With Internet valuations surging and bankers circling Silicon Valley, online-games maker Zynga Inc. is preparing to test investors' appetite for an initial public offering that values the young company as high as $20 billion.
That would be double the price tag the San Francisco start-up, which makes "FarmVille" and other simple games played on Facebook's website, fetched just a few months ago when it sold shares to venture capitalists.
But since then, several Web companies have raised money at eye-popping valuations. Others have filed for multi-billion dollar IPOs. Shares of LinkedIn Corp. gained 80% its first day of trading last month, and the professional social network now sports a market value of $8 billion. Groupon Inc., which has racked up losses, has filed for an initial public offering that could value the online coupon site at more than $20 billion.
Zynga expects to raise as much as $2 billion in its IPO and it could file its paperwork as early as Wednesday, said people familiar with the matter. It will seek a valuation between $15 billion and $20 billion, these people said.
That could value the game publisher, which had about $850 million in revenue last year, at roughly the same as the two biggest videogame publishers—Electronic Arts Inc. and Activision Blizzard Inc.—combined.
Zynga has selected Morgan Stanley to lead the offering, the people familiar said. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. is also a lead underwriter, and J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., Barclays Capital and Bank of America Merrill Lynch will play a role in the IPO, these people said.
Zynga is also talking to banks about a credit facility of at least $1 billion, which can perhaps be used for acquisitions or other methods of expanding the company's services, one of the people familiar with the matter said.
A Zynga spokeswoman declined to comment.
The rush of Web IPOs, coupled with a frothy start-up investment environment in Silicon Valley, has fomented fears that the Internet sector is reaching a frenzied level not seen since the late 1990s dot-com bubble.
Unlike LinkedIn and Groupon, however, Zynga is expected to generate a profit this year. Nitsan Hargil, an analyst at GreenCrest Capital Management LLC, a research firm that analyzes private companies, estimates Zynga will have revenue of nearly $1.5 billion this year and be profitable. Mr. Hargil, whose firm isn't involved in Zynga's fundraising efforts, said he is more intrigued by Zynga's potential for profits than other Web companies.
Founded four years ago by Internet entrepreneur Mark Pincus, Zynga offers its games free and generates revenue mostly through the sale of virtual goods—for example, a tractor that helps FarmVille players harvest crops. While the vast majority of players never spend a cent in its games, some players pay up so they can accelerate their progress in the game and enhance their status in the eyes of other players.
Still, Mr. Hargil says there are concerns about Zynga's dependence on Facebook. While the company has sought to diversify its business through mobile games, its greatest successes have been on the 600 million-member strong social network.
Zynga's games collectively have about 271 million active monthly players on Facebook, an audience nearly eight times the size that of the next biggest Facebook app developer, according to AppData.com, a firm that tracks activity on Facebook.
The relationship between Zynga and Facebook has been tense at times. Over a year ago, the two companies butted heads after Facebook pressured Zynga to adopt a payment system called Facebook Credits inside Zynga games. They finally reached an accord in May 2010, when Zynga agreed to a five-year deal to use Facebook Credits in its games.
So far, Zynga has turned its early success on Facebook into a formidable barrier to competition from other game developers. The company heavily promotes new games, like its recently released strategy game "Empires & Allies," to its huge audience of existing players, giving the company a marketing advantage its rivals lack.
"Empires & Allies" is now the second most popular app on Facebook, with about 42 million average monthly players. Zynga's "CityVille," with 88 million monthly players, is the first.
It's unclear how long Zynga can keep its edge as more established games companies become more serious about Facebook games. Electronic Arts, for one, recently announced plans to bring "The Sims," one of the most popular PC games of all time, to Facebook.
An IPO would likely lead to huge paydays for many Silicon Valley elite, most notably founder and CEO Mr. Pincus, who stands to become a billionaire, at least on paper. Other Zynga investors include Digital Sky Technologies, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Union Square Ventures and other venture-capital firms, along with individuals like LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman and Peter Thiel, an early investor in Facebook and other companies.
CNBC earlier reported about Zynga's possible IPO and its launch as early as this week.
COMMENTARY: Since it was founded in 2007, Zynga has grown to become the undisputed leader in online social game apps with roughly 265 million monthly active users on Facebook alone. According to AppData (see below), Zynga has four games in the Top 10 and eight games in the Top 25:
Revenues
According neXtup ResearchZynga is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 20% from 2011 to 2014. Future growth is likely to be at a slower pace, primarily because the company is already one of the largest in the app space.
The app segment, mostly aided by new entrants, should grow at 18%. Zynga is privately-owned and does not publish actual financial data, but revenue estimates according to neXtup Research are as follows:
Business Model
According neXtup Research, Zynga’s games are free to play and Zynga derives its revenue through virtual goods, in-game advertising, lead generation and application installs.
Virtual Goods
Although the company has roughly 265M users, only a tiny fraction, less than 5% in our estimate, consistently make purchases of virtual goods. We estimate Zynga derives approximately 75% of its revenue from the sale of virtual goods. These goods are accessories in games that can enhance a player’s capabilities. For instance, a tractor or high-yield seeds could be useful accessories for a farmer in FarmVille. In Mafia wars, the accessories could be higher performance guns. All these accessories can be purchased with Zynga’s virtual currency. Each game has its own virtual currency that can be used only for that game. For instance, Coaster Cash used in Roller Coaster cannot be used for purchasing a gun in Mafia Wars.
Users can acquire virtual currency by paying with real dollars, inviting their friends or by performing services in some games. For instance, a FishVille player can earn virtual currency by performing maintenance work on other users’ fish tanks. We expect virtual goods sales to dominate the company’s revenue mix for the foreseeable future.
Lead Generation (or Offers Marketing)
Players can also earn virtual currency by signing up for offers (that are made by lead generation firms). We estimate that Zynga derives less than 5% of its revenues through lead generation. We expect Zynga to benefit from business generated from more reputable businesses even as it grapples with keeping scams off.
In-Game Ads
Over 95% of Zynga’s users never make a purchase. The company monetizes them through in-game advertisements that appear during a game session. Such ad dollars contributed, in our estimate, to 15-20% of the company’s 2010 revenues. We estimate Zynga currently generates $0.15 - $0.20 CPMs and the company will derive approximately 15% of its revenues through In Game Ads in the future.
Venture Capital Investments
Zynga has had no problems raising venture capital either, raising a combined total of $636 million (or $841 million**) in six rounds since 2008, and increasing its valuation to $8 to $10 billion. Here is a list of Zynga's well publicized venture capital raises since 2008:
$10 million - Union Square Ventures, Foundry Group, Avalon and individual investors - January 15, 2008 (A Round)
$5 million - Foundry Group, Avalon, Clarium, Pilot Group, Union Square Ventures, Peter Thiel, Reid Hoffman, Brad Pittman, Andy Russell, Andy Field - April 2008 (A-1 Round)
$29 million - Kleiner Perkins, Avalon Ventures, Foundry Group, Union Square Ventures and Institutional Venture Partners. - July 22, 2009 (B Round)
$15.18 million - Various Investors - November 16, 2009 (B-1 Round)
$180 million - Digital Sky Technologies - December 19, 2009 (C Round) - Valuation: $1.5-$3.0 billion
$147 million - Softbank - June 14, 2010 (D Round) - Valuation: $6.0 billion
$250 million - Fidelity Investments and T. Rowe Price Group - February 16, 2011 (E Round) - Valuation: $8 to $10 billion
**According to information compiled from secondary stock broker SharesPost, neXtup Research, reported that Zynga raised $490 million in a C round 2-for-1 stock split in May 2011, but the only C round I was able to confirm is the $180 million from Digital Sky Technologies in December 19, 2009. That $490 million was based on an article dated May 6, 2011 appearing in Inside Social Games. If the $490 million investment is correct, then neXtup Research's venture capital investments for Zynga now total $841 million. In any event, tracking Zynga's venture capital investments has been a mixture of confirmed and unconfirmed reports. There's nothing on Zynga's website that confirms neXtup Research's number, and I could not find a list on SharesPost, so I am as confused as you are.
Current Valuation
According to neXtup Research, after the $490 million raise, Zynga has 841.8 million fully diluted shares outstanding with an average share price of $11.73, giving Zynga a post-IPO valuation of $9.875 billion.
The Market For Social Games
According to eMarketer, the total number of US social gamers will increase to 68.7 million or 29% of internet users.
US social gaming revenues are still relatively small when compared to the overall online advertising market, but growing rapidly.
According to an eMarketer forecast in July 2010, worldwide social gaming revenues are projected to grow to $1.526 billion by 2014.
There is quite a difference between Zynga's estimated revenues and eMarketer's U.S. and worldwide social game revenue estimates which I cannot account for. I assume that they know what they are doing. Keep in mind that Zynga does not publish its real revenue numbers. Therefore, if you have access to more accurate numbers, please post them including your sources as a comment. I am very curious myself.
The American company PlasmERG has developed a plasmic power technology that utilizes the power of plasma to power engines. These engines have the potential to revolutionize the energy landscape, and benefit human civilization in countless ways.
If you have not read about the American company PlasmERG, and their "Plasmic Transition Process" (U.S. Patent US 2011/0113772 A1), you should do so immediately. Their technology offers a solution the energy crisis, a way to end the use of fossil fuels, and the potential to jump start a new technological age -- among other benefits!
The general concept of the "Plasmic Transition Process" is fairly simple to understand.
A cylinder (similar to one that can be found in an internal combustion engine) is filled with a mixture of cheap and inert gases, then sealed.
A magnetic field produced by a coil wrapped around the cylinder is turned on to "pinch" or compress the mixed gases.
High frequency radio waves are emitted into the cylinder to ionize the gases.
A high voltage (300,000 volt or more) ball of electricity is formed between four electrodes on the cylinder head.
This sequence of events creates a plasma ball that starts to grow. This ball of plasma expands, and produces a linear force against the piston. As the piston cycles, only the magnetic field is maintained. The ionization field on the transition coil is reduced to the voltage on the cylinder coil. The RF is also turned off. The electrodes controller watches the cylinder to detect the starting signature of the event and it turns off the high voltage and tells the master controller to switch the others out as well.
Engines utilizing the "Plasmic Transition Process" are unique in many ways, and offer many advantages over internal combustion engines, electric motors, and turbines. Their capabilities are simply light years beyond any current "mainstream" technology.
For example, engines utilizing this process need very little fuel. Only small amounts of noble gases (although other gases such as hydrogen and nitrogen can also be used) are put into the cylinders of an engine, and one charge of gas can last for months of continuous use before another is needed. The reason such an engine would need to be refueled is because the gas mixture does get consumed and "wear out". Another reason for the recharge is that over a period of time the gas may leak out. It is difficult to create a perfect seal between the piston, cylinder and block in any type of engine.
It is also important to note these engines produce massive amounts of horsepower and torque. They are extremely powerful. A small two cylinder 1000 cubic centimeter displacement engine can produce hundreds of horsepower, and hundreds of foot pounds of torque. This is of course while producing zero emissions, zero carbon dioxide, and zero particulate matter. In addition, no radioactivity is emitted from the engine. These engines are the ultimate "green machines."
Even though skeptics may think this is impossible, the engine remains cool even when producing hundreds of horsepower. This is possible, because when the plasma ball contracts and the gases return to their normal state, any heat produced is absorbed. Due to this aspect of the process, these engines do not need cooling systems. This eliminates unwanted components, reduces the price of the system, saves space, and eliminates an engine system that could potentially break down. Additional components are also not required. For example, the fuel tank, fuel pump and exhaust system, among others.
The power, features, and benefits of these engines are amazing. What is even more exciting, is that these engines are about to be commercialized in the coming months! Instead of just being designed and tested, they will be put to use in practical applications. The remainder of this article will cover the uses of these engines, their potential, and how they can benefit all of us in very practical ways.
An Automobile Coming to Your Local Dealership
The PlasmERG technology can be used in cars, trucks, motorcycles, vans, buses, and any vehicle that people currently use to get from point "A" to point "B." The biggest difference is that instead of burning gasoline, a vehicle utilizing a Plasmic Engine would consume tiny quantities of inert gases. Instead of spending thousands of dollars a year to fuel the vehicle, the owner would pay tens of dollars. This would save the driver massive amounts of money each year. Over the lifetime of the vehicle, the savings could be enormous. Perhaps even enough to purchase a home with, or put a child through college! And the price of the engine will be about one third of the engine it is replacing, and could potentially last longer, given its simplicity.
There would of course be other benefits to owning such a vehicle. It would emit no pollution, would run very quietly, and would not need oil changes (another cost savings). The oil is synthetic and the bearings are roller, so a very low pressure system is used to provide oil as needed. Without heat and contaminants the oil never looses its ability to provide lubrication. The regular maintenance needed would be minimal, although it would still be important to check the air pressure of your tires, take a look at your break fluid from time to time, replace break pads if they get worn, add wind shield wiper fluid, etc.
The performance of the vehicle would be very high, in that it would have lots of get up and go! Engines utilizing this technology have a flat torque curve, which means all the torque is present at low RPMs (just like an electric motor). The moment you press the accelerator, your vehicle would scoot! In fact, the smallest engine that would be used in a vehicle (at least at first) would be capable of producing over 300HP and hundreds of foot pounds of torque! But the engine is also very much like a Diesel Engine as it is limited to a top rotational speed of 3000 RPM.
Now, what could you do with this vehicle? There are many possibilities! You could drive it across the country ten times or more without refueling , take a trip to Alaska in the middle of winter without having to buy anti-freeze, or take a drive to Mexico in the summer without having to put a drop of water in a radiator. Computations show over 144,000 miles per fueling
Another interesting possibility is the idea of taking the output of the vehicle's alternator, or generator and using it to power your home whenever your not driving! Whatever electrical power you do not use, could be sold back to the grid (for as long as it exists after this technology launches). Perhaps such a vehicle could allow you reduce your electric bill, or even make money!
Finally, such a vehicle would probably be cheaper than the equivalent with an internal combustion engine or even an electric motor. In a conventional vehicle that gets 30 miles per gallon, paying $3.31/gallon (current low price in Utah) the cost of gas to run 144,000 miles is nearly $16,000. The previously mentioned two cylinder 1000cc engine, when mass produced, is expected to cost around $500 dollars retail. This is a fraction of the cost of a traditional engine. It is also much less than the huge battery packs needed in electric vehicles. Basically, for less money, you would get a vehicle that consumes almost no fuel, has better performance, fewer parts, emits no pollution, runs quietly, and has almost infinite range!
A Generator for Your Home
A Plasmic Transition Process Engine connected to a generator could be used to produce all the energy needed to power your home. In fact, a small two cylinder 1000cc engine can produce over 200 kilowatts when connected to an electrical generator capable of generating this amount. This is far more electricity than is needed to power the average home that uses an average of 1 kilowatt. (Link) With that kind of generating capability, a single engine could power a neighborhood!
Realistically, a normal home may use a maximum peak power of around 10 kilowatts or so. To be on the safe side, let's assume a home utilized 20 kilowatts when the demand was greatest (nearly everything running). An engine much smaller than 1000cc (which is already small) would be capable of producing the output required for the energy needs of the home. Once this technology is mass produced, such a small engine and generator might only cost a few hundred dollars. The fuel cost would be minimal, and the engine would require little maintenance.
The result of such a home power system would be tremendously reduced energy costs. In a few months, the system could pay for itself. After that, the energy could be almost free or at a minimum, dirt cheap. Considering the current price of dirt it may even be cheaper that that!
Another important benefit of owning such a system, is that you would have power even if the grid failed. There are many events that could cause a loss of power including hurricanes, tornadoes, thunderstorms, or earthquakes. By owning such a system, you would have electricity regardless the state of the grid.
A New Age of Aviation
The PlasmERG technology has the ability to spark a new age of aviation. Currently, a big part of the cost of flying is the fuel. Planes consume lots of fuel, and it can be very expensive. If you notice, when oil prices go up airline stocks go down!
Utilizing Plasmic Transition Process Engines, planes will have near zero fuel costs. This will make aviation much more affordable. It could make airline ticket prices go down, and make owning a private aircraft more economical for the average person.
In addition, PlasmERG's technology could benefit aircraft in many other ways.
The engine does not need air, so it would work equally well at any altitude.
Many components such as exhaust systems and fuel tanks will not be needed, which will reduce the weight of an aircraft.
A smaller and lighter weight Plasmic Engine would produce the same power as a larger conventional engine.
The engine will be quieter, which would allow for a more pleasant flight.
The plane would have an almost infinite range. A small private aircraft with one of these engines could fly around the world multiple times without stopping to refuel!
Due to having fewer moving parts and components, there will be less to "go wrong" with the engine than with a conventional engine. This enhances the safety of the aircraft.
Using the Engine in Boats will allow Fishermen longer times on station to get more fish and at the same time drastically reduce their fuel tanks and fuel bills, which will reduce the price. Same is true of nearly any Boat.
Another terrific use is for the oil companies. These engines do not create heat or sparks, and on a drilling rig that means safety. Also as pump motors the oil can be pumped at places currently not available because of getting electric or diesel fuel there.
Also there is the possibility of replacing massive generation facilities with what John calls a "Power Farm". This is a network of smaller generators that are controlled by load and switched on or off as needed at a substation. If a generator goes bad it is removed from the network, fixed and then replaced onto the network. What a boon for those above the artic circle or medium sized communities all over. The transmission lines can come down.
One particular hope of mine is that this technology could be used to make a personal flying device similar to a jet pack. I can imagine strapping into such a "Plasmic Flight Pack", and soaring through the sky. Unlike traditional jet packs that can only remain in the air several minutes (at most) before running out of fuel, a "Plasmic Flight Pack" could stay aloft for an indefinite period of time.
Environmental Panacea
The PlasmERG technology has the capability to quickly end the use of fossil fuels. It will be able to power the world's vehicles and produce the electricity our civilization consumes, without producing any pollution. Smog could become a thing of the past and carbon dioxide emissions would suddenly be a non-issue. Since we would not be drilling for as much oil (it would only be used as feedstock for plastics, lubricants, fertilizers and other products), there would be fewer spills such as the one that took place in the Gulf of Mexico.
With all the cheap energy produced we could do many times to protect, repair and enhance the environment.
We could build Plasmic powered robots that could digg up landfills, and sort the materials for recycling. With cheap energy, recycling will become much more economical. This would reduce the need for mining.
We could build robotic, remote controlled boats to collect all the plastic and other trash that is currently collecting in our oceans.
We could use the cheap energy to desalinate salt water, and turn deserts into farm land.
We could phase out all existing nuclear power plants that use dangerous uranium and plutonium as fuel, and replace the lost electrical generation with energy produced from Plasmic Engines.
We could stop destroying the surface of the earth for agriculture, and start growing food indoors. By using full spectrum lighting and other modern technologies, massive amounts of food could be produced.
Simply put, once proliferated, the PlasmERG technology would solve the vast majority of environmental issues facing our planet. Those who are pushing for carbon taxes and new regulations to fight global warming, will have to find another job!
Economic Revitalization
The world is in a major economic slump. In fact, some call it a depression. Although the media claims "green shoots" are popping up everywhere, jobs are still hard to find, companies are going bankrupt, food stamp use is at record highs, and millions of people are facing serious hardships. In addition, the United States and many other nations are in massive debt, and the central banks are addressing the issue by printing more and more money out of thin air.
The PlasmERG technology could be utilized to revitalize the global economy. It could actually bring the world out of recession or depression, and into economic prosperity.
It would create many jobs and careers, because potentially billions of engines and related devices (such as generators) would need to be manufactured.
It would reduce the cost of transportation due to the near zero fuel cost. This would make shipping goods and products more affordable.
It would put more money in everyone's pocket, by cutting their fuel costs and electric bills. They could then spend the saved money, and put it back into the economy.
It would inspire other exotic technologies to be developed, which would create even more jobs.
It would decrease the cost of every good and service (energy increases the cost of everything), so a dollar or euro would go further.
The "mainstream" has no clear answer to the economic disaster the world is facing. However, PlasmERG has an answer, and it is coming soon!
Paradigm Shifts
In addition to all the direct uses of the PlasmERG technology, the mere existence of it will shatter the current paradigm of mainstream science. According to many mainstream scientists, a technology like PlasmERG's simply should not work! However, it does work, and this fact will force the entire scientific community to re-think what is possible, reconsider the validity of other exotic technologies, and to be more open minded!
Perhaps the next exotic technology to emerge after the PlasmERG engine could be an anti-gravity device, force field generator, anti-aging drug, or something we cannot even fathom yet! These breakthroughs could lead to others, and in no time at all we could live in an age more technologically advanced than the fictional world of Star Trek!
COMMENTARY: On Nov. 19, 2009, John Rohner of PlasmERG Inc. announced that their patent has been accepted for their revolutionary Plasmic Transition Process in which noble or inert gas is used to run an engine. The patent has been peer and examiner reviewed, and is expected to be awarded in a couple of months.
This noble (inert) gas engine, with just five moving parts, would cost 1/3 what a regular engine of comparable output would cost. Meanwhile, its fuel cost is nearly negligible. It's kind of like a Stirling engine -- a sealed system -- except that the expanding component is internal, and comes by way of a plasma form of inert, noble gasses, which are not consumed in the process, and which are environmentally benign.
PlasmERG has also secured a registered trademark of the phrase "Plasmic Transition Process" as the standard description of the way the motor works.
They were attentive in the patent to see that every form is covered and that the controller will be flexible enough to adapt to various iterations and hardware design changes.
The Plasmic Transition Process is the subject of various patents pending byPlasmERG Inc. of Iowa. John Rohner founded this company in 2008 to be the means to disseminate, develop and license this technology to other motor manufacturers for their own use.
This process originally called the "Papp Engine" did run in 1982 and was then lost until John, and his partner Haik Biglari rediscovered it and applied modern science to the system to explain the process and filed their patents, presently pending. The original process was based on information originally patented by the late Joseph Papp, whose patents are now expired.
John Rohner, a well-known new product design engineer, was originally contacted in 1979 by Robert Rohner, his brother, with a schematic for the controller Papp had designed. Unfortunately, John was busy with several other projects so he turned it over to his brother Tom. That controller, or a best guess at it, is shown in the following schematic. It is a simple crude system, by today's standards but very modern for 1982, and easy to understand. It was the key element to the motor running, at that time.
PlasmERG has designed two motors for OEM use. One is an opposed 2 cylinder, 120 cubic inch engine and produces a maximum of ~300 HP. The second is a 6 Cylinder 360 cubic inch engine and produces a maximum of ~1500 HP. (Ref.)
The motors are also being co-developed with a sister company in Canada. John Rohner has personally fronted the total investment for this development thus far. As the company moves toward manufacturing they are seeking investment partners by trading stock for investment. Their first "real" manufacturing plant will cost about 10 million dollars. The alternative is to simply go as they are and create licenses from automotive and truck motor makers until they can get OEM production up.
The current plan is to provide 500 to 1000 test sites in underdeveloped nations for water pumping and power generation as "humanitarian" test sites. This should allow the time needed to get production understood and patents completed.
The company believes the Plasma Transition Process motors will create a direct replacement for the internal combustion engine, with no pollutants and greatly reduced noise. "It is PlasmERG's dream to make the world a better place to live without having to use Petroleum or even Biofuels," says Rohner.
The expected run time of a motor from a single cylinder charge is over 3 months continuous, so significant money can be saved as well by not having to purchase fuel except rarely. To relate that to a typical consumer, this is about the same amount of time they drive now in a year, and the fuel should cost less than $50 per refuel.
Ironically, as evidence for their design, they reference their competitor brothers' Papp Engine, as a "proof of concept" video, to show that "the Plasmic Transition Process is real and does work as expected." It is based loosely on the 1983 Joseph Papp patent which was the starting point for their discovery of the process.
The competitor brothers, Bob and Tom Rohner, apparently implementing the suggestions from their estranged brother John, have simplified the fuel mixer, reduced the coils, and made it a simple single cylinder – which is similar to the design John's group is pursuing as well. The Papp patent assumed that a single cylinder engine would not be possible, stating that only "paired" cylinders will work. John Rohner says he was the first to try this configuration and prove it.
PlasmERG is expecting completion of a new set of motors and generators by around Christmas at which time they will begin analysis of complete systems, to test various gas mixes to see how the controller must be adjusted to provide best operation from each. They have copyrighted over 30 such gas mixtures already. Their firmware is registered as a "Company Secret". It will not be public for safety reasons.
They have also started working on a mini single cylinder 250cc for use in smaller applications and gensets, and they expect to test it around January as well.
In January, they plan to have a license manager coming on board to get other countries started as co-developers as well. The company is starting to staff up now. They are inviting interested parties to contact them in January about working with them.
The company now has a research facility where their tests will be done and the firmware built and tested. The facility has a numeric control machine shop with about 100 square yards of floor space, along with a two story office space with a conference room and several drawing rooms, one of which now has their CAD system running. The new test bays will be remote controlled and will collect data on the fly. They have allocated 18 terabytes of file server storage for their data collection efforts.
According to John Rohner, the PlasmERG has brought this technology to the point it is ready for mass manufacturing. PlasmERG is about to launch an engine using the "Plasmic Transition Process" technology. It is about to go into production in Hendersen, Nevada. A factory is being setup to manufacture the control electronics, while local partners will fabricate the engine parts for five prototype motors. These prototype motors will demonstrate to stockholders, investors, and potential licensees what PlasmERG has so far only been able to produce in house (for security reasons). These prototype engines can then be mass produced by those companies who purchase a license to manufacture them.
John Rohner described how the PlasmERG Plasmic Transition Process engine works during an interview on March 22, 2011 by Sterling Allen of FreeEnergyNow.com.
Mr. Rohner makes a number of incredible claims about his PlasmERG Nobel Gas engine, but all we have seen so far are a few pictures of a crude two-cylinder prototype, but no video of the engine actually running and producing energy. The video provided above is from the Papp Plasma Gas Engine when goes back to 1982, from which the PlasmERG Nobel Gas engine is based.
It would be nice to see and hear the PlasmERG Novel Gas engine running and connected to test meters to measure RPM's, horsepower, torque, emissions. and so forth, and the amount of electricity produced by the electrical generator including, number of volts, amps, cycles and watts. Finally, I would like to see the electricity produced actually powering some electrical appliances and/or electrical lamps.
He claims he has raised enough capital sufficient to open a production and assembly plant to produce five working prototype PlasmERG Nobel Gas engines to convince future investors and license the technology to OEM's so that the engines can be produced for the end-user marketplace.
PlasmERG, where John Rohner sits as the Chief Technology Officer, is presently working on building beta test units as well as preparing for licensing the technology to other manufacturers and production jointly with companies in Canada and China, and soon with many others as well.
John Rohner and his wife, Connie; Chad, the mayor of West Liberty and company attorney; Don from China; Shaun from the US.
Rohner writes:
"This picture was taken at the test shop in Wellman, IA, where we are working. This was taken last week as we started to do the final fittings to get things running and tested. In the foreground is a 23KW Generator, left, attached to a one liter Chinese Co developers engine, and then the test set Big Black 5kw starter. On the far right, lower, is the new 'plastic' piston, as we call it. Made from a new material light as magnesium, strong as steel, yet can be precision formed like a standard plastic. This motor uses super sized main and conrod shafts and bearings designed to handle 3 times the expected loads. The flywheels are a part of the Crank as is the timing teeth for compact design. The head electronics and accessories is not on yet. The starter was just set there for pix. It does bolt down."
I have profiled a number of "free energy" devices including a number of magnetic wheel, water engine, and even several cold fusion technologies. To date, not a single one of those "free energy" devices has made it into the marketplace.
Richard Kerris, the former Apple exec, is gliding through his presentation of HP's TouchPad. As the current VP of worldwide developer relations for WebOS, the slick software giving life to HP's latest mobile devices, Kerris is giddily running through the tablet's bells and whistles: the design, the partnerships, the apps, the engineering. But suddenly our discussion is interrupted by the sound of woodwinds, dancing up the scale.
HP Touchpad in vertical and horizontal view:
HP Touchpad accessories:
Touchpad versus iPad comparison:
HP Touchpad price and specification comparison with Apple iPad, iPad 2 and Motorola Xoom tablets:
The sound is familiar. It's the iPhone's classic marimba ringtone. Only it's not a song in the distance--it's coming from my pocket.
"That's a ring I don't like to hear."
Kerris immediately says, jokingly.
"Give me that [iPhone]!"
Marimba or no marimba, there's no doubt Apple is on the mind of Kerris, and every other exec at HP for that matter. With more than 14 million iPads sold in 2010, Apple has left behind every competitor--from Google to RIM to Microsoft--coughing up dust. But with the TouchPad, the culmination thus far of HP's $1.2 billion acquisition of Palm, the world's largest technology company by revenue hopes it can finally offer a formidable opponent to Apple, the world's largest technology company by market cap, in the race for tablet dominance. And as anyone at HP will tell you, the race is far from finished.
Phil McKinney, president and CTO of HP's personal systems group said.
"The industry will ship between 500 million to 600 million PCs next year. What did [the industry] sell in pads, 14 million? Everyone's trying to make it seem the conclusion has been decided. We're still in the top of the first inning."
Kerris says.
"People ask, 'How can you guys compete?' I'm not much of a baseball person, but I always say that the first person up at bat can never hit a grand slam."
Ironically, in order to compete with Apple, HP is taking a page from Apple's playbook. Steve Jobs's strategy has always been to control both the hardware and the software it runs on. While other PC makers, including HP, have relied on Windows, Apple's Macs have always come with Mac OS, an operating system designed specifically for its hardware. Apple has followed the same approach when expanding to the iPhone and iPad with iOS. McKinney says.
"Everyone is figuring out that if you want to survive, you really want to control the experience end to end. The ability to control both the hardware platform and OS is absolutely critical."
Beside RIM, whose BlackBerry PlayBook runs on its own unique OS, nearly all tablet makers have outsourced their software to Google. Motorola's Xoom, Toshiba's Thrive, Samsung's Galaxy Tab--they all run on Android, an operating system developed by Google.
HP had no interest in leaving so much of its fate in the hands of a third party. It's why the company acquired Palm, which helped develop the TouchPad's WebOS. McKinney says,
"We felt we needed to control our own destiny, and we could see this path where Android was going to run into all these problems because of incompatibility. It's the Wild, Wild West: Everybody gets Android and they do something strange with it--really mush it up."
In other words, with myriad versions of Android available (including, based alphabetically on names of desserts: Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, and soon, Ice Cream Sandwich), Android has become a fragmented ecosystem, as many critics argue. McKinney adds.
"Now an app only runs on this version of Android, and only on this screen size, but not on this version of Android with this size screen. It starts causing confusion."
Kerris says.
"There's a lot of developers on Android that are saying it's fragmented, confusing--that they don't know which end is up."
Will HP ever consider selling an Android-based tablet? McKinney says, flat out.
"We don't do Android."
Kerris explains.
"I don't see why we would. Just because McDonald's sells a billion hamburgers, doesn't mean we want to go into that business if we're a restaurant. We have a better solution with WebOS. Let's go after the RIMs and the Androids. We have a strong play there: a better UI that's more consistent."
Still, despite the enthusiasm of executives, HP has a long way to go if it ever hopes to catch up with Apple and Android. A recent Gartner study estimates Apple will control roughly 70% of the tablet market by the end of 2011, while Android will grow to a 20% share. Their greatest advantage over HP? Apps. Apple boasts 400,000 apps; Android's Marketplace has around 300,000.
HP's WebOS, on the other hand, will feature only a few thousand apps at launch on July 1, with just hundreds designed specifically for the tablet itself. Kerris says.
"Let me be clear: For TouchPad apps, we'll have a little more than 300 at launch that are written just for the TouchPad--quite honestly, Honeycomb doesn't even have the numbers that we'll have to start."
Kerris continues.
"Look, three years ago, there were no apps on any of the platforms. Developers can now come up with an idea and implement it in a matter of months. here's hundreds of thousands of apps on the iPad platform. That's great--a good percentage of those guys are going to want to come over to the HP platform. Why wouldn't they? We're HP. We're going to ship a lot of units--that's inevitable. We're an easy investment. Most of the developers that are on the iOS platform can have their apps up and running here in a matter of days."
Kerris and McKinney believe WebOS, which Kerris calls the "only OS that's built from the ground up for the Web," will offer developers an open and flexible environment, more scalable and appealing than other operating systems. McKinney explains.
"Our whole belief is that the entire experience is going to go to HTML5. You won't need anything funky--if you develop an application, you know what your test platform is? Any HTML5 browser. It gives a footprint in size and scale to make [WebOS] attractive to app developers."
Kerris, referring to Apple's iPad and iOS.
"On one hand, you have a beautiful product, but it's a walled garden. On the other hand, you have a plethora of products. Somewhere in the middle we can have a great impact--we offer a happy medium."
My conversation with Kerris begins to wind down. Soon he'll hand me the TouchPad that I've been playing with now for the past week.
Before leaving, I ask him how his time at Apple has influenced his experience at HP. Kerris says.
"When I was at Apple, it was during the whole emergence of OS X out of OS 9. When we launched, it didn't have Microsoft, it didn't have Adobe, it didn't have Quark. All the naysayers said, 'There's no way--it's over, Apple.' And it's certainly not."
Kerris continues, shifting his thoughts back to HP.
"Yes, we have a huge challenge. But in my eyes, it's fun to be the underdog, especially when you believe in the products so much. Let everybody else say, 'You guys are too late--there are already hundreds of thousands of apps.' Yeah? Well, so what? We're in the very, very early stages here, and we have the environment that was built for this stuff."
My iPhone, which rang several times during our meeting, was finally set to silent.
COMMENTARY: Hewlett-Packard's late introduction of the HP Touchpad tablet definitely has the odds stacked against it. The Apple iPad and iPad 2 dominates the tablet market in every metric, so there's no use listing them all. The iPad brand has become a lovemark, practically synonymous with the term "tablet".
When HP's Kerris says, "Yes, we have a huge challenge" that's an acknowledgement of Apple's dominance, but not a surrender statement. Kerris is no ordinary HP exec. He's a former Apple alum, and those guys ooze with confidence and passion. So when Kerris says, "But in my eyes, it's fun to be the underdog, especially when you believe in the products so much," that's right out of Steve Job's seven key principles of innovation, and there is no quit. Passion can overcome a lot of handicaps. Do you remember when Apple took on IBM?
The one thing that HP has going for it that Apple doesn't have, is a huge history of working with the the IT heads of all of the Fortune 500 and SMB's. HP dominates computer peripherals hands down, and the HP Touchpad is 100% compatible. It doesn't have cultivate those relationships like Apple.
I agree with Kerris, the tablet race is not over. It's just beginning. Tablet computers are still very early in their product life cycle. It's not how fast you start the race, but where you place the end of the race.
Engaget had an opportunity to test drive the HP Touchpad back in early February 2011, and their reviews were pretty good, so I am betting that when the Touchpad officially goes on sale on July 1, 2011, that it will live up to those reviews and give the Apple iPad 2 a run for its money.
CNET also test drove the HP Touchpad and its reviews were spectacular. They gave the new HP "magical" device five stars. Here's the review video:
TechRadar gave the Touchpad great reviews, saying,
"Here's the shocker – we really, really like it. And if it can undercut the iPad on price? Then it's a serious contender."
I see a pattern developing here. I like underdogs too.
So what if the HP Touchpad has 8,000 apps compared to the Apple iPad's 100,000, but don't let that scare you away. It's HP. Do you get the felling that something "magical" is happening?
Courtesy of an article dated June 27, 2011 appearing in Fast Company
Foursquare, the location-based social network accomplished two milestones in June 2011.
On June 20, 2011, Foursquare announced that it hit a big milestone: It surpassed the 10 million user mark, becoming the first location-based social network to do so.
One June 24, 2011, Foursquare announced that it had raised an additional $50 million in venture capital.
Foursquare, which launched in March 2009, posted the following infographic on its blog to celebrate the announcement Monday:
[Click Image To Enlarge]
The infographic highlights, among other things:
Accelerated growth over time: It took the startup five months to get its first 100,000 users and roughly seven weeks to get its last million.
Its growing global reach: 358 million checkins have been made outside of the U.S.
The most popular checkin locations in the U.S.: Old Navy, Bank of America, 7-Eleven, Home Depot and Target all top the list.
A few fun facts: New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg is also the Foursquare mayor of City Hall in NYC, and nearly 80,000 Foursquare mayors are ousted each day.
"Foursquare is not just about the check-in, or recommendations, or points, or badges. It’s about making the world easier to use. It’s about discovering new places, connecting with friends, and forging new relationships with the places you visit. It’s finding new ways to layer technology on the real world. All of our employees believe strongly in this vision, and we’re incredibly lucky to have investors and a board that feel the same way.
Today, we’re really excited to announce that we’ve raised $50 million in funding so that we can keep working towards our goals. The new round, led byAndreessen-Horowitz, includes our current VCs (O’Reilly AlphaTech Venturesand Union Square Ventures), as well as Spark Capital. Having our current investors double down on us is a tremendous gesture of support for foursquare and for the direction we’re headed.
The additional capital will allow us to move more quickly; we can hire more engineers (we’re hiring in New York and San Francisco!), evolve our merchant offerings, expand internationally, and try a ton of new things. In the last year, we’ve grown from 15 employees to over 70, and our community has grown from under 1 million to over 10 million. The opportunity to build something meaningful in the location space is HUGE, and we feel well-positioned to capitalize on it. We’re encouraged by how far we’ve come, and we’re so excited to have such great support, from both our community and our investors, as we work to build what’s next.
Thanks (and looking forward to more great things)!
– Dennis Crowley and Naveen Selvadurai - co-founders"
According to Foursquare board member and Union Square Ventures Partner Albert Wenger, revenue is right on track, though he declined to provide any specific numbers. He did confirm the $600 million valuation.
Wenger said.
“From the very beginning when we invested, Dennis had a clear vision of where he wanted to go and he’s still very much following that vision. That contains things that are related to revenue and this round of funding is going to support that.”
So, what’s the grand plan? Wenger declined to say, but said the opportunity is great. There’s no clear winner in the post-yellow pages local advertising market that’s cluttered with check-in services, review sites and daily deal peddlers.
Wenger said.
“I think it’s still very early in that particular market and I think making that transition from yellow pages to creating deals online is not fully developed. I expect we will see a lot of movement in this market for years to come.”
Much like Twitter, Foursquare has focused on building its member base and enhancing the technical aspect of the service before moving too quickly into monetization. The company has talked about possible ways to bring in revenue, such as location-based ad placement. Tristan Walker, head of business development for Foursquare, said last year.
“We could imagine something akin to a Google AdWords-like model, where merchants can have featured placement based on latitude and longitude, time of the day, or day of the week.”
It’s brought in some money already by cutting deals with major brands like Conde Nast, HBO and Marc Jacobs, but so far pulls in very little revenue overall.
One June 22, 2011, foursquare announced that on Thursday, June 23, 2011, Foursquare plans to introduce its largest partnership to date: a national deal with American Express to offer discounts to cardholders when they check in on their cellphone at certain shops and restaurants.
Foursquare users are accustomed to receiving awards in the form of coupons and digital merit badges. But more substantial deals like those being offered to American Express cardholders may bring Foursquare and other location-based services further into the mainstream.
Foursquare’s mobile application has continued to get faster and more feature-packed as its user numbers have swelled. A recent update of the app added an “Explore” button that helps users find what they’re looking for around their location – be it a Thai restaurant or music venue. The service is evolving from a social game to a social utility.
Google Inc. got rich leveraging the Web to help people find things. Perhaps, Foursquare will too.
In a video interview in February (see below), Foursquare founder and CEO Dennis Crowley said:
“It’s been an interesting start, the idea of turning life into a game, making it so check-ins generate points and badges and mayorships, something playful, a reason to check-in. But ultimately, we’re not trying to build these games, we’re trying to build these things that really change and effect the way that people experience the real world.”
COMMENTARY: It's no secret that location-based social networks are having a few problems:
A SmartPulse poll reveals that location-based social networks are having a huge adoption issues.
PEW Research reports that only 4% of internet users use LBSN's.
LBSN's suffer from a huge gender gap (males outnumber females 2-to-1).
comScorereports that only 7% of mobile phone users using LBSN's.
LBSN's have also created continuing privacy and stalking concerns (especially among females).
USA Today reported that LBSN's are not generating much in revenues. When asked about this, there is nothing but complete silence.
Don't get me wrong, its quite impressive to hear that foursquare has reached the long awaited 10 million user milestone. Several social media experts had predicted that 10 million number since foursquare hit 6 million at the end of 2010.
Even more impressive was how Dennis Crowley was able to convince Adreesen Horowitz and previous VC investors that foursquare is worth $600 million. I would give anything to have sat in on that pitch. In a blog post datedJanuary 29, 2011, Andreesen Horowitz said foursquare was worth $250 million. That's increase in valuation of $350 million. Now that's impressive. Some great things must've happened, right?
I sure wished that foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley would make things a big more transparent and level with us once and for all and tell us how much revenue they have generated. As long as location-based social networks continue their silent about their revenues, it forces bloggers like my self to predict that location-based social networks are headed for a train wreck.
Courtesy of an article dated June 24, 2011 appearing in The Wall Street Journal's Venture Capital Dispatch
Investment fund GSV Capital Corp has reportedly taken a small stake in Facebook at a valuation of about $70 billion. Reuters reports.
"The investment fund said on Monday that it had bought 225,000 shares in Facebook at an average price of $29.28 each."
Perhaps more notable, however, are the circumstances under which the investment was made.
Ahead of what executives are calling an inevitable IPO, Reuters writes.
"Concerns about Facebook's white-hot growth have surfaced in recent months."
For one, a group of Facebook shareholders is trying to sell $1 billion of stock on the secondary market in a transaction that also would give the company a value of about $70 billion, Reuters reported in April.
"Shares have been sold by the company and shares have been sold by employees and insiders on private market exchanges. At $70 billion, Facebook would be valued slightly below Amazon.com Inc, Cisco Systems Inc or Hewlett-Packard Co."
Facebook currently has about 2.4 billion outstanding shares, according to the latest data from secondary market company Sharepost. Michael Moe, GSV Capital's founder and CEO said in a statement.
"Facebook is a one-of-a-kind business which has created enormous network effects. With over 650 million people on its platform, or approximately 1/10 of the world's population, Facebook has established itself as a next generation social communications platform."
COMMENTARY: I had predicted that Facebook's share price would drop as a result of recent develops that we are in the midst of a tech bubble. In China, the share prices of several major social media sites have plummeted. LinkedIn, the professional social network, had their IPO in mid May, closing at $93.25 on their first day of trading. Their shares plummeted to $60.62 on June 20, 2011, but the share price has risen slightly and presently trade at $74.00. That's a 26% drop, but still ahead of the $45.00 opening price when they had their IPO.
In spite of Facebook's "enormous network effects", as GSV Capital describes Facebook, the social media sector is still on shaky footing. LinkedIn made a relatively small profit of $15 million at the end of 2010, and is trading at 2,049 times earnings. Does that number even make sense?
Groupon, the leading group buying site, with an 85% share of the daily deals market, filed their S-1 registration statement in early June, but has yet to make a profit. Groupon has had nothing but controversy since it filed. In a blog post dated June 15, 2011, I performed a very thorough analysis of the company and I discovered numerous troubling developments. This made me wonder why Groupon would file to go public with all these problems.
I will admit that Facebook isn't LinkedIn or Groupon, but the social media giant's growth in users is no longer exponential and it is showing much slower growth. Back on March 20, 2011, I commented that Facebook's ad-supported revenue model had reached a critical inflection point. In that post I felt that Facebook's ad-supported revenue model was very flawed, that growth in users was no longer exponential, and that the number of users and ad revenues would eventually peak. If you are a student of social media, you need to read that psot.
In another blog post dated June 13, 2011, I reported that the number of Facebook's users was approaching 700 million, but had experienced a drop of 6 million users in the U.S. and 1.5 million users in Canada. In a blog entry dated March 13, 2011, I reported that Facebook had reached maximum penetration in the U.S. and would have to depend on signing up more international users in order to continue to grow, but that they would not be able to reach 1 billion users. That prediction appears to be coming true. Not a good sign if you are a Facebook investor.
It is my understanding that several hundred Facebook staffers want to cash in some of their sweat equity shares while the price is high. The number has been estimated at about $1 billion. It will be very interesting to see if Facebook's share price in the secondary market will decline further from the peak of $32.50 earlier this year. I'm betting it will drop to $25.00 per share. Any takers?
Courtesy of an article dated June 27, 2011 appearing in MediaPost Publications Around The Net
An exclusive first look at four slick, minimal headphone sets by Incase, priced between $49.95 and $199.95.
Looking to expand its reach among design-minded Apple loyalists, Incase has announced plans to wade into the audio business, with a clutch of chic, minimalist headphones.
This fall, the company will unveil four sets of premium headphones, ranging from $49.95 earbuds to $199.95 ear cuffs. The line represents the first time that Incase, known for stylish protective i-gear, is flogging its own brand of electronics, spurred on by the growing importance of audio accessories in the age of hyper-personal mobile computing.
It’s crowded territory, says Markus Diebel, Incase’s vice president of design. But as he tells it, Incase hopes to distinguish itself by pairing good sound quality with the clean aesthetic Apple geeks go gaga for at a price point that doesn’t feel like highway robbery. Diebel said.
“We thought if we marry our design language with a premium acoustic story, we would have a very valuable system on our hands.”
The headphones feature simple shapes and fluid contours. Ugly mechanics hide behind soft-touch matte and gloss finishes for a slick, tactile quality (one of the models is also available in canvas).
The spare look is a function of ergonomics, too. The smooth elliptical shape of the in-ear capsules is designed to fit the tube-like architecture of people’s inner ear, so they don’t fall out constantly (ahem, Apple earbuds). The ovoid ear cuffs of the $199.95 model (above) mimic the contour of the outer ear, the better for trapping and channeling sound. A layer of memory foam adapts to the shape of the head and slashes pressure points for a more comfortable fit.
Incase points out that its headphones aren’t meant to compete with hardcore audiophile gear. Dawn De La Fuente, Incase’s director of marketing and communications says.
“We’re not pretending we’re at that level.”
Instead, she says, the company hopes to tap into a “lifestyle” sweet spot: Apple consumers who want better sound and style than what’s offered at the low- and mid-range, but couldn’t care less about fancy stuff like vacuum tube amplifiers and S-Logic surround sound. It’s a risky proposal for a company whose experience in electronics, to this point, was in providing sexy packaging for other people’s electronics. But if Incase audio succeeds? Diebel says.
“We’ll expand our offerings. We have so many ideas.”
COMMENTARY: I like the flat black finish of Incase's minimalist head gear, but I don't see any mind blogging points of differentiation. I don't like full-size headphones because they are bulky and heavy. The value proposition has to be asbsolutely superior in every element of sound quality, design, style, comfort and price. At Incase's suggested retail prices, it is going to be a tough for Incase to compete with the likes of Bose, Denon, Senheizer, to name a few. Those companies have established reputations. However, Apple evangelists do love their sound, so anything can happen.
BEIJING—Charles Chao has built Sina Corp. into a Chinese Twitter. Now he wants it to be a Chinese Facebook, too.
Mr. Chao, Sina's chief executive, has led the company's transformation from an online portal focused on news and blogging to China's most talked-about social-media company. Since Chao launched Sina Weibo—which lets users send short, Twitter-like messages to their followers—less than two years ago, the service's popularity has exploded, with more than 140 million users as of March, by Sina's count. RedTech Advisors LLC, of Shanghai, estimates that Sina Weibo has 57% of China's microblog users and 87% of its microblog activity.
Sina CEO Charles Chao, shown in April, has led the company's transformation from an online portal focused on news and blogging to China's most talked-about social-media company.But in the ultracompetitive world of China's Internet industry, such leads are hard to keep, and Sina faces pressure from rivals, who are pouring resources into the social-networking sector. Chief among them is Tencent Holdings Ltd., an industry giant with a big pile of cash that has been aggressively promoting its own microblogging site.
In an interview, Mr. Chao laid out a series of changes he is making to Weibo (which literally means "microblog") to broaden its offerings and attract more users.
A new version of the site, now being tested, will change its look. Mr. Chao is trying to make it easier for users to define their relationships with other users with prominent sections and features:
Recommending users of interest.
Offering games and other applications.
Labeling those who are real friends, as opposed to those who are just "fans."
Special services, like "personal assistants," to help the site's most influential users with technical questions.
Weibo's initial incarnation was "the right way to enter this market," said Mr. Chao, a former journalist in his 40s with a serious demeanor. But now there is "a great need for people to communicate, to share among friends, among people who know each other."
Social-networking sites have taken off in much of the world, with users across the globe becoming increasingly interconnected. But unlike many other markets, China—which has more than 450 million Internet users, more than any other country—isn't dominated by big U.S. companies like Twitter Inc. and Facebook Inc. In fact, China's government blocks access to those two sites for users inside the country. MySpace China, an affiliate of the U.S. social-networking site that is partly owned by News Corp., has struggled. News Corp. also owns The Wall Street Journal.
Instead, a host of domestic Chinese companies are competing to fill the social networking space.
RenRen Inc., which runs one of the biggest Facebook-like sites in China, raised $743 million in a U.S. initial public offering in May that it is using to beef up its offerings.
Kaixin001, RenRen's rival, owned by Happy Networks Ltd., also operates a social-networking site similar to Facebook.
Baidu Inc., the "Google of China", is trying to turn its popular message board, Baidu Tieba, or Postbar, into more of a social network, and had its own microblogging service Baidu Shuoba, or Baidu Talk, which failed to gain traction against Sina and now has been suspended.
Tencent has a successful online-game business, but executives say they are focusing their efforts on social networking and on their Weibo site in particular, including efforts to have third-party developers make applications for it, as Sina is doing. Tencent's challenge lies largely in Sina's users, generally a cosmopolitan set of social "influencers" from which Sina can expand outward and downward, compared with Tencent's younger users in China's lower-tier cities, from which it is harder to move up, analysts say.
China's Internet companies have generated enormous enthusiasm among investors, and some of their valuations have reached levels similar to those of their U.S. counterparts, even though China's online-advertising market is still smaller than the U.S. market.
Chinese social-media websites collectively have hundreds of millions of users who swap messages and play games on the sites using phones and computers. Facebook itself is considering entering China despite the difficulties of dealing with government censorship—especially for a site that has been used as an organizing tool by protesters in the Middle East and one that has been blocked in China for nearly two years.
Weibo won't be turning into Facebook, Mr. Chao said, but will have more Facebook-like features to allow for "stronger social relationships based on our new applications."
Analysts say the transformation will be a challenge. Sina, which was launched in 1999 and trades on Nasdaq, is far smaller than some of its rivals. Its market value of nearly $6 billion is a fraction of Baidu's more than $40 billion and Tencent's nearly $50 billion. Tencent has significantly more resources to spend on marketing, with $1.7 billion in cash as of March, compared to Sina's $577.6 million.
In addition to the more than 200 million users Tencent claims for its microblogging site—it's hard to compare the companies' user counts, with their different methods of counting—Tencent has legions of users of its flagship product, QQ, China's most popular instant-messaging platform, and runs a social-networking site called Qzone.
Mr. Chao said he wasn't worried and said.
"It's not a competition about how much cash you have, but about product improvement and "end-user experience."
IChinaStock, a research website for global investors, says Tencent, which already has social connections between its users, is closer to becoming "China's Facebook," but that "in terms of media influence, it will be very difficult for Tencent Weibo to surpass Sina Weibo."
The growth of social media in China comes even as the government has increased efforts to regulate Internet use. Over the past two years, an increasing number of overseas websites have been blocked in China for long periods of time, damping participation in ever more global social networks despite the legions of Chinese Internet users. Users around China have reported slower and less stable access to popular overseas websites such as Google Inc.'s Gmail, and researchers say it appears traffic to Google's servers is being limited. Chinese websites, including Sina, are required to police themselves to keep their government-issued operational licenses, a costly task involving dozens of employees who monitor the sites around the clock.
Although Sina is known for its heated discussions, at times over controversial issues such as local government corruption and soaring property prices, most talk on the site isn't political. When sensitive topics arise, the company can be creative in limiting conversation without cutting it off altogether—for example, by blocking searches of sensitive keywords but not stopping people from publishing them on their own microblogs.
For topics known to be taboo in China, such as the spiritual group Falun Gong, Tibetan independence and the government's violent 1989 crackdown on student protests in Tiananmen Square, the company sometimes removes messages entirely.
When asked if he was concerned a government crackdown might affect the outspoken nature of Weibo, Mr. Chao said that Sina had years of experience in dealing with content regulations while maintaining its websites and that he was confident the company could handle it.
COMMENTARY: Weibo, pronounced “Way-Boh,” is used by China's most popular celebrities, CEOs and star athletes in China offered by Sina.com. It’s a blend of Facebook and Twitter where users can post videos, share photos, comments, etc. In addition, the Chinese language allows you to say a lot more in 140 characters than you can type in English.
In a June 20, 2011 blog post, I profiled SINA Corp (which owns and operates Sina Weibo), about their future plans to spinoff Sina Weiba as a separate company. In the blog post I provide a lot of very detailed information about Sina Weibo's inner workings, value proposition, traffic, stock performance and financial performance and a comparison with chief competitor Tencent. Tencent is a much larger and more diversified company, so Sina Weibo has its work cutout for it.
In June 19, 2011, Sina Weibo has launched “Data”, a tool to analyze Sina Weibo accounts’ performance.
As it stands, Sina Weibo has famously taken Twitter and “made it better” – including add-ons and features that have overtaken Twitter’s own capabilities. “Data”, is but the latest in such improvements.
In what must be a boon to marketers and narcissistic microbloggers everywhere, you can know see visualisations of:
1. Topics your Followers are interested in
2. A Gender breakdown of your Followers
3. A Geographic Distribution of Weibo Fans
4. Your Top 3 fans, by total number of comments
5. Your Top 10 Most Active Fans
6. Left: Your Top 10 Fans in the last week by comments and re-posts; Right: potential fans who have commented and re-published your posts
7. The individual influence of your fans
8. Your daily total fans over the past 15 days.
This allows conversation and dialogue with your fans and followers to be more meaningful, especially for brands to discover what kinds of conversation and updates work best, and that garner the most engagement with fans.
It’s a step up and away from 3rd party analytics providers, as well. Twitter, take note.
Weibo was the Internet phenomenon in China during 2010 and currently captures 20 percent of China’s 457 million online users—the world’s largest population of Internet users. Marbridge Consulting estimates that Weibo is growing by 10 million users a month and could reach 150 million this year.
Twitter, by comparison, which launched in 2006, reached 50 million users after three years of operation and today has more than 200 million registered users globally.
Censorship, which caused a major dust-up between Google and the Chinese government last year and has hampered the general growth of U.S. Internet companies in the Chinese market, is a concern.
However, Sina appears to be better prepared to manage the balance between user experience and government regulation. The company has built a strong relationship with the Chinese government over the past decade and Sina has taken measures to monitor politicized discussion. They employ 700 staffers devoted to monitoring content 24 hours a day, according to TIME.
That’s a short-term solution; in the long-run, Sina must convince authorities that microblogging contributes to a harmonious society and follow Alibaba’s, a global eCommerce site, practice in providing assistance to the government. Weibo has already blocked searches for the words “Jasmine Revolution” and “Egypt,” according to the New York Times.
In a country where political organization has changed much more slowly than economic growth, Weibo may just be the facilitator necessary to improve government policy and correct social injustice via the new media.
WASHINGTON -- The chemical at the heart of the planet’s most widely used herbicide -- Roundup weedkiller, used in farms and gardens across the U.S. -- is coming under more intense scrutiny following the release of a new report calling for a heightened regulatory response around its use.
Critics have argued for decades that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup and other herbicides used around the globe, poses a serious threat to public health. Industry regulators, however, appear to have consistently overlooked their concerns.
A comprehensive review of existing data released this month by Earth Open Source, an organization that uses open-source collaboration to advance sustainable food production, suggests that industry regulators in Europe have known for years that glyphosate, originally introduced by American agricultural biotechnology giant Monsanto in 1976, causes birth defects in the embryos of laboratory animals.
Founded in 2009, Earth Open Source is a non-profit organisation incorporated in the U.K. but international in scope. Its three directors, specializing in business, technology and genetic engineering, work pro-bono along with a handful of young volunteers. Partnering with half a dozen international scientists and researchers, the group drew its conclusions in part from studies conducted in a number of locations, including Argentina, Brazil, France and the United States.
Earth Open Source’s study is only the latest report to question the safety of glyphosate, which is the top-ranked herbicide used in the United States. Exact figures are hard to come by because the U.S. Department of Agriculture stopped updating its pesticide use database in 2008. The EPA estimates that the agricultural market used 180 to 185 million pounds of glyphosate between 2006 and 2007, while the non-agricultural market used 8 to 11 million pounds between 2005 and 2007, according to its Pesticide Industry Sales & Usage Report for 2006-2007 published in February, 2011.
The Earth Open Source study also reports that by 1993 the herbicide industry, including Monsanto, knew that visceral anomalies such as dilation of the heart could occur in rabbits at low and medium-sized doses. The report further suggests that since 2002, regulators with the European Commission have known that glyphosate causes developmental malformations in lab animals.
Even so, the commission’s health and consumer division published a final review report of glyphosate in 2002 that approved its use in Europe for the next 10 years.
As recently as last year, the German Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BLV), a government agency conducting a review of glyphosate, told the European Commission that there was no evidence the compound causes birth defects, according to the report.
The agency reached that conclusion despite almost half a dozen industry studies that found glyphosate produced fetal malformations in lab animals, as well as an independent study from 2007 that found that Roundup induces adverse reproductive effects in the male offspring of a certain kind of rat.
German regulators declined to respond in detail for this story because they say they only learned of the Earth Open Source report last week. The regulators emphasized that their findings were based on public research and literature.
Although the European Commission originally planned to review glyphosate in 2012, it decided late last year not to do so until 2015. And it won’t review the chemical under more stringent, up-to-date standards until 2030, according to the report.
The European Commission told HuffPost that it wouldn’t comment on whether it was already aware of studies demonstrating the toxicity of glyphosate in 2002. But it said the commission was aware of the Earth Open Source study and had discussed it with member states.
A commission official told HuffPost in an email.
“Germany concluded that study does not change the current safety assessment of gylphosate. This view is shared by all other member states.”
John Fagan, a doctor of molecular and cell biology and biochemistry and one of the founders of Earth Open Source, acknowledged his group’s report offers no new laboratory research. Rather, he said the objective was for scientists to compile and evaluate the existing evidence and critique the regulatory response.
Fagan said.
“We did not do the actual basic research ourselves. The purpose of this paper was to bring together and to critically evaluate all the evidence around the safety of glyphosate and we also considered how the regulators, particularly in Europe, have looked at that.”
For its part, Earth Open Source said that government approval of the ubiquitous herbicide has been rash and problematic. Wrote the report’s authors.
"Our examination of the evidence leads us to the conclusion that the current approval of glyphosate and Roundup is deeply flawed and unreliable. What is more, we have learned from experts familiar with pesticide assessments and approvals that the case of glyphosate is not unusual. They say that the approvals of numerous pesticides rest on data and risk assessments that are just as scientifically flawed, if not more so."
The authors added.
"This is all the more reason why the Commission must urgently review glyphosate and other pesticides according to the most rigorous and up-to-date standards."
Monsanto spokeswoman Janice Person said in a statement that the Earth Open Source report presents no new findings. Person said.
"Based on our initial review, the Earth Open Source report does not appear to contain any new health or toxicological evidence regarding glyphosate. Regulatory authorities and independent experts around the world agree that glyphosate does not cause adverse reproductive effects in adult animals or birth defects in offspring of these adults exposed to glyphosate, even at doses far higher than relevant environmental or occupational exposures.”
While Roundup has been associated with deformities in a host of laboratory animals, its impact on humans remains unclear. One laboratory study done in France in 2005 found that Roundup and glyphosate caused the death of human placental cells. Another study, conducted in 2009, found that Roundup caused total cell death in human umbilical, embryonic and placental cells within 24 hours. Yet researchers have conducted few follow-up studies.
Jeffrey Smith, executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, which advocates against genetically modified food said.
“Obviously there’s a limit to what’s appropriate in terms of testing poison on humans. But if you look at the line of converging evidence, it points to a serious problem. And if you look at the animal feeding studies with genetically modified Roundup ready crops, there’s a consistent theme of reproductive disorders, which we don’t know the cause for because follow-up studies have not been done. More independent research is needed to evaluate the toxicity of Roundup and glyphosate, and the evidence that has already accumulated is sufficient to raise a red flag.”
Authorities have criticized Monsanto in the past for soft-pedaling Roundup. In 1996 New York State's Attorney General sued Monsanto for describing Roundup as "environmentally friendly" and "safe as table salt." Monsanto, while not admitting any wrongdoing, agreed to stop using the terms for promotional purposes and paid New York state $250,000 to settle the suit.
Regulators in the United States have said they are aware of the concerns surrounding glyphosate. The Environmental Protection Agency, which is required to reassess the safety and effectiveness all pesticides on a 15-year cycle through a process called registration review, is currently examining the compound.
The EPA told HuffPost in a written statement.
“EPA initiated registration review of glyphosate in July 2009. EPA will determine if our previous assessments of this chemical need to be revised based on the results of this review. EPA issued a notice to the company [Monsanto] to submit human health and ecotoxicity data in September 2010.”
The EPA said it will also review a “wide range of information and data from other independent researchers” including Earth Open Source.
The agency's Office of Pesticide Programs is in charge of the review and has set a deadline of 2015 for determining if registration modifications need to be made or if the herbicide should continue to be sold at all.
Though skirmishes over the regulation of glyphosate are playing out at agencies across the U.S. and around the world, Argentina is at the forefront of the battle.
Farmers and others in Argentina use the weedkiller primarily on genetically modified Roundup Ready soy, which covers nearly 50 million acres, or half of the country's cultivated land area. In 2009 farmers sprayed that acreage with an estimated 200 million liters of glyphosate.
The Argentine government helped pull the country out of a recession in the 1990s in part by promoting genetically modified soy. Though it was something of a miracle for poor farmers, several years after the first big harvests residents near where the soy cop grew began reporting health problems, including high rates of birth defects and cancers, as well as the losses of crops and livestock as the herbicide spray drifted across the countryside.
The study, published in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology in 2010, found that glyphosate causes malformations in frog and chicken embryos at doses far lower than those used in agricultural spraying. It also found that malformations caused in frog and chicken embryos by Roundup and its active ingredient glyphosate were similar to human birth defects found in genetically modified soy-producing regions.
Wrote Carrasco, director of the Laboratory of Molecular Embryology at the University of Buenos Aires.
"The findings in the lab are compatible with malformations observed in humans exposed to glyphosate during pregnancy. I suspect the toxicity classification of glyphosate is too low. In some cases this can be a powerful poison."
Argentina has not made any federal reforms based on this research and has not discussed the research publicly, Carrasco told HuffPost, except to mount a "close defense of Monsanto and it partners."
The Ministry of Science and Technology has moved to distance the government from the study, telling media at the time the study was not commissioned by the government and had not been reviewed by scientific peers.
Ignacio Duelo, spokesman for the the Ministry of Science and Technology’s National Council for Scientific and Technical Research [CONICET], told HuffPost in an statement that while Carrasco is one of its researchers, CONICET has not vouched for or assessed his work.
Duelo said that the Ministry of Science is examining Carrasco’s report as part of a study of the possible harmful effects of the glyphosate. Officials, he added, are as yet unable to “reach a definitive conclusion on the effects of glyphosate on human health, though more studies are recommended, as more data is necessary.”
Guillermo Cal, executive director of CASAFE, Argentina's association of fertilizer companies, in a statement at the time said.
"A ban, if approved, would mean we couldn't do agriculture in Argentina."
In March 2010, a regional court in Argentina's Santa Fe province banned the spraying of glyphosate and other herbicides near populated areas. A month later, the provincial government of Chaco province issued a report on health statistics from La Leonesa. The report, which was carried in the leftist Argentinian newspaper Página 12, showed that from 2000 to 2009, following the expansion of genetically-modified soy and rice crops in the region, the childhood cancer rate tripled in La Leonesa and the rate of birth defects increased nearly fourfold over the entire province.
MORE QUESTIONS
Back in the United States, Don Huber, an emeritus professor of plant pathology at Purdue University, found that genetically-modified crops used in conjunction with Roundup contain a bacteria that may cause animal miscarriages.
After studying the bacteria, Huber wrote Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack in February warning that the
"pathogen appears to significantly impact the health of plants, animals, and probably human beings."
The bacteria is particularly prevalent in corn and soybean crops stricken by disease, according to Huber, who asked Vilsack to stop deregulating Roundup Ready crops. Critics such as Huber are particularly wary of those crops because scientists have genetically altered them to be immune to Roundup -- and thus allow farmers to spray the herbicide liberally onto a field, killing weeds but allowing the crop itself to continue growing. [That's one scary finding]
Monsanto is not the only company making glyphosate. China sells glyphosate to Argentina at a very low price, Carrasco said, and there are more than one hundred commercial formulations in the market. But Monsanto’s Roundup has the longest list of critics, in part because it dominates the market.
The growth in adoption of genetically modified crops has exploded since their introduction in 1996. According to Monsanto, an estimated 89 percent of domestic soybean crops were Roundup Ready in 2010, and as of 2010, there were 77.4 million acres of Roundup Ready soybeans planted, according to the Department of Agriculture.
In his letter to the Agriculture Department, Huber also commented on the herbicide, saying that the bacteria that he’s concerned about appears to be connected to use of glyphosate, the key ingredient in Roundup. He wrote.
"It is well-documented that glyphosate promotes soil pathogens and is already implicated with the increase of more than 40 plant diseases; it dismantles plant defenses by chelating vital nutrients; and it reduces the bioavailability of nutrients in feed, which in turn can cause animal disorders."
Huber said the Agriculture Department wrote him in early May and that he has had several contacts with the agency since then. But there’s little evidence that government officials have any intention of conducting the “multi-agency investigation” Huber requested.
Part of the problem may be that the USDA oversees genetically modified crops while the EPA watches herbicides, creating a potential regulatory loophole for products like Roundup, which relies on both to complete the system. When queried, USDA officials emphasized that they do not regulate pesticides or herbicides and declined to comment publicly on Huber's letter.
A spokesman eventually conceded their scientists do study glyphosate. The USDA said in a statement.
"USDA’s Agricultural Research Service’s research with glyphosate began shortly after the discovery of its herbicidal activity in the mid 1970's. All of our research has been made public and much has gone through the traditional peer review process.”
While Huber acknowledged his research is far from conclusive, he said regulatory agencies must seek answers now. Huber said.
“There is much research that needs to be done yet. But we can't afford to wait the three to five years for peer-reviewed papers.”
While Huber’s claims have roiled the agricultural world and the blogosphere alike, he has fueled skeptics by refusing to make his research public or identify his fellow researchers, who he claims could suffer substantial professional backlash from academic employers who received research funding from the biotechnology industry.
At Purdue University, six of Huber’s former colleagues pointedly distanced themselves from his findings, encouraging crop producers and agribusiness personnel “to speak with University Extension personnel before making changes in crop production practices that are based on sensationalist claims.”
Since it first introduced the chemical to the world in the 1970s, Monsanto has netted billions on its best-selling herbicide, though the company has faced stiffer competition since its patent expired in 2000 and it is reportedly working to revamp its strategy.
In a lengthy email, Person, the Monsanto spokeswoman, respondedto critics, suggesting that the economic and environmental benefits of Roundup were being overlooked:
The authors of the report create an account of glyphosate toxicity from a selected set of scientific studies, while they ignored much of the comprehensive data establishing the safety of the product. Regulatory agencies around the world have concluded that glyphosate is not a reproductive toxin or teratogen (cause of birth defects) based on in-depth review of the comprehensive data sets available.
Earth Open Source authors take issue with the decision by the European Commission to place higher priority on reviewing other pesticide ingredients first under the new EU regulations, citing again the flawed studies as the rationale. While glyphosate and all other pesticide ingredients will be reviewed, the Commission has decided that glyphosate appropriately falls in a category that doesn’t warrant immediate attention.
John Fagan of Earth Open Source said.
“The data was there but the regulators were glossing over it, and as a result it was accepted in ways that we consider really questionable.”
CORNERING THE INDUSTRY?
Although the EPA has said it wants to evaluate more evidence of glyphosate's human health risk as part of a registration review program, the agency is not doing any studies of its own and is instead relying on outside data -- much of which comes from the agricultural chemicals industry it seeks to regulate.
The EPA told HuffPost in a statement.
"EPA ensures that each registered pesticide continues to meet the highest standards of safety to protect human health and the environment. These standards have become stricter over the years as our ability to evaluate the potential effects of pesticides has increased. The Agency placed glyphosphate into registration review. Registration review makes sure that as the ability to assess risks and as new information becomes available, the Agency carefully considers the new information to ensure pesticides do not pose risks of concern to people or the environment."
Agribusiness giants, including Monsanto, Dow Chemical, Syngenta and BASF, will, as part of a 19-member task force, generate much of the data the EPA is seeking. But the EPA has emphasized that the task force is only “one of numerous varied third-party sources that EPA will rely on for use in its registration review.”
The EPA is hardly the only industry regulator that relies heavily on data supplied by the agrochemical industry itself.
Jeffrey Smith, of the Institute for Responsible Technology said.
“The regulation of pesticides has been significantly skewed towards the manufacturers interests where state-of-the-art testing is not done and adverse findings are typically distorted or denied. The regulators tend to use the company data rather than independent sources, and the company data we have found to be inappropriately rigged to force the conclusion of safety. We have documented time and time again scientists who have been fired, stripped of responsibilities, denied funding, threatened, gagged and transferred as a result of the pressure put on them by the biotech industry.”
Such suppression has sometimes grown violent, Smith noted. Last August, when Carrasco and his team of researchers went to give a talk in La Leonesa they were intercepted by a mob of about a hundred people. The attack landed two people in the hospital and left Carrasco and a colleague cowering inside a locked car. Witnesses said the angry crowd had ties to powerful economic interests behind the local agro-industry and that police made little effort to interfere with the beating, according to the human rights group Amnesty International.
Fagan told HuffPost that among developmental biologists who are not beholden to the chemical industry or the biotechnology industry, there is strong recognition that Carrasco’s research is credible. He added.
"For me as a scientist, one of the reasons I made the effort to do this research into the literature was to really satisfy the question myself as to where the reality of the situation lies. Having thoroughly reviewed the literature on this, I feel very comfortable in standing behind the conclusions Professor Carrasco came to and the broader conclusions that we come to in our paper. We can’t figure out how regulators could have come to the conclusions that they did if they were taking a balanced look at the science, even the science that was done by the chemical industry itself.”
COMMENTARY: I just quickly reviewed the EPA's comprehensive review of Glyphosate (CASRN 1071-83-6), and here's what I found:
In section I.A.2. Principal and Supporting Studies (Oral RfD), the EPA says that the Monsanto Company. 1981a. MRID No. 0081674, 00105995, was used as a "principal and supporting study". Monsanto's conclusion from tests on rats were, "No treatment-related effects on fertility were noted, nor were any systemic effects in adult rats apparent." You didn't expect Monsanto to claim Glphosate is toxic to rats do you?
In section I.A.4. Additional Studies/Comments (Oral RfD), there are four test findings dated 1981b, 1985, 1980a and 1980b on Glyphosate. All of them were conducted by Monsanto.
Regarding the above Monsanto's Oral Rfd tests, the EPA said.
"The quality of the chosen study is good; therefore, it receives a high confidence rating. The quantity and quality of the available supporting studies warrant high confidence in the data base. High confidence in the RfD follows."
I next reviewed section II.A. Evidence for Human Carcinogenicity of the EPA's case file on Glyphosate for any mention that it might present a human carcinogen danger, and the EPA says in the Classification and Basis sections:
Classification — D; not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity.
Basis — Inadequate evidence for oncogenicity in animals. Glyphosate was originally classified as C, possible human carcinogen, on the basis of increased incidence of renal tumors in mice. Following independent review of the slides the classification was changed to D on the basis of a lack of statistical significance and uncertainty as to a treatment-related effect.
Just how in the hell can the EPA claim that Glyphosate does not present a carcinogenic danger to humans when the tests are conducted strictly on mice and all of the test data was provided by Monsanto?
What's really alarming are the comments and findings about Glyphosate by Earth Open Source, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and scientists from Argentina:
According to Monsanto, an estimated 89 percent of domestic soybean crops were Roundup Ready in 2010, and as of 2010, there were 77.4 million acres of Roundup Ready soybeans planted, according to the Department of Agriculture.
According to Earth Open Source, industry regulators in Europe have known for years that glyphosate, originally introduced by American agricultural biotechnology giant Monsanto in 1976, causes birth defects in the embryos of laboratory animals.
The Earth Open Source study also reports that by 1993 the herbicide industry, including Monsanto, knew that visceral anomalies such as dilation of the heart could occur in rabbits at low and medium-sized doses. The report further suggests that since 2002, regulators with the European Commission have known that glyphosate causes developmental malformations in lab animals.
In 1996 New York State's Attorney General sued Monsanto for describing Roundup as "environmentally friendly" and "safe as table salt." Monsanto, while not admitting any wrongdoing, agreed to stop using the terms for promotional purposes and paid New York state $250,000 to settle the suit.
Farmers and others in Argentina use Roundup primarily on genetically modified Roundup Ready soy, which covers nearly 50 million acres, or half of the country's cultivated land area. In 2009 farmers sprayed that acreage with an estimated 200 million liters of glyphosate.
Monsanto spokesperson Janice Person said in a statement that the Earth Open Source report presents no new findings. Person said.
"Based on our initial review, the Earth Open Source report does not appear to contain any new health or toxicological evidence regarding glyphosate. Regulatory authorities and independent experts around the world agree that glyphosate does not cause adverse reproductive effects in adult animals or birth defects in offspring of these adults exposed to glyphosate, even at doses far higher than relevant environmental or occupational exposures.”
If what Ms Person says is true, then why doesn't Monsanto provide copies ofthe lab tests on Glyphosate by the "regulatory authorities and independent experts around the world".
At least the EPA is starting to take Glyphosate seriously and taking some action and reported to the Huffington Post:
“EPA initiated registration review of glyphosate in July 2009. EPA will determine if our previous assessments of this chemical need to be revised based on the results of this review. EPA issued a notice to the company [Monsanto] to submit human health and ecotoxicity data in September 2010.”
What is disappointing is that the EPA made no effort to suspend use of Glyphosate until further tests on the effects of Glyphosate on humans was completed. Again, the EPA is relying on Monsanto to do this additional research. What the EPA should've done is ordered Monsanto to have an independent third party test lab conduct the tests.
So far, there appears to be some evidence that Glyphosate could, on the basis of tests on lab mice, present a possible carcinogen danger to humans, but more thorough tests are needed, preferably by a reliable and independent third party.
Seeds and genomics represented $2.36 billion in sales for Monsanto, most of its business. The company continues its long-term transition from a seed and herbicide company to one in which the business is largely genetically altered seeds. There is resistance to such seeds, which are genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
On February 11, 2011, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved plantings of three genetically engineered (GE) crops in as many weeks, including Monsanto Co.’s Roundup Ready sugar beets and alfalfa that are engineered to tolerate Roundup Ready weed-killing herbicide.
The USDA on February 11 also legalized, without restriction, the world’s first GE corn crop meant for biofuel production. Biotech giant Syngenta’s Event 3272 seed corn will simplify ethanol production and is not meant to feed animals or humans.
The approvals flew in the face of legal and regulatory challenges posed by GE crop opponents and members of the agricultural industry. Opponents fear the GE crop varieties could contaminate conventional food crops and promote the overuse of herbicides like the glyphosate-based Roundup and more toxic chemicals used to kill glyphosate-resistant weeds.
Monsanto won a victory on February 4 when the USDA partially deregulated Roundup Ready sugar beets. A federal court in August 2010 temporarily banned the beets and ordered the USDA to re-review the environmental impacts of the Roundup Ready sugar beets as the result of a lawsuit filed by farmers and environmental groups.
Monsanto has been quietly and relentlessly expanding its control over and profit from our food supply. Along the way, contaminating the food supply and threatening public health worldwide with its genetically engineered “foods”and herbicides which have demonstratively deleterious effects on human health.
Monsanto gets to sell its products even though there is data that indicates they would have adverse impacts if mixed with naturally occurring food crops. With The Secretary Of Agriculture Vilsack’s long pro-biotech record, USDA rife with former Monsanto employees, FDA headed by Monsanto’s Chief Lobbyist Michael Taylor, the Frankenfood giant has completely captured and manipulated the very government agencies charged with ensuring the security of the food supply. They do Monsanto’s bidding. At the expense of your health and safety.
With the help from its friends in the Department of Agriculture, Monsanto's financial performance has rebounded from FY 2010 when its Glyphosate patent expired and other competitors entered the market and robbed about 40% of the profits from the sale of Roundup products.
Ahh, it's so nice and very profitable for Monsanto to have so many Monsanto-friendly and influential friends in high places. Oh, I nearly forgot to mention. Monsanto's stock has also increased in value from $46.05 in July 7, 2010 to $65.96 on June 24, 2011. Life is good at Monsanto headquarters.
Courtesy of an article dated June 24, 2011 appearing in The Huffington Postan article dated January 6, 2010 appearing in Seeking Alpha, an article dated July 6, 2010 appearing in Investopedia, and an article dated February 15, 2011 appearing in The Oldspeak Journal dd
Even though it's off the market, Tesla tells us they haven't given up on electric-powered speed machines. "The Roadster proved that EVs can outperform traditional combustion vehicles while producing zero emissions," says Tesla's Khobi Brooklyn.
Say what you will about perennial electric vehicle startup Tesla Motors--the Roadster convertible changed the mainstream perception of EVs from clunky golf carts to sleek vehicles that can actually be driven on highways. The $109,000 two-seater, which was introduced in 2006, reportedly inspired Chevrolet to develop the extended-range electric Volt, one of the first mainstream, affordable EVs to pop up in recent years. And now Tesla has announced that it is discontinuing Roadster sales in two months to focus on the more reasonably priced Model S.
The Roadster never went big--only 1,650 of the vehicles were sold worldwide by the end of April 2011--but that wasn't the point. Tesla spokesperson Khobi Brooklyn in an email to Fast Company provides an explains.
"The Roadster accomplished everything we asked of it--it served as a catalyst for the EV industry, and it has allowed us to refine electric technology for future, and more affordable EVs. The Roadster proved that EVs can outperform traditional combustion vehicles while producing zero emissions."
Now comes Tesla's real test: selling a car to the masses. The Model S will go for approximately $57,400 when it is released in 2012. Tesla has been pretty open about the Model S's production process. On April 13, 2011, I ran a blog post about Tesla's facilities. Having said this, the car will probably be an impeccably engineered product. But that still may not translate into sales; most people aren't ready to embrace all-electric vehicles yet--and the Model S, while a lot cheaper than the Roadster, is still pricey.
Tesla Motors unveils the new Model S Sedan at SpaceX's space rocket factory (also owned by Evon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors):
Here's a video of a more detailed look inside and outside the Tesla Motors Model S sedan;
At least Tesla has showrooms designed by Apple's retail guru--that gives the company a leg up over almost every other EV manufacturer.
And EV supercar enthusiasts, take heart--there will be more ultra-expensive Tesla vehicles coming down the pipeline in the future. Brooklyn tells us:
"The Roadster will always be the cornerstone of Tesla, and we look forward to bringing back a version of the supercar that takes full advantage of our advanced electric powertrain in the next several years."
Here's some information about the Model S that I grabbed off of the Tesla Motors website:
COMMENTARY: Now that's what I call a classy all-electric premium sedan, but will consumer's take the bite and buy them at $57,400 before federal tax credit of $7,500 and options. You betcha. Tesla Motors recently announced a 300-mile range Model S, but that option will set you back $20,000. You can read about it HERE.
If you are interested, Tesla Motors arrangements can be made to test drive a Model S. That should be a lot of fun. If you want to reserve one, it will set you back $5,000. The first Tesla Model S sedans will roll off of their New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI) automobile manufacturing plant located in Fremont, California in mid-2012. Only 7,500 Tesla Model S Sedan's will be produced in 2012, so you better hurry.
Financing and leasing options make getting behind the wheel of a Roadster easy. The cost of Roadster ownership is extremely advantageous compared to typical sports car ownership - there is no gasoline or costly routine maintenance. The benefits of financing or leasing a Roadster far outweigh traditional offers.
Roadster Financing is available through Bank of America for United States customers. Finance up to 75% of purchase price, including taxes and fees. Learn more
Tesla Leasing provides added flexibility and peace of mind to owning a Roadster. At the end of a 3-year, 30,000 mile lease, lessees may purchase their Roadster, turn it in for another Tesla, or return it and walk away. As technology evolves, lessees remain on the cutting edge of electric mobility advancements. Lease cost savings could be up to $130 compared to similar gas powered cars.
I had doubted Tesla Motors would succeed when they introduced the Roadster all-electric sports car, but after a successful IPO, unveiling of the Model S sedan, acquisition of the NUMMI assembly plant, and new showrooms, I have a feeling that they just might be able to make it, but its not going to be easy.
The Model S is a premium imported sedan that is fully capable of competing against BMW and Mercedes-Benz, and its electric battery is superior to anything out there. In fact, Toyota was so impressed, that it inked a deal with Tesla Motors to license its battery technology.
Elon Musk, Tesla Motors' visionary founder and CEO never ceases to amaze me. He is also one of the co-founders of SpaceX, the first privately-owned U.S. space rocket company. SpaceX is building the rocket technology to replace the soon to be retired NASA Space Shuttle, and the company has had nothing but success. I have covered SpaceX extensively in previous blog posts dated April 26, 2011, April 20, 2011, January 17, 2011 and December 8, 2010, and hope you will read them.
Courtesy of an article dated June 24, 2011 appearing in Fast Company
Watching Glenn Beck's show after he leaves FOX News at the end of the June will cost you...but not as much as it costs you to read the New York Times online.
Beck's show will become a two hour nightly event airing live from 5-7pm beginning on 9/12.
Beck plans to have a variety of both scripted and unscripted entertainment. Despite his polarizing nature, the conservative pundit promised there'd be a little bit of everything in the daily two-hour program. The subscription also includes "original Glenn Beck Programming, news, documentaries, reality and behind-the-scenes shows.
The new GBTV website features a promo trailer. Beginning with a child's voice, it is complete with quotes from founding fathers, images of Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon lying during the low points of their presidency, and concerned Americans asking questions like, "who can you trust?"
Also airing on the newly launched Internet channel will be a simulcast of Beck’s three hour radio show and “The 4th Hour” starring his sidekicks Pat Gray and Stu Burguiere. Over the summer the channel will feature a behind-the-scenes reality show about the making of GBTV.
And that's apparently just the beginning.
Beck tells the NYT.
“If you’re a fan of Jon Stewart, you’re going to find something on GBTV that you’re going to enjoy. If you’re a fan of ‘24,’ you’re going to find something on GBTV that you’re going to enjoy.”
Satire and guns! If Beck's remotely as successful as either of those shows then let's just say Roger Ailes' concerns Beck was becoming the competition were not unwarranted.
According to WebProNews, the internet is the perfect place for a guy like Beck to broadcast. He will now have the ability to say whatever he wants, without the fear of butting heads with Fox News, and losing tons of advertisers. Plus he already has a loyal following and has basically become his own brand. Time will tell, however, if Beck’s audience will be willing to make the switch to the internet. The subscription part won’t be a problem, I presume, as his fans are very enthusiastic about him.
Meanwhile, here are the two things Beck and company are banking on.
First: That the 80,000 subscribers who have already signed up for Glenn Beck's subscription service Extreme, and will automatically get access to GBTV, will provide a solid base.
Second: That viewers are already in the process of transitioning all their television viewing online and they are just one step ahead of the inevitable. Whether they are one step too soon will be the challenge.
Beck said.
“I think we might be a little early..But I’d rather be ahead of the pack than part of it."
Regardless, Beck and team have laid out some lofty goals and it obviously remains to be seen whether Beck will be able to attract the sort of numbers online that he was able to on FOX.
So how many subscribers will Beck need to make this work.
He already has 80,000 Extreme subscribers. To make up the reported $2 million dollars he is losing from his FOX contract he'd need to sign up 40,000 more subscibers at the $4.95 level (which is the lowest subscriber level). That's a tall-ish order depending on Mercury's timeline -- the NYT was hoping to get 100,000 in its first year. Of course, Beck is not the NYT (to put it mildly) -- the upshot for him being, you probably won't be able to find him brand of media elsewhere the same way you can the news.
The concern, of course, will be whether the current 80,000 Extreme subscribers represent the majority of hard core Beck fans willing to pay for access to Beck.
But to put it in context, one fortieth of Beck's total nightly viewers -- in the last month or so he averaged between 1,200,000 and 1,600,000 viewers on any given night -- will have to sign up to make up the loss of his FOX contract.
That's not all that much, though, considering the amount of people willing to shell out money on books based on his recommendation perhaps not entirely unrealistic.
One imagines whether or not he is able to pull this off will be of great interest to every TV exec scrambling to figure out how to remain profitable in a world where networks matter less than embeddable video codes.
Update: Beck is currently on GBTV (and presumably the radio) telling listeners he argued to get the price down to $5/month despite the fact it would require a ridiculous amount of subscribers to make it work.
He's also asking listeners to consider whether he has provided $5 worth of information this past month and (choking up) gives listeners "his word" they will be getting their money's worth.
Says Beck: "I have global plans."
COMMENTARY: I don't think there is a rightwing nut that makes my stomach crawl than Glenn Beck. It's quite a spectacle to watch him scribble his rightwing propaganda and lies on that blackboard he uses to make his points on the Fox News set. His followers, most of them male, sit attentively like college students, as he methodically brainwashes them, then they clap and laugh uproariously at the first mention of Obama, Al Gore or the Clinton's. I do the same thing everytime someone mentions Cheney, Bush or Condi.
Glenn Beck apparently has a deep seeded problem with President Obama, calling him pointblank a "racist" during an interview on Fox News. Look, I don't have a problem with someone having different political views. I run into this all the time. I love political debate. But, to call President Obama a racist is just plain going over the top. See what you think.
Here's Beck being interviewed by NBC's Katie Couric explaining with some difficulty the on-air comments he made on his Fox News show that President is a racist.
So when I heard he had been fired or was leaving Fox News, I was happier than horseshit. But, unbeknownst to me, he is lives!! Beck is like a wart you cannot remove or a vampire you just stabbed in the heart. He is going on online with his extreme rightwing views via his own live internet TV channel, Glen Beck Television a.k.a. GBTV.com. I just visited the site, but want no part of drinking the the Glen Beck Kool-Aid.
[Click Image To Get A FREE pack of Glenn Beck Kool- Aid]
I found it outrageously funny when I heard that Glen Beck was crying profusely during one of his Fox News shows, so I downloaded a few pics, and saved them for my personal enjoyment and entertainment. I tweeted them several times.
I thought it was hillarious and shameful that a grown man would cry, but it proved just a ruthlessly orchestrated scheme by the rightwing punkass to seek pity from his rightwing nut followers or recruit more rightwing nuts to watch his Fox News show. Like many peace loving liberals, I was totally taken aback by this scheme, but it goes to show you the extent Beck will go to elicit pity and fireup his rightwing nutbag evangelists. Tears does it every time. Here's the video of this punkass as he delivers his crying act like a pro in front of the camera.
I thought that people change over time, but I am so wrong. Some people never change. Here's proof:
All kidding and sarcastic remarks aside, I have a feeling that Glenn Beck and GBTV.com will succeed. He has succeeded in brainwashing millions of rightwing nuts that subscribe to the Glenn Beck Kool-Aid. Want to watch Beck? Payup punks.
Courtesy of an article dated June 7, 2011 appearing in Business Insider, an article dated June 7, 2011 appearing in NBC Los Angeles and an article dated June 7, 2011 appearing in The Week
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