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The immediate and short-term realities of the commercial real estate market are, to put it mildly, somewhat murky at the moment. The most significant factors playing out in the market include the impact of the COVID-19 virus on commercial real estate as well as a change in presidential administrations in Washington. But like most sea-change events, longer term changes in the landscape are more challenging to discern.
In the past, commercial real estate investors made their plans based on long-term forecasts rather than short-term predictions. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended much of this conventional wisdom, making predictions about markets and property sectors going forward difficult, if not impossible. The result has been the necessity of making decisions using data and information that is highly speculative. Some investors will see big wins, and many more will see at least modest losses.
While experienced investors and real estate bankers have been forced to plan under pressure before, the pandemic represents new and unknown challenges. Every market has its risks and rewards, and the current market is no exception. No one has a crystal ball to determine what the market will look like in one year, five years or 10 years.
Following is a look at this year’s market’s likely hazards and benefits. We’ll look at which industry segments are growing, which are holding their own and which are struggling.
Prior to the beginning of the pandemic, the retail sector was already unsteady. Thanks to the challenges associated with infection control, retail is now having to juggle additional issues, such as limited rent collection from closed shops. Combined with existing long-term issues, the retail industry is more unsettled than ever and is likely to remain so into next year.
Forecasts made early this year predicted that retail was going to be able to overcome COVID challenges. E-commerce was then still seen as a competitor, but 2020 has seen retail interests increasingly moving their business largely online to stay in the black. The need for essentials like groceries and home products has translated to high demand for some businesses; however, shopping centers that are organized around large grocery stores have seen an attrition of smaller side shops.
One of the biggest retail concerns is the shopping mall. There is no question that mall business has been decimated, particularly with the bankruptcy of large retail interests such as J. Crew, Neiman Marcus and JCPenney, which generally provided the anchor for malls and their ancillary shops, many of which have closed. Post-pandemic, it will be necessary to reinvent the mall, particularly as consumers have gotten out of the habit of mall shopping.
From an investor frame of reference, the biggest immediate challenge is rent collection, particularly for owners of buildings with a single tenant that may be in arrears on rent. Secondary disruptions, which are dependent on controlling COVID, will depend on unknowns such as how many people can be in a store or restaurant at one time, a variable that is different from state to state and county to county. Even if shopping and dining are allowed, many consumers may stay away and choose not to take the risk of indoor activities.
Recently, some analysts have noted that the pandemic has accelerated what is known as the “Amazon effect,” which means that more people will cultivate online shopping habits for more products going forward. While retail has always been a high-risk sector, some aspects will see a bigger depression in sales and a more unsteady recovery. Look for essential stores to come out of the pandemic in reasonably good shape, while malls and non-essential stores to see a shakier path back to normal. For investors in these non-essential and mall properties, it may not be a great time to consider selling now when losses could be significant.
While the industrial sector hasn’t been unscathed, investors have reported they still have a lot of confidence in it, and there continues to be a healthy demand in leasing for industrial purposes. The time it takes to develop warehouse projects that feature 500,000 or more square feet can be up to 24 months, so the far-reaching nature of the projects – particularly with successful vaccine candidates on the horizon – means that development will likely continue as usual.
In some cases, rent collection rates for big box warehouses have remained at nearly 100 percent during the pandemic-related shutdowns. For multi-tenant industrial properties, however, the picture is less rosy, with rent collections down between 60 and 80 percent, particularly among small business tenants. Whether these businesses survive the pandemic remains to be seen and will depend on their line of business and what type of financial shape the companies were in before the shutdowns. It will also depend on future assistance from federal or state pandemic-relief programs.
Global commercial real estate services provider Newmark has noted that the industrial sector varies significantly depending on where companies’ assets are located. States with stricter moratoriums that prevent business as usual are likely to see more interruptions.
“The full extent of the COVID-19 outbreak’s effects on industrial development have yet to be realized, but there likely will be fewer projects moving forward in the near term, notwithstanding the fact that the industrial sector is best positioned for success during the economic downturn due to the ramp-up in e-commerce,” according to Newmark.
The coronavirus remote work experiment is emerging as a permanent trend, but at some point, employees will return to the office in numbers that match those of the past. While no one is certain when the workforce will return to pre-COVID numbers in terms of working in-person in offices, it has been forecast to be several years in the future. Some industries may see sectors of their workforces remaining virtual and home-based indefinitely.
Cushman & Wakefield, one of the largest real estate services firms in the world, has predicted that global office vacancies will not return to their pre-COVID peak levels until 2025. For the study, Cushman & Wakefield surveyed some of largest companies around the world about the future of office working, and attempted to measure both the cyclical impacts of the COVID recession and structural impacts assuming a higher increase in work from home.
“Globally, office leasing fundamentals will be significantly damaged in the near-term,” according to the company’s report on global real estate trends. “The COVID-19 recession and structural impacts will result in 95.8 million square feet (msf) of negative net absorption between 2020 Q2 and 2021 Q3 worldwide. This impact is greater than that of the Great Financial Crisis (GFC) when 85 million square feet of negative absorption occurred.”
The study forecast that global office vacancy will rise from 10.9 percent pre-COVID crisis to 15.6 percent by the second quarter of 2022. The report noted that the contrast is likely to be starker in western nations. During the GFC, Canada, Europe and the U.S. recorded a combined 120.5 million square feet of absorption peak-to-trough. The company’s forecast for these regions, including 2020 Q2 figures, is 211.7 million square feet of negative absorption peak-to-trough.
Kevin Thorpe, chief economist and global head of research for Cushman & Wakefield, told CNBC that the impacts from the global COVID-19 crisis will be significant, but the global office leasing sector will recover “largely due to employment growth.”
Over time, as the economy shifts to a knowledge-based, professional services economy, it will offset the flexible workforce trend, Cushman & Wakefield’s study concluded. “But in the near-term, there will be significant challenges for the office sector,” Thorpe said.
In the meantime, the work-from-home trend will continue to expand. A June S&P Global survey found that 67 percent of IT decision-makers expect remote policies to stay in place either long-term or permanently, which represents a substantial increase from the 38 percent who said the same at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Companies may not be in a hurry to get all their workers back in the office, primarily because of the economic benefits they’re experiencing. A study by Global Workplace Analytics estimated that a typical employer can save an average of $11,000 per half-time telecommuter per year. The primary savings are the result of increased productivity, lower real estate costs, reduced absenteeism and turnover, and better disaster preparedness.
Cost savings could also come from lower salaries: about 62 percent of American workers indicated that they would be willing to take a pay cut to be able to work remotely.
Going forward, how quickly employees return to the office will depend on how safe they feel in doing so. An Edelman Trust Barometer special report entitled, “Workplace Trust and the Coronavirus” found that only half of employees believe that office spaces are safe. Employees told Edelman that they place the least amount of confidence in CEOs and senior managers to lead on return to work (only 14 percent).
In the interim, some companies are taking advantage of office space bargains in large cities. Facebook, for example, signed a major lease agreement in late 2020 for the old James A. Farley post office building in New York City. Amazon has also expanded its footprint in New York with the more than $1 billion purchase of the Lord & Taylor building on Fifth Avenue, which includes over 600,000 square feet of space.
The change in the presidency from a Trump administration to a Biden administration is likely to result in a number of near-term and long-term changes. One of the most urgent changes is likely to be in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which was raging out of control at the conclusion of 2020.
With many states reporting massive surges in cases, the so-called second wave has not only arrived but shows no signs of slowing down. Biden has framed his campaign around putting a stop to the outbreak. To that end, he may seek to institute a national mask mandate, as many other countries have done.
While the move may be politically unpopular among some Americans, compelling Americans to wear masks in public could present a significant boost to the economy by helping more businesses keep their doors open. Such a mandate could be very good news for real estate investors if it helps control the spread of illness. Without a widespread mask mandate, real estate vacancy rates will continue to rise sharply.
Different economic policies from one administration to the next could also have a significant impact on real estate outcomes. Recently, real estate investors have been able to count on several tax breaks, one of which is the 1031 exchange, a loophole that allows investors to unload one piece of real estate for another without paying capital gains taxes on the sale. 1031 exchanges have been estimated to account for as much as 20 percent of all commercial real estate deals across the country. President Biden, however, has spoken of eliminating the 1031 exchange, which could lead to real estate investors seeing their tax burdens rise.
As with many industries, the sagest advice for investors might be “hurry up and wait.” Political winds are changing, and no one is certain yet which direction they’re blowing. Most analysts advise investors not to panic, since the Biden administration won’t operate in a bubble, according to The Motley Fool.
“He’ll still need the support of Senate lawmakers to institute tax code changes, so it may be quite some time until his proposals actually come to light — if they happen at all,” wrote The Fool’s Maurie Backman. “As such, real estate investors should keep Biden’s proposals in mind, but shouldn’t necessarily celebrate them, or panic, just yet.” T&ID


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Lithuania got angry with China by allowing the Taiwan office to open but is looking for new markets in Asia. Recently, Foreign Minister Gabriel Landsbergis travelled to Singapore and Australia. This year, he plans to visit Japan, South Korea, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Israel with the Prime Minister, Eglė Samoškaitė writes on tv3.lt.
The development of economic relations with East Asian countries was planned at the beginning of the Government’s work when Lithuania had not yet had time to anger China by demonstrating friendship towards Taiwan. These aspirations are briefly reflected in the Government’s programme, which notes that Lithuania needs to exploit the potential of cooperation with the democratic countries of East Asia more fully, to expand its network of diplomatic missions strategically, and to politically become a space of freedom, where not only Russian and Belarusian dissidents but also Asian democrats defending their rights, can find a place to live.
Vidmantas Janulevičius, President of the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists, says that Lithuania’s pivot to the Asia-Pacific region can be positive. Still, it would have been even better if our country had first established relations with these countries and then spoiled its relations with China. “It would have been ideal”, says Mr Janulevičius, “But we are already looking at the situation as it is. It is too late to throw fists after a fight. If you’ve been hit in the forehead, you have to look at how to get out of it, to deal with the wounds.”
According to the speaker, access to other markets requires at least a year of preparatory work, so it will not happen quickly. Still, East Asia and the Pacific is promising region, with several countries in the region seeking to emerge from China’s shadow, and cooperation with them could be worthwhile.
Rasa Uždavinytė, Director of the Export Department of the Entrepreneurship and Export Development Agency “Versli Lietuva”, said that Lithuania needed to diversify its exports despite the problems with China, because currently, about 80% of exports of goods and services go to the European Union, which could have negative consequences if something happened in Europe, such as an armed conflict in Ukraine.
China has made a good recovery, but there may be benefits
Lithuania plans to open embassies in Singapore and Seoul and a trade mission in Taipei. “The embassy in Singapore will be a regional embassy responsible for maintaining relations, primarily economic, with South-East Asian countries,” the Foreign Ministry said.
Among the East Asian, Indian and Pacific countries with which Lithuania plans to build stronger economic ties, embassies exist in Japan and Australia. Here, the aim is to strengthen economic representation. Moreover, Australia itself is planning to establish a trade mission in Lithuania. Although de facto, Taiwan has already established one of the mission functions as an embassy, which makes China most nervous.
V. Janulevičius, President of the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists, says that diversification is logical, especially in China’s anger over Lithuania’s policy towards Taiwan.
“It is clear that we should have prepared earlier. You are well aware that such things are not done so quickly. We need to consult, mobilise allies to support us, and assess the maximum damage. But this is the first time that China has come down on Lithuania. In any case, there have never been any such cases of withholding of paid goods from China, either from the Australians or from anyone else. We have been like guinea pigs”, remarked the industrialist leader.
In his view, it is good when a country decides not to focus on one big country or market but has several alternatives. In his opinion, it would be best to emphasise economic cooperation with democratic and developed countries that are closer to us, as Lithuania itself is still developing, even though it is a member of the European Union. Mr Janulevičius mentioned Japan and the USA, but in his view, cooperation with any other country that has a free trade agreement with the European Union can be excellent. Such agreements, he said, guarantee greater trust between businesses.
“I think that this global story with China can pay very high dividends for us in the long term. It may well mobilise us a little bit to review how we deal with our strategic sectors and export geography. So it may be a shock in the short term, but in the long term it may be a good thing that will bring even more benefits”, says R. Uždavinytė of Verslios Lietuvos.
A must-go for heads of state
V. Janulevičius noted that China is surrounded by many developing countries that are eager to crawl out of Beijing’s shadow. In his view, these countries are behaving in a similar way to China in its time: first, they produce goods cheaply, then they adopt technology, and then, as the affordability of the local society increases, they turn to domestic consumption, especially if the country has a large population.
“China has been attracting investment, adopting technology and producing everything for export. It has learnt how to manufacture. In the beginning, the affordability of the domestic market was very low. They could not afford the products that the European Union was using. And what do they have now? Now the overall Chinese level has risen. The average salary is close to the level of Eastern Europe, and they are starting to use the products themselves. This makes them feel secure because they have their internal consumption. The trend will be similar for all countries. In the beginning, they wait for investors. The investors invest because there is a higher return, and then when the investor recovers part of the investment, they usually sell the same factories to locals. This is a global trend. And if the affordability of people and families goes up, they turn to domestic consumption. That is what China is doing,” says Mr Janulevičius.
Asked how Lithuania could now move quickly towards relations with other countries in East Asia, India and the Pacific, the President of the Confederation of Lithuanian Industrialists says that Lithuania must first consider what is interesting for it in this region.
“At the beginning, it is good to see what Lithuanians need, even to make a list, ” says the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists president.
According to him, the best way to get in touch with a country that interests us is to establish contacts with that country’s Chamber of Industry or Crafts, or something like Versli Lietuva, so that we can communicate directly and decide what we are interested in, and what is of interest to business in that country, by area. In addition, as a small country, Lithuania needs to find export markets.
“It is necessary to go to the country’s top leaders first if we want to have some breakthroughs in the Eastern countries. Then, we have to go with specific things, what areas we are interested in, but with the head of state or at least the prime minister. And, of course, the ministers must accompany the delegation. And do business forums. Then there would be a supportive relationship, control, and the embassy should always be close by,” said Mr Janulevičius about the practice of establishing economic relations with foreign countries.
It is important to note that each country has its own culture and traditions, but generally, the further east you go, the more contacts with top-level VIPs are valued. For example, R. Uždavinytė, Director of the Export Department of Verslios Lietuvos, pointed out that cultural peculiarities have a significant impact when dealing with Japan: “We have a long-standing economic relationship with Japan, we participate in various initiatives, we try to do both, but culturally, the mentality is that you need to invest a lot of time, to build trust. Therefore, they are not so quick to enter into partnerships”.
V. Janulevičius pointed out that some Asian countries have already established close economic relations with the European Union, facilitating the establishment of links with Lithuania.
“From start to finish, the momentum takes a minimum of a year to two to three to five years. You know, there is no upper limit, but nothing starts without a year. There are pilot batches. Then you have to look at certification. If a country is already exporting to the European Union, it already has the certificates. Then they do not need to be certified separately. If there is a new supply, then certification is required. And if we import from that country, we need to contribute to the certification. Each case is unique and depends on the product group, the culture of the country and the reliability of the country,” said Mr Janulevičius.
How are markets selected?
“R. Uždavinytė, Director of the Export Department of Verslios Lietuvos, notes that even if the situation with China was not taken into account, Lithuania had to diversify its export markets, because currently, about 80% of its exports go to the European Union, which is not sustainable, especially if something were to happen in Europe.
“If we want to have sustainable exports in the future and to reduce risks and dependence on certain markets, we need to broaden the portfolio and the geography of markets. Right now about 80% of our exports go to the European Union. The European Union is essentially one market. So if something happens here, say a military conflict in Ukraine or something, it weakens the market. And it is quite difficult for us to compete with other countries. So, naturally, it is more sustainable and safer to diversify the portfolio. We need to have other markets where these processes are happening faster, where trade relations are being established because demand is high,” she said.
R. Uždavinytė said that all the Asian countries that Foreign Minister G. Landsbergis and Minister of Economy and Innovation Aušrinė Armonaitė are going to visit this year are very different. Still, the further east one goes, the more political impetus is needed for cooperation. The more critical various memoranda, official agreements or declarations become because this obliges state institutions and agencies to respond more quickly and attentively.
“In Asian countries, this political attention is a kind of push, an impetus to build good relations. Moreover, various cooperation agreements encourage businesses to cooperate more”, says the representative of Verslios Lietuvos.
“So it is not that a country takes a random decision and decides randomly. We take stock of the markets”.
For example, India is a huge and inhomogeneous market, where Lithuania could work on a regional basis. It is assessed that this country could become a technology and innovation partner in pharmaceuticals, the food industry, educational technology.
Singapore is a high-income country and therefore attractive for cooperation. Singapore’s high concentration of scientific institutions and high-tech companies means that it has the potential to export mechanical engineering, engineering and organic chemical products. However, the high-tech sector is considered the most promising. The Lithuanian food industry has been reticent about Singapore because it imports finished products from the European Union, while Lithuanian companies mainly export raw materials.
There is potential for cooperation with Australia in the fields of cyber-security and lasers. At the same time, South Korea is also seen as a promising partner in the areas of lasers, optics, biotechnology and e-commerce. Indonesia is a very large Muslim country, and there is potential for exports of food products based on Islamic traditions and chemical products, optics, medical devices, and information technology services. Vietnam could become a market for chemicals and chemical products produced in Lithuania and export textiles, food products, agricultural products and industrial engineering products.
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Earlier today, Google and Motorola announced that Google would be purchasing the latter for 12.5 billion dollars. Motorola will function as a separate entity from Google but that doesn’t mean there won’t be changes. In fact, Google states that it wants to “supercharge” Android. In other words, it wants to keep making Android better and it hopes buying out Motorola will keep them on that path.
But what does this mean for Motorola devices and more specifically, its upcoming flagship device, the Motorola Droid Bionic? In my opinion, the deal could mean two things might happen.
First though, I want to be clear, I don’t see the Droid Bionic as a whole being changed by this acquisition. It’s too far into development, it’s currently out in the wilds in its final form, battery life is said to be great, and Motorola still expects it to launch in September.
I don’t think anything will be different a launch. However, I think the future of the Droid Bionic may have been altered by this purchase, a future that suddenly seems a whole lot brighter than it did yesterday.
Potentially Awesome Thing #1
Google is not going to play favorites with Motorola phones because it’ll tick off other manufacturers like HTC and Samsung. Google even stated that Motorola will operate as a separate entity from Google.
However, you can’t dispute that this purchase will bring the companies closer together and because of that, I think that Motorola phones will be quicker to get major Android updates.
What does that mean for the Droid Bionic? Well, it means that Ice Cream Sandwich could come a whole lot faster when it’s released later this year. The point of the merger was to “supercharge” Android and I think part of that is Google wanting to get major updates out to phones not called Nexus in a much quicker fashion and the Droid Bionic could be the starting point.
Potentially Awesome Thing #2
In the past, Motorola phones have been extremely hard to customize because of precautions the manufacturer has put into place. Specifically, Moto has locked down the bootloaders on phones rendering customization nearly impossible. The practice has definitely turned plenty of people to other companies who phones possess bootloaders that can could be unlocked more easily.
Google’s Nexus device have no such issues and Motorola has even stated that it will be unlocking bootloaders in the future and I think it’s possible that this partnership could speed up the bootloader process for the Droid Bionic.
Google now has the ability to put pressure on Motorola to put this into effect and with HTC already offering an unlocking process for the HTC Sensation, it would make sense to get Motorola on that level. It wants to “supercharge” Android after all. Now, will it have an unlocked bootloader at launch? I doubt it, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see it come at some point after launch.
So, I don’t see Google buying out Motorola affecting the Motorola Droid Bionic’s present condition but I could certainly see how it might work wonders for the Droid Bionic in the future.
What do you guys and gals think?
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The planet of Auraxis might see some extra involvement over one of the coming weekends, not that the Massively Multiplayer Online First Person Shooter PlanetSide 2 lacks online players otherwise but this is so because the eagerly awaited Double XP weekend might just be around the corner!
According to a post by Margaret Khron aka Luperza, the SOE Community Relations Rep the Double XP weekend could be on the 5th of July – just a week from now.
The “might” and “could” phrases are there simply to incorporate the fact that Luperza teasingly hinted that the awaited weekend “maybe the one that is coming up in a week or so” oh and she made sure to add a *cough* to it.
This means that players will be allowed to extract double XP points for the same tasks – knowing how vital these points can be in an open world battleground, we can assume you’ll be polishing your gear for the coming weekend.
She had pinched this news to a Heroic Boosts related post when she announced that in order to stash up on the XP the players could benefit from the Heroic Boosts that would be up for grabs in the marketplace depot from 28th June – 30th.
The MMO shooter PlanetSide 2 plays on PC and has been announced as a launch title for PlayStation 4 – brace yourselves for a large scale battle to attain dominion over your territories on the next gen consoles!


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A bankrupt GM downsizes (its cars, too) and finds that small is beautiful
June 1, 2009, 12:33 p.m. by Jim Motavalli
The "new" GM will be much smaller, less global, and focused on making fuel-efficient vehicles. But can we all shed a tear for the company that (probably) made our first car?
Forget batteries, the new hotness is compressed air
May 26, 2009, 4 p.m. by Shea Gunther
The greener car of tomorrow just might be powered with compressed air.
Omigod: A vivid two minutes in the ultra-fast Tesla Model S
April 30, 2009, 1:11 p.m. by Jim Motavalli
Tesla's new sedan makes its New York debut with green celebs like 'Who Killed the Electric Car's Chris Paine, and MNN was riding in the backseat.


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Olivia Newton-John promoting medical marijuana to raise money for her cancer center
Grammy award-winning singer Olivia Newton-John has turned to medicinal marijuana in her battle against breast cancer. She has recently begun promoting medical marijuana in an effort to raise money for her wellness and research center. “I will do what I can to encourage it. It’s an important part of treatment, and it should be available,” she said in a recent a statement.
Now 68 years old, Newton-John has been a champion of numerous cancer causes since she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. At that time, she had a partial mastectomy and underwent chemotherapy, driving her cancer into remission. However, in May this year, Newton-John postponed her tour when her cancer returned, metastasizing to her lower back.
Olivia Newton-John (her actual birth name) was born in Cambridge, England, and became an Australian national after moving to Australia with her family when she was 5 years old. She claims that she uses medical cannabis along with other remedies in her current home state of California, where cannabis is legal. Australia legalized medical cannabis in February of 2016.
She launched the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre in Melbourne, Australia in 2012. Subsequently, she chose her treatment therapies after consulting with physicians, natural therapists and the medical team at the center.
Medicinal cannabis users claim the plant alleviates the pain and discomfort of chemotherapy. And many studies have shown that compounds in cannabis actually cause cancer cell death in vitro. For example, a recent study concluded that CBD could actually destroy leukemia cells.
Newton-John’s daughter, Chloe Lattanzi, runs a cannabis farm in Oregon.
Does cannabis use change the way people walk?
Also out of Australia, a team of scientists has reported evidence that cannabis use alters the way people walk. Their findings were published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
The study, “History of cannabis use is associated with altered gait“, was also co-authored by Gabrielle Todd, Robert A. Wilcox, Adam P. Vogel, Jason M. White, and Dominic Thewlis.
“Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug, with 35% of Australians aged 14 years and over reporting use on at least one occasion,” said Verity Pearson-Dennett of the University of South Australia, the study’s corresponding author.
“Most of the research on illicit drug use focuses on long-term changes in cognition and psychological well-being,” he explained. “Illicit drugs exert their effects by changing the levels of neurotransmitters in the ‘pleasure centers’ of the brain, but these neurotransmitters are also very important in movement.”
“It is, therefore, possible that these drugs may impact the way we move. It is important to fully understand the long-term effects of cannabis use, particularly given the move to decriminalize use in many countries and the growing tolerance to use of cannabis.”
A couple limitations of the study are its small sample size and the small amount of cannabis consumed. The study compared the gait of 22 subjects who had used cannabis at least 22 times to that of non-drug using Australians. According to the report, subjects who had used cannabis moved their knees faster when swinging their leg forward to walk, but tended to move their shoulders less. The researchers found no difference in walking speed or balance.
“The main take away message is that use of cannabis can result in subtle changes in the way that you move,” Pearson-Dennett told PsyPost. “The changes in walking were small enough that a neurologist specializing in movement disorders was not able to detect changes in all of the cannabis users. However, many of the participants in the cannabis group were moderate-to-light cannabis users, therefore heavier cannabis users may have greater impairments.
“This was a small pilot study, therefore, a number of questions need to be addressed,” Pearson-Dennett explained. “For example, does a greater amount of cannabis use mean a greater level of impairment? Does the strain or THC/CBD content of the cannabis used change the level of impairment observed? In addition, the physiological mechanisms that underpin changes in movement are not well understood.”
Cannabidiol may impact antiepileptic drug levels in refractory epilepsy
A new study claims that the addition of popular non-psychoactive cannabinoid CBD to a treatment regimen for refractory epilepsy is associated with significant changes in the blood levels of several antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), abnormalities in liver function tests, and sedation.
In the current study, Tyler E. Gaston, MD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Epilepsy Center, and colleagues, sought to identify interactions between CBD and commonly used epilepsy drugs. Data were obtained from a University of Alabama at Birmingham CBD study which sought to investigate the addition of CBD to treatment regimens in treatment-resistant epilepsy. Participants in the study included individuals with epilepsy that was resistant to 4 or more AEDs at adequate and stable doses for 1 month prior.
The study participants included 42 children and 39 adults. Overall, increasing doses of CBD were tied to decreased blood levels of some epilepsy drugs. In adult participants, increasing doses of CBD were tied to increased serum levels of eslicarbazepine (P =.04) and zonisamide (P =.02). CBD did not seem to have an impact on serum levels of valproate, levetiracetam, phenobarbital, clonazepam, phenytoin, carbamazepine, lamotrigine, oxcarbazepine, ethosuximide, vigabatrin, ezogabine, pregabalin, perampanel, and lacosamide.
“Because CBD continues to be studied as a potential anticonvulsant, clinicians and researchers alike should be aware of significant changes in serum levels of clobazam/desmethylclobazam, eslicarbazepine, rufinamide, topiramate, and zonisamide,” the investigators wrote.


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PETA extremists who poured slime over themselves at London Fashion Week failed to disrupt the event.
They attracted only mild amusement from onlookers after smearing themselves in what they called “toxic slime” in a protest against the event in The Strand in London.
But the concoction of syrup and and charcoal caused a mess on the pavement and security officials advised Fashion Week visitors to use a different entrance.
Red-faced protestors were objecting to the leather trade but were largely ignored as security cleaned up the mess and moved them on.
Elisa Allen, director of Peta, offered no apology for the inconvenience.
Earlier in the day, protesters from the climate change group Extinction Rebellion glued themselves to the entrance to the LFW offices, while other protesters poured buckets of fake blood into the offices.
The actions of the protesters were met with ridicule by many online commenters.
One said: “If these nut jobs had two brain cells between them, they’d be working on ways to reduce the dumping of chemicals into water courses, and to find ways of processing fabrics/leather with fewer chemicals.
“But, of course, that would be difficult work, and would not involve shouting “look at me, I’m better than you!”.
Caroline Rush, Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council, the organisers of LFW, said: “Demands to cancel Fashion Week do not solve the problem in terms of the way the industry needs to address the climate change emergency.”
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American taxpayers expecting a refund successful 2024 opportunity they already person an thought of what they will do pinch nan money. A mostly opportunity location won't beryllium immoderate near complete for savings aft they parcel it out.
The mostly of taxpayers tin typically expect to person a refund from Uncle Sam, and for galore families, nan money tin beryllium substantial. Nearly three-quarters of filers received a taxation refund successful 2023, pinch an mean costs worthy astir $3,176.
A caller study released by Assurance IQ recovered that of nan 72% of consumers expecting a refund from nan Internal Revenue Service this year, much than a third, 36%, scheme to salary disconnected indebtedness pinch nan funds, and 30% scheme to usage it to drawback up connected their monthly bills.
Less than half, 42%, scheme to put astatine slightest immoderate of their refund into savings.
YOUR TAX REFUND COULD BE BIGGER THIS YEAR – HERE'S WHY
"Inflation has slowed, but higher prices proceed to effect consumers' financial wellness," said Kate Long, user financial wellness advocator astatine Assurance IQ.
Notably, nan study recovered that 29% of consumers are considering utilizing their taxation refunds to salary for security as premiums proceed to rise – including astir half (48%) of Gen Z.
MADE MONEY ON VENMO OR PAYPAL LAST YEAR? WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR TAXES
"Lower income households who unrecorded paycheck to paycheck person been hit difficult by inflation," Long said. "An influx of cash, specified arsenic a taxation refund, tin beryllium a lifeline that helps them drawback up connected outstanding indebtedness aliases screen captious expenses, for illustration insurance."
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Around 23% of consumers expecting a refund scheme to usage their taxation refund connected thing "fun," nan study found, while 19% scheme to put it and 3% scheme to donate it. Around 12% are undecided connected really they will walk it.
FOX Business' Megan Henney contributed to this report.


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The country's federal government wants to make more efforts towards citizen data consolidation.
A rolling update of interesting technology news from around the web. This week: A report says AT&T could buy Time Warner as early as this weekend. Also, Microsoft cloud revenue soars, Apple's car-making plans hit a roadblock, and a giant of tech journalism passes away.
Microsoft looks poised to add some new cross-platform mobile apps to its Office 365 Business Premium service, and possibly some kind of new 'personal business assistant,' too.
Dyn, which offers DNS management services and other traffic tools to improve web site uptime, was hit by a distributed denial of service attack.
SAP said new cloud bookings were up 24 percent in the quarter with cloud subscriptions and support up 28 percent. Software licenses and support were up 5 percent from a year ago.
Dell kicked off its first inclusion initiative in 2005 and 11 years on, the company's ANZ managing director says it's crucial for young women to keep the diversity dialogue open.
The tiny new streamer, now with an included voice remote, can access video from Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and more, as well as talk back in the voice of Alexa through your TV.
GoDaddy said the new add-on services will help SMBs transmit, store, and protect business and customer data while also abiding by compliance standards.


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The sad word on the street is that Gig Worn, the lovely little rock and roll clothing shop next to Cine, is closing its doors on July 31. There’s currently a 50% off sale going on so drop by and say thanks for all the neat stuff.
R.E.M.‘s reissue of Lifes Rich Pageant is streaming in full now. More info at Slicing Up Eyeballs.
ROAR! Reptar just announced that they’ve been signed to Vagrant Records. We saw it coming and man, Congrats guys!
ATL is about to get rocked by Music Midtown once more. Coldplay was announced on Wednesday as the headliners along with the Black Keys.
Hey dude, are you coming to my show tonight? It’s gonna be rad.


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“Apple is making a version of the iPhone that Verizon Wireless will sell early next year, according to people familiar with the matter. The carrier has been meeting with Apple, adding capacity and testing its networks to prepare for the heavy data load from iPhone users,” Spencer E. Ante reports for The Wall Street Journal.
“The carrier is seeking to avoid the kind of public-relations hit AT&T Inc. took when iPhone users overtaxed its network, especially in New York and San Francisco,” Ante reports. “In an interview last week, Verizon Wireless Chief Technology Officer Tony Melone wouldn’t comment on the iPhone. But he said the company’s network would be up to any challenge now that it has withstood the surge of data use on Android smartphones.
“At the end of September, Verizon Wireless had some nine million Android subscribers, up from none a year earlier, said Matthew Goodman, a senior analyst with Majestic Research,” Ante reports. “AT&T is carrying a heavier load—16.5 million iPhone customers at the end of September, Mr. Goodman estimates.”
Ante reports, “AT&T’s executives have acknowledged that they underestimated the load that iPhone users would bring. Late last year, the company embarked on a major effort to improve service, particularly in New York City and San Francisco, boosting network spending by $2 billion. While much of the work has been completed in New York, San Francisco isn’t yet up to the carrier’s own quality standards Efforts to repair AT&T’s image with customers are also lagging.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: And millions of Verizon customers who were thinking about settling for an Android phone instead decide to wait 90 or so days so they can get the real thing. Classic market freeze. Eric T. Mole wanted to play, but instead he and his “partners” are getting played by the grand master, Steve Jobs.


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China’s Blue-Sky Plan for Olympics Is Stifling Fertilizer Output
China’s urea plants are getting caught up in Beijing’s drive to ensure blue skies for the Winter Olympics, which includes ordering factory shutdowns to curb air pollution.
Three plants in northern Shanxi province were asked to begin operating at 50% capacity due to pollution, driving up domestic prices for the nitrogen fertilizer, said Scotiabank analyst Ben Isaacson. Futures in Zhengzhou rose almost 5% on Friday to the highest since October, but have pared gains this week.
As Beijing ramps up pollution controls in the lead up to the winter games in February, more urea factories could be asked to suspend or cut output. China, a key supplier of urea, sulphate and phosphate to the global market, has curbed fertilizer exports since late last year to protect domestic supplies, a move that worsened a global price shock and risked stoking food inflation further.
The outlook for urea is also dependent on the cost of energy sources like coal and natural gas, which have risen around the world due to shortages and winter heating needs.
Rains in the US, frosts in Brazil and heat in Europe increase risks for future har...
Ukraine sowed 188.6 thousand hectares of spring wheat
Indonesia lifts ban on palm oil exports on May 23
NEW! Ukraine Logistics Trends. Daily & Weekly Report by UkrAgroConsult
India: Govt considers allowing wheat shipments trapped at ports, says report
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As Ford continues to work with the Ford National Dealer Council, the automaker is considering changes to its EV certification program.
The changes would limit the differences between the two tiers of dealerships.
There are three significant changes that we are seeing come out of reporting by Automotive News.
First, Certified dealers, the lesser tier, may get access to more than twenty-five EVs per year.
Second, the marketing-related benefits gap may shrink between Certified Elite and Certified dealerships. Currently, Certified Elite dealerships have their EVs listed on Ford.com and have access to EV demo units.
Finally, Ford is considering dropping the round-the-clock public charging requirement for dealerships.
Tim Hovak, who leads the Ford National Dealer Council, said this about the current talks between the automaker and the dealers:
I’m confident we’ll come to a place where all sides feel we’re fair and within the boundaries of the franchise laws and in a position where Ford can compete and win and where our customers can be put in a position where they have a level of service that is industry-leading.
Although most dealerships have opted into the program, Ford still faces a significant block of dealerships who did not.
Per Ford, around 1,000 dealerships opted out of the Ford EV program in the United States.
So, Ford has some work to do to get those who opted out on board for the next opening of the program in 2027.


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No new “Mario Kart”, no fresh “Super Mario”, and yet 2022 could have been the highlight for Nintendo fans. The sequel to ” Breath of the Wild ” was supposed to be released for the Nintendo Switch this year. But nothing will come of it now. Eiji Aonuma, Nintendo’s lead developer of the “Zelda” series, brought the bad news via Twitter.
Zelda not until spring 2023
Although Nintendo previously announced that it would release the game in 2022, it has now decided to change the date. Instead of in the course of the year, the successor to the switch hit should not appear until spring 2023. So fans have to wait another year. But the wait should be worth it: Nintendo wants to use it to “make the gaming experience something special,” says Aonuma. He apologizes to everyone who was already looking forward to this year’s release.
The Legend of Zelda series producer, Eiji Aonuma, has an update to share about the launch timing of the sequel to The Legend of #Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Please take a look. pic.twitter.com/7OhayhiuM9
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) March 29, 2022
After the apology, Aonuma reiterates what we already know about Breath of the Wild 2 – just in case you forgot what you’re really looking forward to. In the new part, Nintendo expands the game world. Gamers can now also explore the airspace above Hyrule and can look forward to new attacks and additional gameplay elements.
Brent Dubin, known as the Gaming Giant among Globe Live Media staff, is the chief Gaming Reporter for Globe Live Media. Having attended all the major events of Gaming around the World, he is sure to give you exactly the update related to gaming World you are looking for.


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e2b teknologies Listed as a 2012 VAR Star
e2b teknologies recoginzed for exceptional service and named to the 2012 list of VAR stars.
The VAR star winners were chosen based on awards the company has won in the past, leadership in the industry, as well as development and acceptance of important products. In the past year, e2b teknologies has been named to Bob Scott’s list of Top 100 VAR’s, was named to the Weatherhead 100 list for the sixth time, made the Lake-Geauga Fast Track 50 for the fifth time, and earned the Epicor sales certified silver award. E2b teknologies continues to be an innovative contributor to the accounting software industry and has, in the past year, broadened its portfolio to include new product offerings such as Intacct and SugarCRM.
“Bob Scott has been a thought leader in our industry for 21 years, it is an honor to be recognized as a 2012 VAR star,” said Lynne Henslee, President of e2b teknologies. “Our team is committed to providing the best possible service to our customers and it is because of their hard work and passion that we have been able to earn such awards, gain expertise in industry leading solutions, and help our customers obtain their goals.”
About e2b teknologies
e2b teknologies (http://www.e2btek.com/


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April 7, 2011
US Airways Magazine just came out with another listicle, this one spotlighting 14 restaurants in different cities across the country that it calls the most trendsetting restaurants in the United States.
The mag names Philadelphia’s own Paesano’s as one of these super trendsetting restaurants, placing Paesano’s Philly Style in with some very impressive company, including the likes of Grant Achatz’s Next and Aviary in Chicago, Forage in Los Angeles and Eataly in New York City among others.
Kudos to Paesano’s for the nod and kudos to Paesano’s for their efforts to elevate sandwiches in America’s best sandwich city to a whole new level.
Suggestion: try their signature “Paesano” sandwich: beef brisket, with horseradish mayo, roasted tomatoes, pepperincino, sharp provolone and a fried egg.
The 14 Most Trendsetting Restaurants in the U.S. [US Airways Magazine]


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Archive for the ‘GALAXY Tab 8.9 (8.9-inch)’ Category
Today, Samsung released – 10 CORSO COMO Galaxy Tab 8.9 LTE cover case.
To celebrate the launch of Galaxy Tab 8.9 LTE, Samsung Electronics released a ‘10 CORSO COMO Galaxy Tab Cover’.
Samsung collaborated with 10 CORSO COMO (a global lifestyle concept store) to create a limited cover case, designed by Kris Ruhs, an international art creator mainly working in Milano and Paris (in Europe).
Samsung announced its Upgraded Readers Hub Service for the Galaxy line of devices.
Today, Samsung announced that its newly updated Readers Hub App will present a new reading experience with multiple book content forms like sound, image and footage. Samsung expects that this entirely different approach will be more reader-engaging, not like previous media which was only offering traditional forms of printed or text books.
Samsung launched Galaxy Note, Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy Tab 8.9 tablet in Seoul, South Korea.
Today November 28th, 2011, Samsung Electronics held a media day at Samsung Town to announce the launch of Galaxy Note in Korea.
The Galaxy Note (will be released on Tuesday) is a smart mobile device (smartphone and tablet) with a 5.3-inch HD Super AMOLED display, powered by a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, and is 4G LTE capable.
Samsung also launched Galaxy Nexus which is the world-first smartphone running Icecream Sandwich OS (ICS), and Galaxy Tab 8.9 – the first 4G LTE capable tablet PC in Korea. The tablet comes in White and is equipped with a 1.5GHz Dual-core processor, running Android 3.2 Honeycomb with Samsung TOUCHWiZ 4.0 UI. The Galaxy Tab 8.9 is 8.6mm thin and weighs about 465g.
Two days ago, AT&T introduced its Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 4G LTE tablet.
The AT&T’s 4G LTE Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 is an ultra-thin tablet with a slim and lightweight design, running Android 3.2 (Honeycomb) and packed with optimized services from Google, AT&T and Samsung. The new tablet comes with a vivid 8.9-inch (1280×800) high-resolution screen, powerful 1.5GHz Snapdragon dual core processor, and support for HTML 5 and Adobe Flash Player.
Yesterday, SAMSUNG launched and announced availability of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 along with the Galaxy Player 5.0 and 4.0. for the U.S.
The Galaxy Tab 8.9 is the thinnest mobile tablets currently available in the U.S. market, measuring just 8.6 millimeters. The tablet has a 1.5GHz T250S dual-core processor, powering its 8.9-inch (1280×800) WXGA TFT display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass. The tablet includes a 6100mAh battery for hours of entertainment and weighs less than one pound (447g).
Samsung launched its new 8.9-inch GALAXY Tab 8.9 Android 3.1 tablet along with its GALAXY S II White mobile, demonstrating powerful experience and boundless imagination.
The GALAXY Tab 10.1 and GALAXY S II have been the hottest items among consumers since their debuts. Samsung further extends user experience and brings an ultimate mobile experience by introducing GALAXY Tab 8.9 and GALAXY S II White.
Samsung GALAXY Tab 8.9 means more possibilities for users in terms of design, speed and content through an optimal and boundless mobile experience. Samsung GALAXY Tab 8.9 comes with a lighter, slimmer and more stylish option with an 8.9-inch 16M color TFT full touch screen. The GALAXY Tab 8.9 is only 8.6mm thin and weighs just 453g.


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Brothers and Sisters wins £5m Center Parcs account
By Ian Darby, campaignlive.co.uk, Tuesday, 12 March 2013 04:16PM
Center Parcs has appointed Brothers and Sisters to handle its £5m advertising account.
The agency won the business after a final pitch against Adam & Eve/DDB and VCCP in a process handled by Oystercatchers.
Center Parcs previously worked with Beattie McGuinness Bungay, which won the business in 2010. Last year, it appointed 18 Feet & Rising to work on a strategy brief for the brand ahead of the creative pitch.
Brothers and Sisters will develop a communications platform to support Center Parcs’ growth strategy by attracting new consumers to the brand. In spring 2014, the fifth Center Parcs village, a £250m investment, will open at Woburn Forest, in Bedfordshire.
The new campaign will include TV, online content and digital marketing, print, outdoor, social media and internal communications.
Helen Horner, the head of brand at Center Parcs, said: "The launch of the fifth Center Parcs will be the biggest in our history. We need an agency that shares our passion for what we do and can deliver big, emotional creative ideas and a truly integrated campaign."
Andy Fowler, the executive creative director at Brothers and Sisters, said: "From the first meeting, Center Parcs felt like a good fit, their creative ambition, their understanding of digital innovation and their love for their brand, all stood out."
This article was first published on campaignlive.co.uk
- Mid Weight Planner - ATL Daniel Marks London £30-£50K + Excellent Benefits, Central London
- Animator - Brand ID Periscope Recruitment LLP £250 - £350 per day, City of London
- Digital Marketing Executive Stopgap Competitive Salary, South East England
- Digital Marketing Manager Stopgap Competitive Salary, South East England
- Middle-Weight Digital Designer Gemini Search £35000.00 - £45000.00 per annum, London


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Tag: Elon Musk
Last week, the fight between President Donald Trump and California over emission norms took a turn when the state laid out a new policy.
Yesterday, Deutsche Bank (DB) bumped up its target price for Tesla (TSLA) by 12% after the company revealed the Tesla pickup truck on November 21.
Innovation will be the competitive advantage for Tesla Solar. Tesla launched a solar roof tile last month that's more efficient and is easier to install.
Volkswagen recently announced that it would increase its investment in electric vehicles. To put this in context, let’s talk about the overall EV landscape.
Yesterday, Consumer Reports' survey put Tesla Model S and Model 3 back on the recommended list based on their improved reliability.
Recently, Tesla (TSLA) unveiled its first made-in-China Model 3 sedan from its Shanghai Gigafactory. It's also now providing media test-drives.
In its Q3 results, Tesla said it would announce the location of its European Gigafactory before the end of this year. It fulfilled that promise yesterday.


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Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service suspended
Srinagar: The weekly bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad was suspended on Thursday while trade across Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector of Baramulla
district registered the highest turnover of Rs 24.41 crore this week, official sources said.
They said the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service, popularly known as Carvan-e-Aman (peace carvan), was suspended for the week in connection with Muharram, the 10-day mourning period being observed on either side of LoC.
However, the two-day cross-border trade along the LoC in Uri sector this week registered an all-time high turnover of Rs 24.41 crore, surpassing the previous Rs 17.23 crore last
While the traders from this side exported 154 truck loads, mostly containing red chilli, worth Rs 8.91 crore, the traders imported goods worth Rs 15.5 crore in 102 trucks from
Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), the sources said.
The trade facility centre at Salamabad was abuzz with activity during the trade days on Tuesday and Wednesday, the sources said adding imported goods mostly include dry fruits which are in high demand.
However, the Cross-LoC traders again demanded upgradation of facilities at the earliest as the goods exchanged between the two sides are stored for two to three nights in the open.
The state government has sanctioned Rs 40 crore for upgrading these facilities in Uri and Chakan-da-Bagh in Poonch district but the traders are not satisfied with the pace of
The bus service between the divided parts of Kashmir started in April 2005 while the trade was started in October 2008 as part of Confidence Building Measures between India and Pakistan.
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Uganda: 200 SMEs to get financing from venture capital firms
The venture capital firms are expected to provide medium to long-term capital to businesses.The Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) has announced a two-day event aimed at pairing 200 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with 70 private equity (PEs) and venture capital (VCs) firms.
"Between microfinance and mega deals in Uganda lies the missing middle: a lack of SME business finance that is holding back a swathe of high potential enterprises,” said Frank Ssebowa, Executive Director at the UIA, quoted by Vanguard. "This is where private equity and venture capital comes in handy."
The private equity and venture capital firms are expected to provide medium to long-term capital to businesses with growth potential.
The SMEs will be selected with the help of business groups to ensure that the final selection is inclusive and spans the country’s economic value chain. They will be required to prepare business projects.
Small and medium-sized enterprises represent 90 per cent of the private sector in Uganda and account for 75 per cent of the country’s total economic output, according to estimates from the finance ministry and UIA.


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In finding you the best Texas electric rates, we only list electric companies that have great business stability, excellent service, environmental awareness, and transparent pricing. This protects you from providers that could soon go out of business, are inattentive to customers, are environmentally unsound, or may end up charging you a higher rate than advertised.
Since Texas' electricity market was deregulated in the late nineties, multiple Retail Electric Providers (Gas And Electric Bill) have either launched in Texas, or providers in other states have begun to extend their reach to Texas residents (e.g., Best Energy Company, which was founded in Texas). These electricity providers are providing less expensive and/or greener electricity alternatives to traditional sources of energy, in contrast with the supply consumers previously received by default through their local utility. Customers now have the option to receive their electric supply from providers other than their utility, known as alternative retail electric providers.
You can sort, filter, and shop by pricing at YOUR specific usage level, which lets you shop and compare electricity plans based on the rates you’ll actually experience on your bill, inclusive of hidden fees and taxes. This ensures you’re not misled by the cheaper rates often advertised by electric providers…those “teaser rates” associated with higher usage levels that many households never enjoy because their usage level never reaches that pricing tier.
Patrick Mays, an engineer for an oil and gas company in Houston, recently went shopping for a new electricity plan and found that the best deal available would cost about 55 percent more than what he’s paying, boosting his average rate to 9.5 cents per kilowatt hour from 6.1 cents under his expiring 12-month contract. The power bills for his 2,000-square foot home will climb an average of $30 a month over the year, he said, but he will take the brunt of the rate increase during the hot summer when he estimates his monthly bill will top out at $186, nearly double the $95 he paid last year.
The complaints filed against providers aren't a perfect mirror of the J.D. Power customer satisfactions scores. Electric Company Rates, which earned only two J.D. Power Circles and earned the second-lowest score, had only 21 complaints recorded with the Cheapest Electricity Rates. But it's helpful to view these complaints in aggregate: Over 50 percent of the 1,119 total complaints fall under "billing" — another reason to seek out a provider with high customer satisfaction in that area in particular.
The threat of price spikes have been long in the making, the result of changing economics of power production. The shale drilling boom produced record amounts of natural gas, which pushed prices to all-time lows and made gas-fired plants cheaper to operate than coal. Renewable energy such as wind is also producing abundant amounts of electricity at a lower cost than coal.
Since 2002, the majority of Texans have had to choose their own Retail Electric Provider (Gas And Electric Bill) – the middleman that buys electricity wholesale, then sells it to you, the consumer. According to the Cheapest Electricity Rates of Texas’ 2017 report, the Lone Star state is “the national leader in competitive residential, commercial, and industrial offerings,” which means there are well over 200 providers bidding for your attention.
The Texas Senate Bill 7, passed in 2002, gave 5.6 million Texans the power to choose a retail electric provider (Gas And Electric Bill) to supply electricity to their home or business. This bill facilitated a competitive energy marketplace that 85 percent of Texans can capitalize on today. Energy choice is available to residents in Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth as well as other cities in Texas.


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The decline in exports of apparel items from China to Japan provides a huge opportunity for Indian companies to push their shipments in Tokyo, AEPC said on Friday.
To tap this opportunity, Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) has organized a two-day buyer-seller meet for international players at its Apparel House in Gurugram.
Media reported, over 80 prominent Japanese buyers including trading companies and retail chains/stores are in India to source their requirements from the 112-odd Indian exhibitors displaying their goods at the Upnext India 2023, it added.
AEPC Chairman Naren Goenka said: “We hold a strong business opportunity in Japan, reflected by the fact that China, which has been a dominant garment supplier to Japan, has witnessed a decline in the past 5 years giving a significant advantage to India”.
Garment fraternity in both the countries have geared up to increase this trade taking advantage of duty-free access for Indian ready-made garments post Indo-Japan free trade pact, he said.
The Indian garment industry is blessed with the largest raw material availability of cotton, jute, silk, and wool in the world and is supported by the world’s second-largest spinning and weaving capacity.
“This gives the industry an opportunity for a 95% domestic value addition enabling India to offer to the world a complete value chain solution from farm to fashion and hence extending as a competitive edge by shortened lead times to reach our buyers,” it said.
Goenka, said that Japan is the fourth largest readymade garment importer in the world, and there is a huge untapped trade potential in the readymade garments (RMG) sector.
The government is coming up with a production-linked incentive scheme that will majorly include RMGs, he said.
Ashok G Rajani, Chairman, of Fairs and Exhibition, AEPC said that this Japan-focused meet provides them a platform to engage with Japanese brands and buyers.
The show will also witness a series of panel discussions where experts, industry leaders, and academia will deliberate on the trade outlook, compliance, and emerging technologies for building the capacity for the industry to be future-ready.
Japan imported readymade garments worth USD 23 billion in 2022 (till November), and India exported readymade garments worth USD 0.22 billion to Japan, with a share of 0.9%.


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Apple famously planned to build an entire self-driving car, but abandoned that idea to focus on autonomous vehicle technology à la Uber and Waymo. Thanks to a New York Times report, we now know some of what happened and what Apple is doing now. It reportedly plans to test the tech by building a self-driving shuttle (called PAIL, for Palo Alto to Infinite Loop) that will take employees between its current campus and the new "Spaceship" HQ. We already know, thanks to many leaks and rumors, that Apple hired "hundreds" of engineers dedicated to building an entire autonomous car in a plan dubbed "Project Titan." Work started in 2014, and at one point, had an ambitious release date for 2019.
Aug-23-2017, 13:30:08 GMT


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Editor in Chief
- Dec 30, 2010
- Reaction score
- Austin, TX
One day after Google announced the potential acquisition of Motorola, HTC files a lawsuit against Apple claiming patent infringement. This legal "volley" fired at Apple does not come as a surprise, as previously we reported that HTC was holding some S3 Graphics patents that proved to be infringed upon by several of Apple's products, including Macintosh computers. Here's a quote from the Reuters article,
In some ways it might be disappointing to see HTC using the legal system as a weapon, but in this instance, this is the only thing that HTC can do to defend itself. More than likely, they are trying to pressure Apple into dropping their lawsuit against HTC, or at least get them to consider working out a licensing deal instead.The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Delaware seeks to halt Apple's importation and sale of infringing products in the United States. It also seeks compensatory damages, triple damages for willful infringement and other remedies.
Source: Android.net via Reuters


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black friday online shopping 2015
Asos earns climb despite costly blunders in China Asosenjoyed its best ever festive seasonas customers flocked to the internet based fashion retailer, Whilea dependable speed in its overseasbusinesseswas muted by losses in China.
The London basedcompany posted an 18pc take up pre tax profits to 21m in the six months to january 29. Arecord numberof purchasers were consumed by its website ondiscount days Black Friday and Cyber Monday, When within the processedup tonine orders per second. Processor food Beighton, Head, Said that while some British retailers were unfulfilled with the"US pass on, Black Friday made an"Opportunity to showcase our product as an occasion when consumers need it, "I think it is maturing on daily basis and changing it now would be like trying to move Christmas,He bundled up. Available Asos, Which sellsown branded clothes and various sorts of fashion labels, Extra total profitability by 21pc to 667m. UK do business grew by a quarter to 289.5m. Theweb based retailer pulled the plug on its loss making Chinese business earlier this monthafter it struggled to lure shoppers during its many years in the area. The category compiled losses of 2.7m over the six month period as it failed to compete with local brands and then the Chinese ecommerce giantAlibaba. Asosexpects to post off a second internet black friday 10m before trading stops later this year. Mister Beighton, Who took over from co founder Nick Robertson as leader yr after, Recounted: "There are always crisies to begin with up in a country, But there are supplementary trials to being a start up in China, Asos, Which targets fashion preoccupied 20 somethings,Is now focusedon growing its other program function, That sometimes form more than50pc of sales. Almost half of customerpurchases are now made via the solution mobile app, Which convinced 1.4bn users regarding six month period. Asos has pumped sizeable cash into its customer offer, Hiring 19pc more staff in its technology and customer service department to fulfill its promiseto respond to a phone call within 30 seconds, A tweet within 15 minutes and a contact after just one hour. Mr Beighton said these roles were unsusceptible to the living wage increases as home office staff were already paid above the hourly rate. Asos' 3,000 staff in its Barnsley distribution centre will enjoy the Government's wage increases but Mr Beighton said that this would not deter you can actually growth. On home land, Asos launched an array of new niche brands including Lost Ink, Joins components and Maya, And said there is an walmart black friday ad strong growth inits lingerie, Knickers and swimwear divisions. It pushed ahead with an all new click and what is black friday all about collect service with Boots, Where new diners can make bestblackfriday up clothes at 61 of the chemist's branches. In overall financial system is shown, It created a returns service at Asda.
Asos will more than likely launch a giftcard service, Which is planned to be sold at rivals'bricks and mortar shop counters, Which it expects also upskill sales. Mr Beighton announced: "We've had a good start to the year and I'm content with progress on a number of fronts. These results demonstrate improving momentum in floors buisingess.
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Amazon held its fourth annual Prime Day earlier this month. It again lasted more than a day - 36 hours to be exact - and took in new countries as the e-commerce titan sought to offer members to its.. Just-Food
Amazon Becomes the Second Company to Reach $1 Trillion Milestone The company, lead by CEO Jeff Bezos, Apple was the first company to hit the $1 trillion mark in early August. Amazon hit $900 billion in..
After showcasing impressive sales and subscription numbers on Prime Day and briefly breaking $900bn (£691bn) in market value last week, Amazon has investors convinced of a strong second quarter ahead.. City A.M.
Online shoppers purchased more than 100 million products worldwide during Amazon.com Inc's annual Prime Day sale this week, despite glitches on its mobile app and websites that prevented several.. Reuters
Amazon called this year's Prime Day the 'biggest shopping event' in its history. Shoppers bought over 100 million products during the event, with many Amazon-branded products being top sellers. MailOnline
Tech giant Amazon briefly broke past the $900bn (£689.7bn) market value mark today, making it the second company ever to reach the milestone.
The company hit $902bn in a session high earlier.. City A.M.
Amazon.com Inc said online shoppers purchased more than 100 million products worldwide during its Prime Day sale, despite glitches on its mobile app and websites that prevented customers from placing.. Reuters


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Each day, Benzinga takes a look back at a notable market-related moment that occurred on this date.
On Dec. 4, 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt signed an executive order establishing the Federal Alcohol Control Administration.
Where The Market Was
The S&P 500 traded around 9.97, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average traded around 1,913.88.
What Else Was Going On In The World
The next day, the 21st Amendment repealing the prohibition was officially secured three-fourths of the states’ approval for ratification, and on Dec. 6, the U.S. lifted an import ban on James Joyce’s “Ulysses” after a judge declared the book not obscene.
The Federal Alcohol Control Administration Is Born
FACA — a body designed to regulate alcohol sales immediately following the prohibition — worked with the Departments of Agriculture and Treasury to guide wineries and distilleries toward voluntary fair competition.
The administration lasted less than two years before the Federal Alcohol Administration Act transferred alcohol regulatory power to a unit of the Treasury. Its responsibilities now rest with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, today’s chief U.S. alcohol regulator.
The agency conducts background checks on sellers; reviews labels, product formulas and licenses; collects taxes; and enforces the Federal Alcohol Administration Act to keep dangerous and counterfeit distributors off the market. Today, the bureau ranks behind the IRS and U.S. Customs and Border Protection as the government’s third-largest revenue generator.
© 2019 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.


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Tags:#news#search#web Bing has a long way to go before being considered a serious competitor to Google, but its growth is still noteworthy. It may be hard to believe, but Bing was only launched in mid-2009. The product was essentially a rebranding of Microsoft’s existing search engine, which trailed well behind Yahoo at that point. Not content to remain at below 10% of the search market, Microsoft launched Bing in a bid to more aggressively compete with Google, whose search engine had risen to dominate 65% of the search market by 2009. In addition to sporting a simplified user interface and improved performance, Bing was also found to be closely emulating Google’s own search results. Almost as rapid as Bing’s growth has been Yahoo’s decline. The company has been struggling for a few years to figure out what kind of business it is in a world dominated by Google. When Microsoft launched its new search engine in 2009, Yahoo commanded 20% of the search market. It has fallen five percentage points since then while Microsoft has increased its own market share by 7%. Related Posts Well, that didn’t take long. Bing, Microsoft’s three-year-old search engine, has officially edged out ahead of Yahoo, according to the latest data from ComScore. In December, Yahoo dropped 0.6 percentage points over the previous months, giving Microsoft a slight lead, despite the fact that Bing didn’t grow that much during the same time period. Bing now commands 15.1% of the search market, while Yahoo has dropped to 14.5%. It’s not even a full percentage point, but this is the first time Yahoo has been ousted by Microsoft for that #2 slot behind Google. Speaking of Google, the search giant still leads the pack by a huge margin, commanding nearly 66% of the search market. It hasn’t grown that dramatically in the last few years, but Google did add half a percentage point in December. A Web Developer’s New Best Friend is the AI Wai… Top Reasons to Go With Managed WordPress Hosting john paul titlow Why Tech Companies Need Simpler Terms of Servic… 8 Best WordPress Hosting Solutions on the Market
Arjun Kapoor and Sonakshi Sinha, who will soon be seen together in the film Tevar, have been spotted together yet again. And this time, in the same car.While the grapevine has been more than abuzz in recent times regarding the equation between the two, Sonakshi has been pretty tight-lipped about it all. Arjun, on the other hand, had gone on the record saying that he isn’t dating the Dabangg actress. However, given the camaraderie between the two, which is more than vivid these days, one can’t help but wonder – is there more to their friendship than what meets the eye?Sonakshi Sinha and Arjun Kapoor. Pic Credit: Yogen ShahWhile Arjun was seen in a mauve tee and jeans, sporting nerd glasses, Sonakshi was dressed in white. The Tevar co-stars were accompanied by Arjun’s sister, Anshula Kapoor.


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US News and World Report’s “Best Law Firms” edition listed Arias Sanguinetti Wang & Team as one of the top Personal Injury law firms in the nation.
The firm had a banner year obtaining multiple seven- and eight-figure verdicts and settlements. The firm also made history as Mike Arias was inducted as president of Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles and Consumer Attorneys of California while Elise Sanguinetti was inducted as president of American Association for Justice. This is a great honor for the firm, and all of the attorneys deserve to be congratulated for their work.
To read more about the firm’s honor, go to: US News & World Report.


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As Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, prepared his 20-minute keynote speech to tell the world about the new Tesla battery, you wonder if even he could believe what he was writing. The unveiling of Tesla Energy has sparked huge interest throughout not just the tech world or the environmentally concerned, but everyone. Yes, it sounds ambitious, […]
Facebook at Work, Will it Work?
Remember when enterprise social networking was going to be massive? Big investment came in for start-ups and existing social media channels looking to help integrate a business aspect to their own social media platform with the hope of creating a business channel capable of rivalling the popularity of Facebook or Twitter. Conferences were held, online […]


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LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / October 7, 2020 / Golden Triangle Ventures, Inc. (OTC PINK:TOMI), a strategic consulting company doing business in the Health, Entertainment, and Technology sectors, is pleased to announce a full rollout strategy for its Health Division under its subsidiary, Global Health Services, LLC.
Global Health Services, LLC has a mission to provide solutions to a variety of different businesses in the health sector while maintaining the highest professional standards available. The goal is to help people around the nation with products and services that enhance the world we live in. The company is currently doing business in the CBD space and in the Medical PPE space, which aims to provide an array of products and services for individuals and businesses in both markets. The company is in the process of building an online portal which will position a multitude of verticals on a single platform


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Toyota Prius history 2: A hybrid for all
When it came time to create the second generation of the Prius hybrid car, Toyota Motor's development team was charged with something new -- creating a Prius that went beyond novelty and would sell as well as, if not better than, other cars.
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China's land of wine
The European luxury brand LVMH has found a little slice of wine paradise in the mountains of Yunnan Province, China, where it is creating wines under the Ao Yun brand that aim to rival any wine the world has to offer.
Ginza now has its own robot hotel
The Japanese robot-themed Henn na Hotel chain has opened its fifth establishment, this time in the heart of Tokyo, where machines, not humans, deliver the hospitality. We take a look at what the hotel offers.
New tools in Olympic security
The Special Equipment Exhibition & Conference for Anti-Terrorism was held in Tokyo to showcase to security professionals the latest in surveillance and protecting public events, with a special eye to helping the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
After 12 years, Sony has a new Aibo
Sony's iconic robotic dog Aibo is back on the market after the original version was discontinued a dozen years ago. We take a look at how this new AI-powered canine improves upon its previous incarnation, including smartphone integration.
Sony's aibo is back
Discontinued years ago, the AIBO robotic dog is being brought back by Sony, as it announces that the new "aibo" will go on sale next year, and be far more advanced that the previous models.
Cars are doing more of the thinking
The 2017 Tokyo Motor Show is center stage for Japan's carmakers as they make their pushes for AI integration that helps drivers stay alert and keeps roads, as well as a showcase of the latest in electric vehicle technology.


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Artificial intelligence is improving the ways how the food items are produced, packed and marketed.
The Covid-19 pandemic had a powerful impact on the food business, prompting the implementation of new technology. Food firms are digitizing their manufacturing floors with the use of robotics, e-commerce, and digital food-management systems. Restaurants are also using AI technology and robots for hospitality and cooking, as well as to promote e-commerce.
Food technology trends are indicating a shift toward more sustainable and customized food options. Alternative protein sources, regional foods, and tailor-made nutrition are among them.
With the advent of mobile app development, automated processing, robotics, and big data, digital transformation in the food sector with the help of Artificial Intelligence and machine learning contributes to cost reduction and food production optimization. It aids in the processing, manufacture, and preservation of food. It delivers digital compliance documents for the food supply chain via the cloud.
AI in food processing and manufacturing
Food processing relies heavily on human labor to ensure that the manufacturing and packaging of food products proceeds properly. In order to solve food safety and time efficiency concerns, industrial automation is necessary. Artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms are used to automate everything. Food production and delivery procedures may be handled more efficiently with the AI-based system, which also improves operational competency.
AI could improve packaging by boosting shelf life, menu combinations by applying AI algorithms, and food safety by establishing a more transparent supply chain management system. AI has other important applications in the food industry, such as soil monitoring, robo-cropping, and predictive analysis.
Furthermore, the implementation of artificial intelligence in food processing will assist in: product sorting and packaging, personal health and sanitation, decision-making systems, equipment maintenance, and demand supply chain management. In the big picture, finding more effective ways to grow and handle raw materials would help feed the world’s rising and increasing population while also reducing food waste. Simultaneously, AI is being used to manage climate change so that crops can be planted in regions where they will grow.
AI in food services and delivery
It is commonly known that applications for online food services and delivery have already established a market with significant daily traffic. These apps also collect past data in order to further engage clients by evaluating their behaviors and preferences: As a result, there are more repeat visits and orders.
With an easy and clever AI food system, they provide the best recommendations and expedite the ordering procedure. Additionally, these technologies make customers engage and have a good time with new features like voice search, self-ordering and check out, customized diet plans and purchases, among many others.
However, there are barriers and boundaries to any technological advancement. Focusing on artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning, there are challenges to AI adoption, including high expenses, cultural shifts both for producers and consumers, expert skill needs, transparency difficulties, and one-track thinking. Challenges that tag along with any technological advancement, like hacking, privacy concerns, global regulations, limited knowledge and skilled professionals and picking and writing AI algorithms, will always be present.
Additionally, to match humans’ ability to empathize, interpretation, and deeper understanding, a deep learning model would need unprecedented fine tuning, hyper-parameter optimization, a large dataset, and a well-defined and accurate algorithm, as well as robust computing power, uninterrupted training on train data, and testing on test data. As a result, a large budget and global collaboration will be required, which is a long way ahead. Despite these obstacles, research into optimizing production processes with AI is ongoing. It is important to note, however, that the benefits of AI application in the food industry far outweigh the challenges.
All of the following measures will not only affect the future of the food industry but will also be used by them to combat the ongoing impact of Covid-19, resulting in more efficient, transparent, sustainable and long-term operations.
(Laksh Yadav is CEO at Cocoberry India and the views expressed in this article are his own)


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AMD’s Acquisition of SeaMicro might cause Intel’s Headache
On a recent press release AMD has confirmed it’s acquisition of SeaMicro, a pioneer in energy-efficient, high-bandwidth microservers. It will be paying approximately $334 million in total, of which approximately $281 million will be paid in cash. AMD believes that through the acquisition of SeaMicro, it will be able to accelerate its strategy to deliver disruptive server technology to its OEM customers serving cloud-centric data centers.
Interesting enough, SeaMicro was a former partner of Intel, another world’s top Chip maker. SeaMicro used Intel processor before on it’s dense server system which uses fabric to connect with the motherboards which also reduces the need for extra storage and network controllers. With the acquisition of SeaMicro, AMD more likely to change the Intel’s processors with it’s very own Opteron processor based server solution by the second half of 2012.
“By acquiring SeaMicro, we are accelerating AMD’s transformation into an agile, disruptive innovator capable of staking a data center leadership position, …SeaMicro is a pioneer in low-power server technology. The unmatched combination of AMD’s processing capabilities, SeaMicro’s system and fabric technology, and our ambidextrous technology approach uniquely positions AMD with a compelling, differentiated position to attack the fastest growing segment of the server market.” said Rory Read, president and CEO, AMD.
Because of this acquisition Intel will definitely suffer, at least at the growing dense server market as long as they don’t come up with their own integrated fabric technology. However, Intel said it will continue to provide it’s processors for SeaMicro server system as long they want it.
Regardless the reality, there is no doubt that Intel has the money and smart people to get their own technology to fight back but definitely it will take some time for Intel to get back on it’s track. Intel still didn’t clarify it’s position on how exactly they will build their fabric and I/O technology. It is pretty clear that Intel is not sitting idle there and watching the show. At least it’s recent acquisition of Fulcrum Microsystems and InifiniBand assets from Qlogic proves that Intel won’t give up so easily.
By the time Intel comes up with it’s own fabric technology, AMD definitely will be far ahead from Intel. Now, it’s just a matter of time to see how much damage AMD can cause for Intel.


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Shares in Tuniu Corp. (Nasdaq: TOUR) climbed as much as 11% intraday Thursday after it provided upbeat top-line guidance for the second quarter.
The Nanjing-based travel agency said in its first-quarter financial release today that it expects its revenue for the June quarter to come in the range of 142.9 million yuan to 149.7 million yuan ($23.38 million). That would represent a year-over-year increase of between 320% to 340%.
"We are excited to see that China's domestic travel market has been recovering at a rapid pace,” Donald Dunde Yu, the founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Tuniu said.
“As a leading high-quality tourism company in China, Tuniu is benefiting from the strong market momentum as travelers increasingly trust us to provide integrated services including product development, destination services and reservations. Looking ahead, we will continue to create more innovative products and services to fulfill our mission of making travel easier."
While the top-line results for the first quarter weren’t too pretty, that was to be expected with coronavirus cases raging to alarming heights at the beginning of the year.
For the three months ended March, Tuniu said it generated $11.81 million in revenue, down 56% year-over-year. As a result of a lack of international destinations, revenues from packages slipped 62% in the quarter to $6.92 million.
Tuniu narrowed its net loss to 41.63 million yuan ($6.35 million) in the quarter compared with 205.17 million yuan in the same period last year.
And while the stock is still up year-to-date, Tuniu shares have lost more than half their value since Mar. 19.
But most importantly for shareholders of Tuniu, the worst appears to be over for the company and others operating in the traveling space.
In fact, it looks like traveling in China is already above pre-pandemic levels. During China’s five-day labor holiday in early May, an all-time high of 230 million trips were taken domestically, up roughly 18% from 2019 levels, according to data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.


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Nine West in RFID Pilot
New York City Jones Apparel Group Monday announced that it has initiated a program to evaluate radio frequency identification (RFID) technology in select Nine West retail locations. The goal of the pilot program is to study the benefits that item-level RFID provides in the areas of enhanced productivity, customer service and inventory accuracy.
“RFID has interested us for some time, and we believe it has reached the point where launching a pilot program of this nature makes sense,” said Norm Veit, executive VP, MIS at Jones.
The team of companies with whom Jones is partnering on the RFID initiative consists of:
*Vue Technology, which will provide the RFID software and system-management solutions;
*Motorola’s Enterprise Mobility Business, which will provide fixed and handheld RFID readers and antennas;
*Avery Dennison, which will provide RFID tags and printers; and
*inCode Wireless, which will provide installation and integration services and, along with RFID Sherpas LLC, will perform operational and business case analysis.
Costco posts mercury warning on seafood counters
WASHINGTON Costco has agreed to post the Food and Drug Administration mercury advice on signs at its seafood counters, ocean conservation group Oceana announced.
“Posting a sign that tells consumers which fish they should avoid would let them know that other fish are OK to eat, and allay any fears they may have,” said Simon Mahan, campaign manager for Oceana. “In fact, some grocery stores that posted the FDA advice had no negative effect on their seafood sales and one company even reported that seafood sales increased after posting the signs,” he added.
Food Lion appoints new cfo
SALISBURY, N.C. Food Lion has promoted Carol Herndon to serve as cfo and chief administrative officer. Herndon will continue to have senior-leadership responsibility for all of accounting and analysis, as well as information technology.
In addition, she will now be accountable for corporate development, which includes real estate, store development, mergers and acquisitions, construction, maintenance, equipment procurement and energy management.
Herndon’s career at Food Lion began when she joined the organization as a financial controller in 1989.


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CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – If you enjoy a good omelette, it might cost you a little more depending on where you eat. A bird flu outbreak out west has caused a massive egg shortage, causing prices to surge.
The Fifties Diner in Chicopee has been serving up egg dishes for decades, but because of the egg shortage, last month their distributor raised prices $1.50 per dozen. The diner however refuses to raise prices and, so far, is absorbing the extra cost.
“We’re hoping it’ll come back down, like everyone else,” said Marsha Delmonte, of the Fifties Diner. “To make all those menu changes for what’s hopefully going to be a short-term problem just didn’t seem like an option for us.”
Although you might not pay more for eggs at some restaurants, you’ll probably pay more next time you go to the grocery store. Forty-eight million chickens were killed by the bird flu outbreak. Now supermarket chains like Big Y were forced to raise prices.
“It’s not a lot but you notice it. But how far is it going to go,” asked Julie Guertin of Chicopee.
At Big Y in Chicopee, we found a dozen eggs going for as low as $3.69 a dozen, and as high as $4.99. Before the bird flu, the average price for a dozen of eggs was just $2.60.


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Google Now just keeps getting better every update. Today the Voice/Search assistant is rolling out an update that brings a slew of brand new “cards,” including car rentals, concert tickets, commute sharing and NCAA football scores. All these things will automatically show up once a user launches Google Now.
In addition to the new card features, Android users can also expect improvements to public transit cards as they will now show times for the last bus or train to help get you back to your crib (place of rest). The general search card also received a bit of an update as it’ll now be smarter than ever. Folks can now set reminders for when they search for media content, just think setting a reminder to watch a TV show that you searched for — Google Now is capable of this with the new update.
Wait, there’s more. The TV card is also updated to bring users an improved experience that includes music playing, news, and current programming information.
This update is more proof to how Google Now is trying to be head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to Voice/Search assistants. It’s hard to argue against the search giant being the leader of the pack in this kind of tech.
Of course this update will take some time to trickle out to all the Android devices capable of using the new features. Google is working hard to make the experience a great one for Android owners, which shows how committed the king of search is to knowing what we want before we know what we want.
[via Android Central]


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With the Google Admin SDK, users can administer domain resources, create reports, and manage subscriptions. APIs related include Directory API, Reports API, Enterprise License Manager API, and Reseller API. The possibilities invite to think in the interaction with admin settings, calendar resources, and domain shared contacts.
Singly has announced the open beta of its app connection platform. The platform consists of two main components (i.e. the App Fabric SDK and the Data Fabric infrastructure). The App Fabric simplifies social data sharing and shortens time to enable functionality such as friend finding and login across multiple apps. The Data Fabric allows developers to integrate features like synching, data querying, intelligent indexing, instant push, archiving, and more.
ProgrammableWeb last checked in on Box's OneCloud platform last summer. Since then, Box has enjoyed nothing but success, and Box has announced that OneCloud has now surpassed the 1,000 mark for apps that integrate with the OneCloud ecosystem. With the announcement, Box reiterated the simple, straightforward goal it proclaimed with the OneCloud launch in 2012: "In March of 2012, we launched OneCloud with a simple, yet ambitious purpose: to redefine the way enterprises worked on mobile."
TomTom, location and navigation products provider, recently enhanced its API offering with a new Location Based Services (LBS) platform and developer portal. The developer portal includes a series of APIs aimed at facilitating new applications that require rich geolocation data.