Mexico - Anti-monopoly legislation in telecommunications is forcing American Movil to unexpectedly sell part of its business. Reforms orchestrated by President Enrique Pena Nieto are intended to limit the size of some of Mexico's largest telecommunication companies.
The announcement came during a 20-hour session to put into affect laws that follow up on last year's constitutional reforms on telecommunications and broadcasting. The laws which the lower house of Congress approved July 9, 2014, are far reaching. According to Business Week magazine, these laws will abolish long-distance phone charges next year, they will make it easier for customers to switch telephone companies, and broaden access to free-to-air- television stations. This legislation will be judged by how well, or not, these laws curb the power of two companies, American Movil and Televisa (a TV broadcaster). As long as the two firms have a market share of more than 50 percent in their respective businesses, the legislation subjects these two companies to stringent pricing rules. One executive at American Movil, says American Movil seeks to cut its market share by 15-20 percentage points. That will put American Movil out of the "preponderant" (dominating) firm category. American Movil's market share is now sixty percent. The executive did not say whether the part of the business that American Movil is selling will come from its fixed line, mobile, or internet service branches of the company. Or, whether that fifteen to twenty percent reduction of market presence will come from a combination of all three. Also, at issue in the partial divestiture is whether American Movil has to share it wires or its mobile-phone towers, when it becomes a normal (non-preponderant) company. The executive, a son-in-law of American Movil's owner, said the sale would be to a strong competitor. Stock speculators say interest is focused on AT&T, of the United States of America, which divested its stake in American Movil last month. The sale depends on whether a new regulator, the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT), approves the plan. American Movil could be litigating these issues in front of a judge and jury for "up to two years," says a boss of one of American Movil's competitors. Also, according to Business Week, American Movil's stock price for its shares surged on the announcement of a partial sell-off of American Movil. See full story, www.businessweek.com.
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Monday, July 28, 2014
Robotic Soccer
Pittsburgh - According to the Economist robots are coming on stronger. Half a century is roughly the time that separates ENIAC, America's first electronic computer, from Deep Blue, the IBM machine that beat chess playing grandmaster Garry Kasparov in 1997. Now, robots are beginning to do to European football (soccer) what IBM's Deep Blue did to the board game of chess.
RoboCup is a competition for robot soccer players, rather than flesh-and-blood ones. This year RoboCup kicked off on July 19, 2014 in Joao Pessoa, Brazil. A question that is on many minds is: when will real machines conquer the sport. Robots do not require a salary and may reduce the annual costs of running a soccer team. When the first RoboCup was held in 1997, those who launched it set a target of 2050 as the decade engineers would produce a humanoid robot that will rival the champions of that future teams era. The plodding clumsiness of the RoboCup players is quickly improving. For instance, self-driving cars and delivery drones, which seemed hopelessly futuristic a decade ago, are now products that businesses may purchase for use now, in 2014. This years RoboCup had 150 teams. However, the tournament includes features the organizers hope will accelerate innovation, without the incentive of cash. For instance, the teams run on very low yearly budgets that are regulated by league rules. The second rules is a clever combination of competition and co-operation. Leading up to the playoffs, teams prepare new strategies and fine-tune their hardware and software secrets. And, immediately after the finals have been played the teams must publish the methods they employed during the competition. That fills in the gap for something another team might be weak at, and thus the level of learning how to make the robots play, is raised for the entire sport of robotic-soccer. Thirdly, there are limits to how far teams can push their hardware. This encourages machinists and engineers to develop smarter ways to win, rather than by using mere brute force. Fourthly RoboCup is comprised of several leagues. These RoboCup leagues range from a little league of miniature cylinders on wheels, like the "Star Wars" character R2-D2, and in which league, the entire team is controlled by one computer using input from overhead cameras. To, a fully limbed humanoid league, like R2-D2's companion C-3PO. In the humanoid league, which is further divided into three sizes of robot - kid, teen, and adult - each android has its own independent on-board sensors and artificial intelligence software. Also with software, for those robo-jocks who are better at software than hardware, their is a virtual league. Competition in the virtual league focuses on improving the software needed to program the robots. That software will be used for the fast play style of robotic soccer. The software will eventually be combined with the hardware - machinery of the robot - to make the robot. While robots in the humanoid league are still lumbering and prone to error, the speed-and-accuracy of the smaller robots is stunning. In the little league the robots mechanical accuracy is better, perhaps because they require less power. Little league robots can kick a ball at speeds of up to 24 feet per second. They could easily shoot harder were it not for hardware-control regulations that set a maximum speed. Manuela Veloso helped found RoboCup and her group has won the most final's titles in the little league. In 2009 Dr. Veloso and her colleagues decided to share with their competitors, the software that had led their team to a win-streak of RoboCups. See also, www.popularmechanics.com.
RoboCup is a competition for robot soccer players, rather than flesh-and-blood ones. This year RoboCup kicked off on July 19, 2014 in Joao Pessoa, Brazil. A question that is on many minds is: when will real machines conquer the sport. Robots do not require a salary and may reduce the annual costs of running a soccer team. When the first RoboCup was held in 1997, those who launched it set a target of 2050 as the decade engineers would produce a humanoid robot that will rival the champions of that future teams era. The plodding clumsiness of the RoboCup players is quickly improving. For instance, self-driving cars and delivery drones, which seemed hopelessly futuristic a decade ago, are now products that businesses may purchase for use now, in 2014. This years RoboCup had 150 teams. However, the tournament includes features the organizers hope will accelerate innovation, without the incentive of cash. For instance, the teams run on very low yearly budgets that are regulated by league rules. The second rules is a clever combination of competition and co-operation. Leading up to the playoffs, teams prepare new strategies and fine-tune their hardware and software secrets. And, immediately after the finals have been played the teams must publish the methods they employed during the competition. That fills in the gap for something another team might be weak at, and thus the level of learning how to make the robots play, is raised for the entire sport of robotic-soccer. Thirdly, there are limits to how far teams can push their hardware. This encourages machinists and engineers to develop smarter ways to win, rather than by using mere brute force. Fourthly RoboCup is comprised of several leagues. These RoboCup leagues range from a little league of miniature cylinders on wheels, like the "Star Wars" character R2-D2, and in which league, the entire team is controlled by one computer using input from overhead cameras. To, a fully limbed humanoid league, like R2-D2's companion C-3PO. In the humanoid league, which is further divided into three sizes of robot - kid, teen, and adult - each android has its own independent on-board sensors and artificial intelligence software. Also with software, for those robo-jocks who are better at software than hardware, their is a virtual league. Competition in the virtual league focuses on improving the software needed to program the robots. That software will be used for the fast play style of robotic soccer. The software will eventually be combined with the hardware - machinery of the robot - to make the robot. While robots in the humanoid league are still lumbering and prone to error, the speed-and-accuracy of the smaller robots is stunning. In the little league the robots mechanical accuracy is better, perhaps because they require less power. Little league robots can kick a ball at speeds of up to 24 feet per second. They could easily shoot harder were it not for hardware-control regulations that set a maximum speed. Manuela Veloso helped found RoboCup and her group has won the most final's titles in the little league. In 2009 Dr. Veloso and her colleagues decided to share with their competitors, the software that had led their team to a win-streak of RoboCups. See also, www.popularmechanics.com.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Free Mobile Video Gaming
New York - Apple has already agreed to refund at least $32 million to consumers whose children made in-game purchases without their parents permission. Some longtime players and game developers also worry that the freemium model is ruining the culture of gaming by nickel-and-diming players and making video games feel like slot machines. Freemium games make a lot of money. Revenue in the mobile-gaming market is up 13% over 2013, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. Most of that comes from in-applet purchases. In-applet purchases accounted for a large increase of revenue for Apple's applet store.
A few mobile games, like mine craft have become huge hits even though they use the old-fashioned approach of charging players up front. The debate over freemium games continues. For example, in one opinion article on the game site Polygon last month, Barry Meade, a founder of the mobile-game developer Fireproof studios, criticized the poor quality of free mobile games. So, called Fremium ware allows you to download the software for the game for free. The patron pays nothing until they want to upgrade features of the game. To upgrade features such as a characters power or move up to the next level people have to spend 99 cents here and 99 cents there. Customers who previously spent $20 to $60 to own the game can now download the software for free to their mobile unit (cell phone, tablet, personal computer, etc.). However, after playing for a while consumers may need to upgrade the features on the game they originally downloaded for free. Ubisoft, the publisher of Trials, said that more than 12 million people had downloaded that particular mobile game. King Digital Entertainment which publishes Candy Crush Saga, a successful game that involves arranging identical confections in a row, has said three percent of its active monthly players spend money in King Digital Entertainments' in-game applets. The number of players is so large however, that King Digital Entertainment still makes a sizable profit. "We make games that people love to play and are fun - whether they chose to pay or not," said Sebastian Knutsson, chief creative officer of King. Fans of free games have said they are no so different than full-size arcade games; the kind of arcade games that require a constant feed of quarter to keep playing. See full story, www.nytimes.com.
A few mobile games, like mine craft have become huge hits even though they use the old-fashioned approach of charging players up front. The debate over freemium games continues. For example, in one opinion article on the game site Polygon last month, Barry Meade, a founder of the mobile-game developer Fireproof studios, criticized the poor quality of free mobile games. So, called Fremium ware allows you to download the software for the game for free. The patron pays nothing until they want to upgrade features of the game. To upgrade features such as a characters power or move up to the next level people have to spend 99 cents here and 99 cents there. Customers who previously spent $20 to $60 to own the game can now download the software for free to their mobile unit (cell phone, tablet, personal computer, etc.). However, after playing for a while consumers may need to upgrade the features on the game they originally downloaded for free. Ubisoft, the publisher of Trials, said that more than 12 million people had downloaded that particular mobile game. King Digital Entertainment which publishes Candy Crush Saga, a successful game that involves arranging identical confections in a row, has said three percent of its active monthly players spend money in King Digital Entertainments' in-game applets. The number of players is so large however, that King Digital Entertainment still makes a sizable profit. "We make games that people love to play and are fun - whether they chose to pay or not," said Sebastian Knutsson, chief creative officer of King. Fans of free games have said they are no so different than full-size arcade games; the kind of arcade games that require a constant feed of quarter to keep playing. See full story, www.nytimes.com.
Monday, July 21, 2014
HGTV Still Successful At 20
Hollywood - The network relies heavily on shows featuring duos of "real people," knowledgeable in real estate. The so-called property brothers, identical Canadian twins Drew and Jonathan Scott, have three shows with a fourth on the way and have become the de-facto faces of HGTV. Tarek and Christina El Moussa are featured on "Flip or Flop." And, Chip and Joanna Gaines are the husband-and-wife team on "Fixer Upper." For many fans the relationships are as funny as the real estate they are viewing.
HGTV launched December 1994 as a TV equivalent of niche lifestyle magazines like Better Homes and Gardens. It was initially a tough sell with cable operators, who questioned whether the public would be interested in watching 24 hours of "paint drying and grass growing," as one HGTV executive joked at the time. But, by 1999 HGTV was reaching 57 million homes and turning a profit, after only three years of broadcasting on cable television. HGTV has built a lineup full of quiet consistent performers - most notably the 15-year old House Hunters franchise. The network's pleasantly formulaic programming, which includes "Property Brothers," "Flip or Flop," and "Fixer Upper," offers ever-so-slight variations on the same theme: people buying, renovating, and selling property. For many fans the relationships between the duo-hosts are as intriguing and funny as the properties.
The launch of "House Hunters" in 1999 marked a pivotal moment in the network's evolution. In 2006, "House Hunters International" was added to HGTV's lineup and quickly became as popular as the original show, spawning yet more spinoffs (shows revolved from a similar previous show): "House Hunters Renovation," "House Hunters on Vacation," and "House Hunters: Where Are They Now?" The L.A.Times says, some 2000 episodes of "House Hunters" and its various incarnations have been made by Pie Town (the production company co-founded by Jennifer Davidson) and other independent production companies, using bare-bones crews and budgets that are on the lower side. Jennifer Davidson along with Tara Sandler conceived "House Hunters," when they discovered a niche in the early days of reality television with such low-budget documentary series' as "A Baby Story" and "A Dating Story," for TLC. The pair, also life partners, were inspired by their own stressful experience buying a home. HGTV's tidy unwavering formula of programming is probably one of its greatest selling points. Aside from a few small script changes, including adding the prices of the homes for sale and over the years shifting to bigger characters (more interesting hosts and guests), the programming has remained unchanged. According to the television ratings company Nielsen, in June the typical week-end tune-in to HGTV was 25% longer than the cable average. Unlike other cable channels that rely on a few breakout hits, HGTV built a lineup of shows with solid ratings. Other reality networks have tried their own versions of real-property improvement programming. "Flip That House" on TLC, "Flip This House" on A&E, and "Flipping Out" on Bravo. All of these shows played up the idea that with a fresh coat of paint and some stainless steel appliances, practically any home could be re-sold for a profit. Compared with these shows HGTV's programming is tame, soothing - even polite. This relaxing escapist television viewing is heightened by the number of Canadian accents heard on several shows. "We call it property porn, said Drew Scott of "Property Brothers." That's what people want to see. They'll never get enough of it." See also, www.hgtv.com.
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Doctors Doing House Visits are Making a Virtual Comeback
Boston - Medical appointments via smart phones that have downloaded an applet or via telephone texting are gaining favor with consumers that have full schedules. These new services can help you more quickly connect to your doctor.
Download the applet and after a few minutes you will be connected to a board-certified doctor. These doctors will provide a prescription to ease the symptoms you're contacted them for. And, they will give you a list of tips from the doctor about how to fight off future infections. One recent user says, "For me it was worth it to pay $40 to avoid spending two hours at the doctor's office."
Consumers seeking convenience and predictable prices are being driven to search for medical services that are available at extended hours and for a fixed fee. Critics of the service say there is no substitute for a face-to-face examination and a first hand diagnosis.
Employers and insurers are beginning to make these products offered in their benefits packages. Anthem Blue Cross, for instance, recently announced that policyholders would have access to video consultations through American Well for $49. The cost may be covered by insurance depending on the benefit plan. Web-based services combined with the ability to telephone text a doctor have increased your ability to reach a physician. First Opinion is a text-messaging service that connects patients within nine-minutes to a physician who can answer questions by responding in text message format. "We're meant to be the first place you go when you have a question," says McKay Thomas, First Opinion's chief executive officer. However, unlike video consultation, the doctors working with this service cannot give a prescription. What they give you instead is one text message consultation per month for free. If patients need more contact, they can buy it for $12, or get unlimited access for $25 per month.
Treatment via online video and text is convenient and cost-effective but not right for everyone or every situation. For example, if a person has a chronic condition these medical services are not for them. Online medical exams and retail clinics offer a convenient, low-cost alternative to long waits at primary care offices. These services may even help to avoid un-necessary trips to emergency rooms across the country. Like patients, some doctors are also finding new primary-care models appealing. They can get re-imbursed right away and avoid the red-tape of insurance contracts, says a Boston healthcare consultant. A web-based primary care service is one that uses technology like remote video medical examinations. This feature is offered by companies like Doctors on Demand, American Well, MD Live Inc., and Teledoc Inc. For a flat fee of roughly $40 to $50 patients can have a 15-minute visit with a licensed physician via smartphone, tablet, or computer. During the doctor's virtual visit the doctor can evaluate symptoms and offer a diagnosis (if appropriate) and prescribe a prescription if needed.
These medical services can also be useful when patients have been diagnosed with an illness and want a second opinion. See also, www.nejm.org.
Download the applet and after a few minutes you will be connected to a board-certified doctor. These doctors will provide a prescription to ease the symptoms you're contacted them for. And, they will give you a list of tips from the doctor about how to fight off future infections. One recent user says, "For me it was worth it to pay $40 to avoid spending two hours at the doctor's office."
Consumers seeking convenience and predictable prices are being driven to search for medical services that are available at extended hours and for a fixed fee. Critics of the service say there is no substitute for a face-to-face examination and a first hand diagnosis.
Employers and insurers are beginning to make these products offered in their benefits packages. Anthem Blue Cross, for instance, recently announced that policyholders would have access to video consultations through American Well for $49. The cost may be covered by insurance depending on the benefit plan. Web-based services combined with the ability to telephone text a doctor have increased your ability to reach a physician. First Opinion is a text-messaging service that connects patients within nine-minutes to a physician who can answer questions by responding in text message format. "We're meant to be the first place you go when you have a question," says McKay Thomas, First Opinion's chief executive officer. However, unlike video consultation, the doctors working with this service cannot give a prescription. What they give you instead is one text message consultation per month for free. If patients need more contact, they can buy it for $12, or get unlimited access for $25 per month.
Treatment via online video and text is convenient and cost-effective but not right for everyone or every situation. For example, if a person has a chronic condition these medical services are not for them. Online medical exams and retail clinics offer a convenient, low-cost alternative to long waits at primary care offices. These services may even help to avoid un-necessary trips to emergency rooms across the country. Like patients, some doctors are also finding new primary-care models appealing. They can get re-imbursed right away and avoid the red-tape of insurance contracts, says a Boston healthcare consultant. A web-based primary care service is one that uses technology like remote video medical examinations. This feature is offered by companies like Doctors on Demand, American Well, MD Live Inc., and Teledoc Inc. For a flat fee of roughly $40 to $50 patients can have a 15-minute visit with a licensed physician via smartphone, tablet, or computer. During the doctor's virtual visit the doctor can evaluate symptoms and offer a diagnosis (if appropriate) and prescribe a prescription if needed.
These medical services can also be useful when patients have been diagnosed with an illness and want a second opinion. See also, www.nejm.org.
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Futuristic Vending Machines Adding Convenience and Profitability
New York - Long before McDonald's, coin operated vending machines served pies and sandwiches to armies of workers. But the United States has since not kept pace with Europe and the Orient, where futuristic machines offer a vast array of goods. After five straight years of decline, revenue for the United States vending machine industry is poised to rise. Experts say 2014 is a comeback year for the vending machine sector. High-tech vending machine versions are popping up at gas stations and shopping malls, peddling edibles more commonly found at restaurants or speciality stores. Innovations in vending machine technology and the convenience machines provide have made them more popular in 2014. Some machines offer free Wi-Fi and touch screens that entertain shoppers while the shoppers wait a short time to receive their item, versus enjoying the full food court experience. Vending machines now give patrons the choice of standing in line if they want to, or of saving time for customers that don't want to stand in line to eat at the food court. The variety of machines starting to seen around the country include everything from outrageously expensive items such as caviar and jewelry to common ordinary things we need like burritos and hamburgers. At one automated boutique at Hollywood and Highland Center tourists can spend up to $1,000 on fine caviar. Tin cans of the rare delicacy are dispensed from the machine after pressing the payment button. Many vending machines accept credit or debit cards. L'Oreal tested a vending machine in New York during the previous holidays that scans the shoppers clothing outfit and recommends complementary make-up. Some of these new virtual stores give store owners the ability to turn over some of their operations to the vending machine. Sometimes this allows store owners to turn their stores into 24-hour operations and at the same time save money on the costs of human salaries and the costs of managing human employees. Vending machine use is up 7% over 2013. See also, www.popularmechanics.com.
Monday, July 14, 2014
ESPN'S New "120 Sports" Network
Chicago - Streaming video highlights, pumped -up hosts, flashy graphics, and score updates make it seem like a lot of other national sports cable networks - except this is not cable. The all digital "24/7" network aims to be an online re-invention of ESPN's "Sports Center" for multi-taskers with mobile devices.
MLB.com, the NHL and the NBA teamed up to deliver video-driven sports reports with social interaction related factoids in two minute segments, hence the name 120 Sports (a two minute sports update). "We want to create a daily habit, where you will check us multiple times a day and have as long a viewing session as possible," said Jason Coyle president of Chicago-based 120 Sports. The network will sream live from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 3 to 11 p.m., on Sunday. A morning show is also in the works, according to executives. During downtime, 120 Sports will offer video on demand, giving fans a chance to catch up on the days big stories.
A free applet unlocks the service on tablets and smartphones. The live schedule of 120 Sports puts it up against prime-time TV, but Jason Coyle, president of Chicago-based 120 Sports, says "its more complementary than competitive, with 120 Sports steering users to play-by-play action on other networks. If you're not in front of a television or you don't have a television, we are a great primary experience. If you're sitting in front of your television, we're going to help you navigate the whole sports landscape." The essence of 120 Sports is to reach an audience that is socially- media-engaged and for whom multi-screen viewing is second nature. Of the staffers that have been hired since the network was announced in February 2014, many have track records at other sports networks. Geographic diversity is a prerequisite to being hired at 120 Sports.
The company aims to avoid a home-team mentality. "We wanted to have a work base that is very diverse in every way - diverse in the sports they follow and diverse in the teams they follow," said Mat Carstens, executive vice-president of 120 Sports. The 120 Sports network recently announced that it had expanded its roster with former NBA All-Star and Chicago native Antoine Walker and former MLB All-star pitcher, Danny Graves, who will serve as analysts. The 120 Sports network has no plans to let itself migrate onto ESPN's turf. "You can watch television and 120 Sports on the same set, if you're television is new enough, by just pressing a button. Coyle says "For us, our rights are only digital, our audience purview is only digital, and our scope is only digital. We're not looking to compete against TV". See also, www.120sports.com.
MLB.com, the NHL and the NBA teamed up to deliver video-driven sports reports with social interaction related factoids in two minute segments, hence the name 120 Sports (a two minute sports update). "We want to create a daily habit, where you will check us multiple times a day and have as long a viewing session as possible," said Jason Coyle president of Chicago-based 120 Sports. The network will sream live from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 3 to 11 p.m., on Sunday. A morning show is also in the works, according to executives. During downtime, 120 Sports will offer video on demand, giving fans a chance to catch up on the days big stories.
A free applet unlocks the service on tablets and smartphones. The live schedule of 120 Sports puts it up against prime-time TV, but Jason Coyle, president of Chicago-based 120 Sports, says "its more complementary than competitive, with 120 Sports steering users to play-by-play action on other networks. If you're not in front of a television or you don't have a television, we are a great primary experience. If you're sitting in front of your television, we're going to help you navigate the whole sports landscape." The essence of 120 Sports is to reach an audience that is socially- media-engaged and for whom multi-screen viewing is second nature. Of the staffers that have been hired since the network was announced in February 2014, many have track records at other sports networks. Geographic diversity is a prerequisite to being hired at 120 Sports.
The company aims to avoid a home-team mentality. "We wanted to have a work base that is very diverse in every way - diverse in the sports they follow and diverse in the teams they follow," said Mat Carstens, executive vice-president of 120 Sports. The 120 Sports network recently announced that it had expanded its roster with former NBA All-Star and Chicago native Antoine Walker and former MLB All-star pitcher, Danny Graves, who will serve as analysts. The 120 Sports network has no plans to let itself migrate onto ESPN's turf. "You can watch television and 120 Sports on the same set, if you're television is new enough, by just pressing a button. Coyle says "For us, our rights are only digital, our audience purview is only digital, and our scope is only digital. We're not looking to compete against TV". See also, www.120sports.com.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Transformers International Sales Gets Small Boost From Relaxed Rules
Beijing - In the first half of 2014, eight Hollywood films debuted in China the same day they opened in the United States, compared with just three in the first half of 2013. "Transformer's": Age of Extinction", one of those "day-and-date releases, looks to be on pace to shatter China's all-time box office record, which is held by "Avatar." China's box office grew more than 22% in the first half of 2014 to $2.2 billion. United States titles such as "Transformers" helped imports (motion pictures produced in the United States) take more than 50% of ticket sales in the world's second -biggest movie market, China. Rance Pow, president of Artisian Gateway, says Hollywood studios are having increased success at securing permission to simultaneously release their movies in the United States and China. The balance between imported motion pictures and domestic productions is closely watched in China, where the government limits the number of foreign films shown in the country each year, release dates are controlled by the state-run China Film Group. So far, 34 imported films have been shown in China in 2014. The motion picture calendar for the next few months shows no major Hollywood picture titles on tap to be released in the Chinese film market. "Striking a balance on box office remains important. They're trying to allow in the best foreign content but not allow it to dominate," said Chen Shaofeng, deputy director of the Institute for Cultural Industries at Peking University. Chen predicted that regulators will try to keep imported motion picture restrictions in place for the "forseeable future," said restrictions could be eased. "If domestic films don't keep pace and stay competitive," he said, authorities "may allow more foreign content into the county to allow box office to continue to grow". See also, www.paramountpictures.com.
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