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Pandemic shopping is leading to bare shelves at grocery stores again
RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Growing COVID-19 cases are finding many of you saying “here we go again.” If you’ve been to a grocery store lately, you may have noticed popular household items flying off the shelves yet again. Now some big chains are setting restrictions to prevent hoarding.
When it comes to some items, don’t expect to walk out of some stores in our area with multiple items of the same product. Shoppers are flocking to the shelves in what you may consider pandemic preparation or pandemic panic.
At Fresh to Frozen in Chesterfield, it was a bit busy on Tuesday.
“I came to stock up for the week,” shopper Joanna Pipes said.
She came after getting word a store where she lives in Henrico has a little problem.
“Toilet paper is very short and the bleach, but [I] noticed they had plenty here,” she said.
A recent report by Inmar Intelligence found 57% of shoppers are looking at re-filling their stockpiles as the coronavirus reaches its highest rates ever.
“They’re buying a lot of water. They’re asking for vegetables, fruits and all that stuff,” said Erick Rosales of Fresh to Frozen grocery store.
And of course, toilet paper. There were bare shelves at a Richmond Walmart Tuesday. Water, milk and bread are flying off the shelves there.
Up the road in Henrico, Food Lion can barely keep paper towels on the shelves.
“They think that they’re going to go into a horrible lockdown and never going to leave the house, and they’re just buying and buying and buying,” said shopper Christa Floyd.
“To ensure all customers have access to what they need, we’ve proactively and temporarily set purchase limits on certain products to two per customer, including bath tissue, paper towels, disinfecting wipes and hand soap. These purchase limits apply in-store as well as to e-commerce orders,” a Kroger spokesperson said in a statement.
Chains like Publix and Walmart are making similar moves.
A sign greets customers at the Walmart on Forrest Hill saying, “We respectfully ask you to limit your purchase to 1 per item. Thanks for understanding.”
In that Walmart parking lot, a message is playing for a parking lot speaker reminding customers to stay home if they’re sick. Someone was also standing at the door checking for masks and giving them to those who didn’t have one.
Copyright 2020 WWBT. All rights reserved.


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Researchers at Oregon State University are calling for the recommended daily allowance for vitamin C to be doubled to 200 milligrams a day in a new article in Critical Reviews in Food Science in Nutrition. Led by Professor Balz Frei, the article describes the current levels of vitamin C intake as the minimum amount to prevent scurvy. He calls for raising the current 75-90 milligrams minimum but 100% to increase cell and tissue saturation.
Even when using the current minimum daily intake,
25-33% of Americans and Canadians are deficient in Vitamin C and as many as 20% may be severely deficient. Frei believes that clinical researchers are using a flawed method to test the benefits of vitamin C supplementation, especially because the trials are short-term, and that it’s time to push vitamin C as a way to help prevent chronic disease. He points to the fact that while there are many benefits that studies on long-term vitamin C supplementation show, there are zero risks to doubling the daily minimum dose to 200 milligrams.
A recent analysis of 29 studies
showed that daily supplements with as much as 500 milligrams per day significantly lowered blood pressure which inherently lowers a person’s risk of heart disease or stroke. Studies in Europe have shown a 60% lower incidence in cardiovascular disease between the top vitamin C consumers and the lowest vitamin C consumers. Other studies are linking low vitamin C levels with a 62% higher risk of cancer-related death in a long-term study over 12-16 years.
Whether or not Dr. Frei’s call is heard
and the recommended daily allowance is raised remains to be seen. Luckily, having read this, you already know the facts. There are countless benefits to supplementing your vitamin C intake with no risks. It is also one of the most easily affordable supplements available, making vitamin C supplements a no-brainer in disease prevention.

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- Turkish government to cut residential and business electricity rates by 15% and give a 20% discount on natural gas bills for industrial groups in an attempt to ease the cost of living crisis.
- The measures come ahead of a hotly contested election on May 14, which is expected to focus on the state of Turkey’s $900bn economy and the government’s response to the recent earthquake.
- Consumer prices were up 55% in February compared with the same month in 2022, causing the inflation crisis to worsen.
- The Turkish President's unconventional economic policies have weakened the country's currency and harmed his popularity.
- Despite this, Erdoğan remains popular in many constituencies and has acted as a mediator between Russia and the west.
Erdoğan to slash Turkey’s energy bills ahead of tough election
Turkey's President Erdoğan will cut energy bills for consumers and companies ahead of the upcoming election in an attempt to ease the cost of living crisis amid severe inflation and weakened currency.


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Last Friday, Loie Hollowell’s painting Linked lingams (yellow, green, blue, purple, pink) (2018) broke the artist’s auction record when it sold for HK$16.5 million (US$2.1 million) at Sotheby’s ‘Contemporary Curated’ evening sale in Hong Kong. That was a 98% increase from its previous record, set just over a week earlier. In addition to quintupling its high estimate, the result for Related lingams also marked a new high for the recently skyrocketing demand for the New York-based artist’s sultry abstractions.
While the benchmark for Hollowell’s work was set by collectors in Asia, Pace established a strong global base for the artist’s market. Buoyed by this huge momentum, it is likely that the Hollowell market will continue to grow alongside growing institutional recognition around the world. Meanwhile, the artist’s small paintings are still relatively affordable – GRIMM sold one for $35,000 at Frieze London’s online edition last year. The artist’s demand for Artsy has been accompanied by broader market interest, with the number of inquiries for each work available on the platform increasing year on year and quadrupling. almost in 2019.
Discover more works by Loie Hollowell.


text: Marcolin continues to take over the distribution in various parts of the world. The company has just opened a new subsidiary in Sweden to coordinate sales of all its collections, including those of the former Viva International, in the Nordic countries, including also Denmark, Finland, Norway and Iceland. It will be based at Frösundaviks in the Stockholm area. The products of Marcolin and Viva were previously sold in the region by distributors. The main ones were Rebrico and Noxe.


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Tesla’s plan to establish itself as a standalone energy retailer has been confirmed with the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) revealing it has accepted the company’s application for an electricity retailer authorisation and opened it up for submissions.
Tesla, via the recently formed Tesla Energy Ventures Australia, is seeking an electricity retailer licence in New South Wales (NSW), Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The company is also applying to the Victorian Essential Services Commission for a licence to sell electricity in that state.
In its application to the AER, Tesla said it would be targeting both residential and commercial customers, noting that now is “an opportune time to become a retailer and bring new offers to the market.”
Tesla has already provided the technology for multiple large-scale battery energy storage systems in Australia, including the Hornsdale Power Reserve in South Australia and the Victoria Big Battery.
It also enjoyed success at the residential level with its Powerwall home battery system, including in the South Australian Virtual Power Plant (VPP), and the Tesla Energy Plan (TEP) which spans NSW, the ACT, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria.
The VPP and the energy plan are currently managed through electricity and gas retailer Energy Locals but Tesla said it is seeking to obtain an electricity retailer authorisation so it can be the provider and retailer of the offerings.
“Electric cars, batteries, and renewable energy generation and storage already exist independently but when combined, they become even more powerful – that is the future we want,” the company said.
Tesla, which has a market capitalisation of more than $770 billion (USD 500 billion), said it plans a phased approach to retail directly to existing customers before broadening its scope to attract additional customers.
Tesla said its technology-driven capabilities will allow it to bring “differentiated product offerings” to market and continue to “disrupt the traditional incumbents in the market.”
“Tesla is committed to delivering on a fully sustainable residential ecosystem,” it said.
AER will accept submissions on Tesla’s electricity retailer authorisation application until 18 December 2023.
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CPAP Lawsuit – A Legal Nightmare
Philips, a Dutch multinational conglomerate, has been in the electronics industry since the end of the 19th century. In 2013, Philips Electronics dropped “Electronics” from its name to focus on health electronics. One such product, the Philips Respironics’ CPAP which aids people who have sleep issues, has been the subject of a massive voluntary recall. In fact, for the greater part of 2021, Philips has been handling allegations that the foam used in their CPAP is both toxic and carcinogenic, and worse, new reports suggest they have known all along.
CPAP machines specifically are used to treat obstructive sleep apnea, a disorder in which breathing intermittently stops during sleep due to a relaxation of the muscles in the throat. CPAP machines are connected through a hose to a face mask that is used during sleep. The face mask is supposed to supply air pressure to ensure that even during the periods where breathing would normally stop, airways are pushed open to ensure breathing continues as normal. These machines, like any air pump, generate a lot of noise which is why Philips used polyester-based polyurethane (PE-PUR) sound abatement foam to make their machines quieter. The issue is that this foam has been reported to degrade and release both particles and toxins which are carcinogenic to humans.
Philips CPAP Recall
The Philip CPAP models subject to the recall include but are not limited to:
E30, DreamStation ASV, DreamStation ST, Dream Station Go CPAP, APAP, AVAPS, SystemOne ASV4, C Series ASV, S/T, OmniLab Advanced Plus, SystemOne (Q Series), LifeVent, DreamStation CPAP, Auto CPAP, BiPAP, Dorma 400, 500 CPAP, REMStar SE Auto CPAP, Trilogy 100 and 200, Garbin Plus, AVAPS, A-Series BiPAP Hybrid A30, Aeris, A-Series BiPAP V30 Auto, A-Series BiPAP A40, and A-Series BiPAP A30.
In June 2021, Phillips issued a voluntary recall of more than 15 million CPAP and BiPAP ventilators that use PE-PUR foam. The company acknowledged the “life-threatening” risk caused by the foam which may degrade into particles and release certain chemicals that enter the user’s airways. Phillips’s recall, aimed at ventilators manufactured before April 26, 2021, was then followed by the FDA classifying Phillips’s decision as a Class I recall, the most serious type reserved for products who can cause “serious injury or death.”
The FDA also published some additional commentary on the threat posed by the foam. The FDA claimed that they have seen reports of “headache, upper airway irritation, cough, chest pressure, and sinus infection” possibly caused by the foam, and further warned that other complications such as asthma, nausea, and inflammation were also a possibility. Perhaps most worrisome, however, was the FDA’s warning about exposure of the liver and kidney to carcinogens.
In September 2021, in order to alleviate the state of alarm over their CPAP ventilators, Philips offered to replace and repair those units affected by the recall. Philip launched a website so that CPAP users could find out if they were affected by the recall, and if so, request that their ventilator’s sound abatement foam be replaced with a non-toxic alternative. However, despite Philips’s effort to portray itself as proactive and overly cautious, Philips’s reputation of dedication to consumer safety and health electronics was questioned.
The recall presented two new problems for Philips. First, Philips representatives acknowledged that despite their commitment to the recall, they expected the program to take 12 months to complete. Such a long-time horizon meant some CPAP users would have to go another entire year of exposure to harmful toxins and particles. Second, the voluntary recall triggered an FDA investigation on company records and Philips’s manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania. As part of the investigation, the FDA examined previously withheld data on the new silicone-based foam that was being used in the 12-month replacement program. Unfortunately, FDA concluded that this new silicone-based foam also failed a safety test concerning the release of toxic chemicals, this time called volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Another finding of the FDA’s investigation was a long list of instances where Phillips was made aware of issues surrounding foam degradation yet chose to do nothing until the recall in mid-2021. The FDA report found evidence in an email that as early as 2016, Phillips was already analyzing complaints of foam degradation. Other test reports from 2018 through 2020 not only suggest that Philips, in their research, found a link between degradation and high humidity and heat environments; yet, decided to not disclose such information to the public.
The First Step Towards Justice
In September 2021, the US Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation consolidated all individual lawsuits into MDL Number 3014 in Pennsylvania’s Eastern District. The panel noted that all personal-injury claims should be included, as all of the actions “raise similar factual questions regarding the recalled devices and the conduct of the recall.” No cases have been settled so far, so there is still time to act. If you have used a CPAP or BiPAP filter and have exhibited any of the symptoms of inhalation and intoxication communicated by the FDA, you may be entitled to compensation.
Our team at Oppenheim Law recognizes the emotional burden these impairments can have on individuals and their lives. That is why our firm provides a team of professionals committed to zealously represent our clients.
From the Trenches,
Originally posted at: https://www.oppenheimlaw.com/cpap-lawsuit-lawyers/


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BlackBerry PlayBook 4G version to launch next week?
A new, 4G LTE version of the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet computer will hit the market in Canada next week, according to a technology blog.
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A new, 4G LTE version of the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet computer will hit the market in Canada next week, according to a blog post citing an internal Bell memo.
According to the memo obtained by Mobilesyrup, the new version of the PlayBook will sell for $549.95, and will launch next Tuesday, July 31.
A RIM spokesperson didn’t confirm or deny the report.
“Our chief executive, Thorsten Heins, has said that an LTE version of our BlackBerry PlayBook is coming. We will announce it when we are ready to launch it. Until that time, we won’t comment on any speculation about an LTE BlackBerry PlayBook,” said the spokesperson in an emailed statement.
According to Mobilesyrup, the new PlayBook will have a 7-inch display with a 1024 by 600 resolution, and a 1.5GHz dual-core processor.
Sales of the PlayBook have faltered since it initially launched in April, 2011. At the time of the launch, one of the biggest shortcomings was that it didn’t include native e-mail, a criticism which RIM answered this February with the unveiling of the PlayBook OS 2 operating system.
Despite the new OS, as well as deeply-discounted prices on some models, PlayBook sales have continued to remain well back of Apple’s market-leading iPad.
- Ford hiring 1,000 people for Oakville assembly plant
- What experts think about new Tory, Chow, Doug Ford advertisements
- Toronto girl lauded as 'hero' for quick action when mom collapsed
- Video Dallas health officials say Ebola under control after first confirmed U.S. case
- Canada’s blood supply ‘critically low’
- Military mission in Iraq ‘noble and necessary,’ Harper says
- Ranked ballot a priority for 2018 civic elections, Wynne says
- Why head trauma is NFL's biggest tragedy: Arthur
Ford Motor Company of Canada is hiring 1,000 more people at its Oakville assembly plant to build the new Edge.


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Schoolboy Q is revealing the artwork for his upcoming album, Oxymoron.
The TDE rapper shared the album covers for both the standard and deluxe versions of his major lable debut. The standard version features a black and white picture of his daughter, who he's said has influenced the album's theme.
A photo of a man in a ski-mask is featured on the cover of the deluxe edition.
Schoolboy also announced that Oxymoron is now available for pre-order on iTunes. The album hits stores on February 25th.


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Blog: Should we flush away talk of P&G bid for Unilever?
Dean Best | 2 June 2011
As well as the market chatter about Bunge may be making a bid for Tate & Lyle, there is also speculation that Procter & Gamble could table an offer for Unilever.
There were rumours in the UK yesterday that Procter & Gamble, owner of brands from Duracell batteries to Charmin toilet paper, may be lining up a GBP38bn (US$62bn) bid for Unilever, which makes, among other things, Domestos bleach.
The rumours surfaced in UK newspaper The Daily Mail, which reported "wild rumours from across the pond". The report also said that P&G, which offloaded the last of its food assets in April when it sold Pringles to Diamond Foods, had lined up Nestle to take on the "unwanted" (food) parts of Unilever's business.
The Mail's report was then picked up in India and reported there.
Today, there was a muted response from analysts in the City. Andy Smith, an analyst at MF Global, said a P&G bid was "unlikely" and told clients to use any rally in Unilever's shares as a time to sell.
"Whilst there are some parts of Unilever that P&G would undoubtedly covet (eg parts of the Dove personal care franchise), the reality is that there would be massive anti-trust issues across the US, Europe, Latin America and large parts of Asia in multiple categories - for example laundry detergents, deo, hair care, skin care, oral care etc.," Smith said.
The analyst also said the assertion that Nestle would be interested in parts of Unilever's food portfolio "seems wide of the mark".
Smith explained: "Nestle has no interest in spreads and there would be insurmountable anti-trust issues in ice cream in most major countries. In beverages Unilever is aligned with PepsiCo for its LiptonIce product - whereas Nestle is aligned with Coca Cola. There would be major anti-trust issues too for Nestle acquiring the huge Lipton brand in the US, whilst Knorr (Unilever) and Maggi (Nestle) are bitter rivals in the culinary space in emerging markets."
Another analyst, who wanted to remain anonymous, also cited the potential anti-trust concerns and then, more succinctly, described the speculation as "nonsense, trading floor b******s rumours".
The BBC turned to just-food today for insight on the price dispute between Tesco and Unilever....
Just weeks after buying UK turkey processor Bernard Matthews from administration, food tycoon Ranjit Boparan has struck a similar deal....
Shares in Tyson Foods slumped on Friday, closing down almost 9% after an analyst claimed a lawsuit facing the company could hit the US meat titan....
- It won't just be Unilever to push for Brexit hikes
- Danone's Q3 sales - what the analysts say
- Interview: UK trade body on Brexit's policy impact
- Interview: UK trade body on the impact of Brexit
- Future trends in natural food to go mainstream
- PepsiCo sets 2025 nutrition, sustainability goals
- China "transition" drags on Danone Q3
- Nestle lowers outlook on "softer environment"
- UK announces "action plan" to drive food exports
- France eyes leading role in proteins
- The Big 15: Strategies and Priorities of Top Packaged Food Players in Comparison
- Omega-3 in Food and Beverage:Time for a Reboot?
- Constellation Brands, Inc. (STZ) - Financial and Strategic SWOT Analysis Review
- Bakery (UK) - Industry Report
- Redefining Snacks: From Conventional Snacks to Snack Replacements


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In what very well may be the worst move Google’s printing company PR Donnelley has ever made, they’ve filed the company’s draft 8K earnings statement without authorization – because of this situation, Google’s stock fell several points and they were forced to end trading for the day to avoid catastrophe. Releasing an earnings report, even a favorable one, is never something a company wants to do during the middle of a day in which stocks are able to be traded. Google’s PR company here doing such a thing means that they’re in for a world of hurt, to put it lightly.
Google’s earnings report for Q3 ended up showing a third-quarter profit of $2.18 billion, this down from $2.73 billion one year ago. That’s $6.53 a share down from $8.33 a share one year ago – profit fell from $9.72 a share down to $9.03 a share exluding all stock-based compensation and other items. Revenue improved, on the other hand, to $11.33 billion. Total costs had a lot to do with this situation as they jumped 71% according to Google.
The folks at Google released a statement on the situation that makes it clear that they never intended for their earnings to be released before the end of the trading day. It should be clear that the $10.65 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters were expecting compared to Google’s Q3 earnings of $9.03 were not going to be great to hear in any case, but that a release like this was not intended.
“Earlier this morning RR Donnelley, the financial printer, informed us that they had filed our draft 8K earnings statement without authorization. We have ceased trading on NASDAQ while we work to finalize the document. Once it’s finalized we will release our earnings, resume trading on NASDAQ and hold our earnings call as normal at 1:30 PM PT.” – Google
This earnings report also noted that Motorola’s MSI -0.39% had a negative effect on Googles profit, with Google having an adjusted operating loss of $151 million, or 6% of the unit’s revenue for the quarter. Earnings for Google’s overall business compared to a year ago fell 20% while ad revenue increased 16% – paid ad clicks jumped by one third year-over-year and by 6% compared to Q2.
[via Wall Street Journal]


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The Hound understands that Federated Farmers has been cut out of the information loop, for the past year, on the…
Displaying items by tag: YAMAHA
While quads’ stranglehold of the off-road market has been tempered by side by sides (UTVs), quads persist, particularly on narrow tracks or difficult terrain.
The Yamaha Wolverine X2-R spec looks to offer great work prospects plus performance — so you can have a little fun.
Queenstown wasn't turning on the charm weather-wise, giving us a wet and windy day in late March for the launch of the latest side by side from Yamaha, the all-new Wolverine X4.
For ten years quads have been getting bigger and piling on cubic capacity: it’s no surprise now to see machines of 750, 800 or even 1000cc.
Having seen the latest Yamaha AG 125 at Fieldays we asked an Auckland supplier for a test machine for a willing farmer.
While the debate goes on about safety and whether to stick with a quad or switch to a side-by-side, the former still has a place with riders who need to tackle tricky terrain in the backblocks of New Zealand.
Rarely a week goes by without a report on a quad crash, prompting howls from experts for better rider training.
» The RNG Weather Report
» Latest Print Issues Online
Your canine crusader noticed a full-page ad recently run in a farming paper calling on meat companies SFF and Alliance…


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Wins & Losses
Security technology company Akamai made public its intent to acquire customer identity and access management (CIAM) company Janrain, the inventor of the social login and the firm that pioneered the CIAM space in 2002. The hundreds of brands in Janrain's customer base, which includes McDonald's, Coca Cola, Samsung, Whole Foods, Philips, Slate, AMC and Pfizer, use these detailed digital identities to customize customer communication and personalize consumer experiences — all within regulatory parameters of GDPR and other global privacy regulations.
Up & Out
Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. appoints Kimberley Gardiner to the newly created role of vice president and chief marketing officer.
The Bigger Picture promotes Daryl Devlin to head of business development.
DDB San Francisco appoints Chris Toffoli as design director/creative director and Oliver Frank as group creative director – both new roles.
Design studio C&G Partners kicks off the new year with the creation of a pair of new titles and a number of promotions: Red DeLeon, director of technology; Daniel Fouad, design director; Laura Grady, director of project management and; Daniel Guillermo Rodriguez, design director.
Verizon Media takes on Elizabeth Herbst-Brady as head of U.S. field sales.
The Creative Engagement Group (TCEG) names Glenn Stevens as its first executive creative director for its American operations, based across Philadelphia and Yardley.
Karma Automotive announces Matthew Clarke’s new role of director of communications.
Cameron Farrelly is Virtue’s new chief creative officer of North America.
Jones Knowles Ritchie bolsters leadership team with the new hires of Olivia Legere and Gavin May, who will work alongside North American CEO Sara Hyman to run the 80+ person New York office.
Campaign Monitor appoints Sharon Strauss to the role of chief people officer.
Yahoo Finance welcomes its newest anchor, Jackie DeAngelis.


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The next Apple TV will rule your living room in ways that go far beyond the over-the-top streaming TV service everyone's hyped about. This bit of kit will offer a flood of apps and games, and it will control your entire smart home (if and when that stuff ever catches on). Here's everything we think you can expect when Apple unleashes its true household hub.
The first hint that Cupertino finally is getting serious about supercharging Apple TV came at the recent Apple Watch event, when it slashed the price of the current hardware to an everything-must-go price of $69. More telling, Apple’s website lists the price as “starting at $69,” suggesting there's a step-up model coming.
There's been all sorts of confirmation---anonymous, of course---that an upgrade is coming. There's supposedly a live-TV streaming service with around 25 channels ready for fall. It'll reportedly cost more than Sling TV’s basic service but much less than Sony’s basic PlayStation Vue package, which has twice as many channels. Meanwhile, new Apple TV hardware could be announced as early as June at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference.
Based on all these reports and some of Apple's own actions, it's safe to say we're looking at something more than a spec bump. Beyond the streaming and mirroring that Apple TV already excels at, there are five new opportunities that could set it apart from an increasingly crowded field.
A Cable Alternative That Works: The rumored over-the-top streaming service could exceed rival packages like Sling TV and Vue. It reportedly will beat Sling TV with live broadcast networks including CBS, ABC, and Fox. Given Apple's close relationship with Disney, we may well see it offer ESPN, which Vue currently lacks. Yes, you can receive free broadcast networks over the air by purchasing an antenna, but Apple seems to be making the smart bet that it's too much trouble for most people.
Beyond channel lineup and convenience, Apple could offer something else cable can't: An interface that doesn't slowly drive its users insane, aided by Siri-powered voice control.
Apps for Your TV: While Apple TV has added a steady trickle of channels over the years, it seems poised to open the floodgates. A report from Mark Gurman at 9to5Mac indicates an Apple TV App Store is in the works, a position supported by speculation we'll see an Apple TV announcement at the Developer Conference. It seems likely that Apple will introduce an SDK for its new Apple TV this summer, clearing the way for new hardware loaded with new experiences in the fall.
Would would Apple TV apps look like? You can imagine straightforward versions of popular iOS apps like Safari and Instagram, or a rapid expansion of content providers that haven't found their way into Apple's good graces yet. But the most likely use case will be games. Lots of games.
Games, Games, Games: While devices like the Roku 3, Google's Nexus Player, and Amazon's Fire TV provide a set-top box gaming experience, none of them has found a breakout title. Gaming remains secondary to Netflix streaming. Apple may not break that streak, but it has some potential advantages. The depth and breadth of its developer pool is unmatched. The company introduced its Metal API in 2014, a solid engine for big-screen gaming. And it released guidelines for building game controllers for its devices nearly two years ago. Plenty of foundational work already has been done.
Combine all of that with a report that Apple will introduce a remote that is "more capable and tactile," and you can see the potential for Apple TV to be a game console for people who don't need the the full Call of Duty experience.
Whole-Home Control: Apple’s ambitions extend beyond entertainment into the home. Apple TV is destined to be an in-home communication interchange for HomeKit, Apple’s system for controlling compatible light bulbs, appliances, security cameras, door locks, and other smartware.
For some functions, an Apple TV will be needed to interact with HomeKit-licensed products, admittedly a short list at the moment. As detailed by Ars Technica, you’ll need an Apple TV to communicate with devices using Siri when you’re beyond your home network. But there’s a bigger picture to consider in terms of how Apple TV ties into HomeKit and devices in your home. There already are standalone connected-home controllers and hubs---Samsung’s SmartThings, Quirky’s Wink Hub, and Nest, for example---but none are baked into a compelling stream-everything box, nor do they fit snugly into an existing, robust ecosystem.
Seamless Ecosystem Interaction: Adding live-streamed shows and an app ecosystem certainly would close the gap between Apple TV and other set-top rigs, if not eliminate it entirely, given Apple's influence and popularity. Add the ability to interact with the hundreds of millions of iPhones and iPads out there, not to mention the forthcoming Apple Watch, and there is the potential to radically remake streaming boxes. Consider seamless interplay between the apps running on an iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch and your TV. Imagine using your iPhone or iPad as a Wii U-style second-screen controller. Or an Apple Watch as a wrist-worn motion controller for games.
OK, it appears that last one will have to wait. According to Cult of Mac and Mashable, the WatchKit SDK doesn't let developers tap into the Apple Watch’s accelerometer. But it's early. Apple has let developers do more with iOS over time, so we may see the same thing happen with the Watch, especially if it becomes a controller for a bigger pool of Apple gear.
Steve Jobs famously called Apple TV a "hobby," something CEO Tim Cook echoed as recently as six months ago. But it's clear the company recognizes it could be so much more. Right now, it's primarily an iTunes machine with some streaming services built in. It's perfectly capable, and AirPlay mirroring is a great perk if you own other Apple devices, but it's also limited in frustrating ways. For example, there’s no on-box access to music services beyond Apple's stable of iTunes, iTunes Match, iTunes Radio, or Beats Music. Instead, you must use AirPlay to stream other services from an iOS device or Mac. It's the same story with Sling TV and any number of other services.
Meanwhile, its competitors have innovated. Roku offers an overwhelming 1,700 channels, including live-streaming through Sling TV and sports apps. Amazon and Google offer gaming and voice control on their full-powered set-top boxes, and budget dongle alternatives. It's an increasingly crowded market of options that are more appealing than Apple's aging hockey puck.
But Apple TV seems poised to live up to its potential. Just as the first iPhone was billed as a phone, an iPod, and an Internet communications device in one package, the new Apple TV will be a cable box, a movie-streamer, a game console, and a smart-home hub rolled into one.
And like the iPhone, which also had a profound impact on the camera, camcorder, MP3 player, handheld gaming, and in-car GPS markets, a revamped Apple TV could have a wide blast range. Any company that makes set-top-boxes, game consoles, smart hubs, provides cable service, or offers their own music or video streaming services is reaching for the Maalox. That kind of competition should end up driving more innovation in the set-top-box market---and create more value for consumers along the way.


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Kmart set to
expand in Kapolei
The store will be theBy Peter Wagner
fourth on Oahu and
the seventh in the state
The "Second City" of Kapolei will move a step closer to its urban goal with the addition of a major department store next year.
Landowner James Campbell Estate yesterday announced that Kmart Corp. will build a 135,000-square-foot Big Kmart store west of the Kapolei Entertainment Center next year.
"Big Kmart will be a boon to the Kapolei region," said Donna Goth, director of properties for the Campbell Estate.
The Troy, Mich.-based discount department store operator, the second-largest retailer in the country behind Wal-Mart Stores Inc., currently operates in Iwilei, Salt Lake and Waikele on Oahu and in Lihue, Kahului, and Kailua-Kona on neighbor islands. The company operates more than 2,160 stores nationwide.
Goth said the project will create 200 permanent jobs and 200 temporary jobs during construction. The project is to start later this year and be completed by late next year, she said.
The new store will bring to 12 the number of projects completed or under construction in Kapolei this year, Goth said. Scheduled for completion next year is a civic center; high school; nursing facility; Shell/Jack-in-the-Box; AAAAA Rent-A-Space, and Kapolei Park Plaza. Kapolei decades ago was designated a "second city" by municipal planners trying to ease commuter traffic into Honolulu's urban core. The city, almost entirely on land owned by the Campbell Estate, is adjacent Barbers Point Harbor, a man-made deep draft harbor built to relieve pressure on Honolulu's overtaxed commercial port.
But development has been mostly confined to housing until recent years when Campbell Estate led the way for employers by moving its headquarters into the area.


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BlackBerry buys out arch-rival Good Technology for enterprise mobility dominance
The corporate device management space has gotten a little less crowded this morning with the announcement that BlackBerry Ltd. is acquiring one of its biggest rivals, Good Technology Inc., for $425 million in cash. The landmark deal positions the Canadian mobile giant at the very top of the enterprise mobility food chain.
That’s thanks to the roughly 6,200 organizations with active subscriptions to Good Technology’s management services that are now set to merge into its customer base, a roster that includes over half of the Fortune 100, much of the banking industry and big names throughout a host of other verticals. It’s also significant that many of those companies rely primarily on iOS, which BlackBerry has been targeting aggressively.
The roughly 60 percent of Good Technology’s install base that is made up of iPhones and iPads will help the outfit significantly expand its foothold in Apple Inc.’s ecosystem, but that’s just the immediate benefit of the buy. The long-term strategic advantage will come from the administrative capabilities that have made its rival so popular among iOS users in the first place.
BlackBerry plans to integrate that functionality with the management features that its own platform offers for Android and Windows devices in an effort to put forth a more attractive value proposition for organizations that support multiple operating systems in their networks. The pitch will be further augmented by Good Technology’s app-level encryption and data loss prevention capabilities.
That should provide a welcome boost for BlackBerry’s existing security functionality, which has always been one of its biggest strengths. The company was the first mobility management provider to receive full operational approval from the U.S. Department of Defense, while Good Technology is the sole holder of a level 4 Common Criteria Evaluation in the mobile collaboration category.
But the icing on the cake are the more than 2,000 applications that the latter’s partners have integrated with its platform, which significantly expand the appeal of the core mobility management functionality. Added up, BlackBerry anticipates that the assets it’s gaining through the acquisition will swell its top line by about $160 million in the first year after the deal goes through.
And the company is counting on that contribution to grow much further later down the road. In an official Q&A session held on occasion of the launch, Good Technology chief executive Christy Wyatt revealed that BlackBerry plans to use her outfit’s technology in order to extend its reach to wearable devices, which could prove a goldmine as adoption steadily increases among enterprise workers.
Photo via Geralt
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The Associated Press reports the Food and Drug Administration is recalling Medtronic guidewires used in heart surgery.
The FDA website shows the recall notice to hospitals and distributors was issued Friday. It says coatings of tiny wires used in heart operations have the potential to "detach or delaminate." It is a Class I recall, which is reserved for products that could cause serious injury or death.
In a news release, the Minneapolis-based company said it had stopped shipment of the guidewires and notified hospitals and regulators worldwide that products in the field should be quarantined. It says the company began recalling the devices in late October, after it received four complaints, including one about a patient who went into cardiac arrest but was resuscitated.
The company statement said the products were made after mid-April. It has more details about which specific lots and product lines are affected.
In June, the FDA also issued a Class I recall for a Medtronic implantable drug pump that the company said was responsible for the deaths of 14 patients.


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Just a few months after winning the American Marketing Association’s Marketer of the Year award, Idea Grove is a finalist in two categories at the 2013 Golden Bridge Awards: PR Professional of the Year and Media Relations Team of the Year.
Idea Grove President Scott Baradell is a finalist in the PR Professional of the Year category for the company’s impressive growth in 2012. The Media Relations Team nomination is for our work on behalf of client ShopSavvy.
In early 2012, Idea Grove committed to create for ShopSavvy a public relations program leveraging news releases, media pitches, video and an online forum. All were designed to raise awareness of the company’s mobile shopping application and drive downloads before and during retailing’s most-visible period: the kickoff of the holiday shopping season well known as Black Friday.
Our public relations activities earned ShopSavvy extensive media coverage, as it was featured in dozens of reports on television, radio and online outlets, including Shopper Marketing Good Housekeeping, Mashable, VentureBeat and dozens of TV newscasts nationwide.
Idea Grove clients Fonality and RiseSmart are also Golden Bridge finalists. Fonality is a finalist in two categories, Voice and VoIP Innovations and Unified Communications Software Innovations for its Heads Up Display (HUD). RiseSmart has twice been named the Innovative Company of the Year for its next-generation outplacement solutions.
The Golden Bridge Awards is a national business awards competition that attracts hundreds of entries each year from international and Fortune 500 companies, including Apple and Cisco.


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WHEAT from Western Australia is scheduled to arrive at GrainCorp’s Gladstone terminal next month to put a cap on the Central Queensland (CQ) feed market in the wake of a disappointing winter-crop harvest for much of the region.
BettaPork general manager, Laurie Brosnan, said the company was buying 3500 tonnes from the vessel which will empty in Gladstone after discharging some tonnage in Brisbane.
“There’s no trouble in CQ sourcing grain: you just have to pay up for it,” he said.
“People are offering wheat at all sorts of prices — $450, $500 or $480 a tonne — depending on what day you’re looking at.
“We’ve figured out the best thing we can do is put it on a boat and bring it around.”
BettaPork runs a 2000-sow piggery at Biloela, 120 kilometres from the Port of Gladstone.
Mr Brosnan said the company would fill its storages with shipped grain trucked up from port, and hold the rest at the Gladstone terminal until space was available to store it on farm.
“We’ll have enough wheat to replace sorghum in the diet until June or July, when there should be sorghum around to put into the ration, and we’ll have enough wheat to last us until October next year.”
Trade sources said the balance had been booked by the feedlot sector in CQ, which had found it inequitable to pay up to $65/t in road freight to source grain being shipped into Brisbane.
This wheat and barley is being bought free-on-truck in Brisbane, and has been making its way into feed rations on the Darling Downs with a road-freight component of around $23-25/t, and out to Condamine feedlots for more like $40/t.
“The price for that WA grain would be pretty much the same for whatever port you to took it to, and it’s really that smaller road-freight cost of around maybe $20/t that will make it work out of Gladstone,” one trader said.
The vessel booked to discharge in Brisbane and Gladstone next month is believed to be carrying around 30,000t of grain in total.
Grain Central: Get our free daily cropping news straight to your inbox – Click here


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Other than perhaps the paint scheme based on the 1968 Disney film “The Love Bug,” on the surface Steve Nestel’s 1967 Volkswagen Beetle doesn’t appear to be any different than countless other classic VWs out there.
Well, aside from a couple of telltale signs.
For starters, the personalized Utah license plate reads “VOLTWGN.” And the vehicle’s “No. 53” racing decals cleverly incorporate the letters “kW” — short for kilowatt.
So let’s just go ahead and call this one the “Voltswagen.”
Nestel’s 52-year-old VW will be on display at this year’s Historic 25th Street Car Show, but there’s one key component that’s missing from this classic vehicle.
An internal combustion engine.
Last October, Nestel bought a ’67 VW that — theoretically, anyway — had a blown engine. He’s been restoring the vehicle, which has a “Herbie the Love Bug” paint job, and retrofitting it with an electric motor. He’s just putting the finishing touches on it now.
“In fact, I was up late last night, working on it,” he said on Tuesday.
So then, will the vehicle be ready for Friday’s car show, which runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Historic 25th Street in downtown Ogden?
“It’ll be ready enough,” Nestel declares.
The interior has been restored, but the exterior still needs a little work, according to Nestel.
“It needs a paint job,” he said. “And that won’t be done by Friday.”
Nestel was bit by the electric bug about 4 ½ years ago, when he purchased his first Tesla Model S and “quickly fell in love with it.” He became enamored with everything about electric vehicles — the concept, the simplicity, the quiet operation, the environmental advantages.
It got him to thinking about marrying classic, vintage vehicle styles with 21st-century technology.
“What it inspired in me, is I wanted something that had the soul and the aesthetic of an old VW — that’s something that appeals to a lot of people on a deep emotional level — but also had the performance and technology of a modern vehicle,” he said.
But why a VW Beetle?
“These cars are simple and lightweight, and don’t have a lot of extra stuff — no power windows or power brakes or anything,” he said. “It’s just a shell of a car, so it was easy to replace what powers it from a gasoline to an electric motor.”
Well, relatively easy. Nestel says converting a gasoline vehicle to electric is not just a simple take-out-the-old-engine-throw-in-the-new-one process. He’s a mechanical engineer by trade and says he really did his homework on this conversion.
“Do your research,” Nestel warns. “This is not one of those things yet where you can just buy a kit and replace the engine. I have a 3D printer at home, and I had to fabricate some parts for this. So it’s something that is a bit involved.”
His VW utilizes used Tesla batteries, as Nestel says Tesla is generally recognized as the leader in battery technology. He estimates his Beetle is about 150 pounds heavier than it was with a gasoline engine.
“The car probably has about 265 pounds worth of batteries,” he said.
Nestel estimates his electric vehicle will have a range of about 100 miles, although he hasn’t been able to confirm that for himself yet.
“My wife tells me I ought to get out on the road and just drive it ’til it stops,” he said.
Which isn’t such a swell idea, according to Nestel, as it takes a 2,500-watt charger eight to 10 hours to fully charge the vehicle.
“You can’t just bring a generator out to charge it,” he said. “If you run out of charge, you’ll probably have to tow it.”
Nestel said he doesn’t think his VW Beetle was any more expensive than the typical restoration of a gasoline-powered vehicle.
“Other than the labor,” he says. “I did put hundreds of hours of work into it.”
But Nestel calls that sort of sweat equity a labor of love.
“I missed most of the ski season because of a leg injury, so all winter while my friends were up drinking powder, I had this project to take my mind off it.”
Nestel says he likes the idea that he’s transitioning to cleaner power. And, he says, if you put solar panels on your home and use them to charge your vehicle, suddenly it’s a completely clean — and cheap — mode of transportation.
“That’s the ultimate goal, to get to the point of driving for free,” he said.
Nestel said he intends the vehicle to be a daily driver, although it still has “a couple of issues” to be resolved before that happens. Still, he’s not interested in owning a vehicle that’s just for show.
“It’s not a show car that you wrap up in plastic and take it somewhere to display it,” he said. “You should be willing and want to drive your vehicle.”
Eventually, Nestel hopes to convert a VW Bus to electric — that was his initial goal, because the larger chassis affords more space for more batteries. But he found that the initial cost of buying a used bus was quite a bit more, so he decided to use the Beetle as a starter project.
And Nestel is contemplating launching a side business where he converts others’ vintage cars to electric for them.
“Part of the reason I’m doing this show on Friday is to get a sense of whether or not people are interested in this,” he said, “or if they hate the idea of converting a classic VW to electric.”
Nestel says he knows there are still challenges ahead for electric vehicles, but he thinks the future is bright.
“I think the challenges are being worked on by a lot of companies that want to succeed and that are saying, ‘We’re done with fossil fuels,’” Nestel said. “Although I suppose there are probably a lot of guys out there who like to roll coal in their big trucks who would disagree.”


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According to The Boston Herald, Jasmine Sola’s parent company, New York & Co., decided to shut down the chain of stores due to little progress in sales and a number of allegations of sexual misconduct by the president, Luciano Manganella.
Recently, in a final attempt to raise profits, Jasmine Sola created the “JasClub,” in which members who have purchased over $250 in Jasmine Sola merchandise receive special limited offers including 5 percent off everything at the store for life.
Now that stores are preparing to close, all 23 stores are having an “all out” sale, in which all clothing is now 20 to 40 percent off. Prices are intended to drop even further as its discontinuation date approaches
Located in Chestnut Hill Mall and Newton Centre, Jasmine Sola has always been a shopping must for Newton’s female residents. South students are now making a run to make their final shopping spree at the clothing store.
“I know that everything is going to get cheaper in time,” senior Sarah Kalowski said, “but if I wait, I know everything is going to be gone.”
So far, there have been no announcements to what stores will replace the Jasmine Solas in Newton and Chestnut Hill.
All Jasmine Solas are expected to close by the end of the year.]]>


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Privacy protections designed to prevent U.S. internet service providers from sharing or selling subscribers’ personal information with third parties — without permission — were dismantled by U.S. Congress on Tuesday.
It means that information about the apps American internet subscribers use, the websites they visit, and the things they purchase online — among other things — can potentially be tracked, shared, and monetized by third parties, unless those users opt out.
You might be pleased to learn that Canada, which often follows the U.S. lead on technology issues, has taken a different approach. Here, internet service providers can only share your personal information with third parties with your express consent.
Tamir Israel, a staff lawyer at the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic, says you have the privacy commissioner of Canada and the CRTC to thank.
Both organizations have released decisions in recent years that effectively limit the information internet service providers can collect and use for secondary purposes, such as marketing, without your consent.
In 2013, the privacy commissioner launched an investigation into a new Bell initiative called the “relevant advertising program.” The Canadian telco used network usage information, as well as account and demographic information, to build advertising profiles that could be used by third parties to target specific audiences with ads.
In other words, advertisers could target Bell users that visited certain websites. Browsing history or frequently used apps could also be used to infer users’ interests. Users could be further targeted by age, phone model or credit score. Bell also indicated that it might use home internet usage, television viewing history and calling patterns to build ad profiles in the future.


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Home Tags Sniper
Great gaming gears with freebies from ASUS ROG!
After the hype drummed up by the latest Overwatch Web Comic and the Overwatch Insurrection Leak, the latest Overwatch Seasonal Event is HERE - OVERWATCH UPRISING!
A new Web Comic was just released titled Overwatch: Uprising. The story looks to flesh out an important event in Overwatch history that will be used for the upcoming "King's Row: Upsring" update that will drop on April 12. Check out all the potential new skins here!
Blizzard revealed today their next playable character in their widely successful game Overwatch… Meet Ana Amari!


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The ‘Design Our Future’ grant was announced today at the Queen St Mall in the presence of the Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk, and 500 Volvo Group staff from the Brisbane factory, during the launch of Volvo’s newest truck, the Volvo FH.
Volvo Group President and CEO, Arne Knaben, says this is a grant that aims to encourage young industrial designers and engineers to present their ideas for the future of transport. “The winners of the competition will receive a guided tour of Volvo’s local factories in Australia and in Sweden, and a trip to Volvo’s world-renowned design studio in Gothenburg.
“The New FH is a huge leap forward, not just for Volvo, but for the Australian transport industry. We’re incredibly proud to have played an integral role in the design and development of this truck. We’re also proud to be building them right here in Brisbane— we’re a local manufacturer and every Volvo you see on the road in Australia has been built right here.”
Brisbane’s Lord Mayor Graham Quirk presided over the launch and congratulated the Volvo employees present for their role in the production of the safest Volvo ever. “Volvo is a great advertisement for Brisbane’s high-tech manufacturing sector – employing over 500 workers at Wacol, generating jobs and important economic activity for Brisbane residents and businesses.”
“The New FH will carry Volvo into the next decade or more, so its launch seemed an appropriate time to announce this grant,” said Knaben. “In the New FH we have the best example yet of what excellence in truck design can achieve, especially when that design is driven by a clear set of core values. The Volvo Trucks ‘Design Our Future’ grant will help to ensure that the trucks of the future carry safety, quality and environmental care at the heart of their designs. We’re tremendously excited to see what our contestants will come up with.”


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The Associates First Capital Corporation, the finance company recently spun off from the Ford Motor Company, said yesterday that it had agreed to buy Avco Financial Services for $3.9 billion in cash, accelerating its overseas expansion.
The Dallas-based Associates First, which provides credit cards, truck leasing and personal loans, is buying Avco from Textron Inc., which said in June that it was considering selling or spinning off the consumer finance unit to take advantage of recent high prices for finance companies.
Associates First, which has $63.4 billion of assets, said that it was buying Avco for its international business, which includes Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, India and Europe. Avco has $8.9 billion of assets and 2.5 million customers.
Textron, based in Providence, R.I., expects the sale to generate after-tax proceeds of about $2.9 billion. The company, which makes Cessna planes and car parts, plans to use 60 percent of the sale proceeds for acquisitions and the rest for repurchasing shares.
Textron said yesterday that it would buy back as many as 25 million shares, or about 15 percent of the shares it had outstanding on Aug. 1. Avco produced about 34 percent of Textron's pretax income in 1997 and a fifth of its $10.5 billion of revenue.
Shares of both companies fell sharply, amid a broad selloff. Shares of Textron fell $4.0625, to $67, while Associates shares dropped $1.75, to $72.625. The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that a deal for Avco was imminent.Continue reading the main story
Since its spinoff by Ford was completed in April, Associates has been on a buying spree. It has agreed to buy Morgan Stanley Dean Witter & Company's private-label credit card business and has bought credit card portfolios from banks and other consumer lenders. The company competed with the GE Capital Corporation, Household International Inc. and the Norwest Corporation, among others, to buy Avco.Continue reading the main story


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Google Nexus 7 May Infringe Nokia Patents
Nokia claims Google Nexus 7 infringes Wi-Fi patents.
The Nexus 7, Google's first own-brand tablet made by Asus, hasn't launched yet but already is under fire. The Finnish Windows Phone device maker claims that the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean tablet infringes a patent relating to its 802.11 Wi-Fi, according the The Inquirer.
Nokia said: "Nokia has more than 40 licensees, mainly for its standards essential patent portfolio, including most of the mobile device manufacturers. Neither Google nor Asus is licensed under our patent portfolio."
"Companies who are not yet licensed under our standard essential patents should simply approach us and sign up for a license." added Nokia.
Nokia said that neither Google nor Asus is licensed to use the technology. Asus declined to comment on the issue.
The Nexus 7 is available to pre-order from £159 and sports a 7in ISP display and nVidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor. The tablet has a release date of 19 July online and 27 July in stores.
A new feature in Mirage 5.1 lets adminstrators control bandwidth use at branch offices.
Privately held Metacloud provides OpenStack-as-a-service for global enterprises.
AppliedMicro is introducing its Helix ARM 64-bit embedded processor family at ARM TechCon.
With this change, Google risks upsetting Apps admins.


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The use of QR codes are getting a closer look thanks to growing desire for contactless experiences, and Campbell's is leveraging them as part of a new consumer engagement tactic to modernize its brand.
Digitizing the supply chain doesn’t just make logistics and sourcing sense. The smartest marketers today use connected packaging to foster direct relationships with consumers by allowing the product to do the talking.
Clean beauty brand Innersense Organic Beauty is introducing a new packaging innovation for green-minded consumers, joining the litany of consumer goods companies providing more sustainable alternatives.
The novelty dessert brand continues to deliver on consumer satisfaction and innovation with new additions to its lineup, expanded distribution and the re-formulation of best-selling Yasso Mint Chocolate Chip Bars.


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Take a look at the recent financials from #stryker
. Obviously the company isn't overly concerned with the 'expenses' related to its pending lawsuits related to #strykerrejuvenate
as the company anticipate that less than $400M should do the trick to get these cases wrapped up.
"However, management announced that the Rejuvenate and ABG II hip products
recall in June 2012 has resulted in a fourth-quarter charge of $174 million before taxes ($133 million net of taxes) or 35 cents per share. However, this is regarded as a one-time expense by the company and is excluded from the adjusted earnings per share. Stryker expects total expenses of $190 million to $390 million for patient testing and treatment, lawsuits and insurance payments related to the product recall.


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Both these smartwatches run Android Wear 2.0 and are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor. These smartwatches also come with the Google Assistant which is found on the Pixel and the Pixel XL. The LG Watch Sport and Watch Style are both designed in collaboration with Google. However, this is not the first time both the companies have worked together. In the past, the Google-LG duo have given us the Nexus 4, Nexus 5 and Nexus 5X.
If you were following up with the past leaks and rumors related to both these smartwatches, you must be aware that the Watch Sport is more feature rich as compared to the Watch Style. As the name suggests, the Watch Sport is meant for athletes and those who have a more dynamic lifestyle and need something rugged on their wrist. It comes with LTE and NFC, something which is missing from the Watch Style.
With the inclusion of NFC and LTE , users can not only make use of the Watch Sport to make payments using Android Pay, but, it also eliminates the smartwatch’s need to rely on a smartphone. The Watch Sport can be used to make calls and thanks to on-watch Play Store on Android Wear 2.0, you can directly download an app on your Watch Sport without needing a smartphone.
Talking about the LG Watch Style, it flaunts, well, stylish design. It’s for those who prefer a stylish and luxurious smartwatch. That said, it’s smaller than the Watch Sport and also has some features missing which are found on the Watch Sport. Also, both these smartwatches come with a rotating power button which can be used to navigate across the smartwatch.
“LG and our partners at Google managed to include a tremendous number of innovative technologies into the LG Watch Sport and the LG Watch Style. This dynamic duo of devices offers cutting-edge functions in terms of personalization and empowerment, freedom and convenience to meet diverse consumer tastes.” said Juno Cho, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company.
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Both these smartwatches will be available in the US from February 10. The Watch Style will be available for purchase from Best Buy and Google Store, whereas, the Watch Sport will be available from AT&T, Verizon and Google Store. As for other markets, these smartwatches will be available for purchase later this month via Google Store and select retail stores.
Both these smartwatches will be put on display at LG’s booth during MWC which starts from 27th of this month. Talking about the pricing, it “will be announced locally at the time of availability”.


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TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust.
Forward-looking: While the US and China are still clashing over silicon supremacy and economic sanctions against the Middle Kingdom's technology industry, South Korea has won some important concessions through Washington diplomacy. The Asian giant will continue to do business and make chips in China, at least for now.
Samsung and SK Hynix, two of South Korea's most prominent technology players, have been excluded from the US sanctions imposed against Beijing's technology prowess. The two companies are officially allowed to keep making chips in China and to bring their advanced chipmaking equipment into the neighboring country.
Created after the merging of Hyundai Electronics and SK Group, the third largest conglomerate in South Korea, SK Hynix is the world's second-biggest memory manufacturer after Samsung. The two corporations have their own semiconductor plants in China, which should theoretically be subject to sanctions imposed by the US government against exporting the latest and greatest chip manufacturing machines to the Asian country.
South Korea is one of the US's major allies in Asia, and Washington is trying to strengthen its influence in the area to keep pressure on China high. Therefore, Seoul could have tried to take advantage of its leverage over the US to try and avoid hurting two of South Korea's most important technology companies.
The diplomatic and lobbying efforts seem to have paid off. According to SK's senior presidential secretary for economic affairs Choi Sang-mok, Washington has officially approved an exemption for Samsung and SK Hynix chipmaking activities in China. Both corporations can continue using and upgrading their manufacturing plants in the country, for a seemingly indefinite amount of time.
SK Hynix and Samsung welcomed the decision, saying that it will contribute to the stabilization of supply chains for advanced technology products. As the world's economic outlook improves, demand for non-GPU chips is expected to grow again. A more stable supply chain would be instrumental in keeping prices in check.
The exemptions coming from Washington could also work in favor of the overall diplomatic efforts between the US and China. Chinese media have welcomed the decision, which was revealed on the same day that several US senators were visiting China to meet President Xi Jinping. The rumored meeting between Jinping and US President Joe Biden could soon turn into a reassuring reality.


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By DÁNICA COTO
CAGUAS, Puerto Rico (AP) — A growing number of businesses including grocery stores and gas stations are temporarily closing across Puerto Rico as power outages caused by Hurricane Fiona drag on in the U.S. territory, sparking concern about the availability of fuel and basic goods. Handwritten signs warning of closures have been popping up more frequently, eliciting sighs and groans from customers on an island where 62% of 1.47 million clients still do not have power more than four days after the storm hit. Puerto Rico’s Department of Consumer Affairs says there is no shortage of fuel, but rather a disruption to the system as a result of flooding, landslides and an island-wide power outage caused by Fiona.
The post Post-Fiona fuel disruptions spark fear in Puerto Rico appeared first on KTVZ.


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Apple's wannabe Spotify assassin, Apple Music, goes live Tuesday, and if you're thinking about hopping on board, here's what you need to know.
Probably the most defining characteristic of Apple Music is its lack of a free tier. You will have to pay at least $9.99 a month if you want to use Apple Music or $15.99 a month for a six-person family plan. But the service does launch with a free, three-month trial period, complete with Taylor Swift's seal of approval.
Apple, ever the Good Samaritan, likes to remind everyone that paying for the service means artists get paid more.
One of the biggest criticisms of services like Pandora and Spotify is that they don't pay artists enough. But unless an artist is already a big success, his or her paycheck from Apple is expected to still be pretty light.
So what do you need to use this service? Well, Android users are left out in the cold until Apple Music arrives on that platform in the fall. But yes, folks, Apple Music is coming to Android. (Video via Google)
As far as the actual music goes, the catalog is expected to be pretty solid. And it'll include a couple notable exclusives: mainly, Dr. Dre's album, "The Chronic" and Taylor Swift's full catalog, including her newest album, "1989."
Apple also wants its service to feel like the coolest place to listen, so it has recruited a former BBC personality Zane Lowe for Beats One radio. It will essentially be a Sirius XM-like station for your iPhone.
Apple is also boasting about a new suggestion system called "For You," which will create a custom music stream based on your preferences and user history.
The biggest thing Apple has going for it is integration — everyone with an iPhone or iPad running iOS 8 will already have the Apple Music app on their phone and access to a three-month trial.
But beyond that, there isn't much else to differentiate from Apple's competitors. So Apple's really going to have to rely on some fanboy or fangirl love and strong word of mouth if it wants to be the new leader in music streaming.
This video includes images from Getty Images and music from Birocratic / CC BY 3.0.


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Cybercrime can end up being an extreme financial mess for businesses of all sizes and industries. From having to pay out ransoms to paying IT teams to patch up networks, a company’s finances can be severely damaged. But cyberattacks can present more damage to a business than just finances. In fact, there are dozens of ways in which businesses can suffer from cybersecurity issues.
Here are just some other ways that cyberattacks, such as ransomware and DDOS attacks, can affect a business.
There are a number of issues that will occur in the wake of a cyberattack that can have major consequences for a company’s search engine optimization (SEO). Sites that are hacked, for instance, will be flagged in the search rankings with a warning sign which can deter potential site visitors. Also, after a site is hacked, it can start to get negative reviews online, which will only hurt a company’s rankings and traffic.
Loss of Trust
When a website is attacked through a cybercrime, consumers will undoubtedly look at that company in a different light. A company that suffers Cybercrime can be looked at as not doing enough to protect its data and its customers’ information. Once customer trust is gone, it’s hard to get it back. What’s more, customers who would traditionally give a business its participation may choose to go with a competitor in the market who offers the same products and services.
The cost of a cyberattack can get up to the million-dollar range, and that’s just from data and direct financial loss. But what about the legal fallout from a cybercrime? In the world of data protection, there are organizations that now fine businesses more heavily than before. In the European Union, for example, under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), regulators have the power to slap fines of up to €20 million if they suffer a data breach and failed to be in compliance.
Disruption to Work
When a company suffers a cybercrime, it will need to spend time dealing with the issue at hand, and ensuring that nothing has been left susceptible to future attacks. In order to do so, it is always necessary to have some downtime. It can also take time away for a company’s IT staff from critical work that needs to be done, which can turn into a major disruption to the workflow.
The cost of a cybercrime can end up causing dire consequences for a company. For those companies that suffer a cybercrime, they need to understand the various ways in which they can suffer and the potential long-term damage that can be done.
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By Mahua Venkatesh
New Delhi, December 28: Will the new year bring in new dimensions to India-China relations? The two neighbours have not had the best of relations since the Galwan clash in 2020. But despite that bilateral trade between the two have grown in the last one year. “Boosting China’s imports from India is the right way to go, and there is room for coordination between the two sides in this regard, and it should be a joint effort,” Global Times in its editorial.
The Chinese state-owned news organization also said that the challenge for both sides “is not who will replace whom but how to work together to strengthen their positions in the global supply chain.”
“Like it or not, India is already tightly connected to China and embedded in the international supply chain,” it said adding that deepening economic ties will go a long way in resolving the current impasse.
Bilateral trade between the two Asian giants crossed $100 billion in the first 11 months of this year to clock a total of $114.26 billion. This is a whopping 46.4 per cent increase over the same period in the previous year. In 2001, trade between the two countries stood at $1.83 billion.
While India’s exports to China touched $26.358 billion — an increase of 38.5 per cent year-on-year imports from Beijing stood at $87.905 billion, a rise of 49 per cent.
Consider this. China which earlier did not import rice from India, has now started sourcing the grain from New Delhi. Its dependence on India for supply of rice has steadily increased in the last two years.
According to S&P Global, “Indian rice has come from representing less than 1 per cent of Chinese rice imports in 2020 to representing 23 per cent so far in 2021, making it the largest supplier of rice to China.”
In fact China is likely to shift gears in terms of its overall economic policies in the coming year. As several projections have indicated that China’s economic growth rate is set to be slower amid stringent regulatory crackdown and a near crisis like situation in its real estate sector, Beijing is set to alter its strategy and focus more on stability to ensure that the economy is allowed to take off once again.
Also read: China slashes its financial commitment to Africa: Instead of $60 bn pledged earlier, Xi cuts it to $40 bn
China’s economic growth in the third quarter of this year slowed to 4.9 per cent, much below expectations.
In the January to March quarter Beijing had stunned the world with an 18.3 per cent economic growth. However, economic growth has been slowing since then. In the second quarter, China, the first country to come out of the Covid 19 pandemic, clocked a GDP growth of 7.9 per cent.
(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)


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CPU and GPU clock speeds revealed for the Nintendo Wii U
The notorious hacker "Marcan" has solved the riddle surrounding the Wii U's CPU and GPU clock speeds, finding that its slower than Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
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WiMAX gets EU harmonisation at 2.6GHz
Intel buys up Swedish airwaves
The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) has started the approvals process for WiMAX to be officially recognised as a 2.6GHz technology, though Intel's bid for Swedish airwaves provides more substantial evidence of deployment plans.
WiMAX - a technology which cleverly calls itself 4G despite only offering 3G speeds - can be used on a wide variety of frequencies. While historically governments might have sold spectrum on the basis of usage, that's no longer the case. So WiMAX could turn up anywhere.
The WiMAX Forum has been fighting hard to get 2.6GHz approved as an EU-wide standard for WiMAX, and blames the delay on a conspiracy of companies with interests in competing technologies who have managed to present "a handful of [ETSI] members who did not want to see it progressing", as one forum member explained it to Policytracker.
The forum had to fight to get WiMAX approved as a 3G standard at the World Radio Congress (WRC) last year, but the competition hasn't given up. "Having failed in their efforts to stop WiMAX being approved at WRC, the vendors continued to try and put a spanner in the works, albeit a different spanner, at the European level," claimed the same source.
"They have support from a few telcos, such as France Telecom, which have opted for competing technologies and are happy to see WiMAX hindered."
It's no secret that Intel has enormous interest in WiMAX succeeding, which explains why it chucked $1bn into Clearwire, not to mention Intel Capital Corporation sinking €17m into 50MHz of 2.6GHz spectrum in the recent Swedish auctions. The rest of the Swedish auction was all Frequency Division Duplexed, so less useful for WiMAX, and was bought up by local network operators.
In the UK, the 2.6GHz spectrum isn't up for auction until September - that should prove interesting. ®


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JANUARY 26, 2015
F1 on track for engine change after 2016
F1 is on course for a sharp change of direction after 2016.
Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene is calling for a "revolution" on the technical front, as Bernie Ecclestone also looks to spice up the sport's speed and sound just a year after the all-new turbo V6 era dawned.
Renault, also trailing behind F1's dominant force Mercedes, is similarly open to change.
"Renault would not get in the way, so long as costs are kept under control," boss Cyril Abiteboul told the broadcaster Canal Plus.
He said the idea of louder and more powerful engines is "attractive", but "it seems too late for 2016. 2017 would be the ideal time".
Proposals are already beginning to emerge. Even McLaren's new works partner Honda is not opposed, having reportedly suggested a ramping up of the sport's new non-combustion engine propulsion techniques for 2017.
Also according to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, Ferrari is suggesting a 2.2 litre twin-turbo V8, revving to 17,000rpm with a standard KERS system.
Some, however, suspect that Renault and Ferrari are so keen on the idea of change simply because they are trailing Mercedes under the current engine regime.
"Of course!" Mercedes chief Toto Wolff told Sport Bild.
"That's formula one. But we accept the challenge even when it comes to talking about the engine. You just have to be sensible," he added.
Wolff said radically departing from the basic 1.6 litre V6 of today is out of the question.
"All the engine manufacturers have expressed the wish that we keep the current architecture," said the Austrian, "because anything else would bring high development costs."


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In a blog post, Microsoft Windows Principal Architect Chris Jackson urged companies to migrate to modern browsers instead of using IE as their default.
“You see, Internet Explorer is a compatibility solution,” Jackson wrote. “We’re not supporting new web standards for it and, while many sites work fine, developers by and large just aren’t testing for Internet Explorer these days. They’re testing on modern browsers.”
Jackson said he sometimes, even to this day, receives queries from enterprise customers about how to ensure all web traffic goes to IE. If most of your sites were originally designed for IE, it might seem easier to use it by default, he acknowledged. But in 2019, that’s not a good decision.
While Microsoft really wants to retire the legacy product once and for all, Jackson said it’s fine to use Internet Explorer for certain enterprise solutions, however even then, it should not be relied on as a main browser. While plenty of companies have made the switch, some professions with lean IT departments, such as healthcare, still have questions about the browser.
Microsoft Edge was introduced as the successor and made its debut with Windows 10. The software maker is working on a Chromium version of Edge that will be available for tests in the next few weeks. The new version of Edge could make a big difference for Internet Explorer holdouts, since businesses will be able to install it on certain older versions of Windows.


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Snapchat is decreasing the reward money creators can get when they make content for the platform's TikTok competitor — again. Business Insider reports that the pot of cash up for grabs for users making Spotlight videos now sits at millions of dollars per year.
The 2023 edition of the Summit included a handful of exciting announcements. Snap Head of Talent Development Brooke Berry revealed that Snapchat creators with at least 50,000 followers and 25 million monthly views will now be eligible for the app's Stories monetization program.
Snap creators are paid in Crystals, whose exchange rate is roughly $1 to 10 crystals, and can be paid out after a creator has earned over 1,000 crystals or $100. Snap acknowledges it hasn't always been top of mind when people think of the creator economy.
Cam Casey – over $3.5 million
Snapchat's top earning creator is Cam Casey, who is a TikTok star with 7 million followers. Since he began posting to Snap's Spotlight feature in December, Casey has made over $3.5 million, Insider confirmed with sources familiar with Snap's creator payouts.
So, despite Facebook and Instagram bringing in the most money, users are making more over on TikTok and YouTube. Regarding the big bucks, YouTube is the primary source of income for creators earning more than $200,000 per year.
When presented with the code and asked if Snapcash would shut down, a Snapchat spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch that it would, explaining: “Yes, we're discontinuing the Snapcash feature as of August 30, 2018. Snapcash was our first product created in partnership with another company – Square.
As the name suggests, 5k subscribers mean that the user has more than 5000 followers or subscribers on the Snapchat platform. Remember that for a profile to show this count there are 2 requirements: The account should be a Snapchat public profile. The followers count should be more than 5000 followers!
Unlike Youtube and Instagram, TikTok pays you a small amount of money for making videos. With a creator's fund, you are paid 2-4 cents for every 1000 views, and you can make $20-$40 only after your video gets 1 million views. That's heartbreaking, right?
A Snapchat Plus subscription gives users early and exclusive access to features for $3.99 a month, including changing the app icon and seeing who rewatched your story. In July, the company rolled out Snapchat for desktop to subscribers — the first major feature for paid users.
To encourage and incentivize you to perform the services of creating and posting your Snaps to Spotlight, we would like to pay you for your services if you qualify as described in these Spotlight Terms. Only a small percentage of Creators submitting Snaps to Spotlight will receive payments.
To be eligible to join the program, which is invite-only, creators must have at least 50,000 subscribers, more than 25 million monthly snap views and post more than 10 Stories per month.
How much is 1 million coins on TikTok? 1 Million coins on TikTok is around $18k.
What happens when you get 1,000 subscribers on YouTube? Reaching 1,000 subscribers means you have satisfied one requirement to join the YPP and monetize your channel (the other is getting 4,000 hours of watch time or 10 million public Shorts views in 90 days).
As social media platforms become increasingly popular, more and more people are turning to buying followers to get an edge in the competition. Snapchat is no exception, as users can buy followers to boost their popularity on the app.
"Yes, we're discontinuing the Snapcash feature as of August 30, 2018," the company wrote. "Snapcash was our first product created in partnership with another company -- Square. We're thankful for all the Snapchatters who used Snapcash for the last four years and for Square's partnership!"
Top creators say that TikTok pays contributors between 2 and 4 cents per 1,000 views through its TikTok Creator Fund. Doing the math, that means creators stand to earn $20 to $40 dollars per 1 million views through the program.
TikTok has a new competitor: Zynn, a nearly button-for-button clone of TikTok that differentiates itself with one key twist — it pays users to sign up, watch videos, and convince others to follow suit.


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Motion By Copyright Defendant Denied By New York Federal Judge
(March 9, 2016, 12:05 PM EST) -- NEW YORK — A defendant’s claim that it possessed a license to use three copyrighted images belonging to Playboy Enterprises International Inc. were met with skepticism March 8 by a New York federal judge, who denied a motion to dismiss case (Playboy Enterprises International Inc. v. Mediatakeout.com LLC, No. 15-7053, S.D. N.Y.; 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 29249).
(Decision available. Document #16-160321-004Z.)
According to U.S. Judge Paul A. Engelmayer of the Southern District of New York not only has defendant Mediatakeout.com (MTO) failed to establish it had...


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Editor’s note: this is a special regional POV that dissects the four technology and media trends from our Outlook 2019 report. We’ll have more POVs coming up from each of the key global regions, so be sure to check back in the following weeks.
In the Latin American (LatAm) region, so far, there is no backlash against the tech industry regarding privacy, a topic that dominates discussion in other regions of the world. This may be because, as of now, no major data breach has occurred in the region. The idea of a person’s data being leaked or misused is not considered a real threat to many consumers in the region.
While the region is not a pioneer in privacy laws, regulations created overseas are having an impact on the entire digital world. The GDPR rules, established by the European Union, went into effect in May 2018. The regulation requires that companies adhere to rules that limit the storage of user data to only essential information; and then, all of that information must be encrypted. Even with these contributions, companies in the region are far from ready to implement updated privacy policies, and governments far from being ready to enforce the rules. In Mexico, for example, more than 40% of corporations are just starting to analyze the impact these laws may have.
Unbundling Social & Search
In North America, Facebook’s disastrous 2018 presented the possibility that consumers might look elsewhere for social media experiences. While a wholesale replacement for FB is unlikely, we’re beginning to see the emergence of an archipelago of smaller, vertical-specific communities that are deeply specialized and highly engaged. Similarly, Google will remain king of web search for the foreseeable future. But, as search input evolves to voice and cameras backed by AI, new competitors will rise to challenge their dominance.
In Latin America, the unbundling of search and social is also starting to take shape. The shift to voice activation and AI technologies is set to transform how consumers search and discover products and services, but the slow adoption of products that use these technologies means this transformation will take place slowly. Voice assistants and other connected home appliances are still a novelty. Until prices drop significantly, massive reach will be a challenge.
Because Android devices account for more than 70% of the market in Latin America, Google will likely remain the most popular search platform there for the foreseeable future. Even if search turns toward voice, it will be done through Google’s operating system, thanks to the prevalence of Google Assistant on Android handsets.
Unlike to Google’s stronghold on search in the region, Facebook, the leading social platform in LatAm, may see competitors stepping up. A perfect example of this is Twitch, the gaming platform that has millions of users accessing it daily to consume gaming and eSports content. In some LatAm countries, such as Brazil, Twitch has more than 7 million unique users, and has been delivering triple-digit growth. As new social platforms continue to amass users and build out their own social graphs to map various interest-based communities, these new entrants are starting to slowly chip away Facebook’s dominance in the region.
Media Haves and Have-Nots
As the late majority tilts its media consumption from traditional to digital, media business models are adapting and expanding to serve everyone. While this is obviously both good and necessary, the proliferation of content options and breakdown of gatekeepers is having an unexpected side effect: the creation of a media class system, where the more educated and wealthy can pay to preserve their data privacy, ensure the accuracy of their news content, and access all entertainment. Meanwhile, less-educated or less-wealthy consumers leak data, see more ads, and are fed fake news.
The negative effects are even more pronounced in the LatAm market, due to the economic reality in most countries. While people are willing to pay for a Netflix subscription in order to watch specific content, they feel they are getting ripped off if they have to pay to watch the same content on YouTube or other ad-supported platforms. As a result, in Latin America, people are willing to trade off privacy in order to get content for free, even if this means having no clue of what that company will do with their data. Consumers are coming around to the idea that, ultimately, they must pay or endure seeing advertising messages.
In Latin America, one possible resolution to mitigate this issue could be the adoption of Super Bundles: By paying for one media subscription bundle, people can get access to quality content across TV, movies, music, and news, all at an attractive discount. As global companies like Apple and Disney get set to launch their media bundle services, it will be interesting to see how long they extend such offers to the region and how the LatAm consumers will respond.
The lack of trust in media is also a major challenge in the LatAm region. Older generations tend to rely heavily on traditional platforms to receive their news, which in Latin American countries typically consist of two or three TV stations and one or two newspapers. In contrast, younger consumers tend to challenge information provided by the traditional networks, resorting instead to information sources they can access online. The tumultuous political reality in Venezuela in recent months can be partly attributed to the loss of trust in state-controlled media among the country’s younger generations and the widening media consumption gap.
Every Brand is a Lifestyle Brand
As consumer trust is challenged in one realm, it’s driving brand trust as a primary motivator in every other area, encouraging consumers to double-down on the brands they trust most. Those brands are given unprecedented access to consumers. But to satisfy that demand, brands often have to expand their business model and embrace creating media and branded experiences in order to maintain constant contact with their best consumers.
But creating lifestyle brands is a challenge in Latin America, where most brands are local brands, operating in specific locales where they have a deep understanding of the consumer base, but limited to their own verticals. They may have a good understanding of how their current products and services fit into a customer’s life, but most are not recognizing the opportunities that exist beyond those borders. Limited technological capabilities also hinder local players’ ability to extrapolate authentic insights from the data about their audience’s values and priorities to inform their lifestyle branding.
In contrast, global brands, which have a broader base, along with better technological capabilities and larger data infrastructure, will have the upper hand in Latin America. Local brands will struggle to build the necessary infrastructure to mine consumer data and create bespoke products that allow them to laterally expand their business. Meanwhile, the global players will have an opportunity to fill the gaps and identify how to expand their presence and influence in their customers’ lives.
Trust is another big issue for Latin American brands to tackle, as consumers grow skeptical of sharing personal data with local brands. They prefer the appeal of globalized products and services, which are perceived to have a more robust toolset for data protection and privacy. In emerging markets, where ecommerce still has huge growth potential, trust will be a key factor in whether consumers make a purchase. In Mexico, for example, reputation is the second most important consideration for consumers when buying a product online, just behind price, according to a joint study by UPS and Comscore.
In the U.S., just as we’re seeing public sentiment turn a cynical eye toward tech, the first driverless cars are hitting the road for testing, and purpose-driven AIs are starting to automate basic services. Automation will be the true test of how government oversight and consumer opinion will affect how technology is allowed to disrupt, and how quickly. And the results may also vary culturally from region to region.
It’s interesting to see how the application of autonomation technologies will play in Latin America. As the region begins to enjoy AI-powered products like Google Home and Amazon Echo, allowing Latin Americans to visualize an automated future similar to The Jetsons, there are realities to face.
For LatAm workers, a cheap labor force could forestall this workforce replacement. In addition, LatAm consumers prefer being helped by real people, as opposed to some cold software voice. Brands need to be cautious in how they deploy these replacements, as it may result in resistance from audiences and damage brand reputation.
At the moment, the only backlash that has occurred has been when automation threatens to eliminate jobs, and a strong union presence in the region may further deter the application of automated services. Uber is one such example: in some LatAm countries, it took years for the regulators to legalize the ride-hailing service. Governments originally blocked the platform in order to protect traditional transportation services represented by strong unions, such as taxi and bus companies.