May 18 2012

Google makes its search engine smarter

Tag: events, features, news, resources, worldadmin @ 12:48 am

 

The Internet giant strikes another blow. Google announced an update to its search engine in the U.S. who will soon be extended to the world, to refine and contextualize his responses. To make, in short, more in tune with reality, according to the ambition of the group. So you type "taj mahal"? Google offers, in a box right, to limit the results to the famous Indian monument, a singer using this pseudonym or a casino in New Jersey of the same name. Also new is learned as well as the results page of Google as the Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum located in Agra, India, it opened in 1648 and it is 174 meters high. Research "Taj Mahal" is associated with that of "Ustad Ahmad Lahauri," the name of the architect of the monument.

"This is not just a catalog of objects is a presentation of the relationships between them. One is understanding between these different elements is the key, "says Amit Singhal, Google's vice president. To add to these changes a lighter note, Google will also offer information on the unusual subject of research. Consequence: the user can get answers to their questions without leaving the Google page.

Behind these new features lies a technology: the "graph of knowledge," or "knowledge graph", "built to understand the real things of the world," says an official from Google, Ben Gomes payday advances. The group has worked there since the acquisition in 2010, the company specializes in managing Metaweb database of movies, books, companies or celebrities. Thus, Google has learned, and quickly: from Freebase, Wikipedia or the CIA World Factbook, the giant has registered 500 million objects, places, characters and memorized some 3.5 billion relations between them.

Update Bing last week

In parallel, the group has expanded his knowledge on user searches. Google has announced in January new privacy policy to share user accounts on all its sites (like Gmail and Youtube). A change that is controversial and will be subject, in France, a meeting with the CNIL next week to clarify the new rules.

The goal for Google is taking another step ahead to face competing search engines, starting with Bing Microsoft announced last week its largest update since its launch three years ago. Among the new Bing strengthens its integration within the social network Facebook, which Microsoft is a shareholder. According to the firm Comscore, Google has widened its lead over its competitors, concentrating 66.4% of online searches in the U.S. in April, against 65.7% a year earlier. Well ahead of the 15.3% posted by Bing and 13.7% for Yahoo!.


May 12 2012

 The Voice is big into texting

 

Voted! Many viewers will be this Saturday night in tapping away on their mobiles to support one of four candidates – Louis, Stephan, Aude or Al.Hy – who will compete in the finals of The Voice télécrochet on TF1. All the more so since its launch on February 25, the show has excellent hearing, with nearly eight million viewers on average. If the suspense is over on the election's outcome, one thing is certain: the string will be the big winner of the evening. Charged € 0.65 per SMS, the votes of fans bring him close online pay day loans. According to a survey of Parisian, TF1 affects between 40,000 and 400,000 euros a Saturday night with these premium text messages, since the program began on February 25. And the final on Saturday will be the twelfth primetime télécrochet. "For every prime time The Voice, there are between 100,000 and hundreds of thousands of votes," says Krikorian Master everyday, the bailiff of Justice opens the envelopes on programs.

Viewers will vote to support one of four finalists.


Apr 30 2012

Zeturf, informatics for punters

Tag: business, finance, life, special, worldadmin @ 3:20 pm

 

The sector paris horse on the Internet is officially open to competition since June 2010 and saw sustained growth, unlike that of paris sports on the Internet, significant drop in over a year. Zeturf, founded and directed by Emmanuel de Rohan-Chabot, pulls out of the game with 25 million euros in gross proceeds from games and 26 employees. "We save 180 million euros of issues, but we thank the players much as winnings. That's why we come to 25 million euros in proceeds from the games, "he says credit report.

Expert in high data availability and information security, Zeturf puts all its information technology service to punters, one of whose characteristics is to concentrate their challenges on the last minutes before the races.  

"There are very powerful effects of peaks in races like the Arc de Triomphe or the President's Award of the Republic, with the entire population of bettors who are concentrated in a few moments."

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Mar 22 2012

Laure Manaudou renews contact with sponsors

Tag: economy, life, people, publications, technologyadmin @ 8:00 pm

 

"A woman absolute," "a completely different girl who really won in serenity" (agent). Words do not fail to salute the comeback of Laure Manaudou who just qualified for the Olympic Games in London. Despite a break of over two years which has enabled him to become a mom, swimmer who joined the club last fall swimmers of Marseille, confirmed her comeback to the front of the stage.

His former sponsors are silent

His performances have not gone unnoticed on the part of sponsors. Two years after being dropped by his former partners – Lancel, EDF, Arena … – Laure Manaudou has signed a two year contract with Reebok * to be for the next two years and its supplier, the Ambassador Program crossfit (fitness) that the brand sponsors. The former protected by Philippe Lucas will also sign another four-year contract with a company whose name will be announced after the championships of France. Many companies that will join Cadum (shower products) and Aubert (Juvenile) in the list of sponsors of the swimmer. "We are not on the same amounts with Lancel, Arena or EDF, but these are fine contracts that prove that Laura still interested brands," says Jean-François Salessy, his new agent since last October.

The latter even said last November in Paris-Today in France, "he could never have the money she had with Poulmaire (his former agent). I have no strategy and the economic context is no longer the same. Today, companies do not sign checks over his eyes closed. " After signing a "big" check with Lancel in 2008, its annual revenues were $ 2.5 million. "For other sponsors, I do not close any doors. Laura can not remain confined to sectors related to her status as mother or luxury, "explains Jean-François Salessy. None of his former sponsors have taken the time to contact her. Probably they are waiting to see if Laura will perform at the London Olympics. "I find it disconcerting that there are so few brands that benefit it is also inexpensive to create a" story "with her, said Gilles Dumas, co-founder of Sportlab, sports marketing specialist. Brands lack boldness. "

The French do not forget

Returned to the front of the sports scene, Laure Manaudou will however have to learn to manage his star status. She has done a lot about her on social networking yesterday after his "misadventure" on Twitter. "This is a non-event, says Jean-François Salessy. It has proved that, unlike some sports, it does not live in a bubble. Laura was certainly awkward on some terms she used. We talked about it. But it was steady and did not need a "community manager". " And Gilles Dumas added: "Brands must agree with Laure Manaudou, there will be some" jerks ", as with Eric Cantona in his time. These are the vagaries of modern sponsorship. "

Sometimes regretted not being a person "normal and anonymous," Laure Manaudou remains for many a sports icon. "Laure Manaudou will perhaps not be Olympic champion in London but the athlete is the most anticipated and one that will be the most observed," said Gilles Dumas. Which is not always easy to manage, including his agent. "It is sometimes surprised by the extent of its popularity, says Jean-François Salessy. My goal is to show a French Laure Manaudou as natural as possible and get out of his bubble "people". " In the latest ranking of favorite sporting the French published in January by The Team, swimmer Rhone ranked seventh and the second … for sport.

* Signed before the championships of France, this contract will not be broken even if Laure Manaudou had to stop swimming

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Mar 15 2012

For Renault, the low cost employment protection

Tag: economy, features, money, resources, top newsadmin @ 10:32 pm

 

A month after the controversy created by the opening of its giant plant in Tangiers, and while made in France remains a central issue in the election campaign, stoutly defends his Renault acceleration in the low-cost. Cultivating paradox, the group believes that its low-cost models to help protect jobs in the Hexagon. And even if the MPV Lodgy Dacia, built on the site of Morocco, is proposed for Wednesday from 9900 euros, more than twice unless the Renault Scenic assembled at Douai, in the North.

On a European market down, "there is considerable logic to make the models where we can make them competitive," said Carlos Tavares, the deputy CEO of Renault. "While our competitors are forced, in a desperate step, practice excessive discounts, may destroy value, we invented a way to make money more effectively," he says. The low-cost range "the most profitable business" liberates margins well above 6%.

a French champion of global size

With these profits, which are "reinvested", "Renault is protected, we avoid tough decisions, our competitors are forced to take. This helps prevent people make social plans, "says Renault boss operational, which notes that" those who claim to have higher production in France more important than ours, are also those in losses. " More generally, "France would gain by having a world champion-size automobile. When the company expands overseas, it's good for the group in France, "said Carlos Tavares.

Renault has made last year 23% of its vehicles in France (against 44% for PSA). In the long term, its production declined sharply in the Hexagon: 445,000 cars and 201,000 commercial vehicles in 2011, against 1.1 million cars and 227,000 commercial in 2004.

The Lion, the automotive division was not profitable last year (- 0.2% operating margin, against 0.8% for Renault), will remove 6,000 positions this year in Europe, including 3,500 in-house .

Handicap image

The diamond company, which devotes 40% of its investments in France, it now locates priority models with high added value: commercial vehicles, electric cars and high end. The next high-end cars, planned from 2014, however, must win while French "has a disability image" in the face of German manufacturers, recognizes Carlos Tavares. For the hour, equivalent models, the Renault cars are bought "on average 10% cheaper" than those of the Volkswagen brand.

On the electric as the band Zoe will launch its fall, the boss does not hide his disappointment at the slowness of government. "The charging infrastructure are late. France has a huge opportunity to play, we have everything it takes to become a world leader in power. I am a little concerned that we can possibly pass up this opportunity, "he says.

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Mar 02 2012

145 steps to make life easier for businesses

Tag: Uncategorized, business, economics, events, traveladmin @ 11:48 am

 

Entrepreneurs can now expect to spend less time on paperwork they must complete to satisfy the administration. The National Assembly finally passed the bill Wednesday on the easing of administrative procedures despite the guerrilla led by the left. Socialist deputies and senators have decided to seize the Constitutional Council on this legislation. François Rebsamen, President of the Socialist Group of the Senate, said the referral should be made Friday.

"Francois Hollande has displayed duplicity and said on TF1 to a contractor who asked that it was essential to reduce the administrative burden on enterprises when, at the same time, François Hollande, the Socialist member of the Assembly national, and Jean-Marc Ayrault defended a motion to dismiss on the simplification of the text. Simplification is neither right nor left. It is pragmatic and expected by economic agents, "said Frederic Lefebvre Thursday, Secretary of State for SMEs, with more of the 145 measures that will be implemented in the presence of Jean-Luc Warsmann (UMP), President of the Law Committee of the National Assembly and author of the bill.

New areas

The measures apply to both the conditions of entitlement to holiday pay as procurement of low value, the secured cabinet containing all the digital business information required by the government that the 240 million ballot wages published each year. The latter, with up to 30 lines, will be simplified in several steps. The items on the Social Security taxes and social contributions will be easier to understand from the 1st January 2013. Those on unemployment contributions, pension contributions and additional pension will be from 1 January 2015.

The device of the rescript in office, which allows a company to ask its opinion to the administration, will be improved. It will be extended to new areas such as rules for calculating payroll. The administration will respond within a specified time.

Most companies only file with the court an annual report containing information that can benefit their competitors. To monitor the implementation of 145 measures, Frédéric Lefebvre install the March 19 Committee of the reduction of paperwork consisting of officials and entrepreneurs.


Feb 23 2012

Japan could help the euro area

Tag: business, economy, life, money, top newsadmin @ 3:20 pm

 

After heavily involved in fundraising efforts of the firewall in the euro area, Japan is preparing to support its European partners. The country plans to provide up to $ 50 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) to enable the institution to help the euro area to cope with the crisis, AFP reported citing an official from the Japanese Ministry of Finance. "Japan considers the precise amount that will provide the IMF," said the official who also spoke up to $ 50 billion, confirming information reported by the newspaper Asahi Shimbun. The exact involvement of Japan to raise funds from the IMF will be announced following a meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors of the G20 which takes place on 25 and 26 February in Mexico City.

However, Japan is not ready to sign a blank check. In a joint forum in the Financial Times, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne and his Japanese counterpart Jun Azumi indicates that their countries are willing to increase their contributions to the International Monetary Fund but only on condition that the euro area strengthens its funds Relief and make greater efforts to resolve the long-term debt crisis. "The euro zone countries have made progress but we must still do more to achieve a lasting solution. Japan and Britain are longtime supporters of the IMF and we are ready to make our contribution to the global effort if certain conditions are met, "wrote George Osborne and Jun Azumi.

The institution led by Christine Lagarde seeks in effect to increase its reserves by $ 500 billion to support the euro area. But the IMF's role is crucial in resolving the debt crisis in the eurozone. An official with the International Monetary Fund warned yesterday that if the institution was not associated with the bailout for Greece, the whole edifice would collapse for lack of support from private creditors. "We play a catalytic role. If we are here, both the public and the private sector will join in supporting a country, "said an IMF official, speaking to reporters in Washington on condition of anonymity.

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Feb 22 2012

Axa poised to strengthen in Asia

Tag: economic, economy, finance, life, moneyadmin @ 2:40 pm

 

Axa will grow in non-life insurance in Asia. The French group is about to get their hands on some of the activities of the Sino-British HSBC. The Ace Group and Zurich Australian QBE were also in the race. The announcement of the transaction could, according to a source familiar with the matter, taken as soon as next week, as reported by several Chinese newspapers. At the headquarters of Axa, there was no comment Tuesday.

HSBC hoped to sell all of its activities damage valued around 750 million euros to 1 billion of net premiums collected in 2011. But the British would have resolved to give the geographical batch. And it is on Asia, the birthplace of the banking group, Axa would concentrate.

If it ends, the operation would be part of the new strategic plan for 2015 Axa. This project includes the objectives of growth, cost reduction and redeployment of capital to business lines and countries most profitable. Axa has recently withdrawn and certain activities in developed economies, by disposing of assets in Canada and Great Britain.

The group tries to conquer China for several years. He began a partnership in China in late 2010, ICBC (Industrial and Commercial Bank of China), the country's largest bank. ICBC had entered the capital of the joint venture specializing in life insurance with Axa had founded the China Metallurgical Group Minmetal and was committed to a distribution agreement. HSBC had begun the sale of its non-life insurance in September.

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Feb 12 2012

To convince just listen

Tag: Uncategorized, life, publications, special, worldadmin @ 6:32 pm

 

Claire begins the interview by asking Michel on his dream career. Our candidate outlined his conception of director of human resources. He considers to be against the grain of current practice and conceded its inability to address the general managers or owners of that business unit are those who could recruit.

Following this exchange, Claire suggests that the former HR Director to adopt a less categorical. His strong determination, he may have closed its doors in search of employment. The coach also advises Michael to explore new avenues.

The conversation continues in a more informal and Claire confides in Michael that his desire to persuade is at the expense of the caller and this dessert. Claire asks him to position itself at the service rather Recruiter he meets.

Michael realizes the message Claire, is to apply it in service by being more attentive to his interlocutor. To find out if Michael will succeed, go in an upcoming episode of "My Job Coach."

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Feb 10 2012

ECB: New measures to ease credit

Tag: economy, news, top news, travel, worldadmin @ 10:08 pm

 

The absolute independence of the European Central Bank vis-à-vis the policy preventing him from speaking. Mario Draghi has openly acknowledged Thursday: "I received a few minutes ago a call from the Greek prime minister said an agreement had been reached and endorsed by the major parties," said President of the ECB at its monthly press conference in Frankfurt. Thus he was able to announce before everyone else – maybe a little too quickly, given the float that followed in Athens – the good news entrusted to him by Lucas Papademos, the former vice President of the ECB.

But, according to the principle that it is easier to comment on the affairs of others than on his own, he refused to say clearly that the ECB may decide to reduce the debt of Athens, parallel commercial banks: "We are not part of negotiations. But what we hear is that the parts are pretty close to agreement. "

"Prohibited by the European treaties"

Pressed with questions, the successor to Jean-Claude Trichet ended up giving the key to participation of the ECB program "voluntary" Burden Reduction. "If the ECB redistributes some of its profits to the Member States of the ECB … it's not on monetary financing (public debt, which is prohibited by the European treaties), "he dropped. Clearly, it confirms one of the options that have been circulating for a week: the ECB could leave the unrealized gains on its purchase of Greek bonds. Which is approximately 12 billion, knowing that the bonds were acquired on the market at a discount and would be repaid at their face value at maturity.

By hiding again behind the texts prohibiting the bailout States, Mario Draghi shows the difficulty of his task. "The time is long when monetary policy was limited to setting interest rates. Since the debt crisis, the ECB must navigate waters very political, "says economist of a major French bank.

Inflation above the 2%

Monetary field itself, new relaxations are in any case by no means excluded. "Inflation should remain above 2% during the next few months, before falling back below 2%," said Mario Draghi. He worries more than ever a dry supply of bank credit: "We are actually concerned about the slowdown in the credit."

This is why the Governing Council decided to relax the rules on eligibility of collateral (securities pledged as collateral) that commercial banks have to raise cash. These conditions are changed to "temporarily" for seven national central banks, including Bank of France. "Residential real estate loans to individuals are eligible," said a statement released yesterday afternoon in Paris, which lists the technical conditions.

On a neighbor, Mario Draghi provides that the next issue of liquidity to three years, to be held on February 29, could be done "over the range of the previous operation of this type." The banks had obtained, 22 December 2011, 489 billion and 1% over three years.

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