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The chip industry has a problem — can looking to the architecture of the web help? The tradeoff between faster performance and power consumption has led the chip industry to add more and more cores to each chip to keep delivering more speed and features to users.
Getting to next generation systems in high performance computing has inspired technologies that we now use everyday in data centers, but as the drive for exascale computing continues, it seems ingenuity is coming to an end. But is power consumption the real hurdle for bigger systems?
We are moving from the information age to the insight age. So the computer industry is building chip with more cores to keep up with influx of data and the need to process it faster. But more cores means new ways of programming.
Facebook engineers have tested a 64-core chip from Tilera and found it ideal for grabbing data quickly from key value stores. This may galvanize the creation of new benchmarks as the debate of which architecture works best for webscale and cloud computing rages.
Mobile hardware is progressing at a blistering pace, but to deliver the type of user experiences enabled by awesome hardware software must keep pace. This goes beyond the need for innovations in OSes and applications, to the underlying software that ties everything together.
The brains inside your smartphone are getting more power with the latest version of application processors having two processing cores to help speed up the delivery of web site load times and mobile gameplay. That’s awesome, but startup Adapteva, wants to take that number higher.
People are complicated organisms that have evolved systems of feedback and governance to ensure our minds and out bodies perform well. As computers gain more cores, MIT scientists are building an operating system to create a similar system of feedback to ensure the machine performs well.
Intel’s Paul Otellini said on Tuesday night that the chip firm would release a dual-core Atom chip during the second quarter. Intel won’t be alone in adding more cores for mobile devices, smartphones could get multiple cores by the end of this year or in 2011.
Although software is the most important ingredient of the next-generation Internet – from web applications to cloud-computing platforms – hardware vendors are not shy about marketing their wares as integral parts of the equation. Lately, Cisco claimed it will revolutionize the Internet with its CRS-3 router, and startups like Tilera are shilling new RISC-based many-core chips. If we accept the premise that hardware upgrades are necessary, the question remains as to who will sell us this new gear.


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Utility, versatility and value are what consumers are looking for in their athletic and outdoor footwear, and those impulses will play out in design, look and function for fall ’13, industry expert T.J. Gray told Footwear News.
Gray, a founder of the industrial design firm Rocket Fish Design, said consumers are looking for functional product that they can use for lifestyle, but they’re not shopping according to strict category types.
“Buyers coming into [Outdoor Retailer] should be keeping an open mind about what running and outdoor footwear is these days,” he said. “People are exposed to so much on the Web and there is so much they can get to. And with tighter dollars and a tighter economy, they’re looking to get more out of the pairs of shoes they can buy.”
Minimalism will continue to evolve into the next generation of lightweight shoes, designed to maximize sensory input for fall ’13 and beyond, Gray said. And the trend will touch almost all categories of outdoor and athletic footwear.
In running, trail running, light hiking and multisport, he noted, lightweight, flexible product with lower midsoles will be important once again, but the conversation will center on the enhanced feedback the product provides.
“There’ll be more talk of the sensory aspect, of being able to feel the trail or get sensory stimulation when you’re running,” he explained.
Outdoor and athletic footwear also is moving toward a more sophisticated use of color, and in keeping with the emphasis on utility, reflective treatments on shoes and apparel will gain ground.
“Color is modulating in all categories,” Gray said. “You’ll see more [bright] color pops with earthy tones [overall].”
The good news, he added, is that consumers still demand feature-heavy items. “People are willing to pay more, but they want to know what they’re getting,” Gray said.

domain: news


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The shows follows David Wu Dawei, a well-known Chinese-American entertainer, as he leads contestants representing three countries, China, the U.S. and the U.K., as they take part in competitions around China. The series is less aggressive than reality contests created for the U.S. market, in part because of new TV programming regulations from China’s State Administration of Radio, Film & Television.
The state agency has told producers and broadcasters they have to take the bite out of the contests. The government is concerned that hotly competitive shows do not promote an image of equality and may fuel discontent among China’s poorer, rural residents.
“Quest China, Da Tiao Zhan, meets all SARFT regulations in both letter and spirit. Quest China shows viewers how westerners and Chinese deal with competition, cooperation, victory and defeat, giving insight into what separates us and unites us as people, by putting people against unfamiliar backdrops and seeing how they react,” said Ric DiIanni, president of the show’s producer, House Films, in Shanghai.
The contests include tasks like making a short film in Shanghai, picking tea leaves during a storm in a small tea village or running through Beijing’s hutong, areas with traditional Chinese courtyard houses, using hand held GPS devices.
Rather than “preying on young, inexperienced people by waving the prospect of instant fame and fortune,” Quest China’s contestants are well educated and multilingual. The real goal of the show is educating the audience “about life in modern China from experts,” Mr. DiIanni explained.
The contests were judged by Jiang Yong, CEO of ABC Capital, an arm of Asia Investment Banking Co.; Tom Doctoroff, CEO, China and area director, North Asia at JWT; and Du Qin, a tea farmer from Hanghzou.
The second season is sponsored by Burger King and Everlast Worldwide, an American sporting goods marketer. Each company will be featured in episodes to raise their profile in China, said Mr. DiIanni. "[Both] are new to the Chinese market and are using our show to announce their brands to the Chinese community."
Burger King opened its first outlet in China in June 2005, and now has 12 restaurants, but plans to have up to 300 within five years. The teams met at Burger Kings to plan for upcoming challenges and relax aftertwards and discuss their performance. The American and British team members also described to their Chinese counterparts the differences between Burger King and other western fast food brands, explaining phrases like "flame-broiling" and "have it your way," and helping the Chinese team members order.
The teams were also given Everlast clothes in the first episode, which were worn by the team members and the host David Wu throughout the series. While non-Everlast clothing was also worn, no other brands' logos were seen in the show. In the 11th challenge, the teams were asked to create print ads for Everlast. JWT's Mr. Doctoroff and George Williams, the CEO of Everlast, judged that challenge.
“Sponsoring this show is a no-brainer,” said John Barbera, a board member of Brand Management Holdings (BMH), the Everlast Licensee in China and former president of worldwide sales for Turner Broadcasting. “It’s the best use of media in China I’ve seen.”
In April 2007, Everlast made its first major push into the mainland, by entering into a licensing agreement with Hong Kong-based BMH, a subsidiary of UCCAL, a leading distributor and retailer of international apparel brands in China. BMH manages over 700 points of sale in support of international brands like Nike Sport Culture, Nike Golf, Jockey, St. John, M. Missoni, Fox, and Kuhle. In the second quarter of 2008, Everlast-licensed products are scheduled to ship to a planned 20 Everlast branded retail locations in China.
Quest China will air as a half-hour program on provincial channels in cities like Shanghai and Chonqing, which have distribution in other areas through pay-TV platforms, as well as on IPTV and SiTV systems in China. Three- and five-minute segments of the show will be seen on over 50,000 buses in 33 cities, in the subway and light rail stations of five cities and in Shanghai and Beijing taxis that are part of I-level media's network, as well as on Dragon Mobile's platform in China.


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ABK announces winners of 28th ‘Double Your Salary’ weekly draw
Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait (ABK) held its 28th ‘Double Your Salary’ weekly draw on 7th November, 2016 at the Bank’s Head Office in the presence of a representative from the Ministry of Commerce, announcing the names of the winners for this week. The promotion includes weekly draws, with two winners per draw. The campaign will run until 27th June, 2017.
The winners of this week are:
1) Loulwah Saud Ali Al-Saadi, Head Office Branch
2) Sirinivasa Rao Suriyanarayana, Fahaheel Branch
New customers who transfer their salary to ABK receive KD 100 and will automatically be entered into the weekly draws to double their salaries. Existing customers who are already transferring their salary to ABK are entered into a separate draw.
The next ‘Double Your Salary’ draw will be held on 14th November, 2016 where two new lucky winners will be announced. All winners will be contacted personally and a weekly announcement will be made through the media with the winners’ names.


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Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc has signed a deal to take its eponymous doughnut chain to Vietnam as the company continues its push to expand internationally.
The company has signed a franchise agreement with Vietnam Food and Beverage Co. to develop Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants across the country over the next several years, with the first locations planned for the Ho Chi Minh City area.
The group’s restaurants in Vietnam will offer coffee and baked goods, including Dunkin’ Donuts Original Blend Coffee, doughnuts, breakfast and bakery sandwiches, frozen drinks, iced tea and other beverages. Dunkin’ said it also will offer regional menu items to cater to local Vietnamese tastes.
Dunkin’ Donuts has more than 10,000 restaurants around the world in 32 countries, including more than 1,450 locations in Southeast Asia. In 2012, the brand entered several new markets, including India and Guatemala, and announced expansions in a number of existing markets, including Chile, Colombia and Germany.
Dunkin’ Brands ice-cream chain – Baskin-Robbins, entered Vietnam in January 2012 and has 13 locations in the country.
Dunkin’s move comes only a few weeks after rival Starbucks Corp outlined details of its own planned move into Vietnam, saying it will open its first cafe in Ho Chi Minh City early next month, a bit later than its originally projected timeline of 2012.
John Culver, Starbucks’s president of China and the Asia Pacific region, has noted that Vietnam is the second-largest coffee-producing country in the world, behind Brazil, and that the company has been sourcing coffee from there for several years.
(Source: WSJ, ANT Consulting)


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Year-on-year headline inflation increased to 2.9 percent in January 2020 from 2.5 percent in December 2019. The higher inflation outturn, which was within the BSP's expected range of 2.5-3.3 percent for the month, was also close to the midpoint of the Government's inflation target range of 3.0 percent 1.0 percentage point for the year. Likewise, core inflation which excludes selected volatile food and energy items to measure underlying price pressures rose to 3.3 percent in January 2020 from 3.1 percent in the previous month. On the other hand, month-on-month seasonally-adjusted inflation slowed down to 0.4 percent in January 2020 from 0.8 percent in December 2019.
Year-on-year inflation rates of most key food items such as, meat, fish, fruit, and vegetables increased during the month as weather-related disturbances affected domestic supply conditions. At the same time, the implementation of the higher excise tax on tobacco products also drove inflation higher in January 2020. Meanwhile, upward price adjustments of domestic petroleum products also contributed to higher non-food inflation during the month.
The latest inflation outturn is in line with the BSP's prevailing assessment that inflation will gradually pick up to approach the midpoint of the Government's 2-4 percent target range in 2020 and 2021. The BSP will consider all the latest developments in the Monetary Board's assessment of domestic and external conditions in its meeting on 6 February 2020. Going forward, the BSP will closely monitor economic developments here and abroad to ensure that the monetary policy stance remains consistent with the BSP's price stability objective while being supportive of economic growth.
Source: Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)


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SAN FRANCISCO — It looks as if the Google pixie dust isn’t so easy to spread around.
Marissa Mayer’s arrival at Yahoo as chief executive a year and a half ago was widely hailed as an opportunity to infuse the struggling Internet pioneer with the smarts and cachet that had helped her succeed as a top executive at Google. She was one of the earliest employees at Google, with a reputation for inventiveness and
While Ms. Mayer took the public spotlight — for example, she personally introduced Yahoo’s new consumer technology site at a trade show in Las Vegas this month — Mr. de Castro was charged with the less sexy but equally vital task of reviving Yahoo’s advertising business. While that would be a herculean task for anyone at a company whose fortunes have been declining for a decade, Mr. de Castro was particularly ill suited for the job, according to ad-industry executives, analysts and people who worked with him at Google and Yahoo. When Ms. Mayer hired him, the choice mystified people both inside and outside the company. And tension quickly developed between the two leaders, according to the company insiders, most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to not upset business relationships.
Mr. de Castro, a former consultant at McKinsey, was fond of using spreadsheets but was weak in his knowledge of Google’s products, said a person who worked with him at Google.
Additionally, he was not a charismatic salesman willing to schmooze with Madison Avenue marketers to persuade them to spend their ad dollars on Yahoo instead of on rivals like Facebook and Google.
“Henrique wasn’t as market-facing as his predecessors or competitors,” said Amanda Richman, president of investment and activation at Starcom USA, which buys billions of dollars of ads a year on behalf of big consumer brands like Kraft and Kellogg’s.
Mr. de Castro did not respond to phone and email messages on Thursday.
attention to detail. If anyone could fix Yahoo, it was believed, it was Ms. Mayer.
But the announcement on Wednesday that she had tossed out her top lieutenant, Henrique de Castro, was her first public acknowledgment that turning around Yahoo would be far more difficult than has sometimes been suggested by the media attention she has received.
“That was Marissa’s first big hire,” said Robert Peck, an analyst at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. “You can imagine how difficult it would be to admit a mea culpa.”
Bringing on Mr. de Castro, who was also a longtime Google executive, was just one of many prominent moves Ms. Mayer has made, including buying the blog site Tumblr for $1.1 billion, hiring the television host Katie Couric to be the anchor of a new online news operation and starting an online food magazine.


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March Budget 2021: Key Highlights
March Budget 2021: Key Highlights – State of the UK Economy
March Budget 2021: Key Highlights – In the Chancellor’s second real Budget on 3 March 2021 he announced that he had to level with people about the state of the UK economy. Prior to Budget day there were fewer leaks than normal about possible tax changes. There were however announcements prior to Budget day of grants for High Street businesses and the hospitality sector and the widely predicted extension of the furlough scheme.
March Budget 2021: Key Highlights – CJRS Furlough Scheme and Self-Employed Income Support Grants Extended
March Budget 2021: Key Highlights – The current version of the furlough scheme that started on 1 November 2020 was scheduled to end on 30 April 2021. In order to avoid a “cliff-edge” with resulting widespread redundancies the chancellor has announced a further extension of the scheme and also a phased reduction in support to employers. The CJRS furlough grant for May and June will remain at 80% of the employees’ usual pay for hours not working but it will then be limited to 70% for July and then 60% for August and September. In line with the further extension of the CJRS furlough scheme for employees the chancellor has also set out further support for the self-employed. We had been waiting for the details of the calculation of the fourth SEISS grant covering the period to 30 April and we now know that the support will continue to be 80% of average profits for the reference period capped at £2,500 a month and can be claimed from late April. There will then be a fifth SEISS grant covering the 5 months to 30 September.
March Budget 2021: Key Highlights – Corporation Tax
The UK corporation tax rate is currently one of the lowest rates of the G20 countries and the government states it is committed to keeping the rate competitive. That should have the effect of encouraging companies to remain in the UK and companies to set up here. With other countries considering raising corporate tax rates the chancellor has announced that the UK will follow suit and consequently the rate will increase to 25% from 1 April 2023 where profits exceed £250,000. However, where a company’s profits do not exceed £50,000 the rate will remain at the current 19% rate and there will be a taper above £50,000. Businesses will however be able to take advantage of new tax breaks to encourage investment in equipment and an enhanced carry back of losses.
Super Deduction for Investment in Equipment
In order to encourage companies to invest in new capital equipment the chancellor announced a radical new “super-deduction” of 130% where they invest in new plant. This would mean that when a company buys plant costing £10,000 they would qualify for a £13,000 deduction in arriving at business profits. The new deduction, which will run for two years from 1 April 2021, will not be available for motor cars. Certain assets such as fixtures in buildings will only qualify for 50% relief in the first year instead of the normal 6% writing down allowance.
• Three year carry back of trading losses
• 5% VAT rate for food, attractions and accommodation extended
• VAT registration limit frozen at £85,000 until 1 April 2024
• Making Tax Digital extended to all VAT registered businesses from 1 April 2022
• New grants for high street businesses and hospitality sector
• SDLT thresholds extended
• 5% mortgage schemes extended
• Apprenticeship schemes extended
Please talk to us to find out more or for any financial and tax help.
Lotuswise Chartered Accountants and Business Consultants can help you and your business succeed. To find out how, please contact us. To also get even more useful business and finance information and tax advice tips, check out our app on Google or Apple stores.
Watch the video here.


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Jack F. Moran will be charged with streamlining the fast-casual bakery-cafe’s menu items as the 70-unit chain ramps up for growth.
“I am thrilled to be joining such a unique concept and look forward to building efficiencies across the organization through process innovation,” Moran said in a statement. “I am eager to expand Paris Baguette's reach in the United States, while maintaining the Korean heritage and values that has made the brand a household name overseas.”
Paris Baguette began in South Korea in 1988, opening its first U.S. store in Los Angeles in 2005. The chain is known for pastries and desserts, as well as grab-and-go sandwich and salad offerings.
The brand operates via a franchise model and had U.S. sales of $46.1 million in 2017, according to Technomic data.
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Wall Street stock analysts flocked to airports around the country Tuesday to catch flights to Portland for Nike's big investor day on Wednesday.
The stakes are high.
At its last investor day, the company lifted its annual revenue goal to between $28 billion and $30 billion by 2015.
CEO Mark Parker and other executives are scheduled to speak at the investor day and give an overview of the company's "long-term strategy and key initiatives." Analyst expect Nike to once-again lift its revenue and profit goals. It's already hit its previous revenue goal after reporting quarterly sales of nearly $7 billion.
In a note to investors Tuesday, Omar Saad of International Strategy & Investment Group LLC said he wants the company to share details about how it will ratchet up sales outside of the U.S. He also hopes Nike executives talk about new innovations in the pipeline and the sustainability of robust sales in North America.
Saad has a "strong buy" rating on Nike's stock (NYSE: NKE).
Faye Landes of Cowen & Co. predicts "wearable technology" will be a buzzword for the day.
"We think that on Wednesday we’ll hear a lot about product, including wearable technology, which is a key emphasis for the brand," she wrote in a note to investors.
The meeting will be broadcast live on the Internet from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Here's the link.
I plan to attend and tweet throughout the day. Follow me on Twitter for updates: @matthewkish.
Matthew Kish covers footwear, apparel, banking, finance and general assignment news.


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Dubai is known as an exporter of politically unattached capital, seeking out markets that require key infrastructure and bringing their expertise in developing it. Over the past decade, countries in Latin America have been receiving fixed-capital investment from the UAE in an attempt to develop connectivity.
At the same time, Latin American countries are increasingly courting the UAE as a market for its consumer goods. In fact, Brazil is the main commercial partner of the UAE, with the country representing 67% of total trade with Latin-American countries; the import of sugar cane from Brazil was worth a total USD1.9 billion in 2015. In light of the Emirates’ ability to maintain its commercial attractiveness in spite of hefty oil price slumps, Dubai stands as a secure business destination.
The UAE’s non-oil trade with the region was USD2.5 billion in 2016, according to Dubai Customs. Comparatively, trade with Asia accounted for USD159 billion and North America dwarfed that figure with USD19.9 billion.
The relatively high levels of collaboration and the proliferation of free trade agreements among South American states is one of the draws. Likewise, the level of infrastructure is another attraction. The Paraguay-Paraná inland waterway, for example, connects landlocked Paraguay to the Amazonian parts of Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, and Uruguay. Currently, the waterway sees around 20 million tons of traffic a year. Seeing as the region is producing so much of the food and other products that are consumed in the UAE, the potential to explore trade opportunities is being realized.
DP World has seen the potential to develop the logistics sector in South America, and the company now operates ports in Peru, Argentina, and Brazil. The middle of 2016 saw DP world pen a deal for a 50-year concession in Ecuador, the total USD1 billion investment will develop the greenfield port at Posorja primarily for container volumes, and intends to reach a capacity of 750,000TEU per annum in 2019. Brick and mortar investments do not scare Dubai’s leading public and private companies, who have a long history in greenfield projects across the globe. Ultimately, Dubai’s plethora of investors need destinations for their capital.
Dubai’s carrier, Emirates, already has non-stop flights to Argentina and Brazil but has postponed plans to establish a direct flight to Panama, originally scheduled for February 1, 2016. The feat would have been a record of 17 hours and 35 minutes flying time. The trip would have been a total 8,590 miles, using Boeing’s 777-200LR, the longest-range jet.
Investing in connectivity and logistics infrastructure benefits the UAE by shortening the time it takes for South American goods to reach the Emirates. For example, an Emirate’s flight to South America would be able to carry 15 tons of goods per trip, a conservative three flights a week would add almost 2,500 tons capacity per annum. The UAE imports the majority of its food, and in 2016 imported 33.74 million tons of food products. In 2016, a total of 351,000 shipments made it to the UAE via land, sea, and air—and less than 8,000 of these were for reshipment.
The desire for partnerships are not just about securing food imports, but also about sharing knowledge. Costa Rica, for example, produces 99% of its energy consumption through renewable resources. The UAE, in its campaign for a knowledge-driven economy is keen to enter into expertise sharing partnerships to help cultivate a more sustainable economic infrastructure.


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Acura RLX Gets Fresh Looks, New 10-Speed Automatic for 2018
Acura has slapped its slow-selling RLX sedan with some fresh new looks and a new 10-speed transmission for the 2018 model year.
The 2018 RLX has adopted Acura’s new diamond pentagon grille, but that’s not the only modification made to the exterior. There’s also a more sculpted hood, new available wheel designs, different LED taillights and a gloss black rear diffuser with some new exhaust tips.
Changes have also occurred beneath the bodywork. Acura says the RLX Sport Hybrid’s all-wheel drive system has been further optimized using lessons it learned from the development of the NSX. The 3.5-liter Earth Dreams V6 and trio of electric motors remain unchanged, however, and are producing the same 377 horsepower as before.
All-wheel drive versions of the non-hybrid, 310 horsepower RLX have done away with the twin-clutch 7-speed automatic and a new 10-speed has taken its place. Acura says the new transmission is more refined than the outgoing unit and results in improved acceleration and better passing performance.
The interior has also been graced with some upgraded materials and more soft touch points, along with redesigned front seats. New contrast seat piping and stitching and a new available Espresso interior color round out the interior changes.
Finally, two new premium paint offerings have been added to the color palette: Brilliant Red Metallic and Majestic Black Pearl.
The 2018 RLX will make its official debut during Monterey Car Week later this month. Pricing details have yet to be announced.
Discuss this story on our RLX forum.
Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
More by Sam McEachern


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Chairman Wyden, D-Ore, said President Obama hopes to double exports within 5 years and he sees Internet and tech companies as instrumental to achieving that – if the U.S. can reduce the trade barriers brought by Internet censorship.
Wyden decried rampant global protectionism against Internet exports and said the Internet represents the trade route of the 21st Century. He said U.S. officials should take action when that trade route is blocked or impeded. He asked witnesses including Salesforce, Intel, Sax Software, CCIA and economics professor Catherine Mann what they were seeing on the front lines in the battle between a closed versus open Internet.
CCIA President & CEO Ed Black told the committee that 40 nations engage in widespread censorship and offered details of some of the ways countries block information and favor their own domestic digital competitors.
Black said information discrimination represents a classic “non-tariff trade barrier.” “It also constitutes an unfair “rule of origin” by filtering out U.S. originating content such as certain U.S. domains deemed “subversive”, and violates the fundamental free trade principle of “national treatment,” he said.
Black offered several recommendations on how U.S. officials could address the trade problems, after saying that Internet freedom must begin at home:
“First, USTR should investigate and bring appropriate trade cases. The “public order” exception should not be used as a get-out-of-jail-free card to restrict Internet trade.
Second, we should follow the blueprint established in the Korea FTA, which removes unnecessary barriers to cross-border information flows.
Third, we need to retool our trade policy. While I believe the current trading regime already prohibits censorship, filtering, and blocking, we can make this more explicit in future agreements. We should demand enforceable commitments to the free flow of information, and we should also internationalize ISP safe harbors.”
He added that USTR should refocus and implement a Special 301-like process for censorship that restricts Internet services. He also said the Industry Trade Advisory Committee needs a free-standing Internet committee. “An industry that adds $2 trillion to USGDP deserves formal input,” Black said.


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During the 2019 holiday season, all Splash Car Wash locations raised money for local charities. With the help of our gracious customers, friends and family, we were able help make the holidays a little happier for those in need.
One charity in particular Splash is very passionate about, is the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness (CCEH). Splash locations in Shelton, Fairfield, Norwalk, Wilton, Stamford and Cos Cob invited customers to buy a tag off their tree, which then paid $25 to gift a Paddington Bear, book or blanket to a child in a shelter. With the help of our employees and customers, we were able to raise a total of $6,000.
Aside from working with the CCEH, Splash has over 20 charities it raises money for (during the holiday season.) For years, Splash has donated a portion of its Christmas Gift Card sales to various charities. This year, we helped make an impact by raising an additional $18,000. Some of the charities included DARE, Bridgeport Rescue Mission, Operation Hope, Whiskers Pet Rescue, Alzheimer’s Association and Den for Grieving Kids.
“Splash has been committed to supporting local organizations through our Christmas Sale over the past 26 years. It is great to be able to give back to the communities we serve in this way,” said Mark Curtis, CEO of Splash Car Wash.
We sincerely thank all who helped make this year so successful, with a total of $24,000 to local charities, and look forward to doing our part next holiday season!


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This blog is not just for me to blab on about what I think. It is for others to express their opinions about various health topics. That said, here are some links to interesting polls I thought were thought-provoking:
To what degree do you think clinicians’ prescribing practices are or are not influenced by pharmaceutical company advertising?
In May, the top 3 soft-drink companies agreed to a ban on sweetened drinks like Coke, Pepsi, and iced teas in all school cafeterias and vending machines nationwide in response to the threat of lawsuits and state legislation. Sales are not expected to be affected; the sweetened drinks will be replaced by others. Do you favor or oppose this ban?
Recent reports of sleep-driving and behavioral changes (aggressiveness, obliviousness) after taking the sleep aid Ambien have prompted calls for increased FDA warnings on the drug. Do you think Ambien needs more warnings added to its label or are current warnings not to drive or drink alcohol after taking the drug adequate?
What are your opinions?


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Why is it flawed, you might ask? Well friends, it's because it's region locked. The games you gift only work in the currency region you purchased the game for, unlike Steam, which allows you to gift games across any region.
It's great that Microsoft finally delivered one of Xbox UserVoice's most requested features, but the region locking severely restricts its usefulness. It's 2017, people have friends online, what gives?
Perhaps there are complex legal issues or other consequences preventing this from becoming a truly good gifting system. For example, you could potentially abuse regional currencies to acquire games for cheaper (although, why this isn't an issue for Steam, is unclear). In any case, that's not the biggest problem with this system.
The system doesn't prevent you from gifting games outside of your region. There's a tiny warning message that, evidently from the amount of Twitter DMs I've been getting about this, few people are seeing.
There are a few solutions here. Either Microsoft needs a bigger warning about the region locking, or they could, I don't know, just make it region free. Perhaps include some kind of small currency conversion fee, similarly to PayPal cross-region money gifting, if that's the issue here. You can swap your Xbox console region in settings to redeem the codes, but I'm not sure how much Microsoft will want to advertise that fact to the masses, if indeed it is a legal issue preventing region free gifting. Since it's so easy to switch region to redeem the keys, why not just make it region free anyway?
In any case, the current implementation is leading people to spend money on gifts that can't be readily redeemed, which is annoying for the buyer, and disappointing for the recipient. I doubt Microsoft intended to create an intentionally frustrating, misleading system, but here it is. It feels like a rushed implementation, and a bit of a missed opportunity for Xbox gamers to be able to celebrate the global community that is Xbox Live this holiday season.
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Jez Corden a Managing Editor at Windows Central, focusing primarily on all things Xbox and gaming. Jez is known for breaking exclusive news and analysis as relates to the Microsoft ecosystem while being powered by caffeine. Follow on Twitter @JezCorden and listen to his Xbox Two podcast, all about, you guessed it, Xbox!


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Orion Engineered Carbons Announces Third Quarter 2015 Earnings Date and Conference Call
By Business Wire News
Orion Engineered Carbons S.A. (“Orion” or the “Company”) (NYSE: OEC), a worldwide supplier of specialty and high-performance Carbon Black, today announced that the Company will release its third quarter 2015 results after the market close on Wednesday, October 28, 2015, to be followed by a conference call on Thursday, October 29, 2015 at 8:30 a.m. (ET).
The dial-in details for the live conference call are as follow:
|U.S. Toll Free:||1-877-407-4018|
|U.K. Toll Free:||0 800 756 3429|
|Germany Toll Free:||0 800 182 0040|
|Luxembourg Toll Free:||800 28 522|
|Luxembourg Local:||352 2786 0689|
A replay of the conference call may be accessed by phone at the following numbers through November 5, 2015:
|U.S. Toll Free:||1-877-870-5176|
Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the investor relations section of the Company’s website at: www.orioncarbons.com.
About Orion Engineered Carbons
Orion Engineered Carbons is a worldwide supplier of Carbon Black. The company offers standard and high-performance products for Coatings, Printing Inks, Polymers, Rubber and other applications. Our high-quality Gas Blacks, Furnace Blacks and Specialty Carbon Blacks tint, colorize and enhance the performance of plastics, paints and coatings, inks and toners, adhesives and sealants, tires, and manufactured rubber goods such as automotive belts and hoses. With 1,360 employees worldwide, Orion Engineered Carbons runs 14 global production sites and four Applied Technology Centers. For more information visit our website www.orioncarbons.com.
Orion Engineered Carbons S.A.
Investor Relations Contact:
Diana Downey, +1 832 445-3865


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Cuba will produce only 7,000 tons of beans in 2020, which represents just 10% of the annual demand on the island, said the head of the department of various crops of the Ministry of Agriculture (MINAG), Yojan García, quoted by the official media.
Of the planned 46,000 hectares planted to beans this year, the number dropped to 23,500, of which more than half were affected by a lack of fertilizers and pesticides, and 7,500 were completely devastated by a pest, the Agencia Cubana de Noticias news agency reported.
García explained that only 8% of the sown quantity received fertilizers, while pesticides reached just 16%, which added to the appearance of the bean flower thrips pest affected yields of 1.15 tons per hectare to only 0.6.
The official attributed the deficit in bean production to the decrease in the level of diesel and the lack of inputs, fertilizers and pesticides, caused by the “intensification of the U.S. economic, commercial and financial blockade” against the island.
The MINAG official reported that to alleviate the shortage of the product so demanded on the table of Cubans, “a considerable level of cowpea beans (Vigna unguiculata), better known as carita, a purely spring legume much more resistant to thrips, was planted.”
As part of the spring campaign, a portion of the 8,500 hectares of that variety planted on the island is already being harvested, according to the source.
Cuba is also looking for alternatives with the introduction of chickpea cultivation this year, “which responds well to drought conditions and can therefore be planted in areas that don’t depend on irrigation,” García said.
Due to the facilities it offers, as it is a more rustic species and resistant to pests and diseases, the island conceived a program to plant 10,000 hectares of chickpea in 2024.
The annual demand for beans on the island amounts to 70,000 tons, although in the last three years a little more than 51,000 have been produced, a figure that will be far less in 2020. This situation already translates into a visible lower supply in the unsubsidized stalls and an increase in its price in the informal market.


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The young tech mogul Karan Walia, along with his business partner brother Sobi Walia and Anton Manomov - revolutionized the world of artificial intelligence and mobile advertising in Canada with their company Cluep.
Cluep is an AI mobile advertising platform that serves ads based on what the users publicly share on social media. Karan explains, "Let's say you take a picture with your friends and share it on social media, Cluep's image recognition engine will automatically detect that you're wearing Under Armour running shoes and start showing you ads from Nike. Or let's say you post on Twitter saying 'I don't know what to eat for lunch today, our patented text analysis engine will detect that you're feeling hopeful towards the word lunch and serve you an ad from McDonald's."
By allowing brands to engage with people in relevant and compelling ways that tap into their interests, Cluep ushered the start of a new era of advertising. Which is why clients like Amazon, Nike, Mercedes-Benz, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, and many others, are seeing 10x the performance compared to competitors. In just a few years, Cluep has grown from a startup to a global powerhouse and the future looks even more exciting.
Sharing his plans for the future, Karan informs, "Cluep has a bunch of exciting products on the roadmap like tapping into audio and engaging with consumers in the metaverse that Facebook recently announced and AR/VR environments in existing hardware."


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Israel-based Nanox created an X-ray machine that appears to be straight from the Star Trek universe, and it’s called the ARC. The company aims to make low-cost medical scanning available to people around the world with a much smaller footprint than current machines. This means ditching the expensive CT machines in favor of a portable bed. Read more for a video and additional information.
It lowers costs by implementing a digital system with stationary tubes that are much smaller and cheaper instead of rotating tubes. The only moving part is the ring as it scans different parts of your body. There’s no word yet on pricing, but the company is hoping to debut the system in the low five-digit figure range, while giving potential customers the option of “pay-per-scan”.


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Since the release of the latest Apple iOS 7 preview 3 to developers indications of new features have been coming to light and one instructing feature that might make an appearance on the nextApple iPhone 5S or iPhone 6 smartphone is a slow motion feature.
Developers over at 9to5 Mac with access to the latest Apple iOS 7 preview 3 have discovered code that suggests the next generation Apple iPhone 5S could include a new “Mogul” camera mode, which could offer video recording at a rate of 120 frames-per-second.
“According to our analysis and testing of the Apple iOS 7 code, “Mogul” is a feature in development that allows the iPhone to capture video at an exceptionally fast and precise rate. Specifically, our testing indicates that the feature can allow the iPhone to record video at a rate of 120 frames-per-second (FPS). The resolution at which this 120FPS video could be recorded at, however, is currently unclear.”
Slow motion features are not a new occurrence and are already included on Apple biggest competitors smartphone the Samsung Galaxy S4. Check out the video below to see footage captured at 120fps on the new Samsung Galaxy Camera to get an idea of what the new iPhone feature could offer users.
As more information is released regards the new Apple iPhone 5S, Apple iOS 7 features or it new slow motion mode we will keep you updated.
Source: Mac Rumours
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How do you say cheers in Icelandic?
The citizens of Reykjavik, Iceland, have officially found the best use for commercial drones: beer delivery.
Drone logistics company Flytrex and on-demand goods service AHA worked together to create a small drone route for delivering packages to residents in the nation’s capital. A DJI hexacopter was modified with a cargo compartment capable of carrying around 6.5 pounds of goods for up to six miles. That’s enough for it to fly back and forth on a single route making about 20 deliveries every day. It’s also strong enough to carry on-demand goods that AHA offers, including sushi, hamburgers, and beer. Flytrex flights start at $0.80 per mile.
Instead of flying directly to each customer’s door, the drone starts at a loading facility, flies over a bay of the North Atlantic Ocean, and drops its package off to a delivery person who finishes the route from there. By using a drone, AHA doesn’t need to send its delivery drivers on an inefficient route across the bay. What would normally take about half an hour with a truck takes just four minutes with a drone.
Flytrex CEO Yariv Bash told the Verge he expects his company to incorporate more capable drones as they become available. He hopes to continue his partnership with AHA and wants to expand his delivery network across Reykjavik so goods can be sent straight to people’s yards using an air-to-ground wire.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen drones deliver goods to customers. Amazon has been adamant about using drones for a while now, and successfully delivered its first package in the U.K. last December. The retail giant hasn’t provided a timeline on when it expects to use its Prime Air program for commercial deliveries. However, it does state on its website that the technology could one day deliver packages to customers in 30 minutes or less. We’ll cheers to that.
Phillip Tracy is a former technology staff writer at the Daily Dot. He's an expert on smartphones, social media trends, and gadgets. He previously reported on IoT and telecom for RCR Wireless News and contributed to NewBay Media magazine. He now writes for Laptop magazine.


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238 cities pitch for $6.4b Amazon HQ2 — and 50,000 jobs
Amazon will be sorting through 238 proposals from cities and regions in the US, Canada and Mexico that are hoping to land the company’s second headquarters and the massive investment it willl bring.
The online retailer kicked off its hunt for a second home base in September, promising 50,000 new jobs and construction spending of more than $US5 billion ($6.4 billion). Proposals were due last week, and Amazon made clear that tax breaks and grants would be a big factor in deciding what entry prevails.
Amazon did not specify which cities or metro areas applied, but many of the location have made their interest public. The company said Monday the proposals came from 43 US states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico, as well as three Mexican states and six Canadian provinces.
In a tweet, the company said it was “excited to review each of them”.
Besides looking for financial incentives, Amazon had stipulated that it wanted to be near a metropolitan area with more than a million people; be able to attract top technical talent; be within 45 minutes of an international airport; have direct access to mass transit; and be able to expand that headquarters to as much as 2.4 million square metres in the next decade.
But that didn’t stop some apparent long shots from applying. A bid came from Alaska, according to Amazon, though the entire state has a population below a million.
“Most of the 238 probably lack some of those big-city advantages,” said Jed Kolko, the chief economist at job site Indeed.
But most places probably could not pass up the chance of getting 50,000 jobs, “even if the odds of winning are low,” he said.
Although generous tax breaks and other incentives can erode a city’s tax base, Amazon’s headquarters could draw even more tech businesses along with their well-educated, highly paid employees.
In New Jersey, Republican Governor Chris Christie has endorsed Newark’s bid, saying the state and the city are planning nearly $US7 billion in tax breaks.
Detroit bid organisers have said its proposal offers Amazon the unique chance to set up shop in both the US and Canada. Missouri officials proposed an innovation corridor between Kansas City and St Louis rather than a single location.
The seven US states that Amazon said did not apply were Arkansas, Hawaii, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming.
Ahead of the deadline, some cities turned to stunts to try and stand out: Representatives from Tucson, Arizona, sent a 21-foot tall cactus to Amazon’s Seattle headquarters; New York lit the Empire State Building orange to match Amazon’s smile logo.
The company plans to remain in its sprawling Seattle headquarters and the second one will be “a full equal” to it, founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos said in September.
The company boasts that its current headquarters has been a catalyst for development in downtown Seattle, and estimates that its investments in the city between 2010 and 2016 added an additional $US38 billion to the city’s economy.
Amazon has said that it will announce a decision sometime next year.
AMONG THE CONTENDERS ...
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3DS Amazon UK's most preordered system ever
Nintendo handheld tops PlayStation 3 as online retailer's best prerelease performer with 20 percent more reservations and a week left before launch.
While the March 25 launch of the 3DS in the UK is likely to draw a significant number of eager gamers camping out overnight to get their hands on the new handheld, one retailer has found that more customers than ever before are willing to order online and wait for the mail carrier to make the rounds.
Amazon.co.uk today announced that the 3DS has become its most preordered gaming system of all time. With a week remaining before the system's launch, the 3DS already has 20 percent more preorders than the PlayStation 3 had at its launch date. The 3DS has also topped the best performances of its fellow Nintendo systems, beating (supply constrained) Wii preorders by 56 percent and DSi preorders by 255 percent.
"It's unusual for a handheld console to attract this amount of excitement in the run up to launch; such high levels of interest are normally reserved for the play-at-home hardware like the ground-breaking Nintendo Wii and last year's Microsoft Kinect," said the retailer's director of video games, Chris Poad.
The Wii was Amazon.co.uk's third most preordered piece of gaming hardware, with last year's Kinect and PlayStation Move launches coming in at fourth and fifth on the list, respectively.
For more on the 3DS and its launch lineup of games, check out GameSpot's 3DS Launch Center.
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MELVILLE, N.Y., September 4, 2018 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, has announced the launch of the new Océ ColorWave 3000 series of large-format color printing systems. These next generation printers are being launched on the heels of the announcement made earlier this year that over 10,000 Océ ColorWave printers, powered by this technology, have been installed worldwide.
MELVILLE, N.Y., September 6, 2018 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, has announced that its imagePROGRAF TX and PRO Series lineups are now fully compatible with FLEXI software from SA International (SAi). This announcement regarding the PRO Series represents the addition of the 60-inch imagePROGRAF PRO-6000 Large-format printer to those devices which can be used with SAi software, helping provide color continuity on high-quality applications for stunningly vivid output for signage and pay-for-print operations.
MELVILLE, N.Y., August 30, 2018 – Handling and securing digital files can be a complicated and rigorous process; one that can cause delays to a project due to a simple wrong click. To help alleviate these concerns and provide users with a more efficient operation, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, has announced that its imagePROGRAF TX Series large format devices are now compatible with certain software solutions from eQuorum, a provider of engineering document management systems.
MELVILLE, N.Y., August 21, 2018 – In accordance with its mission to well prepare enterprises for the Office of the Future, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, receives an Editor’s Choice Award from Better Buys for its imageCLASS MF525dw black-and-white MFP. The printer, intended for small to medium workgroups, offers customers a flexibility needed in the modern workplace and improves the Company’s current desktop-level imageCLASS lineup.
MELVILLE, N.Y., August 20, 2018 – To build upon the uniFLOW Online cloud-based print management solution, Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, announces the latest quarterly update with enhanced features delivered automatically through the cloud to help businesses improve productivity and control costs through a cloud print and scan management solution with security features.
MELVILLE, N.Y., August 7, 2018 – In a world run by multitasking, it’s imperative to have the right kind of equipment to help keep everything running smoothly. Designed with busy families and home office usage in mind, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced four new PIXMA TS-series and TR-series Wireless1 Home Office All-in-One (AIO) printers and two new home scanners: the PIXMA TS9520, PIXMA TS8220, PIXMA TS6220, and PIXMA TR4520 AIO printers and the CanoScan LiDE 300 and CanoScan LiDE 400 Color Image Scanners.
MELVILLE, N.Y., August 7, 2018 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, announced today that five new printers, the PIXMA TS9521C, PIXMA TS9520, PIXMA TS8220, PIXMA TS6220 and PIXMA TR4520 Wireless All-in-One Inkjet Printers, now support Apple® AirPrint wireless technology.
July 9, 2018 — Today, HP Inc. expanded its hybrid HP Latex R Printer Series with the R1000 Printer for rigid and flexible printing. Designed for a variety of hybrid applications including signage and displays, the growing portfolio offers choice, value, and versatility while featuring innovative technologies including HP Latex Rigid Printing Technology and HP Latex White Ink.
MELVILLE, N.Y., June 19, 2018 – Realizing the appeal that dimensional printing can have in the graphics market, Canon U.S.A., Inc. a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the launch of Océ Touchstone dimensional printing software, positioned for large format print solutions to streamline dimensional printing on the company’s industry-leading Océ Arizona Series UV flatbed printers. Until now, creating these dimensional prints tended to be a laborious process involving significant file manipulation and iterative testing performed by the print provider.


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Sparked by women being looked down up on at work for wearing makeup, our ANA MARKOVIC questions why this has shifted into an issue of feminism, and points out the inherent irony that makeup has any bearing whatsoever on our power as women.
MAKEUP AND IT’S FEMINIST ISSUE
Makeup should not be a feminist issue, we’ve had it since the down of time, yet only in the recent decades it become a subject to debate. You want to look young, more confident and radiant, you wear it. For some women nothing, not even extreme skin problems, will stop them from wearing makeup. A survey by the American Skincare Medical Association found that 48 percent of women would wear makeup even if it cause them discomfort. So, why five decades after our feminist sisters burnt their bras, is makeup suddenly being argued about as if it was the very act of of something men had enforced on us. This is not about them against us, it us about us against us.
THE WARFARE OF GENDER NEUTRAL
However in the warfare of gender neutral treatment of both sexes, makeup has become a useful weapon. When a British flight attendant, a friend of mine, turned up for work at London airport she was told to come back wearing minimal and code biding makeup, sent to wash her face and re-apply her makeup. While the issue is about forced codes, and us as women judging what is too much or too little makeup, it mutated to feminism. Is being asked to wear the exactly “proscribed” makeup as a flight attendant or a receptionist, so controversial? Not as the big picture, especially as social moral codes vary from country to country. However there is a massively obvious point which has so far been put aside, which is that, in the last few years, fashion has embraced a lot more freedom, and a bare faced look is now considered just as chic. Alicia Keys for example, now looks arguably more modern than when she sported a full on heavy makeup look, and has on her own been the ambassador of a no-makeup beauty look.
Us as women, are often the biggest enemies of feminist movements. Just scroll through any single tweet of America’s FLOTUS, Melania Trump, and you will see an endless tirade of other women calling the first lady all sort of names. At the same time, every single post of Mrs Trump is to hold a naked modelling photo from her past, almost by a rule of thumb posted by another woman. Another woman, upset America never elected their first female president.
Still, feminism and an angry generation fighting the rules is very much at play. Scrolling on the daily through articles on both sides of the pond, it is easy to conclude the argument has become conflated and confused. More issues such as vulnerability and femininity have shaped the conversation. We are no doubt in danger of sounding narrow minded. So why are we discussing wearing makeup as an argument of discrimination? While I am not a fan of makeup myself, I see my friends for who from the early days, wearing makeup was the right of passage that signaled that the boys would now take notice. Absolutely that is the main reason for mothers shaming other mothers allowing their pre-teen daughters to wear makeup. To many of my girlfriends, starting to wear makeup was a part of becoming a woman. Starting to wear makeup for a young girl is still a thrill, but actually, until recently, there has never been a stronger defense of a non-makeup choice.
THE STIGMA OF WEARING MAKEUP
The stigma that women impose on themselves that say she is not ready to step out in public without wearing makeup thankfully no longer exists. Or is a misalliance girl who forces the full-makeup look the one who takes the freedom of other and ridding them of their human rights? Egalitarianism is no doubt a good thing, but this endless fight for political correctness is also a tiring thing. Is the makeup code, no doubt set by other women, an act of aggression? In my research, I found numerous women complaining about the skin problems, and the agony of their daily makeup routines. As somebody who prefers to wear none, I can only sing to the tune and agree. However a friend of mine told me some women will wear makeup even if their face starts to bleed, and most of us know exactly what she is trying to say. However what is undeniable we are going through a peculiar period of transition, where long accepted norms, including what is acceptable are being erased. Everything to do with sexuality, gender, pay is being called into question, so why not makeup?
Still, I beg you, let us not use something which we know is a basic female choice, like makeup, and blame for it onto men. We the women are the oppressors, man have as a long history with makeup as women. The courts of Egypt had men wear makeup on the daily, they were buried with their makeup kits, all the way to the Louis XIVs court where it was illegal to come without a makeup and a wig in front of the king. Today, when men wearing heavy makeup they are practicing the art of drag, and sadly for men such behavior would not fare well in a working environment.
This is an issue of our own making because most of us, I am not saying all of us, love wearing makeup. Even some of the most prominent feminists, are confused on the subject. Not being able to signal oppression or empowerment. Does saying SHE often wears makeup, let us know where she stands?
Originally published in DESIGN SCENE issue 019, available now in print & digital.


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GoPro, which is building to the release of the GoPro Hero 5 action camera, showed off a new two-lens camera which can shoot 360-degree video in a video of MotoGP racing bikes published on its YouTube channel last week.
Such a device was promised by GoPro CEO Nick Woodman at CES in January, but no further news has been heard since. However the camera shown in the MotoGP video does not appear to be the same product, writes Sean O’Kane for The Verge.
Custom Solutions camera seen on new video
This particular camera was announced in April at the NAB trade show, appearing as part of the “Custom Solutions” program now offered by GoPro. The company works with specific partners in order to make new versions of its cameras that suit particular needs.
The camera may look different but it is essentially two Hero 4 Black cameras attached to one another. The rig also includes two HeroCast units, used to live stream high-quality video from modified cameras.
Commentators may have been expecting a consumer camera, but this product is interesting for different reasons. GoPro is paying more and more attention to live streaming, which suggests that each of the upcoming releases, the 360-degree camera, the Karma drone and the GoPro Hero 5, will use the feature.
Live streaming an important feature for new hardware
The inclusion of live streaming on the GoPro Hero 5 would go a long way to making the action camera stand out from the competition. None of GoPro’s major rivals have the feature, which has only been seen on a camera from a startup called Sioeye and an unreleased action camera from LG.
In January GoPro made its first move into live streaming with a partnership with Periscope. However it looks like the GoPro Hero 5 will have an LTE chip built in, allowing live streaming to YouTube and Facebook straight from the camera.
Other rumors surrounding the GoPro Hero 5 suggest that it will have 8K video and built-in stabilization. However these features may not be enough to appeal to the mass market.
The Hero 5 will be GoPro’s first new flagship camera in two years, and live streaming video is growing in popularity. It would seem silly for the company not to include the feature.
Live video increasing in popularity
YouTube recently enabled live streaming for 360-degree video, which suggests the medium will grow in popularity. With an LTE chip and compression algorithms, the company could offer consumer live streaming with the GoPro Hero 5.
In the drone market GoPro is going up against DJI, which has been pushing live streaming capability. It would seem silly for GoPro not to include a feature that looks set to be increasingly important.
It may turn out that live streaming is not included on any of the upcoming hardware from GoPro. One point to consider is the incredible drain on battery life, which consumers have criticized GoPro cameras for in the past.
We are increasingly seeing live video on Facebook, YouTube, and to some extent, Twitter. The vast majority of that footage is recorded using smartphones at this stage, but people will want to explore different perspectives as live video grows in popularity.
GoPro is perfectly placed to meet the future desires of customers, and it must be hoped that the company builds live streaming features into its product range. Investors and consumers alike are sure to give the potential news a warm reception, given the interest in live video and the possibility of driving sales.


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APPLE'S iOS 7 mobile operating system is now running on 88 percent of iPhones and iPads, trumping Google's Android 4.4 Kitkat which sits on just 8.5 percent of Android devices.
Apple released its latest iOS 7 statistics over the weekend, revealing that as of 4 May the latest version of iOS was running on 88 percent of iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch devices. While this means that the latest iOS release is running on the majority of iDevices, this is just a one percent increase compared to April, when iOS 7 could be found on 87 percent of Apple mobiles and tablets.
Apple's figures also reveal that iOS 6 users fell from 11 percent to 10 percent, while users on older versions of iOS remained at two percent.
These figures are in stark contrast to Google's latest Android adoption numbers, which show that as of 1 May, version 4.4 Kitkat could be found on 8.5 percent of Android devices. While this is miles from iOS 7's penetration, it sees Kitkat's adoption growing from 5.3 percent in April from 2.5 percent in March, with Kitkat's market share likely having seen a boost from the launches of the Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8 smartphones.
Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, which last month sat on 61.4 percent of Android devices, has seemingly taken a hit from Kitkat's growing market share, with the ageing software now found on 60.8 percent. However, it remains the most popular version of Android, with Android 4.0.x Ice Cream Sandwich and Android 2.3.x Gingerbread shrinking to 13.4 percent and 16.2 percent market shares, respectively.
Both Apple and Google are expected to announce their latest mobile operating system versions, likely iOS 8 and Android 4.5, respectively, next month. µ
Chipmaker turns to litigation after Chinese firm refuses to negotiate
Power9-powered machine will be delivered to the US Department of Energy in 2018
Social Security numbers are shipping
Evleaks 'confirms' Galaxy Note 7 moniker, 5.7in screen and IP68 certification


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Ford is the latest American automaker to reveal its latest sports car concept, the Ford Sport Tracs, a $100,000, six-door hatchback.
The first of these Ford Sport trac concept cars, the Sport Tracus, will be revealed at the New York auto show in January, where it will also be offered as a hatchback, a two-door coupe, a convertible and a two door sport wagon.
Ford says the trac will be the first in its lineup to be built entirely of steel, which it says will allow for increased weight and performance.
The company says the Sport tracs will offer a fuel economy of 28 mpg combined, a lower center of gravity and better handling.
The Sport Tracas, shown here in production form at Ford Motor Company, will offer 28 mPG combined.
Ford/Ford/Getty ImagesThe trac is described as a “sports sedan” in its basic specs, including a 3.5-liter V6 that produces 712 horsepower.
The sporty Sport Traxes will be powered by a 1.5L EcoBoost engine that produces 306 horsepower and a peak torque of 330 lb-ft.
The Ford logo on the front fender will be a nod to the Ford Mustang, the most popular sports car in the world, and the Sporttracs’ sports styling will make them stand out from the competition.
The sport tracs have a top speed of 186 mph and can go from 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds.
The car is said to have the potential to hit 60 mph in 9.3 seconds.
It will be offered in two sizes: a sedan and a wagon, with a starting price of $115,995.
The wagon and coupe versions will come with the standard Ford Connect package, while the sedan model comes with a sport package.
Ford is also expected to unveil a new two-seater, two-wheel-drive sport wagon with a range of up to 300 miles and will be available in three trim levels.
It is being built at a new plant in Fremont, Calif., and the two-wheeled versions will arrive in 2018, according to a statement from Ford.
Ford says the new wagon and sports trac would be available on the American market by 2019, and a hybrid version of the wagon and trac should be ready by 2025.
Ford’s statement said that the two trac versions will be “available as a four-door, two door, hatchback or wagon.”
The Sport tracus is being developed in conjunction with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, which is the company’s joint venture with Ford.
The two automakers plan to unveil their two-seat Sport Traci concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in late June.
The new concept will feature Ford’s latest styling and styling tweaks.
The design will be built by the American-based design studio Lutz, a joint venture between Ford and the German automaker, which also builds the new Focus ST.
The Sport Traces will be based on the company cars, and Ford has also been collaborating with the German manufacturer on the design of its new compact crossover SUV, the Continental.


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Ford begins US$1bn transformation at Cologne site (Germany)
Taking significant steps to transform its operations in Europe, Ford has committed to go ‘all-in’ on its electric passenger vehicles, as well as substantially grow and electrify its leading commercial vehicle business.
“We successfully restructured Ford of Europe and returned to profitability in the fourth quarter of 2020. Now we are charging into an all-electric future in Europe with expressive new vehicles and a world-class connected customer experience. We expect to continue our strong momentum this year in Europe and remain on track to deliver our goal of a six percent EBIT margin as part of Ford’s plan to turnaround our global automotive operations,” commented Stuart Rowley, president, Ford of Europe.
Ford’s latest sustainability commitments
Furthering its commitments to sustainability, Ford has announced new targets to have 100% of its passenger vehicle range in Europe zero-emissions capable, all-electric or plug-in hybrid by the middle of 2026, and all-electric by 2030.
In addition, Ford plans to make its entire commercial vehicle range zero emissions capable, all-electric or plug-in hybrid by 2024, with two thirds of sales expected to be all-electric or plug-in hybrid by 2030.
These latest commitments follow Ford’s Q4 report for 2020, announcing plans to invest at least US£22bn globally into electrification through to 2025.
Ford reports that its US$1bn improvement in structural costs has been central to its transformation of its operations in Europe in the last two years. The investments addressed underperforming markets, the creation of more targeted vehicle line ups, and partnerships to drive growth and profitability.
Ford’s US$1bn investment in its Cologne site
Driving its efforts to advance its operations into an all-electric future, Ford will invest US$1bn to modernise its vehicle assembly facility in Cologne (Germany) - one of its largest manufacturing facilities in Europe.
As part of its investment, the facility will transform its existing vehicle assembly operations into the ‘Ford Cologne Electrification Center’ for the manufacturing of electric vehicles. This will be Ford’s first facility like this in Europe.
“Our announcement today to transform our Cologne facility, the home of our operations in Germany for 90 years, is one of the most significant Ford has made in over a generation. It underlines our commitment to Europe and a modern future with electric vehicles at the heart of our strategy for growth,” Rowley said.
"The decision to make the production and development site in Cologne the e-mobility center for Ford in Europe is an important signal to the entire workforce. It offers a long-term perspective for our employees and at the same time encourages them to help shape this electric future," added Martin Hennig, chairman of the General Works Council of Ford-Werke GmbH.
Gartner: Leaders Lack Skilled Smart Manufacturing Workers
With organisations rapidly adopting industry 4.0 capabilities to increase productivity, efficiency, transparency, and quality as well as reduce cost, manufacturers “are under pressure to bring their workforce into the 21st century,” says Gartner.
While more connected factory workers are leveraging digital tools and data management techniques to improve decision accuracy, increase knowledge and lessen variability, 57% of manufacturing leaders feel that their organisations lack the skilled workers needed to support their smart manufacturing digitalisation plans.
“Our survey revealed that manufacturers are currently going through a difficult phase in their digitisation journey toward smart manufacturing,” said Simon Jacobson, Vice President analyst, Gartner Supply Chain practice.
“They accept that changing from a break-fix mentality and culture to a data-driven workforce is a must. However, intuition, efficiency and engagement cannot be sacrificed. New workers might be tech-savvy but lack access to best practices and know-how — and tenured workers might have the knowledge, but not the digital skills. A truly connected factory worker in a smart manufacturing environment needs both.”
Surveying 439 respondents from North America, Western Europe and APAC, Gartner found that “organisational complexity, integration and process reengineering are the most prevalent challenges for executing smart manufacturing initiatives.” Combined they represent “the largest change management obstacle [for manufacturers],” adds Gartner.
“It’s interesting to see that leadership commitment is frequently cited as not being a challenge. Across all respondents, 83% agree that their leadership understands and accepts the need to invest in smart manufacturing. However, it does not reflect whether or not the majority of leaders understand the magnitude of change in front of them – regarding technology, as well as talent,” added Jacobson.
Technology and People
While the value and opportunities smart manufacturing can provide an organisation is being recognised, introducing technology alone isn’t enough. Gartner emphasises the importance of evolving factory workers alongside the technology, ensuring that they are on board in order for the change to be successful.
“The most immediate action is for organisations to realize that this is more than digitisation. It requires synchronising activities for capability building, capability enablement and empowering people. Taking a ‘how to improve a day in the life’ approach will increase engagement, continuous learning and ultimately foster a pull-based approach that will attract tenured workers. They are the best points of contact to identify the best starting points for automation and the required data and digital tools for better decision-making,” said Jacobson.
Long term, “it is important to establish a data-driven culture in manufacturing operations that is rooted in governance and training - without stifling employee creativity and ingenuity,” concluded Gartner.


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On Wednesday, October 22nd, Menswear Designer Waraire Boswell will show his latest at Beyond the Cut in, Atlanta,GA. The EXCLUSIVE fashion forward event is presented by Lexus and is set to be hosted by Fashion Expert & Celeb Stylist Lloyd Boston. The three-hour event is set to be a real head-turner.
Invite only, so you'll need to work your magic with those in the know. Otherwise, stay tuned we'll be there with the true 411.


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- Category: October 2014 - Marketing Automation
According to one of eMarketer’s latest studies, total media spending will grow most quickly in Indonesia this year.
Asia-Pacific will remain the fastest-growing region of the global economy over the next two years, according to the International Monetary Fund, driven by expanding manufacturing sectors that serve international markets, as well as a burgeoning middle class that has helped to increase domestic consumption.
Positive trend in ad spending for the region
Despite differences in economic growth projections among Asia-Pacific’s constituent countries, the overall trend in ad spending for the region is a positive one. eMarketer expects that spending on all measured media in Asia-Pacific will reach $152.00 billion in 2014—a 6.3% year-over-year increase.
Overall, the region will account for more than one-quarter (27.9%) of global ad spend this year, behind only North America’s 35.6%.
eMarketer estimates that Indonesia, India and China will boast Asia-Pacific’s highest growth rates in ad spending, led by Indonesia with 22.0%. All three countries are expected to sustain rates higher than the regional average through 2018.
ZenithOptimedia’s “Advertising Expenditure Forecasts,” updated in June 2014, was in general accordance with eMarketer’s projections, estimating that ad spending in the region would increase by 6.5% year over year in 2014.
ZenithOptimedia also predicted an increase in the growth rate each year through 2016, noting that an “economic recovery in Western Europe leads to better trading conditions and higher corporate confidence.” The firm projected that annual ad spending growth for the region would increase to 7.4% in 2015 and 8.1% in 2016.
China remain Asia-Pacific’s leader in digital advertising
China will remain Asia-Pacific’s leader in digital advertising this year, accounting for 45.9% of all regional expenditures, worth $18.96 billion. Despite its economic concerns, Japan will spend the second-highest amount on digital advertising in the region, at $9.19 billion. Overall, digital ad spending in Asia-Pacific will reach $41.33 billion this year—an 18.3% increase over 2013. Of the core countries covered by eMarketer in the region, Indonesia will remain the least developed market for digital advertising through 2016, but is expected to surpass India in 2017 and then pull away from that country rapidly in 2018.
Digital advertising outlays in many of these markets are constrained by low internet penetration in many areas across Asia-Pacific. There are wide differences in web access among these countries, and sometimes even within them. For instance, the internet is more commonly accessed in large cities in China, India and Indonesia than in rural areas that lack the requisite infrastructure. Despite these limitations, eMarketer estimates that there will be 1.33 billion people in Asia-Pacific who access the internet at least once per month in 2014.
China passes Japan in mobile internet ad spend, claims top spot
Mobile internet ad spending in China will more than triple this year, according to eMarketer’s latest estimates of ad spending around the world. The company predicts spending on display and search ads delivered to mobile internet-connected devices will reach more than $2.83 billion this year, up from less than $1 billion in 2013. By 2017, mobile internet ad spending in China will surpass $12 billion.
China won’t be the only country in Asia-Pacific enjoying triple-digit growth in mobile internet ad spending this year. Advertisers in Australia will spend 150.0% more on mobile internet ads this year than last year, and in South Korea, growth will reach 120.0%.
Spending levels will almost double in India and Indonesia as well. Only in Japan will growth rates be significantly lower, at 23.0% this year.
China’s rapid growth—and the massive size of the country and its mobile population—have helped turn it into the No. 1 market in the region for mobile internet advertising. More than one-third of all mobile internet ad dollars in Asia-Pacific will be spent in China this year. That leapfrogs the country ahead of Japan for the first time—a country which, up until last year, gobbled almost half of mobile internet ad spending in the entire region.
Mobile internet ad spending is rising
eMarketer estimates that this year, mobile internet ad spending will account for 20.2% of all digital ad spending in Asia-Pacific and 5.5% of total media ad investments in the region. Spending will pass $8.36 billion this year and come in at more than $25.38 billion by 2017.
eMarketer bases all of its forecasts on a multipronged approach that focuses on both worldwide and local trends in the economy, technology and population, along with company-, product-, country- and demographic-specific trends, and trends in specific consumer behaviors. We analyze quantitative and qualitative data from a variety of research firms, government agencies, media outlets and company reports, weighting each piece of information based on methodology and soundness.
In addition, every element of each eMarketer forecast fits within the larger matrix of all its forecasts, with the same assumptions and general framework used to project figures in a wide variety of areas. Regular re-evaluation of each forecast means those assumptions and framework are constantly updated to reflect new market developments and other trends.


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Shenandoah County Chamber of Commerce highlights healthy home habits
The Shenandoah County Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page recently started a Healthy @ Home initiative. The page will be highlighting local small businesses to share tips and ideas to have a healthy home lifestyle. A post from yesterday, for example, featured Alice Muellerweiss, the owner of Anytime Fitness in Strasburg, showing how to work out from home. Another post shared a few tips on how to improve your posture. Be sure to check out their Facebook page so you too can be healthy at home.
In addition to promoting healthy lifestyles, the Shenandoah County Chamber of Commerce is also bringing attention to local small businesses as well as job opportunities.
To stay up to date on COVID-19 in the Shenandoah Valley, see our COVID-19 updates post.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
news_two healthy @ home, healthy at home, healthy at home initiative, promotion, covid19, Covid, covid-19, Coronavirus, Facebook page, job opportunities, local businesses, small businesses, Chamber of Commerce, Shenandoah County Chamber of Commerce, social media


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ByteDance raked in a record underlying profit last year, overtaking China’s long-reigning tech giants Tencent and Alibaba for the first time even as losses mounted for its fast-growing TikTok business unit, reports the Financial Times. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation, ByteDance’s preferred metric for profitability, surged 79% to about $25 billion in 2022, according to two investors briefed on the numbers. That was up from about $14 billion the year earlier.
ByteDance’s profit came on the back of almost $85 billion in sales in 2022, up more than 30% from a year earlier, as advertisers increased spending on the fast-growing TikTok viral video platform and its sister Chinese app Douyin.
This rise has helped ByteDance, which was valued at $300 billion last year, surpass China’s listed tech giants, Tencent and ecommerce group Alibaba, which reported ebitda of $23.9 billion and $22.5 billion for 2022, respectively. Both groups have been hit hard by Beijing’s two-year regulatory crackdown on the country’s tech giants.
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- By Ritesh Mehta
A nation of 1.3 billion people. 450 million (35%) of them connected to the internet. Rising incomes, cheapest internet access in the world, and increasing interest from the population in going online. This makes India a formidable market for all kinds of businesses who are either digital, internet first, or want a piece of the pie.
Broadly speaking, there are three major players competing for the ₹₹₹ that Indian consumers represent when it comes to their wallets, time spent on internet, or their data. These players are Indian internet companies, US based internet companies, and Chinese internet companies. We aren’t talking about VC firms here — they are investing someone else’s money and hoping that it works. We are talking about companies willing to invest their own money.
Out of the three, India companies are either relying on VC money or hoping that either US or Chinese companies will fund them. Not all of them, but a lot of them fall into this category. Therefore, the real competition is between US and Chinese companies to see who can win the long-term battle of unlocking the value of hundreds of millions of Indians coming online and spending their money, time, and data — whatever that can be monetised.
US companies have the upper hand at the moment — Amazon and Walmart-owned Flipkart rule the e-commerce space. Facebook and Google account for a majority of time spent by Indian internet users, and therefore have access to data that can be monetised. These are the facts that we know so far. Let’s now look at what the future holds. Here are some of the reasons why Chinese companies have a really good shot at dominating the battle in the long run.
- Chinese companies understand India better: While India and China are very different countries (culturally, linguistically, politically, etc), Chinese companies are more adept at understanding the nuances of India and adapting to them. Look at how quickly the likes of Xiaomi, Oppo, OnePlus have captured the Indian cellphone market. While their competition was Samsung, a South Korean company, the Chinese companies were fast movers in understanding marketing, finding the right balance between price and quality, and using strategies like country wide offline stores that felt very Indian to push their brands. They built a retail network by tapping into SMEs who own their mobile shops. The Chinese figured out how to sell in India much faster than any other technology company. Apple is still struggling to establish their foothold, has gotten into regulatory issues, and isn’t growing at the speed that other high-end players like OnePlus are growing in India.
- Chinese companies want to do business, American companies want to save the world: Another way to put this is, Chinese companies are run by founders that put business first while American companies are run by founders that want to build a legacy. Alibaba’s vision is “to make it easy to do business anywhere”. Tencent’s mission is “to improve quality of life through internet value-added services”. It’s clear that these companies mean business. Google’s mission is “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful”. Facebook’s mission is “to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together”. There is nothing there about doing business, or what they sell. This major difference in their missions plays out in real life in what these companies prioritise for. Alibaba has taken significant stakes in companies like PayTM, Zomato, and Big Basket — areas where they dominate in China. No American internet companies have invested in any of the large Indian start-ups in order to make it easier for them to do business or diversify. Instead, American internet companies continue to focus on their narrative of how they are making India a better place. This might be a solid long term strategy (only time will tell), but the Chinese companies are clearly touching Indians across various services through their investments or their own services like TikTok that are widely popular amongst the youth in India.
- Chinese companies are used to regulation: Everything in China is regulated — it has been for years, and it will always be in the foreseeable future. This has prepared the Chinese internet companies really well for India where regulation arrives overnight and is rarely thought through. Because they always expect it, they can move quickly to adapt to regulation. Look at how quickly Alibaba backed PayTM has pivoted to take advantage of either changing regulation or policy void. On the other hand, American tech companies are clearly playing catch up when it comes to regulation in India. WhatsApp payments can help India move into digital payments overnight, but it can’t launch because of lack of regulatory clarity. Google was fined Rs 136 crores for search bias in India by the Competition Commission of India. It’s a safer bet to assume that Chinese companies, with their experience of working around rigid regulation in China and their investments in “Indian” tech companies, will be better placed to deal with India’s half-baked tech regulations that will arrive in the next few years.
This is, by no means, a guaranteed outcome. The US tech companies can learn these lessons quickly. They can start writing large cheques to invest in Indian tech companies directly, instead of trying to do everything on their own. They can shed their world savior complex and focus on doing business. It will be a tough road, and the Chinese companies will not make it easy for them. Indian tech companies, I am afraid, will have to watch and learn. They haven’t hit the maturity curve yet to compete with the global giants, but they will get there soon. Let’s see who wins the Internet in India — this is going to be an exciting ride.
- Ritesh Mehta is a tech policy consultant, and has spent 14 years at Facebook and Google as an early employee across US and India.


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Another day, another item on kids and social media.
According to an article in today’s Wall Street Journal, Facebook Inc. is testing ways to connect children’s accounts to their parents’, allow parents to manage whom kids can “friend” and what applications they can use. The under-13 feature could let Facebook charge parents for games and other entertainment their kids use.
Given concerns about Facebook’s methods of protecting user privacy, these efforts are controversial, write Anton Troianovski and Shayndi Rice.
Pressure on Facebook to prevent children from lying to get accounts has ramped up over the past year as studies started to quantify the number of underage users on the site. Consumer Reports last year said 7.5 million children under the age of 13 were using the site, including more than five million under the age of 10. High-profile cases of so-called cyberbullying have added to the concern.
You can weigh in with your questions about Facebook privacy policies and efforts to reach children under 13. Pose your questions, here.
Readers, does the time and energy it takes to manage your kids lives online make you want to keep your kids offline altogether? Or is it imperative to acclimate them to a digital world?


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This weekend, fandoms will converge on New York City for the 13th edition of New York Comic Con (NYCC). According to NYCC, ticket sales for the event could reach 250,000, up nearly 10 percent from 2017.
This year, NYCC has a few new features, such as the Anime Fest @ NYCC and The Studio @ NYCC event series. The event badges will also incorporate new technology that allows fans to keep all event passes linked to a single pass.
Some of the most highly anticipated events include a Riverdale panel, a 10th anniversary Twilight panel, a Boy Meets World reunion panel, and a The Walking Dead panel. There’s also tons of Marvel, TMNT, and more.


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Hot on the heels of the reveal of Jagr and Mumm-Ra, the rest of the SDCC exclusive 4-pack has been shown.
The 4-pack will be available from the Action Figure Xpress booth at SDCC. Diamond has also stated that they will be talking about the Thundercats mini-mates during their SDCC panel.
Look for more pictures coming soon on the official Thundercats Facebook page
Does this mean there is more Cats coming?


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That the US Congress has fully normalized trade between the US and Viet Nam is of major significance for and benefits both sides, said the president of the US-Viet Nam Trade Council.
|Ms. Virginia Foote|
Ms. Virginia Foote said her council was very happy with the US Congress's ratification of the bill for permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) with Viet Nam on Saturday,
“American companies have worked very actively in reaching agreements for Viet Nam’s World Trade Organization accession. The US business community welcomes Viet Nam to the global economy,” she said.
PNTR not only facilitates the Vietnamese economy in its international integration but also helps American companies benefit from Viet Nam’s market reforms, said Ms. Foote.
Economic alliances representing more than 150 companies, groups, associations, governmental organizations and individuals consider Viet Nam’s WTO accession very significant to them, according to her.
“I myself have supported the PNTR vote strongly… I see that Viet Nam is able to team up with the global economy, having shown its ability and success… PNTR will strongly boost the economies of Viet Nam and the US,” the US-Viet Nam Trade Council president said.
Like her, Mr. Vu Tien Loc, chairman of the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said PNTR would benefit both countries’ business communities.
Without PNTR, the US Government must reconsider trade ties with Viet Nam every year and the policy might change accordingly, he said.
He said the US’s interest in Viet Nam had been rising – for example, representatives of about 200 American companies came to Viet Nam during the APEC week in November and contracts signed during this time are worth up to US$2 billion. Such rising interest focuses on finance, insurance, banking and hi-tech.


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Apple (AAPL) has been touting its new aluminum Macbooks as the "world's greenest family of notebooks." Dell (DELL) is having none of it.
In a weekend blog post, Dell VP Bob Pearson launched a broadside against Apple, accusing the company of using environmentalism as a PR stunt. Apple isn't being "open and transparent" in its efforts to protect the environment, Pearson says.
- Apple doesn't attend industry meetups or hold press conferences on the environment.
- Employees aren't allowed to blog. (Huh? We're not sure what this has to do with being green.)
- Apple hasn't set any energy-efficiency or mercury-avoidance goals for itself in future production; the company just declared success after the fact.
- Pearson says Dell offers free recycling and went carbon-neutral in August, goals Apple hasn't met.
We doubt Dell's rant will inspire a change in policy in Apple. But it's smart for the company to be touting its green computing efforts -- it's one way to woo environmentally-sensitive consumers away from rivals like HP (HPQ).


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After seven years of debate and delay, there is now a three- month scramble on to implement the new grocery regulations governing the relationship between big supermarkets and their suppliers. They will kick in on April 30th.
The big retailers remained relatively silent on the new laws, signed yesterday morning by Minister for Enterprise Richard Bruton. Tesco and Musgrave said they were "examining" them, although they have had since last February to do that, when they were published in draft form.
Meanwhile, it was handy for the Minister that he got to tick another item from the programme for government on the very week the Dáil is to be dissolved.
A raft of industry sharp practices, such as dubious demands for payments for “shelf space”, have been banned. The ultimate sanctions for executives of big retailers that repeatedly breach the rules include potential jail time.
Behind the scenes, senior members of the retail industry are flummoxed that they have only been given three months to adjust their systems and procedures to implement the new rules, which will be enforced by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. April deadline Retail Ireland, the Ibec division that represents the industry, said it was "concerned" over the April deadline. "This is going to be a headache for a lot of retailers, trying to get everything in place by then," said Thomas Burke, its director.
The commission has appointed Damien Carolan, who formerly spent almost 40 years working for Feargal Quinn at Superquinn, to advise it on its dealings with industry.
Small suppliers and farmers' groups, meanwhile, are delighted to have, finally, reached this point. They have been screaming for Government intervention over allegations of retailers bullying suppliers since 2009, when Mary Coughlan, then in Bruton's job, started talking about an ombudsman and a code of conduct.
John Travers was appointed to explore the introduction of a code, but in 2011 he came to the conclusion that it would not be possible to do so by agreement.
The retail industry has succeeded in dragging out the introduction of a new set of rules ever since. Behind the scenes, it lobbied hard, arguing rules would lead to increased prices during a recession.
The Government appears to have been sufficiently influenced to push the pause button in recent years, probably concerned about being publicly accused of doing anything that might hit consumers’ pockets during hard times. Now things are on the up, that accusation would be less damaging.
A cut-throat state of competition remains in the grocery market, however, the price war is still raging and the new rules will cut the big retailers’ armoury of weapons to cut costs.
Bruton’s department says it will keep the rules “under review” and that they can be adjusted “in either direction” if they are adversely affecting the industry or consumers.