iWorld
Watch India’s Tour of New Zealand Live and Exclusive, on Sony LIV
MUMBAI: Watch the much awaited New Zealand vs India cricket series on all digital platforms, with Sony LIV – Multi Screen Media (MSM)’s premium video-on-demand service. Along with LIVE streaming of the entire series, Sony LIV offers you a chance to catch up with a complete package of match highlights, fours, sixes, wickets, best catches and fielding moments, 100’s/ 50’s and 10/5 wicket hauls and the ‘Man of the Match’ moments. Additionally, viewers can also enjoy the special fun moments on and off the field.
The series will be held in New Zealand and is scheduled from the 19th January 2014 to the 18th February 2014. The 30 day tour starts with five ODIs followed by two Test Matches. Sony LIV is the single-point of entry into the World of Sony Entertainment Network. Viewers can watch the match live on SonyLIV.com or mobile phones and tablets by downloading it from IOS, Android, Windows and Java app stores.
Speaking on the availability of the cricket series on Sony LIV, Nitesh Kripalani, Executive Vice-President – New Media, Business Development and Digital/Syndication at Sony Entertainment Network, commented, “We want to make 2014’s first India series available to our viewers on multiple digital platforms. Viewers can log on to Sony LIV via any connected device and enjoy the cricketing action live. We have also introduced special content packages from the series to give cricket enthusiasts a complete immersive and engaging viewing experience.”
SONY SIX, India’s premier sports and entertainment channel has acquired the exclusive broadcast rights to this cricket series.
Mr. Prasana Krishnan, EVP & Business Head, Sony SIX said, “It gives us immense pleasure to partner with Sony LIV for the series. Sony LIV has been successfully catering to the entertainment needs of the online users across segments. With this association, we wish to extend our commitment to deliver the best of sports entertainment to our viewers across platforms. Our viewers will now be able to follow live cricket action while being on the move.”
The India tour of New Zealand 2014 bilateral series is a part of the Future Cricket Tour Program (FTP) prepared by International Cricket Council (ICC). This is the first series for the Indian team in the 2014 calendar. The two teams last met in New Zealand five years back in 2009 where India were able to register a series win in New Zealand after 41 years.
iWorld
Snapchat parent Snap cuts 16 per cent of workforce in AI-driven restructuring
The Snapchat parent is axing around 1,000 jobs and closing 300 open roles to save $500m, as artificial intelligence makes smaller teams the new normal
CALIFORNIA: Snap is snapping. The Snapchat parent has confirmed plans to cut around 1,000 employees, roughly 16 per cent of its full-time workforce, as it bets that artificial intelligence can do what headcount once required. Shares jumped more than 10 per cent in premarket trading on the news, a brisk vote of confidence from a market that has watched the stock shed about 31 per cent this year.
The restructuring, which also closes more than 300 open roles, follows pressure from activist investor Irenic Capital Management, which holds an economic interest of about 2.5 per cent in the company and has been loudly pushing Snap to tighten its portfolio and lift performance. The firm got what it asked for, and then some.
Chief executive Evan Spiegel told employees the cuts would reduce annualised expenses by more than $500m by the second half of the year. The company expects to incur charges of between $95m and $130m related to the layoffs, mostly severance, with the bulk landing in the second quarter. Staff in Snap’s North America team were asked to work from home on the day of the announcement.
The financial backdrop is not without bright spots. Snap expects first-quarter revenue to rise around 12 per cent to approximately $1.53 billion, broadly in line with analyst estimates. Adjusted core profit for the January to March quarter is forecast at about $233m, comfortably ahead of Wall Street’s expectation of $186.8m.
The harder question surrounds Specs, Snap’s augmented reality smart glasses subsidiary, which Irenic has urged the company to spin off or shut down entirely. The unit has absorbed more than $3.5 billion in investment and burns through approximately $500m in cash annually. Snap is pressing ahead regardless, with a consumer product expected later this year, even as Meta leads the market in the segment.
Spiegel is betting that leaner teams, smarter machines and a consumer AR play can restore Snap’s credibility with investors who have run out of patience. The redundancy notices have gone out. The harder restructuring, the one that requires a hit product rather than a headcount reduction, is still very much pending.
