BANGKOK: Most Southeast Asian stocks retreated on Friday, along with weakness in broader Asia, with Thai shares hitting a fresh 16-month closing low as domestic political protests escalated. The Thai SET index ended down 0.5 percent at 1,224.62, recouping some of its earlier losses amid short-covering in large-caps such as Advanced Info Service and Kasikornbank. It was down 5.7 percent on the week, the worst since August 2013 and Southeast Asia's worst performer. Concerns over a possible delay in the Feb. 2 election and active short-selling helped spur Thursday's sell-off when the index plunged more than 5 percent. Anti-government protesters have planned mass rallies to shut down Bangkok on Jan. 13, calling for political reform before the polls while the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship would stage a mass rally to counter the planned anti-government demonstrations. Stocks in Singapore ended nine sessions of gains, falling 1.4 percent on the day and 0.6 percent on the week, while Malaysia lost 1 percent to a near two-week low, with a weekly loss of 1.4 percent, its first in seven weeks. Vietnam inched up 0.2 percent as real-estate stocks gained after the central bank cut home loan rates, with a weekly loss of 0.2 percent. Indonesia slid 1.6 percent to a one-week closing low while the Philippines was down 0.6 percent, both ending the week around 1 percent higher. SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS Change on day Market Current Prev Close Pct Move TR SE Asia Index* 379.67 383.33 -0.96 Singapore 3131.47 3174.65 -1.36 Kuala Lumpur 1834.74 1852.95 -0.98 Bangkok 1224.62 1230.77 -0.50 Jakarta 4257.66 4327.27 -1.61 Manila 5947.93 5984.26 -0.61 Ho Chi Minh 505.37 504.51 +0.17 Change on year Market Current End 2013 Pct Move TR SE Asia Index* 379.67 388.37 -2.24 Singapore 3131.47 3167.43 -1.14 Kuala Lumpur 1834.74 1866.96 -1.73 Bangkok 1224.62 1298.71 -5.70 Jakarta 4257.66 4274.18 -0.39 Manila 5947.93 5889.83 +0.99 Ho Chi Minh 505.37 504.63 +0.15 * The Thomson Reuters South East Asia Index is a highly representative indicator of stocks listed in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Stock Market Volume (shares) Market Current Volume Average Volume 30 days Singapore 133,084,900 190,505,640 Kuala Lumpur 96,226,900 110,109,077 Bangkok 5,265,556 5,322,809 Jakarta 2,186,911,500 2,946,130,917 Manila 74,931 71,601

Ho Chi Minh 55,600 92,815- Reuters-

Read more here:
Southeast Asia Stocks: Down, Thai shares reel

After 15 years in high-profile roles at eBay (EBAY), Yahoo (YHOO) and Move.com, Lorna Borenstein thought she'd retired from tech. She headed off for a Hawaiian vacation, where she hoped to unwind with a little yoga.

But while trolling YouTube, Vimeo and other video sites for hours, she couldn't find the kind of high-quality yoga instruction she wanted. And she reckoned other hobbyists must share her frustration.

So Borenstein, 45, got to work building Grokker, where high-definition videos now teach users dozens of yoga techniques -- as well as how to cook and get in better shape. The site launched in November and, unlike most other video-learning services, includes no user-generated content: It's all shot by professional videographers.

Though the content is free for now, users have to sign up to access most of it. Borenstein says a future "premium" membership and e-commerce opportunities are in the works. She recently sat with this newspaper to discuss the project; here's an edited transcript.

Q So did you fail at retirement, or what?

A Hmm, I guess I did (laughs). Although in my defense, I came up with the idea for Grokker while on vacation in Maui, so maybe I deserve partial credit?

Q Video instruction is a very hot space; it's also very crowded. What sets your approach apart from other sites?

A It comes down to three things: experts, community and premium, long-form video at disruptively low cost.

Grokker isn't merely a video app or site, it's an expert network. We don't aggregate videos, we create content -- breathtaking, on-demand HD content. We handpick our experts from all over the world, and they convey insights that transform how you cook, train or practice yoga.

Another key difference is our global community of passionate hobbyists. Enthusiasts can ask the experts questions, share their "I Did This" accomplishments and discover new videos loved by other members who share their interests. We like to call this "discovery through community."

Originally posted here:
Streaming yoga with Grokker CEO Lorna Borenstein