text: Privacy Oriented Cryptocurrency ‘Grin’ Upgrades Network Through First Hard Fork ByAli RazaPRO INVESTOR Updated: 12 June 2020 Grin, a cryptocurrency that is focused on privacy, has executed its first ever hard fork. A hard fork is a backward-incompatible upgrade and it is coming in the crypto industry. The planes’ upgrade has brought some changes to Grin’s system. These important changes will offer optimized maximum miner decentralization and optimized usability. Grin develop, John Tromp, said that the hard fork was planned way before Grin itself launched. He added that they would do two hard forks a year for the first two years to introduce new features. The hard forks are executed at set six month intervals. Grin’s upgrade did not result in a network split according to Tromp. The old network just stopped and this forced the network’s users to update their software. Tromp explained that in a classic fork, a chain can be split into two mutually incompatibility continuations. Grin’s case is different as there was no way to continue growing the old chain because the old code can not accept any blocks past the hard fork height. Changes that come with the upgrade The hard fork executed by Grin brought some changes to the system. One of the most important of those changes was effected on one of the two mining algorithms on the network. The hard fork is designed to dissuade specialized machinery (ASICs) from being used for the general purpose computing devices (GPU) friendly algorithm. Prior to the upgrade, ASICs could be employed on the GPU upgrade which could have potentially led to ASICs having a monopoly over the network. The Grin mining industry is estimated to generate over $100 million a year and ensuring that ASICs don’t monopolize the network levels the playing field. The upgrade will ensure that the network remains ASIC resistant for the short term at least. More updates coming According to their plans, Grin will have another upgrade in six months. The coming upgrade will also come with additional changes to the mining algorithms on the network. Tromp said that when the second fork comes, it will have Grin’s initial steps towards putting a payment channel on the network. Through payment channels, two parties are able to execute a number of off-chain transactions between themselves. On one end, an on-chain transaction is required while a settlement is required on the other end. Bitcoin network has made payment channels popular in the crypto industry and they are used as a method to scale transaction volumes. The payment channels reduce waiting times before a transaction can be confirmed. For those who engage in crypto trading, Grin is an exciting project. Grin launched in January 2019 and the network has been growing in popularity since. The network is worth an estimated $60 million and if the upgrades serve their purpose, it can be expected to become more valuable soon on cryptocurrency exchanges.


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For the past few years, Disney has been putting its princesses into more empowering roles in both the make-believe and real-life world. Continuing the #DreamBigPrincess social campaign started in 2017, Disney has upped the ante with a new campaign that lets young women make short films starring women that have inspired them.
With the help of Apple and Summerjax, 21 aspiring filmmakers will learn how to shoot, edit, and publish a short film for the DreamBigPrincess campaign.
Each video will be shot on iPhone X and will be edited using Final Cut Pro X running on MacBook Pro. The aspiring filmmakers will also participate in a unique workshop including hands-on training from Apple technical experts, mentoring sessions with female-led production company Summerjax and creative inspiration from Disney storytelling veterans.
This isn't just a PR campaign from Disney to try to clean up it's old-fashioned depiction of women from its past movies. It's part of a larger program to help women around the world learn skills they can use to achieve their goals. The Girl Up Program, run by the United Nations Foundations, works with girls and young women around the world to become gender equality advocates in their local and national arenas.
Through Disney's collaboration with Girl Up, for each like or share of a video or photo with #DreamBigPrincess on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, Disney Worldwide Services will donate US $1 to Girl Up, in support of girls' leadership and empowerment (minimum donation: $500,000/maximum donation: $1 million).
Be on the lookout this October for the films to go live across Disney's social media platforms with the hashtag #DreamBigPrincess.
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A Reddit hack has plastered popular subreddits with pro-Trump messages
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Hon Hai, the flagship unit of Foxconn Technology Group, runs most of its iPhone manufacturing operations in China.
iPhone key assembler Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. could achieve an “unprecedented” performance in the first quarter, according to Chairman Young Liu. “Our performance in the first quarter could exceed what we have done in recent years, and it is likely that some staff at key sites will only have two days off during the Lunar New Year holidays,” said Liu in prepared remarks for the company. annual feast on Sunday.
Manufacturers around the world are rushing to stock up on fear that outbreaks of the omicron variant and other uncertainties will further disrupt their supply chain. Earlier this month, CC Wei, CEO of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., told analysts he expects companies to maintain a higher level of inventory than in the past to ensure the safety of supply.
Hon Hai, the flagship unit of Foxconn Technology Group, runs most of its manufacturing operations in China, which will close most offices and businesses for seven days starting Jan. 31 for the Lunar New Year.
Besides being a key manufacturing partner of Apple Inc., the Taiwanese company also manufactures gadgets for other global brands including Dell Technologies Inc., Sony Group Corp. and Nintendo Co.
iPhone maker Foxconn seals EV partnership with Indonesia
(Reuters) Taiwan-based Foxconn said it had teamed up with Indonesia’s Ministry of Investment and several companies to support the development of electric cars in the Southeast Asian country, adding to a series of such chords by the iPhone assembler.
Foxconn, Apple’s main iPhone maker, has been expanding its electric vehicle (EV) business in recent years, announcing deals with US startup Fisker Inc and Thai energy group PTT PCL.
Foxconn said it has signed a memorandum of understanding for a wide range of electric vehicle investments, including battery manufacturing, with Indonesia’s Ministry of Investment as well as Indonesia Battery Corporation, energy company PT Indika Energy and Taiwanese electric scooter supplier Gogoro.
The cooperation, which aims to build a “new energy ecosystem” in Indonesia, also includes the development of electric vehicle support industries such as energy storage systems, battery exchange stations and recycling, said Foxconn said in a statement.
Under the partnership, an open “MIH platform” that provides both hardware and software services will be available for businesses in Indonesia, the statement said, without giving details on the size of investment plans or of production.
Foxconn aims to supply components or services to 10% of the world’s electric vehicles by 2025 to 2027, Chairman Liu Young-way said, pledging to reduce manufacturing and other costs for car manufacturing through its knowledge -making assembly as the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer.


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Kaua‘i Black Friday eclipses the rest of the nation
LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i was not excluded from the Black Friday mania, which blanketed the country. An elderly gentleman watched stoically as shoppers and motorists jammed the Walmart Lihu‘e parking lot and store Thursday evening, the scene of headlights snaking through
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Cotton exports from India came to a halt as cotton prices have turned unviable for exports. Prices in global market are ruling lower than prevailing in India and exports of cotton market globally has also been slowed down in recent past.
Textile commissioner had earlier said that cotton exports this year will be 7 million bales compared to 12 million bales last year as China, which imports around 65% of cotton from India is cutting its imports by half. However, going by the current trend in India and global markets, exports of even 7 million bales will not be easy.
Some traders who received orders earlier have exported, but no new orders are coming in now.
Indian cotton is on the higher side by Rs 2,000-3,000 a candy compared to international cotton which has resulted in imports of cotton since past few months. Cotton on the domestic market of Gujarat is currently at 32,500 a candy for Shankar 6 which is the benchmark quality of cotton.
India is not the only one whose exports have been affected. According to Rabo Bank’s agri-commodity report for November, “US exports commitments for 12/13 cotton year are trailing the five year average.” So, even US’ cotton exports are affected.
In fact according to the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), global cotton trade is expected to shrink significantly this year. It said, “After an unexpected jump in 2011/12, global cotton trade is expected to fall by 21% to 7.7 million tons this season due to lower Chinese demand. However, imports by the rest of the world could rebound by 18%.Exports from most large exporting countries will decline, in particular in India due to increased domestic consumption. Giving reason, the committee said, “global cotton production and mill use are forecast at 25.9 million tons and 23.4 million tons respectively, resulting in an oversupply of 2.4 million tons.”
Rabo bank expe3ct, China’s stock to use ratio for 12/13 is expected to be highest since 1998/99 at 103 which will curtail their demand for more cotton and hence less exports.
“There is no export demand coming in from major markets and this may continue for a while,” said Shirish Bhai Shah, a Mumbai based cotton trader.
Meanwhile, cotton arrivals all over the country are also lower compared to last year, so far all over India cotton arrivals are between 10to 12 lakh bales, while last year despite it being low it stood at 16 lakh bales. The average daily arrivals of cotton otherwise stands at 20 to 25 lakh bales.


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Floorcovering manufacturer Airea plc has reported strong UK sales for the first half of the year as home sales recovered to pre-pandemic levels.
According to its interim report for the six months ended 30th June 2022, revenue for the period was £8.6m, £1.2m above the prior year (2021: £7.4m). In the UK, sales were 7.5% ahead of the prior six-month comparative period as home sales recovered to pre-pandemic levels.
Export sales were up 45.5% compared to the comparative period, despite the recovery to date export sales are 26% down on the pre-pandemic levels with the general economic environment continuing to impact trading overseas.
The operating profit was £756,000 (2021: £574,000). Excluding inventory absorption impacts, underlying product margins have come under some pressure versus prior year due to significant raw material inflation.
Commenting on the results and outlook, Martin Toogood, Chairman, said: “The six months ended 30th June 2022 continued to see recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which had suppressed activity in our key markets. H1 delivered improved sales and operating profit versus the prior year as demand in both our home and export markets continued to recover.
“We remain focused on our operational and supply chain processes, which enable us to navigate the challenges from the current economic environment and the Ukrainian conflict both of which continue to put a strain on the availability of labour and raw materials.
“The launches of our new products into the market continues with a noted increase in the sales of these products and the continuing specification of our product in the medium and premium sectors.
“The development of our product ranges continues with the launches of new products and the refresh of existing products planned for the second half of the year. Our order book and sales of new products continue to grow as we strengthen our portfolio of products.
“Recovery of our UK market has been pleasing with recovery in export sales expected to continue, however it must be noted that the Ukrainian conflict has adversely impacted some of our key export markets.
“We have experienced unprecedented pressure on costs over the last 18 months and we have taken numerous actions to mitigate the impact on profitability. Those cost pressures and managing them will continue to be challenging over the remainder of this year and into the future.”
The company added that the selection process for its new CEO continues, but has made ‘good progress’ and expects to be in a position to make an announcement in the coming months.


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If users comment on information posted on brands' Facebook pages, that interaction will then appear in the user's newsfeed and a related advertisement, or "sponsored story" will appear on their wall.
A Facebook spokeswoman said: "If people choose to engage with the ad and comment, the story can be amplified by the brand – with the aim of driving further conversations amongst friends. It allows brands to achieve greater recall and brand engagement."
Historically, Facebook has struggled to monetise advertising or fully harness the pivotal position it plays in people's lives for marketing purposes, but has high hopes for the new tool.
The 'comment ad' was developed following an open day which Facebook held for advertising agencies late last year, inviting them to pitch new ideas in keeping with Facebook's social networking function.
US advertising agency Leo Burnett came up with the proposal.
Facebook said it now plans to assemble a 'council' of 12 key brands and advertising agencies, which will meet regularly to come up with new ideas. The council will convene several times a year at industry events of its Palo Alto headquarters starting in the autumn.
Blake Chandlee, Facebook's vice president of global agency relations, said: "Agencies should be leading a new way of marketing that is personalised, social and engaging."
Separately, the Winklevoss twins who were suing Facebook founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg have dropped their legal claim that the idea for Facebook was theirs.
They have accepted a deal offered in 2008 that will give them $20m cash and Facebook stock worth more than $150m.


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When it comes to banking, e-commerce and other online activities, fraud is one of consumers’ top concerns. In fact, insights from a recent First Annapolis and ThreatMetrix consumer study showed that more than half of consumers (55 percent) are extremely concerned about the risks of banking and payments-related fraud, with 46 percent indicating their fraud concerns have increased in the past two…
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This document was retrieved from http://www.rsaconference.com/blogs on Mon, 27 Mar 2017 22:28:20 -0400.
© 2017 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.


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Chinese manufacturer ZTE is looking to continue its big splash out here in the States, so it’s only natural we see more and more devices on networks willing to take a chance and bring some unique devices. That’s why Cricket has announced its new ZTE Engage smartphone. This Ice Cream Sandwich-powered device will arrive on the wireless carrier on October 2nd and will cost a mere $250. What this gives customers is a zippy Snapdragon S2 1.4GHz processor, 4-inch WVGA display and 8MP camera. Not a bad way for customers to enjoy Muve Music, right?
More details of the device once you hit the break and check out the full presser.


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Cloud-based payments platform Dream Payments is teaming up with Mastercard this week. The two payments players will leverage Mastercard Send to help insurance policyholders receive payments faster into any account.
Mastercard Send, a global push payments platform, facilitates local and cross-border money delivery in near real-time. Integrating with the Dream Payments Hub will create a scalable way to digitize and automate the disbursement of insurance claims. By removing the need to sort and mail physical checks, the integration ultimately increases the speed and efficiency of digital payouts into the customer’s preferred debit card account.
Piloting this is Northbridge Financial, which will be the first insurance provider in Canada to use the Mastercard Send platform through the Dream Payments Hub. “Our claims experience is the moment of truth when it comes to the promise we make to our customers,” said George Halkiotis, EVP of Claims for Northbridge Financial. “We know that waiting for and depositing checks are key pain points and we’re excited be able to deliver a better, faster claims experience that helps make things right for our customers as quickly as possible.”
“Mastercard and Dream Payments are helping to digitize payments for insurance providers of all sizes,” added Brent Ho-Young, chief executive officer, Dream Payments. “Insurance customers deserve to receive their claims payments quickly, electronically, and into the financial accounts of their choice, whether it be a bank account, debit card, prepaid card, or mobile wallet.”
With operations in Stamford, Connecticut, Dream Payments helps small businesses accept all payment types. In addition to ties with Quickbooks and First Data, the company also counts TD Merchant Solutions and Chase Paymentech in its partnership ecosystem. At FinovateSpring 2015, Dream Payments debuted its mobile POS device. Dream Payments was founded in 2014 and has raised $14.9 million. Brent Ho-Young is CEO.
Founded in 1966, Mastercard demoed its Cash Pick-Up ATM solution at FinovateFall 2017. Cash Pick-Up allows the sender to disburse cash to banked and unbanked consumers without a card at an ATM. Last fall, the company announced it has tested and validated its blockchain and will be opening access to it via a set of three APIs published on the Mastercard Developers website. At FinovateEurope next week, Mastercard, alongside Vipera, will demo SME-Pay, a solution that enables small business owners to make and receive payments anywhere and view and control staff spending on their Mastercard cards.


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LOS ANGELES (PRWEB) September 24, 2020
The Madison Melle Agency is delighted to announce its official partnership with Mews, the leading Hotel Property Management System (PMS) company of 2020. The official partnership between Mews & The Madison Melle Agency finds strength as the companies both share a similar mission of innovating and enhancing client experiences using a forward-thinking approach to technology solutions.
The Madison Melle Agency comprises over 15 years’ collective experience as a team of seasoned brand creators and implementers. Responsible for ideating & bringing to life some of the globe’s most exciting, forward-thinking lifestyle brands and products, The Madison Melle Agency advises clientele across a multitude of verticals, from technology to branding and design, digital marketing, social media and website/app development, to business acceleration strategy, sales, and revenue growth. The Agency’s services are ideally suited for any industry, and its current portfolio includes an array of media and technology brands, large and small corporations, as well as hotels and residential mixed-use developments. Recent expansion at The Madison Melle Agency earlier this year included the launch of Tech Theory Group, a high performance technology advisory firm, designing & delivering best in class managed information technology solutions and infrastructure services.
Mews is a cloud-based PMS that helps hotels automate their operations so they can focus on the guest experience. Mews is at the forefront of modern thought and innovation in hospitality, breaking the mold from traditional legacy solutions with many different products in their collection.
If you are a property interested in signing up for Mews, email email@example.com for special privileges or sign up at mews.com/partnerships/madisonmelle. Technology support and implementation services are also available through The Madison Melle Agency for existing clients.
About The Madison Melle Agency
The Madison Melle Agency is a multi-faceted lifestyle consultancy, creating and operating one of a kind media, technology, hospitality and real estate brands – inspiring clients across the globe. Tech Theory Group is a high performance technology advisory firm in partnership with The Madison Melle Agency, designing & delivering best in class managed information technology solutions and infrastructure services. Learn more at http://www.madisonmelle.com and http://www.techtheorygroup.com
Founded by ex-hoteliers, Mews is a next-generation hospitality cloud for hotels, hostels, apartments and more. Mews gives you the power to provide a remarkable guest experience while improving the operations and performance of your property, thanks to smart automation and an innovative, user-friendly set of products and features. Mews serves over 1,700 properties across more than 60 countries in all five continents and works with a huge number of hospitality tech companies to provide hoteliers with an unbeatable platform – no other PMS offers as many integrations. At the 2020 HotelTechAwards, Mews was voted Best PMS by industry peers.


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Revenued, a financial technology company established in 2018, announced that Sky Bridge Business Funding, a small business finance company founded in 2017, has been acquired to further expand its mission to help small businesses access the tools and solutions needed for growth.
Sol Lax, CEO of Revenued, said that as a leading provider of financial technology, Revenued recently provided an application platform for loans over $1.45 billion to be processed through Cross River Bank. Revenued will now be able to offer companies in need of a direct financial solution through the acquisition of Sky Bridge Business Funding. The Revenued logo includes a plant-like symbol that represents growth so; its natural next step was obtaining the Sky Bridge Business Fund, as it makes them closer to their dream of helping small businesses thrive. They look forward to continuing to deliver Revenued to businesses all the while offering financing solutions with useful tools and knowledge, he further added.
Addressing the new development, SVP of Sales, Jake Lerner said that they are looking forward to taking the opportunity and planning to launch a business credit card under Revenued later this year. The Sky Bridge Business Funding Team has already received a 5-star rating and is committed to preserving its credibility under its new brand name, he elaborated.
Founded in 2018, Revenued was brought to life by a team of entrepreneurs who provided over 18,000 companies with over $684 million in financing. The Revenued Card uses alternative credit scoring that are otherwise not provided through supreme card. They simplify the complexity of managing small business finances and empower owners to succeed using tools that offer radical transparency.
For more information, visit: https://www.Revenuedd.com


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For this week’s “Beers with …” we headed over to Cambridge, resisted the urge to hit up Emma’s Pizza, and drank a couple of Brooklyn Lagers with Bessemer Venture Partners partner Kent Bennett. Among the companies in Bennett’s portfolio are some big wins for the VC firm including Endeca, which was acquired by Oracle; Vertica, which Hewlett Packard acquired; online soccer portal Goal.com, which was acquired by Perform Group; as well as BroadSoft and Millennial Media, which both went public. Bennett was also involved in Bessemer’s investments in Hadapt, Infinio Systems, InsightSquared, Netuitive, and the recently buzzed about subscription food startup Blue Apron, among others. As always, huge thanks to the New England Venture Capital Association and Directr for helping put the “Beers with…” series together.
Beers with … Bessemer Venture Partners’ Kent Bennett
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text:
Report: Microsoft Preparing Google Glass Competitor
October 22, 2013 9:51 AM
comment(s) - last by
Actor Kunal Nayyar wearing Google Glass
No details on Microsoft's product are available
When Google unveiled its
Google Glass wearable electronic device
, it caught the imagination of many people with its futuristic looks and premise. Following the initial buzz created by Google Glass, word has now surfaced that Microsoft is currently testing prototypes of its own internet-connected eyewear.
The tip comes from people who “claim to be familiar” with the plans at Microsoft according to the
Wall Street Journal
. “Technology companies can’t afford to wait,” Canalys analyst Daniel Matte said. “But device vendors will face a number of tough challenges including strict power constraints which limit the number of sensors.”
The market for
wearable smart electronics
is expected to grow to $10 billion by 2016. Microsoft missed out on the big smartphone market shift that occurred when the original iPhone launched in 2007. It also missed the boat after Apple found success in the tablet market with the iPad and saw its first generation,
first-party tablet hardware flop
. Microsoft doesn’t want to get caught flat-footed again in the wearables market.
Internet connected eyewear is expected to remain a niche category for at least the next 3 to 5 years, but products like Google Glass are expected to do well in specialized markets such as security and healthcare.
One key factor for wearable electronics such as Google Glass and competing products is the price. Google Glass is expected to sell for around $1,500. Those prices obviously need to come down significantly moving forward to attract a large consumer market. Consumers will also have to get past the “
” of connected eyewear.
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
RE: me-too imitator
10/23/2013 11:19:12 AM
Seriously? Argon18, you're proving to be an even bigger idiot than the other guy you're claiming as "really stupid".
Netscape first came out on Windows, eventually appearing on every other OS at the time. Fail #1.
PlayStation did came before XBox. Except, the only problem with your argument is Sony didn't originally create the PSX to compete against Microsoft - it was designed to go after Nintendo. Remember: Sony went to Nintendo to collaborate on a new console, only to get rebuffed, so it went into the business themselves. Fail #2.
iPod was released in 2001. Except, Diamond Multimedia released the Rio (MP3 player with 32MB onboard storage, remember that yet?) years earlier. Also, Creative had the Nomad line, including the HDD-based Jukebox, before the iPod came out. iRiver's CD-based MP3 players, Samsung Yepp, etc., all of them came out before the iPod did. Fail #3.
Windows Mobile phones
consumer phones. Actually, back then they're phone-enabled PDAs, and their primary competitors included the Palm Treo. iPhone? Not until 2007. Microsoft's been in the phone business before that! Fail #4.
Windows tablets pre-iPad were tablets, running a touch-/pen-enabled version of Windows XP (in other words, a full blown operating system, as opposed to the bastardized crap that was iOS). They're not widely used in the consumer space... so what? Apple's version was the Newton, released a full decade before XP came out, and it flunked at all levels. Fail #5.
Dude, you are really stupid, do some homework before you reply!!
I have to cope with bouts of short-term memory loss, and even I can remember old stuff better than you. Clearly, you were not actively heeding your own advice.
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In the three months to August, service sector growth in the UK has slowed down, according to data published by the CBI Services Sector Survey this week. However, the UK’s leading independent employers’ organization says optimism continues to increase.
Growth in business volume during the three months to August eased compared to recent quarters, with profitability also improving at a slower pace. However, “this came after multi-year highs in the previous quarter,” the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) wrote.
Other indicators in the survey, which involved 215 companies, pointed to a healthier picture of activity in the service sector.
Hiring increasing strongly
The increase in the number of people employed in the business and professional services sector, including legal, accountancy and marketing companies, was the steepest since 2007. For the next quarter, the CBI expects a record high since the survey began in 1998.
Investment intentions for the next twelve months in the consumer services sector – which includes travel and leisure firms, bars, hotels and restaurants – are especially robust, with plans for spending on plant & machinery and vehicles at a record highs.
There is more concern now that business expansion during the next 12 months may be hampered by a shortage of skilled personnel.
CBI Deputy Director-General, Katja Hall, said:
“The slowing in the pace of growth and profits in the service sector reflects our view that momentum in the economy will ease in the second half of the year. But this doesn’t necessarily mean a gear change in the recovery. It’s encouraging that our service sector firms continue to feel upbeat, especially when looking ahead to the next quarter.”
“Employing more staff and planning to increase investment are positive steps in the quest for sustainable growth. However, skills shortages mean it is increasingly hard for firms to find and hire the right people. It’s important that business and government address this issue together, to put the economy of the future on the right footing.”
- Optimism about the business situation increased steeply (a rounded balance of +43%). Forty-eight percent of companies said they were more optimistic than during the previous quarter, while 4% said they were less optimistic.
- Forty-three percent of companies said business volumes had increased compared to the previous quarter, while 17% said they were down, i.e. a positive balance of +25%.
- Seventeen percent of firms said they were employing more workers than in the previous quarter, compared to 12% who said they had fewer employees.
- Twelve percent more respondents believe they will employ more workers in the next quarter than those who predict they will employ fewer.
- A positive balance of +16% of companies plan to increase investment in buildings and land, and +29% in vehicles, plant & machinery.
- Forty-seven percent of respondents forecast stronger expansion in the coming 12 months, compared to 52% who don’t. The main factor that will probably limit expansion is the availability of clerical, professional and other staff, they say.
Business and Professional Services
- 44% of companies were more optimistic about their current business situation than in the previous quarter, while 13% said they were less optimistic.
- Business volumes grew for the fifth successive quarter. Thirty-three percent of companies said business volumes were up on the previous quarter, while 17% said they were down.
- Employment grew at its fastest pace in seven years.
- Sixty-three percent of companies forecast an increase in the rate of business during the next twelve months, while 36% don’t. Problems in finding suitable personnel is cited again as a factor likely to limit expansion.


text:
Variable Pay news
Cognizant is restructuring itself under new CEO Brian Humphries, which includes reducing management layers and rethinking its sales and business strategy
This comes as Indian IT service companies grapple with margin pressure and rising employee costs amid a growing need for high-cost digital skills.
Variable pay is likely to be 100% and might exceed that for the year ended March 2018, experts said. This compares with 60-80% last year.
The fact that CEOs are also feeling the pain is a rare bright spark for Indian IT employees, who are facing low-to-mid single digit wage hikes.
The number of employees who left the firm in the quarter-ended June rose to 10,262 from 8,373 in the quarter-ended March.
Just about 50% or less of the CEO salary is fixed. The remaining is performance-linked and distributed in annual bonus and long-term incentives.
Most firms - particularly ecommerce players and startups - are rolling out bigger incentives, roles and bonuses for their top-rated employees.


text:
Tablet PCs are highly popular these days, especially those powered by Google's Android operating system, and it seems that Lenovo plans on getting a piece of the market for itself.
The company is reportedly aiming at bringing to the market an Android
tablet that would feature a 5-inch screen, and which is expected to arrive on shelves in China under the company's LePad brand, and under the IdeaTab name in other markets around the world.
The device has made it into the wild in a series of photos over at Engadget
, but no specific info on its hardware capabilities emerged for the time being.
However, it is expected to land on shelves with micro-USB and HDMI ports, as well as with a front-facing camera.
Considering that the largest Android
smartphone in the world is bigger than this device, it remains to be seen how well it will stack up against competition.


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While affluent Americans and Russians have cut back their shopping trips to London in recent years, the number of visa applications by Chinese rose by 40pc in 2010, and 150,000 Chinese were approved, the UK Border Agency will say. A similar spike is expected again this year.
The new wave of Chinese shoppers spent £200m in the boutiques of Bond Street, Mount Street, Jermyn Street and Savile Row, a 155pc rise, according to London Luxury, an organisation that represents the area.
The Chinese are already outgunning their Russian counterparts - spending an average of £600 each time they walk into a store - but they cannot yet match the eye-watering largesse of the Arabs, who spend £1,800 on average.
After pressure from retailers and The Daily Telegraph, the government will also announce plans to simplify visa procedures to try to lure more Chinese shoppers to the UK.
The UK Border Agency will announce the opening of a new visa centre in Beijing, and the recruitment of more staff throughout Asia. For the first time, there will also be a guide to the visa form in Mandarin Chinese.
Until now, Chinese travellers have complained that the UK visa form is ten pages long, unlike the four-page European version, and that the bills for a UK visa come to around £200. Nevertheless, across the UK, retail spending by the Chinese has risen from £30m in 2007 to over £300m just three years later, according to Nigel Dasler at Global Blue, a financial services firm.
“They are very aware of the situation,” said Lord Bruce Dundas, the younger brother of the Marquess of Zetland, and the president of London Luxury. “Chinese tourists play an integral part in maintaining a buoyant economy in the West End.”
Lord Dundas was visiting Shanghai in order to interest the Chinese in a new bespoke tour service that offers visitors the chance to peak into the back rooms of a Savile Row tailor or visit the bee hives on the roof of Fortnum and Mason’s on Jermyn Street.
He also visited UnionPay, the Chinese credit card company that has signed a deal with HSBC that will allow it to dramatically expand in London. Harrods and Selfridges both have UnionPay terminals and Harrods has said it enjoyed a 40pc rise in sales to Chinese tourists since introducing 75 of the terminals.
“Shops are very aware of the Chinese shopper now. They move their luxury goods to the front of the store to coincide with Chinese New Year or the October National Holiday,” said a spokesman for London
Luxury. In addition, Mandarin-speaking staff have been retained by most of the big shops and hotels are rushing to provide more Chinese restaurants.


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IS IMF'S SBA IN JEOPARDY OVER VAT DEFERMENT?
The Federal Minister for Finance Dr Hafeez Shaikh in the budget for next fiscal year 2010-11, starting from July 1, announced to introduce value-added tax (VAT) from October 1. Breach of commitment by Pakistan with International Monetary Fund (IMF) in regard to implementation of VAT from July 1 could cause a halt to IMF programme and postponement of fifth review and sixth installment of $1.2 billion under the Stand-by Arrangement (SBA) programme. VAT was to be imposed in the budget for 2010-11 presented this month but this could not be done due to differences between the federal and provincial governments and the government deferred the implementation of VAT for three months. Critics say that the government delayed implementation of VAT due to political exigency and faulty policy of convincing the ill-prepared nation for VAT regime that led to the situation where IMF program is in jeopardy.
Some private TV channels claimed that the IMF has stopped further disbursements to Pakistan, withholding about $1.15 billion, including budgetary support of $363.7 million. Under $11.3 billion bailout package of the IMF, the country is committed to impose the VAT from July 1, while the World Bank has also linked its $300 million assistance under the Poverty Reduction Support Credit (PRSC) with the imposition of the VAT from July 1.
The analysts are even skeptical about the deadline of October 1 as committed by the government for the implementation of VAT because the VAT rates have not yet been set and the local business community and opposition parties have serious reservations against VAT. Critics say that the government delayed implementation of VAT due to political exigency and faulty policy of convincing the ill-prepared nation for VAT regime that led to the situation where IMF program is in jeopardy.
Under the IMF demands, the country is not only required to implement VAT but also increase power tariff by six per cent under a 6-12-6 formula already accepted by Islamabad.
If VAT is not implemented by July 1, the IMF's next review is not expected to take place. IMF has reportedly warned the government that if power tariffs are not adjusted now, the delayed increase will have to be accommodated in the 2010-11 schedules, which may further enhance the adjustment rate.
The imposition of VAT is the part of the conditionalities of the IMF and the World Bank under the multi-billion dollar loan programmes. Islamabad will have to make hectic efforts to convince the IMF for avoiding delays into releasing the next tranche. Delay in introducing the VAT can delay disbursements under the IMF program.
Officials in Islamabad however dispel the impression that IMF has refused to hold further negotiations with Pakistan or there would be no more releases from the IMF under the Stand-By-Arrangement. IMF cannot deny holding negotiations with Pakistan after the new developments on VAT and it is expected that Pakistan would try to convince the IMF authorities on the VAT issue, and final decisions would be taken by the IMF Executive Board, according to the official sources.
In a post-budget press conference on June 6, Dr Hafeez Shaikh reportedly said that the government would inform the IMF about new dynamics which had led to a three-month delay in introducing the VAT. He said negotiations with the IMF would continue in the overall context of the economic reforms programme.
"We are a sovereign nation and take our decisions ourselves. However, we are confident of fulfilling our commitments with the IMF. Shaikh reportedly said. "I see no fundamental difficulty in our dialogue with the fund because Pakistan is successfully moving towards fiscal sustainability under the IMF programme."
The controversy over imposition of VAT between the Centre and Sindh province has not yet been resolved. Despite stern opposition from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the Sindh government is still firm on its resolve to implement the VAT on services. Sindh contends that under the country's constitution the VAT on goods is the jurisdiction of federal government while imposition of VAT on services as well as its collection is the right of the provinces.
"We took taxation measures under Plan-B by taking various measures, including raising the GST (general sales tax) rate by one per cent after witnessing no consensus on the VAT," The News reported Chairman FBR Sohail Ahmed as saying. "After approving the VAT bills from parliament and four provincial assemblies, the tax will be imposed on goods and services and it will replace the existing GST from October 1, 2010 with the consent of the elected representatives."
Experts believe that the country lacks the required infrastructure for VAT and its implementation in a hurry would cause failure as witnessed in the case of the general sales tax. The establishment of an institutional framework with reference to multiple options for policy, enforcement, and relationship between various stakeholders is considered as the most serious challenge at the time of introducing VAT.
Some analysts believe that the implementation of VAT, which is basically intended to bring entire economy under documentation, will not yield desired results till the documentation of entire economy, and otherwise it would be a failure. They contend that the automation of the economy is also essential for success of the VAT system , as the manual system invites corrupt practices.
The critics say that VAT would have an inflationary impact and prices of consumer items would go up due to withdrawal of exemptions under the VAT regime. Imposition of VAT may increase prices of major categories of items, including food, by at least 15 per cent. About 22 categories in the food group and agriculture, currently exempted from general sales tax, would be brought under the tax net through 15 per cent VAT.
The government is reportedly examining the Chinese model of VAT for its policy framework and implementation mechanism. Some officials in Islamabad believe that implementing the Chinese VAT model would help achieve aims of the government and the donor agencies without creating any friction with taxpayers. China has a multiple tax rate structure, with 17 per cent basic tax rate, and lower slabs of 3, 6, and 13 per cent tax rates. While exports attract zero VAT in China, the agriculture, forestry, products of animal husbandry, aquatic products, edible vegetable and grain duplicates, tap water, heating and cooling equipments attract 13 per cent VAT.


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New School Pantry Announced at Edward Little High School
Made possible by Local Dunkin’ Donuts
June 25, 2013 (Auburn, Maine) – In Maine, 1 in every 4 children are food insecure and there has been a 50% increase in the number of Mainers facing hunger within the past nine years. On Tuesday, June 25 local Dunkin’ Donuts business owners will help to combat this issue by pledging $5,000 to start the first school pantry at Edward Little High School in Auburn. The School Pantry Program is a child hunger initiative that helps to ensure that low-income families have a readily accessible source of healthy and nutritious food to prepare at home.
To announce the new school pantry, the Dunkin’ Donuts CommUNITY Crew will hold a “pre-launch” and check presentation event at Good Shepherd Food Bank in Auburn. In attendance will be members of Good Shepherd, Edward Little High School Assistant Principal Steve Galway, and local Auburn Dunkin’ Donuts representative, Bob Seavey. The school pantry will officially open at the start of the school year.
“We are so appreciative of the local Dunkin’ Donuts business owners for their pledge and for allowing the school pantry at Edward Little to come to fruition,” said Kristen Miale, President of Good Shepherd Food Bank. “In our continuous journey to end hunger in Maine, it is a great boost for morale to team up with business owners right in our community.”
For 32 years, Good Shepherd Food Bank has worked diligently to establish essential partnerships with many others concerned about ending needless hunger here in Maine. Good Shepherd is just one example of the dedication local Dunkin’ Donuts owners have to give back to their communities.
“As a school principal, I know children cannot be successful learners if they are experiencing hunger and the simple truth is that we have students who are vulnerable to food insecurity.” said Edward Little Assistant Principal, Steve Galway. “On behalf of the Edward Little High School community I sincerely thank Dunkin’ Donuts for their tremendous pledge – this will truly make a difference in the lives of our students.”
For more information about Good Shepherd Food Bank visit: www.feedingmaine.org
About Good Shepherd Food Bank
The largest hunger relief organization in Maine, Good Shepherd Food Bank provides for those at risk of hunger by soliciting food donations and purchasing food at wholesale prices, then distributing the food to more than 600 partner agencies. Since 1981, the Food Bank has partnered with individuals, businesses, farmers and other nonprofits to alleviate hunger and build community relationships. In 2012, the Food Bank distributed 13 million pounds of food to individuals and families throughout Maine. Website: www.feedingmaine.org; Phone: (207) 782-3554; Facebook; www.facebook.com/feedingmaine; Twitter: www.twitter.com/feedingmaine
About Dunkin’ Donuts
Founded in 1950, Dunkin’ Donuts is America’s favorite all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods. Dunkin’ Donuts is a market leader in the hot regular/decaf/flavored coffee, iced coffee, donut, bagel and muffin categories. Dunkin’ Donuts has earned the No. 1 ranking for customer loyalty in the coffee category by Brand Keys for seven years running. The company has more than 10,500 restaurants in 31 countries worldwide. For the full-year 2012, Dunkin’ Donuts’ restaurants had global franchisee-reported sales of approximately $6.9 billion. Based in Canton, Mass., Dunkin’ Donuts is part of the Dunkin’ Brands Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DNKN) family of companies. For more information, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com.


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IDFC Private Equity, an arm infrastructure financing major Infrastructure Development Finance Company Limited (IDFC), has exited its investment in Chennai-based Sical Logistics. The PE firm sold its 13.3% stake in the logistics company for Rs 43.8 crore on the National Stock Exchange through a bulk deal on Wednesday. IDFC PE has taken a haircut on its three-and-half year old investment, where it sold the stake for Rs 83.4 per share as against its acquisition price of Rs 222 per share.
The entire stake was acquired by Jupiter Capital Pvt. Ltd, a Bangalore-based investment company promoted by entrepreneur and MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
IDFC Private Equity, an infrastructure-focused PE firm with $1.3 billion under management, invested around Rs 117 crore in March 2007. Sical is an integrated multi-model logistics services firm part of the AC Muthiah group.
The stake sale by IDFC PE comes on the backdrop of the recent run up in the stock following the recent Q2 result announcement. The share price of the firm has gone up nearly 40% in the last 10 trading sessions from Rs 62.5 on October 29 to closing at Rs 87.3 on Wednesday. Sical reported a 3.76 times jump in profit to Rs 9.16 crore from Rs 2.44 crore in the same quarter last year. Net sales for the quarter rose 19.42% to Rs 151 crore.
IDFC PE has seen some its portfolio companies like Ashoka Buildcon and Gujarat Pipavav Port list on the exchanges this year. The PE firm also swapped its stake in in the components arm of wind turbine maker Suzlon Energy Ltd for an interest in the listed parent company last


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Sprint and LG say they're building the first US 5G smartphone
The 5G race is starting to heat up.
Roger ChengFormer Executive Editor / Head of News
Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.
ExpertiseMobile, 5G, Big Tech, Social MediaCredentials
SABEW Best in Business 2011 Award for Breaking News Coverage, Eddie Award in 2020 for 5G coverage, runner-up National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award for culture analysis.
"We think we're far enough along in the development that we would be surprised if anyone beat us," said John Tudhope, director of product portfolio for Sprint.
Neither Sprint nor LG offered any specifics on the model or price of the device.
It's the latest 5G headline to drop as the hype over the next-generation wireless technology heats up. 5G is expected to deliver a far faster and more responsive network that should supercharge a wave of new technologies including
, streaming VR and telemedicine -- once the service actually launches.
Watch this: What you should know about 5G
The carriers are eager to talk up their 5G prospects given the intense interest, as well as the opportunity for bragging rights over network superiority. Each is taking a slightly different approach in their 5G plans, using different types of radio airwaves and equipment, so some of the devices may be specific to a single carrier.
"Today's announcement brings us one step closer to putting a beautifully designed, advanced 5G smartphone in our customers' hands," said John Saw, chief technology officer for Sprint.
Tudhope offered a few additional details. He described the LG device as a premium smartphone. While it will have radios for different 4G networks, it's optimized only for Sprint's 5G network. He said the company is working to make sure the 5G coverage in the launch markets provides for a better experience and dismissed concerns that the next-generation network may end up being a battery drain on the phone.
"LG has been working side by side with Sprint for nearly 20 years, and we are looking forward to expanding this partnership with 5G," said William Cho, CEO of LG Electronics North America.
Sprint isn't the first to talk about a 5G-compatible device.
has touted a 5G "Moto Mod" that would appear next year to give its Motorola Moto Z3 next-generation network capabilities. AT&T, meanwhile, plans to launch a 5G hotspot in a dozen markets this year.
Tudhope noted that Sprint's device would be the first integrated 5G phone. Sprint said the phone would be out in the first half of next year, in time for the launch of its 5G network.
The carrier expects to launch its 5G network in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix and Washington, D.C.
First published Aug. 14 at 9:00 a.m. PT. Updated at 12:03 p.m. PT: Added information about AT&T's 5G plans.
Sorry, folks: Why you can't buy every phone you want from AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint


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The DIY store chain Bunnings, with its currently 374 locations in Australia and New Zealand, increased its retail sales in the previous financial year 2018/2019 (ending 30 June 2019) by 5.1% to AUD 13.162 bn. Store-on-store sales grew by 3.9%. In the second half of the year retail sales amounted to AUD 6.256 bn, which corresponds to a growth of 4.7% compared to the same period last year. According to the annual report by the parent company Wesfarmers, Bunnings has now extended the testing of its click and collect offer, which started with a single store trial in Victoria, to all stores in Tasmania. The report further states that the ongoing development of broader digital capabilities and the staged roll-out of a full online transactional offer for Australia and New Zealand remain the main focus.
Read more at: www.diyinternational.com


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News tagged ‘apps’
Tuesday, 5 Oct 2010
Samsung expands its social media reach with the introduction of a Twitter page alongside YouTube and Facebook on Samsung Apps. Samsung Apps' Facebook page, since its inception in May, has reached more than 13,000 fans within the first four months.
Tuesday, 14 Sep 2010
ROG iDirect is now out on the Apple Store for those who are looking to tweak parameters on your iPhone or iPad.
Friday, 20 Aug 2010
BlackBerry's very own app store, named BlackBerry App World, has been officially launched as BlackBerry App World 2.0, moving out of its beta stages and offering paid applications to BlackBerry users.
Wednesday, 14 Jul 2010
Samsung Electronics' online application store offers a wide variety of travel-related apps geared for the summer season.
Tuesday, 6 Jul 2010
SingTel today launched three mobile applications tailored for consumers on the go - Go! Shopping, Property Buddy and Price Pal.


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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — On a farm in the northern Gaza Strip's Beit Hanoun, chemist Amina al-Afifi and her young partner, Mohsen Ahmed, have developed a device to distill wood vinegar.
They say the product has proven to be a solution to soil fertility problems facing farmers in the Gaza Strip.
The idea first came to Ahmed, a graphic and multimedia designer who was already working on an agricultural project called “Start-Up 1” for the production of bioorganic fertilizers when he was troubled by last winter’s impacts on his potato crop. After intensive research, Ahmed and Afifi came up with wood vinegar as a solution to this problem.
Wood vinegar protects plants against the temperature fluctuations and offers other benefits. “Wood vinegar is a great product to control nematodes, mosquitos and flies as it acts as a repellent. It can also be added in the composting process and gets rid of offensive odors,” Ahmed explained.
“The product is all the more important in light of the high salinity of irrigation water and the use of pesticides. Our main goal is to spread the culture of using biofertilizers and reduce the use of chemical control,” Ahmed told Al-Monitor.
Devices for the production of wood vinegar are not available in the Gaza Strip and cannot be imported due to Israeli restrictions on imports.
“We were able to manufacture one device locally with the capabilities available inside Gaza,” said Ahmed, adding that they're now working to refine the design. “We want to replace the iron with stainless steel to make it a completely healthy and safe device.”
The two young Palestinians have also been able to use their device to produce charcoal extracts used to flavor food, a product less harmful than actual charcoal used in cooking. They also plan to use wood vinegar in animal fodder, as an Australian study showed that it improves the taste of meat as well as helps animals' immune systems.
Nizar al-Wahidi, the former director of the Guidance and Development Department at the Gaza Ministry of Agriculture, stressed the importance of such food projects amid the worsening global food crisis.
“The search for agricultural alternatives, recycling and the reuse of everything that can be extracted from solid and liquid waste is the basis of the green economy that the world seeks” he told Al-Monitor.
Wahidi said that the wood used in the production of vinegar used to control agricultural pests must be safely sourced, not been exposed to pesticides and free of any chemicals that could affect the quality of the agricultural products it's used to treat. He called on Gaza's official and civil leadership to pay attention to the innovative ideas of young people in Gaza and provide business incubators and accelerators to support students in putting their ideas into practice. It's particularly important amid the global problems that threaten food security and the environment, among other issues, he added.
Afifi and Ahmed hope that the Gaza authorities will ban the importation of wood vinegar and are set to start production of large quantities of wood vinegar for the local market, where they expect very high demand. They assured Al-Monitor their prices will be competitive.


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Sainsbury's will launch non-food online offering in the next few months Supermarket chain Sainsbury's will continue developing its online channel despite reporting a decline in profits in its annual...
ThreadX RTOS running on 6.2 billion WiFi-enabled devices worldwide at risk of
The telescope will replace the James Webb Space Telescope, and is expected to be launched in March 2021
Copyright Directive and accompanying regulation unlikely to be passed before May's European elections
Mobile operating system analysts forecast would challenge Apple and Android to be buried by the end of the year


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Lending Club has created a new television commercial. It was produced by Marketing Architects and is targeted at bringing more borrowers on to the platform. The ad is in testing right now and has been since late August.
According to Lending Club the ad will run nationally and right now they are testing it in different markets on local news, daytime television as well as late night. The ad encourages viewers to go to this URL: www.TryLendingClub.com which takes people to a custom landing page on Lending Club’s site where they can closely track the business it generates. So far Lending Club has said simply that they are “testing TV and evaluating the performance of the ad” but they declined to elaborate more.
Prosper has run some TV ads in the past as has Lending Club but those campaigns were some time ago now. I don’t blame them for giving TV another try and I commend them for tracking it so closely. These are no brand awareness ads that are very difficult to track; Lending Club will be able to determine exactly how much new business this brings in.
I don’t think you will be seeing this ad during the Superbowl (at least I hope not). But they may well reach new people that otherwise may not have considered peer to peer lending or Lending Club. What do you think? Is this a good move or a waste of money?
Peter Renton is the chairman and co-founder of Fintech Nexus, the world’s largest digital media company focused on fintech. Peter has been writing about fintech since 2010 and he is the author and creator of the Fintech One-on-One Podcast, the first and longest-running fintech interview series.


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Tesla owners are being reminded to keep their eyes on the road after videos of drivers wearing Apple’s virtual reality headsets went viral.
US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on X (formerly Twitter) that all existing cars require the driver to be engaged “at all times.”
However, one of the drivers admitted that the video was a game.
Tesla and Apple have been contacted for comment.
Videos posted online show people wearing Apple headphones over their eyes in the driver’s seat of autonomous cars.
One was reposted by Pete Buttigieg, who wrote: “Reminder – ALL advanced driver assistance systems available today require a human driver to be in control at all times and fully engaged in the driving task.”
Another video released on the same day as the Apple Vision Pro was released to the public showed a man wearing the headset in a Tesla being pulled over by police.
However, Gizmodo reports that he said it was a “skit” he did with friends and wrote that he “drove 30-40 seconds with the headset on.”
Apple’s user manual warns against using headphones while driving, while Tesla says drivers should always “remain in control and responsibility of your vehicle,” even in autonomous mode.
The Apple Vision Pro headset went on sale in the US on February 2 with a price tag of $3,499 (£2,749). It has no UK release date.
While users can see through the glass in some modes, this will still severely limit visibility while driving.
The company has tried to avoid calling it virtual reality or any other similar name, calling it “spatial computing” instead.
“Don’t describe your app experience as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (XR), or mixed reality (MR),” he said. blog post targeting developers.


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In kitchens and offices, at a winery, an old theater and even in an NBA arena, entrepreneurs of all stripes convened to share their stories. Bloggers, philanthropists, a laundromat owner and a pig farmer are just some of the small business owners whom Mario Schulzke has brought together.
Schulzke is the founder of IdeaMensch, a website community dedicated to showing how ideas become reality. Over the last three months, the IdeaMensch team has driven through 37 states and made 40 stops to host events that give local entrepreneurs the opportunity to explain how they turned their dreams into businesses.
Schulzke and his team have published around 1,100 interview-style articles submitted by entrepreneurs from across the country (including some based on interviews that took place prior to the road trip). The goal is to inspire and educate potential innovators by showing the many different paths that ordinary people have taken to start their businesses.
As the rate of jobs created by new businesses continues to fall, down from 4.6 million in 2000 to 2.5 million in 2010, more and more people like Schulzke are doing what they can to inspire new business growth.
"After spending 10 years in corporate advertising, it's been amazing to be able to drive across America, meet all these entrepreneurs and hear their stories," Schulzke said.
Schulzke, 31, faced difficulties beyond the normal setbacks when he first tried to start his own company. He is from Plettenberg, Germany, and lived there until moving to Montana as a high school exchange student when he was 16. Without a green card, Schulzke had to work for an established company that could sponsor his work visa, and so he spent over a decade with advertising firms on the West Coast.
But that didn't dampen his entrepreneurial instinct. He was forming plans well before he quit his job in June to go full bore with IdeaMensch, he says.
Schulzke's experience in the corporate world actually helped him refine IdeaMensch's mission, he explains. "I quickly learned that many ideas don't get to see the light of day because of clients and budgets and egos. I started IdeaMensch because I was fascinated with people who would actually take an idea and bring it to life," he said.
With his new venture, Schulzke has been able to spend time with thousands of those people, and the experience has helped him notice some interesting patterns.
One pattern is the emergence of ecosystems. "There are a lot of businesses that cater to entrepreneurs," Schulzke said. "When we were in Louisville, a lot of the businesses were retail-focused because, for some reason, Louisville has a really friendly environment and ecosystem for unique retail concepts. You hear the same thing in the Silicon Valley about technology. In Vermont, there were a lot of businesses that were socially conscious. These micro ecosystems function really well."
The ecosystems that Schulzke describes are communities of people working together to support a specific industry, whether it's technology, retail or manufacturing. In addition to the innovators who create new business ideas, these ecosystems have another layer of supporters who help the companies succeed. This support may be public or private and can include startup accelerators, co-working spaces, favorable government policies or local residents who host entrepreneurs like the IdeaMensch team in their homes.
Another trend that Schulzke witnessed is apparent among the entrepreneurs themselves. "The successful entrepreneurs go all-in," he said. "They are fully invested and not half-assing it. After being on this trip I really see that the ones who are successful are the ones who are giving it their all." Schulzke's 'all-in' attitude was one of the reasons IdeaMensch went from being a side project to what it is today.
Now that Schulzke is nearing the end of the four-month road trip, he is confident IdeaMensch is having an impact on job creators and entrepreneurs all over America. "I'm already getting emails from people who came to our events saying, 'I went to the event, I started a business, and we're going live in a month,'" Schulzke said. "I would hope that at every event, one person who had an idea in the back of their mind walked away and said, 'You know what? These guys did it. I'm going to take the first step and start working on my own idea.'"


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Electrification, artificial intelligence and virtual reality. At the outset of 2020, these are just a few of the biggest issues that appear poised to impact the collision repair realm. How will such evolving forms of technology change the face of the industry?
If you ever need a reminder of technology’s evolution, just look at your Fit-bit. A form of AI is sitting on your wrist, it tracks your heart, blood pressure, blood oxygen, sleep, water intake and general fitness. It knows everything about you, from how many hours you sleep to how many steps you walk in a day. It also reminds you to get up and walk, or drink water, or will communicate with your Smart phone to answer calls and messages.
Iantorno, the vice-president of IoT (the Internet of Things) with VeriFacts Automotive has worked in the information technology, field for 37 years and he has never been so certain of one thing, technology is growing at a virtually unprecedented rate, and it is very apparent in the collision repair industry. “People used to call these things ‘emerging technologies,’ Iantorno said. “Well, they are not emerging anymore. They are here today, and they are all around us.”
“As the Fit-bit suggests, AI, especially, is creeping into virtually every facet of our society. Our smart phones are fuelled by it. And, to a growing extent, AI is fuelling vehicles nearly as much as unleaded or diesel. AI is already impacting body shops in the form of photo estimating, for example.
“AI is the engine that drives that, “Iantorno says of photo estimating. “Whether it originates from the vehicle itself or your smart phone, intelligent first notice of loss, FNOL, is another AI function. So, AI is around us today.
Collision repairers needn’t fear this brave new world. Iantorno feels that shop operators don’t necessarily need a thorough working knowledge of AI to benefit from it. They simply need to be aware of how it’s starting to drive change within the industry. Technology like AI is undoubtedly growing exponentially, as much in the last five years as the previous 50, Iantorno contends. And, that presents opportunities to improve shop floor efficiency, through elements such as quick photo estimates.
“AI will accompany every disruptive technology implemented going forward,” Iantorno says. “Even though we might not want to, we’ve got to embrace this change. Because, if you don’t embrace the change, it will run over you. Because there’s no way to stop this. If you embrace it, it’s fun. It can be fun.”
The P3 Group is a global consulting and engineering firm with nearly 650 automotive consultants and engineers at its disposal in North America alone. And, right now, many of them are focused largely on electrification.
Newer automakers, like Tesla, have a clear agenda moving forward, Iantorno says, focusing on electric vehicles. Meanwhile, legacy OEMs all have different timelines, driven by the markets they operate in, for example regulations demand that automakers dedicate a certain percentage of their fleet to EVs in China. “Overall, everybody is going that way.”
Multiple industry insiders that were spoken to for this report had similar bold predictions regarding the future of EVs. A key factor pointing the auto industry toward an electrified future is the increased range EVs are starting to provide. “We’ll see a lot of ‘skateboard technology’, where manufacturers put the battery on the floor of the vehicle, Iantorno explained. “What’s more important, though is the capability of the vehicle in terms of acceleration and performance, battery technology will become better and translate into more range. “ And that is likely to reduce “range anxiety” that many consumers currently have, in which they’re nervous about taking EVs on extended road trips, the P3 CEO contents.
The shift towards increased electrification means those working at automotive repair facilities will thorough training on how to avoid safety concerns. “The safety piece is probably the biggest threat,” Iantorno notes. “With electrification, there’s safety concerns and there’s proper training needed to operate batteries with high voltage.”
Iantorno has a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, and even he isn’t certain just how widespread the adoption of EVs will be five years from now. But he is certain that EV use will increase from where it’s at right now. And repairing those evolving vehicle types will require shops to make an adjustment. “It’s just a different world,” Iantorno notes, “Rather than having just a couple of wrenches like it was.”
Virtual Reality/ Augmented Reality
As the global solutions design manager with Bosch, Shawn Dupuie focuses on training repair professionals like technicians. And, these, days, that training is greatly aided by virtual reality.
Last year, at a trade convention in Las Vegas, Bosch launched its virtual reality project in earnest. The experience left the gathered crowd as intrigued at VR as Dupuie. Bosch began helping repair facilities utilise VR training as a method to help shore up the automotive industry’s technician shortage. “The average technician age in the U.S. is 50 years old,” Dupuie says. “Most of our customers are coming to us saying, “We’re having a really tough time recruiting the new generation to be a technician. In what way can you help us?” In an attempt to appeal to a younger generation that grew up on video games, Bosch began offering virtual reality training in earnest.
Virtual reality training, over the long term, is far more cost-effective than traditional methods that often require paying employees to travel, Dupuie said.
While VR set-ups cost around $4 000 not long ago, the price is dropping fast. Dupuie says the price entry point is now $600 for stand-alone VR hardware and an accompanying headset.
“The distance learning element of VR is powerful,” Dupuie says. “The instructor can be anywhere in the world. At the independent shops, they’re often limited in space to conduct training, so they end up going to hotels, or they end up going to a training centre. With the virtual reality, you can do it in a very small space, with VR you don’t have to have a 20 x 20 room.”
Retention of information, hand-on learning typically resonates with auto industry professionals like technicians, who are used to working with their hands.
“What we’ve found with virtual reality is, it seems technicians retain knowledge better than with web-based training,” Dupuie says. “We did research and found that most technicians retain about 10% of what they read, about 50% of what they see and hear, and almost 90% of what they do. Technicians have had a high success rate of retention with VR.”
Increased safety, considering the industry is slowly but steadily becoming more mobile and electric, Bosch officials appreciate the fact that VR training offers a safe environment in which to train.


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How powerful will a Tesla Roadster be in 2023?
The Tesla Roadster's anticipated features for its 2023 release are truly astounding.
The electric sports car, according to estimates, will have a 200 kWh battery and be capable of producing 10,000 horsepower.
The significant increase in power over the previous version's 188 kWh battery,
which produced approximately 7400 horsepower, will result in improved acceleration and torque capabilities.
The 2023 Roadster variant is also expected to accelerate from zero to sixty
miles per hour in 1.9 seconds and from zero to one hundred miles per hour in 4.2 seconds.
We are confident that the upcoming 2023 Roadster model will transform electric sports cars.


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How badly will television advertising suffer in the recession?
THE Super Bowl is one of the biggest events on the advertising calendar, as companies vie to produce the most memorable and innovative ads. The battle for the National Football League's ultimate prize attracts more viewers than anything else on American television and provides a “symbolic pulse-taking” for the advertising industry every February, says John Frelinghuysen, an analyst at Bain and Company, a consultancy. But this year the patient is in poor health. All the advertising slots for the 2008 Super Bowl had been sold by the end of November 2007, despite the $2.6m price of each. For 2009 the price has risen to $3m, but at least ten slots (out of 67) are still looking for a buyer.
General Motors, which ran 11 ads on Super Bowl Sunday in February 2008, has already said that it will not run any in 2009. America's two other big carmakers, Ford and Chrysler, are likely to follow suit. Tellingly, Monster.com, an online job-search company, said recently that it was buying a slot. Instead of the usual parade of expensive ads paying tribute to American consumerism, 2009's Super Bowl will reflect a country in recession and herald a grim year for the advertising industry.
Most forecasts for next year say that ad spending in America will decline by 5% or more. Much depends on the fate of the automotive industry: carmakers and dealers normally spend around $20 billion a year on advertising, but Chrysler and Ford scaled back their expenditure by more than 30% in the first nine months of 2008, and are expected to make further cuts in 2009 as they struggle for survival.
The car industry's woes will hurt all media, but especially television. Analysts at BMO Capital Markets predict that total spending on television ads will fall by almost 9% next year. Only newspapers, where a decline of 12% is expected, are forecast to fare worse. Carmakers have already shifted some of their advertising spending to the internet, and are likely to go further in 2009. Car ads make up 25% of advertising revenues for local television channels, and carmakers have been among the most consistent buyers of high-priced ads on national television.
So far local stations have been most affected by falling spending on advertising. National stations have been more insulated, because they operate on longer-term contracts with advertisers. But in the new year they will also feel the chill, as companies fail to renew their contracts. Television, which has remained strong as print media have lost advertising dollars and readers to the internet, could enter a slump of its own. “Next on the list is TV stations,” says Anthony Diclemente, a media analyst at Barclays Capital.
Advertising agencies are already suffering as their clients cut spending. For example, Omnicom Group, one of the industry's giants, depends on car companies for 14% of its revenue in America. It has started laying off workers. And even companies that can still afford to advertise may be less willing to pay for lavish commercials amid economic gloom. Federal Express opted out of the Super Bowl, for example, arguing that it would be insensitive to run a glittering ad. Jeff Goodby, co-founder of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, an ad agency in San Francisco, says this anxiety is most widespread among publicly traded companies. “They can't look like they're lighting cigars with $100 bills in this environment,” he says.
Although the prospects in America are bleak, there is some scope for optimism elsewhere. ZenithOptimedia, an arm of Publicis Groupe, another big agency, predicted this week that 89% of all growth in advertising spending between 2008 and 2011 will take place in developing countries. Miles Young, the newly appointed chief executive of the Ogilvy Group, yet another leading firm, sees the brightest prospects in India, China, Indonesia, Vietnam and Brazil. Television, he points out, is the most popular advertising medium in much of the developing world; strong growth there will, he says, help offset the declines in North America and Europe.
This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline "Broadcasting gloom"
From the December 13th 2008 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contentsExplore the edition
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Meet the small short-selling firm that picked a fight with a giant
What questions do technologies like ChatGPT raise for employees and customers?


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EU launches in-depth probe of Bayer's Monsanto merger
The European Commission has started an in-depth investigation into German firm Bayer's planned $66bn (€56bn) takeover of US seeds group Monsanto, saying it is worried about competition in pesticide and seeds markets.
The merger would create the world's largest integrated pesticides and seeds company, the Commission said, adding this limited the amount of competitors selling herbicides and vegetable seeds in Europe.
"The Commission has preliminary concerns that the proposed acquisition could reduce competition in a number of different markets resulting in higher prices, lower quality, less choice and less innovation," the European Commission said in a statement.
Bayer said it still aimed to have the transaction approved by the end of the year.
"Bayer looks forward to continuing to work constructively with the Commission with a view to obtaining the Commission's approval," the company said in a statement.
Bayer had offered commitments aimed at easing the EU's antitrust concerns over the deal, but the company declined to say what was proposed.
If approved, the deal would be the third-largest tie-up in the agrochemicals sector - but other companies also had to offer concessions to win over regulators.
Dow secured regulatory clearance to acquire DuPont only after pledging to sell key research and development activities and other major assets.


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Kia Niro EV scheduled for launch in Singapore in early 2019
According to reports, automaker Kia has efforts underway to launch its Niro EV -- a battery-powered version of the Kia Niro -- in Singapore in early 2019.
The forthcoming launch of the Niro EV in Singapore will mark a notable new addition to the country’s EV market. With EVs from Hyundai and Renault already available in the country, the Kia Niro EV will apparently give a third EV option to mass-market buyers.
As per a report in The Business Times, an unidentified source from Cycle & Carriage has said that the upcoming availability of the Niro EV in Singapore will also give a significant boost to Kia’s image as an EV maker. The source also said that the move reflects that Kia is capable of developing high technology, and has mastered the low-cost aspect for EVs.
Moreover, the source ahs also projected that the Niro EV will particularly be of great interest to fleet operators in Singapore, especially against the backdrop of the fact that the running and maintenance cost of EVs is comparatively much lower than those of fuel-powered cars.
The Kia Niro EV will be available in Singapore in two versions with different battery sizes, capable of offering a range of 450km or 300km on a single charge. The 204-horsepower motor of the EV will enable it to accelerate from zero to 100km/h in just 7.8 seconds.
Electric car sales in France recorded a notable year-on-year increase during the month of March; with the results highlighting a kind of ‘March Madness’ in the electric-vehicle (EV) market in the country.
In an interesting spotting of a possible ‘Performance’ version of Tesla Model 3, TMC forum member ‘sreams’ has claimed that he saw the vehicle last week, at the Thunderhill Raceway in Willows, CA.
UK-based startup Arrival has announced that it has received an order from UPS for 35 units of its all-electric delivery truck.
According to a recent report, there was a notable increase in the sales of plug-in electric vehicles in the US in July 2018.
At a stylish unveiling event held recently at the Louvre Museum in Paris, Chinese electric scooter manufacturer Niu unveiled its two new electric scooters developed especially for the European market.
Japanese automobile giant Toyota will sell Toyota ix4 in partnership with its Chinese partner GAC Motor.


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Frictional Games has revealed the title of its next release, but Internet sleuths think they’ve uncovered much more.
At the conclusion of an AR Game, Frictional revealed its next game, A Machine for Pigs, is due in northern autumn.
Although no further details have been given, the AR game included the phrase “The world is a machine. A machine for pigs. Fit only for the slaughtering of pigs.”
During the teasing which led up to the AR game, Frictional dropped a hint about China;
you can follow the chain of association here, but in short, several signs appear to point to the next game from Dear Esther developer TheChineseRoom, suggesting a possible collaboration between the two masters of atmosphere.
Frictional gave out two pieces of concept art, which you can check out below, courtesy of The Indie Games Magazine.
Frictional’s last game, Amnesia: The Dark descent, scored dozens of awards – particularly for sound – and is pants-wettingly terrifying.


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Kendall Jenner is back on her emojis as pasties game again, and we are so here for it. On June 7, the model posted a topless photo of herself to Instagram Stories, wearing a low-cut brown one-piece that stopped above her belly button with nothing on top. She covered her nipples with two ice cream emojis.
The image, which appears to have been shot on her phone into a mirror, also shows Kendall rocking two gold necklaces layered on top of each other to accessorize the daring look.
Kendall isn’t new to the #FreeTheNipple movement. Earlier this year, she went totally nude for a photo shoot. And of course, a few years back she posted a similar bra free photo but used pizza emojis instead.
In the past, she's frequently spoken out about her love of the braless trend and once said on her app, “I really don't see what the big deal is with going braless! I think it's cool and I really just don't care! It's sexy, it's comfortable and I'm cool with my breasts. That's it!”
Earlier this week, Kendall was romantically linked to Anwar Hadid — brother to supermodels Bella and Gigi — at the CFDA Awards. Neither Kendall nor Anwar have commented on their rumored fling — though Kendall did post a snap of Anwar's hands to her Instagram Stories at the awards. Unless either model addresses the alleged spotting, it's best to take all of this with a grain of salt. (And, of course, it's important to remember that they don't owe anyone an explanation.)
At the CFDAs, Kendall showed up in an off-the-shoulder lavender mini dress with lots of feathers. This flamingo-inspired look was designed by Virgil Abloh for his brand Off-White and it was pretty epic. Kendall also wore a similar Off-White creation at this year’s Met Gala, where she wore a white off-the-shoulder jumpsuit.
With summer in full swing, we’re sure to see Kendall rocking more braless, #FreeTheNipple looks in the very near future.
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On Tuesday, Linda Brawerman felt life was finally returning to normal when she was able to stock up on something she loves and says she’d “go crazy” without: books from the Plainview-Old Bethpage Library.
The public library is among a few on Long Island that are slowly but surely reopening operations to the public by making available curbside and drive-up pickups, quarantining returned books and other items lent out as a safety precaution and requiring patrons and library personnel to wear masks.
“The curbside pickup is fabulous. It feels like you’re coming back to life," Brawerman, a Plainview resident and retired office manager, said after picking up five books from the library on Tuesday.
The Plainview-Old Bethpage Library began offering drive-up pickups on Monday of "whatever we’ve got in the building," said library director Gretchen Browne. Besides books, that includes CDs, magazines, Roku streaming digital players, e-readers and crafts for children to do at home. “We’re happy to offer whatever we can.”
Browne said about 50 patrons had already used the library’s pickup services by Tuesday and about 150 appointments had been scheduled for the rest of the week. To participate, patrons first use the library's website to reserve items and call to make an appointment for pickup — from +11 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays with other hours available by request.
“It’s going really well,” Browne said. “We’re operating with a 50% staff and they were really eager to come in.”
Lindenhurst Memorial Library started offering curbside pickup on Monday for items reserved from its online catalog, requested by phone or email, and even by using the online chat feature on the library’s website. Not sure what you want to read, listen to, or watch? Staffers will curate “Librarian Specials” collections for you based on things you like, using an online form. When items are ready, patrons are notified by phone to choose a two-hour window for drive-through pickup in the parking lot.
“Library Takeout” is also being offered by the Syosset Public Library with items being placed on hold with a library card through the online catalog or by phone. Patrons will be called when their pickup is ready, they are to call the library when they’re outside the building, then they go to the door to get their bag of items.
As for returned items, both Plainview-Old Bethpage and Lindenhurst libraries said such materials are being "quarantined" for 72 hours before they are made available for other patrons to borrow, per recommendations from national and state library associations.


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The case for better bicycle tech: Garmin adds a camera to its Varia cycling radar device, which could help cyclists avoid collisions.
From 1,000 songs in your pocket to $3 trillion in theirs: The iconic music player set the computer maker on a course to dominate consumer products that carried over to the iPhone and beyond.
Rivian’s fall from grace: After a historic IPO, Rivian hits a speed bump with a stock price drop and supply chain headaches. However, the startup is positioned to regain its momentum.
Best Buy broadens its focus beyond electronics as consumer spending shifts: The retailer is adding outdoor furniture, beauty, and e-transportation to its stores in a bid to maintain pandemic-era gains.
GM gets bullish on EVs: GM thinks it can outmatch Tesla in the EV race by focusing on more-affordable options for cars and trucks. But can it keep up with the competition?
The factory has eyes: Startup Invisible AI will deploy its computer vision analytics system in all of Toyota’s factories in North America. But the unprecedented insight could have some downsides.
Sustainability you can touch: Consumers are getting more options to purchase eco-friendlier laptops like Lenovo’s Slim 9i. But the greener option is to fix and maintain current devices.
Economy-building batteries: US EV battery production plans are in full gear to help reduce foreign dependence on clean energy while boosting the economy. However, securing sufficient minerals remains a barrier.
EVs, DIY-style: Soaring gas prices have classic car lovers flocking to conversion specialists for an electric makeover. The trend could help decarbonize the global transportation sector much faster.
Sun-powered EVs: The sun can help reduce EV range anxiety. But integrating solar cells into vehicle bodies is a better option for average drivers than hauling heavy panels around.
Apple delivers on its self-repair promise, sort of: An online service will allow you to order parts and tools to fix your iPhone 12, 13, and SE 3. Will other device-makers follow suit?
The metaverse’s brainy side: Moonhub wants to bring the eduverse to the workplace. It could be the end of worker-training reluctance but will require purchasing many pricey headsets.
Goldilocks zone for EV battery temperature: GM’s heat pump can extend EV battery range and cut charging times. Advancements in the technology could benefit far more than cars.
Quantum computing hits the road: Quantum computing company IonQ partners with Hyundai to make AVs safer. Often met with skepticism as a theoretical futuristic technology, quantum computing shows its practical applicability.
Simpler rooftop solar solution: New solar shingle technologies are making rooftop solar easier for property owners. But supply chain challenges mean many roofs will stay low tech.
The latest wealth-builder—used EVs: Expensive fuel and slow vehicle production have triggered a stampede for used hybrids and EVs, sending prices skyrocketing. Without better batteries, prices will continue to soar.
Apple bets on India’s manufacturing sector: Apple diversifies its supply chain and opts for Indian manufacturing to ease fallout from China’s lockdowns. But it won’t help in the short term.
Solar energy goes dark, in a brilliant way: Researchers create solar panels that generate electricity at night. It’s part of a sustainability revolution that’s using radiative cooling to boost green energy.
Mercedes in the AV driver’s seat: Getting a green light for its Drive Pilot positions Mercedes-Benz as an AV frontrunner. As it tests the legal liability waters, other automakers could follow.


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September is usually a month of cooling down, switching gears to the fall, which happens to be my favorite season right now. Since August however, the weather here in Central Jersey has been an alternating mix of hazy, muggy days and rain. Lots of warm rainfall.
Today we actually got a respite from that, as the midday temps dropped to around 70, and a cool, steady drizzle was falling as I write this. Today felt like fall (still no sun) and this morning, looking out from my porch, I saw this:
tomorrow is supposed to be even cooler, so here’s hoping that we maintain some fall-ish weather.
Speaking of fall, it was in the fall of 1966 that the Beatles embarked on a mini-vacation from being Beatles, and enjoyed time on their own for those two months. George Harrison took off to India for about four weeks. And speaking of George, here’s the trailer for Martin Scorsese’s upcoming biopic of my favorite Beatle, which looks nothing short of awesome:
One of the saddest things about Lennon’s murder is that despite the wealth and fame he found in his years with the Beatles, in 1980 he was only just beginning to find happiness in his life.
At the risk of sounding hokey, Lennon and the Beatles remain one of the few inspirations in my life, and I’ve been a fan for nearly thirty years. They inspired me to play, respect and enjoy music.
They finally did it:
That screenshot is one for the ages.
Take it for what it’s worth, but the WSJ is reporting that Apple has struck a deal with EMI and the surviving Beatles to release their catalog on iTunes:
Apple Inc. is preparing to announce that its iTunes Store will soon start carrying music by the Beatles, according to people familiar with the situation, a move that would fill in a glaring gap in the collection of the world’s largest music retailer.
The deal resulted from talks that were taking place as recently as last week among executives of Apple, representatives of the Beatles and their record label, EMI Group Ltd,, according to these people. These people cautioned that Apple could change plans at the last minute.
Spokesmen for Apple, EMI and Paul McCartney declined to comment.
Apple on Monday posted a notice on the home page of its iTunes Store that it would make “an exciting announcement” Tuesday morning.
First off, I’m a Beatles fan but I’m no sycophant. The first thing I did when I got my iPod was download my entire Beatles catalog, and I’m sure most Beatles fans did the same. If the catalog was available at midnight tonight, I don’t think I’d be paying to download songs I already have, even if they were Beatles songs. Maybe I’d stare at the iTunes screen for a bit, but that’s about it. Bottom line is, anyone who really wants Beatles music on their iPod so badly, would have bought the CDs and ripped them. End of story.
On its website, Apple is saying that an announcement for something is coming tomorrow and that “Tomorrow is just another day. That you’ll never forget”. Here is a screenshot:
The tie in of course, is that McCartney released a tune called “Another Day” early in his solo career. But some people are reading way too much into that message, among other subliminal clues, although it would be cool if it came to fruition. As for me, nobody really knows what’s going down with Apple tomorrow. To wit, here is a Beatles tune that is a bit more relevant:
Just for the record, I would seriously consider a yellow Beatles iPod preloaded with the catalog.


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Winter Park's regional superchain Foxtail Coffee Co. is getting even bigger. The company just announced two more locations in Mount Dora, bringing the total number of pending Foxtail spots in the area up to seven.
The two Mount Dora spots for the wildly successful coffee roasters will be open before the year is out, according to a report from the Orlando Business Journal. One outpost will be situated in the town's historic district at 138 E. 5th Ave. The other will seemingly serve commuters on 441, setting up near several shopping centers at 3223 County Road 44B.
The coffee company already operates 20 locations in Orlando metro, ranging from spaces inside the Dr. Phillips Center and the UCF Bookstore to suburban shops in Lake Nona, Eustis and Clermont. In addition to the new coffee bars in Mount Dora, Foxtail is plotting two more places outside Orlando: one in Winter Garden and another in Melbourne.
Back in town, they have designs on shops in Ivanhoe Village, SoDo and along Sand Lake Road.
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