EBay grows 1Q earnings but outlook falls short

NEW YORK (AP) ? EBay's high-flying stock price declined in after-hours trading Wednesday after the e-commerce bellwether's outlook for the current quarter fell below Wall Street's expectations.

The company grew its earnings and revenue in the first quarter, as shoppers continued to flock to eBay.com and other sites and mobile apps, to buy everything from cars to handbags to wedding rings. EBay's payments unit, PayPal, continued its fast-paced growth and expansion beyond the Web. People can now use their PayPal accounts to make purchases in some brick-and-mortar stores. Nonetheless, eBay's revenue, along with its guidance for the current quarter, fell shy of Wall Street's expectations ? though its full-year guidance stayed unchanged.

The San Jose, Calif.-based company's stock dropped by $1.60, or 2.9 percent, to $54.50 in after-hours trading. The stock closed down 91 cents at $56.10 in the regular session amid a broad market decline. That is up 10 percent since the start of the year and more than 55 percent from a year ago.

EBay's 2013 earnings forecast surpassed and revenue outlook met Wall Street's expectations, indicating that the second half of the year could be stronger than the first. EBay also recently issued an upbeat long-term forecast, saying it expects revenue to hit as much as $23.5 billion in 2015, up from 67 percent from $14.1 billion in 2012.

President and CEO John Donahoe said he wouldn't call eBay's second-quarter guidance cautious, adding that it's "highly consistent with what we thought."

"Expectations got a bit ahead of themselves," Donahoe said in a phone interview.

The company's business in Europe was "modestly softer" than expected amid the economic uncertainty there, Donahoe said, while the U.S. was slightly stronger than expected.

EBay said revenue at PayPal grew 18 percent to $1.55 billion and ended the quarter with 128 million registered accounts, up 16 percent from a year earlier. Its marketplaces unit, which includes eBay.com, grew revenue by 13 percent to $1.96 billion and ended the quarter with 116 million active users, an increase of 13 percent.

Some analysts are worried about short-term challenges EBay faces. Benchmark analyst Daniel Kurnos believes EBay is confronted with tight retail inventories and potential pressure on PayPal's profit margins from credit card companies, if they start charging fees for using the payments service.

EBay Inc. said Wednesday that it earned $677 million, or 51 cents per share, in the January-March period. That's up 19 percent from $570 million, or 44 cents per share, in the same period a year earlier.

Adjusted earnings were 63 cents per share, up from last year's 55 cents and a penny above analysts' expectations of 62 cents.

Revenue grew 14 percent to $3.75 billion, slightly below Wall Street expectations. Analysts polled by FactSet were looking for $3.77 billion.

For the current quarter eBay expects earnings of 46 to 48 cents per share and adjusted earnings of 61 to 63 cents per share. Analysts estimated 66 cents per share.

The company's revenue forecast of $3.8 billion to $3.9 billion is also slightly below the $3.95 billion analysts expected.

Gross merchandise volume, an important metric that measures all items sold on eBay excluding vehicles, rose 13 percent to $18.33 billion.

Mobile commerce remains a strong suit for eBay. The company said it gained 2.8 million new users during the quarter who signed up through a mobile device. EBay said its mobile apps have been downloaded 162 million times since launching in the first quarter of 2008.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ebay-grows-1q-earnings-outlook-falls-short-211931895--finance.html

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Australians rejoice after Scott's Masters victory

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) ? The roar that followed Adam Scott's Masters-winning putt at Augusta National could only be heard on the television broadcast so many thousand miles away on Australia's east coast.

But distance doesn't really matter Down Under.

Within seconds of Scott's 12-foot putt finding the cup on the second playoff hole at Augusta, fans who had been awake since dawn Monday and were either on their way ? or purposely late ? to work did a lot of celebrating on their own.

Commuters cheered on buses, and car horns tooted. Even a radio interview with the prime minister on the national broadcaster was interrupted to give updates on the Masters ? well before the result was known.

Golf fans everywhere in this sports-mad country rejoiced.

Shopkeepers at Peregian Beach, near a resort course designed by Adam's father, Phil Scott, spoke of the pride of having a Masters champion from their neck of the woods.

No Australian had ever won the green jacket, although a lot had come close at Augusta. The 32-year-old Scott tied for second with fellow Australian Jason Day two years ago.

It almost seemed as though it wouldn't happen and Greg Norman, himself on the receiving end of so many painful Masters memories, wondered if the heavens had decreed that an Australian would never win at Augusta.

Scott thought he had the Masters, and his first major title, clinched when he made a 20-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole of regulation and was sitting in the scoring room waiting for Angel Cabrera to finish off his round in the final group Sunday.

But Cabrera produced a great shot of his own, a 7-iron to 3 feet for birdie on 18 to force a playoff.

"The golf gods can't be this cruel to Australia," Norman said in a text to friends who were watching nervously.

The preparations for a possible Australian win began overnight Sunday on social media, hours before Scott, Day and fellow Australian Mark Leishman began the day as three of the top five on the leaderboard.

Aussie golf fans even developed their own Twitter hashtag: itsourtime. And Scott obviously thought it was, too.

Tom Watson, who missed the cut at Augusta this year, tweeted: "You showed great courage Adam ... and resiliency from last year's disappointment at Lytham." Scott bogeyed the last four holes last year to lose the British Open by a shot to Ernie Els.

Jarrod Lyle, an Australian golfer recovering from leukemia, posted: "you (censored) beauty Scotty. Great win well deserved."

Jessica Korda, a member of the LPGA tour who won last year's Women's Australian Open, tweeted: "Adam Scott!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A million girls just fell in love."

Scott and Day came close to winning in 2011 at Augusta, but were left stranded by South African champion Charl Schwartzel's late run of four consecutive birdies.

Another Australian, 2006 U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy, was also in the hunt that year, but finished tied for fourth, four shots behind. Surprisingly, Ogilvy didn't qualify this year.

Norman made an art form out of not winning at Augusta. In 1986, Jack Nicklaus shot a 30 on the back nine to take the green jacket from him. In 1987, Larry Mize chipped in from 140 feet during a playoff to leave Norman second. In 1996, a six-shot lead over Nick Faldo wasn't enough when Norman shot a final-round 78.

In his victory speech Sunday night, Scott was gracious in thanking his mentor: "Greg Norman has been incredible to me and all the young golfers in Australia. Part of this definitely belongs to him."

Reached at his home in south Florida, Norman told The Associated Press: "I'm over the moon. Sitting there watching Adam, I had a tear in my eye. That's what it was all about. It was Adam doing it for himself, and for the country."

Norman was so nervous watching TV that he said he went to the gym when the final group made the turn. He headed home for the last four holes and was texting with friends as his emotions shifted with every putt.

"I can only imagine how everyone else felt when I was playing," Norman said.

Australian politicians quickly got in on the act, with Prime Minister Julia Gillard saying: "By any measure this is a historic day for Australian sport." Sports Minister Kate Lundy said the high-profile win would inspire other Australians to take up the sport as golf returns to the Olympics at Rio in 2016.

Keith Urban, the Nashville-based country music star who grew up in Queensland state not far from Scott, tweeted: "ADAM SCOTT!!!! You are the man! Congrats mate. -KU."

A lot of Urban's mates appeared to agree, with nearly 400 congratulatory Scott retweets sent out. A tweet from British boy band One Direction member Niall Horan was retweeted 12,000 times in less than three hours.

"Yeaaahhhh Adam Scott ya legend! Doin it for the Aussies!" Horan said.

The win seemed to transcend all sports in Australia, with former star cricketer Shane Warne describing Scott's winning putt as "absolutely awesome." Rugby union international Quade Cooper hashtagged "fistpump" and said Scott's new piece of wardrobe was the "coolest green jacket going around."

There was a minor faux pas Monday from the sport's national governing body, the PGA of Australia. Late in the final round, it sent out a tweet saying: "We need a mistake from the big hitting Argentine down 13."

A few minutes later, the PGA was criticized by a California follower: "Really? (hash)badsportsmanship."

The PGA of Australia quickly tweeted a reply: "We shouldn't wish bad luck for anyone and the previous tweet was bad sportsmanship Clearly let our enthusiasm get in the way."

Cabrera hit into the creek on the 13th and later bogeyed the hole to fall out of the lead.

Social media was set to be the haven for suggestions for next year's champions dinner at Augusta, with Scott getting to call the shots on the menu.

Will it be crocodile canap?s, emu burgers, kangaroo steaks or even koala-shaped cupcakes for dessert? Whatever, it should probably be pretty interesting after waiting all these years.

___

AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson contributed to this story from Augusta, Georgia.

___

Follow Dennis Passa on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DennisPassa

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/australians-rejoice-scotts-masters-victory-074718885--golf.html

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Waze CEO Noam Bardin: the future of mobile is fighting for a user's time

Noam Bardin, CEO of Waze, just took the stage here at D:Dive Into Mobile, taking part in a wide-ranging discussion hosted by Liz Gannes. Aside from dodging questions about potential acquisitions, Bardin made no bones about how he saw the future of mobile playing out. Of course, this is a man who spends essentially no time focused on the desktop web -- given that Waze is mobile only, one shouldn't be surprised. According to Bardin, "the next five years will be about fighting for time with users," and he pointed to Facebook Home as the de facto example of that.

Rather than crafting their own OS and "doing what Microsoft has done -- fighting a war that ended five years ago" -- Facebook decided to make a time play on a massive OS. From there, Bardin confessed that in major markets, he sees Waze as Google's "only real competition."

Gallery: Waze CEO Noam Bardin at D:Dive Into Mobile 2013

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/cip4PHnl-HU/

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What will happen to the 'Rainbow Nation' once its icon Mandela dies?

By Rohit Kachroo, Correspondent, NBC News

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa ? Discussing what will happen to the country once its iconic leader Nelson Mandela dies has long been a culturally and politically taboo subject in South Africa. Out of respect for the 94-year-old former president, government officials never publicly refer to plans for what happens after his death, and in private, they often use cryptic synonyms to discuss the inevitable.

View images of civil rights leader Nelson Mandela, who went from anti-apartheid activist to prisoner to South Africa's first black president.

But Mandela?s frequent trips to the hospital ? most recently to be treated for pneumonia ? have forced the question of ?what happens next?? further into the public domain.

Of course, no one knows what democratic South Africa will look like without Mandela.

Some believe the frail freedom fighter is somehow holding the disparate parts of the ?Rainbow Nation? together from his sick bed, and fear an outbreak of racial violence once he dies. Others disagree and think the young nation is still struggling ? but that it has moved beyond the apartheid-era issues.??

---

?It genuinely frightens me?
?I am not a racist, but?? -- It sounds like an ominous opener.

Elaine was about to outline her prediction ? an unpopular one ? of what will happen when South Africa loses Mandela. She feels the need to declare her belief in racial equality before setting out her fear that South Africa?s delicate social harmony might be torn apart when the ?Father of the Nation? is gone.

?I am really scared that the country will explode. There are a lot of people out there who are just holding themselves back until he dies. It genuinely frightens me,? said Elaine, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the topic. ?

?I will be mourning like everyone else, but I will be mourning at home. I won?t be leaving my house that day because I?m concerned about what will happen,? she said. ?I don?t know what they will do. But I feel that they have a right to be angry.?

?They? are South Africa?s 40 million black people who, a generation after the end of apartheid, are disproportionately enduring its economic legacy. Largely, they remain the ?have-nots? of what the World Bank has called the world?s most unequal society.

Rohit Kachroo/ NBC News

Georgina Sefara is a 20-year-old student in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Elaine, a 26-year-old white woman, is certainly one of the ?haves.? Born into a rich family, she now works as a well-paid financial advisor in Johannesburg?s northern suburbs. ?I may be paranoid,? Elaine admitted, ?but there are lots of people who think like me.?

A ?patronizing? view
Georgina Sefara is a 20-year-old student. A black woman, born after Mandela?s 1990 release from prison, she has never truly known racial segregation and resents the view that violence will erupt after Mandela?s death.

?Many white South Africans think that there will be apartheid in reverse. That?s what they?re afraid of. You hear many whites saying they will move to Australia when that happens.

?But [the violence] will never happen? It?s patronizing and outdated to think that it will.?

?Most of my parents? generation are still angry,? said Georgina's classmate Carol Phago, an English student from Johannesburg. ?Many still hold a grudge,? she said, referring to the former apartheid era.

?But maybe there are different enemies now. People are angry with the government, not with their fellow South Africans.?

Dissatisfaction with government
Rage is certainly building over the government?s inability to improve the lives of the millions of black South Africans who live in impoverished townships.

Nelson Mandela was discharged on Saturday from the hospital where he had been undergoing treatment for pneumonia, South Africa's presidency said in a statement. NBC's Ron Allen reports.

In addition, there is anger over the country?s inability to shake off the title as ?the rape capital of the world.??

According to a 2012 World Health Organization report, more than one in five men reported raping a woman who was not a partner and 14.3 percent of men reported having raped their current or former wife or girlfriend.

The issue of rampant domestic violence in South Africa gained international attention recently with the fatal shooting of Reeva Steenkamp by Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius.

Rohit Kachroo / NBC News

Geoffrey Manulake, is a 32-year-old security guard in Johannesburg, South Africa.

There is frustration with a police force that is faced with constant accusations of corruption and incompetence. The shooting death of 34 striking miners by police officers last August has amplified the recurring claim that the behavior of the state under democracy has become too similar to that of the apartheid government.

It is one reason why security guard Geoffrey Manulake, 32, has rejected a career in the police force. He feels disillusioned with the public institutions of his country and worries about how they will develop in the post-Mandela period.

?Politicians feel the need to satisfy themselves. They just want to line their own pockets,? said Manulake. ?I look around at our leaders and feel that we cannot lose this icon. Nelson Mandela is the one who united our country and united the world.?

?But we have come a long way since ?94,? he said, referring to the year Mandela was elected president in South Africa?s first multi-racial elections. "People who talk about violence are wrong.?

Related links:

Nelson Mandela is discharged from South Africa hospital

Mandela hospitalized again, South Africa leader asks world to pray for him

'Who is my Mandela?' South Africans consider icon's place in a changing world

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653387/s/2aaf5ca5/l/0Lworldnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A40C130C1770A76160Ewhat0Ewill0Ehappen0Eto0Ethe0Erainbow0Enation0Eonce0Eits0Eicon0Emandela0Edies0Dlite/story01.htm

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'Catfish' At The MTV Movie Awards: Watch Now!

Mark Wahlberg, Anna Kendrick and Joe Manganiello get caught in a celebrity 'Catfish' during Movie Awards.
By Amy Wilkinson

Anna Kendrick talks with Max and Nev during the MTV Movie Awards "Catfish"
Photo: MTV News

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1705630/celebrity-catfish-movie-awards-2013.jhtml

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Tiger Woods F-Bomb: Golfer Curses After Merely Half-Decent Shot at Masters

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/tiger-woods-f-bomb-golfer-curses-after-merely-half-decent-shot-a/

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92% The Gatekeepers

All Critics (85) | Top Critics (30) | Fresh (78) | Rotten (7)

The film and its talking head participants paint the picture in both broad strokes and fine detail.

Whatever one's political stripe regarding Israel, it's hard to dispute the impressions and perspective of the film's six eyewitnesses.

The level of candor here may not satisfy hard-liners of either stripe, but it can help viewers begin to formulate new questions about the philosophical, strategic and moral challenges of conflict, in particular "wars on terror."

Ultimately the movie feels evasive, and its flashy, digitally animated re-creations of military surveillance footage unpleasantly evoke the Call of Duty video games.

It offers startlingly honest insight into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from some of those who called the shots.

As a political testament, the result is revealing and important.

The former heads of Israel's military anti-terrorism agency Shin Bet break their silence in this unnerving, eye-opening documentary.

The film, though based on the exploits of Shin Bet, gives us reason to think about the drones that take out more than just terrorists.

Makes for truly bracing viewing.

A fascinating film offering a startling look inside one of the most tightlipped intelligence agencies on the planet, and providing powerful resonances with the US and UK's "war on terror".

A compelling overview of a modern security agency - bred in a moral grey area, organising state-sanctioned violence, but uncertain of the strength of its political safety net.

While memorable in sometimes unexpected ways (1980 head Avraham Shalom's long unwashed nails), there is always the nagging feeling that any revelations are being pushed or sold a little too hard.

Dror Moreh's Oscar-nominated documentary is riveting, haunting and depressing in equal measure, offering a sobering assessment of the Israel-Palestine conflict from a unique perspective.

[T]he Oscar-nominated documentary in which the six living former heads of Shin Bet, the ultrasecretive Israeli domestic security agency, talk about their antiterrorism work...

Although The Gatekeepers may not be quite theatrical nor dramatic enough for it to be highly recommended as a cinematic experience, this does feel like a film that really should be seen.

Many secrets are revealed and examined in director Dror Moreh's mind-blowingly fine film. If I have a quibble, it's that he never reveals the most tantalizing secret of all: how the hell he pulled it off.

[An] absorbing documentary, which charts the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the Six Day War to the presentday.

Insightful, revelatory and profound, Moreh's Oscar-nominated documentary combines riveting interviews, archive footage and - yes - state-of-the-art photographic effects to offer a unique perspective on the Israel-Palestine issue.

Both journalistic coup and unsettling confirmation of the idea that 'you can't make peace using military means.'

Much like Errol Morris' "The Fog of War," Dror Moreh's film is a sobering inside look inside history, at mistakes made and opportunities missed.

Moreh employs a direct interviewing style, reminiscent of Errol Morris' work, to get the men to talk about their days leading Shin Bet.

Moreh gets some startling confessions and insights from each man but also misses the opportunity to truly challenge his subjects on their regard for democracy, basic human rights and their own accountability.

Director Dror Moreh doesn't rest on his scoop

A powerful look inside the Israeli defense establishment

A deadly serious and detailed examination of and meditation upon the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, The Gatekeepers makes no attempt to find a silver lining.

The rule of surveillance is to keep quiet and let others do the talking. The Oscar-nominated documentary The Gatekeepers flips the script, to astonishing effect, giving voice to the retired directors of Shin Bet, Israel's domestic intelligence agency.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_gatekeepers_2012/

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