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Apple iWatch Will Be Manufactured By LG?
LG is rumored to be the one manufacturing the display of the Apple SmartWatch/iWatch.
With all the rumors circulating all over the net about the upcoming launch of the Apple SmartWatch/iWatch, the consumers are very much eager to hear more details about the device and the features it comes with. The latest rumor came from a report posted on a Korean website which confirmed that LG is said to manufacture the overall display of this highly innovative watch.
Despite the post, this report is not confirmed by Apple and the company did not comment any further about this. As a matter of fact, they have not released any official statement yet as to when the new watch is set to be released or if they are currently in the process of developing this new watch.
Apple Inc. is the company behind the Apple SmartWatch/iWatch, as well as the iPhone, iPad, iPod, MacBook, and several other electronic devices. Apple is a US-based corporation with headquarters located in Cupertino, California. The company focuses on designing, developing, as well as selling consumer electronics, software, computers, mobile devices and many more.
It is best known for its Mac line of computers. Also, people fall in line for its iPod media players, the iPad tablets, and the iPhone smartphones. This is why it’s expected that they’ll enjoy the same popularity for the upcoming Apple SmartWatch/iWatch. If the trend is to be followed, it will look amazing and will be packed with a lot of features.
LG stands for Lucky Goldstar, which is a South Korean based company that is said to be the fourth largest electronics company all over South Korea. The headquarters of LG is located in Seoul, South Korea at the LG Twin Tower building.
The company produces and sells electronic products, chemicals, as well as various telecom products. Their subsidiaries are LG Electronics, LG Display, LG Chem, Zenith, as well as the LG Telecom which is the company said to be commissioned by Apple to manufacture the Apple SmartWatch/iWatch. The company operates in more than 80 countries worldwide and if rumors are true, their partnership with Apple can help to make the company to grow even bigger.
Further reports stated that the materials that will be used for the new Apple SmartWatch/iWatch are the same materials that were used for LG’s Flex display that matches up to rumors that the Apple iWatch will come with some curved form factor in order to achieve a better fit for the wrist. The iWatch is also said to come with a 1.52” display screen, according to rumors.
For some unknown reasons, the said report has already been taken off from the Korean website that originally published it. But if you want to have a glimpse of a copy of such report, simply check out some of the tech websites that published the report. With the removal of the report and without any confirmation from Apple Inc, it is still difficult to confirm if LG will indeed be manufacturing one of Apple’s most anticipated products for 2014, the Apple SmartWatch/iWatch.


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(Reuters) - Europe's biggest hotel group Accor ACCP.PA plans to cut 1,000 jobs as part of a 200 million euro (180.57 million pounds) per year cost saving plan to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus crisis.
Accor, which runs high-end chains such as Raffles and Sofitel as well as budget brands such as Ibis, said on Tuesday it will reduce its costs by 17% compared with 2019 after lockdown measures and border closures to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic dented its business.
It will have to spend around 300 million euros to implement this plan, CFO Jean-Jacques Morin said after Accor reported that it swung to a 227 million euro first-half loss before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation compared to EBITDA of 375 million euros in the year-earlier period.
“It is difficult to implement cost saving measures in our industry without it having an effect on staff,” Morin added.
Accor, which operates more than 5,000 hotels in 111 countries, could not yet specify where the job cuts would be, he said. He said the company employs 18,000 people at headquarter level.
Global tourism revenues are expected to fall by up to $3.3 trillion due to coronavirus restrictions, a U.N. study forecasts, based on the most pessimistic scenario for the industry, with lockdown measures lasting 12 months.
However, Accor said that 81% of its hotels were now open and that it had a solid liquidity position of more than 4 billion euros at the end of June.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Accor chief Executive Sebastien Bazin said Accor is closing in on a deal to take over the contracts of about 100 Travelodge hotels, which would involve Accor taking a 10% stake in a new special purpose vehicle that would be majority-owned by the Travelodge landlords.
“Accor is in a good position to take advantage of distressed assets as a result of coronavirus”, he told the paper.
Reporting by Charles Regnier; Editing by Edmund Blair, Alexander Smith and Emelia Sithole-Matarise
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

domain: news


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NH's Ayotte to address Business and Industry Association in Manchester
MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte is addressing business leaders on her efforts in Washington to create a positive climate for businesses to compete and create jobs.
Ayotte is speaking at a luncheon Friday hosted by the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire. It's in Manchester at the Radisson Hotel.
The association is New Hampshire's statewide chamber of commerce and leading business advocate. It represents more than 400 members in a variety of industries.


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Google’s wearable face technology is seeing the light – through factory and industrial work.
In a Wired feature, the polarizing Google Glass is described as being given a second life through factory use and everyday task management. The Enterprise Edition of Glass is the version being used at these new workplaces—and no, the employees aren’t using Glass to check Twitter or browse Yelp for cute little cafés near their company. Glass is being used as a tool, just like a hammer and nail.
Many thought Google had given up on Glass for good, relegated to the back corner of a warehouse in California and doomed to hear the echoes of tech writers’ insults forever. Business Insider even ran an article last year about what it was like to be the “rare breed” that still used Glass.
Companies have been testing the new Enterprise Edition of Glass and loving what they see. Volkswagen, Boeing and GE were early adopters of the new edition and have reported increases in productivity and quality since adopting the once-lambasted wearable tech. Pilot projects that introduced Glass to workers are changing into plans for broad use.
Major upgrades for the Enterprise Edition include a better camera (now eight megapixels compared to the original five), a longer battery life, faster wifi and a light that indicates when you are recording video. The actual design has been tweaked too, so now the electronics of Glass can be attached to safety goggles and even prescription eyewear. Essentially these are all improvements driven by widespread use in the industrial sector.
Companies began buying up Glass technology and installing custom software to enable employees to work more efficiently. Google noticed and began to see if there was a possibility for the old tech to be rebooted. As of today you can officially check out the new Enterprise Edition online and take a look at the new functionalities.
Wearable tech may not be a fashion statement or an everyday accessory like a smartphone, but they will be in use. A recent report by Forrester Research predicts that by 2025 nearly 14.4 million workers will use smart glasses technology.


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Gran Turismo Franchise
Here's everything you need to know about Gran Turismo 7's pivotal 1.40 Spec II update, which includes Sophy AI, World Circuits challenges, a new set of licences and a new snowy venue.
Gran Turismo 7's update 1.40 has been christened 'Spec II' and it's set to include several requested features alongside fresh content.
This week's Gran Turismo 7 Daily Races for the week commencing 30th October 2023, before the next game update arrives.
Series Producer Kazunori Yamauchi has let slip that Gran Turismo 7's next update will arrive week commencing 30th November 2023.
Polyphony Digital has collaborated with Nissan to create the GUI for the Nissan Hyper Force concept.
This week's Gran Turismo 7 Daily Races feature three repeats - all great combinations, but there's a foreboding sense of familiarity.
Set as a Sport Mode Lap Time Challenge, all entrants will be gifted an in-game Michelin-liveried Porsche 918 Spyder.
This week's Gran Turismo 7 Daily Races feature the Toyota GR Corolla MORIZO Edition at Maggiore, Gr.3s from Road Atlanta and a testing Gr.4 endurance race at Barcelona.
The known issues page was updated on 5th October, but six days later, Gran Turismo 7's Sport Mode is still freezing.
The daftest combination of tuned road cars and a test track headline this week's Gran Turismo 7 Sport Mode Daily races.


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Appear Here and Gousto honoured at 2015 Startups Awards
Congratulations to both companies on their success at the ceremony. Gousto won the ‘Retail Business of the Year award‘, whilst Appear Here succeeded in two categories: ‘Venture Funded Business of the Year’ and the most prestigious award of the night, ‘Simply Business Startups Business of the Year’.
The awards celebrate the country’s most inspiring businesses launched in the last four years. The categories were judged by a panel of high profile entrepreneurs and British business leaders, including Cath Kidson MBE and Touker Suleyman. Founder of Startups.co.uk David Lester said of the awards: “In 2015 we also welcomed more entries than ever before, so this year’s finalists truly are the best in their fields. Huge congratulations to all of our participants, particularly our outstanding winners”.
See the full list of winners here.


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Feb 23, 2010
Bhutan reports first H5N1 outbreak
Agriculture officials in Bhutan today reported the country's first H5N1 avian influenza outbreak, which struck free-range chickens in a village near the southwestern border with India, according to a report from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The outbreak, located in Chhuka province, began Feb 18, killing 8 birds and sickening 14 others. The remaining 28 birds on the premises were culled. The virus's presence in samples from the birds was confirmed by the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal, India, and at the National Institute of Animal Health in Bangkok, Thailand. Bhutan's report raises the number of countries that have been hit by H5N1 outbreaks to 63.
Feb 23 OIE report
Cruise ship has big norovirus-like outbreak
A Celebrity Cruises ship sailing the Caribbean has been overwhelmed with an outbreak of illness that may be norovirus, according to the USA Today blog Cruise Log. About 23% of the Celebrity Mercury’s 1,800 passengers have developed upset stomachs, vomiting, and diarrhea during the 11-night round-trip voyage from Charleston, S.C. The cruise line dispatched an extra doctor and nurse to meet the vessel mid-cruise, and ship crew members have begun the aggressive cleaning needed to keep the bug at bay. Such outbreaks were once common but have become less so; there were 34 in 2006, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but only 13 last year.
Feb 23 Cruise Log post
Meat company acknowledges E coli in suit
The agribusiness conglomerate Cargill Inc. has acknowledged in a court filing that E coli O157:H7 in ground beef that it packaged caused illness in a Minnesota woman, according to the St. Cloud Times. The woman, Stephanie Smith, developed hemolytic uremic syndrome after eating a hamburger in September 2007 and became paralyzed from the waist down. Her attorney, food-liability lawyer Bill Marler, said it is the first time he has seen an admission of liability at such an early stage of court proceedings. The lawsuit is expected to go to trial this summer.
CDC reports more Salmonella cases
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it has received three more reports of patients who were sickened in a national Salmonella outbreak linked to sausage products, raising the total to 233, according to a Feb 18 update. The number of affected states remained at 44, the latest illness onset is now Jan 31, and one more patient has been hospitalized. In other developments, the company that produced the salami and sausage products that have been recalled in connection with the outbreak said it detected the bacteria in sealed containers of red pepper from two suppliers, the Washington Post reported on Feb 19. Daniele Inc's initial recalls involved products that contained potentially contaminated black pepper. The latest recall came on Feb 17, when the company reported finding evidence of Salmonella in red pepper it used in its products. The company's test results await confirmation by federal laboratories, the Post report said. One of the two companies that reportedly supplied the red pepper said federal investigators had not found Salmonella in its products; the other company did not respond to calls.
Feb 18 CDC Salmonella outbreak update
Feb 19 Washington Post story
Feb 17 CIDRAP News story


text: WARRNAMBOOL has secured a new rail freight operator which the city's terminal chief predicts will start a new transport era for the region. The deal between Westvic Container Handling and the independent Melbourne-based freight company El Zorro is all but finalised and comes less than three weeks ahead of an expected pullout by the state's monopoly provider Pacific National.The announcement by Pacific National's parent company, Asciano Group, in December that it planned to abandon grain freight transport in Victoria raised fears of a possible closure of the Warrnambool freight line, which would send an estimated 40 more semi-trailers along the Princes Highway each night. News of the deal came as up to nine Pacific National employees at the Portland depot prepared to finish work today, leaving the Portland line without a freight operator.The Warrnambool deal emerged only hours after Asciano all but confirmed it would end its Victorian operations within three weeks.Westvic Container Handling managing director Warrick Loft said the dedicated Warrnambool train would be "the start of a whole new era" for freight in the south-west. "We're looking to base a train in Warrnambool and we're looking to potentially crew it from Warrnambool," he said.The service will run between Warrnambool and Melbourne five nights a week.Mr Loft said the uncertainty surrounding Pacific National in the past 12 to 18 months had been "an absolute disaster". "It's now time to put control back in the hands of the people who run the freight terminal - and that's us." Pacific National's looming pullout encouraged a number of smaller operators, including El Zorro, to step forward. Asciano released a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange this week confirming that unless it could secure "contractual commitments that see all of our risk mitigated" it would be "withdrawing from that business over the next two or three weeks completely". The Brumby Government responded to the looming freight derailment last month by announcing a $20 million support package to be distributed between terminal and rail operators over the next two years.El Zorro business manager Geoff Tighe said the deal with Westvic was yet to be finalised. "It will be a rapid and reliable service to the ports," he said. "And hopefully we will be able to build up that business to his (Mr Loft's) terminal so that when that Government support package disappears he can continue." Meanwhile, the future of the Ararat to Portland line remains in doubt.Former chairman of the Alliance and Glenelg Shire Mayor Geoff White welcomed the Warrnambool deal but said it was "unimaginable" the Portland line might close.A normal grain harvest would require 4000 B-double movements on the district's roads if no rail operator was found, he said, posing serious safety and environmental hazards.


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Department store operator Stein Mart Inc. will pay a special dividend of $5 a share later this month, using new credit facilities and cash on hand.
The company said its $275 million of new credit facilities include an increase in revolving credit and better pricing terms.
The dividend "reflects our continued generation of strong cash flows and favorable access to the credit markets," Stein Mart said.
In late trading, Stein Mart shares were up almost 18% to $16.70.
Stein Mart, which had 268 stores as of Nov. 1, has consistently posted monthly increases in same-store sales, with an 5.8% increase reported for December.
During the quarter ended Nov. 1, Stein Mart swung to a loss, in part due to store-closing charges and fees related to a 2012 financial restatement.
Write to Josh Beckerman at email@example.com
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires


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Royal Mail has launched a drive to recruit around 20,000 seasonal workers to help with the Christmas post and increasing amounts of online shopping.
Temporary jobs will be available from the end of October to early in the new year, with Parcelforce also looking for seasonal drivers and other workers.
The seasonal workers will help sort Christmas parcels and cards as well as the growing amount of online shopping orders.
An additional 3,650 workers will be recruited on Royal Mail Group’s express parcels business, Parcelforce Worldwide, 1,500 at its international parcel hub at Heathrow and 650 data inputting roles at three sites in the UK
Royal Mail chief people officer Zareena Brown said: “Our seasonal workforce is incredibly important to our operation and we very much look forward to welcoming those who return year after year as well as those who may be joining us for the first time.
“Being part of delivering Christmas is a brilliant experience and one that we know offers lots of opportunities for employment and engagement in the communities we serve.”
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02.15.13 View full article at All Things D
February 15, 2013 by Peter Kafka
"The fate of the TV ad may or may not be in jeopardy. But in Web videoland, ads are thriving: Distributors keep adding more of them, and they are bumping up their length, too. And the people who watch Web videos seem ok with that.
A new report from Web video ad manager Freewheel, which works with many of the biggest players in the business, lays out the story in 3 simple charts..."
Read the full story at AllThingsD.


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The Marena Group usually produces compression garments used after surgeries. Since most elective surgeries have been put on hold to make more medical resources available to coronavirus patients, demand has plummeted for the Marena Group’s products. But once the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began recommending people wear masks in public, the Marena Group has switched its production line to masks.
“Being an FDA approved medical device manufacturer, our company, production lines and employees are uniquely qualified to respond to the current epidemic and shortage of face masks,” said Dale Clendon, president and CEO of The Marena Group, in a company statement. “We felt the obligation to answer the call to produce these new reusable antibacterial non-surgical PPE masks. They meet the criteria of the FDA guidance as a Class I medical device to be used by the general public and by health care professionals in a healthcare setting,”
The non-surgical masks are washable — they remain effective through 50 trips to the washing machine —and can be worn alone or over an N95 mask. The company is now making 80,000 masks a week, and they’re available for both medical personnel and the general public.
“What I saw was a Georgia company making the best of a situation that they never anticipated,” Collins said a day after his tour of the factory. “It’s a great example of how Georgians are keeping Georgians employed.”
The masks can be purchased at the company's website, marena.com.
Gwinnett County Transit workers decided not to walk off the job this morning after the company that operates the service took additional steps to protect their safety.


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Rumors are swirling that Apple is working on a new iPhone model that is set to be released in 2023. The so-called Apple iPhone 16 is said to have a larger screen than any other iPhone yet released and may even feature an OLED display.
Whether or not this upcoming phone will actually materialize remains to be seen, but it’s exciting to think about what new features could be included.
Apple iPhone 16 Specs
The new iPhone 16 is the slimmest and lightest phone that Apple has ever released. It is made with a durable aluminum and glass design that is both sleek and stylish.
Despite its compact size, the iPhone 16 has a large display that makes it perfect for watching movies or playing games. And with its advanced A18 Bionic chip, it is one of the fastest phones on the market.
The display is a critical component of smartphones. The iPhone 16 will have an OLED display that is 6.4 inches. This will be the first time that Apple has used this type of display in one of its products.
It is expected to provide a better viewing experience for users, as well as better color representation.
Conveniently accessible phone cameras, such as the Apple iPhone 16, typically display clear images and offer a wide range of shooting modes. With this phone model, you can stay in front of the action while capturing visuals with incredible detail. It has a quad 108-megapixel resolution and wide-angle lens, which enables you to get as close to the action as you like.
The camera has many photo modes and zoom functions that make it simple to get close-up photographs of objects or people. The electronic viewfinder makes it simple to compose your shots and look at the results of the picture before taking the shot.
Are you constantly on the go and fed up with worrying about conducting a business call before you can reach your destination? Then you’re in luck!
Apple is coming with its next-generation flagship, the iPhone 16, with a huge 4850mAh battery life far longer than that of Apple devices. And when its battery is so strong, it’s thin and lightweight, so you can carry it anywhere you want. If you use your phone extensively, this phone can operate for ten to twelve hours. If you also use it enthusiastically, it can work for upwards of eight hours.
The upcoming iPhone 16 is expected to make a big splash in the mobile industry, and for a good reason: it packs in all the features a smartphone enthusiast could want. With its exceptional performance, it is not surprising why the next version of this phone is going to be a hit with consumers and will likely rank highly among other powerful devices on the market.
Apple iPhone 16 Price in the USA
Apple iPhone 16 Price in the USA will start from $1199 for the 8GB RAM model and go up to $1250 for the 12GB RAM model. For those who are looking to upgrade, the prices of the new iPhones start at $1299 for the 512GB of ROM model.
Apple iPhone 16 Price in India
Apple iPhone 16 Price in India starts at Rs. 93,038 for the 256GB model. For those who are looking to upgrade, the prices of the iPhone 16 start at 100,794 for the 512GB of ROM model.
Apple iPhone 16 Price in Bangladesh
Apple iPhone 16 Price in Bangladesh begins at 106,482 BDT for the 256GB model. If most are in the market for a phone, the starting price for the iPhone 16 is 115,363TK for the 512GB ROM model.
Apple iPhone 16 Price in Dubai
Apple iPhone 16 Price in Dubai begins at 4,403 United Arab Emirates Dirham for the 256GB model. If most are in the market for a phone, the starting price for the iPhone 16 is 4,771 United Arab Emirates Dirham for the 512GB ROM model.
Apple iPhone 16 Price in the Philippines
The starting price of the Apple iPhone 16 in the Philippines is 62,917 Philippine pesos for the 256GB model, and the cost for 512GB ROM versions is 68,165 Philippine pesos.
Check out: Apple iPhone 16 Price in Japan.
Apple iPhone 16 Release Date:
Apple’s upcoming model, which will be known as the iPhone 16, is said to be a significant update from the current iPhone models. It will include new features and enhancements that will make it top-of-the-line. The time it takes to start manufacturing this model will make this in high demand.
Apple has a proven track record of producing quality goods and services, so it will take time to bring this new iPhone to market. Therefore, you just have to wait a while. According to reputable sources, you have to wait till 2023 to acquire this top-of-the-line iPhone gadget. Yes, you heard it right, the iPhone 16 will be released in 2023, and it seems like it will have a tremendous impact.
Next model: iPhone 16 Pro Max
We’ve told you everything we know about iPhone 16, all hearsay. The details shared by us do not exist; there is no official confirmation from them. Nonetheless, there are rumors that the information we reported above is accurate. What we cannot do is wait; we have simply to wait to see what Apple iPhone 16.


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Despite e-commerce most of the buying decisions at the point of sale Stuttgart falls, March 31, 2011 – a study of eWeb Research Center of the University of Niederrhein according to the proportion of total sales, the retail generated by online stores in the non-food sector, now on almost ten per cent amounts. For the wvp GmbH from Stuttgart, the study is still first and foremost a proof that even 20 years after the advent of the Internet the point of sale, so the sales situation in the shops for the vast number of consumers is crucial. Considering only the non-food segment with a total turnover of 211 billion euros, the share of online trading was 8.6 percent last year. In the current year, this proportion should increase to 10 percent. Up to the year 2020 online sales should double according to the study. Robotics expert has many thoughts on the issue. Is also the food sector taken into account, then only 4.7 per cent of the turnover in the retail sector is generated online. But even if one considers only the non-food sector.
then, we are still at a share of below 10 percent. That means the reverse, that over 90 per cent of the budgets of the consumers is spent offline”, Claus Vogt, Manging Director of wvp GmbH, calculates. This makes it clear that the vast number of consumers will be motivated by trade and at the point of sale for the purchase. Still considered the fact that over 70 percent of the buying decisions at the point of sale fall. This is but also understandable, because only here real experiences can be created, the emotions awaken, which then in turn lead to a purchase decision.” Especially in the living room and kitchen area, but also in the fashion and textile industry, as well as in the automotive sector considered wvp remains communication in trade and the experience of the products in the stores as irreplaceable.


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CommercialGuru.com.sg is Singapore's commercial property expert offering you the best one-stop solution to start your commercial property search as an investor, buyer for own use, or tenant looking to rent commercial space.
China Square retail tenants concerned about renovation
May 24, 2012
by Cheryl Tay Some shop tenants are unhappy about the upcoming renovation works scheduled for China Square, which aim to add a new commercial precinct to the area. Seven tenants, who mainly operate F&B businesses in Nankin Row (pictured), are worried that they might lose around 70 percent of business, as their revenue usually comes from the lunchtime office crowd. Their main concern is that patrons who use their al fresco dining areas will be discouraged by the noise and dirt from the construction works. Additionally, they also claimed that landlord Great Eastern provided them with only a short notice period and limited information. Some said that they received notices only on Thursday, while the construction works are scheduled to run from next month to February 2013. In response, Great Eastern noted that the letter it had sent was actually an early notification, as it is still finalising details. Tenants will get regular updates and items such as signs for customers, in order to help minimise inconvenience, said a spokesman. "We are engaging our tenants on an individual basis to see how we can help mitigate the disruptions to their business, including offering rental assistance to affected tenants," he noted. The link way to Far East Square is part of a main project which will integrate Far East Square, Great Eastern Centre and China Square Central into a precinct to be known as China Place, which will include new retail, hospitality and entertainment amenities. The cost of the S$14 million project is shared by developers Far East Organization (FEO), Frasers Commercial Trust (FCT) and Great Eastern.


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May 15, 2008 |
Lucian Freud, the 85-year-old British painter, became the world's priciest living artist at auction when his graceful portrait of a 280-pound civil servant named Sue fetched $33.6 million at Christie's International in New York. The 1995 Freud was one of eight records smashed in an exuberant sale Tuesday night featuring the male clique of auction stars that includes Andy Warhol, Francis Bacon and Richard Prince. The top lot was a 1952 Mark Rothko painting, with red bands on a yellow background, that went for $50.4 million.
March 22, 2008 |
Take a second look at that signed Picasso print you bought on EBay. A ring of art counterfeiters has sold thousands of prints since 1999 bearing the forged signatures of Picasso, Miro, Dali and other famous artists to buyers around the world. "Thousands of people will learn they . . . bought a fake," said Chicago-based U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who announced indictments this week charging two Americans, a Spaniard from Barcelona, and two Italians from Milan and Monsummano with multiple counts of fraud.
November 9, 2007 |
A Ming Dynasty painting has been auctioned for $10.7 million, a record price for a Chinese painting, state media in China reported. "The Red Cliff Handscroll" by painter Qiu Ying was sold to a private buyer from China by China Guardian Auctions Co., Xinhua News Agency said. The previous record for a Chinese painting was set earlier this year at an auction in Hong Kong, when "Put Down Your Whip" by Xu Beihong sold for $8.19 million.
July 13, 2007 |
Summers in Santa Fe, N.M., are punctuated by art markets that are a boon to collectors and an opportunity for serious oohing and ahing from throngs of visitors. The newest, the 3-year-old Santa Fe International Folk Art Market, is a melange of textiles, pottery, basketry, carving and more by 100-plus artists from around the world. But there's a larger mission behind the event, which will be held Saturday and Sunday: to sustain world folk art and folk artists.
May 31, 2007 |
GETTING in on the booming contemporary art market can be a daunting endeavor, particularly for neophyte collectors. In response, the Museum of Contemporary Art has come up with "Fresh," a summer party and auction that offers a range of artwork from veterans such as Ed Ruscha, John Baldessari and Allen Ruppersberg as well as younger artists such as Violet Hopkins and Joe Bradley.
May 18, 2007 |
An Andy Warhol painting sold for $71.1 million, more than quadrupling the previous top auction price for the pop artist's work, Christie's auction house in New York reported. The Wednesday auction of postwar and contemporary art took in nearly $385 million, making it the second most lucrative art auction held, according to Christie's. Warhol's 1963 painting "Green Car Crash (Green Burning Car I)" was sold to an anonymous buyer. The previous auction record for a Warhol work was $17.
May 17, 2007 |
The record price for postwar art was broken twice at a Sotheby's auction in New York this week, first with a Francis Bacon work and later with a Mark Rothko painting. The 1950 Rothko painting, "White Center (Yellow, Pink and Lavender on Rose)," of blocks of color, sold for $72.8 million Tuesday to an anonymous bidder, Sotheby's said. Shortly before, a 1962 Bacon painting of a pope, "Study From Innocent X," sold to an anonymous bidder for $52.6 million.
April 24, 2007 |
Artworks consigned to auction are on public view this week at Sotheby's and Christie's Beverly Hills showrooms. Today through Thursday, Sotheby's will show a rare collection of 14 watercolors by British artist J.M.W. Turner, amassed over 20 years by Belgian collection Guy Ullens. The collection, valued at up to $29.5 million, will go on the block July 4 in New York.
March 17, 2007 |
An ancient Indian sculpture quietly consigned for sale in a New York gallery by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art will be returned to the museum, LACMA Director Michael Govan said, as the museum reconsiders policies on the perpetually controversial issue of such "de-accessions." "I'm very conservative on de-accessioning," Govan said in a telephone interview Thursday. "LACMA's existing policies are standard.
February 10, 2007 |
A paralegal from Garden Grove put an heirloom painting up for auction on Super Bowl Sunday, hoping she'd get a few thousand dollars to help offset her daughter's tuition at UC Berkeley. Now she's probably going somewhere a lot more swank than Disneyland. The unsigned picture fetched $620,900 from an unnamed New York dealer who apparently is betting that it's a lost work by Pier Francesco Mola, a 17th century master.


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New Delhi - The first phase of 'Loan Mela', an outreach programme for providing credit to retail customers and MSMEs, will begin from Thursday across 250 districts across the country to meet demand during the festival period.
During the four days beginning October 3, loans will be sanctioned for retail, agriculture, vehicle, home, MSME, education and personal categories on the spot.
SBI is the lead banker in 48 districts across the country. Likewise, BoB is the lead banker in 17 out of 250 districts in the first phase.
Simultaneously, it is holding Baroda Kisan Pakhwada during which most of its branches would focus on promoting farm loans, BoB said in a statement.
During the annual performance review earlier this month, public sector banks decided to undertake outreach exercise in identified 400 districts. Later, the private sector too expressed their willingness to join the initiative.
This is part of the systematic bank reform process which envisioned taking banks to doorsteps of customers.
These camps will provide a one-stop destination for MSMEs, small retail businesses and end customers to access all bank services, especially loans in auto, home, personal and business section.
While at one level it will help businesses to gear up for the festive season, it will also provide ready cash in the hands of consumers.
Needless to say, all prudent financial norms and due diligence will be followed by PSBs while disbursing loans, a top official of the public sector bank said.
Awareness camps will be held in these districts to let people know about the event.
For spreading information, the banker said, local vendor associations, commercial organizations and chambers of commerce may also be engaged to spread the message among merchants and customers.
In line with the government's thrust on Digital India, the initiative will focus on financial inclusion schemes and digital payment methods so as to encourage consumers and merchants to increasingly shift to these payment modes, the sources noted.
Apart from PSBs, NBFCs/HFCs/MFIs/SIDBI and private sector banks can also participate in the scheme.
The second phase will be in 150 districts and will be held between October 21 and October 25, just before Diwali.
We are extremely saddened to inform the untimely demise of Vikram S Kirloskar, Vice Chairman, Toyota Kirloskar Motor on 29th November 2022. At this time of grief, we request everyone to pray that his soul rests in peace. Last respect can be paid at Hebbal Crematorium, Bengaluru, at 1 pm on Wednesday, Toyota said.
According to ETAuto sources, the raid began at the company’s Corporate office in Gurgaon around 3:00 PM and continued till the story is filed. The latest development comes in light of heightened scrutiny by law-enforcement agencies on companies operating in India which have links with neighboring country, China.


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In the wake of the Pirate Bay founders' controversial trial, a Swedish software firm has purchased the popular torrent site with the aim of turning it into a legit operation. No, really. There's even a press release and everything.
The buyer, Global Gaming Factory X, wants to "launch new business models that allow compensation to the content providers and copyright owners." GGF coughed up 60 million Swedish kronor ($7.72 million) in cash and stock for the website, and it expects to take ownership in August once the transaction closes.
According to the official The Pirate Bay blog, profits from the sale will "go into a foundation that is going to help with projects about freedom of speech, freedom of information and the openess of the nets."
In the same announcement, Global Gaming Factory X says it has also shelled out 100 million kronor ($12.9 million) for Peerialism, a Swedish company that specializes in data and storage distribution. Peerialism's products include software that purportedly enables the distribution of high-quality video to an unlimited number of viewers at low cost, presumably using peer-to-peer technology.
|AMD drops prices on the Radeon RX 460 and RX 470||37|
|Reports: Radeon RX 470D is a budget Polaris card for China||8|
|Examining reports of slow write speeds on the 32GB iPhone 7||25|
|Cellular Insights dissects iPhone 7 Plus modem performance||11|
|Deals of the week: scads of high-performance storage and more||9|
|Tobii's Eye Tracker 4C knows where your head is||2|
|GeForce driver 375.57 is prepared for Titanfall 2||7|
|Phanteks Eclipse P400 gets a tempered glass option||0|
|Radeon 16.10.2 drivers add support for October's big games||10|
|A real "console monitor" would be 720p @ 30 Hz ;P||+62|


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MIDLAND, Mich. (Feb. 8)—Dow Chemical Co. will hike prices for MDI products sold into the urethane market segments, along with prices for some polyols in the U.S. and Canada, effective March 1.
Dow will boost all prices for pure and polymeric MDI goods by 8 cents a pound. The increase is in addition to a benzene surcharge that Dow implemented Aug. 9 to address the rise in benzene costs.
The company increased the price of Voranol, Voralux and Specflex polyether and copolymer polyols by 8 cents a pound for all PU segments and end-use applications, the company said.
The boosts were prompted by high demand and tight supply, along with volatility in raw material costs, the company said.


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Course Change for Infiniti As Nissan Throws Out Old Playbook
The course Infiniti plotted to guide it safely through the 2010s met with bad weather and hidden shoals, leaving Nissan’s premium division idled and taking on water. Sales dried up, as did its once-promising partnership with Daimler. Even a restyled compact crossover with an innovative engine failed to raise anyone’s pulse upon its 2018 debut. The thud could be heard for miles.
As it embarks on an austere new midterm plan designed to solidify its financial standing, Nissan has a new course in store for Infiniti. Say hello to the “Nissan-plus” brand.
QOTD: Many Happy Returns?
I can’t quite remember what it was that jogged my brain the other night, but whatever it was, it conjured up a wholesome yet frustrating memory. A memory of a person and a car from my childhood.
The person was my oldest friend’s mother — one of the kindest women I’ve ever known, matched easily by the daughter she clearly raised right. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree. As for the car, it was a blue, mid-’80s Toyota Tercel 5-door. For me, that car is just a memory, and a somewhat annoying one at that, but for the owner — my friend’s mother — it was the first of many.
Toyota. They’re like the mob; easy to get in, awfully hard to leave. And that’s the way it was with my friend’s mother, who never again owned a car from any other brand.
Cadillac Hoping Russian Demand Becomes Strong Like Bear
If Cadillac’s top boss, Johan de Nysschen, had his way, The Hunt for Red October would feature a scene in which Capt. Vasili Borodin describes his dream of seeing the United States in an Escalade, not an recreational vehicle.
While General Motors’ luxury division counts on American and Chinese buyers to keep it flush with cash, there’s still room in the fold for other markets. Assuming, of course, those citizens have a willingness to cast off deep-seated consumer habits and, perhaps, prejudices.
After dropping pedestrian vehicles for an all-prestige lineup, GM’s conquest of the Russian luxury market hasn’t yet occurred, though it’s still early days. Sales are looking up. With a new partner in tow, Cadillac feels confident it can muscle out the Germans on the streets of Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Kelley Blue Book Names 2017 Image Award Winners; Subaru Takes Three, GMC Wins an Odd One
The importance of favorable perception is invaluable when it comes to sales. If a product or brand doesn’t inspire some sort of positive association, then it’s not likely to be around for longer.
Automotive brands are specifically interested in gaining recognition for their strengths. When you think of the most reliable or best-looking cars, one or two brands usually jump to the front of your mind — and the same can be said for the worst examples in the industry. Those companies are aware of their status and, on the off-chance they forget, certain outlets are only too happy to remind them.
Based on insights and data collected via Kelley Blue Book’s brand watch study, the automotive research company has established the victors of its Brand Image Awards for 2017. While most winners are about as surprising as a cold winter in Canada, a few recipients took some dissecting to make sense of.
Bob Lutz Thinks Corvette Should Be a Brand
Former General Motors vice chairman and product development bigwig Bob Lutz has always had lots to say about the Chevrolet Corvette, and advanced age hasn’t diminished his enthusiasm for the model and its potential.
Even in the pre-recession, pre-bankruptcy days, a pre-retirement Lutz opined that the ‘Vette nameplate could host more than just a sports car. Back then, Lutz wasn’t saying that Corvette should be spun off as its own make, but he is now.
Nissan's Star Wars Campaign Was Obnoxious and Extremely Effective
I despised all of the cross-promotion taking place between Nissan and Star Wars this fall, especially now that it has devolved into dealerships offering free worthless collectables to lure in prospective buyers. However, you have to admit that they did a phenomenal job implementing the campaign.
It was a perfect storm of coincidences that allowed this cooperative marketing strategy to emerge from Nissan’s womb. The Rogue shared a name with the upcoming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the timing of the film’s release roughly coincided with the model’s 2017 face-lift, and the automaker wanted to put a lot of money behind the advertising of its best-selling model.
Although it probably didn’t hurt that Nissan’s North America marketing chief, Jeremy Tucker, joined Nissan from Disney — the company that now owns Lucasfilm and Star Wars — in 2014.
Jeep, No Longer Unstoppable, Wants to Fix Its Game in an Overlooked Market
After posting sales gains that most automakers would sell their souls for, Jeep’s skyrocketing climb hit the upper limits of the atmosphere in September, with sales dropping by 3 percent compared to the same month a year ago.
Maybe the Jeep brand isn’t bigger than Jesus. With the new vehicle market cooling off and two of its oldest — but still strong-selling — models being pared down to one, Jeep needs to branch out to keep the momentum going.
It has products up its sleeve — a Wrangler pickup and $140,000 luxo-ute to name a couple — and has factories planned for developing nations everywhere, but Jeep could reap a sales reward if it stopped screwing up in one obvious but overlooked market.
Toyota Climbs Ladder of Most Valuable Brands, Tesla Cracks the Top 100
Interbrand released its annual list of the world’s top 100 brands, a ranking that now contains an independent automaker.
While Toyota climbs one spot to the No. 5 position (the highest of all automakers), Tesla has muscled its way onto the field, slotting at No. 100. Volkswagen continues the brand value descent it began last year, falling from No. 35 to No. 40 and posting a value decline of 9 percent.
There’s grim news for GM, as none of its brands made the list this year.
Porsche (Go Figure) Ranked Most Appealing Brand in J.D. Power Study
This must be getting boring for the guys and gals in Stuttgart.
For the 12th year in a row, Porsche ranked first in J.D. Power’s new vehicle appeal study, but other automakers are closing in on its crown.
This year’s Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) study found that driver-assist safety features cause drivers to fall in love with their vehicles. They also bore friends and co-workers by talking about it all the time.
Toyota Ranks First in Brand Value, Volkswagen Plummets
When it comes to brands that resonate with buyers, no other automaker tops Toyota, according to a recent study.
In its annual ranking, BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands shows the Japanese automaker rising two spots to place 28th out of all companies in 2015. Second and third-place automakers BMW and Mercedes-Benz both gained ground in the rankings.
Mercedes-Benz Isn't Popular With Women, but Wooing Them Could Be Dangerous
Women play a very large role in the purchase of new vehicles, and automakers are scrambling to tap into the demographic — among them, the staid, dignified and traditionally male-centric Mercedes-Benz.
The German automaker wants to throw off that old image and make itself the top premium car brand for women by 2020, according to Automotive News.
Rebuilding Volkswagen's Reputation - Hard or Downright Impossible? An Expert Weighs In
Decades of feel-good corporate outreach and a hug-worthy relationships with buyers didn’t stop potential customers and veedub diehards from fleeing Volkswagen after the diesel stink bomb went off in Wolfsburg.
Like a husband of 50 years caught cheating with his wife’s sister, the intentional deception behind the diesel emissions scandal shattered the hard-earned trust between the company and its consumers. Thanks to that, Volkswagen’s sales trajectory now mimics that of a very leaky submarine.
Could Volkswagen have managed the scandal better, and can the company rebuild that lost trust?
According to the consumer opinion-tracking Reputation Institute, the answers to those questions are “you bet” and “yeah … it’s gonna take a loooong time.”
Cadillac to Open Artsy Manhattan Coffee Shop; Idea is Either Brilliant or Terrible
Will there be black berets, obscure Russian poetry and Yoko Ono albums for sale at the door?
Fans of the General no doubt recoiled in horror at reports that Cadillac — a brand that conjures images of Elvis, Bruce Springsteen, the movie Badlands, and the hopes and aspirations of middle America — is opening a swank coffee joint in Manhattan.
Well, it true. They’re here, they’re upscale, get used to it.
If you’re really lucky, maybe one day you will find yourself drinking java from the upper slopes of a mountain you’ve never heard of while discussing designer fragrances and interpreting (wrongly) works of modern art…alongside a Cadillac.
Want Your Tesla Model 3 Before 2019? You'd Better Act Fast
Time’s a wastin’ if you want to impress your friends and neighbors with a gee-whiz Tesla Model 3 anytime in the next three years.
As he’s known to do, Tesla founder Elon Musk took to Twitter last night to warm wannabe owners about the growing wait for his $35,000 electric sedan. If you’re just lining up for a Model 3 now, consider signing a lease for another vehicle while you wait — you probably won’t have to terminate it early.
Cadillac (and Its Resale Values) Still Haunted by Troubling Past
The lowly Cimarron might be be a distant, nightmare-fuel memory, but Cadillac’s current sales strategy is still being impacted by a history of not measuring up to European rivals.
The luxury automaker’s newest offerings — the CT6 sedan and XT5 crossover — have been saddled with so-so resale values by residual forecaster ALG, according to Automotive News, making it more difficult for Cadillac to offer competitive lease rates.


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Are they? Is “Green Franchising” getting more popular just like in the USA?
I really don’t know. I do know that franchising is a growing part of the economy.
Some stats from the Australian Food News website;
- Business format franchised units represent some 3.7 percent of all small businesses in Australia
- Growth rate of franchise units is 15.4 percent, up again from the 14.6% reported between 2004 to 2006
- Total sales turnover for the franchising sector was estimated to be $130 billion
- Total number of people employed in business format franchise systems is estimated to be 413,500
- There is evidence of stability in the sector with 93% of franchising units remaining under the same ownership
It sounds like things are going pretty well in Australia. But, are there green franchise businesses there that are growing at a substantial clip?
Please chime in, and let all of us in the US know what’s going on in green franchising in Australia!


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News - General News - Sales
Car sales slow in China, at least a little
New car sales finally slow in China, but not at the top end and not like in the US
31 Oct 2008
CHINA’S new-car market may have finally followed the troubled US industry by slowing for the second consecutive month in September, but that hasn’t stopped massive investment continuing to take place at both ends of the country’s automotive sector.
Toyota this week broke ground on its seventh factory in China, just as US car-makers announced unprecedented production, workforce and development cutbacks, and while Australia awaits the federal government’s new car industry master plan, which is expected to green-light vehicle import tariff reductions that the Japanese giant has already warned will threaten the viability of its sole Australian manufacturing operation.
Like all car plants in China, Toyota’s newest factory is a joint-venture (again with its FAW Group Corporation partner), which in this case will manufacture up to 100,000 Corollas annually for the local market.
It is based in Changchun, the capital of Jilin province in north-eastern China, but despite a ground-breaking ceremony being held on October 27, no completion date has been announced.
Toyota, whose Chinese-built vehicles are sold almost exclusively in China, hopes to sell 700,000 vehicles there this year – another step closer to its near-term goal of 1.01 million vehicles and well up on the 499,000 vehicles Toyota sold in China last year.
At the other end of the motoring spectrum, Lamborghini yesterday announced it will establish a regional sales office in China for the first time, as part of the Italian luxury performance car-maker’s “global development of strategic markets”.
Due to be operational from early 2009 in Beijing, the capital of city of the People’s Republic of China, Automobili Lamborghini China is expected to lift local sales by more than 180 per cent this year to 80 vehicles – up from 28 sold last year by four dealers in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing and Hong Kong.
Two further Lamborghini dealers will soon be opened in Chengdu and Qingdao, with more to follow, as part of the famed Sant´Agata Bolognese company’s plans to establish an equitable three-way global sales split between Asia, Europe and North America.
“China has the strongest dynamics of change to undoubtedly become the leading economy in the world,” said the President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini SpA, Stephan Winkelmann yesterday (October 30).
“The development of wealth and the developing ‘savoir-vivre’ in China makes it one of the pivotal markets for Lamborghini’s future growth. The decision to establish a branch in China illustrates our dedication to opening the potential of this market for Lamborghini.” Former Fiat Powertrain Technologies and Iveco Motors Shanghai operative, Eginardo Bertoli, has been appointed as country manager for Lamborghini in China and will report to Enrico Maffeo, director of worldwide sales and customer service in Italy Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce also provided a further glimpse of the personal wealth now present in China by opening its sixth showroom in greater China last month.
Officially opened on September 10 by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars CEO Tom Purves, the new 400-metre showroom in Hangzhou joins existing R-R retail outlets in Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
“This latest milestone is the first of several showroom openings which we announced in our Asia-Pacific expansion plan at AutoChina 2008 in Beijing, earlier this year,” said Mr Purves.
The opening of India’s second Rolls-Royce dealership two days later on September 12 brought the number of R-R outlets to 82 worldwide. The Rolls-Royce brand officially returned to India in 2005 before sales rose 57 per cent last year, but the smaller new RR4-codenamed sedan (due to emerge in 2010) is expected to significantly accelerate that growth.
To the end of August, Rolls-Royce increased its global sales by 52 per cent – slightly more than the growth achieved last year in China, which is now the world’s third-largest market for the hallowed British brand behind the US and UK.
Overall new-car sales have slowed in China, but it is still narrowing the gap to the US.
According to industry researcher Autodata, about 965,000 new cars and light trucks were sold in the US during September - down from 1.31 million in September 2007 and the first sub-million sales month in the US since February 1993.
Last month saw US sales slump by 34.5 per cent at Ford, 32.8 per cent at Chrysler, 15.6 per cent at GM and 32.3 per cent at Toyota – its worst decline in the US for 20 years. Toyota sold 144,260 vehicles in September (almost 70,000 fewer than a year ago), while Honda’s US sales dropped 24 per cent and Nissan’s fell by 37 per cent.
As a result, total US sales are down 26.6 per cent this year to the end of September and the US market’s seasonally adjusted annualised sales rate (SAAR) stands at 12.5 million – the slowest since the 1990-91 recession and down from an all-time sales record of 17.4 million in 2005.
In contrast, despite the second consecutive month of slightly softer sales there (September passenger car sales dropped 1.44 per cent to 552,800, after August sales shrank by 6.24 per cent), China’s new vehicle sales in the first nine months of 2008 have increased by 12 per cent, to 7.23 million.
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Fortunately is that as of today RadioShack. Radioshack In San Fernando Valley… has actually formally been acquired by Retail Ecommerce Ventures (REV), offering the distressed business a brand-new lease on life. The disadvantage, at least for folks like us, is that there are no immediate strategies to return the iconic electronics retailer to its brick-and-mortar roots. As the name indicates, REV focuses on online retail, having previously revamped the Internet existence of other insolvent organizations such as Pier 1 Imports and Dressbarn.
While the press release doesn’t straight-out preclude the possibility of new physical RadioShack areas, it’s clear that REV believes the future of retail isn’t to be found in your local shopping center. As the US mulls even more lockdowns in reaction to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, it’s difficult to disagree. There will be millions of bored kids and grownups searching for something to do throughout the long winter nights, and an electronic set or more shipped to their door might be simply the thing.
REV says they plan to relaunch the rather dated RadioShack website in the nick of time for the company’s 100th anniversary in 2021. As of this composing the website currently states that sales have actually been momentarily stopped to permit stock restructuring, though it’s uncertain if this is directly related to the buyout or not. Getting a precise count of just how much product the business still has on hand after shuttering the majority of their physical places in 2017 certainly sounds like something the new owners would want to do.
We all know how that story ended.
RadioShack’s shambling remains were offered another jolt of life today when they were bought by another business that prepares to relaunch the once-great seller as an online-focused brand.
The shop’s remains were purchased by Retail Ecommerce Ventures (REV), a startup founded in 2019 that’s been scooping up brands from other faded retail giants also, including Pier 1, Modell’s Sporting Product, Dressbarn, and more. REV states RadioShack’s website currently has “strong existing sales and sales potential,” and the business is “positive” it can even more raise awareness of the brand internationally.
REV declares it’s successfully reversed other companies it’s released as online brands. The Wall Street Journal reported that Dressbarn more than doubled its profits in between the second and very first quarter of 2020.
RadioShack was established in 1921 and ended up being a retail staple in the ’80s and ’90s for anybody looking to get tech essentials. REV didn’t say whether those RadioShack licenses would stick around. Radioshack In San Fernando Valley
REV states it will “quickly relaunch” RadioShack’s site. For those of you still clinging on to fond memories of the store, there’ll be a familiar sufficient place to go when you want to purchase costly HDMI cable televisions and knockoff earphones.


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Government releases consultation response on Buy Now, Pay Later
Industry News | 22/06/22
This week, HM Treasury released its response to the buy now, pay later consultation and set out the government’s proposals for regulation of the sector. The proposals include implications for lenders in respect of FCA authorisation, affordability and financial promotions as well as, consumers being able to access the services of FOS. The government aims to consult on draft legislation towards the end of the year.


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Potcoin to the rescue?
As the federal government laxes its laws regulating marijuana, banks may eventually let their guard down and begin accepting cannabis businesses as clients. Keeping that in mind, will Potcoin catch the eye of business owners or go up in smoke? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
The sale of recreational marijuana in Colorado has proved to be a major boon to the state’s economy. Despite the boom, or rather because of it, thieves have been robbing Colorado pot shops using guns, axes, a circular saw, and even bear mace. The vulnerability of cannabis shops has led one team to develop a digital currency for marijuana users: Potcoin.
Marijuana shops are having a tough time finding banks that will accept their money, despite recent government outlines on how banks should work with legitimate cannabis operations. What does that mean? These lucrative business owners deal with a lot of cash and can’t securely transport and deposit it into banks, leaving them more or less on their own. According to one report, a business owner spent $1 million in cash to construct for his operation. Morgan Carr, who runs Wellspring Collective Shop in Denver, hired a security firm to transport his cash to an undisclosed location. The danger is real. As Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey put it:
Currently 420 potcoins is equivalent to US2.51.
Potcoin was launched in January 2014 by three developers who hoped to eliminate the current cash-only policy many customers face at Colorado cannabis shops. Currently, potcoins are only accepted by several online vendors, including Bitcoin Seedstore, Smoke Cartel, and Chronic Star Medical.
“You hit a 7-Eleven, you’ll get 20 bucks,” he said. “You hit a dispensary, you’ll get $300,000. It’s only a matter of time before someone gets shot.”
Potcoin has a long road ahead of it if it wants to work its way into recreational or medicinal shops. So far, no shops in the Mile High State accept potcoins in exchange for marijuana. That’s not to say the currency isn’t trying: on April 20 two Potcoin ATMs were installed in Denver where users could deposit cash in exchange for potcoins.
If banks begin relaxing their policies and accepting marijuana customers, the future of Potcoin may be under threat. Already, Deputy Attorney General James Cole and the Financial Crime Enforcement Network have outlined their rules for banks when dealing with such businesses. The government asks that banks don’t deal with businesses that sell marijuana to minors, sell marijuana across state lines, and work with criminal enterprises, and that banks should monitor their customers closely to see their clientele.
Another Police Official Arrested In Alleged Bitcoin Extortion Plot
Yet another high-ranking police official in the Indian state of Gujurat has been taken into custody in connection with a $1 million bitcoin extortion scheme.
According to the Hindustan Times, Amrel
Bitcoin Price Climbs to 40-Day High Above $9,200
Bitcoin's price climbed above $9,200 on Tuesday to hit a 40-day high, according to data from CoinDesk's Bitcoin Price Index (BPI).
Following a steady increase over the past week, the price of world
Cboe Exchange Wants to Lower Its Bitcoin Futures Prices
The Cboe wants to change the way it prices bitcoin futures contracts, a move that comes just months after the exchange operator first debuted its inaugural cryptocurrency product.
In a newly publis
California Bill Would Legally Recognize Blockchain Stocks
California could become the next U.S. state that allows companies to store data - including information about stockholders - on a blockchain.
Bill 838 was first introduced by Senator Robert Hertzbe
Amber Baldet: Blockchain Alone Isn't A Privacy Cure-All
Blockchain "maximalism" will not solve internet privacy concerns, Amber Baldet said on Monday.
The former JPMorgan blockchain lead made the comments during a talk on the "Internet of Value" and del
$125 Million: Orchid Is Raising One of 2018's Biggest Token Sales
Orchid Labs is raising $125 million in a SAFT sale, filings from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reveal.
According to a Form D published on April 20, Orchid has raised roughly $36.1 mi
Coinbase-Cryptsy Lawsuit Will Head to Jury Trial
Coinbase has lost another appeal in a lawsuit brought by former customers of the defunct cryptocurrency exchange Cryptsy, and the case will now proceed to a jury trial.
An appeals court in Georgia
Softbank Wants to Cut Carbon Emissions with Green Energy Blockchain
In bid to reduce carbon emissions, a group of Japanese technology and energy firms is launching a pilot project aimed to allow consumers in rural areas to trade renewable energy over a blockchain-base


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With its classic cars and colourful buildings, Cuba is a paradise for the casual visitor; an island where the rum seems to flow endlessly and the salsa beats fill the air. But the truth could not be further from the image it projects; look closer at the buildings and you see the chipped façade is concealing a crumbling internal structure. The pretty cars haven’t got many more miles in them.
When I visited Cuba, in the summer of 2015, the revolutionary spirit that had been so central to Cuban life since 1959 was starting to wane. The younger generation, with no memory of the “glorious revolution” or the life before it, was growing up and taking over, hungry for change.
The Revolutionary Square opposite Guevara’s mausoleum was once proundly adorned with red and black “26 Julio” revolutionary flags. When I visited, one lone, guard was keeping sleepy watch over the impressive – yet barren – square.
Now, with Fidel gone and the US trade embargo lifted, it seems clearer than ever that the old Cuba’s days are numbered.
So what’s in store for the island?
Since taking office in 2008, Castro’s brother, Raul, has spoken of the need to reform Cuba’s economic system; these reforms will doubtless continue at a faster pace now that Fidel’s “Castro-era” is drawing to a close.
Faced with an ageing population, extreme foreign debt, and economic struggle following the 2008 crash, Raul has sought to liberalise the cumbersome, largely state-owned, economy, as well as conceding on some personal freedoms such as travel outside the country and ownership of some consumer goods. He is pulling away from the full socialist model Cuba has historically preferred.
His reforms have included relaxing regulation on small businesses, the decentralisation of the farming sector, and the opening up of real estate markets. As a result, the number of self-employed workers in Cuba tripled between 2009 and 2014 and the in that time the private sector also grew to 20 per cent of the national economy.
As the island moves towards a more Western economy, you can see the “capitalist shift” taking place, most obviously in the abundance of Coca-Cola in bars. Even this fizzy drink, the perfect example of Fidel’s dreaded “Yankee imperialism” has now found its way to the island. It’s presence neatly illustrates the popular desire to move away from the socialist planned economy and dump the restricted rights that have come with it.
Hopeful signs of a fruitful and positive relationship were given when Raul Castro and President Obama met back in 2015. The liberalisation of the island’s economy, allied with the absence of Fidel, should bring Cuba and the USA closer together – two nations which were previously a world apart.
The US has been Cuba’s fifth-largest trading partner since 2007 following George W. Bush’s decision to reauthorise the export of US agricultural products to the island. America will rise up this list in the next few years since US telecommunications and agriculture companies will make the biggest gains from expanded trade with Cuba.
Fidel Castro’s death doesn’t so much signal the victory of capitalism as mark the final breath of Marxist-inspired socialism. The future of Cuba may be uncertain, but the desire for change in the country is irresistible. A new revolution is coming: an economic one.


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The Los Angeles Auto Show®, the leading automotive and lifestyle in-person event, announced today that registration is open for Automobility LA®, its annual gathering for both media and industry professionals. Scheduled for November 17 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the LA Auto Show’s press and B2B gathering will showcase global automotive industry innovation and growth, emphasizing electrification as its central pillar.
Taking place in the nation’s foremost zero-emissions vehicle market (JD Power, May 2021), AutoMobility LA is the preeminent destination for media, auto and tech companies, influencers, and policymakers to convene, witness, and discuss the latest in transportation innovation. Qualified media and industry professionals interested in attending AutoMobility LA 2022 are invited to register for passes at automobilityla.com/register.
Celebrating its 115th anniversary, LA Auto Show® remains as influential to the North American automotive industry as any time in its history. At the center of the largest car-buying market in North America for both gas-powered and electric vehicles, LA Auto Show and Automobility LA® offer vital perspective and foresight into how the rest of the country and the global market will soon look.
“As electrification continues to grow in prominence through both legacy OEMs and start-ups, it will play a key role in this year’s show alongside mainstream gas-powered vehicles as the global automotive landscape continues to evolve,” said LA Auto Show President, Terri Toennies. “We look forward to announcing significant debuts as momentum builds toward AutoMobility LA.”
More comprehensive details pertaining to vehicle unveilings, manufacturer participation and significant announcements will follow in the upcoming weeks and months.
To learn more about AutoMobility LA, to book accommodations with the show’s partner hotels, as well as information about media and industry credentials, please visit: AutoMobilityLA.com.
Following AutoMobility LA, the 2022 LA Auto Show will open its doors for 10 days from Friday November 18 thru Sunday November 27 to allow hundreds of thousands of consumers to comparison shop, test drive the latest vehicles, and immerse themselves in Southern California’s largest annual car culture showcase.
For information about the LA Auto Show, please visit www.LAAutoShow.com.
Founded in 1907, the Los Angeles Auto Show (LA Auto Show®) is widely recognized as one of the most influential shows globally. Reflective of its location, the show celebrates the love affair Angelenos have with their cars and offers a global platform to industry technology and innovation, synonymous with California.


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Alibaba gained 25 million shoppers
Alibaba (BABA) operates several online marketplaces in China and internationally. In China, it operates Taobao and Tmall. It recently closed its second quarter of fiscal 2019 with a reach of 601 million active consumers across its retail marketplaces in China, showing that it had gained 25 million shoppers in China in one year.
As a result of this customer gain, Alibaba’s global commerce revenue rose 56% YoY (year-over-year) to $10.6 billion in the quarter. China is Alibaba’s largest commerce market. Alibaba’s goal is to reach 2.0 billion customers globally by 2036.
JD plugs into WeChat’s user base
In China, Alibaba is in a race with the likes of JD.com (JD) and Walmart (WMT) for retail customers. JD reaches ~320 million active shoppers directly across China. It also has a partnership with Tencent (TCEHY) that allows it to sell to WeChat users. With its customers and WeChat users combined, JD has the potential to reach more than 1 billion shoppers across China.
On its part, Walmart operates hundreds of physical retail locations across China. On top of this, the company operates an online store based on JD’s platform.
eBay has 177 million shoppers globally
Globally, Alibaba is battling eBay (EBAY) and Amazon (AMZN) for retail customers. eBay closed the third quarter with 177 million active shoppers across the world. Amazon doesn’t disclose its retail customer reach, but the company is estimated to serve nearly 400 million retail customers across the United States.


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UNAIR NEWS – The efforts to make Universitas Airlangga become a World Class University (WCU) have been made by any elements of the university. One of them is Faculty of Pharmacy (FF) UNAIR. FF UNAIR has established partnership with famous cosmetic manufacturer and invited a staff of Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education to improve the innovation. It was conducted through a publicization event in the Assembly room on the first floor of Faculty of Pharmacy (FF) on March 8. It was a follow up for Research Excellence achievement and it was a meeting of government, university and industrials.
“From the meeting, there will be partnerships. The government have two missions for this, as the connector for the university and the industrials and also assess the research products which can be mass-produced,” said Dewi Melani Hariyadi, S.Si., M.Phil., Ph.D., Apt., as the Vice Dean III of FF UNAIR .
Dewi also added that FF UNAIR have had many products deserved to be manufactured. She hoped that the industrials can be partners so the research products can be mass-produced and useful for the wider society.
“We have had many products ready for mass production such as cosmetic made of natural materials or synthetics like Sumenep scrubs,” she said. “We also have conducted researches to produce traditional medication, but for this meeting, the industrials were focused on cosmetics,” she added.
In the occasion, the chairman of the Institute of Academic Product Development and Intellectual Property Right, Prof. Dr. Sukardiman, Apt., MS was also attending. He presented the records of UNAIR research products.
Author: Akhmad Janni
Editor: Nuri Hermawan


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Despite a rocky start, the wearable market is now steadily growing. In fact, some have estimated that the market will increase 35% by 2019. Even with this potential growth, many have criticised wearable devices as providing poor user value.
According to Angela McIntyre, Research Director at Gartner, “dropout from device usage is a serious problem for the industry. The abandonment rate is quite high relative to the usage rate”. In a report by Gartner, it describes how wearables are often disliked for being “neither fashionable nor attractive”.
Apple has always prioritised on-trend design in the development of technological devices. This can be seen with their own wearable device, the Apple Watch. Nevertheless, other brands have miscalculated the significance of good design. For instance, while fashion designer Diane Von Furstenberg advocated Google Glass in her 2013 Spring/Summer New York Fashion Week Show, critics remarked that the device didn’t suit everyday fashion.
Style has become the biggest barrier in the wearable market, however, Carole Sabas has looked to counter this. The fashion journalist curated an exhibition in Paris that celebrated fashion-first wearable technology. The exhibition featured 10 prototypes from fashion designers. This included a self-heating jacket from Thermaltech and ACRNM and a pair of headphones disguised as earrings from Michael Schmidt Studios and Bragi.
Sabas wanted to show how wearables could be more than ‘geek chic’. As she states herself “these fashion accessories are first and foremost luxury goods, crafted as couture objects”.
The Value Proposition of Luxury Wearables
In 2015, Apple collaborated with French fashion house Hermès for a special edition luxury version of the Apple Watch.
By partnering with Hermès, a brand with a long history working with Swiss watchmakers, Apple aimed to build authority as a luxury watch provider. Furthermore, as described by Benjamin Clymer of Hodinkee, Hermès is also the leading “hyper-luxury lifestyle brand by which all others are measured”. This – along with the launch of an 18-karat gold Apple Watch – saw Apple attempting to expand its presence in the luxury market.
However, with the release of their Series 2 range the brand shifted its focus away from luxury, dropping their 18-karat gold edition completely. Instead, the brand focused its efforts on the fitness market with a new Nike collaboration.
For many, wearables have provided measurable value in the fitness and health market. However, for the luxury industry, brands have struggled to prove the value of wearables beyond being a ‘shiny new toy’.
Many luxury figures have followed in Apple’s footsteps and in some cases driven excitement around high-end wearables. Traditional watchmakers TAG Heuer and Montblanc both recently launched smartwatches — the ‘TAG Heuer Connected’ and the ‘Montblanc Summit’. Swarovski also released a solar powered activity and sleep tracker in the form of pendants and bracelets.
Arguably more accessible brands like Michael Kors and Tory Burch have been more prone to embracing this technology. For instance, Google partnered with Levis to co-design a smart jacket that connected via Bluetooth to people smartphones. This denim jacket allows wearers to perform a series of smartphone activities without having to pull their phone out.
For Google’s Ivan Poupyrev authenticity was crucial for this project. From his point of view, “in fashion and apparel, people often think about it as the look and feel, but it’s the story and authenticity behind apparel that makes fashion, fashion”.
Wearables inherently fall within upgrade culture. As Julie Saussier of Credit Suisse states, “If you’re buying a luxury watch, the point is that you can pass it on to future generations, so you don’t want it [to become] obsolete after three years”. This is at odds with key traits like tradition and craftsmanship that are at the core of luxury brands’ DNA and story.
However, TAG Heuer have shown how you can invest in wearables whilst connecting a new market to your heritage and traditions. TAG offers a scheme to Connected watch owners where they’ll replace devices after the two-year guarantee expires with a three-handed mechanical timepiece for an additional $1,500. This tactics allows TAG to create new value in their smartwatch even when the technology has become obsolete.
For luxury brands, wearables can create a point of entry for digitally-affluent Millennials and Generation Z. Many brands already implement similar tactics to creating early connection with young consumers by releasing perfume and accessory ranges. This approach offers the opportunity to grow value outside the traditional value chain whilst still upholding the core proposition.
Can wearables be more than just a new revenue stream?
For many designers this technology is a means for innovation and experimentation. For instance, Creative Designer and Technologist, Behnaz Farahi, has created an interactive 3D-printed wearable, in the shape of a futuristic breastplate, which reacts by lighting up whenever the wearer moves and gyrates their body. Titled Bodyscape, this project has allowed Farahi to test the use of new 3D printing technology and explore new ‘realms of fashion’.


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IDAHO FALLS – State officials are requiring businesses that sell CBD products to remove items for animals, effective Nov. 1.
Idaho House Bill 126 passed last year legalized the licensed production and handling of industrial hemp. CBD is a molecule extracted from industrial hemp. Under the law, the sale of CBD products is legal, providing it does not contain THC, the element known for getting people high.
RELATED | Idaho gets OK to license farmers to grow and transport hemp
The Idaho State Department of Agriculture says the law does not include animal feed products.
In a letter to animal feed retailers, manufacturers and distributors dated July 20, the department says the production and sale of “hemp or hemp-derived products, including CBD, are not recognized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or the Association of American Feed Control Officials as legal feed ingredients.”
“Safe levels of hemp and hemp-derived products in animal feed have not yet been established under federal or state law. As such, these products are not approved feed ingredients and cannot lawfully be added to or incorporated into commercial feed,” the letter says.
Treats, remedies and supplements are included in the ISDA’s definition of animal feed products.
James Rupp, who owns Nugget CBD at 625 Pancheri in Idaho Falls, tells EastIdahoNews.com animal treats and supplements make up 25-30% of the shop’s business and a pet calming chew is the No. 1 selling item this year.
“People are coming back and saying ‘This is what’s working for us and we need to utilize it more,’” Rupp says.
Rupp is not a doctor and neither he nor the business make any claims or guarantees about CBD products being able to cure or treat specific conditions. And there is a disclaimer when customers purchase products that it “is not evaluated by the FDA” and “is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.”
But Rupp has heard many customers tell him that CBD has had a life-changing affect on their pet.
“I had a lady come in and say that her vet told her that her dog had about a month to live. Seven months later, she went back to her vet and he was like, ‘What did you do? This wasn’t supposed to happen.’ She said, ‘I have him on CBD now.’” Rupp explains. “We both started tearing up. I’ve had many people come in (who’ve shared similar stories) and we cry together.”
Not being able to sell animal products is going to have a significant impact on customers, he says.
Learn more about the product in the video player above.
Snake River Solace at 691 East Anderson sells similar CBD pet products. Its owner, Cody Hellickson, says they never received the the ISDA’s letter because his company is exempt from the animal feed ban.
“We were completely unaware of this subject until just recently,” Hellickson says. “We’ve contacted the proper channels of the government from the bottom to the top. We have discussed in-depth and in-length what is needed to be exempt. We were told that if you continue to do things the way you’re doing them, you are exempt from the current ruling.”
He declined to elaborate on the specific business practices that led to the exemption.
Still, Hellickson says the animal feed ban is “disheartening” because many people are seeing a benefit from these products.
Many people view CBD oil as an effective health aid. With the passage of laws legalizing hemp-derived products in recent years, interest in hemp-based animal products has grown significantly.
The idea behind ISDA’s decision banning the sale of CBD animal products is a concern about its potentially harmful effect on animals bred for human consumption.
“Under Idaho Law, the ISDA is charged with ensuring commercial feeds for livestock and pets are safe, nutritious and labeled correctly. Idaho code 25-2712 states that is unlawful to ‘manufacture or distribute any commercial feed that is adulterated or misbranded.’ Therefore, pursuant to state law and consistent with the FDA and AAFCO, the ISDA has not approved hemp or hemp-derived products for animal use,” the letter says.
Rupp says all of his animal products are geared towards pets and are not used for food-producing animals. As a result, he feels the ISDA’s requirement is a mischaracterization of the law and should not apply.
“They’ve just grouped everything together and said it’s all animal products, (but) it doesn’t specifically say (one way or the other),” says Rupp.
Hellickson agrees, and the fact that he is exempt and other businesses are not is proof to him that the law isn’t clear on this issue. He says further education and discussion is needed.
“People need to understand that hemp and CBD are two different things,” Hellickson says. “We were blown away that industrial hemp was legalized for production, processing and growing, but nothing was clarified in the bill about CBD oil. With this ban … clients are (now) going to be ordering products online from out of state.”
The ISDA acknowledges in its letter that further research is needed and that industry experts are coming together “to develop uniform regulation” on this matter.
While Rupp intends to comply with the ruling, he wants his customers to continue to have access to products they’ve found beneficial. He’s inviting clients to share their experience with CBD animal products in a testimonial questionnaire provided at the store.
From there, he plans to share it with officials in hopes of redefining the law.
“We hope to be able to clarify before November 1, but if we don’t, we’re still hoping in the future to get them to overturn that and redefine (the law),” Rupp says.


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Headquarters in Australia
Ansell website: www.ansell.com
Australia: Glove firm Ansell announces global supply chain review after Malaysian supplier linked to labour abuses
Author: Nassim Khadem, ABC
"Update: Ansell announces global review", 11 March 2019...
- Related stories: Malaysia: Medical and rubber glove manufacturers accused of labour abuses
- Related companies: Ansell
1 December 2018...
Australia: Ansell says it will never tolerate forced labour as Malaysian supplier faces accusations of abusing workers' rights
Author: Nassim Khadem, ABC News
"Top Glove, Malaysian rubber gloves supplier to Ansell, accused of abusing workers' rights", 8 December 2018...
- Related stories: Malaysia: Medical and rubber glove factories accused of labour abuses
- Related companies: Ansell Top Glove
Condom manufacturer, Ansell, faces protests in Australia over its sacking of striking workers in Sri Lanka
The article below includes comments from the company.
Author: David St. Maur Sheil & Melissa Brown, Association for Sustainable & Responsible Investment in Asia (ASrIA)
The Asian tsunami disaster has raised pressing questions about how to define a ‘best practice’ response to humanitarian crises...In particular, how should corporates move beyond the initial need for a philanthropic response and adopt a more...


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Free rapid coronavirus tests available Jan. 19 on new federal website
(KBSI) – Every home in the United States can soon order four free at-home COVID-19 tests.
The tests will be completely free. There are no shipping costs and you don’t need to enter a credit card number.
A limit of four tests will be sent to each address.
Ordering begins Wednesday, January 19 on covidtests.gov. Users will need to provide their names and addresses to receive their tests.


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Seneca Nation: Tax talks with state resume Diana Louise Carter • Staff writer • December 10, 2010
A Representatives of the Seneca Nation of Indians, which is at odds with New York over casino payments and cigarette sales taxes, say they're talking with state officials again.
But a spokeswoman for Gov. David Paterson said late Thursday that the two sides are at an impasse and arbitration is needed.
Originally Posted By: dwarren
In its legal arguments, the Seneca Nation "expressly acknowledges that, as a general principle, New York State has the authority to require reservation retailers to collect excise taxes on sales to non-Indians," Arcara wrote.
what is there to negotiate?
wonder if I could 'cut a deal' when my taxes are due?


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What a nut, huh? The U.S. should make it's own products?!!? That's crazy kid's stuff!
WASHINGTON, Aug 23 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Friday he was ordering U.S. companies to look at ways to close their operations in China and make more of their products in the United States instead, a rhetorical strike at Beijing as trade tensions mounted.
Trump cannot legally compel U.S. companies to abandon China immediately and he gave no detail on how he might proceed with any such order, although he said he would be offering a response later on Friday to tariffs on American products announced by China earlier in the day.
The U.S. dollar rose sharply against the Chinese yuan, U.S. stock markets fell and oil prices dropped on Trump's latest salvo against China.
"Our great American companies are hereby ordered to immediately start looking for an alternative to China, including bringing your companies HOME and making your products in the USA," Trump wrote on Twitter. "We don't need China and, frankly, would be far better off without them."
Experts said tax policy changes and sanctions could be used to restrict or reduce U.S. business activity in China, but it would take years to disentangle the world's two largest economies.
The consequences of a complete break to the world economy would be severe, they said. China, for instance, holds $1.11 trillion in U.S. Treasury securities. For many products sold in the United States, there are few alternatives to Chinese production, and shifting production for major goods produced there could take years and be expensive.
American companies could also sue the U.S. government in response to any order to shutter plants in China.
The most effective option for Trump would be to restrict federal procurement from any companies that do business in China.GO READ THE WHOLE THING.


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AOL, Yahoo!, MSN and YouTube have all declared allegiance to professionally generated content and announced a change in strategy to focus on becoming media providers.
The dot com giants of the early part of the last decade now believe that if they are going to keep audiences glued to their sites and retain advertisers’ interest they must subscribe to the mantra that “content is king”.
Google’s YouTube is the latest to join the trend. It is set to invest $100m (£60m) in “low-cost” but “professionally produced” original web programming made by YouTube or its partners, according to reports.
Although Google was quick to downplay its content-focused overhaul, saying that it constantly updates the site and that “any changes would involve lots of research and would be rolled out slowly”, its recent acquisition of a web video production company and a firm that edits and sharpens videos, suggest otherwise.
Yahoo! is also to concentrate on hosting more professionally produced videos as part of a switch in strategy to become a trusted content provider. It will also focus on what it calls a “key priority launch” of a localised British version of celebrity gossip site OMG that will include a fashion micro-site and videos sponsored by “top 10 global brands”.
UK managing director for Yahoo! James Wildman says the internet industry is increasingly moving towards an “ultra-targeted TV model” but with the advantages of interactivity and engagement. The number of online video views has increased by 259% in three years, according to researcher comScore.
Internet Advertising Bureau marketing director Sophia Haynes says that increased investment in content by any publisher is good for advertisers.
“Quality content increases dwell time and creates committed users, which grows a publisher’s loyal audience,” she says. “Brands can take advantage of this by delivering more relevantly positioned messages around the content.”
Microsoft’s Bing also explored the use of original online programming with a web TV series starring a character from Channel 4’s comedy series Facejacker earlier this year. Last week the company appointed ex-BBC News editor Pete Clifton as executive producer for MSN UK to bolster editorial on its platforms.
On the back of his appointment, Clifton said: “MSN is well-positioned to capitalise on the dramatic changes taking place in the world of media today.”
AOL bought the Huffington Post website for $315m (£199m) earlier this year, forming the Huffington Post Media Group, which will integrate AOL’s network of editorial and video sites. Tim Armstrong, AOL’s chief executive, says that he believes “content and quality journalism” will be key in reversing the company’s fortunes. AOL’s ad revenue dropped 26% to $2.4bn (£1.5bn) last year.
Nick Thomas, senior analyst at Forrester Research, says “first generation” net companies, which originally offered a blend of search, instant messenger, email and a digest of news feeds, have now responded to the consumer trend of communicating online through Facebook and Twitter, while consuming content at the same time.
“Marketers should now be thinking about how they should be using online videos themselves as part of their campaigns,” he says. “There are more opportunities to create content with partners to reflect the way consumers really are interacting with media.”
But he warns that marketers should not consider online video and content as “cheap TV” because significant differences include more opportunities for interactivity and engagement, such as clickable content or commenting.


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were among technology's losers Wednesday, slumping 12% after the software maker warned that fiscal third-quarter results will fall below Wall Street forecasts.
For the quarter ended Dec. 31, the company expects to report earnings of 9 cents a share and sales of about $305 million. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call projected earnings of 11 cents a share on sales of $323.1 million. "While Compuware again generated strong profits this quarter, we fell short of Wall Street expectations," the company said. "Third-quarter demand was not as strong as anticipated, and the business underperformed." Compuware plans to release its full third-quarter results on Jan. 26. Shares were recently trading down $1.15 to $8.34.
fell 9% after the company posted third-quarter earnings that fell a penny short of expectations. The India-based tech outsourcing company reported earnings of $143 million, or 51 cents an American depository share, on sales of $559 million. Analysts expected earnings of 52 cents per ADS and sales of $559.6 million. During the year-earlier quarter, the company earned $112 million, or 40 cents per ADS, on sales of $423 million.
For the fourth quarter ending March 31, Infosys sees earnings of 55 cents to 56 cents a share, with sales of $582 million to $584 million. Infosys didn't say whether its earnings forecast is on a diluted- or basic-share basis. Analysts are projecting diluted earnings of 56 cents a share and sales of $596.3 million. Shares were recently trading down $7.54 to $73.10.
( OPTV) rose 7% after the company licensed its advanced television technology to India-based Essel Group. Under the multi-year license agreement, Essel Group will provide OpenTV's software and services to the Indian pay television market, marking OpenTV's entry into Indian pay TV. "With nearly 17% of the world's population, a fast-growing economy and a middle class that has tripled in size in the last 20 years to some 300 million, the Indian market represents a tremendous opportunity for OpenTV and reinforces our strong market position in the Asia Pacific region and globally," OpenTV said in a statement. Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed. OpenTV shares were trading up 17 cents to $2.47.
( ADBL) fell 9% after the provider of digital audio content warned that it would post a loss during 2005 instead of a profit as previously expected. The company expects to report a pretax loss of $1 million to $1.5 million. Audible had previously predicted pretax earnings of $1.6 million to $2 million. The company also trimmed its 2005 sales estimate to a range of $62 million to $64 million from an earlier view of $62 million to $65 million. Analysts projected a full-year profit of 6 cents a share and sales of $64 million. Audible said higher-than-expected marketing and operating expenses during the fourth quarter hurt its results. Shares were trading down $1.19 to $11.85.
slid 15% after the maker of liquid crystal displays posted earnings that missed forecasts and a lower-than-expected sales outlook. The company reported a profit of $295,000, or 1 cent a share, below analysts' expectation of 4 cents a share. The company's sales were $24 million, in line with Wall Street's projection. During the year-earlier period, International DisplayWorks earned $532,000, or 2 cents a share, on sales of $14.3 million.
The company sees first-quarter sales of $21 million to $24.5 million, below analysts' projection of $28.4 million. For the second quarter, the company's outlook calls for sales of $26 million to $34 million. Wall Street predicts second-quarter sales of $36.9 million. International DisplayWorks shares were trading down 96 cents to $5.33.
Other technology movers Wednesday included
Sirius Satellite Radio
, down 22 cents to $6.28;
, up 48 cents to $3.31;
, up 9 cents to $2.93;
, up 27 cents to $19.24;
( LU), down 3 cents to $2.66;
, up $2.95 to $83.81;
, up 23 cents to $27.23;
, down 8 cents to $12.54;
, up 6 cents to $4.57; and
, down 13 cents to $25.99.


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The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has announced that it will hold an auction of 1 Kanal plot exclusively for food businesses registered with Pakistan’s Security & Exchange Commission (SECP).
The auction will take place from May 10 to May 13 at Jinnah Convention Centre in Islamabad, and the plots are located on Capital Street, designed to resemble famous streets in Dubai and Baku.
The properties come with additional space for outdoor dining and are reserved for food-related businesses such as restaurants, coffee shops, and international food brands.
This is the first time that the CDA has conducted an auction of this kind and it hopes to attract more investment in the food industry to promote economic growth in the country.
To be eligible to apply, national and international food chains must have at least 5 years of relevant experience and be registered with SECP as Pvt. Ltd companies or be regular FBR Tax filers for sole proprietors & AOPs.
Investors who complete the project will benefit from extending the lease period at DC rates set at 33 years. The CDA has established a support team to assist investors and make the investment process smooth.
A unique desk for approving building plans within a month will be established to streamline the investment process.
The investors will be required to pay a 25% down payment within 30 days after bid acceptance and advance tax on a pro-rata basis.
Stay connected to Arkaa News for the latest news and updates.


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Mobile browser usage rises to 20 percent
For the first time ever, the percentage of the world's browser activity topped 20 percent on mobile devices last month.
That is the word from Dublin-based web analytics firm StatCounter. The firm tracks where browser-based activity originated from, and found that in November, 20 percent of it came from mobile devices. Personal computers account for the remaining 80 percent of browser usage.
What this milestone represents is the growing adoption and use of mobile technology, combined with the well-reported decline in PC sales.
According to a report in Computerworld, in the last 12 months, global usage of mobile technology has increased by 7 percent. This number represents an increase from the prior year of 53 percent.
"Usage share gains have come at the expense of what StatCounter defines as 'desktop,' a category that includes both desktop and notebook PCs, primarily powered by Microsoft's Windows and Macs running Apple OS X," Computerworld noted. "Desktop browser usage dropped 2 percentage points to 80 percent in the last three months, and fell 7 points in the last 12."
InfoWorld notes that in September 2009, when Computerworld began tracking mobile browser usage, 98.9 percent of browser activity was on the desktop. This was 7 months before Apple began selling its first iPad.
- see the Computerworld article
Mobile data traffic to spur rapid growth in mobile monitoring, optimization gear market, says ABI
Only 2 of top 100 e-commerce websites use secure HTTPS browser versions by default, study finds [FierceITSecurity]