Author: Richard Atkins

Richard Atkins is a senior contributor at Tech Insider covering online media, online travel, and video games. Richard has been with Tech Insider covering companies in these industries since 2011 and has authored numerous industry reports, including "Internet Video: Field of Dreams or Nightmare on Elm Street," "The Next Leg of Online Travel," and "Pwned: How Casual Games Changed The Gaming Landscape." Atkins was recognized as the No. 2 stock picker and earnings estimator in the 2011 Financial Times / StarMine Internet & Catalog Retail category and was ranked in the 2010 Wall Street Journal "Best On The Street" for the Leisure Goods & Services category.
BioTech, Finance

Biotech Stock News: Jazz Pharma Shares Go Up Due to Defibrotide Buy

Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) shares climbed 6.97% after the company announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the rights to defibrotide from Sigma-Tau Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of 2014. Sigma-Tau held the rights to defibrotide on the basis of an agreement with Gentium, which was acquired by Jazz Pharma earlier this year. Jazz Pharma markets … Continue reading Biotech Stock News: Jazz Pharma Shares Go Up Due to Defibrotide Buy

Richard Atkins
Finance, Software

DISH Embraces Bitcoin Payment Programs

DISH customers can now use bitcoin to pay their monthly TV bills. The Colorado-based company went live with its bitcoin payments program today as part of its previously announced third-quarter rollout. The first customers to pay for DISH services using bitcoin are Austin and Beccy Craig. The American couple have famously chronicled their attempts to live using only digital currency on their Life on Bitcoin blog.

DISH head of corporate communications John Hall framed the news as part of the company’s overarching goal to embrace innovation: “DISH has always been about investing in better customer experience, whether that’s changing the way that we watch TV or the way that we bill.”

Hall said the company’s bitcoin payment option will now be visible to those using its online My DISH accounts and its Hopper HD DVR devices. “You can actually go into an app within the Hopper and pay your bill, and now if you choose bitcoin, it will come [up] with a QR code that you can pay right on your TV screen,” Hall added.

News on Bitcoins

DISH will accept payments through bitcoin merchant processor Coinbase. One of the first customers, Beccy Craig told CoinDesk that, while she was previously been a DISH customer, she’s looking forward to resuming the service now that she can make monthly payments in bitcoin. Austin Craig added: “We had a lot of time to read books and take hikes, but there were not very many luxuries like DISH.”

While TV may have been off limits at the time, the couple did have some success stretching the limits of what was available for purchase with bitcoin, even booking airline travel and hotel stays. The couple’s adventure is due to be chronicled as part of the as-yet unreleased ‘Life on Bitcoin’ documentary. As of June, the project was in the process of being submitted to at least one major film festival.

Bitcoin News Video

Watch this video for more “News on Bitcoin”.

Continue reading “DISH Embraces Bitcoin Payment Programs”

Richard Atkins
Finance, Internet

Active Stock Update: Google (NASDAQ GOOG) Now Expanding Under Water

A new partnership between Google Inc (NASDAQ GOOG), Catlin Insurance and the U.S. government aims to expand our knowledge of the seas using some familiar technology. Although you can get a 360 degree view of almost any street in the world, the oceans are still relatively unknown to us. Google plans to change this. Scientists will be diving down to the reefs of the Florida … Continue reading Active Stock Update: Google (NASDAQ GOOG) Now Expanding Under Water

Richard Atkins
Finance, Mobile

Top Stock in News: Apple (NASDAQ AAPL) Bans Toxic Chemicals

In an interesting development on the Wall street, Apple (NASDAQ AAPL) has decided to further restrict the use of two poisonous chemicals that Chinese manufacturers use when assembling its products. The company said it is banning these chemicals from the last stage of the process even though it found very little small amounts of them in only four of the 22 factories it investigated. Apple … Continue reading Top Stock in News: Apple (NASDAQ AAPL) Bans Toxic Chemicals

Richard Atkins
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Finance, Internet

Stock in News: Facebook Inc (NASDAQ FB) in Trouble in Malaysia

Facebook Inc (NASDAQ FB) seems to be in trouble in Malaysia. The country’s Communication and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said that the government was studying a proposal to block Facebook. The move comes amid a rising number of abuses reported on the world’s largest social networking platform. Shabery’s announcement came after a Facebook user posted a doctored photo that insulted Malaysian king … Continue reading Stock in News: Facebook Inc (NASDAQ FB) in Trouble in Malaysia

Richard Atkins
Finance, Software

Stock in News: Google buys Dropcam (NASDAQ GOOG)

Google Inc(NASDAQ GOOG) has strengthened its home automation offerings by buying surveillance camera maker Dropcam for $555 million. The purchase, made by the Google’s Nest brand, shows the search giant’s executives remain convinced that home automation- which has so far been a relatively small market- will greatly expand in the future. The addition of Dropcam broadens Google’s ability to compete with companies like Apple (NASDAQ … Continue reading Stock in News: Google buys Dropcam (NASDAQ GOOG)

Richard Atkins