world record for the longest manned solar-powered flight at 26 hours.

During the Across America bid, it set the record for the greatest distance of a manned solar-powered flight.

The project coincides with Piccard's and Borschberg's Clean Generation Initiative, an effort to encourage policy-makers and businesses to develop and adopt sustainable energy technologies.

At a welcoming event when the craft reached Washington DC, US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz said: "If you look at the Department of Energy's research programmes and technology visions, it involves many of the same kind of technology advances that these gentlemen have put together in an integrated system to accomplish something that would not have been thought of a few years ago.

"I believe in 10 years we're going to see the fruits of all these technologies changing the world."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23195087#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

Ryan Freel Melissa Nelson sound of music foot locker champs champs calvin johnson

Cancer is a result of a default cellular 'safe mode,' physicist proposes

June 30, 2013 ? With death rates from cancer have remained largely unchanged over the past 60 years, a physicist is trying to shed more light on the disease with a very different theory of its origin that traces cancer back to the dawn of multicellularity more than a billion years ago.

In this month's special issue of Physics World devoted to the "physics of cancer," Paul Davies, principal investigator at Arizona State University's Center for Convergence of Physical Sciences and Cancer Biology, explains his radical new theory.

Davies was brought in to lead the centre in 2009 having almost no experience in cancer research whatsoever. With a background in theoretical physics and cosmology, he was employed to bring fresh, unbiased eyes to the underlying principles of the disease.

He has since raised questions that are rarely asked by oncologists: thinking about why cancer exists at all and what place it holds in the grand story of life on Earth.

His new theory, drawn together with Charles Lineweaver of the Australian National University, suggests that cancer is a throwback to an ancient genetic "sub-routine" where the mechanisms that usually instruct cells when to multiply and die malfunctions, thus forcing the cells to revert back to a default option that was programmed into their ancestors long ago.

"To use a computer analogy, cancer is like Windows defaulting to 'safe mode' after suffering an insult of some sort," Davies writes.

The result of this malfunction is the start of a cascade of events that we identify as cancer -- a runaway proliferation of cells that form a tumour, which eventually becomes mobile itself, spreading to other parts of the body and invading and colonizing.

Orthodox explanations suppose that cancer results from an accumulation of random genetic mutations, with the cancer starting from scratch each time it manifests; however, Davies and Lineweaver believe it is caused by a set of genes that have been passed on from our very early ancestors and are "switched on" in the very early stages of an organism's life as cells differentiate into specialist forms.

The pair suggests that the genes that are involved in the early development of the embryo -- and that are silenced, or switched off, thereafter -- become inappropriately reactivated in the adult as a result of some sort of trigger or damage, such as chemicals, radiation or inflammation.

"Very roughly, the earlier the embryonic stage, the more basic and ancient will be the genes guiding development, and the more carefully conserved and widely distributed they will be among species," Davies writes.

Several research teams around the world are currently providing experimental evidence that shows the similarities between the expression of genes in a tumour and an embryo, adding weight to Davies and Lineweaver's theory.

Davies makes it clear that radical new thinking is needed; however, just like ageing, he states that cancer cannot generally be cured but can be mitigated, which we can only do when we better understand the disease, and its place in the "great sweep of evolutionary history."

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/p6KiNvaRN-s/130630225413.htm

chick fil a chick fil a rose parade bowl games rose bowl auld lang syne dick clark