PlayStation 4, Xbox One pre-orders sold out at most major retailers

Video games

Yannick LeJacq NBC News

July 12, 2013 at 5:39 PM ET

Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart is one of the few major U.S. retailers that's still accepting pre-orders for both the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4.

If you're eager to be one of the first gamers to get your hands on the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One but haven't pre-ordered either console yet, you might be in for a rude awakening.

While major video game retailers like Amazon and GameStop had already begun halting pre-orders for particular editions of one console or the other as early as June, this week tipped the scales toward what will most likely be another chaotic launch period for the next-generation consoles, complete with the long lines in front of local Best Buy outlets and Black Friday-esque stampedes veteran gamers know all too well.

While neither Sony or Microsoft has given a specific release date, both companies have promised their consoles will be available at retail in November.

"After a crazy and exciting month, we've sold through our initial allocations of PS4 and Xbox One," Amazon announced Wednesday on its video games Facebook page. The e-commerce giant said that while it is still accepting pre-orders for both consoles, it will no longer guarantee that customers will receive either one at launch. Just a day earlier, GameStop confirmed to the video game magazine Game Informer that it was no longer accepting PlayStation 4 pre-orders, having already told Polygon in late June that it hit its launch cap for Xbox One units.

As for Best Buy, the store is still accepting pre-orders for the PlayStation 4, but the retailer's Xbox One Launch Edition was listed as "sold out online" by Tuesday. Other major retailers like Wal-Mart and Target are still accepting pre-orders of both devices, though it remains unclear how well-equipped either of these companies will make individual outlets across the U.S. come the 2013 holiday season.

Given their long lifespans relative to other areas of consumer electronics, the initial launch of video game consoles tend to be all the more chaotic thanks to a combination of pent-up consumer demand and the myriad pressures of releasing a largely untested device to a global audience. While customers and console manufacturers alike might be hoping for an easier launch window than the last seven-year storm, gamers might do themselves more favors by preparing for another bumpy ride.

Yannick LeJacq is a contributing writer for NBC News who has also covered technology and games for Kill Screen, The Wall Street Journal and The Atlantic. You can follow him on Twitter at @YannickLeJacq and reach him by email at: Yannick.LeJacq@nbcuni.com.

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Cheap Insurance for International Travel | .:: I NeeD MoRe ::.

Cheap Insurance for International Travel

Traveling to another place or country is no joke. It involves a lot of things and it can really get you exhausted and exhilarated. Now, one of the many things that you would have to do once you finally decide to travel abroad is getting a good but cheap insurance. You see, insurance policies these days are quite expensive. But for purposes of traveling abroad, you only need to secure a travel insurance.

There are so many insurance providers out there that offer different kinds of insurance policies including travel insurance. Now, all these insurance providers may have a good reputation and background but you need to choose only one. You must choose the insurance provider who can provide you with almost all your needs as you travel abroad.

The task of looking for a travel agency that can book you on a flight is also difficult. You need to consider your budget and if you have very limited money to spend, you have to cut back on some amenities. One is to simply take the economy seat rather than the first class. You can also save money if you bring only a few baggage or luggage. But no matter how tight your budget is, you must never go out of the country without any international travel insurance.

When purchasing travel insurance, you also have several options just like booking for your amenities. There are insurance policies of reasonable rates that can suit your financial standing at present. Don?t make the sacrifice of not getting any insurance at all because you may end up paying for huge medical bills and other expenses abroad. There are so many travel insurance out in the market and all you have to do is to look for the right one.

You see, the insurance industry is very competitive and in order to stay in the market, the insurance providers must be able to give attractive offers to their customers or clients. It will be no surprise that cheap travel insurance are now being offered. The insurance policies are quite affordable but it can surely meet the standards of the customers.

Before choosing any insurance policy, you have to canvas or at least make a comprehensive survey of the current prices of travel insurance in the market. For instance, choose the top five popular insurance providers and call them one by one and ask for the different prices of the travel insurance policies. This may be time consuming so you can make an online comparison through the the help of the internet. You see, in just one sitting, you can compare several quotes of insurance policies online. All the matters concerning the insurance policies can be found online. The prices of the policies, the coverage, exclusions, benefits, and other important information can be found online.

After thorough canvassing and comparison of the different travel insurance, you can already make a decision as to which cheap international travel insurance to purchase. The travel insurance fits your budget and not only that, it can also provide you with all your coverage needs abroad. Start shopping now for a cheap yet good insurance policy. It would be best to make an early start because choosing the best cheap travel insurance may take some time especially if this is your first time to secure one. Good luck in your search and may you find the one that suits your needs.

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Source: http://www.i-need-more.com/cheap-insurance-for-international-travel/

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Duke Energy witnesses defend propriety most customer charges

photo JEN WILSON

Duke Energy Carolinas agreed to take about $112,000 out of its proposed rate increase that was its share of the costs paid for an engineering study of a cripple nuclear plant in Duke's Florida franchise.

Duke Energy witnesses testifying in the company's rate hearing before the N.C. Utilities Commission on Thursday defended the company against accusations by the witness for watchdog group NC WARN that it was seeking to charge customers for more than $20 million worth of costs that should be paid by shareholders.

But the witnesses also made concessions, agreeing to remove about $112,000 from the utility's cost-recovery request. With charges the company had earlier agreed to forego, Duke Energy Carolinas has agreed to take out nearly $1 million from the $234 million in revenue that would be raised by its proposed 5.1% rate hike.

Duke initially asked for a 9.7% rate hike that would have raised $446 million in new revenue. But it negotiated a compromise with the Public Staff of the N.C. Utilities Commission, charged with protecting customer interests, to reduced the increase.

Carol Shrum, Duke's director of rates and regulatory strategy, and Danny Wiles were the utility's key witnesses Thursday in the hearing before the N.C. Utilities Commission.

Executive pay

They disputed testimony from California economist William Marcus, who said Duke Carolinas included charges totaling more than $30 million that Carolinas customers should not have to pay.

North Carolina's roughly 70% share of Duke Carolinas' costs would translate into more than $21 million worth of charges to N.C. customers.

Most of the overcharges alleged by Marcus involved about $25 million paid to executives of parent Duke Energy Corp. That would be more than $21 million in costs the company proposed charged to N.C. customers.

Shrum testified that a share of charges for executive compensation has been in Duke's rates for years and was neither new nor improper. Wiles testified the company had already agreed to take out about $870,000 in charges that Marcus had identified as improper in the weeks leading up to the hearing. That included $326,000 in charges Duke agreed to withdraw as the hearings opened Monday.

John Downey covers the energy industry and public companies for the Charlotte Business Journal.

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Stocks surge to record close on positive Fed comments

stocks

JeeYeon Park CNBC

12 hours ago

Andrew Burton / Getty Images

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange at the end of the trading day Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at record high today, up 169.26 points to close at 15,460.92.

It was a record-breaking day on Wall Street on Thursday.

Not only did the Dow and S&P 500 crash through their previous record highs, but the technology-heavy Nasdaq closed at its highest level in 13 years when the dot-com bubble was bursting.

The Nasdaq had its best day in three months, jumping 57.55 points, or 1.63 percent and closing at its highest level -- 3,578.30 -- since Sept. 29, 2000. That was when the dot-com bubble was bursting after a speculative period from 1997 when stock markets saw their equity value rise rapidly from growth in the Internet sector and related fields.

Thursday's big surge upwards came less than a day after Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said the Fed would keep its foot on the stimulus gas pedal for some time, even if the unemployment rate hit the Fed's target of 6.5 percent.

His remarks were bolstered by the minutes from the Fed's latest policy meeting, which showed that policymakers wanted further reassurances about the strength of the jobs market before pulling back on stimulus measures.

(Read More: Will Investors Finally Buy Bernanke's Explanation)

Uncertainty over the Fed's direction had caused concern in the markets for weeks, but on Thursday Bernanke's words seemed to remove any doubt and investors went wild.

Thursday also saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average shoot up 169.26 points, or 1.11 percent, to close at a new all-time high of 15460.92. All 30 Dow components finished higher, led by Intel and Microsoft. The blue-chip index's point gain for 2013 is already greater than any year on record.

The S&P 500 soared 22.40 points, or 1.36 percent, to finish at 1,675.02, logging its sixth-consecutive rally and also setting a new closing high. The index is now on pace for its biggest weekly gain since January.

The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, slid near 14.

"While you cannot guarantee that short-covering is taking place, this looks, smells and feels like a huge short-covering," said Art Cashin, director of floor operations at UBS Financial Services. "Next week, we have the equivalent of what used to be the Humphrey-Hawkins testimony so we could get a lot of volatility again."

On a day for records:

• The Dow and S&P 500 had their best day in one month
  
• The S&P 500 has its first 6-day winning streak in almost two years
  
• This was the second highest number of advancing stocks at the New York Stock Exchange this year (2,203 stocks rose at the NYSE?the most since the first trading day of the year on Jan. 2)
  
• All 10 S&P 500 sectors ended the day up, and 8 of 10 sectors closed up over 1 percent.
  
• All 30 Dow stocks, 90 percent of the S&P 500, and 94 percent of the Nasdaq 100 closed up.
  

(Read More: What Did Ben Say? Playing the Fed Word Game)

The dollar dropped broadly against a basket of currencies, with its index falling to $82.418, its lowest since June 25 and down around 2.8 percent from the three-year high of $84.753. Meanwhile, Treasury prices gained after the government auctioned $13 billion in 30-year bonds at a high yield of 3.660 percent. The bid-to-cover ratio, an indicator of demand, was 2.26, versus the recent average of 2.59.

On the economic front, weekly jobless claims rose by 16,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 360,000, according to the Labor Department, above expectations for a reading of 340,000. The four-week moving average of new claims increased by a more modest 6,000 to 351,750.

Meanwhile, import and export prices declined for the fourth-straight month in June, according to the Labor Department.

Gasoline prices are forecast to jump between 10 and 20 cents per gallon within the next few days, driven by rising oil prices and peak driving season. Oil prices have risen in recent weeks on geopolitical concerns, along with declining inventories.

In Asia, the Shanghai Composite rose above the key 2,000 level for a second straight session on hopes that Wednesday's dismal trade data will lead the Chinese central bank to ease monetary policy in an effort to boost growth.

(Poll: Will China Experience a 'Hard Landing' in 2013?)

Meanwhile, the yen strengthened further against the dollar on Thursday after the Bank of Japan held its monetary policy steady, but upgraded the country's economic outlook.

More business news:

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Two Energy Companies Reported as Dividend Growers of the Week

During the past week, GuruFocus recognized two companies as dividend growers. In order to be qualified for this list, the company had to:

? Have a dividend yield of greater than 3%.
? Have a strong history of stable and increasing dividends.
? Maintain Guru ownership.
? Have a market cap of greater than $10 billion.

The following two companies come from the oil and energy sectors and both meet the requirements to be considered a GuruFocus dividend grower.

A comparison of the companies? historical dividend growth:

[ Enlarge Image ]

Spectra Energy Corp. (SE)

On July 8, Spectra Energy Corp. declared a dividend of $0.305 per share, representing a 3.40% dividend yield for the company. This dividend is payable on Sept. 9 to shareholders of the record at the close of business on Aug. 9, 2013.

The company?s historical dividend growth is as follows:

? 10-year: 0%
? 5-year: 4.2%
? 3-year: 3.2%

[ Enlarge Image ]

The company?s dividend yield has increased yearly since February 2007. Spectra has declared 25 dividends since the company?s incorporation in 2006.

Spectra Energy is a Fortune 500 company based out of Houston, Texas. The company?s operations in the U.S. and Canada include more than 22,000 miles of natural gas, natural gas liquids and crude oil pipelines, approximately 305 billion cubic feet of natural gas storage, as well as natural gas gathering and processing and local distribution operations. The company also has a 50% ownership in DCP Midstream (DPM).

Spectra?s historical price, revenue and net income:

[ Enlarge Image ]

The analysis on Spectra Energy reports:

? The company has issued $4.1 billion of debt in the past three years.
? The revenue has been in decline over the past year.
? The P/S ratio is at a 5-year high.
? The operating margin is consistently expanding.

Spectra Energy has a market cap of $23.96 billion; its shares were traded at around $35.50 with a P/E ratio of 24.70 and a P/S ratio of 4.60. The company had an annual average earnings growth of 3.7% over the past 10 years.

Spectra Energy?s price is sitting at a 52-week high as well as a 10-year high.

There are seven gurus that hold a stake in Spectra Energy. Click here to see their holding histories.

Plains All American Pipeline LP (PAA)

On July 8, Plains All American Pipeline declared a dividend of $0.588 per share, representing a 4.00% dividend yield for the company. This dividend is payable on Aug. 14 to shareholders of the record at the close of business on Aug. 2, 2013.

The company?s historical dividend growth is as follows:

? 10-year: 7.7%
? 5-year: 4.6%
? 3-year: 3.9%

[ Enlarge Image ]

The dividend has been consistently increasing since March 2000 as you can see in the quarterly chart below:

[ Enlarge Image ]

Plains All American Pipeline is engaged in the transportation, storage, terminalling and marketing of crude oil and refined products, as well as in the processing, transportation, fractionation, storage and marketing of natural gas liquids. Plains All American is also headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Plains All American Pipeline?s historical price, revenue and net income:

[ Enlarge Image ]

The analysis on All American Pipeline reports:

- The company has issued $1.9 billion of debt in the past three years.
- The revenue has slowed in the past year.
- The price is sitting near a 10-year high of $59.34.

Plains All American Pipeline has a market cap of $19.08 billion; its shares were traded at around $56.31 with a P/E ratio of 17.70 and a P/S ratio of 0.50. The company had an annual average earnings growth of 14.8% over the past ten years. GuruFocus rated Plains All American Pipeline the business predictability rank of 2-star.

John Keeley, Chuck Royce and Jim Simons all hold a stake in PAA. Click here to see their holding histories.

To view a complete list of high yielding dividend stocks found among the gurus? portfolios, click here.

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Dodgers get push on to land Puig on All-Star team

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) ? If Lorena Ramos has any influence, Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Yasiel Puig will win the fan voting for a spot on the All-Star team.

The 38-year-old season ticket holder estimates she has texted 5,000 times on Puig's behalf to ensure he lands the last roster spot on the NL team for next week's game at Citi Field in New York.

Ramos was working her phone some more in between watching the Dodgers' road game at Arizona on Tuesday night from Barney's Beanery in Old Town Pasadena, along with other blue-and-white clad fans.

"He's exciting. He brings a lot of energy to the game," said Ramos, of South Gate.

The viewing and voting party was the second of three hosted by the Dodgers around the Los Angeles area to give Puig a final push in the balloting, which ends Thursday at 1 p.m. PDT.

He needs it, too.

Puig trailed first-place Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves entering Tuesday, when more than 33.2 million votes had been cast. Toronto reliever Steve Delabar led voting for the last AL spot.

"I vote every day until I get tired," said Priscilla Cabrera of Silver Lake, who made up her face in blue, red and white paint with Puig's No. 66 in white on her right cheek. She carried a sign that played on the phrase, yes we can, doctoring it to read in Spanish, "Si Se Puige!"

Cabrera uses her cellphone and iPad to vote, estimating she's punched in the code for Puig more than 1,000 times.

"Ever since he got to the Dodgers he's had this impact that has lifted the whole team up from the slump that they were in," the 20-year-old college student said.

The Dodgers have climbed from last place in the NL West to second, 3 ? games behind leading Arizona going into the teams' game Tuesday.

Puig came into Tuesday night's game ? his 34th in the big leagues ? batting .409 with 19 RBI and eight home runs. He got called up from the minors last month and immediately caused a sensation with his hitting and fielding, and youthful enthusiasm.

His base hit in the first inning drew cheers from the bar crowd, many of whom sported T-shirts bearing his name.

"He's so electric, he's so fresh," marveled Ryan Rossi, a 22-year-old college student from Pasadena who wore a Puig T-shirt. "He's got a future in the league and it's nice to see this on the Dodgers because we've been pretty bad."

Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, whose locker is next to Puig's in the clubhouse, is a candidate for the last NL All-Star spot. But he's already thrown his support, and vote, behind the Cuban defector.

"I think Adrian is going to be the odd-man out," former Dodgers star Steve Garvey said.

Garvey, who made the 1974 All-Star Game as a write-in candidate, was on hand at the bar as honorary campaign manager. He disagrees with critics, including some managers, who say Puig hasn't been in the big leagues long enough to merit an All-Star berth.

"They don't really understand this is the entertainment business," Garvey said. "This is our showcase. It's an international league now with international players. It's good for the game. If you're the National League, you want him on your team because you want to win."

Garvey tossed in a plug for Puig to participate in Monday's Home Run Derby.

"You can't sneak a 100-mph fastball past this guy," he said.

Janet Luke of Alta Loma has seen a lot of Dodgers come and go since she first became a fan in 1962, and she hopes the 22-year-old Cuban right fielder has staying power.

"I just don't want him to be a flash in the pan," she said. "He's so young. I hope he makes good choices."

That said, the 66-year-old woman is backing Puig to the hilt.

"I voted for him until my fingers fell off," Luke said. "He's ignited the spirit of baseball for all the fans. The sport needs somebody like him to keep it alive."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/dodgers-push-land-puig-star-team-032903123.html

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