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Groupon, the largest daily coupon website, is testing a credit card-reader for merchants that could vie with similar devices offered by Square and EBay’s PayPal, a person with knowledge of the matter said.
The reader, manufactured by Infinite Peripherals, is designed for the businesses that rely on Groupon to market their wares, said the person, who requested anonymity because the test hasn’t been made public.
Infinite Peripherals, PayPal, Groupon, EBay, merchants
May 25th, 2012
Raining and Sloppy
©2012 Equibase. All Rights Reserved
FIRST-1 mile; $40,000; clm($20,000); 3YO(f)
Off: 12:51. Good. 4w & asked 5/16pl
Time: 22.66, 46.06, 1:12.5, 1:4.29.
Trainer: Patricia Farro
Winner: B F, 3, by Afleet Alex-Summer Forest
Horse
Wt.
PP
1/4
1/2
Str.
Fin
Jockey
Odds
Coast of Sangria
113
7
4
4
1 1 1/2
1 6 1/4
Garcia
2.90
Benimari
118
1
1
1
2 6
2 3 3/4
Domngez
4.70
Rum Till I Die
118
2
7
7
4 3
3 10
Ortiz, Jr.
24.00
World Premier
118
5
3
2
3 1
4 2 3/4
Nakatani
7.10
Do It With Honor
111
6
6
6
6 1 1/2
5 2 1/2
Ortiz
21.00
Proud Siren
118
4
5
5
5 1 1/2
6 11 1/2
Luzzi
56.50
Bedda Regina
120
3
2
3
7
7
Maragh
0.85
7-Coast of Sangria
7.80
3.60
3.40
1-Benimari
5.10
3.70
2-Rum Till I Die
4.90
* Exacta (7-1) $36.80 * Superfecta (7-1-2-5) $909.00 * Trifecta (7-1-2) $283.50 *
Winner picked by Fountaine
SECOND-1 1/16 miles; $75,000; mdn; 3up(f)
Off: 1:23. Good. in 2p, drifted out bad
Time: 23.47, 46.9, 1:11.99, 1:38.6, 1:45.87.
Trainer: James Jerkens
Winner: CH F, 3, by First Samurai-Cape Hope
Horse
Wt.
PP
1/4
1/2
Str.
Fin
Jockey
Odds
A McCoughtry
118
1
1
1
1 2
1 1 1/4
Ortiz, Jr.
13.10
Joya Real
118
2
5
5
2 hd
2 1 1/4
Castellan
1.20
Gold Empire
118
4
3
4
3 2
3 1 1/4
Lezcano
6.50
Closing Move
118
3
6
6
5 1
4 2 1/4
Napravnk
2.30
Geisha Gal
118
5
2
2
4 1 1/2
5 8 3/4
Alvarad
11.30
South Shore
118
6
4
3
6
6
Velazqez
5.50
1-A McCoughtry
28.20
8.00
4.30
2-Joya Real
2.90
2.70
4-Gold Empire
3.90
* Daily Double (7-1) $95.50 * Exacta (1-2) $80.00 * Quinella (1-2) $24.80 * Superfecta (1-2-4-3) $718.00 * Trifecta (1-2-4) $336.50 *
THIRD-1 mile; $29,000; mdn clm($20,000); 3up
Off: 1:57. Good. vied 2p, drew clear
Time: 23.4, 47.43, 1:13.35, 1:4.71.
Trainer: John Kimmel
Winner: B G, 3, by Quiet American-A. O. L. Hayes
Horse
Wt.
PP
1/4
1/2
Str.
Fin
Jockey
Odds
Rutherford B.
111
5
2
1
1 3 1/2
1 5 1/4
Garcia
3.90
Pure Nature
118
7
1
2
2 4 1/2
2 2 1/2
Castellan
1.25
Ali's Winner
118
3
3
3
3 5 1/2
3 6 1/4
Maragh
2.45
Pegasus Papou
123
2
6
6
4 1
4 3/4
Ortiz, Jr.
5.30
Point to Karakorum
111
4
4
4
5 2 1/2
5 4
Coa
23.00
No More Taxes
123
1
5
5
6 3 1/2
6 2 3/4
Hsbnds
37.00
Raffie's Magic
111
6
7
7
7
7
Ortiz
29.25
5-Rutherford B.
9.80
4.50
2.70
7-Pure Nature
3.00
2.20
3-Ali's Winner
2.10
* Pick 3 (7-1-5) 3 Correct $660.00 * Daily Double (1-5) $185.50 * Exacta (5-7) $33.80 * Superfecta (5-7-3-2) $181.00 * Trifecta (5-7-3) $76.50 *
FOURTH-7 fur(T); $39,000; clm($35,000); 3up
Off: 2:28. Good. alter in past 3/16,clr
Time: 22.84, 46.34, 1:11.46, 1:24.67.
Trainer: Teresa Pompay
Winner: DK B/ G, 3, by Empire Maker-Costume Designer
Scr: Christopher's Joy, Pikestar, Back Away, Partly Mocha, Louie Mondello, Crepuscolo.
Horse
Wt.
PP
1/4
1/2
Str.
Fin
Jockey
Odds
Commitment Letter
116
2
4
4
2 1
1 1 1/2
Maragh
3.35
Junior Officer
116
5
2
1
1 hd
2 1/2
Castro
3.85
Eighth Avenue
122
3
3
3
3 2 1/2
3 9 1/2
Castellan
4.20
Thomas Hill
116
1
5
5
5
4 8
Lezcano
22.20
Elusive Story
116
4
1
2
4 1
5
Leparoux
0.90
Next >
1
2
Trifecta, Afleet Alex-Summer
Joel Sherman
Blog: Hardball
HARDBALL
The Yankees, at this moment, are dealing with more problems with youth than age.
It has been common to wonder year after year if a team that relies so much on older players, as the Yankees do annually, has reached a tipping point in which grayness outweighs greatness.
I certainly have asked those questions many times, including in the past few days when I mulled an aging synchronicity between the 2012 Yankees and the decaying group in 1965 that signaled the end of the organization’s dynastic run. But take a closer look at these Yankees and you see more twentysomething reasons that the club has teetered around .500 than geriatric ones.
REUTERS
Phil Hughes and Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter, Raul Ibanez and Andy Pettitte all have birthdays in June. Jeter, 37, is the majors’ oldest shortstop; Ibanez, 39, is the AL’s oldest regularly used position player; and Pettitte, 39, is the AL’s oldest starting pitcher. They also are among the most productive 2012 Yankees — in other words, hardly the problem.
Yes, Mariano Rivera, 42, is out for the year. Yes, Alex Rodriguez, 36, is underperforming his career norms (though still outperforming the average third baseman). And, yes, Hiroki Kuroda is struggling, although that could be more attributable to being in the AL than being 37.
But Kuroda arguably is outpitching Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova, who both are 25. Michael Pineda, 23, was supposed to be an ace-in-training but is out for the year. The potential high-level reinforcements at Triple-A were supposed to be Manuel Banuelos and Dellin Betances. But Banuelos is on the disabled list for the second time this season, now with an elbow injury. And Betances again is reinforcing the notion — like another supposed Killer B before him, Andrew Brackman — that he is a big guy unable to master a consistently smooth delivery (38 walks in 44 2⁄3 innings).
One person who has worked with both prospects told me this week he thinks Banuelos and Betances were overhyped, citing a lack of fastball command for both. That is detrimental for any pitcher with top-of-the-rotation aspirations; worse yet in an AL East renowned for patient lineups. To this point, the Mets’ touted duo of Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler have zoomed past Banuelos and Betances and — most important — the Yankees’ duo remains nowhere near helping the rotation in 2012, and maybe beyond.
Meanwhile, Rivera’s bullpen absence is magnified because David Robertson, 27, and Joba Chamberlain, 26, also are on the DL. On offense, the Yankees have slowed considerably with Brett Gardner, 28, on the DL and Eduardo Nunez, 24, demoted to the minors because his defense became intolerable.
Next >
1
2
Dellin Betances, Andy Pettitte, Hiroki Kuroda, Raul Ibanez, Mariano Rivera, Michael Pineda, Phil Hughes, Derek JeterDerek Jeter, Manuel Banuelos, Joel ShermanBlog, Alex Rodriguez, Andrew Brackman, Joba Chamberlain
The Red Bulls saw their team-record, five-game winning streak snapped in a 1-1 tie last night with Chivas USA, and it felt more like a loss. Feeling frustrated, their stars, Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez, boycotted the media yet again.
The draw at home in front of 13,919 left the Red Bulls (8-3-2, 26 points) two points clear of D.C. United in the East. They were held to a draw despite outshooting Chivas 18-7 behind Henry, who returned last night after missing essentially all of the winning streak following an April 28 hamstring injury.
It took Kenny Cooper’s 56th-minute equalizer to cancel out Juan Pablo Angel’s score and salvage a point — albeit with two dropped, a failure that led to a heated locker room.
“The locker room, we’re not happy with that result at all,’’ said midfielder Dax McCarty. “Obviously we’re frustrated to come out of here with two dropped points. We had chances. . . . Maybe [it was] a rust, with some of the guys coming back, not being on the same page. But we should’ve definitely finished the game out and gotten three points.’’
Angel’s 62 goals in all competitions are a club record. When the Red Bulls let him go after the 2010 season he left as one of the most popular players in club history, and he was clearly emotional when the South Ward unfurled a banner that read “Gracias Juan Pablo, Siempre New York.’’
It’s a testament to his popularity that some of the most raucous fans in MLS politely cheered him when he scored in the 47th minute, volleying in Rauwshan McKenzie’s header on a quasi-bicycle kick past a helpless Ryan Meara. But classy as always, he refused to celebrate.
“Out of respect, absolutely,’’ Angel said.
Nine minutes later, Cooper equalized. Brandon Barklage split two defenders with a through ball that Dane Richards sprinted onto. The Jamaican laid a perfect low cross across the goal-mouth that Cooper ran onto and tapped in for his MLS-high tying 11th goal.
“Brandon did a great job played a great ball through to Dane, and he got onto it,’’ said Cooper. “They did all the hard work, fortunately I didn’t mess it up for them.’’
The Red Bulls outshot Chivas USA 10-1 after Angel’s score, but couldn’t find the winner. They don’t play another MLS game until June 17 in Chicago, but play a US Open Cup game Tuesday in Charleston, S.C.
brian.lewis@nypost,com
Chivas USA, Chivas, Chivas USA, Thierry Henry, Red Bulls, Kenny Cooper, Juan Pablo Angel, Rafa Marquez, Juan Pablo, D.C. United, MLS, Brandon Barklage, Dane Richards
Hondo’s investment day started beautifully with the Mets, but it turned ugly last night when he stumbled with the Nats and Pods to raise the debt to 1,590 greenbergs.
Today, Mr. Aitch expects Zoolander, a model of consistency, to pose problems for the Native Americans -- 10 units on the Tigers.
-$
The Obama administration reportedly offered up classified info on the Osama Bin Laden raid to filmmakers for an upcoming movie about The Big Kill. At this point, it’s uncertain as to who will play Barack, although rumor has it the producers are auditioning former NFLers with extensive experience spiking the football.
hondo@nypost.com
Osama Bin Laden, Pods, the Nats, the Mets, Zoolander
Three Facebook Inc. investors filed a civil lawsuit Wednesday in Manhattan federal court, alleging the company and its underwriters failed to properly disclose changes to analysts' forecasts made at the underwriting banks.
The suit follows reports that analysts at Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. cut their revenue forecasts on Facebook amid the investor roadshow, a change that wasn't widely disseminated.
FACEBOOK CFO COULD BE IN TROUBLE AFTER BOOSTING SIZE OF IPO AT LAST MINUTE
Several other plaintiffs' lawyers have said they filed suits over the offering in other courts throughout the country, seeking class-action status. At least two other Facebook shareholder lawsuits have been filed against Nasdaq.
Wednesday's investor suit, which also is seeking class-action status, alleges the changes made to Facebook's offering document, which said that mobile-user growth could slow revenue growth, didn't accurately portray the impact on Facebook's revenue growth.
The analyst opinions, which were published based on that updated offering document, would have revealed the "material information" but was "selectively disclosed," the suit alleges, citing news stories from Business Insider and Reuters as evidence.
In a statement Tuesday, a Morgan Stanley spokesman said the company "followed the same procedures for the Facebook offering that it follows for all IPOs. These procedures are in compliance with all applicable regulations."
Morgan Stanley wasn't immediately available for comment.
A spokeswoman for Facebook declined to comment.
Facebook's shares had suffered a sharp drop since the IPO, falling 18 percent through Tuesday's close, before rebounding early Wednesday, up 2.9 percent at $31.90.
To read more, go to The Wall Street Journal
Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Facebook, revenue forecasts, IPO
Almost as soon as the NFL settled one showdown yesterday, its owners set the stage for another.
After an arbitrator upheld the league’s punishment of the Cowboys and Redskins for salary-cap violations in the morning, the owners provoked the union in the afternoon by voting to mandate thigh and knee pads starting with the 2013 season.
“We have raised the issue of mandatory pads for at least three years now,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said at the owners meetings in Atlanta. “Every other level of football uses the pads.”
Despite the league backtracking slightly on the pad issue by not including hip pads and leaving the entire requirement open to negotiation, the NFLPA indicated it plans to fight the proposed change.
Other moves by the owners met with no such resistance, including changes to injured reserve and the trade deadline, talk of improving the Pro Bowl and the unveiling of a plan to provide WiFi access to all 31 stadiums.
Teams will now be able to let one “marquee” player on their Week 1 roster that suffers a severe injury come off injured reserve after the eighth week of the season. Week 8 also is the new timeframe for the trade deadline, which previously had been in Week 6.
Arbitrator Stephen Burbank’s decision to side with the league against the Cowboys and Redskins attracted much of the attention, however.
Burbank upheld hefty financial penalties — spearheaded by Giants co-owner John Mara — against Dallas and Washington for purportedly violating the cap in 2010 even though the owners had designated it an uncapped year.
The union had signed off on the punishment — the Redskins were forced to forfeit $36 million in cap room over the next two years, while the Cowboys were docked $10 million — leaving Jerry Jones and Daniel Snyder nowhere to turn after Burbank’s ruling. Not surprisingly, both teams announced in a joint statement they were dropping their appeal and would not pursue it in the courts.
But while the league and union were on the same side in the cap situation, that wasn’t the case on the plan to require more leg padding.
Precedent, not safety, is at the root of the union’s pushback. The NFLPA intends to fight the pad mandate for the same reason it is contesting HGH tests and Bountygate player punishments: The players feel owners are trying to create unilateral powers that were not collectively bargained last year.
“Any change in working conditions is a collectively bargained issue,” the union said in a statement. “While the NFL is focused on one element of health and safety today, the NFLPA believes that health and safety requires a comprehensive approach and commitment.”
As for the Pro Bowl, Goodell is still leaving open the possibility of dropping the game entirely but indicated the league is more interested in modifying it to produce a less hideous product.
“We recognize it is an All-Star game, but we also believe fans expect more from an NFL game,” said Goodell, who added that New Orleans and Honolulu are the two cities in the mix to play host to the game this season.
* Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson joined the burgeoning list of former players suing the NFL for negligence regarding head injuries. Dickerson was among 15 players named in a suit filed this week in Houston. More than 1,000 ex-players are suing the league over head injuries.
bhubbuch@nypost.com
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Redskins, NFL, NFL, NFLPA, NFLPA, the Cowboys, Daniel Snyder, trade deadline
BEIJING — A Chinese conglomerate announced Monday it will buy a major U.S. cinema chain, AMC Entertainment Holdings, for $2.6 billion in China's biggest takeover of an American company to date.
Dalian Wanda Group Co.'s purchase reflects the global ambitions of a wave of cash-rich Chinese companies that are using acquisitions to speed their expansion by obtaining foreign skills and brand names.
Wanda said the deal will create the world's biggest movie theater operator. The Beijing-based company said it will invest an additional $500 million to fund AMC's development. AMC operates 346 cinemas, mostly in the United States and Canada, and says it has 23 of the 50 highest-grossing U.S. outlets.
"We support AMC becoming bigger, not only in the United States but in the global market," said Wanda chairman Wang Jianlin at a signing ceremony for the acquisition.
The deal reflects rising Chinese investment in U.S. corporate assets despite disputes between the two governments over trade and political issues such as this month's diplomatic standoff over a blind Chinese legal activist.
The deal is the third-largest Chinese corporate investment in the United States, according to financial research firm Dealogic. It ranks behind investments by Beijing's sovereign wealth fund, the China Investment Corp., of $5 billion in Morgan Stanley and $3 billion in Blackstone Group LP, both for minority stakes in 2007.
Chinese companies had invested $34.8 billion in the United States by the end of 2011 in industries including auto parts, agriculture and steelmaking, according to data compiled by Derek Scissors, a China analyst at the Heritage Foundation in Washington.
Globally, outbound mergers and acquisitions by Chinese companies total $16.8 billion so far this year, up 6 percent from the same period last year, according to Dealogic.
Wanda said AMC's American management will remain in place and the headquarters will stay in the Kansas City area. It said staff numbers were not expected to affected. The company employs some 18,500 people.
Wanda, founded in 1988 and privately owned, operates hotels, department stores, tourism and other businesses and says it had 2011 revenue of $16.7 billion. The company employs 50,000 people and its assets include 86 theaters in China.
AMC's owners include Apollo Global Management, Bain Capital, the Carlyle Group, CCMP Capital Advisors and Spectrum Equity Investors.
AMC has reported losses for the past three years but its CEO, Gerry Lopez, said it has returned to profit this year due to strong ticket sales.
Wang, the Wanda chairman, said AMC's financial problems were due to the cost of servicing high debt. He said conditions should improve once an injection of Wanda's cash allows it to pay off some of that.
"We are confident that after the merger, AMC will turn positive," he said. "We have absolute confidence in the future of the company."
The acquisition comes as Hollywood is looking to China both for its fast-growing audience and for production partners.
Walt Disney Co. has said its next "Iron Man" movie will be co-produced with a Chinese partner and "Chinese elements" will be added to the story to increase its local appeal. DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. unveiled a venture in March with three Chinese companies to make animated and live action material.
Wang said Wanda has applied to China's government for a license to import movies, a right held now by two state-owned companies. But he said the AMC acquisition concerned only film exhibition, not production or distribution.
"We have no plans to promote Chinese films in the United States," Wang said. "Mr. Lopez will decide what movies will be shown" in AMC theaters.
Wanda's investment will allow AMC to speed up renovation of some cinemas and install more 3-D and IMAX technology, Lopez said.
Wang and Lopez said the two companies plan to share experience in the film business and will have executives from each country visit the other. Lopez said they have not made detailed plans about such things as a possible exchange of staff.
Lopez is to join the board of directors of Wanda's cinema unit, while a Wanda executive will join AMC's board, Wang said.
Wang said Wanda is considering more acquisitions abroad for its entertainment, hotel and retail units. He said it might try to buy into a global hotel brand or a hotel management company but gave no details.
"We want to be a big company, not just in China but in the world," he said.
China, China, China, AMC, AMC Entertainment Holdings, Wang Jianlin, Chinese companies, Chinese companies, Chinese companies, DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc., Gerry Lopez
What’s in your wallet?
Many consumers don’t know the difference between a credit and debit card, and that, advisers warn, could lead to financial disaster.
“Each card can be useful if you understand it,” says Bill Hardekopf, CEO of LowCards.com.
The key in using these cards, advisers say, is to know why one uses them. Here are some typical situations in which a person must choose between debit and credit.
Situation 1: “I’m already too deep in debt, and I need to keep it from growing.”
Then use a debit card as much as possible.
“Because a debit card draws funds directly from a personal account to cover purchases, it won’t increase the cardholder’s debt,” according to the Financial Planning Association (FPA). And not running up high debt numbers, FPA officials add, improves one’s credit rating.
Situation 2: “I’m worried about identity theft when I use plastic.”
Then use a credit card instead of a debit card.
credit cards limit theft exposure, notes Jeff Maas, a certified financial planner with Lincoln Financial Advisors. Because “debit cards are usually directly linked to a personal bank account,” he notes, if the card number is compromised, so, too, may be the bank account.
That, however, is not the case with most credit cards. They are linked to their own separate accounts.
Situation 3: “I’m on a tight budget. I have to watch my spending carefully.”
Then use a debit card.
Credit cards can lead to impulse spending.
However, a debit card only allows the consumer to spend what’s in his or her checking account. And Maas says that limits debt. “You can’t spend what you don’t have,” he says.
Situation 4: “I’m very careful, and I make sure I pay all my bills each month.”
“If you are financially responsible and are not the kind of person who gets in over his head, then use the credit card,” Maas says.
Credit cards, Maas adds, provide clients with a free float — a zero percent interest loan within a grace period, usually about a month or so.
“That’s not the case with debit cards, which immediately draw on account funds to cover a purchase,” according to the FPA.
Situation 5: “I don’t want my money tied up.”
The credit card is the way to go here, advisers say.
Use a debit card to pay for a hotel, and the hotel will put a hold on your account. With a credit card, the consumer already has a credit line established that should cover most bills.
“But if it is a debit card, then you could be putting personal funds on hold,” Hardekopf warns.
credit card, credit cards, credit card, debit cards, Bill Hardekopf, FPA, Jeff Maas, Financial Planning Association, Lincoln Financial Advisors, certified financial planner, personal account, advisers
The top 25 floors of the iconic Woolworth Building appear to be on their way to becoming residential apartments or a hotel.
Steve Witkoff’s Witkoff Group and Ruby Schron’s Cammeby’s International have struck a $70 million deal to sell about 184,000 square feet of the skyscraper to real-estate investors David Werner and Joel Schreiber’s Waterbridge, along with an Israeli investor, sources said.
No one returned calls prior to deadline but with just a small deposit on the line, sources familiar with the parties said the deal could still fall apart or be flipped to other investors.
Lois Weiss/NY Post
New Yorkers may soon be able to call the historic Woolworth Building - once the tallest in Manhattan—home as the top 25 floors were just sold to a developer.
A deal with Werner was first reported by Real Estate Alert in a newsletter.
The Post exclusively reported on April 4 that the owners were for the first time seriously considering offers to sell the building that overlooks City Hall and was once the tallest in the world.
In 1998, Witkoff and Schron paid $137.5 million to the Woolworth Co. successor with an eye on vacating the higher offices for future conversion to residential condominiums or a hotel.
While condominium documents were approved to separate the building into two units, they never moved ahead with apartment layouts or a formal offering.
Woolworth Building, Ruby Schron’s Cammeby’s International, Joel Schreiber’s Waterbridge, David Werner, Witkoff Group, residential apartments, Woolworth Co., Real Estate Alert
