text:
RadioShack's profit dropped 30 percent to $35 billion, which the company attributed to stiff competition as well as a contract dispute with T-Mobile. The company's mobility business did grow by 11 percent, the company said. "Despite a challenging economy and tough weather conditions, our first-quarter results were generally in line with our internal expectations," the company's president and CEO-designate, Jim Gooch, said as part of the announcement. "We expect the softness in our business to continue during the second quarter before we begin to see the benefits of our merchandising and sales initiatives improving both revenue and income trends in the back half of the year. In addition, growth in our mobility business will be aided by our tablet computer offerings, which are being introduced this month."
Nearly 20 percent of all TVs shipped in 2010 featured connected TV capabilities, according to new research released Monday by DisplaySearch. The DisplaySearch Q1 2011 Quarterly TV Design and Features Report, predicts the connected TV category to grow to over 123 million shipments in 2014 (at a 30 percent compound annual growth rate). Emerging markets will play a major role in this growth, the firm said, with Eastern Europe forecast to grow from 2.5 million connected TVs shipped in 2010 to over 10 million in 2014. In addition, DisplaySearch findings indicate that 33 percent of flat panel TVs sold in China in 2013 will have internet capability.
IPTVConnection.com is a site for discussion of all subjects related to IPTV (Internet Protocol Television). The forum is designed to bring you the latest news in IPTV along with friendly discussion and help between users of various hardware and delivery systems.
Netflix's streaming content license fees are projected to increase at least $500 million this year from $180 million in 2010 - more than wiping out much-ballyhooed savings from reduced disc postage and distribution costs, an analyst said. Michael Pachter, with Wedbush Securities in Los Angeles, said the exponential rise in Netflix's license fees revolve around recent benchmark content deals completed with pay-TV channel Epix and The Walt Disney Co. He estimates Netflix will pay Epix $190 million annually during five years for repurposed movies from Epix co-owners MGM, Lionsgate and Paramount - available 90 days after initial broadcast. Pachter expects Netflix to shell out $150 million to $200 million annually for a renewed deal with Starz Entertainment - with the current $30 million per year agreement set to expire in this fall. The analyst believes Netflix will pay on average more than $107 million per year per studio for repurposed movies from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Warner Home Video and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. He says Netflix will pay even more for TV content, with separate studio deals ranging from $100 million to $200 million per year. Pachter says Netflix will realize about $200 million in reduced postal fees after 2012.
Philips is moving its loss-making TV business to a 30/70 joint venture with Hong-Kong based monitor maker TPV and has the option to sell out. The Dutch group has struggled to compete against players like Samsung and LG Electronics. Van Houten, a restructuring expert who took over as CEO this month, said on Monday he is assessing the profitability of Philips' 400 or so business areas, a hint that further divestments could be on the cards. "We are not yet firing on all cylinders...There's much unlocked potential in Philips," Van Houten told Reuters Insider. Philips' shares opened lower on the news, but then recovered to trade up 0.9 percent at 10:29 a.m.. Philips has 3,600 employees at the business, all of whom will be transferred to TPV. It did not give a value for the deal, saying it would receive a deferred payment from TPV. Philips showed its first television to the Dutch public in 1928 -- a bulky box-like contraption that was a far cry from its current sleek, flatscreen models. But Philips, once a global leader in TVs, can no longer compete with lower-cost rivals. The unit, which makes up less than 10 percent of group sales, has become a thorn in the firm's side, having notched up losses of almost a billion euros since the beginning of 2007. Van Houten said the joint venture "will enable a return to profitability for the television business, and an increased portfolio focus for Philips in health and well-being."
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT), the world's biggest retailer, plans to cut back on space for electronics as sales in that category have declined, contributing to the company's two-year U.S. sales slump. The company, which is based in Bentonville, Arkansas, will reduce the floor space devoted to items like flat-screen televisions and give some of that space to apparel, according to Rosalind Brewer, who runs the Wal-Mart East division. Brewer spoke at a retail conference in Atlanta today. The reduction is a reversal of Wal-Mart's 2009 move to allocate 21 percent more floor space to entertainment gadgets and comes after electronics contributed to a 1.8 percent decline in sales at U.S. stores open at least a year in the fourth quarter, its seventh consecutive drop. "It's something Wal-Mart has needed to do for a year," said Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners, a New Canaan, Connecticut-based consulting firm, in an interview. "You don't need as much space in that area with products shrinking and purchases going online, and electronics has narrow profit margins. Floor space is a scarce commodity."
To perform the test, all you need is one piece of string that measures about the length of your arm. Tie a knot in the middle, and then a knot two to four inches from each end. Hold the string up to your nose with the closest knot about two inches away from your nose. Make sure your finger isn't obscuring your line of sight. Now you're ready to go. First, check to see how many knots you see as you look at the knot in the center. You should see only one. If you see two, you may have double vision, or diplopia, and should consult your optometrist. Next, check to see how many strings you see as you focus on the center knot. You should see two, crossing at the knot in the middle. If you don't see two strings, you don't see 3-D. I found that the strings kept popping in and out, so I definitely have issues with 3-D perception. If you see two strings, the next step is to determine where the strings cross. If they cross at the center knot, your eyes probably work well together and you can see 3-D. If they cross in front of the center knot, your eyes are pointing in too much and you have "convergence excess." And if the strings cross in back of the center knot, your eyes aren't pointing in enough and you have "convergence insufficiency."
As broadcasters and television networks try to figure out their Internet strategy, the TV content that actually is online is generating quite a pretty penny. Online TV brought in $1.6 billion last year, up 34% from 2009, according to a data analysis by IHS. The largest contributor to that growth was a 65% rise in Internet TV advertising, which reached $719 million in 2010. That's surprising, since Big Media has often beenreluctant to throw its content online, thinking it would jeopardize their lucrative deals with cable providers. And the number of online television streams with ads rose by a measly 10% last year. But some analysts say that the big players in online TV are actually making out pretty well. "Even in this conflicted market, revenue was up, thanks to the proactive attitude of a handful of players, including Hulu and the CW Television Network, which have managed to expand revenue even as consumption growth has leveled out," said Dan Cryan, head broadband media analyst at IHS.
YouTube has started its new service "YouTube Live" to offer live streaming videos of concerts, sports and interviews to users. Consumers can use the new service, launched online at youtube.com/live, to watch shows or events streamed by the Google-owned operation's partners, who will be able to access the YouTube Live streaming platform to begin broadcasting content. The launch started with a "Digitour" performance by YouTube musicians. It is not the first time the online video company is showing live videos. The new Live platform would make live-streaming a standard practice. The company said that the new service is intended to be a platform for its partners to show live content to users. YouTube product manager Joshua Siegel and product marketing manager Christopher Hamilton said in a blog, "The goal is to provide thousands of partners with the capability to live stream from their channels in the months ahead."
Hulu is doing well if you ask Jason Kilar, the CEO, who reported the Q1 stats for the online video service in a blog post on Monday. From the sounds of the post everything is unicorns and cotton candy over there in the rose-colored world of Huludise. Lots of good stats to show how healthy the company is and illustrate the jump up from the $263M they did last year which could spell I…P…O… Kilar stated the company is, "on pace to approach half a billion dollars in revenue in 2011." He also cited a 90% revenue growth in Q1 year-over-year. That's some pretty stiff growth. Considering how the company has been bouncing around on the comScore Top Ten video properties lists it's good to see they're on the up and up in the revenue department. They grew some 50% in regards to the number of advertisers they served. A stat I am frankly not all that impressed with. They do load up on ads already so I don't want them to think that's the continued way to go. No ads for Hulu Plus is going to be key to their continued success I think because they will continue to push ads on the subscribers to the point where people stop paying, and why wouldn't they when they can possibly get a lot of that Plus content that has ads for free elsewhere.
Toshiba just unveiled a new line of 3D panel televisions that will – for the first time – be available outside of Japan. And here's the real kicker: They're promising that at least one of these models will be completely glasses-free. You hear that, 3D fans? Nothing weighing down your face. Just good ol', unencumbered TV watching plus an extra dimension. Details at this point are scant, but Toshiba didn't shy from talking up their other projects, notably a new line of Regza VL passive 3D TVs. Each one is said to come standard with four ReaID 3D glasses, and will be available in 42- and 47-inch sizes. No word on pricing yet. In Japan, 12- and 20-inch glasses-free 3D TVs are already available. The catch is they can only be watched from nine very specific angles, which--let's face it--is far from ideal, especially at such tiny sizes. But if Toshiba lives up to its promise and delivers a full-sized 3D TV the entire family can enjoy sans shades (they're saying April 2012, so cross your fingers), it may change the game enough to give 3D a fighting chance.
Dish Network Corp. said Wednesday that it won the auction for Blockbuster Inc. with a bid valued at $228 million in cash. As of Tuesday, the satellite TV company, billionaire investor Carl Icahn and a group of debt holders were the three remaining bidders for the Dallas movie-rental chain, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September. Dish's bid was for $320 million, but the value decreases to $228 million after adjusting for available cash and inventory. "Blockbuster will complement our existing video offerings while presenting cross-marketing and service extension opportunities for Dish Network," said Tom Cullen, executive vice president of sales, marketing and programming for Dish Network, in a statement. Blockbuster is already a shadow of its former self. When the chain filed for bankruptcy protection, it was down to 3,000 stores, less than a third of the peak of 9,100 in 2004. There are about 2,400 currently open with plans to close about 700 more by mid-April. Blockbuster used to dominate the U.S. movie rental business. But it lost money for years as that business declined because customers shifted to Netflix Inc., video on demand and DVD rental kiosks. Dish, based in Englewood, Colo., expects to close the deal during the second quarter. The transaction needs bankruptcy court approval.
Market research firm Infonetics Research earlier this month released its fourth quarter 2010 (4Q10) Cable, Satellite, IPTV, and OTT Set-Top Boxes and Subscribers market share and forecast report, now led by analyst Teresa Mastrangelo. ALYST NOTE "In the fourth quarter of 2010, we witnessed the dramatic growth of over-the-top services, as service providers and equipment vendors hit the 'sweet spot' for pricing. However, these services continue to complement pay TV rather than replace it. On a global basis, demand for set-top boxes continues to increase as more countries transition from analog to digital and more operators offer enhanced services such as high definition and DVR. We also are seeing increasing demand for hybrid set-top boxes, which leverage the existing broadcast infrastructure, but utilize the broadband connection to incorporate OTT content and increase interactivity and on-demand services," notes Teresa Mastrangelo, directing analyst for video (cable, satellite, IPTV video) at Infonetics Research.
Best Buy is rebalancing its channel strategy to address market share gains by online retailers, including Amazon.com. In the process, the company is dramatically expanding its online-only assortment, is promising to price those products aggressively, and has begun shrinking the footprint of some of its big-box stores as they come off lease. The chain has also not ruled out the possibility of closing some of its larger locations outright. In a fourth-quarter earnings call last month, co-Americas president Mike Vitelli said Best Buy will offer "very aggressive" pricing on a much broader online-only assortment to improve its price perception with customers. The move is designed to help counter mobile price-comparison technologies, which can put in-store stock at a disadvantage because price checks don't reflect value-added promotions like extended financing, loyalty program discounts and bundled offers, he said. The low web pricing will be achieved through a combination of supplier fulfillment, two-step distribution and Best Buy-owned inventory, he said. Still, CEO Brian Dunn stressed the importance of maintaining a brick-and-mortar presence to differentiate Best Buy from online-only competitors. Stores allow in-person consultations, provide a convenient pickup option for ecommerce orders, and will give the company a competitive advantage should tax policy favoring e-tail-only merchants change.
After selling its streaming media players primarily online for the last three years, Roku will now start selling its set-top boxes in Best Buy stores. This is Roku's largest retail partnership; it also sells its models through smaller chains BJ's Wholesale Club, Fry's Electronics and RadioShack. The deal demonstrates the growing interest among consumers in bridging online video and TV, and perhaps down the road, cutting their cable cords. Roku XD player will start appearing in Best Buy stores nationwide and on the retailer's website. The player has a list price of $79.99. In a statement, Anthony Wood, Roku's founder and CEO, claims that the company has already sold one million boxes via online retailers.
Records 1051 to 1065 of 1500
You asked, we listened! Music lovers that want to enjoy their tunes everywhere - yes, everywhere! - now have a high-tech, easy-to-use option that upgrades the look and functionality of any home or office. The I600 In-Wall Digital Stereo Music System is a music distribution system that provides enhanced usability and delivers mind-blowing stereo quality sound. With touch screen controls, Bluetooth connectivity, and several music source options, the I600 turns your surroundings into an amazing music entertainment experience.


text:
GTA 5 Reaches Impressive New Sales Milestone, As Microtransaction Spending Grows
Business is good at Take-Two.
As part of Take-Two's latest earnings report, the company announced a bunch of new sales numbers and other key metrics for its biggest games, including Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2.
GTA V has now sold 120 million units worldwide, which means it sold around 20 million copies in 2019 based on previously disclosed numbers. Additionally, Take-Two announced that microtransaction spending in GTA Online grew by 54 percent during the quarter, thanks in part to new content updates like Diamond Heist and others.
As announced previously, GTA Online set new player records in December 2019 and January 2020, which is incredibly impressive given the game launched in 2013.
As for Red Dead Redemption 2, the game has now passed 29 million copies sold. Take-Two also confirmed that NBA 2K20 has sold 8 million copies, which surpasses NBA 2K19 and is ahead of Take-Two's projections. Borderlands 3, meanwhile, has surpassed 8 million copies sold, and Take-Two expects the game to set a new franchise record for lifetime sales.
One title that disappointed was WWE 2K20, which was riddled with bugs and other issues at launch. Take-Two said it is disappointed in how the game did not meet the company's sales or quality expectations. The studio is working with developer Visual Concepts to address these issues for future releases.
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.

domain: news


text:
BMW Group Plotting More Crossovers for Mini Lineup
Mini might not make sense as a automotive company anymore, at least not in the United States. Consumer tastes have shifted away from small cars and practically everyone is interested in crossovers these days. While this issue has been less pronounced in Europe, where the Mini has enjoyed an uptick in sales, the brand has been struggling in North America. U.S. volumes are comparatively low and have been on the decline since 2015. It’s not a total disaster, but annual deliveries have been wallowing south of 50,000 units for a couple of years now. Nobody can pretend there isn’t a problem.
The fix, according to parent company BMW Group, is to fill up Mini’s product portfolio with crossover vehicles while also giving the little Hardtop a bit of love.
Broadening the lineup makes sense, one only needs to take a gander at Porsche’s bottom line for evidence. But, unlike Porsche, Mini isn’t getting out ahead of the curve so much as it’s playing catch up. It’s also called Mini, making the move toward larger vehicles more than a little ironic. However, let’s not forget how meaningless the backlash against Porsche’s change in strategy turned out to be after the Cayenne and Macan started spinning straw into gold.
In a recent interview with Automotive News, BMW Group sales head Pieter Nota explained that the Mini brand would pursue new products. While the Hardtop is poised to go electric, at least to some degree, the rest of the line is supposed to be fleshed out via bigger models — namely crossovers.
“That’s a growing segment,” Nota said. “Without revealing anything, we will see growth in that segment.”
Nota also confirmed that the brand wouldn’t be abandoning the United States like Smart did. “Unlike some of our competitors, we are not turning our back to the U.S.,” he explained. “We see that even as an opportunity.”
That would seem to suggest the brand will go hard with crossovers. Nota expressed excitement for the new Mini Electric and John Cooper Works, but neither are likely to move in meaningful numbers inside of North America. They’re both small cars, the JCW won’t have much appeal outside of the enthusiast crowd, and the Mini Electric ( now called the SE) is expected to have a lackluster range and be ill-suited for American tastes.
“We wanted to avoid putting too much weight and too much cost into the car [with a larger battery],” Nota said, adding that the Mini’s range would be “optimal” for in-town driving.
While the brand is obviously looking at promoting electrification, Mini’s overarching plan will likely mimic BMW’s. Expect a broader array of powertrains — with all-electric being an option, rather than a requirement. “What we see in global markets is that the rate of acceptance of electric mobility is differing,” Nota said. “But we do see overall an increase in the acceptance of electrification.”
[Image: Casimiro PT/Shutterstock]
Jkross22 on Jul 23, 2019
A company can keep turning out crap for a while and live off nostalgia and reputation, but that corporate laziness eventually catches up with you. Mini isn't and never was a premium brand. There JCW versions are ok, but they are little more than gussied up Volkswagens. VW just killed the Beatle. BMW should do the same with mini.
Snakebit on Jul 23, 2019
At the risk of foisting the writing style guide of we commenters on TTAC editors and contributors, 'MINI' denotes the 2002-2019 product built by BMW, and 'Mini' distinquishes the circa 1959-2010ish totally British products that inspired the BMW MINI. Even apart from commenting on TTAC articles, this is the style I use online to distinquish the two products with two different origins.
Latest Car ReviewsRead more
Latest Product ReviewsRead more
- ToolGuy VW (marque not group) and Tesla very nearly switched positions on a YTD basis.
- RHD Inexpensive gasoline appears to be a thing of the past. ILO is correct - we have enough sunlight, wind and emerging ocean wave energy to power the entire country and then some. Clean air is nice, and being free of the whims of OPEC, geopolitics and hugely profitable oil companies will do all of us a world of good.
- Raymond Segura Can you tell me where I can get the rear bumper for 69 impala?
- Art Vandelay some of the crazy numbers I get. Percentages look bigger with any fluctuations with low volume makes and brands leaving the market will see massive month over month changes. But what’s with Buick? I still see the occasional ad on TV and yet the drop is disproportionate even compared to all the other GM brands.
- Master Baiter "There is no mandate for consumers to buy EVs, not in any country or state. That’s made up."Right. And you are not mandated to purchase a toilet that only uses 1.6 gallons/flush. You could choose to not have a toilet--just go in the woods, like the bears do.


text:
November 9, 2012
Steamboat Springs-based startup U Grok It received a stellar reception at a San Francisco industry show in March. Now, the people behind the Grokker tracking device have shifted its application to commercial uses in response to calls from the business market.
Stories this photo appears in:
U Grok It has raised cash from three angel investors, one in Steamboat, another in the Bay Area and a third in Florida, that will allow them to build working prototypes.


text:
LOS ANGELES, CA – Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, City of Los Angeles First Deputy Mayor Austin Beutner, Peterson Institute for National Economics Director Fred Bergsten and University of Southern California (USC) Professor of International Trade Dr. Abraham Lowenthal were among those who spoke at today’s 84th Annual World Trade Week Kickoff Breakfast hosted by the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.
World Trade: The Path to Economic Recovery kicked off the more than 40 events to take place in May as part of the national World Trade Week observance. Close to 500 executives and members of the diplomatic corps in attendance listened to discussions focused on leveraging cultural ties to enhance trade and grow the economy. Dr. Bergsten spoke about encouraging signs of increased activities in trade over the past year.
“I am particularly pleased to be here today because the trade picture is so much brighter than when you met a year ago,” Bergsten said. “At that time, both exports and imports were plummeting due to the global recession.”
“We should not have been surprised, however,” Bergsten continued. “Since the Second World War, trade has grown by a multiple of world economic growth, rising about four times as fast in the fifty years prior to the recent turndown and then dropping by only a slightly higher ratio in late 2008 and early 2009. Fortunately, it is now recovering at least as rapidly.”
The L.A. Area Chamber presented Governor Schwarzenegger with the California Global Ambassador Award for his commitment to expand international trade and promote California in global markets. Dr. Lowenthal received the 2010 Stanley T. Olafson Award for his dedication to the development of world trade in the region.
“Dr. Lowenthal has helped local, state, national and foreign governments and business leaders understand the impacts of global trade,” said L.A. Area Chamber President & CEO Gary Toebben. “He’s created a blueprint that has helped our region take advantage of the many opportunities presented by doing business overseas.”
The Export Achievement Award was presented to Saddleback Educational Publishing, a leader in high-interest solutions for struggling learners in middle and high school, and Paulson Manufacturing, a Temecula-based company that produces eye and face safety products. This award recognized small and medium-sized firms which have experienced significant and continued growth in export sales.
The Service to World Traders Award, which honors businesses that have demonstrated a sustained commitment to serving world traders in areas such as transportation, financing and law, was presented to International Checkout, Inc. Since 2002, International Checkout has been at the forefront of global e-commerce, providing an integrated solution that includes a full range of services.
The Special Recognition Award, which spotlights the outstanding contributions of a nonprofit organization or volunteer member of the trade community, was presented to California Fashion Association, a nonprofit organization established to provide information about the apparel and textile industry of California for business expansion and international trade.
For more than 80 years, World Trade Week has been the most extensive and unique program of its kind in the country. World Trade Week dedicates itself to educating the public on the importance and benefits of global trade on the local and national economy through a series of educational programs and events.
“The fact that Los Angeles has celebrated international trade for more than eight decades is testament to the significance of trade in our region,” Toebben said. “The L.A. Area Chamber is proud to host Governor Schwarzenegger, Dr. Bergsten and Dr. Lowenthal and we look forward to working with these individuals to enhance trade opportunities and jobs for U.S. businesses.”
The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce represents the interests of business in L.A. County. Founded in 1888, the Chamber promotes a prosperous economy and quality of life in the Los Angeles region. For more information, visit www.lachamber.com.


text:
Netflix consumers will be grateful to European members for a recent approval. Europe, which is already popular for its propensity to share things within its member nations, is now extending citizens’ rights to Netflix as well. Such a move enables customers to access their subscriptions tostreaming services like Sky, Canal+ and Netflix even when they are traveling.
Good news for Netflix fans
On Friday, the EU announced this move, representing the latest attempts of the governing body to cancel digital barriers between the 28 EU countries. Recently, the member states endorsed the proposal, but the European Union has not approved the law officially yet. Still, the proposal appears to be a promising step towards full legality on May 26.
Even though the streaming giant is already present in many different countries across Europe, its content is generally curated to match local preferences. This means a French user in Germany would not be able to see his or her normal queue unless they use a virtual private network (VPN) or other workaround. This new law would change that.
Seth Klarman: Investors Can No Longer Rely On Mean Reversion
"For most of the last century," Seth Klarman noted in his second-quarter letter to Baupost's investors, "a reasonable approach to assessing a company's future prospects was to expect mean reversion." He went on to explain that fluctuations in business performance were largely cyclical, and investors could profit from this buying low and selling high. Also Read More
Now subscribers to Netflix and other streaming services will be able to see content they have purchased when they are traveling abroad temporarily. The exact definition of “temporarily” has not been made clear yet, but hopefully the term will be addressed by the time the law goes into effect in 2017. The European Union hopes that the countries will abolish roaming charges for mobile phone service among the member states in the same year as well.
Broadcasters and rights-holders worried
Broadcasters are a bit less excited about the idea, but fans and consumers will probably be quite happy with this news. The rights-holders of some content are quite concerned about the copyright law, reports Reuters. Also the reports say rights-holders are concerned about what this new free-for-all means for licensing. If the programs are made readily available across several countries, then broadcasters will possibly worry about increasing prices for content.
Rights-holders are worried that this notion might erode the principle of territoriality. However, the bigger worry for them is the Commission’s upcoming reform of EU copyright law that aims to improve users’ access to content in other countries. Nevertheless, as streaming services like Netflix become even more popular across Europe and around the world, it appears natural that the European Union would give people what they want.


text:
According to Bloomberg, Maxim was working with a bank on a strategic review when it was approached by Analog Devices, according to unnamed sources. Maxim has been looking to reduce costs, transform its manufacturing footprint, and optimize R&D and sales to identify growth opportunities. It has a market value of about $9.8 billion.
Analog Devices meanwhile supplies the supplies the touchscreen controller that powers Apple’s Force Touch in the Apple Watch, and is rumored to supply iPhones and iPads as well.
Analog Devices has 2,500 employees in New England and 9,000 worldwide. Maxim has 8,800 employees in San Jose, Calif. Neither company has commented on the merger talks.
In June, Analog Devices said it would pay about $2 billion in cash for Hittite Microwave Corp. to acquire the capability to supply chips used by automakers and the military.
The semiconductor industry has seen $110 billion in deals this year.
Full content: Bloomberg
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.


text:
Research In Motion Limited (TSE:RIM) has turned down take-over offers in the past, but one of the most interesting was from Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN). RIM knows that they have been having problems with maintaining a solid market share, but they prefer to get better as an independent. This past summer, Amazon.com hired an investment bank to review a potential merger with RIM. A formal offer was never made.
As of right now, RIM does is not interested in a joint venture or an outright sale, despite the interest. However RIM is still discussing ways to expand commercial ties with different companies, which include making Amazon.com’s music catalog available on BlackBerry devices.
RIM has a lot of work to do in order to survive. The company’s value dropped 77% in the past 12 months to about $6.8 billion as the company had kept reporting disappointing quarterly reports. Weak sales of the PlayBook have been cited as well. Some corporate and private equity companies are waiting for RIM’s value to drop even further before making a move too.
Another idea is for RIM to license out the QNX operating system in late 2010 after BlackBerry 10 launches. QNX could be an alternative for smartphone manufacturers to use instead of Android. But smartphone manufacturers such as HTC and Samsung already have licensing agreements with Google and currently do not see value in striking a partnership with RIM. This means that RIM would really have to provide a lot of incentives to smartphone manufacturing companies to even be considered a blip on Android and iOS’ radar.


text:
- A 2019 International Game Developers Association survey found only 2% of app developers identify as Black, African American, African or Afro-Caribbean.
- Pokémon GO maker Niantic Labs announced a multi-million dollar Black Developers Initiative, offering funding and mentorship to address the gaming industry's diversity problem.
Pokémon GO maker Niantic Labs announced in early February its Black Developers Initiative (BDI), a program designed to support Black game and augmented reality (AR) app developers.
The five-month program will fund new projects for Black game development teams with the intention of building a playable prototype and pitch deck for their real-world AR games.
"BDI is our commitment to providing access, opportunity, resources, and mentorship," said CEO John Hanke in Niantic's official announcement.
Trinidad Hermida, Niantic's head of diversity and inclusion, told CNBC in an interview that the company's recent Pokémon Go Fest 2020 raised $13 million, and roughly half of those funds will be dedicated to this initiative.
"Developing a game costs a lot of money," said Hermida. "It's a billion dollar industry and it's moving fast with so many different pieces, so finance can be a huge barrier."
The video game industry that has been booming during the coronavirus pandemic continues to struggle with diversity behind the scenes.
"The gaming industry has been predominantly white for the last 20 years," said Hermida. "Although we're moving out of that and we're really creating more balanced and equitable studios, that's still tough when you're trying to enter into a culture that you really don't know."
According to an NPD Group report, U.S. consumer spending on video game products in the third quarter of 2020 shattered previous record highs reaching $11.2 billion, an increase of 24% year-over-year.
Niantic's multi-million dollar commitment comes as a follow to the company's pledge of support after the killing of George Floyd last summer.
"We think the next area where we can make a powerful, scalable impact is through the culture, ideas and role models we help to create," said Hanke in an internal memo issued in June of 2020. "To achieve that, we are going to fund projects from Black creators and will bring the best of those creations to a mass audience where they can shine a light on characters, story, and points of view that validate the lives and experiences of the Black community."
Nielsen reports that African Americans remain among the most likely groups to be engaged gamers (71%), the second largest ethnic group after Asian Americans (81%) and followed by non-Hispanic whites (61%) and Hispanics (55%).
Despite these high engagement levels on the consumer end, data from a self-reported 2019 International Game Developers Association survey paints a more bleak picture behind the scenes. The survey found only 2% of developers identify as Black, African American, African or Afro-Caribbean.
"The hard thing about being a person of color is that you just don't get the benefit of the doubt," said Jessica Murrey, Co-founder and CEO of W!CKED SAiNTS Studio.
Murrey is the first developer signed on to Niantic's Black Developers Initiative.
The Black and female-led studio based in Medford, Oregon develops graphic novel-style storytelling games to engage with young leaders and create social impact.
Prior to becoming a game developer, Murrey ran the communications department at Search for Common Ground, one of the world's largest dedicated conflict resolution organization.
She was soon in the field, training young activists in storytelling and strategic messaging, which now translates to her game designs. Her exposure to gaming however started at a young age.
"Actually my mom is a huge gamer," said Murrey. "When I was in high school my mom was ranked like top 25 players in the world at like Lost Planet."
A multi-generational gamer, Murrey's path to growing W!CKED SAiNTS has overcome its share of obstacles. In order to focus exclusively on the studio, she quit her job in advocacy and focused on networking with artists, narrative designers and raised money on Kickstarter.
Before connecting with Niantic, Murrey said that one of her primary investors at the time withdrew their investment.
"The feedback that we got was that 'I really like you and you're really energetic, but I don't know if you can pull it off," Murrey said.
Now, W!CKED SAiNTS will work with Niantic to build a game called "World Reborn" - a player experience Murrey describes as "Game of Thrones" meets "Riverdale" with a dash of "Black Mirror."
When asked what opportunities developers will have to remain part of the Niantic family beyond the five-month initiative, Hermida said that's a decision to be made on a case-by-case basis.
"It's a dance," said Hermida. "Developers have to want to at the end walk with us, dance with us and we have to want to walk and dance with them."
Hermida said ideally they want to build partnerships with developers that they'll be able to bring to their in house game development team.
"Having an equitable balanced workforce is going to make you not only more innovative, but it's huge to your business," said Hermida. "If we're not balancing our workforce to look like what society looks like, then we're at a disadvantage to our business."
Correction: This story has been updated to reflect the correct city where W!CKED SAiNTS is located.


text:
Christies London has set a new European auction record for a case of wine - 12 bottles of Hermitage La Chapelle 1961 which sold for a record-breaking £123,750 - over £10,000 a bottle.
This smashes the auction house’s previous record set in June 2006 when 12 bottles of 1978 Romanee-Conti from Domaine de la Romanee-Conti fetched £93,500.
The Finest and Rarest Wine auction, held on 20 September, made £1,794,397, selling 95% of lots offered.
A single bottle of Hermitage La Chapelle 1937 netted £5,500, while a second case of Hermitage La Chapelle 1961 sold for £112,500, making the £22,000 paid for 12 bottles of 1961 Château Mouton Rothschild appear modest in comparison.
‘A single case of the famed 1961 Hermitage La Chapelle set a world auction record for a case of wine from the Rhone, illustrating the continued ascent of Rhone in the international wine markets’, said Chris Munro, Christie’s director of wine.
The world record for a case of wine is currently held by Christie’s Los Angeles, which in September last year sold six magnums of Mouton Rothschild 1945 for $345,000 (£172,000).
The most expensive wine ever remains the – now notorious – single bottle of 1787 Chateau Lafite from the cellar of Thomas Jefferson, which sold at Christie’s London in December 1985 for £105,000.
Other notable one-bottle lots include a magnum of Hermitage La Chapelle 1961, which made £16,080 at Christies Geneva in May 2007, and a bottle of 1811 Chateau d’Yquem, which sold at Christie’s London in November 2005 for £18,700.
Written by Lucy Shaw


text:
Android users across the globe can now play the award-winning third-person shooter Afterpulse. GAMEVIL and DIGITAL LEGENDS have declared that Afterpulse’s highly requested Android version is officially available for Google Play. Afterpulse for Android plays and looks as flawlessly as the stunning iOS version. Android users can now experience the same thrilling synchronous multiplayer gameplay
The time to enlist is now. GAMEVIL is proud to announce that users who desired to play Afterpulse for Android can finally pre-register. Afterpulse is an award-winning third person shooter originally released on iOS, and the Android version will feel just as spectacular. Players who sign up will receive notification once Afterpulse launches on Google
The presence of mobile games in the gaming industry is no surprise, especially considering the amount it rakes in for those who pull it off right. Anyone with enough capital and a strong enough brand would be foolish not to try to get something lucrative out on mobile, and Japan isn’t going to be left
Boomzap’s multiplayer strategy game is now available for Android tablets, and a free-for-all tournament launches on all platforms
NHN Studio629 announced today that its new puzzle game using ‘Wooparoo’ intellectual identity(IP) called WooparooPang is now live globally. It supports total of thirteen languages and players worldwide can download the game on both iOS and Android mobile market.


text:
Is Toys ‘R’ Us about to make a comeback? Court documents suggest debtors are trying to revive the business
Thursday, October 4, 2018/
Is Toys ‘R’ Us Inc. about to make a comeback?
The US-based toy retailer collapsed in spectacular fashion earlier this year, eventually dragging its Australian arm down with it.
But the debtors of Toys ‘R’ Us have moved to cancel a planned auction of the company’s intellectual property this week, court documents filed with the United States bankruptcy court show.
The reason? Well, among other things, the debtors have said there’s a plan in the works to possibly open a new Toys ‘R’ Us and Babies ‘R’ Us branding company that would maintain the existing global license agreements for the businesses.
These companies would be able to “invest in, and create new, domestic [and] retail operating businesses”, as well as “expand its international presence and further develop its private brands business.”
A group of hedge funds currently controls the business, which includes lenders such as Solus Alternative Asset Management.
The debtors hold the rights to the brand names of Toys ‘R’ Us and Babies ‘R’ Us as well as website domains, the all-important Geoffrey the Giraffe and other assets.
Essentially, with some hefty investment, that means they can, at least theoretically, revive the business.
That would be good news for customers across the world that took to social media to express sadness at the collapse of the business earlier this year.
In Australia, an unsuccessful attempt was made by administrators to find a separate buyer for the local operation, the business had 44 stores.
Several, sometimes quirky, attempts were made to save the business prior to its collapse, including an $800 million crowdfunding tilt led by Isaac Larian, founder of toy manufacturer MGA Entertainment.
But in the months since the business stopped trading more than 30,000 workers have been fighting for severance pay, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Last week Toys ‘R’ Us’ private equity investors Bain Capital and KKR & Co. said they would create a $US20 million ($27.8 million) fund to distribute to workers, which distributed evenly equates to about $US600 ($836) for each worker.
The art of business drinking: How to make deals, networks and friends Ian Whitworth Scene Change co-founder
Bridging the gap: Why regular customer surveys are key to good business Sonia Majkic 3 Phase Marketing co-founder
Six reasons every workplace should have a resident dog Michael Tiyce Tiyce & Lawyers principal
How we created an engaging online course with a 91% completion rate Emma Green Your CEO Mentor co-founder
Five things to consider before you launch a family business Monique Bolland Nuzest co-founder
Why Australian businesses are the new owned media moguls Jonathan Hopkins Marketing


text:
News One Piece Manga 65 Sells 3 Million in Less Than 2 Months
posted on 2012-03-29 02:30 EDT
On Thursday, the market research firm Oricon posted its extended manga sales ranking chart for the March 19-25 week, and the chart revealed that One Piece volume 65 sold over 3 million copies in less than two months. While at least eight previous One Piece manga volumes have also sold over 3 million copies each, none of them accomplished the feat in less than two months. No manga volume has sold this many copies this fast since Oricon began posting its sales ranking charts in April of 2008.
One Piece volume 65 went on sale on February 3 with a record-tying first print run of 4 million copies. It then moved 1,934,961 copies in just its first three days on the shelves. It continued to inch higher week by week, until it sold 32,339 copies this past week to push it to 3,005,287.
Available Now: Junji Ito Collection - Toji no Miko ~ Katana Maidens ― Welcome to Anime News Network's Winter 2018 Preview Guide! Here's how it goes: our team of critics write up their impressions instantly, to be posted here as they go along. Each critic will cover as many shows as they ca...


text:
From recent nuclear crisis worries to social media panic, the news of the aftermath of Japan’s earthquake is unfurling every day with more concerns for many of its resources. As a major player in telecom and auto equipment, Japan’s supply for the two industries is cause for worry amongst makers.
Despite contingency plans, the concern relies on the fact that Japan is responsible for one-fifth of the world’s semiconductor production. Friday’s earthquake has threatened supply manufacturers worldwide.
Reuters reports that companies such as Ericsson, Alcatel-Lucent and STMicroelectronics have sent warnings for supply impact, going down the same road of worry as the auto industry, as Japan is a major supply source for the auto and technology industries.
"The telecommunications industry, as well as many other industries, source components from Japan. It is reasonable to expect that the events in Japan will affect supply of components but it is too early to say to what extent," the company Ericsson said in a statement.
However, Ericsson issued a separate statement today that they do not expect the disaster to have any impact on its 1Q sales, only its supply components would be affected.
"Although it is too early to get an accurate picture of how Japanese enterprises are affected, and how this affects Ericsson and the industry, no material impact on Ericsson's sales are expected for 1Q 2011," the company said.
Despite supply threats to many tech firms, an Apple spokesperson said the delay was unrelated to any supply shortages. The company was due to launch its iPad 2 in Japan on March 25; however, the launch has been delayed indefinitely as Japan recovers from the earthquake.
"We are delaying the launch of the iPad 2 in Japan while the country and our teams focus on recovering from the recent disaster," said Natalie Kerris.
Apple has been using its iTunes store to accept donations for the American Red Cross' Japan earthquake and tsunami relief fund.
Antivirus software is not enough. Apex Technology Services used its decades of IT and cybersecurity
experience to create budget-friendly network security packages every company needs.
Please take a moment to fill out your information so we can contact you directly regarding your request.
At IDEA Showcase at ITEXPO 2022, seven startups and entrepreneurs focused on transforming markets or creating new ones were able to present their uniq…
Diversity, equity and inclusion has come into greater focus due to cultural awareness, demographic shifts and current events.
The first thing to know about AI-influenced recruiting software is the user is responsible for the actions of the software.
Quality of life and the lack of a state income tax are factors contributing to the emergence of south Florida as a tech hub.
An effective marketing tactic has been utilized in order to make an effective promotion of platforms, come up with ads that evaluate specific audience…


text:
Chief Marketers Struggle With Omni-Channel Alignment: Study
Marketers are struggling to deliver on the big promise of true omni-channel alignment across both digital and physical worlds, according to a study by the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council. The report highlights that one of the biggest challenges for marketers in 2017 will be understanding the connected customer journey across all touchpoints- online and offline, and how best to interact on a more personal and content-rich level.
While digital engagement continues to grow and dominate the customer experience, 38 percent of marketers surveyed feel that digital strategies have delivered mixed results to date. This is especially the case when it comes to bridging the physical and digital customer experiences—49 percent of marketers stated that alignment between physical and digital is selective, at best, with some ties between the two being made while many remain totally disconnected.
The new report—titled “Connected Interaction to Power Brand Attraction“, explores the many ways digital transformation has impacted marketing and the organization’s ability to grow and profit from expanded relationships with customers.
Looking ahead into 2017, marketers plan to dedicate their efforts to resolving many of these disconnects. According to the study, 42 percent of respondents plan to better integrate campaigns into a comprehensive, connected customer experience; 37 percent of respondents will address connecting physical and digital experiences; and 29 percent of marketers intend to invest in more technologies to manage data, as well as the talent needed to oversee and optimize the new marketing technology stack.
“Savvy CMOs don’t see digital as a destination for transformation but instead see the digital experience as a constantly moving evolution for both engagements and operations,” noted Liz Miller, Senior Vice President, Marketing, CMO Council. “The year ahead will represent a real turning point in the customer experience as marketers plan to turn their sights toward connecting, streamlining and measuring the entire journey.”
- How HR Analytics Can Be A Game-Changer In The Banking Industry
- When Securing Customer Loyalty Becomes Critical
- 10 Reasons That Make SMS A Powerful Marketing Tool
- 850 Mn Internet Users To Boost India's Digital Economy
- Making Digital Transactions Simpler And Secured
- Starbucks Brews Up Digital Transformation With Microsoft Azure
- Leaders Should Optimize IT I&O For Digital Business
- Programmatic Advertising: Reach The Right Customers At The Right Time
- 5 Digital Transaction Trends To Follow This Year
- How CIOs Of Midsize Firms Can Drive Digital Transformation


text:
Here’s a bit of news that might actually surprise you. For the last quarter of 2012, Apple was the second biggest player in the Indian smartphone market in terms of revenue. This comes after the years of the company not paying much heed to the Indian market.
According to a report by IDC, Apple held a 15.6 percent market share in terms of revenue, behind Samsung’s 38.8 percent share. Sony stood third with a 9.6 percent grip on the market while Nokia came in fourth with a 7.3 percent share, less than half of what Apple held.
This comes after Apple adopted a shift in the distribution strategy. Rather than tying up with carriers to sell phones in the country, the Cupertino giant decided to sell iPhones via electronic retail stores and small shop just like other manufacturers do. This not only resulted in a drop in the price of the phone, but also made quicker deliveries of the phone possible, something that took months before.
With the iPhones (5, 4S and 4) being among the most expensive phones in India, it is understandable that even if they sell less than Nokia or Sony handsets overall, they bring in more revenue to the company. However, that isn’t the sole reason for Apple’s second position in the country, with sales of iPhone having quadrupled in the last quarter of 2012 according to an earlier reports by IDC.


text:
Uncertain times for Matthews Workers
WORKERS at turkey giant Bernard Matthews face an uncertain future after bosses admitted they were planning to lay off staff.The Great Witchingham-based firm, which employs 2,600 in East Anglia - more than 1,000 of them at its Holton factory and more than 6,000 nationally, has revealed plans for a reduction in worker numbers to meet lower production requirements.
WORKERS at turkey giant Bernard Matthews face an uncertain future after bosses admitted they were planning to lay off staff.
The Great Witchingham-based firm, which employs 2,600 in East Anglia - more than 1,000 of them at its Holton factory and more than 6,000 nationally, has revealed plans for a reduction in worker numbers to meet lower production requirements.
Officials at the company said the cuts were “seasonal” following peak production of turkeys for sale over Christmas.
Numbers have yet to be confirmed and it is not clear what positions will be affected, but the first jobs are expected to go after Easter.
You may also want to watch:
It was also not clear whether the workers are on temporary or permanent contracts or whether the cuts will involve compulsory redundancies, but the company said it was in negotiations with union officials at the Unite union.
A statement from the firm said: “Bernard Matthews can confirm that following consultation with its trade union, a phased lay-off programme may be implemented to match its labour force to current production requirements. This will likely take effect after Easter.
- 1 Man in his 50s dies after head-on collision on A143
- 2 Part of A143 closed after three-vehicle crash in early hours
- 3 Let's staycation in...Beccles
- 4 Crime map shows locations of weapons offences in Suffolk
- 5 No need to wait for booster invitation - clarification after Covid jab confusion
- 6 Man dies in industrial incident at plastics factory
- 7 Farm shop owners 'absolutely thrilled' at national award
- 8 New project launched to restore south Norfolk countryside
- 9 New Toolstation store opens in Beccles
- 10 Tyres slashed on parked cars with damage caused overnight in Beccles
“We are unable to provide any further information on this programme until the final details are confirmed.
“We have a clear business strategy in place to create a sustainable future for Bernard Matthews - focused on our British turkey farming and making great tasting turkey products that meet the needs of consumers today.”
Miles Hubbard, regional industrial organiser for Unite, said the union was holding meetings with company bosses to discuss the proposals.
The firm has suffered in recent years, not least due to an outbreak of the H5N1 strain of bird flu at Holton a year ago.


text:
From our ObsessionFuture of FinanceNew technology is upending everything in finance. In the centre of Gauteng Province, a reluctant winter sun paints the Roodepoort sky with the day’s first semblance warmth.
Target offers Apple’s latest 9.7-inch iPad Wi-Fi for $79 off. That brings the 32GB version to $249.99, and the larger 128GB to $349.99. Today’s deal is a match of the second best price we’ve seen all-time.
Looking for ways to give your brand a competitive edge? Microcopy could very well be the answer you've been searching for. When it comes to creating an iconic brand and an unforgettable user experience
The Avocados From Mexico campaign is writing the textbook on how social media can leverage traditional advertising. Want to get over two billion (yes, with a “B”) social impressions nearly a week before
As the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus continue to make their way to more and more people, developers are gradually rolling out app updates with new features specific to Apple’s latest devices. Today, a pair


text:
EU investigates Hungarian subsidies for Samsung SDI
The European Commission has opened an investigation against Hungary to assess whether Hungary’s plans to grant €108 million in subsidies to Samsung SDI for the expansion of its battery cell production plant in Göd follow EU rules on regional state aid.Weiterlesen
Webasto begins battery production in Germany
The automotive supplier Webasto has started the production of batteries for electric vehicles in Germany. The production of battery packs for a European bus manufacturer has begun at the Schierling site in the Regensburg district – albeit with purchased cells.Weiterlesen
– ADVERTISEMENT –
Akasol agrees with Samsung SDI on supply till 2027
German battery system manufacturer Akasol has significantly expanded its cooperation with Samsung SDI. Akasol has nominated the Korean company as a supplier for lithium-ion battery cells and modules for two large series orders with commercial vehicle manufacturers.Weiterlesen
– ADVERTISEMENT –
Volvo & Samsung to develop e-truck batteries
The Volvo Group and Samsung SDI have formed a strategic alliance to develop battery packs specifically for Volvo electric trucks. Samsung SDI will supply the battery cells and modules to the Volvo Group that will assemble these in its facilities.Weiterlesen
Volkswagen’s battery supply may be in trouble
There are concerns at Volkswagen that a supply contract with Samsung SDI worth around 50 billion euros could be called off. The Koreans are said to have originally agreed to supply battery cells with a total capacity of just over 20 GWh to VW.Weiterlesen
Welcoming back the Passat GTE plug-in hybrid
Thank you for waiting – the VW Passat GTE is making a comeback. In the run-up to the Geneva Motor Show, Volkswagen held a technology workshop, in which the Passat got an update that will benefit the plug-in hybrid version GTE as well. By the time of delivery in late summer, more than a year […]Weiterlesen
BMW, BASF & Samsung want sustainable cobalt mining
BMW, BASF, Samsung SDI and Samsung Electronics have launched a cooperative pilot project to support sustainable and fair cobalt mining initiatives in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The German development agency GIZ will coordinate the project.Weiterlesen
Tesla electric car batteries ahead of the pack
Analysts from UBS teamed up with engineers to figure out which electric vehicle batteries made by established manufacturers offer the best value. They concluded that cells made by Panasonic in Tesla’s Gigafactory are 20 per cent more cost efficient than the next best on offer from LG Chem.Weiterlesen
Is JLR banking on Samsung cells?
Jaguar Land Rover will be investing in Samsung battery cells soon, according to insiders. Apparently the Brits are interested in the cylindrical battery cells from Samsung SDI for future models as of 2020. The Korean battery manufacturer will reportedly upgrade their Hungary factory with a new production line for 21700 cells.Weiterlesen
CATL & BYD rise to join world’s Top 3 battery makers
Korea’s largest battery makers LG Chem and Samsung SDI are losing market shares to competitors from China, SNE Research finds. They pin the loss to increased domestic demand in China from electric buses and trucks. CATL appears to have benefitted the most.Weiterlesen
Electric motorbike from India claims 500 km range
Indian company Mankame is working on an electric motorcycle with a spec that appears dreamy almost. Their EP-1 got a range of 500 km on paper, while its 40 kW motor manages a top speed of 250 kph. Their base price is 8,500 euros for a less powerful version but even the top trim is […]Weiterlesen
Volkswagen teams up with Samsung and LG Chem
Volkswagen is pushing electric mobility and has to find batteries in order to scale up. After joining forces with CATL in China just days ago, the Germans have now turned to Korea, where VW announced a new partnership with LG Chem and Samsung SDI.Weiterlesen
Samsung & Webasto to jointly make high-voltage batteries
Samsung SDI and Webasto have signed a letter of intent to build high voltage batteries together for the commercial vehicle sector. Samsung is to develop a battery module using its prismatic battery cells for Webasto to integrate.Weiterlesen
Chile’s lithium resource redistributed through Corfo
A consortium led by South Korea’s POSCO and Samsung SDI has won a bid to build a cathode materials plant in Chile. They will jointly invest about 54 million dollars in the plant, which will produce 3,200t of cathode a year starting by 2021.Weiterlesen
Samsung SDI to reduce cobalt in its batteries to zero
Leading EV battery maker Samsung has announced plans to revise its cobalt strategy. Not only will the Koreans reduce the amount of the rare resource by using nickel instead but Samsung is also working on cells that do not require any cobalt. Recycling is another measure.Weiterlesen
Leading battery manufacturers warn of possible shortage
Leading battery manufacturers and procurement managers warned of a pending battery shortage in Europe, mainly due to the boom of wireless technology and the planned electrification campaigns by the automobile industry.Weiterlesen
Volvo might be the next to present an electric truck
The Swedish carmaker considers adding electric-powered trucks to its portfolio. While Volvo is experienced in producing electric buses, South Korea’s technology giant Samsung could supply the batteries.Weiterlesen
ZF, Samsung SDI, McKinsey, KS HUAYU AluTech GmbH.
New chassis for EVs: ZF has taken the wraps off its intelligent rolling chassis (IRC), offering a flexible platform for urban electric vehicles. The first EV to build on it, will be Rinspeed’s Oasis (we reported), which was shown at the CES 2017.
Pushing range: Samsung SDI presented its battery pack featuring new cells at the NAIAS in Detroit. The battery is said to allow for up to 600 km of range and can be charged up to 80 percent in just 20 minutes. Serial production start is scheduled for 2021.
Battery price drop: According to the new study “Electrifying insights: how automakers can drive electric vehicle sales and profitability” by McKinsey, the cost for EV batteries dropped around 80 percent between 2010 and 2016. It currently lies by about 230 dollars per kWh. Moreover, 75 percent of German buyers have more confidence in established carmakers as opposed to newcomers when considering buying an electric car.
mckinsey.de (complete study)
Mysterious order: Castings specialist KS HUAYU AluTech GmbH, a member of German Rheinmetall Automotive, will manufacture components for battery boxes made from aluminium diecastings for an unnamed premium supplier. The boxes will be used in an all-electric SUV, as well as in an electric sportscar. The contract is said to be worth 65m euros, with production to kick off mid-2018.
Volkswagen, Samsung SDI, Chevrolet, NOHMs Technologies.
No VW battery plant: VW CEO Matthias Müller snubbed the possibility of setting up a VW battery production plant, telling German Handelsblatt that they would not do something “that foolish.” Cell production is highly automated and would therefore only create few jobs, while costing “an arm and a leg.”
Yes to Samsung battery plant: Samsung SDI meanwhile decided to set up shop in Hungary. It will invest some 358m dollars in a battery plant, said to churn out battery packs for some 50,000 EVs per year. The factory near Budapest is said to open its doors in the second half of 2018.
In the army now: GM is working with the U.S. army on the development of fuel-cell-powered Chevrolet Colorado for military purposes. A first prototype of the H2 pick-up is said to be unveiled in October.
Non-flammable electrolytes: Cornell University spin-out NOHMs Technologies has collected 5m dollars in funds to commercialize its non-flammable electric vehicle (EV) battery electrolyte technology. The NanoLyte Electrolytes contain ionic liquids, making them more resistant without compromising battery power.
Alexander Hilliger von Thile, Elon Musk, Samsung SDI.
“We said before that if you are too early, you lose money. Now the view is if you are too late, you lose the market.”
Alexander Hilliger von Thile, a senior graphics and rendering manager at Mercedes-Benz North America, says Daimler is changing its stance on whether or not a carmaker can make money with EVs. Advances in battery technology and Tesla’s success have shown that you can.
“For the first time, the fastest accelerating production car in the world is an electric car. I think this sends a great message to the public about the future of transportation.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk comments on the carmaker’s latest battery upgrade. The Model S P100D with Ludicrous can go from 0 to 60 in just 2.5 seconds.
“We are continuing talks with local governments, but the final destination has not yet been decided.”
According to a Samsung SDI spokesperson, the battery maker has not yet decided on where to set up a battery factory in Europe. Reports that the company is narrowing down options and that Hungary has its nose in front, are said to be false.
LG Chem, Samsung SDI, BAIC BJEV, Skeleton Technologies.
Polish cells: Details are emerging about LG Chem’s plans to be built an EV battery factory in Poland (we reported). It will be LG Chem’s second largest battery facility, and have a production capacity of 229,000 EV batteries per year. The plant should be completed in 18 months.
One trillion won: Samsung’s chemical unit, Samsung SDI, plans to invest nearly 1tr won (875m dollars) in new facilities, including those required for EV batteries. The company has two EV battery plants in South Korea and China, and is eying Europe for a third.
— Text Ad —
Baden-Württemberg Pavilion shows success factor e-mobility: During the Hannover Messe / MobiliTec the Baden-Württemberg Pavilion and its 43 exhibitors showcase the diversity of the e-mobility landscape in the southwest of Germany. With “Automated. Connected. Electrified.” as its guiding theme, the whole spectrum – from development and production to road tests of partially automated electric vehicles – will be covered. Visit us in hall 27.
BAIC research: Chinese energy automaker BAIC BJEV has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Dresden University of Technology to research lightweight automotive technologies for new energy automobiles. Academician Hufenbach, known as the “father of light weighting in Europe” at TUD, was named chief scientist in lightweight technology.
Skeleton Tech exclusive: Adgero has signed a 3.5m euro agreement to use Skeleton Technologies’ ultracapacitor in their road freight KERS. SkelMod 160V modules will be sourced exclusively to Adgero for their hybrid system. The Adgero KERS with Skeleton modules will be road tested next month.
Midsummer, BASF, Samsung SDI, Tesla.
Midsummer solar fund: Swedish solar energy company Midsummer has received funding from research foundation Mistra to develop a lightweight solar module for vehicles. Researchers will integrate thin-film solar panels on ultra-light vehicles as part of an effort to develop superefficient electric vehicles. The panels will be tested on a Clean Motion Zbee’s composite roof.
Battery from BASF: BASF has obtained a battery material license from CAMX Power. The CAM-7 Li-ion cathode material uses high-nickel compounds and could increase the energy density of lithium-ion batteries. The CAM-7 also offers high electrode density, low cost and thermal stability.
— Text Ad —
Electromobility powered by Siemens – Siemens is presenting its drivetrain solutions for hybrid and electric cars on the “Vehicle Show Electromobility” in Bad Neustadt a.d.S this weekend (April 16th and 17th). Find Siemens at the fairground of the demo city for electromobility and take a glance on the latest innovations. www.siemens.com/electriccar
No more H2 from Samsung: Korean brand Samsung’s battery affiliate Samsung SDI announced that it will exit the fuel cell business entirely. A company spokesman explained that “the outlook of the market isn’t good.” Samsung is in talks with local company Kolon Industries to sell all related equipment.
Autonomous Tesla: Tesla already has some 70,000 cars equipped with Autopilot hardware on the road and the Autopilot programme has officially driven 47m miles in six months. Google has only racked up 1.5m city miles in six years using their LiDAR technology. Musk expects Tesla’s level-4 fully self-driving technology to be ready in about 2 years.
– Feedback –
Most clicked link on Tuesday was the specs about the battery and drivetrain of the upcoming Chevrolet Bolt.
LG Chem, Samsung SDI, FEV, China, Kurt.
Suppliers see surge: Battery suppliers gear up for further growth in the EV and hybrid segment at the Smart Energy Week in Japan. LG Chem says it will reach the 100 dollar/kWh by 2022, and already supplied battery cells for about 500,000 hybrid and electric vehicles to date. Samsung forecasts EV demand to quadruple within the decade, resulting in demand for battery cells with a combine capacity of 61.6 GWh by 2020.
48 Volt tech: FEV will present its 48-Volt technology at the 2016 SAE World Congress in Detroit this week. Engineers chose a Mercedes AMG A45 to carry the mild hybrid system for demonstration purposes, also installing a 48V E-Charger. The latter improves transient response and low-end torque.
Low-cost lithium battery: The aluminium-graphite dual-ion battery (AGDIB) developed by researchers at the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, offers more energy at a lower cost. The power pack exhibits a capacity of around 100 mAh g-1 and a retention of 88 percent after 200 charge-discharge cycles, while production cost is down by up to 50%.
Meet KURT: It is a modular and scalable electric vehicle for urban applications that was developed by Altreonic. Different modules placed on an alloy super structure transform KURT from a one-seater to a mini transporter and even shuttle train. The Flanders-based company will present KURT at the IDTechEx conference in Berlin at the end of April.


text:
Monday 2nd November 2020
Tesla is not only an e-car manufacturer, but is also driving the development of autonomous driving. The Californian company recently started the public beta test phase of its FSD software (“Fully Self-Driving”), which selected Tesla drivers are now using on American roads.
On Twitter, the Association of Tesla Drivers of Silicon Valley asked Tesla boss Elon Musk how often updates for the software were released. His answer: every five to ten days.
It is not known when legislation in this country will also make autonomous driving possible for the general public. In any case, the video clearly shows that the software reacts in an exemplary manner to pedestrians, other road users, and street signs and traffic lights.
Monday 26th October 2020
Tesla is recalling around 30,000 vehicles in China because of suspension problems. These are imported Model S and X series e-cars, which were delivered between September 17, 2013 and January 15, 2018, announced the Chinese state market regulator last Friday.
This affects almost all vehicles in the series that were sold during this period. However, Tesla cars that have been manufactured in the new Gigafactory in Shanghai since 2020 are not affected by the recall.
Friday 23 October 2020
The videos of hanging, dropped rear bumpers on Tesla cars brought the Californian electric car maker a lot of malice a few years ago. Although the company headed by Elon Musk has not only had to contend with allegations of inadequate processing (keyword: gap dimensions) since then, it has gained a lot more momentum.
Especially when it rained, the rear bumpers simply fell off the cars. After years of speculation by fans and critics, the company has finally admitted design errors in vehicles of the Model 3 series. This is reported by the “Electrek” portal.
Accordingly, the portal has a paper that clarifies the warranty claims of all those drivers whose rear bumpers have lost their grip when driving through puddles with their Tesla Model 3. The company takes over the repair costs.
Tesla Model 3, which were manufactured before May 21, 2019, are affected.
Thursday October 22, 2020
Tesla fired the general construction manager of the Gigafactory in Grünheide, Evan Horetzky, on Thursday. This was reported by the “rbb” with reference to industry groups.
Evan Horetzky has overseen other large Tesla projects, including factories in Nevada and California. What influence his expulsion in Grünheide will have on the further course of the construction work is still unclear.
Tesla writes strong quarterly results
The US electric car manufacturer Tesla has been in the black for the fifth quarter in a row and has confirmed its ambitious annual targets. In the three months to the end of September, a net profit of 331 million dollars (279 million euros) was achieved, as the company of tech billionaire Elon Musk announced on Wednesday after the US stock market closed in Palo Alto. Tesla thus increased its earnings by 131 percent compared to the same period of the previous year.
Sales grew 39 percent to $ 8.8 billion, a new record. Tesla clearly exceeded expectations, the stock reacted after the hours with a significant price increase. With the surprisingly strong quarterly figures, Tesla is expanding its series of successes – since it was founded in 2003, the company has never been profitable for such a long period.
Tesla also affirmed that it will continue to pursue its ambitious plan to deliver half a million vehicles this year, despite the stress of the Corona crisis. In the first three quarters, almost 320,000 cars were brought to customers, 139,593 of them in the past quarter. Achieving the annual target of 500,000 deliveries, however, has become more difficult, admitted Tesla in the annual report with a view to the corona pandemic.
Wednesday October 21, 2020
According to a report in the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”, Tesla is merging with the Rhineland-Palatinate automotive supplier ATW (Assembly & Test Europe GmbH).
According to this, the Federal Cartel Office granted the Californian company approval to join the Neuwied-based company.
The spokesman for the city in the north of the state welcomed the entry: “Tesla plays a leading role in electromobility”. The merger would also save the approximately 210 employees of the company, which has previously supplied car manufacturers such as BMW, Daimler and VW, from unemployment.
Tesla also joined Grohmann Automation GmbH four years ago in Prüm, around 100 kilometers away. The mayor of Neuwieds pointed out that the distance between the two places made it easier to work together. According to “FAZ”, the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Economic Affairs also made positive comments about the entry.
Tuesday 20th October 2020
The news agency “Reuters” confirms what many Tesla fans and portals have been prophesying for weeks: Anyone who buys a Tesla Model 3 in Europe with immediate effect is very likely to receive an electric car “Made in China”. The car manufacturer confirmed this to the news agency.
Germany is one of the ten European countries that are supplied with Chinese productions of the Tesla Model 3 from the Gigafactory near Shanghai.
The Model 3 produced in China have had the cheaper LFP cells from the Chinese battery manufacturer CATL for power storage since the beginning of the month. In this country, only conventional lithium-ion batteries have been used in Tesla cars so far.
When the Model 3 with LFP cells was introduced in China, Tesla lowered the price there and at the same time increased the range somewhat. German customers can also count on the higher range – whether Tesla will also reduce the price for the Model 3 in this country is still unclear.
Monday 19th October 2020
The Californian electric car manufacturer reserves the probably most extravagant Tesla car for its home market in the United States. In any case, the dimensions of the Cybertruck are rather unsuitable for European streets – and parking lots.
If you still want to drive a cybertruck in Germany, you could use a trick, as the “TeslaMag” portal writes. In a conversation with a car importer, the portal found out that the keyword was “individual acceptance”. Here a vehicle has to pass a test at the TÜV for a special individual operating permit. The regulation allows the importer time and again to register vehicles in Germany, even though they are not actually intended for the European market.
If the reason for the non-approval of the Cybertruck were the brake system or the built-in lights, such an individual acceptance is quite possible, says the expert. If, on the other hand, the front was made of hard steel, which could be dangerous to pedestrians in the event of an accident, then the importer sees little chance of individual approval. Then only the approval in a non-European country like Morocco would help – that is also possible, if not welcome.
Friday October 16, 2020
Already last week there were first indications that Tesla is revising its successful Model 3. As of today, fans can buy the new version. As usual at Tesla, there wasn’t a big announcement, some changes were quietly added in the shop.
For example, the design of the center console is new. The glossy surface previously regularly caused frustration among drivers because it was very prone to scratches and fingerprints. Now only the frame is made of chrome.
The chrome decorations on the outside, for example on the windows, are now black. In addition, the range has increased, at least for the Standard Plus versions (now 430 km instead of 409 km with one charge) and Long Range with all-wheel drive (580 km instead of 560 km). The performance version does not get a greater range, but its price drops slightly: Instead of 61,500 euros, it now costs 58,000 euros. The “over-turbine” rims announced by Tesla a while ago are now also included (see picture above).
Friday October 16, 2020
Tesla announced a new electric car on Battery Day a few weeks ago, and it should be available in about three years for $ 25,000.
It would be the culmination of Musk’s years of efforts to bring the cost of electric vehicles down to affordable levels. Sandy Munro, CEO of consulting firm Munro and Associates, is skeptical that Tesla can actually do this without making fundamental compromises.
“The cost of the battery was $ 158 per kilowatt hour when the Model 3 was built,” he said in a conference call with analysts.
“For the Model Y, we’re going to price it around $ 108,” he continued.
“108 dollars is already a big drop in just two years, also because the prices for the manufacture and for the chemistry of the batteries keep falling. In the next few years it could go down to – I don’t know – maybe $ 70 or so, $ 70 or $ 75 per kilowatt-hour. That’s a big step, but at the end of the day it won’t be enough to offer a vehicle for $ 20,000 or $ 25,000, I don’t see that. “
In order to actually offer a car in this price segment, Tesla would have to cut many other functions – and that could make the electric car unattractive for customers. According to Munro, there are now many big competitors such as VW who are also looking at the mass market. Tesla must continue to convince customers in a growing competitive environment.
“If you wanted, you could somehow get the price,” said Munro, “but would customers really be happy with a car like this?”
Thursday October 15, 2020
The analyst Pierre Ferragu of New Street Research has published a study in which he believes Tesla will generate 100 billion US dollars by 2026. In 2019, the company had just reported sales of $ 25 billion, but the bottom line was lost $ 865 million.
The analyst is so optimistic that he has already raised the price target from $ 400 to $ 578 – a third more. But this should develop a lot further in the next few years, says Ferragu. A rate of US $ 1,200 would be possible – roughly tripling the current rate of US $ 461.30 (EUR 382.70).
Wednesday October 14, 2020
Tesla wants to encourage the S / X area and is lowering the prices for it. Because the e-car manufacturer has set growth targets for 2020 that cannot be achieved with the Model 3 alone, as the “TeslaMag” portal writes.
And so the Tesla Model S in its basic version with dual motor and a range of 610 kilometers no longer costs 80,000, but only just under 77,000 euros – 3,000 euros less than before.
The Californian company’s SUV, the Model X, has been reduced from around 89,000 to around 86,000 euros – also reduced by 3,000 euros.
It is the third price reduction for the models this year. Most recently, Tesla lowered prices in July – also by 3,000 euros.
Tuesday October 13, 2020
The enormous success of the Model 3 was also made possible by the so-called “production hell”, which Musk and his employees immersed in at the end of the preparation for the first deliveries of the Model 3.
At the time, Musk himself was even sleeping on the floor of his factory building in Fremont, California.
If you believe the auto expert Sandy Munro, this time of hard work has paid off enormously for the company. Munro Tesla certifies up to a decade ahead of the competition thanks to the “production hell”. Because at this time Musk was forced for the first time to actually produce cars at production speeds.
According to Munro, this has brought with it two key findings that have made the carmaker one of the most progressive in the industry. For one thing, ideas of full automation have been discarded because people have proven to be irreplaceable workers. Musk said, “Excessive automation at Tesla was a mistake,” which the company has since corrected. On the other hand, it was decided not to chisel production processes in stone. The result: Tesla can continuously improve the design of the vehicles.
According to Munro, both of these factors ensure that the young e-car manufacturer has an enormous lead over the sometimes very stuck competition.
Monday October 12, 2020
Now there are the first signs that the vehicle presented in 2016 will be renewed for the first time – visually. The body and engine will remain, but many details such as the steering wheel, the rims, the windows, the center console, the front trunk and the rear hatch, as well as new upholstery colors should be available soon.
The first pictures of the innovations are currently appearing on e-car portals such as “Electrive” and on Twitter:
In a direct comparison, they look a bit cheaper than the previous sports rims for Model 3. On Reddit, for example, Tesla fans are complaining about the alleged “downgrade”.
It is not yet known when the first Tesla Model 3 with the new optics will be available for delivery. However, the Tesla blogs assume that it should be in 2021.
ph / with material from dpa


text:
Web3 Gaming’s New Champion?
aelf, recognized for its prowess as a high-performing layer-1 blockchain network, has unveiled its latest initiative, aelevate. Designed to bridge the chasm between Web2 and Web3, aelevate is structured to financially and technically back gaming studios, particularly those with an inclination towards blockchain gaming. But what’s the bigger picture here?
- aelevate: A transition program from Web2 to Web3 for gaming studios.
- Financial support: Grants of up to US$150,000 per gaming studio.
- Objective: Enable developers to integrate, construct, and debut their games on the aelf network.
Blockchain Gaming’s Promising Horizon
The momentum in the blockchain gaming industry is palpable. Predictions by industry analysts Naavik and MarketsandMarkets capture a compelling narrative: the blockchain gaming sector could see its market size burgeon to US$50 billion by 2025. This is a whopping tenfold leap from the US$10 billion figure of 2022. User engagement is slated to follow suit, with the number of daily users potentially increasing from 1 million in 2022 to a staggering 10 million by 2025. Furthermore, Drakestar’s 2022 report underscores the influx of investments into the domain, indicating that gaming and blockchain-centric VC funds accumulated over US$13 billion in 2022 alone, with US$4 billion being injected into roughly 400 blockchain gaming entities.
Unveiling aelevate’s Offerings
aelevate isn’t just a grant program. It’s a holistic support system aiming to fuel studios’ transition into Web3 through monetary incentives, technological guidance, and business acumen. aelf’s extensive ecosystem and network partners are all geared up to offer deep insights into the many facets of blockchain, from technology and interoperability to user dynamics, game publishing, and leveraging cloud and AI.
Diving deeper into the tech arena, studios stand to benefit from aelf’s robust and scalable blockchain infrastructure. How? aelf is rolling out open-source software development kits (SDKs) tailored for its mainnet. These kits are instrumental in facilitating games to engage with aelf’s mainchain and sidechains. Another notable tool is the SDK for aelf’s native contract account wallet, Portkey, specifically crafted to manage in-game digital assets like NFTs and Tokens. The cherry on the cake? Studios can craft and execute their smart contracts on aelf, providing them the luxury to administer game mechanics, showcase cross-chain NFTs and fungible tokens, and tap into aelf’s cross-chain bridges for assets from diverse chains.
Tavia Wong Weighs In
Tavia Wong, aelf’s Head of Commercial, elucidated aelevate’s underlying ethos. The program, she emphasized, is a testament to aelf’s commitment to bolstering Web2 gaming studios in their foray into the Web3 realm. By mitigating the intimidating hurdles that studios face when integrating blockchain into their games, especially given the volatile crypto environment, aelf is cementing its position as a staunch supporter of the Web3 gaming sector.
Aelevate: Breaking Down Benefits
Successful aelevate entrants can anticipate comprehensive support on two key fronts:
- Technological Ecosystem:
- Support for a blockchain-ready gaming ecosystem: asset integration, tokenization, smart contract, and side-chain creation.
- Access to dApps like Portkey, eBridge, and Forest within aelf’s ecosystem.
- Insights and guidance on blockchain, interoperability, game publishing, and more through aelf’s partners and network.
- Business Ecosystem:
- Mentorship in tokenization, market entry strategies, and user outreach.
- Access to aelf’s fundraising initiatives and investor connections.
Prospective developers, here’s a heads-up: aelevate is currently accepting applications, which will be open until 30th September 2023. The first batch of fortunate grant recipients will be announced in October 2023.
The launch of aelevate by aelf marks a pivotal moment for the Web3 gaming domain. By acting as a catalyst for traditional Web2 gaming studios, aelf is not only promoting the broader adoption of blockchain technology but also nurturing the future leaders of Web3 gaming. As the gap between Web2 and Web3 narrows, the gaming landscape is poised for some exhilarating evolution. Keep your controllers and crypto wallets ready!


text:
As they stuff their turkeys, make final preparations for the family to come home and ensure there’s enough money in the bank for the upcoming Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa season, New Jersey residents will have something else to be thankful for two days before Thanksgiving.
It was announced yesterday that the New Jersey online gaming industry, which has been going through its licensing procedures through much of 2013, will go live on November 26 in the Garden State. There will be a five day testing period prior to the start to ensure that all operations are in good working order and, if all is deemed clear by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission and the Division of Gaming Enforcement, then the Garden State will become the second state in the U. S. to offer online gaming to its residents.
There are a couple of things that make the anticipation of the opening of the New Jersey online gaming scene a little different from when Nevada came online earlier this year. In New Jersey’s case, the efforts will be for full online casino gaming instead of “just” online poker. For people who want to participate (21 years of age or older, please), table games such as blackjack and craps as well as virtual slot machines and keno will be offered (basically any game offered in an Atlantic City casino will be eligible for play). Of course, it will be the online poker where most attention will be paid by the poker world.
The second reason for the anticipation of the New Jersey online gaming operations is that, with its roughly 9 million residents (11th largest state), it will be the largest regulated market in the U. S. to offer online gaming to its residents. When the New Jersey online gaming industry opens for business in November (should all go well), it should have a significant impact.
All twelve of the Atlantic City casinos have partnered up (to receive a license, all gaming must originate from that location) with a service provider and are gearing up for the openings at this time. The powerhouse of the New Jersey online gaming industry is expected to be Caesars Entertainment with its longstanding casino operations in the state. Teaming up with 888 Holdings (as they have in Nevada), Caesars should be at the forefront of many potential customers’ minds when the switch is flipped.
Caesars will be allowing one of its four operations in Atlantic City – their eponymous casino, Bally’s, Harrah’s and the Showboat – to host the operations for Wynn Gaming and 888 Holdings in a deal that was announced last month, although just which one it will be hasn’t been disclosed.
The Borgata, owned by Boyd Gaming with bwin.Party providing the software, should be a close second in the New Jersey online gaming race. The Trump Taj Mahal will bring in another veteran of the Nevada online poker wars, Ultimate Gaming, to offer their software, opening another potential battlefront on the East Coast between them and Caesars/888. The Trump Plaza is opening its doors with the assistance of Betfair after its absence from American shores. The Tropicana has enlisted Gamesys for its offerings and the Golden Nugget will join forces with Bally Technologies for their online gaming software.
The “800 pound gorilla” in the room might be the partnership between Resorts International and PokerStars. After settling their “Black Friday” suit last year, PokerStars has been looking for a way to get back to the United States; if they are able to earn that license from New Jersey gaming officials, the Resorts/PokerStars partnership would be welcomed back by a throng of online poker players.
At this time, Revel Casino Hotel and the Atlantic Club have yet to announce who they will be joining forces with.
What is at stake in New Jersey? Estimates have ranged up to $180 million in online gaming revenue in the coming year for those in the game, which would be a significant shot in the arm for an ailing Atlantic City casino industry that has seen its revenues fall from $5.2 billion in 2006 to only $3 billion last year. If interstate compacts are introduced, that figure would be even greater.


text:
corporate turnaround - All posts tagged corporate turnaround
Jun 24, 2014
11:43 AM ET
Since Target Corp.’s board fired its 35-year company veteran and former Chief Executive Gregg Steinhafel on May 5, the stock has lost 6% since May 2, the last trading day before the company’s announcement on May 5. Its stock is the seventh worst S&P 500 performer in the past year. The percentage of analysts bullish on the stock is at its lowest level since at least 2009, down to 26% from a peak of 85% in 2011.
Jun 20, 2014
12:57 PM ET
Coach’s launch of several initiatives to help the struggling handbag maker turn itself around is facing a lot of skepticism both on Wall Street and on Twitter.
Mar 24, 2014
1:39 PM ET
In J.C. Penney’s /quotes/zigman/237947/delayed /quotes/nls/jcp JCP latest annual report, gone are references to becoming “America’s favorite store”. Its “Fair and Square” low everyday prices and jcp.com website descriptions have also been scratched. Replacing them are a return to promotional pricing and the resurrection of its old Jcpenney.com website.
But that’s not all. The company has also overhauled its list of risk factors. Following Target’s /quotes/zigman/253872/delayed /quotes/nls/tgt TGT big data breach, Penney has joined other retailers flagging data security as a major new risk factor.
Mar 11, 2014
10:23 AM ET
J.C. Penney Co., an American comeback story?
Yes, said Citigroup analyst Oliver Chen, who upgraded the stock to buy from neutral on Tuesday and raised his price target to $11 from $7.50. The move sent Penney shares up 6.2% to $8.94 in early trading with already 11.5 million shares trading hands 20 minutes into the trading.
Aug 20, 2013
8:27 AM ET
J.C. Penney Co. on Tuesday reported a wider second-quarter loss as comparable sales fell a bigger-than-expected 12%. The company pointed to the failed merchandising and pricing strategy of former CEO Ron Johnson, who left in April. Returning CEO Mike Ullman says Penney’s “damaged business” is being turned around.
- 8:35 am (EDT)
Mike Ullman begins the call: there's obvious question of what we stand for. Our buiness is built around having strong private brands and relevant prices. Customers believe these brands are national brands.
- « Previously in corporate turnaround
- Next in corporate turnaround »
Behind the Storefront is a blog about all things retail. It’s aimed at investors, shoppers and anyone else with a passion for learning about what drives consumer behavior. Hosted by Andria Cheng, Behind the Storefront will cover the business, brands and shopping behavior that’s behind some of the biggest companies, and largest employers, in the world. You can reach Andria at Acheng@marketwatch.com.
Follow Andria on Twitter: Follow @andriacheng


text:
DAILY - UPDATED
Kia Soul Electric Car To Be Released In 2014
Kia Motors Corp. And Hyundai Motor Company have already shown they are among the worlds most advanced automakers.
They are looking to prove that with the release of their second generation electric vehicles with improved functions and competitive pricing.
The industry buzz is that Kia may be very close to unveiling the follow-ups to their exisiting electric models, with the focus being on delivering an improved car at a more affordable price for the consumer.
We can expect to see Kia release the Soul EV as a follow-up to the Ray EV, with the expected release date to be in the first half of 2014.
The Kia Soul EV has received a great deal of attention, especially since it will be the first electric vehicle to be mass produced by Hyundai and Kia.
It will also be the very-first electic vehicle to be sold in the global market, including the US, Europe and China.
The model that the Soul EV is replacing, the Kia Ray EV, was only ever made available in its native South Korea.
Latest news (update): 2016 Kia Soul information and details…
Rumored Soul EV Specs
The 2014 Kia Soul EV is expected to deliver better performance and an increased mileage per charge.
It is believed the Soul EV will be capable of running about 200 km on a single charge, with a top speed of 140 km/h.
The powertrain will be full-electric and will take the Soul EV from 0-100 km/h in under 12 seconds, shaving 4 seconds off the best time by the Ray EV.
It’s also eexpected that the Soul EV will be more competitively priced than the smaller Ray, with sources saying that it could sell for around KRW 40 million ($35,000).
Find more Kia news at the kia-world.net homepage.


text:
Jump to navigation
Dressed for Success
Toppings and dressings give operators limitless options for creative salad combinations.
Still Fresh at 10
Freshii crossed the decade mark this year, showing that the healthy fast-casual movement might be here to stay.
Lean protein options expand as more consumers seek high-quality, energy-sustaining calories.
Chef Q&A: Andie Shapira
Freshii’s nutritionist Andie Shapira tackles the challenges that come with serving raw foods.
A Bright Future
What kind of changes will QSR cover in the next 200 issues? Here’s where experts expect the industry to go.
Grab and Go Healthy
Good-for-you snacks fuel busy lifestyles, blur traditional dayparts.
Start to Finish: Matthew Corrin
Founder & CEO of Freshii
Kids These Days
Being a young leader in the quick-service industry offers a unique set of hurdles—and benefits.
Super fruits and vegetables combine flavor with nutrition.
One City, Two Freshii Franchisees
Freshii now has two franchise agreements in place for San Francisco after it signs three-store deal with entrepreneur Kathy Razvan.
Freshii Signs Multi-Unit Franchise Deal for Arizona
A father-son franchisee team plans to open five of the healthy, fast-casual concept units in Scottsdale and Phoenix.
Freshii Heads to Music City
Growing franchise announces franchise agreement that will bring it to Nashville, Tennessee.
Freshii Looks Forward To San Francisco Location
Wendy Kanno-Hendryx has purchased a Freshii franchise for downtown San Francisco, and CEO Matthew Corrin cannot wait for his company to have a place in the popular California city.
Goel Management And Freshii Team Up
Already owner of the franchise rights for Freshii for the Philadelphia MSA, Goel Management has purchased the master franchise rights for Freshii for the Baltimore MSA.
Fast Casual Restaurant Signs Multiunit Deal
Los Angeles will soon be home to 10 Freshii restaurants that offer quick, healthy food options for on-the-go consumers.
Freshii Continues Chicago Growth
Master franchisee signs two new sub-franchise agreements, plans 80 for restaurants for Chicago area.
Freshii Franchised for Philadelphia
Goel Management obtains master franchise rights to open 30 new locations in Philadelphia.
Freshii Expansion Continues, Now in Houston
Master Franchise agreement will bring more than 20 units to Greater Houston area.
NYC the Place to Be For Freshii
Concept signs master franchise agreement to open more than 20 stores in New York City.
Subscribe to QSR
Denise Lee Yohn: QSR’s Marketing Guru
Back of House
In the Store
START TO FINISH: WHAT INSPIRES EXECS
Women in Foodservice
Food & Beverage
Ingredients & Dayparts
Marc Halperin: Resident F&B Expert
Find a Supplier
Consolidated Chemical Works Donates Cleaning Products
Costa Vida Unveils Its First Mobile App
Cheeseburger Bobby's Conjures Philly Flavors in LTO
Juice It Up! Opens New Location in Valencia, California
Mediterranean Concept Nish Nush Opens Second Unit
CHēBA Hut Partners with Olo for Digital Ordering
CREAM Celebrates the Season with Holiday Flavors
Wahlburgers Serves LTO Holiday Burger, Eggnog Frappe
PizzaRev Serves Up $5 Specials on Black Friday
Nestlé and Red Mango Offer Two-for-One Franchising Deal
Ones to Watch