Twitter users to grow 24.4 percent in 2014, US still largest market

John Ribeiro@Johnribeiro

• May 27, 2014 12:10 AM
• print

Twitter users are expected to grow 24.4 percent this year to over 227 million with double-digit growth forecast to continue through 2018 when the number of users will be nearly 400 million, according to a report.

The US will continue to be the country with the largest number of individual Twitter users through 2018, eMarketer said on Tuesday. But its share of users, currently at 20 percent, will drop over the years and give Twitter the opportunity to grow its advertising revenue from outside the U.S.

The Asia-Pacific region increased its share of the number of Twitter users to 30.5 percent in 2013 in comparison to 26 percent for second-place North America. High growth countries in Asia-Pacific were Indonesia and India with 76.3 and 68.8 percent growth, respectively.

The research firm said its estimates are based on how many individual users log in or access Twitter each month within the calendar year. It said its figure differ from Twitter’s reported figure for users because it uses consumer survey data to remove business accounts, multiple accounts for individual users and other sources of potential double-counting.

Twitter reported average monthly active users (MAUs) were 241 million as of Dec. 31, which increased to 255 million at the end of the first quarter.

The figure for Asia-Pacific does not include China which blocks Twitter, although users still access the social networking site using virtual private networks.

By 2018, the share of the Asia-Pacific region is forecast to reach 40.1 percent as the share of North America drops to 19 percent. If there are changes in China’s policies towards foreign social networks, the share of Asia-Pacific could soar further, eMarketer said.

India and Indonesia are forecast to have the third and fourth-largest base of Twitter users in the world in 2014, with about 18 million and 15 million users, respectively.

The popularity of Twitter and other social media in India was reflected in the extensive use of these tools during the recently concluded federal elections in the country. The new prime minister Narendra Modi uses Twitter and Facebook frequently to communicate to literate users and has over 4.4 million followers on Twitter.

Put a muzzle on the 'Wolf of Wall Street'

Jordan Belfort, the man whose life of Wall Street excess was chronicled in a recent movie, stormed out of a 60 minutes interview in Australia after being asked about his financials (again)

Microsoft and Macklemore: Which do consumers like more?

Microsoft is making a bigger push into physical retail stores. But will consumers buy in? Here's the latest effort at the opening of the Microsoft store at the Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey, on May 20, 2014.

When Apple unveils a new iPhone, customers in long lines are usual sights. But what about Microsoft? Does the tech giant based in Redmond, Washington, boast fandom too?

The answer is yes, if a recent store opening in New Jersey is any indication.

Hundreds of tech shoppers showed up Thursday for the unveiling of aMicrosoft store at the Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey. It didn't hurt that the opening featured a DJ, prizes, about $1 million-worth of product and software donations to local charities—and a concert by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. More than 200 people had camped out at the mall overnight for a chance to win giveaways and receive free tickets to the musical performance.

"We're opening our stores to build relationships with our customers one at a time," said Jonathan Adashek, general manager of Communication Strategy for Microsoft Stores. "Our customers are asking for these stores."

Brad Quick | CNBC

Microsoft launched its latest store location at the Garden State Plaza in New Jersey on Thursday, May 22, 2014.

Microsoft has more than 90 retail stores in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.

And the retail store push is part of a broad strategy under Microsoft's new CEO Satya Nadella.

Microsoft is trying to gain market share in a competitive market for mobile devices that includes Apple's iPad and MacBook Air laptop. The Microsoft Surface tablet, launched in October 2012 and refreshed last year, has about 2 percent of the tablet market, failing to make a dent on Apple's iPad, according to Reuters. Microsoft has only 3 percent global share in smartphones, chiefly through Nokia.

Brad Quick | CNBC

Microsoft’s new retail stores feature products including the Surface tablet.

Microsoft is betting the new Surface Pro 3, which runs the full Windows operating system, will be the device consumers and businesses turn to when they're replacing laptops. The new device has a 12-inch screen, slightly bigger than its last model, but is thinner and weighs less. It comes in three models, starting from $799,

Big picture, an increased tablet presence would add to Microsoft's hip brand factor, which often can be associated with Microsoft Xboxes.

"We are not building hardware for hardware's sake," Nadella said at a recent product event.

Read MoreInside 'big coal country' as coal-fired energy demand returns

—By CNBC's Heesun Wee and Brad Quick. Follow them on Twitter@heesunwee, and @bquick83.

Apple iPhone 6 is coming: What you should know

(Photo: Bloomberg Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Going into an iPhone launch there's never much doubt about whether Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL ) latest addition to the key lineup will sell better than its predecessor. Where the confusion usually lies is in how much better the newest model will do than the one before it. While the 5s and 5c have performed about in line with analyst expectations, the 4s outperformed even most of the bullish projections. What can Apple investors expect from the iPhone 6 this year?

Another blowout?

For the most part, there are big expectations for Apple's iPhone 6.

The hyperactive rumor mill, as noted by MacRumors, expects the key differentiator for the next-generation iPhone to be a larger display screen. Fortunately, there seems to be a considerable market for smartphones with displays larger than 4 inches.

While early rumors suggested Apple would launch both a 4.7-inch and 5.7-inch iPhone this fall, the consensus agreement now is that the 5.7-inch iPhone has been pushed back toward the end of the year. But a 4.7-inch display would add almost three quarters of an inch to the current diagonal measure of the iPhone 5s, enough to push Apple into that proven market for larger displays.

Just how good does the market for larger smartphones look? A third of all smartphones sold globally in the first quarter of 2014 had screen sizes larger than 5 inches, according to research firm Canalys. The market hit 90 million units in the quarter, making it the fastest-growing segment of smartphones when measured by display size. Comparatively, Apple sold 43.7 million iPhones during the quarter.

At this point, it's irrefutable: The market for larger smartphone displays looks lucrative. Apple seems to have plainly acknowledged this fact. Recent documents that surfaced in court filings in an Apple-Samsung case showed a slide in a slide show entitled, "Consumers want what we don't have." The slide detailed the growing adoption of smartphones with displays larger than 4 inches.

Recent supply-chain checks by longtime Apple analyst Katy Huberty at Morgan Stanley also supported speculation that the consumer demand for Apple's iPhone 6 will be robust. Based on her recent trip to the Far East, Huberty believes suppliers are prepping for iPhone 6 sales to be 20% higher than 5s sales.

A rosy outlook for iPhone 6 is great news for the company's investors. With the iPhone accounting for 57% of Apple's total revenue in its most recent quarter, a jump in sales for this device will be great for the business -- especially considering the iPhone is Apple's most profitable product segment.

So what should investors expect from the iPhone 6 launch? Big numbers. In the months following the fall launch, Apple certainly could see year-over-year growth in iPhone sales in excess of 15%.

MORE AT: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/05/24/apple-iphone-6/9333607/

5 of the most inexpensive colleges in the U.S.

Around four out of every 10 working American adults are college-degree holders. These degrees come with a price tag of around $23,000 per year for a moderately priced in-state college and around $45,000 for a private college, according to College Board statistics published on College Data.

(Photo: franny-anne Getty Images/iStockphoto)

With degrees having such a hefty price tag, if you earn the median household income, you'd be spending 45% of your income on in-state tuition and an astonishing 88% of your income on a private college. Even if you work in one of the highest-paying jobs, paying for a college degree out of pocket will cost a substantial portion of your income. An oral surgeon who earns the median pay for his occupation would have to put out 30% of his annual income to pay for tuition, room, board, and books at a private college.

When preparing for college, students often choose a school based on its reputation. It is a common thought that schools with big names, like the Big 10 schools or an Ivy League school, will definitely lead a degree holder's resume straight to the top of a pile.

But is there any truth to this? Some recruiters and other experts say "no." According to a publication by the College Solution, employers seek out candidates from a variety of schools – large, small, known and unknown. The publication adds that what you do during your time in school matters. Your achievements, credentials, and activities will set you apart from competition in the job market.

Considering school choice will not make or break your career opportunities and the cost of tuition is so incredibly high, why not go to an affordable college? Here is a list of some of the most inexpensive colleges and Universities in the United States, based on publications by Online U and The Best Colleges.

1. Liberty University Online

This is a non-profit school with accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. For the 2013 through 2014 school year, students can attend undergraduate classes part-time for $385 per credit and full-time students pay $340 per credit hour. A student taking a full 12-hour course load pays around $4,300 per term in tuition and fees. Liberty also offers a discount for military members and for emergency response personnel.

2. Western Governor's University

Also a non-profit school, basic tuition at WGU is $2,890 per six month term. WGU advertises that was founded by 19 governors and is "designed for working adults." It offers online degree programs in many areas, such as information technology, teaching licensing programs, business degree programs and health and nursing.

3. Columbia Southern University

Undergraduate tuition at Columbia Southern is $200 credit per hour for the 2013 through 2014 school year. Offering bachelor's degree programs in basic areas like business, finance, criminal justice and information technology, CSU is accredited by the Distance Education Training Council and is a member of the American Council on Education.

4. Eastern New Mexico University

For the 2014 through 2015 academic year, tuition and fees for full-time, in-state students is $2,428 per semester ($4,856 per year) and out-of-state students pay a higher rate of $5,316 ($10,632 annually.) If you decide to live on campus as an in-state resident, you can get the whole package (ID card, room and board, as well as books included) for around $6,375. As an out-of-state student, you pay around $9,262 per semester.

5. Fort Hays State University

To attend FHSU, students pay only $182 per credit hour for undergraduate programs. This school has an 18-to-1 student to faculty ratio and it offers bachelor's degree programs in many areas, including business education, teaching, information technology, management and marketing and healthcare.

MORE AT: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/05/24/wscs-5-of-the-most-inexpensive-colleges-in-usa/9510279/http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/05/24/wscs-5-of-the-most-inexpensive-colleges-in-usa/9510279/

Can Rio be ready for the World Cup?

Next month, more than three and a half million soccer fans are expected to head to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the World Cup.

But there are some serious questions about whether Rio is ready to play host. And the World Cup is just a dry run for the Summer Olympics two years from now.

Protests have erupted in Brazil in recent weeks over the high cost of hosting the soccer tournament.

Brazil is reportedly spending $11 billion, more than double what South Africa spent and five times more than Germany.

Protests are just one of several problems plaguing the Brazilian government ahead of the World Cup. Several of the 12 stadiums being built are not finished. Major infrastructure updates have either been postponed or canceled.

And Brazil is also preparing to host the Olympics.

Olympic sailors training in Rio have already complained about pollution. A trash-filled canal feeds into a bay where the sailing and windsurfing events will take place. Last month, a top Olympic official called Brazil's preparations the "worst" he'd ever experienced.


Brazil is reportedly spending $11 billion to host the World Cup

Professor Lee Igel studies the role of sports in society at New York University.

"If there are issues in Brazil around security, transportation, any of these sorts of things that make the World Cup not what it should be, it's going to have an effect on the Olympic Games in 2016," Igel said.

Which is why Brazil is working frantically to make the World Cup a success.

With fans coming from around the world, officials plan to deploy 100,000 law enforcement and security personnel during the tournament.

Liliana Ayalde is the U.S. ambassador to Brazil.

"Any major event like World Cup has its challenges," Ayalde said, when asked whether Brazil was ready. "I think similar issues have been raised in other major events. We have been following it, and I think we feel that they are fully committed to having a successful game."

When the opening match takes place on June 12, many there hope to keep the focus on the field, not on issues off of it.

READ MORE AT: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/world-cup-2014-can-rio-de-janeiro-brazil-be-ready/