If Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) buys most of Twenty-First Century Fox Inc. (NYSE: FOX), the value of the deal will be close to $75 billion, according to Reuters.
T-Mobile US Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) will begin a pay-TV service, according to The Wall Street Journal, partially operated by technology from a new investment:
T-Mobile US Inc. said it is acquiring a streaming-video startup and will launch its own paid-television service, becoming the latest company to jump into the increasingly crowded online-video market.
The nation’s third-largest wireless carrier by subscribers said Wednesday it is buying Layer3 TV Inc., a pay-TV distributor that has targeted high-end video customers with networks delivered over the internet. Terms weren’t disclosed.
The move follows other companies, including Sony Corp., Dish Network Corp. and YouTube owner Alphabet Inc., that have launched internet-based video services that target cable-TV cord-cutters.
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DVD distributor Redbox will move into the content streaming business. According to The Wall Street Journal:
After disrupting the DVD rental business with its ubiquitous kiosks and low prices, Redbox is getting into the digital game with an offering that includes every Hollywood studio except Walt Disney Co., which it’s currently battling in court.
Privately held Redbox will allow consumers to rent or purchase movies from its apps on mobile and TV-connected devices beginning Wednesday. The prices and offerings, starting at about $3.99 for rentals and $9.99 for purchases, are similar to other stores like Apple Inc.’s iTunes.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) will allow workers access to part of their pay before payday. The company’s management reported:
Walmart today announced a suite of new financial wellness services for more than 1.4 million associates nationwide. The new offering was created in collaboration with Silicon Valley-based financial technology startups Even and PayActiv. Associates will access the tools through the Even app, available for both iOS and Android devices.
Even app for Walmart associates
The joint solution allows Walmart associates to automatically plan ahead for bills and savings goals, eliminating the work of figuring out how much money is okay to spend. When unexpected expenses occur, associates can access earned wages ahead of scheduled paychecks using an “Instapay” feature, providing greater flexibility and helping them avoid overdrafts, high-fee funding or credit options.
Shale and clean energy are changing the global energy landscape. According to the International Energy Agency:
Four large-scale shifts in the global energy system set the scene for the World Energy Outlook 2017: the rapid deployment and falling costs of clean energy technologies, the growing electrification of energy, the shift to a more services-oriented economy and a cleaner energy mix in China, and the resilience of shale gas and tight oil in the United States.
These shifts come at a time when traditional distinctions between energy producers and consumers are being blurred and a new group of major developing countries, led by India, moves towards centre stage.
International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) has set deals to move further into quantum computing. According to CNBC:
IBM has teamed up with major companies including Samsung, JPMorgan, and Barclays, to develop quantum computing for commercial use, the U.S. technology giant announced Thursday.
Those firms along with nine others are working with IBM to build out quantum computing using the company’s open source software and developer tools.
Quantum computing is seen as the next generation of computing, able to solve problems that current machines can’t.
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