Crazy bitch.
Comments »Flash: Google Buys Zagat
Google Acquires Zagat To Flesh Out Local Reviews
Google has acquired Zagat, one of the most well-known names in restaurant reviews. Zagat is best known for its small guidebooks (the dead-tree sort) that offer reviews and recommendations on restaurants around the world. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.
Zagat was founded back in 1979, and, according to the company, now includes ratings and reviews submitted by 350,000 ‘surveyors’ — its own consumers submit content for use in future guidebooks. In recent years the company has moved its reviews online as well, and it offers mobile applications for the top smartphone platforms. In 2008 Zagatreportedly put itself up for sale with an asking price of around $200 million, but subsequently took itself off the market (at least, until now).
The move is part of Google’s mission to improve its local products, which are now run by Google VP Marissa Mayer (Mayer has long been one of the most public faces at the company, and was head of Search for a decade).
Google had previously been in talks to acquire Yelp in late 2009, but those discussions fell apart and Yelp walked away from some $500 million. Since then, the relationship between Google and Yelp has been tenuous, as Google borrowed liberally from Yelp’s database of reviews to flesh out its Google Places pages. Google has toned down the practice in the last few months, and is now clearly looking to boost the number of reviews it can call its own using features like Hotpot and through deals. Hence today’s acquisition.
From the Google blog:
So, today, I’m thrilled that Google has acquired Zagat. Moving forward, Zagat will be a cornerstone of our local offering—delighting people with their impressive array of reviews, ratings and insights, while enabling people everywhere to find extraordinary (and ordinary) experiences around the corner and around the world.
With Zagat, we gain a world-class team that has more experience in consumer based-surveys, recommendations and reviews than anyone else in the industry. Founded by Tim and Nina Zagat more than 32 years ago, Zagat has established a trusted and well-loved brand the world over, operating in 13 categories and more than 100 cities. The Zagats have demonstrated their ability to innovate and to do so with tremendous insight. Their surveys may be one of the earliest forms of UGC (user-generated content)—gathering restaurant recommendations from friends, computing and distributing ratings before the Internet as we know it today even existed. Their iconic pocket-sized guides with paragraphs summarizing and “snippeting” sentiment were “mobile” before “mobile” involved electronics. Today, Zagat provides people with democratized, authentic and comprehensive view of where to eat, drink, stay, shop and play worldwide based on millions of reviews and ratings.
Top Insider Trades For the Past 30 Days
Gartner Lowers 2011 and 2012 PC Growth
A Look at Small Cap Growth Paying Dividends
How Cheap Are Stocks ? A Look Ahead on Earnings
Rumor Has It : David Tepper 30-40% CASH
Mitt Romney Unveils a 59 Point Jobs Plan
Fed Seen as a Contributor of “Too Big to Fail” by Allowing Less Capital Requirements, Lower Rates, and Implied Bailout Conditions
No wonder the banks became so brazen with their business activities….
Comments »U.S. Banks Undergo a Second Stress Test and Subsequently Were Asked for Plans on Raising Capital
The stress test asked to replicate 2008 equity crash conditions. It is unclear about any plans for raising money, but the Merrill Lynch tracking stock is most likely an idea coming out of the stress tests.
Comments »GE Plans to “Vigorously Contest” a Recent Federal Lawsuit Over Mortgage Related Issues
Bunge to buy West Memphis Grain Elevator
Comments »The sale is set to close by the end of 2011, but Bunge will begin operating the facility immediately under an agreement with Stuttgart, Ark.-based Riceland and the West Memphis Crittenden County Port Authority.
Financial terms were not disclosed. The facility’s seven employees will transfer to Bunge, according to a company statement. All open contracts with Riceland customers will be assigned to Bunge as well.
“Bunge will continue our strong relationship with Riceland with a through-put agreement for the West Memphis facility,” said Doug McNeely, Bunge Grain’s Center Gulf Region manager, in a statement. “With an elevator located across the river in Memphis, we already have a good relationship with growers in the region. We hope to build on that success with our commitment to customer service.”
The elevator is located in the Crittenden County Port and has a storage capacity of 625,000 bushels. It can handle corn, soybeans, wheat, milo and rice.
Bartz Memo to Employees: Fired by Phone
She sent the memo, ironically, via iPad.
Full article
FLASH: NVDA Ups Guidance
NVIDIA sees FY13 revs guidance of $4.7-5.0 bln vs. $4.5 bln Capital IQ Consensus Estimate (13.18 +0.2)
It expects GAAP and non-GAAP gross margins of ~51-53%. NVIDIA further anticipates GAAP operating expenses of $1.54 billion to $1.61 bln, and non-GAAP operating expenses of $1.38 billion to $1.43 bln . Non-GAAP operating expenses are expected to exclude stock-based compensation expense, amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets and other acquisition-related costs. Co said, “We see growth across our entire GPU and mobile-processor business,” said Jen-Hsun Huang, NVIDIA president and chief executive officer. “The future for computing is visual and mobile, and we are well positioned to lead in this new era.”
Deer Consumer Products Sues Short Seller, Alfred Little
Co announced that Deer is fully aware of the latest desperate short seller attacks on Deer on Sept 6, 2011, including another publication of the same old lies by a fictitious figure “Alfred Little,” including totally fabricated information, false identities, and false allegations against the co. Deer has repeatedly filed relevant land acquisition related documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and Deer stands by the accuracy of its public filings. Deer is not aware of any negative development with its business and is conducting its normal course of business. Deer also notes the short seller “Alfred Little’s” attempt to link Deer to a heavily shorted and unrelated co, Harbin Electric (HRBN) whose management team has announced a going private transaction at $24 per share in cash, with a shareholder voting record date of Sept 13, 2011, and advised by Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Lazard Freres & Co., as well as represented by several global law firms.On March 28, 2011, Deer filed suit against short sellers and certain bloggers including “Alfred Little,” a now-admitted fictitious figure, alleging an orchestrated scheme to manipulate and depress Deer’s stock. Since then, “Alfred Little” has failed to answer the complaint, changed his identity from a real person to a web-site, and attempted to extort the company by threatening to publish more false defamatory reports until the company dropped its claims against these defendants. On August 29, 2011, the New York Supreme Court granted Deer’s motion to serve “Alfred Little” with the summons and complaint in the New York Litigation by e-mail and “Alfred Little” was served the following day. A default judgment may be granted against “Alfred Little” if this defendant does not show up in court. As of Q2/2011, Deer had shareholders’ equity of ~$157 mln and more than $22 mln in cash and cash equivalents without any long-term debts. Deer has sufficient cash on hand and has no plan to dilute its shareholders. Deer also affirms previous issued 2011 financial guidance and dividend policy. Deer has made numerous filings with the SEC on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K disclosing its land use rights in the Anhui Province of China. Despite recent claims of certain bloggers, who Deer believes to represent the interests of short sellers, Deer confirms that its disclosures in such filings were accurate, complete and reflect the commitment of management to provide the public with full and fair disclosure.
Comments »Telco Rogers to Enter Banking
“The telecom company wants to move into the banking space, government documents show.”
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2011/09/06/rogers-bank.html
Comments »
