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It seems that both fans of The Last of Us, and developer Naughty Dog can’t catch a break. After the announcement that the release of the game has been delayed indefinitely, a video of The Last of Us Part II has leaked online. The leak isn’t just a short gameplay recording though, apparently most (if not all) of the game’s cutscenes were leaked along with various developer menus.
According to various reports, the video was leaked by a disgruntled Naughty Dog developer or a QA tester who “allegedly hasn’t been paid” (via reddit). The video was first uploaded on YouTube, though it was quickly taken down.
Even if the leaked video is no longer on YouTube, a lot of people have already seen it (and maybe even got copies of it). And because most (if not all) of the game’s cutscenes were leaked, major plot details of the game are now being discussed online in various sites/forums.
Given the situation, fans of The Last of Us should definitely be wary of spoilers. If you want to avoid spoilers, you should definitely refrain from visiting certain subreddits, 4chan’s /v/ board, and other forums until the game’s new release date of June 19.
Out of respect for the game’s developers, we won’t share links to any discussion or re-uploads of the leaked videos. And if you do happen to come across the leaks, please be considerate of your fellow gamers avoid sharing them.
UPDATE (April 30): Naughty Dog has released a statement regarding the leaks:
A message from the studio: pic.twitter.com/f0TzIZXUIB
— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) April 27, 2020
UPDATE (May 3): According to Jason Schreier, hackers have leaked the game video and not a Naughty Dog employee.


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The economic recovery that began in May is sputtering. Recent data show Americans cutting their spending and many businesses re-closing their doors as the number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. crosses 4 million, raising concerns about another slowdown in growth.
"The foundations to this recovery are cracking under the weight of a mismanaged health crisis," Gregory Daco, chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, told investors in a report.
Following are some signals the economy is losing speed as the coronavirus continues to spread around the U.S.
Unemployment ticking up
The number of Americans filing for first-time jobless aid rose last week after steadily dropping for months. Nearly 2.5 million workers applied forin mid-July, with the biggest increases in states hit hardest by COVID-19 — Florida, Georgia and California, which together account for a quarter of the nation's economic output. The number of people receiving jobless aid remains stubbornly high.
Meanwhile, several large employers have recently announced layoffs. Schlumberger, the largest U.S. oilfield services company, is cutting 21,000 workers, or about a quarter of its workforce. United Airlines warns it may have to let go as many as 36,000 people — nearly half its U.S. workers — this fall.
Notably, Americans who are out of work have become more pessimistic about getting their jobs back. In April, nearly 80% of those who had lost a job told AP-NORC that they expected to return. Now, nearly half believe their jobs are gone for good.
"If activity continues to be disrupted, the risk is high that businesses will fail and temporary job losses will become permanent," Rubeela Farooqi, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics, said in a research note.
Customer foot traffic to retail stores, as tracked by Google, has slowed since July 4. Traffic data from OpenTable indicates that sit-down dining at restaurants nationwide peaked in late June before dropping back down to about one-third of its level a year ago.
While the greatest impact of that decline has been worst in states where the virus is spiking, the decline is widespread. That strongly suggests it's not just restrictions on movement, but rather health concerns that are keeping people indoors. As a results, consumer spending is likely to stay depressed for a long time, economists say.
"Even without stringent lockdowns, such as those imposed in April, fear of infection will likely cause consumers to voluntarily cut back on economic activities that require a high degree of person-to-person contact. Thus, spending on a wide variety of services will likely remain below normal for months," Moody's Investors Service told investors.
Consumer spending in states with the biggest jump in virus infections has slowed to a trickle. "[H]ousehold spending is falling in cities where new infections are rising and … visits to retail and recreation locations have dropped since the end of June," according to Moody's.
Small businesses in these states are putting a lid on hiring. Data from scheduling software maker Homebase, whose clients are largely in the leisure and hospitality sectors, show that the number of hours worked in many Sun Belt states continued to drop in recent days.
The slowdown comes just as the expanded federal unemployment benefits that were keeping millions of Americans above water. That's likely to make consumers — even those with jobs — hesitant to spend.
"As jobs are lost and benefits disappear, the resulting decline in incomes will restrain household spending. Consumers could remain cautious, even those individuals who remain employed," Farooqi noted.
Pockets of stability
Some parts of the economy remain resilient. Home sales and new home construction are rising, benefiting from record-low mortgage rates and a rush of peopledue to the pandemic. Manufacturing, too, has continued to strengthen, UBS noted. Car production is nearly at the level it was last year, for example.
But economists warn that these positive signs could turn negative unless the virus is quickly contained. "The only real end to this pandemic problem is the successful application of vaccines," Fred Folkman, a business professor from New York, told the Associated Press.
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domain: news


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The Premier Protein Cinnamon Roll Shakes have been unveiled by the brand in celebration of National Cinnamon Roll Day to help offer health-conscious consumers with an alternative way to indulge their craving for baked goods. The protein shake maintains the flavor of indulgent cinnamon rolls, but with just 160 calories and one gram of sugar to make it a healthier option to choose. The shake also features a whopping 30 grams of protein along with 24 vitamins and minerals.
Director of Marketing at Premier Nutrition Nick Stiritz spoke on the new Premier Protein Cinnamon Roll Shakes saying, "Every health journey is unique, and so are people's flavor preferences. That's why it's important that we continue to bring innovative, new-to-category flavors to our shake portfolio – delighting our loyal fans and bringing in new ones seeking to shake up their routine. We think Cinnamon Roll will be a popular new addition to the 30g Shake family – and especially perfect as we approach the holiday season."


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The Business Association of Hotel and Restaurant Industry of Serbia (HORES) has announced that, influenced by the European members of HOTREC, it has created the “Clean and Safe” stamp which should provide hotels and restaurants with a certificate which will mark them as safe facilities for tourist activities.
This makes for a proscription of rules on hygienic and health and safety measures in line with the recommendations of the World Health Organization and the domestic national health institutions, with the aim of preventing the spreading of COVID-19 and other infections.
With the introduction of a single, recognizable certificate, potential guests could be informed about safe zones and make reservations for themselves and their families, the press release says.
The National Tourism Organization of Serbia (TOS) will inform their partners and promote Serbia in the world as a safe destination, with measures preventing the spreading of the virus, HORES says in its press release.
As added, “Clean and Safe” was created jointly by HORES and TOS, with the support of the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications.


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The world’s converging crises: How did we get here?
October 20, 2022
The world economy is faced with converging crises – high debt levels, food and fuel inflation, weakening currencies, and a climate emergency that makes the planet’s very future uncertain. It’s a perfect storm for everyone, but it is having a disproportionate impact on poor countries and their poor populations.
High inflation confirms urgent need for real ayuda
September 8, 2022
Prices remain high, while ayuda has been slow, lacking and limited to only a few recipients. More increases are projected–it is insensitive and neglectful of the Marcos administration to make huge cuts in the ayuda budget.
Marcos should admit 3-year high inflation to propose real solutions — IBON
July 6, 2022
Inflation is at its highest in three years, but instead of offering a real solution to soaring prices, the newly-installed Marcos administration is downplaying the severity of this and saying it is beyond government control.
What’s up, pork? (Part Two)
March 19, 2021
FEATURES – The Duterte government can do a lot of things to recover domestic hog production, consumer capacity and the national economy. But it has just opted to cater to private profits, foreign pressures and whims of public officials. And they have just been hogging everything to themselves, as they have done during the pandemic lockdown and beyond.
What’s up, pork? (Part One)
March 19, 2021
FEATURES – Again, the Duterte government is proposing importation without careful consideration. A year of unscientific and irrational responses – that has been more fatal than the plague itself.
Cash subsidies for poorest households urgent as inflation reaches 21-month high
January 5, 2021
In the face of soaring prices, joblessness and meager incomes, emergency cash subsidies for the poorest Filipinos and support for small businesses need to be increased substantially. Distribute Bayanihan 2 cash assistance immediately, and a new cash subsidy program to cover several millions of vulnerable citizens should be drawn up.
High prices still burden poor despite inflation slowdown–IBON
December 5, 2018
On the release of the November 2018 inflation rate, research group IBON said that prices are still high and rising even with the reported slowdown. This remains a burden on poor families trying to live off low and precarious incomes. Substantial and longer-term solutions are still needed, said the group. Headline inflation slowed to 6.0% […]
Lowest-income households have lost as much as Php6,800 to high inflation
November 6, 2018
The incomes of the country’s poorest households have eroded after ten months of accelerating inflation. Research group IBON estimates that the poorest 60 million Filipinos have suffered income losses of anywhere from Php2,500 to as much as Php6,800 because of worsening inflation since the start of 2018. The inflation rate has increased from 3.4% in […]
Stubbornly high inflation increases risk of econ slowdown, unmanageable debt–IBON
November 6, 2018
Research group IBON said that the apparently uncontrollable inflation is fast becoming a flashpoint of the administration’s economic mismanagement. High inflation is combining with rising interest rates, slowing remittances and failing exports to dampen economic growth. The administration is desperate for a short-term infrastructure stimulus to compensate for these, said the group, but a major growth slowdown […]


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Having watched crowds shrink in 2016, retailers in Central Florida are using Thanksgiving afternoon sales, free rides and giveaways to lure customers away from online shopping.
At the same time, there are more door-buster sales being offered online and a scarcity of limited-quantity items in stores. Online sales are expected to take a larger cut of holiday spending this year, estimated at $107.4 billion or 13.8 percent higher than last year, according to research firm Adobe Analytics.
Pop culture merchandise store BoxLunch at Altamonte Mall is giving away codes for a $15 ride to the shopping center with ride-hailing service Lyft. Macy’s has clothes, small appliances and perfume that are essentially free after mail-in rebates.
The Loop shopping center in Kissimmee is giving away tote bags with a chance for gift cards. Florida Mall has free valet parking for local residents.
“Some people have no plans to go to the stores, so some retailers have embraced that and said we are going to offer everything discounted in store online,” said Brent Shelton of holiday deal-tracking website BFAds.net. “The stores want people out too, so they are trying to be creative to draw shoppers in.”
This year, holiday spending is expected to rise 3.6 percent to 4 percent to $655.8 billion in the United States, according to the National Retail Federation. About 164 million Americans are expected to do some kind of shopping between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, whether at a brick-and-mortar location or online, the group reported.
National retailers and local malls will open as early as 4 p.m. on Thanksgiving day this year. In 2016, a survey from the National Retail Federation said early Thanksgiving Day in-store shopping before 5 p.m. dropped by 19 percent. Throughout the weekend, the survey found 44 percent went online and 40 percent shopped in-store. Black Friday was still the busiest day by far, with three in 10 shoppers (29 percent) heading out after 10 a.m. on Black Friday, up from 24 percent in 2015.
Shelton and other analysts said the two-pronged approach is meant to both compete online with companies, such as Amazon, and still draw customers into stores — which is important because more impulse purchases happen in stores.
Christina Phillips, of Windermere, said she has been cruising stores for early November discounts, getting as much done before the Black Friday weekend. She picked up a discounted iPad at Best Buy this week. The single mother said she is buying gifts for her 2-year-old daughter and small presents for co-workers and extended family.
“It’s still fun to go out to the stores and shop, but I want to get as much online as I can,” Phillips said.
Black Friday shopping has been a social tradition for her and her friends, although she skips Thanksgiving Day sales. This year, however, she may visit fewer stores and focus on those with the best sales and items she needs, Phillips said.
Electronics will still be the hottest item of the holiday season, with dropping prices on ultra-HD televisions, cellphones and tablets, said Sara Skirboll, Shopping & Trends Expert at RetailMeNot.
“Black Friday isn’t dead. People will be shopping the whole weekend, all the way through Monday,” Skirboll said. “The deals aren’t going to stop. Retailers know that they are going to gain foot traffic and web traffic as well.”
Foot traffic in stores has been down in recent years, according to research firm ShopperTrak. Consumers visiting brick-and-mortar stores on Black Friday and Saturday has dropped since 2011 when Thanksgiving Day sales became the norm. Thanksgiving Day traffic has decreased during the last two years as well.
Winter Park-based men’s luxury apparel retailer John Craig won’t open on Thanksgiving but will be open Friday and through the weekend. Founder Craig DeLongy said Christmas is still a huge selling season for the company, and traffic has been strong in the weeks leading up to the holiday shopping season.
He said there has been a steady stream of customers into his flagship Park Avenue Winter Park store, along with his six other locations in Florida.
“We’re very bullish on the holiday season,” DeLongy said. “We’ve had a very good fall, even with the hurricanes. People are making money on the stock market. We don’t see any reason we can’t continue to do well.”
Deep discounts are still the biggest reason shoppers will continue to make stores busy this year on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, even if traffic is dropping, said Steve Kirn, a lecturer at University of Florida’s David F. Miller Retail Center.
“Foot traffic has been down the last few years, but these massive Black Friday sales create buzz,” Kirn said. “People are looking at advertisements leaked online weeks in advance when you can barely get them to look at an ad for other weeks.”


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launched a new food concept this weekend with a pop-up breakfast on Saturday. Chef Chris Bell, formerly of Potager
, is the steam behind the food portion of the coffee shop, and was found in the kitchen dishing up breakfast sandwiches on a sunny morning. For now, Bell's menu will only be served at weekly Saturday pop-ups, but come mid-May, the coffee shop plans to transition to a larger but still simple slate, available every day of the week as part of a restaurant re-brand.
Dubbed Port Side as a reference to the shipping-container architecture of 2500 Larimer Street, Huckleberry's new identity currently includes a little remodeling to accommodate a small kitchen in its small coffee shop.
Having spent eleven years in the kitchen at Potager, Bell speaks fondly of his time at the Cap Hill eatery, but is excited for this new adventure. When I ask about the change in scenery, Bell says, "It's different, a little bit of change, but I'm still in the kitchen and still using a lot of the same relationships, just on a smaller scale."
Bell will utilize a familiar local platform, using vendors like Oxford Farms, Grateful Bread and Cottonwood Creek for items like arugula, bread and pork belly, respectively.
The pop-up menu currently offers breakfast sandwiches, but once it expands, it will encompass lunchtime sandwiches, salads and brats. Port Side has also applied for a liquor license, so patrons will soon be able to grab a drink while they dine. Last weekend, the crowd was very family-oriented on Saturday, with bearded dads toting babies like accessories. The pop-up proved to be great spot to grab a tasty and quick breakfast without waiting an hour to sit down — a rarity in the weekend breakfast scene.
After I said a quick hello and inhaled the number one, an egg sandwich with ginger-soy cabbage and sriracha mayo on a potato bun, Bell slid me a Port Side sticker across the counter like he was passing me drugs and said, "Put this somewhere it shouldn't be." He's welcoming, has a sense of humor and makes a killer breakfast sandwich. From the looks of it, Huckleberry and Chris Bell have a long, happy road ahead of them.


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A popular shopping Edo Mall known as Phill-Hallmark Supermarket, in Oredo local government area of Benin, was razed completely by wild fire.
The fire started around 12am on Friday, December 11, 2016.
Properties worth billions of naira were destroyed in the f1re. The razed supermarket houses several sections, including a bakery, boutique, food and beverages as well as home appliances and gadgets.
Firemen from the Nigerian air force and the University of Benin visited the Edo Mall and eventually put off the fire by 11.30am.
Mrs. Grace one of the mall’s customers, expressed displeasure over what she described as a poor response by the authorities in extinguishing the fire.
Mrs. Grace said: “I came to shop. But I am shocked because from what Hallmark has, this is running into billions. How can a place like Hallmark burn down like this?”
According to Punch, the Edo government has ordered a full-scale probe of the cause of the fire that gutted the only ultra modern shopping mall in Benin.
Governor Godwin Obaseki gave the order in Benin City on Sunday when he inspected the mall. According to the governor, the incident happened at this time of the year is a catastrophe.
“I have asked for written report and investigation into the cause of the fire. We will also investigate the claim by an official of the state F1re service on the allegation of lack of equipment.
“Because I understand that trucks were distributed by the NDDC and the State Government during the last administration”.
Also, the governor said that to avert such disasters, there would be stricter rules as regards fire extinguishers.
Earlier the Managing Director of the Super Market, Mr. Philip Edigin said that the f!re started at about 12 midnight.
Mr. Philip disclosed that all efforts to get the state’s fire service to come to their rescue proved abortive as the f1re service told him they have no diesel to work.


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GM Post Their Best October Sales Since 2007
- 25 March 2016
- Author: Nikolas Perseputto
In a struggling economy, it's always nice to hear that a company is doing well and actually making profits for a change – and especially in our favorite industry no less.
Well, good news: General Motors have just posted their best October sales since 2007 demonstrating that things are on the up for the company. Specifically, sales have increased by 1.8% in October, which may not seem like a lot, but is actually a big amount when you take into account the amount that these companies normally make.
Who's to Thank?
So who, or what, do Buick have to thank for this recent upturn? The answer appears to be the success of the Buick Encore, with that division specifically seeing an increase of 6.5% – no mean feat. This makes the Buick the brand's best-seller this month, which is no real surprise seeing as it has received such rave reviews.
The Buick hasn't done it alone those. GM's larger crossover SUV – the three-row Enclave – also saw an increase, this time up by 1.8 percent making it Buick's best seller of the year to date. Of course, it has been around a fair bit longer than the Encore.
Meanwhile, the Chevrolet was also up by 0.5% despite stiff competition from Cruze and Silverado. The Chevy Traverse crossover meanwhile (a full sized vehicle) saw a big surge of 24%. Do bear in mind however that the Traverse was not a big seller to begin with.
Good News All Round
It's not just GM that are doing well either. Chrysler Group managed to continue strong sales too, with an increase of 21.7% in October on last year, success that largely was enjoyed thanks to the Jeep Cherokee and Ram Pickup. The Ram pick-up is the company's best seller and this looks set to continue thanks to a recent 33.5% increase in sales. The Jeep brand in general saw a very healthy increase of 51.7%.
So what can we take from this news? Well, other than 'GM are doing well at the moment', it would appear that these figures point to a general success for crossovers, SUVs and more fuel efficient vehicles.
This could be a reflection of the struggling economy – which makes picking fuel efficient vehicles all the more sensible. At the same time though, it is likely also a simple reflection on the practicality of these vehicles which have gradually started to hog more and more limelight as they've enjoyed success and gradually evolved to meet the market demand.
The benefits of crossovers and SUVs are clear. This way, you get a car that is perfectly suited to urban living and more than able to make city runs without racking up a huge fuel bill. At the same time though, you also get a car that can take on a gravel track and that won't be stopped by a pothole. There's enough ground clearance too that you can handle steep curbs and the small size means there's no problem finding parking spaces. Couple this with ample space inside thanks to the height and you have a fantastic 'Jack of All Trades'.
You can think of these cars a little bit like iPhones. These days an iPhone isn't the most powerful or exciting phone on the market – that would be something like the Galaxy Note 4. But while the iPhone might seem a little 'plain' to some, it nevertheless has that fantastic build quality, tons of features and the perfect marriage of software to hardware that ensures that it never goes wrong.
The same is true of something like the Encore and the newly announced EcoSport Encore: these are cars that maybe won't appeal to real grease monkeys, but for those looking for a great experience and something they can rely on… well perhaps they're the most sensible option.


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SINDH: Dead bodies of hundreds of caged pets were found dead at Karachi’s Empress Market by animal activists. The pets were abandoned due to coronavirus lockdown.
Abandoned when Karachi went into lockdown resulted in the death of hundreds of dogs, cats and rabbits.
Due to the outbreak of coronavirus the Government had imposed strict lockdown of the markets only allowing the food essential and the pharma to stay open. Unfortunately the government bodies forgot the poor voiceless animals.
The lockdown kept them from going to their pet shops, regrettably the pet shop owners didn’t seem to raise their voices.
This is the condition of Karachi Pet Market, similar reports are being received from different cities. The owners of the pet shops have fled due to coronavirus-led fears forgetting their pets.
According to a video shared on social media by Ayesha Chundrigar founder ACF Animal Rescue, the animals were found in a very devastating condition. About 70% of the pets were found dead laying on the grounds on in their cages.


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(NEXSTAR) – The Food and Drug Administration is once again recommending against a viral “kitchen tip” for keeping avocados from going bad, warning that it actually increases the likelihood of contamination and foodborne illness.
The “tip,” as presented on social-media sites such as Facebook or TikTok, encourages viewers to submerge unripe or ready-to-eat avocados in a container of water and store them in the refrigerator. The users who shared the idea on Facebook and TikTok claim this method keeps the avocados’ flesh from turning brown for up to a month.
The FDA had issued a statement in response to one of the Facebook posts in March, Today.com previously reported. But officials are again reminding consumers to refrain from the practice due to the risk of salmonella poisoning or listeriosis.
“The main concern is with the possibility that any residual human pathogens (i.e. Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., etc.) that may be residing on the avocado surface … may potentially multiply during the storage when submerged in water,” the FDA wrote in a statement shared with Nexstar, in response to a viral TikTok video first reported by Newsweek.
The threat isn’t only on the skin, either. An FDA study conducted in 2016 concluded that listeria bacteria on the skin of an avocado “has the potential to infiltrate and internalize into the pulp of the avocado when submerged in refrigerated dump tanks” for about two weeks,” the agency said.
“In this case, even surface disinfecting the avocado skin prior to slicing would not be able to remove the contamination.”
A separate FDA study a few years before also found listeria bacteria was more commonly detected on the skin of avocados than salmonella, though both were found in the study sample. A smaller percentage (0.24%) were found to have flesh contaminated with listeria monocytogenes.
Instead of storing the avocados in water, the California Avocado Commission recommends storing ripened fruit in the refrigerator, where they should stay fresh for two to three days. Sliced or halved avocados can also be refrigerated, and will last longer with lemon juice, lime juice or white vinegar sprinkled on the cut surfaces.
Avocados not yet ready to eat can be stored in a paper bag at room temperature. The process can be accelerated by keeping a kiwi or an apple in the same bag. The avocado is ripe when it “yields to gentle pressure,” the California Avocado Commission writes.


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Honda is about to reveal a new, standalone hybrid model for the mainstream market at the upcoming Tokyo Auto Show, with sales to begin in 2018. The new hybrid Honda will be built at the U.
Introduced last year as the brand's third car in the Indian market, the Datsun Redi-Go has now been updated with a few new features. Read more "
Following a preview last month, Honda has officially unveiled the 2018 Accord. Read more "
Ever since Mercedes-Benz came out with the Maybach 57 and 62 models in the late 90's, the ultra-luxury saloon segment has evolved to include the ultimate in on-board technology.
Despite comments last month from Seat's research & development boss, the firm's UK managing director said there are no firm plans just yet to offer electrified Cupra models.
The UK has just welcomed the new HSV GTSR, rebadged as the Vauxhall VXR8 GTS-R, to its streets, a few months after the super sedan debuted in Australia.
If you own a Mercedes-AMG A45, or any A-Class for that matter, Brabus will not only improve your car visually, but will also boost power and torque.
Authorities in Los Angeles have arrested 109 people for participating in a street racing event at a Castaic industrial complex. Read more "
Not content with its petrol-powered R8, Audi is reportedly pondering an all-electric supercar. Yep, another one, despite the short-lived R8 e-tron only being killed off late last year.
There was a time, and it wasn't so long ago, that "exotic" in terms of automobiles meant coupes and convertibles. Maybe high-end sedans. But those times are behind us as the age of exotic SUVs comes into its own.


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Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCAU) has said time and again that its Fiat brand can be turned around in the United States. It has introduced new models to do so. The plan has not worked. Fiat's sales continued to free fall in February.
Fiat sales shrank by 19% to 2,145 last month. That means it sold only 77 cars a day nationwide. For the first two months of the year, sales dropped 14% to 4,309.
Fiat Chrysler has a strange way of describing how the brand did in February:
Sales of the Fiat 500 were up 1 percent in February, compared with the same month a year ago. Sales of the new Fiat 124 Spider were up 26 percent compared with the previous month of January.
ALSO READ: The Dozen Best Family Cars of 2017
It is a twist on the brand's failure that it does not acknowledge the performance of the entire brand at all. Spider sales were 302 for the month, which means they hardly merit a mention. Sales of the 500L dropped 81% to 72. Sales of the 500X, which was Fiat's best-selling model in February of last year, dropped 45% to 640.
Among Fiat's problems are its horrible quality ratings. The widely followed J.D. Power 2017 Vehicle Dependability Study ranked Fiat last with 298 problems per 100 cars. The industry average was 156. Industry leaders Lexus, the luxury division of Toyota Motor Corp. (TM), and Porsche, part of Volkswagen, had 110.
There is no telling why Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne continues to market and sell Fiats in the United States. The brand is past the point of recovery.


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It often takes businesses several years to roll out a new version of Microsoft Windows, especially if they have a lot of in-house applications to test. With a large section of the market still moving from XP to Windows 7, there are relatively few prospects for enterprise-wide Windows 8 projects. None the less, Erwin Visser, Microsoft's senior director for Windows Commercial, reckons that "customers can start bringing in Windows 8 alongside Windows 7", and he gave some examples of how that could work.
Traditionally, businesses have preferred to have all their users on the same version of Windows, to reduce support costs. It's not clear whether this still makes sense when BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) strategies are introducing dozens of incompatible systems. However, Microsoft's basic argument is that Windows 8 is just the same as Windows 7 from the business software point of view. There is no need to retest software for Windows 8 if it has already been tested in Windows 7 for compatibility, security and compliance.
This glosses over the introduction of Internet Explorer 10, though this may not be a significant problem. In fact, IE10 could have the advantage in being closer to Google Chrome and Firefox in terms of support for modern standards. It's not the same sort of problem as moving from IE6 to a later version.
Windows 8 also includes the touch-oriented TIFKAM (The Interface Formerly Known As Metro) front end, which is strikingly different from anything in Windows 7. This will almost certainly involve some retraining, at least until most users become familiar with Windows 8 on their home PCs.
However, rather than increasing costs, Visser reckons Windows 8 will save money by bringing down "the management costs of mobile devices". It's a roundabout way of claiming that Windows 8 tablets will work with the current enterprise IT infrastructure, while Apple iPads don't.
At a Microsoft seminar in central London this week, three businesses from Microsoft's First Wave adoption programme explained how they were using Windows 8. Their representatives were Peter Scott from British Telecom, Edwin MacGillavry from the Dutch Public Prosecution Service, and Vincent Santacroce from Poste Italiane.
Santacroce said Poste Italiane was developing Windows 8 apps (essentially, CRM) to make its sales reps more efficient. Also, he said, "they feel more cool", which is an advantage because postal authorities tend to be viewed as staid organisations. However, while Poste Italiane was gradually increasing its Windows 8 installations from 60 to this year's target of 500 PCs, it's still in the process of upgrading 95,000 PCs from Windows XP to Windows 7.
Poste Italiane had also implemented an even cooler idea: Poste Shop Kinect. This is a pavement-facing screen in one of its shop windows, using a PC with Microsoft Kinect. Passers-by can search the company's online catalogue even while the shops are closed.
BT's amusingly blunt Peter Scott, who had recently given a similar presentation at a Gartner Symposium in Orlando, said that BT had now equipped 4,500 field engineers with Windows 8 running on Panasonic convertible laptops to replaced old and slow Panasonic ToughBooks running Windows XP. "This was their decision, not ours," said Scott. The advantages included the ability to use the TPM chip in the laptops as a "virtual smartcard" to save log-in times, and the ability to run the engineers' existing Windows software.
BT had also converted some of its apps to run in Metro, and staff could download those and other apps from Microsoft's store. Apps could be "developed quickly at low cost," and since Metro apps are sandboxed and can be removed without trace, there was "a lot less to worry about", said Scott. The main change to BT's IT infrastructure was upgrading Windows Server.
BT's move to Windows 8 is a natural part of its four-year refresh cycle. The company offers a "self service retrofit" service where users can rebuild their own PCs, said Scott. So far, 11,000 users have done that.
"We move to the latest stuff, and it washes over the rest of the company over time."
Scott said the combination of Windows 8, Microsoft Office and Lync 2013 provided "a really rich environment that is extremely challenging and in many cases impossible [to provide] on other devices. And expensive."
Although all three spokesmen were enthusiastic about Windows 8 — which you'd expect in a Microsoft seminar — they were all exploring Windows 8 on Intel. None of them had plans to invest in ARM-powered Windows machines like Surface RT, which Visser described as "a companion device, rather than a full device."
In sum, Windows 8 will attract some enterprise users, but any adoption will probably come through a gradual process of evolution, rather than a revolution. For Microsoft, moving the laggards from XP to Windows 7 is still Job 1.


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Insurers need to rethink business models
A shift is needed in the way insures run their businesses if they are to truly harness the benefits of new technologies, differentiate their businesses and deliver an improved customer experience.
This was the assessment made by Sangeet Paul Choudary, the founder of Platformation Labs, at a recent roundtable hosted by DXC Technology and Fusion Labs in Sydney.
Choudary is considered among the Top 30 emerging thinkers globally by Thinkers50 – a global ranking of management thinkers. He has worked across multiple sectors including pharmaceutical, retail and technology to develop the new 'platform' business model.
Amazon illustrates the platform model effectively. Inviting other retailers into its business, the technology giant enables retailers to connect with consumers. This approach has reshaped how a business can deliver value to its customers.
As author of the books, Platform Revolution and Platform Scale, Choudary said incumbent businesses of today run on a 'pipeline' structure, meaning that company's simply create products to sell to customers. But disruptive challengers are increasingly moving away from selling commodities to monetising data.
A platform strategy allows a business to bring together an ecosystem of partners, infrastructure and data to create a customer-centric experience. The partner services compliment the businesses core offering adding to the overall value for the customer.
Choudary said other industries, such as the retail sector, have had to rethink the way they deliver to their customers and it is time for the insurance industry to do the same.
During the roundtable, DXC Technology's chief technology officer, Brian Wallace, outlined that “for insurers to differentiate their products they need to adopt a higher mission that goes beyond just insuring for an event".
For an insurance organisation the platform strategy allows the business to utilise data and monetise value creation for their customers, as opposed to monetising an event after it has occurred. That is, rather than insuring for a car accident, insurance will be focused on preventing that accident.
Technology and data will be crucial for enabling insurers to adopt these preventative strategies into their insurance offering. Here, Choudary says that insurers need to distinguish between critical and non-critical data.
Critical data is garnered from sources such as the insurance policies while non-critical data is sourced from technology such as wearables or car tacking devices.
“There is lot of discussion about data and the monetisation of data – particularly for insurers and banks who have been in the business of data,” Choudary said. “Understanding how to monetise the use of these data sources will also give insurers a competitive advantage by adding value for their customers.”
To do this, however, Choudary says insurers will have to rethink their existing silo or 'pipeline' business structures and look at adopting a platform framework. As highlighted earlier, a platform brings together key components to deliver for both the consumer and business. This framework also opens up the business to partnerships which will be critical if insurers are to really get benefits from non-critical data.
"If an insurer is monetising data that promotes a healthy lifestyle they will need a partner to do that,” Choudary said.
Scale and flexibility
Similarly, he added that most insurers will need to utilise machine learning to make sense of the data and, again, this will mean further partnerships.
Choudary acknowledged that rethinking 'pipeline' structures can be particularly challenging for incumbents like insurers as businesses may feel “a loss of control” under such a framework where they need to share data with partners.
“These businesses will need to mobilise internal stakeholders in order to apply the platform strategy. It is a whole of company approach that requires buy-in from every level," he added. "It is a long-term strategy which can be challenging as the business model changes over time."
Insurers will need to create a business case, where the first step in moving to a platform will be about reinforcing the business model by selling more of the product. Choudary used the example of a pharmaceutical company that adopted a platform-based loyalty program to further promote its business.
The platform strategy needs to achieve short-term objectives in the journey to the long-term gains. Data integrity and forming the right partnerships is another key consideration. Given that insurers operate in highly regulated markets, these businesses need to be mindful of how they approach data sharing with their respective partners.
Despite these challenges, platforms should deliver for insurers by offering businesses the scale and flexibility to introduce new partners and services to improve the customer experience.
As Choudary noted, the ability to monetise new forms of data sources and secure relevant partners will give insurers new revenue models that go beyond premiums and enable them to differentiate from competitors.


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Vitamin D has become the nation’s best-selling single health supplement as we try to cope with long and gloomy winters.
The ‘sunshine vitamin’ – produced naturally by the body when the skin is exposed to the sun – has overtaken vitamin C, which is found in fruit and vegetables, following evidence that millions are deficient.
Vitamin D is important for keeping bones, teeth and muscles healthy. It is also said to ease depression, help reduce inflammation, ward off viruses and even halve the risk of severe asthma attacks.
Worryingly, a lack of vitamin D has been associated with a return in rickets among children.
Rickets, a bone disease common in Victorian times, was virtually eradicated in the 1950s. But cases more than doubled in the decade to 2016.
Experts blame the rise on reduced exposure to sunshine in early childhood due to a lack of outdoor play, and diets low in vitamin D-rich foods such as oily fish, eggs and liver.
Sales of vitamin D among the old have been boosted by research showing it can combat osteomalacia, a bone pain condition, as well as helping to prevent fractures.
Retail analysts Mintel said 56 per cent of those who use supplements take a multivitamin. Of those who take a single supplement, 33 per cent take vitamin D, 27 per cent vitamin C, 15 per cent vitamin B, 12 per cent vitamin A and 10 per cent vitamin E.
Mintel found that vitamin D usage has ticked upwards for all age groups, but the biggest change was among those aged 35-54 with a rise from 22 per cent to 35 per cent.


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I get it, we all hate passwords. Still, they are a necessary annoyance that we have to bear. Because seriously, no one wants to get hacked.
But if you asked me, I'd say that 9 out of every 10 times someone gets "hacked", it's 100% their fault. With the kind of lazy passwords making rounds around the internet, we are our biggest hindrance to a safer internet. Even wannabe hackers are having it a lot easier these days. Earlier this year, Internet security firm, SplashData, released a list of the most popular passwords of 2014. I’ve personally lost count of how many facepalms I’ve had to do going through the list:
123456 and password – retain their top spot from last year. I mean, how lazy has humanity become that these 2 phrases continue to be the most popular passwords? Interestingly in the recent Hacking Team fiasco, of which the Bayelsa State Government was implicated, it was revealed that the head of the victimized surveillance company used many variations of "password" as his password for every system. This is a Security Engineer who is supposed to know better
Another common password – iloveyou – saw less love in 2014 as it fell off the top list, from number 9 last year, to be replaced by trustno1. It appears there was probably less love to go round in 2014. Other top worst passwords include new entrants batmanand 696969, joined by 12345678, monkey, qwerty and 16 others.
You can view the full list of passwords here. Are you guilty of using any of these passwords? Perhaps it’s time to review them. If you really cherish your online safety, that is.


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I did something Wednesday that I didn’t think I was ever going to be able to do. Not only did I establish a position in social media giant Facebook, but I did so while feeling good about the decision.
As a value investor, trying to convince myself that the company was worth the investment came as quite a challenge. I'm not entirely convinced of the overall value of social media. Be that as it may, I do understand that on Wall Street everybody takes a beating once in a while, and this time it was Facebook’s turn.
I have also come to understand that Wall Street can sometimes have a very short memory; not only does a beating stop, but everyone starts using the word “cheap” as a way to rationalize what has really become a change in sentiment.
The question is: Has Facebook become cheap, and did it in fact reach its bottom? Although it is hard to say with any degree of certainty absent more historical trading data, I have reason to suspect it has, since $25 has been my fair market value since its initial public offering .
If $25.52 was its bottom, where is it heading next? According to Mark Harding of JMP Securities, the next target will be $37 — or $1 short of its IPO price — while initiating coverage of the company with a “market outperform” rating. He said the “valuation appears high, but Facebook has plenty of opportunities to monetize its vast user base.” That’s not entirely a revelation; the company’s IPO valuation was heavily predicated on that assumption. But can it execute? And if so, how?
With Harding thinking the company has 42 percent upside from current levels, I have started to compare Facebook’s bottom with that of its closest peers upon their IPOs. These include Pandora Media, LinkedIn, Zynga, and Groupon. What I have found were pretty consistent patterns, some suggesting Facebook is going to be just fine in the long term.
One such example was Pandora, which opened for trading June 15. The stock started off at $20, reached the company’s high at $26 and finally ended its first session at $17.35. Today the stock is trading just under $11, as investors start to apply more conventional valuation methods to its business model.
The good thing for Pandora is that it is growing its revenue and has even earned a profit, when many were quick to proclaim it couldn’t. Like Facebook, Pandora is in a business heavily predicated on growing advertising revenue. To its credit, it has been able to do that despite increased levels of competition. Interestingly, Pandora is one of a couple of companies I think would help Facebook grow via an acquisition if it were to truly approach that $37 valuation. The more I think about it, though, the more realistic $37 now seems, as it may possibly follow the path IPO path of LinkedIn.
For LinkedIn, its first day of trading sent the stock to $45. It shot quickly up to $122.70 and closed the day at $94.25. Today, after less than a year as a public company, the stock trades at $93 in the face of severe economic uncertainty. What this means is that social media for the job market has value — particularly during employment-challenged environments. Today the company is doing all of the right things and affirming to Wall Street that it deserves its valuation. Although it is still a tad early to proclaim success, LinkedIn’s earnings report continues to show that the business has more obvious staying power than many initially believed.
Although there are some sprinkled signs of the value of social media, nothing beats having a tangible product, and I think Facebook understands this. For this reason, it has begun talks of making its own phone to secure its position in the mobile advertising market. There is one small problem with that: The company forgets that it knows nothing about hardware. For that reason, I think that it should make a play for Research In Motion or possibly Nokia.
As I’ve said recently, not only will RIM offer Facebook a better enterprise presence; Facebook will acquire assets such as RIM’s BB10 software, a growing music service as well as RIM’s Mobile Fusion, a product that supports the collaboration of enterprise mobile devices, even that of competing models such as Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android devices. In essence, Facebook immediately becomes a hardware and services company, while also instantly having multiple routes to monetize its 900 million user base.
I’ve always said that if you are not in a state of perpetual worry in the stock market, you are not paying attention. Facebook had me nervous from the beginning. The fact of the matter is, it was just too good to be true and affirmed what Warren Buffett has long warned: Investors should be fearful when others are greedy. My risk in buying at this level has more to do with the hysteria that dominated the IPO being over and more rational thinking starting to factor into the valuation.
Since $25 had been my target all along, this was an opportunity I just could not pass up. Interestingly, these were likely the same words many investors were quick to utter at the company’s IPO price of $38.
I could be wrong, and the stock can very well drop another couple of dollars from this level. At this point, I doubt it.
—By Richard Saintvilus, Contributor, TheStreet.com
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TheStreet’s editorial policy prohibits staff editors, reporters, and analysts from holding positions in any individual stocks. Richard Saintvilus owns Facebook shares.


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SEPT. 4 | GC | STRATEGY
GC Chief Commits
to Music & Arts
Guitar Center is going private and gearing up for its next round of expansion: school music dealerships and international outlets.
Speaking for the first time since the July announcement that Guitar Center will be acquired by Bain Capital Partners for about $2.1 billion, Marty Albertson, GC’s president and CEO, said the company sought to escape the glare of being a publicly traded company in order to concentrate on bolstering its Music & Arts division and look toward international expansion.
“Guitar Center has been growing rapidly under the Guitar Center brand for a lot of years, and about five years ago, six years ago, we began an investment in the band instrument part of our industry through the acquisition of American Music and the further acquisition of Music & Arts,” Albertson told an audience at the NAMM Economic Summit, held in Carlsbad, Calif., in August. “We’re really committed to that side of the business. To dispel rumors spread by various analysts that one of the things that Bain was going to do when they became our partner was that they were going to sell off Music & Arts, much to the contrary; it was the actual desire on our part to further commit to Music & Arts as one of the instigators of why I wanted to take the company private.”
Albertson said the short-term nature of the public markets would not let GC invest in strengthening the Music & Arts chain without adversely affecting the company’s stock price. He said the same is true with a variety strategic moves GC is currently planning.
“The investment community today, I’ve said before, is more like going to Las Vegas than it is actually investing in long-term business models,” he said. “And that investment community is really not akin to taking the risks and the long-term resource allocation required to transform a segment of the industry that really hasn’t changed much in 30, 40 years. Our view is that the segment of the industry that Music & Arts represents needs to go through the significant transformation in process, in its marketing and in its customer relations. And that takes years of investment in infrastructure, in process systems, in people — all of those components. The public markets don’t have the patience for that type of long-term investment strategy.”
Albertson said to expect a slowdown in the expansion of GC outlets in the United States as the company looks to international opportunities.
“We are reaching maturity with the Guitar Center brand,” he said. “We have tested a tertiary model, which is about 5,000 square feet. We have three of those. If that turns out to be successful, we still have a reasonable amount of locations to open, but when you look at cost and the amount of revenue those locations will create, balanced with the revenues that the big-boxes create, we are reaching a maturation point under the Guitar Center brand.
“However, under the Music & Arts brand, we have significant domestic opportunity still available to us. With that said, another reason that I wanted to take the company private was to be able to enter into another risky element of expansion, and that is international.
“Our desire is to try to go international. It’s in the near-term horizon as to when we’ll expand there. But, again, the public markets today wouldn’t support enthusiastically the incubation period that is required to really be good at a business model before you’ve test it with rapid expansion.”
— Frank Alkyer


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What do Super Junior‘s Heechul, KARA‘s Goo Hara, SISTAR‘s Bora and EXID‘s Hani have in common? Their sense of style, of course! And, for that reason, they now have “A STYLE For You“.
The four K-Pop idols who are also fashion icons have gotten together for a new KBS show that will make our morning much more stylish. As announced by KBS, “Global interactive style show is coming up to upgrade your beauty, fashion and life style! To be global style icons, 4MCs of “A Style For You” will work in the field to create their own unique style and become the leaders of K-Style!”
Heechul had already been teasing the show a lot on his Instagram, but now KBS has revealed two official video teasers for the show. The first one features the girls in funny scenarios and makes puns about fashion, while the second one shows Heechul and Hani exchanging a mysterious look. Check them out:
Are you excited to see how this will turn out? “A STYLE For You” will begin on April 20th at 6:30AM KST, so make sure you don’t miss it!
Stay tuned to Officially Kmusic to keep updated.
Source: Kakaotalk and KBS Youtube
Edited by: LeighDarling


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October 31, 2018
Yesterday afternoon the FDA announced that it would permit 23andMe to market its Personal Genome Service Pharmacogenetic Reports test. The test offers consumers information on whether they posses one of 33 variants across multiple genes that could impact their body’s ability to metabolize certain medications.
The purpose of this test is to inform patients and encourage them to more thoroughly...
August 24, 2018
23andMe has emailed developers a warning that an API permitting use of anonymized customer datasets for third-party app development will be shut down in approximately two weeks, CNBC reports.
While the raw data will remain available to clinical research partners such as GlaxoSmithKline, which invested $300 million this year to gain access to the genetic testing startup’s DNA database for drug...
August 1, 2018
A group of consumer genetic and personal genomic testing companies have released a set of best practices for handling consumers’ personal genetic data.
Designed to ensure privacy and promote transparency, the guidelines include a requirement for separate express consent before a company can transfer genetic data to a third party, such as an insurer or employer.
“Supporting strong and transparent...
November 7, 2017
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb announced today that the agency intends to make a major change to its regulatory process around direct-to-consumer genetic health risk (GHR) tests. Specifically, the agency is creating a framework that will allow companies to bypass premarket certification for individual tests once they submit to a one-time review of their processes, an approach reminiscent of the...


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A new super speed car has arrived and will do so from the company SSC North America, which stands for Shelby Super Cars, which has already created the first of 100 hypercars that will be sold to the public during this and next year.
The concept of the super car saw the light in the middle of 2011 when the company SSS decided to give life to the project. today almost 9 years later it is already a reality and they have ready the first prototype that will be the fastest car in the world over the Koenigsegg Agera RS.
The structure of the vehicle is based on a carbon fiber monocoque, that has allowed designing the car with high standards of safety, design, performance, aerodynamics as well as guarantees its high durability.
Its interior is made of carbon fiber, making it lighter and more comfortable for the driver and occupant.
[youtube id=”CFO6nylzxoE” width=”750″ height=”400″ position=”left”]
The most incredible thing about the manufacture of this pure design machine is that it had high aerospace standards from NASA which certifies that for the first time this vehicle has materials used by nothing in its space aircraft projects.
The engine of this American design beauty was built from scratch with Tom Nelson of Nelson Racing Engines, has a power of 1350 horsepower and a revolution of 8,800 rpm.
As this is the first mass-produced Hypercar, engineers specialize in creating 3 driving modes – Sport, Track, Lift – which allows you to easily modify the suspension, body height, steering, shifting, and power delivery and get great power output in the mode you want to use.
As far as the price is concerned, it could be expected to be worth $3 million, but this figure will be confirmed by the company at the Philadelphia auto show soon.
The flagship of American technology, according to its engineers and designers, promises to reach a maximum of 493 kilometers per hour without losing stability parameters that the car can show at a speed “ground. Thus seeking to break the current speed record of 490 kilometers per hour held by the chiron bugatti.


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Micro-mobility is the Future of Urban Transportation!
Will the micromobility market win the market or lose the market? This question has become a common discussion topic in the logistic industry. Previously when we talk about vehicle first things we’d probably think of cars, buses, scooters, and bikes. But recently, there has been a new inclusion in the vehicle industry, and we whoop them micro-mobility vehicles.
According to the study, since 2015 stakeholders have invested more than $5.7 billion in micromobility start-ups, with more than 85% targeting China. The market has already gained a strong customer base only in few years.
In the recent year, Micromobility has offered huge opportunities for cities and mobile app development companies and potentially solved many transportation challenges like congestion, emissions, and air quality, uneven access to transit.
Despite the glittery start, it may be fitted to both micromobility providers and mobile app development companies if they work hand-in-hand for the betterment of the transport industries.
Let’s talk about micro mobility in deep.
What is a Micromobility Vehicle?
Micromobility is a solution for short-distance travel. In other words, it's a new category of transportation used to describe travel solutions for short distances. According to McKinsey, Nearly 60% of car trips are less than 8 kilometers all around the globe and could benefit from micromobility solutions.
Micromobility offers very light vehicles such as electric scooters, electric skateboards, bicycles, and electric pedal-assisted and pedelec.
Why do Cities Need Electric Scooters?
Today most countries are facing congestion and pollution issues because of rapid urbanization that has put severe pressure on public transportation systems. In the US, nearly 46% of car traffic is caused by cars on short-distance trips and according to INRIX the US spent 42 hours in traffic congestion in 2014.
To solve this problem, countries are focusing on micro-mobility solutions and contacting Logistics software companies to come up with new solutions that can solve congestion and pollution problem.
Traffic is getting worse and worse. In 2015, the average commute for Americans went up by 24 seconds.
Why Micro-mobility is so important?
Micro-mobility holds the potential to transform the logistics industry by reducing snarl-up in transportation. It is not limited to bicycles, motorized skateboards, e-rickshaws, and motorbikes, it is much more than we think.
Micromobility will definitely play a key role in solving some of the main challenges related to the environment and will save the time of transportation. So it is important for cities and countries to start pouring it into their transportation system. Micro-mobility companies like Grin and Yellow are offering commodious mobile digital wallets and Fintech mobile app functionality. These companies will allow customers to purchase ride credits with cash at attractive discounts, and then allow them to avail these ride credits for other payments like utility bills, shops, and restaurants.
Micro mobility vehicles are important for private customers and for sharing operators. For the development of the digital payment app, logistics companies are taking into account both mobile app development companies and freelance mobile app developers to integrate a digital wallet into their micro-mobility vehicles.
How can E-scooter Companies take the Benefits of Micromobility?
Previously E- scooter economy was inconsistent but now it started showing positive aspects for companies. E- scooter companies can take the benefits of micro mobility as:
Interchangeable rechargeable batteries will appreciably reduce the cost of wireman.
E-scooters with better materials, efficient construction, and larger wheels can increase its durability.
Future of Micro-mobility
“In Europe alone, five e-scooter companies have emerged and raised over $150 million of capital since the start of 2018”. So we can assume that the future of Micro-mobility is quite bright.
Limitations of Micro Mobility
Here are some limitations of micro mobility:
China is going far with micro-mobility and e-bikes have become a part of daily lives. The industry is spreading its wings each day, and it’s all about which company will take the reigns.
Will big players of transportation companies like Uber and Lyft start considering micro mobility? Or will a new startup come to a halt and dominate the industry? The possibilities are endless. Micro-mobility is a long race horse and will definitely stay.
Consagous Technologies is an IT Service Provider recognized globally as technology experts with offices in USA, Mexico, India and Australia. Founded in 2008, and is known for a holistic approach to designing, developing and delivering end to end web & mobile solutions. We have a tight grip on building and delivering high notch mobile applications. We absorbed emerging technologies in our development cycle so as to provide all possible ways of IT solutions that help our clients to raise their reach across the globe.


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Netflix‘s streaming video service is doing business like gangbusters. Their streaming video app is available for the most popular mobile operating systems like Android and iOS; the software ships on most set-top boxes like the AppleTV or Roku Box. In fact, Netflix’s streaming services are such a huge success that they account for 20% of prime time broadband traffic… and with Netflix now rolling out a streaming-only subscription plan, that number’s just going to get bigger.
How much bigger? Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has gone so far as to say that Netflix is “primarily” a streaming company… and it looks likely that they will gradually phase out their postal services. However, with such a huge push into streaming video comes a huge investment in the cloud… and it looks like Netflix’s streaming business could end up costing the company almost $2 billion when all is said and done.
The breakdown comes from All Things D, who say that before the end of next year, Netflix will have to pay out a substantial amount of money to Starz and Epix for their content. According to Reed Hastings, though, it’s a necessary expense, and not one that will end up as a loss: “[We’re] replacing the postal cost with content cost,” he says.
That sounds about right. Streaming video is the future, not optical disks. That $2 billion is going to be a drop in the bucket of the money that can be made if Netflix manages to keep themselves the biggest name in streaming Hollywood video… and considering how good their service is, my guess is they can.
Read more at All Things D


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From K J M Varma
Beijing: China's state-owned companies will step-up investments in India if the government trusts them more and further reduces restrictions on them, the official media here reported.
"It is likely to be a golden era for Chinese private enterprises investing in India over the next few years, and it is possible that increasing commercial blending could help enhance mutual political trust between Beijing and New Delhi," an article in the state-run Global Times said.
Referring reports from India that Indian government is in talks with about 300 Chinese firms to channel investments, it said already direct Chinese investment into India has gone up by six times higher last year.
Recent Chinese official media reports said the Chinese investments in India last year has gone up to USD 1.06 billion.
"India has reduced investment restrictions and further opened up its market for foreign investors, which is one of the reasons behind soaring investment from China. Some well-known Chinese private enterprises such as telecom giant Huawei have shown great enthusiasm for investing in the country after the Indian government adopted a more open mind in attracting Chinese private investment," it said.
India could see "faster growth in investment from China over the next few years if the Indian authorities can give more trust and further reduce restrictions on China's state-owned enterprises (SoEs), where the Chinese government is the biggest shareholder," it said.
"The rising investment is expected to continue in 2017," it said.
Referring to a recent study from the US-based Brookings Institution which stating that the number of India's middle classes could increase to 380 million surpassing China's 350 million, the article said "it is understandable that countless Chinese firms have shown an increasing interest in the burgeoning Indian consumer market".
Sino-Indian ties have become more competitive than complementary in economics and trade, increasing uncertainty in the bilateral relations due to expansion of India's manufacturing sector, it said.
"Encouraging more Chinese firms to invest in India is one of the most effective ways to enhance economic complementarity, and could help promote mutual trust," it said. KJV UZM AKJ UZM


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MILWAUKEE — Harley-Davidson Inc. reported decreased revenue and net income for the first quarter of 2009 compared to the year-ago period.
The company posted net income of $117.3 million for the first quarter, down from $187.6 million recorded in the year-ago period. The company reported revenue of $1.29 billion, down from $1.31 billion in the first quarter 2008.
Harley-Davidson attributed the decreased income to one-time costs it incurred during the first quarter. The company recorded pre-tax restructuring costs of $34.9 million during the period. The company also incurred a one-time $22.5 million tax charge related to a change in Wisconsin tax law, which was enacted mid-quarter without public hearings and applied retroactively to Jan. 1, 2009.
Harley-Davidson Financial Services (HDFS) recorded first quarter operating income of $11.2 million, a decrease of $23.7 million or 67.9 percent from the year-ago quarter. This decrease was primarily due to a $17.1 million write-down of retained securitization interests and an $8.6 million write-down to fair market value of finance receivables held for sale due to higher projected credit losses.
Harley-Davidson took several steps to obtain funds, including raising $600 million through the issuance of senior unsecured notes, to support the lending activities of HDFS.
In addition, the company intends to access the term asset-backed securitization market in the second quarter of 2009, as it expects to be eligible for the Federal Reserve Bank's Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility (TALF) program.
"We continue to make good progress on funding the needs of HDFS through the paths we have identified previously and anticipate that we will be able to obtain the needed liquidity," said Tom Bergmann, chief financial officer of Harley-Davidson Inc. and interim president of HDFS.
In the U.S., retail sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles decreased 9.7 percent from the year-ago period. In the first quarter 2008, U.S. retail sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles decreased 12.8 percent compared to the previous year.
"While we are mildly encouraged by the fact that the U.S. retail sales rate declined less in the first quarter than in the prior two quarters, we remain cautious and continue to expect 2009 to be an extremely challenging business environment," said Jim Ziemer, president and chief executive officer of Harley-Davidson Inc. "We continue to make good progress in executing our strategy for the economic downturn, and we will continue to manage our business with strong discipline."


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(Reuters) – United Spirits (UNSP.BO), the world’s third-largest spirits maker by volume, has called off talks to sell a stake to Diageo (DGE.L) but discussions with private equity firms were continuing, a top official said.
The firm decided to stop discussions with Diageo, the world’s largest spirits group, after it sold shares worth almost $190 million in late June, group Chief Financial Officer Ravi Nedungadi said by phone.
“Our business is growing at 18-20 percent annually. We are on course to turn the No. 2 firm by the end of the year,” he said. “We decided the strategic stake sale can be addressed leisurely when the firm commands higher valuation.”
In May, a Diageo executive said talks had not made headway as the firms were unable to agree on details.
United Spirits, part of India’s top liquor maker, the UB group, had talked with KKR, Blackstone (BX.N) and Capital International about selling a stake, a newspaper reported in July.
(Reporting by Narayanan Somasundaram; Editing by John Mair)


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Waters remain choppy for Carnival (NYSE:CCL).
At a time when many consumer stocks are trading near their all-time highs, Carnival stock is trading closer to its 52-week low.
The world's leading cruise line operator has had some unfortunate mishaps on sailings at its Costa and namesake lines, and the market's penalizing Carnival for the setbacks. Analysts have been scaling back their projections, fearing that potential passengers will steer clear of the Carnival brand for their next cruise booking.
This is a dinner bell for Carnival's smaller rivals. Royal Caribbean (NYSE:RCL) is introducing its latest vessel -- Quantum of the Seas -- this week. Online chatter claims that Disney (NYSE:DIS) is about to expand its growing fleet by 50% when it announces two new ships later this month. (A Disney spokeswoman claims that new ships won't be announced at next week's media event, but there's clearly excitement about the cruise industry outside of Carnival.)
Cruising isn't diminishing in popularity. In this video, Rick argues that Carnival stock itself may be the one that's diminishing.
Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz owns shares of Walt Disney. The Motley Fool recommends Walt Disney. The Motley Fool owns shares of Walt Disney. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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Despite the absence of Nexon and NCSoft, global gaming convention G-Star 2019 that will be held in Busan this week will showcase many new games to whet the appetite of enthusiasts.
The two Korean game heavyweights have decided to skip this year’s biggest game event in South Korea to focus on their new titles. Their gap will be filled by small and midsized local companies, Chinese firms, game engine developers and major tech firms here.
Netmarble is showcasing four games at its booth including the massively multiplayer online role-playing game A3: Still Alive and Magic: Manastrike. While these two have been mentioned at previous Netmarble events, two other games -- Seven Knights Revolution and Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds -- will be revealed for the first time.
Pearl Abyss will roll out its new games Plan 8, DokeV, Crimson Desert and Shadow Arena on Thursday at its G-Star booth. The announcement will be live-streamed on Twitch and YouTube for the global enthusiasts. Its Iceland subsidiary CCP’s EVE Online will launch a Korean version at the Pearl Abyss booth.
Samsung Electronics is supplying gaming monitors and laptops, as well as its latest smartphones Galaxy A90, Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Fold, at Pearl Abyss’ booth for visitors to enjoy playing.
Pearl Abyss will showcase new games at G-Star 2019 (Pearl Abyss)
Fashion brand Covernat's collaboration with Player Unknown's Battlegrounds. The hoodies are for sale at PUBG booth during the G-Star 2019 and will be released to the wider market later. (PUBG)
PUBG, the powerhouse behind Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds, will exhibit the story behind the birth of the game, that has been listed in seven World Guinness Records category as the early-access game on Steam that amassed $100 million in the shortest span of time.
LG Electronics is opening a booth for its gaming monitors and computers. Its latest dual-screen smartphones will be available for visitors to try out playing the mobile version of PUBG’s Battlegrounds.
Internet technology firm NHN’s cloud service Toast will showcase cloud-based game platforms Gamebase, AppGuard, Workplace Dooray! at its business-to-business booth.
Gamebase is a one-stop platform that provides game operation functions for certification, payment, management and analysis.
AppGuard is a mobile app security solution that protects source codes, blocks memory manipulation, hacking and fabrication, as well as offers an anti-debugging service.
Workplaace Dooray! is a tool for internal collaboration that combines and streamlines projects, e-mails, messenger and calendar.
Experts behind the development of Toast will speak at G-Star’s G-Con, on how to prevent mobile game hacking.
By Lim Jeong-yeo (firstname.lastname@example.org


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The Black Friday shopping rush has been a painstaking process for those standing in lines at stores, but also for some online shoppers, namely those looking to take advantage of reduced prices from Costco.
Costco's online shopping was down for 16 hours during its Thanksgiving Day sale, and ordering issues and delays have continued through Black Friday, with the company alerting online customers as soon as they enter the website with a message that reads:
"The website is currently experiencing longer than normal response times. Please note that all Thanksgiving Day-only promotions have been extended into Friday November 29th, WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. We apologize for any inconvenience."
The issues range from the homepage simply loading to customers experiencing an inability to sign in and/or check out.
Complaints filed through DownDetector went through a lull during the overnight hours, but they've since ramped back up since about 9 a.m. No word on when the issues will be resolved.


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India’s home-grown technology companies Flipkart
have been long rooting for policies against what they feel is “capital dumping” by rivals such as Amazon
. Latest to join the debate are venture capitalists Vani Kola
and Mahesh Murthy
Vani Kola: Local tech innovation at stake
It started with Kola, Founder and Managing Director of Kalaari Capital, calling for “designing better policies” that would require the foreign firms like Amazon and Uber “to sell at positive gross margins and net take rates in India.”
“… after a period of operating in India a firm cannot fund burn in India from operations abroad: like Indian firms, they would have to raise capital for the Indian entity from third parties. This ensures that at least some wealth creation in internet accrues locally, critical to the birth of a tech ecosystem,” Kola wrote on her blog on Medium.
She feels that an “unregulated market” has allowed the foreign companies to operate on negative gross margin sales in India funded by positive gross margins abroad. She calls for a thought to be given on “how capital might also be used in a way conceptually similar to dumping?”
The consequences of not providing a policy response, according to Kola, may include:
“Modi’s (Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi) Startup India Standup India initiative is unlikely to succeed and India’s startup ecosystem won’t take off, if a dumping-like strategy can be used against Indian startups. Take Micromax for example; its market share has fallen from 20% to 10% in just 20 months due to a dumping by MNCs. There is precedence in Europe: the market value of internet in the US is $2 trillion and China is $1 trillion (larger than auto, pharma, telecom), while in Europe it is only $50 billion (1/40th of US, 1/20th of China). This alarming disparity is because China supported its firms (Google Twitter and Facebook were effectively banned), whereas Europe did not.”
However, she does say in the same vein that she is “not an advocate for bans, but it is an important point to ponder.”
She feels that if India’s home grown internet firms fail, millions of jobs won’t be created. According to her, the homegrown companies provide more jobs than the foreign companies.
“In India OLX has 300 employees to Quikr’s 2,700; Uber has 1,500 employees to Ola’s 7,000; Whatsapp has 20 employees to Hike’s 500; Amazon has 24,000 employees to Flipkart and Snapdeal’s 45,000.”
She warns that allowing a dumping-like strategy could cause foreign investment in India tech to collapse” and that “India has its local tech innovation future at stake.”
Mahesh Murthy: Protection for what? Bad investments?
Mahesh Murthy, Co-founder of early stage investing firm Seedfund, not only calls the entire “capital dumping” debate as “bizarre” but calls the pitches for “level playing fields” and the need to stop “capital dumping” as “hollow arguments” and “hypocrisy”.
He asks on a post on LinkedIn
, why the same level playing fields were not deemed necessary by the same venture capitalists when offline retailing giants like Big Bazaar petitioned the government for them against homegrown e-commerce players like Myntra and Flipkart, and when small shopkeepers asked for them to protect against another e-commerce player, Snapdeal.
He feels that Flipkart and Ola (and Snapdeal and Myntra and Shopclues and Truly Madly and Food Panda and many other startups in India) have entirely been set up on a copy-paste model. He argues that unlike China and Russia, India is an open market and “copy-paste” job does not work here.
“We’ve enjoyed the world’s best services simply because we have not had to force our people to use sub-standard products from some copy-paste guy who studied at IIT or IIM and then figured he could make a quick buck.
“The BRICS theory – copy from the first world and paste into Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Africa – is more MBA twaddle, and just doesn’t work.
“And nor has the government forced us to be nice to the VCs who made decisions to invest in copy-paste companies. The biggest of them all, Tiger, put a billion dollars in Flipkart, and on seeing that the bet didn’t work out did the right thing, one by walking away from India and this flawed thesis – and two, by putting a billion dollars in Amazon to perhaps atone for their sins. When you fail, you accept your failure and then make amends.
“Another company too, Rocket Internet, came to India with this copy-paste thesis. But they’ve exited too, after the failure of this thesis in virtually every single company they funded in India: Food Panda, Jabong, Asasa, FabFurnish and the like. Though in all fairness it was not just a flawed thesis but crime-prone management in India that led to their demise here.
“Neither of them asked for protection. Investments in startups are risky, and when you have a bad thesis, a bad business or a bad team, then you lose. They understood that.
“But apparently our VCs want quotas and protection for the bad investments they’ve made.
“As things stand now, nobody is willing to take these companies off their hands at the prices they’re quoting. Current investors in Flipkart have cut its on-book valuation from $15 billion to $5 billion. Snapdeal is apparently doing the rounds in a humbled, fraction-of-former-demand mode asking for money. As is Ola.
“This makes the VCs sad, and delays, if not entirely destroys their pay day.
“Hence the request to grant protection and ask the government to let them put foreign money in Flipkart and Ola and not let foreign money go into Amazon and Uber.”
Murthy is also scathing on the “ridiculous” salaries that the home-grown companies pay and terms the practice as “rip-off”. He claims that the HR head of Flipkart, “a gent with 8 years’ total experience”, earned INR 35 crore (approximately US$5,158,818) last year. And the founders get much more.
So should the government step in to force Amazon and Uber too “ridiculously overpay” their people? Murthy asks. He calls for fellow investors to “take the responsibility for” their investment decisions. He also calls on the founders “to grow up, and accept that their attempt at some short-term arbitrage or mercenary jugaad
Is innovation the key?
Ananth Padmanabhan, a fellow at Carnegie India, states on a blog on Economic Times
that in a digital economy, algorithm is policy. Self-regulatory measures by digital economy players to open up algorithms for technical inspection can go a long way in building trust. It was at at Carnegie India’s Global Technology Summit late last year, that Flipkart Founder, Sachin Bansal and Ola Founder, Bhavish Aggarwal took up cudgels against their foreign competitors and accused them of ‘capital dumping’.
Padmanabhan feels that ‘capital dumping’ is no longer about foreign companies versus Indian companies but bigger versus smaller players. He gives examples of Facebook that managed to “upstage Orkut,” and WhatsApp that “triumphed over several earlier and bigger players, because of low switching costs coupled with smart innovation.”
He believes that ‘capital dumping’ may minimize the growth of competitor networks, and works well during the nascent stages of the business cycle, purely from a consumer standpoint. But it is innovation cycles that “often act as a check on digital economy players from hiking prices once the battle is won.”


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We know ASUS has something big coming May 30th, but today we get more details on their plans. Speaking with DigiTimes, CEO Jerry Shen confirmed the company has 3 new Zenfone variants in the works, and that they’ll all be running either Qualcomm or MediaTek chipsets in some form. They handsets are also due out in June.
This isn’t the first time ASUS has crowded their lineup with device variants. They typically don’t tend to broaden the spectrum wide enough so that getting one device over another is a difficult choice, but things could change in 2016 if they are adding MediaTek into the mix.
Another interesting point: if Intel isn’t going to be in these phones, then ASUS is likely co-branding their launch events due to a computer or tablet. Are we finally going to get our dual-boot Windows/Android love child? That’d be the dream, but we’re going to remain doubtful based on historic consistency. Onward to May 30th.


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BY KETRAH JJEMBA
UGANDA Revenue Authority (URA) a few days ago kicked off the third edition of the e-bomba ya business summits with discussions on survival of businesses in the wake of the effects of COVID-19 pandemic.
The month-long virtual engagements are aimed tipping business owners on financial growth and fostering voluntary compliance. These have been incorporated with skills to help businesses thrive in the new normal.
According to the URA Ag. Commissioner General Abel Kagumire, majority of the businesses which were a big source of revenue for government have been greatly hit by the effects on trade by the COVID-19 pandemic and this has affected tax collections by the institution.
Kagumire pointed out sectors like education, food services, accommodation, arts and recreation as those that have been grossly affected in this era.
Collections from the food service and accommodation hit a dive of 37% especially because the sector is driven by tourists who were locked up in their respective countries.
He however says that the revenue body is hopeful of a change in the sector collections because of the vaccines that are making travels much safer.
The e-bomba ya Business summits will run in series on Fridays up to 12th November 2021. The first episode of the summits has focused on survival through the pandemic with deep conversations on business financing and alternative skills adoption by sectors grossly affected by the COVID-19.
The discussants included; Ag. Commissioner General Abel Kagumire, Private Sector Foundation Uganda’s Ruth Biyinzika, the Managing Director Centenary Bank Fabian Kasi and Price Waterhouse Coopers’ Crystal Kabajwara and moderated by NBS TV’s Mildred Tuhaise.
Mr. Kagumire revealed that, unlike the past where the tax burden was carried by a few entities, the authority is to embark on expanding the tax register so that the businesses recovering from the pandemic effects are not overwhelmed
“URA has embarked on expanding the taxpayer register because we know that there are many Ugandans out there in profiting business but are not paying taxes. We intend to achieve this with comprehensive tax education so that everyone contributes to betterment of this country” said Kagumire
Uganda’s tax burden was held by slightly over 1.7 million taxpayers by the end of financial year (FY) 2020/21. However, this figure is expected to expand by 400,000 additions as the authority is set to have 2.1 million taxpayers by the end of FY 2021/22.
Ruth Biyinzika cautioned business owners against unnecessary expenditures as they recover from the pandemic emphasising that all resources are now needed for business survival. She pointed to the need for effective financial management in order for business owners to turn around operations for the better.
URA started the e-bomba ya business summits in 2019 as one of the activities in the Taxpayers Appreciation Month to equip business owners with necessary skills for financial growth and these were held at Kololo independence grounds.
However, due to the pandemic, these went virtual to cope with the standard operating procedures to curb COVID-19. URA will continue to equip segmented taxpayers with skills to thrive financially as it marks a 30-year anniversary. A similar engagement will be held for the youth in January in an Open Minds Forum Engagement.
For views/comments on this story, email us on firstname.lastname@example.org


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How much did the lady sell her virginity for?
A 23-year-old model Mahbuba Mammadzada SOLD HER VIRGINITY on an escort website and managed to get $2.6 million for it from a Japanese businessman. The deal is going to happen in Germany, where prostitution is legal.
How much did a girl sell her virginity for on eBay?
A 19-YEAR-OLD US model claims to have sold her virginity to an Abu Dhabi-based businessman for nearly $3.9 million on a controversial auction website.
Who auctioned off their virginity?
Three weeks after Bailey Gibson announced she was auctioning off her virginity, the 23-year-old has set the amount she wants the winner to bid — and why she deserves the exorbitant sum.
Did a girl sell her virginity on eBay?
Virginity. A 22-year-old student going by the pseudonym Natalie Dylan attempted to sell her virginity on eBay in 2008 to help her pay for her master’s degree. The auction was suspended, and was not the first of its kind: virginity auctions on eBay go as far back as 1999.
Can you legally sell your virginity?
Nevada is the only state in the U.S. with some form of legalized prostitution, but the sex trade is still heavily regulated. Although originally from San Diego, Dylan told The Daily Beast that she used the Moonlite Bunny Ranch in Reno, Nevada, to legally facilitate the deflowering transaction.
How old is the average virgin?
The average American loses his or her virginity at age 17. Virgins make up 12.3 percent of females and 14.3 percent of males ages 20 to 24. He told me this less as a brag and more as a preface.
What age is it normal to lose virginity?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average age Americans lose their virginity (defined here as vaginal sexual intercourse) is 17.1 for both men and women. The CDC also reports that virgins make up 12.3 percent of females and 14.3 percent of males ages 20 to 24.


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Internet Marketing Solution for Beginners or Seasoned Veterans
For Immediate Release:
May 30, 2009
Home Based Business Entrepreneur, Russell (Blaze) Blais has just aligned his company, Blaze Enterprises, LLC, with one of the fastest growing internet businesses on the planet. Blais says, “This system makes it possible for anybody to play in the big leagues with internet marketing.”
The system is the “Business in a Box” which is a turn key business system that teaches people how to be expert internet marketers. Blais stated, “97% of home based businesses fail because they have not been taught the skills they need to know to be competitive in today’s ever changing environment in internet marketing.” Blais goes on to say, “If you want to be part of the 3% that are successful in home based businesses, you have to stay on the cutting edge of what’s working.”
Blais says that his company’s mission is to help people “set their financial goals on fire” through internet marketing. For more information, you can go to Blaze Enterprises, LLC informational web site http://www.FindingWealthOnline.com.
- Contact Information
- Russell Blais
- Blaze Enterprises, LLC
- Contact via E-mail
This news content may be integrated into any legitimate news gathering and publishing effort. Linking is permitted.
News Release Distribution and Press Release Distribution Services Provided by WebWire.


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She Goes Outdoors has a new subscription box available focused on fishing. The subscription box is designed to develop and expand outdoor skills. The box is packed full of gear, educational resources, and more for only $50, which includes shipping and handling. Boxes are available for purchase now at https://www.sgooutdoors.com/.
- 200 boxes are available through April 11
- Boxes will ship the week of April 26
- A fishing webinar will be held on May 5, from 7-9 p.m. CST
A single purchase will get you one skill focused box. Already have fishing equipment – purchase a box for someone else in your life.
She Goes Outdoors is a partnership with Nebraska Game & Parks Commission, Kansas Department of Parks, Wildlife and Tourism and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.


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The 2016 International CES trade show is going to be big again. Perhaps not as big as last year’s 176,000 attendees, but likely above 150,000, according to Gary Shapiro, chief executive of the Consumer Electronics Association, the trade group which puts on the show. If the show gets smaller, Shapiro said, it will be deliberately so, as […]
By Heather L. Whitley From the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the tech world is buzzing with talk of the connected car. AT&T is part of that buzz thanks to its innovative AT&T Drive Studio located in downtown Atlanta. They built the 5,000-square-foot [...]
Coldwell Banker Real Estate is turning its marketing eye toward smart home technology. It announced sponsorship deals this week with the massive tech conference Consumer Electronics Show and the tech and review site...
On Monday, 14-year-old Ahmed Mohamed was arrested in Irving, Texas, for bringing a homemade clock to school to show his engineering teacher. Because it was not a polished consumer product and instead had visible electronic components, school officials and police feared that it was a bomb or model of a bomb. Show More Summary
For those who aren’t aware, ABB is one of the largest engineering companies in the world, and are considered global leaders in the fields of power and automation. At the recent IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin they unveiled a voice-activated home automation system to accompany their year-old “Free@Home” smart home offering. Show More Summary
IFA, Europe's version of the Consumer Electronics Show, ended its annual Berlin run last week. Like CES, IFA serves as the launching pad for thousands of new gadgets and gizmos. After wandering around the Messe Berlin fairgrounds for...Show More Summary
Panasonic is preparing for launch of its “Residential Storage Battery System” into European markets. The news was confirmed by Panasonic Europe CEO Laurent Abadie at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin at the beginning of September. Show More Summary
Samsung’s new SmartThings range kit was shown off in one of the events of the IFA consumer electronics held in Berlin. And, in an amazing show of display, Samsung will now let its consumers to control, secure, and protect their homes with the introduction of its five new smart home sensors. “The Samsung SmartThings Hub is […]
Just recently, ZTE launched the global version of their Axon smartphone called the ZTE Axon Elite during the IFA 2015 consumer electronics trade show. Released first in the US, the global version will be sent out to other international markets. Show More Summary
The electronics unveils shows off new apps on the Apple Watch, in hopes they'll entice consumers to try out the device.
By James Nash and Matthew Winkler (Bloomberg) — Electronics, auto parts and clothes from Asia are streaming through the second-busiest U.S. port at record levels, signaling retailers’ confidence in the economy and consumers’ eagerness to buy. Show More Summary
IFA, Europe’s biggest annual consumer electronics and home appliances show in Berlin, Germany, was packed full of exciting products as usual. Here are five key things we learned this year. 1. Women’s smartwatches are definitely a thing...Show More Summary
ABB, a global leader in power and automation, unveiled the world’s most advanced voice activated smart home automation system at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, Germany.
Smartwatches, intelligent homes and drones that follow users wherever they go are on show at Berlin’s mega consumer electronics fair, which opened its doors to the public on Friday. Source: 3D printed food, smartwatches and smarthomes shine at Berlin’s IFA | Tech/Gadgets | Malay Mail Online
BERLIN (AP) — Computer manufacturers are unveiling the first big batch of devices running Windows 10 at the IFA home electronics show opening in Berlin on Friday. The industry has seen sluggish sales in recent years as consumers optShow More Summary
With Samsung losing momentum in areas like smartphones and tablets, the company announced today an ambitious bet on the Internet of Things as it seeks to regain momentum. Appearing at the IFA consumer electronics trade show in Berlin, Samsung officials unveiled a SmartThings Hub, which can be used to connect things like security cameras, smart […]
The holidays are just around the corner — not really — and Lenovo/Motorola took the stage at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin today to unveil its next generation of computers, tablets, phones, and smartwatches. Here’s everything the Chinese company wants you to put on your wish list this year. The new Moto 360 and Moto 360 Sport […]
One of the iconic brands of turntable culture, Technics, will start making turntables again, the company's corporate parent, Panasonic, announced Wednesday. During an official unveiling of products at the Berlin consumer electronics show IFA, the company presented a prototype of a sleek, minimalist...
The IFA consumer electronics trade show in Berlin will draw a quarter of a million people and feature the latest digital gadgets
BERLIN - No Google, no Apple, a little Microsoft and some Intel. With American corporations either not present at Europe's largest consumer electronics show, or with no great launches on schedule, IFA 2015 relies heavily on Asian manufacturers to get some media attention. Samsung decided not to wait the official press [...]


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Updated The best smart speakers put AI voice assistants such as Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri at the center of your home – but which one is right for you?
Last-minute Halloween decorations? Your smart lights, smart doorbell, smart speaker and even smart robot vacuum can help creep up your space for your party.
Amazon Echo deals for the smart speaker range are never far away. We're here to make sure you don't overpay for an Alexa speaker.
Amazon’s latest Ring video doorbell ups the ante with better camera quality, head-to-toe visibility and customizable motion zones.
Amazon is removing several notable aspects from older Echo Buds like noise cancellation, while expanding the battery life.
There's an all-new small Alexa speaker, a bassier smart display, and more support for the Matter smart home system.
Inaudible voice commands to smart speakers and voice assistants are the next big threat on the horizon.
Part of a first wave of support, you'll be able to control Matter-enabled devices via your bedside Echo speaker.
Black Friday Black Friday 2022 is the perfect time to buy a new Amazon Echo device – and there are plenty of deals going around.
Sign up for Black Friday email alerts!
Get the hottest deals available in your inbox plus news, reviews, opinion, analysis and more from the TechRadar team.


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NEW YORK – Digital pathology firms Paige and OptraScan announced on Thursday that they are partnering to streamline digital pathology workflows in the US, EU, and UK.
The companies will integrate Paige's artificial intelligence-based digital pathology applications with OptraScan's scanners to provide end-to-end digital pathology workflow solutions, they said in a statement. Pathologists will be able to adopt Paige's applications, such as its FullFocus whole-slide image viewer and its Paige Prostate Suite, along with OptraScan's scanning devices.
OptraScan's devices have 15- to 480-slide loading capabilities that can digitize glass slides at 40X magnification in less than one minute, the firms noted. San Jose, California-based OptraScan's OS-Ultra line of brightfield scanners received CE marking in July.
"OptraScan's mission to enable pathology slide digitization at fractional costs is eventually resulting into higher market demand for digital pathology applications," OptraScan Founder and CEO Abhi Gholap said in a statement. "This partnership with Paige will facilitate adoption of digital infrastructure for global clinical and molecular pathology community in an efficient way."