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The Coronavirus pandemic is weighing on emerging markets stocks and the related ETFs, but the clear exception to that ominous trend is the Emerging Market Internet & eCommerce ETF (EMQQ ).
EMQQ, the first ETF to focus on the universe of internet and eCommerce innovators in some of the fastest-growing markets in the world, provides investors with exposure to the internet and eCommerce sectors of the developing world. Many investors believe that the growth of consumption in emerging markets represents a significant growth opportunity as more than one billion people are expected to enter the consumer class in the coming decades. Increasingly, these consumers are using smartphones and broadband mobile connections to access the internet.
EMQQ’s stellar year-to-date showing comes as the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, the widest basket of developing world equities, is lower by nearly 19%.
EMQQ Is Winning
EMQQ tracks an index of leading Internet and eCommerce companies serving Emerging Markets. It seeks to offer investors exposure to the growth of online consumption in the developing world. EMQQ holdings operate in diverse markets such as India, China, Brazil, Turkey, Nigeria, and Indonesia, to name a few. To be included, the companies must derive their profits from Ecommerce or Internet activities and include search engines, online retail, social networking, online video, e-payments, online gaming, and online travel.
“The fund stands out amid record-shattering outflows in other emerging-market ETFs. Last week marked the 13th consecutive outflow of a record streak that has already cost the funds $21.9 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Investors have added $96.9 million to EMQQ this year,” reports Bloomberg.
Looking ahead, middle-income consumers will take on a greater role in the emerging and developing economies. According to McKinsey & Co. projections, there will be an expected 4.2 billion people among the consuming class by 2025, and the emerging markets will make up $30 trillion in consumption while developed markets will make up $34 trillion. In contrast, emerging market consumers accounted for $12 trillion in world consumption back in 2010.
“EMQQ benefits from outperforming stocks elsewhere. Shares of MercadoLibre Inc., the Latin American online marketplace, have gained 42% this year to linger near a record. South African technology investor Naspers Ltd. has returned 8% this year,” according to Bloomberg.


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Taking a look back at seven days of news across the Android world, this week’s Android Circuit includes more details on Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 recall, details on why the South Korean batteries might be exploding, the differences between Samsung's and Apple's PR, Super Mario's late arrival on Android, the new Stagefright fixes, OnePlus combining Oxygen and Hydrogen, the death of Project Ara, and a phone running Android and Windows 10 at the same time.
Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many things that have happened around Android in the last week (and you can find the weekly Apple news digest here).
Samsung's Note 7 Recall
Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 has a problem - a handful of units have been heating up and exploding. This is, naturally, not good news and the failure rate is high enough for the South Korean company to start an exchange program. The careful plans to promote the Note 7 as the flagship phablet of this generation have (err) gone up in flames.
With the early launch of the Galaxy Note 7, Koh was looking to establish the Note 7 as the leading phablet of its generation, forcing the industry to make a direct comparison of the Note 7 to the iPhone 7 Plus, and subtly leaning on a message of cutting edge features and significant processing power to counter Apple’s emotional appeals to the public.
Now the comparison is easy, because I’ll put a few dollars down on the table that Phil Schiller - at some point on Wednesday - is going to wink at the audience and throw out a well-rehearsed and scripted “this phone doesn’t burst into flames” line.
Why Might They Be Exploding?
Samsung's reaction notes that an issue in the construction of the battery may be at fault. Forbes' contributor JV Chamary looks inside the battery to find out the chemistry behind battery explosions:
“Battery failures are exceedingly rare,” says Donal Finegan, a chemical engineer at University College London. “Any kind of fault does garner a lot of media attention and can really affect the reputation of a product that relies on the battery.”
Like many rechargeable devices, phones use lithium-ion cells. But what makes these batteries great at powering gadgets also makes them vulnerable to catching fire, says Finegan. “They are so energy-dense — they contain so much power and electricity — they do combust in a particularly catastrophic way.”
Samsung's Power Versus Apple's Emotion
In the week that Apple launched the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, it's worth taking a moment to look at the two different marketing strategies employed by Apple and its main Android-powered rival Samsung. One relies on big numbers and the presence of power, the other looks towards emotional connections and a non-threatening interface. Who wins in the battle of power against emotion?
Search terms in the similar period before launch [of the S7 and the iPhone 7] showed a hunger for more practical features in the top search terms, including ‘Galaxy S7 Processor’ and ‘Galaxy S7 Storage’. Although touchstones of camera and display were common terms on both lists, the Galaxy S7 attracted more people searching for the big numbers and hardware statistics. In short the Galaxy S7 projected an air of power and supremacy.
By sidestepping the numbers game, Apple can rely on using more emotional and evocative language to sell the iPhone... relying on emotion might be one of the masterstrokes of Tim Cook’s upcoming presentation.
It's-A Me, Mario!
Although much of the news this week reflects Apple's launch of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, one of the surprises was the arrival of Nintendo's iconic Mario in a smartphone game. Due out before the end of the year, it's an endless runner where the player can only control the jump function. Curiously Apple's language was all about Super Mario coming to Apple first. Which was open to some happy interpretation by Android gamers. Kotaku's Jason Schreir has the confirmation:
Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto made a surprise appearance at today’s Apple conference to announce Super Mario Run, an iOS runner with graphics from New Super Mario Bros. It’ll be free to download with a set purchase price, and Nintendo says it’s “coming soon” to the App Store. It’ll be out by this holiday, they say.
UPDATE (1:50pm) — Nintendo tells Kotaku: “We do intend to release the game on Android devices at some point in the future.”
Google's Stagefright Patch Inside Android 7.0
The root cause behind Android's Stagefright vulnerability is being addressed inside Android 7.0 by limiting the media server's access to the rest of the system, which locks down the impact of the Stagefright attack. Russell Brandom looks at the new methodology for The Verge:
The Nougat update gave Google’s team the chance to rebuild that system from the ground up, tearing out the Stagefright flaws at the root. To start, the team reworked mediaserver to scan for integer overflow attacks up front, preventing the attack that’s at the heart of Stagefright. Nougat also makes it harder to successfully exploit the compromise by adding more entropy to the address randomization system, which some researchers were able to bypass in the wake of Stagefright.
More fundamentally, Nougat shifts mediaserver from a unified block into a series of segmented steps, each with its own process and its own limited permissions.
OnePlus Ready To Mix Oxygen With Hydrogen
Smartphone manufacturer OnePlus is looking to consolidate its two forks of Android. OxygenOS and HydrogenOS allow OnePlus more control over the look and feel of its handsets, but its time to minimize the ongoing costs and combine the two platforms. Adrian Diaconescu covers the story at PocketNow:
OxygenOS is how the company’s fans designate lightly modified variants of Android running on their internationally sold phones, with HydrogenOS instead supported in China as a more heavily mutated, almost iOS-evoking platform.
Needless to point out this world-splitting approach has both strong points and weaknesses, the most obvious of the latter category being occasional slowness in delivering major (and minor) updates. Finally realizing the error of its ways, OnePlus reportedly intends to consolidate Oxygen and Hydrogen (cue water-producing jokes), in an attempt to “continue improving” the speed of software makeovers.
And if you want to see what OxygenOS can do, my review of the OnePlus 3 from the summer would be a good place to start.
The Death of Ara
Google's plans to create a modular smartphone have come to an end. The modular concept was due to ship a developer edition before the end of 2016, instead Project Ara has been closed. Why did Ara die? I think it has to do with Google's business model:
Modular smartphones are not going to be as efficient as custom-built sealed units. The software cannot be tightly optimised around specific hardware, the modular components require connectors to a central spine, they’ll need to be larger to allow removal and handling, and it’s far harder to achieve economies of scale with, say, multiple camera modules.
Further to that, modular smartphone designed and marketed by Google would be at odds with Android’s place in the market. Android survives on being the ‘power’ mobile operating system that delivers faster and faster phones every year. Manufacturers push each other to make bigger numbers. Ara does not fit in with that vision, and as Google rationalises its internal business divisions, the conflict between Ara and Android was likely brought into focus.
The principle of a modular smartphone is sound, it just needs the right business model behind it. As well as start-ups like Fairphone and Puzzlephone, LG is going to continue with the broad concept of a replaceable module that it debuted at MWC in the LG G5:
While the G5 fared poorly with consumers, LG is sticking with the modular concept in the subsequent generation, according to LG spokesman Ken Hong.
The news comes as LG introduces the V20, a phone that is more conventional than its more experimental sibling. The V20 is supposed to have a souped-up phone, a removable metal back and sharp display. But nowhere is there an option to plug in different attachments.
The latest patent from Samsung reveals an interesting potential super-phone... one that runs Android and Windows 10 at the same time! Napier Lopez discusses how it works and the rest of the patent on The Next Web:
The patent literally describes a phone where you could load Android and Windows Phone apps simultaneously, even running the two as side-by-side windows. The phone could also share folders and resources so both operating systems have access to them.
As with all patents, they demonstrate that a company could do something, but there's no guarantee that they will do something with a patent.
Android Circuit rounds up the news from the Android world every weekend here on Forbes. Don’t forget to follow me so you don’t miss any coverage in the future, and of course read the sister column in Apple Loop! Last week’s Android Circuit can be found here, and if you have any news and links you’d like to see featured in Android Circuit, get in touch!

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Over the past few weeks, I've been preparing an online course on investments for UCLA using a friendly but powerful system called Blackboard
I'm not the only one. In fact, Blackboard's business is getting an "A." In the second quarter, revenues increased 25% to $33 million. During this period, net income surged to $6.1 million, or $0.21 cents a share, compared to a loss of $2.7 million, or $0.37 cents a share, in the year-ago period. In fairness, last year's results were hurt by a $3.75 million dividend because of Blackboard's initial public offering; net income came in at $1.05 million with the dividend factored out.
The company currently has tax-loss carryforwards, which means it's able to net prior tax losses against its tax bill, limiting the company's effective tax rate to 4% in the recent past. In time, these will run out, resulting in an accordingly higher tax bill and perhaps slowing the company's growth.
In the meantime, Blackboard continues to get new U.S. business from clients such as Clark College, Colorado Mountain College, Southern Methodist University, and University of Evansville, among others.
What's more, Blackboard's international efforts are gaining traction. Clients include Bond University, Bridgwater College, Dundee College, The University of Melbourne, University of Paisley, and others. Blackboard has launched a new data center in Europe to provide more capacity. In addition, the company's new multi-language system lets schools easily customize their courses for eight languages, enabling Blackboard to reach more customers than ever.
In light of the increased activity, Blackboard increased its full-year guidance to between $0.84 and $0.86, up from a range of $0.78 to $0.81. The company expects revenues between $134 million and $135 million, up from the prior estimate of $132.5 million to $134 million.
A few months ago, I wrote about Blackboard's simple growth strategy. First, the company strives to grow its subscriber base. Next, it focuses on retaining its existing customers and selling them upgrades or additional products.
So far, it's a winning strategy. More importantly, the company believes there is much more growth left in both the U.S. and international markets. Expect Blackboard to continue scoring high marks on future quarterly report cards.
For more small-cap stocks at the head of their class, try a free 30-day subscription to Motley Fool Hidden Gems .
Fool contributor Tom Taulli does not own shares mentioned in this article.


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Having successfully sued EMI for internet royalties and prevented them from selling their songs individually online, Pink Floyd have now removed some of their classic albums from online retailers altogether, as their distribution deal with the major label has come to an end.
'The Wall', 'Animals', 'Wish You Were Here' and 'The Final Cut' are among those works that have been removed from online stores. According to reports, the band's representatives are working on a new deal to licence their entire back catalogue for internet downloads. In the meantime, EMI has remaining stock of Pink Floyd CDs that will be available to purchase, while early albums including 'The Piper at the Gates of Dawn' and 'Dark Side of the Moon' which are actually licence to EMI are still available online.
Roger Waters is set to perform 'The Wall' in its entirety when he plays at The O2, Dublin, on May 23rd 2011.


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Apple has had a really busy begin to the yr, and plainly throughout March they won’t step on the brakes. According to Mark Gurmanjournalist from Bloomberg and probably the most dependable sources relating to future apple merchandise, the corporate will current a brand new shade for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus throughout this week.
Apparently, this isn’t the primary time we’ve heard these rumours. Just some days in the past, a publication on Weibo, the Chinese language social community, introduced that the iPhone 14 will probably be out there in yellow. Nevertheless, as a result of the individual accountable for the data didn’t have a earlier historical past of leaks, few paid consideration to it.
It’s price mentioning, nevertheless, that this time the Professional variant would run out of reports. The yellow shade would solely be launched for the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus.
Mark Gurman will not be the one one validating the data. MacRumors notes that, in response to sources near Apple’s public relations staff, the corporate will maintain a non-public occasion on 7 of March with members of the press to make the official announcement. Beware, the above data will not be 100% confirmed, so it will likely be higher to take it with a grain of salt. In any case, in a matter of hours the doubts will probably be resolved.
An necessary level to notice is that, up to now, Apple has already taken benefit of the mid-cycle of an iPhone technology to launch a brand new shade. We should keep in mind that, throughout March 2022, they offered the iPhone 13 Professional in alpine inexperienced, and the iPhone 13 in inexperienced. A yr earlier, the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini embraced the colour purple.
This technique clearly permits them to spice up terminal gross sales once more. It’s well-known that the iPhone, within the final fiscal quarter, had fairly disappointing numbers. As defined by Apple, the low gross sales of the smartphone have been attributable to an atmosphere stuffed with challenges. For instance, they once more confronted numerous issues within the Asian manufacturing chain.
Due to this fact, providing the iPhone 14 in yellow might generate curiosity amongst these individuals who, regardless of being keen to resume their terminal, are in no hurry to take action when a technology has simply debuted available on the market. It shouldn’t be forgotten that the iPhone 14 household has already been with us for half a yr, so sufficient time has handed for customers to plan their buy.
Likewise, it’s curious that within the midst of rumors a couple of new shade for the iPhone 14, there’s a lot hypothesis in regards to the successor technology. There may be speak that the iPhone 15 will boast a completely renewed designembracing these rounded corners that we noticed a number of years in the past on the iPhone 5c.
Nevertheless, maybe the attribute that generates probably the most morbidity is the arrival, finally, of the USB-C connector to the entire vary. Apple must align itself with European rules to keep away from exemplary sanctions, and meaning saying goodbye as soon as and for all to the Lightning port. If these led by Tim Cook dinner observe the calendar of earlier years, the iPhone 15 will probably be offered someday in September.


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WHILE several of Australia's major industries are set to benefit from the recently announced free trade agreement with Japan, Port Lincoln's tuna exports are not likely to be one of them.
Australian Southern Bluefin Tuna Industry Association chief executive Brian Jeffriess, speaking from Korea, said the outcome of the FTA with Japan was "not good" for the tuna trade, and that Japan wanted to protect its domestic tuna market.
"The current tariff of 3.5 per cent will be phased out over the next 10 years.
"We know Japan took a very strong position that it wanted the phasing period to be the maximum time to protect its domestic industry.
"Every other seafood will be phased out over seven years, to my knowledge."
He said those in the industry understood the government's difficult position.
"We understand that there were a lot of wider issues in the tuna outcome, and how difficult it is for the government.
"The fact is that Japan desperately wants to protect its own industry and nothing would change that."
Mr Jeffriess said in the international tuna trade there was no level playing field.
"The Australian government tried its best but could not change that reality."


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Maine’s Free Fishing Weekend is this Saturday and Sunday, June 1-2.
The Maine House has given their approval for a ban on single-use plastic shopping bags.
Rep. Chellie Pingree says it’s time for Congress to begin an impeachment inquiry.
The Paris Board of Selectmen have declared their town as a Second Amendment sanctuary.
To celebrate the opening of the new Elton John Bio-pic, “Rocketman,” Central Maine NOW will be playing mega doses of Elton John all weekend.
Here are the tweets that made us laugh today. Listen weekdays with “Mac in the Morning” for the daily entries into our ‘Tweet Hall of Fame!’


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February 11, 2013 |
KOLKATA: Brands may be spending million to promote an eco-friendly-image, but when it comes to actual sales, organic and 'planet-friendly' products have failed to move cash registers for retailers, whether it's fresh produce, groceries or even clothing. Top food retailers like Future Group, Reliance Retail and Spencer's Retail say sales from organic vegetables, fruit and food products account for less than 2 per cent of total food sales, even three or four years after their launches.
December 31, 2012 |
The setting is rustic, but there seems nothing artistic about making bodycare products. So, the name Rustic Art seems rather incongruous for a firm that makes sunscreen lotions, healing oils, shampoos, biodegradable washing powder, bathing soaps, baby lotions, baby massage oils, hair oils, etc? The art, however, lies in nurturing a concept that has enabled the production of eco-friendly products and Rs 12 lakh in the first year of operations. The company is the brainchild of 43-year old Sunita Jaju , who has a master's degree in sustainable development from Manipal University, and her 25-year-old niece Swati Maheshwari . The idea took root in December 2010 and it took barely a month to formalise it into a company based at Satara, Maharashtra.
December 28, 2012 |
FARIDABAD: As awareness about organic food catches up with the middle class, newer markets have emerged in Delhi-NCR. But unlike Gurgaon, Faridabad has been struggling to measure up as a profitable market for organic food retailers. When Vivek Ghai launched A-One Organic Farms in Faridabad three years ago, he was quite sure that people would embrace the idea. However, after investing about Rs 1 crore in the business and even running into losses, Ghai still waits for people to wake up to the merits of organic food.
November 23, 2012 |
CHANDIGARH: Direct selling major Amway India today said it will open research and development centre soon for making India specific products, including ayurvedic, organic in health and beauty segments. "We will open R&D centre in India. The focus of (R&D) will be on opportunities in India and on exactly types of things, whether on ayurvedic products or organic products or other products that work for India. "Our focus is on India and globally is on health and beauty categories...we see there is a lot of potential for these categories," Amway India MD and CEO William S Pinckney told reporters here on the sidelines of opening of company's touch point here.
September 13, 2012 |
NEW DELHI: FMCG firm Organic India today said it is looking at three-fold growth in turnover to Rs 200 crore by 2015-16 and has plans to launch organic grocery items such as rice, dal and spices next year. "With rapid expansion and awareness of organic products, we expect robust growth in our business. We are hoping to touch a revenue of Rs 200 crore by 2015-16," Organic India Managing Director and Global CEO Krishan Guptaa told reporters here. The company had clocked a turnover of Rs 70 crore in last financial year, of which 40 per cent came from the domestic market and rest from exports, he added.
September 5, 2012 |
NEW DELHI: Hooked to organic food for its supposed health benefits? Here's some food for thought. In the largest analysis of studies till date on organic food, researchers from Stanford University have said there is "little evidence of healthier benefits from organic food over those grown conventionally". The researchers found no difference in protein or fat content between organic and conventional milk. No consistent differences were also seen in the vitamin content of organic products.
August 23, 2012 |
NEW DELHI: The market for Organic food products in India is growing at 20-22 per cent a year, a top official from private sector Yes Bank said. "The market for organic foods is growing at an compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20-22 per cent," Yes Bank's Country Head, Food and Agribusiness, Girish Aivalli told PTI. With rising spending power of the growing middle class in the country and increased awareness towards chemical free food, organic and natural products sector will grow significantly in the coming years, he added.
July 31, 2012 |
NEW DELHI: The government today introduced national certification standards for organic textiles aimed at boosting their demand in major markets, including Europe and Japan. The Indian Standards for Organic Textiles (ISOT), which were launched by Commerce, Industry and Textiles Minister Anand Sharma here, would be included under the National Programme for Organic Productions (NPOP). The NPOP, which is a legal regime administered by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry , includes norms for organic production and processing of agriculture crops along with certification standards.
June 13, 2012
With growing concerns emerging on the issue of food quality, pesticide fears and excessive usage of chemicals in crops, organic food has become the buzz word with city dwellers and farmers alike. Organic food items, be it pulses, spices, fruits or vegetables, have found their way into supermarkets and mega stores. Besides, farming groups as well as traders with a passion for organic food have started stores selling exclusively organic products ranging from rice, wheat, fruits vegetables, and different spices to ghee oil and organic jaggery.
March 14, 2012 |
MUMBAI: Organic Haus, an all-organic brand that retails products sourced mainly from 18 German, Austrian and European manufacturers, said it was aiming to open up to 30 stores across the country in next two years. "We are planning to open 8-10 company-owned stores and 10-20 on franchise route across the country. We are in talks with some retail stores for shop-in-shop segment," Organic Haus Chairman and former cricketer Dilip Doshi said. When asked about the investment lined up for this expansion, he declined to comment.


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With new ‘talent visas,’ other countries lure workers trained at U.S. universities
When Cansu (pronounced “Johnsu”) Deniz Bayrak was deciding where to emigrate from her native Turkey, she first considered San Francisco.
Only in her 20s, she had already co-created an e-commerce website that rose to the top of its category in her home country, gotten snatched up by a tech company, then been poached by another tech firm. But she saw more opportunity in the United States, where there is a projected demand for more than 160,000 new software developers and related specialists per year, and where tech companies said in a survey that recruiting them is their biggest business challenge.
Bayrak quickly learned, however, that to come to the United States, she’d need an employer sponsor. Even then, she’d have to enter a lottery for an H-1B visa, with only one-in-four odds of being approved. If she was laid off, she’d have 60 days to find a new job, or she’d likely have to leave.
Marcus, J. (2023, June). With new ‘talent visas,’ other countries lure workers trained at U.S. universities. The Hechinger Report. https://hechingerreport.org/thwarted-by-the-u-s-immigration-system-highl...


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PULAU PINANG: Heng Huat Resources Group Bhd (Heng Huat) has launched its new massive Coconut Fibre production plant in Setiu, Terengganu which is expected to deliver over RM3.6 million in revenue to the group, moving forward.
Following the opening of this plant, Heng Huat has emerged as Malaysia’s largest coconut fibre producer, with an estimated market share of 80 per cent.
The opening ceremony was graced by Penang’s Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
Heng Huat Resources Group Bhd managing director Datuk H’ng Choon Seng said: “The opening of this production plant is part of a continuing effort to capture a larger share of the domestic market and potential export business for coconut fibre and coco peat.
“The strategic location, which would ensure a huge amount and constant supply of raw materials such as coconut husks at a cost-effective price, augurs well for the financial performance of Heng Huat. This is given that the transportation cost will be reduced significantly as the distance to the factory is much shorter, as compared to Terengganu to Penang.”
The plant has a size of 20,230 sqm, with a production capacity of 150 mt/month and 240 mt/month for its coconut fibre and coco peat, respectively. Setiu covers an area of approximately 130,436.30 hectares or 10.07 per cent of the land of Negeri Terengganu Darul Iman. Agriculture is Setiu’s main economic activity, primarily planting of coconut tree, palm tree and rubber tree.
“In the long term, we foresee that once the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project is ready, we can leverage on it to deliver our products directly to Port Klang for export purposes,” Choon Seng said.
On Sept 5, 2019, Heng Huat acquired 97 per cent equity interest in Sabut Kelapa Terengganu Sdn Bhd (SKT), who is the owner of this production plant.
SKT has been awarded a tax holiday incentive from the government for tax exemption on operational income for 10 years.


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First Look podcast: World Congress 2017 PBC plots path to maximize distribution NBA Turnstile Tracker Baseball returns to Kinston, N.C. David Stern investing in tech startups NBA regular season sees ratings drop Faces and Places at World Congress Are sponsors wary of outspoken athletes? On Deck With: Mike Unger, USA Swimming Labor & Agents: Rosenthal takes charge
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SBJ/Nov. 8-14, 2010/This Week's Issue
Blazers pair live games, other video
Published November 8, 2010
The Portland Trail Blazers are launching an online digital network that will combine live game streaming with other live and taped video content.
The team this week will roll out its “Trailblazerstv” online network, which will be free and accessible through Trailblazers.com.
Other NBA teams have video packages streaming on their websites, but Blazers officials said they are the first NBA team to combine live streaming of games with other live programming and on-demand video.
“It’s a box within a box and what makes this unique is that we will have live streaming content every day,” said Sarah Mensah, chief operating officer for the Blazers.
The Blazers last year were the first NBA team to stream live games in a pay-per-view model. The Chicago Bulls and the Philadelphia 76ers followed suit, but this season the Blazers are the only team to stream live games — offering 15 games on Trailblazers.com available within a 150-mile radius of Portland. Now, the team is expanding its digital efforts by adding five additional live shows hosted by the team’s TV and radio hosts, along with pregame, halftime and postgame shows. The on-demand content will include game highlights and other team related video
All shows will be produced in-house via the team’s production studios. The team did not disclose the production costs.
The team is planning to sell ads and sponsorships around “Trailblazerstv,” and hopes to land a title sponsor.
The team has streamed one game live so far this season, attracting 13,000 unique views throughout the course of the game with traffic peaking at 1,200 simultaneous views, team officials said.
“We want to beef up the time people are viewing,” said Dan Harbison, the team’s director of interactive marketing. “It is about how long we will have fans engaged with us and then being able to turn that around for potential partners.”


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September 1, 2010
The board of directors of the Marshall Cultural Council announced the recent formation of the arts organization.
MCC’s goal is to promote local artists, arts education and the city of Marshall.
The organization has two fundraisers planned in coming months. The first will be an Italian Dinner and Show from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 29 at Marshall High School.
The show will include visual arts presented by local artists, including a silent auction of artwork to benefit the organization. Music by local jazz and soft acoustic rock musicians will entertain diners throughout the evening.
The next fundraiser will be the MCC Craft and Arts Festival March 26 at Marshall High School. The craft fair will include music and art in addition to handmade craft items and retail vendor booths.
Those interested in registering for a booth can visit marshallculturalcouncil.org.


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This week marks the reopening of non-essential shops in the UK
Long queues were reported in the most popular retailers, and most media posted images and videos of Primark. Maybe it was where the queues were the longest, but it’s still free advertising for a retailer that is definitely not sustainable.
Consumers seem to be oblivious to reported documentaries about this retailer and other popular hight street brands, proving their ruthless exploitation of people and the environment.
Yes, this extends to subcontractors of even luxury brands, but does not apply to all brands, therefore shouldn’t be used as an excuse to keep shopping there. If in doubt, check Good on You, which attributes ratings to thousands of brands according to their sustainability.
Information was shared on social media, identifying brands that cancelled orders after the pandemic, leaving workers who usually produce their merchandise entirely unsupported, but this doesn’t seem to have an impact on consumers either.
Yes, it’s good for the economy to have long queues of people shopping again but there are negative implications too. In Bicester Village, there was a complete lack of respect for social distancing and most people were not even wearing face masks.
Do these people know about the new coronavirus outbreak in China? This pandemic could be an eye opener about how we choose to live. What happens in a country far removed from our own has implications to our lives and we should care about it.
There’s no mention of luxury brands in the media, but nowadays with an increasingly personal shopping service, this does not mean people are not buying from them. It would be great to know sales figures.
In China, the first Saturday after lockdown registered record sales in the luxury sector. Boutiques are far more spacious and general cleaning standards are much higher than the high street.
Not many people can afford luxury brands, but it’s important to remember it's possible to rent them, if you need to look the part for a job interview. It’s very likely more and more people will be job hunting again soon.
Reuters says “the number of people on British company payrolls fell by more than 600,000 in April and May as the coronavirus lockdown hit the labour market, and vacancies plunged by the most on record.”
Maybe Primark is what most people can afford right now, but do they really need to buy new clothes? Couldn’t they buy secondhand from a charity shop instead? Or from a sustainable brand?
If each of us tries to change our behaviour it could have a huge impact in the world. Think of Greta Thunberg. It’s just so heartbreaking to see people rushing to their old way of living!


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LAREDO, Texas – Federal travel restrictions imposed after the pandemic began in March, on a month-to-month basis, have taken a toll on border economies.
Mexican shoppers who fall under the government’s non-essential category, are indeed essential to Laredo’s economy, said Miguel Conchas, longtime president and CEO of the Laredo Chamber of Commerce.
“It’s been a major problem for us,” Conchas said.
Conchas said shoppers who would come to Laredo from throughout Mexico, represented 40% of the city’s retail sales. He said many would also travel to San Antonio.
Conchas said Laredo, and its sister city Nuevo Laredo, have endured floods, major peso devaluations and drug wars in Mexico.
But, Conchas said, never has the local economy been hit with the triple threat of travel restrictions, the dangerous rise of COVID-19 cases on both sides of the border and Mexico’s own faltering economy amidst the pandemic.
Conchas compared the economic impact to the 1976 peso devaluation that he said was “terrible as far as the retail industry is concerned.”
Eugene Crawford, acting port director, said, the misconception is that international bridges are closed.
“The bridges are still open to essential travel, to legitimate trade, to emergency purposes, public safety, things of that nature, including the trades industry,” Crawford said.
Crawford said the border has had to change in light of the pandemic.
“Just like the rest of the country has had to change the way they do business,” Crawford said. “I think we’re doing a good job in protecting the country and protecting our officers and the communities that we live in.”
Although U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents who work in essential jobs are allowed to cross the border, Crawford said the port is seeing about 60% less traffic than what they saw at this time last year and bus traffic is down 35%.
Crawford said he also does not expect to see the long lines of “paisanos,” who travel back to Mexico to see their families over the holidays.
However, this sort of enforcement of the restrictions has created confusion, Conchas said.
“If you fly into the country, you’re allowed,” Conchas said. “But, if you come in a car or walk across, you’re not allowed. So, we don’t understand that.”
Conchas said at one time, thanks to Congressman Henry Cuellar of Laredo, a plan was in the works to have COVID-19 protocols for those entering the U.S. through the ports of entry.
Conchas said the proposal had even reached the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
“For a while there, it seemed quite possible,” Conchas said.
But every 21st of the month, the restrictions were extended, Conchas said. He said he is hopeful that the Biden-Harris administration will re-consider.
Mayor of Laredo Pete Saenz said this all puts the city in a tough site.
“Right now, we are in a difficult spot,” Saenz told KSAT. “It’s a balancing act trying to keep people safe and our local economy afloat. Although both can co-exist, it becomes more troublesome when hospital capacity is in question and patients are being transported to other communities for treatment.”
Saenz said the city has suffered during some of the busiest months for the port of entry.
“These months during the holiday season are crucial,” Saenz said. “As you know Laredo depends on the Mexican tourists and visitors to come here to shop at our stores, eat at our restaurants and stay at our hotels. Luckily, to offset retail sale loses, we did see an increase in December in commercial vehicle crossing, which has helped us a lot. Laredo also saw an increase in motel/hotel occupancy in those months due to outside medical staff coming to our city and helping with our hospital-patient caregiving. These were teams sent to Laredo from the State.”
Related: San Antonio nurse on the front lines in Laredo to help combat COVID-19 surge


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WPP Digital has acquired Rockfish Interactive, a rapidly expanding digital shop based in Rogers, AR. ClickZ reported on the potential deal in July.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, though according to a source close to the negotiations, WPP’s initial offer was about $40 million.
Rockfish was founded in 2006 and employs about 150 people. The shop has opened four new offices since 2009, including ones in Dallas and Cincinnati. Its clients include EA Sports, Cisco, Sam’s Club, Walmart, White Cloud and Tyson Foods.
Mark Read, CEO of WPP Digital, praised Rockfish as “a smart company that understands how technology is changing communications and business” in a written release. He also indicated that WPP plans to maintain the Rockfish brand.
The Rockfish deal follows on the heels of Publicis’ acquisition of 51 percent of Big Fuel, a New York-based social media shop that has grown from 30 to 170 employees in the last 18 months.
Earlier this year, WPP bought a stake in F. Biz, a digital agency in Brazil. Prior to that, it wrapped up four of its digital agencies – Schematic, Bridge Worldwide, BLUE, and Quasar -into a single unit known as Possible Worldwide.
As it prepares for a 2017 IPO that could be the largest in the social media space since Facebook went public in 2012, all eyes are on Snapchat.
What would we do without social media?
Facebook isn't just the world's largest social network. In the past two years, it has also become one of the world's most popular online destinations for consuming video content.
If your responsibilities have anything to do with marketing, advertising, PR or social media, you can’t afford to be camera-shy in this day and age.


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British supermarket chain Waitrose is planning to employ 2,000 new staff as it looks to expand its footprint across the south east and parts of northern England.
Waitrose will open 16 new stores from the spring this year, seven of them smaller convenience outlets and a new warehouse in Coulsdon, south London to deal with online orders. That facility will replace Waitrose’s existing depot in Acton, west London.
The new stores will be in Oxford, Guildford, Basingstoke and Wollaton in Nottinghamshire; Milngavie in Dumbartonshire; Bagshot in Surrey; and Kings Cross in London – which will also house a new cookery school.
The expansion comes on the back of a good performance by Waitrose over the Christmas trading period as the grocer recorded a 2.8% rise in sales at established stores and a 26.3% increase in sales via Waitrose.com.


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Our long fashionable nightmare is over.
Project Runway returns to television May 7.
The sew-sew reality show comes back for Season Six on a new cable network.
Of course, if you want to see video of the finale, which was taped during New York's Fashion Week in February (major spoiler alert), then go to SunSentinel.com/fashionblog and see my front-row video reports.
After a year of litigation and limbo, Project Runway will air on Lifetime.
The big brouhaha began in April 2008 when the show's producer, Harvey Weinstein, sold the fashioney franchise to Lifetime for what is rumored to be somewhere between $150 million and $200 million.
NBC Universal - Jeff Zucker - wasn't ready to let the mega-hit competition go so easily and put in a quite a snag by filing a lawsuit for breach of contract. NBC Universal is the parent company of Bravo, where Project Runway ran for five seasons.
In September, a New York Supreme Court justice issued a temporary injunction.
But it's all good now with a settlement. (Weinstein will pay NBC an undisclosed amount to move the show to Lifetime.)
Model host Heidi Klum and her couture consigliere, Tim Gunn, will return, along with judges Michael Kors and Nina Garcia, who has made a few changes herself. The fashion editrix now works for Marie Claire, de-camping from Elle magazine after 13 years of giving them holy elle, if behind-the-scenes gossip is to be believed.
The Marie Claire/Elle battle-of-the-glossies-on-TV ignited a ratings race with both rag-mags fielding reality shows. Elle ran Stylista on The CW in October (with Tyra Banks as exec-producer). Marie Claire has Running in Heels (more of a frock-umentary, actually), airing on the Style Network at 8 p.m. Sundays.
Another change on the upcoming season of Project Runway: the location for the challenges has supposedly been moved from New York to Los Angeles. The finale, taped on the last day of New York's FashionWeek for the fall 2009-2010 season, was an odd event set in the cavernous tents erected twice-yearly for the designer fashion shows in Bryant Park, behind the iconic Fifth Avenue Public Library. The models hit the catwalk for three nameless/faceless designers sequestered backstage in order to keep their identities a secret until the show airs.
Aaaaah, but there is another pump about to drop. Bravo has enlisted ebullient designer Isaac Mizrahi and Destiny's Child alum Kelly Rowland for a clone-like reality competition debuting at 10 p.m. May 7 (Project Runway's old time slot).
Called The Fashion Show, the oh-so-similar series will feature 15 designers competing in two challenges each week to win the $125,000 prize and the launching of a clothing line for retail.
One of the contestants is Miami Beach resident Markus Ketty, the fashion director of MM-itier magazine, a grad of high-fashion spawning pool Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design in London, and an intern to Brit designer Giles Deacon.
See video of the finale (spoiler alert!) at SunSentinel.com/fashionblog


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Dr Schär is a South Tyrolean multinational company specialized in gluten-free food with a primary production site in Borgo Valsugana, Trentino.
Entrepreneurial intuition, childhood memories and a passion for quality: read the story of Dr Schär and its arrival in Trentino.
After years of continuous investments in the production plant (over the years the company has expanded its production lines in Trentino investing around 33 million euros), the South Tyrolean company reacted to the Coronavirus pandemic by guaranteeing safety and operational continuity.
"At first there was an important increase in production - says Alberto Contessotto, director of the Dr Schär plant located in Borgo Valsugana - due to an initial panic phase on the part of consumers who feared that they would no longer be able to find the products on the shelves". A fear which is understandable to the eyes of those who, whether they are celiac or intolerant, can only eat gluten-free food. "A great responsibility, now more than ever. We have been able to satisfy all requests, also thanks to the new plants in Borgo Valsugana, which in 2019 had a turnover of 36 million euros, and the suppport of Trentino Sviluppo, which allowed us to introduce a new production line".
REACTING TO THE EMERGENCY BY GUARANTEEING SAFETY
In order to guarantee production and, at the same time, the safety of all 195 employees working at the plant, the company decided to adopt risk prevention measures even before being required by law. In addition to these measures, Dr Schär set up a task force dedicated to the crisis - in touch with the other plants of the group carrying out a reorganisation of working times and methods: division of shifts and work teams optimised in order to reduce contact between employees and extended smart working.
An interesting initiative decided by Dr Schär was also to give a bonus to all production operators on the hours worked for March and April: a way of thanking the staff for the extraordinary effort required at this stage.
A fundamental element to guarantee safe operation in a health emergency is solidarity: in cooperation with other companies located in the area, as well as Trentino Sviluppo, the development agency of Trentino, which had contributed, in 2018, to the launch of a new Dr Schär production line dedicated to bread in the Borgo Valsugana Business Innovation Centre.
Sharing strategies and ideas with "neighbours", including for example another South Tyrolean company based in Valsugana such as Menz&Gasser, brewed some interesting reflections on the company's organization and raw material supply. Thanks to the contact with Trentino Sviluppo, on the other hand, Dr Schär was able to quickly identify extra spaces to stock the raw materials needed to meet the booming demand for gluten-free products from the Italian and European markets which were recorded since the first days of the Coronavirus emergency.
The full story of Dr Schär and the response to the Coronavirus emergency in the words of Alberto Contessotto, director of the Dr Schär plant in Borgo Valsugana.


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As we’ve mentioned so many times in past articles, the convergence of additive manufacturing and the ‘miracle material’ graphene could have major ramifications for dozens of industries over the next several years. Because of this, researchers and companies are spending a great deal of time and money figuring out the best methods to 3D print graphene.
A group of researchers, led by Seol Seung-kwon at the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute’s Nano Hybrid Technology Research Center (KERI) are at the forefront of this research. As we mentioned last month, KERI, a unit under the Ministry of Finance in South Korea, recently published a paper in Advanced Materials called ‘3D Printing of Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanowires‘.
Basically the researchers found a way to print with 100% graphene, as opposed to other research being done on the printing of graphene composite materials. They rely on a tiny dropper, called a micropipette, which is filled with sheets of graphene oxide. They then add hydrazine to the solution which causes evaporation and allows the graphene to extrude from the tiny chemical dropper. This, as far as we can tell, is the first instance in which researchers were able to 3D print pure graphene.
Today, in an interview with the Korea Times, Professor Seol Seung-kwon and KERI provided a bit of an update on their plans to bring such technology to market, as well as their thoughts on its various futuristic applications.
“The 3D nano printing technology will make it possible to produce 3D objects using various materials, including metal, plastic and graphene, compared to the existing 3D printers that only use plastic as material,” said Seol Seung-kwon, a senior researcher at KERI’s Nano Hybrid Technology Research Center. “This technology can be applied to diverse industrial segments. In particular, it is anticipated to set a new paradigm in the printed electronics segment, which has lacked core technology so far.”
Whereas ordinary 3D printers print with plastics, resins, and some metals, the printer that the KERI team has built can print on the nano-scale level in extremely conductive graphene (pure carbon). This enables for the printing of flexible electronics, and could eventually lead the way to a whole slew of amazing new flexible technologies such as wearable devices, and even perhaps foldable smartphones.
KERI has stated that a patent for this technology has been applied for and their ultimate plan will be to commercialize it so that manufacturers in a variety of industries can eventually adopt and benefit from such methods.
“Currently,” said Seol, “we have developed the core technology for the 3D nano printing and expect that we need three years for the follow-up research required to commercialize the technology.”
Once refined, it will be interesting to see how quickly this technology is adopted within the manufacturing space, particularly for electronics and high tech gadgets. It will also be interesting to see if any other methods of printing pure graphene are available in three years when KERI and Seol believe that their technology will become available to businesses.
Let’s hear your thoughts on this their plan to take this form of 3D printing and commercialize it as quickly as possible. Discuss in the Pure Graphene 3D printing forum thread on 3DPB.com. Check out a video of the graphene 3D printing process below:
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Mobile Operators Now Charges 7.5% Vat On Every Call Made And SMS Sent
It’s finally here. Nigerian mobile operators now mandates every subscriber to pay a tax of 7.5%. either for sending SMS or making calls.
Last month, President Muhammadu Buhari signed the countryâ€™s finance bill into law, with a sweeping effect on Nigeriaâ€™s fiscal laws. The government believed that the new tax regime will not adversely affect Nigerians, but that seems not to be the case right now.
Subscribers are already taking to social media to express their dissatisfaction about the VAT and the new system shouldnâ€™t have applied to calls and data.
Below are samples of pop ups received by some subscribers after making calls or sending SMS.
For SMS that was supposed to be N4, it is now N4.10 for every SMS you send.
Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has notified Nigerians on the application of the new VAT rate on all purchased telecommunication products and services with effect from the 1st of February 2020.
In accordance with the Finance bill 2019 signed on 13th January 2020, the Value Added Tax (VAT) rate has been revised from 5% to 7.5% with effect from 00:00 Hrs 1st February 2020.
â€œAs a result, the prices of our data plans, devices & accessories have been revised to reflect the revised 7.5% VAT rate from 00:00 Hrs 1st February 2020. Thanks for your usual co-operationâ€,Â a message from Spectranet, one of Nigeriaâ€™s internet provider, reads.
Telecommunications, Electricity, Television, Food & Beverages, Petroleum companies will now collect VAT every time they bill you.
Youâ€™ll still have to pay tax for using Data, Calls or sending an SMS. Well, it may be time to start making use of call features on instants messages platform such asÂ WhatsApp call, telegram an co.
Share your thoughts and experiences via the comments below.


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Apple’s TV team just hired seasoned Hollywood executive to lead its casting efforts for its many TV shows currently in development. Tamara Hunter, the vice president of casting at Sony Pictures Entertainment, is reportedly leaving her post to join Apple as the head of casting.
The move comes after Apple poached two of Sony’s top presidents last year to lead its original content creation effort. Apple has been trying to hire some of the biggest names in Hollywood as it makes a push into TV shows and the company is working with some of the biggest stars in the world on show ideas.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Apple interviewed several executives from the film and TV side for the casting job. Adding Hunter to the team will help Apple sign the type of talent that it wants to pursue for its slate of shows.
Before joining Sony Pictures Entertainment in 2016, Hunter was the VP of casting at 20th Century Fox. During her time at Fox, she worked on movies like Deadpool, Hidden Figures, and X-Men: Apocalypse. At Sony, some of her projects included Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Hotel Transylvania, and Venom, as well as upcoming films like You Are My Friend, Charlie’s Angels, and Men in Black.
Even before she was working for two of the biggest movie studios in the industry, Hunter was attached to casting on other major franchises. She worked on Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy.
Basically, if you’ve watched movies in the last decade, you’ve seen her work. And if you own an iPhone, iPad or Apple TV, you’re probably going to see a lot more of her work when Apple’s TV shows start coming out sometime next year.


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Intel’s latest server processor isn’t just about servers, it’s about networking, too. Intel officially launched the Xeon E5 CPU this week, providing performance gains of us much as 80 percent over Intel’s previous generation server chips.
The E5 includes a new Intel Data Direct I/O system which will help to accelerate networking. The other networking component is a new 10 gigabit Ethernet (GbE) LAN On Motherboard (LOM) capability with the Intel X540 controller that provides an integrated 10Gbase-T solution. All together, Intel is aiming to lower the cost of 10 gigabit networking while accelerating overall networking performance.
“As we scale networks, we really need more bandwidth, driving down the cost of 10 gig Ethernet, so the transition from one gigabit to 10 gigabit can be accomplished,” Sunil Ahluwalia, Intel’s director of Product Marketing in the LAN Access Division, told InternetNews.com.
For Intel, the first step is about performance. The Intel E5’s new Data Direct I/O technology enables a network interface card (NIC) to communicate directly with the processor cache. Additionally, the E5 supports PCI Express (PCIe) 3.0 which delivers double the bandwidth of the previous PCI Express standard. According to Intel, an E5 chip can now pump out over 200 Gbps of throughput for LAN bandwidth, up from 50 Gbps in Intel’s last generation of server chips.
Intel isn’t just enabling more network bandwidth with the E5, they’re also building a new NIC technology as well. The Intel X540 is a LOM technology that enables 10GbE traffic using 10GBase-T.


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LONDON — Dover Street Market on Thursday unveiled a series of in-store activations and exclusive products to celebrate the upcoming Lunar New Year, which will land on Feb. 10 this year for the Year of the Dragon.
The Comme des Garçons-owned concept store offered the prime entrance location to the Shanghai-based label Shushu/Tong, one of the few Chinese labels it has been stocking for a decade, for an installation in the form of a submerged naked lady sculpture draped in pearl necklaces and earrings, and a cocktail reception at night catered by Bao, the small-plate Taiwanese eatery with a cult following in London.
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“In terms of order volume, Dover Street Market has been one of our biggest retail partners. They have been supporting us from Day One, and over the years they offered us many valuable and honest suggestions about things like how we should grow the brand, and what categories we should expand into,” said Liushu Lei, cofounder of Shushu/Tong.
Considered one of the must-see brands during Shanghai Fashion Week, the brand, which was founded by Lei and Yutong Jiang in 2015, now has about 20 employees in China and sells to more than 90 doors worldwide, with the dress being the bestselling category.
A frequent collaborator with Dover Street Market, Bao also set up a pop-up kiosk at the entrance with baked goods, collaborative fashion items with Carhartt WIP, Simone Rocha, Shushu/Tong and Deathmask on offer, in addition to Bao’s merch including sweatshirts, umbrellas emblazoned with men bouncing on pillowy Bao, Year of the Dragon wall calendars, and a custom-made engraved dragon Zippo lighter.
Erchen Chang, creative director of Bao, said this is their biggest collaboration with Dover Street Market to date.
“We have worked together for four years. Starting from small-scale VIP giftings, every year we expand the partnership a bit to gradually include a range of merchandise and now a pop-up. Hopefully, we’ll have more to celebrate the Chinese New Year in the years to come,” Chang said.
Asked about the collaborator lineup, Chang said Rocha has been a client of Bao. “We have worked on some sculptural pieces for them,” she added. The two teamed on a pocket-size red pear-shaped clutch with a faux-pearl crossbody strap.
The partnership with Carhartt WIP started at Chang’s previous Taiwanese fine-dining venture Xu in London’s Chinatown. The buzzy streetwear brand has been designing T-shirts for Bao for several years. The founder of Deathmask is a friend of Chang’s and they worked together on a pair of stylish clogs with mini golden bao sculptures on top. As for the red knitted hood in collaboration with Shushu/Tong, Chang said the style was based on one of the Chinese fashion brand’s top sellers.
The merch has been a fun and fast-growing addition to Bao’s culinary empire — six locations across London, with the latest branch in Battersea Power Station.
“We started by doing the tote bag. Our customers take them as a representation of their connection to us. We have grown from then to now teaming up with Dover Street Market for a range of designer products. I think there’s a lot of shared love for all these designers and creativity that we cherish,” she added.
The Bao and Shushu/Tong takeovers at Dover Street Market run from Thursday till Feb. 11, with prices starting from 7.5 pounds for a bottle of burnt chili hot sauce from Bao to 1,175 pounds for a Shushu/Tong puffy dress.
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Vertical farming has gained much attention in the U.S. in recent years. From only an idea proposed by Professor Dickson Despommier and his class at Columbia University in 1999, it has now been made into a reality (and a profitable one at that).
Earlier this summer, construction began on what will be the world’s largest vertical farm in Newark, New Jersey. Initially, the idea was brushed off and deemed infeasible. But breakthroughs in technology, coupled with increasingly unpredictable weather patterns due to climate change, have made vertical farming an increasingly attractive notion.
Here's a breakdown for you from Dickson Calibration Laboratory:
And here are places in the U.S. and around the world that already have established vertical farms:
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EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
By Whitney E. Akers
- "The Game Changers" is a new documentary on Netflix that posits a vegan diet can improve athletic performance in professional athletes.
- Limited studies available show that the type of diet — plant-based or omnivorous — doesn't give you an athletic advantage.
- We talked to experts about what diet is the best for athletic performance.
Packed with record-setting athletes displaying cut physiques and explosive power, "The Game Changers," a new documentary on Netflix, has a clear message: Vegan is best.
By John R. Platt
When it comes to solving problems related to wildlife trade, there are an awful lot of "sticky widgets."


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Starbucks and Jersey Mike’s are coming to a mixed-use community at the former Bergen Record site in Hackensack, joining previously announced retail tenants such as Blue Foundry Bank and Hackensack Meridian Health at the River Street property.
A pair of New Jersey-based restaurant chains are expanding their fast-growing footprints in the state, under a series of newly announced transactions by Pierson Commercial.
Three restaurants have leased space along Route 17 in Paramus, where Advance Realty is set to deliver a new 40,000-square-foot addition to an existing shopping center.
Jersey Mike’s Subs has expanded its footprint in its home state, leasing more than 10,000 square feet over the past year across seven locations in northern and central New Jersey.
AT&T has leased nearly 8,000 square feet at a location on Route 22 in Watchung, one of several recent retail deals arranged by brokers with The Goldstein Group.


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Chinas Xiaomi has become the worlds fourth smartphone maker to design its own processor, revealing its Pinecone chip yesterday aimed at breaking its reliance on foreign providers such as Qualcomm.中国的小米(Xiaomi)已沦为全球第四家自己设计处理器的智能手机制造商。昨日，该公司发售了其松果(Pinecone)芯片，力求超越对高通(Qualcomm)等国外供应商的倚赖。
The handset maker is leading a wave of Chinese tech groups that are trying to follow Apple, Samsung and Huawei by creating their own internal intellectual property, rather than relying on external sources.这家手机制造商于是以引导着一波中国科技集团追上苹果(Apple)、三星(Samsung)和华为(Huawei)的浪潮，创立自律知识产权，而不是倚赖外部资源。The ability to create its own chip sets is the pinnacle of achievement for any smartphone company. For Xiaomi, the move is an essential next step in our development, said Lei Jun, chief executive, at the launch.小米首席执行官雷军在发布会上回应：芯片是手机科技的制高点，小米要沦为最出色的公司，必需要掌控核心技术。Zhang Ziming of Analysys, a tech consultancy, said: These Chinese firms want to break the monopoly on chip technology by foreign companies and take part more in upstream competition.科技咨询公司易观国际(Analysys)的Zhang Ziming回应：这些中国企业想超越外国公司对芯片技术的独占，更好地参予到上游竞争中去。
Like most other smartphone makers, Xiaomi had previously relied on Qualcomm to supply chips. But the US groups global dominance has led to complaints over how it charges smartphone companies to use its designs.像其他大多数智能手机制造商一样，小米以前仍然依赖高通获取芯片。但这家美国集团的全球主导地位，使外界对其收费让智能手机公司用于其设计的方式收到责怪。In December, the company was fined $854m by South Korea for abusing its market position and charging excessive fees. It is now facing two lawsuits over licensing fees, one from US regulators, as well as a $1bn case involving Apple .去年12月，韩国政府以欺诈市场地位和收费过低之由对高通罚款8.54亿美元。目前，高通于是以面对两起因专利使用费而起的诉讼案--其中一起来自美国监管机构，而另一起跟苹果有关，涉嫌金额为10亿美元。
Designing chips in-house means that Chinese companies will suffer less from supply-chain disruptions. Xiaomi has previously had to delay the launch of its flagship phone because of problems with Qualcomms chip set, said Ding Jie, analyst at tech research group Canalys.自主设计芯片意味著中国企业受到供应链中断的冲击将不会更加小。此前，由于高通芯片组出有了一些问题，小米曾被迫延期其旗舰手机的公布，易观国际的分析师Ding Jie回应。Xiaomis chip ambitions date to October 2014, when it set up a subsidiary, Beijing Pinecone Electronics.小米研发芯片的志向可以追溯到2014年10月，当时小米正式成立了一家取名为北京松果电子有限公司(Beijing Pinecone Electronics)的子公司。
China-based companies share of chip designs in the global market roughly doubled to 11 per cent in the four years to 2015, while US-based companies have more than 60 per cent, according to Christopher Thomas of McKinsey.麦肯锡(McKinsey)的克里斯托弗o托马斯(Christopher Thomas)回应，在截至2015年的4年里，中国企业在全球芯片设计市场的份额超过11%，约提升了一倍，而美国企业的市场份额多达60%。
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ONLINE shoppers could be able to use "same day return" services this Christmas as retailers plan to make it easier to send back unwanted purchases.
Shops adopting the new policy will send couriers to pick up the items from customers' homes within hours of tapping a button on their smartphones.
Online fashion retailer ASOS is in advanced talks to be the first in the UK to offer the service to millions after recently launching it's same day delivery service dubbed "ASOS Instant", reports the Telegraph.
Other companies including Nike and Nespresso are also believed to be considering the new scheme, which experts say is the natural evolution of online shopping.
Figures from retail logistics firm Stuart claim the average online shopper has unwanted but unreturned goods worth £66 at home at any given time, amounting to £3.2billion for all UK shoppers.
Traditionally, online consumers have always had to physically post items they want to return. But the "same day return" policies are set to change the way we shop on the internet.
David Sanez, chief operating officer at Stuart, said: “With more retailers offering same day deliveries, it only makes sense to also offer same day returns.
“Consumers will benefit from greater convenience, a better shopping experience and time back in their day. At a tap of an app, consumers can book a return at a time and place which suits them, even within the hour. No longer will we have to schedule in life admin in our busy lives to visit a Post Office or a pick up point.
“For retailers, same day returns mean a faster turnaround, reducing the number of items that will end up out of season by the time they’re redistributed. This means retailers are more likely to have the items we want, in our size, available to buy when we want it."
ASOS and Argos recently launched same day delivery options for online shoppers in the approach to the festive rush.
Internet users who place orders on the ASOS website before 10am between Sunday and Friday can use the service at a cost of £12.95. Parcels are delivered between 6pm and 10pm.
Argos also opened "regional fulfilment" centres in Reading and Birmingham to allow six million extra households access to the speedy deliveries.
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AdOn Network Announces New CEO
PHOENIX - May 15, 2007 - AdOn Network, a leader in providing innovative keyword-targeted advertising solutions for advertisers and publishers, today announced the promotion of Steve Armstrong to the position of President and CEO.
Steve Armstrong promoted from VP of Operations and Finance to President and CEO replacing Chad Little
Mr. Armstrong assumes the role of President and CEO after serving as AdOn Network's VP of Operations and Finance since 2003. Along with his four years of experience as a part of the executive management team at AdOn Network, Mr. Armstrong is a veteran of the hi-tech industry with over 13 years of senior management experience including his term as one of the original management team at X.com, which became PayPal.
Mr. Armstrong will be replacing Chad Little, who served as President and CEO of AdOn Network since it's inception in 1999 and was one of the company's co-founders. Mr. Little will continue to serve on the AdOn Network board of directors.
"When I began my career at AdOn Network (then myGeek) in 2003, I saw an opportunity to be involved in a small company with a great culture that had the potential for tremendous growth," said Steve Armstrong, CEO of AdOn Network. "I had been through the rise and fall of the first dot com wave in the late 90's in the Silicon Valley area and was impressed by the commitment of AdOn Network's management team to weather that storm, push through the difficult times and emerge as a strong company with a clear mission and vision for the future."
"I am grateful to Chad Little for his legacy of leadership. Chad built a strong core team that provides the heartbeat of this company, and he created a culture that values the individual efforts of every employee along with a collective commitment to excellence that has positioned AdOn Network for continued growth and success."
"With the team that we have in place, the scaleable technology that we have built and the new products that are scheduled to launch in 2007, the future of AdOn Network is extremely bright and I am excited about the opportunity that lies ahead of us."
Prior to AdOn Network, Mr. Armstrong was the Corporate Controller for Panasas, a leading California-based company in the network attached storage space and backed by Mohr Davidow Ventures, The Carlyle Group, and other prominent venture groups. Before Panasas, Mr. Armstrong was the Corporate Controller at PayPal, a pioneer in the field of online payments and transactions. PayPal was formed by the merger of Confinity with X.com, an online bank, where Mr. Armstrong was the Corporate Controller before, during and after the merger. Prior to that, Mr. Armstrong had been the Corporate Controller at Eos, a leading manufacturer for advanced power supplies for the laptop computer market whose clientele included recognized industry leaders such as Dell, Sony, IBM, NEC, Texas Instruments, DEC, Solectron and Acer.
Mr. Armstrong holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration & Accounting from the University of California, Riverside. Mr. Armstrong is a member of the Executive Forum, the Financial Executive Institute and also has a Degree in Culinary Arts from Scottsdale Culinary Institute.
About AdOn Network
AdOn Network, founded in 1999 and headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz., is a leader in providing innovative contextual and behavioral advertising solutions for advertisers and publishers, delivering quality traffic from US and International sources. AdOn Network offers site-specific ROI tracking along with Behavioral, Contextual and Geo Targeting to equip advertisers with powerful performance-based tools to maximize their revenues. AdOn Network also features turnkey ASP solutions for Publishers which enable them to create, manage and distribute their own advertiser accounts. For more information, visit For more information, visit www.AdOnNetwork.com.


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With so many variables and complexities, how do you identify the most sustainable packaging solution? Graeme Smith discusses Mondi's customer-centric approach.
In our latest comment piece, Andrew Manly, AIPIA’s communications director, looks into one of the biggest issues for companies that are considering using smart packaging: cost vs value.
Mondi has worked with Kao’s hair cosmetic brand Goldwell on a lightweight, mono-material stand-up pouch that reportedly offers an 80% reduction in plastic compared to the previous rigid packaging solution.
India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has announced that from the 1st of July 2022, the country will ban the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of select single-use plastics, including cutlery, straws, carrier bags, and trays, that it claims have “low utility and high littering potential”.
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XPO Logistics has ramped up its use of intelligent robotics ahead of the Christmas peak period.
The robots, which XPO already uses in the US, work alongside XPO’s employees to help manage inventory for distribution during the seasonal peak.
Manufactured by 6 River Systems, XPO’s US robotic technology partner, the mobile robots collaborate with employees and are capable of adapting quickly to changes in fulfillment.
The robots guide employees to the correct inventory area, check the items picked and transport them to designated packing stations.
XPO says the technology uses machine learning to double productivity rates on average and improve accuracy by as much as 40%. Health and safety is also improved by reducing repetitive employee movements and time spent walking.
- What will logistics operations look like in the (not too distant) future?
- The robots are coming, FTA awards dinner told
- Amazon pilots autonomous delivery ‘Scout’ robots
Mario Harik, chief information officer of XPO Logistics, said, “Our successful collaboration with 6 River Systems in the US has led to a seamless roll-out of the robots at our UK sites.
“Based on our pilots with retail apparel, the system handles peaks in consumer demand with near-perfect accuracy by complementing the work performed by our employees. The synergies are ideal for retail and e-commerce fulfillment this holiday season.”
Jerome Dubois, co-founder and co-CEO of 6 River Systems, said: “Our collaborative fulfillment robots are a strong fit with XPO’s high-volume warehouse environments.
“This partnership has already delivered significant benefits for XPO customers.”


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Cryptocurrency change Mercado Bitcoin has raised US$200 million from Japanese enterprise conglomerate Softbank, turning into the primary crypto unicorn in Brazil.
A subsidiary of 2TM Group, Mercado processed cryptocurrencies price as much as US$5 billion within the first 5 months of this 12 months alone, as its prospects’ quantity soared by 700,000 in the course of the interval.
The proceeds of the deal, says Mercado, will likely be used to scale up operations and develop choices by digging deeper into blockchain technology. It’s also planning to rent 200 new workers by the top of this 12 months.
“The sequence B spherical will afford us to proceed investing in our infrastructure, enabling us to scale up and meet the hovering demand for the blockchain-based monetary market,” mentioned Roberto Dagnoni, Government Chairman & CEO of 2TM Group.
Partly because of the unstable Foreign exchange market and the COVID-19 pandemic, Latin American international locations are more and more embracing cryptocurrencies. Consequently, crypto exchanges are rising in quantity all through the area. El Salvador lately went a step additional, adopting bitcoin as a legal tender.
Mercado’s dad or mum firm 2TM Group appears to have higher experience in digital currencies. It was the primary on the planet to tokenize public debt belongings. Final 12 months, it issued its personal cryptocurrency known as Futecoin. Now, the corporate is ready to launch Bitrust, the primary digital custodian in Latin America.
“Cryptocurrencies have incredible potential in Latin America. We consider successful in Brazil is crucial for 2TM Group,” mentioned Marcelo Claure, COO of SoftBank Group.


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More than 24 million people in Japan use smartphones as of June, according to comScore MobiLens.
While this figure represents only 23.5 percent of the entire mobile population in the country, smartphone adoption has increased rapidly in 2012, with growth reaching 43 percent compared to previous year-end.
Android dominates the Japanese smartphone market with more than 64 percent share of subscribers, a notable growth of close to two points compared to its rivals, between the three-month periods ending March and June.
As the chart below illustrates, top smartphone platforms in Japan are as follows:
As the chart above illustrates, Apple’s percentage share of smartphone subscribers in the country is half that of Android and continued to drop within the year from March to June.
Taking Photos – Top Activity for Japanese Mobile Subscribers
Close to 63 million users in Japan took photos on their phones whether it was on a smartphone or not, accounting for more than 61 percent of total mobile phone users in the country.
Reading emails (57.5 million; 56 percent share) is the second most popular activity, followed by opening a mobile app (56.2 million; 54.7 percent share) as compared to mobile browsers (52.1 million, 50.8 percent share).
Marketers that plan to reach Japanese mobile users either via email, an app, or creating a mobile-friendly website would need to take these stats into consideration.
When it comes to mobile search, more than 30.6 million subscribers searched on their mobile devices with total mobile audience share at close to 30 percent as of June.
Sharp – Top Device Manufacturer in Japan
More than 102 million people in Japan use feature phone and smartphone devices and local device manufacturers own the market.
Sharp is the top device manufacturer with 22.6 percent market share of mobile subscribers.
Other players include Panasonic, Fujitsu, NEC, and Sony.
Although Sony owns the least percentage share of mobile users in Japan, it is the only OEM that grew by 0.7 percent share from March to June.
The study surveyed more than 4,000 Japanese mobile subscribers measured during the three-month average period ending June 2012.
Charts generated by Fan Shek.
According to data gathered for the report,‘Communications Infrastructure: The Backbone of Digital,’ 88% of IT professionals and 61% of marketers ranked their company’s current communication infrastructure as 'cutting-edge' or 'good.'
According to Matt Hoggatt, CEO of mobile audience network ReachMobi, there are rich opportunities in the realm of mobile web, if only mobile companies knew how to realize the platform’s potential. We caught up with Matt for a glimpse into the future of mobile web, and to find out what web push notifications have to offer marketers.
Last week, a panel of ecommerce and mobile experts joined together for a webinar to discuss key topics surrounding the mobile app ... read more
As we have learned from the previous columns in this series, images are the major contributor to bloated, slow-loading mobile pages.


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Sonic the Hedgehog Races to Build-a-Bear Workshop This Weekend
Everyone’s favorite blur blue Sonic the Hedgehog reached a big milestone this year with the series’ 25th anniversary, and now you (and others) can take Sonic home in loveable, plush form thanks to a new stuffed doll from the folks at Build-a-Bear Workshop.
In a report from Polygon, a new plush doll of Sonic the Hedgehog is available from Build-a-Bear Workshop as part of the 25th anniversary celebrations for Sonic and friends, with the doll available now as a web-exclusive through Build-a-Bear’s website, and in stores starting on December 3rd, 2016.
The Sonic plush retails for $35 and also includes an added bonus of a gold ring prop and a special art print from developer Sonic Team. Alongside the Sonic doll, a plush of his loyal sidekick Tails is also available from the retailer online for $15.
Aside from the Sonic and Tails plushes, Build-a-Bear is also featuring a new Sonic the Hedgehog-themed T-shirt accessory for any other bear/doll/plush for $7, featuring Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. As an added bonus, the retailer is also offering a special voicebox to the dolls with a soundclip of “Special Stage,” the music theme from Sonic the Hedgehog 3, for $7 to any order.
The Sonic the Hedgehog-themed plush dolls and accessories are available now as web-exclusive items on Build-a-Bear Workshop’s website now, and will be available in-store on December 3rd, 2016 – in the meantime, you can check out a gallery of them below (if you gotta go fast):


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COMPANY NEWS; Ticketmaster Deal To Get Ticketron
Published: February 28, 1991
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 27— The Ticketmaster Corporation said it would acquire Ticketron, its rival computerized ticketing agency. The Los Angeles-based Ticketmaster did not disclose terms of the deal for Ticketron, which is owned by the Carlyle Group, a Washington investment group, and is based in Landover, Md. Both companies are private.
When it was formed eight years ago, Ticketmaster was the upstart that challenged the long-established Ticketron. Now Ticketmaster has become a larger cmpany, dominating sports and pop concert bookings and leaving Ticketron with few strengths except the legitimate theater business. The companies' business overlaps in many cities.


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- Estonian deep tech startup LightCode Photonics announced it has closed a pre-seed investment round of €425K.
- United Angels VC and Superangel led the round, but the list of early backers also includes well-known Estonian angel investors such as Martin Villig (Bolt co-founder), Sten Tamkivi (Teleport co-founder) and Ragnar Sass (Pipedrive co-founder).
- LightCode Photonics will continue the development of its state-of-the art 3D imaging technology which aims to change the way robots look at the world.
This month, Tartu-based technology firm LightCode Photonics has secured a EUR425K pre-seed investment through a round led by United Angels VS and Superangel, alongside several additional angel investors hailing from Estonia.
Improving How Robots Perceive the World
LightCode Photonics is a deep tech company that spun off from the University of Tartu. A team of four passionate and award-winning researchers who were working on innovative imaging technologies four years ago became the founders of the company.
The startup per se was founded in August 2020 by Heli Valtna PhD (CEO), Sergey Omelkov PhD (CTO), Andreas Valdman PhD and Jan Bogdanov M.Sc. LightCode’s CEO has previously served as the head of autonomy development and the lead of several multi-million European projects.
LightCode Photonics’ major focus at the moment is to rethink image acquisition in a bid to transform the autonomous mobility sector with affordable 3D imaging technology. According to the company’s CEO Heli Valtna, the startup is currently focused on solving 3D imaging with intelligent sensing by transforming 3D imaging from human-like perception to robotic vision.
“LightCode Photonics is working on a LiDAR-class SD3D (Software Defined 3D) Camera that is compact, has low power consumption and relies on solid-state technologies. The technology enables the robotic vehicles to create real-time 3D maps to understand the surrounding environment and navigate safely. The technology simplifies the perception algorithms by 90% and lowers the cost of the sensor system by 95%. The impact for 3D imaging is like the global transformation of the economy from paper-based to digital,” Valtna explains.
Tapping Into the Global Service Robotics Market
The technology LightCode Photonics is developing has immense potential, not only for the autonomous vehicle market but for other dozen market segments and investors are well-aware of this fact.
Actually, the startup’s primary focus is on the service robotics market, which according to a recent Markets and Markets report was valued at USD37bn in 2020 and is projected to reach USD102bn by 2025, growing at a 22.6% CARG. From this sector, ground-based service robots with applications in healthcare, warehousing, hospitality or agriculture are expected to grow at the highest CAGR. What’s more, in terms of sales volume in our target price range, the service robotic market has the potential to purchase at least 10 times more units and is growing several times faster compared to the autonomous vehicle market.
As per the company, approximately 50-90% of the companies in the sector are open to testing and implementing novel 3D imaging technology, so much so that they could be considered early adopters (they usually make for only 2-10% of the market).
All these things considered, LightCode Photonics’ solution might prove instrumental in accelerating the growth in the given markets. This sentiment is mirrored by Superangel, one of the VC funds that led the recent pre-seed investment round during which the Estonian startup secured funding.
“LightCode Photonics’ CEO Heli Valtna, PhD is a renowned young scientist with good entrepreneurial drive and experience leading autonomy development in Milrem Robotics. We think this is a strong team with great opportunity and believe we can help them accelerate the commercialization of the technology. We’re leading this pre-seed round and the company joins our Alpine House venture development program,” noted Veljo Otsason, managing partner at Superangel.
As for plans regarding the funds, CEO Heli Valtna explains that the goal of the pre-seed round is to build a compact prototype of the LiDAR-class SD3D (Software Defined 3D) Camera that implements intelligent perception algorithms.
“Our game-changing 3D perception concept enables us to enhance the native resolution of the detector and empower the existing sensors with software-defined capability. Today we use affordable off-the-shelf components to run the intelligent perception algorithms and aim at outperforming the high-end LiDARs for a fraction of their cost,” Valtna adds.
A Technology That’s Constantly Evolving
The plan is to validate the technology with piloting partners in the robotic vehicle sector, e.g. Milrem Robotis and Cleveron, and preview the technology in Q3 of this year.
While the SD3D Camera concept took its inception in 2017, LightCode Photonics had a tabletop setup last year. In January 2021, the system was shrunk down to fit into a suitcase. Now, the startup is currently in the process of completing their “shoebox” prototype. By the end of the year, LightCode Photonics hopes the system will fit in a card deck-sized package and into a matchbox by 2023.
“The technology validation and preview are stepping stones to entering the market. By the end of 2022, we plan to manufacture and sell the first batch of units and by the end of 2023, we hope to provide our customers with the matchbox-sized camera,” Valtna specified for ITKeyMedia.
Meanwhile, the startup hopes to soon conclude the negotiations for the transformative deal with a major player in the field as well as preparing for a technology preview and raising the seed round.
LightCode Photonics has a good chance of solving the affordable 3D sensor shortage and by doing so accelerate the growth in several connected markets, so it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on them in the future.
Alexandra is a slight synesthesiac with a love for words. Passionate about new and emerging technologies, she always stays on top of the current trends and enjoys sharing the latest stories with others.


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The year 2023 will be the year of semiconductor story in India and around 50-55 design startups would come up to design fabs, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology said.
Speaking at a Twitter Space on Thursday night, Chandrasekhar said, whether world’s biggest semiconductor manufacturers like TSMC (Taiwan), Samsung or Intel come, the government is certainly in touch with them and eventually they would come to India.
“I think whether TSMC and Intel or Samsung come, I’m no one to predict that right now, but we are certainly in touch with all of them. They certainly understand where India is going, geopolitically and from a market and consumption point of view, one of the largest potential markets in the world,” he said while interacting with several startups.
He said all these companies understand all that and some of the decisions will be taken at a right time and a right place.
“...I just want to tell you regardless of whether those three (TSMC, Samsung and Intel) sign up to invest in India, in the short term or not, the Indian semiconductor journey is going to begin in 2023. We are going to ground break a fab (very soon), we are going to create packaging units in India and by the end of 2023 financial year, I think there will be more than 50-55 design startups in India that are doing device designs,” he further said.
“We will be taking out a large number in 2023-24 (design centres). I think India as a semiconductor nation, narrative, capability, competence...all are already underway. Now, whether the big guys are going to join in that ride in 2023-24 or 2025, I am pretty confident eventually they will” he added.
Earlier this week, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronics and IT also had said that India would declare its first fab in the coming few weeks.
“Today electronics manufacturing is close to $87 billion as an industry in the country. The government has taken three major initiatives -- creating the ecosystem, laying out a clear policy framework -- and focusing on developing the semiconductor industry. India would declare the first fab in the coming weeks. With the work being done by industry and the government today, India will have a vibrant semiconductor industry in the coming three-four years,” he said.


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FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., June 19, 2019 – New-vehicle quality across the entire Hyundai lineup resulted in the company being ranked as the second-highest non-premium brand in J.D. Power’s 2019 U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS) for the second consecutive year. Hyundai owners reported three fewer problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) than in 2018 as Hyundai also maintained its third overall ranking with a significant 12 PP100 fewer than the fourth place brand.
In the model segments, the all-new Hyundai Santa Fe received the midsize SUV award and was one of only three vehicles to win one of the 21 segments in its launch year. Hyundai’s entire lineup performed well with Tucson, Elantra, Accent and Veloster all finishing second in their respective segments, while Kona and Sonata each were third.
As a brand, Hyundai ranked first in two of the eight categories with the fewest reported ACEN (Audio, Communication, Entertainment, and Navigation) and seat problems. J.D. Power also classifies problems as either design or defect/malfunction and Hyundai finished with the lowest number of design related problems among non-premium brands.
“Hyundai owners and new car shoppers can have peace of mind in knowing that our new vehicle quality continues to be among the best in the industry,” said Barry Ratzlaff, vice president, Customer Satisfaction, Hyundai Motor America. “Our performance in the highly respected IQS study and our overall commitment to quality are a testament to the entire company’s dedication, including design, engineering, manufacturing, service, field teams and our dealer partners, to deliver the highest quality vehicles to our customers. We are proud to maintain our quality leadership and will not relent in our pursuit to constantly improve the quality of our vehicles.”
Hyundai’s strong showing in J.D. Power’s IQS follows its fifth place non-premium ranking in J.D. Power’s 2019 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS), demonstrating its quality leadership over time. Santa Fe was also ranked highest in its class in the J.D. Power 2019 VDS.


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Apple has had its own share of problems when it comes to iOS 8. Whether it was rollout that was having issues, or continued bugs that seem to have made themselves so apparent on the operating system – that users are now giving up on ever seeing a change – until iOS 9 comes along, anyway. That being said, it certainly hasn’t impacted the bottom line of the company, as Apple recorded the best quarter of business in the history of business last fiscal quarter. However, the company has listened to their customers, and they want more users trying out their product before it actually goes live.
This though, as the report first indicated, isn’t something that’s entirely new for Apple. They’ve already executed a certain style of beta tests with their desktop computers – with relative success in terms of getting users onboard and getting feedback that really did prove to be beneficial. However, it remains to be seen how effective it will work out to be. If Apple does run these programs to beta test their mobile operating system before it goes live for everyone — as Microsoft does with its Windows platform — then we should expect to see that beta go live in the coming month for iOS 8.3, and then this summer for iOS 9 – as it would likely work to stay ahead of the traditional launch time for the new operating system.
The bottom line is that Apple simply wants to avoid the problems and the issues that have plagued the company with this operating system. While we’re not talking about issues that have made iOS 8 as hated as an operating system like Windows 8 – we are still talking about issues with connectivity, data consumption, battery life, and more which all have serious impacts on the bottom line of the business, and the performance of their devices – which is crucial to their business. If this plan does work out for Apple, then it will likely be seen as a big step for the company because traditionally they have been very secretive about what their operation looks like and are regularly working to maintain secrecy with their operating systems.


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China Issues New Risk Classification Rule For GMP Inspections
This article was originally published in PharmAsia News
The new risk-based regulation highlights recordkeeping and high-risk products with stricter enforcement for repeat offenders. Meanwhile, SFDA is also implementing an electronic monitoring system to improve drug safety.
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China insurance giant snatches up stakes in Japanese pharma and a traditional Chinese medicines maker with a $465m spending spree.
With vaccines perhaps the ultimate weapon to fight the coronavirus, a developer in China sees a big chunk of investment with potentially more companies to see funding coming.


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Elon Musk predicts a recession if the Federal Reserve hikes interest rates again.
Several economists also believe that prolonged rate hikes will increase the chances of recession.
The next FED interest rate hikes meeting is scheduled for December 15.
The US Federal Reserve, which is scheduled for Dec 15, will exacerbate the recession.
The world's richest man and mercurial electric car executive remarked on Twitter, "If the Fed hikes interest rates again next week, the recession will be severely exacerbated."
In October, Elon Musk was asked by the Twitter account Tesla Owners Silicon Valley how long he expected the recession would persist, and he answered, "Just guessing, but probably till spring of 24."
Economists predict that the Federal Reserve will announce the last hike of 2022 next week. Fed Chair Jerome Powell also signaled that when the Fed meets next week, the benchmark interest rate will most likely be raised by a smaller increment. The question is whether the rate hike will be 0.5 or 0.75 percentage points. On December 15, the US Federal Reserve will release its interest rates.
In an effort to control inflation, the Federal Reserve issued a fourth consecutive 0.75 percentage point rate hike in November last month.
Many economists believe that prolonged rate hikes will discourage borrowing in 2023, increasing the likelihood of a recession. According to 42 economists polled by Bloomberg, the risk of a recession in the following year has risen to 60%.
Between October and November, the cost of goods grew by only 0.1%, while wholesale gas prices fell by 6%. (Food prices were an exception, rising 3.3% last month due to higher-priced chicken, eggs, and vegetables.)
In contrast, the cost of services rises by 0.4%, owing mostly to rising financial sector charges. The consumer price index, the most generally known inflation indicator issued by the US government, will be released.
In the most recent CPI report for October, prices were up 7.7% from a year ago, indicating that inflation was slowing. Despite remaining high, that was the lowest comparison figure since January.
Read also: Bankman-Fried Sees a Future for FTX


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Activision has just announced Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, the publisher has confirmed the long-rumored game with a new trailer titled ‘Know Your History’ in which developers tease the franchise’s return to one of the toughest geopolitical events in recent history. The publisher will reveal more details on August 26.
Take a look at the trailer down below:
In late May, a Twitter user uploaded a picture of Black Ops art with the Cold War below the title, the insider affirmed that the game will span over the years of both the Vietnam and Korean war. Following that leak, dataminers found an alpha build of the game called “The Red Door”. The build was leaked on Xbox Servers, and a similar listing appeared on PlayStation Network.
Dataminer Prototype_Warehouse tweeted a series of code that has given the fans some insight into the content of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War:
ger_stakeout nam_armada nam_prisoner nic_revolution rus_amerika rus_duga rus_kgb rus_siege rus_yamantau (sidemission) tundra (sidemission) takedown
These leaks suggest that the game’s campaign will take place in Vietnam, Russia, Germany, and Nicaragua. Prototype Warehouse also leaked a series of names for multiplayer maps: “black sea”, “cartel”, “KGB” “Miami”, “Moscow” “Satellite”, “Tank”, and “Tundra”. The dataminer also affirms that there will be a zombie mode, codenamed “Silver”.