A huge Facebook redesign is coming - but it's far more than a new website - TechRadar

After a brutal 2018 that forced the brand to admit it hasn't got the best reputation when it comes to privacy, Mark Zuckerberg has big plans for the Facebook platform in 2019: Facebook is being redesigned.

Zuckerberg made the announcements during Facebook's F8 event near the company's home turf in San Jose, California, where he addressed the past year of issues with privacy, security and decreasing trust in the platform.

The new version of Facebook, codenamed 'FB5', will be the biggest change the social network has experienced in years: nearly every single aspect is changing in some way. There was a lot of information, but we've gathered everything you need to know right here.

New web and mobile designs

The fifth major redesign of the Facebook app is incoming, codenamed 'FB5', and it will make communities – known as Groups – the focus, featuring a sleek redesign that should make it faster and more reliable, not to mention more visually appealing.

The new Facebook mobile app should now be live too, as a much faster and more immersive experience. 

Facebook has made finding what you're looking for more convenient, and more importantly claims to have made it safer and more secure. This is the biggest change to the Facebook app in five years: even the Facebook logo is being updated for 2019.

There's a new Facebook desktop website, too, and it should be much lighter on system resources, with the same design language as the mobile app. It will be coming in the next few months, with some updates showing up right away. 

All about building community

Mark Zuckerberg made it clear that Facebook's focus is shifting to communities both public and private. This means that Groups are going to be the core focus: there are already tens of millions of active Groups on Facebook.

Groups will be easier to find, and easier to participate in, thanks to a new, redesigned Groups tab. This will show you a personalized feed of all of your groups, so you can focus on your communities in a single place, rather than parsing them out from the rest of your News Feed. 

Users will also notice that Group recommendations will crop up in more places, but they'll be more relevant to what you're doing in the app. For instance, you may see more "buy and sell" groups show up in the Marketplace, and Today in Gaming may suggest a new gaming group for you to join. 

The News Feed will also be redesigned so that you can more easily share content directly to your Groups. But, this new community approach goes beyond Groups.

Facebook is launching Facebook Dating in more countries, along with a new feature called "Secret Crush." The idea here is that you can opt-in to this program, and name up to nine of your friends that you have interest in. 

If they opt-in to the program and name you as one of their secret crushes, then you will be matched. However, if the secret crush isn't mutual, no one will know the names you entered.

Facebook Dating is already live in five countries, and will expand to 14 more today. The service will launch in the US at the end of the year. 

There will also be some new ways to meet friends, through the new "Meet New Friends" feature. This is also an opt-in feature, so that you will only be exposed to people who are open to meeting new people. This feature will also work with your Groups, so you can easily add new friends from your favorite community. 

Everything else

Facebook's Marketplace is also getting some improvements. Namely, you'll be able to both ship products across the continental US, and you'll have the ability to pay for stuff safely and securely through the Facebook app. This should make shopping on the Facebook platform more secure for both sellers and buyers.

The Events tab is also getting a makeover, and it will be easier to explore your city. You can coordinate with your friends, find local businesses and find a new favorite restaurant based on your own personal preferences. 

There are so many Facebook changes coming in the next few months, and it could change the way people use the platform day-in and day-out. At the very least, the hope is for these changes to make the social network grow more secure and less divisive.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.techradar.com/news/facebook-redesign-2019

2019-05-01 08:58:00Z
52780281517139

Moosehead Breweries high on cannabis-infused drink deal - CBC.ca

New Brunswick-based Moosehead Breweries Ltd. is getting into the cannabis-infused beverage business, teaming up with Sproutly Canada Inc. to develop a line of non-alcoholic "rapid onset and offset" drinks.

Moosehead, the oldest and largest independently owned brewery in Canada, announced the joint venture with the cannabis company on Tuesday.

They have entered a "definitive agreement" to develop, produce and market all-natural cannabis-infused beverages using Sproutly's naturally produced water-soluble cannabinoids known as Infuz2O.

With Sproutly's technology and Moosehead's experience developing products, the goal is a beverage that tastes good and provides an "immediate and controllable cannabis experience," Moosehead CEO Andrew Oland said in a release.

The "experience" would take effect in about five minutes and last up to 90 minutes — similar to traditional flower cannabis, the release said.

Matthew Oland, a senior Moosehead executive who will serve as CEO of the joint venture, described it as a "game changer for the sector."

The legalization of edibles is expected in Canada by Oct. 17. Ottawa has finished a consultation process for its proposed rules but has not yet released the final version.

Moosehead and Toronto-based Sproutly expect to form the new standalone beverage company by May 31.

No information about how soon the new products will be available has been released.

More details soon

They will be sold through provincially regulated and permitted online and retail storefronts, but Oland declined to say where.

More details will be announced "in the coming months," he said.

Oland also declined to say where the products will be produced.

Under Health Canada's proposed regulations, all cannabis-infused drinks will have to be produced in a separate factory from any other food or beverage.

"Moosehead Breweries' commitment to producing premium beer in Saint John is not changing," Oland said in an email.

A group of alcohol and cannabis companies formed an industry alliance earlier this month to push for changes to the proposed rules governing pot-infused beverages.

The Cannabis Beverage Producers Alliance, led by former Nova Scotia premier Darrell Dexter, is seeking, among other things, to be able to produce pot-based drinks in the same facilities where non-cannabis beverages are made.

Moosehead is not currently a member of the alliance "but is continuously evaluating all its options," said Oland.

50/50 partnership

The new company, identified only as the "Joint Venture," will be structured as a 50/50 equity ownership.

It will have its own management team and board, with each of the partners nominating three directors, according to the statement.

The joint venture will have exclusive rights to use Infuz2O for cannabis beverages for five years with the possibility of a two-year extension if it reaches "certain revenue targets."

The company will also have the ability to enter the European market once recreational cannabis is legalized, according to release.

from Business - Latest - Google News http://bit.ly/2PGepkn
via IFTTT
May 01, 2019 at 12:06AM

Transat's takeover offers send stock soaring, but stoke Quebec protectionist tones - The Globe and Mail

Montreal-based Transat A.T. Inc. is evaluating unsolicited takeover offers, raising fears in Quebec that the province could lose another corporate head office.

The company, which sells vacation packages and operates a holiday travel airline, disclosed the takeover approaches on Tuesday, aiming to get out ahead of any misinformation or leaks. Transat employs about 5,000 people, and its stock soared 46 per cent on the news, giving Transat a market value of $325-million.

In a statement, Transat said it is in “preliminary discussions with more than one party,” but added that “no decision has been made as to any potential transaction.” Industry analysts have suggested WestJet Airlines Ltd., Sunwing Airlines Inc. and Air Canada as potential bidders. WestJet and Air Canada declined to comment, and Sunwing did not respond to a message. Some analysts believe global private equity firms might also be interested.

Story continues below advertisement

Any takeover would benefit from the weakness of Transat’s share price, which has fallen sharply over the past 16 months. The stock was trading around $11 at the start of 2018, but closed at $5.67 on Monday, before the takeover overtures were made public. Competition has prevented Transat from raising its prices to offset increases in fuel costs.

Despite this drop, Transat has $620-million in cash on its balance sheet, creating a disconnect between the market value and its liquid assets.

The potential of a takeover has stirred protectionist sentiment in Quebec. Transat’s headquarters is well known by Montrealers because the tower sits at the base of Mont Royal, the symbolic heart of the city.

“It was heartbreaking when I learned yesterday afternoon of this offer that would be made to buy Transat," said Premier François Legault, who was a co-founder of Air Transat about 30 years ago. "Obviously, it is emotional for me. You won’t be surprised to learn that we’ll do everything we can to keep the head office in Quebec.”

Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon also suggested Quebec investors will find ways to keep control of the company in the province. “Quebec interests can easily find the money to buy this company,” he said, adding the government is ready to assist if needed.

Under federal transportation regulations, Transat must remain majority Canadian-owned. It is also possible a Canadian buyer would have no interest in moving the headquarters to another province.

With its stock price under siege, Transat has rolled out a new strategy focused on constructing hotels in beach destinations such as Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Transat is enticed by the prospect of earning 30-per-cent margins on all-inclusive hotels, and aims to have 5,000 hotel rooms by 2024.

Story continues below advertisement

But this is a long-term aspiration. Transat released its latest quarterly results in March and disclosed an adjusted operating loss of $38-million. It marked the 10th straight year that Transat posted a loss during the winter.

“The initiatives we’ve taken in our strategic plan have not yet borne fruit,” chairman and chief executive officer Jean-Marc Eustache said at the company’s annual general meeting on Tuesday. “They are still weighing on our results instead of improving them.”

Transat continues to face heightened competition from Air Canada and WestJet, both of which have been adding service to sun destinations. They are also competing more frequently with Transat’s profitable transatlantic flights during the summer.

“Competition is more acute than ever in our two markets – Europe and the South,” Mr. Eustache added. To fend off the suitors, he added that "only the transformation brought about by our plan will see us through this.”

Transat expects to start construction in June on its first hotel, in Puerto Morelos, Mexico, and hopes its first projects will be ready for the winter of 2020-21. It also plans to start marketing its hotel brand later this year to draw attention and bookings for the next fiscal year.

Transat is not the only travel company suffering. Global giant Thomas Cook, which is based in Britain, has issued two profit warnings since September, and its shares have plummeted. European rival TUI issued a profit warning in March. Both are wrestling with structural changes in the travel industry, driven by millennials who prefer to map out their own plans and book their vacations on websites such as Trivago or Expedia.

Story continues below advertisement

In a research note, CIBC World Markets analyst Kevin Chiang laid out potential reasons for Air Canada, WestJet and Sunwing to buy Transat, beyond the cash on Transat’s balance sheet.

Air Canada already flies into Transat’s markets, so it could easily integrate the business, Mr. Chiang wrote. Acquiring Transat’s fleet could also cushion against a long-term grounding of Air Canada’s Boeing 737 MAX planes.

WestJet would gain “an immediate foothold into the transatlantic market and greater presence in Quebec,” he wrote, and a different fleet type.

As for Sunwing, “a potential acquisition of Transat would remove a key competitor and bring a more rational competitive dynamic to the sun destinations markets – addition by subtraction,” Mr. Chiang wrote.

from Business - Latest - Google News https://tgam.ca/2PDEwbD
via IFTTT
May 01, 2019 at 01:03AM

Alphabet Stock Tumbles as Wall Street Reacts to Google Sales Slowdown - Barron's

Photograph by Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images

Alphabet stock was tanking in early trading Tuesday after the internet giant surprised Wall Street with a slower revenue growth rate for its first quarter.

The back story. The technology company’s stock had risen about 24% this year through Monday’s close. The rally was based on optimism over the long growth runway of its core internet ad business and the upside from its other emerging bets, like self-driving unit Waymo and machine learning.

On Monday, Alphabet (GOOGL) reported first-quarter revenue growth of 17% year-over-year to $36.34 billion, which fell short of analyst expectations of $37.3 billion. It was the first time quarterly sales growth was below the 20% level since early 2016, according to FactSet.

Editor's Choice

Alphabet stock was down 7.6% to $1,197.36 shortly after Tuesday’s market open.

What’s new. Stifel analyst Scott Devitt on Monday lowered his rating to Hold from Buy for Alphabet stock, citing the company’s lower level of sales growth.

“The unexpected degree of revenue deceleration and lower visibility into the near-term reacceleration / deceleration potential lead us to believe the multiple on shares may be challenged to move meaningfully higher over the next twelve months,” he wrote.

Newsletter Sign-up

The analyst cited how management admitted YouTube’s click growth rate also decelerated in the quarter.

In similar fashion, MoffettNathanson analyst Michael Nathanson was stunned over Alphabet’s disappointing sales results. He still reaffirmed his Buy rating for the stock.

“Perhaps we were all lulled to sleep by Alphabet’s” strong history of growth,” he wrote on Tuesday. “Alphabet’s U.S. revenue growth decelerated by a shocking 400 basis points.”

Nathanson said the slowing growth rate may be to driven by falling usage of mobile search.

Looking ahead. Devitt reaffirmed his $1,287 price target for Alphabet, while Nathanson reduced his forecast to $1,290 from $1,380.

Write to Tae Kim at tae.kim@barrons.com

from Business - Latest - Google News http://bit.ly/2Vz4IcZ
via IFTTT
April 30, 2019 at 09:23PM

Tech firm Hootsuite lets go of dozens of employees in Vancouver - Straight.com

This year is supposed to be a big one for Hootsuite. The Vancouver-based social-media management company is widely understood to be preparing for an initial public offering with a valuation at $1 billion or more.

But today (April 30) the tech firm’s headquarters in Mount Pleasant has a steady stream of employees leaving the building with pink slips.

The layoffs were first reported by CTV News, which says more than 100 people have lost their jobs. The company has so-far refused to confirm that number. Other reports say “dozens” have been fired.

“Today Hootsuite communicated organizational changes in order to drive greater alignment with our growing company’s strategic priorities that best serve our customers," reads a statement Hootsuite is supplying to media. "Unfortunately, this included some reductions to our staff.

"We remain committed to helping employees affected by today's announcement through these times of transition," the statement continues. "Our goal is to ensure they are treated with dignity and respect."

Hootsuite’s best-known product is a digital platform that facilitates the management multiple social-media accounts, including accounts across different platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. According to the company, its clients number more than 16 million.

Since 2013, Hootsuite has operated out of a colourfully painted building on East 8th Avenue. It was founded in 2008 by University of Victoria graduate Ryan Holmes.

According to a company profile at Craft.co, Hootsuite employs more than 1,500 people who work in 13 locations around the world.

More

from Business - Latest - Google News http://bit.ly/2vuoYOb
via IFTTT
May 01, 2019 at 05:03AM

Canada’s economy unexpectedly shrinks as resource sector stalls - Financial Post

Canada’s economy returned to its sluggish ways in February, with a drop in output that will reinforce expectations of a slow start to the year.

Gross domestic product fell 0.1 per cent, taking back some of the 0.3 per cent gain in January in part due to poor weather, Statistics Canada said Tuesday from Ottawa. Economists were estimating output would be unchanged.

The February data are consistent with an economy that continues to grapple with a number of headwinds and may have barely grown in the first quarter of 2019, extending a slump that began at the end of last year.

Key Insights

The monthly numbers are in line with the Bank of Canada’s pared back expectations for the quarter. Without any more growth in March, Canada’s economy may have come to another near halt in the first three months of the year, as the central bank is now predicting. Policy makers expect the economy to pick up from the second quarter on.

Falling resource production was the main culprit in February, with the mining and oil and gas sector down 1.6 per cent — its sixth consecutive drop. While the oil and gas sector continued to show weakness, the big decline was in mining and quarrying outside of energy. That component fell 4.4 per cent, driven by reduced output of most types of metals.

A tough winter in much of the country also played a role in the contraction, adding to the economy’s woes. This was evident in a 1.6 per cent drop in transportation and warehousing sector, the largest one-month decline for the sector since June 2011. On the flip side, February was a great month for utilities, which saw output jump 1.5 per cent because of the cold.

Get More

About half of the sectors tracked by Statistics Canada actually posted gains, with increases also recorded by builders, retailers and wholesalers. While conventional oil dropped, the situation in the oilsands seems to be stabilizing. That sector dropped just 0.1 per cent in February, after a 4.1 per cent drop a month earlier. Manufacturing contracted 0.4 per cent, after a 2.1 per cent gain in January that was the largest in nearly to 15 years.
With assistance from Erik Hertzberg
Bloomberg.com

from Business - Latest - Google News http://bit.ly/2GVMRox
via IFTTT
April 30, 2019 at 09:59PM

Elizabeth Warren rips Chase Bank over 'Monday motivation' tweet - Fox Business

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon doesn't see a recession coming

FoxNews.com columnist Liz Peek, former investment banker Carol Roth, former Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell (D) and Kaltbaum Capital Management President Gary Kaltbaum on JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon’s claim that the U.S. won’t see a recession for the next few years.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., ripped Chase Bank after the financial institution tweeted a “Monday motivation” tip to customers with low bank account balances.

Continue Reading Below

Chase’s now-deleted post featured a fictional conversation between a person and their bank account, in which the person ignored money-saving tips like making their morning coffee at home instead of buying it at a store. The tweet drew immediate backlash on social media from many critics, including Warren, who saw it as a tone-deaf attack on lower-income Americans.

MORE ON THIS

Mimicking the format Chase used in its original tweet, Warren pointed out that the bank received a $25 billion taxpayer-funded bailout in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. The 2020 presidential hopeful also reiterated her common assertion that leading employers don’t pay a living wage to their employees.

A frequent critic of corporate malpractice, Warren emerged as Wells Fargo's staunchest detractors after the bank was linked to a series of scandals related to its sales practices. Warren has identified a breakup of big tech companies such as Amazon and Google as one of her key platform issues for the 2020 election cycle, arguing that the firms have pursued anti-competitive mergers and business initiatives.

Advertisement

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX BUSINESS APP

Chase Bank's tweet came weeks after JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon faced tough questions from the House Financial Services Committee over its pay practices for entry-level employees. The institution addressed the criticism of its tweet in a second post.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/elizabeth-warren-rips-chase-bank-over-monday-motivation-tweet

2019-04-30 15:32:16Z
52780280930627