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Tested: Intel Lunar Lake brings real gaming to thin, light laptops
What does Sean Manaea's reunion with the Mets mean for the player, the team and the rest of the offseason?The field of artificial intelligence (AI) isn't just some fad Wall Street is currently obsessed with but will fade into utter insignificance soon. While some of the hype will die down eventually, the technology has the potential to make corporations more efficient and increase profits over the long run. So, investing in excellent AI companies remains a great idea. In that spirit, let's consider one AI stock that looks like an excellent investment opportunity for 2025 and beyond: Meta Platforms ( META 2.50% ) . Meta Platforms' AI angle Some companies are offering various AI-related services to corporations or consumers. Others are taking on AI-based initiatives to improve their businesses. Many, like Meta Platforms, are doing both. The company's Meta AI is a platform, available for free, that is looking to rival ChatGPT on a range of performance metrics. This AI assistant can perform tasks, from basic search queries to image generation, all for the price of a Facebook or Instagram account -- something many people already have. Besides the generative capabilities of Meta AI, Meta Platforms has released various iterations of its open-source large language model , Llama. These may be free for now, but don't think Meta Platforms doesn't plan on monetizing these efforts eventually. Elsewhere, the company has used AI to increase engagement on platforms like Facebook and Instagram through recommendation algorithms. It also helps companies looking to advertise on its websites and apps through AI-based tools that help them quickly create ads. How are all these initiatives working? Pretty well, according to the company. Meta AI had over 500 million monthly active users as of the third quarter. Meta Platforms also reported that AI-powered video-feed recommendations have helped increase the time people spend on Facebook by 8% and on Instagram by 6% this year. Further, companies using Meta's advertising tools have increased conversions by 7%. So, Meta Platforms' AI business is helping improve its financial results. In the third quarter, the company's revenue increased by 19% year over year to $40.6 billion. The company's Q3 earnings per share of $6.03 was up 37% compared to the year-ago period. Meta also ended the quarter with 3.29 billion daily active users (DAUs). Meta Platforms increasing its DAUs may not have anything to do with AI, but when they spend more time on Facebook and Instagram because of AI, that can directly impact the company's revenue. Looking beyond AI AI could be an important long-term tailwind for Meta Platforms, especially as it seeks to find more ways to monetize some of its current initiatives in the field. It's not a race. Meta Platforms acquired WhatsApp in 2014. Its monetization efforts on this platform have been slow. Meta is ramping up things like paid messaging on WhatsApp, but it represents a tiny percentage of its overall revenue. The point, though, is that Meta Platforms has a massive ecosystem. For now, it continues to make strong revenue and earnings from its advertising business. But that could change in the long run. Whether through AI, WhatsApp, e-commerce, or its metaverse ambitions, Meta Platforms will find many other monetization opportunities. Here are two other reasons to invest in the stock. First, Meta Platforms has a strong competitive advantage, particularly from the network effect . For people or businesses who are on Instagram or Facebook, these platforms only get more useful for almost any purpose as more users join. That's why Meta Platforms' ecosystem is second to none in the social media landscape, and it ensures that the company will remain a leader for the foreseeable future. Second, Meta Platforms is now a dividend-paying company. We can't call it a great dividend stock yet, but maybe it will be that in a decade. In the meantime, opting to reinvest the company's payouts will help boost what should already be strong returns in the next decade.By GREG BEACHAM PASADENA, Calif. — The Rose Bowl is the next stop on No. 1 Oregon’s national championship quest. And Ohio State or Tennessee will be the Ducks’ opponent in the 111th edition of the Granddaddy of Them All. Oregon (13-0) received the top seed in the first 12-team College Football Playoff on Dec. 8, sending the Ducks to celebrate the new year in Pasadena for the ninth time in school history as they continue to fight for their first national championship. But first, the eighth-seeded Buckeyes (10-2) and the ninth-seeded Volunteers (10-2) will meet in Columbus on Dec. 21, to determine Oregon’s opponent in the Rose Bowl Game, which is also a playoff quarterfinal. The first-round matchup pits a pair of college football powerhouses with little history together. The Volunteers beat the Buckeyes, 20-14, in the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1, 1996, in the schools’ only previous meeting. Ohio State got home-field advantage despite missing out on a Big Ten title game date with Oregon after a humiliating 13-10 loss at home to Michigan last month. The Buckeyes also lost a 32-31 thriller to the Ducks in Eugene in October, but they might still get that rematch in California. Oregon is clearly the class of this jumbled college football season, finishing as the only undefeated team in the FBS and the No. 1 team in the AP Top 25 after holding off Penn State 45-37 to win its first Big Ten championship. The Ducks’ road to a title looks fairly daunting with two elite opponents vying for their quarterfinal shot, and social media filled up with fans and commentators bemoaning the relative difficulty of Oregon’s path. The rough road doesn’t bother Oregon coach Dan Lanning, however. “What an opportunity, right?” Lanning said on ESPN. “We focus on the things that you can control, and winning a national championship isn’t supposed to be easy. If our path is a little bit tougher, kudos to us if we go through it and take care of business.” For decades, the Rose Bowl cherished its position as a near-annual meeting of teams from the Big Ten and the West Coast conference most recently known as the Pac-12. The breakup of the Pac-12 and the permanent change in the Rose Bowl’s postseason position happened simultaneously over the past year, throwing the bowl’s future into flux. But Oregon’s familiar presence in Pasadena next month will smooth that change significantly — and if the Ducks’ opponent is Ohio State, the traditionalists will still get exactly what they crave out of this game anyway. Oregon and Ohio State met in the Rose Bowl in 1958 and again on Jan. 1, 2010, with Terrelle Pryor leading the Buckeyes to a 26-17 victory. Oregon is 4-4 in its previous trips to the Rose Bowl, and the modern Ducks have spent their holiday in Pasadena four times since 2010. They’ve won in their past three appearances in the Granddaddy, most recently beating Wisconsin 28-27 in Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert’s final game for his hometown school in 2020. Ohio State has made 16 previous appearances in the Rose Bowl, third-most in the game’s history behind USC (34) and Michigan (21). The Buckeyes have won their last four games in Pasadena, most recently beating Washington in 2019 and Utah in 2022. A trip to Pasadena would be a treat for Tennessee’s vast fan base. The Vols made two trips to the Rose Bowl during the 1940s, but they haven’t been back there since 1945. Oregon and Tennessee have faced each other twice, with the Ducks winning both matchups in 2010 and in 2013. What: CFP quarterfinal When: 8 p.m., Dec. 21 Where: Ohio Stadium, Columbus Records: Tennessee 10-2, Ohio State 10-2 For the record: Winner advances to face Oregon in the Rose Bowl
Ice Tropez – categorised as a “wine cocktail” – has responded to the public backlash following a social media post advertising its non-alcoholic version for the whole family. The French brand has come under fire over its products, which look strikingly similar in their packaging. ICE TROPEZ SOCIAL MEDIA BACKLASH: WHAT HAPPENED? On Instagram, popular mommy influencer Vongai Mapho courted controversy over a paid post advertising Ice Tropez’s non-alcoholic cocktails for the whole family. She posted, “Did you know, unlike other non-alcoholic beverages, Ice Tropez Zero is not de-alcoholised? It’s 100% alcohol-free, making it perfectly safe for expecting moms, kids, and the whole family to enjoy.” While the items were clearly from the non-alcoholic range, they did look strikingly similar to the bottles, which contain 6.50% alcohol. And social media users were just as confused. WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR KIDS NON-ALCOHOLIC ICE TROPEZ? Let us know by clicking on the comment tab below this article or by emailing info@thesouthafrican.com or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 You can also follow @TheSAnews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest news.
Trump claims he’ll target ‘criminals’ for mass deportations – but also vows to end birthright citizenship