Earlier last week, we reported AT&T’s interest in acquiring DirecTV. AT&T just reached an agreement to buy satellite provider DirecTV for $48.5 billion dollars. The purchase would enable AT&T to have access to DirecTV’s 20 Million satellite subscribers, and also filling the gap in the internet video space which AT&T is currently lacking. This purchase would also give AT&T a major video service option with DirecTV being one of the nation’s leaders. Even though AT&T does offer current customers U-Verse, its own version of a video service, it is in no way on the same level as DirecTV and its…
Author: Nat Alia
Pfizer who is currently trying to buy AstraZeneca got rejected again. Sort of like a teenage boy asking a girl out type of rejection. Pfizer who has been trying for some time now to buy the British pharmaceutical brand in an effort to better itself by having their headquarters in New York, and a tax base in London. According to Reuters and New York Times, AstraZeneca Chairman Leif Johansson said “he had made clear in discussions with Pfizer that his board could only recommend a bid that was at least 10 percent above an offer of 53.50 pounds made by…
Meats and vegetables do mix, both on a plate and in the boardroom. Hillshire, most known for their Hillshire Farm meats, Jimmy Dean sausages, our favorite Ball Park franks and Sara Lee desserts. The Pinnacle brand is more healthy option sort of producing Vlasic pickles, Wishbone Dressing and probably the most valuable commodity is their Birds Eye frozen vegetables. The combination with Hillshire is expected to produce $140 million in annual savings from improving the supply chain and consolidating expenses. In a conference call with analysts Hillshire CEO Sean Connolly said “Meats go with vegetables, sandwiches go with pickles.” “We’ve…
The forthcoming acquisition of Beats head phones by Apple for $3.2 Billion might not just be a purely business decision. Even though that is the only reason to acquire a company of this caliber. According to Bloomberg, Beats co-founder Jimmy lovine, a longtime producer and executive, was friendly with Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and is a big supporter of the company’s efforts in music. Apple, meanwhile, has cultivated extensive relationships in the music business and its iTunes team is populated with former radio promoters, music writers and other industry veterans. The familiarity may help Apple more quickly reap the benefits…
In another twist of the Clippers saga, which is seeming more and more like a reality TV drama, than an actual horrific event now might feature a season of divorce court. That is because according to Shelly Sterling the wife of Donald Sterling, the man caught on a tape recorded using racial slurs and comments and was banned from the NBA for life even though he owns the LA Clippers who have just been eliminated from playoff contention by the Oklahoma City Thunder. When the NBA Commissioner Adam Silver banned Donald Sterling for life, and publicly stated that he wants…
Bloomberg.com recently interviewed Bill Ackman. He layed down his rules for investing. Bill Ackman’s Rules for Investing like an activist: 1) Make a Bold call that nobody believes in 2) When all the money goes one way. Go the other way 3) Do your homework 4) You don’t have to be old to be right The rules are pretty simple and straight forward. With the first one leading to taking the risk that you are planning, because without risk there is no real reward. Every decision has a risk associated with it, how much of that risk you are willing…
Alibaba – a Chinese internet business web portal and an internet shopping mall that connects Chinese manufacturers with overseas buyers recently filed its US IPO documents with the SEC. Alibaba has an expected valuation of about $160 Billion and Masayoshi Son and his company SoftBank Corp, 14 years ago invested $20 million in then a startup, owns a 34.4% share now will have an estimated value of about $57.8 Billion to add to his already growing portfolio which includes ownership stakes in Sprint, T-Mobile, Yahoo Japan, and Zynga games among the other 1,300 businesses in his portfolio. The Alibaba windfall…
Oracle Corporation is asking the courts to re-instate the $1.3 Billion copyright infringement verdict it won against SAP. When the verdict from a jury came down, the valuation was based on a hypothetical estimate of the potential licensing costs that SAP would have to pay for those rights. The US Circuit court judge Susan Graber stated that Revenue estimates don’t “suggest anything about what the license might have cost,” “Even if it was objective, my concern is that it’s evidence of something else.” They lowered the jury verdict to a mere $272 Million when compared to the previous amount. SAP and…
Yelp, because of its stock price drop and being down about 45 percent from its 52-week high of $98.04. are now easier targets for a takeover by Google, Yahoo, and Facebook in order to get a piece of the $75 Billion local advertising spending that is slowly moving away from traditional sources and into online mediums. Buying Yelp would help larger technology providers gain a stronger presence in local advertising as about $75 billion in spending that had been earmarked for traditional platforms comes up for grabs over the next five years, said Sameet Sinha, a San Francisco-based analyst at…
A ritual known as the “Black Mass” was supposed to be held this week at Harvard. The Harvard Extension Cultural Studies Club will no longer be holding this even because not only Harvard opposed the idea, but also because of an outcry by 60,000 people in an online petition, Bostonians that included archdiocese spokesman Terry Donilon who in an email stated that “The event is offensive to Catholics and people of good will.” According to Fox News. Also Robert Neugeboren, dean of students and alumni affairs at Harvard Extension School, said the “deeply disturbing” event is offensive to many at…
The first prosthetic to get FDA approval is just the start of being able to fully function even if you are an amputee and have prosthetic limbs. To no surprise the company that designed this invention was founded by Dean Kamen. If you do not recognize his name, maybe the term “Segway” will ring your bell. He is the inventor of the Segway, that two wheeled self-balancing scooter type machine that tourists often use for sightseeing tours? According to their website, DARPA launched the Revolutionizing Prosthetics program with a radical goal: gain U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for…
Aston Martin (Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd.) which is one of the only cars still assembled by hand and also features the name of the final technician who worked on it for every car, so you know exactly who the tightened the final screw and Ok’ed the car for the customer. It is also one of the only ultra-luxury cars that isn’t owned by a larger manufacturer as compared to Volkswagen’s Porsche and Bentley lines. Each car requires about 200 hours of labor. Because of this non-usage of machines, Aston Martin can price their cars at around a 40% discount as…
Imagine an element that can power a car for a hundred years without refueling. Or can power an entire town without having to use electricity. That’s exactly what Thorium, named for THOR the Scandinavian God of War can potentially do and become. Back in 2009 Cadillac came up with their new version of a non-fuel vehicle, the World Thorium Concept and most people didn’t think anything of it, just kind of brushed it off, with some like Top Gear even poking fun at it calling it the Cadillac WTF. One company however paid really close attention to this new idea…
It is rumored that Skechers, an LA based shoe company wants to buy a stake in the LA Clippers as well. Joining the many hopefuls that include Oprah, David Geffen, Larry Ellison and Magic Johnson. “As one of the five-largest athletic footwear companies in the United States and with roots deep in Southern California, we believe acquiring an interest in the Los Angeles Clippers is a natural fit for Skechers,” CEO Robert Greenberg said in a statement. “Like Skechers, the Clippers are a great Los Angeles brand with a loyal following and recognition that extends way beyond Southern California.” However,…
The newest fashion trends for the spring and summer are bright colors, and relaxing styles. Colored loafers are back in season, so are casual oxfords and boat shoes. These new styles show an image of cool and casual because now the code of “dressed to impress” consists of shorts and a seersucker blazer. Also new light materials are being shown off to give breathability to your everyday clothing by featuring very light and airy fabrics with colors and patterns you would see on a holiday trip to the Hamptons, Miami, or Italy. There is absolutely nothing missing from these styles…
When we think of Diddy, what comes to mind? Rapper, personality, entrepreneur, mogul, Ciroc vodka? Well now there is a new phrase associated with Diddy, its DeLeon Tequila. That’s right, he and the world’s top distilled drinks company, Diageo have joined forces and powers to buy the DeLeon brand. This is the second time that the two will work together. They both merged with Ciroc Ultra-Premium vodka and it paid off exponentially the first time around. Because according to Diageo, the sales of Ciroc grew from 50,000 cases a year to nearly two million cases per year since partnering with…
The more than likely forced sale of the LA Clippers, because of the lifetime ban placed on current owner Donald Sterling by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has gotten major celebrities and executives interested in purchasing the soon to be for sale basketball franchise. Among those interested are sport figures, celebrities, money management firms and partners, and of course billionaire corporate executives who want a piece of the sports world. The list starts at the top with Oprah, a billionaire and TV personality who has built her own media empire. Larry Ellison who is estimated at a net worth of about…
When we think of Pepsi, what comes to mind? Probably cola, soda, maybe the Superbowl, even sporting events and sponsorship’s. But is fashion and clothing anywhere in that ballpark? Well it should be, because Pepsi on its website does sell its own vintage clothing for both men, women, and also novelty items such as cups and shot glasses. Also home décor items such as lamp shades, tin and wooden signs. So you can decorate your space with the soda you love. As long as they aren’t selling or auctioning off tattoo’s or child naming rights it’s all fine. But now…
Are we ready for Y4K? Not on the calendar, the TV revolution. Just when you were so excited about your new LCD and Plasma HD screen, brought it home, set it up, turned on your favorite channel and saw a commercial for an LED TV. Slimmer with a better motion refresh rate. So now things were faster, less blurry and clearer. “Damn” were probably the nice words that came out of your mouth followed by a look at the return policy to see if you can get your money back and buy the newest TV out right now. Well that’s…
Now that we are officially in the spring season the weather is starting to get warmer, the sun is shining brighter and staying out longer so we are bound to travel a lot more. Where to go is a decision left for another day. While there are thousands of places to visit, it just has to be imagined and planned and realized. But when we travel, how do we travel? Light, heavy, stylish? Do we dress for the environment when we leave or do we just put on our most comfortable pair of pants, shorts and a t-shirt? That usually…
FatFace, an English clothing company, ”began in 1988 with two guys enjoying life on the slopes in the French Alps and desperately trying to avoid working for a living. With money running out, Tim and Jules had a plan; print some sweatshirts and t-shirts, sell them at night, and ski during the day. With that simple formula, the FatFace brand was born with the name even being inspired by their favorite black mountain run in Val d’Isère, La Face.” According to their website, and their vision and values are that “absolutely everything we do is designed to be loved by…
When the government decided to bailout the US Auto industry it had a vision to save it, not to make a profit. As a result the US government lost $11.2 billion dollars in the bailout of General Motors. The US treasury originally invested $49.5 billion in GM. According to the SIGTARP quarterly report to Congress, $6.7 billion in debt in GM (which was subsequently repaid), in addition to $2.1 billion in preferred stock and a 61% common equity stake. “Treasury sold its last shares in General Motors Company (“GM”) on December 9, 2013.” Separately, on March 20, 2014, Treasury wrote…
Well it’s time for a change at Rolex. Not with the aesthetic of the actual watches, but with the top of the executive committee. Newly appointed CEO Jean-Frederic Dufour will become head of Rolex, and replace Gian Riccardo Marini. The date is still to be determined, but the fact is that it’s happening. Stealing Dufour away from LVMH – Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy watch brand Zenith in an attempt to capture more global market share. The company currently faces increased pressure from the Swatch group and Cie. Financière Richemont, who together with Rolex make up about 46 percent of the…
Now that summer is just around the corner, we have come up with the 5 summer must haves that every guy should have this year. The list is not only about clothes, it’s about the main things that will make this summer season one to remember. Of course clothing is a big part of summer but so are the experiences. So here are your summer must haves in order to make the best of what the season has to offer. The Clothes – You have to get some new summer shorts and also a few t-shirts to brighten up during…
In 1994, Christian von Koenigsegg captivated the automotive world when he penned the original Koenigsegg Competition Coupe (CC). Four car generations later, the Agera was born. As we all saw in the Need for Speed movie, the newest hottest car from Koenigsegg is their Agera R. The R edition features even more toys and upgrades for the driver to experience. According to the press release “The name Agera means “to take action” in Swedish and is short for the ancient Greek word ageratos (ageless).” Koenigsegg doesn’t use the term “Supercar” to describe what they produce they call their cars “Hypercars.”…
Victoria’s Secret, the most popular and most entertaining fashion show heads to London, England for the first time. The show which features “Angels” and A-List celebrity performers is a spectacle of fashion, imagination, and most of all entertainment. The show always includes the who’s who of Hollywood, and understandable considering the beauty that is witnessed. Victoria’s Secret and the Angels themselves are both extremely excited to be going to London to present their annual the show. This time it is being produced by done and dusted inc. Victoria’s Secret tweeted the news along with CBS who will air the show.…
If you thought that Swiss watchmakers featured the most precise watch movements, think again. It’s Hawaii! Hawaii’s own Bathys Hawaii Watch Company is in the process of designing, prototyping, and launching a very unique set of “Cesium 133” Atomic wrist watches. The project is currently being funded with a crowd-funding campaign on Kickstarter. The project which was asking for $42,000 in funding already has received over $72,000 from 79 backers and there are still about two weeks to go. According to their Kickstarter campaign “The Cesium 133 – the world’s first wristwatch powered by a cesium-based oscillator. This revolutionary technology…
Michael Kors, a world-renowned, award-winning designer of luxury accessories and ready-to-wear. Luxottica, a global leader in premium, luxury and sports eyewear, have just announced a 10 year licensing agreement. This partnership will enable Luxottica to produce the fashion eyewear for the Michael Kors collection, and MICHAEL, the Michael Kors line of eyewear. Beginning with the Spring 2015 collections to be produced January 2015, the new licensed eyewear will be carried around the globe in Michael Kors stores, department stores and major retailers and boutiques. Luxottica already produces their own sunglasses lines that include Ray-Ban, Oakley, and Oliver Peoples. While their licensed…
Jumping into the mass luxury automobile market is Maserati. Considered one of the fine Italian supercars and imports, it has begun to take a chunk out of the high end sedan and sports coupe markets in the U.S. Still predominantly controlled by Mercedes-Benz and BMW, Maserati with its Quattroporte, a full sized sedan and the Ghibli, a midsized sedan now gives an extra ultra-luxury option to whomever feels the need to own an Italian automobile that has its own status symbol. Its new marketing campaign is named “Absolute Opposite of Ordinary” and celebrates the launch of the new Ghibli model…
Lexus just unveiled its new sport coupe. The new RC 350 F Sport. It features a 5 liter V8 engine boasting a whopping 450 horsepower under the hood. Kind of a not so hidden secret. Mostly it just looks mean and aggressive. Right up front is its unique mesh grill looking like an angry and pissed off automobile that just wants to tear the roads apart. It can surely do that with its 19 inch mesh alloy wheels. The interior instrument panel is the Lexus modern centerpiece. Featuring a moving center ring to give a race car feel to the…
Adam Silver, the new and recently named Commissioner of the NBA had a tough decision on one of his first days on the job. After a recording of Donald Sterling the owner of the NBA Los Angeles Clippers making extremely racist remarks like this one “”You can sleep with [black people]. You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want. The little I ask you is not to promote it on that … and not to bring them to my games” to his girlfriend V. Stiviano recently surfaced on TMZ and backlash immediately ensued. Everyone from media outlets…
This year Time magazine again had its annual Time 100 Gala. Where 100 of the world’s most influential people are invited to attend and just talk and joke and laugh amongst themselves for a brief time. Beyoncé was named Time’s most influential person on the year, but was a no show at the ceremony. Among the people that did show up for the star studded event were Seth Myers, Amy Adams, Jenji Kohan who is the creator and writer of “Orange is the new Black” on Netflix. Barbara Walters, Martha Stewart and Neil deGrasse Tyson, who is an astrophysicist and…
Samsung’s newest smartphone the Galaxy S5 has hit the store shelves at a price of around $650 with no contract, or on most major carriers for $199 with a 2 year service agreement. The new phone is an upgrade from the previous versions of the Galaxy S3, and the S4 models. It is on par and a direct competitor to Apple’s iPhone 5s, and the HTC One M8. The new S5 features a multitude of new additions and improved hardware and software options. It now boasts a whopping 5.1” FHD Super AMOLED display, also with an upgraded camera which now…
Apple announced another stock split that will occur on June 2nd 2014, and begin trading at the lower split adjusted price on June 9th. This one is a little different than before. Not in any financial way, just that this time it will be a 7-for-1 split. This will not have any direct impact on the company’s financials, it will simply dilute the shares and ownership percentages while making it easier monetarily for the average investor to purchase a share of the stock. At the closing price of $594.09 as of 4/28/14 it would be a little more difficult for…
Netflix just announced that it will be soon raising the price of its online streaming service an extra $1-$2 per month from the current $7.99 monthly rate. The exact rate increase is still being discussed and decided on by the Netflix corporate executives. This is only for their DVD-less streaming Netflix service. Netflix states that the way the program works is that “For only $7.99 a month, you get unlimited movies & TV episodes instantly over the Internet to your TV or computer. There are no commercials, and you can pause, rewind, fast forward or rewatch as often as you…
Magnises, the next best thing for exclusive members-only perks! It’s another new black card that is supposedly being used to gain great and exclusive rewards that Magnises itself offers to its clients. It’s a metallic card so it feels more expensive and exclusive than the basic plastic card you probably currently carry. The way the card works is that you fill out an online membership application, and if accepted into the club, you will get your own personalized metal Magnises card. Then your next step is to stop by their townhouse located at Abington Square to activate the card by…
Barneys just launched their new online shopping platform for the iPad, a new shopping app. Its online shopping, but on the go, part of the progressive mobile technology. You don’t have to sit by a computer anymore to search the items you like. Barneys now comes with you wherever you may be heading. You can do almost anything you would do at the brick and mortar luxury retailer. You want to search for shoes, you can get shoes, dresses, you can get dresses, and you could also search the most bought items to see what fashions are trending. It can…
At the 2014 NY INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW we get to experience the thrills of the road and the cars that will occupy them. All models are on display, for every budget. And future cars that will roam the roads soon to come. While every company showed off their top of the line models that most people could not afford, all the major brands had their entire model lines on display. Infiniti showed off their new Q70L, a new upgraded model of their flagship Q line of cars that competes with the other luxury high end auto makers. BMW features its…
