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Adidas’ Web3 Leader, Erika Wykes-Sneed, shared a few of the ideas the brand is exploring to engage its customers with Web3.
Adidas is likely considered one of the nice brands on the earth that’s betting on blockchain expertise and Web3. For this reason, the sports fashion model has provide you with new ideas to make sure its digital future.
During an interview with Decrypt at the NFT Paris convention, Web3 Lead for Sports Brands, Erika Wykes-Sneed, talked concerning the many ideas Web3 Adidas is currently exploring to strengthen its communities.
While Wykes-Sneyd didn’t completely rule out the potential for Adidas launching its personal cryptocurrency, he stated the corporate is extra centered on creating distinctive products that connect customers to new technologies while creating more utility for everyone. Let’s help.
adidas journey on blockchain and web3
Adidas has had a significant involvement in the digital industry, to the point of being thought of one of many brands most innovating in blockchain. To date, adidas has released a quantity of collections of NFT tokens, similar to “Into the Metaverse”, “Virtual Gear” and “adidas: Prada, Re-Sourced”.
In addition, the model has created its personal metaverse, Edivers, on the Ethereum-based blockchain platform The Sandbox, and has partnered with firms such as Coinbase and projects similar to Bored App Yacht Club.
However, Adidas desires to proceed to disrupt the crypto/blockchain business, stated Wikes-Snead, so the model is taking a look at new methods to gasoline the growth of its digital communities that permit customers to access unique and unique products. provides.
vikes-snead Said Decrypt suggests adidas might think about implementing a token technique when launching special drops for particular communities and specific cryptocurrencies.
This means, your customers might be whitelisted and received’t have to compete against bots to acquire a certain NFT upon launch. “They can beat the bots and don’t have to play the game of ready for the NFT shoe to return out and lose the bid,” said Wickes-Snead.
Big Brands at NFT Paris 2023
Other main world manufacturers that were current at NFT Paris 2023 included Shopify, Warner Bros., L’Oréal and Playboy, who’ve also launched into a journey in path of NFTs, blockchain and Web3.
Similarly, crypto industry firms like Yuga Labs, Dapper Labs, ImmutableX, The Sandbox, Salesforce, Andreessen Horowitz, Moonpay had been additionally current in the course of the NFT convention held in Paris.
continue studying: Blockchain Developers Remain Optimistic About Web3’s Future
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A great event is coming up. The brains behind the Concept Car “Invictus” the Winner of the Proton DRB-HICOM Creative Car Challenge 2018. Meet Saifullizan B Abdul Wahab on 24th August 2019, at 03:00 PM- Model making (Automotive) session. THe event will highlight digital sketching, 3D Printing and prototyping from our partner Formventor and model making. A great opportunity for design students and those hoping to enter into automotive design.
The event will take place at the National Art Gallery. For more details visit their webpage.

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• Infiniti VC-T engine could kill diesels
"I sent it out and had 100 copies made," Miller recalled. "When it was finished, I went proudly in to see Mr. Ford. He looked at it and said, 'I like it. I need five more. My two brothers, my sister, my mother and my grandmother.' I didn't tell him I had 94 copies left."
Mitsuibishi has confirmed that the Shogun Sport SUV will return to the UK market early in 2018 - over a decade since the departure of the previous model from the UK market.
Grip levels are impressive, with the 1LE’s peak 0.98 g on the skidpad being significantly better than the 0.91 g we recorded in the standard V-6 coupe, if some way short of the huge 1.05 g that the V-8 SS 1LE managed on its fatter tires. It’s worth mentioning that our test car also showed evidence of a hard life during its 6500 miles, suffering noticeably more understeer when turning right than left; a factory-fresh car or brand-new rubber might have done even better. But the V-6 Camaro is 215 pounds lighter than the V-8 car, and although it can’t produce the same ultimate adhesion, it feels very agile when attacking a series of corners. In the dry, on-road traction is pretty much absolute, with only the hardest use causing the rear to squirm. In the wet, grip levels are much more limited on these summer-spec tires—the 1LE felt positively skittish, especially when asked to deal with standing water.
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
Krause's reported departure follows a string of other high-profile talent losses at the struggling company: Supply chain management head Tom Wessner left the company at the beginning of October, while human resources vice president Alan Cherry left in August.
Current Saab owner National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) has just announced that it will license the Saab 9-3 technology to the Turkish government, which seeks to develop a "national car." ...


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We first heard about the Lego augmented reality kiosks in January. The clever idea Lego had was to show parents and their kids what the finished Lego construction they were considering buying would look like before purchase.
Teaming up with technology company Metaio, an augmented reality system was devised, called the Lego Digital Box. LDB allowed any Lego box to be held up to a screen in store and the finished product displayed sitting on top of it.
In January we thought it would only be appearing in a few select retail stores, but Stills Design branding agency has tweeted today that:
Lego is rolling out its augmented reality boxes to ALL Lego stores worldwide.
So if you have a Lego store near where you live, or a toy store with a large Lego presence, look out for a new display being installed very soon.
Read more at Pocket-lint


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Stable Android 12 build could arrive on October 4
Google recently announced the very last Android 12 Beta build we’ll get, Android 12 Beta 5. The next update the company launches will be a stable build. Many of us expected it to arrive in September, but we may have to wait until early October.
Mishaal Rahman got this information from an internal Google document. Google must approve every software release that OEMs claim have passed the required compatibility test to ship with Google Mobile Services (GMS).
Google also stops approving builds based on older Android OS versions. The document Mr. Rahmaan shared shows when that happens, and it also lists when Google releases the source code for a particular release.
Now, based on that document, Google will publish the source code for Android 12 on October 4. The source code will be published on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) Gerrit. That will almost certainly come at the same time as the release of the Android 12 stable update for Pixel phones. That is, at least, what happened in the past.
Google could alter the launch date
Do note that this date could change moving forward, though. Google can always change its mind and move that launch date, whether move it up, or postpone it, we’ll have to wait and see.
Google did not officially announce when will Android 12 stable arrive. The company basically never does that. It simply says a timeframe when it may happen, but never the exact date.
Google’s Pixel phones will be the first to get the update, while other OEMs will follow. Google will release this update to a number of its phones, but the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro will be the first to ship with it out of the box.
Those two phones are likely coming in October as well. Google did not confirm the exact launch date, but several reports surfaced. The launch could occur on October 19.


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For the second consecutive year, new car buyers have voted the Honda brand as the “Best Overall Brand” in the recent Kelley Blue Book’s (KBB) annual Brand Image Award study. The automakers also won the “Most Trusted Brand” honour for the third straight year.
To market international automotive industry watchers, Honda’s win did not come as a big surprise as the company boasted the highest average scores among all 12 Brand Watch factors. Areas where it performed well are affordability, “cool” factor, driving comfort, driving performance, durability, reliability, exterior styling, fuel efficiency, interior layout, prestige, sophistication, reputation, ruggedness and safety.
Strong consumer perception of the Accord, Civic, CR-V and Odyssey helped drive Honda’s success in earning the top honour among all automakers, KBB said. Considering that Honda has also won the award for the ‘Most Trusted Brand’ among non-luxury shoppers three years in a row, this according to the publication did not come as a huge surprise.
Jeff Conrad, senior vice president and general manager of the Honda automobile division for American Honda, in a statement remarked: “A brand is really built over the long haul through consumers’ experiences with its products, and Honda is committed to delivering class-leading vehicles that provide lasting enjoyment and value to our customers.”
He also added that Honda simply embraces the challenge of being a brand that people can trust. In the luxury category, Mercedes-Benz captured the sales crown from BMW who last year was crowned.
Mercedes obtained the top average brand watch factor scores among all luxury makes and was “highly regarded with its strong line-up and performance AMG variants,” KBB stated. Ford reclaimed the top spot among truck shoppers, ousting last year’s winner, Toyota, from the best overall truck brand category.
Ford has won five out of six times since inception of the Kelley Blue Book award. The F-150 and Super Duty F-250 and F-350 also helped the manufacturer earn back the award for 2014, as truck shoppers ranked the brand highest among all other truck brands.
KBB.com secured responses from more than 12,000 new car and truck shoppers to get their opinions about various brands and the awards was broken down into 13 categories that divides potential buyers in the luxury and non-luxury purchasers. Kelley Blue Book, also known as KBB, gives out awards in 13 categories.
In Nigeria, while Stallion Motors is in charge of Honda brand, Coscharis Motors, Weststar Associates and RT Briscoe own the franchise for BMW, Mercedes and Ford brands respectively. The companies have also posted good market support in the past years.


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BlackSite: Area 51, Midway’s impressive FPS based on the classic lightgun arcade game, has suffered from some unfortunate multiplayer content cuts, according to a recent IGN preview. While all versions of the game will no longer support the much-hyped online co-op, these cuts have hit the PS3 the hardest. Xbox 360 owners will still be able to play either ranked or unranked matches, as well as utilize a proximity-based voice chat feature allowing members of the opposing team to overhear confidential tactics, but PS3 players are out of luck. At this point, there’s still a slim possibility the PC version may escape unharmed, but I wouldn’t hold out too much hope.
At least the game’s Unreal 3 engine-powered single player campaign still looks fantastic, and standard multiplayer modes like Deathmatch and Capture the Flag, as well as new multiplayer game types like Abduction remain intact. With less than three weeks before BlackSite’s November 12 release, hopefully no more features are left on the cutting room floor. The game will need every advantage it can get in a holiday season saturated with excellent FPS offerings.


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A New York pastor has warned that Starbucks coffees are flavored with the “semen of sodomites”.
Coffee chain Starbucks recently launched a new ad campaign featuring two well-known drag artists – American Idol star Adore Delano and RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Bianca Del Rio.
Pastor James David Manning, of the ATLAH World Missionary Church in Harlem, made outlandish claims last week, claiming that Starbucks was “ground zero” for Ebola being spread by “upscale sodomites”.
See Pastor Manning’s rant here:
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Storage accounts for about $2.4 billion of Dell's annual revenue and is its fastest-growing business, he said. With this acquisition, "Dell has a position in the future technology for the storage industry," the CEO told Reuters in an interview.
The company said it expects the acquisition to reduce its earnings per share by 2 cents to 5 cents in aggregate for the fiscal years 2009 and 2010.
Shares of Dell slipped 23 cents, or 0.8 percent, to $29.82 in morning trade on Nasdaq.
Analyst Shannon Cross of Cross Research said the deal proves that Dell is using available cash to buy differentiated intellectual property rather than for stock repurchases, which might more quickly benefit shareholders.
"Shareholders are worried that Dell is buying things and not stock (and) concerned there may be more coming that is dilutive," said Cross. "However, acquisitions position Dell for the future."
When asked if this deal signals Dell's intention to aggressively pursue big targets, Michael Dell said: "In the last two years we've made six acquisitions. The pace has increased in relatively recent history here. All these acquisitions fit into the key themes we've outlined around growth."
The acquisition has been approved by the boards of both companies but still must pass regulatory muster. It is expected to close late in the fourth quarter of Dell's fiscal year 2008 or early in the first quarter of its fiscal 2009.


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In a move that leaves many considering whether it’s useful or creepy, Panasonic has opened an IndieGoGo campaign to gauge interest in a floor lamp with a hidden integrated camera.
Dubbed the HomeHawk FLOOR, Panasonic US’s campaign promises the device will offer home monitoring “with lighting, wide angle viewing, voice assistant integration and more”.
The HomeHawk intends to do away with bulky obvious cameras and offer peace of mind to homeowners, however, it has raised privacy concerns.
In addition to its claimed 1080p HD recording capability via its 140-degree wide-angle lens, the HomeHawk also includes a motion sensor which records two seconds before the sensor detects movement.
It also includes a microphone and speaker for two-way communication and can work with “major voice assistants” — most likely Alexa and Google Assistant, although Panasonic hasn’t inked any deals.
Concealing cameras in smart home products isn’t necessarily new, and this camera’s design isn’t expertly camouflaged with its large lens, however, it spells out a potential new trend where the design could become so refined that the camera would be unnoticeable.
According to the IndieGoGo campaign, the device is in the prototype stage and at the time of reporting, 25 of the 25 Super Early Bird (about AUD$257) and 15 of the 125 Early Bird (about AUD$276) slots are sold.
Both give May 20, 2019, as the approximate shipping date, no information on international shipping availability.


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Chinese manufacturing giant, Xiaomi, will have a massive launch event on September 24th where the company will unveil a couple of products. One such device is the Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G which is the company’s second 5G smartphone. Yesterday, the company released a poster which shows that the Mi 9 Pro 5G will support Mi Charge Turbo – a 30W wireless fast charge technology. This tech also supports 10W wireless reverse charging. Thus we already know that the Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G will come with 30W wireless and 10W wireless reverse charging. What we didn’t know was its wired charging capacity.
Gizchina News of the week
According to a new poster from Xiaomi, this smartphone will come with a 40W wired fast charging. This is much higher than the 27W wired fast charge which the flagship Xiaomi Mi 9 uses. However, it is still behind the likes of Vivo’s 44W and OPPO’s new 65W fast charging. This smartphone will come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ SoC coupled with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage. The battery capacity should be about 4,000 mAh.
In addition to its second 5G smartphone, Xiaomi will also unveil the Xiaomi Mi MIX 4. This smartphone should also support 5G and may come with a 100MP sensor. Also due for an announcement at the event is Xiaomi Mi TV and MIUI 11.


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We have received tremendous response. We are now looking at expanding sales to west and northern parts of the country immediately and pan India by June," Lenovo India Managing Director Amar Babu said but declined to comment on the numbers.
He said the company has seen strong growth across segments like consumers, enterprises and small and medium businesses.
In the global notebook segment, Lenovo's share stood at 15.8 per cent. The segment contributed 51.7 per cent of Lenovo's revenues.
Desktops and MIDH (Mobile, Internet and Digital Homes) segments accounted for 30.1 per cent and 10.7 per cent, respectively of the quarter's revenue.
The company had net cash reserves of USD 4.2 billion as of December 31, 2013.


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I like Harry’s big toe and I can’t lie
Photo: Tim Walker for Better Homes & Gardens
On Tuesday, Better houses and gardens published a profile of Harry Styles and many, many photos, including one showing him in his pajamas and carrying a tray. If you’re a Harry superfan like me who’s obsessively looked at every picture, you’ve noticed one key detail: his big toe sticking out of a hole in his sock.
You might be wondering a few things, like why a toe picture matters and why someone as wealthy as Styles would wear a sock with a hole in it. Sure, it’s relatable. But upon reflection, the toe in question is important for a reason: His toe is painted a nail polish color from Pleasing, his beauty brand. The color Sprouting comes from the latest micro collection “Shroom Bloom” which was released in March.
Styles nail polish line in the color Sprouting.
I haven’t gotten my hands on a bottle of Harry Styles nail polish yet, but only because the lines at his pop-up stores were notoriously long and I couldn’t bring myself to wait. But now I’m ready… thanks to his big toe. In an era when there are no free feet, baring Style’s big toe (and just his big toe) feels like the perfect way to promote his beauty brand.
Styles and his beauty brand have been all the hype for the past year. In addition to the shade we now know as Sprouting, the collection included three other nail polish colors – Tender Bud, Vine Ripe, The Whole Dewniverse – as well as limited-edition apparel and two new skincare products.
Styles had a full year behind him: his 2021 tour, the release of Pleasing, headlining Coachella, announcing his new album, Harry’s house. That’s why his toe is so brilliant. Way to kill two birds with one toe.
The June issue of Better houses and gardens can be pre-ordered now and will be available on newsstands on May 13th.


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A number of Chicago streets could be motor-vehicle-free if CDOT chooses to move forward with a plan presented today by alternative transit group Active Transportation Alliance, the same organization that runs Bike The Drive and Open Streets. The group suggests that by removing vehicle traffic from specific locations downtown and congested areas in the neighborhoods, the areas affected would become more attractive to current and future residents by making the every day inconveniences of shopping and commuting safer and easier.
A few of the stretches of major streets to impose a traffic ban would be:
· Monroe Street from Michigan Avenue to Lake Shore Drive
· Magnificent Mile along Michigan Avenue
· Parts of Rush Street in the Gold Coast
· Parts of Broadway Avenue. in Lakeview
· Multiple stretches around Wrigley Field
· Stretches of Milwaukee Avenue. in Wicker Park and Logan Square
· Humboldt Boulevard in Humboldt Park
Chicago has already experimented with traffic bans in the past, most famously when State Street was off limits to motor vehicles for nearly two decades. Many consider the State Street Pedestrian Mall experiment a failure, and the famous shopping destination was reopened to vehicle traffic in 1996. There's no doubt that Chicago has some serious issues with vehicle congestion in popular shopping and restaurant districts, and this topic seems to be a key concern for residents during neighborhood battles over large developments. So, what do you think would be best dear reader?
· Civic group proposes closing parts of 20 Chicago streets [Tribune]
· Top streets for creating car-free spaces in Chicago [Active Transportation Alliance]
· The short, sad life of State Street's pedestrian mall [WBEZ]


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message on May 30, novice network chief operating officer TongWenGong said in Beijing that novice network logistics platform is open to the whole society, hopes to become a respected social logistics industry sectors.
2014 China (international) industry development conference, novice network COO TongWenGong appearance, and make a speech. Novice network set up to a year, less open information release, the industry for its business and model speculation constantly. Novice network will continue to use, she said, “an open mind to meet each logistics partners in society, whether express company, or warehousing service enterprises, whether company truck line, or air transport enterprises, rookie logistics platform is open to the whole society.
she thinks, electricity time has come for a huge change, logistics industry will be more intense market competition. The past few years some of the express industry price competition will eventually lead to a drop in the quality of service industry as a whole, let originally light assets of express industry burden on his back. She thinks that in the future market competition must be more diversified, who can keep up with the changing needs of consumers and businesses a particular, provide a unique service value experience, who will gain a foothold in the future competition.
TongWenGong reiterated that the novice do not express, rookie will not buy a truck, rookie will not hire a Courier. Novice network executives in public for the first time to talk with self-built warehousing: “we get all over the country to the construction of logistics center, for a better connection on the physical stores and express delivery enterprises; We set up basic information platform for information technology (it) is willing to modify and improve ability of partners provide support; We provide data products, hope to provide reference for the development of the industry and construction and services.”
TongWenGong said finally, the socialization of logistics synergy forces must be able to create more products and more excellent service, the domestic express industry is expected to be produced and keeps abreast of UPS, fedex international express delivery business.


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LONDON (AP) — The U.K.’s travel industry held a day of action Wednesday, pressing the British government to allow more quarantine-free travel and provide cash-strapped businesses with much-needed financial support.
Hundreds of industry workers, including travel agents, pilots and cabin crew from airlines such as British Airways and easyJet, gathered outside the parliament in London. There were other protests in Edinburgh and in Belfast.
Derek Jones, head of luxury travel firm Kuoni, said the outbound travel sector has been “decimated” by the coronavirus pandemic, as well as by the government’s “haphazard” response.
“We are united in one message today,” he said. “We want to see the safe reopening of international travel alongside targeted financial support for businesses which have not been able to trade for well over a year.”
According to industry body ABTA, an estimated 195,000 jobs have been lost across the sector and many more remain at risk.
One demand from the sector is for the government to expand the number of countries that are on its so-called “green list,” which allows quarantine-free travel on return to England. None of the popular holiday destinations in Europe are on the list, which numbers just 11 countries and territories.
“The evidence and data exists for government to make transparent policy decisions and the forthcoming review must provide clarity on how and when restrictions can be safely reduced for travel between low risk countries and for vaccinated and recovered passengers,” said Dale Keller, chief executive of the Board of Airline Representatives U.K.
The government is set to update its traffic-light system in coming days, but few changes are expected. There is speculation that Malta and Spain’s ever-popular Balearic Islands, which include Majorca and Ibiza, may be added to the list.
Malta and Spain are currently on the “amber list” alongside other popular summer hotspots such as Portugal, Italy, Greece and the United States. A 10-day quarantine period at home is required for people returning from those locations.
The industry has accused the government of undermining its system, by urging people to avoid holidays to locations on the amber list.
A debate is taking place within government as to whether people who have been fully vaccinated against the virus should be eligible for quarantine-free travel if they return from one of the countries on the amber list.
British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the government has provided unprecedented financial support, and expressed hope that “the world could open up” soon.
“I’m optimistic that the world is catching up with where we are in our vaccination program,” he said.
One problem the sector faces is that infections in the U.K. are on the rise, whereas they are falling across much of Europe — on Wednesday, government figures showed another 16,135 new infections, the highest daily rate since Feb. 6. The divergence has prompted many governments in the continent to slap tougher restrictions on those arriving from the U.K.


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May 16, 2013 update - Grand Rapids Downtown Market, an all-new destination for local food innovation, education and experimentation, today announced Sweetie-licious, the renowned bakery café in DeWitt, Mich. expand with a second location in the Grand Rapids Downtown Market.
Owned and operated by Linda Hundt for more than ten years, Sweetie-licious specializes in pies and other sweet confections and has been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades, including the 2011 Crisco 100th Anniversary Innovation award and The Food Network's "Amazing Pie Challenge."
"I've been asked by many people to expand or relocate to a major market city, but expanding to Grand Rapids has been a long-time dream. The city and foodie culture and now the Downtown Market makes the city a perfect fit for my second store," said Hundt.
Hundt has been featured in numerous national and regional television segments, magazine and newspapers including the Today show, Country Living, Midwest Living, and Parade. She is a sought-after keynote speaker on topics including, business, life and love, as well as giving pie-baking demonstrations for hundreds of people at a time.
"West Michigan's food culture is attracting numerous interesting and creative food artisans from outside of the region, and we are thrilled the Downtown Market will become the focal point that brings them all together," said Mimi Fritz, president and CEO of the Market. "Linda's bakery and café has helped turn DeWitt into a destination and we expect her baked goods and relationship with our other vendors will have a similar influence on our Market Hall."
The vision of the Downtown Market is to become the anchor for a Market District within the Heartside neighborhood, as well to serve as a community-gathering place that reflects the diversity and creativity of Grand Rapids and southwest Michigan.
The Downtown Market follows a long tradition of urban markets that were once central components to the food systems in American cities. Today these emerging markets foster positive relationships among diverse groups of people, promote artisan food entrepreneurs and their crafts, encourage sustainable food production, and promote healthy living.
The Market is scheduled to open in August 2013.
April 10, 2013 update - Art of the Table on Wealthy Street has teamed up with Cheesemonger and Chef Kate Leeder to open Aperitivo in the Downtown Market. Aperitivo will be a retail cheese shop, a wine and small bites tasting bar, and a wine and beer purveyor.
The Grand Rapids Downtown Market brings a new food shopping option to the Arena South area that will include purveyors from many segments of the food industry. At the forefront of Aperitivo's 1,200 square feet space will be 20 linear feet of cases full of cheese, charcuterie , pâté and other related items available for sample and sold by the pound. The knowledgeable staff will be available to guide in choosing cheese for hors d'oeuvres, party plates, lunch, dinner or dessert.
As an independently-owned, neighborhood specialty shop, Aperitivo will also specialize in affordable, everyday wines, many from boutique producers around the state and country as well as imported brands. An ever-changing selection of small-batch beer and ciders will round out the beverage selections.
In addition to retail and the tasting bar, Aperitivo will also host cheese classes and tastings as well as options such as 'grilled cheese of the day' and other small bites for purchase.
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April 9, 2013 update - Another new tenant has been announced: artisan bakery Field & Fire. Owner Shelby Kibler will bring his wood-fired techniques to bake Fresh baguettes, croissants, sourdough bread and more.
March 21, 2013 update - Three more tenants have been announced: Old World Olive Press, Crescent Floral and Tony's Gourmet Kettle Corn
March 4, 2013 update - The first two tenants of the indoor market have been announced: Love's Ice Cream and Michigan coffee roaster, Simpatico Coffee.
A year-round hub of local food innovation, healthy-living education and right-before-your-eyes preparation. Opening Summer 2013.
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has awarded the City of Grand Rapids a $1 million grant to support the redevelopment of an underutilized downtown property into a year-round, indoor-outdoor public market. The grant, funded by the voter-approved Clean Michigan Initiative Brownfield program, will pay to clean up contaminated soils and remove existing dilapidated buildings on the site in the city's Heartside neighborhood.
"We deeply appreciate the state's investment in the project and our community," saidCity of Grand Rapids Economic Development Director Kara Wood. "The urban market project will support West Michigan's growing local food movement, create opportunities for entrepreneurship, help stimulate hundreds of new jobs for area residents and serve as a catalyst for additional downtown redevelopment."
"This funding is a significant boost to the project and will allow our private fundraising effort to focus exclusively on building the market rather than cleaning up the site," said Jon Nunn, executive director of Grand Action, a not-for-profit organization of civic leaders focused on advancing urban revitalization projects in Grand Rapids. "We are extremely grateful for this contribution."
Grand Action in March 2010 announced the findings and recommendations of a
feasibility study which determined a permanent public market could help catalyze urban revitalization, generate jobs and new economic activity and expand access to fresh foods in downtown Grand Rapids.
The study recommended a mixed-use development concept combining facilities for food production and retailing, farmer produce distribution, tastings, a seasonal outdoor farmers' market, as well as food and health education. The former Sonneveldt site at the intersection of Ionia Avenue and Wealthy Street, which is owned by the Grand Rapids Downtown Development Authority, was identified as the preferred site based on, among other factors, its high visibility, potential to stimulate new investment and convenient accessibility by car, foot and transit.
The total estimated project development cost is $28 million. The MDEQ grant of $1
million, the maximum amount available to a single project, is based on the proposed project's ability to achieve such agency goals as the remediation of environmental contamination, leveraging of private investment and promotion of urban redevelopment. The funds enable the clean-up and building removal work to begin this winter on the proposed urban market site.
The MDEQ grant comes in addition to approximately $4.7 million in support committed by the Michigan Economic Growth Authority in November 2011. Grand Action continues to work closely with community partners to identify and pursue additional financing opportunities and develop a proposed construction timeline. If the project raises the necessary funding on a timely basis, the project partners anticipate opening the market for the 2013 season.
*August 1, 2013 is an estimated date*


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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Ford Motor reported record third-quarter net income Tuesday, far exceeding analyst expectations and continuing a surge in momentum for the recovering automaker.
Dearborn, Mich.-based Ford (F, Fortune 500) posted net income of $1.7 billion, or 43 cents per share, up from $997 million, or 29 cents a share, a year earlier. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected Ford to report a 38-cent-a-share profit.
Ford's previous best third-quarter net income was $1.1 billion reported in 1997.
The automaker cited a strong product line, momentum in North America and continued success at Ford Credit as areas of growth.
"It's been the same story all year long," said David Whiston, an automotive analyst at Morningstar. "Better pricing in North America, and that offsets the small losses in Europe. The North American market is a real earnings driver."
Ford also announced plans to further strengthen its balance sheet by paying down its revolving credit line by $2 billion and prepay the remaining $3.6 billion in debt owed to a retiree health care trust.
"Ford sales continue to surge due to a stronger product lineup and improved consumer image," said Jesse Toprak, vice president of auto trends at TrueCar.com, in a statement. "Their retail sales are strong and transaction prices have been increasing this year, contributing to an improved bottom-line for the automaker."
Shares of Ford were flat in Tuesday trading, rebounding from a loss of about 1% earlier in the session. The automaker's stock has soared seven fold since February 2009 when it fell below $2 a share.
At the time, there were serious fears that it could follow General Motors and Chrysler down the road to bankruptcy and restructuring.
Ford avoided that fate, but its success left it with far more debt on its balance sheet than either GM or Chrysler, which used their bankruptcies and bailout billions to shed debt.
Now that Ford is once again turning a profit, it is using the surplus cash to pay down its debt, which will result in lower interest payments and eventually an improved credit rating.
"We are clearly ahead of where we thought we could be on improving our balance sheet, repaying our loans, and it's a very positive development," CEO Alan Mulally said during a conference call for investors.
Ford's debt will be reduced by $10.8 billion this year, Mulally said, which should result in savings of $800 million in annualized interest payments.
Ford's profitability has been accompanied by gains in market share. In the third quarter, Ford gained 1.4% in U.S. sales market share, while GM lost ground. And for the year, Ford is ahead of rival Toyota in U.S. sales.
That success is due in large part to Mulally's restructuring of the company that resulted in strong sales and reduced costs in North America.
"Because of our cost structure, we could not make small and medium-sized cars in the United States, and actually make them profitably," Mulally told CNN's Ali Velshi. "So we went to work with all of the stakeholders, including the UAW [United Auto Workers], and we have a transformation agreement now where we can make cars in the United States and compete with the best in the world."
The third quarter is typically weak for automakers as they discount and clear old inventory to make room for new models.
Ford expressed belief that the winning streak will continue, expecting increases in both cash flow and profitability in 2011.
"The key drivers for improvement in 2011 will be our growing product strength, a gradually strengthening economy and an unrelenting focus on improving the competitiveness of all our operations," Mulally said in a statement.
But the automaker noted that fourth-quarter profit expectations are lower than previous quarters due to depreciation expenses on leased vehicles and smaller improvements in the provision for credit losses.
On Monday, Ford said it will create up to 1,200 jobs in the distressed state of Michigan as it ramps up engineering and manufacturing operations to produce more fuel-efficient cars.
|Ford Motor Co||8.29||0.05||0.61%|
|Advanced Micro Devic...||54.59||0.70||1.30%|
|Cisco Systems Inc||47.49||-2.44||-4.89%|
|General Electric Co||13.00||-0.16||-1.22%|
|Kraft Heinz Co||27.84||-2.20||-7.32%|
Bankrupt toy retailer tells bankruptcy court it is looking at possibly reviving the Toys 'R' Us and Babies 'R' Us brands. More
Land O'Lakes CEO Beth Ford charts her career path, from her first job to becoming the first openly gay CEO at a Fortune 500 company in an interview with CNN's Boss Files. More
Honda and General Motors are creating a new generation of fully autonomous vehicles. More
In 1998, Ntsiki Biyela won a scholarship to study wine making. Now she's about to launch her own brand. More
Whether you hedge inflation or look for a return that outpaces inflation, here's how to prepare. More


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The fast fashion chain Primark continues to grow as the store expands its branches, but it is warned the weaker pound would weigh on its margins.
Photo Dark Dwarf (CC BY-ND 2.0)
Primark reveals its upbeat sales figure today and said it was maintaining its full-year earnings guidance. “Primark expects almost 13 per cent increase to be attributable to the first half of the year,” it added.
Photo Mark Hodson Photos: (CC BY 2.0)
The decline in the value of the pound, 16 per cent against the dollar since Brexit, is warned it would ‘eats into margins at the fashion chain’.
Primark is expecting to rise 2 per cent in its first half and 11 per cent in total sales thanks to new store openings.
Photo Martin Monroe ( CC BY-SA 2.0)
Sub Editing: Arifa Khan


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Even though the state of New York is slightly behind the times when it comes to regulated online casino gaming, things are moving in the right direction. The Empire State is already advancing toward three downstate NY casinos thanks to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s new state budget.
The next step is to expand through online gambling. And it appears that topic is in the works for 2023. Hopes are that discussions increase toward the end of 2022 and online casino gaming is on the docket for the governor’s January Executive Budget.
As lawmakers prepare to make this push, there is plenty out there to help. Both neighbors in Michigan and Pennsylvania recently launched their online casino markets and now have lots of helpful information to share.
So, before NY online casinos officially release, take a look at how Michigan and Pennsylvania conducted their business. And how New York could follow in their footsteps.
Understanding challenges around online casino gaming
Several regulators and lawmakers spoke during a panel at the iDEA Growth and GeoComply Power Lunch Summit to discuss the impact of iGaming in their state. Guests represented included Michigan’s executive director of the Michigan Gaming Control Board, Henry Williams, as well as state Sen. Curtis Hertel Jr.
Together, the group talked about the process for getting an iGaming bill off the ground and how to make it as painless as possible. This is a perfect blueprint for lawmakers in NY and supplies lots of vital material on how to succeed.
The group initially discussed a bunch of the challenges that jurisdictions faced when trying to launch online casinos. One of the top potential issues was how the movement of revenue could affect the communities where retail casinos already exist.
In Michigan, places like Detroit were overly concerned that the release of online casino apps would hurt their bottom line. To ease this issue, the state set up a funding floor for the retail locations, where iGaming money is used to help make up for lost funds.
Another hurdle for a lot of states is getting the governor on board with things. Michigan originally passed a bill and went back over it overnight to get through language deemed problematic.
Concerns also surrounded impact on lottery
Similar to the brick-and-mortar casino issue, there are typically red flags for lottery providers when considering online casinos. The regulators on the call all emphasized that with the right tax structure, iGaming shouldn’t impact lottery sales.
They stated the actual revenue numbers can back this up. But many view lottery and online casino wagering as two very different entities. Of course, some people in every state overlap and enjoy both types of gaming. However, the implementation of online casinos doesn’t take a toll on the available funds for lottery.
The process of turning online casino bill into law
There’s no question that the process of getting a bill created and turning it into an actual law is difficult. The panel of Pennsylvania and Michigan reps also gave some advice on how other jurisdictions can utilize their prior experiences to help them moving forward.
Get lawyers to stop talking
One main yet relatively difficult component: keeping everyone in the room long enough. With so many lawyers and so much ground to cover, these meetings can sometimes become long and overwhelming.
Sen. Hertel highlighted that it is sometimes hard to get the lawyers to stop talking so that everyone else can get on the same page.
Have proper infrastructure in place
The group advised that having all of the infrastructure in place before launching anything for iGaming is crucial. Communication is one of the biggest parts of the entire process. It is necessary to have everything presented to all participating parties.
Fortunately for New York, such a framework exists thanks to the launch of online NY sports betting. As some regulators and industry experts agreed during a separate panel, that will greatly help NY online casinos across the finish line.
Do not forget about online casino education
Besides talking about every part of the potential launch, education is also key. Williams recommended putting money aside to utilize for staff training and other ways to learn. Sending staff to states where markets already exist should provide lots of information to assist in planning.
Again, New York is in a premier region to accomplish this, with Pennsylvania and New Jersey each with thriving online casino industries.
The former PA regulator said how she conducted a question-and-answer session with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. By getting everything in line and outlining your regulations first, drafting a bill becomes much easier.
Places like New York don’t need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to iGaming, as it can look at lots of previous examples already in place. As Pennsylvania lawmakers used NJ, New York can do the same with lots of nearby locations. The staff at most of the active markets appear more than willing to help with whatever is needed.
Preparing for launch of NY online casinos
Getting ready to roll out a bunch of online casinos is certainly different than dealing with retail casinos. While the added technical elements might be obvious, there’s more for state lawmakers to consider.
One piece of advice covered the added extent of the audit trail that comes from online gaming. There is a lot more updating and maintaining of necessary records to understand security and all of the various transactions. Knowing the difference between the specific gaming acts and what rules apply to online gaming is very important before getting started.
It should also be noted that not every part of the process is difficult and stressful. After getting everything in place, there is a fair bit of revenue that should come from these online platforms.
Each of the regulators expressed how surprising it was when iGaming revenue started to come in and how it exceeded expectations. Online casino profits are much stronger than sports betting and they don’t appear to be slowing down, either.
So, states like NY that feature online sports betting but not online casinos need to reconsider their plans.
Plenty of plusses when it comes to NY online casinos
Launching a legal, regulated market for online casinos benefits all those involved. Residents receive protection by wagering with a legal platform that is supported and backed up by the state. Instead of risking their money with an illegal option that could steal their identity, bettors will finally have a trusted source.
Then, some of that money gets resurfaced back into the community and people of the state who need it. Michigan, for example, provides iGaming revenue to schools, firefighters who become ill, and increased awareness around problem gambling.
It’s clear that the Empire State has the ability to launch an iGaming market in the near future with slightly more ease than other places in the past.


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Net-a-porter, the online designer fashion mecca, is in talks to be bought by retail giant Amazon for the cool sum of $2.19 billion, Women's Wear Daily reports.
Mattel's limited edition Karl Lagerfeld Barbie has already sold out.
Well, here's Diane von Furstenberg's attempt to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Her limited edition collection for Google Glass will be available next week through online luxury retailer Net-a-Porter with a price tag as unpalatable as its design.
When it's good, Brit style is so very, very good: whimsical and daring and polished in equal measure. So is it any wonder that the fashionista-studded Net-A-Porter 10th Birthday Party at London's Westfield was a style bonanza? (Okay, with kneesocks...)
Portƒolio's fashion blog points us to Santa's Helper at Net-A-Porter. The virtual assistant is actually a customizable video of a foxy blonde Brit in a red dress, "assigned" to help women get what they want for Christmas via the men in their life. All users have to do is enter information via a series of drop-down…


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Category: Mobile Browsers
Join us as we take a look at the latest market share numbers from October.
It looks like the new iPhone and continuous iPad sales did not have a huge impact on the market. In fact, the latest data shows that Safari lost 3.7 points of its share, down from 64.01% to 60.31%.
With the recent release of IOS 6, Opera Software has announced the availability of the new update for its Opera Mini web browser for both iPhone and iPad.
So what can you expect from this build? In addition to various bug fixes and performance improvements, the following release also includes a support for IOS 4.2 as well as integration with IOS 6 Facebook framework.
That’s pretty much it.
With IE support and other goodies.
Following the recent dashboard update, Microsoft has reportedly launched Xbox SmartGlass slightly ahead its Windows 8 launch schedule.
With multiple users already reporting a fully functional feature set, the software giant has also issued a video walkthrough, which shows a software engineer using Xbox SmartGlass to get relevant TV Shows data and most importantly, surf the web with the help of Samsung’s upcoming Ativ S Windows Phone.
Aurora builds only.
For more than a year, Mozilla has talked about the Web as the app development platform and now, with the launch of recent Firefox Aurora builds for Android, then open source organization has revealed some of its development fruits: the Firefox Marketplace.
In case you don’t fuse Android or don’t feel like downloading anything, here is a screenshot to give you a better idea on how does the marketplace look like:
Windows Phone only.
Interestingly enough, the struggling handset manufacturer has released the Xpress Beta app, which not only uses its own rendering engine (unlike other Windows Phone browsers) but also compresses data, just like Opera Mobile.
Opera Mobile concept coming up next week.
With the approaching launch of Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, it appears that some Google Chrome fans have decided to create a mockup on how the favorite web browser would look like running on a WP8 hardware.
The result? See the pictures below.
Brings features from the Opera 12.1 Desktop.
Today is a good day for all the Android users out there as Norwegian software maker has just released an updated version of its Opera Mobile web browser.
Tagged as version 12.1, the following build introduces quite a few new features, including:
New month, new report.
After continuously gaining market share for quite some time, Apple’s Safari took a small dip and is now sitting at the 64.01% market share, down from 66.43% to 64.01% (2.42 point decrease).
If SDK supports it.
Now with “Smart Page”.
With today’s release of the Opera Mini 7.5 for Android, Norwegian browser maker has introduced a new feature, which will parse data from your Internet activity and suggest content (such as news and friend activity) that is relevant to your interests.
In addition to that, the following build brings various stability improvements that will likely improve your web experience.


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Meet Gen O – millennials who have “come of age during a time of technological change, globalisation and economic disruption.”1 Born around the early 1980s to 2000 (16-34 year olds), their spending and saving behaviours have been significantly influenced by the evolving world they’ve grown up in.
We recently carried out a survey in conjunction with Future Foundations2, which confirms that this generation has very particular attitudes towards their finances. Not only are social and cultural pressures resulting in them spending more money, but they also have a negative view of the current economic climate. Short term thinking, combined with their avoidance of investing for the future, has had a knock-on effect on their savings pots.
Speaking to Professor Darren Duxbury from the Newcastle University Business School, and the Behavioural Research in Finance (BRiF) group, we found that they aren’t thinking about their finances. Duxbury explains that “when it comes to saving, shortsightedness and apathy can cause Gen O to direct insufficient attention and resources to the issue.” They seem to ignore risky financial situations, and have adopted a head-in-the-sand attitude – referred to as ‘the ostrich effect’. We’ve therefore named this group Generation Ostrich or ‘Gen O’: the millennials who avoid thinking about saving for the future.
When asked how their finances make them feel, our survey reveals that Gen O experience a range of negative emotions – significantly more than older generations. Duxbury explains that this may be because “older individuals have been shown to suffer less from negative emotions and to exert greater emotional control than younger individuals.”
“We know that emotions influence financial decisions”3 and as a result, to avoid these undesirable feelings, it’s easier for them to not think about their savings or finances altogether. Duxbury adds that “by choosing to ignore their finances, perhaps Gen O hope to avoid responsibility, and associated feelings of regret, if things go wrong.”
According to our survey, 64% of Gen O do not save as much money as they’d like to every month, with nearly a third saving nothing at all. So, why is this happening?
A large proportion believe that it’s economic factors out of their control that are having a big impact on the amount they spend and therefore their ability to save – with nearly 70% of Gen O thinking that the cost of living is too high.
The current economic climate undoubtedly brings its challenges. Government data4 suggests that the new state pension system will result in many people who are now in their teens, 20s and 30s actually being worse off when they come to retire. In addition, younger generations now have to pay triple to go to University – entering the world of work already burdened with thousands of pounds of debt.
Statistics from the ONS5 indicate that wage growth has picked up and inflation has fallen since 2014. However, Alistair McQueen, Savings and Retirement Manager at Aviva commented: “Caution should be exercised when assuming that all sections of society are enjoying the same levels of low inflation. Our analysis indicates that those aged under 30 have been experiencing higher than average price rises for the past year” – highlighting Gen O’s cost of living battle.
Although these economic factors can’t be ignored, perhaps it’s also Gen O’s spending habits and outgoings impacting their ability to save. Evidence from our research reveals that Gen O suffer from significantly more social and cultural pressures than the generations before them. They’re living in the moment, and feel the need to keep up with the huge social media revolution, ever-evolving technology and the latest gadgets.
Our survey shows that 35% of Gen O want more control over their appearance – a much higher proportion than the older age groups. A generation evidently obsessed with looks, research suggests that they’ll take over 25,000 selfies during their lifetime6
Constant exposure to the internet might be blamed for this. Continually striving for perfection and to keep up with the latest trends, as well as being influenced by celebrities who are setting the bar unattainably high – this generation is turning to dieting, designer brands and cosmetic procedures. These are expensive habits, and many are living beyond their means in an attempt to keep up appearances.
According to our research, almost half of Gen O who do save, spend their money on buying new home electronics – such as computers or mobile phones. 16% even admit that they consider the latest technological devices a necessity, and would find it hard to live without them. This not only reinforces their heavy use of technology, but also shows that they’re saving to keep up with latest trends and for instant gratification, rather than investing for the longer term.
The rise of contactless payments and online money transfers has also reduced the pain of paying when making purchases. This has encouraged greater spending, as people find it easier to make payments, which is having a direct impact on their ability to save.
Along with the development of technology, it’s clear that the rise of social media has moved at a scary pace. As of 2015, there were over 2bn active social media accounts worldwide, and the average user in the UK spends more than 2 hours on social media every day7. This figure continues to grow.
Our survey shows that 14% of Gen O feel they need more control over their social media profile, compared with only 2% of 55+ year olds – highlighting the pressures that this particular generation feel to keep their online image relevant and likeable. They’re being propelled into adulthood from an early age, and instead of spending time with a group of friends down the road, they’re pressured to keep up with hundreds of ‘friends’ on Facebook.
Our research also revealed that around half of the Gen O respondents feel pressure to spend more money when socialising with friends or family. More than 1 in 10 prefer to live in the moment and spend when they want. They’re spending more today, and saving for the future is not a priority.
These cultural and social influences both on and offline have resulted in Gen O feeling the need to more regularly spend money to keep up with their peers. This is made worse by frequent temptations, reminders from advertisements and information being constantly shared online.
It’s apparent that Gen O are living and spending for today – choosing to ignore what impact this will ultimately have on their future, by having little savings to support them and their families.
Generation Z are those born from early 2000s (aged 16 and under). Although their predecessors Gen O perceive technology as very important, it’s essential for Gen Z; with technology being fulling engrained in their everyday lives from birth, they’ve become dependent on it. Following the trends, it’s understandable that there are concerns about how this generation’s culture will have an even greater impact on their financial decision making and ability to save.
Our research reveals the nature of the younger generations’ behaviours and attitudes towards saving, and highlights the importance of lifting their heads from the sand. Duxbury tells us that “thinking about why, not how, we save may make it easier to resist the temptation of living for today.” This will help Gen O stop spending investments in the short term, and start saving and preparing for their secure financial futures.
 The research was run in consultation with Future Foundation and ICM. The findings are based on 5,000 online interviews among a nationally representative sample of UK adults aged 18 and above, carried out in February 2016 and analysed during February/ March 2016.
 Summers, B., & Duxbury, D. (2012). Decision-dependent emotions and behavioral anomalies. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 118(2), 226-238.
Use our handy tools and calculators to help you plan for your future.
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Jul 19, 2019, United Kingdom:
The well-known fashion brand Burberry was able to attract additional attention of consumers and investors due to the new collection.
Jul 19, 2019, USA:
Los Angeles’ iconic shopping, dining, and entertainment destination announced the latest openings.
Jul 18, 2019, USA:
Company's parent brand will bring Toys“R” Us stores back to the United States this holiday season.
Jul 18, 2019, France:
Opening in 2021, the center is located 45 minutes from the Arc de Triomphe.
Jul 17, 2019, USA:
Primark chain of stores conducted a very unusual advertising campaign.
Jul 15, 2019, USA:
The manufacturer of clothes for yoga classes Lululemon opens a unique store.
Jul 15, 2019, Canada:
Italian luxury brand Versace opened a flagship store in the shopping mall at Yorkville Avenue in Toronto, Canada.
Jul 3, 2019, United Arab Emirates:
A public observation deck towering 240 meters above the world-famous Palm Jumeirah will be accessible from Nakheel Mall.
Jul 3, 2019:
The combined Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield group named the first 10 Westfields shopping centers on the continent.
Jun 19, 2019, Italy:
The Mall Sanremo is a brand village featuring luxury labels, from ready-to-wear to accessories, and watches.
Jun 18, 2019, USA:
The retailer equipped new stores with technology improvements, new fixtures, and a brighter look and feel.
Jun 14, 2019, USA:
Skyports designed for vehicles of the Uber Air project, the world's first urban aviation network.
Jun 14, 2019, United Kingdom:
Nike has redesigned the women's part of its flagship shop in London, showing plus-size mannequins.
Jun 13, 2019, Slovenia:
Irish fashion retailer Primark revealed its first store in Slovenia at Citypark in Ljubljana, attracting thousands of enthusiastic customers.
Jun 11, 2019, USA:
Krispy Kreme is preparing to present its flagship retail concept in Times Square in New York.


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Tesla has gained a fair share of interest from regulators i security has been advocating the difficult introduction of his “Full Self Driving” beta system in recent months, but has so far largely avoided examining his decision to quietly add the ability to play video games while driving.
Videos of reviewers and drivers accessing the game while on the go appeared on YouTube and were noticed by the New York Times this week. While playing Teslas is not new, (the company started adding arcade-style games back in 2019). while the vehicles are out of the park.
According to the Times, that particular feature was delivered over the summer as part of an over-the-air update. The update included three new games—Solitaire, Sky Force Reloaded, i Battle of Polytopia: Rise of the Moon—Everything can supposedly be played while driving. When these games are launched, the user is warned that the game should only be played by the passenger. At the moment, nothing is preventing the driver from simply lying and starting the game regardless, the report states.
Tesla did not immediately respond to Gizmod’s request for comment.
Tesla’s decision to double video games and the rest of the car fun like Netflix and Hulu streaming comes despite long-running NHTSA guidelines recommends that device manufacturers design systems so that drivers cannot use them to perform “distractions”. Although other car manufacturers offer systems that allow drivers and passengers to watch movies or other entertainment on the front display, they are usually disabled when drivers leave the parking lot. The stakes are high here: distracted driving caused 8.7% of car deaths in the US, according to NHTSA data, although many experts expect the number could be much higher.
NHTSA did not immediately respond to Gizmod’s request for comment.
Tesla’s reason for adding video games to his vehicles is thought to stem from his vision of creating a fully autonomous vehicle experience in which drivers can recover the time they would waste by screaming in traffic to get work done or have fun. This vision of turning the vehicle into the next screen is shared by many in the automotive industry and therefore traditional consumer technology companies like Apple i Xiaomi reportedly working on their own driverless vehicles. CEO Elon Musk extended I came up with this idea earlier this year while showing a demo of someone playing Cyberpunk 2077 in Tesla.
“Think of a future where the car is often on autopilot or completely independent driving mode, then fun will become more important,” Musk said. “You want to watch movies, play games, use the internet, all the things you want to do if you’re not driving.”
The only problem is that Tesla is not completely autonomous – and they are not even close.
Although Tesla is currently in beta testing its “Full Self Driving” driver assistance function, the name is misleading because it actually only achieves level 2 autonomy on a six-level scale. Tesla was forced to declare himself about the regulations of the FSD letter regulators late last year. But that message is not clearly articulated to users of Autopilot or FSD beta participants, and additions to video games only add to that confusion. All of this has the potential to encourage drivers to treat the system as more advanced than it is. And since some Teslas cost around $ 100,000, can you really blame drivers for expecting a more exciting experience than the celebrated cruise control?
These were part of concerns raised by sensors Richard Blumenthal and Ed Markey earlier this year when they sent letter Federal Trade Commission President Lina Khan urging her agency to investigate Tesla for misleading advertising about Autopilot and FSD.
“We are afraid that Tesla’s Autopilot and FSD functions are not as mature and reliable as the company presents to the public,” the senators wrote. “Understanding these limitations is essential, because when drivers’ expectations exceed the capabilities of their vehicle, serious and fatal accidents can and do result.”
These systems are already leading to real-world accidents, which are at risk of increasing with more fun features. For those who follow, it is currently NHTSA exploring 11 accidents that have occurred since 2018, and all include the collision of Tesla with ambulances. The accidents caused a total of 17 injuries and one death, according to the agency. On top of that, a complaint filed with NHTSA last month appears to show the first major collision involving Tesla’s FSD beta.
Friendly communicator. Music maven. Explorer. Pop culture trailblazer. Social media practitioner.


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The newly launched airline, a Nepal-China joint venture, signs full content agreement with Amadeus to expand its business.
Bangkok, Thailand, 25 July 2016: Embarking on its journey to bring quality service with a flavour of Nepali culture to the world, Himalaya Airlines has chosen Amadeus as its first global distribution system (GDS) partner to distribute its fares, schedules and availability through the world’s widest network of travel agents.
The Nepal-China joint venture airline launched its inaugural flight to Doha, Qatar on May 31, 2016, and will be soon adding Delhi, Lhasa, Chengdu, Beijing, Colombo, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Dammam routes in the coming months.
“The full content agreement between Himalaya Airlines and Amadeus means Amadeus-connected travel agencies worldwide will have access to the airline’s full range of fares, seats and schedules under the same conditions as those offered through all other sales channels,” said a press release issued by Himalayan Airlines.
“Himalaya Airlines is only just starting out but we are very optimistic for the future. We truly believe we have an excellent product to offer at competitive prices, and we’re gearing up for growth with plans to expand our fleet and network. The travel agency channel is critical for us to be able to deliver our offering to travellers around the world, and we are confident we’ve made the best choice in selecting Amadeus as our first global distribution partner. Amadeus brings to the table an unmatched global network of travel agencies and industry expertise, and we are excited to work with them to grow our business,” said Mr. Vijay Shrestha, Vice President, Administration at Himalaya Airlines.
Hazem Hussein, Executive Vice President, Airline Commercial, Amadeus Asia Pacific added”We are committed to continually improve the content we offer to our travel agency network, and this agreement is proof of that. We are thrilled to partner with one of the region’s newest airlines, supporting their growth and bringing their new service offering to travellers around the world.”
Himalaya Airlines joins the ranks of over 440 other airlines that are bookable via the Amadeus system.


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According to Google Trends, interest in non-innate symbols, or NFTs, rose to a level close to the level of searches for the word “ ICO ” during a bull market mania in 2017. Eight days before the end of March, the current rise in interest could exceed ICO interest at that time, which would actually be an impressive feat.
The original coin supply obsession in 2017 was partly and partly due to the rally in 2017, which culminated in Bitcoin’s timid rally to $ 20,000.
Given NFTs, which include games, music, art, and virtual land – and may even represent real-world things like homes – they likely have a much larger audience than the financial and tech people that the ICO has attracted.
The interest in search terms has undoubtedly been sparked by regular media that enthusiastically covers NFTs, which are selling at astonishing prices, including a poster from digital artist Beeple, who sells for $ 69 million at Christie’s, and music producer 3LAU, who sells his new album In the name of NFT for $ 11.7 million.
Snoop Dogg, Lionel Richie, and Boy George
Currency exchange Crypto.com announced that it will launch a new marketplace for NFT that will include Snoop Dog, Lionel Richie, Boy George and the beloved James Bond team Aston Martin in Formula 1. The platform, which opens on March 26th, will focus on “delivering unique content from famous artists and musicians.” Athletes and athletes. ”
Team Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One will launch a series of platform-based events to capitalize on the success of sports memorabilia platforms including NBA Top Shot and Sorare. Team CEO Jefferson Slack said:
“Our NFT range reflects the early moments of our return to F1 after more than six decades.”
The new Aston Martin team will make its Formula 1 debut in Bahrain on March 28th.
Make a robot
The art created by Gaka-Chu, an autonomous robot developed by the Robonomics team, is currently up for auction at the NFT Rarible Market. The robot has already been making art for more than three years now, but this is said to be the first time that a work created by a robot has been sold as an NFT.
A unique aspect is that robot-generated art is completely self-directed, and the creation process is recorded and embedded in NFT. One Piece, currently priced at $ 1,674, contains a robot that paints the Ethereum logo with an attached sentence: “This would never have happened without Ethereum. I can work, create and live my best life.”
Soon 3 million GameTalkTalk users will be able to create carbon-free NFTs
Enjin has partnered with Ludena Protocol to integrate green NFTs into Korea’s best social gaming app, GameTalkTalk. The partnership will enable the app’s 3 million users to create their own NFTs for digital fashion, pets, and real estate.
According to the release, Enjin’s multi-strand approach will reduce the environmental impact of NFT engraving (present-day hotkey problem) through a combination of technologies, including JumpNet, a gasless scaling solution. The app will also feature technologies from major gaming brands, including Blizzard and SEGA.
A $ 500,000 digital home on Mars
NFT collector paid $ 500,000 for a digital home in a Martian-like landscape. That’s more than most homes here in the physical world need on Earth.
Mars House in Superrare sold earlier this week for 288 ETH. Krist Kim, the innovator, called it the first true digital home, and it was designed in collaboration with an architect using video game software.
In an Instagram post, Kim explained that the new owner can revitalize the home and furniture with the help of a team of glass furniture manufacturers from Italy. Kim also has a clear understanding of the potential to display art in a physical home.
“Everyone should install LED NFT wall art in their home.”
So in theory, you could display your $ 500K home on the wall of your $ 300K apartment.


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The blockchain gaming industry is steadily gaining traction, despite its early stages of development. Blockchain games offer a unique gaming experience that enables players to own and trade in-game assets as their own digital assets. In addition, blockchain technology ensures provably fair gameplay, which is free from cheating and misconduct.
However, before blockchain games become mainstream, there are still some significant barriers to adoption that need to be addressed. These include the complexity of blockchain technology and the associated high learning curve for players. Furthermore, the cost of blockchain games can be higher than traditional games due to development costs and fees associated with blockchain transactions.
Despite these barriers, the rapid growth and interest in blockchain and crypto may drive the adoption of blockchain games. As more people become familiar with blockchain technology and invest in cryptocurrencies, interest in blockchain gaming could also grow as a new and innovative way to engage in gaming experiences.
The top three gaming tokens for May 2023 are Decentraland (MANA), Avegotch (GHST), and Sandbox (SAND).
These tokens are used for in-game transactions such as purchasing virtual lands, goods, and services. Investing in game tokens provides an opportunity to participate in the growth and development of the blockchain gaming industry. However, it should be noted that investing in gaming tokens can also involve risk, as the value of tokens may be volatile and subject to market fluctuations.
In conclusion, blockchain games are still in the early stages of development, but they offer a unique gaming experience that could see mainstream adoption in the coming years. The top three gaming tokens for May 2023 are a good starting point for anyone looking to invest in this exciting and emerging industry. It is essential to do your due diligence before investing in any cryptocurrency or gaming token, as the industry is still relatively new and untested.


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Investrust customers to transact using mobile
VALUE ADDED SERVICESBy BiztechAfrica - Aug. 7, 2012, 9:23 p.m.
By Edith Mwale, Lusaka, Zambia
Customers of Zambia’s Investrust Bank will now be able to transact using their mobile phones, with the launch of InvestMobile.
The facility will take bank access to unbanked communities in urban and rural areas.
The bank’s Managing Director, Friday Ndhlovu, says the product will be rolled out to existing account holders before being extended to the unbanked communities.
“More than a billion people in emerging and developing markets have cell phones but no bank accounts. Mobile money is beginning to fill this gap by offering financial services over mobile phones, from simple person-to-person transfers to more complex banking services,” Ndhlovu said.
InvestMobile, among other features, provides an account summary of the last seven transactions, payment of bills to various utility companies including Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company and MultiChoice and Zesco.
Through the facility, customers will also be able to view status on accounts such as deposits, loan statement and position on cleared or uncleared cheques and make transfers within the bank and external accounts held with other banks.
Ndhlovu said the bank has over the past years invested heavily in its systems and information communication technology (ICT) infrastructure using the funds raised through the Lusaka Stock Exchange (LuSE) in 2007.
Ndhlovu cited InvestNet, an internet online banking which has online account and transaction, VISA GreenCard with the latest chip and pin technology which ensures maximum security.
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It looks like the 2016 Honda Civic with the new 1.5-liter turbo engine is faster than the previous Civic Si.
Temple of Vtec user JeffX attached a VBox data recorder to a new 2016 Civic 1.5-liter turbo, which he claims had roughly half a tank of gas, and found that the car can run from 0 to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds and a do a quarter mile in 14.9 seconds. From 0 to 60 mph, that’s about the same as the old Civic Si, but the quarter mile comes roughly half a second faster in the new car.
SEE ALSO: 2016 Honda Civic Coupe Brings Sexy Back
That comes as a surprise for a few reasons. First, the 2015 Civic Si makes more power at 205 horsepower and 174 lb-ft of torque, compared to the new Civic’s 174 hp and 162 lb-ft. Second, the previous Civic Si is equipped with a six-speed manual transmission, while the new turbocharged 2016 Civic can currently only be had with a CVT.
Curb weight is also a factor, with the 2015 Civic Si tipping the scales between 3004-3011 pounds without a driver, while the 2016 Civc was weighed on a scale, clocking in at 2,900 pounds.
The VBox can also act as a dyno, which discovered that the new Civic turbo makes about between 164 and 166 hp at the wheels.
[Source: Temple of Vtec]
Discuss this story at our 10th generation Civic Forum


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Mobiletron to construct plant in central Taiwan
Ninelu Tu, Taipei; Adam Hwang, DIGITIMES
Automotive electronic component maker Mobiletron Electronics will invest NT$1.5 billion (US$48.6 million) to construct a plant in Taichung, central Taiwan, with completion scheduled for year-end 2020, according to company chairman Kim Tsai.
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Flusso launches world’s smallest flow sensor
Flusso, a semiconductor company spun out of the University of Cambridge in 2016, has launched the world’s smallest flow sensor to reliably measure mass flow, differential pressure or air velocity.
Flow measurement is difficult and time-consuming, requiring specialist engineering expertise and knowhow: product manufacturers have limited scope to customise existing off-the-shelf solutions.
Cowley Road-based Flusso, which has a team of 17 including electronics and mechanical engineers, scientists and semiconductor industry professionals, has taken a completely different approach to the flow sensing market. Its FLS110 flow sensor has been designed for ease of use, to be fully customisable, and to give customers the flexibility to decide the balance of performance versus cost within their system. It also covers a wide flow measurement range – from 0.001 to 500 standard litres per minute – so the same component can be used across multiple applications.
The new FLS110 has a footprint of just 3.5 by 3.5mm, is small enough to fit into virtually any product and is based on pioneering sensor research, first developed within the Electrical Engineering Department at the university.
Applications include being designed into vacuum cleaners to tell users the filter is blocked or damaged, or incorporated into medical products for home use such as smart inhalers to monitor breath profiles or fitness training masks. On the industrial side, it could be integrated into wearable personal monitors that are used to monitor flammable or toxic gases to let users know it’s safe to work in a particular area.
“Everyone at Flusso has played an important role in bringing our first product to market,” said Andrea De Luca, CEO at Flusso. “It’s been a massive team effort, particularly over the last few months. It is our strong belief the FLS110 flow sensor is set to be a market winner and the excellent feedback we’ve had from companies that are testing it is the best proof of that.”
Flusso was co-founded by Professor Florin Udrea, co-founder of CamSemi, Cambridge CMOS Sensors, Cambridge Microelectronics, and Cambridge GaN Devices; Professor Julian Gardner, co-founder of Cambridge CMOS Sensors and Sorex; Dr John Coull, and Dr Andrea De Luca - all sensor experts with extensive experience in the semiconductor industry.
The company completed its Series A round earlier this year to raise US $5.7m, led by existing investor Parkwalk Advisors. In September, Dr Andrea De Luca, CEO at Flusso was awarded a Young Engineer of the Year award by The Royal Academy of Engineering for his outstanding work in new sensor development.
Deliveries start in the first half of 2021.


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I’ve said on many occasions before that while I often find Google’s products underwhelming, I really do admire their ambition. What Project Glass amounts to is the next natural step in creating a cloud of data around the physical world.
Google released Android 4.0 in October. Samsung released the global variant of Galaxy Nexus with Android 4.0 on board in November, followed by the U.S. Verizon version in December. Other OEMs didn’t gain access to the Ice Cream Sandwich source code until November, about a month after Samsung got its hands on it.
Samsung has had the source code to Ice Cream Sandwich for five months. So far, it has not released a single ICS upgrade for its tablets, and has continued to release products with older versions of Android.
With “partners” like that, no wonder Google ended up buying Motorola.
Harry McCracken takes a look at the New iPad:
“Even a year after its release, the iPad 2 is superior overall to any of its Android competition, including some contenders that sell for more.”
I’d love for there to be some serious competition for the iPad. But at the moment, it’s just not there. And the gap is getting wider, not narrower.
Speaking to Computerworld, Hiroshi Lockheimer, vice president of engineering for mobile at Google, suggested Android 5.0 will launch in the fall. He stated “In general, the Android release cadence is one major release a year with some maintenance releases that are substantial still.”
Since its launch, Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) has got just one percent of the overall Android market. It’s currently shipping on a handful of phones, with a few tablets also announced. Few existing phones or tablets have got upgrades, beyond the “Pure Google” Nexus devices (and if you have the Nexus One, you’re out of luck).
Andy Rubin on the “firewall” between Motorola and Google.
Rubin said he was “painfully aware” of concerns, but stressed that Google has “literally built a firewall” between the Android team and Motorola. “I don’t even know anything about their products, I haven’t seen anything,” he said.
Given that Motorola needed Google’s explicit permission to launch its patent attack on Apple, that’s some leaky firewall, Andy.
Andy Rubin of Google on the issues facing Android tablets:
Of course, one of Android’s biggest challenges in the tablet market is the lack of high-quality apps designed for the larger screen, but Rubin was somewhat dismissive of those concerns. “Android’s unique in that it’s a single platform that spans device types,” including tablets and TVs, Rubin told me. “Fundamentally you shouldn’t have to have a third-party developer build his app twice.” Pushed about the different interface requirements for tablet apps versus phone apps, Rubin admitted that “there has to be an education process and developers have to do the work” of making their apps tablet-aware on Android. “They’re already doing that work for other platforms.
I’m not sure if Rubin is bluffing, and just trying to gloss over one of the biggest weaknesses in the Android tablet eco-system (the lack of proper tablet-dedicated apps), or he’s simply blind to the problem. I suspect that it has to be the former, because to assume the latter would mean Rubin is dumb, and that’s something I’m pretty sure he’s not.
Of course, the other problem Android faces related to tablet apps is that even when a developer puts the effort into creating a tablet-optimised interface, there’s a plethora of size screens to deal with, and what works well on a 10.1 inch screen won’t work on an 8.9in. And, as long as Android vendors like Samsung keep adopting the “throw enough stuff at the wall and see what sticks” approach to creating hardware, developers are going to have a nasty moving target for their interface designs.
Chrome for Android’s been updated: full details available here. There’s a couple of nice features introduced (including the ability to use Android’s Beam feature on NFC-equipped devices to send URLs) but otherwise this is mostly a bug-fix release.
I’ve been using Chrome for Android since its release on my Galaxy Tab, and it’s a massive improvement over the stock Android browser. I would say that if you have an Android device, you should upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich just to get it – but unfortunately, most Android device manufacturers haven’t released ICS, and some of them just won’t.
Nick Bilton of the NYT on Google to Sell Heads-Up Display Glasses by Year’s End – NYTimes.com:
Everyone I spoke with who was familiar with the project repeatedly said that Google was not thinking about potential business models with the new glasses. Instead, they said, Google sees the project as an experiment that anyone will be able to join. If consumers take to the glasses when they are released later this year, then Google will explore possible revenue streams.
If they’re not thinking of the revenue streams, they must be extremely dense. This is the advertising industry’s wet dream: a billboard on every building, an offer from every restaurant you walk past – all direct into your eyes. This is the ultimate advertising channel, and advertisers will pay massive amounts of money to get right into it.
One of the most often-repeated statements about the competition between iOS and Android in mobile phones is that Android is bound to win because it’s following the same model as Windows did in “winning” the PC market. An operating system, licensed to all-comers, with a range of hardware makers all competing should (the theory goes) drive down costs and increase innovation, just as happened in the PC market.
There’s only one problem: The way the Android ecosystem works is nothing like the Windows market.
In the PC market, Dell didn’t get to build its own customised version of Windows, then make its customers wait to get an update – if it supplied one at all.
When a new version of Windows came out, you didn’t have to rely on Dell to get it – you just bought it, direct from Microsoft. You might have to download some drivers, if they weren’t included (for generic PCs, they often were). But that was often from the maker of the particular affected components, not Dell.
In the Android world, if you have (say) an HTC phone you can’t get an update from Google. You have to wait for HTC to provide it – and they have little incentive to create it in a timely manner. Neither do they have the resources: they’re operating on slimmer margins than Google, and don’t have the software chops. They didn’t make Android, they just tinkered with it. And working out what breaks their tinkering in a stock Android update isn’t always trivial.
What Google has created is in danger of ending up far more like the world of Linux: disparate, fractured “distributions” which are semi-compatible as long as a volunteer geek has taken the time and trouble to port, test and package whatever software you want.
It’s not too late to change this, but Google has to take more responsibility if it wants Android to be a long-term success.
Sundar Pichai, speaking to Cnet:
Third, there have been some questions about Flash [Adobe Systems' browser plug-in]. Following their road map, they clearly said they’ll not support Flash for mobile in the future. They’re investing a lot in HTML5. I don’t expect that to be a major issue, but we will address full-screen and the ability to see desktop versions [of Web sites]. And we’ll definitely bring it to many countries.
Translation: Forget it. Flash for Mobile is dead.


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PMA (premarket approval) supplement for CardioVascular Dynamics' coronary catheter:
This article was originally published in Clinica
CardioVascular Dynamics has received a premarket approval supplement for its Guardian coronary catheter, part of a range of catheters developed using the company's Focus technology. It allows most of the dilation force during a balloon angioplasty procedure to be focused more directly to the lesion site. The Guardian catheter is made from a softer, polyethylene-blend material which enhances movement of the guidewire. Its distal tip has been elongated to hug the guidewire, allowing the catheter to reach more distal parts of the anatomy. The company expects full marketing of the product in August.
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Kingdom Hearts III director reveals more information about the upcoming Kingdom Hearts III DLC.
Kingdom Hearts III was released earlier this year and received positive reviews. It was praised for its gameplay and graphics, though fans found certain aspects of the story lacking. The developers of Kingdom Hearts III promise to expand the story, and even fill in some plot holes, through DLC.
Kingdom Hearts III Re:Mind, the name of the first DLC, was first hinted at several months ago before substantial footage was released during a Kingdom Hearts concert. The same footage was revealed in E3 2019. It is slated to release in Winter 2019.
Tetsuya Nomura, director of Kingdom Hearts III and the Final Fantasy VII Remake, was recently interviewed for the Japanese magazine Famitsu. He talks about the upcoming Final Fantasy VII Remake, as well reveal more details about Re:Mind.
In a translation provided by our friend at Kingdom Hearts Insider, Nomura talks about the meaning of Re:Mind, jokily claiming it means “remind to respond.” He later says that the “Limit Cut” will contain the same amount of bosses as Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix. According to the person interviewing Nomura, this means there will be at least thirteen bosses.
Nomura also brings up that there will be a “Limit Cut Episode” and a “Secret Episode.” The “Secret Episode” will contain its share of new bosses. He also talks about wanting to avoid releasing the DLC around the same time as the Final Fantasy VII Remake.
Read the translations on the Kingdom Hearts Insider website.


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Hawai‘i State FCU Donates $5K and 900 Pounds of Food on Maui
Hawaiʻi State Federal Credit Union donated $5,000 and nearly 900 pounds of food to the Maui Food Bank.
The funds are part of a larger $75,000 and 7,400 donation to local food banks on Oʻahu and Maui. The remaining $70,000 and more than 6,500 pounds of food were donated to the Hawaiʻi Foodbank on Oʻahu.
“It’s always been our priority to give back to our communities, but the need has never been greater than it is today with so many of our neighbors and friends struggling to make ends meet,” says Andrew Rosen, president and CEO of Hawaii State FCU. “I would like to extend a sincere mahalo to our employees and members for far surpassing our food collection goal of 1,000 pounds by 600 percent. I’d also like to recognize our executive team for rising to the occasion by adding to our food collection efforts with their own personal, generous monetary donation.”
Hawaiʻi State FCU launched its food drive on July 20, and more than 300 of its employees and 117,000 members were encouraged to donate canned and nonperishable goods. With an original food collection goal set at a half-ton, or 1,000 pounds, all 11 Hawaiʻi State FCU branch locations on Oʻahu and Maui served as food collection sites through Aug. 8.


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PPTV builds on sports streaming lead
As the leading sports streaming video platform in China, PPTV is keen to stand out from the fast-growing online sports industry by developing its unique interactive activities.
To attract and retain consumers with its variety of live sports matches, the company unveiled on Aug 18 its new sports season led by the Spanish soccer league La Liga. The platform will incorporate more fanoriented services.
PPTV inked a multimedia deal in 2015 to broadcast the La Liga matches live through its total-media platforms, including online and television, for the next five seasons. The deal was valued at 250 million euros ($283 million). La Liga also adjusted the kickoff time for Chinese viewers for the first time.
“We not only offer live games with our own copyrights, but also will create related online sports programs, interactive events through games, offline sports activities and derivatives of matches for viewers to enjoy the sports on the weekend,” said Yin Yu’an, vice-president of PPTV Media Tech Co Ltd.
“We will apply big data and interactive technology for the first time to allow viewers to shop for matchrelated goods, play games, vote for winning teams and win prizes during the live matches.”
In July, PPTV released its virtual reality headsets to offer a more immersive viewing experience. It has created its own TV sets especially for fans to enjoy sports games on larger HD screens.
Suning, a major retailer that became PPTV’s largest shareholder with the acquisition of a 44 percent state for $250 million in 2013, will also become PPTV’s offline platform to develop their derivative products.
“We aim to become an online-tooffline platform to offer consumers a diversity of cultural services, especially sports,” said Yin.
PPTV first streamed the 2006 World Cup, with more than 1 million peak concurrent viewers. Its live stream of the 2008 Beijing Olympics achieved more than 5 million online viewers at the same time. It has remained the leading provider of live-sports games through the decade.
In 2015, PPTV acquired the rights to broadcast 10 live English Premier League games, including six payper-view matches every week for the 2014-15 season by paying $11 million to Super Sports, the exclusive Premier League broadcast rights holder for the Chinese mainland.
PPTV currently owns the copyrights of 18 global sports games including the Spanish soccer league, English Premier League, World Wrestling Entertainment and Ultimate Fighting Championship.
In October 2014, the State Council released a document to speed up the development of the sports industry and stimulate sports consumption. Chinese companies have since been investing big in mapping out the sports industry.
Tencent Holdings Ltd’s online video platform signed a $500 million agreement for a five-year extension to its existing deal with the National Basketball Association of the United States in 2015.


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| 2019-10-21 15:05:49|
MCD, UBER… 15:05 10/21 10/21/19
Fly Intel: What to watch in McDonald's earnings report
McDonald's (MCD) is scheduled to report results of its fiscal third quarter before the market open on Tuesday, October 22, with a conference call scheduled for 11:00 am ET. What to watch for: 1. COMMENTARY FROM Q2: When it reported its Q2 earnings results on July 25, McDonald's said it expected commodity pressures to ease "somewhat" in the second half of the year, adding that it still saw a fiscal year 2019 tax rate of 24%-26% and a FY19 foreign currency impact of 18c-20c. 2. DELIVERY: McDonald's said on its Q2 earnings conference call that it expects delivery to be a $4B business in 2019, adding that McDelivery was available in over 9,000 U.S. restaurants. In August, McDonald's announced it was expanding its McDelivery food delivery relationship with DoorDash, an Uber Eats competitor, causing Uber (UBER) shares to slide. Earlier in October, McDonald's announced expanded delivery availability with Grubhub (GRUB) across New York and the Tri-state area. Following the partnership announcement, customers can now order McDelivery from approximately 500 McDonald's locations on Grubhub and the company's New York brand, Seamless. 3. PLANT-BASED MENU ITEMS: On McDonald's Q1 call, the company had said its menu teams were "paying close attention" to plant-based products. On May 23 at its annual shareholder meeting, McDonald's executives had added that the company was monitoring plant-based meat substitutes, but was not currently planning to add a plant-based burger to its menu. In September, however, McDonald's announced it was conducting a twelve-week test of a new plant-based burger called the P.L.T., which stands for Plant. Lettuce. Tomato. in 28 restaurants in Southwestern Ontario, starting September 30. The P.L.T. is made with a Beyond Meat (BYND) plant-based patty "that has been crafted exclusively by McDonald's, for McDonald's, to deliver the iconic taste customers know and love." 4. ANALYSTS WEIGH IN: On October 1, JPMorgan analyst John Ivankoe said he believes McDonald's Q3 comps will miss consensus expectations. The analyst, who uses MillerPulse as the proxy for U.S. quick service restaurant sales, said results continue to show negative same-store-sales traffic "despite what is otherwise solid underlying fundamentals." As a result, he reduced his Q3 comp estimate for McDonald's to up 5% from up 6%, versus the consensus at 5.5%. However, he believes the company's long-thesis remains intact and kept an Overweight rating on the shares with a $230 price target. On October 11, Cleveland Research said its checks indicate that U.S. comps for McDonald's look mixed for Q3, but are likely still ahead of consensus expectations. Good early quarter momentum appears to have been offset by slower August and September trends, the firm stated. Cleveland Research lowered its Q3 U.S. comp growth estimate for McDonald's to up 5.6% from up 6% to reflect the "mixed" September checks.
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