Daily Pulse: Apple Eyes Time Warner, We Have a Powerball Winner, Oscars List Unveiled

We have a winner(s)! This isn't Highlander—there doesn't have to be just one Powerball winner, and so far there appear to be three. California, Tennessee, and Florida all have winning tickets; the California ticket was purchased at a 7-11 in Chino Hills. The winners' names haven't yet been announced, but whoever they are, Mark Cuban has some advice for you:

"You don’t become a smart investor when you win the lottery. Don’t make investments.You can put it in the bank and live comfortably. Forever."

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50 Shades of Grey got an Oscar nom. It's time for Academy Award nominations! The full list is here. One thing that's relatively absent from that list is diversity—as Vanity Fair points out, we'll probably see the resurgence of last year's #OscarsSoWhite hashtag on Twitter. In general, this year's crop of nominees skews toward "big-budget, big-spectacle films," with The Revenant's 12 nominations leading the pack.

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An acquisition of Beats proportions: According to the New York Post, media giant Time Warner could soon be for sale—and Tim Cook is waiting in the wings. HBO alone would make TW a lust-worthy prospect for Apple, as the Cupertino company seeks to launch its own streaming service. Throw in some of Time Warner's other properties—CNN news, Turner Sports, Warner Bros. TV and movies—and Apple would have a compelling 'skinny bundle' for consumers.

Even if Time Warner just spun off HBO, media analyst Tim Mulligan thinks that would be enough for Apple to make a major dent in streaming: "If this rumour turns into a reality then Apple will be poised to disrupt video streaming in the same way that Apple Music has caused such disruption to the likes of Spotify and Deezer... Netflix could find itself being the victim of disruption, with the Pay-TV industry following rapidly behind."

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Baby, you can drive my car: Today at the Detroit Auto Show, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx will unveil a proposal to speed up the development of self-driving cars. Currently there isn't any sort of regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles, although several states have started exploring options. Google, and potentially Detroit automakers, will also participate in the announcement.

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GoPro plunges: Once-hot startup GoPro announced that fourth quarter earnings will likely be lower than originally predicted. The company will also be laying off 7% of its workforce (about 105 jobs). Shares dropped 25% in after-hours trading, hitting a new low of $11.02—a far cry from the company's high of $93.85 in October 2014.

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Cover Photo: Beloved and celebrated actor Alan Rickman has just passed away, after a battle with cancer. He was 69. 

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What you may have missed — and really should read:

• Amazon's Alexa—merchant savior or slayer?
• "Opinions shouldn’t be penalized, nor should they be rewarded. Honesty should be encouraged for the mere outcome of helping to make things better." A former Apple intern on 'radical candor'
• This is why Apple should buy HBO

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