text:
Complications & Costs Of Taxing Internet Sales
September 15, 1999
The Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce established by Congress must wrestle with the vast complexity of state and local sales tax rates and bases.
- According to two new studies by Ernst & Young and the National Tax Association, 46 states impose general sales taxes and 34 states allow local governments to impose them.
- Altogether, 7,600 jurisdictions across the country impose some form of sales tax.
- According to Ernst & Young, for small in-state retailers the burden of collecting sales taxes amounts to 7.2 percent of taxes collected.
- Costs tend to fall as sales rise, but dealing with multiple sales tax systems increases compliance costs -- for a large firm with sales in 15 different states, Ernst & Young estimates the compliance cost at 8.3 percent of taxes collected.
E-commerce potentially increases these costs enormously, because it allows even small retailers to operate in all 46 states with sales taxes.
- For a large firm operating in every state, the compliance cost rises to 14 percent.
- For medium retailers the cost reaches 48 percent, and on small retailers the burden is an amazing 87 percent of taxes collected.
In other words, it can cost a small retailer 87 cents to collect $1 of sales taxes.
The Supreme Court has ruled that out-of-state sellers are only obliged to collect sales taxes if they have operations in that state. States get around this by imposing use taxes exactly equal to the sales tax on residents who make out-of-state purchases. In theory, use taxes are imposed on the buyer, not the seller; in practice almost no one pays them.
Advocates of expanding the state's taxing power believe technology can deal with tax complexity. For instance, a new study from the liberal Progressive Policy Institute says free software could solve the problem.
Source: Bruce Bartlett, senior fellow, National Center for Policy Analysis, September 14, 1999.
Browse more articles on Government Issues


text:
(YourDigitalWall Editorial):- Almere, Dec 8, 2020 (Issuewire.com) – After winning the internet with his extraordinary collection of designer luxury watches, the YouTuber, influencer, entrepreneur, and musician, and the founder of famous ASTOS Watches, Joey Bravo has launched a new line of next generation blue light blocking screen glasses. Determined to improve the lifestyle of the generation today, the ‘Boxing Influencers’ star has come up with a smart and technologically advanced solution that is blue light blocking ASTOS eyewear.
In today’s digitized world, people are bound to spend most of their days in front of different types of screens such as TV, laptop, mobile, tablet, and more. Long hours of regular exposure to the screen light have a tremendous effect on the human eye that leads to all sorts of eye problems such as eye strain, blurred vision, long-term vision problems, and more. It also causes other issues such as insomnia, headaches, neck and back pain, fatigue, and many more. According to data, most adult Americans spend more than seven hours in front of screens every single day. This type of prolonged exposure to screen lights can cause irreversible damage to the eyes and overall health. ASTOS Watches has brought blue light blocking glasses and sunglasses that are the perfect union between style and protection. Changing the stereotype of screen glasses being nerdy, the company brings a revolution in the screen protection glass market.
Being an avid YouTuber, Joey Bravo had a firsthand experience of the negative impact of screen light spending hours screen every day shooting and editing videos. His protective eyewear collection has gained wide popularity among YouTubers, social media influencers, artists, celebrities due to their exceptional quality and breathtakingly unique design. The glasses are ideal for day and night time, indoor as well as outdoor.
The glasses are made of the highest quality of materials, scratch resistance lenses, and highly durable material. By reaching directly to the customers, ASTOS controls their production chain and provides outstanding craftsmanship and design at a fairly affordable price. The collection is available on their website.
(+31) 6 40 17 74 48
This article was originally published by IssueWire. Read the original article here.

domain: news


text:
Even though 23 years have passed since her death, Selena Quintanilla’s legacy is currently stronger than ever. Thanks to many music festivals celebrating her life and new merch being sold in department stores and online, her fans and family members are keeping the Queen Tejano’s memory alive as the years go by.
Celebrities are also paying tribute to the iconic “Como la Flor” singer by rocking their Selena shirts. Check out a couple them below.
Richard Camacho from CNCO


text:
Walmart admits layaway donation from Bears linebacker Khalil Mack was misused
Walmart employees misused $20,000 of a Christmas donation Chicago Bears linebacker Khalil Mack's foundation made to pay off layaways for customers of the store in Fort Pierce, Florida, where he was born and raised, a company spokesperson told TCPalm.
Mack's foundation donated $80,000, but layaways totaled only $60,000, so the store's management let employees purchase the $20,000 balance worth of items on layaway, the company's internal investigation found.
Walmart would not say whether any employees were disciplined or, if so, how.
"We have determined the store did not handle the transaction in keeping with Walmart's guidelines and have taken corrective action," company spokesperson Delia Garcia said.
Chicago Bears outside linebacker Khalil Mack (52) warms up prior to a game earlier this season. (Photo: Kena Krutsinger, USA TODAY Sports)
Garcia would not say how many employees benefited, whether managers were among them or how many managers were involved. An employee who was not included in the donation alerted company officials, who investigated, a company spokesperson said.
The foundation's donation covered over 300 customer layaway accounts, said Mathias Libardi, manager of the Fort Pierce store at 5100 Okeechobee Road.
The foundation did not respond to TCPalm's email seeking comment and there's no phone number listed on its website.
Mack, a Chicago Bears outside linebacker, graduated from Fort Pierce Westwood High School in 2009.
Catie Wegman is a TCPalm community reporter. She can be reached by email at [email protected], or you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram @Catie_Wegman and Facebook @catiewegman1.
Source: Read Full Article


text:
China and the US drives Volvo away from diesel for next-generation S60
The traditionally petrol-dominant markets are expected to be the brand’s largest for new premium saloon
Volvo has said that the latest version of its S60 saloon will not be sold in diesel form due to the lack of demand from key markets the USA and China.
“It’s a market-related decision to not introduce diesel for the S60,” said Lutz Stiegler, Volvo’s director of powertrains. “The classic ‘sedan’ market is in the US and China. These are typically petrol markets, and we don’t see the S60 having such a large market share in Europe.”
Volvo’s decision regarding the S60 is certainly in line with the manufacturer’s current powertrain strategy.
The brand has already committed to producing only electric or hybrid cars from 2019, with the latter likely to take the form of 48V mild electrification as well as the plug-in hybrid models already on the market.
“Since we’re going more in general towards electrification, we will replace the diesel engines, at least in small cars, with electrified models,” said Stiegler.
All good news for planet-friendly carbuyers, then. But how do hybrids suit those who might traditionally buy a diesel saloon – long-distance drivers who spend a large amount of time on motorways?
“For short and medium distance, the plug-in hybrid is definitely an advantage. You can drive without any emissions, plus they’re very good from a drivability point of view – plug-in hybrids are fun cars to drive.
“For long-distance driving? Yes, diesel still has better efficiency. That’s not going to be changed, at least not by Volvo.”
The company has already spoken about its use of hybrids as a stepping stone towards full electrification. The brand’s scalable platform which underpins all its cars has been built with electrification in mind, and a fully electric version of the XC40 compact SUV is on the way.
“But for the future, if we want to introduce more fully electrified models, then we are dependent on the charging infrastructure.”
Volvo boss Hakan Samuelsson spelled out the company’s future in a statement: “Our future is electric and we will no longer develop a new generation of diesel engines. We will phase out cars with only an internal combustion engine, with petrol hybrid versions as a transitional option as we move towards full electrification. The new S60 represents the next step in that commitment.”
Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.


text:
RBS offers interest-free loans to firms hit by riots
Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is offering financial support to small firms that were affected by last week's rioting.
RBS and its NatWest subsidiary will provide six-month interest and fee-free loans of up to £25,000 to its small business customers who were directly affected.
HSBC and RBS's other rivals have also offered help to firms.
The government, too, is helping retailers who had their shops damaged.
It is doing this by making such firms temporarily exempt from paying council tax or business rates.
Chris Sullivan, chief executive of NatWest and RBS Corporate Banking, said: "These small local businesses are the backbone of our neighbourhoods, so it is vital we do all we can to get them trading again as soon as possible.
"By offering interest-free and fee-free loans, RBS and NatWest business customers can start their recovery today.
"This will help many firms who will now not have to wait for financial support from either the government or their insurance company."
A spokesman for HSBC said it was doing all it could to help.
He added: "Where we know of customers in affected areas, we are pro-actively contacting them to understand and start working to resolve any problems."
A Lloyds Banking Group spokesman said: "We have put in place a range of measures to help businesses get the funding they need - and we have not put a cap on this support.
"Since last week we have been working to respond to requests for funding from customers that have been hit by the riots.
"We have made it clear that we will offer repayment holidays on loans where premises have ceased trading because of fire damage, additional overdraft facilities to replace looted stock, and extra finance for businesses - such as suppliers - that have been indirectly impacted and where cash flow could be a problem."


text:
As you all know that Galaxy Note 10 is all set to launch on August 7, 2019. For the second time, Note 10 is spotted on geek bench. Note 10 has now passed through Geekbench. Last time it was carrying model number SM-N976B It carries a model number SM-970F and as rumoured, it is powered by Exynos 9825 SoC and has 8GB of RAM. Galaxy Note 10 Geekbench score might be alarming for users for one reason.
It clearly shows that the handset is not that powerful as you were expecting. Exynos 9825 is a serious concern as Samsung will depend on it for processing power. Usually, flagship sets are powered by Qualcomm latest processors and mid-range devices are incorporated with Exynos.
Galaxy Note 10 GeekBench Score
Note 10 also has another variant having Snapdragon 855 having model number SM-N976V. This model has 12GB RAM. This model has scored less than the SM-N970F in Geekbench’s single-core test but got higher points in the multi-core test.
Samsung is all set to launch three devices in Note 10 family named Note10, Note10+, and a 5G version. Note10 and Note10+ have the same designs, but Note 10+ variant has a larger screen.
According to rumours, Note 10 will be priced at $1,125), whereas Note 10+ will cost $1,295. Moreover, we have also come across Galaxy Note 10 official teaser videos which reveal that it would be a business phone.
Note 10 Launch Date in Pakistan:
Right now the launch date of Galaxy Note 10 in Pakistan is not known. However, one thing is sure it will take around two months of the official launch to arrive in Pakistan.
Moreover, let’s wait for the official launch date to know more about the device.
More about Note 10:


text:
Nate D. Sanders will be concluding their next online auction on July 23rd and the catalog for this event is available on their official site. Over 600 of more than 2,400 lots is material under the banner of “Hollywood”. The auction includes a lot of material previously owned by Milton Berle and a variety of Hollywood and historical memorabilia, including props, costumes, set pieces, awards, and other material. Highlights include a blouse owned by Marilyn Monroe and a costume worn by Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 2: Judgement Day.
The catalog is on their official site at www.natedsanders.com:


text:
Amazon Profit Misses Estimates After New Products Raise Costs
Published 2:49 am, Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Oct. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Amazon.com Inc., the world's largest Internet retailer, reported a plunge in third-quarter profit after it ramped up spending on new products such as the Kindle Fire tablet. The shares tumbled in late trading.
Net income fell to $63 million, or 14 cents a share, from $231 million, or 51 cents, a year earlier, the Seattle-based company said today in a statement. That compared with 24 cents predicted by analysts on average, according to Bloomberg data. Net sales climbed to $10.9 billion, in line with estimates.
Amazon is sacrificing profit margins in search of sales volume and market-share gains against companies such as Apple Inc. The company is selling its Kindle Fire tablet for as low as $199, less than half the price of Apple's cheapest iPad. Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos is counting on sales of music, books, movies and merchandise on the tablet to make up for selling the product at a loss -- estimated by IHS Inc. to be about $10 per device.
"Amazon has the lowest operating margin and the highest valuation in our technology company coverage," Colin Gillis, an analyst at BGC Partners LP who rates the stock a "sell," said in a note today. "The company is not likely to achieve material leverage off its revenue growth as costs associated with investments into its digital platforms build."
LATEST BUSINESS VIDEOS
- Emily Chang, author of 'Brotopia' Fox5
- Two Home Improvement Retailers Plan To Hire Over 130,000 US Workers Fortune
- FOX Business Beat: LL Bean policy backlash; Home Depot hiring Fox5DC
- Elderly Man Learns How to Use Phone Jukin Media
- Foxconn Picks Milwaukee For US Headquarters Associated Press
- As the Stock Market Drops, Will President Trump Own It? Buzz 60
- The Coffee Table of the Future HouseBeautiful
- Smell Like Fried Chicken With KFC's Scratch 'N' Sniff Valentine's Day Cards Buzz 60
- This App Lets You Rent Luxury Hotel Rooms By The Hour - But It's Not As Seedy As It Sounds Buzz 60
- Wall Street Reacts to Market Plunge Associated Press
The online retailer's shares have gained 26 percent in 2011 and reached a record of $246.71 this month, raising pressure on Amazon to deliver results. The shares fell 4.4 percent to $227.15 at the close today in New York.
The company forecast an operating loss of as much as $200 million in the fourth quarter, with sales of $16.5 billion to $18.7 billion.
Even as profit shrinks, Amazon sales are benefiting from surging Kindle orders, propelled by customers ditching paper books in favor of electronic versions. The company upgraded its Kindle e-readers and introduced the Kindle Fire tablet to more directly challenge Apple -- something Hewlett-Packard Co. and Research In Motion Ltd. have struggled to do. The Fire tablet, due next month, has a 7-inch display, smaller than the iPad's 9.7-inch screen. It will run on Google Inc.'s Android software and offer Wi-Fi connectivity.
That growth may come at the expense of margins. Amazon is pricing its devices to spur sales, and "they don't care that the operating margin is 1 percent or 2 percent," said Kerry Rice, an analyst at Needham & Co. in San Francisco.
Amazon also is at risk from the drop in sales of traditional media, even as it benefits from the shift to digital, Gillis said.
"Amazon is neither the fastest growing, or most profitable, company in our coverage and given the disruption occurring in physical books, music and movies, it is hard to justify the premium valuation," he said.
--Editors: Nick Turner, Jillian Ward


text:
Wacker Chemie Establishes New US Headquarters, Technical Center In Pennsylvania
Germany-based Wacker Chemie AG -- a manufacturer of binders and polymer additives used in printing
inks, coatings and construction chemicals, among other applications -- recently opened a new US
headquarters in Allentown, Pa., for its Wacker Polymers division. The 6,200-square-meter facility
features a technical center with research and applications labs, customer service, sales and
marketing, and administrative functions.
The technical center will focus on creating and testing polymer products for the engineered fabrics, architectural coatings, adhesive and construction industries.
The opening marks a big step toward merging Air Products Polymers and Wacker Polymer Systems - former joint ventures that Wacker acquired outright two years ago from Air Products and Chemicals Inc. (See " Wacker Begins Construction Of Wacker Polymers America Headquarters Facility," Nov. 18, 2008.)
"We've consolidated all our North American functions under one roof at our new US headquarters," said Arno von der Eltz, president, Wacker Polymers. "The move will streamline coordination and enhance operational efficiency. Another key advantage is the technical center's proximity to our sales function. This will broaden cooperation between product-development and sales teams, enabling us to optimize customer support."
Wacker Polymers reports it also has plans to establish a training center at the Allentown facility. Programs ranging from basic polymer chemistry to expertise in dry-mix mortar formulation taught by Wacker experts, industry specialists and university lecturers will be offered to construction customers.
October 27, 2009


text:
-Celebrity chef backs Hospitality Rising campaign which aims to tackle jobs crisis –
Michelin star chef Tom Kerridge has called for hospitality leaders to get behind the world’s biggest recruitment campaign and challenge any negative perceptions held about the industry.
The celebrity chef believes too many young people believe working in the sector will mean long hours and the end of a social life, insisting that misconceptions surrounding hospitality couldn’t be “further from the truth.”
Speaking in an exclusive new Hospitality Rising podcast, the TV favourite said the industry remains “strong” despite the jobs crisis, and spoke passionately about the opportunities and benefits that a career in hospitality can provide, including connection, excitement and progression.
Tom, who is the owner of The Hand & Flowers, the only two Michelin star pub in the UK, said:
“There’s this view that if you work in hospitality then there’s no social life – but it couldn’t be any further from the truth.
“Your social life is the best, it’s the most connected. You have routes into different restaurant spaces, bars, pubs, and clubs.
“I was so lucky that as an 18-year-old this vocation grabbed me, you know the excitement of it, and I wanted it to be a part of my life.
“I’ve been in it for well over 30 years now and the beautiful thing about hospitality is that you can do and see so many different things, you have so many different opportunities put in front of you and it’s not just about Michelin stars.
“It’s about warmth, connecting to people, saying hello, being friendly, and giving off a sense of connection, and I learned that from an early age.”
Tom is among a host of big name chefs to have pledged support for the Hospitality Rising movement, launched as the industry’s response to help tackle the sector’s crippling jobs crisis.
#RiseFastWorkYoung aims to attract the next generation of new recruits by showcasing the opportunities and promise that come with a career in hospitality.
While there is a distinct shortage of staff within the industry, Tom believes that regardless, the hospitality sector will always survive, so long as people work together to tackle the jobs crisis.
Urging people to back the Hospitality Rising campaign, he said: “Get involved, it’s about reaching out to as many people as possible and we need to capture the heart, the soul of the people to get into this industry and to understand how fun it can be.
“The industry is such a robust, strong, fluid and creative industry that it bounces back constantly – hospitality will always be here.
“If every single hospitality business went bust tomorrow and shut, next week, somebody else would reopen them, because we all want to go out and eat, we all want to go out and drink, we all want to have fun, we all want to connect with human beings.
“Hospitality will always be there so it’s so important that as an industry, that we’re connected now, that we’re strong and solid. That means that where it is a difficult time, we build this safety net around each other to be able to build from and come through the other side.”
The Hospitality Rising campaign has already achieved unwavering support from some of the biggest names in the UK. Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) became the campaign’s first official platform supplier partner, while leading hospitality tech supplier Zonal and one of the UK’s most successful guest WI-FI based marketing solution, Wireless Social, also became platinum sponsors.
Whitbread, Pret, Welcome Break, Hilton, IHG, Soho House, Prezzo, Revolution Bars, Parkdean Resorts, Claridge’s, Hawksmoor, Pho, J W Lees, Buzzworks, The DRG, Arc Inspirations, Harbour Hotels, Wahaca, The Pig, Comptoir Group and Ole & Steen are just some of the influential businesses that have signed up to support the campaign.
By asking backers to pledge £10 per employee, it aims to reach a £5m target allowing for a “government-sized” collaborative campaign that will change the perception of the industry and bolster its workforce for good. The campaign’s efforts have so far raised £850,000.
Mark McCulloch, founder of Hospitality Rising and Campaign Director, said: “Tom couldn’t have put it better when it comes to describing the joy and resilience of the hospitality sector.
“By working collectively via initiatives such as Hospitality Rising we can bring more people into our dynamic and rewarding industry and ensure that people aren’t put off by any mistruths that are out there.
“We’ve been blown away by the support we’ve received so far but to keep up momentum and drive the next stage of the campaign, we need more people to come on board and more companies to pledge financial support. Hospitality is nothing without people and we are determined to work together to ensure the best and the brightest are attracted to the industry to ensure a bright future for the sector.”
To see the full range of Hospitality Rising podcasts featuring backers and chefs, visit the campaign’s Youtube channel.


text:
It seems as if these should be lean times in the consumer brokerage business, with all the major online stockbrokers cutting their commissions on stock trades to $0. But as I wrote back in October, when Charles Schwab made the move that drove commissions to $0 across the industry, it’s possible to give out free trades because the real profits in the brokerage business come from holding your customers’ lucrative cash deposits:
Fifty-seven percent of Schwab’s revenue last year came from net interest margin, which is to say, borrowing money at interest rates below those at which it lends the money out. Schwab pays accountholders a little bit of interest on their cash balances (0.27 percent, on average, in 2018) and earns a lot more interest by lending those balances out (2.57 percent, again in 2018). If Schwab makes its brokerage product more attractive by offering zero-fee trades, that may induce customers to bring more business to Schwab, including more cash balances, which Schwab can earn a net interest margin on.
So after Schwab bought TD Ameritrade, I’m not surprised to see that the next-biggest online broker, E-Trade, is getting bought by Morgan Stanley, which has an investment-banking business and a wealth-management business aimed at wealthy individuals who pay human advisors to manage their money. E-Trade will give Morgan Stanley a huge number of new, less wealthy retail customers, but most important, E-Trade will also give Morgan Stanley a new pool of cheap cash deposits on which it doesn’t have to pay much interest. CNBC notes:
Morgan Stanley will gain access to E-Trade’s $56 billion in deposits. In the past, the bank has struggled to raise deposits to fund loans to its wealthy clientele, relying on high-interest CD promotions. That will lower its funding costs by about $150 million, on top of the $400 million in other savings Morgan Stanley says the deal will bring.
Essentially, E-Trade is better than Morgan Stanley at borrowing, and Morgan Stanley is better than E-Trade at lending. So putting the two together should make for a more efficient and more profitable bank than if they stayed separate. There’s also some synergy, because mass-affluent customers of discount brokerages like E-Trade sometimes age into wealthy customers who become good fits for Morgan Stanley’s more traditional wealth-management business.
The main lesson here for retail-brokerage clients is that they should consider whether they as customers are more lucrative than they should be. Are you part of the reason E-Trade was an attractive acquisition for Morgan Stanley because you are holding too much of your brokerage account in low-interest cash deposits?
I’m not saying you should hold no cash; you need some cash or cash-equivalent holdings to pay everyday expenses. And you may want more cashlike holdings if you’re at or near retirement age and need to avoid investment risk. But if you have cash that’s just sitting in your account for no reason — say, it was deposited, and you didn’t get around to investing it yet — go ahead and put it into something that’s likely to pay you a higher return. There’s no reason to let your broker collect a net interest margin on deposits you don’t actually need to be holding in cash.


text:
Raeford Hopes Historic Designation Will Attract Tourists
Posted September 15, 2006 6:55 a.m. EDT
RAEFORD, N.C. — The entire downtown district of Raeford recently was placed on the National Register of Historic Places to protect buildings from demolition.
Officials in the town of 3,400 people said they hope the designation celebrating the old will help attract newcomers.
"It would just help to encourage business owners to renovate their buildings, and it would provide tax incentives for that, as well as market downtown," City Manager Richard Douglas said.
Fifty commercial buildings and homes across 23 acres of downtown were placed on the historic register, including Ed McNeill's feed store and grocery.
"I ran the grocery store -- supermarket is what it was," the 85-year-old McNeill said, noting the building dates to the 1950s.
The store is among the newer structures in town. The Bank of Raeford building was built 1911, and a row of well-kept brick buildings nearby dates to the early 1900s.
The city has refurbished sidewalks to spruce up the downtown area.


text:
According to a report by IHS Markit, the iPhone 6s took the top spot above all competitors for sales in 2016. It the fourth quarter alone, the new iPhone 7 was the 2016 best-seller followed by iPhone 7 Plus.
The report says that "Apple again has demonstrated that its new iPhones integrate enough innovations and new features to drive sales and remain successful in the market."
"The company is also capable of selling older devices for an extended period of time. For instance, the year-old iPhone 6s and 6s Plus were both among the most-shipped," it said.
Meanwhile, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and S7 ranked fifth and ninth, respectively. As sales of these two devices have outperformed their immediate predecessors, S6 and S6 Edge and the combined shipments of S7 and S7 Edge in 2016 were 10 million higher than S6 and S6 Edge over the same period.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 recall and Galaxy S7 Edge, became the best flagships in the premium line-up of Samsung.
The report also notes that Samsung's ability to drive the sales of older premium devices was impressive. Aggressive promotions, which included bundling with Gear VR, helped increase the sales of S7 and S7 Edge.
Huawei has also managed to get the third-largest smartphone maker after Apple and Samsung, did not have any models in the top 10 most-shipped smartphones in 2016.
"Similar to Samsung, Huawei continues to address multiple smartphone pricing segments - either with its own Huawei-branded handsets or with those of its sub-brand, Honor. In the premium segment, Huawei's P9 was among its own top five most-shipped smartphone models in 2016, performing better than previous flagships," the report added.
Chinese smartphone maker Oppo posted growth of 109 percent in smartphone shipments to become the fourth largest smartphone maker in terms of unit shipment up from the seventh spot in 2015.
"Unlike Huawei, OPPO has a smaller product portfolio and operates in fewer markets, with more than 80 percent of the company's 2016 shipments within its home market of China," it further added.


text:
Banks have jumped into the game of payday lending, and consumer advocacy groups have not taken to it too kindly. (See here for more information.) These “advance direct deposit loans” may have a different name, but those opposed to payday lending claim it is no different than the same type of debt spiral catalyst they have . . . → Read More: Are Banks Offering Payday Loans Now?
iPhone 5 has stormed its way into the market and is already on the way to become one of the most sold smartphones. The new smartphone launched by Apple recently, has come up with new innovations and is an improved version of the previous iPhone 4. The launch of the new phone has resulted into a . . . → Read More: iphone 5 causes market hysteria; buying spree for the new phone
Check out Twitter’s new look disclosed by CEO Dick Costello on Tuesday, which mainly emphasizes on profile pages. Now, even Twitter will be allowing it’s users to personalize your profile with a big expressive cover photo. With the Facebook’s Timeline-like feel, the new look is expected to persuade and attract more people to the site. […]


text:
Visitors to what used to be Buy.com will see a few changes on the front page this week -- including a pronunciation guide for its new name.
Facebook users can now say "charge it," with a new physical gift card the social network is rolling out Thursday that people can use to make purchases in retail stores.
Three U.S. investigative agencies, working with state and local police departments across the country, have seized more than 300 websites and US$13.6 million worth of counterfeit National Football League sportswear and tickets from online and other s...
China's group buying market continues to shrink, with the number of players in operation declining by close to 1,000 sites over the past year.
A federal judge in California has ordered Apple and Amazon.com to sit down and attempt to settle a lawsuit between them over Amazon's use of the "Appstore" name for its online application marketplace.
Alibaba Group's Jack Ma will step down from his position as CEO of the Chinese e-commerce giant in May, to help usher in its next generation of leaders. But he will stay on as executive chairman to focus on company strategy.
Zynga's Mark Pincus made the annual "Worst CEOs" list compiled by Dartmouth College professor Sydney Finkelstein, which also nearly included Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook and Andrew Mason of Groupon.
Amazon.com's Kindle Store is dominating domestic rivals in Japan just months after its launch in October, according to a survey by a local research firm.
As a new session of the U.S. Congress convenes in early 2013, don't expect lawmakers to rush out a new version of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) or the Protect IP Act (PIPA).
Websites, mobile apps and online advertising networks targeting children will be required to follow new privacy regulations, including getting a parent's permission before collecting geolocation information and photographs from kids, under new rules ...
Penguin Group has become the latest book publisher to reach a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice in a lawsuit that alleges that Apple and five publishers had conspired to raise e-book prices.
The U.S. has removed China's Taobao sites from its "Notorious Markets" list of major offenders that support piracy and counterfeiting, citing their successful efforts to remove infringing goods from the sites.
Google has shut down its online shopping service in China, further slimming down its product portfolio for the country after it pulled the plug on its free music service back in September.
A small company in France plans to make bitcoin easier to handle early next year by issuing debit cards linked to payment accounts that can accept the alternative currency.
How "public" are public Facebook posts?
Most Popular Reviews
- 1 2016 Ford Mustang EcoBoost review
- 2 Review: TCL C1 series 4K TV
- 3 Sony 75-inch UHD TV (X9400C) review: Sony and Android are a winning duo
- 4 LG 55EG960T OLED UHD TV
- 5 Panasonic Viera UHD TV review: good hardware, fragmented software
Join the Good Gear Guide newsletter!
Best Deals on Good Gear Guide
Latest News Articles
- Review: Periscope users rejoice with Feiyu’s G4 Plus 3-Axis Gimbal for Smartphone video
- How to find the cheapest flights
- Why is Australian internet tech support so terrible?
- How Google Translate helped me with the woman who pummelled my buttocks
- 60 turns with Civilization VI: 3 key tweaks will change how you conquer the world
GGG Evaluation Team
First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.
- FTSenior Software Developer (Full Stack)SA
- FTTableau BI DeveloperNSW
- CCICT PreSales SpecialistVIC
- CCTechnology and Security ArchitectACT
- CCBusiness AnalystVIC
- CCBiztalk developerNSW
- CCDynamics CRM DeveloperNSW
- CCJava Developer with Oracle database experience | Defence intelligence | NV1ACT
- CCOffice 365 Project ManagerNSW
- CCArchitect (AWS)NSW
- CCSystems Administrator with developer skills | Defence intelligence | NV2 clearedACT
- CCSAP Application Delivery LeadVIC
- CCLead Solution Analyst - BMC Remedy softwareVIC
- CCNational Project CoordinatorNSW
- CCSales Specialist - DigitalNSW
- CCSecurity Solution ArchitectQLD
- CCSenior Java DeveloperACT
- CCTechnical WriterACT
- FTTechnical Lead - Tier 1 Customer interfaceACT
- FTMobile DeveloperWA
- CCBusiness AnalystVIC
- CCProject ManagerNSW
- CCSenior IT Automated TesterNSW
- FTNV2 Defence Project Manager | Canberra | Major exciting White Paper projectsACT
- CCProject Manager | Experimental military technology | NV1ACT


text:
MINIMUM SUPPORT PRICE
No fireworks for food prices this festive season
Prices of cereals, which have highest weightage in the Consumer Price Index, are also expected to remain fairly stable, trade analysts said.
Flipkart Big Billion Day Sale: Exchange your old TV for new, fashion sees price drop of 80%
With day 1 of its mega BBD sale kicking off today...
It'll take time for farmers to capitalise on pulses exports
Traders face low prices from Africa and Myanmar in the global market
Amazon to step up FMCG discounts this year
Amazon’s Great Indian Festival sale runs from September 21-24, with Prime users getting access to it from September 20.
IndiGo parent InterGlobe's share sale raises Rs 3,790 crore
InterGlobe set the price at Rs 1,130 per share for the sale to institutional investors conducted on Friday.
SBI Life's $1 billion IPO opens tomorrow; what analysts say
The insurance company has set the price band for the issue at Rs 685-700 per share.
After Maharashtra & UP, Rajasthan becomes 3rd BJP state to waive farm loans
As per the agreement, farm loans up to Rs 50,000 would be written off, putting an additional burden of about Rs 20,000 crore on the Vasundhara Raje government.
Onion prices fall 35% after I-T raids on Nashik traders
The average wholesale onion prices on Thursday declined by 35% to Rs 900 per quintal at Lasalgaon as against Rs 1,400 per quintal on Wednesday.
Recent low inflation means you pay more capital gains tax
Between 2008 and 2012, consumer inflation was raging in double digits, which meant that debt fund investors were earning tax-free gains.
Centre must curb pulse price volatility, says Crisil
"We've observed that inflation in pulses follows a cyclical pattern, with prices shooting up every two-three years. Between fiscal 2006 and so far this current fiscal, there have been as many as four such cycles.
10 tips to master the art of bargaining this festive season
Bargaining is such an integral part of the shopping experience that even a salesperson would feel cheated if you docilely accepted the product at MRP.
Cryptocurrencies catch the fancy of Bengaluru's tech-driven millennials
Youngsters bet on new avenue which offers returns much higher than stocks, gold and land.
India Inc top deck pays the price for delay in changes to Companies Act
Indian laws stipulate that companies can pay up to 15% of profits in case of profitable companies while loss-making companies face a cap on remuneration.
need2know: Nine macro triggers that should matter for market today
Consumer durable makers expect to clock up to 40% sales growth this festive season by offering freebies and discounts to woo consumers
MP soyabean scheme may hurt Maharashtra farmers
If prices in MP fall below MSP, it will naturally lead to a fall in prices in Rajasthan and Maharashtra.


text:
Today, the Indian mobile company Karbonn has launched the Karbonn Aura 9 at a good price range. This is the latest phone from the company and it is coming with a lot of cool features too. The device runs on Android 4.4 Kitkat and survives on a bulky 4,000 mAh battery which is a key […]
A lot of smartphones are coming this year, and since the last year, Indian smartphone market is getting a lot of heat. Each year, we are seeing a new company and their new product. In 2015, the smartphones are launched at low prices with good specs. So, today, we are going to discuss about the best […]
Karbonn brought a new smartphone to existence and it’s name is Karbonn Alfa A120, the latest budget friendly handset from the company. The handset is officially launched today, and it is going to hit the Indian retailers very soon. These a days, we are seeing a lot of budget friendly smartphones, but each of them comes […]
The year is coming to it’s end and we are seeing a lot of new devices these a days and every other company is bringing their devices in the smartphone market. Today, we have already seen the launch of Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime and after that the Karbonn Titanium S20 has been launched in India […]
The Android world is developing regularly and after seen so many developments in the Android world we are seeing the Android One now. Well, today Google has held an event in New Delhi where the search giant has announced a bunch of smartphones having the Android One technology in them. The Android One is launched […]
Karbonn has announced the Titanium Hexa, their true hexa core smartphone couple of months ago and finally the device is going to launch soon for the Indian consumers. Karbonn will launch the Titanium Hexa exclusively on Amazon India and the pre-order begins from 12th May and the device will be available from 20th May.


text:
Kellogg Co., Battle Creek, Mich., said it's officially pulling its Ensemble line of cholesterol-lowering foods by yearend due to insufficient sales. The expected move comes less than a year after the line of 22 products in seven categories was introduced in a five-market region with much fanfare, only to be scaled back to a single Michigan test market less than six months later. Y&R Advertising, New York, handles advertising. Kellogg said it remains committed to developing "functional foods--those foods that offer a specific health benefit beyond basic nutrition," and cited its pending acquisition of Worthington Foods, which makes soy-based meatless alternatives like vegetable burgers.
Copyright November 1999, Crain Communications Inc.


text:
LG has launched the Stylus 3 in the Indian market. The smartphone boasts a 5.7-inch display and features an enhanced stylus. The phone is now listed on the company’s website, and should be expected to go on sale in the market shortly. LG’s newly introduced mid-end smartphone is priced at Rs. 18,500.
The smartphone has a large display of 5.7-inches with 720 x 1280 pixels. It runs an octa-core MediaTek MT6750 processor clocked at 1.5GHz and has 3GB RAM and 16GB of internal storage. Plus, you also get a microSD card for memory expansion (up to 2TB). On the camera front, it has a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera and an 8-megapixel shooter on the front with LED flash. The phone also has a fingerprint scanner and support LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2 and USB 2.0. The Stylus 3 runs on Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box. The device draws power from a removable 3,200mAh battery.
— LG India (@LGIndiaTweets) March 23, 2017
The Stylus 3 was first announced in December last year, and later showcased at the CES 2017 in Las Vegas. As the name suggests, it comes with a stylus having a 1.8mm diameter fiber-tip. Pull out the stylus from the Stylus 3, and the phone vibrates to confirm the action. What’s more, there are several stylus-only features on board for taking notes including Pen Pop 2.0, Pop scanner, Pen Keeper, Capture+, and even comes with LG’s QuickMenu feature for fast taking notes in a small window.
The Stylus 3 is a mid-end smartphone and isn’t an answer to Samsung’s Galaxy Note series. The highlight though is, the built-in stylus and a large display.


text:
Jayanta Shaw | TNN | Updated: Aug 25, 2011, 14:55 IST
Tourists to Khajuraho will now have an audio compass
KHAJURAHO: Tourists visiting the world famous Khajuraho need no not be bothered about guides anymore as Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), has introduced Audio Compass which provide authentic recorded information on the 1000 year old monument constructed by Chandela dynasty.
Tourists visiting Khajurao are being offered a handset 'Audio Compass' with ear phones to brief them about the minutest information on the Chandela's monuments. Sutan Das, a tourist told TOI that it was for the first time that he has come across such a facility. "The device has an detailed information on the monuments and provides authentic information based on in depth study and research," said Sutan, adding that more often than not the guides are not reliable. "Now, that the device been introduced by the ASI, we are assured about the information and it helps in preparing notes for record," he added. Similar sentiments were shared by other tourists.
The guides, however, are not a happy lot. "The electronic device is nothing but sheer wastage of money and a mockery of the historical monument," said a guide Brijendra Singh, popularly known as Mamaji. He has been working as a guide for the last 45 years at Khajuraho. He lamented that the foreign tourists who come here to see the monuments are interested in knowing about the Indian culture and history. "The device provides only recorded information and it can not clarify doubts and queries in the minds of tourists," said Singh adding that the Audio Compass cannot give a human touch to the tourists. Every monument here has a story and reason behind its construction and human feelings," said the guide. The technology has been developed with the help of Ras Maestros Technology Company. Khajuraho, is divided into eastern, western and southern areas. Regional Director (ASI) S B Ota said, the Audio Compass was introduced on August 1 and response from the tourists has been very encouraging. He further said that the device was available in two languages - Hindi and English.
"While English is available for Rs 105 for unlimited time, the one in Hindi is available for Rs 63 per person," said Ota, adding that the device was easy to carry. Director of Audio Compass Company Gautam Shewakramani was also happy with the response the devise has generated and that the company plans to further improve upon it to make it more popular and useful to the tourists.


text:
Khloe Kardashian is all legs as she styles a skin-tight LBD with a baggy denim coat for her Good American clothing line
Khloe Kardashian delivered major style inspiration on Wednesday when she posed in a series of promotional photos for her Good American brand.
The 38-year-old star — who founded the clothing line in 2016 — showed off her long, toned legs in a tight LBD while posing against a pastel backdrop.
She accessorized her look with a loose-fitting denim coat with sleeves that hid her hands from view.
Kardashian wore a semi-sheer black bodysuit and patent leather heels to complete her trendy look.
Owner of the project tagged Good American, which will soon get my body shop in Los Angelesin all six photos shared on Instagram.
Style guru: Khloe Kardashian provided major style inspiration on Wednesday as she posed in a series of promotional photos for her brand, Good American.
Kardashian accessorized with several sparkly necklaces, as well as a pair of diamond earrings.
Her brightly dyed blonde hair fell on her chest and blended perfectly with the color of her outerwear.
Kardashian launched Good American with co-founder Emma Grady in October 2016 with a focus on body positivity and incorporation of the line.
The fashion company first got notice for offering denim products in a variety of sizes.
Good American has since expanded into lingerie, fitness apparel, and maternity apparel.
Besides being a co-founder, Kardashian has appeared in a number of brand campaigns — which included a massive billboard in New York’s Times Square last year.
In a previous interview with Vogue magazineThe mother-of-two shared what she hopes to achieve with Good American.
“Our mission is to make our assortment of denim, ready-to-wear, and shoes as inclusive as possible, finding ways to innovate in fabric and fit where other brands don’t, so women feel empowered,” she explained.
LBD: The 38-year-old star—who founded the clothing line in 2016—showed off her long, toned legs in a tight LBD while posing against a pastel backdrop
The Denim Diva: She paired her look with a loose-fitting denim coat with sleeves that hid her hands from view
Sex appeal: Kardashian wore semi-sheer black tights and patent leather heels to complete her trendy look.
Trailer mode: The entrepreneur tagged Good American, which will soon have a physical store in Los Angeles, in all six photos shared to Instagram
Glamour: Kardashian accessorized with several sparkly necklaces, as well as a pair of diamond earrings
She further revealed that she looks to her past to inspire her company’s future.
“A lot of my life experiences, like shopping for clothes growing up, played a role in why my co-founder Emma Grady started Good American and how to develop products and determine sizing and fit,” Kardashian said.
Kardashian added that the Good American team wants to set new precedents for their womenswear collection.
“When we first launched the brand, we talked a lot about what it means to be a woman today, and the unfortunate fact that so many women are ignored by the fashion industry—myself included!—so we set out to change that,” she said.


text:
Android sales have declined in the U.S., helping iOS regain the top spot among smartphone platforms sold in the three-month period ending in October, according to the latest research from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.
Mobile network operator Orange will install Lookout's Mobile Security application on some of the Android-based tablets and smartphones it distributes starting in 2013, aiming to protect millions of subscribers in the first year alone.
Apple's patent license agreement with HTC will not be put entirely under seal, except for the pricing and royalty terms, a court in California ordered in a patent infringement lawsuit between Samsung Electronics and Apple.
Samsung's Galaxy S4 and Note 3 could be the first smartphones to market with flexible displays.
Apple is seeking to add six Samsung products in a patent infringement lawsuit between the electronic giants scheduled to start in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in March 2014.
Although Google and Microsoft don't exactly get along, that hasn't stopped Skype from updating its Android app with tablet support and improved audio quality.
Lenovo, already China's top PC seller, is expected to take the title for the country's top smartphone vendor in 2013, Gartner said.
Phase one of a patent trial between Microsoft and Motorola Mobility has concluded in Washington state, and the presiding judge will now try to calculate what he thinks is a fair royalty rate for Motorola's patents.
China's largest search engine Baidu said on Monday the company would provide 30GB of free cloud storage to Android devices built with certain Qualcomm chips, in what's the latest move by the company to carve out a presence in the country's mobile ser...
Sony has launched a new photo-sharing service for Android phones that stores all data locally on users' handsets, in an attempt to ease the privacy concerns that come with online services.
Analysts say HTC still faces an uphill battle to rebuild its smartphone business amid heated competition, despite reaching a deal with Apple to settle their patent disputes.
The Samsung Galaxy S III, for the first time, is the top-selling smartphone in the world, beating out both the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5, according to Strategy Analytics data for the third quarter of 2012.
Apple dropped out of the top five list in China's smartphone market for the third quarter, as local handset vendors saw their shipments surge from the sales of low-priced smartphone models, according to research firm Canalys.
Given Android's ubiquity today, it's almost hard to believe that it has only been around a few years.
Most Popular Reviews
- 1 Review: TCL C1 series 4K TV
- 2 Mazda MX-5 (2016) review: Absolute driving purity
- 3 Sony 75-inch UHD TV (X9400C) review: Sony and Android are a winning duo
- 4 LG 55EG960T OLED UHD TV
- 5 Panasonic Viera UHD TV review: good hardware, fragmented software
Join the Good Gear Guide newsletter!
Best Deals on Good Gear Guide
Latest News Articles
- nbn on track to meet its financial year plan: Bill Morrow
- Roving Rachel's best crowd-funded travel products that are online right now
- Foxtel, Village and ISPs yet to agree on the cost of blocking pirate sites
- Why Microsoft won't extend the Windows 10 free upgrade offer
- Samsung's Raspberry Pi-like Artik 10 priced higher at $149.99
GGG Evaluation Team
First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.
- CCFull Stack Developer - Java - Blue Chip CompanyNSW
- CCAzure DeveloperNSW
- CCOrganisational Change ManagerVIC
- CCFront End DeveloperVIC
- CCWindows Automation EngineerVIC
- FTSenior Business Intelligence ManagerNSW
- FTDesktop SupportNSW
- FTTechnical Writer - Trading SystemsNSW
- FTSystem testersACT
- CCSolution Architect - JULY STARTACT
- CCSolutions Architect - Network and InfrastructureNSW
- FTChange Lead- DigitalVIC
- CCSenior Enterprise Architect - eCommerceVIC
- FTService Coordinator/Scheduler | IT Managed Service ProviderVIC
- CCMicrosoft Server EngineerWA
- FTMs Dynamics Nav Support Analyst- Level 1/2WA
- CCE-Commerce - Senior Web Application DeveloperNSW
- CCMS Biz Talk ConsultantNSW
- CCDesktop Engineer, renewable contractAsia
- CCScrum MasterNSW
- FTLevel 2 IT Field Systems Engineer/Administrator - Multiple opportunitiesNSW
- CCSales Development Executive - Flexible Working HoursNSW
- FTBusiness AnalystNSW
- CCRemedy AdministratorNSW
- CCProject Coordinator (urgent) - Digital - Blue chip companyNSW


text:
Dead Cells console players can now enjoy a few barrels o’ fun!
Motion Twin and Evil Empire have just announced that the latest free update for their popular Rogue-lite title Dead Cells, Barrels O’ Fun, is now available on Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Xbox One.
Released last month on PC, Barrels O’ Fun adds a whole host of cool new things to the game. Players will encounter a playground of doom that comes with some broken bottles and barrels to play with.
Not only that, but the update include some new enemies – like hulking brutes who throw explosive barrels, and mimics that are expert hiders. Players will have new weapons to use to deal with these new enemies, like the Barrel Launcher, a handy weapon that allows players to shoot their own exploding barrels at enemies. Give them a taste of their own medicine, eh?
Barrels O’ Fun also comes with its own new soundtrack for players to award their ears with.
And check out the trailer for Barrels O’ Fun below. If you’ve not jumped into Dead Cells for a while, now might be a good time to get back to it.


text:
Farmers who grow wheat within the U.S. and whose crops may have been contaminated by genetically modified crop.
It has been alleged that GM wheat has cross-pollinated with conventional wheat, rendering the latter un-exportable and unfit for human consumption
The Pacific Northwest area is majorly affected, with soft white wheat exports already cancelled.
USDA confirmed discovery of modified wheat on May 28, 2013.
Farmers whose crops have been affected by Monsanto's genetically-modified “Roundup resistant” wheat may have legal recourse through a class action lawsuit. It has been alleged that Monsanto, a biotechnology company, has allowed genetically engineered wheat, unapproved by the USDA, to cross-pollinate with wheat grown in the Pacific Northwest, damaging crops and potentially affecting farmers' profits.
Between 1998 and 2005, Monsanto cultivated engineered wheat designed to resist the company's pesticide, Roundup. The project was eventually terminated and approval for the new wheat was never requested. The experimental wheat was grown in 16 states and, at the end of the study, the affected crops were thought to have been destroyed. Now, farmers contend that Monsanto failed to take adequate steps to ensure that the modified wheat was contained and unable to affect surrounding fields, and that modified wheat and/or pollen has contaminated conventional wheat fields. Wheat exports are worth $8.1 billion, making up nearly half of U.S. wheat crop revenue.
Genetically engineered wheat has now been found by farmers. Samples of wheat subjected to independent studies have confirmed that Monsanto's genetically engineered crop has contaminated existing fields, and on May 28, 2013, the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the results. The affected crops have been found in fields never used for roundup-resistant wheat trials. It is alleged that Monsanto is therefore responsible for allowing unlicensed engineered wheat to mix with conventional crops. Following the announcement, Japan cancelled scheduled imports of soft white wheat, with the European Union, South Korea and China imposing stricter testing on imports of U.S. wheat.
Genetically-Modified Wheat Found In Conventional Crop
The impact on farmers and the U.S. wheat industry is not yet known, but the cancellation of export orders, such as Japan’s on May 28, 2013, indicates a potentially devastating decrease in revenue. Genetically modified wheat is unpopular with consumers and often unlicensed for human consumption. Unlike related genetically modified crops such as corn and soy, which can be used for animal feed or biofuels, wheat is consumed unprocessed by humans, and so genetically modified forms of the crop are currently unapproved.
A similar GMO scare in 2006 saw lowered market prices for U.S. long grain rice after the crops were found to have been contaminated by experimental genetically modified crops grown by Bayer CropScience. Again, Europe and Japan immediately imposed import bans. Bayer eventually agreed to a settlement.
Farmers May Be Entitled to Compensation
Prices for soft white wheat have already diminished within certain states following the announcement that modified wheat had been discovered. Farmers may face increased costs associated with further testing along with a lowered overall value, as well as the loss of both export and domestic. Lawsuits are already being filed seeking compensation from Monsanto for negligence, loss of income, product liability and nuisance, as well as punitive damages. Farmers are also asking judges to compel Monsanto to decontaminate any affected farmland.


text:
Earlier this year, it was reported that Cactus Plant Flea Market would be working with Nike once more. The silhouette of choice would be the Nike Dunk; a sneaker currently facing a resurgence in the community. Since then, sneakerheads have been patiently waiting to see more of the upcoming collaboration. Mockups of the “Pure Platinum” and “Spiral Sage” have given fans a taste of what’s to come. Thankfully, it looks as though a third Nike Dunk colourway is now in the pipeline.
Taking inspiration from the recent “Brazil” Nike Dunk, the CPFM iteration uses the familiar combination of yellow and green. However, additions include the use of white leather panelling on the midsection and heel for good measure. Judging from the mockup, the rumoured sneaker will likely feature the CPFM smiley face on the heel, as well as deconstructed Swoosh similar to the CPFM Vapormax. Of course, this is all just speculation for now, but the news is exciting.
Whilst there is no concrete information on this release just yet, given the reliability of the source, things are looking likely. A rumoured retail price of €120 and drop date of fall has been set, but we’ll have to wait and see just how likely that is. Check out the mockup below and let us know if you’ll cop these CPFM x Nike Dunks.
Image Source: cpfm.xys


text:
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is reportedly testing a television set in secret, but sources claim there is no rush to introduce the rumored TV to the public.
According to a recent report in Focus Taiwan, sources state that the Cupertino-based company has been working with Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. (TPE:2317) (key assembler for Apple products known as Foxconn) to test out several different television set models. The source also reports that the actual testing phase. Unfortunately, they don’t expect the TVs to start shipping out next year. However, it is possible that related Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) television products could make their debut at the International CES expo next month in Las Vegas.
The report from Focus Taiwan stated the following:
Foreign news media have reported recently that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is working with Hon Hai, the main assembler of the U.S. consumer electronics giant’s iconic iPhones and iPads, to test several designs for its long-talked-about TVs.
Hon Hai, the world’s largest contract electronics maker, has declined to respond to the reports, saying that it never comments on specific business deals with any single client.
The same source added that Apple TV probably won’t feature display panels from Sharp. They explained that they will need flat panels measuring from 46 inches to 55 inches instead.
The report adds:
Hon Hai Chairman Terry Gou’s investment company holds a stake in a liquid-crystal-display factory owned by Sharp, Sakai International Operation, which focuses on producing 60-inch LCD panels.
This current report is still just a rumor. Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. (TPE:2317) has declined requests to release a public acknowledgement or statement.
Recently, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s CEO Tim Cook admitted to NBC News that a television set was “an area of intense interest”.


text:
Now showing items tagged robots
Last week, The Wall Street Journal published an article marking the 100th anniversary of the word ‘robot’. First coined in a Czech play by Karel Čapek, the term ‘robot’ has gone on to represent everything from dystopian images of machines posing as humans to simple chatbots that converse with people on websites. Interestingly, the term predated the actual object by a couple of decades.
Decades ago, the prospect of talking to someone on the other side of the world was unimaginable. Doing business with them, regularly coordinating with them and bridging the geographic and linguistic distance between you and them was even more incomprehensible. Now it is the norm.
Imagine a world where you enter a retail store and are instantly identified by your mobile phone. Your preferences, credit card details and buying history are immediately recognized along with your identity and from that moment on, the entire in-store experience is customized to your needs and desires. You select products either by scanning a code on your smartphone or by placing items in a physical shopping cart the old-school way. When you are finished shopping, your shopping tally is calculated as you walk past sensors near the exit and the amount owing is immediately charged to your default credit card.
Sound fanciful or futuristic? Well this is almost precisely the automated retail experience shoppers are already enjoying in Amazon’s recently opened bricks-and-mortar retail stores.
It has been a growing popular conversation over the last decade. Driverless cars – one of the sure symbols that the future has arrived.


text:
Snoop Dogg Is Putting On For Instagram Artists
Our generation’s Jackson Pollack is doing something to help put on artists he meets on Instagram. With the launch of WestFestMall,his new e-commerce platform, Tha Doggfather is offering curators a platform to sell their work. For more info, head over to Complex.
“Every purchase on the site supports these young talents and Snoop Dogg’s overall initiative to give them an opportunity to showcase their art.”


text:
How did Halloween cement itself as the third most important event of the year for supermarkets? LEE BOYCE on why this ghoulish trend has exploded
- Halloween has grown into an established event in Britain in recent years
- More of us spend money 'celebrating' it but it will be a subdued affair today
- Consumer Trends asks: Will you be celebrating Halloween this year?
Today, there may be a lack of children pounding your street in fancy dress and knocking on doors, asking: trick or treat?
You may be relieved by that, or perhaps upset that you haven't been able to throw a horror-themed bash given that it has fallen on a Saturday.
Whether you love it or loathe it, Halloween has quickly established itself as one of the biggest retail events of the year and gives supermarkets a sales boost, especially when it comes to booze and sweets.
Trick or treat? Plenty of us have gotten into the Halloween spirit this year - even if we're not taking the children trick or treating
The trend accelerated in the 2010s, with purchases of pumpkins, treats and costumes growing considerably, especially between 2017 and 2018, as I'll explain with data shortly.
Meanwhile, in recent years, you can't move for farms and open spaces having 'pumpkin patches,' which largely involves people, in muddy fields, with their children, stacking them up in all shapes and sizes in a wheelbarrow (largely to post photographs on Instagram).
It is believed around half of households now 'celebrate' Halloween, an event more synonymous with the US that Britain.
A large driver of this will be adults who grew up with America-copying Halloweens (and the accompanying scary movies) in their childhood, who now have children of their own and are making it more of an event.
Despite it looking a different type of celebration this pandemic-stricken year compared to previous ones, it is likely to be a temporary blip. This week, Consumer Trends looks at the craze and how it has grown.
How it has grown in recent years
Growing up in the mid-to-late nineties, Halloween wasn't a huge event, but I did go out with friends, both when at primary school and early in secondary school, trick or treating.
Additional to this now are themed parties, supermarket aisles with fancy dress and plastic tat, mountains of pumpkins and Halloween snacks, like cakes and sweets, as companies look to take advantage.
In 2015, I looked at how the craze had grown to just nudge into third place in terms of retailer uplift - but it has only exploded further.
According to data from Kantar, it has cemented itself as the third biggest shopping event for supermarkets, behind Easter and Christmas.
Last year, it resulted in a far stronger sales uplift than Mother's Day, Valentine's Day and New Year's.
In 2017, overall around £406million was spent celebrating Halloween. A year later, this had risen 5.5 per cent to £428million. Last year, growth was more subdued at 0.5 per cent to reach £431million.
It is likely that it will be way down on this for 2020. But even still, to turn into a half a billion pound category from a low base within a decade is impressive.
Uplift: How Halloween spend sees supermarket spend uplift
What are we putting in our shopping trolleys?
Last year, 61 per cent of households bought sweets for the event, most likely to dish out to children trick or treating.
Meanwhile, 54 per cent bought a pumpkin and 51 per cent a costume. Two in five even bought Halloween decorations.
In 2019, the retailers that saw the biggest uplift in Halloween sales were 'value' retailers, according to Kantar.
B&M saw annual sales up 22.7 per cent in the category, Aldi 10 per cent and Asda 7.7 per cent. Fourth in the list was M&S, up 2.8 per cent.
Interestingly, alcohol was actually promoted more at Halloween than any traditional Halloween category, more so than chocolate confectionery.
I couldn't help but buy sweets to hand out on Saturday, just in case. We also bought a cheap pumpkin to carve with our daughter.
Judging by other supermarket trolleys, I don't think I'm alone.
Big jump: From 2017 to 2018, there was a surge in Halloween related sales - this levelled off somewhat last year
How will it look this year?
You can't help but notice this year that many major retailers appear to have given Halloween a bit of a swerve.
I have struggled to find my daughter a funny t-shirt or jumper to wear, while usually aisles are crammed with tat for people to buy and children running amok, pulling items for shelves.
Charlotte Scott, consumer insight director at Kantar, tells me: 'Halloween will certainly be different this year.
'With the usual house parties and events off the table, just 18 per cent of British households are planning to celebrate Halloween compared with the 47 per cent that did in 2019.
'Families will mark the occasion and entertain their children within their own homes, with 39 per cent of them planning to carve a pumpkin, 35 per cent to indulge in some Halloween treats and 21 per cent saying they are going to bake their own.'
Meanwhile, it is likely that alcohol sales will continue to perform strongly for Halloween, despite it being largely focused around children and there being a lack of parties.
Charlotte adds: 'Last year, some non-traditional Halloween categories benefited from the event as retailers included them in their marketing and offers.
'Sales of alcohol on promotional deals increased by 10 per cent in the run up to the 31st last year and, with pubs and bars closed, they are likely to receive an additional boost this time around.
'That being said, not everyone is buying it – our research in 2019 found that more than half of Britons think Halloween is just for kids and 24 per cent feel it has become too commercialised.'
Spooky events: According to Eventbrite, there are still plenty of things to do virtually for Halloween
Pumpkin patches: Don't get me started…
Halloween events this year won't be quite as blown up as they have been in recent years. Thanks to coronavirus measures, parties and other gatherings are largely off the cards.
Eventbrite says that search data shows that people of all ages have instead been looking for alternative ways to celebrate.
In the first two weeks of October, it says that one in five UK event searches on its platform has been related to Halloween.
This is Money assistant editor and consumer journalist, Lee Boyce, writes his Consumer Trends column every Saturday.
It ranges from food and drink and retail, to financial services and travel.
Have an idea or suggestion? Get in touch:
What's available? Well, one of the big drives in recent years is farm owners realising they can make an extra buck or two selling tickets to 'pumpkin patches.' They dish out wheelbarrows and people fill them with pumpkins to buy.
I was recently dragged to one (never again) located on what is usually a Christmas tree farm.
It is essentially an hour spent in a boggy field, watching parents take photographs of their children sitting on pumpkins, sipping on pumpkin spiced lattes, finished off with forking out for overpriced pumpkins.
My grumpiness aside, Eventbrite says it has seen a 20-fold increase in virtual Halloween events compared to last year with a quarter of events on the platform taking place online.
This includes spooky story readings, mask and cake making workshops, parties, pumpkin carving competitions, quizzes and shows.
In-person events include outdoor scary walks, horror movie screenings and you guessed it, pumpkin patches.
If you do come trick or treating at my door, as mentioned I have bought some sweets to dish out, even if I'm not a Halloween super fan.
I will hand them out fully-hand sanitised in a hazmat suit with a litter pick to keep a 2m distance (I won't do that really).
Most watched Money videos
- The classic Moke is reborn as an electric vehicle
- Are BP and Shell worth investing in despite green concerns?
- MGB Roadster Limited Edition in detail
- Range Rover announces new fully electric version
- New £95k Range Rover unveiled - and will have an EV version
- Renault show off AIR4 retro drone version of Renault 4 without wheels
- Volkswagen launch stunning all-electric cars ID.5 and ID.5 GTX
- 5% of public electric car chargers revealed to be unusable
- Portable electric vehicle charger that can be stored in the boot
- Government unveils new design for electric vehicle charging point
- Kia creates an electrical storm with all new battery-powered EV6 GT
- Renault unveils retro drone based on classic 4 for 60th anniversary


text:
Hype Luxury Mobility Rentals has expanded its services to multiple cities across India. The company currently has a presence in 19 Indian cities namely Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cochin, Delhi-NCR, Goa, Hyderabad, Indore, Coimbatore, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kolkata, Mangalore, Madurai, Mumbai, and Pondicherry. In the year 2017, when Hype first started its operations, it had launched its services across seven cities in India and the brand claims that it is now growing at a 300-400 percent month-on-month rate. After entering the key metros and Tier-I cities in India, Hype is now focussing on Tier-II cities and is looking forward to serving customers in Lucknow, Kanpur, Ranchi, and Baroda within the year 2021.
In addition, the company looks really optimistic and is aiming at 300% growth by the fiscal year 2024. Hype recently added 1,000 luxury cars to its fleet and with this, it now has 14,000+ vehicles with over 6,000 luxury and 8,000 premium cars. Hype says that there has been an increase of 3 to 4 times in bookings that has led the organization to double its fleet size. Hype says that in luxury car renting, people prefer self-drive to chauffeur-driven with a ratio of 60:40.
The most preferred luxury car brand in Bangalore is Mercedes-Benz, followed by BMW, which is the general trend in South India and Mumbai. On the other hand, in North and East India, the demand for renting Audi is high. Self-drive cars at Hype start at Rs 6,999 per day with the Toyota Innova Crysta. Also, Hype has some of the most premium brands in its fleet like Rolls-Royce, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Maserati, Jaguar, and many more.
Speaking on Hype’s expansion plans, Raghav Belavadi, Founder and CEO, Hype Luxury Mobility said that since August 2000, there has been a sudden spike, which is four to five times increase in the number of tourists renting their luxury cars. He adds that the demand from different regions in India, drove Hype to expand operations in other cities as well.
Get live Stock Prices from BSE, NSE, US Market and latest NAV, portfolio of Mutual Funds, Check out latest IPO News, Best Performing IPOs, calculate your tax by Income Tax Calculator, know market’s Top Gainers, Top Losers & Best Equity Funds. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.


text:
Bungalow brush-off dents house prices
HOUSE prices edged 0.1% lower during December as certain types of property fell out of favour with buyers, Government figures showed today.
The fall was driven by a 1% drop in the average price of a bungalow and a 0.9% decline in the cost of semi-detached homes, according to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
But at the same time people paid around 1.3% more for terraced houses than they had in November.
Overall, the figures, which are not seasonally adjusted, showed the average home in the UK cost £185,788 in December - just £60 less than during the previous month.
The fall was also less than the 0.7% drop in prices recorded during December 2004.
Most watched Money videos
- A 'mortgage-free' way for first-time buyers to own their home
- Which? finds out if an electric car runs out of battery in traffic
- Cinematic video of Lamborghini Countach with a top speed of 221mph
- £2M 1980s Lamborghini Countach is back with a top speed of 221mph
- Scaled-down electric Aston Martin DB5 marks release of new Bond film
- Taking a look at the Jaguar XJ220 from all angles on a test drive
- Take a look at clutter-free EV chargers trialled in London
- Porsche 928 driven by Tom Cruise sells for $1.98 million at auction
- Porsche 928 driven by Tom Cruise in Risky Business sells for a bomb
- Dacia unveil the Jogger: the UK's least expensive seven-seat car
- Rolls-Royce plans to mine on the moon
- Britain's Garage of the Year 2021 nominee's incredible construction


text:
Tech Savvy: Innovative tech at heart of CES
The annual CES show, disrupted as many things by the pandemic, took place in person and virtually earlier this month in Las Vegas. The show features futuristic technology as well as tech items that are either available for consumers or will be shortly.
The CES show wrapped up earlier this month in Las Vegas after two years of interruption during the pandemic.
The event can be a preview of what it will be like living in the future, or a glimpse into what will be likely to change everyday living right now as thousands of products are debuted.
CES described it as “a week filled with thousands of product debuts unveiling innovation that will better the world and solve global challenges. More than 2300 exhibiting companies from around the world, including more than 800 startups, launched products featuring innovation across artificial intelligence, automotive technology, digital health, smart home and more.”
The show, which focuses on consumer technology, drew more than 45,000 people to 11 indoor and outdoor venues.
“Innovation came to life this week at CES 2022 — with technologies that will reshape industries and provide solutions to pressing worldwide issues from healthcare to agriculture, sustainability and beyond,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, Consumer Technology Association (CTA)TM, owner and producer of CES. “The CES show floor buzzed with the joy of human interaction and a five-sense innovation experience with products that will redefine our future and change our world for the better.”
The event was a hybrid with an ability to attend in person and virtually and found a little bit of a mixed bag in attendance with some companies pulling out after COVID-19 surged yet again with omicron. CNET writers noted a “slew of interesting products” including Dell laptops and Samsung’s TVs.
The TVs, getting clearer and larger, were noted with high definition and high performance, topped by TCL’s 98-inch TV powered by Roku. We’ve become familiar with LED TVs and now Organic Light Emitting Diode, or OLED TVs, are all the rage.
“Watching an OLED TV for the first time will give you that rare feeling of having just witnessed something really very special,” TechRadar reported.
CNET reported Samsung finally unveiled its OLED TV to compete with LG’s best-in-class picture. “And Samsung's The Freestyle TV projector — with its 100-inch picture, 360-degree sound and a $900 price tag — was a fun surprise,” CNET reported. Samsung reports the small, round projector is easy to set up and optimizes screen size, auto-focuses, and levels the image even when pointed on an angle.” It is also portable and works with a battery bank for outdoor shows. The screen can go from 30 to 100 inches. It comes with a battery base and a case. The projector with the stand is less than 2 pounds and 6.8 inches in height. Samsung’s website notes pre-orders are temporarily on hold but people can sign up to get an alert when pre-orders are taken again.
Other items stretching the imagination included a BMW that can change its exterior color using E Ink, a fitness display in a contact lens, continued looks at flying drones that can carry people and augmented reality glasses — with expectations for Apple to launch an augmented reality/virtual reality headset this year, CNET reported.
CES listed key trends in:
- Automotive technology — More than 190 automotive companies exhibited at the event. CNET noted the electric vehicle “tsunami is about to come ashore.”
- Digital health — with information on telemedicine, wearable health devices aimed at giving consumers more information and greater ability to make choices on behalf of their health.
- Artificial intelligence — It was, of course, a major highlight during the weeklong show, including John Deere, which featured what CES described as the first fully autonomous tractor; and Beyond Honeycomb, an artificial intelligence-enabled robot to prep and cook customizable meals. “Prevalent throughout the show was artificial intelligence, making products and technologies smarter, more efficient and customizable, advancing nearly every major industry from agriculture to healthcare, automotive, manufacturing and entertainment,” CES reported.
At Beyond Honeycomb, the South Korean company reports the AI-driven kitchen robot learns to reproduce dishes one would experience from famous chefs.
“Everyone deserves to experience good food anywhere, anytime at a low price. Technology makes it happen,” Beyond Honeycomb reported. “We are reshaping commercial kitchens to create a digital platform. With a digitized set of chef skills and taste data, the platform serves casual, but chef-quality daily meals like sandwich, burger, BBQ Grill, and salad, at a low price.”
On its website, Beyond Honeycomb reported, “Today, many commercial kitchens face labor shortage and various human risks. Highly skilled chefs are limited to serving at a single location at a time.
”Whereas, Beyond Honeycomb's AI Chef enables greater kitchen productivity and menu options while minimizing labor cost and human error. Original chefs, as 'creators' can now serve their masterpieces to a bigger group of eaters on the platform.”
- Startups — With more than 800 startups from 19 countries featured. CES listed the SkyDrive air taxi and Orbisk, an AI-powered fully automated food waste monitoring system. SkyDrive looks like a plane met a helicopter and a drone on a date. It has the look of a single occupant plane cockpit minus the wings, the landing gear of a helicopter and the flying apparatus of four sets of rotating blades of a drone.
Orbisk reports it helps professional kitchens get a grip on food waste, helping to save tens of thousands of dollars annually.
Maybe put this one in the camp of the thing you didn’t know you needed.
The Bird Buddy smart bird feeder could be a draw for any number of birdwatchers. Have a feeder away from the house and windows? No problem. It’s as if there is a Ring doorbell camera on the bird feeder.
You’ll even get updates on your phone with a lovely closeup of the bird and an ability to grab a photo and a way to identify the bird. The feeder will also update you on when it needs to be refilled. The Bird Buddy has a high resolution camera, AI bird recognition and a built-in microphone. It comes in yellow or blue and has an upgrade option of a solar panel. It can be mounted on a fence or a wall and a suet ball holder can be added to the mix.
Bird Buddy reports people also contribute to the database of bird migration and population with their feeder. It requires a Wi-Fi connection and then streams to a mobile device. Bird Buddy reports its battery can last between 10 and 30 days.
The photos displayed on the Bird Buddy website are sharp. Bird Buddy says the camera gets people closer to the birds and provides a “goofy, selfie-like perspective.” Bird Buddy is crowdfunded. A single feeder costs about $200 with a current 15% discount on the website indicated. Three feeders were $529. People can pre-order with an expectation for delivery in June of 2022.
And that’s CES, showing amazing different ways technology can change everyday life.
Through Jan. 31, registered in-person and digital-only CES 2022 attendees can review on-demand sessions.
Renee Richardson, managing editor, may be reached at 218-855-5852 or email@example.com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchBizBuzz.


text:
According to rumours, Apple May launch new models of MacBook Airs as soon as next week. Notebook’s latest editions are expected to feature improved specs over their predecessors, including faster processors and increased storage.
New MacBook Air can have a Retina display just like the MacBook Pro. But would Apple launch this next week, or would it save it for WWDC in June? As they announced earlier that next release will be in June.
Apple’s New MacBook line is one of the best and last bastions of growth for the laptop market. Apple announced its second quarter financial results last night. It sold 43.7 million iPhones in the period, and 4.1 million Macs.


text:
AMD's Server Market Share Could More Than Double by the End of 2020
Prior to the launch of its 7nm Epyc CPUs, AMD's total server market share had edged upwards to ~3.4 percent. Now that 7nm hardware is in-market, there are reports that AMD is gaining market share more rapidly.
AMD Announces Multiple Dell Servers in Major Epyc Win
AMD has won a trio of new Dell servers, with significant implications for its Epyc CPU platform.
Dell buys information services giant EMC in largest tech deal ever
Dell just bought information services giant EMC in the largest tech deal ever. The move gives Dell new positioning in the cloud services market.


text:
The impressive new HTC One M9’s release date is officially set for April 10, and after months of waiting, the smartphone will finally be ready for prospective buyers. Reviews so far have been generally mixed, and today HTC announced the release of a release-day bug fix update aimed at mitigating several major issues with the new smartphone.
On March 1, the HTC One M9 smartphone was finally announced, and it has emerged after months of leaks, rumors and speculation. Besides the stylish new two-tone color design and the latest version of Android, the biggest and most exciting addition was the new 20.7 megapixel rear camera.
Tomorrow the HTC One M9 will be available from AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint, and today we learn that an update will be available and waiting for almost all buyers. Verizon HTC One M9 already has the latest software, Sprint will get an OTA update tomorrow and T-Mobile and AT&T owners can expect it to arrive next week. So what is this update about? Read on for more details.
HTC’s new smartphone is an excellent device. It features a beautiful two-tone all-aluminum design, the latest version of Android, dual front-facing speakers, a powerful new theme engine to change the look, and more. But the biggest change has been the new 20.7-megapixel camera. Replacing the Duo cameras on the One M8 last year.
Many reviews on the web, including our links above, state that although the phone is excellent overall, the camera is still lacking. Besides the almost identical design as last year’s One M8, we concluded that the camera is one of the biggest and only flaws of the new HTC One M9. The weakest link, so to speak. It’s an issue HTC had with the One M8 in 2014.
Today, the company announced that a major bug fix update has been released to fix exactly that. After some internal testing, further improvement, and feedback from the media, they have made some major changes to the software and are introducing a release date update aimed at improving the owners experience.
Our own HTC One M9 looks pretty great in photos, but it often didn’t have the best lighting, was slow to focus, and even had a hard time figuring out what to actually focus on in the photo. Items farther away seemed to confuse focus, which often resulted in poor photos. The 20.7-megapixel camera was a welcomed release and something many were excited about, but the sub-par performance was somewhat disappointing. We mentioned that we hope it can be improved over time with a capable camera and even software updates.
Those who own the Verizon HTC One M9 should have HTC software ending in .33 and Android 5.0.2 Lollipop, the latest version with camera improvements. However, not all other units purchased from other carriers will have this feature. Owners are advised to go to settings > about phone > and check for updates to ensure they are on the latest .33 software version.
This includes “improvements to the overall camera experience” and some additional undisclosed bug fixes. HTC promises that this will significantly improve the camera sensor, which should be quite capable, so if it addresses some of these concerns, this is a great phone worth buying. We got the update today on our own T-Mobile HTC One M9 and we will definitely try it to see if everything works out. All done, enjoy your new HTC One M9 and be on the lookout for an update that will make this excellent Android smartphone even better.


text:
Apple Inc – Co. launched the latest version of its IPad in China. Launch of the product was a low key affair as against its previous launches.
Apple was involved in various lawsuits in China, one being where it had to pay USD 60 m to a Chinese co. over a trademark settlement.
Apple is looking to expand further in China as it opened 2 retail outlets in Beijing.
Categories: General News


text:
Virgin Mobile has revealed that it will be the second US carrier to offer prepaid iPhones starting June 29. The news follows about one week after an announcement by Cricket Wireless, which will sell prepaid iPhones starting June 22. Both providers will sell Apple's handset contract-free...
Downloads and Drivers
Subscribe to TechSpot
Get free exclusive content, learn about new features and breaking tech news.


text:
Tag: Nissan Leaf
The Nissan Leaf EV for India will come with about 240 kms driving range.
Nissan Leaf EV will go on sale in India later this year. It will deliver an estimated 240 kms on a single charge.
Nissan India announced plans to launch their new generation Leaf electric car today.
The electric hatchback has a claimed range of 380 km.
Completing a decade of operations in the Indian market, Nissan Motor India has seen significant increase in sales in FY14 over FY13.
Nissan Carnival concluded recently at Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida.
This month, Nissan delivered its 50,000th Leaf all-electric vehicle in the US to Todd and Lisa Bolt. The black LEAF SL was delivered at AutoNation Nissan of Lewisville. Dallas and Texas state are benefiting from keen owner advocates, adequate public charging infrastructure and free charging promotions. Thus far in 2014, Leaf sales in Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex have grown by about 50% over 2013.
To mark the 19th annual International Noise Awareness Day (INAD), Nissan has taken to the streets of one of Europe's quietest villages during the middle of the night with a silent "ride"...


text:
What on Earth is that rocket ship icon on your Facebook mobile app?
Some users have noticed a mini missile on either the top or bottom task bar of their News Feed, depending on whether they’re using Android (top) or iOS (bottom), quietly appearing over the past month.
Turns out, this rocket rocking social media is an experimental, alternative News Feed that Facebook is soft-launching in some markets, with puzzled users tweeting about it from California to Croatia. It features popular posts, articles, photos and videos from Facebook Pages and news media organizations that you haven’t liked or followed, but that it thinks you might be interested in based on what you currently “like” or follow. It’s similar to Instagram’s Explore tab, which also curates posts that the company’s algorithm has calculated that would be appealing to you.
All that Facebook would tell Moneyish is that, "We are testing a complementary feed of popular articles, videos, and photos, customized for each person based on content that might be interesting to them. We’ve heard from people that they want an easy way to explore new content they haven’t connected with yet.”
But not every user is on board.


text:
Like us on Facebook?
It's quite obvious that the most dominant trend prevalent in the smartphone industry these days is to serve the more budget-conscious customers.
The largely untapped markets of the Far East and South Asia are the reason almost every smartphone manufacturer is rushing to make cheaper variants of its low-end products.
But now, another trend is cropping up that could become the next big thing in years (or even months) to come. Smartphones that can't be digitally broken into by intruders are the order of the day, thanks to the NSA, and several companies are trying to develop a demand for it.
So far three smartphones that claim to be unhackable or hack-proof have come out. Let's check out this trio:
FreedomPop's Privacy Phone
American Internet service provider FreedomPop is set to make its new Privacy Phone commercially available for sale on Wednesday. While the phone's name is enough to explain what it's all about, the company's own description of their product says that it should be used to 'protect your privacy from hackers, government agencies and spyware.'
Nicknamed the “Snowden Phone,” it 'ensures your internet, voice calls & texts are secure and encrypted.'
In a nutshell, if you don't want your data to fall into wrong hands, this is the phone to get.
This is a 2 GHz Quad Core CPU smartphone that would come with an 8 Megapixel camera and 4.7-inch diagonal IPS LCD. While those are decent specs, it's not what makes this a special phone.
Made by Spanish startup Geeksphone, this upcoming product will serve those who need heightened protection from intelligence agencies and hackers.
Geeksphone has been in the smartphone manufacturing business since 2009, but they have teamed up with American security company Silent Circle on this one. The two have simply pooled in their resources to overcome the security holes that make Android vulnerable. Their modified version of Google's OS has been named PrivatOS.
While it all sounds good on paper and the phone looked nice too at last month's Mobile World Congress, the jury will remain out on its unhackability until it comes out in June.
Boeing Black Smartphone
The most interesting of the lot is the upcoming Boeing Black smartphone. Being developed by airplane manufacturer Boeing, this one packs some truly James Bond-type features, the most astonishing of which is the hardware encryption and self-destruction mode that does what it says. If someone would try and tamper with it, the self-destruction mode would automatically get activated and wipe off all the data. The phone would not even be useable after that.
But you will be disappointed to know that Boeing is making the Black phone only for the US government. It won't ever become commercially available. However, now that the concept has been introduced, maybe others would try and incorporate it in their products.
Banner and thumbnail credit: Reuters


text:
Spring Park’s Back Channel Brewing Collective invites you to take in the scenery while you sip a new beer.
This summer’s newest taproom is on Lake Minnetonka—literally. Back Channel Brewing Collective, housed in the former Family & Cosmetic Gentle Dentistry building on Shoreline Drive in Spring Park, has a lakeside patio with garage-door windows that roll open toward the water, and walls of windows that put the lake in focus. The Back Channel team is working on permits for transient boat slips, too, so you can boat right up for a beer, craft soda or cold-press coffee.
The lake is a big deal here, but, of course, the scenery isn’t the only reason to visit: The main draw is the beer. Head brewer Marc Makarem can’t even choose a favorite brew. “I love the depth of our imperial stout, but oftentimes look to the refreshing, thirst-quenching flavor of the blonde summer ale,” he says. Makarem, who started brewing beer at home about six years ago, says Back Channel hopes to reach customers all along the beer-drinking spectrum. “We want to show newer craft beer drinkers why we enjoy making and serving the beer we do, and we want to show our craft-only consumers that we know good beer.”
Back Channel has four co-owners: Josh Leddy, Melissa Langseth, Joe Meehan and Matt “Olie” Olson. Leddy says the origin of the brewery “all comes back to Lake Minnetonka.” Leddy and Langseth, who are engaged, have been friends with Meehan and Olson for years. Meehan used to keep his boat at Leddy’s house, and they all like to spend time on the lake. All four are “true west-metro people,” Leddy says.
Langseth and Leddy started visiting local breweries several years ago and quickly fell in love with the ambiance of the taproom. “The first one I ever went to was Excelsior [Brewing Co.],” Leddy recalls. “It was when they had their little garage taproom, and I thought it was so cool.” He and Langseth ventured beyond Minnesota and made trips to breweries all over the country, talking to brewers and owners, gathering ideas they liked at every stop.
“This hobby quickly turned into a passion. We scheduled our weekends around visiting new taprooms and planned vacations around going to breweries,” Langseth says.
When she and Leddy decided they wanted to open their own brewery about three and a half years ago, they quickly brought Meehan and Olson on board. Soon after, Makarem joined the team. Leddy and Olson had been brewing beer for about three years and had planned to do the brewing themselves, but were excited when they added Makarem to the mix. “Pretty much everyone involved has [known each other] for many years—there’s a collective effort by all of us to make it happen,” Leddy says.
Leddy operates a seasonal business removing lake weeds and restoring natural habitat on the shoreline, and his interest in the lake is deep. He hopes to use the brewery to help promote a healthy lake by advocating for weed removal. Now he’s even found a use for the weeds: “We’re utilizing lake weeds from Lake Minnetonka for compost to help grow our hops better,” he says. The hops won’t be ready to use for their beer for a few years, but he’s looking forward to using ingredients the brewers grow in the neighborhood.
That isn’t the only local connection. Back Channel plans to take advantage of a local business that will use their spent grains to make dog treats. They’re planning to get ingredients from sustainable farmers and maltsters, and they have designated a wall in the brewery to display local artists’ work on a rotating basis, offering a chance for them to show and sell the art.
Back Channel’s lakeside location is ideal for boaters, but it’s easy to walk and bike in, too. The brewery is right across the street from the Dakota Bike Trail, making it a convenient stop for people enjoying the outdoors. They’re hoping for a new crosswalk for the convenience of customers, and biked-in food delivery from Dakota Junction. The Minnetonka Drive-In plans to deliver food by golf cart, which brewery customers can order via a new online platform. Since the drive-in isn’t open in the colder months, there are also plans for food trucks during the off-season.
Speaking of seasons, the beers on tap will change seasonally, too. “There is nothing better than being surprised with an ever-changing variety of beer styles,” Olson says. But nothing is set in stone—if something disappears and customers want it to come back on tap, the brewery owners plan to listen. “I want our customers to have an experience that they won’t forget and crave coming back for more,” Olson says.
The inside of the brewery has high ceilings and plenty of windows, and makes use of lots of weather-beaten wood that was repurposed from an old barn. The clean, open look helps draw attention to both the lake view and the beer-making process. “We want people to ask questions and be engaged, relaxed and have a good time,” Leddy says. “I don’t gravitate toward loud music at a brewery—we want people to enjoy the beer and have a chance to learn about it.”
To that end, they have a couple of TVs but no sound, and a space that makes it easy to engage with and educate customers. The brewing area itself is completely visible, and they offer tours. “We’re not just showing where grains go, but telling the big story on how we got started,” Leddy says. “It starts with Lake Minnetonka and ends with us serving beer on the lake.”
It all comes back to the lake experience and the beer. “I am passionate about being able to provide a quality craft beer experience with a unique atmosphere on what I think is the greatest lake in the world,” Langseth says. Her enthusiasm is shared by all the co-owners, who are thrilled to be working together on this project. “This experience has shown me how challenging and rewarding it can be when a group of people come together to create something special,” Meehan says.