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Something strong is brewing in a fourth-floor Stony Island suite.
Patrick Ip, a second-year, runs Café 4B out of his dorm each Saturday. His café is one of only two in Chicago to offer cutting-edge syphon brewed coffee.
With a halogen-heater and specially made glass containers, Ip’s syphon coffee machine looks more like lab equipment than a dorm room kitchen accessory (and is worth about as much—the equipment costs hundreds of dollars). The Japanese-inspired system, also called vacuum brew coffee, relies on heat from water vapor and vacuum pressure to brew coffee by the cup.
The result is “one of the freshest, purest ways to drink coffee,” according to Ip.
Intelligentsia’s downtown location is the only other store in Chicago to brew syphoned coffee, which was recently called a “20,000 dollar cup of coffee” by The New York Times.
But Ip’s current menu lists no prices. Instead, he requests tips to avoid legal issues. As for profit, Ip said it depends on the customers; he recognizes that high quality coffee drinks fall outside the typical student’s budget.
Ip views the café not as a money-making venture, but as a way to practice his barista skills and share his coffee education, which he believes customers miss when they pick up coffee at local shops.
With an extensive international coffee training background, it’s only fitting that Ip grounds rare beans hailing from Nicaragua and London. Ip studied coffee preparation in Australia while working for the United Nations Youth Committee. He completed courses in Espresso Preparation and Latte Art at the New South Wales Technical and Further Education Commission and learned the syphon brewing method at the Sensory Lab in Melbourne, Australia.
The learning process was not always fun, said Ip. “You burn your hands a lot learning how to make coffee.”
In addition to syphon coffee, Café 4B offers hot chocolate, espresso, and iced coffee drinks. Stony Island first-year Julie Huh joined Ip in his venture, providing baked goods for the Saturday hours of operation.
Ip cleared his plan with his resident head Jody Otte—himself a former Starbucks employee and now regular customer—and opened for business in early fall. The café has since expanded through a Facebook page, with 112 followers and updates that range from newest beans to information on local coffee culture.
The café has served as many as 40 customers on a Saturday morning and on average sees between 10 and 20 patrons, comprised mostly of other Stony Island residents and University students. Ip even offers to-go cups and a “drive-thru” experience—he runs out with a cup of coffee and hands it to a customer who drives by on his way to work at seven in the morning.
Café 57 owner Tony Wilkins was among the Saturday customers at Café 4B last week. Ip says he’s learned from Wilkins’s entrepreneurial efforts, and the relationship has been mutually beneficial—he says their respective coffee shops cater to different audiences and are not in competition.
Ip is part of the third-wave coffee movement, aiming to produce high quality, artisan coffee drinks. In addition to his special equipment, Ip serves beans roasted by third-wave roasters like Blue Bottle Coffee from San Francisco, Intelligentsia coffee from Chicago, and Cup of Excellence. The first wave of coffee was the invention of coffee, and the second wave of coffee brought it to the masses, through businesses like Starbucks and Folgers.
Ip brought his machine to his hometown Starbucks in Modesto, CA to compare systems—Starbucks brews coffee using the more traditional and less expensive drip-system. He used the same beans, but brewed them using the different techniques, and Ip said the syphon coffee strongly came out ahead.
“It’s just a massive difference,” he said. “With the syphon, you get six or seven flavors out of the bean.”
Still, Ip understands the value of a quick, cheap cup of joe. He praised student-run coffee shops for the ability to fill a niche and produce cheap coffee to serve the student audience. “The Div School [Divinity School coffee shop] takes the cake for best quality for price,” he said.
The experience—not the caffeine—is Ip’s end-goal in creating coffee. He limits his own intake to just a few cups a day, and spends free time studying skills such as latte art and new brewing techniques.
“People spend their free time on Facebook,” said Ip. “I spend mine looking at coffee videos on YouTube.”


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Led by strong direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales, a rebound at wholesale and a more than three-fold gain in its international business, Yeti reported sales in the second quarter climbed 44.9 percent. The results prompted the drinkware and cooler brand to raise earnings and sales guidance for the year.
“Our strong quarterly performance continues the trend of high demand for the brand during the start of summer and the gift-giving celebrations of moms, dads and grads,” said Matt Reintjes, president and CEO, on a conference call with analysts. “This Q2 was punctuated by the broader return to some pandemic-disrupted activities, such as travel, and the continued trend in people looking for active outdoor adventures.”
In the quarter ended July 2, net earnings increased 67.8 percent to $56.2 million, or 63 cents. On an adjusted basis, net income climbed 68.6 percent to $60.0 million, or 68 cents a share, besting Wall Street’s consensus estimate of 55 cents.
Sales reached $357.7 million, topping Wall Street’s consensus estimate of $327.3 million.
DTC sales increased 48.0 percent to $196.9 million, driven by strong performance in both Drinkware and Coolers & Equipment. The DTC channel grew to 55 percent of sales, compared to 54 percent in the prior-year period.
Wholesale sales increased 41.2 percent to $160.8 million, driven by Drinkware and Coolers & Equipment. In the second quarter of 2020, wholesale sales were impacted by the temporary store closures due to COVID-19.
Drinkware sales increased 68.8 percent to $192.9 million, primarily driven by the continued expansion of its Drinkware product offerings, including new colors and sizes and demand for customization. Coolers & Equipment sales increased 22.7 percent to $157.8 million, driven by robust performance in soft coolers, bags, outdoor living products, cargo, and hard coolers.
Gross margins improved 280 basis points to 58.5 percent driven by a favorable mix shift to its DTC channel, product cost improvements and lower inventory reserves partially offset by the unfavorable impact of the non-renewal of the Global System of Preferences program on import duties and higher inbound freight.
SG&A expenses increased 50 percent to $136.7 million as the year-ago period included the benefit of cost reduction initiatives implemented in response to COVID-19. As a percentage of sales, SG&A expenses increased 140 basis points to 38.2 percent. The increase included a 220 basis points increase in non-variable expenses, primarily driven by higher marketing expenses. Variable expense leverage of 80 basis points on higher net sales positively impacted the quarter.
Operating income increased 55.7 percent to $72.4 million. Adjusted operating income climbed 57.0 percent to 77.4 million.
Reintjes said sales came in above internal expectations with strength. The 48 percent DTC growth came on top of 61 percent growth a year ago. The DTC gains were boosted by robust performances of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day campaigns and the benefit of “impactful media placement” across key outlets from The New York Times and Chicago Tribune to Vanity Fair, Vice, and CNN.
“We saw significant growth during the quarter in wholesale, where we continue our efforts to replenish inventory to support the ongoing strong demand in the channel,” added Reintjes. “We tripled our international revenues in what was our largest net sales quarter to date for this business as we continue to see the penetration of the brand even amidst the ongoing pandemic challenges in many of the international locations.”
Inventory increased 60 percent year-over-year, primarily due to the inventory purchase order reductions in response to COVID-19 in 2020. The inventory increase represents a CAGR of 11 percent since the same period in 2019.
Looking ahead, Reintjes was optimistic about the brand’s growth trajectory and its ability to manage supply chain disruptions.
“What we unequivocally believe today is that overall brand demand is incredibly strong,” said Reintjes. “We’re capitalizing on a continuing influx of new customers and returning brand advocates, and we’re better equipped than ever to reach new global customers. At the same time, global supply chains remain incredibly challenged and strained. Despite the ongoing supply chain disruptions, including costs and transportation pressures, our team continues to do a remarkable job managing and mitigating to minimize the impact while we continue to focus on growth.”
He noted that recent government-mandated shutdowns led to the temporary closure of one of its soft cooler suppliers in Vietnam due to the ongoing impacts of COVID-19. Reintjes added, “Our prior work to drive supplier redundancy in key product areas helps our ability to absorb this type of temporary disruption. The shutdown does underscore the inherent volatility that lingers globally. As evidenced by our results and updated outlook, we’re managing this overall backdrop well and will continue to tighten our grip on what we can most directly control. We remain focused on servicing the tremendous momentum heading into the balance of this year to ensure we drive growth this year and beyond.”
Yeti’s updated 2021 outlook includes:
- Net sales are now expected to increase between 26 percent and 28 percent versus the previous outlook of between 20 percent and 22 percent;
- Operating income as a percent of sales is expected to be approximately 19 percent, unchanged from the previous outlook;
- Adjusted operating income as a percent of sales is expected to be approximately 20.5 percent, unchanged from the previous outlook;
- The effective tax rate is now expected to be approximately 23 percent versus the previous outlook of 24.0 percent;
- Net EPS is now expected to be between $2.25 and $2.29, versus the previous outlook of $2.12 and $2.16, reflecting a 27 percent to 29 percent increase;
- Adjusted EPS is now expected to be between $2.42 and $2.46 versus the previous outlook of $2.28 and $2.32, reflecting a 29 percent to 32 percent increase; and
- Capital expenditures are expected to remain between $55 million and $60 million primarily to support investments in technology and new product innovation and launches.
Photos courtesy Yeti

domain: news


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CK Birla controlled Hindustan Motors Ltd — maker of the iconic Ambassador car — has sold the ‘Ambassador’ brand to French carmaker Peugeot.
According to a notification to the bourses, the “brand and certain related rights” have been sold for ₹80 crore.
Kolkata-based Hindustan Motors had suspended production of Ambassadors way back in May 2014 citing weak demand and lack of funds.
Modelled after the British Morris Oxford, the Ambassador was the first car to be made in India and was once considered a status symbol. However, it started losing dominance with the advent of Maruti Suzuki.


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Original Story: Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon will be available for the 3DS on September 17 in Japan.Although, as yet, there's no confirmation of release dates outside of Japan, Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon is expected to come to North America in late 2015, and Europe in early 2016.
The tweet by Nintendo also confirmed that "720 types of Pokemon" will appear in the latest "dungeon RPG", 20 of which will be playable.We weren't too keen on the last Pokémon Mystery Dungeon game, believing that its "deep supplementary features can't overcome the fact that its moment-to-moment play feels so watered down." For more news fresh on this latest Nintendo Direct, keep an eye on our 3DS, Wii U, and Nintendo channels.
Vikki Blake is a bonafide - albeit jumpy - survival horror survivalist. You can find her twittering over at @_vixx.
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Katy Perry has launched her own record label, Metamorphosis Music. The label is a joint venture with Capitol Records. Perry’s first signed artist is Ferras.
Radio Academy‘s CEO Paul Robinson has resigned after holding the position for 10 months. Robinson is also CEO of his own company, Creative Media Partners, and will be focusing on that position.
Triple 8 Management has promoted two people to executive positions, according to All Access. Jesse Atwell has been promoted from VP of Digital Marketing and Tour Marketing to SVP of Marketing. Ricky Brown has been promoted to VP of Marketing.
Nina Ulloa covers breaking news, tech, and more. Follow her on Twitter: @nine_u


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75,000 reasons to shop at i2 during the Holy Month
Just two weeks after i2’s gold bonanza Promotional campaign, i2 launches it’s Ramadan Campaign. During the holy month, a lucky family will win a voucher of SR 75,000 each week, to splurge at Dimos Furniture and eXtra Electronics.
Those that purchase a Nokia phone from any of i2’s outlets or partner outlets will be given a numbered scratch card. To gain eligibility to win, shoppers will need to send the unique number by sms to a designated number. The promotion will run throughout the holy month of Ramadan with weekly announcements of winners.
i2 was founded in 1993 in the Kingdom. KSA has always been a key market for i2 group. The company recently ended their gold summer promotion, where they gave away over 27 KG of gold worth over two million Saudi Riyals. Two weeks later, i2 launches its Ramadan campaign, both exclusive to the Kingdom.
“We always think of innovative and worthy promotional campaigns for our customers” stated Yasser Zaidan, Executive Vice President, i2. The company’s recently launched campaign extends total makeovers to four homes in the Kingdom, in the spirit of Ramadan and Eid.
I2 has demonstrated it commitment to its customers through its rich and innovative campaigns. “i2 gives its customers nothing but the best. That is why our campaigns are practical, innovative and valuable” concluded Zaidan.
For more information on the promotion please call: i2 call center: 920000090
About Itsalat International (i2):
Founded in 1993 in Saudi Arabia, i2 is the region’s largest and most diverse mobile phone provider. Over 1,300 employees across 350 stores in 20 countries are dedicated to providing i2 customers with technological solutions and services that enhance their lifestyles and shopping experience. I2 stores offer the widest range of mobile phones, PDAs, wireless technology, software, value added services and mobile accessories in the region. It is the first mobile phone provider to offer its customers a life-time warranty and a comprehensive after sales maintenance program on all products purchased in store or online. To better serve their customers, i2 has expanded its reach to include i2 magazine, i2 club, i2 prestige, i2 café and other innovative support programs. For more information about i2 products and services please visit www.i2-mobile.com . i2 operates in: Bahrain, Chad, Egypt, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, KSA, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritius, Morocco, Reunion, Senegal, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE and UK.
- Campaign against unchecked price hikes in Saudi during Ramadan
- i2 launches Summer Campaign for All Nokia Users
- A glimmer of hope as gold sales climb by 25% in SA
- Strike gold this Ramadan with the first ‘Lifetime Warranty’ offer in the UAE from Al Ghandi Auto
- Consumer protection agency to monitor prices ahead of Ramadan


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LONDON — New retail outlets are mushrooming on Regent Street, a thoroughfare that brands are increasingly considering as a window on the world.
The last year has seen the arrival of names including J. Crew, Hackett, Longchamp, Karl Lagerfeld and Kiko Cosmetics on the street, while the latest arrivals include Lacoste and Tumi.
Lacoste has unveiled a new global retail concept at its longtime location at 233 Regent Street, not far from Oxford Circus.
The store, which spans 2,030 square feet over two floors, aims to present a more premium, lifestyle-focused face to the world, in line with the changing philosophy of the brand under new chief executive officer José Luis Duran.
“We want to show where we are headed, and transmit that we are more than a polo-driven company,” he said during a walk-through. “Our location is great, but the store was old-fashioned and only five percent of customers went up to the second floor. Yesterday, it was 35 percent.”
Duran said the aim was to showcase “a more elegant, lifestyle-driven brand” with key “global looks” on display, more leather accessories, footwear and outerwear, and 25 percent fewer products overall on display.
“Less is more: We want to tell fewer stories and make our customers’ lives easier,” said Duran, adding that he is looking to increase turnover by at least 20 percent in the newly refurbished store. He declined to give first-year sales projections.
The interior features marble, concrete, dark leather and mirrored surfaces and was designed by Philippe Phi. The company ripped out 216 square feet of the original upper floor to ensure that customers on the ground floor could actually see some of the upstairs. Lacoste also doubled the surface of the staircase.
While there is less merchandise on the shop floor, Duran said he doesn’t want Lacoste to be shy about its DNA — or its traditional strengths: Upstairs there is a marble polo bar, with colored stacks of the brand’s traditional shirts on display.
The ground floor stocks mainline men’s wear and Lacoste sport, and seasonal capsule collections such as “Maritime Flags.” Upstairs is the rainbow selection of polo shirts, women’s mainline and children’s wear.
Duran said he is not in a hurry to roll out the new concept, and sees Regent Street as a test. Stores in flagship cities such as Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Tokyo and Paris will be refurbished with the new concept, and Lacoste plans to open with it in March at the new mall at the World Trade Center in downtown Manhattan.
Not far from Lacoste, at 211 Regent Street, Tumi has planted its flag with the concept by Dror Benshetrit, who also re-designed the brand’s Madison Avenue and Paris stores. The Regent Street store, which spans 2,408 square feet over two floors, is the brand’s fourth unit in the U.K.
The shopfit includes walnut finishes, polished metal fixtures and white porcelain-plank floors. The ground floor stocks men’s and women’s day bags, small accessories and travel gadgets and the new Jonathan Adler collaboration, while the upper floor houses larger travel cases and Tumi’s colored leather bags for women. The store also offers monogramming services.
“We took a holistic approach, consistent between the product, interior, design and absolutely everything that is part of the brand’s DNA,” said Benshetrit.
Jerome Griffith, Tumi’s chief executive officer, said the Regent Street location “represents a milestone of global significance. We see tremendous excitement for the Tumi brand in the local market.”
“What he has done at Vuitton is really exceptional,” said @gameofthrones’ actress Gwendoline Christie on @mrkimjones’ final show for @louisvuitton. “He has rebooted luxury in terms of making it commercial, viable and contemporary. And most importantly artistic. He has never compromised his artistic vision for the sake of commodity.” (📷: @zefashioninsider)
After seeing a demand for men’s wear from its customers, British contemporary women’s wear label @ariesarise has added a men’s wear component and will launch a unisex collection with @mrporterlive. The 20-piece collection includes jackets, denim, logo T-shirts and more with deconstructed ‘90s vibes. Set to launch on January 18, you can shop the pieces on Aries’ website and on mrporter.com. #wwdfashion
“And so spending so much time with a character who thinks like that, inevitability you try and analyze yourself and go back and think about your own demons and dark chapters that you had in your life,” says @thedanielbruhl of his role in TNT’s “The Alienist.” The show, set in the Gilded Age of New York, also stars Dakota Fanning and Luke Evans. Head to WWD.com to read about how 39-year-old Brühl prepared for the role and why he thinks the show is so relevant to today #wwdeye ( 📷: @Eriktanner)
Now that Celine Dion’s collection has topped $10 million in sales, the pop superstar, fashion icon and newly-minted industry player is eyeing growth in Asia. Read the full report by @tiffanyap, link in bio. #wwdnews #celinedion
“My personal philosophy to beauty is paying attention to oneself. I love to be outdoors, lots of fresh air, trying to take care of yourself as best you can. I always notice that comes through,” says Felicity Jones, the global face of @shiseido-owned @cledepeaubeauteus, which launches today. Head to WWD.com to read more about the actress’ love for beauty and how she prepared for her new role in “The Basis of Sex,” playing the young Ruth Bader Ginsburg. #wwdbeauty (📷: @dandoperalski)
Among the familiar faces at @off____white’s show was a surprise figure: Japanese artist @takashipom, pictured here on Wednesday morning. Other show-goers included @jerrylorenzo, who spoke about his upcoming project: a @nike collaboration for back to school, with designs inspired by his childhood on the West Coast. Sitting in the front row were Future, Don Crawley, @miguel and more. See the rest of the photos on WWD.com #wwdeye (📷: Stephane Feugere)
According to @laurentsai, former “Terrace House: Aloha State” cast member, she didn’t know she was auditioning for the Japanese version of “Real World.” “I was telling a couple of my friends and someone’s like, ‘That sounds a lot like Terrace House.’ I was like, ’No it can’t be.’” Turns out, it was. But Tsai isn’t just a reality star — she’s an illustrator who has worked with Starbucks Japan and most recently, she’s dipping her toes into the fashion world. Head to WWD.com to read about her time on the show, modeling and her art. #wwdeye (📷: @danieldorsa)
More changes are coming to New York Fashion Week: Beginning with the spring 2019 collection, @alexanderwangny will move his New York show to June from September, adopting a biannual schedule with collections shown in June and December. Additionally, the @cfda is planning for an official summer/winter fashion season taking place as soon as June and December 2018. Read more about the upcoming changes on WWD.com. #wwdnews #wwdfashion (📷: @slovekinpics)


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Friday, June 09, 2023
ISLAMABAD: After the budget was unveiled by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Asim Ahmad explained that the tax collection target for his organisation has been set at Rs9,200 billion after it was increased by Rs200 billion.
Explaining the revenue targets in the proposed budget, Ahmad said additional taxes of Rs200 billion have been imposed in the upcoming budget.
“Direct taxes of Rs175 billion have been proposed and indirect taxes of Rs25 billion have been suggested,” said the FBR chief. He added that withholding tax on the use of debit and credit cards for foreign payments has also been increased.
“An additional Rs170 billion will be received in the form of income tax,” said the FBR chairman, adding that tax measures worth Rs22 billion have been included under the sales tax.
For overseas Pakistanis, the FBR chairman shared that the 2% tax on the purchase of immovable property through remittance is being abolished. He also added that a new diamond card is being launched in the remittance card category.
“Diamond card will be issued to those who send remittances of more than $50,000 annually,” the FBR chief said.
The government has suggested imposing a 10% withholding tax will on non-filers if they debit and credit cards on foreign payments, while a 5% tax will be levied on filers.
The government has also proposed to restore a 0.6% withholding tax on non-filers on cash withdrawals from banks
Ahmad also said that the budget also proposes an advance adjustment tax of Rs 200,000 per annum on foreign domestic workers. “POS tax on branded textiles, leather retailers has been suggested to be increased from 12 to 15%. While POS tax on sports goods retailers has proposed to be increased from 12% to 15%.”
He also added that in the document the government has proposed the lifting of the limit on the import of Asian vehicles of more than 1300 cc.
Meanwhile, an FBR official present in the press conference said that the government has also imposed a tax of Rs2,000 per fan. While a 20% duty has also been proposed on the use of old bulbs.
FBR’s Member Policy shared that the exports of the IT sector are a priority of the government and in line with that, the general sales tax on IT services has been reduced from 15% to 5%.
The official also shared that the tax rate has been reduced in the construction sector
“Will give business opportunities to youth. Youth below 30 years of age will be given tax exemption for starting a business,” shared the official. He also added that tax exemption is being given in the agriculture sector.


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Local media now reaches 40 million people across print and online a week, according to the latest data from JICREG.
The overall audience of the industry has risen strongly in the last year, fuelled by a growth in digital audiences for the industry, particularly on mobile
Local Media Works has updated its headline industry statistics to produce a snapshot of the industry for 2015.
The latest data from TGI shows that 28 million are heavy users of local media, accessing it at least four or five times a week through print or digital platforms.
Forty-four per cent of ABC1s read a local paper and 65 per cent of local readers believe adverts in their local paper help them make decisions
Local press readers are bargain hunters. According to TGI, 5.4 million people turn to local media first when looking for a bargain.
Eighty-nine percent of local press readers look for food and drink promotions, 86 per cent look for household products, 85 per cent look for toiletries and 65 per cent look for multi buy offers on food and drink.
Local Media Works chairman Blanche Sainsbury (pictured above) Local World commercial director, said: “These latest statistics confirm that the industry’s audiences continue to grow strongly and that local media remains a powerful action medium for advertisers across all its platforms.”


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The biggest Sensex laggards, however, were Tata Steel (2.12 per cent), Adani Ports (1.48 per cent), Hindustan Unilever (1.31 per cent), Bharti Airtel (1.3 per cent) and ITC (0.7 per cent).
Among Nifty stocks, the biggest gainers were Dr Reddy (2.89 per cent), Cipla (2.62 per cent) and TCS (2.41 per cent). BSE IT index (1.29 per cent) led the gains on Wednesday followed by BSE Teck index (that rose by nearly 1 per cent) and BSE consumer durables (that rose by 0.61 per cent).
Strong monthly industrial growth data released on Tuesday accentuated the market sentiment. Industrial output grew 4.9 percent in April from a year earlier, spurred by higher growth in manufacturing and mining sector, while annual retail inflation accelerated to a four-month high in May, driven by higher fuel prices and a depreciating rupee, government data showed on Tuesday.
"There is still an undercurrent of optimism. Impact of inflation may not be so much but industrial output figures were decent, which is supportive for the markets," said Jayant Manglik, president, Religare Broking.
Globally, investors are waiting for the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy decision later in the day and any clues it might give on future rate increases that could alter the course of global economic growth and corporate earnings.
"We'll have to wait for the Fed decision to be announced and then perhaps we'll see some action," Manglik added.
Shares of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries gained as much as 3.8 percent after the drugmaker said on Tuesday that supply restrictions imposed on its Halol plant by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have been lifted.
KEC International Ltd climbed as much as 3.9 percent after brokerage Macquarie Research initiated coverage on the stock with "outperform" rating.
Meanwhile, Bharti Airtel Ltd dropped as much as 1.9 percent and Idea Cellular Ltd fell over 5 percent after rival Reliance Jio, the telecoms arm of Reliance Industries Ltd, responded to Airtel's latest plan by offering more data to users.
(With Reuters Inputs)


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The Chinese yuan fell to a more than two-week low on Monday as protests in China against Beijing's zero-Covid policies caused investors to back the US dollar.
Chinese stocks and oil prices fell sharply early on Monday, after protests in many cities against tough Covid restrictions, while the country posted another record high tally of Covid cases
China's central bank will offer loans with a rate much lower than the benchmark interest rate so financial institutions can buy onshore bonds issued by developers, sources say
A large chunk of Binance's emergency insurance fund – 44% – is made up of the crypto exchange's own BNB tokens, crypto followers have noted
The core consumer price index in the Japanese capital was 3.6% higher in November than a year earlier. This was the highest since April 1982.
President says the strike is holding the national supply chain "hostage" during an economic crisis, which is "unacceptable". Logistics disruptions have hit several sectors already.
Fitch Ratings says new-energy vehicles will continue to see strong growth next year as more motorists ditch petrol cars. It says EVs will account for 35% of car sales on the mainland in 2023
Economic activity in the fourth quarter "is crucial for full-year growth", according to the State Council meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang, who said now was a "critical time" to bolster the economy.
Stellantis plans to produce dozens of electric models in the coming decade, but its CEO Carlos Tavares has said it could be five or six years before affordable battery EVs are created
Nomura analysts estimate that more than one-fifth of China's total GDP is under lockdown, a figure that exceeds the size of the British economy.
Veteran opposition leader will lead Malaysia's next government with the support of a key bloc of former Barisan Nasional MPs, but the road ahead could be rocky
Taiwanese tech giant said a "technical error" occurred when hiring new recruits at its huge iPhone factory. The company has now done deals with employees to resolve protests at the plant


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China’s CCID Reveals Newest Crypto Rankings: EOS #1, ETH #2 & BTC #17
In the second run of the China-based ratings that involve both crypto and blockchain endeavors, many interesting facts about the crypto world have been revealed on June 21st. This platform has been called the “Global Public Chain Technology Evaluation Index,” and the most recent round exposed EOS as the top cryptocurrency. Following shortly behind is Ethereum at second. However, Bitcoin falls way below at 17th.
This Index is the responsibility of the China Center for Information Industry Development (CCID) from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. According to the press release for the Index, these statistics are established by experts and scholars in the domestic trade. The ranking is based on the advantages that different platforms have in the efficiency, network performance, and the cost of each transactions.
Despite the recent failures of EOS’s network release with technical problems and account locks, the evaluation by the Index reveals that their technology is impressively innovative. In fact, the Index called it a “new generation public blockchain,” which seems to be the main reason for their reputation in the industry.
The analyses occur monthly to keep consumers in the loop about the technology and performance of global blockchain projects. It only began to track this information in May, so consumers will have to wait and see if their efforts continue. The pull to create this report was urged by the government, since they believe that t he crypto industry has no independent assessment that can reveal how all of the industry is performing as a whole.
In a report by Cointelegraph this month, China has continued to support blockchain technology, though they have put up major barriers between themselves and cryptocurrencies. However, China’s evaluations are simply a way to further support the idea that blockchain technology will be here to stay and will help the Chinese government determine the best option.
The most recent example of the blockchain thriving has actually been the result of actions by the Chinese president. President Xi Jingping recently named blockchain part of the “new generation” of technology that is helping to change the entire globe.


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Lexus Fuel Leak Took Almost 2 Years From Diagnosis to Recall, Toyota Says
Toyota Motor Corp. took almost two years to submit its U.S. recall today of Lexus models after the automaker’s initial investigation of a potential gasoline leak failed to find defects in the cars’ fuel-line components.
The first U.S. report of fuel odor was in March 2009, according to a letter Toyota sent today to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Toyota investigated the case and two more reports in 2009, including one from the U.K., and “no abnormality in parts was found,” said Brian Lyons, a spokesman for the Japanese automaker’s U.S. unit in Torrance, California.
Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, voluntarily recalled today about 245,000 Lexus IS and GS luxury cars in the U.S. to inspect and tighten fuel-pressure sensors. Globally, the Toyota City, Japan-based company, is recalling 1.7 million vehicles for potential defects in fuel pipes and pumps, pressure sensors and spare-tire carriers, including 1.28 million units in Japan.
Toyota studied the Lexus issue throughout 2010, and not until reviewing manufacturing processes and an additional defect report could it determine the likely cause was a section of pipe that was tightened improperly, according to the letter. The time needed to uncover the problem isn’t unusual, given how complex vehicles have become, said Ed Kim, director of analysis for industry researcher AutoPacific Inc. in Tustin, California.
“This is literally forensic analysis,” said Kim, who is a former U.S. product planner for Hyundai Motor Co. “Cars contain hundreds of thousands of pieces of machinery, and when there’s a defect it can be pretty minute.”
Needle in Haystack
“In many cases it’s harder than finding a needle in a haystack,” he said.
Toyota’s reputation for reliability has been damaged by record recalls in the past 18 months, largely for problems related to unintended acceleration. The company is under pressure to be as forthcoming as possible with defects, Kim said.
Toyota’s American depositary receipts, each representing two ordinary shares, fell $1.57, or 1.9 percent, to $82.29 at 4:07 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. They have dropped 5.2 percent in the past year.


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Webkinz is a Word-of-Mouth Wonder
Want to know the power of word-of-mouth? Just take a look at Webkinz, a product described as “Beanie Babies on Steroids” that have sold more than one million units without a single ad being run.
The stuffed animals help connect young users to the web by a coded tag attached to each doll. Kids type in their secret code and a virtual pet replica of their doll appears on screen. According to the company, Webkinz’ customers typically range from six and up with kids between eight and 11 often owning more than two of the stuffed animals.
NPD analyst Anita Frazier told AdAge.com, Webkinz’ success provides a roadmap she expects many others to follow. “This will be an increasing trend going into the future, as toy manufacturers attempt to use what is appealing about the internet (engagement and interactivity) to keep their products as current and relevant to today’s ‘digi-native’ kids as possible.”
The dolls, sold through specialty retailers and gift shops, have relied upon sales reps from the Canadian gift wholesaler Ganz to get products into stores. From there, word-of-mouth, media coverage (including “Good Morning America,” “Regis & Kelly” and “Rachael Ray”) and retailer support have created a mass-market success from a grassroots beginning.
Webkinz has figured prominently on YouTube, where owners have shown off their collections and also developed original scripts such as “The Webkinz Murderer,” by a child apparently sick of a sibling’s preoccupation with the stuffed toys.
Steve and Chris Tini, owners of Sweet Be’s Candy & Gifts in the St. Louis area, not only carry the full line of Webkinz in their store but also collect the toys for themselves.
“Everyone is so excited about it,” Ms. Tini said. “The kids just love them, and parents love them too because they’re fun and safe. … The challenge for retailers is going to be keeping them in stock.”
Discussion Questions: What is your assessment of the Webkinz road to success? Do you see this approach, both in product development, sell-in and promotion, as becoming more prevalent in the future? Does the success of the Webkinz approach suggest the rate of failure among new products will be lower than traditional mass-market rollouts?


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The new iPad sports a speedier Apple-designed processor, a sharper screen and next-generation wireless Internet connections, known as 4G LTE.The iFixit breakdown makes clear that most of the iPad's components aren't made in China, but instead in Japan, Taiwan and, yes, even the United States. Those parts are then shipped to China for final assembly. Thus, the actual value accruing to Chinese iPad "manufacturers" is pretty low, while the suppliers all over the world reap much larger shares of the assembly costs.
Broadcom, a communications-chip specialist in Irvine, Calif., made the chips used for Bluetooth and wireless Internet access, iFixit said after posting a so-called teardown report from Australia. Chips from San Diego-based Qualcomm are used by the iPad to connect to cellular networks, including 4G services using a technology called LTE.
Elpida, a Japanese company that has filed bankruptcy proceedings, supplied dynamic-random access memory chips for the iPad, the site added. IFixit also identified other memory chips from Toshiba Corp., also based in Japan.
Other chips identified by iFixit came from companies that include Texas Instruments Inc., Fairchild Semiconductor International and TriQuint Semiconductor Inc....
One of the highest-profile suppliers to the iPad is Samsung, whose display had earlier been reported to be the only one that met Apple’s specifications for the high-resolution screen and was being used in the device. Competing displays from Sharp Corp. and LG Display Co. recently met Apple’s requirements, according to people familiar with the matter, and Sharp’s components are expected to begin shipping soon.
Samsung, which is currently locked in patent litigation with Apple, also the manufacturer of Apple’s third-generation processor, the A5X, according to iFixit. (The Korean company has built prior Apple-designed chips used in mobile devices). The firm said it found markings on the chip that said it was manufactured by Samsung in the first week of this year.
The WSJ goes on to explain that the total component costs for the new iPad are $309, while the retail price for the 16GB model is $629. Assuming that a new iPad imported into the United States registers as a $309 import from China (even though, again, little of that $309 cost is actually created in China), that means that over half of the iPad's final sales price is profit - profit going straight to Apple's employees and shareholders.
Given these facts, it's clear that anyone - like this guy - lamenting that a "made in China" iPad or the US-China trade deficit is somehow indicative of the "death of US manufacturing" (or the need to "get tough" on Chinese trade practices) simply has no idea how the global economy actually works or how modern global supply chains have rendered many trade statistics completely worthless.
As I've repeatedly stated, many campaigning politicians continue to cite the US-China trade deficit as some sort of "proof" that China is eating our trade lunch, even though the iPod/iPhone/iPad examples and global supply chains more broadly have been widely reported for years now. So, once again, either these politicians are utterly clueless or they're being completely disingenuous.
I guess it could be both.


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Kennewick Costco No. 1 in country for pumpkin pie sales
KENNEWICK, Wash. — Thanksgiving is just one week away and bakers at the Costco in Kennewick are working around the clock to make sure they are meeting the area’s high demand for pies.
The store is the #1 in the country again for pumpkin pies sales. This year, they are expected to sell 18,604 pumpkin pies, which is 2,000 more than what they sold last year.
The Kennewick location is also a top-seller for other types of pie.
The bakery is No. 5 in the country for apple pies sales and No. 8 in the country for pecan pies sales.
The ramping up of the pies started on Nov. 18 and will last until the day before Thanksgiving. The bakery will be operating 24 hours a day to ensure they are making enough pies.
Pumpkin pies are on sale for $5.99, apple pies for $9.99 and pecan pies for $13.99.
The store is located at 8505 W Gage Blvd.


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PUBG PS4 royal game to launch on December 8
New Delhi : The Amazon listing has confirmed that the PS4 version of PUBG will be launched on December 8. However, the description of the product, image of the game are yet to be revealed.
Recently, Sony Interactive Entertainment accidentally put up the listing for PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) PS4 on Amazon. But, the company soon removed the listing and mentioned the word 'Sorry' in the product description area. Meanwhile, leakster Wario64 took the screenshots of the listing and posted them on Twitter.
As of now, neither Sony nor Tencent have said anything regarding the leak and when the game will be making it to the PlayStation platform. Now, if the listing is true then Sony and Tencent might have decided to announce its launch during The Game Awards 2018, which will be held on December 6.
PUBG is an online battle royale video game in which a total of 100 players parachute onto a battlefield of their choice. With the help of their gathering skills and survival instincts, players have to fend off and kill other players to win. The last man standing is declared the winner and gets the metaphorical chicken dinner. During the gameplay, the safe zone circle in which players will stay safe and not suffer any damage keeps on getting smaller, to make the game much more challenging and interesting. The game is currently available for players to get their hands on PC, Xbox One and mobile.


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At its first major conference since Oracle completed its acquisition in November, NetSuite has announced a host of new features to enhance its enterprise resource planning capabilities.
The changes sweep across NetSuite’s cloud-based ERP offering, including how it handles global financials, revenue recognition, billing, services resource planning, supply chain management and government compliance. As the fastest-growing ERP vendor for several years running, NetSuite wanted to attract increasing international attention as companies transition from on-premises to cloud-based ERP over the next few years.
The idea is to help customers “act global and also to be local,” explained Craig Sullivan, group vice president of product management at Oracle NetSuite Global Business Unit.
“We’re going to continue our investment in these global capabilities so you can manage your business more effectively and more intelligently,” he said. “Business history is littered with stories of failed international expansions. And most of them come down to companies not really understanding the local markets. For NetSuite, going local means going the last mile.”
That means ensuring that its ERP suite eases the way for enterprises to be compliant with local law, support local business practices, and remain sensitive to regional cultural concerns.
“The major investments we have made in product development over the last several years, combined with the incremental Oracle resources, have allowed us to deliver the greatest amount of new financial and ERP features and functionality ever,” said Jim McGeever, executive vice president of the NetSuite business unit.
Historically, NetSuite offers two upgrades each year that automatically carry forward each enterprise’s customizations so that customers are always on the latest version of the software.
These new features, however, represent the biggest expansions of functionality yet, NetSuite executives said. Key new features include global financial functionality for inter-company transactions and currency reporting, streamlined revenue recognition, advanced revenue management for billing, and the ability to manage multiple billing price books to accommodate different price lists depending on region. NetSuite also will weigh in on supply chain management.
“We're repeatedly amazed with the features NetSuite continues to add to the product and their commitment to ongoing development,” said John Gardiner, president and CFO at sales intelligence software provider DiscoverOrg. “The latest enhancements to billing and revenue recognition are going to have a big impact on our business and our bottom line.”
• International companies need globally-minded ERP that understands the nuances of doing business in a variety of regions.
• Going with cloud-based ERP means that software and functionality will always be up-to-date globally.
• Choose an ERP system that offers turn-key packages to manage business seamlessly through an international expansion.
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Thirty years ago today, Sony’s CDP-101 compact disc player went on sale in Japan.
According to Benj Edwards at TechHive, the CDP-101 retailed for the equivalent of around $674, which today would be around $1609. Fifty CDs were available at launch, priced between $14 and $15.25 apiece — roughly $33 to $36 today. Check out Edwards’ full piece for an in-depth and interesting look at the history of the compact disc:
The CD player turns 30 [TechHive]


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DaimlerChrysler AG's Smart cars will cross the Atlantic Ocean, with production slated to launch in Brazil while the automaker eyes potential sales in the United States.
The company announced Nov. 4 it will build a four-seat version of the Smart at its Juiz de Fora, Brazil, assembly plant.
``This variant underscores the great potential of the Smart brand,'' Jurgen Hubbert, a member of the DaimlerChrysler management board responsible for the Smart division, said in a news release. ``At the same time, it marks a major step toward Smart's entry into the U.S. market in coming years.''
The German-American automaker - with headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, and Auburn Hills, Mich. — is releasing few details on the vehicle. It noted the vehicle made in Brazil will ``build on Smart's unmistakable flair [with] design and interior elements typical of the brand and will be closely aligned to customer preferences in the U.S. market.''
The two-seat, subcompact Smart launched in 1998 with an exterior featuring interchangeable, injection molded body panels. The panels were produced from an advanced assembly plant and supplier park in Hambach, France.
Last year the company listed sales of 116,000 vehicles in Europe and Japan. Smart GmbH, the wholly owned subsidiary overseeing the vehicle for DaimlerChrysler, just spent 100 million euros ($100.1 million) upgrading the Hambach plant to add a roadster and roadster coupe version of the Smart in January.
The company has discussed the possibility of selling the Smart in North America in the past, but industry watchers predicted it would find few takers in the United States where gas is cheap, roads are wide and parking is plentiful.
The Brazilian-made vehicle, though, will be a larger, four-seat version, now under development in Europe jointly with Mitsubishi Motors Corp., a Tokyo-based automaker controlled by DaimlerChrysler. That vehicle is slated to launch in 2004, giving Smart a greater product range.
``Our goal is to establish the Smart as a multiproduct brand worldwide,'' said Andreas Renschler, chief executive officer of Smart GmbH.
The Juiz de Fora plant already produces Mercedes-Benz A class vehicles for the Brazilian market and C Class Mercedes for North America. It offers the ``best framework conditions'' for the new vehicle, officials said.


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Website Marketing and television advertising are becoming increasingly linked and may soon be difficult to differentiate, according to a new media expert.
Online PR News – 05-March-2010 – – Website Marketing and television advertising are becoming increasingly linked and may soon be difficult to differentiate, according to a new media expert.
Eva Berg-Winters, senior manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers, said recent research showing that online brands are increasing their TV advertising spend is a sign that the two channels are moving ever closer together.
The research from TV marketing body Thinkbox suggested that a new trend for 'two-screen viewing' - concurrent consumption of TV and online - has facilitated this growth in online brands advertising on TV.
Data revealed that online brands have increased their TV ad spend from £10 million in 2004 to £180 million in 2009 - an annual increase of 172 per cent.
In addition, 94 per cent of people have gone online as a direct result of watching TV in the last 12 months.
This means that a brand can now go from initial awareness straight to purchase during the course of a single commercial break, making TV a point-of-sale medium.
Further, separate research carried out by ITV and the Direct Marketing Association suggested that multimedia campaigns typically resulted in significantly higher response rates among UK consumers than single channel campaigns.
Consumer response rates improved by 143 per cent when both website marketing and television advertising were used together.
Ms Berg-Winters noted that with two strong advertising channels it was not surprising that people working in website marketing would have an interest in TV.
She added that the trend was mutually beneficial.
"Online brands want to make the most out of TV and large media companies want to move some of their spend to online," she explained.
"TV and online have been two discreet online markets with their own strengths and indeed rules but we are seeing that TV and online are becoming increasingly close.
Ms Berg-Winters pointed to the launch of Seesaw, a new online streaming service that brings together programmes from the BBC, Channel 4 and Five, as an example of how TV was moving towards online.
"As these media become closer so too does the respective advertising - the two will soon become hard to distinguish," she added.


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Whether you’ve got a question or some helpful feedback, we’re all ears and would welcome your comments. If you do have a question, we will endeavor to get back to you as soon as possible
The Kia Sportage is the UK’s best-selling car this year, selling 4,239 units of the popular family SUV in January, according to latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
Overall, Kia ended the month as the third best-selling brand with 10,207 cars sold, growing 13.2 per cent year on year, and claiming a strong 7.1 per cent market share. The UK car market grew 8.4 per cent in January year-on-year.
Leading Kia’s sales success in the UK were its Eco models (fully electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid), which accounted for over 50 per cent of sales (5,175). Kia ended the month as the second best-selling Eco car brand.
January marked the start of sales for the fully electric seven-seat EV9, which coupled with the Niro EV, EV6 and Soul EV saw Kia increase EV sales by 14 per cent year-on-year, and finish the month as the fourth most popular EV brand. Niro EV was the sixth best-selling electric car overall in an increasingly saturated segment.
President and CEO of Kia UK, Paul Philpott, commented:“These results show a fantastic start to the year and proof of Kia’s sustainable growth and momentum. We are living true to our ‘Power On’ strategy for 2024, with the Sportage topping the UK sales charts and our EVs continuing to be successful. At the centre of our success are our dealer partners, who all show high levels of commitment and determination for the Kia brand.”
Elsewhere, Kia Corporation posted total global sales of 244,940 units in January, a 4.2 per cent year-on-year increase that was also led by Sportage sales (45,905). In Europe, Kia UK contributed 22 per cent of total sales in the region, maintaining its best performing market position.
Kia has hit the ground running in 2024, starting with the reveal of three ‘Platform Beyond Vehicle’ (PBV) concepts at CES, Las Vegas – destined to be Kia’s first electric light commercial vehicles (eLCVs).
Kia UK also renewed its long-standing partnership with the Surrey County Cricket Club and the Kia Oval for a further five years, and opened the Kia Academy; an all-new state-of-the-art technical training centre, in Derby.
Kia also became a Silver member of the Automotive 30% Club to continue to lead on equality, diversity and inclusion – extending across the business.
Kia won four awards at the 2024 What Car? Awards, including: ‘Best Family SUV’ for the Sportage; ‘Best Family Electric SUV’ for the EV6; ‘Best Electric 7-Seater’ for the EV9; and the overall ‘Tow Car Award’.
January’s sales follow Kia’s consistent success throughout 2023, which ended with 107,765 cars sold – the second consecutive year of over 100,000 sales – that made Kia the sixth best-selling brand in the UK overall.


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IF A PICTURE IS WORTH A thousand words, then a digital map containing detailed data about numerous plots of land is better than a speech team on steroids. Digital maps “have an instant impact,” says David Greminger, project manager for the Orange County division of Fieldstone Communities. The company has been speeding up its property evaluation work using a new generation of mapping products from Digital Map Products, or DMP, which is based in Contra Costa, Calif. “We've been using it now for six months,” says Greminger. “We're just at the beginning stages of what it's going to do for us.”
Information is the lifeblood of business, and information about developable parcels of land is integral to the home building business. But the information needed is typically stored in many places—in many formats—and is frequently sold at different prices. There are companies that sell aerial photographs. There are government agencies that (separately) provide transportation, population, geological, and other data. Real estate databases hold pricing information. And zoning commissions offer maps of future development plans. But DMP makes a business of combining all the information in one place. A builder needs only one software application to access the information needed, just by clicking on it. The efficiencies are clear.
The digital map can link to any kind of database—in a variety of formats—and access different data. Perhaps best of all, the map, like any digital “document,” can be e-mailed, stored, and edited by several people who have editing privileges on the document. If, for example, resale and traffic patterns are superimposed on a map, that particular version of the display can be saved and stored. Later, it can be retrieved, edited, and printed out. There are so many ways to organize the data, notes Greminger, and a digital map allows the company to store it in as many ways as there are users.
Home Builder Focus Steven Stautzenbach, vice president of sales and marketing of six-year-old DMP, has only recently expanded his company's outreach to home builders. The application software company targeted government agencies and utilities, which still comprise 90 percent of its customers. “All of our clients subscribe and get everything from the Web,” says Stautzenbach. Among his recent projects is helping Los Angeles attempt to find developable sites for 200 new schools.
Fieldstone was introduced to DMP by Eagle Aerial, a provider of aerial photographs—and a company that both Fieldstone and DMP used. Greminger recalls that the builder was doing a lot of research at that time in the various companies that were trying to aggregate databases, photographs, and other land-focused information.
“There are a lot of people doing the different pieces, and there are a few of them that are putting the pieces together,” Stautzenbach recalls. “A few of those have aerial photography tied to a GIS [Geographic Information Systems] database, and eventually everyone will have the MLS [Multiple Listing Service] and other data sources,” he says. Several companies offered everything from the bird's-eye view down to the street names. But the real question, says Stautzenbach, was, “Who could put that all that together in one package and make it work?”
Greminger and the Fieldstone team decided on DMP and paid about $50,000 for data sources to serve its California operations. One of the attractive areas of DMP's pricing is that if a builder already has a licensing agreement with a data source, then DMP does not charge for accessing that database. “You don't have to pay twice to access the same data,” says Greminger.
The difference in vision was striking, he says. He usually drives around to look at land and take photographs. Using DMP in the office “is almost as if you're flying around in an airplane, looking for vacant parcels, clicking on each parcel to find out how large it is, the zoning of it, and from the seat of your desk you can look at the overall market,” he says. He appreciates not only the speed with which he can access the data, but the breadth of vision it provides. “I can spot things that might not have been on my radar screen,” he says.
Mapping Ahead As with any technology, DMP's system could be improved. Some of the data sources are incomplete or inaccurate, says Greminger, adding that it's not DMP's fault, but the fault of the integrity of the database itself. Most critically, perhaps, the database still doesn't link to the MLS data, a steady source of active real estate activity. “It would be advantageous to do that, and they're working on it,” says Greminger.
The possibilities “are somewhat endless,” says Greminger, as DMP continues to integrate with other data sources. “There is a lot of work now on consumer preferences,” he notes. “Can we tie psychographic consumer preferences to this?” Then, digging deeper in a geographic area could include deeper information about the people.
Greminger is excited about other possibilities for the software. “There are some tools out there that build topography onto [their display] so you can take a three-dimensional view. This one is only two-dimensional,” he notes. If Greminger's three-man team had wireless computers in their cars, he dreams, “we could pull up a parcel, phone up the system, and find out about it right away, or find out the underlying data about everything in a one-mile radius. The software can do that, but we don't have the hardware for that.”
What DMP's system has done in the short term is spur technology purchases at Fieldstone: Greminger says the company has decided to invest in larger printers.
Learn more about markets featured in this article: Los Angeles, CA.


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ISE 2023 Smart Stage Highlights: Insights for Your Integration Business
CEDIA's Mandy Beckner reviews the highlights from this year's Smart Stage presentations at ISE 2023.
Feb 28, 2023
Kordz SlimCat Network Cable System
As part of its 20th anniversary, the Australian connectivity company Kordz, has introduced its SlimCat Network Cabling System. The new cabling solution was announced at the recently completed ISE 2023 show in Barcelona, and according to Kordz, its la
Feb 10, 2023
The Day the King Visited ISE 2023
ISE 2023 smashes attendance records, shaking off the pandemic slump in one of the most exciting industry exhibitions yet.
Feb 06, 2023
Article Amplifiers/ReceiversAV AccessoriesCablingControlDevices/EquipmentDisplaysEnergy/PowerEventsHome TheaterHVAC/IAQInterfaces/DevicesISELightingMotorized ShadesMultiroom AVNetworkingNewsProductsProjectors/ScreensResimercialSlideshowSpeakers/SubwoofersWhole-House SystemsWireless
2023 Top New Technology (TNT) Awards Announced at ISE
This year’s batch of Top New Technologies (TNT) Awards@ISE honored winners in the Residential segment, unveiled in conjunction with ISE 2023.
Feb 03, 2023
Article Amplifiers/ReceiversAudio/VideoDesignEventsHome TheaterISEMarketsNewsProductsSpeakers/Subwoofers
McIntosh, Sonus faber Exhibit at ISE 2023
As part of McIntosh and Sonus faber's ISE 2023 exhibit the brands will be demonstrating a 7.4.4 home theater system that includes a Sony VPL-GTZ380 laser projector.
Feb 01, 2023
Distributor Rebrands as Wesco Anixter
Three years after acquiring Anixter, one of the security industry's top distributors, Wesco has announced the new Wesco Anixter brand name.


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Zebpay Makes A Return to the Indian Market Pending RBI’s Ruling
Reports from recent times have shown that Zebpay, the Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange platform, has made a comeback to the Indian market. Zebpay has been closed in India for more than a year. The closure came about due to India’s cryptocurrency market suppression as the RBI cut off financial services to exchanges months before.
Zebpay closed up shop in India on 28th September 2018. However, on 29th January, the IBS intelligence announced Zebpay would finally continue to avail its services for India once more, although no changes have been made on the ruling that subsequently led to its abrupt closure.
India’s Reserve Bank called for an immediate halt in the provision of financial services to crypto firms. Due to this ruling, Zebpay was left with no choice but to adhere to the country’s regulations and thereby decided to close down in late 2018.
Nevertheless, the exchange’s closure in India was just a minor hurdle as they spread the word of their expansion to Australia in mid-2019. It showed their prominence in how active the firm was, not forgetting the high expansion rate.
The ban imposed by RBI on crypto exchanges is still active. Still, Zebpay has finalized the decision to commence offering services to Indian users, as reported by the IBS Intelligence.
The exchange has also included some changes to its branch named brass, extending to acquiring a new CFO and CMO. Additionally, they have introduced new cryptocurrency-based features and pairs for trading. IBS also mentioned that Zebpay looks forward to the involvement of mutual funds in their portfolio.
The Supreme Court of India has been holding several ruling sessions involving the RBI ban towards clarifying the issue at hand.


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Samsung has confirmed the existence of its standalone online payment platform called Samsung Pay Mini and the long-rumoured artificial intelligence assistant Bixby on its own website, although accidentally.
The Samsung Pay Beta (Korea) website shows different options such as Samsung Pay Mini and Bixby voice assistant. This development was reported by Sammobile via Galaxy Club. The Pay Mini, which is a new version of Samsung's mobile platform, has been in the news for the past few months.
It was reported that it would become available for all smartphones running Android Marshmallow and iPhones running iOS 8 or above. The service would not have the Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) technology, but would be used to process online payments.
The use of Samsung Pay Mini is not difficult. Users will just need to store their credit or debit card details within the application and then purchase a product on the smartphone via online stores.
The integration of Bixby voice assistant, for which Samsung has filed for a trademark in South Korea, is something new, although it is still unclear how it would work.
It is also unclear when Samsung would launch its latest beta version of Samsung Pay, but speculation hints that it would make its debut alongside the Galaxy S8, allowing users to take advantage of the Bixby functionality.
Samsung is expected to showcase a small number of Galaxy S8 units, in February or March, ahead of their official rollout in mid-April. Mass production of the handset is likely to begin in March.


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The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group has approved a $1.5 million grant to assess policy gaps in the digital trade and e-commerce ecosystems in 10 countries in Africa.
The funds, sourced from the African Development Fund, the Bank’s concessional window, will go to the Smart Africa Alliance, an alliance of 32 African countries, international organisations and global corporations with a vision to create a single digital market in Africa by 2030.
Nicholas Williams, the Bank’s Division Manager for ICT Operations, said: “This project is both timely and vital. For the continent to create a unified digital market by 2030, efforts should focus on harmonizing and building a cohesive policy environment for intra-continental trade. The Bank is delighted to partner with the Smart Africa Alliance to advance key policy objectives that will support broader digital development across Africa.”
The project will study the policy environment in 10 countries: Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Ghana, Liberia, Uganda, South Sudan, Zimbabwe, The Republic of Congo, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Democratic Republic of Congo. Smart Africa will consult public and private sector actors to develop an online training program that will directly benefit 600 stakeholders (comprising of government officials, small and medium enterprises, private sector mobile network operators) and indirectly benefit another 2,500.
Lacina Koné, CEO of Smart Africa, said: “One of the critical challenges preventing the continent from preparing for Africa’s bold new future is the inability to conduct cross-border payments for goods and services due to a lack of solutions and crippling policies. Our partnership with the African Development Bank is crucial in creating an enabling environment to advance e-payments, and the digital economy is essential for Africa’s renaissance.”


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The Biden administration announced new tailpipe emissions standards for new passenger cars, which aim to reduce carbon emissions by more than 7 billion tons, as well as other harmful air pollutants.
The standards will apply to new passenger cars and light trucks, starting with model years 2027 through 2032.
The Environmental Protection Agency, in announcing the strengthened standards, said reducing carbon emissions and other harmful air pollutants would help prevent premature deaths and reduce heart attacks, respiratory illnesses and cardiovascular diseases, as well as asthma.
“Three years ago, I set an ambitious goal: that half of all new cars and trucks sold in 2030 would be zero emissions,” President Biden said in a statement. “Today we are setting new pollution standards for cars and trucks.”
However, the new standards also relax a proposed EPA rule that would have required automakers to rely on all-electric vehicles as the only solution to meeting pollution goals. After months of discussions with the auto industry and its workers, the EPA settled on a strategy that would include a range of vehicles, including plug-in hybrids, hybrids and advanced gasoline vehicles, to meet emissions targets.
“By taking the concerns of workers and communities seriously, EPA has come a long way to create a more workable emissions rule that protects workers who build internal combustion engine vehicles, while paving the way for automakers to implement the full range of automotive technologies to reduce emissions,” the United Automobile Workers union said in a statement.
In the USA, transportation generates 28% of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions. The new tailpipe emissions rule will significantly help President Biden in his efforts to achieve his long-standing goal of reduce total emissions by 50-52% from 2005 levels by the end of this decade.
“This rule will address the largest source of carbon pollution in the country,” said Manish Bapna, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council. “We anticipate that the response to the rule will create cleaner cars, more sales of plug-in hybrids and more electric vehicles.”
The EPA emphasized that this rule is not a mandate for electric vehicles, but rather an anti-pollution rule intended to combat emissions and protect public health. By moving toward cleaner cars that rely on electricity, the agency estimates the rule will save consumers nearly $46 billion in reduced annual fuel costs and nearly $16 billion in reduction in annual maintenance and repair costs for drivers until 2055.
“The big takeaways from today’s EPA announcement are that we are moving toward an electric vehicle future, there’s no doubt about that,” said John Bozzella, president of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation. “The real question is how quickly can we get there?”
Despite record sales of electric vehicles in 2023some automakers have adjusted their electric vehicle production figures and pivoted towards hybrid vehicles, citing consumer hesitancy about battery life and insufficient charging infrastructure. Growth in electric vehicle sales started to slow down towards the end of last year.
“To reach a much more ambitious level of (electric vehicle) sales, for example half of new vehicle sales by 2030, a lot of things need to change. We need to invest in charging infrastructure,” says Bozzella.
The Biden administration has set aside dollars5 billion of adopted in late 2021 to build a national charging network for electric vehicles, but deployment has been slow. When the program launched in November 2021, it set a goal of installing 500,000 electric vehicle chargers by 2030, but the first charger didn’t go live in Ohio until October last.
“We’ve seen investments in (charging) infrastructure over the last year and we expect that to continue to increase,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan told CBS News. “Industry, the private sector and the right policies will converge in ways that allow electric vehicles to excel.”
From the start of 2024, 33 states submitted applications for chargers, and 16 states won contracts, and the installation is currently in progress. There is currently 170,000 public charging stations nationwide, with an average of 900 new chargers opening each week, according to the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation.


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SAN FRANCISCO -- priceline.com (PCLN) has taken off again this morning, though it hasn't been able to carry the rest of the Internet sector on its wings.
The stock returned to the offensive after
Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette
, an underwriter in the company's recent IPO, initiated coverage of priceline.com with a buy rating. In a research note released this morning, DLJ analyst Jamie Kiggen said priceline.com should be "a core Internet holding" and placed a six- to 12-month price target of 190 on the stock, using "a discounted cash flow valuation as well as a customer valuation model" to arrive at the target price. It was trading up 6, or 4.5%, at 140 3/8, though that already was off its session high of 145.
Internet stocks were mostly weaker in early action, continuing the selloff seen late on Thursday.
In his latest Inside Wall Street column,
Gene Marcial plugs both
Modern Media Poppe Tyson
Hauppauge receives mention for its product that allows users to view TV programs in a resizable window on their PC. The company also could announce a joint venture with a large Internet company that broadcasts streaming media programming on the Web, according to a money manager quoted in the column. Shares of the stock were trading up 3, or 24%, at 15 1/2.
An increase in advertising dollars on the Internet could help Modern Media return to 45, the level it raced to on Feb. 5, its first day of trading, the column notes. The stock was lately trading up 6 3/4, or 28%, at 31.
was sharply lower after reporting quarterly results Thursday night. The company posted first-quarter earnings of 34 cents a share, in line with the
consensus and above the year-ago 26 cents, but said it sees revenue and profits falling in the second quarter.


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News Manufacturing Economy General
May 1, 2020
C.D. Howe’s Business Cycle Council says we’re in a recession
Economy peaked in February before the steps taken to slow the spread of the coronavirus brought it to a standstill.
Insight Manufacturing General Technology
October 24, 2017
Manufacturers, it’s time to join the digital revolution
Competitive issues and uncertainty point to smart tech and the future.


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Russia's leading retailer X5 Group and Santens Service Group will set up an online pharmaceutical marketplace on the basis of Perekrestok.ru online store, the companies announced.
The online store apteka.perekrestok.ru will allow the customers to collect orders at about 1,400 newly-opened pharmacy pick-up points in X5’s stores. X5 has already arrangements to open 1,400 pharmacy pick-up points. In the partnership, Santens will take care of the supply chain.
"The project’s logistics will be fully provided by Santens, so X5 does not have to invest in supply chain logistics, while from the other hand in future the project may help in raising traffic in the stores by pick-up points network," BCS Global Markets commented on June 20, seeing the news as neutral for X5 shares.
BCS GM has a Buy recommendation on X5 with a target price of $37 implying an upside of 15%.
Last month X5 continued to expand its online retail capabilities, teaming up with Courier Service Express (KSE) to deliver online orders to X5 stores Pyaterochka, Perekrestok, and Karusel, as well as door-to-door grocery deliveries.
Previously in February 2019 X5 announced plans to develop a parcel lockers network via a joint venture with Pickpoint, Russia's largest operator of parcel lockers and pick-up points.
X5 is in intense rivalry with its largest competitor Magnit and smaller retailers. As Russian supermarket chains are running up against the limits to growth, X5 has stepped up its investments in online retailing solutions.
Magnit has also invested in (physical) pharmacy assets, in 2018 finalising the acquisition of 100% of pharmaceutical wholesaler and distributor SIA Group, but the move was unpopular with analysts.


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According to a dermatologist in San Francisco named Dr. David Kim, more women should shave their faces because it can accomplish the same effect as a dermaplaning treatment.
He says, “Dermaplaning is when you take a very gentle, blunt scalpel and you scrape over the surface of your skin on the face or anywhere else on the body to gently exfoliate, to remove . . . dead skin cells and dirt and oil accumulation.”
There’s also an Instagram influencer named Meagan Carboney who says she’s “on a mission to normalize female facial shaving.” Coincidentally, she’s also selling female shaving kits that start at $25.


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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - EastWest is preparing to open its dining room for the first time next week, Thursday, June 4.
Owner Colby Conklin said they are currently doing about 1/3 of their normal business by just offering curbside.
So re-opening their dining room is not just to help with business, but they also feel they've taken the steps to make it safe for their staff and their customers to reopen.
On May 11, Governor Ivey allowed restaurants to allow on premises consumption of food and drink, as long as parties could maintain that six foot distance.
Conklin said since that announcement, they've changed things up before announcing their re-opening date.
Now, once you look inside the restaurant, you can see tables are kept six feet apart.
Conklin said all staff must wear masks, they have hand sanitizer stations throughout the restaurant, and they’ll allow 50% capacity inside.
They're also encouraging reservations and limiting party sizes to six people.
"We opened this restaurant up to serve people inside," said Conklin. "And I think our goal is to try to get back to that somehow, someway. Close to it. We don't expect it to be anything like what it was. We know that it's going to take some time. But we feel like you have to start somewhere and you have to start some time."
Conklin says they'll still offer curbside delivery, they'll have a takeout window, and they will also process online orders.
And as they re-open the dining room, they’re going to bring back more of their regular items to their menu.


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BURLINGAME — Balsam Hill has enjoyed seven years as a booming online retailer and one of Silicon Valley’s fastest-growing Internet companies.
But on Friday, the high-end artificial Christmas tree manufacturer will open a brick-and-mortar store just off the highway in Burlingame. In this part-warehouse, part-showroom, part-discount outlet space within earshot of San Francisco International Airport, Balsam Hill will display its towering and bejeweled artificial trees, which have, until now, mostly been confined to cyberspace.
Redwood City-based Balsam Hill becomes the latest successful online retailer — it has been profitable since its inception, growing more than 200 percent some years — to venture offline and into the physical retail world in a role reversal that seems to defy the booming e-commerce industry. While traditional brick-and-mortar merchants struggle to capture consumers who increasingly shop from their smartphones and tablets, some online-only retailers are adding physical stores to improve sales and attract new customers who may discover the street address before the web address, say retail industry experts.
“You can’t just stick an ad on Google (GOOG) and hope that you’re showing up first in search results,” said Kelly Pedersen, retail and consumer director with global consulting firm PwC. “They need to differentiate themselves.”
From eyeglass designer Warby Parker to baby gear retailer Our Baby Our World, fashion site BaubleBar and Gap subsidiary Piperlime, online companies are expanding their businesses through brick-and-mortar stores. These are not your average strip mall stores — they are, in most cases, ornate showrooms or intimate retail sites to try on clothes and test out tech gadgets before making the purchase online.
Balsam Hill’s new outlet and showroom, open now through January and likely weekends in the summer, will be a feast for the senses — Christmas carols playing on the loudspeaker, blinking lights and ornaments and even a children’s choir to perform for shoppers — the holiday experience that doesn’t come with a quick online purchase. Each tree will be done up “in all its glory with all the decorations” and customers can buy them for next-day delivery, said founder and CEO Thomas Harman.
“Picking a Christmas tree is actually an emotional decision,” he said. “That’s the tree that you’re going to decorate every year with your family. That’s the tree that’s going to be the centerpiece in your house.”
Harman said he wanted to create a destination shopping experience and attract new customers who want to pick out their Christmas tree in person, with family and spend time mulling over a purchase that will be used for many years.
“This is an opportunity for everyone to actually touch and feel and see the trees that they see online,” Harman said. The company is in a good place to open a store because it has built up its brand — it’s well known all over the country — and the demand for artificial trees is so much higher than it used to be. More than 80 percent of households in the U.S. that celebrate Christmas put up an artificial tree.
In addition, the outlet part of the store gives Balsam Hill a place to sell trees at a discount that have been returned or are from a previous season, which it couldn’t do easily online.
Balsam Hill trees range from a few hundred dollars to about $20,000 for a commercial tree for a mall or business, and are anywhere from four feet to 30 feet. They are made from plastic but are designed to look and feel identical to trees in nature — dozens of species of firs, spruces and pines — although most come with lights. Most household size trees cost from about $200 to $5,000, with Bay Area shoppers spending on average $700 to $900 for a tree.
Other online stores have moved to brick and mortar as well. Bonobos, a New York-based men’s fashion retailer, existed only on the Web until the company opened its first of eight stores last year. The “guideshops,” as the company calls them, carry only one size of each clothing article and are tended by personal shoppers who sometimes spend an hour outfitting a customer with a new wardrobe.
Guideshop customers spend, on average, twice as much as customers who shop on the website only, according to the company. The most expensive items — which can run more than $600 — sell better in the stores, and the company has started selling bathing suits now that customers have somewhere to try them on, said Erin Ersenkal, vice president of guideshops for Bonobos.
Seasonal pop-up stores aren’t unusual — Microsoft and eBay (EBAY) have put up temporary locations to attract customers during the holiday season, and Balsam Hill set up a temporary showroom its first year at Stanford Shopping Center. But this expansion into permanent stores suggests that the occasional pop-up won’t suffice for some luxury and niche Internet retailers.
“Shoppers increasingly expect to be able to interact with the retailers and brands they care about anywhere, anytime, any platform, which argues for a … presence in both the physical and virtual worlds,” said Mary Brett Whitfield, senior vice president with consulting business Kantar Retail.
Venturing offline comes with risks. Stores offer the first face-to-face interaction between the company and customers, and a bad customer service experience could send a new customer running, said Pedersen of PwC. And, he said, it only works for online companies that can sell an experience — like Christmas — or an investment, such as a suit that will last decades. For most other purchases, shoppers will stick to the website.
Retailers also could wind up burdened with real estate costs, cautions Sucharita Mulpuru, a retail analyst with Forrester Research.
“It’s too expensive for online retailers to do this in a big way,” she said.
Contact Heather Somerville at 510-208-6413. Follow her at Twitter.com/heathersomervil.
1561 Adrian Road, Burlingame
Aug. 30-Sept. 30
Thursdays through Sundays, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Starting Oct. 1, open daily. 10 a.m.-7 p.m.


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This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
California Pet Stores Will Soon Only Sell Rescue Dogs And Cats, Thanks To New Law
Soon, pet stores in the state of California will only be allowed to sell rescue dogs, cats and rabbits. The new law, which was signed by Governor Jerry Brown on Friday, will go into effect in January 2019.
The passage of AB 485, as the law is formally known, makes California the very first state in the nation to ban pet store sales from so-called puppy mills, though various cities and counties already have similar ordinances in place. In fact, 33 different cities and counties in California have already banned the retail sale of puppy mill dogs and cats in local pet stores, according to an AB 485 fact sheet.
California taxpayers currently spend about a quarter of a billion dollars a year housing animals in local shelters—a financial burden that could be alleviated in part by requiring animal seekers to opt for rescues, according to the fact sheet. Californians will still be able to purchase animals directly from private breeders.
“There is no doubt that this will help cut down on the number of animals who go into animal shelters,” Daphna Nachminovitch, a senior vice president for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, told the New York Times last month.
Animal rights activists, including PETA and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, widely supported the bill.
“By signing this groundbreaking bill, California has set an important, humane precedent for other states to follow,” Gregory Castle, CEO of Best Friends Animal Society, said in a statement to LAist. “We commend Governor Brown’s signing of this lifesaving legislation to codify statewide what cities across California have already done to help put an end to the cruelty of pet mills.”
Many pet store owners, however, advocated against it, along with the American Kennel Club and Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council. A statement from the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council warned that the bill could put pet stores out of business, and could "restrict Californians’ ability to find the pet that best fits their needs and lifestyles."
Ben Ashel, owner of Agoura Hills pet store Puppy Heaven (which, according to the New York Times "specializes in matching owners with tiny dogs — teacup Yorkies and toy Maltipoos — and has a celebrity clientele") told the Times that he feared the new law might have unintended effects, motivating consumers to order dogs online or find other ways to circumvent the rules.


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MUNICH (Bloomberg) -- Volkswagen Group said it will publish its annual results as soon as April and may hold its annual shareholders' meeting in early June, four to six weeks later than scheduled as the company determines the financial fallout from its diesel emissions scandal.
VW on Friday took the unusual step of announcing that both events had been pushed back, underscoring the the extent of the turmoil caused by the September disclosures of deceptive emissions systems in diesel cars.
The 2015 earnings report was scheduled for March 10 and the annual meeting for April 21.
No dates for the report or the meeting have been set, VW spokesman Eric Felber said by phone in discussing the four-to six-week delay.
The new timeframe was originally reported by German newspaper Bild am Sonntag.
On Friday, VW reiterated it expects an operating result to be about the same as the previous year, within the range of its earlier forecasts. VW has previously guided for the group operating margin to come in between 5.5 percent and 6.5 percent, after 6.3 percent in 2014 when operating profit set a new record at 12.7 billion euros.
In a separate development, a plan to come up with a compensation program for VW customers in the U.S. within 60 to 90 days from mid-December may face delays, Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung reported, citing an interview with U.S. lawyer Kenneth Feinberg.
VW must still find a fix to make its diesels in the U.S. compliant with emissions regulations after authorities rejected the carmaker's first proposal. VW and U.S. regulators haven't yet agreed on a plan to fix the vehicles, the newspaper said.
The company appointed Feinberg to design and administer an independent resolution program over claims related to diesel vehicles rigged to cheat emissions tests. All options, including financial settlements and buyback of cars remain on the table, Feinberg said.
VW's emissions disclosures have already prompted the company to revise its earnings targets and set aside 6.7 billion euros ($7.5 billion) to cover the cost of repairs for about 11 million vehicles around the world. The company faces billions more costs to pay possible fines and pay out compensation.
In Europe, VW has started a recall of up to 8.5 million diesels. The company is facing demands from the European Commission and lawmakers to consider compensating VW drivers in a way comparable with a scheme in the U.S. where the carmaker has promised goodwill packages worth $1,000 each to tens of thousands of owners of VW vehicles.
On Friday, VW said it still aimed to provide a report on the investigation into the scandal by U.S. law firm Jones Day in the second half of April, adding the findings will clarify "the background and responsibilities" related to it.
Reuters contributed to this report


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Google Pixels 3 Release Date, Price, and Specs Rumours
Google has published their Pixel phones on a high and even they have featured in some of the best Android smartphones lists. Therefore, it is obvious that fans are already loving Google’s phones device. Let’s check what this device is bringing to you.
Google Pixel 3 Release Date:
First, let’s talk about the Google Pixel 3 release date. Just like Google’s previous versions of Pixel came in the month of October, it’s also confirmed that the Pixel 3 will also come in October 2018. It seems like that the October has become their lucky month.
Although the exact release date is still unknown. But we can guess that it would fall somewhere between October 4 to October 16, according to brand’s previous history. Google Pixel 3 release date in Australia will possibly same, but you may find the device after some days later its availability.
Rumours about Google Pixel 3 Features & Design:
There will probably be 3 different Google Pixel 3 models, codenamed: Crosshatch, Albacore, and Blueline, According to Droid Life.
There have not been any authentic rumours about the phone’s specs, but there are some very likely additions.
For example, this is almost 99% sure that the two mobile phones will be powered by Qualcomm's new and robust Snapdragon 845 smartphone CPU.
The Google Pixel 2 used the older Snapdragon 835 chip, but its latest version is even 25% faster, according to Qualcomm. And hence it indicated that the Pixel 3 by Google could be extremely powerful.
There is also rumours that both the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL will follow Apple's lead and minimise the bezel’s size on the new models. This is considered as an ordinary plastic or metal that surrounds your device screen.
According to the news, the trend at the premium end is going towards edge-to-edge screens and the Pixel will do well to move in this way.
And if the Google Pixel devices really want to compare with Samsung and Apple at the premium end, it is crucial that the new devices show real development.
It is also 99% confirmed that the next phone by Google will borrow Apple's Face ID feature, which debuted on 2017’s Apple iPhone X.
We could also expect other new features such as wireless charging and under-screen fingerprint scanner. And it is expected that you will get Pixel 3 with water-resistance capabilities.
And another guaranteed news is related to the Google’s Pixel 3 latest Android version, which will be included in the phone. And this is not very surprising as Google is very much can develop and use the latest version of world’s most famous operating system.
This is expected to unleash the new Android 9.0 software in June this year, although we don't know what features it will hold. However, it is confirmed that the Pixel devices are always selected as the debut platform for Google's latest software.
Rumours about Google Pixel 3 prices:
The original Google Pixel prices started at $549, while its bigger version, Google Pixel XL, cost round about $769. The Google Pixel 2 prices start at $649, while the Pixel 2 XL costing an even high price tag of $849.
Although we can’t say much about Pixel 3’s cost, we can give you an educated guess about the price of this great upcoming flagship smartphone. As Google has confirmed that the price will be affordable for this phone device, so you can guess that Google Pixel 3 price will be under $700. Google Pixel 3 XL version most probably will cost you more.
Google Pixel 3 prices in Australia as well in other parts of Europe are expected to be on the higher side, as far as the history is concerned. Because smartphone prices have been increasing over the last year in particular, according to an industry expert. We can expect Google Pixel 3 prices in Australia would be around AU$999 to AU$1199.
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Sephora is taking its mobile strategy one step further with an iPhone app, Sephora to Go.
Free on iTunes and usable on iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad devices equipped with an operating system of 3.1 or later, the app includes the features available on the retailer’s mobile Web site, m.sephora.com, with additional exclusive features, including scanning and audio.
“We see the app as a bridge between our Web site and our stores,” said Julie Bornstein, senior vice president of Sephora Direct. “Our shopper definitely shops both channels and, with this app, everything is in one place. Users can view their past purchase histories, watch a how-to video for a product they’re considering, and more. The app will evolve over time — our focus was on the most convenient and usable features first — but we will be layering in more fun next year.”
In addition to allowing customers to buy products, the app’s scanning feature allows users to scan a product in-store and immediately be presented with videos, information, ratings and reviews, as well as the capability to add said product to a mobile shopping list. A Today’s Obsession feature offers favorite items from Sephora staffers, while a GPS feature leads shoppers using their smartphones to the nearest of Sephora’s 270 stores in North America. As buyers enter the physical Sephora store, the app picks up on which offerings are new since the customer was last at Sephora, along with event listings. Consumers can also get personal product recommendations based on their Sephora beauty profile.
Sephora chose to do an iPhone app because the vast majority of its customers using the mobile Web site are using iPhones to access it, said Bornstein. “The mobile Web site works across all platforms, but we did notice that iPhone was by far the most common way people are linking into it,” she said. The app was further refined with targeted feedback from Sephora’s Facebook page, noted Bornstein.
“I was touched by the fact that she lost her father, really before his time, and it was a real shock. She had two young children, she was married and she was expecting that she would have her own life for a good 25 years,” said Claire Foy about playing a young Queen Elizabeth in Netflix’s The Crown. Styled by @mayteallende 📸@jgreenery #emmys2017 #wwdeyeu
“Truth and lies have become a real interesting theme, more than ever, lately,” Emmy nominee Laura Dern told WWD. "It’s a very interesting time to use our voice." Styled by @cristinaehrlich, 📸 @shayanhathaway #wwdeye #emmys2017
“It transcends the genre that is you think of a sci-fi show — you don’t expect it to be so profound or emotionally riveting,” Evan Rachel Wood told WWD of her Emmy nominated role in Westworld. styled by @samanthamcmillen_stylist 📸 @emmanmontalvan #emmys2017 #wwdeye


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As many stores and restaurants now require wearing masks, you may have found yourself looking for some new exciting face coverings.
If you want to give your mask some personality, Dunkin’ has just the thing for you.
The coffee chain released a new line of face masks in its iconic colors: hot pink and orange.
There are five different masks that will sprinkle some joy into your life including an orange and/or pink one with half a donut in the shape of a smile, one with the Dunkin’ logo on it, and an orange mask with sprinkles.
The fifth mask, a white one with tiny pink donuts, is currently sold out.
When creating the masks, Dunkin' ensured they provided customers with a sleek and snug fit. According to the press release, all masks are produced in the United States and made of two-ply poly scuba cloth. The washable and reusable masks even have a pocket to insert filters for additional protection.
The masks aren’t just stylish, they’re being sold for an affordable price while also supporting a good cause.
Each mask can be purchased at Dunkin’s online pop-up shop for $10 each. For every mask sold, $3 will be donated to the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation to help support health and hunger relief for kids in underserved communities.
Donations will be made until August 31 or until masks are sold out.
If you want a vibrant mask that also shows off your love for Dunkin’, grab one ASAP.
In May, the chain launched a new DIY kit that allows you to customize your donuts while in quarantine.
Customers could purchase one of two decorating kits -- a four-doughnut kit for $5.99 or a nine-doughnut version for $9.99 -- that came with plain doughnuts, frosting options, and a variety of sprinkles.