Stock Market Today: Dish's Wireless Deal and Family Dollar's Bad News

Amazon SalesAlthough we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

Expect a strong start to the stock market today, as the DJINDICES: Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI ) gained 53 points in premarket trading this morning. Investors may bid stocks higher in advance of expected good news from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which will release its monthly payroll report tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. EST. That announcement should show continued improvement in the job market, with the unemployment rate holding steady at 7% and roughly 200,000 jobs created in December.

Meanwhile, news is breaking this morning on a few stocks that could see heavy trading in today's session, including NASDAQ: Dish Network ( DISH ) , Family Dollar ( ) , and SUPERVALU ( ) .

Dish Network will officially cancel its offer for LightSquared today, according to The Wall Street Journal. Dish bid $2.2 billion for the bankrupt company's mobile frequency assets in an auction last year, but complications have developed over negotiations with creditors. Those wireless assets would have been valuable to Dish as it looks to push into the growing market for mobile broadband. Dish's stock is unchanged in premarket trading.

Family Dollar this morning reported disappointing results for its fiscal first quarter. Revenue ticked higher by 3.2% to $2.5 billion -- but that was all due to the addition of new stores, as sales at existing locations fell by 2.8%. Profit ,at $0.68 a share, also came in below expectations. Family Dollar did manage to improve its gross profit to 34.4% of sales, though, which is impressive given the intensely promotional environment in the industry. Yet the company had more bad news for investors, as it announced the departure of its president and COO, Mike Bloom, while slicing its financial outlook for the rest of the year. The stock is down 7% in premarket trading.

Finally, SUPERVALU said this morning that sales ticked lower by 1% in its fiscal third quarter, to hit $4.01 billion. The grocery chain saw earnings climb to $0.12 a share, as compared to the $0.07 loss it booked a year ago. Those profit and sales figures were both slightly below analyst expectations. Still, cost cuts helped profitability jump by more than a percentage point in the quarter, to reach 14.2% of sales. The stock is unchanged in premarket trading.

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Try On Virtual Makeup and Pay With Your Hand with Retail Tech at CES 2014

Traditionally the International Consumer Electronics Show is an event that offers a glimpse of the future in technology from a consumer perspective. CES 2014 is no different-but it wasn't just a glitzy keynote by Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer that was creating buzz. Also on display were several technological innovations that suggest a whole new retail world is right around the corner.

For one thing, retail will literally get a facelift with the new "3D Augmented Reality Makeup and Anti-Aging Beauty Mirror" (quite a mouthful) from ModiFace. This gadget lets consumers at cosmetics counters simulate makeup products-blushes, lipsticks and eye shadows-and anti-aging skincare effects, such as dark spot correction, facelift, browlift, cheek volume enhancement and jaw contouring. The consumer simply stands in front of the Beauty Mirror and uses a touchscreen to work magic in real time and in full 3D. The technology works both on a stand-alone store kiosk, or as an app that can be used on a smartphone or tablet.

"Our new 3D Beauty Mirror is a marketing breakthrough for retailers and beauty brands, particularly for cosmetic counters," says KyungMoon Lee, ModiFace Executive Director of Engineering, in a press release. "It's not only a try-before-you-buy tool in the store or at home, but also a way to capture consumers' interest as they walk store aisles."

The retail revolution will not be taking place just at merchandise counters, but also at the point-of-sale. Next on the horizon is a whole new way to pay-the biometric scanner. At CES, PulseWallet demonstrated a point-of-sale system that scans the customer's hands as a unique security method. When a first time payment is made, the customer swipes a card, punches in a phone number and gets a hand scan. Subsequent purchases in-store can be made just with the hand scan, eliminating the need to swipe a card again.

Seems as if bitcoins will penetrate the world of retail as well. This virtual currency has largely been relegated to online speculating, but several new products promise to lift awareness and usage of bitcoin as a way to pay for virtually anything, including a "bitcoin ATM" that converts paper currency into bitcoins, and a newly launched e-commerce site, BitcoinShop.us, a kind of amazon store card.com that uses bitcoins as the exclusive method of payment.

Last but not least is tracking technology, most notably Apple's iBeacon, which lets retailers target consumers who are in or near their stores with a high degree of accuracy. CES is showing off the technology via a kind of high-tech scavenger hunt at this week's event. Using the CES mobile app, visitors can "collect badges for encountering the location-aware Bluetooth iBeacons placed throughout the CES showfloor." It may be an emerging technology, but iBeacon is already planned for implementation in Apple stores, of course, and some major retailers, including Macy's. In fact, the chain plans to introduce it in its San Francisco and New York City stores within weeks.

One of iBeacon's advantages, according to Shopkick, is the technology's application to both online and offline shopping: "It can also tie at-home browsing to in-store benefit-if [a customer] 'likes' a specific product in the app, shopBeacon can remind her when she enters the store that sells it. It can also deliver department-specific offers throughout the store..." iBeacon competitors, like Qualcomm's "Gimbal Context Aware Platform," are already entering the fray.

There could be a backlash from some technologies such as iBeacon, however: They may be simply too intrusive for a customer's comfort. Already, Nordstrom felt the heat from consumers who, during a test of a new WiFi system, didn't like having their actions tracked in stores.

This is just the beginning of a brave new retail world-and consumers have yet to weigh in on just how much technology they want to help them shop.

ESPN: Current Mets Payroll About $86 Million

Adam Rubin of ESPN New York did some calculations tonight, and came to the conclusion that the current Mets payroll is just shy of $86 million.

To reach that number, Rubin added up contracts that are already on the books, what arbitration eligible players are slated to make, and what it will cost to round the roster out after that.

According to Cot's Baseball Contracts, the Mets had an opening day payroll in 2013 that was just north of $93 million. However, the Mets' accounting had last year's payroll at $87 million.

Earlier this offseason, general manager Sandy Alderson told reporters that the 2014 payroll would not be lower than the 2013 payroll. If the Mets make any other signings of note this offseason, the 2014 payroll will indeed be above the 2013 payroll.

Let's get this out of the way...

A team in New York, that's entrenched and has been around for over 50 years, should not be operating with a payroll between $85 million and $95 million.

The Mets, though, just emerged from the Bernard Madoff mess, are coming off five straight losing seasons (that's resulted in plummeting attendance), and just shed a couple of burdensome contracts.

Additionally, even though the payroll will likely be relatively light heading into 2014, the Mets did invest significant dollars this offseason in curtis granderson espn Granderson, Bartolo Colon, and Chris Young. There's also a decent possibility they'll sign Stephen Drew as well.

The Mets' payroll should be higher. As is noted above, though, there are lots of reasons why it hasn't yet returned to where it should be.

That's not something most fans will accept, but no one will care if the team plays well.

Thanks for reading! Be sure to follow@RisingAppleBlog on Twitter and Instagram, and Like Rising Apple's Facebook page to keep up with the latest news, rumors, and opinion.

AAP-Cong deal now obvious BJP | The Asian Age

<Best Dealsp>The BJP on Saturday alleged the "match-fixing" between Congress and Aam Admi Party is becoming obvious with each passing day and the ruling party at the Centre is using it's B-team to take on Narendra Modi as it does not have the capacity to face him.
"The Congress does not have the capacity to take on Modi and reply to his arguments. Hence, it has struck an alliance with Aam Admi Party," BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said. BJP, which is reportedly concerned about the growing popularity of AAP across the country, dismissed Mr Kejriwal's party as one of elites and not the common people. The party claimed AAP and Congress are not a threat.
"They know Narendra Modi will unfurl the tricolour at Red Fort this Independence day," Mr Hussain said.
Dismissing AAP, he added "people are fast losing their trust in AAP. Their views have changed not in days but in hours."
He recalled that while earlier AAP had promised to put Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit in "handcuffs" for her alleged involvement for corruption charges against her government soon after coming to power, they have done nothing. "Congress too has failed to carry out its threats against AAP", he added.
"Home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had announced that the government will probe the source of foreign funding of AAP but is now silent," Mr Hussain said.
In reply to a question on AAP leader Yogendra Yadav's remarks that his party wants to see Mr Kejriwal as Prime Minister, the BJP leader said "the Indian Constitution has given the right to everybody to become the Prime Minister. Every supporter sees his leader as a prospective PM."

The 'Portland Santa' returns, with 'hemp milk egg nog' and more

Last year, the creative folks at Portland's Bent Image Lab animation studio sent out a holiday card with a very distinctive version of the Jolly Old Elf. The "Portland Santa" was a hipsterish dude who looked more like a refugee from "Portlandia" than a guy who hangs around with elves.

This year, the Portland Santa is back, in a new Bent Christmas card, and he's as alternative as ever, with an "Eat Local" T-shirt and animated christmas cards online frame eyeglasses. He's up in the skies over the city, in a flying sleigh -- er, wait, make that a flying food cart -- led not by reindeer, but by what look to be two urban goats. An attractive female elf is dispensing "Hydroponic Mistletoe," and a sign indicates that Santa and his team have other treats to offer, including "Hemp Milk Egg Nog" and "Gluten Free Fruit Cake."

So enjoy this bit of seasonal cheer, with a Rose City slant, illustrated by Brett Superstar, and conceived by Chel White, Solomon Burbridge, Greg Arden and Superstar.

-- Kristi Turnquist

2013 has been a Banner Year for Walgreens API

2013 has been a banner year for Walgreens. The company launched the Walgreens Pharmacy Prescription Refill API, announced the QuickPrints Photo App Developer Contest encouraging developers to integrate the Walgreens QuickPrints API into their mobile applications, and announced the integration of QuickPrints with the Adobe Revel website. Nearing the end of 2013, Walgreens has unveiled the brand new QuickPrints SDKs for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, announced the QuickPrints Developer Contest winners, and has just released version 2.0 of the QuickPrints API.

Users of the Printicular Windows 8 Desktop App can send their photos to Walgreens for same-day pickup.

QuickPrints SDKs for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8

Walgreens announced the upcoming launch of new QuickPrints SDKs for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 at the Microsoft BUILD Conference that was held earlier this year. These new SDKs are now available for download and include a set of APIs that allow developers to create Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 applications where users can submit a photo print order to a Walgreens store. A few examples of Windows 8 desktop and tablet applications that use the QuickPrints SDK for Windows 8 include Printicular, Order Prints, and PhotoWeaver. Bruce Seymour, Managing Director at MEA Mobile, the publisher of the Printicular app, told ProgrammableWeb that:

"The Windows 8 QuickPrints SDK provides a critical bridge for our Photo Assistant App, Printicular to the retail endpoints at Walgreens. The Walgreens technical team is comprised of the some of the best API architects in the business. We're very proud to be working with Walgreens on developing our next generation of Print to Retail apps on the Microsoft Windows 8 platform."

The Walgreens QuickPrints SDKs for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 are great examples of how the Windows developer tools provided by Microsoft help to create a mutually beneficial ecosystem for Microsoft, companies like Walgreens, and app developers. Using Microsoft developer tools, Walgreens created QuickPrints SDKs for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, which can be used by developers to create apps that help promote Microsoft products and Walgreens. Tim O'Brien, General Manager of Platform Strategy at Microsoft, provided ProgrammableWeb a statement:

"Microsoft is committed to providing developers with opportunities to build engaging scenarios and to be successful on the platform. Partnering with companies like Walgreens empowers developers to create an enhanced and differentiated photo-sharing experience for their consumers."

QuickPrints Developer Contest Winners

Walgreens has announced that Moments and tapsBook are the winners of the Fall 2013 QuickPrints Developer Contest. Moments is a free application for iPad that allows users to easily create photo books from their Facebook, dropbox download or iPad photos. The Moments app also allows users to print their photo books to Walgreens for same-day pickup. Walgreens offers same-day pickup for photos at over 4,000 Walgreens locations across the US. Amit Sherman, CEO and Founder of Moments, states in the company press release that:

"The Walgreens QuickPrints API is great for Moments, since we only had to focus on creating a great app: they take care of the brick-and-mortar part of photo book printing. This is why we could focus on creating a simple application, built for mobile, for the creation of striking photo books that are real simple to make."

tapsBook, is also a free application for iPad that allows users to create storytelling photobooks "with just one tap." tapsBook photobooks can be instantly shared and can be printed with same-day pickup at Walgreens' many locations across the US.

QuickPrints API Version 2.0

Walgreens has just released version 2.0 of the QuickPrints API which includes several key new features and updates. The new release only applies to users of the direct QuickPrints API and does not apply to users of the SDK variations. Some of the key new API features include:

• Support for Web Channel based photo print checkout.
• Support for Mobile Browser based photo print checkout.
• Supports navigation to originating site after checkout completion.
• Ability to upload images to Walgreens Storage via REST approach.
• Overall more seamless and simpler API integration than past versions.

For more information about the Walgreens developer program, the QuickPrints SDKs for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, and other available Walgreens APIs, visit the Walgreens Developer Portal.

See also ProgrammableWeb's analysis of the business model behind Walgreens QuickPrints API.

By Janet Wagner. Janet is a Data Journalist and Full Stack Developer based in Toledo, Ohio. Her focus revolves around APIs, open data, data visualization, and data-driven journalism. Follow her on Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn.