Facebook buys virtual reality headset start-up for $2bn

Facebook has announced it will buy Oculus VR, a Californian company which specialises in virtual reality products, for around $2bn (£1.2bn).

The start-up's flagship product, the Oculus Rift, is a goggle-like "immersive" headset for video gaming. It was developed with funds raised through crowdfunding site Kickstarter, and subsequent investment. Facebook's boss, Mark Zuckerberg, said Oculus' technologies could "change the way we work, play and communicate". The Oculus Rift has yet to be released, but more than 75,000 orders for development kits have already been placed, according to the social media giant.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Facebook said it plans to expand the use of Oculus technologies to include "communications, media and entertainment, education and other areas". Oculus' crowdfunding campaign raised $2.4m (£1.5m), 10 times the amount originally sought. It subsequently received a further $75m from investors.

The Rift headset was widely heralded at the CES technology show in Las Vegas in January, where Sony also announced a rival product. The deal includes $400m in cash and just over 23 million Facebook shares, valued at $1.6bn. Oculus employees will also receive an additional $300m if the company achieves certain targets.

Commenting on the deal, Mr Zuckerberg said: "Mobile is the platform of today, and now we're also getting ready for the platforms of tomorrow." It is the latest purchase for Facebook, which last month spent $19bn on mobile messaging platform WhatsApp.

5 Steps to Execute a Site Redesign without Compromising SEO

You've spent years investing in SEO, and now your company dominates the rankings, but your site is outdated, isn't mobile-friendly, and you know it's time for a redesign. You've heard all the horror stories of how a site redesign can kill rankings, so you've held off as long as you can, but now it's time.

Here are five steps to ensure that you are able to successfully execute your site redesign without compromising months or possibly years of investment in SEO.

Step 1: Evaluate Your SEO Strategy

A site redesign is the perfect time to evaluate your SEO strategy and figure out which keywords and landing pages are providing the most value, and which ones are providing the least. This will allow you to know which keywords and landing pages to prioritize during the redesign.

During this process, you may find keywords that rank well, but perform poorly at delivering quality traffic. These keywords may not be worth including in your post-redesign SEO efforts, which presents a great opportunity to refine the keywords you're targeting to ones that will drive higher quality traffic to the site.

When evaluating your SEO strategy, you may also find that certain landing pages fail to engage visitors and convert them into leads or sales. A site redesign presents the perfect opportunity to address page level engagement and conversion issues as well.

Ironically, by evaluating your SEO efforts prior to a site redesign, and addressing issues that you may have otherwise overlooked, you can actually end up with a better performing SEO campaign after the redesign.

Step 2: Keep the Same URL Structure or Implement 301 Redirects

As it pertains to SEO, it is ideal to maintain the same URL structure when executing a site redesign, but this not always practical. You may be moving the site to a new platform that requires a different URL structure, or you may have reorganized your content, which resulted in changes to the URL structure. In any case where changes to the URL structure are necessary, implementing page level 301 redirects is a necessity.

A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect from one URL to another. It helps retain rankings by guiding search engines from the old URL to the new URL where the requested content now lives. 301 redirects also preserve inbound links and internal links, both of which also help retain rankings.

Retaining a positive user-experience is just as important as retaining good rankings. By preserving inbound links and internal links, 301 redirects prevent visitors from being greeted with a "404 Not Found" error message when accessing the site through inbound links or navigating the site through internal links that point to URLs which no longer exist.

Step 3: Maintain On-Page Optimization

Maintaining on-page optimization is an obvious step, but a site redesign can often involve moving, revising, and adding new content, so with all these moving parts it's easy to forget the basics.

Use this as an opportunity to not only maintain, but to improve on-page optimization, beginning with making sure any keyword changes that were made in step 1 are incorporated into the appropriate pages.

Then, review each title and description tag. Make sure they're unique for each page, incorporate the target keyword(s) for that page, and accurately describe the content they're associated with.

Review the site's URLs, and make sure they're optimized for each page. Also, check for broken internal links, and review all anchor text to make sure it is consistent with any keyword changes that were made in step 1.

Step 4: Create HTML and XML Sitemaps

Create HTML and XML sitemaps to help search engines discover any new content and existing content that has moved to new URLs. HTML sitemaps are also useful to site visitors, and help them discover new content or existing content that has been moved as well.

After creating an XML sitemap, be sure to submit it to the major search engines to expedite the crawling of any new or moved content. This step, combined with page level 301 redirects will ensure efficient crawling and indexing of new or moved content.

Step 5: Monitor, Measure, Improve

Once the redesigned site goes live, carefully monitor your rankings and traffic data.

·         Are rankings improving or getting worse?

·         Is traffic to the site increasing or decreasing?

·         Are visitors engaging more or less with the site's content?

·         Are visitors converting at a higher or lower rate?

A site redesign should not be a once and done project. Just like any other marketing effort, the results of your redesign should be monitored, measured, and improved over time.

Conclusion

By following these five steps, you can not only successfully redesign your website without compromising SEO efforts, but can use it as an opportunity to make your SEO strategy even better.

Info presented by Vista Brokers

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS USD/JPY 26/03/14

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS USD/JPY

1 Hour Intraday Trading

USDJPY after the rally that pushed the price to the 102.67 on 19^th of March is trading sideways trying to find the right momentum in order to break above or below the yellow channel. It is clear that this rally formatted an uptrend line which now is being tested once more. MACD is floating the last 24 hours at 0 line and MA 50 managed yesterday to keep the price below. Next move is very close as price consolidated for a long period and is expected to happen not later than the end of the yellow channel.

SCENARIOS

As long as price stays above the S1 level we expect an upward move up to R2 where price finds resistance and retrace back for a small correction before it moves for higher levels such as R3 and R4

On the other hand a break below the S1 support level will alert a downward move and most probably price will move towards the S2 to test it.

INDICATOR ANALYSIS USD/JPY

Source:  http://www.vistabrokers.com/

Google buys up games controller firm Green Throttle Games

Google has bought up Green Throttle Games, a company which created gaming peripherals, for an undisclosed sum.

According to BBC sources, Google hadn’t bought the firm outright, but only "elements" of the company. However, there is a must for 2 of Green Throttle Games' co-founders to join the search giant.

Industry figures predicted the development of Google’s own set-top TV box. The box might be aimed to play games especially designed for Google's mobile OS, Android, on a large screen.

Founded in California, Green Throttle Games Company invented a games controller which was able to connect to mobile devices wirelessly, through Bluetooth. It was aimed to solve the standard problem of playing games on smartphones and tablets, which actually is quite difficult without physical buttons.

Strategy

The expertise and technology got from the firm might be used for the improvement of a new set-top TV box, a developing field of competition for leading tech companies. Amazon is expected to present a box by the end of the month, taking into account such products as Apple TV, already existing on the market.

Google has a shot at making in-roads in the market, however it came to ought. Its orb like Nexus Q device has never reached the market, but the collaboration with Sony has not been given a round of applause by consumers.

Recently the firm displayed the reasonably priced Chromecast dongle. This device helps users play out content from a mobile device on a television.

Karl Townsend and Matt Crowley are joining Google from Green Throttle Games Company. Mr Townsend was responsible for the Palm Pilot, an innovatory hand-held device.

However, another co-founder, Charles Huang says that he is not moving to Google and is aimed at retaining the rights to the Green Throttle Games brand.


Info presented by Vista Brokers

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS USD/JPY

1 Hour Intraday Trading

USDJPY after formatting a new top at 103,75 which is the highest price since 24^th of January, started to move downwards breaking the uptrend trend line,  the 50MA and also some important support levels which turn to be resistance since then. Now the price seems to consolidate before making the next move, something that shows us that there is going to be another between Bulls and Bears….

SCENARIOS

 As price movement stopped at S1 after a downward rally of 129 pips we expect price to retrace back, trying to correct the trend and maybe reach the R1 level at 102,23.If downward trend line don’t manage to keep the price beyond, then we are going for higher prices in the next days.

A possible break out below the S2 support will alert a new rally to lower levels as the battle of bull and bears will have a winner, and they will try to push the price as low as they can.

 INDICATOR ANALYSIS USD/JPY

Info presented by Vista Brokers

Apple releases iOS 7 update for iPads and iPhones

Apple developed and presented its newest mobile operating system update on Monday, iOS 7.1. The main upgrade packs in a variety of new features, improvements, bug fixes and some pleasant general changes to the existing interface.

iOS 7.1 is considered the 1^st groundbreaking update to the iPod Touch, iPad and iPhone operating system since iOS 7 was presented in September 2013.

There are some expected repairs in 7.1. First and foremost, the accuracy of the fingerprint sensor on iPhone 5S is improved. At the second, there are general performance improvements for iPhone 4 devices for those iPhone 4 owners who complained of speed and other problems after upgrading to iOS 7.0. The update also repairs a bug which can occasionally cause a home screen crash.

Other upgrade option includes an additional method of Siri activation. Now you can just hold down the Home button and start speaking, letting go when you are done giving the directions. With previous version, you had to wait for Siri to detect by itself when you are done speaking. Moreover, female and male Siri voices are updated and now sound more natural and likable in Mandarin, Japanese, Australian and UK English.

For iPhone photographers, there also are some fine improvements: now they must not manually toggle on HDR. The camera on the iPhone 5S automatically detects scenes which it thinks can benefit from high-dynamic range and turn it on.

Minor improvements are suggested for iTunes Radio, FaceTime and the Calendar App. There are some accessibility tweaks meant for making the operating system work better for the visually impaired.

The outstanding new feature in iOS 7.1 is CarPlay. It is a tool, which lets you transfer some of the most basic functions on your iPhone to your car’s dashboard. Apple announced details about CarPlay last week.  The features include such IOS system tools as iTunes, Siri, Maps and Messages.

However, this CarPlay feature is part of a new partnership with several famous car companies, such as Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Hyundai and Honda. So it is available for several new vehicles for now.

In order to get the free update on your Apple device, you should be connected to a Wi-Fi network. If you are already connected, go to Settings - General -Software Update, and then click Download button and Install. You can also download it through iTunes. 

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS EUR/USD

1 Hour Intraday Trading

As you can see from the chart below EURUSD is in an uptrend from the 27^th of February. Price is moving inside of the boarders of the blue channel (T1) which is slopping upwards. After the 6^th of March when prices rallied towards 1.3865 both short and long holders wait to gain power before their next move.

As long as the price is moving above the low boarder of the channel, the EURUSD will be considered to be on an uptrend.

SCENARIOS

Most possibly price will try to correct the primary trend, going back to 1,3852 (S1) and maybe test the 1,3823 (S2) before it moves upward towards the (R2) 1,3916 and why not  break above this level, creating new highs.

On the other hand if price manage to break the (S2) level at 1,3823 then we are heading for a test of (T1) trend line, a break below of this trend line will alert a possible upcoming downtrend

INDICATOR ANALYSIS GBP/USD

Info presented by Vista Brokers

Psychology Today

 People & Psychology

     In our modern world people attempt to get as much informed about the world of psychology as possible believing this science is the most powerful tool for a successful and happy life. Hence let’s try to grasp the main idea of what psychology actually is.

     According to the scientists in the field, psychology is a science focused on the study of mental functions and behaviors of people. The primary goal of psychology is to comprehend both individuals and groups by formulating certain principles and analyzing definite cases in such a way improving the society. In other words it is a knowledge oriented towards both treating mental problems and solving everyday life issues. Psychology researches concepts such as cognition, emotion, perception, brain functioning, motivation, and many more. Hence it plays a significant role in people’s life and even becomes an important part of it.

    

Psychology & Business

     According to some recent surveys psychology has become integral to business. Nowadays the success of certain businesses is in a way dependent on psychology. As a result another discipline has emerged and we speak about business psychology.

     Business psychology is directed towards understanding all psychological strategies and tactics that could bring tremendous success. In short with the help of business psychology an entrepreneur is able to get much more customers, motivate the team and achieve the desired results. Also it is worth mentioning that psychology is the key to entrepreneurial development and growth, marketing and sales, and successful negotiations.

   The most common psychological tactics used for business purposes are persuasion and influence. Business psychology teaches you the way you should communicate who you are and what you offer. Consequently you have your “persuasion weapon” with the help of which you can sell as well as get satisfied clients.

     Another important aspect of business psychology is the concept of leadership. It is well known that to lead a successful business is not that easy. It is a real challenge when it comes to staff motivation and support while providing definite and clear instructions and goals. In this case business psychology gives you all the necessary tools to become a successful leader.

Who Are We When Joining a Crowd? Crowd Psychology

    

     Crowd psychology is a part of social psychology that studies the difference between an individual’s behavior and that of a crowd. It analyzes the thought process of the individual member of a crowd and the crowd as a whole. According to some major theorists crowd psychology is strongly influenced by the lack of responsibility of the individual and the impression of universality.

     An eminent psychologist Floyd Henry Allport stated that the power of a crowd is able to overthrow the individual. He also pointed out that usually large crowds make the focus of attention narrower rather than larger. As a result the crowd does not get interested in diverse ideas and opinions, but gathers around one common object. And the bigger the crowd the greater the belief that the common object is accepted by every crowd member. Hence it becomes senseless for an individual to attempt to discuss the idea. Also as the crowd becomes larger the idea of universal acceptance of a certain view grows even more. In short the impression of universality is the illusion that there are millions of other people who share exactly the same views, no matter what your views may be related to.

     It is quite interesting how the behavior of an individual changes once he/she joins a crowd. The individual acquires an amount of specific psychological traits that are not peculiar to him/her when being outside the crowd. These features directly influence his/her behavior within a crowd.

       Psychology develops every single day and gets into each field of human activity. It is very important to understand the advantages of this particular science and how it can help you achieve your primary goals no matter who you are and what you do. Modern life has made things difficult to handle and it is complicated to live in a world where everybody strives to achieve success, become famous, rich, important, etc. In other words our life has become a competition where only the strongest ones win. In this context psychology offers all the necessary clues and tactics for an individual to survive and be self-confident in this aggressive contemporary world.

     As it has been previously discussed, being a businessman you can make use of what psychology has to offer and become successful and respected. As far as the notion of crowd is concerned there is a meaningful quote from Isaac Asimov stating that the first problem of living is to minimize friction with the crowds that surround you on all sides (“The Caves of Steel”).

     Info presented by Vista Brokers

A Boost in the US Manufacturing

The US manufacturing activity has been positively influenced by the recent economic recovery.  It is a considerable improvement given that this boost was received faster that it was expected. The manufacturing index of ISM (Institute for Supply Management) reached 53.2 that is much higher than its 51.3 in January. This growth shows expansion. The US economy depends greatly on manufacturing and construction sectors and there were threats that bad weather conditions could have a severe impact on these areas.

According to Bradley Holcomb, chair of ISM survey committee, some manufacturers said that violent weather affected their business, while others expressed optimism regarding future growth. The US Department of Commerce stated that the construction spending reached 0.1% in January. Compared to January last year, construction spending rose to 9.3%.

Significant Growth?

Severe weather had a negative impact on car sales unfortunately. In February Toyota, General Motors and Ford have seen declines in deliveries. Nevertheless the decline in sales was not expected and the manufacturers reflect optimism in terms of growth in the coming months.  Bill Fay, general manager at Toyota said that the sales in February have been influenced by the distinct shift in the second half of month, providing a promising forecast for March.

Meanwhile sales at General Motors dropped 1% compared to the predictions of 6%. Nissan and Chrysler achieved an apparent sales increase of 16% and 11% respectively.  According to some analytical surveys the total car sales have been influenced by discounts offered by traders who aimed at attracting clients to showrooms to alleviate the economic issued caused by the severe weather.

According to TrueCar the discounts will reduce after the weather gets better. Everybody expects to return to balance as the winter leaves and the inventories ease. 

New Economic Targets in China

China has set a growth target of 7.5% for the year aiming at bringing economic stability. In an attempt to keep its prices in check, the country has also set the inflation rate at 3.5%. After a long period of spectacular growth, China has seen a drop in its expansion rate after the slowdown in domestic and key markets.

The country reached 7.7% in 2013 similar to the situation in 2012. According to some recent economic data the world’s largest economy suffered a decline in the manufacturing sector.

China’s Premier Li Keqiang announced the new targets set for 2014 at the National People's Congress (NPC), a parliamentary session held annually.  The NPC is considered to be the supreme body of state power in China. But, in fact it is the rubber-stamping agency for the Communist Party.

Real Estate Bubble – New Target

China has expected growth and inflation targets. Paul Tang, chief economist with the Bank of East Asia, said that the current figures fit all the expectations. In addition a slower economic increase is also expected for 2014. The major focus still remains on lending and fixed-asset investment tightening.

Li Keqiang announced that the government would be directed towards increasing personal incomes and also promised to concentrate on property market.  Real estate purchasing has been one of the most popular investments in China. Property prices kept rising and caused fears of property bubbles.  The central bank took the action late in 2013 by tightening the monetary policy and stopping the strong lending growth.

The meeting will run for 10 days and over 3000 legislators from delegations across China will attend. 

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS USD/JPY

1 Hour Intraday Trading

USDJPY  yesterday  managed to break above the T2 trend line and at this moment is testing the T1 trend line which is our primary trend. From Monday until now we can see from the graph that Long holders have the control and drive the pair to an upward rally. We expect a reaction from short holders in the next few hours. Price is trading above the 50 MA and MACD also confirms the bullish momentum.

If price manage to stay below the T1 trend line the next few hours then probably we will see a correction of the primary trend (T1) and price will probably try to test the 50MA or the S1 support level

On the other hand if price break above the T1 trend line, then most probably we will see a move and a touch of the R1 level .

INDICATOR ANALYSIS USD/JPY

Info presented by Vista Brokers

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS EUR/USD

1 Hour Intraday Trading

EUR/USD as you can see from the graph below managed to test the 1,3817 as we mentioned in last analysis and created a new resistance level  R3 at 1,3822. Short holders then took control of the price and managed to keep it at lower levels as it was the last Friday of the month. Price opened with a gap of 41 pips on Monday and since then is slopping downwards, this move created a new valid bottom and an upward trend line of 45 degrees approximately. The uptrend momentum is also confirmed by the stochastic which is slopping upwards and by the RSI which just crossed the 50 level.

SCENARIOS

As long as price is floating above the light blue trend line we expect the price to move upwards and try to test time the R3 level one more time, which turned to be a significant resistance.  Most probably price will also find a resistance at R2 level and we might see a correction of the primary trend.

A possible penetration of the trend line will signal a bigger correction and maybe a touch of the S2 at 1,3690. If price manage to break below the S2 then we go for even lower levels.

INDICATOR ANALYSIS GBP/USD

Info presented by Vista Brokers