Twitter's shares slump on report that bids are unlikely

Shares of Twitter Inc (TWTR.N) slumped more than 13 percent in premarket trading on Monday after a weekend Bloomberg report that the social media company was unlikely to receive any bids.

Salesforce.com Inc (CRM.N), Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google and Walt Disney Co (DIS.N), which had worked with banks on a potential acquisition, are unlikely to proceed, Bloomberg reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Twitter had planned to hold a board meeting with outside advisers on Friday to discuss a sale but canceled, Bloomberg reported, citing one person familiar with the matter.

Twitter shares plunged about 20 percent over the final two days of last week after technology website Recode reported that Google, Disney and Apple were not interested in buying the company, which put itself up for potential sale in September.

Salesforce Chief Executive Mark Benioff had publicly expressed his interest in Twitter, but stopped short of saying the company would make a bid.

Twitter's stock, which closed at $19.85 on Friday, fell to $17.28 in premarket trading on Monday. At that price, the company has a market value of $12.23 billion, compared with almost $53 billion at its peak in December 2013.

Twitter, struggling with stagnant user growth and continuing losses, had told potential acquirers it wanted any deliberations on a sale to conclude by the time it reported third-quarter results on Oct. 27, Reuters reported on Wednesday.

Many investors and analysts believe that Twitter, co-founded and run by Jack Dorsey, does not have a clear back-up plan if it is not acquired.

Source: Reuters

Luxottica, Intel launch 'virtual coach' Oakley glasses

Italian eyewear group Luxottica said on Monday it was launching new "smart" glasses for athletes with a voice-activated coaching system jointly developed by its Oakley sports brand and chip maker Intel.

The new glasses, dubbed "Radar Pace", will be sold on the Oakley.com website and in some stores of the Californian brand that Luxottica acquired in 2007.

The glasses can create a personalized training programme for athletes by interpreting data in real time.

Source: Reuters

Nintendo announces date for NX console

Codenamed NX, the console had been expected to launch in time for Christmas.

Analysts agree the new device is much needed after disappointing sales for the Wii U.

At an earnings briefing, Nintendo also announced it would release four more smartphone games this business year, as it diversified its business.

The Japanese video-game maker reported a 24 billion yen ($216m, £147m) loss for January to March, bigger than the loss it reported the previous year.

Research company IHS's director of games, Pier Harding-Rolls, said the date of the new console launch was a setback for Nintendo.

"Ideally, they would have preferred to launch in 2016 to catch the holiday shopping season," he told the BBC.

The delay could either be as a result of in-house games not being ready or problems with the hardware, he added.

Nintendo has had ups and downs with its consoles - with the Wii proving a hit but the Wii U failing to engage the public.

"When the Wii U launched no-one really understood what it was," said Mr Harding-Rolls.

"The two-screen experience wasn't communicated well, so whatever they are bringing to market this time has to be unique and communicated clearly."

The company said it could cease production of the Wii U by March 2018.

Source: BBC

Drone to police massive UK marine reserve

The UK said it would establish the 834,000-sq-km (322,000-sq-mile) zone around the Pitcairn Islands in the Pacific in 2015.

Data gathered by the drone will be beamed back to a satellite watch room to help prosecute unauthorised trawling.

The drone will patrol areas in the reserve designated as no-fishing zones.

Unique species

The drone, made by US firm Liquid Robotics, will be directed by staff at the satellite watch room which is monitoring fishing vessels. The craft is equipped with a camera that can take snaps of fishing vessels that are in restricted areas, and satellite technology that can pinpoint their location. The unmanned craft starting patrolling late last month.

The Liquid Robotics drone, called a Wave Glider, is a two-part craft made up of an instrument-bearing boat that floats on the ocean surface that is tethered to a submersible. The craft uses the differential motion between the sea surface and the region the submersible traverses to propel itself.

The self-propelling propulsion system means the Wave Glider can stay at sea for months at a time.


The UK said it would established the marine-protected area in the Pitcairns in 2015 and, at the same time, created a watchdog organisation that would try to protect its abundant sea life from fishing.

The seas around the Pitcairns are believed to be home to more than 1,200 species of fish, marine mammals and birds - some of which are unique to the region. It also supports the world's deepest and most well-developed coral reef.

The watch room to oversee the region has been created in the Harwell science park in Oxfordshire with funding from the UK government and the Swiss Bertarelli Foundation and the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Source: BBC