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3Com's Palm division may have hit a bump on its road to
tomorrow's initial public offering in the form of an ill-timed patent
Virginia-based start-up E-Pass
Technologies filed the lawsuit in a New York federal district court,
alleging that Palm improperly included a number of the company's patented
security technologies in its popular devices.
But analysts question the timing of the suit, coming the same week as the
much-anticipated public offering, as well as the merits of the case. Palm,
whose devices account for about three-quarters of all handheld computers
sold, has been marketing its products since 1996. E-Pass has not yet released
its first device, according to the company, but has held the patents since
"The IPO didn't have anything to do with it," said Donald DeLuca, an executive at E-Pass.
"It didn't factor in at all."
De Luca declined to comment on the specifics of the suit, or the patents
allegedly violated, referring those issues to attorney Stephen Weiss, of the
Moses and Singer law firm. Weiss did not return calls seeking comment.
"Not only do 3Com's products utilize the E-Pass patented technology, but
3Com advertises, promotes, and sells its products with literature that
instructs customers on how to use its products in ways described very
specifically and in great detail in the 1994 patent," Weiss said in an
3Com's Palm does not comment on pending litigation as a matter of policy, a
According to the E-Pass statement, 3Com's Palm
division infringed upon U.S. Patent number 5,276,311, filed by E-Pass
founder Hartmut Hennige in 1994. The company's Web site generally outlines the cause for
the complaint: Palm devices
resemble the technology outlined in the patent, according to the site,
because they are in the shape of a card, they are used to select data from a
variety of sources, they have input means for recognizing and responding to
passwords, and because they can access data sets for specific applications.
"With the timing of the IPO, it's very, very suspect," said Diana Hwang, an
analyst with International Data Corp, adding that the Palm is much larger
than a card-sized computer. "Does this mean all the other device
manufacturers are infringing as well? This needs to be scrutinized very
Still, Hwang reserved judgment, noting that other recent technology-sector
lawsuits, such as one filed and then settled by Toshiba regarding faulty
computer drives, have concluded in unexpected ways. "The timing is really
suspect, but it could be true, for all I know."


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As more and more Australians chase the entrepreneurial dream and strive to run their own successful small business or startup, more and more big businesses will square them up in court, say experts.
As if being a small business owner wasn’t hard enough, there’s been no shortage of startups and small businesses finding themselves in court over alleged breaches of copyright and design patents, usually thanks to big businesses taking issue with, at time slight, breaches of their tightly held trademarks.
While businesses sometimes emerge victorious, more often they’re left despondent and poor, with the immense resources of corporates and multinationals quickly draining the capabilities of their smaller counterparts.
Speaking to SmartCompany, Olivia Hitchens, an intellectual property lawyer and director at Hitch Advisory, says she’s seen an increasing number of ‘David versus Goliath’ type battles in recent years. She attributes the rise to the general increase in the number of businesses being started.
“As more and more businesses start up, more people are inspired by things and designs that are already out there,” she says.
Hitchens says while design infringements are obvious ones, the main problem she’s seeing is businesses literally “running out of names”.
“When someone comes up for a name for a business or an app, there’s a good chance it’s somewhat similar to something that already exists,” she says.
“That one common name is enough for a big business to come after an SME, despite it having no impact on the big business’ life and likely not confusing customers. All they’re doing is sending a message.”
However, when the situation is reversed and big businesses get ‘inspired’ by smaller businesses’ designs, Hitchens says there’s still often nothing SMEs can do. She believes the government needs to put in place better protections for small businesses when it does happen.
“If it’s going to mean the end of the business, some SMEs will fight it, but nine out of ten will just make changes to accomodate the bigger business,” she says.
Three tips for protecting your business
With this in mind, Hitchens says there are three things business owners or aspiring founders should take into consideration before they launch a product into the market.
1. Do your due diligence
If you have an idea for a product or app, do a bit of research to see what’s already out there.
“Find out what else is operating in the space and see what words they use and what colour schemes they have. Make sure you’re not going to step on any toes,” says Hitchens.
2. Get some NDAs
After you’ve done your due diligence and you’re satisfied your product is sound, Hitchens says you should think about handing out some non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to your suppliers and programmers.
This is to protect your idea and stop it from leaking out to other businesses who could potentially copy it.
3. Protect your IP
Though it might seem obvious, applying for patents and trademarks for your business and its designs will likely give you the best chance when it comes to protecting your business from the big dogs.
“Do this so when you do launch, you give yourself the best possible protection for your IP,” Hitchens says.
|Have your say on how SME lawyers can help your business.|

domain: news


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Volvo is considering the sale of its North American construction equipment rental business, according to a new report from Bloomberg.
Companies and private-equity firms are reportedly interested in buying the business, named Volvo Rents. The business may be worth between $1 billion and $1.5 billion, according to two sources that spoke to Bloomberg under anonymity.
At this point no final decision to sell have been made.
Volvo Rents operates 130 stores in North America. The company is said to be exploring the sale of the business “as it shifts its focus to profitability from sales growth.”
The article notes Volvo’s 2011 stated aim to top the heavy equipment industry in operating margins.


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While looking at the Twitter activity for the Polkadot, I came across one interesting thing. I thought I should share with you here. Polkadot being the favorite of many financial institutions, wanchain has managed to capture it as well for their own use case. This time decentralized interoperable DeFi solution Wanchain has decided to integrate Polkadot.
They recently tweeted about this integration specific news which you can check out from the below tweet.
Wanchain has previously connected with the Ethereum, Avalanche, Moonriver and now with the Polkadot joins the ecosystem. This is a good news as the Polkadot gets more exposure and also it would help the consumers and the developers as well. Previously wanchain connected with the sister chain - Kusama. And after few months now the Polkadot is part of the ecosystem. This goes to show that Polkadot's adoption would increase in 2022 onwards as well.


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Google Blocks Installation Of Gmail Go On Non-Android Go Devices
As we all know, Google has created a “lite” application for the Android Go platform. Many first-party apps represented by Gmail Go make Android Go device users with limited resources very happy. Unfortunately, this joy does not seem to last long. It is reported that the Gmail Go launched in 2018 retains core functions but consumes only half of the storage space of the ordinary Android App.
Recently, many people have accused Gmail of causing software expansion due to unnecessary Meet tags. Android users who voted with their feet simply switched to the more streamlined Gmail Go mail client.
However, without warning, Google has disabled the option to install the Gmail Go mail client on non-Android Go devices-at least it cannot be installed directly through official channels.
Android Police reported that Google did deliberately remove the wider availability of Gmail Go-because it was an accident that it was able to install on almost all Android devices before! As for whether the official follow-up plans to change this point, Google has not yet expressed its position yet.
Digital marketing enthusiast and industry professional in Digital technologies, Technology News, Mobile phones, software, gadgets with vast experience in the tech industry, I have a keen interest in technology, News breaking.


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The battle to conquer the new and potentially fastest-growing medical marijuana market in the budding European medical cannabis space is ever intensifying with new deals being signed and new collaborations being made, while several Canadian licensed producers (LPs) fight it out with other interested parties in the recently opened re-tender for Germany local production contracts.
The Germany cannabis market is full of promise, with broad insurance coverage for medical marijuana prescriptions fueling a rapid product uptake and fast-growing patient numbers across the country and industry insiders contending that market growth is only being limited predominantly by product availability.
Since my last profiling of Canadian LPs that are likely to lead the Germany market last year, the strong contenders lately been the global market leader Canopy Growth (TSX:WEED)(NYSE:CGC) and its aggressive rival Aurora Cannabis (TSX:ACB).
The two have put up an interesting battle for this nascent market. Is one beating the other?
Aurora entered the Germany market with a bang last year after its acquisition of the largest distributor of medical marijuana on the European continent, Pedanios GmbH, recently renamed Aurora Deutschland GmbH.
The company’s exports to Germany have been consistently growing, though with a slight drop in the first quarter of this year when management explained that revenue growth in this market was constrained by supply availability due to the Aurora’s only E.U. GMP-certified production facility at the time, Aurora Mountain, running at full capacity, but increased shipments were to be expected during the second half of this year.
Export sales performance was as shown below.
Until the first quarter of this year, Aurora performed better than Canopy in Germany, but the latter has significantly upped its game this year.
Aurora’s Germany subsidiary has grown its distribution network significantly over a short period from around 500 to over 3,000 pharmacies by mid-year 2018, and the collaboration agreement with Heinrich Klenk GmbH & Co. KG in May this year, in which Aurora supplies a new cannabis brand, Cannabis Klenk, for distribution through Klenk’s network of 25,000 pharmacies across Germany and Europe, provides further growth momentum.
I expect the company’s sales to grow further after integration with MedReleaf Corp., which has a bigger E.U. GMP-certified facility, and the expected introduction of oil sales this year enhances market development.
The recent strong export sales performance by Canopy took many by surprise this year.
The leading firm’s June quarter cannabis sales in Germany accounted for 14% of product revenue compared to 2% in the same quarter last year, as the company’s subsidiary, Spektrum Cannabis GmbH grew sales volumes by 42% sequentially while realizing higher prices per gram sold.
Canopy’s higher productive capacity made it a favourite to generate more sales growth in the new export market, while the strong growth in its distribution network facilitated better market reach.
To date, its Germany subsidiary distributes marijuana to more than 1,200 pharmacies across the European country. The network has grown from 400 pharmacies by June 2017 and 200 pharmacies in April 2017.
Whether the company’s sales will continue at recent growth levels remains to be seen, but management calls the recent performance “the beginning of the beginning.”
Foolish bottom line
Canopy and Aurora are growing strong in Germany. The former has recorded the fastest growth rate in this new market lately, but the latter enjoyed an early lead and could accelerate growth after the MedReleaf acquisition, which adds more E.U. GMP-certified product supply, which Aurora will draw from going forward.
Aurora may most likely retain its lead after reporting quarterly results late September, and its intended introduction of cannabis oils to the new market could accelerate revenue growth.
Most noteworthy, Aphria joined the race to Germany after its acquisition of Nuuvera, but management’s choice of U.S. GMP certification is intriguing if it’s serious about a Europe expansion strategy where E.U. GMP certification is a critical requirement.
Further, Tilray has been slow to grow Germany sales after reporting only US$345,000 in export revenue for the last quarter, despite having access to a larger distribution network with access to 16,000 pharmacies and selling higher-priced cannabis oil products.
Investors may need to watch Maricann Group, which made its maiden product shipment to Germany in August this year and intends to run a grow facility there, too.
This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the “official” recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium service or advisor. We’re Motley! Questioning an investing thesis — even one of our own — helps us all think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer, so we sometimes publish articles that may not be in line with recommendations, rankings or other content.
Fool contributor Brian Paradza has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.


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RISI Asian CEO of the Year Award for 2016 has recently been named as Kiyoshi Otsubo, Chairman, President and CEO of Rengo Co., Ltd. Mr Otsubo has been President and CEO at Rengo since 2000, and also became Chairman of the company in April 2014.
ESPOO, Finland, May 4, 2016 (Press Release) -Two new pulp drying lines, delivered by Valmet, have been started at Klabin's new pulp mill located in Ortigueira city, Paraná state in Brazil. The first pulp bale was produced according to schedule on March 4th, 2016.
Paper and packaging companies have been largely driven by output volume. However, this is no longer sufficient, and new business models and processes can illustrate a successful path into the future. Many organizations are aiming to design a system that better balances demand with production, focuses on profitability, and can also yield a more efficient operations and control system. This transformation requires real-time digital information and control in a digital paper and packaging enterprise.


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PLEASURES' Holiday 2020 Collection Introduces an "Open Mind, Open World"November 19, 2020
Shortly after delivering its FW20 “Metaphorically Speaking” collection, PLEASURES has returned to unveil its latest Holiday 2020 range.
Titled “Open Mind, Open World,” the seasonal collection continues the Los Angeles-based label’s collaborative outlook with a new lineup of guest collaborators. This time around, artwork showcased comes from Jake Taylor, DJ Healthy, Bootleg Union, Alec Stewart and Austin Hunkins. Fueled by its California roots, PLEASURES has put together transitional items perfect for shifting temperatures. Standouts include the poodle fleece, tapestry knits, sweaters, carpenter pants, accompanied by much, much more.
Check out the collection above and look for the range to release on PLEASURES’ website starting September 20 with exclusive drops coming each Friday for the next few weeks.
For more contemporary fashion, Stüssy enlisted iconic designers for its 40th Anniversary World Tour T-Shirt collection.
Source: Read Full Article


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The acquisition, Johnson & Johnson said, will include Zarbee’s full line of Naturals products.
“Zarbee’s is a values-driven company that was founded on and has achieved significant growth by meeting the evolving health needs of today’s families,” said Katie Devine, global president, OTC franchise, Johnson & Johnson Consumer. “As a global OTC leader, Johnson & Johnson Consumer shares in this vision and is committed to providing innovative healthcare solutions that satisfy the preferences of consumers.”
“Through Zarbee’s Naturals™, we are excited to bring a more comprehensive set of products to consumers within our core need states,” said Kathy Widmer, president, U.S. OTC, Johnson & Johnson Consumer. “The Zarbee’s team has achieved tremendous success in the marketplace and we are excited to be a part of their future growth. Upon closing of the transaction, we look forward to working closely with the Zarbee’s team as they join the Johnson & Johnson Consumer family.”
Zarbee’s Naturals was founded in 2008. Its first product was a honey-based kids’ cough syrup made with vitamin C and zinc, and free of alcohol, drugs and artificial flavors.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2018.


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Having an iPhone doesn’t stop Google handing over your data to the police, according to a New York Times investigation.
Apple has long touted itself as more privacy-conscious than competitors like Google, and even opposed the FBI over a case it said would set a “dangerous precedent” for user privacy.
But the Times found that Google is giving law enforcement data from both Android devices and iPhones when requests are granted.
Apple told the Times that it doesn’t have the ability to furnish law enforcement with data in the same way as Google.
Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.
A New York Times investigation into how Google furnishes law enforcement with phone data exposed one crucial detail — having an iPhone doesn’t stop Google handing over your data.
The in-depth investigation by the Times revealed many details about how Google uses its in-house database — called Sensorvault — to cooperate with law enforcement.
Using the database, Google is able to provide police with the data of phones from a specific time and location. By submitting “geofence” warrants, police are able to look at which phones were in close proximity to a crime. According to a Google employee, the firm once received as many as 180 of such requests in one week.
The data attached to each phone is initially anonymous, then once police have whittled down the number of suspect devices, Google provides them with the names of the people each device is associated with.
The technology has been praised as a useful tool for law enforcement, but the Times piece calls into question whether its powers are too sweeping, especially in the case of innocent people’s data.
Former Google employee Brian McClendon who oversaw Google Maps until 2015, told the Times the method seemed to him “like a fishing expedition.”
iPhones are findable in Google’s database
An intelligence analyst, who has himself examined the data from hundreds of phones, told the Times that it wasn’t just Android users who had their information examined by law enforcement. He said “most Android devices” and “some iPhones” had their data made available by Google.
Investigators told the Times that they hadn’t sent the warrants to any other companies apart from Google, and Apple said it didn’t have the ability to perform the same kind of searches.
Read more: Apple News won’t let advertisers track users or monitor what they read
It is not clear from the Times’ piece exactly how Google was able to provide law enforcement with the data of iPhone users, although it seems possible that it was able to do so through installed Google services, such as Google Maps.
Apple was not immediately available for comment when contacted by Business Insider.
Apple has a history of locking horns with law enforcement
Apple famously refused to help the FBI break into the phone of Syed Rizwan Farook, a perpetrator of the 2015 San Bernardino shooting, which left 14 people dead. Farook was shot dead by police.
Apple CEO Tim Cook published an open letter in 2016, saying that the FBI’s request for Apple to build …read more
Source:: Business Insider


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According to a new report that surfaced just a day before Apple's WWDC 2022 event, we may have a locked amount of shipments for the highly anticipated MacBook Air 2022 update.
Ming-Chi Kuo, a well-known and accurate analyst on Twitter, said in a new status update that the 2022 MacBook Air should see a shipment amount of "6-7 million units if Quanta's capacity in Shanghai can return to the level." prior to closing. before 3Q22.”
(2/2) The forecast for new MBA shipments in the second half of 2022 is 6-7 million units if the capacity of Quanta Shanghai can return to the pre-closing level before the third quarter of 2022. The delivery of the new MBA done by two EMS (Quanta the first and Foxconn the second) should be better than the existing MacBook Pro 14″/16″ (shipped only by Quanta). June 5, 2022
The tweet went on to explain that the delivery system for the new MacBook Air should be an improvement over the current 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models because two companies are running it. The first is Quanta and the second is Foxconn, compared to the current Pro laptops that only Quanta ships.
The main reason for these shipment delays is massive supply constraints, which are related to the current COVID-19 related lockdowns in China. These supply constraints have already cost Apple €6 billion in the last two quarters, and that amount could reach €8 billion.
The reopening of factories in Shanghai is key to the results of Apple and many other tech companies as we head into what should have been a good year for tech buying.
A combination of supply constraints that are driving up inflation around the world and worsening consumer confidence in the economy in many places makes it less likely that otherwise financially secure customers will seek to make large investments in technology.
If Apple's MacBook Air refresh doesn't spark interest at this launch, 7 million units shipped could be an optimistic estimate from Apple, and an estimate that could lead to a glut of MacBook Airs that fewer people are looking to buy right now. After all, units shipped are not the same as units sold.


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We yesterday reported that Samsung began testing the Android 13-based One UI 5.0 stable update for the Galaxy A33 5G internally, with plans to begin the rollout in South Korea and Germany by the end of this month. Well, the Korean conglomerate has already released the stable One UI 5.0 for the Galaxy A33 5G with firmware version A336BXXU4BVJG.
The update requires a download of about 2GB and comes with the usual Android 13 and One UI 5.0 goodies. However, instead of coming with the latest November 2022 Android security patch, it comes with the October 2022 patch.
Samsung is currently seeding the One UI 5.0 stable update in Europe, so if you live in Europe and haven’t received it on your Galaxy A33 5G yet, you can try checking for the update manually by navigating to the phone’s Settings > Software update menu.
Via (in Dutch)


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But in fact top down policing means gravity fed corruption in all its forms from venality to incompetence (probably the greater of the evils). What these critics tend to forget, however, is that the ICC does not have the same enforcement tools as national courts. ??Although a responsive website is more work and therefore more expensive than a non responsive website it is a much better solution.
??Organised food crime: time to face the threat By Mike Stones+ The UK food and drink industry should start preparing now to beat the challenge of organised crime, which could plague the industry in a few years' time, warns the head of food crime at the Food Standards Agency. ??Withdrawal by cheque is quite the opposite, there are many stories of players having to wait for months to recieve a requested cheque and there are no signs that points to this changing in the near future. ??They saw it as an important step forward for people with a disability to engage with a range of informal and formal supports and resources to help them with their everyday needs and over their lifetimes.
General Mills first client at Port Salford hub By Rod Addy+ General Mills has become the first client to sign up to use supply chain firm Culina Group's 26,000m2 Port Salford tri modal logistics facility. ??Category: Boston Consumer activism Journalism Tags: #GlobeDelivery, ACI Circulation, ACI Last Mile, ACI Northeast, Boston Globe, Globe Direct, RedPlum Author Jonathan Kamens Tip jar Do you find my blog useful. Thanks to the localStorage API we can store form values (and more) on the fly so that in the event that the above happens, the values already entered will still be in browser memory.


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Artificial intelligence (AI) has digitized payment processing, streamlining online shopping and paying bills through the Internet. According to the 2019 Global FinTech Adoption Index, 25% of small & medium businesses use AI technologies in banking, financing, and financial management. AI-powered digital banking drives a superior customer experience by mimicking the actions of in-person customer service, but faster, with round-the-clock access. Instead of waiting to reach a live person, customers can interact with a virtual assistant or chatbot—supported by natural language processing, powered through intelligent IA.
AI in payment processing is also starting to utilize computer vision, which replaces traditional currency and credit cards. Account information is stored digitally, and customers use smartphones to pay for purchases (i.e., Google Pay, Apple Wallet, etc.). Financial organizations are also starting to utilize computer vision so that customers can open accounts online instead of in a traditional bank.
AI technologies are especially useful for fraud detection. AI uses big data to build user profiles for payment settings, analyzing transactional history and past behaviors to establish a pattern. When unusual activity occurs, AI alerts the bank or customer, prompting them to block the account or re-confirm the transaction via text, email or other communication methods. Less time is needed to verify daily transactions as well. Machine Leaning (ML) algorithms analyzes data to quickly weed out fraudulent activity.
Artificial intelligence has made payment processing and digital banking much easier. Here’s why:
Accelerate change for a promising future with AI-ML solutions


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Remember the Huawei teaser from last Monday with a shooting star in the upper left corner? The company cleared any confusion today, relaunching the same teaser, but with a camera instead of a light dot, revealing this will be the Huawei nova 4, and it will arrive on December 17.
The phone was already spotted in the wild in a pre-production case with its unusual selfie camera in the upper left corner. Given Samsung is yet to announce a launch date for the Galaxy A8s, Huawei looks set to become the first company to introduce a phone with the unusual solution.
Huawei nova 3 arrived in July with a Kirin 970 chipset, while the nova 2s sported a Kirin 960 platform. This leads to the assumption the new device will have the latest SoC - Kirin 980, because if it sticks to the midranger Kirin 710, it might be as powerful as the affordable nova 3i, and that would be an utter disappointment.
Why it has not been launched in india yet ??
Always copy from Samsung and Apple. Costumers knows only Apple and Samsung. Chinese companies no have innovation they can only copy stolen from others


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Is this Coventry’s cheapest car park?
The owners of a new city centre car park say they are offering exceptionally cheap rates.
It costs just £1.50 a day to park in the Abbots Lane car park , which opened at the beginning of the month.
Located just off the Coventry ring road near Canal Basin, the site offers easy access to the centre and is open 24 hours a day.
A short stay of two hours sets drivers back a mere 50p or spend £1 and stay for up to five.
Long stay charges are £1.50 for 12 hours and £2 for 24 hours.
Car Parking Management who run the car park said they saw the demand for cheaper parking in the city after doing some research in the local area.
A permit for a full week can be bought for £7.50 and for a whole month the price is £32.50.
Last week we reported that prices were slashed by around 30% at the nearby Belgrade Plaza after the car park was taken over by NCP.
It now costs £1.20 for two hours instead of £1.80, three hours is now £1.80 rather than £2.50, while a 24-hour stay will cost you £8.
Download our all-new mobile app to get the latest news, sport and what's on.
One quick sync and you can read our content on the move without being online.
Get regular news alerts straight to your mobile and keep up with the latest traffic and travel or breaking events as they happen via our daily live blogs.
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In the crosshairs is the online advertising business, which accounts for 80% of Alphabet’s revenues. The trial will start in September.
Other than ChatGPT, the real threat to the Google empire comes from the American antitrust. In the crosshairs is the online advertising business, which accounts for 80% of Alphabet’s revenues. The accusation: a monopoly built through illegal practices designed to neutralize all competition.
The Justice Department and eight US states have sued Google, accusing them of holding an illegal monopoly on the online advertising market. Among the hypotheses on the table is also the so-called “Google stew”, a journalistic term to refer to the hypothesis that a company splits up its main businesses into different companies, often with different owners. The Justice Department, in other words, is proposing the separation of its advertising activities from the company’s other businesses. The Justice Department also asked the court to force Google to divest its Google Ad suite.
The government had already sued Google in 2020 for its monopoly on online advertising and search engines. The process, according to what has emerged so far, could begin next September and will seek to establish Google’s role in online advertising, capable of generating more than 80% of Mountain View’s revenues. Google would use anti-competitive, exclusionary and illegal means to eliminate or greatly reduce any threat to its dominance of digital advertising technologies.
The new, huge, Antitrust investigation against Google: “the advertising business is an illegal monopoly”


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Metal Gear series director Hideo Kojima believes that Japan's biggest issue is that its content, which encapsulates games, movies, novels and more, is too fixated on the Japan market.
In an exclusive interview with CVG the head of Konami's Kojima Productions was asked what he think of the Japanese market compared to the European and North American industry.
"One thing about Japan, and this isn't just games, is that things made in Japan are very much targeted at Japan, whether it's games, movies or novels," he responded.
"The curse in Japan is that a lot of media is made in Japan just for Japan - you go to the cinema and it's all Japanese movies."
Kojima said he was making it his mission to draw influence from western media when creating his games.
"My generation is now being exposed to a wide range of influences, that's why what I want to make is a little bit more in tune with what people in the West will like. I really like all the things that are being made in the West.
"When I come to shows like E3 and see the announcements and go to Comic-Con, I love all of the presentations, so really I've been thinking maybe I was born in the wrong country!"
In the same interview Kojima revealed his 'Fox Engine is built for Xbox 360, PS3, PC and can be used to develop on multiple platforms at once.


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The growth keeps coming for Tesla's energy storage business.
On Wednesday, the automaker said its home and utility-scale battery deployments reached 6.5 gigawatt hours (GWh) during its fiscal 2022, calling it "by far the highest level of deployments we have achieved." That's up from about 4 GWh in 2021.
For context, the average American home consumes 10,632 kilowatt hours — just over 0.01 GWh — per year, according to the U.S. Energy Department.
In the fourth quarter alone, Tesla said energy storage deployments reached 2.5 GWh — up from 2.1 GWh in Q3. Tesla's energy storage business includes its Powerwall home batteries and its much larger Megapacks.
Tesla also updated investors on its solar business, saying deployments totaled 348 megawatts in 2022. In the final quarter of the year, the automaker's solar deployments fell just short of recent highs, hitting 100 MW in Q4.
In July, the automaker's solar energy arm announced its “strongest” quarter in four years, with 106 megawatts deployed in Q2. Tesla said something similar about its energy storage business in Q3, declaring in October that it recorded "by far the highest level [of growth it has] ever achieved," with home and utility-scale battery deployments rocketing 62% year over year. Tesla also dipped its toes in the Texas retail electricity market with an invite-only plan called Tesla Electric.
Yet, Tesla reportedly put solar roof installations on ice during this timeframe, and one of its Megapack batteries caught fire at a California power storage site in September, state utility PG&E said. Tesla also missed some Wall Street analysts' expectations in recent quarters — falling short on revenue in Q3 and deliveries in Q3 and Q4. Earlier on Wednesday, Tesla's stock price was trading at a two-year low.


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18 Tons of Gansu Apples Exported to Mexico for First Time
According to a statement from Lanzhou customs officials on March 24 published by China News Service, 18 tons of red Fuji apples from Pingliang city in Gansu province’s Jingning county successfully passed the requisite quarantine requirements for export to Mexico. This is the first time that Gansu apples have been exported to North America and represents a great step forward for Jingning’s apple exporters since they started to utilize new land- and sea-based trade passages in November 2019. To celebrate this development, a ceremony was held the same day at Long Yuanhong Fruits Selling Company.
Jingning county is the biggest apple-growing region in both Gansu province and China as a whole. Situated at 35 degrees latitude on the Loess Plateau, this growing region benefits from a warm temperate climate, mild humidity and ample sunlight. Its average annual temperature, rainfall and other climatic conditions make this region extremely well suited to apple production. The apple-growing area in Jingning county exceeds 165,000 acres (66,773 hectares), and winter and spring are the peak seasons for Gansu’s apple exports.
Gansu province is one of China’s primary apple-producing regions with a total production area exceeding 1.023 million acres (413,993 hectares) and an annual production volume of 4.9 million tons, which are the second highest production area and volume in China. This region is renowned for apple varieties such as Jingning, Huaniu, Qingyang and Pingliang jinguo (“Pingliang golden fruit”). During the COVID-19 epidemic, Gansu province donated 100 tons of Jingning apples to Wuhan.
According to statistics from Lanzhou customs officials, to date Gansu province has exported 31,800 tons of fresh apples to 22 countries and regions with a total value of $40.95 million.
In an effort to mitigate the effects of the epidemic on agricultural exports, Lanzhou customs authorities have implemented several measures to ensure that Gansu’s growers comply with quality requirements and fruit exporters become registered in various countries, such as Russia, Mexico, Australia and Kazakhstan, as well as supporting the expansion of local exporters and their diversification in international markets.
At the same time, Lanzhou customs authorities also increased their customs clearance efficiency, improved the clearance process and shortened clearance times. After exporters had completed their customs declarations, customs authorities for the first time sent workers to conduct on-site inspections and testing, ensuring rapid clearance for the exported apples.
Image: Jingning County press release
This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article.
December 04, 2022
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Lenovo has unveiled not one but FOUR new tablets that are all aimed at those on a tight budget, which is great news for cash-strapped consumers who desperately want a tablet device but just couldn’t justify (or even pay for) an iPad.
The four new devices unfortunately don’t have names as appealing as Lenovo’s Yoga just yet, the A7-30, the A7-50, the A8 and the A10 slates are all expanding on the Chinese company’s A-series range and run on Android OS – but there are no official details on which version at the moment.
The A7-30 and A7-50 both have a 7″ display, the A8 has an 8″ and the A10 has a 10″. All of them have quad-core processors and Dolby front speakers. The A7-30 is the only one with a standard display and no camera, but the rest have a HD display and cameras on the front and the back.
From Lenovo’s official release it’s clear the smaller A7-30 is for those who are looking for a super compact device who want decent sound quality, the A10 is for watching movies and TV shows and its bold colour range suggests the A8 is aimed at a slightly younger consumer.
Lenovo VP and head of the company’s mobile business unit, Shao Tao, says the new “tablet family is designed to meet the demands of today’s young, active users who are always on the go, and have lifestyle requirements that are as diverse as their own personalities.”
The tablets are set to be released at some point in the second quarter of 2014 (we’ll keep you posted about exact dates) and for now the prices range from £99.99 for the A7-50 to £169.99 for the A10-70.


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David Morris MP has welcomed news that companies in Morecambe and Lunesdale are contributing to the UK’s 2.8 per cent increase in exports.
Since April 2013, the Government agency UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) has provided support to 32 businesses in Morecambe and Lunesdale, and a total of 1,714 services to 650 businesses across the whole of Lancashire.
Nine companies have received advice on the Passport to Export trade programme which is designed to provide new or inexperienced exporters with training, planning and support to grow their business overseas.
Mr Morris said: “I have said on many occasions that Morecambe and Lunesdale is open for business.
“Just a few weeks ago, I took the Prime Minister to F Edmondson and Sons Transport who export furniture and the Chancellor George Osborne to DST which is a company based on White Lund exporting all over the world and particularly to Asia.”
Grant Shapps MP also accompanied Mr Morris to Havwoods of Carnforth who export wooden flooring to Australia.
Mr Morris said: “It is great news that so many businesses are exporting and making such a huge contribution to the economy. I’d encourage any company who are considering entering the export market to apply for the Passport to Export service.”


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Brands are still finding their way in social media. At times, the rush to be relevant and “human” runs up against the boundaries of good taste especially when it comes to how marketers handle tragic occasions.
The latest case in point is the anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing. Tomorrow, the Boston Marathon will happen again, in what is sure to be an emotional day, often commemorated in social media with the hashtag #BostonStrong. The Boston Marathon is also a huge commercial endeavor, generating an estimated $175 million in economic activity.
“Boston Strong” is a brand unto itself. A play on Livestrong and the “Army Strong” tagline, it sprung into existence following the terrorist attack at the marathon finish line a year ago. The Boston Globe noted the phrase “shows just how much we have learned from the advertising world in the creation of catch phrases that “stick,” even when they are inspired by utterly unexpected events.” Indeed, there are no fewer than eight trademark applications for everything from Boston Strong beer to Boston Strong coffee already in the works. The business of America continues to be business.
Boston, nice job taking a tragedy and turning it into a marketing campaign #BostonStrong
— Chris Caruso (@RoosterEYE) April 16, 2014
There’s an argument to be made that brands need to be more human, and expressing their own solidarity is a natural way. And then there’s the idea that some apparel company shouldn’t capitalize on a tragedy to sell socks. Justin Miller, a marketing and digital strategist, has an office a couple blocks from the finish line in Boston. He is firmly in the latter camp — and shared examples of what he feels are marketers stepping over the line with #BostonStrong.
There have been a pretty significant amount of companies that are tacking on #BostonStrong or Boston Strong to their brands, and although I don’t think it’s malicious, I think it’s inappropriate because they’re using a terrorist attack to position themselves and their brand with consumers. No Under Armour, you’re not Boston Strong, you’re an apparel company. If you ask me — a marketing person who has to think about things like this for his own company — the play isn’t connecting yourself with the tragedy but acknowledging it. Instead of being Boston Strong, you should be thinking of the victims on the anniversary of the tragedy and then go back to talking about how your innovative fabric can feel light while keeping your body temperature down. It’s phony and cheap.
Here’s a selection of marketers using #BostonStrong. Weigh in with your own thoughts on which hit the mark and which miss it.
— Samuel Adams Beer (@SamuelAdamsBeer) March 26, 2014
— Matthew Eriksen (@matthew_eriksen) April 20, 2014
— Vibram FiveFingers (@Vibram5Fingers) April 20, 2014
— Altra Footwear (@AltraZeroDrop) April 20, 2014
— Zockster (@ShopZockster) April 20, 2014
— Fleet Feet Chicago (@FleetFeetChgo) April 17, 2014
— Jessica Ni Murphy (@nijessica) April 15, 2014
— Rue La La (@RueLaLa) April 20, 2014
— Gillette (@Gillette) April 15, 2014
Image via Shutterstock
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For more than four decades, the annual tech show has been used as a platform for companies to show their wares. The VCR, for example, was unveiled at it in 1970 and in 1981 the camcorder and CD player made an appearance. The Mini Disc player debuted there in 1993, HD TV in 1998, plasma TV in 2001 and 3D TV in 2009.
The first show took place in New York in 1967 with 200 exhibitors and 17,500 attendees. This year more than 3000 exhibitors showcased their gadgets and gizmos spread across two venues covering 177,000 square metres of exhibition space (35 American football fields).
The 2013 show was all about tech companies showing off what advancements or alterations they had made to existing technologies to make them even better. From prototype smartphone screens that can bend, to humungous tablets the size of a coffee table that can be used to play Monopoly, there was something for everyone.
For TV set manufacturers, the tech fair was a chance to show how much smarter their TVs were becoming. So-called smart TVs unveiled this week at the Las Vegas show offered technologies that watch the viewer, in an effort to offer more relevant programming.
Chinese manufacturer TCL unveiled a new TV and set-top box to be sold later this year in the US using the Google TV platform, which recognises who is watching in order to suggest potential programs.
Samsung unveiled a similar platform that uses a technology called S Recommendation that allows a user to speak to their TV to discover shows they would want to watch. The new Samsung TVs also take advantage of hand gestures and an interface called Smart Hub, which lets users browse what is on TV, movies and TV shows.
Samsung also revealed that it would soon begin selling special viewing glasses that would allow two people to view different channels from the same TV at the same time - a concept quickly dubbed as "anti-social" and "hate vision" by some in the tech industry. Samsung's F9500 television is the first in the world to offer this feature, dubbed ''multi-view'', using screen technology called ''organic light-emitting diode'', or OLED.
Another advantage of OLED is being able to use it on thin plastic screens, enabling for future phones and tablets that can bend. A prototype phone shown off by Samsung in a keynote did not appear flexible enough to fold in half like a piece of paper, but it could bend into a tube. For the bendable phone, Samsung laid OLED chemicals over thin plastic instead of glass. That's a trick you can't pull off with liquid crystals in standard displays.
Bigger smartphones - "phablets" (devices between 13 and 18 centimetres diagonally) - were also a hot ticket item on show, as were oversized tablets.
With a screen measuring 15.5 centimetres diagonally, Chinese tech giant Huawei unveiled its Ascend Mate smartphone, which looks much more like a small tablet than a phone. Powered by Google's Android Jelly Bean operating system, the Mate sports a fast 1.5GHz quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM. Powering it is a large 4050 mAh battery.
A Lenovo PC the size of a coffee table that works like a gigantic tablet and lets four people use it at once was also on show. Running Windows 8, it sports a 68-centimetre screen and weighs 6.8 kilograms. For perspective, it's the size of eight iPads stitched together. Named the Horizon Table PC, it will cost $US1699 ($1617) when it goes on sale later this year and include plastic ''strikers'' for Air Hockey, and joysticks that attach to the screen.
Panasonic also unveiled the world's first ultra high definition 50.8-centimetre tablet at the fair in prototype form, aimed at those in need of quality graphics such as photographers. Designed to sit on a table, it's about 1 centimetre thick and has not been given a name or release date.
One of the more quirkier gadgets seen on the show floor was the HAPIfork, designed for people who eat too fast. As the name might suggest, it's a fork, but with a motion sensor built-in that knows when you are lifting it to your mouth.
If you're eating too fast, it vibrates as a warning. But it won't know how healthy or how big each bite you take will be, so shovelling a plate of salad will likely be judged as less healthy than slowly putting away bacon. It is set to ship around April or May for $US99 on the crowd-funding site Kickstarter.


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Earlier this week, you may have seen the first part of this article, where we discussed how robocallers collect your information. Today, we continue our discussion on data privacy and what you can do to keep your organization and personal data safe.
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Waldorf Blofeld Black Edition Released
The new black Blofeld is produced 100% in German Schwarzarbeit.
879 Euro for the Key version and 440 Euro for the Desktop Blofeld.
Visit Waldorf for more details.
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A group of major tour operators and hoteliers in Thailand has launched a petition asking the country’s government to reopen borders from July 1.
The Asian country is currently closed to international leisure travellers.
The Open Thailand Safely campaigners say that the beginning of July is the appropriate date to reopen because the most travellers from key markets, such as Europe and the US, will be vaccinated by then.
There are 21 signatories to the campaign’s online letter, entitled ‘A call to reopen Thailand’.
The letter said: “The continued closure of international travel has decimated Thailand’s tourism and related industries.
“The current situation is unsustainable.”
It wants “tourists with proof of vaccination enter Thailand without quarantine”.
The July 1 date also gives international travellers time to make plans and bookings, and enables airlines, hotels and tour operators to prepare for tourism to resume.
The petition will be sent to the prime minister, tourism minister and governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.


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Apple Face Lawsuit After Apple Defector Loses Texts
Apple is facing a lawsuit after nulling text messages sent to people who were no longer Apple customers and had replaced their iPhones with devices from Apple’s competitors. This is in relation tot he iMessage app and the problem has though now been rectified.
American district judge Lucy Koh has ruled that Apple will face charges of “unfair competition”. The company’s handling of texts sent to those who no longer have the iMessage app and had switched to Android, Windows Phone or basically any device that wasn’t Apple.
Former Apple customer Adrienne Moore defected to Samsung and got herself a Galaxy S5. Judge Koh said that Moore had failed to receive ‘countless’ text messages sent to her from owners of Apple devices and because she no longer had Apple’s iMessage app she would never receive they messages. Judge Koh ruled on Monday that Moore could proceed with a claim against Apple for failing to disclose its company policy on devices that are not associated with its network.
Judge Koh was quoted as saying “The plaintiff has sufficiently alleged an injury-in-fact … to survive a motion to dismiss,” the judge wrote in her order. The plaintiff alleges that Apple’s interference with the receipt of her text messages deprived her of the full benefit of her contractual bargain with Verizon Wireless.”


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The mass protest launched by thousands of employees of private grocery chain Market Basket in June in support of its CEO has adversely impacted the US jobs report for the month of August.
The number of workers in the retail sector declined significantly by 8,000 last month. A 17,000 worker decline in food and beverage stores contributed to the high figures of decline in staffs nationally.
Thousands of Market Basket employees across Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire were canned in July after they staged severe protests against the removal of their CEO Arthur T. Demoulas from the company.
However, Demoulas resumed to his post in late August and all associates were welcomed back by the CEO, but over two months of disruption succeeded in putting a dent in the August jobs report.
Following presentation of the report, BLS Commissioner Erica Groshen, in her commentary said the decline in the numbers of workers at food and beverage stores was, “heavily impacted by employment disruptions at a grocery store chain in New England.”
According to Groshen, other parts of the retail sector performed fairly good.
The auto dealer employment increased by 5,000. Also, the auto sales increased to their fastest pace last month since 2006.
Meanwhile, the market watchers and analysts said that the Market Basket employees’ protest is tend to have an unexpected impact nationally as despite having a massive strength of workers, the absence of employees of the store chain adversely impacted the country’s overall jobs report in August.


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Have an old car seat sitting around collecting dust in the garage? There’s still time to participate in Target’s popular car seat recycling program, back once again in all stores – including Champaign.
This is a much needed service, especially in the Champaign-Urbana area, where there is no consistent option to recycle car seats.
Here’s what you need to know about Target Car Seat Recycling Trade-In Program:
- April 22 through May 4, bring any unwanted car seats to the Champaign Target store and receive a coupon for 20 percent off a new car seat, booster seat, car seat base, travel system, stroller or select baby gear.
- When you get to the store, bring your used car seat to the drop-off box located near Guest Services, and the team member there will give you the coupon. Guests can get one coupon per seat dropped off, and the coupon is eligible through May 11, 2019. This coupon can be stacked with existing baby sale items, such as 10% off select car seats.
- The old car seats will go to Waste Management. According to Target, Waste Management will recycle the parts to create things like pallets, plastic buckets and construction materials such as steel beams and carpet padding.
Target introduced its first car seat trade-in program in April 2016. Since the program launched, more than 496,000 car seats, or 7.4 million pounds of car seats, have been recycled, according to the company.
All car seat brands will be accepted for recycling. Questions? Check out their FAQ.
For more information about options to dispose of car seats in Champaign-Urbana, go here. For more information regarding where to recycle – just about anything – in Champaign-Urbana, please visit our Champaign-Urbana recycling guide.


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BlackBerry is set to unveil its latest smartphone, in a move aimed at reviving the fortunes of the struggling Canadian tech group.
The Waterloo, Ontario-based company reported a net loss of $207 million, or 39 cents per share, for the second quarter ended August 30.
The Waterloo headquartered firm is the clear leader in this market, with the most secure devices, software, servers and network, Chen added.
According to Manoj Khilnani, Country Head, BlackBerry India, the company is realigning its enterprise strategy into four core areas: Devices, Software, BBM and QNX Acquisition
BlackBerry, which suffered in the smartphone market because of a delayed Z10 launch a couple of years ago, is on a recovery path.
BlackBerry said it would team up with Samsung to provide a "highly secure mobility solution" for Android that couples with Samsung's KNOX software.
BlackBerry has some 3.4 million clients provisionally signed up for BES 12 who are potentially set to become paying clients early next year.
The one-time smartphone industry pioneer recently concluded a three-year long restructuring process and has largely halted the bleed.


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London daily newspaper City AM is carving a new revenue stream by letting advertisers publish directly to its site, and has signed its first client, Invest Edinburgh, in a six-month £60,000 ($80,000) deal.
Invest Edinburgh published its first batch of articles on the site last week, some of which have equalled the publisher’s own traffic for editorial content. One piece: “Budget rail service will link Edinburgh and London” received over 2,000 views and was the fourth most-read article on the site last Sunday.
The advertiser has been capitalizing on publishing directly to the CMS, by writing articles tied to the news cycle. This week it published “Why Edinburgh’s festivals rival the Olympic Games,” tied to the games, as well as “Edinburgh should stay the top UK location for commercial property investment outside London post-Brexit.” A week in, and the content published has had about 5,000 views for the eight stories published so far, according to the Invest Edinburgh Talk hub. “That’s organic — the paid and social amplification that comes with the deal, hasn’t started yet,” said City AM chief operating officer Charles Yardley.
Six months is the minimum buy-in for the product, called City Talk, and at £10,000 ($13,000) a month brands can publish an unlimited number of text-based articles; videos; podcasts. They also have one piece a month feature in the print newspaper, and social and paid promotion from the publisher.
All content is clearly labelled: “Invest Edinburgh Talk.” Aside from that, they look exactly the same as editorial content.
The approach goes against the grain of how most publishers have built branded content revenue, by creating studios. In the U.K. Forbes is the only other publisher that opens its CMS to advertisers. Yardley introduced the model when he joined from Forbes in January. Clients are given audience tips ahead of posting, and given feedback on how they can boost performance further. Aside from that, City AM is fairly hands-off.
For City AM, it’s opened new revenue, without the burden of studio costs. And the pipeline is strong, with five more six-month deals poised, and one 12-month deal at £120,000 ($160,000), according to Yardley. He wouldn’t reveal names but the interested brands fall into the payments, financial services, consultancy-type verticals.
“This is going to make a big difference for us. The kinds of people we’re speaking to are not necessarily advertising everywhere, so if we can win them, there is the potential to then unlock advertising deals from it too,” he added.
“We have one partner paying £120,000 a year. If you have 10 of those, that’s over a million pounds [$1.3 million] in business that’s come out of nowhere. In 18 months time, it could make a significant difference,” he said.
Media agency Maxus is currently trying to sell in City Talk to a financial tech client. Katy Halewood, head of Maxus for Business, said the service is particularly good for B2B clients which may have done content marketing for years, but still struggle to make it stand out, and not appear dry.
Getting something like 2,000 shares on a piece of branded content is fairly standard, but usually for work that’s been created or influenced by publishers’ editorial teams and skills, she said. So getting solid performance like that when the onus is on the brand to create the content, is compelling. “That’s good performance, and if it’s the kind of performance we can expect from these deals, we’ll definitely be recommending it more to clients,” she added.
Giving brands control over what they post on a real-time basis differentiates City AM’s offering from other publishers, whose content will more typically be vertical-specific, according to MediaCom head of digital for EMEA Dan Chapman. “City AM is news based, and brands may want to be reactive to news related to or relevant to them. This gives them that control,” he said. “If there’s negative press on a brand, they can create content that challenges any perceived misconceptions on them.”
Where it could really get interesting is in its ability to boost a brand’s SEO, he added. “The value of being able to post directly via a quality news site is big,” he said. “There’s also the value of the link-backs you’ll get to those articles. That creates massive benefits for SEO. You may find brands don’t consider it for tactical campaigns but as a strategic partnership for SEO.”
Cost-wise, £10,000 a month may seem a relatively good deal for branded content partnership with a publisher — provided it performs. Packages with content created by publisher studios tend to be in the six-figure-plus realm. But naturally, it’s nothing if the campaign doesn’t connect. “That will need to be clear: who’s accountable for the performance — the agency or the publisher,” said Chapman.
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Amid some unfortunate times for Microsoft’s Windows Phone, LG told the Korea Herald this morning that it has no plans in the foreseeable future to launch a new Windows Phone handset. Instead, the company is putting all of its effort behind Android.
What’s the reason? Well, LG made it short, sweet, and to the point. “The total unit of Windows Phone sold in the global market is not a meaningful figure,” a representative stated. LG more than many other manufacturers decided a few years ago to focus on Windows Phone more than Android, but unfortunately the platform just isn’t catching on with consumers in the same way Android has been and as a result, the company has been losing money.
LG isn’t abandoning Windows Phone altogether though. It says it will “continue research and development efforts” with the operating system. The next generation OS, Windows Phone 8 codenamed Apollo, hopefully will provide some relief for Microsoft and these vendors. While the current Windows Phone actually is promising, it’s been hard to market as a worthy competitor to those Android powerhouses or the iPhone.
In other news, Nokia announced a few weeks ago that it sold 2 million Windows Phone devices first quarter out of 12 million total smartphones sold. That’s not really all that dreadful, but it’s not that great either. However, profits were absolutely pitiful so those 2 million Windows Phone handsets didn’t benefit Nokia in any way.
It seems this trend among Windows Phone vendors is very common and it’s one Microsoft needs to fix pronto.
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Khao San vendors have called on the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to review new regulations limiting street trading issued by the agency, saying the regulations could hurt tourism and affect their income.
They said the regulations are too rigid, and are demanding authorities relax them.
A group of vendors in the Khao San area in Phra Nakhon district headed by Yada Pornphetrumpha assembled at Wat Chanasongkhram School on Tuesday to discuss the regulations issued by the BMA for street vendors in the area.
Under the new regime, vendors will be allowed to sell their products from Thursdays until Sundays, from 6pm to midnight, Ms Yada said.
Their stalls must be placed within one section of the traffic lane, she added.
Currently, the street vendors have been allowed to sell in the evening in a designated area on Khao San Road every day except on Mondays.
The regulations are part of the BMA's clean-up campaign, launched in July 2014, aimed at reclaiming public areas and pavements that were encroached upon by street vendors.
Ms Yada said her group did not agree with the regulations, demanding authorities revise the days vendors are allowed in the area.
"Fewer days for trade means our income will be cut," she said.
The group also called on authorities to allow vendors to occupy a 1.2-metre deep section of the road with their stalls, she said, adding vendors have agreed to keep the area tidy and help authorities look out for criminals.
Wisut Kittiraweechot, who heads the City Cultural Council of Phra Nakhon district, said the agency supports the BMA's regulations regarding vendors, adding they will help improve the area's landscape, attracting more tourists.
Several spots near Khao San are untidy and dirty, discouraging tourists, he noted.
Mr Wisut said the agency also supports the idea of limiting space for vendors to one side of the road, allowing for emergency vehicles to pass through.
However, he said only allowing vendors to operate four days a week may affect their income.
Mr Wisut has called on authorities to allow vendors to get involved in drawing up regulations by holding talks.
Ms Yada said her group will submit proposals to authorities for consideration.
They will also hand over a separate letter to the trade association asking it help address problems, she added.
Vendors have never been allowed to participate in drafting regulations.
After successfully reclaiming Khlong Thom, Saphan Lek, and Pak Klong markets, the BMA now is targeting Siam, Yaowarat, and Pratunam.


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I thought this was rather funny…MS is admitting (because they’ve been caught again) that they are invading their users boxes w/out permission.
My Zone Alarm has been popping-up on this daily. Now I know why.
A remedy for this is listed below.
[quote]Microsoft plans better disclosures of tool
By ALLISON LINN, AP Business Writer Wed Jun 7, 7:52 PM ET
SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp. acknowledged Wednesday that it needs to better inform users that its tool for determining whether a computer is running a pirated copy of Windows also quietly checks in daily with the software maker.
The company said the undisclosed daily check is a safety measure designed to allow the tool, called Windows Genuine Advantage, to quickly shut down in case of a malfunction. For example, if the company suddenly started seeing a rash of reports that Windows copies were pirated, it might want to shut down the program to make sure it wasn’t delivering false results.
“It’s kind of a safety switch,” said David Lazar, who directs the Windows Genuine Advantage program.
Lazar said the company added the safety measure because the piracy check, despite widespread distribution, is still a pilot program. He said the company was worried that it might have an unforeseen emergency that would require the program to terminate quickly.
[b]But he acknowledged that Microsoft should have given users more information about the daily interactions.
[color=red]“We’re looking at ways to communicate that in a more forward manner,” he said.[/color][/b]
Lazar also said the company plans to tweak the program soon so that it will only check in with Microsoft every two weeks, rather than daily.[/quote]
A handy-dandy tool that works to remedy this, and other, intrusions.
And its free/shareware.


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- British news site Sky News reports that global spirits company Diageo, which owns Guinness and Smirnoff, is looking to sell off many of its American brands, including Myers's Rum, Popov vodka, Romana sambucca and Goldschlager, as the beverage giant shifts its focus onto premium global brands such as Johnnie Walker, Ciroc, Tanqueray and Baileys Irish cream.
- Insiders told Sky News the U.S. brands, which Diageo would like to sell as a complete package, could command an overall $500 million to $1 billion price tag. Centerview Partners, an investment bank specializing in consumer-goods deals, is handling the sale.
- The sale process is expected to last several months. The company has seen flat sales in recent years, but said it saw a 6.1% increase in operating profit for half-year results in January, according to Sky News.
The potential sale is another bold move by Diageo in the premium sector lately, hoping to boost watered down sales recently. Last year, the company agreed to purchase Casamigos, the fastest-growing super-premium tequila brand in the U.S., for $1 billion.
The strategic shift to top shelf alcohol comes as spirits consumption, especially among millennials, continues to grow, as Food Dive has reported. A survey last year found that that age group drinks more than their Generation X and baby boomer counterparts. In addition, their interest in vintage cocktails like the old fashioned has spurred retail sales of alcohol like whiskey, tequila, bourbon and gin.
Another difference between the generations includes brand loyalty, or lack thereof. While 52% of baby boomers know which alcohol brands they intend to buy in advance, only 24% of millennials do. This gap poses a lucrative opportunity for alcohol manufacturers to lure millennials with premium ingredients, unique flavor profiles and eye-catching label art.
The beverage industry has also found success by selling consumers on the idea they should “drink less, but better,” Fortune reported last year. That marketing has convinced many drinkers that they will have a better experience if they consume alcohol made from top ingredients. And it is certainly paying off.
The Distilled Spirits Council recently reported record spirits sales and volumes, and market share gain for hard alcohol compared with beer in 2017. Strongest growth came from high-end and super premium products across almost all categories, council Chief Economist David Ozgo said in the report. Key drivers included American whiskey, tequila, cognac, and Irish whiskey.


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Country aims to give impetus to export-oriented industrialisation at Rashakai SEZ
Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday inaugurated the Rashakai Special Economic Zone (SEZ) that would create at least 200,000 job opportunities and give new impetus to Pakistan’s export-oriented industrialisation.
Rashakai, one of the nine SEZs under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), will begin a new era of industrialisation in Pakistan, PM Imran Khan said.
The SEZ is being constructed in Nowshera, Pakistan’s northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The zone is being built at the cost of $242 million with the collaboration of China’s state enterprise China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) and KP Economic Zone Development and Management Company (KPEZDMC).
Prime Minister Imran Khan says the government is taking all-out steps to incentivise investors for the promotion of industrialisation and exports in the country. There will be one-window operation to make it an investor-friendly zone and to remove the hurdles by facilitating local and foreign investors. Rashakai SEZ is a landmark project that would help attract direct foreign investment, bolster industrialisation, create new jobs for the skilled workforce, and increase exports – imperative for sustainable economic development, he said.
Industrial development and jobs
The location of the economic zone, close to Afghanistan and Central Asian States (CARs) would accelerate the pace of economic and industrial development and take the country’s exports to new heights, and transform the KP province into a hub of trade and investment, the premier stated.
Speaking at the ceremony, Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong said the Rashakai SEZ would drive “industrial development in Pakistan”, create more jobs for youth and accelerate economic progress. It will also help enhance economic cooperation between Pakistan and China, he said.INDUSTRIAL SECTORSThese industrial sectors have been planned and proposed at Rashakai SEZ:
· Food and beverage
· Homebuilding materials
· Electronics and electrical appliances
· Automobile and mechanical equipment
Trade and investment hub
The Rashakai SEZ is prioritised as a special economic park spreading over an area of about 1,000 acres near the provincial capital of Peshawar. The zone under the CPEC framework will become an important trade hub for the region with the collaboration of Pakistan and China, says CEO of KPEZDMC Javed Khattak.
The project will be completed in three phases. It had attracted $128 million Chinese investment, according to special assistant to KP chief minister on industries Abdul Karim Khan said.
Rashakai SEZ has attracted the interest of more than 2,000 potential investors, according to the government. CPEC Authority chairman Asim Saleem Bajwa said Phase 2 of CPEC includes “industrialisation through establishing export-oriented SEZs”.


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TWO Port Lincoln fishing identities, Andrew Puglisi and Hagen Stehr, have signed on to continue their roles as premium food and wine ambassadors for the state.
The ambassadors program is made up of prominent South Australian industry advocates who commit their time to champion the benefits of South Australia’s premium food and wine.
The local men are joined by well-known South Australian food and wine advocates, Duncan Welgemoed, Callum Hann, Michael Agelakis and Simon Bryant.
The ambassador program was launched in 2013 and since then ambassadors have been involved activities that support South Australia’s premium food and wine, which includes influencing program development and participating in premium food and wine events and participating in international delegations and industry events.
The ambassadors program helps tell the community, nation and the world about South Australia’s premium food and wine.


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While her ‘Tiny T’ nickname might be indicative of small stature, Demeka Tacklyn has grand intentions for her community.
And so it is with great purpose that the entrepreneur is putting on a health enrichment exposé on Friday, November 11th and 12th at Rosedon Hotel, catering to multiple facets, including physical, emotional, mental, financial and holistic health.
Ms Tacklyn told TNN that she was inspired to put on the event by her travels to various trade shows overseas and wanted to share her experiences by doing a similar event in Bermuda.
“For a few years I’ve been travelling overseas and have been to other expos and trade shows and that type of stuff and I wanted to bring the energy to Bermuda and create that experience in Bermuda for us,” explained Ms Tacklyn, proprietor of Demeka Wholesale aka Street Vybez. “The theme is to create an awareness of every aspect of healing and acknowledging healing on a daily basis.
“We are being challenged in so many different areas of health, whether it be mental, social, emotional, physical or spiritual health, there are so many different areas that I would like for us to acknowledge and be able to do simple things.
“Like being around positive people and talking positive things. Not giving up. Protecting your own energy and doing the best you can to preserve your own energy, your own health, no matter what may be breaking down around you.
Lined up for the event are more than 30 vendors from yoga demonstrations, to shambhala, healing herbs and oils and more.
Ms Tacklyn hinted that Dr Carika Weldon may also give talks regarding her latest venture in biochemistry.
“We have cultural clothing to oils, different herbs and different little exercise machines that people can go on,” added Ms Tacklyn. “We have cold press juicers to encourage people about how juicing is healthy and easier for your body to absorb nutrients and things like that.”
“The overall theme is health and what I personally want to speak about is financial health.
“I like to speak on being able to observe life in abundance and realising how you can be healthy financially and how you can monetise things. “For example, if you have an orange, some people would just eat the orange, but you have some who would take out the seeds and plant.
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A new Main Event FEC has opened its doors in Lexington, Kentucky, US.
The brand’s latest venue features more than 100 arcade games, a bowling alley and laser tag, among other attractions.
Located in the centre of the city, the venue also features the latest VR technology from Hologate and a ropes course.
It held its grand opening on March 31, with the first 200 guests in line receiving free laser tag for one year, while on April 1, for every strike bowled on a selected lane, the location donated $10 to a local youth charity.
General manager AJ Harping told wkyt.com that the staff were excited to finally open and that a lot of training and hard work has been undertaken to get the space ready for visitors.


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Royal Caribbean (RCL) - Get Free Report shares could be under pressure Tuesday after the company announced it will cancel eight cruises out of China through March 4 while also modifying “certain itineraries in the region.”
The company said that it will take a charge of 25 cents a share from the cancellations. That number would be steeper than the “$3 to $4 million of revenue, and about $0.02 of earnings,” that Wedbush managing director James Hardiman estimated each lost voyage would cost the company. Hardiman made his comments in an interview with Yahoo.
Royal Caribbean also issued guidelines to “help protect guests and crew” that include denying boarding to any individual who has traveled from, to or through mainland China or Hong Kong in the past 15 days regardless of nationality, and mandatory health screenings for certain high-risk guests.
While the company said it will record the charge it also added “there are still too many variables and uncertainties regarding this outbreak to calculate the impact on the business.”
The company reported fourth-quarter earnings on Tuesday of $1.42 a share, matching analysts' expectations.
For fiscal 2020, Royal Caribbean said it expects to earn between $10.40 and $10.70 a share, though it did say those numbers don’t take into account the potential ongoing impact from the coronavirus.
"It's clear that the coronavirus will impact revenue in China in the short term, but we are a long-term business and our plans to continue growing this profitable market remain unchanged,” said Chief Financial Officer Jason Liberty.


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Get full access to Outside Learn, our online education hub featuring in-depth fitness, nutrition, and adventure courses and more than 2,000 instructional videos when you sign up for Outside+ Sign up for Outside+ today.
Northern California’s Mt. Shasta has been named the first official “Trail Town” of the Pacific Crest Trail, part of a new program from the Pacific Crest Trail Association meant to promote hiking in the area (the PCT and other trails) and boost the town’s economy. Mt. Shasta officials and the PCTA are teaming up to market the town as a top hiking destination (the Trail Town launch party is set for July 21) and discussing measures such as offering store discounts to thru-hikers and starting a town-trail shuttle.


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President of the European Union Jean-Claude Juncker told an audience in Hamburg on March 2, “We can do stupid as well.” Juncker was referring to President Donald Trump’s threat of imposing import tariffs on certain goods coming from the EU.
“So now we will also impose import tariffs,” Junker said. “This is basically a stupid process, the fact that we have to do this. But we have to do it. We will now impose tariffs on motorcycles, Harley Davidson, on blue jeans, Levis, on bourbon.”
In reality, however, the EU has already put disproportionately high taxes on U.S. imports. When America imports cars from the EU, the tariff is 2.5 percent. For a U.S.-made car going into the EU, the tariff is 10 percent.
That tariff ensures that Europeans drive European cars. We all know that there is a lot more to selling a car than just tariffs, but Trump wants America to export, and to do that, we need to have a level playing field, and this is Trump’s main concern.
In response to Juncker’s statement, Trump indicated that the United States might start increasing taxes on imports of European cars such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW.
If one looks at the strategies employed in global industrial warfare, we have merely scratched the surface.
The complexities of industrial warfare go far beyond the trivial argumentative language. Industrial warfare is happening constantly, in all geographies and in all industries.
Even when there is peace between enemies and allies, a competitor will be looking to outsmart his rival, whether a nation-state, industry, supply chain, or product. The key is understanding how it takes place, and which blows to absorb, which ones to block, and how to engage the enemy.
Only around 10 percent of industrial warfare actually shows itself on the surface, in the form of actions such as tariffs, which can be seen as defense mechanisms. Ninety percent of the strategies, tactics, and operations involved in corporate attack and defense maneuvers are actually under the surface. These are far more discreet and much more damaging to the economy.
Underlying pressures dictate the direction of global battle.
The motivation for industrial warfare does not just rest upon Trump’s shoulders. Every country in the world is involved—whether on an international, national, regional, or local level. All competitors are competing and taking each others’ intellectual property. In the business world, this process is sometimes described as “benchmarking.”
With benchmarking—spying, in business terms—questions are asked and gap analysis is done. What is competitor A doing that we, competitor B, are not? Sometimes, visits to plants are even arranged to see the systems, take pictures, create videos, and buy products to take apart.
That’s the very first thing Lexus did when they started. They bought a BMW, a Mercedes, and a Rolls Royce and took them apart before creating the Lexus model range. Today, Lexus has taken a large chunk of the high-end luxury car market. No one complained when they did it. And Lexus never complained when their latest car was bought by their competitors BMW, Mercedes, and Audi. All of these competitors know that when we build a product, competitors will take it apart and find out what we have been doing.
Competitors are usually the first to buy the new product, before other customers can even get to it. This is common practice. The Chinese regime does it all the time. It’s called the learning process, and it takes many forms in the art of industrial warfare.
The lesson here is very simple. The key is to learn about the process of industrial warfare, and be aware and informed about the strategies that competitors across the world will take.
The issue at hand isn’t “stupid” tariffs, as Juncker described them, but instead the nature of an industrial war that has been ongoing for decades, and of which the EU has been just as much a part.
Amar Manzoor is the author of “The Art of Industrial Warfare” and the founder of the 7Tao Industrial Warfare combat system, which he teaches to students.


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For months now, pharmaceutical and self-care giant Johnson & Johnson has been at the center of a controversy regarding one of its most iconic products. That product is the company’s Baby Powder, a talc powder, which has been in production since 1894. Talc is regularly found with the mineral asbestos, which has been linked to a rare and deadly cancer called mesothelioma. So far, the company has faced more than 17,000 lawsuits regarding the presence of asbestos in its Baby Powder. Many of the plaintiffs are women who claim that daily use of the product caused them to contract cancer.
Mesothelioma.net reports that a jury has awarded an elderly woman $9 million in a mesothelioma lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson.
The company continues to defend itself against the lawsuits but increasingly, the company is discovering that juries are deciding against the company. They are awarding significant verdicts to those who are claiming that the company’s Baby Powder has caused their illness.
Recently, a jury handed down a $9-million-dollar verdict to 82-year-old Blanca Moure-Cabrera for the damages that she has suffered.
Evidence presented to the jury in the lawsuit dates Moure-Cabrera’s use of Baby Powder back fifty years when she first came to Florida from Cuba. She continued to use the product through 2018. She was diagnosed with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma in August of that year.
Johnson & Johnson’s denials of liability in these lawsuits have primarily hinged on denials that their product is contaminated by asbestos. There have been internal documents that have shown company concern should the public become aware of asbestos in the product.
After hearing all the testimony, jurors made their decision in under an hour. Moure-Cabrera was awarded $3 million for past medical expenses and $6 million for past and future pain and suffering.
Have you been made sick due to the use of a talc product? We can help. Call today.


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Move over, Charlotte McKinney: Carl’s Jr. has found a new model for people to drool over.
The burger chain’s new commercial — the latest in a long line of almost-too-sexy-for-TV ads — stars Victoria’s Secret model Sara Sampaio.
In the ad, the 23-year-old struts into the fictional Nørpoint Ice Hotel wearing nothing more than a skimpy burgundy bikini and a fur coat.
While she may seem underdressed for the weather, the Portuguese stunner has the fast food chain’s new Thickburger El Diablo — which the company boldly proclaims is the fast food industry’s “hottest” burger — to warm her up.
As is the tradition with Carl’s Jr. and sibling chain Hardee’s risqué ads, the ad spends just as much time sexualizing the menu item — which comes with sliced jalapeños, jalapeño poppers and habanero sauce — as it does Sampaio, the 2014 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue’s Rookie of the Year, who spends most of the ad’s runtime caressing her curves.


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A DORCHESTER business is hosting a free beauty event this weekend in aid of charity.
Staff at the Body Shop in Antelope Walk will be offering make-overs, hand massages and skin consultations from 9pm to 5.30pm on Saturday. September 29.
The store will be accepting donations in aid of Taylor’s rehoming centre at Kingston Maurward.
The RSPCA West Dorset branch is funded by donations from the public.
Body Shop staff member Sam Talbot said: “It’s going to be a really fun event, with lots going on, and hopefully we can raise some awareness and funds for the charity.
“So come along and support a really great cause.”


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Acer also added the Nitro 7 to its gaming lineup today: A sleeker mid-range notebook that's even thinner than the Nitro 5. It'll also feature Intel's 9th generation laptop chips, as well as NVIDIA's latest GTX graphics (not the more powerful RTX). That makes the Nitro 7 a better option for someone who's mainly focused on fast 1080p gaming. Acer didn't specify which GPUs it'll be using, but a recent leak pointed to the GTX 1660 Ti and the GTX 1650, which NVIDIA hasn't announced yet.
With all of this new hardware comes some expected refreshes for Acer's popular Nitro 5 and Helios 300. They're both getting Intel's upcoming CPUs, while the Nitro 5 will sport GTX GPUs and the Helios 300 will get NVIDIA's RTX 2070 Max-Q GPU. There aren't any design changes for these models from last year, but the new hardware should help them maintain their popularity among gamers. And as a final surprise, Acer also unveiled a new 43-inch 4K monitor, which features a speedy 144Hz panel and adaptive sync.
You can snag the Helios 700 in July, starting at $2,700. The Nitro 7, meanwhile, will arrive in June starting at $1,000.