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Apple's decision to cater to Watch buyers with reservation-only sales and personalized in-store appointments worried one retail analyst, who wondered whether it signals a sea change in how the Cupertino, Calif. company leverages its nearly 450 outlets.
NPD Group - News, Features, and Slideshows
Microsoft's strategy in giving away one-year Office 365 subscriptions to many of its tablet- and notebook-making partners is all about matching not just the price but also the functionality of Chromebooks and cheap Android tablets, an analyst said today.
Apple sold a record 5.75 million Macs in the quarter that ended December 31, an increase of 19 per cent that beat the overall industry by a wide margin, according to IDC.
U.S. retailers will mark down Apple's iPad with steep discounts this Black Friday, according to store circulars and a retail analyst.
Apple today added a new entry-level iMac to its line, pricing it 15% lower than the previous cheapest model but dramatically scaling back the all-in-one's performance/
While Google and Microsoft are using large amounts of free cloud storage to sell inexpensive consumer notebooks, Apple has stood above the fray.
Chromebooks had a very good year, according to retailer Amazon.com and industry analysts. And that's bad news for Microsoft.
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The recent White Collection auction conducted by RM Sotheby’s has set new records in the Porsche market, achieving an impressive total of $30,505,620 in sales. The auction garnered global attention, attracting nearly 1,000 bidders from over 35 countries, showcasing the strong international appeal of rare Porsche models, particularly those adorned in striking shades of white.
The auction featured a diverse range of items, including not only iconic Porsche cars but also memorabilia such as luggage, signs, and posters. The success of the sale highlighted the continuing demand for pristine modern sports cars, especially those with unique originality, low mileage, and significant pedigree.
One of the standout moments of the auction was the record-breaking sale of the 2015 Porsche 918 ‘Weissach’ Spyder, the crown jewel of the collection. The car surpassed expectations by selling for an astonishing $3,937,500, exceeding its high estimate by nearly $1 million and shattering its previous record by almost $2 million. Other notable sales included the 2016 Porsche 911 R, which set a new record at $1,105,000, and the 2019 Porsche 911 GT2 RS ‘Weissach’ that fetched $1,006,000, breaking its previous record of $753,000.
The success of the auction extended beyond cars, with memorabilia lots achieving significant results. Items such as the Kusch+Co Series 8080 ‘918 Spyder Edition’ Lounge Set by Porsche Design Studio sold for $81,000, underlining the strong demand for Porsche-related collectibles.
Gord Duff, Global Head of Auctions, expressed his pride in the achievement of the team, emphasizing the exclusive and meticulous curation of the White Collection. He highlighted the landmark event’s significance and the global appreciation these iconic cars have garnered among Porsche enthusiasts.
The auction also saw several other records being broken, with cars like the 1994 Porsche 911 Turbo S X85 ‘Flat-Nose’ selling for $1,462,500, and the 1996 Porsche 911 Carrera RS fetching $555,000.
The White Collection auction not only reinforced the robust momentum of the Porsche market but also set new benchmarks in terms of sales figures, with the unique and rare models from the collection now holding a special place in automotive history. The event demonstrated the enduring appeal of live auctions and the continued fascination with exceptional, one-of-a-kind vehicles and related memorabilia within the global automotive community.
To view the full results, visit the RM Sotheby’s link here.

domain: news


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Media headlines about Bloomin' Brands (NASDAQ:BLMN) have trended somewhat positive recently, according to Accern Sentiment Analysis. The research firm identifies positive and negative press coverage by monitoring more than twenty million news and blog sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Bloomin' Brands earned a media sentiment score of 0.13 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave news articles about the restaurant operator an impact score of 45.6966680089871 out of 100, indicating that recent press coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the stock’s share price in the near term.
These are some of the news articles that may have impacted Accern Sentiment Analysis’s scoring:
- What Analysts Say? Bloomin’ Brands, Inc. (BLMN) stock closes Yesterday with 2.29% – Nasdaq Fortune (press release) (nasdaqfortune.com)
- Ramin Eivaz Joins Bloomin’ Brands, Inc. – Markets Insider (markets.businessinsider.com)
- Ramin Eivaz Joins Bloomin’ Brands, Inc. – GuruFocus.com (gurufocus.com)
- Ramin Eivaz Joins Bloomin’ Brands, Inc. – PR Newswire (press release) (prnewswire.com)
- Bloomin' Brands (BLMN) Raised to Buy at BidaskClub (americanbankingnews.com)
Bloomin' Brands (BLMN) opened at $22.35 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $2,090.00, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.03, a P/E/G ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 0.64. Bloomin' Brands has a 52-week low of $16.11 and a 52-week high of $22.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 31.17, a current ratio of 0.36 and a quick ratio of 0.29.
Bloomin' Brands (NASDAQ:BLMN) last issued its earnings results on Friday, November 3rd. The restaurant operator reported $0.12 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.16 by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $948.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $944.30 million. Bloomin' Brands had a return on equity of 94.30% and a net margin of 1.93%. Bloomin' Brands’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.19 EPS. analysts forecast that Bloomin' Brands will post 1.33 earnings per share for the current year.
Several analysts have recently weighed in on BLMN shares. Jefferies Group restated a “hold” rating and set a $19.00 price objective on shares of Bloomin' Brands in a research report on Thursday, October 12th. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on shares of Bloomin' Brands from $25.00 to $24.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 6th. Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Bloomin' Brands from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Credit Suisse Group lowered their price objective on shares of Bloomin' Brands from $18.50 to $18.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 6th. Finally, Raymond James Financial cut shares of Bloomin' Brands from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and set a $24.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, December 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have assigned a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. The stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $21.36.
In other Bloomin' Brands news, EVP Christopher W. Brandt sold 25,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.47, for a total value of $511,750.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 4,416 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $90,395.52. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Elizabeth A. Smith sold 375,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.79, for a total transaction of $7,796,250.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now directly owns 206,235 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,287,625.65. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 551,878 shares of company stock worth $11,131,099. Insiders own 7.04% of the company’s stock.
COPYRIGHT VIOLATION WARNING: “Bloomin' Brands (BLMN) Earning Somewhat Positive Media Coverage, Report Shows” was posted by Stock Observer and is owned by of Stock Observer. If you are reading this piece on another publication, it was copied illegally and republished in violation of United States and international copyright & trademark legislation. The legal version of this piece can be viewed at https://www.thestockobserver.com/2018/01/13/bloomin-brands-blmn-earning-somewhat-positive-media-coverage-report-shows.html.
About Bloomin' Brands
Bloomin’ Brands, Inc is a holding company. The Company owns and operates casual, upscale casual and fine dining restaurants. The Company operates through two segments: U.S. and International. The U.S. segment includes all brands operating in the United States. The International segment includes brands operating outside the United States.
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The Great Burger Battle of 2013 has reached its juicy conclusion.
The Iowa Cattlemen’s Association and the Iowa Beef Industry Council announced the winner of their annual search for Iowa’s Best Burger Thursday morning.
And the Golden Bun goes to … hamburger roll please … 61 Chop House Grille in Mediapolis for the restaurant’s Angus Black Crown Burger — an 8-ounce char-broiled Angus beef patty (cooked to medium), topped with a homemade beer-cheese sauce, a black pepper-flavored Colby-Jack cheese and applewood-smoked bacon, on a buttery egg bun.
The restaurant beat out 348 other submissions and nine other finalists for the title.
61 Chop House Grille also reached the top 10 designation for this award in 2011 with its Barn Burger, a saucy layered concoction topped with homemade onion straws.
Restaurant chef Terry Reis and his wife Lori Denney said they created the Angus Black Crown Burger specifically for the Iowa’s Best Burger contest. While the triumvirate of tangy toppings seems likely to render the actual burger a moot point, apparently the beefiness shined through enough to win over the secret panel of judges.
“This is quite a feather in our cap,” Reis said Thursday shortly after the announcement and an accompanying lunch rush. “I knew a couple of weeks ago and it was really hard to keep it a secret.”
Reis suggests that diners who order the Crown Burger resist the temptation to adulterate its carefully crafted flavors with anything as banal as ketchup and mustard.
“Food is art,” he said, “and you don’t need to add anything.”
Reis’ goal for this year’s entry was to walk a fine line. “I wanted it to be ‘out there’ but not too ‘out there.’ It had to be not too hot but not too bland.”
The honor offers more than just bragging rights. The 2011 Barn Burger top-10 honor increased hamburger sales by an impressive 40 percent for the restaurant — even more impressive for the fact that Mediapolis is a town of just about 1,500 beef-loving souls.
Three Des Moines-area restaurants had burgers make the top 10 list: Ankeny Diner, Ankeny; B&B Grocery, Meat & Deli, Des Moines; and Zombie Burger, Des Moines.
The other top 10 nominees, who received the most nominations, were: Elm’s Club, Creston; First Street Grille, Keosauqua; JB’s Bar & Grill, Marcus; Rosco’s, Norwalk; Sam’s Sodas and Sandwiches, Carroll; The Ritz, Arnold’s Park. Each top-10 burger was evaluated by a secret panel of judges who rated the hamburgers based on taste, appearance and proper serving temperature. Last year’s winner was the Coon Bowl III in Coon Rapids.
But a word of warning for all of next year’s Best Burger wannabes: Reis is not going to rest on his laurels.
“I’m already thinking about next year’s burger.”
The 2013 'Iowa's Best Burger'
WHAT: Angus Black Crown Burger at 61 Chop House Grille
FIND IT: 213 Wapello St. (also Hwy 61), Mediapolis
HOURS: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday
MORE INFO: 319-394-9222; www.61chophouse.com


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"AI offers retailers the opportunity to both radically enhance and personalise the customer experience and to realise significant gains in productivity throughout the business - from the warehouse, to delivery, to head office and online and physical outlets. In a highly competitive market, retailers cannot afford to be left behind," as discussed by BRC at the roundtable this month focusing on AI in retail, the benefits and barriers retailers are facing.
The discussion highlighted about the lack of data on the returns to investment in AI, which can make it difficult to progress. In an industry where management are under pressure to deliver returns on short time scales, designing and getting buy into investment in AI can be very difficult. Suppliers of AI technology have a role to play in addressing this, by providing clear evidence information about the expected impact of AI. Across the industry as a whole, a roadmap for AI technologies would help retailers in developing their strategies for growth and investment.
"Finding the right skills and know-how are an obstacle, and not just on the technical side. The best applications of AI work alongside other technologies and alongside people within retail businesses. That means seeing the deployment of AI not just as the development of isolated technology, but part of a wider process of change. That in turn implies that the UK needs to develop a talent pool for AI with a wide spectrum of skills," Rachel Lund, head of retail insight and analytics, BRC wrote on its website.
However, launching and progressing AI within a business does not come without its challenges. The wider economic and political context present challenges for AI in retail in the UK. Uncertainty over the UK’s future relationship with the EU - which has significant implications for data use, future demand and costs of doing business - has made a number of multi-national firm reluctant to invest in AI, diverting their funds elsewhere.
"There is also a growing awareness of the ethical questions posed by AI, notably whether algorithms introduce bias in the way customers are treated or staff are hired; how you govern personal data being used by algorithms or prevent customers being showed inappropriate material. Even if some of these issues are wider tech company issues, they present a significant risk to retailers’ brands," added the website. (RR)
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Who: Kijiji, with BBDO for strategy and creative; Citizen Relations for English PR and Capital-Image for French PR.
What: A new campaign promoting the online marketplace’s “redesigned and meticulously improved” app, which represents the company’s biggest tech update since 2005.
When & Where: The tongue-in-cheek campaign launched this week, led by a classified ad running on Facebook Marketplace.
Why: Kijiji has been in business for nearly 20 years, and boasts nearly 11 million monthly unique visitors in Canada. It had more than 45 million listings that generated more than 78 million replies last year, and is the most-visited classified site for automotive and real estate rentals.
However, CMO Adam Jardine said that the app’s experience has “fallen behind,” and the company has heard calls to update and modernize. “Our team built this new app from the ground up using the newest technology to make it more intuitive, personal and secure, making now the perfect time to prove we’re out with the old and bullish on our future,” said Jardine.
How: To promote the upgraded app, Kijiji is running a classified ad selling its old 2005 source code on its chief rival, Facebook Marketplace.
Described as “a piece of digital age history,” the code is being sold for $1 and comes in a “purple three-ring Performore binder with 3 x 11 inch transparent letter size cover, adorned with the original Kijiji logo. It comes on 500 sheets of “20 lb 8.5 x 11 inch multipurpose paper.”
According to Kijiji, there have been about 300 views of the listing, and the company has already sold out of its initial run of binders, and is considering printing more. Meanwhile, a video promoting the ad has been running on Kijiji’s social channels, garnering more than 150,000 views since going live.
And we quote: “It’s great to highlight the legacy of the Kijiji experience in this clever twist; listing the past on their competitor’s platform to make way for the future of the all-new Kijiji app exclusively on their marketplace.” — Derek Blais, SVP, ECD, BBDO Canada


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The Bank of England confirms it is researching the financial risks of the UK leaving the EU after it "inadvertently" sent details of the project to the Guardian newspaper.
The chair of the US Federal Reserve, Janet Yellen, says she expects the central bank to begin raising interest rates "at some point this year".
UK government borrowing fell to £6.8bn in April, down from £9.3bn a year earlier, official figures show.
British American Tobacco and Philip Morris file legal challenges against the UK government over plain packaging for cigarettes.
The cost of renting a home rose by 4.6% in the year to the end of April, the fastest rise since November 2010, an agency group says.
A measure of the quality of jobs done by workers in the UK has fallen slightly for the first time.
F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone goes to court to challenge the legal basis of assessments that have left him facing a UK tax claim of more than £1bn.
Nationwide building society reports a 54% rise in annual pre-tax profit to £1.04bn as it regains its position as the UK's second-largest mortgage lender.
A first-of-its-kind lighting system has been installed at a supermarket that tells an app where shoppers are standing and which way they are facing.
Reckitt Benckiser's possible acquisition of the K-Y brand "could lead to higher prices for personal lubricants", says the UK's competition watchdog.
Two more Japanese car giants - Mazda and Mitsubishi - are recalling 630,000 cars to replace faulty airbag inflators made by Takata.
Whitbread, the company that owns Costa Coffee and Premier Inn, is to become the sixth FTSE 100 company with a female chief executive.
Famous Parisian landmark the Eiffel Tower is closed to tourists after staff walked out complaining about the growing number of pickpockets.
Former Korean Air executive Heather Cho, who was jailed for an outburst over macadamia nuts, has been freed after winning a court appeal.
As the London 3D Print Show rolls into town, the BBC's Theo Leggett offers a whistle-stop tour to assess the industry.
As Telecel's operating licence is cancelled, concern mounts for its employees and the possible impact on Zimbabwe's economy.
With some surprising fertiliser ingredients, Madagascar is well-placed to export organic products.
The BBC's Sameer Hashmi looks for signs of progress in the plan to transform India into a global manufacturing hub.
Ali Moore asks YouTube's Global Head of Music Partnerships Christophe Muller, who makes money out of YouTube?
Fans of India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, can now enjoy an excursion to his hometown of Vadnagar.
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Why a shoe company measures kids' feet with iPads
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Why UK output is even lower than that of Italy's
The growing popularity of pet crematoriums and cemeteries
Vodafone was the star performer on the FTSE 100 in Friday trading, adding 4.64%, as the benchmark index made modest gains.
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Uber has the power and the money to be the biggest success story in the history of business . . .
Our subject story discusses how Uber has been pushing the envelope ethically in their business practices adversely effecting the Drivers that provide the services to the public.
But, this is not the way it needs to be for Uber to be an excellent success story for all concerned. Uber is a financially secure business that will remain such so long as they have employees and contractor drivers that are happy with their positions and pay within Uber. When Uber started their push for rideshare services to fill the need for transport of persons at a lower price than local taxi services the public was very much behind Uber hoping to see their success. But Uber’s price war with Lyft and others has done nothing to benefit drivers who now barely make enough income to pay their expenses.
Uber recently had become the hope and dream for many of the people that sought the “American Dream” of success and people flocked to join Uber hoping to ride that success and pull themselves out of the financial crises that has held many in it’s grasp since 2009. Uber’s promise of earnings of $5,000.00 per month as a full time San Francisco Driver has had entrepreneurs investing in new cars and trying to attain that earnings level for months, while Uber in it’s price war with rival rideshare services has left many a driver unable to meet their expenses providing the services.
The other issue, which effects most of the rideshare services is a faulty rating system that allows Uber Drivers to be terminated from Uber employ by people unqualified to rate the driver’s performance. Many drivers have found themselves no longer a Uber Driver without any recourse and/or specific reason for their termination except that the driver had an inadequate driver rating. All riders have the ability to adversely effect the driver’s rating, including those that are not even capable of driving themselves, people under the influence, rival company personnel, and even adversarial taxi services can get a driver kicked off the job and the driver cannot do a thing about it, challenge, or defend against it.
It appears as though most of the rideshare companies fail to realize that their price war is not necessary. Uber will always have a competitor, monopolies are illegal and even if not stupid in today’s market, and all that is necessary is a lower price than taxi services as all of the rideshare companies provide a far superior ride than any of the local taxi services.
The thing most costly to the rideshare services in this situation, is loss of driver loyalty. The primary success achieved by any of the rideshare services is provided to the Riders by the Drivers. The success of any of the rideshare companies id dependent on the Drivers doing the best job transporting Riders. Nobody wants to have their pay cut, suffer the abuse of lack of support, nor have to listen to negative talk of their employer, especially when you are doing your job and doing it well. This is the issue facing many of the rideshare drivers that is leaving them untrusting the rideshare companies.


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Twitter's new owner, Tesla founder Elon Musk, says Apple "threatened" to pull the Twitter app from its iOS app store saying that Apple "won’t tell us why.”
Musk made the claims in a series of tweets this week.
In another message on Twitter, Musk said of Apple “Do they hate free speech in America.”
In the messages Musk said "What's going on here?" Directing the message toward's Apple's CEO Tim Cook.
As CNN reported, the tweets seem to signal more animosity between Musk and Apple. In 2020 reports surfaced that Musk claimed he tried to sell Tesla to Apple, but Cook refused to take a meeting with him, he claims.
Musk claimed that Apple threatened to remove the Twitter app as part of its moderation process, CNBC reported.
With Twitter's business already struggling, removal of the app from Apples app store or Google's, would be detrimental to the company's business.
In a pinned tweet Musk said, "This is the battle for the future of civilization. If free speech is lost even in America, tyranny is all that lies ahead."
This is a battle for the future of civilization. If free speech is lost even in America, tyranny is all that lies ahead.— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 29, 2022


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Of course there’s dees.
Codemasters has announced the official DiRT 3 soundtrack.
Splash Damage has spoken about the current PSN outage.
Naughty Dog’s Amy Hennig has commented that Uncharted cannot be produced on a shoestring budget, and the Sony allows them to have a great amount of freedom.
The PlayStation Network has been offline for several weeks now and Sony have been reiterating that they’re trying their level best to get the PSN back online. Sony stated recently via a blog update that a PlayStation 3 firmware update… Read More »
When Sony’s E3 press conference last year commenced no one had thought Valve co-founder Gabe Newell would come out and announce Portal 2 for the PlayStation 3; a shock for many after the acclaimed developer criticizing Sony’s black behemoth machine…. Read More »
An amazing new trailer for Dark Souls has been released, which also confirms an October 2011 release date.
Brink’s developer, Splash Damage, has stated the PlayStation 3 was alien technology to them.
Some new juicy Mass Effect 3 details have been unearthed including one huge spoiler in the highly anticipated BioWare-developed game.
Unfortunately for PlayStation 3 owners, Google’s Chrome browser will not be coming to Sony’s console.
The PlayStation Network has been down for several weeks now, and users are itching to get back online, but will it even be able to cope when it returns?
After Sony stating several theories as to if PlayStation Network user’s CC details had been compromised, a few PSN users are still experiencing money being stolen from their accounts.
Ubisoft has officially announced the next installment in the Assassin’s Creed franchise, Assassin’s Creed Revelations.
Bethesda Softworks’ RAGE is one of the most highly anticipated games of 2011. The game will pair great gameplay elements with some stunning visuals. Now, Bethesda has released an over-five-minute gameplay trailer for their forthcoming shooter, RAGE.
It has been confirmed that Sony are working on two new unannounced PlayStation 3 exclusive titles, with a possibility of both being Starhawk and God of War 4.
Despite the hacker group saying otherwise, Sony has confirmed that Anonymous were involved in the SOE hack.
Following the release of the PS3MFW Builder, the efforts to bring back OtherOS onto the PlayStation 3 had been all but abandoned. Now, however, a hacking group has successfully managed to bring back OtherOS to the PS3.
The PC requirements for Deus Ex: Human Revolution has been revealed.
Sony’s PlayStation phone, the Xperia Play, has already been hacked and rooted.
Developer Gearbox Software has announced the recommended and minimum PC requirements for Duke Nukem Forever.


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Ministry: Uber quits Hungary rather than be legal
Hungary’s National Development Ministry alleged in announcement today that U.S.-based ride-sharing application Uber would rather leave the country than engage in lawful operations, enter fair market competition with taxi drivers and pay taxes appropriately, according to Hungarian news agency MTI.
Reacting to Uber’s announcement today that it decided it must leave the country due the changing legal environment, the ministry stressed that the Hungarian government supports innovative solutions, but also insists that players of the transport sector should meet the same requirements and standards, should operate lawfully and pay the necessary taxes, MTI reported.
According to the ministry, Uber conducted operations in Hungary without abiding Hungarian laws, thus gained competitive advantage. The ministry claimed that, in some other countries, the operations of Uber have been banned due to this behavior, MTI reported.
The ministry stressed that the Hungarian government changed the legal environment in order to “legalize” Uber’s operations, but todayʼs announcement by the company shows that it is not willing to engage in “fair market competition and lawful operations”.
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Prepare for Hilton to launch a long-stay apartment hotel brand. It's yet another move down into a more affordable segment by the operator.
Hilton Worldwide executives teased on Wednesday that they expect to announce a new apartment hotel brand within the next couple of months. The move will come as the operator continues to expand its portfolio beyond premium and luxury hotel brands, such as Waldorf Astoria and Conrad.
“The product that we’re developing… we’ve done 99 percent of the work,” said Chris Nassetta, president and CEO, in a call with analysts. “It’s almost a hybrid. It’s like an apartment efficiency meets hotel.”
The new brand will be all new construction rather than conversions, at least at first.
“So you’re talking about average length of stay of probably 20 to 30 days on average versus most of the core extended-stay brands, which are like the 5 to 10 range,” Nassetta said.
This long-stay hotel would represent Hilton’s 20th brand.
“This is hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of hotels over time,” Nassetta said. “This is not like we’re going to do 50 or 100 of these. You’ll wake up over time in 10 years, and it will be like Home2 [is today].”
The move comes as more activity happens in the extended-stay and long-stay segments because of a lack of U.S. supply. Earlier this month, Hyatt announced the debut of a brand, Hyatt Studios, as its first entry in the segment. Since October, Wyndham launched ECHO Suites by Wyndham, and BWH launched @Home by Best Western. Category leader Extended Stay America has added brands in the past couple of years.
“While a lot of people are doing things in this arena, we’ve proven we have launched brands pretty well that get to scale and build a network effect,” Nassetta said. “We’ve done that as well or better than anybody.”
The comments came during a first-quarter earnings report where the McLean, Virginia-based company continued to see a strong hunger for travel through the end of 2022 thanks to a post-pandemic travel boom — particularly from domestic and outbound U.S. travelers.
Hilton executives believe that the way people work has permanently changed with hybrid options encouraging changed travel behaviors. (For context, Skift noted this as a megatrend this year: “Blended Travel Comes of Age.”)
“There are so many workforce housing needs that are just unmet with this kind of product for somebody who needs to be somewhere 30, 60, 90, 120 days,” Nassetta said. “It’s not competitive with what we’re doing with Home2 and certainly not competitive with Homewood because it’s serving a totally different need [than our other brands], mostly in totally different markets, … for a different demand base, in different types of locations.”
Spark Bigger Than Hampton Inn Someday?
Earlier this year, Hilton debuted Spark by Hilton, a premium economy brand. Nassetta gave some color on how that brand is stealing share so far. He said that of the roughly 300 announced properties, only a “teeny number” are conversions from Hilton’s other brands. Only “a little bit” is independent properties changing to Spark.
“It’s almost all coming from other brands in the economy space,” Nassetta said.
The upcoming extended-stay product will join Spark by Hilton in offering a product at lower average rates than the company’s flagship brands. Given the lower rates and franchise or management fees in these segments, why bother expanding down the chain scale?
“The ultimate potential of Spark is bigger than Hampton because it’s a bigger slice of the pie,” Nassetta said. “Long term, we think Spark is probably the most disruptive thing that we’ll have ever done in terms of giving customers, at that price point, a really good product.”
“This is a massive customer acquisition tool for us,” Nassetta said. “There are 70 million or 80 million people traveling in this segment, half of whom are younger people that travel, and this is all they can afford. And while we serve some of them, we’re not serving many of them. So the opportunity is for us to get them hooked on our system early. … We bring in tens of millions of new customers that are going to trade up. They’re going to grow up, and they’re going to use our other products.”
When other hotel companies have shifted downmarket, they’ve often seen higher attrition rates or deletion rates from owners, meaning more churn in their portfolio as owners are relatively less consistent in sticking with brands at the lower end of the chain scale. But Hilton executives said they weren’t concerned.
“We have very little attrition, meaning losing hotels out of the system,” Nassetta said. “[When a] Hampton [exits our system], their time is up. They’re in a location or a physical state that we just don’t think works anymore. And so that’s by our choice. If you go through the whole list of all our brands, such as Home2, Homewood, Hampton, and Tru, the attrition there is almost none, and the vast, vast majority of it is by our choice.”
“The reason we have very little attrition is our mega category brands are category killers,” Nassetta said. “They drive incredibly high share. So as we think about Spark, as we think about our new extended-stay brand, we have to get it right, which we will. We have to drive really high share, which we will. The product has to really work for customers, which is what drives that.”
The news of Hilton expanding its brand portfolio came after a year in which it welcomed nearly 200 million guests and had an above-average financial performance as a company.
Hilton’s first quarter system-wide revenue per available room — a key industry metric — was $110, the company said. That was 8 percent above the level in the comparable period in 2019, making for the second consecutive quarter that the figure surpassed pre-pandemic levels.
The operator predicted its full-year 2023 system-wide revenue per available room would rise between 8 percent and 11 percent on a comparable and currency-neutral basis versus last year’s. It predicted full-year adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization of between $2,875 million and $2,950 million.
The company generated a net income of $209 million on revenue of $2.29 billion.
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Photo credit: One of Hilton's conceptualization areas for new amenities and fixtures at its McLean Innovation Gallery in McLean, Virginia. Source: Hilton.


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Top Global Markets, an integrated monthly report from leading providers of consumer and retail information in the video games industry, The NPD Group, GfK Chart-Track Limited and Enterbrain, Inc, has revealed that the racing game sold 8.94 million units last year.
Some 1.94 million of these sales came in the UK.
In all, Nintendo dominated the findings, with Wii Fit finishing in second spot thanks to sales figures of 8.31 million worldwide.
Grand Theft Auto IV sold 7.29 million units to take third spot, while fourth spot went to Super Smash Bros. Brawl, despite the game only registering 404,000 sales in the UK.
Call of Duty: World at War rounded off the top five.
When playing Mario Kart Wii, gamers can choose from 24 characters, which are separated into three different weight classes.
The weight of the characters determines the types of karts and motorbikes that they are able to drive.


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The partnership is geared toward enabling additional get entry to to bitcoin whilst encouraging extra training.
Bitcoin era corporate, River Monetary Inc. has partnered with Bitcoin Mag to supply customers having the ability to join with River and buy bitcoin in the course of the Bitcoin Mag App.
Customers have been already in a position to earn loose sats via studying articles at the app, that they may be able to then withdraw to a River pockets or some other pockets of the person’s selection. This now now be accomplished in the course of the Lightning Community, making the method even quicker. “This new partnership supplies the on-ramp for thousands and thousands of other folks not to simplest purchase Bitcoin however in fact earn it via finding out,” mentioned Bitcoin Mag CEO David Bailey.
River CEO Alex Leishman additionally commented at the partnership, declaring “River stocks this project and serves as a gateway for individuals who need to know about and put money into Bitcoin.” The combination is now survive the Bitcoin Mag app, with BTC purchases and Lightning transfers to be had on River by way of the River app or at River.com, the discharge added.
The partnership between River Monetary and Bitcoin Mag is inquisitive about teaching people about Bitcoin and offering them with the chance to put money into the virtual asset in a protected and environment friendly means.
“Whilst the wider crypto trade has suffered from dangerous actors in fresh months, there are nonetheless leading edge, mission-focused firms like River and Bitcoin Mag which might be running to domesticate a extra truthful and simply monetary gadget,” the discharge famous.
The Lightning Community has been gaining traction as a quick and inexpensive approach to switch Bitcoin, and this partnership between River Monetary and Bitcoin Mag is some other instance of the way it can receive advantages customers. Having the ability to earn loose sats via studying articles at the app, and now the power to simply acquire bitcoin via River, customers have a lot more uncomplicated get entry to to alternatives to be told about and put money into bitcoin.


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Jason Post came to Compass from Uber in January 2019 and is leaving to join Google
Compass said it would still have a small team of engineers supporting the popular CRM, but customers are frustrated now by the lack of support
Lovell Minnick Partners also recently purchased Attom Data Solutions, indicating its growing appetite for real estate firms
The brokerage also revealed plans for an August launch of a 'redesigned consumer search and app experience'
Real Estate Webmasters CEO calls it "fear-mongering" to suggest a competitor wants to steal your data when it acquires a tech startup
Maëlle Gavet, chief operating officer of the venture-backed brokerage, says insider reports of a rift between her and CEO Robert Reffkin are overstated
The company's largest franchise in the nation partners with Buyside for intel on buyer activity across the web
Learn how to create a successful strategy that works for your brokerage
When it comes to buying tech, when should indies start, and who should they ask?
The blockbuster deal, said to be worth as much as $50M, has prompted users to wonder if they should find a new CRM while raising questions about data sharing
In a healthy update of its email marketing software for agents, the company shifts its focus to mobile with a better approach
With the acquisition, Compass takes over a popular customer relationship management platform used by competitors at Realogy and RE/MAX
Sponsors geared up to bring both new and renowned real estate business solutions to attendees at Inman Connect New York


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More than two million people have not received money back for flights they were unable to board during the coronavirus pandemic, Which? estimates.
Around 2.3 million people across the UK have been left out of pocket for flights that were not cancelled, despite the circumstances often meaning they reasonably, or in some cases, legally, could not travel to their destination, the consumer group calculated.
Its estimates were based on a survey of more than 2,000 people across the UK in February.
People were asked if they had booked a flight that had gone ahead since March 2020 but that they could not take, and whether they had received a refund.
Since UK lockdowns started last March, millions of people have had flight bookings they were unable to use for reasons that were out of their control, although the airline did not cancel the flight.
This has meant customers were not legally entitled to a refund or guaranteed a successful claim through their travel insurance or bank, Which? said.
Many passengers have been prevented from travelling because of local or national lockdowns, restrictions preventing entry at their destination, or the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advising against non-essential travel.
Which? said passengers in these circumstances would often have only been given the choice of rebooking their flight or losing their money.
Rebooking may have meant paying a significant difference in fare if the new flights were more expensive, and trying to choose new dates without knowing when international travel is likely to resume again.
The consumer group also pointed out that travelling against FCDO advice often invalidates travel insurance policies.
Of those who told Which? they did not get their money back, half (49%) claimed they could not travel because of national or regional lockdown restrictions instructing them to stay at home.
In one case highlighted by Which?, at the start of 2020, Rebekah Evans, from Barry, booked flights from Bristol to Turkey with easyJet via an online travel agent, costing more than £2,000.
A local lockdown was imposed two weeks before the holiday, which was set to be reviewed the day before they were due to fly.
Ms Evans did not rebook the flights or accept a voucher in the hope of being able to fly if the local lockdown was lifted.
But people were then instructed not to leave Wales unless for emergencies, Which? said.
At the time of the flight, England was not in a lockdown, so it went ahead.
Ms Evans initially missed out on the opportunity to claim a voucher for the cost of her flight, but, since Which? intervened, easyJet has agreed to offer her a voucher as a gesture of goodwill.
EasyJet told Which?: “We do require customers to contact us ahead of the flight departing to select an alternative option. Unfortunately Miss Evans only contacted us after the flight had operated. As a gesture of goodwill, on this occasion, we will be in touch to offer a voucher for the value of her flights.”
Ryanair told Which? that passengers who book non-refundable flights are not entitled to refunds if they choose not to travel on flights which have operated.
Which? first raised the issue of people being unable to get their money back for flights they could not take because of lockdown with both the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in March 2020.
While not all passengers who told Which? they had not received their money back were legally prohibited from flying, the consumer champion has shared its findings with the CMA to aid its investigation into whether airlines have breached consumers’ legal rights by failing to offer cash refunds for flights they could not lawfully take because of lockdown restrictions.
Which? is advising anyone considering booking flights for this summer to wait until the situation around international travel becomes clearer.
It suggested booking a package holiday rather than a flight-only booking for stronger passenger protections, and only booking with a trusted provider with a generous and flexible booking policy.
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: “With non-essential travel currently illegal, airlines must play their part in protecting public health by ensuring no-one is left out of pocket for abiding by the law and not travelling.
“All airlines should allow passengers the option to cancel for a full refund, as well as fee-free rebooking options, while these restrictions remain in place.”
-- to www.walesonline.co.uk


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Samsung recently started issuing a global recall for every Galaxy Note 7 out there because of exploding batteries, and now it's announcing how customers in the United States can get a replacement for theirs.
The South Korean maker is kicking off the exchange program as early as next week, and by then, those who bought the phablet can go directly to the retail store where they got it or phone in 1-800-SAMSUNG to swap in their device via mail.
According to a recent press release, Samsung is offering two options to those who are eligible for a trade-in:
• Exchange current Galaxy Note7 device with a new Galaxy Note7 (as early as next week)
• Exchange current Galaxy Note7 for a Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge and replacement of any Note7 specific accessories with a refund of the price difference between devices
In a bid to make up for the inconvenience the issue may have caused, the company is also giving away a $25 gift card or a $25 phone bill credit to those who participate in the program.
Prioritizing safety, Samsung had to cease selling the Galaxy Note 7 to the general public, currently conducting an investigation on the matter at hand. As of Sept. 1, it has received 35 cases across the world.
"[B]ecause our customers' safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note7," the manufacturer says.
Carriers in the United States have also stopped selling the Galaxy Note 7, and Samsung has yet to say when the smartphone in question will be up for sale regularly again.
It's worth pointing out that the smartphone maker started the year off successfully, but this major battery issue is definitely grounding its hold on the market. By the same token, its rival company Apple is set to officially unveil the iPhone 7 on Sept. 7 at its big event, and if it doesn't get the Galaxy Note 7 out in the wild soon, it'll potentially lose a number of sales to the Cupertino brand.
To boil things down, Galaxy Note 7 owners should save the date and turn in their devices next week to avoid the possibility of exploding batteries.
With all said and done, are you one of the customers who bought a Galaxy Note 7 early? If so, feel free to hit us up in the comments section below and let us know what you think of Samsung's exchange program.


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iPhone sales are up, but iPad growth crumbled. Apple CEO Tim Cook explained more on its earnings call. Cook also explained the firm's greater push to reach the enterprise.


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The New Ford Electric Mustang Mach-E
10 December 2019
Last month, Ford unveiled a Ford Mustang like nothing we’ve ever seen before: the Ford Mustang Mach-E. The new Mustang is an all-electric SUV, marking the start of a whole new era for the famous Ford sports car. Here is everything you need to know about the all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E.
Ready for the limelight
The Mustang Mach-E is a car that was always going to steal the show. Announced at the Los Angeles Motor Show, a glitzy event attended by Hollywood names such as Idris Elba, it took centre stage from the moment it was unveiled. The vehicle has been highly anticipated ahead of the official announcement, and appears to live up to the very high expectations placed on it by experts in the automotive industry.
The future is electric
An all-electric Mustang might come as a surprise to those familiar with the name, which is synonymous with American muscle cars. But, as Ford’s European president Stuart Rowley has stressed, the Ford company’s focus is firmly on electrification. With the entire automotive industry moving towards an electrified future, the Mustang Mach-E is pushing the boundaries of what we can expect and could well be a game-changer for the brand.
A new Ford EV platform
The Mustang Mach-E is built on a brand new electric vehicle platform, which is an upgraded version of the platform used for the new Ford Focus and the new Ford Kuga. It will come in a choice of two battery sizes and three power outputs. The premium version will be able to accelerate from 0-62 mph in less than seven seconds, while the other two can do the same in under eight seconds. The WLTP range of the new Mach-E varies from between 280 miles to 335 miles, depending on the version.
Inspired by its heritage
While the Mach-E may mark the start of a new era for the Ford Mustang name, it’s not leaving its heritage behind. The new Mustang Mach-E takes inspiration from the muscle cars that bore the same name in both its styling and performance. Its name was even inspired by the first generation Mustang’s Mach 1 variant. Others way in which the Mustang’s heritage lives on can be seen in the badge, the front and rear lights, and in several lines along the body work.
As you might expect with a premium electric vehicle, the Ford Mustang Mach-E is packed with technological conveniences. One of the stand out features of the new Mustang Mach-E is the lack of door handles. In their place, the Mach-E has buttons which open the doors electronically. These can be activated by the owner’s smartphones, which act as keys for the Mach-E, or via a keyboard that is built into the B-pillar. On the inside, you’ll find a built-in soundbar for a premium audio experience and a vertically mounted 15.5 inch touchscreen display. This display uses a new Sync 4 operating system to control many of the car’s systems and keep you connected at all times.


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Energy retailers will be required to advise consumers on the best energy offer available to them under strong new rules announced today.
The changes are the result of the independent review of the Victorian retail energy market commissioned by the Andrews Labor Government to drive down energy prices for Victorian households and businesses.
The Review found customers were paying too much for energy and recommended a range of measures to put downward pressure on prices, including overhauling energy retailer marketing practices to put customers back in charge.
The Labor Government has asked Essential Services Commission (ESC) to monitor and regularly report on the competitiveness of Victoria’s energy retail market and to implement several review recommendations.
The proposed changes will require retailers to:
- offer a ‘best offer’ to each customer at least twice a year
- provide advanced notice of any changes to prices, discounts or benefits
- honour a new customer entitlement to provide customers with clear advice that helps them find the best contract for them.
This draft decision by the ESC will make retailers are more transparent in their marketing practices and builds on the Labor Government’s Power Saving Bonus which has encouraged hundreds of thousands of Victorians to compare their energy deal and find a better offer.
A re-elected Andrews Labor Government will invest $1.3 billion to put solar panels or solar hot water systems on more than 700,000 homes over the next 10 years.
Stakeholder consultation on the new marketing requirements will now take place, with a final decision by the end of October. The proposed changes will take effect by 1 July next year.
The Government is currently considering its final response to the independent review into the Victorian retail energy market.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio
“We’re putting Victorians back in charge, after the Liberal Government privatised Victoria’s energy retailers.”
“These changes will force retailers to come clean with consumers who are paying too much for energy.”
“We’re putting solar panels and hot water systems on more than 700,000 homes, helping more Victorians get a better deal on their power bills, and making retailers more accountable to their customers.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020


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The enterprises of Ostchem Holding, which unites the nitrogen enterprises of Dmytro Firtash’s Group DF, produced 2.5 million tonnes of mineral fertilizers in the first nine months of 2020, which is 23.8% more than in the same period last year.
Rivneazot produced 636,300 tonnes (4% more), Severodonetsk Azot 579,600 tonnes (149% more), Cherkasy Azot some 1.29 million tonnes (a rise of 9.9%).
In 9M 2020, enterprises produced a total of 1.2 million tonnes of ammonia (for the nine months of last year – 763,000 tonnes), one million tonnes of ammonium nitrate (992,000 tonnes), 665,000 tonnes of urea (450,000 tonnes), 534,000 tonnes of urea-ammonia mixture (408,000 tonnes in January-September 2019), 176,000 tonnes of lime-ammonium nitrate and 48,000 tonnes of ammonia water.
Ostchem is a nitrogen holding, part of Group DF. It brings together the chemical producers Rivneazot, Severodonetsk Azot, Cherkasy Azot, as well as the retail operator Ostchem Retail.
Group DF also includes other Firtash’s assets in gas distribution, chemical, titanium and port industries. The group also develops businesses in the field of agriculture and media.
PJSC Azot (Cherkasy), part of Dmytro Firtash’s Group DF, produced 1.42 million tonnes of nitrogen fertilizers in January-November 2019, which is 9.2% more than for the whole of 2018, Group DF’s press service has said.
According to a press release, production of ammonium nitrate for the reporting period amounted to 417,500 tonnes, carbamide some 557,200 tonnes, carbamide-ammonia mixture some 438,100 tonnes. At the same time, production of ammonia was 55,700 tonnes, non-concentrated nitric acid some 507,200 tonnes, and ammonia water some 9,200 tonnes.
“In 2019, we achieved almost 100% loading of our production capacities. The growth in production volumes by the end of the year will be about 10% … For the 11 months of this year, we increased production of carbamide-ammonia mixture by 81% compared to the corresponding period last year (from 240,900 tonnes to 438,100 tonnes). Carbamide production increased by 55%. Nitrate production also increased, but only slightly,” Group DF’s press service said citing Vitaliy Skliarov, the chairman of the company’s board.
Among the main growth factors, the company indicates the antidumping measures of the Interdepartmental Commission on International Trade regarding the supply of fertilizers from the Russian Federation.
The Dniprovsky Plant of Mineral Fertilizers has launched production of the compound fertilizers (NPK) with perspective to produce 75,000 tonnes of NPK by the end of 2019, Vice President of the Union of Chemists of Ukraine Serhiy Liskovsky said.
“A long-term agreement to supply the main raw materials was signed. Every month we’ll produce 15,000-18,000 of the compound fertilizers,” he said.
Liskovsky said that the production program foresees production of liquid nitrogen-phosphate NP fertilizers (8:22), pelleted fertilizers (10:32), and production of the NPK-compound fertilizers (16:16:16) is scheduled for the second half of August.
Liskovsky reminded that for the last five years the plant has been working with the interrupts, by 20-25% of its capacities, in terms of absence of the raw materials inside the country and expensive import.
“For this period a share of Ukrainian enterprises on the domestic market of compound fertilizers dropped by 10% and by 2-3% on some positions,” he added.
According to Liskovsky, state-owned enterprise Sumykhimprom with a capacity of 40,000 tonnes per month also will produce compound fertilizers. By the end of the year, two enterprises aspired to produce 275,000-280,000 tonnes of products.
According to the Chemists Union of Ukraine, Ukraine needs 1.2 million tonnes of compound fertilizers annually, 1.3 million tonnes meant for import.
The Ukrainian Chemists Union considers it necessary to introduce quotas for imports of fertilizers, which will make it impossible for Russian manufacturers to bypass trade restrictions and load Ukrainian plants at full capacity.
“We propose the introduction of quotas for complex and nitrogen fertilizers for all countries in order to preserve the historical balance of imports. Each country will supply its products to the extent it has historically supplied, this will make impossible for Russian manufacturers to bypass trade restrictions and load the plants at full capacity,” Ihor Holchenko, the vice president of the union and the director for regulatory policy of Group DF, told Interfax-Ukraine.
According to him, this protective mechanism is applied in the countries where there is a threat of damage from growing imports. The introduction of quotas will be preceded by an investigation by the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade. According to Holchenko, quoting will give a clear picture of how much to produce, while regulators will monitor abuse.
The expert said there is no shortage of nitrogen and complex fertilizers in the Ukrainian market: the country provides itself with nitrogen fertilizers, and it can cover 800,000 tonnes that were supplied from the Russian Federation by increasing domestic production.
As for nitrogen fertilizers, Ukrainian enterprises are not loaded at full capacity, as well as for complex ones, where the load is up to 12%. Complex fertilizers in Ukraine are produced by Sumykhimprom and Dniprovsky Plant of Mineral Fertilizers. Ukraine can produce 700,000 tonnes of complex fertilizers, but in 2018 it produced only about 40,000 tonnes.
Ukraine in 2018 exported 341,442 tonnes of nitrogen mineral or chemical fertilizers (according to foreign economic activity code 3102) for $64.446 million and imported 1.358 million tonnes for $288.002 million.
According to the State Fiscal Service, nitrogen fertilizers were delivered to Turkey for $25.092 million, China for $10.3 million, to Romania for $7.584 million, and other countries for $21.47 million.
Last year, imports of nitrogen fertilizers were made from Belarus for $59.684 million, Uzbekistan for $46.235 million, Lithuania for $33.713 million, and other countries for $148.371 million.
Thus, exports of fertilizers last year halved, and in value terms fell by almost two times. Imports of fertilizers decreased by 22.1%, in value terms by 14.6%.
In addition, in 2018 Ukraine exported 40,209 tonnes of ammonia (code 2814) for $9.498 million, imported 441,607 tonnes for $137.333 million.
In 2018, ammonia was exported to Turkey ($4.54 million), Morocco ($2.414 million), Bulgaria ($1.921 million), other countries ($623,000). In 2018, ammonia was imported from the Russian Federation ($134.563 million), Belarus ($2.754 million), Germany ($14,000), and other countries ($2,000).
PJSC Azot (Cherkasy), part of Dmytro Firtash’s Group DF, has started producing new type of mineral fertilizers – a urea-ammonium mixture with sulphur, the enterprise has reported in a press release. Azot Board Chairman Vitaliy Skliarov, the specialized fertilizer segment, which includes the urea-ammonium mixture with sulphur, is actively developed in Ukraine. The plant quickly launched new production.
In 2017, the volume of the Ukrainian market of the urea-ammonium mixture with sulphur was around 45,000 tonnes and demand on it continues growing. Production of the urea-ammonium mixture with sulphur was organized at the basis of the operating facilities of Azot. The production capacity is 36,000 tonnes a year. In September, the enterprise made a first experimental batch of 540 tonnes, which is ready for shipment to customers.
Skliarov said that Cherkasy Azot is not the first Ukrainian enterprise, which started producing the urea-ammonium mixture with sulphur. However, the plant has market advantages compared with small enterprises, which are involved in artisanal production.
The share of ammonium in the finished product is 26-28.5%, the share of sulphur is 2%, ammonium nitrate – 35-37%, ammonium sulfate – 8.2-8.6% and urea – 27-30%.


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With the continuous integration of digital and analog world, consumers spend more time and money on the Internet. Focusing on design and development will gradually surpass the previous website optimization and marketing, and become one of the core of digital strategy.
The digital exhibition hall has received constant attention in recent quarters. Carlings's Neo-Ex capsule line abandons physical clothing, with digital tailor changing selfies uploaded by consumers.
With the outbreak of online games, the potential for business cooperation is obvious. A Bathing Ape teamed up with PUBG to become the first fashion brand to sell products in free games by charging for "skin change" for game characters.
Recently, the first artificial intelligence painting to break into the art market was auctioned for $435000 by Christie's. The core algorithm comes from Robbie Barrat, a 19-year-old Stanford prodigy. He has a passion for Balenciaga and has made a splash in the news of "designing" new shapes for Balenciaga through digital technology based on existing seasonal images.
The future of digital design is still in its infancy, and now is a good time to try, and this field will usher in rapid development.


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WASHINGTON—U.S. congressional Republicans called for a federal investigation Thursday of Amtrak's chairman amid questions about the departure last year of the passenger railroad's inspector general.
Three senior Republicans—Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, Florida Rep. John Mica and California Rep. Darrell Issa—called on the Obama administration to conduct the inquiry into Amtrak Chairman Thomas Carper. They said the investigation should focus on whether Mr. Carper and Amtrak's general counsel, Eleanor Acheson, should be removed from their positions.
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Stocks to watch on Wednesday
Stocks to watch on the Australian stock exchange on Wednesday, July 16:
OZL - OZ MINERALS - down one cent, or 0.23 per cent, to $4.30
Oz Minerals lifted its full year copper production target but warned its gold output may be at the bottom of its forecast range.
SPN - SP AUSNET - down 1.5 cents, or 1.1 per cent, to $1.35
Survivors of Victoria's Black Saturday bushfires will receive nearly $500 million in the largest class action settlement in Australian history.
WES - WESFARMERS - up three cents, or 0.07 per cent, to $43.13
Wesfarmers' supermarket chain Coles is taking on the big four banks by offering customers loans and other personal finance products at the same time as they buy their groceries.
WHC - WHITEHAVEN COAL - up 7.5 cents, or 5.08 per cent, to $1.55
The NSW miner pleased investors with news it had sold 22 per cent more coal in 2013/14 than the previous year and reached record production levels.
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Fête Impériale eyes more stores in France, to enter the UK
When Laura Gauthier Petit launched Fête Impériale in 2015 in Paris, she specifically focused on direct sales via the brand's commercial website. At the time, Petit told FashionNetwork.com, "Having come from digital marketing, I quickly set up the internet component [of the business]."
Two years on, the label opened its first store, located at number 28 rue du Roi de Sicile, in Paris's fourth arrondissement.
Serving as an atelier, showroom and store, the Parisian space has the advantage of establishing a closeness between customers and the brand, as well as emphasising the 'made in Paris' manufacturing for most Fête Impériale products.
With a successful debut location, the label is now in a period of transition and is on the hunt for more store locations, both in France and the UK.
"This second market seems to be natural move for us. In addition, during the [Tranoï March 2018 ] tradeshow, there were a lot of English buyers interested in our collections," explained Laurène Petit, the new director of finance and operations for the brand.
Meanwhile, the brand, which announced it is experiencing high growth without going into details, makes 60% of its revenues in France and 40% via exports, sending product to markets such as the US, South Korea, Lebanon, Taiwan, and the UK.
Among other developments for the brand in 2018, Fête Impériale considering the launch of a studio line, more couture, with a different positioning to that of seasonal collections with fifty or so products. An occasion to highlight the expertise of the brand's ateliers, most notably the artisanal practice of placed prints.
Between its 'made in Paris' production and work on the research of developing new materials, Fête Impériale hopes to attract a clientele eager to buy unique and exceptional products.
Copyright © 2023 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.


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WHAT’S hiding inside your bedroom?
Power tools, camping gear and pets are just some of the weird and unusual items Aussies are choosing to keep in the rooms where they sleep.
A new survey conducted by Swedish flatpack furniture giant IKEA shows 2.6 million people see bedrooms as the perfect home for everything from car parts to toys and sports equipment.
The survey found 40 per cent allowed their pets to sleep under the doona while more than half used their bedroom as storage.
And it’s not simply storing strange items either. Nearly two-thirds confessed to regularly eating or drinking in bed, with one in seven having dinner there.
ANYTHING UNUSUAL IN YOUR BEDROOM? TELL US BELOW
Kirstie McWhannell, of Chatswood, admits the bedroom is no longer the most private room of her house.
Her corgi, Captain, sleeps in bed with her and husband Andrew every night.
“I would say growing up it was nothing like this, it seems as people are getting busier and house prices are going up you’re compromising on space,” Ms McWhannell said.
“I don’t really let people go in my bedroom very often, I don’t have enough storage so I don’t want them to see.
“A lot of my friends are in similar situations.
“It’s definitely changed because there’s not as much space. I live in an apartment so I only have limited space.”
It seems we’re all struggling to keep our bedrooms tidy too.
Many of us are neglecting to make our beds each day with one in 10 admitting to rarely or never making it.
And a frightening 8 per cent wait more than two months before putting their sheets in the wash.
No wonder more than a third would be too embarrassed to show a new partner their bedroom.
In fact, 28 per cent of singles report they have been turned off by the state of a prospective partner’s bedroom and nearly two thirds of males reveal they resort to buying new linen to impress a partner.
Originally published as Dirty little secrets hiding in your bedroom


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By Kwanwoo Jun
Samsung Electronics, the South Korean tech giant, has announced positive sequential improvements in its third-quarter sales and operating profit. This news has sparked hopes that the severe downturn in the chip industry may be coming to an end.
In a preliminary earnings forecast released on Wednesday, Samsung revealed that its operating profit for the latest quarter is estimated to be 2.4 trillion won ($1.79 billion). While this figure is down from 10.852 trillion won a year ago, it is approximately three times the amounts recorded in the first and second quarters of this year.
Additionally, Samsung anticipates booking revenue of 67 trillion won in the third quarter. Although this represents a 13% decrease from the previous year, it is an improvement from the first two quarters of 2023.
The positive news from Samsung has resulted in a 2.7% increase in its shares, outperforming the local index. Market analysts have expressed optimism about chip prices stabilizing and starting to rebound.
Jung Min-gyu, an analyst with Seoul-based Sangsangin Investment & Securities, states that the rally in Samsung’s shares reflects growing consensus that dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chip prices are on the rise. Jung highlights that Samsung began reducing memory-chip production in late April, and the impact of these output reductions typically takes effect after one to two quarters.
Despite being impacted by the global tech-industry downturn, Samsung has taken steps to mitigate its losses and support chip prices. The company has reduced semiconductor output to manage inventory while meeting demand for powerful computing chips in the artificial intelligence sector.
Analysts from Daishin Securities, Kangho Park, and Wi Min-bok, suggest that Samsung’s earnings growth is expected to accelerate with rising chip prices. They anticipate that operating profit for the final quarter of the year may exceed 3.4 trillion won.
Samsung is set to release its full third-quarter earnings report later this month.


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What’s New With Snapchat
Posted on April 27, 2016 by Travis
The recent Snapchat update has been about a year in the making – but totally worth the wait. The new and improved Snapchat 2.0 released in March 2016 includes features meant to enhance the experienc … Continue reading →
Tips for Crafting Sexy, Effective Landing Pages
Posted on February 14, 2016 by Travis
With it being Valentine's Day, we're all naturally thinking of how to create a sexy, effective landing page. As marketers, we know how vital these landing pages are to successful online marketing. The … Continue reading →
What Retailers Can Learn From Cyber Monday 2015
Posted on December 16, 2015 by Travis
Cyber Monday 2015 was a hit for many online retailers - setting a record at $3.07 Billion and becoming the largest online sales day ever (Source: Adobe).
One of the biggest surprises this Holida … Continue reading →
Posted in Branding, Digital Advertising, Marketing, Project Management, Sales, Social Media, Tech
Tagged Black Friday, Black Friday 2015, Cyber Monday, Cyber Monday 2015, e-commerce, Holiday Season, marketing, mobile, Mobile Shopping, retail, Seasonal Retail. Web Sales, Shopper Insights
Mobile Google Searches Exceed Desktop Worldwide
Posted on November 18, 2015 by Travis
Across the world there are now more people doing Google searches on mobile devices than Desktop computers. That means more than half of the 100 billion searches monthly are occurring on devices with s … Continue reading →
Facebook’s Shopping Feature: Good News for Retailers
Posted on July 29, 2015 by Travis
Earlier this year, we shared five things to expect from digital marketing in 2015 - and so far, every item on the list has been implemented in some way across all popular social media sites.
… Continue reading →
Shape Up Your Site for Summer with Google Knowledge Graph
Posted on June 18, 2015 by Travis
In November 2014, Google began adding links to social network sites in the Knowledge Graph Box for famous actors, political figures and bands. Next came social network links for big-name brands such … Continue reading →
Mobilegeddon: Is Your Site Ready for this Google Update?
Posted on April 20, 2015 by vanwestmedia
Mobilegeddon: Coming for Your Site on April 21, 2015
It's no secret that Google plans to launch an update to its mobile search algorithm this month. Google has essentially warned the web that sites … Continue reading →
Schrödinger’s Cat and Your Website Uptime
Posted on January 30, 2015 by vanwestmedia
Is your website up or down when you're not looking?
I'll tell you in a moment – but first let's take a brief detour. I hope you find it intellectually entertaining (the probability is much highe … Continue reading →


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|By PR Newswire||
|February 24, 2014 07:00 AM EST||
SANTA ANA, California, Feb. 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Electronics Inc. (UEI) (Nasdaq: UEIC) today announced the latest in the UEI iSeries line of infrared (IR) blaster hardware solutions, i-TWO and Quickset 2.3 control software for smartphones and tablets.
As the leader in universal entertainment device control, UEI has pioneered the integration of infrared control in smart devices, dating back to its collaboration with HP on the iPAQ PocketPC in 2002, which was one of the first personal digital assistants (PDA) to integrate universal AV control in a multi-purpose handheld touchscreen device.
Today's smartphone and tablet manufacturers have continued this legacy by embracing the concept and are embedding universal AV control as one of the key features of their mobile device platforms – supported by the recent addition of native IR control API from within Android 4.4. (Kitkat).
Consumer research, conducted by Accenture in 2013, showed that smartphone usage while watching TV has grown from 42 percent in 2012 to a staggering 68 percent in 2013. With the majority of AV devices in the market utilizing infrared control, mobile handset manufacturers are driving the adoption of infrared as a standard feature in today's smartphones. By integrating home entertainment control into this growing "consumer habit," mobile device manufacturers can strengthen the association of mobile devices with the evolving home entertainment experience.
As the innovative leader in device control, UEI successfully designed, developed, and launched UEI Quickset in 2008, a solution currently deployed in over 70 million home entertainment devices around the world, on a variety of platforms and operating systems, such as Linux, Windows, and Android.
UEI Quickset delivers the simplest and most intuitive universal remote control setup and control experience available today. This technology can enable a smartphone or tablet and remote control app to be set up and programmed to control virtually any television or entertainment device in the home, with minimal or no user input.
UEI's device code database is a key component to successful device control. UEI's database is the industry's leading device database for universal entertainment control, giving users access to literally hundreds of thousands of control functions for virtually all digital entertainment and home automation devices in the world. With over 98 percent of installed TVs in the market supported, users across the globe can benefit from UEI's ability to deliver the right control code for their specific device.
In addition to its world-leading infrared control database and QuickSet SDK, UEI also offers one of the smallest standard infrared blaster chips, with a footprint that is 90% smaller than UEI's traditional IR control silicon, and includes features such as built-in learning and driver circuitry that eliminates the need for external components. This makes it the ideal solution for smartphone and tablet manufacturers, where board space is at a premium.
"Control of home entertainment devices and other remote controlled electronics is just a logical next step for smart phone and tablet manufactures," said Paul Arling, Chairman and Chief Executive of Universal Electronics. "We view the second screen as a complimentary content navigation and control experience to the traditional remote. Our 27 years of experience in integrating control software and hardware for service providers and OEMs makes UEI uniquely positioned in the market to provide the absolute best solutions."
Universal Electronics will be demonstrating its complete portfolio of control solutions for mobile and second screen devices, including the smallest integrated IR Blaster i-TWO and some of its latest innovative features and concepts, such as:
- Smart Air condition with LCD control; as well as
- a smart app to automatically give users control access of entertainment equipment in most hotels worldwide.
Please join Universal Electronics at their Stand 8.1K14 in Hall App Planet – Hall 8.1 at the Mobile Word Congress in Barcelona, Spain on February 24 - 27, 2014.
About Universal Electronics
Founded in 1986, Universal Electronics Inc. (UEI) is the global leader in wireless control technology for the connected home. UEI designs, develops, and delivers innovative solutions that enable consumers to control entertainment devices, digital media, and home systems. The company's broad portfolio of patented technologies and database of infrared control software have been adopted by many Fortune 500 companies in the consumer electronics, subscription broadcast, and computing industries. UEI sells and licenses wireless control products through distributors and retailers under the One For All® brand name. For additional information, visit our website at www.uei.com.
All trademarks appearing herein are the property of their respective owners.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the Safe-Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words and expressions reflecting something other than historical fact are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including the timely development, delivery and market acceptance of products and technologies identified in this release; the continued rollout of IR based features and functions in smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices; the continued penetration and growth of the products and consumer technologies identified in this release; and other factors described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The actual results that the Company achieves may differ materially from any forward looking statement due to such risks and uncertainties. The Company undertakes no obligations to revise or update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release.
According to Forrester Research, every business will become either a digital predator or digital prey by 2020. To avoid demise, organizations must rapidly create new sources of value in their end-to-end customer experiences. True digital predators also must break down information and process silos and extend digital transformation initiatives to empower employees with the digital resources needed to win, serve, and retain customers.
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"We are the public cloud providers. We are currently providing 50% of the resources they need for doing e-commerce business in China and we are hosting about 60% of mobile gaming in China," explained Yi Zheng, CPO and VP of Engineering at CDS Global Cloud, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at 19th Cloud Expo, held November 1-3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
Dec. 8, 2016 02:30 AM EST Reads: 1,110
The WebRTC Summit New York, to be held June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY, announces that its Call for Papers is now open. Topics include all aspects of improving IT delivery by eliminating waste through automated business models leveraging cloud technologies. WebRTC Summit is co-located with 20th International Cloud Expo and @ThingsExpo. WebRTC is the future of browser-to-browser communications, and continues to make inroads into the traditional, difficult, plug-in web co...
Dec. 8, 2016 01:45 AM EST Reads: 1,405
Between 2005 and 2020, data volumes will grow by a factor of 300 – enough data to stack CDs from the earth to the moon 162 times. This has come to be known as the ‘big data’ phenomenon. Unfortunately, traditional approaches to handling, storing and analyzing data aren’t adequate at this scale: they’re too costly, slow and physically cumbersome to keep up. Fortunately, in response a new breed of technology has emerged that is cheaper, faster and more scalable. Yet, in meeting these new needs they...
Dec. 8, 2016 01:30 AM EST Reads: 1,922
When it comes to cloud computing, the ability to turn massive amounts of compute cores on and off on demand sounds attractive to IT staff, who need to manage peaks and valleys in user activity. With cloud bursting, the majority of the data can stay on premises while tapping into compute from public cloud providers, reducing risk and minimizing need to move large files. In his session at 18th Cloud Expo, Scott Jeschonek, Director of Product Management at Avere Systems, discussed the IT and busin...
Dec. 8, 2016 01:00 AM EST Reads: 3,955
In his general session at 19th Cloud Expo, Manish Dixit, VP of Product and Engineering at Dice, discussed how Dice leverages data insights and tools to help both tech professionals and recruiters better understand how skills relate to each other and which skills are in high demand using interactive visualizations and salary indicator tools to maximize earning potential. Manish Dixit is VP of Product and Engineering at Dice. As the leader of the Product, Engineering and Data Sciences team at D...
Dec. 8, 2016 12:30 AM EST Reads: 1,115
The Internet of Things (IoT) promises to simplify and streamline our lives by automating routine tasks that distract us from our goals. This promise is based on the ubiquitous deployment of smart, connected devices that link everything from industrial control systems to automobiles to refrigerators. Unfortunately, comparatively few of the devices currently deployed have been developed with an eye toward security, and as the DDoS attacks of late October 2016 have demonstrated, this oversight can ...
Dec. 8, 2016 12:15 AM EST Reads: 1,336
"We're a cybersecurity firm that specializes in engineering security solutions both at the software and hardware level. Security cannot be an after-the-fact afterthought, which is what it's become," stated Richard Blech, Chief Executive Officer at Secure Channels, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at @ThingsExpo, held November 1-3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
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What happens when the different parts of a vehicle become smarter than the vehicle itself? As we move toward the era of smart everything, hundreds of entities in a vehicle that communicate with each other, the vehicle and external systems create a need for identity orchestration so that all entities work as a conglomerate. Much like an orchestra without a conductor, without the ability to secure, control, and connect the link between a vehicle’s head unit, devices, and systems and to manage the ...
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"Once customers get a year into their IoT deployments, they start to realize that they may have been shortsighted in the ways they built out their deployment and the key thing I see a lot of people looking at is - how can I take equipment data, pull it back in an IoT solution and show it in a dashboard," stated Dave McCarthy, Director of Products at Bsquare Corporation, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at @ThingsExpo, held November 1-3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
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In his session at Cloud Expo, Robert Cohen, an economist and senior fellow at the Economic Strategy Institute, provideed economic scenarios that describe how the rapid adoption of software-defined everything including cloud services, SDDC and open networking will change GDP, industry growth, productivity and jobs. This session also included a drill down for several industries such as finance, social media, cloud service providers and pharmaceuticals.
Dec. 7, 2016 09:15 PM EST Reads: 380
In IT, we sometimes coin terms for things before we know exactly what they are and how they’ll be used. The resulting terms may capture a common set of aspirations and goals – as “cloud” did broadly for on-demand, self-service, and flexible computing. But such a term can also lump together diverse and even competing practices, technologies, and priorities to the point where important distinctions are glossed over and lost.
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Data is the fuel that drives the machine learning algorithmic engines and ultimately provides the business value. In his session at Cloud Expo, Ed Featherston, a director and senior enterprise architect at Collaborative Consulting, discussed the key considerations around quality, volume, timeliness, and pedigree that must be dealt with in order to properly fuel that engine.
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Dec. 7, 2016 07:00 PM EST Reads: 495


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Now you can pair a beer with your Starbucks coffee in downtown Fort Worth.
The chain’s downtown Sundance Square location confirmed Tuesday that it would begin selling alcoholic beverages at 4 p.m.
A worker said the store will feature a selection of craft beers, along with red and white wines.
The store’s expanded menu, which also includes food items such as truffle mac and cheese, chicken skewers and spinach artichoke dip, is part of the company’s “Evenings,” a concept that started in 2010.
“We learned resoundingly that our customers want to come to Starbucks and have a glass of wine or a craft beer,” Starbucks vice president Rachel Antalek told USA Today in August. “There aren’t that many places to go in the evening where you can go very relaxed, very casual. It’s not loud. You can actually have a small group and hear yourself talk.”
The Starbucks at The Shops at Park Lane in Dallas also started selling beer and wine Tuesday.
Ryan Osborne, 817-390-7684


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Taylor Swift Fans Accidentally Pre-Order BTS Memoir
Some Taylor Swift fans who jumped the gun by pre-ordering a mystery celebrity book before its subject matter was revealed were surprised when it turned out to be a memoir by superstar Korean music group BTS.
Speculation of a Swift memoir was sparked when Macmillan, an imprint of publisher Flatiron Books, announced in early May that a big celebrity would be releasing a book this upcoming July.
Initially listed only as “4C Untitled Flatiron Nonfiction Summer 2023,” enough Swifties pre-ordered that it shot to the bestseller position on Barnes and Noble and Amazon.
Many Swift fans got their wires crossed thanks to a number of supposed hints that ended up being unrelated to the book release.
For one, many noticed the book release date (July 9) was very close to the release of Swift’s next re-recorded album, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), which is out July 7.
“My version of Speak Now will be out July 7 (just in time for July 9th, [if you know you know]),” Swift shared in her announcement, unwittingly fueling speculation that the July 9 book release date was for her own memoir.
Additionally, the total number of pages reportedly included in the book, 544, add up to Swift’s favorite number, 13, when tallied individually.
Plus, there was a rumor the book’s subject matter would be unveiled on June 13 — again, Swift’s lucky number.
In a twist, it turned out the book is actually a memoir from BTS members RM, J-Hope, V, Jin, Suga, Jungkook and Jimin, who wrote the book alongside journalist Myeongseok Kang, according to CNN.
The book is called Beyond The Story: 10-Year Record of BTS and will focus on the history of the award-winning global music group.
Likely due to mounting fan confusion on social media, the publisher announced the book early — more than a month before its originally intended June 13 unveiling.
Both June 13 and July 9 are significant to BTS.
The band released their debut single on June 12, 2013, while July 9 will mark the 10-year anniversary of “ARMY Day,” which celebrates the group’s fanbase.
Beyond The Story: 10-Year Record of BTS hits bookshelves July 9. It will undoubtedly be a best-seller for the history-making group.
See some reactions to the fan confusion, below:


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The County Treasurer of Steuben County, Missy Bixler, would like to announce that customers can now pay their taxes from anywhere. The office now accepts credit and debit card payments via a mobile app. The Steuben County Treasurer office can be paid by using Pay Location Code PLC 2856.
Customers have been able to pay online, at their office, and by phone for several years. But the expansion of the service allows for greater convenience and simplicity. Payers can make a one time payment or register their Pay Location Code to store their information for future payments. The app can be programmed to send monthly reminders for those paying on a schedule.
Steuben County has relied on their partnership with PayGOV.US to provide the service.
PayGOV operates under a Convenience Fee Model whereby all aspects of the service are provided at no cost to the County. Only those who choose to use the service are assessed a nominal convenience fee. With PayGOV, the County is able to provide residents with cutting edge payment technology, without bearing the cost.
PayGOV.US, a leading provider of electronic payment options based in Indianapolis, Indiana and 2009 Indiana Companies to Watch Award Winner, has similar agreements with government entities and utilities in over 45 states. For more information contact Michael Hiatt at [email protected] or 1-866-480-8552.


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SAN JOSE, Calif. – Intel will show progress in research efforts to deliver more power efficient processors and digital RF capabilities at the International Solid State Circuits Conference. It will also give one of the first in-depth public disclosures of a next-generation Ivy Bridge processor.
ISSCC will play host to more than 200 papers on novel developments in chip design from around the world. The papers span the gamut from advances in memory technology, medical electronics and more. In addition, top research groups including Europe’s Imec and nanotech researchers will talk about their latest work.
For its part, the world’s largest semiconductor company will present more than a dozen papers, many of them detailing research work using its new 22 nm tri-gate process technology. Creating more power efficient products is a focus for many of the ISSCC papers from Intel and from ISSCC as a whole.
In a handful of mainly research papers, Intel will describe techniques to deliver five- to ten-fold power efficiency gains by driving circuits to perform at near threshold voltage levels.
“Energy efficiency peaks as you approach threshold voltage,” said Justin Rattner, chief technology officer for Intel in an ISSCC briefing. “Taking systems to very low voltage but not putting them in standby allows meaningful operation,” he said.
Intel demoed at its own IDF Fall event last year its Claremont processor, a research chip running at such low voltages it could actually be powered up by a tiny handheld solar cell. Intel doesn’t aim to build solar-powered CPUs, quipped Rattner, but it does aim to explore how low it can go in getting work out of chips at the lowest power levels.
At ISSCC, Intel will give an in-depth discussion of the Claremont chip (paper 3.6). It will also describe an effort (paper 13.3) using similar techniques for a bank of 22 nm eight-transistor SRAMs used as a CPU cache
Another paper (10.1) will detail a 256-bit wide SIMD graphics block made in a 22 nm process operating at 280 millivolts for a nine-fold efficiency gain. “Due to using a ground up design we got close to order of magnitude improve in energy efficiency, something that’s almost unheard of,” Rattner said.
A related paper (10.3) will discuss a floating point unit that saves 50 percent energy by reducing precision from 24- down to six significant digits without loss of accuracy.
Separately, Intel will present a handful of papers on advances in digital processing in RF, focused mainly on work in 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi.
“We are getting close to having a complete kit of digital RF building blocks for radios,” said Rattner. “The next step in research is to integrate these blocks on SoCs with digital logic circuits,” he said.
In one paper (3.4) Intel will describe Rosepoint, a research chip that embeds a full 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi transceiver using digital RF techniques in a dual-core 32 nm Atom processor. Commercial versions of such chips could emerge by mid-decade, Rattner said, likely first appearing as standalone digital RF transceivers.
The Atom prototype includes a digital 2.4 GHz RF transmitter Intel will describe in a separate paper (9.4). “It’s not just the power amp which is part of this design, but also a digital phase modulator for Wi-Fi that uses two digital signals in phase to provide OFDM modulation,” he said.
“We can now build a Wi-Fi radio and hopefully in the not too distant future a cellular radio to make digital RF practical for SoCs,” he added.
“You may have seen baseband MACs integrated [in mobile applications processors] but RF integration is very rare to non-existent [in commercial chips] and full digital integration has yet to come to any of these products--many of these blocks are the first of their ilk,” Rattner said.
Intel’s research group already has “transferred individual circuit blocks such as low noise power amps, ADCs, switching power amps and other blocks” to its product teams.
“I think we have covered the big blocks, but there is certainly work to do in interfaces,” Rattner said. “The challenge is to do enough risk reduction,” he said.
“Almost all these designs have second- or third-generation versions now in the labs,” he said.


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Kitchener, Ontario – Waterloo Brewing announced today the arrival of Waterloo Citrus Radler, just in time for the warmer seasons.
“When you combine real citrus juice with a quality craft lager, the result is pure refreshment”, said Sean Dennis, Director of Marketing. “As Ontario’s Original craft brewer we have a tradition of creating new and interesting craft styles for the beer drinkers of Ontario to enjoy. This new Waterloo Citrus Radler boldly follows in the very big footsteps of our Grapefruit Radler — the #1 selling Canadian made radler in Ontario.”
“Waterloo Citrus Radler perfectly blends the tartness of lime and the zest of lemon with a quality crafted lager”, said Jim Manz, Director of Sales. “The result is a craft beer worthy of our boar’s head and all it represents. We have the highest product quality standards of any craft brewer in Canada, and as our boar suggests those are standards we stubbornly refuse to compromise.”
Waterloo Citrus Radler is available in 473ml cans for $2.75 at The Beer Store locations across Ontario and coming soon to the LCBO.