Can Google predict the stock market? Researchers say analysing search terms can act as 'early warning system'

Google could be used to make money by predicting movements in the stock market, according to a new study.

An analysis of changes in the internet search engine's query volume for search terms related to finance reveals patterns that could be interpreted as early-warning signs of stock market moves.

Researchers analysed changes in the frequency of 98 terms - such as 'revenue', 'unemployment', 'credit' and 'nasdaq' - in Google searches from 2004 to 2011.

Should have just Googled it: Researchers analysed changes in the frequency of 98 terms - such as 'revenue', 'unemployment', 'credit' and 'nasdaq' - in Google searches from 2004 to 2011 and found they could give early warning of stock moves

The team of academics demonstrate that trading on the basis of the number of queries on Google using the keyword 'debt' could have brought in returns of up to 326 per cent

HOW THEY DID IT

Researchers analysed changes in the frequency of 98 terms - such as 'revenue', 'unemployment', 'credit' and 'nasdaq' - in Google searches from 2004 to 2011.
To see a complete list of the terms used and their success, click here.
They believe investors may search for more information about the market before they are prepared to sell at lower prices
The team of academics showed that trading on the basis of the number of queries on Google using the keyword 'debt' could have brought in returns of up to 326 per cent.

Tobias Preis, Associate Professor of Behavioural Science and Finance at Warwick Business School, Doctor Suzy Moat, of University College London, and Doctor Gene Stanley, of Boston University, found that using these changes in search volume as the basis of a trading strategy investing in the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index could have led to substantial profit.

 

The team of academics showed that trading on the basis of the number of queries on Google using the keyword 'debt' could have brought in returns of up to 326 per cent.
Doctor Preis said: 'We found that changes in the volume of certain Google search terms could be used as early warning signs of subsequent stock market movement.'
The research supports the idea that drops in the financial market may be preceded by periods of investor concern.
Investors may search for more information about the market before they are prepared to sell at lower prices.
However, the researchers found that drops in interest in financial topics could be used as a signal for subsequent stock market rises.

One of Google's vast data centers in Douglas Country, Georgia. Experts have turned the giants search system on the stock market, - and say it CAN predict stock moves

Doctor Moat said: 'Analysis of Google Trends data may offer a new perspective on the decision making processes of market participants during periods of large market movements.

'It's exciting to see that online search data may give us new insight into how humans gather information before making decisions - a process which was previously very difficult to measure.'
Dr Preis added: 'We are generating gigantic amounts of data through our everyday interactions with technology.
This is opening up fascinating new possibilities for a new interdisciplinary 'computational social science''.
The findings were published in Nature Publishing Group's journal Scientific Reports.

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The app that can tell you EXACTLY where a gunman is just by listening to a bullet being fired

An app that can pinpoint a gunman's location simply by analysing the sound and shockwaves from a gunshot have been revealed by US researchers.
The Android app can show a map of exactly where the gunman is located, and is expected to be developed for military and police use in the war on terror.
Experts at Vanderbilt University can replicate systems that cost millions of pounds are are so large they have to be installed in vehicles.

The app being tested: It can pinpoint the location of a gunman simply by analysing the sound of a gunshot

HOW IT WORKS

The researchers have developed two versions which use triangulation to pinpoint location.
One uses both the muzzle blast and shockwave to determine the shooter location, and requires six microphones.

The second version uses four microphones and relies solely on the shockwave.
However, it only provides a rough estimate of the range.

The new version, however, simply requires a smartphone and a small box around the size of a deck of cards containing highly sensitive microphones and shockwave sensors.
The team say it could be initially used to protect VIPs.
“It would be very valuable for dignitary protection,” said Kenneth Pence, a retired SWAT officer and associate professor of the practice of engineering management who participated in the project at Vanderbilt University’s Institute of Software Integrated Systems.
'I’d also love to see a version developed for police squad cars.'
The system works on the principle that all but the lowest powered firearms produce unique sonic signatures when they are fired.

First, there is the muzzle blast – an expanding balloon of sound that spreads out from the muzzle each time the rifle is fired.

Second, bullets travel at supersonic velocities so they produce distinctive shockwaves as they travel.

As a result, a system that combines an array of sensitive microphones, a precise clock and an off-the-shelf microprocessor can detect these signatures and use them to pinpoint the location from which a shot is fired with remarkable accuracy, the researchers say.

The system could be used to pinpoint the location of snipers simply by analysing the sound and shockwaves of a gunshot

In addition to the smartphone, the system consists of an external sensor module about the size of a deck of cards that contains the microphones and the processing capability required to detect the acoustic signature of gunshots, log their time and send that information to the smartphone by a Bluetooth connection.
The researchers have developed two versions.
One uses a single microphone per module.
It uses both the muzzle blast and shockwave to determine the shooter location. It requires six modules to obtain accurate locations.
The second version uses a slightly larger module with four microphones and relies solely on the shockwave.
It requires only two modules to accurately detect the direction a shot comes from, however, it only provides a rough estimate of the range.

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Now your frothy coffee and muffin is blamed for Britain's childhood obesity crisis: Health minister hits out at snacking between meals

Blame for the child obesity crisis has been laid squarely at the door of coffee shops such as Starbucks – and parents who allow youngsters to snack.
Plain-speaking health minister Anna Soubry accused coffee chains of tempting children with large syrup-laden coffees topped with marshmallows and cream, followed by an enormous muffin.
She warned that young people have no idea how many calories they consume because most outlets do not provide such details on their walls.

Frothy coffees and mid-morning muffins have been blamed for fuelling Britain's obesity crisis by health minister Anna Soubry

Miss Soubry, 56, said: ‘I have no problem with coffee shops, but young people go in and have a large coffee – not a small one – which has syrup in it.

‘It might have marshmallows on top, and then perhaps another little dollop of cream, because it is just a snack, a treat or elevenses.

‘“And by the way”, they say, “I think I’ll have one of those very nice muffins”. They do not know how many calories that is.’
The minister also accused parents of failing to teach their children not to eat between meals.
‘Let us talk about something that did not exist when I was young – the concept of snacking,’ she said.
‘I was positively told not to eat between meals.

Ms Soubry warned young people do not know how many calories there are in the 'dollop of cream' on their drinks

‘If we now look in the real world at how young people live and at what they feel is acceptable, it includes going into the many coffee shops that exist.’ Almost a third of children are currently overweight or even obese – so fat their health is in danger.
Miss Soubry has previously attacked bakeries for selling cakes and croissants that are too large, and has called for supermarkets and restaurants to reduce portion sizes.
She warned that child obesity not only costs the NHS lots of money, but also costs in ‘human terms’.
‘Many of us who see children who are overweight or obese are upset and concerned about that, because we know that many of those children will not only suffer from health issues, but will be bullied,’ she said.
The minister added that people of all ages needed to be better at counting calories but said she did not want to ‘demonise’ any food.
She recalled that the concept of ‘snacking’ simply did not exist when she was young, and that she was told in no uncertain terms by her mother and father that she should only eat at mealtimes.
Miss Soubry, the public health minister, made her comments just days after claiming the Prime Minister only gave her the job because she was a woman.
She told Total Politics magazine that her position was seen by many as a ‘soft girly’ job, and was concerned that David Cameron had seen fit to give it to ‘the girl again’.
Almost a third of children are currently overweight or even obese – so fat their health is in danger.
The minister has previously attacked bakeries for selling cakes and croissants which were too large, and has called for supermarkets and restaurants to do more to reduce portion sizes.
In the Westminster Hall debate on Wednesday, Miss Soubry said child obesity was such a problem because youngsters were much more likely to eat between meals than those of her own generation.
She said the proliferation of coffee shops such as Starbucks, Costa and Caffe Nero on Britain’s high streets were making the problem worse, because they were popular with young people.
‘Let us talk about something that did not exist when I was young—the concept of snacking,’ she said.
‘I was positively told not to eat between meals. If we now look in the real world at how young people live and at what they feel is acceptable, it includes going into the many coffee shops that exist.'

The straight-talking minister said that when she was young she was told not to eat between meals

The minister’s attack on coffee stores like Starbucks is just the latest criticism of the company, which has been accused of not paying corporation tax, and refusing to filter out porn from its public wi-fi system – putting children at risk. The firm has since imposed a filter.
Miss Soubry warned that not only did child obesity cost the NHS lots of money, it also costs in ‘human terms’.

 

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‘Many of us who see children who are overweight or obese are upset and concerned about that, because we know that many of those children will not only suffer from health issues, but will be bullied.
‘Many of them are unhappy that they cannot, as they perceive it, join in the sport or physical activity enjoyed by their friends. There is a real human cost to overweightness and obesity.’
The minister also refused to backtrack on comments made earlier this year – and widely criticised at the time – that it was possible to tell which children were poorer because they tended to be fatter.
She said: ‘We know that 12.3 per cent of reception children who are overweight or obese are from the most deprived backgrounds, as opposed to 6.8 per cent who are from the least deprived backgrounds.
‘I do not know why, but we cannot use the word “poor” anymore. By year six, 24.3 per cent of overweight and obese children are from the most deprived backgrounds, compared with 13.7 per cent from the least deprived backgrounds.

‘I hope that those facts speak loudly, and I also hope that everybody takes this away: the reason why I feel this way with such a passion is that if someone comes from a poor, deprived background, they have enough problems as a child, and enough bad things going against them to prevent them from having a great start in life, without the burden of being overweight or obese.’
The minister said people of all ages needed to be much better at counting their calories.
‘It is a surprise to people—even to supposedly intelligent, grown-up people such as ourselves—when they find out the calorific content of foods that we see and perceive as treats and snacks,’ she said.
‘Equally, I want to make it clear that we should never demonise any food. There is nothing wrong with chips, or burgers; what is important is that it is all good food in moderation.’
Miss Soubry, a former presenter of This Morning, is making a career out of courting controversy. Soon after taking office she provoked anger by saying she supported the legalisation of assisted dying.

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Man City 2 West Ham 1: Aguero and Tevez do the damage as Hammers are nailed

Even if Roberto Mancini's top strike target Edinson Cavani makes it to Manchester, he will have to be some player to shift twinkle-toed duo Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez.
Mancini wants his director of football, Txiki Begiristain, to bring in £35million Uruguayan ace Cavani from Napoli this summer - and sharpish - if City are to mount a dual Champions League-Premier League challenge next season.
Equally important, though, is keeping his Argentina pairing of Aguero and Tevez happy.

Up and running: Sergio Aguero capped off a magical City move, pouncing onto David Silva's intricate pass to fire past Jussi Jaaskelainen

Match facts

Man City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Clichy, Yaya Toure, Barry, Silva (Milner 78), Nasri (Kolo Toure 87), Tevez (Javi Garcia 83), Aguero. Subs not used: Pantilimon, Dzeko, Kolarov, Nastasic.
Booked: Zabaleta.
Goals: Aguero 28, Yaya Toure 83.
West Ham: Jaaskelainen, O'Brien (Carlton Cole 80), Reid, Collins, Demel, O'Neil, Diame, Vaz Te (Collison 66), Nolan (Taylor 80), Jarvis, Carroll. Subs not used: Henderson, Noble, Pogatetz, Joe Cole.
Booked: Carroll, Collison, O'Brien.
Goal: Carroll 90.
Referee: Howard Webb.
Attendance: 47,189.

Latest Premier League results, fixtures and table

Yesterday, they were scintillating, dazzling or any other adjective you care to use.

Aguero scored the first, could easily have gobbled a hat-trick, and by the time Tevez went off to a standing ovation, City were in the clear.
It was hard to believe Tevez was public enemy No1 last season rather than a striker City are desperate to keep beyond his contract, which runs out in 12 months' time.

Despite Andy Carroll's late consolation, courtesy of a blunder by the injured Joe Hart, it was a convincing response from City after losing their league title to Manchester United on Monday.
'We had control of the game for 90 minutes,' said City vice-captain Pablo Zabaleta. 'I expected nothing less in our reaction,' added assistant manager David Platt.
'The intensity in training was high all week.'

There was good news for City before kick-off, with David Silva returning after a hamstring injury. He did not show any ill-effects and should be fine for the FA Cup final against Wigan on May 11.

Letting fly: Yaya Toure readies to unleash his howitzer, giving Jaaskelainen no chance

Premier League table

All eyes, though, were on Aguero and Tevez. City should have gone ahead when Tevez's pass deflected off Kevin Nolan's knee into Aguero's path, only for the forward to scuff his finish on to the post, with Jussi Jaaskelainen wrong-footed.

Aguero made amends after a flowing move to give City the lead after 29 minutes.
Yaya Toure, Silva and Samir Nasri exchanged passes without a West Ham challenge in sight and the Frenchman's low cross was stuck away emphatically by his Argentine colleague.
It was then a case of how many City could score. Tevez set up Nasri , but Jaaskelainen saved from pointblank range.

Zabaleta was denied from four yards, while Nasri somehow missed his kick from the same distance after Tevez had teed him up.
'We showed City too much respect in the first half - but we were able to put them under a bit more pressure in the second,' said West Ham manager Sam Allardyce.

But City still looked the likelier scorers, Aguero turning James Collins inside out before slipping a pass to Tevez, whose shot was deflected from six yards.

 

Tribute: Both sets of fans paid their respects to Marc-Vivien Foe in the 23rd minute following the Cameroonian's tragic death in 2003

Reflex save: Pablo Zabaleta forces Jaaskelainen into an excellent close-range save

Around the action, there were other incidents going on, some feisty, some heartfelt.

A minute's applause for former West Ham and City player Marc-Vivien Foe, who collapsed and died while playing for Cameroon 10 years ago, was supported by both sets of fans after 23 minutes, the number of the shirt he wore.

Joey O'Brien's rash challenge on Zabaleta led to the City defender grabbing his opponent's shirt in retaliation and both were booked.
'It was a bad tackle but I apologise for the reaction,' said Zabaleta.

How did he miss? Samir Nasri cannot believe he squandered a gilt-edged chance to put City 2-0 up

Most strangely, keeper Hart collapsed with a back spasm while kicking the ball and needed treatment.

England's No1 goalkeeper has had the odd back twinge all season but was not able to go off as City had used all three substitutes.

That may have been a factor when he got down slowly to Carroll's injury-time shot and the ball went through his legs.

On target: Andy Carroll fires a shot on goal...

But Joe Hart lets the ball slip under his body...

And into the back of the net...

By that time, though, City had wrapped up the points anyway after Yaya Toure had taken a short pass by Nasri and curled a 25-yarder into the top corner.

Mancini thought the second goal was long overdue.
'I'm happy for this performance,' he said. 'I'm unhappy for the goals we missed as we could have scored more, but this has been our problem this season. West Ham are a good team and have had a good season, but today we deserved to score four, five or six goals.'
Mancini cannot be certain if he will be at the Etihad next season but if he wins the FA Cup to complete a hat-trick of trophies in three full seasons, dismissal would be harsh.

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MoS DIARY: Millie Mackintosh set to quit Made in Chelsea in wedding secrets row

Quality Street heiress Millie Mackintosh could leave Made In Chelsea because she refuses to film any scenes relating to her forthcoming wedding to chart-topping rapper Professor Green.
Millie, 23, found fame in series one of the E4 hit. It allowed her to walk the red carpets of London’s most fashionable events and, in doing so, she met her fiance.
But despite having the show to thank for her celebrity, sources say Millie’s relationship with the producers has turned sour because she refuses to give any air-time to her romance with the heavily tattooed Read All About It singer.

Millie Mackintosh could leave the E4 show because she refuses to film any scenes relating to her forthcoming wedding to chart-topping rapper Professor Green

Millie has appeared in every episode of Made in Chelsea but could walk away over her refusal to let her wedding plans be part of the show

‘She is depriving the show of a very strong plotline,’ a cast member tells me.
‘Apart from on one or two occasions she has refused even to allow Professor Green’s name to be mentioned.’
Now, she will not allow any scenes showing her talking about the September wedding to be filmed, forcing the producers to give her an ultimatum – which is likely to see her leave the show altogether.

 

‘Millie hates Made In Chelsea now,’ I’m told.
‘The producers keep pressuring her to let them film her wedding preparations – and the wedding itself – but she wants to keep it private.
‘Either she lets the cameras into her preparations or she won’t be able to  stay on.
‘Professor Green doesn’t want to be on the show and neither of them wants TV crews anywhere near their wedding,’ the source adds.
‘It looks as if Millie is ready to move on from the show entirely. If she’s not having any fun, then there’s no point for her.’
Millie has appeared in every episode since the show launched in May 2011 and the producers were keen to point out there was no animosity, saying ‘conversations with the cast are ongoing’.

ITV's Broadchurch ready to woo America... on the BBC

ITV’S Broadchurch is set to get the Downton Abbey treatment in America later this year – thanks to the BBC.
BBC America missed out on the Stateside success of ITV’s Downton when the period drama was snapped up there by the PBS network.
But the Beeb ensured it would not get caught out again – by swiftly buying the rights for season one of the hit murder mystery.

The BBC has snapped up the rights to show Broadchurch, starring David Tennant and Olivia Colman, on its BBC America channel

‘BBC America acquired the rights to air the current finished series of Broadchurch,’ my insider says.
‘But it doesn’t necessarily mean it will automatically get the opportunity to air the second season.
When it bought the option for the first season, it was intended to be only a one-off show.
But the confirmation of a second season means there will be a chance for another channel to swoop for the rights to that series.’
ITV confirmed a second instalment of Broadchurch just hours after airing the dramatic finale of the first season last Monday. 
Meanwhile, Olivia Colman, 39, says she would love to resume her role as DS Ellie Miller when the show returns. ‘I can’t confirm who will be back next season, but if they ask me I would definitely say yes!’ she told me at last week’s Bafta nominees party.

 

My news last week about Vogue editor Anna Wintour vetoing plans to install a sculpture of Dame Vivienne Westwood at a forthcoming fashion ball in New York has obviously hit a nerve.

When I caught up with the flame-haired designer last week, she said:  ‘I’m not willing to talk about HER. I don’t read fashion magazines – they mean nothing to me.

'I work in fashion and she works in fashion, but that’s it. There’s absolutely no bond between us.’

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Together at last! FIRST picture of Paris Jackson reunited with her mother Debbie Rowe on her 15th birthday

Paris Jackson grew up without her mother after Debbie Rowe signed away all parental rights to Paris' father Michael Jackson in 2001, when she was just three years old.

But since Michael's death in 2009, mother and daughter are trying to make up for lost time by slowly forging a close relationship.

And the first picture of the pair together has surfaced, showing Debbie with her arm around Paris as they celebrated the teenager's 15th birthday at Ahi Sushi in Studio City, California on April 3, reports Entertainment Tonight.

Mother-daughter reunion: The first picture of Paris Jackson reuniting with her mother Debbie Rowe on her 15th birthday at Ahi Sushi in Studio City, California on April 3

Paris appeared serene and content as she leaned in close to her mother, a dermatologist's nurse, who looked thrilled to be included in her daughter's birthday celebration.

Paris - the youngest of Michael and Debbie's two children - showed off her edgy style by wearing her short dark hair swept across her forehead and highlighting her eyes with thick black liner.

The resemblance between the pair is clear, especially in the colour and shape of their eyes and their noses.

Family: Michael (holding Prince) and Debbie (holding Paris) were married for three years

Wedding day: Debbie and Michael were married between 1996 and 1999 and had two children, Prince and Paris

Debbie has reportedly developed an 'intense bond' with her daughter and the pair have been spending lots of time together in recent months.

The Billie Jean singer's ex-wife supported the teenager, who performed in a dance contest at her school in Los Angeles last weekend, turning up with a bouquet of flowers.

In a recent interview for the Mail On Sunday's Event Magazine, Paris revealed that she had also been shopping with her mother, an activity that her grandmother Katherine Jackson was approving of.

Mourning: (L-R) Janet Jackson, Paris-Michael Katherine, LaToya Jackson, Jermaine Jackson and Prince in 2009

Paris said: 'When I'm with my mom, we don't really have security with us. Which is really nice.'

Paris' uncle Jermaine Jackson recently said he approved of the pair's burgeoning relationship.

He told TMZ: 'I think that's wonderful. The kids need their mum. I think it's great. That's their mother. That's wonderful. That's a good thing.'

Family man: Jermaine Jackson says he is pleased that his niece is developing a bond with her birth mother

Debbie and Michael met when he was a patient at the specialist skin clinic she worked at when he was being treated for his chronic vitiligo.

The pair were married between 1996 and 1999, and Debbie gave full custody of her two children with Michael, Prince and Paris, during their divorce proceedings in 1999.

She later took things one step further in 2001, and relinquished all parental rights to the children, who were just toddlers at the time.

However, after the singer's death in June 2009, Debbie, 54, reached an agreement with Michael's mother - who became the children's' legal guardian - for supervised visitation rights.

Family unit: Michael Jackson poses with his two children by Debbie Rowe when they were younger

The Daily Mirror previously reported that Paris had found it 'easy' to bond with the skin nurse, and had been interested to know more about the dynamic of her relationship with her late father.
A friend said : 'Paris is very inquisitive and found Debbie easy to bond with.'

Meanwhile, it appears Debbie and Michael's son Prince is not yet ready to develop a relationship with his mother.

The 16-year-old budding TV presenter allegedly isn't interested in getting to know his birth mother, but she hopes that they will develop a natural connection much like she did with Paris.

Paying tribute: Prince, Blanket and Paris Jackson appeared onstage at the Michael Forever concert to remember their father at the Millennium Stadium in the UK in 2011

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Be careful what you watch! New Blackberry handset could reveal EVERY video you view

BlackBerry customers using their new handset to share music and videos could end up revealing much more than they intended.
A setting on the new Q10 alerts your BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) contacts to which tracks you are enjoying - but will also inform them if you've been secretly using your smartphone to watch porn online.
BlackBerry Z10 customers flagged up the issue with the 'Show What I'm Listening To' feature, which is also built in to the newest Q10 model.
Scroll down for video

Over-sharing: A feature on the BlackBerry Q10, which was launched by actress and model Lily Cole today, has a feature that could alert your BBM contacts if you use it to watch porn

Black or white? The Q10 handset, which goes on sale in the UK next week and the US next month, will be available in two colours, and has both a physical keyboard and a small touchscreen

One customer posted a screenshot on the CrackBerry blog revealing how he was alerted to a friend viewing an adult site.

 

'Be very careful! LOL,' he added.
Another - who said 'that has happened a lot of times to my contacts' - added that he'd had to tell his uncle what was happening because he was 'having "me time"', a report in The Sun said.
BlackBerry users can watch videos on the device's Media Player - the same platform it uses to play music.

Not so secret habit: Z10 users flagged up the issue with the feature, which is also built into the new Q10 handset, on the CrackBerry web forum

As a result, customers who choose to share what music they listen to with their contacts, will also share the videos they watch.
Should a customer decide to watch adult content on their Q10, their BBM contacts will know exactly which site they visited, and when.
BlackBerry has said the feature has to be switched on by the individual user, but some customers said it was activated when they got their smartphone and that they had had disable the feature themselves.
The Q10 will be available in the UK next week for £579, although is expected to be subsidised by major operators, and in the US next month.
Many say the handset is Blackberry's last chance after the touchscreen version of the phone, called the Z10, failed to sell as well as the firm hoped.
Blackberry has unveiled the phone it hopes has one feature to differentiate it from the touchscreen competition - a QWERTY keyboard.
The Q10 will be available in the UK next week for £579, although is expected to be subsidised by major operators, and in the US next month.
Many say the handset is Blackberry's last chance after the touchscreen version of the phone, called the Z10, failed to sell as well as the firm hoped.
A delay in selling the new BlackBerry has derailed the firm's efforts to hang on to customers considering switching to the iPhone or a Google handset.

Although the BlackBerry has fallen behind rivals, many 'power' users have stayed loyal because they prefer a physical keyboard over the touch screen on the iPhone and most Android devices.

 

However, the initial reviews of the handset are not encouraging.
'Anyone who doesn't need a physical keyboard should skip it,' said Cnet, while Ars Technica said ' For most buyers, though, it's going to feel like a throwback, and we don't mean that in a good way.'
In the UK, Selfridges will exclusively launch the new and highly anticipated BlackBerry Q10 in all its stores and online on Friday 26th April.
In a European exclusive, Selfridges and Selfridges.com will be the only place in Europe to purchase the BlackBerry Q10, for £579.99, in store and online until Monday 29th, when it will then be available nationwide.

BlackBerry chief executive Thorsten Heins with the firm's two handset, the Z10 touchscreen, left, and the Q10 with a keyboard (right)

Alerts: The 'Show what I'm listening to' feature was designed to let BlackBerry users share music and video clips with their friends

The Q10 will be available in the UK next week for £579, although is expected to be subsidised by major operators, and in the US next month.
Many say the handset is Blackberry's last chance after the touchscreen version of the phone, called the Z10, failed to sell as well as the firm hoped.
Blackberry has unveiled the phone it hopes has one feature to differentiate it from the touchscreen competition - a QWERTY keyboard.
The Q10 will be available in the UK next week for £579, although is expected to be subsidised by major operators, and in the US next month.
Many say the handset is Blackberry's last chance after the touchscreen version of the phone, called the Z10, failed to sell as well as the firm hoped.
A delay in selling the new BlackBerry has derailed the firm's efforts to hang on to customers considering switching to the iPhone or a Google handset.

THE BLACKBERRY Q10 IN NUMBERS

Screen: 720×720 3.1" (330 ppi) Super AMOLED touchscreen

OS: BlackBerry 10.1

Processor: Dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus

Storage: 16GB flash, expandable via microSD

Ports: Micro-USB, micro-HDMI, headphones

Camera: 8.0MP rear camera, 2MP front camera
Size: 4.71" x 2.63" x 0.41" (119.6 x 66.8 x 10.35mm)
Weight:0.31 lbs (139 g)

Although the BlackBerry has fallen behind rivals, many 'power' users have stayed loyal because they prefer a physical keyboard over the touch screen on the iPhone and most Android devices.
However, the initial reviews of the handset are not encouraging.
'Anyone who doesn't need a physical keyboard should skip it,' said Cnet, while Ars Technica said ' For most buyers, though, it's going to feel like a throwback, and we don't mean that in a good way.'
In the UK, Selfridges will exclusively launch the new and highly anticipated BlackBerry Q10 in all its stores and online on Friday 26th April.
In a European exclusive, Selfridges and Selfridges.com will be the only place in Europe to purchase the BlackBerry Q10, for £579.99, in store and online until Monday 29th, when it will then be available nationwide.
Julian Slim, Head of Home and Lifestyle at Selfridges said: 'Following the very successful Z10 launch we are thrilled to be hosting the European Exclusive of the highly anticipated BlackBerry Q10.
'This is the product all core BlackBerry users have been waiting for. We pride ourselves in being the destination for all the latest gadgets and technology and BlackBerry is no exception'.
Blackberry is bullish about the handset's chances.
'Built with precision and offering premium performance in a timeless design, the BlackBerry Q10 smartphone combines BlackBerry’s best physical keyboard and a touch screen with the power of the BlackBerry 10 platform,' it says.
BlackBerry chief executive Thorsten Heins believes the handsets will beat the iPhone, which makes up 38% of the installed base of smartphones in the US, against 5.9% for BlackBerry, Heins told the Associated Press agency that Apple lacked innovation and that the phone could not multitask:
'It's still the same,' Heins said of the iPhone.
'It is a sequential way to work and that's not what people want today anymore. They want multitasking.'

The Blackberry Q10, the handset experts hope will save the firm as it battles Apple and Google

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United up efforts in race for Lewandowski as Dortmund balk at prospect of selling ANOTHER star to rivals Bayern Munich

Manchester United will try to exploit the bitter rivalry between German clubs Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund by making a £25million swoop for Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski.
Sir Alex Ferguson, who has trailed Lewandowski for 18 months, says he has new hope of landing the Poland forward, who scored four goals against Real Madrid in the Champions League last week.
United always feared Lewandowski, who has a year left on his deal, would end up at Bayern and reports hinted he had signed a pre-contract agreement.

Star man: Borussia Dortmung striker Robert Lewandowski (centre) is one of Europe's hottest properties

But, with the German clubs hot favourites to face each other in the Champions League final at Wembley after semi-final first leg wins over Barcelona and Madrid, their rivalry may prevent a move.
Dortmund fans are already up in arms that midfielder Mario Gotze has agreed to join Bayern in the summer after they met a £23m buy-out clause and there is disquiet among the club's hierarchy about the reaction if Lewandowski follows.
Ferguson plans to exploit that to partner Lewandowski with Robin van Persie.
He said: 'The Dortmund fans are not going to be happy by what has happened. I don't think the club will sell Lewandowski to Bayern. I think they'll let his contract run out or sell him elsewhere.

Destructive: Lewandowski was sensational against Real Madrid last week, scoring four times

Destructive: Lewandowski was sensational against Real Madrid last week, scoring four times

'Have I got room for him? I can find room for anybody good.'
Bayern have denied signing an agreement for Lewandowski, whose partnership with current United player Shinji Kagawa was the key to Dortmund winning successive Bundesliga titles before surrendering it to Bayern this season.

Bitter: Mario Gotze is leaving Dortmund for Bayern Munich at the end of the season

 

 

 

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It's just too small! Gene Simmons backs out of buying his children $2m LA home... because it's not big enough for their dogs

Gene Simmons has decided it's time for his children to get out of the nest.
However, while for most people in their early twenties that means a cramped share house and a diet Ramen noddles, as the children of a rockstar, Nick and Sophie Simmons will not be getting any roommates any time soon.
In order to encourage the 24-year-old and 20-year-old to get out of his house, Gene as tasked his wife Shannon Tweed with finding the children a home of their own.
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Time to go: Gene Simmons and his wife Shannon Tweed, pictured here at the Oblivion premiere this month, are trying to find a home for their children Nick and Sophie

However it is not going well as already Shannon is finding reasons why the homes are not a good fit for her growing babies.
TMZ reports that on April 21 the rocker's wife looked at a Sherman Oaks, California, home.
Rocker Gene confirmed to the website that he had no plans to move: 'It's not for Shannon we are going to buy our kids another home.'

House hunt: TMZ reports that on April 21 the rocker's wife looked at a Sherman Oaks, California, home

Entertainer's dream: Featuring a pool and expansive outdoor area the house is on the market for $2 million

Featuring a pool and expansive outdoor area the house is on the market for $2 million, so it is certainly not a fixer upper.
The home also has large indoor entertainment areas and polished floorboards.
However despite being 3,800 square foot, the home was rejected as according ton TMZ 'the yard wasn't big enough for their dogs'.

Ready to rock: The house is musician friendly with the previous owners having a baby grand piano bought in

Cosy features: The home has polished floors in all the entertainment areas but carpet in the bedrooms

So it is back to the house hunt to find a suitable home for the siblings and their pets.
While not many brothers and sisters would love the idea about having each other as a roomie, the Simmons siblings are particularly close and even went to Coachella Music Festival together earlier this month.
The pair are also both musicians with Sophie even competing on last year's American Idol.

Creature comforts: However despite being 3,800 square foot, the home was rejected 'the yard wasn't big enough for their dogs'

No sibling rivalry: While not many brothers and sisters would love the idea about having each other as a roomie, the Simmons siblings are particularly close

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