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Stock index futures slide on Thursday.» Read More
CNBC's Jon Fortt digs into the rumors of a China Mobile-Apple deal and what that means to Apple's pricing and revenue.
*China Mobile signs deal with Apple- report. *Dollar General leads S&P 500 after earnings, sales results. "The big top line number probably will be looked at very carefully and probably not create as big a market reaction as one would expect from the size of the adjustment," said Fred Dickson, chief market strategist at D.A. Davidson& Co. Lake Oswego, Oreogon.
The key to understanding Apple's 2014 strategy is its cohesive cross-device operating ecosystem that is driving sales and product development. Jason Stein, of Laundry Service, shares his predictions.
Will the arms race in baseball finally come to a breaking point? Will the NFL regain its mojo? What lies ahead in sports is not a sure bet. CNBC's Dominic Chu offers his insights.
Rana Foroohar, Time assistant managing editor, discusses her interview with investor Carl Icahn. Foroohar says Icahn is "persistent and aggressive", but is "super smart" so she hopes investors are listening.
Brian White, Cantor Fitzgerald managing director discusses the China Mobile - Apple deal and Carl Icahn's impact on the stock.
*China Mobile signs deal with Apple- report. NEW YORK, Dec 5- U.S. stocks were set to open lower on Thursday, as investors ruminated over whether healthy data on the labor market and economic growth may prompt the Federal Reserve to accelerate its timetable to wind down its monetary stimulus.
*China Mobile says still in negotiations with Apple on iPhones. HONG KONG, Dec 5- China Mobile Ltd, the country's largest mobile operator, said it is still negotiating with Apple Inc to offer iPhones on its network, commenting on a media report saying that a long-awaited agreement had been reached.
The "Squawk on the Street" news team discuss investor Carl Icahn's buyback proposal for Apple. David Faber says Apple needs stock to go up to be a competitive employer.
Apple and China Mobile have signed a deal to distribute Apple's iPhone, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
U.S. President Barack Obama said he is not allowed to have an iPhone for "security reasons," though he does have an iPad.
*China Mobile signs deal with Apple- report. NEW YORK, Dec 5- U.S. stock index futures were little changed on Thursday, ahead of data on the labor market and economic growth that may help investors assess whether the Federal Reserve may accelerate its timetable to wind down its monetary stimulus.
Some of the names on the move ahead of the open.
Indian shares outperformed on Thursday while the rest of region declined on uncertainty over when the Federal Reserve may taper its stimulus program.
SHANGHAI, Dec 5- China's state television accused foreign carmakers of charging domestic customers more for repair costs than in other markets, singling out Audi, Subaru and Jaguar Land Rover Ltd in the latest of a series of programmes targeting foreign firms.
Tablet computer sales have been on fire this year, but a shift in consumer preferences is set to douse demand in the coming years, according to IDC.
*China Mobile outshines rivals after reported Apple iPhone deal. HONG KONG, Dec 5- China shares slipped from multi-week highs early on Thursday led by telecom equipment maker ZTE Corp as investors took profits after Beijing issued long-awaited 4 G licenses to China's three biggest mobile operators.
Keith Fitz-Gerald, Chief Investment Strategist at Money Map Press, describes what impact the long-awaited Apple distribution deal could have on China Mobile's revenues.
HONG KONG, Dec 5- China Mobile Ltd, the country's largest mobile operator, has signed a long-awaited deal with Apple Inc to offer iPhones on its network, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing an anonymous source familiar with the matter.
Apple has had a busy year on the M&A hunt. CNBC's Technology Reporter Julia Wood takes you through the tech giant's 10 acquisitions that are public knowledge.


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Industry Blames Pirate Fishing as Red King Prices Drop
Alaska Public Radio Network
It calls for countries that import and export crab to work on stamping out pirate fishing — like by asking for more documentation as the crab makes its way from dock to market. One agreement between Russia and Japan will do just that starting in December.
Report: Pirate fishing main reason for drop in red crab pricesIntraFish.com
Host of reasons seen for dropping Alaska red king crab pricesUndercurrent News
all 4 news articles » View The Fishing Source>>>>>>>>>>>>> .

domain: news


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SlideRocket is aiming to disrupt the presentation business that for so long has been dominated by Microsoft PowerPoint by blasting into the cloud.
The 17-person San Francisco startup, founded in March of 2006, has a platform that allows users to create online presentations featuring various media, including charts, photographs, audio, video and even live feeds from Twitter or other sources.
It lets customers ranging from corporations to educators invite others to view their presentations at their leisure using a link and password, or else distribute widget links to multiple web sites for widespread viewing. Presentations can even be used to generate leads or input by including questionnaires and the like.
Owners can track and analyze how people consume information — for example, what they looked at and for how long. And companies can instantly update presentations everywhere they appear on the web, making it easier to keep marketing materials current and consistent. In fact, because the platform is live, it can be used to poll audiences, with responses immediately displayed on a screen via text messaging input.
SlideRocket has 1,200 paying corporate customers with anywhere from one to 300 licenses, which sell for $240 each annually. Competitors include Microsoft, Google, Apple and Zoho.
Chuck Dietrich, an early Salesforce.com employee who took the helm at SlideRocket as CEO last September, would not divulge revenue, but said the company is looking for larger office space and is hiring across the board.
Dietrich said he chose to leave Salesforce when he realized that presentations were the “pink elephant” that progress had missed. Dietrich had been general manager and vice president of Salesforce Mobile.
People use presentation software — most often PowerPoint — to create “digital brochures” that lack web-based functionality and imagination, according to Dietrich.
“The way we look at it is pretty much every other sales and marketing tool has moved to the web,” Dietrich said.
SlideRocket already hosts a marketplace where content and services needed to make presentations can be bought and traded or posted for use free of charge.
The platform has so far received significant praise. PC World, for example, named SlideRocket one of the top 100 products and services of 2009.
SlideRocket has raised $7 million, including a $2 million Series A round from Hummer Winblad Venture Partners in December 2007 and $5 million from Azure Capital Partners and Hummer Winblad last July.
Ray Carey, a partner at Azure, said that he was surprised to learn that slide presentations had evolved so little. Phone calls shifted to teleconferencing, direct mail became email, Rolodexes morphed into online customer relationship management.
Carey estimated the opportunity is similar in magnitude to CRM or call center software moving to the Internet.
“It’s a multibillion-dollar market,” Carey said.
What it does: Web hosting for multimedia sales presentations.
Funding: $7 million.


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- On Christmas, Molly Flaherty came home to find a family on her doorstep. They'd booked it on Airbnb.
- But Flaherty said she never listed her home on the vacation-rental site.
- The renters reported the issue and received a refund, and the listing was eventually removed.
A woman found strangers trying to get into her house. They booked it on Airbnb, but the homeowner never listed it.
When Molly Flaherty walked up to her home in Philadelphia on Christmas night, she was shocked to find four people huddled around her lockbox at the steps to her front door.
"It was 10 o'clock at night, so I was a little scared at first," Flaherty told Insider. "Were these people that were trying to break into my house? Or were they at the wrong house? I even thought was there something wrong with my house? Was there gas or smoke or something?"
The group seemed more confused than anything, she said, so she approached them and introduced herself as the homeowner.
Nicole Brunet, who was standing at the lockbox, told Flaherty she'd rented the property on Airbnb for her parents, who were visiting for the holidays from California, Brunet told Insider.
But Flaherty had never listed her home on the vacation-rental website.
The listing was real, but Flaherty didn't make it
Brunet said she initially thought she might have the wrong address, and Flaherty assumed the same.
But when Brunet pulled up the Airbnb listing, Flaherty said the address and photos matched her house.
Flaherty shared screengrabs of the listing — which has since been removed from Airbnb — with Insider. She said the images of the home's interior were taken before she bought it in 2020.
After Flaherty insisted she'd never listed her house as a vacation rental on Airbnb, Brunet realized she'd been scammed, Brunet said.
It's what Airbnb calls an "account takeover," when a scammer steals an Airbnb owner's password.
An Airbnb representative told Insider that the listing for Flaherty's home technically wasn't fake but was an outdated listing that was likely reactivated by a scammer.
The screengrabs showed that the listing had a 4.7-star rating and more than 100 reviews when Brunet reserved it.
"I'm a tech-savvy person," Brunet said. "I read reviews. I looked at the pictures. I walked by the house before I rented it to make sure my parents would be happy there.
"That's the craziest part about this whole thing," she continued, adding that the listing "had every component of a real account." The experience, she said, has "shattered" her trust in Airbnb.
In a statement sent to Insider, the company said that "issues like this are rare, and we were disappointed to learn about it." It added, "We provided support to the guests at the time to help make things right, including a full refund, and have deactivated the listing."
Brunet said that when she reported the listing to Airbnb that night, the company offered to book them another Airbnb. But she said there was "no way" she was going to do that since "there was no way for me to tell if they were real or fake."
Instead, Brunet found her parents a room at a nearby hotel that she said they paid for out of pocket. A few hours later, Brunet said, she received a full refund from Airbnb. She said she spent more than $1,000 for the week's stay.
Flaherty said it took a week for the listing to be removed from Airbnb
Flaherty also reached out to Airbnb on Christmas to alert it that the listing wasn't legitimate. She hoped it would be taken down quickly, but she said it remained active for a week.
Fearing that other people had booked a stay at her house, Flaherty put a note on her front door that read: "If you rented this address through Airbnb it is a fraudulent listing. This is not a rental. Airbnb has been contacted multiple times."
Flaherty said she was constantly refreshing the listing and checking its calendar for any indication that it had been booked and that she could expect strangers at her front door. Luckily, she said, it seemed that no one else had booked the Airbnb in the near future.
Still, Flaherty said she worried each time she left her house that she'd come home to strangers. "I didn't feel comfortable thinking that anyone could show up at my house at any time — day or night — thinking that they could get in," she said.
The following week, Flaherty reached out to Airbnb numerous times to get the listing removed, she said.
She said she was told a specialized team was looking into the situation. But as the listing remained active, she turned to other strategies. She had friends and family report the inaccurate listing and sent Airbnb a link to a Philadelphia database that listed her as the property's owner.
"After several days of back-and-forth, I was pretty much told that I was considered a third party because I wasn't the host and I wasn't a renter," she said, adding that she was told that "Airbnb doesn't arbitrate these disputes." An Airbnb representative said the company has to perform its due diligence when a third party makes a complaint.
Flaherty said she never received confirmation that the listing was taken down. Airbnb's representative said this was likely because of privacy concerns since Flaherty was considered a third-party member.
Flaherty said she was frustrated by how long it took for the listing to be removed from Airbnb's website. "I would think that if you're getting that much feedback, it'd be something that you might want to pay attention to," she said. "And they really didn't seem, to me, to have any concern whatsoever."
Flaherty said the incident added stress to a holiday season she'd hoped would be relaxing. "I had holiday time and plans with friends and family," she said. "I didn't enjoy that time as much because I was worried about this."


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Minority business enterprises (MBE) often lack access to a robust ecosystem of capital and business resources because of long-standing structural barriers to starting and growing a business.
The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened these issues and further widened the racial wealth gap.
According to a recent report shared by McKinsey’s Institute for Black Economic Mobility, raising awareness and increasing investment in Black-owned businesses could add $290 billion in business equity in the United States.
McKinsey Inclusive Business Accelerator’s mission is to advance racial equity and inclusive economic empowerment. We currently focus on supporting Black business leaders and medium-sized Black-owned businesses.


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One shouldn’t judge a book by its cover — or should they? The current exhibit at the Whitney Humanities Center, “Book Jacket Design from the Yale University Press,” is a part of the Press’s centennial celebration. Continuing through Jan. 28, the show highlights cover designs from the past decade that have invited the reader to pick up the book in the first place.
Director of the Yale University Press John Donatich explained how elements of a book drive decisions about both the cover and the layout of its content.
“One of my favorite meetings every week is when we talk jacket concept,” Donatich said. “We try to impart with one quick impression what the book is trying to say.”
Development Manager of the Yale University Press Janyce Siress, who helped put the exhibit together, said it was important to have a visual aspect to the centennial celebration. She explained that the gallery features original artwork rather than digital scans to allow viewers to see how size affects the presentation of the covers.
“I tried to include some best-sellers, some books that were near and dear to us,” Siress said. “There is always the danger that you leave something important out.”
Mark Bauer, an associate director of the Whitney Humanities Center and curator of the show, worked with Siress to organize the exhibit. The diversity of the jackets featured reflected the variety of genres of books that the Press publishes. Bauer pointed out how the covers highlight the synergy of different art forms in one space, including typography, photography, line drawing, painting, woodcuts and more.
“There are such different moods struck … from the wonderful, playful cartoon to the really haunting ‘Walden,’ ” Bauer said. “The silver title just floats off the page.”
He described how covers can also make editorial comments. The cover of “The Lonely Crowd,” a classic sociology text, touts a flock of sheep instead of people.
“The Plausibility of Life,” the first jacket design a viewer would see when walking along the gallery, is breathtaking. The butterflies, lizards and insects splattered over the entire jacket do not need text to convey the vibrancy of life itself. Notably — and thankfully —explanatory text is missing from the exhibit. Instead, the show simulates the effect a book cover should have on a consumer.
“You just want to come in and look into the detail,” Bauer said. “If you did see this book in the stack, would it speak to you?”
Mary Valencia, a staff designer for the Press featured in the exhibit, stressed the teamwork involved in book design. Some authors suggest an image for the jacket, while in other instances, it is up to the designer to conceptualize the cover. Valencia defined the process as a concerted effort to create an “aesthetic, accurate and saleable” product.
Valencia, while skimming “Proust in Love,” read about Proust once courting someone by playing on a tennis racket as if it were a guitar. She chose to paint a rose on a photograph of the author, with the end result a cover depicting a ready-to-woo Marcel biting a rose.
“He is a playful person,” Valencia said. “That image … I thought it would be funny.”
She also designed the cover for a book by Sartre in which she chose to use lowercase letters for the title.
“I just had a feeling that that seemed more personal,” she said.
Donatich has coordinated other centennial events, including exhibitions at the Sterling Memorial Library, and commissioned a book about the Press’s first 100 years.
The celebration will culminate in a full day of panel discussions — a collaboration of the Press, the Whitney and the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. To complement the Book Jacket Design exhibit, the Whitney will also host Chip Kidd — the leading American book designer according to Bauer — on January 23 for a talk about 20th century book cover design.


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Tickets for IndePet’s International Women’s Day event on Wednesday 6 March at Captain Melville, Melbourne, are selling fast.
The event will celebrate and recognise the achievements and innovations that the incredible women in the pet industry have made while enjoying an afternoon of canapes, drinks, and networking.
Alongside keynote speaker Dr Katrina Warren, attendees will hear from a panel including Julie Dillon (CEO Animal Care, EBOS Group), Chelsea Parkinson (Optimo CEO), Kylie Kane (100% Pets Owner), Diana Scott (Founder Frontier Pets), and Jessica Gibbons (La Doggie Vita Owner).
Dillon said she is looking forward to the discussion and will be sharing some of her own personal experiences, including challenges, opportunities, and tips.
“The pet industry is full of wonderful, caring people. When times get tough, our caring spirit often means we are so focused on helping others, we often don’t pay enough attention to building our own resilience.”
Gibbons expressed her excitement to speak, as it gives her the opportunity to share her story and journey in the pet industry as a woman, and she hopes that it will inspire others to not only participate but to push boundaries and be heard.
“If I look at the pet space generally over the past 10 years, it has come such a long way in terms of female involvement, however, some of the iconic female business owners, managers and participators have been our biggest advocates and I am humbled by their contributions and mentoring. Their experience and knowledge extend well beyond my 10 years, and I wouldn’t have had the journey I have had without them.”
Scott explained that the vast majority of customers at Frontier Pets are women and that women are also the main carers of their companion animals and the ones who feed them.
“It is so fitting then, that the contribution that women make in the pet industry be recognised. It’s women leading the charge on making pet products with a care and respect that goes beyond the just satisfactory. We are making them for ourselves and for people just like us. What a wonderful circular path of excellence we have created.”
The event kicks off at 2pm on Wednesday, March 2024 at Captain Melville in Melbourne. Tickets are available here.


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Azerbaijan reveals seven-month car production data
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 20
By Nargiz Ismayilova - Trend:
As many as 1,074 cars were produced in Azerbaijan from January through July 2020, which is 21.4 percent less compared to the same period of 2019, Trend reports citing a report of the State Statistics Committee.
According to the committee, the total volume of production of cars, trailers and semi-trailers in Azerbaijan amounted to 183.1 million manat ($107.7 million), having increased by 13.3 percent over the year.
Azerbaijan imported 43,156 cars for a total amount of almost 546 million manat ($321.1 million) in 2019. The country also imported 3,780 trucks worth 62 million manat ($36.4 million) last year, and hereby the number of tracks increased 1.6 times, while their value - 1.9 times year-on-year, said the report.
At the same time, 547 buses worth 73.5 million manat ($43.2 million) were imported by the country. Herein, the number imported buses grew 1.8 times, while their value- 4.6 times.
In 2018, a new automobile plant was launched in Azerbaijan’s Neftchala district. The plant produces cars under the Khazar brand. The launch of the plant led to massive growth in the country’s car production. There is also the Nakhchivan Automobile Plant in Azerbaijan, where Chinese cars of Lifan brand are assembled, as well as the Ganja Automobile Plant, on the basis of which tractors, agricultural machinery, as well as several models of trucks of Belarusian and Russian companies are produced.
According to forecasts of the Azerbaijani government, the production of cars in 2020 will amount to 56 million manat ($32.9 million), in 2021 - 85.3 million manat ($50.1 million), and in 2022 - 113.3 million manat ($66.6 million).
The country plans to gradually increase the volume of car production to 7,000 units per year. In 2020, their production will reach 2,000 units, in 2021 – 3,500 units, in 2022 – 5,300 units, and in 2023 – 7,000 units.
(1 USD = 1.7 manat on Aug. 20)
Follow the author on Twitter: @IsmailovaNargis


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Though many might disagree, Airtel expectedly feels that its 3G data plans are fairly reasonable. At Convergence India last week, on the apparently high 3G pricing in India, Bharti Enterprises' Deputy Group CEO and MD Akhil Gupta said, like many have said at many conferences, that wireless is the only way for broadband to reach out to the masses. However, when MediaNama asked him why Airtel's 3G data pricing was anything but mass oriented, he replied that the company does not want to go the AT&T way, offering 'all you can eat' data plans in the beginning and enforcing data caps when its networks get choked. 3G spectrum, Gupta said, is scarce and the majority of 3G handsets in India are non-HSPA handsets which are less data efficient. So, if pricing was not done rationally, it could lead to choking of bandwidth. That begs the question: how will wireless and specifically 3G drive internet penetration in the country when telcos price it at a premium citing spectrum constraints. At more than Rs15 per MB under the default plan, Airtel's 3G tariffs are anything but reasonable. Even if a subscriber opts for a data plan with bundled usage, it is a lot more costlier compared to the Airtel's Edge data plans. For example, Airtel sells 2GB bundled Edge data pack for Rs 98, while a 2GB data pack on 3G costs Rs 750, more than seven times costlier. Poor Connectivity Issues While Airtel had claimed that it has installed 1800 3G cell sites in Delhi for…
- What are the new measures taken by American telecom regulator on scam robotexts? March 20, 2023
- Here’s why you should worry about Punjab’s Internet shutdown March 20, 2023
- Last day: Don’t forget to switch from SMS two-factor authentication on Twitter March 20, 2023
- Is it Piracy if “Digital Libraries” Provide Free Access to Books? US Court Weighs Tough Question March 20, 2023
- How many IPTV connections does India have for its telecom regulator to call for convergence? March 20, 2023
MediaNama’s mission is to help build a digital ecosystem which is open, fair, global and competitive.
Amazon announced that it will integrate its logistics network and SmartCommerce services with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).
India's smartphone operating system BharOS has received much buzz in the media lately, but does it really merit this attention?
After using the Mapples app as his default navigation app for a week, Sarvesh draws a comparison between Google Maps and Mapples
In the case of the ‘deemed consent' provision in the draft data protection law, brevity comes at the cost of clarity and user protection
The regulatory ambivalence around an instrument so essential to facilitate data exchange – the CM framework – is disconcerting for several reasons.
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If there’s one question on which much of Facebook’s $60-billion market valuation hangs, it is whether the kind of “social advertising” the giant network offers to brands actually works or not — in other words, whether having fans and social discussion around a product translates into actual measurable sales. Facebook has now released some actual data from comScore that it says proves the value of building up a fan base on its platform, since doing so appears to increase the likelihood that a user will buy something later. But will the research convince advertisers to devote more time and money to Facebook’s social campaigns? And if so, how much of that will benefit Facebook directly?
The comScore study, which is called “The Power of Like 2: How Social Marketing Works,” (PDF download available here) is the second in a series the web-analytics firm has done with Facebook. The first report came out last July, and argued that brands using the social network need to do more than simply build up a large fan base — they need to use a combination of paid and “earned” media (that is, content that is shared voluntarily by users) to promote whatever marketing message they are focusing on. The latest report is an extension of that case, with some statistical database on what Starbucks and Target have seen from their Facebook campaigns.
Fans of a brand buy more, and so do their friends
According to comScore, Starbucks saw a “statistically significant” improvement in purchasing behavior in its stores in the weeks following exposure to promotional content on Facebook. Perhaps most important of all, the analytics firm said this behavior was seen not just among those who were already fans of the brand on the social network, but also among friends of those fans — evidence of what comScore called a “latent branding impact.” The same kind of impact was seen in a study of buying behavior at Target stores, comScore said.
In a nutshell, the report says that by the fourth week following the exposure of fans and friends of fans to certain advertising content — whether in a “sponsored story” or some other social ad format — the test group’s purchasing rate of 2.12 percent was a little over half a percentage point higher than the control groups’ rate. According to comScore, that means the social advertising on Facebook drove an increase in actual sales of almost 40 percent.
As Peter Kafka of All Things Digital notes, the comScore research is a bit of a double-edged sword for Facebook, since it shows that “earned media” — that is, the kind of social sharing that in many cases brands don’t even have to pay for — can generate a substantial bump in sales all by itself, without the need for traditional display ads. Theoretically, that’s the kind of ammunition brands like General Motors could use to justify dropping their ad spending on Facebook and relying on social sharing of their marketing content instead.
Facebook display ads work too, says comScore
One of the comScore study’s conclusions seems to be aimed directly at this idea — and also at critics who question whether Facebook’s paid ads are effective when the click-through rates on them are so low (even lower than the rates on generic web advertising). The report notes that an analysis of the data showed “statistically significant” increases in both online and in-store purchasing for a major retailer after exposure to display ads, despite the lack of clicks, and that this “highlights the importance of using view-through display ad effectiveness in a medium where click-through rates are known to be lower than average.”
Facebook’s Brad Smallwood, head of measurement and insight for the social network, was more blunt in a comment to the Wall Street Journal about the results of the comScore research, saying it proved that “It’s a myth that Facebook advertising doesn’t work.” The Journal also noted that the quiet period following its initial stock offering has ended, so Facebook is now able to respond to some of the criticisms that arose during the IPO roadshow, and the comScore study is clearly part of that effort.
One thing the study also reinforces is just how much advertisers are betting on Facebook: according to comScore’s analysis, more than 15 percent of all U.S. online display ads were “socially enabled,” meaning they contained a message asking viewers to “like” or follow the brand or the campaign on Facebook. That’s almost double the number of ads that contained those kinds of messages in November of last year, the report said. That kind of bet is what drove Salesforce to spend close to a billion dollars to buy Buddy Media, which specializes in managing Facebook pages and social campaigns.


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SAN FRANCISCO — Google wants to know where you go so badly that it records your movements even when you explicitly tell it not to.
An Associated Press investigation found that many Google services on Android devices and iPhones store your location data even if you've used privacy settings that say they will prevent it from doing so.
Computer-science researchers at Princeton confirmed these findings at the AP's request.
For the most part, Google is upfront about asking permission to use your location information. An app like Google Maps will remind you to allow access to location if you use it for navigating. If you agree to let it record your location over time, Google Maps will display that history for you in a "timeline" that maps out your daily movements.
Storing your minute-by-minute travels carries privacy risks and has been used by police to determine the location of suspects — such as a warrant that police in Raleigh, North Carolina, served on Google last year to find devices near a murder scene. So the company will let you "pause" a setting called Location History.
... To Read more, please click here


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Dell and EMC today officially announced that they are set to close the transaction of their combination and kick-start their journey as Dell Technologies. In last October, Dell revealed the acquisition of EMC for a whopping $67 billion.
“This is a historic moment for both Dell and EMC,” said Michael Dell, chairman and CEO of Dell Technologies, in a statement. “Our investments in R&D and innovation, along with our 140,000 team members around the world, will give us unmatched scale, strength and flexibility, deepening our relationships with customers of all sizes.”
Creating a ‘new powerhouse’
As a result of the new development, Dell will now hold not just EMC but also its subsidiaries that include RSA Security, Pivotal Software and VMware. All these entities will work under one roof at Dell Technologies and will majorly maintain operations in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, the original homeland of EMC.
“The combination of Dell and EMC creates a new powerhouse in the industry – providing the essential technology for the next era in IT,” said Joe Tucci, chairman and CEO of EMC.
Newly established Dell Technologies will focus on all the advanced IT avenues such as software-defined data centre, converged infrastructure, hybrid cloud, mobile and security. The new company would mainly be a saviour for both Dell and EMC.
“Dell EMC, along with the entire Dell Technologies family of businesses – including Pivotal, RSA, SecureWorks, Virtustream, and VMware – is positioned to help you transform your IT, your workforce, and your security, as well as your business. Together, we remove cost and complexity, make cutting-edge innovation available to more customers globally, and democratise technology for the benefit of everyone and every organisation,” Alok Ohrie, president and managing director, Dell India, wrote in an email to its customers.
EMC shareholders will receive $24.05 per share in addition to a newly issued tracking stock linked to a portion of EMC’s economic interest in the VMware business.


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American Express has proclaimed November 27th “Small Business Saturday”. Despite the cliche move of inventing random holidays to market one’s own brand, the article does highlight several reasons why the “going local” movement has been gaining steady momentum.
According to a study by the 3/50 project, $68 out of every $100 spent at a local business will be recycled back into the community as opposed to only $43 when money is spent at national chains. This is due to the fact that local businesses tend to purchase from other local suppliers as well as increasing the overall tax base.
In addition, local businesses tend to be more involved in supporting community organizations, creating a virtuous cycle. By making the decision to shop at these businesses, consumers are also indirectly supporting many of these organizations that benefit.
Cofolio believes in the importance of creating sustainable local communities. By joining Cofolio, individuals like you are able to not only eat local and buy local, now you can invest local as well.


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Wednesday morning, The Pinellas County Commission, in an emergency meeting,
voted unanimously to place further restrictions on residents and businesses
during this current state of emergency. The order will go into effect at noon
on Thursday, March 26th.
While the order does direct residents to stay at home except for essential activities, it does allow non-essential businesses to operate provided they comply with CDC guidelines, a provision St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman urged the Commission to remove.
The most effected businesses will be retail shops that do not limit the number of customers in their store.
Additionally places of public assembly, including public playgrounds, museums, social clubs, arcades, theaters, bowling alleys, and other private recreation facilities will be closed.
All public and private gatherings not meeting CDC guidelines occurring outside of the family unit, single household or living unit are prohibited, except for the limited purposes permitted in the Resolution.
Parks will remain open for casual recreation (walking, running, biking) but group gatherings will not be allowed.
The resolution has the full force of the law under the emergency powers afforded to the County and violation can be punished with up to 60 days in jail or a $500 fine.
In a press conference this afternoon, Mayor Kriseman announced “the county’s actions will apply to St. Pete, for now.” He explained that his team would be monitoring local businesses over the next several days to gauge compliance. He urged our local community to be good actors during this time and prove that our shops and restaurants and other businesses can adhere to the CDC guidelines. Should the Mayor and his staff feel that non-essential St. Pete. Pete Businesses are not adhering to the CDC guidelines, he reserves the right to act further.
This is where our members and all businesses need to SHINE! Please, self police your business and adhere to CDC guidelines.
Close or limit customer access to your storefront. Help customers maintain 6-feet of separation. Ensure your employees and customers are aware that non-compliance may lead to your business being shut down. In order for our community to stay safe, and keep our local businesses functioning, we need to work together.
Here is a link to the full Pinellas County resolution: http://www.pinellascounty.org/emergency/PDF/covid19/res20-20.pdf
Turning to recovery, Deputy Mayor Kanika Tomalin announced a plan to create a “Fighting Chance” fund for local businesses who have been adversely affected by the virus. While the details are being worked out, the Deputy Mayor stated the distributions from the fund would be grants, not loans.
If you have any specific concerns about the effect this order may have on your business, please reach out to Matt Lettelleir at email@example.com and put PINELLAS ORDER- (business name) in the subject line


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Out of the frying pan...
The Smash World Tour 2022 finals cancellation has been stirring up all sorts of discussion and vitriol since last week, and it appears the mess is going to continue this week as well. Following the event’s cancellation and comments from Nintendo, SWT and Panda Global, we’ve learned that Panda Global’s CEO is stepping away from the company.
For those who don’t know, Panda Global and Nintendo are working together on official Smash Bros. tournaments, but last week there were accusations that Panda Global reps were going around behind the scenes to dissuade Nintendo from working with other companies, Smash World Tour included.
In a statement released today, it’s revealed that Panda chief executive officer Alan Bunney has stepped down, and the Panda Cup Finale has been postponed due to security concerns for staff and contractors. You can see Panda Global’s full statement below.


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Patrick Industries announced it has completed the acquisition of Diamondback Towers, which does business as Diamondback Marine, a Cocoa, Fla.-based manufacturer of premium wakeboard/ski towers and accessories for marine OEMs.
“We are thrilled to welcome Diamondback Marine to the Patrick family,” said Andy Nemeth, CEO of Patrick. “Diamondback’s industry relationships, standards for quality and service, and engineering and design capabilities are an ideal fit with our full solutions model and strong brand portfolio. Diamondback’s vision also aligns well with our capacity expansion plans and automation strategies. As with previous acquisitions, we will provide a financial and operational foundation that will allow Diamondback Marine to continue to capitalize on its core competencies.”
The business will continue to operate on a stand-alone basis under the Diamondback Marine name in its existing facility.


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Apple announced today that they've added The Weeknd to the roster of artists who will take the stage the inaugural Apple Music Festival.
Drake's Team Says Apple Didn't Interfere With Lil Weezyana Stream, Calls It A "Publicity Stunt" Aug 29, 2015 at 04:21pm
While Tidal spun their lack of access to the Drake portion of Lil Weezyana fest as interference from Apple, Drizzy's team tells a different story.
Rumor had it that Apple had threatened Tidal with a $20 million lawsuit if Drake's performance at Lil Weezyana Fest was broadcasted yesterday, and when the rapper's appearance was cut from the stream, the threat seemed to be confirmed.
Since launching earlier this month, Apple Music has swept the rug from under TIDAL’s feet and made a markedly successful splash, delivering a diverse catalogue of options for their new Beats Radio 1 feature.
It all seemed like fantastic, luxurious, one-percent-y fun and games during the initial TIDAL press conference.
Ever since The Weeknd turned down a deal with OVO, it's been clear that there's some bad blood between him and Drake, but between a recent hint at new collabs and this Apple conference today, it's looking more and more like they've patched things up.
Just as Apple is anticipated to launch their new music streaming service (which may or may not involve Kanye West, but more than likely does involve Drake), they've had to recall the Beats Pill XL speaker due to a fire safety concern.
Apple's worldwide developers conference is happening next week, and the rumor mill is going into overdrive.
The first thought that went through many peoples minds when they saw the Tidal team standing on stage (after cracking an Illuminati joke, that is) was "where's Drake?".
Drake is rumored to be the recipient of $19 million per a new deal with Apple that, among other things, will feature him as a guest DJ on iTunes Radio, reports the New York Post.
Last week, we learned that Dr. Dre's veritable unicorn of an album, previously thought to be titled Detox, will probably arrive under another title, and today comes the news that you may not be able to stream said album on Dre's own streaming service.
Kanye West Says Dr. Dre's Apple Deal Couldn't Have Happened Without Jay Z's Samsung Deal Jun 17, 2014 at 02:11pm
Kanye West, who is scheduled to speak at the Cannes Lions Music Festival later this week, also participated in a panel discussion yesterday with Steve Stoute and Ben Horowitz. The discussion covered topics such as Dr.
It's official. After plenty of reports a few weeks back about Apple purchasing Beats Electronics, the news has been confirmed and officially announced in a press release today.
Apple May Be Looking To Acquire Dr. Dre's Beats Electronics For $3.2 Billion [Update: Dr. Dre Confirms] May 9, 2014 at 11:09am
Dr. Dre recently surpassed Jay Z as the second richest rapper in the game, and it looks as though he could take the throne from Diddy if Apple successfully buys him out of Beats Electronics.


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Retail administrations rise by 15 per cent
Monday 09 April 2012
Shoppers abandoning high street stores for internet rivals helped trigger a 15 per cent rise in retail administrations in the first quarter of 2012, a report revealed today.
Accountancy firm Deloitte said a total of 69 retailers collapsed, up from 60 in the same period the previous year, as the squeeze on consumer spending and the growing popularity of online retailers took their toll.
Fashion chain Peacocks, video games retailer Game Group, outdoor specialist Blacks Leisure, gift seller Past Times and lingerie firm La Senza all threw in the towel in the period, between them accounting for nearly 10,000 job losses.
The collapse of such big names meant the number of redundancies was likely to have been far higher than a year ago, the report added.
Lee Manning, a restructuring services partner at Deloitte, said: "The first quarter of 2012 is particularly significant given the high-profile nature of the companies we have seen enter administration."
The number of administrations was 64% higher than in the final quarter of 2011, but there is normally a rise in the first three months of the year when trading slows down after the Christmas peak and retailers struggle to pay their quarterly rent bill.
Retailers such as Game and Peacocks were bought out of administration but have seen large chunks of their store estate closed.
But Deloitte said many retailers across the UK still have too many stores as shoppers increasingly look for cheaper deals online.
It has suggested in a recent report that chains may need to reduce store numbers by 40%, which is likely to cause further pain for the UK's beleaguered high streets.
Mr Manning added: "Whilst the quarterly rent day often sets the timing for the insolvency, a significant trigger in a number of recent administrations is that many retailers have too many marginal stores.
"A fast-changing retail environment will require certain businesses to reassess their store portfolios, not as a matter of choice, but in order to survive."
- 1 Malaysia Airlines MH17 crash: Pro-Russian rebel 'admits to shooting down plane'
- 2 Israel has discovered that it's no longer so easy to get away with murder in the age of social media
- 3 Israel-Gaza conflict: The myth of Hamas’s human shields
- 4 Amy Winehouse unpublished 2004 interview: ‘Ten years from now I’ll be 30, so I’ll maybe have one baby’
- 5 Dutch paedophile club to fight their ban at the European Court of Human Rights
Lana Del Rey: 'I have slept with a lot of guys in the industry'
Peaches Geldof cause of death: 'Heroin addict' socialite had taken fatal dose of drug, inquest concludes
Peaches Geldof inquest: Tragic final moments of socialite's life reveal she lied to husband about failed heroin tests
Israel-Gaza conflict: The myth of Hamas’s human shields
Malaysia Airlines MH17 crash: Was a Russian-made missile really parked in this quiet square?
Malaysia Airlines MH17 crash: Vladimir Putin is given 'one last chance' to end hostilities in Ukraine
The 'scroungers’ fight back: The welfare claimants battling to alter stereotypes
The truth about conspiracy theories is that some require considering
Malaysia Airlines MH17 crash: Ukrainian military jet was flying close to passenger plane before it was shot down, says Russian officer
Malaysia Airlines MH17 crash: Massive rise in sale of British arms to Russia
Malaysia Airlines MH17 crash: victims’ bodies bundled in black bags and loaded onto trains
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Brooklyn Center’s 50’s Grill Benefits from Pi(e) Day
Every day is a great day for pie, but there’s something special about eating pie on the 14th day of March.
“The first couple times it snuck up on us, cause you hear people talking about it on social media but didn’t really think much of it,” said Dan Williamson, general manager of the 50’s Grill in Brooklyn Center. “And then all of a sudden we started connecting the fact that, hey they’re coming in for pie because of Pi Day.”
About five years ago, social media helped turn “Pi Day,” the celebration of the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter – which is approximately 3.14 – into a day to celebrate pie.
Restaurants like the 50’s Grill in Brooklyn Center expect to sell about 50 pies on Pi Day, which is roughly five times the amount they would sell on a normal day.
The most popular sellers this time of year are apple, French silk, banana cream and strawberry rhubarb.


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Khartoum / Riyadh — The Ministry of Livestock in Sudan has confirmed the resumption of livestock exports to Saudi Arabia in the coming weeks, after the completion of the administrative arrangements between Khartoum and Riyadh and the approval of the latter in principle.
The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Livestock, Adilfarah Idris, said during a joint meeting that included his counterparts from trade and industry and the representative of the Bank of Sudan for Exports and the Customs Authority that the purpose of this meeting is to set up a mechanism for how to resume livestock exports Saudi Arabia.
Idris said, "We expect the export will be opened in the coming weeks by agreeing on some conditions with Saudi importers."
He emphasised that the Ministry of Animal Resources seeks to qualify exporters and link transactions to the internet to obtain export revenues through official channels.
In October 2019, Saudi Arabia stopped importing livestock from Sudan after the Sudanese Ministry of Health announced an outbreak of Rift Valley Fever.


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According to latest report from SuperData, which was released by DigitalRiver, PC dominates a gaming market in year 2013. Gaming market has changed its focus, and more users are turning towards PC as their gaming platform. Could this be a reason why gaming industry is expected to top $93 billion in revenue?!
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It is true that numbers of gamers have increased a lot in last few years in PC or Mobile gaming market share, while console market share is still big but decreasing.
This same report by SuperData also suggests that gaming industry could be heading towards a crash similar to one that happened in 1983. The quote from the report states
“Industry veterans will remember the crash of 1983, when the games market was saturated with hardware devices,” the report states. “Today, the industry runs a similar risk, as [with] a higher-than-ever console installed base, consumers may be resistant to adding more hardware to their living rooms.”
Playstation 4 and Xbox One might have a hard time to sell based on the current gaming market situation, and Nintendo Wii U is already going through a drought where it’s having a major lack of sales ever since its launch.
On the other hand, PC gaming firms such as Nvidia and Valve are boosting PC popularity among gamers. Nvidia already spoke of Project Shield, which is a twin-stick handheld based on the firm’s new Tegra 4 mobile chip and Android. Along with that, Steambox reports suggest that Valve is capable to deliver a meaningful machine at an affordable price.
If all this is true, we could witness the big disruption to the console market since Microsoft’s launch of Xbox in year 2001.
This year market share has been dominated by PC with huge 51%, followed by Consoles with 30%, and Mobile at 13%. Could all this be the reason why gaming industry will top revenue of $93 billion, according to Gartner research firm?
This is an impressive new record compared to $10.8 billion revenue from Hollywood’s box office and $32 billion from television royalty fees.
Steam offers good old games for cheap, as well as new ones at affordable prices. Having this in mind, and when Valve delivers a Steam Box, we could see even more gamers turning to PC as a gaming platform.
Dolores is SEO and Digital Marketing consultant who has been completely hog-washed into doing this site by KC.


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Katy Perry's Style Evolution Explained
"We go through phases," Wujeck told InStyle. "It's an evolution. We've done the young, playful, candy, cupcake thing and now she's growing into a woman. We're shaking it up."
The column dress is a smart choice for Perry's curves. While there was a marked difference between the appearance of the Gucci Resort keyhole dress on Katy Perry at the GRAMMYs was markedly more revealing than it was on the runway model, other dresses like the green Yves Saint Laurent and the navy Naeem Khan have been ideal looks for her.
It is, in fact, a far cry from the previous four years of Katy Perry fashion, where the singer favored knee-length or shorter dresses with a lot of flair in the form of sequins, bright colors, fur — as many embellishments as she could add. more on this story
Radio.com is an official news provider for antiMusic.com.


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Reports emerged that WeChat app, a major social media messaging/ payment app based in China, is restricting the presence of crypto technology in its systems.
The web-based mammoth of China has for all time prohibited a few records which for the most part center around content about blockchain and digital money. The principle explanation behind the boycott is thought to be the advancement of ICOs and digital currency trading. This stands against the ongoing laws instituted by the Chinese government.
The now massively prominent application was created by Tencent, a Chinese speculation firm. The application is recorded to be one of world’s biggest Internet-based platforms with an excess of 1 billion dynamic clients on a month to month premise. In China, the application is prevalently known as the ‘application for everything’. This is a result of the extensive variety of administrations accessible on the medium. The WeChat app is additionally recorded to be a standout amongst the most widely known applications on the planet by Forbes magazine.
In the long stretch of September 2017, People’s Bank of China discharged a course forcing a restriction on Initial Coin Offerings and fiat-to-crypto exchanging the district. Alongside this, people and organizations were likewise required to cease from beginning a raising money movement for ‘illicit tokens’. All the portable application and sites identified with digital money were closed around the media transmission office and the internet organization of the nation. The State Administration of Industry and Commerce repudiated every one of the licenses issued to business working in a similar field.
The boycott prompted the significant crypto firms re-orienting their working locations. This included exchanging firms like OKEx and Huobi, according to AMBCrypto.
In addition, the legislature discharged an arrangement of guidelines for texting applications. One of the articles expresses that clients who are benefiting the administration of an informing application, which is exclusively utilized for giving data to general society, are required to submit to the guidelines and direction set around the legislature. The legislative stringency surrounding crypto and blockchain technology is estimated to have pushed the WeChat app, among many Chinese corporations, to tighten their oversight around cryptocurrencies.[The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and/or the official policy of the website. ]


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Updated: 2 days 12 hours ago
Lipsy has agreed to settle a counterfeit case with etailer WantThatDress.co.uk, receiving a five-figure sum as compensation, after the website sold fake copies of the brand’s designs.
Drapers chats to bespoke tailor Timothy Everest about the essence of British tailoring. Read the full Drapers Interview, in which Everest discusses his plans to grow his ready-to-wear collection Every Day Tailoring, in our July 18 issue.
New York-headquartered headhunter firm CTPartners will file for bankruptcy tomorrow (June 30) after it was rocked by allegations of sexual discrimination.
Online tailoring business A Suit That Fits will this week launch a £500,000 crowd-funding campaign to allow it to create the “UK’s largest network of suit fitters.”
Liberty is to break into international markets by selling its own label products to department stores in the US and Italy before floating on the London stock exchange in 2018.
British shirtmaker TM Lewin is in talks with a US private equity firm to back a £100m management buyout of the business.
German fashion wholesaler and retailer Betty Barclay is launching a new brand called Betty & Co for spring 16.
Amazon.com is to launch its small business loan programme, Amazon Lending, in the UK, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy and Spain tomorrow (June 30).
Chairman of Pentland Brands Andy Rubin has said the business will continue to invest in order to protect itself from uncertain external factors, as group operating profit jumped by 30% to £160m for the year to December 2014.
New Look has finalised the sale of the business to private equity firm Brait and and appointed John Gnodde, chief executive of Brait, as non-executive chairman.
Fat Face is to open a 2,500 sq ft shop at The Peacocks shopping centre in Woking, Surrey, this autumn.
Sainsbury’s has added business development and online to chief finance officer John Rogers’ responsibilities, as one of the company’s senior directors prepares to step down.
Tesco has reported a 1.3% drop in UK sales for the 13 weeks to May 30, compared with a 3.4% slip a year ago, as chief executive Dave Lewis’s turnaround plan begins to bear fruit.
Retailers have urged the chancellor to put an end to stifling business rates and eschew calls for the living wage in next month’s emergency budget.
Industry experts have warned that the full impact of multichannel returns is only just starting to be felt, as retailers struggle to reconcile in-store and online returns.
Fashion retailers have kicked off their summer Sales earlier than usual following a tough season in which milder temperatures hit demand for warm weather clothing.
Bespoke tailoring business Cheshire Bespoke and London menswear store Lutwyche will fall into insolvency next week after one of its largest customers Marks & Spencer “significantly reduced” its orders.
The first Pep&Co store will open on Wednesday July 1 in the Newlands Shopping Centre in Kettering, the first of a planned 50 openings in 50 days.
KidZania, the educational kids’ entertainment centre which opened at Westfield London today (June 25), is looking for more fashion retail partners.
Danish womenswear brand Masai has been acquired by private equity group Silverfleet Capital for an undisclosed amount.


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A free to attend five-day virtual event in October will highlight sustainable refrigeration solutions in the wake of the implementation of the US AIM Act to phase down HFC refrigerants.
The Sustainable Refrigeration Summit, taking place from 24-28 October (08.00 to 17.00 PST), is organised and hosted by the North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC). It will feature the latest regulatory and industry trends, natural technologies, and the benefits and challenges of moving towards sustainable solutions. Attendees will hear everything related to shaping the future of sustainable refrigeration.
Behind in the race to lower GWP refrigerants, US supermarkets are under pressure to transition from high global warming HFCs to climate-friendly alternatives. Natural refrigerants, including ammonia, CO2, and propane, are considered future-proof from a regulatory standpoint but a unique set of market barriers have prevented widespread adoption in US supermarkets.
“This is one of the rare climate issues where the technology solution exists today,” commented NASRC executive director Danielle Wright. “To overcome the challenges and make meaningful progress, we need ‘all hands on deck’, and that’s what this summit is designed to do.”
This summit will bring together the stakeholders needed to solve the puzzle of sustainable refrigeration in supermarkets – including food retailers, manufacturers, service contractors, engineers, consultants, government agencies, policymakers, utilities, energy, and envi
Hear the latest regulatory and industry trends and learn from leading experts and policymakers when you participate. When the pieces come together, we can build a sustainable future for supermarket refrigeration.
The agenda will include the following topics over the days:
- industry and regulatory trends
- technology focus: driving CO2 performance
- CO2 systems: what retailers need to know
- distributed and self-contained systems
- technology focus: total cost of ownership
- measuring performance of natural technologies
- integrating naturals into existing stores
- technology focus: modular solutions for existing stores
- funding for naturals
- solving the technician shortage
- technology focus: natural innovations
- reducing refrigerant emissions
- state & federal HFC regulations
- utility incentives for refrigerant GWP


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Local farmers sat under their tents along Bayou Terrebonne in downtown Houma Tuesday afternoon as they escaped the July heat and offered fresh eggs, fruit preserves and other items at the South Louisiana Seed Market.
The weekly market, in the parking lot of South Louisiana Seed Co., 7591 Main St., lasts from 3-6 p.m. Tuesdays, a unique time for a farmer’s market, which are usually held in morning hours, according to coordinators Cheryl Skinner and Don Callahan.
Skinner, a hydroponic gardener from Bayou Blue, said she was inspired by the success the Rienzi Market in Thibodaux had on Thursday afternoons.
“Houma just needed it,” said Skinner, who also works with the Rienzi Market.
“We’re here to service downtown Houma and the community in Houma,” Callahan said, "and we stay focused on that.”
The market started in February, Skinner said, and she approached many of the same vendors from the Rienzi Market to offer their wares. To become a vendor, there’s an application process and a waiting list to avoid duplication. Callahan said they wanted to market to have diversity.
“If they have something that we don’t have right now, they can come in right now,” Skinner said.
“The selling point of this is having locally grown produce and items that people can get that they usually couldn’t find at a Wal-Mart or a mass merchandiser,” Callahan said.
The market also gives people the opportunity to ask questions about the produce and items they’re buying, such as what kind of chemicals, if any, are used on the produce, Skinner said.
“If you have any questions about what kind of tomatoes she’s selling, she can tell you exactly what variety it is,” Callahan said, referring to Skinner.
Produce will return to the market in September when it's is back in season. One man sells hand-carved walking sticks, and My Foods, a Vietnamese vendor, sells seafood, fried rice, egg rolls and more.
Nicole Theriot sells sweets and pies made from her mother and grandmother's recipes. She said she tried “the bakery thing” but preferred markets.
“You have more people coming through and seeing your stuff and trying it, and they come back for more,” Theriot said.
Hollie Hunter with 4-H Farms said she’s been coming to the market for months, selling her duck and chicken eggs from her farm in Cut Off. She also sells frozen grass-fed beef and lamb from her friend’s farm in Shreveport and is selling frozen salmon for a regular vendor who is in Alaska catching more.
“If you buy from a store, you don’t know where it’s coming from,” Hunter said. “You don’t know what’s in the meat, you don’t know what’s in that produce or anything like that. ... But with my beef, my lambs, that I’m selling, I know exactly what that cow looks like, I know what it weighed, I know what it looks like after it’s butchered and hanging -- I know everything.”
-- Staff Writer Holly Duchmann can be reached at 857-2205 or email@example.com. Follow her on Twitter @holly_evamarie.


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Cruise winner off to Tasmania
Helloworld Riverlink, Ipswich, in partnership with the QT held a successful Cruise Expo on the weekend.
Hundreds took advantage of the chance to get expert advice on cruise holidays at the Expo and also to put their names in for the "win a cruise" competition.
Congratulations to Kay Trevis who is now off on a seven day Princess Cruise holiday to Tasmania.
The cruise, valued at $2348, is aboard the Emerald Princess.


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Last year, Amazon announced that it would acquire iRobot, the makers of Roomba automated vacuum cleaners, for 1.7 billion. Months later, they agreed to give up on the merger.
“We’re disappointed that Amazon’s acquisition of iRobot could not proceed,” said Amazon’s General Counsel. “We’re believers in the future of consumer robotics in the home and have always been fans of iRobot’s products, which delight consumers and solve problems in ways that improve their lives. Amazon and iRobot were excited to see what our teams could build together, and we’re deeply grateful to everyone who worked tirelessly to try and make this collaboration a reality. This outcome will deny consumers faster innovation and more competitive prices, which we’re confident would have made their lives easier and more enjoyable.”
Clearly, this isn’t so much a breakup as a case of star-crossed lovers. The bad guys in the scenario? Regulators, especially in the EU. “Undue and disproportionate regulatory hurdles discourage entrepreneurs, who should be able to see acquisition as one path to success, and that hurts both consumers and competition—the very things that regulators say they’re trying to protect,” the statement continued.
The European Commission is concerned about anti-competitive practices, according to Gizmodo. There and in other sources, reporters point out that Amazon has a lot of control over what consumers see at the Amazon website. With its “Amazon choice” offerings, paid ad placements, and insights into competitors’ prices, Amazon has lots of leverage to pressure brands on prices and marketing methods.
Privacy is another issue, although the European Commission did not bring it up. Roomba devices can make maps of customers’ homes, and Amazon can then use that data to target customized advertising.
Although the UK approved the merger, Amazon announced that they saw “no path” to EU approval, and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission was still scratching their heads. The deal is off.
iRobot is restructuring, laying off about a third of their workforce, closing offices and shutting down locations, and losing some C-suite members. Their stock is also down by a third since the deal was first struck. They are also backing off from new products they had been working on. Amazon may not be affected much.
The Atlantic was firmly opposed to the acquisition, citing both the privacy issue and amazon’s increasing disproportionate share of all retail and many other aspects of our lives.
On the other hand, Amazon has been active in robotics and automation for many years, and has been working on domestic robots for some time. Acquisition of Roomba’s parent company seems like a sensible move for them. Their claim that this will have an impact on innovation in the home robot space seems convincing.


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atau cari berdasarkan hari
UN Food Systems Summit announced a competition to identify the best SMEs who are transforming food systems for a better tomorrow.
Restaurant chains operator Boga Group offers special discounts in all of its restaurant brands to health workers and employees of health institutions
Indonesia's popular comfort food Chicken Soto or Soto Ayam is listed in the world's 20 best soups by CNN.
The Jakarta government has secured 780 tons of frozen beef supply for this year after there were rumors that meat traders plan to hold a 3-day strike.
President Joko Widodo or Jokowi appeals to CEOs of a number of companies to develop food sector businesses by cooperating with farmers.
Singapore's tradition of communal dining at hawker centers, open-air food courts, has been recognized by UNESCO for its cultural significance.
The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) released its new Country Strategic Plan (CSP) 2021-2025.
President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo highlighted the need for innovation in the food sector development in the 5th Jakarta Food Security Summit (JFSS).
Aging is an inevitable part of life. However, maintaining a healthy diet such as consuming these six anti-aging foods regularly can boost longevity.
GAPMMI claims direct foreign investments for the food and beverage sector had grown 14 percent amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
Food Heroes day is the peak of the World Food Day 2020 campaign to appreciate food heroes in Indonesia.
World Food Day 2020 provides an opportunity to reflect on how to move towards more diversified healthy diets.
This year's World Food Day is special as the pandemic has exposed the fragility of the agri-food systems, threatening to push millions into hunger.
The Indonesian Logistics Association asserted that dine-in restrictions for cafes and restaurants will increase demand for deliveries.
Covid-19 task force spokesman Wiku Adisasmito shared several ways to maintain and boost the immune system during the Covid-19 pandemic.
FAO emphasizes the implications of the spread of the coronavirus and its impact on food systems region-wide.
scientists and officials say there is no strong evidence so far the coronavirus can spread via frozen food.
IN its response to the coronavirus and the problems that it causes, the government should not be hasty or reactive, or try makeshift solutions.
Some foods are surprisingly high in calories but that does not mean you should avoid them as they can be packed with nutrients for your healthy diet.
Asia-Pacific's smallholder family farmers are facing a disproportionate impact on their livelihoods and food security amid the coronavirus pandemic.


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Bicycle manufacturing: a growing market in Europe
Bicycles represent a growing market in Europe. E-bikes are beginning to increase in popularity and are bringing cycling to many more segments of the population. The bicycle has moved from the leisure and sports space to everyday life. And this potential is not alien to manufacturers of mobility components.
These are some of the ideas heard on June 1 at the Automotive Intelligence Center, located in the Basque Country, which held its first Bicycle-Automotive conference. Orbea, as a bicycle manufacturer, Shimano, Mahle and Teknia took part in this meeting, which aimed to link the world of bicycles with that of automotive component manufacturers.
Teknia attended as a multi-technology manufacturer, to explain its capabilities in five technologies. The Technical Advisory Director of Teknia, Michel Peña, pointed out that Teknia is able to offer its customers expertise in technology such as machining, for complex parts such as hubs or axles, tube forming, for parts such as handlebars and tubular structures or plastic injection, which is used in many components of a bicycle.
During the conference, it was explained that there is currently a trend towards the relocation of many components that were previously manufactured in remote locations. In this sense, many companies are increasingly deciding to bring their production and supply chains closer together.
More and more people are opting for bicycles
In terms of business, bicycles in Europe represent an annual market of 23 billion, of which 6.5 billion corresponds to the potential of component manufacturers. In fact, there are markets in which bicycle sales have occasionally exceeded automobile sales, as is the case in Italy, as was explained at the conference.
The size of the global bicycle market is estimated at 63.36 billion in 2022. Experts forecast an annual growth rate of more than 8% until 2030, as more people will opt for bicycles as a form of exercise and mobility solution.
Focusing on the countries with the most bicycles, three countries top the 2022 list of bicycle ownership in relation to the number of inhabitants. In the Netherlands, 99% of the population owns a bike. The Netherlands is followed by the Danes, with 80% of the population owning bicycles, and the Germans, with 76%.
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Comic-Con came again, and with it the total transformation of San Diego, Calif., into a pop culture wonderland.
Ubisoft is partnering with Upper Deck to create a line of trading cards and gaming accessories for its Assassin's Creed video game franchise.
Cartamundi will launch a two-in-one game inspired by Disney’s hit animated film Frozen later this month.
Toys 'R' Us lifted the curtain on its plans for the 2014 holiday season during a preview event at its showcase Time's Square store in New York City Wednesday.
Egmont Publishing has unveiled its newest Minecraft title–Blockopedia.
Carter's has teamed up with Kids Preferred to develop line of toys for the baby apparel brand.
DHX Media has appointed Character Options as the global master toy partner for the new version of the TV series “Teletubbies.”
Hasbro and Bazooka Candy Brands have joined forces for a cross-promotion launching this month.
Cartoon Network has launched LEGO Game Creator, an online application that allows kids to build their own games or play games created by other players.
Warner Bros. Consumer Products, on behalf of DC Entertainment, has teamed up with Aquarius to create DC Comics-based board games.
Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products has built a multi-category global licensing program for the final season of “Sons Of Anarchy,” which begins Sept 9.
Held annually in Dallas, Texas, the Toy Industry Association hosts the appointment-only event to showcase toy manufacturers’ newest product lines to long-lead buyers.
Electronic Arts and Hasbro have launched two new Monopoly-branded casino game apps.
Moose Toys has released the second edition of its Trash Pack trading cards, based on the fourth and fifth series of the collectible toys.
NBCUniversal has partnered with Cardinal Industries to release a card game based on its weekly game show, “Hollywood Game Night.”
MerryMakers has tapped University Games for a range of puzzles and games featuring the Pete the Cat publishing brand.
Trading card company Topps will start a new wave of licensing activity for the sci-fi cult classic Mars Attacks for the 2014-15 season.
Children’s toy and entertainment company Dracco is heading into Brand Licensing Europe with two brands to satisfy both boy and girl demographics– Zombie Zity and Filly
Hasbro has partnered with jewelry and accessories retailer Icing for a capsule collection inspired by the Monopoly board game.
Giromax has released a new line of trading cards in Spain featuring the new app, “Angry Birds Go!” under license from Rovio Entertainment.
©2014 ADVANSTAR COMMUNICATIONS INC. All rights reserved.


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Supply minister Ali el-Meselhi - File Photo
CAIRO - 9 July 2017: Minister of Supply Ali el-Meselhi held a meeting with the chairman of the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce, Ahmed el-Wakil, among others on Sunday to agree on the cost of producing the subsidized baladi bread.
The meeting discussed the cost of production inputs and the profit margins for bakeries. The attendees agreed that the cost of producing 100 kg of flour, which produces 1,250 loaves of bread, will be LE 180, as the Supply Ministry will incur the latest hikes in diesel prices.
Egypt has hiked fuel prices by up to 55 percent this month as part of the economic reform program that includes slashing energy subsidies.
Meselhi promised that the new production cost will come into effect as of August, stressing on the importance of abiding by the quality standards when producing the baladi bread.


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After several reports, Bitspin has confirmed that Google has indeed acquired the markers of Timely alarm clock app for Android. It also announced that the app is now free forever, including in-app purchases. It would work with Google to build new apps. These companies did not reveal the price of the deal.
Regarding the deal, on their website, The Bitspin Team, said
We’re thrilled to announce that Bitspin is joining Google, where we’ll continue to do what we love: building great products that are delightful to use. For new and existing users, Timely will continue to work as it always has. Thanks to everyone who has downloaded our app and provided feedback along the way; we truly appreciate all your support.
Timely Android Alarm Clock was introduced back in August 2013. It has an unique UX, several wake up tones, new features, cloud synchronization to sync alarm across phones and tablets, stopwatch, Google Now integration and more.
The app got an update to version 1.2.7 few hours back. It would still be available to download for free, as the company promised, but future updates are doubtful since the team would move to Google. Hope their new apps for Google would be as beautiful and innovative just like Timely.


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Amerityre Corp. is developing a zero-pressure spare tire made from polyurethane elastomer. According to the company, performance testing on the spare tire, intended for passenger cars, light trucks and SUVs, will begin by early January 2005.
The product is under development "in response to a growing concern among consumers and organizations such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for post-crash fires caused by fuel leakage in high-impact rear collisions," says Amerityre.
"The high-pressure spare tire´s close proximity, in most cases, to the fuel tank can be an explosion hazard for vehicles involved in high-impact rear collisions. A zero-pressure spare tire reduces the risk of causing an explosion."
Richard Steinke, president of Amerityre, says after testing is completed the company will introduce the product to manufacturers and suppliers.
More information on the tire can be found on the company´s Web site, www.amerityre.com, under the heading, "Why a Zero-Pressure Spare Tire?"


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As a longtime fan of the Hyperdimension Neptunia franchise, I was pretty excited when the latest two anime OVAs got a release on Steam.
Friday, September 19th, 2014
A brand new cloud-based gaming service that does not run on the planet's life energy.
Wednesday, January 29th, 2014
Wondering why Square Enix have been making so many phone games?
Tuesday, March 26th, 2013
Well, this is interesting.
Tuesday, October 9th, 2012
Final Fantasy Type-0 has not been localized after a long time which is rare for Final Fantasies. Could its music be at fault?
Monday, June 25th, 2012
Wada has destroyed many dreams in a single day.
Thursday, June 7th, 2012
Yoichi Wada discusses Luminous Studios engine and new IPs.


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SYCAMORE, Ill., March 15, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IDEAL INDUSTRIES, INC. today announced the acquisition of Cree Lighting, which includes the LED lighting fixtures, lamps and intelligent lighting control solutions business for commercial, industrial and consumer applications of Cree, Inc. (CREE – NASDAQ). Cree announced the pending change in ownership in a release earlier this morning. IDEAL also acquires the rights to use and operate under the Cree Lighting™ brand.
Cree Lighting will become a separate operating division of IDEAL and will continue to be led by current management. The transaction is expected to close within the second quarter of 2019.
“We’re very excited to welcome Cree Lighting to the IDEAL family,” said Jim James, Chairman and CEO of IDEAL INDUSTRIES, INC. “We’re acquiring a very special organization poised for sustained success, and we look forward to assisting Cree Lighting in realizing its full potential.”
IDEAL is a family-owned, 103-year-old professionally managed company with deep ties to the electrical industry. IDEAL has a long history of successful innovation and acquisitions and operates from a long-term, generational perspective. Cree Lighting will become IDEAL’s 20th branded operating unit.
Craig Atwater, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Cree Lighting, and the Cree Lighting team will join IDEAL, and the business will continue to operate out of Durham, N.C, Racine, Wis. and other global locations. Over the past two years, Atwater and his team have led the organization’s return to operational and innovative excellence.
“This is a great opportunity for all of us at Cree Lighting, our channel partners and customers,” said Atwater. “The IDEAL family’s commitment to sustainable long-term growth is evident throughout the company’s history. In so many ways, becoming part of the IDEAL family returns Cree Lighting to its earliest foundations and values. Our people and partners are going to see that IDEAL is a strong cultural and strategic fit for Cree Lighting.”
The transaction adds a widely recognized global brand with a reputation for innovation and a strong product line to IDEAL’s portfolio. Cree Lighting also provides the company with a high-performance lighting agency network and sales team, significant manufacturing capability in Racine, Wis., a strong management team and organization, as well as a large share of the growing global commercial lighting market.
“We believe the global commercial lighting market is nearing a transformational phase. Building owners, architects and engineers clearly want large-scale solutions that are smart, sustainable and human. But we see them returning to strong brands like Cree that can consistently and dependably deliver superior performance, customer support and engineering excellence,” said James. “We expect that with our support and expertise, Cree Lighting will thrive throughout these changing market conditions.”
James said he expects the company will find added growth opportunities with Cree Lighting’s SmartCast® Technology and Audacy® wireless control system now installed at Wrigley Field in Chicago, PetCo Park in San Diego, Broncos Stadium at Mile High in Denver and other large-scale venues in the U.S., Europe and New Zealand.
About IDEAL INDUSTRIES, INC.
IDEAL INDUSTRIES, INC. is a global, diversified family business designing and manufacturing superior products and tools for professional tradesmen in the electrical, wire processing, data communications, aerospace, automotive and construction industries. The 103-year-old company was founded in 1916 on the premise of forging ideal relationships with customers, employees and communities. The company has consistently grown and expanded under four generations of family ownership.
For more insight, click: https://www.idealindustries.com/
About Cree, Inc.
Cree is an innovator of Wolfspeed® power and radio frequency (RF) semiconductors, lighting class LEDs and lighting products. Cree’s Wolfspeed product families include SiC materials, power-switching devices and RF devices targeted for applications such as electric vehicles, fast charging inverters, power supplies, telecom and military and aerospace. Cree’s LED product families include blue and green LED chips, high-brightness LEDs and lighting-class power LEDs targeted for indoor and outdoor lighting, video displays, transportation and specialty lighting applications. Cree’s LED lighting systems and lamps serve indoor and outdoor applications.
For additional product and Company information, please refer to https://www.cree.com/


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MOUNTAIN CREEK, NJ— For the second year running, Mountain Creek Bike Park celebrated the change in seasons with its Transition Race on March 28. One part ski/board, one part bike, all gravity-fueled, the race is our kind of duathlon. Watch highlights of the on-snow shenanigans below.
VALENCIA, CA – The May 2015 issue of decline hits newsstands this week with an exclusive first look at the winners of the MTBparks.com 2014 Best Bike Parks Riders' Choice Awards. The article highlights the top rider-voted bike parks for eight regions across the US and Canada. What is so great about this list? You'll have to pick up a copy at your local bike shop and find out.
JACKSON, WY – Last year, MTBparks.com launched the Riders’ Choice Awards via an online survey in an effort to identify the best North American bike parks—according to riders—in their respective regions. This year, while many resorts fiercely defended their rankings, other resorts worked hard to put themselves on the map or step up a notch or two.
MOUNTAIN CREEK, NJ — Mountain Creek Bike Park today announced May 2 as its official 2015 opening day. Offering one of the largest trail systems in the East with nearly 50 trails and more than 1,000 vertical feet of descent, Mountain Creek is one of our favorite east coast destinations. Details after the break.
Jackson Hole, WY – The April 2014 issue of decline magazine hit the newstands and offers a look at the best bets for early season lift-access shredding. Some of the picks include MTBparks Best Bike Parks Riders' Choice Award winners.
Jackson Hole, WY – Last summer, there was a surge of "Best Bike Park" articles circulating around the Internet. And as it normally goes with all things found online, each article seemed to draw a spark of controversy amongst the vocal riders who would comment about how each article had completely missed the mark, excluded an obvious choice and so on.
The March 2014 issue of decline magazine hit the newstands this week and offers a peek at the winners of the MTBparks Best Bike Parks Riders' Choice Awards. In this issue, MTBparks founder Michelle Good gives decline readers the first peek top picks from the three-month rider-voted survey.


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BOSTON (MarketWatch) - Medtronic Inc. said Wednesday that its board has determined that the company's president and chief operating officer, William Hawkins III, will succeed retiring chief executive officer Arthur Collins Jr. when he steps down in August.
In a release, Medtronic MDT, +1.00% said the board plans to name Hawkins as president and CEO at its annual shareholders meeting on August 23. Collins, meanwhile, will stay on as chairman until the company's shareholders meeting in August 2008.
The board also intends to elect Hawkins to the board at its next regularly scheduled meeting, the company said.
Hawkins will be succeeded as COO by the company's president for business in Europe, Canada, Latin America and Emerging Markets, Michael DeMane.
According to a Medtronic statement, the company "has a long history of carefully planning for and implementing smooth CEO transitions, and the process leading up to today's announcement was no exception."
Collins, 59, has been CEO since 2001 and chairman since 2002. He joined Medtronic as a senior executive in 1992.


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DUBAI: Kerala-born businessman and the Managing Director of the Lulu Group, Yusuff Ali MA, has retained his top position in the annual list of powerful Indians in Gulf countries for the fifth time in a row.
The 'Indian Power List', published yesterday by Arabian Business, names Ali as the most powerful Indian in the Gulf countries.
His Lulu Group has a strong presence in the Middle East's retail sector and is planning expansion in new markets.
A key reason for Ali being considered as the most powerful Indian in the Gulf is also his close proximity to the various ruling family members of GCC countries.
Ali has recently been elected as Director Board Member of Abu Dhabi Chamber for the third consecutive time, becoming the first and only Indian till date to occupy such a position. He also featured in the Forbes Top Global Billionaire 2014 list.
Lulu Group has operations in 32 countries, with staff strength of 31,000 and has reported revenues of $5.2 billion (Rs 33,500 crore) in 2013.
The court, in its interim order, said that prima facie, the defendant was permitting other third-party sellers to "latch on" to the best sellers in one particular segment of products and directed the defendant to disable the feature in relation to the plaintiff and restrained it allowing any third-party sellers from "latching on" to the mark and product listings of the plaintiff.


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The 2019 Entrepreneur of The Year Mid-Atlantic win for Mobile Technology puts Parent in the running for the National Awards in November 2019.
Press Release – updated: Jun 14, 2019
ARLINGTON, Va., June 14, 2019 (Newswire.com) –
LiveSafe, the leading mobile safety communications platform delivering actionable employee-sourced safety and security risk intelligence, is pleased to announce that CEO and President Carolyn Parent was named Entrepreneur of The Year for Mobile Technology during the annual Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of The Year Mid-Atlantic awards gala in Tysons Corner, Virginia.
As the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs, Entrepreneur Of The Year has been at the forefront of identifying game‑changing business leaders for more than 33 years. The program has honored the inspirational leadership of such entrepreneurs as Howard Schultz of Starbucks Coffee Company, John Mackey of Whole Foods Market Inc., Pierre Omidyar of eBay, Inc., Reid Hoffman and Jeff Weiner of LinkedIn Corporation and Mindy Grossman of HSN, Inc.
“I’m incredibly honored given the talent of the other entrepreneurs and finalists,” Parent said. “I feel so fortunate and blessed to work with people who come to work every day trying to prevent bad things from happening. We believe in our core that people are fundamentally good and given the opportunity and the right technologies during difficult and challenging circumstances people will do the right thing,” she said. “Prevention and employee-sourced risk intelligence is new and different to many industries. We couldn’t succeed at this mission without the courage and fortitude that the team at LiveSafe demonstrates every day.”
The Entrepreneur Of The Year program recognizes entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in areas such as financial performance, innovation and commitment to their businesses and communities. It is the only competitive awards program in the world for entrepreneurs and leaders of high‑growth companies.
To be eligible for an Entrepreneur Of The Year Award, the nominee must be the manager or owner of a private or public company and be primarily responsible for the company’s recent performance. The independent judging panel includes previous award winners, leading CEOs, private equity and venture capital investors, and other regional business luminaries. Prior winners from Mid‑Atlantic include Honest Tea, Rosetta Stone, Under Armour, and Total Wine & More.
LiveSafe is deployed across the nation at Fortune 1,000 companies, government agencies, school districts, and universities. The Arlington, VA-based firm is advised by noted law enforcement and security leaders including Governor Tom Ridge and former New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and backed by investors such as Enterprise Investment Partners, L.P. (the personal investment vehicle for FedEx Chairman and CEO Fred Smith), and IAC, with participation from new investors Dave Duffield (founder and former CEO of PeopleSoft and Workday), Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, and GXPI (investment arm of Evergy, Inc.).
US companies currently spend more than $300 billion annually on legal fees, investigations, and lost wages stemming from workplace violence, theft, injury, misconduct, and more. The vast majority of post-incident investigations uncover signs and warnings that could have prevented the incident.
LiveSafe's risk intelligence technology platform surfaces early warning insights and prevents serious safety and security incidents to mitigate operational risks, reduce financial losses, and make places safer for people to work, learn, and live. LiveSafe is used by more than 300 forward-thinking enterprises, universities and organizations including Hearst, IAC, Cox Communications, Brookfield Properties, the Consumer Technology Association, the San Francisco 49ers and many others. Follow LiveSafe on Twitter @LiveSafe<https://twitter.com/livesafe?lang=en>, and learn more at LiveSafeMobile.com<http://livesafemobile.com>.
CONTACT: Jody Bennett, VP Marketing
Email: [email protected]
Source: LiveSafe Inc.
- U.S. Employment Costs Surge
- UAW Strike to End Following Tentative Deal with General Motors
- Prices for Goods and Services Increase Beyond Expectations
- GDP Soars 4.7% Thanks to Rise in Consumer Spending
- New Home Sales in the U.S. Rise Amid Skyrocketing Interest Rates
- Reports: X/Twitter Shrinking Worsens Following Rebranding
- Reports: Amazon Testing Humanoid Robots for Warehouse Operations
- Elon Musk’s X/Twitter Announces Subscription Tiers


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Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
SOURCE: Katie Silver | BBC News
Google has threatened to remove its search engine from Australia over the nation’s attempt to make the tech giant share royalties with news publishers.
Australia is introducing a world-first law to make Google, Facebook and potentially other tech companies pay media outlets for their news content.
But the US firms have fought back, warning the law would make them withdraw some of their services.
Australian PM Scott Morrison said lawmakers would not yield to “threats”.
Though Australia is far from Google’s largest market, the proposed news code is seen as a possible global test case for how governments could seek to regulate big tech firms.
Australia’s code would tie Google and Facebook to mediated negotiations with publishers over the value of news content, if no agreement could be reached first.
If this version of the code were to become law, it would give us no real choice but to stop making Google Search available in Australia.
Google Australia managing director Mel Silva told a Senate hearing on Friday that the laws were “unworkable”.
“If this version of the code were to become law, it would give us no real choice but to stop making Google Search available in Australia,” she said.
But lawmakers challenged this, accusing Google of “blackmail” and bullying Australia for raising the reform.
“It’s going to go worldwide. Are you going to pull out of every market, are you? Is this about stopping the precedence?” asked Senator Rex Patrick.
Ms Silva replied that the code was “an untenable risk for our Australian operations”.
Mr Morrison said his government remained committed to progressing the laws through parliament this year.
“Let me be clear: Australia makes our rules for things you can do in Australia. That’s done in our parliament,” he told reporters on Friday.
Why is Australia pushing this law?
Google is the dominant search engine in Australia and has been described by the government as a near-essential utility with little market competition.
The government has argued that because the tech platforms gain customers from people who want to read the news, the tech giants should pay newsrooms a “fair” amount for their journalism.
In addition, it has argued that the financial support is needed for its embattled news industry because a strong media is vital to democracy.
Australian print media has seen a 75% decline in advertising revenue since 2005, according to the government.
Google’s threat to remove its entire search product is its most severe yet. News accounts for just 12.5% of Google searches in Australia, according to lawmakers.
This is a highly unusual threat.
News accounts for just 12.5% of Google searches in Australia.
Google dominates the search engine market with a nearly 90% market share. Almost all its revenue is from ads.
For Google to threaten to pull out of an entire country suggests the company is worried.
Australia is nowhere near its biggest market. But Google execs are fearful about the precedent these new laws could have.
Google has had a very profitable pandemic so far, whilst many local newspapers have struggled. That doesn’t look good, and Australian politicians aren’t the first, and won’t be the last, to point that out.
Google says it wants to help fund original, local journalism.
But clearly it believes that what is being proposed in Australia could fundamentally hurt its business model if replicated elsewhere.
What does Google argue?
Ms Silva said the laws would set “an untenable precedent for our businesses and the digital economy” if the company had to pay for link and search results.
This was not compatible with the free-flowing share of information online or “how the internet works”, she argued.
Google has run ads in its browsers in Australia advocating its case.
“We do not see a way, with the financial and operational risks, that we could continue to offer a service in Australia,” she said.
Last week, Google confirmed it was blocking Australian news sites from its search results for about 1% of local users. It said it was an experiment to test the value of Australian news services.
Facebook last year also threatened to stop Australian users from sharing news stories on the platform if the law went ahead.
We do not see a way, with the financial and operational risks, that we could continue to offer a service in Australia.
The social media giant repeated that position on Friday, with executive Simon Milner telling the Senate hearing it was “a potential worse-case consequence”.
He said Facebook derived almost no commercial benefit from having news content on its platform.
Both firms have argued that news organisations already get the benefit of platforms driving readers to their websites. Google has also cited its Google News partnership as evidence it supports journalism.
Where the profits go currently
Australia’s news industry is struggling. Of every A$100 (£56; $77) spent on digital advertising, A$81 goes to Google and Facebook. And Covid-19 has only made this worse.
With companies reducing their digital advertising spend, a number of outlets in Australia have been forced to close.
Google, by contrast, has been performing well. Last year the social media giant made almost $4bn from Australia, while paying $45m in tax.
Meanwhile, Australia’s competition watchdog has accused both Facebook and Google of misleading Australian consumers about how their data is used, launching inquiries into digital advertising and the app stores market.
What’s been the reaction?
Australians have expressed confusion and anger online at both sides over the proposal. Some have debated whether they could get by using other search engines.
Others have questioned if the removal of the search engine would also remove Gmail, Google Maps and Google Home services – something the company has not made clear.
Earlier this week, US trade representatives urged Australia to drop the laws which they said attempted regulation “to the clear detriment of two US firms”.
Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the world wide web, said Australia’s plan would make the web “unworkable around the world”.
On Thursday, Google agreed to pay French news publishers for snippets of news stories displayed in search results, after the nation’s media argued copyright law claims.
This article was originally published on BBC News. You can view the original article here.