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It appears that the new iMac could make a small appearance at Apple’s upcoming ‘California Streaming’ event.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple plans to reveal that it will begin to sell all colors of the new iMac in its company’s retail stores. This means that you’ll now be able to visit your local Apple Store and purchase the yellow, orange, and purple colors of the iMac and walk out with it.
Not iPhone and Apple Watch only, some minor Mac news to look out for on September 14: Apple will start selling all 24-inch M1 iMac colors in retail stores. Yellow, orange, and purple were previously available only online.
When Apple originally announced the new iMac, it said that only the green, pink, blue, and silver colors would be available for purchase at its retail locations. The yellow, orange, and purple colors have had to be purchased on the company’s online store or on the Apple Store app.
Featuring a stunning design in a spectrum of vibrant colors, the breakthrough M1 chip, and a brilliant 4.5K Retina display, the new iMac is much more compact and fits easily in even more places, transforming any space into anything users need it to be. iMac configurations in green, pink, blue, and silver will be available to purchase directly at apple.com and Apple Store locations, and all seven colors will be available at apple.com.
Apple is expected to reveal the iPhone 13 at its ‘California Streaming’ event on Tuesday, September 14. The company is also rumored to reveal the Apple Watch Series 7, the 3rd generation of AirPods, and the 9th generation iPad.


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Barbaria is grunting its way onto PlayStation VR2 next week.
Previously announced during the UploadVR Summer Showcase 2023, Barbaria will release on PSVR 2 was initially scheduled to launch this Summer, having released earlier this year on Quest and PC VR. Following a delay, it's now arriving this November and you can see it in action below:
In May, Barbaria introduced the Ages system, which will see a new Age added into the game every few months featuring unique rewards, trophies and challenges. This started with the Age of Retribution update in May, September brought the Age of Divine Favor and a Quest 3 update also dropped last month with visual improvements.
We enjoyed Barbaria when it released for Quest 2 and PC VR earlier this year – here's a snippet from our review:
Barbaria offers an excellent blend of first-person combat and strategic tower defense gameplay. It’s a release that directly rampages into a hole in the Quest library that seemed to be waiting for a game like this. With a decent range of game modes on offer as well as an engaging and satisfying progression system, Barbaria is well worth adding to any VR action enthusiast’s library.
We can't wait to see how the game plays on PSVR 2 when it launches for the platform on November 9.
This article, originally published on June 14, was updated on November 2, 2023, to reflect Barbaria's new release date on PSVR 2.

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text: Business for Randy Jahier is going swimmingly. The former furniture manufacturer recently opened Life Aquatic, a saltwater fish and aquarium store in New Canaan's downtown named after the 2004 movie starring Bill Murray as arrogant oceanographer Steve Sizzou. "New Canaan is a beautiful little town that doesn't have anything like this at all," he said. "I find a lot of people that come in here find a world that they never would have seen before." Jahier said the 1,750-square-foot shop gives him a chance to show people that having a saltwater aquarium isn't difficult with the advent of new technology. "People have a pre-conception that keeping a saltwater tank is impossible," he said. "It's not." The store offers fish tanks in abundant shapes and sizes for its "thousands and thousands" of different saltwater species, said Jahier, whose largest pre-manufactured tank holds 300 gallons. Jahier said Life Aquatic, which also sells live reefs, has only a couple of different types of shark because of the species' great size. "They're better left in the ocean," he said. Prices range from about $10 for the store's least expensive fish up to $400 for a vividly-colored harlequin tusk fish, said Jahier, who has two employees to help run the shop. "You can spend thousands on a fish," said Jahier, whose inventory includes angel fish, puffer fish, clown fish and tang fish. "There's too many to name." Jahier, who lives in Pound Ridge, N.Y., said his most of his fish come from farms -- part of an effort to protect the number of species swimming wild in the sea. "Oceans are a threatened part of the world," he said. "What sets us apart is we are very environmentally responsible." Jahier said his shop gives a less expensive way to gaze at exotic fish in a slow economy. "People can go on mini-vacations by looking at their fish tanks," he said. About 700,000 U.S. households own saltwater pet fish, according to the American Pet Products Association in Greenwich. Life Aquatic is open Tuesday to Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.


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It’s been a while since I added to our series of posts looking at how major brands use social, so I thought it about time to pass judgment on another unsuspecting marketing team.
On this occasion the brand in question is fashion retailer Nordstrom which it turns out has a rather good social strategy, particularly when it comes to Pinterest.
This article follows on from similar posts looking at ASOS, Coca-Cola, Nike, H&M and Burberry, among others.
Google+ has achieved 1.15bn users, but only 35% of those use are active monthly.
These figures come from We Are Social, after analysing the growth trends for Google+ year on year, globally and locally.
Is this data a damning insight into the general malaise around Google+ or is this merely reflective of general social media sign up trends?
Pinterest drove an unprecedented amount of traffic to retail sites in Q4 2013 achieving a 50% quarter-over-quarter increase in revenue-per-visit (RPV).
In fact, Pinterest has overtaken Facebook for UK referral revenue and is expected to do the same in the USA this year.
This should come as no surprise. The business case for retailers investing in Pinterest is well past the tipping point. With over 70m global users, Pinterest is now the third most popular social network.
Also, with the amount of Pinterest Pin it buttons overtaking the amount of Facebook Likes on product pages, retailers are realising that Pinterest is a key way to drive sales.
You really don’t need me to tell you that there’s a LEGO movie out right now. It’s impossible to ignore.
Heck, even as I write this there’s a Culture Show special on BBC2 right now about how LEGO has influenced architecture. Funnily enough, when constructing our house, the builders ran out of red bricks halfway up and had to finish with yellows and greens.
Warner Bros. began the marketing push seven months ago in June 2013 with a rapturously received teaser trailer and continued with a solid social marketing strategy, which saw very close engagement on social channels that continues through to this week of release.
ITV even turned over an entire advert break during its Sunday night edition of Dancing on Ice to LEGO, during which adverts from BT, Confused.com and Premier Inn were remade with LEGO models.
Prince and 3RDEYEGIRL played another surprise show in London last night as part of their Hit N’ Run tour to promote the band’s new single and forthcoming album.
The gig in Shepherd’s Bush was announced on BBC Radio 6 early on Sunday morning which sent Twitter in a Prince-inspired frenzy.
The ‘guerilla’ shows are part of Prince’s policy of avoiding middlemen and traditional marketing channels to promote his gigs and new music releases.
Last week he played two surprise shows in Camden’s Electric Ballrooms following a closed press conference held in a friend’s flat in East London.
It was on the day I published an article called Dissecting the ‘death of Facebook’, where I pulled together all the negatively spun reports on Facebook of late and tried to add some balance to the argument, that Facebook announced its revenue for 2013 as $7.9bn, an overall increase of 55% year-on-year.
Suddenly my measly defence of Facebook seemed a little bit pathetic.
Then just a few days later, without warning, these little video links started appearing on our news feeds: Facebook a Look Back. 62 second long videos of all of our personal histories as told through the eyes of Facebook.
Facebook has used its 'bigger than big' data, accrued over ten years of existence, to create something completely unique and personalised for every single one of its user. Not just for the users in the UK either, worldwide.
That’s 757m daily active Facebook users worldwide, each receiving a minute-long, personalised love letter from Facebook. It’s an incredible achievement and a massive PR assualt directed at every single one of us. It seems the rumours of Facebook's demise have been greatly exaggerated.
I talked to some experts today about what they thought of Facebook’s 10th anniversary present to its users, but first a little of my own experience.
Cadbury UK certainly made a splash when it showed up as one of the early adopters of Google Plus.
Despite its near immediate success on the platform (the brand gained 1.2m followers in a matter of months) many others have been slow to get on board with the not-so-new social network.
I wanted to share with you how Cadbury has used the platform to take its content marketing strategy to the next level.
Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Tumblr drove an unprecedented amount of traffic to retail sites in Q4 2013 with revenue-per-visit (RPV) increasing across all social channels.
However, Pinterest is taking swift advantage of Facebook’s slowing growth by achieving a 50% quarter-over-quarter increase in RPV.
That’s not to say that Facebook didn’t end 2013 in a big way. In fact it broke multiple records as per usual.
These findings come from Adobe’s recently released social intelligence report for Q4 2013. The report reveals an otherwise massive end of year for Facebook with click-through-rate (CTR) up 365% year-over-year and 41% quarter-over-quarter.
This follows another recent report from Kenshoo revealing that Facebook ads drove a 60% increase in sales revenue in the same quarter.
However, as stated at the top of the page, things are certainly not all rosy for Facebook, with other social media networks asserting their positions and overtaking Facebook in key areas.
Let’s take a closer look at the report.
When Google+ Communities was launched back in December 2012, it was at a time I was trying to be active on the network.
What better way of showing my support for a network we’re frequently being reminded not to neglect than by jumping on this new feature?
So I quickly and enthusiastically signed up to a handful of the raft of communities that were created that first week and even started my own. But, my participation in said communities lasted for about as long as my enthusiasm for Google+ itself, which is to say: not very long.
In this post I am going to explore Google+ Communities from a fresh perspective, especially now that the feature has had just over a year to mature.
Is the feature enough to make me start using Plus again? And would I start recommending businesses invest their time there again?
In recent months there have been several reports that Facebook is a dying network that can’t stem the flood of teens leaving it for instant messaging apps.
However last week we published data which showed that Facebook is still hugely popular among all demographics, particularly on mobile, and now a separate report shows that Facebook is still easily the most important social network for referral traffic.
The data from Shareaholic examines the breakdown of overall referral traffic for more than 200,000 websites in Q4 2013.
Facebook easily comes out on top with an average of 13.8% of overall referral traffic, followed by Pinterest on 4.3%.
Twitter was third for social referrals with 1.1% in Q4, while Google+ came last with just 0.05%.


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By Jonathan Cable
LONDON, Oct 5 (Reuters) – The euro zone’s economic recovery faltered in September with growing evidence sectors and countries in the bloc are diverging as a resurgence of the coronavirus forces the reimposition of restrictions on activity.
A rise in infection rates in Europe, which a Reuters poll concluded last month was the biggest threat to the economic recovery, will concern policymakers who had hoped the euro zone economy was healing after contracting an historic 11.8% in the second quarter. ECILT/EU
Monday’s purchasing managers’ surveys showed services activity, which accounts for around two-thirds of the bloc’s GDP, slammed into reverse after sister surveys last week suggested factories was enjoying something of a revival.
There was also a split between the currency union’s member countries. While Germany’s service industry barely grew in September, strong manufacturing helped the private sector in Europe’s largest economy remain on track for a solid recovery.
But French business activity fell for the first time since June and in Spain the services sector sank deeper into the red as travel restrictions ravaged the summer tourism season.
Italy’s services industry contracted for the second month running with no sign of recovery on the horizon.
“The recovery in industry had been lagging but does seem now to have been catching up whereas services really is bearing the brunt of tighter restrictions,” said Jessica Hinds at Capital Economics.
“In Spain and France in particular, and elsewhere in the euro zone, there has been a tightening up. Fears of a resurgence are adding to consumer caution,” Hinds said.
Meanwhile, Britain’s economy, outside the currency union, proved more resilient than initially thought last month, despite a tightening of lockdown restrictions and an end to a temporary government subsidy for businesses such as restaurants and bars. GB/PMIS


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While some of us are still working to burn off those extra holiday calories, food, food and more food is popping up all around the neighborhood.
Yesterday, The Perennial opened its doors on Ninth Street, just off Market. The new restaurant's goal is an ambitious one: to rethink the restaurant industry's role in saving the planet, via a vegetable-forward menu and innovative cocktails.
If you're craving a burger, we broke the news last week that Popsons, the new burger joint from Causwells headed to Sixth and Market, was plotting a second, temporary outpost at 330 Townsend, just across from the Caltrain station. Now, Eater SF reports that the location will debut for lunch next Tuesday, Jan. 26th, with a variety of cheesy burgers, chili, salads and fries.
Ame, the Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant in the St. Regis Hotel that was particularly popular with celebrities, will be no more come March. Inside Scoop reports that the couple behind the nine-year-old restaurant decided not to extend their lease so they could focus on their other spot, Napa Valley's Terra. The space won't be closed for long: the St. Regis plans to launch an eight-week pop-up called Grill, featuring food from the hotel's own chef. We'll keep you posted on the new permanent tenant.
There's a new Japanese option for Design District regulars. Inside Scoop reports that Okane, from the chef behind ritzy, Michelin-starred sushi spot Omakase, has opened up right next door. It has many more seats and a far more affordable menu, but plenty of the same ingredients imported from Tokyo.
Now that you have some ideas for your next meal, here's a peek at some other events worth checking out this weekend.
Discover even more upcoming San Francisco events athoodline.com/events.
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New Delhi: In a move that will ease liquidity for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said all pending GST refunds will be paid within the next 30 days, while future dues will be settled in 60 days.
The government also plans to amend the MSME Act to provide a single, holistic definition for MSMEs, it said as part of the measures announced to revive the economy.
“If the refund comes within such a short span of time, it will improve the liquidity of the sector which is really going to help. Working capital always becomes an issue for the small and medium enterprises,” said Arun Kumar Panda, secretary, MSME.
The government said it will implement some of the key recommendations of the UK Sinha panel relating to the ease of credit, marketing and technology upgrade for MSMEs. The recommendations are expected to be implemented in the next 30 days.
Banks and NBFCs are simultaneously partnering through co-organisation, which is particularly helpful for MSME borrowers, said the ministry. “MSMEs have been a priority for us beyond just the partnerships with banks. We will focus on getting money to MSMEs faster from GST and government buyers.” The government also expects MSMEs to benefit from the infra thrust and unlocking of payments held up due to arbitration.
“We are very encouraged... These will definitely ease the credit flow for MSMEs. We hope that in the coming days, we are provided more clarity on some of these issues faced by the industry, including the 59-minute loan scheme,” said Ashok Saigal, co-chair, CII MSME committee.


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Several weeks back, “Saturday Night Live” spoofed the increasing ubiquity and purported safety of e-cigarettes by touting its own fictitious product — “e-meth.” The skit, which included “Breaking Bad’s” Jesse Pinkman (actor Aaron Paul), offered e-meth as a sensible smokeless alternative to crystal meth itself — a completely far-fetched and ridiculous claim.
It was also quite laughable — until you realize that e-cigarette companies are hawking their product as a “safe cigarette” in much the same way.
It’s no joke. And e-cigarettes are uniquely poised at the moment to either be regulated by the government as tobacco products should be or to enjoy looser, less strict regulation.
Companies that make e-cigarettes — battery-operated sticks made of plastic or metal that release vapor, rather than smoke, to deliver nicotine in a warmed mist of diethylene glycol, propylene glycol and carcinogenic nitrosamines — are counting on the latter. These companies hope that e-cigarettes — already a $2 billion a year endeavor — might just save a dying U.S. tobacco industry.
Using the swaying power of actors Stephen Dorff and Jenny McCarthy, companies such as Blucigs — which offers nicotine delivered in flavors from pina colada to peach schnapps, appeal to youngsters who gravitate toward the exploding market of flavored cigarettes — these companies are ramping up for a fight. Promises like “You can smoke at a basketball game if you want to” and “We’re all adults — it’s time we take our freedom back” offer smokers and would-be e-cigarette buyers a chance to tap into the bygone era when smoking was cool and its deadly health effects were not known.
The thing is, today we know better.
What we don’t know is the science as to whether e-cigarettes are a safer alternative or just more of the same. As a professional nurse, I wager the latter.
The American Lung Association is very concerned about the potential health consequences of electronic cigarettes, as well as claims that they can be used to help smokers quit.
There is no government oversight of these products. And, absent oversight by the Federal Drug Administration, there is no way for the public health and medical community or for consumers to know what chemicals are actually contained in e-cigarettes — or what the short- and long-term health implications of using them or being around them might be.
The American Lung Association is calling on the Obama administration to propose meaningful regulation of these products to protect to public health.
There are roughly 250 different e-cigarette products on the market today. Based on evidence so far, there’s nothing safe about them —not even as a gateway to cessation. In the FDA’s own research on e-cigarettes from 2009, lab tests revealed detectable levels of toxic cancer-causing chemicals, including an ingredient used in anti-freeze, in two leading brands of e-cigarettes and 18 various cartridges. Other analyses have found formaldehyde, benzene and tobacco-specific nitrosamines, a carcinogen, in e-cigarettes’ emissions, pointing out the poisons in secondhand exposure.
This why it’s urgent for the FDA to immediately begin its regulatory oversight of e-cigarettes, which would include ingredient disclosures by manufacturers. While there is certainly more to learn, it’s clear there is a great deal to be concerned about — especially in the absence of any sort of oversight.
As a former smoker myself, I understand all too well the hope for a safe and evidence-based way to break the habit — but e-cigarettes just are not the way. There is no magic bullet; quitting smoking is incredibly hard to do. Nicotine’s the reason. And at present, there is no evidence supporting e-cigarettes as the best way to kick the habit.
Americans have the freedom to decide, of course, what they do with their bodies — and knowing what we know about the debilitating diseases and deaths faced by many former smokers, I think we will choose to kick the e-cigarette habit before it garners a foothold. E-cigarettes might seem to tout a pathway to tobacco-less freedom, but they entangle individuals in the same poisons as their smoke-filled grandfathers.
We’re all adults here: It’s time to take back our freedom — and choose health for ourselves, our children and communities.
Janie Heath, PhD, is the Thomas A. Saunders III Professor of Nursing and associate dean for academic programs at the University of Virginia School of Nursing.


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The Russian oil contamination crisis that disrupted flows and shook global prices is over, Russian officials say, and the government is calculating damages to its own economy and compensation payouts to neighbors, Reuters reports.
The accord between Transneft and KazTransOil is the first of its kind related to Russia’s dirty-oil crisis, which became the worst disruption to the country’s crude exports in decades after organic chlorides were found in supplies to European refineries through the Druzhba pipeline and cargoes shipped from the Baltic port of Ust-Luga.
For the buyers, the debacle has a long way to run and will cost them hundreds of millions of dollars, Reuters writes.
Two months since buyers discovered Russia was shipping oil contaminated with organic chloride, which is designed to boost output but can destroy refining equipment, less than half of the tainted crude loaded on tankers have found end-users.
More than 1 million metric tons worth around $500 million remain homeless, zigzagging between Europe and Asia. In China, buyers have refused to take dirty Russian oil, forcing trader Vitol to send cargo back to Europe.
The total volume of oil-contaminated in the Druzhba incident is 3.03 million tons, including 1.33 million tons of piped oil and 1.7 million tons shipped by tankers from Ust-Luga, Transneft said, citing documents that confirmed delivery of oil. The company expects all parties involved in the Druzhba incident to finalize their estimates for compensation by the end of summer.


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McCormick ups proposed offer for Premier Foods
McCormick lifts bid for Premier
McCormick said this morning (30 March) it would be willing to pay 65 pence per share for Premier, which has already turned down two takeover approaches from the US group. Premier revealed the interest from McCormick last week and also announced a "co-operation agreement" with Japan's Nissin Foods Holdings, which has since snapped up a stake in the UK business.
The revised proposal compares to McCormick's most recent approach of 60 pence per share. It values Premier at an enterprise value of approximately GBP1.5bn (US$2.16bn) and represents a 106% premium on the UK group's share price prior to McCormick's interest entering the public domain last Wednesday. The new proposal would deliver an implied exit multiple of 10.6x pro forma 2015 EBITDA, McCormick added.
McCormick said it expected the new proposal to be "well received" by Premier's shareholders. The company said it believes its ownership can provide benefits Premier's "current capital structure cannot deliver with or without the proposed co-operation with Nissin Foods".
However, McCormick said its new approach was conditional on "prompt and full engagement" from Premier. McCormick wants to complete some due diligence, which comprises of a review of material pensions documentation, current trading and material contracts.
"McCormick calls on the board of Premier Foods to now engage fully with McCormick to agree a recommended offer, which will offer all shareholders the opportunity of a cash exit at a full valuation of the company," the US company said.
Nissin, for its part, has taken a 17% stake in Premier in a move that provides it with the right to appoint a non-executive director to the firm's board. The deal will, for example, see the two companies work to "accelerate the distribution" of Premier's products in key overseas markets. The UK group said the agreement could also give it "access to Nissin's innovative products and formats" to distribute in the UK market under both the companies' brands.
However, Premier's board has come under fire from shareholders for rejecting the approaches from McCormick and has since insisted that it is open to "improved proposals" from all parties.
Premier has made no statement this morning on McCormick's latest proposal. Shares in Premier were up 6.75% at 60.31p at 09:45 BST.
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It’s that time of year again folks, when Google takes to the stage at San Francisco’s Moscone Center West for Google I/O. This year’s developer conference is shaping up to be one of the biggest I/Os in recent years, with a new version of Android, Android Wear and possible hardware announcements. Today, we’re going to be covering all the news from Google I/O as it happens, which means you’ll be hitting F5 a lot to see more news as we get it. We’ll be watching along live – as can you – and we have Justin Diaz on the ground, packed into the Keynote speech (yeah, we’re just as jealous as you are). This post is going to be the go-to post for today’s keynote, so keep on checking back as we add more information as we get it.
Sundar Pichai, lead for Android as well as Chrome, detailed Android activations, such as the change to measuring active users on a 30-day basis and that Android now has over 1 Billion 30-day active users. Sundar is telling us that we take out our phones over 100 Billion times a day all over the world and that, unsurprisingly, almost a 100 Million selfies are taken every day with Android smartphones. Meanwhile in tablet land, Pichai is detailing shipment figures for the global market share, which stood at 39% two-years ago and now stands at 62% (which doesn’t include the Kindle Fire family). App installs on tablets are up over 200% since a year ago.
Something pretty big that Sundar has just announced is a new initiative dubbed Android One, which is a set of reference hardware designs as well as stock Android software, which carriers can add subtle applications to. Android One is meant for emerging markets that need to build a new device in 9 months or so, all software updates will come directly from Google. An example of an Android One device is a Micromax device in India which is to cost less than $100 US with more OEM partners launching Android One devices later this year.
Pichai just announced that the “L Release” of Android will be previewed during this year’s I/O and that it features a new design as well as over 5,000 new APIs. Matias Duarte has been ushered onto the stage to detail something called “Material Design”, following by a video which showed off a much lighter, more fluid and colorful design language for Android. Duarte talks about an “Elevation Value” which will give developers the ability to create UI with perspective and more. The “L Preview” will feature massive changes, including a new platform called “Palette” to help bring out their brand and UI in each different app. This new design language is certainly a big change to Android and it’s clear that Duarte had a big hand in this new look. Roboto has been updated and Duarte has said that the font will carry over from your phone and tablet to your watch and your laptop.
Duarte gave us a taste of the new GMail app built with Material Design and boy, does this look like the biggest change we have seen in Android design since Ice Cream Sandwich. David Burke, an Engineering Director at Google, has taken to the stage to detail some of the changes in “Material”, it’s all very fluid and individual elements can have an “Elevation” to them, a Z value. The demo on stage is the phone dialer and each element has ripple effects, numbers pop up and stand above elements in the app, bringing some real life to to Android apps. Google will be expanding Material to all other apps in L over the coming months and developers will be able to get a preview of the Material SDK soon.
More than just a new look, the L release of Android will usher in new features like personal unlock, which will talk to smartwatches and allow you to easily unlock your device. If you stray further away from said watch, the security lock will take over. Notifications are taking a big upgrade here as well, and you’ll be able to instantly action a notification in a completely new way.
Android isn’t the be all and all of Google’s mobile offerings though, as the mobile web is a big focus for Google as well. Anvi Shah has taken to the stage to tell us that Chrome will be taking advantage of Material and that Chrome usage on mobile has increased ten fold over the past year. Material Design will be heading to Google’s mobile web interfaces for Google Search and more, with the fluid and responsive UI all running at 60 frames a second. Touch events are passed through to websites quicker and Chrome has been updated to take advantage of a new API in version L. App Indexing is improved, for instance when you do a search for a restaurant in Chrome, you can launch the OpenTable app installed on your phone. Today, this feature will be made available to all apps on Android and Google+ sign-in will be coming as well.
Talking about performance, ART is the exclusive runtime for Material, which means that the next version will be indeed shipping as default in the next version of Android. That’s not a problem though, as all application code will be translated to run on ART for nothing, leaving developers a worry-free transition. ART is 64-bit compatible, as is the entirety of Android L, meaning support for ARMv8 and x86_64 instruction sets. Graphics are getting an upgrade here as well, with Tesselation, and DX11-class capabilities coming to Android L in what Google are calling the Android Extension Pack. On stage, a demo of Unreal Engine 4, the desktop version, was demoed on stage in real time, and it looked great!
Battery life will be dramatically improved in L, with “Project Volta” bringing massive changes to the whole platform. A new measurement system has been included in L and there’s a new Job Scheduler API that can keep the radios asleep for a lot longer, thus saving power and taxing the battery less. This API will introduce a battery Saver mode in stock Android with lots of different settings like sync, data and more to finally control how much more you can get out of your device while away from the outlet. With the Battery Saver, a Nexus 5 running L can get an extra hour and a half in typical usage. Starting tomorrow, Android L will be available in early System Images for the Nexus 5 and Nexus 7, with a preview SDK available from developer.android.com as usual.
Sundar has returned to the stage and has detailed Google Play Services, with 93% of users running the latest version of Play Services. Through Google Play, Google has been stomping down on Malware, resulting in less than a percent of users coming across Malware. Android L is to usher in a privacy menu, with the ability for users to change all manner of settings and control how their data is shared. Talking about evolving Android L to more than just your phone, Sundar is talking about contextually aware devices, figuring out whether you’re at home or at work. Android Wear is being detailed and David Singleton, Director of Engineering for Android has hit the stage.
Android Wear will support both square and round displays, and offer intelligent answers to questions spoken aloud. Again talking about contextual awareness, a live demo of the G Watch from LG, notifications were shown off. Material Design is here as well, and swiping up and down gets you through your cards, swiping these cards away will also get rid of the notification on your smartphone as well. On stage, a verbal reminder was set to remind the user to check their mailbox at home, the phone and watch are smart enough to know where “home” is and so when you get home, said reminder will appear. When a phone call comes in, the user can swipe left or right to answer or hang up as well as up to send a quick text. Swiping down, do not disturb mode can be enabled effectively quieting the watch. As we though, lots of apps are being demoed on stage, like the Pinterest app that works well on Android Wear and will allow him to navigate straight to a restaurant including walking directions using Google Navigations. The full Android Wear SDK will be made available today, allowing developers the ability to create apps to work on the watches themselves, as well as better integrate with apps on the Android phone. Speaking of which, new APIs will be included in the new version of Google Play Services, allowing info to flow back and forth nice and easily. There’s some really great stuff being shown off in Android Wear, which we’ll have more info on later today. Those impatient folk out there, the LG G Watch will be available to purchase later on today directly from the Play Store, along with a surprise introduction of the Gear Live also available today from the Play Store!
Moving on to the car, Patrick Brady spoke about Google’s introduction of Android to the car. “Android Auto” will be focusing on Navigation, Communication and Music and yes, it’s also contextually aware and completely voice enabled. A live demo is happening onstage, once Andy plugs his phone into the car, the display gets beamed to the display in the car and there are some quick hits to tap into some music as well as an always-listening Google Now type of interface. Play Music is shown off here with a subtle design with easy to hit icons, as has Google Maps. On stage, Android Auto was asked “how late is the de Young museum open till?” then he simply asked “navigate there” and Google Navigation started up. The demo on stage was cute and all, but developer support is really what’s needed and an SDK for Android Auto is on its way, with a full set of APIs for audio and music available real soon, with a public release launching with the Android L release later this Fall. Over 40 partners have joined the Automotive Alliance and 25 brands, with some cars leaving the forecourt with Android Auto built in.
Android TV has now been announced and the demo details live TV and a home screen that overlays on top of your currently playing program. The launcher has some suggestions, again built with the material design in mind and apps like Netflix and more are all available with just a few taps. Google Now is integrated into the whole thing, with the ability to find out info about actors and simply ask questions and be presented with content links or simple answers to questions. Android L allows for a 10-foot interface to be applied to apps using “the Leanback” classes, resulting in the Play Movies apk being the same on Android TV as well as tablets. This will be a big boon for developers, we’re sure.
Gaming comes to Android with Android TV, and Burke just picked up a gamepad and started playing a number of games, including NBA Jam. Leaderboards and achievements can be blown up on to the display, with multiplayer enabled with either multiple gamepads or one gamepad and a tablet or smartphone. Chromecast support is built right into Android TV, which will bring Google Cast to even more TVs and devices. Perhaps more important than anything however, is the support already behind Android TV. Sony’s TVs for 2014 (including 4K models) will all be running Android TV, as well as those from Sharp and Philips. Everyone from Intel to Marvell is on board with Android TV, and a developer SDK named ADT1 will be available very shortly.
Speaking about the TV, Chromecast is getting its ego massaged here, with Google telling us that it’s a best-selling in the UK and US on Amazon and a big seller for Best Buy in the States. The Google Cast SDK has made it easier for developers to bring their apps to the Chromecast and for end users, Google is making it easier to find apps that support Chromecast in the app or on the web. Today, Google is announcing that devices don’t need to be on the same WiFi network to share content. Fans of Chromecast’s wallpapers will be happy to see a new feature called backdrop which will allow you to use the Chromecast as a photo frame, beaming images from your Google+ libraries as well as different topics like news as well as art. Screen mirroring is coming to Chromecast and you’ll be able to seamlessly show off maps, photos or games to people in your living room.
Chromebooks are now taking the stage, and Sundar has told us that 8 OEMs are shipping Chromebooks in 28 countries and that in K-12 Education, Chromebooks have come on 6 fold in the last couple of years. In a coming update, your Chromebook will unlock when you are near to it, incoming calls and text messages will appear on your Chromebook and will also tell you when your phone is running low on battery. Android apps are now coming to Android as well, in a window like other web apps and these apps have been ported and will have access to your Chromebook’s hardware, such as their camera and more.
Moving on to business, Sundar details that apps can be bought in bulk for business and then deployed to devices. Android at Work will allow users to own just one phone and have a business life as well as home life on the same device. Samsung has been thanked on stage to help bring enterprise level security to Android L. Meanwhile, native Microsoft Office editing is being built into Google Docs thanks to the acquisition of Google Docs. Suggested Edits is a new feature coming to Google Docs and will bring the whole collaborative slant to the popular comments system Microsoft Office users will be familiar with. Drive for Work has been detailed at a cost of $10 per user, with unlimited storage for each one of these users and that 58% of Fortune 500 companies have “Gone Google” with lots of startups and universities also doing the same.


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Segarini Discusses Retail In Tuolumne County
Tuolumne County Chamber of Commerce President George Segarini is encouraged by what he sees as signs of a gradual economic turnaround in Tuolumne County.
Segarini was Friday’s KVML “Newsmaker of the Day”.
A few of the immediate promising signs that Segarini pointed to is the grand opening of Big Lots this morning in part the old Mervyn’s store. Two other retailers will also open their doors soon in the same location. Walmart is eventually expected to expand as well, which will include a full grocery store.
Sierra Pacific Mill in Standard is also back in business and that will help bring an economic boost to local retail business.
A concern that Segarini has and is hoping to prevent, is the potential closure (within the next year) of Railtown 1897 in Jamestown.
“I’ve been working with community leaders and state representatives to prevent that from happening,” said Segarini.
Generally speaking, according to Segarinni, businesses that have perhaps suffered the most lately in Tuolumne County have been in the restaurant industry. Only two years ago, they were singled out as faring the best.
“It’s a constant ebb and flow for any business owner, especially during difficult economic times,” said Segarini, “and the Chamber offers class workshops, advice and support for its members.”
For more economic and retail information, log onto the Chamber website at http://www.TCchamber.com
The KVML “Newsmaker of the Day” is heard each weekday morning on AM 1450 KVML at 6:46, 7:46 and 8:46am
Written by email@example.com


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LONDON -- BYD received a coveted five-star Euro NCAP safety rating for its electric Atto 3 crossover, the latest Chinese automaker to receive top marks as it seeks to gain a foothold in Europe's competitive car market.
Ratings from the European New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) are not binding, as it does not certify vehicles for road use. But European consumers pay attention to Euro NCAP's safety tests and automakers aggressively market good ratings.
BYD is seeking to establish a foothold in Europe and has disclosed tentative prices for three full-electric vehicles that will be delivered in six European countries.
The Atto 3 will be sold for 38,000 euros ($36,480), while two midsize models, the Tang crossover and the Han sedan, have been priced at 72,000 euros.
Last week, German car rental company Sixt said it has committed to buying about 100,000 EVs from BYD in the coming years.
This week, BYD launched the Atto 3 in India, which sells in China as the Yuan Plus.


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The Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday, launched the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with the United Kingdom along with Anne-Marie Trevelyan, UK Secretary of State for International Trade in New Delhi.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry in a statement said that FTA is expected to facilitate the target of doubling bilateral trade between India and the United Kingdom by 2030, set by PM Modi and Boris Johnson in May 2021.
Piyush Goyal said, “Both India and UK are vibrant democracies, with a partnership built on our shared history and rich culture. The diverse Indian diaspora in the UK, who act as a “Living Bridge” and dynamism to the relations between the two countries.”
The Minister said that the FTA with the UK is expected to provide certainty, predictability and transparency and will create a more liberal, facilitative and competitive services regime.
“The FTA negotiations with the UK are expected to increase our exports in Leather, Textile, Jewellery and processed Agri products. India is also expected to register a quantum jump in the export of marine products through the recognition of 56 marine units of India.”
The Minister said that the Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) on pharma could provide additional market access. There is also great potential for increasing exports in service sectors like IT/ITES, Nursing, education, healthcare, including AYUSH and audio-visual services. India would also be seeking special arrangements for the movement of its people, he added.
The Minister assured that subsequent to the unveiling of FTA, the two nations would proactively and regularly engage with each other, for deliberating on the scope and coverage of the trade deal.
Observing that UK was a major trade partner of India with substantial bilateral volume of trade in goods and services, Goyal said, “The cooperation extended across areas like tourism, tech, startups, education, climate change, etc. and that the two nations were looking forward to a mutually beneficial trade deal with balanced concessions and market access package in a wide range of sectors.”


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Chrysler agrees to NHTSA’s request for a Jeep recall
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Chrysler Group LLC and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have come to a resolution regarding the government’s request to recall Jeep vehicles.
Auburn Hill, Mich.-based Chrysler will conduct a voluntary campaign for 1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2002-2007 Jeep Liberty vehicles. The company will also upgrade the rear structure of the vehicle to better manage crash forces in low-speed impacts.
Although the company has agreed to the recall, Chrysler Group officials say these vehicles are not defective and are among the safest in the peer group.
Chrysler Group officials said in a statement that the company regards safety “as a paramount concern and does not compromise on the safety of our customers and their families.”
Seven San Antonio area dealerships sell Jeep vehicles.
James Aldridge oversees online content of the newspaper; edits and reports stories for the online edition.
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January 5, 2004
China's Jilin Grain Group To Push Corn Exports
Chinese corn exporter Jilin Grain Group (JGG) announced the fulfillment of last year's sales contracts and is set to further push corn exports once the government announces a new export policy, a senior official said on Monday.
There had been worries that China, the world's number two corn exporter, wasn't going to have enough grain to fulfil sales commitments made in 2003, as exporters rushed to lock in contracts ahead of a new export policy to be announced in 2004.
The market had speculated that export subsidies would be scrapped under the new policy, making it costlier to ship corn overseas and thus less competitive on global markets.
"Our company has already fulfilled all the contracts for last year. We stopped signing contracts in about October last year and we're still awaiting the government's corn export policy," JGG vice president Jiang Jianhua said.
China is also unlikely to import corn in the near term as domestic prices are expected to fall further, Jiang said in an interview, squashing market speculation that the country was set to buy up to four cargoes of U.S. corn.
That speculation helped boost Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) futures on Friday. CBOT March (CH4) corn futures topped the key $2.50 per bushel level on the rumours, which could not be confirmed in overseas and Chinese markets.


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On Friday a government official said that India has again deferred levy of higher tariffs on some of the products imported from the US to May 15. The new retaliatory tariffs were to apply from May 2, a spokeswoman said without providing any grounds for the delay.
Last year in June, the government took a decision to increase import tax on some of the US products such as apples, walnuts and almonds from August 4 after the US denied exemption from the new levies on aluminium and steel. Nonetheless, since then there has been a repeated delay in the implementation of the new tariff.
As another setback for the country, on Monday the US administration has asked buyers of oil from Iran to stop their purchases or face sanctions. With this six-month of waivers ends on May 2 that allowed eight major importers of Iranian oil including India to continue their oil purchases in limited volumes.


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Things are changing if you rent your home.
Wall Street inches to new records
The Dow Jones industrial average rose three points to close on Friday at 15,464
It was another record day on Wall Street - just.
After spending most of Friday flat or down, stocks rallied at the last minute and closed slightly higher, just enough to post new record highs for the Dow Jones industrial average and the Standard & Poor's 500 index.
The gains were tiny. And the new record does not mean much for investors, who hardly have any more money now than they did a day earlier. But it is a sign that investors believe the market's rally this year may not be over yet.
The S&P 500 has closed higher seven days in a row. The last time it did that was in March.
Investors had to look past a pessimistic outlook from UPS, which said it was seeing a slowdown in US industry. And in the afternoon, Boeing shares tanked after one of its 787s caught on fire in London, reviving fears of the troubles that plane had with smouldering batteries earlier this year.
Other economic news was mixed. Profits at big banks Wells Fargo and JP Morgan came in better than expected, and that helped financial stocks. But a University of Michigan measure of consumer sentiment came in lower than expected for this month.
Investors will get a lot more information next week, when key reports on inflation and retail sales are due. That is also when the pace of company earnings reports picks up sharply. Results are due from the remaining big banks as well as General Electric, Intel, Microsoft and other industry bellwethers.
The Dow closed up 3.38 points, just 0.02%, at 15,464.30. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 5.17 points, or 0.3%, to 1,680.19. Both indexes also closed at all-time highs on Thursday.
The Nasdaq composite edged up 21.78 points, or 0.6%, to 3,600.08. That is still well short of its record high of 5,048, set in March 2000.
The Russell 2000, which is made up of smaller companies, rose 3.35 points, or 0.3%, to close at 1,036.52.
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msn money poll
New research has found that families are spending an average of £180 on back-to-school supplies for their kids. Does this tally with your experience?
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- Yes, that sounds about right to me
- Yes, but I think school supplies are getting more expensive every year
- No, the cost of new uniforms, stationery and sports kit takes us well past the £200 mark
- No, I wouldn’t spend anything like that amount on the little horrors!


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A few of us have debated, even argued, over the sustainability of organic produce that comes from halfway around the world (or even halfway across the country), but it doesn’t look like they’re arguing much in the UK. According to trade journal Supply Management, Brits want their organics to come from Great Britain:
Consumer power is forcing UK supermarkets to source the majority of organic produce from domestic producers.
According to the Soil Association‘s annual supermarket survey, five of the eight main food retailers now source over three-quarters of key organic foods within the UK, compared to just two of the eight in 2003.
Waitrose, which has topped the association’s league of best organic retailers since 2003, buys 89 per cent of its potatoes, apples, carrots, onions, pork, beef, chicken and lamb from UK farmers, as does Marks & Spencer. Sainsbury’s sources 86 per cent of these products locally, Tesco 78 per cent and the Co-op 76 per cent.
Tesco now buys 74 per cent of its organic pork and 71 per cent of its organic beef from UK producers, compared to 58 per cent and 52 per cent respectively last year. Asda also sources 74 per cent of beef from the UK.
The report found the average availability of UK grown seasonal organic food staples had also risen from 72 per cent two years ago, to 82 per cent currently.
According to Peter Melchett, Soil Association policy director, positive consumer pressure is driving changes in purchasing patterns.
“Most, but not all, of the major supermarkets have raised their game in sourcing more seasonal, UK produced organic food thanks to persistent, public scrutiny from our supporters,” Melchett said.
In a relatively small country like Great Britain, this is a very positive step forward. We’d certainly lower the energy footprint of our food if we did this in the US, too, though California produce sold in New England still packs quite a CO2 punch. It’s also great to see this level of consumer awareness about organics in the UK, something sorely missing over here. The downside, of course, is that farmers in some of the world’s poorest regions lose access to huge markets. Thoughts…?


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This tasty corner of Bangsan Market stirs up Seoul’s do-it-yourself bakers
This is where shoppers come for items ranging from gingerbread man cookie cutters and dried cranberries to button-shaped dark chocolates and digital baking scales that can weigh as little as one gram of salt, baking powder or flour.
If you relish the smell of freshly baked bread or love making favorite cakes and cookies for your loved ones, Bangsan Market’s “Baking Street” is the place to go.
From hard-to-find raw ingredients such as powdered rye to cake decorations, dough mixers and pie pans, the street has it all.
“This is the biggest shopping place [for bakers] in Seoul because most baking utensils and ingredients are hardly found in ordinary discount stores - maybe because Koreans usually eat rice instead of bread,” said Lee Hye-won, a 34-year-old woman who runs an ice cream parlor in downtown Seoul that also sells homemade cookies and muffins.
On one rainy day last week, Baking Street was packed with shoppers, umbrella in one hand and shopping bag in the other, browsing among open-air stalls.
One girl wearing a high-school uniform handed Lee Chang-woo, the head of Kyunghoon Industry, a 1,000-won bill (70 cents) for a canister of rainbow-colored sprinkles.
On Pepero Day which falls on Nov. 11, young people often exchange stick-shaped chocolate-covered snacks as a token of love and friendship because the date “11/11” resembles four sticks of a snack called Pepero, made by Lotte Confectionery. Kim said an increasing number of students make the stick-shaped snacks themselves.
Three 20-year old college girls also visited the street from Uijeongbu in northern Seoul.
“Some items here are far cheaper than on online shopping malls but some are more expensive. So you should compare prices through Web sites before you make a visit,” said Han Ah-reum, one of the three, who is a regular on the street.
Han said 450 grams of unsalted butter made by Seoul Milk is sold for 4,900 won on Baking Street, but discount chains charge from 6,700 to 7,000 won for the same product.
Another woman in her late 50s purchased five kilograms (11 pounds) of mix and several types of food coloring to make hotteok, Korean rice pancakes filled with sugar and nuts, for her family.
What makes people visit this hard-to-find street in a remote corner of Bangsan Market?
He has been running his shop since 1976.
“Most shops have been here for more than 30 years. In the past, there were more baking stores but as rents have gone up, most relocated to the outskirts of Seoul,” Lee added.
While it enjoys star status these days, Baking Street hit a slump in the mid-’90s when franchise bakeries replaced privately operated small and midsize bakeries. In recent years, the street has perked up since more and more homes have ovens.
For this reason, the street’s main customers are now young women or housewives who bake cookies and cakes for fun, instead of professional pastry chefs.
The popularity of inexpensive toaster ovens, which are about the same size as microwave ovens, also fueled the home baking craze along with easily shared recipes from blogs and Web sites.
The Chinese tainted food scandal also boosted the market’s attraction.
“After some local snacks turned out to be contaminated with melamine, we saw about 30 percent sales growth this month as of Oct. 22 from a month ago,” said Yoo Seung-hee, a manager at Bread Garden, which operates five baking supply shops across Seoul, including one in Bangsan Market.
“Even people who have quit baking for some reason started again recently because they are concerned about food safety,” Yoo said.
So why did all these shops gather in one location in the first place?
“People sold flour and sugar. That’s how this street was formed,” said Jung Choong-keun, who runs Jeil Package, a packaging materials shop.
According to store owners, Baking Street developed from street vendors who sold flour after the Korean War.
Most of the first-generation retailers have passed away, but some shops are run by their descendants. Euishin Company, which has been in the same family for three generations, is one.
The ingredients shop was even a featured location in the hit TV drama “My Name is Kim Sam-soon,” a story about a 30-something woman who works as a pastry chef.
Baking Street is made up of three kinds of retail shops: stores that sell baking equipment, purveryors of ingredients and packaging suppliers.
“Nobody makes cookies and cakes for themselves. They want to share the sweets with others. That’s why shops selling diverse packaging materials such as ribbons, cake boxes, cookie boxes and stickers also thrive here,” said Jung of Jeil Package.
Asked about shopping tips for bargain hunters, most retailers say that people should regularly patronize the same shops if they want discounts.
People should also visit early if they want to make sweets ahead of Pepero Day or Valentine’s Day because the street gets 10 times more customers than usual during those two sweets-centered calendar days.
Easy-to-follow, do-it-yourself kits for making chocolates and other treats are also available for those days.
Bread Garden also provides free classes on how to make cookies and cakes for those who apply online at www.breadgarden.co.kr.
By Sung So-young Staff Reporter [firstname.lastname@example.org]
More in Economy
Korea to reopen WTO complaint as Japan remains silent
Monthly inflation goes negative for second time ever
No reply from Japan on Korea's call to lift trade curbs
Moon's Korean New Deal detailed
Exports plummet 23.7 percent in May


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As part of our ongoing efforts to improve scalability, security, disaster recovery and implement new product features, INTERACT Technology is migrating its current Data Centre from North California to Sydney.
We are offering a series of webinars to showcase the new event functionality within SAM. These will cover:
- Setting up a meeting/event and personalising the invitation
- Invitation and reminder process
- RSVP tracking
The webinars will benefit SAM administrators, digital agencies, and anyone interested in discovering how this new functionality can drive engagement at your company meetings.
It is now possible to notify your connections if new content has been added to your wall.


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3 Recovering Stocks to Consider
This week our theme is recovering stocks that are seeing a catch-up. We look outside North America to Japan, which is catching up to North America and western Europe in terms on vaccinations and their economy, and we see underdog Lowe’s gaining ground on rival Home Depot.
Last week, we looked at ETFs. Here’s another one, and it capitalizes on the current rally in Japanese stocks and their recovering stocks. The Japanese haven’t seen their market climb this high since April 1991, and the catalyst was the sudden resignation of Prime Minister Suga. The Japanese public have been frustrated by Suga’s handling of the pandemic, allowing the Olympics to go forward last July, and have been unhappy with the slow roll-out of vaccinations (though it is now accelerating). Markets hope that the new PM will pump fresh stimulus into the economy, hence the jump in stocks.
A reliable and efficient way to get a piece of Japan’s rally is this tried-and-true ETF that trades in New York. EWJ stock carries US$11.59 billion in assets, trades at only a 5.32x PE and charges an 0.51% MER. Last Friday, it jumped 2.84% to a new high of $71.82 and changed hands at nearly three times its normal volumes. EWJ holds (in order of size) Toyota, Sony, Keyence and SoftBank with Nintendo down the list. EWJ tracks the MSCI Japan index.
Right before last Friday’s rally, 41% of Japanese stocks had been trading below pre-Covid levels, compared to 17% of S&P ones. The Olympic boom never happened. One wonders why the games weren’t scheduled for October instead, just as they had in 1964 when Tokyo last hosted the Olympics, because summers are too humid even for athletes. (Also, an October games would have likely led to some spectators watching the games, hence ticket sale revenues and perhaps international tourism dollars to offset the most expensive games in history.)
Japan has been lagging, but is coming back. How far will this rally go is anyone’s guess, but EWJ stock is worth at least a modest position in your portfolio.
These home improvement giants have been tagged as pandemic plays, which was a blessing last year, but a curse this year. At least, that’s the perception. The truth is that Home Depot has soared from $251 on March 4 to the current range of $310-330. So much for reopenings being a threat. Home owners and builders are still buying lumber, tools and furniture to repair and upgrade homes, though inflation and supply bottlenecks in many products are fueling revenues. After all, the U.S. is enjoying a housing boom amid low interest rates and the drift from cities to the ‘burbs.
Despite sector uncertainty, HD has been beating its quarters, the last four to be precise. In mid-August Home Depot reported YOY revenue popping 8.1%, earnings and revenu beats, and an 4.5% increase in same-store sales over the year. However, this last number wasn’t strong enough for Wall Street which expected 5%, so shares fell 4% on the news. There remains value in the name. Head to head with Lowe’s, HD wins in several metrics: profit margin of 10.55% vs. Lowe’s 7.41%, ROI of 36.61% vs. 24.11% and dividend yield of 2% vs. 1.55%.
Also in mid-August, Lowe’s reported. It too beat earnings and revenues handily, but impressed the street more than HD.
One key area where HD wins is professional contracts vs. amateur DIY customers. The former has picked up this year because homeowners now feel it’s safe to allow contractors into their homes. Already, 45% of HD’s sales come from the pros where that figure is only 25% at Lowe’s. However, Lowe’s CEO is aiming for 30%. His company boasts 35.1% YOY same-store sales growth and a 69% leap in quarterly profits. The company plans to expand online sales and add private brands. True, DIY customers shopped a little less this spring, but those folks were spending more on big-ticket items.
Shares of LOW popped 4% immediately after that report. The street still believes in the name at seven buys and three holds at a price target of nearly $230 that’s over 12% higher than the current level. Home Depot boasts eight buys and one hold at a price target about 11% higher at $363.43.
Even though Delta cases remain a worry, a return to wide lockdowns looks highly unlikely, and the housing boom will continue since there is not a rise in interest rates in sight. This make both LOW and HD buys, though on dips, with the edge going to LOW because it promises better growth. That said, the two companies are similar and both will perform well in the near future.


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The COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed the way we live — and shop. Suddenly, online ordering and curbside delivery became more appealing than ever, and we loaded up on staples like milk, meat, and paper products to avoid having to step into stores more than absolutely necessary. In those frantic months, it was nice to know we had warehouse stores like Costco for bulk buying at reasonable prices.
Back in March 2020, when the virus started spreading rapidly across the U.S., Costco joined many chain markets in a compassionate gesture. They designated the first hour after opening specifically for customers over 60, as well as members with disabilities or immune disorders. This allowed at-risk shoppers to pick up their necessities in a less crowded environment. The service began as a twice-weekly convenience and was soon changed to accommodate every weekday.
Now, Costco has announced that their “special operating hours” will be discontinued as of July 26 (via USA Today). While this may be a disappointment to those shoppers who enjoyed having exclusive access to the wholesaler, this actually reflects good news. With infection rates declining and more Americans receiving the COVID vaccination, there’s less of a need for Costco to protect their medically fragile members.
Senior shoppers still get preference at other stores
At this writing, other retailers are still offering special shopping hours, although this may change if infection rates continue to decline. For example, on Tuesdays Target dedicates the first hour after opening to “our most vulnerable guests” (via their website), but managers may open their stores to the general public if there are no at-risk shoppers waiting when the doors open. Dollar General, which boasts of being one of the first stores to offer senior hours, also appears to be continuing the practice (as their website explains). Many major supermarket chains, such as Whole Foods, Safeway, and Stop & Shop, also established senior shopping hours at the beginning of the pandemic; check with your local store to see if the policy is still in place.
Has this accommodation made a real difference in protecting at-risk shoppers? Not everyone is sure about that. Alysa Krain, M.D., an infectious disease physician specializing in geriatric medicine, told The Washington Post that a safer option for seniors is to have someone else do their shopping for them. “It was a good idea in general, but it’s a little bit dangerous if it’s not controlled” by enforcing social distancing and hygiene measures, she said.
Another expert, Bettina Fries, is the chief of Stony Brook Medicine’s infectious disease division. She told the Post that the real benefit of senior hours is the reduced number of people in the store. “It’s less likely that you’d have [a] senior with coronavirus in the store, because they’re less likely to be asymptomatic,” she said.
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Recently, a video was circulated on the tvOneNews Youtube channel entitled “Officers raided the Malaysian Pork Meatball Warehouse” (https://youtu.be/7H-Bh2SmneA) and news regarding allegations of illegally mixed pork meatballs from Malaysia that occurred in Meranti District, Riau Province.
LPPOM MUI needs to explain because several halal-certified products are clients of LPPOM MUI highlighted in the video. Here is the explanation:
1. The video highlights several product brands from Malaysia from several refrigerators. Some products are pork meatballs, and some are processed fish meatballs.
2. Based on news from Antaranews, the Head of the Class II Pekanbaru Animal and Plant Quarantine Office in the Selatpanjang working area, drh. Abdul Aziz Nasution stated that halal and non-halal goods were packed neatly and had been separated. So, there is a possibility that there will be no mixing of halal products with pork, as the news is circulating.
3. Several brands of processed fish meatball products in the video come from QL FOODS SDN BHD, an LPPOM MUI client. This company has undergone an inspection process by LPPOM MUI and has a BPJPH Halal Certificate with the number ID00410000117520421 valid until 08 July 2025. The products that appear in the video include: (a) SURIA CRAB FLAVOURED BALL; (b) WHITE FISH BALLS; (c) SURIAN CUTTLEFISH BALL
4. LPPOM MUI will take firm action against business actors if they are proven to have committed a violation.
5. This explanation emphasizes that all parties to no longer disseminate incorrect information to avoid public confusion.


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This is after ET reported that mortgage lender HDFC was likely to sell 4.2 per cent stake in the subsidiary to comply with the requirements laid down by the Reserve Bank of India for facilitating the proposed merger of the housing finance arm with Bandhan Bank.
At 9.30 am, the scrip was trading 6.82 per cent lower at Rs 287.45 on BSE. Volumes on the exchange surged 132 times against two-week average. Sources told ETNow that Blackstone is likely the main buyer. ICICI Prudential Life, HDFC AMC, Aditya Birla SL AMC are among other buyers, the report suggested.
The sale was to be carried out through stock exchanges at Rs 290 per shares, a 6 per cent discount to Thursday’s closing price of Rs 308.5. The base deal size was expected to be 3.1 crore shares with an upsize option.
HDFC has been selling stake in Gruh Finance to meet the central bank’s requirements. Last month the lender sold 6.10 per cent stake in the company.
The shares of the company closed 5.40 per cent lower at Rs 291.85 on BSE.
- Front Page
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- MTM Provisions: Banks may Seek RBI Relief Again
Banks will again ask the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to allow them to spread provisions toward mark-to-market (MTM) losses over several quarters following a sharp hit in the June quarter on this account.PV Sales in 2022 Set to Beat Record Estimates
India’s passenger vehicle sales this year are expected to be about a quarter of a million units more than the initial projections that were themselves for record high volumes, industry executives said.
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Fujitsu Siemens Computers has recalled the batteries from a number of its laptops because of the risk of overheating and fire.
The risk affects a number of its AMILO Notebook products, with the company confirming four reported cases of AMILO models overheating. So far there have been no injuries, said Fujitsu.
The company said users should immediately take out their batteries for free exchange and only operate their machines using AC power.
The problem potentially affects 250,000 shipped notebooks.
Apple has recalled 156,000 of its laptop batteries since last summer because of similar overheating problems.
AMILO models affected: AMILO A7640, AMILO A1640, AMILO M1405, AMILO M1424, AMILO M1425, AMILO M7405, AMILO M7424, AMILO M7425, AMILO Pro V2020
More details on the exchange programme can be read here: www.fujitsu-siemens.co.uk/battteryexchange


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The Naspers-owned classified major has posted a revenue of $60 million, which is about 123% increase from a year-ago period, in the fiscal year ended March 2019. According to RoC filings, the company witnessed about a 49% rise in profit to $3.4 million during the same period from $2.3 million crore in FY 2018.
Meanwhile, online classified marketplace expenses also climbed up to $55 million, which is about 135% rise from last year figure.
This year the company’s purchase of stock in trade saw huge inflow of capital, close to $27.6 from $495,000 last year.
OLX has been profitable for the last three fiscal years. Last time it posted loss was in March 2016, where the company had reported a loss of $316,000. In the next fiscal year, the Gurugram-based firm reported a profit of $1.2 million on revenue of $13.9 million.
OLX claims to have registered significant growth for the listings of Unboxed cars in metro cities. Two of the highest-selling categories on the platform are Auto and Smartphones.
Read more here
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Pepsi develops its thirst for Russian assets
Highlights growing importance of food sector; Part of growing M&A trend
US food and drink company PepsiCo has highlighted the strategic importance of the Russian market for big global companies with its plans to acquire a controlling stake in juice and dairy firm Wimm-Bill-Dann that will transform its position in the fast-growing beverages sector. Following the purchase, the Russian juice market will effectively be divided between Pepsi and its arch-rival, Coca-Cola.
In early December Pepsi announced a bid worth $3.8 billion for a 66% stake in Wimm-Bill-Dann, with an option to acquire the rest at a later date. The offer price for the majority stake valued the total company at $5.7 billion and was a 32% premium to outstandings when news of the planned acquisition was announced. Wimm-Bill-Dann stock surged on the news of the takeover bid, with the company’s Moscow-listed shares jumping 58% on the back of heavy trading volumes.
The transaction will establish PepsiCo as the largest food and beverage business in Russia and build on its presence in key markets in eastern Europe and central Asia. It also will raise PepsiCo’s annual global revenues from nutritious and functional foods from roughly $10 billion to $13 billion as part of its goal to build a $30 billion nutrition business by 2020.


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STORY: The barriers are coming down in Shanghai.
Authorities are taking down the fences that signalled strict lockdown measures.
The city of 25 million people has been in their grip for two months.
Now the lockdown will finally end on Wednesday (June 1).
Locals are emerging with a mix of hope and wariness:
"Today is the first day we are permitted to go outside freely. I am delighted because we have been under lockdown for so many days. I would say that the vibe is truly unique and quite complex.”
From Wednesday public transport will resume and residents will be allowed back to work.
Shops can open at 75% capacity, but people will still need to wear masks and take regular virus tests to enter public venues.
Investors will be cheering though.
Shanghai’s lockdown has battered the city’s manufacturing and exports.
It also roiled supply chains in China and around the world, slowing international trade.
China’s main stock indexes rose around 1% on Tuesday (May 31) as traders looked forward to the easing of restrictions.
Data out the same day showed that factory activity in the country was still falling, but at a slower rate.
That as curbs ease around the country, not just Shanghai.
The country has also unveiled fresh economic stimulus measures, and eased restrictions on some tourism.
Investors, and Chinese citizens, will just be hoping lockdowns are finally gone for good.


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Sri Lanka is set to conclude a free trade agreement (FTA) with Thailand by the first quarter of 2024, according to a statement released by Cabinet Spokesman Bandula Gunawardana. The objective of the FTA is to boost Sri Lanka’s exports to Thailand, which currently stand at 550 million US dollars per annum, to 1.5 billion US dollars.
The negotiations for the FTA between the two countries began in 2016, followed by a second round in 2018. The latest round of talks was held on January 09-10, 2023. The fourth round of discussions took place in Colombo on March 27-29, with the next round scheduled to be held on June 27-28 in the same city.
The Sri Lankan government has expressed optimism about the benefits of the FTA, which is expected to enhance trade and investment between the two countries. The FTA will provide opportunities for Sri Lankan exporters to expand their market presence in Thailand and promote greater economic cooperation between the two nations.
In conclusion, the FTA between Sri Lanka and Thailand is a significant step towards strengthening bilateral trade and investment. The upcoming negotiations in June are expected to pave the way for the finalization of the agreement by the first quarter of 2024.


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The line has come to a halt. The all-time peaks of 2021 in cryptocurrency now sound like a fairly fading reminiscence, because the crypto meltdown of 2022 noticed outstanding digital currencies lose all of their earnings made all through their unprecedented bull market. Therefore, why is cryptocurrency collapsing? It’s essential to understand that digital currencies will not be alone on this new cycle. The inventory market has additionally been in decline as officers within the United States strive to comprise rising costs by limiting the cash base and boosting rates of interest.
However, as buyers have steered away from dangerous investments, cryptocurrency has been impacted extraordinarily robust. Furthermore, the drop in crypto values is putting strain on establishments and different vital gamers within the space who invested cash across the market’s peak.
Trading in cryptocurrency has by no means been straightforward. Virtual currencies are extremely unstable, and such swings have already occurred. The causes of every crypto meltdown differ, it’s helpful to recall a number of tried-and-true investing ideas.
Cryptocurrency investing is one of many important methods folks use this business to derive a revenue. But opposite to what some folks declare, it is not fast and simple.
Negative opinion spreads in cryptocurrency circles, and a few refer to it as FUD, or concern, uncertainty, and doubt. Although these emotions would possibly allow you to spot pink indicators, it’s additionally essential to keep composed and take into account if short-term uncertainty will influence your long-term ambitions.
So, what occurs if digital currencies reminiscent of Bitcoin collapse? Here are some apparent questions and their solutions to help you in navigating the issue.
What is Causing Crypto to Crumble?
Rates of curiosity, inflation, and different macroeconomic determinants would possibly affect how constructive individuals are about placing their cash in speculative funding choices, affecting the worth of crypto. Savings have gotten extra interesting as rates of interest rise, and a few folks might really feel safer putting their money from which they’ll earn reliable earnings.
When value falls rapidly, as they did within the spring of 2022, it will possibly add to aggressive strain by requiring some house owners to allocate capital to fulfill different obligations.
When costs drop rapidly, as they did within the spring of 2022, it will possibly add to aggressive strain by requiring some merchants to allocate capital to fulfill different obligations. Government actions by authorities all through the globe are another excuse that may create investor scepticism and probably contribute to a cryptocurrency disaster.
As public consciousness of cryptocurrencies grows, officers are contemplating the implications for monetary regulation, security, and circumstances. China has been very assertive. Prices fell on Sept. 24, 2021, when the Chinese authorities declared digital currencies illegal and acknowledged that international exchanges will not be permitted to conduct enterprise with Chinese residents.
Also learn: The Cryptocurrency Trends to Watch in The Coming Future
The cryptocurrency market has been making ready for exercise from the US authorities on quite a few fronts, and the pullbacks in 2022 coincide with that. The Biden authorities has directed federal companies to set up particular plans for cryptocurrency supervision as monetary officers hike rates of interest in a bid to management inflation.
These actions function a warning that bitcoin is nonetheless a younger expertise with unknown long-term penalties for the worldwide financial system. Cryptocurrency costs have fluctuated, and sudden occurrences may cause them to fall.
Has Virtual Currency Ever Collapsed?
Extreme unrealised losses are actually nothing stunning to individuals who have been buying and selling in cryptocurrency for many years. Bitcoin, as an example, reached a previous excessive of virtually $20,000 in December 2017 however was promoting for underneath $3,500 by December 2018.
According to Greg King, founder and CEO of a expertise platform investing agency named Osprey Funds, the ups and downs could also be astounding as Bitcoin will get accepted and taking the broad view retains these modifications in context. Professional buyers have embraced the newest value decline. As per Danial’s rationalization, you’d understand the discount in Bitcoin’s worth as an opportunity to purchase.
What are the Dangers of Purchasing Cryptocurrency?
Those eager about cryptocurrency from the skin might imagine now is the second to leap in and “buy low,” nonetheless, King advises contemplating your self two basic questions prior to investing in Bitcoin or different digital currencies. Think about if an 80% to 90% drop in your cryptocurrency belongings would make you lose any sleep or make you promote. If any of these questions is sure, don’t interact.
Any funding has peaks and troughs, however cryptocurrency has extra rise and fall due to the apparent degree of pleasure and FOMO related, in addition to the fact that people really don’t perceive what it is. They buy it if somebody talked about it; thus, they’re accepting unspecified risks.
Ask your self how a lot capital you’ll be able to stand to lose since any transaction carries hazard. If you select your belongings appropriately and have rational causes for partaking in them, you shouldn’t be affected by market fluctuations and can preserve your path. If you might be nonetheless indecisive on how to begin your crypto journey you’ll be able to flip to trading-broker platforms like Immediate Edge. On their privateness coverage web page, it is possible for you to to study extra about how your information is dealt with, as soon as you might be registered there.
What Role does Cryptocurrency Play in Your Holdings?
When it comes to investing in cryptocurrency, professionals advocate in opposition to going “all in.” Jake Yocom-Piatt, the co-founder of the cryptocurrency Decred, advises in opposition to shopping for huge sums of cryptocurrencies suddenly. It’s psychologically robust for customers to purchase an enormous quantity directly, and the value falls.
Rather, utilizing a normal share market methodology generally known as dollar-cost averaging is beneficial. Buy at low costs every month however then simply proceed doing it as the associated fee rises or falls, fairly than buying it suddenly and making an attempt to take care of it mentally for the approaching years.
Financial planning specialists incessantly advise that anybody asset, whether or not it’s a selected coin, a agency’s shares, or no matter, ought to merely be a sprinkling atop what would in any other case be a bland group of investments, securities, and collective funding schemes aimed in direction of aiding you in attaining your long-term funding targets.
If cryptocurrency is your solely asset, you’re seemingly taking over manner an excessive amount of danger. Diversified cryptocurrencies could be useful even inside the cryptocurrency section of your funding. Hundreds of cryptocurrencies exist. Doing your examine and buying a number of digital currencies that you simply assume are potential might be useful. In that methodology, if one drop in worth owing to a sure difficulty, your loss is distributed out.
Also learn: Pointers supporting Bitcoin Growth: Causes and Predictions for The Future?


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When the Guild 01 and 02 Collections dropped overseas, we were missing one game -- Weapon Shop De Omasse. We already reported that the lack of a localization was due to a large amount of text, but eventually I guess the juice was worth the squeeze, and it was announced for a worldwide release.
Billed as a "comedic RPG," Omasse will be released on February 20th on the 3DS eShop.
Felynes can dress up as Dante, Blanka, and Chun-Li in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
3:00 PM on 12.15.2014


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Located at 1750 Signal Point Road in Charleston, Cannonborough Beverage Company’s expansion will increase the company’s capacity and production capabilities. The company also plans to add a commissary kitchen. The expansion of the company’s production facility is currently in progress.
“We are very proud to announce this exciting milestone for the company,” said Cannonborough Beverage Company Co-Founders Mick Matricciano and Matt Fendley. “Not only will this new production facility allow us to expand our operations to keep up with growing demand, it will allocate newly renovated food production space for other food businesses and is an opportunity to give back to a community that has been so supportive of Cannonborough Sodas. The generosity of Charleston area businesses to share their space, knowledge and experience with us over the last nine years has made a big impact on the company. To be able to pay that forward to the next generation of food entrepreneurs in Charleston is something we’re very excited about.”
Individuals interested in joining the Cannonborough Beverage Company team should visit the company’s contact page.
Founded in 2012, Cannonborough Beverage Company produces craft sodas and mixers made from whole ingredients including fruits, herbs, and spices.
Certified SC & Lee Bros. Share SEWE Chefs’ Stage Lineup
Certified SC, The Lee Bros. (Matt and Ted), and some of the Palmetto State’s best food vendors will return for...


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Honor has evolved a lot in recent months, as you undoubtedly know if you have been following its trends on various pages. The brand is now the Kingpin in china, where there are so many other manufacturers such as Xiaomi, Oppo and even Huawei to have a taste in the first position.
Honor is also planning an initial public offering (IPO) to obtain capital and boost its worldwide expansion since the brand is no longer subject to the US embargo. Regardless, it is apparent that its goods are similar to Huawei’s. The manufacturer has been producing smartphones that resemble each other shoulder to toe. For example, the Honor 50 resembles the Huawei Nova while Honor 50 Lite, on the other hand, mimics the Huawei Nova 8i’s design.
Honor was the number one brand in China in the first quarter of 2022, according to a Canalys survey, with 15 million handsets sold and a 20% market share. The manufacturer barely accounted for 5% of the market in the first quarter of 2021, indicating a 205 percent increase.
The remainder of the list is intriguing: Oppo (18%) and Apple (18%) round out the top three in China. Oppo had a 34% reduction in sales from the previous year, while Apple saw a 17 percent increase. Vivo (16%) and Xiaomi (14%) round out the top five, having yearly reductions of 44 percent and 22 percent, respectively. In other words, Honor and Apple are the only two brands in China that are growing year after year.The rating for March 2022 shows a similar pattern. However, Vivo and Oppo continue to outperform Honor. Nonetheless, Honor’s market share rises from 5.5 to 16.9%, representing a 166.8% gain.
Huawei’s revenue continued to fall throughout the same period. Sanctions on the Chinese tech firm are still in place. The Chinese conglomerate’s first-quarter sales were 131 billion yuan ($19.81 billion), down 13.9% from the previous quarter. To make a comeback, Huawei is working on expanding its, which includes the MateBook E, MateBook X, the new MateBook X Pro, the MatePad Paper, and a foldable smartphone, the Mate Xs 2.


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BATMOBILE SELLS FOR $4 MIL PLUS
Wednesday January 30th, 2013
BATMOBILE SELLS FOR $4MIL PLUS
The ‘petrol heads’ original dream car has sold for $4.2 (£2.6) at a US auction. The Batmobile, driven by cult icon, Adam West in 120 episodes of the original Batman TV series was bought by Rick Champagne, a logistics company owner from Phoenix, Arizona. The 56-year-old said it was ‘a dream come true’.
The original design for the supercar was based on concept car the Lincoln Futura, which was built in Italy by Ford in 1955. It was originally bought by car-customiser George Barris for a nominal fee of $1 in 1965. Barris then spent 15 days converting the vehicle into the Batmobile at a cost of around £5,370. It had a V-8 engine, in-car phone and parachutes to assist sharp turns at high speed.
Mr Barris said, 'The car had to be a star on its own. And it became one.'
Since the show ended in 1968, the custom car fanatic has toured the Batmobile worldwide until it was eventually housed in a private showroom in California.
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CARDIFF, UNITED KINGDOM – Greenstreetsoftware.info, a global publishing and events company helping stakeholders understand the future of mobility, announced today that Alexandre Marian, Director, AlixPartners, has been confirmed as an expert speaker for M:bility | Detroit.
Alexandre will participate in the following panel discussion:
Are automakers prepared for the future of mobility?
The automotive ecosystem is on the cusp of massive change and traditional automakers face a battle to retain control of the customer interface. The decisions they make now and in the coming years will determine whether the anticipated change becomes an opportunity or an existential threat.
- How are automakers currently positioned and what must they do to thrive in the era of connected, autonomous, shared and electric mobility?
- How will automaker revenue and profit pools change over the next decade and beyond?
- Can automakers meet the demanding requirements of the customer of the future?
- Will automakers be able to integrate their existing ‘build-and-sell’ models with new mobility offerings?
- Can automakers go it alone or will partnerships and even consolidation become a necessity?
M:bility | Detroit is a two-day conference designed to help stakeholders understand the future of mobility. The event, which was formerly known as Connected Car, Autonomous Car and Powertrain Detroit, will bring together more than 50 expert speakers and 350 delegates on 12-13 March 2019.
To find out more please visit http://greenstreetsoftware.info/conferences/mbility-detroit/.
+44 (0) 2921 286 515


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Yuji Naka leaves Square EnixBalan Wonderworld director departs.
Sonic the Hedgehog creator Yuji Naka has left Square Enix, he announced.
“I resigned from Square Enix at the end of April,” Naka said in a tweet. “While I cannot share the reason right now, I hope to be able to discuss it when the time comes. As for what I’ll do in the future, I’m already 55 years-old, so I may as well retire.”
Naka was the director of Balan Wonderworld, which launched for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC via Steam on March 26 to abysmal reception.
Outside of his work Square Enix, Naka is also the president and CEO of Prope.


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The first day of tennis industry meetings in Orlando, Fla., at the end of March will open with a Future of Tennis Forum, a “Tennis Innovation Challenge,” and a Tennis Health & Wellness Panel. The meetings, March 27-29, are presented by the Tennis Industry Association (TIA) and lead into the fourth annual Tennis Owners & Managers (TOM) Conference, which will be at the award-winning Rosen Shingle Creek Resort.
Three sessions at the upcoming Tennis Owners & Managers (TOM) Conference in Orlando will focus on how tennis clubs and facilities can create new revenue through sales and marketing, fitness programming and retail operations.
Cardio Tennis Training Courses have been scheduled in March at the new, 100-court USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla. A Level 1 Training Course will be held on Friday, March 3, and a Level 2 Training Course will be on Sunday, March 26.
The inaugural Tennis Industry Innovation Challenge showcasing new and innovative products designed to help grow tennis businesses brought in 36 applications. Finalists from the application process will have the opportunity to present at the 2017 Tennis Owners & Managers Conference in Orlando March 27.
The industry-supported Tennis Health & Wellness Task Force, chaired by Dr. Jack Groppel, has named five members who will help reach and engage mainstream Americans through messaging created on the health, fitness and wellness benefits of tennis.
The 10th Annual TIA Tennis Forum will be Monday morning, Aug. 28, which is the first day of play at the 2017 US Open. This year’s Forum will be at a new location, the Intercontinental New York Barclay Hotel, at Lexington Avenue and 49th Street.
The Tennis Industry Association is accepting nominations for the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame for 2017, which honors individuals who have made a significant impact on the sport of tennis. Nominations, which are due by June 1, can be in any of four categories: Inventors, Founders, Innovators or Contributors. Criteria for nominating and a short nomination form are available at TennisIndustry.org/HoF.
Dr. Jack Groppel was named the recipient of the 2017 PTR/TIA Commitment to the Industry Award at the PTR International Tennis Symposium Awards Dinner on Hilton Head Island, S.C., Feb. 15.


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Elon Musk the billionaire who bought Twitter has rolled out Twitter Blue with added features for iPhone users, in a tweet Musk said the application will be available for a $7.99 subscription.
The platform’s mobile app began offering an update that will allow users to sign up for the new version of Twitter Blue which will cost $8 a month and set to grant users a blue checkmark and perks such as less advertising in their feeds.
However, the company isn’t ready to roll out the services just as yet, in a tweet the development director at its California-based office said the new service is not live yet.
“The new Blue isn’t live yet-the sprint to our launch continues but some folks may see us making updates because we are testing and pushing changes in real-time.”
The current version of the feature which costs $5 contains premium features such as a more comfortable reading mode. Musk wants to add the blue tick that has until now symbolised account verifications, though he has not explained how the paying accounts will be verified.


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UNAIDS and StarTimes are in collaboration on increasing HIV/AIDS awareness among Africans young people with mobile online video application following a meeting in Beijing on Monday.
The meeting which had the theme “Value of New Media in African HIV/AIDS Prevention Campaign”, had in attendance Gertrude Mutharika, the first lady of the Republic of Malawi, Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS executive director, and Guo Ziqi, StarTimes group vice president
It has been an urgent issue for global HIV/AIDS Prevention Campaign to engage in prevention as new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths are more likely to occur among young people in Africa.
In a statement available to business a.m., Michel Sidibe said at the meeting: “We have seen progress in most countries today, but the biggest challenge that we face is complacency. The young people, they don’t have information, they don’t have the knowledge, so they don’t protect themselves…So, information, knowledge and education, and that’s why StarTimes is very important for us.”
He said: “I just want to say sharing information, bringing knowledge and making sure that we can change young people will be key to ending AIDS.”
Sidibé noted that for most African countries, 70 percent of the population is below the age of 35 and they are not getting information. “Our recent approach will completely change the situation and help us to go for a generation free of AIDS.”
With smartphone use and internet penetration soaring, Africa is set for a communication way revolution. Similarly in Europe, the US and China, more and more African young people, get used to watching stream videos on phones.
“Based on this trend, StarTimes launched its video streaming service in African market with StarTimes App in June. Within 3 months, StarTimes App has had 8 million downloads and the figure is expected to be 15 million at the end of this year,” said Guo Ziqi, with noting that StarTimes App right now is streaming the “Zero Discrimination” PSAs as a trial cooperation with UNAIDS through the online video platform.
Gertrude Mutharika, Malawian first lady and former president of the Organization of African First Ladies Against AIDS, said: “Malawi has significant and rapid growth in the number of mobile phones and subscribers over the last two decades. The majority of people who buy phone use it for social media communication as well as a source of information. It is for this reason that we revise HIV prevention strategy and seeks to explore social media technology and platforms to reach out to young people.”