Billionaire Masayoshi Son will start selling his humanoid robots named “Pepper” at Sprint Corp. (S)stores in the U.S. by next summer, part of SoftBank Corp.’s push to take the technology beyond factory floors. SoftBank also has received between 300 and 400 inquiries about Pepper from companies in finance, food service and education, Fumihide Tomizawa, chief executive officer of SoftBank Robotics, said yesterday. The 1.2 meter (4 foot) robot dances, makes jokes and estimates human emotions based on expressions. Pepper will go in sale in Japan in February for 198,000 yen ($1,900) while the company hasn’t set a U.S. price.
Updated 5 Years ago

Akzo Nobel NV (AKZA)’s Chief Executive Officer Ton Buechner, 19 months into an overhaul ofEurope’s largest paintmaker, is being sounded out for a potential $7 billion purchase of a car-coatings company at a time when he has focused on cutting costs. Axalta Coating Systems, the former DuPont Co. (DD) unit purchased by Carlyle Group LP (CG) for $4.9 billion in February 2013, could fetch more than $7 billion as the buyout owner contemplates bids alongside a planned initial public offering, three people familiar with the matter said. Amsterdam-based Akzo Nobel hasn’t indicated whether it will pursue Axalta, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because details of the plan are private.
Updated 5 Years ago

Goldman Sachs made a $835m loan to Banco Espírito Santo a month before Portugal's largest listed lender by value was bailed out in a complicated deal that could inflict losses on the Wall Street investment bank. The loan came at a time when mounting concerns over BES's financial health meant that it was struggling to borrow money in the international capital markets, and had increasingly resorted to convoluted forms of off-balance sheet financing to fund itself.
Updated 5 Years ago

A deal between the two will see a test or beta version of an Android app for Nokia's Here maps included free on handsets and the Gear S smartwatch. The move is widely seen as a way to help Samsung distinguish itself from Google which oversees Android.
Updated 5 Years ago

At the weekend, many people reported in a Google forum they were seeing 2013 versions of the Google and image search homepages when using older browsers. The problem was most pronounced among those using variants of Safari 5.1 and Opera 12.
Updated 5 Years ago

Labour cash earnings rose by 2.6% in July compared to a year ago, beating forecasts of a slowdown to 0.9%. Special payments, or summer bonuses, grew by an annual 7.1% in July from a revised 2% gain in June.
Updated 5 Years ago

Analysis from Deloitte shows that of the money spent, £530m has gone overseas, £240m to Premier League clubs and £65m to Football League teams. The transfer window closed at 23:00 BST on Monday, 1 September. It was also the closing transfer deadline day in the English Football League, and in the Scottish leagues.
Updated 5 Years ago

In a Labor Day speech in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Mr Obama said the economy and workers were now better off then when he took office in 2009. "America deserves a raise," he said. His speech comes ahead of mid-term elections in November which will see a close race between Democrats and Republicans for control of the Senate.
Updated 5 Years ago

Growth in Germany contracted 0.2 percent in the second quarter, the first fall in over a year, stoking worries Europe’s biggest economy is slowing down, as the Ukraine crisis and weaker trade drag down what was once a glowing model for the rest of Europe. The seasonally-adjusted gross domestic product (GDP) from April to June was confirmed Monday by Germany's Federal Statistics Office to have dropped twice as much as forecast, which it said shows the economy is “losing momentum.” Annual growth predictions have been slashed from 3 percent to 1.5 percent.
Updated 5 Years ago

Nigeria is a bored country, years of economic malaise, political turbulence and social chaos has led us to focus on the basic essentials of life, ignoring the brighter sides of life in a focus on essential needs. Merigion is LIVEN Capital’s vision for resorts and leisure hospitality in Nigeria. The idea is to build a brand of fun resorts, infused with Nigerian character, driven by customer service and intended for both Nigerians and Tourists alike. Our approach is to develop “leisure centers” which then also offer accommodations, not just hotels, not mere resorts, but epicenters of fun and a lively appreciation of the beauty and magnificence of Nigeria art, music, cuisine, people, natural endowments, encapsulated in each of our properties.
Updated 5 Years ago