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Last week the Coulee Region Business Center, in conjunction with the La Crosse Area Development Corporation, who is the management entity, held an open house to acknowledge and celebrate the impact the organization has on the Coulee Region.
Established in 1986, the Coulee Region Business Center (CRBC) is a not-for-profit organization that provides entrepreneurial resources to help small start-up companies throughout the La Crosse area.
The facility, located at 1100 Kane St., consists of 35,000 square feet of space with rental rates roughly 15%—25% less than similar space in the community. The center also offers a plethora of business support services through its partners at the UW–La Crosse Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC), Couleecap, Inc., the City of La Crosse and many others.
The goal of the CRBC is to “graduate” tenants into market-rate spaces throughout the Coulee Region once they have become self-sustaining businesses—generally taking three to five years.
Since its inception, the CRBC has had over 75 businesses come through the facility, while 31 “graduates” are still in operation somewhere throughout the area. Successful graduates include Wyatt Bicycles (Bangor), Pappi’s Taqueria y Mas (West Salem), Hmong’s Golden Eggrolls (La Crosse), and AMV, LLC. (La Crosse).
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The facility has 13 spaces intended for light manufacturing or retail, five office spaces, and an 1,800 Square Foot shared-use commercial kitchen that has room for six full-time food businesses. Currently, the center has 11 manufacturing/retail tenants, four office tenants, and six kitchen tenants, all looking to realize their business dreams through the assistance of the Coulee Region Business Center.
The open house featured a guided tour by CRBC manager Sam Bachmeier, networking opportunities, and speaking engagements from community leaders. Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation CEO, Secretary Melissa Hughes, offered the keynote.
She identified the major impact that small businesses have on the Wisconsin economy. According to the United State Small Business Administration, small businesses make up 99.4% of the Wisconsin businesses, employing 50.2% of Wisconsin employees.
La Crosse Mayor Mitch Reynolds identified a statistic from the National Business Incubation Association that states 87% of businesses that start in an incubator achieve success, while businesses that start outside an incubation facility have a 44% success rate. “Success” is defined as being in operation five years after opening.


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By Ian Jenkins
That’s what they’re calling it…
And it’s a movement that has grown by over 600% in the past decade.
In fact, there are over $30 trillion in assets under management in portfolios with a focus on sustainable investments…and the revolution is showing no sign of slowing anytime soon.
To say that it is just a trend would be a major mistake.
Impact investing – or socially responsible investing – is here to stay. And as ‘woke’ millennials continue to force the markets in line with their beliefs – the money flowing into sustainable stocks is likely to accelerate in the coming years.
Investors in this niche lean towards companies incorporating positive environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies into investment decisions.
This has pushed companies and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) with high ESG ratings into focus in recent years, but more than that, it has sparked a revolution in even some of the world’s ‘dirtiest’ companies.
Fossil fuel giants, miners, and more are making the switch. Either through offsetting emissions, or simply pouring money into greener endeavors.
“We are at the cusp of one of the biggest ever shifts in the allocation of capital, and if you follow the money, it’s largely flowing into companies with an emphasis on doing better for the world,” said the CEO of Facedrive Inc, Sayan Navaratnam.
Millennial’s greener preferences, in addition to a number of new youth-focused trading platforms like Robinhood, have fueled the meteoric rise of companies like Tesla, Google, Apple, and more.
Here are six companies to keep an eye on as the world’s cash flow heads towards “greener pastures.”
Google: “Don’t Be Evil”
Google’s parent company Alphabet (GOOGL) is a shining star in the tech world. Despite being one of the largest companies on the planet, in many ways it has lived up to its original “Don’t Be Evil” slogan.
Though it has had its controversies in the realm of data collection and advertising, Google has led a revolution in the tech world on multiple fronts.
First, and foremost, it has officially powered its data centers with 100% renewable energy over the last two years. A massive feat considering exactly how much data Google actually processes.
Not only is Google powering its data centers with renewable energy, it is also on the cutting edge of innovation in the industry, investing in new technology and green solutions to build a more sustainable tomorrow.
Its bid to reduce its carbon footprint has been well received by both younger and older investors. And as the need to slow down climate change becomes increasingly dire, it’s easy to see why.
Facedrive: “The Way To A Greener Future”
A small Canadian company with big ambitions is looking to take on some of the biggest names in personal transportation with a simple, but important philosophy: “take something as simple as hailing a ride, and turn it into a collective force for change.”
Facedrive Inc. (FD.V) has lots going for it.
It’s leveraging the framework built by the indebted ride-sharing giants, Uber and Lyft…
But with a twist.
For the first time in ride-sharing history, Facedrive is giving customers a choice to be more environmentally conscious.
That’s because it’s utilizing new technology to calculate the estimated CO2 emissions for each ride, and allocating a portion of the proceeds accordingly to local organizations to help offset those emissions.
With their partner, Forest Ontario, they have already planted over 3,500 in their soft launch alone.
Not only that, it also gives customers a choice to pick between electric vehicles, hybrids, or traditional cars when they order a ride. That’s something that no ride-hailing service has ever offered.
“We’re all about grabbing onto the biggest trends in tech before they’re mega-trends. So that takes us back to 2016, when we first came up with the idea. Whenever a major new trend emerges, it’s the job of the truly innovative to step back and say ‘OK, this is an explosively great idea – so what’s wrong with it?’ When you figure that out, and you’ve got the right network and the right people behind you, you can jump in on one of the biggest trends and disrupt a massive market at exactly the right time,” Sayan Navaratnam, CEO of Facedrive, said in an interview with Oilprice.com.
This is a big deal as the climate crisis continues to worsen. And investors will certainly take note.
While the giants of the industry scramble to jump on the new movement, Facedrive was there straight out of the starting gate.
And it’s growing. Fast.
It has gone from 100 rides per day to over 1,000 rides per day in a matter of monthsMost startups only dream of that kind of growth. Especially in a market that is becoming increasingly difficult to enter.
And now is when things get serious.
Facedrive is now considering further expansion into the U.S. and/or Europe, and the timing couldn’t be better.
Most of the groundwork was already laid by its much-larger competitors, so it will not need to go into the red and pray for profitability…
They simply need to do exactly what they’re already doing, expand and conquer. The $235 billion global ride-sharing industry is going green with or without the giants…
And that’s great news for Facedrive.
Apple: “Think Different.”
It’s no secret that Apple (AAPL) has always thought outside of the box. And when it brought back Steve Jobs in 1997, the company really took off.
Jobs also paved the way to a greener future for the company.
From the products themselves, to the packages they came in, and even the data centers powering them, Steve Jobs went above and beyond to cut the environmental impact of his company.
After his passing, Tim Cook took these principles to heart, and picked up the torch, transforming all of Apple’s operations into models of a sustainable future.
Now, all of Apple’s operations run on 100% renewable energy.
“We proved that 100 percent renewable is 100 percent doable. All our facilities worldwide—including Apple offices, retail stores, and data centers—are now powered entirely by clean energy. But this is just the beginning of how we’re reducing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. We’re continuing to go further than most companies in measuring our carbon footprint, including manufacturing and product use. And we’re making great progress in those areas too.”
And it’s already having an impact.
Not only have they decreased their average product’s energy use by 70 percent…
They’ve reduced their total carbon footprint by more than 35 percent in just a few short years…
All while securing the title as the World’s First Trillion Dollar Company.
Microsoft: Be What’s Next
Microsoft (MSFT) is one of the most innovative and well-known companies within the tech sector, but its Windows platform is the most widely used operating system on the planet. First launched in 1985, Windows has shaped what is expected from a personal home computer.
But Microsoft is appealing to investors for more just its Windows platform. It is diving head first into an entirely new market. With key partnerships utilizing and implementing blockchain technology, the company’s upside could have huge potential as the tech takes off.
Not only has it always been on the cutting edge of innovation, it’s taking a serious stance on the climate crisis. In fact, it’s pushing so hard that it is aiming to be carbon NEGATIVE by 2030. That’s a huge pledge. And if anyone can do it, it’s Microsoft.
NextEra Energy: “We Heard You”
NextEra (NEE) is the world’s leading producer of wind and solar energy, so it’s no surprise that it has received some love from the ‘millennial dollar.’
In 2018, the company was the number one capital investor in green energy infrastructure, and fifth largest capital investor across all sectors. No other company has been more active in reducing carbon emissions.
And they’re just getting started.
By 2025, the company aims to reduce their own emissions by 67 percent while doubling their electricity production from a 2005 benchmark.
To put this into perspective, if all of America’s utilities were able to achieve NextEra Energy’s projected 2025 emissions rate, absolute CO2 emissions for the power sector would be approximately 75% lower than they were in 2005.
That is huge.
Jim Robo, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of NextEra, explains, “We are deeply committed to doing well by doing good, and that means respecting our environment, providing value for our customers, sustaining our communities, focusing on continuous improvement and innovation, investing in our team and growing shareholder value,”
Total: “Committed to Better Energy”
Despite being one of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, Total (TOT) is worth a look for investors eying greener alternatives.
Total maintains a ‘big picture’ outlook across all of its endeavors. It is not only aware of the needs that are not being met by a significant portion of the world’s growing population, it is also hyper-aware of the looming climate crisis if changes are not made.
In its push to create a better world for all, it has committed to contributing to each of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
From workplace safety and diversity to societal progression and reducing its carbon footprint, Total is checking all of the boxes that the next generation of investors hold close to their hearts.
The International Energy Agency projects that renewables will meet up to 40% of global energy demand within the next 20 years…
And Total will not be left behind.
Through its subsidiaries and new investments, Total is making major waves in the “green revolution.” Already it’s gross low-carbon power generation capacity worldwide is currently nearly 7 gigawatts, of which over 3 gigawatts from renewable energies. And the company estimates that by 2040, up to 40% of its sales could be generated from its portfolio of low-carbon businesses.
Canadian companies are getting involved in the green push, as well:
BCE Inc. (TSX:BCE) is a Canadian giant. Founded in 1980, the company, formally The Bell Telephone Company of Canada is composed of three primary subsidiaries. Bell Wireless, Bell Wireline and Bell Media, however throughout its push into the position of one of Canada’s top telco groups, it has bought and sold a number of different firms.
For the past 25 years, BCE has been at the forefront of the environmental movement. Their environmental management system (EMS) has been certified to be ISO 14001-compliant since 2009.
The Descartes Systems Group Inc. (TSX:DSG) (commonly referred to as Descartes) is a Canadian multinational technology company specializing in logistics software, supply chain management software, and cloud-based services for logistics businesses. The company is making waves in the tech industry with its futuristic products and visionary leadership. Not only is Descartes a leader in Canada’s tech industry, they also have a strong portfolio of renewable investments.
Kinaxis Inc (TSE:KXS) is a provider of cloud-based subscription software for supply chain operations, a key in reducing emissions. The Company offers RapidResponse as a collection of cloud-based configurable applications. The Company’s RapidResponse product provides supply chain planning and analytics capabilities that create the foundation for managing multiple, interconnected supply chain management processes, including demand planning, supply planning, inventory management, order fulfillment and capacity planning.
Computer Modelling Group (TSE:CMG) is a software technology company producing reservoir simulation software for critical infrastructure. Computer Modeling Group LTD. Is a tempting trade for investors as it brings together two essential industries – tech and resources- which are going anywhere any time soon. Especially as the need for security grows, a tech company involved in the oil and gas industry has an incredible opportunity to offer other services.
While Computer Modelling Group focuses on the resource industry, its technology is definitely breaking ground. Founded nearly 40 years ago by Khalid Aziz, a renowned simulation developer, the company has proven that it has staying power. As the resource industry meets technology, this will be a stock to pay attention to.
Shaw Communications Inc (TSE:SJR.B): Shaw Communications, a giant in the Canadian telecoms sector, saw a drop in its share price following its disappointing forecasted earnings growth in 2017. In a sector that is set to see growth, undervalued and experienced companies such as this can make for a great hold play.
Not only is Shaw a leader in Canada’s communications industry, it is also working hard towards reducing its carbon footprint, and even building out a portfolio of clean energy investments.
**IMPORTANT! BY READING OUR CONTENT YOU EXPLICITLY AGREE TO THE FOLLOWING. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY**
This publication contains forward-looking information which is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements in this publication include that the demand for ride sharing services will grow; that the demand for environmentally conscientious ride sharing services companies in particular will grow; that Facedrive will be able to fund its capital requirements in the near term and long term; and that Facedrive will be able to carry out its business plan. These forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Risks that could change or prevent these statements from coming to fruition include changing governmental laws and policies; the company’s ability to obtain and retain necessary licensing in each geographical area in which it operates; the success of the company’s expansion activities; the ability of the company to attract a sufficient number of drivers to meet the demands of customer riders; the ability of the company to attract drivers who have electric vehicles and hybrid cars; the ability of the company to keep operating costs and customer charges competitive with other ride-hailing companies; and the company’s ability to continue agreements on affordable terms with existing or new tree planting enterprises. The forward-looking information contained herein is given as of the date hereof and we assume no responsibility to update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law.
ADVERTISEMENT. This communication is not a recommendation to buy or sell securities. An affiliated company of Oilprice.com, Advanced Media Solutions Ltd, and their owners, managers, employees, and assigns (collectively “the Company”) has signed an agreement to be paid in shares to provide services to expand ridership and attract drivers in certain jurisdictions outside Canada and the United States. In addition, the owner of Oilprice.com has acquired additional shares of FaceDrive (TSX:FD.V) for personal investment. This compensation and share acquisition resulting in the beneficial owner of the Company having a major share position in FD.V is a major conflict with our ability to be unbiased, more specifically:
This communication is for entertainment purposes only. Never invest purely based on our communication. Therefore, this communication should be viewed as a commercial advertisement only. We have not investigated the background of the featured company. Frequently companies profiled in our alerts experience a large increase in volume and share price during the course of investor awareness marketing, which often end as soon as the investor awareness marketing ceases. The information in our communications and on our website has not been independently verified and is not guaranteed to be correct.
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We have already reported before about the Beck’s Green Box Project, bringing together an incredible line-up of artists for a virtual reality showcase. Some of you might remember the Dr. Romanelli skull from a while ago.
Last week the project officially launched in Berlin with a special event at Soho House. For the occasion, FriendsWithYou has created a very cool augmented reality animation, which be seen at the Brandenburger Tor in Berlin at the moment. The artwork can be seen through the Beck’s Key App with your smartphone, tablet computer and/or iPad. Basically you open up the app, point your devices camera at the Beck’s Green Box and the box acts like a QR code reader, pulling up a different artwork at every location. At the Brandenburger Tor the above FriendsWithYou artwork appears on your screen, hovering above the iconic Berlin landmark.
At the event at Soho House in Berlin, they demonstrated live the artworks of LuckyMe and Reed + Rader. Similar to the above procedure, at the center of attention of the event, was the Beck’s Green Box, with each side of the cube showing a different artwork when pointed at with a device that has the app.
Furthermore Beck’s has launched a pop-up space on Torstrasse at the Appel Design Gallery, where you also find a cube and they further explain you how the 4D augmented reality art works.
Check out a video interview with FriendsWithYou here below.
Take a look at a full event recap after the jump.


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Artist Ruramai Rudo Musekiwa Celebrates Phenomenal African Women for South Africa’s National Women’s Day.
Ruramai Rudo Musekiwa is a Zimbabwe-born, Johannesburg-based artist and activist. She is also the founder of the Sibahle Movement. The movement is a lifestyle brand that utilizes social media, digital media, and a diverse range of imagery and branding to promote positive images of African women and celebrate Africanism.
According to the movement’s website,
The overarching vision of this movement is that every African person that becomes aware of this space, internalises this truth. We are beautiful in all our unique and colorful ways and it is only when we fully embrace the beauty that lies in our uniqueness that we can truly live from a place of power.
The word “Sibahle” means “We Are Beautiful.”
As part of the movement and in celebration of South African Women’s Day, August 9th, Musekiwa created a series of posters to honor influential and inspirational African women from all over the continent.
“The statement it seeks to make, is that our young girls can and should find inspiration right here, within the continent, within our context as a people. Women are the pillars of our society and it is imperative that we pay homage to inspirational women that not only radiate authenticity and passion within their respective crafts, but also understand how their purpose is connected to others (Ubuntu),” Musekiwa said in a press release.
The Kenyan actress has been outspoken about colorism and gay rights.
Award-winning South African Singer and ambassador.
The South African musician has received global accolades for her talents.
South African writer, actor, and poet.
Winnie Madikizela Mandela
South African activist and politician
The South Sudanese model is also a missionary and human rights advocate.
Chimanda Ngozie Adichie
Adichie is a noted novelist and feminist writer.
South African model, and television and radio personality.
South African singer and civil rights activist.
South African fashion model and media personality.
South Africa media personality.
South African singer-songwriter who has been hailed as the “new Miriam Makeba”.
Kenyan-born, South African raised stylist and fashion consultant.


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The Board of Indian Diamond and Colorstone Association (IDCA) has announced Ben Bridge Jeweler is the “Retailer of the Year” honoree. The jeweler will be honored June 11 at the IDCA’s 38th Annual Awards Gala in Las Vegas.
The IDCA stated, for over 100 years, Ben Bridge has had a singular mission: help customers celebrate special moments and a commitment to quality jewelry, best possible values, and exceptional personal service. Ben Bridge Jeweler has over 30 retail stores in 9 states. In 2000, Ben Bridge Jeweler became a part of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. The company remains family-run with five generations of Bridges still working at the company.
Lisa Bridge, President and CEO of Ben Bridge Jeweler, will be accepting the award on behalf of Ben Bridge Jeweler. As the fifth generation in the company, Lisa honors the heritage of Ben Bridge while driving it towards future growth. In 2015, Ben Bridge launched the Lisa Bridge Collection, a fashionable jewelry collection designed by Lisa. She is a Certified Gemologist from the American Gem Society where she acts as President-Elect of the Board of Directors and previously chaired the Education Committee. Additionally, Lisa serves on the board of Jeweler’s for Children and the Advisory Board of the Black in Jewelry Coalition.
The IDCA Las Vegas Gala will take place on Saturday, June 11th, 2022, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm, Murano Ballroom at the Venetian during the JCK Las Vegas Show.


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EVER since foreign investors staked out the United States as a fertile area for their money, the managements of some American companies have feared that such investments could be a prelude to a takeover.
Even a passive foreign investment, some executives felt, was no guarantee that an unfriendly partner might not lurk in the wings.
That might well be the sentiment at Dillard Department Stores of Little Rock, Ark., one of the nation's fastest-growing retailers. A decade ago, a $24 million investment by Vendex International N.V. of the Netherlands allowed Dillard to expand from its small-city confines to become a major regional operator. Later, Vendex bought an additional $66 million of stock in Dillard.
Vendex's stake has now swelled in value to an estimated $570 million, or 41 percent of Dillard. And William Dillard Sr., the retailer's chairman and founder, wants to buy out Vendex. Should Dillard repurchase the class A shares that Vendex owns, it would be the first major buyback of a foreign investment by an American retailer.
''We would like to repurchase the Vendex stock and redistribute a part of it to many investors and so create a larger market for our stock,'' Mr. Dillard said. ''But, obviously, we don't want to do anything that would inhibit our growth.''Continue reading the main story
Some retail executives said Mr. Dillard was unsettled by the retirement last summer of Dr. Anton C. R. Dreesmann, Vendex's chairman and chief executive. Mr. Dillard declined to discuss the matter.
''We have had very friendly relations with the Dutch investor who showed much confidence in us at a formative part of our development,'' he said. ''We needed money to expand and they came through and it has helped us greatly to grow.''
Since that first investment, Dillard has expanded to 150 stores from 44, and annual sales have increased to an estimated $3.3 billion from $391 million. The company has become the nation's largest family-run, publicly owned department-store operator, and its growth has been among the best in retailing between 1982 and 1987, averaging 25.4 percent in sales and 33.7 percent in gross income.
Dr. Dreesmann remains on the supervisory board of Vendex, which named Abraham Verhoef as interim chief executive at least until early next year. With 1988 sales of about $10 billion, Vendex is the largest retail concern in the Netherlands. In the United States, Vendex owns 50 percent of B. Dalton, the book chain, and of Software Etc., a computer programming retailer.
''Unless someone else becomes available to run their business, it will probably be sold along with their investment of $500 million in our company,'' Mr. Dillard said of Vendex. ''We have the right of first refusal if that interest is sold and the voting rights in the stock for the next five and a half years.''
The Dillard management has made no formal approach to buy the Vendex interest, said Arnold Becker, president of Vendamerica Inc. of Greenwich, Conn., a wholly owned subsidiary of Vendex.
Mr. Dillard wants to buy the Vendex shares because he feels that the Dutch company has floundered since Dr. Dreesmann stepped down, some retail executives said.
The Dutch stake in Dillard, which consisted of several separate stock purchases, was one of the first foreign investments in American retailing. It remained a passive one compared with some others, which eventually grew to majority positions and takeovers.
The descendant of farmers and small-town retailers, Mr. Dillard opened his first store in 1938 in Nashville, Ark., after working for seven months at Sears, Roebuck & Company. A year later, he married Alexa Latimer, whose father owned a combination hardware-furniture-funeral business in town. Mrs. Dillard advised and helped her husband in his business and operated it while he served in the Navy during World War II.
Dillard's per-share earnings in the current fiscal year ended Jan. 31 should rise 22 percent, Mr. Loeb said, to $3.45 from $2.83 a year ago.Continue reading the main story


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Uber Eats, the on-line foodstuff-shipping and delivery support owned by
Uber Technologies Inc.,
will operate a professional through the Tremendous Bowl on Feb. 7.
The match will also aspect an advertisement from rival
The adverts are the initially Super Bowl appearances for both models, which are chasing new business as well as profitability in a extremely competitive and speedy-escalating sector.
The 60-next commercial from Uber Eats will characteristic comedians
and Dana Carvey reprising their roles as Wayne and Garth from the “Wayne’s World” flicks and “Saturday Night Live” sketches.
DoorDash explained on Jan. 22 that it would make its debut overall look on the Super Bowl advert roster this yr to promote its delivery choices over and above cafe food stuff. Its personal moment-prolonged spot will star actor and rapper
along with “Sesame Street” Muppets which includes Large Chicken, Cookie Monster and Grover.
The firms are shopping for Super Bowl advertisements following a year of expansion during the lockdowns of the coronavirus pandemic. Gross bookings for Uber Eats much more than doubled in the 3rd quarter in comparison with the equivalent period a calendar year earlier and rose 23% from the former quarter.
Buyer investing on on the net food stuff-shipping and delivery products and services in the U.S. will whole $71.8 billion in 2021, up from $61.5 billion in 2020 and $33.5 billion in 2019, in accordance to
an fairness analyst masking the U.S. internet field at
“Delivery is absolutely much more applicable to people’s life this calendar year than at any time before,” said
vice president of world-wide marketing and advertising at Uber Systems.
Mr. Ranese explained he welcomed DoorDash’s existence in the sport. “The Super Bowl is a definitely large stage, so there is area for lots of manufacturers,” he explained.
The on-line shipping and delivery business enterprise is the scene of intensive competitors and significant charges. Uber Eats shed $182 million in the third quarter on an altered foundation, though its losses are narrowing.
DoorDash more than tripled revenue in the third quarter, in contrast with the calendar year-before period of time, but swung back to a reduction just after posting a revenue in the next quarter.
Although on the net meals-shipping and delivery providers will need to accumulate loyal shoppers, neither the pandemic nor the Tremendous Bowl can assurance repeat business, stated
guide online analyst at Truist Securities.
“Clearly scale is what finally drives profitability, and the $64,000 dilemma is how substantially of that is truly pandemic-pushed as opposed to a transform in shopper behavior, and honestly we’re however in the middle of it,” Mr. Squali explained. “So it is quite difficult to parse it out. My most effective guess correct now is it’s a mix of both of those.”
The brand name consciousness that a Super Bowl business can deliver is crucial, but the services’ best intention is having individuals to signal up for their membership memberships, Mr. Squali extra.
which will broadcast the Tremendous Bowl on CBS, has been trying to find about $5.5 million for 30-second spots throughout the game.
Generate to Nat Ives at [email protected]
Copyright ©2020 Dow Jones & Organization, Inc. All Legal rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8


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Getting More Return This Tax Season
February 22, 2010
SPECIAL REPORT — A stimulus-fueled tax change could put cash back into the pockets of qualifying entrepreneurs.
Small business owners can take advantage of a tax maneuver called “loss carry back.” When a business books a profit, it pays income tax on its earnings. But if the business then turns a loss in later years, tax rules allow the business to “carry back” its loss and deduct the money from earlier profits. By filing an amended tax return for the earlier, profitable year, the business can claim an immediate refund on the taxes it paid.
IRS rules usually let companies carry back a loss into the prior two years. That means a business with a loss in 2009 could go back and amend its 2007 taxes, but any profits from 2006 or 2005 would be untouchable. However, last year’s Recovery Act extended the window for small companies, allowing businesses with average annual sales of $15 million or less to carry their 2008 losses back five years. In November, Congress again expanded the tax break even further, allowing businesses of all sizes to carry their 2008 and 2009 losses back for five years.
Click here for more information on how it works.
In Category: Headlines
Related: Stimulus, Taxes


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Amazon's Kindle devices run a custom version of Android that, until today, supported full-disk encryption. Now they don't.
The latest update to Amazon's Fireos disabled full-disk encryption. If you run the update and then lose your device, whomever finds it will be able to see any private or sensitive information you've stored on it (if you don't run the update, you won't get patches and your device will be liable to being taken over by hackers).
The move comes as Apple and the FBI are fighting in court over whether the government can force companies to make tools to backdoor their own security measures, and as the US Congress is contemplating legislation that would ban effective encryption in US-manufactured devices.
Ironically, Amazon's Kindle/Fire platform does use encryption: Digital Rights Management. The company uses DRM to control how you use your ebooks (though publishers can opt out if they choose to), and refuses outright to carry audiobooks unless rightsholders allow them to encrypt them with Amazon's DRM.
For privacy and encryption advocates, this move goes against the recent trend to make encryption available by default, and puts Amazon customers’ data at risk, given that they won’t be able to protect the information in their tablets and phones with encryption.
“This is a terrible move as it compromises the safety of Kindle Fire owners by making their data vulnerable to all manner of bad actors, including crackers and repressive governments,” Ari Balkan, a coder, human rights activist, and owner of a Kindle Fire, told Motherboard. “It’s clear with this move that Amazon does not respect the safety of its customers.”
Amazon Quietly Removes Encryption Support from its Gadgets
Well, this sounds like potentially a pretty big deal. Facebook is using smartphone location data to recommend new friends to users, which suggests many possible privacy invasions. This is also a technique NSA uses to track surveillance targets.
Mian Wei, a Chinese student at the Rhode Island School of Design, has created an experimental series of fake fingertips with randomly generated fingerprints that work with Apple and Android fingerprint authentication schemes, as well as many others.
If you’re a student journalist and want to attend HOPE XI, the Eleventh Hackers on Planet Earth conference (July 22-24, NYC) you can win free admission (and an interview with me!) by submitting an article about any of the topics come up at HOPE conferences! Get writing!
Taking pictures can be challenging. There are a million factors that can influence each shot you take – and unless you’re a trained photographer, you often just focus, click…and cross your fingers.Of course, you can take some of the ambiguity out of your picture-taking with this Hollywood Art Institute Photography Course & Certification package, now […]
Experienced shutterbugs with DSLR cameras have boatloads of lens options for capturing the moment. Unfortunately, smartphone photographers often get stuck with their one crummy lens, which means limited zoom and focus for their final image.Step up your smartphone’s photographic power with the Acesori 5-Piece Smartphone Camera Lens Kit, now just $9.99 in the Boing Boing Store.Magnetic rings easily […]
Some truths are universal. For one, your phone will always run out of power when you most need it. For another, the charging cords that come packaged with your Apple device will fray, split, and rip faster than Usain Bolt in a game of tag.Instead, pick up a charging cord that anyone would have a tough […]


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Twitter has announced the launch of Twitter Lite, a web-based experience designed to minimize data usage, quickly load slow connections, and use less storage space on devices.
To check, simply log in to mobile.twitter.com directly from the device - the version will be available in the web browser.
"The novelty uses less than 1MB in storage, brings a more than 30% increase in startup speed, as well as browsing in general, and offers the main features of Twitter - timeline, Tweets, Direct Messages (DMs), trending Topics, profiles, media uploads, notifications and offline support, "the social network has published.
"In addition, Twitter Lite will bring four new features that will help improve the consumer experience: lower data consumption, device home screen icon, push notifications, and feature enhancements that open within the native application."
Twitter Lite uses Google's Progressive Web App (PWA) technology to deliver a native app-like experience and has additional features in Google Chrome for Android devices.
You can receive a wide range of notifications to be alerted about what's happening on Twitter throughout the day and also access it offline so that the consumer experience on Twitter is not interrupted even if the internet connection temporarily drops .


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Domino’s launches $50 Wagyu pizza
Australian pizza restaurant Company Domino’s Pizza Enterprises (Domino’s) has launched a $50 Wagyu beef pizza, the Wagyu Duet.
Domino’s says the new produce demonstrates its strategy of offering a “premium range with restaurant-quality” ingredients, the $50 pizza is actually two pizzas in a specially designed box. The two pizzas are Wagyu 3 Ways and Wagyu and Truffle Hollandaise.
“It’s all about the marrying of flavours and creating harmony with the ingredients,” said Don Meij, Domino’s Group CEO.
The Wagyu 3 ways is stacked with three types of premium Wagyu (rib, bresoala and sausage) as well as smokey rasher bacon, 100 per cent ground beef and a “zesty” tomato capsicum. The Wagyu and Truffle Hollandaise combines truffle hollandaise, Wagyu rib fillet and camembert cheese.
“It really is our most indulgent pizza,” Mr Meij said.
Purchased from butchers and restaurants at an average of $100 per kilogram, Domino’s said consumers would find it “challenging to find the same amount of quality wagyu for this value”.
“It’s rare to get the same quantity of quality wagyu grade of six plus marble score from any leading restaurant for the same price. In most cases you’ll pay over $50 for a restaurant quality cut of wagyu – and that’s just for the steak alone,” Mr Meij said.
Domino’s said the Wagyu Duet “can feed over four people at $14 per head”.
The Wagyu Duet pizza box is available for a limited time only.
Domino’s Pizza Enterprises was Australia’s first publicly-listed pizza company and is the master franchisor for the Domino’s Pizza brand in Australia, New Zealand, France, Belgium, The Netherlands and Japan. Across these six markets, DPE and its franchisees operate over 1,250 stores.
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Even homeowners could be in danger of lawyers trying to cash in on coronavirus
By Daniel Fisher
They’ve already sued cruise ship operators, soap manufacturers and insurance companies, but COVID-19 will give entrepreneurial lawyers plenty more opportunities to make money by targeting nursing homes, hospitals, pharmaceutical manufacturers, retailers and possibly even homeowners over the disease.
“Plaintiff lawyers right now are trying to think about possible classes” they can assemble into lawsuits, said Victor Schwartz, co-chair of the Public Policy Group at Shook Hardy & Bacon and lead author of a 2009 article that predicted shortages of N-95 respirators in a pandemic because of tort litigation.
“Trial lawyers are capitalists, after all.”
To that point, law firms that specialize in nursing-home litigation are blitzing the internet in search of clients whose “loved one sustained a serious infectious disease” due to the novel coronavirus. Already preparing for likely defenses, TW Law in Orlando, Fla., advises potential clients that causation might be tough to prove with a disease as widely distributed as COVID-19, but plaintiffs will have a better chance if there’s a “unique set of circumstances” such as strong evidence the victim got sick in a hospital.
A handful of law firms including Milberg Phillips Grossman formed a “Coronavirus Task Force” to bring lawsuits over securities fraud, false claims, negligence and foreclosures, among other things. One adventurous law firm in Florida even sued the People’s Republic of China, blaming it for allowing Hubei Province to become “essentially a giant Petri dish” spreading the novel coronavirus to the world.
Grocery stores and pharmacies are also likely targets for coronavirus lawsuits, simply because they have insurance and plaintiff lawyers have plenty of experience suing them over slip-and-falls and other injuries. Proving causation again will be difficult, as stores will undoubtedly argue the plaintiff caught the disease somewhere else. But creative plaintiff lawyers will likely produce evidence showing their clients only left the house to buy groceries or pick up needed medicine, leaving the stores as the most plausible site of transmission.
Manufacturers of products designed to protect against catching COVID-19 are likely to face more lawsuits like the class actions filed against Gojo Industries, which makes Purell hand sanitizer. Citing a January warning from the Food and Drug Administration that Gojo may have overstated the effectiveness of Purell, plaintiff lawyers sued the company in March, accusing it of misleading consumers.
Class action lawyers are also likely to prepare massive lawsuits seeking “medical monitoring” payments for millions of people, exploiting an emerging theory that some courts have endorsed in which plaintiffs receive money that they are supposed to use for future medical tests after being exposed to a hazardous substance.
In a tacit acknowledgment that trial lawyers may have exacerbated the shortage of N-95 respirators, Congress gave mask manufacturers limited protection from liability suits under the Families First Coronavirus Act signed by President Trump last month. But that only happened after more than a decade of mostly behind-the-scenes combat between the manufacturers of safety equipment and trial lawyers who started suing over respirators after they drove most of the companies that made and sold asbestos into bankruptcy.
A Mississippi jury tagged 3M for $150 million in an asbestos trial in 2005, for example, after most of the other defendants dropped out. The Mississippi Supreme Court ultimately reversed the decision but despite this victory, 3M has paid out hundreds of millions of dollars to settle respirator claims. One effect of all the litigation was to shift production of N-95 masks overseas, just as the federal government was trying to build stockpiles of the masks for a potential pandemic.
Congress temporarily protected the respirator industry by including it in the PREP Act, which prohibits many kinds of lawsuits against companies that develop, make or use medical equipment used during a public health emergency. But the law only applies during pandemics or terrorism-related emergencies and doesn’t cover “willful misconduct,” which some courts interpret broadly.
Insurance also will be a rich area for litigation. Many commercial insurance companies added exclusions for epidemic diseases after the SARS outbreak, limiting the potential for lawsuits over the failure to provide business-interruption insurance. But lawyers will likely try to tap homeowners and liability policies on behalf of clients who caught COVID-19 in a residence.
Most such efforts to sue over HIV infection failed, as insurers were able to argue the transmission of the disease was a deliberate act not covered under the policies. But negligence theories might work with COVID-19, since uninfected people can pass on the disease unless they practice vigorous protective measures like social distancing.
COVID-19 does present some challenges for trial lawyers. Causation is the biggest, since the disease is a pandemic and plaintiffs will have difficulty identifying exactly where and when they were infected. Defendants also will make a traditional assumption-of-the-risk argument: When even small children know the dangers of the disease and the fundamentals of social distancing, plaintiffs will be hard-pressed to argue they didn’t know they could be infected by shopping for groceries.
Unfortunately for many defendants, lawyers get to choose where they sue and they will gravitate toward courts with judges who are lenient on causation and strict on assumption of the risk. Medical-monitoring class actions are likely to crop up in places such as West Virginia, which has embraced the concept, or in federal courts where judges interpreting state law have determined the legal theory will apply.
A federal judge in Ohio last year refused to dismiss a proposed class action on behalf of virtually everyone in the U.S. seeking medical monitoring for exposure to the ubiquitous chemical PFAS, for example. Expect many more of these related to coronavirus unless Congress and states step in to prevent it.


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In the 2020 Year-End Review Recreational Vehicle (RV) Market Insights, analysts from J.D. Power Specialty Valuation Services say that used RV pricing increased overall as more consumers entered the RV market amid air travel restrictions. Used values are also being pushed up due to lack of new inventory.
"Every segment of our industry saw values increase in 2020, with most segments not seeing any seasonal pullback in values," said Lenny Sims, vice president business development and strategy at J.D. Power Specialty Valuation Services. "Standard hitch units brought 7.4% more revenue in 2020 than in 2019, and that gap widened in the second half of the year. Fifth-wheel units had already started the year strong before the pandemic hit, and the segment really took off as the year progressed, averaging 13.7% more revenue year over year."
Check out the major findings in the JD Power quarterly report here.


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For women who assembled iPhones at a Foxconn plant in southern India, crowded dorms without flush toilets and food sometimes crawling with worms were problems to be endured for the paycheck.
BEIJING (Reuters): Samsung Electronics and Micron Technology, two of the world's largest memory chip makers, warned that strict Covid-19 curbs in the Chinese city of Xi'an could disrupt their chip manufacturing bases in the area.
Seoul: South Korea’s ex-president Park Geun-hye (pic) received a pardon, cutting short a jail term of more than 20 years for corruption with her successor saying he granted it in the interest of national unity.
SEOUL (AFP): South Korea's ex-president Park Geun-hye has received a pardon, cutting short a jail term of more than 20 years for corruption, the justice minister announced Friday (Dec 24), saying the reprieve was in the interests of national unity.
SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korea's President Moon Jae-in granted a pardon to former President Park Geun-hye, who was in prison after being convicted of corruption, the justice ministry said on Friday, amid a tight presidential race.
IN September 2021, at the unveiling of the 12th Malaysia Plan, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced Malaysia’s commitment to become carbon neutral as early as 2050. To substantially decarbonise the Malaysian economy, the power sector has a crucial role to play.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. officials are considering tough export control measures to disrupt Russia's economy should Russian President Vladmir Putin invade Ukraine, a Biden administration official told Reuters.
Australian retailer Harvey Norman has opened its latest superstore in Kuala Lumpur’s newest shopping destination Pavilion Bukit Jalil, making this its 27th store across Malaysia.
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Northvolt Chief Executive Peter Carlsson wants to take on his old boss Elon Musk with the greenest electric vehicle batteries in the world. But he needs to start producing them first.
Last year, ‘Knives Out’ and ‘The Last Jedi’ director Rian Johnson made some waves in the entertainment industry by claiming that Apple wouldn’t let villainous characters use iPhones on film.


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TORONTO — After decades of a deep pricing chasm between U.S. and Canada on some retail goods, most notably books and cars, the gap appears to have narrowed substantially, according to a new economic report.
"(Prices) now compare surprisingly well, even with the recent dramatic sprint in the loonie," said the report Wednesday from Douglas Porter, chief economist at BMO Capital Markets.
Porter and a research team looked at a basket of goods and found them to be just 6.8 per cent more expensive in Canada than in the U.S. before taxes, adjusted to current exchange rates.
That gap is "significantly narrower than we have found in the past," the economist noted in the report. In June 2008, the price spread was above 18 per cent, and Porter's 2007 analysis pegged the price differential at 24 per cent.
Much of the recent narrowing is due to the drop in the Canadian dollar since parity against the greenback a year ago, Porter said.
"But there has also clearly been some underlying price chopping going on in the past year in Canada, which has carved into the spread. While there are still some items where significant gaps remain, there are other areas where previously wide differentials have been all but eliminated."
Most notably, a sampling of eight cars revealed a price difference of just one per cent between the U.S. and Canada, a vast difference from the average 17 per cent price premium on cars sold in Canada found in a 2006 analysis by Canadian Driver. The same survey found that entry level vehicles generally had the lowest gap (under 10 per cent) while luxury cars had Canadian price premiums of 15 per cent to 25 per cent.
Books, another category that has drawn tremendous consumer scrutiny since the rise of online bookselling, cost 11 per cent less in the U.S. at regular prices, but at sale prices there was no difference between the two countries.
The change is due in part to retailers pricing more aggressively in Canada, Porter suggests. "Little more than a year ago, the spread was as much as 20 per cent on both (cars and books)."
Others, such as Crate and Barrel, which entered Canada last year and said it would keep its prices similar to those of the U.S. chain, likely take a hit on margin. A Mandarin sideboard, priced at $1,099 Cdn, is just one per cent higher than the same piece of furniture in the U.S. But a Pottery Barn Kids table priced at $419 Cdn is 11 per cent higher than the same item in the U.S.
Meanwhile, some goods are still priced at a significant premium, according to Porter's analysis. Identical barbecues were priced 37 per cent higher in Canada, magazines were 14 per cent higher and chainsaws were 25 per cent higher.
There are numerous reasons why goods typically cost more in Canada, said retailing consultant Wendy Evans, president of Evans and Company Consultants Inc. They include currency fluctuations and time lags between the wholesale purchase and the retail point of sale, bilingual labelling, import taxes and higher distribution costs.
"It is an interesting reflection on the Canadian market trying to move to greater price competitiveness because (retailers) recognize that they do not want to lose any business across the border and online," Evans said of the BMO report. "They are sharpening their pencils."
When the dollar reached parity last year, she noted, "there was a great hue and cry and lots of pressure on Canadian retailers to lower their prices as (the pricing divide) became so much more obvious."
"Zone" pricing, whereby retailers in major markets or with outlets close to the national border price goods more cheaply in order to dissuade cross-border shopping, complicates all spot price assessments, Evans added. "I was in the U.S. last week and bought three books and they were all more than 12 per cent (cheaper)" than in Canada, she said.
The BMO report said the price-cutting by Canadian retailers is not likely resulting in a corresponding inflation drop because the loonie's descent over last year led to higher food prices in Canada and has kept energy prices from falling as far as they have in the U.S.
But the news is not all that rosy for Canadian consumers, unless they go on a shopping spree post-haste. After climbing 20 per cent in less than five months, if the dollar makes a return to parity, price differentials will naturally widen again to about 15 per cent, BMO estimates.
That could in turn inspire Canadians to cross-border shop, hurting domestic retail sales.


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Cardiff, Wales - Alar Engineering, an engineering firm specializing in sub-contract manufacturing of precision sheet metal components, has invested in the latest precision laser cutting machining technology in a move that will increase its capacity and create five jobs.
The £410,000 ($613,189) Amada LCG 3015 CO2 laser cutter with an automated material handling system is believed to be the first in Wales. It is currently being commissioned at headquarters on the Portmanmoor Road Industrial Estate in Cardiff. The investment was supported by £100,000 ($149,542) in repayable business finance from the Welsh Government, and will create five new jobs for skilled machinery operators and safeguard a further 10 jobs.
Alar Engineering has a wide-ranging customer base across a number of sectors, including the electronics industry and power distribution and generation. Sales director Paul Soulsby said the company operated in a highly competitive market, which is worth more than £1 billon ($1.4 billion) in the UK and had to maintain a competitive edge by constantly updating equipment to keep up with the latest technology. "Alar Engineering has invested extensively in technology since it was founded in 1981 and this latest laser cutting equipment means we can increase capacity, respond faster to the needs of customers, and offer a very flexible service," he adds. "It also gives us new capabilities and will open up new opportunities from both existing customers and new clients. We have a growing order book, as many of our customers are experiencing an upturn in business, and we are also winning contracts from new customers."


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Drawing more than 11,000 attendees and 400 exhibitors, the 2015 Pool and Spa show opened at Atlantic City Convention Center on Jan. 26.
Local Atlantic City businesses are expected to directly benefit from the activity at the Convention Center this week. The estimated delegate spending is expected to reach more than $9 million. In addition, 7,885 hotel rooms have been contracted by Convention Center visitors throughout the week.
“The Pool and Spa show is one of the biggest events for our convention center and Atlantic City each year,” said Karen Totaro, general manager, Global Spectrum, Atlantic City Convention Center. “The fact that the show is now in its 34th year is a testament to both the quality programming and exhibit floor they put together each year, and the show’s longstanding successful relationship with Atlantic City. We look forward to hosting them for many years to come.”
The 2015 Pool and Spa show will provide attendees with access to the latest product and service innovations available. The multi-day agenda will offer technical training courses and business seminars, which will give attendees the tools they need to take their business to the next level. To learn more, visit thepoolspashow.com.
The busy week at the Convention Center comes on the heels of a sold-out concert by Fleetwood Mac at Historic Boardwalk Hall this past weekend. On Saturday, Jan. 24, more than 13,000 fans packed the arena for the band’s first performance in Atlantic City since 2009.
The concertgoers contributed significantly to local businesses during their visit to Atlantic City and a post-event survey to online ticket purchasers indicated:
- 75 percent of ticketholders dined in Atlantic City restaurants before or after the event
- 49 percent of ticketholders spent more than $200 during their time in A.C. outside of Boardwalk Hall on food, gambling, accommodations or retail
- 47 percent of ticketholders stayed at an Atlantic City hotel during their visit for the concert
- 68 percent of ticketholders traveled more than 50 miles for the concert


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What will be the most-used medium for consuming mobile content in the future: the web or apps? It’s a question that gets hotly debated, and a pair of funding deals underscores the fact that people are continuing to back both horses. Urban Airship, which adds functionality to apps, has picked up $15 million; while Strangeloop, which optimizes the speed of mobile (and online) web sites, has picked up $10 million.
The $15-million Urban Airship deal was led by strategic investors Verizon and Salesforce, with participation also from existing investors Foundry Group and True Ventures. This is the third round of funding for the company, which has raised $21 million to date.
Urban Airship, which gives developers tools to incorporate services like push notifications and payments into their apps for iOS, Blackberry and Android devices, says in a blog post announcing the deal that it has seen explosive growth in the last year, with a 1000 percent increase in traffic to its APIs this month. Currently the company is processing some one billion notifications per month, with seven billion tallied so far this year.
The Verizon investment in Urban Airship points to how carriers continue to hold out hope that they will play a part the growth of mobile services, not just as passive networks but as active players. It’s not clear now whether Verizon already provides some of its billing and location services as a back end to Urban Airship, but something like this could well be on the cards. Salesforce, meanwhile, is seeing a lot of growth of its mobile services, and you can equally see how it would open up new doors of opportunity for a company like this to integrate Urban Airship’s offering into its wider framework enabling enterprise support systems.
Although we are still seeing a lot of money being pumped into smaller companies that are enabling different aspects of app production, there are also signs that there is some consolidation also starting to take shape. Urban Airship itself just last week acquired a competing platform, SimpleGeo.
Strangeloop. The $10 million raised by Vancouver, Canada-based Strangeloop, meawhile, is the second round of funding for the startup, which has now picked up around $22 million to date.
The actual investors have not been named, although TechCrunch reports that they are a group of “Canadian super angels.”
Strangeloop, which started life as a company focused on speeding up the load time for web pages as viewed on PCs, has more recently moved into offering its product for mobile web pages as well. Getting these, and the mobile web “apps” that are starting to appear in increasing numbers, up to speed will be essential if those promoting the mobile web over apps want to claim better performance: today, as a general rule (although not in all cases), native apps tend to show faster performance than those designed for the mobile web.
Through its literally-titled Mobile Site Optimizer product, Strangeloop offers different tools to enhance sites built on standards like HTML5 and SPDY from Google.
The company’s CEO, Jonathan Bixby, wrote in a blog post that the company has seen 200 percent growth quarter on quarter, and counts big names like eBay (NSDQ: EBAY), Visa and Travelocity among its customers.
He adds that the funding will be used to expand its business, particularly in Europe, Asia and Latin America — three regions where he says the company is seeing “huge market demand.”


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New car sales in China rose 22.6 percent in May to 1.28 million units from a year earlier, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) said. That beat the 1.2 million average of seven analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
From January to May, deliveries climbed 5.5 percent to 6.33 million, continuing an uptrend which started in April.
The strong rebound by Toyota Motor and Honda Motor, which both suffered severe shortages of parts a year ago after northern Japan’s devastating earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, also pushed up the monthly tally.
Rao Da, secretary-general of the association, attributed the higher sales to the launch of new models and the Beijing auto show which unleashed more pent-up demand to buy cars.
Production of passenger vehicles rose by 21.5 percent in May to 1.26 million units, bringing the supply surplus for the past five months to 447,440 units from 364,958 units in April.


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Hewlett Packard the world’s largest maker of printer and printer inks is charging Australian consumers more than double, what US consumers pay for a Hewlett Packard (HP) 02 Ink Cartridge Value 6 Pack.
Back in January 2008 when the Australian dollar was hovering around the $0.85 cents to the US dollar, Officeworks was selling a Hewlett Packard (HP) 02 Ink Cartridge Value 6 Pack for $49.95.
That same HP Value Pack is now $89.96 despite the dollar rising to $0.93 last week.
In the USA Best Buy is selling the same Hewlett Packard 02 Ink Cartridge Value 6 Pack for US$39.99 or A$43.00.
Last week Hewlett Packard Australia launched a major radio and print advertising campaign in Australia, warning consumers of the perils of buying non HP ink. They have also invested millions into establishing their own ink police force in Asia in an effort to catch organisations that are manufacturing counterfeit HP ink which is selling in some Australian stores for half the price of the genuine HP inks sold at Officeworks.
HP are claiming that to avoid excess costs, spillage and waste consumers should purchase, high quality, reliable HP Original Ink & Toner Cartridges that work every time to provide the “best quality and value”.
What they don’t tell consumers is that they can buy the same ink from US web sites for half the price.
Recently Best Buy in the US said that they will now start shipping to International consumers via a US address. This allows freight Companies and third party organisations to take delivery of the Best Buy products and then on ship it to Australia.
Research done by SmartHouse reveals that the cost of freight to Australia adds approximately $10 to the US cost of the advertised HP Ink which combined with a purchase price of $43 makes the US purchase $36 cheaper than the advertised price for HP Inks in Officeworks.
At the time of writing this story Hewlett Packard had not responded to our request for an explanation of their Australian pricing.
If you want to communicate with me on this issue send an email to firstname.lastname@example.org


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Just Mobile is an Apple accessory manufacturer that has produced some very unique, award-winning products for Mac and iOS devices. Our sister site Engadget recently had an opportunity to sit down with Just Mobile co-founders Erich Huang and Nils Gustafsson, talk about the company's relationship with Apple and why it recently moved all of its manufacturing to Taiwan.
We've looked at a number of Just Mobile's products in the past, including the Alupen stylus, the Gum Plus battery pack, Highway Pro car charger and the AluCube Mini cable organizer. The company announced two new products today -- the AluBase and AluRack for MacBooks.
What makes Just Mobile stand out from other accessory manufacturers? First, the company works closely with well-known European product designers to create functional and attractive accessories. Second, the company focuses on the details of materials to make them as close to those used on Apple products. Finally, the company feels that manufacturing in Taiwan makes for better quality products than those available in China (since many manufacturers are producing parts for Apple as well), and there's also a lesser chance of a manufacturer "cloning" one of their products.
The Engadget video interview is fascinating viewing for anyone interested in design and can be viewed in its entirety below.


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A total of 566 units of new Swift and 713 units of new Dzire manufactured between May 7 2018 and July 5 2018 will be covered in this campaign.
On company's strategy regarding the upcoming safety rules, he said already MSI's nine models conform to offset and side impact mandate as well as pedestrian protection, which are yet to be notified.
India becomes the second country after Japan, and the fastest country to reach 20 million units in just 34 years and 5 months since starting production in December 1983, breaking the record of 45 years and 9 months in Japan.
The carmaker sold a total of 172,986 units in April 2018, including 164,978 units in domestic market and 8,008 units of exports.
Both automakers have a lion’s share in the compact car space owing to a number of successful launches such as DZire, Baleno, Swift, Grand i10, Elite i20.
2018 version of its premium hatchback, launched on Feb 8, all set to become fastest car in India to post sales of 1L units
The Company had sold a total of 149,824 units in February 2018.
Kenichi Ayukawa, MD & CEO said: "Since it's launched in 2005, Swift has been the country's favorite hatchback selling more than 1.8 million units. More spacious, it is loaded with new features that will thrill customers."
The Gujarat production is expected to clock 150,000 units by end FY18 and reach 250000 in the following year.
This includes 140,600 units sold in the domestic market up 5.0 percent with 10,751 units of exports that have risen by a marginal 2.8 percent.
Anticipating a growing market in the next fiscal year, the company is investing heavily in product development and network expansion.
India's leading carmaker Maruti Suzuki has finally unveiled the third-generation Swift for the Indian market. After opening bookings for the new model on Thursday, the company has now handed over its official brochure to us and has updated its website as well.
The bookings for the new Swift, based on Suzuki's 5th generation HEARTECT platform, have been opened.
The largest automaker by volume, the company is offering upto Rs 40,000 discount in order to clear the inventory.
Maruti Suzuki has acquired a land bank for the 4-6th plants in Gujarat. The plants will be readied to meet the requirements of the slew of upcoming models that are planned by the company till 2020.
In past two months, the elder sibling Dzire dethroned the Alto with humongous sales in September (31,427) and August (26,140).
Maruti aims to convert every year at least 2 lakh used car buyers to prospective customers of its new cars after 2020.


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The RaidForums hacker site was largely used by cybercriminals to acquire and sell stolen datasets. The forum represented a database sharing and marketplace forum, that offered exclusive database breaches and leaks as well as an active marketplace.
As a result of Operation TOURNIQUET, a sophisticated law enforcement operation coordinated by Europol to assist independent investigations in the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Portugal, and Romania, the unlawful marketplace ‘RaidForums‘ has been shut down and its infrastructure seized. The administrator of the forum, as well as two of his associates, have also been apprehended.
The Department of Justice today announced the seizure of the RaidForums website, a popular marketplace for cybercriminals to buy and sell hacked data, and unsealed criminal charges against RaidForums’ founder and chief administrator, Diogo Santos Coelho, 21, of Portugal. Coelho was arrested in the United Kingdom on Jan. 31, at the United States’ request and remains in custody pending the resolution of his extradition proceedings.
Court records unsealed today indicate that the United States recently obtained judicial authorization to seize three domains that long hosted the RaidForums website. These domains were “raidforums.com,” “Rf.ws,” and “Raid.lol.” According to the affidavit filed in support of these seizures, from in or around 2016 through February 2022, RaidForums served as a major online marketplace for individuals to buy and sell hacked or stolen databases containing the sensitive personal and financial information of victims in the United States and elsewhere, including stolen bank routing and account numbers, credit card information, login credentials and social security numbers.
As ZDNet reports, hundreds of stolen data databases holding more than 10 billion unique information for people had been offered for sale prior to the forum’s confiscation.
The global law enforcement operation, dubbed Operation Tourniquet, saw Europol, the UK National Crime Agency (NCA), the United States Justice Department, as well as law enforcement officials from Portugal, Sweden, and Romania, collaborate to shut down the RaidForums hacker forum and its associated servers.
The takedown of this online market for the resale of hacked or stolen data disrupts one of the major ways cybercriminals profit from the large-scale theft of sensitive personal and financial information.
Officials from the various countries collaborated on this operation for at least a year under the auspices of Europol’s Joint Cybercrime Action Taskforce, where they exchanged information with one another to enable investigators to distinguish between the various roles played by the individuals in charge of running the marketplace, according to Europol.
Dora is a digital marketing specialist within Heimdal™ Security. She is a content creator at heart - always curious about technology and passionate about finding out everything there is to know about cybersecurity.


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UPDATE (4/24/2023): This petition has been hand-delivered to South Korean authorities. We thank everyone who signed!! SaveKoreanDogs and Lady Freethinker are continuing to work hard to end the dog meat trade in South Korea and around the world!
South Korean First Lady Kim Keon-hee has publicly called for an end to the cruel dog meat industry in her country. We applaud her words, and now call on her to take action to help ensure this brutal commercial trade ends for good.
“Not consuming dog meat is ultimately an expression of respect for man’s best friend and it also means respect for life,” she said in an interview. Her husband, President Yoon Suk-yeol, took office on May 10, 2022.
Her call to ban eating dog meat is further bolstered by former President Moon Jae-in’s recent statement that it is time to seriously consider the ban on dog meat.
S. Korea is the only country in the world with large, factory-style dog meat farms. The dogs may be be beaten, hung and electrocuted, and suffer immensely in this industry.
As international animal protection activists, we urge the government of Korea to outlaw the dog meat trade completely.
Sign this petition for the dogs of S. Korea, set up by organizations Save Korean Dogs, Lady Freethinker and Willow’s Wish.
We will then deliver the petition to the First Lady.
SaveKoreanDogs in S.Korea
LadyFreethinker in CA, US
Willow’s Wish in NV, US


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The AI industry is rapidly evolving, and with each passing day, new advancements are made that change the way we interact with technology. Recently, there have been rumors about a new AI model from Google that is said to be a “ChatGPT killer”.
So, what exactly is this new AI model and what makes it so special? According to reports, this AI model has been developed by Google and is being touted as the next big thing in the industry. It is said to be faster, more accurate, and able to handle a wider range of tasks than current AI models, including OpenAI’s GPT.
One of the key features of this new AI model is its advanced natural language processing capabilities. It is able to understand human language and respond in a way that is more natural and intuitive. This means that it will be able to understand complex requests and provide relevant answers, making it a more effective tool for communication and problem solving.
Another major advantage of this new AI model is its speed. It is said to be significantly faster than current AI models, making it ideal for use in real-time applications. This could make it a game changer for industries such as customer service, where quick and accurate responses are crucial.
It is important to note that this new AI model is still in its early stages of development and has not been officially released by Google. However, the buzz surrounding it has already generated a lot of excitement in the industry, and many are eager to see what it can do.
In conclusion, the rumored ChatGPT killer from Google is shaping up to be a game-changer in the AI industry. With its advanced natural language processing capabilities, speed, and accuracy, it has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with technology. Whether it will live up to the hype remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure – the AI industry is about to get a lot more interesting.


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Posted Wednesday, December 18, 2013 --- 11:40 a.m.
Seasonal Specialties is recalling Twinkling Pine pre-lit artificial Christmas trees sold under the Enchanted Forrest brand due to fire, burn and shock hazards. The trees were sold exclusively at Menards.
Menards has received two reports of the tree’s light strings overheating, melting or smoking. No injuries have been reported.
The trees were sold at Menards stores nationwide and online at www.menards.com from September 2013 through November 2013 for about $300.
The recalled model number 287-1261 and UPC code 741895425478 are printed on the retail box and on a red tag attached to a tree branch.
For more information, click HERE.
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New Delhi: In September this year, Apple may release 6.1-inch iPhone 14, 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro, 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max and 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max. According to reports, the iPhone 14 launch may be delayed as a result of manufacturing constraints imposed in China in response to the recent rise in Covid-19 cases.
In addition to the ongoing semiconductor shortage, Apple suppliers and supply chain partners have been hurt by the rising number of coronavirus cases in many parts of China.
According to a report, due to the current COVID-19 outbreak in China and other countries, factories of many Apple suppliers have been forced to stop or reduce production, hence making timely delivery of components for the iPhone 14 series. Very challenging for them.
Due to COVID-19, the iPhone 12 series was launched in October 2020, as opposed to the September launch deadline for every year’s iPhone launch.
Apple’s CEO recently told shareholders on the sidelines of the company’s quarterly results announcement that the ongoing global chip crisis and the Kovid-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the company’s business, forcing the company to shut down its production facilities in China. .
The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will cost $1099 and $1199, respectively, due to rising component costs and Apple’s drive to differentiate the Pro from the non-Pro iPhone. Apple is also likely to replace the iPhone 13 mini with the Max model, which will result in a $300 price increase.
According to rumours, the 2022 iPhone 14 series will include various enhancements over the Pro model, including a revamped design, an improved camera, and more. The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are also said to come with taller profiles and better camera modules to fit the new internals.
Both the iPhone 14 Pro variants will come with a triple rear camera arrangement which includes 48MP wide, 12MP ultra-wide and telephoto lens. The iPhone 14 series is expected to feature 8K video.
Apple iPhone 14 Pro will include 8GB of RAM and 120Hz display refresh rate. On the other hand, the iPhone 13 model comes with 128GB storage option.
When it comes to design, the camera bump on the 2022 high-end iPhone will be 4.17mm thick, or 0.57mm larger than the bump on the iPhone 13 Pro Max. To accommodate the hump, the space behind the iPhone will increase by about 5% in each dimension, from 35.01mm to 36.73mm and 36.24mm to 38.21mm in width and height, respectively.


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Have any suggestions for the 3 Count? Let me know via Twitter @plagiarismtoday.
First off today, Jake Spring at Reuters reports that Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has filed a lawsuit against Chinese car maker Jiangling Motor for copyright infringement and unfair competition over Jiangling’s Landwind X7 sport utility vehicle, which JLR believes is a copy of their Range Rover Evoque model.
The issue specifically involves the latest version of the X7, which went on sale in November 2014. It drew widespread criticism in China for being too similar to the Evoque, which was already on sale in China at the time. The two vehicles have similar shapes, roof/window tapering and nearly identical tail lights and character lines. In fact, one can trivial buy kits to allow Land Rover badges to be put on X7s, largely eliminating any differences.
The only difference between the two vehicles is the price, with the X7 coming in at about a third of the price. As a result of this, JLR reports that sales of the Evoque fell by a fifth after several years of growth in the country. JLR notes that that the X7 has already been barred from sale in Brazil due to an injunction. Note: Car designs can not be copyrighted in the United States but often do enjoy copyright protection in other countries.
Next up today, Jordan Pearson at Motherboard reports that the Canada Post, the Canadian post office, has settled a copyright lawsuit with Geolytica, a Canadian company behind a crowdsourced database of Canadian postal codes.
The lawsuit was filed in 2012 after Geolytica, in an attempt to compile their own database of Canadian postal codes, invited people to to submit their codes to the database, which would be made available under a Creative Commons license. In Canada, government entities can hold copyright and the Canada Post claimed the Geolytica database was a copyright infringement of their original database of postal codes.
However, on May 30th the Canada Post dropped the lawsuit before it could reach a verdict. The Canada Post licenses its database to businesses and limits access to the information on their website. While Geolytica welcomed the dismissal of the lawsuit, its owners expressed concern that, without either an open licensing scheme or a judge’s ruling, that the Canada Post would continue to control the information.
Finally today, Andy at Torrentfreak writes that Axl Rose, through the aid of a third party, has sent a series of DMCA notices to Google over an unflattering photo of him taken at a Winnipeg concert in 2010.
The photo, which was captured by Boris Minkevich for the Winnipeg Free Press, has become the source of many “fat” memes about Rose. However, Minkevich has no knowledge as to why Rose is attempting to remove the image from Google search.
Questions of ownership have arisen over the photo. Web Sheriff, the company representing Rose, claims that the photographer and the Winnipeg Free Press signed over the rights to the image when they were given access to the concert. Minkevich, can neither confirm nor deny that he signed such a contract but Web Sheriff contends that Rose would hold copyright even if he didn’t, saying that Rose would hold copyright in his performance.
That’s it for the three count today. We will be back tomorrow with three more copyright links. If you have a link that you want to suggest a link for the column or have any proposals to make it better. Feel free to leave a comment or send me an email. I hope to hear from you.


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With 107 Ventures in 5 countries, we are rounding up the news every 2 weeks to share what’s happening. Engage, share + follow using the hashtag #SheEOmagic to amplify.
Jump to the country Venture news you want to read:
- Code Like a Girl‘s next intake opens this month.
- Indigital is piloting Indigital Schools internationally for the first time in partnership with Saik’uz First Nation in B.C.
- Neighbourlytics is hiring for four roles in North Melbourne.
- Verve Super‘s engaging infographics were cited as a way to turn data into visual content for social media marketing.
- Refitting your office? World’s Biggest Garage Sale says this is a great moment to engage in the circular economy.
- Spring looked at the problem, solution, and impact of Gotcare and RainStick two of the top five ventures in the 2021 National Impact Investory Challenge.
- APTN News talked to Lynn-Marie Angus of Sisters Sage and Patrice Mousseau of Satya Organic Skin Care for an extended look at Indigenous women who are entrepreneurs.
- Abeego spoke to Kimberly Butler of Black Homesteader as part of its Kindred Kitchen series, which aims to forge connection through shared food experience.
- Aisle was recommended in a Swift story about sustainable feminine products to try and in a Lifestyle Asia piece on eco-friendly menstrual products.
- Fast fashion costs a lot, says Aisle.
- The Alinker won Innovation Nation’s #MoMadness championship as the fans’ favourite invention. It was also recommended by AARP as a bike for people with mobility challenges.
- Valerie Song of AVA Technologies has made it through to the top eight in the NexStream Tech Competition in Campbell River, B.C.
- Audra Renyi, founder of earAccess, was on the assessment committee for the recently announced Governor General’s Innovation Awards.
- Reach Alliance has shared a case study on Gotcare‘s model of self-directed home care — here’s a video overview.
- Haircuts on Wheels is looking to hire a hairstylist in Uptown Toronto or North York.
- Iskwew Air is in talks with Qualicum Beach to determine how best to serve the region.
- Lisse Shave made Evolve and Ascend’s list of 10 sustainable brands to get to know.
- SaltWire profiled Sheena Russell of Made with Local, whose granola bar mix is now available at Costco stores in Atlantic Canada.
- Nada is looking to hire a social media lead in Vancouver.
- Sisters Sage won the Best Community Impact Award at the Small Business BC Awards.
- CHCH News talked to Noora Sharrab of Sitti Social Enterprise about how the soap company’s subscription box is changing lives.
- Skipper Otto “has created a just and equitable system for the seafood industry,” Sonia Strobel said in an Ottawa Life Magazine, which noted that the membership-based program now includes Ontario.
- Sonia Strobel of Skipper Otto is also amassing support for a campaign against a change in the way the spot prawn industry is regulated that puts small operations at risk.
- Brainpool AI mentioned SomaDetect‘s use of optical sensors and deep learning algorithms to inform dairy farmers about herd health so they can increase milk production from fewer cows, thus decreasing GHG emissions.
- STEM Minds is offering free coding and STEM training for K-8 teachers in May and June.
- Erin Millar of The Discourse shared her grant-writing secrets.
- The Tare Shop received $10,000 from the inaugural She’s Next Grant Program from Visa Canada, which got Kate Pepler a spotlight on Global’s Morning Show.
- Think Dirty is technology that will improve your life, says Josh Gitalis.
- Chia Sisters‘ solar-powered juicery and Better Packaging Co.‘s compostable packaging were cited in a Shopify post on ways to run a more sustainable business.
- AWWA looked back at a century’s worth of period ads and the messages they have conveyed.
- Beany published a glossary of accounting terms.
- Rebecca Percasky of Better Packaging Co. has received a fellowship from the Cartier Women’s Initiative to further her work to decrease waste. The announcement was also covered by Marie Claire.
- Jobloads is part of Startmate’s Summer21 cohort, which was featured in Business News Australia.
- Nisa founder Elisha Watson wrote an ode to her mum Marie.
- The Register wrote about The Hello Cup‘s entry into Countdown stores, “an achievement the company marks as its biggest yet.”
- Fat Macy’s is recruiting staff for its new restaurant in Pimlico.
- Huckletree highlighted Safe & the City as part of its To Be Continued campaign saluting innovators.
- Sandra Kwak of 10Power hosted a panel discussion about California on the climate restoration frontier with two state senators and others pursuing job creation, climate justice, and ecosystem restoration.
- Sonja Ebron and Debra Slone of Courtroom5 were featured in WRAL TechWire after being named finalists in the Founders of Color Showcase from Next Wave Impact.
- Live Kindly hailed Novoloop as a woman-led sustainable business changing the world, and The Women’s Network at UCSB listed Miranda Wang among six women leaders in environmentalism.
- RealLeaders recognized Brandi DeCarli of Farm from a Box as an environmental leader you shoud know.
- Akua did a Q&A with “epic Earthling” Sea Briganti of Loliware.
- Pandia Health published a sponsored post in SF Weekly about non-birth-control reasons to be on birth control. They also took a look at the history of violence towards Asians and Pacific Islanders.
- Sisu Global has raised $2.2 million towards its goal of $3 million in debt funding, reports Baltimore Business Journal (paywalled).
- Solstice is part of a project to install solar panels on a public housing project called Queensbridge Houses in New York.


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Swedish furniture giant retailer Ikea has announced 7,500 job cuts around the world as Ikea has to adapt to rapidly changing consumer trends. According to Ikea's parent company Ingka, the job cuts represent about 5% of its 160,000 workforce and will mainly affect its offices and 'global operations' across 30 countries.
Ikea, via Ingka, will simultaneously recruit 11,500 people within two years to respond to digital opportunities and the opening of outlets in city centres. Finally, the reorganisation could lead to a net job creation of 4,000 positions. This strategy responds to a change of lifestyle observed as 'fewer people' have a car and 'more and more people are moving into smaller homespaces', according Ingka's CEO. The group has already announced this year 700 job cuts at EU level. In November 2018, national level announcement have been made in Sweden (650 job cuts), in the UK (350 job cuts), and in Belgium (100 jobs).


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Rad calls Bam a “copycat company” and alleges it could not “succeed in the e-bike marketplace on its own merits,” so it had to mimic Rad’s look. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Seattle this week, alleges that Bam launched a “knockoff” website in March that confused customers because it was so similar to Rad’s, making them think the two companies were related in some way.
From the court documents:
Bam apparently cannot succeed in the e-bike marketplace on its own merits. Bam instead hoodwinks an unwitting populace into the false impression that Bam has already achieved Rad Power Bikes’ prominence and reputational stature in the e-bike industry. Bam thoroughly mimicked Rad Power Bikes’ website content and e-bike designs in order to give the copycat company an unwarranted head start in the e-bike marketplace. Rather than compete fairly, Bam cuts marketing and design corners through siphoning Rad Power Bikes’ excellent reputation and goodwill in the burgeoning world of e-bike commerce.
In addition to claims of copyright infringement and false advertising, Rad alleges that claims of patented technology made by Bam and its parent company, JHR Electric Transport, are misleading because the patents could not be found in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office databases.
Throughout the filing, Rad shows images of the two companies’ websites side-by-side to emphasize the similarity in layout and product offerings. One image shows the tagline “Built for Everything. Priced for Everyone,” displayed prominently on both sites.
When GeekWire visited the sites this week, taglines on both homepages had been changed. Bam also appeared to make tweaks to other areas of its website that previously looked similar to Rad in court documents.
Rad alleges it got complaints from customers who thought its products were generic, since nearly identical models could be found on Bam’s website. Rad is asking for the court to put a stop to any elements of Bam that infringe on copyrights “in order to correct and end the misimpressions being foisted upon an unsuspecting public through Bam’s deliberate replication of Rad Power Bikes’ website design and business persona.”
We’ve reached out to Bam and will update this post if we hear back. Rad declined to comment.
Rad Power Bikes has become one of the best-known e-bike brands in North America over the past four years, with revenues expected to double to $100 million this year, GeekWire previously reported. Last month, the company landed a pair of high-profile investors in Zulily co-founders Darrell Cavens and Mark Vadon.
The startup now sells its e-bikes in the U.S., Canada, and 30 European countries to both consumers and commercial businesses in industries such as logistics, law enforcement, deliveries, and more. It has taken advantage of the direct-to-consumer model to shorten its supply chain, bypass traditional bike shops and create a tight feedback loop with customers to constantly improve its limited line of e-bikes that sell for around $1,500.
On Bam’s website, parent company JHR calls itself “the leader in developing and manufacturing electric power vehicles in America.” It has been building electric vehicles since 2004, and according to the website is the company behind the “most popular mobility products in the world – EWheels.”
Bam says it has been building e-bikes since 2009, and it offers four different models, all priced at $1,599. The company also builds several different types of e-scooters, ranging in price from $349 for a small folding scooter to $2,345 for the more powerful “Chopper Trike.”
Here is the full lawsuit from Rad:


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According to Hyundai South Africa, more than 7 500 third-generation Tucsons were sold in the 13 months since its local launch in 2016 – claiming a 16.5% share in its segment. And to them that is reason enough for celebration… Continue Reading →
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Based on the new format an ad will expand if a friend “Likes” the brand. Once expanded the new user will be able to see other comments about the brand while adding their own comment.
The ads are added to “Sponsored Stories” and “Social Ads” which tell you if a friend interacts with a brand.
According to Facebook their own research with Like Ads supporting a Starbucks campaign showed that fans spend 8% longer interacting with the new ad format compared to other formats currently offered by the social network.
Along with the “Like” ad Facebook has rolled out a new feature for their “Pages Insights” analytics tool, a new metric called “People Talking About.” The new tool shows brands whether or not their ad is creating compelling content people want to talk about.
Facebook also promised during their keynote speech that they will also continue to highlight other page metrics including “Likes,” “Friends of Fans” and “Weekly Total Reach.”
The “Friends of Fans” metric measures the actual number of friends a brand has which can help brand owners determine their campaigns true reach.
Brands can find the new metrics under the Facebook Gestures banner and they can start content for testing purposes at any time.
Try out the new Facebook ad format and analytics tool and let us know what you think.


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2016 was the year in which the virtual reality revolution finally reached gamers. After years of watching tech demos and being wowed by the premise, virtual reality was here to make its mark. With some of the industry’s biggest names backing this new wave; it seemed as though the sky was the limit and after an E3 of huge promises, the hype was real. Yet as we press into 2017, it’s hard to not feel that the momentum that carried VR this far has subsided quite alarmingly. What’s gone wrong and what can VR do to get back on track?
Perhaps the biggest sign that momentum has escaped virtual reality comes from CES, where VR played little more than a peripheral player to overall proceedings. Lots of new headsets were announced by the likes of Lenovo – but these did little to push the quality of the industry up. Instead of exciting and getting consumers talking; it’ more a case of pushing the price down and trying to reduce the entry fee – arguably the biggest barrier preventing VR from entering the mainstream.
Because all these months later, the biggest issue facing the industry remains the price of entry. Not only for the technology underpinning it (Which I still say was overpriced) but for the games themselves. I’ve heard plenty of complaints about the cost and length of certain VR games; with many feeling that the current tactic of pricing games at full whack but delivering minuscule offerings is bleeding the life out of the entire movement. The likes of Batman VR and EVE: Valkyrie are great spectacles but leave gamers feeling cheated when the experience ends abruptly. It’s one thing to wow people with flashy games, it’s another to actually deliver the kind of immersive experience that VR has built its promise upon – and these games are not doing that.
It creates a negative conversation and puts off gamers who might otherwise be tempted into the fledgling industry. Yes there are some great indie titles, but it’s the AAA-space that will ultimately come to be the poster child for VR. Without that killer experience, VR is struggling to justify the lofty entry fee; and until that killer app makes its appearance there’s little for gamers to get excited about. Put simply, why should gamers be excited?
This hasn’t been helped by the existing company’s being fairly muted on their successes. The on-off scuffling of Oculus and HTC, who have been quietly moving to undermine each other and stagnate the market, hasn’t created a great PR image around the PC side of things. Competition should breed competence but in the initial months, the two companies have been awkwardly working to put themselves ahead of the industry. Signing up exclusives and locking out those who didn’t buy their expensive headset is a poor way to cultivate excitement and in a period where games haven’t been delivering the high quality – it’s a sign that the ongoing scuffles haven’t yielded positive results.
It’s the PlayStation VR headset that’s turned the most heads – yet even there the successes since launch have been kept quiet. Ditching the requirement for an expensive PC and offering the VR experience in console form has given the platform an ease of access that its competitors can only dream of. Yet Sony won’t talk about numbers, nor will they gloat about how well the device is doing. There’s promise of more to come and the potential is certainly there, but in interviews – even Sony’s executives don’t gush about the device as much as you’d expect. Given that in 2016 gamers couldn’t stop hearing about how great VR was set to be, when none of the major players are willing to talk up their devices or the initial successes – it creates the image that things aren’t going as well as planned.
What can be done to fix all this? Put simply, the quality needs to rise to match the investment from gamers. Resident Evil 7 could change all this when it releases later this month. It’s the first major franchise to throw its hat into the VR arena and do so in a way that commits it to. Sure you can play it without VR – but the game looks incredible for those who’ll be playing on PSVR. It’s a hugely exciting leap and could spur creators of video games to finally take the step up and create the immersive content that we all want. Not only this but it’s the first game that people seem to genuinely be excited to see in the VR headset. While other titles have elicited a mild response of excitement; Capcom might be onto a winner and that winner could be exactly what VR needs.
Ultimately no one wants to see VR fail – but right now it’s hard to escape the feeling that the lofty potential is being squandered. I hope that the industry can focus its efforts and eventually make the entire thing work for gamers across the board. To achieve this costs have to come down, but creatively things need to get better. The cash-in novelty games need to become a thing of the past quicker – or the damage could be more long-term than anyone wants.