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Category: OmniChannelMarketer

OmniChannelMarketer

  • Nicole Scherzinger Talks About Her Bulimia Hell, Calling It An ‘Endless, Vicious Cycle’

    Nicole Scherzinger put on her bravest face and held nothing back in talking about her debilitating struggle with bulimia in the August edition of Cosmopolitan U.K. magazine.

    “I had such a great life on the outside, the Dolls were on top of the world, but I was miserable on the inside,” said the ex-Pussycat Dolls singer. “I’m never letting that happen again.”

    The 36-year-old went public with her addiction in 2012 and concedes that sharing the darkest moments of her long-secret eating disorder is still very painful.

    “Thinking about it I try not to well up,’ she said.

    “It is such a horrible, paralyzing disease and it was such a dark time for me,” said Scherzinger. “I didn’t think anyone knew in my group or in my family because I hid it that well, I was so ashamed. I knew it wasn’t normal or healthy because I was hurting myself through this cycle of disordered eating. It was my drug, my addiction. It’s an endless vicious cycle.”

    The former X-Factor judge says it took nearly losing her voice and blacking out while on tour to finally force her to deal with her addiction.

    “I had started losing my voice, I couldn’t sing at shows, and then I remember my manager finding me passed out on the floor in Malta or in the south of France,” she recalls. “I thought, ‘I’m going to lose everything I love if I don’t love myself.’”

    Scherzinger said that today she is healthy, but still struggles with another issue in her life — being incredibly shy.

    “I get past my shyness by making everything about others and not thinking about myself,” she says. “That’s what I did on The X Factor – I can be goofy and playful when it’s about the acts. They are like my babies. But when I’m off stage I’m not as big and animated … for me all my smiles and confidence are a triumph because it came from a broken place.”

    Image via Nicole Scherzinger, Instagram

  • Nicole Scherzinger Prepares for New Album with ‘Your Love’

    As a judge on the UK version of The X-Factor, Nicole Scherzinger spent two years with the British public. She loved every moment of it. However, Scherzinger wants to get back to recording music. Recently, she announced that she is not returning for a third season of the singing contest. In February it became official that Scherzinger signed a 4.5 million dollar multi-album deal with Sony/RCA Records.

    Scherzinger collaborated with producers The Dream and Tricky Stewart on the new album, set to release later this year.

    The album’s first single, “Your Love,” will be available for purchase on July 13 in the UK. Scherzinger claims the track is more “poppy” than other singles on the album. The other songs have an “urban-pop” sound. In June, Scherzinger debuted the video for the single. It shows her frolicking on the beach, which she told the DigitalSpy that it “comes natural” to her. “It’s the reason why we shot it on the beach. We took it back to my roots. I was in my element with the sun, the ocean and the sand. What really inspired me was Janet Jackson’s video for ‘Love Will Never Do,’” stated the former Pussycat Dolls singer.

    She revealed to the DailyMail some of her tricks and secrets to keeping in shape for the video.  Scherzinger doesn’t deprive herself of food cravings, but eats everything in moderation. She also said that she exercises a lot and never eats late.

    Running works so well for me. I get my best ideas when I run, it’s great for me. It strengthens my mind and puts me in the best state of mind. I get my ideas for what I want to do on stage and my music when I run. I prefer doing it in the morning, first thing. Even if I just manage to squeeze in twenty minutes. I do Soul Cycle classes in LA and bikram yoga and then interval training 3-4 times per week. My body starts to crave the endorphins if I don’t work out,” Scherzinger shared.

    Scherzinger told Attitude Magazine that, “The album’s not finished. I mean, it’s finished, but it’s not totally done until it comes out in October.” This is her second solo album, and her first one in three years.

    Image via Nicole Scherzinger, Instagram

  • Kenshoo Solution Matches Paid Search Clicks To Facebook Audiences In Real Time

    Kenshoo announced a new offering called Intent-Driven Audiences (IDA), which it calls an “industry-first solution”. It matches clicks on paid search ads to audiences on Facebook in real time.

    Marketers can create Facebook Custom Audiences made up of those who have clicked on specific search ads. These can be targeted to get ads across Facebook’s entire ad inventory, a spokesperson for Kenshoo explains, including mobile, via Facebook’s advanced filtering capabilities to further refine targeting on top of consumer search intent data.

    According to Kenshoo, Facebook campaigns targeting IDA saw 110% higher ROI and 66% lower CPC in a multi-month test for a “leading national retailer”.

    The IDA campaigns on Facebook also had “significant positive impact” on paid search performance including 19% higher conversion rate and 22% increment lift in revenue.

    “We’re very excited about Intent-Driven Audiences and the ability to leverage signals from search marketing to reach our advertisers’ most valuable customers with Facebook advertising,” said Steve Katelman, EVP of Global Strategic Partnerships at Omnicom Media Group. “Kenshoo’s overall approach to audience management is very innovative, and the solutions they’ve brought to market help advertisers bridge the gap from branding to performance in driving bottom-line results.”

    “Facebook’s Custom Audience targeting capabilities allow marketers to reach the people that matter most to them – their loyal customers. Kenshoo’s Intent-Driven Audiences allows advertisers to bridge audiences across marketing channels by bringing together consumer intent signals from search campaigns and Facebook’s Custom Audience targeting capabilities to drive better results for their marketing efforts,” said Blake Chandlee, VP of Partnerships at Facebook.

    Kenshoo has offered Facebook Exchange access and support since January of 2013. It also support’s Google’s Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSA).

    Image via Kenshoo

  • eBay Touts Enterprise Omnichannel Commerce Momentum

    eBay Touts Enterprise Omnichannel Commerce Momentum

    eBay announced increased adoption of omnichannel commerce technologies globally for eBay Enterprise. It has secured 451 clients and 862 extension and renewals in the first half of the year. These stretch across its various services. Alex and Ani, BOXPARK, Destination XL, Karmaloop, MailPix and StubHub are listed as brands using eBay Enterprise.

    “We are leading local commerce with close to 4,000 stores enabled with store-based fulfillment globally,” said Tobias Hartmann, interim president of eBay Enterprise. “We continue to help merchants compete in a global marketplace having recently launched our ship-from-store solution for a leading retailer in North America, Europe, and China, which is an industry first.”

    The company lists the following achievements for the year to date:

    • In January, eBay Enterprise announced the ability to implement ship-from-store technologies for retailers in 99 days and offer clients who have implemented this solution with additional freight discounts of up to 50% off published rates.
    • In March, eBay Enterprise announced its expanded operations in Canada with a new fulfillment center.
    • In April, Advertising Age ranked eBay Enterprise within the top 15 in its “50 Largest U.S. Digital-Agency Networks” report for the fifth year in a row.
    • eBay Enterprise was recently recognized as the #1 commerce provider to the mid-market according to the 2014 Internet Retailer Top 500. For the fourth consecutive year, Magento remains the most popular platform, with a 34 percent increase in online retail sites since last year, according to a recent study by Tom Robertshaw.
    • In May, eBay Enterprise announced the availability of two new extensions for Magento merchants now available in the Magento Connect Marketplace: the eBay Enterprise Display Extension, enabling retailers to deliver personalized product-specific ads to retarget lost customers; and the eBay Enterprise Affiliate Extension, offering best-in-class reporting tools to analyze, track and launch affiliate programs and easy integration with eBay Enterprise’s network of more than 200,000 affiliates.
    • Magento Enterprise 1.14 and Community Edition 1.9 were launched in May, drastically reducing the barrier for merchants to get a tablet and smart phone friendly responsive site. The new editions also integrate Bill Me Later and PayPal Express Checkout empowering merchants to further streamline checkout. Initial customers on the Magento Enterprise Edition 1.14 include Shop3M and Hallhuber.

    “Our strategy of enabling commerce innovation for fast-growing companies through our eBay Enterprise and Magento solutions is clearly proving successful with initial synergies between Magento customers and our marketing solutions,” said Hartmann.

    The company will be showcasing its technologies at the Internet Retailer Conference next week, with CEO John Donahoe delivering a keynote session.

    Image via eBay

  • PayPal Just Revealed Its New Logo

    PayPal Just Revealed Its New Logo

    PayPal announced today that it has a new logo, and is altering its brand identity. Behold:

    “When PayPal was first founded in 1998, our image was designed for the online world…making it easier to pay and get paid online…right as consumers were considering e-commerce for the first time,” says Christina Smedley, Vice President, Global Brand at PayPal. “Today, online is just one of the ways we show up to our consumers, merchants and developers, along with in-store, on mobile and elsewhere. To reflect the dozens of ways we make it easier and safer for you to use your money every day, we’re pleased to share our new logo, designed to exemplify that simplicity, convenience and security in this new omni-channel world.”

    “With the help of award-winning design firm, fuseproject and feedback from people who use our products every day, our new brand identity flexes to fit all screen sizes, from wearables and mobile to the biggest, flattest high-definition TVs,” she adds. “It’ll be more legible and recognizable in both type and colors and will easily extend to be usable across the look/feel of various systems, and in the 193 markets we serve worldwide. Connection is a motivating principle behind the redesign — connection to money, to people and between people. It was important to evoke connection that was human and approachable, not too technical.”

    You’ll see the new look immediately on the PayPal site, as well as at Saks.com and zulily.com. It will also appear on all checkout buttons, apps, and PayPal Here devices throughout the year.

    Image via PayPal

  • Ellie Goulding Joining ‘X Factor’?

    Simon Cowell and Cheryl Cole make their return to The X Factor UK for its eleventh season. Their decision to rejoin the series, after extended hiatuses, have many fans wondering who will accompany them on the judging panel.

    Though not yet confirmed, Louis Walsh is, probably, a sure bet to return to X Factor as the third judge. This leaves one judging spot vacant. Last week, X Factor fans may have gotten an early spoiler on who will fill this seat. When talking to The Sun on Sunday, Walsh revealed that he heard Ellie Gouldng might be the new judge.

    “I’ve heard Ellie Goulding. I just hope it’s a girl,” Walsh told The Sun.

    A source working on The X Factor quickly shot down this rumor. The source said that there are “a lot of people being discussed.” They also said that Walsh “isn’t involved in finding the fourth judge.”

    To further disprove this rumor, Goulding’s tour schedule makes it very difficult for her to be an X Factor judge. She tours the US in April, with her tour extending to such places as Australia, Canada, Singapore, and Spain; she ends her tour in August in the UK. X Factor’s 2014 season will likely air at the end of August or early September, but the judges may start the auditions in April. Another rumored, possible judge is Fergie. When Unreality TV asked Walsh who he preferred to see as the new judge, between Fergie and Goulding, he responded, “Ellie, without a doubt.”

    When not being tied to X Factor rumors, Goulding is releasing videos. This week she unveiled the new video for her single, “Beating Heart.” “Beating Heart” appears on the soundtrack for the movie Divergent. She told MTV that the song “is about reuniting with the ones you love against all odds…’Beating Heart’ is about being away from someone or knowing that you’re always going to have to be apart from someone that you really love.” Goulding also added, “Like the universe will bring them back together. I think the song is basically that. Sort of relying on the fact that if you’re meant to be drawn back together you will be.”

    In the video for “Beating Heart,” Goulding channels the movie and book series main heroine Tris, along with showing clips from the movie Divergent.

    Goulding’s next tour stop is Lollapalooza in Buenos Aires on April 2nd.

    Image via Youtube, Twitter

  • ‘Mako Mermaids’ Season 2: Another Production Vlog Released [Netflix Originals]

    The second season of Mako Mermaids, one of the less talked about “Netflix originals,” is currently in production. It began shooting in December.

    Fans (of which there are apparently plenty) were recently treated to a couple of production vlogs, which Jonathan M. Shiff Productions put on YouTube. Now, a third one has been uploaded:

    These vlogs are the first Mako videos to hit the YouTube channel since the famous Nixie “lobster test” scene.

    By the way, it looks like the first season is headed for DVD.

    Image via Netflix

  • The Sleep Whisperer: The New Cure for Insomnia

    Chronic insomnia is an inability to fall asleep and stay asleep and lasts for longer than a month. It affects 1 in 10 Americans. Possible causes include stress or hormone factors.

    For decades, people have been trying to cope with this disorder – from taking sleeping pills to counting sheep. But now, thanks to sleep whisperers, there is a new way.

    Ilse Blansert, a Toronto native, is a sleep whisperer and part of a growing phenomenon known as Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR).

    ASMR is a response to visual, auditory, olfactory, and/or cognitive stimuli and can be felt pleasurable tingling sensation in the head, scalp, back, or peripheral regions of the body. Though controversial, it is appealing to many because, unlike pills or therapy, it is free.

    “It has to do with the combination of sounds and voices,” Blansert said. “I’m not convinced that it works. It actually works.”

    Blansert’s videos alone have accumulated over 16 million views.

    “It is quite believable to me that somebody says that is works better than a sleeping bill for me,” says sleep specialist Dr. Amer Khan.

    “It brings me comfort that I can’t find in other things,” says Emily Hanson, a follower of Blansert’s videos.

    The first time Hanson watched a ASMR video, she said it was “one of the most euphoric experiences” of her life. “I didn’t know what is it was, but I was hooked.”

    According to Yahoo News, the videos consist of Blansert whispering, tapping on items, pouring water, and gently rearranging items (such as crayons) to help put her viewers to sleep.

    “I think…it has to do with the combination of sounds and voices. It’s a calming relaxing voice because if it’s too fast you don’t really have a chance to experience those tingles,” she said.

    Lindsey Davis of ABC asked Blansert if the videos could be addicting.

    “You can become addicted in the sense that you really want to watch it every night,” she said, but “If you give yourself an over-kill of those types of sounds you’ll become immune to it, which basically means that if you watch the video, you aren’t going to experience tingles anymore.”

    “There are no true bad physical effects of this kind of activity on the body,” Dr. Khan said. “It’s not extremely unhealthy to do something like this but what it’s really doing is taking you away from the real issues that you’re dealing with, which is how to turn off your mind, how to feel relaxed at the end of the day.”

    For more information, visit Blansert’s YouTube channel.


    Image via YouTube

  • Demi Lovato Fans Happy To See End Of “X-Factor”

    When Simon Cowell announced the end of “X Factor” U.S. earlier this week, many fans were disappointed. But fans of one of the show’s judges say the talent competition wouldn’t have been much without her, anyway.

    Demi Lovato left the show in December in order to focus on her music career, and after sharing with her fans the troubles she’s gone through in recent years, they obviously feel very protective over her and are glad she left before the ax fell.

    As for Cowell, he’s going back to “X Factor” UK, the show that started it all. Created by Cowell in 2004, the show was a huge success from the beginning in Britain and has become the biggest talent competition in Europe, but has seen a drop in ratings recently. The American version had a rough time competing against “The Voice” and “America’s Got Talent”, not to mention Cowell’s old show “American Idol”.

    “I don’t know why any show would want to be in America right now – anyone – because it’s too tough of a market. I mean, there’s going to be, this year, something like 14 talent shows on American TV. “I’ve got one of them with America’s Got Talent, which, luckily, is just as good as everybody else’s. It’s become a joke,” he said.

    Lovato hasn’t commented on the cancellation of the show, but she is in headlines this week after her best friend, Disney Channel star Selena Gomez, left a rehab facility where she reportedly went to get help for emotional issues. Her rep confirmed she was not there for substance abuse, and the stay came after her ex–Justin Bieber–faced several legal battles, including an arrest for DUI. Lovato is said to have helped her friend make the choice to admit herself to a program.

    “They’ve really bonded over their issues,” a “source” said.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • ‘Mako Mermaids’ Season 2 Production Vlogs Hit YouTube [Netflix Originals]

    The second season of Mako Mermaids, one of the less talked about “Netflix originals,” is currently in production. It began shooting in December.

    Fans (of which there are apparently plenty) may enjoy checking out these vlogs from the production, which recently hit YouTube.

    These are the first Mako videos to hit the Jonathan M. Shiff Productions YouTube channel since the famous Nixie “lobster test” scene.

    By the way, it looks like the first season is headed for DVD.

    Image via Netflix

  • Nintendo Held Its Own Big Launch Event Right Across The Street From The Xbox One Launch

    While the big news on Friday was the launch of the Xbox One in New York City’s Times Square, the Nintendo World Store across the street was having its own launch event. While the Wii U has already been out on the market for a year, the console finally got a game worth owning the system for on Friday.

    On November 22, Nintendo released two high-profile games for its Wii U and 3DS consoles. The first – Super Mario 3D World – is the kind of game that you should buy a Wii U for. Nintendo knows this and is pursuing a huge marketing campaign to get the console and game into the homes of consumers this holiday season.

    The second – The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds – is the sequel to the SNES classic The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. As you can imagine, it’s a pretty big deal for Zelda fans around the world.

    Now, if these were any other games, they would be released and that would be that. This is Nintendo we’re talking about though and the company decided to hold a launch event at its Nintendo World Store that rivals what Microsoft did at the Best Buy Theater for the Xbox One launch.

    Check it out:

    While it may not be as exciting as the Xbox One launch, the fact that some fans waited over 15 hours to get their hands on a new Nintendo title shows some hardcore dedication. Now if only Nintendo could channel some of that dedication into hardware sales.

    [Image: Nintendo/YouTube]

  • Wii Mini’s U.S. Launch Set For Mid-November

    Wii Mini’s U.S. Launch Set For Mid-November

    In December of last year, Nintendo of Canada released a super cheap version of the Wii called the Wii Mini. It must have been a success as Nintendo has been slowly rolling it out to other parts of the world throughout 2013, and now it’s finally making its way to the U.S.

    Nintendo announced today that the Wii Mini will finally hit the U.S. at some point this month. There’s no specific date set yet, but the company expects to have it out on store shelves by the middle of November. The Wii Mini will also pack in a copy of Mario Kart Wii.

    Unfortunately, that copy of Mario Kart Wii can only be played locally as the Wii Mini strips out the original Wii’s Wi-Fi antennae. In other words, the Wii Mini can’t go online so those who buy it can’t access online multiplayer or the Wii Shop Channel. The system also lacks component video output and an SD card slot.

    So, what’s the point of the Wii Mini? It seems kind of pointless when it lacks so many features of the original Wii. Nintendo obviously hopes that the low price of $99 and a line of $20 titles, like Super Mario Galaxy and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, will encourage those who never bought a Wii seven years ago to do so now.

    If you’re looking for something a little more sophisticated this holiday season, Nintendo is also pushing a number of Wii U bundles. It’s newest console, which features HD output and a touch screen controller, is now available for $299 in a number of configurations, including a New Super Mario Bros. U bundle and Skylanders Swap Force bundle.

    [Image: Nintendo]
    [h/t: Polygon]

  • Snowden: American Patriot Says He Shared No Secrets with Russia

    Edward J. Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor, said in an interview this month that when he fled to Russia from Hong Kong SAR, China, in June, he did not take any classified NSA files with him.

    Snowden further assured that Russian espionage agents had no way of getting access to the files, as he handed over all those documents to the journalists he met in Hong Kong, and did not make any duplicate copies for himself, “because it wouldn’t serve the public interest.”

    “What would be the unique value of personally carrying another copy of the materials onward?…There’s a zero percent chance the Russians or Chinese have received any documents,” he added.

    Snowden was also confident about China’s intelligence capabilities, claiming that as an NSA contractor he had extensively targeted the eastern giant’s espionage operations and even taught a course on Chinese cyber-counterintelligence.

    American espionage and covert operations officials have condemned Snowden as a traitor, and have asserted that Chinese and Russians might have gotten access to the files.

    The interview took place over several days last week in a “safe” location in Russia, where Snowden has been granted political asylum. The interview took place through encrypted online communications.

    Snowden, 30, has been praised by Constitutionalists and privacy advocates while Federal government has slapped charges on him under the Espionage Act for leaking the files. The famous fugitive claimed that he was acting in “nation’s” best interests, by revealing NSA’s omniscient surveillance efforts including conversations, emails, purchase habits, etc, and pleaded for vigorous national public debate about mass surveillance and monitoring of Americans.

    Snowden said,

    “The secret continuance of these programs represents a far greater danger than their disclosure…So long as there’s broad support amongst a people, it can be argued there’s a level of legitimacy even to the most invasive and morally wrong program, as it was an informed and willing decision,” he said. “However, programs that are implemented in secret, out of public oversight, lack that legitimacy, and that’s a problem. It also represents a dangerous normalization of ‘governing in the dark,’ where decisions with enormous public impact occur without any public input.”

    Snowden’s last target as NSA contractor was China, and he had “access to every target, every active operation” mounted by NSA against the Chinese, including:

    “ Full lists of them. If that was compromised,…N.S.A. would have set the table on fire from slamming it so many times in denouncing the damage it had caused. Yet N.S.A. has not offered a single example of damage from the leaks. They haven’t said boo about it except ‘we think,’ ‘maybe,’ ‘have to assume’ from anonymous and former officials. Not ‘China is going dark.’ Not ‘the Chinese military has shut us out.’ ”

    Snowden also feared that working through proper channels utilizing the chain of command would lead to swift gagging and retribution. In 2008 and 2009, while working in Geneva as an IT officer for CIA, he pushed for a promotion, but got into a “petty e-mail spat” over a senior manager’s judgment.

    When Snowden discovered serious vulnerabilities in a CIA software, he warned his supervisor, but was advised to keep his mouth shut. After much haggling, he was allowed to test the system with a “non-malicious” code, which proved that the system was in fact vulnerable. But this time, someone higher up in the chain of command was annoyed and gave Snowden a bad review in his personnel file.

    Snowden feared that he would be persecuted and stigmatized like former NSA employee Thomas A. Drake, who, like Snowden, had exposed NSA’s wrongdoings. He added that dissent was crushed or suppressed using “fear and a false image of patriotism.”

    Edward Snowden lamented that had he raised the issue of unconstitutional surveillance as an insider, his complaints “would have been buried forever,” and he would “have been discredited and ruined…the system does not work…you have to report wrongdoing to those most responsible for it.”

    Alarmed by a highly classified 2009 report he chanced upon at the agency, he concluded that, “If the highest officials in government can break the law without fearing punishment or even any repercussions at all…secret powers become tremendously dangerous…You can’t read something like that and not realize what it means for all of these systems we have.”

    Snowden is permitted to stay in Russia for one year, but his future appears perilous after this sojourn. Benjamin Franklin once remarked that, “those who sacrifice liberty for security, deserve neither.”

    [image from youtube]

  • eBay Earnings Released, Revenue Up 14%

    eBay Earnings Released, Revenue Up 14%

    eBay just released its Q3 earnings report with a 14% year-over-year increase in revenue to $3.9 billion and net income (GAAP) of $689 million.

    PalPal on its own generated $1.6 billion, up 19% year-over-year. It also gained 5 million active registered accounts, ending the quarter with 137 million, up 17%.

    President and CEO John Donahoe said, “We delivered strong third quarter results, with mobile driving a significant portion of our new user growth and continuing to transform how consumers shop and pay around the world. Our scale and experience, the strength of our global commerce platforms, our technology assets and our mobile commerce capabilities strongly position us to be a leader in the commerce revolution under way. In the past 12 months we have enabled $200 billion of commerce volume, a 20 percent increase in a fairly lackluster macro environment. That growth demonstrates the strength of our core businesses and our power as a partner, not a competitor, to merchants, brands and retailers.”

    The company pretty much met Wall Street expectations, but stock is falling, apparently based on a not so strong outlook.

    Here’s the release in its entirety:

    SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Global commerce platform and payments leader eBay Inc. (Nasdaq:EBAY) today reported that revenue for the third quarter ended September 30, 2013, increased 14% to $3.9 billion, compared to the same period of 2012. The company reported third quarter net income on a GAAP basis of $689 million, or $0.53 per diluted share, and non-GAAP net income of $837 million, or $0.64 per diluted share. Third quarter non-GAAP earnings per diluted share increased 17% driven primarily by strong top-line growth. GAAP earnings per diluted share increased 16%, driven by revenue growth and the sale of our investments in RueLaLa and ShopRunner.

    Total company Enabled Commerce Volume (ECV) grew 21% for the quarter, to $52 billion. The growth demonstrates the power of the company’s global commerce platforms, technology assets and mobile commerce capabilities across Marketplaces, PayPal and eBay Enterprise. In the third quarter, cross-border trade, another competitive strength of the company, was $11 billion, representing 22% of the company’s total ECV. Mobile enabled commerce volume was up 75% in the quarter, with downloads since inception exceeding 200 million and the company’s suite of mobile apps attracting 3.2 million new customers.

    “We delivered strong third quarter results, with mobile driving a significant portion of our new user growth and continuing to transform how consumers shop and pay around the world,” saidJohn Donahoe, President and CEO, eBay Inc. “Our scale and experience, the strength of our global commerce platforms, our technology assets and our mobile commerce capabilities strongly position us to be a leader in the commerce revolution under way. In the past 12 months we have enabled $200 billion of commerce volume, a 20 percent increase in a fairly lackluster macro environment. That growth demonstrates the strength of our core businesses and our power as a partner, not a competitor, to merchants, brands and retailers.”

    PayPal delivered a strong third quarter performance with revenue increasing 19% to $1.6 billion. PayPal gained 5.0 million active registered accounts and ended the quarter with 137 million, a 17% increase. PayPal’s net total payment volume (TPV) grew 25% to $44 billion driven by consumer and merchant use of PayPal both on and off eBay. Merchant Services net TPV increased 30% with a sequential acceleration of payment volume. PayPal continues to invest in leading payments innovation, growing its addressable market, and driving global consumer and merchant acquisition through seamless and simple experiences. Key developments in the third quarter included the launch of a fully localized offering in Russia and PayPal’s enhanced consumer app for iOS and Android. PayPal also delivered innovation offline by helping consumers save time and money through closed loop offers where merchants can put coupons directly into consumers’ digital wallets. The enhanced PayPal consumer app gives customers in the U.S. and Australia convenient order-ahead and pay-at-table capabilities as well as the ability to check in and pay with the PayPal digital wallet at thousands of retail locations in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia.

    Marketplaces also delivered a strong third quarter performance with revenue increasing 12% to $2.0 billion. Marketplaces gained 3.9 million active users in the period and ended the quarter with 124 million, a 14% increase. Gross merchandise volume (GMV), excluding vehicles, increased 13% to $18 billion. Fixed price GMV grew 18% globally and represented 71% of total GMV. U.S. GMV, excluding vehicles, increased 15% to $7.4 billion and international GMV, excluding vehicles, increased 12% to $11 billion driven by mobile and investment in buyer experience. The selection of items available on Marketplaces grew to over 500 million listings reflecting the success of consumer selling initiatives, particularly on mobile. Free shipping was provided on more than half of U.S. transactions in the quarter and the global shipping program continued to expand. In addition, the introduction and expansion of several local initiatives enabled customers to access local merchant inventory through apps to improve choice and reduce fulfillment time.

    eBay Enterprise contributed $238 million in revenue for the third quarter, a 5% increase. Its Commerce Technologies generated $787 million in Merchandise Sales, a 13% increase, but revenue was pressured by a reduction in take rate. eBay Enterprise enabled its clients to grow same-store sales 13%, decelerating sequentially, but broadly in line with ecommerce growth rates. The company expects its broad omnichannel product portfolio, including complementary eBay Inc. assets, to be increasingly adopted by merchants seeking opportunities to grow their businesses while seamlessly meeting the needs of the connected consumer. eBay Enterprise launched four brands on its new suite of modular Commerce Technologies during the quarter.

    Third Quarter 2013 Financial Highlights (presented in millions, except per share data and percentages)
    Third Quarter
    2013 2012 Change
    eBay Inc.
    Net revenue $3,892 $3,404 $488 14%
    Enabled commerce volume (ECV) $51,507 $42,593 $8,914 21%
    GAAP
    Net income $689 $597 $92 15%
    Earnings per diluted share $0.53 $0.45 $0.07 16%
    Non-GAAP
    Net income $837 $718 $119 17%
    Earnings per diluted share $0.64 $0.55 $0.09 17%
    Third Quarter
    2013 2012 Change
    Business Units
    Payments
    Net revenue $1,620 $1,367 $253 19%
    Net total payment volume $43,837 $35,159 $8,678 25%
    Marketplaces
    Net revenue $2,027 $1,806 $221 12%
    Gross merchandise volume (GMV), excl. vehicles $18,360 $16,281 $2,079 13%
    Enterprise
    Net revenue $238 $226 $12 5%
    Merchandise Sales $787 $698 $89 13%

    Other Selected Financial Results

    • Operating margin — GAAP operating margin increased to 20.5% for the third quarter of 2013, compared to 19.6% for the same period last year. Non-GAAP operating margin increased to 26.8% in the third quarter, compared to 26.3% for the same period last year.
    • Taxes — The GAAP effective tax rate for the third quarter of 2013 was 21%, compared to 11% for the third quarter of 2012. The increase in the company’s GAAP effective tax rate was due to an increase in earnings in higher tax jurisdictions and the repayment of the Kynetic note receivable and the sale of our investments in RueLaLa and ShopRunner. For the third quarter of 2013 and 2012, the non-GAAP effective tax rate was 19% and 20%, respectively.
    • Cash flow — The company generated $1.3 billion of operating cash flow and $1.0 billion of free cash flow during the third quarter of 2013. The company’s investing activities benefited from proceeds of $485 million from the repayment of the Kynetic note receivable and the sale of our investments in RueLaLa and ShopRunner.
    • Stock repurchase program — The company repurchased approximately $146 million of its common stock in the third quarter of 2013.
    • Cash and cash equivalents and non-equity investments — The company’s cash and cash equivalents and non-equity investments portfolio totaled $13.0 billion at September 30, 2013, up from $11.5 billion at December 31, 2012.

    Business Outlook

    • Fourth quarter 2013 — the company expects net revenues in the range of $4,500 – $4,600 million with GAAP earnings per diluted share in the range of $0.67 – $0.69 and non-GAAP earnings per diluted share in the range of $0.79 – $0.81. The company’s fourth quarter outlook assumes that the pending acquisition of Braintree will close late in the fourth quarter of 2013.

    Quarterly Conference Call

    eBay Inc. will host a conference call to discuss third quarter 2013 results at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time today. A live webcast of the conference call, together with a slide presentation that includes supplemental financial information and reconciliations of certain non-GAAP measures to their nearest comparable GAAP measures, can be accessed through the company’s Investor Relations website at http://investor.ebayinc.com. In addition, an archive of the webcast will be accessible for 90 days through the same link.

    Use of Investor Relations Website for Regulation FD Purposes

    eBay Inc. also announced that it intends to use its Investor Relations website as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Such disclosures will be included on the eBay Inc. Investor Relations website at investor.ebayinc.com. Accordingly, investors should monitorhttp://investor.ebayinc.com, in addition to following press releases, SEC filings and public conference calls and webcasts.

    About eBay Inc.

    eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) is a global commerce and payments leader, providing a robust platform where merchants of all sizes can compete and win. Founded in 1995 in San Jose, Calif., eBay Inc. connects millions of buyers and sellers and enabled $175 billion of commerce volume in 2012. We do so through eBay, the world’s largest online marketplace, which allows users to buy and sell in nearly every country on earth; through PayPal, which enables individuals and businesses to securely, easily and quickly send and receive digital payments; and through eBay Enterprise, which enables omnichannel commerce, multichannel retailing and digital marketing for global enterprises in the U.S. and internationally. We also reach millions through specialized marketplaces such as StubHub, the world’s largest ticket marketplace, and eBay classifieds sites, which together have a presence in more than 1,000 cities around the world. For more information about the company and its global portfolio of online brands, visit www.ebayinc.com.

    Presentation

    All growth rates represent year over year comparisons, except as otherwise noted. All amounts in tables are presented in U.S. dollars, rounded to the nearest millions, except as otherwise noted. As a result, certain amounts may not sum or recalculate using the rounded dollar amounts provided.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    This press release includes the following financial measures defined as “non-GAAP financial measures” by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC): non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP earnings per diluted share, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP effective tax rate and free cash flow. These measures may be different from non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. The presentation of this financial information, which is not prepared under any comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles, is not intended to be considered in isolation of, or as a substitute for, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). For a reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to the nearest comparable GAAP measures, see “Business Outlook,” “Non-GAAP Measures of Financial Performance,” “Reconciliation of GAAP Operating Margin to Non-GAAP Operating Margin,” “Reconciliation of GAAP Net Income to Non-GAAP Net Income and Reconciliation of GAAP Effective Tax Rate to Non-GAAP Effective Tax Rate” and “Reconciliation of Operating Cash Flow to Free Cash Flow” included in this press release.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements relating to, among other things, the future performance of eBay Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries that are based on the company’s current expectations, forecasts and assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding expected financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2013, and the future growth in the Payments, Marketplaces and Enterprise businesses, mobile payments and mobile commerce. The company’s actual results could differ materially from those predicted or implied and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: changes in political, business and economic conditions, including any continuing U.S. government shutdown or default, any European or general economic downturn or crisis and any conditions that affect ecommerce growth; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; the company’s need to successfully react to the increasing importance of mobile payments and mobile commerce and the increasing social aspect of commerce; the company’s ability to deal with the increasingly competitive ecommerce environment, including competition for its sellers from other trading sites and other means of selling, and competition for its buyers from other merchants, online and offline; the company’s need to manage an increasingly large enterprise with a broad range of businesses of varying degrees of maturity and in many different geographies; the effect of management changes and business initiatives; the company’s need and ability to manage other regulatory, tax and litigation risks as its services are offered in more jurisdictions and applicable laws become more restrictive; any changes the company may make to its product offerings; the competitive, regulatory, credit card association-related and other risks specific to PayPal and Bill Me Later, especially as PayPal continues to expand geographically and introduce new products and as new laws and regulations related to financial services companies come into effect; the company’s ability to timely upgrade and develop its technology systems, infrastructure and customer service capabilities, including our Enterprise Commerce Technologies, at reasonable cost; the company’s ability to maintain site stability and performance on all of its sites while adding new products and features in a timely fashion; and the company’s ability to profitably integrate, manage and grow businesses that have been acquired or may be acquired in the future. The forward-looking statements in this release do not include the potential impact of any acquisitions or divestitures that may be announced and/or completed after the date hereof.

    More information about factors that could affect the company’s operating results is included under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, copies of which may be obtained by visiting the company’s Investor Relations website at http://investor.ebayinc.com or the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements in this press release, which are based on information available to the company on the date hereof. The company assumes no obligation to update such statements.

    eBay Inc.
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet
      September 30, 2013 December 31, 2012
    (In millions)
    ASSETS
    Current assets:
    Cash and cash equivalents $ 5,280 $ 6,817
    Short-term investments 4,991 2,591
    Accounts receivable, net 772 822
    Loans and interest receivable, net 2,434 2,160
    Funds receivable and customer accounts 9,073 8,094
    Other current assets 926 914
    Total current assets 23,476 21,398
    Long-term investments 4,138 3,044
    Property and equipment, net 2,763 2,491
    Goodwill 8,566 8,537
    Intangible assets, net 863 1,128
    Other assets 261 476
    Total assets $ 40,067 $ 37,074
    LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
    Current liabilities:
    Short-term debt $ 408 $ 413
    Accounts payable 288 301
    Funds payable and amounts due to customers 9,073 8,094
    Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 2,008 1,916
    Deferred revenue 164 137
    Income taxes payable 87 63
    Total current liabilities 12,028 10,924
    Deferred and other tax liabilities, net 914 972
    Long-term debt 4,123 4,106
    Other liabilities 235 207
    Total liabilities 17,300 16,209
    Total stockholders’ equity 22,767 20,865
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 40,067 $ 37,074
    eBay Inc.
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Income
    Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
    2013 2012 2013 2012
    (In millions, except per share amounts)
    Net revenues $ 3,892 $ 3,404 $ 11,517 $ 10,079
    Cost of net revenues (1) 1,224 1,022 3,587 2,992
    Gross profit 2,668 2,382 7,930 7,087
    Operating expenses:
    Sales and marketing (1) 755 726 2,223 2,120
    Product development (1) 433 389 1,318 1,157
    General and administrative (1) 415 369 1,242 1,131
    Provision for transaction and loan losses 185 148 553 413
    Amortization of acquired intangible assets 81 83 245 251
    Total operating expenses 1,869 1,715 5,581 5,072
    Income from operations 799 667 2,349 2,015
    Interest and other, net 74 5 89 74
    Gain on divested business 118
    Income before income taxes 873 672 2,438 2,207
    Provision for income taxes (184 ) (75 ) (432 ) (348 )
    Net income $ 689 $ 597 $ 2,006 $ 1,859
    Net income per share:
    Basic $ 0.53 $ 0.46 $ 1.55 $ 1.44
    Diluted $ 0.53 $ 0.45 $ 1.53 $ 1.42
    Weighted average shares:
    Basic 1,295 1,292 1,296 1,291
    Diluted 1,310 1,314 1,314 1,311
    (1) Includes stock-based compensation as follows:
    Cost of net revenues $ 9 $ 13 $ 45 $ 41
    Sales and marketing 38 35 112 99
    Product development 42 34 120 101
    General and administrative 51 40 135 119
    $ 140 $ 122 $ 412 $ 360
    eBay Inc.
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows
    Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
    2013 2012 2013 2012
    (In millions)
    Cash flows from operating activities:
    Net income $ 689 $ 597 $ 2,006 $ 1,859
    Adjustments:
    Provision for transaction and loan losses 185 148 553 413
    Depreciation and amortization 357 311 1,033 882
    Gain on sale of RueLaLa and ShopRunner (75 ) (75 )
    Gain on divested business (118 )
    Stock-based compensation 140 122 412 360
    Changes in assets and liabilities, net of acquisition effects 38 (24 ) (647 ) (943 )
    Net cash provided by operating activities 1,334 1,154 3,282 2,453
    Cash flows from investing activities:
    Purchases of property and equipment (317 ) (362 ) (969 ) (961 )
    Changes in principal loans receivable, net (212 ) (180 ) (395 ) (335 )
    Purchases of investments (3,702 ) (126 ) (5,726 ) (1,470 )
    Maturities and sales of investments 912 309 2,710 938
    Acquisitions, net of cash acquired (70 ) (10 ) (85 ) (143 )
    Repayment of Kynetic note receivable and sale of RueLaLa and ShopRunner 485 485
    Proceeds from divested business, net of cash disposed 144
    Other (61 ) (14 ) (77 )
    Net cash used in investing activities (2,904 ) (430 ) (3,994 ) (1,904 )
    Cash flows from financing activities:
    Proceeds from issuance of common stock 57 134 301 359
    Repurchases of common stock (146 ) (47 ) (1,088 ) (642 )
    Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation 19 27 180 95
    Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of restricted stock units and awards (21 ) (20 ) (247 ) (152 )
    Net (repayments) and borrowings under commercial paper program (550 ) (550 )
    Proceeds from the issuance of debt, net of issuance costs 2,976 2,976
    Funds receivable and customer accounts, net (61 ) (511 ) (979 ) (839 )
    Funds payable and amounts due to customers, net 61 511 979 839
    Other (4 ) (4 )
    Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities (91 ) 2,516 (854 ) 2,082
    Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents 86 53 29 9
    Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents (1,575 ) 3,293 (1,537 ) 2,640
    Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 6,855 4,038 6,817 4,691
    Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 5,280 $ 7,331 $ 5,280 $ 7,331
    eBay Inc.
    Unaudited Summary of Consolidated Net Revenues
    Net Revenues by Type
    Three Months Ended
    September 30, June 30, March 31, December 31, September 30,
    2013 2013 2013 2012 2012
    Net transaction revenues (In millions, except percentages)
    Marketplaces $ 1,668 $ 1,637 $ 1,608 $ 1,672 $ 1,490
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 2 % 2 % (4 )% 12 % %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 12 % 10 % 13 % 16 % 10 %
    Percent of Marketplaces revenue from international 54 % 55 % 55 % 56 % 55 %
    Payments 1,493 1,475 1,435 1,432 1,264
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 1 % 3 % % 13 % 2 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 18 % 20 % 18 % 24 % 22 %
    Percent of Payments revenue from international 56 % 56 % 55 % 56 % 55 %
    Enterprise 185 194 186 333 170
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (5 )% 4 % (44 )% 97 % 3 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 9 % 18 % 2 % 13 % 14 %
    Percent of Enterprise revenue from international 4 % 5 % 5 % 3 % 3 %
    Total net transaction revenues 3,346 3,306 3,229 3,437 2,925
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 1 % 2 % (6 )% 17 % 1 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 14 % 14 % 14 % 19 % 15 %
    Marketing services and other revenues
    Marketplaces 359 364 349 378 316
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (1 )% 4 % (8 )% 20 % (2 )%
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 14 % 13 % 15 % 15 % 5 %
    Percent of Marketplaces revenue from international 75 % 75 % 75 % 72 % 75 %
    Payments 127 149 113 109 102
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (15 )% 32 % 4 % 7 % (17 )%
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 25 % 21 % 22 % 32 % 37 %
    Percent of Payments revenue from international 3 % 3 % 4 % 5 % 6 %
    Enterprise 53 52 50 65 57
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 2 % 4 % (23 )% 14 % %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter (7 )% (9 )% (9 )% (6 )% 4 %
    Percent of Enterprise revenue from international % % % % %
    Corporate and other 14 14 12 12 11
    Total marketing services and other revenues 553 579 524 564 485
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (4 )% 10 % (7 )% 16 % (5 )%
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 14 % 13 % 15 % 16 % 13 %
    Elimination of inter-segment net revenue and other (1) (7 ) (8 ) (5 ) $ (9 ) $ (6 )
    Total net revenues $ 3,892 $ 3,877 $ 3,748 $ 3,992 $ 3,404
    Current quarter vs prior quarter % 3 % (6 )% 17 % %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 14 % 14 % 14 % 18 % 15 %
    (1) Represents revenue generated between our reportable segments.
    Net Revenues by Geography (1) Three Months Ended
    September 30, June 30, March 31, December 31, September 30,
    2013 2013 2013 2012 2012
    (In millions, except percentages)
    U.S. net revenues $ 1,873 $ 1,870 $ 1,789 $ 1,949 $ 1,637
    Current quarter vs prior quarter % 5 % (8 )% 19 % 2 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 14 % 16 % 13 % 17 % 15 %
    Percent of total 48 % 48 % 48 % 49 % 48 %
    International net revenues 2,019 2,007 1,959 2,043 1,767
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 1 % 2 % (4 )% 16 % (1 )%
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 15 % 12 % 16 % 19 % 15 %
    Percent of total 52 % 52 % 52 % 51 % 52 %
    Total net revenues $ 3,892 $ 3,877 $ 3,748 $ 3,992 $ 3,404
    Current quarter vs prior quarter % 3 % (6 )% 17 % %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 14 % 14 % 14 % 18 % 15 %
    (1) Revenues are attributed to U.S. and international geographies primarily based upon the country in which the seller, payment recipient, customer, website that displays advertising, or other service provider, as the case may be, is located.
    eBay Inc.
    Unaudited eBay Inc. Supplemental Operating Data
    Three Months Ended
    September 30, June 30, March 31, December 31, September 30,
    2013 2013 2013 2012 2012
    (In millions, except percentages)
    ECV (1) $ 51,507 $ 50,597 $ 48,795 $ 50,186 $ 42,593
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 2 % 4 % (3 %) 18 % 2 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 21 % 21 % 19 % N/A N/A
    (1) Represents the total commerce and payment volume across all three business units consisting of Marketplaces GMV, PayPal Merchant Services TPV and Merchandise Sales not earned on eBay or paid for via PayPal or Bill Me Later during the period. Excludes volume transacted through the Magento platform. PayPal Merchant Services TPV is the total dollar volume of payments, net of payment reversals, successfully completed through our Payments networks, Bill Me Later accounts and Zong during the period, excluding PayPal’s payment gateway business and payments for transactions on our Marketplaces and Enterprise platforms.
    eBay Inc.
    Unaudited Payments Supplemental Operating Data
    Three Months Ended
    September 30, June 30, March 31, December 31, September 30,
    2013 2013 2013 2012 2012
    (In millions, except percentages)
    Active registered accounts (1) 137.4 132.4 127.7 122.7 117.4
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 4 % 4 % 4 % 5 % 4 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 17 % 17 % 16 % 15 % 14 %
    Net number of payments (2) 729.4 700.6 681.6 691.7 589.2
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 4 % 3 % (1 )% 17 % 4 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 24 % 24 % 23 % 26 % 28 %
    Net total payment volume (3) $ 43,837 $ 42,813 $ 41,040 $ 41,471 $ 35,159
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 2 % 4 % (1 )% 18 % 2 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 25 % 24 % 21 % 24 % 20 %
    On eBay net total payment volume as % of net total payment volume 30 % 30 % 32 % 32 % 33 %
    Merchant Services net total payment volume as % of net total payment volume 70 % 70 % 68 % 68 % 67 %
    Transaction rates
    Take rate 3.70 % 3.79 % 3.77 % 3.72 % 3.89 %
    Transaction expense 1.05 % 1.04 % 1.05 % 1.03 % 1.07 %
    Loss rate 0.30 % 0.31 % 0.29 % 0.28 % 0.30 %
    Transaction margin (4) 63.4 % 64.4 % 64.4 % 64.7 % 64.8 %
    Loan portfolio rates
    Risk adjusted margin (5) 16.1 % 16.2 % 15.8 % 15.6 % 16.5 %
    Net charge-off rate (6) 5.5 % 5.6 % 5.3 % 5.3 % 4.9 %
    90-day delinquency rate (7) 3.2 % 2.7 % 2.7 % 2.7 % 2.9 %
    (1) All registered accounts that successfully sent or received at least one payment or payment reversal through the PayPal system or Bill Me Later accounts that are currently able to transact and that received a statement within the last 12 months.
    (2) Number of payments, net of payment reversals, successfully completed through our Payments networks, Bill Me Later accounts and Zong during the quarter, excluding PayPal’s payments gateway business.
    (3) Total dollar volume of payments, net of payment reversals, successfully completed through our Payments networks, Bill Me Later accounts and Zong during the quarter, excluding PayPal’s payment gateway business.
    (4) Transaction margin calculation has been adjusted to include total revenues (including revenue from credit) less transaction expense (including credit cost of funds) less transaction loss (including credit loan losses), divided by global take rate (based on global total revenues divided by total TPV).
    (5) The risk adjusted margin represents the annualized ratio of Bill Me Later revenue, excluding contra-revenue incentives to customers or merchants, less cost of funds, and less net credit and fraud losses relative to average loans receivable for the quarter.
    (6) Net charge-off rate represents the annualized ratio of Bill Me Later net credit losses relative to average loans receivable for the quarter.
    (7) 90-day delinquency rate is the ratio of Bill Me Later end of period account balances that have missed three or more consecutive payments relative to total ending loan receivables.
    eBay Inc.
    Unaudited Marketplaces Supplemental Operating Data
    Three Months Ended
    September 30, June 30, March 31, December 31, September 30,
    2013 2013 2013 2012 2012
    (In millions, except percentages)
    Active Users (1) 123.6 119.7 116.2 112.3 108.3
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 3 % 3 % 3 % 4 % 3 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 14 % 14 % 13 % 12 % 10 %
    Gross Merchandise Volume (excluding vehicles) (2) $ 18,360 $ 18,292 $ 18,326 $ 19,105 $ 16,281
    Current quarter vs prior quarter % % (4 )% 17 % 1 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 13 % 13 % 13 % 16 % 11 %
    U.S. GMV as % of total GMV 40 % 40 % 40 % 38 % 40 %
    International GMV as % of total GMV 60 % 60 % 60 % 62 % 60 %
    Vehicles Gross Merchandise Volume (3) $ 1,765 $ 1,805 $ 1,686 $ 1,727 $ 1,994
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (2 )% 7 % (2 )% (13 )% (1 )%
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter (11 )% (11 )% (10 )% (7 )% (7 )%
    Fixed Price Trading (4) as % of total gross merchandise volume 71 % 69 % 68 % 68 % 66 %
    eBay’s classifieds websites, brands4friends and Shopping.com are not included in these metrics.
    (1) All users, excluding users of Half.com, StubHub, and our Korean subsidiary, who bid on, bought, listed or sold an item within the previous 12-month period. Users may register more than once, and as a result, may have more than one account.
    (2) Total value of all successfully closed items between users on Marketplaces trading platforms during the quarter, regardless of whether the buyer and seller actually consummated the transaction, excluding vehicles gross merchandise volume.
    (3) Total value of all successfully closed vehicle transactions between users on Marketplaces trading platforms during the quarter, regardless of whether the buyer and seller actually consummated the transaction.
    (4) Primarily, total gross merchandise volume related to eBay’s “Buy It Now” feature on Marketplaces trading platforms relative to total gross merchandise volume during the quarter.
    eBay Inc.
    Unaudited Enterprise Supplemental Operating Data
    Three Months Ended
    September 30, June 30, March 31, December 31, September 30,
    2013 2013 2013 2012 2012
    (In millions, except percentages)
    Merchandise Sales (1) $ 787 $ 815 $ 807 $ 1,595 $ 698
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (3 %) 1 % (49 %) 129 % 4 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 13 % 21 % 13 % 17 % 16 %
    (1) Represents the retail value of all sales transactions, inclusive of freight charges and net of allowance for returns and discounts, which flow through our Enterprise Commerce Technologies, whether we record the full amount of such transaction as a product sale or a percentage of such transaction as a service fee.

    eBay Inc.
    Business Outlook
    (In Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

    The guidance figures provided below and elsewhere in this press release are forward-looking statements, reflect a number of estimates, assumptions and other uncertainties, and are approximate in nature because the company’s future performance is difficult to predict. Such guidance is based on information available on the date of this press release, and the company assumes no obligation to update it.

    The company’s future performance involves risks and uncertainties, and the company’s actual results could differ materially from the information below and elsewhere in this press release. Some of the factors that could affect the company’s operating results are set forth under the caption “Forward-Looking Statements” above in this press release. More information about factors that could affect the company’s operating results is included under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in its most recent annual report on Form 10-K and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, copies of which may be obtained by visiting the company’s investor relations website at http://investor.ebayinc.com or the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

    Three Months Ending (a)
    December 31, 2013
    (In millions, except per share amounts) GAAP Non-GAAP (b)
    Net Revenue $4,500 – $4,600 $4,500 – $4,600
    Diluted EPS $0.67 – $0.69 $0.79 – $0.81
    (a) For the three months ending December 31, 2013, the company’s outlook assumes that the pending acquisition of Braintree will close late in the fourth quarter of 2013.
    (b) Estimated non-GAAP amounts above for the three months ending December 31, 2013, reflect adjustments that exclude the estimated amortization of acquired intangible assets of approximately $95-$105 million and estimated stock-based compensation expense and employer payroll taxes on stock-based compensation expense of approximately $145-$155 million as well as the related tax impact.

    eBay Inc.
    Non-GAAP Measures of Financial Performance

    To supplement the company’s condensed consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, the company uses non-GAAP measures of certain components of financial performance. These non-GAAP measures include non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP earnings per diluted share, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP effective tax rate, and free cash flow.

    These non-GAAP measures are not in accordance with, or an alternative to, measures prepared in accordance with GAAP and may be different from non-GAAP measures used by other companies. In addition, these non-GAAP measures are not based on any comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles. Non-GAAP measures have limitations in that they do not reflect all of the amounts associated with the company’s results of operations as determined in accordance with GAAP. These measures should only be used to evaluate the company’s results of operations in conjunction with the corresponding GAAP measures.

    Reconciliation to the nearest GAAP measure of all non-GAAP measures included in this press release can be found in the tables included in this press release.

    These non-GAAP measures are provided to enhance investors’ overall understanding of the company’s current financial performance and its prospects for the future. Specifically, the company believes the non-GAAP measures provide useful information to both management and investors by excluding certain expenses, gains and losses or net purchases of property and equipment, as the case may be, that may not be indicative of its core operating results and business outlook. In addition, because the company has historically reported certain non-GAAP results to investors, the company believes that the inclusion of non-GAAP measures provides consistency in the company’s financial reporting.

    For its internal budgeting process, and as discussed further below, the company’s management uses financial measures that do not include stock-based compensation expense, employer payroll taxes on stock-based compensation, amortization or impairment of acquired intangible assets, impairment of goodwill, significant gains or losses from the disposal/acquisition of a business, certain gains and losses on investments, restructuring-related charges and the income taxes associated with the foregoing. In addition to the corresponding GAAP measures, the company’s management also uses the foregoing non-GAAP measures in reviewing the financial results of the company.

    The company excludes the following items from non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP earnings per diluted share, non-GAAP operating margin and non-GAAP effective tax rate:

    Stock-based compensation expense and related employer payroll taxes. This expense consists of expenses for stock options, restricted stock and employee stock purchases. The company excludes stock-based compensation expense from its non-GAAP measures primarily because they are non-cash expenses that management does not believe are reflective of ongoing operating results. The related employer payroll taxes is dependent on the company’s stock price and the timing and size of exercises by employees of their stock options and the vesting of their restricted stock, over which management has limited to no control, and as such management does not believe it correlates to the company’s operation of the business.

    Amortization or impairment of acquired intangible assets, impairment of goodwill, significant gains or losses and transaction expenses from the acquisition or disposal of a business and certain gains or losses on investments. The company incurs amortization or impairment of acquired intangible assets and goodwill in connection with acquisitions and may incur significant gains or losses from the acquisition or disposal of a business and therefore excludes these amounts from its non-GAAP measures. The company also excludes certain gains and losses on investments. In addition, the company’s results are also impacted by hedge transactions related to unique movements of cash from significant business acquisitions or dispositions. The company excludes the impact of the accretion of a note receivable associated with the disposal of certain businesses. The company excludes these items because management does not believe they correlate to the ongoing operating results of the company’s business.

    Restructuring. These charges consist of expenses for employee severance and other exit and disposal costs. The company excludes significant restructuring charges primarily because management does not believe they are reflective of ongoing operating results.

    Tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments. This amount is used to present stock-based compensation and the other amounts described above on an after-tax basis consistent with the presentation of non-GAAP net income.

    In addition to the non-GAAP measures discussed above, the company also uses free cash flow. Free cash flow represents operating cash flows less purchases of property and equipment. The company considers free cash flow to be a liquidity measure that provides useful information to management and investors about the amount of cash generated by the business after the purchases of property, buildings, and equipment, which can then be used to, among other things, invest in the company’s business, make strategic acquisitions, and repurchase stock. A limitation of the utility of free cash flow as a measure of financial performance is that it does not represent the total increase or decrease in the company’s cash balance for the period.

    eBay Inc.
    Reconciliation of GAAP Operating Margin to Non-GAAP Operating Margin
    Three Months Ended
    September 30, September 30,
    2013 2012
    (In millions, except percentages)
    GAAP operating income $ 799 $ 667
    Stock-based compensation expense and related employer payroll taxes 141 125
    Amortization of acquired intangible assets within cost of net revenues 19 20
    Amortization of acquired intangible assets within operating expenses 81 83
    Total non-GAAP operating income adjustments 241 228
    Non-GAAP operating income $ 1,040 $ 895
    Non-GAAP operating margin 26.8 % 26.3 %
    Reconciliation of GAAP Net Income to Non-GAAP Net Income and
    GAAP Effective Tax Rate to Non-GAAP Effective Tax Rate
    Three Months Ended
    September 30, September 30,
    2013 2012
    (In millions, except per share amounts)
    GAAP income before income taxes $ 873 $ 672
    GAAP provision for income taxes (184 ) (75 )
    GAAP net income $ 689 $ 597
    Non-GAAP adjustments to net income:
    Non-GAAP operating income adjustments (see table above) 241 228
    Accretion of note receivable (5 ) (4 )
    Acquisition related items (2 )
    Amortization of intangibles of investments 2
    Gain on sale of RueLaLa and ShopRunner (75 )
    Gain on divested business
    Tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments (15 ) (101 )
    Non-GAAP net income $ 837 $ 718
    Diluted net income per share:
    GAAP $ 0.53 $ 0.45
    Non-GAAP $ 0.64 $ 0.55
    Shares used in GAAP and non-GAAP diluted net income per-share calculation 1,310 1,314
    GAAP effective tax rate 21 % 11 %
    Tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments to net income (2 )% 9 %
    Non-GAAP effective tax rate 19 % 20 %
    Reconciliation of Operating Cash Flow to Free Cash Flow
    Three Months Ended
    September 30, September 30,
    2013 2012
    (In millions)
    Net cash provided by operating activities $1,334 $1,154
    Less: Purchases of property and equipment (317 ) (362 )
    Free cash flow $1,017 $792

     

    eBay Inc.

  • eBay Launches New Enterprise Commerce Offerings

    eBay Launches New Enterprise Commerce Offerings

    eBay has introduced a new suite of commerce technologies, which is made up of two modules called Exchange Platform and Interfaces & Tools.

    “Retailers and brands understand the importance of having industry-leading capabilities across their entire value chain to support a new retail environment where consumers demand consistent, seamless and personalized experiences anywhere, at any time,” said eBay Enterprise President Chris Saridakis. “We’ve been singularly focused on being a strategic growth partner to our clients, and our new suite of modular commerce technologies will give our clients a competitive edge in this rapidly changing retail landscape.”

    Exchange Platform includes tools for distributed order management, omnichannel inventory management, payment processing, fraud management and advanced reporting. It’s integrated with eBay Enterprise’s marketing solutions and omnichannel operations, and with Magento, Marketplaces and PayPal.

    “The Interfaces & Tools module empowers retailers and brands to build, manage and optimize engaging consumer storefront experiences across all retail interfaces spanning devices, locations, users, geographies and brands,” eBay explains. “The key enabler is the integrated business user toolset that puts a powerful set of capabilities in the hands of marketers, merchandisers and managers, greatly reducing the traditional dependencies on web developers.”

    Interfaces and Tools

    This is all discussed in more detail here.

  • Chrome Omnibox Suggestions Get Recency Tweak, Browser Gets Reset Button

    Google announced a few updates to Chrome, including what the company is calling “smarter” omnibox suggestions.

    All Chrome users will start seeing omnibox suggestions that are based on the recency of sites they have visited. Google says this will resultin “more timely and contextually relevant” suggestions.

    The adjustments were made to the beta channel last month.

    Additionally, they’ve added a new way to reset your browser to how it was before you added a bunch of extensions to it.

    “And for those nostalgic for the new car smell — maybe you, too, got overzealous with fun extensions — we’ve added a new option to the Chrome settings page to let you restore it back to its original state,” says Google software engineer Mark Pearson. “And don’t worry, it won’t affect your themes, bookmarks or apps.”

    To do this, go to the hotdog icon, settings, and “Show advanced settings”. There, you will find the “reset browser settings” button.

    Finally, on Chrome for Android, Google has improved scrolling and startup performance. It also now has WebRTC support, which allows for video conversations.

  • Chrome Omnibox Suggestions Get Recency Adjustment

    Google announced some tweaks to Chrome’s beta channel today. The biggest change is to the omnibox, Google’s web address box, which doubles as a web search box.

    Google has made an adjustment to how recency plays into the search suggestions that appear when the user types into the omnibox. This applies to those using Chrome beta on Windows, Mac or Linux, and it starts today. Google says the changes mean you’ll get “more contextually relevant suggestions at the right time.”

    Google is also launching an update for Chrome beta on Android phones and tablets designed to improve web navigation and interaction.

    “You may notice pages loading faster, and the latest implementation of WebRTC technology allows you to chat face-to-face through your browser without installing any plugins,” says Google software engineer Mark Pearson. “Try it out by starting a conversation with a friend.”

    Also included in the main Chrome beta update are a number of of new apps/extension APIs and “lots” of under-the-hood changes for stability and performance. You can see the full list of changes here.

  • eBay Earnings Up, Stock Down On Forecast

    eBay Earnings Up, Stock Down On Forecast

    eBay released its Q1 earnings on Wednesday, with revenue increasing 14% to $3.7 billion year over year. Profit was $677 million.

    What the company considered to be a strong quarter wasn’t enough to please investors, as the forecast wasn’t quite as positive.

    eBay stock is down -2.90‎ (-5.17%‎) in morning trading.

    Here’s the release in its entirety:

    SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Global commerce platform and payments leader eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY) today reported that revenue for the first quarter ended March 31, 2013, increased 14% to $3.7 billion, compared to the same period of 2012. The company reported first quarter net income on a GAAP basis of $677 million, or $0.51 per diluted share, and non-GAAP net income of $829 million, or $0.63 per diluted share. The year-over-year increase in first quarter GAAP and non-GAAP earnings per diluted share was driven primarily by strong top-line growth.

    “We had a strong first quarter, with accelerating user growth across both Marketplaces and PayPal, and with GSI enabling their retail clients to grow faster than ecommerce”

    Downloads of eBay Inc.’s suite of mobile apps expanded the company’s overall commerce footprint, surpassing 162 million since launch in the third quarter of 2008. eBay Inc. gained approximately 2.8 million new customers in the period through mobile, driving double-digit growth in active users at both PayPal and Marketplaces. Total company “enabled commerce volume” (ECV) grew 19% totaling $49 billion (ECV equals Marketplaces GMV, PayPal Merchant Services TPV, and GSI GeC Merchandise Sales not earned on eBay or paid for via PayPal or Bill Me Later).

    “We had a strong first quarter, with accelerating user growth across both Marketplaces and PayPal, and with GSI enabling their retail clients to grow faster than ecommerce,” said John Donahoe, eBay Inc. President and CEO. “Technology is creating a commerce revolution, and we are in the forefront with strong mobile leadership and a focus on helping retailers and brands engage consumers anytime, anywhere.”

    The company’s PayPal business delivered strong first quarter performance with revenue increasing 18% to $1.5 billion. PayPal gained 5 million active registered accounts in the period and ended the quarter with 128 million, a 16% increase. PayPal’s net total payment volume (TPV) grew 21% to $41 billion, driven by consumer and merchant use of PayPal both on and off eBay. PayPal continues to invest in growing its addressable market, product development, customer engagement and consumer awareness. The company’s mobile payment solution for small business, PayPal Here, became available for sale at more than 2,700 SoftBank locations across Japan and the iPad version of the product was launched in the U.S. PayPal also announced the chip and PIN version of PayPal Here in the U.K. which it plans to roll out this summer. PayPal’s offline initiatives are now live in almost 20,000 major retail locations in the U.S.

    The company’s Marketplaces business also delivered strong first quarter performance with revenue increasing 13% to $2.0 billion. Marketplaces gained 3.9 million active users in the period and ended the quarter with 116 million, a 13% increase. Gross merchandise volume (GMV), excluding vehicles, increased 13% to $18 billion, reflecting the continued improvements to eBay’s core technology designed to make it easier and faster for consumers to shop and buy. Sold items increased 12%. Fixed price GMV grew 17% globally and represented 68% of total GMV. U.S. GMV, excluding vehicles, increased 16% as mobile engagement and momentum in fashion and tickets were key drivers of growth. International GMV, excluding vehicles, increased 11% to $11 billion. Marketplaces continues to invest in innovation and expanding its addressable market both locally and globally.

    The company’s GSI Commerce business contributed $236 million in revenue for the first quarter. Its enterprise commerce platform generated $807 million in global ecommerce (GeC) Merchandise Sales, while its marketing services fee business produced $50 million of revenue. GSI enabled its clients to grow faster than the ecommerce market as measured by the 16% same stores sales growth, but revenue was pressured by a reduction in take rate. The company expects GSI’s integrated omnichannel product portfolio, including complementary eBay Inc. assets, to be increasingly adopted by merchants seeking opportunities to grow their businesses while seamlessly meeting the needs of their consumers.

    First Quarter 2013 Financial Highlights (presented in millions, except per share data and percentages)
    First Quarter
    2013 2012 Change
    eBay Inc.
    Net revenue $3,748 $3,277 $471 14 %
    Enabled commerce volume (ECV) $48,795 $41,152 $7,643 19 %
    GAAP
    Net income $677 $570 $107 19 %
    Earnings per diluted share $0.51 $0.44 $0.07 16 %
    Non-GAAP
    Net income $829 $725 $104 14 %
    Earnings per diluted share $0.63 $0.55 $0.08 14 %
    First Quarter
    2013 2012 Change
    Business Units
    Payments
    Net revenue $1,548 $1,309 $239 18 %
    Net total payment volume $41,040 $33,857 $7,183 21 %
    Merchant Services $28,087 $22,433 $5,654 25 %
    On eBay $12,953 $11,424 $1,529 13 %
    Marketplaces
    Net revenue $1,957 $1,728 $229 13 %
    Gross merchandise volume (GMV), excl. vehicles $18,326 $16,206 $2,120 13 %
    U.S. GMV $7,364 $6,366 $998 16 %
    International GMV $10,962 $9,840 $1,122 11 %
    GSI
    Net revenue $236 $237 $(1 ) %
    GeC Merchandise Sales $807 $715 $92 13 %

    Other Selected Financial Results

    • Operating margin — GAAP operating margin increased to 21.3% for the first quarter of 2013, compared to 19.9% for the same period last year. Non-GAAP operating margin increased to 27.4% in the first quarter, compared to 26.9% for the same period last year.
    • Taxes — The GAAP effective tax rate for the first quarter of 2013 was 16%, compared to 17% for the first quarter of 2012. For the first quarter of 2013 and 2012, the non-GAAP effective tax rate was 20% for both periods.
    • Cash flow — The company generated $937 million of operating cash flow and $638 million of free cash flow during the first quarter of 2013.
    • Stock repurchase program — The company repurchased approximately $476 million of its common stock in the first quarter of 2013.
    • Cash and cash equivalents and non-equity investments — The company’s cash and cash equivalents and non-equity investments portfolio totaled $11.5 billion at both March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012.

    Business Outlook

    • Second quarter 2013 — eBay expects net revenues in the range of $3,800 – $3,900 million with GAAP earnings per diluted share in the range of $0.46 – $0.48 and non-GAAP earnings per diluted share in the range of $0.61 – $0.63.
    • Full year 2013 — eBay expects net revenues in the range of $16,000- $16,500 million with GAAP earnings per diluted share in the range of $2.23 – $2.29 and non-GAAP earnings per diluted share in the range of $2.70 – $2.75.

    Quarterly Conference Call

    eBay will host a conference call to discuss first quarter 2013 results at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time today. A live webcast of the conference call, together with a slide presentation that includes supplemental financial information and reconciliations of certain non-GAAP measures to their nearest comparable GAAP measures, can be accessed through the company’s Investor Relations website at http://investor.ebayinc.com. In addition, an archive of the webcast will be accessible for 90 days through the same link.

    About eBay Inc.

    Founded in 1995 in San Jose, Calif., eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) is a global commerce platform and payments leader connecting millions of buyers and sellers. We do so through eBay, the world’s largest online marketplace, which allows users to buy and sell in nearly every country on earth; through PayPal, which enables individuals and businesses to securely, easily and quickly send and receive digital payments; and through GSI, which facilitates ecommerce, multichannel retailing and digital marketing for global enterprises. X.commerce harnesses the developer community of Magento, an ecommerce platform, by providing technology solutions and eBay Inc. capabilities to merchants of all sizes, supporting eBay Inc.’s mission of enabling commerce. We also reach millions through specialized marketplaces such as StubHub, the world’s largest ticket marketplace, and eBay classifieds sites, which together have a presence in more than 1,000 cities around the world. For more information about the company and its global portfolio of online brands, visit www.ebayinc.com.

    Presentation

    All growth rates represent year over year comparisons, except as otherwise noted. All amounts in tables are presented in U.S. dollars, rounded to the nearest millions, except as otherwise noted. As a result, certain amounts may not sum or recalculate using the rounded dollar amounts provided.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    This press release includes the following financial measures defined as “non-GAAP financial measures” by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC): non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP earnings per diluted share, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP effective tax rate and free cash flow. These measures may be different from non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. The presentation of this financial information, which is not prepared under any comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles, is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). For a reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to the nearest comparable GAAP measures, see “Business Outlook,” “Non-GAAP Measures of Financial Performance,” “Reconciliation of GAAP Operating Margin to Non-GAAP Operating Margin,” “Reconciliation of GAAP Net Income to Non-GAAP Net Income and Reconciliation of GAAP Effective Tax Rate to Non-GAAP Effective Tax Rate” and “Reconciliation of Operating Cash Flow to Free Cash Flow” included in this press release.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements relating to, among other things, the future performance of eBay and its consolidated subsidiaries that are based on the company’s current expectations, forecasts and assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding expected financial results for the second quarter and full year 2013, and the future growth in the Payments, Marketplaces and GSI businesses, mobile payments and mobile commerce. The company’s actual results could differ materially from those predicted or implied and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: changes in political, business and economic conditions, including any European or general economic downturn or crisis and any conditions that affect ecommerce growth; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; the company’s ability to profitably integrate, manage and grow businesses that have been acquired recently or may be acquired in the future; the company’s need to successfully react to the increasing importance of mobile payments and mobile commerce and the increasing social aspect of commerce; the company’s ability to deal with the increasingly competitive ecommerce environment, including competition for its sellers from other trading sites and other means of selling, and competition for its buyers from other merchants, online and offline; the company’s need to manage an increasingly large enterprise with a broad range of businesses of varying degrees of maturity and in many different geographies; the effect of management changes and business initiatives; the company’s need and ability to manage other regulatory, tax and litigation risks as its services are offered in more jurisdictions and applicable laws become more restrictive; any changes the company may make to its product offerings; the competitive, regulatory, credit card association-related and other risks specific to PayPal and Bill Me Later, especially as PayPal continues to expand geographically and introduce new products and as new laws and regulations related to financial services companies come into effect; the company’s ability to timely upgrade and develop its systems, infrastructure and customer service capabilities, including GSI’s v.11 initiative, at reasonable cost; and the company’s ability to maintain site stability and performance on all of its sites while adding new products and features in a timely fashion. The forward-looking statements in this release do not include the potential impact of any acquisitions or divestitures that may be announced and/or completed after the date hereof.

    More information about factors that could affect the company’s operating results is included under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, copies of which may be obtained by visiting the company’s Investor Relations website at http://investor.ebayinc.com or the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements in this release, which are based on information available to the company on the date hereof. eBay assumes no obligation to update such statements.

    eBay Inc.
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet
    March 31,
    2013
    December 31,
    2012
    (In millions)
    ASSETS
    Current assets:
    Cash and cash equivalents $ 6,530 $ 6,817
    Short-term investments 2,872 2,591
    Accounts receivable, net 743 822
    Loans and interest receivable, net 2,150 2,160
    Funds receivable and customer accounts 8,897 8,094
    Other current assets 1,144 914
    Total current assets 22,336 21,398
    Long-term investments 3,172 3,044
    Property and equipment, net 2,575 2,491
    Goodwill 8,455 8,537
    Intangible assets, net 1,023 1,128
    Other assets 439 476
    Total assets $ 38,000 $ 37,074
    LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
    Current liabilities:
    Short-term debt $ 411 $ 413
    Accounts payable 308 301
    Funds payable and amounts due to customers 8,897 8,094
    Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 1,885 1,916
    Deferred revenue 149 137
    Income taxes payable 70 63
    Total current liabilities 11,720 10,924
    Deferred and other tax liabilities, net 832 972
    Long-term debt 4,105 4,106
    Other liabilities 231 207
    Total liabilities 16,888 16,209
    Total stockholders’ equity 21,112 20,865
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 38,000 $ 37,074
    eBay Inc.
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Income
    Three Months Ended March 31,
    2013 2012
    (In millions, except per share amounts)
    Net revenues $ 3,748 $ 3,277
    Cost of net revenues (1) 1,152 983
    Gross profit 2,596 2,294
    Operating expenses:
    Sales and marketing (1) 697 677
    Product development (1) 434 374
    General and administrative (1) 408 372
    Provision for transaction and loan losses 175 134
    Amortization of acquired intangible assets 82 84
    Total operating expenses 1,796 1,641
    Income from operations 800 653
    Interest and other, net 9 31
    Income before income taxes 809 684
    Provision for income taxes (132 ) (114 )
    Net income $ 677 $ 570
    Net income per share:
    Basic $ 0.52 $ 0.44
    Diluted $ 0.51 $ 0.44
    Weighted average shares:
    Basic 1,295 1,288
    Diluted 1,319 1,308
    (1) Includes stock-based compensation as follows:
    Cost of net revenues $ 13 $ 14
    Sales and marketing 33 30
    Product development 32 30
    General and administrative 33 37
    $ 111 $ 111
    eBay Inc.
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows
    Three Months Ended March 31,
    2013 2012
    (In millions)
    Cash flows from operating activities:
    Net income $ 677 $ 570
    Adjustments:
    Provision for transaction and loan losses 175 134
    Depreciation and amortization 329 281
    Stock-based compensation 111 111
    Changes in assets and liabilities, net of acquisition effects (355 ) (565 )
    Net cash provided by operating activities 937 531
    Cash flows from investing activities:
    Purchases of property and equipment (299 ) (242 )
    Changes in principal loans receivable, net (29 ) (35 )
    Purchases of investments (1,426 ) (1,016 )
    Maturities and sales of investments 1,048 408
    Acquisitions, net of cash acquired (8 ) (3 )
    Other (5 ) (5 )
    Net cash used in investing activities (719 ) (893 )
    Cash flows from financing activities:
    Proceeds from issuance of common stock 102 85
    Repurchases of common stock (476 ) (240 )
    Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation 116 54
    Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of restricted stock units and awards (153 ) (118 )
    Funds receivable and customer accounts (803 ) (373 )
    Funds payable and amounts due to customers 803 373
    Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities (411 ) (219 )
    Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents (94 ) 54
    Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents (287 ) (527 )
    Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 6,817 4,691
    Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 6,530 $ 4,164
    eBay Inc.
    Unaudited Summary of Consolidated Net Revenues
    Net Revenues by Type
    Three Months Ended
    March 31, December 31, September 30, June 30, March 31,
    2013 2012 2012 2012 2012
    Net transaction revenues (In millions, except percentages)
    Marketplaces $ 1,608 $ 1,672 $ 1,490 $ 1,491 $ 1,425
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (4 )% 12 % % 5 % (1 )%
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 13 % 16 % 10 % 10 % 11 %
    Percent of Marketplaces revenue from international 55 % 56 % 55 % 57 % 55 %
    Payments 1,435 1,432 1,264 1,234 1,216
    Current quarter vs prior quarter % 13 % 2 % 1 % 5 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 18 % 24 % 22 % 25 % 29 %
    Percent of Payments revenue from international 55 % 56 % 55 % 55 % 54 %
    GSI 186 333 170 164 182
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (44 )% 97 % 3 % (10 )% (38 )%
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 2 % 13 % 14 % N/A N/A
    Percent of GSI revenue from international 5 % 3 % 3 % 4 % 4 %
    Total net transaction revenues 3,229 3,437 2,925 2,889 2,823
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (6 )% 17 % 1 % 2 % (2 )%
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 14 % 19 % 15 % 23 % 27 %
    Marketing services and other revenues
    Marketplaces 349 378 316 323 303
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (8 )% 20 % (2 )% 7 % (8 )%
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 15 % 15 % 5 % 3 % 13 %
    Percent of Marketplaces revenue from international 75 % 72 % 75 % 74 % 75 %
    Payments 113 109 102 123 93
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 4 % 7 % (17 )% 32 % 12 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 22 % 32 % 37 % 50 % 87 %
    Percent of Payments revenue from international 4 % 5 % 6 % 4 % 8 %
    GSI 50 65 57 57 55
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (23 )% 14 % % 3 % (19 )%
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter (9 )% (6 )% 4 % N/A N/A
    Percent of GSI revenue from international % % % % %
    Corporate and other 12 12 11 10 6
    Total marketing services and other revenues 524 564 485 513 457
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (7 )% 16 % (5 )% 12 % (6 )%
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 15 % 16 % 13 % 27 % 43 %
    Elimination of inter-segment net revenue and other (1) (5 ) (9 ) (6 ) $ (4 ) $ (3 )
    Total net revenues $ 3,748 $ 3,992 $ 3,404 $ 3,398 $ 3,277
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (6 )% 17 % % 4 % (3 )%
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 14 % 18 % 15 % 23 % 29 %
    (1) Represents revenue generated between our reportable segments.
    Net Revenues by Geography (1) Three Months Ended
    March 31, December 31, September 30, June 30, March 31,
    2013 2012 2012 2012 2012
    (In millions, except percentages)
    U.S. net revenues $ 1,789 $ 1,949 $ 1,637 $ 1,611 $ 1,581
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (8 )% 19 % 2 % 2 % (5 )%
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 13 % 17 % 15 % 29 % 39 %
    Percent of total 48 % 49 % 48 % 47 % 48 %
    International net revenues 1,959 2,043 1,767 1,787 1,696
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (4 )% 16 % (1 )% 5 % (1 )%
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 16 % 19 % 15 % 18 % 21 %
    Percent of total 52 % 51 % 52 % 53 % 52 %
    Total net revenues $ 3,748 $ 3,992 $ 3,404 $ 3,398 $ 3,277
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (6 )% 17 % % 4 % (3 )%
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 14 % 18 % 15 % 23 % 29 %
    (1) Revenues are attributed to U.S. and international geographies primarily based upon the country in which the seller, payment recipient, customer, website that displays advertising, or other service provider, as the case may be, is located.
    eBay Inc.
    Unaudited Payments Supplemental Operating Data
    Three Months Ended
    March 31, December 31, September 30, June 30, March 31,
    2013 2012 2012 2012 2012
    (In millions, except percentages)
    Active registered accounts (1) 127.7 122.7 117.4 113.2 109.8
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 4 % 5 % 4 % 3 % 3 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 16 % 15 % 14 % 13 % 12 %
    Net number of payments (2) 681.6 691.7 589.2 564.8 555.7
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (1 )% 17 % 4 % 2 % 1 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 23 % 26 % 28 % 31 % 31 %
    Net total payment volume (3) $41,040 $41,471 $35,159 $34,451 $33,857
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (1 )% 18 % 2 % 2 % 1 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 21 % 24 % 20 % 20 % 24 %
    Merchant Services net total payment volume as % of net total payment volume 68 % 68 % 67 % 67 % 66 %
    Transaction rates
    Take rate 3.77 % 3.72 % 3.89 % 3.94 % 3.87 %
    Transaction expense 1.05 % 1.03 % 1.07 % 1.07 % 1.07 %
    Loss rate 0.29 % 0.28 % 0.30 % 0.26 % 0.26 %
    Transaction margin (4) 64.4 % 64.7 % 64.8 % 66.3 % 65.6 %
    Loan portfolio rates
    Risk adjusted margin (5) 15.8 % 15.6 % 16.5 % 15.5 % 16.8 %
    Net charge-off rate (6) 5.3 % 5.3 % 4.9 % 4.6 % 4.5 %
    90-day delinquency rate (7) 2.7 % 2.7 % 2.9 % 2.5 % 2.4 %
    (1) All registered accounts that successfully sent or received at least one payment or payment reversal through the PayPal system or Bill Me Later accounts that are currently able to transact and that received a statement within the last 12 months.
    (2) Number of payments, net of payment reversals, successfully completed through our Payments networks, Bill Me Later accounts and Zong during the quarter, excluding PayPal’s payments gateway business.
    (3) Total dollar volume of payments, net of payment reversals, successfully completed through our Payments networks, Bill Me Later accounts and Zong during the quarter, excluding PayPal’s payment gateway business.
    (4) Transaction margin calculation has been adjusted to include total revenues (including revenue from credit) less transaction expense (including credit cost of funds) less transaction loss (including credit loan losses), divided by global take rate (based on global total revenues divided by total TPV).
    (5) The risk adjusted margin represents the annualized ratio of Bill Me Later revenue, excluding contra-revenue incentives to customers or merchants, less cost of funds, and less net credit and fraud losses relative to average loans receivable for the quarter.
    (6) Net charge-off rate represents the annualized ratio of Bill Me Later net credit losses relative to average loans receivable for the quarter.
    (7) 90-day delinquency rate is the ratio of Bill Me Later end of period account balances that have missed three or more consecutive payments relative to total ending loan receivables.
    eBay Inc.
    Unaudited Marketplaces Supplemental Operating Data
    Three Months Ended
    March 31, December 31, September 30, June 30, March 31,
    2013 2012 2012 2012 2012
    (In millions, except percentages)
    Active Users (1) 116.2 112.3 108.3 104.8 102.4
    Current quarter vs prior quarter 3 % 4 % 3 % 2 % 2 %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 13 % 12 % 10 % 8 % 7 %
    Gross Merchandise Volume (excluding vehicles) (2) $18,326 $19,105 $16,281 $16,171 $16,206
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (4 )% 17 % 1 % % (2 )%
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 13 % 16 % 11 % 10 % 12 %
    Vehicles Gross Merchandise Volume (3) $1,686 $1,727 $1,994 $2,021 $1,871
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (2 )% (13 )% (1 )% 8 % %
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter (10 )% (7 )% (7 )% (10 )% (9 )%
    Fixed Price Trading (4) as % of total gross merchandise volume 68 % 68 % 66 % 65 % 64 %
    eBay’s classifieds websites, brands4friends and Shopping.com are not included in these metrics.
    (1) All users, excluding users of Half.com, StubHub, and our Korean subsidiary, who bid on, bought, listed or sold an item within the previous 12-month period. Users may register more than once, and as a result, may have more than one account.
    (2) Total value of all successfully closed items between users on Marketplaces trading platforms during the quarter, regardless of whether the buyer and seller actually consummated the transaction, excluding vehicles gross merchandise volume.
    (3) Total value of all successfully closed vehicle transactions between users on Marketplaces trading platforms during the quarter, regardless of whether the buyer and seller actually consummated the transaction.
    (4) Primarily, total gross merchandise volume related to eBay’s “Buy It Now” feature on Marketplaces trading platforms relative to total gross merchandise volume during the quarter.
    eBay Inc.
    Unaudited GSI Supplemental Operating Data
    Three Months Ended
    March 31, December 31, September 30, June 30, March 31,
    2013 2012 2012 2012 2012
    (In millions, except percentages)
    GeC Merchandise Sales (1) $807 $1,595 $698 $674 $715
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (49 %) 129 % 4 % (6 %) (48 %)
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 13 % 17 % 16 % N/A N/A
    (1) Represents the retail value of all sales transactions, inclusive of freight charges and net of allowance for returns and discounts, which flow through the GSI ecommerce services platform, whether we record the full amount of such transaction as a product sale or a percentage of such transaction as a service fee.
    eBay Inc.
    Unaudited eBay Inc. Supplemental Operating Data
    Three Months Ended
    March 31, December 31, September 30, June 30, March 31,
    2013 2012 2012 2012 2012
    (In millions, except percentages)
    ECV $48,795 $50,186 $42,593 $41,906 $41,152
    Current quarter vs prior quarter (3 %) 18 % 2 % 2 % N/A
    Current quarter vs prior year quarter 19 % N/A N/A N/A N/A
    (1) Represents the total commerce and payment volume across all three business units consisting of Marketplaces GMV, PayPal Merchant Services TPV and GSI GeC Merchandise Sales. PayPal Merchant Services TPV is the total dollar volume of payments, net of payment reversals, successfully completed through our Payments networks, Bill Me Later accounts and Zong during the period, excluding PayPal’s payment gateway business and payments for transactions on our Marketplaces and GSI platforms.

    eBay Inc.
    Business Outlook
    (In Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)

    The guidance figures provided below and elsewhere in this press release are forward-looking statements, reflect a number of estimates, assumptions and other uncertainties, and are approximate in nature because eBay’s future performance is difficult to predict. Such guidance is based on information available on the date of this press release, and eBay assumes no obligation to update it.

    eBay’s future performance involves risks and uncertainties, and the company’s actual results could differ materially from the information below and elsewhere in this press release. Some of the factors that could affect the company’s operating results are set forth under the caption “Forward-Looking Statements” above in this press release. More information about factors that could affect eBay’s operating results is included under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in its most recent annual report on Form 10-K and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, copies of which may be obtained by visiting the company’s investor relations website at http://investor.ebayinc.com or the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

    Three Months Ending
    June 30, 2013
    (In millions, except per share amounts) GAAP Non-GAAP (a)
    Net Revenue $3,800 – $3,900 $3,800 – $3,900
    Diluted EPS $0.46 – $0.48 $0.61 – $0.63
    Twelve Months Ending
    December 31, 2013
    (In millions, except per share amounts) GAAP Non-GAAP (b)
    Net Revenue $16,000- $16,500 $16,000- $16,500
    Diluted EPS $2.23 – $2.29 $2.70 – $2.75
    (a) Estimated non-GAAP amounts above for the three months ending June 30, 2013, reflect adjustments that exclude the estimated amortization of acquired intangible assets of approximately $95-$105 million, estimated stock-based compensation expense and employer payroll taxes on stock-based compensation expense of approximately $145-$155 million, and the accretion of a note receivable of approximately $5 million as well as the related tax impact.
    (b) Estimated non-GAAP amounts above for the 12 months ending December 31, 2013, reflect adjustments that exclude the estimated amortization of acquired intangible assets of approximately $380-$400 million, estimated stock-based compensation expense and employer payroll taxes on stock-based compensation expense of approximately $560-$600 million, and the accretion of a note receivable of approximately $20 million as well as the related tax impact.

    eBay Inc.
    Non-GAAP Measures of Financial Performance

    To supplement the company’s condensed consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, eBay uses non-GAAP measures of certain components of financial performance. These non-GAAP measures include non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP earnings per diluted share, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP effective tax rate, and free cash flow.

    These non-GAAP measures are not in accordance with, or an alternative to, measures prepared in accordance with GAAP and may be different from non-GAAP measures used by other companies. In addition, these non-GAAP measures are not based on any comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles. Non-GAAP measures have limitations in that they do not reflect all of the amounts associated with eBay’s results of operations as determined in accordance with GAAP. These measures should only be used to evaluate eBay’s results of operations in conjunction with the corresponding GAAP measures.

    Reconciliation to the nearest GAAP measure of all non-GAAP measures included in this press release can be found in the tables included in this press release.

    These non-GAAP measures are provided to enhance investors’ overall understanding of the company’s current financial performance and the company’s prospects for the future. Specifically, the company believes the non-GAAP measures provide useful information to both management and investors by excluding certain expenses, gains and losses or net purchases of property and equipment, as the case may be, that may not be indicative of its core operating results and business outlook. In addition, because eBay has historically reported certain non-GAAP results to investors, the company believes that the inclusion of non-GAAP measures provides consistency in the company’s financial reporting.

    For its internal budgeting process, and as discussed further below, eBay’s management uses financial measures that do not include stock-based compensation expense, employer payroll taxes on stock-based compensation, amortization or impairment of acquired intangible assets, impairment of goodwill, significant gains or losses from the disposal/acquisition of a business, restructuring-related charges and the income taxes associated with the foregoing. In addition to the corresponding GAAP measures, eBay’s management also uses the foregoing non-GAAP measures in reviewing the financial results of eBay.

    eBay excludes the following items from non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP earnings per diluted share, non-GAAP operating margin and non-GAAP effective tax rate:

    Stock-based compensation expense and related employer payroll taxes. This expense consists of expenses for stock options, restricted stock and employee stock purchases. eBay excludes stock-based compensation expense from its non-GAAP measures primarily because they are non-cash expenses that management does not believe are reflective of ongoing operating results. eBay also previously excluded its proportionate share of Skype’s stock-based compensation expense. The related employer payroll taxes is dependent on eBay’s stock price and the timing and size of exercises by employees of their stock options and the vesting of their restricted stock, over which management has limited to no control, and as such management does not believe it correlates to eBay’s operation of the business.

    Amortization or impairment of acquired intangible assets, impairment of goodwill and significant gains or losses and transaction expenses from the acquisition or disposal of a business. eBay incurs amortization or impairment of acquired intangible assets and goodwill in connection with acquisitions and may incur significant gains or losses from the acquisition or disposal of a business and therefore excludes these amounts from its non-GAAP measures. eBay also previously excluded its proportionate share of Skype’s amortization of acquired intangibles expense. eBay also settled a legal exposure in conjunction with the acquisition of a business and excludes this settlement payment. In addition, eBay’s results are also impacted by hedge transactions related to unique movements of cash from significant business acquisitions or dispositions. eBay excludes the impact of the accretion of a note receivable associated with the disposal of certain businesses. eBay excludes these items because management does not believe they correlate to the ongoing operating results of eBay’s business.

    Restructuring. These charges consist of expenses for employee severance and other exit and disposal costs. eBay excludes significant restructuring charges primarily because management does not believe they are reflective of ongoing operating results.

    Tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments. This amount is used to present stock-based compensation and the other amounts described above on an after-tax basis consistent with the presentation of non-GAAP net income.

    In addition to the non-GAAP measures discussed above, eBay also uses free cash flow. Free cash flow represents operating cash flows less purchases of property and equipment. eBay considers free cash flow to be a liquidity measure that provides useful information to management and investors about the amount of cash generated by the business after the purchases of property, buildings, and equipment, which can then be used to, among other things, invest in eBay’s business, make strategic acquisitions, and repurchase stock. A limitation of the utility of free cash flow as a measure of financial performance is that it does not represent the total increase or decrease in the company’s cash balance for the period.

    eBay Inc.
    Reconciliation of GAAP Operating Margin to Non-GAAP Operating Margin
    Three Months Ended
    March 31, March 31,
    2013 2012
    (In millions, except percentages)
    GAAP operating income $ 800 $ 653
    Stock-based compensation expense and related employer payroll taxes 129 125
    Amortization of acquired intangible assets within cost of net revenues 18 21
    Amortization of acquired intangible assets within operating expenses 82 84
    Restructuring (4 )
    Total non-GAAP operating income adjustments 225 230
    Non-GAAP operating income $ 1,025 $ 883
    Non-GAAP operating margin 27.4 % 26.9 %
    Reconciliation of GAAP Net Income to Non-GAAP Net Income and
    GAAP Effective Tax Rate to Non-GAAP Effective Tax Rate
    Three Months Ended
    March 31, March 31,
    2013 2012
    (In millions, except per share amounts)
    GAAP income before income taxes $ 809 $ 684
    GAAP provision for income taxes (132 ) (114 )
    GAAP net income $ 677 $ 570
    Non-GAAP adjustments to net income:
    Non-GAAP operating income adjustments (see table above) 225 230
    Accretion of note receivable (5 ) (9 )
    Amortization of intangibles of investments 2
    (Gain) Loss on divested business 3
    Tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments (70 ) (69 )
    Non-GAAP net income $ 829 $ 725
    Diluted net income per share:
    GAAP $ 0.51 $ 0.44
    Non-GAAP $ 0.63 $ 0.55
    Shares used in GAAP and non-GAAP diluted net income per-share calculation 1,319 1,308
    GAAP effective tax rate 16 % 17 %
    Tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments to net income 4 % 3 %
    Non-GAAP effective tax rate 20 % 20 %
    )
    Reconciliation of Operating Cash Flow to Free Cash Flow
    Three Months Ended
    March 31, March 31,
    2013 2012
    (In millions)
    Net cash provided by operating activities $ 937 $ 531
    Less: Purchases of property and equipment (299 (242 )
    Free cash flow $ 638 $ 289

  • Burglar Smashes $100K Apple Store Glass Door, Makes Off with $64K of Loot

    Another Apple Store finds itself the victim of a smash and grab – this time in Boulder, Colorado.

    According to ABC7 in Denver, a yet-to-be-identified assailant used a few rocks to smash through the glass door of the Apple Store before making off with $64,000 worth of stolen goods.

    This included Macbooks, iPhones, iPads, and more. Investigators expect to see the devices hit the internet for fast resale.

    But the stolen goods weren’t the biggest hit that the Apple Store took – at least not financially.

    According to reports, the custom-made glass door at the front end of the Apple Store was worth nearly $100,000. Yikes.

    Apple Stores make tempting targets for burglars – and I guess that trademark glass store front just looks like it’s in need of smashing. This Boulder burglary isn’t even close to taking home the prize for dumbest Apple Store robbery. That prize still goes to that guy last who who smashed through the store front in his BMW, left his license plate behind, and was arrested as he attempted to retrieve it.

  • Watch Miyamoto Talk Up Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon

    Nintendo declared 2013 as The Year of Luigi this morning during its Nintendo Direct broadcast. Kicking off the celebration will be the release of Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon for the Nintendo 3DS in March.

    The UK Nintendo Direct just wrapped up and Nintendo UK has been busy adding all kinds of videos to its YouTube channel. Most are the same from what we got in the U.S. this morning, but one unique addition is that Nintendo UK has a new Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon trailer. You might have already seen it if you watched the entirety of this morning’s Nintendo Direct. For the rest of us, it provides an in-depth look at the features being added to the game from the game’s producer – Shigeru Miyamoto.

    Joining Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, Nintendo will also be releasing Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, Mario Golf World Tour and Super Luigi U this year to celebrate The Year of Luigi. More on that here.

  • Chrome 25 Gets Encrypted Search For Users Who Aren’t Signed In

    This week, Google launched Chrome 25 in beta. The big feature that got most of the attention was the speech recognition. This version of the browser also encrypts searches from the omnibox for users that aren’t signed in, just as it does for those who are.

    “Serving content over SSL provides users with a more secure and private search experience,” says Google software engineer Adam Langley. “It helps ensure that malicious actors who might intercept people’s internet traffic can’t see their queries. Many major sites have begun serving content over SSL by default, such as Gmail in early 2010, Twitter in February 2012, and Facebook in November 2012. Search has also been moving toward encryption. Google introduced Encrypted Search in May 2010 and made encryption the default for signed-in users starting in October 2011. Firefox announced a switch to SSL for all Google searches in July 2012, and Safari did the same thing in September 2012. Chrome is continuing this trend.”

    “Users shouldn’t notice any changes,” he adds. ” If anything, their searches will be slightly faster due to Chrome’s implementation of the SPDY protocol, but there should be no other user-visible effect.”

    More on SPDY here.

    There’s been a fair amount of controversy in the SEO industry, with regard to Google’s encrypted searches, because it leads to a lot of “not provided” queries in Google Analytics.

    Chrome 25 is available in the Dev and Beta channels.