IE10 captures second place among Microsoft's browsers

Internet Explorer 10 (IE10) jumped into second place among Microsoft's browsers last month, pushing past IE9 through an enforced upgrade.

IE10's user share climbed from 16.5 percent to a record 24 percent of all copies of Internet Explorer in June, according to Web measurement firm Net Applications.

Among Microsoft's five supported browsers, IE10 was the second-most-used, leapfrogging the two-year-old IE9, which shed user share to end June with 20.9 percent of all copies of Internet Explorer. The 12-year-old IE6 was fourth with 10.9 percent, while 2009's IE8 remained in first with 40.4 percent.

IE10's climb has accelerated: June's user share increase was the largest since the browser's introduction on Windows 7 in February. As in previous months, June's jump was fueled by the automatic update from IE9 to IE10 on Windows 7 that kicked in last winter.

Windows 8's gradual if not dramatic rise in user share also contributed to IE10's increase, since that and Windows RT come with IE10: Windows 8's share grew in June by the largest amount since its October 2012 launch.

IE10's climb was mirrored by a large fall in IE9's user share; the browser that once threatened IE8's dominance plunged from 27.5 percent of all copies of IE to 20.9 percent. IE9 peaked in February 2013 at 38.8 percent, but unless Microsoft soon runs out of Windows 7 PCs to upgrade, the browser could be eclipsed by the still-surviving IE6 within a couple of months.

Overall, IE remained flat with approximately 56 percent of the user share of all browsers, implying that few if any of IE10's gains came from people switching browser brands. About 39 percent of all Windows users ran a non-Microsoft browser in June, slightly less than in May.

IE8 lost about seven-tenths of a percentage point in June—the largest decrease since December 2012—to end with a 40.4 percent share of all copies of Internet Explorer. IE8 will remain the most popular of Microsoft's browsers for some time, experts have said, because as the most modern version available for Windows XP it's been made the standard in enterprises supporting heterogeneous environments with both Windows XP and Windows 7 systems.

The rapid rise in IE10's user share has been unprecedented in Microsoft's experience. It has been much more akin to the quick turnover by rivals like Chrome and Firefox, which also automatically upgrade users, than any previous edition of Internet Explorer, showing that the Redmond, Washington developer can, if it wants, migrate large numbers of users to a newer browser.

But IE10's time as a climber will probably be short lived: Microsoft has promised to deliver IE11 for Windows 7, which will trigger a downturn in IE10's user share and corresponding rise in IE11.

Other browsers stayed in their long-inhabited positions grew and shrank in Net Applications' measurements, with Chrome exiting June with 17.2 percent, an increase of 1.4 percentage points, and Firefox dropping by 1.5 points to 19.2 percent. Apple's Safari and Opera Software's Opera remained flat at 5.6 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively.

Study: British TV Dramas Gaining Traction Among Chinese Elite

China’s fiercely competitive streaming video sector has seen audience growth for an emerging content category that is attracting its most sophisticated local viewers: British TV dramas.

A new study from Beijing-based entertainment research firm Entgroup has revealed that China’s urban wealthy and well-educated are increasingly buzzing about Britain's lushly produced TV fare, including shows like Downton Abbey and Sherlock.

Comparing rates of discussion on Chinese social media sites, Entgroup found that British dramas now account for 9 percent of all mentions of foreign television programming, whereas just a few years ago such shows were essentially unknown in the country. Korean TV, by comparison, commands 28 percent of all social media discussion of international TV.

PHOTOS: 'Downton Abbey': Hugh Bonneville, Joanne Froggatt Celebrate Season 3's U.S. Premiere

But when Entgroup examined social media sites that draw an exclusive white collar and college educated userbase, discussion of British shows hit 13 percent, and Korean drama fell to just one percent.

The trend mirrors what Chinese television critics have taken to calling the “disdain chain,” in which British TV fans look down on fans of U.S. shows, American TV aficionados snub Korean soap fans, who themselves turn their noses up on people who simply like local Chinese TV.

“Though British drama viewers are a minority, they are high-end and very loyal,” said Jean Shao, spokeswoman of leading streaming video site Youku Tudou, told the Wall Street Journal. ”This is what the advertisers fancy.”

STORY: Chinese Online Video Giant Youku Tudou Acquires 33 U.S. TV Series

Chinese video sites are tailoring their offerings to meet the demands of this rarified slice of the viewership -- and the luxury advertisers they attract. Sohu.com Inc. launched the first dedicated British drama channel in China last year, the Journal noted in its report. And Youku Tudou debuted a British TV feed in April, followed by Tencent Holdings in June.

The U.K.’s premiere TV producers, such as BBC Worldwide and Fremantle Media, are finding their content much in-demand, as China video sites vye for exclusive rights. According to the Journal, Tencent has the exclusive rights to 13 British shows with a total of 500 episodes, while Youku Tudou Inc is licensed to stream 32 shows, with 200 episodes.

“The storylines in British dramas are more complete and British actors are A-listers in terms of acting skill,” said Zhu Xiangyang, chief content officer of Youku Tudou. “The high quality of British dramas is what demanding audiences look for.”

Caroline Torrance, director, scripted at BBC Worldwide said: “Our drama has always done very well in China and continues to do so. Viewers seem to really gravitate towards the rich story-telling and high production values of our series. Sherlock has been a hit there as it has worldwide, and Mad Dogs and Parade’s End are other dramas that have sold there recently."

Added Torrance: "With high-end titles, such as Top of the Lake, Orphan Black and A Young Doctor’s Notebook coming through our slate, I would expect we will continue to see success with our programs in this market."

Latinos Applaud Their Inclusion Among New Academy Members

This National Latino Media Council, which met with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in April to ask for a greater Latino representation within the organization, has applauded the fact that the Academy list of 276 new members, released earlier today, includes 22 Latinos.

In the acting category alone, seven Latinos were among 22 invitees. They are Miriam Colon, Rosario Dawson, Jennifer Lopez, Alma Martinez, Michael Peña, Geno Silva and Danny Trejo.

PHOTOS: Jason Bateman to Jennifer Lopez: The Actors of The Academy's 2013 Class

"We applaud the actions by the Academy, and look forward to continue to work with them in the future,” Congressman Esteban Torres (Ret.), NLMC chairman, said.

The April meeting between representatives of the Academy and members of NLMC, led by Torres, was held to discuss concerns about diversity following an outcry within the Latino community when the Academy failed to include actress Lupe Ontiveros, whose film credits include The Goonies and As Good As It Gets, in the “In Memoriam” tribute at February’s Oscar show.

Martinez, who has appeared in Born in East L.A. and Under Fire and who was among those receiving an invitation today, said, “I can't remember a time in our recent history where there has been so much Latino political activism occurring simultaneously across so many fields and across the country. I received a letter inviting me to become a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences. To say I am elated is an understatement."

A list of the 22 Latinos included on the Academy follows.

Actors

Miriam Colon - "City of Hope," "Scarface"

Rosario Dawson - "Rent," "Frank Miller's Sin City"

Jennifer Lopez - "What to Expect When You're Expecting," "Selena"

Alma Martinez - "Born in East L.A.," "Under Fire"

Michael Peña - "End of Watch," "Crash"

Geno Silva - "Mulholland Drive," "Amistad"

Danny Trejo - "Machete," "Heat"

Cinematographers

Checco Varese - "Girl in Progress," "The Aura"

Costume Designers

Paco Delgado - "Les Misérables," "Biutiful"

Directors

Pablo Larraín - "No," "Tony Manero"

Documentary

Rebecca Cammisa - "God Is the Bigger Elvis," "Which Way Home"

Eduardo Coutinho - "As Canções," "Cabra Marcado Para Morrer (Twenty Years Later)"

Patricio Guzmán - "Nostalgia for the Light," "The Battle of Chile"

José Padilha - "Secrets of the Tribe," "Bus 174 (Ônibus 174)"

Renee Tajima-Pena - "Who Killed Vincent Chin?," "My America (Or Honk If You Love Buddha)"

Makeup Artists and Hairstylists

Luisa Abel - "The Dark Knight Rises," "Inception"

Kim Santantonio - "Gangster Squad," "Frost/Nixon"

Members-at-Large

Victoria Alonso

Mindy Marin

Music

Cliff Martinez - "Drive," "Traffic"

Sound

Jose Antonio Garcia - "Argo," "Babel"

Edward J. Hernandez - "Real Steel," "Basic Instinct"

 

Egypt violence builds, American among dead

Protesters gather as they chant anti-President Mohamed Mursi slogans during a protest in Tahrir square in Cairo June 28, 2013.

ALEXANDRIA/CAIRO - Two people, one an American, were killed when protesters stormed an office of Egypt's ruling Muslim Brotherhood in Alexandria, adding to growing tension ahead of mass rallies aimed at unseating the Islamist president.

A third man was killed and 10 injured in an explosion during a protest in Port Said, at the mouth of the Suez Canal. Police on Saturday said the cause was unclear but protesters, believing it was a bomb, attacked an Islamist party office in the city.

Egypt's leading religious authority warned of "civil war" after violence in the past week that had already left several dead and hundreds injured. They backed President Mohamed Mursi's offer to talk to opposition groups ahead of Sunday's protests.

The United Nations, European Union and United States have appealed for restraint and urged Egypt's deadlocked political leaders to step back from a confrontation threatening the new democracy that emerged from the Arab Spring revolution of 2011.

The U.S. embassy said in a statement it was evacuating non-essential staff and family members and renewed a warning to Americans not to travel to Egypt unless they had to.

The Muslim Brotherhood said eight of its offices had been attacked on Friday, including the one in Alexandria. Officials said more than 70 people had been injured in the clashes in the city. One was shot dead and a young American man who was using a small camera died after being stabbed in the chest.

A Brotherhood member was also killed overnight in an attack on a party office at Zagazig, in the heavily populated Nile Delta, where much of the recent violence has been concentrated. Mursi's movement said five supporters in all had died this week.

"Vigilance is required to ensure we do not slide into civil war," said clerics at Cairo's ancient Al-Azhar institute, one of the most influential centers of scholarship in the Muslim world.

In a statement broadly supportive of Mursi, they backed his offer of dialogue and blamed "criminal gangs" who besieged mosques for the violence. The Brotherhood warned of "dire consequences" and "a violent spiral of anarchy".

It accused liberal leaders, including former U.N. diplomat Mohamed ElBaradei, of personally inciting violence by hired "thugs" once loyal to ousted dictator Hosni Mubarak.

Opposition leaders condemned the violence. The army, which has warned it could intervene if political leaders lose control, issued a statement saying it had deployed across the country to protect citizens and installations of national importance.

In the capital, Cairo, tens of thousands turned out for rival events some miles apart and there was little trouble. An Islamist rally included calls to reconciliation. On Tahrir Square, cradle of the uprising against Mubarak, there was a festive atmosphere and a determination to shake Mursi on Sunday.

In Alexandria, as several thousand anti-Mursi protesters marched along the seafront, a Reuters reporter saw about a dozen men throw rocks at guards outside the Brotherhood office. They responded. Bricks and bottles flew. Guns were fired.

Officials said dozens were wounded by birdshot. The party office was ransacked and documents were burned, watched by jubilant youths chanting against Egypt's Islamist leaders.

In Port Said, a bastion of anti-Islamist sentiment, police had suspected an accident but later said a device exploded among protesters. Canal traffic has not been affected by violence.

CAIRO CALM

Islamists gathered round a Cairo mosque after weekly prayers to show support for Mursi. His opponents hope millions will turn out on Sunday to demand he step down, a year to the day after he was sworn in as Egypt's first freely chosen leader.

Mursi, backed by the Brotherhood, has dismissed such demands as an assault on democracy, setting up an angry confrontation.

"I came to support the legitimate order," said Ahmed al-Maghrabi, 37, a shopkeeper from the Nile Delta city of Mansoura whose hand bore grazes from street fighting there this week. "I am with the elected president. He needs to see out his term."

Some speakers reflected fear and anger among Islamists that opponents aim to suppress them as Mubarak did. But there was also talk from the podium of the need for dialogue - a concern also of international powers worried by the bitter polarization.

A few hundred opposition protesters gathered outside the presidential palace, a focus for Sunday's rally. Mursi has moved elsewhere. Thousands turned out after dark in Tahrir Square, waving national flags and sampling street food.

Abdelhamid Nada, a 32-year-old accountant, had come from the provinces with eight friends to camp out "until Mursi goes". "The Muslim Brotherhood has no plan at all," he said, standing by his white tent. "They don't have any economic plan, they don't have any social plan, they don't have any political plan."

STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE

The army, which heeded mass protests in early 2011 to push Mubarak aside, has warned it will intervene again if there is violence, and to defend the "will of the people". Both sides believe that means the military may support their positions.

The United States, which funds Egypt's army as it did under Mubarak, has urged compromise and respect for election results. Egypt's 84 million people, control of Suez and its peace treaty with Israel all contribute to its global strategic importance.

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon urged Egyptians to respect "universal principles of peaceful dialogue". European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton called for peaceful protests, building trust and a "spirit of dialogue and tolerance".

In Alexandria, opposition marchers said they feared the Brotherhood was usurping the revolution to entrench its power and Islamic law. Others had economic grievances, among them huge lines for fuel caused by supply problems and panic buying.

"I've nothing to do with politics, but with the state we're in now, even a stone would cry out," said 42-year-old accountant Mohamed Abdel Latif. "There are no services, we can't find diesel or gasoline. We elected Mursi, but this is enough.

"Let him make way for someone else who can fix it."

It is hard to gauge how many may turn out on Sunday, but even those sympathetic to Islamic ideas are frustrated by the economic slump and many blame the government.

Previous protest movements since the fall of Mubarak have failed to gather momentum, however, among a population anxious for stability and fearful of further economic hardship.

Among Conservatives, Concerns Grow Over New School Standards

Tea Party members protest Common Core in Ocala, Fla., in April. The new educational standards, adopted by almost all the states, are the object of a growing conservative backlash.
Tea Party members protest Common Core in Ocala, Fla., in April. The new educational standards, adopted by almost all the states, are the object of a growing conservative backlash.
Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Star-Banner /Landov
"Common Core" is one of the biggest phrases in education today. To many educators and policymakers, it's a big, exciting idea that will ensure that America's students have the tools to succeed after graduation.

But a growing number of conservatives see things differently.

For years, states used their own, state-specific standards to lay out what K-12 students should be learning, for everything from punctuation to algebra. But those standards varied wildly, so the Common Core replaces them with one set of national standards for math and English language arts.

Forty-six states and the District of Columbia have signed on to the Common Core. But with those states now beginning to implement them, the core standards have become a rallying cry for some conservatives. Opponents have levied several arguments against the common standards.

Argument 1: "Washington Should Stay Out Of The Classroom"

"This is an effort largely driven by national organizations and the federal government," says Lindsey Burke, an education fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. "And for many, the fear is that that will come at the expense of state and local control of education."

Burke is quick to point out, however, that the federal government is actually prohibited by law from telling states what or how to teach.

But Michael Cohen, president of Achieve, a nonprofit that helped create the Common Core standards, says Common Core didn't come from Washington.

"The idea of creating the standards and the work of creating them was led by governors of both parties," he says. "And there was not a federal dollar involved in their development."

While the Common Core standards were created by those state leaders in 2009, federal dollars do
come into the story. President Obama used them, through No Child Left Behind and his own program, Race to the Top, to entice states to adopt the core. And some conservatives say that effort crosses a line.
Argument 2: "Don't Tell Us How to Teach Our Kids"

As backers see it, these national standards tell states what kids should know by which age — but not how to teach them. But to opponents, there's little difference between standards and curriculum.

"You actually see textbooks now [that] bright and splashy on the cover say, 'Common Core-aligned textbooks,' " says Burke.

The new standards even come with a list of recommended reading, including Macbeth
and The Grapes of Wrath. The concern for many is that a teacher who has assigned books not included on that list will now stick to the recommended titles instead. Then, opponents say, every kid in the country will end up reading the same books and the same ideas.
Argument 3: "This Will Cost Money"

Everyone on both sides of the standards agrees that implementation of Common Core will cost money. There are tests and new textbooks, and teachers will need to be retrained. But Achieve's Cohen says the Common Core is money well-spent if it means kids are taught to read and think critically — something he says schools have not been doing.

"We can
continue to not do that," he says. But saving money on things like new instructional materials, he says, will also mean "[continuing] to have students who need to take remedial courses when they get to college, and [about] whom employers say, 'They're not well-prepared for the jobs that I've got.' "
Michigan State Rep. Tom McMillin, a Republican opposed to the standards, has decided the Common Core's price tag could help him stop school systems from using it. Schools may decide they want to adopt the core, he says, "but if they don't have the money to implement it, then they're not going to be able to do it."

That's because in Michigan, as in most states, adoption of the core was up to the State Board of Education. But funding has to go through McMillin and the state Legislature, so McMillin added an amendment to the budget that as he describes it, says, "Not a dime of the money that's given to the Michigan Department of Education can be spent on implementing Common Core unless there's an affirmative vote of the Legislature to do so." Conservative lawmakers in other states are using similar tactics.

So while districts across the country move ahead with implementation, one big question still looms over it all: Just how common will the Common Core be?

 

Brazilian stocks among world's worst performers

The Bovespa Stock Index (IBOV) is down more than 20% so far this year, making it the worst performer among the major emerging markets.

Investors have been pulling out of emerging markets in anticipation of tighter monetary policy in the United States. The sell-off in Brazil accelerated last month after Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke told U.S. lawmakers that the central bank could begin to slow the pace of its asset purchases later this year.

The Fed has bought some $3 trillion worth of assets since it launched quantitative easing in 2008. Much of that money has found its way into stocks in developing economies as investors ventured into more risky assets.

Brazilian stocks have also been hurt this year by a lackluster growth outlook for Latin America's largest economy as global demand for natural resources wanes.

Related: Emerging markets in turmoil

The Brazilian real has come under pressure as investors pull money out of the country. That's prompted Brazil's central bank to take steps to prop up the currency. Despite such intervention, the real tumbled to a four-year low against the dollar Friday.

The recent political unrest in Brazil has also put the country in the headlines for the wrong reasons. But analysts say the political turmoil has not yet impacted the nation's economy.

Following large-scale protests in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the government agreed to roll back controversial fare hikes on bus and metro tickets.

"The protests are having very little impact on sentiment towards Brazil at this stage," said Robert Wood, Brazil analyst for The Economist Intelligence Unit. "It's mostly driven by external factors."

However, the protests have highlighted the significant gap between the rich and poor in Brazil.

Brazil has 12 to 13 million households in extreme poverty, which translates to roughly 40 million people, said Rafael Amiel, director of Latin American economics at IHS Global Insight.

"Brazil has made substantial progress, but they still have a lot of people in poverty," said Amiel.

Nevertheless, he said the recent political unrest is not comparable to the Arab spring uprisings over the past few years.

"They don't want to bring down the government," he said. "They just want more services and less corruption."

Related: Meet the new emerging markets

So why have Brazilian stocks fallen even more than shares of Indian and Chinese companies? A global slowdown in the demand for oil and other commodities is the big reason.

Brazil's economy has cooled off from a torrid pace in the past few years as domestic consumption has not made up for the decline in demand for natural resources. The International Monetary Fund cut its outlook for Brazilian growth this year to 3% in April, down from 3.5% in January.

"Brazil was one of the investment darlings of the emerging world over past ten years," said Paul Christopher, chief international strategist Wells Fargo Advisors. "Now, it has fallen out of favor with a big thud."

Shares of Brazilian oil company Petrobras (PBR) has fallen nearly 30% this year while mining company Vale (VALE) has plummeted 35%.

Christopher noted that the Bovespa has underperformed the benchmark MSCI (MSCI) index of emerging market stocks since mid-2012.

The government has ramped up infrastructure spending in the past few years as Brazil prepares to host the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games. But that hasn't been enough to offset the impact of the slowdown in commodity prices and is putting a strain on the government's finances.

Related: China's credit squeeze spooks markets

Amiel said the political unrest could discourage some people from traveling to Brazil for the World Cup. But given the nation's limited capacity to host such a large event "it might be a good thing if some people are discouraged," he added.

While Brazil has invested heavily in public works, progress has been slow on key projects such as airports, railways and roads.

Meanwhile, inflation remains a problem. The Brazilian central bank has been hiking interest rates in an effort to bring inflation back down to its target level of 4.5%. The bank announced a surprise interest rate hike in April, and increased the benchmark rate again in May to 8%.

The central bank has also been busy trying to prevent the Brazilian real from falling further. Brazil's currency had appreciated significantly from 2009 to 2011 as investors poured money into the country, which held up better during the credit crisis than the United States, Europe and other developed markets

Brazil declared a currency war in 2012 and started hiking interest rates in an attempt to discourage excessive speculation by foreign investors. The real had been drifting in a range for the past year, but it recently fell through the low end.

"The central bank will try to keep the real in that range," said Christopher. "But it's an open question as to whether they will succeed."

 

Matthew McConaughey, Tupac and Katy Perry Among 2014 Walk of Fame Honorees

Matthew McConaughey, Tupac and Katy Perry

The honorees for the 2014 Hollywood Walk of Fame have been set -- and two will be receiving their stars posthumously.

Rapper Tupac Shakur and comedian Phil Hartman will be honored on the Walk of Fame, which recognizes professionals in film, television, radio and recording industries, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced. (Shakur died in 1996 at 25; Hartman died in 1998 at 49.)

For motion pictures, Orlando Bloom, Ray Dolby, Sally Field, Jack H. Harris, Jessica Lange, Matthew McConaughey, Liam Neeson, Paul Mazursky and Tom Sherak will be recognized.

STORY: Jennifer Lopez Receives Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

In television, Dabney Coleman, Kaley Cuoco, Claire Danes, Giancarlo Esposito, Deidre Hall, Cheryl Hines, Don Mischer, Tavis Smiley and Hartman will be the recipients.

Motown songwriters and producers Holland-Dozier-Holland, Jeff Lynne, Mexican band Mana, Ray Parker Jr., Katy Perry, Rick Springfield and Shakur will be awarded stars for recording.

In radio, Renan Almendarez Coello will be the lone honoree.

"We have a great mix of celebrities and industry executives who have made Hollywood what it is today -- one of the greatest entertainment destinations in the world," said David Green, chairman of the Walk of Fame selection committee. "The new selections will bring great joy and fond memories for those millions who visit Hollywood each year!"

Dates for the Walk of Fame ceremonies have not been scheduled. Honorees have up to five years to schedule their ceremonies from date of selection, otherwise they will expire.