Apple just raised $3.5 billion (€2.88 billion) via Europe's bond markets.
But the real benefit Apple got from raising that debt in Europe: a great interest rate.
In a note to clients following Apple's debt raise, analysts at RBC Capital Markets wrote that Apple's "borrowing cost on this raise is lower than US government bonds."
Bond yields reflect, most simply, the risk that investors are being compensated for by lending an entity money. A lower yield implies a lower chance that a company will default or fail to pay back lenders, and a higher yield a higher chance of default.
On eight-year notes issued in Europe, Apple's bonds will yield 1.082%, while 12-year notes will yield 1.671%.
US 10-year Treasury yields are currently at about 2.35%.
When companies raise debt, it is typically benchmarked off whatever local government bonds are yielding. All around the world government yields are low, but European bond yields are among the lowest in the world (except for Japan).
And so while Apple just launched the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus and the company is expected to launch Apple Watch next year, the company also finds ways to innovate financially.
RBC also notes that because Apple is a US-based entity, the company will "receive the proceeds in the US and will likely use a swap to convert the euros to [dollars]," which the firms sees as most likely giving Apple no repatriation issues. (When a company repatriates cash from overseas to the US, it pays taxes on it. Usually large ones.)
As Business Insider's Jay Yarow quipped after news first broke that Apple would raise debt in Europe:
Can't innovate any more, my ass! RT @themoneygame: Euro-denominated Apple bonds might be in the works http://t.co/xIRKxKRvz6
— Jay Yarow (@jyarow) November 3, 2014 And here's how German and Swiss 10-years stack up to US 10-years.
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Microsoft Office fans who can't put down their iPhones can take note: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are available on iOS as of Thursday. Better yet, they're all free.
Previously, there were two different versions of the Microsoft Office apps for iOS mobile devices. There was the poorly received Office Mobile for iPhone, and the well received Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for iPad. Thursday's release takes the preferred iPad apps, updates them, and unifies the Microsoft Office experience for all devices running iOS 7 or higher, whether you have an Office 365 subscription or not.
Whether you're using the app on your iPhone or your iPad, expect generally the same user experience with the same set of features in a slightly different interface for each. However, Corporate Vice President John Case said there's still good reason to pay for a $7 per month Office 365 subscription and gain access to even more perks.
“Of course Office 365 subscribers will continue to benefit from the full Office experience across devices with advanced editing and collaboration capabilities, unlimited OneDrive storage, Dropbox integration and a number of other benefits,” said Case.
So far, the good news only expands to iOS users for now, while the best Android users can expect Thursday is a Microsoft Office preview app, which you need to sign up for first.
Photo via Microsoft
We all know the Earth rotates, but it can be tough to visualize in everyday life.
What if you could witness the Earth's rotation from a perspective that's not miles away in space?
Luckily, a new stabilized timelapse video captured at the European Southern Observatory in Chile does exactly that, and the result is a unique perspective on something we've always known but never truly seen.
Filmed by Stephane Guisard and Jose Francisco Salgado, the magic of the video is in the camera's stabilization, which makes the camera appear fixed while the Earth rotates slowly around it. It's a bit like if you could ignore gravity and float a few feet above the ground for hours while the Earth continued its rotation.
You can check out the full video below, or head over to the European Southern Observatory's website for more astronomy pictures and videos.
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Remember the robot servant that Rocky gifted Paulie in 1985's Rocky IV? Every kid who saw that movie desperately wanted one of those robots for themselves, and now that those kids are all grown up, they can finally buy that very same robot—or at least one of its direct descendants.
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-- For more information read the original article here.
Amazon just a new released a new, voice-controlled device called Amazon Echo that can give you information like news and the weather, play music, make to-do lists, and answer questions, similar to Siri or Google Now (for example, you could ask something like "How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?" and it would give you the answer out-loud).
It's like a personal assistant combined with a speaker:
Echo connects to your Wi-Fi and gets its information from the cloud, and Amazon says that it will continually learn and add more functionality over time.
The idea is that you can have it somewhere in your house and, using the wake-up word "Alexa," constantly be asking it to do things like answer questions, give you information about a topic, or add things to your to-do list. You can also give it commands like, "Set an alarm for 8 a.m."
Check out the specs:
Echo's seven microphones allow it to hear commands and questions from across the room, even when it's already playing music and its speakers are loud enough to fill a room with sound. You can tell Echo to play music from Amazon Music or Prime Music (Amazon's radio streaming service) accounts, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn, or, because Echo is Bluetooth-enabled, you can use it to stream music from your phone or tablet.
The device costs $199 or $99 for Prime members, but, as of now, you need to request an invitation to get it.
This latest hardware move comes only a week after Amazon announced a new TV streaming stick. Last month, Amazon also released a new line of Kindle e-readers and Kindle Fire tablets, and announced that it still had $83 million worth of unsold inventory from its new Fire smartphone.
Watch Amazon's video about the device:
SEE ALSO: Amazon Has A Plan To Make Prime A 'VIP Pass To The Internet'
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Following our initial release, we listened to your feedback and focused our efforts on bringing the features you've asked for, further improving the overall experience on iOS. That's why our update focused on Touch ID improvements that include clearer settings and a simplified way to unlock the LastPass app with your fingerprint.
When first logging in after the update, you'll be given the option to use Touch ID to login to LastPass. Once you opt in, Touch ID is automatically enabled for your LastPass app. You can manage your preferences at any time in the app's menu under “Settings” where you can toggle “Use Touch ID”.
Next time you multitask back to the LastPass app, you'll be prompted to enter your fingerprint in place of entering your master password or PIN code. It's a more convenient experience for you, while maintaining the security and privacy of your LastPass account.
The app update features additional usability improvements, including better interface support on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, as well as new copy-paste notifications that eliminate the need for an additional touch. When using the LastPass built-in browser, the matching sites menu is updated to allow for easier filling of passwords and form fields, too.
Grab these new features by downloading or updating the LastPass app from the App Store on your smartphone or tablet running iOS 8. If you're not using LastPass Premium yet, a free 2-week trial is available for the LastPass app so you can try these features before you upgrading for unlimited mobile access and sync.
First it was real, then it wasn't . Then it appeared on Amazon for a hot second. Today, Motorola finally did us all a favor and confirmed their shiny gold white whale of a smartwatch, the gold-faced Moto 360—along with some other design updates.
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-- For more information read the original article here.
Google's Street View team has been busy.
Leaving the street behind, Google's photographers have visited some of the world's most incredible locations, capturing beautiful panoramic photos along the way.
From underwater research bases and submarines to underground salt mines and luxury airliners in the sky, you're guaranteed to see something you've never seen before.
Here's an underwater view of the Aquarius Reef Base in the Florida Keys, where marine biologists and astronauts conduct research.
This is Taierzhuang Ancient Town, the only ancient city in China that can boast its own canal.
This is the HMS Ocelot, a decommissioned submarine that participated in "clandestine missions" for the Royal Navy in the 1960s.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider