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Monday, April 25, 2016

Saudi Arabia has agreed plans to move away from oil revenues


Flames from the Saudi Aramco oil installation in the desert east of the Saudi capital Riyadh, 23 June 2008 Image Copyright Getty Images
Image Caption Most of the profits come from Saudi Arabia, oil
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the Saudi radical economic reforms aimed at the movement of the country from its dependence on oil revenues.
Just over 70% of revenues come from oil last year, but he was struck by falling prices.
One part of the plan will be shares sold by state-owned oil giant Aramco create a sovereign fund.
Announcing the reforms, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman described his country as being dependent on oil.
Saudis react to social media
Vision 2030 plan, he told the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya news channel, will ensure "we can live without oil by 2020".
Among the reforms he has announced in an interview he was:
Shares in the amount of less than 5% of Aramco, the company he is worth up to $ 2.5tn (£ 1.7tn), will be sold
Some of the proceeds will go to the sovereign wealth fund in the amount of $ 2tn
The new visa system will allow expatriate Muslims and Arabs to work for a long time in Saudi Arabia
Steps will be taken to diversify the economy, including investments in mining and the expansion of military production
Participation of women in the labor force to increase
Even just to sell 1% of Aramco will create the largest initial public offering in history, the prince said, outpacing sales of blockbusters like Facebook and Alibaba.
The IMF urged the Saudi plan "ambitious, far-reaching efforts," but warned, the implementation will be a challenge.

Saturday, April 16, 2016

Taliban application removed from the Google store



Taliban
Alemarah, for Android phone application created by a group of Islamist fundamentalist Taliban, was removed from the Play Google store.

The content of the application, in the Pashto language, including official statements and videos from the Afghan movement.

Uncompromising group blamed "technical problems" for his disappearance shortly after it began on 1 April.

However, the BBC understands that has been removed because it violated Google applications policy, which prohibits incitement to hatred.

It was discovered and reported in an American organization called Site Intel Group, which monitors jihadist activity.

Google declined to comment on specific issues of the application.

"Our policies are designed to provide a great experience for users and developers. That's why we have to remove the application from Google Play that violate these rules," the statement said.

The representative of the Taliban told Bloomberg app was "part of our advanced technological effort to make a more global audience."

Whatsapp adds encryption end to end



instant messaging Whatsapp announced that it will encrypt all messages of its users on Tuesday.
When using encryption end to end, mixed messages as they leave the sender's device and can only be decrypted using the recipient's device.
This makes the message unreadable if they are caught, such as criminals or law-enforcement agencies.
Whatsapp, which has a billion users worldwide, said file transfer and voice calls will be encrypted too.
Facebook said the company's property to protect private communications was one of its "core beliefs".
Encryption was thrown into the spotlight after the FBI asked Apple's, to help it to access data on the iPhone, used California bandit Syed Farooq.

Whatsapp said: "The idea is simple: when you send a message, the only person who can read a person or a group chat that you send the message No one can see in this report is not the cybercriminals do not hackers do not oppressive regimes do not even..... with us ".

Users with the latest version of the application have been notified of the changes when posting Tuesday. This default setting is enabled.

Amnesty International has called the movement a "huge victory" for freedom of expression.
"WhatsApp roll in from the signal protocol that provides through encryption to one billion users worldwide, is a major incentive for people's ability to express themselves and communicate without fear," said the organization in a statement.

"This is a huge victory for privacy and freedom of expression, particularly for activists and journalists, who depend on strong and reliable communication to carry out their work without putting their lives at greater risk."

encryption Whatsapp

WhatsApp decision was also approved by the security experts.
"Wire-builders complain, law-abiding citizens are happy with the latest update WhatsApp is a victory for private communications," said Lee Munson, security researcher for Comparitech.

"Having the ability to access data even deleted from the company's application, only ill-informed law enforcement authorities are likely to mumble" terrorists ", the masses are encrypted text messages, photos, videos, and phone calls are required since Snowden blew the lid on the supervision of the government. "

The move is likely to irritate the law enforcement agencies, in particular, the US Department of Justice, who recently expressed his concern about the "elusive" of the information contained in the devices. DoJ has not responded to a request from the BBC for comment Tuesday.
Other messaging applications encrypted from end to end, include Telegram, which is known to use so-called Islamic State for the exchange of information.

Volvo plans to test 100 drivers of cars in China



Volvo plans to start self-driving experiments in China - and with up to 100 carsImage copyrightGetty Images
Image captionVolvo plans to start an independent driving experiments in China - and up to 100 cars
Swedish carmaker Volvo said it plans to start self-driving experiment in China for up to 100 cars.

Local drivers will check vehicles on public roads in the "living conditions", according to a company press release.

The move was announced at an event in Beijing on April 7, although the details of the start date has not been provided.

One analyst said he thought China was on the cutting edge of the development of autonomous vehicles.

Volvo is owned Chinese company, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co.

According to news agency Reuters, the Volvo is currently determining which city testing.

"Autonomous driving can make a significant contribution to road safety," said HÃ¥kan Samuelsson, President and CEO of Volvo.

"The sooner [standalone] cars on the roads, the life saved will start soon."

A "significant" stroke

"I think people probably do not realize how much is enough Chinese to enter the advanced technology in the cars," said Professor David Bailey of Aston Business School Air Force.

"Google had far fewer cars in the tests, as far as I can work, so it is of great importance."

Volvo invests in a range of advanced vehicle technologies, including "the pilot to help" featuresImage copyrightGetty Images
Image captionVolvo invested in a number of advanced vehicle technologies, including "the pilot to help" functions
Professor Bailey added that China was also the largest producer and market cars in the world.

The country, of course, is no stranger to the self-driving car test - in December uncontrollable car completed testing on public roads in Beijing.

It was developed by the Chinese tech giant Baidu.

Daily Mail owner of Yahoo is considering a proposal



The owner of the Daily Mail pending US struggling Internet company Yahoo.

The representative told the AP news agency, that the discussions were "at a very early stage," and there was no assurance the transaction will take place.

The Wall Street Journal, where it was first reported, said the Daily Mail and credulity (DMGT) is in talks with private equity firms to offer.

Yahoo is under pressure from shareholders to turn around.

The activist investor Starboard Value hedge fund recently called for the replacement of the entire board in a loss-making company.

Daily Mail owner's representative said that "it was in discussions with a number of parties who are potential bidders".

The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, said that the potential rate can take two forms.

Deadline

In one scenario, the private equity partner will acquire basic internet business Yahoo, with mail taken over the news and media properties.

In another scenario, the private-investment company will acquire the main web business and Yahoo to combine their media and news features from Mail online operations.

Yahoo set a deadline of April 18 for the parties concerned to submit their proposals.

Time Inc also reportedly weighing a bid with private equity firm.

Earlier this year, Yahoo said it would cut 15% of its workforce as part of "aggressive" plan Chief Executive Marissa Mayer, to return the company to profit.

The company has struggled to compete with rivals such as Google and Facebook.

Its shares have fallen about 30% since the end of 2014.

Blackberry to launch two Android phones


Media caption Rory Cellan-Jones road tests for Blackberry Priv
Blackberry will release two mid-range Android phones this year, CEO John Chen said.
One will have a physical keyboard, the other a full touch screen.

Blackberry has no plans to develop mobile phones for their own operating system, BB10, but will continue to release updates for existing devices.

Its sales fell by almost $ 200 million in the three months to the end of February. Mr. Chen said he was the first Android-powered device, the Priv, was too expensive.

"The fact that we came out with a high-end phone is probably not wise, as it should be," he told the news site Emirates National.

Blackberry Chief Executive John ChenImage copyrightGetty ImagesImage captionBlackberry CEO John Chen said that one of the new devices will have a physical keyboard.

"Many enterprise customers have told us:" I want to buy a phone, but $ 700 [£ 491] a little too steep for me. I'm more interested in the device at a rate of $ 400. "

Mr. Chen previously blamed the poor performance on the delay the company's sales in the negotiations with the mobile networks of its Priv tube.

Last month, Facebook and Whatsapp messages exchange service announced that they were to stop supporting them Blackberry applications.

Blackberry said it was "extremely disappointed" by the decision.

"If the Blackberry is going to stay in business equipment, the decision to offer new devices from middle-class price is a reasonable step," said analyst Ben Wood of CCS Insight.

"We believe that it is possible to business users who do not want iPhones consumption giving their employees and want reliable, affordable and secure Android smartphone based on business use."

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Analysis: Michelle Fleury, North American Business Correspondent

As one Fed watcher put it, this amounted to easing of monetary policy.

The Federal Reserve scaled back the number of times it expects to raise interest rates this year, warning that global economic and financial developments continue to pose risks.
Fed officials publish their forecasts for the central bank’s key interest rate on a chart known as the “dot plot”.
By pencilling in just two hikes this year – instead of the four assumed back in December – they were sending a message: they think the US needs more time to recover.
Fearing that financial markets might get ahead of themselves, Chair Janet Yellen in her new conference warned that the “dot plot” was not a promise and that policy was not on a pre-set course.
A message that may not have got through given the reaction on the S&P which closed at a high for this year.

An unexpected rise in underlying US inflation has led many investors to view June as month when the Fed will raise rates.
The Fed said its target of 2% inflation could be reached over the medium term, however, due to the effect of falling oil prices.

Labour market

Inflation and the job market have been the two key factors in the Fed’s decision to raise rates.
The US labour market has been improving. The unemployment rate fell bellow 5% in January. Ms Yellen stressed that the labour market participation rate – which measures the number of people looking for work – had also improved, a further sign of a strengthening economy.
Ms Yellen stressed that “policy is not on a pre-set course” and would change “as shocks positive or negative affected [economic] forecasts”.
In December, the Fed downgraded its growth expectations for the US economy from 2.4% to 2.2%.

Oil prices

Energy prices have been a significant factor in the Fed’s decision.
The price of oil has risen from an 11-month low of below $30 a barrel to just under $40.
Ms Yellen said this had eased concerns about the health of some companies and foreign markets that rely on oil production.
At the same time lower oil prices have allowed US households to spend in other areas.