Facebook IPO started but the result is disappointing

Posted on May 19, 2012 by NetMassimo

Facebook IPO finally started but its shares weren’t a bang like many predicted. They started with a value of $38 and finished the day with a value of $38.23.

The trade was scheduled to start at 11 am, Eastern Time, but the Nasdaq delayed the start of half an hour to handle the huge flow of trade requests that were already arriving.

Thus there was plenty of trading and Facebook shares quickly reached the value of $42 but at that point instead of getting higher and higher their value started falling and for a while it was even lower than the initial $38.

Expectations for Facebook IPO were enormous: according to many predictions, their value would be doubled at the end of the first day and according to the most optimistic predictions it would even touch $90. What happened?



Clearly, now the commentators speak of disappointment and everyone’s looking for an explanation for this debut well below expectations. Let’s remember that they created a Hollywood-style choreography for the countdown and at the Facebook headquarters there were big celebrations.

According to many people, so much hype surrounding Facebook IPO ended up stimulating the caution typical of Wall Street. Some people argue that the percentage of shares placed for a social network was excessive.

Perhaps the bubble of speculation increased in recent times around Internet companies reached its peak so people in search of easy money haven’t seen Facebook as the ideal subject for their investments anymore. LinkedIn was successful in its IPO but yesterday its shares went down and even worse did Groupon, Zynga and Pandora.

There will be a lot of talks in the coming days, the fact remains that no one expected a debut so low. If you wanted to buy Facebook shares and you didn’t do it that’s a nice consolation.

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The giant asteroid Vesta looks like a protoplanet

Posted on May 18, 2012 by NetMassimo
Mineral distribution in the southern hemisphere of the giant asteroid Vesta (Image NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/INAF/MPS/DLR/IDA)

Mineral distribution in the southern hemisphere of the giant asteroid Vesta (Image NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/INAF/MPS/DLR/IDA)

NASA’s space probe Dawn is allowing scientists to know the giant asteroid Vesta better and better. A few weeks ago a lot of information were presented about the surface of Vesta and further analysis suggests more than ever that it’s not simply an asteroid but a protoplanet.

During the period of the birth of the solar system, probably a lot of protoplanets formed: some of them coalesced into bigger bodies, some clashed into each other, maybe some ended up into the Sun and instead some others outside the solar system. In time, eventually today’s planets formed but between Mars and Jupiter the gas giant’s gravitational interference prevented the formation of an extra planet, creating the asteroid belt.

The giant asteroid Vesta can be seen as a kind of fossil from that chaotic time. Without the presence of Jupiter, it could have kept on attracting more small asteroids and perhaps it would’ve merged with Ceres, the dwarf planet which is the largest object in the asteroid belt.

Instead, Vesta is still so small that it’s not even considered a dwarf planet. Recent studies, however, could change scientists’ minds because studies carried out by the the Dawn spacecraft show that Vesta has such features that could have its classification changed.

Vesta is in fact an object with a layered structure which has an iron core. Its complexity can be attributed to the same geological process that led to the formation of the Earth and the Moon and has separated its core from its mantle and crust.



It’s possible that in ancient times Vesta had an underground layer of molten magma, which occurs when a celestial body undergoes a violent bombardment by asteroids and meteorites.

Rocks from Vesta also fell on the Earth and it was possible to identify them by comparing the characteristics of the minerals contained in them with those present on the surface of Vesta, in particular the pyroxene, a type of mineral rich in iron and magnesium.

The latest analyzes also allowed scientists to better study Vesta’s south pole. Scientists believe that the basin called Rheasilvia was created by an impact about a billion years ago but close to it there’s another basin called Veneneia that may have been created about two billion years ago by a previous impact.

Recognizing Vista as protoplanet makes studying it even more important because it gives us even more precise idea about ​​the early stages of the Earth’s formation.

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The Mars Rover Opportunity woke up

Posted on May 17, 2012 by NetMassimo
View of Greeley Haven captured by the Mars Rover Opportunity. The shadow is caused by the solar panel (Photo NASA/JPL-Caltech)

View of Greeley Haven captured by the Mars Rover Opportunity. The shadow is caused by the solar panel (Photo NASA/JPL-Caltech)

The Mars Rover Opportunity spent the first months of 2012 in Greeley Haven, an outcrop in the area of the ​​Endeavour Crater on Mars because in the southern hemisphere because it was winter and there was the need to use much of which received little solar energy to maintain its temperature to a level sufficient to avoid damage. On May 8, 2012, Opportunity awoke from a sort of hibernation and started moving.

The Mars Rover Opportunity moved only a few meters (about 12 feet) but that indicates that after more than eight Earth years and five Martian winters it still works. Its solar panels are partially covered of sand so it will be necessary at least for now to travel with a tilt of at least 8 degrees to allow it to make short trips.

During these months, however, the Mars Rover Opportunity hasn’t been completely inactive. At Greeley Haven in fact it used various instruments of its robotic arm to perform various analyzes of the soil around it. Some spectrometric and radio Doppler data Were collected which allowed to investigate on the inside of Mars obtaining information on its rotation.

The next target is in the north of the Endeavour Crater called Cape York to conduct an investigation of an area of ​​land that apparently contains a lot of dust. The hope is to find phyllosilicates, a type of clay minerals that indicate long-term interaction between water and rock.



The significance of this research is to understand where there was water in the past with the hope that some is still there. The Endeavour Crater was already analyzed from the orbit and clay minerals were found that were interpreted as evidence of wet conditions with lower acidity than the ancient wet environments recorded by the Mars Rover Opportunity at other sites in previous years.

At this point, the objective is to have Mars Rover Opportunity perform a deeper analysis. However it will be necessary to move it cautiously so that it always has enough energy to reach another destination later in the area, the one called Cape Tribulation.

If the Martian winds cleaned again its solar panels it would be much easier, otherwise the team that decides how to move the Mars Rover Opportunity will use due caution to allow this amazing machine to keep on operating year after the end of its original mission.

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Starbound by Joe Haldeman

Posted on May 16, 2012 by NetMassimo
Starbound by Joe Haldeman (Italian edition)

Starbound by Joe Haldeman (Italian edition)

The novel “Starbound” by Joe Haldeman was published for the first time in 2010. It’s the sequel to “Marsbound“.

Some years after her first contact with aliens on Mars, Carmen Dula must undertake together with her husband Paul, a few other humans and two of the aliens encountered on Mars, a journey to the aliens’ home planet to try to reach an agreement with them.

Within a few years, humans have learned to use the seemingly unlimited energy source of the aliens though they don’t really understanding how it works. In this way they could set up the interstellar voyage to the planet of the Others. From the beginning, however, they all know that at their arrival they might be killed and anyway the fate of humanity might depend on what they’ll achieve.

“Starbound” starts with a brief summary of the events of “Marsbound” and what’s happened in the years following the end of the first novel. That means that in theory you can read “Starbound” without reading “Marsbound” but I think you’d lose too many details.

Carmen Dula is no longer the young girl arrived on Mars who by chance came into contact with a group of aliens who’ve been living on Mars for millennia. Over the years she got married, had two children and was put in charge of the most important mission in human history.

In fact, “Starbound” ended literally with a bang, or rather more than one. Humans in fact discovered that the Others came from the star system Wolf 25. One of them lived on Neptune’s satellite Triton but he blew it up after leaving it. One of the aliens on Mars received a message that triggered a powerful bomb inside him and only reacting swiftly flying away into space he prevented a potential catastrophe for humanity.

“Marsbound” was narrated in first person from Carmen’s point of view, “Starbound” instead is narrated in first person from the point of view of different characters. This may cause some confusion because in each chapter the perspective changes and the reader is forced to try to figure out which character’s become the narrator through indirect references.

The fact that one of the narrators is one of the aliens is helpful to know his species a little better even if the aliens living on Mars don’t really know the Others of Wolf 25 nor the one who lived on Triton. Much of the novel is actually based exactly on the unknown factor represented by the possible reactions of the Others at the arrival of the expedition from the solar system.



Unfortunately, much of “Starbound” is about the journey to Wolf 25 and the crew activities to spend their time. Joe Haldeman described interstellar journeys in some other of his novels and in this case I had the impression that he just put together some elements he already used in the past.

The result is that in particular the tale of the first part of the journey is a bit boring. Because it lasts a few years, it’s a good thing that the narrative sometimes jumps forward in time to finally get to the really important events.

Luckily, the second part of “Starbound” gets more interesting with the contact with the Others. In my opinion it would’ve been better to devote more space to this part of the story because Joe Haldeman tried to create aliens out of the classic clichés and an ambiguous relationship between the two species.

It’s clear that the intention was to write a novel of limited length by today’s standards but in my opinion focusing more on the relationship between the humans and the Others would’ve improved it.

Like “Marsbound”, “Starbound” has an ending that also lays the groundwork for the next novel, published in the U.S.A. last year. It’s a sudden end, which in the last page of the novel offers the last twist.

“Starbound” contains several elements, some positive and others negative. The result is a mixed bag that I think is altogether decent which can be of interest only for the readers who appreciated “Marsbound” and want to know how the story goes on.

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Doctor Who – Planet of the Daleks

Posted on May 15, 2012 by NetMassimo
Doctor Who - Planet of the Daleks

Doctor Who - Planet of the Daleks

“Planet of the Daleks” is an adventure of the tenth season of “Doctor Who” classic series which aired in 1973. It follows “Frontier in Space” and it’s a six parts adventure written by Terry Nation and directed by David Maloney.

The story

The Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee) is wounded and is barely able to contact the Time Lords to warn of the Daleks threat then falls into a coma-like state. The Tardis is driven by the Time Lords on a planet where Jo Grant (Katy Manning) goes in search for help.

In the jungle where the Tardis rematerialized, Jo discovers a starship and some crew members. In the meantime, the Doctor wakes up and when the men met by Jo reach the Tardis he realizes that they’re Thals, people from the planet Skaro, arrived on the planet Spiridon to stop a Daleks plan.

Extras

This DVD is rich in extras. There are typical contents such as production subtitles, Radio Times Listings and a gallery of pictures from this adventure.

There are comments in the adventure alternative audio track by protagonist Katy Manning, actors Prentis Hancock and Tim Preece, producer Barry Letts and script editor Terrance Dicks.

Perfect Scenario: The End of Dreams. The second part of the pseudo-documentary set in the Twenty-sixth century in which some future humans are studying the old television series “Doctor Who”.

The Rumble in the Jungle. Cast and crew members remember the production of this adventure.

Multi-colourisation. The third episode of this adventure was found only in a black and white version. There was already a technology to recreate the colors but combining it with results of another innovative technology it’s been possible to restore the episode almost to perfection. Here’s how this work was done.

Stripped for Action: The Daleks. A series of comics about the Daleks.

Blue Peter. Two pieces of Blue Peter in which ​​an appeal is made to find two missing Daleks and in which their discovery is announced.


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“Planet of the Daleks” continues the story started in “Frontier in Space” but at the same time it’s an independent adventure. The beginning goes on where the previous episode ended, creating the connection that forms a double adventure. After that, the story on planet Spiridon starts.

The beginning, which is the most original part, could’ve been done better. The depletion of oxygen in the Tardis seems a useless idea that only serves to fill a few more minutes. “Planet of the Daleks” had to go on for six episodes so it was necessary to include some scenes meant as fillers.

“Planet of the Daleks” is in many ways a remake of the adventure “The Daleks“, so much that the Doctor tells the Thals he’s been on Skaro and fought the Daleks with them mentioning the companions who were with him at the time: Ian, Barbara and Susan. Some elements are taken from another adventure, “The Daleks’ Master Plan”.

Seen today, it looks like an odd choice but the production of “Planet of the Daleks” took place in a completely different period for television. In the ’70s, television programs were still considered to be rather ephemeral products since there weren’t even VCRs and TV series were repeated only rarely.

Ten years after the beginning of “Doctor Who”, many fans had just a vague memory of the first adventures or they even hadn’t seen them and probably thought they’d never see them. It’s true that in 1965 was produced the film “Dr Who and The Daleks” in it but the Doctor is an earth scientist, therefore, not part of the television series.

In a successful series it was normal to produce episodes thet were more or less inspired to old episodes that had been particularly successful. “Planet of the Daleks” wasn’t the first “Doctor Who” adventure to be inspired to a previous one nor it was the last.

The problem is that today “Doctor Who” fans had the chance to watch “The Daleks” so “Planet of the Daleks” gives the impression of something already seen. Even trying not to think about this adventure as a rip-off, it’s difficult to see in it elements that go beyond a standard production for the classic “Doctor Who” series. The forest of planet Spiridon and in general the special effects are ​​decently made by the standards of those years, the pace is also typical of those years and the acting is generally pretty good.

“Planet of the Daleks” doesn’t show the depth of “The Daleks”, even though the subject of war is important, but I think that overall the result is enjoyable.

This DVD is part of the “Dalek War” box set, available on Amazon UK, Amazon Canada and Amazon U.S.A.. The double adventure contained is overall quite good and the extras are of high quality making the boxset very interesting especially for “Doctor Who” fans.

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Scott Thompson resigned as Yahoo! CEO, Ross Levinsohn is his interim replacement

Posted on May 14, 2012 by NetMassimo
Scott Thompson

Scott Thompson

Scott Thompson (photo courtesy PayPal, all rights reserved) resigned as CEO of Yahoo! and the company appointed Ross Levinsohn, the company’s global media head, as his interim replacement. In addition, Fred Amoroso became chief of the board of directors replacing Roy Bostock, who resigned along with the other board members Patti Hart, VJ Joshi, Arthur Kern and Gary Wilson. Daniel Loeb, Harry J. Harry J. Wilson and Michael J. Wolf became members of the board of directors.

Scott Thompson was appointed Yahoo! CEO at the beginning of the year, the fourth to have that position in less than five years. Among the many problems of the company, Thompson had to deal with the internal ones, especially with Daniel Loeb, who holds 5.8% of the company shares and is trying to gain more power within the board of directors.

In early May, Daniel Loeb revealed that Scott Thompson hadn’t graduated in computer science and accounting at Stonehill College, as it’s indicated in his resume. He has a degree but only in accounting. This news allowed Loeb to drive a sort of revolt by various Yahoo! shareholders who demanded Thompson’s firing.

Now the resignation by Scott Thompson arrived but the Wall Street Journal reported that Thompson told the board of directors and several colleagues he’s diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Thus, officially his resignation was motivated by these health problems but the impression is that he was done as Yahoo! CEO.

Yahoo! profits have increased in the first quarter of this year and the company is still considering the sale of a part of Alibaba. After this new internal revolution, however, we must first see who will be chosen as CEO and then see what the business plans will be. There seems to be no peace for this company that years ago was a leader in Internet and now struggles not to be overwhelmed by its competitors.

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