Showing posts with label General Tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label General Tips. Show all posts
Wednesday, 23 January 2013
Tuesday, 15 January 2013
Facebook shares rise in buildup to mystery event, earnings
Facebook shares rise in buildup to mystery event, earnings
(Reuters) - Facebook Inc's stock opened on Monday above $32 for the first time since July as anticipation about upcoming products and financial results underscored Wall Street's renewed confidence in the online social network.
Facebook will on Tuesday host its first major press event at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, since its troubled initial public offering in May, triggering a guessing game among technology observers and online blogs about what it could unveil - everything from a smartphone to a search engine.
"There's a lot of speculation. Nothing to me seems to be that certain," Jefferies & Co analyst Brian Pitz said.
"If I were to bet, I'd think it was something that was ad-platform related. I'm not convinced on the phone," said Pitz, citing previous comments by Facebook's leaders including CEO Mark Zuckerberg that making a smartphone would be the "wrong strategy" for Facebook.
In an email to reporters last week, Facebook invited the media to "come and see what we're building" without providing details.
Some analysts said the stock's recent gains - shares are up roughly 17 percent since the start of the year - may have more to do with the company's upcoming fourth-quarter financial results, slated for January 30.
"The stock is up because they have driven a dramatic increase in the ad load of their mobile app which is giving investors hope that they exceeded expectations," BTIG analyst Richard Greenfield said.
Shares were down about 1.3 percent to $31.30 in mid-afternoon trading.
The world's No.1 social network with 1 billion users, Facebook became the first U.S. company to debut on stock markets with a value of more than $100 billion. Its value subsequently plunged by more than 50 percent on mounting concerns about slowing revenue growth and the challenges of making money as users shift from personal computers to mobile devices.
Facebook surprised Wall Street in the third quarter by announcing that mobile ads accounted for 14 percent of its total ad revenue. Some analysts expect the company to report further growth in its nascent mobile ad business for the fourth quarter.
Zuckerberg, who founded Facebook in his Harvard dorm room, has said that mobile is the "most misunderstood aspect" of Facebook. But he has repeatedly poured cold water on rumors that Facebook would build its own smartphone to compete against Apple Inc's iPhone and smartphones based on Google Inc's Android operating system.
During an on-stage interview at a conference in September, Zuckerberg said that he believed search could be a ripe area of growth for Facebook.
"Facebook is really uniquely positioned to answer a lot of the questions that people have," Zuckerberg said, such as finding a good restaurant or learning more about a job opportunity.
Still, many technology observers believe that Facebook is more likely to improve the search capabilities within Facebook than to develop a full-fledged search engine that indexes all the Web's content and competes head-on with search leader Google.
Among the other items that technology blogs and analysts speculate might be unveiled on Tuesday were new standalone apps for Apple's iPad tablet, new features to display video ads and even a new wing of corporate headquarters.
Some cautioned that expectations of a game-changing new product were likely to cause disappointment.
"There's no way they're announcing anything that has financial impact, or they wouldn't do it now, they'd wait two weeks," said Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter, citing Facebook's upcoming earnings
Tuesday, 31 July 2012
5 Secrets to a Happy Marriage: Revealed by Divorce
In 25 years of studying marriage, Dr. Terri Orbuch, research professor at the University of Michigan and author of the new book "Finding Love Again: 6 Simple Steps to a New and Happy Relationship," has found that some of the best relationship advice comes from people who are actually divorced.
WATCH: Is this the Most Epic Marriage Proposal?
In 1986, Orbuch embarked on a long-term study, supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which followed the relationships of 373 newlyweds. By 2012, 46% had divorced, about the same as the national average.
In interviews with Orbuch, people who had divorced or ended a serious relationship over and over again brought up the same five issues that they would improve if they had the chance to do it all again.
1. Money. Over the course of her research, one the biggest surprises for Orbuch was the role money played in marital strife. “Many divorced singles say that money was the number one source of conflict in the early years of marriage,” she tells Yahoo! Shine. She also found that, “6 out of 10 said they would not share living expenses in their next relationship.” She recommends that each partner evaluate their own approach to spending and saving money and discuss with their spouse early on. She says there is no one-size-fits-all-financial plan, but couples need to determine their own rules and adhere to them.
2. Affection. Another surprise was that men crave affection—but not necessarily sex—more than women. “It’s counterintuitive,” says Orbuch, “but men crave feeling special and being noticed by their wives.” She adds that men who report not getting enough nonsexual affection were twice as likely to ask for a divorce, but the reverse was not true for women. “Women are fortunate. We get this kind of affirmation from more people in our lives, our mothers, children, our best friends”—so women tend to need less from husbands. She recommends carving out time for regular cuddling, kissing, hand holding, and saying “I love you.”
3. Blame. “When divorced couples found fault with their relationship using ‘we’ statements, they were significantly more likely to find love than those who used ‘I’ or ‘you’ statements.” Those who found blame in factors such as being incompatible or too young experienced less anxiety, insomnia, and depression than those who blamed their former partner or themselves for a break-up. Examine what went wrong in the relationship instead of assigning individual blame, suggests Orbuch, and think about how you can resolve conflict better next time.
4. Communication.
Orbuch says a trap many couples fall into is “maintenance” rather than true communication. She suggests having a “10 minute rule” every day when you, “Talk to your partner about something other than work, the relationship, the house, or the children.” The key is revealing something about yourself and learning something about your spouse. “Forty-one percent of divorced people say they would change their communication style,” says Orbuch,“and, 91% of happily married couples say they know their partner intimately.”
5. Move on.
Letting go of the past is a key to being in a happy relationship. This is true for people who are currently married as well as those seeking love. If you are irked by thoughts of your partner’s old boyfriend or girlfriend or of a fight that happened weeks ago, you might not be interacting in a healthy, positive way. “That animosity prevents you from being fully present,” says Orbuch. She also points out that people who felt neutral toward their ex were significantly more likely to find love after a divorce. If you can’t let go of your anger, her book outlines a number of exercises including writing a detailed letter to the person you are angry at—and burning it.
Thursday, 5 July 2012
10 Ways to Help for Success of your Kids
In short, I want it all for them. How can I help them on the road to success?
1. Teach them to lose gracefully.
Kids who always win aren't going to be ready for the real world. Teach your child how to deal with disappointment. Let them see you try and fail while maintaining your composure.
2. Encourage perseverance.
Children need to learn to get back up after they fall. When you fall down, get back up and try again. Successful individuals are persistent people.
3. Be a constant presence.
Be there when your child needs help with their homework, a ride to soccer practice, or someone to talk to. The key to raising successful kids isn't an expensive present - it's your presence.
4. Cheer loudly.
Be your son or daughter's biggest cheerleader in whatever activities they choose. Don't point out their failings. Celebrate their progress, as well as their success.
5. Don't do it for them.
It can be tempting to help your child through the rough spots. Know your place. You won't help your child succeed if you do the work for them.
6. Try new things.
You'll never find your niche if you don't get out of your comfort zone and try something new. Encourage your child to try a new sport, read a new book, or get involved in a new activity. Be sure to let them see you do the same!
7. Nurture, don't shelter.
If you want to raise successful children, you'll need to walk a fine line between nurturing and supporting them and sheltering them from the real world. I wish I had some magic way of knowing which side of the line I'm treading on, but the truth is that you just have to trust your gut with this one. If you shelter your children too much, success will be so much harder to come by in life.
8. Play fair.
The old adage about cheaters rings true today. Remind your children (often) that fair play matters more than winning and losing.
9. Keep your cool.
Do you yell at the coach from the sidelines? Use obscenities to handle situations at home? Fly off the handle regularly? Keeping your cool inspires your kids to do the same.
10. Be the example.
If you want your child to succeed in life, be the example for them in all that you say and do. Children learn when we forget they're even watching. What did you teach your child today?
Tuesday, 3 July 2012
Top 10 things to be kept in mind before visiting a new born Baby
Make your visit a memorable one, be the perfect guests!
1. Inform before visiting
After the emotional and physical exhaustion of childbirth, make sure the new mother is up for meeting visitors. Call and enquire what time works best for her and the baby. Avoid going in the first few hours after the baby is born. Mom, dad, and other close relatives need some personal time to bond with baby before being flooded with visitors. It’s perfectly okay to visit once the new family has settled comfortably home. If you do decide to go to the hospital, ensure kids are allowed before you take your child along. Some hospitals do not allow young children. Remember, hospital visits are not a must!
2. Germs are not welcome
Sanitize yourself, especially your hands, before getting in the vicinity of a new mother and child. Wash and clean your hands well before touching or holding the baby. If you are sick or think you are going to catch something, stay at home!
3. Avoid kissing the newborn
Agreed that you must be dying to plant several kisses and do all the coo chi-cooing with the little bundle of joy but it is advisable to refrain from doing so. At least not on the face. Their immunity is very low and they are vulnerable to catch any infection that you might be carrying. Do not sneeze and sniff in the close proximity of the infant.
4. Don’t over stay
Keep the visit short and simple. Sleep deprived and tired parents might not want to indulge in extended entertaining. Don’t stay more than about 15 minutes unless you’re a close relative or her best friend. Try not to get offended if you are asked to leave. The baby may need to be fed or the mom might be tired. The new parents might not want to be rude, so watch for subtle signs. If the mom says, “I think the baby needs to be fed”, your response should be, “sorry, we’ll get going now.”
5. Don’t pick up the baby, unless the parents are okay with it
The proud parents may not be comfortable with visitors picking up their baby. Don’t pick up the baby without the parents’ permission. If the parents do let you hold their precious bundle of joy, be careful. A newborn’s neck is extremely delicate. Ask for help if you are not sure how you should be holding the baby.
6. Shhhhh no loud noises please
Newborns are very sensitive towards light and sound as they hardly got any of it in the past nine months. Shouting in excitement or talking very loudly will only disturb the baby. Save the cheers, claps and all applaud for his coming birthdays and ceremonies.
7. No strong perfumes please
Save your Davidoff and Chanel 5 for fancy parties. Newborns have sensitive skin. They might break out when they are held by someone with a lot of synthetic perfume on. Also, you never know what they are allergic to.
8. Be thoughtful about the gift
It is usually customary to take along some gift for the baby. Gift something that the baby can use often and is going to need all the time. Diapers, clothing, a car seat, and baby care products are the safest and practical choices. Something good to eat for the mother and fresh flowers are always welcome. Don’t forget to take something for the brother or sister too!
9. Do something useful for the mother
The most practical way of showing concern is to help out the new mom. Ask her if you can take the older child (if she has) for a stroll so that she can have a nap with the little one. Or does she want any errand run?
10. Negative comments are a strict no-no
Comments over the baby’s weight, skin colour or discussing horror stories about babies and hospitals just worries new parents. Leave medical advice to doctors and nurses. Be positive and cheerful to make your visit a cherished one!
