Quartz Daily Brief—A letter to Iran, Apple’s expensive smart watch, Europe’s army, cancer smelling canine
Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
India’s prime minister goes on the road again. Narendra Modi will begin a tour through Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Mauritius, and the Seychelles, offering governments there both military and civilian assistance. The visit to Sri Lanka will be especially important: it will be the first by an Indian prime minister in nearly three decades.
Audi reports its full year results. The German automaker has successfully managed to outsell rival BMW during the past two months, and yesterday it announced that it’ll begin producing a second model in North America—an SUV called the Q5—that it will ship to Europe, the US, and other markets (paywall).
Motorola’s second generation Moto E arrives in India. A week after it was announced in the US, Motorola—now owned by Chinese electronics giant Lenovo—will unveil its next generation budget handset at a reported Rs 6,999 ($112) price tag, for the 3G version. It’s unclear whether the version that supports 4G LTE networks will launch in the country.
Sina reports its fourth quarter results. The Chinese company behind the microblogging service Weibo is due to report its results. Investors expect a substantial drop in earnings (61%) from the same quarter a year ago. Revenues for the year are estimated to come in at around $755 million.
Tickets for Shania Twain’s final tour go on sale. With over 75 million albums sold, and five Grammy awards on her shelf, the country music star says she will put her microphone in storage after this go-around. Fans can start purchasing tickets today; sales to the general public begin Friday.
While you were sleeping
General Motors announced it will buy back $5 billion of its shares. The auto-maker will also raise its quarterly dividend from $0.30 to $0.36, part of an effort to return $10 billion to its shareholders by 2016. This settles a long-running dispute with an investment group lead by Harry Wilson, who orchestrated the 2009 government bailout. (paywall)
Europe apparently needs its own army. Or so said European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker. He wants a military force that doesn’t compete with NATO, but maintains peace in the region, especially in the face of Russian aggression. Germany’s defense minister supports the idea, but a British government spokesperson balked at the suggestion.
A solar-powered plane started its flight around the world. The Solar Impulse-2 took off from Abu Dhabi, beginning its 35,000 kilometer trip expected to take five months. The flight won’t be continuous; there will be stops for maintenance, and to change pilots. With 17,000 solar cells on wings wider than that of a Boeing 747, the plane will average 70 km/h (43 miles an hour).
US Senators wrote an open letter to Iran. It warns Tehran that any nuclear deal reached with president Obama must be approved by Congress, and that it could be voided by his successor. The 47 signatures at the bottom of the document (pdf) belong to Republicans, who have been seeking to derail ongoing negotiations.
Apple finally revealed the range—and prices—of its smart watches. We’ve known for a while that the bare-bones version would start at $349; the company has now unveiled its full line-up, which includes a stainless steel selection, starting at $549, and the Apple Watch Edition, which starts at $10,000. The company has also introduced a new $1,299 laptop, and priced the new Apple TV at $69.
Quartz obsession interlude
Hanna Kozlowska on the non-believers. “Americans excel at denial. Take climate change. There’s overwhelming scientific evidence that human activity has accelerated climate change. But a staggering 52% of the population agreed with the statement that climate change ‘is a natural phenomenon that happens from time to time,’ in a global poll published last year. It comes as little surprise, then, that some of the country’s officials have successfully pretended that human-induced climate change does not exist.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Europe is torturing itself. Whether or not Greece stays in the euro zone is irrelevant, the policies of the economic block are sending it toward complete failure.
The situation in Russia is making everyone forget about China. The citizens of the People’s Republic are being silenced, and it’s going to make the US relationship with the country complicated.
China isn’t devaluing the yuan. It may look like it is, but the country is actually trying to reach its GDP growth target of “about 7%” this year.
Murderers are both born and made. A warrior gene in many men makes them more likely to kill, but childhood trauma can also push people over the edge.
Silence is now a luxury good. If you don’t have the means, prepare to be assaulted by advertising and brands looking to soak up all your attention (paywall).
Surprising discoveries
A breast cancer drug increases male sperm count. Letrozol was designed to inhibit estrogen production. It’s helping men with low testosterone levels produce more fertile semen.
This dog can smell cancer. Frankie’s nose has an 88% success rate in detecting tumors.
Kanye West concerts give fans a source of income. Online auction site eBay has been flooded with plastic bags full of air from alleged Kanye performances.
Men are more narcissistic than women. A new study involving nearly half a million people, conducted over three decades, has conclusive results.
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